"Kissing Travis."
"What!" Alyssa literally shrieked.
Piper laughed. "Ha, no. Only joking. As if Travis would kiss anyone apart from Katie! I heard that they had a massive fall out yesterday though. Travis got annoyed with Katie for going to Alltalos to work as a serving maid – apparently he doesn't want a long-distance relationship..."
Alyssa peered out of the large window, watching Kelsie ride away on a midnight colored horse, without even putting on a saddle. Ouch. Where was she going now? And in the snow as well? Who in their right mind would go horse riding in snow? Alyssa started running towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Piper called. "You've got your corset on back to front! It's really visible underneath your dress – and why are you still wearing that dress?"
"Doesn't matter!" Alyssa called, rushing out of her chamber, leaving the door wide open. She ran down to the stables, catching her breath for a moment and then saddled a horse and rode off down the market street, following Kelsie's footprints.
The black carriage was almost out of sight, but Kelsie could see it if she looked hard enough. It was racing down the long winding road that led to Alltalos, whatever her father and the king were up to...she didn't have a good feeling about it. She pushed her horse faster, blinking back the thick snow. Her legs hurt from not using a saddle, but she figured that she would lose sight of them if she wasted the time putting one on. Faster, faster, faster, she chanted in her head. Suddenly the horse disappeared from underneath her and she felt herself being catapulted into the air. There was a sensation of falling, which she hated immensely, and then she promptly crashed into a lake. Water filled her mouth and her clothes suddenly were drenched. So much for being stealthy... The cold was the biggest shock though, it froze her whole body until she couldn't move. Her arms refused to cooperate, and her legs went completely still. There was a sudden grip on her hands, making her jolt in shock. She was abruptly pulled out of the water and onto the snowy lakeside, dripping wet and shivering.
"You alright?" someone asked. Kelsie looked up to see a middle-aged man, who wore a ragged overly large coat and a cap, staring with concern at her. It occurred to her that he might be human. She wrinkled her nose, he smelt like one too.
"I'm...fine..." she said through the harsh shivers. Curling herself up in a ball.
"You sure don't look fine to me," the human told her in a gruff yet kindly voice. " 'Ere, take me coat. You look like you could use it more than me." Kelsie graciously accepted the offering and wrapped it around her, basking in its warmth.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked, trying to start a conversation. There was no way she was continuing her stalker act until she was dried. The man laughed pleasantly.
"Me? Well, I'm fishing right now. This is one large lake; you never know what you might find in here."
"But it's snowing," Kelsie pointed out, looking up at the sky. The man laughed again, humorously.
"Of course, but I gotta get my daily food. Food don't grow on trees; I've got to earn me keep." Kelsie nodded, feeling sorry for the poor man. For elves, it was easy to get food. There were many places to buy it, even if some elves were poor. There was always enough to eat.
"I'm Stan by the way. Boring name, I suppose, but ma parents couldn't think of anything better," he grinned toothily at her. "Bet your name is going to be one of a kind, you look like a princess to me."
Kelsie smiled at the comment. "I'm Kelsie, Kelsie Grace."
"See I was right. Original name you got there, pretty name as well."
Kelsie flushed at the comment. "Thanks for saving me back then."
"Ahh, it's nothing," the man said happily. "I'm just glad you're ok. You could be dead right now, for all I know." Kelsie didn't respond. She wouldn't have been dead, since elves don't die. But she didn't want to tell him that.
"Have you caught anything yet?" she asked, making a different conversation.
"Nah, this lake seems to frozen for fish. But a man's got to try, I've got two hungry mouths at home to feed. My daughter, Eloise, she's got your same black hair. You might like to meet her, she's one funny person." Kelsie smiled back, half wishing that she had a father like this man. He was so easy going, with a smile that immediately would make you happy. Before she could answer, the lake shot up in front of them. Spraying them with a shower of pure water and stones.
"Stan!" she yelled over the noise, trying to see his threw the cascade of water.
Chapter Forty-Three
Her heart suddenly went cold when she heard a heart-rending scream. "Stan!" she cried out again, rushing towards the sound. Through the water she could see a figure...glowing green eyes...fangs and a –a... tail. Fury clouded her vision. She leapt towards the figure, unsheathing her sword and stabbing it at the person. She was suddenly blasted back with a column of water; something grabbed her arm, but she stabbed at it. Blood mixed into the water around her, she could hardly see anything since the lake had risen high above her head.
"Stan!" she screamed out once more.
"Get away from him!" A boy jumped at her, stretching his talons out at her, his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Shock rang through her, no... It couldn't be him. It couldn't be. It couldn't be. But it was. Ben. A strangled scream tore from her throat and she charged straight at him, the water swirling around her. He blocked her attack effortlessly and sent her flying backwards with a beam of ice. She was screaming in rage, her voice cracking at the strain.
"Monster!" she cried, tears flowing down her face. "You – you killed him!" When he wasn't looking, she threw her dagger at him and it hit him. Right on the shoulder. He hissed in pain and glared back at her with anger in his sea green eyes. He dived back into the lake and the water fell on top of him, leaving her alone on the shore. Kelsie curled up in a ball and screamed. She should've known! She should've known that he was evil! She should've known that he was a monster.
Her body shook uncontrollably as she thought about the man she had only known for a few minutes, lying dead at the bottom of the lake. His child, Eloise. Oh, gods. What about his child? She would never see her father again; it was all Ben's fault. It was his fault that he destroyed the life of a family, it was his fault that she would never see her rescuer again. How could she have been so stupid? She should've protected him! Kelsie cried openly in for the first time she could remember. But her tears weren't enough to bring him back, her tears weren't enough to kill Ben once and for all. But sometimes, revenge was good. She picked herself up again and staggered her way back to her horse, who had obediently waited for her this entire time. She saw the puddle of ice that the horse had slipped on, and she looked back and saw the blood that stained the perfect white snow by the lake.
After this one last mission, she was going to kill Ben. She swore to herself that nothing else mattered but that, even if it was the last thing she could do. She climbed back onto the horse and furiously wiped away the tears that were warm and wet on her cheeks. Pressing her legs into the horses' side, she galloped away to Alltalos, assuming that's where her father was going. Kelsie's feet and hands had gone numb with the cold and she was shivering, either from the cold or the uncontrollable hatred that coursed through her veins. She arrived at the city gates, her eyes emotionless and determined. The draw bridge was down, and the horses' hooves clattered over it noisily as she went.
Quickly, she cantered down to the stables and left her horse there, before running up the marble steps to the palace. "Hey, it's you again," one of the guards sneered. "Do you really think we're going to let you in again? After what you did to us?"
"Whatever, I'm really not in the mood," she spat and knocked them both unconscious without any warning. She ran up the staircases of the illuminated palace and searched for the auras of her father. Strangely, it was coming from the dungeons...she didn't know why. Kelsie raced through the dungeon corridors and found herself standing outside the physician's chambers, that she recognized all too well.
"...where is she? Why
isn't she here?" someone was saying, maybe it was the King of Alltalos.
"I'm sorry, my lord. But there was a break in, I don't know how it happened, it must've been some very strong magic..."
"I don't care how strong it was! I want her found! Immediately!" the King shouted at Dimitri. "The touch of a mermaid – that's all I'm asking for. Without it the swords will be like any other! Without it, I won't be able to kill elves."
"I will try, my lord..."
"I don't want you to try, I want you to succeed," the king hissed venomously.
"I'm sorry, my lord. The new batch of swords are prepared and ready, though my lord..." Something suddenly crashed behind her, like someone had just fallen into a pile of chains. The voices went quiet and she heard footsteps walking towards the door. "Well, well, well, we've got an eavesdropper," the king said from behind the door and then ripped it open to face Kelsie. "The daughter of Devlin, no less." Kelsie backed away in horror.
"My lord! You can't kill her – Devlin will be mad!" Dimitri pleaded.
"Devlin isn't here right now," the King spat. "He won't know. He'll be back in five minutes, which gives us enough time to eliminate...pests." Kelsie legged it, racing down the corridors before they could react. She ran up the iron staircase and out of the palace. She jumped onto her horse and galloped away, in fear for her life. She heard horses behind her, catching her up as she sped through the city.
"Guards! Arrest her!" the King shouted to his men. Elves in armor came running at her, trying to knock her down, but she was too fast. She galloped over the drawbridge and sped down the hill, her heart racing wildly. Suddenly an arrow struck her horse and it toppled down from underneath her, sending her flying, yet again. The King stopped beside her and drew his sword, smiling menacingly. "Say your last prayers," he said raising his sword over her chest.
"My lord! You can't actually do this!" Dimitri protested, his eyes were wide and fearful.
"I can and I will," the King replied. And the sword came down on top of her, cutting through her skin, burning it like coals. Kelsie screamed in agony, writhing on the ground, she had never felt anything so painful in her life. "I'll leave you to your slow death," the king said, ripping the sword out of her. Kelsie gasped; her vision blurred as she watched them ride away. Everything was burning, cold black hands reached out towards her. So, this was how she was going to die? All alone in a foreign country?
"Kelsie!" somebody was screaming her name. She saw blonde hair and grey eyes...but that was all. "Kelsie! No! Please, hold on!" was that Alyssa? Using all her will power and strength, she clutched her hand.
"Alyssa..." she said, though her own voice sounded distant. Alyssa gripped her hand, but it felt like she was pressing fire to it. "Kill him," she groaned, trying to hear what she was saying. "Kill Ben, please. That's all I ask."
"I c-can't..."
"Do it," she breathed, her eyes trying to focus wildly. "Please...Alyssa. Remember? We're b-best friends...please, just do it." There was silence, but she felt hot tears that weren't hers, dripping onto her face. Everything was a blur, she couldn't see.
Everything was on fire, she couldn't breathe. "Alyssa, please...just one last favor...promise me..."
She heard a gulp, and a sob. "I promise."
Dark Oceans (Ocean Series Book 1) Page 21
