by Erin Rhew
Beside him, Queen Sansolena touched his shoulder. “What is it?”
“When Vance arrived in Vanguard, a message awaited him from the Queen of the Outlands.”
Layla sat up straight, accidentally knocking her knees against the bottom of the table. “Outlanders haven’t made contact with Vanguard or Etherea in years. Right, Volton Mars?”
“Volton records indicate centuries, yes.”
Nash slammed his hand down making them all jump. “So why now? First that girl shows up claiming to be the Fulfillment, now the Outlanders summon Vance. It’s all connected. It has to be.”
Samson’s gaze jerked up, trained on Nash. “Mia.”
“We don’t have time for your games, Samson.” When Nash’s nostrils flared, Layla brushed his fingers to calm him.
“You said ‘that girl.’ Her name is Mia. And don’t go bringing her into this situation.”
“That girl,” Nash sent Samson a hard look, “is hiding something. I tried to get her talk, but she remained cryptic.”
Samson rolled his eyes. “Give her a break. She’s in a foreign land, being interviewed by foreign people. Of course she’s going to be cryptic.”
Sansolena held up her hand, stopping any further exchange. “The solution here is simple, Nash. We must force the girl to talk to us by performing an Alteration on her.”
Despite her pleasant Alteration with Wil and her newfound strength with mind guards, Layla still shuddered at the very mention of them. She had seen firsthand with Vespa how detrimental one could be. While Layla had no great love for this Mia, she also didn’t wish to render the girl incapable of independent thought.
Nash shook his head. “Mother, we’ve already tried Alterations. She’s able to resist them somehow.”
“Resist them?” The queen’s eyes widened.
“She said she’s part Vanguard and part Outlander, though she claims to have only lived in Vanguard,” Nash said.
Sansolena turned to Volton Mars. “Is that an Outlander power? To resist an Alteration?”
Mars set down his pen. His head remained down for several heartbeats before he looked up. “My queen, you know I can’t answer your questions.”
Nash scooted forward toward the edge of his seat. “Volton, your knowledge could help us. You must share what you know for the sake of Etherea.”
“My king—” Mars began.
“Please continue calling me Nash. The title of king goes to my father and brother, not to me.” Layla’s heart ached at the sadness behind his words. She glanced toward the door, thinking of Wil lying alone and helpless a few corridors down from her.
“Nash, when I became a Volton, I took a vow. In that vow, I promised to remain neutral and never reveal the secrets of any one group to another. I must keep my word as much as it pains me to do so.”
“But Mars, you’re like family to us.”
“I’m touched. You are like family to me as well, but I take my vows seriously. I cannot break them.”
An uneasy, nagging feeling, like she’d missed a crucial piece of the puzzle, pulled at Layla—the same tug her mind experienced last night with Samson. Something didn’t fit.
“You said Mia readily agreed to come with you?” Layla turned to Samson.
“Yes.” He cocked his eyebrow at her, as he often did when he didn’t understand her line of thinking.
“Why? Why would a girl jump on some stranger’s horse and ride off to an unknown land? It doesn’t make sense.”
“She believes she is the Fulfillment.” Samson shrugged and rolled his eyes like she should know the answer.
“Well, she isn’t.” The exclamation popped out of Layla’s mouth, from a place deep inside her, before she even contemplated speaking it.
Nash looked up in surprise and grinned. Across the table, Queen Sansolena’s hand flew to her throat. Layla looked away. She hadn’t yet reconciled her feelings about the Prophecy and her role in it…or had she?
“She’s right. Mia’s a Halfling.” She detected the tightness in Nash’s voice as he said the words. “The Prophecy doesn’t mention a Halfling.”
“The Prophecy doesn’t say anything about Halflings either way.” Samson’s mouth twisted with anger. “How do you know you aren’t one, Layla? We don’t know for sure you’re a full Vanguard. You just showed up on our doorstep one day. Besides, this castle seems to be a beacon for Halflings.” Samson shot a meaningful look toward Nash.
All his life, her brother had taken immense pleasure in challenging people, pushing their buttons to watch them combust. Layla heard that same pleasure in his taunt now as he needled. Nash grabbed Layla’s hand and squeezed, and she appreciated how he resisted Samson’s taunting. She knew firsthand how trying her brother could be.
“Layla is clearly Vanguard,” Nash replied.
“As you are clearly Vanguard?” Samson sneered, the side of his nose curling. “In all respects, you appear Vanguard, yet you are a Halfling. Mia is the same. So perhaps Layla is a Halfing too. We can’t rule out any possibilities.”
“Mia showed no signs of possessing unusual strength.” Nash’s jaw tightened, but he kept his voice level.
“Maybe she’s also an Ethereal. She seems to have Altered Samson’s mind,” Layla muttered under her breath.
Samson stood and leaned over the table. “What did you say?”
Nash jumped up beside her. She appreciated his support, but her brother didn’t scare her. In fact, she struggled to remain composed and not laugh in his face.
“Nothing.” She smiled her sweetest smile. Samson huffed, pushed himself off the table, and stalked out the door.
Nash’s voice rose over the slamming of the door. “Layla’s right. Mia agreed to come with Samson too easily. She’s here for a reason, and I will find out what it is.”
Chapter Seven
Layla
Two days later, Layla sat besides Wil and stroked his hand. Could he hear her or feel her inside his sleep? With her free hand, she brushed back a stray blond strand. Earlier, the queen and Volton Mars came to wash Wil and exercise his muscles, as they did daily. He looked almost angelic lying there all fresh and clean. She sighed.
“Tonight, Nash and I went out and talked to your people. Many were supportive, especially those who saw Rex and his men fight for us against Vance, but there were still plenty of skeptics.” She sighed again. “I hope we can hold your kingdom together for you until you get better.” Layla placed her lips against his ear, whispering, “You will get better, won’t you? My biggest fear is you are lost somewhere in there. How long do we give you before someone decides it’s been too long? Oh, please wake up soon.”
She bent down and pressed a kiss against his hand. One of his fingers twitched. She jumped up, peering into his face.
“Did you do that on purpose, Wil? Can you hear me?”
Layla waited for a response but received none. She let several minutes pass before she gave up and returned to her seat. For the last three nights, she and Nash had slept in Wil’s room, each sitting on opposite sides of his bed. Her neck ached from sleeping bent over, but she planned to do it for as long as Wil remained in this suspended state. She didn’t want to risk having him wake, if only for a moment, without being able to witness it. She would give almost anything to see his blue eyes staring at her just once more.
The door creaked open, and Nash slipped in. She turned to watch him walk, bone weary, to the other side of the bed. Dark circles filled the space under his eyes, and his body slouched, a far cry from the strong, able man she’d first met in the woods. Poor Nash bore the weight of leadership for all of them. She vowed to do more to assist him, to relieve just some of the burden from his slumped shoulders.
“How do you think it went tonight?” she ventured once he’d settled into his chair.
“Well, I think we avoided an all-out Ethereal revolt for a few more days.”
Despite his fatigue, Nash managed a dazzling smile for her. She flushed.
“I just do
n’t want the kingdom to fall apart under my watch. I promised Wil I would take care of his people, and I can’t fail him.” Nash turned to his brother. “I won’t fail you.”
“You won’t fail him, Nash. I thought tonight went well. Even with Wil on the throne, there would be as many detractors as we saw out there this evening. I think the overwhelming response was supportive.” She peered at him from beneath her lashes. “When I came here, I expected the Ethereals to run away from me in horror, but they didn’t. I almost think the Fulfillment had to be a Vanguard coming to Etherea because there is no way an Ethereal woman, much less an Ethereal ex-king and his army, would be well received in Vanguard.” She paused. “You know, I grew up thinking the most horrible things about the Ethereals, and almost all of it was totally unjustified.”
“Almost all of it?”
She flushed. “You know what I mean.”
Nash cocked his head to the side, a small smile playing at his lips. “I never, not for one moment, believed Mia could be the Fulfillment because you so obviously are.”
“I don’t know about that.”
They sat in silence for a while, both staring at Wil. Every time Layla glanced toward Nash, he appeared to have something to say but never spoke. She longed to force the truth from him but remained silent, waiting for him to be ready.
He heaved out a heavy sigh and settled back in the chair, his arms crossed. “I have something to tell you. But I don’t think you’re going to like it very much.”
Layla’s stomach clenched, the invisible hand of dread clutching it without mercy. “What?”
“I want to go to the Outlands.”
She dropped Wil’s hand in shock. “What? The Outlands? Why?”
“Since Mia stepped into Etherea, I’ve had a nagging feeling about her. She’s been interrogated many times, but she won’t give up any information. I know Wil is sick, and I know that Vance is a problem; but I fear that the biggest threat looms from a group of people we don’t know anything about. The fact they want to join forces with Vance worries me even more. If Vanguard and the Outlands rise against Etherea, we may fall. We can’t fight an unknown enemy.”
She bit her lip. On the one hand, she understood his concerns. She too had an uneasy feeling about Mia, and she wondered why the girl had come to Etherea so readily with Samson. However, the kingdom needed Nash. Wil selected his half-brother to be the acting king for a reason.
She needed him too, no matter how selfish the notion. The thought of Nash riding into a remote land to face unknown dangers terrified her. Layla had watched him ride away once before, not sure whether or not he’d return, and she didn’t know if she had the strength to do it again.
“The kingdom needs you. You’re the acting leader.”
“I know.” He rubbed his hand over his face, the action a perfect replica of his father’s. “I know I could best serve the people of Etherea by investigating the Outlanders. I’m skilled at slipping between kingdoms undetected. I possess the abilities of both an Ethereal and Vanguard. Mia is here for a reason. We have to know what that is, and I’m the most qualified to discover it.” His green eyes begged her to understand.
“You’re sure you can’t send someone else?”
He shook his head. “I’m trying to be the type of king Wil would be.”
Layla bit her lip, unsure whether to present the counterargument in her mind. If Nash took her comment the wrong way, a wedge could form between them. If she didn’t speak her mind and help Nash as Wil asked her, she would be negligent in her duties.
“Wil would do what’s best for Etherea. And Etherea needs her king.”
Nash drew back in surprise. Layla gnawed on her lip harder as she waited to hear his reply.
“I’m not Wil.”
“I know.” The flatness in her tone surprised her, and she hoped he didn’t take it as disappointment. “But you said you were trying to be the kind of king Wil would be. He would stay.”
Nash glanced down at his sleeping brother before looking back at her. “My title might be the very thing that gets me in the palace doors. The Outlander queen requested Vance’s presence, but they won’t meet for three months.”
“Three months?” Layla’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why so long?”
“I don’t know. Our informant couldn’t find out that information. But if I go there and talk to the queen first—as the king of Etherea, on behalf of Etherea—maybe I can persuade her not to join with Vance.”
“Are we sure she plans to join with Vance?”
“No.”
Layla sat back against her chair and crossed her arms, her posture resembling his. She tried to assess the situation from all possible angles, yet her mind kept coming back to one.
“What if it’s a trap? What if the Outlander queen wants you to come so she can hand you over to Vance or kill you?”
Nash stood, came around the bed, and knelt in front of her. He drew her small hands into his larger ones. Though she felt no current, his caress calmed her raging nerves. “But what if it’s not? What if I go there and save Etherea from a joint attack? I need you to trust me, to believe in me. You don’t have to agree, but please just support me.”
She withdrew one of her hands and touched the side of his face. With a soft sigh, he pressed into her palm.
“I’ll go.”
“Layla, you can’t.”
“And why not?” Her Vanguard pride roared up, strong and fierce. As a capable warrior, she had as much right to go as he did.
His green eyes implored her. “You are the Fulfillment.” His adoration shined with such brightness, she almost turned away. “All the hopes and dreams of three nations rest upon your shoulders. I can’t send you, of all people, to do this mission. If something went wrong, the hope of peace would disappear. I know it’s not fair to have that sort of pressure put on you, but that’s the reality we’re facing.”
She softened. He hadn’t been questioning her abilities, only protecting her role as Fulfillment. Layla felt ridiculous for assuming the worst about his intentions since he always looked out for her.
“What about your father? You trust him.” Though she’d begun to see the logic in sending Nash, Layla still didn’t want him to go. She couldn’t stand the idea of spending her nights worrying if Nash had lived or died and if Wil would ever awaken. At the same time, they had been entrusted to protect Etherea, so she couldn’t let her own selfish desire stand in the way of the kingdom’s safety. She blew out a frustrated breath.
“I can’t send my father. Vance’s men are all looking for him. If they caught him…” He shook his head.
“I don’t want you to go.” She bit her lip again. “What if you never come back?”
He stood, pulling her up with him, and collected her into his arms. She burrowed her head into his broad chest. They held one another with desperation, like letting go now meant letting go forever.
“I will find a way back to you, Layla.” He paused. “Please, I can’t fully explain it, but I have to go.”
She drew back to look at his face. Though exhaustion still dominated his features, Nash looked more alive than he had in days. Layla understood he felt called to complete this mission, no matter the personal cost. If Nash believed the Outlanders threatened Etherea’s well-being, how could she say no?
Chapter Eight
Layla
Layla handed Nash the last of his bags, watching as he secured them to his horse. An overwhelming sense of sadness gripped her. What if she never saw him again? Though she agreed to support his decision, she worried he might be walking straight into a trap. They knew so little about the Outlanders.
As she watched him work, Layla recalled their first meeting in the woods. His horse had been packed with as much care as the one now. Nash lived on the move. His active lifestyle defined him, molded him into the man he’d become. She’d known it when she’d met him, and she knew it now. A wild, untamed restlessness stirred within him.
Her blurry eye
d stare caught Nash’s attention. He tightened the last of the ropes, paused for a moment, and raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question. She forced herself to smile and handed him an apple, a wedge of cheese, and a loaf of bread—the same items he offered her the day he rescued her in the woods. A flash of recognition crossed his face.
“I remember these.” Nash chuckled. “Some hungry girl nearly ate everything in my saddlebag that day.”
“In fairness, I hadn’t eaten the whole day.” She forced herself to smile and engage in banter, to honor her promise to stand by him in this choice.
Seriousness replaced playfulness as she said, “My life changed that day…for the better.”
“Mine too.”
He stepped closer and hesitated a moment before drawing her into his arms. She pressed herself against his chest and stepped back to look at his face. She wanted to memorize every possible detail—his dark hair, his green eyes, everything. Nash kissed her on the forehead. The platonic display of affection left her dissatisfied. His conflicted expression told her he felt the same, but neither made a move toward something more.
“I’m ready.” Samson’s voice floated toward them from the other side of the horse.
Layla and Nash jumped apart, though they had not being doing anything inappropriate. Samson, a grin on his face, now stood steps away. Layla flushed.
“Don’t mind me.” Her brother smirked, leaning again Nash’s horse.
The steed whinnied and shook, knocking Samson off balance. His mocking smile vanished, replaced by a frown. Layla and Nash laughed, their previous moment of desire sliding away.
“So you’re ready then?” Nash nodded toward Samson.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’m glad you came to your senses and let me come along. I’m always ready for a good adventure.”
“You’re going because you’re the only one of us who is expendable,” Layla bantered. Samson stuck out his tongue, and they both laughed. Joking around with her brother made her feel like a child again, before the weight of the world fell upon her shoulders.