by K. L. Thorne
“Faye isn't the only majborne in the family,” Lori stated simply. She paused, feeling her stomach drop. “My father is also majborne.”
“It's a real family affair then,” the demon replied awkwardly.
“Did you know he was able to wield majick?” she asked, fiddling with a slightly frayed edge of the blanket.
“No. We had our suspicions, but none of our sources had ever been able to confirm it.”
“Do you think King Zelrus would allow me to stay with you when we get to Banesteppe if... If I agree to tell him everything I know?”
There was another long silence.
“I couldn't say,” the demon answered tactfully.
“I'll do it. I want to help you. I'll swear my allegiance to Zelrus if it means I can stay with you.” Lori felt oddly calm about her traitorous decision.
“That's... Wow,” Lephas replied. He sounded surprised.
“In any case, if Zelrus is half the demon you are he'd be a worthy man to follow.” She sighed, leant back and closed her eyes.
“You flatter me, Princess. My king is three times the man I am.”
“Not to me, he isn't.” Lori smiled, turning onto her hip to snuggle herself against Lephas's warm chest. She felt his arms and legs close in around her protectively and within moments, she was fast asleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Night had long since fallen and a bitter wind had picked up. Lephas rubbed his gloved palms together and tucked his face further beneath his scarf.
He and Lori lay entwined on the travel mattress, sheltering in a shallow bed of old, dry pine needles. They had tucked into the cliff face in an attempt to shade themselves from the icy breeze. Lephas hadn't lit a fire for fear of setting the whole area alight.
The princess cuddled in tight to him, shivering. Lephas gently pulled her heavy hood around her face and squeezed her small frame tighter.
Thankfully they'd had the foresight to get dressed before the warmth of the sun had finally sunk from view.
It had been a struggle, but by some miracle he had managed to squeeze Lori's gorgeous body back into her clothes without getting too riled up and without waking her. A true testament to her exhaustion, and more importantly, his self-control.
He sighed heavily, watching his breath spiralling into the sky before him.
It was a crystal-clear night and the vast expanse of the universe twinkled above him serenely. Uninhibited by the clear sky, Hestaesia's dual moons shone brightly. They cast a comforting and familiar glow onto the snow, lighting up the dark frozen forest.
It was a sky he was more than familiar with gazing into. Ever since he was a young boy he had be coming out to these woods, hunting and camping with his father and – in more recent years – Oriel and Haros.
It was the first time, however, that he had gazed up at that sky with a woman’s soft body wrapped in his arms. A woman, he silently admitted to himself, that he had begun to fall desperately in love with. The only other woman he had ever been as close to was his mother.
Lephas's thoughts turned to both of his parents and his chest ached with loss even after all this time. He glanced down at Lori, still sleeping soundly against him, wishing he could talk with them about his new relationship.
He didn't doubt his mother would have liked her. She had always been the sort to reserve passing judgement on a person until she had gotten to know them.
His father, well... Though he would have been sceptical at first, he knew Lori's bravery and fierce loyalty would have won the old demon over quickly.
He sighed, saddened that Lori would never get to meet either of them. Lephas gazed into the night sky and silently prayed for guidance. He had never felt like this about any woman he had been with before.
Lephas hadn't been completely truthful with her back in the hot spring. He remembered more of the bear attack than he had let on.
The moment the animal had charged them should have been the moment he realised he was in love with Lori. He had gladly stepped into the path of certain death for her. Lephas hadn't felt any regret for his life ending, only sorrow that he would never get to spend the rest of it with her.
The demon recalled her begging him not to die, not to leave her and though he had fought to hold on for her, he had felt the cold claws of death at his back. Unfortunately, there had only been so much fighting he could do with two thirds of his blood already spilt into the snow.
He had slipped away, valiantly swearing to come back for her and find her in his next life. Which, of course, was when he had been ripped with blistering force from the veil of the afterlife by Lori’s spell.
It had been more than healing majick. She had somehow managed to pluck him from the grip of death. Lephas swallowed, even with his limited knowledge of majick he knew that was supposed to be impossible.
If Lori was a non-majborne of the Goldwyrm family, he dreaded to think what her sister and father were capable of. He had never needed to speak with Raxx more urgently.
The faerie stirred in his arms, interrupting his thoughts.
“Lephas?” she asked groggily.
“Yes, Sweet?” He glanced down at her. The faerie still had her eyes closed.
“I want to go home.”
“Back to Awrelwood?” he asked, surprised.
“No... To your home,” Lori mumbled sleepily. “I miss real beds.”
“Me too, Princess. Me too.” Lephas laughed softly, trying not to jostle her too much. She sighed heavily as sleep enveloped her once more.
That was a pleasant thought. Lephas closed his eyes and tried to envision the small bedroom he rented at an inn back in Banesteppe.
He could almost see her there. Her beautiful face resting peacefully on the pillow next to his as the sun streamed through a crack in the curtains, lighting her golden hair like a lantern.
If he'd had any doubts, the ache of desire in his chest put them to rest. He so badly wanted to see Lori there beside him.
A lump formed in his throat. Their future happiness all depended on one person – King Zelrus.
∞∞∞
Lori shivered and woke abruptly. Her head was aching again, her mouth was dry and her bladder was full. It was a recipe for discomfort.
She squirmed, attempting to get comfortable and tried to ignore her body's requests. The faerie glanced across at the sleeping demon and smiled softly.
He twitched gently, deep in sleep. She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and earnt herself a string of half-mumbled gibberish. He looked so carefree and innocent when he was asleep.
Lori huffed as the need to pee grew almost unbearable. It was no good, she would have to get up… She glanced back to Lephas. Should she wake him?
No, she was loath to disturb him when he was looking so peaceful. Besides, he had already seen her peeing once that day and that was enough for anyone. Lori chuckled and rolled away before carefully easing herself up.
Although her legs shook, they held beneath her. She was recovering steadily - just as the commander had promised.
After pausing for a few moments to ensure she wasn't going to fall, Lori took a few wobbly steps. She sighed with relief. She was almost back to normal.
A good meal and she was sure she would be all set on the road to recovery. Even her appetite had begun to return to her, her stomach growled loudly.
Lori didn’t dare go too far into the forest alone. Though the moonlight shone brightly against the snow and illuminated the dark forest, it also cast eerie looking shadows. She swore they were moving in her peripheral vision but whenever she turned to look, they were still. The faerie shivered and wrapped her arms around her body.
She would just need to get far enough away that she could pee in privacy and then she would make her way back, as quickly as possible. She felt exposed and vulnerable without her demon protector. The faerie found a suitably thick shrubbery and hastily began to unbutton her trousers.
“Lori...” A voice whispered to her through the night.
A cold chill danced down Lori’s spine causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. She halted her fingers.
“Hello?” she called out into the darkness. Her heart began to thump in her chest.
There was no response. An owl hooted in the distance and the wind rustled gently through the pines. That was strange... She could have sworn–
A flash of movement caught her eye and Lori span around quickly with a startled yelp, leaping backwards. A figure! She was sure she had seen someone right there... She stared into the shadows, transfixed with terror.
“Hello?!” she called out again. “Who's there?”
The princess felt horror grip her and her eyes grew wide with fear. She was not alone out here. She needed to get away - now.
A hand struck out through the night and grabbed her.
Lori’s scream didn't even have chance to leave her mouth before a second hand was clamped tightly over her face.
Silently, Lori was dragged away into the darkness.
∞∞∞
Lephas woke just as dawn was beginning to glow on the horizon. He stretched, his mouth was clammy and dry. He wondered how long he had been asleep and rolled over to reach for his water skin.
His large body met with no resistance as he flopped straight over onto his stomach. Lephas glanced down at the empty mattress with confusion for a few moments.
Lori was missing from his side.
The demon sat bolt upright, glancing around hurriedly for the faerie's small frame. He was alone.
“Lori?” He held his breath, listening for the girl's response. Nothing.
He got to his feet, with his heart in his mouth, and stood stock still, straining to hear any signs of movement through the forest.
Silence. An early morning bird chirped, oblivious.
“Lori!” he shouted, uncaring when a desperate note crept into his voice. A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. Only his own call echoed back at him.
Where could she have gone? An uneasy knot formed in his stomach. The demon grabbed his pack and hurriedly stuffed their belongings inside.
Trying to put his panic to the back of his mind and fighting to remain logical, Lephas began searching through the deep snow for tracks. Several birds and a deer had passed through this way, but no faerie princesses. He growled with growing frustration.
“Lori!” he roared and his heart hammered in his chest.
How could she have slipped away from him so easily? He had only closed his eyes for a moment. Lephas ran a shaking hand through his hair.
The princess was in no fit state to be out here alone. What if she fell and injured herself? Or worse, she ran into another wild animal or her father's men?
“Shit!” Lephas swore, his chest heaving with worry. He slowed himself, despite the desperation flooding his body.
Look again... She must have left tracks.
His dark eyes scanned the snow, trying to see past the deep, messy tracks he had left behind in his wake when they had arrived yesterday.
There! He stooped to get a better look. Small, faint boot prints. They had almost been covered entirely by fresh snow fall, but they were there.
Lephas breathed deeply, trying to gain control of his nerves. They pointed back up the incline towards the hot spring. Surely, she hadn't gone back up there by herself, in the middle of the night?
He tore off through the undergrowth, uncaring when thorns and pine branches whipped at him. He hastily scanned the snow for more footprints.
“Lori!” he shouted again, cupping his hands around his mouth to aid in carrying his voice further. A bird startled nearby, wings flapping frantically as it fought to get into the air.
Lephas continued to follow the tracks. They were so faint, he could barely make them out. The girl wasn't walking straight, she had stopped and then looped back on herself, then...
Lephas swore bitterly under his breath, as he realised he had just spent fifteen minutes following a rabbit trail. The creature had been hopping at speed, giving the appearance of footprints in the snow.
There was a tell-tale disturbance in the tracks slightly ahead. This particular rabbit had been running from a predator. It hadn't quite managed to make it to the safety of the bushes before it had been swept up by some sort of bird of prey, probably an owl.
The demon stepped carefully back to the camp, determined to try again. This time he followed her as she turned back down the rocky incline, away from the hot spring.
Where had she been going? His mind whirled with possibilities but he kept his eyes trained sharply on the tracks.
Lori's prints grew steadily heavier and easier to see in the deep snow as she had grown more confident on her feet. Lephas was relieved that she had been feeling well enough to walk by herself, but it did little to settle the worry in his stomach.
As he tracked her, her footprints grew wider apart. She had been rushing, wherever she was going, before turning off into a dense patch of undergrowth.
Why had she--? Oh! Realisation hit him - she had gotten up to relieve herself.
Lephas span around, looking for more clues. The tracks ended here. The snow all around him was crisp, untouched perfection.
The demon glowered angrily. This didn't make any sense. He studied the scene before him again, praying to see something he had missed.
Lori had walked into the bushes and stopped. He could tell by the depth of her prints and how the snow was disturbed that there had been some sort of commotion... Then nothing.
The princess had vanished into thin air.
“Lori!” Lephas roared, blood pumping in his ears.
Had she been ambushed? No, she couldn't have been. Not only did Lori's tracks stop dead, but there were no others to be seen anywhere. The demon yelled with frustration and slammed his fist into a nearby pine tree, shaking snow free from some of the lower branches.
Where was she?
With nowhere else to look, Lephas tore on ahead. There were no tracks, but he couldn't just stand around staring at the snow. He had to try to find her. Never had he missed Karn's keen sense of smell so much.
“Lori?” he cried hoarsely and jogged on through the forest. A rabbit bolted from underneath a nearby bush, leaping frantically away from his heavy, thundering footsteps.
Panic began to settle into a heavy sense of dread at the pit of his stomach. He swiped his palm down his sweaty face.
Her father had captured her, he must have. She had told him he was a majborne - maybe the king had sent other majick users to retrieve her? Majick was the only thing that could possibly make a person disappear into thin air like that.
Lephas felt sick. If he stood any chance of getting back to Awrelwood, he would not only have to complete the trek back to the main road but he would then have to travel at least another day and a half on top of that to get back to the faerie capital. Maybe more.
He would never make it in time.
Was she even still alive? He shuddered. Lazuli's men hadn't been under orders to capture the princess, they were instructed to kill her. Clearly the king had no intentions of burying his daughter. She would be left out in the snow to be picked clean by the birds.
Lephas felt white hot rage flaring. He swore to all the universe that he would hunt Lazuli down and slaughter him personally if he even dared hurt her. Zelrus wouldn't be happy about it, but he would turn his back and commit treason to avenge Lori's death.
Her death. He shook his head, sprinting forwards. He couldn't think about it. He had to keep looking.
“Lori?!”
The sun had risen and the rosy morning light sparkled on the snow's surface like diamonds. Lephas paid no mind, just continued to hunt relentlessly.
After an hour or more of running through the forest in blind panic, the demon pulled himself up. His chest heaved and he leant an arm out to steady himself on a nearby tree.
Lephas dropped a shoulder and removed his pack to untie his water skin, only to find the container mysteri
ously absent.
Shit... He had left the water skin back at the camp.
Lephas admitted defeat, his head slumped forwards and sweat stung his eyes. He would have to go back for it, he would never survive out here without water. Besides, the faerie and whoever had taken her hadn't come this way. Maybe he would have more luck re-tracing his steps.
He turned back on himself, trudging wearily through his own tracks. Maybe Lori had somehow made it back to the camp and would be awaiting his return?
Despite his better judgement, Lephas felt his pace increasing. It was a long shot, but he had to cling onto any hope he could muster.
It took him longer than he had thought, following himself back the way he had come. Lephas hadn't realised he had run so far, though his aching muscles and the sweat that coated him should have been a giveaway.
The demon powered on, fuelled only by his desperate attempt to believe Lori might still be somewhere nearby.
“Lori!” he shouted. Nothing.
He walked on further. The snow grew slightly sparser and he began to recognise his surroundings. He was getting closer to the hot spring once more.
“Lori!”
“Lephas?” It was faint, but he had heard her. The demon broke into a sprint. The undergrowth sliced at him but he pushed on uncaring.
He skidded to a halt, listening intently. An old pine creaked and the wind gently blustered through the branches.
“Lori?!” he called out again, ears straining for a response. Sounds of nature were all that met him.
Lephas shook himself. He was certain he had heard–
“Lephas!”
“Lori!” he roared in response. She was closer this time. He span off in the direction her cry had echoed from.
The commander powered onwards, almost unbelieving when he heard her call for him again.
“Lephas!” The faerie's voice was getting clearer still.
That was when he caught sight of her. The demon's heart stopped. Lori stood far in the distance, knee deep in snow. Her beautiful blue eyes were scanning the horizon, looking for him.