by Bonnie Lamer
Again, her eyes dart back and forth between Lielle and Whysper. “Could it be?” she mumbles more to herself than us.
“Could what be?” Dagda growls, not seeing the clues through his annoyance.
Kallen fills in the gap for him. “Could it be Addylyn is in Lielle’s mind?”
Dagda swings his head toward him so fast, I consider holding my hands out to catch it when it flies off his neck. “What did you say?”
Groaning sounds reach us before Kallen can respond. The Elf warriors are coming around. Among them is Addylyn’s fifth husband. He caught the tail end of the conversation and rises. His legs do not want to function properly after being hit with so much magic, so he must attempt it several times before succeeding. We all watch him. It is not until he is upright that it dawns on me at least one of us should have helped him. We must all be in shock.
“Can what you say be true?” he asks, holding his head. He may have a concussion from hitting the corner of an end table.
“You tell us,” Dagda growls. “Tell us what Addylyn is capable of in stasis.”
Clearly confused, the Elf repeats, “Stasis?” He didn’t know Addylyn went into stasis?
“Yes, stasis.” Dagda is not happy about repeating himself.
“It has been generations since someone had the ability to go into stasis,” the warrior claims. Apparently, he and Addylyn don’t know everything about each other.
“Regardless,” Kallen says dryly. “Addylyn is currently in stasis.”
“Can you tell us how the process works?” I ask softly. The warrior is not responding well to Dagda’s and Kallen’s testosterone filled words. Perhaps the information needs to be gathered more gently.
“When in stasis, one is able to leave one’s body,” the warrior says, still holding his head. Speaking is making his headache worse. “But, it cannot linger without a vessel to contain it."
“We already figured that part out,” Garren informs him.
“Must the vessel be a person?” I ask.
The warrior is surprised by my question. It takes him a moment to respond. Finally, he says, “I do not know. I would assume that is the case, though.”
“Why is there no information available regarding stasis?” Dagda asks. His voice is a bit kinder this time. He’s catching on.
“Our ancestors thought it would be wise to keep it from other races to avoid fear of possession by Elves,” the warrior explains.
“Can Elves possess others?” Kallen asks. “Can the Elf’s consciousness control the other being’s actions?”
The Elf shakes his head but regrets it instantly. I should probably heal him but I don’t want to disrupt the flow of information. “The will of the other being, according to our ancestors who tried, has always been too strong for that to happen.”
“So, your race did attempt possession over the years?” Dagda infers from the warrior’s words.
Embarrassed, the warrior admits, “Many generations ago, yes.”
“What if the vessel is a baby?” I ask. I glance at Lielle who is resting her head against Kallen’s shoulder. “Their will has not quite developed yet.”
Taken aback, the warrior says, “A baby? No one would try such a thing on a baby.” I guess he didn’t hear as much of the previous conversation as I thought. Or, his mind is only now clearing enough for him to comprehend what is being said.
I have kept my eyes on Lielle as he spoke. Is that guilt on her face? It is. I know it is. “I believe your wife did. I also believe it worked.” There are so many emotions fighting to wash over me, my mind is practically numb from overload.
My words make the warrior’s temper flare now. “Do not accuse my wife of such an atrocity.”
I barely hear him. My eyes have locked with Lielle’s and I am wracking my brain trying to figure out how I can prove my suspicions. I am certainly not going to hit the baby with a blast of magic like I did to Whysper. Not that I knew what would happen at the time.
“Xandra?” Kallen says, trying to figure out what I’m thinking.
I put a finger up in a ‘just a minute’ sign. An idea is coming to me. Finally, I say, “We need Addylyn’s body.” I turn to her husband. “Do you know where she is?”
He studies me for a long moment before responding. Apparently, he can’t figure out what he wants to know by just looking. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because I want to put her back in her body.”
He scowls. “Only the Elf in stasis has the power to return to his or her body.”
“I’m not one hundred percent certain she’s in stasis.”
Now, he’s really confused. “What do you mean?”
Losing my patience, I say, “Look, we’re wasting time we don’t have. I suspect your child’s soul is in danger.” His eyes fly to the baby, but I redirect him. “There,” I say, pointing at Whysper. “I’m sorry. I was frustrated and just wanted the glamour to stop. I over reacted and now I have upset the balance Addylyn created.”
The horrified expression returns to his face. He wants to deny it, but he knows he can’t. Addylyn really did do this horrendous thing. The only question now is why she did it. Taking a deep breath, the warrior says, “In the Queen’s palace there is a dungeon.” Really? A dungeon? “She will be there.”
“Are you certain?” I ask.
His face grim, the Elf warrior admits, “I am no longer certain of anything.”
“Kallen, will you please hand him the baby?” I don’t feel right calling her Lielle now. She is not Lielle. With a curt nod, Kallen gives the baby to the Elf Warrior. Turning to my father, I say, “You should stay here this time. The King of the Fae realm shouldn’t be caught stealing the body of the deposed Elf Queen.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Dagda says, “If you do not return in an hour, I will be coming after you.”
I nod and give him a weak smile. “We’ll be back.”
“I will come with you,” Kegan says. He gives Alita’s hand a squeeze and lets it go. He joins Kallen and me.
“Okay, let’s go.” We walk outside so I can open a passageway to a dungeon. If anyone would have told me two years ago I would be doing these things, I would have suggested they get their head examined. By an MRI, not the kind of examination Tabitha does.
24 CHAPTER
Dungeons are just as dank and dark as the word suggests. At least, this one is. Stepping through the passageway, we enter a cramped area between two cells. Each cell has a cot but nothing else. Not even a blanket. Fortunately, they are also empty. The last thing we need is prisoners drawing attention to us.
“Which way?” Kegan asks.
I peer up and down the area. “I have no idea.”
“I will go this way. You and my cousin proceed that way,” Kallen says, pointing in the directions he means.
I don’t like separating, but the dungeon appears to be large with twists and turns. Reluctantly, I nod. “Come on, Kegan.”
Kegan and I proceed forward. There is a skinny passage with slimy walls after the cells and it’s difficult for me to squeeze through without touching them. It’s impossible for Kegan. He gets slimed. We come to another set of cells which are also empty. After them, the hall splits off in different directions. Hating to do it, I turn to Kegan and say, “We will cover more ground if we split up.” He nods and takes the hall to the right.
We search the dungeon for most of our allotted hour. Eventually, we all end up at the same place. Our faces glum, we admit defeat. “She’s not down here,” I complain.
After brooding a moment, Kallen finally says, “Perhaps we have been misled by not only Addylyn, but her sister, as well.”
My mouth drops open. “Seriously?” The more I think about it, the more I agree. Holding my hands out to Kallen and Kegan, I growl, “Let’s go find the new Queen.” I ignore Kegan’s leery expression and teleport us to the last place we saw Adelaide. Addylyn’s bedroom.
Apparently, it’s nighttime here in the Elf realm. Which is wh
y Adelaide screams when I wake her by touching her foot at the end of the bed. She sits bolt upright and screams just like she did earlier. I’m not going to listen to it this time. I take her voice away. “Where is Addylyn’s body?” There is a pounding on the door. The guards are trying to respond to her screams for help. As Dagda did earlier, Kallen seals the entrance.
I admit, I am a little surprised not to find the King Consort here. “Where is Herion?” I ask. I give her voice back so she can answer me.
Making sure her sheet is covering all her private bits, Adelaide says, “The King Consort has his own room.”
It figures but I was only curious. We don’t really need to know where he is. “Where is Addylyn’s body?”
Squaring her shoulders and doing her best to sound regal, Adelaide says, “Where it belongs. In the dungeon.”
My mood is not helped by the creepy-crawly feeling I now have. “I am not going to play games. This is your last chance to tell me where her body is. We wasted an hour in the dungeon and if we do not get Addylyn’s body back now, she may never be able to return to it.”
Adelaide opens her mouth to argue, but closes it again. Next, she confirms my suspicions. “Is Lielle okay?”
“You and your sister planned this together,” Kallen deduces.
Adelaide nods as she reaches for her robe. Kallen and Kegan turn around so she can put it on and get out of bed. When the sash is tied in place, she walks to the door. After trying the doorknob, she turns back to us. “I will show you if you unlock the door.” Kallen releases his magic from the door, but he doesn’t let it go. Adelaide could simply be letting the guards in.
“Move aside,” she tells the guards. They do as they are told, leaving us an opening to pass through.
Adelaide leads us down a short hall to another room. She opens the door wide. There, on the bed in the middle of the room, is Addylyn. She looks like she’s sleeping peacefully, but I’ve seen someone in this state before. Two someones, actually. Zac and my Aunt Barb. Despite how peaceful it looks, her body is just an empty shell at the moment. Turning to Adelaide, I say, “I’m bringing her back to our realm.” All Adelaide does is nod.
Mouth pressed into a thin line, Kallen walks to the bed. He lifts Addylyn’s body into his arms and returns to me. Without a second glance to Adelaide, I open a passageway to the Fae realm and we walk through it.
25 CHAPTER
We walk from the beach to the house. In the large living room, we find everything pretty much how we left it. Everyone is still here. Lielle’s father is cradling her body in his arms and Whysper’s body is still in a fetal position on the floor. No one dared move her.
“Put her next to Whysper,” I instruct. Kallen comes farther into the room and lays Addylyn’s body on the floor next to the human girl. When this is done, he steps back out of the way. “Put Lielle on the floor, as well,” I tell the Elf warrior. He is reluctant. It takes a moment for him to follow my instructions. Eventually, though, he lays her down on the floor. The baby’s eyes are panicky, but she doesn’t cry when she is put down. Even if she did, my sympathy for her is long gone.
Glancing around at the others, I say, “I need you to step back. I’m going to put up a wall of magic so none of their souls can escape.” Everyone backs up a few steps but they don’t go far.
Pulling magic, I place a circle around me and the three lying on the ground. I don’t make an actual circle, one that would move us between realms. I simply put up a magical wall and ceiling. Closing my eyes, I say the spell which has been in my mind since before we traveled to the Elf realm to get Addylyn’s body. “Out of place, minds adrift, a schism formed into a rift. Before the paths are closed to all, minds to bodies I do recall. Astral bodies moved among three, paths rewound to set them free. Return intact each soul set loose, suffer no consequences for this abuse. From innocent babe to selfish queen, spirits freed to this in between. Come forth in this safe place each soul which has been disgraced. Linger not, for time is not a friend. Return home now lest this be the end.”
As we watch, three spirits rise from the bodies before me. Each body now lies as if in a peaceful sleep, no soul to animate it. It nearly breaks my heart when I see Lielle’s form. The real Lielle. The babe is lost in this new world. Gently, I use magic to guide her back to her body. Next, I help Whysper. As she is human, she has no magic to assist in her safe return. Her soul had actually been in the right body, but it was shoved so far inside it could no longer control her body. It had to be set free like the other two and be put back correctly. As for Addylyn returning to her body, she is on her own. She is lucky I wait for her to find her way before letting my magic free and allowing her soul to drift farther and farther from her body. She lets out a gasp of pain when her soul catches hold again. I could have smoothed the transition for her as I did the other two, but this mess is of her doing. She should feel the pain and consequences of her actions. Perhaps it is not my place to decide such things, but I do anyway.
As soon as my magic is pulled back through me, the Elf warrior rushes to his daughter who is crying her little lungs out. Poor thing. She has no understanding of what has happened to her over the last few days. As for me, I have my suspicions. Turning to the still out of breath Addylyn, I grind out, “Explain before I decide to permanently remove your soul from your body.”
There are no pretty smiles or soothing glamour to pave her way. She knows it would only piss me off more. Sending pleading eyes toward her husband, she finds no ally. He looks away. Returning her attention to me, she begins to speak. “My tale is long. Please sit as I share it with you.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I assure her, “I’m good. Talk.”
Taking a deep breathe while simultaneously glancing back and forth between me and her husband, the former Elf Queen begins her tale. “I have worked hard in my role as Queen to move away from our archaic past. We still follow the traditions of our long dead ancestors instead of creating a world more acceptable to live in. As Queen, I had a role to play. A role I have hated every single day. I am forced to call husband Elves I do not love.”
“She’s breaking my heart. I think I’ll use her dress as a tissue and blow my nose,” Taz grumbles moving toward Addylyn. I think he may be serious. At least about the tissue part.
“Skip ahead to the part where you decided to astral project yours and your daughter’s souls,” I demand. That is what she did. She wasn’t in any type of stasis. Not truly. I don’t know if it was the same for the other Elves who claimed to be in stasis or if there truly is not a difference in the minds of the Elves.
“My sister, Herion and I devised a plan. A plan which would not only help us, but our realm. Herion was once promised to my sister and they are still very much in love. When my mother died and I became Queen, their engagement was ended when the high council decided he should be King Consort. Several hearts were broken that day.”
“If she keeps this up, I’m going to barf on her face,” Taz threatens. Since her story has elicited no sympathy from me yet, I may let him.
“Something the Elf realm has always lacked is alliances. We have never formally declared a permanent truce with any other race. Elves are suspicious by nature and it must be proven an ally is worthy of trust. Until now, no other race has been able to do so.”
She can’t be serious. Stunned, I ask, “This was all a test?”
Addylyn glances at her husband before replying. “Yes,” she says so softly I almost didn’t hear her.
“What, exactly, did you determine during this test?” Dagda drawls. He is as unimpressed with her story as the rest of us. I don’t believe her husband is ever going to speak to her again.
Forcing her attention away from her husband and daughter, Addylyn continues her story. “Adelaide and I devised a plan. One which would not only resolve matters of the heart, but one which would help our race learn to trust yours.” She pauses a moment. “We took our plan to the high council. It took convincing and their demands for proof wer
e almost too much to bear.” Her eyes land on Lielle and tears threaten to stroll down her cheeks. “We tried to convince them it was too much to ask, but this is the only way they would agree.”
The Elf warrior breaks his silence. “You should have told me. I deserved to be a part of the decision making process. Instead, you make up an asinine prophecy and make me believe my child’s life is in danger.” That was pretty cruel on Addylyn’s part.
Addylyn gives him a sad smile. “As a lesser husband, your permission was not needed.” As the anger grows in the warrior’s eyes, Addylyn rushes to say, “Which is yet another reason change was needed. You do deserve to be part of all decisions regarding your daughter.” Her husband is not appeased but he remains silent for now.”
“Let me see if I understand you,” Kallen says. “You used astral projection to move your soul into Lielle’s body. Since her body could not hold both of your souls, you transferred hers to Whysper.”
I get it now. “Which is why Whysper couldn’t be far from Lielle’s body. The child’s soul needed to be kept close.”
“Why me?” Whysper rasps from where she is still sitting on the floor.
Addylyn turns to her. “You are the least magical being in our realm. Many humans have a trace of magic running through their veins from long dead ancestors who mated with magical beings. You are a complete void. It was easy to hide Lielle’s soul within your mind. You could not feel it.”
“But, I saw glamour being used earlier,” Whysper argues.
Addylyn shakes her head. “That was Lielle’s doing. She made you aware of it.”
Enough about Whysper. “So, all the things that happened, the attempts on our lives, were all you,” I accuse. Everyone on my side of the room is fuming.
With a reluctant nod, Addylyn says, “Yes.”
“You were testing us,” I clarify again.