A Life Earthbound (5 page)

“Each of the lights is a cluster of seeds, specifically the seed I just showed you how to create. Our greatest tool, other than the globe, is our mind. We use it to create and to imagine our gift as we improve the world.” He tilted his head down to look at her, his eyes serious. “Our work is very important. Everything we do affects the ecosystem of our planet and must all be for the purpose of maintaining balance. We have been entrusted by Thea and our creator to carry out this responsibility.” He saw her nod seriously and he hoped he wasn’t overloading her. But then again, she had already proven herself to be more proficient than he had been at her age. “I know it’s a lot to handle right now, but you have years to learn and to practice your craft. And one day you will take over and run all of this on your own.” He spread his arms out, motioning to the entire Greenhouse.

“Can you show me more?” she asked politely.

He nodded. “Would you like to see how we make an earthquake?”

“Yes,” she replied, her demeanor calm and reserved while on the inside she was jumping with the childlike enthusiasm she wasn’t allowed to show.

Hours later, after he’d walked her through everything there was about being an Earth Dryad and helped her practice using her powers, Rohan looked at his daughter and knew she was going to be excellent. She had so much promise, such natural ability and intelligence, that he was struck blind with pride.

But, in his usual manner, he kept his comments to himself and set aside emotion for the sake of keeping things tidy and neat, as he preferred. His own father had been strict with him, stern and all-knowing. He intended to do the same with his own child, guiding her with a strong hand down the path to success.

Yet even he, a man reserved, grounded, and cautious with his mind and most especially his heart, could see the longing in his daughter’s eyes as she stared out the glass walls of the Greenhouse.

Lucian was chasing Liam in the courtyard, bubbles floating all around them as they ran, both grinning and laughing. Lucian gripped his son around the waist and lifted him high up into the air, spinning him around before nimbly setting him on his shoulders.

Rhiannon watched them with somber eyes, silently wishing she could play, too. But there was work to be done and play would always take second place.

Though he didn’t expect it, Rohan’s gut clenched and his heart ached as he watched his daughter. He knew he could never give her that kind of affection, could never play with her like that. He just didn’t know how. He loved her with a depth so great it filled and enriched his very soul, but he lacked the power to show emotion. He wasn’t the kind to laugh easily, nor smile with true joy, or even love with explosive passion.

And though it pained him, he knew that in the end Rhiannon was destined to grow up to be just like him. He only hoped she learned to cope with the emptiness of a cold heart better than he did.

Laughter rang out
through the misty morning air, joining in with the cheerful sound of birds basking in another beautiful day. Sunlight poured through the vast trees and shone upon the cobblestone walkway and grass in hazy pools of golden light.

The flowers were in glorious bloom, the scents carrying on the air, light and fresh. Plump honeybees and delicate butterflies drifted from plant to plant, content in this peaceful paradise.

As Rhiannon walked holding Capri’s tiny hand, she took a deep breath to inhale the glory of it all. This was her home and she loved it with all her heart. This was what she knew and she couldn’t imagine life where the humans lived. At the tender age of five, she preferred Euphora and the safety of the walls that one day she’d consider her cage.

But until then, she was content to stroll along with Capri, who was like her little sister. Kind, gentle Capri, with her slightly curled strands of pale blonde hair and her wide gray eyes, so sweet and shy, with a mouth that was almost always smiling. Rhiannon adored her and found herself constantly seeking to be in the younger girl’s presence, if only because she brought comfort.

Ahead of them, Blythe and Liam skipped and chased each other, laughing loudly and calling out, teasing and taunting. It was a game they knew well, something that seemed to bond them together in a way that had made Rhiannon feel like an outsider until Capri came along.

While Blythe and Liam were both energetic, spontaneous and loud, Rhiannon and Capri were both subdued, thoughtful and shy. And it appealed to Rhiannon’s sense of responsibility to be in charge of Capri while they played together, at least the rare times she was given permission to take a break from her studies and join in.

But today she was with them, and her heart felt included enough to be satisfied.

“Let’s play hide and seek!” Blythe shouted suddenly, whirling around to face the others.

“Yeah!” Liam exclaimed, tapping Blythe’s shoulder. “And you’re it!”

“Okay, but you better choose a good spot ‘cause I’m the best seeker there is!” she announced as she danced off to a nearby tree, pressing her face against it with her arms covering her head. She began to count, her high-pitched voice almost screaming, just to be sure they heard her.

Rhiannon watched as Liam bolted away, off to the far left corner of the courtyard. She paused for a moment, distracted as she spotted her mother and Thea strolling down the cobblestone pathway, heading out to handle a food delivery in the meadow. Though her eyes followed her mother, Serendipity did not glance over, but instead continued her conversation with Thea, oblivious at how desperate her own child was for her attention.

Pushing thoughts of her mother away, Rhiannon anxiously chewed her bottom lip, wondering where she should hide and whether or not to take Capri with her.

Capri looked at her for instruction and Rhiannon decided to hide with her. They’d find a good spot and hopefully Blythe would find Liam first.

Her heart pounding with excitement and adrenaline, Rhiannon walked swiftly over to Thea’s rose garden. Large rose bushes were clumped together, filled with fragrant red, pink and yellow blooms. Crouching behind one of the bushes with Capri, Rhiannon put her finger to her lips, urging her friend to be quiet.

Rhiannon held Capri’s hand, anxiously waiting for Blythe to finish counting. Her entire body quivered and she shut her eyes to fight the urge to give up and run away. This was what playing was, and even though she didn’t know much about it, she wanted desperately to be included.

“Ready or not, here I come!” Blythe shrieked, a giggle escaping her throat as she whirled around and scanned the gardens, searching for her friends. Then she was on the hunt.

Rhiannon could hear Blythe tromping around through the shrubs, examining every good hiding place as she went. When the sounds got louder, she knew Blythe was heading in their direction.

She met Capri’s eyes, and had to bite back a smile and a giggle as they heard Blythe coming closer. Capri looked away, however, distracted by one of the pink roses in front of her. Her hand reached out, and before Rhiannon could pull it back, Blythe jumped out at them and yelled “Gotcha!”

Startled, Capri’s hand instinctively clamped around the stem of the rose. She looked down at her hand, feeling the sharp and sudden pain, and spotted the blood. With a terrified glance up at Rhiannon, her eyes began to well with tears.

Blythe, not noticing what had happened, skipped off cheerfully and called for Liam to come out.

Rhiannon stared at Capri, not knowing what to do as her friend began to cry. Frightened, she stood up and looked around, and saw Heidi nearby, trimming roses and putting them in a basket.

The woman turned in Rhiannon’s direction, her soft brown eyes honing in as she heard her daughter crying.

Within seconds Heidi was lifting Capri into her arms, cooing and smiling, relieved it was only a tiny prick from a thorn, and not something much worse. With a kind smile, she patted Rhiannon’s head and carried Capri away, kissing her tear stained cheeks and holding her close, making light of the situation to calm her daughter down.

Trembling, Rhiannon watched Heidi and Capri disappear inside the castle, her heart still thudding in her chest. She stared at the roses and without thinking she gripped one of the stems hard, letting the thorns pierce her skin.

Her brows creased together with pain as she pulled her hand away, staring numbly at the blood that now dripped from several cuts on her skin.

She didn’t know what had driven her to do it, but seeing the way Capri’s mother had swept her away, holding her and kissing her, had struck a chord within her. This was, although she didn’t know it, an experiment.

Holding her hand out, her face expressionless and her eyes dry as the desert, she headed off to where she had seen her mother go with Thea. She saw the two women standing beside the large oak tree, taking inventory on a few crates that had been dropped off by a couple of Enforcers.

The pain in her hand barely registered as she walked through the meadow, her eyes on her mother, her mind blank.

Serendipity turned as Rhiannon approached, her hand pressed against the small of her back as she supported her heavily pregnant belly. When she saw the blood on her daughter’s hand, she let out an impatient hiss.

“What did you do, Rhiannon?” Serendipity scolded, her ice blue eyes sharp as glass. “You shouldn’t be so careless.”

Thea looked over and watched the situation unfold with troubled eyes. She could see exactly what the young Earth Dryad was doing. She was testing the waters and hoping for a result that would, unfortunately, never occur.

Serendipity rolled her eyes at Thea and grimaced. “I’ll be right back.”

Thea just nodded, biting her tongue. She wanted to scold the young mother for being so heartless. But she knew it wouldn’t do any good. It was Serendipity’s nature to act that way and she was unlikely to see past her selfish ways for years to come.

Serendipity grabbed Rhiannon’s wrist and pulled her through the meadow and into the courtyard, her pace brisk despite her pregnancy. Rhiannon fell into step beside her, fighting against the disappointment she felt.

They headed into the castle and up to her parents’ room, where Serendipity shut the door behind them and ushered Rhiannon into the bathroom.

With a heavy sigh, she opened the cabinet and pulled out bandages and ointment, and set them on the counter. Crossing her arms, she turned to her daughter, her face grim.

“Wash your hand with soap,” she ordered.

Rhiannon did as she was told, biting back against the pain from the cuts on her hand. When she was finished, she toweled her hand off and stared at her mother.