Bound to the Elvin King

by Lisa Kumar

  Another possibility could be she was blocking him through the bond, and was still in the palace. But while there were ways to do this, she couldn’t possibly know of them. Any hope that had flared to life within his chest stuffed itself out.

  “We’ve swept the area around her chamber,” Jocin said. “There’s no sign of her.”

  “Have you checked the passages?” In case of the minuscule chance she was blocking him.

  Jocin stilled, understanding for Talion’s words clearly written on his face. “She knows of those?”

  Talion ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, fool that I am. I never imagined she’d use them to evade her guard”—a bitter laugh welled up—“and me, but after this morning’s announcement, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” By the great Green Mountains above, had he driven her away?

  Batin laid a comforting hand on his arm. “She’s still probably in the palace. We’ll find her.”

  Talion gave him a tight smile. Though his heart didn’t lighten, he remembered why he’d assigned these three to Maggie. Not only were they strong soldiers, but they also served him loyally while managing to offer up their friendship. “Thank you, old friend, but I don’t sense her within the palace. Unless she’s learned how to block me, I fear she’s not on palace grounds.”

  Batin’s mouth formed an O before he appeared to gather himself. “That does complicate matters, then.”

  Everything with Maggie was complicated. “While I don’t want it to be known publicly we’ve misplaced the queen, as many sentries and sentinels as possible should scour all portions of the palace grounds and Eriannon to see if they can find a trace of our queen.”

  Jocin nodded. “It will be done. Leave that to us, Your Majesty.”

  Talion sighed and ran a hand down his face, his mind threatening to spin into total chaos. “I will. Now I have to gather my trusted advisors and inform them of this latest happening. Please keep me posted of any developments, and I’ll do the same on my side.”

  The royal guard bowed and walked away. Talion watched them go, despair battling for a firm hold on his heart. He hoped to the Mist they’d find her in the palace, but his commonsense warned him the possibility didn’t exist. If his instincts were right, then the enemy had her, thanks to a traitor in the palace. Scouts would have to be sent out farther afield than Eriannon to see if they could discover any enemy trail, and the palace made ready for any messengers who might bring word about her.

  Talion’s hands fisted helplessly at his sides for a moment before he straightened his shoulders. Though his stride was resolute as he went to retrieve his most trusted council members, an almost physical sickness dogged his every step. But that was the least of his problems. His sanity was in a far more precarious position because the maddening sensation tickling his mind would only get worse if they couldn’t find Maggie. And if they didn’t find her alive….

  A shiver licked his spine. He’d be a quivering lump of flesh incapable of rationality if he kept up this line of thought. And the Mist knew, it might be his fate anyway.

  In every way, there was no life for him without Maggie.

  ***

  The newcomer gave a feral grin and walked to the bottom of Maggie’s bed. An insane light that glinted in his gray eyes shone in the lamplight. “No one has told you about me?”

  She opened and closed her mouth. Hope deflated. It wasn’t Talion. The elf before her had a craziness about him that Talion lacked, thank God. And though their appearances were similar, their bone structure did differ slightly.

  The Talion look-alike pouted. “I see not. How could my dear brother never mention me?”

  “Brother?” she asked faintly.

  “Oh, this is just too delicious.” He clasped his hands together in front of him and waggled his brows. “Talion is my brother. Of course, he pretends I no longer exist. Well, except when he tries to have me killed.” He tsked and something like pain ghosted across his face. “Which is not very kind of him.”

  Maggie shook her head, trying to clear out the chaos. Talion had a brother? It had to be true. They were too much alike. That had to make them brothers, right? But then, Eamon and Relian could pass for brothers and were merely cousins.

  Unless elves had a magic means of altering their appearance, which she was pretty sure they didn’t, Talion had a brother and never told her. Another wave of betrayal washed over her. Had the bastard told her anything? Sure, his brother was apparently on the wrong side of the law and Talion wanted nothing to do with him, but how could he have not told her?

  Some sarcastic part of her asked, Just like you told him about your parents? A little guilt crept into her thoughts, but she pushed it out. Their situations were different. Her parents weren’t here and working for the enemy.

  Talion’s brother rocked back and forth on his heels, humming. Mistrust and wariness twined together in her heart. Being stuck with evil and insane elves did nothing for her nerves. But was this elf more insane than malicious? Something about him gave her pause. There was a troubling wrongness about him, but he didn’t necessarily seem evil. The discord she sensed within him seemed somehow familiar. Where had she seen it before?

  “Dear sister, I never had you pegged for being this quiet. The rumors about your loquaciousness must be false.”

  She licked her dry lips. “Sorry I’m not very talkative right now. Being kidnapped and held captive will do that.”

  He nodded his head solemnly. “That it will. And since you’ve been gone for less than six hours, you haven’t become acclimated to us.”

  “Don’t tell the human anything,” Eamon spat.

  A mocking smile curved the other elf’s lips. “It’ll be fine. She is, as you say, a human and a prisoner at that.”

  Maggie somehow thought that sardonic grin was aimed more at Eamon than at her. Maybe a jibe at Eamon? If she wanted to get out of here alive, she had to keep her eyes open for anything that might help her. But more important right now was trying to figure out where she was. So it’d been less than six hours since she’d been taken?

  How many miles from Eriannon could she be? Hopefully, not too many. Could Talion— Excitement built in her chest, only to quickly die. No, scratch that. Avrin said the tracking and sensing effects of the bond only worked over close distances. So no help on that front. Damn it, why couldn’t the bond actually be useful for a change?

  She frowned at Talion’s brother. “I don’t want to become used to you. Not that it matters, but what’s your name?”

  “How remiss of me!” He bowed with a flourish. “I am Andrian.”

  Andrian. Where had she heard that— Then it struck her. After Relian had come back unharmed from a battle with the darkindred, she and Cal had been standing outside the open door of Talion’s study when mention of that name had made it to them. Of course, when Talion realized they were there, he’d cut off his sentence. Apparently, Andrian was the family’s biggest kept secret because she was sure Cal didn’t know about him, either.

  “I would say it’s nice to meet you, but it’s not,” she said.

  Andrian turned to a scowling Eamon. “I like this one. Why can’t all your hostages be so delightful?”

  “You’re just like your worthless brother. What is it about the human that fascinates both of you so?”

  Andrian shrugged. “She’s different, and I enjoy that.”

  Longing dug deep into Maggie’s bones until she was nearly ill with it. He sounded so much like Talion right now.

  Eamon spat on the floor. “Bah, what are you? A dirty human lover or the captain of my army?”

  “You know what I am all too well.” Andrian’s low utterance barely made it to Maggie’s ears.

  “I’m not sure.” Eamon sent a nasty smirk to the other elf. “You could turn traitor like your brother.”

  In a flash, Andrian was next to Eamon and slammed him back against the wall, wrapping his hands around the dark-haired elf’s neck. “Say that again, Corruptor, and I’ll put my fist thr
ough your heart.”

  The breath froze in Maggie’s airways. Wow, talk about animosity exploding in front of her. Which portion of Eamon’s sentence had set Adrian off, and what was the “corrupter” part about?

  Eamon’s fingers scrambled at the hands around his neck. Maggie could only hope Andrian strangled the bastard.

  “You and your people will pay if you don’t release me right now,” Eamon croaked out.

  Andrian released him, shoving him toward the center of the room. Eamon went sprawling to the stone floor, not too far from her bed.

  Andrian strode to him and stared at the elf on the ground. Maggie flinched. The gray of Andrian’s eyes was gone. Instead, yellow colored his irises. Yellow? That signified something important, didn’t it? It only took a moment for her to remember just what that was, and her stomach plummeted through the bed.

  She covered her mouth with a shaking hand. The darkindred. Andrian was a darkindred. She didn’t know very much about them other than they were at war with the Erians. Well, and what little Cal had told her after she learned it from Relian. But Cal definitely said they had yellow eyes, which only the older ones could supposedly disguise for a time.

  Andrian’s hands fisted at his sides. “I know I’ll pay. I’ve been paying since day one.”

  The other elf picked himself up, glowering at Andrian. “You forget yourself, darkindred.”

  Maggie gulped. That confirmed her suspicions.

  “I forget nothing. Nothing.” Andrian’s posture still threatened violence.

  “You seem lax in remembering who keeps your people alive.”

  Andrian tossed his long blond hair over one shoulder. “I keep them alive.”

  “By my grace and good nature.”

  A bark of laughter left Andrian’s throat. “What good nature?”

  “I made you captain of your people, and I can easily take that position away. You know you can’t do a damn thing about it.”

  Instead of getting angry as Maggie suspected, Andrian laughed in Eamon’s face. “Idle threats. You haven’t lived up to any of them yet.”

  Watching the volley of responses going back and forth made Maggie dizzy. What the hell were they talking about? Andrian was some kind of captain over the darkindred army? And Eamon had appointed him? If that were true, it would make Eamon the possible leader of the darkindred. How messed up was that, and was Eamon a darkindred himself?

  A small smirk lifted the corners of Andrian’s mouth. “You’re giving away all our secrets, o’ mighty leader.”

  Eamon did a complete turnaround of his prior stance. “We don’t have to worry much about the human. She won’t be talking to anyone.”

  Oh, she wouldn’t? Eamon was too cocky. Talion would send someone to rescue her. Once free, she’d spill all the secrets she’d just heard. And Eamon’s butt would fry.

  She must’ve made a dismissive noise because Jerk Face loomed threateningly over her.

  “I normally don’t torture women, but in your case, I might make an exception,” Eamon said.

  Andrian stepped between her and the other elf. “Now, now. I can’t allow you harm our collateral yet.”

  Yet? Did Andrian really mean that, or was he just playing along with Eamon like she suspected—or at least hoped? His blank expression revealed nothing.

  Eamon smiled hatefully. “She need only be in one piece and alive.”

  Talion’s brother shrugged. “Call it a misplaced sense of chivalry, but I don’t enjoy women being hurt.”

  “A darkindred with a moral conscience?” Eamon raised a dark brow. “Who knew?”

  “I lost that a long time ago, but I guess most anyone would appear moral next to you. Congratulations.”

  The grin faded from Eamon’s face. “You better learn to control your tongue, or you’re liable to lose it.”

  “And who would take it? You?”

  Eamon didn’t reply and merely sent the other elf a dirty look before spinning on his heel and stalking to the door. Once at the exit, he turned around and said, “Captain, make sure the door is guarded at all times. Your life, and those of your darkindred, rely on it.” With that, he slammed the door shut.

  “Ooh, a threat, a threat, so many threats,” sang Andrian in a barely audible tone.

  Wariness caused Maggie to watch him closely. One moment he seemed cogent and then batty. Not a good or reliable combination.

  With alarming swiftness, he whirled around to face her. The crazy gleam in his eyes faded away as he studied her. “What are we going to do about you?”

  ***

  Talion paced his study, only stopping when he stood in front of Avrin. “You’re sure the informants had no other information on Morson and Aaeson?”

  “They were thorough during our debriefing session,” Avrin said patiently, as he had been for the last half hour. “Morson still seems as loyal as ever, even though humans aren’t on his list of favorite species.”

  Kenhel snorted. “Elves barely make that list, so I’m not surprised.”

  Talion paused before his desk and straightened some papers before he realized what he was doing. With a sigh of contempt, he dropped them back down to the desk, where they scattered across the smooth wood surface. “We need to be doing something. Now.”

  Relian sighed. “We are. More reports will be filtering in. Just wait a few more minutes. I know you want to go out there looking for her, but we need additional information before we have you gallivanting around the country.”

  Damn Relian’s rationality. He couldn’t argue against it. The feel of everyone’s gaze in the room set his nerves to screaming. What? They’d never seen a king go insane before? Well, they had prime seats for it now. Though he’d vowed to stay levelheaded, he was failing that promise fast.

  He stalked to the window behind his desk and stared blankly out of it. The darkness of midnight mirrored his mood and his heart. There’d been no sign of Maggie in the palace, and all the spies had no information, at least not on this matter. And right now, this was the only matter about which Talion cared. The darkindred could be tearing down his palace, and he’d barely notice.

  Fury clashed with feelings of powerlessness until he thought he’d explode from the internal battering. He gripped the sill of the window until his fingers lost all sensation. Did Eamon have Maggie? Or did the darkindred? Or some other person or group he hadn’t even thought of? With a surety that seemed to flow through his veins, he’d come to the conclusion she hadn’t run away or willingly left the palace. A worried Cal had also bolstered this belief, assuring him even Maggie wouldn’t do something as harebrained as leave.

  She’d been gone less than a day, yet it felt like the longest century of his life. Why hadn’t he checked her location when he—

  A knock on the door sounded. Talion startled, jumping a few feet away from the window, and spun to face this newest messenger.

  Kavlin the sentry held the door for one of Kenhel’s captains and announced, “Your Majesty and my lords, Captain Simmon is here with an update.”

  Talion growled low in his throat, drawing everyone’s attention except for Kavlin’s. His gaze flitted everywhere around the room without once landing on Talion. Hadn’t the idiot understood that no introduction was needed during this time? Talion had only told him about five times already. Damn it all, they all knew each other, and didn’t have time for this formality.

  “Go now,” he barked at Kavlin. “And let us get the door from now on.”

  “Yes, Your—”

  “And if you value your life, leave off with the formalities.” Talion fingered the sword at his hip. He’d buckled it there in case he needed to leave at a moment’s notice. “I don’t have the time or patience to deal with them.”

  The other elf turned pale but thankfully didn’t utter one word before he left the room.

  Talion swung to face Simmon, who seemed to shrink back. What was wrong with his men today? Talion sent the ninny a thunderous scowl. “Now, you, what news do you have?�
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  Simmon blinked but managed to blunder out some words. “A—all of Eriannon has been searched again, with no sign of her majesty. We also combed through all the towers and wings in the palace, even the secret tunnels, for a second time.”

  The air huffed out of Talion’s lungs as a terrible feeling of unreasonableness gripped him. “They’re not so secret anymore.”

  “N—no, I guess not, Your Majesty, though only my small contingent of men know about—”

  Kenhel interrupted the captain, all the while keeping a close watch on Talion. “Simmon, thank you for your update. You may go.”

  “Yes, Commander.” Simmon bowed quickly and left without a backward glance, his pace practically a run.

  As soon as the door shut, Kenhel rounded on Talion. “You’re scaring our poor men.”

  “Men?” Talion snorted. “They found nothing, and you call them men?”

  Relian stepped up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Father, they’re doing their best. We all are.”

  Talion shrugged off Relian’s hand, not wanting to feel anyone’s touch but Maggie’s. “Well, your best isn’t good enough.”

  His son’s lips thinned. “Be that as it may, we’re all working nonstop to ensure Maggie’s safe return.”

  Maggie. The sound of her name bored a hole through his heart. Right now unthinkable things could be happening to her. The shaky hold he had over his fury and fear snapped, along with his resolve to stay clearheaded. He slammed his hand against the nearest wall, wanting to tear something apart. But the stone was unyielding, and he only earned bruised and bleeding knuckles.

  Shaking off the pain, he gazed around for an easier target. His chair. He stalked to it and hoisted the chair above his head, sending it sailing through the air. The wood splintered nicely against the stone, and he smiled in grim satisfaction, even as the madness gained another inch.

  All the belongings on his desk were next. Papers ripped, books slammed against the cream-and-silver-colored walls, pens shattered under his hands. He tore the tapestries from the walls and the curtains from the windows. But nothing eased the ache. In the background, muted voices yelled his name. He ignored them.