Oriana's Eyes (10 page)

 CHAPTER NINETEEN

I’m falling, the air sweeping past me, the spray of water striking my face. My eyes shoot open, and I see the river hurtling toward me. I close my eyes, holding my breath as I plunge into the icy water. Then my arms are straining to pull me to the surface. I feel awkward trying to find some kind of coordination in my strokes. The current is strong, and I fight off panic. Which way is up? I gave no thought to how ready I was to swim. I haven’t tried it since I was a child when a small pond outside the playground walls became a place to escape. They took it away from us once the Odonians noticed the children running back with wet robes. They locked the gates and shortened play time; then it was forgotten altogether.

My lungs are burning, and my strokes are not doing anything but tiring me out. Has this all been worth it? Trying to face my fears, to look danger in the eyes? I feel foolish as my tense body relaxes and I let the current take me. I lose track of how long I’ve been under. A last fighting urge rises in me, and I reach upward. My hand breaks the surface, and another grabs hold of it, wrenching me against the pull of the river. A second hand takes me around the waist and hauls me out. I burst through the surface gasping and coughing, swallowing the fresh air frantically. The young man’s eyes show a tinge of fear as he brings me to shore where the others are waiting. Piper swims up after us, breathing hard and hurrying to reach me.

“That was a close call. You nearly didn’t make it.” The man has calmed and wipes the wet hair back from my face as I lean back against a tree. Something glints in his eyes as he looks me over. “Well, now …”

“Is she all right? Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t swim?” Piper grabs my arm, and Lily comes up behind her.

“We thought you were gone for sure!” Lily hands me a dry cloth, and I bury my face in it. It is warm from being left in the sun.

My breathing has slowed, but I still hold back from answering. How can they understand my embarrassment at nearly drowning in front of everyone? I look down at my feet. They are slightly blue from the cold, and I pull them closer to my body. “I … I underestimated the current …” Then in my own defense, “I never swam in a river before.”

Piper and Lily sigh as if they’ve been holding their breaths this whole time. “Well, I suppose we should’ve asked first,” Piper replies.

“As long as you’re all right,” Lily adds.

“You’re lucky I was there to grab you,” the young man chimes in from behind the two girls.

Lily rolls her eyes, “Yeah, you better thank Finley now, or he’ll be bragging about it forever.”

Finley pushes the girls aside. “Don’t listen to them.” His bare torso shows he is a broad shouldered man. His dark brown hair is wet and plastered back from matching brown eyes. His tanned skin and a scar running down his right cheek give him a weathered look. He kneels beside me, studying me with a grin.

“Thank you,” I state, trying to avoid eye contact without being rude, and unsure how to respond to his frank gaze. He seems a bit older than me and is missing that naivety that the others have. He has the look of someone who has been through a lot.

“Oriana, I would save you again in a heartbeat.” He smiles, reaching out to take my hand and help me to my feet. Before letting it go he kisses it, giving me another long look with his daring eyes. The other boys I had seen from the ledge have gathered around us, and I hear them chuckle to one another and comment on their friend’s advances.

“Finn!” Piper shoves him in the side with an elbow. “Are you crazy? This is Oriana, the pureblood.”

Finley turns to her, shrugging. “I can see that.” He scratches the side of his hair, sending a spray of droplets.

I begin drying my own hair with the cloth, acting as though I’m not actually noticing the conversation.

“Well, she’s taken,” Lily explains.

A guy from behind adds, “Dorian’s girl!” in a teasing voice.

I can’t hide the blush that rises to my cheeks, though I act like I’m looking at something in the distance.

Recognition lights Finley’s face, and he laughs. “Yeah, I get it, the half-let boy’s pureblood.” He looks sideways at me. “But how was I supposed to know she’d be so … what’s the word … beautiful?” The other boys burst out laughing. One even smacks Finley on the back playfully.

Lily comes to loop her arm around mine, probably noting the look of complete humiliation on my face. “Don’t worry, he has an endless infatuation with pretty girls, and no amount seems to suffice.

“Hey, Finn, aren’t ya goin’ to introduce us to the lady?” a blond-haired boy to his right responds.

“Oh yeah, where are my manners? Let me introduce the guys.” Finley points to the boy on his right, short yet sturdy and taking the pose of a boy twice his height. “This is Jagger, he’s Dugan, that’s Buck, and the little one’s Weasel.”

I nod to each one, Dugan being a boy about my age with his long black hair tied at the base of his neck. He gives a half grin, his eyes heavy lidded and calm. Buck is the tallest; strongly built and with chestnut colored hair and eyes, he appears powerful, but his smile proves he’s harmless. He places his large hand on top of Weasel’s head, nearly swallowing it entirely. The smaller boy peeks out at me to grin and give a floppy wave. His mop of mousy brown hair covers two wide round eyes.

“Nice to meet you all,” I reply politely. It’s hard not to giggle at the motley bunch.

“Well, now that everyone knows one another, we should probably get back to work,” says Lily whose arm is still wrapped around mine protectively. She begins to lead me away. Piper starts to follow.

“Strange that you weren’t invited to Tor’s early meeting, don’t you think?” Finley comments while rubbing at the short growth of beard on the side of his face.

We stop, and I slip my arm from Lily’s to face him. She remains still.

“I mean, you’ve got to be wondering what he’s hiding from you,” Finley adds, knowing he has caught my interest. I notice that even the guys behind him have become nervous about the subject.

“Finley, you shouldn’t …” Piper starts, but I cut her off.

“Do you know what it’s about? What they’re discussing?” I watch his face eagerly.

He shrugs. “Only what they’ve been telling the rest of us, which is probably more than he’s telling you.”

I can’t help but feel his words hold truth. After all, Dorian left me without any explanation. How could he have known that I would meet up with Malise? I might have been wandering for hours! Not to mention keeping me in the dark about last night’s conversation. The thought is striking a nerve.

“Finley, you
really
shouldn’t …” Lily stands beside me now, deciding whether or not she should take my arm once more or let me be. “She’s probably worried about him as it is …”

“Worried? About Dorian?” I turn to her, trying to read the look of shock on her face.

“Lily!” Piper shouts.

“You mean she doesn’t—”

“Shh!!”

I nearly explode with frustration. “Is anyone going to tell me what is going on and why I should be worried?!” The others just stare at me silently. Even Finley is watching me guiltily.

“Oriana!” Malise bursts through the woods followed by Aaron and a relieved-looking Toby. “We’ve been looking for you everywhere!” She holds up my discarded cloth bag with a stern look.

“Toby found this, and we thought you were …”

“We thought you had been taken!” Aaron states emphatically.

“Taken?” I ask quizzically, unsure of what he means.

“Never mind. Let’s just head back; it’s nearly lunchtime.” Malise begins to hand the bag back to me. “Oriana?” She looks at me oddly. “What’s wrong with your neck? Did something happen?”

I reach up to stroke the skin and feel a tender lump. I gasp at the sudden pain. I try to remember how I got it, not from the jump—and then a memory flashes in my mind. The whiteness, the stinging pain. My brain feels as though it’s being crushed, my skull is on fire, and I cannot think at all. Something is strangling me, keeping me from remembering that moment. What they put into me. I struggle to hang onto it, to keep the images alive. But it is too strong, and I’ve grown so weak. I expend the last of my energy and collapse to the ground.

 CHAPTER TWENTY

A cool cloth is pressed against my forehead, and I open my eyes. Tor stares down at me, a smile pressing his lips and a look of relief in his eyes.

“She’s waking up …” someone whispers at my side.

I prop myself up on my elbows. The cloth drops to the ground, and Tor lifts it back to my face. For some reason I’m lying on the forest floor. I begin to remember … Piper and Lily, the river, Finley rescuing me and then Malise. But why did I pass out?

“What happened?” I ask, taking the cloth from Tor’s hand as I sit upright and then wipe the back of my neck.

No one answers, and I stop to glance at their faces. Piper and Lily are watching Tor nervously, and Finley has wandered to the back of the group.

“You passed out suddenly, and Toby ran to get me.” Tor gestures to Toby who stands at his side, still breathing heavily from the long run. “Piper told me what happened. I think maybe you had a little too much water.” He grins, patting me on the arm.

I nod but can’t help being suspicious as Finley walks away muttering something beneath his breath. Tor looks back at him and then turns to me giving a small shake of his head.

“Well, I think it’s time you all headed back for lunch …”

“Where’s Dorian?” I ask, wondering why Tor has come instead of him.

Tor looks at me for a moment as if buying time for his mind to work. “He couldn’t …”

“Can we go back now? I’m starving!” Aaron shouts from beside Malise.

The thought causes my stomach to grumble, and Dorian’s absence loses its importance for the moment. I begin getting to my feet, and Piper takes my arm to help me up.

“You’ll feel much better after you eat something,” she says, leading me away.

I can’t help wondering why Tor came all the way from the Great Oak to make sure I was all right. If all I needed was a cold compress, what was Tor there for? Not only that, if the situation was so serious that Tor was sent for, why hadn’t Dorian thought to come? Maybe I’m thinking too much.

I sigh as we reach the base of the Great Oak. I hang back as the others begin to climb the ladder. I watch as Malise and her brother disappear behind the large bough. Why does it feel like there are even more secrets
outside
of the University? I thought I had solved everything by leaving, and yet this world is still a mystery. It’s hard not to question everything when the others keep carrying on silent conversations with their eyes.

“Questioning your ‘friends’?” I jump, not having noticed Finley standing beside me. I can’t find the right answer, so he continues. “I recognized that look of suspicion on your face.”

His smirk annoys me; his demeanor is too self-confident. I shake my head. “You’re mistaken.” I walk past him toward the ladder, not wanting to look back. I know he doesn’t believe me. It doesn’t matter. I need to get to lunch. But first, I need to find Dorian and clear my mind. I’ll ask him what the truth is and force him to tell me why I should be worrying about him.

Climbing the ladder, I fail to notice the heights, and my determination to reach Dorian has me arriving at the platform before I know it. I look up when my hand is grasping solid wood instead of another rung. This time I pull myself up and to my feet. Finley swings onto the platform next to me. He doesn’t say anything else.

The others are anxious for a meal and are starting down the platform toward the dining structure. Piper and Lily hang back to check up on me.

“You’re going to sit with us, right?” Lily asks sweetly. Piper nods in agreement. I can tell they have honest intentions, and I reply with an equally honest smile.

“Of course I will. I just need to find Dorian first.”

“Right, okay then,” Lily answers. We walk the rest of the way in silence that I don’t have the energy to break. I’m concentrating too hard on finding Dorian. If I can just see him, things will be back to normal.

The food has already been laid out as I enter the platform shelter. Flaps on the side of the structure that faces away from the Oaks’ trunk have been opened to let in a natural light, and a cool breeze sweeps down the table, sending a wave of sweet aromas. Piper and Lily follow me down the side of the table until they find their seats halfway from the door. I continue down, trying to see around the corner before I’ve actually turned it. As I round the bend, I see Azura and Liam sitting in the same places as last night. I notice that Tor has already made it to his seat, and again they are speaking animatedly across to one another. My stomach sinks; Dorian is nowhere in sight.

“Oriana, come sit.” Tor smiles and gestures toward my seat. It is a larger space with Dorian missing.

I almost feel like wiping the kindness off his face. Doesn’t he notice I’m disappointed? “Oh, actually I was just looking for …”

“Dorian couldn’t make it,” Azura supplies. I can see she’s enjoying it. “He was too preoccupied to eat.” She looks down to scoop up an assortment of berries from her plate, ignoring my look of irritation.

“You’ll see him tonight, I’m sure,” Tor adds gently.

I try a smile, but it feels awkward. Instead I give a nod, eager to head away from Azura’s judgment. “I promised Piper and Lily I’d sit with them …” I don’t wait for a response before heading back toward the others. I can’t help wondering what Dorian is so preoccupied about. Why couldn’t I just ask? Demand some answers? No, I’m a guest here, a pureblood at that, and how can I possibly accuse them of hiding things from me? They’ve welcomed me, fed me, given me shelter. How can I be so ungrateful by doubting their intentions? If I could just see Dorian, then he would explain everything to me. Tonight he will tell me why their meetings are discussed in private and why even Finley and the others are kept in the dark about the details.

I lose track of my food as well as the others talking around me. Jagger is teasing Lily about something, but I don’t bother to figure out what. The others laugh, and I look up from my plate. I haven’t really eaten anything.

“Oriana are you all right?” Dugan asks as he leans back against the wall and folds his arms.

I look from him to Finley, who has also looked up from his plate. I notice the others are watching me as well. “I … I think I need to get some fresh air.” I get up quickly, leaving them in silence, and head for the door. Bursting through the entryway, I run face first into a tall warm figure.

Tor turns to face me. “Oriana, are you feeling better?”

I give him a questioning look.

“Anyone could tell you were extremely uncomfortable in there. What’s bothering you?”

I go to speak, but he stops me. “Actually, I think I know what it is.” He begins to walk away, taking a route along the outside of the dining hall. He turns when he realizes I am still standing in silence. “Follow me.”

Curiosity compels me toward him. I follow him around the platform and up a series of ladders. We pass my cottage and Dorian’s as well. I look for a light within Dorian’s but see only darkness. A voice in the back of my head whispers,
Is he avoiding me?
I shake the thought away.

Tor stops in front of a building larger than the other cottages. Moving forward, he unties some straps securing the flap with one hand and guides it open to let both of us through. Once inside, I wait by the doorway as Tor works his way around the side of the room, opening the side hatches to let in light and moving air.

In front of me sits a heavy wooden table, its surface clear of any objects. The building curves slightly like the dining hall as it hugs the tree. On this wall are a series of bookshelves, which to my surprise are filled with many volumes, all of which are different and do not repeat.

Tor moves toward a set of shelves. “Please take a seat.” I find a spot on the table’s bench, one closest to the light of a window. In front of me, Tor is rustling through a bundle of rolled parchments stacked on one of the upper shelves. He extends his long arms to reach them.

He pulls one from the bundle and turns to me. “Oriana, have you ever seen Odon’s Lands? Beyond them?”

I look at him in wonder. Is it possible to actually see it all? Is there really anything beyond them? “No …” I say hesitantly, unsure what he is hinting at.

He places the scroll upon the table and unrolls it, stretching it far across the table. I hold an edge down to keep it from curling up again.

“This is a map, the area of Odon’s current lands, as well as the outer region,” Tor explains, although I have assumed as much.

“I never imagined one existed. How—?”

“It was made before Odon had finalized his enforcement. You will not find the University, but it would exist somewhere in this region.” Tor circles an area with his finger that has been drawn in as a tall forest hill. The map contains mostly forest terrain with blank canvas beyond a black line surrounding it. This is labeled simply: “Outer Regions.” Yet what is most apparent is the large sketch of the Great Oak, labeled and detailed. Showing a complete outline of its platforms and structures, our current location being one of the higher ones.

Tor points out the thick line running around both the outside of the University’s hill as well as the Great Oak. “This is Odon’s territory. The border was drawn in later on.”

My eyes widen, shocked to see a limit to Odon’s power. Yet I cannot wrap my mind around the full meaning of this. “Then what actually is outside of all of this? Are there others …?”

Tor nods and my excitement grows. “But”—I hold my breath for him to continue—“this only means that they are under the control of another ruler. Outside of Odon’s lands is a world very similar to our own. So you’ll understand why we still remain within his borders.”

The situation is not as I imagined. Tor goes on, “Yes, if you were to escape Odon, it would mean falling under the restrictions of another tyrant. One that we are not familiar with.”

I sigh, feeling even more trapped than before. When Odon was the only danger, it was easier to imagine a way of escaping. Now it seems hopeless. “And on this side?” I point to the opposite border.

Tor replies grimly, “The same matter, the map does not show all lands, but we can assume that others are existing in similar circumstances.”

“But how did this happen?” I ask, frustration rising in my voice. “If there was a time when Odon did not rule, then how did he and these other rulers take over?”

He sighs. “It is a story others can tell better than I.” I am sure he has seen the look of disappointment on my face because he quickly adds, “But I do know the one person who can share it with you.”

My gaze alights with intrigue, “Who might that be?”

“Falda,” Tor replies with confidence.

My eyebrows rise. “Who?”

“Falda,” he repeats. “My mother.”