Deceptions fall, p.30
Deception's Fall, page 30
part #6 of Call of the Elements Series
Mal guided me to the bottom step in front of the king’s dais and stopped, gently removing my hand from his arm. He knelt on one knee, not meeting the king’s steely gaze. I’d never knelt for a king and wasn’t starting now, especially when I was supposed to be acting like a goddess.
I forced my ‘this shit doesn’t bother me’ expression and looked directly at the Elvin king.
“Your Highness,” I said.
“We did not have the pleasure of being introduced during your last visit,” he said, totally ignoring Mal.
“No, we didn’t.” I pointedly look down at my friend’s still kneeling form.
The king grimaced, his lips pulling into a tight line. “Maldrius, rise and introduce your guest.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” He rose and gave his attention to the king. “May I present Alisandra Rosewynn, Queen of the Mages, Princess of the Woodland Fae, member of the Dionadair, and Keeper of Earth’s magic.”
My eyebrows rose at the new title. I almost poked his ribs and whispered, ‘I saw what you did there.’ But I held onto my impassive mask. I hoped. I didn’t miss the fact that he didn’t introduce his king.
“Welcome, Alisandra,” the king said. “What brings the warrior of our most sacred prophecy to my kingdom?”
I glanced at Mal again, but he continued to look straight ahead. Damn it.
“We want to thank you for sending your warriors to aid us,” I replied. “Their presence made all the difference in yesterday’s battle. I’m not sure we would’ve been able to defeat the magically enhanced vampires without their strength.”
A smile spread across the king’s face. “Everyone is required to do their part to protect our realm. I’m grateful my warriors’ superiority ensured a victory.”
I scowled, but I managed to bite my tongue. Had he sent more than a hundred warriors, fewer of the other races would’ve died.
“And your Arcanists?” I snapped. “Have they been dealt with?”
His well-manicured fingers gripped the arms of his chair, and his smile turned into a snarl. “They have.”
I took a step forward and placed one foot on the bottom step. “They allowed an indescribable evil into the fae realm,” I hissed. “I had a vision of six of your traitors bowing before a demon and accepting its dark magic. Your Arcanists are already in Trom Laighe.”
Concern creased his forehead. He glanced at Mal, who now stood just behind me. The indecision on the king’s face morphed into resignation, but he remained silent.
“How many did Zane kill?” I asked. “And how many are still missing?”
The king sank back into his throne and drew in a deep breath. “They opened a portal in the cellar of their lair.” He said the last bit through gritted teeth. “Several of my Arcanists are still loyal and reported what they had done. While you fought against the demon’s army yesterday, we waged our own war against the Arcanists and the monsters they let into my kingdom.”
His admission made my mouth fall open. Did that mean there was also a portal here, or did the Saighdear use the Arcanists’ portal?
“How many of the Saighdear did you have to fight?” I asked, not wanting to give him an opportunity to avoid the subject.
“Nearly a hundred,” he replied, not batting an eye at my use of the term Saighdear. “The traitors fled through the portal, and my remaining Arcanists closed it. Zane arrived just in time to devour the demons.”
I took a step back and turned to Mal. His impassive mask hadn’t slipped, unlike mine. But he met my questioning eyes and nodded. Several pieces of the puzzle fell together, and I realized why the king hadn’t sent more soldiers with us. He knew of the Arcanists’ betrayal and their portal in his kingdom. I couldn’t be mad at him for wanting to protect his own, but sharing that knowledge with our coalition would’ve been nice.
“I assume you’re taking the King’s Blade with you,” the king said, drawing my attention back to him. I remembered Mal calling himself the King’s Blade, but it still sounded weird to me.
“I am.”
“He’s earned the right to serve at your side.”
I raised an eyebrow at the Elvin king. I wouldn’t doubt Mal’s version, but there were always two sides to every story. It looked like the king knew how shitty he treated his Blade. He also recognized Mal’s dedication.
“Thank you for giving him up willingly,” I said.
The king smiled. “You would have fought for him?”
I smiled back. “I’d be a fool not to. Thank you for your honesty and the sacrifices your people have suffered to protect us all. If you need us, be sure to let the Arcane Conclave know.”
The king rose and descended the steps. Before I realized what he was doing, he took a knee in front of me.
“We doubted our prophecy for years,” he said, looking up at me. “My Blade recognized you the minute you arrived in our kingdom. I refused to believe Maldrius when he claimed you were the one.”
I resisted the urge to look at Mal, mostly because the king’s gaze didn’t leave my face.
“Had you not shown up when you did, we wouldn’t have discovered the Arcanists’ betrayal,” the king continued. “When you arrived, they panicked. Vethiar knew who you were as well. When you claimed my Blade, they started acting irrationally, revealing things they shouldn’t have known.” The king dropped his gaze to the floor. “Please accept Maldrius as a gift for our lack of faith in our goddess.”
My fingers curled into fists, and a low growl rumbled from my throat. Maldrius was not an object to give away like a piece of furniture. I opened my mouth to give the pompous king a piece of my mind, but Mal’s grip on my shoulder stopped me. I cut my eyes at him, and he barely shook his head.
I got it, but I didn’t like it. If I ran my mouth about Mal not being a piece of furniture, I would only give the king a reason to keep his Blade.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I accept your gift,” I muttered at the back of his head. “I have other matters to attend, but please express my sincerest gratitude to your people and my condolences for their loss.”
The king’s head snapped up, and he didn’t even pretend to smile. At that moment, I knew he’d expected me to argue with him about Mal’s status. Another Elvin test, just like Lodron had warned me about when we first visited. I was so happy I hadn’t said that Mal wasn’t an object to give away. Had I voiced my opinion that he was a valuable asset to his kingdom, my friend wouldn’t be leaving with me. Not without a fight anyway. The king would’ve made me battle for his Blade.
I grinned and reached for Mal’s hand. Before the king could protest, I took us back to the Dionadair tower.
Mal didn’t release my hand when we arrived. My silly grin faded when I saw the confused look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He shook his head, and a slow smile spread across his lips. “It doesn’t matter. I have plenty of time to think about what he just said.” He pulled me into a tight embrace, once again surprising me. “I cannot repay the gift you’ve given me,” he mumbled into my hair. “But I’ll spend an eternity trying.”
I tentatively wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. Braden had said something similar about his soul and ability to feel emotion. While I treasured every moment we spent together, the changes Braden made for me destroyed the faith his people had in him to lead. I wouldn’t let it happen again.
“It wasn’t a gift, Mal. It was the right thing to do. Don’t compromise who you are just to please me. I’ve lived through that once already, and I’ll spend an eternity paying for it.”
He loosened his hold on me, and I stepped away from him. His gray eyes searched my face, probably expecting me to elaborate. Not happening.
“Partners then.” He offered his hand with a smile.
I grinned, giving his hand a firm shake. “Partners.”
Chapter 28
Mal silently disappeared up the stairs, leaving me alone in the middle of our living space at the tower. I contemplated asking him to come with me to the Oceanic Fae Kingdom, but he knew where it was. If he wanted to be there, he’d go. It didn’t stop the heaviness in my chest for leaving him alone.
I could second guess my concerns over his grief, but it didn’t change anything.
I pictured my apartment in Nardan’s kingdom and hesitated. I really wanted to see Lodron, but I didn’t want to face the grief that would come with it. He knew everyone on the island. Not only would he feel the pain of losing his fellow warriors, he would also grieve with their families and loved ones.
I nearly slapped myself. Lodron had coddled me so many times in the last couple months. Every time I needed him, he was there. Not doing the same for him was selfish and petty.
“Get over yourself,” I muttered, then jumped through the realms to my apartment on the fae island.
Filtered sunlight cast shadows across my living room, illuminating the little motes of dust hanging in the air. I slowly turned towards the door between my space and Lodron’s. It was open, revealing his neatly made bed on the other side.
I wasn’t sure what to think about it. He must have left it open on purpose, but why? My footfalls didn’t make a sound as I approached the doorway. I stopped at the threshold. Lodron’s room was clean, unlike mine, which had clothes strewn all over the floor.
Lodron?
He didn’t immediately answer, so I turned and went to my own bedroom. He was probably busy putting out whatever fires lingered after yesterday’s battle.
And I needed to change into something appropriate for the funeral services. The setting sun gave away how late it was. I only had a couple hours before dark.
I stripped out of my armor and stood in front of my wardrobe filled with clothes from a vampire I couldn’t love. It was so stupid to think of him right now, but I couldn’t help it.
We’d won our war. I’d discovered who I was meant to be and actually embraced it. I’d learned a lot about how to use my fae magic. I still had more to learn, but I wasn’t completely ignorant. And I longed to share my success with the man who had made me feel whole. My vampire.
He would smile at my silly happy dance and then tell me he never doubted me. Then he’d taunt my darkness with his sexy smile, and we’d devolve into sex.
I sat down hard and hugged my knees, letting my tears fall and my heart ache. My vampire would do none of those things because he remembered nothing. All the logical reasoning in the world wouldn’t stop me from missing what I lost. Even though I was starting to move on, that loss still hurt. Maybe I should ask Dusha to take my memories of Braden. At least then, neither of us would have a clue.
Lodron’s sudden presence as he sat down next to me in the middle of the floor shouldn’t have surprised me. After all, I had called his name when I arrived, and he always showed up when I called for him.
I didn’t look at him. Couldn’t—for all kinds of reasons, the most urgent one being my lack of clothes. A bra and panties weren’t exactly appropriate attire for a conversation, especially when our relationship was already so confused.
“Anything I can help with?” Lodron asked.
“Nope. I just needed a moment.”
We sat in silence until I couldn’t stand listening to my brain ping-pong back and forth between the bazillion things demanding my attention.
“The Arcanists are taken care of,” I finally said.
“I assumed you would’ve come back bloodied and bruised if they hadn’t been.”
I snorted and turned to face him, still hugging my knees. He greeted me with a smile that didn’t even begin to touch his eyes. The grief I’d been avoiding slammed into me.
“What can I do to help you?” I whispered, reaching for the hand on his knee.
He cleared his throat but didn’t take his eyes from mine. “I don’t know. We lost so many, especially the shifters.” He squeezed my fingers, then let them go. “I wouldn’t blame them for hating us after yesterday. They sacrificed so much for our war.”
He pushed himself to his feet and approached my wardrobe. His fingers trailed several of the expensive garments before selecting a pale yellow sun dress. He was already dressed in one of my favorite outfits—the one he always wore to dinner.
“I think they realize it was more than just our war,” I said, standing as well and taking the dress from him. I held it in front of me like a shield, more than a little self-conscious about our closeness.
“Maybe.”
He bit his lower lip and pulled his fingers through his hair. I waited patiently, knowing he needed to say more.
“We lost nearly a hundred of our own,” he all but whispered. “Over half belonged to the Woodland Fae, depleting their number of warriors to almost nothing after our battle in the desert.” He bit his lip again, this time hard enough to draw blood. “We can’t send them home to the Woodlands with no protection, but we can’t keep them here either.”
I held my dress in place with one arm and reached up to touch his face with my free hand.
“They’ve been with us for almost two months, Lodron. I imagine some of our warriors would volunteer to go with them to kindle the relationships they’ve already started.”
His features softened, and he pulled my hand from his jaw. “I’ve already considered that, but I’m not sure the king will agree to losing any of his warriors.”
He was probably right, but Nardan might not have a choice. If he didn’t let his people pursue meaningful relationships after centuries of not even having the option, he’d probably end up with a mutiny.
“We don’t have to decide today,” I said.
“No, but my mind won’t leave it alone.”
“I get it,” I mumbled.
He huffed. “I’m so relieved that my sister is okay and that I didn’t lose any of my team. But I’ve avoided Luria because I don’t want anyone to see how grateful I am to still have her in my life. I feel guilty for feeling any happiness when so many others only have grief.”
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his neck. “I think I’m having the same issue,” I whispered. “The heaviness I hadn’t even realized I carried is gone now that the war is won, but the price for winning…” I swallowed hard and searched his face for understanding.
The lines around his eyes softened. Of course he understood. We stood there, simply looking at each other in the silence that followed. There was so much I needed to say to him. So much we’d left unfinished just a few days ago. My feelings for him hadn’t changed, just as he said they wouldn’t. The way he looked at me now confirmed his hadn’t changed either.
“I should get dressed,” I said, knowing it sounded like the lamest excuse ever to break the silence.
Lodron opened his mouth and closed it several times, then he finally nodded. I watched him head for the door with a longing that shouldn’t exist. My emotions were a mess, and we were getting ready to attend a funeral for too many of our people.
“Lodron.”
He stopped at the door and slowly turned, his dark eyes meeting mine.
“I haven’t forgotten my promise,” I said, feeling my face flush. “I just need to get past today.”
“I know.” A little smirk pulled at his lips and lit up his eyes. “I can wait another day.”
I smiled as he walked out not closing the door. The normalcy of his boldness felt good. We’d get through this and start living a regular life like everyone else.
“Yeah. Normal.” I shook my head, then hung my sun dress back in the wardrobe. Yellow was not appropriate for a funeral no matter how much we partied afterwards.
A warm gust of wind buffered my bare back, and I turned around to snap at Niyol. My mouth fell open at the appearance of a male fire elemental grinning at me.
“Aviur?” Could it be Kellen’s mischievous elemental? I hadn’t seen him since our last poker game. He’d be the only one bold enough to show up in my room unannounced.
“Princess.”
His smooth voice brought tears to my eyes. Why was he here? Did something happen to Kellen? Was he…? I couldn’t even think about it.
“Kellen is fine,” the elemental said quickly, closing the short distance between us and wrapping his warm arms around me. “I’m just delivering a message.”
He zapped me with his lusty magic, and I growled at him.
“I could’ve got that message from Adeen, you pervert!”
He laughed and released me. “Kellen made dinner reservations for tomorrow night at your favorite restaurant in Salt Lake City.”
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to smile or cry. We’d planned on dinner a while ago, but everything else got in the way. Kellen’s desire to still get us all together nearly made me lose my shit. I’d have to sit at a table with the people I cared most about without thinking about how many they lost.
Always back to the loss of life. I needed to pull myself together. It wasn’t like this was my first time dealing with the aftermath, damn it. But I didn’t have Braden to tether my feelings and let me act like a fool. This time, I’d have to truly process what had happened.
“Fricking hell!” I squeezed the elemental’s waist, pouring all my frustration and anxiety into him. “Why am I such a damned mess, Aviur? I keep bouncing from ‘keeping it together’ to ‘falling to pieces.’”
“I’d be worried if you weren’t,” he whispered. “If it helps, Kellen is no better. I think it’s why he insists on having dinner tomorrow. The sooner you embrace your life rather than focus on death, the sooner you will heal.”
I loosened my grip on him and stepped back, wiping my tears. “What have you done with my perverted friend?”
Aviur leaned his head back and laughed. “It’s so good to see you, too. Dinner’s at six tomorrow night. Don’t be late, and make sure you bring your handsome friend with you.”
He disappeared with a swirl of fire and puff of smoke, only to reveal Luria standing in the doorway. My chest tightened, and I finally burst into ugly sobs.
A dark bruise covered the right side of my friend’s beautiful face, and the swelling pushed her eye closed. It didn’t stop her from crossing my room with a limp and wrapping me in a hug.
