Proven (Daughters of the Sea #1) (18 page)

S
TASIA

The half-moon trace on the back of my neck sizzled as I gazed up at the silver orb hanging low in the sky above. It shouldn't be possible for something so pure, so ethereal to be represented by someone like Selene. It made me wonder about the destiny she and Fallon may share. Were they only working together for a short time? Was it indeed Fallon's destiny to overthrow Selene? And what if she was successful? Would the moon's essence be able to exist without one or the other?

These were the questions swirling around in my mind as I lay on the cool sand of the castle beach next to Finn. He had fallen asleep several hours ago while my thoughts tortured me endlessly to find some shred of control I may have over the situation; to conjure up a way I could alter the course of my prophecy. And should I? Would I actually want to when the time came?

They were questions I couldn't answer, yet I continued to ask myself the same ones over and over again. The sounds and smells of the night wafted around me; calming me to an extent, yet becoming an utterly loud reminder of the passing of time. I rested my head back and glanced at Finn while he slept. The corners of his lips were slightly upturned and I longed to know what he was dreaming about. I smiled at the state of inner euphoria he was experiencing and kissed him gently on the cheek.

When I peered back up at the moon, it began to tremble and blur. I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them just to discover the moon was perfectly still. The problem was me. An explosion of pain sliced its way into my head and I heard it once more. Her sorrow filled my ears and squeezed my heart. My eyes burned as I pressed my temples in an effort to alleviate the agony. I waited for my skull to implode from the unyielding pressure, or for my heart to collapse from the sadness crashing over it.

I exhaled impulsively as its hold on me slowly relented and I made a decision. Prophecy be damned, I couldn't wait any longer. I had to do something. Kissing Finn lightly once more on his cheek, I stood and headed up the cliff with renewed purpose and boiling hot anger.

Back on the veranda overlooking the lagoon, I slipped past the dimly lit windows that lined the back of the castle and scaled a small line of bushes on my way to the very thing that would allow me to make it to the crux. The elixir.

After rounding the exterior of the indoor pool and sidestepping some of the castle's staff unloading a delivery at a hidden back door, I finally smelled a litany of fragrances that I could only imagine was a garden. I was hoping the grounds didn't have more than one.

I followed my nose down a modest hillside and spotted an imposing, decorative cast iron fence covered in a living mountain of cascading ivy and moss. The light above glinted off of their glossy leaves and highlighted the curves of the fence as I lightly pushed on it, hoping against hope it wasn't locked. To my surprise, it swung open with ease and I entered quickly, latching it behind me. A rush of moist, earthen essence whispered across my body as the garden sensed my presence. As if on cue, a wave of energy rolled across the plants nearby; sweeping out and disappearing ahead as if the plants were communicating my arrival. And it was quite possible that they were.

A swarm of fireflies performed to my right as their lower abdomens blinked on and off, reminiscent of a fireworks show. An orange and red lizard scurried across my path, flicking its tail and glancing up at me before darting off in another direction altogether. The stone path felt cool to my bare feet as I randomly chose various paths, in what was becoming a rather complex maze. One of these paths would lead me to the elixir. Unfortunately, I had no idea what I was looking for.

Was it in a building of some kind? A storage shed? Buried underground? It could be hanging in a tree for all I knew, but I was determined. After wandering down and around another hill, I came across something familiar. A glowing ball of golden light flitted across my peripheral vision; catching my attention and immediately piquing my fascination. I stalked it into a patch of lavender and through a row of dew kissed rose bushes. It perched atop a wooden stake acting as an anchor for a juvenile rose bush to rest its luminescent wings. I was able to move closer before it realized it was being watched.

An exact replica of the large creatures we'd seen earlier, this one had to be a baby. It was still a great deal larger than the butterflies I'd grown to know my entire life, but smaller than a bird of prey. Its undeniable beauty mesmerized me. Its wings were a masterpiece of flowing lines, almost see-through with the golden glow emanating from every fiber. It stilled as its attention moved to me and I carefully reached out a hand to see if it would allow me to touch it. I gasped when it stretched its wings and gracefully flapped them once to lift itself into the air. It gingerly landed on my wrist, sending a shower of essence flowing through me. The warmth and euphoria was overwhelming, and I gazed patiently while it inspected my arm. A surge of energy was a precursor to its wings glowing even brighter. I was caught off guard as it took flight once more, ripping its warming essence from my body. It fluttered around me, batting its wings with enthusiasm before it drifted farther into the garden. I set out after it with astonishment.

It soared along a continuous row of manicured bushes encircling three magnificent, sprawling live oaks. A regal, marble fountain dominated the center of the grassy area; flickering brightly as a group of more golden-winged creatures enjoyed the water flowing into its expansive basin. The particular creature I was following continued along the bushes and I soon spotted a slight structure up ahead. Under the silver light of the moon it reminded me of a tiny cottage. Made of weathered stone, it boasted a quaint thatched roof cascading from a slightly off-kilter chimney. Ivy yawned up its sides and intricate iron latches held shutters open around the windows on each side.

The building's thick wooden door faced the fountain where even more winged creatures were gathered. A small opening near the top of the door was just wide enough for my creature to slip through its decorative, iron grate and disappear amidst a brighter hum of gold. As curiosity overcame rational logic, I pushed my way through the bushes and crept toward the closed door. I peeked through the iron grate and was completely unprepared for what secrets the cottage held.

A crumbling stone well took up the center of the room, complete with crank handle and bucket. More baby golden creatures congregated on its rim and along the floor, ceiling, and walls like wallpaper. But even more surprising was the sight of Sebastian standing at a small table, mumbling and filling a long glass tray with a yellow liquid that resembled the elixir I'd witnessed Psamanthe drinking earlier that day, smiling happily to himself. He appeared to be glowing as hundreds of tiny, medium-sized, and slightly larger babies fluttered around him and took the liberty of landing anywhere on his body. Several found their way to the top of his head, at least twenty sat on his shoulder watching him work, and a myriad of others fluttered onto his arms, back, and hands.

He chuckled as a particularly brave baby landed right on the bridge of his nose. It flapped its wings at him and he carefully shooed it from his face. It settled for joining the others nestled in his hair. A giggle escaped my lips at the sight and he looked up with alarm. On reflex, I knelt down with a pounding heart, but I knew he had seen me.  Then I heard a noise behind me, followed by an angelic voice.

"Welcome Anastasia, Leader of the Tydes and Goddess of the Sea," she acknowledged in a grandiose timbre that raised the hair on my arms.

S
TASIA

"We are honored to host you in our garden."

I rose quickly, feeling my face flush with the embarrassment of being caught. That was quickly replaced by the sight of three of the most awe-inspiring, ethereal women I'd ever seen standing before me. In unison, they elegantly swept their arms down and bowed to me. Unsure as to what to do with this show of reverence, I bowed my head to them in response. After all, I was the stranger who was traipsing around their beautiful garden.

"Stasia!" Sebastian's surprised voice sounded from behind me.

"I was just...I saw..." I fumbled over multiple faulty excuses. He grabbed me around the waist and spun me around with joy, sending my legs splaying outward as we turned. Not expecting such a welcoming reception, I wiggled out of his grasp and tried to tickle him in a less than intimidating attack, but to no avail.

"Going for an early morning walk?" he accused me with a smirk.

"I couldn't sleep, and then I happened to see one of your little buddies," I halfway explained, suddenly realizing obtaining the elixir for my secret journey might have just gotten a lot harder. "I followed it here."

"It's feeding time," Sebastian explained simply and smiled as a set of golden wings landed on his shoulders.

"For whom?" I questioned with surprised skepticism. What kind of animals were in this garden?

"The chrysá!" He eyed a particularly large baby resting on his bare shoulder. It beat it wings several times before lifting into the air and joining its brethren at the fountain.

"And what exactly do they feed on?"

"Nectar," he relayed. "We feed them, and in return these little guys help us make the ambrosia elixir." My ears perked up at the mention of the elixir and I glanced back into the open door of the structure.

"Is that the gold liquid in there?"

"It sure is." He turned on his heel. "You wanna see?"

"Definitely!" I answered a little too eagerly. My mind whirled in an attempt to concoct a plan to take some of it. Could I just ask for it? Would they gladly give me some or would they ask questions?

As i followed him back inside, I heard a beautiful song caressing my eardrums. I looked over my shoulder to see the three women twirling around the grassy area and fountain, singing in harmony.

"Who are they?" I whispered to Sebastian.

"They protect the garden," he paused with a twinkle in his familiar turquoise eyes, "and the treasures within." I didn't miss the plural use of 'treasures' as he put his hands on his hips with disapproval. "Looks like they started without me."

I followed his gaze to the glass tray teeming with what I assumed was nectar. It was now overflowing with golden wings as they fought to get their share.

"That's why they glow?" I guessed.

"You got it. It's just a mixture of water and nectar, but they love it. Once they drink it they produce their gold dust, which is what makes the elixir enchanted."

"They're so beautiful," I exclaimed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me softly.

"I felt something a little while ago actually, but I feel okay now," I answered solemnly, and then thought of something curious. "Why doesn't it bother you?"

"I'm already dead, remember?" He downed a small glass of gold, which I assumed was the actual elixir. He held up the empty glass with a wink. "This elixir is the only thing providing me with essence. Mine went back to the ocean when I died...the first time." I laughed uncomfortably. That wasn't something you heard all the time.

"I forgot about that." My eyes turned to the well and I strode towards its stone rim to peek down into its depths.

"That's where the elixir's stored," he answered my unspoken question. Far below the opening of the well, I saw more golden liquid. "It's my job to ensure the chrysá are fed, but it's not really a job. They've become my pets. My nightly companions."

"I can tell they like you," I giggled. "They think you're a jungle gym."

"Thankfully, these are just babies. The adults could probably crush me if they really wanted to."

Not sure if he was joking or not, I figured it was entirely possible with the size of the creatures Finn and I had seen earlier.

"Finn and I went for a swim in the lagoon earlier and found this huge cave where hundreds of them were hanging out," I admitted. "They were massive! But that was before Finn came flailing out of the water and scared them all away." I rolled my eyes.

"They're mainly subterranean animals." He nodded in agreement, adding, "And they are much more active at night."