Heiress: Birthstone Series Book Two (46 page)

“I agree. I’ll speak with Iolar. We’ll send out flyers to
search for them.” She leaned in and hugged me. I gasped as her emotions soared
through me. She was nearly as happy as I was.

She left quickly, a bounce in her step. I smiled after her
until Aluce chuckled.

“You were wrong,” I said, turning to look at her. “He didn’t
die.”

“He didn’t come with us,” she stated “That decision changed his
fate.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

Aluce’s lips curled upward. “He’s alive, isn’t he?”

“Yes, and I plan on keeping it that way.”

Aluce lifted an eyebrow. “I assume you think you’re going to
leave him here in Et Loedin while you go in search of the unnamed gem.”

“I wouldn’t ask him to come with me after all he’s been
through.”

“And if he insists on going?”

I sighed and shook my head at her. “If that happens, I’ll
think of something, but I won’t allow him to risk his safety for me again.”

Aluce placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned toward me.
“It’s not just about you. It’s about the entire kingdom. He’s one of us now and
if he can help you succeed, I think it’s important you let him.”

I opened my mouth to argue but when she withdrew her hand
and turned to go, I realized there wasn’t any use. She had no intention of
listening, and deep down, beneath my brave façade, the thought of being
separated from Sai once more was nearly too much to endure. If I was honest
with myself, I wasn’t sure I could ever leave his side again.

It was late by the time Sai had bathed, changed, and eaten
again. While he cleaned up, Iolar instructed someone to prepare a small room
for him not far from my own. In the meantime, I prepared to leave the next day.
I knew Sai’s arrival meant I would probably put my departure off a few hours,
but I was losing time and I needed to move swiftly if I wanted to find the gem
before Shir.

Hesper and Cole dropped by while Sai was still bathing and I
let them in, prepared for the questions sure to follow.

“Was that your sea dweller boy?” Hesper asked as she stepped
past me and entered my room.

“He’s Vairdan,” I said. I glanced at Cole and noted the
sullen look on his face. “He’s an islander.”

“Interesting.” She jumped onto my bed and sprawled there for
a moment. “I’ll bet he cleans up nicely.”

I rolled my eyes but smiled as I turned back to the rucksack
I’d been packing. I’d included an extra change of clothes along with some
coinage, although unclaimed gems seemed to go further than money.

“What’s his name?” Cole asked.

I cast a sideways look in his direction. “Sai.”

“And he traveled all the way here from Vairda?”

The skepticism in his tone didn’t escape my notice. My hands
stilled as I met his eyes once more. “He did.”

Hesper sat up, slid off the bed and made her way toward me.
“You’ll come see me before you leave tomorrow, won’t you?”

I grinned at her. “Of course.

“Is
he
going with you?” Cole asked.

“Yes,
he
is.”

We all turned toward Sai. I hadn’t heard him arrive until
he’d answered Cole’s question.

Cole scowled and stormed out of the room. Hesper beamed at
Sai as she moved to follow her brother.

“I believe we’ve met already,” she said.

He laughed. “Thanks for overlooking the filth and feeding me
earlier.”

“Anytime.” Hesper winked at me and scurried from the room.

My eyes fell once more on Sai. I still couldn’t believe he
was standing in front of me, close enough to touch. I wanted to soak in every
feature, every part of him I’d missed.

Cleaned up, he looked amazing. He’d been given a sturdy pair
of pants, an undershirt, a warm wool tunic, and a belted vest. His new boots
looked much warmer than the old pair, and he’d shaved the scruff off his face,
leaving his strong, square jaw exposed. Although his hair was still a bit darker
than I remembered, I could see glints of gold shining through some of the
strands, like small streaks of sun.

I stepped closer to him, unable to keep the sappy smile from
my face.

“So, how long has that guy had a thing for you?” he asked.

“Who? Cole?” I waved a hand dismissively. “He’s never been
able to decide whether he likes me or if he’s just really jealous of my gems.”

Sai nodded.

“Did you mean what you said? About going with me?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around his
middle. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you. You’d be safer here.”

Sai didn’t embrace me back. “I’m coming with you.”

I looked up at him. “You need a chance to rest. I can only
imagine what you’ve been through.”

“I have something for you,” he said. He pulled away and dug
around in his pocket. “I was asked to bring this to you.
By your father
.
It’s a message you were supposed to receive from him.”

“Sai! This is incredible. I can’t believe you have this.” I
took the crumpled scroll from his hands and unrolled it. The first lines
shattered my heart as I skimmed them.

Dearest Niece,

Though we’ve never met, you and your mother have often
been in my thoughts. Long ago, as a young boy, I had hoped to one day have a
family of my own. Paelor and I dreamed about living near one another, raising
our children alongside their cousins and relatives. As brother and sister, we
had hoped to mend the destruction brought to each of our lives by providing a
better future for our own families. But this was not to be.

Instead, I became a master Concealer. I chose to work for
the crown, but in name only. My true intent, which I have hidden for many
years, was to search for ways to bring an end to the king’s reign.

Several years ago, during the early days of my service to
the king, I was contacted by a leader from the Wisdom Tribe. She begged me to
return to my home with her in order to receive information that could aid my
cause. I made my excuses to the king and returned.

When I arrived, the purpose for my summons was explained
by several tribe leaders. They’d learned of a new unnamed gem, formed in the
farthest reaches of our kingdom. The land had developed it in a way that would
keep it undiscovered as long as knowledge of its existence remained secret. I
was asked to use my abilities to conceal the location and existence of the gem
from any gem seekers, particularly the king. The Wisdom Tribe warned me of the
important role this gem would have in defeating the king when the Gem Heiress
returned. It needed to be preserved for her. Up until this point, I hadn’t
believed my sister and her child would ever come back to our land.

With much effort, I was able to hide the existence and
location of the unnamed gem. I also halted the ability to gain future
information about it from Wisdom Gems.

As nearly the only person with this knowledge, I’ve
guarded the secret carefully for many years. However, there have been recent
rumors among the king’s closest advisors about a possible unnamed gem. Though I
have done my best to keep my secret, there are weaknesses in every gem type and
somehow, it seems the king has managed to penetrate my protections. Despite
this, I’ve done my best to perpetuate false information regarding the gem and
its location. As the king searches for the gem while his enemies are
distracted, he is currently headed toward the Kingdom’s eastern territories.
Luckily, he’s been misled.

I can’t divulge where to find the gem in this letter, but
there are people in the Wisdom Tribe who can send you in the right direction.
They’re waiting for you to find them. They seek to help you. Search for them
before you seek the gem.

I wish for you safety and success. I hope there will be a
day when I can meet my niece and once again, be near my sister. Until then, I
will do whatever is necessary to save our kingdom.

With love, Oneff

I glanced up from the scrawled words, my heart racing. “We
have time,” I whispered.

“What do you mean?” Sai asked.

“This explains why the king knows so little about the gem.
The information has been locked. It’s been under concealment by my uncle. And
the gem’s location is still unknown.”

“Do you still plan on leaving tomorrow?”

I smiled. “I’m leaving as soon as you have everything you
need. I’ll see to Haji and Lirig’s comfort in the morning and we’ll ask for new
weapons to be made for you immediately. You’ll have a short while to rest and
as soon as we’re ready, we can set out for the Wisdom Tribe.”

Sai frowned. “Are you sure we shouldn’t leave right away?
The king is already out there, searching.”

I glanced down at the message again. “We want to be prepared
and we need to be ready for anything. We’ll only delay three days.” I shook the
parchment in my hand. “This changes everything. You’ve done so much to help
me.”

I didn’t notice Sai’s unease until he took a few steps
backwards.

“Sai?” I said.

“I’m really tired, Aylen. We’ll talk in the morning.”

I blinked in confusion. “But we’ve hardly spent any time
together. You’ve just arrived.”

He winced but took another step toward the door. “I know but
we’ll make up for lost time while we search for the gem together.”

I moved toward him, unwilling to lose his presence. “Sai, what’s
wrong?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he planted a light kiss on my
forehead and walked out of the room. I stared after him, almost too stunned to
feel another surge of Sai’s guilt coarse through me and fade as he left my
sight.

I wasn’t sure how late it was but I was pretty annoyed I
couldn’t sleep. I’d spent the last few nights cold, hungry, and without a
decent bed. Now, when I had the chance to get some rest, I was too angry with
myself to relax.

Eventually, I crawled out of the thick blankets I’d burrowed
under and planted my feet on the frigid, stone floor. I crept out of my room
and down the torch lit hall toward Aylen’s door. I raised my fist to knock but
thought better of it. She was probably already asleep.

Instead, I gripped her door latch, promising myself I’d just
see if she’d locked it. If she hadn’t, I’d check on her to make sure she was
all right. Then I’d feel better.

Her door opened with a soft click. I slid inside the room
and glanced around. The fire burned low in the hearth but the room was still
warm. Aylen looked as though she’d buried herself beneath her blankets. Only a
few strands of hair peeked out from beneath the thick layers of fabric.

I watched the place where she lay for several moments,
unsure of what to do. Finally, I moved to go. Before I could leave, I heard the
rustle of her blankets as she sat up. When she found me, she watched me in
silence, her eyes sad and accusing.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

With a sigh, she motioned for me to come to her. I shut her
door and edged closer.

“Why are you afraid of me?” she asked.

I halted. “Aylen, that’s just . . .,” I sputtered. When the
words wouldn’t come I took a deep breath and leveled my eyes on her. “Why would
I be afraid of you?”

Her gaze didn’t falter. “That’s what I can’t figure out.”

I smiled a little when I reached the bed and eased down next
to her. “Well, you do have a lot of power. I was in the middle of those
mountains when you changed the entire landscape. I saw the way you fought that
boy in the ring.”

“I was always good at sword fighting. You know that.”

“Maybe,” I said, “But it’s obvious you’re not the same girl
anymore.”

For a moment, her features seemed to crumble and I knew I’d
hurt her. Before I could apologize, the look was gone, buried somewhere inside
of her. Once more, she watched me, her face composed.

“That’s only part of it,” she said. “I know you’re hiding
something and you’re afraid of how I’ll react to it.”

I groaned and leaned back on the pillows, my hands behind my
head. “You were always good at reading people too.”

She was silent for a while. I sensed her waiting for me to
speak but I clamped my lips shut. I felt her fingers tentatively settle in my
hair and begin to weave and comb through the mussed strands.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” she whispered.

I stared up at her, my eyes pleading for her to understand.
“Not yet. I can’t. I just . . . it would change everything for us. And not in a
good way.”

She withdrew her hand and glanced toward the door. “Did you
and Haj. . .” she stopped when I began to shake my head.

“No, Aylen.”

Her eyes held mine for several moments. A look passed over
her face, her mouth tight and her forehead creased in concentration. It was how
she looked every time she connected to a gem.

A vivid pink stone on her neck glowed a bit brighter while
she stared at me. I remained motionless, waiting for her to explain. Finally,
she sighed deeply and slumped backward in exhaustion.

“You still love me,” she whispered, her voice faint. It
wasn’t a question.

I felt my lips curl into another smile, genuine this time.“You
shouldn’t need a gem to tell you how I feel,” I said.

She nestled herself next to me and I moved my arm so she
could use it as a pillow. I felt her slide her hand onto my chest, resting it
directly over my heart.

“You’re right,” she said. “I have you for that.”

“I love you so much, Aylen.” I murmured. As the words left
my lips, my eyelids grew too tired to remain open. 

I began to drift off, my limbs heavy as sleep beckoned me
toward its depths. Before I was gone, I felt her breath against my ear as she
whispered, “I know you do, Sai. You found me, after all.”

“Always,” I wanted to say, though my lips wouldn’t move. But
it was all right, I realized. I would tell her in the morning.