by Nira Steele
Andie literally froze in place.
“There is no need to be ashamed. I fully suspected he may attempt to ravish you,” Willa said smoothly. Then she moved towards Andie and gently took one of her hands. “As a master healer I can detect any traces of physical contact. When I touch you, I can see who has also done so recently.”
“Really?” Andie replied with a wide-eyed stare.
“As a human you do not change your form. Your body retains the traces of every living creature you have touched. Over time it fades but recent contacts are very detectable.”
“Wow. That is truly mortifying,” Andie muttered with a grimace. Now she knew why some of the Lunarians were so keen to lay their hands upon her.
Willa broke into a broad smile.
“Do not be concerned. You have little physical history compared to most humans. I was very relieved when I ascertained Darius did not seduce you. Very few people would be capable of resisting an Overlord.”
“I got lucky,” Andie confessed quietly. “When he used my real name it broke his spell. I don’t remember the actual moment but apparently I kneed him in the crotch.”
Willa abruptly let go of Andie’s arm. Standing up straight she broke into the loudest cackle Andie had ever heard.
“Oh, that is priceless!” Willa chortled as her eyes watered up.
Totally dumbstruck Andie stared up at her. She had never seen Willa like this before. Now she knew where Tessa got her sense of humour from.
“May I ask what your real name is?” Willa enquired as she calmed herself down.
“Andromeda,” Andie responded flatly.
Pressing one hand to her chest Willa breathed, “It is an exquisite name. You do not like it, do you? One day you will blossom into it.”
“If you say so,” Andie replied, fairly confident it would never happen. “Before I forget, I wanted to thank you for healing my injuries.”
“It was not I dearest. Lord Laurentius mended your body,” Willa advised her. “You were badly damaged after your fall and needed to be treated before you went into shock.”
“Oh crap. So he knows what happened then,” Andie mumbled.
“He would have detected what I did,” Willa reassured her with a smile. “I am certain he would have been impressed by your strength of will.”
Andie smiled thoughtfully and nodded in response. She was quite sure he had not been impressed with her at all.
After their exchange they both returned to Andie’s packing. Once it was done they then went and shared a last meal together. Willa summoned her daughter and made her join them at the dining table. Tessa looked deflated as she hunkered in her chair, as if all of her energy had been drained.
“For goodness sakes cheer up,” Willa chided her from across the table. “Is this how you want your friend to remember you?”
Then Andie realised something. Putting her sandwich down she began to smile.
“Hey it’s not all bad news. Thaddeus asked me if I’d like to return one day.”
Tessa lit up immediately.
“Really?” she breathed, lifting her chin up.
“Absolutely,” Andie responded cheerily.
“It’s true,” Willa chimed in. “She was also thanked by the royal family. Andie’s deeds will be noted in the Records of Memorandum.”
“So they’re not getting rid of her for good then?” Tessa asked with a big smile.
“I never thought they would. Andie would make an excellent Merchant one day,” Willa declared. Chuckling softly she delicately plucked a sandwich from the tray.
“Oh! I had the same thought!” Andie added enthusiastically. “I was planning on asking my aunt about becoming her apprentice.”
“It would be wise not mention anything to her just yet. Remember Thaddeus has forbidden you from speaking of us.”
“Ah yes,” Andie murmured, dropping her chin a little.
“I recommend departing from your aunt’s abode tomorrow morning,” Willa advised her. “You should return to your family as soon as possible. Thaddeus will be summoning your aunt at the earliest opportunity.”
“She gets back from her travels in a couple of days,” Andie said quietly.
“Excellent,” Willa stated. “She will soon be informed of everything which has transpired then.”
“When do you think I should contact her?”
“Let her initiate it,” Willa instructed with a nod. “Be patient as it may take her a little time. Remember good things always come to those who wait for them,” she then declared sagely. “Who knows what the future will hold? Perhaps the impulsive young Overlord shall return to us soon.”
Andie’s chin dropped even further.
“You know, Darius was a completely different person when he stayed in his human form,” she revealed.
“Such is the way of our race,” Willa advised her. “We are very different creatures in our human skins. It is a shame his bestial nature got the better of him.”
Once they finished eating Willa and Tessa left to make some arrangements. Andie moved to her favourite chaise so she could take in the view from the lounge room window. Sighing quietly she filled her eyes with the endless vista of the deep blue sky.
She really would miss this. Smiling sadly she melted into the cushions one last time.
Chapter 16 - On Shining Wings
“Come on, hurry up,” Tessa said quietly.
“I can’t! One of these bags is so damn heavy,” Andie grumped back at her. “Did your mother put bricks in it?”
The two young women were sneaking to Andie’s departure location.
Andie had assumed Tessa would be teleporting her down to the forest today. It seemed the easiest way to escort her stealthily out of the town. At first Andie knew where they were going then Tessa abruptly veered off to the left. Creeping along behind her little friend, Andie found herself in a dimly lit corridor. She stopped in her tracks as she stared into the empty space….
“Tessa?” Andie called out quietly.
Spinning around, she could not believe her friend would abandon her like this. But she hadn’t of course – Tessa had slipped into a narrow gap in the wall. When Andie saw it she squeezed into the constricted space.
“Watch out, there’s a staircase,” Tessa called out from somewhere below her.
Carefully stepping forward Andie found the edge of the first tread. Descending the stairway she found Tessa waiting at the bottom in a dingy passageway.
“Sorry about this,” Tessa said as she slowly moved forward. “If it gets too dark just grab onto my shoulder.”
It wasn’t hard to guess why they were leaving this way.
“Is it really so bad up there?” Andie asked.
“You should see it. People are going insane,” Tessa responded with a little groan. “I thought things were bad after you met the royal family. You’d get mobbed if we tried to take you out any other way.”
“Crap,” Andie breathed. Wincing fiercely, she kept shuffling along behind her little friend. She would have cringed if it wasn’t for the two overloaded bags cutting into her shoulders. The straps crossed right over her chest, making it slightly difficult to breathe. “I’m so sorry for all this bother - you know things aren’t normally like this for me,” Andie commented sullenly. “I’m actually a very inconspicuous person really.”
A short bark of laughter bounced around the walls.
“You keep saying that but it’s just not true!” Tessa warbled.
“Yes it is!” Andie complained. “I hardly get any attention in my world. I’m practically invisible to other human beings.”
Abruptly Tessa pulled up. Reaching behind, she latched onto one of Andie’s arms.
“You’re one of the most noticeable people I’ve ever met and don’t you dare be sorry for it,” she declared. “You’ve livened up this place like nothing has before. Do you know how dull it gets around here? You could literally die from the boredom.”
Andie had a little chuckle. Well at
least she was entertaining.
Tessa released her with a little snicker.
“The Builders’ Guild is thrilled to have a major project. Repairing the damage to the palace has them worked up into a lather,” she revealed. “Even my friends in the Hunters’ Guild have something new to pursue.”
“Oh really?”
“They believe they can track down Overlord Darius. He may be invisible but we can still smell him.”
“That’s kinda disgusting,” Andie declared as she wrinkled her nose.
“It’s all we’ve got to work with for now. I’ll just have to put up with sniffing around for his big smelly backside.”
Andie smirked as her mind conjured up a mental image of it. Continuing forward Tessa shared another piece of information.
“By the way it’s quite easy to locate you too. Your scent is much nicer than the average human. It’s how I came to find you in the forest.”
“Wow. Is it really so different?”
“Oh yes!” Tessa declared with a little chuckle. “It’s been very easy to be around you. All the Merchants smell good apparently - it’s why we choose to trade with them. When you are back in Howland City I’ll have no trouble finding you at all. I must ask you to remove your Dragon’s Eye though.”
“Why?” Andie asked with a curious frown.
“The one you’re wearing seems to have an enchantment on it,” Tessa explained. “It’s very weak but it will hamper my efforts. At least I think it’s a spell? It’s more like an absorption field really. Quite similar to what my people use.”
“I’ll take it off then,” Andie agreed.
“Thanks. I’ll try to sneak out and visit you soon.”
“That would be wonderful,” Andie responded warmly. “Do you want my address as a backup?”
“No it’s fine. I’ll get it from your aunt if I really need it.”
“I’m certain she will help you out. You might find her stern but it’s just a front,” Andie disclosed with a little smile. Rubbing her chin she then had a realisation. “Okay, there’s something I really need to share with you. I know you won’t like it but it’s high time I said it.”
Stopping, Tessa turned to face her again.
“When I was six years old I found a baby dragon,” Andie spoke in a level tone. “It’s the reason I chased Darius into the forest that day.”
Tessa stood quietly in the dark. When she finally spoke her voice was higher than usual.
“Why haven’t you told me about this before?”
“At first I thought you’d think I was nuts, then I couldn’t say anything because of Darius,” Andie admitted. “After that I completely forgot about it for a while. Everything got so crazy it just slipped my mind. I only remembered when I was talking to Ariel.”
“What did she say to make you recall it?”
“She was telling me how she couldn’t fly when she was pregnant.”
“Oh yes, we cannot transform a child in our womb,” Tessa agreed. “So you couldn’t have found a baby dragon.”
“Well here’s the thing - I only found it because the Dragon’s Eye was nearby.”
“What?!” Tessa gasped.
“I saw the gem shining in the grass you see. When I picked it up I heard the little beastie crying close by. I took them back to my aunt’s house but the next morning they were gone. Then a few years later I found the Eye stone in one of my aunt’s cabinets.”
“By the gods,” Tessa muttered. “How long ago did this happen?”
“Fourteen years. So the baby couldn’t be anyone in Lunaris.”
“Tell absolutely no one about this,” Tessa murmured gravely. “I’ll look into it once you’re gone.”
“So you believe me?”
“Of course, Eye stones are extremely rare,” Tessa explained. “There’s no other gem which will allow you to see our kind. Keep this to yourself and let me do some investigating. I think your aunt might be involved in something shady.”
“Darius pretended he knew all about it!” Andie declared. “He said the baby would be someone’s illegitimate child.”
Tessa let out a loud huff.
“Sounds like a guess to me. He may be right though as goodness knows what’s really going on. I’ve never heard of anyone staying in their dragon form for so long.”
“I wonder whose child it was.”
“At this point it could be literally anyone’s,” Tessa admitted with a shrug. “Although I can say it wouldn’t be anyone in Lunaris. If anyone disappears for more than a day the whole town knows about it.”
“Thanks for believing me.”
“No need to thank me!” Tessa exclaimed a little chuckle. “Wow, I can’t believe I never asked you about this. “I just thought you followed Darius into the forest because you have a thing for dragons.”
“Well I do but this is the reason for it!” Andie exclaimed with chuckle.
“Okay, is there anything else you want to confess?”
“No, I think I’ve covered everything. Sorry I didn’t tell you about this before.”
“Its fine,” Tessa murmured. “While we are sharing there’s something I need to say as well. I suspect somebody has been talking to Darius.”
“Would not surprise me in the least,” Andie muttered. “Anyone could have approached him in his cave.”
“My father let something slip yesterday. He made a comment about Darius not trusting our royal family,” Tessa revealed.
“Oh my god! He must have transformed and spoken to someone!” Andie exclaimed as she clutched Tessa’s arm. “I know for a fact he doesn’t trust them!”
“Marvellous!” Tessa declared with a big smile. “This is really good news you know. It was the sole reason for keeping the big idiot here.”
Tessa was right of course. If Darius had conversed with the Lunarians then Andie had succeeded with her mission. However her elation quickly faded as she realised something.
“Darius lied to me,” Andie admitted with a sudden frown. “He kept insisting he would never talk to anyone.”
“Don’t let it upset you,” Tessa said kindly. “I think there is a lot we haven’t been told.”
“True,” Andie murmured as she released Tessa’s arm. “You know, he thinks there is a dark secret within the palace. He gets a bad vibe in Lunaris - he says it reminds him of his home.”
“Do you think he’s right?”
“I’m not sure. At first I did but then I realised it could be his imagination. Now I suspect he was making it up too. Why would he want to deceive me?”
“Because he was trying to get you to leave with him,” Tessa stated levelly. “Sorry, I overheard you talking to my mother in your bedroom.”
“I - I wanted to tell you,” Andie stammered. “It’s just that, well… I know you thought I was leading him on.”
“You believed you were just coddling a dragon,” Tessa reassured her with a smile. “I heard the part about him trying to seduce you too,” she then admitted with a grin. “When you said you kneed him in the crotch I nearly cheered from the hallway.”
They both burst into a short round of chortling.
“I didn’t actually mean to do it,” Andie admitted with a little chuckle.
“Did you really like him?”
“I’m not sure. I mean he was handsome and charming but I only met him twice,” Andie confessed. “I don’t like being lied to either. I think his judgement is badly impaired at the moment.”
“Absolutely,” Tessa agreed. “Don’t be too disappointed, it would never have worked out with him.”
“I know. Truth be told, I was much fonder of him as a dragon.”
“Dragons are completely honest. What you see is what you get,” Tessa revealed. “When I’m in my scales I don’t feel the need to be anything but myself. It’s actually quite liberating.”
“Yeah I really felt Darius was more genuine as a dragon. Maybe it’s why I liked him better that way.”
“Probably,” Tessa said
with smile. “Alright then, we better get moving before we miss our departure time.”
Together they continued shuffling along the dark corridor. After a short time their visibility began to improve. Light was starting to filter in from somewhere ahead of them. As they turned a sharp corner the air filled with soft sunlight. Taking a few steps further they exited the cramped passageway.
Squinting into the brightness Andie recognised the greenery and copper piping.
“We’re at a service platform,” Tessa revealed. “We use them to fly things in and out from the Horticulture Hall.”
They were surrounded by the familiar scenery of Tessa’s workplace. Not far away was a large tiled space which opened out to the air. As Andie turned to ask Tessa a question, a familiar voice reached their ears.
“There ye are lassie!”
It was Marcellus of course, dressed in his dark leather work clothes and thick boots. He wasn’t the only person here - Willa had turned up along with Ariel, her husband and some of the other gardeners.
“You deserve a proper send off,” Terenus proclaimed from just beside her. He strode up next to Andie and greeted her with a warm smile. He was wearing his white Magister’s robes, obviously not concerned about being seen in his official capacity. “We all wanted you to know how sorely you will be missed.”
Andie did not know what to say. She had not been expecting any kind of farewell. Blushing slightly she dropped her chin.
“Thank you,” she responded quietly. “I tried really hard to keep Darius here but, well….” Keeping her head down she stared at the floor.
“You did your best which is all we can ever do. Without your presence the young Overlord would have left much sooner. You made greater inroads than any of us expected,” Terenus professed. Then he turned towards the little group and made an announcement.
“The journey to the top of a mountain is always a winding one,” he declared loudly. “I look forward to seeing our young friend again when her path turns back to us.”
His words nearly broke Andie’s heart. Lifting her head, she put on her best and bravest smile.
“As do I,” she spoke thickly.
“As do all of us lassie. It’ll be dull as dogshit without ye around!” Marcellus added from the sidelines.
