by M. L. Greye
“I don’t know.”
“Have you returned to us?”
Will turned at the sound of Trenton’s voice. “Hi, Grandpa.”
“Welcome back, lad.” He winked. “Who have you brought with you?”
“Olinia and Legann Reien,” Will answered. “They’re children of your old friend.”
Trenton clapped him on the shoulder. “Are they now?” He smiled down at Olinia. “You, my dear, are a lovely faery.”
“Faery?” Olinia was clenching her jaw again. She glanced at Will for an explanation.
He didn’t offer her one. Instead, he watched Trenton intently. “Grandpa, what was wrong with Tyra after Balinorre?”
“After Balinorre?” Trenton chuckled softly. Will guessed he was wondering how much Will knew. “She fractured two ribs and twisted her ankle on the run from the city.”
“And the Healers couldn’t help her,” Will finished for him.
He nodded. “Is your faery experiencing the same?”
“Not the twisted ankle.” Will looked back at Olinia. “I don’t think you’re bleeding internally.”
She grimaced. “Is that good?”
He let out a short laugh and kissed her forehead. “It’s very good.”
From downstairs, a bell rang. Milly whirled at the sound. “That must be the doctor.”
“Olinia doesn’t have any medical records,” Will noted.
“Leave that to me. The doctor and I are old friends.” Trenton nodded to Milly. “Come, let us go greet him.”
As they left, the tension in Will’s shoulders began to relax. Olinia was going to be just fine. Now that his fear for her well-being was at rest, the situation in the Vrenyx was returning to his attention. He lowered his eyebrows. The Eves were most likely in need of aid. While the doctor worked on Olinia, Will could slip back to the Other Worlds. But that required leaving Olinia in an unknown realm with strangers.
“Is Dagon dead?”
Olinia’s question surprised him. He blinked. “I don’t know.”
She frowned. “Is Sazx dead?”
“I don’t know,” he repeated. It was an honest answer.
“I think one of us should go back to find out,” Legann ventured.
“No,” Olinia shook her head, “no, don’t leave me alone here.”
“Nia,” Legann joined Will on the floor, kneeling, “we’ve got to know what’s happened.”
“Then bring me too.”
“No,” Will and Legann said together.
“I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Yeah, after the doctor fixes you,” Will retorted.
“I didn’t use a Crystal Gem,” she told them. “A Healer could fix me just as easily.”
“Too late,” Legann replied. “We’re already here.”
“Please, don’t go,” she pleaded.
In that instant, Will wavered. Lying on his bed, face turned to him, eyes wide and vulnerable, Olinia was the most beautiful he’d ever seen her. She trusted him – she loved him. Will had no doubt she did. And he loved her. It was that simple. Olinia had carefully nurtured the barren wasteland of his damaged heart until it had blossomed into a vibrant garden. She’d reminded him what it was like to love and to be loved. All those months he’d pushed her away, saying their circumstance prohibited any sort of attachment, she had stayed by his side as his friend and confidant. Yet, never had he shown her his absolute affection for her. It was time for him to remedy that mistake. He needed her – far more than she may think she needed him. Olinia was his life force.
Cradling her neck with one hand, Will slowly lowered his head, letting his lips barely brush over hers. He inhaled her sweet scent. She intoxicated him. Then, softly, his mouth met hers. He clung to her for a moment, allowing their kiss to sweep through him. When he pulled back, she was staring up at him.
“Why did you do that?” She breathed.
He smiled out one side of his mouth. “I love you, Olinia.”
“You- you love me?”
“Completely.”
“You said you weren’t attached.”
“I lied.”
Legann suddenly cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but I still think one of us should go back to the Vrenyx.”
“Not you,” Olinia retorted. “You’re only fifteen.”
“Then, let Will go.”
Will frowned as Olinia locked eyes with him. She winced. “I’ll give you one day. That should give you enough time to check up on my twin and whoever else is still in the Vrenyx.”
“One day,” Will repeated with a nod.
“Promise me you’ll come back.”
“I promise.” He kissed her again, longer this time. He was unwilling to release her. When he finally did, he glanced at Legann. “Take care of your sister while I’m gone.”
“Of course.”
Will brushed his lips over Olinia’s one last time before standing. “I’ll be back in one day, princess. I promise.”
She nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”
At that, Will left them, his chainmail clinking as he moved down the hallway back toward the kitchen stairs. Just before he began down them, he swore he heard Olinia whisper, “I love you, Will Patten. Come back to me.”
20
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Olinia watched the rain hit the pond below her window. Well, really it was Will’s window. At least, it had once belonged to him. She sighed. It had been three months to the day. Three months. Olinia plucked at the Silver Heart around her neck as the pain rose up in her throat again. Three months ago she had been in the greatest adventure of her life. Caprith had been reclaimed, the Vrenyx in the midst of its own destruction, and her family about to be entirely reunited. Three months ago she had been well on her way down the path to becoming queen. But then, three months ago she’d still wanted to be queen.
“Olinia?”
She didn’t need to turn. By now, she knew Milly’s voice perfectly, both her inner and outer tones. And yes, there was a difference. Milly’s thoughts came out about half a step higher than her speaking voice. Practically everyone thought at a different tone though than what they spoke.
“Yes, Milly?” Olinia asked after a moment, when the woman began contemplating repeating herself.
“Come on down to the kitchen,” she said in her warm way. Her accent was similar to the Eves, but it wasn’t the Eves’. “I made some sandwiches and heated up some milk for you.”
Olinia straightened. She knew if she didn’t agree to Milly’s request, Trenton would come in pestering her to eat. “I’ll be down in a bit.”
Milly offered Olinia’s back a small smile. “Alright.”
Olinia heard her leave but didn’t move for a moment. Truthfully, she wasn’t at all hungry – hadn’t been for months now. If it had been up to her, she wouldn’t eat, but both Milly and Legann had kept their eyes on her since Will dumped her off in Ethon. She knew it was all Trenton’s doing. He was always pushing her towards some new activity. His current idea was for her to start going to college in America. He was looking at schools on the East coastline for her to enroll into that fall. Olinia let her breath out in a rush. If Trenton continued to push at her life as he was, then he knew she’d eventually do what he wished, which meant that she would most likely be going to school. Trenton was determined to get her out into the world, so as to fully experience it no matter what she willed. Too bad Olinia had little drive for anything anymore.
Letting out another sigh, Olinia took one last look out the window at the pond, and followed after Milly.
Olinia and her friends return in the sequel Ethon.
M.L. Greye was raised in Riverside, California, but currently lives in Texas with her husband and children. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. degree in American Studies and a minor in Communications. The Other Worlds is her first young adult novel, prequel to Ethon.
www.mlgreye.com
Greye, The Other Worlds (The Other Worlds Series Book 1)
