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“The look of longing. You must tell me what happened to change your mind about Oberon. I wasn’t expecting you to fall for him so soon.”
“I haven’t fallen for him,” I say, though my protest sounds half-hearted even to my own ears.
“Of course not, dear,” my mother replies indulgently. “Come along. You need to be on your way to see Kyan. We must keep my sweet grandson and great-granddaughter safe.”
The reminder sobers me, and I follow my mother back into the castle.
Could she be right in her assumption? Am I falling for the king of the dark fae, and more importantly, is he falling for me?
Chapter 5
After speaking with my mother, I go home to shower and change out of my dirty clothes. With no time to waste, I head straight for Kyan’s home on the edge of town. The sooner I have him repair the sphere, the better I’ll feel.
A few years ago, my father forced Kyan into retirement when the geomancer refused to give him the magical knowledge required to destroy the spheres. Kyan knew my father would use that power at his own discretion, regardless of fairness to the humans trapped inside the miniature replicas of Earth. After my father labelled him as a heretic, Kyan was instantly shunned by his friends and loved ones to avoid the same fate. He in turn lost all interest in being around people and moved to the outskirts of New Aos to live out his days in peace and quiet.
I didn’t know Kyan very well, even when he was head of the geomancer guild. Before I was born, he and my mother were close friends, but something happened, and they drifted apart. I’m not sure who or what ended their friendship. The reason behind their fallout never interested me until now. I wish I had that bit of knowledge to help me prepare for his reaction to my unexpected visit, but I’m sure my mother wouldn’t have sent me here on a fool’s errand. She must believe he won’t hold a grudge against me for what my father did to his reputation. At least, that’s the hope.
I lightly tap on his front door and impatiently wait for him to answer.
“Who is it?” A gruff voice asks from inside.
“Kyan, my name is Emily. I’m Queen Carina’s daughter.” Best not to mention my father’s name or he may never open the door.
Kyan pulls away the short white curtain hanging on the other side of his door and peers at me with a hostile gaze. He’s around the same age as my parents with hair so blond it almost appears white, and vibrant jade green eyes that always seek answers. His skin is pale, making me wonder if he ever steps out of his house during the day.
I hold up the box in my hands and lift the lid so he can see the sphere inside.
“Please, I need your help.” I’m not above begging, especially when the lives of my loved ones are in peril. “My mother said I can trust you. Was she right?”
“Huh,” Kyan scoffs, but his eyes haven’t moved from the sphere since I revealed it. “I would say trust is in short supply. You can’t trust anyone these days.”
The curtain swings back into place. Metal slides against metal as he unlocks the door and opens it.
“Be quick about it if you want my help,” he says, taking a step back to give me space to enter. “I haven’t got all day, girl.”
I would ask what an out of work geomancer has occupying his time, but I don’t want to sound impertinent. It’s not a good way to get help from someone who seems on the verge of throwing me out the door at the slightest provocation.
Kyan’s home is quaint in a turn of the twentieth century human sort of way. All of the neighborhoods of New Aos were given a choice of architectural style. They could either pay homage to what humanity built in a particular era, or they could construct homes similar to what we had on our home world. Kyan’s home is a two-story, gray-blue painted home with white trim.
As I step inside, the décor throughout stays in keeping with the time period. Wood-stained furniture with floral upholstery and gilded mirrors with gold painted trim can be seen in the entryway and living room off to the right. Kyan is even dressed like someone from the time. He’s wearing a dark gray suit, red and black vest, and gray shirt with a black cravat.
“You’ll have to excuse the mess,” he says, tucking his long straight hair behind his ears, “I wasn’t expecting a guest today. People normally keep their distance from the crazy old geomancer.”
I smile politely. “If this is what you consider a mess, I’m curious to know what you deem something tidy. Your home is beautiful, Kyan. Thank you for allowing me to speak with you. I would have sent word ahead about my visit, but I’m afraid time is of the essence.” I open the box again so he can see the sphere. “This is Earth 104. There was a mishap and the crack formed. It’s been getting longer. Can you fix it?”
Kyan eyes the world with much interest for a few seconds before beckoning me to follow him.
“I was just about to make some tea. Would you like some?”
Having no other choice, I follow him back into the kitchen. The area is filled with sunlight since the room is made almost entirely out of glass and steel.
“Can you mend the crack?” I ask while he grabs a copper tea kettle from the stove and fills it with water. He doesn’t look at me again until his task is complete.
“Oh, yes, yes. I can help you with your problem, but it will come at a price.”
“Whatever amount of money you want, I can get it for you,” I’m quick to say.
Kyan smiles at me rather indulgently. “I don’t need your money. What I would really like to know is what’s going on in New Aos and the world beyond. I don’t hear much gossip these days and would love to hear what’s happening. Tell me, is it true the dark fae have returned? I was in line at the grocers and heard they were back.”
