Page 14 of The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles #1)

Chapter Thirteen

I knew lying wasn’t a good idea at this point. So, I told her everything. Why I decided to get a dagger, how Quill had agreed to train me, and how he had killed those men in the forest that day.

She just sat next to me in silence for a while. She ordered me to heal my neck bruises and the cut on my face but said it would be too suspicious to heal everything completely, especially those bruises on my ribs. Those I was to deal with.

“I don’t understand why you would hide getting a weapon from me. I’ve always wanted you to be able to protect yourself,” she said quietly.

“I just,” I sighed. “I knew how much you wanted me to learn magic for that same reason. If I admitted I wanted to be able to protect myself—”

“You didn’t want to argue about magic.”

I nodded, and she exhaled loudly.

“I know how hesitant you have felt about magic, but if you still feel that way, why learn enchantment…to make elixirs?”

I flushed, and she sat straighter, surprise on her face.

“You wanted to learn the contraceptive elixir, didn’t you?”

My eyes were going to pop out of my head. “N-no.” I started shaking my head.

“Don’t lie to me, Lena—no more lies.” Then, to my stupefaction, she began to laugh.

I glowered at her. “What is so funny?”

She held her hand to her mouth, attempting to contain any future chuckles. “It’s just, after how many years of trying to convince you to learn any magic, liking a boy is what it took.”

I groaned, stood from the couch, and began heading to my room. “It wasn’t just for that. Obviously, I have been getting in danger lately. I may need to know other things in a dire situation.”

“That is what I have been saying this whole time.” I was almost in my room when she spoke again. “How did he not get in trouble for killing that man?” Her tone had changed, and I halted where I stood.

I pivoted to her. “I’m…I’m not sure. It was almost like the guards didn’t notice him.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “And as for those in the woods, I’m not sure if they’ve been found or not.”

“By the Gods, Lena,” she muttered. “I can’t believe you kept this from me. Why?”

“Quill felt shame and fear from it, even if he wouldn’t admit it. And it felt like the least I could do for him saving me was keep that a secret for him.”

“It seems like ever since you met him, there’s been trouble.”

“You’re blaming him?” I asked, crossing my arms .

“No. It’s just an observation. We know what has happened in the past when you’ve been afraid for your life,” she said cautiously. She didn’t need to say what she meant, as I knew my magic had been uncontrollable in the past when my life had been in jeopardy.

I shifted, my hand now on my doorknob.

“He’s in love with you.”

I hesitated, then looked at her. “I’m in love with him.”

“Love can make you do foolish things, Lena. You need to be careful.”

I nodded and opened my door.

“Lena?”

“Yes?”

“I will allow you to still train with him. But you will continue learning enchantment, and not just for birth control.”

I huffed and rolled my eyes, my face blushing yet again, and I closed my door behind me, Mother’s soft chuckle barely audible.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Mother made sure to use knowing about my training as a weapon and forced me to study enchantment daily. Thankfully, there had been no other discussion about the contraceptive elixir, though when she wasn’t around, I had glossed through the spell book and found the recipe. The issue wasn’t gathering the herbs as it was wielding and executing the magic itself.

Magic had been dormant in my body for so long that I didn’t even know where to start. To my luck, the contraceptive elixir utilized a form of healing magic, and since I have been doing decent with that, I felt optimistic. However, I didn’t know when I would feel confident enough that my concoction would do what it was supposed to. Other elixirs mother began teaching me about were illusion and speed.

“I wonder if there are any Warlocks in Otacia,” I thought out loud as I read the recipe for an invisibility elixir, a form of illusion magic.

“It’s possible, even though their numbers are less than the Mages,” Mother replied.

Humans also considered Warlocks to be witches, but they were different from us. While we both had pointed ears, a Warlock’s differentiating feature were their pupil-less eyes. Like us, they could glamour their appearance to appear human. Their abilities, however, differed. Their magic could only work using spoken spells. Most impressively, every one of them could shape-shift, which only a small number of Mages with that as a special ability could do.

“What about Vampires?” I asked, my mouth drying at just the mention of them.

“I try not to imagine them in the city. Typically, they are caught quickly in environments like this.”

Though I had never encountered a Vampire, I sometimes lost sleep over the idea. They could only lurk at night, as the sun would turn them to dust. I wondered if I was being prejudiced just like those who feared Mages, but Vampires survived off blood, after all.

“Why do you have two swords, Quill?” I asked, eyeing the second sword and sheath against his back. The week had passed, and Quill was pleased to see my face had healed completely. There may have been a scar, but I healed it myself once I had the chance.

“It’s a gift for you, Flower,” Quill smirked as he removed the dark purple sheath and pulled out the sword, whose handle was obsidian with silver decals. A blue gemstone lay in its center.

“You got this for me?” I gaped.

“Seeing as though your dagger didn’t hold up well in your fight,” he said as he placed the sword back in the sheath and handed it to me, “I figured it was time to teach you a more advanced weapon.”

“Thank you…” I mumbled, unsheathing the sword myself and staring with awe. “To be fair, you never trained me with the dagger. Only evasive maneuvers.”

He smirked. “Yes, I know. We will be going over both today, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t grasp it immediately. It will take months before you’re truly proficient in either.”

He approached me as I continued to gawk at my new sword.

“This is a greatsword,” he murmured.

“Well, I figured it would be if you got it.”

“No,” he chuckled. “It’s a greatsword. It’s meant to be used with both hands, and its long blade allows for superior cutting capabilities.”

“Oh,” I flushed.

Dumbass. I should’ve known that.

“The best advantage of using a two-handed sword is its increased power,” he continued. “It’s longer and heavier than a one-handed sword, so if we can get this down, learning the latter should be a piece of cake.”

I bounced it in my hands, surprised by the weight. I unsheathed it fully, admiring the craftsmanship up close. I didn’t even want to think of what it had cost.

“Your arms will be sore after today, but you will grow used to it over time.” He quirked a brow. “Are you feeling up to this? If not, we can wait until next week.”

“I got this.”

He grinned and led me through a few different stances, all of them feeling slightly awkward.

“Will you ever fight against me? Give me some real experience?”

He laughed. “Once you get this down, I shall consider it. Don’t want to kill your confidence just yet.” He gave me a wink, and I nudged him with my hip.

“I think I’ll give you a run for your money,” I breathed, the switching of movements beginning to hitch my breathing.

“I don’t doubt that for a second.”

That made me smile.

“I had a question,” I asked as we packed our stuff an hour later. It felt foreign yet exactly right having this sword along my back.

“Anything, Flower. ”

“Why haven’t you told your father about me?”

He was quiet for a while.

I bit my lip. “Are you ashamed of me?” I asked quietly.

He spun towards me. “No. Why would I be ashamed of you, Lena?”

I gave him a knowing look, and he stopped before me. “My father has expectations of me," he continued. "My mother does, too, but my father is not as…understanding as her.”

“So, it’s because he would be ashamed of you .”

“It’s because his opinion doesn’t mean shit when it comes to you,” he stated bluntly. “No one’s does.”

I blinked. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you swear.”

He gave me his lazy smile and leaned down so his face was next to mine. “I guess you’re rubbing off on me, Flower,” he murmured into my ear, his hot breath sending chills down my body, causing me to inhale sharply. He clicked his tongue. “Such a bad influence.”

He drew away from me, his eyes lustful as he studied me. He inhaled and glanced toward the kingdom.

“I should be heading home now.”

“Really?” I pouted. “You tease me and then say you’re leaving?”

He smirked, his eyes darting down at me. “Unless you want our first time to be on the forest floor, I think it is best I go.”

My mouth dropped open, and I was left speechless. He continued smirking and laced his hand in mine as we wandered home.

When we had just about reached my house, I got the courage to ask him something I had been thinking about over the past few weeks.

“Hey.”

He turned, eyebrow lifted .

“There is this festival next month for the Summer Solstice. It happens every summer in the Outer Ring. I-I understand if you aren’t interested, but—”

He pulled me into an embrace and kissed me softly. Gods, I could melt in his arms.

“I would love to go with you,” he responded, seeing where I was going with my question. “When is it?”

“Three Saturdays from now. It starts around 7:00 p.m. Well, it starts sooner, but it’s more fun at night.”

He contemplated. “I don’t know if I can be there at 7:00,” he said. “But I could probably meet you around 9:00 or so. Would that work?”

I felt my face light up. “Yes, yes, that would be great. It goes all night,” I beamed.

He grinned and kissed me once more. “I will let you know for certain next time I see you.” He tilted his head to the side. “What does one wear to an occasion like this?”

“Oh,” I blushed. “Anything you’d wear would be good. Normally, the women wear their best gowns, the men dressing in the finest clothes they have.”

After cutting the dress I wore when Quill was attacked, I realized I didn’t have anything for it. Maybe the dress I wore when Queen Ryia visited. Either way, I would figure it out.

“Understood. See you then, Lena.” He pressed his lips to my forehead before walking off.