The man let out a laugh. “Sorry, missy, I’m not making any exceptions for you or anyone else.”
Luna leaned forward and placed her hand on the guard’s arm. She blinked her eyes at him. “Please, we have to see him.”
The guard’s eyes went glassy, and he nodded. He pushed open the door and strode right through it without looking back at them.
“What did you do?” Zwaantie hissed.
Luna smirked at her. “Turns out, I have quite a bit of magic. Viggo’s been teaching me how to use it. I simply compelled him to do what I wanted.”
Zwaantie’s heart nearly stopped. “Leo explained to me how the magic worked. You can’t influence people. It’s very physical.”
“Right. It doesn’t work unless I touch them.” Luna took Zwaantie’s hand. “Don’t tell anyone. No one knows I can do this. But I’ll show you my other tricks once we get back to the castle.”
Zwaantie didn’t say anything. She supposed she wouldn’t be able to say anything now anyway, since Luna had basically given her a command like she’d done with the guard. Zwaantie couldn’t help but think how similar this was to the way the Voice worked.
The dungeon floors were damp and the walls cold. The entire thing smelled like a swamp. They passed several metal doors until the guard stopped at one and placed his hand on the door. The lock popped open.
Luna put her hand on his arm once again. “Wait out here for us, please.”
Then she rushed into the room. Phoenix sat on a chair on the far side of the room with his head hung. He looked up at the sound of Luna running for him, but he found Zwaantie’s eyes. She held his gaze, losing herself. She would never love another. She didn’t know what had happened yesterday, but he was her one and only. In that moment, she knew she’d do whatever she needed to be with him. She knew what this meant. He would only ever be her lover, but she’d do it for him.
Chapter 22
The Fool
Luna pulled Phoenix up off his chair in an embrace. He squeezed her back and closed his eyes, his ratty hair falling into his face. Zwaantie stayed near the door, not wanting to interfere or startle him. She fiddled with her necklace.
Luna held Phoenix’s face.
“Are they treating you alright?” she asked.
“No,” he croaked.
“What can we do for you?”
“I don’t know. I’m just so cold all the time. Can you bring me a blanket?”
“Of course, we’ll make sure you get one. Anything else?”
“Zwaantie,” he croaked. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened.”
Her heart broke. She’d been wrong about him, and here he was in the horrible dungeon.
Zwaantie took a step forward, and Luna spun. “Of course, you two need to talk.” She fixed Zwaantie’s collar and fussed with her hair a bit. Zwaantie hesitated for a moment. He tried to kill her the last time they were together. Did he really mean he was sorry?
Go to him.
Zwaantie hand flew to her neck. Her necklace was gone.
Go to him now. You love him. The Voice was stronger than she’d ever felt. She did want to go to him. What had made her think she didn’t?
She stepped around Luna and rushed for Phoenix and wrapped her arms around him. She needed to feel his embrace and know he still loved her. But he was limp in her arms. Without warning, he shoved her hard. She flew into the wall, cracking her head on the concrete.
She didn’t even have a chance to call out before he whipped out his hand and punched her in the jaw. She crumpled onto the ground, and he slammed his foot into her in the back. He kicked out again, his shoe connecting with her nose. Stars exploded behind her eyes. He kicked her in the stomach, and she found her voice.
“Help,” she screamed.
The floor shook as footsteps rushed into the cell. Phoenix kicked one more time, hitting her in the ear before someone pulled him away. Her vision went spotty, but just before she lost consciousness, she spotted her necklace lying on the other side of the cell.
Chapter 23
The Necklace
Zwaantie awoke to a screeching sound and blinked her eyes open. She was back in Sage’s room. She didn’t know how she got there. The last thing she remembered was Phoenix punching her in the face.
He really did hate her. There was no question now. She loved him, and now she would have to learn to live without him. Maybe she could just sleep the rest of her life and not have to think about anything ever again.
A man with bright blue eyes hovered over her. Blue eyes were rare in Stella. He flashed a light in her eyes.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She shifted. Every muscle screamed. “Not good.”
“You’re lucky to be alive. I can heal you, but it will take several hours.” He placed a hand on her forehead. She felt something seep into her veins, but didn’t feel any better.
“You should be fine in the morning. For now, it’s important that you stay still.” He pulled a potion out of his pocket.
“Before I give you this, I want you to understand what it does. You’ll be able to move your head, but your limbs will not move. It will help you to heal. I can give you something to sleep as well.”
“That would be good. Thanks.”
He tipped the first bottle into her mouth. It was sickly sweet and ice cold. Her limbs immediately went limp. She tried to lift a finger and couldn’t. He dug around in his pockets.
Filthy potions. Evil magic. Go home. Zwaantie tried to ignore the Voice. It’d been so long since she’d heard it, which made it hard to ignore. She had to find her necklace.
“Oh stars, I don’t have any sleep potion. Give me a moment, and I’ll get some more.” The healer rushed out of the room.
She let her eyes drift shut, but she was too distracted by the disconcerting feeling of not being able to move. Plus the Voice was bothering her. How had she ever had any peace when she was in Sol? Her bed sank, and her eyes flew open. Sage sat there with a frown.
“That was stupid. What were you thinking?”
“I love him. I had to see if it was just a mistake.”
Sage shook her head. “Still incredibly dumb. Promise me you won’t do that again. Leo’s going to kill me when he finds out.”
It was an easy promise to make. Zwaantie’s eyes had been opened. She would never see Phoenix again. “I promise. I just had to see, you know.”
She felt a tear slide down her cheek. She couldn’t lift her hands to wipe it away. Sage did it for her.
“I know. You’ll make it through this. Maybe now you’ll even let yourself fall in love with Leo.”
Zwaantie gave her a fake smile. “Maybe.”
“I bet you’re tired.”
“I’m waiting for the healer to bring me a sleeping potion. He couldn’t find any.”
“I have some if you want.”
Zwaantie snorted. “No, I’m not taking any potions from you. I’ll just wait for the healer.”
Sage sighed. “Fine. I’ll wait with you until he returns.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Luna approached the bed. Her face was tear streaked. “I’m so, so sorry. I had no idea he’d hurt you.”
“It’s okay.”
Sage looked from Zwaantie to Luna. “I’ll leave you two alone. Zwaantie, I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll have a spa day.”
Zwaantie had no idea what that was, but she wanted to talk to Luna as well. “Okay. See you tomorrow. Thanks for checking on me.”
Luna waited until Sage left the room. “I’ve never seen him like that. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“Maybe he was better off in Sol. We need to send him back.” Zwaantie didn’t see any other option. With him there, she’d be safe. She supposed he could just say in prison, but she’d feel better if he was far, far away.
“That still won’t make him love you,” Luna said with a glare.
“I know, but at least he won’t try to kill me.”
&n
bsp; You should go with him. You belong in Sol.
She needed her necklace. She didn’t like the Voice being in her head.
Luna fussed with Zwaantie’s blankets. “Are you comfortable? You look awful.”
Zwaantie swiveled her head around. “Not really, but they gave me a potion to prevent me from moving my arms and legs. I could use another pillow under my head.”
“Of course.” Luna gave her sympathetic smile.
Luna reached across and grabbed another pillow. “Oh, that’s not a good one.” She dropped the pillow right on Zwaantie’s face and leaned over to get another one. Zwaantie couldn’t breathe, and she couldn’t move. She tried to call out but felt the breath being stolen from her body. She was going to suffocate under Luna all because she let that stupid healer give her a potion that prevented her from moving.
The weight lifted, and the pillow disappeared. She gasped for breath. Luna played with her hair and slid another pillow under head.
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. That was scary.”
Ari stood next to Luna, looking concerned. He held up a potion. “Ran into the healer. He asked me to bring it to you since I was coming this way anyway.”
Luna gave Ari a wary glance and then slipped out of the room. Ari sat in the place that had now held three of her well-wishers. At least she was well-loved.
“How are you?”
“You mean besides the love of my life intentionally tried to kill me and my best friend accidentally almost finished the job.”
He chuckled. “So, not well.”
“No. Not well at all. I just want to sleep and forget this.”
“Well, I have two presents for you.” He held up the necklace Leo had given her.
“This was found in Phoenix’s cell. My guess is he ripped it off before he attacked you.”
Zwaantie tried to recall the attack. She didn’t remember him going after the necklace, but it was a blur. Ari leaned into her and slid the necklace around her, clasping it. His fingers were soft and warm on her skin.
The Voice immediately ceased. She let out a breath of relief.
“Thank you.” She needed to talk to someone about what the Voice was doing, but she didn’t know who. Sage and Ari wouldn’t understand. Leo maybe.
“You’re welcome. Now are you ready to sleep?”
“Yes please,” Zwaantie said with a grateful smile.
“Open up.”
She did as he commanded, and he tipped the lavender-tasting potion into her mouth. Just before she closed her eyes, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. She enjoyed the warmth his kiss brought.
“Sleep safe.”
Chapter 24
The Spa
Something landed on Zwaantie’s stomach, waking her up. Andromeda meowed at her. Zwaantie stretched her arms out. Nothing hurt, but she was stiff. Her muscles protested as she moved. She rolled over to her side, knocking Andromeda onto the bed. The kitten rubbed her faced against Zwaantie’s cheek, and Zwaantie pushed her away.
She almost sat up but froze at the sound of Leo’s voice. She turned her head and saw his face on the wall. Sage stood in front of him. Both were speaking in low, angry voices.
“You were supposed to protect her. You’re her guard. That’s the third time she’s almost died in your care,” Leo said.
Sage threw her hands up. “I’ve never been with her when she’s been attacked. Keep in mind if it wasn’t for me, she’d be dead by vipers already. If I was trying to be with her every second of the day, she’d get suspicious. Unless you want me to tell her.”
Guard. Sage was her guard? Sage had denied it when Zwaantie asked and Zwaantie had accepted it. Zwaantie thought through the last few days. It made her sad. She’d wanted Sage to just be her friend. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn’t. This was Sage.
“No, don’t tell her. She needs a friend here. I know I’m angry, but I wouldn’t trust her with anyone else. Just tell Ari to give her some space, will you?”
Sage giggled. “Worried?”
“A little. She doesn’t love me.”
“Give her time. Ari knows the stakes. He won’t try anything. Besides he keeps her company when I can’t be around.”
“Ari’s no guard. He can’t protect her like you can.”
“He does just fine.”
Leo sighed. “Okay, I’ve gotta run. Keep her alive. Please.”
“Doing my best, brother. She doesn’t make it easy.”
Zwaantie kept her eyes closed, not knowing if it was a good idea to tell Sage she’d overheard their conversation. She needed to process what Sage was.
The bed bounced, and suddenly Sage’s face was in hers. “Get up.”
“I was nearly murdered yesterday. Let me sleep.”
“Nope. I’m not letting you mope, and I know you will. You need good old-fashioned spa therapy. Now get up.”
She flung off the covers, and Zwaantie glowered at her. Sage could give Luna a run for her money.
Zwaantie swung her legs out and groaned. “Okay, let me shower.”
“Not necessary.” She flung a light dress at Zwaantie and pointed at the bathroom. “Change and let’s get going.”
Zwaantie staggered to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. She stared at herself in the mirror. Despite having her face smashed in the day before, she looked no different.
The dress Sage picked out was silky and soft. It fit her well, had no sleeves, and settled just before her knees. She could never wear those Solite dresses again. Even when she became queen, she’d wear clothes from Stella.
Thirty minutes later she stared up at a bright pink building shaped like a giant cloud.
“What’s this?” Zwaantie asked.
“The Spa.”
As they entered, the door said, “You are beautiful,” in a deep sexy voice.
“What was that?”
Sage giggled. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
Sage collapsed onto a bright white couch. Zwaantie followed. “You have a very nice figure,” the couch said in the same voice.
“Does everything in here talk?” Zwaantie asked.
“Just about.”
The couch was the most comfortable thing Zwaantie had ever sat on. She’d be happy just parking there the rest of the day.
A woman in a pink dress the same shade as the building approached them. She had on a small nametag that said Nysa.
“Sage, Zwaantie, are you ready?”
“Of course we are,” Sage said and pulled Zwaantie up off the couch.
“I’ll miss you,” it whispered.
Zwaantie followed Sage and Nysa into a long pink hallway with white doors. She opened the door with Zwaantie’s name on it and directed Zwaantie to go inside.
“I’ll be in the room next door. We’ll be able to talk to each other when we get to the soak,” Sage said.
Zwaantie had no idea what she was talking about, but figured she’d go with it. Right now, she didn’t really care what anyone did to her.
Nysa followed her into the room, picked up Zwaantie’s hand, and examined it. Then she studied Zwaantie’s face, her nose inches away. Zwaantie nearly backed up. Nysa went to a panel on the wall and pushed a few buttons.
“I’ll be leaving. You need to strip and lie down. Your body will be scrubbed and then wrapped. You’ll be alone for about twenty minutes. Then you’ll be let down for a soak. The wall between you and Sage will disappear, and you’ll be able to talk. Any questions?”
Zwaantie shook her head. She was getting nervous, but she didn’t even know what kind of questions to ask. Nysa slid out of the room, closing the door softly behind her, and Zwaantie stood there for a moment unsure of what to do.
“It’s okay, dear. No one is watching,” the wall said.
“Except you,” Zwaantie muttered as she pulled her dress off and laid it down on the table. Then the entire thing disappeared, and she was left floating in midair. It felt as if tiny
rocks were scrubbing all over her body. It should’ve hurt, but didn’t. The smell was amazing too, like flowers in the spring. She let her eyes close and just enjoyed the sensation. She wanted to get lost in it and forget about Phoenix and responsibilities.
Why had she gone to see him after he’d tried to kill her the first time? If this is what love did to people, then she was through with it. The tear in her heart would never heal, and she didn’t want it to. She needed to be reminded of what it meant when you opened your heart to someone and got hurt.
The rubbing rocks stopped, and bright white cloths bound her body. They smelled of coffee and vanilla. She still floated in the air, her head supported by what felt like a fluffy pillow.
She let her eyes shut, and she drifted in between consciousness and sleep, Phoenix alive in her mind. Her heart twisted.
After a while, her body began to sink, and she found herself in a deep tub. The cloths dissolved. Sweet smelling flowers and leaves floated in the water.
“Nice, huh,” Sage said.
Zwaantie’s eyes flew open, and she turned toward the voice. Sage was in her own tub.
“It is nice. I could stay here forever.”
“I’ve tried. They kick you out before midnight.”
“That’s too bad. There’s no boys here.”
Sage flung and arm over the side of her tub. “You still thinking about Phoenix?”
“How can I not? I was, still am, completely in love with him. It doesn’t just go away because he tried to kill me.”
Sage gave a snort. “That should make the love go away pretty quickly.”
“You would think. But it doesn’t.”
“Well, what he did was awful. You need to move on.”
Zwaantie played with a rose floating in the water. “How?”
“I’ve never been in love. Perhaps you should focus on Leo. It can’t hurt, right?”
Zwaantie didn’t want to think about loving Leo. How could she possibly force herself to love someone else? She had so many questions and few answers. Why did Leo ask Sage to guard her anyway? She hesitated for a moment.
“I woke up while you and Leo were talking this morning. I know you’re my guard.”
Stella and Sol Box Set Page 30
