The Seelie Curse

Chapter 19

From beside Kyma, Astrila sighs. Kyma squeezes her cousin's hand. "Don't worry, we'll find your answers."

"I hope so."

Kyma turns to look for Ro. When she sees the redhead's expression, she frowns. "Ro? What is it?"

Ro's voice is soft, almost at a whisper. "Star thanked Darach?"

"Umm, yes. Is that bad?"

"How much do you two even know about other Aos Sí?!"

Kyma glances at Astrila. Her cousin looks almost as confused as she does, but Astrila looks like her magic might be speaking to her. When Astrila's eyes clear, her eyes are worried. Kyma looks back at Ro, her eyes flicking between Ro and Astrila.

"Am I missing something?"

Astrila moves closer to Kyma, her face shadowed. "My magic told me that with some Aos Sí, you put yourself in their debt when you thank them."

Kyma turns to Ro. "Is it safe with Dryads?"

She hesitates. "Yes, but as a general rule, just don't thank them. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"If Darach is safe, why did you look so worried about Star saying it?"

Ro sighs. "I'm so used to not saying it, so it caught me by surprise. Also, you two didn't even think about it before Star said it, you didn't know. And that scared me."

Kyma smiles weakly. "Well, there was no harm done?"

Ro doesn't look completely convinced. "This time, perhaps. But what if you slip up?"

"We'll cross that sea when we get there." Kyma pauses. "Sorry, road. Merrows use a lot of alternate sayings."

Ro's mouth twitches into a smile. "It's alright. Now, are you actually going to see where you're going to stay?"

Kyma laughs. "Show us, please."

Ro walks to the dome and circles its perimeter, seemingly looking for something. She makes it about a third of the way around the wooden dome before she ducks through it. Kyma hurries forward, trying to see how Ro got through. But all she can see is branches shrouded in leaves.

"Ro?"

Kyma can hear Ro laugh from inside the dome. A hand sticks out in front of her and Kyma grabs it, letting Ro pull her inside. Astrila follows a pace behind her, slipping through the opening with ease. Now inside, Kyma twists back to look at the dome from within. The spot where they came through is easily found, it looks like the branches form an arch. Leaves cover the opening, making it look like one seamless wall from the outside.

Kyma turns again, looking away from the wall of the dome to examine the inside of it. There is the small trunk of a young tree in the center, its branches spreading away from it to form the dome itself. A ring of twinflowers surrounds the trunk of the tree, blanketing the ground with pale pink petals. There's plenty of room inside the dome, about the same as there was in Astrila's iglu. Kyma smiles at Ro.

"It's lovely. Did you grow it?"

Ro's smile is sheepish. "It was my final lesson."

"Why are you embarrassed? Don't be!"

Instead of responding, Ro ducks out of the dome. When she comes back inside, her smile is sad. "I have to go now, I have lessons."

"Is there a school nearby? I'm assuming you mean lessons in the human world since you just said making the dome was your final lesson."

Ro laughs. "Yes, I do mean non-magical lessons. But there isn't a school nearby, I'm taught at home."

"Have fun!"

Ro ducks back outside the dome and Kyma listens as the sound of her footsteps fades away. She looks down at the ball of water still held in her hands. If it wasn't a message, it would have fallen by now, water dripping between her fingers to reach the ground below. But until she is ready to open the message, the ball will remain unbroken and whole.

She sighs. It's time to open it. She touches the top of it, where a tiny bubble of air hovers just at the edge. She breaks the bubble and the ball of water spreads out into the air like a sheet. Salt crystals normally dissolved in the water coalesce and spread out, forming words. The shape of the words are jagged, her mother was furious when she wrote this.

Kyma Tide!

Come home at once! You said you would keep Lyss with you while you traveled, and now you've sent her home? That was not our agreement! You will come home and explain why you thought it was a good idea to do so, and you will do so as soon as you get this. There is no good reason to send your guard away. So come home, now. Is that understood?

Lahira.

Kyma winces. She is so dead. Her mother is going to kill her. She knew that would happen when she sent Lyss back, but . . . it's becoming real now.
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Did you like the description of the message? Will Kyma respond to it? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Just a reminder for you guys, there aren't going to be any chapter updates on the weekends for now.

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.