Mark of the Princess (27 page)

“Of course Cavalon.” The King nodded to his wife and they both took a seat.

“First, about your sister.” He let out a large sigh.

“We have been offered to stay but we are unsure as to how long we can leave Meira unattended. Of course we have the advisement council but they can only lead for so long without us, so I would rather that you stayed until your sister has at least awoken.”

“Yes father. I agree.” Alannah’s hands were interlaced and she fidgeted with her slightly long nails, so many thoughts running through her mind.

“I think I should go. If he will wait for Evyette to wake, then I will go with him. He protected me above his own life in the mountains. I have no doubts that I will be safe with him. I need to meet his teachers. I need to control this.” She stood, facing her mother. “You told me that when your powers came in , they were controllable, very minute. Mine have been severe and highly uncontrollable. I do not want to hurt someone un-intentionally, and I do not want to fear my own powers.” She turned her gaze ahead as Brennus emerged from the hallway and headed out the doors that lead to the Kingdom. She sighed heavily. “I think I need to do this.”

Cavalon looked at his wife with a raised eyebrow. “I am not sure what happened in that castle or those mountains but it seems to me that our daughter has matured.” He stood walking over to Alannah. “Then you will go. Before you go you will need to learn the spell that will help you communicate with us through mirrors so that you may update us on your progress. I do not want you sending hawks as they can get intercepted and we do not need anyone knowing where you are.”

“Yes father.” She said, bowing her head

The others stood. “It is settled then. I will show you to the room you may use while you stay.” Calla motioned toward the hallway leading back to the castle, where the King and Queen would sit waiting for news of their daughter whose very soul was in danger.

~
Chapter
24~

Alannah walked down the cold white corridors leading to her sister.

She walked in seeing Tristan next to Evyette’s bed, holding her hand as he had every minute he was allowed since they arrived in the Magi Kingdom.

He heard her walk in but didn’t take his eyes off of Evyette.

“Brennus said we should enlarge the bed and just let me sleep here with her.” He smiled glancing only momentarily at Alannah.

She laughed slightly. “He would say that.” She walked over to the other side of the bed and held Evyette’s other hand as she looked at Tristan. “Any change?”

Tristan looked up to Alannah. She saw his eyes sunken in. He had dark circles beneath them, overtaken by exhaustion. “Well, there haven’t been any more fevers, and the injury is almost completely closed.” He stood and pulled down the blanket covering her chest, a large fresh pink scar lining the center. “Once it heals completely it will not look that bad. They have been healing it from the inside out.” He put the blanket back as Alannah watched the delicacy with which he did it.

He saw the genuine curiosity in her eyes. Her need to understand how he was so sure he wanted to stay at Evyette’s side. “Oh.” He looked at Evyette and smiled for a moment before looking back at Alannah. “I don’t know. I had been attracted to her from the moment we met, and watching her defend herself and us while we were on the journey to find you, showed me the type of fae she truly was.” He sighed deeply. “But on that night. That first night when she was attacked and she couldn’t fight back. Seeing that Demon try to take her… The thought of losing her, hurt my heart. I can’t explain it. It just wasn’t an option. I have to be around her. It’s crazy, I know.” He looked at Evyette. “You know she was hurt trying to help me.”

“Trist.”

“I know, I know, I’m not blaming myself. But I know she cares for me too. And it wouldn’t be fair to her if I left her here alone. I understand that you can’t stay, you have a lot to do and a lot going on.”

Alannah rolled her eyes. “If only you knew.”

“Actually I do. People talk around here.” She looked over at him.

“Do not worry. I haven’t gotten involved. Kaleb is like my brother. But he can take care of himself when it comes to affairs of the heart. He makes sound decisions. I’d like to say I hate Brennus. But I cannot. He has come in every few hours to see if there is anything the Magisters need from him to help Evyette. He even offers to call others from his Kingdom. I’m not sure how much pull he has but it sounds like a lot. I do not get him. He acts repulsive sometimes, but then other times… I don’t know.” Tristan shrugged his shoulders giving up on the idea of figuring out Brennus.

“Yes, speaking of that… I have to go with him to meet his teachers and train. I do not want to go though until I know that Evyette is at least awake. I know she is well taken care of, but I just need to speak with her before leaving. You know?”

“I know.”

Alannah stood and looked at her sister. She looked like she did when she slept peacefully at home. Alannah wanted so much for it to be that way. She brushed a strand of hair from Evyette’s face and leaned in to be cheek to cheek. “I need you sister. I need you to get better, I need you to fight so I can fight with you and we can rid you of this. I love you.” She turned and kissed her sister’s forehead, smiled at Tristan and walked out of the room.

* * *

The day was magnificent, the weather always seemed a bit cooler in the Magi Kingdom but with the sun shining, it made for a perfect day. Alannah walked about the village peering into stores and booths. There was one store though that caught her attention the most. It was smaller and darker than the others, and had no sign hanging outside.

She opened the door and she heard a small bell ring. Alannah waited for a moment for someone to appear but the shop remained empty. Bookshelves lined the walls from the ceiling to the center of the room. Beneath the old dusty books were shelves packed with cauldrons and potions. Next to those she would find herbs and pressed and powdered flowers. “Hello?” her voice was low. Almost as if she didn’t want anyone to answer so that she could keep looking around. She continued scanning the shelves when she received no response.

Alannah had forgotten that most of her hair was picked up today, “Oh, that mark. Yes apparently there aren’t too many people that know about it either.”

The faerie was almost half the size of Alannah, possibly though because she hunched over slightly. She kept her wings out, they were very badly worn, and drooped down, the auburn color lacking in vibrancy.

“Do you know of it?”

“Oh yes dear. It is the mark that only comes every thousand years.” Alannah tried looking at the woman’s face, but she continued to look at the floor and her hair hung around her face obscuring Alannah’s view.

“My powers didn’t start coming in until recently. And well I was too stubborn to practice my other gifts.” Alannah stopped her explanation quickly not understanding why she felt the need to justify herself.

The older faerie walked slowly over to a nearby shelf and pulled out a book.

Sorcery Mastery

“Here. You should have this.” The old lady reached the worn book forward placing it in Alannah’s hands, never once lifting her gaze.

“Oh thank you. How much is it?” Alannah asked, running her fingers down the spine and across the designs on the cover.

“I will not charge the Princess of Meira. Besides, you need it more than I.” She walked around the store sorting potions and herbs. “How is your sister?”

Alannah was beginning to be bothered by the old lady’s lack of emotion when she spoke. “Who are you? How do you know so much about me and my family?” Alannah heard thunder rolling outside, as anger and confusion boiled up inside her.

“I am Dara.” She said so low that Alannah barely heard her. Still walking around the room adjusting items on the shelves, she stopped never fully looking at Alannah but tilting her head slightly. “You should calm yourself Princess.” She pointed outside at the clouds that had rolled in. Alannah took some deep breaths and watched as rays of sunlight began breaking through the sudden clouds and poured through the store window. “You should get to reading young fae.”

Alannah watched as she finished sorting some potion bottles and walked to the back without so much as a goodbye.

Alannah walked out of the shop in a daze. She saw Alessa in the distance talking to a handsome young faerie and began walking over to her.

“So am I.” she saw Alannah’s annoyed expression and raised eyebrow. “Fine. At least keep me company while I walk then.” Alessa said, stepping off the stone she had been balancing on and began to walk. “Dara appeared here just before I was born. No one really knows her history, she doesn’t talk to many people and a lot of people are very weary around her. Not because of the way she looks mind you, not that she couldn’t do with a new dress and a hairbrush, I swear she ages twice as fast as anyone here. But because she knows things about people that most strangers would not know. Some people think that she might have the power of telepathy, but no one can tell since she usually has her marks covered and she doesn’t speak much of herself.”

“Personally? I think she is telepathic, or she has precognition, or both. She just knows too much, do you understand? Also, she looks so different than the other older faeries. Like she has lived twice as long and been through twice as much but in less time.” Alessa shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well, we’ll never know because she doesn’t say.”

Alannah listened as she thumbed quickly through the spell book.”

“Thank you Alessa.”

“mmmhmmm.” Alessa responded waving her hand as she walked through the castle doors, disappearing through one of the corridors on the first floor.

Alannah went to her room and threw herself on her bed to begin reading. The beginning chapters were spells she had heard others use, common spells. She memorized them quickly and forged ahead. The further she got into the book the more complicated the spells became. Some even began to deal with countering dark magic. She traced the faint marks on the pages with her fingers. The knock on her door caused her to jump as she was so enthralled by all she was reading. “Just a moment.”

She got off her bed and looked in the mirror. Her hair had mostly fallen out of the pins that she had put on in the morning. She smiled at the blush of her cheeks, brought on by the time she spent wandering among the shops.

“Yes?” She opened the door and found Brennus leaning on her doorway, closer than she expected. He looked the way he always did, like he didn’t care about what he was going to say or who he was saying it to. His grey eyes looking directly at hers.