Fated Volition: The Sapphire Star Saga

  Chapter Four

  A Fire Inside

  Ryhan was not sure what she had expected to find when they entered the house above the shop, but it certainly wasn’t what she saw in front of her. It was incredibly simple, nothing lavish, or mysterious. A front room with a table and chairs and a small hearth, and perhaps two sleeping chambers made up the entirety of it. She was quite surprised at how plain everything was.

  There was not anything colorful or bright, in fact the only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was the stack of books in the corner. There must have been at least twenty. Which was a lot considering she had not ever read one single book. Farwen urged them both inside, shutting the door quickly behind him.

  “If you will excuse me for a moment, I will let Mr. Cross know that you have arrived.” Farwen said, before he left in a hurry.

  Ryhan removed her cloak and continued to look around. She thought perhaps there was a secret room somewhere, maybe hidden by magic. After studying the room hard, she gave up and concluded that the simple house was, after all, just a plain simple house with nothing special about it. Pausing in front of a mirror, Ryhan caught her first glimpse of her face and wanted to cry.

  She had never been a particularly vain person, but half of her face was completely mutilated. It looked as though someone had taken sand paper to the right side of her face. From the bottom of her eye down to her jaw, an entire layer of her skin appeared raw and rough where the bleeding had scabbed over.

  Even when it healed it would leave a palm sized scar on her face. She was not sure how to feel about it, the pain came and went. Emotionally, well emotionally she would just have to numb it all out and keep it together because she could not afford to lose it. Not when she was just finding out who and what she was. Roger paced back and forth not paying attention to anything other than his own thoughts.

  Ryhan smiled at him, but he did not notice and continued his march across the room. By the time Farwen came back, she was ready to meet Gavin and find out what exactly she was supposed to be doing.

  “Oh good heavens, what happened to you?” Farwen asked concerned.

  Instinctively she drew the hood back up to hide her face and said, “We were attacked, by what we believe was a Haldengar, Roger tried his best to help me tend the wound.”

  “I will call for a healer at once; I am so very sorry that this happened.” He said sincerely.

  “Thank you. It is quite painful at times.” She said, while gently touching her face.

  “In the meantime, Gavin would like to speak with you now, if you will follow me Miss.” Farwen said, motioning for her to tag along.

  She nodded and started to follow, when a large arm came swinging out in front of her. Caught off guard by Rogers’s action, she wasn’t sure what to do. Both Farwen and Ryhan looked at him for an explanation.

  He scowled at Farwen and said, “SHE is not going anywhere ALONE with strangers. I want to meet this Gavin as well.”

  Ryhan looked at him in shock. She did not know what to say, as she was both glad for his protection, but offended that he thought she could not handle herself.

  “I am afraid that is not possible. You already know too much about our quest, we do not wish to endanger you any farther.” Farwen replied politely.

  “I have set out a change of clothes for you, and took the liberty of heating a bath so that you may wash for dinner.” He added.

  Roger looked like he was ready to punch something, so Ryhan stepped between him and Farwen and sweetly said, “Roger, I have to say that I am jealous. I would love a warm bath. You must hurry before the water gets cold. I will be alright, and I’m quite certain that you would hear if I were in any trouble.”

  She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

  He stood still for a long time, then nodded his head as if agreeing to his own thoughts and went to the room Farwen showed him. Following the small man, whom she was growing very fond of to a smaller room in the back of the house, she wondered what sort of person Gavin was. Sitting at a writing desk, she saw a man who looked about the same age as her.

  She had expected an older man, someone wise with experience, not a boy on the verge of manhood. She suddenly became very frustrated. He did not acknowledge her presence, only kept his head down finishing a letter he was writing. Anger flushed her cheeks. She had not noticed the fireplace on the far side of the room until it was too late.

  The pain returned, and once again, the pain crippled her to the floor. The man jumped from his desk and went to her. She felt his strong hands on her shoulders, and the pain left as quickly as it came. He looked into her eyes, and she saw him for the first time. He was amazing, beautiful. Hair so blonde it was almost colorless fell across his forehead, and the most curious violet eyes peered in to hers.

  “Are you alright?” He asked.

  Ryhan was speechless. It was as if she had forgotten how to speak. He smiled at her, a smile that would haunt her dreams. She realized that she was staring and looked down to the floor.

  Swallowing hard, she replied, “No. I mean yes. I am alright.”

  Remembering the fireplace, she looked around to see if anything had caught fire, but nothing seemed out of place. Confused, she looked back at the gorgeous man in front of her.

  He smiled his heart-melting smile, “Don’t worry, nothing has been harmed.”

  Ryhan only nodded, not really understanding, but too distracted to ask questions. She felt like a silly little child. That would not do. Keeping her emotions in check and hidden from others was something she had mastered at a young age. In the days that had past, that control had become fleeting.

  It was frustrating that some strange man was making her fall all over herself. She took a deep breath, and sat in the chair in front of his desk. He followed her lead, and returned to his position behind the desk. He smiled again, only this time she did not allow it to affect her the same.

  “My name is Gavin Cross, and we have been waiting for you a very long time Ryhan. We had hoped that you would find your way to us sooner. I suppose because you have had no training, it must have taken you longer to come into your gifts.”

  Gavin seemed frustrated. Now that she had control of her emotions, Ryhan could see that he seemed to be forcing himself to be polite.

  “I am sorry to have kept you waiting; it’s just that I only found out about any of this a few days ago. I would like more of an explanation than what my mother was able to give me.” She said.

  Gavin looked at Farwen, as if they silently communicated, and Farwen left the room shutting the door behind him. Ryhan was a bit nervous, but did not let it show. His expression softened, and he sighed.

  “I know that this must be very frightening, and wondrous, and so many other emotions all in one. However, I want you to understand now, that when we leave here, there is no turning back. It will get dangerous, and even more frightening. During our journey, you will have to train very quickly. All of the others have been training since birth, so you will be at a disadvantage.” He rose and walked over to her.

  With a worried expression, he knelt down next to her, and his hand rose slightly as if he were going to touch her face but then thought better of it.

  “This must be incredibly overwhelming for you. I must confess, when I said that we have been waiting for you, what I really wanted to say was that I have been waiting for you. I feel extraordinarily connected to you. It is a sad thing to have a longing for someone, and never lay eyes upon them.” He said, leaning in close to her.

  She could feel his breath on her face. Ryhan felt as though her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She nodded knowing the exact feeling he was describing, and recalled pulling sensation she experienced all her life. Something she could not explain.

  Whispering, he said, “I am not sure what it means, I only know that as soon as I saw you I felt as if I became whole.”

  She looked into his violet eyes, and could see that he meant every word. Unsure of what to say, she sat si
lently, wanting to tell him that she felt exactly the same way. The words would not come. Her eyes started to water, and she panicked at the thought of crying in front of Gavin. She despised crying.

  Nervously she stood up and paced back and forth for a moment. Before she could speak, he started to look angry.

  Confused she stopped, and sat back down. He returned to his side of the desk.

  “I am very sorry for my behavior. I should not have been so inappropriate. Please forgive me.” He said curtly.

  Ryhan’s heart felt as though he stabbed her. It was all so new to her; she did not know what to do. She had to say something, before it was too late.

  “Gavin,” She said and he looked up at her with hope, “I did not--” She started to say.

  “The healer is here. Dinner will be ready soon. Roger is finished washing, and I have drawn you a bath Miss.” Farwen interrupted.

  Nodding she stood to follow him. She turned back and smiled at Gavin, but he was already busy with his letter again.

  “We will talk again soon?” She asked.

  He mumbled something under his breath, and she left him, feeling disappointed. The healer joined her and Farwen in one of the bedrooms. She was a lot younger than the healers from Resteir were and Ryhan wondered if she was qualified to treat her wounds, but she trusted that Farwen would have sought out someone with experience.

  The woman shook her head, “You are very lucky, if you hadn’t washed off the saliva when you did the damage could have been much worse.”

  Ryhan wanted to say something along the lines of, “Would you count yourself lucky to have half your face licked off?”, but bit her tongue.

  Pulling out a hard bristled brush the healer said, “This is going to hurt, but I have to clean it thoroughly and get all the scabs off before I can treat it with medicine.”

  She did not protest, just closed her eyes, and squeezed Farwen’s hand tightly trying her hardest not to scream. Agonizing throbbing replaced the sting not long after the healer had finished cleaning the wound. She rubbed on a salve that was warm and tingly at first and then quickly turned into a cool creamy wave of relief.

  “This salve was made with merrow scales, it has remarkable healing properties. Leave it on while you bathe and then rinse it off when you’ve finished. You will feel much better after.” The healer said and then gave her a nod and followed Farwen out so that she could undress for her bath.

  Enjoying the warmth of the water, Ryhan had not noticed how long she had been soaking. Time had slipped away as her thoughts distracted her. She dressed quickly and joined the others at the dinner table. Everyone stared at her when she arrived.

  “Beautiful.” Someone uttered and she was not sure whom it had come from. Blushing she sat down quickly, afraid that they were patronizing her. Gavin motioned to Farwen who brought Ryhan a small looking glass.

  She glanced at her reflection and unconsciously put her hand to her face. The wound was gone. Where it used to be was a faint pink scar that was barely visible, it shimmered a tiny bit when she turned her head into the light, but it was hardly noticeable. She had thought the healer was just telling tales when she had said merrow scales, but now she was not so sure.

  Smiling she handed the looking glass back to Farwen and thanked him. Dinner was very tense. Roger only pushed the food around on his plate, while staring angrily at Gavin.

  “What exactly is it that you do, Cross?” Roger asked rudely.

  “I am afraid that I cannot explain what it is that I do. Only that I help assist a council of leaders of the magical community.” Gavin responded pleasantly.

  “Please do not stay here. I don’t think you are safe.” Roger pleaded with her.

  She didn’t reply, how could she explain to him that she was willing to endanger herself?

  “You don’t have to worry. I will make sure that no harm comes to her.” Gavin said annoyed with Rogers’s protectiveness of her.

  Roger glared at him, and it seemed that time stopped all together. Finally, Roger pushed his plate away and retired to bed. She wanted to go to him and give him some sort of comfort, but decided against it. There would be time to speak with him in the morning. Turning her attention back to the two gentlemen still seated at the table, Ryhan tried to lighten the mood.

  “So Farwen, you must tell me all about where you come from!” She said.

  “We kelpie’s have been around almost as long as the dragons. Even our eldest elders aren’t sure where we originated from, but it is believed that we escaped from the woodlands of Bastrioph.” He said.

  “I’m not familiar with much of Watreon, where is Bastrioph?” She asked interested.

  “That place is a cursed land on the eastern part of the north island. However, in the first of our recorded history, we shared the land with the elves. When the humans came, the elves moved to the south island, and that is when we joined with the magical council. We are a serving race. It is what we enjoy, what we live for. As long as we are treated well, the council’s stronghold is where we will call our home.” He replied proudly.

  “When you say you escaped from Bastrioph, what were you escaping from exactly?” She asked.

  “It is forbidden to speak of them. They are pure evil, feeding off the life of everything around them. It is not pleasant talk for dinner.” He said sadly.

  “Would you like some cider with your meal?” He asked.

  Before she could answer, Farwen was off to get the cider. Gavin‘s gaze met hers and she couldn‘t make herself pull away. It was the strangest feeling she had ever experienced. It was as if nothing else existed. Everything came to a halt. As if, they were floating endlessly together into nothing.

  It was wonderful, and confusing. Curious if he felt the same sensation, she tried to ask him, but the words came out in a sigh. He reached out for her hand, and brought it up to his lips. She leaned a bit closer to him, and fell abruptly off her chair just as Farwen entered the room.

  “My lady! Are you alright?” Farwen asked concerned.

  Gavin had rose from his seat as quickly as she had fallen, but Farwen was the first to make it to her side.

  Standing, she quickly replied, “Yes, thank you. I think I have had a bit too much excitement for one night. I will retire now.”

  She smiled and thanked them for a wonderful meal. Once in her chamber, she flopped herself onto the bed in embarrassment. Regaining her composure, she convinced herself that she would not let Gavin Cross affect her like that again. After several hours of lying in bed unable to sleep, Ryhan heard a tap on her door. For a moment, she hoped that it was Gavin, knowing that it was probably Roger.

  Opening the door, she was surprised to see Farwen.

  “Sorry for disturbing you miss, but I thought you might be having some trouble sleeping so I brought you some tea.” He said.

  She smiled warmly at him, “Thank you Farwen. You have been so kind to me. I hope that we will become great friends.”

  “It will be some time before I see you again misses. I have been assigned to escort your gentleman friend to Breckenshire. But I am sure that we will remain friends, as I already feel very close to you.” He said.

  “Why are you going with Roger?” She asked confused.

  “I am not sure if you will like what I am about to tell you, but we are aware that Roger is going to join with the centermerge soldiers, and we are in need of an informant. I will try to persuade him to help on our journey there.” He answered.

  Ryhan was in shock. The thought of Roger spying almost made her want to laugh, or cry, she wasn’t sure which.

  “You were right. I am not happy with this news and I will not help you try to convince him either.” She stated.

  Farwen nodded. He wished her a well night and left her to her thoughts. It was a bit frightening to imagine where her path was taking her. She did not know who she was anymore. Not that she ever knew before, but at least she had some inkling of the direction her life was going.

  She was stubb
orn and ill tempered, but she was also kind and caring, never letting her status set limits on her or another person. She felt a bit silly around men, and thought courting an inane notion. It seemed that it was all about games and nothing about feelings or truth. Never wanting to end up like her mother, weak willed, obedient and tied to a man, she avoided talk about marriage at all costs.

  Which is why the feelings she had been having since she had arrived in the house were tearing her apart inside. She had just met Gavin, and yet she felt as if she knew him more than she knew anyone she had met before. Ryhan was not sure how this would affect her ability to concentrate on her journey ahead of her, but she hoped that she could put her ridiculously girlish emotions aside.

  She also thought about how it would affect Roger. It did not seem right that he should be involved in something so dangerous. After laying awake worrying for what seemed like hours, she finally decided she would not be able to rest until she had spoken with him. She walked as silently as she could to the room where Roger was staying.

  Surprised to see light coming from beneath his door, Ryhan pause just outside for a moment. She heard two voices engaged in hurried whispers. What could they possibly be chatting about this late at night she thought to herself? Getting a bit closer she was able to make out part of their conversation.

  “You don’t understand what she means to me, to everyone…she will be safe.” Gavin exclaimed.

  “How can you sit here and say that to me, you only just met. You cannot expect me to believe that you truly love her. You don’t know her the way I do. She’s afraid of love, even if she never wants me, you’ll lose her too.” Roger protested.

  Ryhan was shocked to hear that they were talking about her and a little mad at Roger’s statement, no matter how true it was.

  “It’s not only that I love her, it’s more than that. I have spent my entire life feeling incomplete. Like the most important part of me was missing. From the moment that she graced my presence I felt peace wash over me and for the first time I feel whole.” Gavin said, sighing.

  “I know that it must be hard for you to imagine or believe, but I am telling you the truth. Now that I have found her, I could never be without her again. So please support her and give her your blessing, because I know she will not feel right if you leave with unresolved feelings.”

  It seemed like ages before Roger replied, “I do not like it. Moreover, I am not sure that she feels the same way you do, but I will not stand in her way. I will help in whatever way I can, but if harm comes to her, then I will hold you responsible, and I will make sure you pay.”

  Roger seemed more sad than angry and it pained Ryhan to think of him hurting because of her. Tears were falling from her cheeks before she could stop them, and she quickly went back to her chamber to weep.

  She cried herself to sleep that night and swore, as she did every time, that it would never happen again. She awoke the next morning to a knock on her door. It opened before she could get out of bed. It was Roger, she smiled at him, and he came over and knelt beside her.

  “I know that you think you know what you are getting yourself into, and I know that you think you can take care of yourself. Please be careful, and if you need me, or change your mind about anything, write and I will come to you.” Roger said very quickly and kissed her on the forehead before leaving.

  He did not even give her enough time to respond. By the time she had managed to get dressed, Roger and Farwen had already left, and Gavin was getting the last of their supplies ready to leave. After eavesdropping the night before, she was not sure if she felt better about the feelings she had, or more confused. Should she talk to him about it, or wait until he brought it up?

  Not knowing the right action, she just stood and watched him gather up things. He stopped and looked at her for a moment. The confusion must have shown on her face, because he smiled at her and gently took her in his arms.

  “I am so very sorry. I know that you must have hundreds of questions and that you are feeling very confused. I promise once we are safely on our way that I will tell you anything you would like to know.” He reassured her and motioned for her to help him pack.

  Ryhan smiled back at him and reluctantly left his embrace to help pack, what seemed to her, unimportant things.

  “So you will tell me anything? I doubt that you would reveal everything that I could possibly ask, everyone keeps secrets!” She said jokingly.

  “I will never keep anything from you.” He said seriously.

  He kissed her hand and smiled his heart-melting grin. She only nodded in response, not sure what she could say in return. Even after hearing what he had said the night before, she could still hardly believe that he actually felt so strongly for her.

  They left the small house after about an hour more of packing.

  As they were walking toward the docks, she could not help but wonder why they had spent so much time packing all that stuff when they only had one bag each.

  “What exactly was the point in packing all that stuff? I could have had my bag ready in five minutes.” She asked a bit annoyed.

  He replied, “We packed all that stuff to send back to the stronghold, there is a lot of valuable things that need returned to them. Someone will be by later to pick them up.”

  That made sense. She felt a little silly for asking such an obvious question. As they approached the dock, she realized that they would be traveling with others. How was she supposed to be able to ask him everything she wanted to know or start her training, whatever that meant, if there were other people around?

  They boarded a small ship. There was four others on board plus the captain and two of his men. She wasn’t sure how nine people were going to fit on the tiny vessel, but she hoped it was not for very long. Gavin took her hand and swept her to the back of the ship.

  It was probably the most secluded they would be for a while, so she enjoyed the moment. He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear.

  “I know that it will be rough, but it should only be for two days up the river until we reach Luna Lake. From there we will head out on our journey alone. Please be patient, my darling, our time will come.”

  Ryhan looked up into his glorious violet eyes. Although disappointed, she smiled and wished that her eyes were as incredible to gaze into as his were. The feeling of gravity pulling her was taking over again and this time she did not know if she would be able to control herself. He brushed his hand against her cheek, and she thought she would fall over any moment.

  Putting his arm around her waist, he pulled her closer. She could not see or hear anything besides his mouth and his slow breaths. He leaned in closer, and when his lips met hers, she thought she would die from the pleasure. It was as if his mind became hers and they dissolved into one thought.

  She saw the way she looked through his eyes and she was beautiful. Her deep sapphire eyes were magnificent. She could feel how he felt about her. Unconditional, unexplainable, devotion. It was pure and wonderful. She never wanted to stop kissing him, and did not know how she could. With each passing moment, she felt even more connected.

  Just when she thought she might be able to break free, he pulled her even closer to him and crushed his lips harder against hers. She didn’t resist. When Gavin finally pulled himself from her, she felt a bit saddened at their separation.

  “I’m so very sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I just felt as though I’d die if I didn’t kiss you at that moment.” He apologized.

  She reached up and brushed her hand across his face.

  “Do not be sorry.” She pleaded.

  Unable to make sense of anything else going through her mind, she left it at that. The captain approached them.

  “I don’t have an extra room. You will have to board together. But something tells me you won’t be minding that.” He said in a gruff voice, clearly amused.

  Once the ship had left dock, they checked their quarters. It was a small room with one very small bed and a tin
y desk for writing. There was a wooden chair and just enough room to walk between the bed and the desk. She looked around, not sure what to think. Gavin placed his arm around her.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll sleep on the floor, you can have the bed.”

  She thought she should protest, but the thought of him lying next to her on the tiny bed, seemed inappropriate and she was not sure after the kiss they shared up on deck, if she would be able to control herself. Plopping herself down on the bed she sighed. There were still so many unanswered questions. She had no idea where they were going, or why.

  Gavin sat in the chair at the writing desk. He looked at her and smiled. She felt like a completely different person with him around. Calm and collected, instead of her usual tempered and worried self. Feeling the heat creep back into her cheeks, she thought that some conversation would probably be a good thing.

  “Gavin, will you please tell me where we are going?” she asked.

  He nodded and replied, “I suppose now is a good a time as any. Here in Corafeldon, a mountain range divides the grassland from the desert. Well now, it is all mostly desert because of the drought, but the land behind the mountains is a true desert. The mountains stretch the entire length of island. They make up the Mastion Belt, and deep inside it there is a village of people cut off from the rest of Corafeldon.

  “Mastion Village is very mysterious. There have not been many who have dared venture there, and those who have, don’t usually come back.”

  Ryhan wasn’t sure what to think.

  “If it is that dangerous, why would anyone willingly go to that village?” She asked.

  “Well, the people who reside there have been known to have miraculous healing powers. They live just off the river in between several of the mountains. Not much else is known about them.” He said.

  Ryhan thought for a moment. Even though Gavin had been a tad vague about them, they seemed eerie. It gave her the chills to think that they were heading towards some strange village, full of people they didn’t really know about.

  “So why are we going to Mastion Village?” She asked.

  “Well, we are going to meet Evangeline. She is one of the daughters of the sapphire star. From there she is going to travel with us to gather the rest of the daughters. It is time you were all together.” He said, sadly.

  “What makes you sad?” She asked.

  He looked into her eyes and replied, “A lot of things. One, it means that our quest becomes real, and that it’s possible that I may lose people I love and care about. In addition, Evangeline is my sister. I’ve never even laid eyes on her.”

  Eyeing him suspiciously, Ryhan asked, “Your sister?”

  Shifting in his chair, he cautiously explained, “There are five daughters of the sapphire star, and all five daughters have a connection, a bond from birth. However, one of the mothers, my mother, bore twins. A daughter and a son. I am the only son of the sapphire star.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” Ryhan asked.

  “It was not something that anyone had foreseen so I have been kept as secret as possible.” He said.

  Ryhan twirled a piece of her auburn hair as she contemplated her future. What if the connection between her and Gavin was just some magical side effect from the star? What if when he met all the others he felt the same about all of them? She could almost hear her heart breaking at the thought.

  Startled by the break in silence she jumped a little when he said, “I can see that I’ve given you much to think about. Let us go up on deck and get some fresh air. We can talk more, perhaps about something more cheerful.”

  She took his hand and followed. The next two days passed quickly enough. They spent most of their time talking. It was amazing to her how easily they could carry on a conversation and sit so comfortably in silence. Gavin asked her about her complex relationship with Roger and with her father and mother.

  She asked him how he felt about his separation from his sister. Not that they needed to ask or tell because it seemed that the longer they were with each other, the less they needed words. She could not exactly read his mind; it was more like she knew what he felt. It was clear that he could do the same with her.

  The second night, Ryhan laid down for bed in her clothes as usual. It seemed inappropriate to change into her sleeping garments. Many things seemed inappropriate lately, she thought to herself. She drifted to sleep quickly and dreamt mostly of their time on the ship.

  She was on deck looking out at the peaceful water. Suddenly the ship rocked violently. She turned to look behind her, and there he was. The ruby-eyed man grinned at her with his gleaming white teeth. She had never been that close to him. Never confronted him face to face. She started to move to his left, but he anticipated that stopped her.

  He began laughing. The evil cackle made chills run down her spine.

  “GAVIN!” She called out.

  Her call for help only made the man more amused. He approached her. She didn’t know what to do, so she stood still. The man reached out and twirled a piece of her hair in his fingers. She shuddered at his touch. There was a familiar odor coming from his hand, but she could not place the scent.

  It was not a pleasant smell, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

  He leaned down to whisper in her ear and she tried to get away. Grabbing a fistful of her hair and he jerked her back to him.

  “Don’t try to fight. It is hopeless. Everyone you love will die. It is inevitable.” He hissed.

  He placed his hand on her head and pushed her to the ground. She began to weep as his laughter echoed through her mind. It was endless; the sound enveloped her, made it difficult for her to catch her breath. She could not move, could not think. Abruptly she felt a pain behind her eyes.

  It was familiar and she knew what was coming; only this time she would not try to stop it. The sensation seemed to explode through her body and she heard her name called out. It was faint and she could barely make out what was said. She stood to see the left side of the deck in flames, and the crimson-eyed man on the other side of the flames smiling at her.

  Running toward the voice that called for her, she knew it was Gavin and she had to get to him.

  “RYHAN?”

  He was close.

  Just then, she awoke, screaming for him. He was carrying her. They were on the deck of the ship. The night air was cold and crisp, but she felt heat on her face. Gavin look frightened and she realized something was wrong. Still in his arms, she turned to look behind them. Half of the deck was on fire. Some of the passengers were screaming, others were crying.

  “What is going on? It was me wasn’t it? I did this?” She asked, knowing deep inside that she was to blame.

  He looked into her eyes and did not respond. She watched Gavin look around, unsure of what to do.

  “We are at the entrance to Luna Lake. If we are lucky, we should not have far to swim. It’s our only option right now.” His looked pleaded with her not to argue.

  She nodded in agreement, and he set her down on her feet. He took her in his arms and kissed her. It was just as passionate as the first time they embraced, but that time it was also a bit urgent. It made her more fearful that this might be the last time they held each other and she hugged him tighter.

  He pulled away and said, “Once you’re in the water, don’t wait for me. Just keep swimming until you get to shore. You understand? Just worry about yourself.”

  “No, I won’t leave you. You are coming with me.” She said frantically.

  It was ridiculous, how could he make her go alone? Gavin looked back at the people still on board. Some had already jumped; the others were all running around unsure what they should do. Ryhan could not help but wonder where the captain was, she didn’t see him anywhere. She turned and looked into Gavin’s eyes, pleading with him. He frowned, and sadly nodded his head.

  Taking her hand, they walked to the edge of the ship. Nearly engulfed in flames, they jumped off the deck into the icy water together.
The water enveloped her, embraced her as if she was a long lost child. Its grip so tight she could not move. Bitter cold waves washed over her as she finally reached the surface. Breathing was difficult, and she was not sure which way the shore was. She felt some one grab a hold of her waist and tug lightly.

  Sensing it was Gavin she did not resist, even though she could barely focus enough to see straight. Growing weaker by the minute, she tried her hardest to help swim to the shore. Hope of finding land was fading, and she felt like letting the water take her under into its bosom again. The last thing Ryhan remembered before passing out completely was Gavin lifting her into his arms. She could not be sure if it was real, or simply a dream, but she smiled.

  A fire crackled loudly as she awoke. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry. She glanced around quickly, and realized they were camped just off the shore. Gavin was lying next to her sleeping. The warmth of the fire was nice, she was still a bit damp so she got a bit closer and tried to remember what had happened. Feeling Gavin’s hand on her shoulder, she turned to look at him.

  He looked very serious and said, “Tell me what you were dreaming. It is very important that you reveal every detail.”

  She told him of the man who had haunted her dreams. Gavin listened carefully, only asking questions when necessary. He seemed very troubled but did not share his concerns with her. Usually she could tell what he felt about anything, but it was as if he were keeping his thoughts and emotions blocked from her at that moment. It frustrated her, and made her feel alone. She was also sad and grief stricken.

  “What happened to the captain and the others on the ship?” She asked, afraid of the answer.

  He swallowed hard and began, “The fire started in the captain’s chambers. As for the others, I saw a few make it to shore a good distance from here. I am sorry that this has happened. I know you feel responsible. You must understand that there is a fire inside you. It constantly burns and your emotions fuel it. If you had been trained Axiom would not have been able to get to you like this.” He finished.

  “The man in my dreams is the king isn’t he?” She asked, though she already knew the answer.

  Gavin put his arm around her and whispered in her ear, “First thing in the morning we will begin your training, and I will tell you of Ayden and Axiom. But for now I want you to look out at the lake.”

  She looked past the burning fire to the calm water before them. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The moon’s reflection lit up the entire lake. It was as if the moon were sitting right there shining up from under the water. Luna Lake was an entirely appropriate name for it. She leaned her head against his shoulder and drifted off to sleep, that time she dreamt of nothing.