last time you were here is free. Would you like it?”
Kallan looked over at me and I nodded. “That would be perfect.”
“Dinner first?” she asked.
“You read my mind,” I answered with a smile.
“Go sit down in the dining room.”
Morian served the three of us a big delicious dinner and then we found our way to room three. I smiled as we ducked under the doorway. The large four-poster bed was still covered with the patchwork quilt just as I remembered.
“Aren’t others going to talk if we’re here together?” I asked.
Kallan brushed a strand of my hair out of my face. “Morian is discreet.” He plopped down on the bed. “Come, let me rub your feet.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I lay on the bed opposite of him and he massaged my feet with a special oil that would help them heal.
“So why do we have wings if we can’t fly?” I asked a question that held my curiosity.
Kallan answered, “Our wings are an extension of our feelings. The way both of ours flutter when we see each other or kiss…it’s how we tell someone is attracted to us. Sometimes they flutter when we’re scared. I don’t know why we can’t fly, but it’s never bothered me.”
He turned around and held my face between his hands. The warmth of his breath caressed my lips and then our lips met. He kissed me and pulled away. Breathing hard, I lifted my eyes to his and our mouths met again. Our lips danced back and forth for a while before our heads collapsed on the pillows.
I lay next to him, our eyes locked until we fell asleep.
The next morning, the three of us set out after breakfast. “Who is Shaylee?” I asked.
“A light faery with the ability to manipulate crystals,” Drake answered.
“What does that mean? She does something to the stone?”
Drake explained, “Yes. She will shape it and spell it with magick.”
I fell quiet and thought about the cave and why I kept getting these weird feelings while the boys chatted about council duties and rugby.
I was thankful when Kallan pointed to a large tree and said, “That tree is part of the border to the light land. The village is only twenty minutes farther.” My legs were aching again. They had enough walking to last a lifetime.
When we passed the tree, something stopped me.
“What’s wrong, Rylie?” Concern flashed in Kallan’s eyes.
“This is light land?”
Kallan looked around. “Yes.”
“Why aren’t the flowers humming like usual?”
Kallan shook his head. “Flowers don’t hum for me.”
Drake scanned the area we’re in. “She’s right. Something’s off.”
“Can you tell what?” Kallan asked.
“No. It looks normal. It just feels off,” Drake echoed.
“You should talk to Lorella when we’re done with Shaylee,” Kallan suggested as we walked into the village area.
A bunch of wooden shacks made up the marketplace. Drake led us to one decorated with hanging crystals. Inside, a girl about our age sat fiddling with a rock. She looked up at us and jumped to her feet when she saw me. “Welcome. I’m Shaylee. What can I do for you?”
“Are you able to make mind communication rings?” Kallan asked.
“With the right gem.”
I took the rock out of my satchel and handed it over to Shaylee. Her brown eyes widened in surprise as she took the rock and studied it. “Yes. This will do just fine. It has lots of good properties. It’ll take me a few hours.”
“That’s fine. We’ll be back by dusk.” He took my hand and led me out of the hut. “We need to find your aunt.”
Lorella didn’t live far from Azura. Drake actually lived next door to her. “I’m going to go get cleaned up while you talk to your family,” Drake said and went inside his house.
Lorella opened the door before we reached it. “Oleander, Kallan. It’s a pleasure to see you. You have questions.”
“Yes.”
“Come in.” She moved to the side to allow us to pass. Violet and Nessa were playing a game on the floor. “Nessa, will you get
Kallan looked over at me and I nodded. “That would be perfect.”
“Dinner first?” she asked.
“You read my mind,” I answered with a smile.
“Go sit down in the dining room.”
Morian served the three of us a big delicious dinner and then we found our way to room three. I smiled as we ducked under the doorway. The large four-poster bed was still covered with the patchwork quilt just as I remembered.
“Aren’t others going to talk if we’re here together?” I asked.
Kallan brushed a strand of my hair out of my face. “Morian is discreet.” He plopped down on the bed. “Come, let me rub your feet.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I lay on the bed opposite of him and he massaged my feet with a special oil that would help them heal.
“So why do we have wings if we can’t fly?” I asked a question that held my curiosity.
Kallan answered, “Our wings are an extension of our feelings. The way both of ours flutter when we see each other or kiss…it’s how we tell someone is attracted to us. Sometimes they flutter when we’re scared. I don’t know why we can’t fly, but it’s never bothered me.”
He turned around and held my face between his hands. The warmth of his breath caressed my lips and then our lips met. He kissed me and pulled away. Breathing hard, I lifted my eyes to his and our mouths met again. Our lips danced back and forth for a while before our heads collapsed on the pillows.
I lay next to him, our eyes locked until we fell asleep.
The next morning, the three of us set out after breakfast. “Who is Shaylee?” I asked.
“A light faery with the ability to manipulate crystals,” Drake answered.
“What does that mean? She does something to the stone?”
Drake explained, “Yes. She will shape it and spell it with magick.”
I fell quiet and thought about the cave and why I kept getting these weird feelings while the boys chatted about council duties and rugby.
I was thankful when Kallan pointed to a large tree and said, “That tree is part of the border to the light land. The village is only twenty minutes farther.” My legs were aching again. They had enough walking to last a lifetime.
When we passed the tree, something stopped me.
“What’s wrong, Rylie?” Concern flashed in Kallan’s eyes.
“This is light land?”
Kallan looked around. “Yes.”
“Why aren’t the flowers humming like usual?”
Kallan shook his head. “Flowers don’t hum for me.”
Drake scanned the area we’re in. “She’s right. Something’s off.”
“Can you tell what?” Kallan asked.
“No. It looks normal. It just feels off,” Drake echoed.
“You should talk to Lorella when we’re done with Shaylee,” Kallan suggested as we walked into the village area.
A bunch of wooden shacks made up the marketplace. Drake led us to one decorated with hanging crystals. Inside, a girl about our age sat fiddling with a rock. She looked up at us and jumped to her feet when she saw me. “Welcome. I’m Shaylee. What can I do for you?”
“Are you able to make mind communication rings?” Kallan asked.
“With the right gem.”
I took the rock out of my satchel and handed it over to Shaylee. Her brown eyes widened in surprise as she took the rock and studied it. “Yes. This will do just fine. It has lots of good properties. It’ll take me a few hours.”
“That’s fine. We’ll be back by dusk.” He took my hand and led me out of the hut. “We need to find your aunt.”
Lorella didn’t live far from Azura. Drake actually lived next door to her. “I’m going to go get cleaned up while you talk to your family,” Drake said and went inside his house.
Lorella opened the door before we reached it. “Oleander, Kallan. It’s a pleasure to see you. You have questions.”
“Yes.”
“Come in.” She moved to the side to allow us to pass. Violet and Nessa were playing a game on the floor. “Nessa, will you get
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