by C.K. Bryant
Chapter Sixteen
It didn’t take much longer to reach Lydia’s special place. Not far from the clearing where Octavion nursed them back to health was a beautiful meadow filled with wild flowers. Kira’s first glimpse of it was when they broke through the trees and found themselves standing on the edge of a cliff. They looked down on a beautiful box canyon with the meadow spread out below. Octavion sat near the river—Toran by his side.
Lydia grabbed hold of her ruby and Octavion turned to acknowledge them with a wave of his hand.
They made their way to the bottom of the canyon by following a worn, narrow path between the rocks and the underbrush. Octavion waited near the bottom. He took Lydia’s backpack and led them to a spot under a shade tree without even acknowledging Kira’s presence. Lydia spread out a blanket and unloaded the contents of her pack. She’d made Kira’s favorite, peanut butter sandwiches, but also brought plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and cheese to satisfy her appetite, and Octavion’s.
By the time Lydia had finished creating her little smorgasbord, it looked like a salad bar at an expensive health spa, which suited Kira just fine. The girls sat on the blanket chatting about anything to keep her mind off her mom leaving—school, photography, shopping—but Kira hesitated to ask the questions that really tangled her thoughts. Questions about their world. It just didn’t feel like the right time and she was enjoying herself too much to risk ruining the mood.
Octavion, on the other hand, remained quiet. He sat a few feet away with his back against the trunk of a tree—a half-eaten apple in his hand. Kira tried not to be obvious, but couldn’t help stealing a glance now and then. There was something about him that seemed familiar to her. She kept telling herself it was because he’d taken care of her after healing Lydia, but this was something else, like she’d met him before. She tried to shake the thought from her mind.
“Is he always this quiet?” Kira whispered.
Lydia smiled. “Yes.” He’s spent too much time alone with only the animals for company. Though her lips didn’t move, Kira heard Lydia’s words as clearly as if she had spoken them.
Can he hear us?
Only if I want him to and then only my thoughts.
Kira watched out of the corner of her eye as Octavion took another bite of his apple. He seemed so normal now, not at all like when she’d first seen him. She tried not to think about how he’d made her feel when he’d come at her with fire in his eyes, or lost his temper, smashing his fist into a boulder. She was terrified of him then, yet here she sat only a few feet away, feeling no fear at all.
Octavion smiled. “Shall I leave so you can talk freely about me?”
Busted! Lydia laughed.
“How could you tell?” Kira asked.
“You stopped talking.”
Lydia tossed a piece of cheese at his head.
He reached up, caught it without even looking, and popped it in his mouth like it was a great reward. Then he leaned forward and stood. “Would you ladies care to join me for a ride?”
“A ride?” Kira asked.
Octavion whistled, and three horses appeared through the trees on the other side of the river. They waded through the water and came to Octavion, showing no fear. The largest of the three was a magnificent black stallion with a long, flowing mane and tail. The other two were smaller, but still as beautiful. They were both tan, with a beige mane and tail. Twins, she thought.
“Okay, how did he do that?” Kira asked. “And please don’t tell me these horses have magical powers like Toran.”
Lydia laughed again. “No, but it’s Toran’s fault they’re here. He scared the crap out of some hunters last fall and their horses got loose from where they were tethered. Toran chased them to the end of the canyon and Octavion . . . umm . . . talked them into sticking around.”
“Talked?” Kira wasn’t sure what to think after seeing him interact with the tiger.
“Let’s just say he gets along better with animals than with people.” Lydia winked.
Octavion shot his sister a glare.
“What? Well, it’s true,” Lydia said.
He shook his head and then looked at Kira. “Just ignore her. Do you ride?”
“Um . . . a little. I used to ride my grandpa’s horse before he died. But it was an old nag and I rode with a saddle and reins. No way am I going bareback.” Kira looked to Lydia for help. Please tell him no!
Lydia nodded, then turned to Octavion. “I’m a little tired from the walk here. Why don’t you two go without me? Besides, I could use a nap.” She winked at Kira and smiled.
Kira gasped. That’s not what I meant. “Umm, isn’t that dangerous? You can’t stay here alone. What about the scouts?”
“They have no memory of this place,” Octavion said. “And Toran is just beyond those trees. She will be safe.”
Have fun. “Maybe you can get him to take you to the falls.”
This time Octavion gave Lydia a scolding look. “It is too far,” he said, pursing his lips. “She would never make it.”
Kira sensed a challenge in his words and wasn’t about to back down now. “I bet I can ride just fine.” She stood and walked toward the horses. “So, which one is mine?”
He pointed to one of the tan horses and offered to help—sarcastically—like Kira couldn’t do it alone, so she ignored him, grabbed a chunk of the horse’s mane and swung herself up. Only she got her heel hooked over the horse’s back before sliding back down. Determined not to need Octavion’s help, she put a lot more force behind her second attempt and almost threw herself over the other side. She wasn’t used to her new strength. It took her a few seconds to gain her composure and sit right on the horse’s back, but once she felt comfortable, she smiled with pride.
“Well done,” he said with a smirk. Then he swung up on the stallion with no effort at all.
“Show off,” Kira said.
Lydia chuckled.
I’ll deal with you later. Kira sent her another glare. I thought you promised to keep him on a leash?
“Have fun,” Lydia said. She stretched her arms above her head and gave a fake yawn.
For most of the way, Kira and Octavion rode next to each other, taking in the beautiful scenery but saying very little. It was the equivalent of talking about the weather, with no feelings or information being revealed by either of them. It felt strange being alone with him, especially since Kira was actually having a good time.
When the canyon narrowed and the way became steep and filled with jagged rocks, Octavion instructed Kira to fall back and follow him. The horses’ hooves slipped on the rocks, jerking her to one side or the other with almost every step.
After a few minutes passed, Octavion pulled his horse to a stop and turned to look over his shoulder. “From here, it is a difficult ride. Are you sure you are up to it?”
Kira nodded. “Lead the way.” But inside, she was terrified. On one side a jagged cliff rose straight up, and the other side plummeted into a steep ravine. It wasn’t that far to the bottom, but if she fell, she would either hit the rocks or land in the wild rapids of the creek. She tightened her grip and held steady.
Octavion smiled, then turned to look up the canyon. “If it gets too difficult—” he said over his shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll let you know.”
Octavion urged his horse forward while Kira’s followed. For the next few minutes, they negotiated boulders, mossy rocks, and thick vegetation. He was right. It was more difficult.
As they neared the end of the trail, it opened to a small grassy area. Huge black rocks stood off to one side and a patch of dirt and gravel spread out on the other. When they rounded the boulders, Octavion slowed. “Hold tight. Horses don’t like the echo of their hooves.”
Kira grabbed her horse’s mane more firmly and tightened her legs against its sides. She followed Octavion around the boulders only to be taken aback by what she saw. A thin crack split the side of the cliff making an opening just big enough for th
e horses to fit through—single file.
“We’re going through that?”
Octavion pulled to a stop again, this time nudging his mount around so the two horses stood head to head. “Perhaps we should turn back, Kira. The rough terrain is too difficult for your first time.”
Kira relaxed her legs and straightened, grateful to give her tense muscles time to rest. Unfortunately, her horse took it as a sign of weakness, reared, and threw her to the ground. She landed on her side with her arm twisted under her. A loud pop met her ears just as a sharp pain shot through her arm and into her shoulder. Kira screamed, startling her horse.
He reared again, with nostrils flaring, driving his hooves into the ground just inches from where she’d landed. Octavion flew off the side of his stallion, grabbed the rebellious steed by the neck and pulled him down, almost laying the horse on the ground.
Octavion let out a ferocious roar that sounded like one of Toran’s. His chest heaved with every breath as veins pulsed in his forehead. His jaw tightened as he bared his teeth in a snarl. And his eyes—his deep, blue eyes—were the color of fire.
Kira didn’t move—couldn’t move—until his wild eyes locked on hers. Fear raced through her veins as instinct kicked in and she began pushing her feet at the rocks, scooting across the ground to get away from him.
Octavion jerked his head away, as if hiding his face from her view. He released the horse, slapped its hind end, and sent it galloping down the canyon. He stayed with his back to her until his breathing slowed. When he turned to face her, his eyes had returned to their normal blue and seemed calm.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
Kira still couldn’t peel her eyes away from his face. She remembered seeing his eyes change before, but not to this extent. “I . . . think I broke my arm.” Her voice quivered. Tiny beads of sweat rose on her forehead. She tried to sit up, but her arm hurt too badly to move it.
He took a step toward her, then stopped when she leaned away from him. “Kira, I am sorry if I frightened you. You need not fear me.”
It took her a minute to find the words. “What . . . are you?” It wasn’t exactly how she intended to ask the question, especially being alone with him. What she’d seen in his face appeared to be more animal than human, but how could that be?
“I am a man,” he said with determination.
“What I just saw was not a man.” Tears burned her eyes as she scooted further away from him, her attention no longer on the excruciating pain in her arm, but on his reaction to her words. They’d stopped at the end of the box canyon and she had nowhere to go. He had her cornered.
His jaw tightened. “You saw nothing.”
“I’m not stupid, Octavion. What just happened?”
He ignored her words and came closer, leaning down to examine her arm. When he reached out to her, she pulled away.
“Don’t touch me.” She tried to sit up again, this time cradling her arm against her stomach and rolling to her knees. The sharp edges of the gravel bit into her bare legs, making her roll back to her side.
“Let me help you stand.” But when he began to slip his arm behind her back, Kira slapped it away.
“You are as stubborn as a child.” He threw his hands up.
“And you are a stubborn—man.”
“Yes, I am,” he said, then slipped his arm around her waist, lifting her as he stood.
“Let go of me. I’m perfectly capable of standing on my own two feet.”
He groaned at her request, then walked to a small patch of grass and lowered her back to the ground, kneeling beside her. “Kira, please stop this. Let me help you.” His eyes seemed soft and kind now.
She knew her arm was broken, and not just because she heard the crack or felt the pain. She actually sensed it in her mind. If there was ever a time to test her healing powers, this was it. “I’d like to try and heal this, but I’m not sure exactly how.”
“It should be the same process as the cut on your palm. Lydia said you healed it with ease. Do you remember how?”
Kira nodded, then placed her hand where she sensed the break and tried to mimic the process. This time it was different. Instead of the strange sensation, she felt extreme pain. She screamed, then pulled her hand away. “You didn’t tell me it would hurt that bad.”
“I thought you knew. You felt pain when you healed Lydia.”
“Well, yeah, but I thought this would be different. It’s not like I’m dying.”
“Come, I will take you back.” He offered his hand, but she refused.
“No, I can do this.” Kira wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince, him or her.
“As you wish.” He shrugged.
Once again, she felt the Crystor burn her flesh and the pain in her arm. It felt as though someone had taken a sharp blade and twisted it just under the skin as the bones realigned. For several seconds, she lost the feeling in her fingers. When it returned, it felt as if she’d driven her fingertips into the prickly parts of a cactus. She took a deep breath and blew it out through her mouth. “I did it.”
“Yes, you did,” he said, examining her arm. “But you need to fix this.” He pulled the Crystor away from the burn, caressing her arm with the back of his hand as he withdrew it. She quivered at his touch. Octavion raised a brow and grinned, obviously pleased at the effect he had on her.
Kira tried to pretend it was nothing by turning her attention to the burn and placing her other hand around her wrist. The mark disappeared instantly.
She sighed, trying to put her previous fears aside. “Can we walk now?”
Octavion smiled. “Yes, it is not far.”
