cloud. She
tried opening her eyes again, surprised at what she saw. The look
of concern on Octavion’s face mirrored the one he’d given his
sister. And for the first time since meeting him, she could read
his eyes. He cared for her—a lot. It didn’t make sense. If he was
so eager to sacrifice her life to save Lydia’s, why the
concern?
Octavion searched Kira’s eyes for a moment,
then sighed deeply. “Are you well now?”
“I think so. You didn’t say that part
would hurt, only when I healed.”
He shook his head. “I did not know. When I
bound Serena to my sister, she did not feel pain, and the Crystor
did not change color or move on its own.”
Octavion stood and helped Kira to sit on the
bench. He took her right hand, pushed up the sleeve of her jacket,
and examined her wrist. It still held a faint red mark where she’d
first felt it burn. He brushed it with the tip of his finger.
“Perhaps its powers are stronger than before.”
Amidst the commotion, Altaria had switched
back to Lydia and managed to push herself to her knees, using the
crate for support. She clumsily stood, knocking the water basin
onto the ground and splashing both Octavion and Kira.
Octavion jumped back. “Blessed Zi’ah, Lydia!
What are you doing?”
She leaned over, holding her side. Fresh
blood soaked her oversized shirt. She glanced at the cave opening
before turning back to find her brother’s questioning eyes.
“Releasing you from your obligation,” she
whispered. Then she simply faded away, leaving a fine white mist in
her place.
Chapter Eight
Octavion dove at Altaria as she disappeared,
splitting the glowing mist of her wake. He plowed into the crate,
shattering it before extinguishing the one remaining candle with
the weight of his body. He landed hard in the rubble, let out a
fierce roar, then knocked the splintered pieces of wood out of the
way and jumped to his feet.
Kira stared at the place where Lydia once
stood, trying to figure out what happened. “How did she do that?”
When they’d disappeared in the forest, she thought it was her
imagination, but this time she knew what she saw was real. Lydia
had simply vanished. “Where did she go? W . . . why did she leave?”
Kira asked, her voice cracking on the last word.
Octavion took Kira’s arm and yanked her to
her feet. “To save your life,” he said as he pulled her
toward the opening. The instant they were free from the cave, he
tightened his grip on her arm and broke out into a run—taking one
step to her three.
“Where are you taking me?” she yelled,
digging the soles of her shoes in the dirt. She pulled back on her
arm, trying to get free. “Octavion, stop!”
“We must find her. She cannot be far. She had
little strength left.” He increased his speed, almost dragging her
behind him.
“Stop!” she pleaded. “I can’t go this fast.
You’re hurting my arm.”
Without missing a step, he pulled her to his
side, swung her around in front of him and hoisted her up over his
shoulder, clamping a strong arm around the back of her thighs. As
Kira struggled to hang on, he increased his speed, darting between
trees and over obstacles that stood in his way. The only thing
keeping her from bouncing off his shoulder was the death grip she
had on the back of his leather vest.
Kira.
Lydia’s voice seeped into Kira’s mind,
invading her thoughts. A memory? But it was so clear, as if
Lydia had whispered it in her ear. Kira tried to concentrate on
where it came from, but the pounding of Octavion’s footsteps
vibrating through her head made it impossible.
Kira, please go back!
The voice seemed more urgent this time and
now Kira was sure—it was in her head. She really was crazy.
“Octavion! Please, put me down. Something’s
wrong,” Kira begged, but he only increased his speed, this time
making their surroundings appear as a solid wall of pine bark and
vegetation.
“Stop!” she yelled, but he still paid
tried opening her eyes again, surprised at what she saw. The look
of concern on Octavion’s face mirrored the one he’d given his
sister. And for the first time since meeting him, she could read
his eyes. He cared for her—a lot. It didn’t make sense. If he was
so eager to sacrifice her life to save Lydia’s, why the
concern?
Octavion searched Kira’s eyes for a moment,
then sighed deeply. “Are you well now?”
“I think so. You didn’t say that part
would hurt, only when I healed.”
He shook his head. “I did not know. When I
bound Serena to my sister, she did not feel pain, and the Crystor
did not change color or move on its own.”
Octavion stood and helped Kira to sit on the
bench. He took her right hand, pushed up the sleeve of her jacket,
and examined her wrist. It still held a faint red mark where she’d
first felt it burn. He brushed it with the tip of his finger.
“Perhaps its powers are stronger than before.”
Amidst the commotion, Altaria had switched
back to Lydia and managed to push herself to her knees, using the
crate for support. She clumsily stood, knocking the water basin
onto the ground and splashing both Octavion and Kira.
Octavion jumped back. “Blessed Zi’ah, Lydia!
What are you doing?”
She leaned over, holding her side. Fresh
blood soaked her oversized shirt. She glanced at the cave opening
before turning back to find her brother’s questioning eyes.
“Releasing you from your obligation,” she
whispered. Then she simply faded away, leaving a fine white mist in
her place.
Chapter Eight
Octavion dove at Altaria as she disappeared,
splitting the glowing mist of her wake. He plowed into the crate,
shattering it before extinguishing the one remaining candle with
the weight of his body. He landed hard in the rubble, let out a
fierce roar, then knocked the splintered pieces of wood out of the
way and jumped to his feet.
Kira stared at the place where Lydia once
stood, trying to figure out what happened. “How did she do that?”
When they’d disappeared in the forest, she thought it was her
imagination, but this time she knew what she saw was real. Lydia
had simply vanished. “Where did she go? W . . . why did she leave?”
Kira asked, her voice cracking on the last word.
Octavion took Kira’s arm and yanked her to
her feet. “To save your life,” he said as he pulled her
toward the opening. The instant they were free from the cave, he
tightened his grip on her arm and broke out into a run—taking one
step to her three.
“Where are you taking me?” she yelled,
digging the soles of her shoes in the dirt. She pulled back on her
arm, trying to get free. “Octavion, stop!”
“We must find her. She cannot be far. She had
little strength left.” He increased his speed, almost dragging her
behind him.
“Stop!” she pleaded. “I can’t go this fast.
You’re hurting my arm.”
Without missing a step, he pulled her to his
side, swung her around in front of him and hoisted her up over his
shoulder, clamping a strong arm around the back of her thighs. As
Kira struggled to hang on, he increased his speed, darting between
trees and over obstacles that stood in his way. The only thing
keeping her from bouncing off his shoulder was the death grip she
had on the back of his leather vest.
Kira.
Lydia’s voice seeped into Kira’s mind,
invading her thoughts. A memory? But it was so clear, as if
Lydia had whispered it in her ear. Kira tried to concentrate on
where it came from, but the pounding of Octavion’s footsteps
vibrating through her head made it impossible.
Kira, please go back!
The voice seemed more urgent this time and
now Kira was sure—it was in her head. She really was crazy.
“Octavion! Please, put me down. Something’s
wrong,” Kira begged, but he only increased his speed, this time
making their surroundings appear as a solid wall of pine bark and
vegetation.
“Stop!” she yelled, but he still paid
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