Mortal Magic: Broken (Book 1)

22. Wishes And Desires

I still had no idea where everything was in this castle even though I was supposed to have lived here for seven years. It was a miracle that I actually found the exit to a huge garden by accident while running in the hallways like I was being haunted. I was sure that many people I passed by were wondering what I was doing and not a single one of them knew who I am since I wasn't seen by anyone before here, but most of them would probably think I broke in or something similar.

The garden was huge and there were rose bushes all over the place along with other plants but I didn't care about the sight right now. So I continued along until I reached the end of the garden and I found a stairway along the walls. I took it without thought hoping that it led somewhere isolated and no one would search for me there.

As I was following the stairway it became apparent that my destination was a part of the sea. When I descended the last step I found myself on a private part of the beach, completely isolated from the rest of the city and there was very little chance someone could see me all the way out here. I looked around for a while and I found a place on the beach that resembled an open cavern at the far right side of the wall. It was like the wall was built specifically over the rocks for the cavern to remain. That was also the most covered place in this whole secret getaway from the world.

I decided to go hide there but when I got close enough I saw that the cavern's floor was submerged under the water by at least one meter, not that it mattered really. It just meant I would have to get a bit wet. I got to the edge of the water and let the waves engulf my feet. The somewhat cold water was refreshing for me, it calmed me in ways that other people couldn't begin to imagine. It was like I belonged there, it was familiar and calming, like every time I used to be upset I ended up in the water.

I got deeper into the water until it covered me up to my waist and then after taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and dived in. I immediately felt comforted in the hands of the cold and the water's embrace. Like always it never failed to calm me down, even now. I opened my eyes and after the initial sting from the seawater in my eyes I saw the life under the crystal clear waters. Small fish were everywhere you looked and they didn't even seem bothered by my presence. Seashells were abundant here and coral was formed further away from the beach where other creatures lived their peaceful lives, surviving their natural enemies only.

A smile crept on my lips and as I swam deeper and explored to my breath's limits before I got back up and to the surface. I figured I had gotten deep enough for my feet to not touch the silky sand bellow me and I was right in my assumption. Contempt with my time swimming I got back to the shore and to the cavern where I sat on the sand with the water coming up to my waist as I sat there with my back on the right scaled wall. It seemed that time and the elements had molded the walls here and made them smooth and gave them also this scaly texture. The stone was pure red and brown color and stalactites and stalagmites were evident here and there. The cavern itself must reach a few meters inside the walls of Starkhaven but light was not sparse here.

The sun was about to set in an hour and it was still bright here. That was when I shifted my focus to the sea again and I was left breathless. I never imagined I would actually see these waters again. I remembered from when I was still here that I used to like this place because of its waters. It was my favorite spot in the house as I liked to think about the castle back then but now I don't remember any of it. The crystal waters that reflected the light green and blue color of the reef bellow. That color that I still find heavenly and irreplaceable.

I never entered the cavern before; I stayed on the beach obeying directions for my safety. I used to come here all the time to play and swim and have fun but I always stayed for the sunset when I did. That was clearly the best place to watch the sunset. You had the sun in front of you to watch unhindered, the orange light of the sun illuminating the sea and turning the once light green and blue color to a bright orange and making the sea look like it was on fire as the waves were moving. And here in this cavern you had the perfect view of all of that, and you felt one with the ocean at the same time.