Out of the Mountain (8 page)

I followed Briony up another much smaller staircase that opened up to a long, arched gallery framed in mirrored glass. There was a door at the end of it, and she opened it with a smile, nodding me forward. The room opened up to a high domed ceiling; a huge bed was draped with a light-blue sheer canopy in the far corner. I took note of a few arched doorways on each side of the room. There was a huge mirror atop a desk in an alcove, and I groaned as I took in my appearance. I looked exhausted, hair and clothes rumpled, bags under my eyes. I sighed, looking away.

“Take your time freshening up,” Briony said with a soft smile that I returned.

I entered the door across from the foot of the bed and found a bathroom with a huge tiled tub that I couldn’t wait to sink into. Sadly, I had never had a hot bath and nothing would make me happier at this moment. The wall opposite was lined with a countertop and mirror. I didn’t look at myself any closer in the mirror and made use of the first toilet I’d seen in too long. I washed my hands and then stripped off my clothes in a hurry.

I climbed into the bath while the water was still running and eased my aching body into it. There were glass vials of lotions and soaps, and I used many of them. I scrubbed my skin until it felt raw, and by the time I was finished, I smelled like an orchard. I could have stayed in that bath forever; I wasn’t exactly sure how I had survived this long in my life without it. I groaned as the water started to cool, and I knew I had to face the rest of this night.

I pulled myself out of the bath and wrapped up in a robe that was hanging on the back of the door. My clothes were disgusting, dingy, and sweaty. There was no way I was putting them back on my freshly clean body. I braided my still-wet hair down my back and walked into my room to find it empty. A note was left on the desk telling me someone would come to retrieve me for dinner soon. I wandered into the other arched doorway on the left of the bed and found the dressing room. It was already stocked with clothing and shoes, all of which looked to be my size. All of this with hardly any notice? I wish I knew how conjuring magic worked.

I found clean underwear and an amazingly comfortable bra before I pulled on a lightweight long dress that was similar to the style that I was used to wearing. It fit a little more snugly and hugged my curves nicely. I wasn’t used to showing my body so blatantly, but it felt freeing. I would be lying to say that I didn’t like it. I found a simple pair of sandals and walked to look at myself in the mirror.

I had seen the way the girls in Velia dressed and the way boys looked at them. I had even seen them easily touch and kiss one another. While I was fascinated by it, it had never occurred to me that I could participate; I didn’t, beyond reading about it in books, that is. The thought of Rowan’s lips on mine came in a flash, and I blushed.

There was a knock at the door, and when I opened it I saw Farran smiling widely. I frowned.

“You tricked me,” I said, still mad over his ruse.

“Don’t take offense at it, Vivi. I trick everyone at some point. I can’t help myself.”

“Vivi?” I asked, liking the sound of it.

“Yes, Vivienne is too formal. You’re young! You should have a fun name! A new start with a new name,” he said with a wink, and I smiled.

“I like that,” I said truthfully. No more feeling stifled, I could feel myself changing since the block had been removed. I felt everything more vividly. It was as if my world had opened up.

“Your magic is slowly but steadily building, Vivi. Have you tried to do anything yet?”

“No,” I admitted.

“It’s probably best to let it come naturally and see how it manifests itself,” he said, taking my arm and pulling me out into the hall.

“If you are finished, the feast is ready in the dining hall.” Rowan had been waiting at the door with Briony. I looked at Farran, and he led me in front of them. The novelty of touch was not wearing off quite yet. It wasn’t quite as awkward when Farran touched me, but when Briony appeared beside me to throw an arm around me, I winced before relaxing.

“Has someone harmed you?” she whispered quietly, concern filling her voice. It took me a moment to understand what she meant, and when I did, I blushed. I opened my mouth to explain when I ran into Rowan’s firm chest and stumbled, trying to regain my footing. He grabbed my arms to steady me, and I looked up into his glowing eyes feeling both confused and entranced.

“What?” I asked, fascinated by the yellow glow instead of being frightened, which was clearly the reaction the others were having.

“Answer her question,” he growled, and I blinked looking at Briony. Oh.

“What? No . . . nothing like that. I am just not used to being touched so freely,” I replied, embarrassed. His chest released a breath that I hadn’t known he had been holding. His eyes dulled and his shoulders relaxed. When he turned and continued walking, the others around me let their own breaths go and followed. Were they really afraid of him?

It was an odd thought, because the last thing that came to mind when I saw Rowan was fear. The thought of him being so close, his eyes flashing bright, his hands on me . . . I had to get myself together. I blushed fully again at my thoughts.

When we reentered the dining hall, the tables were packed with people. Cheers filled the hall when I entered, and I promptly felt overwhelmed. These people all knew who I was, but I knew none of them. I faked a smile and waved to them as they led me to the front table to sit with the council. I looked at the spread laid out, and my mouth watered. Every sort of meat you can imagine: beef, pork, chicken, and fish. Potatoes, corn, beans, bread, salads, and soups. I had never seen so much food in my life.

Mauve stood and everyone quieted as their attention turned to her.

“As all of you now know, our Princess Vivienne is very much alive and has returned to us. Our very own Prince Farran, also alive and well, hid her away after the attacks that killed our king and queen. He himself remained hidden along with the king’s staff until recent events occurred, forcing them from their cover. Be cautious, but fear not; with the power of the royal bloodlines once again on our side, I am sure we will finally gain the strength to end this war against the darkness!” she exclaimed, and cheering began in earnest. I flushed. What did they expect from me? I knew nothing of war. I didn’t know much of anything about this new world, and what I had learned was hours old. I tried to calm my breathing.

“For now, though, let us celebrate this moment in time,” she said, sitting down, and everyone followed, digging in to the food.

Suddenly I wasn’t hungry. Fear gripped my chest. I wasn’t what these people thought; I was a fraud. I had no power to be seen. The royal bloodlines must have failed. Panic was choking me. A hand appeared on my shoulder, and I felt instant comfort radiate from it. I looked up into Rowan’s eyes.

“Eat. That is all that is expected of you at this moment,” he said before returning to his seat with the other guards. Only Farran and I had been permitted to sit with the Six. I glanced at him, and he patted my hand before promptly beginning to fill my plate. I smiled, eating a little of everything, and let myself relax a bit. I could still feel the glances sliding my way, but I couldn’t begrudge them that . . . not after Mauve’s introduction. When the feast was over, Briony grabbed my hand with mischief in her eyes.

“Come, let us show you what a real celebration is,” she whispered in my ear. I tried to accustom myself to her easy touch, and it was becoming more familiar already. I looked at Farran, and he nodded me away. I took that as permission.

We ran through the hall and down the front steps laughing. I hadn’t felt so carefree since I was a child running in the streets of Velia. People smiled, shaking their heads as we passed in a flurry. We laughed, and she talked about the best shops in the market district before we finally made our way back to where the streets branched off and continued onto one of them. I took in the trees and grass as we started down the road. Houses were dotted here and there, but mostly there was farmland. Crops growing tall on each side of the road as far as the eye could see. After a while we came upon a big white farmhouse with a barn twice as big behind it.

“My house,” she said, pointing at it, and I smiled at the old woman sitting on the porch.

“Where are we going?” I asked as we continued on past the house and around a bend in the road. She turned suddenly, cutting through the cornstalks, onto a small path. She held my hand, and I followed her blindly as the sun sank farther in the sky.

“Short cut,” she said even though I didn’t ask.

We came out of the cornstalks abruptly, and I took a second to orient myself before I looked around. In the center of the field sat a large tree overlooking a pond, its limbs sprawling every which way high in the air. The lowest of the branches was adorned with a rope swing. I couldn’t help but smile when I noticed it was surrounded by a group who seemed a bit closer to my age. They cheered in welcome when they saw me and then went about their business. I heaved a sigh of relief; these people expected nothing from me at the moment. I was free to finally relax a little. I noticed some guys to the left of the pond gathering tree limbs and stacking them up.

“Bonfire for later,” Briony said, noticing where my attention was focused.

“I’ve never been to a party,” I whispered in her ear to explain. It was an embarrassing admission, but I wasn’t sure of the protocol.

“They don’t have to know that,” she replied, squeezing my hand and making me like her even more. I squeezed her hand back gratefully and smiled. I hadn’t realized how set apart from the world I had actually become.

“Want to swim?” she asked, waving her hand over herself, and suddenly she sported a bathing suit. Briony was a Shuni! I looked at her suit and realized it was a little skimpy, but she was thin and it looked good on her. The times I had swum in the past, I had been fully clothed, and it was usually an impulsive decision to join in on the fun the other children were having in Velia.

“Yes, but I don’t have a suit . . . and no offense, but I wouldn’t even attempt trying to slip into one of yours. We aren’t even remotely near the same size,” I said, looking over her small frame.

“Yes, I’m well aware that I’m miniature,” she complained halfheartedly.

“And I’m well aware that I am not,” I replied, and she smiled, looking me over, before waving her hand.

“Wow, want to share those with me?” she chuckled, pointing to my chest, and I blushed. There was no hiding the fact that I had a little extra on top, and it was currently stretching the tank top she had conjured for me to wear near its limit. I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to hide the blush that was creeping up my neck.

“I’m sorry, Vivi. I’m not trying to embarrass you. It was meant as a joke,” she said, catching on to my discomfort. Beyond the too-tight tank top that was baring the bottom of my midriff were shorts that barely scraped the top of my thighs, both equally tight and in matching black material. I looked up and saw that she had her hand covering her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh, and even I had to admit it was funny.

“I look like I raided a toddler’s closet!”

“No, it’s OK! It’s only funny because we know it’s my clothes. To the others it will just look like some kind of high-fashion bathing suit!” she said, and I snorted.

“I suppose it is more modest than my other option.” I pointed at her tiny red suit, and she put her hands on her hips and tried to appear offended. She failed, and I felt the camaraderie building between us easily.

“Oh, and thanks for calling me Vivi.” I smiled at her more seriously.

“I heard Farran call you by it. I like it,” she replied, pulling me to the small line waiting to use the rope to swing into the pond. We stood behind a boy with broad shoulders and a shock of black hair. He turned a smile on us, and I couldn’t help but notice how attractive it was.

“Well, hello there. The name is Luca,” he said, reaching for my hand to abruptly plant a kiss on my knuckles. My heart sped at the contact; those lips were the first I could recall to ever touch me. I pulled back my hand, and Briony punched him on the arm.

“This girl is off-limits, so stop it right now, Luca,” Briony joked, trying to cover up my discomfort.

“I’m Vivi.” I tried to smile as I recovered.

“Pleasure to meet you.” He winked, his hazel eyes a swirl of colors as he shared a grin with Briony before turning at a run to grab the rope and launch himself into the pond. He made it look easy.

“You want me to go first?” Briony asked quietly when I stared after him, still lost in thought. I grinned at her before turning to run. I had never technically done this before, but the idea was simple enough. I jumped onto the rope and sent myself easily flying over the pond with a yelp of glee that I didn’t even try to hold in. I hit the surface with a splash; the water was a cold shock to my system, but I came up smiling. Briony followed me in, and we swam for a while, taking turns at the rope before darkness fell.

The fire was lit, and we all gathered around its warmth to talk while allowing ourselves to dry out from our swim. My toes and fingers were pruney, and I was sure my lips were as blue as Briony’s, but that didn’t take away from the fun we’d had. I sat up straighter as proper introductions were being made, and I paid close attention, wanting to get their names down the first time.

“You’ve met Luca. He’s a Shuni. Wolf form,” Briony said, and I glanced at Luca and smiled when he winked.

“You know me, obviously, but not that I’m a Shuni. Fox form.” She smiled a toothy grin, and her green eyes shone in the firelight. I decided I could certainly see her as a fox.

“Now, why don’t you all introduce yourselves to Vivi?” She pointed out a tall girl with a willowy body. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were brown. She gave me a small smile.

“I’m Peyton. Conduit,” she said quickly, her voice high and airy. I watched as she tentatively bumped the girl’s shoulder next to her.

“Genevieve. Conduit,” she said in a raspy but alluring voice. Her skin was a beautiful creamy brown and her hair fluffed into beautiful tight curls. She peeked out from beneath thick lashes with blue eyes. I smiled at her.