by H. L. Burke
No, neither Mother nor Calen could be trusted. Whatever his methods, at least Gan looked out for Volen’s well-being.
“Volen!” His father’s call echoed down the hall. “She’s gone.”
The muscles in Volen’s neck relaxed, but he maintained his scowl as he approached Gan. “For all we know, she could be using her sorcery to spy on us as we speak. We can’t trust that woman.”
“Of course we can’t, but I’m well aware of her powers and limitations.” Gan smiled. “Breeding with a half-god was a calculated risk on my part. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think I could out-maneuver her. Come, we have much to discuss.”
Volen returned with his father to the sitting room, and Gan offered his son a goblet of wine. He took a long draft from his own cup before addressing Volen. “We cut short our visit to Oleva before you got to spend much time with Princess Ellea. What did you think of her?”
“She’s … appealing.”
“Aye, that she is. She certainly got the better half of that curse, as you did with yours. Do you wish to take her as your bride, though?” Gan tilted his head. “What I said earlier was true: we can arrange a more politically advantageous match, but if a king controls enough kingdoms, no one will think ill of him for taking more than one wife. If you desire the Olevan lass, I will not deter you.”
Volen shrugged. “It seems the easiest way to undo my curse.”
“Perhaps the easiest, but not the only way. I still have wisemen investigating other methods. The drowning of the second princess was unfortunate; I had great hope for your brother devouring her.”
“Father, I wish you would let me face him. I’m much stronger than I was as a child, and as a man or a beast, I think—”
“It’s too risky.” Gan held up his hand. “I will not risk my heir.”
Volen’s fists clenched. “The choice is not yours.” This curse had deprived him of privacy, split his family in twain, and now threatened to dictate whom he would marry. The desire to take it by the throat, to choke the life out of it, burned within him. “I’m not a child any longer.”
Gan slapped him. Volen’s cheek stung, but he stood tall against his father’s glare.
“You are my child.” Gan’s lips curled. “When you are king, every choice will be yours, but until then, my word is law. You are not to challenge your brother.”
Volen drew in a hot breath. Plans swirled in his brain. “Perhaps the Olevan princess is the best course of action then. I will make arrangements to visit her again.”
And the route to Oleva will take my ship right past my brother’s prison. One way or another, I will end this curse.
Chapter Eleven
Calen smiled as the melody from his lyre entwined with the harmonies from Laidra’s pipes. The music seemed to fill the darkness around them with swirling colors. They reached the end of their song.
She sighed. “It’s so nice to play with someone.”
“Yes, it is.”
The music room was windowless, making it one of the easier places for them to visit. In the weeks since her arrival, they’d been together whenever he could think of an excuse, conversing late into the night in her room, playing together daily. They didn’t eat together—she found dining in the dark to be difficult and messy—but otherwise, they’d been nearly inseparable. He hadn’t realized how much he’d longed for companionship. Now the thought of returning to his previous solitude terrified him.
Sitting so close, he could hear her breathing and smell her faint, sweet scent, a bit like sandalwood oil. A calm settled over him, and he smiled.
“It’s getting late,” she commented, jolting him from his reverie.
His mind flailed for an excuse not to say good night. “Would you like to go on a walk with me?”
She gave a quick intake of breath. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“Yes. It must be dark out by now, and I haven't seen any sign of visitors since your encounter with my uncle.” He eased closer. “You won’t be able to see much, but the fresh air might do us good after being stuck in this stuffy castle for so long.”
“But if it’s dark, how will we not trip over our own feet?”
“My eyesight is enhanced by my curse. Also, I know this island well enough that I could probably traverse it blindfolded.” He laughed. “We don’t have to if you’d rather not.”
“Oh no. I think it will be nice.” Her fingers found his. For once, her touch didn’t startle him.
Perhaps I’m finally getting used to having another human in my life.
A word to the guardian extinguished the lights in the hall, allowing Calen to safely lead Laidra through the palace to the outer door.
The fresh tang of ocean breeze whipped around them. In the black night sky, a pale half-moon hung.
Calen swallowed. The moonlight was faint. Even he could only see the outline of Laidra’s body against the glimmer of the celestial bodies. Still …
“Would you be comfortable wearing a blindfold? I won’t let you stumble, and I’d rather not risk you seeing me once your eyes adjust.”
“All right.” She nodded.
His mother’s visits had prepared him for such a situation. Without being asked, the guardian glided from the hallway carrying a strip of cloth. Calen carefully tied it over her eyes, indulging himself by stooping close enough to savor her scent.
“Too tight?”
Her head moved from side to side. “It’s fine.”
He allowed his finger to trail across her cheek. His skin caught against bumps and rough patches, not what he expected. She flinched.
Calen opened his mouth to speak but couldn't think what to say. He remembered her story about her appearance, but it was so hard to reconcile that with what he knew of her spirit. Instead of pressing the issue, he took her hand. Not wishing her to trip, he chose a direct path through the smooth sand and led her along the rushing waves.
They walked in silence for a long stretch, fingers entwined. The sand shifted under his feet, cold and rough. The warmth of her hand in his spread through him. Somehow, even in quiet and darkness, her company gave him joy.
“I wanted to tell you how much it has meant to me to have you here,” he said finally. “I’ve spent so much time alone, and with my condition, even a simple friendship seemed an unattainable dream.”
“It’s not real.” Her voice came out in a rasp.
He paused mid-stride. Reaching out, he found her cheek. Warm, damp tears met his palm. “Laidra, what’s wrong?”
“You’ve never seen me. It’s the only reason you are still with me.” She sniffled. “At first, it made it so much sweeter, knowing that you didn’t know, that you didn’t see me as hideous and revolting. The longer it goes, however, the more it feels like a lie.”
“The only reason I haven’t seen you is because of your request,” he said.
“I know.” She started walking again.
He followed. “Do you want me to look at you?”
“I’m not sure. I go back and forth between never wanting this fantasy to end and feeling as if I should get it over with, once and for all.” She hung her head. “It was foolish to—if I hadn’t been afraid, if I’d let you see me right away, we never would’ve grown so close, and I’d have nothing to lose. Now I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to let you go.”
His heart twisted. “You’re assuming I’ll turn on you. Haven’t I earned your faith?”
“A lifetime of experience says you’ll withdraw from me. Maybe not right away, but eventually.” She let out a deep sigh. “Your curse can be broken. I’ve never been given hope that mine can. Beneath your curse, it’s likely you’re a strong, handsome prince who I would never be able to …” Her fingers tightened around his. “It’s not personal, Calen. It may sound as if I’m judging you harshly, but if you saw me, you’d understand. It would be unnatural for you to desire to stay near me.”
“I’d like a chance to make that decision, though.” He chewed his bottom lip
. More than once he’d tried to picture Laidra, to imagine what could be so terrible that her own family would toss her aside as they had. However, every time he attempted to paint her as a hag, her gentle touch and sweet voice would smooth her skin and brighten her eyes. “I will not force you to show yourself to me, but when you are—”
“Hush!” She placed her hand over his lips.
He stiffened.
They stood as statues in the night. A high wave rose, pushing foam right up to their feet. It welled around them, melting away the sand beneath their toes then retreating to the sea. The waves rumbled in and out. The wind rustled the long grass that edged the beach.
“What?” he whispered.
“I heard something strange. Like something pushing through the grass.” She pulled her hand from his and turned towards the darkness.
“It’s probably the wind.”
“No. There was no wind just then.”
Calen strained his hearing. Something rustled.
“There!” she hissed.
He nodded and took a few cautious steps in the direction of the noise. A faint sound like the rasp of metal over stone continued for a few heartbeats, growing steadily louder, only to cease. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound human. Only humans triggered his curse and, therefore, his fear.
“There aren’t any large animals on the island, a few foxes and rabbits at most.” He returned to her. “We’re safe.”
“It’s not a good sound,” she murmured.
“If it makes you feel better, we can start back.” He hadn’t wanted to end their evening so soon, but the conversation hadn’t gone how he would’ve liked either. Perhaps some sleep would improve her spirits.
Taking her hand, he guided her up the beach. The outline of the castle stood against the starry sky like a dark doorway. He steered them towards it, searching for the gap in the trees he knew marked the path home.
The rasp cut through the night, louder than the breath of wind stirring the distant branches.
“I hear it again!” Laidra clutched his arm.
A hiss rose from the darkness, and Calen’s blood ran cold. “Let’s get inside.” He urged her to walk faster, but she tripped and fell against him. Heart pounding, Calen hoisted her over his shoulder and bolted.
“What? What is it?” she gasped, her fingers gripping painfully into his back as she fought to stay balanced.
Calen didn't slow. His jaw clenched. A memory tried to claw its way through years of oblivion, but he couldn’t quite put a name to it. He ducked through the row of trees as something shot out from the underbrush. It hammered into his knees, and he crashed to the ground on top of Laidra. She shrieked.
Coils wrapped around Calen’s ankles, smooth and cold as stone. He rolled over. The skin on his legs tore against the creature’s scales, and he screamed.
“Laidra, get out of here!” he ordered.
Sand hit his face as she scrambled to her feet.
The shadowy outline of a massive head and endless neck rose above him, poised to strike.
“Volen, no!” he yelled, somehow finding the name. Green eyes glowed. Then a branch crashed into the monster’s head. The wood shattered, chunks hitting Calen in the face, but the monster drew back, spitting. Its coils loosened, and Calen scrambled free as another large stick hurtled towards the monster. Laidra bent towards the underbrush, her hands fumbling for anything else to toss.
“Run!” he urged. He caught her by the wrist.
“I lost the blindfold!” she gasped.
He winced, praying the darkness would keep him a human even as it kept his brother a snake. “Keep your eyes closed. I'll lead you.”
The sound of his transformed brother’s scales grating against the rocks in the path blended with the slap of their bare feet. While fast in water, his own serpent form traveled only about walking pace on land. He prayed his brother had similar limitations.
They made it through the castle door. Blood trickled from his ankles over his feet. Sand clung to the sticky fluid. Laidra slammed the door shut behind them, and they both collapsed onto the cold stone floor.
Calen inhaled great gasps of air. With his panic subsiding, pain demanded his attention. The cuts on his legs stung and throbbed. He ripped off the edge of his tunic and did his best to bind them in the dark.
“I smell blood!” Laidra grasped his shoulder. “Did he hurt you?”
“Not badly. His skin scraped off a layer of mine.”
“I thought snake skin was smooth.”
“Ours is a little different.” He smiled past the pain. “If you run your hand along it in one direction, it’s smooth like polished marble. In the other, it’s as rough as a carpenter’s plane.”
She knelt beside him, her form barely perceptible in the darkness. “Where are you injured? I can help.”
“It’s not bad. Really just my legs.”
Her hand found his knee then glided down. When she touched the wounds, he winced.
“Sorry. Just … here.” A warmth rose from her hands like rays of sun. The bite of the wound subsided then died altogether. He probed where the cuts had been and found only whole skin. Gasping, he rubbed the area a second time, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.
“By the gods! How did you do that?”
“It’s part of my curse. I can heal people. Animals too, actually.”
He stared into the darkness where he thought her eyes might be. “How did your family send you away? No matter what you look like, with an ability such as that, people should proclaim you a goddess and beg for your favor.”
“Well, my mother never liked me to use it.” She cleared her throat. “You see, every time I do, my appearance worsens. For small wounds, it may be as little as a new wart or small scar. However, if the injury or illness is grievous … I would be a little more bearable to look at if I could resist using my gift.”
Questions swirled through Calen’s brain. “I still can’t believe … if you were part of my family, I would beg you never to leave.” He touched her cheek.
Her skin felt cold. Tremors vibrated through her.
“That monster can’t get in here, can it?” she asked.
“We’re safe here,” he assured her.
“I don’t—I don’t feel safe. It was going to kill you.”
“It was Volen.” He smiled wryly. “He’s wanted to do that for a while. Come, let’s get you some place to lie down.”
He guided her down a hall and up a stair to her apartment. She collapsed onto her couch. He tried to step away, but she caught his hand and pulled him down to sit beside her.
Calen swallowed. I should’ve protected her. What if Volen had sprung on her instead of me?
“I’m sorry about what happened out there.” He stroked the back of her hand. “If you want me to arrange for you to leave, I understand. I have no right to ask you to stay if doing so will put you in danger.”
“He wasn’t after me,” she said, her voice stiff. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t appear fine.”
Her body seemed to shrink in on itself, and while she no longer shook, her hold on his hand was as tight as Volen’s coils.
They sat in the quiet dark. Slowly, her grasp loosened, but she didn’t let him go. He glanced at the doorway.
“It’s getting late. You should sleep.”
“Please, don’t leave me.” Her voice came out in a squeak.
He hesitated. “You want me to stay?”
She nodded, or he thought she did. It was hard to be sure based on her shadowy outline. “Yes, please. I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“All right. I’ll stay.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
Her head rested on his chest. She embraced him, and warmth spread through his body, soothing him and melting away his tension and fear. He rubbed his hand up and down her back. Lowering his head until his face rested in her hair, he rocked her.
Laidra caressed his neck. Her
touch, feather-light on his skin, stirred something within him. His pulse quickened, sending his thoughts racing.
No, I can’t take advantage of this. She needs comfort right now, not—not that.
“I still think you need to sleep,” he whispered in her ear.
She gripped his tunic. “I need you more right now.”
“You can have both.” Calen scooped her up and shuffled his way towards her sleeping couch, managing to avoid any other furniture. He laid her on the thin mattress then settled himself beside her.
She nestled under his chin. “Calen, about my curse—”
“Shh.” He stroked her hair. “Not tonight. Just rest. We can talk about that in the morning. Tonight, there are no curses, only me and you and sleep.”
His limbs felt heavy, his body warm and comfortable. He inhaled her sweet, spicy scent and wondered how he’d ever lived without it. Whatever she looked like, it didn’t matter. She was precious to him. Soon he’d find a way to make her realize that.
Chapter Twelve
Laidra lay still, staring into the darkness long after Calen’s breathing had steadied. His arm weighed against her, almost crushing her into the couch, but she didn’t care. She felt safer for it. She ran her fingers up and down his smooth skin, savoring the taut muscles beneath. Her body fit perfectly against his, like a bird in its nest.
Love had never been a hope for her. Her own parents had withheld affection due to her appearance, so the chances of a man looking past it to truly care for her were too slim to entertain. Now, however, Calen embraced her. Calen touched her without revulsion. Calen spoke to her as if she were a person worthy of affection and respect.
But love? Could that be real for two people who had never seen each other’s faces?
Her throat tightened, and a tear slipped down her cheek. The snake hadn’t frightened her. Well, it had, in the moment, but once the door slammed between her and it, she’d shaken it off. Then Calen touched her. Hope overwhelmed her, followed by crippling doubt. It couldn’t last. She was doomed to lose him.