“Why are they dressed like that?” Zelene asked to no one in particular, evidently hurt at the way they once again sported the uniforms she had fought against them wearing.
They lined up in front of the pyre, and one by one the knelt down before the raft, said a prayer to the Great Mother either thanking her for Ellowyn, or for Zelene, or both, and asking her to take care of Ellowyn now. Then they would remove their headwraps, lay it across Ellowyn's hands, and kiss her head. Once they finished, they turned to Zelene and kissed either her forehead, or her cheeks, or even her mouth, and moved to the back of the crowd. Zelene was in pieces by the time they were done.
No one knew what to do after that. Zelene was supposed to start everything off, but she was in no state to do it now. Cedwen held her in his arms, rubbing a consoling hand up and down her spine.
He looked around and cleared his throat. “Ellowyn was probably the best person any of us had the chance to know. Most people call her kind Tainted, but I stand before you now and tell you that she was pure and kind, and wonderful. She was my friend before I knew anything of my life beyond violence and suffering. She never judged me. She never judged any of us, but instead did all she could for us. And she did more than she could have possibly realized. She changed us. She made us better. With no power, no rank, and no ability to manipulate the elements, Ellowyn did more good in our worlds than most of us will do in a lifetime. To say she didn't deserve to die isn't enough, because Ellowyn deserved to live more than most of us.”
Cedwen guided Zelene to Ellowyn's body. He used one arm hold her up as best he could while he leaned down and kissed Ellowyn's forehead. He whispered his goodbyes and then took Zelene back into his embrace and moved towards the group. Rhaya moved to the platform next. She stared down at Ellowyn's peaceful and pallid face, lost in her own thoughts. She turned back to the crowd and hesitated.
“Um, I don't come from here, so I don't get a lot of these customs. I guess what I'm saying is,” she drew out the sentence slowly, trying to put to words what she wanted to say, “I agree with what Cedwen just said. I don't get how you could think there was something wrong with Ellowyn when to me everything was just so right about her. She was beautiful, sweet, compassionate. And she was definitely patient since she had to put up with Zelene so much, and we all know how Zelene's temper can be,” she quipped, eliciting a soft chuckle from the guests as her tears began to fall. “She never should have been a servant. She should have been in my shoes. She would have worn them more gracefully, and probably would have done better than me.” She turned back to Ellowyn's body and kissed her forehead, like everyone else had. “I'm going to miss you, Ellowyn.”
Terrena took her place. “We are all here because we feel a great loss, but I fear the worlds have suffered a loss they don't even know about. Ellowyn opened my eyes and my heart in a way I never would have expected. Her counsel was sound and strong, and her perspective was unique. She was someone to rely upon, and like Rhaya said, she would have ruled well. She would have helped us to rule better than we could have hoped. The worlds have truly suffered as well, since we will all be less without her, and can only pray that her light will shine in us still somehow.”
More people stepped up to speak about Ellowyn as the funeral went on. Some of the Tainted even dared to stand before the crowd of royals to speak their piece about their fallen friend. After some time, Zelene composed herself enough to speak.
“I'm not really sure what to say,” she began, casting a nervous glance around. “You all know what she meant to me, or at least have an idea. I'm not sure I even understand it. She was more than my best friend. She saved me, in so many ways . . . ” She paused when Isauria let out a loud gasp followed by a whimper. “Izzy? Are you okay?”
Isauria clutched her head in her hands. Her eyes were shut, but visibly darting around under her lids. Varrick and Liam suddenly appeared at her side, both sets of eyes full black now. Rhaya knew what this meant, and her fears were confirmed when Isauria cried out Ariana's name.
***
Lara must have realized what was going on behind their closed doors because she very loudly announced that she was going to the market to pick up supplies for dinner, intimating that she would be gone all day. So Ariana and Alec lay in bed, enjoying each other’s company with soft whispers and gentle kisses. Ariana shivered as Alec ran his fingers up and down the skin of her bare back.
“How are you feeling?” Alec asked her in a gentle tone that left her wanting to climb on top of him.
“Happy. And hungry,” she answered honestly.
“I'll go fix us something to eat.”
Ariana draped her arm over his chest and squeezed him tight. “Nope. Changed my mind. Let's just stay here like this.”
He brushed a kiss across the top of her head. “You need to eat, Ariana. I'll be right back, I promise.”
She reluctantly nodded, rolled onto her back and stared dreamily at the ceiling. The bed shifted when Alec got up and she heard him pad across the room for his pants. She looked up when the door never opened and found him staring at her in amazement. She sat up, her hair spilling over one shoulder and across her breasts.
“What?” she asked with a tilt of the head.
“Just . . . that's a sight I could definitely get used to seeing every day.”
She crawled across the bed and lifted herself onto her knees. “I hope you never get used to it.” She held her hand out and he took it. She pulled him closer and locked her hands together behind his head. “I hope you always look at me exactly like this.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and affectionately yanked her closer to him. “If you keep looking at me the way you are, then I might never leave this room.” He dropped his head to her neck, covering her skin with lingering kisses. He pulled back when her stomach rumbled. “But you need to eat, so I'll just stop looking at you for now. Any requests?”
“Mmm…I could use some serious carbs if you want to spend the day tangled in the sheets.”
He paused and then shook his head when no explanation followed. “How do you make a carb? I'm not familiar with that dish.”
“Some bread or cakes will be fine.” She flopped back on the pillows when he left. She bit her lip to keep her grin from growing. She was so elated her cheeks hurt, unable to contain it for even a second. She didn't think it was possible to be this happy in her current situation, but being with Alec left everything fading into the background, making the world a much more tolerable place than before. She pulled the sheets up even though her whole body tingled with warmth. It spread up from her toes and she itched to touch him once more.
“Hey Alec, hurry it up,” she called out. She sat up quickly when he burst through the door.
“Get dressed,” he ordered her, his voice panicked. He raced back and forth across the room, grabbing their things and shoving them into a satchel.
She quickly obeyed, grabbing a nearby dress and pulling it over her head. “What's going on?”
“Lara hasn't been gone all day because she's been giving us privacy,” he said urgently and continued to gather items. “There are Cahirans everywhere. They're dragging people from their homes. We have to go. Now.”
“We can't let them hurt these people, Alec.”
He dropped the bag and went to her, gripping her shoulders. “What would you have me do, Ariana? Tell me what I can do to make this better.” His hands slid to the sides of her neck and he rested his head on hers. “Great Mother help us, I can't tell you no. Tell me what to do. If you want me to kill them all, I will.”
Ariana blanched, knowing she'd be no better than Kellen. “Run. We'll run, and when we get far enough away you can use your animal possession thing to find out what's going on. Once we're sure they're all safe, we'll keep running.”
“And if they aren't?”
Her gaze flickered around the room as if the answer might be there somewhere. “Then we try to rescue them. Together. If the Cahirans are already here, that mea
ns Kellen found us and using magic won't matter.”
He nodded and helped her to her feet. “We'll use the window.” He hopped out first and then held his arms out for her to jump into.
Ariana gasped when she saw Kellen’s second in command, Domrick, behind Alec. “Behind you,” she yelled, but it was too late.
Alec whipped around right as Domrick shoved a blade through his chest. At the same time, someone grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back from the window. She was shoved to her knees and her attacker jerked her head back. She managed to make out Kellen's face before blinding agony took her over until there was nothing left but darkness.
***
Alec wasn't sure how long he had been out. When he opened his eyes, he found he was in the middle of the small market with his hands and feet in chains. Ariana was lying in a heap nearby and he pulled himself up onto his elbows, crawling his way over to her until their fingers brushed against each other. She was trembling, but conscious.
“Ariana . . . ” he croaked.
“Oh good,” Kellen said, waltzing over to them. “You're awake. I'm glad. I was hoping you would bear witness to what happens to those who defy me.”
She gestured behind him. Confused, he turned his head and was horror-struck at what he saw. There were bodies everywhere—men, women, children. No one was safe. Several people were lined up in front of the well on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs. Lara was one of them. Her hair was even more of a mess than usual, her clothes bloodied and torn, but her head held defiantly high as if the Cahiran standing behind her, awaiting the kill order meant nothing to her.
“Don't,” Alec begged Kellen. “Please, they didn't know who we were.”
“Oh, but I think some of them did,” she said and nodded to Lara. “This town will serve as an example. The time has come to where the people must heed our call in this war. If they want change, they have to be willing to fight for it. These people,” she said and gestured around them as though the very air around her brought offense, “are not.” She glided over, reaching down and grabbing Ariana by the hair to pull her from the ground. “Bear witness to the pain you cause, Ainnir Ariana, and hear my warning. Others will follow if you defy me again.”
Ariana cried out, twisting in Kellen's grip as the men lifted their swords on their commander's cue and the blades were thrust into the necks of every single villager Ariana had come to know and care for in their weeks here. Her legs gave out on her and she dropped down once more, curling into herself as she let out a lament of fury and agony alike.
Kellen nodded her head at Domrick, who then walked briskly over to Alec, raised his sword, and then jabbed its blade into Alec's chest. Alec saw Ariana try to get to him, clutching desperately at the ground to get away even as Kellen's hand gripped her head and the white light erupted from her body once more. He reached but his hand dropped beside him and he fell unconscious again.
***
When Ariana awoke, she found herself in the cold and familiar setting of Kellen's dungeons. She supposed she shouldn't be too surprised that Kellen had some way of magicking them back to the place that they had traveled weeks to get that far away from. She glanced around and realized she had no way of knowing how long she had actually been out.
Alec was chained to his usual spot while Ariana was on the other side of the room and chained next to another victim of Kellen's evil hand. The other prisoner was no more than a pile of rags and a mess of hair that Ariana thought at one time must have been blonde as it hung over the girl’s face. Her heart seized when she realized who this must be.
“Sheri? Sheridan?” Ariana called out and pulled herself closer with great effort. She reached her chained hand out, and there was barely enough slack to reach Kellen's battered daughter, but the tips of Ariana's fingers were able to hook under the girl's chin and turn her face toward her.
A single tear fell down Sheridan’s cheek when she recognized the lavender eyes scrutinizing her with concern. “I didn't want her to find you . . . I didn't help her, I swear.”
“Shh . . . ” Ariana consoled and lowered her hand to find Sheridan's. “I know you didn't help. We're going to get out of here, Sheridan. I promise you. And this time I am not leaving you behind.” She covered her mouth, overcome with remorse at the state Sheridan was now in. And all because she tried to protect Ariana even though she had abandoned her. “I am so sorry, Sheridan. I should have never left you here. But we're going to get out, okay? So I just need you to hang on for me. I'm going to get us out of here. Somehow,” she said as she looked around in desperation for any idea as to how to do that.
“Tell them.” Sheridan closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall, unable to say more.
“Tell them what?” Ariana urged her when Sheridan started to drift into unconsciousness once again.
Sheridan blinked rapidly, trying to force herself awake. “Seirbigoine. Tell them . . . that's where we really are . . . on Seirbigoine,” she said again to stress the importance.
“Seirbigoine,” Ariana repeated in confirmation. She looked around with a mixture of fear and hope for any sign of her older sister. “I hope you heard that, Isauria. We're on Seirbigoine. Please save us.”
***
“That can't be,” Bianca insisted. She paced away from Isauria's ethereal form. “No. I told you, Seirbigoine was cut off after the plague hit my people.”
“The plague designed to hurt only your people,” Isauria gently reminded her. “What if other people started taking refuge there, trying to hide from the war?”
“That world is not theirs to claim, nor Kellen's,” Bianca replied angrily. She paused, closing her eyes and breathing deeply to calm herself. “I'm sorry. This is good news. We know where Ariana is now. We can go get her.”
Isauria's heart sank. She knew Bianca was right about one thing, but wrong about another. “We can, but you can't come with us.”
“If you think for one minute that I am going to abandon you because of a plague that happened twelve years ago, you are sorely mistaken.”
“And if you think I'm going to risk losing you, then you are mistaken,” Isauria shot back, though her argument was meek even to her own ears. She rushed over to Bianca and grabbed her hands. “I can't lose you, Bianca. Don't you see that? Ellowyn's already dead. The people closest to us already have targets on their backs. I can't risk you anymore than I already have.”
Bianca scoffed and turned her head away. “I am merely the paion. No one would harm me because of you.”
“They would,” Isauria pressed and turned Bianca's face back to hers, “because you're so much more to me than the paion.” Isauria leaned forward and brushed her lips lightly against hers, then pulled back to gauge her reaction. When Bianca smiled at her, she returned again for another kiss, this time letting it linger.
Bianca hugged Isauria close and rested her head against her shoulder. “Don't ask me to stay behind worrying about you. I need to be with you. Please.”
Isauria caressed the back of Bianca's neck with her fingers. “I'll come home safe, I promise. Liam won't let anything happen to me, and he won't be far behind. In fact, you can make sure of that for me.”
Bianca pulled away and her frown deepened. “We can’t keep this from the Duillaine. We have to give them their chance to do something, Izzy.”
“You go tell them. They'll be expecting you. I'll fill everyone else in.”
***
Zelene's determined walk slowed when she spotted Cedwen heading in her direction. Unfortunately, there was no easy way to dodge him. She wasn't sure if her desire to avoid him had more to do with her current plans or her emotional display at Ellowyn’s funeral. Possibly a little of both.
“You look like you're heading into battle,” he commented with a look that told her he suspected she was doing just that.
“So do you,” she said slowly as she inspected his new outfit suspiciously. He had changed out of his formal wear into a dark blue tunic and bro
wn pants, his sword hanging from the belt looped around his middle.
“Well, that's because I suspect I am.”
Her brow furrowed. “What?”
He casually leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “It all depends on you, really. You see, I haven't actually forgotten your admission about saving Ariana yourself and judging by what just happened with Isauria, I'm guessing that any plans you have are about to come to fruition.”
“So?” It was a childish response, but all she had. She was beyond exhausted and her adrenaline might not be enough to keep her going at this point. But she knew she had to. “What's it to you? Going to rat me out? Go ahead, run and tell the Duillaine my plans. They can't stop me, and someone has to do something.”
Cedwen gave her an exasperated look. “You know, I think I liked you better when I thought you were a simple Tainted servant. You were nicer then.” He walked over to her. “It matters to me because I am coming with you. Whatever it is that you're planning, I'm going with you. And before you argue, I'm good in a fight as my past experiences have shown. If you're going to rescue Ariana, you need me. Besides,” he said with a cocky smirk, “I'd like to make a good impression with my future wife and what better way than to swoop in and save her?”
“I appreciate the offer, Cedwen, but you can't come with me.”
“It wasn't an offer, Zelene. This is my warning to you. I am going to follow you. Wherever it is that you are going, I am going to be by your side. There's nothing to discuss.”
Heirs of War, Crown of Flames Page 35