Mailee's eyes snapped open. She was breathing-- hard. But she was safe--safe in her room.
"Why am I so prone to strange, unpleasant dreams? And why was I out of breath?"
"From only the ashes of who we are, can we rise up to become who we're meant to be. Remember, in order to rise from one's ashes; a phoenix first must burn." Mailee turned on her side, and would have gladly fallen asleep again were it not for the metal that cut into her palm.
"Please tell me this is that serpent ring." But she knew it wasn't. In her hand laid a coin-size red amulet on a delicate chain. She fought against the urge to scream.
Made of intricate bands of metal, within the round border of the amulet lay two overlapping circles, one on top of the other. In the space that they shared was a small red gem that gave the center of the amulet the appearance of an eye. A line ran straight through the entire thing. It was beautiful, and strange, and--
Mailee faced the tapestry. The door was slightly ajar.
She jumped from the bed, slamming into the wall so hard that her shoulder made an ugly cracking noise. Despite the pain, she rushed to the door and pulled it tightly shut. The last thing she needed was for whatever was down there to wind up in her rooms.or to have Lady Mira show up again. Or whoever this old guardian is.
Panting, Mailee stepped back, surveying the tapestry. The woman's figure rose up from behind the wooden chest. With a jolt, she realized it must have been this old guardian that Mira was talking about; she stood just where the door was. A clever marker.
Mailee threw more logs into the fire, quickly changing into one of Raloric's clean shirts, and sliding into bed, clutching one of her daggers. The amulet laid where she had left it.
"It will protect you..."
Mailee cursed herself for it, but hastily attached the chain around her neck. It was light and warm. Pulling the covers up to her chin, she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for sleep to come, or for a clawed hand to snatch at her, to decapitate her.
"If it hadn't been a dream-- if it hadn't just been some hallucination..." Mailee clutched the necklace. "What was this old guardian's motives? But why did Mira have to be the one to tell me all this? And how does this tie with Soveliss?" Mailee took a starting breath, nestling farther into her pillows. "What a fool I was to open that secret door in my chambers. By doing so had I somehow brought all of this upon myself, then?" She opened her eyes, watching the tapestry.
"Many evil dwells in this castle...You have been chosen..."
"Don't I have enough to worry about right now?" Mailee took a shuddering breath. "First thing tomorrow I will go and see if I can find the library and see what I can dig up."
The phantom breeze flowed through her room, smelling of flaming lilies. It was a long while before Mailee slipped into an uneasy sleep.
YOU ARE READING
The Mirror Guardian
Random((Book One of The Guardian Series.)) She was the Flame of Light craving peace... They say she is powerful. They say she is the Flame of Life. They say she instill fear into the hearts of many. It is even said that the Devil himself is afraid of her...
