Gaia's Secret

by Barbara Kloss

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to…”

  “Daria.”

  I walked faster.

  “Daria, wait!”

  And faster. I moved forward, intent on the direction of the sound. I felt Alex’s eyes on my back as he started after me, his anxiety flowing through me. But I didn’t share his anxiety. My only feeling was intrigue. The voice had a hold on me, pulling me forward.

  I rounded a large boulder and stopped. A beautiful field of flowers spread out before me. Brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds saturated the ground in the most vivid pigments I’d ever seen. Their aroma was hypnotizing as their scents blended together, filling my lungs with sweet perfume. Surrounding it was a rim of large trees, a natural barrier to the alpine garden. I’d never seen anything so beautiful or enchanting in my entire life.

  “This way.”

  I stepped out of the forest into the sea of color, my feet disappearing beneath layers of flower petals. I walked forward, intoxicated by the life in this field. There was a power here—an ancient power—that filled every petal, every leaf, and every bit of earth.

  I took another step forward. A field filled with so many lush colors should be thrumming with movement: bees, butterflies, and birds. Maybe not those creatures in this world, but something. Nothing flew in the air. Nothing disrupted the ground.

  I stopped, bent over, and touched the soft petals of a red flower. It resembled a rose, except the middle was filled with a glittering gold dust that sparkled in the bright sunlight. I plucked the flower from its stem and held it before my eyes. The petals dissolved into a fine red powder, the breeze carrying them out of my hand, streaming into the air and scattering them from sight.

  “Daria, don’t move.”

  Alex stood at the ledge, his face rigid. His fear was strong but I didn’t understand it. This place was too magnificent to feel fear.

  Something blurred past my vision. I stayed still as my eyes searched the empty field of flowers.

  But I couldn’t find any sign of life.

  Then I felt it—a faint pressure on my shoulder. I turned my head slowly and froze. It was a tiny person—a girl—about the length of my index finger. She sat upon my shoulder, her legs crossed, with a shimmer covering her tiny, delicate frame. Her hair looked like long strands of silver thread and large exotic pale blue eyes gazed up at me as her translucent wings fluttered behind her. The wind rustled her silver strands so that they floated weightless in the air around her beautiful face.

  I couldn’t breathe. I just stared, and she stared back. Despite her size, there was great power in her. She tilted her head to one side, studying me.

  Then my vision went black.

  Before I had time to react, my sight returned. Except I wasn’t looking at the beautiful garden. I was looking at an endless desert. The landscape was dead, the air black with smoke, and all I could feel was excruciating pain. Cries of lament filled my ears, ripping apart my soul. I fought to keep from screaming from the ubiquitous pain as the world around me cried out in agony.

  And then the scene changed.

  It was Alex. He was lying on the ground, his body still; blood soaked the ground beneath him. Someone covered in armor ran to his side, their blade drenched in black blood. The person ripped off their mask, and it was me. I was kneeling over Alex, frantically feeling around on his body. Tears streamed down my face as I screamed at him to wake. He didn’t move, and I knew he was dead. Sorrow tore through my soul, bleeding it to death. The armored version of myself sobbed uncontrollably, choking on her breath in absolute misery as she tried to shake life into him. The pain was unbearable—torturous. I wanted to die, unable to bear the sight in front of me, but I couldn’t close my eyes because they weren’t open.

  I heard a voice—a soft whisper—that seemed to come from everywhere. “There shall be much violence in your future, young daughter of Alaric and Aurora. See that you are prepared, for if you are not, the world around you shall dissolve into nothing, and everything you cherish will die at your hand.”

  I drew in a sharp breath. There was no pressure on my shoulder, no desolation around me, but my body was moving. Someone was carrying me away from the nightmares. It was Alex.

  He carried me out of the garden, beneath the shade of the trees and laid me gently on the ground as he brushed the hair back from my face. “Whatever you saw—it’s not real.”

  I clung to his voice with everything I had. His voice was real. He was alive. Everything I’d seen and felt—the agony, his death—it was all just a dream. He was here, real, and crouched beside me. Slowly I lifted my hand to touch his cheek. His skin felt hot beneath my fingertips.

  He covered my hand with his and my stomach retched.

  I rolled over, the contents of my stomach spilling on the forest floor. Alex held my hair back, his other resting lightly on my back. Now I could feel his anxiety without even trying; it was overpowering.

  Once my stomach had nothing left to give, I rolled on my back, my body still shaking, and my mouth burned with the taste of acid. I was a wreck.

  He searched my face, his own features strained. “Please, tell me how you’re feeling.”

  “I’m…I feel okay. I think.”

  His eyes filled with doubt and his concern surged. I must’ve looked even worse than I felt. “Really, I’ll be fine. I swear I don’t feel as bad as I look.”

  He looked a little relieved as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “We’ll stay here as long as you need.”

  The agony I’d felt still ached within me. It was a strange sensation. I’d woken up from nightmares before. It always took a few moments for the horror to fade before I believed it wasn’t real. But the memories of these visions—and the feelings—they wouldn’t leave. A tear rolled down my cheek.

  He sighed as he wiped the stray tear from my face, and glanced back in the direction from which we came. “I should’ve known better.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He looked back at me with worry in his eyes. “The pixie—that creature back there. They live in the Arborenne, particularly in the Fioris.”

  “Fiori?”

  “That garden. A few exist in this forest. They are like a sanctuary for Gaia’s rare and dangerous creatures—like the pixies and that other creature on the leaf. And because of that, Fioris aren’t considered very safe for human travelers. When you said you heard a voice whispering your name…” His voice trailed as he shook his head. “I was stupid to put it out of my mind, but I didn’t think one would be so interested in you. Not yet anyway.”

  My mouth was dry and my tongue felt sticky as I tried to speak. “But you said you didn’t hear anything.”

  “I didn’t. You can only hear a pixie if they want you to hear them. It’s the same with their visions.” He leaned closer, his gaze tender. “She showed you something, didn’t she?”

  I shut my eyes. “It was more…a feeling.” I couldn’t elaborate further. Even though they were images, they were too powerful. I watched Alex die again, all over in my mind.

  “They see the past, present, and future. Whatever she showed you, if it hasn’t happened or isn’t happening, then it will happen.”

  No, I refused to believe that. It wasn’t possible for that much pain to exist. The world had been bleeding to death—me with it. And Alex…

  “Do you want to talk about what you saw?” He placed a palm on my cheek, the warmth bringing the feeling back to my limbs.

  But the image of him lifeless beside me was persistent, stabbing at my insides. My throat clamped down as my eyes filled with water again. I shook my head. “Not now. I will tell you. Just…later.”

  He stroked my hair and waited.

  We remained still and silent together, my hands in his as I lay on the ground. The pain flowing through me began to subside. It was strange, but it almost seemed as though he knew how I was feeling. Like he could feel it himself and by the expression on his face, one might’ve thought he�
�d seen it, too. Once my pain became bearable, without me saying a word of it, he let go of my hands.

  My hands felt cold.

  “We need to get you something to drink. Are you okay to go back?”

  “Yeah. And I think I’d be just fine if I never met another one of Gaia’s rare and dangerous creatures again.”

  Alex looked past me. “Don’t worry about that. I’m beginning to think you’re the most rare and dangerous creature of them all.”

  Chapter 18

  The Festival of Lights

  When Alex and I returned to our temporary abode—the tree—Sonya took one look at us and leapt to her feet.

  “Alexander.” Sonya’s hands rested on her hips. Never a good sign. “You promised me you would behave yourself.”

  Alex looked affronted. “Behave myself? What are you talking about?”

  “Look at her!” Sonya pointed at me. “She looks like a refugee!”

  “Uh, Mom, I hate to break it to you.” He scratched his neck. “But that’s kind of what we are.”

  Sonya appraised me with a frown. “I can’t trust that child.”

  Okay, so I didn’t look bad. I looked terrible. Alex handed me his canteen while gifting me with his quit-acting-so-innocent look. He used to give me that look so often I’d thought his face was stuck that way.

  “Thanks,” I whispered, taking the canteen from his hands. I could sort of see my reflection on the metal. There were splotches of peach, which was my skin, but it was barely visible through all the dark brown. Apparently my hair had taken over. I reached up to pat it down when I felt something thin and crunchy. A leaf, with the twig still attached.

  I glared at Alex. “You could’ve said something!”

  “Here.” He grinned and he moved behind me. Right behind me. He started untangling the twig from my hair, his hands surprisingly gentle.

  “Alex.” Sonya’s hands hadn’t abandoned their position on her hips. “I think you’ve done enough. I’ll take it from here.”

  “This is ridiculous!” Alex dropped his hands and the twig fell from my head. “I didn’t…”

  Sonya held up a hand, looking only at me. And I took a drink of water.

  “A little help here,” Alex whispered in my ear, a smile in his voice.

  I flashed him a wry grin and he rolled his eyes. After almost eighteen years of knowing him, he should know better. He nudged me lightly in the ribs and I choked on my water as I laughed.

  “What happened to her?” Cicero joined us, gesturing at me with the stick of charred meat in his hands.

  “Your son,” Sonya said.

  And now, Alex was Cicero’s son.

  Cicero raised a brow, taking a bite off the stick. “Alex, what did you do?”

  “Me? Might I point out that my clothes have taken the greater beating?” He tugged at his now brown tunic.

  “Your point?” Cicero asked.

  I felt Alex fighting back his laughter. “Why do you always take her side?”

  I took another swig from the canteen to hide my smile. It had always been like this, his parents taking my side, my dad taking his. And neither of us missed the opportunity to let the other suffer. Ever.

  “When you stop being the culprit, we’ll take your side.” Sonya folded her arms.

  Alex shook his head. He leaned close to me then, his lips brushing my ear. “I will get you back for this. And that’s a promise.”

  There was a smile in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat. He walked over to the tree trunk and sat, sharpening one of his daggers.

  When I looked back, Sonya and Cicero were studying me. After Alex’s last comment, I didn’t feel the need to hurry in order to clear his reputation, so I took another sip from my canteen. It still tasted bad, but eventually started tasting less like puke and more like water.

  My “nice” side soon found its voice and decided to liberate my resurrected friend. Well, in my own way. “Don’t worry,” I cleared my throat. “Alex did exactly what you asked him to do, but the problem is—” I looked over my shoulder at him with a grin “—I’m still better than him.”

  He glanced up and met my gaze. Challenge flashed through his eyes as a smile spread across his face and he went back to sharpening his knives.

  When I looked back at Sonya, she was studying me with skepticism. Her gaze halted at my shoulder and her brows crossed. She hurried towards me and touched my shoulder. When she pulled her hand away, something glittered on her fingertips. “What’s this?”

  Glitter? Where did that come from? Oh, maybe…“I wonder if that’s from the pixie.”

  Cicero stopped chewing. Sonya froze, her eyes burning holes through her son. And Alex leaned back on his arms, glaring at the tree with his jaw clenched.

  Apparently I wasn’t supposed to share that information.

  “You saw a pixie,” Sonya whispered.

  Alex moved his glare to me and I swallowed.

  What? I mouthed.

  He answered with a wave of irritation.

  “You were in a Fiori?” Cicero’s anger sawed through me.

  Alex moved his gaze to his father. “Yes.”

  “And you let her near one?” Cicero was so mad that his ears turned red and a thick blue vein bulged at the side of his neck.

  “It wasn’t—“

  “Do you have any idea what could have happened?”

  Alex’s gaze was steady as he held his father’s. “Yes, I—“

  “To let her wander into such a place—really, Alexander, I’m surprised…”

  Sonya placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Dear.”

  But Cicero wasn’t finished. “Of all the—“

  “Cicero.”

  This time Cicero heard her. Slowly, he removed his death glare from his son and looked at his wife.

  Sonya held his gaze. “They’re obviously unharmed, and you know he would never let anything happen to her.”

  Her eyes flickered to Alex, and I thought I saw something pass between them.

  “I don’t care.” Cicero was still mad, but the fury was fading. “The fact remains that he—“

  “It was my fault,” I interrupted.

  I looked back at Alex, who was studying me. His expression filled with warning, but I ignored it. I couldn’t let him get in so much trouble for something I’d done, and besides, I’d never seen Cicero this angry before. It was beyond fun and games now. Alex and I had just become friends again and I wasn’t about to let Cicero ruin it.

  “Alex tried to stop me but I—“

  “Nothing happened.” Alex’s tone silenced me.

  I caught his hard gaze and held it before he turned back to his dad. “We saw a pixie flutter by and I pulled her out of the garden before anything happened. Some of the dust must have landed on her, that’s all. I won’t let it happen again.”

  Cicero and Sonya’s confusion was strong as they looked to me for confirmation. I wasn’t sure why Alex lied, but his gaze was intense and his apprehension filled my senses.

  Slowly I nodded, and Cicero’s fury disintegrated. Alex’s feelings were masked from me once again as he went back to sharpening his daggers. Cicero sighed, the color of his ears returning to normal. “Sonya, I’m glad we never had a daughter. It’s hard enough worrying about Daria. Alaric had better take over soon because I’m about to leave her to the fates.” Cicero grinned at me.

  For some reason, his grin made me mad. As if a smile would erase everything they were hiding, like their smiles always had. Like they were still doing. Sonya must have noticed because she felt the need to remind me that Cicero was only teasing.

  Good to know. I mean, for a second there I had thought Cicero was going to march me right back to those barghests with a bow on my head.

  I dug into my meat, trying to forget my anger. The flavor was smoky and sweet on my tongue, its juice dripping liberally into my mouth. I’d forgotten all about my hunger in my evening with Alex, Nightmare, and Lies, and now I was ravenous.

  “I
suppose that’s the first magical creature you’ve seen, isn’t it?” Sonya said, picking up a stick of seared meat for herself.

  I swallowed my bite. “The pixie?” I wasn’t about to mention our dear friend Deadly Slinky after how they’d reacted to the pixie. Alex was already in enough trouble, and I wasn’t sure I could handle the amount of retribution I was accruing.

  “Yes.” Cicero wiped a drop of oil from his chin.

  “Yeah, I guess so. Are they all so psychotic?”

  Cicero chuckled. “They’re all slightly bizarre. Magical creatures have a unique bond to the power within Gaia, which lends them access to knowledge and abilities that we don’t have. They also aren’t limited by our laws of nature, so some may live hundreds of years. Mind you—” he took another bite “—most magic folk think our limited lifespan a waste of natural resources, so they care little for us. Most of them avoid us by living inside this forest.” He looked up at the treetops like he expected them to be hiding something.

  “The barghests…they’re magical?”

  Cicero’s brow furrowed. “Yes, but barghests are created from shadow. The forces they draw upon are dark—Gaia’s antithesis—and she has no control over them. But the pixies belong to Gaia.”

  How comforting.

  The barghests had never struck me as the kind of creature you’d put on a leash and walk through the park anyway. But pixies? If they belonged to Gaia, and Gaia had control over them, I didn’t think I liked Gaia very much.

  “Pixies are remarkable creatures,” Sonya said. “They can see the past, present, and future and they share some of those visions with humans, though it’s rare. Their visions have always proven true and it’s considered a great honor to receive one.”

  I almost choked on my bite. Honor? I wondered if she’d feel the same way if they showed her that “honorable vision” of her dying son. Even as I thought about it, the horror and agony began to resurface. The image of Alex flashed through my mind and my heart ached. I turned back to my dinner, feeling the weight of Alex’s gaze.

  Cicero continued. “I haven’t heard of an account for years. Even so, the only time most people ever see a pixie is at the Festival, and pixies rarely attend that.”