by M. L. Greye
“Will,” her eyes shifted up to Denon before returning back to Will, “go clean up. I’ll answer all your questions when you’re finished.” She paused. “But on one condition.”
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“You answer some questions of my own.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
* * * * * *
Dagon, emperor of the Vrenyx, sensed a disturbance. Once an Eve, but consumed by his lust for power, Dagon was forced to live as an outcast. Balinorre fell because of him. He and his Nagreth had destroyed it. In its place, they built Dagon’s kingdom, naming it the Vrenyx. His design was to take the Other Worlds by force.
Thus far, his plan had run smoothly. He had the allegiance of the Kendrens, as well as the Velvitors. The death of Dagon’s brother had been a highpoint. He was now only inches away from the capture of Evedon, a goal he had anticipated for generations. So what was it that was disturbing him?
Dagon pulled his Vrylaen Stone from his vest’s pocket. He stared into its smooth, round surface, willing it to give him a vision. He was greeted with the face of a young woman. She was a Wend. Dagon knew the meaning of her eye color. What caught his attention, though, was the Balnorrean Knot etched onto her shoulder. Dagon blinked. She was High Royalty, related to King Yrond. Dagon frowned as another face took her place. This one was that of a young man. Dagon also recognized the eyes. He had seen them only once before on the Key, the warrior of Balinorre. Dagon lowered his stone and leaned back in his throne. Could this man be the Key’s heir?
“What did you see, milord?” Thyrnion, Captain of the Nagreth, asked.
Dagon turned. “I may have discovered the heir to the Key, and,” he paused. “I think I have found a child of Legann.”
Thyrnion blinked. “What is their intention?”
“To unite the Silver Hearts.”
“The Silver Hearts?”
Dagon nodded. “I have a project for your Second, Captain.” His eyes drifted past Thyrnion to Sazx. “Find those with the Balnorrean Knot and bring them to me.”
Thyrnion bowed. “It will be done, milord.”
* * * * * *
The warm water had felt good. As Olinia had warned, getting the sap out of his hair had required some effort. When Will finished the chore of cleaning himself, he found a fresh set of clothing laid on the bed outside of what Denon called the bathing room, which adjoined the bedroom. Denon had hinted the question of how long he would be staying, but Will still wasn’t sure what the answer was yet.
Will pulled on the thin, gray shorts that Trenton would have called breeches and tied up the drawstring waistline. He followed with a pair of loose brown leggings, which he stuffed with his feet into a provided pair of black boots. He was surprised at how well the boots fit him and how comfortable they were. Next, he yanked a long-sleeved blue tunic over his head. The tunic dropped to the middle of his thighs and the sleeves were a bit too short. Will fixed that by simply rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. He found a dark leather vest and a belt that matched. He slid on the vest and slipped the belt through the loops at his waist. When finished, he walked to the mirror in the bathing room. What a transformation, Will mused. He’d traded his polo and jeans for the getup of someone straight out of the Dark Ages. The neckline annoyed him, though. It was a V-neck with a chord twining in between the two edges, pulling them together. Will pulled at the chord, opening and loosening the neckline. He let the two ends of the chord hang down his chest.
A knock sounded at his bedroom’s door. He went to answer it, while the little Astrilites danced above his head as he moved. He pulled open the door and found Olinia smiling up at him. She had changed into a dark blue gown that had flecks of gold across the skirt of it. This dress only went to her knees – the skirt flaring out from the tight upper portion his sister would have called the bodice. Her damp hair hung loose around her shoulders.
“Hello,” Olinia said as she walked past him into the room.
“Hi.” Will shut the door and noticed Olinia chuckling at his appearance. “Did I put it on wrong?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s just that Denon gave you traveling clothes.” She grinned. “I think he’s trying to hint at you leaving.”
“Does he not like Ethons?”
“He’s never met one,” Olinia replied. “No, he’s just trying to keep you away from me, like a true guardian.” She moved to Will’s bed and sat down at the foot of it, grabbing onto one of the tall bedposts with one hand. “Would you like me to get you a regular set of Eveon clothes? They might be more comfortable.”
“What’s the difference?”
“A thicker tunic, a set of long, loose trousers, and,” her eyes drifted to his feet. “No boots.”
Will nodded once, but said, “I’m already dressed. You can get me them later.”
Olinia cocked her head to the side. “So you intend to stay?”
He watched her for a moment, his eyes holding hers. Then, “Olinia, how did you make yourself invisible?”
“By snapping my fingers.”
“How?”
She bit her bottom lip and turned her head toward the top of the bed. Will noticed that her eyes stopped on the nightstand. He followed her gaze and realized he’d left his black iPod Classic there. Olinia stood and picked it up with one hand. She turned back to him.
“What is this?”
“An iPod.”
She blinked. “What is it?”
Will moved beside her, taking it out of her hand. “Here,” he offered her one of the earbuds, “put this in your ear.” He stuck the other one in his own ear and scrolled over his list of piano solos, figuring those songs would be easier for her to listen to than his rock or hip hop. He pressed play on a song by Bach.
Olinia jumped at the sound, almost losing her footing. Will braced her up with one arm around her waist. “It’s alright.”
She stared up at him. “It makes music?”
“No,” Will shook his head, “it just plays music.”
“Then where does the music come from?”
“People play it and a machine records it.” Will answered. “The music’s recorded.”
“But how does it get into here?” Olinia pointed to the iPod.
He frowned. He could mention that the music was downloaded into his iTunes, but then he would have to try to explain what an iTunes was, and in truth, he wasn’t quite sure how his iPod worked. He’d always taken it for granted, a pleasure technology offered society. His schooling hadn’t required an extensive knowledge of computers or iPods, so he had never studied them. He only knew how to use them, like any average American.
Olinia watched him expectantly, waiting for an explanation, so he shook his head once. “I don’t know.”
“Really?” To his surprise, Olinia grinned. “You don’t know how it works, but you don’t question its sanity?”
He blinked, suddenly realizing where she was going. She cocked her head to the side. “A little box that makes music is real to you, but to me is completely unbelievable.” She touched the piece in her ear. “I have a feeling I couldn’t understand how this works even if I tried. But someone made this.” Her eyes dropped to the iPod and then lifted back up to him. “The knowledge required in making this was someone’s gift.” She paused as a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “You know, gifts come in all different shapes. Some have great wisdom, while others’ foresight. Some can move objects with a mere wave of their hand.” She paused again. “Now, just because you can’t understand how my gifts work does not mean that they aren’t possible.”
Will released his arm from her waist and pulled out his earpiece. “I never said what you do isn’t real. I only asked for an explanation.”
“I can no sooner explain my gifts in terms you’d understand than you can explain that iPod,” she retorted. “Will, we are literally from two completely different realms.”
Silence fell between them. Olinia was the first to break it. “It st
arted raining outside. Once the storm clears, I can take you back to ground level and send you home. But if you wish to stay, you may.” She smiled. “The choice is yours, Will.”
With that, she headed out his room’s door, leaving him to stare after her. He grunted and shook his head. What had he gotten himself into?
4
---------------
Olinia found her twin in the mansion’s library, asleep on one of the sofas. The library should have been the first place she’d looked. Zedgry loved the smell of the books, both ancient and contemporary. He would practice his gifts there amid the written knowledge of the Other Worlds, and Olinia didn’t blame him. The library was beautifully crafted.
The walls stood near fifty feet high. As the uppermost floor of the Hidden Mansion, the library spanned the entire width of the tree. A single round shelf sat in the center of the room, creating a circular little cove that opened to the back of the library. Upon entry to the room, one would have to walk around the shelf’s smooth, wooden backside to find the archway that marked its entrance. Inside the cove, books lined the wall, while an egg-shell shaped glass ceiling sat over the sofa, stuffed chair, and small table which were set in the cove’s center. It was in this little inner room that she usually found her twin, but today he was on the upper balcony that completely circled the library, acting as its second floor. He was tucked on one of the sofas near the back of the room, book in hand.
Olinia chose the nearest of the two flights of rounded stairs to the balcony. The other staircase, farther back than the one she’d chosen, opened to the rear of the room on the opposite side of the first. Olinia walked quickly past the walls filled with books and heavy sliding ladders to her brother’s still form. She lowered herself onto the sofa’s edge and tugged at his shoulder. “Zedge?”
He groaned without opening his eyes.
“Zedge, I’ll pull you onto the floor if I have to.”
“You better not,” he muttered, still keeping his eyes shut.
“Come on, Zedge. You’ve slept long enough.” Olinia was using Eveon, as she always did when she and her twin were alone. They used to speak Saerdian, especially when they’d hardly been able to understand Sadree and Denon those first few months of learning the language. But slowly their native tongue gave way to their Eveon, and now it was all they spoke. It had become second nature to them.
“I’m sorry that I can’t stay awake for forty-eight hours at a time,” he retorted, finally opening his eyes.
“Oh please, I don’t stay up for hours on end.”
Zedgry snorted and pushed himself up, letting his book slide to the ground. “What do you want?”
“Well, maybe I should return when you’re not so grouchy.”
“Too late. I’m already up.” Zedgry rubbed his eyes. “What do you want?”
Olinia bit her lower lip. “Ethon’s real, Zedge.”
He blinked. “You woke me up to tell me about something you read?”
“I didn’t read it.”
“Then what-”
“I met one.”
“You did what?” He gaped at her.
Olinia couldn’t help but smile at his expression. “He’s here, Zedge.”
He jumped to his feet. “Show me.”
“I knew you’d be interested.”
“Show me.” Zedgry’s voice was almost pleading.
The door to the library closed below them. Both Olinia and Zedgry turned. The cove hid the person from their gaze. When Will came into view, she was honestly surprised. She stood, but it was Zedgry who reached the wrought iron railing first. He stared down at Will, his mouth slightly ajar. Will glanced up at them. “Is this your twin, princess?”
Olinia pulled a face and switched to Saerdian. “Sadree told you.”
The Ethon shook his head, his eyes moving around the room. “No, Denon did. He came in just after you left.”
“What did he say?” Olinia began down to the main floor, Zedgry following close behind.
“Everything he said I needed to know if I’d be hanging around you for much longer,” Will replied. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You seemed a little occupied at the moment, still mulling over the possibility of my gifts.”
Behind her, Zedgry cleared his throat. “Olinia?”
“Zedge, this is Will Patten of Ethon.” Olinia tossed over her shoulder without turning. She didn’t want to drop Will’s storm gray eyes.
“Nice to meet you,” Will murmured.
“The pleasure’s mine,” Zedgry said.
The three fell silent for a moment. Olinia had no desire to break the silence. She had nothing to say. No, she was far too busy in her attempts of sensing Will’s thoughts. His eyes revealed little. For the first time in nearly a turn, she was left guessing at what someone was thinking. Why was the Ethon so immune to her gifts?
“Why are there no windows?” Will startled her by speaking first.
“What?” Olinia blinked.
“Your house doesn’t have any windows. Why is that?”
“At this height, we get violent windstorms,” Zedgry explained. “Also, there’s really no need for them.”
“What do you mean?”
Olinia decided to answer this question. “In Sivean there’s only night. No sun here.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
She shrugged. “You get used to it.”
“We just live by candlelight.” Zedgry stepped up beside her and pointed above them.
Olinia knew what he was showing Will, but she lifted her head anyway, admiring the chandelier once again. Because the size of the room demanded a substantial amount of light, the library, unlike the other rooms of the Hidden Mansion, had a permanent fixture. It was staggering for a chandelier. Olinia swore its width equaled her height. It was placed in the center of the library, dropping from the ceiling to stop just above the cove’s glass top. The strategic positioning of the chandelier enabled its light to penetrate even the darkest corner of the library. The candelabras that stood by each sofa were meant to give the reader a little extra light, not to illuminate the room. Also, like anything Eveon, the chandelier was pleasing to the eye.
Made entirely out of wrought iron, like every railing, doorknob, and candelabra in the mansion, the chandelier was meant to last through the generations in the same condition and with the same beauty it had been born with. Olinia loved each twist of its ageless arms. Sometimes, she would come to the library just to watch its candles flicker.
“It must be hard to get up there,” Will commented, returning his gaze to Zedgry. “What do you use to light the candles?”
“Oh, those aren’t normal flames,” Zedgry replied. “They don’t actually burn.”
“It’s Eveon fire,” Olinia told him.
Will frowned. “Which means?”
“It means that all we do to turn them off and on is say the right words,” Zedgry answered with a smile.
“Oh.” Will nodded once and then turned to Olinia. “Do you like it here?”
His question surprised her. “Yes.”
“You hesitated.”
“No, I just wasn’t expecting your question,” she protested.
“That shouldn’t have mattered.”
“Why shouldn’t it have mattered?”
“Those who like where they live are quick to praise it.”
“I do like where I live,” she shot back.
“No.” Will shook his head. “You just like here better than where you were. Denon told me you were a slave.”
“What? Why?”
“He said it was something I needed to know.”
“Yes, but I should have been the one to tell you.”
“When?”
From his spot between Olinia and Will, Zedgry’s gaze shifted from his sister to the Ethon then back to his sister. He prudently took a step backwards. “I’ll see you two later.”
Olinia listened to his feet over the stone as he left. Then, “I was going to
tell you.”
“When, princess?” His eyes held the same intensity as before.
She avoided his eyes. “When I knew I could trust you.”
Will watched her silently. He’d never met a princess before, but he doubted that the one in front of him was an example of the average. True, she was beautiful, which he assumed all princesses were from the movies he’d seen as a child. In Olinia though, he was finding a strange self-confidence. A pride that seemed to say if she didn’t have a high regard for herself then no one would. Will guessed that such pride came from her being a slave. He frowned, remembering what he had learned of the slaves in his world. Did their treatment compare to what Olinia experienced?
“Were you ever beaten?” The words came out before he could stop them.
She shook her head, not surprised by the question as Will had expected her to be. “Slaves weren’t hit, just punished with more work or no food. The only person allowed to lay a hand on a slave was that slave’s nursemaid. Young slaves are under a nursemaid’s care until they’re old enough to work, which is usually around age six. It’s the nursemaid who teaches slaves to read and write.” She smiled, more to herself than to him. “Sometimes I feel bad for my old nurse. I had the sternest of the three the Lantz kept for his slaves, but I still managed to make mine scream with frustration at having to raise such a wild and troublesome child.” Olinia’s grin turned sheepish. “I guess I could have listened better.”
“Do you miss her?”
“My nursemaid?”
He nodded and Olinia let out a short laugh. “No, I don’t miss anyone. I probably should, but I don’t.” She shrugged. “I’m happy to be free.”
They fell quiet again. Her eyebrows lowered as she leaned back against the round wall of the cove. “Why don’t you smile?”
“I smile.”
“I haven’t seen you do it.” She pushed herself off the wall and took a step closer to him. “Why do you seem so sad?”
