Thane slowly opened the cottage door. The hinges squealed quietly, and he stepped out into the warm balmy air. The pair of approaching elves pulled their hoods back to reveal lunar tattooed faces, one redhaired, the other a rich golden brown, styled with braids and twists, one of them had an eyepatch—not Fennan or Aldrich but friends, nonetheless. The female in the center kept her face hidden, however. Only a hint of brown skin showed. And who might you be? Thane thought.
The dirt path leading to the front entrance wasn’t wide enough for the three of them shoulder to shoulder. Gunner and Leif glanced at each other, their pace picking up, pumping their arms in a speed walk. A race, of course. Predictably mischievous, Leif shoved Gunner over green, round-trimmed shrubbery. With a curse and a grunt, Gunner rolled and sprang back to his feet. Thane couldn’t help but chuckle, then immediately regretted it. He clutched his torso, wincing at the pain a simple laugh caused.
“Don’t ruin my rhododendrons,” Vesstan called and sighed, hobbling out from inside. “Bunch of brutes, the lot of you.”
Leif gave an apologetic shrug, while Gunner carefully hopped back over the flowering bushes, adjusting his slinking black eyepatch. Thane didn’t know how he truly lost his eye. He told a different story anytime he was asked.
It was good to see familiar faces. It felt like a lifetime ago that he’d fought beside them in Doonafell. Although he never questioned the Ravens’ loyalty to him, the situation with his father and Thane’s attempt to murder him would surely test it. Thane lifted a hand in greeting, and when the pair reached the patio, they both dropped to one knee. The mysterious female waited a few yards down the path with her hands folded in front of her.
“High King,” Leif said, while Gunner said, “High Prince.” The pair looked at each other, confused.
“He’s our rightful High King, you idiot,” Leif said. “He was crowned High King; therefore he is.”
“I meant no disrespect. I only thought…” Gunner’s tan cheeks flushed, and he cursed under his breath.
“Leif. Gunner. My Ravens, rise,” Thane said, patting them both on the shoulders. They both stood with eager smiles. “Until I remove my father, there will be debate on who the High King is.” Thane cleared his throat, unsure where to take this conversation. Would they be willing to go to war with Tenebris and their fellow soldiers—their brothers in arms. “As you probably know, I did try to kill my father and then took his place as High King. Our laws state—”
Leif grinned, wrinkling the crescent moon tattoos on the corners of his eyes, and grabbed Thane’s hand to pull him into a rough embrace. “We will follow you into any battle, against any foe, Thane.” His rolling accent sounded thicker than ever. A big hand slapped hard on Thane’s back, taking the air from his lungs. Pain shot down his spine from the impact. He grimaced but kept quiet. Maker above, would this injury ever heal? He didn’t know if it was the dragon’s poison that kept his body from recovering faster or if it was too large of a wound. “Oh, apologies, sire.” Leif pulled back, gripping his shoulders and held him at arm’s length. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s nothing. I’m better now.”
Leif’s blue eyes, so bright against his bronzed brown skin, flicked to Gunner. “You never mentioned injuries in your letter. You only said we’d be targeted by Tenebris, and we should go into hiding. The Ravens are ready to be at your side, no matter the cost. We will fight to stop the Black Mage and put you back on the throne even if that means battling against King Tenebris.”
Warmth blossomed in Thane’s heart. Maker, it felt good to know he wasn’t alone in this fight. But battle against Tenebris would have to wait until Thane could wield a sword properly again.
“I appreciate that, but who is your friend?”
“Oh,” Leif said, folding his arms and stepping aside to make way for the maiden. “She insisted on coming. Found her on the way here.”
“And she is?”
The maiden pulled her hood back, and Thane’s chest instantly tightened. He knew that face well even though he’d only seen her once. “Evalyn, I presume.”
“You,” she snapped with accusation.
Thane couldn’t help but smirk. “Me.”
“It was you in the pub that night. I should have known.” Her brown eyes dragged down Thane’s body then back up. “You’ve certainly grown since you were a boy.”
“I suppose I would have.”
“And what now, hmm? The letter said you and your father had a falling out over her. That you actually love her. Hard to believe but the only reason I’m not going to take advantage of your injured state and kill you right now is I need your help to get her back. And if you love her, you’ll do it. Then she’ll be coming home with me. You’ve done enough damage.”
Leif and Thane exchanged a wary look. With a deep, hopefully calming, pull of air into his lungs, Thane cooled the tension building inside him. After he took Layala against her will, he expected this. “I do love her, and as far as who she’s going to go home with, well, that will be up to her.”
She scoffed. “Oh, you suddenly want to give her a choice, do you? You’re not going to try to force her to stay with you? Use her?”
Now he knew where Layala got her attitude from. It was almost like he’d been transported back to the early days with Layala having the same arguments. “I said I loved her. What about that would make you think I’d use her in any way?” He snapped, the pain in his abdomen began to burn again. “Once I explained things, she was free to leave at any time.”
“You expect me to believe you after your soldiers held me captive, threatened me, and gave her no choice but to go with you?” She lifted a hand and jabbed a crooked finger at him, “If you tried to force yourself on her—”
“You’re crossing a line, Evalyn,” Thane tried to keep the snarl out of his voice but couldn’t. “I would never do that. Never. And I had no choice but to take her that day. The mate spell would have turned us into pale ones. Once she knew, she tried to find a way out of it, as did I.”
Evalyn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “The consequence of not fulfilling the mate spell…” she trailed off and rolled one of the berries on her twine necklace between her fingers.
Mage Vesstan half stepped in front of Thane. His shaky hand dragged over his mid-belly length, white beard. “Today is the first day in nearly a month he’s been able to walk without collapsing. I understand you are frustrated but we all are.”
Thane turned and glared. He didn’t want the pity of Leif, Gunner, or Evalyn for that matter, when they had a mission to accomplish.
Leif blinked a few times. “You, sire?”
“Unfortunately.”
Gunner folded his arms. “We heard rumors for weeks. Some said you were killed by Brunard, then your father announced that you were to be executed for treason. Guards reported that Piper and Fennan are in prison. The rest of us went into hiding as soon as Tenebris started having Ravens killed in the streets, claiming mutiny.” Gunner had the same distinct accent as Leif. “Think you ought to know that Layala is rumored to be held in the tower. At first, rumors said it was because she conspired with Brunard to kill you. Of course, we knew that was false. The girl was clearly in love with you last I saw her. Nobody will forget the way she straddled you on your throne—”
Thane loudly cleared his throat, eyes darting to Evalyn.
Gunner snapped his mouth shut, opened it, scratched his head.
Leif jumped in to save the situation, “It was perfectly proper.”
Evalyn’s raised eyebrows said she didn’t believe it. “Layala, straddling you? In front of a crowd no less. A bit unexpected from her.”
Leif chortled nervously. “It was the wine, surely. It can make even the sweetest maidens a little promiscuous.”
Thane shook his head, not wanting to carry on with what happened that night, and lifted his shirt, showing the massive scar on his abdomen. The sight of it should be enough to detract from furthering Layala’s said promiscuity. “A dragon shifter is what almost did me in. I think her claws are poisonous. She’s working with my father and took Layala.”
The harsh lines on Evalyn’s face softened a little and her hand slowly crept up to cover her mouth in surprise.
“Damn,” Leif said, rubbing the back of his neck. “That descendent of the gods’ blood must run strong.”
Everyone found it hard to believe, even Thane himself, but he couldn’t deny it. He often wondered why his mother and sister didn’t have the ability to heal as he did if it came through her blood as they say, and neither were mages. Perhaps he was simply favored by the Maker. “But you were right. Layala didn’t try to kill me. She saved me from Brunard. It’s a long story.” He tucked his shirt back into his trousers. “But we need to get her before it’s too late.”
“Too late, sire?” Leif asked.
“Yes,” Evalyn said, still toying with her strand of slumber berries around her neck. He remembered those too. “What is it exactly your father wants with her?”
With a deep breath, Thane told them the truth. How he took Tenebris to the Void and meant to kill him. What his father planned to use Layala for and his deal with Mathekis and the pale ones. Why he’d gone to Brunard in the first place. That his mate bond was now broken. “And after we get Layala, and any others who’ve been imprisoned, I will take back my throne.”
“Our loyalty will always be with you, sire,” Leif said, bowing his head.
Gunner scrunched his nose and let out a long breath. “I can’t believe Aldrich is a traitor. He was close to you for years. A Raven. He swore fealty to you, to us, publicly.”
Thane tilted his head, confused. A sudden heat crept up his neck spilling into his face. A traitor? “What do you mean?” He hadn’t heard anything about Aldrich specifically. He assumed he was being held with Piper and Fennan.
Gunner pursed his lips and rubbed a hand over the smooth tan skin on his jawline. “Sire, Aldrich joined your father. Some are saying he is a bastard son. Your half-brother.”
Gulping down the sick feeling rising in his throat, he shook his head. “No, that can’t be.” As they’d said, Aldrich had sworn fealty to Thane. Aldrich had been by his side every day since Thane saved his life on the battlefield years before. If it weren’t for Thane, Aldrich would be a pale one or dead. And he would know if his father had another son, wouldn’t he? How could Tenebris have kept that secret? Thane hadn’t seen his father with any mistresses. For all his faults, he thought the one good quality his father had was loyalty to his mother… but why else would Tenebris take any interest in Aldrich rather than imprison him?
Leif’s mouth twisted, and he cleared his throat. “We don’t know if he is your father’s son for certain, there has been no announcement made, but we do know Aldrich has rarely left Tenebris’s side.”
It felt like a wall of bricks began to fall one by one all around Thane. Layala said she thought one of his friends was a traitor, and had reported their movements, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He wouldn’t even allow that thought to fester. His rough fingers glided across his sweaty forehead. His mind whirled around every memory with his friend and Layala and never once had there been a hint that he’d betrayed them, had there? “Aldrich might be pretending to be on my father’s side. If we can get word to him, he might be able to help us free Layala and the Ravens being held.”
“I don’t think that is wise.” Leif’s mouth twisted into a frown. “Right now, we don’t know whose side he is on. We can’t trust him. He’s had over three weeks to help Layala or any of the others and has done nothing but be Tenebris’s lap dog. I have a couple friends on the inside giving me information. My cousin is a cook, and a lady friend of mine is a maid. We’re to meet her at Adley’s Apothecary at dusk.”
If Aldrich was on his father’s side… he felt sick that he’d been such a fool. He couldn’t see it. “Then we need to leave now to make it in time. We can go through the stone portal.”
Leif and Gunner grinned. “We hoped you would say that,” Leif said. “It took us a week to get here.”
“At least you know your stamina is up to par.”
Leif let out a deep belly laugh. “You lot are soft in the north. We run miles each day in the east. We’re used to it.”
“Did you walk this whole way?” Thane asked Evalyn. She was a woman in her sixties, human, and although he was sure she could walk fine, it was a long way from Briar Hollow.
“I had a horse up until we reached the Calladira border. Gunner and Leif suggested I leave it to be less noticeable by woodland elf patrol.”
“I trust they took care of you on the way.”
Gunner and Leif both put their hands to their chests, mouths agape, as if offended he’d even have to ask. But they could be a sour pair, difficult to get used to for some. Although from the company he saw in the pub in Briar Hollow, she couldn’t be too bothered.
“They were kind enough to bring me along and shared their food. Need their mouths washed out with soap but I can’t complain too much.” Her lips pressed tightly together, and she brushed her hand down the front of her cloak. He had a feeling there was something else she wanted to say. A moment later she met Thane’s gaze. “You’re different than I expected—your highness.”
“You can call me Thane. You’re Layala’s only family.” At least Evalyn wasn’t as hard to convince as Layala was. But Leif and Gunner no doubt had a hand in that, and it was clear to all that Thane and Tenebris were on opposing sides.
The clop of Vesstan’s staff as he hobbled disrupted the chatter. He paused at the entrance of the cottage and looked back, “Let’s all sit down for a chat so you can work out a proper plan or all you’ll do is get yourselves killed.”
