The Lores of Lyra - Burning Star [Book III]

Chapter 11 - Clarity

Chapter 11 – Clarity

Sitting in the shadow beneath a large oak tree, was usually a joy. Back in the temple garden, Amelia often hid among the flora. It was like her own perfect little sanctuary. She could listen to sounds of the nature while the wind whipped her hair around her face. It was a way to reach serenity, clarity and get relief for the struggles on a day-to-day basis.

However, this time it didn’t work. Amelia hugged her knees and tried to forget the hurt inside her, and then she attempted think of something else.

When Amelia was sad, she found it easier to direct her energy into anger instead. While she’d been in the Realm of the Black Holes, she’d only managed to survive by hating on evil. It was much easier to deal with the sound of her heart breaking when she didn’t have to think about the memories.

Of course, this wasn’t the best way to deal, but it worked for her. So Amelia didn’t cave from her stubbornness, she didn’t give in to the temptation of crying, nor did she try to cheer herself up. Instead, she embraced the anger and directed it at Eric. In truth, she was fuming.

He never listened to her. She knew that she was exceptional. And while she couldn’t explain it, she knew that Orianna had spoken the truth. It explained her frozen age, along with the fact that Amelia was the only one able to see Vega when she entered the realm. Amelia was the daughter of a star, and she could feel it in her very being.

Sadly, Eric hadn’t given her a chance to speak. Maybe he would treat her with respect if he knew that she was his superior. Amelia cringed.

Superior… That word sounded wrong on so many levels. She didn’t want to have that kind of responsibility. Especially not towards Eric and Joshua. The thought alone made her dizzy. Maybe it was a smart thing that she hadn’t told them.

Yeah, she had to keep it a secret. If not for herself, then for them.

“Amelia?”

She looked up to find Joshua towering above her, he gestured to a spot beside her. “Mind if I take a seat?” he asked.

“Go ahead,” she muttered.

Joshua was a decent guy. Sometimes Amelia thought he might understand her better than Eric did. Even though, that made no sense since Eric had spent more time with her.

“You know…” he started, and plucked a piece of grass, rolling it around a finger. “The first time I met a Star Lion I thought it was going to eat me.”

His words surprised Amelia, not because of the content, but the fact that he said them. All of her knowledge about his past had come from Eric. Joshua never shared much of the past. When she’d asked Eric about it, he’d explained that sometimes the past hurts so much to recall and that Joshua still hadn’t gotten over the pain.

“R-really?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. Me and…” he drifted off, a hurt look on his face before clearing his throat. “Well. I woke up beside a river, all dizzy and wet. I’d fallen down the Astron Falls, and—“

“The Astron falls?” Amelia interrupted. “But that’s a huge waterfall.”

Joshua chuckled. “I know. I’m still not sure how I lived either. Guess the Stars were with me all the time.”

“What happened then?”

“Well, I woke up Annabell, and we turned around, standing face to face with a massive white lion.”

Amelia knew about Annabell from Eric. She’d been half of Vega’s soul, and Joshua had rescued her and then reunited her with her other half. It was a beautiful story. Her favorite bedtime story actually, Eric must have told it a hundred times over.