“So, where we going?” asks a conspiratorial whisper. We nearly jump out of our skins, both up in a flash facing Mellis who’s sitting two steps above us. He sits with his elbows on his knees grinning at us with an excited look. Leaning forward, giving us a suspicious look, “Do your princes know what you two are doing?”
“Tolan is not my prince,” whispers Julia vehemently, perhaps a bit too harshly.
“How did you sneak up on us like that? We didn’t even hear you,” I whisper, but not as harsh as Julia.
He lifts one of his feet and points to it, “Hello? Elfin feet…?”
“Mellis,” I warn, “if you so much as say a word to Tharin or Tolan, I’ll do something really dangerous and tell them you made me do it.”
He leans back putting his hands up, “You don’t need to threaten me, cousin. I know how to keep a secret. Besides, I’m coming with you. Because, you know, I would hate to accidentally run into them while they’re sleeping. If that happens I would have no choice but let them know you’re out and about causing havoc in our city.”
“I said Tolan is not my prince,” repeats Julia whispering through clenched teeth. “I don’t answer to him.”
Mellis gives her an arched look saying, “Yes, he is and you do. You’re with the king’s guards, right?” She reluctantly nods. “Then he’s your prince,” states Mellis ignoring her heated face.
“Damn it, fine. But keep quiet,” I say as I turn from him.
“Please, cousin. You’re trying to tiptoe through a tower of elves with hearing like bats. I heard you coming out of your suites a mile away.”
I turn my head to catch his eye, “Yeah, right. You were standing near the door hiding, hoping Milina would come out, weren’t you?”
He gives me a silly grin. “Aw, look how far you’ve come, little cousin. See how you know me so well?”
“Shut up and don’t call me ‘little,’” I whisper back as I slowly open the door. We’re in some kind of large back room or kitchen, but I don’t see a stove or fridge, only a large wooden table in the center that takes up the entire room.
I lean closer to Julia who’s right next to me and whisper, “Where are we?” She shrugs, gives me a wide-eyed look and shakes her head. I look at her in disbelief. “You led us here, how can you not know?”
“I only know about the stairs and the door leading outside.” She leans over and points at a large dark door across from where we’re hiding.
“I know where we are,” says Mellis from behind us. We turn around smacking and shushing him. “Hey,” he whispers back at us, protecting his chest with his arms against any more smacking. “I live here, remember? I know where we are. And I know there’s no one around.” He straightens up and pushes past us heading toward the large door. We make to follow when somewhere near our place of hiding a voice calls out.
“Mellis, where are you going?” We quickly and silently close the door to a sliver of an opening. Mellis turns around with his usual smile, not letting on that he’s with us.
“I’m going out for a nice walk, Alorn.” He casually answers his cousin. Although we recognize the warrior’s voice, we’re still unable to see him from where we are.
“And you’re going alone?”
Mellis gives a big grin before answering, “Would you like to join me, cousin?”
Alorn is quiet. That is until the door we’re hiding behind flies open, knocking us back as we land on our butts. With an arm stretched out holding the door open, Alorn looks down at us, shaking his head. Keeping his eyes on us, he says to Mellis, “Yes, I think I will join you for your little walk, cousin.”
It’s another half hour before we walked out of the tower and into the streets. In the late hour, the streets were empty, but Alorn and Mellis kept us in the shadows anyway. Unlike Mellis who was willing to go without any questions, Alorn wouldn’t allow a foot out of the stairwell until we finally told him about the beautiful eerie voice waking us. Julia also explained that the voice was calling for me. “I have a good mind to wake Tharin,” he threatened.
After much pleading from me and stubborn denial from Julia about answering to Tolan, he finally agreed to let us go. It wasn’t until he followed behind us that we realized he was going with us.
We walk pass the stables and make our way to the gates. Standing there is Phoris, cloaked and hooded, but his size and the quiet way he stands makes him easily recognizable. I run the rest of the way to him, hugging him in greeting. I haven’t seen him since the first shelter at Crowfoot Mountain. Seeing him for the first time since, I realize how much I miss the gentle giant. Julia walks up behind me and gives Phoris a smile in greeting.
He’s surprised to see Mellis and Alorn with us, but he doesn’t say a word. He glances down at me and I shrug at him, not really wanting to go through explaining. Finally, he says quietly, “She’s waiting for you.”
Alorn steps before us, barring our way to the gate. “Who’s waiting for her, Phoris?” he asks quietly.
“She called to me, Alorn,” answers Phoris patiently.
“Who?” ask Alorn unmoving.
“Jarhan.”
Mellis gives a low whistle and Alorn says an angry oath under his breath.
“You cannot deny the call of one of the First Children, cousin. She came to me tonight asking me to lead Lily to Gastah Point so that she may speak with her.”
“Who’s Jarhan? And she’s the First of what?” asks Julia.
Phoris turns to her, “She is one of the First Children of Mother Earth, the guardian of the Gastah Lake and a protector of the Oak Clan. She has called Lily because she has a message for her.”
“A message?” I ask puzzled. “From who?”
“She didn’t say. She only asked that I take you to her so she may personally tell you.”
I look at Alorn and after he gives the situation some thought, he pulls me aside and walks me a few feet from the others. “It’s true you can’t deny the calling from a First, but keep in mind that just because she is a guardian and protector to the clan, it doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous. I’ve only heard one other who’s spoken with the leviathan, and that was your mother. But even that was only a rumor.”
I look up at him stunned. “So what are you saying, Alorn? That a sea monster has a message from my mom?” I said it half-jokingly, but since I’ve been here I wouldn’t doubt it if that was the case.
“You never know, Lily. But I do know this; Tharin has to know. If he finds out you were taken to Jarhan without his knowledge, he will kill all of us, you included.”
I shake my head at him desperately, “No, Alorn, please. She wanted to speak to me alone, but I wouldn’t go without Julia; and then Mellis followed us and then you showed up. This wasn’t meant to be a party. I was supposed to see her with only Phoris.”
“Lily,” he says hesitantly.
“Please...” I beg, grabbing his arms and looking up at him in what I hope to be my most pathetic begging face. “She may not talk to me if there are any more of us. Please.”
He looks down at me and the usual serious face he wears softens. He nods slowly, agreeing not to tell Tharin.
“Great! It’s settled,” says Mellis. We turn to find the three standing right next to us, all eager to go. Alorn sighs heavily and without another word, he grabs my hand and turns to lead us to the gate.
At first, the trek to Gastah Point was pleasant. We made our way through the myriad of oak trees that I saw from the bridge when I first arrived to the island. It was when we moved out from the trees that the journey took a turn for the worse. No longer under the protection of the Oak Tower’s umbrella, we were pelted by the rain and wind as we hike to an open pathway leading up a steep and rocky climb. A few times I missed a step, but Alorn was there to pull me up or catch me before I fell. Even Julia needed assistance through most of the trek and she held on to Phoris when she would lose her footing. Mellis went ahead of us as a precaution, keeping in frequent contact with Alorn.
After w
hat seems like hours of hiking, we are close to the top when I hear Julia scream from behind me. I watch as Phoris slip and hit his head, taking Julia down with him. I look on in horror as she rolls to the edge of the cliff. I remember thinking I had to get to her and fast. I focus only on her…reaching for her. The next second I’m catching her by the arm as she hangs over the cliff, grabbing on to me for dear life. Julia is taller and outweighs me by at least ten, fifteen pounds. With the ledge wet and slippery, I can feel myself being pulled forward as I continue to pull her up with both hands. Seconds later, Alorn is at my side and pulls the both of us away from the edge and a few feet back onto the path.
Alorn has us in each of his arms and we sit in the mud and rain panting as we try to catch our breath. We lean against the warrior and Julia looks over at me saying, “I can’t believe you save my life. You…you saved me?”
I shake my head at her also in disbelief, shocked at my heroic act, “Yeah…let’s not do that again.”
She looks toward the cliff’s edge, shaking her head still stunned. Alorn, not happy with the whole situation of being out in the rain, unceremoniously picks us up by the cuff of our cloaks and pushes us ahead. Mellis is with Phoris who has a large lump on his forehead. I give him a look and he nods, letting me know he’s okay. The mood Alorn is in, I stay quiet and close to him incase he changes his mind and hauls all of us back to the tower.
We finally reach the top and Alorn turns inland taking us through a grove of white oak. The starkness of the tree trunks stands out like columns of light in the dark night. The leaves of these wondrous oaks are also white, as if waiting for earth’s artists to come and paint them with unimaginable colors only found in this realm. It was good to be out of the rain and wind, but it’s still cold, and I shiver as I walk beside the warrior elf.
We make our way to the borderline of the grove and end up several yards from the edge of a cliff. Alorn holds us back within the grove, keeping us out of the storm. Mellis appears at Julia’s side, causing her to flinch. He gives her a wide grin as she growls at him, shivering as she huddles against Phoris.
We stare out toward the lake listening to the rain pound at the watery surface as it forces its way into the lake’s depth. The wind howls, whipping the rain into a frenzy and I’m grateful for the oaks keeping most of the storm outside of its border.
I glance up at Alorn and stare at his face as he watches the storm, waiting for the arrival of Jarhan. I glance over at Julia to find her watching me closely. I give her a small smile and I’m surprised when she doesn’t react. I give her a quizzical look along with a wave of my hand, but she continues to stare at me, not really seeing me. I look at Phoris and Mellis, and they too have the same kind of blank stares on their faces, all of them unmoving. I grab at Alorn’s sleeve and tug at it while keeping my eyes on the other. When he doesn’t respond, I look up at him and move to stand before him and touch his cheek, tapping at it to get him to look at me. But like the others, he continues to stare blankly ahead, unmoving. Now I get it. That’s why the woman in my head allowed Julia to come with me and didn’t protest when Mellis and Alorn joined us. As for Phoris, he was allowed to come because she needed him to lead me here safely and once here, this is what they would have done to him anyway.
“Lilianethia,” the ghostly voice calls to me from the edge of the cliff. I look once again at Alorn, waving my hand in front of his face, desperate to get a reaction from him. I turn toward the cliff and the darkness beyond, and take a hesitant step. I give a last glance at Mellis, Julia and Phoris as I move away from Alorn.
I walk toward the majestic voice that continues to call me. The white oaks start to sway and bend by their own accord, bowing as I past each one. When I step out from the protection of the trees, the wind whips at me. I come to a stop at the very edge of the cliff, before me is pitch-black. I can’t see anything, and I don’t feel the bite of the wind either. In fact, the howling is now distant and I look around to see that the wind blows around me as if being diverted by an invisible shield. I glance behind me and see the white oaks still swaying and Alorn, who is closest to the wooded edge, stands with his long coat whipping about him even though his expression hasn’t change.
“Be brave, little one, she will appear in a moment. Show no fear and know I’m here with you.”
“Great that’s comforting, considering I don’t even know your name.” I answer a bit irritated that she hasn’t told me who she really is.
“You will find out soon enough,” she replies cryptically.
I shake my head to clear my mind of all thoughts. And making up my mind, I decide to call Cessa. From the shadows to the side of me, the black cat saunters over and roars at the wind. When she reaches me, she is calm as she nudges at my side. Instantly, I’m on my knees hugging her.
Ten minutes pass, then twenty and still nothing happens. The tightness in my calves and thighs from the long climb and the long wait takes its toll on my legs. I sit from my kneeling position and pull Cessa to me, keeping an arm around her neck. Even though I’m in some kind of energy bubble, my clothes are still wet and I start to feel the chill. Now I know why the elves always have their coats on. They never know when they’ll have to be out in this kind of weather. I don’t think it’s stopped raining since I came through the doorway.
I place my head on the ruff of Cessa’s neck, feeling exhausted when suddenly I hear Jarhan’s voice call to me again. Large drops of rain fall on the back of my neck. Wait, the wind and rain are held back by the energy shield. Does this mean she’s not coming? Cessa gets up slowly, a low rumble coming from the back of her throat.
“Lilianethia, look at me.” I look up only to see a wall of silver scales the size of a small car appear before of me. I look from one end to the other and the wall is twice the width, if not wider, than the bridge I walked in on. It isn’t until I crane my neck as far as I can that I see the large head of a dragon looking down at me, water from the lake dripping off her. My heart goes still, but somehow I’m on my feet, walking away from the sea creature before me, at the same time trying to pull Cessa with me. She backs up as well, but only enough so she can look at the serpent without breaking her neck. I would never think to leave her, so I stop where she does and stand close to her, my knees shaking.
Jarhan’s opalescent scales shimmer with the movement of her breathing. My eyes are drawn to a spot at her throat where the iridescence is more rich and tinged with red. A rhythmic pulse causing the scales to ripple slowly down her chest and across her entire body, at least the part I can see. I look at her face and see large, scaled fan-like fins made of opal sitting on each side of her head. She flaps them slowly as if they would lift her giant body out of the water. The beauty of the creature trills through me with a mixture of awe and terror, but it is her eyes that transfix me. Beautiful large, golden serpent eyes look down at me curiously. She tilts her head to one side and assesses me in the same way a lion would a mouse before devouring it whole.
Cessa gives a roar at the sea creature and Jarhan shifts her attention to the cat. “Sister, it is good to see you. I have missed our days as children.” I watch in amazement as Cessa communicates with Jarhan with low grating roars and grunted rumblings.
When Cessa is done, she glances back at me then turns to Jarhan and gives her a final roar. She moves away and walks behind me to sit and wait.
I stare at the cat but I turn when I sense the serpent move in place. “You are your mother’s child,” she finally says while straightening her head. I don’t know what to say to that, so I keep quiet. “Are you not curious of your mother, Lilianethia?”
Whatever hold she had on me disappears at the end of her question. I take a step toward her and she tilts her head again. “I didn’t come here to discuss a mother I don’t know. I was told you have a message for me.”
“Why are you angry with her?” she persists. “You were so young when she was taken, what could she have done to you at such a young age that you would hate her so.”
/>
I look away, angry now and not sure why. “I don’t…I don’t know why, I just am.” The feeling of loneliness and abandonment I felt all those years ago as a child rushes back at me. The days when being different warranted bullying on a daily basis – to the point of isolation from everyone…everyone but Lucas and Julia. If only she was there, if only she wasn’t the great warrior Lucas and everyone else said she was and just been a mom. Maybe then she wouldn’t have been killed. She would be alive and she would have been there when Lucas and I needed her to be. She made a choice and she chose to be Queen Senestra.
Something inside me suddenly breaks and the woman in my head cries. I don’t know how I know this, but I can feel her sorrow, her pain…my pain. And then she’s gone. It’s not as if I was conscious of her all the time, but since the first day she spoke to me when Alorn was poisoned, I knew she was there. Now that she’s gone I can feel an emptiness that leaves me lonely and bereft. Oh my God, it can’t be. Realization finally dawns on me, but disbelief of my suspicions refuses to make that realization true.
I look back up at Jarhan, filled with frustrated anger. “What message do you have for me?” I ask, no longer afraid of the serpent and no longer in awe.
“I have already given it to you, and you have accepted it. The woman who has been with you since your Binding with Prince Tharin was your mother, Senestra.”
Despite my suspicions and realization of a minute ago, her news shocks me to my core. I was right and the last moment when I felt her leave me I knew the truth then. “How? Why…why didn’t she tell me?”
“She feared that you would push her away, as you have just done. She could not bear the pain and sorrow she felt when your memories took you back to days when you felt you needed her most.”
Jarhan stops and again looks down at me steadily. After a moment’s thought she says, “I will tell you this, Lilianethia. The day of her assassination you were with her. Although Eathos was banished to the UnderRealm, he still had followers who eliminated those they felt were responsible for his imprisonment. One particular follower, a Sidhe warrior, discovered the truth about the prophecy and came after you the night she was killed. She called to our Mother asking for whatever she could give to protect you. And by doing so, she was vulnerable to the attack. If not for protecting her child, your mother would be standing by your side now.”