They rode hard until they reached the portal. Thane hopped down, placing his hand against the stone circle. It didn’t ask her to touch it this time or demand her magic. When it activated and swirled, he held out his hand to her. She took hold and they hurried through the portal and came out in Palenor. Layala felt a wave of relief to be back in high elf territory.
Thane turned to Layala, grinning like a schoolboy. “That’s what you’ve kept hidden? It’s absolutely marvelous. I understand your fascination with plants now. The vines are spectacular. The way they wrapped around those elves, and tore out of the ground—incredible. You saved my life.”
Trying to understand his reaction, Layala fidgeted with the reins. He was so used to killing that he could be excited in this moment? Her magic came in handy, but she still wished she didn’t have it. “And you saved mine—that arrow dissolving—that was you.”
“Yes.”
Layala lightly chewed on the inside of her cheek. “My magic might be incredible if it didn’t bring the pale ones to me. If I wasn’t hunted because of it.”
He mounted Phantom once again. “You could easily take out a countless number with power like that.”
Her eyes found the forest and the gnarling and twisting trees all around them. The wood here was such a stark difference from the serenity of Calladira. Something about it put her on edge, but she couldn’t quite say why with no immediate threats. This place was spooky with the near-black bark and trees so thick they nearly blocked out the sunlight. She focused on the squirrels and other small furry creatures peeking down at them, anywhere but Thane.
She was afraid of what she was, of what her power meant. She never could embrace it. It was the reason so many she loved were dead. She hated it although, somewhere deep down, she loved it. Delighted in what it felt like to unleash that power and control and let it rip through the ground and coil around those helpless elves. She stopped their arrows with barely a thought. And that’s the part of her she was afraid of. What if she was like the Black Mage.
Her gaze lifted to Thane now. He promised death to anyone who touched her. And she didn’t know how to feel about that.
“They’ll tell their Lord Brunard what happened and I expect he’ll be pissed as hellfire. I’ve fought against the woodland elves on a few occasions and none of the battles were pretty. I’m sorry you had to see that.” He reached down and stroked Phantom’s smooth black coat.
“Why didn’t you just kill them so they couldn’t tell?” Strategically, it’s what she would have done if she were High King, although she might very well see that detached head staring at her in her nightmares for a long time. She was sorry those elves had to die, but they brought their fate upon themselves.
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re more ruthless than I thought.”
Her cheeks warmed. “If they couldn’t tell then you could have a chance of peace with them. Now you won’t.”
“The message they’ll take back is more important than peace.”
Layala sucked in her bottom lip. That death would come swiftly to anyone who touched her. “When did you fight them before? Was it because your father wanted to find me?”
“There were three times I fought against Calladira and all occasions were over land. Twice they started it, and once our side did, but I finished all three.”
She sat in silence, wondering if he was to be believed.
“The only killings I’ve committed in your name were against pale ones. I didn’t ride with Tenebris. I didn’t even know what he was doing for a long time. I have my own battalion; the Ravens.” He glanced at the portal. “We should go. It will be dark soon.” He kicked Phantom into a gallop without looking back.
When they returned to the castle, he left her at the door to the Starlight room and went inside his own chambers. She assumed he was changing for dinner since a moment later Reina and Pearl showed up seemingly out of nowhere. Pushing her way inside the room, she took off her boots and fell back on the bed. Her backside was sore after riding all day. Using her magic seemed to make her ravenously hungry. That or because she hadn’t eaten but a few bites at breakfast and it was now dark.
“Will you bring my meal to me? I’m tired and I’m not up for dinner with Orlandia or Talon.” She was exhausted, but mostly she didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. She mulled over what Thane said for over an hour: he never killed in her name, well except a few hours ago. He didn’t ride with his father. Only fought Calladira over land. He never told his father where she was even though he knew. Even as a young one, he took a beating rather than give her away. It couldn’t be a lie; Tenebris would have come for her.
Aunt Evalyn pounded into her head that the Athayels were monsters, Thane included. Now Layala found it difficult to believe that about Thane when the truth seemed to be staring her in the face. He killed that elf for his attempt to end her. And even when she punched him in the jaw—stabbed him, he didn’t hurt her or lock her up. After admitting she planned to poison him and his friends, he didn’t speak of it. He treated her with respect when she came here expecting to be subject to torture if she didn’t get away first.
“I don’t wish to speak ill of her majesty, but she is somewhat difficult. It’s understandable,” Pearl said, then the maids exchanged a glance and Pearl nodded. “I’ll go get you something.”
“Can I help you bathe or get you a change of clothes?” Reina asked after the door closed quietly behind Pearl.
Layala let herself relax, sinking further into the bed and closed her eyes. “I’ll be fine for now. I just want to lay here a while.”
She didn’t realize she dozed off until she heard the tray being carted in. Pearl left it at her bedside and was gone before Layala even sat up.
Thane didn’t request her at dinner or visit her that night. The next morning, she went to knock on his door, but the guard said he was gone already. She expected to talk about how and when they’d leave for the Sederac Mountains to find the dragon sorceress, if he planned on going. As the day dragged on and she didn’t see or hear of him, she wondered if he was avoiding her.
She wandered the castle with Piper in tow, always several paces behind. Layala peeked inside grand ballrooms with high ceilings and ornate fixtures of silver and gold. Large windows showed off the view of the castle grounds which were vast with orchards of blossoming trees, and statues of warriors and maidens and creatures. Beautiful stone fountains, and ponds with swans gliding over the water.
After meandering the halls, looking at paintings and other works of art, and saying hello to servants and guards, peeking into rooms to see if Thane was inside, she gave up. Night came and still no word from him or about him. Where could he be? She paced by the fireplace, touching edges, wondering how the thing opened—just in case she needed to use it of course, not because she wanted to go see him…
Layala rubbed her face; they get attacked in the woods and then he disappears? No one would tell her where he was or if anything was wrong. Nothing the next morning, either. “He’s busy,” was the only response.
So Layala started collecting food, hiding it from the maids so they wouldn’t report it, and made plans to leave to find the sorceress on her own. Tif helped. She was good at smuggling things, even if she was too small to carry much at once.
Thane might very well avoid her until the time was up and she wasn’t going to stick around like a fool hoping he wanted to break the bond too. Over a few days, she stole a map from the library when Piper’s back was turned, found a leather bag in her closet, and filled it with a set of warm clothes, gloves, an extra pair of boots, and a coat Tif dragged in for the cold in the mountains. Tif also brought packets of tea for energy and warmth. But she needed at least another couple of days to collect more food without drawing suspicion. Thane said she wasn’t a prisoner, but she wasn’t allowed anywhere alone, for the safety of others more than her own, she suspected. He didn’t trust her not to hurt anyone.
That evening, there were more servants than usual in the castle. Several of them hurried about moving furniture, changing decor, and more food whisked around on trays than ever before as if they readied for an event of some kind. If that mad queen was prepping for the wedding, Layala would put a stop to it.
“What’s going on?” Layala turned around and asked Piper. Their relationship didn’t change over the past few days. Piper didn’t spare words and Layala didn’t have much interest in speaking with her either, but she was getting bored and even Red might be worth conversation.
“It’s the Summer Solstice celebration tomorrow.”
The longest day of the year where the elves celebrated the sun and symbolized it as a triumph of light over dark. They recognized it as a sacred day and made offerings to help them in their fight against the pale ones and the Void. Even though Aunt Evalyn wasn’t an elf, she still taught Layala all their traditions. In Briar Hollow, the town recognized the day but didn’t celebrate. It was only seen as a day they could work longer or stay out to have fun later before dark.
“Will there be a party?” she asked.
“We call it a festival, but yes.”
Layala found a window that overlooked the back grounds. Servants set up tables and decor outside. Strings of flowers and lights bobbed in the air and on the pond water. As much as she wanted to leave for the mountains, she didn’t think she could miss this. It would be her first elven festival. The first time celebrating anything with her own people.
There were also gatherings of large groups, who couldn’t be servants. Mostly males but females too, in fine dresses.
“Is Thane going to be there?”
“He wouldn’t miss the most important day of the year,” Piper answered as if it annoyed her to speak.
“Where is he now?”
Piper walked up beside her and peered out the window. “He had some business to attend to.”
The guard finally broke her silence. Layala smiled. “What kind of business?”
“The fighting in the south kind.” Piper let out a long breath. “It never ends. And on our celebration day the pale ones always attack with more force. They know it’s a day we cherish and want to ruin it. So, the High King had to make certain our forces were ready.”
A rogue thought crept in: I should be there fighting. I should be there for my people… Another side of her argued back, but they’re not your people. Aunt Evalyn, Ren, Forrest, and Briar Hollow are your people. She wondered if that’s what her mother would have wanted. She touched the willow necklace gently. Her mother’s last words: someday she will have to fight too, stuck with her. Evalyn said she meant to fight the High King and his hunger for power, but what if her mother simply intended for her to fight evil. And yet if the Black Mage returned because of her, it could be the end of freedom and life, not just in Palenor but for the whole continent of Adalon. The Void only grew further when the Black Mage was alive, infecting good land with its sickness. Infecting people. It could spread everywhere if he was allowed to return.
When Piper carried on further, Layala was a little surprised. “I know what Tenebris did to your parents, and I feel for you, I do. He was an unjust, terrible king. But I know the consequence hanging over yours and Thane’s heads. Being a pale one would be much worse than being married to him. You have to see that. You can have a life of luxury, if you’ll accept Thane with it. I know you don’t care for him, but you have to marry him for yourself at least.”
Layala ran her fingers over her scalp and slowly nodded. “If it comes to it, I will. We have to wait for the full moon anyway, so I have time.”
Piper narrowed her eyes. “Full moon?”
“Thane said part of the stipulation of the mate bond spell was that we had to be wed under a full moon.” She shrugged. “Perhaps the magic requires the strength of it. I don’t know rune magic.” It crossed her mind to tell her about the dragon sorceress in the mountains, but she thought better of it. The less anyone knew the better. She was going to have to slip Piper’s watchful eye too if she couldn’t convince Thane to go. At the end of the festival when everyone was distracted would be a good time.
Rubbing her arm absently, Piper shifted staring at the ground momentarily as if lost in thought. “We should get you back to your room so you can be ready for dinner, and if Thane allows it, the games tonight.”
“Games?” Layala wondered about Piper’s sudden change in demeanor but followed her without asking.
“Yes, the night before the Summer Solstice we have challenges and games with elves from all over Palenor.”
“That sounds fun.”
After bathing, Pearl combed through Layala’s long hair while Reina rifled through the closet. Tif still wasn’t brave enough to come out in the open with the other “jumbos” around, even though Layala said she’d protect her. She built a little nook among the vines above the bed that she hid in when they came. “We need to find you the perfect gown for the Summer Festival tomorrow. I’m thinking something burnt orange in color, thin straps, flowy. The queen and princess usually wear yellow, and we want you to stand apart from them.”
Yes we do, Layala thought. “Will they be at dinner this evening?”
“I believe so,” Pearl answered. “And the princess wanted to meet with you. She wants to get to know you a little better.”
“Joy,” she mumbled.
“Princess Talon is nice once you get to know her,” Reina yelled from the closet.
Continuing with her hair, Pearl rubbed in some lavender-scented oils to the ends and tied her hair high on her head into a loose bun. She added a dusty rose-colored lip balm to Layala’s lips but otherwise left her natural. Reina helped her into a rich purple floor-length dress for the games tonight with a jeweled waist belt.
“You’re stunning,” Reina said, holding a hand to her chest.
Layala smiled genuinely. “Thank you, Reina.”
Pearl gathered a handful of dirty sheets. “We’ll leave you be. I’m sure someone will be up in an hour to fetch you.”
An hour? She was growing bored of sitting in her room waiting for others. The two maids left. Layala sat on the bed for a moment then glanced at the servants’ passage entrance. It wouldn’t hurt to go exploring by herself. There were still many places she hadn’t seen, but the dominant part of her wanted to find Thane.
Pulling open the shelf against the wall, it easily moved, and she slipped inside. A cold breeze swept through from a crack somewhere in the walls. She quietly walked past entrances to rooms, hoping she wouldn’t run into any servants. Most rooms were silent and seemingly unoccupied. She paused at one when she picked up on deep voices, but she didn’t recognize them, and they weren’t saying anything interesting. When she went down a set of stairs onto the main floor, she stopped at a notable door with gold painted trim. Curious as to where it would lead, she slowly pushed the sliding door aside and peeked her head out. Blue tapestries hung directly ahead blocking the view of the room.
“It isn’t wise to come into my kingdom, in my castle, and accuse me of anything.” That was Thane’s voice. Deep, resonant, and commanding. He somehow sounded bored and yet at the same time like he might order the execution of whoever he spoke to.
Interest piqued, she slipped out of the passage and taking in slow deep breaths, she grabbed the edge of the velvet tapestry and risked a glance. The hall was absolutely massive. Up above white stone archways loomed. Sunlight cascaded in from the colossal windows on either side of the red carpet running down the center. Two wide doors with hand-carved designs in the mahogany were shut. A stone altar was placed before the long steps up to the throne, where the children must be tested for magic. Where she was once tested. Her eyes searched the steps for stains of blood on the light gray stone. Her parents’ lives were cut short in this very room; dejection welled up in her imagining their last moments and how scared they must have been.
Finally, her gaze landed on Thane, sitting on the very throne his father ordered her parents executed… or was it? It wasn’t white like the paintings depicted. It was solid shiny black stone. Large enough to seat two people but he somehow dominated it. Casually sitting with his legs spread, leaning on his elbow on the armrest. Arrogant swine, she thought and smiled reluctantly.
He stared down at three elves dressed in the same style they wore in Calladira: the green and brown garb. The knee-high cloth boots. She shifted nervously. No one stood guard in this room. Thane, the High King, was alone with three potential enemies.
“Witnesses put you and your betrothed in Calladira where you murdered four of ours. She used magic on our patrol, seriously injuring one of them that survived,” the center elf said. “It isn’t an accusation. It’s a warning to stay out of our land. The Athayels are not welcome there. And our lord no longer wishes to meet with you.”
Layala tensed at the woodland elf’s tone with Thane, a harsh one that wouldn’t be taken well. What would he do now?
“Is that all?”
Another smile tugged at her lips. This completely unphased him, as if he’d expected it. Although, she couldn’t help but feel this rift was partially her fault.
The three woodland elves glanced between one another. The middle elf again cleared his throat, but stammered now, “If-if you or your betrothed—”
“If we what?” He sat a little taller and curled the fingers on his right hand. The elf clutched at his throat, suddenly gasping. His mouth hung open and his skin grew redder with each passing second. Was Thane choking him somehow?
“Your highness, please,” the elf on the right begged. “You’re killing him.”
“If we what?” he asked again. “I couldn’t quite hear you.”
The elf choked and wheezed, trying to pull in a breath. It was disturbing on so many levels but mostly because nothing touched him to cut off his airways. It wasn’t as if Thane clamped a physical hand around his throat. He was several yards away.
“Your highness, I beg you to show restraint,” the other elf said gently.
With a quick wave of Thane’s hand, the choking elf sucked in a deep breath and dropped to his hands and knees. “Before any of you make threats you can’t take back,” he shoved to his feet, and the air seemed to draw out of the room replaced with a heaviness that weighed down the atmosphere. “You better remember who you’re talking to. I will go wherever I please with whomever I please and there is nothing any of you can do to stop me. I guess my message wasn’t clear enough before. Do tell your lord if he wishes to threaten my mate in any way, he will find me as a shadow at the foot of his bed. It will be the last thing he ever sees.” The three elves stood there seemingly stunned. “Now, do you have anything else to say?”
His fierceness in protection of her made Layala’s heart beat faster. Before it may have scared her. Now—wrath looked good on him.
All three stood silent.
“I didn’t think so. Get out.”
Without hesitation, the three turned and although they walked, they may as well have run. The heavy mahogany doors flew open then slowly closed in their wake.
Thane’s attention flicked to where Layala stood, and she ducked behind the tapestry. As she held her breath, she hoped he didn’t see her spying. She felt dirty for eavesdropping even if she wasn’t doing anything explicitly wrong. With slow steps, she quietly made her way toward the servants’ passage.
A warm hand slid around her waist; she sucked in in surprise. She knew who it was before she saw him. Like she could feel his very essence. When he gripped her shoulder and spun her around to meet his intense eyes, Thane backed her into the wall. “It looks like I need to post a guard in the servants’ entrance to keep a certain little spy in her room.”
Chest rising and falling rapidly, Layala pushed his hand from her waist. The heat of his touch lingered much longer than it should have. “I wasn’t spying, and I thought I wasn’t a prisoner here. I’m to be locked in my room now?”
“I said you could go wherever you’d like with an escort.”
“I won’t hurt anyone. I promise.”
Ignoring her comment he said, “If you weren’t spying then why are you skulking in the shadows?”
“I wasn’t skulking. You make it sound like I’m some creature from the swamp.” He laughed and she went on. “I was looking for you. Where have you been? It’s been four days and I haven’t seen or heard from you.”
His eyes flared for a moment. “I didn’t think you’d miss me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Sure, you didn’t. I felt your longing to be with me. Especially at night.”
She blushed. “You’re getting your feelings confused with mine… And you killed those elves then just vanished on me, leaving me wondering what the hell was going on.” She risked revealing her magic to him, and used it for the first time in years to defend him. He’d killed, potentially starting a skirmish with the woodland elves to protect her. In a way, they bonded in that moment. Their lives were literally tied in the other’s and that thought made it impossible for her to not think of him and his safety. Things felt a little different now—less rigid, at least for her part although she didn’t trust him fully. If he was avoiding her, it was because he didn’t want to break this bond.
He smirked and inched back, gesturing to the great hall behind him. “And because of those dead elves, I’ve been busy. There’s always some threat I must defend Palenor against. I thought you’d be glad I wasn’t around to annoy you.”
She pursed her lips. “Will they make a move against you?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I doubt it. Although they may, to test me as I am the new, young High King.”
“But those emissaries were obviously scared of you.”
“Their lord is also young. A rival of mine you could say. I killed his father in battle two years ago. He’s been itching to get back at me.”
“Yes, I heard. That you killed him anyway. I also heard you killed his two daughters.”
Thane narrowed his eyes. “I never touched his daughters. I don’t kill females. And as far as I know, they’re both alive and well. There are many rumors about me as you well know, most are hardly true. I’d hoped you’d have seen that by now, or do you still believe I mark my flesh with my kills and sacrifice young maidens for Maker only knows why?”
How did he— “I never told you about that…”
“I have excellent hearing, my dearest.”
Her cheeks flared with heat. She saw him shirtless on more than one occasion and knew for a fact his skin was flawless. Not a single scar. “I—no, I don’t believe those things.” She quietly cleared her throat, lifting her chin. “What will this Lord Brunard do? Is he scared of you?” She would be if she were his enemy. Her eyes flicked up to the top of his head. It was driving her crazy that his crown was slightly crooked on his dark locks.
“He has a healthy amount of fear but not overtly so. He is not weak in any sense of the word.”
Unable to stop the urge, Layala reached up and adjusted the silver crown. He blinked a few times in surprise. “It was crooked,” she said, tucking her hand behind her back. “Now, about the mountains—”
The doors to the hall crashed open and Piper frantically ran in. “Thane! She’s gone, she’s—” she stopped, staring at the two of them partially hidden by the tapestries.
He stepped out with his hands behind his back. “She’s right here.”
Layala followed after him and gave a small wave at Piper. The guard shot Layala a scowl. “You’re making me look incompetent.”
“It’s fine, Piper.” Thane sauntered toward his throne. Layala watched his every step, amazed at the grace with which he moved. She was around humans for so long she didn’t realize the difference in a simple gait. When he sat, he tapped his foot slow and methodically. “I’ll be up for dinner soon. We can talk about whatever it is you came searching for then.”
“Now seems like a good time. You’re here. I’m here.” Layala waited long enough already to find out if he would help her go north so she could go home. Or if she’d have to escape and do this on her own. No matter what he said, she knew he wouldn’t allow her to leave alone.
With a playful twist of his mouth, he sat a little taller. “I have another meeting. I put off most of them to retrieve you.”
She worked hard not to roll her eyes. Retrieve me? He made it sound like she’d willingly and happily joined him. “About dinner… I would like to go outside instead. I’ve been locked in this castle for days and I heard there are games tonight before the Summer Solstice.”
“You wish to see the games?”
“I do.” It was better than dinner with his family or wandering around with a grumpy Piper.
“Alright. We’ll go to the games. I’ll come to get you when I can.”
The double doors opened by a pair of guards and in walked five very human-looking men. Piper tilted her head toward the exit. “Come on.”
After watching the men in light armor with the sigil of Svenarum on their chests, she followed Piper out. “What are they here for?” She held pride and allegiance to Svenarum given that was where she lived her entire life although she never met the king or any of the royals.
“Each ruler in Adalon will send diplomats to meet with Thane since he is the new High King, both as respect and to see if he will differ from Tenebris. Thane hopes to repair the damage his father did with the other races.”
Layala glanced back one last time. Thane stood with a big smile on his face and descended the stairs like he was meeting with old friends. The difference between how he was with the elves of Calladira and the humans was… interesting. When the guards closed the doors Layala turned to Piper. “Must we wait for Thane to go to the games? I’m bored.”
“That is what he said,” Piper answered.
“And do you always do what you’re told?”
Piper shot a sidelong look. “When my king is doing the telling, yes.”
