Durstin

by Immortal Angel

  Durstin’s hands began to tremble. “How many more do you have? I thought this was everyone.”

  The elf didn’t turn back around.

  Durstin sprinted after him, his shock turning to anger. “You can’t leave us! This may be the last chance we have to save the mountain people before the Ardaks take over the mountain!”

  The elf turned back around at that. “You can’t be serious. Look at the plain—there are more ships arriving by the second! The time to save the Siirtians is long past—they are gone. Just as our queen is.”

  Durstin stopped short, examining the elf’s eyes, the knowledge obviously hitting him that the elves were leaving. He wasn’t going to be able to save his cousin.

  The commander began to stride away again.

  “Are you coming back?” Durstin called after him, his voice breaking.

  “Perhaps,” the elf said over his shoulder.

  Durstin turned toward the mountain and roared in anger and grief, kicking a tree beside him. Kiersten knew they weren’t just his cousin’s people, they were his people as well. He’d grown up in the village, left to seek his fortune. But his parents, his friends, everyone he knew still lived there.

  Stephan clapped a hand on his shoulder, but Durstin was nearly inconsolable.

  “Sir? What shall we do?” Stephan asked, watching the elves disappear over the rise. “We still have an army. We’ll go with you if say the word.”

  Durstin forced himself to think through his rage. “No. Fuck! We don’t have shielders. We’re too small an army to take on the Ardaks without them. Our only chance was with the queen and the elven army.” He spat on the ground. “I hate the elves, and I will pay them back for this.” His breath heaved in and out for several more seconds and then he raised his voice. “Get back to Vierten as quickly as you can! Try to keep up with the elves in case the Ardaks send troops after us.”

  Durstin’s hands trembled and shook, and he cursed at their elven backs as they began the march back to the castle.

  Kiersten remembered holding him that night, his eyes bright with tears he wouldn’t shed. She’d always wondered what happened, but she had never asked, wanting it to be his choice to tell her.

  Now she knew.

  And she hated them for what they’d done, too.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Durstin

  Durstin’s vision cleared, but rather than finding himself back in the Cave of Knowledge, he found himself back in the great hall at Garthurian, facing the dais.

  Kiersten was alone on it, standing next to her father’s casket and watching the elves stream in through the open doorways. When they had all entered, she took a deep breath. “We’ve come here not to grieve, but to celebrate my father’s life.”

  The elves around her smiled, many of them through tears.

  She raised her glass in a toast, and the rest raised their glasses as one. “To King Cithir!”

  “And now, let there be music, singing, and dancing,” she cried loudly, gesturing to the stringed instruments. “Let us share our fondest memories of him.”

  Elsifan jumped onto the dais. “But before we begin,” he said smoothly, “why don’t we make this a true celebration? I propose that we marry, right here, right now.” He turned to her expectantly.

  There was a murmur through the crowd, and she surveyed their shocked faces. Even Lithir and Mithran, Elsifan’s greatest supporter and his father, surveyed him with slackened jaws.

  There was some churning movement in the crowd below, and Durstin realized that her supporters were subtly moving closer to her, and Elsifan’s were moving closer to him. The guests in the room were dividing into two distinct groups. Did she notice what was happening?

  A glance at her told him that she did. The blood had drained from her face and she stood stiffly, as though paralyzed.

  “This is her father’s funeral celebration, Elsifan,” Evindal said loudly. “It isn’t the time or the place.”

  “I disagree. We should marry as soon as possible. King Cithir’s death is the greatest loss we’ve faced on Aurora. The people are grieving, so let’s give ourselves something to celebrate!” His voice had become high and jovial.

  Was he so out of touch with reality? Or was he simply trying to force her into marriage publicly with the not-so-subtle threat of civil war?

  She lowered her voice even more, turning away from the crowd. “Elsifan, I can’t. You know I don’t love you, and I would never go through with this, yet you still put me on the spot. You lied to my father the night of the ball, and now you’re ruining this moment for everyone.”

  A hint of black rage came over his face. “I’ve listened to this long enough. I’ve been patient—as patient as I know how to be. But this can’t continue. Everyone thinks we are betrothed, and we should make it official, before anyone else tries to take over.”

  “So, I should make I choice I don’t want because you are tired of waiting? Don’t be so childish.”

  Elsifan stepped closer to her, but then Geeeroo spoke, “The only one trying to take over is you. If you can’t solve this in the usual way, with courtship and acceptance, perhaps it wasn’t meant to be.”

  “She’s kept him hanging on for centuries,” Mithran, Elsifan’s father, spat out, the venom in his voice surprising her since she’d never given anyone any indication that she had interest in mating with Elsifan.

  Kiersten held Elsifan’s gaze, saw the lust for power there. Perhaps if he truly loved her . . .

  Shaking her head, she knew it wasn’t possible. For him to truly love her, he would have to be a different man. Perhaps then she could have loved him back.

  “Don’t think the leadership will simply pass to you.” Elsifan gestured to his followers. “I have half the people behind me, ready for change of some of the old ways. You and I must marry to unite them.”

  She didn’t want to have the fight here and now. In this confined space, no one would be able to flee. It would be a bloodbath. So she changed tactics, playing for time. “Let’s have the funeral first. Set his body off to sea and the lanterns off into the sky before we discuss these matters.”

  “No.” His voice was full of command. “It will be here and now.”

  A shiver of foreboding went through her, but he misread it for desire.

  His voice turned persuasive. “It will be great between us, you’ll see.”

  Kiersten stood in the great hall, tall and proud, on the dais where her father had only recently stood.

  In that moment, Durstin could feel everything she felt. Her thoughts came to him, fast and surprisingly coherent as she carefully weighed her options. They’d already lost half of their people to Renwyn over their refusal to mate with other races, and she’d been surprised to learn that the people before her were split in two again.

  She surveyed the crowd, mentally tallying how many would stand with her and how many would stand with Elsifan. By her estimates, Elsifan was correct. Half wanted her to continue her father’s reign, happy with the status quo. The other half wanted something new.

  It was also clear that if she refused to marry Elsifan, he would force them to fight. With the people divided like this locked in a hall together—she would not be responsible for the outcome of that.

  If she let him have the throne, she might still be influential on the council. She loved the people like her own family. For eleven centuries, she’d been guarding them and guiding them. In a way, she was tired. Tired of the pressure, tired of being pressured to marry someone she didn’t love.

  Abruptly, she made her decision. Kiersten turned back to the people, her head held high. “After my father’s death, I need time. I offer you my crown, Elsifan. All I ask is for a place on the council, where I can continue to serve the people.”

  There was a gasp of dismay from those who loved her, many wailing in fear, others in anger.

  But they were balanced by the shouts of triumph from Elsifan’s followers, and their looks of glee and excitement.

/>   “May he lead you into prosperity and continue the Golden Age we have known.” She headed for the back of the dais, planning to exit through the hidden corridor to her private chambers.

  But Elsifan followed her. “Not so fast!” he said angrily. “You aren’t going to get away from me like this. Don’t you understand? This is not what I wanted. I wanted the crown, but only because it comes with you.”

  She turned slowly so she could see him. “And the only way you will get me is if you force it.” And that wasn’t a future she could bear, not even for the love of her people. Her dream of staying, of remaining on the council, was not to be. “I cannot be what you want, Elsifan,” she said finally, trying to shrug him off. “Please, let me go.”

  “Never,” he said in her ear. “I’ve waited for you to come to your senses, but it seems you need an extra push. I’m going to have you, Kerryth, one way or another.”

  Durstin saw the moment she realized that even her life may not be safe.

  He raised his hand toward her forehead, but she threw up her own hands and blocked it with a spell, lucky her mother’s crystal was around her neck. He stumbled backward.

  “I’ll never be yours, Elsifan.”

  The black expression of rage that passed over his face made him look like a different elf. Even the air around him seemed to grow darker, and when he raised his hands, Durstin knew she shouldn’t wait around to find out what he was going to do.

  Thankfully, she kept the wall between them in place as she turned and fled down the corridor toward her chambers. She quickly took off her dress and threw on travel clothes before pulling her armor over the top. Her weapons were last.

  A rattle at her door was enough for him to guess that Elsifan had sent his cronies after her from a different direction, and Durstin knew she wouldn’t be able to keep all of them out for long.

  Quickly, she shoved more clothing and a few trinkets into her bag. Then she threw up her hands and opened a portal to the outside of the dome, as far away as possible. Throwing the bag over her shoulder, she stepped through it, Durstin close on her heels.

  On the other side, she exited the cave and began to run, clearly not knowing which way to go.

  She followed a river south, heading in the direction of Renwyn. She didn’t speak, and he wondered if she was purposely heading for Renwyn, knowing that the king there hated her father.

  But then there was the sound of hooves, and a group of riders came up over the rise.

  She stopped and they came toward her, obviously dressed for hunting. Durstin recognized King Karolus, former king of Vierten, and others from the army who were all retired now.

  The deer they were after ran straight to her, and she wrapped her arms around it. He was shocked to see that she now appeared to be a child of seven or eight.

  Karolus reined up beside her. “What is this?”

  “It’s a child,” one of the others answered.

  The man frowned. “As I can plainly see. Who are you, child, and where have you come from?”

  Kiersten ignored the questions, stroking the deer. “You should let this female go. Although you are hungry, she has her first set of three younglings in her den. She needs to live for them.”

  Karolus laughed. “Do you talk to animals, then?”

  She raised her chin. “I do, sir.”

  “And where are your parents?”

  She faltered for a moment. “Lost, sir. In the woods. I’ve been searching for them for two days.”

  Braving a few steps closer, she reached for his arm. Scars had healed over, but beneath them, the tissue hadn’t healed correctly. “My mother was a healer. I can make a poultice that will help your arm.”

  The man raised his brows. “Can you? Well, at this point, I would try just about anything. Come back to the castle with us. It’s almost dark. We will send parties to search for your parents on the morrow.”

  The vision lasted long enough for him to see her nod, a feeling of gratitude toward the older king filling his chest.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kiersten

  Suddenly, the vision changed. Everything turned black, and several bolts of lightning split the air above her, bolts coming down to strike the ground on all sides of her at once, close enough to raise the hair on her arms.

  Another vision of the future.

  A huge metal ship unlike any she’d ever seen before descended from the sky, so black it seemed to suck the light from around it. It landed in the glen in front of her, crushing a lone tree as it touched down.

  She glanced over her shoulder to Garthurian. This west entrance was little used but was convenient because it would lead directly into the great hall. She and her sister had sometimes come out here to escape palace life, and the shade beneath that tree had been a favored spot. After her sister had gone, she had stopped coming to this place, preferring to escape to her chambers where she could lock the doors.

  The ground beneath the ship trembled with the reverberation of its engines. Her chest tightened, and a terrible feeling of foreboding overtook her. She didn’t want to see what was going to come out of that ship. Didn’t want to know why an Ardak ship was landing at the gates of Garthurian.

  A wide piece of metal lowered from the bottom of the ship, and a pair of boots began to descend, flanked by two more, and then three behind those. She inhaled sharply when they cleared the bottom of the ship, five upright walking felines, three orange with black stripes, and two white with black stripes.

  These must be the Ardaks.

  Their bodies were enormous and muscled, their movements stealthy like the predators they were. They wore armor like the elves of old, sleek leather and metal, extremely durable, the design intricate.

  Her stomach lurched in fear, waiting for others to descend, and when the ship’s door closed, she loosed a slow breath.

  The contingent of five strode straight toward the shield, and her heart began to pound. Even though they couldn’t seem to see her, she still backed away as their powerful forms struck abject terror in her heart.

  To her shock, the shield opened and Sepheth stood there. “Welcome to Garthurian. I will take you to King Elsifan.”

  Momentarily paralyzed with shock, she watched the Ardaks enter the village. She ran after them, entering just before the door closed.

  She entered the great hall, which hadn’t changed much at all in the years since she’d left. Well, the decor was the same, but some of its luster was gone.

  King Elsifan sat upon the throne on the dais, and she had to admit, it looked good on him—albeit in a terrifying way.

  The Ardaks progressed down the hall, the one in the center obviously the leader.

  Elsifan stood and came down the steps, exchanging nods with the leader.

  As she strode toward the dais, she took in the elves. They were the same ones who had been so happy to have Elsifan take the throne. But where were the others?

  “Do you have the crystals?” the Ardak asked in elvish.

  “I have their location, and you are free to take them once you keep your end of the bargain.”

  Her shock turned to rage as Elsifan held up a golden key. She didn’t know how he’d gotten it since her sister said a cyborg passed the tests, but she was sure he shouldn’t have it.

  The Ardak growled, one enormous paw going to his sword. “Are you questioning our honor? Those crystals are proof that it’s your kind who betrayed us.”

  Elsifan sniffed. “So you say, but we had nothing to do with that. The elves on this outpost were never even near your planet.”

  The Ardak nodded. “Then we understand each other. We just want what’s ours. In return, we will send you back to your homeworld.”

  “Why do you want Aurora?”

  “The king thinks there’s a reason the elves hid the crystals here. He wants to discover what it is.”

  “And you have to kill everyone to do it?”

  The Ardak snorted. “I don’t know why you care. You’re going back to
your homeworld.”

  Elsifan eyed him for a moment, then nodded and put the key in his front pocket, along with a small scroll. “We’re ready to go.”

  The elves around him rose, each carrying bags, obviously for a journey. At that moment, Kiersten realized the depths of Elsifan’s betrayal.

  He’d traded the crystals for the safety of the elves, but not all the elves, only those who had followed him, those who agreed with his politics. He was leaving the others and the rest of Aurora to die by the fangs and claws of the Ardaks.

  She found her feet, striding up to Elsifan as he followed the Ardaks out of the great hall of Garthurian and back to their ship.

  “Did you even tell the others what you’re doing?” she screamed, irate that he couldn’t hear her. “How could you abandon Aurora to these beasts?”

  Once they were on the ship, Elsifan handed the leader a list of coordinates, and a golden key.

  Kiersten’s entire body began to tremble, and for the first time, she understood how Durstin felt about the elves. Elsifan was betraying Aurora to save his own ass.

  She screamed and raged, and she was still screaming as the vision faded.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  Kiersten awoke on the floor, screaming and clutching her head.

  Merryth was there watching her and hurried to kneel down next to her. “Shhh. You forgot to lie down before taking the elixir again. I put a poultice on the back of your head so it would heal faster.”

  Belatedly, Kiersten remembered that she was the better healer. Tears streamed down her face, and she choked out some words. “It isn’t that. It’s Elsifan . . . he’s going to give Aurora to the Ardaks so they will bring him home.”

  “What?” Merryth stilled, her jaw tight. “He would never do that.”

  “He will.”

  “But it’s impossible. The Ardaks are lying to him.”

  “Why is it impossible?” Durstin groaned, letting them know he was awake.