Hello everyone! This chapter is larger than some others, so I broke it into two parts. Like I said in an earlier posting, action is coming up so the pace is quickening. Well, I hope you enjoy!(:
Outside of Lyra’s house, I wait for Trenton’s permission to walk in. He told me he is going to check with Lyra, making sure it was alright for me to go in. I play with a few strands of grass between my fingertips. The sun bounces off the small amount of dew on the grass. Like before, I Moved the dew slowly, collecting more along the way, forming a small ball the size of my palm. My Mark began glowing again. Pulling it back and forth, it turns into a ribbon of water then to it’s original shape. The leaves around me are golden, slowly falling from their branches.
“Elle?”
The water falls onto the grass.
“Lyra said you can come in.” Trenton comes out the backdoor.
“Alright,” I say, standing up. Having to wait for Lyra’s approval made me feel like I didn’t belong here, like I was a monster, something that can snap at any given time.
Cautious, I walk through the door. I am expecting the injured people to be occupying the room like once before, but they are not here. Trenton leads me to a chair, and Lyra comes rushing out.
“Elle Is everything alright?” The skin around Lyra’s deep brown eyes were puffy, showing everyone how tired she is feeling. Her hair was tied back messily, the string falling out.
“Yes. I’m fine.” I smile.
“What happened?” Lyra flips over my right wrist, eyes growing large.
“I don’t know,” I say.
“Tell me exactly what happened.” Lyra checks my vitals.
“I dipped my hands into the stream to wash them off, then my Mark began glowing. I could walk again, then this morning I tried to Move and I could,” I explain.
Lyra seems to not be paying attention.
“Is everything alright?” I ask.
Lyra shakes her head, “I don’t know. I haven’t had this happen before. All my previous patients were healed after a couple weeks of rest.”
“So you don’t know how this happened?” Trenton sits on another chair next to mine.
“No, I do not.” Lyra looks at him, clearly getting annoyed.
“Do you think I will be fine, then?”
“Your Mark looks completely healed. The odd thing is that it looks to be healed for... weeks.” Lyra rubs her temples.
I feel bad for her. She shouldn’t be wasting her time on me.
“You need to see King Alberic.” Lyra begins ushering me to another room.
“Who...?” I mutter out.
“King Alberic. He has asked me to bring you to him as soon as you healed.” Lyra seems to be even more annoyed. Trenton looks uncertain.
“Why must he see me?” I ask.
Lyra sighs, “You’re the last Mover. He needs to meet you and guarantee alliances.”
Lyra closes the door on Trenton so that it was only us two. This room reminded me of a bathing room.
“I will be back soon.” Lyra leaves me alone.
I sit down on a toilet, then notice my reflection on the wall. Curious, I lean back a certain way and I see myself again. I stand up and look closer and see my profile more clearly. My unnatural blonde hair fell in a curtain of tangled strands, lining my porcelain face. My grandmother always told me that I looked like my mother in many ways, but I would always have my father’s eyes as well as his unpointed ears. The thing that stand out to me the most is my eyes. My father’s eyes. Pale, liquid blue. Brighter than any other blue hue.
Lyra taps my shoulder, causing my jump.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you, but we need to get you cleaned up.” Lyra bends down into the tub, twisting a nob then water began to pour into it. I jumped slightly, confused about how that was possible. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
“Alright. Let me know when you are finished.” Lyra turns off the water flow then smiles. “Will you be okay?”
Still puzzled about the nob and the water, I delay my answer a few seconds, then say, “Yes, thank you.”
“Alright. I will be out there. Once your done, put on these clothes and ask for me.” Lyra walks out.
I slip off my old dress and undergarments, feeling cold. Tiptoeing to the tub, a shiver goes through me. I dip in my toe, testing the water. It wasn’t cold. Relieved, I step in one foot at a time until I am completely in the water. I slid down into the tub so that my head goes under, then come back up, smoothing down my hair. In the tub was a bar of soap. In the water, I watch my hand take it and bring it up. I rub it between my hands until the outside of it gets frothy. Making sure to get myself completely clean, I smooth it all over my skin and hair. Once done, I dip my head back under water to rinse it all off. Satisfied, I stand, water dripping off of me. I find a towel that was left for me and dry myself off.
Doing what Lyra said, I put on the new clothes. The dress billowed down, the hem touching the floor. It was made out of a white silk, sewn with gold thread. Starting at my hips is a line of pure golden material that went down and met at a point just above my knees. The shoulders of the dress are wide so it fell slightly underneath my collarbone, also lined with gold. At my hands, the dress hung loosely. I look at myself in the mirror.
Wet hair hung in thick strands down, passing my shoulders to mid-back. Small water drops clung to my long eyelashes.
“Lyra?” I call.
In seconds, Lyra is storming into the bathroom. Behind her, I see Trenton trying to peek in. “Perfect. The dress fits.” Lyra clasps her hands together and grabs a brush. She pulls out a chair and signals me to sit before my reflection.
Lyra begins brushing through my hair, catching on every knot. I wince.
“Your hair is a mess,” Lyra murmurs.
I cringe from a pull.
“I’m sorry, dear.” Lyra keeps brushing.
An awkward silence falls between us. I am dying to ask her a pestering question.
“What happened to all those people? Shouldn’t you be caring for them?” I ask.
Lyra brushes out a knot, then says, “I have asked Trenton to keep an eye on them for now. They are all resting and aren’t expected to wake soon.”
I nod, wincing again from the tug of hair.
“Almost finished,” Lyra says.
A few more strokes, a tug, then Lyra puts down the brush. She takes the towel and rings out my hair,
attempting to dry it.
“Here, let me.” I smile, flicking my wrist at my hair, the water soon vanishing from my hair, leaving it fluffy and smooth.
Lyra laughs to herself, then digs around a small cupboard. “Where is it... Found it.” In her hands are jars of things that are unfamiliar to me.
“What is all of that?” I ask, curious at what Lyra will be doing to me.
