As soon as Kira exited Mara’s room, Octavion grabbed her by the arm and spun her around, gently pressing her back against the stone wall. He placed his hands on the wall, one on either side of her head and leaned close enough to make her heart flutter. His eyes were warm, yet seductive.
Kira let out a little squeal. “Octavion, what are you doing?” she whispered.
“You forgot the most important part of your instructions,” he teased.
“Oh? What did I miss?”
The corners of his mouth turned up exposing his dimples. “I promised to kiss you.”
Kira smirked at him. “I didn’t forget. You did.”
“Not possible. I would never forget something so important.”
He closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss, but before he could deliver on his promise she slid down the wall and snuck out from between his arms.
She couldn’t help herself. She felt as giddy as a young school girl. She took off running toward the staircase, but only got a few steps when he appeared in front of her, lifted her so her bare feet were off the floor and pressed his lips to hers. When his eyes finally met hers he sported a mischievous grin.
“You are a tease.”
Kira laughed. “Well, don’t make me wait so long next time.”
He gently lowered her to the ground, then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Are you ready to see your friend?”
“Try stopping me.”
Kira turned her back to him, grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her waist. “Let’s go.”
An instant later, they appeared inside the king’s sleeping chambers. His father stood at one of the windows looking out over the garden, his back toward them.
“Father,” Octavion said.
King Belesgar slowly turned. The dark circles under his eyes told Kira he hadn’t slept. He glanced over at Altaria, who lay curled up on her side. The position was all too familiar to Kira. Something was wrong.
“She will not eat,” the king said. “And she cried for most of the night.” He walked toward them, stopping in front of Kira. His once regal demeanor-demanding her respect-had succumbed to that of a worried father. She felt bad for him. After believing his daughter would eventually die, he’d finally been given hope she would recover. Now, with her refusal to eat and obvious depression, that same hope had faded.
Kira tried to curtsy, but before her knees could bend, he took her hand. “I owe you more than I will ever be able to repay. I hesitate to ask more of you, especially after the way I treated you, but I fear she needs a friend more than a father.”
“Of course,” Kira said. “I’ll do what I can.”
When Octavion and his father left to give the girls privacy, Kira became even more aware of the dreary atmosphere in the room. The only light came from three small candles burning near the bed. She went to one of the windows, opened the drapes so the natural sunlight filled the room and threw open the window. A burst of fresh air swirled around the room, immediately lifting the gloomy atmosphere.
Altaria’s eyes followed Kira’s every move, but showed no emotion. Had it only a few days since she’d been in a similar state of mind? It seemed so long ago.
Kira neared the side of the bed. As she took Altaria’s hand, Al closed her swollen, blood-shot eyes, but not before a lone tear to escaped. Kira used the cuff of her sleeve to wipe it away.
“Hey,” Kira whispered. “I thought you’d be happy to be rid of me.”
Altaria’s tough exterior and kick-butt attitude had been replaced with the fragile shell of a broken woman. There were so many times Kira wanted her to soften so they could be friends, but now she would give anything for the old Altaria to jump up and fire off an insult.
Kira helped her to sit up, then fluffed a pillow behind her back. Her body was weak from inactivity and malnutrition, but with her stronger spirit in charge, her chance of a fast recovery seemed more promising.
“Your father says you’re not eating. What’s up with that? I thought you wanted to get better.” Kira picked up a piece of bread from the tray next to the bed and offered it to her. Instead of eating it, she plucked it from Kira’s fingers and started fidgeting with it.
“Altaria, you need to eat.” Kira tried another piece, but she put her hand up to block her.
“I am sorry. . for what I did to you,” Altaria said. “For attacking you in the canyon like I did.”
“Oh, Al. Is that what’s bothering you? You don’t need to be sorry. I’m just glad you’re all right.”
Altaria had completely mutilated the small piece of bread, spreading crumbs all over her lap and the bed linens. Another tear streamed down her cheek. “It was not Lydia who forced my spirit into you. I knew what she wanted to do and I could have stopped it, but. . I was selfish.”
“What do you mean?”
Her bottom lip began to quiver. At first she spoke slowly, but once the words began to flow, they spilled out like a flood. “I did not want to die. I was. . afraid. I thought if she transfered my spirit into you, I could be your kindred spirit, as with Lydia. I thought because I had more strength physically that I could be in control-that your spirit would step aside and let me. .” She paused for a moment then looked away.
“I thought I could take over,” she finally confessed.
“Oh.” Kira didn’t know what to say. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that what happened was malicious in any way-that Altaria may have done it for any other reason than to save her life and Lydia’s.
“I left my kindred spirit, Kira. I abandoned her. She was all alone and must have been so afraid. And now. .she. .”
“What? Altaria, where’s Lydia?”
Altaria took in a staggered breath. “I cannot find her.”
“What do you mean you can’t find her?”
“I sense her presence, but she is so weak and will not communicate with me. We have not bonded as before. It is as if I am the one alone now. It is a horrible feeling. How angry she must be with me. How could I do something like that? What if she never forgives me? What if. .”
“Wait.” Kira fought for understanding as Altaria’s words sparked a million questions. “You said you can’t find her, but then you said you can sense her presence. Which is it?”
Altaria sighed. “I am not certain. I do feel she is here, but there are no shared feelings, no shared memories or emotions. I try to communicate, but she gives no response. I even tried to lessen my will so she could be in control. It is as if she were dead inside me. How can that be?”
The thought made Kira sick to her stomach. How could a spirit die and a body still live on? But then, how could one body have two spirits, or survive if one decided to leave it? Obviously, understanding would not come easily.
“Al, maybe she’s just tired. Did you think of that? What if she is so worn out from keeping this body alive by herself, that she’s resting? Maybe she is letting you take over so she can get her spiritual strength back.” Kira brushed the crumbs off the bed covers and took Altaria’s hands. “I really don’t think she’s angry with you. She told me this was her idea and insisted on not taking your spirit back until we were safe. Let her rest, okay? Keep talking to her. Tell her you love her and you miss her. She’ll find you. She isn’t a quitter, you know that.”
“I hope you are right, Kira.”
Kira smiled. “I know I am. Now will you eat? Please.”
Kira held up another chunk of bread, but Altaria pushed it away.
“There is more I need to say,” Altaria said.
Kira put the bread back on the plate, knowing Altaria wouldn’t eat until she’d had her say. “Go on, then.”
Altaria took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Kira had never seen her nervous before and it surprised her.
“You are a strong woman,” Altaria said. “Not just spiritually, but physically as well.”
Kira looked at her with skepticism. “Um. . thanks.” I think.
“The truth is, when I first entered your body I thought I would not only be in control, but that we would share our thoughts and feelings as I had with Lydia. I am so much stronger than you; I thought it would be easy. I was wrong. Not one time, Kira-not even one time did I in control you. Even when I fought to get out, you held strong.” The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. “Your strength surprised me.”
Altaria looked at her hands again as she twisted a white satin ribbon that had come untied from her gown. “Your mind and thoughts were unfamiliar to me, but I knew your emotions and senses. I felt what you felt. Saw what you saw and heard everything.” She raised her eyes again. “When you slept from the poison, I lay awake. When you cried out in your nightmares and suffered with fever, I held you from within. I stayed with you, even though you felt alone.”
Kira held her chest to try to slow her racing heart. Altaria had been through it all, felt everything, even those things Kira had missed because she’d been unconscious-the horrible abuse at the hands of Zerek-and she’d been there the whole time.
Her warrior mentality must have been crushed when she discovered she was powerless to help Kira fight her captors. She’d been there when her own sister tortured Kira and left her to die. It was hard enough to deal with the fact that she’d been forced to endure the pain herself, but to know Altaria experienced it as well made Kira’s heart ache.
“I’m sorry,” Kira said. “I had no idea.”
“Do not be sorry. As difficult as it was to see you suffer and not be able to help, I am grateful for being with you. My only regret is for not being stronger. You cannot imagine how difficult it was to not transform your body as I did mine. With my help, we could have taken them on and won.”
Kira smiled. “You’re right. We would have kicked butt.”
Altaria returned the smile, but only for an instant. Then pity crept into her eyes. “I am sorry for your loss, Kira. I gave little thought to bearing children until I felt your pain and ventured out into the stormy night with you.”
She paused for a moment, put her hand on Kira’s shoulder and then said something that surprised Kira, especially that it came from Altaria.
“Even with Cade’s pleading. . I would have jumped.”
The sudden surge of emotions sent both of them to seek the comfort of each other’s embrace. They were more than friends now, they were sisters. Even though they hadn’t shared their thoughts, their spirits had bonded. That connection brought something to their relationship they would have with no other-not even Lydia.
After filling their bellies, they spent most of the day talking about Lydia, the friendship they had and how much they missed her. Both had ideas about how to bring her back, but nothing they tried worked. Altaria even tried sharing her memories with Kira, like they had in Octavion’s lair on the mountain, but nothing would come.
Yet still the Crystor lay dormant, useless on Kira’s wrist.
Late in the afternoon, the king brought more food. Altaria ate a large portion and took several swigs of some vile potion Octavion dreamed up to help her regain her strength. As more time passed, the old Altaria began to shine forth. When Kira asked her if she’d like to take a bath, Altaria fired orders at Octavion to haul up the water like she ruled as queen of the castle. He obeyed as any loyal servant would and even managed to sneak Kira a wink now and then. When he’d brought in the last bucket, he scooped his sister into his arms and lowered her into the water much like he had with Kira, only Altaria didn’t complain or seem surprised.
As the shadows of evening began to cool the air, Kira closed the window, drew the curtains and relit the candles. She brushed out Altaria’s hair and with her wrapped hand, failed miserably at braiding it. Altaria snuggled under the covers and within seconds fell sound asleep. That, however, caused a problem. Kira was locked in the king’s chambers with no way to communicate with Octavion. She didn’t want to wake Altaria to send her thoughts, so she was stuck.
Ussay was right about the chill. Kira thought closing the window would help warm the space, but as night drew near, without the heat from a fire, it quickly grew colder.
The fireplace was a massive opening at one end of the room. It was twice the size of the one in Kira’s chambers and big enough for her to walk into if she ducked her head. She tried to remember how she’d prepared the fire pit in the clearing, but without the trees of the forest to provide natural kindling, she had to improvise. On the mantle sat a small wooden box that held a long piece of steel and a stone she assumed to be flint. After peeling off sections of bark from the logs stacked near the hearth, and placing a piece of parchment she’d found on a nearby desk underneath it, she struck the stone. It took several times before the spark hit the paper and ignited the shreds of bark, but as soon as it caught, the logs followed suit and began to give some warmth to the room.
Kira seriously considered snooping around, but with her luck the king would appear and catch her in the act of rifling through something that would earn her a beheading. Even with her built in Royal detector she didn’t dare take the chance.
So, for lack of driving herself insane from boredom, she snuck out into the hallway and began to clean. She dumped all the old flowers into a dirty sheet and wadded it up by the door at the end of the hall. Another chore for Octavion, she told herself. Then she took one of the buckets of water left from Alvataria’s bath, a clean towel and wiped everything down. It didn’t take long before the place looked fresh and inviting. She made a mental note to have the drapes taken down and laundered in the near future, then returned to check on Al.
Her bed linens were all askew as though she’d been thrashing about. Kira could have kicked herself. She should have been watching Altaria closer. She put another log on the fire, grabbed the last of the extra blankets off the end of the bed and pulled the overstuffed armchair closer to the fire, turning it so she still had full view of the bed. Soon the events and emotions of the day caught up with her and sleep took over.
The first dream that entered her mind showed Arela dancing around her bedroom. She wore a pretty pink dress with more ruffles than the skirt on Kira’s bed. Arela’s hair lay in silken waves down her back and with every turn it floated through the air like the wing of a bird. The little girl laughed and giggled so hard it made Kira’s side hurt to think about it. When Arela stopped, she stood in the middle of the room trying to gain her balance, stumbling to one side and then another. Her silliness caused them both to laugh.
Kira turned away from her to grab a brush so she could help get out Arela’s twirling tangles. As she did, a feeling of pure evil entered the room, swarming around her and sucking the air out of her lungs. Kira stumbled back and fell against the window seat right as Shandira appeared behind Arela. Kira tried to scream, but with no air left in her deprived lungs, her voice gave no warning. Shandira laughed, then grabbed Arela around the waist and disappeared. The odd combination of her black mist swirling around the angelic puff of white left by an innocent little girl filled Kira’s heart with horror.
A scream rang out, waking Kira from her nightmare. She jumped from her chair and ran to the bed, thinking it was Altaria, who was already sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to stand.
“What are you doing?” Kira asked. “You’ll fall.”
“You screamed. I thought you were hurt.”
“That was me? I thought you screamed.” Kira closed her eyes and tried to push the image of Shandira out of her mind.
“No, I was awake. You woke me when you called out for Arela. Then you screamed.” Altaria slid back on the bed, leaning against the tapestry headboard.
Kira tried to explain, but before she could, Octavion’s spirit surrounded her. It was almost intoxicating, the way it made her body crave his embrace. It wasn’t just the tingling warmth it brought to her flesh, but the way it flowed through every pour. When he appeared she half expected him to take her in his arms and finish what he’d started with his seductive spirit, but instead he brushed her aside and went to his sister.
“I heard you scream. What happened?”
Altaria scowled at him.
Kira cleared her throat. “Excuse me!” Kira said with as much sarcasm as she could muster. She put her hands on her hips.
Octavion spun around and by the look on his face, he knew exactly what he’d done. He cringed. “It was you?”
“Yes, it was me, but that’s not the point. You shoved me aside, like I meant nothing to you.”
He growled. “Kira, I thought she was hurt. I didn’t think. .”
“Well, maybe you should have asked first.” Great! Now he has me all riled up. “By the way, how exactly was I supposed to get out of here, call you on my cell phone?”
Altaria snorted.
A confused look crossed his face. “The same way you got me to haul all that water up here.”
“Altaria was asleep. I didn’t want to wake her. You have this place locked up so tight I couldn’t get out if my life depended on it. And that’s another thing. What if Altaria really was hurt and she couldn’t send her thoughts. Was I supposed to open a window and start screaming? You want all this to be a big secret, but how would that look? Your so called girlfriend locked up in the kings chambers. Don’t you think that would’ve caused a little gossip among the villagers?”
He sighed. “You are right. I should have considered that.”
He took a step toward her, but she responded by turning her back to him. Where was this temper coming from? She had to get it under control before she broke another finger.
“Kira,” he said. His smooth voice caused her heart rate to pick up a few beats. He gently placed his hand on her back and turned her around to face him. “I will have something fashioned for you tomorrow. Will that remedy the problem?”
Kira looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
“Remember the heart pendant you used to call me from your world? There is a silversmith in the village who keeps a selection of stones you may choose from. He is very talented and will be able to create something unique, just for you. If you wish, I can take you there in the morning.”
“You mean. . you’ll take me shopping?” Her mood improved considerably with his offer.
He nodded and grinned. “Yes, my love. I will take you shopping. Anything you desire will be yours.”
Kira looked over at Altaria and winked. “Gee, too bad you’re grounded.”
“Next time, perhaps,” she said with a crooked grin.
He ran his fingers through Kira’s hair, taking a small strand to his face, and drew in a breath. When his eyes met hers again they were laced with tiny veins of gold.
Kira stepped back. “The smell of my hair bothers you?”
“Kira, everything about you affects me in some way.” He took her wrist, held it to his face and breathed in slowly. “Even the scent of your skin attacks my senses.” The gold in his eyes brightened and invaded more of the blue.
“Octavion,” Altaria scolded. “Is that necessary?”
“He’s teasing.” Kira stepped closer and put her arms around his neck. “Anything else you’d like to get a whiff of?”
He raised one eyebrow and flashed a sinister, yet playful grin. Instead of answering her, he spoke to Altaria while keeping his seductive eyes on Kira. “I suspect I will be hunting tonight. Would you care to join me in the reward, sister?”
“Serious?” Altaria’s whole face lit up.
“I will bring it to you later, but for now I have to tuck this little one into bed.”
He leaned closer, tracing Kira’s collar bone with his lips and taking in one last breath. “That is the one that burns the most,” he whispered.
“Then why do you do it?” Kira asked.
“How else will I build my resistance?”
“When you two love birds are finished, I could use some sleep.” It was good to hear Altaria’s haughty banter.
“Silence,” Octavion teased back. “Your body has slept for days. You should be well rested.” He grinned at Kira with a loving spark in his eyes. They were back to their deepest color of blue now. “Shall we go?”
Kira nodded.
As she closed her eyes to prepare for the painful trip through the walls of the castle, she felt the majestic spirit of his father entering the room. Altaria would be well taken care of in their absence and Kira was sure the king would be pleased with the progress she’d made. Kira’s biggest concern was with Altaria’s struggle to find Lydia. To be alone for the first time in her life must be terrifying.
They appeared in her sleeping chambers where she wasn’t at all surprised to find her bed turned down and a fire warming the room. A fresh bouquet of flowers in a large ceramic vase on the dressing table.
“Ussay?” Kira guessed. Although there were several servants constantly buzzing around the castle, it always seemed Ussay’s gift of caring for others benefited everyone.
“Of course. She has been busy with the newborn for most of the day, but insisted on preparing your room for the night. I believe she has laid out a gown in the other room, as well.”
“Well, at least she’s busy. I don’t have to worry about spending time with. . um, you know who.” Kira didn’t dare say her name aloud in case someone eavesdropped, like Arela. She stepped to the door leading to the morning room and opened it to take a peek inside. Arela’s door was closed. She still had the nightmare bouncing around in her head and a heavy sense of worry that wouldn’t budge.
“Is something wrong? You were so angry with me I forgot to ask why you screamed.” Octavion said, coming up behind her. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. When he brushed her hair aside to kiss her neck a shiver ran through her and he chuckled.
“No, just a stupid dream,” she said. “Unless you mean the fact that you are trying to test your limits tonight.” Kira turned in his arms, put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “Now go get. .” She pointed up to indicate Altaria. “. . something to eat before you decide to satisfy your hunger by eating me.”
“You do not trust me?”
She wasn’t sure if he was teasing or serious, but then he flashed his dimples, picked her up, spun her around and sat her on the bed. She let out a squeal.
“There are other ways to satisfy my hunger, my love. Eating you is only one of them.”
He came at her, bearing his teeth and snarling. Kira scooted away and put her hands up to ward him off, but he kept advancing. He grabbed her up into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. There was so much urgency and passion behind his kiss that he scared her at first, but then he softened his touch, placing tender kisses down her neck and collarbone. She thought her body would explode. It felt like a million little butterflies flitted around inside her trying to get out.
He growled again, but this time it came from deep inside his chest, sending vibrations through her entire body. He pulled away, hovering over her for a brief moment, avoiding her eyes. Kira watched as his breathing increased and he tried to regain some control. She didn’t know if it was the beast within him he tried to overpower or the same rush of primal hunger she fought to suppress inside her own body. Either way, he lost the battle.
“I must go, Kira. I am sorry.” Without letting her see his eyes, he gave her one last heat-filled kiss and simply faded away, leaving her in the wake of his passion.