Gifts of Elysielle - Inner Origins Book Three

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two hours later, Claire was still exacting her revenge.

“Just one more, I swear. This piece is perfect.”

I glared at her and she winked at me, the glint in her eyes rivaling the flash of the diamond gemstones in the silver torque she held up for my approval.

After our meal, we’d left Brenin to making his art and hit three more stores before finally finding a dress we all agreed on. It was ridiculously short, which Amber loved. It had a flouncy skirt, which Claire said was a must to temper my boyish attitude. And it was simple and gray, which I required. My one vanity: I loved the way gray brought out my silver eyes. Plus, the color had a soothing effect on my mood. And there was always the added bonus that it matched everything else I owned. The top sported clean asymmetrical lines that showed off my toned arms and shoulders, while also featuring one of my favorite Aeden fashion specialties, a truly hidden and supportive built-in bra. Now, Claire was trying to lure me in to buying matching jewelry.

“Forget that,” Amber waved her hand dismissively at us. “You can’t wear a necklace with that dress, it’ll totally ruin the lines. These are what you need.”

She held up a pair of long, dangly earrings that shimmered as they swayed. Each massive diamond stud anchored three long silver chains dripping with tiny diamond and emerald slivers.

“I know you’ve been trying to incorporate more green into your outfits, so…” She watched me, trying not to laugh.

“Shut up,” I muttered, and grabbed the earrings from her hand.

Until a couple months ago the only green things I’d owned were a pair of Doc Martens boots and a couple concert tees, but lately I’d added a few more moss and grass hued pieces to my small wardrobe. So what if it also happened to be Alec’s favorite color?

I held the earrings up to my ears, admiring the way they caught the light. Months ago, I never could have imagined holding stones this precious. Now, I was in Aeden, where diamonds were plentiful and DeBeers had never run any marketing campaigns. Down here, diamonds were just another pretty rock, not something to die over in a mine.

They certainly were pretty.

“Yeah, they’re okay.” I shrugged, not willing to give Amber the satisfaction of winning me over. I fingered the delicate silver chain around my neck, an heirloom handed down to me through my grandmother from Tyr. I hadn’t taken it off since the day Jade had given it to me. Wouldn’t the earrings clash with the necklace’s tiny, dangling arrows and a pale blue stone?

“Perfect, I knew you’d like them,” she said smugly, taking my lukewarm response as approval. “Which is why I also picked out these.”

She held up an amazing pair of emerald green boots made of a shimmery material that looked like a cross between vinyl and crocodile. I knew it was neither. No one in Aeden wore animal products, and vinyl was simply too hot. I grabbed the shoes and inspected them. The material was softer than it looked, and seemed to be made out of the same breathable material as some of the flight safety jackets I had seen people wear when they road gravicycles. Amber, of course, never wore one, and neither did I. I mean, who needed a flight jacket when you were riding a golden jetski through the air? I doubted it would do any good in a crash, at least not if you were going 200mph the way Amber and I did.

The boots had two inch platforms that came up to a narrow ankle cuff of silver, and then flared up to mid-calf. A hidden zipper ran up the back of the boot.

“Not bad.”

“Try them on,” Claire urged.

I grunted and leaned over to put them on. They fit like a glove.

“Why do I even need shoes? Everyone goes barefoot here.”

I actually loved the boots, but who was I to ever go along with something easily? It’s not that I had a problem with authority, per se, but being told what to do always chafed a bit. And my question was valid. In the months I’d spent in Aeden, no one had ever worn shoes in any of the city buildings. In the sand dunes and the forests, sure, but not in the homes or offices. Most fae went barefoot on the sidewalks, too. Fae floors were almost always covered in cala grass, and everyone walked around barefoot. The blue grass had energizing properties that helped fuel fae immune systems. It was used in a lot of fae cuisine, but just walking on it had amazing benefits.

“Not at Choosings, they don’t,” Amber said matter-of-factly. We may be more relaxed here, but when it’s time to dress up and party, we know how to accessorize. Besides, wherever there’s dancing, there’s no cala. The grass would be ruined.”

“Huh.” I walked to the mirror and looked at the boots, turning to see them from different angles. I bounced up and down on my toes, testing the cushiony treads. “They are super comfortable. I think I could even run in these.”

“Or dance,” Claire offered, like it was novel idea.

“And they’re green,” Amber winked.

“And they’re hot,” Claire cajoled.

I rolled my eyes at them both in the mirror. But who was I kidding? These boots were so coming home with me. I might even officially retire my Docs for these.

Five minutes later we walked out of the store with the boots and the earrings, plus some matching arm bangles for me and a new jacket for Amber made out of the same material as my shoes. The jacket was purple, replacing the one she’d permanently loaned our friend Rose the last time we had all been in Montreal together.

Hopefully, this jacket came with better karma.

The night in Montreal had not ended well, coming to a tragic end with the death of my friend Holly, an innocent darkling. Because of what had happened that night, her brother, my ex, now hated me and all Light fae with a vengeance. Rowan had turned Dark because of her death, and he blamed me for everything. He didn’t care that it was the Dark who had caused our car to crash in the first place. That it was the Dark who had chased us, who had tried to kill and capture all of us. In his mind, none of it would have happened if he hadn’t met me.

The worst part, for me? He wasn’t wrong. That night, the Dark had been after me. They didn’t care who got in the way of their mission, who they killed or hurt. Mikael Morrigan, their leader, was obsessed with ending the war with the Light once and for all. He wanted to take over the world, dominating humans and fae alike, because he thought he knew what was best for everyone. Like any good narcissist, he believed that no one else could be trusted to make the right decisions. Only he could. Only the Morrigan. So morals be damned. Freedom of choice be damned. The Morrigan wanted control, and he was convinced that I was the one who could give it to him.

Lucky me, right?

Yeah, right. My bloodlines had come together in just the right way to give me some special powers. Some abilities, no one even knew what they might be, since they hadn’t manifested yet. That wouldn’t happen until after my Choosing. But already I had a pretty good way with healing, and I could get glimpses of the future. I was an earth fae, too, so I could see lights in the dark, even auras, and I could do some cool tricks with plants and animals. But world domination? Nah. That really wasn’t my thing, you know?

So yeah, I knew it wasn’t really my fault, everything that had happened with Holly and Rowan. I hadn’t asked to become Dark target numero uno. I had never wanted anyone to get hurt. I hadn’t asked for any of this.

I told myself that every morning in the mirror.

My friends reminded me daily.

But it didn’t matter. My inner martyr still insisted on harboring the guilt.

I shook the thought off, like I did hour after hour, day after day, and pushed it back into the tiny holding cell in my mind that I’d created special, just for it.

Today was not the day. Now was not the time to wallow in guilt, no matter how much a small part of me wanted to revel in the dark, sad feeling.

Today, was a good day.

And I had the new shoes to prove it.