“Follow me,” she called out over her shoulder. Quickly matching her steps, Rain followed the woman out into the dark halls and down numerous passages. If she were on her own she would surely get lost, she quickly realized. It was amazing anyone knew how to get around. Some halls, she noticed, would end in nothing but stone walls, as if they were created just to confuse intruders.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, they came out into a room that took her breath away. The ceiling was open to the sky above. Thousands of sparkling stars looked down on her. She could not see the twin moons, but their glow was cast onto the high walls. Stone jutted and sparkled all the way up to the large opening. The room was rounded, the walls carved with expert precision. How anyone could have created something like this was beyond her understanding. Rain had once thought Avalon the most beautiful of places. This – this was beyond beautiful. Where were they?
In the centre of the room was a table that looked like it could sit dozens of people. Tall candles were lined up down the middle of it, casting a warm glow over the plates. There was so much food, she wondered how many people were expected to dine with them. That thought was dismissed as soon as she realized only two plates were set. One on the end closest to her, and another on the opposite side. The whole span of the table separated them. Even though nothing else decorated the room, it was perfect. With the stars above, and the candles shimmering, it was more than she could have dreamed of.
As Rain walked around the room, admiring the night sky, and breathing in her first breath of fresh air in days, she failed to notice the entrance of the person behind her. It wasn’t until he placed a hand on her shoulder that she realized he was there. With a slight jump, she turned to look. Before her stood Aziz. But not the Aziz she had known before. Where his skin had been pale and wrinkled before, it was now the dark, flawless bronze it was rumoured to once have been. His eyes were no longer sunken and bruised-looking. Now they shone with amusement and intelligence, the light caramel standing out against his tanned skin. His dark hair was slicked back off his face, reaching just below his chin. He even stood straighter, taller than before. It was as if he had gained years back. Before, Rain had thought he looked like an old man. Now he looked no older than thirty. He wore a black jacket and pants. The shirt beneath was buttoned just above his collar bone, the rest of it clinging to his chest.
“My l-lord,” she faltered, bowing her head respectively.
“Admiring my dining hall, Rain?” he said lightly, his voice even stronger than before. It had a deep, almost calming, note to it. Rain tried to hide her bewilderment.
“It is amazing,” she answered, focusing again on her surroundings. She was finding it extremely difficult not to stare at him. How could such a drastic change happen so quickly?
“Thank you,” he smiled, showing perfectly straight, white teeth. “It is a shame more people cannot see it,” he continued, his voice holding a small amount of regret. He slowly regarded her from head to toe, taking in the tight corset around her slim waist and breasts, to the flowing fabric that draped around her legs. She tried not to show how uncomfortable she felt. His lips turned up slightly at the corners. “You look beautiful,” he said, reaching out to run a strand of her hair that had escaped the twist through his finger.
“Thank you,” she replied, her voice weak.
“Shall we dine?” he motioned to the table. Walking slowly to one end, he pulled out the chair and waited for her to be seated. As soon as she had, he walked down the long length of the table to his seat. Instantly three servants appeared and began filling plates for each of them. One filled a crystal glass with a deep red wine and placed it before her. When Aziz had his, he raised it in a toast. Rain immediately followed suit. “To new beginnings,” he said with a lazy smile.
“To new beginnings,” she repeated, taking a small sip of the drink. It slid smoothly down her throat, creating a warmth in her belly. She had never had wine before. Her father had always refused to let her. Most fifteen year old boys amongst the Riders were allowed alcohol, but Hawk had insisted that it was not appropriate for young ladies. This was just another accomplishment in her mind, so she took another sip, this one larger than the other.
They ate in silence. Rain’s stomach growled in pleasure as each mouthful filled her. She had been given meals in her room, but none of them had been this decadent, and she soon realized how starving she was. When she felt as though she might explode if she ate another bite, she sat back and observed the man across from her. The change was amazing… and strangely welcoming. It had never escaped her notice the way Aziz would look at her when she was still with the Shaman. It was clear that he intended to have more to do with her than just a teacher. In the beginning the thought almost made her sick, but the Shaman stressed that there were endless possibilities for her if she were to become his mistress.
“He has never had a wife,” the Shaman had said. “The power you would hold would be immeasurable.” Rain had reluctantly accepted it, even though the sorcerer’s appearance frightened her. He didn’t scare her now, although she was still hesitant. A slow smile spread across his face when he caught her observing him.
“You are very forward, aren’t you Rain?” he said, playfully.
Rain shrugged, allowing herself to behave in the way she was used to. She had never been one to mince words or hide her opinions, and she didn’t see any reason do so now. “You’ve changed,” she pointed out the obvious.
He sat back regarding her slowly, his hands clasped loosely in front of him. “What do you think of my change?”
“It’s an improvement,” she answered unashamedly. He laughed loudly, causing her jump in her seat.
“The Shaman did warn me about you,” he said, the smile still on his face. “Don’t ask her anything you don’t want to hear the answer for, he said. I see now what he meant.”
She struggled for a moment, deciding if she should ask the next question, and decided she would. The only way she was going to get answers was if she asked. “How did you do it?”
He raised one eyebrow, but didn’t seem angered. “Some things, my dear, despite what you may think, you really don’t want the answer to. Just know that what I do is temporary, which is why we must push to obtain the boy.” He stood from his chair and started to walk towards her. “It served a purpose,” he continued, “to keep up my physical demise in front of others. Sometimes it is better to have people think you’re weak so that they will underestimate you. But here, where I am at home, I can be who I am.”
“But only temporarily,” she restated.
He stopped just beside her. “Yes, only temporarily – for now.” He held out a hand to her, which she gave him without hesitation. “Would you like me to give you a tour?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” Her excitement grew.
He placed her hand gently on his arm, and then began to walk towards the entrance he had come through. “First I will take you to see my most prized possessions,” he said conversationally. When he looked back down at her, she saw something flicker in his eyes. It made her wonder if she would be counted as one of those in time. The thought made her stomach tense. “Let us go see my children.”
CHAPTER TWO
The three of them looked at one another in silence before Elisa finally shook off her shock and ran full tilt at the boy that stood in her doorway. Aiden. He was back! Not only was he here and alive, but he looked better than ever. She shamelessly flung her arms around his neck, his arms banding around her waist.
“You’re back!” she cried. She could sense him smiling against her hair.
“I missed you too,” he chuckled. She stood back to take a better look at him, but his gaze was directed over her shoulder. Elisa turned her head to look at Wolf. His face had paled, and she could see the disbelief written in his eyes. Suddenly he moved, and then he was pushing her out of the way to embrace Aiden himself. It was a quick hug, but when they separated Wolf kept his hands on Aiden’s shoulders, as if
he wanted to make sure he was indeed there. It occurred to Elisa as she looked at the two of them, that they weren’t that different anymore in size. Wolf was still the bigger one, but Aiden had filled out considerably since she first met him in Diana’s cottage.
“I thought you were dead,” Wolf said, almost accusingly.
Aiden smiled lightly. “Diana brought me back home,” he pointed out.
“I know, but I didn’t know for sure. She said you’d be safe but –” he left the rest of it blank. They understood though. They had all been afraid, Elisa realized. Even though Diana had assured them he’d be fine, no one knew what happened, or how he was. It wasn’t until she saw him again now that she realized how much that stress had weighed on her. He was okay though, and now he was here with them.
“Since when did you become such a sap?” came another voice came from outside the hall. Elisa tried to see around Aiden, but the voice was momentarily faceless. She watched as Aiden smiled mischievously at Wolf.
“I brought you a present,” he said with a grin. One look at Wolf’s face, and she knew he knew who it was, but she certainly didn’t. Aiden moved to the side, but instead of a man, there stood a slim girl. She had the whitest hair Elisa had ever seen, and her eyes were an unbelievable violet that seemed to shimmer in the lights. Her skin was a lovely bronze, and her lips were a deep shade of pink. Elisa’s breath caught in her throat as she looked at her. She was lovely. Something, though, was off about her, but Elisa couldn’t decide what.
Wolf took one look at her, and let out a slow whistle. “Thanks Aiden,” he smiled, slapping him on the back. Aiden rolled his eyes, putting a protective arm around the tiny girl.
“Not her,” he corrected, pulling her to his side. A wave of emotion that she didn’t understand hit Elisa. It certainly wasn’t jealously. As much as she admired Aiden, and found him attractive, she knew she didn’t have those kinds of feelings for him. She was engaged to Markus, after all. That reminder brought another wave of emotions that she refused to acknowledge. She also refused to recall the exchange between her and Wolf that had taken place right before Aiden had arrived. When it came to Aiden, it was a feeling of protectiveness she decided. Aiden deserved the best, and she could tell from his body language that he clearly had feelings for the strange girl. It was also apparent that the girl reciprocated those feelings, the way she easily rested her body against his. There was a sense of trust between the two of them that didn’t make sense to her. Was this girl from his world too? Was that what was different about her? How long had Aiden been in Eden? Why didn’t Diana tell them he was returning? So many questions, but the answers would wait, as a fifth person entered the room.
He was tall like Wolf, with the same broad shoulders, but his hair was lighter and he appeared older. The family resemblance was not lost on her. She remembered him from her visit with the Riders when she was younger. Moose, Wolf’s older brother. As he stepped in, Wolf gave a loud shout of excitement. The two brothers embraced each other with exclamations of happiness, reaching their arms out to grab a smiling Aiden into their circle. The three of them laughed and shouted to each other, none of it making sense to her. Elisa turned to see the other girl smiling at the encounter.
“How are you here?” Wolf asked, a huge smile plastered on his face.
“I came with Aiden,” Moose replied.
“I’ve been in the west,” Aiden answered.
“What? Why?” Elisa asked, shocked that they hadn’t heard anything.
Moose seemed to finally notice her, and gave her a curious look. “Who is this?” he asked.
“You remember Elisa,” Wolf replied, more a statement than question.
Moose let out a small laugh. “This is the gangly little girl you’re betrothed to?” Elisa saw Wolf stiffen out of the corner of her eye. Moose didn’t seem to notice, and gave his brother a hard slap on the shoulder. “Good for you, brother.”
Neither of them seemed to want to correct his mistake. Instead Elisa gave him a polite smiling, trying to ignore his gangly comment. “It is nice to see you again Moose.”
“This,” Aiden said, moving beside the other girl, “is Lily.”
Wolf’s eyes widened. “You’re a –”
“I am,” she interrupted. “I’ve been given the task of keeping watch on Aiden.”
“Lucky you,” Wolf said, giving Aiden a suggestive grin.
“We have other news,” Moose interrupted, his face suddenly sombre. The rest of them instinctively followed suit. Unfortunately it was no longer abnormal to hear bad news in these times. Elisa prepared herself.
“The north attacked us,” he informed them.
“What? How is that possible?” Wolf asked, his voice filled with worry and confusion.
She watched Aiden and Moose give each other a look. Wolf shifted nervously. With a sigh, Moose continued solemnly. “The Shaman betrayed us,” he said. “He took down our wards, making us visible to the army. It was led by Brutus.”
Fury blanketed Wolf’s face. “That traitor!”
“It gets worse, I’m afraid,” Moose replied. “We fought them and won. Father killed Brutus himself.”
Elisa gasped. “Brutus the Red is dead?” she asked, amazed that she was only hearing this now.
Moose gave her a quick look and nodded. “Unfortunately, it seems the Shaman was in league with Aziz, and they had conspired to bring Aiden here in order to use him to feed the sorcerer’s energy. Luckily Lily figured it out, and we saved him before they could take him through a portal to Aziz.”
“I hope you killed him,” Wolf said, meaning the Shaman.
“We did,” Moose said, but he didn’t seem happy about it. “I’m afraid there is one more person who is in league with them. We were unable to kill them.”
“Who?” Elisa and Wolf asked at the same time. Elisa watched as Lily silently took Aiden’s hand in hers in a comforting gesture. It was bad, Elisa realized. It didn’t take her long to realize why.
“It was Rain, Wolf,” Moose said, his eyes betraying his sadness. “She helped them capture Aiden, then escaped through the portal before we could stop her.” A tense silence filled the room. Elisa looked at Wolf’s face, and cringed at what she saw there. If it was possible to see someone’s heart break, she was witnessing that now. Something inside her wanted to close the distance between them and offer him comfort…like Lily had done with Aiden. But with everything that had transpired between them, she knew it was impossible. They didn’t have that kind of relationship, especially now. Especially with everything that was going to happen within the following weeks.
“Rain?” Wolf said disbelievingly. “That’s not possible.” He looked off towards nothing, avoiding everyone’s eyes. “Mother?”
Moose shrugged slowly. “Coping I guess, as much as a mother can who has lost a child.”
“She is not lost,” Wolf bit back immediately. “We just need to find her.”
Moose shook his head slowly. “She is as good as gone, Wolf. Don’t fool yourself. Her loyalties no longer lie with her family.” He paused. “Just be glad they failed at their plan. If Aziz had gotten his hands on Aiden, we would have been in serious trouble. Since he heals faster here in Eden, Aziz would have used him as an endless supply of energy to channel into himself. Every time Aziz drained him, Aiden would have healed by the morning, and the process would have repeated itself. A fate most definitely worse than death.”
Wolf turned his head towards Aiden again. “I am sorry for her involvement in such a thing, Aiden,” he said quietly. “You are a friend of mine. You cannot imagine the guilt I feel at her betrayal.”
Aiden smiled, but it was clearly strained. “Do not apologize for something you had no place in. Your father and mother made me feel like I was a part of your family, I could not ask for more.”
“Have you told the High King all this?” Elisa asked.
Aiden nodded, turning his attention to her. “We met with him briefly when we arrived. He has summoned the Captain
and Alistair for a formal meeting. We are to go to the throne room in half an hour. He knew I’d want to find you first and, of course, bring you with me,” he smiled at her. She couldn’t help but smile back, despite the news they had just delivered. Their friend really was back, and, like always, he was making sure they were all included every step of the way.
“We should go find Logan,” Wolf said. “He’ll probably be in the dining hall for a quick dinner before his shift on the walls.”
“I wouldn’t mind a bite myself,” Moose said lightly, rubbing his stomach. “Aiden here made us ride like we were mad men. I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.”
“Let’s go down then,” Elisa said, giving her bags a quick look. She was supposed to be packing to accompany Markus and his men back down to Nysa. Soon she would be living there, amongst the Sun People, as Markus’ wife. It wasn’t the time or place to tell the others though, so she’d come back after and finish. Now that the war was back on, she didn’t know what they were going to do.
“Let’s be quick,” Aiden said. “We have a lot to discuss, and then we’ll all be racing down to the south.” Elisa looked up in surprise, catching the glance Wolf gave her quickly before looking at Aiden again.
“South? Why?” Wolf asked.
“Callum is there with his forces. He plans to attack.”
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