The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bailey Ardisone

  “No, I do believe you are right. I can see them as well. But let us hope we are not both delirious,” I chuckled lightly.

  “Leave me at a spot that would not cause suspicion as to where exactly we had come out of the woods. It would be easier for you to locate a person willing to give us aid if you are not dragging my helpless body along with you.”

  “All right, yes, that does make a rather good plan. Over there should be acceptable.” I jerked my chin toward a decorative bench that sat beneath a large tree that had lost all its leaves from the cold. It was not too far from where we were, perhaps several yards was all. Ender could easily sit there and wait whilst I found help.

  “Yes, that will certainly do.”

  Ender and I carefully progressed to the bright yellow bench. My body was more than thankful as his weight dropped from off my shoulders and onto the long seat. I could finally breathe lighter without him. “I will only be a moment.”

  I turned to leave, but quickly faced Ender yet again. “What should I say when I find someone?”

  “Simply ask for help. You may explain that a friend of yours is injured and you would like assistance to the nearest doctor, if they are able to provide transportation, which they refer to as a car or automobile.”

  “What is a car?” I asked innocently, scrunching my delicate eyebrows together. I could not help feeling completely similar to a fish out of water.

  “Imagine, if you will, a sort of metal horse that can vary in size, but, of course, without the dung,” Ender said seriously.

  I looked at him in surprise, and, I must add, a bit of disgust mixed into my expression. It could not be helped. “Well,” I hesitated, flustered, “I believe I can manage that. Here I go then.”

  And with that, I took off toward the road in front of me. I could not see a single human out and about anywhere, however. I spun in a circle, wondering if I should perhaps walk a bit down the way. Metal-horse-type automobile that comes in varied sizes? Oh, dear stars. It sounded rather ridiculous.

  There was a nervous flutter pitter-pattering in my gut. I was awfully afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing once I encountered a human. How was I to act normal—at least, normal in their eyes—if I hadn’t much knowledge of their habits and accustomed speech? Oh, this was so very nerve-racking as I continued wandering aimlessly. I was hesitant to stray too far.

  Suddenly, I jumped back as one of those blue motor vehicle contraptions Ender had warned me of came zooming past me. I could not help covering my ears from the atrocious noise that had startled me half to death. Metal horse? It was nothing anywhere near similar to a nuuta metal horse! It turned onto a long area and halted in place. Stepping out of the large automobile was a rough-looking man. I did all I could to cease cowering and regain my serene composure.

  “Hello there, sir.” The words had managed to slip out of my mouth without any other thought. I was desperate to get Ender medical attention as quickly as was possible. I silently prayed that I did not appear too odd or strange for this man to notice.

  “Hello yourself,” the man responded. His eyes roamed up and down my body in the strangest of ways. My heart kicked wildly with a nervous battering. I could only imagine what he contemplated about my foreign clothes. Oh, heavens, save me. I had wondered the same when I had first seen Rydan’s type of dress that was unfamiliar to my realm. It would be no different here, only this time, I was the one out of place. Could he recognize I was different from him? I must speak up and act normal. Yes, completely normal was the key.

  “Please, if you are able, I am in dire need of your assistance. You see, I have a friend, and he is badly injured. If at all possible, I ask for help transporting him to the nearest…” Oh, dear stars. I could not remember the term Ender had used. “The nearest…Forgive me. I am a bit shaken up. We are looking for the nearest—”

  “Doctor?” the man finished for me.

  “Yes! Yes, the nearest doctor. Please, he is sitting right over here, if you are able to take us to the nearest doctor, we will be forever grateful to you.” As I said the words, the man raised his eyebrows with acute suspicion marking his face. “Please, sir.”

  Finally, he responded, “Okay. Take me to him first. Where is he?”

  “Here, follow me.” And so I did lead the man to Ender. I could hardly contain the shaking in my steps and hands. Closing my eyes, I drew in deep breaths to assist in calming the explosion of anxiety I had erupting in my chest. Without much more fuss other than shock and disgust shown in the man’s face, he helped me carry Ender to the motor vehicle.

  “What happened to him?” the man asked on the ride to what I assumed would be the town doctor, but as Rydan said, may also end up being the other place ten miles outside of this town. I was not sure exactly which.

  “We would rather not answer that, if you do not mind,” Ender replied kindly. I remained quiet, just as he had asked. I was grateful for it.

  “I’m not gonna be in any kind of trouble for doing this, am I? I mean, are you getting me involved in something shady?” The man adjusted a knob on the front of the vehicle. It was utterly strange sitting in this “metal horse.” I made effort to not feel trapped and imprisoned to the point of feeling sick where Ender and I sat in the rear while the man drove.

  “No, I assure you, it is nothing of the sort. It will cause you no trouble or any involvement outside of leaving us at the entrance to the hospital,” Ender said.

  “Okay, then.”

  For the rest of the way, no words were exchanged, and I was quite grateful for that. I would much prefer to go about our business in silence. There would be less of a risk that way. Less chance of being discovered as someone different. Rydan assured us no human would suspect what we were, yet it was still frightening beyond comprehension. I felt vulnerable and exposed, completely at the humans’ mercy. I was in their element and out of mine, and it was not at all comforting.

  Upon arrival, the man assisted me with carrying Ender inside, and we were then able to set him in a type of chair that had wheels on the sides. I thanked the man profusely.

  “Yeah, sure. It’s no problem. You people take care now,” the man had responded. I watched as he returned to his blue automobile that read “Toyota” on it. Such a strange place to display your name, I thought. He had left the vehicle in front of a group of clear doors that had opened automatically for us as we entered the building. Another man that had been walking in seemed to recognize the stranger who helped us.

  “Hey, Ray, what brings you here? Everything okay?” the second man had questioned.

  “May we help you?” a woman with brown hair curled on top of her head asked sharply, snapping my attention back to where it should be.

  “Yes, I am afraid I have been shot and need immediate care,” Ender answered her, his voice growing more strained and raspy as the minutes passed by. The woman’s eyes widened for a moment as she gathered items laid out on the broad desk she sat behind.

  “And how did that happen, honey?” she inquired with a bit of attitude and fear. My chest tightened at this question, for what in heavens could Ender possibly say to satisfy her? He would certainly have to give a lie.

  “Is it necessary for me to say? I would rather not. Please, allow me to see the doctor. There is no trouble here,” Ender denied her question, and my heart pounded harder.

  She eyed him rather inquisitively, but did not bother arguing. “Here you are, fill these out and bring them back. Someone will be right with you.”

  Immediately, she took off running through a door behind her. For now, I breathed a bit easier, yet I was sure it would not last. As we waited, I could not help looking around the area, taking in all the strange details. The large room with hallways going every which way contained nothing but aisles of white. There were a few paintings hung on the wall here and there. I found a bit odd how many people there were sitting in an area off to the side. They occupied chairs contained on either side of the front desk where two women were currently statio
ned.

  Not seconds after the first woman had left, she returned with several other humans pushing a tall bed on wheels. One of the men ordered, “Get him up.”

  They wheeled Ender with speed down the hallway and through another set of doors. Fear seized my heart as I watched my only sense of comfort be taken farther away from me. A man approached suddenly. “Are you a relative?”

  I did not know what to say, for Ender had advised me not to speak. Little did we realize we would be separated upon arrival. Instinctively, I answered, “Yes, I am his daughter.”

  Chapter Seven

  ~Nari~

  I couldn’t tell if I still breathed. I refused to move or do anything other than just lie there on my back. I couldn’t even open my eyes to take in my surroundings. Any little movement, even if it was my lungs trying to draw a breath, set off an explosion of torment from my head to my toes, and so unconsciously my body tried not to breathe to avoid pain. It hurt so badly. Everything ached and cried out in anguish. I could hear roaring waves of an ocean close by, as if it were right next to me, but even that made my eardrums hurt, and all I wished was for it to stop making noise. This was it. This would be my death.

  Time seemed to go on forever, but eventually a glow from above had my heart crashing. The moon. So that would be the last thing my eyes would take in before death claimed me. It was beautiful, but I would’ve rather it had been Mycah’s face with his multi-faceted blue eyes staring intently into mine the way they did. There was no stopping my eyelids that were already half-closed from dropping shut completely, eliminating Mycah from my mind as unconsciousness pulled me under.

  Zaylie’s golden brown eyes sparkled once she saw me coming. She was smiling in her sweet, delicate way. I smiled in return, joy and warmth filling my heart at getting to see her. I ran to her and she opened her arms to greet me.

  A blast exploded in my ears, and I stopped short to find Zaylie’s eyes now black and lifeless, her head tossed to the side from a bullet mutilating her brain. Russet colored stains spread outward from all over her body.

  “No!” I screamed, covering my face with one hand, reaching out for my dearest friend with the other. She was dead.

  Zaylie was dead.

  I screamed again, but this time, a radiantly white light stirred my consciousness. Or maybe I was still asleep and only half-conscious. In the center of the hazy brightness was a figure that gradually became clearer. At first, I couldn’t tell what it was—the light was too brilliant. Slowly, I began to understand that it was a snow-white horse. Beautiful and delicate, yet strong. My heart ached at just how graceful and elegant the angelic creature appeared to be as it drew closer—its dazzling, violet eyes entrancing me. My breath hitched as it nuzzled its velvety snout against my own. It nibbled gently, making soft snorting noises, and I opened my eyes into slits to find it wasn’t a dream at all.

  My body was too weak to react, and for a moment, I wondered if maybe I was still dreaming and this was just part of it. It kept pushing my face with its nose, trying to wake me up, I assumed. Turning my head, I realized I was still lying sprawled out on a seashore, surrounded by black sand—a complete contrast to the stark-white of the horse. It lowered its body next to mine, and I grabbed its long, silky, white mane to hoist myself onto it. Just that effort alone had me falling back to sleep as it stood up again with me lying on its back.

  Time passed, but I didn’t know how long. It could’ve been one night, or it could’ve been several days. The sun glared against my eyelids, making me angry. I didn’t want to wake up. I wished to stay asleep forever.

  “Zaylie…” The misery of what happened to her stabbed me right in the chest. Already my voice was thick with emotion, the tears throbbing in my eyes, begging to finally come out after being suppressed for so long. “Zaylie…Zaylie is dead.”

  A shudder rocked my body as the pent up emotion tried to come out. An overwhelming sob crushed my throat, and I clutched onto something warm and smooth in pain.

  The pain.

  Oh, how it hurt. The excruciating agony took over and I finally mourned her death. I let it all out—all the raw sorrow and suffering that I had buried deep within my heart erupted forth. She was dead. There was nothing that could change that. I failed her. I failed everyone. I failed myself.

  I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.

  This must have been Hell. I had died, and now I was in torment over things that I had caused when I was alive. Nothing could take my pain away, not even dying. And that was the thing. Death followed me. It was inevitable. No one was safe.

  I fell right back to sleep again, drowning in my tears, grasping as tight as I could to whatever it was I was lying on, and nothing disturbed me while I cried and slept.

  In my dreams, Zaylie was alive. Rydan was okay, Ender wasn’t shot, Naminé was happy, and Mycah was with me. Even Elizabeth and my birth mother were alive and well. I wanted nothing more than to live in my dreams forever.

  More time must’ve passed, but I had no indication to just how much had actually gone by. I was awake, though I didn’t want to be. I tried to stay in my dream world, but sleep left me against my will, forcing me to stay conscious this time. So I did reluctantly open my eyes into tiny cracks eventually, but the sunlight burned them. I quickly shut them again, rolling my face into the hard surface I lay against.

  That was when the reality of everything came flooding back in one swift motion, and I cringed. I was alone out here in Luïnil with Ohtar’s hunters chasing me. Zaylie really was killed, along with my two mothers. I would forever live with the pain and guilt over the tragedy of what happened to Elizabeth, and every moment I thought of her I felt that sting again and again. It was unbearably worse to know both my mothers were dead, and so was one of my best friends. Ironically, despite being a Healer, it seemed death was destined to follow me everywhere I went.

  I had no idea if my father Ender lived through his gunshot wound, or even if Rydan and the rest were okay. Mycah…I couldn’t even fathom what was going on with him or know if he made it out of harm’s way alive. But I was all cried out. No tears came, though my eyes stung like a thousand needles sat on them.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes and sat up from the position I had been lying in, which was on my stomach. My heart leapt to my throat. I sat on the back of a white unicorn. Her long, silver horn pierced the air in front of me. She twitched her slender ears, and I almost jumped off as she continued to slowly walk. But I didn’t. Because she was my Fëa. The horse I had seen in my dream wasn’t actually a horse at all. It was a unicorn. The same one I had seen when I healed Cathar. She had assisted me when I had first come to Luïnil and needed to defend myself against the Night Elves, and then when I had come back the way I did by their capture, she once again guided me to her. That was the magnet drawing me along.

  Clarity rang like a bell in my mind. Everything that I went through to get here was my Maranwe Journey. I was being fed this information through the emotions of the unicorn. The Maranwe journey was what an elf takes to get to the other half of their soul—their Fëa. It would be trials and tribulations unique to you, and if you should endure them and reach your animal-counterpart, you would be found worthy enough. The bond would finally be solidified between you for the rest of your lives.

  “You’re my Fëa,” I intended it to be a question, but it came out as a statement, because I already knew the answer with one-hundred-percent certainty. This unicorn was my Fëa. I could hardly believe this moment had finally come. I didn’t think I’d ever get to her when Ender had told me that I had one somewhere out there, born at the exact same time as my own birth. Being locked in a dungeon with wars constantly waging around me, it seemed impossible to make time to go find her. But here she was, right under my nose—literally. And she was exquisitely divine.

  She stopped walking, and I climbed off her back. I took soft steps over to her head in awe, drinking her in. Purity and calmness flooded my system. I slid my hand over the bridge of her satin nose. I saw t
he Elvish words Erulissë Asëa in my mind. “That’s your name. Part of two kingdoms, you have two names. Sometimes you live in the forest of Lassaira, but you were born at the sea I had fallen on.”

  My Fëa spoke to me through our minds, but it wasn’t a voice or language. I just knew what she was thinking. What she was feeling. We were connected on a level so deep, I could’ve never imagined it would be like this. I sounded out her name slowly to get the hang of it, “air-oo-lee-say ah-say-ah.” I smiled. “I’ll just call you Lissë.”

  She blew air out of her nostrils, pressing her head into my touch. The same way I could feel what she was feeling, she, in turn, could feel what I was feeling. She was happy and content to be at my side, as was I to be at hers. And we were both heartbroken over Zaylie. But that wasn’t all. Now that we were bonded together, there was also hope.

  Yes, hope kindled into a burning flame right in the center of my heart. A hope so bright and brilliant, it could not be denied. I just had to find my way out of Luïnil to see it through.

  Of course, the universe was never that kind to me. Through Lissë, I knew an army suddenly surrounded us. Fear erupted within us both. I jumped on my Fëa’s back, and she took off galloping. We were in a field of tall grass, but broke into a forest of trees for cover. She ran gracefully and beautifully, barely causing me turbulence. I drew up short, realizing that my wounds were gone. I felt my torso, and sure enough, no pain. The gash the Night Elf’s blade had inflicted into my side was completely healed. I checked my arms, and all the cuts and slices from the shadowy-bats were like they never had been there to begin with.

  My Fëa. She healed me. I hugged onto her neck, silently thanking her through my mind and emotions as she moved swiftly through the trees. We weren’t in the clear yet. It was a good thing she had the ability to make my injuries vanish, because if we were caught by whoever this army of creatures were, I would need my full strength to defend myself.