Ch. 35
“Hex”
After passing many weird, strange looks and stares from members of the castle and even meeting the eyes of my handmaiden Chalia who will be given me an ear full once I get back to my wing of the castle tonight, we slowly move through the bustling outside market area and into the actual castle. Passed the grand hall, the throne room, down a hallway, past the kitchen, and up a few stairs wells.
We reach the top of a staircase and I feel my muscles shaking even with the boys are doing most of the work. Nyx, I cant wait for a full night rest in a normal sized bed. I can feel the locket that remains in my hand start to give off a faint constant buzz. She is close.
The entrance of the grand library is a large archway that is filled with detail carvings into the stone. Depiction of gods and deities. A map of the world and all the islands that fill it. Creatures filling in the empty spaces. I can remember running my finger over each edge and curve as a child, and memorizing every one.
The locket in my hand is practically buzzing with energy that is sending sparks along my fingertips. We don’t even make it through the archway before I am hit with the smell of calendulas. The sweet herbal scent filling the normal musty earthiness of the grand library. The combating smells make my nose twitch.
Across the grand library, past a rows of bookshelves, along the back far wall are a large set of luxurious windows that have built in reading nooks…ones where I spent many hours reading and discovering about the world all around us, about fantasy worlds filled with curiosities, and tacky romances. Oana has moved a nearby table by one of the reading nooks, and has filled it with different flowers, herbs, and books sprawled open, stacked on top of each other. The large windows behind her showing the sun falling behind the mountains, and the sky becoming a range of dark deep blues and purples.
The book on the top of her stack is open wide, and an image is coming out of it. A calendula is floating above the pages. Almost like you could pick it clear from the air. It has bright yellow petals shining against the warm light coming from the covered torches that hang along the walls.
Most leave the grand library around dusk, leaving to do their nighttime duties, to get back to their families, or just because no one seems to like being in the quiet huge library at night. When one’s thoughts echo and the books begin to speak.
Oana’s eyes move in our direction, and she has her hand on the locket that still rest around her neck. Hers is probably going just as crazy as mine. Her eyes first land on me first.
Zanir on one side, and Iamys on the other carrying me like a weak damsel in distress. Nyx. Disgusting. My ankle dangles like my flesh is the only thing keeping it from hitting the floor. Her gaze moves to Iamys, up and down, but then her gaze quickly moves to the interesting new stranger who’s hand is now resting on my hip, keeping me from putting any weight on either of my legs. The same spot my cold has already starting leaving his linger touch marked on my skin. I’m guessing. I don’t know if the pain from my ankle and tenderness of my shoulder have clouded my mind enough to not start a full blizzard or what. I feel the cold within, the warmth of Zanir’s touch, but I feel…calm…as much as I can, even slightly cozy…Nyx, gross.
I watch her eyes start from the top of his dark hickory hair that is wind-blown from the autumn breeze, but still covers his ears. I will just have to touch and move his hair to get that answer, I guess…I bet it is soft. Nyx, what is wrong with me. I need Oana to fix this ankle and my shoulder, have a nice long bath, and a full night’s rest then I’ll be of sound mind…well at least better than whatever going on right now.
Her eyes move down his to face taking in his cerulean flaming eyes. I can feel them looking down at me. The fire burning into me leaving me exposed and open. She moves past the scar that runs along his jawline. Down to his chest, following the arm that crosses my back and to the hand that ends on my hip with the fingertips gripping me, keeping me secure. Nyx. Her eyes stop and then her eyes flip to mine.
I know what she is thinking without the words, without me looking into her mind. A smile begins to tug at the edges of her lips. Nyx, no, gross. I will never hear the end of this.
Oana turns and shuts the top book that she had open with a thud, and the calendula disappears.
“Iamys grab that chair.” Oana points to one of the fluffy reading chairs. “And that stool.” Her eyes making their way back to mine. The smile on her face is growing. Well, shit.
Iamys slowly removes his arm out from under mine and I shift my weight into Zanir in and attempt not to fall. His grip tightening around me. Warmth slowly taming the cold that swirls at the edge of my skin.
Iamys pulls the chair and a small stool next to the table that Oana has set up. Zanir gently moves me over and sits me down into the chair. Gently holding on to my shoulders as I descend into the chair. He moves himself behind me and stand behind the chair. I’m not sure how I feel about this…change. I don’t need a mortal vampire man protecting me. I am fully capable of handling myself and anyone crosses me, this stupid ankle and the ward burns included. Even Mother…
Iamys moves closer to the table studying the arrangements of things Oana grabbed.
“How did you get this stuff so fast?” Iamys says as his eyes move over every flower, herb, plant, and… “Are those bones?” Iamys face scowls as he turns to Oana.
Oana moves the stack of books and grabs a bowl with what I am assuming is filled with calendulas. “A powerful witch never tells her secrets, Iamys.” She says with a sly smirk on her face. It is a strange look for her. Although she is one of the most powerful and skilled witches I know, even if I only know, maybe three.
The scent of calendulas alone makes me want to rub my eyes, most trees and flowers do that. I always wanted to be outside, past the castle walls, in the forest, and the forest just wanted to make me sneeze and make my eyes itch.
Calendulas are an easy flower to find and have excellent healing properties. Given that Oana is a witch who excels at spells and potions, I will probably be healed just as fast as if Galilea did it herself.
Her black hair with the blue streaks is tied into a bun on her head. A black ribbon wrapped around her skull to keep the fly away pieces away. I seem to be the only one who forgot to keep their hair out of their face today.
She starts crushing the calendulas with a pestle. Freckles dotting around her nose and cheeks. Someone has been spending sometime outside. No doubt that is how she was able to gather everything so quickly. She has a stash somewhere close by I'm betting. She sets the bowl and pestle down, and then she flips through her stacks of books before grabbing and opening another one.
A skeleton floats above the page, she flips a more few pages, and an image of an ankle appears. All the bones connecting to a long part and then to the foot floating above the page. She studies the image as it rotates above the book. She pauses and then looks at us. Her eyes starts with my Iamys, then to me, and finally Zanir.
“Does that hurt?” Oana motions to my shoulder. Black vein like bruises connecting to a large one on my chest. From the wards and Mother.
“Just stings, but I’ll be fine.”
“Take this.” Oana hands me a bundle of ginger. “You’ll thank me later. Ward burns are a bitch the next morning. As I know you know.” I bite it the ginger, and the sense of spicy fills my taste buds. This isn’t the first ward burns I’ve had, and sadly probably won’t be the last. She moves her attention to the Zanir. “Hi, Oana.” She says with a smile and then says, “As odd as this will sound, I need your sleeves.” While pushing back a piece of hair that escaped past her ribbon, and her eyes studying Zanir.
“Why his?” Iamys says looking at the floating ankle filled with more bones than one would think. Nyx, how do so many bones fit in there.
Iamys has always been too busy with the scouts and their training to come to the grand library with us. The amount of information that is held in here can be over overwhelming to some or a nice distraction to others.
“I am not going to ruin the scout leathers you just got. Plus, they are too tough for bandaging or wrapping. Mihaela is wearing one of Devlyn’s shirts, I guessing. No correction, that’s Devlyn’s for sure.” Her eyes move to me with a small smile and motions to Zanir. Nyx, she could stop, even though I know she won’t. Maybe that’s why we became such good friends, total opposites, but not at the same time. “It is black and sleeveless.” She continues and grabs the bowl and pestle again, adding an herb that I don’t recognize and mixes them together. “And since she is here instead of being healed by Galilea or even the other healers...Zeva, aka, Mother, must be pissed. So, I need something to act as a bandage to stabilize her ankle.” Her eyes move back to Zanir again, who seem completely unfazed by all of this. Being in a foreign clan, with strangers, and not to mention just infuriating their strong and angry ass queen. “That looks like a spare scout’s shirt, so I doubt it will be missed.”
Why is it that when I am around you my clothes always seem to get trashed? If the world wanted to see my naked it could just ask.
Zanir floods into my mind while swiftly and easily ripping the fabric that covered his arms. One sleeve and then the next before reaching over me to hand them to Oana. Uncovering his arms and his shoulders which are filled with tattoos and markings I fully didn’t notice before. I guess traveling at night, fighting creatures, passing out numerous times, and trying not to freeze from the inside out can be a little distracting. Distracting…
Along his right arm, from his index finger, up his arm, and finally landing past his shoulder, and for the looks of it lands closer to the back of his neck because I can see a glimpse of black ink peeking out from the neckline of his shirt. The markings look similar to the ones in the books about Espa we have. There is always a tree, a tree of life with every grabbing branches. The tree inked on his skin, and its branches crawling up his arm and shoulder. The spaces between the branches are filled with shapes of hard edges and patterns. How interesting. The fact I never truly noticed until now just clarifies how much I truly need a good nights sleep. I wonder what it means, though. I’ll have to ask later. Nyx, no shut up. My cold is falling back within, and the warmth makes my toes curl. Shit.
Zanir leans further over me in the chair and hands Oana the ripped dark sleeves of his shirt. A wave of mint hits my nose. The edge of my lips pull, but I push them back down. Fucking mint.
I know how much you like it.
You just love to be an ass, don’t you?
“Let me see.” Oana says while patting the stool Iamys brought over.
I raise my leg with my arms, the muscle in my leg tremble under my fingertips. I rest my heel on the stool. White hot pain runs up the back of my leg. I wince as I raise my pant leg. Zanir hand moves to the back of my chair, gripping the wooden edge. His finger slightly touching my back. Warmth. Shit.
Oana starts moving my boot off my foot. I feel every soft tug. My leg shakes. She gently takes the long sock off after the boot and a small gasp leaves her.
My ankle starts with a range of blues and deep purples, that spread down my foot and up my shin. Bruising and aching.
I feel that feeling of being exposed. I don’t look at him but can feel the heat coming off of him. He is so warm. That fire in eyes burning down through his skin. His fingers are pure heat where they barely touch my back. All the coldness that filled me gone without a trace now.
I feel him push off the chair and am slightly startled by the force. What is that all about? That unfazed character shattered. He walks pass a bookshelf. I quickly look to Iamys who follows my request. Iamys moves pass me and follows after Zanir. Once both have retreated far enough of way…Oana looks at me and mumbles something under her breath, and the world suddenly seems quieter.
“I have a sound shield up. No one can hear us. Girl…explain now!” She says with raised eyebrows looking toward where the boys left.
Ch. 35
“Hex”
After passing many weird, strange looks and stares from members of the castle and even meeting the eyes of my handmaiden Chalia who will be given me an ear full once I get back to my wing of the castle tonight, we slowly move through the bustling outside market area and into the actual castle. Passed the grand hall, the throne room, down a hallway, past the kitchen, and up a few stairs wells.
We reach the top of a staircase and I feel my muscles shaking even with the boys are doing most of the work. Nyx, I cant wait for a full night rest in a normal sized bed. I can feel the locket that remains in my hand start to give off a faint constant buzz. She is close.
The entrance of the grand library is a large archway that is filled with detail carvings into the stone. Depiction of gods and deities. A map of the world and all the islands that fill it. Creatures filling in the empty spaces. I can remember running my finger over each edge and curve as a child, and memorizing every one.
The locket in my hand is practically buzzing with energy that is sending sparks along my fingertips. We don’t even make it through the archway before I am hit with the smell of calendulas. The sweet herbal scent filling the normal musty earthiness of the grand library. The combating smells make my nose twitch.
Across the grand library, past a rows of bookshelves, along the back far wall are a large set of luxurious windows that have built in reading nooks…ones where I spent many hours reading and discovering about the world all around us, about fantasy worlds filled with curiosities, and tacky romances. Oana has moved a nearby table by one of the reading nooks, and has filled it with different flowers, herbs, and books sprawled open, stacked on top of each other. The large windows behind her showing the sun falling behind the mountains, and the sky becoming a range of dark deep blues and purples.
The book on the top of her stack is open wide, and an image is coming out of it. A calendula is floating above the pages. Almost like you could pick it clear from the air. It has bright yellow petals shining against the warm light coming from the covered torches that hang along the walls.
Most leave the grand library around dusk, leaving to do their nighttime duties, to get back to their families, or just because no one seems to like being in the quiet huge library at night. When one’s thoughts echo and the books begin to speak.
Oana’s eyes move in our direction, and she has her hand on the locket that still rest around her neck. Hers is probably going just as crazy as mine. Her eyes first land on me first.
Zanir on one side, and Iamys on the other carrying me like a weak damsel in distress. Nyx. Disgusting. My ankle dangles like my flesh is the only thing keeping it from hitting the floor. Her gaze moves to Iamys, up and down, but then her gaze quickly moves to the interesting new stranger who’s hand is now resting on my hip, keeping me from putting any weight on either of my legs. The same spot my cold has already starting leaving his linger touch marked on my skin. I’m guessing. I don’t know if the pain from my ankle and tenderness of my shoulder have clouded my mind enough to not start a full blizzard or what. I feel the cold within, the warmth of Zanir’s touch, but I feel…calm…as much as I can, even slightly cozy…Nyx, gross.
I watch her eyes start from the top of his dark hickory hair that is wind-blown from the autumn breeze, but still covers his ears. I will just have to touch and move his hair to get that answer, I guess…I bet it is soft. Nyx, what is wrong with me. I need Oana to fix this ankle and my shoulder, have a nice long bath, and a full night’s rest then I’ll be of sound mind…well at least better than whatever going on right now.
Her eyes move down his to face taking in his cerulean flaming eyes. I can feel them looking down at me. The fire burning into me leaving me exposed and open. She moves past the scar that runs along his jawline. Down to his chest, following the arm that crosses my back and to the hand that ends on my hip with the fingertips gripping me, keeping me secure. Nyx. Her eyes stop and then her eyes flip to mine.
I know what she is thinking without the words, without me looking into her mind. A smile begins to tug at the edges of her lips. Nyx, no, gross. I will never hear the end of this.
Oana turns and shuts the top book that she had open with a thud, and the calendula disappears.
“Iamys grab that chair.” Oana points to one of the fluffy reading chairs. “And that stool.” Her eyes making their way back to mine. The smile on her face is growing. Well, shit.
Iamys slowly removes his arm out from under mine and I shift my weight into Zanir in and attempt not to fall. His grip tightening around me. Warmth slowly taming the cold that swirls at the edge of my skin.
Iamys pulls the chair and a small stool next to the table that Oana has set up. Zanir gently moves me over and sits me down into the chair. Gently holding on to my shoulders as I descend into the chair. He moves himself behind me and stand behind the chair. I’m not sure how I feel about this…change. I don’t need a mortal vampire man protecting me. I am fully capable of handling myself and anyone crosses me, this stupid ankle and the ward burns included. Even Mother…
Iamys moves closer to the table studying the arrangements of things Oana grabbed.
“How did you get this stuff so fast?” Iamys says as his eyes move over every flower, herb, plant, and… “Are those bones?” Iamys face scowls as he turns to Oana.
Oana moves the stack of books and grabs a bowl with what I am assuming is filled with calendulas. “A powerful witch never tells her secrets, Iamys.” She says with a sly smirk on her face. It is a strange look for her. Although she is one of the most powerful and skilled witches I know, even if I only know, maybe three.
The scent of calendulas alone makes me want to rub my eyes, most trees and flowers do that. I always wanted to be outside, past the castle walls, in the forest, and the forest just wanted to make me sneeze and make my eyes itch.
Calendulas are an easy flower to find and have excellent healing properties. Given that Oana is a witch who excels at spells and potions, I will probably be healed just as fast as if Galilea did it herself.
Her black hair with the blue streaks is tied into a bun on her head. A black ribbon wrapped around her skull to keep the fly away pieces away. I seem to be the only one who forgot to keep their hair out of their face today.
She starts crushing the calendulas with a pestle. Freckles dotting around her nose and cheeks. Someone has been spending sometime outside. No doubt that is how she was able to gather everything so quickly. She has a stash somewhere close by I'm betting. She sets the bowl and pestle down, and then she flips through her stacks of books before grabbing and opening another one.
A skeleton floats above the page, she flips a more few pages, and an image of an ankle appears. All the bones connecting to a long part and then to the foot floating above the page. She studies the image as it rotates above the book. She pauses and then looks at us. Her eyes starts with my Iamys, then to me, and finally Zanir.
“Does that hurt?” Oana motions to my shoulder. Black vein like bruises connecting to a large one on my chest. From the wards and Mother.
“Just stings, but I’ll be fine.”
“Take this.” Oana hands me a bundle of ginger. “You’ll thank me later. Ward burns are a bitch the next morning. As I know you know.” I bite it the ginger, and the sense of spicy fills my taste buds. This isn’t the first ward burns I’ve had, and sadly probably won’t be the last. She moves her attention to the Zanir. “Hi, Oana.” She says with a smile and then says, “As odd as this will sound, I need your sleeves.” While pushing back a piece of hair that escaped past her ribbon, and her eyes studying Zanir.
“Why his?” Iamys says looking at the floating ankle filled with more bones than one would think. Nyx, how do so many bones fit in there.
Iamys has always been too busy with the scouts and their training to come to the grand library with us. The amount of information that is held in here can be over overwhelming to some or a nice distraction to others.
“I am not going to ruin the scout leathers you just got. Plus, they are too tough for bandaging or wrapping. Mihaela is wearing one of Devlyn’s shirts, I guessing. No correction, that’s Devlyn’s for sure.” Her eyes move to me with a small smile and motions to Zanir. Nyx, she could stop, even though I know she won’t. Maybe that’s why we became such good friends, total opposites, but not at the same time. “It is black and sleeveless.” She continues and grabs the bowl and pestle again, adding an herb that I don’t recognize and mixes them together. “And since she is here instead of being healed by Galilea or even the other healers...Zeva, aka, Mother, must be pissed. So, I need something to act as a bandage to stabilize her ankle.” Her eyes move back to Zanir again, who seem completely unfazed by all of this. Being in a foreign clan, with strangers, and not to mention just infuriating their strong and angry ass queen. “That looks like a spare scout’s shirt, so I doubt it will be missed.”
Why is it that when I am around you my clothes always seem to get trashed? If the world wanted to see my naked it could just ask.
Zanir floods into my mind while swiftly and easily ripping the fabric that covered his arms. One sleeve and then the next before reaching over me to hand them to Oana. Uncovering his arms and his shoulders which are filled with tattoos and markings I fully didn’t notice before. I guess traveling at night, fighting creatures, passing out numerous times, and trying not to freeze from the inside out can be a little distracting. Distracting…
Along his right arm, from his index finger, up his arm, and finally landing past his shoulder, and for the looks of it lands closer to the back of his neck because I can see a glimpse of black ink peeking out from the neckline of his shirt. The markings look similar to the ones in the books about Espa we have. There is always a tree, a tree of life with every grabbing branches. The tree inked on his skin, and its branches crawling up his arm and shoulder. The spaces between the branches are filled with shapes of hard edges and patterns. How interesting. The fact I never truly noticed until now just clarifies how much I truly need a good nights sleep. I wonder what it means, though. I’ll have to ask later. Nyx, no shut up. My cold is falling back within, and the warmth makes my toes curl. Shit.
Zanir leans further over me in the chair and hands Oana the ripped dark sleeves of his shirt. A wave of mint hits my nose. The edge of my lips pull, but I push them back down. Fucking mint.
I know how much you like it.
You just love to be an ass, don’t you?
“Let me see.” Oana says while patting the stool Iamys brought over.
I raise my leg with my arms, the muscle in my leg tremble under my fingertips. I rest my heel on the stool. White hot pain runs up the back of my leg. I wince as I raise my pant leg. Zanir hand moves to the back of my chair, gripping the wooden edge. His finger slightly touching my back. Warmth. Shit.
Oana starts moving my boot off my foot. I feel every soft tug. My leg shakes. She gently takes the long sock off after the boot and a small gasp leaves her.
My ankle starts with a range of blues and deep purples, that spread down my foot and up my shin. Bruising and aching.
I feel that feeling of being exposed. I don’t look at him but can feel the heat coming off of him. He is so warm. That fire in eyes burning down through his skin. His fingers are pure heat where they barely touch my back. All the coldness that filled me gone without a trace now.
I feel him push off the chair and am slightly startled by the force. What is that all about? That unfazed character shattered. He walks pass a bookshelf. I quickly look to Iamys who follows my request. Iamys moves pass me and follows after Zanir. Once both have retreated far enough of way…Oana looks at me and mumbles something under her breath, and the world suddenly seems quieter.
“I have a sound shield up. No one can hear us. Girl…explain now!” She says with raised eyebrows looking toward where the boys left.
