Sadly, I understood the wolves’ point of view. Even though they lived in undeveloped land, they’d seen the destruction of their world as clearly as the rest of the wildlife had.
The pack looked to their leader then to Gavin, then to me. I met their eyes for a second before looking down.
They finished drinking from the stream and took off.
“Come on, love. It’s been a long day.”
Gavin grabbed Edna’s quilt, which was now quite dry, and folded it over his arm. He took a bag of dried fruit and a bottle of water, and we stepped under the boughs of a pine.
“Sit,” I said pointing to the canoe. He lifted a brow but didn’t say anything. I took off his boots and then his socks, hanging them from one of the lower branches to air out. Gavin groaned as I rubbed his arches like he had done mine so many times before. He stretched out, taking up most of the space in the canoe, while I continued massaging his feet and calves. Digging in his pack, I found a fresh pair of socks and put them on him, followed by his boots.
“I’ll try and scoot over,” he mumbled, but I shook my head and straddled him, my head lying on his chest.
“Your back will get cold,” Gavin said, kissing the top of my head. He took the quilt and pulled it over the both of us, and I snuggled down and closed my eyes.
Gavin’s heart settled in the same rhythm as mine. Peace ebbed over me as contentment ran under, and I sighed and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 26
Gavin’s Confession
“As Jayril has foretold, we have harnessed the power that rules both darkness and light.”
The Dokkalfar cheered, but Mia faced the figure dressed in black. Her hand slipped under his robe, just over his heart.
“It is time to take your rightful place, my love,” she whispered.
My eyes flew open as I finally remembered the snippet of a nightmare that had haunted me for months.
“How many times have I dreamt this?”
My heart ached as Gavin tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Too many to count.” His hand drifted down my front, pulling the layers of clothes away from my body until he found skin. He rubbed his knuckles up and down my midriff, his emotions unsure.
“Gavin? What’s wrong?”
He shifted, nudging me back until his body rested over mine. I bent my knees and cradled his hips with my thighs. He rested his forearms on either side of my face, swathing me in body heat. Tracing my cheekbones with his thumbs, his light touch sent shivers down my spine.
“They’re getting closer,” he said. “I can feel it.” His eyes grew poignant. “And I have to tell you something before they get here.”
Stunned, I quieted my mind. Gavin closed his eyes, needing to feel the energy cycling through us. When he opened them, his emeralds swam with an odd mix of intense elation and extreme sadness. The combination shook me to my core.
“I’ve loved you from the moment we met.” He circled my nose with his. “As soon as I touched you, I knew you would be mine. You are the greatest joy of my life.”
Confused, I kept quiet and ran my fingers along his broad back.
“Love is strange, is it not?” He half smiled. “The Alfar are given one rare opportunity to share our lives, our souls. Just one chance. And when we place our stone upon our mate’s wrist we’re sure we cannot possibly love any more than we do.” His eyes gleamed in the limited light. “But as that love flourishes and we share our energy, our body, our mind, and our spirit, we become more than we ever dreamed we could. Only then is a new life given.”
He kissed me before trailing his nose down my body until his head rested on my abdomen. “And that is the greatest love of all.”
Startled, I froze.
“I knew the minute we came from the portal.” His voice broke as he tenderly kissed the etched feathers next to my navel. “You were out cold when you surfaced from the lake, but before you lost consciousness, you let go of me and curled your body into a tight ball. Feeling your heart beating and your mind fighting to regain consciousness, I carried you to the bank and placed my hands on your chest, intending to heal you. It wasn’t until I ran my palms down your torso that I realized why you let go of me. You weren’t hurt; you were protecting. And then I knew.” His eyes met mine as he rested his chin on my belly. “I felt new life. I looked at you, my greatest gift, my blessing beyond measure, and I understood.” He traced the tender flesh around my belly button with his nose. “Oh, there were other signs.” His kissed my soft flesh and sighed. “The color of your health changing to a deeper hue, the way your scent blossomed every time we made love. But I had convinced myself that those changes were due to you getting stronger. That day, on the portal’s bank, I could no longer deny what my heart had been insisting for months.”
His eyes, liquid emeralds with flecks of gold, swam with unshed tears. “That my source, my love, my strength and my friend now carried within her our young. And, impossible as it seems, I learned to love more.”
“Are you sure?” I whispered, placing my hand on his.
He rested his forehead on my abdomen as his thumb rubbed across the soul stone adorning my wrist. “I’m sure.”
Gavin’s lips lingered on my stomach. “I love you,” he whispered in the Ancient Language.
Our eyes locked on each other, my hazel to his emerald green. His utter devotion saturated through me. The world fell away, and we stayed in this moment. This one perfect moment.
“I can’t believe we’re having a baby,” I said, running my fingers through his hair.
Gavin wrapped his arms around the small of my back, hugging my torso completely. “Babies,” he whispered, kissing my stomach. “We’re having babies. You carry twins.”
The dam of emotions welling within finally burst, and I openly wept. Gavin shifted until he rested next to me. He cradled my head to his chest.
“Shhhh...” His hand rubbed my back. “I know it’s overwhelming, but I’m comforted that our young grow within the Last Light of the Ancients. And the Urisk’s Khiton has given our babies protection beyond anything we thought possible.”
I placed my palm on his chest. “Why have you waited until now to tell me?”
Gavin sighed. “I didn’t want you to worry. Alfar carry their young for quite a while before giving birth. Energy determines the gestational period. I’ve been stalling the process, hoping we’d make it back to Kailmeyra before you started showing.”
The branches of the pine rustled as the wolves came back. Sadness tinged through me, and Gavin gently kissed my lips.
“I wish we had more time, but the wolves noticed a strange scent blowing in the breeze. They would like to get harnessed in case we need to leave quickly.”
The elation I felt a few moments ago turned to fierce protection. I now understood what the guard meant about their truth changing. My intent had been to be the source that Gavin deserved so we could save Kailmeyra and seal the abyss. But now another purpose exploded within me. Our children would have a place to call home. One full of love and faith and hope. One that allowed them to reach their potential, celebrate their dreams, and live their lives in peace. A world that thrived. A world where Dokkalfar no longer existed.
A Urisk battle cry roared in the night.
Chapter 27
The Branding
“Stay there!” Gavin jumped up. Three Urisks dove under the drooping boughs and snatched our packs, one tossing another blanket to me.
“You’ll be needin’ t’ put this over yer quilt, my Light. It’ll be startin’ t’ snow.”
Gavin growled, his emotions quickly spinning to unbridled aggression.
“Lay back.” He knelt by my side and tucked Edna’s quilt around me before putting the other blanket over that. “Keep them safe.”
Before I could respond, the wolves bound through the branches. Gavin strapped the makeshift harnesses over their bodies, and the sled shifted forward.
Two Urisks bellowed this time they were so far
apart it seemed like they were in stereo.
Gavin paced; his eyes blanked. “We’ve got to get out of here. They’re closing in from two sides.”
The wolves took off, their force jerking me back. I peeked over the lip of the canoe to see Weylin and Cali right behind us. Tark and Rena ran ahead, but Elias, Elaine, and the Urisk were nowhere in sight.
The green ribbons of light took on a menacing glow as the inky night stood stark among the snow-covered forest.
My mind raced, the front five streams channeling thoughts and encouragement to Gavin, the back two churning with ideas created from the experience of the entire Urisk race. My thought latched onto several battles where they had been driven forward from two different sides only to come to a third. The Dokkalfar created a triangle, cutting off any means of escape.
Gavin looked back and nodded, and Rena veered left toward a rocky embankment. The wolves hopped and jumped over crags and rocks, which left deep gashes in parts of the makeshift sled. The alpha stayed close, and I could only hope that Cali was faring better than me.
Black feathers and gray fur darted among the trees.
White noise whispered, lashing behind us, growing near.
The sleds slowed as we made it to the middle of a clearing. I jumped out, and Gavin let the wolves loose from their harnesses.
Cali’s sled slid as close to mine as possible. Weylin freed the wolves, and they bolted toward the forest. She jumped out of the canoe, scythe in hand.
“Stand by Nora,” Weylin ordered, grabbing his whip while Gavin took the bow from his back. A Urisk tossed him a quiver, and he strapped it to his side.
Weylin glanced back. “Help me guard her.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking to Cali or me.
Cali must have thought he meant her, because she crouched down, angling her scythe in front of her chest.
“Don’t you worry, Princess.” Cali smiled a hard smile. “I got this.”
The stench of rotting flesh assaulted the air as the first wave of Dokkalfar charged from the trees. Gavin took aim and shot. The arrow flew across the field, its tip so sharp that it went through the chest of one Dokkalfar and embedded the shaft in the shoulder of another.
“Wow ...” Cali muttered, watching the pierced demons turn to stone. “Guess that explains why you make your arrowheads out of amber.”
Weylin and an elite team of Urisk formed a tight circle around us. Snapping and growling, the wolves joined in, circling the canoes, lunging and biting anything that got too close. Weylin’s whip lashed, again and again, slashing Dokkalfar flesh with freakish accuracy. Some burst into flame, others merely lost limbs or were severed in half.
Obsidian demons poured out of the forest; Urisk and the Alfar killing them in droves until black blood splattered across the pristine snow.
Gavin charged forward, his grin an eerie contradiction to the hatred blazing in his eyes. The stench of decaying flesh blew across the breeze. Dokkalfar blood now ran freely, turning the snow into a putrid, gray mush.
The white noise grew to a deafening roar as more demons poured in from the south.
Gavin looked over his shoulder, his eyes found mine, and for a moment, he allowed his love and devotion to surge through me.
I love you.
He tipped his head before turning to Molly and Rune. A sea of Urisk poured from the forest, surrounding the field.
Gavin’s emotions shut completely off, leaving nothing but a hollow ache in my chest.
“No,” I whispered in horror as Gavin opened his arms wide.
“What’s he doing?” Cali hissed, keeping her defensive stance.
My hand covered my mouth as the white noise stopped. The Dokkalfar froze.
Confused, their almond eyes darted around the field, looking for direction. One of them stumbled forward, hissing and spitting as if it were asking a question. The Urisk tightened their ranks.
My heart hammered as Gavin pointed to his feet. The demon dropped in front of him, groveling for mercy. Every Dokkalfar in the meadow mirrored his actions like they’d been ordered to die.
Rena, Tark, Elias, and Elaine led the charge. Hooves thundered as the Urisk lunged from the perimeter. The wolves yipped and bolted across, joining the massacre, but Weylin and the elite troop stayed behind, ever keeping watch of Cali and me.
Without the constant drone of the Dokkalfar, the gruesome crunch of bone tearing from flesh echoed through the trees.
Pink and orange streaked the sky, and the Urisk gathered what was left of the Dokkalfar, even those that had been turned to stone, and piled them in the middle of the field. Finn bent down as the tick of flint hitting rock echoed, and then the Dokkalfar burst into flame.
The sickening smell of burning flesh clotted the air as black and purple smoke rolled off the pyre.
I gagged, and Cali doubled over and threw up. The wolves came back, once again pacing around us, and I kept my shield up until the sun was high in the sky.
“You may let go, my love,” Gavin muttered, and Rena, Tark, Elias, and Elaine joined our circle.
I rubbed my chest, desperately hoping Gavin emotions would rush through me once again. But they didn’t ... I remained alone.
Rune jogged up, smiling. “Aye. That’d be the new strategy, Prince. We’ll be usin’ it again, I’m sure.”
I looked from Rune to Gavin and then around to Rena. “Please explain.”
Rena kept her head down. Gavin faced the group. “Give us a minute.”
Everyone walked away.
He sighed, his emotions mixed with the memories of a thousand Urisks. The feeling was extremely old, but the timbre was the same.
Regret.
“Gavin, what just happened? Why did the Dokkalfar kneel to you? Why didn’t they fight?”
He looked across the clearing. “Elias, Rune, and I had a theory. We weren’t sure it would work, but it seems we were right.”
“Right about what?”
He hesitated. “The dark elves instinctively obey me.”
“Why?”
Dread iced down my spine as Gavin looked away.
“Every culture has something that solidifies a union. To Humans, it’s a marriage. The Alfar, the sharing of the Soul Stone. The Urisk have their Khiton. And for the Dokkalfar, it’s the branding.”
My mouth grew dry as Gavin pulled back his shirt, revealing a scar in the shape of an “M.”
“The Dokkalfar mark their mate. According to their law, I’m their King—or Emperor as they term it.” He pulled his shirt back over his chest, turning his gaze away.
Horrified, my mind went blank. “How long have you known?”
Gavin looked at the raging pyre. “Mia taunted me when she carved her initial in my chest. She wanted my last memory to be an act of betrayal to you. It worked. I was in complete despair when Rune showed up with that small Sfera and saved me.” His shoulders sagged as he looked down. “I never wanted you to know.”
I waited until he met my gaze. “Is there anything else? Anything that you’re keeping from me?”
He hesitated. “Not about Mia, no.”
“What does that me—”
“Gavin.” Weylin came across the field. “Cali is sick again. It’s the smell.”
For the first time, I really looked at them both. Black blood smeared down Gavin’s face and saturated his clothes. Weylin wasn’t much better.
“I need to wash this off and change my clothes. There’s a stream nearby. It’ll be freezing, but at least we’ll be clean.” Gavin sadly smiled. “We won’t be but a few minutes.”
I stood stock still while Gavin and Weylin followed the sounds of rushing water.
The Urisk had pulled the sleds to the tree line and were collecting pine tar so they could repair them. Elias and Rena stood in the distance, discussing something with Molly and Rune.
I picked up a stone and started shaping it, my mind whirring.
Mia had manipulated Gavin’s entire life—first by being needy when they wer
e kids and then playing on Lera’s sympathy when he came to Earth. Now, she was the driving force for him to accept hate. And she marked him as her mate.
Her mate.
My blood boiled as I clenched my jaw, and I dug grooves into the small stone, creating the illusion of bark.
He. Was. Mine. She never had him, and she never would. And now, I carried his heir to the throne. Boy, wouldn’t that send her over the freaking edge?
It was time to end this. Gavin and I would stand side by side. And maybe I’d learn to embrace the power of hatred too. Maybe I’d combine that with all I knew, and I’d send her to hell where she belonged.
I smiled at that thought, polishing the rock until it shone like marble.
“But it would change you.”
I jumped as Gavin put his arms around me.
“These little ones were conceived out of love, they grow because of it.” He kissed my neck. “Please, don’t hate. Ever.”
“I’m struggling here,” I whispered, turning the stone over and over in my palm. “I want to watch her burn. And I want to be the one to do it.”
“Is that really your intent?”
A lump formed in the back of my throat, and I placed my hand on his, feeling my ring on his finger.
“No,” I whispered. “My intent is still as it was this morning.”
Gavin sighed. “Good. Hatred is the wrong path. At first, it’s overwhelmingly strong, making it seem as if anything is possible. But then it consumes the heart, twists logic, and destroys souls.
“Your strength comes from your intrinsic belief that we should be grateful for the things people give and forgive them for the things they can’t. Please don’t allow Mia to destroy that. We’ll get through this. I promise.” He kissed the back of my head before stepping away and heading toward Elias and Rune.
“Looks like a UFO landed back there,” Cali commented, passing Gavin en route. She pointed to the large black circle of soot that stood in the middle of the field.
The Heart of the Ancients Page 28