Queen of Jastain (8 page)

How had her mind jumped so quickly into that kiss? There was something odd about that vision, but whatever it was flitted out of her reach. Why had she seen her own face and not his? Where did that passion come from? She'd never felt that deeply about anyone or anything. She'd never had a reason to because nothing had ever been that important to her. He was attractive, yes, but Geez.
Show a little self-control, Abs, for God’s sake.

She needed to splash some cold water over her heated body and change out of his clothes. After gathering her things, she tiptoed from the cave. The stream was nestled less than twenty-five feet away from the cave but uneasiness kept her from venturing farther than a whisper.

After washing in the freezing water, she dressed in her own clothes and crept back into the inlet just as the sun cleared the horizon.

Abby laid Avant’s shirt and cloak folded neatly next to him. The vision of the kiss flooded back to her, making her stomach flutter, and her heart race. She needed a plan before he woke up or he would see that kiss in vibrant HD. She might as well fling herself from the nearest cliff if that happened. Maybe she could sing a song to clear her mind if the thought assailed her again. That could work, right?

She pulled out the Red Bull and popped the top. Avant opened his eyes.

“
Sorry.
” She smiled, and took a gulp.

A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone so fast she couldn’t identify it. “
Good day, fair lady. I see you have awakened the sun for us.”

“I guess I did. Late night?”
She swigged the energy drink.

He shook his head.
“You seem in better spirits. There is nothing like the dawn after a storm to provide us with hope and fill us again with faith. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.”

Uh-huh. God, he sounded just like her dad, which was a creepy idea after she'd just imagined…
ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer, if one of those bottles should happen to fall, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall….

 Avant gave her a suspicious look and the last portion of the
panas
before going to wash in the stream. She sang the whole song—twice.

In the excitement of the evening, they hadn't eaten, so he also fished for trout. He cooked his catch, and they shared it for breakfast. Fish for breakfast was not her first choice, but it actually wasn’t bad. The white flaky meat melted like heaven in her mouth, and her body immediately absorbed the protein. A new energy filled her, although that could've been the Red Bull.

Packing up the camp, they headed toward his home.

“We'll bypass the village and journey to my fief by way of a footpath a short distance to the east. I would rather not explain your presence quite yet. Your visit will be rumor enough in time, and the villagers are somewhat prone to gossip.”

“Do you rule the people of the village also?”
She could understand how her presence might cause talk if he was their leader. Especially if he wasn't married, or even more if he was. Her heart sank and then her cheeks heated with the revelation that
again
he'd heard every word.

His face lit in a cocky smirk.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

“It is a modest village where everyone is known, and in your current attire, you could not possibly go unnoticed.”
He raised his brow as his gaze slid the length of her.
“I'll have Petra get some proper clothing for you tomorrow, as well as anything else for which you have need. And, in answer to your unspoken question—I have no wife on my fief.”

Abby’s heart lurched into her throat, and she couldn't meet his even gaze. Not only did he know she lusted after him, he thought she was dressed like a tart. This was starting out to be another banner day.

Trying to refocus her mind, she concentrated on his last words.
“Who is Petra?”

“Petra is the Bailiff of my lands. He has lived with me for almost eight years. Though not by blood, he is my son.”

Abby breathed a sigh.
“Your son? How old is he?”

“He is nearly twenty summers old.”

He had a son her age. As if the awkwardness couldn't get any thicker. He chuckled.

Indignation burned in her throat.
“I'm not sure what you're laughing at.”
She wasn't the only one with a secret attraction.

With that thought, he masked his face in impassivity. And she was the one who smiled in smug satisfaction.

Picking up the pace and walking ahead of her, Avant left the sparkling stream in favor of a trail between two closely formed hills of the eastern mountains. The late summer foliage remained green, but the chill in the wind told of cooler weather to come.

They spent several hours ascending the wooded path through uneven terrain. The moisture in the air increased, and the sound of rushing water grew louder the farther they walked.

Abby’s feet felt like they would fall off. The five-hundred dollar shoes had succeeded in producing huge blisters on at least two toes of each foot and rubbed off all the flesh on the back of her heel. Fairly certain her Achilles tendons were now exposed to the elements, she never wanted to see a pair of designer sandals again as long as she lived.

The night’s rest in the cave had given her some relief from the fatigue that drained her. Still, the travel and stress left her feeling like she was carrying the mountain instead of climbing it.

She'd come to accept that she didn't know where or when she was. The realization she was trapped indefinitely in this world had finally sunk in. Maybe it was her break down last night, but her mind embraced the possibility she would have to stay here.

A brilliant smile lit Avant’s face as he turned to her.
“We'll stop here for a short rest, because I could scarcely pass my favorite place in the world without a moment to enjoy it.”

Feeling downcast but warmed by his smile, Abby trailed after him through a narrow clearing between two trees to a small, grassy area on a cliff.

Stepping out, she gasped. “Oh my God!”

She stood on a ledge halfway down from a taller cliff to her left. Pouring over the rock forty feet high, a waterfall spilt into a teal-green pool below. All around the falls were the tallest of the snowcapped heights encircling them like a crown. The sun-kissed mist created multi-dimensional rainbows that glistened and arched down, brightening and fading as the clouds glided overhead.

Each of her senses overflowed with the experience. The light shone and water roared with effortless strength. The ripe scent of pine permeated the air and a caress of moisture touched her skin. It was by far the most stunning and intimate setting she'd ever seen, and she doubted anything she would ever experience again in heaven or earth would be so lovely.

They sat down on the grass in silence, drinking in the beauty of the falls.

“Abigail, you have been dealt a difficult circumstance. I cannot tell you the future will be easier, but what I can tell you is eventually this new life will seem familiar, and you will be able to find peace and joy within it.”

He'd apparently caught the tenor of her thoughts from earlier and was trying to lift her spirits. The words rang through her mind, genuine and heart-felt. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but he
spoke from his own experience.

“I will give you the language and culture of Jastain through my Implanting, which should help you adjust to life here.”

“I can learn by Implanting?”
Her dad had been wrong–she could learn by osmosis? Cool.

“It is possible to Implant my learning into your mind so that you will know our world, language and way of life, but it is a process of which I am unsure. I cannot tell what other…information the seed may carry.”
His eyes darted from her. He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

What did he mean? Maybe she didn’t want to know.

He got a far-away look in his eyes, and it was a moment before he continued. “
Abigail, you may dwell in my home and work on my fief, but when your destiny calls, you must offer the sacrifice asked of you.”

Looking out over the falls, they were silent for a long while. Sacrifice? Her dad had said something about sacrifice but at the moment she couldn't think of it. A shudder ran down her spine. The word sacrifice did not conjure warm, fuzzy feelings. She hoped he didn't expect her to throw her non-virginal body into a volcano or some crap like that.

“I cannot say what the Light will require other than your unconditional obedience. That is also my requirement in exchange for training you in your Gift and providing for your needs. Do we have an accord?”

She glared at him. He was blackmailing her. She stiffened her spine.
“And what if I don't agree?”

His face clouded with deep-seeded pain.
“Then hope is gone, my lady.”

Dread filled her, but Abby couldn't stand to see the hurt in his eyes for a moment longer. If he was crazy, then it wouldn't matter. Destiny would never call anyway. And if he was right…well, she'd cross that proverbial bridge later.

The despair in his eyes caused tears to well in hers. A pain pierced her heart and even telepathically she couldn't speak the words fast enough.
“Okay. I'll do it. I promise.”

He shut his eyes and spoke a quiet word she was certain was a prayer of thanksgiving.

After a while, he stood.
“Now, it is time for us to be on our way. We should reach the fief in an hour.”
He grabbed his pack and began to walk.

Taking a cleansing breath and one last gaze at the falls, she grabbed her pack then followed after him. She would definitely be coming back here.

Avant allowed Abigail to lead their descent into the valley. He listened to her thoughts as she replayed the conversation again in her mind. Catching glimpses as they related to him, he hoped to gain insight. The Light had not yet revealed to her its purpose, and she had strong doubts. In truth, he had his own doubts. He hesitated, measuring her as she walked ahead. His purpose was clear—to prepare her whether she believed or not. The Light would provide the rest in due time.

“Avant, what is the Crown of Light?”
She stopped to look at him. Her teal eyes glittered in the light of noonday.

“The Crown of Light, set on the head of the king, will yield fruit in the hearts of the people and cause peace to reign in the land.”

She turned and began walking again.
“What kind of fruit grows in the heart? Is this philosophical symbolism again?”

“The fruit of the Light is all righteousness and everything which is good and true. Each jewel set in the Crown represents a trait of the Light, but now, without the Crown, the Dark holds sway over the land. Those gifts are lost or forgotten.”

“What happened?”

“Forty years ago, the last high priest prophesied the new king. But unlike years past, the king's son was not the chosen successor. This enraged the ruling king, who would not countenance his son to be snubbed. In an act of defiance against the Light and treachery toward his own brother, the king killed the high priest and attempted to kill his own scribe, the only other to hear the prophecy.”
Avant closed his eyes and mourned the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. When he opened them, Abigail stared at him with such compassion and intensity his heart burned within him and his arms ached to hold her again. Their attraction grew, and he knew they tread upon dangerous ground.

He staunched his desire and continued with his tale.
“Being forewarned, the scribe escaped with the Crown and the final prophecy. Since that time, there has been no Light, no high priest, and no peace. Though the current king did not choose his own path, his reign is an abomination and governed by Darkness. And he has since fallen to the Dark. The land is splintered and the kingdom broken.”

Abigail’s face glowed with understanding, but her tone was filled with doubt.
“Avant, I’m sorry about your kingdom, but you’re wrong about me. I can’t be the one you're looking for. I can’t help you find your crown.”
Her brow furrowed, perplexed.
“I plan parties and go shopping. I don’t help restore kingdoms of light.”

“I did not say it was my Crown, although I believe it is. And whether you know it or not, you are the One to restore the Light, just as I am the one to rule. Neither of us asked for these appointments, and yet they fall to us just the same.”

She stared at him for a long moment, but her thoughts were closed.

He spoke the truth. Avant's dreams told him he would one day be king. On many occasions, visions of himself in the castle, leading the people of Jastain in a new reign of Light had come to him. The deep-seated knowing of his Gift, as well as the foretelling of others, confirmed this belief, but without the final prophecy there was no way to prove what he knew. No way to overthrow the reign of Darkness. Finding the prophecy was as important as finding the Crown, and to do that, he needed the Chosen One. He needed Abigail.

He stooped to pick a wildflower and handed it to her.
“It is a Queen's Cup lily.”

Looking up at him through long lashes, she smiled and a faint blush colored her cheeks. A feeling of contentment ran through him like a river flowing across the desert.

Taking the white flower, she held it to her nose then drew the delicate petals across her cheek. His breath quickened as he found himself wishing it were his lips feathering her skin instead.

He shook the thought from his mind.
“We will speak of Jastainian politics later, but now we are home, at last.”

* * * *

Abby let her gaze travel across sprawling fields of grain and pastures where herds of cattle and sheep grazed. Off in the distance, a large slate-stone manor came into view like a picturesque scene from some new Disney movie. She half expected Julie Andrews to break into song. The charcoal color of the large estate house popped against the late summer greenery and crystal blue sky.
Sweeping
was the word that came to her mind.