Secret Worlds (303 page)

I grabbed the sword and placed it around my waist while moving down the hall as quiet as I could toward the corridor. I stopped and slipped against the closest wall when a voice I didn’t recognize floated to me.

“We received word you, Master Marren, were the one that stole from me.” The voice belonged to a woman and sounded like she was used to commanding and getting her way.

“Your word is wrong,” Marren said with a hint of a challenge.

“Oh, but I’m quite confident you are in possession of my property, and I’m willing to give you the chance to return it to me, in exchange for me keeping your little secret.”

“What secret?” Marren’s voice became indifferent.

“You are aware of the laws governing this world and forbid your kind from being on this realm, as well as I do. But, I’m a woman of business and will…forget this indiscretion on your part.”

I pulled my hood over my head and stepped closer, curious about who it was that threatened Marren. A woman stood an arm’s length from him with her back toward me. Her hair was covered with a scarf of purple silk. She wore a long black dress with a matching purple sash. Dangling beads hanging from the seams caught the light from the sconces. Enid stood behind Marren with his hood drawn over his head and arms crossed over his chest. A few servants stood by, paying attention to the standoff with fear alight in their eyes.

“I don’t know what you are referring to,” Marren said. “As I’ve already told you, nothing of mine belongs to you. Perhaps you could tell me who it was that told you these things? I can possibly clear up this misunderstanding quickly.”

“My word comes from an anonymous source.”

“Again, I have nothing belonging to you, so if you don’t get yourself and your bandits off my property, I will use force.”

“Master Marren, you underestimate me. You killed a few of my men and took a girl. I want her back. She is my property. I paid for her legally. Do you want to pick this fight?” She laughed through the last word.

I climbed on top of the railing. I saw Marren’s lips press together then gave me a slight nod. I dropped down, landing into a squatting position with no more than a shallow thud. The woman’s head turned to her side. I stood as she snapped her fingers on her right hand. Two men appeared from behind, trying to grab ahold of me. I slipped out of their grip, pulling on my sword. Out of the corner of my eye, Enid approached, sword in hand. The two men stood back with their hands held up, palms forward. Their eyes were wide with fear while they took slow steps toward the door.

“I see we are done here,” the woman stated in a flat tone then pointed to me. “You! You are mine.”

“I’m nobody’s property. If I were you, I would go get my money back.”

Her bright blue eyes glowed as a smile stretched across her lips revealing perfect white teeth. She took a step toward me. I held the point of my sword to her throat. “I believe you were asked to leave.”

Her smile widened with a threatening laugh getting caught in her throat. I didn’t falter, refusing to be the one to back away.

“I see you’ve made your decision.” She turned, rapidly yet gracefully, the skirt of her dress continued to twirl around her as she stepped out of the door with her two timid henchmen following behind.

As soon as the door closed, Marren stepped up to me. “You must enjoy trouble.”

“Why? What did I do wrong?”

“Do you realize who that woman was? She’s the Mistress of the Cyrs, Relena! She knows about us; she could bring half of the continent to our front step because you made an appearance.”

“Listen, Marren, I don’t understand what you expected, but I don’t just sit around and wait. I do anything I can to help, which is what I thought I was doing,” I said, a sharp clip in my words.

“Just go back to your room and wait for me there. Please.” He turned his back to me, approaching the servants that still watched with wide-eyed horror.

I sheathed my sword, rigid then glanced toward Enid.

“Thank you for bringing back my sword and the only one to cover my back.” I glared at Marren who heard my words. His eyes were on fire. I held the satisfaction inside me knowing I burned him just as he had burned me while I stomped up the stairs, making my way back to my room.

***

The view from the balcony brought me calm. Something about the view of the mountains stretching toward the sky high above the trees brought a soothing perspective to me. Even after nothing else helped and I stomped the span of the room a hundred times before going out on the balcony. And yet, thinking about the way Marren reacted to me made no sense and re-angered me.

I wanted to get away and be alone, outside of four walls for a while. I peeked over the ledge and judged the distance between the balcony and the ground. If I made the jump to the corridor floor fine, I could make the jump to the garden as well. At least in theory.

With not much more thought going into the idea, I climbed atop the stone railing, sitting on it instead of standing and took in a deep breath. The sound of my door opening and my need to escape for a little while urged me to push off the balcony. I landed with a sharp, shocking pain shooting up to my knees, but I made it. I laughed to myself, satisfied in my own little feat, then took off running into the forest. After crossing through the trees, I turned and saw Marren glancing over the balcony with a sad expression on his face. I was overwhelmed with horrible emotions and considered walking back but was also too stubborn to do so. Instead, I stood like a mindless dope, watching Marren scan the trees for me. I couldn’t move further away from him. I was glued in place. He walked back into the room, releasing me from my guilt and allowing me to move.

I had a mind to find the field of tulips. Something deep inside told me he wasn’t one for standing around and waiting either, so what better place to find me than in the tulip field? I kicked myself for not using the path when I first ran into the trees because I was having a hard time finding the flowers. In the process of wandering, I became increasingly worried I was going to get myself turned around. I didn’t want to end up changing alone, in the middle of the forest, far away from Marren.

My heart thumped heavy at the thought of his name. The mere idea of his touch forced me to pause. I gripped a tree trunk, hyperaware of the tiny ridges in the bark and the small raises in the width. The blended aromas of the forest became more potent and different from each other in ways that seemed impossible. Each scent stood on its own instead of mingling to form one combined scent. I inhaled the dirt, the grass, the trees, the sticky sap, and the ferns; the musk of squirrels and the dusty scent of birds, even the soft sweet scent of the tulips.

Excitement pulsed through me, urging me forward. My new skill must have been a level of the change I experienced. It was intoxicating, like when escaping the guards, the possibility of being caught, and the incomparable elation of avoiding that fate.

I followed the scent of the tulips, luring me until, between the span of trees, I saw a sheet of red floating on a light green blanket. I raced toward the field, relishing in the joy of finding it and not getting lost. Crossing the first row into the field, my fingers brushed a few of the tops. I walked slowly toward the center, wondering how our dance didn’t break any of the stems. Each one stood strong, without missing so much as a petal. Not one sign of us having ever been there was seen. It put a hollowed feeling within me, the idea I could’ve dreamt the whole thing. The pain of the emptiness gutted me and stung my eyes. I blinked them repeatedly trying to find relief to no avail. The pain only increased until they flooded. Tears poured along my cheeks in large drops.

I found myself wishing for Marren. For his arms to wrap around me and to hear his voice tell me that day wasn’t a dream, we truly had been here, and it’s some enchantment that kept the flowers in perfect shape. The more I wished for that, the emptier I became. Finally, my legs gave out from under me. Falling to the ground, I landed on my knees, unable to hold myself up any longer. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and let the despair wash over me.

“Relena?” Marren’s voice floated to me full of worry, stilling my heart, waiting to beat again, if only it were he that spoke.

I lifted up slowly. Peering through thick bands of brown hair, I found Marren standing at the edge of the field watching me cry. His eyes were wide with alarm, and his mouth parted like he wanted to say something but was too afraid. I remembered what he said about knowing when I’m in immense emotional pain.

I sniffed. “Marren?”

“What is wrong? What’s bothering you?”

I don’t know why, but I laughed in spite of myself. I brushed my hair from my neck and face, wiped my nose again and shrugged, then gestured to the field.

“You were in that much pain because of the flowers?” he asked, approaching my side.

I nodded.

“Why
uwoduhi
?”

He took a seat next to me then folded me into his arms.

“You would laugh at me if I told you,” I said through my sniffles.

“I promise I won’t laugh. I could never laugh at you for having so much pain.”

“When I saw the field and how untouched the flowers were, I thought what happened here was all in my head or some elaborate dream. I thought that day wasn’t real.”

He pulled me into him tighter and shushed into my ear, running his hand through the length of my hair. “I assure you, everything that you experienced with me is real. I’m sorry I didn’t explain to you the enchantment on these flowers. They grew with the magic that keeps the enchantment within our home. They are very resilient. The ones under us will even pop right back up as if we were never sitting on them.”

I gasped, pulling away and stood up quickly. I had forgotten all about the possibility of them getting damaged with my sitting on them. I realized the other foul I made and how that could’ve been interpreted to him.

“I’m sorry for running off. I needed to calm down. I didn’t even think of how that would’ve appeared to you, especially after everything you’ve told me.” I stared into his eyes, never breaking from them for even a blink.

His lips curved slightly at the corners. He motioned for me to sit back down, but I hesitated. He motioned more insistently, so I took a seat next to him. He shifted to his back, tucking his arms under his head and gazed at the sky. I laid next to him and thought about how the scent of the tulips was pleasant when the breeze blew through them. They swayed delicately from side to side in the direction the wind blew. I breathed in the dirt beneath us, the thick heavy scent of soil—soft and moist. The crisp aroma of the leaves on the trees blew around us too. Anything I could focus on was its own individual scent.

“I think I’m going through the change sooner than later,” I said, breaking the silence.

“Why do you think that?” he asked, more from curiosity than to insinuate it was in my head.

“I can smell everything as if though each one were by itself instead of combined, like it used to be.”

His body stiffened and then relaxed.

“What?” I asked.

“We should get you back before it gets too much closer to night—just to be safe.”

“I’m enjoying the air out here. It’s relaxing and freeing. Inside those walls, it can be constricting and irritating. Which, speaking of, why were you so mad I helped? I thought you wanted me to when you nodded.”

“I did, but that didn’t mean give her information that would tell her who you are.”

“I didn’t.” I rolled over to his chest and started twisting the lace of his shirt in between my fingers. I listened to the thumping of his heart, picking up in beats ever so slightly, but enough for me to notice. Marren ran his fingers through the length of my hair, sending chills through my body.

“You gave her more than you realize. We still have training to do, and I need to prepare you for the company that’s coming. What do you say to meeting me in the ballroom to go over some new techniques?”

“Meeting you?”

“I need to do something before I join you. Something I want settled before a problem gets out of hand.”

“Very well.” With a sigh, I lifted up from the ground and dusted the loose dirt from my robes. Marren did the same and held out his arm for me to take. I gazed at him curiously and smiled. He nodded once. I took his arm, allowing him to escort me back home.

I fell to the floor, getting the wind knocked out of me for the fifth time. At least this time I kept ahold of my sword, which was an improvement. Enid helped me train. Either that or he was trying to kill me because, while he retained his stamina, I was losing mine.

“Think, Relena. You must anticipate his moves and respond accordingly,” Marren instructed again. This time he sounded more exasperated.

“I’m trying, Marren. You expect me to fight like I had already gone through the change. By the Gods, I’m sweating like a stuck pig, and Enid has yet to pant.”

“You already experience aspects of the change that give you more stamina than you realize,” Marren purred, stepping up to me. His lips brushed mine. A rush pulsed through my body.

“Breathe, anticipate,” he whispered, bringing his hands to my face then pulled back away right before he kissed me, “and respond accordingly.”

He pulled his sword from its sheath and took his stance against Enid.

I took a seat in one of the chairs that lined the far wall under the weapons and stared as Marren and Enid fought. They moved so fast, they blurred together which made for a difficult time discerning their moves. I paid careful attention to the way both of them would move right before the sword cut into them or blocked the attack with their own. They fought with more skill than I thought was attainable, and yet, neither one faltered. Neither one panted, blinked, or missed a step, giving off the impression I was even more inferior and imperfect. I was ashamed for accusing Marren of having any imperfections before. He was right, that one night, when he called me blind. I just didn’t understand how true that statement was and the number of ways in which it was so.