The king took a single step toward her, his face turning beet red.
Aleena didn’t back down. “You let the Humans fight and die, ignoring your responsibility to this planet. You abandoned equality and set up a monarchy in place of fair representation.”
“And who do you think you are who presumes to lecture the King of the Earthborn? What do you know of Urlowen hostilities? Where do you get off playing self-righteous, parading in here with a show of parlor tricks and wearing the armor of our ancestors? That armor is hallowed, once donned by the greatest of our race.”
The king motioned to the stations on his right, which were covered with royal blue silk. On display in embroidered protective cases were twenty armored jumpsuits folded neatly.
A deep red suit in the center of the first row momentarily caught Aleena’s attention, showering her with memories of happier times.
“We honor their memory by keeping our race hidden from the Humans and Urlowens alike. We honor their memory by surviving.”
Aleena stared into the king’s hardened blue eyes. “You are fools. The Urlowens have weakened through the millennia. Victory may yet be within our grasp.”
She took another step forward and again the guards took two steps back, nearly bumping into the king. He shoved the guard in front of him to the side.
“You dishonor your ancestors. You dishonor me.” She took another step forward. “My name is Aleena of Avenfall. I earned this armor by trial. I fought side by side with your ancestors. I watched hundreds of thousands of Earthborn lay down their lives for our people.”
She felt something stir deep within her.
She pointed at the armor across the room. “They hid to save our race from extinction. They hid only when it became necessary. I hid only when it became necessary.”
Fear enveloped the king’s face and he began backing toward the command chair.
“I have no king,” Aleena continued. “The Earthborn have no king. We are a free people. And we fight for the innocent.”
The king flipped a switch on the console, but nothing happened.
“You will give the Earthborn a choice. You will let them join this fight.”
The king flipped the switch repeatedly. Still nothing happened.
Aleena waved a hand and the picture of her and Ella appeared, repeating on the windows enclosing the floor.
“Is something wrong?” Aleena asked.
The king furiously flipped switches on the command chair.
“I’ve disabled your system,” Aleena shared, a smug grin on her face.
“Fine,” the king grumbled. “I’ll do what you ask. I’ll help you. I’ll give them a choice.”
Aleena felt invincible, power coursing through her veins. It was a feeling unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It was intoxicating.
Then a soft touch stole her attention, Ethan’s hand gently grasping her own.
“Aleena.”
His voice was concerned. She could sense fear in him—fear of her. She looked down at his eyes. They were full of worry.
“Aleena, you need to calm down—please.”
He’s pleading. Why is he pleading? Why is he shorter?
She allowed herself to release some of the anger the king had elicited, lowering her eyes from his just in time to see and feel the tips of her toes come back into contact with the ground. She watched herself in disbelief as she felt her power wane. Her heels gently reached the floor, and she looked back up to the king and his guards, who were nearly trembling.
She was right. They were cowards.
“Good,” Ethan said gently. “You’ve made your point. Let’s get out of here.”
“Tomorrow.” She turned to the king. “You will offer everyone the choice tomorrow.”
He nodded.
As they turned to leave, Ethan’s grandmother stepped in front of them. She was the only one not shaken. In fact, she was beaming.
“You’ll stay here with us, of course,” the woman said to them both. “After all, Ethan is family.”
“Look, lady—” Ethan began.
“Kara,” the woman interrupted. “My name is Kara.”
“Kara,” Ethan continued, “I think it’s best if we stay in the village tonight. Thank you for the offer though.”
She nodded and stepped out of the way.
Together, Aleena and Ethan made their way around the pillar. The five guards from earlier were still pinned to the ground under a scintillating purple energy net.
Ethan motioned toward the men. “Maybe you should….”
Aleena released the magic and the nets vanished.
She entered the elevator with Ethan and the door shut. Silently she took his hand into her own. She was scared. She never thought such power was possible.
“You’re trembling,” Ethan noted.
She didn’t respond.
“How’d you do that?”
Aleena shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s like a floodgate released in me. I’ve never felt that much power, except when—”
“Except when?” Ethan asked.
“Earlier.”
“In front of the command center?” He stepped in front of her and took her other hand. “Before we came in?”
She nodded.
Ethan pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “We’ll talk to Valaan. He’ll know what’s happening.”
CHAPTER 17
“I have no idea,” Valaan said.
Ethan was shocked. How could the former Councilor of Magic have no idea?
“Nothing at all?” Ethan pushed.
Valaan reached out and placed his hand on Aleena’s knee. “Sorry, child. What you’re describing, I’ve never heard of such a thing. There is only one core of magic in anyone, and it has only ever been described as small. Everyone suspects that the depth of the power is bigger for the gifted than the non-gifted. After all, those without magic feel no power core at all. But to have your core open into a large expanse, it’s unheard of.”
“So you don’t believe me?” Aleena asked.
“Oh I believe you. I’ve just never heard of it.”
The three of them sat in the guest bedroom at Norman’s father’s house. Louis was gracious enough to allow Aleena to stay the night, while Norman, Robert, and their families were staying with friends in town. Valaan was staying at the neighbor’s, and Ethan and Allison were being put up in a cabin Louis owned.
Valaan stood and stretched. “I will think about this further. Perhaps something will come to mind. Good night.” He left the room and shut the door behind him.
Aleena looked up into Ethan’s eyes. He’d never seen her so worried. “It’ll be okay.” He pulled his chair up to the side of her bed where she was sitting, her feet resting on the floor. She’d changed into red silk pajamas that undoubtedly came from Meghan, who Ethan deemed the most fashionable person he’d ever met.
Ethan wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. He hadn’t changed, since he still had a short jaunt across town through the snow to the cabin. He was starting to get hot in the old flannel shirt he was wearing, as Norman’s dad had a raging fire going in the living room fireplace just down the hall.
Allison had already headed off to bed, even though Ethan wasn’t comfortable with her walking through the town alone. Conner volunteered to escort her, and that’d made Ethan feel a little better—and a little worse. He would’ve done it himself, but he needed to be there for Aleena. She needed to speak with Valaan, and he needed to be her moral support. Plus, he was the only witness present, other than the Royals, to help describe what had happened.
Aleena was staring at her hands resting on her knees. She looked up and locked eyes with him.
He felt like he would spiral into the depths of those perfect green jewels. Her hair ran down her back, but two small strands framed her angular face perfectly. Ethan reached out and slid his hands over the top of hers; they were smooth and warm. She curled her fingers between his, a small upward curve tugging at
the edge of her full pink lips.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He cocked his head slightly. “For what?”
“For everything. For being here. For finding me. For waking me up.”
His eyes slid down her neck, her chest rising and falling slow and rhythmically. His gaze dropped until he was staring at her slender hands. “You’re welcome,” he said quietly. “I’d do just about anything for you.”
Aleena let go of his hand to lift his chin, shifting forward on the bed until her lips almost grazed his own. His heart was racing.
She took his other hand and moved it to the small of her back.
Every part of Ethan’s body was on fire.
I can’t do this.
Oh, but I want to.
Aleena’s cheek grazed his own and again she moved her lips to hover just above his. “Don’t let Allison hear you say that,” she said softly.
Allison. Ethan moved his head back just a smidge. “Aleena, I—”
“I know,” she said, placing her index finger on his lips. “Now’s not the best time for either of us.”
“Grant,” Ethan said, remembering his friend. “Are you two…?”
“I don’t know. I just….” She pulled him up and wrapped him in her arms.
Ethan thought his heart would jump straight out of his chest. He slid his hands against the silk on her back while her cheek pushed firmly against his.
“We’re going to win this war,” she murmured. “You and me.”
“Or die trying,” he added.
“Or die trying.”
Aleena slowly let him go and he did the same, staring into each other’s eyes.
“I better go,” Ethan said.
Aleena nodded. “Yeah, you probably should.”
He walked to the door and cracked it open. “See you in the morning.”
Aleena nodded once more, finally smiling again.
After a moment, he opened the door and closed it carefully behind him. The house was old, but cozy and rustic. He passed through the living room, thanked Norman’s father for his generosity, and headed out into the cold.
He warmed himself with magic as Aleena had taught him. The streets were dark. He figured the town didn’t want to attract unwanted attention from lighting streetlamps. Pulling from his magic, he illuminated a small yellow sphere in his hand and sent it hovering a few paces before him to light his way. It was one of the very few pieces of energy magic he managed to pull off.
Before heading to the cabin, there was one thing left on his mind. He knocked on the door of the house where Rayland was staying. There was movement at the window as a striped curtain was slightly pulled back. Ethan waved at the homeowner, who asked him to wait a minute by holding up a single finger.
A few moments later, Robert opened the door.
“Can I talk to you?” Ethan asked.
“Of course, come inside. It’s chilly out there tonight.”
“Sure is,” Ethan responded, though he couldn’t feel the slightest touch of a chill through his magic. As he entered the house, he released the magic just as a gust of wind rushed in through the doorway. “Oh wow, it really is cold out there.”
Robert’s dad laughed. “I keep forgetting you use magic. I’m used to it being forbidden for most people.”
“Well, it’s not going to be anymore,” Ethan said.
“So it seems,” Robert replied. “Tomorrow will tell for sure.”
Ethan and Aleena had described their encounter with the king when they’d returned. He’d been pretty certain that Norman almost peed his pants. Robert, on the other hand, took it a little better, though by exactly how much, Ethan had a hard time deciphering.
“What can I do for you?” Robert asked, leading Ethan to a small round table in the kitchen. “Tea?”
“Sure.” He was still coming down off the rush of excitement from Aleena’s touch. That girl had a grip on him that he just couldn’t explain.
Robert placed a teapot on the stove top and sat down across from him. “Tell me about the king’s mother.”
On the way back from the command center, Aleena agreed not to tell anyone about his new familial revelations. He wasn’t ready to go down that road with everyone yet, so it remained a secret for now.
“What do you want to know?” Robert inquired.
“Was she the queen?”
Robert leaned back in his seat. “A long time ago, yes. She was married to King Nicolas. She had two children. Her firstborn, Princess Gabrielle, and then Prince Cameron, who is now king.”
The teapot whistled, prompting Robert to take two mugs from the cupboard. After pouring the steaming water into the mugs, he placed a bag of Earl Grey in each and set one in front of Ethan.
“What happened to Princess Gabrielle?” Ethan’s mind was whirling. His mother’s name was Samantha, not Gabrielle, but it was definitely his mom in the command center’s photo.
Robert took his seat and sipped the tea. “Now that’s an interesting story. The princess disagreed with her father on almost every issue. Her mother, on the hand… well, they were two peas. The difference was the princess was outspoken, while her mother tended to keep her opinions out of public policy. I suppose it makes sense though.”
“What do you mean?” Ethan asked.
“The princess was the firstborn. She was set to inherit the throne. Her father raised her to express her opinion with confidence. Too bad for him, her opinion took off in the other direction as she got older. Anyway, at some point, she crossed a line with her dad. She met a boy. A handsome Human boy.”
Ethan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Then what?”
“Long story short, she abdicated the throne to her brother—not that she wanted it anyway—changed her name and ran off with the boy. The king disowned her, breaking his wife’s heart, and never spoke to her again. It’d make for a great movie, wouldn’t it?” Robert chuckled at his own joke.
“What else?” Ethan asked.
“That’s it. Once she left, she had no official communication with our kind ever again.”
Ethan wrapped his hands around the warm mug. “But unofficially?”
Robert slid his chair closer to Ethan’s. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but there are rumors that the princess married the guy and had a child. Some think the Queen Mother secretly kept in contact with the princess against her husband’s wishes. But you didn’t hear that from me.”
Ethan breathed in the tea’s soothing aroma. He, in fact, had not heard it first from Robert. His grandmother told him herself earlier that day. He just hoped it was some sort of strange lie.
“I’m guessing King Cameron’s father is dead, then?”
“That’s a great guess. And you’re right, of course.”
“Then why is it a secret? The Queen Mother still having contact with the princess?”
“That’s not the secret,” Robert said, nudging his arm. “The secret’s the child. If the rumors were true, then he’s the rightful heir to our little kingdom.”
Nearly choking on his drink, he unceremoniously dropped the mug, spilling tea all over the table while he coughed a lung out.
Robert jumped back from the table to avoid the splash. “Whoa there, Ethan. I know it’s a juicy story, but I didn’t think you’d get that into it.” He snatched two towels from the counter top and threw one to Ethan. With the other, he started wiping down the table.
Once his cough subsided, Ethan grabbed the towel and dabbed at his tea-covered shirt. “And if the king found out about the kid?”
“It wouldn’t be good,” Robert answered. “King Cameron isn’t known for his kindness.”
“So….”
“What have kings always done to those who threaten their throne?”
“They kill them.”
“Well, that’s a bit morbid, but yeah. Either that or they imprison them. And everyone else who knows, of course.”
“Allison. Aleena,” Ethan said, jumping to his feet.
/> Robert looked startled. “Hey, what’s gotten into you? You look pale. Maybe you should sit back down.”
“No time.” Ethan sprinted to the door, then paused just before opening it. “Why wouldn’t anyone stop him?”
“Stop who?” Robert asked. “The king?”
“Yes, the king,” Ethan shouted. “Why wouldn’t anyone try to stop him from killing or imprisoning the child?”
Robert appeared incredibly confused.
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“They who?” Robert answered. “He’s the king. Who would stand up to him? Not a Human or half-blood, and certainly not an Elf.”
I can think of two.
Robert walked toward him. “Ethan, what’s going on?”
“You’re in danger. You’re all in danger. Take your family and friends, the ones who own this house, and meet me at Louis’ house.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
Ethan opened the door. “Because Aleena’s there, Valaan’s next door, and I’m the heir.”
“What?”
“Just do it,” Ethan commanded as he ran into the cold, sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him. Allison was alone in the cabin. He had to get there first.
The streets were empty as he barreled through them. He refrained from conjuring a light to avoid giving away his location, just in case. He and Aleena had done a bang-up job of getting on the king’s good side, so he knew Robert was right. They were in trouble. Or rather, they would be if he couldn’t get to Aleena and Valaan in time.
Why did we split up?
The snow crunched under his sneakers as he ran. On two occasions, he slipped on ice turning a corner. His butt stung from the impacts, but he couldn’t slow down. Too much was at stake.
When he started the morning, he had no intention of accidentally attempting to overthrow a foreign government, which he and Aleena had unwittingly done.
The king’s concession to Aleena with the prodigal heir standing at her side. This was about to get really ugly.
The log cabin was dark. Running straight to the front door, he opened it slowly. No one jumped him. The room seemed empty.
Earthborn Alliance Page 15