Flames And Starlight

Chapter 4

"Lyria?" She didn't answer. I had felt her body go limp. "Lyria!" I shook her but she would not wake up.

I don't think I had ever flown so fast in my life.

I couldn't let her die. I had wasted an entire night and had missed dinner to keep her alive once, I wouldn't let that be for nothing.

Not to mention, there was something about her that interested me. She was from another world. She was a princess who was every bit lethal as she was charming. She had an obsession with creatures unknown. She was a whole lot of feisty in a tiny body. She was beautiful. She was strange.

I landed in front of the door and kicked it open. I carried her upstairs, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

"You missed dinner..." My Uncle Cassian trailed off. "Who is that?"

"Cass, there's no time. I need a healer." He looked at me with wide eyes and soon enough Aunt Mor and Uncle Az had joined him as well. "She's dying."

Within seconds the rest of my family was gathered in the guest bedroom, watching the healer work. I laid Lyria on the bed and gave the healer space to work. Everyone looked from me to Lyria and back to me.

Almost as if sensing my nerves, my mom laced her fingers with mine. "She'll be alright, my dear." She whispered and I hoped it was true.

Time seemed to be frozen where it was. Every minute felt like eternity. Utter silence filled the room. The only sound I heard was the echoing of my heart.

She couldn't die. I was teasing her no more than half an hour ago. How did I not notice that she had caught fever? It looks as if her stomach had started to heal on itself but there wasn't much her body could do as it fought the fever at the same time.

After agonizing minutes, the healer spoke. "I freed her body of the fever. She will be perfectly fine once I seal up these wounds. There is no need to worry."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Cass, Az, and Mor all nodded to me and left the room. With one last squeeze of my hand and a smile, my mother left after them.

I watched the healer work in silence, helping her turn Lyria over when asked so she may work more on that damaged shoulder.
I looked at Lyria now. Really looked at her. She was quite beautiful. Very beautiful.

Her hair was the same silver as a newly polished blade. Her eyes, though closed now, were the most interesting pair I had ever seen.

Not the blue of my mom's but something so much more. She looked about eighteen or nineteen but then again, I don't know how aging works in her world so I could be completely wrong. She had high cheek bones leading to a strong jaw and perfectly shaped brows. She was tiny, like Amren, but no less of a fighter.

I have met many esteemed children of High Lord's, and have had the unfortunate honor of being harassed by many many young women. But Lyria was something new. Different.
I've never met a woman so invested in research or with such a need for adventure. It was a nice change.

I couldn't deny that I found her attractive.
She was violent yes. But I found it weirdly attractive.

I know she found me attractive as well. "Beautiful" I think is what she thought. Though she's never admit it, her thoughts were loud and clear.

"You'll wear out the rug if you keep pacing like that." I looked up to find my father leaned against the doorway. The healer looked up from her work for a mere second to bow her head to my father before she continued.

My father pushed off the doorway and hooked his arm around my shoulder. "Who is she?"

"Lyria." I said as if the name had any meaning. Which I guess it did to me but it didn't exactly answer my fathers question. "She's not from around here."