The next afternoon they took Vivyka to the Brunya City Orphanage. The little girl clung and cried. “It’ll be all right, sweetie,” Julia told her. “You’ll be taken care of here.” She sounded strong and reassuring, even as the tears streamed down her face. Though she desperately wanted to cling as well, she couldn’t, and her heart broke as she handed the child over to Martha, the middle-aged, plump woman who ran the place.
She watched the woman take Vivyka into the white, two-story building through blurry eyes. The little girl’s hands reached out for her, and her sweet face was wet as she continued to cry loudly. Though Julia stood firm and silent, inside she felt like a mirror, reflecting the girl’s anguish.
And then Vivyka’s cries faded, as the orphanage door closed.
Falcon put an arm around Julia. “Come on,” he told her gently. “There’s nothing more we can do.”
Julia nodded absently and let him lead her through town. “She seemed nice, right?” she asked after a minute. “Martha seemed okay, didn’t she?”
“Yes. Vivyka will be fine. They have good laws where children are concerned on Kelstone. They’ll take good care of her.”
“Yeah, but… who will love her?” she asked and started crying again. “She’s… she’s alone. Just another kid in that place…”
Falcon stopped and faced her. He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “It’ll be okay,” he said softly. “Don’t think about it. There’s nothing you can do now. You just have to let it go.”
Crazily, she thought of figuring out a way to bring Vivyka home with her. She didn’t even care about Earth at the moment―she only wanted to go back to the orphanage and hold Vivyka, to love her and never leave her.
But Falcon was right. Even if she were going to stay here, there was nothing she could do right now. The important thing was to make sure Kieran didn’t make more orphans, didn't cause more children to suffer. Julia needed to make sure the right government was restored so that whatever child welfare laws they had here would continue, because who knew what would happen under Kieran and Xavien’s rule?
She took a deep breath. A new surge of purpose filled her and gave her strength, she nodded to Falcon. “Okay.”
He gave her a warm, tender smile. “How about we go find a tavern and get a strong drink?”
She laughed weakly. “Yes, please.”
__________
Kalos’s Tavern wasn’t really that small, but the tables took up so much of the floor that people had to stand sideways to let others pass by. They past a group of dwarves at a low table; most of them were wide, burly-looking men, with dark auburn hair, and long beards, all around four to four and a half feet tall. The women looked much the same, just without the beard.
Falcon and Julia continued through the lively crowd to a human-sized table in the corner, near the bar. Within minutes, a man in his fifties with a long, gray ponytail and sun-browned skin greeted them with a friendly smile. “Hello. Welcome to my tavern.” His voice was very peaceful and soft, but also a bit rugged. “What can I get for you?”
Falcon, as usual, ordered for them both. “Two of whatever the special is tonight, some ale, and…” He looked at Julia. “You want whiskey or wine?”
She smiled. “Just wine, thanks.”
As Kalos walked away, a woman―who had to be the most beautiful person in existence―walked over to their table. She was petite, very slender and a few inches shorter than Julia, with flawless, creamy skin and green eyes. She wore a dusty rose-colored top that laced up the front, a matching skirt and tall brown boots. Aside from her bangles, the only jewelry she wore was a golden locket.
“Hi, I’m Lotus. And I’m really sorry for whatever causes your sadness,” she said sympathetically. Her voice was light and sweet and like a song. She tucked a copper lock—almost as copper as a new penny—behind one ear. The smooth, straight hair hung like silk curtains around her, falling almost to her waist. The gold bangles she wore jingled as she lowered her arm. “Are you the ones searching for Mount Aylios?”
Glancing at Falcon, Julia frowned as she found him staring at the beautiful woman with a lovesick look that made her stomach knot. “Yes,” she answered, turning back at Lotus. “How’d you know?”
“Oh, good.” She smiled, revealing dimples. “I’ve been waiting for almost a week. I was told that I’d find you here. Your destiny and mine are entwined. You travel the same road I do.”
Julia shook her head, which ached, feeling too full from the drain recent events. “I don’t understand.”
“I asked Lila, a fairy I know, to help me,” Lotus explained. “The high priestess Kieran has to be stopped. I have seen the horrible things she’s doing. She no longer hides behind King Xavien. She is personally ordering people to be hung, their homes to be burnt―all because they will not accept her demon god. Too many lives have already been lost.”
Julia nodded slowly. “We’ve seen it ourselves,” she said, almost choking on the words. She cleared her throat. “So… you’re trying to stop her?”
“Yes. That’s why I’ve come to find you, to join your quest.”
She looked too innocent, too delicate to be of any use. “Thanks,” Julia told her. “But we wouldn’t wish to put you in danger.”
Lotus smiled again. “I can take care of myself,” she said confidently. “I’ve been doing so for almost eighteen years now.”
Julia frowned. “How old are you?”
“I’ll be thirty-eight next February.”
Julia tried to hide her shock―the woman looked no more than twenty. She looked to Falcon, wanting his input on the matter, but he was still too busy gawking. She tried to ignore the prickling feeling of jealousy running through her. “You know where Mount Aylios is?” she asked Lotus.
“I’m a bard, and I know the song about it. It tells how to find it and, more importantly, the cave in that mountain. I can take you there.”
“Maybe you could just mark it on our map,” Julia suggested, not liking the idea of this beautiful woman coming with them. “I just wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”
Lotus’ gentle laugh was like a bell. “It wouldn’t be much good to you. You need to play a special song to enter the mountain.”
“And you know this song?”
“Yes,” she said, then added before Julia could argue further, “the song must be played on an instrument as well as sung. I can do both.”
Julia glanced over at Falcon and glared for a moment when she saw that he was still in a trance. She was so emotionally drained that she was surprised she could feel any more, but she definitely felt the painful ache of jealousy. Ridiculous at a time like this, but there it was. “Okay,” she said grudgingly as she looked back at the woman.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah,” Julia replied tonelessly.
Lotus smiled at her knowingly and leaned close. “Don’t be upset with your friend,” she whispered, so that only Julia could hear her. “He can’t help staring at me―I’m half-nymph. But don’t worry, it’ll wear off soon.”
Julia nodded, though she didn’t feel any better.
Lotus pulled a chair over from a nearby table and sat down, then opened her locket which was engraved with a lotus flower, and showed Julia the picture inside. “My father, Lord Edmund Taylor of Glendale,” she said affectionately. “He was a very noble and kind man. But he’s dead now. He was murdered five months ago because he refused to support the Lord of Oraunt, Xavien Barrowmont, in his scheme to make himself Kelstone’s king.” She closed the locket, letting it swing back into place against her chest. She sighed, then smiled angelically and covered Julia’s hand with her own incredibly soft one. “This is fate’s doing,” she said earnestly. “Fate has brought us together to defeat this evil.”
What was it with people here, Julia wondered, with all their talk of fate and destiny? She let it go, as well s her bewilderment at exactly why this woman felt the need to tell her all of this. She nodded, and replied without much feeling—she did seem to have much left. “I’m sorry about your father.”
“Thank you,” Lotus said warmly, removing her hand and scooting her chair closer. “When I was born, my mother left me with my father. She knew he would love me like no other could, and she was right.” She picked up a wooden instrument from beside them that Julia hadn’t even noticed. It was like a guitar, only smaller, with more strings, and the part at the end of the instrument with the tuning pegs was bent back. “He gave me this lute when I was four years old. He enjoyed music so much that he had teachers from all over instruct me in the art. I used to sing and play for him every night.”
“What about your mother?” Julia asked nosily. “How could she leave you like that? Do you ever see her?”
Lotus shook her head as she put her lute down. “She knew she would die soon after I was born. It was her time.” When Julia looked confused, she explained, “Nymphs stay young for their entire lives.”
“Will you?”
“No, but I will live much longer than a full human.” She swept a hand across her shoulder, brushing a sheet of copper hair out of the way. “When will we be leaving?” she asked with another dimpled smile and an eagerness in her big, green eyes.
Julia noticed now that there were flecks of chestnut in them. They reminded her of a meadow, when the sunlight touched the grass through a canopy of trees. They were beautiful, mesmerizing even. Lotus was impossibly gorgeous, but there was nothing fake about her; she didn’t even wear makeup. She was so very natural―it was like she belonged wherever she happened to be, some wild flower that had grown in that very spot. There was a youthful innocence and wonder about her that made her instantly endearing. It made it difficult for Julia to really dislike her, though she wanted to.
“Um… tomorrow morning,” she finally answered.
Lotus nodded.
Kalos was back then, setting their food down in front of them. Falcon’s stomach growled with hunger as he smelled dinner. He looked down at his steaming steak and mashed potatoes. “Mmm,” he murmured, picking up his knife and fork. It was as if he hadn’t just spent the last ten minutes staring at Lotus.
Julia rolled her eyes.
“Would you like anything, my dear?” The older man asked the bard warmly.
Lotus smiled serenely at him. “Nothing for me, Kalos. Thank you.” She returned her gaze to Julia as he walked away, and her smiled widened. “I’m happy that you’re starting to like me.”
Am I? Julia thought, inwardly grumbling at the truth of it. She gave Lotus an awkward smile, then started eating. Unnervingly, Lotus just sat there, staring at her with a happy expression on her face.
“Would you like me to play a song?” she asked when they were finished.
“Yes, please,” Falcon answered immediately.
She nodded once, then stood and picked up her lute. She started to play a cheerful, lilting tune. When she began to sing, it was the most beautiful sound Julia had ever heard. She glanced around and noticed how everyone else in the place was silent and staring, all instantly enchanted by the bard. The song made Julia feel calm, and the heavy sadness she had weighing on her lightened, though she wasn’t sure why.
When the song was finished, everyone applauded; even Julia joined in. People shouted encore, and Lotus happily obliged.
Six songs later, she stopped and smiled at Julia and Falcon. “I’m going to rest now. I’ll see you in the morning.” She took her pack and lute, and headed for the stairs at the other side of the tavern.
