The Crystal Wood (Half-Breed Book 2)

by Brittany Comeaux

  Varg watched as Milea held a green ball of light in her hands about the size of a human skull and slowly let it drift over his skin. The light sealed up wounds and soothed aching muscles wherever its gentle shimmer touched. He sat there shirtless, weaponless, and in his bare feet while Milea held the ball of light over his ribs and before long, he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with their current situation. Before he could stop himself, he let out a chuckle.

  “What is it?” Milea asked without taking her eyes off the ball of light.

  “We seem to always be escaping from cities and running into ambushes,” Varg replied, thankful that it finally didn't hurt to talk. “And one of us always seems to rescue the other.”

  Milea couldn't help but smile. “Then I suppose it's a good thing we're always together so we have each others backs.”

  “That we are,” Varg muttered.

  After a long silence, Milea then moved down to Varg's legs and ankle, and as she worked, Varg said, “I just can't believe that Alastor managed to not only murder his father and take over the city, but get all the guards to do what he says.”

  “Fear makes one do the unthinkable,” Milea said. “I'm sure Alastor still has the Shadow Hand at his back, waiting to strike down anyone who opposes him.”

  Varg thought back to the rotting severed heads at the front gate of the castle and suppressed a shiver.

  “And unfortunately,” Milea continued as she worked on his ankle, “it gets even worse.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “While I was looking for a way out of the castle, before I heard some guards talking about an intruder-” her eyes darted up to him at the word intruder, and Varg just shrugged and smirked, “--I found the guard captain's quarters. Sitting on his desk was a letter from one of the Eastwold camps, where they are preparing to march on Ironbarrow and take the city. They're planning to invade the rest of Fellen after that.”

  “Impossible,” Varg said. “Conley has the best armed forces in Fellen; it would be suicide for Alastor to outright invade Ironbarrow.”

  Milea finally finished healing Varg's ankle, and once her light went out she moved it around. Satisfied when Varg didn't wince, she let it rest on the ground and climbed to her feet. “I know, but we need to warn Conley and the King as well,” Milea said. “And that wasn't all I found.”

  Milea fished something out of her vest. It was a slip of paper folded neatly, and she unfolded it and held it out for Varg. He accepted the paper and read its contents. He then looked up and met Milea's worried gaze.

  “The 'key to the Crystal Wood?' What in the world could that be?” he asked.

  Milea shook her head. “I have absolutely no idea. I was always taught that only someone with elf blood can make it past the barrier. No one ever mentioned a key.”

  “This has to be what Jin is after,” Varg said. “It's too much of a coincidence.”

  “I thought the same thing. What are the chances that Jin is scouring Fellen for Elvish artifacts and we find a letter mentioning a 'key' to the Crystal Wood,” Milea said.

  Varg folded up the letter and handed it back to her. He then tried to get up, but instantly felt faint. He stopped and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get his head cleared, but Milea put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.

  “That's enough,” she scolded. “You lost a lot of blood during all that, so you need to just rest for tonight.”

  Varg sighed in defeat and lay down on the ground while Milea produced a piece of bread from her satchel and split it in half. She gave a piece to Varg and kept one for herself. She also helped Varg drink some water from the canteen and when they were both done, she lay by his side and soon fell fast asleep.

  As he watched her chest rise and fall, Varg began to remember his change in behavior when he was surrounded by the guards. It was similar to the morning they'd left Ironbarrow. He became overwhelmed by his sudden primal need to satisfy his urges. He'd brushed it off that time, but after two incidents of nearly forgetting himself and losing control he began to wonder what might happen if he could no longer fight whatever lurked inside of him. He tried to take his mind off of it, but despite his efforts it kept coming back.

  By the time he finally fell asleep, all he could remember was dreaming about the day he turned into the monster. He returned to Treasa's waiting arms, Cyrus and his gang ambushed them and he tried to lay his hands on her, Varg lost control and ripped them to shreds, and Treasa saw the monster he was and ran away, terrified. He looked at his reflection in the water and saw his piercing eyes, blood-soaked clothes, and vicious claws. He turned around once again to see the carnage he created only to see that something was different now.

  The same, bloody scene was there, but the bandits were gone. Instead, a lone corpse lay sprawled out on the blood-soaked flowers. He inched closer and closer to see who it was, and his heart stopped when he saw the mutilated corpse of Milea, staring wide-eyed and lifelessly at him.

  And that was when Varg shot up out of his deep sleep, panting and covered in a cold sweat.

  After taking his rightful place as ruler of Eastwold, Alastor made it a point to claim the master chambers for himself. He'd always envied his father of the finery inside, and the room offered far more comforts than his own chambers ever did.

  The master chamber consisted of two linking rooms, the first being a lounging area complete with a roaring hearth and comfortable couches and chairs, another seating area next to a series of bookcases and a desk that sat in the corner, and a dining area for private meals. The next room was the bed chamber, which was nearly twice as large as the previous room and featured an enormous bed, a bathing area, and the finest silks and satin in Fellen.

  Alastor stood behind the desk, which faced out towards the main seating area from the corner, and stared down the battered group of guards that had just returned from the basement. They had limped into his chambers smelling of old mead and hanging their heads like children who broke a window. Worse yet, the liquid they were drenched in seeped all over the floor and even the imported rug. Alastor made a mental note to call for a servant as soon as this meeting was over, when one of the guards finally spoke.

  “My Lord,” the guard said, “I regret to inform you that the prisoner and the intruder have escaped into the sewer. We tried to head them off before they made it out of the city, but they were long gone by then.”

  The guards watched Alastor, almost expecting him to grab the nearest person by the neck and snap it with his bare hands. He gave them a look that suggested that that option wasn't off the table, and they almost seemed to scurry away from his wrathful aura.

  “I see,” Alastor said at last. “Very well, have your captain send out search parties into the forest. Report back to me once you've secured the area.”

  The guards stared at Alastor as though he stripped naked and danced on top of his desk, then offered a “yes milord” before scuffling out of the room to comprehend what had just happened.

  Though under the normal circumstances, Alastor would have had their heads on a pike for allowing prisoners to escape, but this time, he couldn't help but smile. After all, they took the bait just as he'd wanted.

  Alastor stepped away from the desk and went over to the liquor cabinet, which was located across the room and near the hearth. He took a goblet from the shelf and poured a glass of wine. He replaced the bottle and though he was tempted to down the goblet with one gulp, he resisted the temptation and carefully took a sip, savoring every second.

  “I must say...”

  Alastor whipped his head around to see none other than the Serpent sitting on the couch facing the hearth and holding a goblet up to his lips. At this point, Alastor didn't even ask or try to figure out how he entered the room unnoticed.

  Jin offered a coy smile that sent shivers even through Alastor, and finished, “...you have some of the best wine I've ever tasted.”

  Alastor forced himself to relax and said, “Yes, I suppose it is
.”

  “You have taste to rival mine as far as finery is concerned,” Jin said. “I love what you've done with the castle, and I don't just mean the décor. I couldn't help but notice your display at the front gate. Nothing says 'obey me' like severed heads on wooden spikes.”

  Alastor shook his head. “Brutality can only strike fear in so many. It takes a truly terrifying ruler to control people's minds, to make them think that someone will grab them in the dark if they place one toe out of line and that they deserve nothing more than to grovel at your feet.”

  Jin twirled the goblet in his hand and replied in a rather bored voice, “Yes, that's all well and good as long as gets results. Speaking of which, did you complete your little mission?”

  Alastor folded his arms, irritated by Jin's condescending tone. If anyone else had spoken to him like that, he'd pin them to the wall with his sword. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, “If you're talking about the Wolf and his elf woman, then the answer is yes; they took the bait. My guard captain reported to me a little while ago that the letter discussing the plans to invade Ironbarrow were missing, and so it's safe to assume that they found it.”

  Jin smiled again, and this time, Alastor didn't try to hide the chill that followed. “Excellent. I knew that once he would hear about the tower's distress signal that Conley would send those two to check things out. Now they'll run right back to him and Conley will no doubt assemble his troops and march them towards Eastwold.”

  “Just like you planned,” Alastor said.

  Jin took another sip from his goblet. “Indeed, and I already have our other helper set up at his station. Once Conley moves into position, we'll be able to move forward with the plan.”

  Alastor raised an eyebrow. “You mean Greenwood? He's the very reason our first plan didn't work.”

  “Ah, but with a bit of persuasion, he's agreed to cooperate once more. I don't expect any further resistance from him since he made quite an enemy of himself of Fellen. He hardly has any other option but to obey me if he wants to obtain his power and influence once more,” Jin said.

  Alastor eyed him carefully after the way he pronounced “persuasion,” but wisely decided that he didn't want to know what the Serpent meant.

  CHAPTER 6

  When the highest peak of Ironbarrow came into view on the horizon, Varg and Milea picked up the pace and reached the front gate within the hour.

  Much of their journey was a blur due to fatigue and the stress of the situation, but when they both finally walked through the doors into the Great Hall of Ironstone Keep, Varg and Milea had never been happier to see Conley and the others enjoying a late breakfast at the head dinner table.

  Conley was seated in his usual chair that sat directly in front of the throne, while Catrina and Erril sat to his right and Oliva and Tain to his left. The Count looked up as the entered and immediately stood and called across the hall, “You're back!”

  Conley made his way around the table and walked up to Varg and Milea as they walked towards him. They met him at the fireplace.

  “So then,” Conley began, “what did you learn? What happened at the tower?”

  Varg and Milea exchanged a worried glance, then they both looked back at the Count. With a weary frown, Varg said, “Conley, we need to talk in private.” He then looked over to the table where the others were eyeing them curiously and added, “With everyone.”

  Based on this and their solemn expressions, Conley could tell that something was wrong. His expression fell as he grasped the severity of the situation, then turned to the others at the table and called to them, “Everyone in my study. Now.”

  “I just can't believe it,” Conley said once Varg and Milea recounted their tale. “It's bad enough that Duke Rainald is dead, but Alastor in charge of Eastwold? I can promise you that the King will not stand for it.”

  “Not only that, dear, but if he truly is planning on invading Ironbarrow, we need to be ready,” Catrina said.

  “Yes, of course,” Conley replied. “First I need to send a messenger to the king not only warning him of the threat, but also to request aid in keeping Eastwold's troops away from the city. If they take Ironbarrow, they can get to any other city in Fellen.”

  “That's not all,” Milea said. “There's also the letter we found that mentioned the 'key to the Crystal Wood.'”

  “I've never heard of such a thing,” Oliva said. “It's such a fascinating find.”

  “And it's no doubt what Jin has been after this whole time,” Tain pointed out.

  Milea nodded. “Those were our thoughts exactly.”

  “Well at least we have something to go on and we aren't just blindly searching in the dark,” Varg said. “Still, if we haven't found anything about this key yet, it's a safe bet that it isn't common knowledge even among the elves.”

  “Then how are you going to find it if only the Shadow Hand knows about it?” Erril asked.

  A silence followed as everyone thought of an answer.

  “There is...one way I can find out,” Milea suddenly said.

  Everyone looked up and stared at her, waiting for her response. She then cleared her throat and began, “Well, it's no secret that the Crystal Wood is sealed off from everyone who isn't an elf, namely humans. We know from history that there were some elves who lived outside the border; Oliva's family is proof of that. However, there were only a few elves who did not stay within the safety of the Wood, and they took very little with them. Thus, the only knowledge of elf culture, customs, and history that is available to the general public is what was lost to the centuries.

  “How Jin came by this information is a mystery, and one could argue that he only heard about this so-called key through rumors passed down generations. Of course, we know that he's not the kind of person who would chase after something unless he knew for certain that it exists, so let's assume that he's done enough research to have discovered that this key is in fact real and he needs it to enter the Crystal Wood. I doubt we can find out where his sources came from, but I can think of only one other place where we might find the information we need on this key.”

  “And where is that?” Conley asked.

  Milea took a deep breath, then answered, “In the Crystal Wood.”

  The room fell silent once more, then Varg said, “You want to go to the Crystal Wood? Are you sure about this?” He didn't think it was wise to bring up her past there, so he kept his mouth shut.

  Milea shrugged. “Whether or not I'm sure, it's the only viable option if we have any hope of finding out what the key is. I suspect that I won't be welcomed with open arms, but if I can convince the queen of the looming threat, perhaps she will see reason and offer me assistance.”

  “So then,” Conley said, “I take it you will be going there instead of staying to aid Ironbarrow?”

  Milea nodded, then said in a rueful voice, “I wish I could stay, Conley, but what if Alastor is waging this war to keep everyone distracted from Jin's search for the key? Think about it, with the rest of Fellen focusing on driving off invaders, the Shadow Hand can move more freely and not have to worry about raids on their hideouts or soldiers impeding on their inner workings.”

  “She's right,” Catrina said.

  “That's why I need to find out what Jin is after so we can find it before the Shadow Hand does. Besides, I have no doubt that all of you could easily defeat Alastor's forces, especially with Varg there,” Milea said.

  Varg wanted to protest, but all he could do was heave a big sigh.

  Conley then spoke again, “Well that just leaves the issue of sending a messenger to Whitspire. I'll call a meeting for the troops and request a volunteer-”

  “I'll do it,” Erril announced.

  “Absolutely not,” Catrina said.

  Erril scoffed. “And why not?”

  “Erril,” Conley finally said, “this will be quite an important, not to mention dangerous task. This isn't something for a child to handle.”

  “Neither is fight
ing a battle against bloodthirsty cultists, last time I checked,” Erril argued.

  “True, but you had others to help you that time,” Conley argued. “This task will be done alone.”

  “All the more reason to send me,” the girl insisted. “I can travel lighter, remain unseen, and get there faster than anyone else. We need someone to get help quickly, don't we? Besides, the king knows exactly who I am and trusts my word. Sending any old soldier could raise questions if they aren't known to anyone in the castle, even if they are wearing an Ironbarrow uniform.”

  Before the Count could argue again, Varg suddenly said, “She has a point Conley. Erril's proven herself more than capable of doing tasks even most adults couldn't accomplish. Why not give her a chance?”

  Conley sighed, defeated, then answered, “Very well. Erril, I will write a letter that I want you to deliver straight to the king. Do not let go of it until it touches his hands, understood?”

  “Yes,” Erril said.

  “Well now that that's settled, I will call the men for an emergency meeting and begin preparations for battle. In the meantime, I want the rest of you to get plenty of sleep. Tomorrow, the real work begins.”

  Conley soon departed and called his armed forces to a meeting as promised. While the others went to listen to the briefing, Milea opted to take a walk out in the garden instead. She always enjoyed sitting there in the peace and quiet. It almost reminded her of her happier days in the Crystal Wood, which were few and far between as it was. Nevertheless, there were things she missed about her homeland, but this was the first time in nearly a century that she even considered going back.

  Milea's thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of boots scraping on the cobblestone path, but she didn't have to turn around to know who was there.

  “Hello, Varg,” she said.

  Varg sat down on the stone bench beside her and said, “I don't suppose I can convince you to let me accompany you on your journey?”