Out of the Mountain (17 page)

I saw a hawk flying above me as I made the turn into the cornfield. I paid Finley no mind; he wouldn’t hurt me, and they would have found me anyway. When I saw the pond I dashed and jumped into the water, quickly cooling myself and having a little fun too. I could tell my tigress was enjoying this. I started to feel more sympathetic to her. I knew what it was like to be locked up and hidden away.

I swam for a while before Farran joined me in his tiger form. He helped me to adapt to my tigress’s powerful form as best as he could manage. I was having trouble recognizing my own strength, but he was more than patient with me. The others returned to their duties, and I was glad they hadn’t come to gape at me. I was embarrassed I couldn’t control my own magic. This was something they had all learned to do as children, but I hadn’t had the choice or the chance.

“You have to allow your power to flow through you and around you in order to conjure your original form,” he was telling me, now in his human form and conjuring our dinner. “Everything that you conjure already exists. You can’t simply make things sprout into being. For example, all this food was in the palace. I took what I knew was there and made it appear here for our enjoyment. The same thing applies for clothing and weapons. Also, if you don’t direct the clothes you are wearing to go somewhere, they will return to where they were originally conjured from. So you would need to think that these new clothes are appearing on your body, as the old ones are going to the dirty clothes basket. The more details you observe of your surroundings, the better. It becomes a sort of card catalog in your head after a while.” I thought about that for a moment and realized something.

“So, that first night we met, the lacy nightgown you dressed me in belonged to whom exactly?”
I thought, but I remembered that he couldn’t hear me and huffed.

“It’s not as simple as knowing you have it and willing it to come either. You must know that you have it and how it looks and feels to you. Dressing someone else is quite a bit more difficult but most can get the hang of it. The more you know about the objects, the better the results will be. A mistake one might make would be to conjure a sword; instead of appearing in your hand . . . it would appear through your chest. There are nuances that must be learned . . . ,” he said, eyeing me warily.

“The simplest thing to conjure is your original form. You have lived in that skin your entire life; you know how it looks and feels by simple instinct. It is ingrained in all of your senses.” I plopped my head down onto my paws. Why couldn’t I do it? I tried it once more, and when I failed I covered my head. I was going to be stuck like this forever.

***

Rowan appeared in the clearing as night was falling. He tried unsuccessfully to hide his disappointment to see my tiger sprawled out on the grass. I turned away from him, huffing out a sigh.

“I suppose I cannot make you return to your room in the palace for the night?” he asked timidly, and I turned away from him.

“I figured as much,” he complained.

“So what are we going to do?” Farran asked to break the silence. I knew what I was going to do. I was going to lie right here. I was too tired to move. I yawned, placing my head back on my paws and closing my eyes. My tigress was content with my decision.

“I guess we’re camping.” Farran conjured a tent and went inside, bidding me good night. I blinked my eyes in return before closing them again. I felt magic in the air and peeked an eye open to see the lion that was joining me.

“You don’t have to sleep out here with me,”
I grumbled. He didn’t reply.

“Fine, have it your way.”
I turned toward the pond and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

I was shivering. I reach for my covers and found none. Why was I so cold? I opened my eyes to see the sky full of stars slowly fading into morning light and remembered I was sleeping outside. I stretched my arms above my head and winced at a kink in my neck. I massaged the spot with my hand for a moment before I realized that I wasn’t still in tiger form.

I froze, looking down at my naked body. I needed to conjure clothes! Rowan was still in his lion form sleeping nearby, and I was terrified he would wake at any moment. I tiptoed my way over to the big tree by the pond and hid behind it. Pushing my hands against the tree to ground myself, I centered my mind, closing my eyes and concentrating. I thought of a simple cotton dress I had seen in my closet that would be easy to slip on and cover all of my body. I willed it to come to me. I saw the blue color in my mind and felt the soft material in my hands. I felt the flare of magic just as I heard movement from the campsite and panicked, opening my eyes. When I saw that the blue dress had actually appeared and was stretched to its limit around the thick trunk of the tree I almost laughed, before I let out a groan and jumped into the pond with a splash.

“Vivienne?” I heard Rowan’s confused tone, and I tried to keep my cool. Which was harder than you would think in the freezing water.

“What’s going on?” I heard Farran as he appeared next to Rowan on the bank.

“You’ve regained your form. Well done!” Rowan praised me, and I blushed. Awareness dawned on his face, and Farran stifled a laugh behind his hand.

“Oh my, our skinny-dipping princess will be the talk of the town!” Farran burst into laughter, and I slipped under the water’s surface, mortified. I held my breath as long as possible before I came back up, gasping for air. Rowan was gone, and Farran was holding a robe in his hands. He closed his eyes, and I climbed out of the freezing water and donned the robe as quickly as I could manage. The sun was rising, and I was glad to be back to normal.

“I didn’t think of it, but when you will yourself back into your original form, you also will it to be clothed,” he joked and I glared at him.

“I didn’t do it myself. I woke up lying naked and freezing in the dark. I did manage to dress the tree though,” I grumbled, pointing to the tree, embarrassed. His shoulders were shaking with the force of trying to hold his laughter in, and I couldn’t help but crack a smile as well. It was kind of funny.

“Don’t worry, Vivi. You will get the hang of it soon, I expect.” He smiled and I tried to think positive. He conjured my training outfit, and I secured my wet hair into a high ponytail before we made our way to the guard buildings.

***

“There’s our girl!” Luca was sitting on the edge of the large table where everyone seemed to be gathering in Guard HQ.

“I knew you would figure it out.” Briony smiled. I hadn’t, in fact, figured it out, but no one needed to know that just yet.

“Thanks, guys. I’m feeling pretty great,” I admitted.

“You look it too.” Luca winked and I smiled at his compliment. He was pretty cute.

“Luca, get off the table before I remove you from it myself,” Silas barked, entering the room. Luca jumped down immediately, throwing a sly grin my way.

“Have we found any with the mark yet?” I wanted to be filled in on everything I had missed yesterday as soon as possible.

“Two unfortunately,” Silas said, and my eyes widened. Two had been found on day one?

“And not during the screenings, these were found when Adelaide caught them hiding in the bushes watching the proceedings.” He continued.

“Can I see them?”

“No,” Rowan said from the corner, and I frowned at him.

“Why not?

“There is no need,” he replied, and I stiffened before turning to Silas.

“Take me to see the prisoners.” I was happy to use my title as princess. People had used it against me since I got here anyway. He looked around for help for a moment before Farran spoke up.

“If you don’t take her, I’ll just do it anyway,” he said honestly, and I smiled at him. He was the best.

“Very well then. Follow me, Princess.”

I was surprised when instead of walking out of the building, he led me farther into it. There weren’t any decorations on the beige walls, and the floor was smooth tile. It was all very plain. The hall we walked into was lined with doors that were all numbered and closed. Behind the last door was stone steps that led us downward.

The walls were lined with stones that were damp to the touch. It wasn’t hard to discern that we were underground. The musty smell wasn’t pleasant. There was a guard I had never met before on duty waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and he stepped aside to allow us passage into the wide corridor. There were a series of doors down here as well, and Silas walked to one, unlocking it with keys pulled from his belt.

“Be cautious.” I heard Rowan behind me, and I jumped.

“Don’t sneak up on me!”

“I have been directly behind you the entire time.”

“It’s true, he was,” Farran said from in front of me, causing me to jump all over again. These men were going to give me a heart attack.

When I entered the door behind Silas, I saw a series of cells lined down a long hall. The smell down here was even more unpleasant, and I wrinkled my nose. Silas led me to a cell near the middle and stopped. The cells were sparse with only a cot and small toilet in the corner. I spotted a man sitting on the edge of the cot with his head bent. I moved toward the cell to get a better look, and Silas caught my arm.

“It is better to keep your distance, Princess,” he warned, and at the sound of my title the man in the cell’s head popped up, eyes glowing red. I backed into Silas’s giant frame, holding his arm as if it were a life line.

“Such beautiful skin. I was told not to eat, but maybe just a bite?” The voice that came out of the man was guttural and low. I flinched at the thought but quickly squared my shoulders when I remembered that I was safe. He couldn’t hurt me here, and maybe I could get some answers.

“You were meant to take me alive?” I asked, trying to keep my breathing calm.

“We must obey our mistress, and her mate wants you alive,” he hissed.

“Her mate . . . You mean Kieran? What does he want with me?” I gasped, appalled.

“To suck you dry and fill you again.” He laughed, and I stiffened. My own uncle wanted to kill me and steal my magic.

“I would die before I let him take my power,” I growled, and was surprised at the truth in my own words. I wouldn’t allow him to use me to cause harm to others.

“You will die as he takes your abilities for his own and then gifts your shell to my mistress,” he said smugly, and my tigress growled, anger raced through me. I rushed the cell, slamming against the bars. He jumped back against the wall, hissing.

“I will cleave you from the body you stole and send you into the abyss.” The words fell brokenly from my mouth, marred with animal noises. I could feel my tigress wanting to break free and neutralize the threat before us. I couldn’t allow that to happen, but I took pleasure in the man’s struggle to get as far from me as possible.

Suddenly the man went completely still. I watched uneasily as his eyes found mine, and I saw something different behind them. I released the bars and took a slow step back as a smile split across the man’s face. Farran was at my side immediately.

“She looks so much like your mother, doesn’t she?” the man asked, eyes never leaving me. I could feel dirty, dark, and oppressive magic flooding the air.

“Narissa?” Farran seethed.

“Do not worry, child. I only use my underling to send a message and show you exactly what I am capable of. You can call off your guard’s ruse and be assured that no more of mine will be captured unless I will them to.”

“When I find you, I will feast on your bones and smile as you sit in my swollen belly.” Farran snarled menacingly. It was so unlike him, and even I was afraid in that moment. His eyes were shining brightly but the threat wasn’t from his tiger. Shrill laughter broke the air, and I jumped as a pulse of dark magic swirled toward Farran. Without a thought I jumped in front of him and braced myself for the magic to hit me. I was shocked when instead it disappeared in a flash of light.

“What did you do?” Rowan grabbed my arms, looking me over. I was just as confused by what had happened as he was. I looked at the man in the cell; his eyes flashed from brown to red, an expression of pain on his face, before finally settling on red and staying.

“Just a bite I think,” he said, jumping toward the bars as Rowan grabbed me and dragged me up the stairs.

“Do you see now why I thought it best to keep you away?” He seethed when we were back in the hall.

“Do you see now why it was best that you didn’t?” I replied smugly, thinking of what we had uncovered.

“One shift and you think that you have the ability to protect yourself. This is why you must be kept separate: you have no perception of danger. You never have!” He hissed, and I rolled my eyes.

“I thought I showed the appropriate amount of fear for the circumstance . . . besides the man was in a cell and on top of that I had you, Farran, and Silas with me. So relax for a minute and tell me . . . was that the first time either of them spoke to you?” He frowned.

“I figured as much,” I said, smiling at Farran and Silas as they came up behind us and shut the door to the dungeon.

“Don’t ever do that again!” Farran barked at me, and I flinched, surprised at his tone. His eyes immediately softened, and then he pulled me into a tight hug. He knew that I had shielded him from Narissa’s magic. He let out an exasperated sigh and squeezed me even tighter before releasing me.

“Why do I always feel like I’m missing important things?” Silas sighed, and I laughed, wiping a tear that I hadn’t known escaped from my eye at Farran’s display. He really and truly cared about me, and it was evident.

“Did you see, though?” I asked, and he nodded wryly. I had felt the magic hit me and dissipate. I had somehow managed to block the dark magic and push Narissa away.

“I’m working on a few theories,” he said tapping his temple.

Rowan was standing completely still, appearing lost in thought. I wished I could know what he was thinking when his eyes met mine and quickly adverted. He was the most confusing person I had ever met! Silas led the way back to the main room where we found everyone was still waiting.