Page 36

He put his hands up defensively then gestured to the road ahead. “Next stop, the gardens.”

The garden was massive, sprawling out across a few acres that were partly in the sun and partly protected by the shade of trees in the distance.

Rows of flowers bloomed in an assortment of vivacious colors.

Sweet flowers and the songs of exotic birds filled the air.

Butterflies with glowing blue patterns along their wings fluttered, spreading pollen to other areas of the garden.

Winding paths twisted and turned through a kaleidoscope of flora and fauna.

Amidst the majestic flowers, fountains and waterfalls created prismatic sprays of light that danced cross metallic, glossy leaves.

A sense of raw power hummed in the air as if nature was coexisting in perfect harmony.

This place was alive, living and breathing like an ever-evolving entity, refueling something deep inside my soul.

Roses that burst in a riot of colors caught my eye, their petals unfurling like wings of a thousand fairies. The smell was tantalizing, beckoning me to explore more. But, I guessed they weren’t beckoning anyone else at this time of day. It was as if the gardens were for only me to enjoy.

Peeking over my shoulder, I saw the king had decided to stay behind to have a casual chat with some citizens.

I ventured deeper into the gardens and closer to the roses. I leaned forward, closed my eyes, and inhaled a scent sweeter than ocaberries tasted. I scanned the next few roses, sniffing and letting the relaxing glee spread through me.

As I traveled around the corner, I almost tripped over a man hunched over with a shovel in his hand and a beige sunhat. His white shirt was marred with dirt patches and his blue pants were ripped at the knees.

When my foot scuffed the dirt path, he turned and looked up at me. His bronze hair was drenched in sweat beneath the hat. His oval face smiled as his pastel pink irises riveted on me. It had been the most genuine smile I’d seen since stepping foot in Elizy.

“Oh, hello,” he greeted and stood, coming to just taller than me. His broad shoulders were muscular, but also, he carried some weight to him, making him bulkier than Fletcher.

I raised my hand to wave a greeting, but my fingers sparked blue and the area of flowers he had been tending shriveled to brown deadness, then flaked apart with the breeze.

I gasped, my hands flying over my mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” I showed him my palms, saying, “Sometimes my magic doesn’t work quite right.”

He looked down and chuckled momentarily before returning his gaze with a kind smile. “That’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I was pulling them out anyway.”

I grinned at his attempt to humor me. I knew he was lying because I had just seen him planting the last flower.

It puffed into five perfect bubbles and wisped out like cotton.

“I’ve never seen these kinds of flowers before.

” I searched my brain for anything that resembled the flowers before me in the botany textbook I had growing up reading but came up empty.

“Oh, really? Well, these are all flowers native to the ?lden Lands. Perhaps you are more familiar with those that are indigenous to the continent of Len?bus? Do you know?”

I shook my head. “Never heard of Len?bus before. ”

He huffed and scrunched his lips to the side as if he was trying to figure me out. “How about Aerthion?”

“That sounds familiar,” I lied. Something about being in such genuine presence pressured me into sounding remotely more impressive than I actually was.

He nodded. “We’ve got some plants indigenous to Aerthion here if you’re interested.”

“Well, where’s Aerthion?”

“On the eastern hemisphere. A long travel from here.”

I remembered flipping through my botany textbook and always landing on the sunflower. I loved sunflowers. I would love to see one in person. Its bright golden petals made me think of happiness and its constant search for the sun made me hopeful.

“Ah, yes. You’ll find sunflowers in the Aerthion region.” His pink irises looked over his shoulder toward the tree line and pointed. “If you continue that way, you should run into them.”

I widened my eyes, spikes of shock overtaking me at the realization that I had sent him my thoughts.

“Oh, did you not mean to send that to me?”

I shook my head in a daze. “My magic is unpredictable. ”

He gave a knowing smile and bowed his head slightly. “That’s okay, Princess Ripley.”

Discomfort settled in my jaw, and I took a small step away.

He smiled and chuckled. “My eight-year-old cousin said that Princess Ripley made a special appearance in his class today.” He smiled at me. “Welcome back.” He took his hat off and held out a hand to me. “Oh, I’m Graff, by the way.”

I stared at his strong, open hand then stuffed mine in my pockets defiantly.

He gave a soft chuckle. “Probably a good idea. My hands have dirt all over them.” He wiped his palms on his shirt. I watched him gulp then say. “Um… Would you like a tour of the gardens?”

I shook my head. “No, thanks. I’m just going to stroll if you don’t mind.”

A sullen smile took over his face as if he was disappointed by my refusal. “The ocaberry farm is really neat if you travel back far enough to the left. Feel free to grab some if you need a boost.”

“Thanks.” I grinned. “The garden looks lovely.”

His smile turned genuine again, sweat reflecting off his creamy skin. “Well, I appreciate that very much. ”

“It’s good to meet you, Graff.”

“The feeling is mutual, Ripley. Enjoy your walk.”

I strode past him and down the path. A quick peek over my shoulder had me looking at his curved back as he knelt to continue his work. He seemed nice. I certainly trusted him much more than anyone else I had met so far.

As I strolled through the neatly crafted aisles filled with both flowers I recognized and ones I didn’t, I felt more at peace than I had in weeks. There was no danger to ward against. I could just… be.

Basking in the sun filled me with a sense of life that regenerated me as I took in the natural beauty Graff had a hand in sculpting.

When I reached the ocaberry patch, I kept popping them into my mouth until I noticed my brunette hair change to a luscious blonde and grew long enough for reassurance that I was nearing full magic capacity.

I bunched up the locks close to my feet and took the time to wrap my hair neatly into a top knot like Fletcher had once taught me .

I embraced this new tranquility as I weaved my way back to the king an hour later, giving Graff a quick wave on the way out.

The king and I walked up the path and closer to the castle. “I see you’ve met Graff. Nice boy, he is. Lovely family.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. One of the few people I’ve liked so far.”

“Maybe you two will become friends.”

“Unlikely. I’m not staying here.”

“Oh, right.” He chuckled, eyes lingering on my face as if he were interested in what I would say next.

At the base of the mountain, instead of turning to the right toward the castle, we kept true.

Once we had walked up a hill, a high-arched entrance that led into the depths of the mountain appeared. Lanterns hovered over the ground, lighting the way from just outside the mountain into the tunnel the king was leading me to.

“I want to show you something before we go to the castle.”

Gazing into the entrance, I spotted luminous purples and blues and neon yellows blending together.

And when we turned with the bend in the tunnel, I feasted my eyes on a large room with a vast and deep pool filled with scintillating crystals piled in heaps.

Each individual crystal was a unique size and glistened with even the smallest of my movements.

Heat radiated off them like their energy was synergizing before my eyes.

The bottom of the pool bubbled like the crystals were melting.

“This is what powers all of the ?lden Lands, Ripley. Our engineers have worked very hard to make sure energy runs to anyone and everyone in our land.”

Anyone and everyone . “But the Cidris are here.” I looked back at the pool. “This is what powers their facility! You have to turn it off.”

He tilted his head and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat.

“I know. But, if we do, then our barrier comes down. We would be vulnerable to all of the Cidris and who knows what else. Power to our cities, and our forests would sense that we were in trouble and possibly harm all wildlife and humans in an attempt to save us. So, this must stay on and lit for many millennia to come.”

A female strode in with two crystals in each hand. She smiled at us, put her feet together at the edge of the pool and closed her eyes.

“What is she doing?” I asked in a low whisper.

“Making a wish. ”

She opened her eyes and tossed her crystals into the pool. Then, she turned around to us as she fumbled for more crystals in her satchel.

Her eyes latched onto the king’s as she straightened and rested her flattened hand over her heart as a greeting. A greeting I recognized. It was what the Elizian women had done in the cages when one was leaving.

The king matched her salute before his elbow nudged me in the side to follow suit. “She is showing her respect. We must show it back.”

“Oh,” I mumbled, placing my hand over my heart as fast as I could and bowing my head slightly.

Her eyes latched onto mine and gasped. “Is this—no—is it? Are you Princess Ripely?”

I gulped and nodded.

“Oh!” she squealed. “Would it be crazy if I gave you a hug?”

“Careful, she bites,” the king deadpanned.

The joke evoked a soft giggle from me when I impulsively elbowed him in the side. After the king chuckled, I turned my attention back to the woman. “Um… sure.”

She ran so fast that she collided into me and knocked me back a few steps. “Welcome home. We have missed you terribly.” She finally let go, and I couldn’t erase the smile that she had plastered on my face. “I’m Rizzy. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s good to meet you, Rizzy.”

She held my hands. “Where have you been? Are you all right?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Oh, good. That must mean you were lucky enough to steer clear of Fletcher Darkly.” She laughed and looked at the king’s stone-cold face. “Am I right?”

I ground my teeth as the edges of my vision darkened on their own volition. The tunnel gave a light tremor. The sound of crystals rattling together and falling down the sides of the piles echoed in the cave just before the king’s hand came down on my wrists, knocking away Rizzy’s touch.

I looked up into his gray eyes that matched mine in pigment as his face went from concerned to content. He released my hands and turned back to Rizzy. “We all owe Fletcher great kindness and gratitude for braving the ?lden Lands to rescue your princess.”

The defending words surprised me, nestling into my brain with dissonance.

“Oh,” Rizzy sputtered, “I’m,” she bowed her head and curtsied, “sorry. Please forgive me— ”

I turned to the king and said, “I’ve had enough for one day.”

“Princess—” Rizzy called, but I broke myself apart and grasped at tendrils of the light breeze, praying it would take me to Fletcher.