Page 55 of Ruby & Onyx

Behind a row of trees, he finally stops in front of a gazebo covered in flowering vines. The floor is covered in mosaic tiles that form circles around the center. White stone peeks out from beneath the vines that crawl from rounded pillars up to the domed ceiling.

“We’re here,” he says.

“Did we walk all this way to see a gazebo?” I might be from Carcera, but I have seen a gazebo before.

“Stand here.” He places his hands on my shoulders to position me above the very center. “Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Can you stop being stubborn for one minute and close your eyes?”

“Fine,” I huff, squeezing my eyes shut. Before long, a gentle vibration begins to stir beneath my feet. It tickles my toes and then my shins, growing more intense as it cascades up my legs and spine. An unfamiliar orchestral tune fills the air around me. Behind my eyelids, I see a wave of golden sparks bursting and dancing, swaying to the violin’s crescendo. I am entranced in a world of light and sound, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

It’s like spinning in the center of a tornado, encasing us in music and color. His hands grip my shoulders, keeping us both steady and upright.

“What is this?” I shout, unsure if the words will be drowned out by the magnificent song filling my ears.

He grabs my hand, standing chest to chest with me as if to join us together. “It’s an orreleum. This gazebo holds the imprint of the Mendacian Orchestra. If you position yourself just right, it immerses you in the song.”

“It’s like floating in a dream!” I don’t want to open my eyes. I want to stay here in this moment, soaking in the sound like my life depends on it. It’s so pure and vibrant that I wonder how the gods even allow mere mortals to partake in it.

Olly’s hand trails down my arm, fingers lightly grazing against my skin. He follows that trail down to my fingers and then up to my collarbone, where he traces the indentations. Once he’s satisfied there, that gentle touch moves up to the back of my neck. “Sometimes you must let go to move forward. This place helps me to abandon that which holds me back. It’s like drinking from the stars and growing drunk on their light.”

With his touch grounded firmly on the base of my neck, it feels like we are spinning together in a whirl of beauty. Though our feet are planted, it feels like we are dancing high above the ground. Then his lips meet mine, uniting us in a cosmic dance. My entire body hums like a fire sparking in the night, exploding with the light of popping embers.

My fingers raise to his bare back, wrapping us closer together as I study the firmness of it. Whatever led us to this point no longer seems to matter. For a moment, I begin to think that all might be okay. We, together, might be okay.

How could the prophecy lead to anything better than this?

That thought ends when a body comes barreling into me, pulling me out of the dream-like trance and knocking me and Olly onto the cold tiles. When I open my eyes, it’s like falling back down to earth. Landers is standing over me.

“Sorry, I tripped,” he shrugs, smirking menacingly.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Radya, lest I have that hand removed,” Olly threatens with a ferociousness that I haven’t yet seen as he pulls himself up to his feet. His eyes are knifing into his friend with a killer scold.

“Apologies, my Prince.” He slices the words through gritted teeth, seething. “I know how you love to share this place with anyone willing to listen to you for five minutes.”

That comment hurt more than it should. It felt so special, so intimate, to be encapsulated in light and sound together. It was as if our souls had become intertwined. But, of course, I could never be so special.

“Radya, that’s not true.” There’s fury burning behind his eyes when he looks at me. “I took you here to help us move forward together. I need to build a future with you.”

Need. Not want. He needs to build a future with me.

Whatever this is, I want no part of it.

I peel myself off of the floor, wincing at the ache returning to my legs. “Thank you for your help this morning. I need to get dressed before my lesson with Sir Magis.” I make a sad attempt at nodding gracefully to both Olly and Landers. “Goodbye.”

Landers snorts a devious laugh. And as I turn to walk away, I hear Olly shove Landers so hard that he stumbles.

Chapter 25

Idecide to walk alone to my lesson with Sir Magis in an effort to clear my head. Using the statues as markers, I count each one, having mapped out the turns based on their placement. My legs throb with each step after this morning’s rigorous training, and my heart is still stinging from the puncture that Landers and Olly left. How could I have been so foolish to believe that he wanted me? Maybe, in some weird way, Landers is trying to save me, to prevent me from falling for someone who could never love me in return.

I need to focus on my lesson.

Turn left, count three statues, turn right, count five, turn left again… following the directions saved in my mental mapping, I realize that I should be in the correct room by now, but this hallway looks unfamiliar. I open the door to a windowless room – illuminated only by the light entering through the doorway. There is only a single circular table with six tall backed chairs surrounding it in the center of the room. A map of the continent with small figurines is placed on top. The room is eerily vacant, yet it feels full of significance. Perhaps I should turn around. I’m already pushing it with my risky plan to meet with Guylita.

No.

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