Secret Worlds (301 page)

I stopped on the pages that had extremely detailed illustrations of different creatures, which appeared almost lifelike. The first depicted a dragon, fiercely drawn, standing on its hind legs with its wings outstretched. Its mouth held open in a permanent cry, standing on the edge of a cliff, readying for flight.

The next portrayed a vampire, recognizable by the stories I’d heard of them. Their gaze could hypnotize you, placing you under their power. Their skin as pale as snow, along with their hair, until they claimed a victim at which time the color would change, much like the detail in the picture. The figure held a goblet of liquid, while their hair started dark at the roots and faded to colorless strands at the tips. Once said to be beautiful creatures, this one simply looked half-starved with sunken eyes and skin that barely stretched over their face. I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

The next creatures were fairies, gnomes, elves, dwarfs, centaurs, and goblins; all depicted with their own background suited to their ways of life. The last creature appeared human in likeness, with features akin to the wolf. The nose smoothly joined his cheeks with skin pulled tightly under his eyes. Their brow slightly swelled out farther than a human’s. The picture of his eyes was solid black with only a dot of light in them. His lips kept a human shape. Even his jawline seemed human. He had dark skin and short spiked hair. His eyes held a warning in them, but also a deep sadness. I’m sure there were more differences in character than what the picture showed. He appeared familiar, yet I couldn’t say why. I broke away from the book shaking my head.

“I’m seeing things in this damned book,” I said as my mind swam with questions.
This is what Marren is afraid of? That I would turn and run away because of something so magnificent, so wonderful?

There had to be more, something I hadn’t seen yet.

I returned to the book, flipping through pages until finding parts written in Common. Pictures of people called Ancients and descendants of Ancients. I didn’t bother reading much about them, too concerned with wanting to find what Marren needed me to see.

I nearly reached the end of the book when a picture of him stared me in the face. His long black hair, his onyx eyes, the lips that brushed against mine like silk, his pointed nose and equally pointed chin, his high cheekbones, and long arched eyebrows, drawn exactly as I have seen him. My heart drummed hard and rapid in my ears.

“This is impossible! This book is so old and worn!”

He stood with a long shirt on, the laces loose and dangling the length of his torso. Underneath, the word Therianthrope was written. I slammed the book shut then tossed it to the foot of my bed and hugged my knees to my chest. I stared out past the balcony. The moon had finally risen; the night would be long, and I had more questions than ever.

***

I woke to find Marren standing on my balcony. He wore casual clothing, a red tunic with a brown leather vest and pants, as opposed to his normal concealing robes. His black hair danced in the wind, sparkling in the sunlight as he stared into the distance.

I stood, grabbing my clothes and moving to the other side of the window to change so he didn’t see me. I pulled on the halter bodice and pants, quickly tying them and then slipped on the boots. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to braid it back to keep it from falling into my face. I sauntered next to Marren as memories from the night before crept into my mind.

“Do you not trust me?” I asked.

“What makes you ask that?”

I didn’t detect a hint of emotion.

“Because I tried to leave my room last night and couldn’t. The doors were locked. You acted like I committed a grave sin when you found me in the woods and lied to me on top of it.”

He looked down at my hand and grabbed it to examine it. I had forgotten all about bruising it. The swelling was gone, and a small ring of yellow-green was all that remained. He raised his eyebrows at me. “You hit the door?”

“I was angry. Going back to that, do you not trust me?”

“I had nothing to do with your doors being locked. The palace does, and it was trying to protect you.”

“From who?”

“Me. My kind.”

“What do you mean your kind?” I asked getting flustered again.

“Did you go through the book?”

“Yes, I did. The entire thing, but I can’t read any language other than Common and what was written in Common didn’t make any sense.” I tried my best to stay calm, but the growing anger in me wouldn’t fade. He was acting so cold and distant.

“I’ll run a bath for you. You should relax for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, I will start training you and answering the questions you still have.” Without another word, he walked away. I stayed on the balcony, letting the sun soak into my skin, dissolving the anger within me. The air carried with it a faint sweet blossomy aroma that made me smile. The garden had started to bloom.

I turned leaving the balcony for my room and then the door. When I stepped into the hall, the old servant woman met me smiling again. I smiled in return, and in a thick accent she said, “Follow me.”

We stopped in the bathing room door. Rose petals and lilacs wafted to me, making my head lighter. The woman sat bottles of soap on the side of the tub and twisted a crank to stop the water from pouring into the bath that had puffed up bubbles. A quiet fizzing sound replaced the loud rush. She bowed her head, still smiling, then left me to bathe in peace.

The water was hot and nice. I stepped to the middle of the tub, able to stand with the water up to my chest. I smoothed the suds over my body and slipped under the surface to wet my hair. I swam to the edge, finding a ledge to sit on. I sniffed each bottle of soap oil, finding one that was sweet and airy, like the garden, and poured the liquid on the top of my head. While I rinsed, I found myself captivated by the sky above me. I nestled up into a corner, laid my head back against the edge of the tub, and gazed at the clouds floating by weightlessly.

The servant woman appeared, holding a pile of clothing and towels. She helped me out of the tub and let me dry myself but insisted on helping me dress despite my plea for her not to.

The clothing was intricate. The sheer, white underdress had a fitted bodice that tied in the back. The dress was a stunning red that was soft and light, like velvet. It laced up the back with a silk ribbon. The belled sleeves were adorned with clear crystals that caught and reflected the light in tiny beams of gold.

The woman helped me into each, ending with a pair of slippers to match, and then brushed my hair. She pulled strands of hair from the sides of my head and added them to the thick braid in the back. A metal comb scratched my head as it slid in place above the braid. I touched it, fingering gems of different shapes and sizes, then turned to face the woman who beamed proudly. She uttered another thickly accented command for me to follow her, grabbed my hand, and led me out into the hall. We stopped at the top of the stairs, my gaze found Marren at the bottom with his back toward me. My heart flipped.

The servant woman uttered a mouthful of an enchanting language, drawing Marren’s attention. He turned, lifted his eyes to me, and said something back, never breaking his stare. My cheeks rushed with warmth as I smiled nervously.

The servant woman ushered me forward. I took each step carefully, not wanting to slip and fall. I gripped the wooden railing that seemed to move underneath my hand as it slid down its breadth. My eyes leveled with Marren’s as I reached the bottom stair.

“You’re so beautiful.” He breathed the words as if it was the most truthful thing he’d ever said.

“Thank you,” I said. Fear of making a fool of myself prevented me from saying anything more. He held out his arm for me. I slipped my hand into the crook and let him escort me to the garden.

It took several moments of slow and deep breaths for me to say, “Can I ask what the occasion is?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Oh.”

We walked the rest of the way in silence, through the garden and to the path that led into the woods. The tree’s canopies loomed over us, allowing for small beams of sunlight to filter through. Sounds of skirting animals happened around us. Each time I could, I followed the sound. Once, for a few squirrels chasing their love interest up a tree. They stopped every few seconds to bat their ruffled tails before continuing on into the branches. A few times, a couple of bunnies chased each other across the path.

“Spring is definitely in the air.” I giggled to myself as Marren’s arm tightened around my hand.

“It is, indeed.”

He led me down a path that forked to the right and opened into a small field of the most beautiful, tallest, red tulips bordered by trees, as if he had cut out a place for these flowers, and they grew with the magic that had won over my heart. I held my breath for fear that letting it out would make them fade.

“By the Gods, this is beautiful!”

“I thought you would like it. Go on.” He motioned toward the field.

I looked into his eyes, as if to make sure he wasn’t joking, and then stepped tentatively into the field of flowers. Their light scent danced in the air. It was sweet and mild. At about the halfway point, I looked over my shoulder at Marren, still standing on the path. I smiled, facing him and cocked my head to the side. I wondered what was taking him so long to join me. He nodded toward me a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. I turned back around taking another step, finding a rock that rolled underneath my foot. I fell to the ground and started laughing.

I was pulled up by Marren so fast it took my breath away. “Are you okay?”

I nodded.

Slowly, he placed my hands on his shoulders then slid his down the side of my arms, along my back, and coming to a rest at my waist. He pulled me into him, pressing our bodies together. I took in a deep breath as a rush pulsed through my veins. The woods became silent, and the wind stopped blowing, as if the world stilled for us. We started to sway, slowly, from side to side. It was awkward, like he was nervous, which made a giggle bubble out of me, shaking my frame against his. He chuckled in response and started spinning me as we glided through the flowers, twirling one way and the other in motions that were graceful, magnificent, and magical. My feet barely touched the ground, like we floated in the air.

We dance in circles, through every inch of the flower field as we gazed into each other’s eyes, looking into forever. Eventually, we slowed, returning to the center of the field and shifting back into the sway before stopping completely.

“I want you to promise me something…” Marren said. I worried that there was something on his mind, a weight that burdened him.

“What?” I asked.

“Promise you’ll remember this day, no matter what decision you make.” His voice was sad and fearful.

“What decision am I to make?” I asked, twirling a strand of his hair around my finger and losing myself in his eyes.

He pressed his lips to mine. The sweetness in his kiss filled me, but his lips were almost too soft. “You’ll see…just promise me you’ll remember today.”

“I could never forget, but, I don’t understand. What is this about?”

He weaved his fingers through mine. “Come on. We need to get back.”

When we walked through the door, one of the servants ran up with a letter folded and sealed. Marren took it and read it to himself. I followed him into the dining hall and stared as he threw it into the fire. He stood, watching it burn while I stood by helpless and lost. He leaned an arm against the mantle and clenched his fist. The muscles in his jaw bulged. As he moved to the table and sat down, I took the seat next to him.

“Is everything okay?” I laid my hand over his. His eyes met mine, filling me with fear. I couldn’t be sure why fear overwhelmed me, nor entirely positive that it didn’t have anything to do with what was in that letter.

“We have company coming from the other world. They somehow know about you and my intentions.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best to impress them.”

A few servants walked in, placing goblets of wine and bowls of stew in front of us.

“They’re not wanting to be impressed Relena. They want to find out if I’ve broken the law.”

“What law?”

“Can we talk about something else, please?” He was clearly agitated. It didn’t seem like something that normally happened to him. He always seemed so composed.

“Of course.” I sat back in my chair, slouching with my legs crossed and my hair over my shoulder. “What is a Therianthrope?”

I knew it wasn’t the time to start that conversation, but the words slipped out before I could stop them.

He heaved a heavy sigh and sat back in his chair. “It is a person that can shape shift into different animals.”

I figured since he was willing to talk, I would keep going as long as I could. “What sort of animals?”

“It depends on the family.”

“What about your family?” I asked. He was close to shutting down again.

“I don’t have any family left.”

“Oh, what happened to them?” I felt ashamed for bring up a painful subject, but my curiosity wouldn’t let it be.

“Nothing. I’ve never had one.”

“You don’t have a mother or a father?”

“I did once, but that was long ago.”

“I’m so sorry Marren.”

“Don’t be. I’m not alone in my kind. I just don’t share a familial tie to them.”

“Oh. What animal do you change into?” I moved my hands to my lap and sat up so he didn’t see the nervousness inside me. Since the night before, I couldn’t keep that picture from my mind for long. Each time it came to the front, I struggled to push it back.

“I would rather not talk about that at the moment.”

“I know you’re afraid. I get that. But you don’t need to be afraid of me. I’m not going to leave, and I could never run away from you. Especially after you came around when no one else wanted me, saved me from whatever twisted fate the Cyrs had in mind, and brought me here to a world beyond my dreams. If anything, I owe you my life.”

“You don’t know what you are saying. The magnitude of the words you speak. You don’t even know what I am.”