Dark Throne, The

by Raven Willow-Wood

  But just because she was in an Elfen dwelling didn’t mean she was safe. Jender had enemies as did Haden. She wasn’t safe anywhere, especially without her mate. Tears poured down her cheeks as her heart began to feel the loss of her other half. Where was he? Did he know she’d gone missing? Or did he think that she’d rejected him like every other being in his life?

  Her sobs, this time of self-pity, resurfaced and she let herself weep. She didn’t dare leave these rooms and find herself in enemy Elfen territory. That meant she had to use the doorknobs and only God knew where she’d end up.

  Her terror at this prospect was worse than the idea of walking into a hall full of enemy soldiers. She knew Fade would rail at her for not using the doorknobs to flee, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t leave him. Couldn’t lose him, couldn’t do without him. She needed him so badly and not in a way that made her feel pathetic. Like a wimpy woman who relied on her man for everything, from decision making to fixing the car… Her heart needed him like it needed oxygenated blood. It was as intrinsic as the most basic of her body’s functions.

  Without him, she was lost.

  The very idea cleared her thoughts and she made the resolution not to use the knobs.

  That left leaving the rooms and determining where she was.

  Her father had shown her the emblems of the royal houses, to which each house was aligned. If she could just see which house this owed its allegiance, then she’d know if she was safe, because he’d also taught her to recognize those that hated Jender.

  She needed to get away from the scent of death. From the stench emanating from Calder’s form. She’d been in the presence of death before, but she’d never known anything like this. Heather assumed it was the poison at work and wrinkled her nose as burning flesh combined with urine and feces. It overpowered her senses but jolted her from the stasis the sleckil had induced.

  She clambered on to hands and knees and began to crawl away from the body and towards the only door that the room contained. She passed the captives and longed to help them but didn’t have the energy. They were still in a stupor, but their eyes were awake and she muttered, “I’m so sorry. I have to get help. Then they’ll free you. I haven’t the energy to do both.”

  Her words were slurred as her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. Even that was difficult. Dragging herself forward, she made it to the door relatively safe and sound. The only problem had stemmed from the few steps and she’d practically fallen down them, her body slamming into the floor with a force that seemed exaggerated considering the height of the drop. But she’d made it and was relieved that the doorknob was in her hand and that she was a few dragging steps from escaping the odd stench that was pervading the entire room.

  Heather managed to turn the knob and suddenly the sounds of fire overtook the room. As she opened the door and a gush of wind shot through the way, she turned her head and screamed.

  Calder was no longer on the floor. He was dangling in the air. Like a marionette doll, he seemed to be suspended by the nape of his neck. But rather than making those strange, wooden movements as was the case with a puppet, Heather watched on in horror as fire overtook each limb. The ferocity of the flames had lifted him into a standing position. It ate every part of his skin, devoured muscle and sinew and cartilage. Encompassing him in an elongated ball of flame that left nothing behind. Not even dust.

  She didn’t even realize she’d been screaming until she heard guards storming in the hallway, their footsteps thundering as their boots stomped against the stone floors.

  One of them crouched before her and shook her roughly by the shoulders. “Wench, cease that screaming. Stop it.” the man shouted at her, continuing to drag her back and forth until she ceased her screams.

  She stared at him and whispered, “Fire. Fire.”

  He scowled at her and peered into the room, his eyes finding nothing amiss in the chamber save the poor Elfen tied up on the floor.

  “She’s mad. Only Mother knows where Calder is or what he’s done to the poor bastards on the floor.” The soldier pointed to one of his men and said, “Till we learn more about her, take her to the dungeons.”

  Heather said nothing as she was lifted from the floor and hefted into a man’s arms. She would have been offended by his grunt after he accepted her weight, but she didn’t have the energy. Once she’d seen the emblem on the men of arms’ uniforms, she’d recognized that she was safe.

  Haden.

  She was in Fade’s land. She’d understood the term dungeon and knew she was about to be confined to a cell, but it didn’t matter.

  He’d find her. She’d be back with him and that was all that mattered.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The minute the sleckil sounded, Fade was both relieved and terrified. He’d made the Elder connect Heather’s sleckil with a unit he wore that lacked the same pitching tone, instead it flashed on his wrist. Informing him that Heather was, for the moment, safe.

  Fade’s sleckil was different to Heather’s in that his possessed a little map of Mearth and its kingdoms. The Elder who had crafted their pair had informed Fade that the blood that flowed through both their veins and as such, touched the sleckil, would act as a way for Fade to track her.

  Without a second’s hesitation, he sliced one of his ceremonial knives attached to the uniform he’d intended to wear while wedding himself to Heather, along his palm and held the quickly drenched palm above the receptacle of his sleckil. The mechanism collected his blood and Fade waited, nausea churning in his gut as the magical device did its job.

  It seemed a lifetime before his own kingdom appeared on the map. The blood had flowed behind Haden and that point of the map was now the scarlet of his life-essence.

  He scowled at the knowledge and wondered what the hell and who had been the mother fucker to take his bride to his land. Haden and Jender had their enemies, but he hadn’t expected this.

  Rather than wait for the army to follow him, he allowed his wings to spread wide and he took to the sky. The longer Heather was out of his sights, the more uneasy he grew. This was a part and parcel of the mate bond, but he wasn’t used to this sense of loss. It was almost as though one of his arms had decided not to work.

  The mate bond and the ceremony behind it were rare, unheard of almost. But even so, the bond was famous for its power and its strength. It had a tendency to overtake all other relationships, even those between parent and child. This was due to the fact that more than just the heart was shared with the other, it was everything. From the soul to the gush of blood that surged through the veins and arteries.

  At this very moment, he felt as though he were maneuvering with an injury.

  His wings relished the exercise as they were pummeled by the wind. Instincts had him surging with the gusts and gliding with the slow vents as he headed towards the place that had always been his resting place and was now the site of the creature that would always be his home.

  For the first time in his life, he was grateful for his wings. They were the fastest mode of travel on Mearth and he could only now appreciate that. Every second he spent away from his mate was too much.

  His eyes watched the rolling land that surged beneath him, his keen sight spotting things few men could. The warrior in him noted the formation of men huddling behind the Caparchian Mountain range. The house emblem belonged to Setta’s old house and they’d obviously sneaked into Jender for the reason of… Fade wasn’t certain. He’d send a missive to Henrik with the information as soon as he reached the central keep and the site of the Dark Throne. Whatever mischief they intended to make, he didn’t really care. He was focused, entirely, on Heather. On returning her to his side.

  He wasn’t certain how informative the sleckil would be. If it would offer more information about Heather’s location the closer he neared her. He could only hope so, for while he was the King of this country, even he would find it difficult to narrow down his mate’s position.

  His wings fought the headwinds as he
crossed the mountain range. The chill breeze cooled his flushed form as his body fought to fly faster, to reach Heather as soon as he physically could.

  By the time he reached his keep and the seat of his power, he was both exhausted and fully fuelled with an adrenaline rush that had him striding through the keep and astounding all of the castle’s inhabitants. As soon as he appeared, the lords and ladies of the court bowed and curtsied. The soldiers stood to attention and they were the ones who caught his eye. Before he strode over to one of his men, he checked his sleckil and his entire form reared back as the small map had a small dot of blood over this landmark.

  His mate was in this castle?

  “Have there been any disturbances in the keep?” he bit out.

  If it was possible, the man grew even more rigid at having been selected by his king to talk.

  “Earlier, sir. Yes, your highness.”

  Fade narrowed his eyes and noticed that his body wasn’t feeling as disabled as it had been. She was close. Near. His eyes almost closed in thankfulness.

  “What happened?”

  “Sir Calder, your highness. He’s missing but we found some captives in his chambers. A female has been taken to the dungeon.”

  “What of the other captives?”

  “They were severely injured, your highness. They’re with the healers. My captain said they’d been there for a long time.”

  “Elfen were held prisoner in my castle and my army weren’t aware of this?” Fade bit out.

  “It’s a big castle, sir,” the man squeaked.

  “That’s no excuse. Members of my kingdom were effectively tortured on this land and we were unaware.” Fade narrowed his eyes at the soldier, but refrained from chiding him any longer. He was naught but one man, ruled by incompetent leaders. He himself had had dealings with the generals of his father’s, and now his own, armies. They were old fools and they would be some of the first personnel to disappear into retirement as soon as Fade was settled on the throne.

  “Take me to the woman. In the dungeon,” he clarified, when the soldier frowned in confusion.

  On the receiving end of a salute, Fade followed the man at arms and nodded brusquely at the court members who retained their fixed positions of regal greetings. Save for the nod, he ignored them, intent on finding his mate. He prayed for his and Heather’s sake she was in the dungeon, but his army would be better off praying that wasn’t the case.

  Mother Mearth, there were many changes to be made to this bloody kingdom. What had he inherited?

  Inwardly shaking his head, for such thoughts were for later when his entire being wasn’t focused on Heather, he was led down to the bowels of the castle. He knew where the dungeons were, but he wanted the direct coordinates of his mate’s location. Something the sleckil could no longer provide. When he’d first purchased the devices, they’d cost him the price of two small kingdoms. He hadn’t begrudged the cost, for he would spend anything to ensure Heather’s safety. However, he hadn’t been sure of their functionality.

  Now, he was astounded at their reliability and made a mental note to credit the Elder with thanks and furnish him with anything Fade had within his ability to bestow.

  As he walked through the stench of the dungeon, the stone walls green with fauna that bore no name but stank worse than an army’s farts, he passed grotty men rotting behind bars. Ignoring the sporadic tables where the wardens were seated, before clambering to their feet to salute him, he kept his eyes glued ahead and growled with relief and fury when he saw his mate’s crouched form, as she wept, huddled into a corner. The only point of reference he wouldn’t be blasting his men at arms for, was that she was in a single cell.

  Her weeping tore at him and he cried out, “Heather, I’m here.”

  He cared not that he made a fool of himself in front of his men or his prisoners, he wanted only to resolve her grief and let her know that he was there and she was safe.

  “Fade?” her voice was a creak and she repeated her question as though refusing to believe that it was possible that he was here and so soon.

  He broke out into a run and barked out an order to the nearest warden, “Open this fucking cell now. This is your future Queen.”

  The warden fumbled with his keys as he awkwardly bowed before the pair of them. Fade would have done without the correct protocol just to get her out of that god-awful cell.

  It took an age for the warden to do as bid, Fade noticed the shaking hands and ripped the keys from his grasp and did it himself. His own hands weren’t all that steady, but he opened the cell and burst in. Before she could even stand, he reached her and lifted her into his arms.

  She stank to high heaven. Of fire, a strange fruit-like scent that was like no perfume, vomit, mildew and the jail. But such was his love, he’d never smelt anything better.

  She was trembling but her clasp was as fierce as his as he embraced her with arms that were like iron bands. He tore out of the jail and retreated along the length of the cells. He didn’t want her to inhale the same air as the scum within these walls for a moment longer. That she’d been treated like a prisoner by her very own people infuriated him but he didn’t have it in him to show his fury to those who had earned it. She was safe and that was all that counted.

  “I thought… No, that’s a lie,” she whispered, pressing her face into his throat. “I knew I’d see you again, I knew you would fight to see me. But I thought I’d be there a lot longer than I was.”

  “You can thank the sleckil for that, my dearling.” His arms tightened until he knew he had to be hurting her, but she didn’t complain. They needed the contact. The touch. Only that would bring the reassurance that hope was not lost and that they were together again.

  There were no words to explain the utter relief that permeated his form, he was speechless and just had to wait as his every cell was energized with the knowledge that she was there.

  He reached the first floor of the castle and strode past the gawping crowds, uncaring that this was the first glimpse of their king and queen together.

  He refused to wait any longer to make her his, officially. He barked out, “Bring an Elder. Whoever is closest to hand. I want him in the throne room. Now.”

  The soldiers in the room clicked their heels together and rushed off to do as bid.

  “Are all Elders men?” she whispered, the sound mangled by the close press of her mouth to his throat. “If that’s so, then that’s sexist.”

  He grinned and pressed a kiss to his temple. Her first real words to him were not of what had occurred, or who had kidnapped her and murdered her mother. They were some irreverent phrase that made light of the situation.

  Mother Mearth, he loved this woman.

  “Some Elders are female. There are less than men. For no reason than the men have survived, where some women haven’t.” He sucked in a breath. “The sooner an Elder reaches us, we will wed. But do not think I do not wish to know what occurred within these walls. You must tell me, even if it upsets you. I must bring justice to you and your mother.”

  Her tears moistened his throat and he closed his eyes, knowing that she was suffering and that there was little he could do to take it away from her. He hated having to put her through this, but how could he not? He needed the information and she needed it to be purged from her soul.

  “He just killed her for the hell of it. That bastard Calder. But I paid him back, Fade. I couldn’t let him live, not when I knew the sleckil would incapacitate him.” She rocked slightly in his hold, something that caused him to wobble slightly, but he firmed his legs and kept them upright. “I had to do it. I know it’s wrong to kill, but he didn’t deserve to. I can’t be sorry for what I did,” she garbled.

  “One of the soldiers told me that Calder had disappeared? He’s dead?” He was surprised that Calder was the man behind Heather’s abduction, not at her method of revenge.

  A cold laugh escaped her and she shook her head. Her silky hair brushed his jaw and he relished the touch.
The connection.

  “I poisoned the dagger. It did something to him. It burnt him.”

  “There is only one poison capable of that, your majesty,” a quivering voice muttered behind him.

  Fade spun around and came face to face with an Elder. “I didn’t realize my orders would be obeyed so swiftly.”

  The Elder shrugged. “I will not deny, your majesty. Calder had requested my presence here today. He wished to wed himself to someone and I was in the unfortunate position of owing the man a favor.” He grimaced. “He assured me the wedding was mutually desired, but that it had to be kept silent for the moment.”

  “And how do I know I can trust you?” Fade spat, hating that this man had been in collusion with Calder, a man who had brought such misery to his mate’s life.

  He knew little of Calder. Only that he’d been the Court Healer. Thanks to his throwback genes, he’d rarely been ill and any injuries quickly healed. As such, there had been little contact between him and the other man.

  After today’s occurrences, he could only be thankful for that.

  If what Heather said was true, then she’d taken the opportunity away from him. . . . the chance to end the life of the man who had dared harm his mate.

  Through the tears in her voice, he’d heard the satisfaction and knew that this period of her life would haunt her, but she would forever be relieved at having acted upon her fury and desire for revenge.

  Mearth could be a bloodthirsty place. Revenge was one of the only reasons why a murderer could walk free. If the vengeance was justifiable, then the murderer was not classed by that derogatory term. They were called seekers and were revered.

  His mate was a seeker. He wasn’t surprised that she too shared this bloodthirsty trait. He was, after all, a warrior. He’d killed many a man himself. His mate could not be as white as a snow. She wasn’t soiled, but life had hardened her as it had him.

  This was just another way in which they were created for each other.