Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy

by Jennifer Collins

  Syney stared at him, her mouth open. "What?"

  Hunter sighed in frustration. "You know it's true, after everything you've seen today."

  Syney looked away. He had a point, but Daemons? "So how do I fit into this?"

  "The Vilori line was succeeded by the Crystallianna line. There was some distant blood connection, but many Magic Users believed no one could replace the Vilori line. They were beloved. And then, a few years after the tragedy, a Magic User who could see the future predicted the coming of a Vilori—a lost daughter of the line who would come and end the hundreds of years of war and devastation. She would bring Altera Realm back to its glory."

  Syney slowly locked her gaze on his. "And you think I'm her?"

  Hunter nodded. "We know you are."

  Syney shook her head. Things seemed to be connecting—the psychic, the amulet, her real parents. Could all of this be true? Syney bit her lip and grabbed the pen and paper from the nightstand. She slowly drew the symbol from the back of the amulet and handed it to Hunter.

  He looked at it. "This is the Vilori family crest. Where did you see it?"

  "On an amulet that was left with me when I was abandoned as a baby." She took a shaky breath. "My mom just gave it to me."

  "That must have been the trigger," he said softly.

  "The trigger?"

  "After the prophecy, the queen put a spell in motion—one that would detect the Chosen One once her powers were activated." He paused. "That was a long time ago. Some had started to believe that it didn't work, or that the prophecy was fake. Altera Realm is much older than this Realm."

  Syney nodded and slowly sat down. "How are you sure...that I'm her?"

  Hunter looked away from her. "I can feel it." He paused and looked back. "All Protectors can feel their charges."

  "You're my Protector. And you're a...werewolf."

  "Lycin," he corrected.

  They stared at each other for a moment in silence.

  "This is all a little crazy," Syney said finally.

  Hunter nodded. "It's a shock. I understand." He looked around. "Is there a phone in here?"

  "I think I saw a payphone out by the office. Why?"

  "I have to call Raine and let him know where we are. The longer we're away from the Village, the more dangerous the situation is." He stopped at the door. "Please don't let anyone but me in."

  Syney nodded. "I promise. No one but you."

  Hunter nodded and left.

  Syney exhaled a deep breath and lay back in the bed. She still wasn't positive she believed his story. But then again who would make up a crazy story like that? It was so off the wall that it had to be true. All she knew for certain was she felt completely safe with Hunter—the wolf and the man.

  Cass

  As consciousness enveloped her body, Cass imagined someone squeezing her arm and even pulling it at times. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and saw stars. There were hundreds in the dark sky. Altera Realm didn't have many stars, and the ones that were visible were green and very faint—nothing at all like this sky with its white, twinkling stars.

  "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

  Cass dragged her gaze to the left and focused on Becca, who sat in a red armchair. Cass nodded and looked around the room. It was a bedroom, comfortably furnished and decorated, the centerpiece being the wooden four-poster bed she was lying in.

  "That skylight was the first thing I put in this room. I just love the stars."

  Cass looked back at Becca. "You're a Magic User."

  Becca looked at Cass and smiled. "What gave me away? The stars?"

  "You called me 'Princess.' "

  "Ah, so I did."

  Cass sighed and looked over at her hurt arm. It was wrapped in a green towel with a glowing red mark on it. She recognized the mark as a spell, by the way it was glowing, but she never had actually seen that particular one. "What kind of spell did you use?" she asked, sitting up.

  Becca leaned forward. "It's a healing spell—mainly used for cuts or broken bones, nothing life threatening."

  Cass's eyes went wide. "A healing spell? Those were lost hundreds of years ago."

  "Not lost, more like ignored. All Magic Users still have the ability to learn the old magic."

  Cass shook her head. The old magics weren't talked about, let alone practiced. She had learned about them briefly when she was in school. Back when there was peace in Altera, the Magic Users' powers were much stronger. They could heal, manipulate, and even transport themselves to other places. But all was lost once the fighting had begun, once the One had been lost in time.

  "But how?"

  Becca sighed. "I can't really explain it to you. There are many books on the old magics. Mostly you just have to believe it can work."

  Cass felt a burn deep in her arm. She watched as the spell's design glowed a little brighter before disappearing.

  Becca stood and approached the bed. "This won't hurt, but you should keep still. Your bone can break more quickly just after the healing." As she spoke she slowly lifted the green towel.

  Cass slowly lifted her arm and tentatively bent it. There was no pain, but she felt an odd tingling deep within the bone. "Wow." She looked into Becca's ice-blue eyes. "That's amazing."

  Becca laughed and perched on the bed. "Just magic."

  Raine knocked softly on the open door and entered room. "How are you feeling?"

  Cass smiled. "Much better. Becca is amazing."

  Raine shot Becca a quick look. "We should be going soon."

  "Have you heard from them?"

  Raine nodded. "She's safe."

  Cass got out of bed quickly. She stopped and looked down at Becca. "I'm truly grateful for your help."

  Becca smiled. "It was my honor, Princess."

  Cass headed after Raine but stopped to look back at her healer. "Would it be all right...I mean...can I maybe... Can we talk again some time?"

  Becca's smile fell as she took a deep breath. "I'm not sure that would be a good idea." She paused. "But...don't tell them what we spoke about, and we can possibly speak more."

  Cass took a deep breath, swallowing all of her questions, and nodded. The look in Becca's crystal-blue eyes screamed caution and...trust? Weird, since they had just met, but Cass seemed to feel it; it was almost like her trust compulsion with Raine, her Protector.

  "Thank you again," Cass said, and headed out of the room to follow Raine. Her day seemed to be getting stranger and stranger but in an oddly wonderful way. She would get out of the Village and come back to see Becca. She just had to.

  Mellisandrianna

  The council meeting was even more tense than usual. It had been more than a week, and there was still no word from the retrieval party sent out to greet and bring the Chosen One back to the Village. The normal, everyday topics usually brought up during council meetings were pushed aside while preparations for the Chosen One were made. Where would she sleep? When would her crowning ceremony take place? Would she be named "seated queen" or usurp Mellisandrianna's own throne as the long-lost queen? This was exactly what the queen had been afraid of. They were already practicing their blind devotion, and the Chosen One hadn't even stepped foot in their Realm yet.

  "We should perform some sort of test," Mellisandrianna said calmly, silencing the room.

  Every eye at the large round wooden table before her stopped and turned to her.

  "Mother, I'm not sure I understand," Helenandrianna, the eldest of the crowned princesses said, confusion clouding her light-blue eyes.

  Mellisandrianna turned her own blue eyes on her before slowly making eye contact with everyone in the room. "The magic that found her is old. Who's to say it even worked properly? And after all the mess with choosing a Protector, you can all see that some steps must be taken, for the good of the Village."

  There was some mumbling of conversation among the present Magic Users. Mellisandrianna knew she would have her way, but it would be easier to have a consensus on the topic.

 
"I agree, Mother," Adandrianna said, her perfect nose shifting higher in the air.

  Mellisandrianna smiled at her middle daughter. She would be a perfect heir to her long legacy, but there was much in their way first.

  An older man, his hair graying and his voice graveling with age, cleared his throat. "What exactly did you have in mind, my queen?"

  Mellisandrianna fixed her icy-blue glaze on him. She had known Thomas her whole life. He was a faithful member of the council and a cousin by marriage. But he also had been one of the first to rejoice in the news of the Chosen One. "There are simple spells to check heredity. And, of course, her innate powers must be tested. If she really is from before the divide, she still might have the ancient royal powers, many of which are very dangerous."

  "It might be prudent to be cautious," Leaf said with a small nod. Leaf was seated close to the royal family, having earned his place by being the head of the Royal Guard of Lycins.

  Mellisandrianna gave a small smile. She was pleased to have an unlikely ally in Leaf. This would be easier than she had thought. "And on the matter of the Protector issue?"

  Leaf stiffened and looked toward his queen. "No other names came from the fire."

  "That is unfortunate, but someone else must be chosen," Mellisandrianna said, her voice turning colder with each word.

  Leaf dropped his gaze. "I will be meeting with the elder Lycins this afternoon. We will evaluate the situation and decide on a course of action."

  Mellisandrianna smiled again. "Please inform me when a new Protector has been chosen."

  Every Lycin in the room shifted uncomfortably, except Grass, who snickered and leaned in close to his charge. "I'll attend that meeting. Don't worry."

  Mellisandrianna gave him a quick nod and stood. "Good. Now that will be handled properly. Justice." She turned her gaze on a man to her left. "You will be in charge of the Chosen One once she arrives. Please prepare a suitable room for our guest and arrange for a hand servant. Also arrange for all spells and trials to be performed the second she arrives. I will not have an imposter under my roof for any longer than I have to."

  With that she turned and walked quickly from the room, her long velvet skirts swishing as she walked out of the council meeting room and through the great hall. After a moment she walked out on to a large open walkway that overlooked the entire Village. She gazed out onto the wooden and brick houses, the cobblestoned streets, and the faithful subjects who looked like little ants scurrying over the expansive Village. Just past the houses stood the great stone wall that served as the Village's defenses. It had been built just after her grandmother, the first Crystallianna queen, had taken over the royal bloodline. It had taken a great many years to be built, but it was majestic. This right here was her Village, her lands.

  "I'll make sure everything runs smoothly, my queen."

  Mellisandrianna smiled at Grass's voice. If there was anyone in the world she trusted, it was her Protector. She looked over his handsome looks as he came to stand next to her. Five names had been pulled out of the fire when she was born, and Mellisandrianna had gone through the first four—all ending in strange deaths—before she finally had found a Protector who shared her passions and beliefs. Grass had been the youngest, which was unusual in the Village. Most charges looked much younger than their Protectors. Looking at Grass's hardened smooth face, Mellisandrianna was reminded that her own age was beginning to show on her face. There were more and more wrinkles every day, and no cosmetic spell could smooth them.

  "I know you will." She grinned and turned back to the Village. "You are the only one who understands. This is mine—all mine—and no bleeding-heart human will take it from me."

  "Is there a way to beat the trials?"

  Always on the same page, she thought, pleased. "Of course. And there is always the chance of death during them as well."

  A calculating smile spread across Grass's lips. "What a shame that would be."

  Mellisandrianna laughed softly. "Such a shame."

  This was her Village, and no one would take it away from her, prophecy or not.

  Syney

  Syney woke up with a crick in her neck. She hated motel beds; they never felt like home. She sat up slowly and yawned. Not only had the bed been a torture device, but she'd also had the dream again. Glowing red eyes that scared her beyond belief—and thanks to yesterday, she had a lot to be scared of. But these eyes had so much evil behind them. It was hard to shake that feeling, even now that she was awake. She scanned the room for Hunter, but he wasn't there. He was probably outside, waiting for Raine and Cass. It was still dark outside, so she hadn't slept long. She glanced at the alarm clock to her right—three thirty a.m. It was hard to believe that only forty-eight hours ago she had been safe at home in her own bed, dreaming about normal teenager things.

  "I'll never be normal again," she said to the empty room. The question was whether she was OK with that. The jury was still out.

  A loud thump sounded from the direction of the bathroom. Syney slowly got out of the bed and inched closer to the room. It was quiet again, but an overwhelming feeling of dread boiled up into her throat. She wasn't going to hang around to test her uncanny ability to sense danger. It had worked all too well the day before. She walked backward toward the front door. She heard the door behind her open slowly. Hunter? She turned and came face-to-face with glowing red eyes in a sleek furry body. The cheetah bared its large teeth, saliva wetting them and dripping onto the floor. The bathroom door opened violently as a large black gorilla pounded into the room, its red eyes glowing. Four large snakes followed, their pink tongues flicking in and out as they raced toward her.

  Syney felt tears well up in her eyes, and she opened her mouth and screamed.

  Suddenly she sat straight up in bed and continued to scream.

  "Hey, hey, hey," Hunter said quietly. He grabbed her arm gently.

  Syney stopped screaming and looked around the motel room. No cheetah, no gorilla, no snakes. It was all a dream. She let the tears flow freely from her eyes as they mixed with the cold sweat dampening her skin. "I can't do this. I need to go home," she said between sobs.

  "Shhhh. It's going to be OK." Hunter awkwardly sat down next to her and rubbed her back in a circular motion. "It was just a dream."

  Syney shook her head; even the calming feeling of Hunter's touch couldn't stop her overpowering emotions. "No, it wasn't just a dream." She looked at him. "It was animals, like the ones from the store. They're real, and they're trying to kill me."

  Hunter sighed. "Yes, they are, but they won't get near you—not as long as I live."

  Syney took a jagged, sob-ridden breath. "Thanks."

  "It's my job, remember?" He gave her a small smile as his hard expression softened.

  This was the Hunter that Syney was so attracted to. Once his thick wall fell, there was something about him she couldn't seem to shake—or want to shake.

  Hunter dropped his gaze and stiffened a little against her. "You should probably get some more sleep. We have a while to go before we're safe from attack."

  "I don't think I can sleep—not with them stalking me in my own head."

  "I'm right here."

  Syney looked into his brown eyes and felt a little lost. "Can you, like, stay right here. You help...keep me calm."

  Hunter's expression hardened, but he nodded. "Sure."

  Syney smiled and relaxed back into the bed. She reached out a tentative hand across his chest before lying down against him, her head resting on his chest. His body warmth filled her body. It was much warmer than a typical human's. For the first time since she had left her house, she felt comfortable... calm. She felt Hunter shift as he laid his legs in front of him on the bed. Her head sank further into his chest, just like a pillow, as sleep crept closer to the surface of her brain. The sound of Hunter's heartbeat pounded in her ear. It was odd, almost like a double beat.

  "Your heartbeat is different," she said sleepily.

  "I have more heart
chambers than you."

  "Interesting," she whispered, as sleep completely enveloped her.

  This time her dream was different. She was still in the large stone room, but now she was wearing a long, flowing white gown. It was absolutely beautiful, almost shimmering in the sunlight that shone down from large windows in the ceiling. She turned, ready to run, from a sound to her right. There in a doorway, bathed in bright sunlight, stood Hunter, wearing a long-sleeve white cotton shirt and matching pants. He smiled at her, the sun reflecting gold strands in his brown hair.

  He reached out a hand to her. "Are you ready?"

  She nodded, her heart pounding even harder. She wanted to cry out of happiness. But she stopped herself from running to him. They had just met. She shouldn't feel this way this quickly. Maybe it was magic. He did say something about magic, right? She looked into his deep-brown eyes. Magic or not, she really didn't care.

  She opened her eyes, Hunter's quick heartbeat still beating in her ear. She took a deep breath and glanced at the clock—six thirty. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, but she felt fully rested this time. She realized quickly that Hunter had fallen asleep as well. His breathing was much slower now, and a low snore escaped his mouth. She didn't want to move, but a sleeping Protector did her no good if any wild animals showed up. She sat up slowly, and Hunter woke quickly at the movement.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

  "Nothing. You fell asleep," Syney said.

  "Oh." He stood up. "Guess I was more tired than I thought."

  Syney nodded and sat cross-legged on the bed.

  There was a knock at the door. Both Syney and Hunter turned to look at it.

  "Get down on the floor," he said, walking toward the door.

  Syney quickly did as he had asked. She said a silent prayer that it wasn't a cheetah at the door. She heard Hunter say something to the door. It sounded like gibberish, probably a code of some sort. A deep muffled voice came from the other side. Hunter opened the door, and Syney assumed it to be Raine. She moved onto her knees and peered over the bed. Raine and Cass walked slowly past Hunter into the room.