Betrayal

by Cyndi Goodgame

  Ian’s hand gripped the sword. I saw it. It was the iron sword from the range. If I hadn’t keenly been watching Ian’s every body part evenly and carefully I might have missed it. Sane whipped his own sword halfway through the air as Ian sliced the iron sword through the middle of the king. Sane’s sword dropped to the ground with a crash.

  Pike eased upward letting me grab onto his shoulders for support. I twisted around him and ran for the barely mobile figure lying on the floor beside where Sane was still in the process of falling. I grabbed Ian and tugged him with everything I had away from where the dying man would fall.

  “Where are you hurt?” I searched his body for anything cut or open. Blood was everywhere. I turned the torn up shirt in places to search for wounds. None. I patted his legs, thighs, all of it. He didn’t have a scratch. “You don’t have a scratch. I saw…I heard the sword strike you.”

  He chuckled despite lying prostrate with me straddled over him and Sane still sitting in a praying position staring blankly upward. Seeing his eyes wide open and pointedly in my direction, I gasped and scrapped the floor to get away. I screamed and fell over onto Ian’s chest, scooting my legs backward. I felt like I’d been stabbed with a thousand knives and then jolted alive again.

  “He is dead.”

  Sucked for him. “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “I told you before to never doubt me and I meant it,” his voice was strong despite the way he seemed to groan in pain.

  “I thought you weren’t hurt,” I pulled off what remained of his shirt and checked the back of him touching every part of him looking for iron marked scars but none were there. Whatever anger I’d pent up evaporated at that second from the heat of his gaze. Eyes that penetrate to my very soul and leave me wanting.

  “Checking me out while a man’s down is such a turn on, Grace.”

  “Not funny Ian.”

  “Neither are your doubts.” Ian said it jokingly, but he meant it. He did have a wound, not iron, but a stab wound already healing in his side.

  A hand reached out to me. Kin pulled me to standing and held it back out to Ian. Ian watched the hand too long and then took it.

  Kin nodded to Ian. Ian nodded back. Pike nodded to both.

  Kin laid his father gently down to the ground and told us to leave. Ian signaled the guards to pick up the dead and head out. I surrounded Kin with my arms blocking his path after he dodged me twice. “I’m sorry about your father.”

  Kin quit moving, “My father was the worst man on this earth. Feel sorry elsewhere.”

  Hurt, I dropped my hands and slunk away. I heard him begging me to come back but I didn’t blink an eye in his direction again.

  I refused to heed to Ian or Pike’s orders to sit and be womanly. I helped like the rest. When everything was gathered, Ian returned inside taking me with him.

  Ian bowed to Kin. I did not.

  “We will return to our court now. If you require any other services we are at your call.”

  Kin frowned at him and turned to me. “I am sorry for the distasteful mouth I shot off earlier. I was still in shock. Forgive me, Grace.”

  “Always,” My undisputable smile reached his lips. I leaned up to whisper and instead opened up my thoughts. Can you hear me?

  I can, my queen.

  You are king now, am I correct?

  Yes Grace, are you offering. His smile brightened again showing Ian what we were doing.

  On the contrary, I wanted to make sure you come to the wedding.

  His face fell.

  It wouldn’t be right without you.

  He never answered. I kissed his cheek and Ian shook his arm in a goodbye. Ian bowed to him again, but I noted Kin did not bow back.

  We arrived back at court many hours later. My most awful of days didn’t come to an end yet. My mother was at court. She searched over my ragged clothes for injuries.

  “What are you doing here?” I hugged her tight and then reality hit me. I threw myself back off of her.

  “I’m so sorry. I should’ve—“

  “It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with the thought of losing you and it’s worth the risk. Things will change now that Sane is gone. Now tell me what happened.”

  I cried forever in her arms. Fire alarm worse day of my life.

  I learned that father’s memory had been wiped more than once by King Sane, Kin had been a sweet little boy before his mother died, Pike had his mother’s great humor, and Ian was in love with me long before he apparently knew it and she did.

  I told her how much I hated the amulets and about the many times I snuck out to the Burger Giant to avoid dumplings and that Ian hated them. She laughed and told me she knew. How is that for secrets?

  She stayed with me as I bathed and cleaned for dinner where I would see Ian again. I hadn’t really talked with him since.

  ***

  Ian had a separate funeral for Danella solely for me. I was a mess. My mother dressed her and covered her in rose petals and jasmine. I watched her press each and every one across the top of her body appreciating that my mother would cherish her memory as much as me. Still unable to believe or accept she threw herself to save me or say anything to her before she died, I hid little emotion.

  It was goodbye to the most unselfish creature I have ever known. And my own selfish nature wanted her back.

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  optimistic- adj. hopeful and confident about the future

  The morning light dawned on a new day. A new king. A new winter court. My court was in a somber, but joyful mood with all it had to deal with. The bodies were burned at nightfall and the guards were assessing damage and wounds. Pike was doing inventory of weapons and names.

  Ian was in the bed...with me. WE WERE fully clothed and very unhappy about it.

  “My mother went home last night,” I said just to see if he was awake.

  “I know,” he snuggled me closer nuzzling my neck.

  “I want to go see her.”

  “Okay.”

  He was being exceptionally giving. “You alright?” I asked sideways pushing my neck into his face.

  He lifted my hair and rolled me over to my back placing himself above me on his elbows. “I’m about to be.” He leaned down. We spent the next twenty minutes enjoying a little more than kisses before we heard the sharp knock on the door that arrived none too soon.

  He grumbled and moved off of me. “What?” he asked loudly enough.

  “Pike needs you,” Bane announced.

  “Tell him I have all I need. His freaking needs can be met by—“

  “IAN!” I closed his mouth tight with my hand. “Manners.”

  “What? I was just going to say—oh never mind. I’ll tell him later.”

  Pish! He turned his face to mine and gave me an O mouth look with much exaggeration and flexing his fingers like claws in the air. “Are you making unkind noises at me? I consider that to be like an eye roll and that my lady needs a good dose of hands on time.”

  Giggle. Aaaa! “Stop. Don’t!” I panted out from the tickles to my sides, “Please.” I kept yelling.

  “Ah, Ian?” a yell came from the door again. I was horrified. Bane had stood listening.

  “Bane, go away.” Ian didn’t stop with his hands. And I couldn’t stop the uncontrolled laugh of the lovely pain from his fingers tickling me.

  “Can’t. Pike is trying to put out the forest that is on fire.”

  Ian jumped off the bed, belted his pants up to the not loose low riding effect they just had, and kissed my forehead. “Get dressed and meet me at breakfast.”

  “Ian, forget breakfast. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  ***

  I dressed in record time and headed out to the campfire. Or what was left of the wooded area around it. The trees were still all burning leafless and black like licorice sticks. The garden was destroyed and beside it where I’d planted the sweet smelling marigolds and lantana all around. And the trampoline. It was just a jumble of alumi
num springs, bars, and charred net.

  Ian was fighting a fire on the back of the woods with Eric while Pike and Bane were watering the ground around the immediate area. It was almost out.

  When one day ends, another comes. I could very easily let this get me down, but that would devastate Ian and he needed me to be happy. I walked back in and searched for my friend Sarah who was in the library of course.

  "I need your help.”

  “Anything,” Sarah said being pulled out of her reverie of book happiness.

  I raised an eye, “Even going to the human world with me for an hour.”

  She cooed. She loved the human world adventures more than even our beloved books.

  We took Rion and Caymin with us. I stopped at my parents’ house first for I had no human cash. My mother obliged and hugged me and Sarah goodbye. That felt so good. I still missed my father, but his safety was more important than my daughterly needs. I vowed to write him another letter.

  I glamoured our appearance and left Rion and Caymin outside the sports store in downtown Winslow while we purchased the item I needed. Leaving them in skater clothes and ear piercings was kind of fun really. I just loved glamouring up things.

  Sarah had the time of her far from human life. She insisted that we come back again and go to back to the newly named “hopping mall” as she called it. I laughed uncontrollably.

  The fire had been an accident on a few young guards and some frolicy fun. All was solved with the exception of plans to plant anew. I was made charge of it. Giddy at being given the task, I didn't waste time issuing orders for what seeds were to be selected. After all, we are the Seelie court.

  Ian knew I left of course, but only kissed my cheek and asked if everything was okay with me. I keep my mood light and it made all the difference. I thought about what Pike had said once about being a pessimist. I vowed another promise. Optimism was my new middle name. Perhaps it was the fact that the danger had been lifted or maybe it could be that I was intending to stay jovial and carefree around him. Either way, Ian was a different man.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  concentration- n. the action or power of focusing one’s attention or mental effort. 2. dealing with one particular thing above all others.

  Another new day dawned and my purchase was in place. Sarah pledged that she would have Bane get it to the right place and have the area around it readied also. I had to pray she could get it all done in the night hours while I kept Ian away from the campfire site that now included a larger size bon fire still burning from all the rubbish placed in it. And that she could keep it from her thoughts since Ian was probably checking for little tidbits of me sharing my love life with her. I knew he didn’t like that I’d told her anything at all, but he still hadn’t said anything about it.

  Ian followed me after tickling me all over again in every place allowable at our given step in our relationship to convince me to tell my secret. I led him blindly through the court before anyone was about and stood him in the very spot where he found me the night he surprised me with the same kind of item.

  I jumped aboard the springy contraption and told him to open his eyes. He wasn’t easily fooled. “You did this you sly woman.”

  “Ohhh, name calling to the woman you love is a bad no-no!”

  “Or asking her to marry her and beg her to hurry up the plans and make the day magically come faster is far better. Yes, then I agree.” He climbed up beside me and shifted against me with fast, furious hands.

  “Okay Mister Handsy. Wedding day is only....” I couldn’t concentrate with him kissing my neck and pawing my sides. “Only….” trying to concentrate, “Ian, this is torture.”

  For who?” he continued to kiss my shoulder, my elbow, my wrist.

  “IAN!” I giggled.

  “Fine!” he moved on the other side of the trampoline.

  “That’s a bit much,” I pouted.

  “You said,” he covered his eyes with his arm. He was cooling off. Good!

  Knowing his eyes were swirling with desire and heat, I rocked myself over to his side of the net and wrapped around him locking my legs up so he couldn’t get away. He could, but he wouldn’t dare try it.

  “I said, you said, how ‘bout we both shut up and have a good ole fashion conversation with Orion and Cassiopeia.”

  “Not my first choice, and not even my second, but a sound third,” he mused with a collective sigh that told me even his small amount of supposed cooling off was not really bringing down the heat that sizzled between us.

  I giggled and snuggled close.

  “I need to meet with Kinsler tomorrow here at our court. Are you okay with that?”

  “Um, yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” I was being asked?

  “Just had to ask,” his unshaven face nuzzled my jaw where the chain of my necklace hit. I enjoyed the five o’clock shadowed rub and looked forward to the kissing that would soon follow. I loved kissing Ian. My thoughts led to a small moan.

  “What are you thinking?” he said comically.

  He heard me. “Um, you really want to know?”

  “Of course. Why? Is it not what I’d want?” he reasoned.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I just am not usually this forceful.” I felt the boldness coming on.

  He edged his face up to see mine, quick and ready. Apparently my eyes were telling the words I wouldn’t have too. I admit, I was trying to jumpstart them. I guess it worked better than I thought.

  He seemed fixated on my eyes so when his mouth parted I took it upon myself to delve into his wanting desire by licking my lips. The growl that released from inside him was just the reaction I could hope for. Predicting Ian was becoming a pastime for me and the more I tried it out, the more I wanted it.

  He should’ve waited for me to initiate the kiss, but my wicked ways were getting the better of both of us.

  ***

  I had been wearing the pendant Ian gave me for the joy it and no other reason lately. The one Kin gave me stayed with me also. Soon to be three rings to add to my five close to my heart charms stayed with me at all times. Ian’s surprises to me, my mom’s, Lazyra’s, Kin’s, and the one my mother insisted I wear for too many years. The pendant Ian gave me on my thirteenth birthday was and will always be around my neck and against my heart.

  Having them all seemed to ignite a great power within me, whether it was truly magical or not. But I had noticed another something urging its way into my being, getting stronger as the days passed and I practiced more but when I accidentally “persuaded” an object to come to me without trying this time it held more purpose, promise than before. I mentioned it to Pike. He had to mention to Ian. They took a whole day before telling me what this meant to them.

  “Grace, you have to be very careful,” Ian told me after Pike had just said the same thing. It was all said to me before, numerous times.. I allowed myself to imagine what dangers could happen. As in a dagger being stopped before it strikes an unintended victim. As in an amulet that needs a new destination. As in....

  And this will make the new Unseelie king want me that much more when the first incident happens and word gets out, but he would never act on it.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  intertwined-v. twist or twine together

  Breakfast came and went. Kin underhandedly made it into the court without anyone noticing and landed himself right beside me in the replanted garden. We talked of nothing important for a while. I continued on with my weeding and planting of seeds while Kin watched on. When he nodded for the guards to leave, I flinched. When did Kin gain power over my own guards?

  “You asked me once what I meant by your greatest feats. What the other two underestimated about you. Your power will surpass all others. If you would become my queen, we would rule the world. All else. With an alliance to the summer court through you and the two of us ruling this court we would hold the entire world in our hands. We are Firebearers, Grace. Same make. Our communion would create a magic more powerful than
any one court. We would—“

  I stopped digging and looked up. “Kin, you told me once that you should be able to choose who and when you marry. I understand now that meant between the arranged marriage you didn’t choose, the foretold possible marriage of what you think was to me, and the idea that you will pick on your own the girl of your choice with no one forced action by anything or anyone. It this is true of you and you claim to care about me and not just my possibilities for your court, then why don’t I get the same privilege? If you care for me so much, then see me happy.”

  I thought this was all settled already. I pulled off the dirt ridden glove and looked back at him from where I sat covered in earth. The shovel was floating eye length beside me, so I grabbed it. Dang new powers!

  He blinked and held his eyes closed. Maybe he didn’t see the shovel.

  I couldn’t be sure, but I think he forced his eyes shut to cut off any leaks. He finally parted his mouth enough to slip out, “I know you are right and that is what I want, but I still have the undying need to change your mind. I still think I can.” He eyed the shovel in my hand and I didn’t miss his eyes looking to the place in the air where it had just been.

  He caught my attention again. “I want every part of you, Grace. Not just compliance. It will subside after you choose the final act with the one of your choice.”

  Wow! That is the most honest bit of pure feeling from Kin I’ve ever seen. Just wow! “I am utterly dumbfounded. I think you were more honest with me just now than you’ve ever been.” Maybe he saw that as a light because face lit up to brightly. “I am flattered that maybe, just maybe you like me for me and not what I represent and could help you become. And maybe I admire you for what you did back at your court on several occasions playing halfway to the part of a gentleman, but Kin, magic or not, there is no us and never will be.”