Strength

by W. J. May

  “Good morning.”

  “Good afternoon,” Freya corrected. “What are you guys doing out here? The rest of the village already gathered for lunch.”

  The pair shared a quick look, then Ellanden shrugged it off with a distracting smile.

  “We decided to go on without you,” he announced. “Evie and I are the only useful members of this quest. The rest of you are dead weight.”

  Seth snorted with laughter, while Freya shook her head.

  “Don’t let the vampire hear you say that.”

  Ellanden tensed ever so slightly before smoothing his face clear.

  “Three shall set out, though three shall not return...?” He let the words hang for a moment before shrugging them off with another smile. “We’ve decided Asher will be the one to die.

  So much for not taking sides...

  “You know, I’m surprised the chief didn’t recognize Asher,” Seth said suddenly. “After that speech he gave about having met ‘one civilized vampire’. He clearly knew the guy’s father.”

  Evie tried not to flinch. Her chest tightened every time she heard the name.

  “Then Asher must not have been with him,” Ellanden said quickly, continuing to speak for the both of them. “Aidan’s been trying to unite the vampire factions for decades, since long before any of us was born. The chief looks about a thousand. They could have met each other any time.”

  “That’s fascinating,” Freya muttered. When the rest of them turned to her, she pointed back to the village. “Lunch. I’m starving here. And I need something to counteract the whiskey...”

  Ellanden glanced down at her sympathetically. “They make this flowery kind of tea—”

  “It doesn’t work,” Seth and Evie said at the same time.

  The witch pointed to the camp once more, this time firing out an unintentional burst of sparks. Seth chuckled and headed after her, but when Evie tied to follow she was pulled back.

  “Go on without us,” Ellanden called, holding on to her shoulder. “We’ll catch up.”

  The others vanished into the trees, throwing curious glances over their shoulders. The princess was curious as well, but before she could ask the fae caught her in an enormous hug.

  “What—”

  She broke off with a suffocated gasp. A second later, she buried her face in his cloak.

  She hadn’t realized how much she needed to be held until that very moment. She hadn’t even realized she was still trembling until his arms circled around her, keeping her still.

  “I just can’t believe it,” she whispered. “I can’t believe it—”

  He squeezed tighter, kissing the top of her head. “I know.”

  They held each other another minute, then he pulled back—brushing the tears from her face. He finished with a sympathetic grimace, flicking the bottom of her chin.

  “You know...you kind of have to shelf this. Just until we save the world.”

  She let out a burst of laughter, bowing her head.

  “Yeah, I figured.” She took another second to get herself together then looked up at him suddenly, squinting in the afternoon sun. “Thanks, Landi.”

  He answered with a smile, steering her gently across the field.

  “You need food,” he declared. “It’s the only way to get through a break-up.”

  She shook her head with a faint grin. “How would you know? Has anyone ever broken up with you before?”

  He thought about it for a moment. “A woman I was seeing once felt compelled to return to the sea.”

  She shot him a quick look, then kept walking.

  “I’m not sure if that counts...”

  BY THE TIME EVIE AND Ellanden cleared the last of the trees and entered the village, the noon-time feast was mostly finished. The tables had been scraped and cleared, with only a few hungover stragglers staggering in from the tree-fort, scrounging around for what was left.

  He quickly grabbed a handful of apples while she snagged a flask of water, and together they joined the others at the table where they’d sat the night before.

  Cosette was sitting there as well. As far as humanly possible from Seth.

  “Hey,” Evie sat beside her, feeling instantly protective at the fragile look on her face, “I don’t remember you leaving this morning. Is everything okay?”

  She’d spoken quietly, but Seth was a shifter. His face immediately stilled as he stopped what he was doing, secretly hanging on every word.

  The little princess paused a moment, then continued peeling a slice of fruit.

  “I went for a walk. Wanted to clear my head.”

  Seth’s dark eyes flickered across the table, but Ellanden sat down in between.

  “You shouldn’t drink so much,” he said sagely. “You probably shouldn’t be drinking at all.”

  Evie’s eyes snapped shut.

  How can the man be so perceptive one moment, and so completely oblivious the next?

  “You’re right,” Cosette said quietly, staring at the table. “I shouldn’t drink so much.”

  “Speaking of last night,” Freya interrupted through a mouthful of fruit, “I talked to the coven and they don’t have what we need. I guess we’ll just keep looking someplace else.”

  Cosette let out a quiet sigh, while Evie glanced between them curiously.

  “What are you talking about? What don’t the witches have?”

  “A seeing stone,” the princess replied softly, glancing up at the sky. “My parents will be getting worried soon. I usually check in by now.”

  For a split second, Evie’s heart lifted.

  “Well...that would be perfect, wouldn’t it?” The others turned to her. “I know it’s nothing we planned, but if your father were to find us—”

  “You were sleeping for a long time,” Cosette interrupted smoothly. “There are things out there that could do serious harm, even to a dragon.”

  Evie scoffed as an image of her fearless uncle flashed through her mind.

  “But that wouldn’t stop your dad—”

  “No, it wouldn’t,” Cosette said pointedly as the implication hit home. “He would come looking for me anyway. And he could be killed for it. All because I lost the stone...”

  Suddenly, the princess’ recent behavior made sense. The way she’d pushed for them to move forward, even at their own risk. The way she’d grown quieter and quieter, glancing up at the sky.

  Ellanden slipped his arm around her. “We’ll find another stone.”

  Her shoulders slumped miserably. “How? I’ve checked every place we’ve gone and haven’t seen one.” She gestured blindly around the clearing. “There are three dozen witches here and none of them—”

  “We’ll fine another stone,” he repeated, smoothing her hair. “As of a few weeks ago, it’s our entire job description. We travel around professionally, looking for stones.”

  She smiled weakly at the joke, while Freya corrected him under her breath.

  “As of a few years ago...”

  “Besides,” Ellanden continued, not hearing her, “a seeing stone is only good for a handful of uses anyway. Kailas and Serafina know that. If you don’t check in right away, they won’t necessarily assume the worst...”

  He trailed off at the look on her face. It was the same expression mirrored in Seth and Freya, the one that reminded him once again. It was years, not weeks.

  “Like I said,” Cosette murmured, “you’d been asleep for a long time.”

  And awkward silence fell over the table, broken when Seth cleared his throat.

  “Why don’t you ask the chief about it?” he offered diplomatically, speaking to no one in particular. “The man’s going to have a better idea of what resources are around here than we do.”

  Evie nodded in agreement, nibbling on the edge of an apple.

  “Actually, that’s not the only thing I wanted to talk with him about.” She turned eagerly to Ellanden. “Did Eli tell you what I asked him? About the shipwreck?”

  The
fae pursed his lips. “We didn’t really get that far.”

  Her eyes narrowed sarcastically. “Because you tortured him?”

  Ellanden bypassed the water, pouring himself some ale. “Torture is such a strong word. If he ever wakes up, I’m sure he’ll agree.”

  Seth glanced between them with a hint of alarm. “Wait...who did what?” His eyebrows lifted ever so slightly as he gestured back to the trees. “Was there a torture schedule this morning I wasn’t made aware of?”

  Evie rolled her eyes, waving it off dismissively. “It was just Eli. And trust me, he had it coming.”

  “Why?” Freya interjected. “Just because he was boasting last night?”

  Ellanden glanced at Seth, casually twirling his knife. “I’d do it for less of a reason...”

  “I’m serious,” Freya insisted, wide-eyed with astonishment. “Just because he was boasting?”

  Evie and the prince shared a quick glance. A silent request passed between them.

  “Yes,” he answered calmly. “Because he was boasting.”

  Evie glanced at him again before dropping her eyes to the table.

  Thank you.

  Seth shook his head slowly, staring across the table at the fae. “You are severely unhinged...”

  Ellanden flashed a sweet smile, still holding the knife. “Careful now.”

  “I was actually surprised by what Eli said,” Freya interrupted suddenly, leaning in between them. “I thought only your bloodline could shape-shift. Isn’t that the Oberon legacy?”

  Ellanden stiffened instinctively, eyes flickering around the camp.

  “We’re one of the few families. Eli was right about one thing: it’s a rare gift.”

  Gift.

  Funny he should choose that word. Evie didn’t think she’d ever heard him call it that.

  Yet sitting there in the clearing, it seemed impossible to deny it. By definition the Kreo were a diverse people, united by only one thing...magic.

  It was everywhere. In the air, in the trees. The ground itself was soaking in it. Traces were flickering in the fire. The only reason the friends had been rescued was because a group had gone to the beach to pick fruit and practice their spells by the water. The princess was willing to bet that magic had brought them to the sandy shores as well. How else could they have survived the shipwreck? How else could they have been nursed back to health so quickly?

  “I really need to speak with the chief,” she murmured, almost to herself.

  She wasn’t quite sure from what bloodline the man hailed, but he was an embodiment of all the supernatural wonder around them. If anyone could give her answers, it would surely be him.

  Cosette lifted her eyes, gesturing behind the table.

  “Ask and you shall receive...”

  Two men were walking side by side through the tall grass. One was old and squat and the very person she’d been looking for. The other had broken her heart just a few hours before.

  This is why people shouldn’t go on quests, she thought suddenly. Because if you break up with someone halfway through, you have to stick around and see them day after day.

  A breath caught in her throat and she felt Ellanden’s hand below the table—squeezing her knee reassuringly. His voice whispered into her ear a moment later, so quiet that even the shifters and the vampire would be unable to hear.

  “I’m not taking sides...but do you want me to kick his arse?”

  Never in her life had she been more grateful for the fae than she was in that moment. Her pulse evened and her face warmed with the hint of a secret smile.

  The next second, the men were upon them.

  “Hey,” Asher greeted them briefly, his eyes flashing to the princess before lowering with a blush, “I was speaking with Rone this morning and he showed me a map.”

  In the blink of an eye, he produced a roll of parchment from the fold of his cloak. Despite the heat the vampire was still wearing one, almost like a shield between him and the outside world.

  He spread it quickly on the table, pushing aside the apples and ale. “We’re here.”

  The friends stood up at the same time, leaning over the table. They stared at his finger for a moment before making the long journey to the far side of the map.

  “How is that possible?” Ellanden breathed. “We were five hundred leagues away...”

  Rone’s eyes twinkled as they swept the fae up and down.

  “Storms have a way of doing that.” He continued cryptically, “They also have a way of bringing us exactly where we need to be.”

  The princess was transfixed. The fae rolled his eyes.

  “So how are we going to get back?” he said sharply, less impressed by the mystery of it than he was highly inconvenienced by it. “Because I highly doubt we’d be able to waltz back through the Carpathian settlement and steal another ship.”

  There was a beat of silence.

  “...not that we stole a ship.”

  The chief let out a burst of laughter that turned into a raspy cough halfway through. He took the prince’s ale to steady himself, draining the glass in a single gulp.

  “So impatient,” he chided. “Did someone never stop and thank his lucky stars that he washed ashore in the first place? Your bones could be drifting to the bottom of the sea.”

  Ellanden smiled sweetly, grabbing himself another glass. “I’m not that lucky. The fates saw fit to bring me here instead.”

  Evie sucked in a silent breath, astonished by his lack of manners, but the chief took it all in stride. Even more than that, he seemed to be expecting it.

  “Patience is a virtue, my child.” His eyes twinkled at the look of silent rebellion on the fae’s face. “Better you learn that lesson now, while there is still time, than have it be forced upon you in some darker story. The winds of providence can only—”

  “—can only guide where you allow them to go,” the fae finished crossly. “Yes, I’m well aware of the proverb.” He jammed a finger down on the parchment. “Now can you offer us some guidance to make sense of these scribbles? Or shall we simply set off on our own?”

  Evie’s mouth fell open. Asher stared between them in shock.

  “Ellanden,” he scolded under his breath, “what are you—”

  “No reason to lower your voice,” the fae interrupted loudly, those eternal eyes fixed with a stab of annoyance on the old man. “Rone here knows exactly who I am. He knows who we all are.”

  The friends turned to the chief in amazement, only to be rewarded with a toothy grin.

  “You’ll forgive me if I don’t curtsey...I’ve quite forgotten how.”

  Chapter 13

  “But how did you know?” the princess asked for the hundredth time.

  The rest of the villagers had wandered away from the clearing, going about their daily chores. But the friends were still sitting at the table, rooted in astonishment to the same spot.

  “That proverb,” Ellanden answered irritably, his eyes still on the chief, “is an old Kreo saying; one my mother taught me when I was a child. A rather cryptic introduction—”

  Rone burst out laughing.

  “As opposed to no introduction at all?” He took a step closer, looking the young fae up and down. “Our prince returns after ten years, a complete mystery as to where he was. He says not a word to reveal his identity, just seems content simply to drink our whiskey and go on his way.” His eyes twinkled with another smile. “And you expect me not to have a little fun?”

  A hard silence fell between them, broken by an unexpected voice.

  “Your prince returns...in the back of a feed cart,” Seth corrected casually. The others turned to him incredulously and he lifted a shoulder with a grin. “I feel it’s important to make sure these stories are accurately recorded...for posterity’s sake.”

  Ellanden ignored him, focused only on the chief. “So are you going to ask me?”

  He said the words quietly, but there was a strange edge to his voice. A hint of defiance that was mi
rrored in his eyes. The chief stared at him a moment, then shook his head.

  “I don’t imagine that story is meant for me.” His face grew unexpectedly thoughtful. “Least of all before your parents have heard it themselves. I’m assuming that you have not yet reached them,” he continued, a bit sharper. “Otherwise I doubt we would have met in such a manner.”

  Evie took a sudden step forward, speaking in spite of herself.

  “Do you think you could get a message to them?” she pleaded. “If it was even just to tell them that we’re alive—”

  The chief nodded slowly, lost in thought. “There might be a way. In the morning, some of my people were to set sail for the next village. We generally keep to ourselves—it’s safer that way—but we occasionally need to leave our borders in order to gather supplies. There’s a woman who lives there, an old woman, who might be able to help.” He nodded at Ellanden. “If your mother is still with the rest of them, the two of us might be able to make a connection—send a message she’d be able to hear.”

  The fae froze perfectly still, unable to believe such a thing might come to pass.

  “Tomorrow,” he repeated shakily. “I could speak with her...tomorrow.”

  Rone’s eyes warmed with a gentle smile. “It takes time to sail. Not to mention that I have no idea whether the witch in question is even alive. But...yes. There’s a chance you could speak to your mother in the next few days.”

  Ellanden took a step back. A kind of shiver swept over him. Suddenly, he found himself feeling what the others had been saying all along. It had been years, not weeks. Ten impossible years.

  He couldn’t bring himself to speak. He simply nodded, eyes on the ground.

  “If that’s the plan, then I suppose preparations are in order.” The chief clapped his hands briskly, taking a moment to straighten the dead bat atop his head. “I suggest you all take the day to rest, gather your strength. Pack what you have, and I’ll see you all at dinner.”

  The friends nodded in swift agreement, pushing to their feet. The old man was already halfway across the meadow by the time the princess caught up with him.

  “Rone!” she called out before catching herself quickly. “I mean...Chief?”