Elixir of Eve: The Keepers, Book One - A Fae Series

by Alex Temples

  There was something more he wanted to say. I was sure of it, but I said nothing, nodding silently at his answer.

  “Okay. I’ll try it, but I don’t speak ancient Edenese.”

  A week ago I would have laughed in his face if he’d asked me to read an ancient language off the wall of a cave, but after what I’d seen and done in the last few days, nothing sounded far-fetched.

  Aiden smiled at me. It was a teasing smile. I tilted my head in confusion. “What?”

  “You do speak ancient Edenese, Brin. It’s the same language you used in the tree of life – those runes. You used it to summon the goddess to show you the location of the mistletoe.” He looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

  “No, I don’t. I don’t remember speaking any language.”

  Now he gave me a worried look, eyeing me as if to decide whether I was messing with him.

  “You spoke it. I heard you.” Then, as if a sudden realization had befallen him, he sighed. “You’re untrained. You aren’t attuned to read magic without touching runes and the power of the rune tree must have overwhelmed your senses, so you can’t recall the memory.”

  He nodded, seeming relieved he had an answer.

  I eyed him curiously. “You’re saying that if I’m touching the letters, I’ll be able to read them?”

  Aiden laughed. “Yes, it is not unusual. When children first learn to read runes, they do so by using rune tablets, running their fingers along the shapes of each letter, the same way a blind person reads brail. Once you have spent enough time doing this, you will be able to feel the magic coming off the runes and you’ll no longer need to touch them to know what they say. Here, let me show you.”

  He took my hand in his, looking to me for permission. I nodded silently and he brought my hand to the wall.

  The moment my fingers touched the letters, a current ran through me. It left my body tingling before settling into the pads of my fingers. When I looked up at the wall, I understood everything. I read through it quickly, gasping as I realized he was right. The intent of the incantation was to pull the gold tablets from the water.

  When I finally tore my eyes away from the wall, he was watching me with burning fascination. My cheeks warmed as I realized we were both still naked. Not knowing where this next step would take us, I reasoned we might want to be fully clothed. I stooped down to the pile of our hastily discarded clothing.

  I tossed Aiden his soggy garments and we both pulled our clothes on as quickly as the wet fabric would allow. Then, facing the wall of runes, I wondered what to do next.

  “You must read the runes aloud, Brin.”

  I nodded and began chanting the words on the wall in front of me.

  “Alleh cardineca quebu drimintak re sa lu dohaca

  Rinz bret calahaca tev nu brada man ha su lu

  Teco ba pe tete a la cardineca quedbu zin zin ka”

  I finished and looked around, waiting for something to happen.

  Nothing happened.

  What had I done wrong?

  I felt the hum underneath my fingers. There was a buzzing in the air, not discernable to a mortal ear, the quiet vibration of energy that came with the use of magic. I recognized it from my experience in the rune tree. It was as if my magic weren’t quite what the runes were looking for.

  I’d once borrowed Oren’s car on a dreary December evening. It was dark in the parking garage of his apartment building, and not looking in my purse, I’d pulled out my own car keys. The key fit in the ignition, but I couldn’t turn it. That was the sense I’d just experienced.

  My magic resonated with the runes. I understood the ancient Edenese, but it was not my magical signature they sought. I closed my eyes and let the vibrations run through me, feeling the distinct hum of power. I tasted it, probing its origins, feeling the nuances of it, and suddenly I understood.

  I recognized the hum of that energy all right. It was similar to mine, but not exact, and yet incredibly familiar. It was familiar because the magic that impregnated the runes, the magic that made them shimmer and dance, that gave them their power – It vibrated on the exact same wavelength as Aiden’s magic. He was the one intended to perform the incantation.

  My eyes shot to his and I saw the same realization in them.

  His eyes went wide, first with shock and then confusion as he stared between me and the runes. How could it be looking for his magic? He was fae, a full-blooded magic entity. Fae royalty. To raise the tablets, he’d have to be part fae and part mortal, not an heir to the Crystal throne. There was no other explanation. Aiden had to be a descendant of the first keepers.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Aiden

  “Aiden?”

  Brin looked expectantly up at him.

  “I can try. I don’t know how it could be.”

  Unless your parents aren’t who you think they are. He thought to himself. Pushing back the doubt creeping into his mind, he focused on the task at hand. There would be time to ask why later.

  Brin stared up at him with such trust, part of his worry melted away. If she trusted him to do this, he would just have to do it.

  He loved how her red hair glowed, a fiery halo around her face as the light struck it. Her lips were still red and swollen, her skin flushed from their lovemaking. She was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

  When this was over he swore to himself he was done sleeping with a different woman every night. He was done searching for adrenaline wherever he could find it. There was something in her that made him want to stand still, stand still with her at his side. But that was a dream for tomorrow. He focused his attention back on the rune wall.

  He pushed his fingers to the wall to better feel the vibration, and instantly discovered he knew these runes. A part of him felt as if he had written them on the wall himself. It was like greeting an old friend, remembering something he’d long forgotten.

  He groaned as the magic in the runes flooded into him. He felt the power stretching from head to toe, searching for something, looking for its purpose.

  Aiden delivered the order swiftly, asking the forces of nature to find the golden tablets, explaining without words the imbalance that existed and his intent to right it.

  The magic flared, now full of purpose and with a wave of his hand he threw it in the direction of the lake. It flew from his fingers, invisible energy pouring out of him and plunging into the inky depths of Guatavita, in search of the tablets he knew lay there.

  His energy spent, he sunk to the ground, having expended everything he had left to perform the incantation.

  Brin knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in concern.

  “Are you okay?” Her voice was a mix of worry and awe as she crouched beside him.

  “Yes. There is powerful magic here. The incantation required much of me, but I’ll be okay in a moment.”

  She nodded, ready to ask her next question, when a sudden splash in the water silenced her.

  She gasped and spun around.

  She and Aiden looked at each other, their eyes wide as they stared at the water’s edge. Thick golden tablets lay on the sandy bank.

  Aiden groaned.

  He was both relieved and undone by the sight of the tablets. The fact that they were there meant two things with certainty – first, they would be able to save the mortals and perhaps even restore the wall, and second, he was at least half mortal himself and every moment of his life up to this one had been a complete and utter lie.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  I whirled around and stared at the tablets sitting on the bank.

  Aiden groaned in the background.

  I hurried to the waiting treasure, taking a knee next the gleaming golden blocks. We’d done it! We’d found the tablets. We could save Oren.

  My fingers slid over the smooth golden surface and something inside me sang with joy.

  The magic in them was pure, beautiful, untarnished. In it I saw the beginning of my mortal world. I saw the promise of Ed
en, the salvation of my people.

  The tablets glowed, rapidly warming my numb fingers.

  I let go, letting them sink back into the soft sand, wondering if it was safe to touch. Just as quickly as it had begun, the glow dimmed.

  I touched it again to see what would happen. It brightened again as my fingers grazed the surface, as if it were a cell phone I’d swiped to unlock.

  Weird.

  “Don’t touch it!” An unfamiliar male voice shouted the warning.

  I gasped, my heart leaping in my throat, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  I looked up to see a man emerging from the water in front of me. He was tall with golden features, his face that of a Greek Adonis, beautiful in its perfection, clear blue eyes, straight nose, full lips. A fringe of blonde hair hung around his face. He wore a white silk tunic with rough-hewn pants.

  Before I could ask who he was and what he was doing here, Aiden spoke from behind me.

  “Why are you here, Tristan?” He asked, angrily.

  “You’re in danger, brother. There was no other way.” The man spoke with the same accent as Aiden. I glanced back and forth between them, confused.

  Certainly they weren’t related? Was this the twin brother?

  Aiden was tall dark and dangerous. This man with his shining Nordic good looks was completely the opposite of him in every conceivable way.

  “What do you mean? Cerainly I’m in danger. We’re all in danger if Gethin wins. I don’t understand why you’re here.” Aiden’s eyes were stormy as he stared back at his brother in defiance.

  “He’s coming for the tablets.”

  Aiden’s frown deepened. “How could he know where to find us?”

  Tristan hesitated, glancing at me and then back at Aiden.

  “It doesn’t matter how. We need to go.”

  “What aren’t you telling me, Tristan?” Aiden demanded.

  Tristan looked resigned, glancing once more at me before he turned to his brother.

  “It’s your guide and his men. Gethin sent dark fae after them.” He paused, looking uncomfortably at me. “He was…able to discover where you were headed. They’ll be here any minute. We have to get out.”

  A knot had formed in my stomach, a feeling of dread creeping in.

  “What do you mean, they were able to discover…?” I asked, fearing the worse.

  Tristan glanced over his shoulder, worried. “The men were captured and tortured for the information.” He admitted, shaking his head. “There’s not time to talk about that right now. Come. We must go.”

  He pulled out a white satchel. It was only then I saw the canoe floating in the water. Silently, Tristan reached down and scooped up the tablets, sliding them into the satchel.

  Aiden growled.

  Tristan rolled his eyes and tossed Aiden the bag. “Don’t worry. You’ve earned the right to carry them.”

  Aiden caught the bag in one hand and put a hand on my shoulder.

  I turned to him, somber after the news of Arjani and his men. “Well?”

  He shook his head. “We must go with him. If Gethin’s men are coming for us, Tristan is right, we need to leave.”

  Several minutes later, the three of us were in the small canoe, rowing across the lake. I gasped when I looked up. Storm clouds were still gathered there, though no rain fell. There was a greenish cast to the sky and I shivered. It reminded me of the sky right before a tornado struck. The silence was deafening. The only sound I could hear was that of the oars slicing through the water.

  I sighed with relief as the sandy bank came into view. We rowed as close as we could get and hopped out into the tepid water, trudging the last few feet towards solid ground.

  “We have to – “Aiden made a strangled sound. I spun around just in time to see him falling to the ground.

  “Duck!” It was Tristan who shouted the warning, and just in time.

  I ducked to the ground as an arrow soared over my head, planting itself in the wooden wall of the viewing platform.

  “Aiden!” I shouted. He stumbled to his feet, quickly shouldering the satchel and glancing around for the threat.

  Three men were running down the shore toward us. Tristan and I ran to help Aiden steady himself, then we all turned to face our attackers.

  “There are too many of them.” Tristan said. “We have to try and outrun them.”

  Aiden nodded and took my arm, pulling me after him in the direction of the sandy path where we’d entered.

  My heart pounded in my chest as I ran full speed with them. I sensed they were running slower than they were capable of so I could keep up. “Isn’t there some magic we can use?” My words came out in a breathless plea.

  “We cannot use magic here. This is a sacred site. Only goddess made magic will work here.” Aiden shouted to be heard over the sound of our feet pounding the ground. We made the mad dash up the path towards the park exit.

  Aiden glanced over his shoulder to see how far behind our pursuers were.

  “Great.” I groaned. “How are we going to get away from them?”

  It was Tristan who answered. “The protection ends where the brick path begins. Once we reach that point, we can shift to Eden.”

  “Shift?” I shouted back.

  Aiden and Tristan looked at each other and then back at me before answering at the same time. “You’ll see!”

  Our attackers were gaining on us, rapidly closing the gap.

  An arrow whizzed past my ear and I found a little extra burst of energy. I ran faster. The urge to live triumphing over my weariness.

  As I surged forward, Aiden and Tristan sped up with me. Full speed ahead, we tore down the gravel path, knowing that one slip, one stumble, and we were dead.

  Dust swirled around us, clouding the air as we ran through the haze. I saw the staircase come into view. We were no more than a hundred feet away when Aiden grunted and fell.

  “No!” I shouted, but it was too late. Tristan and I turned to find Aiden standing still, clutching his chest. An arrow protruded from his right shoulder.

  Our pursuers would be upon us in seconds. Tristan and I ran to Aiden. I snatched the satchel holding the tablets off the ground. Tristan slid his arm underneath Aiden’s shoulders to support him. There was no way we were going to make it.

  “Stop. Leave me.” Aiden’s voice was tense and laced with pain.

  “Never.” Tristan replied.

  “Save her, brother. Save her and leave me.” Aiden ordered and then he lost consciousness.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  I spun around to watch the men coming for us.

  “Don’t you dare, Tristan.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He said. “I’m not blinded by love like he is. I can see you’re stronger than you look. Catch!”

  He tossed something long and silver at me. I caught it, realizing it was a long dagger with an ivory colored hilt.

  Tristan let Aiden slide to the ground and whirled with me to face our pursuers. We would fight our way out of this, or we would die trying.

  I got a closer look at the three men as they neared. A big one with a shaved head was nocking another arrow as we approached. I wondered what kind of accuracy he could get while running. I didn’t have to wonder long, as an arrow whizzed past my head, close enough I could feel the breeze it created.

  The other two men were shorter than the bald one. One had a beaked nose and dark, scraggly hair. His black eyes were set right on me. I thought I saw mocking laughter in his gaze. I shivered, widening my stance in preparation for battle. The final man had dark skin, short black hair and a large scar running across one cheek.

  Tristan whispered in my ear. “They won’t want you injured. Their orders are to take you prisoner. Use that to your advantage.”

  My stomach churned at the thought of being taken prisoner by these men. As they got closer, it was clear the bald man and the hawk eyed one were headed for Tristan. I braced myself as the scar faced man barreled into me. Channelin
g my martial arts skills, I used momentum to pull him into me and toss him onto his side, landing in a heap on top of him.

  Scrambling to a sitting position, I took advantage of his surprise and lashed out with my knife.

  He reacted swiftly, ducking to the side so I only caught his cheek. A line of red blossomed and he snarled with anger, tossing me off him.

  We were both on our feet again, facing each other in a crouch. He held no weapons, which was just as well. I was better in hand to hand combat than I was with a weapon.

  I’d taken aikido as a child. My father insisted that Oren and I should know how to defend ourselves. It had been years since I’d used it, and never against someone twice my size who was intent on harming me

  The man reached out. I stabbed the air where he had been, marveling at how quick he was. He backed up, staring at the satchel over my shoulder. He knew what was in it.

  He swung for my face and I ducked, kicking out at him in the process. My foot aimed for his groin. The muffled groan was enough to let me know I’d hit my target. He sunk to his knees.

  Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve to check on Tristan, I saw the bald man was down, bleeding profusely from a wound on his stomach. Tristan was fighting the hawk-eyed man. Neither held weapons, fighting deftly with their hands.

  I winced as Tristan took a left jab to the face. It was clear both men were tiring. Looking around for something I could use as a weapon, I spotted a large rock. Running, I dived and picked it up, sneaking behind the hawk-eyed man and bringing it down on his head with as much force as I could muster. He crumpled to the ground.

  Tristan shot me a look of surprise and I grinned.

  A movement out of the corner of my eye made me glance over to see the scar-faced man was beginning to stand.

  “Time to go!” I shouted, hefting the bag over one shoulder. “Can you carry him?” I asked, gesturing to Aiden.

  Tristan glanced down and grimaced at the still unconscious Aiden. He nodded. I helped him lift Aiden over his shoulder. We began a slow jog to the stairs. The scar-faced man started after us, shouting. I silently willed Tristan to move faster. We were so close.