Page 77 of In Violent Waves

After changing into pants and a bell-sleeved thin blouse, Lyra stood still as Maelys braided her hair back and out of her face.

“It shouldn’t be too miserable today, but just in case you don’t want your hair sticking to your sweat.”

Lyra grimaced. If she knew anything about Wilder, he would make this miserable. Not just because of his spite for her, but because of the added responsibility that was thrust upon him.

She followed Maelys through the winding maze of the castle. So many hallways and staircases. Light speared through the windows, but they sped past them so Lyra couldn’t place their location. She did not know where she was in this place or how to get out of it.

They walked down several hallways and stairs. Her legs burned after the second staircase and were practically impossible to use after the third.

The air became cooler, and the light was nonexistent except for torches hung every so often on the stone walls.

Maelys elbowed open a nondescript wooden door, and sunlight burst through. Lyra screwed her eyes shut and shielded her face with her hand. It was so bright compared to the darkened hallway they had walked down.

The air was crisp as it fluttered by on a gentle breeze. Maelys halted, allowing Lyra to catch her breath and grow accustomed to the light before they walked on.

Lyra glanced behind her, and the castle was gone. Or at least as far as she could tell. In its place was an immense hill.

Maelys turned to see her gaping. “The castle was built on the other side of the hill. There are tunnels and hallways throughout that we use. Like the one we went through, it leads to the training ground and the stables.”

“Oh,” Lyra replied, bewildered.

It was strange to be partially underground. Living under the water made sense to her, but why would anyone want to live underground? Wasn’t that where they placed their dead?

Shaking her head, she followed Maelys through the patches of heather and tall, wispy grasses. Large flat stones marked their path, and every so often, there was a pole.

“What’re these things?” Lyra asked.

It resembled a lantern, but where there should have been a flame, there was nothing but a glass bowl.

“Fairy lights,” Maelys replied, shrugging. “It is an orb of light to light your way in the night.”

They used magic so freely here, it was astonishing.

“Do you know what my training will consist of?” Lyra asked.

It was easy to talk to Maelys—especially when she spoke back. She guessed the gag order from Wilder had vanished now that she had a deal with their king.

“It will be a mix of physical and mental activities. Similar to what ours was as children when we were learning about our magic and how to control it. ”

Lyra did not like the sound of that at all. Her human form was weak. Walking through the castle and onto the grounds had been exhausting.

The strength she had felt last night had evaporated.

They crested another smaller hill and, from the top, they could see the large oval patch of grassless land beneath them. A waist-high stone wall surrounded it, and several tall, willowy trees marked the perimeter on the other side.

Lyra turned in place and could see the massive hill that blocked off the castle behind them. Where were all the elves? Did they live in the castle or in a town somewhere else? A small part of her hoped she’d be able to explore this land one day.

But looking out at the land before them, she smiled. It really was wild and raw. Beautiful and free. And she was joyfully envious.

Maelys looked back at Lyra from where she had descended the hill.

“You coming?”

Lyra sighed.

It wasn’t like she had any choice in the matter. She followed Maelys through the stone archway that led onto the training grounds.

Wilder was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was busy talking his parents out of his role in this plan.