They laugh, and my uncle pats me on the back. All the while directing me toward that damn mirror. "Are we seriously doing this?" I whine.
I knew that magic was real, and that some of the Others chose to live amongst us, but knowing and being a willing participant, whilejumping through an enchanted mirror, is another thing entirely.
"You'll love it, Arabella, and I can't wait for you to see Luxington Valley. Out of all the places you will ever go, you will never see a view more precious than that of our homeland." Aunt Georgia gives me a reassuring smile, then looks at Uncle Jo.
I love how much they love one another. I stand in the middle of my family, and they each grab one of my hands. They know that I'm uncertain about jumping through a mirror and that I'll need the reassurances that only they can give.
Change has never been one of my favorite things, and now my world has been turned upside down. Even if I'm upset with them, I still need the comfort they have always afforded me.Myaunt squeezes my hand, and I exhale a breath. Ethan makes a fist and throws what looks like a tiny rock at the mirror. Instantly, the image turns to a pretty shade of light blue. The sound of rain echoes throughout the room, and the droplets are falling softly into what I think is Lake Luminous. Which is the primary source of water in Luxington Valley and is believed to have healing properties. The sound becomes more intense as a bright light appears, and I close my eyes for a moment to relish in the warmth radiating off the mirror.
My uncle whispers reassuringly in my ear. "On the count of three, 1...2...3," and we jump.A slight pressure builds in my ears making them pop several times without stopping. That incredible light from before surrounds us, and little diamond circles float up and down. Happiness wraps around my limbs, my mind, body and soul. All too quickly, we arrive at our destination. Letting go of my family's hand, I try to balance myself. "Can we do that again?" Making them roll their eyes at me.
My gaze filters through the medium sized room that we've arrived in. It is sparsely decorated, and the furniture and decor inside is nothing too extravagant. Not even the caramel colored grand piano in the center of the room looks expensive. A desk sits in front of the window, and on the right side of the desk is a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers encased in a milk white porcelain vase. On the opposite side of the room is a fireplace, bookcase, and a chair that sits in the middle of the two.
The only art on the walls is above that fireplace. It's a painting of a boy and a girl. The girl has platinum blonde hair, and the boy has hair as dark as a raven. Her body exudes light, while his shadow leers out from his body. Could he be Shadow Kissed? That would mean he’s fought death and won. The siblings have lime green eyes, which is the color of Fae Royalty.Turns out my knowledge on the world of the Lux amounts to diddly squat. I didn't know we had royalty or Knights. And my understanding of the supernatural beings that we call the Others is even more limited than I thought.
This must be the Prince and Princess of The Lux. Are they twins? If not, only a year or two separates them. They have similar features but are not mirror images of each other. The oddest sensation makes its way down to my belly. The prince is breathtakingly handsome, almost ruggedly so. He has a scar over his left eye. A blush creeps into my cheeks as I look at his hands, his big, long fingers make me shiver as I close my eyes.
Suddenly remembering Ethan, I look for him, and he’s hovering in the corner by the desk. He stares at me intensely, the tick of his jaw making his expression unreadable. "Hey." I mouth. Did he witness my visual groping of the prince?
Ethan raises an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Hey." He mouths back.
An elderly man with lime green eyes walks through the door, and I see Ethan come to attention. My aunt and uncle quickly follow suit. After a second's hesitation, I try to mimic their stances. My pain is making it difficult to stand with perfect posture.
I wish I could turn my head to the side, because I want to see what the General, or rather King looks like. Before tonight, I thought our leader was a General and not a King, but I'm assuming he's both. I'll find out more later.
"No need for all that ceremony here, not in my private study. Please, be at ease." A stern voice commands.
The King comes to stand in front of me, and I make an effort to curtsy as my aunt did before me. However, my injuriesmake it too difficult. He reaches for my hand and bows before me, looking stunned. "Finally, our Chosen has come home."
I say nothing as anticipation swarms through me, fizzling in and out of my bones. It would have been nice to have been able to speak with my family first, but Kings, especially immortal ones, don't wait for mere mortals. Even ones that they call The Chosen.
An older woman in black and white maids attire comes into the room and hands him a small glass of amber-looking liquid. She smiles at me then hurries from the room. The King gives me the cup. "Arabella, until Merrie-Beth can see to your injuries, this will help with some of the pain. The medicine will help only temporarily. She will need to visit you soon."
Taking the cup from him, I drink the contents without saying a word. It tastes like strawberry-flavored Coca-Cola. It sounds like a nasty combination, but it tastes like summer.
Almost instantaneously, my headache is gone, and I feel like I could probably run a marathon with how much energy the drink gave me. Ethan smirks at me over the King's shoulder, making my heart flutter. Focus, Arabella! Focus on King Aramayus.
Now that my attention is fully engaged, I can see that he is a silver-haired fox! The gray works well with the color of his eyes. King Aramayus looks like he’s in his late thirties, but his eyes show too much wisdom for that to be true. With supernaturals it is hard to tell how old they truly are. His build is muscular, and he is only an inch or so shorter than Uncle Jo. When he reached for my hand, I saw a tattoo of the sun birthmark that the Chosen One is supposed to have on her wrist, but I don't have that mark. A memory of Ethan filters through my mind. One from the previous night of our run at the parkwhen he stared down at my wrist with an expression of awe sculpted on his handsome features.
I frown as he examines the cut across my forehead, and the bruises on my face and body. "Who did this to you, Arabella?" He asks bitterly.
"I'm not sure who they were, King Aramayus. There were four men: a giant, a Scotsman, and two brothers. The brothers were twins, and all I know is a woman wanted them to kidnap me. They explained that if I went peacefully, I wouldn't be hurt.”
He laughs and has a look of admiration shining in his eyes. "I shudder to think what might have happened to you had you listened to that nonsense. You have grit, and that pleases me to see. With the journey ahead, that will only work in your favor."
I nod my head as a shiver runs down my spine. Today was a terrible day, but it could have been much worse. Merrie-Beth could be dead, and I could have been kidnapped by psychos. Ethan catches my attention once again. Leaning his back against the wall he resembles what I'd imagine pure sex looks like. His emerald eyes haven't strayed far from me. His hair is shaggy enough to cover the tops of his ears, and my fingertips itch to run my hands through the shiny locks. I wonder if he is always so bold as to stare at someone unabashedly. I quickly turn my head away, because I'm not that bold.
My aunt and uncle gaze toward the King fondly. "I'm glad you're back home. You've raised a fine girl. She’s everything we had hoped for, and I understand that Arabella is not up to speed on all this. Take her to your rooms, for I've kept them open all these years. Tell her all she needs to know and start from the beginning. Our next meeting will be a briefing, where all details will be revealed. Preparations for the tournament have alreadybegun, the new time of the Guardian has begun.” The King bows before me and whispers, “For the Chosen."
"Thank you, my King. It’s good to be home in the Lux Valley.” My uncle bows, while we curtsy, and I follow them quietly from the room.
Chapter 5
Horrible Deaths
What happened to my parents isn’t right, they didn’t deserve to die.
-Arabella
