Merryth paused. “You would have?”
“Of course! I never wanted to be queen.”
Merryth’s face was a mix of confusion and despair, but then her face darkened again. “That isn’t how it works, and you know it.”
“Says who? As far as I’m concerned, we were the ones writing the rules, and if we said you were to be queen, then that’s how it would have been. Father would have supported us.”
Her sister wore a look of desperation. “It’s too late now—it’s been a thousand years.”
“It became too late the second I abdicated the throne.”
“You what? I—I don’t believe you!” Merryth shrieked in anger and sprang at her. Their swords met and flashed, both of them using their magic to speed their movements. “You gave up the throne? That was our blood right—our inheritance. Nothing mattered more than that.”
“There are lots of things that matter more,” Kiersten countered. “Family. Love.” They hadn’t sparred in a thousand years, but the steps and thrusts came back to her as if it were yesterday. “It didn’t matter that much to you, or you would have stayed to claim it.”
“I trusted you to keep it,” her voice was high and low at once. “You gave away our honor. That necklace you wear means nothing now.”
“It’s my memory of our mother. It means everything to me.”
Merryth’s face went from red to white and her eyes grew colder.
Kiersten tried to fight with a sword against the rage in her sister’s eyes, knowing it to be an impossible battle. At the same time, she avoided Durstin’s gaze, afraid of what she would see in his expression.
The past was finally catching up with her—in almost every way possible.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t ruin her future.
Chapter Seven
Durstin
Durstin stood well away from his wife who was not his wife and the guardian. From the moment they had begun speaking elvish, his head had begun to spin.
This Kiersten was someone else, someone he didn’t know.
Then the elf charged her, and he wasn’t certain whose side he should be on. Their footsteps were lithe as they jumped from place to place, using techniques and parries he’d never seen before. Their blades flashed and sang with their quick thrusts and solid blocks, and he reluctantly admired the rare display of skill. He honestly couldn’t tell who was the better swordswoman.
And he was certain his wife had never been this good with a sword.
He wished he understood their words because it was obvious they knew each other. As they fought, the anger between them seemed to swell and spark, growing more intense with each exchange.
The guardian, who was clearly driven by deeper emotions, began to get the upper hand. When she nicked Kiersten’s sword arm, worry knotted deep within him. No matter what kinds of lies his wife had told him over the years, he would not sit by and let this guardian kill her. How he would help was a mystery, but he would throw himself between them if need be.
Their swords met high above their heads with a burst of light, the echoing knell from the blow resounding throughout the rocky chamber. It was so loud that he covered his ears, watching as sparks rained down around them.
That was more than just a blow. He wasn’t elven, but even he could feel the magic coming from it.
And just like that, his wife began to change before his eyes. Her hair and eyes turned to molten gold as her sword began to flame and her dress turned to a radiant white. Her ears were last, rising to sharp points.
Pain ripped through his heart, followed by betrayal.
She was an elf.
She’d lied to him the entire time she’d known him. Slept in his bed, pretended to be someone else, knowing that he hated the elves for their betrayals of his people.
If the guardian hadn’t been there, he would have forced her to tell him the truth, to admit her deception and how far back it went. But they weren’t alone, and the two elves circled each other, ignoring him, intent on their seeming hatred for each other.
“You won’t be able to kill me, Merryth,” Kiersten said, finally in a language he could understand. “We should call this a draw.”
The guardian—Merryth—didn’t lower her sword. “I don’t have to let you take the tests. I control this place—I could shut you out.”
“Hence the mud monsters? That was classy.”
“They were supposed to keep all non-elves out. How could I know you’d bring one with you?”
“I didn’t bring him with me. He found the keyhole on his own.”
Merryth turned to Durstin uncertainly.
“He did. You have no right to hate him because he isn’t an elf. And no cause to hate me. I’m not the one who ran away,” Kiersten replied, her anger seeming to dissipate.
“Only you did, didn’t you?” the guardian shot back, gesturing at him. “The proof stands here before us.”
“That was different!” The lying elf sounded almost like she cared. “I ran away twenty years ago. You left me a thousand years ago! I needed you!”
“No, you didn’t. You were supposed to be busy ruling.”
“Like I said, that role was always yours. Not mine.” Kiersten’s eyes were filled with grief.
For a moment, Durstin thought he saw some true pain break through the anger behind the guardian’s eyes.
“Lies!” Her sister dropped her sword and shrieked at the ceiling. “A thousand years! Our world stands on the brink of destruction, and it has to be you! Why?”
Kiersten’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? How does our world stand on the brink of destruction?”
“The Renwynians defeated the Ardak force that was here, which angered the Ardak king. At this moment, he is readying an even larger army to attack Aurora.” She turned to Kiersten. “A cyborg champion has passed the trials of the Crystal Cave, but the elves cannot use the crystals within it, even though they are trying their best. They need the knowledge in this cave to help them defeat the Ardaks.”
Durstin was slowly catching up to the idea of the Cave of Knowledge and the tests. But he was definitely familiar with the Ardaks—and if the king was readying a bigger force, he knew they would need every advantage against it. He hated the Ardaks more than anything, and if this gave them the chance to defeat them, he would have to take it.
“So, since we found this cave, we’re the only ones who can get that knowledge,” Kiersten said. “If we pass the tests.”
“Correct,” Merryth replied.
“Fuck.” The word popped out before he could stop it.
Kiersten gave him an understanding look. “I believe, for once, that term is apropos.”
Chapter Eight
Kiersten
Kiersten turned back to her sister. “How do you know what’s happening on the outside?”
Merryth raised her eyebrows. “What do you think Cave of Knowledge means?”
“I don’t know.” Kiersten threw up her hands. “I thought it was knowledge of the past or of magic.”
“No,” Merryth snapped. “It’s knowledge of everything. Past, present, and even some future, the latter of which is fluid and hard to pin down, but not impossible. All I must do is focus on what I want to know and ask the right questions. If you pass the tests, you will have access to the full extent of the knowledge.”
“Then why didn’t you know about Father? Or my abdication?”
Merryth looked away. “I didn’t ask about Garthurian.”
The words hit her like a slap. “You never checked on us? Not even once?”
Merryth was silent, but Kiersten could see the truth in the stiff way she held herself. Her sister must truly hate her.
“How is my cousin, Tordan?” Durstin broke in. “Does he live? Did he escape the red poison in the air?”
Merryth fished a crystal from her pocket. “Your cousin is the gray-eyed cyborg who escaped with the golden-haired Queen of Renwyn, is he not?”
At Durstin’s nod, she continued,
“Yes, he lives. He and the cyborgs found a cure for the Red Death and will distribute it to your people when they arrive in Renwyn.” Merryth stared into it for a few more moments. “The cyborgs have also found a way to upgrade themselves. It is dangerous, and soon, your cousin will undergo the process himself.”
“What do you mean upgrade themselves?”
Merryth closed her eyes for a moment. “I can’t see everything, but they’ve found a way to make their cybernetics more powerful.”
Durstin frowned. “Why does he want to do that? Will he survive?”
“I do not know the motivations of your cousin, and I will not presume to guess. As to whether he will live, I cannot tell you that, either.”
“So much for knowing the future.” Kiersten couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice.
“Don’t be trite, sister. I’ve already told you that the future is fluid. Too many choices lie between here and there.” She peered into the crystal again for a moment before sliding it back into her pocket.
Kiersten felt Durstin’s eyes on her. She didn’t want to see the expression of betrayal in his eyes, couldn’t bear knowing she had caused him pain, but she couldn’t ignore him any longer and finally met his gaze.
It was as bad as she had imagined.
Her eyes searched his, pleading for understanding.
“Whatever you’re searching for is not there, wife. I don’t know who you are. Knowing how I value honor, knowing how I feel about the elves, you lied to me.” He turned away, unable to look at her.
Merryth’s laugh was shrill. “You didn’t even tell him you’re an elf? Perfect. What do you think he’ll do when he finds out who you really are?”
“Silence!” Durstin’s voice thundered through the cave, and even her sister took a step back. “This is no business of yours!”
He turned back to her, his gaze piercing. “What did you do with my wife?”
“I am your wife. Our hands touched for the first time when you won the sparring contest that spring. We made love for the first time in the apple orchard behind the castle. And on our wedding night, you told me where your family’s gold is hidden—”
His hand came up to clasp over her mouth, preventing her from speaking. His eyes burned as he stared her down. “You vowed never to speak it aloud, or did you forget that as well?”
She tore his hand away, narrowing her eyes. “I wasn’t going to give the location.” Anger and bitterness radiated from him, and she squeezed her eyes closed against it as a tear slipped down her face. “I cannot fix this now. The Cave of Knowledge has a purpose beyond all of us.” She turned away from him, back to her sister. “What do I have to do?”
“You have to drink three elixirs and then deal with the knowledge they show you.”
“Oh no. I want no part of this. I’ll not drink any elven magic potions, and I don’t want their knowledge. Goodbye.” Durstin turned and strode back down the tunnel away from them.
Kiersten turned to follow him, but Merryth grabbed her arm. “Let him go.”
She shrugged Merryth away. “I can’t.”
As she chased him down the tunnel, tears continued to stream down her cheeks. He was walking away from her.
“Durstin! Durstin, wait. Please!” She wished she didn’t sound so desperate.
He stopped in his tracks but didn’t turn to face her. “What do you want?”
What could she tell him to make him stay?
Instinctively, she knew there was only one reason he would stay at this point: their people. “Do you know what you’re walking away from? The Cave of Knowledge can help us save our people—and all the other races on Aurora.”
He snorted. “I don’t believe anything you elves say anymore. For all I know, I’ll drink that poison and turn into an elf.”
The insinuation that she would do him harm hurt, but she took a few steps closer. “I understand why you’re distrusting, but what if I’m right? If I am, and you walk away, you could be walking away from a Cave of Knowledge so vast that it’s taken the elves millennia to compile it.”
“Yes, see, that is what frightens me. You elves are devious enough without the knowledge in this cave.”
“But not devious enough to defeat the Ardaks for good. This knowledge could help us.”
Durstin shook his head, but he turned back to her, and she could tell she was winning.
“I will help you pass these tests, but I won’t do it for you or us. I will do it for my people, and for the fates of all the races on Aurora.”
She swallowed, feeling her lips tremble at the coldness of his gaze. He didn’t trust her, but he would help, and maybe through that, she could prove that her betrayal wasn’t done maliciously. She nodded and they proceeded back to Merryth together. “What do I have to do?”
“What do we have to do?” As Durstin stepped up beside her, Kiersten thought she might really break down and cry. Her husband might be angry, but he was an honorable man. And after lying to him for so long, it was probably more than she deserved.
Merryth looked at him as if he were a speck of dust on her shoe. “You will do nothing, outsider. The Cave of Knowledge is for elves.”
Kiersten shot Merryth a glare. “Didn’t you say a cyborg passed the trials for the Crystal Cave?”
Merryth didn’t answer.
“You will not speak to him in this manner, sister. Like it or not, he is my husband, and therefore your kin.”
“Neither of you are any kin to me.” She sniffed.
“Ah, I don’t believe kinship works that way,” Durstin replied.
Merryth turned and aimed her blade at his throat. “I can ensure that you are not my kin this very moment.”
Kiersten’s hand shot out, sending a blast that threw her sister back against the opposite side of the cave.
Merryth’s eyes opened in disbelief. “You would choose an outsider over your own sister?”
“At this moment, he’s more kin to me than you are,” Kiersten said flatly. “I won’t allow you to disparage him, and we have other business to attend to.”
Merryth rose, nodding, and her sword disappeared. “The trials.” Without another word, she turned and started back down the tunnel from where she had emerged.
Kiersten sheathed her own sword, gesturing for Durstin to follow her as she started after her sister.
Chapter Nine
Durstin
As they progressed down the corridor, Durstin spoke to her, his voice low. “I can’t believe you’ve lied to me. All this time . . .” Embarrassingly, his voice cracked. The blood pounded at his temples, and he heard his blood rushing in his ears. She was the woman he loved. The one person he’d always thought he could count on to be by his side. Not to lie to him.
“I didn’t know what to do,” she said urgently. “I’d been hiding for years, since King Karolus and Queen Angeline adopted me. After you began courting me, I told myself I would reveal my true nature to you and ask you to mate with me in the elven way. But then time went on, and I became afraid. First there was the plague from the humans, and then you became more distrusting of the elves. After the Ardak invasion, I knew it would probably never be possible.”
Suspicion grew within him. “What were you going to do, kill me? I would have known something was wrong as you didn’t age.”
“No.” She almost shouted the word. “Of course not. I love our life together, and I don’t want to lose you. I didn’t know what to do.” She looked down at her hands.
“You still should have told me. Instead, you kept your secret and stood by and did nothing while we were invaded and our people were killed. You had magic that could have saved lives.”
“I did do something! I quietly healed your men when you brought them back from battle and have been doing so for years without your notice. At one point or another, I have saved the lives of Stephan, Ruby, Kiera, and Justin—just to name a few. But the human plague was too much even for me. It took all my magic just to save you. Think hard, husband. Al
l those injuries that should have been fatal. What else could it have been besides magic?” She paused, her eyes blazing. “But you’re right. I should have tried to do something more because that was so effective when the elves from Renwyn tried, right? I should have thrown away years of hiding, of denying who I was, and drawn the attention of—you know what? Never mind. There was nothing I could have done against the Ardaks other than to die like everyone else.”
“You could have spoken to King Ardair. You could have tried.”
“He wouldn’t have listened to her.” The guardian spoke up for the first time, surprisingly sticking up for her sister. “He and our father hated each other.”
“Why?”
Kiersten fidgeted, looking away. “That isn’t important.”
He raised a brow. “You still want to keep secrets?”
“Fine.” She sighed and the paused as if to gather her words. Then she began again in a whisper. “I’m not from Renwyn. I’m from Garthurian, a realm in the mountains to the north, where the elves on Aurora originally came from.”
He frowned. “I’ve never heard of this place.”
“And you were never supposed to. It’s hidden, built to keep the elves safe. The Renwyn elves left because several centuries ago, it became difficult to conceive healthy children. There were too few elves in the realm, and they wanted to mate with other races.”
His brows rose. “And your father did not?”
“No. There was doubt that our magic would even call to one who wasn’t an elf. Besides that fact, my father knew it would lessen our magic, shorten our life spans . . . in his opinion it would take away the very things that made us elves.”
“From your tone, I suppose you agree. Yet, you married me, so I’m not sure I understand.”
She avoided his gaze. “At first, I did. He was my father, so I put a blind trust in his views. Over the years, I began to see the errors in his logic. It was becoming more unlikely that we would regain contact with the homeworld, and our numbers were dwindling. Mating with other races was becoming the only option.”
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