by Serena Chase
The Cobelds have chosen Drinius and Gladiel because of their relationship to me, not knowing that one with an even dearer claim to my heart exists. He smiled. I will not leave while my daughter is on such a dangerous road. Rest assured that every effort will be made to rescue the knights, Rynnaia. But I will not abandon you to seek them myself.
And about Erielle?
He took a deep breath. I will not stand in the way of your choice if you are sure. Erielle may go. He shook his head and when he spoke into my thoughts again his tone was dry. I’ve no doubt she will embrace the opportunity.
Indeed. I laughed, wishing I could be there when he delivered the news. Thank you, Father.
He did not look convinced at the wisdom of my request and I could tell he would lose sleep over it.
When should I expect my princess to arrive?
Two days, Father. My time on Tirandov Isle had passed swiftly, yet the atmosphere was so serene that the rest of the world sometimes felt like a vague memory. Dyfnel has already secured our passage.
Aboard Meredith, I hope?
Yes.
Very good. Until then, Rynnaia, rest in my love and be of good courage in the truth.
I will try, Father. Thank you.
My stomach growled as the connection was broken, reminding me it was time I left the Silence room to dress for dinner.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
I sought solitude that evening. Or at least as much solitude as a princess can expect to find. Julien followed at a short distance as I walked the paths outside the castle. I made my way to the northern beach and continued past the longboat in which we had arrived until I came to a lower place on the beach where the castle was no longer visible. I sat down and removed my shoes, curling my toes in and out in the sand, longing to find the peace eluding me.
I lifted a sparkling handful of sand and let it run through my fingers, glad for the warmth it retained even in the coolness of the night air. As it glittered through my grasp, it awakened the need that, no matter how I’d ignored it, had stubbornly clung to that empty space inside me.
My heart was gripped by a sudden desire to be in the water. It pulled me like the tide, whispering that a swim could wash away all the tension, all the uncertainty in my heart, that the vastness of the sea could swallow my fear and replace it with the confidence I lacked.
I stood and started toward the edge. Come, Rynnaia! It seemed to call to me, drawing me near. Come for a swim.
But for the obvious lack of trees, the strange stillness of the current made the bay resemble more of a secluded woodland pool than a gateway to the open sea. The warmth of the water surprised me, but I reminded myself that we were in the southern sea and that the warmth of tirandite stone would surely permeate the surrounding waters.
Exuding peace and tranquility, the bay invited me to wholly enjoy what it offered, tugging at the inner part of me that longed for comfort. The need to be fully immersed within its warmth would not be denied. I lifted the hem of my skirt and stepped deeper.
“Princess, stop.” Julien’s boots sloshed in the water as he moved to my side. “I don’t know what creatures reside in these waters.”
On this side of the isle the otherworldly stillness of the sea felt not of tide, but of time and knowledge. Somehow even the uncanny calm of the isle’s entry point held an awareness of what danger its magical current would soon deliver me to. Using my Andoven gifts, I trawled the water but, although I was aware of a great mystery and a deep, urgent longing, I sensed nothing that would do me harm.
“Fear not, Julien. There is naught but comfort here tonight.”
“And you know this . . . how?”
“I’m Andoven.”
His only response was to deepen his scowl at the water.
“I would like to go for a swim.” I knew propriety would not allow him to stay. “Would you allow me to dismiss you?”
“I will not leave you alone, Rynnaia. I’m sworn to protect you.”
I sighed, knowing what he said was true, but unable to assuage my desire to be held in the water’s embrace.
“Perhaps I might swim with Her Highness?” Celyse’s voice cut through the darkness. “I saw the princess from my window and deduced her intent. You may wait just over that rise for us, Sir Julien. Be assured that we will call for you if we have need of your services.”
Julien was not pleased with the arrangement, but was unable to find a good reason to deny me.
I put my hand on his arm. “Please don’t worry.”
“I cannot promise that,” he said with a little smile and a nod toward Celyse. “I will be near.” Grudgingly, he went back to the path and over the small rise of the dunes.
“I brought an extra robe for after your swim,” Celyse said. “It would be difficult to put your gown back on when you are wet. Shall I help you out of your gown?”
“Thank you.” I nodded, taking a few steps back onto the dry sand.
Soon I was divested of my outer garments. Wearing only my shift, but feeling unashamed with only Celyse as witness, I began moving again toward the water.
Celyse was similarly attired, having removed her robe also. “I will stay a safe distance away, Princess Rynnaia. Your first time in the Bay of Tirandov should be private.”
I waded into the stillness. The surface of my skin was rough and dry from the many hours spent within the pages of books and the saltwater stung my hands. But the sting quickly faded, caressed away by the water’s silkiness.
The water had an entirely different feel than that of the Veetrish ponds where I’d learned to swim. It was almost as if it seeped through my skin and into an undefined region of my soul, and I had to question my definition of water when compared to the liquid consolation in Tirandov’s bay.
When the depth reached my shoulders, I laid back in the water and floated under the sea of stars. The darkness of the moonless sky invaded every corner of my vision. I emptied my thoughts and simply enjoyed the comfort, knowing from someplace within the deep recesses of my mind that in these brief moments I might experience a sort of peace that might not be mine again for a long time.
I shuddered at the thought, and from the corner of my eye, saw a shimmer that lit the water.
I gasped and quickly found my feet.
Glimmering, miniscule lights surrounded me, thicker and brighter the closer they came to my skin. All around me the water sparkled, as if tiny slivers of stars had fallen into the sea.
“You have awakened the enikkas, Your Highness.” Celyse chuckled. “Do not be alarmed. They are gentle creatures, made for beauty and of light. They are drawn to you for your pleasure at their company.”
I brushed my arm through the water. A trail of light followed it. The feeling of peace that had taken hold didn’t leave me, but it was enhanced by a new emotion. Beyond mere happiness, I was overcome with breathless wonder that such creatures existed. And awed that I’d been allowed to experience their beauty.
As I made a slow turn in the water, my self-made current illuminated with multi-colored sparklers. A surprising sound flowed from my mouth. It was not the laugh of one who had been entertained, but an expression of joy that came from the depths of my spirit, as if my soul did not have the ability to contain such wonder within and had been forced to crack open and allow pieces to escape.
At my laugh, the water glowed even brighter, as if millions of the creatures had been awakened by the sound. I cupped a handful of water and brought it close to my face to see them better.
The tiny bodies of the enikkas were barely tangible, but luminously visible in their incandescence. Greens, pinks, blues, and golds glittered just beneath the water’s surface. It was light and beauty and utterly fascinating.
“Do they always come like this when you swim here?”
“They come quite often, Princess.” Celyse’s expression mirrored the wonder of mine. “Although I must admit I’ve not seen so many at once for a very long time. It appears as though the enikkas have been waitin
g for you to seek them.”
“Celyse, I—”
As suddenly as my laughter had come, tears sprang to my eyes and began joining the salty water around me. Overcome as I was by the beauty and comfort of this water and its creatures, I was unable to speak, so I sent her my thoughts instead.
I want to share this with Julien. I want him to know of this before we leave Tirandov.
“Neither he nor the King would approve, Princess Rynnaia.” Her voice did not hold censure, but was filled with understanding. “Might you suggest he come to swim on his own later? For propriety’s sake?”
Will they stay? Will they wait for him? The water is lovely on its own, but the enikkas are enchanting. So comforting.
“I believe they might,” she nodded. “But bear in mind that, although they came to you, Princess, they would not have come without being called.”
My mind filled with questions, but the glow around me was so wonderful that I was still unsure of my voice.
How could I have called them? I did not even know such wondrous creatures existed!
The glow increased for a moment, as if the enikkas themselves were warmed by my praise.
“They are not creatures who speak or reason like men, but they are an extension of the Light by which all things came to be. They come and go at His bidding, providing the comfort of their beauty to those whom He desires to receive it.”
They were sent? This sweet water, these beautiful creatures, this supreme comfort was meant specifically for me? My hand fluttered to my lips. I was overcome by this manifest display of affection and care.
This moment was a gift. A gift from The First. A gift of Embral e’ Veria.
The first name recorded in The Story of The First danced through my heart. None other would have been capable of endowing such an all-consuming comfort. Only the one I had been studying could be capable of such Gentle Power and Mighty Love.
The colors of his names caressed my mind with unbearable tenderness. I gasped as a legion of enikkas surrounded me. Their brilliance was enhanced again by their increasing numbers. They flooded my thoughts with their own unique form of communication.
Their touch was subtle. As the glittering enikkas brushed against my skin I felt a slight increase of warmth at the precise point of their connection, though none was bigger than an eyelash on its own. Their light swirled as my eyes filled with the wonder of understanding that such a moment of beauty had been created for my personal experience.
For me.
White lightning flashed through my mind, melding the truth I had read about into my discussions with Julien and the Andoven teachers. In that brilliant flare of enlightenment the eyes of my heart were torn open.
My hands flew to my chest, seared by the heat of my discovery. Scraps of history and information that I’d been frustrated at trying to connect on my own were, at once, inseparably fused together within my heart. The reality of The Story of The First, and its implications to my own existence, was finally illuminated.
Above the water, from the sky, and from underneath my feet I felt a rumbling—a fearful, joyous sound. I turned, but Celyse had her back to me as she moved toward the shore, oblivious to the sonorous vibrations.
Rynnaia. The Voice spoke for my ears alone. I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the new, warm breeze that gently stirred the water.
Thank you, my heart breathed to the Fearsome, Gentle, Conquering Voice. Thank you.
I am Loeftryn de Rynloeft. I am the Highest Reigning descended from the Reign Most High. I am the Pure Light of Truth and the Mercy that Consumes. I am Embral e’ Veria. I am the Power of Love in its Purest Form. I am The First. And I am holding your past, present and future.
Comfort swelled and filled me.
I knew you, Rynnaia E’veri, before you were conceived and you are known by me still. You are here by my appointment and none other. Are you ready, now, to know me?
Was I ready to know him?
In the library he had shocked me with the forceful heat of his presence, but having gained my attention, he now romanced me with beauty and the gentle warmth of comfort in order to win my heart. Was I ready to know him?
A sob broke through my chest. I had never felt so exposed nor so naked with joy and awe and fear.
I’m ready.
Are you certain?
The overflow of my heart sang out through the words of my thoughts. With all that I am and for all of my life, I am yours! My throat filled with emotion. I am yours, Embral e’ Veria. I am yours!
The blazing pain of love, pure love, constricted my chest, and then loosed itself within me like an explosion of stars across the sky.
You are mine.
As the words entered my consciousness, the pressure lifted from my body. My sense of awe remained, but my fear was replaced by an unnamable peace.
At the urging of the enikkas I allowed myself to be pulled under the water. Their brightness wrapped around me like a fluid blanket of light. As the water closed over my head, healing restoration seeped through my mind and body.
All doubt and confusion were washed away by the water’s warm illumination. Suspended beneath the surface of the sea, I was completely new. As if the core of my identity had been lying dormant, it had now awakened after a lifetime of sleep.
Be of good courage, Rynnaia E’veri, the Voice of The First caressed my very soul, for I will be with you. Always.
The rumble ceased.
I rose from beneath the water, thousands of glittering enikkas dripping from my hair, my shift, and my skin. As they trickled back into the sea I whispered my thanks for their part in the beauty that had brought clarity to my heart by way of my eyes.
Wrapped in her robe, Celyse sat on the sand, waiting for me. “You have been changed,” she smiled.
“Irrevocably so.” I nodded, doing a final sweep of my hand through the glittering creatures. “Please stay,” I entreated. “Dear enikkas, I wish for my friend to see you.”
Their glow decreased for a fraction of a moment, and I had the odd sensation that they had bowed to me and granted my request. “Thank you, sweet creatures, for the service you have rendered me this night. I hope I may someday serve you as you have so wonderfully served me.”
Another moment of a lessened glow, but they remained. I dipped my head, blew them a kiss, and waded back to the shore.
Celyse held a robe, but my spirit was so alight within me I wouldn’t have needed its warmth, but for propriety’s sake. I fastened the sash around my waist as she gathered my discarded gown.
“Julien!” I called in the direction he had gone. I couldn’t wait to share what had just transpired in the water . . . and in my heart.
He was at my side but a moment or two later. His voice was breathless as he rubbed his thumb across my cheek. “You’ve been crying.” His gaze narrowed on the illumined bay behind me. Concern lined his brow. “Rynnaia, have you been harmed?”
“Beyond anything in my experience.” Although joy stretched my cheeks, my eyes welled up again. “My very soul has been torn and mended this night.”
“You look . . . you look as if . . .” he trailed off, but hope shone in his eyes.
“I am his, Julien. I am his.”
Julien’s expression turned into nothing less than pure satisfaction. Before I could recover from the jolt his smile sent through me, he pulled me into a fierce embrace.
His heart beat an intense rhythm against my cheek. I sighed from the sheer pleasure of the moment and tipped my chin to look at his face.
“What is that in the water? I’ve never seen such a sight!”
I turned to face the sea, but Julien didn’t let go of me. Instead, he simply adjusted his arms. “They’re called enikkas,” I said.
He rested his chin on the top of my head. “They’re beautiful. I’ve heard of them, but I never imagined . . .”
“They were sent by The First,” I said, but I was sure he already knew that. “Julien, you should swim.”
“I
should escort you back to the castle.”
“Celyse will see me back to the castle. Allow yourself this joy, Julien. You will not regret it.”
Releasing me from our comfortable embrace, he stepped back. “I believe I will take you up on that offer, Princess.”
“I will leave you to it, then.”
A warm bath awaited me in my chamber, but I didn’t linger in it. For the first time since coming to Tirandov Isle, I felt sleepy.
As I settled into bed, I let my gaze rest on the design of the Emblem of The First woven into the canopy above me. In my imagination, it took on an enikka-like glow, and I smiled as the good-night kiss of unquenchable love settled peacefully upon my soul.
I drifted to sleep feeling better equipped for my quest than I had thought possible and slept in bliss, floating through dreams of glowing water and a tender Voice that lovingly spoke my name.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Filled with joy from the fresh memory of my time with the enikkas, I had to share the fullness of my heart with my mother. As I approached the door with the bright blue glowing Emblem of the First, however, I was keenly aware that her very survival depended on the success of my coming journey.
I will be with you, the tender Voice echoed through my heart, imparting a new strength and peace that allowed me to face her, even knowing this time together could be our last.
The curtains on her bed were drawn back and she sat up, alert. She had been waiting for me. “You have been changed.”
I sat in the chair across from her. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”
“Only the skies bring us light on a schedule, Rynnaia,” she said with a smile. “Illumination would not have come to you before you were ready to receive it.”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears. When she reached for my hand, however, her skin felt thinner than it had before. A cold, prickling dread dusted over my shoulders. Her condition was worsening.
“I’m sorry.” The words spilled out before I could censure them.
“You need not apologize, my dear. You needed time and rest after such a momentous event.”
