by Dawn Brower
“Do you recall how Cale acted when the hunters arrived?”
How could he forget? That had led them to the circumstances they were currently in. Elodie had fallen into a deep sleep that he’d feared she’d never wake from. Daire had battled for Cale’s soul as Elodie asked. What he didn’t tell the princess—mostly because there hadn’t been time—was that he didn’t think he’d been fully successful. Cale acted like he was back to normal, but Daire didn’t believe what he projected. Something still lingered inside of him. “He was quite maniacal. I doubt I’ll forget that anytime soon.”
“He’d been poisoned,” Donia said. “I suspect the bird did it, but it could have been the tiger at her behest.”
Lulu had seemed rather interested in Cale at the time. “When could she have done it?”
Donia shrugged. “I couldn’t say. None of you trusted me much back then. I seem to remember being tied up for a lot of it.”
There she went making sense again… “So is this fruit we’re gathering what she poisoned him with.”
“Maybe,” Donia replied. “There are a few out there she could have used. It’s more likely since it grows close to the mountain, but Lulu can also cover more distance than we do. There is one that is more dangerous, and I think she might have gone in search of it.”
Lulu had kept disappearing… Had that been what she’d been up to. She’d probably been planning it all along. The crazy bird had gained their trust and then used that against them when the opportunity struck. It was why he was leery of trusting Donia now. She had her own agenda and could betray them at any time. “How do I know this fruit won’t hurt Elodie?”
“I wouldn’t have helped you save her so I could turn around and murder her.” She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. “I need to get out of Malediction. Now, once that happens, you can start distrusting me all you want. I won’t need any of you then.”
Maybe she was being honest. Who basically threatened people before they had a chance to help them? Apparently Donia did… In some ways Daire respected her more for it. She seemed to be trying to remain open and honest. He’d give her some room and hope she remained that way. He’d hate for someone else to betray them and leave them in a bad place. Then again—what could be worse than Malediction? “Let’s get this fruit and take it back to Elodie. Why does she need it?”
“The darkness still has a hold on her. That’s why she couldn’t see at first and she remains weak. I had to study her a bit to figure it out. She’s not quite herself, and we need her to be if we’re to make it out of Malediction. Without her, we’re never leaving.”
“How do you know that?” He wanted to understand, but she might as well be speaking gibberish. Not that he wanted to leave Elodie behind, but why was she the most important piece of the puzzle, and how did Donia figure it out?
“Because she’s the one that was cursed to be here, and we have to break it to escape. If she’s dead, we can’t very well do that.”
She stopped at the edge of the path and climbed up a little bit. A bush with spiny leaves grew there with tiny fruit that resembled apples, but were no bigger than a berry. Donia pulled one free and tossed it at him. Daire snatched it out of the air and rolled it between his fingers. “This is all we need?”
“Yes,” Donia replied and hopped down. “Now let’s get it to the princess before she falls back into the darkness.”
Daire didn’t argue with her. He practically ran up the path toward the cave. He’d almost lost her once, and he wouldn’t allow it to happen now that he had her back. Hope was a dangerous thing. He’d poured so much of it into her that he now had it blossoming inside of him. Elodie showed signs she could choose him, and he wanted to give her the opportunity to do that, but for her to even consider it, she had to live. No one was more motivated than he was to reach her with that fruit. Daire wouldn’t fail her—ever…
6
Luck of the Draw
Elodie waited impatiently inside the cave for Cale to return with Donia and Daire. It seemed as if she’d been sitting alone for hours upon hours. The darkness grew with each heartbeat, and she feared it would swallow her whole. Shivers wracked her body, and she rubbed her arms with her hands to try to warm herself. It didn’t work, and she shook even harder. Her teeth chattered, echoing through with each involuntary movement. What was wrong with her? She’d been tired, but now she felt as if her entire body was rebelling against her. She hadn’t fought so hard to escape the Shadowlands only to expire inside the dank dragon home. Cale might like it, but Elodie would rather be someplace much nicer and warmer.
“Princess,” Daire called out as he entered the cave.
Thank goodness… “Back here,” she answered. Her teeth scraped against each other with each word.
Daire moved forward with Donia not far behind him. Where was Cale? She’d sent him to find their missing companions… She glanced past her two allies to see if Cale had come in after them, but the knight seemed to have disappeared. That bothered her. She already had trust issues where he was concerned. Why would he add more to them? Had he even gone to search for Donia and Daire?
“Where is Cale?” Daire frowned. “He was supposed to stay here with you and make sure you’d be protected.”
Elodie didn’t need a male to be by her side every second to keep her safe. She could do that for herself, darn it. They all meant well, and she had been rather indisposed lately. For that reason, she could forgive his need to be controlling in regard to her wellbeing. “I sent him to find you two. You didn’t see him outside?”
Daire shook his head. “I’ll go out and look for him later. Here.” He handed her a piece of odd looking fruit. “Donia said you need to eat this or you’ll continue to slip back into the darkness.”
Elodie glanced up quickly at Daire’s announcement. “What?” She looked back down at the fruit. The little thing didn’t seem capable of doing anything that important.
“You need to eat it,” Donia said.
Elodie continued to stare at the fruit. She didn’t want to put it in her mouth. It seemed wrong somehow. Why would Donia want her to eat it? “No.” That one word was all she could think about. She lifted the fruit ready to throw it. Daire grasped her wrist in his hand. Why had he done that? “Let me go,” she demanded.
“Princess, please eat it,” he pleaded.
“She’s starting to tumble backward.” Donia stepped forward. “We might be too late.”
They were too concerned about her wellbeing and the stupid fruit. She tried to pull her arm free, but Daire’s grip wouldn’t budge. He reached over and plucked the fruit from her hand and gave it to Donia. “How can we get her to eat it.”
Donia sighed. “I’ll mash it up into a juice, and we can dribble it into her mouth.”
Like hell they would. They wouldn’t make her drink anything she didn’t want to. Who did they think they were to force their will on her? Elodie was the future ruler of Zelnon, and they should be taking orders from her. They would regret their actions.
Donia pulled a dagger from the sheathe at her waist and sliced the tiny fruit into a cup. Then she flipped the dagger over and ground the contents with the hilt of it. She gripped the blade so it didn’t slice her hand and twisted it repeatedly in a slight turning motion. After she finished, she walked over to Elodie and glanced at Daire. “Hold her steady or this won’t work.”
Daire held both of Elodie’s hands behind her back. She fought to free herself, but she’d grown too weak, and he was too strong. The combination didn’t help her endeavors. She couldn’t let them pour that liquid down her throat. It had to be some kind of poison, and if she drank it, surely she’d die. The more she tried to loosen Daire’s grip the more tired she became until she went limp against the prince’s chest. He held her upright and almost hugged her. “It’ll be better soon, princess.”
Yes, she’d be dead… Elodie turned her head in an attempt to thwart Donia. It delayed the inevitable. The dragon hunter queen turned Elodie’s h
ead with one hand and then forced her mouth open. The liquid was down her throat before Elodie had time to close her lips to prevent it. The drink was cool against her parched throat. She hadn’t realized how dry her mouth had become until the juice quenched her thirst. It was heavenly in her mouth, and she wished she had more. Why had she been fighting them? She’d never had anything as amazing as the juice from that weird fruit.
“More,” she begged.
“No,” Donia said denying her what she craved. “Any more and you’ll become addicted. That is all the medicine you need.”
She was already craving it. They had to tell her where to find it. If she didn’t get another taste… “Give it to me,” she demanded.
“I thought that was supposed to help her,” Daire said. His voice was accusatory as he glared at Donia.
“It is,” Donia replied then sighed. “She was on the edge and wouldn’t eat the fruit herself. The princess had to have the healing properties of the fruit, and she forced us to make it into a liquid. In that form, it is rather—enticing. If she’d eaten it, then she’d be in a different state now.”
“So, what are we to do?”
“Go out and find me more of that fruit.” Elodie thought it was pretty clear what Daire should do. He wanted her, didn’t he? Shouldn’t he go out and retrieve what she desired most? It would certainly win a lot of favor in her mind. She’d at least consider him as an option if he helped her with that tiny thing. “If you love me, you’ll do it.”
He stared down at her as if she were a stranger. Elodie didn’t like it. Something seemed wrong about his gaze, as if his disappointment mattered. Why would it? She didn’t love him. Did she?
“She’s not in her right mind,” Donia said gently. “Don’t listen to her right now.”
Daire lifted her into his arms and carried her to the back of the cave. He sat down leaning his back against the stony surface. Elodie didn’t understand what was going on, but she’d started to get sleepy. She seemed to always be tired lately. He jostled her until she sat comfortably in his lap and wrapped his arms around her. His warmth made it extra cozy, and she leaned against him. There was no reason to fight it anymore. He became what she needed most. Elodie closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“You are so warm,” she mumbled. “I’m tired.”
She didn’t even understand why she voiced part of her thoughts. It seemed like she should say those words, as if, he needed to hear them. “Sleep, princess.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be here when you wake again.”
Elodie didn’t need to be told twice. She snuggled against him and gave in to her need to rest. When she woke, she had something important to discuss with him. She needed time to remember what that essential thing was…
Daire kept his gaze on Elodie as she dozed in his arms. Cale had disappeared—again. Their connection was still intact, but the belligerent knight continued to ignore him. He couldn’t make Cale respond, but Daire had berated him over and over. The knight had given him no choice. Daire gave up on trying to speak with him—for the moment. Later, he’d try again to reach him. He didn’t like it.
The knight might still be under Lulu’s influence and had visited the bird. If he was compromised, then it left Elodie vulnerable too. Daire wouldn’t allow Cale to harm Elodie ever again. He’d done as the princess asked the first time because he knew how much she loved Cale. Daire wouldn’t do that a second time. Not because he loved her and wanted her for himself, but because she needed someone to make the hard decisions for her. Cale had done that for her in the past. Now it was on Daire’s shoulders. He didn’t like the position, and he had a lot of respect for him now that he understood what that felt like. It was a horrible place to live in.
Donia had repeatedly told him Elodie didn’t need protection—it had finally sunk into his foolish brain. The princess wanted to stand on her own without anyone stepping in her way. She deserved to make those decisions without interference. Standing beside her involved far more than he could have ever imagined. She was strong and could do anything she set her mind to, but she had a weakness for those she loved. Cale could hurt her more than anyone else. Daire hated that she had to look at the knight as an enemy. He despised that she would endure the pain of that betrayal. He loved her and wished he could shield her from all the evil in the world. As queen, she couldn’t be blinded to the problems that would fall on her shoulders. He might not like adding to her misery, but he’d gladly shoulder any of that pain for her if she required it of him.
“She’ll sleep for the night,” Donia said.
“Do you think you can find Cale? He’s being stubborn and blocking my attempts.” The knight could ignore the telepathic bond, but he’d be unable to do the same with Donia hunting him in person. Maybe she’d be able to reason with Cale where he’d failed.
She jerked back at his words. He didn’t think the queen had it in her to be startled at anything. “You’d trust me to do that?”
“You made a good argument why I should earlier. When we return to Zelnon, I’ll return to my weary nature where you’re concerned.” They had to start somewhere, and he might as well give her a chance now. She’d made sure Elodie was safe and he owed her for that. “Go find the knight and bring him back. I suspect he knows more than he’s let on.”
They had been rather lucky of late. He didn’t believe in good fortune for nothing. In a nightmare realm like Malediction, nothing came easy. If they’d drawn a propitious streak, there had to be a reason. The dragon hunters hadn’t launched a new attack, and they’d had nothing but quiet for days. Something was off.
“You’re probably right. I don’t think his sudden disappearance is coincidental.” She shook her head. “He might not have shaken Lulu’s control.”
“He’s probably not even aware of it.”
Elodie mumbled something intelligible and moved her head a little. Her hand slid up behind his neck as she moved a little closer. He would never tire of holding her.
“For his sake, as well as Elodie’s, we have to find him and break it once and for all.” He couldn’t let him near Elodie if he was someone else’s puppet. She deserved to have all of the man she loved back. It wasn’t lost on him that he would be giving her to another and stepping aside. It was the right thing even if it slowly killed his soul.
“I don’t know how long it’ll take,” Donia said. “Are you going to wait here for me to return?”
“I’m not sure that is a good idea. We need to start moving. This cavern isn’t as safe as I’d like it to be. It won’t take long for someone to get brave enough to attack.” They already had once. He wasn’t sure why they hadn’t tried again already. The entire thing had started to make him nervous now that he wasn’t so focused on breaking Elodie out of her comatose state.
“Where will you go?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. Maybe head south and see where it takes us.” They’d traveled a good distance in Malediction, but they had yet to find their way home. Maybe the answers were in a region not surrounded by death. They’d been near water, dust, and mountains. It was time to find lush green plants and life in general. No matter where they traveled, danger would surely find them. Cale had once had his own interaction with deadly flowers and choking vines. Even things that exuded life could kill them, but Daire was tired of all the death that surrounded them.
“It’s as good a plan as any,” Donia said. “Once I locate Cale, I’ll head in that direction. If he’s a good sport, perhaps he’ll fly us. He can cover more distance that way than we can on foot.”
Daire had no desire to be a dragon, but flying did sound enjoyable. If there was one thing he was jealous about… Hell, who was he kidding? He envied Cale for more than one thing. The biggest was that he had Elodie’s love. He’d have given anything for her to look at him the way she did Cale. The damn knight had drawn all the lucky cards, and Daire couldn’t help hating him for it. The one time she’d indicated she loved him was when she wanted m
ore of the juice from that strange berry—for that, she’d have given him anything, but it hadn’t been real. That had nearly gutted him, yet he’d never been more tempted in his life. Daire had held himself back because he would rather have her love in truth than a false declaration because of something she’d grown addicted to.
“Good luck.” He had a feeling she’d need it. Cale wouldn’t come back easily. “And I’ll see you once you have news.”
She nodded. “I’m off then. Good luck with her.” Donia gestured toward Elodie. “She’ll have a little headache when she wakes, but her strength will return. Drinking the liquid packs a bigger punch.”
At least they’d been able to make her consume the liquid. He’d feared they wouldn’t be successful once they were inside the cave. She’d had a crazed, almost unfocused glint in her eyes. At least Donia had noticed the signs and taken action to remedy the situation. Now that Elodie was asleep in his arms, he saw a lot of things more clearly. He knew what he had to do, and he fully intended to see it through.
“I’ll help her through it.” Elodie would always be able to rely on him. “You take care of your end.”
“Then goodbye for now,” Donia said with a wave. Then, she turned and exited the cave, leaving him alone with Elodie.
“It’s just you and me, princess,” he whispered. Daire caressed her soft hair and studied her for a few moments. She wasn’t as peaceful as when she’d been in the darkness. She moved more in his arms and mumbled in her sleep. It was that restlessness that made him relax and told him she wasn’t lost. They’d leave and find their way home once she woke—even if it only brought the two of them back to Zelnon. He wanted her to have the love of her life, but if he had to choose between her life and Cale’s… Daire would always pick hers and not think twice about it. Some things were more important, and as long as she lived and breathed, he’d live with her hating him. Because, if he abandoned Cale to Malediction, Elodie would never forgive him…