CHAPTER TWELVE
Orange Blossoms
Alyss wandered the back garden. She had had another dream.
Two small children. They were running and laughing, the girl teasing the boy lagging far behind her. “I could beat you if we were flying,” he growled at her continuous barbed words. She smiled, and jumped into the air, gauzy grey wings breaking through the slits in the back of her dress. “Not fair,” he shouted, scrambling to shift. “You didn`t warn me!”He jumped into the air as well, his body morphed into a shining red dragon. He pumped his wings desperately, but she was moving so much more quickly.
They raced, on and on. They both finally tumbled out of the air and onto the ground in their human guises, panting in exhaustion. “You see, I`m the fastest!” the girl cheered, laughing. He ribbed her. “Go on with you! That was me, practically yards in front of you!” she stuck her tongue out at him.
The two children leaned on each other. Just sitting, happy in each other`s company. “Aery,” she asked hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
“Will we be like this forever and ever,” she asked. He smiled, hugging her back.
“Sure we will!” he exclaimed. “But we`d have to get married first,” he added.
She tilted her head. “Married?”
He thought hard about it. “It`s a promise,” he explained. “Two people promise each other that they`ll stay together, forever and ever, because they like each other an awful lot.”
She laughed. “Just like us! We like each other more than anyone, and we’ll always be friends.” She turned to him. “Isn’t that right?”
He thought some more, the wheels churning in his head. “I don’t know,” he said doubtfully. “I think only adults can get married. We don’t actually know right now if we’ll like each other for ever and ever, because that’s an awful long time.”
She poked him in the side. “So you’re saying you won’t like me forever?”
He shook his head, hard. “No! I’m just saying we aren’t allowed to get married officially.” He leaned in close to whisper to her. “But we can still get married in secret, right now.” He smiled. “But only if you are sure about it.”
She smiled, leaning against him. “I`d like that,” she said, hugging him hard.
He smiled, digging around in his pocket. He brought out a stone. It was grubby, and a little sticky from some ancient snack, but it still shone with a faint light. “I found a wedding stone,” he crowed in triumph. “You have to have a ring or a stone to get married, and then you just have to say the spell.”
She leaned in to look at it, picking it up and cradling it in her palm. He put his hand on top of hers. There was a moment of silence. Then a small whirlwind built up around them. There were flashes of lightning, and one hit the stone and held hands with a flash. Then the winds and storm were gone as if they had never happened.
The two children looked around the clearing, clearly unconcerned by the strange events. “Did it work,” he asked curiously.
“Ah hah!” the girl called out. “Look at our hands.” There was a twisting black spiral on their hands, clearly visible. “Now we can stay together for ever,” she giggled.
Alyss woke up, groaning from some pain in her side. “What was I dreaming about,” she asked out loud. “Maybe kids, and a lot of green. Why does it feel important to remember a silly little dream?” A sharp pain seared through her. She doubled over to clutch her wrist. She stared at it, but it was free of any mark. She stopped, quivering. Then she pursed her lips. “It was really a wonderful little dream,” shemused. “So why on Earth does the thought of it make me feel as if something went dreadfully wrong? Why do I feel trapped in a nightmare?”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Black Fire
Priscilla started in surprise. She felt a connection, some far off movement, disturb her beloved sister. “What do you think, Dürin?” she asked her contractor. They were the ones usually connected by their special relationship, they were the ones who could always sense each other`s movements. To sense some of Jackie`s was unusual, and weird even.
“It`s just a twinge,” he said. “You are imagining things because you feel guilty.” He seemed to be reproving her.
“Well, I may feel a little bad about it,” she admitted. “But I couldn`t stay there any longer! Even with my sister around to protect me, they always attack in the village. Those warriors are useless, they`ll only help me if I pay them in blood or body or blunt,” she sniffed disapprovingly. “And my own kind, my peers, will attack me and strike me down if they see me. And the elders are useless. They allow my existence, but they ignore me. They won`t even serve me in the village shop!” she growled.
“Others would be surprised to hear you like this,” he chuckled. “They think you are so calm, so passive.”
“Just because I don`t say a lot to them doesn`t mean I don`t think a lot,” she retorted. “Why, I`d reckon I think twice as much as people who talk all the time. You know they say that your brain goes faster than your mouth,” she continued. She had a pack on her back, and was traveling along the Great Road North. She was miles, even countries, away from her home and people. Running away from her past in fear of her future. She had snuck out like a thief in the night, leaving a small note on her father`s bedside table. She had taken the opportunity when Jackie was gone, and wouldn’t be able to scold her for her faint-heartedness.
“I`d hope yours does, because you speak pretty slowly,” he said dryly.
“How is this slow,” she asked.
