BOUND (#1 in The Crystor Series)

by C.K. Bryant

Chapter Thirty

  Kira felt the warmth of Octavion’s hand on the side of her cheek, but didn’t want to open her eyes. The comfort Toran had given her was a welcome break from the emotions she’d shared and she wasn’t ready to let it go. She moaned her protest and adjusted her body to get more comfortable.

  “Kira?” Octavion whispered. “Are you well?”

  Kira nodded, but still didn’t open her eyes. “How long have I been asleep?”

  “A while,” he said. “Shall I leave you to rest?”

  She took in a deep cleansing breath and reluctantly peeled back her eyelids. “No, I need to talk to Lydia. Is she okay?”

  “Yes, she would like a word with you as well.”

  Toran and Kira untangled their bodies as Octavion attempted to help her to her feet. Unfortunately, Toran stood at the same time and came up between them, pushing Octavion aside. Both man and beast let out a growl of frustration.

  Kira couldn’t help but laugh. “I think he likes me,” she said, giving Toran a good rub on the back.

  “He had better watch his manners or he will be my next meal,” Octavion teased.

  Toran let out a ferocious roar as if to tell Octavion the same thing, then sauntered off toward the clearing.

  “I think he just got the last word,” Kira said.

  Octavion smirked. “He usually does.”

  When they reentered the cave, Lydia was pacing in front of the book shelves. She stopped and looked at Kira. “I’m so sorry.”

  Normally Kira would have gone to Lydia and embraced her, but instead she stood a few feet away with her arms folded. She was surprised at her own hesitant behavior. It wasn’t like she was afraid of Lydia. After all, it was Kira’s idea to give her new powers a try. And she certainly wasn’t angry with Lydia either. She forced herself to relax and take a step closer. “It’s okay. I’m fine now. I just needed to get it out of my system. I wasn’t prepared for Altaria to take over and—”

  “What?” Octavion interrupted. “Why would you keep that from me, Lydia?” He took Kira’s hands and examined the red finger marks on her wrists. He’d been silent about them until then, even though she was sure he’d noticed. He ran his finger across one section that had already begun to bruise and Kira winced.

  A low growl vibrated through his chest. “Altaria is stronger than you know. She could have crushed your bones with no effort at all or don’t you remember your attacker’s mangled hand? Why did you allow her to hold you like that?”

  Kira pulled her arms away and healed them. “I didn’t have a choice. Lydia and I were barely holding on when Altaria appeared and wouldn’t let go. Maybe you should take it out on her.”

  “No,” Lydia said. “It was my fault. I’d forgotten my kindred spirit experienced those memories. I should have known that she too would need to share them. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “About that, you are right,” Octavion scolded. “I will not allow you to experiment with something so powerful. It is too dangerous.” He turned his attention back to Kira. “That goes for both of you. Do you understand?”

  “No, I don’t,” Kira fired back. “You might be able to control your sister, but you will not tell me what to do. And furthermore, none of this would have happened in the first place, if you weren’t trying to play therapist and force her to get in touch with her feelings.” Kira stepped closer to Lydia and placed her hand on her shoulder. “It just so happens that our little experiment, as you called it, is not over, so you can either keep your opinions to yourself and watch—or leave.”

  Lydia pushed away Kira’s hand and sat on the bench. “Actually, I’m finished.”

  “How can you say that? You haven’t shown me what happened after you were hurt. I still don’t know how you discovered the healing powers of the Crystor or how . . .” Kira lowered her voice to a whisper. “Serena died.”

  “That’s just it,” Lydia said. “I don’t have those memories to share with you. I blacked out after I got stabbed. The next memory that makes any sense is when I woke in my sleeping chambers. Three days had passed.”

  “Then you are finished,” he said flashing his dimples at Kira.

  Kira smiled even wider. “Not quite. Now it’s your turn.”

  His smirk faded to a scowl. “I have nothing to say on the matter.”

  “So Lydia has to get in touch with her inner most nightmares, but you don’t? Maybe it’s time you unloaded a few of your own demons.”

  Kira don’t. Lydia said through her thoughts. You’ll only make him angry.

  Kira turned and gave her a look of frustration. Are you serious?

  Yes, I will explain it to you, just not with him here.

  “I have dealt with it in my own way,” Octavion stepped to the other side of the cave and gathered a few animal hides. “It will be cold tonight. If you two promise not to do anything foolish while I am gone, I will take these to our shelters.”

  He didn’t wait for an answer, and they didn’t give one, but as soon as he left, Kira was back in front of Lydia, only this time keeping her hands to herself.

  “So how much did you tell him?” Kira asked.

  “I just told him about your powers and that I shared some of my memories. At first he was upset, but then he seemed excited.” Lydia smiled. “His inventions haven’t always turned out.”

  Kira twirled the Crystor around her wrist. “Should I be worried?”

  “Nah, I think you’re safe. You just need to make sure you tell him if there are any other changes or if something else happens. He’s concerned for your safety.”

  “Well, considering what happened to Serena, I can see why. Which brings me to my next question.”

  “How did Serena die?” Lydia asked.

  “Well, not just how she died, but how she knew she could heal you.”

  Lydia shifted on the bench. “All I know is what Octavion told me. Serena must have followed him out to the garden. She got there just in time to see Shandira pull the blade from my body. Serena ran to her and tried to grab the knife away, but Shandira sliced her hand wide open instead. It was a deep cut. By that time, those inside the castle were filing into the garden to help. Shandira, being the coward she is, vanished without a fight.

  “Octavion heard the screams coming from the guests, so let Bastian escape and returned to find my mother dead and me wounded and bleeding. When I fell, I landed next to a rose bush and tore the sleeve of my dress. When Serena knelt next to me, she touched the cut on my arm and, healed it instantly. Octavion had no idea the Crystor would give her healing powers.”

  “Did she feel the same pain I felt, when it happened to me?”

  “I don’t know, but I think it was what she saw in my face that scared her the most. She’d never seen my kindred spirit take over before. At first, I don’t think she knew it was me lying there, but then she must have recognized my dress. I blacked out right before Shandira left, but I remember some of what happened. I must have faded in and out a few times. I remember Serena’s face and the fear in her eyes.”

  “But didn’t she know you could change?”

  “No one did except family. My father forbade it. As far as we knew, I was the only one who was like that. He was afraid someone would see me. There are those who are collectors of sorts, who have the ability to take gifts from others. They are born with no powers or talents. But when they are of age, they discover they can remove gifts from other Royals, using them to their advantage. It leaves the Royal weak and empty. They are called Hollows and for a good reason. They walk around like zombies and show no emotion.”

  “That’s horrible,” Kira said. “No wonder your father made you keep it a secret.”

  “When I was a child, Shandira picked on me constantly. She was almost four years older and much stronger, so she always had the advantage. I was tired of her always winning, so I let Altaria take over. Talk about a battle. She’d been locked up inside me for so long she took all her aggression out on Shandira. Our nursem
aid saw what happened and ran from the room screaming. She thought I was possessed with evil spirits.”

  “What happened?”

  “I must have been about ten. Octavion had been experimenting, fueling his talent as an alchemist. My father had the nursemaid held in the lower levels of the castle until Octavion created the memory drug and placed a charm on the seer stones. He’d never done it before, so wasn’t sure how much to give her. When he’d finished, she not only forgot the incident, but that she worked in the castle. It was sad. Her family thought she’d gone crazy.

  “Anyway, when my father saw my mother lying there dead, he ordered Octavion to take me upstairs and called for the palace physician. When he finally showed up, my wounds had already been healed. Octavion insisted he help bandage Serena’s hand, and make sure she was okay, but it was too late. When my father brought us the news of Serena’s death, he said her heart was too weak to take the stress and pain from healing me.”

  On the table next to Lydia sat a small tapestry bag with a satin draw string. An intricate flower pattern had been embroidered on both sides. Lydia pulled it onto her lap, but didn’t open it. She sat for the longest time—not saying a word—staring at the bag. Finally, she placed her hands over the top of it and continued her story.

  “My mother was beautiful, you know?” Lydia’s bottom lip began to quiver, but she held back the tears. “My father ordered all the flowers in the kingdom to be plucked from where they grew. The petals were to be removed from each bud and placed on the road that ran from the castle gates to the royal cemetery. It’s tradition to bury the dead within one day, so I didn’t get to see it. Octavion said the entire kingdom lacked any color, except for the path to my mother’s grave.

  “After the fourth day, my father came to my chambers. Octavion was still by my side, guilt stricken by the trust he’d put in his friend and mourning the loss of my mother, and his—”

  Lydia had been looking at her hands, but now raised her chin so their eyes met. “He was in love with Serena. He had no idea the choice he’d made would mean choosing my life over hers.” She paused for a moment.

  “Even with all my father’s efforts, Shandira and Bastian disappeared. He heard rumors of them gaining allies, as well as plans to take my life. It didn’t make any sense to me. If it was Bastian she wanted, she already had him. I mean, he was on her side the whole time. What more could she want?”

  “You.”

  She nodded. “That’s exactly what my father feared. But it still didn’t make any sense. If it was the crown she wanted, she’d be after Octavion, not me. What possible reason could she have to want me dead? Even my father couldn’t figure it out. That’s why he gave Octavion guardianship over me and ordered him to take me far away, hide me until Shandira and Bastian could be found. It was no longer safe for me there.”

  She opened the bag and pulled out a small disk shaped object, like a woman’s compact only slightly larger. In the center was a stone the shape and size of a large peach pit. It appeared to be clear, except when the candlelight caught it just right, it sparkled with every color of the rainbow. Embedded all around the center stone were precious gems and unusual indentations and markings in the metal.

  “He gave us this. It’s the journey stone I told you about the other night.” She held it out so Kira could get a better look. “It creates a doorway between our worlds so we can step through. The power is in the stone in the center. It helps us travel from one world to another.”

  “So you can go back any time you want?”

  Lydia shook her head. “Father forbids us to return until it is safe. Even though we know Shandira has found a way to this world, she has allies on Ophira and it is not safe for us there.”

  “But you can if you need to.” It all sounded so incredible.

  “It’s complicated. If we open the way, we must be very careful, make sure the doorway is secured on the other side. It’s far too dangerous to step through, not knowing what may be waiting for us. It’s why Octavion encased the stone in metal and charmed it so it will only work if your heart is pure—if your intentions are honorable.

  “When we lived in Montana we opened the doorway far too often. We believe that’s how Shandira came here. She is sneaky and has mastered her gifts. She could have stepped through without us even knowing. Octavion didn’t want her to take the stone and use it to go back. If that happened and she destroyed it, we’d be stuck here forever.

  “When Octavion had a run in with one of her scouts, he sensed her thoughts were closer. He knew she’d found a way here. He moved us to this mountain. It was shortly after that when you and I met.”

  “Octavion said the reason he was so upset about the pictures was because they were not of this world,” Kira said. “Did you go back alone with your camera?”

  “No, but I did something just as foolish.” She grasped her ruby and gave it a rub. Octavion appeared through the cave entrance a moment later.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Almost,” she said.

  “Are you certain it will work as you said? I cannot risk opening the doorway without someone on the other side to secure it.”

  Lydia nodded. “I’m sure.” She stood and held the device out in front of her. “Kira, you should stand over there with Octavion.”

  “Oh, right.” Kira jumped to her feet and went to stand beside him.

  Octavion took her by the arm and drew her in, pressing her back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer, then whispered in her ear. “Be still. I have never seen her do this. I want to be prepared if something goes wrong. If what she says is true, you are about to see paradise.”

  Kira wasn’t sure if it was the excitement of what she was about to see or the pounding of his heart vibrating through her back, but it felt like butterflies danced around in her stomach. She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands, so she timidly placed them over his and held on. His muscles flexed, responding to her touch. Kira’s heart skipped a beat.

  “You ready?” Lydia asked, her face aglow with expectation.

  “Yes,” Octavion replied.

  Holding the journey stone in the palm of one hand, she reached up with the other, put pressure on the top of the object, and gave it a twist. The top portion popped up, exposing more of the clear stone through the opening. She did the same to the bottom portion, opening another small gap that ran around the entire disc. A bright white light filled the room. She gave it a little spin, then removed her hands. The stone stayed there, completely suspended, rotating on its own power.

  “Be careful,” Octavion warned.

  “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” The white light coming from the center stone shot a blue light out the top and a green out the bottom. “This is where I got scared the first time I did this. So I tried to stop it.” She grasped the journey stone, putting one hand on top and the other on the bottom, blocking the colored lights. The object slowed, but continued to spin between her hands.

  Octavion tensed as all the colors of the rainbow shot around the cave. It only took a few seconds before the ceiling, floor, and walls fell away and they were surrounded by the kingdom of Xantara.

  “Hold very still,” Lydia said. “Or it will all go away.” The emotion in Lydia’s eyes and the pure happiness that radiated from her was something Kira had never seen before. She knew at that moment that this was where Lydia truly belonged. Nothing else seemed right. Kira could no longer imagine Lydia driving a car or standing at her school locker. Even the hobby she loved so much seemed trivial and unimportant. How could Lydia not want to go home?

  Octavion took a deep breath. Kira couldn’t see his face, but imagined it looked much like his sister’s. Kira had no words to describe what she saw. She’d never seen anything like it. Even the area near the waterfall held no comparison to this glorious display.

  “Kira, can you see the castle?” he asked, barely whispering.

  “Yes. It’s a
mazing.” It appeared as though they stood on top of a hill with the entire kingdom stretched out below them. The castle perched high on a jagged cliff, almost completely surrounded by a pristine mountain lake. Its walls were made of a pure white stone, with arched windows and black rooftops. Two guard towers flanked the main entrance, which stood at the end of a long wooden drawbridge spanning a small stream. The water meandered along the front of the castle and poured over the edge of the cliff and into the lake.

  “Look to the left of the main gate, the second floor. My sleeping chambers are within. Lydia’s are in the rear, overlooking the garden.”

  “Show me more. I want to see everything.”

  At the rear of the castle stood another tower. It was much larger than the guard towers and at least two stories higher than any other part of the castle. It had a flat roof with a jagged railing that went the entire distance around the top.

  “From there you can see the entire kingdom,” Octavion said. “The sunsets in Xantara are like nothing you’ve ever seen here in your world.”

  “I like sunsets,” Kira whispered.

  From the main entrance, a small road led into the village. Going the other direction, it continued up the hill and ended where the three of them stood. On their right, a metal gate led to the royal burial plot. Off in the distance stood a crumbling structure—the aubelet—an ancient temple they no longer used, according to Lydia. Just to one side was the place where both their mothers were buried. Fresh flowers lay on each grave. He paused for a moment and she wondered if his eyes held tears.

  It gave Kira time to think. Now she understood why Octavion had been so upset about the photos. They’d been taken from this viewpoint. She smiled when she thought of the camera teetering on its tripod and the little remote clenched in Lydia’s hand as she struggled to keep the journey stone from opening a doorway to her world. Kira would have liked to have a picture of that.

  “You still with me?” Octavion asked, giving her a gentle squeeze.

  “Yeah, tell me more.”

  “To the left, that is where most of our people live.” A wall made of the same white stone as the castle surrounded the entire village. Each cottage looked almost identical. Some were larger than others, but they were all constructed from dark round stones and had black roofs. It was difficult to tell them apart.

  “Why do they all look alike?” Kira asked.

  “For their safety.” He didn’t explain further.

  Around each cottage grew meticulously kept gardens filled with colorful flowers. She took in a deep breath, anticipating their fragrance, then realized it was only an illusion.

  “Estaria loved flowers,” he said. “It was a decree from my father for everyone to have and tend to the gardens. It was his gift to her, so she could look out over the kingdom and see their beauty.”

  Kira’s heart ached at the thought of every flower being picked, their petals scattered on the road. “Your father loved her very much, didn’t he?”

  “Yes he did.” He started to say more, but Lydia spoke instead.

  “I don’t think I can hold it any longer.”

  “You have held it long enough. Release it.” Octavion took one last deep breath, and let it out slowly. When Lydia pulled the journey stone close to her body and slipped it into its bag, Xantara disappeared and the darkness of the cave returned.

  Octavion released Kira so she could sit near his sister, who had collapsed onto her bench. He went to one knee in front of them and took Lydia’s hands in his. “You have given me a precious gift today.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “But we must hide it away now. You must never play with something so powerful.”

  Lydia nodded. “Can you ever forgive me? I didn’t mean any harm. I missed . . . home.”

  He smiled. “After what you have just given me, how could I not forgive you?”