The Emerald Legend (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Six: As Above

Amalia jolted up in the unfamiliar bed and for a moment she could not recall where she had arrived the day prior. She looked around the scarcely lit room. Another moment passed and the recollection of all that had passed came flooding back.

She wiped the droplets of sweat pooling on her temples and slid her feet over the side of the bed and onto the floor. As her feet hit the shagged rug beneath the bed, she pushed the white cotton sheets away from her. Her head throbbed a bit and her throat was unnaturally dry. There was no light coming through the three, small, circular windows near the ceiling. She knew that the morning was still deep in slumber.

Amalia stood and let her eyes adjust to the darkness around her. She made her way across the white shag rug to the wooden door and rested her pale hand on the steel handle. She tried with all her effort to quietly pull the heavy door open and managed to do a mediocre job of it.

The hallway before her was dark and unoccupied. She stepped through the doorway onto the rocky, tiled floor and slowly pulled on the door behind her. She watched as it settled, leaving just a crack of it open. She then quietly stepped down the hallway, trying not to make a sound.

Seian had been asleep and guarding the door, although after he heard Amalia wake up, he perked up his head to see what she was up too.

"It's alright, Sy. I just need some water," Amalia whispered to her curious snow leopard. He was far too tired to investigate any further, and decided to lay his head back down and drift back into slumber.

Amalia scurried over the rugs in the dining hall like a quiet mouse and stepped onto the cool tiles of the kitchen floor. On the counter there was a wooden bucket full of clean drinking water. Amalia squatted down next to the counter where there was a cupboard built under the wooden surface. She reached inside and grabbed a molded clay cup. It was smooth yet somewhat grainy to the touch and left the water with a refreshingly earthy taste.

She stood and dipped the cup into the cool bucket of water. She licked her dry lips in anticipation as she rose the cup to her face and took a small sip. Her small sip then turned into a gulp—then, one gulp after another, until no liquid remained. She set the cup down against the wooden surface next to the bucket and stood in the darkness for a moment.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a light, and out of instinct she spun to the intruder. Before her she saw Osirian, barely lit by candle light.

"Oh, have I startled you?" he said with that same mischievous smirk on his face. Amalia's heart rate dropped back down to a normal pace and she exhaled deeply.

"I just wasn't expecting you to hear me. I didn't want to wake you, Sire," Amalia said in response. Osirian stood there while still holding the candle close to him. She could see the dancing light of the candle trail along the creases of his face and in-between his eyelashes.

"There is no need for formalities. I am no nobleman. Please address me with just my name," he said while running his hand through his hair.

"Right, excuse me," she said shyly. "Ah, I just needed to wet my lips."

Osirian watched her for a moment while her eyes darted across the kitchen's stone tile. "And it seems you have fulfilled that need," he said dryly.

"Indeed, I have. However, it still seems as if sleeping is a far off task."

"And what might the cause of that be?"

"There are a great many things going on inside this head of mine," Amalia said leaning up against the countertop.

"Such as?" he asked, seemingly interested in what those things might be. Amalia noticed his wild eyes trying to pry her open.