Possession

by Samantha Britt

  Shaking my head, I said, “Stop deflecting. Why did you do it? Why am I here?” Lord Erwin was one of the few individuals I actually asked questions. Maybe it was because he was an outsider… like me.

  “I told you, I wanted to be in your company. After all, aside from my staff, you are the only person from Avelin in the castle. Call me homesick, but I want to spend an evening with a face that reminds me of my people.”

  I allowed myself to admire our resemblance, admitting how much Lord Erwin reminded me of my brother, Lin. The rarity of our blond hair and blue eyes made that easy.

  “But I’m from Caldiri,” I reminded him. “I will make a poor partner if you wish to discuss a continent I’ve never been to.” I didn’t point out his past aversion to discussing his homeland with me. He’d practically snapped at me when I asked about Avelin during Jona’s ceremony. I didn’t want to say anything to ruin him telling me now.

  “I disagree. You’re the best partner I can hope for.”

  “How so?” I ignored the startled stare of a human servant who heard Lord Erwin’s compliment.

  “Well, I assume you are intrigued by learning more about Avelin.” He paused.

  I nodded. “I am.”

  Grinning, he continued, “And your intrigue will make you an eager listener. Since I am a male who enjoys speaking, you are the perfect partner for our discussion.”

  I laughed at his logic. “Wouldn’t that be less of a discussion and more of a speech?”

  He waved a hand. “Call it what you want, my statement stands.”

  I laughed again, rolling my eyes. “Okay. You have my attention. Tell me about Avelin.”

  Lord Erwin stared at my lips, seeming mesmerized by my smile. “What do you wish to learn?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged, feeling a twinge of discomfort by his unrelenting attention. “Everything. You’ve said humans live there… and there’s a king?”

  He didn’t move his attention from my mouth as he said, “King Aquin.”

  “King Aquin,” I repeated. “He’s the king of elves.”

  “And men.”

  I gazed over Lord Erwin’s shoulder, focusing on a curtain. His stare was unnerving, but I didn’t want to end the conversation. “But the king is an elf. Right?”

  “Yes.”

  I thought of the draekon continent and the relationship between the shape-shifting creatures and humans. “Are we subordinates there, too?”

  “We?”

  I flicked my eyes back to his face. He no longer stared at my mouth. “Humans,” I said. “Are humans subject to work for elves like we do for draekon?”

  “Oh.” He blinked. “No. Some humans work for elves, but we don’t have anything like the Census on Avelin. Humans are free to do whatever they want with their lives, aside from criminal acts, of course.”

  I absorbed his words. What would my life had been like if I’d been raised on Avelin? I could hardly imagine.

  Not for the first time, questions of why my parents would have moved us from their homeland to the Draekon Kingdom troubled me, especially to Caldiri of all places. I’d wracked my brain for several hours a day, but I’d never been able to come up with a logical reason. I began to doubt there was one.

  “You said your king sent you to Draek to negotiate a peace treaty with King Roderick,” I referenced our short conversation at the ceremony. “Have you made progress?”

  A part of me hoped if the elves and draekon were no longer enemies, the curse forcing draekon to seek mates in humans would be lifted. Then, with time, maybe the Census would fade into history as an unnecessary act.

  After all, if Remi represented the majority of human recruits in the different regions, there were plenty of humans who would willingly move to Draek to work. If draekon could repopulate their cities on their own, there would be no need to force humans to give up their lives and relocate to the capital each year.

  My farfetched daydreams were thwarted when Lord Erwin said, “Seeing as King Roderick has been absent from Court for the majority of the months I’ve been here, no. I’ve made no progress.”

  “Oh.” My hope deflated. To distract Lord Erwin from noticing, I asked, “How long have you been in Draek?”

  “Nearly one sun cycle.”

  A year, I translated. “And you haven’t been able to negotiate peace with the princes?” I’d learned Prince Brion and Prince Finn shared the responsibility of ruling when their father was away. Both Prince Finn and, surprisingly, Price Brion seemed like reasonable males. They might consider making peace with their race’s enemy.

  I recalled Prince Brion’s coolheaded behavior when dealing with diplomatic issues. It seemed he reserved his irrational outbursts and behaviors for me.

  “Do you mean before or after Prince Finn threw me into a dungeon and accused me of working with rebels?” Lord Erwin took another swig of wine.

  “That’s not fair,” I blurted without thinking. “Elves had attacked the castle. You cannot blame the prince for wondering if you might’ve been behind their entry.”

  “Are you defending a draekon?” he asked in an exaggerated whisper.

  He was making fun of me. It was no secret I’d been terrified of the powerful beings when I first arrived in Draek. They still frightened me, but I’d been better about hiding it after I’d overheard Agent Min say I looked like I expected someone to burn me to a crisp at any moment. I didn’t want people to think I was weak or cowardly.

  “I’m simply saying it was not an irrational thought for Prince Finn to have.”

  Lord Erwin scoffed. “Well, fortunately for me, Prince Brion is not so easily controlled by fear and prejudices. Otherwise, the situation could have quickly gotten out of hand. My king wouldn’t have liked to hear his ambassador had been wrongly imprisoned.”

  “What would King Aquin do?” I imagined a swarm of tall, muscular, and magically gifted elves attacking the castle to retrieve their kin.

  “Sadly, we will never know. Though, in case you weren’t aware, I am a very important elf.”

  “I’m sure you think so.” The ease with which I spoke to Lord Erwin didn’t escape me, and my comfort didn’t make sense. I’d grown up fearing draekon, yet I was able to speak to the member of a race who could best the winged beasts.

  But… how? And why?

  Lord Erwin wasn’t bothered by my familiarity. In fact, I swore his eyes glistened with amusement.

  I called on my newly-found confidence and asked, “What are your powers?”

  His expression shifted, and he blinked with surprise. “Excuse me?”

  “Your powers. I already know you can conjure curses but what else?”

  Chuckling, Lord Erwin said, “I cannot conjure curses. Such magic can only be used by those elves touched by the Mother, and only the most gifted are capable of wielding hexes and curses.”

  “Touched by the Mother?” I’d never heard the phrase.

  “The Goddess Mother,” he explained. “Humans and draekon venerate the old gods who rarely use their divine powers to interact with the world. The Goddess Mother, however, constantly moves in our lives, bestowing gifts and knowledge to her children she deems most worthy.”

  I frowned. Papa Gil, my childhood guardian, hadn’t been a religious man, but I’d learned enough about the ancient gods to know I’d never heard of a female deity before.

  There was Yuti, the sun god. He controlled the turning of the world and the fires found deep within draekon’s throats. Po, the night god, blanketed the sky with stars. His artwork was only displayed when Yuti pulled back the sun to make way for night. Veni, Rashnar, and Ifin reigned over the weather, crops, and animals, and many more natural phenomena.

  Stories about the gods of old were common and widely told, but that’s all they were. Stories.

  Few humans worshipped gods. At least, few humans in Caldiri worshiped them.

  I didn’t know about other regions, but in my home region, religion played a very small role in our daily lives. As
Lord Erwin had said, the gods involvement in the world was rare. I believed some type of divine being was responsible for creating the world around me, but I didn’t know if the legendary gods were it.

  “How does the goddess determine who is worthy?” I drank the last of my wine. Lord Erwin took my empty glass and placed it on the table behind him.

  “No one knows, really. Though, there is a strong case to be made that one’s bloodline predicts whether or not an elf is magically gifted.”

  “That’s just heredity,” I told him. “It sounds like magic is passed from parent to child. There’s nothing divine about that.”

  A gong chimed from outside the salon.

  Lord Erwin abandoned his own glass before taking my hand and winding it around his arm. “Let’s just say there is more to magic than that,” he said. “I, for instance, do not have magical parents. Yet, I am gifted.” We began walking towards the Court dining hall. The gong had signaled dinner was ready, and everyone was making their way to take their seats.

  “I thought you said you aren’t gifted with magic.”

  “No, I said I am not able to conjure curses,” he corrected me. “You should listen more closely.”

  I ignored his teasing.

  “What are your gifts?” I modified my original question as we squeezed through the crowded doorway. Nobles and companions were in a rush to leave the salon and claim a coveted seat close to the royal table.

  “Meet me for luncheon tomorrow and I’ll tell you.”

  I lifted my eyes to the side of his face. Sensing my gaze, he turned his chin and looked down at me. “I may also continue to regale you with stories of Avelin,” he said, sweetening the deal. “What do you say?”

  I wanted to agree, but the image of an overbearing prince came to mind. “I can’t. I’ll be working.” On what, I wasn’t sure, but tomorrow’s task would likely involve a thick history text.

  “Surely, the princes allow you time to eat?”

  “I usually eat in my room.”

  “Well, be daring and eat in mine tomorrow.”

  I nearly stumbled. “Y-your bedroom?” Had I misread our friendly banter in the salon as something else?

  Lord Erwin grinned, amused, but he swiftly alleviated my worry. “My apartments have many rooms. I was thinking the dining room would suffice.”

  “I see.” Mortified by my presumption, I bit my lip and looked away, focusing on the crowd slowly moving into the dining hall. “Maybe. I don’t know if I’ll be available.”

  But I really wanted to learn more about Avelin. I chewed my lip as I weighed my options.

  “How about this? At noon, if you are available, come to my apartment. I’ll have luncheon prepared at that time whether or not you show up.”

  I freed my lip from my teeth, peeking up at him. He wore a patient smile.

  “All right,” I found myself saying.

  “Excellent.” Lord Erwin patted my hand as we finally made it into the long dining hall. The tables were already halfway full, but I didn’t worry about where I would sit. Cienna always saved a place for me at her side during the meals. Unwinding our arms, Lord Erwin shifted slightly behind me, placing a guiding hand on my lower back. He continued to escort me down the busy aisle toward the royal table. I avoided meeting the stares and whispers of the court members we passed. Though, I did quicken my pace to reach my seat sooner.

  The path became clearer closer to the elevated dais. The stage was positioned perpendicular to the rest of the tables in the room. All available coveted seats had already been taken.

  My gaze traveled over both familiar and unfamiliar faces, landing on the princess. Cienna’s hair was twisted into an elaborate braid, pinned at the base of her skull. She turned towards me, and I admired the diamond tiara placed perfectly on top of her head. She looked regal.

  “The princess does not like me very much.”

  I raised my brow, glancing away from my friend. “What?”

  Lord Erwin jerked his chin towards the long table, closest to the raised dais.

  I followed his gaze back to Princess Cienna, noticing she eyed the male like a viper ready to strike. She glared at the hand placed against my lower back.

  “Hmmm. I can’t imagine why.” I failed to hide my amused smile. The situation was funny, and I enjoyed the fact I wasn’t afraid to actually be myself around Lord Erwin. It was freeing to finally feel like I could say what was on my mind.

  Chuckling, he lowered his lips to my ear. “Careful, Lissa, or I might start to think you actually like me.”

  “Yes.” I bobbed my head and donned a truly remorseful expression. “That would be tragic.” And surprisingly true.

  Before Lord Erwin could reply, I stepped out of his reach. I walked around the table closest to the raised dais, reserved for the highest-ranking draekon… and me.

  Cienna watched me with open curiosity as I sat down. She was dying to ask what I’d been doing with Lord Erwin, but she knew we’d be overheard by the dozens of snooping ears surrounding us. Still, her eyes flashed with promise. She’d be asking me about my escort later.

  The dining hall fell quiet as two lines of royal guards entered from the doors on either side of the dais. Their red capes swayed as they positioned themselves between us and the elevated stage. Their black leathers and hilted swords flashed with every move.

  My forehead creased. I didn’t know what to make of the unexpected parade.

  Applause and cheers started at the back of the hall. Everyone’s eyes swung towards the noise. A line of guards marched towards the dais. Their faces were expressionless and hard as they stared in front of them. They looked like well-seasoned warriors returning home after seeing a hard-won victory.

  But the fervent greeting wasn’t for their benefit.

  Strolling confidently behind the wall of guards was an enigmatic draekon. The male grinned and waved at the adoring crowd on either side of the hall, showcasing his bright teeth and rugged jawline. His midnight hair was tied back by a leather cord, and his black eyes were set underneath a strong brow.

  Even though I’d never met him, I knew who he was. The resemblance to his sons could be seen in his stride and handsome features.

  King Roderick.

  6

  I quickly understood the reason behind the princes’ early departure that morning and Cienna’s tiara. Their father, King Roderick, had returned from his extended holiday with his newest companion, and I suspected I was one of the few people in the castle who’d been unaware of his arrival.

  I supposed hiding myself away in a corner of the library wasn’t the best way to hear of the king’s return.

  I watched the leader of the land prowl onto the raised dais. King Roderick turned to face the crowd, making a dramatic show of fanning his cape out behind him. Hard, dark eyes assessed the crowd, then he said, “Welcome, my Court, to dinner.”

  Everyone had risen to their feet as he entered. Now, we bowed and curtsied in our places. My legs bumped painfully against the table’s leg. I bit my cheek to withhold my cry of pain.

  “I am overjoyed to return to my home, and I look forward to resuming my role as leader of this mighty country.”

  Polite applause followed his words. I clapped my hands together and dared a glance to the two princes standing slightly behind their father.

  King Finn was watching his father, but Prince Brion’s onyx eyes met mine. His expression was unreadable. Nevertheless, his stare was unsettling.

  I looked away, returning my attention to the king.

  King Roderick lifted his hands high in the air, “May the gods bless this meal and my reign.”

  “Long live King Roderick.” A dutiful soldier shouted from the back of the room.

  The entire dining hall repeated the words, “Long live King Roderick.”

  I mouthed the words and joined in as the room clapped again. Then, dinner proceeded like normal.

  Several human servers delivered food and poured drinks. The only noticeable differenc
e was the king’s presence, seated in between his twin sons, and Cienna’s abnormal silence.

  My friend had kept her back straight and eyes down during her father’s speech, and she’d barely spoken a word during the first course. I didn’t ask her what was wrong, knowing it had something to do with her father’s presence.

  Across the room, I locked eyes with Lord Erwin. He tilted his head in acknowledgement before resuming his conversation with one of his elven brethren. Not even the foreigner seemed surprised with King Roderick’s return. I wondered if he’d hired Remi to prepare me for this occasion—the first time the king of draekon would lay eyes on me.

  If so, the joke was on him. King Roderick was too preoccupied by the never-ending line of nobles to look out on the dining hall and notice one human recruit. Even though I sat next to his only daughter, the king hadn’t looked my direction once.

  “I can’t believe you allowed him to escort you to dinner.”

  Pulling my gaze from Lord Erwin, I focused on the princess. She glared at the elven group across the wide aisle. Her disapproval of Lord Erwin finally demanded she speak.

  “What choice did I have?” I asked. “He’s an elven lord. Besides, I didn’t mind.” Our open conversation had been refreshing.

  Cienna clutched her soup spoon. “You are my brothers’ secretary. Of course, you have a choice.”

  “I’m still a human recruit,” I said, lowering my voice. “He’s a royal guest. Please, don’t trouble yourself. Like I said, I didn’t mind. Lord Erwin was a complete gentleman.” Sometimes, I believed Cienna forgot the reality of my station in draekon society.

  “He’s infatuated by you,” she returned. “And I don’t know why.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I half joked.

  Finally, Cienna turned and looked at me. “You know that’s not what I mean. His attention is strange. He’s been at Court for nearly a year, and I’ve never seen him, or any of his elven kin, interact with anyone so much. They’re normally cold and keep to themselves.”

  I frowned, confused. “That’s not what I’ve seen.” Lord Erwin socialized easily among the draekon nobles, especially the females. Though, I’d never seen his companions speak with others that much.