It says that I was born with magic? How did Drakon figure that out to begin with? I need to know more. Where did I come from, how did Drakon even find me. Did his Father meet my parents and kill them? Was I a slave when I was a babe?
When he's finished he gazes up at me and places all the pages together and closes it. "You told the truth and this does explain most of my questions." He shakes his head running a hand through his hair again. His face is ridden with guilt. "I hope you can forgive me and must understand that I had to be careful. To be cautious even with you... I didn't mean to deceive you."
"I know." I say quietly, nodding my head. Don't trust anyone, as Elyse had told me. My hands weave together in front of my stomach. Just by the sound of his voice and the way he looks at me, I know he wanted to trust me but couldn't and for good reason.
His kind eyes watch mine and a smile twitches at the corner of his lips. "I wanted to believe you were honest but I am glad that you aren't here to kill me." Another pause. "I do want to hear it from you though, Cam. Are you really magic born?"
My mouth drops open slightly as he stares me down again. By the divine stop staring at me like that! He can never look away first. It's like I'm looking at a stone wall. What does he want to hear? He has said everything about me. I answer with a quiet 'yes' but that doesn't seem to satisfy him.
He leans closer, our gazes still holding as he says. "What magic do you know?"
My hands twist together. Oh... Okay here goes... This time I hold his stare and I see that he's starting to smile. "I can shape shift."
"So..." He begins with a frown. "You used magic to get up on the wall and to make you look younger?"
"Um... Yes, I did."
"Wow!" He bursts out, which makes me flinch and he walks around the room. "I can't believe this! This is amazing!" There's a huge grin on his face when he turns to me. "I had my suspicions but I still can't believe this! You are magic born, an Azure! I knew it! You don't use any Zythine to power you! Thank you Divine Immortals!" He yells with his head turned up to the ceiling.
Okay he is starting to scare me and he's being loud... I get up and slowly approach him. "Sebastian calm down please."
"Right, sorry. Just one more thing!" He wraps his arms over my upper body and picks me up and spins us around. "700 years! Almost 700 years since we have seen the last Fae or Azure." The world starts spinning and he puts me down but he grips my shoulders. "Cam you can be the bridge between us. We can have peace again."
"Wait what?" When he lets go of me I step back. How could I do that?
He holds a hand up to his chin and rubs it. "You can help seal the wall so no more enemies can get through then we can venture to Stone Vale." The man starts pacing back in forth across my room in thought.
"Sebastian.." Too fast. He is going too fast and I have no idea what he is talking about.
"Maybe you'll be able to open the heart then we can find the Fae again. Use you as an ambassador for our people. Right all the wrongs our predecessors did. We should probably keep this quiet though but we'll have to inform someone we can trust. Nez he can be trusted."
No, no way is he telling anyone else about who I am, what I am. And what's this talk about opening a heart? What's an ambassador? I shake my head in frustration. This is why I didn't want to tell him, it's already getting out of hand. He's not listening to me. No one ever listens to me. I grab the collar of his shirt, having enough.
"Sebastian!" I scream as loud as I can. To my surprise he stops and for a moment I thought I had startled him with the way his eyes widen. "Sorry. Just slow it down please..." I say quietly, letting go of his now ruffled shirt.
"Right, forgive my outburst. It's just that this is incredible news." He smiles at me then takes my hand in his. We sit down in the chairs again and he pats my hand. "One step at a time." He breathes, his eyes dancing. "Although I don't know which step to take first."
Agreed, one step at a time. So many steps to take but there's one more I need to take first. I twist my fingers together again breathing in deeply to ready myself. Prepare for the worst or the best and everything in between. If what I want to know, what I wanted my whole life, is written in there then I could finally know where I came from. Who I came from.
"Does it say anything about my parents?"
He shakes his head soft and slow. My heart begins to sink. "No, it says that your mother died after bearing you. She lived in a small village out south in Stroben where you were found. Nothing on your father either."
"Nothing about them being Azures?"
"No but my speculation is that your mother was human and your father was either Azure. Or maybe even Fae, explaining why there is no information on him." He frowns. "I just don't know how you ended up with your old master... And why was your mother so far from Stone Vale with a newborn. It's also strange that there is nothing on your father." He strokes his chin staring down at the floor.
Speaking of my old master. "There's also something else you should know.."
He tilts his head to the side. "What?"
"Drakon, my old master, is here in the city."
"What?" He repeats in a low growl and Sebastian's eyes grow wide.
"Earlier today before we met at the gates, he caught me at the smaller market place behind some buildings. I was able to get away and I made sure I wasn't followed. He mentioned you... Because people have seen us together, Drakon was able to find me." I don't say the rest that is on my mind because Sebastian will agree that we can't be friends anymore... And that is something that I don't want happening, now that I have thought about it.
"Unacceptable." He gets up and steps over to the windows, peering out to the street below, "This is absolutely unacceptable." Then spins around to me. "We have to pack you up. You're coming to live in the castle with me."
I walk over to him. "What, why?" Live in the castle? I couldn't, a girl like me doesn't belong there.
"So I know that you are safe, so that I can protect you. I can't post any guards here without raising suspicion and if something happened to you on my account, I don't know what I would do." He gazes down at me, our faces only a hand apart and my heart starts to quicken. His hand moves up to my cheek and hovers for a moment then he lowers it.
"If that bastard knew where to find you there is no doubt that he will soon find out where you are staying. No wonder you wanted to leave so eagerly. Drakon or that Lord Hearthgrim won't hurt you any longer. In fact we can start by completely lifting that mark from you."
That's possible? It feels like my heart did a flip, the floorboards wobble under my feet. "Really?" I say gazing at my mark. I can be truly free from this. A slave no more. "You can do that?"
"Yes. My court mage, Nezra, will be able to cast a spell or at least teach me to do it. Since it was a spell that bound you to your old master, you are unable to remove it yourself." He looks around the room then to me while rubbing his chin. "Now how are we going to sneak you into the castle..."
Where is he? He shouldn't be taking this long. I walk along on the top of the railing, pacing back and forth waiting for Sebastian. The look on his face when he watched me transform in front of him. It was quite amusing. His eyes were wide and his mouth had dropped to the floor.
I think it was a first time for him to witness the use of magic of that kind. I guess it isn't everyday you see a normal human transform into a small black bird before you eyes.
We agreed to meet up here at this balcony so he can bring me my clothes, if I shift now I'll be out here bare as a newborn. He knows that too so he should be here.
A few moments pass and I hear the doors creak open. I turn my head around to peek into his room and see Sebastian walking towards me through the stained glass. He opens the balcony doors and frowns. "Cam?"
I nod my head and his mouth drops open. "Um right, here are your clothes. You can change inside behind the partition over there." He holds the door wide open for me to hop in and places my bag by a four panelled room divider. When I get behind the screen I start shifting to my regular form.
"Wow. That's a weird noise..." He comments. What does he mean by that?
I stretch out feeling a stiffness in my back then I reach for the bag sitting on the other side of the screen. "What do you mean?" I ask pulling my undergarments on. He's quiet. "Sebastian?"
He clears his throat. "Uh.. I think it's when you're shifting.. I don't know, it's nothing I've ever heard before. If you could hear a tree growing, that's the only thing I can compare that to. It's fascinating though."
My shifting did feel slower this time because of how much magic I used already. I step around the divider after I've put my dress on to look at him. Sebastian is sitting on a chair by the window and he looks up.
"I have never noticed it... Thank you for bringing my belongings."
"No problem. I am happy to do it. No one can harm you here... once I figure out a way for you to stay permanently." I hope he can. It is quite generous of him to let me stay here. He chuckles nervously standing up, "Um." Then scratches his head. "Can I ask you something?"
I frown slightly. "Sure."
"Have you been that bird before?"
"Yes. Plenty of times. It's how I got around the city."
"Right, and did you happen to come up here at all? At sunset?" Red starts to creep up on his cheeks.
Oh I see... I bite my lip. "I may have..."
Sebastian chuckles then grins to himself. "I knew it, that white streak doesn't disappear when you change." He pauses, scratching the back of his neck. "Well this is embarrassing but I should thank you for saving my life that night..."
"Ah, yes speaking of that." I say with a wide smile as I step closer to him so that I'm in range. His eyes shift quickly but he stands still as I lift up on my tiptoes. He watches me for a moment then I smack him on the side of the head.
"What the... Hey!" He yelps while rubbing where I just hit him.
"That's for almost ending your life," I say with a glare then start to smile as I cross my arms. "Thank you for reminding me to do that since I couldn't do it as a bird."
He gapes at me, his hand still on his head then he drops it to the side and shakes his head. "Yeah no problem... Pulling my hair hurt a bit but I'm not complaining..." He says under his breath with a huff.
"What I want to know is why?" Our eyes meet and my smile drops.
"Why?" He repeats. His brows furrow together as he turns away and bites his lip. "Because there is a constant fear of being killed in my sleep, a responsibility that no one my age should handle on their own. My parents are gone."
"That may be so but I'm sure there are people here that care about you. In this castle and Adelaide. People that will miss Sebastian Hawthorne." He has no friends or family by blood. That's why he wanted me as a friend. Someone that doesn't know his past. "You have me now."
He shakes his head with his back turned to me.
"Sebastian..." I walk around so we are facing each other again. "Does anyone else know about it?"
"No," he sighs. "I would like to keep it that way. It was a moment of weakness, Cam and I would like to drop the matter. Please."
On that last word, his blue eyes turn up to mine. "Okay. One more question. As your friend, will I have to worry about you doing it again?" It was luck that I was there the first time. What happens if he tries when I am not around?
Sebastian runs a hand through his chocolate brown hair. "I don't know. Thank you for your concern though."
I nod my head, taking a step back from him. The mood changes and a growing silence fills the room. Maybe I shouldn't have hit Sebastian, he didn't need that.
He clears his throat, easing that unsettling silence between us. "That is amazing that you can fully change your shape though. Could you show me other magic?"
"Shape-shifting is all I know. What would you like to see me as?"
"I don't know, anything." He shrugs.
I think to myself for a moment. "Close your eyes." I tell him.
He gives me a wary look but shuts his eyes anyways. Then I focus on his features, the fine lines on his forehead. The way his chocolate curls hang over them. I've never noticed how long his dark eyelashes were, a woman would be jealous of them. There's freckles dotting over the tops of his rosy cheeks. His strong jaw narrowing down to a chiseled chin. Up to his supple lips that are a warm shade of pink. They look soft to the touch... My heart quickens the longer I look at him. Okay no more staring.
I scrunch my eyes shut as I remember each of those features. Then my skin tingles to copy the image in my mind.
"You can open them." I say once it is done.
He opens his eyes slowly and he steps back suddenly, hitting the chair behind him. "By the Divine!"
"Oh! Sorry, sorry!" I say looking away to hide my face. "I should have done someone else." Then I will the magic inside to change my appearance and my head starts to feel light.
"That's my face!" He uses a hand to cover his mouth but stands in front of me again.
"I didn't.. mean to startle you." My body feels heavy, like I could fall right through the flooring. Without thought I reach out to hold on to his shirt to steady myself as my legs start to wobble.
"Whoa, whoa." He leans down so we are eye level. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head as light starts to fade from my vision. "Too.. much. Magic." I didn't eat much today and shifted my whole body three times.
Thankfully Sebastian catches me as my knees give out and holds me close to his chest. His scent mixed with the heat from his body comforts me as he carries me to a soft surface. No, don't let go I want to stay in your arms. I try to open my eyes when he sets me down gently and he moves some hair out of my face.
"It's okay. Just rest a bit. Don't fight the fatigue."
I breathe out with a grumble but listen to his order. Sleeping this off will be the best thing... I used too much magic today...
I wake to a dimly lit room, the early evening sun shining through the windows being the only source of light. Where am I? My eyes drift up to the arched stone ceiling high above me and I remember where I am. So where's Sebastian? Footsteps sound from the end of the room. I lift myself to see Sebastian walking from a hole in the wall with a shelf pushed to the side. I didn't notice that before. He's also holding a leather bound book in his hand and a green apple in the other. His gaze moves up from the book onto me when I shift in the bed and he smiles.
"You're awake. Do you feel better?"
"Yes." When he approaches me, he points to a glass of water and tells me to drink it. I gratefully grab it and drink it's entirety.
"Does this happen often?" He asks, pushing a chair up to the side of the bed and sits in it.
"Well." I say with a sigh and scratch my head. "This is only the second time it's occurred. It seems to happen when I use too much magic and not eat enough." I look up to his watching blue eyes. "That day you caught me on the street was the first time, I was a bird exploring the city and I crash landed in a pile of rubbish. I was so tired I couldn't even control my shifting, that's why I looked so distraught."
He rubs his chin. "Interesting.."
I nod then look down at the book in his hand. "What is that?"
He glances down to where I'm looking and holds his hand up. "A diary, I was reading through my great-grandfathers passages when he was my age." He opens the cover and flips some pages over. "I was trying to make a connection with that Lord Hearthgrim that was going to buy you. His name sounds familiar."
"You know him?"
"I know most Lords, yes, but I'm talking about an ancestor of Hearthgrim's." He takes a bite of his green apple then stands up. "Come on I'll show you."
He takes my hand in his and leads me to where he came out of. A smaller room lies on the other side of the hole with shelves lining each wall. They are filled with similar leather bound books on either side of me. Underneath the one shelf a fireplace sits to heat the room and in front of me lies a hutch desk looking out a skinny window to the countryside below.
"This is the history of Adelaide, all of its rulers, Kings and Queens. Hidden away in this secret room." Sebastian lifts the hand that was holding mine, letting it go and skims his over the books. "Their stories live here. Starting from The Mad King Oryn II himself to the present ruler, me. If I don't get assassinated or overthrown then my heir and their heirs will be here too... I should also add that no non Royal has ever stepped foot in this room." He says with a playful grin.
"Wow." I turn my gaze to the shelves. All of these books were the past rulers. Hundreds of years, hundreds of lives all right here. And I'm the first to see it.
"Where is Oryn's diary?"
Sebastian is taken aback by my question but points to the very end of the shelf closest to the window. There on the top, tucked in a dusty corner, five books sit. I have to stand on my tiptoes to fully see them. They're all made with the similar aged leather. The hanging cobwebs and thick layer of dust tell me that they have not been touched in while and have to be handled carefully for they look ancient.
"I haven't read his diaries yet. Honestly I'm too afraid of what I'll find in there. It's hard to understand his entries though because they're mostly all a jumbled mess. That's why we call him the 'Mad King'."
I turn my gaze onto Sebastian and he has a small smile. He holds up the book that he was carrying between us. "This one is my great-grandfather's diary, where my Royal Ancestry begins. So this is where I think we can find Hearthgrim."
"You think his ancestor was a King?"
"Yes." He says with a firm nod.
"Why do you think that?"
He smirks. "Because to become a Lord you would either need; a lot of money, own some land or have an ancestor or close blood relative been a Royal. So just by going off of that criteria, I am checking his ancestry since that is the most common. Once you are a Lord you can fight for the crown. That's where you come in. Maybe by having you, you could be used as an advantage to take the crown back somehow."
Maybe in the wrong hands, I could have been raised as an assassin. An enemy to the crown. Grown to hate and kill, become a monster. On the leash of someone who wanted to be King but couldn't do it on their own, not without a weapon. I could have been used as a weapon. My skills, powers, honed to cross that wall with ease. Slip in unseen only to blend in as a friend or as an innocent life like a slave on the run... A shudder rips through me. For once I am thankful to Drakon and his blind simple greed for money and not power.
This sounds like a lot of work just to find out who this person is. But Sebastian seems fixated on Hearthgrim, maybe he suspects him of trying to take the crown as well as killing his father too. What if he did have an ancestor that was a King though? Divine help me if he ever became King... If this is what Sebastian has to do in order to find out who is trying to kill him then I would say this is a good start...
"Have you written a diary yet?" I ask changing the subject.
His lip twitches and he rolls his eyes, looking away from me. "Yes I have, there are only a couple of entries though, since I've just became King a few days ago."
I clutch my hand on to my elbow not knowing what else to do with myself. "Right." I chuckle then we smile at each other.
He looks away first this time and sets the book down on the little table. "Can I ask you to do something?"
"Sure?" I can't really say no to the King but I want to know what he wants to know.
"How much of your energy does it take for you to change your appearance somewhat?"
"Um.." I look up to the ceiling to think. "If it's just my face, it doesn't take much if I do it for a few hours a day. Why?"
"You said that Drakon was able to find you because people in the city saw you with me. If you were able to change your appearance while staying in the castle, people won't recognize you. Especially if you hide that white streak better. I know how fast rumors spread and I am at fault for that because of my high profile." He bites his lip. "Sorry... I am not usually seen with women outside the castle. So of course it would raise gossip when we spent those days together out in the public. I should apologize for endangering you..."
That's why I was cautious about spending time with him in the first place. I should have been more careful and listened to Mrs. Dotham. It doesn't matter now...
I nod crossing my arms. "Too many people have nothing better to do in this city."
He snorts turning to me. "Very true. So are you able to do it? If you can, I think I have a plan for you to stay here."
"Yes, I can manage it. With enough food and sleep, I've been able to do more of my magic so this shouldn't be too hard."
"You really do not know any other magic?" He asks, his brows knitting together.
"No. I wish I did though." Like healing. Maybe I know flight too since I didn't fall to my death with the horse. Maybe with time I could learn more, if I lived here long enough.
It looks like Sebastian is about to say something but a knock on the door interrupts him. His eyes widen for a moment and he puts a finger up to his lips like he did the first time I met him.
He steps out of the opening in the wall, looking toward the door. "Yes?"
"I've been looking all over for you my king. Just wanted to inform you that dinner is ready." A voice says from the other side.
"Ah, yes, thank you Maude." Sebastian looks back at me and whispers. "Change your hair to a lighter colour for now so that streak isn't so noticeable. Do your eyes and skin to make them darker like me."
I am quite paler than the rest of the people living here.. Everyone seems much more tan, probably from how warm it is. With how I look now, it is no wonder Drakon found me.
The voice speaks again from the other side of the door. "And where have you been these last few days? You've been disappearing a lot lately and I've heard rumours of you courting some peasant girl. Is this true?"
Sebastian stiffens. "What? No! Those are just rumours Maude!" Sebastian says but his cheeks are starting to redden and he walks to the door quickly.
After a quiet giggle I do as he says, changing my hair to a blonde shade so I have a mix of white streaks and light gold strands. As well as making my skin as dark as Sebastian's. When I take a step forward he tells me to stand behind the wall so I go back and lean around the edge to watch him. Sebastian holds a thumb up to me as he walks to the door and reaches for the knob.
The voice let's out a loud chortle. "Well I hardly believe that. Why would your loyal subjects come up with a story like that. You are a young man with..."
"Actually Maude I need a favour to ask of you too!" He speaks up interrupting the lady on the other side of the door.
Who is this Maude woman? Is she a servant or some kind of relative? I want to see who this woman is. Sebastian leans back opening the door wider and the one named Maude looks into the room and spots me before I can hide. Oh no!
"Who's this?!" She shrieks in demand. "Sebastian, you are not allowed to have commoners up here! Is this the girl they've been talking about?"
Sebastian twirls with eyes like daggers shooting at me. I wince at the stare, unmoving under his glare. Sorry...
Oh my. I shouldn't have poked my head out. I shouldn't have come here, clearly I'm not welcome by how she is reacting. I take a step back with no thought but Sebastian hushes the old lady.
"This is the girl but I have not been... courting her. She is a friend of mine Maude. Please." He puts a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into the room and the older lady gazes back at him as he shuts the door.
I stay behind the wall, unsure of what to do with myself. If this woman doesn't want me here then I wouldn't want to stay.
"Just hear me out for a moment." Sebastian says with his hands up as he takes a step between us. "I want you to hire her as a maid."
"Why?" She questions him with squinty eyes.
"Because she.."
"Sebastian." I warn him before he tells her my secret.
He looks back at me. "It's okay we can trust her."
I close my mouth into a hard line and cross my arms. No one else can know. Drakon said that Sebastian has been telling someone about me. Within these walls most likely and my being seen with the King inside his castle now will stir up even more talk. My change in appearance better protect me from that. In all my travels I have not seen anyone else with a streak of white hair like mine so it wouldn't be hard to not mistake me for another. If anyone else found out who I really was I could be in a lot of trouble. For all I know it, could be one of the maids over hearing about it then telling someone else who knows Drakon somehow. Spending my time with Drakon's servants and slaves, I've learned that they love to gossip. Word can easily travel back to Lord Hearthgrim and then he will find me. Drakon has probably already informed Hearthgrim about where I am so he could get his money.
Sebastian slouches then walks over to me. "Look. You can trust her, trust in me and my judgement. I've known Maude my whole life. My parents treated her like family. She practically raised me." He looks back at the elder lady for a moment then whispers. "I won't tell her about your secret."
I chew on my lip as I stare into his eyes. If we are going to be friends, I should trust him on this as he has trusted in me. He said he won't tell her my secret... I nod my head, giving him my approval. There is no knowing what he is going to tell her exactly but I hope it is the right stuff.
When he turns back to the lady named Maude he clears his throat. "This is Camellia. She's been through a lot and managed to escape an abusive relationship. But her old partner is threatening to take her back without her consent. I met her at the college and offered her a job and housing, a safe haven, here."
"Oh my." She shifts her gaze from Sebastian to me. "You poor thing. I know going to the authorities won't do anything for you..." While she scratches her chin I step closer to Sebastian wrapping my arms around myself.
It seems like she is believing what Sebastian told her, even though it's not the whole truth. Drakon did abuse me but we met on the wall not at the college. I guess it is better for her not to know the real truth. At least right now. I'm just tired of lying to these people but a thought comes to my mind.
"Um, but you can't use my name..." I say and the two look at me and Sebastian frowns for a moment then realizes why I spoke up.
"Right. We don't want word reaching him that Cam is working here." He says to Maude.
She places her fists on her hips with pursed lips. "Well what do we call you then?" Her hard gaze watches us and I shrug.
Sebastian tilts his head towards me. "How about Raven?" He suggests with a smirk and winks at me.
My eyes widen as the heat rises to my face. "Raven is fine..." I mumble turning away from his gaze.