The Goddess Crystal

Chapter 3: No Clue

A little more than a week later finds me in the ward, packing my clothes I had worn when we first came to the base. My leg shakes beneath me, but it doesn't hurt—much. The medical personnel have informed me that I'll have a scar for the rest of my life, and I still wear a bandage over it. They say I'll be able to take it off by tomorrow.

They also say I'm lucky to be alive, so you choose whether or not to believe them or not. Mom works in the ward, which has already created multiple awkward moments.

Skye, along with Jack, occasionally, visited every day, just to check up on me. Speaking of, Skye walks up just as I finish packing and I zip up the duffel bag they provided me.

"All packed up, Jill?"

I sling the bag over my shoulder. "Sure am. You don't know how glad I am to get out of here."

"Your mother keeps trying to talk to you, doesn't she?"

"Sometimes Dad, too." Sighing, I say, "Usually, I just pretend I'm asleep."

"What if that doesn't work?"

"If that doesn't work, I just ignore them."

Skye nods, putting an arm around me. "Can you dance with your leg, do you think?"

I glance at him. "That's a random question. Yes, though it depends what kind of dance. You know I'm about as graceful as a fish out of water. Why?"

"You don't remember? Tomorrow's May eighth."

My eyes widen and I all but stop in my tracks. "Shit. The Goddess Festival? And I'm old enough. Shit."

He laughs. "Have fun."

I glare at him. "Ha ha, very funny. Be glad it's only the girls who dance. How do they expect us to perform it perfectly?"

"I assume your mother taught you."

"She didn't give me a refresher last year. For obvious reasons. So I'm screwed."

"You don't remember one bit?"

I sigh, pushing through the door that Skye directs me through, saying that it leads to bunks. " I do, vaguely. What am I supposed to wear? They want us to put on something that the Harvest Goddess—"

We stop by the beds—bunk beds. There's a duffel already sitting on mine.

"I thought you said these were our beds."

Skye stares at the duffel, confused. "They are." He leans over to examine it, lifting the paper attached to the fabric. "It's for you."

I blink. "Who's it from?" A giggle to my right makes me turn, only to find no one standing there.

"It doesn't say. It looks like the writing from the poem you got."

"Really?" I ask, sitting beside the bag. I zip open the bag and gasp.

Because, inside, is jewellery.

When I take a closer look, I realize that it's not really silver, but some light metal that resembles aluminum. I pull some out, staring at the bangles, the necklace, the bracelets...

I gulp. "What does the note say?"

"That they're for tomorrow. For the Goddess Festival."

"Well," I say, taking all of the jewellery out to take stock. Six bangles, two thick bracelets that resemble Jack's arm protectors, two curly and winding armlets, a necklace, what I assume are three hair ornaments and what looks like two crown-like...things. "All of this?"

"It says that it should be worn together, yes."

"Exactly how?"

He passes me the note. "The bangles around your ankles, three on each, and the bracelets and armlets on your arms, obviously. The necklace should be obvious, as well. The two—" he grabs one of the hair ornaments, squinting at it. "—things in your hair, and the—" he takes the crowns, staring at them. "—crowns, on your head." Skye points to the note. "Like that."

"There's a diagram? Shit, they must really want me to wear this stuff." And oddly, I'm not too put-off by the idea. "That still doesn't fix my problem of a dress."

"The note says there's a dress, too."

"Are you kidding me?" And, indeed, there is, folded neatly at the bottom of the bag. It's past the knee, light blue and turquoise, with a light-brown braided belt wrapped around the waist. "Just you watch, I won't be able to fit in this thing."

Skye pulls out a sheer piece of fabric from the bag, the two ends of which have a piece of metal attached. "What do you think this is?"

"I have no idea," I say, picking up a bracelet. A groove on one side makes me pause. "Or maybe I do. Hand me that thing."

He passes me the fabric, and I hold one of the metal pieces. I try sliding it into the groove, and it fits perfectly. "Well, there you go. It goes with bracelets."

Skye takes a piece of jewellery, weighing it in his palm. "You'd think the metal would be heavier."

"It's probably aluminum."

"No, it can't be; it's even lighter than that."

"Then I have no clue. Who the hell gave me this stuff?"

The next day, I'm in the bathroom, staring at myself in the mirror. I am not going out like this, even if it is the Goddess Festival. How the hell am I supposed to dance in this?

"Jill, are you okay in there?"

My head hits the mirror and I shut my eyes tight as the jewellery clinks. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm not coming out, Skye." How could someone want to give me all of this?

"And why is that?"

"Because I look silly."

"I'm sure you look beautiful. Come on out."

I sigh, turning the doorknob slowly. "I tell you, I look absolutely ridiculous." When I walk out, I'm not looking up. "See what I mean? Outrageous, isn't it?"

Skye walks up, chuckling at my dramatics. "Not the word I would use to describe you, Jill."

"Then what? Outlandish? Absurd? Help me out here."

He tilts my head back, smiling. "No."

I grin and go back into the bathroom, trying to fix the annoying braid that won't stay put. "Shall I try guessing again?"

He leans against the bathroom doorpost, grinning. "Be my guest."

"Okay. Hideous? Ugly? Deranged? Messed-up? Am I getting warmer?"

"Even further than last time. Shall I just tell you?"

Fixing my braid, I mutter, "Sure. I'm not just going to keep guessing."

"You look," Skye says, pausing. When I look at him, an eyebrow raised, he smiles. "Beautiful, of course."

"Right," I say as I try to hide my blush. Like I look anywhere close to pretty in this. I'm sure anyone who's used to this kind of clothing would look better... "Like you aren't just saying that."

"I am not. I mean it."

"You might mean it, but that doesn't mean it's true." I turn around, eyes focused on my feet. "you know I'm not one of those frilly, girly, rich, pretty—"

"And what's the problem with that?" He tilts my chin up, so I'm looking at him.

"So I look awkward in these clothes."

"Actually," Skye says, kissing me. "You look much more beautiful than any other girl could possibly be in that dress."

My face absolutely red. And of course he chuckles, kissing me again.

After I compose myself, we head out. The beach is flooded with people, adults mostly. Plus what seems to be thirty or more soldiers. Muffy is standing off to the side, with Griffin, in a stunning purple dress that sweeps the ground.

"Jill?" she asks as we try to walk past. "Is that you? My Goddess, I almost didn't recognise you!"

I smile nervously at her as we walk over. Skye doesn't seem at all uncomfortable, despite what I know is about to happen. "Hey, Muffy, Griffin."

"Is that—? Skye, is that you?"

He smiles. "Yes, it's me."

Muffy stops, confused, and then looks at me. "Are you guys together? And when did he stop saying 'Maiden'?"

"Yes, we are, Muffy," I say, laughing. "And he's stopped saying that for a while now."

"If I recall correctly," Griffin starts, studying Skye. Here it comes. "He's the Phantom Thief, right?"

Skye nods, suddenly uncertain. "Yes, I was."

"Well," Muffy says, not continuing.

A loud noise to the left makes us turn. The dance is starting. Shit, here comes the failure.

"Of you go, then," Skye says, nudging me. "Don't worry; you'll do fine."

I notice Muffy and Griffin have left. "Well, at least we get to do this while barefoot. I don't know what I would do if we had to ear heels."

"That's right; think positively, now."

As I start to walk away, all I can think about is I wish that my wound would've stayed unhealed, if only for a day.

"I did horribly!"I say, groaning, as Skye and I start the walk back to the base. My bangles jingle with every step. "I must have fallen at least five times!"

"You did not. You were actually better than a lot of girls there."

"Again, you're just saying that."

"No, I'm not—"

"Jillian!" says a voice behind us. When I turn around, I immediately recognise Leith. Who hasn't aged since I last saw him. "Jillian, I need to ask you something."

"Skye, wait here," I say, placing a hand on his chest to stop him, and walk over to where Leith stopped.

"Hi, Leith," I start, noticing the ever-flickering orange shard. Is it a Goddess Gem? "Is there any reason why you need to ask me right now?"

"Yes, of course, Jillian." The fact that he says my real name seems odd; no one does that, besides my parents. "That Thief isn't being completely honest with you."

"What do you mean? Skye?" the shard starts to low brighter, turning clear. Suddenly, heat licks up my arms, shoulders, legs and head. When I look down, the jewellery is shining dimly, silver-purple.

"Yes, him. He hasn't told you the truth." The shard burns brighter, turning orange and purple; only a part of it remains transparent.

The jewellery responds by heating further, but it's not painful. "Do you at least know what it is exactly Skye hasn't been truthful about?"

And air-light sigh makes me turn my head. No one.

"I'd rather him tell you himself." The shard turns a darker orange-purple.

"Why don't you just tell me, if you're telling the truth?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't." He looks over my shoulder. "I have to go, Jillian. Excuse me."

"Hey, wait, Leith—" But he just walks away, and the heat drains from my limbs. The glow disappears. The shard returns to its original color.

"That was odd," Skye says as he walks up, staring at the crowd Leith disappeared into. Standing next to him, I realize how tall Leith has gotten. He's taller than Skye—Jack, even.

"You can say that again."

"What did he want?"

I laugh. "Said you were keeping something from me." Looking at him, I smile. "But that's not true, obviously."

Skye pauses for a worrying few seconds. "Obviously. What happened with the shard?"

What just happened? Skye can't be lying to me...can he? "It turned clear, than orange-purple and then an even darker shade of that."

"Clear means concentration. Purple is confusion."

"So he was concentration...on what, exactly?"

"It often happens when the wearer's trying to control something. Do you have an idea what?"

"Not the faintest clue," I say, sighing. "Not one." But is what Leith said true?

Tempest Bound: Hey, guys! Ooh, what's happening? I mean, I know, but you don't. XD Take a guess? And what do you think Leith meant by that?