by A Lonergan
“What if I miss them and hit you?” I raised an eyebrow and stared into his orange eyes.
“You never miss.” The corner of his mouth quirked up. “I know that for a fact.”
That night my emotions were easier to control. I had thought I was going to sob into the next day like I had before, but after only a few tears, I felt better and refreshed. I felt like a new person.
“Thank you,” I whispered into the night.
I didn’t know if I heard him right because he whispered too, but I could have sworn he said, “Anything for you, my little human.”
The next morning my head felt better. My overall emotions felt more in control. I didn’t feel as broken anymore. Balam broke our silence as he waved his hand around and the tent disappeared into thin air. He blew out a flame and all the extra food and supplies disappeared too. “Have you been upset because Cal broke things off with you or was he just telling me that so I wouldn’t kill him for walking away from you? You said it was complicated, but I am curious to hear it all.”
“Its a long story, Balam and I don’t know if I have the emotional willpower to share it with you right now.”
“We have more than enough time.” Balam shrugged as he pulled his breastplate armor back over his head. He hadn’t worn it for a few days and I was curious as to why he was dawning it now.
“I have a few questions before we move forward and then I will tell you anything you want to know.” I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the tree beside me. Balam watched me curiously before he nodded his head for me to ask away. “Why was I blind? What caused that to happen? Why are you wearing your armor, shouldn’t I be prepared as well? Did my magic create the portal to the Cavern of the Lost?”
“You’re mighty intuitive this morning.” Balam snapped his fingers and black armor slipped over my body. I had been against getting fitted for armor, but now that it was on me, I wondered why I had been so adamant about not having it. The metal wasn’t heavy or cumbersome. The matte black finish on it wouldn’t reflect the sun and give our position away. It wouldn’t draw too much attention in our direction, which was nice. I was a tad bit worried about how hot it would be in the direct sun. “You’re right, you should be just as prepared as I am. Consider it the best gift I can give you for not being able to prevent your little fall into another dimension. Your magic did that. I can’t give you a definite answer on that though. What were you feeling right before it happened?”
I chewed on my thumbnail as I thought back to it. “I think I was feeling anxious because of something happening with Cal. I think I wanted to talk to him and smooth things over between us. I didn’t like how we had left things.”
Balam looked back at me and threw me a dazzling smile. “That explains it. Your magic must have felt how much anxiety you had and gave you a literal out.”
“Okay, so what about me being blind?”
Balam licked his lips. “That I am not sure of. We would have to call Abaddon back.”
“Did someone say my name?” a dark voice said from the shadows ahead of us.
“Nice to have you back, brother,” Balam said with apparent distaste.
“I have been waiting for the call. I was summoned much too briefly and wanted to get to know our new friend before you so rudely sent me back.” He approached from the darkness of the woods around us and gave me a smile. His canines were fully elongated and I was curious as to why. Was he trying to intimidate me? I cocked an eyebrow.
“Nice to have you back.” I nodded in his direction. “But I want to know why I was blind.”
Balam continued where I left off. “Your magic undid the magic in her eyes. She would like some insight.”
Abaddon shook his long hair out before he bent over and wrapped it into a bun on the back of his head. His yellow eyes followed me as he spoke. “There was a spell on one of the goblets you fell on. It had a powder on the rim that was unleashed onto your face, as you fell, I would imagine. Just a little dark magic. Not that much to fix really. Though anyone else with mediocre magic wouldn’t have been able to see that or unwind its bindings.” Abaddon looked directly at Balam and smiled.
Balam’s smile fell from his face. “Thank you, brother. You are free to go now.”
“You would think you would adhere to the rules a little better.” Abaddon growled.
“I was hoping you forgot them,” Balam laughed.
Abaddon had on white armor and it seemed like he had been preparing for this call. He had a string of weapons attached to him, as well.
“I would never forget what is at stake here.” His eyes found mine and my body heated up, much against my better judgment. If looks could kill, Balam’s eyes would have shot daggers right through his brother.
“Are you two actually brothers or is that merely a title?” I finally asked to break the tension between them.
Balam answered with his jaw clenched. “We aren’t brothers.”
“Then why do you call each other that?” I asked as I picked up the pace and decided that I couldn’t wait around for these two. I had a kingdom to get to. I had friends I needed to confront and then hopefully, help.
Abaddon caught up with me and replied to my question. “We fought in many wars together before Hel came to break us out of the prison we were both in. She re-created us together. I would call that a brother any day, right?”
Balam scoffed. “You don’t know what a true brother is. We may have fought wars together but let’s not forget who had whose back while we were in battle. I would never trust you with my life now. Brother is more of an insult than an endearment.”
Abaddon cackled. “Do you always air your dirty garments for your possible prospects?”
“Prospects?” I asked curiously.
Abaddon smiled at me and opened his mouth to speak but Balam beat him to it with a fist right to his jaw. The satisfied look slid off of the other demon’s face as he looked at Balam. “You have some nerve.”
“You’re one to talk,” Balam replied.
I blinked hard.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cal
Bea came to visit me often, which I didn’t mind. As much as I didn’t want to think negatively, I was practically a prisoner here. We weren’t allowed to leave until we could prove we weren’t a threat to the Atrovians and we also couldn’t leave until we helped them. I felt like a performer having to jump through obstacles for the king. On and on it went until my head spun. What would be next?
There was no telling when we would be allowed to leave and with that thought, I dove into the history of the Mystic Mountains and the Artrovian empire. Their library was extensive but after a week or so, I felt like I understood this new world I was a part of.
Bea smiled at me over a book before she got up to retrieve another. Today her hair was up and away from her face. She wore trousers and a flowing tunic over them. A belt at her waist showed just how tiny she was. And once again, she was barefoot. The metal bracelets on her wrists were the only indication of where she was in the massive room. She was light on her feet and didn’t make much sound when she was around me. It was alarming and reminded me of Willow. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Are you unwell?” Bea startled me. I hadn’t expected her to get back so fast. I removed my hands from my face and looked over my shoulder at her.
“I will be fine,” I blinked and tried to give her my best reassuring smile.
“What’s bothering you?” Her eyebrows creased in the middle and she shoved her hands into the back pockets of her pants.
“A memory is all.” I licked my lips and she cocked her head. I could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t believe me but I didn’t care. I didn’t owe her an explanation. I hardly knew the girl even though she was giving me her best bedroom eyes. It didn’t make much sense to me. Anytime her father was around she was nowhere to be found. “Can I ask you something?”
She sat down and scooted her chair closer t
o mine. She raised her light blue eyebrows and smiled encouragingly. “Of course! Anything!”
“Why are you never around when your father or mother address me? You nor your sisters were there when we were accepted into your kingdom but your uncles and aunts were.”
Her smile slipped from her face. “My father doesn’t like what war does to men. It makes him fear for our,” she paused and a blush lit her face. “innocence. He wants us to be married off and to be pure when he makes the arrangement.”
“That’s understandable.” I nodded my head. That was tradition.
“No it isn’t. We aren’t allowed out of our rooms. We aren’t allowed to continue schooling. We can’t eat with the royal parties. Our lives have been halted.” She threw hands up and the light caught on the jewels on her fingers. “And for what? For my father to entertain another kingdom and secure the fate of our lives without us around?”
“All he has done is take care of us and our needs. There has been no royal summons to talk of a fate with one of you.” I chuckled. It seemed rather silly.
“He did it with the elves before they attacked us and he will do it to you too. Are you up for a wager?” She smirked at me.
“I’m not usually a gambling man, but why not?” I closed the book in front of me and leaned back in my chair. “What’s the bet?”
“My father will summon you tonight,” she started before she placed her hands on her face in thought. “And he will propose you marry one of my sisters or possibly, even me.”
“I feel like this is a wager I am bound to lose.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “What are the stakes?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t spoken to my father or any of my family since your party arrived.” She leaned forward and she closed her eyes for a moment before she looked up at me from under her thick lashes. “If I win you will kiss me. Nothing mediocre either. I want show-stopping.”
I kept myself from smiling. That wasn’t too bad. “What if I win?”
“I will leave you be and let you meet my other sisters.” She held her hand out and I grasped it in mine. “Deal?”
I shook her hand. “Deal.”
Bea had been right. Her father summoned me and my elite guard for a royal dinner. But that meant nothing. It could simply be a formality. I straightened the clothing that had been crafted for me and brushed my hair back, away from my face. Nerves knotted up my stomach and it wasn’t because of the dinner. It was because of what Bea had said. She had said her father had offered one of their hands to the elves before they attacked. Which meant that there was more going on here than we had anticipated and the elves were closer than I thought. I took a deep breath and opened the door. My elite were waiting for me in their own custom suits. Nico narrowed his eyes at me and nodded before we walked down the hallway.
“Something about this doesn’t sit well with me,” he spoke into my mind. I pressed my lips together and nodded. Something wasn’t right to me too. But the show had to go on.
When we entered the banquet hall everyone stood. King Artrovia held his goblet in the air and smiled. “To a promising tomorrow!”
My stomach sunk. I hadn’t told Nico of Bea yet but I was sure one of my other elite had mentioned her to him. With the impending proposal on the table, I wished I had informed him of my bet with Bea earlier. But I had avoided the topic altogether. If I mentioned another woman I knew he wouldn’t be very happy with me. Willow had always been his favorite but there was nothing I could do now. I had managed to push her away and I didn’t know if I could repair things now that I had left her in the Cavern of the Lost. I had sent men back for them but they searched and searched but nothing came of it. The rift in the dimension had been lost. I didn’t know if they were still alive or not. It caused my stomach to revolt and nausea overtook me. I pressed my hand to my belly and tried my best to remain upright.
The guilt didn’t leave me but there was nothing I could do now. What was done was done and I had to move on. The possibility of me seeing Willow again was slim. I didn’t know how I was going to explain this to her mother but casualties happened and that’s what I had to explain.
“You’re looking pale, Cal. What’s going on in your head?” Nico’s voice echoed around in my head again.
I shook my head and said, “Willow.”
Nico clenched his jaw and moved away from my side. We had yet to speak on the matter and how angry he was with me. Another one of my elite took his place and I tried to remain stoic. I didn’t know if Nico was ever going to forgive me either. Hard decisions came with my title and there was nothing I could do now, even though there was so much I wanted to change.
“Your Highness,” I bowed to King Artrovia. “Thank you for having us.”
Nico bowed with the rest of my elite before he sat down as far away from me as he could manage.
The king chuckled. “I keep telling you to call me Lawrence.”
I nodded my head. “Of course. Old habits die hard. My father required we call him by his title and nothing else.”
Lawrence Artrovia frowned at my admission. “Your kingdom must be in a panic without you there to oversee it.”
I shook my head before I took a sip from my goblet. Their wine was slightly bitter and I found myself wanting to spit it back into the cup. “No, of course not. I have a wonderful successor there helping keep everything under control.”
Lawrence raised his eyebrows. “Successor? You have a son already? I didn’t think you were married.”
I smiled. “No, I’m not married. I appointed someone special to me to be my successor so that my kingdom is always taken care of until I do get married or have a child that can sit on the throne.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little dangerous? That they won’t get bitter when you do get married and try to kill you?” Lawrence’s eyes got large.
“No sir, my successor has begged me to settle down and find a wife.” I didn’t like where this conversation was headed.
“Are you on the lookout for a wife or are you already courting a lucky lady? I have heard a few rumors from your men but I don’t know what to believe.” He took a long sip from his cup before he leaned back his chair and placed his hands on his protruding belly. He certainly liked his wine. His tunic had ridden up a little on his stomach and you could see the growing hair there. His face was clean from all hair but it appeared the rest of his body didn’t suffer the same fate.
I tapped my fingers on the table thoughtfully. “I was courting someone for a little while but unfortunately we had to call it off because of the war.”
Lawrence frowned. “How unfortunate. What about after? Do you still plan to take her hand?”
This was conversation was nearing uncomfortable now. I could practically hear Nico laughing in my mind but one look at him out of the corner of my eye showed him sitting there void of all expression.
I cleared my throat. “I am not certain. There are many cards on the table with that and the future is unclear.” I stumbled over my words trying to find the right thing to say.
“The future is unclear or whether or not she is alive is unclear,” Nico said.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, son. I just wanted to know you a little better. No reason to talk about such serious topics right now. Eat! Enjoy the feast!” Lawrence and his wife both raised their goblets in a toast and I did the same. I was thankful for the excuse to not talk about myself anymore. But once again his daughters were nowhere to be found and Bea was wrong. Her father never brought up a marriage proposal and I was left wondering why the elven kingdom had been offered one and not I.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Willow
The terrain got worse as we neared the Artrovian kingdom. The ground got steeper and eventually we were hiking mountains with snow. Abaddon and Balam stayed at each other’s throats and I never learned anything more. I didn’t know what to do with my magic or with their bickering. Eventually, I started to ignore them. It was really all I could do.
They were like two children and I didn’t know how Hel put up with it.
I rolled my eyes to myself. She probably didn’t. Which left me with a few ideas. On the fifth day of hiking through the snow and the rain, I was over it all. My mood had stayed sour. I whipped around and pointed my finger at Balam’s nose.
“Do you get along with anyone?” I snapped. I felt like I was going crazy. Between him bickering with Cal and now Abaddon, I had enough. My sanity disappeared and I could no longer handle his attitude or his snarky replies.
Balam blinked at me but didn’t say anything.
“No wonder Hel sent you here to me,” I threw my hands up and advanced on him until I was almost standing on top of his boots. “If I can handle you, I can certainly handle anything else!”
Balam smirked and I growled in response. “You are infuriating!”
Abaddon smiled at me. “Finally someone agrees with me and isn’t blinded by his charm.”
I rolled my eyes. “You aren’t off the hook either. You are just as insufferable as he is and you are condescending to boot. I am beyond done with both of your attitudes.”
Abaddon’s face changed to a mask and I could no longer see his emotions. Which I didn’t mind because I needed some peace and quiet.
Balam used the moment of peace to speak. “Wait till you meet the rest of the horsemen.”
“I would rather not. You can all go back to where you came from for all I care.” I pulled my cloak around myself tighter and trekked higher up the mountain. The wind slapped my face with no mercy and moisture dripped from my nose. My body trembled from the cold but I would be fine. My legs cramped as the climb continued on and the ice under my boots got thicker. My foot lost traction and down I went. My back hit a rock and my head hit the ice. I closed my eyes and laid there in the cold. I no longer cared to get up or carry on. This was it for me.
