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“Come,” he said. “It’s time for your lunch. I have a few things I need to do before we leave tomorrow.”
I looked at him in surprise. “Tomorrow? So soon?”
The look he gave me almost made me laugh, had I not felt panic at the thought of leaving.
“You hadn’t listened to a word I said when I explained all this, did you?”
I shook my head and gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry. You’ll have to tell me again.”
He sighed. “Very well.”
As we walked to the cabin, he gave me all the details. This time I listened. Apparently, I had an epic mountain to climb, both literally and figuratively. I’d finally be meeting my husband. And saying goodbye forever to Demos.
Chapter 26
Sierra
I spent the evening with Auria. Demos had been gone for several hours, having some things he said needed to get done.
Since I had no belongings to pack, there was nothing for me to do but enjoy the rest of the day. When Demos still hadn’t shown up by dinner time, Auria made us a simple meal of sweet bread and steamed vegetables. We ate it outside, on a blanket in the grass. Twilight had come, painting the scenery in blues, purples, and peachy tones. The air had a slight breeze, warm and sultry. Crickets sang along with the mourning doves, inviting the night to awaken.
Auria stretched out her legs, revealing the woolen leggings she wore. I had never seen a woman wear such things. Her tunic was more bodice than shirt and made of a material I didn’t recognize.
Over the past few days, my encounters with the woman seemed more intimate as I grew used to her. Something about her gave off a mysterious miasma, something curious, something I could never put a finger on. And just like this untouched-by-time hideout that surrounded us, she also felt from another world, her appearance sometimes swimming in and out like a mirage.
She was both frightening and comforting, like a force of nature was wont to be.
I wanted to ask her these questions that skipped and hopped around in my mind, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be laughed at or thrown for another loop of more impossibilities.
“No, I am not human,” she said beside me.
I startled and almost choked on the last of my bread. After a moment, though, a sense of relief filled me. Finally my curiosity could be assuaged.
I looked at her, really looked at her. The sharp green eyes slightly tilted in the corners, the full mouth like that of a young woman’s, the hint of a pointy chin and heart-shaped face. As I stared, her brow smoothed of wrinkles, her cheeks filled out in the suppleness of youth. A beautiful woman was staring back at me, her lips lifted in a smirk.
“I am an elemental.” She raised her chin and leaned back onto her hands.
Blinking, I only stared, afraid to move. I knew what elementals were, of course. But they lived in tales and myths, stories of beings who owned the seasons, the elements at their command, hence their name. They only existed in the minds of children, poets, and philosophers.
“Oh, I assure you, I am real. Just like you, child. The only ‘not real’ is where we are.” She angled her pointy chin in the direction of the cabin. “One of my talents, you could say.” She stared ahead, her expression relaxed, as if this were any other evening outside on a spring night. She sighed and laid back down on the blanket, closing her eyes.
“All right,” I whispered. I looked at the grass, the flowers, trees, and sky. The cabin. I cleared my throat. “So, this forest isn’t really here. Where are we, then? And when?”
“Oh, we’re really in a forest. I can’t travel through space and time, I’m afraid. Would take too much from me these days.” She laughed. “I guess you could say I created an illusion from the outside. In here,” she waved a lazy hand, “it is spring. Out there, however, winter has awakened.”
Awestruck and filled with way too many questions, I only nodded. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them, my arms wrapped around my legs. “What are you? What exactly is an elemental?”
“A very old being. My sisters and I have been around before Titus was Titus.”
“So, you are immortal.”
“In your meaning of the word, yes.”
I didn’t understand what that meant—as usual, Auria spoke in cryptic words, filling any opportunity for me to ask for clarity with more words. Tonight, however, she was more open, taking her time.
“And how does Demos know you?” I asked, looking over at her.
She rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with her hand. “That’s his story to tell. Now, I know you have more pertinent questions for me. Now is the time to ask them.” She smiled, her attention fully on me.
