The Lost Girl... (Faith, Hope and Tranquillity #1)

CHAPTER 17

Lily/ Sere’s POV

I was sitting on the sofa explaining to everyone that I had put two and two together after speaking to Silver. Silver had only confirmed what I was already thinking was true. I didn’t mention anything about David or what he had told me so far. Silver and Estel had come in whilst we were talking, and my heart had stopped beating when he walked past me. Estel sat at the left side of me, Voronwe was on my right. I couldn’t make eye contact with Silver.

Estel took my hand whilst I was talking, she knew how much I was struggling with this. I explained about my dreams and what I could remember including some of the book details, but I left out Dae just in case. I hadn’t remembered ever telling Celeb about Dae but maybe I just hadn’t remembered that part yet.

“I’m so happy that you finally remembered us.” Estel gushed. “Celeb has been looking for you for years alone because we have things to take care of at home but once he said he defiantly found you we came here to help. We knew it was you, although your beautiful hair is shorter, and you have human eyes now and your ears have disappeared…” She looked me up and down. “They’ll return to normal once you decide to come home.” She spoke. I could see her waiting for me to say something but I wasn’t sure what she wanted from me. Despite this now being true I couldn’t go back “home” until I remembered everything and could control my powers… my powers!

“OH! Can you teach me how to control my powers?!” I shouted out without thinking. Voronwe started chuckling.

“You really haven’t changed a bit Sere. Always saying what’s on your mind regardless of what’s happening around you.” I blushed. I had always been very impulsive, but it usually served me well. Estel and Voronwe agreed to help me regain control of my powers and started coming up with a plan of how we could start. All through the conversation Silver hadn’t said two words but kept staring at me. I couldn’t help but keep sneaking glances at him.

“Celeb, I think you and Sere should speak in private.” Estel said but gave him a look of serious warning before she ushered the others out of the door. “We are off for food, we will be about an hour, ok? Call if you have any problems.” She said to neither one of us in particular. I nodded but again Silver didn’t move or acknowledge anything anyone had said, he just kept watching me. The group grabbed their jackets and left. I felt uncomfortable at his gaze but part of me wanted to run to him. He couldn’t be Dae, could he? Nothing about him screamed jealous lover, or brother scorned. I didn’t feel threatened by him, but I also didn’t feel threatened by David. But that would mean David was lying, wouldn’t it? I know I saw the gold thread after Silver showed me the memory, but could that have been dark magic too? I shook my head not knowing what to think anymore.

“Do you want to go for a ride?” Silver asked suddenly.

“Wha…” Did he mean on his bike? I mean I did want to but… I bit my lip, not trusting myself to speak.

“Come on!” He said grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the apartment. “I know you want to.” He said quietly. I blushed and nodded a yes. We reached the bottom of the apartment building where cars were parked. He got onto the bike, putting on his helmet and passing me a spare. I put it on and he put his hand out for me to get on the back behind him. I did so but had no idea where to hold on. He turned around to look at me, seeing my confusion. He grabbed one of my arms and put it around his waist. I blushed again but did so, leaning into his back. He drove out of the complex. I grabbed on harder at the speed of the bike. It felt amazing. Suddenly my head throbbed a little and a flash of light happened. It wasn’t like the pain I usually felt and I knew that I was going to have a vision/ dream. I don’t know how but the flash seemed to notify me of the difference.

“Erm… Sil…” I shouldn’t call him Silver, he hated that. “Celeb?” I said.

“Yes Sere?” My heart beat faster hearing him call me Sere. It hadn’t reacted that way when David called me Sere. Surely that meant something right? I shook my head from the feeling again.

“I think I’m going to slip into a dream, my head hurts whenever I’m going to and its doing it now.” Silver suddenly turned the bike down a side street. Seconds later we were on the outskirts of the city in a small field. I got off the bike and fell to my knees, throwing off the helmet I clutched my head. Silver knelt down in front of me and grabbed my head to make me look at him. The coolness of his hands seemed to soother the headache.

“Are you ok? Does it hurt?”

“No…” It really wasn’t hurting like normal, it never seemed to hurt when I was around Silver. “It never hurts when I’m around you…” I could feel myself slipping out of consciousness and felt silver pull me into his lap and cradle me. I blacked out but this time I felt comfortable.

Silver/ Celeb’s POV

She collapsed into my arms and it felt amazing to be holding her again after all of these years. I swept her beautiful black hair out of her face and stared at her perfect face. Her freckles hadn’t changed since she was 15. If anything she had developed more as she got older. I couldn’t see her eyes but I knew they were the same green I had grown to love. Her breathing was steady. I got comfy knowing she could be out for a few minutes to over 30 minutes.

Celeb…

Her voice calling me again… How was she doing that? I stared down at her, she was smiling in her sleep, clearly happy in whatever memory she was experiencing. I tried to enter her dreams but I couldn’t again. Something kept stopping me and I know it wasn’t Sere as she had literally called out to me. I sighed and put my head on her head as she scrunched her eyes in pain. Golden and silver flowers began to sprout around us. I knew she was doing it. The golden flowers were marigolds which were flowers that grew all around her old house and the silver flowers were my favourites, the silver ice lilies of my homeland, Sere had always loved lilies once she found out they were my favourite. Maybe that’s why she was so fond of the name Lily. The flowers began to glow.

Celeb? Please…

The voice called to me again and I could see Sere was struggling in the dream. I tried again, this time putting all of my energy into helping Sere. This time, despite feeling a little resistance found I was able to enter her dream.

Lily’s POV

I had entered the dream fully knowing it was a memory this time so I was not playing the part of Sere. I was watching the memory unfold. I looked around wondering if the true Celeb had joined me. When I realised, he hadn’t I knew I wanted him to.

“Celeb…” I called but he didn’t come. I saw a figure try to materialize next to me but it disappeared again. I looked over to the small Sere and watched as she was arguing with Celeb who was the usual black haired little boy. They seemed to be arguing about who could go fastest but I couldn’t hear them. I moved closer but as I did there was a faint fog over the scene. I couldn’t hear Sere and Celeb even though I could see them. The fog began to get thicker and swirl around the memory. I couldn’t see anymore. Was this because I had fell asleep on Silver? Was I in danger? I felt my head beginning to hurt and furrowed my brows trying to stave off the pain. Suddenly, my body began to glow with a faint yellow light. The fog cleared from around me but my head was still splitting with the pain.

“Celeb? Please…” I called as I fell to the floor from the pain. This time he materialized in front of me.

“Sere are you ok?” He asked, bending down to help me up. He was looking like his ethereal presence again. Ears extremely pointy and no pupils. I looked at him hard and realised I would look like that should I return home. Suddenly I heard the dream again. Sere and Celeb arguing and there was no smoke now. I stood up and realised the pain had gone. I looked at Celeb and furrowed my brows in confusion.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was… weird but there was black fog and my head hurt but then I began to glow and you came here and now everything is fine again.” I looked over to the small Sere and Celeb who I could now hear were arguing over how fast their horses were. Celeb was now silver haired again which caused me to scrunch my eyebrows in confusion yet again, my eyebrows were definitely going to get stuck this way one day. Celeb saw my confusion and knew I wanted to talk about it but also view the memory.

“We’ll talk about that when we get out of here.” Celeb said, calmly. He moved to the side of me and suddenly he chuckled. “I remember this argument.” His laugh was beautiful and caused me to look at him in surprise.

“Oh?” I said raising my eyebrow teasing. “So who wins?” He shook his head.

“You’ll have to see.. I won’t spoil the fun.” Suddenly the two youngsters run towards the stables giggling and come out a few minutes later riding two gorgeous horses. The one being ridden by Celeb was a beautiful grey mare with an almost blue mane and tail. Sere was riding an equally beautiful silver mare but her mane and tail was black. “I gave you that mare…” Celeb remembered happily. “Can you remember her name?” He asked. I thought about it and weirdly I could this time…

“Chess” I said. He looked at me, smiling but with hints of tears in his eyes. “I said because she was black and white she reminded me of a chess board so you suggested I named her it.” How had I known that? I’d never recalled memories like that before. But I knew it was correct. I could see the horse clearly in my mind. I went back to watching the horses who the children were now racing over the meadow. They were still shouting that each of them would win as one overtook the other. They had agreed the finish was to race to the lake and then back to the house. I ran to the edge of the forest to see them running back when suddenly a pitch black horse with black mane, tail and even eyes, shot out of the stable and took after the youngsters. I couldn’t make out the rider but he looked like an adult. Celeb bean to chuckle again at the side of me.

“What?!” I asked.

“Just watch…” He said smiling. I continued to watch. The youngsters hadn’t seen the black horse pass them as they were arguing too much but the black horse had already reached the lake and was heading back. Young Sere was in the lead and looked back at Celeb, her eyes became wide as she noticed the black horse which zoomed past Celeb and then her and reached the house before either of them could. The rider dismounted and ran forward a few feet. The youngsters were in awe but their horses kept running towards the house. Suddenly they noticed the man and tried to stop their horses but the man put out his arms and grabbed both youngsters out of their saddles as the horses zipped past him and stopped near the black horse. I heard all three of them giggling wildly.

“That wasn’t fair Uncle!” Sere pouted under his right arm, but she was supressing giggles. Celeb was laughing too. “I was winning…”

“Yes, but I won!” he said, putting the children down. “And I believe you both drew…” Sere was still pouting and crossed her arms, a little more feigned anger this time. “And I believe Celeb was letting you win anyway…” Celeb immediately went red.

“I… I… wasn’t…” He stuttered. Sere had turned to face Celeb who was going more and more red. Her mouth was forming a big O as she looked at him. She looked both surprised and a little annoyed that he would do that for her.

“UNCLE!” She wheeled round to glare at the grown man and shouted, causing him to giggle again. I felt myself being pulled out of the dream. I turned to Celeb to warn him, but he just winked and disappeared as darkness overtook me.

I awoke still in Silver’s arms. I felt warm and protected so I didn’t immediately open my eyes. I sighed in content and cuddled in closer to his chest. I felt his arms hold me tighter. I was smiling at the memory and I could feel Silver doing the same into my hair. It was bizarre that Silver had joined the dream and everything went back to normal, he seemed to be protecting me, but so was David, wasn’t he? I didn’t know what to believe anymore but I knew it felt right being with Silver… Celeb. I slowly opened my eyes and briefly got a glimpse of a gold thread, following it with my eyes I noticed it finished at Silvers chest. I followed it with my hand until it was resting on his chest. It felt good through his jacket. Looking up I saw Silver looking at me with both love and worry in his eyes. I felt myself immediately going red.

“I saw the gold thread again…” I explained to try and break the silence and explain why I was now touching his chest. He smiled.

“Good! I’m glad were still connected even if you don’t remember everything. Do you want to talk about the dream?” I pulled my hand away and stood up. I remembered how scared I had been.

“Yeah, it was weird.” I explained what had happened whilst pacing up and down, not noticing anything whilst I retraced the dream. Then Silver filled me in on what had happened while I was out before he joined me, he was still sitting on the ground, cradling his knees. I looked around to see the flowers he mentioned. They were beautiful. I loved lilies.

“Beautiful aren’t they, they’re my favourites.” He said, suddenly I saw an outline of a small Celeb holding a red lily and giving it to me.

“I know…” I murmured quietly, not knowing how I knew that. Was this why I liked them so much? “So what do you think was happening in the dream?” I asked to change the subject.

“Hmmm…” He said suddenly getting up to join me. “I have my ideas, but it might be too dangerous to talk about it until I’m sure. I would also need to talk to Estel, she’s the healer and knows more than any of us.” He held out his hand as if gesturing for me to hold it. I hesitated which caused him to start to drop his hand, looking dejected. It broke my heart seeing him so sad, so I reached for his hand and held it as we walked back to the bike.