by N. J. Cooper
“I can’t….” Kyla whispered as her stomach somersaulted and she could no longer see where the others were. She thought she was for sure going to fall when warm arms gripped her.
“I got you.”
~ 8 ~
“I can’t see” She breathed.
“I know. It’s the plant. It’s spikes. Elanor is the same. We’re going to keep going, the sedative will burn through your system soon, okay?” Zarek said. She nodded and let him put her wherever she needed to be to get them moving again. She thought it was in his arms, but she wasn’t opening her eyes to check.
By the time they had reached the camp, Kyla could open her eyes without wanting to hurl. She stood unsteadily from Zarek’s arms and moved towards the campfire in front of the tents that were already set up around the camp. There were 5 stones placed around the camp and her gaze fell on them as she sat by the fire, resisting the urge to climb into it to warm herself up. Wyatt placed Elanor down beside the fire as well and she looked just as groggy as Kyla felt.
“What are those stones?” Kyla asked.
“They’re to hold this bit of land in place. They’re weak now so they may not work but it’s the best we can do when there is barely any magic available.” Zarek admitted.
The centaurs talked among themselves as she tried to get rid of the fuzzies in her mind. Kyla took deep steadying breaths until the flames flickering on the wood of the fire actually made sense. She pulled her jumper tighter against her then looked over at Zarek who was pulling plates of dinner from a pack in one of the tents. Kyla accepted hers and opened the roast up as Zarek handed the others, theirs. They ate in silence and Kyla tried to ignore the restless feeling she kept getting at just sitting around. She wanted to just keep going but she knew they needed as much strength as they could save before confronting Onyx, so she decided to go get some rest and then they could be going quicker. She said goodnight to the others, grabbed one of the sleeping bags and went into one of the tents. Elanor followed her in afterwards and sat down on top of the sleeping bag that she set up on the other side of the small tent.
“Sorry about before.” She admitted, blushing. Kyla shrugged.
“It’s okay, how are you feeling?” Kyla asked, sitting up, her own mind completely back to normal, the scratches still on her arm but they would heal on their own when she got back to her realm.
“Frustrated. I told you I could handle myself and I totally thought I could. I’ll do better at this, promise.” Elanor bit with a scowl. Kyla frowned at the tone.
“Who are you trying to impress? Me or yourself?” Kyla wondered. Elanor snickered.
“Neither. I need to impress the realm. I’m going to be their Queen and all I do is sit down and look pretty. I have to do more for the people that I am meant to be ruling, than that. I get that but it’s a lot harder than you make it look” Elanor sighed, laying down to stare up at the top of the tent.
“It’s not easy and it’s not about doing things for the realm. It’s about trying. Every time you fail, you try again. That’s what they need to see and you being here, does exactly that.” Kyla tried to reassure but it just had Elanor scoffing.
“I guess you haven’t heard the things people are saying then. You’re so oblivious it makes me want to slap you. The city holds all the creatures that are higher up; the centaur guard, the High Council, the royals and their opinions matter.” Elanor bit. Kyla rolled over to look at her with a frown.
“What are they saying then?” She asked, conceding that Elanor was right and she probably should take more notice of what the Elders and High Council were saying in between going after Onyx.
“That the Oracle is the one that saved us. What did Lady Elanor do? Why does she get to marry the Prince? The wolves put in a petition from the human realm that basically says that you should be the one to rule us with Zarek. That you are soul mates and to deny the realms decision in the pairing would dishonour it and it may tip the balance, may make the snow come back. So far, most of them are leaving it, ignoring the wolves but before we left, another one came in. From the Djinn. They are much more respected and to have support from any of the creatures who live in Inferis is something that not even the Queen can ignore, so it looks like I’m screwed.” Elanor huffed with a wavering voice. Kyla’s eyes widened and she let out a breath, turning to look up at the roof of the tent herself. She hadn’t meant to step on Elanor’s toes.
“Woah.” Kyla managed before Elanor snickered.
“Yeah, woah. It sucks. I just don’t get why people can’t leave well enough alone. Everything goes fine, the realm runs smoothly the way it is, so why change everything? Why fix something that isn’t broken?” Elanor grumbled. Kyla shrugged.
“Maybe it’s time for a change. Just because it is going well for now doesn’t meant it is going to stay that way just because the rules do. Maybe some rules are meant to be broken.” Kyla tried, repeating some of the Kings last words to her and Zarek. Elanor shook her head and sat up, turning to Kyla.
“No, they shouldn’t be. The rules are there for a reason, that is why I’m marrying Zarek instead of finding my own epic love. It’s not fair and maybe I should protest but I believe in the rules, Kyla. I think they stop this world from being chaotic and messy. They keep the true natures of the beasts we all are, including humans at bay. We need rules and that is why I believe in every single rule that King Carrick made to make that happen because he made that happen. The peace that we had, was because of the rules he made.” She rambled. Kyla tried to think of an answer but hearing the Kings name had her brain scrambling. Her heart pinched and she looked away before swallowing deeply to hide her emotion and looked at Elanor.
“The rule that said the Royals must marry the approved list on the High Council or Elder Council was one he didn’t make, Elanor. He despised that rule. He lost his own epic love to it and I know he would change it if he was here, just like he did the hybrid rule that he didn’t believe in.” Kyla tried to explain. Elanor shook her head.
“Don’t try to persuade me into thinking your abrupt, dangerous way of doing things is the way it should be because we will not agree. Let’s just agree to disagree.” Elanor sighed. Kyla nodded and bit her lip.
“If the High Council turned around and said that they are accepting the wolves petition, that I was going to marry Zarek, what would you do?” Kyla wondered.
“Stand aside and let it happen, because that is what I am meant to do. I am sure I would be a good Queen, Kyla. I’ve been raised to be and I do think I could be what is best for the realm but if you are what is best for the realm then I will happily let you take my place because that is my goal. That’s it. All my mean-girl antics, all my high handedness is because I will do what is best for the realm, no matter what.” Elanor stuck her chin up a notch, defending her opinion. Kyla didn’t need her to, it was admirable the way that Elanor thought. Kyla knew she should think the same way, but she would consider it more when Onyx was dead.
“You will make a great Queen.” Kyla agreed quietly. Kyla sighed and went to lie down again when Elanor climbed from her sleeping bag.
“I know, now remember that while I give you one last chance with Zarek, once we are married, this ends. You back off and we follow the rules as they were written, understood?” Elanor said as she moved towards the zip of the tent and looked back at Kyla who frowned.
“What do you mean?” Kyla asked. Elanor rolled her eyes and left the tent as Zarek came in running a hand through his hair, a grin spreading on his handsome face. Kyla grinned back and sat up. Zarek zipped the tent up and shuffled forward on his knees to wrap her in his arms, kissing her deeply. Kyla sighed against him, pressing herself into his body as he lowered her onto her sleeping bag, his lips still on hers.
“The centaurs?” Kyla asked breathily. Zarek shook his head as he kissed her again.
“The centaurs saw nothing. Wyatt distracted them while Elanor and I switched. Now he gets what he wants, and I get what I want.” Zarek smirked befo
re pressing his lips on hers again. Kyla grinned.
“Wait, Elanor and Wyatt? As in together? That’s what he wants?” Kyla questioned. Zarek nodded.
“Apparently. But I don’t think they want ‘together’ in the whole sense of the word. Only for tonight.” Zarek admitted.
“And Elanor agreed?”
Zarek grinned, shaking his head, “Not exactly. He hinted that he wanted to, and she wasn’t saying no so who knows? Maybe she will, maybe she won’t, I don’t really care what happens between them, only what happens right now between us.” He smirked. Kyla grinned and leant into his caresses. She wanted him with every cell in her body but there was something niggling at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the petition from the wolves?” Kyla breathed as Zarek kissed down her neck. He sighed and leant over her.
“I didn’t want to get your hopes up until I knew whether it would come to anything. Elanor is worried it will, but my mother burnt the petition, the second she received it and that was the end of that.” Zarek scowled. Kyla sighed.
“Of course she did. Okay, keep kissing me.” Kyla smiled. He smirked down at her then did just that. He kissed her, held her, touched her, making her forget everything outside them and their time together. There was no Outlands, no evil Queen, no centaurs guarding, only Zarek and the way he made her feel when they were together.
It was a few hours later when there was a knock on the tent and Kyla was woken from her exhausted slumber on Zarek’s chest. She jumped at the sound as it startled her from the same vision, she had been having all week; Onyx’s childhood. She couldn’t get it out of her head, it just kept coming back to his sister and mother dying and Kyla knew she was meant to be connecting something in it, but she came up with a blank every time.
“We’re leaving in ten, go back to your own tent before the other centaurs wake.” Orion’s gruff voice whispered through the thin tent fabric. Kyla blushed as Zarek smirked and sat up, rubbing his hands over his face. He kissed her then collected his scattered clothes.
“See you soon.” he winked then left the tent. Kyla smiled and pulled on her own clothes as she heard Zarek get a scolding from his centaur. Elanor came into the tent a few seconds later, her face red and her hair covering her face, refusing to look at Kyla. Kyla raised her eyebrows as she pulled her shirt on.
“You okay?” Kyla asked. Elanor nodded and grabbed her sleeping bag. Kyla didn’t believe her, “Did you and Wyatt…” Kyla tried but Elanor scowled.
“I don’t want to talk about it, it was a mistake.” Elanor huffed. Kyla frowned harder, pulling on the rest of her clothes before sculling some water that was in the corner of her tent.
“What happened?” Kyla asked anyway, too curious to leave the subject alone. Elanor covered her face with her hands then looked at Kyla with tears in her eyes, red staining her pale complexion.
“Nothing bad. It just shouldn’t have happened. I’m betrothed to Zarek and I shouldn’t feel like that with anyone else. It’s wrong.” Elanor bit, regret in her wide eyes. Kyla shook her head in denial.
“Elanor, it’s not wrong to feel good. If you wanted to do whatever it is that you did with Wyatt, then that is totally okay. You don’t have to feel embarrassed.” Kyla shrugged. Elanor shook her head.
“I do though! I think I freaked him out. I think…I screwed it up.” Elanor admitted quietly. Kyla shuffled forward to sit on the sleeping bag with Elanor.
“How?” She wondered.
Elanor covered her face again, “I didn’t tell him something. It freaked him out.” Elanor whispered.
“What didn’t you tell him?” Kyla pushed. Elanor scowled and looked Kyla in the eye,
“You won’t tell anyone?” She checked. Kyla shook her head before Elanor sighed, “I didn’t tell him that it was my first time. We were fine and then we, you know, and it hurt. I knew it was going to, but I was so lost in the moment that I forgot and then he went all weird on me.” Elanor admitted, her voice low and shy. Kyla raised her eyebrows and her own cheeks stained.
“Oh. Well, um. That doesn’t seem that bad. I mean, did you want him to be your first?” Kyla asked, not sure what to say. Not expecting miss princess to be a virgin. She just didn’t seem the type to hang on to that kind of thing, clearly, she was wrong.
“Kyla! It’s not about that. And I was meant to save it for Zarek but like I said, I was lost in the moment and I changed my mind. Wyatt was really good and all I could think about was him and then he was all weird afterwards. He kept saying sorry and now he won’t even talk to me.” Elanor whined. Kyla bit her lip unsure how she could help.
“I’m sorry that was your first experience, Elanor. So, Wyatt said nothing afterwards?” Kyla asked, trying to see if talking about it would help Elanor feel better. Elanor’s eyes shimmered with tears.
“He held me like he was meant to, but it was awkward and tense. He kept whispering sorry like he had done something wrong and then he made it worse and said that it was a mistake and if he had known, he wouldn’t have let it go so far.” Elanor muttered. Kyla moved closer and grabbed Elanor’s shaking hand.
“And do you feel the same? You wish it hadn’t happened?” She asked. Elanor shook her head.
“That’s the problem. I don’t feel the same. I’m glad it happened and even though it hurt at the start, it felt good after that. I wanted him to keep going, to keep making me feel good and I thought… I don’t know. I thought it would be different afterwards.” Elanor broke, tears falling down her cheeks as she cried. Kyla pulled Elanor into her, hugging her tightly. There was a small tap on the tent that had them breaking slowly apart.
“Kyla, Lady Elanor. We’re heading out.” Shemar said, then his hooves clomped away. Elanor wiped away her tears and turned to her bag where she pulled out her compact mirror, checking her face in it. Kyla sighed and grabbed her water and the few snacks that had been left for them then turned to Elanor.
“I know that it seems like he was regretting what happened, but maybe you should talk to him about it because I don’t think Wyatt meant to hurt you like this.” Kyla offered but Elanor shook her head. Her expression had already changed back into stoic princess. She padded her face with foundation and looked over at Kyla.
“I’m fine. I don’t need to talk to him. It was a mistake and won’t happen again.” Elanor said with her chin high before shutting her make-up and leaving the tent before Kyla could protest. Kyla sighed and left after her, gasping as she looked around their surroundings. The forest was the same, but the sand patches drew her attention. She moved over to the others who were waiting and fell into the middle of the centaur guards.
“This is the same exact land that I saw in my vision. We need to get there quickly.” Kyla said to Zarek who stood with Orion at his side. Zarek nodded, back in prince mode. They began the march to the prison and Kyla moved with them, making sure she kept her pace up to urge them faster. Her stomach turned with every step and she knew that Onyx was close. Something in the air was dense and attacking her instincts, shivering down her spine with more and more pressure. Finally, the prison came into view. It was concrete and high with centaurs surrounding every part of it, just like her vision had said. They were led through the grass field that was outlined by more of the black chunks of onyx to lock the land in. Kyla was distracted though as they were led through the concrete halls. Her heart was racing, the hair on her arms standing at attention as her mind was taken by the electrified scent in the air. An arc that kept snapping in her mind as she looked over her shoulder again. There was power there and she couldn’t work out whether it was from the stones that locked the land in or from Onyx. She didn’t like it. Without the Oracle, her senses were useless. She had her basic instincts that told her something was there, but it didn’t differentiate. She tried not to hold her breath and concentrate on what the centaurs were saying but it was hard to focus with her mind trying to reach the Oracle. Stretching her soul, making her tense. Kyla followed the centaurs with her group ove
r to the cell that usually housed Onyx. Kyla gasped as the door was open and a centaur stood in there. Onyx wasn’t there though.
“Where’s Onyx?” Kyla demanded. The centaur and even Zarek, looked at her with a frown.
“As I just said,” The centaur huffed and Kyla blushed, oops, she hadn’t been listening, “Onyx has been moved into isolation so he wouldn’t know you were here and then we could search his cell.” The centaur explained and it should have placated her, but her skin tingled even more. Kyla checked over her shoulder, moving to the end of the hall, ignoring the quizzical glances from the others. She sighed and looked back with a frown.
“There’s power here. I can’t lock on it because of the Oracle not being here, but there’s something. You’re sure Onyx has nothing left of his power while he’s here?” Kyla double checked and the centaur looked offended, but she hadn’t meant to insult his job, she just had to make sure.
“Certain. We’ve already been over the cell but figured you’d want to have a look too. There’s nothing here.” The centaur said. Kyla didn’t wait to be told she could by Zarek and stepped forward to check through the cell. She used her instincts, but they were straining. Something was pulling them and not through the cell. They were pulling her out. Kyla yanked the mattress from his bed, shoved off everything on the dresser, rummaged through the cupboards but she already knew what she would find deep in her bones. Nothing. The amulet wasn’t there but it was in the prison.
“Where else has Onyx been?” Kyla asked of the centaurs. The older one shrugged.
“Here and isolation.” He admitted. Kyla gasped.