“We both know it wasyouwho set the fire. Why not just own up to it?” I seethe.
Careful Nuria…
Pyralis washes a hand over his face. “Come now, son. You know it was all Nuria’s fault. If she hadn’t run off I would have never lost my temper!” He clenches and unclenches his hands and flames erupt in his eyes. I see my opening to finally get some answers knowing Embrys cannot interject.
Nuria, don’t!
“Why is she so important to you? Why not just let them both go?”
“You know why, son. You know who her mother was. We need her to fall for you. You have been playing along so nicely up until now. Her scent is all over you, which goes to show that our plan is working,” Pyralis sneers, clapping Embrys on the shoulder. “You must return to her but only after the trial. She cannot go anywhere near the Palace until our family has been tied to the House of Wind. I already have the House of Water at my disposal through Nerius and you will secure the House of Ether through the girl.”
You what?! Youneededme to fall for you? For what, a political alliance? Was everything a lie?I squeeze my eyes shut and try to block Embrys out but I feel his energy push through my barriers.
“Embrys? What is wrong?” I try to tune Pyralis’ voice out,
It is not what it sounds like! Nuria please!His voice sounds like it is fading and I can feel the tug of the necklace around my neck pulling me back to the cave as my vision starts to darken. I sink to my knees and the last thing I hear is Pyralis shouting for Nerius’ assistance before everything goes dark.
Chapter Twenty
When I open my eyes, I am back in the crystal cave. This time I can see Gaius, anxiously pacing outside of the opening, stopping every now and again to give me a worried look. I try to call out to him but produce no sound. He doesn’t seem to notice I am waving at him either but then I look down and can see I am being pulled away from my body. I am lying on the bottom of the cave with my eyes closed.
Woah, talk about out of body experience. Um… hey, me… wake up. Please, wake up!
I try to concentrate on moving a limb or even a finger but nothing happens. I wonder whether this is what Gaius meant when he said he loses himself, pure dread sours my stomach.
Oh no, oh no, Gaius! Help! Get me out of here!I call to him over and over, nothing happens. I try to focus on wiggling my pinky finger, nothing happens.
Where am I?I am caught somewhere in between sleep and wakefulness but I am paralyzed. Embrys was my anchor in the past when I had entered the crystals through my dreams but I don’t dare call on him now, not after what I just discovered.How could he…Come on, I have to get out of here. Oleander’s lifedepends on it! Help!I keep shouting to Gaius but he just keeps anxiously pacing.
Far off, in the distance, the faintest reply echoes. It sounds like the voice that had been calling me before…
Am I hearing things? Hello?
Nuria… Come to me.I definitely heard it that time. I look down to see my necklace floating mid-air and the crystal in the centre starts to glow.
Nuria… come to me. The voice is much louder now and I feel the warmth of the necklace around my neck pulling me back down into my body.Is this my mother? Is she calling me?
Mom! Mom is that you? Where are you? I need to speak to you… To see you. Please!
I am nearly back into my body and can hear the voice call out my name one more time before I am snapped back into consciousness, bolting upright and gasping for air.
Gaius startles and tries to crawl into the cave with me, “praise The Mother! Nuria!” I wave him off and clamber out on my own. When I try to stand I wobble and collapse into the side of a deer that has run up to my side to brace me.
“Thanks.” I give her a little stroke on the head and look at Gaius. “How long was I in there?”
“A full day and a night.” He is anxiously chewing on his moustache and wiggling his fingers at me. “What did you see? Where did you go?” His eyes are wide and sparkling.
“That long! There is no time Gaius, I have to go! I have to get to the Palace. Embrys… He betrayed me… Oleander needs me…” I look down and realize I am still in my nightgown and turn to go to my room but my legs are all jelly and do not want to cooperate and my head starts to spin.
“Give yourself a moment, child. You have been sitting in one position for a long, long time.” Gaius grabs onto my arm and leads me to the sofa, taking my weight by ducking his shoulderunder my arm while the deer braces my other side. “Now, tell me… where did you get that necklace?” He warily eyes up the necklace that is sitting outside of my night dress. It is still faintly glowing.
“It was my mother’s. It was found on her burial mound by the boulder gnomes. They took care of me when I was a child. My mother died giving birth to me.” I thoughtlessly grab onto the necklace. “They thought I should have it…” I sit and accept a glass of water from a raccoon. My thirst suddenly hits me, my throat feeling like a sand swept desert. I gulp it all down in seconds.
I was in there for nearly two days?
“I have only ever seen two of the necklaces from the House of Ether that contained the crystal of consciousness in my days. Both belonged to the royal line and no one knew of their origin. More specifically, one belonged to Edmund and the other to his mother…” Gaius stares, mesmerized by the necklace and reaches out a tentative hand to touch it but pulls away at the last second. His eyes dart back to mine for a moment before he drops onto one knee and bows his head.
“Wh…what are you doing? Gaius, get up.”
