And maybe Easton had put me in it because of that fact.
Or perhaps he had just put me in here because it had been my room before and thought I might need something familiar.
I still didn’t know why he had been the one to call on me and not Rhodes. It worried me, but it wasn’t like I knew what I was doing. I needed to learn how to better control my Earth Wielding abilities. And at some point, I needed to unlock my Fire Wielding. Easton would be the one to teach me that—or at least one of his people would be. I hoped.
And one day soon, I hoped I would go to the Lumiére Kingdom and learn how to better Wield my Air and unlock my Water Wielding. It didn’t make any of this easier, but I would find my way through. I had already done a lot, and I would just keep going.
I dressed in soft leather pants, boots, and a long tunic that had flowers embroidered on the edges of the hem and cuffs, and paired it with a belt to cinch it at the waist. I sort of looked like a mix between what I had been before and what I was now. They weren’t the same battle leathers that I had worn when I was here last, nor was it the same type of leathers that Wyn had worn when I first met her in the Spirit territory.
This seemed more like just casualwear without having to wear a dress. And for that, I was grateful. I wasn’t the most graceful person when it came to dresses, so maybe I could move around better in this.
There was a knock on the door. Before I could answer, it opened, and Wyn stuck her head through the gap, her hair falling into her face before she tucked it behind her ear. “Oh, good, you’re dressed. Easton wants you to meet a few people and to show you around.”
“Oh? Am I going to start training today then?” I bent down and scratched Braelynn behind the ears, needing the way she purred against my leg to keep me steady.
“I don’t really know if training’s going to start today, but for sure tomorrow. I think today you’re just going to get settled. I know we’re technically at war with the Lumiére, but if you want, I can find a way for you to contact your friends.” She whispered the last part, and my eyes widened.
“You would do that?”
“You’re the Spirit Priestess. You’re the one who’s supposed to make us all come together and save the world. How can I help you do that if I don’t let you contact those of the Lumiére? Just think about it. I have my ways.” She winked and then walked fully into the room to kneel down on the ground. Braelynn looked at me and then swished her tail before going right over to Wyn and jumping into her arms.
I held back a smile. “I see that Braelynn trusts you.”
“Of course, she does. I’m very trustworthy. I’ll hang out with her for now if you want. That way, she’s not alone while I show her around the court a bit. I don’t want others to think that she’s just some ordinary cat.” Wyn looked down at Braelynn and trailed her finger along one of Brae’s wings. “Not that anyone’s really going to believe that. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone like her before. And I’ve seen a lot of different things considering where I grew up.”
I perked up, wanting to know more about these people I would be staying with. “Where did you grow up?”
Wyn’s brow rose, and she gave me a wry smile. “My parents are the Lord and Lady of Earth. Technically, I’m a princess of Obscurité, a lady in her own right.”
I blinked, remembering my last, not-so-nice encounter with the Earth Estate. “I…I didn’t know that.”
Wyn just snorted. “Yeah, I see you know them. And, yes, I’m their daughter. I grew up in the court though because my parents had this idea that I should marry Easton. So, they stuck us together.”
That made me blink again. “Oh?”
This time, Wyn laughed. “We’re a court system. As long as the bloodlines aren’t mixed too much, our families like to marry within and keep the power with them. Easton and I found it funny and trained so I would be in his inner circle as a warrior instead of just his wife.”
I felt like I was four steps behind again. “I have no idea what to say to that.”
Wyn just shrugged. “There isn’t much to say. But it’s not important. Really. I’m here to protect this kingdom. And Easton is my king. It’s what we do. You’ll learn more about it all on your own today when you go off with Easton.”
“So you’re not coming with me today?” I asked, feeling a little lost. Of course, that was something I was quite used to these days.
“No, I don’t think you need me. After all, you’ve known Easton longer than you’ve known me. Just don’t let him push you around. He gets all grumpy when he’s stressed out, and he’s really stressed out right now.”
“So I guess you know Easton really well.” I wasn’t really asking too deep of a question, but it sounded far more curious than I had planned.
Wyn just laughed. “Probably not the way you’re thinking. Easton and I have never been that close, at least not in that kind of relationship. But he is my best friend. At least, one of them. Teagan is the other.” She rolled her eyes. “Teagan, on the other hand…he I did date. But he’s a jerk—even though I love him.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh.”
Not really sure what else to say, I just sat there patting my hands against my thighs. I didn’t know how old Wyn or Teagan were. I still didn’t even know what kind of Wielding they had. I was so far out of my depth, it was crazy, but I’d find my way. I had to.
“Sorry, I kind of blurt things out when I’m nervous.”
“You’re nervous? Why would you be nervous? I thought I should be the nervous one.”
“Oh, you have total rights to be nervous right now. And I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to run out that door and never talk to us again. It would be kind of strange to be in a realm that isn’t yours and get asked to do things that no one can explain or tell you what they actually entail. But I’m nervous because I can’t believe that Rhodes and his sister actually found you. I mean, I know you’re still Lyric, but you’re also the Spirit Priestess. And I guess that’s a lot to put on your shoulders. And I don’t like that. I’d love to be able to help, but I’ll just have to figure out how to do that while you figure out how to help yourself.” She paused. “And that made no sense. So just ignore me and let me take you to where Easton and the uncles are.”
She turned on her heel, Braelynn still in her arms, and I followed, feeling more confused now than I had when I started.
“So, uncles?” I walked next to Wyn, trying to look around as I did so. Part of the court had been destroyed when we fought against the knight and his men. So much magic running through the halls had broken some of the stone and the crystals. But a lot of it had been rebuilt in the year I’d been gone.
There was still the dark stonework and even darker floors, but it had more of a shine to it than it had in the past. It wasn’t as dull, didn’t seem quite as…evil. Not that I thought that dark was evil and light was good, I had learned through reading Rosamond’s book and just from what I had seen that there was good and bad on both sides. I just needed to figure out which was which when I was facing it.