Page 57 of The Last Guardian

For long minutes, I stayed there, waiting. Every passerby looked at me with awe, whispering something to their companions. When the fifth group of people stopped and murmured something while still staring at me, annoyance got the best of me, but the tent finally opened.

My hands curled into balls, ready to shout at Zaidkiel for leaving me here alone and ordering me around, but it wasn’t the commander who emerged from the tent.

It was the most striking woman I had ever seen, emanating beauty only a goddess could possess. Her white skin, pale as moonstone, sparkled in the daylight, matching her violet eyes, which gleamed as if the whole galaxy turned inside them, shimmering in a soft silver hue like stars. Her long raven hair fell on her shoulders, making her whole being even more surreal. And on her forehead, a crescent moon was carved, glowing in the same purple hue as her eyes.

Even if the others were similar to Humans, this woman was not.

Her red lips curled into a beautiful smile. “Welcome, Alyana Harenvald,” the woman purred, “I am Eirlys. Come inside, please.”

The crescent moon carved in her forehead shone brighter than any light, and my eyes couldn’t look elsewhere; her whole being struck me so much that no words came to mind as I stared at her.

Eirlys invited me inside, pushing open the tent flap with her long, elegant fingers, to step into a spacious room with a gigantic wooden table in the center, and followed me, sitting down on one of the chairs.

Even with her beauty and the large room, the mere presence of Zaidkiel erased everything around. The commander leaned against a shelf, facing the table, as I sat on one of the chairs.

Silence fell.

Eirlys leaned against her seat at the head of the table, her long black silk dress dancing around her curves. “You must have so many questions.”

“Well,” I said, my words tight and bitter as I pointed at Zaidkiel, “this one didn’t bother to speak to me for over a week. So yes… I have more than a few questions.”

Her lips curled into a sly smile as she turned to Zaidkiel, who gave me an annoyed glare. “Oh, this one has a temper. I’m sure it’s for your own torment, Commander.”

Zaidkiel glared at her—a warning.

His behavior had shifted the moment we arrived here. His typical arrogant mood had changed to a more sullen one. Colder.

“Are you going to tell me how you plan to help me?” I fixed my gaze on Zaidkiel, then let it slide to Eirlys. “And what exactly is this quest you need my help for?”

Still, the woman smiled, her eyes never leaving mine, and the carved moon on her forehead gleamed—shone. Something compelled me to look into it; everything turned around us as the galaxy shining inside her skin illuminated the room. Shades of darkness, purple and white light flashed through the air and turned with the stars.

“What does your heart desire the most in this world, Highness?” Eirlys asked, her voice echoing in the room.

What was happening? And why…

But my mind stopped answering me. A swirling pain of desires and wants turned inside my thoughts. What did my heart desire the most? What did my soul long for? Something that didn’t exist anymore. Something I couldn’t find, couldn’t grasp.

Home.

I wanted home.

“Home, my dear? But which one?” Eirlys narrowed her eyes.

Could she hear my thoughts? What the Hells?

“I…” Words failed me. My tongue refused to budge.

Which one? I hadn’t had a home since my mother died. Even though my brothers and sisters were still there, I’d been alone for so long that it no longer felt real.

“I saw names in your eyes, Alyana,” Eirlys said softly, searching my gaze. “I saw a girl lost in a life that wasn’t hers, that should never have been. Surrounded by so many people, yet completely alone. I saw a girl’s name who tried to pull you from the darkness. The eyes of a boy who yearned to mean more to you, but followed a path too dangerous for his soul, brothers who would tear the world apart for you. Sisters who only want to see your smile, hear your laugh. But something pulls you away from them. A soul with an icy stare. And one with bloody eyes.”

I stilled.

No.

“Stop.” It was barely a whisper, a pleading whisper. I wasn’t even sure she’d heard it.

“The rage of a man who never knew how to love,” Eirlys continued, “has left marks on your flesh. Your desperation to regain the memories that were stolen from you.”