Crown of Embers

by Meg Anne

  Helena sat a bit dumbfounded, his words a balm for the raw edges of her soul. Von was not one for long speeches or declarations, but her warrior had known with only a look exactly what kinds of thoughts were tormenting her and he’d just slain them all.

  “I love you,” she said simply, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling close.

  “And I you,” he whispered against the top of her head. “You should try and rest now. There will not be much opportunity for it in the days to come.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again,” she sighed.

  “Yes, you will. And you will laugh, and make love,” he punctuated that with a squeeze that made her squirm, “and you will be happy again. I promise you, Mira.”

  “When did you get so smart?”

  Von chuckled, “It’s just experience. There are moments in life that always stay with us, they may give us purpose or direction, but they do not determine the entire course of our lives. The only thing that determines that are the choices we make each and every day. Think about it. I may have never met you if I hadn’t decided to ignore the ban and plead for the case of Daejara and my brother.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Helena murmured sleepily. “The Mother would have found a way to bring us together.”

  “Likely so,” he agreed, not wanting to dwell on the thought of a life spent never knowing the woman curled up in his arms. “I’m just saying, each choice we make opens up new opportunities. Nothing is definite except that our lives are comprised of millions of choices.”

  “Mmm,” she murmured, her body going lax against his.

  “Sleep now, my love. I will keep watch.”

  Von settled in, content to hold his mate in his arms while she slept. After months spent without the simple luxury of being beside her, there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

  The light knocks on the door startled him, and Von jumped before looking down to ensure that Helena still slept soundly.

  “Enter,” he called softly, his fingers playing with the soft ends of hair that ran down Helena’s back. Other than a few whimpers, Helena had remained asleep. Each time she’d started to grow restless, he’d press his lips against her forehead and whisper that all was well. Upon hearing his voice, she would immediately settle. Even in her sleep she needed reassurance that he was still with her.

  If he was surprised to see Nial standing in the doorway, Von did not show it. “Brother,” he said, his tone no less warm despite its low volume. He still couldn’t quite believe that his brother was healthy and whole once more. Seeing him walking, let alone fighting, took his breath away every time he saw it.

  “How is she doing?” Nial asked, concern shining in his stormy blue-gray eyes.

  “She is stronger than she gives herself credit for, she will be fine.”

  “It cannot be easy.”

  “No, but she will manage. What brings you?” Von asked.

  “They were worried,” he said, meaning the Circle, “but none felt comfortable interrupting you two.”

  “And they sent you?” Von asked, amused.

  “They figured I was least likely to be harmed, given that you are fondest of me.”

  Von chuckled. “They do not know me very well. You more than any of the others, save perhaps Ronan, should know better than to interrupt us when we are alone.”

  “That’s what I said.”

  The brothers laughed.

  The easy smile started to fade from Nial’s face as he sobered, remembering what else he had come to share. “The delegates have already started their journey’s home.” At Von’s lifted brow Nial continued, “They were eager to get back to their people and warn them about what was coming.”

  Von nodded, it only made sense. “They are not the only ones with such a trip ahead of them.”

  “Do you know when we leave?” Nial asked.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “And where do we head?”

  Von hesitated, it was not that he didn’t trust his brother, but there was still the matter of how Rowena was able to get her people inside unbeknownst to the rest of them. If there was a spy on the loose, he did not feel comfortable giving away any information that could be used against them, not even under the protection of sight or audio shields.

  Nial sensed his train of thought and said, “It doesn’t matter, I will tell the others to pack for all possible scenarios. Can you tell me how long we’ll be gone?”

  Von shrugged. “As long as it takes.”

  Nial sighed, nodding as if that was what he had expected. He laughed suddenly, “Did you ever think that not just one, but two Holbrookes would be part of the force fighting for a Kiri?”

  As a son of the realm that still bore the scars of a centuries-long ban, established due to a rebellion led by his ancestors, the thought hadn’t even been a possibility.

  “I cannot say that I did,” Von confessed with a wry smile.

  “It suits you.”

  “What does?” Von asked, not following his brother’s train of thought.

  “Happiness. I have not seen you like this since before…” Nial trailed off, not wanting to say the words that had always brought such pain in their wake.

  “Since before your accident.”

  Nial nodded.

  Von took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as the old ghosts came back to haunt him. “Watching your future stripped away from you in a heartbeat was unbearable for me. I would not accept that one with such passion for life could be content to remain locked away in his rooms.”

  “I would not be here without you,” Nial admitted, the depth of love he had for his brother embedded in the words.

  “Nor I,” Von said with a rueful smile.

  That made his brother grin. “You’re welcome then!” With another soft laugh, Nial started to step back toward the door.

  “It suits you as well,” Von called after him.

  Grinning over his shoulder, Nial replied, “I never believed happiness like this was in the cards for me. But here we are, two Holbrookes, both mated and preparing to defend the world. Sounds pretty perfect, if you ask me.”

  “Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren’t you?” Von asked, referring to Serena. “Last I checked, you two haven’t taken the vows.”

  “A mere formality. It’s only a matter of time, brother. We Holbrookes are irresistible.”

  Von shook his head, seeing the little boy his brother had once been in the man’s shining eyes. “Good night, brother.”

  “Night!” Nial whispered, softly shutting the door behind him.

  Adventure, love, and purpose; it was all Nial had ever wanted, and because of the amazing woman in his arms, now they both had it. Von would never be able to thank her for the gift she’d given him. Running his fingers along her hair again, Von had to admit, it was more than he had ever allowed himself to hope for. They might be on the brink of the bloodiest war in history, but he was still the happiest he’d ever been in his life. That alone was worth fighting, and dying, for. More than worth it.

  Whatever he had to do to protect the woman he loved, he’d do without question. He’d been a harbinger of death and destruction before, and had done it for infinitely less noble reasons. Von would gladly step into that role again if it would spare Helena the heartache of experiencing it herself.

  Let their enemies come. He’d be waiting.

  Chapter Ten

  When Helena woke, she felt more rested than she had in weeks. It was surprising, all things considered, but welcome. True to his word, Von hadn’t left her side until she’d woken up to the sound of birdsong. The steady thump of his heart had been the perfect lullaby.

  All of the insecurity and doubt he’d kept away started to bubble up within her again in his absence. There was much to do, and so little time. How am I supposed to know if I am focusing on the right things?

  As if he could feel her troubled thoughts, Von sent a lingering caress along their bond. There were no words; he must have been ta
lking to one of the others, but the phantom touch was reinforced with his message from last night. Blocking out the niggling doubts, she took two slow breaths and made her way to the clothes Alina had laid out sometime the night before. The fact that the woman had the foresight to do so, even after the chaos, was impressive.

  She dressed quickly, lacing up the travel leathers and soft cotton tunic with practiced fingers. Her thoughts began to wander again as she moved to lace her boots. She couldn’t help but think about what lay ahead of them. Nothing was straightforward. Not their direction, and certainly not her plans.

  Originally, she’d thought that a visit to the Triumvirate was in order, seeking their knowledge of potential futures to help inform and guide their movements. But if last night’s events were any indication, there was no time to spare. They needed allies now, which certainly pushed the timeline up. They would have to proceed blindly, but that was alright. It was no more than she’d had to do for most of her life anyway. So, they would head toward the lost tribes first.

  Helena fought back a shudder at the thought. There was nothing specific that she was afraid of, although the hushed stories whispered about them in every corner of Tigaera certainly didn’t endear them to her. But stories were stories. At most there was perhaps a sliver of truth to be found there. She could not imagine that the Forsaken would deny their aid after learning of Rowena’s army. Then again, many would call her a fool. It was hard to say what, exactly, would happen when they reached out to those who so many had routinely ignored.

  She wanted to sigh but pushed back the impulse. It was too easy to imagine defeat. Not wanting to give the possibility any more power, Helena decided to only consider a more positive alternative. If they could get all of the lost tribes to join them, they’d have a force that would vastly outnumber Rowena’s.

  Smoothing her hands along the supple leather, she ensured everything was in order before standing and snatching her deep amber cloak from its resting place on the chair. She was already moving when she twisted it around her shoulders. Leaving her room, with all of its comforts, was easier than she would have imagined. Her future, and that of all the Chosen, was waiting for her to determine its outcome.

  Helena took the stairs at a run, eager to be outside amidst her friends. Already she could hear the hum of their voices, along with the flickers of their power. She smiled, enjoying their connection. It reminded her that no matter what they discovered, they’d do so together. She might be the one to make the hardest decisions but they would help her face the consequences, whatever they may be. There was a certain peace in that.

  When a small voice in her mind warned her that she might also have to say goodbye to them, Helena immediately silenced it. It was too painful to contemplate, no matter how true it might be.

  Moving quickly through the colorful halls of the Palace, Helena forced herself to meet the gazes and match the hopeful smiles of the Chosen. The closer she got to the stables, the more desperately hopeful the gazes she encountered. She was their Kiri; they believed she would protect them. Helena would not give them any reason to doubt their beliefs, even though she doubted herself.

  Stepping out of the last hallway and into the brilliant sunlight, Helena took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the sweetness of the morning. Last evening had been filled with death and bloodshed, but the morning still greeted her all the same. The simple truth of it rocked her. Life went on, and so would she. Hadn’t Von said the same?

  As if her thoughts had conjured the man, Von’s smoky eyes caught hers from across the field. His hand was buried in the thick fur of his wolf Karma as he checked to make sure that all of the necessities were properly stored. They would not be making this trip on wolf-back, or even Talyrian back for that matter. As promised, Helena had worked with Joquil to find a way to escalate the creation of Kaelpas stones.

  They took a notoriously long time to charge, but given the strength of Helena’s power, combined with her control of all five Branches of the Mother’s power, she was able to imbue the small purple stones with enough strength that she could circumvent the full timeline. Not only circumvent, but entirely replace. Helena had spent the better part of a morning making dozens of the stones. She would likely spend countless more keeping them charged in the days to come. Especially given that they were the primary means of transportation for the foreseeable future.

  That did not, as Darrin had pointed out, get them past the need to have a guide to help them reach unknown locations. They were limited to traveling only to those places in which at least one amongst them had already been. Luckily, they had a Keeper in their ranks.

  Miranda had traveled much of Elysia in her time as a Keeper. It was because of her, that they were even able to travel directly into the lands of one of the forgotten realms. Their first stop would be the Ebon Isle. It was notorious for its storms, which were caused due to the massive maelstrom always present just off its coast. That was also how its people inherited their affinity for water and air. They were said to be created from the storm’s fury itself, the ability to channel its power innate in each of them.

  Helena could not help but feel a kinship with the people who could command the sky and sea. She only hoped they felt that same connection. Their power would do much to strengthen their forces.

  She crossed the distance between her and her Mate quickly. Heat and approval flared hot in his eyes as he took her in, and she could feel his desire for her throb through their bond. Her lips twisted, of course he would think now was an appropriate time for such intimacy.

  “There is never not a good time,” he countered, his own lips twisting in a sensual grin.

  “Yes there is. Like right now, when we are mere minutes away from entering an unknown land to try and garner the aid of its people who do not recognize the Kiri as the Mother’s Vessel.”

  He frowned. “Well, when you go and put it that way…”

  “What other way is there to put it, Mate? I only speak the truth.” Her eyes were bright with mirth.

  “I cannot help it if I hunger for you. I’ve only just gotten you back. Would you deny your Mate his pleasure at the sight of you? Especially when for a time you were only a vision he imagined during the worst of his nightmares?”

  Helena’s smile fell completely. “Never.” Her mental voice shook a bit as she delivered the promise, but his smile was understanding as he responded.

  “There is much time we need to make up for, my love. But we will have the rest of our lives together to do so. For now, we will focus on ensuring that such a future exists. Then we can ignore the rest of the world and lose ourselves in each other.”

  Her stomach tightened at the sexual promise in his words, even as she mourned the fact that such luxuries would have to be on hold for the foreseeable future. “And how long do you think the world would let us ignore it?”

  “I don’t give a fuck what the world wants. After this business with Rowena concludes, Mate, you and I have some things to take care of. Far away from here.”

  The smile that she gave him was radiant. “I can’t wait.”

  His eyes were molten as he replied, “Nor I.”

  She shook her head, pushing away thoughts of uninterrupted time with her Mate, and all that would entail, to focus on the growing number of people standing in front of her. How in the name of the Great Mother am I supposed to travel with all of these people without Rowena knowing exactly where we are? It was going to be impossible. A full army would also put their potential allies on edge. Helena sighed, already knowing that her Circle was going to be very unhappy with her newest request.

  Kragen sidled up, seeing the calculating look in her eyes. “What are you thinking?”

  “That we cannot travel with these numbers.”

  He frowned, deep brackets etching themselves in his face. “We cannot be unprotected.”

  Sighing again she agreed, “I know.”

  “What do you propose?”

  “Dividing our numbers.” />
  Helena could see that he wanted to argue, and what it cost him to push back that instinctive response.

  Darrin had no such trouble. “Do you truly wish to make it that easy for her to murder you then?”

  She shot him a dirty look. “Yes. That’s exactly what I have in mind.”

  Darrin scowled, not appreciating her sarcasm.

  “What do you have in mind, Mira?” Von asked in a carefully neutral voice.

  “A series of go-betweens. Soldiers that make the initial jump with us, to become familiar with the surroundings, before coming back to the bulk of the force here. That way, if we come upon Rowena or any of her army, our reinforcements will not be far behind. We could have several of them, that way the majority of the army could appear almost instantly.”

  The men considered her words carefully. “If we scheduled regular check-ins we could help them become familiar with the landscape and any new locations. It would mitigate the distance the rest of the army would need to travel to meet up with us,” Von said.

  Kragen mulled the suggestion over. “It could work.”

  Darrin frowned, as usual. “I do not like the idea of us being unprepared.”

  “I cannot show up on their doorsteps with an entire army at my back. It would be as good as declaring an outright war. They are not our enemies, and we do not want to give them the impression that we believe them to be,” Helena countered.

  “I know, but I still don’t like it.”

  “Fair enough, but we will all be there to protect her,” Von reminded him.

  Helena quickly agreed, “Yes, of course. The full Circle, Ronan, Serena, Nial, and Miranda.” At Darrin’s deepening scowl, she added, “Effie, of course is welcome if she’d like to come with us.”