Orelie

*23*

*23*

I felt empty. Nothing seemed right. Everything I thought I knew about him was a lie. I felt betrayed; broken. I thought I could trust him. Why would he lie to me? What did he have to gain from keeping this from me?

My heart ached as I curled into a tighter ball on Mystic's couch. How could he lie to me? To everyone? Was he really protecting me, or keeping me for himself? Did he only want me for my blood?

"Hey," I barely looked up as Mystic entered the room. "I brought you some tea."

"I don't want it," I mumbled into the cushions. "Just leave me alone. I don't know what's real anymore, and I just feel so..."

"Hurt? Angry? Betrayed?" She set the tray down and smiled. "I understand exactly what you're going through. I know how you feel."

"How?" I sat up, allowing her to sit on the couch. "You don't know what this is like for me. He used me! He drank from me, then pretended to be distraught when he found out! I don't even know if he really cared about me. I just..." my breath stuck in my throat.

I swallowed to clear it. "I don't know why I'm feeling like this, Mystic. Yeah, I'm upset, but why this much? I've been hurt and lied to before, but I've never felt like a piece of my heart had been ripped out."

A sad smile fell across her lips. "You love him."

My head snapped up. "Love? What do you mean?"

"You care deeply about him," she handed me a cup. "You look up to him, respect him, and trust him unconditionally. He took you from a bad place and showed you a new world of magic and wonder. You associated him with happiness and light. Now that he's broken your trust, you feel as if your light has gone out."

"But how could I love him?" I sipped from the cup. "I'm still not sure what that is. No one really cared enough about me. But Crae..." my heart grew heavy saying his name.

"You might not have known it, but your heart did," she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Love is a tricky emotion. It can be difficult to spot and understand. Once you and the other person can talk things through and understand each other more, it can be revealed."

I sighed and hung my head. "I don't know. It still doesn't make much sense. And I don't want to see him any time soon. Maybe never again."

My eyes looked over the room and spotted my staff. I slowly sat up and stood. My hand brushed over the smooth wood, tracing the details. My hand wrapped around it and lifted it from its spot against the wall.

"But I do know what I want to do." I turned to Mystic, my staff gripped tightly in my hands. "Crae didn't want me to go to the academy because he thought I wasn't ready. Will you take me? I want to further strengthen my magic abilities."

Mystic stood and nodded. "Of course. We can leave first thing tomorrow. I'll make us something to eat then prepare for the trip tomorrow."

"Sounds good," I sat back down on the couch and stared at my staff in my hands. It's been a while since I used my magic with it. I know my magic has gotten stronger after my fight with the witch. Will it even still be able to absorb my excess magic?

"Kyrene, I have an idea what to make, but I need to-" she stopped. "You're... worried about your magic, aren't you?"

I nodded. "I used a lot of magic back in that mountain. I don't know if my staff can still connect to me. I... might need a new one. But if I do, I only want a branch from the sycamore."

"It's okay, Kyrene," she assured me. "Come with me to the market. After we shop for our trip, we can go to the river and practice. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." I used my staff to help me stand, hiding the soreness in my muscles. I haven't completely recovered from the ordeal, but I don't want Mystic to worry.