“You would have still been the High Lord General, and he would still have been Emperor of the Elven Empire,” Deneene pointed out.
“Two positions compromised by a lust that should have never been allowed to get out of control. We could never have given each other the type of respect our positions demand from each other after. The trust we share for each other and our respective tasks would have been destroyed by the knowledge that neither of us had put our people and nation first as we needed to. It would never have served.”
“I could never have resisted the temptation,” Deneene admitted. She then turned and tossed a wistful look at Lariel and heaved another heavy sigh.
“You are in a different position than I,” Gabriella pointed out. “Lariel is your Life Mate, not a prospective lover you know you would eventually discard for something better. There is no comparison.”
“The feelings are intense,” Deneene whispered. She didn’t want to admit to her fears, not to this Elf. Only a short time ago, Gabriella Eagle Claw had stood in front of an Elven army prepared to take on a massive army of men intent on attacking the Elven Empire. She was proud and fierce. Since then she had dealt with her own Life Mate bond and shifted into a Dragon. Now she was sitting beside her and glowing with a light that signified she carried multiple life forms growing within her. Her petty feelings must seem to be those of a silly girl next to all of this. She was ashamed of herself and felt a need to gather herself together so she could accept her fate.
Gabriella reached out to place her hand over Deneene’s and smiled as she replied to what she perceived was this girl’s insecurities. “I doubt if there has ever been a Female Elf alive with Light Elven blood running through her veins that doesn’t feel insecure about bonding. It is something we all need to deal with in our own way, then learn to live with.”
“From everything I have heard about what happened over the last month, you had a lot to deal with,” Deneene replied.
Gabriella shifted, as she placed a hand over her still flat stomach and gave a wry grin before agreeing. “The curse of the Eagle Claw bloodline. With luck, you won’t have to deal with it. Your connection doesn’t fall in with the Tratchar Eden’s family line.”
“True, but it hasn’t stopped us from throwing quadruplets every now and then.” Deneene pointed out.
Gabriella exchanged looks at that, then burst out laughing. As the thought crossed her mind, she teased, “Play your cards right and our children could be getting into trouble together.”
Deneene choked, as her eyes grew big with the though, “Now that is a nasty thought. I used to get into so much mischief with my brothers, that I swear our parents thought we would never grow up and get out of that stage of our lives. It was fun though, and I wouldn’t have missed a moment of it. I would even go as far as to say I hope for the same for my own children, no matter how much it scares me now.”
“I can’t say I had the same option,” Gabriella informed Deneene. “Most of my life has been lived on the practice field. After a while, I learned to like it. Cambria made sure I managed to stay grounded. A young Elf needs to break loose from the mold once and a while so he or she can challenge the Fates.”
“You are so right,” Deneene declared. She then glanced at Lariel and noticed him watching them with an expression bordering on wistful surprise. She had a fair idea what he was thinking. The problem was, how could they manage to get past the point they were at now?
Gabriella watched the lost expression flitter across Deneene’s face and sighed. She could offer any amount of advice, but it didn’t mean it would be taken, or even that she should. It was, however, needed in this case, and it was better coming from a stranger than family. “It is never going to be easy being Lariel’s Life Mate. He is Emperor, and you will always feel you are coming in second. It is nothing either of you can do about, it is as it will be because of his position in our world.”
“I can handle coming in second to the Empire,” Deneene admitted, before confessing, “It was coming in second to you that really bothered me. A woman might hope to come in first to her mate, even if he is Emperor, but the reality is that his people and the nation must come first. It is the way of the world.”
“Coming in second to me would never have happened,” Gabriella assured Deneene. “A Life Mate bond doesn’t work like that and you were undoubtedly taught to think differently than what you are saying.”
Deneene had the grace to look ashamed. “I have been a fool, now I am paying for my stubborn nature. Lariel did everything he could to show me he cared. I lapped up the attention during that time like a love -tarved puppy, but refused to give anything in return. I couldn’t stay away from him though, and the last time I tried to spy on him, he was waiting for me. He caught me red-handed. I now know what it feels like to be held on a leash, even though he has done nothing to force the bond, I sometimes wish he would. It wouldn’t take long for our suffering to be over.”
“Deneene,” Gabriella sadly shook her head, “You are your own worst enemy. Do you realize this? If Lariel forced the bond, you would never come to terms with your insecurities. He has given you the right to choose. It is actually he who is on the leash, not you.”
“So my father and mother keep telling me every time I moan about my woes to them,” Deneene sighed. “My father banned Lariel from the Ice Lands and set the Blue Dragons on guard to make sure he couldn’t cross the borders. I have to admit, if I would have truly wanted to be free from Lariel, I would have been content to stay where he couldn’t get his hands on me. I think a part of me wanted to get caught in a place where my family has no control over either or our actions.”
Gabriella nodded, as she replied, “I am presuming it did you some good.”
“Perhaps, but taking the first step to cross over to him now isn’t going to be an easy one,” Deneene stated.
“Nothing worthwhile is ever simple or easy,” Gabriella warned. “Keep this in mind and consider crossing that bridge while it still exists.”
Deneene sat in silence, as she watched Lariel work with the healers and thought about what Gabriella said. She decided she was right. It was time to bring this farce to an end. If she were honest with herself, she had to admit the fight she was waging was over and had been for a long time. She wanted some normality back in her life, which meant she needed to take her place at her Life Mate’s side for real, and the sooner the better.
As Deneene watched Lariel, Gabriella studied her. She knew exactly when Deneene decided to bring things to a head and heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn’t only Deneene in need of a degree of normality. It was the entire Elven Empire. For the moment, they would sit back and watch the Grey Elven Healers work their magic on T’Harris. When they were finished, Gabriella would go to see to her Life Mate, while Deneene saw to hers. When the sun rose over the horizon in the morning, things would be as close to what they should be under the circumstances. They would then move ahead. What she did know for sure was no one would be safe until King Felix and his son were dead, for after she had killed one member of their family, the others would come after them looking for blood. What she was afraid of was there might not be enough in the Elven Empire to appease their wrath.
CHAPTER XXI
Even through his half-comatose state, T’Harris seemed to be able to feel the pain when they removed the quarrel from his shoulder. The healers had tried to minimize the effect it had on him, but there was only so much they could do. The bellow that came from him could be heard across the meadow, and the moment the projectile was removed, Anamara swung into action.
“King Gerolth, I want you to reinforce Emperor Lariel’s hold on T’Harris and add your power to his to keep him still. I would like one of the Guardians to each match with one of the Healers, so there will be no lack of energy. This is important. I want the Guardian with the most healing Talent to reinforce mine. To make sure he doesn’t move during the treatment, there should be an Elf holding each limb in place. I realize how crowded t
his is going to make things, but we have no choice in the matter if I am to do what must to heal him properly.
“I will serve as your source of power,” Tethak offered.
Anamara felt Tethak’s deep baritone flow over her like warm water on a cool night and stifled the urge to turn to see what this Elf looked like. It wasn’t a temptation she felt she dared succumb to at this time. Her senses were screaming a warning at her that she decided to listen to. For if what she suspected was true, she didn’t want to have to fight the lure of his essence at this time. She had to focus every bit of her attention on the wound she was about to heal, for if she wanted T’Harris to live to fly again someday she couldn’t falter. The entire Elven Empire was depending on her Talent and the expertise she had wielding it, for this was the Life Mate of the High Lord General Gabriella Eagle Claw, and they couldn’t afford to lose the two of them. It was a lot of responsibility, for she had noticed earlier that Gabriella was carrying four babies in her womb. If anything happened to him, they would lose all of them, unless she found the will to remain behind as Matrium had done during her time. It was a lot to ask.
As Tethak took his place behind Anamara and linked his essence to hers, she could feel his great power surround her. She then heard his voice in her mind vowing his full support and offering comfort. “I am here, I will not leave your side. Lean on me and we will do this together. You can count on me.” She knew it was true and leaned back against his solid frame. This was a man that would always hold true to his word.
Even as Tethak took his place to add his support to Anamara, the other members of the squad chosen to aid the others took their places. The moment everyone was in place, and the contacts were secure, Anamara stretched her power out to begin the healing process. Immediately, Tethak provided her with even more, thus surrounding her and T’Harris with his healing Talent. It was the most powerful power she had ever felt, and she assumed, he was supplementing what he offered with more energy from his Dragon. She had never felt this capable and sure of what she was about to do in her life. She could do this. She felt it with every bone in her body.
Up to the moment Anamara began to spread her healing Talent through T’Harris, the other healers kept his wound from bleeding too much. As she worked, they moved their influence closer to the edge of the wound in both the front and back of his body, for the quarrel had gone right through him. They were careful not to release him from the influence of their touches too quickly, for they knew that to do so would undo all the good Anamara was accomplishing. They could also tell her efforts were taking a toll on her, for it hadn’t taken much longer than an hour for her to break into a sweat. After several more, she was soaked, and Tethak was steadily feeding her energy from his Dragon to supplement what she was using.
Each cell that had been ripped from another needed to be sealed back in a way no scar tissue would be left behind to cause problems later. The healing needed to be lean and precise. This meant she had to work slowly. If it had been a sword would, she would have been able to work faster. The same went for an arrow, but it wasn’t. A sword was sharp; the wound it made was smooth compared to this. An arrow was small and the damage contained to a little area. Even a regular quarrel wouldn’t have done this amount of damage. This injury was enormous. When it had passed into T’Harris’ body, it had left jagged edges in the muscles and tissue. Shifting, although necessary, hadn’t helped matters.
It took most of the afternoon for Anamara to work her healing magic on T’Harris, and when she was through, she allowed her body to sink to the ground beside his. She was exhausted, and she could tell even Tethak was feeling the effects of the work she had put into the task. When she gained enough energy to double-check on her work, she did so, then rose on legs that felt like they couldn’t hold her weight. She would make them though, there were other matters she needed to tend to.
Tethak watched Anamara, as she struggled to get to her feet. He had felt the same sense of connection to her as she had for him earlier, although there was no way he could know this. As she tried to take a step forward to walk away from her place by T’Harris, her body wobbled and he reached out to lift her off of her feet and held her securely against his chest. She looked up at him, to thank him for his assistance and a light gasp escaped through her lips. He looked into her crystal blue eyes with green ones filled with the discovery of love and smiled.
“I am Tethak, formerly of the Grey Elven Kingdom. My father was King when I left to join the Guardians of the Empire, as were his forefathers before him. Now I see you and my heart is full, my life has more meaning than it has ever had, for I hold my Life Mate in my arms for the first time,” He spoke aloud. He wanted everyone to know his hopes and dreams had finally come true, and he had found the one meant solely for him.
“I am Anamara,” She introduced herself. “I am but a simple healer from the Elven Nation. I have nothing to offer by way of exalted ancestry.”
“You are a treasure more precious than any other to me. I can think of nothing I would want for, for you are my Life Mate and the keeper of my soul,” Tethak replied.
“I cannot believe my dream has come to me, especially at such a time,” Anamara noted. She then passed out from all the energy she had used, as well as the excitement of the moment.
Even as Anamara and Tethak were connecting, Ellora was receiving a message from her father. Both she and Anamara were to return to the Elven Nation by the fastest method possible.
Reaching back to comment to her father, Ellora argued against the move, “What you are asking is impossible at the moment. Anamara is in no state to travel after healing one of the Guardians of the Empire from a wound that should have killed him. Not only has she thoroughly exhausted her strength and energy, but she just met her Life Mate.”
“You have been given an order,” Amhiel stated. There was a stern tone to his voice that told Ellora she was not to argue. If she tried, there would be repercussions. It made her wonder why this was happening and why, especially now?
Ellora took the matter up with Emperor Lariel the moment Amhiel severed the link between them. “I have heard from my father. Anamara and I have been ordered back to the Elven Nation. I am guessing there is some emergency that only Anamara can handle and he thinks it is time I came back to report on what I have found out and how things are progressing. Accidents can happen, but they aren’t something our people are known for. We are very placid on the average.”
Lariel gave a curt nod and sent out a call to Seladair. The moment the Elven Wizard arrived, he was given orders to create a portal, and as Anamara was back on her feet by this time, albeit somewhat shakily, they crossed through as he opened the gateway. On Lariel’s secret order, however, he memorized the location, in case it might be needed for whatever reason at a later date. Something told the Emperor, he could only trust these Elves so far.
Tethak was returning to the spot where he had left Anamara with a glass of water for her when he noticed her leave with Ellora. He gave a cry of dismay as the gateway closed and would have shifted to go after her immediately, but King Gerolth ordered him to remain in his Elven form.
“Why?” Tethak asked.
“From what Ellora said, they have duties to perform in their homeland, as we do here,” King Gerolth answered. “I will assume a little patience on our side will have them returning in the not so distant future.”
Some niggling doubt told Tethak this wasn’t going to be the case. But, as Anamara and Ellora had been ordered to leave and he was expected to keep his head, he had no option but to obey. It was one of the most difficult things he had done.
Under the circumstances, King Gerolth knew the best thing for Tethak at this time was activity, so he ordered him to see to the moving of T’Harris to a better location. This needed to be done under the supervision of the senior Grey Elven Healer and he was being difficult. The Guardian couldn’t see anything wrong with the idea of wrapping his claws around the comatose Elf and flying him to wherever he n
eeded to go. The healer disagreed.
“I can’t see the problem,” Tethak grumbled. He knew better. His own Talent told him that while T’Harris had been put back together to the best of the healers’ capability, he still wasn’t fully healed. He was going to need care and attention, as well as the best the healers that the Grey Elven Kingdom could offer. Beyond this, he needed specialized strength, which could only come from his Life Mate. All he wanted was to get the task over with, so he could turn his full attention to hunting for his own Life Mate, for he had a feeling she had been lured from his side under false pretenses.
“You know better than to hand us this attitude,” the head of the attending healers spoke. “You are as strong in Healing Talent as I am and can feel the weak spots that still exist in your brother Guardian. If you want to fly him to the City of Torendal, to where Gabriella Eagle Claw has her home, you can. But, it will need to be done with the utmost of care.”
“We would prefer to see him moved overland to the Fortress, as it is the closest place where he can receive the proper care, but this would take weeks,” another healer added.
“So what are you suggesting?” Tethak grumbled. There was no way he was going to agree to spend weeks moving T’Harris, and he didn’t care how close they were.
“One of the Guardians should fly with Gabriella, while two more load him onto the back of another to be flown to the Fortress where his condition can be seen to properly. The two Guardians in charge of moving him onto their comrade’s back can hold him in place during the flight, the first healer suggested.
“The Fortress is only an hour from us by Dragon wing,” Tethak noted. “This shouldn’t take long.”
“Only it won’t be the Fortress where you are going to take him,” Deneene stepped in. She had decided the moment for her to take her place in the Elven Empire had come, and she was taking it. “You will fly him to the Palace in Torendal. We will see to his well-being there.”
The General Page 15