Page 22 of Vathia
As I talk, Aemon’s brows grow higher and higher on his forehead, practically disappearing into his hairline. “Jesper… Did you get possessed by Talyn’s spirit? Do you have a fever?” He tries to touch my forehead, but I swat his hand away.
“Don’t remind me,” I mumble. “I don’t think I like this serious role. I’ll leave that to Tal, for when he gets back and joins us.” I shiver. “But I’m serious. She needs us.”
I cut off my magick and hear Killian groan. “I’m going to fucking get you for that,” he grunts, hoisting himself off the floor. “But I won’t be helping. Not yet.” He picks his blade off the floor and disappears back into the castle.
Aemon’s shoulders rise and then drop as he shifts his weight to the side. “He’ll come around. Now, you mentioned training. What do you have in mind?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
I’M NOT SURE YET IF it’s better having my memories back. On one hand, I can remember their faces and all the amazing memories from childhood before the winter solstice disaster. I remember the four males who I grew up with and who became my closest companions. Seeing how everything was then and witnessing the downfall of my kingdom… a part of me wishes the magick necklace that manipulated my mind, to hide everything from me, was still there. Yet now that I know, I know I need to fix it.
The full conversation of the night my mother made me flee with Gretchen rings loudly in my mind.
My momma thrusts me at her handmaiden as we stride hastily to the stables. “Please Gretchen, get her out of here. Protect her with your life,” she whispers frantically. “Go as far away as you can and don’t tell me where you plan on going,” she hisses. “Follow what we’ve talked about.”
Gretchen stiffly nods her head, and even though her hands are steady, the smell of fear seeping through the air is pungent. “Of course, your Highness. I know what to do—she’ll be safe with me. I swear it on my life. I will tell her of the planswhen she’s old enough to understand. I’ll keep in contact with Amethyst, and when it’s safe, we will bring her home.”
My heart aches as the next words leave my momma’s mouth. “When you come back, dear Jewel, your fathers and I won’t be here. I promise you’ll see me again in the afterlife with our ancestors when it’s your turn to leave here.” Her knees crack against the stone of the stable floor as she collapses to the ground, pulling me towards her. “Go with Gretchen and listen to everything she asks of you. Be strong, my Jewel.” She tucks my necklace into my tunic and taps it tenderly, a spark of her magick seeping into it, making it warm and I feel a powerful magick slide over my mind. “Don’t lose this, okay? It’s important you wear it at all times—do you understand? You won’t be able to take it off until Amethyst gives you the okay. Everything will make sense then, I swear,” she whispers frantically as she searches my face.
Wiping the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand, I give her a tight, jerky nod. “I won’t take it off momma, but I don’t want to leave. Why can’t I stay here with you and my fathers? Why won’t I ever see you again?”
She pulls my cloak tightly around me, settling the hood upon my head, and drags me in for a bone-crushing hug. “I will always be with you here.” She places her hand over my thudding heart. “Don’t forget who you are, my darling, but you can’t tell anyone until it’s safe—promise me.” She waits until I give her my promise before she continues. “Gretchen will instruct you more later, so don’t be bossing her into trying to tell you sooner. Be patient my sweet darling. Just remember that your fathers and I love you, so very much. You are our heart, Maeven. Now go.” She rises gracefully and ushers Gretchen and me towards a horse the color of night.
Once Gretchen is seated in the saddle, my momma hoists me off the ground and into her handmaiden’s lap before backing up with tears streaming down her face.
My hand stretches out to her. “Momma!”
Dust shimmers, falling from the stable ceiling, and I feel it before I hear it: an explosion sounds in the distance and we glance towards the noise in horror. My throat thickens and blood pounds in my ears.
“Go!” my mother bellows as she summons water to her hands.
Gretchen spurs the horse into a gallop and steers us swiftly out of the stable.
I wipe the tears from my face. She never made me promise to stay away forever. If Gretchen had lived, I could have been here, fighting to avenge my parents. That’s another thing, my males—no, not my males. We barely know each other anymore. But did they know what was going to happen that night?
My fingers thread through my tresses as I bury my face into my knees as another muffled sob leaves me. What else was kept from me? The vague memory of the stone flashes in my mind’s eye and I gasp, remembering why it’s so dangerous. I need to speak with Amethyst. We need to retrieve it and destroy it.
Nero pecks at my mental barriers and I let him in as I nearly faceplant off the bed in a rush. “Are you okay? I felt an abrupt change in your emotions. Are you going to do something reckless? Can I join? Pretty please let me join.”
A smile tugs at my lips with Nero’s eagerness. “No? Maybe? I need to talk to Amethyst about what we saw under Phixmery. I know what it is, and it’s not good for anyone. I remember my parents telling me cautionary tales about it—”
Impatient knocking sounds at my door, and somehow I just know it’s Jesper on the other side. It’s like my body can sense him, but that’s just weird. Storming over to the door, I rip it open as he goes to knock again. “Can I help you?” I ask.
Nero’s wings ruffle on my shoulder but he stays quiet, although his curiosity seeps through our bond as I feel his gaze bounces between us.
Jesper grins, his whole face lighting up, making his mismatched eyes glow. Yet another thing that has changed, and I almost forget my task instead wanting to ask him what the void happened, to run my finger over the puckered silver scar that runs through his eye.
“I was coming to get you. Did you think that just because we aren’t at Phixmery anymore you won’t have training? You also need to learn to care for your dragon. And don’t worry, your friends will be joining us too.”
My brain scrambles for a moment. “Training?” I say slowly. My head shakes as if to pull myself together. “Sure, but I really need to talk to Amethyst. It’s important. So I will meet you… Where am I meeting you?” I ask. There’s a few places we could train and he mentioned something about caring for Vasari, who has been nearby with the other dragons in a giant fae-made Keep for them. She loves it, it’s heated and clean. It’s practically an enormous horse stable where our beasts can come and go as they please.
His grin grows wider as he takes a step towards me. “Not to worry. I’ll escort you. I wanted to check in on you anyway. Aemon wanted to do it, but I figured you’d rather see my handsome face.” He winks.
My cheeks heat and I narrow my eyes. “What if I’d rather see Aemon’s or even Kill’s face? Hmm?” I state, pushing past him and heading towards Aemon’s mother’s quarters.
He catches up to me easily with his much longer strides.
“You know, Amethyst isn’t even here right now,” he announces casually when we’re almost at our destination.
