Asharielle and the Hidden Realm, page 9
The look on her master’s face was strange. He held her at arm’s length, and his eyes searched hers as if he did not believe her.
“My Lord, do you wish me to take the potion?”
“No, Erith, that’s alright. I’ve made a decision.”
Why did his tone sound triumphant? Bewildered, she let her composure slip a little. “What have you decided, Master?”
Ignoring her, he paced back and forth across the floor, steady at first, but then his step began to quicken. His mind must have been racing, for his hands made flourishing gestures as though he were engaged in conversation, he even fist pumped the air in front of him. At times he just stopped, staring upward as if the answers he sought were visible on the ceiling. Then he would smile and nod to himself before the pacing continued.
She was confused. What on earth just happened? One second, he was asking her about visions and the next thing she knew he was shaking her. Dread filled her soul. Could she have just been caught by a veiled prophecy? It was rare, but it did happen. In such cases, a foretelling would spout from her lips, but for reasons known only to The Fates, the vision would be hidden from her. The delivery was always verbal, but the problem was that she held no recollection of it during or after the event. It was why she had always kept Harlen by her side back in the city, and again, as a seer in Delphi before Kyron had spirited her away. A prophecy was no good unless someone was there to hear it. Even then, the meaning of it was open to interpretation and deciphered by the listener in the manner that best fit their ideology.
Rarely in her time here had she had a veiled prophecy.
If she had just delivered one, it had come at the wrong time, for she knew Kyron would never tell her what had been said unless it benefited him. He stopped mid-stride and turned to face her.
“Erith, you are loyal to me, aren’t you?”
She had the desired response on her lips. “My Lord, my loyalty has always been strong and burns with conviction.”
“Excellent! Because you are going to the surface.”
Stunned, she looked at Kyron, unsure whether he was playing a nasty trick. Dread filled her, and she worked hard to stop it from showing on her face. She had sacrificed much to be here in his lair. Her long-ago vision had determined that she needed to be here to ensure that the timeline of events would unfold just so…and now he was sending her away? What had she said to convince him that this was the best course of action?
“My Lord?” she questioned.
“The prophecy said, ‘Heed Vision to your quest.’ Given that you are the only seer in my service…well, I think the meaning is clear! You, Erith, will be my spy. You will infiltrate their little group and ensure that the girl comes to me. Tempt her with news of her brother, lead her here. See if you can leave the others behind.”
She was unprepared for this. Kyron wasn’t even asking for her thoughts on what the prophecy meant. If he had, she would at least know what she had said. Now, he was interpreting her vision without her input. Most of the time he did well, as a lot of her foretelling over the years had been minor redirections related to events on the surface. But this prophecy was different! It related directly to the main branch of the timeline that must play out if Earth were to have any chance of surviving. Why the fates had chosen to veil it was beyond her…
She couldn’t afford to go to the surface now. Who would monitor Kyron and thwart his actions? Who would take care of little Jack? He had just started to respond to her. She wanted to argue with him, to plead for the chance to stay but Kyron had never responded well to begging in any form. How could she suggest that staying here would be in his best interests? Appearing deferential, she lowered her eyes and let the hesitancy she was feeling sound in her voice.
“Yes, My Lord. As you command, My Lord, but—”
“But what?”
“My Lord, I am honoured by your faith in me, but I freely admit that I am frightened. The world you found me in existed long ago. This current world is vast and terrifying, and I have not the skills to navigate it. How will I find them? They could be anywhere by now.”
It was true in a way. She had not been to the surface since Delphi. Customs and economics had advanced so much that she had no idea how she would find her way around. She just hoped that this would give him pause for consideration and make him feel as if he had misinterpreted the prophecy.
Raising her eyes, she saw instant defeat as he stared at her with a look that would brook no insubordination. Smiling, he reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out, she could see a necklace dangling from his grip. Her eyes followed the long silver chain down to where the little silver unicorn swung in the air. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She knew exactly what it was.
Events had suddenly escalated.
As she feigned ignorance and listened to his instructions on how to activate the tracker, as well as how to navigate modern technology and customs on the surface, she prayed that this was meant to be and that everything was running according to plan.
Chapter 11
It was two in the afternoon and Sydney’s International Airport hummed with noise. Though Nick, who was perched on her hip, gazed at everything with wide-eyed curiosity, Asharielle was a statue amongst the throng of travellers. She was waiting for Ryder to return with their tickets, but as she was still upset with him, she had planted her feet just inside the terminal entrance and refused to move.
She hadn’t anticipated that when she had turned her back on him in the car yesterday, she would wake up a whole day later in a different state. Her sleep had been driven by exhaustion. After everything that had happened over the last week, the knowledge that Ryder would not help her save her brother had tipped her over the edge, and her body had shut down. She had no idea how Ryder had managed to stay awake for so long. He had probably used his hue to stay alert, but it was only conjecture on her part. She still didn’t know much about how immortality worked—perhaps he didn’t sleep at all!
At some stage during the drive to Sydney, Ryder had stopped and found an oversized jumpsuit and a denim jacket for Nick, who now looked like a fat one-year-old. He wasn’t the least bit chubby, but his wings added bulk to his body. Considering he had hatched only yesterday; his growth was phenomenal.
Not thirty minutes ago, she had woken in the car to find a much larger Nick bouncing on her lap and saying her name out loud. He had the most adorable voice. She had cracked a smile when he called her ‘ShaSha’, and she pulled him closer for a cuddle. Still a little groggy, she had looked for Ryder and found him staring at her. Her lips began to curl in a soft smile before she remembered that she was cross with him.
Ryder wasn’t deterred though. Noticing her interest, he came around to open her car door and launched immediately into an explanation.
“It’s part of his survival process,” he said, holding out a hand to help her, which she ignored. But getting out of the car with a baby was awkward, and she was grateful when he helped her stand.
“You see,” he continued as she adjusted the toddler on her hip, “Nick is a phoenix, and as such, he will grow the equivalent of one year every day until he reaches maturity at eighteen years of age. Then his body will slow and remain in stasis—unless he uses vast amounts of his power; he ages more quickly then.”
Though she had heard him, she looked the other way. She was shocked to hear of the changes that Nick would go through over the next few days, but being at the airport meant that Ryder was still intent on following his plan and not hers, so she turned her back on him and began walking toward the terminal entrance.
Now, as people swirled past, she stared in wonder at the baby, fascinated by his changing features. His angelic glow had diminished, which was a good thing, considering they were standing in a busy airport. Cherubic wisps of blond hair tumbled against his piercing blue eyes, and when he smiled at her, his fat cheeks rounded into soft marshmallows that she wanted to smother with kisses. Two teeth poked from the top of his gummy grin, and he gurgled at her constantly.
“Alright, Nicky, you can stop now!” she whispered to him, which made him chuckle. “Not only are you trying to charm me with that adorable smile but I’m also pretty sure you’re trying to soften my mood so that I will talk to Ryder again. But I won’t!”
A chubby hand touched her cheek. “Not his fault, ShaSha. You be nice.”
She shook her head. Even though Ryder’s arguments in the car yesterday had made a strange kind of sense, she was still angry and disappointed with him. In her opinion, he was a huge butthead for not wanting to save her brother. The fact that Jack had to stay trapped in the lair of a monster bruised her soul in ways she couldn’t express.
She caught sight of Ryder moving toward her and she turned away to watch the variety of people that flowed around her instead. She wondered what adventure they were about to go on. Perhaps they were visiting loved ones or catching up with old friends. Perhaps they were heading to a tropical island where the sand was warm, and the azure water was perfect for swimming. She longed to be one of them, trapped by the dilemma of deciding which restaurant to eat at, which swimsuit to buy, or what time she should get up in the morning to meet the tour guide. Instead, she was caught up in a future where the decisions made prolonged her brother’s suffering.
The touch on her arm pulled her back to reality. Ryder waved the tickets under her nose and began to usher her toward Security Screening. At the sight of the whole-body scanners ahead, she experienced a moment of panic. What would happen when she stepped through with Nick in her arms? Would the machine pick up his wings?
“Step this way, miss.”
The security official’s voice made her jump. Wrapping her arms protectively around Nick, she found Ryder’s eyes; he had gone through ahead of her. As she placed her feet on the designated footprints, he smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Nervous, she swapped the baby to her other hip. The guard made her hold her free arm in the air. Her toes curled in her shoes. She waited…
This was it—the moment when the officer would review the scan and see something strange about Nick. Her heart kicked as the security official frowned. He looked toward the officer in the next booth, but she was busy. He shook his head and his eyes squinted as he viewed the scanner again. Her legs turned to stone. Nick touched her face, and she heard his voice in her head again.
“ShaSha, it be okay.”
Ryder approached the man. In his hand was a glowing ball of blue hue. Asharielle looked around but no one else seemed to notice him. The official looked up, drawn to the light. His pupils dilated… Ryder leaned in and whispered in the man’s ear before he casually stepped away. The guard blinked, shook his head, and then smiled in her direction, waving her through.
She didn’t hesitate. She walked straight over to a very smug Ryder.
“How did you do that?”
“Ever seen the first Star Wars movie?” he asked, chuckling as he walked away. “I’ve always wanted to do that!”
Nick began to gurgle with laughter—so hard that tears poured from his eyes. Asharielle smiled. She got the reference, but her heartbeat was too erratic to appreciate what Ryder had just done.
In the departure lounge, Ryder found some vacant seats against the window that bordered the tarmac. Throwing a backpack her way, he sat, leaned back against the glass, and closed his eyes. Asharielle caught it in one hand and peered inside. He had bought her some clothes. For a moment, she considered leaving Nick with him, but the fine sheen of sweat on his brow only added to the look of exhaustion on his face, so she carted the toddler to the toilets with her to change.
Ryder had a good eye. The new shoes, jeans, shirt, and jacket he had bought for her were all her size, he had even bought her fresh underwear! It was a relief to change out of her blood-stained clothing. She threw them all in the bin, but she kept Josh’s jersey. Ryder was asleep when they returned. She sat next to him without making a sound, fixing Nick on her lap so they could both people-watch. Many were on their phones or laptops, ignorant of the world around them. Some snoozed, while others chatted with family or friends.
“Look at her, Patty. Too young to be a mother that one is.”
The loudly whispered comment made her eyes snap straight to a couple of stiff-backed older women who sat opposite her. Shocked, she looked down at Nick’s soft curls and listened.
Surely, they don’t mean me!
Peering from beneath her lashes, Asharielle caught the not-so-covert gazes that seemed to be targeting her with matronly disapproval.
“I agree, Barb. Look at the poor mite. She doesn’t even feed it right. Look at how fat it is. They should take it and give it to someone old enough to parent it properly.”
“Probably feeds it chips and soft drink; that’s all young people eat these days.”
She felt her eyes bulge at their disrespectful comments. They reminded her of the wide-mouthed clowns from the side-show alley game, not just because their heads were shaking in consternation, but because their outfits struck her as comical. Patty’s grey hair was pushing out the deep purple dye that now sat around her ears. Her purple tracksuit matched her rimmed glasses. Barb was floral from head to toe. It looked as though she had made her outfit from a set of old curtains. Red lipstick bled into the withered crevices around her lips and stained her teeth.
“Probably doesn’t even know who the father is. I bet it’s not the young man beside her.”
How can they be so judgemental?
Upset by their sense of entitlement, she nudged Nick and whispered into his ear, “See those two over there? They seem to think I’m your mum and their disgust is awfully loud.”
His happy chatter cut off as he heard one of the ladies—Patty—comment that her pregnancy was no doubt the result of a poor education and a broken home.
Nick’s hand touched her cheek, and she heard amusement in his voice as he said, “They not that loud, ShaSha. Hue make your hearing better.”
“Really? I wish it hadn’t. How can they be so rude?”
“Don’t be sad, ShaSha… Want to play a game with me?”
She nodded and he burst into tears, so loudly that his cries carried through the lounge area. Confused, she tried to soothe him. How was this a game?
Ryder nudged her arm. “What’s wrong with Nick?”
Glancing at him, she tilted her head toward the two old ladies across the aisle. She noticed how tired and pale he looked. Perhaps immortals did need sleep after all.
“Ash, you have to speak to me at some stage. If Nick is upset, you should tell me. Maybe I can help?”
She shrugged, sighed, then leaned into Ryder’s side. “The two old crones over there have been rather free with their thoughts, calling Nick fat, saying we don’t feed him well, telling us we’re too young to be parents… That sort of thing. Now he is crying but I’m not sure what’s wrong because he literally just asked me if I wanted to play a game with him.”
“Ah,” said Ryder, tilting his ear toward the old women. “I’ve played this game before. Time to have some fun.”
“Can’t even stop her own child from crying,” Patty, the purple-haired lady said, following up with a derisive snort that she hid behind a hand.
Ryder’s shifted in his seat to face her. Though his eyes dropped to the baby, his voice was directed toward the women who sat opposite them. “I hate it when he cries like that. Can’t you stop him, love?”
Thunder crashed in Asharielle’s chest. Ryder had called her love. Her eyes shot straight to his. He winked. A sense of mischief sparkled in his eyes. It spread across his face, lifting the corners of his mouth into a grin that he tried to mask. Barb and Patty were speaking, but Asharielle found it hard to tear her eyes from him.
“They should change his nappy,” she heard one of them say. “It’s probably been full for hours. I can almost smell it from here.”
“That never would have happened back in our day,” she heard the other reply.
Ryder’s mouth twitched. He wiggled his fingers near her face and nodded to indicate that she should watch. Following his gaze, Asharielle caught the hue that shot from Ryder’s hand and hit both ladies in their faces. Each woman blinked, then began to bray like a donkey.
Watching their reaction was priceless. Shock made their eyes bulge, then their cheeks turned rosy with embarrassment. Their eyes darted around the lounge. They no doubt expected everyone to be watching them, but not a single person had turned. Confusion built on their faces as they turned to each other. Patty shrugged and Barb threw her hands up in disbelief.
Nick giggled.
“Aww, no need to keep him entertained, ladies,” Ryder said, catching their attention, “though it’s a nice gesture.”
They brayed again and Nick’s giggling erupted into full-throated laughter. He was genuinely amused.
“Get it, Ash?” he said, projecting his voice into her head. “What other name for donkey?”
Mule? No, there was another one. One that started with A. Was this Ryder’s way of telling her that these ladies were being an a—?
At a nod from Ryder, Nick began to cry again.
“My son loves pig noises too,” he said. “Perhaps you could do some of those, considering how kind and attentive you’re being?”
On cue, hue flew across the carpet. Squeals and grunts erupted into the terminal and Nick was cackling once again.
Catching on to their game, she decided to play along.
“Oh, that’s fantastic! Do you know, he also loves dogs,” she requested. Female dogs!
Floral Barb and Purple Patty began to howl. Even with their hands clamped over their mouths, they couldn’t stop. Nick’s laughter was contagious and Asharielle found herself grinning as his little body shook.
The old women shot horrified glances around the terminal but not a single person was looking at them. Ryder must have seen the confusion on her face, for he nudged her shoulder and this time, she saw him send hue—not toward the ladies, but up in the air. It collided with a blue dome that surrounded the five of them. She wasn’t sure how the magic worked though. To her, if sounded as if their animal calls rang across the lounge, but as no one else was looking, Asharielle knew the barrier had to be blocking sound from getting out.
