Chapter Six
Glancing around the hallway, I look back down at the doorknob and try it again.
"Like it's going to magically be unlock-" The door opens. My mouth falls open.
Sounds of the guards' footsteps make me come back and I rush into the room. Hopefully, they won't be able to tell I locked it from the inside.
Taking a deep breath as they make sure the door is locked, I let it go when the doorknob stops rattling. Falling onto my bed, I once again think about Dasolin. He isn't who he says he is and this girl, who is she? What kind of information does she have?
Sighing, my eyes slowly close… My last thought, "You will see me again, Desolin…"
The next morning I find myself halfway off the bed. Beside me is a tray with water and food. The servants must not have noticed I locked it from the inside.
Smiling at how lucky I am, I take a bite out of the apple that was sitting on the tray.
My smile disappearing when I realized I have to sit in my room for the next six days, I lean back onto my bed.
"For the gods' sake, being stuck in your room is horrible!"
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In the morning, Zion can hear the soft crows of the firebirds….
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For the last few minutes, I've been staring at the pendant. Its soft glow brings me to it. Somewhere deep inside me is telling me to look away, but I can't.
Throwing the pendant under my pillow when there's a knock on the door, I say in a quiet voice, "Hello?"
"Zion? It's Cadence." Letting out a sigh of relief, I respond. "You can come in." The door opens and Cadence peeks his head in. "Hey. Can we talk?" My heart speeds up. What could we possibly talk about?
"Uh. Sure?" Scooting over on the bed, he sits down next to me.
"I know you have the pendant. And it's mine. The pendant is an heirloom." My eyes go wide and it takes a lot of self-control to not look at my pillow.
"The pendant? What do you mean?" Cadence sighs and reaches over me, throwing the pillow to the other side of the room. He picks up the pendant.
"This, Zion. It's mine." Frowning at him, I try to take it back. "Don't believe you. Give it back, Cadence." He stands up and walks away. Calling back at him, I try to get him to come back.
"It's magic! You'll be killed if the king finds out." Cadence hovers at my doorway for a second before walking out.
Throwing an ink jar across the room, it shatters. Sitting still on my bed, I think about what I just did. Never in my life have I thrown anything in anger. Getting scared of myself, I hug my legs to my chest, staring at the ink bottle, my door wide open.
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Meanwhile, Cadence smells the familiar scent of burned flesh….
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"There. I got the pendant." My uncle floats to me, his head bobbing.
"Yes, you did. But the boy still knows the magic in it." Dismissing him, I turn to my desk.
"It's fine. He won't remember anything, anyway." Feeling my uncle's breath on my neck, I turn around,
"You don't sound so sure… Maybe I just need to…" He reaches out his hand and touches my neck. My body shakes as I feel him entering me.
"Ah… It's been so long since I've been in an actual body. Thank you for your help, Cadence. But I got it now."
The last bit that's left of me in my body tries to push him out. My soul is too weak. He will stay in me until he leaves. I have no choice but to slowly fade away as he takes over my body and mine.
I'll have no choice but to watch the havoc he will bring along with my other family members.
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In the streets of the village, all Jaylin can hear is the ruckus from the village citizens…
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Being in the Briar kingdoms villages is head-numbing. There is so much talking and noise. Everything is loud. I can't even hear myself speak!
Finding the girl isn't going too well either. The date is noted as today and the time is only a few minutes away. Going to my destination, -The castle's walls- sitting there for a girl who probably will not come.
After the time goes past the meeting time the girl wrote, I stand up only to be pushed back down by a young boy.
"Um. Excuse me?" The boy smiles brightly at me and hands me a piece of paper.
"Follow it closely. Do you understand me? It will determine the fate of the Solstice and the round-ears home combined. Also, I'm a boy. Not a girl." He smiles and walks away.
Looking down at the piece of paper, I glance up to see that he is gone; like the time in the woods.
Shaking my head and looking down at the piece of paper, I carefully read it.
"Jaylin, the girl with brown hair and green eyes, you must find her. She is the key to saving this realm. There will be an enemy who you never thought of. The papers you found, they are the future. The crack in the wall, the destruction of the Solstice, and the human world is coming. Find this girl, Jaylin. Find her." Sighing and crumpling up the piece of paper, I push off the wall.
"This will be a long day."
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In Lilac's room, she has to make a choice….
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"Lilac, please. I need you to be there." My father is standing in front of me, sober and his beard cut nicely. Today is the start of the annual fine arts festival. As the heir to the throne, I am required to go by my father's orders.
The festival is the only time I get to go out in the village other than my monthly check. Why being excited about it. My father just wants me there so he can look good. Without me, it would just by my sundrop addicted father.
I am the one who makes all the speeches. Not my father. The guards do nothing either. My chief guards -Aldef and Cideron- always make sure I am not in danger.
"I don't want to go. Aren't I supposed to be grounded?" My father glares at me as a maid comes in, a white box in her hands.
"You're coming, that's final. All you do is complain about how you're never in the village! So, here you go." The maid opens the box to show me an extravagant white and gold dress.
"You will wear that. I expect to see you in fifteen minutes." Groaning vivid phases about my father as the maid lays out the dress.
"Why can't he just let me do what I want? Honestly! Don't you agree, Sylva?" The maid next to me laughs and nods.
"Yes, your majesty." Waving her off and glancing around, I wave Cadence over who is standing at the edge of the doorway.
"Is Zion coming to the festival?" He shrugs.
"Don't know. He hasn't done a lot of talking today." Frowning, I stay still as the maids measure me, finding out if the dress will need adjustments.
"Hm. I'll talk to him after I am done with this. I need both of my favorite buddies to get through the day!" Cadence shakes his head and walks away as the king calls for him.
"Okay. Whatever you say." Cadence leaves the room, leaving the maids to undress me and fit me into the white dress.
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Back in Zion's small room, all he can hear are voices…
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The voices, they are all jumbled up. I can't hear a thing.
I want them to go away. But they won't. The stupid pendant caused this, I know it did.
Trying to stand up. My legs feel weak and my body isn't balanced.
"Cadence?" Calling out for him, my door still open, Setril peeks his head in.
"Zion? You okay?" He's terrible southern accent is heavy in his voice.
Waving him off, I stumble to the door.
"I'm fine. Promise. Just need to find something." Almost falling, Setril catches me.
"Yeah, Zion, I think you need to lie down. As the chief scribe apprentice, I order you to." Setril uses his rank to do good, and he does it a lot, especially to me.
By now, the voices are louder and Setril's voice is a small echo in the thousands of other voices.
Getting what he is saying, I let him lead me back to my bed. As soon as I touch the pillow, my eyes close halfway. Setril is sitting beside me, a glass of water poured from my bedside container.
He sets the glass down and picks up the shards from the ink container. Over the voices in my head, I hear him say, "What is going on with you, Zion?"