Page 20 of Stone Heart
She knew she could trust her mother.
“Yes, I’m a witch, Rina. I’ve known Rhodack for decades. He’s the leader of the gargoyles that protect this realm,” Solana stated.
Rina swallowed hard, trying to get a grasp on the fact that her mother was a witch. Did that make her a witch, too? Maybe that’s what Rhodack had picked up from her.
“That’s okay. I’d still love you for being a witch.” Rina smiled softly, reaching up to grip her mother’s hand.
“Answer me, witch. What is she, and who are you protecting her from?” Rhodack’s deep growl came from a few feet away.
Rina glanced over her mother’s shoulder. His lip curled up in a snarl.
“There’s a better question to ask, Rhodack, leader of the Gahnoth Clan,” Solana cautioned. She gripped Rina’s hand and turned to face Rhodack.
Rina glanced nervously from her mother to Rhodack.
“It is:whois she? This has been a secret I’ve been ordered to keep.”
Rina widened her eyes and turned her head to her mother. Her body trembled as she stared at the woman who’d raised her. If she wasn’t Rina Smith, then who the hell was she?
“What do you mean, who I am?” Rina gulped. Her heart slammed against her chest.
“Solana, as the protector of this realm, I’m ordering you to tell me,” Rhodack asserted.
Rina’s body trembled from the pain that pushed on her brain. It was a severe, piercing pain, spreading through her head. Tears clouded her vision, and she groaned, unable to withstand the torture. Her mother wrapped an arm around her to hold her up.
“Now, Solana, your magic can no longer contain the power that’s radiating from her,” Rhodack said.
“Just know that I’ve loved you like my own child,” her mother murmured close to her forehead. “I will always love you. Please forgive me.”
“Mom,” Rina moaned. What did that mean? Fear ransacked her as she gripped her mother’s shirt. “You’re scaring me.”
“She is Princess Larina Omaris, the daughter of Khantar Omaris and Roshi Omaris, the king and queen of Faery. Rina is the sole heir to the throne of Faery. I’ve been protecting her here on Earth.”
Curses exploded around the room while Rina’s pain escalated. She released a scream when it seemed to explode. A hand gripped her head as muttered words in another language echoed through her mind. Another scream tore from Rina, and she allowed the darkness to claim her.
“Larina Omaris, you come back here,”a familiar voice called out behind her.
Larina turned back, giggles racking her body as she ran down the palace hallway and burst through the great doors. She knew her mother would give chase after her. The queen of the most powerful lands was never too good to run and play with her daughter. Larina sped through the garden. It was her favorite game to play with her mother.
Larina glanced up at the bright lavender sky. The twin suns hung there, and a few clouds filled the expanse, but that didn’t matter. It was a perfect day for hide-and-seek.
Her breaths came fast as she tried to hide from her mother. Her teachers had told her she was excelling at her studies and would be a powerful queen in the future. At the age of eight years old, she knew that one day she’d be more powerful than her parents combined.
She waved her hand and disappeared from sight. There was no way her mother would be able to find her now. She crept along in between two large bushes and waited.
“Larina!” her mother’s voice called for her again.
Larina smiled and bit back a giggle.
Her laughter always got her caught. She held her breath. Footsteps drew closer. She peered around the bush and watched her mother look around the garden.
Her mother’s long blonde locks flowed in the wind while she searched the area. The queen was dressed in one of her silvery long gowns that made Larina envious. Her mother was the most beautiful Elven woman she’d ever seen. She wished that she grew up to be like her.
Larina took in her mother’s face and froze in place. Her smile disappeared. Her mother ran faster past her, not seeing Larina, invisible to the naked eye hiding in the bushes.
She wondered if she should give up her hiding spot.
Nope, Mother was just bad at playing hide-and-seek and was being a sore loser. Larina chuckled, holding her hand to her mouth.
