The Plan Commences

by Kristen Ashley

  I could tell, at first, Mac and Ian were confused at his behavior.

  After their return from their wander with their prince, this had melted into annoyance.

  I’d started at annoyance.

  Now I felt the beginnings of fear.

  He was not being a cad or a lout. He was also not amusing or his brand of charming. He was further not attentive, not in the slightest.

  He was not anything.

  I wasn’t certain our trip to The Enchantments was a good idea in the beginning. But I’d come to realize I was looking forward to it.

  It would be a time where it was just him and me, riding through the beauty of Dellish forests in autumn, getting to know one another. Then being in my home, having the opportunity to show him my home, not to mention meet his daughter, and finally introduce him to Dora.

  All right, it was just him and me, and Hera, Jazz, Rosehana, Mac and Ian.

  But getting to know his men, and Cassius getting to know my women, was another form of getting to know one another.

  And when he wasn’t being annoying, I’d stopped denying to myself that I thought he was fascinating (and I’d found I liked his men—Mac was a scamp, wicked and mischievous, but almost always fun to be around, Ian was thoughtful and soft spoken—these traits oddly, but I found it very telling, mirroring Jasmine and Hera).

  Further, Cassius was always attractive.

  And I wanted more.

  But now…he was nothing.

  There but far away.

  Distant from even his men.

  But mostly, distant from me.

  “So, what’s up his arse?” Jazz demanded to know, her attention directed at Mac and Ian.

  “Jazz,” Hera said quietly.

  Jasmine, being Jasmine, did not even glance at Hera.

  Her gaze remained pinned on Cassius’s men.

  “I mean…now. What’s up his arse now since it seems something is always up his arse?” Jazz amended.

  “He has many things on his mind,” Mac replied tetchily.

  “And?” Jasmine pressed. “Who doesn’t? Who,” she tossed both hands toward the fire and then spread her arms wide, “sitting here under the night sky does not have many things on their minds? Not one of us is out here for an enjoyable jaunt. Change is afoot and we’re all going to be facing some very serious things.”

  “You will not face assuming rule of an entire kingdom, one where the changes you intend immediately to make will not be taken well,” Mac reminded her.

  “I will be at the back of my princess, who will be queen to your new king, and her very presence in your land will not be taken well,” Jasmine retorted.

  “You should follow him,” Rosehana said softly.

  I turned my gaze her way to see hers and Hera’s on me.

  I focused on Hera.

  She nodded, affirming she agreed with her lover.

  “I agree, you should follow him,” Ian added.

  I turned my attention again and saw Ian watching me.

  I also saw Mac studying Ian uncertainly.

  Mac gave voice to this uncertainty, saying, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, brother.”

  “Why not?” Jasmine demanded to know.

  Both Ian and Mac looked to Jazz, but it was Mac who spoke.

  “This has naught to do with you,” he bit. “And you’d do well to learn something it’s made clear you have not learned. In matters that do not involve you, you should keep your mouth shut.”

  Oh no.

  Man, woman, child, yeti, that was no way to speak to Jasmine.

  But it must be said, especially a man.

  I straightened, feeling Hera and Rosehana coming alert beside me.

  “What did you just say?” Jazz whispered.

  “Jasmine,” I called in a firm tone.

  “Cass needs some time to himself,” Mac stated.

  “He’s had that,” Jazz retorted. “Now he needs someone to help him extricate his head from his arse.”

  Mac straightened as well, Ian doing the same when Mac did, and I adjusted my feet, which were stretched out before me, so I could get them under me much more swiftly if need be.

  “I do not like how you speak of my brother,” Mac gritted.

  “Macrinus,” Ian murmured calmingly.

  “I do not like how your brother treats my sister,” Jazz returned.

  “He is not treating her any way,” Mac fired back.

  Jazz leaned toward Macrinus. “Exactly.”

  Mac made a growly noise in his throat.

  I took my feet.

  All eyes rose to me.

  “I’ll go to him,” I said.

  Hera, Rose and Ian looked relieved.

  Mac and Jazz still looked angry, though not at me.

  “Take your weapons,” Hera advised.

  I nodded.

  When Cassius went rambling, he always took his broadsword and his dagger.

  I could only assume he did not wander far, but I did not know.

  What I did know was that in this area of Wodell, there was aught but pixies, some woodland fairies, a few clans of sprites and some harmless gnomes. There weren’t even many settlements, but a hamlet here or there, which was one of the reasons we chose this meandering route. It took more time to get to The Enchantments, but there was less chance for us to run into anyone, a princess and prince journeying with a small guard, less chance of any trouble.

  Of course, Zees roamed Wodell freely.

  However, at this time of year, they would be traveling south, closer to the border of Firenze, in order to spend autumn and winter in milder climes.

  My dagger was already tucked into its sheath at my belt.

  I left my sword, which was resting on the fallen log beside me, and took up my shaft, which was laying in the leaves behind me.

  I would need none of them, but when it came to fighting, I preferred the staff, mostly because I was more adept at using it.

  I stepped over the log and walked to where I saw Cassius disappear into the forest.

  There, I knelt, gathered my power, touched the ground, and his footsteps illuminated with a soft lilac glow.

  He was a large man and thus had large feet.

  Hmm.

  I straightened and followed, the prints I passed disappearing behind me.

  In a short amount of time, I became surprised for he had not left us long ago, but I could see his footsteps leading deep into the forest, therefore even if it had not been long, he’d gone far.

  Apparently, he wished to put some distance between him and our party.

  Between him and me.

  I moved more swiftly, my surprise shifting to concern the deeper I got into the forest, and the farther away I became from our friends.

  I then grew troubled when I searched the distance and saw his footprints continue some ways even further.

  I continued on the path, the night and wood enveloping me to the point I knew, even if I called out, the others would not hear me.

  After some time, I became alarmed, for the prints continued ever farther into the forest, but it appeared they came to an abrupt halt.

  I quickened my pace. But the closer I got to where the glowing prints ended, the slower I moved, for Cassius’s footfalls ended because he was standing in the shadows of a small glade with but spare moonlight shafting through the branches, his arms crossed on his chest, waiting for me.

  I was six feet from him when he bit out, “Do not ever use magic to track me.”

  I stopped where I was.

  “Do you hear me, Elena?” he demanded. “You do not ever use your tricks to seek me.”

  My…

  Tricks?

  I had come to talk. To ask him if he was well. To attempt to find out what was on his mind.

  It was not lost on me not only was there much going on, not only was he to be wed to his mortal enemy (as such), he was simply to be wed again. He had lost the woman he loved and was forced to take another to wife. He had made it v
ery clear I should be sensitive to that, and I had intended to be just that.

  However, at his demand, that intention flew right from my mind.

  “You’re deep in the forest, Cassius,” I told him.

  “I know where I am, Elena,” he returned.

  “It is not safe for either of us to be this far away from the others,” I went on.

  “Where it is, is a distance where I can be with my own thoughts, which I assume would communicate I do not desire company, thus do not wish to be sought for I do not wish to be found.”

  “It’s clear you have something troubling you—”

  “Oh, is it?” he asked sarcastically.

  My temper frayed further but I did my best to hold on to the tattered edges.

  “And as your betrothed, this concerns me.”

  “There’s nothing to be concerned about.”

  “We should reach The Enchantments in but a few days and you aren’t speaking to me,” I pointed out.

  “I don’t have to speak to you to wed you. I don’t have to speak to you to get you with child. Though never fear, if I need the pepper, I will not have trouble requesting it of you when we’re at supper.”

  One moment…

  He had told me that we—

  “Now go back, Elena,” he ordered.

  I did not go back.

  I took a step toward him and snapped, “But weeks ago you were on about us ruling side by side, living as husband and wife, raising our children together, and now I should expect nothing from you but your seed and knowing your desire to season your food?”

  “Just return to the others, princess,” he said on a harassed sigh.

  “What’s changed?” I asked.

  “Naught has changed.”

  “I know of the parallel universe where we have twins who live in that different world. Between leaving the others and now, was your twin switched with you?”

  “Don’t be absurd.”

  I took another step toward him. “It’s you being absurd, Cassius. What’s the matter with you?”

  “Naught,” he clipped.

  “You aren’t sleeping by my side.”

  “You aren’t far away.”

  I took yet another step toward him. “You haven’t touched me in ages. Kissed me. Even looked upon me as if you wish to do either when before, when we were in Firenze, you seemed eager to do both…and often.”

  “Elena,” he growled.

  I took yet another step toward him, putting myself directly in front of him, and planted the end of my staff in the dirt, demanding, “What has changed?”

  It took a moment, as if he needed that to make up a plausible lie, before he did not lie.

  He struck.

  “You are not her and with every minute I’m with you, I’m reminded of that. You are nothing like her. And I miss her. I want her, I do not want you. But I have no choice, as the whole of my life I’ve never had a choice. This time, the choice I do not have is that for the rest of my days I have to put up with you.”

  “Put up with me?” I whispered.

  He opened his mouth, but I took another step, this time away from him.

  His body seemed to twitch powerfully, the entire length of it, as if he were about to make a movement to reach to me and was struggling to contain that urge.

  But then he grew still and said, “You asked.”

  “I did, indeed,” I replied. I then dipped my chin and finished, “I’ll leave you to your reflections.”

  And on that, I whirled and started to walk away, concentrating on doing only that for what I very much wished to do was run.

  I didn’t get a step in before I heard him hiss behind me. No words, just that hiss.

  Then his arm was a tight band about my stomach, and he hauled me to his frame.

  “Let me go!” I yelled.

  “Quiet,” he whispered harshly in my ear.

  I started to struggle but stilled when I sensed it.

  “Shite,” he bit off right before he flung me around to his back as the first of them came barreling out of the wood.

  Cassius drew his sword and dagger.

  I took up my staff in both hands.

  Cassius assumed a battle stance as the first got close and the second came at us from the side.

  Zees.

  Damn it.

  When there was one, there was not two.

  There were twenty.

  I started to make a slow turn and heard Cassius’s sword meet another sword as I saw three more rush into the clearing.

  They did not all attack me, as was their way. They rarely meant harm, their intent was to intimidate and subdue.

  Therefore, it was only one who approached as the others held check.

  Steel clanged against steel at my back and I stepped away from Cassius, crouched low, swung around with my staff extended, and took the one charging me off his feet.

  I then righted myself, twirled, lunging and thrusting, once, twice, three times, as a second Zee had come forward, I was fighting him, and he blocked each thrust, doing this grinning at me.

  I swung my staff around, caught him at the arse, and when he came up to the balls of his feet, I scraped it down, hooking it at his bent knees and hauling up with great force, taking him head over feet to land on his belly in the leaves.

  I swirled my staff in front of me as I faced off against the next one who was hunkered and shuffling side to side before me.

  “You’re surrounded, do not fight!” was shouted from the trees.

  “I am Nadirii!” I yelled. “Retreat or you’ll face my magic.”

  At that, a berry red light illuminated the glade.

  I looked over my shoulder and saw the streak coming from the wood and shooting toward Cassius.

  A Cassius, by the by, who was battling three Zees with dagger and sword.

  Apparently, they felt it would take more to subdue him, or precisely, assure he didn’t harm one of them while they were doing it.

  But I could not have a mind to that. The streak was coming so fast, I had barely enough time to throw up a shield in front of him on which the streak erupted into a burst of berry and garnet sparks.

  Fabulous.

  These were Zees with magic.

  “You cannot best Nadirii craft,” I yelled, forced to engage with the next one who’d scabbarded his sword and was coming at me with a staff.

  Fair of him.

  I had only the time to think that thought before several streaks of red charged our way.

  I erected a globe around us that deflected the streaks as I fought back the Zee, staff to staff held in both hands. But their craft was so powerful, the globe disintegrated after it fended off the Zee magic.

  I heard a pained grunt, ducked on a whirl and looked back to see Cassius had dispatched a Zee coming at me from behind with a hit of his hilt to the man’s skull.

  Damn.

  And I had only enough time to think that before I had to drop to my side, roll with knees up to my chest and come up on them with a thrust of my staff in the chest of the man charging Cassius.

  The man fell back several steps.

  Cassius spun and engaged him as the man who I’d been fighting came again at me.

  “Enough!” I shouted, dropped to my back, kicked out both feet and used my stomach muscles to propel me onto them.

  I pulled my staff back. Pivoting to the side, I thrust it, jabbing him hard in the soft part of his belly, hearing his pained “Oof.” Not wishing to hurt him (too much), I stopped thrusting and swung, hitting him hard in the gut, which made him bend over, then on his back, which made him drop his staff as he landed on his hands and knees.

  I pushed out a hand and he went skidding on a blaze of coral into the forest.

  It was then I heard the whizzing coming from all directions.

  Goddess damn it!

  I whirled, ran the four steps it took me to get to Cassius, staff raised like a spear at my shoulder.

  A lilac shaft shot from the t
ip and ballooned into a wall. It wafted through Cassius, but when it hit his attackers, it sent them careening.

  They did this just as I dropped the staff and tackled Cassius at his back, shouting, “Down!”

  He went down on his front, me on his back.

  But he instantly rolled so I was on my back in the leaves, he was lying over me, shoulders to my chest, sword raised and at the ready, as an explosion of garnet, scarlet and berry blinded us when multiple streaks collided where Cassius had been standing.

  At that, Cassius spiraled around, covering me with his body, mostly my head, and for a man who did not wish anything to do with me, he certainly moved quickly to protect me from a little Zee magic.

  I heard something fizzing and then Cassius’s grunt. He made a movement that was jerky, and I heard his sword thud to the ground.

  Shite.

  I knew what that meant.

  We were caged.

  “Get off me,” I ordered.

  “Stay down,” he demanded.

  “Cass, get…up,” I snapped on a heave of his big body.

  His big body moved at my heave, considering it had gone strangely inert.

  I scooted out from under him, sitting up on my arse, hearing a constant low sizzle, and now seeing I was correct.

  We were imprisoned in a magical red veil that sparkled in a dome all around us.

  Cassius’s arm captured me at my waist, dragging me on my rear across the leaves and dirt and plastering me to his side, doing this raising his sword again with his other arm, but I noted he did not raise it to the point it touched the veil.

  He was also on his behind, but somehow he managed to look alert and fierce, even sitting on his arse in some leaves.

  But now I had confirmation of the reason for his grunt. Touching that veil caused pain, even if you didn’t do it bodily. He must have touched it with his sword.

  He did not know Zees.

  I sighed.

  This was going to take some diplomacy and I wasn’t sure Cassius was up for that.

  The Zees came out in force, surrounding us.

  “Fucking hell,” Cassius muttered grimly.

  I started counting.

  I quit, still not done, when I got to thirty.

  “What’s this, what’s this?” the voice that came earlier came now attached to a man who was standing beyond the veil right in front of us.