7. Vahela
CHAPTER SEVEN
VAHELA
It was a sobering revelation when I realized how much I relied upon technology and the Internet. Without it, I had learned that I was not nearly as resourceful as I’d thought. Also, that boredom may very well be the cause of my eventual death.
Hours had passed. The first thing I did was take the initiative to give myself a full tour of the room. I left the bathroom door open, since it made the room feel more spacious. The bathroom was quite nice. I was pleased to find that it was not that far off from what I was used to, complete with modern plumbing.
There was a deep, square sitting tub carved from wood in the center of the room and a tall freestanding spout beside it. After some deliberation with myself, I’d decided that the knee-height box jutting out from the far wall was a toilet. To the right of it was a shelf with a hook, which held an odd cup or vase of some sort and a folded linen cloth. There was no sign of toilet paper. Was that what the cloth was for? I cringed at the thought of having to ask Riel for clarification. Hell, maybe I did need some leaves.
After eyeing the setup dubiously, I rooted around the box and walls for some kind of hidden compartment. Finally, I was forced to assume that one was meant to use the cup and towel to rinse and dry, respectively. Either that, or the linen was meant to be used once and tossed in with the laundry, and there was a pile of extras I missed somewhere. Beside the toilet was another freestanding spout, and next to that was an alcove that served as a sink. It had a drain leading into the floor underneath and a mirror above it.
After the frustrating adventure of figuring out the bathroom, I dozed. At one point, there was a knock at my door. I leapt to answer it, heart pounding, and found a tray of food on the floor outside, no person in sight. The food—a thick, somewhat sweet broth accompanied by a small bowl of crunchy little stars reminiscent of rice crackers—proved palatable, if confusing for my tastebuds. I wasn’t sure if they were intended to be eaten together, but that was what I ended up doing, since it wasn’t unlike soup with croutons.
I estimated about four hours passed before there was another knock. Like before, I sprang up to answer it, only to be met with another tray of food; this time, three balls of a spiced brown mash wrapped in leaves. The leaves were tough to chew. Feeling silly, I just ate the mash that was inside, then stacked my two plates together and put the trays outside my door.
Eventually, the sun began to sink down over the horizon. Without anything better to do, I unpacked my bags and made the bed. I tried not to let the lack of attention bother me. They knew what was going on; if they were worried about my condition, I would have seen their doctor already. As it was, I might die of boredom. Much more of this and I’d start talking to the dust bunnies under my bed.
Another knock. This time, an unidentifiable minced mush patty over a bed of bitter greens. I didn’t have much of an appetite by that point, and it was getting late, so I had a few small bites, rearranged the rest to appear half-eaten, and set the unfinished portion outside.
At that point, it didn’t seem like anyone was coming back for me, so I lay down and tried to sort through the many things I felt while staring at the ceiling and twiddling my thumbs. The anxiety made it difficult to calm down. Although I couldn’t guess what my time here would be like, I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that something terrible was going to happen now that I could no longer rely on the safety of the White House.
Another part of me was thrilled. For the first time in… forever, really, I was on my own. Well, relatively speaking. I was hesitant to hope, but there was no denying that this had the potential to be the adventure of a lifetime. How many people would kill to be in my shoes right now? If I handled myself well, made smart decisions, and did what I could to learn about the culture and fit in… this could be good. Maybe I’d even make some friends here. That would be nice . I was pleased with myself for coming up with something positive to focus on.
Eventually, I figured I’d best try to get some sleep and settled down for an early night. With numerous thoughts running through my head, I lay awake in the darkness for what felt like several hours before I could relax enough for sleep to claim me.
I woke with a start to a knock that was distinctly different from the ones that had delivered my meals. Sunlight filled the room, a sign that it had been morning for some time. I lay there, dazed, as the seconds passed in silence. Had I imagined the knock?
“It is time to start the day, eseri !” a chipper voice called from the other side of the door.
I was out of bed in an instant, scrambling to pull off my pajamas .
“Yes, coming!” I cried as I slipped a casual T-shirt dress over my head while wincing at the soreness throughout my body. Pulling on socks and sneakers, I hopped my way to the door and opened it to reveal the second prince, who gave me a brilliant smile and immediately thrust something into my hands. Without thinking, I took the plate from him.
“Humans do like to sleep in,” Riel remarked as he scrutinized my room.
“Oh my God, am I late?” My stomach dropped at the thought that I’d kept someone waiting on my first day here. Then again, no one had given me any direction. How was I to know?
“Not at all. We’re on no one’s schedule but our own. Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Uh, yeah? I mean, yeah, you can come in.” I stepped away from the door to let the prince into the room, still somewhat muddled by sleep and not entirely certain what was happening.
“You’ll be starting your lessons today,” Riel informed me as he brushed past.
“My huh- wha ?”
Riel turned to face me and paused as he took in my state of disarray. His lips pursed—in disapproval? Amusement? I wanted to say something but bit back the sharp words. Not everyone was lucky enough to look like a model fresh out of bed.
“Are you going to eat your raast ?” He nodded down at the plate I still gripped, which contained several colorless square blobs with pieces of something dark scattered throughout.
“Maybe? I was going to brush my teeth and go to the bathroom…” I mumbled the last part of my sentence, having woken up enough at this point to realize that I was underdressed to have a frickin’ hot-as-balls fae prince in the middle of my room. Riel must have read the thought on my face, or at least noticed I was flustered, because he took pity on me.
“So be it. Join me outside when you’re ready. ”
He breezed out just as quickly as he’d breezed in, shutting the door behind him. I stared at the space he left, mouth agape, until I recovered enough to toss my breakfast onto my bed and rush to the bathroom to get ready.
Not even ten minutes later, I’d brushed my teeth, put on a bra and jacket, stuffed a few of the breakfast blobs into my mouth, and yanked open the door. Riel waited for me a few steps from my door, eyeing my bare legs as I approached.
“Is this typical garb for you?” he queried.
“What? Why? Is something wrong with it?” Feeling self-conscious, I stopped short, prepared to turn back and change. Riel just made a sort of grunt in the back of his throat, shrugged one shoulder, and turned down the hall, indicating for me to follow him.
“You said something about lessons?” I hurried to keep up with his long strides.
“All will be revealed in time, little eseri .”
“What does that mean, esely, anyway?”
“ Eseri . It is a small, cute mammal that follows predators around and hides in the grass waiting to clean the bones of their prey. The predators do not mind them because they are too fast to chase and not worth eating.”
My brows came together in a frown.
Without slowing his pace, Riel added, “You remind me of one. Small. Cute. Following others around. The hair is a similar color as well. Like clouds at sunset.”
“Oh.” I felt my face warm as his words registered. Namely, the fact that he thought I was cute. Was it a good thing or a bad thing that he was comparing me to an animal? I didn’t have the mental capacity to worry about that right now.
“How have you found the accommodations?”
“Good! They’re good, thank you. The food is very different. Not bad,” I was quick to add. “Just different from what I’m used to. And the room is fine. Perfect! It’s perfect.” Ugh, I couldn’t get a single sentence out without saying something rude. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was kicked out to sleep in the field with the horse/elk-animals.
Luckily, Riel didn’t appear bothered. It was a good thing I had him showing me around instead of the other one; his brother didn’t exactly radiate patience. Out of the corner of my eye, I studied his figure. He had his hair up in a short ponytail, and instead of the formal gray outfit from yesterday, he wore a tailored green tunic that looked exquisite against his fair coloring. I was envious of his flawless skin. Not a single imperfection blemished the milky expanse of throat from his collar up to the firm line of his jaw?—
Those stunning pale blue-green eyes glanced my way. I snapped my gaze back to the hallway in front of us, but I knew he’d caught me staring. My cheeks warmed. Shit.
“Are you sore from yesterday?” He surprised me by changing the subject. “Riding the avida is not easy for those who aren’t used to it.”
“Hm? A little,” I admitted, clearing my throat to thwart the beginnings of a lump. “It was fun, though.”
We reached the grand room I remembered passing through on our way in. Two regal thrones sat at the end opposite the main entrance. The ceiling was decorated with elegant beams resembling the winding branches of a dense tree canopy. Captivated by the fine details carved into the pillars we passed, I almost missed Riel’s response.
“We will ride again today, but not for long.”
Riel paused to allow the front door to open for us. I studied the walls on either side, but there was no visible machinery or pulley system, which as far as I was concerned, confirmed my earlier suspicions that magic was at play.
We stepped out into the courtyard. Riel headed toward the field where the avida grazed, but I stayed put to look around the closest garden, where neat rows of orange fruit filled luscious vines. Intent on examining the plant, I had just settled into a crouch when the door to the nearest hut opened. I straightened quickly, surprised to see someone other than the royals and Luenki.
All the fae I had seen so far were beautiful, and the young woman who emerged was no exception. However, her clothing was simple in comparison to what I had seen thus far, which made me think she was a peasant. Was peasant the right word? She winced at the sight of me and, just as I was about to say hello, retreated back into the hut, faster than my eyes could follow. Baffled by her reaction, I retracted the arm I’d raised in greeting, and my budding smile transformed into a perplexed frown.
“Don’t worry about it.” I spun at the sound of Riel’s voice to see that he’d retrieved his lavender mount. “They were asked not to speak to you.”
“Why not?” I asked, dispirited.
“They don’t want to catch it,” Riel responded, waving for me to approach.
“I’m contagious?!” I practically shrieked. That was news to me. Why wasn’t I quarantined in a bed somewhere if that was the case? Had I already spread whatever I had throughout the castle? Was I about to be responsible for the next great plague?
“Ah, no. Sorry.” Riel ducked his head in embarrassment. “I was expecting you to ask for clarification, and then I was going to say ‘your fashion sense.’ Bad joke.”
Before I could grow indignant, he had crossed the space between us and grasped my hand to tug me toward the waiting mount. He lifted me up just as he had the day before. I threw my leg over to straddle the broad back before realizing that picking a dress had been exceptionally stupid, and I had to scramble to pull my skirt between my legs to hide my backside.
Riel gave me a moment to make myself decent before he hopped up behind me, kindly choosing not to comment on my predicament. His arm came around to grip the handhold in front of me and he squeezed his legs to signal the beast to start moving. I was sure I’d never get used to the sensation of it shifting into motion underneath me.
We followed the main road for a few minutes before veering onto a path, where Riel slowed his steed to a rolling trot. I didn’t recognize the path we were on. That was no surprise—I’d only been here a day, and my sense of direction was flawed at the best of times. Still, I thought that we were heading in a different direction than The Rift.
Riel wasn’t lying when he said the ride wouldn’t take long. I guessed it hadn’t even been half an hour before we came to a halt and Riel dismounted. He helped me down, and we headed along an obscured path deeper into the woods. My uncertainty grew as the trees became sparse, eventually falling away to reveal a breathtaking clearing.
All thoughts I might have had died on the spot. Front and center was a natural waterfall spilling from a massive rocky overhang into a pale green pool below. The pool was surrounded by tall grass dotted with white flowers, and big, fat buzzing insects flitted from flower to flower. The air was alive with energy, like this place was the lungs of the earth itself.
No fences. No screaming hordes. Just… fresh air and freedom.
Riel studied my reaction. I let loose a grin that threatened to take over my entire face. When words failed me, I gesticulated wildly at the view around us instead, attempting to express my awe somehow. Riel chuckled, a warm, genuine sound.
“There are a few springs like this,” he began, moving forward to kneel at the pool’s edge. “Some believe the Goddess created them as a gift to us to please Her consort, Valuen. The waters provide a rejuvenating effect to magic users. Come, dip your feet.”
The invitation was all I needed. I slid my sneakers and socks off to join him at the edge of the pool. Using his hand for balance, I first tested the water with a tentative toe. It was delightfully cool. With Riel’s encouragement, I settled beside the pool and let my legs hang off the edge into the water. A deep sigh escaped my lips as tension fled my body. The feeling was comparable to what I had experienced coming through The Rift: an electrifying tingle that chased fatigue away.
“We’ll be spending quite a bit of time here over the next few days. The waters will aid your recovery,” Riel said, taking a seat in the grass beside me. “Speaking of your recovery. I think it’s time to address this condition of yours.”
“Please,” I responded gratefully. “You’re familiar with it?”
“Based on what we’ve been told by your government, almost certainly. But first, I’d like you to tell me about your abilities and what happened, in your own words.”
I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before I spoke. “Well, so, as far as we can figure, I just have to touch someone who’s sick or injured, and I can sense what’s wrong and use my magic to fix it. I don’t know how much you know about our world, but we don’t have a lot of magic. If someone’s sick, there’s medicine or surgery, but that isn’t always enough. You can probably imagine what the demand is like for what I can do.”
“It’s a useful ability,” Riel agreed. “A gift of that magnitude is rare.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered. “So, basically, I have to be under protection at all times, since people can get… aggressive about wanting to get healed. I totally understand—I mean, I’m usually a last resort, their only hope. Otherwise, they’re incurable. I wish… well, that’s not important.” I shook my head, embarrassed. The prince didn’t need my life story.
“I first started noticing issues a few months ago. Thinking back, I should have noticed sooner, but I didn’t think it was anything to worry about. My anxiety was worse. My appetite started going downhill. I lost weight, and I was sleeping more than usual. Then, last month, I was doing my scheduled healing, and I only got to one person before I fainted. Usually, I can heal four or five people at a time. Or, at least, I was able to before I started getting sick.”
Riel was quiet, but I could feel his attention.
“They ran a few tests and said that my organs are starting to fail. It was a surprise to everyone, myself included. I’m not necessarily suffering, but I’m tired all the time. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep food down. I get chills, my chest hurts, and… I can’t heal anyone anymore. When I try, the magic doesn’t come. And I’ve been like this for weeks; it’s not getting any worse, but I’m not getting better. They have no idea what’s causing it.”
I had no reason to be nervous, but I was anyway. Was he going to tell me that they didn’t know what was wrong with me after all? Had this all been for nothing? I kept my gaze on the water before me, watching it lap at my skin. A moment passed in silence before Riel responded.
“Can you describe how it normally feels when you use your magic? Before the issues started.”
With some degree of difficulty, I recalled the last few times I had used my magic successfully. “It’s like… there’s a little flame in my chest that’s always there, right? When I try to use it, it flares up, and I gather the heat and pass it along. I feel it get pulled from me. It doesn’t hurt, not exactly, but it can be unpleasant. After a few times, I’m totally wiped out.”
“And when you heal yourself?”
“I can’t. I’ve tried to in the past, but it just doesn’t work. Like, I can feel it, but it just stays there instead of going where I ask it to.”
At that, Riel startled me by surging to his feet. He caught my wide eyes and pinned me with a meaningful stare. “It’s as we thought. You’re not sick, Avery.”
His voice was so smooth and masculine that hearing my name from his mouth did weird things to me. I almost forgot to process his statement. “Um… what?”
“Most of our children are blessed with a connection to mana , the force you know as magic.” Riel scanned the trees. “But they are not blessed with control. Before they can wield it properly, they must learn a few basic concepts. That fire you describe feeling, here?—”
He stooped to tap one finger against my sternum. If he noticed my flinch, it didn’t disconcert him. “That is something all magic users have, an inner thread connecting them to the flow of mana in the same way that roots carry nutrients to a tree. It is only to be used as a tool to access and control the flow of mana . When that runs out, we call it vahela —emptying.”
I attempted to absorb everything he told me like a sponge, but a lot had happened in the last couple of days, and I wasn’t quite following. Noticing that I wasn’t making the necessary connection, Riel simplified things for me.
“Your equivalent would be death.”