Nodding, he took her other hand. “I’ll protect you for the rest of my life.”
She wasn’t sure if her insides were going to melt or explode. Most of her life, she’d mocked people who acted as if boys were so important. She’d never understood the words girls had whispered about their boyfriends. Then again, she had been more interested in beating them with her sword than dating any of them.
These touchy-feely emotions she was having made her feel a little nauseous. They also made her feel happy. It was outrageous how important to her he’d become.
“I’ll protect you too. I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop Rincavornon from cutting your arms.”
She looked down at his clear skin and brushed her fingers over the place where the incisions had been. Wrapping her fingers around his arm, she held tight. Looking up, she shrugged at finding a question in his eyes.
“I’m just remembering how helpless I felt. I promised myself I’d kill him. It was quicker than I wanted to do it, but I didn’t want him to get lost in the shuffle or escape. I’m so sorry you had to endure that.”
This time he shrugged. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“He’s my father. Of course, it’s my fault.”
Brandalfr shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. Your father made his own decisions. You were being forced to do his will against your own. You don’t owe me any apologies. Besides, you avenged me.”
She blushed more from the look on his face than his words. “I suppose it’s what soulmates do.”
They laughed.
“Your mother and my father certainly seem pleased by this turn of events.”
“They do. Please don’t let them overwhelm you.”
“You either,” he added. “I’m beginning to think they know something we don’t.”
“Me too.” Then, she asked, “Are you ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“I don’t know. For whatever’s next, I guess?” She pointed her head in the direction their parents had gone.
Smiling, he squeezed her hands. “I suppose I’m ready for whatever’s next. We do make an excellent team.”
“Agreed.” Maezy smiled.
As they finally approached the tree, Maezy twisted her head to look at Brandalfr and asked, “You do realize we were both just saved by our parents.”
“That fact had crossed my mind.”
“If anyone hears about this, we’ll never live it down.”
“True. I won’t say anything if you won’t.”
Maezy nodded. “Deal.”
“Besides, they’ve probably told everyone for us by now,” he joked.
Groaning, Maezy realized he was right. “We’re going to have to save ourselves next time.”
“I’m kind of hoping there isn’t a next time. No offense, I’m all for an adventure, but this day has been brutal to my nervous system.”
“You have a point. It’s not as if I relished dying and then almost getting killed a second time in one day. Does this mean we’re going to have to be more careful?”
“Because we’re linked?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ve never heard of anything like this. True Love’s Kiss seems to put us in more danger.”
“Well, we can research it when we get home. I’ve never even heard of anyone dealing with what we went through. That can be our next adventure.” Brandalfr shrugged and grinned.
“I suppose dealing with our parents will be enough of a mini adventure for now,” Maezy said. “I highly doubt I’ve heard the end of my mother’s ranting on how I handled this situation.”
Brandalfr nodded. “It was a stupid plan.”
“Hey!” Maezy lightly punched him in the arm.
He grinned and shrugged. “What can I say? Never trust an elf.”
Sighing, Maezy shook her head at him. “You know what?” she asked, pausing right outside the portal.
“What?”
“I’m going to need a new sword.”
“I had a feeling you’d get back to that.”
“You know it’s difficult to cut off heads without one. Now, I’m going to have to break another one in, and it isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
“Maezy, your slight obsession with swords worries me.”
She shrugged and squeezed his hand. “I promise not to use it on you.”
“That’s good to know,” he said, rolling his eyes.
They both laughed.
Kissing her cheek, Brandalfr tugged on her hand, and they stepped through the gateway together.
Just A Reminder
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About the Author
Rebecca Reddell, aka Becky, is native to Independence, Missouri. She loves her family and friends, dogs and cheese, and random things. Most of all, she loves to read and write various genres. One day she hopes to learn how to really play the piano and guitar and learn every language she can. Until then, she hopes you enjoy her books!
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Also by Rebecca Reddell
Random Poetry
Random Poetry is an unconventional debut of collected poems meant to give you a little of everything to enjoy. You may wish for that soulful uplift, a little laugh, or an outlet for any emotion. Life is random, and sometimes, what you read needs to be random as well.
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Savor her eclectic mix of poetry designed to remind you of your first love, the heartbreak of loss, special memories of family, spiritual connections, the appeal of nature, and the expectations we have of life.
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Rebecca Reddell’s inspiration is to find the light in the darkest of places. Challenge accepted.
Excerpt from Random Poetry: Under LIFE section
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“Released”
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We all know what it means to begin,
to start over once again...
does anyone ever really know how to continue?
when there is rain,
when the storm rages on,
when the fury is released?
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Can be found on Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/rebeccareddell
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Here’s a Sneak Peek:
Second Kingdom: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Their only chance of survival is to kill the Beast King.
Decades have cost the people of First Kingdom too much. Their welfare is at stake, and they can't seek any help from the Second Kingdom thanks to their illustrious, invisible king. If only they could actually see him, they might be able to kill him and end their suffering. Out of desperation, the people of First Kingdom devise a plan, and for a full decade, they resolve to train assassins.
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Their children become the answer.
Roz is part of a team that knows how to wield a knife, shoot a gun, and take down a man with their bare hands. She grew up knowing what her mission is and has no qualms about killing the creature who caused her whole community's suffering. When another loved one begins to show signs of the sickness, Roz hopes their only plan will succeed.
Betrayal leads to an inco
nceivable alliance.
Double-crossed, Roz is left face to face with the Beast King. He isn't at all what she expected, and he isn't as easy to kill as she'd hoped. No matter what she does, he's always one step ahead of her. As time goes on, Roz gets to know the myth and begins to see the Beast King as more than a curse.
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Now, Roz has to make a decision: kill him and set her people free, or let him live.
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Chapter One
Roz jump kicked, turned to the right, threw a double-jab before hip checking, twisting the body around her, and throwing her opponent to the ground with a thud. Bright blue eyes stared up into her own as both gasped for air.
“Well done, Roz!” Captain Ralph walked forward and clapped her on the back.
She, in turn, helped her opponent up. Ice blue eyes shot shards of anger her way as she clasped wrist to wrist and pulled him to his feet. Shrugging, she let go of him, but he didn't release her at first. His fingers tightened until her skin whitened, and she bit her lip to keep from objecting.
“Very good, Leuthar. You almost had your sister. This time.” Captain Ralph chuckled as he clapped both brother and sister on the back.
Leuthar squeezed one last time, the bones and muscles retracting before he released her and led them from the training mats. His gate was long and quick as he went to the benches on the right. To the left side of the room, others stretched out in preparation for their own training session.
Captain Ralph raised an eyebrow at her as they walked behind. Shrugging once more, Roz sighed and swallowed. Her parched tongue reminded her of even more important matters.
Sliding between the captain and her brother to her cup of water, she took a few sips before looking around the room. Several mentors had their trainees around the mats enacting maneuvers of hand-to-hand combat. She recognized those she’d been training with since she was seven.
Nina, her best friend, stood across the room and tilted her head in silent question. Roz’s eyes met hers, and she shrugged. Nina blew her a kiss and refocused on her own training lesson.
“Stop besting me, Roz,” Leuthar's voice whispered from her left, as the captain turned to assist another student.
She glanced up at him and held his gaze before giving her signature move: another shrug. “I can't help it that you’re too slow, Leuthar. You need to practice more. I’m only doing what I’ve been taught.”
He continued to glare at her and shook his head. “Stop shrugging at me! I don’t wish to be bested by you. You’re my younger sister, and I have been practicing. I have two years more in training, and it makes me feel silly when you are able to take me down like that. I think we need to start training separately.”
“Perhaps,” Roz allowed, taking another gulp of her water.
Leuthar grabbed his bag and pushed past her.
“So, Leuthar angry again?”
A voice behind Roz had her react with an elbow to the midsection of this newcomer.
“Oomph,” the sound escaped Everett's mouth as Roz brought a hand to her own.
“I'm so sorry, Everett!”
Swallowing, he just shook his head and smiled. “A baby tap. You're blessed I was able to control my own reaction.”
Roz nodded, thinking of what might have happened if Everett had reacted. His broad, muscular frame would have inflicted damage. He was the only person she hadn't tackled to the ground yet.
“Perhaps he too wishes for this training to be over,” Everett reverted to the beginning of their conversation as he took a gulp of his water.
“Don't we all,” Roz agreed.
“Hey,” Everett nudged her arm. “Do you think he’s even there? What if he’s dead, and we’re down here trying to think of a way to take him out for nothing?”
“I’ve wondered the same thing. Has anyone seen the Beast King in the last few years? Or the last decade?” She sighed.
“Not from what I’ve heard. Your grandfather was one of the last to have seen him without retribution. I don’t think anyone’s actually seen him and lived to tell the tale,” Everett speculated.
“So, we could have been training for over a decade on a plan that will prove to be useless? How do we stop it then? How do we save them if we are wrong?”
Everett shook his head at Roz’s pleading. “I don’t know, Roz. If any more of our people die or the sickness comes upon them, we’re just going to all die out.”
“Did the others find any way out? Can we still not make it past the border?”
“No,” Everett shook his head. “The whole town is surrounded by trees and darkness. Every group we’ve sent into the woods to find a way out don’t come out. We can’t keep losing people that way.”
Roz nodded. “This has to work. I’m afraid of what we’ll be forced to do if it doesn’t.”
“Well, the time approaches. Captain Ralph said we’re near ready to follow through with our plan. We have enough recruits to go against this monster. We will finally be free.” Everett closed his eyes as though he were picturing that day, and Roz wondered what it looked like in his mind.
“Unless there is no monster, and we’re out of options and answers.”
“Roz, we’ve got to look on the bright side. I don’t know if we can survive otherwise,” Everett told her with downcast eyes.
She wondered if he was thinking of his parents. For their sake, for Leuthar’s sake, the beast had to be real and taken out.
“So, you believe the story?” she asked.
“You mean, if we find the beast and destroy the curse, we’ll live happily ever after?” Everett mocked.
“Yes, something like that,” Roz told him.
“I don’t know, Roz. Sometimes I think we’ve been grasping at straws the last decade. Building an army to take out an unseen monster that might not even be real? Maybe it’s all a big joke on us, and we’re not going to be the ones left laughing.”
“I guess we'll see. The meeting is within a week's time, right?” Roz asked, even though she knew the answer.
“Yes, and it can't come too soon.” Everett nodded and bent to gather his gear.
Roz picked up her own bag as well and walked to the doors with him. They walked silently, right leg, left leg, out the door.
The black sky above them was the same as it had been for the last ninety-nine years, or so, they had been told. It was the same sky Roz had seen for the last seventeen. Crops were very difficult to grow, but somehow, they managed to do so. The blackness had its own light, but they knew it was nothing like the real thing.
“What if this is reality?” Everett asked as the doors closed behind them.
“Black sky and sick crops?” Roz questioned and shoved her bag further up her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Everett nodded. “What if the stories of our history are just that: stories?”
“I can’t believe that,” Roz told him. “You can’t either, Ev. There has to be some truth in the stories. We have to find an answer before more of our community dies.”
“Why is it I feel as if this is going to be a losing battle?”
Roz reached over and took his hand. “Ev, we’re going to find out what’s happened, beast or not. If nothing else, the castle might have answers. We need those answers.”
“I hope so, Roz. I don’t think I can watch my parents like this anymore.”
“I understand,” Roz said, and she squeezed his hand.
“Are you coming over to visit with Nina tonight?” he asked.
“No, I better help out at home and keep an eye on Leuthar. I don’t want dad to have to do it alone.”
“Is he getting worse?”
“No,” Roz denied and shook her head. “We’re keeping an eye on it though.”
“Good,” Everett pulled his hand from hers and took a step back. “You know what you have to do, though, right?”
“Yes. We know. That’s why this has to work.”
“I hope so.” Everett sighed. “See ya later, Roz.” He tur
ned to the right, and she turned left onto the gravel street.
“Later, Ev.”
One foot in front of the other, the black-gold light guiding her, Roz made her way home. The roads were black pebbles now. After so many years, wars, and the shifting of the earth, the asphalt remained broken. Chunks still clung together here and there, but it was just gravel and dust beneath their feet.
“Hey!” a voice called out behind her.
Roz turned to find Nina running after her, feet crunching, and her bag bouncing in her left hand.
“Hey,” Roz returned as Nina slid to her side. “Are you finished?”
“Yeah, I was almost done when I spotted you earlier, but our instructor wanted to share another way of getting out of a hold. So, how’s Leuthar?”
Roz shrugged, and Nina hit her in the arm.
“Ow,” Roz joked and elbowed her friend back.
“Spill,” Nina commanded.
“You know what’s happening. We’re trying to keep an eye on him and downplay the instances, but I think the sickness is overtaking him.”
“It’s spreading, isn’t it?” Nina whispered.
Roz nodded and bit her lip. “I can’t imagine a world other than this one, Nina. I told your brother that we couldn’t believe this is it, but I’m really afraid it won’t ever change, and we’re going to come home and find our hopes shattered.”
“Nine decades is a long time to live this way,” Nina started, “but I believe what your grandfather told us. There has to be a way to get back to the world we once knew. I want to see the technology and flying vehicles.”
The Four Tales Page 89