Frasie nodded. “That’s a good idea. He can clear all of this up.”
“No, he can’t,” Aiden said. “He’ll try, I’m sure, with some web of lies. But he can’t be trusted.”
Shareis looked at Mauria. “We’ll give him the opportunity to defend himself. But if he has hurt my friends…”
“I understand," Mauria said, then put her hand on Shareis’s arm. “I want to go with you. To Selandis.”
Shareis smiled. “That pleases me more than you could possibly know.”
Mauria headed to the door. “I’ll prepare us some food for the trip.”
“I’ll help.” She looked back to them. “I’ve missed you both. It’s good to see you again.”
“You too,” her and Aiden replied.
“We’ll be back in a bit,” Mauria said from inside the house.
She took a deep, cleansing breath and prepared to say her piece.
“Listen, Aiden, I—”
“Let me go first.” Aiden extended his hand.
“No, me. I’ve had the entire trip from Selandis to think about our last conversation.”
“Then go ahead, please.”
“I don’t know why I said some of the things I said.”
“Kytis charmed you,” he said.
“I… I don’t know. But whatever it was, I regret it. All of it. All I could think about on the way here was you. I don’t understand your issues with Kytis, but I do know I’ve not been myself. I was… mean to you sometimes.” She took another breath to stop herself from rambling.
“You certainly haven’t been yourself,” Aiden said. “The Frasie I know wouldn’t have taken her clothes of for that painting.”
“It was for Olivia!”
Aiden leaned toward her. “I know, and you’ve told me that many times. But something’s wrong there. That’s not you, and you know it.”
She sunk further in her chair. “No, you’re right. It’s not. I was nervous.” She crossed her arms. “I felt… as though I was giving him something… something meant for you.”
He reached across and took her hand. “Your body is yours, Frasie. If you ever decide to share it with me, I will gladly appreciate it. Posing in some painting, even if it is for a creep, doesn’t change how I look at you.”
“You were mad about it,” she said. “You even hit Kytis.”
“I was mad. And jealous. I thought he had taken advantage of you. Still do, actually.”
“I felt so ashamed of myself when you hit him. Even if you haven’t changed your opinion of me, it has changed how I see myself. After he drew that first drawing of me, I began to see myself as an actual woman.”
“You are an actual woman.”
“Other than my hair, I don’t look like much of a woman.”
Aiden scooted his chair closer and took both her hands in his. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Frasie. I see the way you twirl a curl of that fiery red hair when you’re thinking about something and it makes me want to run up and kiss you.”
She smiled. “You used to make me blush. Now I feel humiliated.”
He touched her cheek. “You’re blushing now.”
She stood from her chair and embraced Aiden, hugging him with all her might. She burst into tears. “I never meant to hurt you.”
He held her close. “I know, Frasie. I know.”
“Please forgive me.”
He rocked her, then kissed her cheek. “I don’t think any of this is your fault, Frasie.”
Shareis came outside with a basket of provisions. She smiled at Aiden. Despite her presence, Frasie continued their hug.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
Shareis nodded.
Frasie approached Shareis. “Please, Shareis, no matter what happens in Selandis, don’t ever let me turn on this amazing man again.”
Shareis chuckled. “Of course, Frasie.”
Mauria joined them with another basket filled to the brim. Aiden took the basket from her.
“Kytis has a wagon and fresh horses in the barn,” Mauria said.
Aiden handed the food to Frasie. “I’ll hitch them up and swing around shortly.”
Shareis put her hand on Frasie’s shoulder. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise.”
Chapter 53
Farius, Lyndoni, Ma’tol, and a few other Druids walked with Niv to the edge of the grove. She was anxious to return to Selandis to be with Shareis and her friends, but she knew it would be difficult to leave this wonderous place.
She turned to face them and smiled. “I have learned so much in such a short time. I will never forget any of you.”
Ma’tol stepped forward. “You must return soon, Niv’leana. Now that you have been a part of the grove, it will always be a part of you.”
“Your wisdom helped me in a very dark time. I appreciate it.”
“We have been sending healing energy to you since the ritual,” Ma’tol said. “But it cannot continue once you leave the grove.”
“The emotional pain may be grave,” Farius added.
“Please, take care of yourself,” Ma’tol said.
“I will. Thank you.”
Ma’tol nodded in respect, then he and the other Druids left.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher,” she said to Lyndoni.
Lyndoni thought a moment, then raised her head in pride. “I agree.”
She giggled. “You have a knack for saying the strangest things at the most inappropriate time.”
“Good. No use in saying the same old nonsense as everyone else, is there? I strive to make my incoherency as unique as possible.”
She hugged Lyndoni. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Then don’t stay gone too long. You may have weaned your kits and taught them to hunt, but a mother’s job never ends.”
She looked behind them to see if Mae had come to see her off. She cursed herself for allowing herself to get her hopes up one last time.
“She loves you,” Lyndoni said.
“She has a funny way of showing it. You’ve been more like a mother to me than she has.”
“Faults in our family members may test our patience to its limit,” Lyndoni said. “It does this because we love them so.” Lyndoni put her hand on her scar. “Feel the sorrow but remember the love.”
She embraced Lyndoni one last time. “Thank you for all you have done.”
Lyndoni nudged her head toward Farius. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”
“Goodbye, Lyndoni,” she said.
Farius looked back toward the grove. “I am sorry your mother—”
“No, don’t.”
“I will remain and try to help her understand.”
“You have all the time you need in the grove,” she said. “Perhaps after a few years…”
“I pray it will be a fraction of that time.”
She sighed. “Are my choices in life that horrible?”
Farius lifted her chin. “No, my child. Your choices have saved thousands of lives, restored a city to splendor, reformed the Order of the Ael’Shanar…” he smiled. “And helped you grow up to be the most wonderful daughter a father could ever hope to have. Every moment I am blessed to spend with you is a treasure.”
She dried a tear. “I… I love her, father. I hate to admit it, but I want her approval.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I know. I know.”
“I’m mad because I’m hurting. I wanted her to see Shareis and to see what we’ve done in Selandis. I wanted her to be the one to marry us.”
“Your story is far from over,” Farius replied. “There is still plenty of time for all of that.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
“It will work out, you will see.”
She pulled herself together a bit. “I’m going to miss you too.”
“My absence will be temporary.” He pointed to the sky. “Before you know it, I will be flying through the skies of Selandis to see you.”
<
br /> “No. Not that. I want you to come by wagon. With Maeva.”
“I will see what I can do. Now, remember Ma’tol’s words. The wound in your chest will hurt more when you leave.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Walk into the woods and think of the welcome tree,” he instructed. “It will appear shortly.” He took her hands. “We will see each other soon. Be well, Niv’leana. And remember, you are loved.”
She squeezed his hands. “I love you too, father. Goodbye.”
She headed into the woods, walking until she reached a small open circle. She thought of the welcome tree, and in moments it faded into view. She opened the chest and removed her dress, put it back on, then gathered some of the silvery dust from the tree. She inhaled it and thought of home.
Soon, everything went dark, and then the narrow dirt road outside the grove’s perimeter faded into view. As soon as the effect of the dust wore off, she felt an abrupt cessation of the peaceful, healing waves sent to her by the Druids. They weren’t as noticeable before, but their absence now was jarring.
A searing pain formed in the center of her chest. She held her hands over the wound on her chest in vain hope it would offer some relief, but the agony only intensified with each passing second of separation from the grove. She fell to her knees.
Saros rushed to her. “What’s wrong, High Priestess?”
She tried to speak but that would require air in her lungs. She tried to draw a breath, but the ache was unbearable. She used her last remining wind to beg for help.
“Grove?” he asked. “Did you find it? I don’t understand.”
“He… help.”
She desperately attempted to draw one more breath but failed. She fell to the dirt and watched helplessly as the darkness returned.
Chapter 54
Each day brought improvement and progress for Olivia in every measurable way. Her muscles, previously sore and weak from being ill, strengthened with her leisurely walks around Selandis. At first, she could barely make it to the fountain in front of the Temple of the Ael’Shanar without losing her breath, but now she enjoyed a full lap around both upper and lower cities without breaking a sweat.
Despite her enormous progress, she still avoided conversations with others. She felt uneasy when others looked at her with more than a passing glance. Her logical mind knew she had nothing to worry about, but her heart wasn’t ready to take on the problems of others. She would pass by the bar and sometimes considered having a drink, but always continued without indulging.
She didn’t fret about her lack of socialization. In fact, distance from others gave her time to fully integrate the range of feelings she had suppressed for so long. She still struggled over her need to kill in self-defense, both with Narelle and her abusive mentor, but her heart lightened as she allowed herself to experience the grief and anger.
During her illness, she dreaded the nightmares that plagued her. Now, she welcomed the dark dreams, not because she enjoyed them, but rather she knew each she endured brought her closer to accepting the darkness that had dwelled in the depths of her soul. Each morning she rose from bed a bit freer than the last.
It proved impossible to avoid Kytis. He still checked up on her almost daily, and each time he did she carefully masked her true feelings. He posed leading questions as if he suspected her deceit. Those encounters were the only time she allowed herself to hide how she felt. As she grew accustomed to accepting her emotions instead of suppressing them, deceiving Kytis became increasingly difficult. Regardless, she maintained the illusion she wasn’t in recovery to lull him into thinking his plan was working.
Soon after Frasie left, Kytis became preoccupied with her absence. He asked Olivia if she knew where Frasie had gone but she lied and told him she wasn’t sure. After some gentle prodding, Kytis began to believe Frasie might have gone home to see her parents in the Jeweled Woods. Once he accepted this theory, he stopped asking.
At first, she felt uneasy about Frasie’s absence. She had no close friends left in Selandis—they had all left. As she grew stronger, this mattered less to her. By the time Kytis stopped fretting over Frasie leaving Selandis, her confidence returned. She missed her friends, but no longer felt unable to function without them.
The summers were warm in Selandis—particularly late summer, so she usually walked in the early mornings, but not today. She had slept in and still wanted to walk, so she braved the hot afternoon sun and toured the upper city. She adored the fine dining and boutique stores, but she wanted more—a craving for no-questions-asked fun that could easily be fulfilled in certain areas of the lower city.
A well-dressed woman in the lower city could easily be mistaken for a professional. She dressed in elegance and showed a suitable amount of cleavage but considered it folly to brazenly reveal her assets. As such, men who only sought women of ill-repute drooled as she wandered the streets. She paid them no mind, though, as a Skilla lived for the hunt, not to be chased by desperate men waving money.
She caught a glimpse of Langus, the bouncer who tried so valiantly to give her pleasure. She stopped in his line of sight and pretended not to see him. She did her best to hide a smile as he approached.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” he said.
She surveyed his muscular build. It stirred far more passion now than during her illness.
“Where have you been?”
“I’ve been…” She considered telling him the truth, then thought against it. “Busy.”
He grinned. “With whom?”
She flashed a coy smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I’d love to have dinner with you sometime.”
She wasn’t hungry. Dinner would serve only as a flimsy pretense before a passionate night of lovemaking. She stepped closer. “I need more.”
“More of…”
“More of you,” she whispered in his ear.
He drew a sharp breath and surveyed the street. “Here? I mean… where do you…”
She took his hand and pulled him into a nearby alleyway, pushed him against the wall, then kissed him. “This will do fine.”
He quickly overcame his shock and grabbed her. She flushed as she savored his strong hands around her waist. Her heartbeat quickened as they continued their heated kissing and caressing. She fumbled to her skirt and raised a corner of it, then guided his hand between her legs. His fingers immediately found their target.
His skillful strokes brought a quiver to her thighs, making it difficult for her to stand. She steadied herself and strengthened her hold, trying to keep her moans from attracting attention. His fingers glided easily across her, and it wouldn’t be long before her ragged breaths joined together in a cry of ecstasy.
But not yet. She pulled his hand away and lowered her dress. She trembled in excitement as she kissed his cheek.
“Not here,” she said. “And not now. But soon.”
He groaned. “You’ve started something. We might as well finish it.”
Any other time she would agree with him, but not today. She saw no need to rush her recovery.
“We will some other time.”
He sighed. “You’re just going to leave me hanging?”
She smiled and nodded. “Mmm hmm.”
“But…”
She straightened his collar and ran her fingers through his hair to straighten the mess she’d made. “You’ll survive. I promise.”
“When will I see you again?” he asked.
“Someday.”
“It’s been a pleasure.”
She chuckled. “Oh, I assure you, the pleasure’s all mine.”
Chapter 55
Olivia’s gait wavered a bit as she recovered from her passionate encounter with Langus. She continued her walk until she reached the main road entering the city. She surveyed the bustling traffic until a group of familiar faces caught her eye.
She rushed to them and smiled. “Shareis! Aiden!”
Red curls bounced fro
m the back of the wagon. “Olivia!”
She chuckled. “And Frasie, of course!”
Before the wagon came to a complete stop, Frasie jumped out and gave her one of the most ferocious hugs she’d ever experienced. She adored the familiar embrace as long as she could, then pulled away to catch her breath.
“Frasie’s hugs will strangle you,” Aiden said.
“I’ve missed them. I’ve missed all of you.”
“We have Shareis’s mother with us—Mauria.”
Mauria nodded to her from the wagon. “Pleased to meet you, Olivia.”
“Likewise.”
“You look good, Olivia!” Frasie said. “Well, I mean, not that kind of good, you know. You’re very pretty, of course. But I mean you don’t look sick. Not that you looked horrible before, just—”
“I usually hug her.” Aiden grinned. “To shut her up.”
She pulled Frasie in for another hug, but she kept spinning in circles trying to explain herself.
“It’s not working,” she said, then pulled Frasie in for a quick kiss on the lips. It worked—Frasie was now silent.
“Hope you don’t mind, Aiden.”
Aiden chuckled. “I understand.”
Frasie pouted to Aiden, then cut a glance back to her. “Alright. I’ll be quiet.”
Aiden struggled to keep his laughter to a minimum.
“Are you completely healed?” Frasie asked.
“Almost.”
Frasie grinned. “Great! See, Aiden, Kytis’s ritual worked.”
“Kytis’s ritual had no intention of healing me,” she said. “Everything I’ve accomplished since then has been no thanks to him.”
Frasie’s smile faded.
“I’m not surprised,” Shareis said. “Olivia, we need to talk—preferably out of earshot from Kytis.”
“I believe Kytis is in the hotel,” she said. “We can go to the temple.”
“I’d like to walk with Frasie and Olivia,” Aiden said. “Would you mind stabling the team and meeting us in the upper city?”
Shareis nodded. “Will do.”
Aiden joined them, and Shareis and Mauria took off for the stables.
“How did you recover?” Aiden asked.
Olivia Page 20
