He noticed the door was cracked open. Through the tiny gap, Moss noticed a tall, slender man rummaging through the drawers. Long silver hair flowed over light-blue skin, curling around one pointed ear. An elf, then?
The man turned around and blinked at him in surprise. “Moss? What are you doing out of bed?”
Moss knew that voice. He knew it well. The tonality was a bit different, more melodious and soft, but other than those differences, it sounded exactly the same. “Benson? What in the world? Why are you an elf?”
He’d known Benson was hiding something, but he hadn’t expected such a surprise. Benson gave him a serious look. “I truly regret lying, but it can’t be helped.”
“Is your name even Benson?” Moss hated the hurt in his voice. What would he find out next?
The elf shook his head. “No, my name is Kier. Pleased to meet you.”
When Moss just stared blankly at him, the elf breathed a sigh of irritation. His form blurred, turning into Benson’s butler looks once again. “There. Better now?”
Moss gaped at Kier. “But how?”
“I use a glamour to disguise my appearance,” the elf replied as he once again changed into his true form. Moss felt thankful for that since he didn’t want to perpetuate a useless lie. “I’ll explain more later. Do you feel up to helping me with the preparations?”
Moss remembered Vane’s words and didn’t insist further on the issue of Kier’s identity. He’d be on his guard, just in case, but for now, he had to focus on finding out what happened to Vane. “Preparations for what?” he asked instead. “Where’s Vane? And who is Cole?”
“Cole is someone you really don’t want to meet.” His eyes misted over as if he were remembering something. Shaking his head, he finished, “And Vane is trying to save the Covenant. Judging by what you told me, I’d say he has failed.”
Moss had so many questions, but a serious look from Kier—he had to remember to call the man by his real name from now on—stopped him. “Okay. What do I have to do?”
“Finish packing your things. I’ll release the staff and take care of the rest. Hurry.”
When Moss nodded, Kier rushed out of the room, his silver hair swishing around him surreally. In a daze, Moss put some clothes on, then resumed Kier’s previous task of wrapping up his bags. From what he gathered, they wouldn’t be able to take too many things along, so he kept them light, the bare necessities he couldn’t do without.
He finished far sooner than he’d have liked. With nothing to do, he was left to muse and worry about Vane and what the current situation would cause. He still didn’t know what the Covenant meant, but judging by the current commotion, breaking it could only bring trouble. Otherwise, Kier would have never acted this way.
Anguish swept through Moss. His family, his friends…Would they even survive this? Jo and Lam were so very young. Would his parents be able to protect them?
He sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands. What could he do? He was powerless in front of the forces haunting his life. Vane had told him he’d looked into his family’s safety, but Moss never got the chance to find out what Vane dug up. Horrifying images popped up in his mind, pictures of Vane, Jo, Lam, and his parents, all dead, all rotting, together, haunting him for eternity. He could only hope the Sky Lord would protect them.
Kier reappeared soon, interrupting his daytime nightmare. “Are you done?” the elf inquired as he came in. Moss almost yelped in surprise at the sudden voice. “Take everything you can’t be separated from,” Kier advised. “You won’t get anything back if you leave it behind.”
When Moss didn’t reply, Kier asked, “Are you okay?”
Moss couldn’t quite keep his voice from trembling. “It’s just…My family, Vane…I’m scared.”
“I know.” Kier sighed. “If it helps, Vane found out hostilities haven’t yet started in your area. At this point, there’s nothing left to do but hope.”
“Are we really that helpless?” Moss cried.
“Moss, if we try to go there, we’ll just bring trouble upon them. Cole, the person Vane mentioned, will do anything to get us.”
“But why? Who is he?”
“I’ll explain more later,” Kier replied. “Now come. Are you ready?”
Moss just nodded. Kier shouldered Moss’s pack and pulled him out of the room. There were some more bags in the foyer. The house seemed empty now, each and every servant gone or, at least, out of sight. “Where is everyone?” Moss asked.
“Back to their kin. Don’t worry about them. Brownies are resilient.”
Brownies? Moss would’ve gaped at Kier, but at this point, he didn’t think he had it in him to be shocked. Even the folk in Elmya knew about them, but most thought they were just legends. Then again, he lived in a bloodkin’s house, where an elf worked as a butler. It made sense the servants would be brownies.
They left the mansion through the side exit leading into the garden. Outside, night had fallen over Clavar. It was so quiet Moss felt reluctant to speak again. He just followed Kier, confused as to where they were actually headed.
They reached the very end of the garden when suddenly, a loud explosion sounded. Moss turned, only to see the mansion go up in flames.
“Don’t look back, Moss,” Kier said. “It will only hurt that way.”
“But the house…”
“It’s just a house. The important thing is for us to be safe.” Kier gestured to a small gazebo Moss hadn’t originally seen. “Go on.”
Moss gave Kier a confused look. How would a gazebo help them? Nevertheless, he followed the elf’s advice. He felt so out of depth, not knowing if he should trust Kier, but not having much choice, either. He headed toward the gazebo and stepped inside. Kier went inside behind him, and suddenly, the world began to swirl. The gazebo vanished, replace by a bright, wide void. Moss screamed, certain now he’d been deceived.
And then, the light dimmed, and the confusing motion turned into a light swaying. A light, woodsy breeze caressed his face. The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes in something that looked like a grove of sorts.
Above him, a tall elf loomed. “Welcome, Marlais Hayden, to Manturanael.”
The elven lands turned out to be like nothing Moss had expected, beautiful and green, but also dark and dangerous. The elf who’d met them upon their arrival identified himself as Eli Starburst. Unlike Kier, he belonged to the light elves, and his blond hair complimented an almost marble-white skin perfectly. He gave Kier an ugly look Moss didn’t know how to interpret, but didn’t seem hostile toward Moss. Odd.
Eli took them out of the grove and into a busy, yet silent city, presenting it as Hashiraden, the capital city of the elves. Hashiraden was unlike anything Moss had ever seen. The architecture represented a combination between swirling, sinuous curves and sharp lines. Moss glanced at the buildings in awe. Built around thick waves of greenery, they went up on various levels. Beyond the actual city, a lone temple lay, dedicated to the deity elves worshipped, the Mother Earth. To his surprise, Moss also noticed a smaller temple, dedicated to the Sky Lord. Typically, humans and some avian races followed the cult of the Sky Lord. Moss wondered why He would have a temple here.
Perhaps elves worshipped all deities equally. Moss wouldn’t be surprised. Everyone went around their business in perfect harmony, and the occasional tone of lyrical musical tingled over Moss’s senses. Moss wished the beauty of it all could heal his heavy heart.
At last, they reached Eli’s home. “This is where you’ll be living, Marlais. We elves welcome you in our home.”
“Thank you, Sir. You are too kind.” He paused, uncertain as to how to phrase this question. “But I thought we’d be staying at Kier’s.”
He was thankful for Eli’s hospitality, of course, but Kier’s presence represented the only connection he had with his world in this strange, new place. Even not knowing what to believe about Kier, the dark elf remained the same person who’d received him in Vane’s house and soothed his hurts
when Vane left.
Eli arched a brow at him, then threw a gaze Kier’s way. “Haven’t you explained things to him?”
“I’ve been banished from here, a long time ago, but I asked for sanctuary for you.”
Moss gripped Kier’s arm. “You can’t be serious. You’re planning to leave?”
“It’s me Cole wants,” Kier answered. “If I go to him, he’ll let Vane go. And besides, I’m not welcome here. I don’t have much choice.”
Nothing that happened in the past few hours made any sense. Eli scoffed in disgust. He looked like he wanted to slap Kier, but refrained from doing so. “I don’t want to hear anything about bloodkin. Marlais, you are welcome to stay as long as you want and if you contribute to our community. Kier, on the other hand, has to leave.”
“But why?”
“This is my fault. If I hadn’t…” Kier shook his head. “It is an old tale. You needn’t worry about it. I’ll fix things. I promise.”
“You’d better do so,” Eli replied, the chill in his voice staggering.
“Wait just a minute,” Moss piped in. “You’re not leaving anywhere without me. I want to help Vane as much as you do.”
Strikingly, it was Eli who replied to Moss’s heartfelt words. “Humans…” He sighed in exasperation. “Whatever you think you feel for the bloodkin is false, Marlais. They have a way of seducing people. Even some elves who should have known better have fallen for their charms.”
Kier winced, but didn’t say anything back. For his part, Moss was tired of veiled insults and threats. He wouldn’t let anyone get in his path. He wanted to help Vane, and hiding behind a shield of arrogant elves simply didn’t fit with his idea of doing so.
“You’ll be safe here, Marlais, away from their influence,” Eli finished.
“Not all of them are the same,” Moss cried. “I don’t know about this Cole person, but Vane has always been nice to me.”
Even as he spoke, he remembered the beating, and he struggled to keep a straight face. Thankfully, Eli didn’t seem to know about it, and Kier looked unmoved by Moss’s lie. “That may well be,” Eli said, “but he would have turned on you sooner or later. They always do.”
Doubt reemerged inside him at Eli’s words. The pain he’d experienced at Vane’s hands swept through him once more. He bit his lip, warring emotions swirling inside him. Perhaps Eli was right. Perhaps he really couldn’t be with Vane, but that didn’t mean he’d abandon the other man in his dark time. “Maybe, but I won’t turn on him. I want to go with you, Kier.”
Kier shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Eli on this one. I promised Vane I would keep you safe, and so I shall, even against your own will.”
Before Moss could do anything else, a sharp, sudden pain struck him, and everything went black.
* * * *
Unconsciousness took far too much time on Moss’s schedule lately. That was the first thought he had as he cracked his eyes open, experiencing a weird sensation of déjà vu. This time, however, Vane’s voice didn’t sound in his head. Neither did he see anything familiar around him. The bed he lay in felt soft and smelled like freshly cut grass. The headboard bore peculiar markings, curling engravings Moss didn’t know the meaning of. He easily identified it as an elven encryption. He’d seen the style before in his studies, although he couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of it. Not that it mattered. He knew where he was. He’d been left behind by Kier in Hashiraden.
All those stories about elven advanced senses seemed correct, as Eli appeared in the room before Moss could even get out of bed. “Ah…You’re awake. Excellent.”
“Where’s Kier?” Moss asked without preamble.
“Gone, thank goodness,” Eli replied, without even skipping a beat. “He’d already outstayed his welcome.”
Moss took a deep breath and struggled for composure. “Why do you loathe him so? Is it because he is a dark elf and you are a light one?”
Eli shook his head. “Kier himself made this choice. No elf, light or dark, is allowed to consort with bloodkin. He chose them over us, his people. He cannot expect to be welcome here.”
Moss noted the sadness hidden behind the resentment and surmised Eli must still care about Kier. Perhaps they’d been close once. It certainly explained why Eli had been willing to take Moss in, despite him being just another seduced human.
“Why do you hate bloodkin so much?” Moss asked. It seemed to him something else lay beneath all the scorn, something more than just disgust at the bloodkin’s habits. Moss didn’t know anything about Kier’s past here, but if the two elves had indeed been friends, something worse than the mere dislike for a race must separate them.
Eli gave Moss a dark look. “You shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to.”
Moss got off the bed, returning Eli’s glare with one of his own. He was sick and tired of everybody telling him what he should or should not do.
“Fine. Keep your secrets. I don’t care. Just let me out of here. I don’t need you, or this place.”
Eli’s frown deepened. “Do not forget, Mister Hayden, that you are a guest in my house. Please refrain from acting rashly or spouting accusation.”
Moss’s face flamed. Eli was right. He needed to remember his manners, especially here, in the elven lands. But as much as he tried to care about that, he couldn’t make himself do so. Somehow, from a guest in this place, he’d clearly become some kind of glorified prisoner.
He focused on sounding coolly polite and keeping his temper in check. “I apologize, but you must understand my situation. You can’t honestly expect me to stay here and do nothing.”
“No, I don’t expect that.” Eli sighed. “Humans are far too foolish to think about what’s good for them.”
Moss would have taken offense, but decided Eli’s opinion regarding Moss’s rashness didn’t matter. Perhaps Moss could convince him to show him the way to Tachaka. Vane was supposed to be there. Somehow, Moss doubted Kier’s sacrifice would help save Vane.
There were so many things left unsaid between them, so much Moss would have liked to ask. The connection Moss knew to be there didn’t spark to life once more, and Moss refused to just let this go. He didn’t know why. Was it lust, love, fascination, or obsession? Perhaps a little bit of all. Clarifying his emotions would have to wait. He needed to save Vane first.
“Please,” he told Eli. “Help me. I only want what’s best.” Remembering Eli’s expression from before, he tried, “For Kier, too. Surely you don’t want him hurt.”
Eli looked startled, insofar as an elf could do that. “You’re perceptive,” he admitted. “And no, I don’t want him hurt. But he has chosen his own path, one I can do very little about.”
“We can save them, Eli. Please. Do you really want Kier to die?”
Eli’s hesitation began to dissipate. “No, I don’t want him to die. Fine, Marlais. I will help you. For Kier’s sake.”
Chapter Eight
Vane had been locked in his cell for a few days. By now, he surmised Cole reached Clavar. But not even the fastest horses could get him there earlier than three days, and at this point, Kier must’ve taken Moss someplace safe. In fact, he was certain of it.
Since initiating their first conversation, Vane had been unable to fully close down their connection. He still sensed Moss’s emotions, not all the time, but enough as to realize the human had not come to any harm. With this reassurance, Vane’s concern now went toward Kier and the humans left behind with little defense in Clavar.
He didn’t doubt Kier would ignore his order, especially now when he knew Cole had come back and instigated all this disaster. Vane would’ve kept his brother’s arrival from Kier, but the elf needed—no, he deserved to know.
It frustrated Vane beyond belief he could not help the people he cared about. How could Cole go so far as to risk the Covenant for vengeance?
But Vane did have a plan. He was beginning to register the pattern in the motions his guards m
ade. The door also had a magical shield on it. Once, Vane would have been unable to touch that shield. But cultivating his control had its perks, and he could make use of his magical abilities better than most of his kind.
He’d been working on wearing down the shield since his first day of imprisonment. It worried him someone might check and realize his plan before he could make his escape.
He could only try to work in the brief gap between the shifts, so the process ended up very slow and strenuous. By that evening, however, Vane managed to finish his task. The next gap between shifts would be at dawn, when many bloodkin were forced to retreat into slumber. However, Vane himself was in danger of submitting to the same force. He hadn’t fed on blood for almost a week now, and the use of magic drained him.
He needed to hurry.
Morning came, and with it, the lethargy that could even kill a bloodkin if he didn’t feed. Vane counted on his Bloodmoor line to help him out of this pickle. He carefully listened to the motions at the other side of the door, waiting for the precise moment when he’d be able to make his move.
At last, the distinctive sound of rattling weapons and muttered greetings notified him the new guards had arrived. It might’ve seemed foolish to attack now, when the number of his foes would be double, but in fact, it would be best for him in the long run. The guards assigned to watch him would all be taken out, and he’d have a few hours to slip out of the palace grounds, unseen. At this point, they were also tired and moody, so they wouldn’t be as alert as at midnight, for example.
In his mind’s eye, Vane mapped his opponents’ positions. A few of them were young, so they’d pose less of a problem. Vane had watched them come and go as they’d brought him dinner. But he would bet there were others with greater powers. Together, their abilities might defeat his own. The key was the element of surprise.
Bed and Breakfast [Bloodkin 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 14