Chapter 62 Shaped Like A Key
With Lakan’s help, Althea’s strength had returned, yet the uneasiness from her dream still lingered.
She waited almost the whole night for Gavriel while lying in his bed but he never came. She got up and walked to the balcony. The full moon shone brightly in the sky, and her eyes filled with tears as her mother’s last words came back to her.
“We came from a powerful house, Althea. You possess great power within you, but others may perceive it as dangerous. Some, driven by greed, will try to use it for their own benefit. Be careful. Don’t show your gift unless you must. Live a simple life if you can. That’s all I want for you… I’m sorry I failed to protect you. I love you so much.”
Tears slid down her cheeks as she remembered the necklace her mother had given her before she died. There was a big pendant shaped like a key. She had lost it long ago. Luna Meena had taken it from her, only to lose it as well, and since then, it had never been found.
“Keep this key with you. One day, it will be useful to you, and—” Her mother’s words had cut off mid-sentence. She had died before finishing.
“I must find that key,” she whispered. She remembered so much now, yet some pieces were still missing. Most of all, she wanted to know the truth about where her mother had really come from.
Where had her mother truly come from? All Althea wanted was a home, a place where she could be accepted and live a simple life, the way she had always wished.
Althea closed her eyes as the night air brushed cool against her skin. She opened her eyes and leaned lightly on the railing, her gaze drawn to the oak tree not far from her sight. For a fleeting moment, she caught it… something shifting among the branches, too solid to be the wind.
Her heart gave a small jolt. Someone was there, looking at her and she was certain of it.
She turned quickly, grabbing her coat to cover her nightgown.
Just as she reached for the door, it opened a fraction and was blocked.
Trudis stood firmly on one side, and Ben on the other. Both guards bowed their heads slightly but made no move to step aside.
“My Lady,” Trudis said, his tone flat. “You shouldn’t be leaving your room this late.”
Ben gave her a gentler look, though his stance was no less steady. There was hesitation in his expression as he stutteringly asked, “How are you feeling now?”
Althea hesitated, then offered him a small smile. “I’m better. Thank you for asking.”
But even as she spoke, she let her gift slip in, quietly reading the surface of their thoughts.
Ben’s heart was conflicted. ‘I should thank her. She saved us all. But… how do I say it? Would it even matter?’
Trudis’s thoughts were heavier, weighed down by doubt. ‘She saved us… but why? Was it out of kindness? Or does she want something from us? Maybe it’s all a trick, a way to win us over. I can’t afford to trust her so easily.’
Althea’s smile stayed in place, though inside she felt a dull ache. She understood their silence, their suspicion. After all, she was still the traitor’s daughter in their eyes. No matter what she did, her every move would be questioned.
Still, Althea chose not to let the silence hang heavy. She tilted her head slightly, her smile faint but warm. “You both look far too serious. I promise, I won’t run off into the night without permission.”
Ben blinked at her, caught off guard. For a moment, he seemed torn between speaking or staying quiet. Finally, the words tumbled out, rough and awkward. “Th… thank you, My Lady. For earlier. If not for you, we… we might not be standing here now.”
Trudis shot him a sharp look, but even she didn’t speak to stop him.
Althea’s smile softened. “I only did what I thought was right. Being my father’s daughter doesn’t mean I’ll follow his path. I have my own principles, my own choices.”
Her gaze drifted past them, thoughtful yet calm. “Life is precious. If I can save even one, then that is what my gift is for. That is its purpose.”
Ben lowered his eyes, almost ashamed, as if she had somehow answered the questions he hadn’t dared to ask. Trudis remained stern, but a flicker of unease crossed her face, as though she was quietly wondering how she could speak so directly to what was on their minds.
Althea stepped back then, her voice gentle as she added, “Goodnight, both of you. See you tomorrow.”
Althea stepped back into her room and let out a long sigh, the weight of the day pressing on her shoulders. For a moment, she thought about lying down, but her feet carried her back toward the balcony.
Her eyes drifted once more to the oak tree standing tall in the courtyard. She bit her lower lip, curiosity gnawing at her. Whoever, or whatever, she had seen earlier lingered in her thoughts like a shadow she couldn’t shake off.
The balcony wasn’t too high, just a floor above the ground. With her gift, she could leap down safely. A flick of her will, a push of air beneath her feet, and she’d land as lightly as a feather.
Her fingers brushed the railing as the idea settled in.
‘It would be good practice anyway,’ she told herself. It had been so long since she last trained with the four elements her mother had taught her.
Years of silence, years of lost memory about it. Now, with everything stirring inside her again, maybe it was time to remember what she was fully capable of.
The thought made her heart race, not just with nerves, but with a strange spark of excitement.
Althea leaned over the balcony railing, her eyes fixed on the ground below. For anyone else, the jump would have been reckless, but not for her. She knew the air would obey.
She stepped onto the edge without hesitation, her long hair fluttering around her face. With a calm breath, she raised her hand, and the wind stirred at once, swirling around her body like an old friend answering her call.
“I’ve done this before,” she murmured to herself, a quiet spark of pride in her voice.
Then she pushed off.