Vampire Girl 2: Midnight Star(36)

Three times a week, I return to the Crystal Palace as promised for my training with Varis. Most of the time we focus less on magic and more on history of the Fae, their customs and cultures. As the Druid works with me, Zyra trains Yami, and now my little dragon can fly for quite some time before he must rest on my shoulder. We are both growing stronger.

But today is different. Today, Varis forgoes our beginning meditation. Today, he hands me a warm cloak. "We must travel."

"Where?" I ask, wrapping it over my shoulder.

"To the Earth Tribe."

His words fill me with excitement. I've been to the Air Tribe, but not any other.

We leave the cavern and step onto the cold, snowy mountain. I turn to head up the steps towards the gryphon, but Varis does not follow. Instead, he whispers to Zyra, and the silver owl flies high into the sky, disappearing into the glare of the sun. When she descends, she is giant, larger than a gryphon, magnificent and fierce, her long talons and feathers gleaming in the light.

She lands before us, and the gust of wind from her wings nearly knocks me off my feet. Yami can't contain himself. He jumps off my shoulders and flies over to her, his wings a flutter of flurry and excitement.

"This is another form of Zyra," Varis explains. "Yami, you too have many forms that you will someday uncover."

Yami lifts his head higher and preens himself, pleased by the idea that he will grow big and mighty too.

"We're to ride her?" I ask. Varis nods, and a thought occurs to me. "Does that mean I will someday be able to ride Yami?"

Varis smiles. "Someday."

"I'm going to ride a dragon?" I jump up and down like a kid.

Varis chuckles. "Get on the owl, Arianna. Time for silliness later."

I try to contain my smile, and he helps me onto Zyra. Riding a giant owl with no harness is about as uncomfortable and hard as one might imagine. I wrap my arms around Varis and hold on tight, as instructed. Yami wraps around my arm and together we take off into the sky.

I yell with joy.

Flying on Zyra is different than flying on a gryphon.

I don't feel like a passenger.

I feel like the wind.

I become the air. I am the flight. The bird and I are one, and I feel bliss flow through me.

Time seems to stand still, and I do not know how long it takes us to reach the Earth Tribe. We land on a natural bridge that stretches over a canyon. A waterfall falls before us. Giant rocks jut out from the ground, covered in green moss. Vines of red flowers crawl up the stone. More bridges run through the canyon below.

We dismount, and Zyra ruffles her feathers, and they burst into a great gust of wind. The spirit is small once again and perches on Varis' arm.

I shake my head, amazed at this ability, trying to imagine Yami being able to do something similar. I can't wait for our magic to grow more powerful.

A group of Fae approach, led by a woman dressed in brown furs, wearing bones as jewelry. Their skin is copper, not as dark as the Water Tribe, but darker than mine. They fall to their knees before Varis and tap their fingers to their chest, a sign of respect to the Spirits— something I learned in my lessons.

"Druid of the Winds, what brings you to our lands?" the woman asks.

"Rita, I have come seeking Lianna and her spirit, Tauren. They have not shown themselves at the Crystal Palace."

Rita, the leader, looks to the woman on her right in concern, then back at Varis. "The spirit has not returned to the Palace, because Tauren never awoke."







Rita guides Varis down the path of the canyon, and I follow. The Earth Fae do not give me their attention, and I wonder if they know I am the Midnight Star. Perhaps they do, and that is why they ignore me.

The path grows more and more narrow along the side of the mountain, and I fear falling off, but I do not voice my concern. This doesn't seem the time to be worried about heights. Or death.

We arrive at the base of the waterfall. It is a small stream, more elegant than the waterfalls in Stonehill, and we walk around the torrent and into a small cavern. An old tree grows there, its vines climbing up the brown wet stone.

"You see," Rita says. "Tauren yet slumbers."

Varis walks up to the roots and lays his hands on them. He puts his ear against the wood and closes his eyes, stilling his breathing.

I know what he's doing and I do the same, practicing the techniques he's been teaching me. I quiet my mind and focus on my breathing to see if I can hear what he's listening for.

"Girl," Rita says, pointing at me and breaking my concentration. "You are the one they call the Midnight Star?"

I turn to face her. "Yes."

"You are false," she says, spitting at the ground in front of me. "Your blood did not awaken our spirit. He still waits for Yami."