Snow splattered on the side of his face. Mellissa got to her feet and threw another handful of snow at him.
“Hey! What was that for?”
“For being super annoying,” she shouted.
“I said I was sorry.” Mellissa’s eyes narrowed. She picked up a ball of snow. Greg put both his palms up to signal surrender. “All right, I will make sure you get those pastries.”
She dropped the snow and tucked her hands under her cloak. “Good,” she said, pouting. “Where is this bakery?”
Greg looked around. She had brought them to the clock tower. Made sense—it was probably the most memorable thing they had passed last night. Luckily, it wasn’t too far from their destination.
“This way,” he said, walking in the direction of the bakery.
At first, Mellissa didn’t say a word. She was obviously annoyed, but rows of shops eventually broke her. Every so often, something would catch her eye. She would gasp, tug at his arm, then ask a million questions about what the shop sold. It slowed their journey, and more people gawked at them, but it was better than awkward silence.
They smelled the bakery before they saw it. The smell of freshly baked pastries sailed down the street. Mellissa perked up and skipped off ahead of him. The smell warmed Greg’s soul. It was an old comfort that he had missed. When Greg made it inside, Mellissa was already eyeing all the items on display.
“You didn’t tell me they did pastry sculptures.” She pointed at a bunch of animal shaped pastries.
“It must have slipped my mind.” Greg walked over to the counter. “Let me guess—you want a cat one.”
She skipped over to his side. “No, I want a rabbit.” She pointed at pastries sculpted to look like rabbits on their back legs holding a carrot.
“As you wish, my lady.”
“Don’t start with that again.”
They brought enough pastries for everyone. Once outside the shop, Mellissa took a big bite out of her rabbit. “Oh, this really is the best pastry ever. It is so buttery and flaky.”
“Glad you like it. We should head back. Do you think you could teleport us? Wouldn’t want the others’ pastries to get cold.”
“Yeah, sure,” she said, walking over to the quill shop. Greg sighed. She hadn’t heard a word he said. He walked over to her. She had one hand on the window and was gazing at all the quills on display. “I didn’t know there were so many different types of quills.”
“Yeah, but it’s all a con. It’s the different nibs that affect the style of writing, not the handle.”
She pointed at a large, white quill. “That says it’s made from the wing of a Pegasus. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is. They are hard to find, since the Pegasus like to live in secluded areas and tend to shy away from people.” She looked up at him, her big brown eyes full of wonder. Greg’s heart melted a little. Everything here was so new to her. It was like seeing his home in a whole new light.
“Oh my Gods,” came a shrill voice. “Greg, is that you?” A tall blonde ran at him and threw her arms round him, almost knocking him over. “I heard about your mission, but I didn’t know you were back.” The hug lasted way longer than Greg was comfortable with. When she finally let go, Greg’s throat tightened as he recognised the girl’s face. The last time he’d seen her, her hair was chestnut brown. She must have dyed it while he was gone.
“Hey, Lucy,” he said, trying to sound cool. “Good to see you. Well, I was just on my way home, we’ll see you around.” He grabbed Mellissa’s hand and walked away.
“Wait.” Lucy stepped into his path. She stroked his arm and fluttered her eyelashes. “I heard you found the new keeper. Do you think you could get me an introduction?”
“Fine.” Greg gestured to Mellissa. “This is Lady Mellissa Hail, keeper of the Heart Crystal and heir to the elf throne. Like I said, good to see you, but we were just leaving.”
Lucy curled her lip and pointed down at Mellissa. “Wait, that’s her? You’re joking right? I mean she’s so—”
“So what?” snapped Greg. “She is exactly who I said she is. You asked for an introduction. You got one. Now we are leaving.” He pulled Mellissa around Lucy and marched off.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I didn’t mean it. If you want, I can do your makeup,” Lucy shouted after them.
Greg kept walking. He should have known better than to bring Mellissa out. Of course someone would recognise them. Why did it have to be Lucy, though? She was shallow. The only things that mattered to her were appearance and status. How he had ever dated someone like that was beyond him. She had a good family name, and good connections were the sort of thing his father expected. Wow, was his life messed up. Well, at least it was before.
“Greg,” shouted Mellissa. “Will you slow down?” Greg stopped on the spot. Mellissa was panting. “Thank you.”
He hadn’t realised how fast he was going, and he’d been dragging Mellissa along, forcing her to run to keep up. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right. Who exactly was that?”
“Just some girl I know.”
Her eyebrow arched. “An ex?” He turned way. “I will take that as a yes. So what if she was trying to use your past relationship to her advantage. She is your ex for a reason. Don’t let her get to you.”
“I don’t care about that. People are always trying to use me for my father’s influence. It’s what she said about you that bothered me.”
“About me?” Mellissa took Greg’s hand. “Look, I have come to accept that I’m not what your people are going to expect. By your people, I mean the rich elite. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter as long as I get my job done. Right?”
Greg nodded. “Right.”
Mellissa’s hand tightened in his. “If I let it affect me, I will just freak out again like I did on the boat, and I can’t do that again.” The ground began to shake. “Just because I’m not this proper glam princess doesn’t mean I’m not royalty, because I am, whether I like it or not.” Everything around them began to shake. Shop signs tumbled over and window displays fell over. The glasses and plates shook off the tables outside a café smashing as they hit the floor. People cowered under tables and ran away. “I have come here to help—to do the right thing—but ever since we left the water nymphs, everyone has been staring and looking down at me. And only God knows what you really think of me. How on earth did you put up with staying in my house? I mean, you’re practically royalty yourself.”
This earthquake was definitely another new power of Mellissa’s, and Greg had to stop it before she did any real damage. He clasped her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mellissa. I never thought about how all of this would affect you when I brought you here. I am not royalty the way you are. My family may be wealthy, but money isn’t everything. You are so much more than a crystal and a title. You have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met, and that trumps everyone’s opinion, including Lucy.”
Mellissa buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Greg stroked her hair, making soothing noises. As her breathing slowed, the shaking stopped. Mellissa’s hold on him loosened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“I know,” Greg replied.
“I didn’t even know I could do that.”
“Look, let’s get back, and we can figure out what happened later.”
Mellissa nodded. Greg felt like the air was sucked out of him as she teleported them back home. Mellissa screamed as they crashed into the coffee table, splitting it in half. Her landings definitely needed work.
“Well, that’s one way to make an entrance,” said Matt. “Good thing that table wasn’t glass.” He was on the sofa with Yuri.
Yuri jumped to her feet. “Are you both all right?” She took Mellissa’s arm, helping her to her feet. Once Mellissa was out of the way, Greg swept his feet around and jumped up.
Victoria and Samson came running in. “What happened?” they asked in unison.
Victoria’s eyes narrowed on Greg. “You’r
e back.”
Greg held up the bag. “We bought pastries.”
Victoria’s blue eyes sparkled as she snatched the bag from him. “This isn’t over, Flopsey.”
Mellissa slid next to him. “Did you notice they were paired off in different rooms?”
“Yuck, we interrupted something, didn’t we?”
Mellissa giggled as she nodded. “Yep.”
The sound of her laugh brought a smile to his face.
Mellissa
I stood staring at myself in the full-length mirror in the guest room. Victoria was right; I had zero fashion sense. It didn’t usually bother me. I lived for comfort, I always wore jeans or leggings, but today, that didn’t seem to fit the dress code—not that anyone had given me a strict dress code. I just felt my leggings and black star jumper were not appropriate for meeting the council, especially after seeing what Victoria and Yuri were wearing. Victoria looked like she was dressed for a winter wedding, and Yuri had on some sort of ceremonial robes. Although, Matt was still wearing shorts.
At least Victoria had tamed my curls. I had no idea how she did it, but she came in with Yuri, waved a whole lot of hair products around and somehow wrapped my hair to the side, leaving a few stray curls to frame my face. There was a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I shouted.
In walked Greg. “The sleigh’s here, but first, I wanted to give you this.” He dangled a silver chain in front of me.
I examined the chain. “You got this for me?”
“What are friends for? And in case you haven’t noticed, I can afford things on this side of the veil.” I scrunched up my face. People didn’t usually do nice things out of the goodness of their hearts. Instead, there was always a catch. Greg took my hand and placed the chain in my palm. “It’s for the Heart Crystal. I thought it would be sturdier than the string you currently have it on. Oh, and one more thing.” Greg rummaged through his jacket pockets and pulled out the Pegasus quill I had been admiring in the shop window.
“Okay, now I know something’s up. No one is this generous just because.”
Greg shrugged. “Just think of it as me paying you back for all the food you snuck me and the crisps I stole.”
“These are hardly a packet of crisps. It’s too much.”
“I’m the one that came into your life and turned it upside down. It’s the least I could do. Now, come on. The council awaits.”
I shuddered at the mention the council. “Is it really necessary for me to meet them?”
Greg took the Heart Crystal and chain from me. He removed the crystal from the string and put it on the chain. “Just be your lovely, cynical self, and I’m sure you will get along with the council fine.” He handed the Heart Crystal back to me.
“I am not cynical.”
“Your first instinct when presented with a gift was to question my motives.” Greg smiled at my inability to come up with a response. He was right as usual. He was rarely wrong, which was annoying. He shrugged. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It may serve you well in the long run. Seriously though, you don’t need to worry about the council. Remember, they need you, and if that doesn’t help, quills made from the feather of a Pegasus bring good fortune.” He tickled the end of my nose with the feather.
I swatted his hand away. “You’re just making that up.”
“No, I’m not.”
I took the quill and twirled it round. It was even prettier than I remembered. “This isn’t a trick?”
“Of course not. I thought a future queen deserved a good quill.” Greg turned to leave.
“Wait,” I said. As Greg turned to face me, I threw my arms around him. “I’m sorry. I’m not good at receiving gifts.”
“Oh, I couldn’t tell.”
I punched his arm. “Shut up. I’m trying to say thank you.”
“Well, you’re welcome. Now, come on. The others are waiting.”
There were two enclosed sleighs waiting outside. They looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. The sleighs had high sides and were dark blue with gold edges. Gold drapes covered the windows, and the silver runners shone in the daylight. The driver sat up front, dressed in a tailored jacket and matching hat. The only thing missing were the horses to pull us along. Samson, Yuri, and Greg got in the sleigh at the front. Matt, Victoria and I got in the other. I sat next to Matt and looked out the front window. “How do these things move?”
Victoria looked at me like I’d asked the stupidest question ever. “They run on magic.”
The door slammed shut, and we slid forward. We made our way back through the city. Everything went by in a blur. The sleighs were a lot faster than I’d expected. Then again, I had expected horses. As we left city limits, a lump formed in my throat. There really was no going back now. We would be in the capital soon, meeting the council. I had no idea what they expected of me. I should have dressed nicer. What if they were expecting someone more regal? The council was going to be deeply disappointed when they met me.
“Hey, Mel,” whispered Matt, taking my hand. “Don’t worry so much. It’s all going to be all right.”
“I’m fine. I’m not worried.”
Matt raised his eyebrow at me, tilting his head. “Mel, I’ve known you long enough to recognise when you’re thinking yourself into a panic. Just relax. Enjoy the ride. You’ve got this.”
“But what if I don’t?”
“I believe in you. Just be yourself, and it will be all right.”
I laid my head on Matt’s shoulder and tried to relax for the remainder of the journey.
“We’re here,” Victoria said.
I sat up and looked out the window. It was already dark outside. We were approaching a great white wall and a set of golden gates. The gates opened, and we went through. The golden gates closed behind us, and a shiver shot down my back at the strength of the dark presence here. Behind the wall was a city full of people. The place hummed with the hustle and bustle of city life. It was not what I expected. I thought we would arrive at a building full of council people, with a tree in the back garden.
“I can’t remember the last time we came to the capital,” Matt said, looking out the window. “It sure has gone downhill.”
Of course, we hadn’t arrived at the council yet, but the capital city. There was an odd mixture of run-down buildings and wonderfully kept ones. All the big buildings were made from white stone. Everything else looked to be made from standard building materials. Floating balls of light lined the paths, giving the city a beautiful glow. I could hear water flowing nearby but couldn’t see the source. We headed into the centre of the city, toward what looked like a giant cathedral. The closer to the city’s centre, the better maintained everything was, but there was a darkness overshadowing it all. As we got nearer to the cathedral, I noticed people set up in campsites. They appeared to be gathering for some sort of event. It must have been freezing staying in a tent in this snow. They must’ve been dedicated to their cause. I was still cold, even wrapped in my fleece-lined cloak.
The sleigh stopped moving. The driver opened the door for us, and we all got out. We were right in front of the cathedral. It looked even more magnificent up close. A wide flight of stone steps led up to the building. Four columns lined the front, with a pointed archway covering the main entrance. In the centre of the building was a giant, circular stained glass window. Down the sides were rectangular stained glass windows. An array of sculptures lined the front of the building, and a mosaic border ran across the middle. Judging by their gasps, Matt and Victoria were just as impressed at the sight of the building as I was.
“Everyone, follow me,” Samson said.
He led us up the stairs and inside. I gazed at the stunning interior. Pillars lined the long corridor we walked through, encasing either a stained glass window or artwork. We stopped at a desk. Samson spoke to the man behind it briefly, and then the man left. He returned in seconds and nodded us through a pair of big wooden doors. The ceiling above the entrance
was extremely high but got lower as we walked through another pointed archway.
Even the furniture looked like pieces of art. We passed tables that looked handcrafted with beautiful patterns carved into them. I held my hands close to my chest. I didn’t want to touch anything for fear of ruining it. We followed Samson down another corridor. At the end was another pair of big wooden doors. He pushed them open, and we stepped into a huge room. Around the edge of the room were a couple of fancy-looking sofas with a swirl pattern. On the walls hung two giant oil paintings of different landscapes. In the centre of the room was an oval-shaped table full of people, and all eyes were on us.
Samson stepped forward and bowed. “Ladies and gentlemen of the council, I would like to present to you, Master Gregory Ainsworth. He has returned from the other side of the veil with a special guest.”
This was the council. Maybe they weren’t as scary as I had thought. They were all middle-aged or older, dressed in white robes. The fabric had a shine to it, and a glimmer of gold thread lined the edges.
Greg stepped forward and also bowed. “I have returned from the mission you sent me on, with Lady Mellissa Hail—who hails from the human world—heir to the elf throne and the keeper of the Heart Crystal.”
All these introductions were excessive. Surely they already knew who we were. Victoria grabbed my arm and pushed me forward. I had obviously missed my cue. Everyone was staring at me, and I had no idea what to say. I wanted to melt into the ground.
“You are the human elf girl,” said a man with short white hair and a white beard.
“She looks rather young,” said a woman with dark hair.
“Her age is insignificant,” the man replied, “as long as she has the power to do what is necessary. Come, my child. Sit.” He gestured for me to sit in a chair near him. “And your guardians too.” He gave me a gentle smile.
Matt and Victoria walked over to the table with me, practically holding me up. I sat down with them standing guard behind me.
The man turned to Greg. “You have done well, Gregory, but we are not in need of your services at the moment. You and Samson are dismissed. Take the water nymph with you and see she gets paid.”
Crystal Heart Page 15
