Cloaked: Easthaven Crest, Book One

by Justice, A. D.

  With the elves quickly closing in behind me, I back up a few steps, run toward the bank, and give the best impression of an Olympic long jump I have inside me. My last thought when leaving the bank is, even if I don’t clear the entire span to the other side, at least it gets me closer to the other bank—soaking wet or not. The side where seemingly normal humans are waiting and encouraging me to join them.

  With my arms and legs flailing in the air in an attempt to increase my momentum, I realize I’m still airborne long after I should’ve already landed according to the standard rules of physics and gravity. But I’m still in the air until I’ve cleared the water and safely land on the other side. They form a protective fence around me with their horses. Their weapons are drawn and aimed at the outraged crowd that’s still keen on killing me.

  The thoughts of the group surrounding me filter through my fears, giving me reassurance of their intentions. They’re actively defending me. One of the riders assumes I simply got lost in the woods while walking from the city to their village, making an innocent mistake by crossing onto the forbidden land.

  Not knowing what I’m dealing with, where I am, or why I’m here, I decide it’s best to go with that excuse for now. When facts about this place become more apparent, maybe I can tell them the truth. For now, I’ll wait and get more information about where the village is and why anyone would assume I’d get lost in the woods. Perhaps later, I’ll reconsider telling them the truth in the hope they can help me figure out what happened to me.

  “Give her back to us, Saban. She was on our land, so she belongs to us now. She will answer for her crimes.” The man who removed his helmet earlier pierces me with the angry glare of his coal-black eyes as he speaks. I could’ve sworn they were blue a few seconds ago.

  “That will never happen, Rycan, and you know it. She made a simple mistake. A small group of girls ventured into the woods to enjoy this beautiful day. She simply got separated from the others and lost her way. We’ve been out searching for her—and we’re taking her home now that we’ve found her.”

  The two men stare at each other while my heart beats in time with every second that ticks by. My eyes dart back and forth between Saban and Rycan, and my allegiance is currently aligned with the one who’s actively trying to save my life.

  Saban is as stunningly handsome as Rycan, but in a different way. He exudes a natural sex appeal that draws women to him—like a moth to the flame, getting burned when she gets too close, but willing to take the gamble on the off chance the feeling is mutual. He looks like he’s a few years older than me, with close-cropped scruff covering his strong jawline. His jet-black hair is slightly longer on top than on the sides, naturally messy and spiky in a way that suits him perfectly.

  The women riding in his group all have similar thoughts in mind—they’re salivating over him, hanging on his every word, and waiting for him to take their feelings for him sincerely. So far, he hasn’t chosen a life mate, knowing it’s forever once he does. Each one is vying for his affections, fighting for his attention, and silently begging him to choose her to fill that role.

  With good reason, too. Saban’s muscular frame makes the enormous draft horse he’s riding seem small. The air around him crackles and sparks with innate authority and charm. His casual demeanor, sitting relaxed on his horse, unaffected by the daggers flowing from Rycan’s eyes, belies his underlying strength. His muscles are coiled, ready to react with lightning-fast reflexes should his enemy try to make a move.

  I’ve never seen eyes the shade of gray as his. They change from a light gray to a dark gray with his thoughts and moods. Right now, they’re so dark, they’re almost charcoal. He hopes Rycan pushes the issue. The bad blood between them is long-standing, going back over several years of increasing animosity, and Saban is more than willing to finish whatever this human-elf feud is by ending Rycan’s rule forever.

  “Keep her for now, Saban. You should send her to your private school that you reserve for your precious royal bloodline. Next time she gets ‘lost’ in our woods, I’ll send her back to you in pieces.” Rycan turns his hateful gaze back to me when he finishes his threat. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

  Rycan and his merry band of elves turn their horses around and ride away, leaving me with a new problem to solve. Saban blatantly made up the entire story about my getting lost in the woods while out with a group of friends. Now he’ll want the real story, and not knowing the size of the nearby city or their smaller village, I have no idea what the odds are that he knows everyone who lives there.

  He waits until Rycan is out of sight before turning his attention directly to me, assessing me from head to toe. For the first time in years, I purposely open my mind and let my intuition take over. The thoughts from the group surrounding me flow through my mind like water cutting a path through rock, knocking against the sides and creating trails with indiscriminate force. The trick is identifying the real ones from the fake, the notions thought in jest versus the ones truly believed.

  The shade of his irises lightens to a stainless-steel sheen right before my eyes. I watch with rapt attention, mesmerized by both the hue of his eyes and the thoughts swirling in his mind. Thoughts of me. Wondering who I am, intrigued he hasn’t seen me before, and a desire to change that for the foreseeable future.

  “Saban, we should get going. You’ll be late for your sister’s engagement party if we don’t leave for the castle now.” One of the women who desperately wants to marry Saban tries her best to turn his attention from me to her.

  Hoping to head off the questions I don’t want to answer, I quickly add my part before an inquisition can begin. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. Please accept my apologies for any trouble I’ve caused. I’ll head straight to the city now.”

  Every word I’ve spoken is the truth, even though I don’t know which way the city is or what I’ll find if I reach it.

  “Not to seem rude, but I’m surprised we haven’t met before now. Do you live in the orphanage compound? Is that why your parents haven’t brought you to court at the palace? As beautiful as you are, surely they would’ve presented you as a possible mate for me if they were able.” His war face was intimidating, but his smile is entirely disarming and much more dangerous.

  It’s no wonder all the ladies in his company want to baptize me in the river and hold me under the water a few minutes too long.

  “My parents died when I was just a baby. I never knew them, so I’m not sure what they would’ve done, given the chance. I’d like to think they would have introduced us, but I’m afraid we’ll never know.” I smile in return, hoping my explanation settles his curiosity.

  “In that case, maybe you should come to the castle with me right now. We’ll get dressed up, then we’ll eat, drink, dance, and celebrate my sister’s upcoming nuptials.”

  I look down at my clothes, dirty and torn from my escape from the beautiful but angry elves. “As much as I’d love to join you, I probably shouldn’t. My clothes aren’t exactly appropriate for a party in the castle, and I literally have nothing to wear to that kind of event. Please give your sister my congratulations and wishes for a long and happy marriage.”

  “You are nothing like any other girl I’ve ever met. It’s so refreshing. What is your name, beautiful lady?”

  Make up a name, the voice warns.

  “I’m Sara Meneres.” Only slightly different, but close enough to play off the mispronunciation as a case of nerves or misunderstanding if the occasion arises.

  “Sara, I like that name.” He says my name a few more times, putting a different emphasis on the vowels each time. “It’s very original.”

  Not where I come from, I think to myself.

  “Well, Sara, I am Lord Saban Strydor, but you can call me Saban. Since you’ve never visited court before, you probably don’t recognize me. My father was Sagran Strydor. I inherited the responsibility of ruling our kingdom when he died last year. That includes fostering relations with our bordering nati
ons, as you just witnessed.”

  “That’s a lot of responsibility for one man to bear. That’s very impressive, Saban.”

  “I do my best. Now, back to our date tonight. My sister has plenty of clothes you can wear. If there’s something you need that she doesn’t have, the palace staff will get it for you. Now, is there any other reason why you can’t be my date for the party?” He slowly arches one eyebrow, waiting to destroy my next excuse. But I don’t have one—not one that won’t arouse even more suspicion anyway.

  “In that case, how can I turn down such a generous offer? I would be honored to be your date tonight.”

  “Thank you for not making me beg. My next move was going to be to climb down off this horse, drop to my knees in front of you, and plead shamelessly until you relented. You just saved me from an extremely humiliating display.” Mischief dances in his eyes, and his smile turns sultry. His full lips only enhance his handsome face.

  “But Saban, we don’t have an extra horse for her to ride. It’s cruel to make her walk all the way to the palace.” The same girl has yet another reason to get rid of me.

  I really need to get this girl’s name because she’ll stop at nothing to keep me away from him.

  “Good point, Shania. We can’t have that, can we? Here, Sara, take my hand—you can ride with me.”

  He reaches down, and I slide my hand along his forearm until I reach his elbow. With no effort at all, he lifts me from the ground, and I throw one leg over his horse. With my front to his back, I wrap my arms around his waist and hold on with all my might. I’ve ridden horses all my life, but these are not like any horses I’ve ever seen by any means. They’re twice the size of a Clydesdale, with broad backs and long legs.

  “Hold on tight. These horses were specially bred to fly when they take off running. They’re incredible animals.”

  When he said the horses fly, I assumed he meant it as a metaphor for running fast. He didn’t. He means they can literally fly—like Pegasus, but without wings. They run, jump, and soar over great distances, much like I did when I jumped across the river. Everything about this place and people I’ve met so far is surreal, like a vivid dream I don’t want to wake up from because it feels so real. But I must be dreaming because there’s no other rational explanation for what’s happening.

  “This is incredible, Saban. You must ride them every day just to experience this feeling of freedom.” My face is close enough to his ear that I don’t have to shout over the sound of the rushing wind.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying the ride. That gives me the incentive to take them out more often—and ammunition to get you to go with me.” The charming smile on his face is more than a little facetious. He knows the effect he has on all the women around him more than he’s admitting. Right now, he’s merely making sure he brings me under his subjection too.

  “You told me to call you Saban, but I have a question. Are you actually the king? I’m sorry I don’t know much about how palace life works. You must think I’m a complete idiot.”

  “I don’t think you’re an idiot at all. Most people don’t know all the details unless they’re active in court. I’m not a king. Not yet, anyway. To be given the title of king, you have to be born into the royal bloodline. If there’s no royal heir, you have to be voted into the position by the royalty of the neighboring kingdoms. As you can tell, there’s at least one kingdom still holding out on that vote. To be honest, there’s likely more than one. So, for now, I’m still a lord. But not for much longer—I have big plans.”

  Their monarchy system is obviously different from what I’ve studied in school, with kings and queens and lords, all the titles I’ve never fully committed to memory. But there’s definitely a hierarchy system here that he’s trying to work to his advantage. From our brief interaction, I already know he wants the title of king so bad he can taste it. He lives in a castle and holds court, waiting for potential mates to be presented to him as if they’re dolls on a display shelf.

  With his flirty demeanor and quick wit, I can’t help but wonder if he’s the type that takes them down and shows them off, only to discard them just as quickly, like yesterday’s garbage.

  Chapter 4

  When we reach the castle, I’m more confused than ever. I naturally assumed this place was still stuck in the medieval period when I first saw everyone riding horses. Kings. Lords, metal body armor, swords, and crossing the country with horses and carriages. In hindsight, the electric swords and futuristic guns should’ve been a dead giveaway. But then again, nothing here fits the typical mold at home. I also expected the castle to be ancient—with candles to light the way and outhouses or chamber pots as bathrooms. I’d read the castles of old were drafty and uncomfortable to live in. They were hard to heat and cool, especially since they lacked the modern convenience of central heat and air conditioning units. Naturally, I thought Saban’s castle would be much the same.

  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  “The horses need to be fed and watered before you turn them back out to pasture. Mix the oats and the alfalfa together.” Saban hands his reins off to one of his stable hands after he dismounts, then he turns and helps me down. “Come with me, beautiful. I’ll show you to the guest room where you can get dressed for the engagement party.”

  He must sense my hesitancy as I look down at my clothes. After riding the flying horse, I can only imagine how my hair and face must look. This has got to be the worst idea in the history of this world.

  “Don’t worry, Sara. You’ll have everything you need and people to help you pick out which dress to wear. Now relax, because you and I have a lot of dancing and flirting to do over the next few hours. Plus, as beautiful as you are now, I bet you’ll light up the entire room when you finally smile, and I wouldn’t miss that for all of Easthaven Crest or the entire world of Covis Realm.” He winks at me before placing his hand on the small of my back and steering me toward the palace.

  Easthaven Crest? Covis Realm? That’s where I am? What the hell?

  From the outside, this place is the stuff little girls’ dreams are made of—beautiful ivory-colored stone, with high walls, towers, turrets, and the massive keep standing tall at the center point of the wall. But the most beautiful part is the main house.

  Actually, “royal palace” is a better term to describe it. The enormous structure is topped off with a navy dome and spires reaching toward the heavens. The light-blue accents and navy-blue dome against the white walls sparkle in the sun, like a supernatural sign confirming the magic held inside the golden gates. And there are many gates, all fortified by heavily armed guards.

  Inside the high walls surrounding the castle, the gardens take my breath away. My first thought is of Nana and how she’d love to see all the greenery, flowers, and shrubs that were professionally and strategically placed to make the lush green lawn and immaculate residence even more gorgeous. These plants aren’t from my world—they’re much more vibrant, more colorful, and much larger—and not a variety I’ve ever seen before.

  I fight the urge to pinch myself to make sure I didn’t hit my head when I fell. Maybe I’m passed out in the forest and fantasizing all of this.

  Then the warmth of Saban’s hand seeps through my shirt. I smell the fragrant flowers mixed with his spicy, masculine scent. Do they have cologne here? I can only assume they do because any man who naturally smells as good as he does would be lethal to the female population. I chance a glance over at him, watching his every movement as he walks through the gardens toward the palace courtyard. His air of confidence precedes him, making people step out of his way rather than him giving way to them. His shoulders are broad, his chest is thick, and his legs are as wide as tree trunks. If not for the warning ringing in my ears, telling me to be careful with him, maybe I’d also fall under his spell without a second thought.

  But then again, I’ve never really been that type of girl. I never went boy-crazy when my hormones kicked in at puberty. Of course, I’ve had my fa
ir share of dates and boyfriends, but I haven’t met anyone yet who truly held my heart—or even my interest—for very long. Saban may not be able to change that in the long run, but I can certainly see the appeal he holds. When he feels the weight of my stare, he cuts his eyes toward me. The playful and flirty glint in them makes my heart skip a beat, then a slow smile covers his handsome face.

  “In this light, your eyes are such a pale violet they’re almost pure purple. I’ve never seen such a beautiful shade on anyone else in the entire realm. You’re special. I felt it from the moment I first saw you. But now, that feeling is much stronger.” He stops walking and turns to fully face me.

  When his fingertips brush against my cheek, I inhale a sharp breath and hold it, unable to release it or move away from him. This is more than electricity arcing between two bodies. More than chemistry holds us hostage. An instant and intense connection is alive between us, tethering us together with an invisible chain that seems unbreakable. He feels it too—I can sense it in his thoughts, see it in his expression, and feel it in his touch. He reaches his other hand for mine, gently holding it while we stand rooted in place.

  Who is this stranger? How has she so fully enraptured me with nothing more than her spirit? How can I convince her to stay in the palace when I’ve only just met her?

  The thoughts stream from his mind to mine like water from the river flows into the ocean. The feelings attached to the queries slam into me like a speeding train, mixing with my own unsorted thoughts and sensations, making me question which emotions are mine and which are his. I force my body to breathe again, releasing the long-held breath slowly to help calm my racing mind and heart. Each passing second gives me time to soothe my ragged nerves and sort out the jumbled mess in my mind.

  Saban wants to get to know me better without scaring me off. Moving in to the castle would solve several immediate problems—the most significant being I’m homeless here and have no idea how to get back to my world. I sift through his thoughts, looking for any inkling he’s onto my plight, but there’s no suspicion there. The orphanage must be full and turning out young adults frequently. With that story conveniently in place, I won’t bother adding to it and potentially complicating matters. I’ll just have to be extra careful not to mention my past experiences that would invite more questions.