Mystic - EN version

Chapter 14 : Landscape

Clave climbed the uneven steps to the roof, Noah just behind her.

– I don't think my aunt's arrived yet, warned Noah. Punctuality and her... She hates people who are late, but she herself is always late. Luckily there's a small salon, let's wait there.

– Alright.

Clave took the last step and set foot on the wooden floor of the roof terrace. Her blue eyes were immediately drawn to the magnificent starry sky tinged with dark purple.

– It's beautiful, she murmured.

– Isn't it? laughed Noah. I love coming here.

He moved towards the balustrade, also made of wood.

– Come and have a look, he said.

Clave joined him and marvelled at the enchanted landscape before his eyes. To her surprise, Griselda's mansion stood in the middle of a lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains on the central island. Surrounding it were several other small islands, some of them covered in maple trees. Further on, a strange oak tree with a silver trunk and gigantic blood-red leaves occupied almost the whole of an island, surely the largest of them all. Here and there, sparkling waterfalls tumbled down from the heights of the mountain range.

– Everything between these mountains belongs to my aunt and only to her, announced Noah.

He smiled at Clave's amazement.

– And that tree over there, isn't it a funny colour? she asked, curious. I've never seen a tree that big or that strange.

– It's normal, that tree is unique in the world. It's called the Tree of Eternity. It's the symbol of my family. The silver of the trunk is the colour of our hair and the blood-red of the leaves is the colour of our eyes, explained the young man.

– But you don't have either colour... pointed out Clave.

– Yes, that's because I inherited my mother's hair and eyes... Who was also a telepath like me, replied Noah. My brother is too.

– Your brother?

– His name is Marcus. He lives with Arthur, so I don't see him very often. When I was at the mansion the first time we met, I used to visit him. But we fight a lot and our relationship is pretty tense...

Clave noticed the sad look on Noah's face and preferred not to talk any more about his brother.

– And... the Duke? He doesn't have red eyes, but he does have silver hair.

– That's for another reason, but my aunt will explain it better than I can if you ask her.

– Alright...

They stayed like that for a while, in the silent cold of the night. Clave was intrigued by Noah's past and his relationship with his father and brother, even though he didn't really seem inclined to talk about it. She would have liked to know what had made him hate Arthur so much and why he spoke of his mother in the past tense... Even if the young girl had some idea of what she had become.

Clave watched thoughtfully as Noah's long raven-black plait flew in the wind and his golden eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

– Clave, Noah announced. My aunt's here.

Clave turned and saw Griselda coming towards them. She gave her a little wave. Now that she could see her better, she was impressed by her long hair. It looked as if it had been dipped in molten silver, it was so shiny and smooth.

– Sorry, I'm late, apologised Griselda. Make yourself comfortable, young girl. You'd better be prepared for what I'm going to tell you.