The Light of Asteria (27 page)

“I’ll try,” I murmured. “Tark, I need a few
moments to shower and change. I’ll meet you downstairs.” He gave my
hand one quick squeeze and left.

I pulled my legs out from under the covers
and drug my feet off the bed to the thick carpet below. The world
tilted as I stood, and I held onto the bedpost willing it to
stop.

Stumbling to the hallway, I froze in front of
the full-length mirror, surprised at the emaciated woman staring
back at me. Her face was gaunt; there was no other word for it.
Dark circles bruised her eyes, and the hazel had turned to a sick
pea green. Her blonde hair was almost black with dirt and grease,
and her complexion had turned pallid with a yellow tinge. No wonder
Tark was so concerned.

The hot shower washed the slime of despair
from my body, and I found a fresh pink outfit that hung off my
hips. Winding down the long staircase, I found Rena on the couch.
She looked almost as bad as I did. Tark was right—she was losing
her energy.

Rena flung her arms around my neck. “Nora,
you’re up! I am so glad to see you looking almost human.” My smile
was more of a grimace, but I was trying.

I took a moment to eat as much as I dared.
The luscious pink fruit juice was better than I remembered, and I
drank two glasses and waited for the sugar to kick in. My stomach
rumbled and churned. Finally, I went from feeling nothing to
feeling empty, and so I had some homemade bread. Tark came through
the front door and grinned when he saw us. I gave him a hug, as
Rena looked on in surprise.

“Thank you for reminding me what is truly
important. You once said that if I had need, you would be of
service. You have fulfilled that commitment today, my friend.”

“I will lose none of my clan, and that
includes you, Nora of Light, betrothed to the Prince of the Alfar.
Do not forget who you are.” His expression deepened with
sincerity.

We sat the rest of the day on the front
porch. I ate at odd intervals, willing my body to be strong. By the
afternoon, I felt ready to try to do what Tark had asked of me.

“Rena, could you stay here? I need to go to
the lake on my own.” Instinct was strong, and I knew it was the
right thing to do.

“Absolutely not!” she objected. Tark came and
held her hand. Her brow furrowed, as angry jasper brown eyes stared
at his understanding blue. The silent argument stormed on, and I
tried in vain to find some strength I wasn’t sure I had. Rena’s
rage rambled to resolve. Tark held his hand out, helping me up.

“I will accompany you to the tree’s edge and
stay there. Listen for my voice if you need to close your mind.
Rena will stay here and watch through my eyes.”

I gave Rena’s tense body a quick hug. She
didn’t understand what Tark had asked. Why he didn’t share that
with her, I wasn’t sure.

We walked in silence as twilight fell. The
murky, gold jelly-like substance tore at my heart. I knelt at the
lake’s edge, concentrating with everything I had, and I cleared my
thoughts. The despair mercifully drained, and I gloried in the
blank blue for a few moments. It was a relief to have no thoughts
or emotions. I was an empty vessel.

Doggedly, my mind’s eye started tracing my
steps with Gavin. The first time I ran into him … beautiful broad
shoulders … brilliantly cut emeralds … our first kiss. Seeing all
of the images in my mind, I willed the memory of his touch to the
front of my thoughts.
…“I know this ring is not the same, but I
meant it as a promise to you that I will claim you as mine when the
time is right … You are my true love, Nora. … I would but to
slightly ask the clasp of my amulet to fall, and it would respond.
You have but to ask, and it will be yours ...”

An uncomfortable tension grew. The pressure
increased and filled my entire being. Pain ran through every cell
in my body, and I struggled just to breathe. The shield that had
forever sealed itself around my heart suddenly shattered, and my
mind raced open as I reached for the lake. I could feel the defense
growing; the goo started to solidify. I only had a moment to try
and convince it what really happened.

I poured the love I felt for Gavin into the
water. The lake paused, as if it were listening. I quickly went on,
explaining my need … I was Gavin’s source and we were apart. I
replayed all of my memories of our first encounter and how I saved
Gavin’s life, hammering my love into the waters of the deep. I
pleaded for the lake to understand. I didn’t want to get through
the defenses of the portal; I just wanted to feel Gavin again.

Leaning over, my reflection rippled in the
bubbling surface. I tried to make the water understand why I had
been selfish, taking full responsibility all the while. My intent
was so clear that it could not be denied.
Please forgive me; I
didn’t know what I was doing. So fixed was I on finding my Gavin, I
didn’t realize the intent of my actions
.

The lake now rumbled menacingly, and I could
feel the heat from its golden hue. Intuition whispered to touch the
water. The bubbling golden surface seemed dangerous, but I obeyed
that still small voice and dipped my hand in the lake in an act of
affection.

Immediately, the water gripped my hand, and I
grabbed as much air as I could before it pulled me under. I feared
the heat of the gold would burn instantly. It was thicker than
water and uncomfortably hot, but not painful. The tumultuous liquid
whipped me around like a rag doll, and I didn’t resist. The golden
light was blinding behind the lids, but I needed a way to find the
water’s surface and so I opened my eyes. The liquid did not sting
like a swimming pool, but the heat from it warmed the entire
exterior, going to the back of my head. Instinct shouted to keep my
mind open and I did as I was told, reassuring the lake my intent
was pure. The golden, thick fluid bubbled and stirred, and my lungs
burned with the need for oxygen. I flailed and kicked in an attempt
to swim to the surface. My power dimmed, but I kept Gavin in the
front of my mind. The impulse to fight was strong, as panic
screamed that I was going to drown. My eyes now burned with the
heat of the lake. The light all around was nothing but a solid wall
of gold; there was no surface to be found. The fringes of my vision
started to fade to black, and I knew this was the end.

Gavin, my love, my life, I’m sorry. I love
you.

My body went limp, as I gave the last of my
energy stores to the water. Suspended in gold, I took in the last
moments of my life.

Something hard jerked the middle of my body,
knocking me sideways. I must have been at the bottom of the lake,
because it seemed as if I had gone a great distance in a short span
of time. My head felt the cold air whoosh around my ears, but I
still couldn’t breathe. The hard earth jolted my back as I was
thrown to the ground. I felt someone force air into my lungs,
burning my throat. Darkness enveloped my mind; my hearing started
to fade. I tried to breathe again, but I was too weak.

“Nora! Don’t you leave; Gavin needs you …
he’s coming back for you! Nora!” Tark’s panicked voice echoed from
a distance. Another breath forced in, and this time, I could feel
water expelling out of my lungs and something pushed on my stomach.
I coughed.

“Please Nora, I vowed to him we would keep
you safe … you have to be all right,” he pleaded. I could sense his
panic; he shouldn’t panic. Tark didn’t deserve to feel despair.

Leaning over, I forced out the rest of the
water in my lungs and took a breath on my own. I lay there for a
moment, thankful to be alive. Breathing was painful—my lungs burned
with it, my throat was on fire. I rolled over. The scent of the
meadow sidetracked me. The aroma was so pungent I inhaled
again.

“Did it work?” I croaked. Fluttering my eyes
open, I gasped—Tark looked different. His image was sharper, like I
needed glasses and finally put them on. An iridescent blue-green
light surrounded him, and I tilted my head to one side,
concentrating on his radiant frame. It was his health. I knew it
instantly. I could see health … that sounded crazy … but no crazier
than the rest of my life. The trees above him had a natural yellow
aura, as if they were separate entities. I looked around to the
other life; each had their own healthy glow.

I sat up and stared at the lake. The gold was
completely gone. The lake was once more dark blue, and fishes
darted in and out of site by the shallow edge. I fell back
exhausted. It worked; Gavin now had a way back.

Rena’s whoosh through the grass was the only
sound in the meadow. My clearer vision had her image splayed in
sharp detail, only her health shown in a pure milk chocolate brown.
I had never noticed how completely perfect she was. Her round face
and gentle expression was mother earth personified. They both sat
there gawking, their eyes met, and I knew I needed to be in on this
one. Why weren’t they jumping for joy?

“What is it? We fixed the lake; you both
should be ecstatic … please, Rena,” I croaked, starting to panic.
She pulled herself together.

“Your appearance has changed slightly, that
is all. The power of the lake has altered your eyes and the rise of
your brow. It took us both by surprise.” My heart fell, as I
studied her expression.

“I’m ugly now, right?” Years of insecurity
automatically thought Gavin wouldn’t want me if I were ugly.

“Absolutely not, Nora. You are as beautiful
as ever. A world without evil doesn’t work that way. The water
would not want vengeance, or want you to suffer. Forgiveness is the
intent you gave, and that is what you received in turn. We were
taken aback because your eyes are now more like light brown topaz
than hazel, and you brows are shaped like mine. The power of the
lake has altered you more in the ways of the Alfar, although your
ears still remain rounded.”

It never entered my mind there may be a power
that could make me more like Gavin. We sat there for a while. I was
lost in thought; Rena and Tark were busy talking about the
situation mentally. Instinct kicked back in, and I knew I needed to
open my mind once more to the lake. I knew what the waters had
done. It had taken in my essence and understood my true intent. I
interrupted their conversation, croaking out a request.

“Can I have a moment with the lake, please?”
Rena scowled. “I promise I won’t touch the water.” They tentatively
made their way to the protection of the trees, and my mind raced
open.

Thank you. I promise I will be the one
source to the Prince of the Alfar, Gavin of Frey, as long your gift
will allow me that honor
. The water momentarily rippled, and
the light at the bottom flickered as if to say your welcome.

We walked back to the cabin, and I told them
everything that had happened.

Tark explained that he tried to jump in
immediately, but the lake kept tossing him back out on shore. I
could sense his panic as he thought I had been taken by the
protection of the portal.

“Your little dip has done your features some
good, but I sense you are exhausted. Do not sketch this night. Go
and rest, Nora of Light,” Rena ordered.

I skipped the steps two at a time, marveling
that my thighs didn’t burn. Stripping off the freezing wet clothes,
I flexed my arms for a moment and saw the muscles beneath ripple. I
was now tone and firm, as if I was an aerobics instructor. A little
smile played across my lips. My skin shone a few shades lighter,
and all of my leg and arm hair had been singed off. I secretly
hoped it would not grow back. The idea of never having to use a
razor again thrilled me to no end. The air moved as if someone had
left a window open, and I quickly jumped in the shower. Every skin
cell hummed with the feel of the warm water. It was as if my old
skin had been imprisoned in plastic, and now it was free. I passed
the huge mirror in the hallway and did a double take.

The person reflected in the glass was an
elf.

Bewildered, I took a closer look. My eyebrows
had a slight raise, and were notably thinner than before. The bump
on my nose that I had gotten when I broke it at the age of ten was
gone; the bridge was now thin and straight, just like Rena’s. My
heart shaped face was the same, but even wet, I could see my hair
was lighter and had a golden sheen. Rena was right, my ears seemed
human, but I couldn’t get past the eyes. Always a non-descript
hazel, my human eyes held a green-brown mixture and would vacillate
between colors depending on physical emotions. When I was ill, they
were definitely green; when I was happy they were almost a light
chocolate. These were the eyes of an elf. They were a clear light
brown and multi-faceted like Gavin’s. A smile hinted at my lips as
I decided I liked the changes. I stared for a moment more, and then
headed into the bedroom.

When I realized Tark and Rena’s scent was
stronger, I immediately thought of the closet. Holding Gavin’s
shirt close, I closed my new eyes and sighed; his peppermint,
sunshine, and light filled my senses. Unable to resist, I put it
on. The shoulder’s seam stopped at my elbows, and the shirttail
fell down past my knees. His scent was strong, and I felt closer to
him at this moment than at any other since we came to the
cabin.

I slept deeply, and when the sun peeked
through the large bedroom windows, I knew that some strength had
returned. The loud rapid knock on the door startled me and I
laughed. I must have been dreaming, but about what I had no idea.
My shield seemed difficult to control; I guess it was because it
hadn’t been an issue in over a month.

“I’m sorry, Rena. I hoped I wasn’t dreaming
anything inappropriate,” I snickered, as I opened the door. Panic
flooded the room. Her wide eyes were fluid with fear; adrenaline
rushed.

“What’s wrong?” I stammered. She was
absolutely terrified. Her hands shook, and I pulled her to me.