“I’m… good. How are you?” She smiled again and shrugged her shoulders. He watched the small gesture, as if every movement left a magnified impression on his eyes.
“I’m fine, was feeling lonely until I spotted you,” she practically purred which would have irritated him on a regular day, but he couldn’t see anything wrong with it now. He smiled sheepishly.
“Would you like to go for a walk with me?” He asked in a daze. She smiled and nodded. He linked arms with her and the summons subsided. He knew now that the desire he had felt was aimed at her and for the first time he could see why. She was radiant, glowing with an inner power and poise he’d never seen in her before, his mind couldn’t get past the transformation.
CHAPTER 31
Lienkin felt like he was walking on air. He went wherever Tres wanted to go. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed dreamily. He really liked the sound. The whole time they walked, his eyes were locked on her, causing her to blush every few minutes under the intensity of his attentive gaze. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Together they stumbled through the woods like love birds with their eyes locked on each other.
Suddenly he found them approaching Lara’s clearing. Oh no, he thought, the clouds he was walking on burst like a thousand tiny bubbles. What if Lara is still here? I can’t be seen with Tres! He snapped out of his trance and fell back to reality. Why was he with Tres? He wondered groggily. ‘Cause she’s beautiful! The voice of his summons shot back. So? He retorted.
Lienkin promised to come back for Lara, and he didn’t intend on bringing anyone back with him. His senses were on full alert now and he knew something was wrong, he could feel the pull at the back of his mind as that undeniable desire frantically tugged. Where had these feelings come from?
He glanced down at Tres who had her hand submerged deep in her flower basket, holding onto something beneath the surface. She’s working magic on me, he realized. Lienkin couldn’t believe it! How could Tres be working magic on him and he not even know it?
Realizing that he was staring at her basket, Tres pulled out a flower and playfully twirled it under her nose. Lienkin quickly checked for Lara’s aura, and realizing with a heavy dose of frustration that she wasn’t there, he grabbed Tres’ hand and pulled her into the clearing, smiling like a ravenous wolf as he did. In the clearing the sun shined down on them in blinks between thin wispy clouds. She giggled with delight as shivers ran down her spine. She had waited so long for him to give her this much attention.
“Let me see your flowers,” Lienkin asked softly, still smiling forcefully. Tres held the flower she’d been twirling out to him. He didn’t even look at it. “No, all of your flowers,” he insisted. She hesitated and returned the flower she was holding to the basket. Staring back at him quizzically, she wondered what his fascination was with her flowers. Of course he could see them just fine right now, but she wasn’t about to hand them to him.
Holding the basket tightly against her chest she asked, “See Lienkin aren’t they lovely?” He didn’t even look at the flowers but continued to stare at her. His gaze sent more chills down her back, but this time she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
“May I have them?” He asked at last. She shook her head no. If they weren’t hiding her rose quartz, she would have given them to him in a heartbeat. There was very little she would ever deny him, especially when he was truly looking at her for first time. Though if she gave him this one thing and he found out what she’d done, he would never look at her this way again. “Why not?” He asked.
“They are… for my mother,” she lied. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her in doubt. She melted under his intense gaze. After a few beats, he seemed to relent and inwardly she sighed with relief.
“Will you dance with me instead?” He asked, snapping his fingers as if he just asked the most brilliant of questions. She smiled and her entire face lit up. Of course she would, dancing was among her favorite things to do! Dropping the basket where she stood and putting her hands in his, they spun away. Lienkin led her in circles and spun her around, making her dizzy but he did not stop.
They continued to twirl until she could no longer keep her balance. At last he halted and helped her to sit until her world ceased to spin. Tres closed her eyes so the dizziness would fade. She felt light headed and winded. Lienkin was standing before her blocking the sun by the time she opened her eyes again.
“What is this?” He demanded, outraged. He held up the rose quartz in his hand and stared at her furiously. Tres stammered to explain but no words would come out. He paced in front of her and she scrambled to her feet.
Lienkin had been determined to discover what she had hidden under those flowers, and he had succeeded, taking advantage of her while she recovered from her dizziness. So she had charmed him with a spell and a rose quartz probably meant it was a love spell. There was no natural reason for him to have felt so ardently about her all of a sudden. Lienkin was willing to bet it was a forbidden love spell.
That was wrong, unacceptable. No one was allowed to do that. She had interfered with his free will, and she had interrupted his relationship with Lara more than once. Lara, who he realized, wasn’t where he left her. What was he going to do? Pacing the ground and listening to Tres whine, he tried to imagine all the places she could be. By the Immortals! Lara could be anywhere! He groaned and Tres fell silent.
“Tres,” he let her name fall to the ground like a leaf. “I have to go.” He turned and started walking away. Tres sat there teary eyed for a few seconds. She watched him leave her in the clearing all alone.
How had her charm backfired? What went wrong? Silently she let him go and stared off toward where he had disappeared. It only took her a few moments more before she was on her feet and chasing after him. She couldn’t help it, she needed him to love her and she wasn’t going to let him walk away without a fight.
CHAPTER 32
Back at the hut Zeftx carefully laid Lara down on his bed, making sure not to wake her. He lifted the quilt up to her chin and brushed her hair out of her face. Her cheeks were stained with streams of tears long since dried. Her golden skin illuminated her rosy little lips and he imagined what it would be like to kiss her and have her awaken like sleeping beauty right out of history. Then he could carry her away to marry her and live together happily ever after. He sighed, only if he could. Happily ever after didn’t exist for demons and sleeping beauty had been an immortal anyway.
Jade was back in the kitchen preparing her spices, hanging herbs from the rafters, and crushing some into powders. He was supposed to be finishing the second window, and half the day was already over. It was important he completed it before the sun set. He forced himself to get up and go fix the window, the only motivation behind his movement was a lack of desire to invite any more gargoyles in for company this evening. He worked quickly, not wanting to waste time.
Once he finished the repairs, Zeftx didn’t stand around to admire his handy work. With the finishing touches finalized, he darted back to his room to check on Lara. She was sitting up in the bed staring at the quilt on her lap. When he walked in she slowly turned her gaze to him.
“Lara, are you alright?” He asked. He crossed the room to sit down on the bed beside her. She wiped a tear from her face and choked on her words.
“Mom and dad are supposed to be home and I should be there too.” A few more tears fell quietly down her cheek. “Now they are probably looking for me and I won’t ever see them again.” She stared down at the quilt once more and Zeftx rubbed her shoulders gently. What could he say? He knew what it was like to lose his parents.
“We’ll find your home, I know we will, just wait and see.” He hated to say so, but he knew that they would have to find it. Jade walked in and took in the sight. Zeftx rose and left the ladies alone. He hoped that Jade could make Lara feel better while he made tea in the kitchen.
“My dear, I think what you need is a warm bath, and some good news. Luckily, I have both.
” Jade led Lara to the bath she had prepared in her own room and handed Lara her clothes back. “They’re dry now.”
Jade left Lara and joined Zeftx in the kitchen. Lara shrugged off Jades borrowed clothes and slipped into the bath. Jade had ground salt and mixed it into the water to help cleanse Lara and release tension. She had also dressed the bath with fragrant flowers to add to the relaxation as well as hot stones to keep the water warm.
Zeftx handed Jade a mug of tea and helped himself to his own. In Jade’s tea he had mixed herbs for guidance. In his own he had used herbs intended to invite clarity. He felt so confused and lost. He didn’t know what to think or how to feel and wasn’t sure if he could let Lara go once they found her home. He needed clarity to help answer all his questions, to show him what choices to make and where to go.
“Zeftx dear, I found the place where I met her.” He stared up at Jade but kept quiet. “I haven’t told her yet, but as soon as she’s finished cleaning up, I will. She misses her family and we must get her to them. Will you be able to handle this?” Now she was staring intently at him. He struggled, unsure of himself and took a sip, which didn’t help at all. In his heart he knew he had to go, had to be with her as long as he could. He nodded at Jade. Yes-he could do it-he had to.
Lara finished her bath and got dressed into her own clothes. She braided her hair and joined Jade and Zeftx in the kitchen. They were dressed to go with their cloaks on. Zeftx seemed drawn and distant. Jade handed her the red cloak and told her to keep it, as a gift from them. Lara smiled and pulled it on.
“I know where we met Lara, I found it this morning when gathering herbs,” Jade confided. Lara looked at her in surprise. A new hope blazed in her heart, she would see her parents; she would find her way home!
They left the little hut and walked down the worn path that seemed to lead to everywhere. Lara glanced over her shoulder at the hut one last time. She noticed the same two fairies flying by and landing on the roof. They waved at her and she smiled. Lara returned her gaze to the path and walked on while they bounded around the roof’s edge robustly.
She found herself torn between two worlds. She wanted to return to her parents and her home, but she didn’t want to leave behind the friends she had made here. In just one weekend in this mystical forest her entire world had been altered. She could never return home and forget about them or this place. There had to be a way for her to have both. Sadly, she couldn’t think of one. They walked in silence for a long time. They kept going until they passed the fork in the path and the trail thinned out beneath heavily forest vegetation.
“This is the place,” Jade sighed. For the first time ever, the birds were silent. Lara, Jade and Zeftx had been pushing through leafy bushes and twisted branches hanging thick over the trail before stopping on the edge of the path. All around, they were crowded by wild overgrowth. “Lara darling, do you recognize this spot?”
Lara thought hard. Have I been here before? She wondered. It didn’t look familiar. She was starting to feel a little worried, and then she noticed something off the path she did recognize. It was the place she landed when she had fallen.
However, now she couldn’t even remember how she had gotten there, just that she had tripped and fallen and landed in that patch of tall grass off the jagged path. How is this going to get me back to my house? She questioned. Lara was pretty certain this wasn’t her back yard, or even part of her neighborhood. She was so confused. Deflated, she fell to the ground with her legs pulled in, knees to her chest, and arms wrapped around her shins as she started to rock.
“What’s wrong Lara?” Zeftx asked, riddled with concerned.
“I know where we are,” she admitted in a hollow voice, barely more than a whisper. “This is exactly where I came from, but I can’t remember how. How can this lead me home?” Zeftx dropped to his knees next to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Slowly he rocked her and she stared at the place she recognized. It was a mystery she couldn’t solve.
“Shh,” Zeftx sought to soothe her, “I cannot stand seeing you sad like this. I want so badly to make you feel better, to cheer you up. I feel miserable whenever you suffer.” He sighed softly next to her ear. “I feel so helpless.”
Jade hummed a curious tune and walked around the perimeter of the spot that Lara stared at unblinkingly. “Wouldn’t dare step into the grass, let us instead inspected it more carefully eh, dearies?” Jade considered aloud as she walked around the spot. “The forest is a magical place and if Lara is certain this is the spot, then by leprechauns! This is it.” The forlorn pair nodded in unison.
“Perhaps however, Lara needs only to step into the grass to see her home,” Jade contemplated out loud. “However, not so swiftly, it could be an illusion of some sort!” She added quickly, seeing Lara’s eyes light up at the thought. She didn’t want to send Lara to test her theory just in case it was dangerous. How could she be sure? Jade watched the lights in Lara’s eyes dim as quickly as they had lit.
Lara fell into a trance while Zeftx did his best to comfort her. Eventually he stood up and walked away. He didn’t go far, just out of sight. His throat was tight, his eyes were stinging and his emotions were spinning wildly. Zeftx stood aloft, he needed room to breathe and this seemed like the best time to seize some. Jade circled indecisively around the area of Lara’s recognition. She wasn’t making any sudden moves so they continued to wait.
CHAPTER 33
Tres raced through the forest, her basket swinging wildly, empty of all its flowers and only holding the rose quartz. She could see the direction Lienkin had gone. He was being unusually careless. Any other time he would move cautiously, without leaving any hints of his passing. She had tried to follow him many times before and it had never been this easy. He must have been really upset by the charm she had used. She could see him now only yards in front of her.
“Lienkin!” She called out to him but he didn’t seem to hear her. Uncertainty of whether or not this was a great time to approach him rose in her mind. How would he react? Would he shout at her? She didn’t mean to upset him; she just wanted him to stop avoiding reality. Lienkin and Tres were meant to be. Who else could he love? She knew she was the finest young woman of their generation in the village. Was he blind?
When she caught up with him he didn’t even realize she was there. She cringed when she felt the wave of power flowing off of him. He was glowing with a fierce dark gold intensity, stronger than any of the witches at the last circle had radiated after the charging ritual.
What was he seeking? She was weak but not stupid. He was searching for something. She kept quiet and silently followed him to wherever he was going. She gasped when she noticed the swarm of birds overhead speeding off in the same direction as they walked. Was he summoning them? Could he do that? What was happening?
They turned, stepping onto a worn path and Tres watched amazed as the birds changed direction in mid-flight and continued over the trail like fish in a river. More birds from all sides joined those that had been above them. The swarm continued to grow as the number of birds increased. She was amazed by their silence. None of them chirped or squawked. They just flew urgently in their cluster, chasing the setting sun.
Lienkin increased his pace, making it near impossible for Tres to keep up. She wondered if he was trying to shake her, but something told her that he wasn’t even aware she followed right next to him. She lifted the length of her dress to her knees and widened her stride to match his. What was his hurry? She didn’t recognize where they were and she felt like panicking.
Lienkin was uneasy. Whenever the birds acted peculiar it was usually because Lara was near. They were acting strange again but unlike their typical giddiness, it was their unusually silent, restless flight that struck him as foreboding. He feared that it may be a sign Lara was in danger.
He tried to reach her faster, but he felt he was moving impossibly slow even though he was running his fastest. He prayed that he would be in time to help her in her dilemma.
He couldn’t live with the knowledge that he might lose her. He wanted her as much as Tres wanted him, the only difference in their relationship was that Lara felt the same way in return. She cared for him; he fancied she even loved him as much as he already loved her. The impact of these emotions hit him by surprise.
The path was dying out and over grown by wild, invasive plants from negligible use. To avoid anything poisonous or sharp they had to keep their eyes on the ground and for the first time Lienkin noticed his feet weren’t the only ones on the path. Startled he glanced up at Tres. He started to say something but was cut off when he tripped over a rock. Tres squeaked and tripped over him and they both crashed to the ground.
He forgot what he had been about to say, muttering “Never mind,” as he struggled back to his feet, unwilling to let his eyes leave the ground again as he continued running.
The birds had finally settled in the trees above, even landing on some of the lower branches. Lienkin was exhausted from overextending his senses, but he forced himself to continue, hoping that he would get the faintest trace of Lara. He slowed his stride and Tres matched him. He could hear her sigh of relief. The foolish girl was breathing heavily, tired from trying to keep up.
Lienkin turned and gave her a temperate smile, laying one finger across his lips to keep her quiet. Her face brightened up remarkably. Quietly he crept through the wild vegetation with Tres trailing on his heels. He reached desperately for Lara’s aura. He would even be happy with the aura of the demon in this isolated area of the forest so long as it would lead him to her. He continued searching.
Suddenly, he felt a tingle of a familiar sense. Shivers ran up and down his spine, pricking on the back of his neck and he no longer felt his exhaustion. The sliver of familiarity slipped away and he grasped frantically to catch it again. Lara! She was near, he was certain of it.
Discovery the Forest of Emmitaenu Page 11
