*LYCIA*How was this possible?Looking down at my ring I touched it. It was real then how could the store be in my imagination? What the fuck had happened in a day’s time?I wish Seff was here.“You look worried, are you sure you are okay? If you want then we can search other parts of the market too,” Landon offered but I didn’t want to tire him out with useless effort when I knew that this was the exact place that I had been looking for.Was this the reason why my magic hadn’t teleported me right in front of the shop? Because it didn’t exist anymore?“No, I am fine. I think it would be better if I talk to my mate about this. He was there with me when I visited that jewelry shop yesterday so I am sure it would be better to ask him to help me out,” I said and then looking up at him I smiled, “Sorry for taking so much of your time today.”“No, it’s perfectly alright,” he said rubbing the back of his head with a slight blush on his face, “Don’t embarrass me by saying that I wanted to hel
*LYCIA*His presence at once made the two adults standing there cower in fear and bare their necks as a sign of submission while the kids rushed to hide behind their mother.Although similar, the same wasn’t the effect that took over me. Like them my heart raced and a breath was caught in my chest as words refused to leave my lips but the culprit of this wasn’t his aura but his touch that had ignited my desire.He was here. He was here for me!“Are you betraying me, my mate? Who is this man?” Seff asked and I knew that he didn’t really doubt me but his anger was clearly radiating through the bond, letting me know that jealousy that he felt.Tilting my head and peering at his face I brought a hand to his mask covered face and cupping his cheeks I said, “You know I would never do anything that would hurt you. Please release them, they are my friends.”It didn’t seem like he was willing to do that but nonetheless he did and sighing at the reluctancy he showed I turned back and apologized
*LYCIA*“There she is!” Reemus’s voice reached my ears making me freeze and then sheepishly turn back to face him.There was an obvious glare on his face that he was trying to keep in given that there were warriors around us. “Believe me if we had time to waste I would have given you a twenty four hour lecture on why you shouldn’t ever sneak out of the palace on your own and how dangerous it is.”“Hey, I am sorry but see nothing happened to me,” I said wondering why did they forget that I, myself was a powerful witch capable of taking care of myself.“Luck! That was all luck!” he burst out for a second and then controlling his anger again he huffed, “Seriously how can you two be so similar? Just when I thought I had enough of taking care of one brat find myself taking care of another.”This time his glare was directed at Seff who merely grinned back at him. I could sense that there was a long history behind this reaction and it made me chuckle a little making Reemus direct his gaze ba
*LYCIA*“Before we start the ritual I would like you all to join your hands and pray to the goddess once for a successful ritual,” dad said making everyone around us to join our hands together to give out our silent prayers.The room we now stood in was dimly lit with only candles and a double pentagram was drawn again in the center. Around this we all stood in a circle ready to pray.“But why do we need to pray? Do you mean to say that this process is risky? Is my brother’s life at risk?” Roz thundered out his concern making me open my eyes and stare at him. It was good that he cared for his brother so much but wasn’t this a little too much?“Don’t worry brother, I’ll be fine. I have gone through a similar ritual before and it’s nothing to worry about,” Seff reassured him with a smile but Roz still didn’t seem to agree.“King Roz, if you would pay attention, my own daughter is going to be a part of this ritual. She is the one I love the most in this world, of course I wouldn’t do any
*LYCIA*“Seff? Can you hear me?” I asked unable to see anything but the blinding bright light that had forced me to close my eyes.“Yes,” I am right here,” he said his hand squeezing mine, “But I can’t see anything, the light is making it difficult for me to open my eyes.”“Yes, I can’t open them either but are we alright? I can’t hear anybody else,” I said straining to hear my Dad’s voice but bizarrely it was quiet except of course for Seff’s voice.“I don’t know what is happening but you are right. Even our senses have dulled, if you notice properly,” he said lightly clenching my hand again; “I have to use so much of my force to actually feel your hands.”“It must be the magic’s way of working but I am happy. This is better than feeling the pain we did last time,” I said using much of my force to clench his hands, the only way left to know of his physical presence.Trying to open my eyes I am once again forced to keep it close by the whiteness all around me and I don’t know for how
*LYCIA*“Where are we?” The ceiling above had cracks in it. A clear indication that we weren't in the luxurious palace of Darrow.I tried to push myself up but my body still felt weary from the extraneous and magical catastrophe I had just gone through.“Lycia, are you okay?” Seff asked, making me turn my face to the side to see his worried face trace my features with his concerned eyes. He was safe. To know that gave me greater relief than the worry this strange place had brought me. “I am,” I therefore said, putting on a smile for him, “Are you?”“Yes,” he reassured me as he tried to raise himself up on his arms. His body, stronger than mine, also protected by the stone of Amours, and had at least left him with some strength to sit up unlike me. “What do you see around?” I asked, giving some time for my body to rest.“There isn't much around here. It's a plain dirty room with no windows and a single door. A light bulb fixed on the top of a wall is the one bringing in light. Beside
*LYCIA*It was silent. An embarrassing silence to my outburst that had resulted in nothing.“The only reason she didn’t come is because she is scared,” Seff said, bringing me within his arms to comfort me as he patted my back.Frustration nipped at my nerves as the seconds passed. I had been trying to run my mind, to find a way but no matter what I did it only resulted in failure. How long would we have to wait here like a shivering prey that is waiting for its unknown future to stab it?“Forever a kid, huh? When are you going to grow up and stop throwing tantrums?”The voice that said those words could only be of one and turning around to stare at her I blinked my eyes a few times to check if it had been merely a fragment of my mind or an ugly reality.“Alora?”“Always slow on the uptake too, just as usual,” she said walking inside the room to the doorframe of which she had been leaning.“Oh my goodness! Did Mom send you here to save us?” I asked turning in Seff’s hold but he didn’
*LYCIA*“What? That is your reasoning?” I asked unable to understand how she could come to that conclusion. “For that you decided to hurt my mother, your sister and-“Sorry I am late!” Suddenly we heard a shout come from near the entrance to see another fantastically unbelievable scene or maybe this was another something that I had hoped wouldn’t come true.“About time,” Alora rolled her eyes as she went to welcome the pretty white haired lady.“Well the King had locked us up, it was hard to escape,” Laverna said with a sigh, no signs of fear in her voice. Then turning to us she smiled, “Good to see you again.”“I thought you cared about my father! How could you betray him like this?” I shouted unable to determine who I could really trust if all the people I know were slowly going to turn out to be against us.Not a single muscle ticked in her face as she stared at me and then turning towards Alora she said, “I kinda understand why you hate her so much. She is the most annoying kid I