“Ah, thank you, love. Our people love a good party, that’s for sure.”
Interrupting, a door behind him opened quickly revealing a quick flash of a kitchen before silver trays of food were set on the table before them.
On the tray, she was surprised to see a particularly normal, if not bland, breakfast. Bread paired up with something that looked similar to sausage, along with a fried and rather large egg. Alongside, a cup of what she assumed was some kind of milk. Whatever all of it was, it was gone in seconds, and it made Leo give her a small side smile and a “hungry, eh?” as he sipped from his glass. Shiloh looked down at her hands in embarrassment when she realized what she had done.
“No worries, love,” he said, “I don’t blame you for having a healthy appetite after all you’ve been though.”
She gently wiped her mouth with a napkin, and decided that now was a good opportunity to learn what she could from Leo.
“So, you, Sagittarius, Libra… do you have anything to do with the star signs in the human world?”
"Good question. We weren't always completely unknown to the human world, though it had been quite some time now..." he trailed off. "The zodiac signs you know aren't really anything particularly significant in your world now, right?"
"Yeah. Most people don't believe in horoscopes or things like that."
"Well, the reason that they exist at all is because we used to be very real to your world. We had a purpose—we wanted to help and mold the people of your world towards a greater goodness. They looked up to us to guide them and aid them in times of need."
“So, what happened?”
"After a while, the human people took our help for granted. They were filled with violence and were cavalier with war. They began to demand assistance from us to win said wars, of which we took no part.”
When the people realized that we would not be a part of their destruction, they became enraged. They doubted us, cursed us. They attempted to cater to specific Zodiacs in order to appeal to their egos, just so they could get the upper hand in a war that nobody would win.”
“But, when nothing worked, they attempted to capture Aquarius, in hopes of harnessing his power against his will. It had gone too far, and we realized that the human race had become to feel entitled to our power.”
“Once it was clear that our power and good will was being abused, we withdrew completely. Virgo and Libra together cast a spell that made the people forget us—almost entirely. Clearly some knowledge is left—but like you said, most of the people no longer believe.”
"Does that mean that you've lived all this time?" Shiloh asked.
He laughed gently, "Oh no, no. Certainly not. As the Zodiacs, we are reborn. It is not the same soul that takes all of this on—I would not be the same person if I were to die and soon be reborn as Leo once again. But our values are the same. Your father, for example. He embodies morality and wisdom. Libra, truth and justice above all. We each have our own purposes."
Shiloh nodded, trying to wrap her mind around all the new information that Leo had given her. If all of this was real—magic, elves, centaurs—then it didn’t seem like a huge stretch that the Zodiacs were real, either. Still, her history textbooks had it very, very wrong.
“Is there somewhere I could go to learn more? I hate to keep asking all these questions, but I would feel more comfortable if I understood this world that I was supposed to be born in.”
Leo nodded. “The library is at your disposal, and I daresay you might find your father in there as well. He likes to take his breakfast in there. It is one of his favorite spots in the whole city.”
Shiloh stood up excitedly and made her way to where she remembered the library to be. If she were being honest, she had wanted to peruse the towering shelves of books ever since she had seen them.
Sure enough, she found her father, leisurely eating his breakfast with a book in his other hand. She couldn’t help but laugh seeing as that was how she would like to be spending her morning as well.
“Daughter, I find you transformed,” he greeted with a smirk, clearly teasing her a bit. It was so normal that Shiloh almost didn’t know what to do with it.
She went with it and lifted her dress to show her normal shoes underneath. “Not totally transformed,” she commented, and he laughed.
“We shall have that fixed, unless you would prefer your human attire. I can have someone fetch some suitable shoes at the market.
Shiloh looked down at herself and knew that she had never felt right being normal anyway, and she would rather look like Sagittarius’ daughter than an outsider for however long she was to be here. “I would like that, actually, thank you.”
“Do you like to read?” he asked, and Shiloh was glad it was he that broke the ice. She was beginning to feel odd, which really she shouldn’t since this was her father, but she didn’t know how to bridge the gap the years apart had created.
“I love books,” she admitted, and he stood up, setting down what he had in his hands, and motioned for her to come with him. She followed him through rows and rows of glorious books, wondering what they could all possibly be about. She spied a few she recognized; classics like Dickens and even Homer were represented. It wowed her that this library contained both the magical and human right along with each other.
Sagittarius stopped, and she only noticed because the sound of his hooves against the floor ceased, and she looked to see he was showing her a line of books, quite thick ones at that. “These are books that teach about the basics of magic,” he revealed, pulling one out. “I think this one is good for a beginner.” He smiled down at her before moving on to another section, two rows back. “This is where you will find the history of the gods. It goes on all the way to the back of the library from here.”
Shiloh couldn’t hide her shock as she glanced backward, trying and failing to count the numerous rows. But then again, it only made sense because the gods had been around for possibly an infinite amount of time.
He pulled out another book and handed it to her waiting arms. “That is the history of Sagittarius and the family tree.”
“I will take good care of it,” she promised, noticing she could tell its age was beyond comprehension. “I don’t suppose the library has…” she paused, not knowing if she should bring it up at all. She was sure it was a subject of great sadness for her father, even more so than for her. But he nodded his head as if to tell her to continue. “I don’t suppose there is any history about my mother?”
He looked at her with a single nod, and she could tell it was hard for him. She began to wonder if he had ever properly grieved the woman he loved and recalled the way he had found the cave, that he had been robbed of the ability to bury her body or give her the rights she deserved.
Shiloh could feel a sudden anger take hold of her but shoved it down, knowing this was not the moment. There would come a time, if everything she had been told so far was correct.
The shelf he led her to now was in the back and half empty, plenty of room to fill it with more books. He picked out a giant volume, blue and fraying at the edges, before explaining. “This is the history of the elder dragons that eventually birthed your mother. I do not even know everything that is contained in here, but I will have it carried to your room. It is quite heavy.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Does this library have any fiction books, like ones that were written here?” Shiloh questioned, changing the subject.
The twinkle was back in his eye as he rushed through the stacks again, back to the front. He showed her a shelf of more colorful books. “Technically, these are for children, but they are our fairytales.” Shiloh ran my finger over them in wonder, finding it so strange to think that there had been a whole other world out there all this time with their own bedtime stories and legends far beyond what she could have imagined finding in a book back on Earth.
“Would you like me to read you one?” Sagittarius offered suddenly, and Shiloh looked up in exciteme
nt.
“Yes!”
Shiloh followed him back to where he had been sitting before and curled up in her own chair as she listened to his animated voice read three of their fairytales. It was as close as she had felt to her father thus far, and it was a moment she would never forget.
Soon, the sun moved in the sky, announcing it was after noon, and they had both gotten lost in what they were doing.
“Could I come back in here tomorrow and have breakfast with you in here?” Shiloh asked a little shyly.
“Any time you wish.”
***
Shiloh had become accustomed to a routine now, the days passing in quick succession as she got used to her new normal.
In the mornings, she would meet her father in the library and have breakfast. Some days they read in silence, just enjoying the company, and other times they would talk. Really talk. They told each other about all those years the other had missed, from anything as simple as a silly crush in second grade to a minor war that happened when Sagittarius was still a child.
Then, she would take to the gardens in the afternoon and explore the gorgeously foreign plants. Bellamy wasn’t always there, but he was good company when he could be.
At night, she had dinner with Leo and studied what she could or took a servant or guard out to the market with her to just enjoy being around all the citizens of the city.
But today was different. Her father had business to attend to, business he didn’t elaborate on for some reason. So, she found herself having breakfast with Leo instead.
Without warning, the door to the dining room opened with a bang, and a young guard with a serious-looking face and a helmet that was just slightly too big for his head entered hesitantly. He gave a small bow directed toward Leo and said “Miss, you have a visitor requesting your presence in the foyer.” He walked back out the door swiftly and without another word. She wondered briefly if people here didn’t say ‘thank you’ or ‘goodbye’.
When she entered the foyer of the castle, she was happily surprised to find Bellamy waiting with a castle guard by his side. He greeted her with a big smile, “I thought you might want to see more of the city.”
She took his arm, and the two newfound friends stalked off once again. She was going to get as much joy out of this new world as she could despite the harrowing prophecy floating above her head. She was suddenly so grateful to have found Bellamy in the garden on what must have been the most confusing day of her life.
"Wait, Shi...." Leo unexpectedly made an appearance in the foyer, looking around nervously. "If you're going to go off exploring... Bellamy? You've been to Tamarac City, right?"
He nodded. And Shiloh found herself unsure of what Leo was intending. She had never even heard of the place. Though, from an outside perspective, she hadn’t done or seen much since arriving. She needed this adventure.
"Sagittarius would kill me if he heard me suggesting you take her off to another city with everything that is going on. But... there's an academy there. You know it, Bellamy." He hesitated again, but quickly whispered, "Capricorn is a professor there. He was good friends with your mother, Shiloh. He might be able to teach you a few tricks. Just a thought." And with that, he dashed away without another word.
Shiloh stood for a moment, contemplating what ‘tricks’ a friend of her mother’s could show her. “It’s an academy for magic,” Bellamy said, interrupting her thoughts. “And besides, wouldn’t you want to learn more about your mother?”
She nodded, a little excited and a little nervous. It seemed odd to seek out a stranger to tell her more about her birth mother. But it seemed to be the best chance she’d get, considering.
“We’ll go,” Bellamy said gently, “But first, I wanted you to meet someone very special to me,” he said as he guided her down the stairs. And when they turned down a small side street, he said, “Her name is Stella.”
He led her to a tiny shop down an even smaller pathway in between buildings. The sign outside simply read “STELLA’S”. It was a tiny, quaint little bakery that smelled of fresh bread and had only one small wooden table inside, with several mismatched chairs to accompany it.
“Stella!” Bellamy grinned so widely that she thought that his face might split. A tiny woman with deep red hair in a short cut came out from the back of the bakery and seemed just as pleased to see him as he was to see her. Shiloh admired her brooch—a jewel of burnt oranges, yellows, and deep reds to match her hair, seemingly made of fire. “Oh, Bellamy, my dear—where have you been? You don’t come to see me enough,” she joked while rushing up to give him a tight hug. Her voice was shaky, and she must have been at least eighty years old, but seemed spritely and vibrant. “And who is your friend?”
“You know as well as I do who she is, Stell...”
“That doesn’t mean you can skip introductions! Don’t be rude, I raised you better than that!” She smacked him in the arm with a newspaper she had in her hand, and flew over to Shiloh, giving her a tight hug before she could even blink.
Bellamy walked over and motioned to each woman, “Stella, Shiloh. Shiloh, Stella. Better?”
Stella glared at him and waved her hand dismissively. “Hi, dear. Would you like a roll? Fresh baked!” She flitted behind the counter and produced a warm bread roll in a cloth napkin. When Shiloh reached to grab the roll from her outstretched hands, they briefly touched, and she recoiled fast in shock. Stella’s hands felt as hot as burning coals.
“Oh my, my manners. I’m so sorry, dear—I hope I didn’t hurt you. You mustn’t have been exposed to much magic before!” Stella put her hand to her chest, “I am what some people would call an ifrit—don’t judge though! I’m one of the good ones,” she giggled. “I deal in fire magic.” She snapped her fingers, and a small ball of flame appeared above her fingertips briefly before disappearing in a tiny puff of smoke. “Comes in handy for a bakery!”
Bellamy nudged her gently with his elbow and smiled knowingly. “Stella took me in when I was a kid. She’s an amazing baker, and you won’t meet anyone who’ll take care of you better. She’s an angel.”
“Oh, hush yourself,” Stella said, but she couldn’t help her smile. “This boy is my pride and joy.”
Watching those two banter made Shiloh feel warm inside. They were not a traditional family, that was for sure, but she could see the strong bond between them so clearly—even in just a few minutes of time. It was incredible to see them interact with one another. Stella may not have been biologically related to Bellamy, but they were family without the shadow of a doubt. It made her think of Sagittarius—could their relationship ever be anything like this, despite everything? And her mother—how could she ever feel this close to her when she was already gone? Suddenly, she felt a little like she had been robbed of something special.
She spent the next hour with Stella and Bellamy and enjoyed every second of it. Stella tried her best to stuff her full of baked goods, and she gladly accepted every bite until she felt like she was about to burst. When a young girl arrived to take over the counter, Bellamy escorted Stella upstairs, off to her bed for an afternoon nap when she began to get tired from her early morning baking.
When he returned, he gave Shiloh an encouraging smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Ready?” he said. And they set off to Tamarac, where hopefully Capricorn would teach her a little bit about who her birth mother was.
Bellamy brought her down a few of the less-traveled side streets of the city until they ended up at a place that looked like a farm—but instead of cows or horses, dragon-like creatures graced the fields. They were remarkable in their own right, but they were much smaller than a dragon and walked the land on only two legs.
“Wyverns,” Bellamy chirped. “Great for travel. Watch out for the claws, though. Razor sharp.”
He walked up to one nonchalantly and beckoned her over, to which she obliged—reluctantly. He placed his hands down, one over the other, in the form of a foothold to hoist her up and onto the wyvern. Deciding
to put aside any reservations she had, she climbed atop the creature. She could feel its muscles ripple below its scaly skin. She momentarily imagined it bucking her off its back like a wild horse might do if a stranger had decided to climb onto its back. But it didn’t, and Bellamy climbed on gracefully behind her. And then the wyvern took them up into the sky.
Terror gripped her. It felt like being on the wing of an airplane—no seatbelt, no shield from the wind, and the plane was alive. Her thighs burned from gripping the creature so tightly, and she could hardly open her eyes.
“Relax!” Bellamy shouted into her ear. Looking down over the world she was just coming to know, she did. It was beautiful. She could see trees in every color in existence and some she didn’t know could exist. The sun reflected off of crystal-clear lakes, and mountains stood white-topped and regal in the distance. Suddenly, it felt so incredibly freeing to be on such a magnificent creature, flying above it all.
When they landed on solid ground, Shiloh slipped off of the wyvern and landed on her feet, but the feeling of euphoria stuck with her. She wondered if this was the feeling that people were chasing when they jumped out of planes or went bungee-jumping. If it was, she finally understood, because she had never felt anything like it.
“Not so bad, eh?” Bellamy teased, pushing her hair gently of out her eyes. “Incredible,” she replied breathlessly, suddenly aware of how hard her heart was beating in her chest.
Tamarac was a picturesque and charming little city. Green and carefully curated gardens decorated the fronts of cozy little cottages. The smell of baked goods seemed to infiltrate the streets, and everything looked like it was well-cared for and painstakingly thought out. Like something out of a magazine, Shiloh thought that the people of this city were lucky to call it home. It all looked very welcoming and safe in the bright sunshine.
The two friends quickly ended up at what she assumed was the magic academy. It was a smaller version of what popped into Shiloh’s head when someone mentioned a private boarding school. It was a solidly built, stone building with ivy climbing up its walls. It was tucked away, behind many substantially-sized weeping willow trees and a wrought iron gate, which was already opened as if welcoming them to the property.
Destined (Prophecy of the Stars Book 1) Page 6
