Broken Kei

by Jen Wylie

  Back and forth they went, over and over again until Baelan finally allowed her to enter his mind on her own. When she managed to do so, and even ended up in the flowered clearing, she couldn't help jumping up and down among the flowers at her success.

  "Well done, my lovely," he said with a soft smile.

  "Now we try Kei?"

  He shook his head in amusement. "Not yet. Now we practice this." He made a shooing motion at her. "Back you go. Find your way home again."

  So she did, over and over again, until Baelan finally called a stop.

  Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times, staring up at the ceiling. A pulsing pain burned behind her eyes. The stiffness of her muscles made themselves clear as she sat up with a wince.

  Baelan rose slowly beside her, catching himself on the bed before straightening. Looking up at him quickly, his pale face alarmed her.

  Rot, he'd been kneeling next to the bed all this time. Glancing around the darkening room, she realized they'd been practicing most of the day. Looking quickly at Kei, she saw what she expected. He hadn't moved at all. She returned her attention to the Elf standing beside the bed.

  "Baelan…" She couldn't think of what to say.

  "You did well today," he said into the silence, not looking at her. He shifted slightly, trying to be inconspicuous about stretching strained muscles. "Now rest, we will do more tomorrow."

  "But…"

  He turned his gray gaze on her for a brief moment before quickly dropping it again. "It takes more out of you than you realize. You need to rest."

  Looking away, she nodded. She hadn't been about to argue with him. Clearing her throat, she ran her fingers through her messy hair. "Thank you."

  "There is no need to thank me," he reminded her stiffly. "Can I make you something to eat?"

  She shook her head. She did need to use the privy, though. "Bo should be home soon. I imagine he'll bring something."

  "Is there anything else–"

  "No," she interrupted. "I would just like you to rest." Looking up at him again, it struck her then how different he acted within his mind. More like the first times she'd met him, not like a cowed servant. He moved toward the door as she debated mentioning it. As he reached it, she did. "You didn't act like this…in your mind."

  He froze and then immediately bowed his head. "I… I…"

  "I like you that way better," she said softly.

  Silver hair parted as he looked up at her in surprise.

  "You're all sorts of crazy," she continued with a small smile. "But that is you, not," she waved at hand him, "this." He continued to stare at her, and she had no idea what he was thinking. "Get some rest. I'll need you tomorrow," she finally said.

  With a slight bow, he slipped from the room.

  Elves drove her crazy, they really did.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Bo brought home food and the smell of it pulled her away from Kei and down to the kitchen. She grinned when she saw Elaina with him and pulled the young woman into a quick hug.

  "I can't stay long," Elaina said. "How are you doing today?"

  The worried look on her face made Aro grimace, but she quickly forced a smile. "Much better. Made some progress today."

  Bo raised his eyebrows.

  Later.

  His eyes narrowed, but he didn't press. Bo was just wonderful like that. Elaina was a lucky girl.

  Garen stood off to the side, scarfing down something that didn't look appetizing. Do I want to know what that is?

  Lifting his head, he gave her a wolfish grin. Nope.

  Making a face, she ignored his mental laughter.

  Working side by side, Bo and his soon-to-be wife unloaded a basket on the counter and began filling plates with food. Elaina's eyes flickered over her shoulder toward the hall, and she reached to take another plate down from the cupboard.

  Aro turned, though she didn't know why she bothered. Of course, it was Baelan hovering by the kitchen doorway. Pushing away the flare of irritation rising within her, she jerked her head, inviting him in.

  He shuffled in, head slightly bowed, though his eyes kept darting up and toward the food. She wondered when he last ate, then got angry she worried. A breath huffed out of her and she snapped her mouth closed.

  "Nice to see you, Baelan," Elaina said softly, with her usual sweet smile. Aro didn't miss how she nudged Bo's arm and gave him a questioning look.

  "A pleasure as always, Miss Elaina," the Elf replied quietly.

  Bo frowned and then shrugged his massive shoulders. "Go sit," he said, handing her a full plate.

  "Thank you." She settled into a chair at their small table and dug into her meal. Her eyes closed in bliss as she chewed. Elaina and her sisters were the best cooks ever. Looking over at Bo, she leaned sideways to see if he'd started to get a gut yet. He hadn't, but then the barmaid kept him busy, and they'd all been under a lot of stress with Kei. And Elves. And Were. Thinking about it all almost made her lose her appetite. Almost. She shoved another forkful of food into her mouth.

  "Do sit, Baelan," Elaina instructed, as Bo pulled out the chair to the right of Aro for her, before sitting himself across from her.

  The Elf sat to her left, bowed his head, and began to slowly eat. She shouldn't have been surprised he took his time, cutting small bits and eating neatly. Just like Prince always had.

  Frowning, she shoved more food into her mouth and chewed quickly to vent her annoyance. Don't think about it. Or him. Now wasn't the time. With some effort, she stuffed her feelings for Prince back into her fortress.

  For a while, they ate in silence, which she would have found odd if she hadn't been starving and had a thousand other thoughts running crazy through her mind.

  Elaina elbowed Bo. He frowned, they shared another look, and then he cleared his throat. Aro watched in amusement, wondering what it could be they wanted to say. Her eyebrows rose. Maybe Elaina was pregnant? She didn't know what else could have them acting like they did.

  "Just say it already," she finally said.

  Bo gave a loud laugh, startling Baelan enough he choked on his food. She shouldn't have been amused, but couldn't help it. Smacking him harder on the back than he needed, she grinned when he looked over at her.

  "I'm not sure…" Elaina began when everyone was settled once more.

  Bo placed one of his large hands over hers. "Always speak, love. It may be nothing, but then again, perhaps it is."

  Nodding once, she gave him a small smile. The look in her eyes as she met Bo's gaze, so full of love, made Aro's heart twist. She wanted that. Why couldn't she have it? Would she ever?

  "A man came to the tavern this afternoon. He asked about someone, and I have to say, his description fit you fairly well."

  Baelan didn't notice right away that the barmaid looked at him. When he did, he sat back and sucked his lower lip between his teeth. "Was he human?"

  Elaina sighed and looked down. "He seemed to be…but, he was one good looking man, almost pretty." She paused a moment. "Like you. He reminded me of you."

  Aro leaned forward. "What did you tell him?"

  "Nothing, of course!"

  Baelan frowned. "Did he ask about Arowyn?"

  Elanina shook her head, and he relaxed, nodding slightly. At Bo's hard look, Baelan continued. "I am outcast. Others will hunt me. It has always been so." At Elaina's stricken look he leaned forward. "You needn't worry. I will deal with it." Pausing, he looked over at Aro.

  Did he want her permission? Giving him a confused look, he let out a sigh.

  Garen suddenly stuck his head on Baelan's lap and stared at his unfinished plate.

  You did not just do that, Aro thought at the Were.

  He didn't move his head, but his eyes turned in her direction. I'm still hungry.

  They finished eating in silence. Aro pretended to ignore Baelan sneaking bites of food to Garen.

  "We need to get back to the tavern," Bo finally said.

  "I will clean up," Baelan offered.


  They left him to it. Aro ran outside to the privy, surprised to find the weather certainly had started to warm up, before heading back up to sit with Kei.

  She dozed off at some point and woke with her head on Kei's unmoving shoulder, her arm laced through his. With a quiet sigh she got up, moving slowly from the room to avoid stubbing her toes in the darkness. The quiet of the house proved Bo and Garen hadn't returned from the tavern yet, so it wasn't nearing morning.

  A faint light in Baelan's room caught her attention as she neared the stairs, and she paused, glancing in through the partially open door. A golden globe hung in the air, making the scars crossing his leanly muscled back shine as he pulled a dark shirt over his head.

  Looking away quickly, she hurried down the stairs, glad lanterns left in the lower hallway and kitchen for Bo gave her light to see by.

  Returning from the privy, she rubbed at her arms as she entered the kitchen. Though the days were warming up, the nights certainly had a chill to them.

  A sudden unease stopped her abruptly as she stepped into the hall. She'd learned quickly enough not to ignore her instincts. A shiver ran down her spine as she looked toward the main door, eyes searching the shadows, ears straining for any sound. Turning toward the stairs, her breath lodged in her throat and she froze.

  Baelan stood directly in front of her, dressed completely in black, his sword at his hip. The shadows and lamp light played tricks with his hair, turning the silver to dark gold. His face however, caused her body to tense, fingers moving to the dagger at her belt she always carried with her.

  "I will return shortly." Though he kept his voice low, there was no trace of his usual soft and meek tone.

  The assassin stood before her now, and she had to admit he certainly looked the part well. Forcing herself to relax, she simply watched him.

  He regarded her with dark stormy eyes for a moment, before walking past her. Their hardness, lack of emotion, nearly made her reach for her dagger again.

  Turning to watch him, she shook her head. He didn't even walk the same. The words "be careful" sat at the edge of her tongue, but she swallowed them back. Instead, she called out, "Help yourself to anything in the training room."

  He stopped, turning his head just slightly in her direction before he gave a sharp nod.

  Ensuring her thoughts were still firmly locked away, she kept herself relaxed as she turned her back on this deadly killer and walked back up to her room. Never, ever, did she want him to think she was afraid of him. She wasn't, just more…shocked. He was so different. Why did his personality change so much? He acted like completely different people sometimes. He was moodier than she was.

  The Baelan who killed her hadn't been this one. If it had been, she most certainly would have stayed dead, of that she was certain. She found it a bit disturbing to realize he had no trouble killing, no matter what state his mind was in.

  Taking her spot next to Kei again, she didn't wonder if the Elf would come back. He would. What trouble he might cause did make her worry. Hopefully Baelan knew how to clean up after himself in a human city.

  She kept a lantern burning on the side table.

  For once Baelan wasn't hovering by her door when she woke in the morning. If it was morning. The faint light in the room wasn't the sun, but the lantern.

  Rising on one elbow, she kissed Kei on the forehead and got up. She'd check the house and see if Baelan was back. Maybe his return had woken her.

  Bo's snores echoed in the hallway and when Garen didn't peek out to check on her, she assumed he slept as well. Baelan's room remained empty, so she quietly made her way downstairs. The lights in the hall guided her steps and she paused at the bottom, sensing…something. Listening carefully, she heard only the pop and crackle of the fireplace in the living room. It hadn't been lit, had it? She scanned the hall, grimacing as she moved forward, stopping before the first of many dark stains trailing from the main door.

  She followed them into the living room, pausing a few steps inside.

  Baelan sat on the floor by the fireplace, leaning up against the side of a chair, legs stretched out as he stared into the flames.

  She walked up to him, dropping to crouch beside his dark-clad form. The clothes hindered her view of how injured he was. Considering the amount of blood he'd trailed into the house, she assumed badly. Especially since he should have been able to heal most wounds.

  After a moment, his gaze left the flames and found hers. The assassin stared at her, his face void of emotion.

  "How did it go?"

  He blinked once, before turning his gaze back to the fire. After a long moment he finally answered her, his voice low and brittle. "I tracked him to the west side of the city. He was waiting for me."

  "A trap."

  "Yes. He knew I'd come." His gaze returned to her. "There were four of them. I recognized two. Assassins."

  Her brows rose at that. "That's…not good."

  "No," he agreed. Silence stretched on for a long moment as they stared at each other.

  "Did any get away?"

  He of course frowned, which brought a faint smile to her lips. "No."

  She forced herself to not look away from his penetrating gaze first. "So, we're good then?"

  His eyes narrowed and then he grimaced and shifted before looking away. "No. We are not good. They were after you, Arowyn. They know of your connection to the inn. They knew I was protecting you. They needed to kill me first, to be able to get to you."

  His words shocked her. "How could they know?"

  "Most likely they discovered it while watching the house. Seeing me here," he elaborated.

  "Did they tell anyone else is the question."

  "Yes," he agreed. "It certainly is." His jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed.

  Looking him over again, she saw the firelight shining on wetness on his clothing. Blood. In more than one place. Had he just recently returned or was he still bleeding? Rotting Elf, getting hurt protecting her. How was she supposed keep hating him when he did things like that? "How bad is it? Do you need anything?"

  "I am fine," he said stiffly.

  Stupid Elves. Leaning forward, she shocked him by cupping his cheek and turning his face toward her. "You may serve me, but I am responsible for you. I take care of you, too. You are not alone, Baelan," she finished softly.

  With her words, the assassin disappeared. She wasn't sure who remained, the meek servant or the carefree Elf, since his face suddenly contorted in pain. Sucking in a gasp, he tried to turn his face away.

  She held it firmly, her eyes searching his face and trying to meet his gaze again. "Baelan." Finally, he looked at her, completely at a loss. She smiled faintly. "Come, we'll get you cleaned up and tended to, then into bed."

  His gaze dropped again, but he nodded. She managed to get him up and they headed for the bath room. As she settled him on a chair, she cupped his face again, forcing him to look at her. "You did well tonight. Thank you." More words came tumbling out, and it surprised her how much she meant them. "I'm sorry you got hurt. Because of me."

  His brows drew together as he stared into her eyes, searching to see if she spoke the truth. His confusion didn't surprise her. She'd been back and forth between hating him and being almost nice since he came. For some reason, it made her chest hurt though.

  She cleaned him up and tended the wounds he'd not yet healed, even changing the wrappings he now always wore on his wrists and neck. He assured her he would be well as soon as he got some rest.

  She followed him up to his room and settled him on his bed. "You did get rid of the bodies?"

  When he just blinked up at her, she cursed. She'd be up for a while more then, contacting Silas or Raythe to let them know. Random dead Elves on the street was not a good thing.

  He tried to sit up, but she gently pushed him down and forced a smile. "I'll take care of it." The worried and lost look on his beautiful face pulled at her insides. For some reason her fingers stroked the hair back from his face, and tho
ugh his brows once again drew together in confusion, he settled back in bed. Rotting Elf.

  "Sleep now," she said gently.

  Leaving the room quietly, she rubbed at her temples. What was wrong with her? She hated him, didn't she? Why did she feel the need to be nice to the man who killed her? It didn't make any sense.

  "Wither me," she muttered, heading for her own room. Getting back in bed, she closed her eyes and sent her thoughts to Roan's Were.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Aro peeked into Baelan's room and watched him silently for a moment. Once she saw the faint rise and fall of his chest she walked as quietly as possible back to her room.

  Taking a moment to stroke her fingers gently down the side of Kei's face, she forced a sudden wave of panic away.

  "Soon, Kei."

  Once Baelan woke up, she fully intended to convince him it was time for her to go into the Fey's mind and somehow find a way to fix him. Time was running out, slipping through her fingers like sand. She would not lose Kei. She wouldn't.

  Stepping to the window, she leaned against the wall and looked up at the blue sky, watching a few wispy clouds float by. A bit past noon, the house was quiet. Bo and Garen had gone to the tavern, with strict instructions for her to contact them if she planned to do anything with Kei. She'd updated them on everything before they left, including Baelan's evening out as an assassin.

  She frowned and shook her head slightly. When he confided in her that he didn't know who he was, she'd not considered what he meant. The killer last night hadn't been him, but seemed to be a totally different person. She didn't know how that was possible, or what it meant. Clearly, he was crazy, but she didn't know how, or if, she could help him.

  It sent her mind spinning that she wanted to. Part of her still wanted to hate him, needed to hate him. But she couldn't. Bo was right, it wasn't who she was. She needed to remember that, not lose herself to everything that had happened.