“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
Irina fast asleep for an hour. She woke with an odd relaxing vibrant. Finding Lucas was nowhere in the room, she put her dress that lie on the floor back on, as she had no other dress. Tracing the aisle back to the common room, she heard Lucas yelling angrily. She never thought of Lucas being angry, what was the reason? She stood quietly at the end of the corridor before she made a turn to the common room’s door. “What did you just say?” Irina heard Lucas sounded hostile. “Which part of my story that you can’t understand?” “Lucas, Sebastian is just asking you to have a bit of precaution. Don’t be mad.” The woman tried to console him, thought Irina. What was her name again? I couldn’t remember. “He tends to worry that much since Julian brought back unknown woman to his castle.” The woman continued. “You what?” Irina could imagine Lucas disbelieve look towards Julian. “Nevermind for now. That doesn’t justify Sebastian’s remark about my wife.”
“That’s should be a warning. The fact that she knows me. I mean, I just arrive and the only people I’ve met is the three of you.” Said Irina. BRAAKKKK!! Hilda was over excited as a piece of riddle almost solved in her head, causing her press too much force than she meant to when she hit the table. Everyone was stunned. While Irina had double amount of shock as she sat next to Hilda. “We still willing to hear you out, even without that slamming.” Said Sebastian. Hilda ignored him. “Remember when we got back from Center Isle?” “Yes.” Julian replied as the same time as Sebastian said. “Yea…” “You’re right!” Sebastian agreed. “She’s gone when we’re back here.” “Missing.” Hilda corrected. Sebastian shrugged. “Whatever. She obviously not here then.” “The timing was by chance the same as when they captured King Armand and the others.” Hilda voiced her first suspicion about Deandra. “Do you mean she help
Hilda touched Julian’s shoulder. “Don’t!” Then she shook her head. Smiling, Julian put her hand light off his shoulder. “What do you thing I would do?” Hilda said nothing, then he continued. “I just want to talk to her. Trust me!” “Alright.” Her look showed a little lack of trust. She watched Julian went inside the garden and disappeared behind the first tree. Sighing hard. She went back to the common room. But, on her way back she saw Captain H from the second-floor corridor. Her hand was on the polished wooden fence, the fence was solid and steady supporting her weight when she leaned on it. “Captain.” She called. The captain looked up to where the voice that called him came from. He bowed immediately. Two seconds, he found source of the earlier voice stood in front of him. “Milady.” He bowed again. Since King Armand had captured, leaders that remained agreed to form a temporary administration under their command, so the capt
Center Isle few moments before, the dusk sun colored the evening sky in contrast with the color of snow that covered the ground evenly. Hurried foot step touched onto the hard-stoned floor in a desolate alley inside the castle. Lucas held Irina’s hand tightly as he led the way back to the passage room. As the night would come, dark creature’s sense of awareness increased and sharpened. They could certainly sense the present of uninvited three witches within the castle. While Sebastian followed behind Lucas and Irina unknowingly the reason. They turned and entered an open parlor. The passage room was at the end of the alley across the parlor. Crossing the parlor hurriedly in silence towards the alley, Irina had something absurd in her head. Almost reaching the alley, Irina pulled Lucas hand and stopped. Making Lucas knitted his brows together, irked by her sudden behavior. He held her hand again. “I don’t want to hear anything!” His eyes were fixed int
“Come in.” Said Julian. Irina stepped in to his study inside his castle. He was reading some book, then he stood after put a mark between the pages. “Hey, I hope I don’t disturb you.” “It’s a pleasure to have you here. What can I do for you?” Julian motioned her to take a seat. She pulled a chair behind the clean polished round table, before Julian could do it for her. Julian took a seat across her right after she was settles in her seat. “I want to see how are you doing. You were not there, in the cottage, when we were saying goodbye to Deandra this morning. Lucas taking her back.” That look again, thought Irina. The miserable mixed with sorrowful in blank look. It was just too sad to see. Irina could sense the hurt that he felt in his heart. It seemed he truly love Deandra. “I know.” He said. “I’m so sorry.” Julian wanted to look alright, that’s why he smiled at her as he couldn’t mutter any good respond.
Two days had passed since Lady Cotts’s stiff body dropped dead on to the floor the same time as the last grain of sand in the hourglass. They hadn’t burry her lifeless body yet, she was placed in the glass coffin. Her eyes were cannot be closed, they were wide open and black, with the trace of suppressed fire on them. Roman put his arm around Irina’s shoulder. They both were staring at the glass coffin. “I made her dead.” Said Irina blankly. “She asked for it.” Roman calmed her. He was back as soon as he sensed the energy that he had been avoided for over twenty years had faded and gone. His comeback arrival was welcomed by his daughter enthusiastically. “You did the right thing.” He squeezed her shoulder lightly. “You’re right.” Irina nodded. They heard foot step drew closer, but they didn’t turn to look who it was. “Mr. Roman, may I have a moment?” By then both father and daughter took a look. He was standing next to Roman. “
Irina looked to her side. A strong muscular big black jaguar stood firmly next to her. Little companion? She thought inside, this Iolomb surely had a real bad vision. She gave the Iolomb a sly grin. How to make the Iolomb dead was the only thing on her mind. Ro nudged her as if he could read her mind. He wanted her to go on, leaving the Iolomb with him. Irina shook her head harshly. Ro nudged again. This time, Irina heard disgusting chuckle from the Iolomb. She hated it. She hated being looked down by the creature. So, she turned to face Ro then nodded. That was all she had to do. In the blink of an eye, Ro launched with incredible speed that normal eyes wouldn’t be able to follow. Soon, he was towering in front of the Iolomb. The look of surprise on the creature’s face was only lasted for a moment. Ro made its face down onto the cold floor. What had happened next to the Iolomb, Irina would never know as she took herself upstairs. The map of t
Irina was climbing back through the transparent hole. She put firmly her foot one by one in Deandra’s bedroom. Her face was sour and she was sulking. She was never be in this worse of mood. Deandra stepped back. As the hole diminished, her conscious came. She blinked, then her eyes normal again. “Miss Irina?” Narrowing her eyes for a second at Deandra, making sure that she was free from any form of her mother’s influence. Irina closed her eyes, she forced herself to stay in control. The door swung open. Lucas was still able to see the diminishing of the hole as he came in before Julian and Hilda. “Good. You’re back.” Irina didn’t mean to sound harsh, but she sounded like one and startled Deandra. “Where are you from?” Lucas snapped. His eyes drilled into Irina’s. Hilda and Julian exchanged a look, then threw Lucas a questioning look which ignored by the later. At the same time, Deandra became more and more uneasy. Irina
“Get… Up…” Said Lady Cotts coldly. Shaking her way up, Deandra managed to stand. She stepped back. Didn’t want to be too close. “Speak!” “The king and his group are still alive.” The Iolomb stepped forward. ”I wouldn’t worry about them, Milady. They have been damaged.” “I don’t care about them.” Lady Cotts looked straight into Deandra’s eyes. Blaming her. “I want my daughter to join us.” She tore her haze, shifted to the tall glass window behind her. No one dared to respond. The Iolomb made a side glace at Deandra, while Deandra seemed more interested in her shoes. “Well?” Asked Lady Cotts. Her voice sounded gentle and sweet but somehow send shiver to the Iolomb and Deandra. “I will gather an army, Milady.” The Iolomb bowed and left the room hurriedly. From a far, Deandra saw tiny black dot moving between the treetops through the tall glass
Plakk… Deandra felt burning on her face as the tickle sound and smell of flesh burning filled the air. She fell down the floor, on one side of her body with her hand supporting her weight. Knowing that tear only made the burning felt more painful, she held in as hard as she could. “Now I have to deal with this stupid war.” Lady Cotts looked down at Deandra with loathe in her red eyes. “Milady, I have nothing to do with the war. They hate me. Especially Miss Irina, she AAAAAAAHH…” The palm that marked in her face burnt deeper into her flesh. “Don’t you dare talking about my daughter with your filthy tongue, useless human.” Right, Deandra was an ordinary human before she met the lady whose look bear a resemblance to someone she missed very much, she used to address her dearly with Miss Irina. The one who left right after her wedding. Leaving her father, Master Danieal, and Deandra. It was then in a middl
Deandra walked back and forth in circle in her bedroom. She was locked up in her bedroom, and she didn’t know why. Anxiety crawled into her heart and her head started to tell her things. ‘What did I do?’ Was the first question in her head. ‘Did I do a bad thing?’, ‘What kind of bad thing? Last time I remembered I was being pinned on the floor’, ‘Did they find out who am I?’ ‘Who am I?’ the last question echoed in her head. Her stomach growled as she didn’t touch her food since she had woken up this late afternoon and it was already dark outside. She had no appetite. She was hungry but had no intention to eat. The kind of feeling she acknowledged as a sign. Something had wiring in her vein, running with her blood through her heard then send signal to her brain. She could see but her vision was not hers, she went blank inside. She screamed. Screaming a name that she used to say it dearly. The door opened with a loud bang. “Miss I
Squeaking slowly, an older scholar two seat from Master Tobias pushed his chair back as he stood. Master Z, Lucas said inwardly. Then he turned to Julian who gave him a shrugged as he too didn’t understand. “Antony, don’t give me further reason to regret my decision of letting you pass the final assignment.” Master Z scolded the young scholar. He turned gracefully to face all the royal members in the room. “His highness is not done talking. Please continue, Your Highness. We all are listening.” Lucas nodded. “Thank you, Master Z.” He directed his stare to Antony and all of the younger scholars at the back sit. Antony got up then bowed. “My apology, Your Highness. I was wrong, jump into unreasonable conclusion.” Second later all the younger scholars raised then bowed, murmuring their apology. Taken aback by the sudden bows. What is this? New tradition to become a scholar? Thought Lucas. He swiftly shook the thoughts away. Absurd. Pullin
The sky outside almost dusked. Lucas and Irina hadn’t show themselves at the cottage. Making the atmosphere in the common room tense and anxious. Common room was full, chairs were set pushed against the wall. The large table in the middle of the room was circled by the older scholars, younger scholars were sat on chair by the wall. “Why they aren’t here yet?” Julian heard Hilda whispered softly through his ear. “It’s getting dark soon.” They were standing by the open door of the common room along with Sebastian, Darren and Captain H, waiting for Lucas and Irina. “You’re right.” Julian agreed in low voice. He turned to his best friend. “Sebastian, let’s find them.” Sebastian raised one of his brows, then without any word he followed Julian out. At the front yard, they met with the rest members of Julian’s castle. They saw Julian and Sebastian walked toward them. Julian dismissed their bow instantly as he wanted to asked them questions.