“Leaf stew?” I asked, poking at the containers. My stomach flipped. I hoped better food appeared soon; I didn’t think I could live on leaf stew and lentils for very long.
“I made the same face about the food you eat, too,” she said. “We are all vegetarians and most of our food dates back before even Ilyan was born, when all the earth were hunter/gatherers.” She shoved one of the smaller containers at me with a grimace. “Try the Listy; it’s closer to what you would normally eat, so you might like it.”
I looked down at the contents of what Wyn had just handed me, and bile rose in my throat. It looked like someone had shredded the branch of a tree and boiled it with leaves, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Wyn was already chowing down on some purple goo. I could already tell this would take some getting used to.
The Listy didn’t taste as bad as it looked. As long as I didn’t look at what I put in my mouth, I could almost imagine it as a really thick meat stew. I didn’t know how long I could last eating leaves and carrots, though. As much as I loved a good vegetable, I missed meat already and I was only one meal in.
Wyn finished two containers of food in the time it took me to finish my one. The entire time, she talked about how much she had missed normal food. I let her babble; the majority of what she said washed over me as noise.
My anxiety had not left yet; I was still far too restless for Ilyan’s return. I needed to know when we were leaving.
I ate another spoonful and forced down the gritty leaves again. I was surprised that I wasn’t starving. I was hungry, but not ravenous like I should have been. According to the news, everything had happened almost two weeks ago; meaning the half of a chili-cheese burger I had at Ryland’s house was the only thing that had sustained me for so long. I asked Wyn and she waved it away, saying it was all part of the healing process.
I had just set down my empty container when the door swung open and a very tall, very muscular man burst into the small space. Wyn squealed and jumped up, practically throwing herself at him. The man grabbed her as she wrapped her legs around him, his face moving to nuzzle her neck. I couldn’t help the stab of jealousy that rushed into my stomach at seeing such raw, heartfelt emotion.
Talon was large, so large that seeing the two of them together looked uncomfortable. He had slick, light-brown hair that was cut a bit shaggy and the same refined features that I had grown used to seeing on Ilyan. Beyond the straight lines of his face, there was little resemblance between the two. Talon almost looked like a barrel-chested football player, grown and stretched too tall. His arms were large and cylindrical, his legs long and slender. It was disproportionate, but looked good on him.
He finally pulled away from her, the surprise obvious on his face at seeing me sitting there. It took a moment for recognition to set in.
“Sorry about this,” Talon said in an airy voice that didn’t really match his size. “Wynifred has spent most of her time with you, so I haven’t seen her much.” He tried to remove her again, but she still stayed tight. Finally, he accepted defeat and went to sit on the bed and allowed her to stay positioned on his lap.
“I’m Talon, by the way,” he said
“Joclyn.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“So, Joclyn, you seem to be all that anyone is talking about now.”
I could tell Talon meant his comment to be just a conversation starter, but the way he looked at me made me uncomfortable.
“Why?” I asked, alarmed.
“Well, last of the Chosen Children, and all that.” He flung his hand mindlessly to the side.
“Oh.” My shoulders slunk and I looked down to my lap.
Talon laughed, a big booming sound that fit his body better than his voice did. My head snapped up to see Talon and Wyn, who had finally emerged from her hiding spot, both looking at me.
“Jos prefers to hide, Talon. She doesn’t like to be noticed.”
“Well, she will just have to get used to it then,” Talon said. “She’s the talk of the town! Finally, someone who can beat the socks off old Edmund!” He gave the air two rough punches with his hands, jostling Wyn around.
I felt the color leave my face.
“Talon, you can’t say that,” Wyn scolded as she detangled herself from her husband to sit next to him.
Talon opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. “It’s all right, he’s probably right anyway,” I sighed. “After all; if I’m going to save Ryland, I might as well knock the socks off somebody.” I felt my shy resolve melt away at the thought of saving Ryland. As much as I wanted to stay hidden, I wanted to save Ryland more.
As if on cue, a loud knock sounded on the door, followed by a deep voice announcing Ilyan’s arrival. Wyn rolled her eyes, but Talon only laughed again, nudging Wyn as if preparing for some great joke. He got up from the bed and moved to the door in two strides, throwing it open and instantly going down on one knee, his head bowed in reverence. Even in this extreme position, I could still see the wide smile on his face.
“My liege, I bid you welcome to my humble home. It is an honor to welcome you into my presence.”
Ilyan walked in, looking thoroughly un-amused, and shut the door behind him.
“Get up, Talon. You look ridiculous,” Ilyan scolded. Talon jumped up and clasped Ilyan’s arm tightly, his white teeth flashing.
“Sorry, Ilyan, I just didn’t want our guest to get the wrong idea.”
Ilyan turned away from Talon to face me, his smile widening just a bit as he passed Talon to kneel before me, taking my hands in his. I wanted to pull away from the close contact, but I didn’t.
“Are you all right? Are you in any pain?”
“I’m fine. A little stiff when I move, but nothing hurts like it did.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. I had hoped to keep you in bed for longer, but it seems I need to make things like that an order.” He smiled before turning to Wyn who wilted a bit under his gaze.
“I am sorry, Ilyan. I couldn’t stay in that room another moment. It’s so dark and musty. Besides, I hated the 60s,” Wyn grumbled and folded her arms.
“Yes, but my mother loved them.”
“Your mother?” I asked, my voice catching on the word. Odd, since I wasn’t even talking about my own mother.
“It’s okay,” Ilyan said. He had caught the heartbreak in my voice and brought his hand up to rest against my cheek. “You will get used to the pain you feel now. It will become part of you, eventually. I promise. But in the meantime, it’s okay to cry.” His voice became so low, I was sure that Wyn and Talon couldn’t hear him. I nodded numbly at him, and he smiled, finally letting his hand drop from my face. My body loosened gratefully at the end of the contact.
“Now!” Ilyan announced, jumping up and clapping his hands together. “The Council has decided that it is worth the risk to go and remove Ryland from within Edmund’s grasp.”
“What are you saying?” I asked, not daring to hope.
“That, on the night of his graduation party, we will be going into the mansion and bringing Ryland back with us. We have to get to him before the Vymȁzat completes itself. I know how to stop it, but only before it completes, so that’s the key.” My heart swelled at the renewed hope, my body’s restless energy seeping into me again.
“But his party is more than three weeks away,” I said in a panic.
“You are forgetting that you have been healing and unconscious for the past twelve days. We have eight to prepare.”
“Eight days?” Wyn asked.
“Yes, which means we have eight days to get Joclyn ready to go and to be able to marginally defend herself. A Vymȁzat is powerful magic, so I need someone who can keep him in his right mind for as long as possible. The strength of Joclyn’s connection with him is unparalleled; meaning, you, Joclyn, are more likely to be able to do that than anyone else.”
“Me...? Go into the mansion...?”
“Yes, Joclyn. You must be willing to do anything it takes to save him. How far are you willing to go, Silnỳ?”
I looked up to meet his piercing blue eyes, so full of confidence.
“I would do anything to save him.” I was shocked at the confidence I suddenly felt. I had never been one to hold my own, to stand up to someone. I had practically hidden from Cynthia McFadden for years. Now, knowing I had a chance to save the one person who was the most important thing to me, my confidence felt more secure.
“Good,” Ilyan said.
Eight days. Eight days and I would be back in the mansion I had practically grown up in. A shiver ran up my spine, but not in a good way.
“But… the mansion… it burned down,” I said, suddenly panicked that we wouldn’t be able to save him after all. “I saw it; the whole third floor was in flames.”
“I can only assume that much of the damage was repaired or contained magically. Either way, the party will be held in a different part of the estate.”
“Wait,” Wyn’s voice was loud and panicked from behind Ilyan. “You say you need her to defend herself; you can’t possibly mean you are planning to center her, are you?”
“That would be the natural choice, yes,” Ilyan responded as he stood.
“Now?” Wyn said.
“Yes.”
“You can’t, Ilyan.”
“Don’t worry so much, Wynifred. Joclyn is a very strong girl, I think she can handle a little bit of centering,” Talon said.
“It’s not Jos I’m worried about,” Wyn grumbled behind clenched teeth.
“What exactly are we talking about?” I interrupted, becoming more and more confused by the minute.
“He just wants to center her, Wynny.”
“What’s centering?” I tried again, hoping this time to get an answer.
“Right now your magic is spread all over your body,” Ilyan provided. “It’s hiding in your muscle tissue and in your blood stream. When we center magic, we collect it all and bring it to one central place, making it usable. Right now, you can’t use your magic because it’s spread out. It’s been spread out for so long, it doesn’t really know where it’s supposed to be; so for you, it will probably hurt much more than it’s supposed to.”
“Great, more pain,” I moaned.
“Not that much pain,” Talon provided with a smile. “So no reason to worry, right, Wynifred?”
“I told you, I am not worried about her. I am worried about Ryland.”
“Ryland?”
“Ryland?” Talon echoed me. “What does he have to do with any of this?”
“Joclyn and Ryland have undergone the beginnings of a Zȇlství, Talon.” Wyn provided gravely. Talons jaw dropped. “If he is as weak as I am thinking, then centering her might well kill him.”
“No!” I stood in alarm, but my legs almost instantly gave out and I tumbled back down to the chair. Ilyan was at my side in a moment, his warm magic plunging into me.
“It’s all right, Joclyn. We are not going to hurt Ryland.”
“But, Wyn said—”
“I think I have found a way around that,” Ilyan interrupted me.
“How?” Wyn demanded angrily.
“We will use the drevo.”
“Again?” Wyn exclaimed. “So soon? What if the magic rejects her?”
“I don’t think it will.”
“But what if it does?”
“Wynifred.” Ilyan ended their conversation with one word. “Please go draw a bath.”
“I can’t use the tub in her room, Ilyan; it hasn’t been cleaned. I—”
“You can use mine, Wynifred.”
“Yes, My Lord.” Wyn curtseyed and exited. Talon followed her, but not without clapping Ilyan hard on the back. Ilyan flinched before turning back to me.
“A bath? The same as before?” I asked once the door closed behind them.
“Yes, so please, try not to fight us this time.”
Ilyan helped me to stand and guided me out the door and down the hall, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other holding tightly to my hand. I was grateful for the extra help, no matter how uncomfortable his proximity made me. The small amount of walking to and from Wyn’s room had winded me, and I wasn’t sure I could walk without his help.
We turned into the cream-colored hallway, Ilyan nodding to what I now assumed to be a guard.
“You will be staying with me in my corridor for the time being. I would like to have you close, just in case anything happens.” He smiled at me. I tried to return it, but couldn’t. Being so close, and having someone want me so close, was uncomfortable.
“This room is yours.” He nodded solemnly to the door to the left. “And don’t worry; we will strip it of brown and orange by morning. This room here,” he nodded to the door directly across the hall, “is Ovailia’s. I would say to stay out of her way, but you will find that to be an impossibility soon enough.” I got the distinct impression that his sister was more of a bother than I had originally thought. We came to the end of the hall, which housed three different doors; one directly in front of us and two at either side.
“These doors here all belong to me, irritatingly enough, and you are welcome any time.” His hand fanned across my back as he led me through the door directly in front of us. I drew into myself at his touch; I don’t know why it made me so uncomfortable. Ilyan had found me, saved my life; but in some weird way, it felt disrespectful to Ryland to even let him touch me.
The room had been decorated in much the same way as the hall, with cream walls and cream carpet. Tucked into the corner, next to a window, was a giant bed with a white bedstead and white comforters, a large squishy divan nestled up against it. The room was so white and airy that even with the dark light of evening, it still felt comforting.
I could hear the sound of water running from one of the side rooms, the burning wood and mint smell stronger than I remembered. My body tensed-up, the memory of being held underwater still strong and terrifying.
Ilyan rubbed my back comfortingly as he led me to the bathroom, which was only just smaller than the entire brown and orange room. The walls and floor were covered in a white tile that brilliantly reflected the light from a large crystal chandelier that hung from the center of the ceiling.