Chapter 20
Liri pulled it tight and then quickly tucked it underneath. Climbing quickly on it, she tried to make the other corner reach. It didn’t. “Oh, come on.” She crawled off the bed and shoved her hair out of her face. How could it be wrong three times? It was an impossible task.
“Hi. Oh,” Nova came into the room and looked at the bed.
Liri motioned to it. “I’ve never had to make my own bed, so I thought, how hard could it be?” She wiped her forehead. “I’m sweating like I just went through a workout, and it’s still not right.”
“Well, it's more difficult with the bed against the wall. If you pull it away from the wall, you don’t have to wrestle the sheet on the corners.”
Liri sighed loud.
“I don’t think it’s the bed that’s bothering you.” Nova went over and pulled the sheet off, and turned it.
“It’s not, well, it is because it’s such a simple task, and I can’t manage it. Which is ridiculous when you consider my age.” She went over and took the other corner, and it popped onto the mattress without a problem, annoying her further. “My mother would never let me do things, said we had servants, and it was their job.”
Nova sat on the bed after she put the last corner of the sheet on. “Your life in Solrelm is just different than if you were here, that’s all.”
“My everything is different.” She looked down at the link bracelet and traced her finger over it, “I don’t want to be stuck here—no offense, while the others are in Alterealm figuring things out.”
“None taken. I understand. It’s been requested of me that I stay put for now.” She rolled her eyes and then grinned, “But Bastian means well.”
“What harm could come of me when I’m in a guarded palace surrounded by the royal family?” Liri fell back and lay on the bed.
“That’s a good point.” Nova turned and looked down at her, “are you all right? You just seem off after your plane trip.”
“I loved jumping from the plane.” She turned her head and grinned at her. “I want to do it again, maybe without the plane having to die to do it.”
“You’re braver than I am. I don’t think I could do it.”
“It was exhilarating,” she bit her lip, “being that close to Abraham was more so.”
Nova leaned back on her elbow and smiled at her, “Oh?”
“Yes,” she felt her cheeks heat, another first for her, “he is my other.” She sat up straight, “I don’t know if he knows.” She twisted the link bracelet around her wrist. “I asked if we could talk when we got back, but then I was banished here.”
Nova sat up, “did he agree?”
Liri nodded, “Yes.” She sighed, “I can’t even message him, I don’t have his number, but I think we need to talk about it and what it means.” She still wasn’t sure what it meant. She knew what he was but wasn’t even sure if that was where she wanted to go at this point in her life.
“You know Bastian and I can’t,” her face flushed, “uh, because of everything going on.”
“I know. It’s awful, he’s waited so long to find his other, and now he has to wait longer.”
Nova smirked, “Yes, he’s not happy with it at all,” she frowned. “It’s so hard being with him but not even being able to be with him.” She touched her throat, “I haven’t been wearing the stone when I’m here most of the time, but he makes me put it on.”
Liri sighed, “It’s not fair that our lives are like this because of some stupid evil jerk a few centuries ago.”
Nova chuckled, “I’m pretty sure it was more than one evil jerk.”
“Oh,” Liri remembered, “did he tell you about the circle of stones? The whole area is evil proof. No one with dark intentions can enter it.”
Nova stood up, “that might explain why they stopped the realms from interacting…”
“That’s what I said.” She looked at the bed, she should probably finish making it. Surely the rest of the bedding would be easier to put on.
“I’m going to call Bastian and see what they’re doing, see if Abe has some time to come over.” She gave her an understanding smile and left the room.
Liri’s phone pinged. Heaving another sigh, she went over and checked it. Riaz was coming over with her elixir. She sent him back an ‘okay.’ How sad was it when your closest friend was your guard, whom you didn’t know much about? He didn’t spend a lot of time talking about himself.
Nova came back and stood in the doorway, “they’re busy right now, but Bastian is going to send Abe over when they’re finished.”
“Busy with what?” She would love to go out with all of them again, even if it were to walk through a forest. It’s not like she got to walk through a lot of anything at home other than walking the halls of her quarters’ very sterile building.
“Communicating with the other realms about testing for magic and some other things,” she shrugged, “I didn’t catch it all. It was quite loud in the background. “
“Oh.” Liri nodded, “Thank you for trying though.”
“Mhmm,” she turned and then paused, “Oh, I set the items you asked for on the table in the sitting room.” She tilted her head and looked at her, “do I want to know why you needed so many sticky notes?”
Liri grinned. “I’ll share if my idea works.”
“Interesting. Okay. I’ll be in the office if you need me. I’ve decided I’m going to use some of the properties as safe houses and help some of the mothers and children that were abandoned because of the Solrelm, uh, issue.”
Liri dropped the sheet onto the bed. “I want to help,” she waved her hand, “not with the properties or whatever you’re doing, but running them, setting them up.”
“Great. I’ll tell Alona and Paisley; they’re going to be helping too.”
Liri’s stomach felt like it had butterflies in it. “Sign me up,” she paused for a second, “and do not tell my cousins, or they’ll come up with some reason why I can’t.”
“I’ll leave the announcement to you.”
“Thank you.” Liri wanted to dance when Nova left the room. A purpose. She was going to have a purpose other than having a Solrelm baby. She picked up the other sheet and then froze, a baby. Her other was not from Solrelm, so there would not be a Solrelm baby in her future. “Mom is going to have a complete meltdown and scream very loud.”