The Story of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book One

Chapter Eleven

A ray from the sun that dared to shine into my window forced my eyes to open. I had wished for it to blot away, but it was cheerfully refusing. The offensive celestial body was shining through a set of three windows, deeply recessed into an alcove. The three windows, one, a picture window with a transom above it, flanked by two smaller, rectangular windows, were bare of curtains or shades. A mahogany-colored desk sat before it. On the desk was a large, horse-shaped lamp with a wide shade and a thin computer monitor.

Although the monitor was a strange sight in a world that was supposed to be magical, I turned my body to look up at an arched ceiling made of slats of redwood. My eyes followed the curve to a wall of brownish-gray stone that led to a wide fireplace.

In front of the fireplace, in an oversized comfortable chair, was my aunt.

I turned away and pressed my face into a plush feather pillow. I didn't want to see an impostor wearing my mother's face.

"Our apologies for telling you that way." My aunt's tone was flat, and I sat up in bed to look at her. She didn't sound all that sorry. She was holding a box in her lap and staring at me impassively.

"Please tell me where my friends are." Alongside my grief for my mother, the only other thing I could think of was that my friends were alone someplace in this house, and I needed to get to them. If they killed Luis or Dom, I had no doubt I would fade away. And, losing Adrian so soon after seeing him again would haunt me forever. I still hadn't apologized to him.

Athalia ignored my command. "Understand, Luke only thinks about duty. Honor above all - that is his motto. He does not mean to be heartless, but I have to agree that all of this is highly irregular."

I thought of my kidnapping, the slap he gave Erick, and the ballsy announcement that I would have to marry him if I didn't win some game. It was more than irregular. I sat up in bed and faced her, flinching as more light assaulted me. Large panes of glass and a sliding door led to a redwood balcony overlooking frozen mountains and trees.

"Where are my friends?" My tone turned frosty. 

"I do not know where Luke is keeping your friends. That is not the reason I am in your room."  She got out of the chair and deposited the box on the bed. "This belonged to your mother. I brought them to you, hoping they can bring you some comfort. She left them to me as I am her closest kin, and now, I am giving them to you."

"I don't want it," I said as I turned my body away from the gift.

"You must take it. The contents are things only the daughter of the Brigid should have."

As I gripped the box, I fought with the urge to throw it at my aunt. I didn't want my mother's box; I wanted her presence.

"When can I see my friends? I want them safely away from here."

"That is my hope, too," Athalia whispered as she stood, giving me an odd look. She seemed like she wanted to say more but pursed her lips. "I will send in some maids to help you."

"I don't need any maids!" I hollered to her retreating back. Then I flopped onto my back as her parting words confused me. Did she really care if my friends got home? My suspicious meter went into the red. 

When the door shut, I sat up again and stared at the box. Maybe my aunt put a snake in it, or worse yet, a creepy doll.  The pretty box sat there benignly, and nothing jumped out to kill me, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. I caressed the top of the box, which was decorated with paintings of trees in a circle. After pausing a moment to work up my courage, I removed the lid. After flinching away, I felt silly. The only things inside were carefully laid out jewels in three layers of velvet.  My hands trembled as I picked up a necklace designed to look like a string of golden daisies.