by Meg Anne
No one would ever replace Darrin. He would always be her first love, and if he was alive, they’d probably still be together. But he wasn’t. Just as she wasn’t the same girl she’d been when they first met. With all that had happened leading up to and after his death, she was another woman entirely now. It only made sense that she needed a different kind of partner. Darrin was perfect for who she used to be, but not even he would have been a match for who she’d become. Whoever she gave her heart to now would have to be strong enough to help her on this journey without growing to resent her evolution.
Taking a sip of her punch—she was staying far away from anything with alcohol for the foreseeable future—Effie admitted, “Even if I still entertained the idea of pursuing something with Kieran, I could never be with him. He’s too caught up on who he thinks I am and doesn’t see the real me. It would never work. I’d be a constant disappointment to him.”
“And Lucian?” Reyna asked.
Effie glanced at her Guardian, whose head lifted as if he sensed her eyes on him. They stared at each other for one heartbeat, two . . . and then his lips curled in a slow smile she found herself shyly returning.
“He sees right through me,” Effie murmured, dragging her eyes back to Reyna. “And he doesn’t hesitate to call me out on my nonsense. He pushes me, but also knows when to give me space to try something on my own, even if he knows I might fail.”
“So what are you doing still sitting over here talking to me?”
Eyes dropping to her lap, Effie stared at her hands. “It would never work between us.”
“Why not?”
“He’s immortal, for one, not to mention sworn to the Triumvirate.”
“I fail to see how immortality is an issue. So he lives longer than you? I doubt it’s the first time he’s done so. Besides, that is true of almost all couples.”
Effie’s stomach clenched at the thought of Lucian with another.
Reyna’s voice was thoughtful as she continued, “As for the second concern, last I heard, he was your Guardian.”
Effie looked up. “He’s made no vows to me.”
“Perhaps not directly, but he’s claimed you as his all the same. From what I know of the Brotherhood, they do not do so lightly. Their duty is their life.”
“I don’t want to be his duty,” Effie muttered, making a face.
Reyna laughed. “What do you want to be then, Effie?”
His.
The thought shocked her with the amount of longing it brought to the surface. Until now she hadn’t considered her feelings anything more than misplaced attraction, a side effect of everything else she was going through. Uncomfortable at times, but easily dealt with and overcome. Now she wasn’t so sure.
Somewhere between his subtle touches, lingering glances, and the way he’d reacted when he thought Kieran might have hurt her, something had shifted. Mere attraction had turned into something much more complicated and unyielding.
It made no sense; Lucian was nothing like the man she envisioned the few times she’d allowed herself to dream of a future. Effie always thought she’d end up with someone gentle. A man that would hold her tenderly and offer sweet words of praise when she made him dinner.
Nothing about that scenario fit Lucian . . . or her, if she was being honest with herself. Not anymore.
“Effie?” Reyna prompted.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said finally.
“Yes, it does,” Reyna insisted, placing her hand over Effie’s. “It matters very much. You have just as much right to have what you want as the rest of us. Maybe more.”
Effie blinked, wondering how much Reyna knew about her past.
“What’s holding you back?” Reyna whispered, her green eyes kind.
“I couldn’t stand the rejection. Not from him. Not again.” She hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, the raw honesty hinting at more than she was ready to share.
Reyna was quiet for a minute as she considered what Effie had revealed. “I’ve only known the Guardian a short time, but I know with certainty he is a man of honor. If he turned you down, it is only because his honor compelled him to do so.”
Lucian had said as much when he’d pulled away from her. He hadn’t wanted to take advantage of her altered state of mind. Hope began to flicker in her chest as Effie stole another glance at Lucian. Is that really the only reason he stopped me?
Effie’s breath hitched as she studied his face. He still hadn’t shaved, the light beard softening some of the hard angles of his face. It wasn’t enough to disguise the aura of violence that always surrounded him. All he was doing was eating dinner and he was still the most formidable man she’d ever laid eyes on.
That was saying something considering who her friends were.
Effie was fooling herself believing she’d ever be satisfied with a gentle, soft-spoken man. She was far too drawn to warriors and their strength. The way they unapologetically protected those they considered theirs, even from themselves. For her, the kind of safety they offered was potent. She’d spent far too long hiding from those who would harm her.
Lucian frowned at whatever Kael said, and Effie looked away before he could catch her staring at him again.
Reyna gave her another knowing smile, and Effie couldn’t help but wonder if she was right. If the circumstances had been different . . . would Lucian have given in?
Chapter 6
Effie woke early, eager to return to the citadel and share what they had learned. She’d been granted accommodations far grander than any she’d had before, being treated as both a member of the Kiri’s court and a Keeper in her own right.
It was odd. She still wasn’t quite used to her new station, but Effie wasn’t going to complain about sleeping on an actual mattress or with a soft blanket. Not after years of being made to sleep on the floor with little more than damp rags to cover herself.
Granted, that was a long time ago, but one never really forgets to appreciate little comforts when they’ve had to live without.
She took a final glance around the chamber. It was filled with expensive blue and silver furnishings. Her eyes lingered on the numerous antiques lining the shelves. Gilded picture frames, miniature, highly detailed figurines, a music box with an intricate mosaic on the top, and a pale white bust of some woman who must have been important to warrant such a tribute. And that was just what she could identify from here.
Mother, it would take hours to properly dust all those trinkets. Effie’s nose tickled just thinking about dealing with the arduous task. A year ago, she would have been the one responsible for it. I suppose being a Keeper isn’t all bad, considering.
With a soft laugh, she shook her head and tightened the straps of her bag. Satisfied she wasn’t forgetting anything, Effie pulled open the door, freezing momentarily when she spotted Kael waiting for her outside.
“Good morning.”
He flashed her his dimpled grin. “Morning.”
“Do you often wait outside my door?” she asked, only half-joking.
Kael shook his head. “Lucian didn’t feel comfortable leaving you unguarded in an unfamiliar place.”
“Were you here all night?” she asked, thinking it wasn’t fair he should look so good after a night without sleep.
“No. I replaced Lucian sometime around dawn. He wanted to check in with the Triumvirate before we returned.”
Effie hadn’t known that either of the Guardians had been posted there. She felt oddly touched by their concern.
“Is this something you two do often?”
“There’s no need at the citadel. No place in all the realms is more protected. Why?” he asked, his grin filled with mischief. “You doing things in your room you’re embarrassed about being overheard?”
Effie was quick to shake her head. “No, I save my humiliation for more public places. Pubs. Hallways. Dining halls.”
Kael chuckled. “Thanks for that.”
She fell into step beside him, their banter ligh
t as they moved through the keep.
“Any more visions?” he asked, as they came upon the main staircase.
“No. Not since we left the citadel.”
Kael nodded, as if anticipating the answer.
“Kael, would you mind if I asked you something about your powers?”
He matched her hushed tone, his eyes teasing. “They aren’t a secret, little warrior. There’s no need to whisper.”
“So little is widely known about the Brotherhood, I wasn’t sure it would be polite to ask.”
Kael shrugged. “There are few secrets between the Brotherhood and the Keepers. What do you want to know?”
“Well . . . is that something all of you can do? That thing with your eyes?” she asked.
“Is it the Guardians you want to know about or a certain one in particular?” he asked, his grin widening.
Not him too. The last thing she wanted was another person invested in her interest in Lucian. There’d been far too much of that already.
“It just made me realize I don’t really know what you guys can do, outside of, you know . . . killing things.”
Kael laughed. “Yes, I can do that too, although Lucian’s gift is stronger than mine.”
“What was he doing?”
“Inspecting the essence of the area, trying to see if he could find the presence of any corruption that would still be invisible to mortal eyes.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Guardians have the ability to see the true form of all living things. It’s what allows us to see the strands that tie all life together, and if we want, to transform them. If there had been sign of corruption, he’d have seen it like a stain on whatever he was looking at.”
“Transform them how?”
“Well, Lucian is the best of us. He can create things on the spot, practically weaving them out of thin air.”
“Like weapons?” Effie asked, recalling how she’d thought his weapon had been made of smoke during the angcerta fight.
“Exactly.”
“And you can’t?”
Kael shrugged. “I can, but it takes me far longer, and much more concentration. It’s not a skill I’m able to use mid-battle, as he does.”
“I see,” Effie murmured. “Is that all?”
“Is that not impressive enough?” Kael teased.
Effie blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Kael stopped her. “No need to apologize. We are also the only beings in Elysia capable of creating portals—and hiding them.”
Effie’s mind was racing with this new information. The Guardians were much more powerful than she’d realized. Their abilities weren’t only tied to the battlefield. They could actually manipulate and transform the world around them, even to the extent they could hide things in plain sight. And those were just the tricks she knew about. With magic such as that, there was no telling what else the Guardians could do.
Awe tore through her as she realized they might just be the three most powerful beings in Elysia, the depth of their power even eclipsing Helena’s.
“You’re . . . you’re the ones responsible for the illusion hiding the citadel,” she said, a bit in shock.
Kael nodded.
“How?” she asked, wonder causing her voice to sound breathless.
“Once you can see the threads of life, it’s easy to tie them together. To create a portal requires the strands of two separate places to be joined. If the weaver wishes to obscure the presence of a portal, they can craft an illusion by willing the strands to appear as something new. It’s almost the same as outright transformation, except when tied to a portal, whatever they’ve created exists only on the surface. It’s a mirage, if you will. After that, it’s as simple as placing one foot in front of another.”
Effie shook her head, laughing a little at the absurdity of his comment. “Simple, right.”
Kael laughed at her and shrugged. “You asked.”
“And the immortality?”
“It’s part of the package. In order to receive the power, our essence is transformed. Although only the strongest of us have the ability to perform the transformation; it’s the most complex of our magic. It’s why we are the Guardians of the realms. With our power comes the responsibility of protecting those that cannot protect themselves. At least until we find our true purpose.”
“True purpose?” she asked.
Kael’s answer was interrupted by Ronan and Reyna walking toward them.
“Sleep well?” Ronan asked, his gaze raking over her.
Effie nodded. “You?”
Ronan grunted. “I learned a long time ago how to get a proper night’s sleep no matter where I am.”
Kael nodded in understanding. “The life of a warrior.”
“Aye.”
Reyna rolled her eyes. “His mattress was made of feathers. He slept like a babe.”
“And how do you know what his mattress was made of?” Effie teased.
“Because I was plucking feathers from his hair when we were walking down here,” she replied matter-of-factly.
“Mmhmm,” Effie said, not buying the story for a second.
Ronan shook his head as Reyna held out a hand filled with downy white feathers.
“Fair point, well made,” Effie said, impressed by either Reyna’s foresight or her self-control.
Kieran was the next to join them, his sage green eyes guarded and hair unkempt. It was unusual for the ex-prince to appear anything less than perfect. Right now, he looked like he spent the night trying to sleep on a bed of rocks. Even his clothes were mussed, like he’d slept in them.
He offered a nod in response to the other’s greetings, and then settled his gaze on her. Effie turned away before he could speak to her, not in the mood for another one of his misguided attempts to apologize. It was too early, and they had other things to worry about.
Zane and Xander wandered in.
“We wanted to make sure we saw you off,” Xander said, his voice husky with sleep.
Ronan clasped forearms with the other man. “We appreciate your hospitality.”
“We appreciate the Kiri sending her Shield in her absence, and the Keepers, of course,” Zane said, gesturing to Effie, Kael, and Kieran. “Lady Reyna, it was a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to our people getting to know each other during better times.”
Reyna nodded. “The Night Stalkers will be begging to visit once they hear of Sylverlands’ beauty.”
Zane placed a hand over his chest and bowed low. “Let us hope we can restore her to her former glory.”
Murmurs of agreement met his words before the group fell silent.
“Leave it to our fearless leader to be late,” Kieran muttered snidely behind Effie.
“I was the first to arrive,” Lucian replied, strolling toward their group from a door to their left. “I used the extra time to check in with the Triumvirate.”
Kieran’s cheeks flamed scarlet, but he did not comment further.
“Word of an attack from another realm came in. We’re to head there before returning to the citadel,” Lucian continued.
A heavy silence settled over their group as they processed the news. While they’d anticipated there might be more evidence of Shadow attacks across the realm, Effie didn’t think any of them really expected to discover two separate occurrences in the span of as many days. Or maybe they were just trying to cling to the naïve hope that things weren’t nearly as bad as they seemed.
“Which realm?” Ronan asked, adjusting the straps of his weapon harness.
“Caederan. Khouman has already been notified of our arrival.”
Effie smiled slightly at the mention of the Caederan delegate. She’d met him only briefly, but Khouman and his partner Tinka were hard to forget. The Caederans were short in stature, smaller even than she was. They really would look like children beside Ronan and the two Guardians’ hulking height.
She found herself looking forward to seeing them again.
If nothing else, it would be nice not to have to look up while talking with somebody.
“May the Mother bless your endeavors and keep you safe,” Zane said with a small bow.
“You as well,” Effie murmured.
Zane gave her a small smile in response, and with a final wave, he took his consort’s hand and the two men left the room.
“We ready to go?” Lucian asked.
They nodded.
Turning to Kael, he said, “We’ll have to travel in two groups. My stone has less charge than I thought.”
“Will you be able to make it to Caederan and then back to the citadel?” Kael asked.
Lucian nodded. “I can bring one other with me.”
Kieran snorted. “Convenient.”
Her Guardian ignored him, but Effie saw a muscle in his jaw twitch.
“Why don’t we all go with Kael?” Ronan asked, clearly not liking the thought of splitting up.
Kael pulled a Kaelpas stone the size of her smallest fingernail out from a pouch tied to his belt. “Lucian’s is bigger than mine,” he said with an exaggerated frown.
Effie laughed. “I was told once size didn’t matter.”
Kael winked at her. “Unfortunately, it does when it comes to Kaelpas stones. I only carry this one in case of emergencies. It’s big enough for a handful of short trips, or one long journey. Honestly, it’s never been an issue since there’s usually no more than three of us going out to scout. But with a larger group like this, we’ll want to be careful. More people means a stronger drain on the stone. More drain means less distance. And if Lucian’s is low on charge, splitting up instead of all going together ensures that we’ll have enough power to make it back to the citadel.”
“Uh,” Ronan murmured, looking mildly concerned, “we’re going to make it there in one piece, right?”
“I haven’t lost anyone yet,” Kael said with another grin. “You’ll be safe with me.”
Ronan gave the Guardian a look that said he didn’t feel remotely reassured.
Lucian cleared his throat, pulling their attention back to him.
Kael was still grinning when he rolled his eyes at Lucian. “Alright. Take Effie, the others will come with me.”
