Regius by Nastasia Peters Read Free Book Online

order them to do this because we struck a deal.
Cooperating soldiers for my child's life."
    "Don't be so dramatic,
Sage. She is much too valuable. I wouldn't dream of ridding the
world of such a gift." Was today going to be the day my mother
wouldn't be able to stop Xania Reinhardt from entering my safe
zone?
    "If I let you use her the
way you wish too, she might as well be dead." I heard her pause. "I
have only to snap my fingers and the army will take you down. As
they should have the moment you had us run
and hide from the Altors!" Things were
getting heated, hot enough for me to follow my mother's
instructions if it ever came to that moment where Xania may push
Sage aside.
    Smoothing out my clothes, I
moved off the tree branch and climbed down to the first floor of my
conservatory. As I passed my distillery, I lowered the fire beneath
the transparent bottles with colorful liquids bubbling
inside.
    "Mark my words, Sage. One
day I will get my
hands on your daughter." I heard the Steward growl, leading me to
pause in my steps. He would leave, which meant I wouldn't need to
hide in the trap beneath the floor. One of my mother's soldier's
had built it years ago. Sighing, I knew what would come next, and I
didn't need the gift of foresight for it.
    One, two,
three...
    "Mallow!" My mother barked,
throwing open the door carved into the tree I'd been lazily dozing
off on earlier. "What is he talking about?!" She locked the door
behind her and then went and shut all the curtains that would cover
the conservatory's windows. I wondered how long she'd keep me in
the darkness this time.
    "Mother." I murmured,
bowing my head respectfully.
    "Don't call me that." She
returned coldly, turning her sharp blue gaze on me once the room
was only being lit by the distillery. "What have you
seen?"
    "The Altors still believe
you have the gift."
    "Not that."
    "Digitalis has kidnapped
Solenum Everhart."
    "And?" She pushed. Pressing
my lips tightly together, I momentarily imagined that I wasn't
here. Not here with the Regius. "Snap out of it, child."
    "Soon my gift will consume
me. Have you found a cure?" My voice sounded fragile to my own
ears, as though death frightened me. Sage shook her head. "The
Palliums are in an uproar." I finally answered. "They will grow
more and more vulnerable."
    "Tell me when I am to
attack them or the Altors again." She ordered, hesitating for a
second before she reached out with a hand and patted my
cheek.
    "I will, Sage."
    * * * *
     
     
     
     

Chapter 5
Calycanthus Esquivel
    It had been too long since
I had just laid there, waking up at my own pace, enjoying the state
where I am half asleep. My mind was in a dream, yet I could control
it in a way. It was a boring dream; soldiers were training and
liking it, nothing spectacular about that when you're an Altor. Yet
for me it was because I hadn't had a boring dream since that
barrier had been created in my mind. Now that it was gone and I
remembered, the nightmares had gone too. It had been so powerful; I
hadn't even been able to remember that I'd already learned how to
ride a bike. I wanted to go to Lithium Village and tell Delph I
remembered who'd taught me.
    Vervaine had been right to
compare Datura to Solenum. We'd had a very similar dynamic. So
similar in fact, it felt as though I'd tried to recreate it
subconsciously. If that were true, it wouldn't change the fact that
Solenum was everything to me and one day we'd see each other again.
Only now I hoped that Datura would come with me.
    I assumed the feeling I got
from retrieving my memories was a lot like learning how to walk.
Before you take that step it's hard and scary. And then when you
finally do it, you're hit by this epiphany; it's just a matter of
balance. I doubt I worded it like that in my head when I actually
did start walking, but that is the only way I could describe it.
It's natural, but before you do it, it feels like the
opposite.
    I had daydreamed many times
about my memories returning to me, and