Out of the Mountain

by Violet Chastain

“She is mine,” Rowan growled from over my shoulder, and I stiffened at the menace in his voice. Malachi took a step back, surprise lighting his features.

  “I’m only joking. No harm done, right, Vivi?” He tried to keep the mood light, but I could feel the animosity dripping off Rowan in waves.

  “Sure thing, babe,” I replied defiantly, but I felt Rowan’s uneasy emotions slip through at my words. Anxiety filled him, followed by vulnerability, wariness, suspicion, and hurt. It was confusing. Surely he knew there was nothing between us.

  “I wanted to be clear. I am aware that some are confused by it,” he rumbled, and I turned to him with a small smile. He returned it, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He knew I had felt what he had been feeling. It wasn’t so easy when the shoe was on the other foot.

  Tamora, Tasmin, Adelaide, and Willa walked on the field then, drawing our attention in the stiff movements of their bodies. Something was clearly wrong.

  “What has happened?” Rowan barked, still tense from the earlier exchange.

  “We’ve all been pulled from guard duty the night of the coronation. It is meant as a ‘treat’ to us for putting up with the fumbling, bumbling princess,” Tasmin grumbled.

  “He really said that?” I wondered aloud.

  “In so many words, yes.” Adelaide barely concealed her grin. I didn’t care what she thought of me.

  “Also, he really has pulled the novices back down to rank. He said he couldn’t allow them to advance in such a short amount of time,” Tamora complained.

  “That completely sucks!” Griffin protested, and I had to agree.

  “Don’t worry. It’s only until after the ball. We will fix it,” I told him, hoping it was true.

  “If we survive, that is,” Tasmin said unhappily.

  “If you don’t want to take part in the fight, then hide until it’s over. No one will force you to join in.”

  “I will fulfill my oath to protect this city. My dislike of you won’t stop me from it.” Tasmin glared, and I shrugged.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “So what are we supposed to do now? I highly doubt we will be allowed into the ball,” Malachi asked.

  “I’ll try to see if I can get invites from Mauve at dinner,” I offered, and he nodded his head.

  “That’s better than my plan of bribing the kitchen staff.” He winked, and I stuck my tongue out at him in a juvenile display. He had fake-cheated on me with the kitchen staff after all.

  “All right, everyone else lay low until dinner,” Rowan suggested, taking my hand in his and swiftly guiding me to the city’s outer gates.

  ***

  When we reached the cover of forest, he shifted, and I followed suit. His lion darted through the trees, and my tigress followed happily. It only took us a few minutes to reach the clearing with the water fall where we shared our first kiss. I shifted back and conjured my bathing suit, quickly diving into the water. I heard a splash as I came up and looked to see Rowan coming up for air. I smiled at him as I treaded water.

  “You joined me this time.”

  “I have decided to allow you to have a little fun.” He winked, splashing me before swimming under the water fall. I watched as he lifted himself up onto the rock, muscles in his chest and back rippling with the movement. He scaled the rocks easily and stood atop the water fall.

  “Come on!” He yelled happily, and I hurried to follow him. It took me a bit more effort to climb to the top, but when I reached it, he pulled me to my feet. The drop wasn’t far, maybe fifteen feet, but I felt my stomach lurch a little in fear.

  “Are you afraid of heights?’

  “What? No,” I replied, but I wasn’t sure. I had never jumped off anything this high before . . . maybe I was afraid.

  “I’ve done it many times. There is nothing that will harm you. You just have to take the leap.”

  “My head knows that; my gut has other ideas.”

  “I’ll go first. Then you can follow when you are more comfortable.” He smiled, but I clutched his hand.

  “Can we go together?”

  “Even better.” He smiled, pulling me to the edge. Happiness radiated from him, his honey-colored eyes glistening in the sunlight. My heart skipped a beat as I looked down and over the edge. I squeezed his hand tighter.

  “Whenever you are ready, count us down, and I will jump on three.” He smiled, and I felt him encouraging me. I watched the water spill over into the deep pool below us. It really wasn’t that far . . . Oh, who was I kidding? Yes, it was. OK, I was just going to have to do it.

  “One, two, three!” I shouted, thrusting myself forward and over the edge. I held Rowan’s hand tightly in mine and felt weightless for a moment before gravity pulled me down and into the water with a splash. I released his hand to swim to the surface and came up sputtering.

  Rowan was wiping water out of his eyes. A smile lit up his face, his dimple on full display.

  “OK, that was fun,” I admitted, smiling ruefully at him, heart still pounding as the adrenaline rushed through me.

  “I thought you might think so. Now let me show off a bit.” He chuckled lightheartedly as he swam to climb up the waterfall again. This was a side of him that I could get used to.

  I swam closer to shore so I could stand in the water and watch him. His body effortlessly making the climb and stretching high on the rock. I decided I could watch him forever. He waved at me from the edge, and I cheered him on as he took a few steps back and ran to the edge before jumping. I stepped forward with a gasp as I watched him launch himself high into the air and tuck his body into twists and flips precisely before he straightened into a dive and hit the water, barely leaving a ripple in the surface. My mouth fell open.

  He came up for air a few feet in front of me, and I clapped. How had he learned to do something like that?

  “Very impressive.”

  “Just something I learned when I was younger. I never thought I would use the skill, but it seems impressing you was well worth it,” he joked, meeting me in the shallower water. It was up to my chest, but it fell near the bottom of his rib cage.

  “When you were younger? You act as if you’re ancient,” I joked, mimicking him, but his eyes darkened. A slew of emotions flew from him, and I couldn’t grab onto any of them.

  “I was only joking,” I said, but he smiled, brushing it off.

  “I actually brought you out here so I could share part of the story of Ambrosine with you. There is a lot to tell, and I feel it is something you will need to get accustomed to. Now that we are blood mates, you should know all there is to know about me,” he said as he led me to the bank and wrapped me in a fluffy robe. The sun was hot and high in the sky, so I took it off and conjured a blanket to lie on instead. He smiled and lay down next to me, turning onto his side, propping his head up on his hand, and splaying the other on my stomach.

  “Hurry and tell me your story before I get too distracted,” I half joked, feeling the heat of his hand through the suit.

  “Ambrosine is queen of a land both close and far from here. She is cunning and conniving . . . ruthless, powerful, and terrible wrapped up in a package that appears everything but.” Anger seeped from him in waves. I turned onto my side, mimicking his stance. He adjusted his hand onto my hip, allowing his thumb to move in slow circles there as his mind wandered into his distant memories. I fought to stay concentrated on his words, and not the tingle that was radiating from his touch.

  “She is whom Farran bargained to hide the amulet of the Shuni king with, and also whom he so cleverly tricked into giving him everlasting youth. Her powers are great, but she is bound heavily by words, and Farran was lucky that she was delighted instead of offended by his audacity. You must always be mindful when trading words with her . . . if she likes you, she may just try to keep you.” His anger spiked into rage, and I laid a hand on his jaw to try and comfort whatever was stirring inside of him. He turned his head to the side and kissed my palm lightly before continuing.

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nbsp; “Ambrosine is queen of the Fae,” he said, and my eyes widened.

  “You’re joking, right? Fae as in fairy? Little flying people who play tricks and collect children’s teeth?” I tried to think of the bits of folklore I knew of fairies from the children in Velia.

  “They mostly keep to their own realm but often like to meddle in the lives of humans when they feel bored.”

  “You’re serious?” I asked, sitting up quickly.

  “I imagine you have heard very little of the Fae, and what you have heard is most likely stories told to scare children. The Fae are a magical people, at one with the earth. They draw their magic from the nature they surround themselves with. They are beautiful and full of mischief, and although they do not age, they can most certainly be killed with enough effort. Their long lives have made them hollow and cruel, warping their sense of right and wrong.

  “It is said the Fae spring into being from trees and streams every few decades, but no one really knows for certain. They cannot have children of their own, so they steal children and keep them as one would a pet . . . training and teaching them as they see fit. They have competitions and contests to show off their beauty, talents, strength, and intelligence.” He growled, and I gasped. That was horrible.

  “I am sorry if this is disturbing to you, but the Fae are very disconnected from the concept of right and wrong. I am telling you this because they can be very misleading. You must remember that none can be trusted, not completely. No matter how friendly they may seem, in the end they would bet your life on a single coin toss without batting an eye.” His eyes were pleading with me to understand. I couldn’t imagine anyone being so cruel, but the Fae weren’t like normal people. I would have to remember that.

  “So Kieran is traveling into the realm of the Fae to retrieve something they hid there?”

  “Yes, and it must be something of great importance. Time moves differently in the realm of the Fae. You must trade words with Ambrosine to enter, and if you are not careful, she could make a day there pass as ten years passed here.”

  “Why would she want to do that?”

  “For entertainment.”

  “So basically Ambrosine is a bitch,” I growled, and he laughed.

  “Yes, that is the gist of it anyway.” He grinned, and I could feel his spirit lifting.

  “So is that all you wanted to tell me?” I asked, feeling his uncertainty.

  “There is more, but it is of a more personal nature. It may help you to better understand me.”

  “Spill it.” I smiled, happy to finally get some answers. He took a long and deep breath before his eyes met mine and held them in a steady gaze.

  “Ambrosine took me as a child,” he mumbled, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

  “What? How? When?” I blurted out in confusion.

  “The night I found you wandering in the woods as a toddler . . . that was the night I escaped into the forest. I had been wandering for a while when I heard a noise and saw you. I thought I was hallucinating, but then I heard the shouting and assumed you had wandered off. When I met the search party, I knew you must have been important. I tried to leave, but they insisted I come along. You know what happened from there.”

  “She took you from your family? How much time passed before you escaped?” I asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

  “About a century,” he said it so simply, I would have thought he was joking if I wouldn’t have felt the dread filter from him.

  “You spent a century as the queen of the Fae’s captive and still left as a child?” I couldn’t grasp the idea.

  “She was very fond of me. She wanted to keep me with her always, so she suspended my ability to age. I was a child and not a child at all. My time passed the same as here, but I did not age during it.” He had spent so many years away from his family, forced to do who knows what, only to escape to find everything he knew was gone.

  “Well, at least that explains why you are so freakishly talented at everything you do,” I joked, and I felt hope spread through him.

  “You thought that was going to scare me off?” I snorted and he laughed.

  “Some might not like the idea of being with someone more than a century older than they are.”

  “What’s ten or a hundred years between lovers anyway?”

  “Lovers?” He raised his eyebrows, and I blushed.

  “You know what I meant.”

  “Do you love me, Vinnie?” he asked, and I paled, panic spreading thorough me.

  “You can’t just ask me something like that!”

  “Why not?”

  “Weren’t you the one who told me love was fickle and meaningless?” I growled, quickly standing and conjuring my clothes back into place. He stood, quickly doing the same. Confusion spread on his face.

  “Is that what has upset you so?”

  “No, I’m upset because you asked me if I loved you. If I wanted to say it, I would,” I lied, embarrassed. I knew that I loved him; I was just afraid that he didn’t feel the same way.

  “I meant what I said to you on that day, but now I know better. The reason I loved none before was because I was incapable. The feelings I have for you transcend anything else I have ever known. My life in the Fae realm was torture. I began to grow as cold and emotionless as they were. It altered me in so many ways, Vinnie, but with you I can feel again. Every emotion you feel comes through raw and strong, restoring all that I had lost. It is as if my life has been started anew.”

  “How do you know that what you are feeling for me isn’t actually just my own feelings for you pushing their way into your mind? You shouldn’t have to ask someone if they love you, Rowan.”

  “I asked if you loved me so that I could gage your reaction and how you felt against what I was feeling. The overwhelming need to be near you, to know your thoughts and dreams. To listen to you talk about anything or nothing at all. To see you smile or blush and know I was the cause. There are so many things I could say, but most of them equate with the wanting of you, all of you . . . good and bad. I want to be there for you every moment that you will allow it.” He gasped out, desperately meeting my eyes. My heart burst. He was in love with me. I could feel it in my bones.

  I pulled him quickly to me and our lips crashed into each other. He returned my kiss eagerly until the onslaught of his emotions hit me, and I froze, taking it all in. He was showing me how he felt. The raw emotion flooded me as tears sprang to my eyes.

  “I love you, Vinnie,” he whispered, and my eyes closed with the pleasure the words brought. He wiped a tear as it fell, and I smiled at him.

  “I love you so much.” I stumbled over the words and pulled him into a tight hug, basking in the glow of his joy. It was radiating from him, intoxicating and bright, mingling with my own.

  “I think I’ve been in love with you since the moment our eyes met at the foot of that mountain.”

  “Love at second sight?” I joked, and he laughed.

  “I loved you at first sight, but in a very different way,” he seemed to admit to himself as much as me.

  I kissed him slow and steady. Enjoying every moment until it was time to head back for dinner. I couldn’t hide my smile as he walked me to my seat, still holding my hand in his, and planted a quick kiss on my mouth before leaving me next to Farran. He rolled his eyes at us, but I saw the grin as he turned away.

  “Well, that was quick. Good for you, dear,” Mauve said from next to me, and my smile dropped at her accusatory tone.

  “Thanks?” I think.

  “I assume he will be your date to the ball, then?”

  “Yes, and I was wondering if I could ask you a favor . . .”

  “Yes?” she replied, eyes narrowing.

  “Well, you see, my friends all have the night of the ball off, and I was just wondering if there would be any way that I could get some invites for them. It would mean a lot to have them with me.”

  “I don’t know if that will be possible . . .”


  “Oh, please, Mauve, no one will even notice them.” Please, please, please.

  “Oh, all right. Dahlia, take Vivienne to retrieve some invites after dinner.” She huffed, and Dahlia nodded. I hadn’t spoken to Dahlia in quite some time. I had assumed that she was still playing her part, but what if it was more than that? She made eye contact with me but didn’t share the small smile that was usual for her. Instead, she looked away as if she hadn’t even noticed me. I looked at Mauve, who was now having a hushed conversation with Quillion and focused back on Dahlia intently. I could see darkness surrounding her; a thick cord of it swept toward Mauve and connected to her. I followed another cord that linked her to Quillion and reached my hand out to touch it. It recoiled from me.

  “What are you doing?” Dahlia asked sharply, and everyone’s eyes turned to me, pulling my focus away. The cords disappeared.

  “My arm fell asleep,” I lied as I stretched it out and pulled it in over and over, feigning discomfort. I received a few uninterested looks before everyone turned back to their conversations. Farran met my eyes questioningly, and I quickly busied myself with eating dinner.

  ***

  Dahlia led me into Council HQ and asked how many invites I needed. She didn’t even blink when I asked for fifteen. I figured that should cover everyone who wouldn’t have already been invited. She handed me the invites and began to walk away without a word. I considered maybe releasing her from Narissa’s hold again but was afraid of drawing suspicion. Dahlia would have to wait. I tucked the invites under my arm and offered my hand to Rowan as we left the room.

  “That was easier than I had imagined.”

  “Yeah, I thought I would have to beg a little more.”

  “She probably hopes to turn them against you.”

  “Well, isn’t that just a nice thought,” I grumbled, and he laughed.

  “You are such a delight.”

  “Seriously? A delight?” I mocked him, and he frowned.

  “Not anymore.”

  “Hey now, didn’t you say you loved the good and the bad in me?”

  “I do recall saying something of that sort.”

  “I knew you were just trying to get into my bed.”