A loud wind rumbled in the stomach ripped the carriage tense air. Lucas calmly reached his bag then pulled out a bundle of cloth. Murmuring something inaudibly. He opened the cloth.
Irina looked down, hiding her face. The sweet smell of warm bread filled the air. A moment later the bread presented within her eyeshot range. Looking up at once, Irina threw a questioning look at the bread.
“Time for early meal, I suppose.” Lucas answered her question to the bread. Then he watched Irina took the bread and started to eat it.
Lucas ate his bread too, he leaned on his seat. Taking a look at the window outside, it was dark along the way with a faint light from the lantern in the front used by the coach. He felt the soft material that he leaned and sat on, they rode on a fancy carriage provided by Nieal.
Resting his elbow on the windowsill, he put his cheek upon his palm pretended to enjoy the dark view outside. He enjoyed the reflection on the window, to be e
Irina sat next to Lucas in Benjamin’s residence. Sliding smoothly to the end of the couch, she didn’t want to be too close to Lucas. Apart from that, she felt stuffy, Diaz took them strolling around the little town prior to be here. Lucas pretended he didn’t notice anything. He needed to change Irina’s perception about him. That’s why he would do his best to impress her again. Making sure her safety was his first priority. He planned to follow her blindly. Diaz laid a large map on the floor. Its size couldn’t fit the available table. It was a new map, not the map that Lucas saw back on The Elder’s study. The size could tell that it had already combined and connected with the larger town where Nieal and Roman stayed. Bending over forward, Irina observed the map carefully. So, all plans that Papa worked very hard had done and already turned into a map, thought Irina inside. Her eyes glued on the map. She examined the very precise illustrative lines of drawing.
Diaz was the first one to arrive. He was running in fear if something bad happened with Irina, sweat filled his forehead. Seeing Irina and Lucas were fine, he bent with both hand on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Is something happen?” Diaz asked after he could breathe evenly. “Yes.” Her reply made the air surround them chilly. Few seconds later, Benjamin came then followed by Edvard. Benjamin sensed the chilly surrounding but didn’t stop him uttering his question. “Irina, are you alright? What happen?” He noticed the remaining ash from the dead dark creature. “Did the two of you kill that dark creature?” “I did.” Said Irina, she hardly suppressed her anger. Raising a big question in the others head, except Lucas. “As expected from you.” Said Edvard randomly. He walked toward the ashes, trying to examine it. “I’m returning to Diaz place.” She told them, after her anger had subsided one level lower. “There’s no need to e
Lucas made the neighborhood in total darkness. He felt Irina moving closer to him, making his lip tilted into a smile. He saw all of the creature’s eyes lightened up. The sudden darkness startled them and cause them to stepped back and crashed each other. Lucas took the change to get away from the protection bubble and leave Irina safe inside it. The light was back, it froze them a second. Then he made it pitch black again as it would be easier to kill them. He heard all the flying Manna fell with their last scary melodious voice. Good, thought Lucas. He directed his next aim to the first row in front of him. Then the next row, and next, and next, although some of them were quite powerful, it didn’t stop him. He fought them with sole intention of killing them. He did the last kill in less than twenty minutes. Making sure all the ashes had completely gone, he lifted the darkness and the invisible bubble. Lucas and Irina were separated by ten steps. He
“It’s open.” Said Irina from inside her bedroom. Her eyes shifted from the book in her lap to the opening door. Nieal hardly made the door open. His both hands held a tray with teapot and two cups upon it. “I was hoping you could be more kind to open the door for me, since—” He showed the obvious tray in his hand. Irina smiled. “How should I know that your both hands are busy?” Putting the tray on the only table near the open window where the ray of morning sun warmed the bedroom. He poured the tea in to the cups. Closing his mouth after opening it for a second, Nieal realized that he didn’t tell her what was in his hands. “You’re right.” He sat on the made bed and handed one of the cups in his hand to Irina whom sat on a new arm chair that placed facing her bed. She sat with her back lean on one arm of the chair and both her feet hang on the other arm. Her book laid open on her lap. “How is little Dee?” “Good.” Replied Nieal. “I bring
The following morning, Irina waved goodbye to her father and Nieal. It was their turn to visit the New Land. Lots of things needed to be shorted right away. Things that Irina too lazy to understand. Usually, if she had nothing to do, she would go to the library and spent almost her tome of the day there reading. Today was different, this was the first time in her life that her father wasn’t around. Her father specifically told her not to step outside the house while he was away. Because of the huge distance, even with his witch’s speed, he wouldn’t be able to reach back in time, if something bad happened with her. Sitting in the kitchen, Irina steered her tea in a glass. Beside the glass was a half empty little wine bottle. She managed to convince Marthe for sneaking a bottle of wine out from Nieal’s cellar. “Is it good, Miss?” Marthe looked at Irina with a curious but scare expression. “Try yourself.” Said Irina nonchalantly. “Ouh, I wouldn’t
Irina was dying of curiosity. She couldn’t hold it any longer. Uttering what had haunted her mind since yesterday while they were walking inside the woods. “Lucas?” Leading the way under the shadow of thick naturally arranged tree branches that full with leaves which started to become yellow and brown. “Yea?” He replied. “Do you know why you can read The Cotts when my father asked you to read it?” “The Cotts?” He saw Irina nodded. He vaguely remembered what was written on the black leather book. “I think I do.” “You do?” “Yes, because it’s the book of prophecy.” Her facial expression was a combination of disappointment, relief, a question on why he insisted to chase her, and a feeling she didn’t recognize when she said “Ahh…” “Is there something that I need to know?” Asked Lucas. Irina didn’t want to reveal anything. She gave Lucas a shrug as a respond. They sat by the river bank. A serene bree
“Darling, wake up.” Roman sat on the bed side. He gently caressed his daughter’s hair. “Diner almost ready. Why do you still asleep at this hour?” Opening her eyes then getting up after a second. “Papa?” Roman smiled at his daughter. She slipped herself into his embrace. “When did you arrive?” “Moment ago.” Releasing the embrace, Roman put his hand on both of her shoulders. “Tell me! This is very much unlike you, sleeping till sunset. What exactly did you do while I’m away?” “Well, this is all Lucas’s fault.” She saw her father’s brows raised. “He gave me the original parchment from an author that I like, the new work. Then it made me stay up all night.” Also, some other things, she added inside. Roman smiled. “Marthe told me, you went out with him this morning.” “Yes, he promised to teach me how to lift a spell. And he did.” Her answer made Roman felt his heart jolts in surprise. “How did it go? Can you lift a spell?”
Irina opened her red swollen eyes slowly. She could feel Lucas’s hand tightly held hers. A large rectangle polished table and many chairs came into her vision. “We’re here.” Said Lucas softly. He brought her hand closer to his face then lovingly planted a kiss on it. His action managed to gain her attention back to him. “This is common room where we usually gather to share knowledge and information amongst the three kingdoms.” “Ohh…” Came her short respond. The door swung open harshly. Three curious eyes glued at Irina’s hand. They were halted by the door. On the way from surprise to shock. Lucas calmly let go of his kiss on her hand, but still kept her hand in his. “Irina, these are Julian, Sebastian, and Hilda.” Irina nodded. He continued. “Everyone, this is my wife, Irina.” “Wife?” Sebastian’s eyes turned wide while Hilda and Julian took the news in a respectful manner. By the mention of wife out loud made her feelin