by Неизвестный
"But?"
"It's a mirage. There really isn't a roadblock at all."
After learning about the aura life force thing, Cort didn't think he could be any more surprised by this new world he and Boone had entered into. He was wrong. He was pretty sure that he was going to be shocked by several more things by the end of the day.
Still, having Nix in his life along with Boone would be worth it. No matter how strange and confusing things were at the moment, Cort had two people in his life who loved and cared for him, who he loved and cared for in return. That was worth anything.
Cort blew out a relieved breath when the SUV finally reached the far side of the invisible bridge and dark dirt ground rolled under the wheels. Just as Nix had said, he saw the landslide the moment he drove around the bend.
Gripping the steering wheel tightly in his hands, Cort drove right toward it, praying he wasn't about to crash. Just as the front of the SUV reached the edge of the landslide, Cort started to take his foot off the gas. A quick look in the rearview mirror changed his mind. Nix seemed calm, not at all upset by the fact that they were driving right toward a wall of dirt and rock.
Holding his breath, Cort stepped on the gas. His eyes widened when the SUV drove right on through the landslide like a curtain. He suddenly found himself in a darkened stone tunnel, light coming from the exit several yards down the way.
"Jeez, Nix!"
Nix laughed. "Yeah, well, it keeps people out, you know? First the broken bridge, then the landslide, not many people want to try and investigate the area after that. There's one more mirage at the end of the tunnel, well, less of a mirage and more like a spell."
"A spell?" Cort choked. "Like, what kind of spell?"
"You know when you can tell something bad is about to happen and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up?"
Cort was really starting to not like what Nix was saying. "Yeah?"
"Just as you reach the exit of the tunnel, you'll feel that way, but once you get through, the feeling goes away. Most humans would be freaked out and just go in the other direction. It's like an alarm system as well, informing the soldiers that guard the valley that someone is coming."
"Does that mean us, too?"
Cort could see Nix nod in the rearview mirror as she gestured to the Princess dress she wore. "Why do you think I'm trussed up like a Christmas turkey? We will be stopped and questioned. Once they see that it's me, they will let us pass."
"Will they inform Vasile or your father that we are here?"
Nix shrugged. "Depends on who is on duty."
"The success of our mission relies on who guards the entrance to this damn place," Cort said. "Isn't that just fucking peachy?"
Just as he reached the exit from the tunnel, two armed guards stepped into the light. Cort brought the SUV to a quick stop, wishing he'd had just a little more warning when the vehicle behind almost rear-ended them.
Cort flipped Dane off through the back window, then rolled his window down when one of the guards walked over and knocked on the glass. There was a part of Cort that was surprised, and just a bit worried, when he noticed the rapid-fire weapon in the guard's hand. Elves had modern firepower?
"State your business," the guard said.
"We're escorting Nixona Lissësúl, Princess of Dorthon, home," Cort said as he gestured to the woman sitting in the backseat.
The guard looked past Cort then he suddenly snapped to attention and he slapped his fist over his chest. "Your Highness."
"Good day, sentry, please allow us to pass."
Cort was shocked not only by the haughtiness in Nix's voice but also by the quick manner in which the guard stepped back from the vehicle and waved his hand for them to pass. Cort wasted no time in getting the vehicle moving again, checking the rearview mirror to ensure the other car followed behind them.
"Will that guard inform your father or Vasile that we're coming?" he asked.
"I don't know," Nix replied. "I've never seen him before. He must have just been posted there. He's not the same sentry that guarded the entrance when I left."
"So we have a fifty-fifty chance of running into a trap?"
"Yep."
"When this is all over, do you intend to live here or at the compound with Boone and me?" The answer to that question had been plaguing Cort for days. He'd move here if that’s what Nix needed, but all this royalty crap and sentries just made him nervous.
"Would you and Boone move here if I said this was where I need to be?"
"Yes!" Cort chuckled when both he and Boone answered at the same time. "We'll go wherever you need us to be, Nix," Cort said, "as long as we get to stay together."
"Well, you may have noticed, I'm not that royal," Nix said. "It's driven my father crazy for years. I guess I just don't have the right temperament to rule. That doesn't mean I won't be needed for certain functions and such. If you two are willing to occasionally put up with attending royal functions as my mates, I guess we could live at the compound."
Cort grinned. He liked that idea. "I suppose I could be persuaded to put on a tux every once in a while." He glanced at the other occupant in the backseat. "What about you, Boone?"
"If I must." Boone chuckled as Nix slugged him in the arm.
"You do understand that I might be needed here for a little while once Vasile is gone, don't you?" Nix asked, looking suddenly anxious. "I don't know how far under Vasile's thumb my father is, and we have to have someone running things."
Cort nodded. He saw Boone do the same. "We'll do whatever we need to do, Nix, whether it's stay here or go home."
"Dane will shit purple kittens, mind you," Boone added, "but I'm sure you can convince him to let us stay as long as we need to, Nix."
Cort chuckled. Yeah, he imagined Nix could convince Dane of just about anything. All she had to do was hang him upside down in the air until he gave in. Cort would pay serious money to see that. He'd take pictures, maybe send them out as Christmas cards.
"Okay, serious stuff now," Cort said. "What's going to be waiting for us, Nix?"
"Dorthon is a valley," Nix began. "At the center of the valley is a town where Others live, work, and raise their families. I imagine it's much like any other town with grocery stores, hotels, taverns, and businesses. Many Others know of our valley and come here for vacation as we are so close to skiing and such."
"You sound like the welcoming committee, Nix. I want the real lowdown. What's waiting for us?"
"On the far side of town is a large compound built into the side of a large cliff, a mountain really. That would be my ivy-covered castle Dane is so fond of referring to. It is guarded twenty-four hours a day by no less than twenty guards. They are on every level, front and back. They guard every entrance. Even more sentries guard my father."
"And Vasile?"
"He has his own guards personally chosen and trained by him. He said he never trusted my father's guards and wanted to choose his own. Personally, I think he just wanted to choose people that would look the other way while he killed Others."
Cort's hope for a clean mission sank. "How many guards does he have?"
"He has several guards, but only two are with him at all times. They're big mean fuckers too, and just as nuts as Vasile is." Nix snorted, a very unladylike sound. "Don't turn your backs on them or Vasile. They'll stab you in the back at the first opportunity."
"Noted."
Cort kept a close eye on the surroundings as they started into the valley. He could see rooftops peeking out of the trees and knew they weren't far from Nix's home. About halfway down the hill, the road turned back from dirt to cement and widened, making driving a little easier.
"This is quite a place, Nix." Cort was impressed. The town they started driving through looked like a small mountain town, not too big, not too small. The buildings were brick and wood, all looking old but structurally firm.
"It's nice, but a little boring if you grew up here. Most of the residents were born here, although a few have
moved in over the years. It's a safe place for Others to raise their families where they don't have to worry about humans discovering them."
Cort knew what Nix was talking about as he began to notice the residents coming and going. Many looked like they just walked out of a fairy-tale book. Some had pointed ears like Nix, or tails. Some even had fur. It was all very strange.
From what Cort could see, they did have modern conveniences even if the place did have a touristy-type feel. People still talked on cell phones as they did in the human world and cars came and went. Cort even spotted an appliance store. It just all had an old-world feel to it, as if the place had always been there.
"Where to, Nix?" Cort asked as he came to a traffic light.
"Turn left, and go to the end of the street," Nix said. "It turns into a driveway that will lead you to the entrance to the keep."
"The keep?" Boone exclaimed. "You actually call it that?"
"It beats ivy-covered castle."
Cort snickered as he followed Nix's directions. The drive up to the large stone keep was a little nerve-racking. With each bit of ground that they covered, Cort noticed more and more armed guards. He seriously hoped that they didn't have to fight all these people.
Bringing the SUV to a stop right in front of a set of large stone steps, Cort turned the vehicle off and turned in his seat to look back at Nix. He shook his finger at her. "You remember that you are more important to me and Boone than any of this shit. If things get hairy, I want you to hightail it out of here. We can always come back and fight another day. I'm sure Dane has enough connections to raise a larger army than all the guards here put together. Understand?"
Nix rolled her eyes. "Understood, but you know I can take care of myself."
"I know you think you can. Just remember not to get too cocky. There is always someone better trained than you, someone faster and stronger. You won't know who that is until you lose a fight, and by then it will be too late."
Nix frowned but nodded anyway. "I hear you."
"Besides, we don't really know how strong you are, remember? Or if your powers will even work here. That thing at the research facility could have been a fluke. Until you've tested your powers and learned to control them, you shouldn't count on them to get you out of a jam. Use your head instead. That's always your best tool."
"I hear you, and I'll do as you ask if you and Boone promise me you'll hightail it out of there too if things get hairy. I refuse to leave you two behind."
"Nix, we're better trained th—"
"So not happening." Nix crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
"Okay, look," Boone said, "can we just agree if things get nasty, we'll all run?"
"Well, Princess?" Cort asked.
"Fine."
"Okay then, let's go," Cort said as he turned back around in his seat and opened the door. "We're starting to get strange looks from the guards."
He climbed out of the front seat and closed the door before reaching for the back door. Opening it up, he held out his hand to Nix, treating her like he figured a Princess was supposed to be treated.
Nix climbed out, the loving softness Cort had come to know gone from her face. In its place was a stern, unemotional woman who gave him a deep chill. He hoped they didn't have to stay here very long because Cort did not want to become acquainted with this stranger.
"Dane, please take my bags to my room," Nix said as Dane, Sal, and Chase climbed out of the other vehicle. "Someone can show you the way."
"Yes, Princess," Dane replied. Cort thought he detected a slight smirk on his face, but it was gone before he could be sure. Dane, Sal, and Chase began pulling out the bags they had purchased for Nix and carried them toward the keep doors.
Nix didn't say anything, just started up the steps. Boone and Cort quickly fell into step behind her, flanking her on each side. No one tried to stop them as they walked into the building to the grand entryway.
Cort could barely keep himself from whistling in awe as he took in the grand entrance. The walls were made of pure white stone. Ornate wood carvings or ivy and flowers lined the archways and entrances in and out of the area.
Colorful tapestries and paintings hung on the walls with cushioned seats scattered here and there in between tables and vases and flowers of every color. Even the large lit chandelier hanging in the center of the room seemed opulent.
"Where is my father?" Nix asked of the first servant who passed by them.
"He's in the throne room, Princess Nixona."
"Thank you."
Well, at least this strange, cold woman is polite, Cort thought to himself as he followed Nix down a long hallway. "Nix?" he asked quietly.
"What?"
"Is this a side of you we need to get used to?"
Nix paused and looked over at Cort, her eyebrows coming together in a little frown. "What are you talking about?"
"Baby," Boone said, "even I noticed it. Since the moment we stepped out of the SUV, you've turned into this cold, unfeeling stranger."
Nix's eyebrows shot up. She looked surprised. "Really?"
Cort and Boone nodded.
"I-I don't know what to say," Nix whispered. She twisted her hands together. "I guess I just got so used to hiding my emotions from everyone so that they couldn't be used against me that I just naturally slipped back into that mode when we arrived. I'm sorry."
Cort knew he couldn't kiss Nix right now or pull her into his arms to give her comfort. Still, he reached out and gently patted her arm, giving her a smile. "Let's go get this done, Princess, so we can take you home where you never have to be anyone except yourself."
Chapter 14
Nix was nervous as she waited for the guards to open the doors to her father's throne room. Her stomach felt like it was doing cartwheels, and her hands trembled. She rubbed them on the long purple velvet of her dress, then shook them out a little.
She was about to confront her father and his royal advisor, a man she was supposed to marry. No matter what happened, she knew the outcome wasn't going to be a good one. Someone wasn't going to live through the day. Nix just hoped that fate favored them.
The large wooden doors opened. Nix took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and raised her head high. She wasn't about to let anyone know how anxious and scared she really felt, even if it meant being that cold woman Cort and Boone had mentioned.
The moment the doors opened all the way, Nix strode in like the Princess of the castle that she was. She could hear Cort and Boone's soft treads and knew they flanked her sides, protecting her from anything and everything.
It was only that knowledge that gave Nix the courage to walk right up the middle of the room until she stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to her father's throne. She curtsied, as was protocol, then raised her head to confront her father.
"Hello, Father."
"Nixona," her father replied, giving her one of his famous arched eyebrows that told everyone he was not pleased. "I see you've decided to come home." He glanced at Cort and Boone disdainfully. "And you've brought friends."
"I have."
"Are you going to introduce your new friends?"
"No."
"Nixona," her father snapped as he glared down at her, "you will show better manners in front of guests."
"Oh, but you see, Father, they are not guests."
"Bodyguards?"
"Close, but no."
"Then why are they here?" The King waved his hand as if dismissing them. "Send them away."
"They leave when I leave." Nix barely kept from holding her breath as she waited for the fallout from her words. They were sure to send her father into a tizzy.
"Leave? You just arrived home, Nixona. You don't have time to go gallivanting around the world. You have a wedding to plan. Vasile has been very patient with you, but he will not wait forever."
"He can wait until hell freezes over," Nix said. "I won't be marrying Vasile, ever."
"Nixona," the King shouted as he ju
mped to his feet, "I promised your hand in marriage to Vasile. You will not embarrass me by refusing."
"If it's so important to you, then you marry him." Nix gestured to the men who stood on either side of her. "My affections have been taken elsewhere."
"I will not have you interfering in my plans for some little fling of yours."
"Interfering in your plans," Nix said, arching an eyebrow. "An interesting choice of words, King Ahlstrom. Just what plans would those be? The ones where you give away your only daughter to a madman or the ones where said madman takes over your kingdom by killing Others?"
"What?" the King shouted. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Vasile is one of my most trusted advisors. How dare you impugn his honor."
"I do more than impugn his honor," Nix shouted right back. "I spit on it."
"Nixona!"
"Did you know what Vasile was doing, Father? Were you part of his plans? Or did you blindly accept everything Vasile was doing because he filled your mind so full of crap?"
Nix wanted to believe that her father hadn't known about Vasile's activities, but she couldn't be positive. Her father and she had never been that close. Nix always thought it was due to her mother dying at her birth, that it was too hard for him. Now she wasn't so sure.
"How much of his activities did you know about?"
"I've just about had enough of this, Nixona. You—"
"You've had enough?" Nix shouted. She could feel her temper start to burn. The hair around her head began to blow as if a breeze had just blown into the room. "You don't think that the people you are supposed to protect have had enough? Enough of living in fear? Enough of dying so that Vasile can gain power?"
Nix's anger stuttered at the confused frown that crossed her father's face. "Nixona, I do not understand why you do not wish to marry Vasile, but making up wild accusations against him is not acceptable. He has been good for this kingdom, good for us."
"He's been killing Others to gain power," Nix shouted. "How is that good for anyone?"
"Killing? Nixona, what on earth are you talking about?" King Ahlstrom asked. "Have you completely lost your mind?"
"No, Father, I've pretty much just found it." Nix held up the flash drive they brought with them. A copy of all the information on the small device was back at the compound. "If you don't believe me, I have the evidence right here."