by B. T. Narro
“I’m going to break him in half now, sister, unless you come out.”
Nijja didn’t appear.
Valinox started counting down. “Three, two—”
“I’m here,” she said as she made herself visible, a scowl on her face.
Valinox finally looked as if he was starting to tire as he dropped the handsome fae rather roughly, sweat running down his temples. Eden could hear the demigod’s raspy breathing as Nijja approached him.
“Give it here,” he said as he put out his hand.
“I knew I should’ve destroyed it years ago.” She turned up her palm, showing nothing at first. Then a bright silver stone appeared in her hand.
She hesitated.
“If you destroy it now, I will kill every last fae that you care about,” Valinox threatened.
“You are worse than Airinold,” she said.
“I don’t care.”
Eden knew it was true. He didn’t.
Nijja gave a sigh, then handed the stone to Valinox.
The handsome fae disappeared. In his place stood a completely different man with nothing special about his appearance.
Valinox smiled triumphantly as he closed his fingers around this silver gemstone.
Nijja looked at the man whose appearance had changed. Eden could see love in his eyes, but not in hers. Hers only held tears.
Valinox clicked his tongue a few times as he shook his head at Nijja. “I’m not the only one who has gone against father’s wishes, manipulating the appearance of mortals and falling in love with them. You know, sister, I could use someone like you if you ever feel inclined to leave this disgustingly colorful place. We could rule Dorrinthal together. I will let you oversee Rohaer while I take Lycast.”
“Just get out of here and don’t come back,” she said, seemingly unable to look up at him.
He shrugged as he pocketed the stone. “Fine by me. I’ll have Dorrinthal either way and find someone else to share it with.”
Eden wasn’t sure what to do now. Valinox looked at her for the first time since he had arrived.
He made a hooking motion, slipping dteria between the ropes and her body and pulling her toward him. She stumbled on the way there and eventually started to fall, but he used his dteria to pick her up rather roughly by the rope and yank her through the air the rest of the way. He didn’t seem to care that it hurt her tied up arms and torso tremendously, though she refrained from yelling out.
She landed too hard to stay on her feet and rolled into his shins. She felt the ropes come loose as he must’ve run a blade through them at her back.
“Get up,” he said. “I’m taking you to Dorrinthal.”
She got up and looked around. Other fae were arriving, some of them women. They had the same golden hue to their hair, most dressed in white, like the men. One of them crouched over Lij and began to weep when he did not respond to her touch.
Eden felt responsible. If she hadn’t opened the portal, all these fae would still be alive.
But then she would be dead.
*****
She felt sick having to clutch Valinox’s body to keep from falling off as he soared back to the portal. At least he couldn’t really speak while he was focused. It gave her time to think. The silver stone he’d taken from Nijja must’ve allowed an illusion to remain permanent. She gasped when she realized how powerful this would make Valinox. He could cloak himself with invisibility. Even with his strength, the spell was usually short-lived and he was incapable of doing much while it was present. Nijja’s stone changed that. It made his spell permanent.
Eden wondered if she could disable the enchantment. She could do so to normal enchantments, but this one was made by Nijja herself. It was extremely powerful.
Soon she realized, however, that there was no point in her attempting to destroy the enchantment. Even if she could, Valinox would just take it back to Nijja and kill more fae until she re-enchanted it. Then he would probably kill Eden as well. It was clear he had no fear of killing in this realm.
Valinox landed with Eden on his back. The portal was just in front of them.
“Is Gourfist on the other side?” she asked.
“He’s busy with Souriff. Come on.”
She felt sick thinking back to what had just happened. What else was he going to make her do now?
Valinox was staring at her, waiting for her to go into the portal first. It wasn’t as if she could stay here. The fae would probably kill her for allowing him to enter.
She hopped into the portal.
*****
She woke up feeling as if some time had passed, but she had little memory of it. Valinox was pulling her up to her feet. Her mind was at ease, until she suddenly recalled everything that had just happened.
She wanted to vomit.
“Any use of power is likely to attract Gourfist,” Valinox said. “We’re moving on foot.”
They currently stood in a clearing, the trees not far from here. Valinox was fast. Eden quickly fell behind.
“Come on!” he hissed.
She went as fast as she could. By the time they made it to the trees, she was out of breath. Valinox was staring at the silver stone with a satisfied grin.
“It’s time to test this.”
He suddenly went invisible.
“Oh yes,” he said from behind Eden. His voice traveled around her as he continued to speak. “This will do nicely.” Then he seemed to be in the air as he let out a laugh.
He suddenly appeared in front of her. His smile slowly faded. She had a feeling that he was thinking about leaving her here.
“What can I do for you now?” she blurted out of fear.
“I’m trying to decide that.”
She had spoken with Valinox on many occasions, but she still didn’t know too much about what he wanted, besides power. The only thing she had gleaned was that he despised the other demigods as if they had all wronged him. Perhaps she could use that to stay in his good graces, at least until she got out of here.
“How did you know Nijja had that enchanted stone?”
He looked back toward the portal. “She had one the last time I saw her. I know what she’s like. If she ever did destroy it, she would just make another.”
Eden took a bit of a risk. “I’ve never seen you use your full power. It was something to behold.”
He stared at her. She could tell her flattery hadn’t worked.
He started to pace. “Here’s the problem I have with you, Eden.” Then he looked at her again, pointedly. “You’re a coward. Don’t deny it.”
She wouldn’t.
“Cowards change their minds,” he continued.
“I’m with you,” she said convincingly.
“Why?”
“Because you’re going to win this, and I want to be on the winning side.”
“Even if you despise me.”
Fear threatened to close Eden’s throat. She could take a risk and try to lie, but she thought that might result in him abandoning her here. The shortest way out of Curdith Forest from the center was fifty miles straight north, but that would still leave her more than a hundred miles away from Koluk, the nearest city. If she walked straight to Koluk from here, she’d be walking through the forest for weeks on end. She wasn’t sure she could survive that. The small Induct stone in her sock might not be enough to keep her safe.
“Yes, even if I despise you. Like you said, I’m too much of a coward to go against you.”
His eyebrows lowered over a harsh gaze. He seemed to notice something over Eden’s shoulder. She turned around.
The great treelike beast she had seen earlier was walking toward them. Valinox bent down and roughly pulled Eden’s sock away from her leg, revealing the Induct stone she had turned into an essence of dteria and stored there.
“What are you doing?” she asked in a panic.
“I can feel this on you.” He took out the black stone.
“Please don’t leave me here,” she said. �
�Especially without one. Nijja destroyed the other.”
“That’s your fault.” He wrapped dteria around his body as if he would soon take off.
“Wait. You had to have known that Gourfist would wake up when I opened the portal. I had nowhere to run but into Fyrren.”
“You could’ve waited for me on the other side.”
“I tried, but I was attacked by snakes and all sorts of other things! I was bitten and would’ve died, but one of the fae brought me to where you found me.”
“You should’ve defended yourself better.”
“Wait! I’m sure I can still be useful to you.”
“I already have more than enough support to win this. I don’t need your help anymore.”
“You can’t just leave me here. I’ll die!”
The treelike beast picked up speed as it lumbered toward them aggressively.
“I’ll tell you what,” Valinox said. “I will give you one more chance…but only if you make it to Koluk. The city will be mine by the time you get there. If you make it there, then you’ll prove that you’re stronger than I think you are.”
“At least leave me the stone. You don’t need it.”
“That’s right. I don’t.”
He turned invisible. Then Eden heard him take off.
She shrieked as the treelike beast dashed at her.
Eden ran away as fast as she could. She didn’t know which direction she was going, just not toward the crater where there were few trees she could use for cover. Fortunately, the treelike beast didn’t have the best coordination and soon tripped over himself and fell.
“Gaaaruuuu!” he hollered as Eden ran and ran until she was finally out of sight.
She searched around frantically for another Induct stone as something howled nearby. Then a beastly roar followed from another direction.
She searched for some time before she finally found a stone, this one of medium size. It was just small enough for her to be able to close her fingers around it. She primed it with a spell of ordia, then began to push dteria into the stone as she looked around, hearing another roar, this one behind her. It was going to take the better part of an hour before she finished turning it into a powerful enough essence.
She darted off in the opposite direction as the sounds she heard, clutching the stone to her stomach as she continued to cast into it.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
I noticed Kataleya looking at me many times during the ride to Koluk. It seemed as if there was something she wanted to tell me, and I had a feeling from her longing expression that I knew what it was. I didn’t want to hear it.
Her blonde hair was lush, framing her beautiful face. She had bright eyes that ranged between green and gray, depending on the light. I didn’t know what it was about her face exactly, but she always looked as if she had something intelligent to say, something she had thought through thoroughly. There was a sharpness to her features that drew my gaze.
If I let myself, I could become attracted to her all over again. I could let the feeling make me ill with need, make me question everything I was doing that didn’t lead to capturing her heart. But I had gotten past all that when she had denied me. It had been more than difficult. I didn’t want to have to go through that again.
There were other gazes besides Kataleya’s that I soon noticed as well. Hadley was already getting more comfortable on horseback, her expression far less nervous. I was sure that had to do with how her horse seemed to know to follow the pack, and our speed wasn’t nearly as fast as Kataleya had wanted to ride the last time we were attempting to travel together. Hadley seemed to be devoting much of her attention to me, but she was more difficult to read than Kataleya.
Hadley shied away from me whenever I returned her gaze. The way her mouth was pursed made it seem like she didn’t really want to tell me anything, like she was just curious.
She had very different features than Kataleya’s, with stark black hair, dark eyebrows and long eyelashes to match. She had a much more innocent appearance, and it wasn’t just because she was my age, two years younger than Kataleya.
I didn’t know if it was because of the things I felt before I met Hadley, or just because she was adorable, but I couldn’t look at her without feeling like I wanted to bundle her up in my arms. She was a small girl in stature, completely hidden in the fabric of her many layers. I didn’t bother trying to keep myself from feeling an attraction. The only thing I could not do was act upon it…unless I was given a clear sign.
The biggest surprise was when I found Aliana gazing at me as well, and it was in her curious look that I realized that my heroic act must’ve done something to change the way these girls looked at me. Or their attention might’ve had to do with how my shirt had come off while all my muscles were engorged from use, sweat glistening.
I kind of liked the attention, but I was uncomfortable with it at the same time. It made me feel too aware of myself, of how I might look riding my horse right now. I had to itch my nose, but I felt inclined not to. I had this annoying pressure to keep up this heroic persona. I didn’t want that. I just wanted to be myself.
So I told myself I would ignore it, and hoped I could stick to it.
The sun was starting to set by the time we made it to Koluk. We hadn’t seen Gourfist since Souriff had led him deep into the forest and beyond our vision. I figured he would soon be asleep again if he wasn’t already.
I looked forward to seeing Michael, speaking with Remi, and I even looked forward to talking with Leon. It had been a long time since I had done so. Jennava was someone I had never gotten to know very well, but it would be nice to see her, nonetheless. Everyone else in our group was already with me. We would finally be together again, though I had hoped it would be under better circumstances.
There was no wall around Koluk, no guards around to question anyone entering. We merely took the eastern path into the city, and I soon found myself in a very unfamiliar place. I had been to Koluk once before, to meet Jennava and discuss strategy regarding the group of sorcerers and soldiers coming from Rohaer that we later defeated. But it had been dark, and I had sneaked in from Curdith Forest to the south, not ridden in on the main path into the city.
The streets of Koluk were twisty. The buildings were small and strangely put together in that their sizes didn’t match up very well. Some extended far along the street, but their ceilings were barely taller than I sat on my horse. Others were three stories tall but standing with a bit of a lean as if they might fall over. There were beggars on the street who looked as if they had given up on actively begging a long time ago. They simply lay on the dirt with a bowl beside them.
Aliana had a note from the king, sealed. Before the bout with Gourfist, Nykal had told her to give it to Leon without reading it. When I wasn’t curious about the thoughts of the girls looking at me, I was wondering about this note. We dismounted at the only familiar place to me so far, the Groovewater Tavern where I had met Jennava, and I watched Aliana pull the note out of her pocket soon after we entered.
“You still can’t feel Gourfist anymore?” Charlie asked her nervously.
“He’s asleep.” Aliana had told him this a few times now, and she was starting to sound irritated.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Relax, Charlie,” Reuben said. “I can also feel that he’s asleep.”
I wasn’t sure if Charlie believed Reuben as he glanced at the noble and then back at Aliana. I didn’t bother wondering whether Reuben was putting on a show for Charlie, for the rest of us, or he was actually telling the truth. It wouldn’t matter unless I needed to rely on his tracking skill, but we had Aliana for that.
“He’s asleep,” Aliana told Charlie definitively when she noticed him still waiting for her to answer. “We have other things to worry about now.”
The last time I’d entered this tavern, it must’ve been close to midnight. I had thought it to be closed, the lights out, the main floor seemingly emp
ty. Jennava had grabbed me from behind and pushed me against the wall, if I recalled correctly. I think she might’ve even held a knife against me.
I had not seen that version of Jenna since then. She had been demanding, desperate to get the king’s aid. Most of the time in the castle she was more calm, even sporting a smile.
Right now, the tavern was busy. Musicians played, patrons drank. It almost felt like a celebration was going on, but then I realized this was just a normal evening at any tavern. It was the contrast to everything that had happened that made it feel like more.
Many of the patrons stared at the lot of us passing through, but no one said anything. We started to pass through the main serving area when Aliana yelled.
“Michael, get over here!” she ordered.
Michael, mug in hand, appeared shocked as he turned to us. He had been speaking with one of the serving girls, a small young woman with dark hair. Her laughter from their conversation quickly faded as she turned and hurried off to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Michael looked at Aliana for a moment, then back at the serving girl as if to say something, but she was already gone.
Michael had short black hair and dark eyes, but there was a friendliness to his awkward, toothy smile. He had a sense of humor that seemed to demand to be let out, even in inopportune times, and I felt like I could see it on his face whenever I looked at him. He was about the same height as Reuben and me, a little taller than most grown men. He looked as if he had been eating well and keeping up with his sword training, a good shape to his shoulders and chest.
“Oh, you’re back!” he told Aliana with what sounded to be feigned excitement. “That’s just great…more hunting down thieves.” But his eyes went wide when he finally noticed me at the back of the group. “Jon!” he said with genuine excitement. “By the gods, you’re finally here! Oh, and Kataleya,” he quickly added. “Wait, is something going on?” He then seemed to notice most of us staring at the mug of ale in his hand. “Oh this? This is nothing.” He put it on the counter nearby.
“Come on,” Aliana scolded as she started down the short hallway in front of us. A curtain was draped across the end, blocking our view.