The Silvia Saga: Boxset

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Dara

The sun beams down on me. Sweat drips along my forehead as I run through the forest. My body is in charge and is leading me through the greenery. I can think for myself, but everything is out of my control. Footsteps pound against the forest floor beside me. I look to my right—my mouth pops open and I scream. A huge panther runs alongside me. Its deep growls vibrate through me. Its body is as black as night and its crystal blue eyes stare right through me. Wait a minute. I do a double take, all the while trying not to trip on anything.

Those eyes look so familiar. Oliver. They are an exact replica of his. But that can’t be right? It must be his pet or something. We continue to run together through the forest until my body comes to a complete stop, scaring the shit out of me. Could have given my brain some notice. I look around and take in my surroundings and am super grateful I stopped when I did. My stomach drops as I peer over the ledge. There is an eight-hundred-metre drop to the ground. If I had gone over, there would be no way I would have survived.

I’m moving toward the edge. I scream, trying to grab onto the ledge to dangle my legs over, but my body won’t listen or do as I want. I’m totally fucked. I close my eyes, waiting for the impact of my tumbling death. But it doesn’t come. I’m scaling the rocks and making my way down the drop-off. I dare to take a peek, but instantly shut and open my eyes again, hoping that what I am seeing is not real. My heart pounds faster and faster until it feels like it’s about to explode.

Where my arms were only a minute ago, has now been replaced by fur. My arms are fucking furry! What the hell is going on? By the looks of them, I have turned into a freaking gorilla. A gorilla. I climb so fast down the cliff, and about halfway down I stop. There’s a cave directly in front of me. As I enter, my whole body transforms back to my normal self. Thank God. I shake my muscles, having complete control again. A loud sigh leaves me. That shit was whack. The farther I walk into the cave, the lighter my body gets, and a sense of calm overtakes me. It is like nothing I have ever felt before. I feel the presence of someone beside me, but I am too transfixed on something ahead—so I don’t register who it is or what is going on behind me. I take a sharp right and stop in my tracks. Right ahead of me is a huge maze that leads to something. In the distance, a shining green light rises to the cave ceiling illuminating the entire cave in a light green filter. As soon as my eyes make contact with the light, a shiver goes through my whole body, making my tattoo burn against my back. It is then that I discover what is through the maze. My body becomes light and recognises the crystal as if it’s made for me.

A long-lost part of me that needs to be reconnected.

I wake up gasping for air and sitting so fast that I smack into something extremely hard and fall back against my pillow with a throaty groan.

“Shit. Watch yourself, Princess.” Blair’s soothing voice sweeps over me.

I open my eyes and he’s sitting on the bed leaning over me and rubbing his forehead.

“Sorry. I just had the weirdest dream. Didn’t realise anyone was in here with me.”

He rubs my arm, and my body relaxes at his calming touch.

“I know. I heard your screams and yelling from my room, so I ran in here to check on you. You were dead asleep. I will go and get the guys, so you can tell us all what happened in your dream. We will meet you downstairs. Have a shower and clear your head before you come down.”

All I can do is nod in agreement as my dream is still replaying over and over in my head. Could it be real? Like a premonition? It felt so vivid—just like the one I used to have of the guys in the forest, and that ended up becoming true. I lie here questioning if this will play out the same way.

I shake my head and go to get out of bed. The second I move, my whole body tenses and pain radiates through me. Fuck that hurts. I had completely forgotten about the training session yesterday. I’m so sore. Every single muscle screams out in agony.

I’m going to kill Oliver when I see him. If I can even make it down the stairs to find him, that is. I stumble over to my bathroom and turn on the shower. After removing my clothes, I glance in the mirror. Fuck I’m a wreck—bags under my eyes and my hair all over the place. As I turn around to step into the shower, I catch a glimpse of my tattoo in the mirror.

Holy shit. It’s glowing! The first vine is bright fluorescent green. What the hell is going on? First, I have a dream of finding what I believe is the first stone. Now my back is lit up with the same green. Could my life get any more fucked up right now? I can’t look at my back anymore, so I step into the shower, all the while gritting my teeth from the pain. I groan.

After my long-arse shower, I get changed into some comfy shorts and a T-shirt and go in search of the guys. I find them downstairs all sitting around the table in a heated discussion. Even Jolie is here. I smile because I need her. She is one of my warriors, and she brings me peace and calm, which is what I crave.

They stop talking as I approach.

Jolie gets up and comes over before embracing me in a hug. I flinch as her hands connect with my back. She immediately removes her arms. “Shit, Dar, your back is on fire. Are you okay? What is going on?”

I don’t waste any time as I get straight into every detail of my dream. They all sit there listening to everything I say. Once I finish, I spin around with my back facing them and lift my top to show them my tattoo.

Gasps fill the room, and Jolie lets out a loud “Fuck.” I smirk at her reaction as it’s exactly what I would say. I pull my top back down and turn back around.

Harlan is the first to snap out of the zombie-like reaction. He stands up and goes straight into warrior mode. For once, I am actually grateful for his bossy actions.

“All right, first things first. You will need to step up your training to every hour of every day. We will have to go in search of the stone sooner than I anticipated. Dara, you will have to work extra hard to make sure you are trained in every aspect possible. I want you to be ready for anything and everything. Okay?” he asks like I have a fucking choice.

I stand there like a statue and nod.

“Okay now, Oliver, you will need to get in contact with Elijah and keep him updated on our progress. We require him to report on the king and his slayers’ movements.”

As soon as Harlan mentions this Elijah guy’s name, Jolie’s face goes a dark shade of pink. Ooh interesting. I will have to suss her out on that one. For now—training. I have to get my hands on that stone.

Ever since my dream, I have had this strong urge to hold that stone in my hands. I feel incomplete without it as if I’m not whole—that in some fucked up way, once I have that stone, it will bring some of myself back. Once I retrieve all three stones, I will be invincible. I’m determined more than ever to fulfil my destiny and once and for all feel complete.

“All right, is this meeting over with? Let’s get this shit moving,” I say, walking toward the torture chamber with new-found confidence to find that stone and be reconnected with what is mine. Even I am shocked at my desire to return to the torture chamber. I have to do it as the first step. The people of Silvia are depending on me, and that in itself scares me. But it also gives me a sense of purpose to make them proud.

The chairs scrape against the floor before the sound of their footsteps follows me down the stairs. I head straight over to the shooting practice room and pick up some of the huge-arse knives.

I turn around as I hear the guys approaching.

“Okay, so it seems that you have picked out your training, Dara. Declan will teach you the correct way to master the knives. Then it is on to bow and arrow training with Blair. Next, you’re with me doing some combat. Are we clear?” Harlan demands.

“Yes, but before we start, I need to know something. In my dream, I mentioned the panther. It looked exactly like Oliver—his eyes were identical. Am I correct? Was it you, Oliver? Was my dream real?” I focus in on Oliver, hoping he won’t lie straight to my face.

Oliver moves from one leg to another, rubbing the back of his neck. Looking anywhere else but at me.

Harlan clears his throat. “It’s your turn, Oliver. Tell her,” he demands.

I turn my attention back to Oliver to hear what he has to say.

After standing there in complete silence for minutes, Oliver finally steps forward and grabs hold of my hands and speaks up. “Yes, Princess, it was me. You know how Harlan said we each have our own unique skills? Well, mine is that I am able to transform. I am a shapeshifter. I can shift into any animal I desire—just by thinking it.”

I let go of Oliver’s hand and take a step back, needing some space to process his confession. I am not surprised at all. I knew it was him once I looked into the panther’s eyes. But a shapeshifter? Wow, that is some cool shit right there.

After a few moments, I turn back to the guys. “All right, so my suspicion was correct. Now that’s clear, anyone else want to speak up and tell me what their secret talent is? Honestly, I would rather know now before shit gets hectic,” I demand, needing answers.

They all nod in agreement. Declan surprises me by stepping forward first. God, this guy—full of surprises. “I can read people’s minds and manipulate them, making them do whatever I say.”

Holy shit. That’s pretty cool.

Blair is next to step forward. “I am our silversmith. As you know, I can create any weapon by thought.”

Sweet as fuck. That will definitely come in handy.

Jolie is next. “I am our enchantress and spell master. Yes, you heard right. I am basically, in simple terms, a kick-arse witch, sorcerer, whatever you want to call it.” She smirks.

That right there is the craziest, coolest of them all. A freaking witch? Holy shit. I don’t know whether to be scared or excited right now. Jolie grins and gives me a little wink as if to say she will be teaching me some cool-arse shit in the future.

Last, but not least, Harlan finally steps forward. I thought for sure he would be the first to divulge his powers. “My power is strength. You could, I suppose, compare me to the Hulk. I can take down anything in my path. Together, we make the perfect defence against James,” Harlan confirms.

But then why am I here? What can I contribute if they have everything already? Of course, everyone hears it.

Blair pulls me in for a side hug. “You, princess, are the final piece to our team puzzle. You have all of these powers plus some unique ones and together it will help to defeat James. Don’t think that we are invincible with all of our combined skills because we are not. James’s abilities are slightly different to ours, but he still holds the strongest force. He’s an enchanter and can create the deadliest spells. He is as strong as your mother and father were—they just weren’t powerful enough to beat him. Your mother and father were an enchantress and enchanter as well,” he explains.

This has me holding back tears that threaten to fall. I will not show weakness in front of everyone. Only having ever cried a couple of times in my lifetime, I do not make a habit of it. I just wish I’d had the chance to meet my parents again.

The situation in Silvia, and everyone in it, just became a lot more complicated … if that was even possible.