Crystal (Silver Hills #2) (5 page)

Chapter Five

Bubbling Flesh

The smooth fabric of my wedding gown draped over my shoulders in a shapeless blob.  I stared down at my toes wondering who picked this thing.  I thought weddings were supposed to be grand and elegant?  My shoulders jolted back as the silky fabric slithered around my waist, hugging my figure and transforming to fit me perfectly. 

"Whoa," I muttered.  My jaw hung open as I studied my new gown - form fitting along the waist and flaring out towards my toes.  One shoulder was wrapped in shiny fabric and the other was left bare.  I gawked at the bottom of my wedding dress.  It fluttered like a stream of air was constantly blowing through it.  There was no wind.

"Beautiful," Opi sighed.  She draped my face with the same veil she'd thrown over my head before.  I took a huge whiff of the citrusy smell embedded in the
sheer fabric as
Opi made sure the seam of my dress was flawless.

"What now?" I impatiently asked, putting my hands on my hips.  The dress felt even smoother than it looked. 

"You keep your head down," she replied.  "No one can see the black in your eyes."

"Black pupils are normal," I commented.  "Have you looked in a mirror?  You're the one with black eyeballs.  And exactly how am I supposed to do that?  What if Zircon wants to lift the veil?"  Opi shrugged.

"Don't look at him?" she suggested.

"And after the wedding?" I continued.  "Then what?  I turn my head every time he comes around?"

"You won't see him much after the wedding," Opi responded.

"
Some marriage."

"This was arranged by Miss Dotti's father."  Opi looked around the room again like she was n
ervous about
being overheard.  "It's the only way to keep the two kingdoms at peace."

"Sure it is," I chortled.  "Until a power hungry psycho with daddy issues tricks someone into starting a war."

"You
know this?"  Opi's eyes went wide with shock.

"Hypothetically," I reiterated.  "Don't you watch TV?  That's always how it goes."

"So you
don't
know of this trick?" Opi asked.

"Forget I ever said that," I sighed, rolling my eyes. 
Alexa would've been angry by now.  She probably would've sent Opi away and gone gallivanting through the castle.  Why didn't I think of that earlier?
  "I just want to go home.  Take me to this Zircon person."

"So long as you remember to keep your head down," Opi reminded me.  "
Miss Dotti said that if she didn't return, the one in her place must
continue on."

"Where did she-
"  A rapping on the door interrupted my next question.  Opi j
umped to answer it.  She shot me
once last worried look.

"It's time," she whispered.

*
         
*
         
*

The train on my gown swayed on the stone floor as I followed a huddle of decorated soldiers down a silent hallway.  The butterflies in my stomach made me feel queasy.  I kept my head down, only slightly eyeing the blue and purple designs on the soldier's uniforms.  My fingers latched tightly aro
und the rigid handle of my pocket knife
.  It was partially tucked up the sleeve of my gown - the side that actually had a sleeve.  The knife was the only real thing I had a
t
the moment
, besides my grandmother's ring
.  It was
a piece
of my true home.

I put one foot in front of the other, keeping my eyes locked on a
purple rug leading to a blazing arch.  I glanced at the colorful flowers th
at curled around the wooden frame
.  They matched the giant vases along the hall.  A swirling fire rose up and down beneath the plants where a heap of dirt should have been.  The flowers on the wooden marriage arch had a bright fire surrounding
them too.  And beneath the structure
was a guy with hair that looked like bronze.

My chest pounded as I got closer to the groom.  Zircon was
le
an and not as tall or bulky as
Brett but the shimmer of his bronzy hair was entrancing.  I could see a slight grin on his face as he watched me walk closer.  My face felt warm as a clump of curls covered my damp forehead.
 
His eyes moved from my sheer veil to the dark stone on my finger.

The sides of my fingers rubbed against the silver of Grandma Nettie's ring.  I took a few more steps, taking a huge brea
th as the soldiers
parted
in front of me
.  I approached the arch with a nauseous gut and a knife tucked into the sleeve of my wedding gown.  I could feel Zircon stare at me as I slowly lifted my head just enough to see his white pupils. 

His wide face and neatly defined jaw made my blood pump.  I was hardly bothered by the black bits in his eyes and gray iris that surround his pearly pupils.  His warm fingers brushed against mine.  The turmoil in my stomach felt more realistic than I'd expected. 
I was anxious for this dream to end.

"Remove the
veil," the P
riest instructed.  I glanced over at the elderly man beside him.  The glow of his silvery hair looked faint next to Zircon's beaming bro
nze.  I could feel my heart race
rapidly as Zircon's
gallant fingers
reached for my veil.  He lifted the sheer fabric from my face and quickly caressed a strand of my blond hair.

I kept my head down
like Opi had suggested. 
The entire room was calm (minus the gurgling in my stomach) and I wanted it to stay that way.
  A warm hand touched my chin.  I bit the side of my cheek as Zircon's rough hand forced me to lift my chin and look into his eyes.  I panicked, rubbing a moist palm against the silk of my gown.
  I could see the
curl of my long
eyelashes as I kept my eyes pointed down.  The silence in the room enveloped my entire torso.  I could hear my heartbeat drum in my ears.

"Dotti."  Zircon's deep whisper startled me enough to glance up.
  For a moment our eyes locked and a wave of tingling heat rushed down my spine. 
The tingle numbed my fingers and toes as Zircon clenched his jaw.  I heard sudden gasps around me and hushed chatter.
 

"What trickery is this?"  A large man sitting behind Zircon stood up.  He wore orange and ruby robes - the same colors on Zircon's suit.

"I assure you," the Priest said, bowing in the man's direction.
  "There must be an explanation."  The elderly man looked in my direction with a hopeful expression.  "Madam Peridot, what is your ailment?"
  I gulped. 
What did he just ask me?

"Um . . ."  My breathing got heavier as all eyes fell to me.  My fingers hugged the end of the pocket knife in my sleeve.  "Um . . ."

"This is all she has to say for herself?" the large man shouted.  He pointed as his face turned as red a
s a
raging fire.  "She's a practitioner of dark magic!  She's a TRAITOR!"  The word jolted my entire body as the hall grew louder an
d louder.  I frantically looked around for Opi but I couldn't spot her.  My eyes locked on Nuum.  He stood tall in the corner with wide eyes.  But before he
could
step forward a team of soldiers dressed in ruby
and orange marched towards me,
weapons drawn.  Their swords weren't made of the shiny metal I'd seen in movies.  They were made of dark rocks with jagged edges.  I took a step backward.

"
Okay," I breathed.  "Any time now Brett.  Alexa?  This isn't funny anymore.  It never was."

"She's praying to the demon Gods," a raspy voice yelled from the crowd.  "She is a traitor!"

"What?"  I turned my head just as a sharp edge knocked me to
the ground.  My arms throbbed like they had been hit with a thousand basketballs in gym class.
I scrambled to stand up.  A sharp pain shot through my legs as I stumbled, seeing a rip in the fabric of
my dress.  T
he sudden outburst of pain forced a tear down my
cheek.  M
y lung
s
froze in fear
- chest heaving and jaw hanging open
.  This wasn't a dream.

I have to get out of here! 
I gripped the handle of my pocket knife, letting the blade flip open.  The shiny metal reflected against the swirling fire around the arch.  I jumped up clutching my side as the team of soldiers advanced.  I looked at the sea of madness behind me.  Guests were shouting, even chanting as they pointed
at me
.  Behind the crowd, a bright light shot through an open doorway. 
That
was my way out.

Another soldier lunged forward, pointing his rocky sword at my shoulder.  A frightened yell escaped my throat as I leapt aside, letting the tip of my pocket knife graze the soldier's hand.
He jolted back and
stared
in horror
at his hand as the skin bubbled.  A gurgling scream rang through the hall as he dropped his sword and grasped the boiling skin.  The rest of the team stopped dead in their tracks as the soldier
continued screaming
on the floor.

I stared at my pocket
knife
in awe, facing the crowd and running for the burst of
light in the doorway.  The spectators
let out blood-curdling cries while
they parted, letting me run past with the metal knife in front of me.  My gown fluttered and made it look as if I was running on air.
  My heart raced as the beaming light hit my face with a ray of warmth.  I covered my
eyes and lifted my silk gown. 
I sprinted into the first place I spotted - le
afy treetops.  I rac
ed to the quiet grove, gulping down air as my lungs burned.

I staggered to a
heart-dropping
halt.  The forest floor was lit with the same swirli
ng fire.  It engulfed the woods
as if holding the trees and wild shrubs in place.  I hesitated to step any farther but the distant marching of feet forced me to leap forward.

I cringed as my feet landed in a cloud of swirling red.  I jumped
, anticipating the
fire might
climb up my calves but that wasn't the case.  I looked down at the bottom of my gown.  I was standing in fire but I wasn't burning.  My muscles tensed and my brain told me to RUN.  I continued moving deeper into the trees - wildly shocked with every step.  I felt nothing.

I ran for what felt like hours and finally stopped when the sounds of bells and marching left my ears.  I leaned over, catching my breath.
  My burning lungs finally relaxed as closed my eyes.  Where was I?  The pain was real.  The screaming was real.  The shock was real.  This wasn't a dream.  No matter how many times I slapped and pinched myself, I knew in my gut I wasn't going to wake up in bedroom.  Heck, I'd settle for the hospital.

A hand gripped my shoulder.  I yelled, swirling around
with
my pocket knife at the ready.
  A surprised face with bronze
hair
jumped back with his hands in the air.  My eyes shifted around the forest as I lowered my knife.

"What are you doing?" I asked, out of breath.
  Zircon took off his shining jacket, revealing a set of muscular biceps and tan skin that almost matched the brown in his hair.  His eyes were fixated on mine.  "
You shouldn't be here."

"Oh come one," Zircon replied.  "I can't let you have
all
the fun."

Chapter Six

Sard

"What are you doing here?" I asked, pacing across the fiery forest floor.  The rip in my gown stretched along the side of my torso.  Zircon's eyes darted to the patch of pale skin underneath.  When my eyes met his, he blushed.  "I ruined our wedding.  You can't possibly want to help me."  Zircon chuckled as I finally continued walking deeper into the forest.
  The emerald tree
tops stood still as the swir
ling fire beneath held each
trunk in place.

"
Our
wedding?" he chuckled.  "Well first of all, you're not Dotti."  His
grin grew wide as he followed,
hands in his pockets as I zigzagged from tree to tree.  Zircon walked in a straight line.

"What makes you think that?" I questioned.

"Your eyes -
"

"Right," I
interrupted.  "My eyes.  Because you're eyes are perfectly normal and mine are just strange and outlandish.
  Maybe you're just seeing things.  Ever thought of that?
"

"Hmm," he replied.  "You bicker like Dotti."

"It's called sarcasm," I muttered.
  And it was usually Alexa's area of expertise.

"Why are you angry with me?" he sincerely inquired.
  I stopped, resting my arm on the bark of a tree.  My thoughts buzzed and my heart refused to slow down.  I just wanted to go home.  I finally collapsed, burying my head in my hands as tears stained the silk of my dress.

"Stupid game," I murmured.  "What on earth did Brett do?"  I let out a few sobs as my head
pounded.  My sore throat throbb
ed as I cried.  My expanding lungs made the throbbing bruises along my arms sting.

A tight set of arms wrapped my shoulders and heat radiated into my skin.  I could feel Zircon's soothing breaths as he lowered himself beside me, gently rubbing the side of my shoulder with his thumb.  I sniffed, forcing myself to
stop crying.  I probably
looked ridiculous - pathetic to a guy like Zircon.

"You k
now how I know you're not Dotti?
" he whispered.  I sniffed again, letting his arms squeeze
tighter around my trembling torso
.  "When you looked at me . . . you didn't look as if a bitter bluebug had been dropped in your tea.
  Your
face . . . it's . . . soft and welcoming.
"  I wiped the tears from my face and briefly smiled.

"
I take it you and her didn't get along?"  I snif
f
led as I attempted to make my swollen cheeks presentable.

"
Not a bit," he replied.  "You know, she did everything possible to stop this wedding from happening?  And I guess she succeeded.  She found a look alike."  I looked up and stared at the black in his eyes as his white pupils lit up.
  "Well . . . an almost look alike."

"
I'm not exactly from around here," I responded.

"That's for certain," he chuckled.  "What is your name?  Your
real
name?"

"Crystal."

"Crystal," he repeated.
  I could feel the steam of his breath against
my
neck as his hand continued to massage the tip of my shoulder.

"Zircon," I said, feeling a bit better.  I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Yes," he breathed.

"What kind of name is that?" I joked.  I cupped my hand over my mouth.  Zir
con smiled, showing
teeth as white as his pupils.

"
They do not have that name where you're from?"

"Not exactly," I answered.

"Then call me something to your liking," he suggested.

"Zirc?"  I watched as his face looked like he'd tasted something sour.

"A girl at school used to call me that," he commented.  "She smelled like a cloud of perfume mixed with old cabbage."

"Okay Zirc is out," I replied.  "What's your middle name?"

"
Obsidian."

"I'll just call you Z," I giggled.

"You do not like my middle name either?"  He grinned, playfully pretending to be hurt by my comments.
  "This offends me."  I took a few calming breaths, still not used to the fact that sitting in swirling fire was normal.

"Z," I said quietly, rubbing the handle of my pocket knife.  "Will you help me get home?"  He stared down at the knife - his chest rising quicker as the metal blade shined.  His shoulders stiffened and he clenched his jaw.  I switched the knife close
d
.  "You don't have stuff like this here, do you?"

"That shiny material," Z responded.  "It's poisonous.  We cannot use it to fashion . . . well, anything."

"So instead you use rock?"

"That animal on the handle," he continued, almost entranced by it.  "What is it?"

"An eagle," I replied.  "A bird?"

"Oh
."  He looked down at his charcoal shoes.

"You can have it," I said, offering him the handle.  He eyed me suspiciously.

"A
n item like that is priceless and very powerful," he responded.  "I can't accept."  I nodded.

"Then accept it as payment when you help me get home," I stated.  I stood up, embarrassed as the torso of my dress ripped further.

"Rip the bottom," Z suggested.

"Huh?"  The idea of ruining the most gorgeous gown I'd ever laid eyes on seemed absurd.  But it was slowly falling apart anyway.

"Trust me," he insisted.  "Rip the bottom."
  I hesitated as I leaned down and timidly tried to tear the silky fabric.  "Like this, Crystal."  Zircon knelt down and let his beefy hands split my gown down the middle.  My
heart
froze as the sound of tearing filled my ea
rdrums.  I let out a quiet yelp as a draft blew between my thighs.  My face went rosy but the fabric of my dress curled around each leg.  It hugged my skin, reforming into a sleek, white jumpsuit that covered my legs and torso.

"
It's still cool the secon
d time," I mumbled to myself
.

"Now," he said, looking pleased with himself.  "How far is the journey?"

"Journey?"

"Yes," he nodded.  "The journey to your land."  I wasn't sure my home could be traveled to from where we stood.  I stared down at the painless fire the danced around my ankles.  A spell.  Nuum had said something about a spell.

"First I think we need a few answers," I replied.  "There's
a
place I think we should go.  Oh . . . what did he call it?"  I wracked my brain trying to remember the name.

"Close your eyes," Z suggest.  "And try to remember every detail of how you got here."  I closed my eyes, forcing my brain to slow down as I thought about my strange conversation with Nuum.

"I got it!"  My eyes shot open as the name of the city entered my head.

"Excellent."

"The place we need to go," I excitedly continued.  "It's called Sard."
  Zircon's face went pale like he'd seen a ghostly image of Dotti behind me.  His black eyes widened and his shoulders sank.

"Crystal," he said in almost a whisper.  "We CAN'T go there."

*          *          *

The sunstone (that's what
Z called it) went down, leaving the forest
in
a vast grove of black.  The blazing ground acted as a night light as animals chirped.  I tried to sleep, but the cold draft made it difficult.  I scooted closer to Z, letting the warmth from his sleeping body warm me up.  I could hear his shallow breathing as
I
moved close enough to touch the edges of his suit coat.

Convincing him to lead me to Sard had consumed all my energy.  It was
a
place forbidden to outsiders - a place
of running poison and lava rivers.  Zircon had argued until his face was ruby red, but Sard was the only lead I had.  If he couldn't take me there, I'd have to go there myself.  I finally took a deep breath and clos
ed my eyes.  A subtle SNAP jump-
started my heart.

I opened an eye, listening to see if Zircon had woken up.  His continued shallow brea
ths told me he was still asleep - i
n a d
eep, peaceful sleep by the looks of it
. 
Bot
h my eyes opened as another snap
sounded closer.  I listened intently, hearing slow footsteps coming closer.  I reached for my pocket knife, forcing a hard swallow.
  After another snap, my stomach churned.  My brain told my arms to reach back and wake up Z but I was frozen.

The footsteps advanced, ringing through my ears until an anxious face came into view.  A hand waved at me to follow and I slowly stood up.  I curiously followed Nuum through the trees, hoping he might have answers for me.
  He walked quickly as his jacket moved back and forth.

"Nuum," I whispered.  "Nuum."  He walked even quicker, leading my farther away from Zircon.  He crossed a clearing and finally stopped.  He turned around and waved again but as my feet hit the soft fire that was the forest floor, I could feel a sudden drop beneath me.

The forest floor caved in and my stomach churned as my body dropped into a deep hole.  My heart pounded as I
clawed at the edges of the
hole, desperate to find something to hold onto.  My fingers caught o
n a sideways rock.  I gripped it
with both hands as my feet dangled beneath.  Nuum's faced appeared over the edge.

"Help!" I shouted, unsure how long I could hang on.  With a worried face, Nuum reached out a hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he shouted down the hole.  My frozen chest felt like an anvil as my body swung beneath me.

"Tell you what?" I frantically replied.  "Help me up!"

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't Dotti?"  He reached his hand farther down, nearly brushing the side of my hands.

"What does it matter," I responded, out of breath.  My face cringed as the darkness below played tricks on my eyes.  Sweat dripped from my forehead as I pleaded.  "Please!  Pull me up!"

"I'm trying," Nuum answered.  "But I can't without the ring."  I glanced at Grandma Nettie's ring.

"Nuum!"

"The engagement ring," he shouted.  "I must have it."

"Help me and you can have it," I replied.  My heart was beating so fast that my limbs were beginning to feel tingly.  My damp palms started slipping.

"I need it now," he yelled.  My chest heaved as I used every ounce of energy I had left to slip the ring from my finger and throw it up.
  A wave of relief crossed my forehead as Nuum grabbed it.

"Now help me up!"  I waited for his hand to reach deeper but it didn't.  I saw him stand up - a smirk on his face.

"
Thanks," he said in a low voice, showing me the stone in his gloved hands.  I screamed as the sound of his footsteps drifted away.  I was stuck and I was about
to
lose my grip.

I could hear my heart pounding
in
my ears as I screamed again; hoping that Z might suddenly wake up and realize I was gone.  A drop of sweat trickled across my eyebrow.
  I screamed one more time
as my hands slowly slid so that the tips of my fingers were the only things holding me up.

The darkness below sent shivers through my core.  This was it.  I'd hoped to wake up in Silver Hills but I wasn't sure that would ever happen.  I was going to die. . . I was going to die in a dark hole and in a strange place where no one would ever find me.  A tear ran down my face as I gulped.

"Crystal!"  A yell pierced the
night
sky.  I looked
up
and screamed again, letting my cries blast through my swollen throat.

"Z!" I screamed.  His footsteps came closer as I coughed, holding on with everything I had.  Zircon's face appeared above me.  He dropped to the ground and inched as close as he could get without falling.  His hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me up with ease.

I fell against his chest as I tried to catch my breath.  My limbs continued to tingle as my breathing quickened and my hands throbbed.  A panic surrounded me as I tried to brush off what had just happened.  I wasn't doing a very good job.

"It's okay," Z said calmly as he clutched my shoulders.  "You're okay."  I rested my head on his rising chest, letting the warmth from his skin sooth my clammy
face.

"Zircon," I muttered.  "He took the ring."