Chapter 64
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
Briar
I gathered a pair of garden scissors and set them in a bucket. With supplies in hand, I returned to the moss and set to work.
Kneeling at the edge of the soft green plant, I carefully snipped away some of the red hairs as Gizzi popped out of my pocket and scampered up to my shoulder. He perched on my right side and curled his tail around my nape, where it tickled my left cheek.
He’d told me last night that Knox had discovered him and, in doing so, simply covered him up and left him alone. I didn’t know what that meant, but I took it as a sign I didn’t have to hide my friend; he’d told me last night he was an animal called a lowleeto.
I’d never heard of such a thing before and planned to find a book in the library about them, but that was a task for another day. Today, I was gardening again, and the sun was out as much as it could be in this cursed kingdom; I planned to savor every second of it.
After a while, Gizzi fell asleep while I trimmed the hairs, patted the moss I’d taken them from, and thanked the plant for its gift. Beneath my fingers, the earth thrummed with a power that penetrated my bones while imbuing me with its energy.
Unable to resist, I bent closer to the ground and pressed my cheek against the moss. I closed my eyes as I inhaled its fragrant, earthy scent. The aroma entered my lungs and flowed through me as Gizzi stirred.
“What are you doing?” he asked in my head.
“It feels so good,” I said aloud.
Gizzi scampered from my shoulder and crawled onto the moss. He bent and placed his cheek against it too. “It is soft.”
“It’s also full of strength, power, and life. It’s wonderful.”
Gizzi turned his head to look at me. “I don’t get that from it.”
I chuckled and pried myself away from the moss to harvest more of it. With scissors in hand, I crept across the plant as I cut more hairs and carefully stored them in my bucket.
When my pail was full, I caressed the moss again while whispering, “Thank you.”
Though I didn’t feel a breeze, the remaining hairs all swayed as if a wind had blown across them. I frowned while studying the moss that stilled once more.
Did I imagine that?
“Interesting,” Gizzi murmured.
“You saw that too?”
“I did.”
“What do you think it means?” I asked.
“What do you think it means?”
“I have no idea.”
“Neither do I.”
With a sigh, I lifted my pail and returned to the castle. I also had to find a book on casters. I had to see if there was anything I didn’t know about my kind, because I was certain things were happening to me that hadn’t occurred to anyone else… or at least not anyone I knew.
However, first I had to make a potion for my bleeding heart, and I needed somewhere to do that. I entered the castle through the mudroom again and discovered a sprite tying all the boot laces together.
“Excuse me,” I said.
The small creature didn’t realize I was there until I spoke. He jumped off the ground and flew for a couple of seconds before landing again; his blue and gold dragonfly wings folded into place.
His black hair stood up in spikes around his narrow face and pointed chin when he turned to scowl at me. “You shouldn’t scare a man like that!”
I waved at the knotted bootlaces. “You would have known I was here if you weren’t focused on this.”
His gray eyes returned to his handiwork, and he sighed. “I suppose you’re going to rat me out.”
“I won’t tell a soul… if you show me where I can create a potion with the earth moss hairs I’ve gathered.”
His mouth pursed; he looked at my pail before focusing on where Gizzi sat on my shoulder, cleaning his face with his paws. The sprite’s jaw dropped so fast it looked like it might unhinge.
“That’s a lowleeto!” he blurted.
“You know about them?”
“Not a whole lot, but they’re one of the most lethal animals in the kingdoms.”
I chuckled, but when the sprite didn’t look amused, my laughter faded. “Excuse me?”
“That creature contains enough poison to kill you in seconds.”
I glanced at the adorable creature on my shoulder as Gizzi lowered his paws and gave a tiny shrug. “Is that true?” I asked him.
“I wouldn’t poison you, but yes, it’s true.”
“Then why were you running from the basilisk?”
“Are you talking to yourself?” the sprite inquired.
I bit my bottom lip as my cheeks reddened. This sprite must believe I was insane or rapidly heading that way.
“Just pondering out loud,” I muttered, but the sprite didn’t look at all convinced as his eyes darted back and forth between me and Gizzi.
“The basilisk has more poison than me,” Gizzi said. “Not to mention, the goblin wanted to eat me. I may be lethal, but I’m tiny.”
“And you’re full of surprises,” I whispered in my head.
“I like keeping others on their toes.”
My head shot toward him. “Did you hear me?”
“I heard you. It seems you don’t have to speak to talk to me.”
“Have you always known that?”
“This is my first experience with this whole thing too,” he said. “I’m learning as we go.”
“Amazing.”
“It’s a very curious thing. I’ve never been heard by another.”
“And I’ve never talked to an animal before. I have to find out if I can talk to others too.”
“I’m curious to discover the same.”
I dipped my hand into my pocket and removed a nut. When I handed it to him, he stuck it in his mouth, and his cheek puffed out.
“Why did you leave the forest with me?” I asked. “You couldn’t communicate with me then.”
“No, I couldn’t, but I liked you. I don’t like the forest.”
“Understandable.”
I focused my attention on the sprite who was staring at me like Gizzi and I had fused. “Does Knox know about lowleetos?” I asked.
“Probably not,” the sprite replied. “They all look as harmless as that one, and they’re rare. They reside in Gorgonia, and few eternals travel to that kingdom.”
“If Gorgonia’s your home, then why are you here?” I asked Gizzi.
“The basilisks uncovered our home and chased us out of Gorgonia. There’s fewer of us now than ever before.”
“That’s why the basilisk was in Wildwood! It was after you.”
“Yes.”
“Where’s your family?”
“I don’t know. I lost them before I discovered you.”
My heart hurt for the tiny creature, even if he could kill me with one bite. “I’m sorry.”
“I believe they’re still out there and hope to find them again one day.”
“I’ll help you… as long as you don’t bite and kill me.”
Gizzi’s chuckle sounded in my head. “I can agree to that.”
I grinned at the tiny creature before shifting my attention back to the sprite. “So,” I said as if he weren’t staring at me like I’d sprouted a second head. “Is there somewhere I can make a potion for my bleeding heart plant?”
The sprite tapped his chin before nodding. “Yes. The healer had a room where she worked in the castle.”
“Great.”
“I have to finish this first.” He waved a hand at the boots. “If you help, it will go a lot faster.”
“I’d be happy to.” I extended my hand to him. “I’m Briar.”
“I know.” He grasped my fingers and shook my hand. “I’m Zephyr.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Zephyr.”
“You, also. Now, help me mess with these guys.”
“Gladly.”
With that, I set to work helping the mischievous creature tie the rest of the boots together.