by Lisa Morrow
He sighed. “I don’t know. Kind of like a song, a really breathy song with high notes.”
His suggestion helped, a little. But I’d already learned one goddess’s name on my own that day, would I really be lucky enough to learn another?
For some reason, I thought of the moment I’d prayed to Demetria, the goddess of the harvest, on the day I’d hoped to be Chosen. It seemed like such a very long time ago, yet it felt fitting in this moment to send a prayer to the goddess of my home village. If any of them actually listened to us, I had to believe it would be her.
Please, help me make this right.
Placing my hands on the glass wall, I ignored the way they shook. “Libra,” I whispered, trying the taste of her name on my tongue. “Libra, Libra, Libra,” I chanted her name, changing the sound of each syllable. I tried to make it sound breathless and high, but as I spoke, the name just didn’t feel right.
“Nothing’s happening,” Asher whispered.
“I know,” I said, not needing him to tell me the obvious.
Studying the glass wall more carefully, a thought occurred to me. Thinking of a wall was probably not the best way to get in touch with the Goddess of Freedom. I needed to visualize freedom, not just a door opening in the wall, but the sense that the world was at my fingertips.
“I just need a minute.”
Closing my eyes, I visualized myself as a bird, flying over my father’s fields. I imagined myself twisting in the air, singing the song that only the birds knew the meaning of. I was free in the sky, free from all the things that could do me harm.
“Libra.” A rush of warmth raced over my skin.
Asher caught me in his arms, as I fell forward, the glass disappearing beneath my touch.
“You did it!” he exclaimed. “You really did it!”
My cheeks burned. “We better hurry and get out of here.”
He didn’t move, just continued to hold me in his arms. “Maybe not yet?”
There was a charm to his voice, a sweetness that seemed to belong to someone both younger and older than him. I liked the sound of it.
His arms tightened around me. “I’ve missed you.” His brows wrinkled. “Sometimes I imagined I could smell you, hear you, or even touch you.”
My heart sang with delight. “You did?”
He laughed. “I must’ve been going crazy.”
I took a deep breath. If I told him I was a Protector, he’d never give us a chance, and I wasn’t ready to lose him yet. I needed to see if we really were meant to be together, or if this One stuff was just another way The Protectors tried to take away our freedom.
“Meisha, a Protector, told me that wizards and witches have one person the goddesses have chosen for them.”
He stared. “Is that what this is? Why I feel so drawn to you?”
“I think so.”
His intense expression made me squirm.
I had to make him understand that we needed to take the time to get to know each other, slowly, so we’d both be sure of what was between us. And if it was worth the cost that would surely come with it.
“But Asher—”
He kissed me, not waiting for the warnings burning to be spoken, and I was glad he did. The touch of his soft lips sent waves through my body, shaking me to the core. It lasted only a minute, but when I opened my eyes, his were wide.
My head swam, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him closer to me.
His arms encircled me, encasing me in his strength. We said nothing for a long time, and I wondered if he was just as overcome by the power that one kiss held.
“I’m glad we’re together again,” he whispered, running his thumb across my cheek.
“I’m glad I finally found you.”
His thumb froze on my cheek. “How did you find me? How did you escape?”
Goddesses’ breath. “They let me—” I took a deep breath, creating a believable story, unwilling to tell him the truth just yet. “They saw how powerful I was. They said they could force me to join their order, but they’d rather have me choose to join. They’re giving me time to get to know them and see how The Order works. To learn my magic too, which I’ve always wanted to do.”
“Good,” he said. “Then, when we escape, all we need to do is keep you hidden from them for one year, until you turn nineteen, and we’re free.”
“How?”
“My mother said the difference between Protectors and witches is that witches aren’t controlled by The Protectors. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but The Protectors can’t tap into your magic once you turn nineteen.”
An image of The Orb came to my mind. Blair had said that after we drank the liquid, we were tied to the orb, that we could use it to access each other’s magic, but I’d never thought of what else it might do. Could it track me?
The setting sun’s lights made him appear almost golden. Like a flawless statue. I almost told him so, before a thought entered my mind, shattering our perfect moment.
“The sun’s setting,” I cried, pushing away from him.
He blinked slowly. “So?”
“Clarissa will be waiting for me at the gate when the sun sets.”
“I don’t—”
I grabbed his hand, yanking him towards the stairs. “You won’t be able to escape, she’ll see you. And, they’ll notice I’m missing.”
“Wait, wait, just hold on a second. What do you mean I’ll be able to escape? We need to escape.”
I avoided his gaze, yanking him harder towards the stairs and out the glass door. “I didn’t plan this out well… I should have. I just heard where you were, and that’s all I thought about.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, allowing me to lead him. “But, we’ll be escaping together.”
We reached the stairs, and I used the Goddess of Fire’s name to light my stick once more, frowning at how much of it had already burned away. “We’ll find each other again, but we can’t leave together tonight.”
“What?” he said, spinning me to face him. “I won’t leave you here. They’ll turn you into one of them.”
I avoided his gaze. “No, not tonight, tonight they’re taking me to another village, I’m not sure why.”
“We’ll leave before they realize you’re gone.”
I shook away from his touch and hurried up the stairs. “I’m meeting one of them at the gate in a short time. They’ll know immediately if I’m gone. When does Blair check on you?”
“Every other day, in the mornings, but she was already here earlier today.”
“Good. Then, use the stairs your village has been cutting into the side of the cavern walls. Escape to your village. They won’t know you’re gone.”
He grabbed my hand. “I won’t consider any plan where I’m not with you.”
“I’ll come to you when I can,” I said, stumbling slightly on the stairs. “But, we can’t be fools about this. Neither of us will make it out if I try to leave tonight.”
He yanked on my hand, forcing me to stop. I turned, squinting as I studied him in the fire’s light.
“Then, I’ll stay here and wait for you.”
“No!” I shouted, feeling agitated, knowing that our time was nearly gone. “You have no idea what she plans to do to you, you could be dead tomorrow!”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. She’s been, well, almost kind to me.”
“You don’t think so? It’s sweet of you to want to wait for me, but you’re being a fool. My life’s not in danger. I can find a time to leave, but your time is running out. She’ll kill you. You’re a wizard. It’s only a matter of time. Now, this conversation is over.”
His eyes narrowed. “I want to know when I’ll see you again.”
I sighed. “I can’t be sure.”
“Then, I can’t be sure I’ll go.”
I jerked my hand free of his. “You must be the most stubborn person, I’ve ever met.”
He crossed his arms and glared, which was hard to
take seriously while he stood, bent down beneath the low ceiling. “You have no idea how stubborn I can be, woman. Now, when will I see you again?”
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kiss him or slap him, but since I had time for neither, I said the only thing I could think of. “I need to save Sirena first. We came here together, and she’s my best friend. I’ve already found her, so I should be able to leave soon… in two days or less.”
He uncrossed his arms. “You think you can save your friend?”
“Yes,” I answered, without hesitation.
”Then, I understand. Do what you need to. But be careful. And I want to see you in two days or less. Use the portal. I’ll wait for you there.” His gaze grew tender. “It kills me to know you’re walking right back into danger, when you should be walking away. However, I understand.”
His words took my breath away. But just as I turned to go, a shocking thought occurred to me. “Blair can find you with her magic.”
“What?”
I held his gaze. “If I don’t teach you how to put walls around your mind, she’ll be able to find you as soon as you leave.”
His brows rose. “Walls?”
“Yes.” I struggled to explain myself. “The reason I can feel you and you can feel me is because we’re connected. You’re my One. But if we raise our walls, we can’t feel each other. It’s unpleasant, yet it also keeps other magical people from sensing us.”
“Whoa, whoa,” he said, gesturing for me to slow down with his hands. He paused. “So my dreams of you… those moments when I felt I could hear you and see you, those were real?”
I blushed. “Yes. I think so.”
He turned scarlet. “All my dreams?”
My pulse sped up. “Probably not all of them.”
“Good.” He rubbed his hand over his face, as if his fingers could brush always the warmth from his cheeks. “So when I put these walls up, I can be sure you won’t see my dreams?”
I laughed awkwardly. “Well, yes, but I mostly planned to put my walls up if I was hurting, so you wouldn’t hurt too.”
His expression grew serious. “Did someone hurt you?”
“No,” I reassured him quickly. Then, I took a deep breath. “We don’t have time to talk about all of this now. I have to teach you to put up your walls, so you’ll be safe from Blair.”
He looked like he might argue, but simply nodded.
So in that cramped, horrible space, I taught him how to do it.
Just as when I’d put my own walls up, I lost that extra sense of him. It was like snapping my fingers and no longer being able to hear or smell.
“This is terrible,” he said, voicing my own thoughts. “It feels… wrong.”
I nodded. “I know, but you’ll have to keep your walls up until we can get far enough away from Blair.”
He reached out and pulled me close to him. “For a second, I lost your warmth… your smell.”
I clung to him. “It won’t be forever.”
He squeezed me.
Reluctantly, I let go. “We have to hurry.”
We continued climbing, while my thoughts whirled in my head. I had no doubt he’d follow through on his threat, so if I wanted to keep him alive, I’d have to find a way to reach him. What was more, if I waited too long, Blair would realize he was missing and go looking for him. She wouldn’t suspect he’d have reached his village already. She’d think he took the long way around to where the valley could be reached through the sloping land.
“How long does it take to reach your village from the higher land, the normal way?”
“Perhaps a week.”
Blair would no doubt search the path to his home when she discovered he was missing, so I’d have to escape quickly and take him to someplace safe. But to where?
We reached the top of the stairs, and between using my hands, and the light of the flame, I was able to find a switch. I pulled on it, and the ground around us rumbled. Dirt fell on u, but the wall opened into the well-lit gardens.
I poked my head out, and seeing no one, guided Asher to the top. The wall moved back into place, and we weaved our way to a thick tangle of bushes and trees near the corner of the gardens.
“You found him.”
We whirled to find Meisha sitting on a bench, a sword lying across her lap. She sat as if she hadn’t a care in the world.
“That’s my sword,” Asher growled.
Meisha tilted her head, her amber eyes glowing as she studied Asher. “I’ve seen many wizards,” she whispered. “But not one like you.”
“He isn’t evil,” I said, moving closer to him.
Her gaze slid to me. “You love him.”
It wasn’t a question, but I nodded.
“Love is a blessing, even when it is not easy,” she said, stroking the hilt of the sword.
“Is there someone you love?” Asher asked, with barely suppressed rage in his voice.
The glowing left her amber gaze and sadness twisted her features. “I come from a place called Serenu. It is a large island. If you travel by boat from Tarak’s eastern tip and travel exactly east for three days, you will reach Serenu. The locals believe this island is blessed by the goddesses, because it has never experienced war, droughts, or disease. And, very few people ever find it. The tribes believe it is the center of the universe, because the weather is perfect all year long. It is here that my love waits for me.”
“Why don’t you go to him?”
She ran the tip of one finger along the smooth side of the sword. “Because, sometimes love is not enough.”
Asher held my hand. “It can be.”
“No.” She leaned back on the bench, resting against the smooth stone of the castle walls. “You are both young. You have yet to experience the kind of heart-wrenching choices that will tear at you, that will leave you forever changed.”
“Perhaps, but we plan to live long enough to make those choices,” Asher responded.
She tilted her head again, as if listening to something far away before speaking. “I do not believe all wizards should be killed. I don’t believe your love is doomed, but I do believe your lives will be difficult.”
I could almost hear time ticking away, the sun’s light had nearly faded, making the lights from the torches around the garden appear even brighter. “If we’re even to have a chance, Asher needs to get out of here.”
Meisha stood, the blade in her hand. “I am a Protector of Tarak. Sworn to kill all that challenge this nation. Do you challenge us?”
Asher’s eyes held hers. “I challenge anyone who attempts to hurt someone I care for.”
Meisha closed in on us, her long legs moving fluidly beneath the short black dress she’d adorned again. She crossed the space between us, before I could register the threat in her weapon.
I moved in front of Asher, but he pulled me behind him.
“Don’t hurt him!”
To my surprise, she turned the blade, handing him the sword. “Clarissa will be here soon.”
His hand closed around the hilt of his sword, and he withdrew it cautiously from her grip. “Why are you letting me go?”
“That is a question I am wondering myself.”
In a quick movement, he swung his sword back and towards her, aiming for her neck. I caught his arm, preventing him from taking her life. She jumped away from him, crouching low.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
“She’s a Protector of Tarak. She steals girls from their families. Girls like my sister. She deserves to die.” His voice was desperate as he spoke.
Meisha scowled at him. “I think I was mistaken about you.”
“And I think one of you stole my sister from me!”
Confusion marred her face. “Blair would have never allowed—”
“Nazar took her.” His tone was cold as steel.
Meisha cocked her head. “Then maybe Rose can search for her as she searches for her friend… maybe she can even free her.”
He moved
his sword closer to her, but I held onto his arm for dear life. “I’ll get her back.”
He tried to take a step closer to the castle, but hissed.
I looked at him in confusion.
Tiny beads of blood sprang from a small cut at his throat.
My eyes widened. “Asher…”
“It’s nothing,” he said. Then, his gaze snapped to my face. “But you’ll look for her?”
I spoke without hesitation. “I promise.”
Still in her crouched position, Meisha watched our exchange with interest, then moved backwards until her back struck the wall. With an animalistic caution, she moved sideways, away from us and towards the door.
“Please, don’t say anything Meisha,” I begged.
Asher moved to follow her, but I blocked his path.
“She deserves to die,” he growled.
“The woman you’re so quick to kill is the reason I found you. She could’ve slaughtered you with your own sword, or with her powers, but she spared you. And because of what she is, you’d still kill her?”
His eyes narrowed. “It wouldn’t be honorable to treat another person in such a way, but a Protector is not a person. You’ll find my hatred of them is limitless.”
My hand trembled on his chest. “You need to go.”
“Do you tremble in fear of me or being left with them?”
I pulled away from him and circled slowly through the garden towards the door leading out to the brief patch of land and then the glass bridge.
He followed, wordlessly.
We stopped near the door, and he touched my shoulder. “I’ll see you in two days.”
Nausea rolled through me. I would have to see him again, regardless of how he might hate me when he learned the truth. Because I needed him. I needed him to save Tarak.
“You will.” I whispered, even while I hated myself for speaking the words.
He slipped past me, and I watched him as he ran across the glass bridge. I didn’t breathe until he’d disappeared in the trees on the other side.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I inhaled desperate breaths as I skidded to a halt just outside the castle gates. But even when my breathing calmed, my entire body ached. I’d just freed a wizard, one capable of anything, without real thought to the consequences. I’d been so sure he was kind and gentle, a man who held my heart. But after seeing his treatment of Meisha, I was unsure. And more than that, I now feared what would happen when he learned what I was. Could his love overcome his hate?
