Eye on Orion (25 page)

Jai wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer.

“So how do you think things are going for Amira?” I asked after a few minutes of silence.

“I'm sure she is handling things fine. She will be a great queen. If Shander made it back, she'll take care of him.”

“He admitted to poisoning the king. He's been doing it for a long time, hoping it would kill him.”

Jai stiffened next to me, and the anger rose in him. He struggled with his emotions for a few moments before speaking. “Amira has had time to learn and plan what to do next. And with the support she will have when she gets there, she'll be able to do just fine, if he does go back. If Shander isn't there to poison the king, he will recover soon. The Healers will be able to help him as much as they can.”

“That's good to know,” I said. I didn't want to bring up the possibility Shander could have had others do the poisoning. We couldn't do anything about it now anyway.

We sat in silence on the couch for a while. Mom came back in and looked at me and then at Jai. I could see her mind beginning to work overtime. She sat down on the recliner and started into a book she pulled out of the arm of the chair.

I wanted to close my eyes and pretend to doze off on his shoulder but figured I'd better not.

“What are you reading, Mom?” I asked.

“A book Melissa suggested to me. It's a murder mystery. So far it's pretty good.”

When she told us the title, Jai said, “I've read that one. I enjoyed it.”

They talked about it, and Mom started making predictions on who had done it and how it would turn out. Jai impressed me by keeping the conversation going without giving away the ending of the book. They talked about it for quite a while until I did doze off for real.

When I woke up, I lay on the pillow on the couch by myself. I looked around for Jai or Mom, but couldn't see either of them.

I got up and wandered to the kitchen. Mom and Jai sat at the kitchen counter working on dinner together. Jai peeled carrots while Mom prepared the meat for the roast.

I was amazed at how well Jai could talk with my mom. I didn't think many other teenage boys could relate so well to the parents of their girlfriend.

We were more than boyfriend and girlfriend though. But how on earth could I explain that to my parents? I didn't even know what to make of it some days. My parents liked Jai. Since he had saved my life, they were grateful to him, but they also liked him as a person.

“Where did your parents go?” Mom asked.

“Marshal got a great job offer from an influential family and has gone far away to work there. I'm not supposed to reveal his location.”

Mom looked like she was dying to ask more but instead said, “I thought you and Amira were close. Why did she go and not you?”

“I couldn't bring myself to be away from Holly for that long,” he answered truthfully.

I saw Mom's surprise as she looked at him. “I know you two are getting to be extra close, but I didn't realize you would be parted from your family to be with her.” She seemed thoughtful for a moment as she turned her attention back to the food in front of her.

“How are you going to live here on your own? You are too young to have a house to yourself, aren't you?” I could hear the concern in her voice. It made me love my mom even more.

“My dad is moving here soon. He suffered an injury before I got there, so he needs some time to recuperate.”

“Well, that's nice he'll come here with you. What does he do for a living?”

“He's retired. He worked for a government and has a good retirement plan. He mostly likes to read and do research on things he's interested in.”

Jai turned and saw me standing in the doorway. He smiled and my heartbeat sped up.

“Hi, sleepy-head,” my mother said when she noticed me there too.

“Hi,” I said. “So how long was I out?”

“Oh, for about an hour. We figured we'd leave you be and come in and make dinner,” Mom said.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Sure, why don't you help him chop up these vegetables, and then you can make a salad.”

I went over to get a knife and cutting board and joined them at the counter. We worked easily together. We would grab the carrots and cut them in rhythm, then dump them into the pot at the same time and reach for the next carrot. Our breathing was the same as well.

Mom watched us with an unreadable expression.

When Dad got home from work, we all went in to dinner. Jai and my Dad talked comfortably. I was relieved my parents weren't being difficult. Maybe I was just imagining how they would act when they found out about the Bonding. I wasn't looking forward to that discussion. At least now that Ramal was going to move here, and Jai had a good excuse for staying, I wouldn't need to bring it up for a while.

The longer I kept this secret, the easier it became to play along with the stories Jai told. He hadn't ever lied to them. He just hadn't told them everything.

I thought back to what I'd told them about my kidnapping. The only things I lied about were the things I really couldn't speak of. I would always tell the truth about what I could tell them. As for the things that weren't my secrets to tell, I would just keep quiet. Jai would decide the right time to share his secret.

Someday I might have to come clean about it all, but until that time, I would wait and trust Jai. And whatever came our way, we would figure it out together.

Laura grew up in a small town in central Utah and now lives in another small town in northern Utah. She always loved stargazing and imagining life outside her own little world. Though they grew up only thirty miles apart, she didn't meet her husband until they went to college. A graduate of Utah State University with a degree in Elementary and Special Education, Laura has been using that training as she raises her children and writes make believe worlds. You can usually find her on her laptop either typing away, or on social media interacting with friends.

Chapter One

Fate

Every step I take is one step closer to death.

Hiking through the dense underbrush, I try to calm my frayed nerves and control the fear threatening to overwhelm me. Twigs and tendrils of ivy grab at my ankles as I continue to forge ahead, forcing me to wrench away from their skeletal grip. The sunlight is fading, signaling the end of another day, but this is no ordinary day.

A loud
crack
pierces the air. I freeze in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. Whipping my head around, I try to locate the source of the sound. My heart pounds in my chest, the erratic rhythm painful. These woods are full of predators, some animal, some monster, but the worst… human. Taking a deep breath, I listen to the surrounding woods: birds chirp, insects hum, and small animals scurry about as if they have no care in the world.

Lungs burning, I force myself to continue walking. I didn't collapse three weeks ago when this whole fiasco started and I won't give in now. My family needs me to be strong.

The trees become sparser as I approach the edge of the forest. My shoulders slump when I pass the tree house we used to play in so many years ago. Any other day when I'm this close to home after a long day of hunting, I'd smile, breathe a sigh of relief, and perhaps look forward to dinner. Today there will be no raucous family meal, no solace in entering the peaceful village, and nothing to smile about.

The villagers will be awaiting my return, skulking in the shadows, desperate to catch a glimpse of the walking dead girl.

I've dealt with the whispers and pointing for three weeks with my head held high, my anxiety hidden behind a mask of indifference. I don't want them to see me like this, trembling in fear, broken. They've taken everything I am, every hope, every dream I've had for the future and smashed them to pieces with little hope of salvation. The townsfolk of Verdane decided my fate and they chose death.

The elders told me being
Chosen
is an honor. Either they are ignorant or apathetic. Every five years for the last twenty, a teenage girl has been chosen by the town, via secret ballot, to undertake this dangerous quest, never to return. Perhaps if the elders had to forfeit their lives instead they wouldn't be so quick to label it an honor, they'd call it what it is… a sacrifice.

The sun continues its descent, casting long, ominous shadows in the forest as if foretelling the hideous fate awaiting me. My heart sinks along with the setting sun until it becomes heavy like a lead weight, making each breath more difficult than the last. A drop of sweat falls from my forehead mingling with the few teardrops leaking past my wavering control.

My pace slows, feet shuffling through the dead leaves, stirring up dust and the pungent odor of mold. A wave of dread flows through me, and my stomach roils. The tears are flowing faster now, blurring my vision, and making it impossible to continue my trek.

Stopping by a large oak, I drop the tail of the dead forest leopard I've been dragging and lean to rest against the rough bark. Though the leopard is wrapped in a bed sheet, making it easier to pull through the underbrush, it must weigh at least a hundred pounds or more. My right arm is throbbing from the effort. Most hunters have a mule or even a wooden sled to haul their kill, but my family can't afford such luxury. I'm just glad I had the foresight to bring the sheet this morning. The leopard pelt is worth a small fortune, and I'd hate to see it ruined through the simple act of carting it home. Dashing the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand, I try to dispel my grief by focusing on my amazing luck today.

This has been the most productive hunting trip I've had in months — no, years. Not only did an idiotic leopard decide to attack, forcing me to kill it, but I also found a small copse containing a bed of rare violet nightshade. The leopard pelt alone will provide my family with enough silver to live on for several months; add in the nightshade and they should be set for quite a while. At least I won't have to worry about their well-being when I depart on my quest. Thoughts of a family I may never see again bring me back to the emotional precipice.

Closing my eyes, I inhale the calming fragrance of the forest: the cool aroma of oak leaves, the dank odor of moss, and the sharp tang of blood from the dead leopard. Just as I'm beginning to relax enough to return to town, a gruff voice rings out through the forest.

"Ashlyn," the male voice yells from up ahead, his form still hidden by the trees.

I recognize the voice; it belongs to Cory, the mayor's son and a major thorn in my side. He has a sadistic streak a mile wide coupled with an unnatural obsession with me. How can I deal with him right now? Perhaps if I stay quiet he'll head in the wrong direction.

Sinking to the ground, I curl up against the tree, trying to make my body as small as possible. The vegetation crunches under clumsy footsteps signaling Cory's awkward approach. It amazes me that he fancies himself a hunter. How can one hunt if they scare away any prey within a two-mile radius? The footsteps become louder and louder until I realize there will be no avoiding him this time. I suppose it's too much to ask for just a bit more luck amid my recent landslide of misfortune.

"There you are, Ashlyn," Cory says, towering over me, hands on his hips and a slight glare on his hawkish face.

He's a skinny version of his father with the same long pointy nose and the same arrogant attitude. His dark brown eyes glint in annoyance, but I continue to stare back, refusing to avert my eyes. Neither do I jump to my feet, as he no doubt feels a peasant should in the presence of a member of the aristocracy.

"Still as brash and uncouth as always I see," he says, brushing invisible dirt from his beige linen pants, while staring down at me as if I'm some disgusting insect.

"What do you want, Cory? I'm rather busy at the moment," I say in a clipped tone, trying not to show my uneasiness. Icy tendrils of dread shoot through my veins. Why would Cory seek me out in the solitary confines of the forest?

"Yes, looks like you got yourself a nice forest leopard there," he says, grimacing at the dead animal. "I'm beginning to wonder just what I see in you. If you weren't so beautiful, you wouldn't be worth my time. Why do you insist on dressing like a boy?" he asks, motioning to my worn gray leggings and navy tunic, hand-me-downs from my brother, Abel. "Without your long red hair, I'd think you were a boy from the back. Though it pains me, I have to admit, your hair is stunning."

Deep breaths help keep my emotions in check and my features schooled. Cold dread grips my heart when he begins to play with the hilt of his decorative sword. My options are limited. I can't shoot him with an arrow or stab him with my dagger, even if he attacks me. Being the mayor's son he's always been immune to any discipline no matter how egregious the transgression.

"Please move, Cory." I hide my fear behind a blank expression as I rise to my feet. "Celeste and Brinda are waiting for me. If I'm late, they'll be worried."