Heiress: Birthstone Series Book Two (14 page)

“How?” I stared at her dumbfounded. Would there ever be a
day when she couldn’t surprise me with her past?

“We were raised as brother and sister by the same adoptive
father. We fight on the same side, but go about it very differently. He began
working for the king shortly before we left for Vairda. He encouraged us to
flee Miranasch for our safety, but I don’t think he realized until much later
that we’d been set up to return someday.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “So you’re fine with Dad
leaving us to go see this man who may or may not be able to say something that
could help us?”

“There’s more, Aylen.” Dad said.

“Of course there is.”

“In the last few weeks, while you were on the ship, word has
spread of your arrival. People are gathering courage,” Iolar explained. “Small
armies are amassing. Villages, towns, and cities are coming together to prepare
to fight for their kingdom. This is a good thing, Aylen! And even though you
can’t be there to encourage them, your father can. He can let them know the
rumors are true. He can be a messenger they’ll believe in. He can represent
you.”

Before I could respond, my mother attempted a weak smile.
“It’s for the best,” she promised. “This will help us all.”

I glanced from her to Dad. I studied the pained, brave
expressions that veiled their true feelings like flimsy fabric. To my mother I
said, “You really believe that?”

Her upturned lips quivered but the unshed moisture welling
in her eyes was my answer.

“We’ll leave you to say your goodbyes.” Iolar said. He
motioned for the others in the room to follow him out the door. Aluce marched
out. Regret showed in the creases around her lips and eyes but she tried to
appear stoic. Gil gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as he brushed past
and the Fydalim leaders avoided my eyes.

After everyone had left I stared at my parents. When neither
of them spoke, I picked up Ylira’s blanket and wrapped it around my body once
more. “How long will you be apart from us?” I asked my father.

“We’re not sure, but we’ll still be in contact. We can send
messages from time to time.”

“How can you let him do this?” I said to my mother. She
didn’t look at me. Instead, her eyes remained on her husband, blazing with
warmth.

“When has he ever refused to do something he believed to be
right?” she said. She leaned toward him and he wrapped his arms around her. A
moment later, he folded me into their embrace.

I felt him stroke my hair as he enclosed me in the safety of
his arms. I was too bewildered to speak. When he let me go, I stumbled away,
nearly blind with pain. I tried not to watch as he said goodbye to my mother,
but my eyes strayed to the way she seemed to hold him up, as though she was the
one with all of the strength. I watched him cradle her face in between his
hands, his eyes reading her soul while his lips promised his return.

Then a look passed between them that sent a shiver up my
spine.

Doubt.

I listened to the words my father spoke to his wife and
realized there was so little I knew about either of them. “If this is the end,”
he whispered to her, “I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve lived many years longer
than I ever believed I could and the best of them were by your side.” He kissed
her and for a moment, I doubted I knew anything about love.

When they finally broke apart, my father leaned in close and
whispered something more to her, too softly for me to hear. She gave him a
small, sad smile and answered, “Always.”

His eyes lingered on her as he turned toward the door. “Take
care of each other,” he told us. Wrenching his gaze from my mother, he looked
at me once more. “Aylen, you’re strong enough to do this.” When I didn’t
respond, he strode toward me and gently held my hands. “Ylira is right. You
need an anchor and I think we both know what it is. Keep a tight hold on it,
even if it’s only a memory right now.” He looked at my mother then. His eyes brimmed
with tears as he said, “It will save you. Again and again.”

After one final embrace, he strode from the room. I stared
at the empty spot where his presence still seemed to linger, disbelieving he
had actually gone. I felt my mother’s arms, stronger than they’d ever seemed,
slide across my shoulders.

“We should go. We’re losing time,” she said.

I was too weary to think about another arduous journey.
Instead, I leaned into her and closed my eyes. “What did he whisper to you?” I
asked.

I could hear the smile on her lips and in her voice when she
said, “He called me his Heart Seer.”

I nodded even though I didn’t understand what that meant.
After a while, I asked, “How are we getting to Et Loedin?”

Again, her voice seemed lighter than I expected.

“How everyone gets there,” she said. “We fly.”

I clung to Iolar’s back, enclosed between his wings, as we
soared through the clouds. Stinging pellets of moisture pricked my skin and
clothing while I tried to tuck my face into my tired arms. I was strapped to
Iolar’s body for safety but all that seemed to do was hinder my ability to
move.

“Why aren’t you cold?” I asked him, my voice reaching above
the wind in my ears.

“Sky dwellers are never cold,” he told me with what sounded
like a laugh bubbling up from somewhere inside of him.

I lifted my head and glanced at Aluce, also strapped to a
muscular sky dweller. Her lips were tight and her eyes half closed in an
impatient glare. My mother, however, seemed happy. She was easy to spot with
her brilliant blue, filmy wings sprouting like flower petals from her back.
She’d never spoken about her bloodline to the Sky Gem but now, her face was
relaxed and I caught several small smiles pass her lips as her wings picked up
air currents and sent her soaring.

All around us, sky dwellers flew close to ensure we stayed
packed within the group. In spite of being in the open sky, I felt trapped. I
had wanted to fly myself but Iolar and Aluce had insisted it was a bad idea
when I’d never tried before. Iolar mentioned something about plunging to my  death
if I even made it off the ground and before I could protest, I’d been strapped
to his back.

I tried not to shiver but it was difficult to focus on
anything other than the cold. We were surrounded by clouds, which was a good
thing for concealment, but a bad thing for comfort.

After what seemed like hours of teeth chattering, the clouds
seemed to part and the skies became clearer. For the first time, I peered down,
anxious to view Miranasch from above.

Far below us a ring of towering mountains circled a
brilliant green valley. The colors of the mountain peaks were swirled with
shades of white and gray but as they sloped down, they melted into a thousand
hues of lavender, pink, and blue.

A long, silver river snaked through the heart of the valley
and through the rolling hills and mountains. When it emerged on the other side,
it continued to twist and tumble through more valleys, on toward the horizon.
From where we flew I made out several villages dotting the land. Far to the
east in the distance I saw the sprawl of great homes and buildings in numbers I
couldn’t fathom.

“The capitol of Miranasch,” Iolar pointed out. “The city of
Galaetha.”

“Does the king live there?” I asked.

“Most of the time. It’s difficult to see from here but the
castle is built on the far edge of the city.”

“How does he rule over so much territory?” I looked out over
the endless expanse of colorful land. How could anybody have so much control
over such a vast area?

“Many work for him. Most have abilities that are a threat to
the people. They govern throughout the land according to the king’s orders and
the majority of his subjects have learned to be obedient.”

I didn’t speak for a time. Instead, I observed the land
twist and shift into mountains, hills, forests, and valleys, while I withdrew
into my thoughts. Awhile later, I noticed a sea of trees toward the west that
seemed to take on an azure hue further into their midst.

“Why are those trees blue?” I asked.

“It’s something they feed off of in earth.” Iolar answered.
“The deeper into that forest, the darker blue the trees and leaves become.
Somewhere beyond them is where the first gem was discovered.”

“The Wisdom Gem?” I asked.

“Yes. Their tribe lives close to the original location, but
they’re difficult to find and they know how to stay hidden. That forest
protects them well.”

I stared out at the strange mass of azure, wishing I could
get a closer look. I wondered how many of these places my parents had walked.
This was my heritage and I knew nothing about it. I could hardly absorb it all.

Later, when the air grew colder, the mountains higher and
covered in white, we began to fly past them instead of above them. Many came to
sharp, jagged points and in the distance, some trembled and smoked.

“Volcanoes,” Iolar explained.

“I’ve seen plenty of those,” I told him.

“Not like these,” he said. “They often have small eruptions
that discourage most people from venturing too close but they never cause
enough damage to destroy our city.”

We flew past a few more mountains before Iolar turned toward
the tallest peak. It rose high above the others, vast and steep. We flew around
it until we faced its other side and for what seemed the hundredth time that
day, my breath caught in my throat when I saw where we were headed.

Carved out of the middle of the mountain, settled into its
side was the city. Everything was white and cold and beautiful with homes and
stone structures built into the mountain’s walls and deep inside where it had
been hollowed out. As we approached, I saw steam and smoke rising from some of
the structures inside the city and I caught whiffs of food, soil, and moisture
reaching out to us on the wind.

People watched as we neared the outskirts where a large flat
surface of stonework made for a solid place to land. Those with wings sprouting
from their backs were dressed in the lightweight clothing like those with whom
I arrived. The wingless wore thick, fur lined cloaks, dresses, and trousers,
covering most of their bodies, with the exception of their heads.

Iolar was one of the first to land and two Sky Dwellers
rushed over to help me unstrap myself. Once I was free from Iolar I nearly
collapsed as my legs gave out beneath me. A Sky Dweller grabbed me by the waist
before I hit the ground.

“Give your blood a chance to circulate, Princess,” he said,
hoisting me up. I grimaced as warmth coursed through my legs. Immediately, they
began to prickle.

“I prefer Aylen,” I told him. I pulled away as feeling began
to return to my toes.

“My apologies.” He bowed and I glanced at him for the first
time. He was dressed in long black trousers and a form fitting, black shirt. It
did nothing to hide his muscled arms and chest. His black hair curled at the
nape of his neck and swept across his forehead where it nearly skimmed the most
brilliant blue eyes I’d ever seen. I guessed he couldn’t be more than two years
older than me and he was easily one of the most attractive men I’d ever seen in
my life. Heat rushed to my cheeks.

“Cole, where’s your sister?” Iolar asked him.

Cole smiled briefly at me, his lips parting to reveal a set
of perfect teeth. Turning to Iolar, he shrugged. Disdain tainted his tone as he
answered, “Probably where she always is. Flirting with the couriers and
captains.”

“I specifically instructed her to be here.” Iolar shook his
head and stalked toward my mother and Aluce who were surrounded by other sky dwellers.

I stood there, silent for several moments, waiting to be
told what to do. Finally, Cole cleared his throat.

“My sister was given the task of taking you to your quarters
and getting you settled. My father thought it would be a responsibility he
could entrust to her. Obviously, since she isn't present, you can see the
foolishness in his decision.”

“Iolar is your father?” I asked.

Cole nodded. “You must be cold,” he said, looking pointedly
at the tiny hairs raised on my arms.

“Just a little,” I said as another shiver rattled through my
frame.

“Not to change the subject or anything,” he said, “but I’ve
been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.”

I glanced at him, amused. “Why?”

“Well, you’re the only person to have all the gem
bloodlines. You’re so lucky. All that power! All those abilities! I can’t imagine
how incredible that must feel. I’ve wished for more bloodlines my entire life.”

I stiffened. Part of me wanted to tell him just how
“incredible” it was but from the hungry way he stared at the glow of my gems, I
realized nothing I said would set him straight. Instead, I shivered once more
and muttered, “Yeah. I’m really lucky.”

My trembling seemed to snap him out of his gem envy. “Maybe
I should find something to warm you. That was also my sister’s job.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” a feminine voice said behind me. I
turned around to see a flustered girl running toward us. Her resemblance to
Cole was obvious when I took in the shape of her eyes and her smooth, pale
skin. Her hair, the exact shade as her brother’s, hung in shiny, loose, curls
to the middle of her back.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said again, tossing a thick,
smoky colored cloak around my shoulders. “Lottie forgot her keys to the shop
and I couldn’t come without cloaks for everyone so I had to wait until she went
home and. . .” her voice trailed off.

“Don’t be rude,” Cole said, his arms folded across his
chest. “Try introducing yourself.”

“Oh, right.” She shook her head, curls bouncing around her
shoulders. “I’m Hesper.”

“Aylen,” I said. I waited for her to bow or gush about my
bloodlines like her brother had, but she didn’t. Instead she blew out a puff of
air and waved her hand at me in exasperation. “It’s good to finally meet you.
We’ve heard some crazy rumors but you seem much more normal than what everyone
says.”