✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

33

Mia's POV

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The meeting tree looks the same on the outside as all the other big trees, and the inside is simple- Just a long, wooden hallway that looks to curve with the curve of the tree, with doors on either side that lead to conference rooms. When I step inside, wiping my shoes on the wool mat on the floor, I spot stairs leading to a second floor. I don't get a chance to explore the place, however, because as soon as I step inside I find Andor waiting for me. He gives a polite, small bow and a smile.

"Hi," I say stupidly, not knowing what else to say.

"Good afternoon," he replies, starting down the one, wide hallway. "The meeting room is this way."

I follow behind him, a few seconds later turning right into one of the meeting rooms. It's a large room, large enough to fit an oval table in the middle and eight wooden, beautifully crafted chairs around it. There is a small fireplace on one end of the room, alight with flames, and a one-way window looking out into the forest behind this section of the city. My favorite part is the high, wooden ceiling with alive, green vines twisting and curling around each other, enough to cover the ceiling and cling to some of the walls, crawling down them. Candles on bronze holders add to the natural light. Andor sits across from Knox, and Rose is sitting at one end of the table, her small crown winking in the light. I quickly walk over and sit in the closest chair to me, next to Rose, resting my forearms on the cold stone table.

"How are you feeling, Mia?" Rose asks sincerely. Her amber eyes are piercing but kind. I shrug, not really sure she means for me to delve into the many, many different feelings I've been cycling through lately. So I settle for the trusty old 'I'm good.' Rose nods, but I know she knows.

"So," she starts in Elvish. "Let's begin."

Now that I know Elvish, it doesn't sound like English to me anymore. I hear Rose talking in Elvish, with their beautiful syllables and accent and words, and I hear it in Elvish in my head, but I know what it means. Like it's translating to English for me yet I'm still hearing it in Elvish. It's weird, but it works.

"Mia, why don't we start by having you tell us about your visions? All of them, if you remember."

I nod, launching into an explanation of my first vision, which was in the woods, hearing a voice. Then the second, about the color green, then the third, leading to my school. Rose and Andor nod and listen intently, and Knox looks at the table, but seems to be spacing out. Probably thinking.

When I'm done, Rose sits for a moment, letting what I told her turn in her head.

"Are you sure the last vision means the Heartstone is at your school?"

I press my lips together in thought. It should, if that's what the vision showed me.

"Yeah, I think so," I say. "I'm not sure where in the school, but somewhere."

"We should go find it soon," Andor says, looking from me to Rose. "Before the Cin get it." He says the word Cin differently, angrier than I'm used to hearing. Maybe something happened to him.

"Agreed," Rose replies, turning to look out the windows. Her blond hair shines as she turns her head.

"We could form a team," Knox suggests, "just a few elves to go to Earth and find it."

"Hmmm.... Yes, that would probably be best," Rose says, tapping her long, thin fingers on the table. "We would need to act quickly, and choose the right people."

We all sit in silence for a moment. Long enough for me to take a deep breath and set my jaw in resolution.

"I'll go," I speak into the silence. A part of me knew from the moment a trip to Earth was mentioned that I had to go. I grew up there, I know everything about it. It makes sense.