by Meg Anne
Smiling tentatively, as she did not want to intrude, she offered a small wave before stepping around them.
“Oh, Helena,” Gillian called behind her.
Turning towards the pair, Helena raised a quizzical brow.
“We were just discussing the court’s impending trip to Daejara. How exciting! You must let me come with you so that you’re not bored to death by all those dreary men.”
“Being surrounded by a bunch of men sounds exactly like your dream scenario, Gillian dear,” Helena replied mildly.
Gillian beamed, “Exactly, so it would be absolutely cold-hearted of you to deny me such a glorious opportunity. Just imagine the potential for wandering off and coming across some delightful male while he’s bathing in a stream...” she trailed off and let her eyes wander up and down Darrian as though sizing him up.
“Easy, girl, that one’s off limits,” Helena replied with a laugh.
Gillian shrugged, “Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the display.”
Helena’s lips pursed, trying to contain her laughter.
“So, it’s settled. I will accompany you as an emissary for Elysia. During our travels, I can keep you company and provide you with much more stimulating conversation than you’d receive otherwise, and once we reach Daejara, I can help rebuild our relationship with their court. You will be glad for the female company. Women are much better at soothing wounded egos than men are.”
“She’s not wrong on that front, at least” Darrin mumbled.
Helena was still smiling as she said, “Emissary? Promoting yourself again?”
Gillian shrugged, “It makes sense.”
Helena shook her head, “If you insist, I won’t mind the company.”
Gillian clapped her hands in excitement, “Wonderful! I am going to go start packing!”
Standing on her tip-toes, Gillian rested her hands on Darrin’s shoulders and kissed him lightly on the cheek before whispering something in his ear.
Darrin’s eyes glazed and he stood in place as Gillian rushed off the way Helena had just come.
“Darrin?” Helena called, waving her hand in front of his eyes.
There was no response.
“Darrin,” she said more sharply.
Blinking, Darrin straightened and looked at her, the tips of his cheeks and ears turning pink, “Yes, Kiri?”
Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Helena merely walked into the Chamber muttering as she did, “Men.”
The fire crackled merrily in the hearth as a breeze floated through the window; the promise of a storm on the wind.
Helena closed her eyes to take a deeper breath of the rain-scented air. It would be a soaking rain, she decided, heavy but gentle and seeping deep into the earth. Smiling in satisfaction she turned towards the others.
“When do we leave?” she asked no one in particular.
“The Daejarans were humbled by your request, Kiri, but have expressed concern about being able to entertain or house our retinue in the manner we are accustomed.”
Helena tried to suppress the roll of her eyes, “I am hardly accustomed to the manner in which I am currently housed. Assure our hosts that we shall require no special treatment, save a roof over our heads, if possible. We will make do with whatever they can provide and be thankful for that much.”
“There are some, Kiri, who will not be pleased they will have to settle for less than they feel entitled to,” Joquil cautioned.
“Then they are not invited. Only those we trust to be respectful shall travel with us.”
The men nodded their agreement.
“So, the question stands, when do we leave?”
Timmins was quiet as he made calculations in his mind. He nodded once to himself as if coming to a conclusion and then addressed the room, “We shall need time to pack and extend the offer to accompany us to the merchants we trust; so that would be three days from now at the earliest, Kiri.”
“Make it so, Advisor.”
Darrin added quickly, “We will also need to ready the Rasmiri, as your guards they will need to prepare to travel with us as well.”
“Doesn't it send the wrong message to our friends in Daejara if we arrive with hundreds of armed soldiers?” Helena asked skeptically.
“You cannot intend to travel without them, Kiri,” Darrin replied in exasperation.
Helena shifted to face Von, “How many of your men will travel home with us?”
She noted the warmth that flared in his gray eyes when she said home. “All thirty-six will travel with us.”
“If we match that number with Rasmiri, surely seventy-two, plus the Circle and the various merchants will be a safe enough number?”
Darrin scowled at her, “Do you value your own safety so little?”
Helena turned aqua eyes shimmering with flecks of iridescence to him and snapped, “Do you think it wise to overwhelm our host with hundreds of mouths they will be responsible for feeding and housing when it is clear that they already struggle to care for their own? We will bring only those we need and no more.”
Darrin stiffened in his chair, “And who gets to decide how many are necessary? Our opinions on the matter are clearly divided.”
“I will,” Kragen rumbled.
Darrin turned surprised green eyes towards the Sword. “What gives you that right?”
“You are not the only one concerned about her safety, Shield,” Kragen replied, the usual humor smoothed from his face. “As her Sword, I will ensure the Kiri's wishes are kept in mind while also being practical about our safety measures. I will consider the Circle's opinions, but I will make the final choice.”
“As the Shield, it is my sworn duty to protect her, it is my decision to make!” Darrin snapped, hands pressed on the table as he leaned towards Kragen.
“Enough,” snarled Von. “You are a child, Darrin, throwing a tantrum because you have not gotten your way. Your Kiri's wishes are clear, it is not your job to question, but to follow orders.”
Darrin stood quickly, chair scraping loudly against the floor before coming to rest a few feet behind him. “Of course, you don't see the issue,” Darrin sneered. “These are your people, you cannot see past your own bias to acknowledge the potential danger.”
Von's voice was laced with barely controlled fury as he replied, “I, better than anyone, can speak to what we will face across the border. Perhaps, if you could set aside your own jealousy you would think to ask for my advice rather than sling insults. Do not question my loyalty or concern for my mate's well-being, you spoiled -”
Helena looked between the two men quickly, determining her mate was the bigger threat.
“Von,” Helena cautioned gently through their bond while placing her hand softly over his.
She could feel the muscles clench and unclench beneath hers as he tried to get a hold on his anger.
“Child,” he finished with a snarl. Despite the warning of violence laced in his voice, Von had not moved. Helena was certain that if Darrin had come at him, he would have the man on his back on the floor before anyone could blink.
Turning back toward Darrin she watched his nostrils flare and his teeth grind as he tried to rein back his temper.
He couldn't meet her eyes as he said, “Excuse me, Kiri,” and strode from the room.
Helena looked around at the other men, “None of you thought to step in?”
Kragen shrugged, “Darrin is hotheaded and quick to speak. It was your Mate's right to defend himself, and you. Besides, it would have been fun to watch him learn his lesson.”
Joquil and Timmins shared a knowing look but stayed silent.
Helena shook her head in disbelief, “You are all a bunch of children,” she muttered, clearly unimpressed with their male logic.
Standing she walked towards the door, “It was only his concern for me that caused this outburst in the first place. Concern you all share, I might add. But I will find him, and I will make it right.”
She felt a flicker of tem
per in her mind. “Let him lick his own wounds.”
Helena frowned at Von. “You don't always have to be so quick to goad him.”
Von's eyes widened in surprise. “Are you taking his side?”
“No, you buffoon, of course not. He was in the wrong and said things he should not have said, but you pushing his buttons only escalated the situation.”
Von's eyes narrowed and he looked away from her and back towards the fire.
Without another word, Helena walked from the room in search of her oldest friend.
She found him a while later seated next to a fountain in one of the Water halls. It came as no surprise that he would seek out a place meant to soothe after the heated words in the Chambers.
She followed the blue and green mosaic path towards him, the soft lights flickering against the twinkling tiles like sunlight. She enjoyed the way it made the depiction of the stream seem to move beneath her as she walked.
Darrin was running his fingers through the crystal surface of the water and watching the colorful fish scurry away from the ripples; he did not acknowledge her as she approached.
She sat and studied him before speaking. He was frowning into the water, his shoulders curved into himself as though making himself as small as possible.
“I'm sorry.”
“You do not need to apologize for your desire to keep me safe.”
He looked up at her hopefully.
“Besides, it is not I that requires an apology; you owe one to him.” she added in the same soft voice.
He grimaced and she noted the shame that crossed his face. Reaching out a hand, she gently placed it on his shoulder.
“Helena,” he began, her name coming out as a tormented whisper.
Stiffening at the tone, she sat back and waited in silence for him to continue.
His gaze met hers, something she did not recognize shining in the green depths.
“Don't you understand what it does to me? Seeing you with him. That unworthy bastard's hands all over what is mine.”
Surprise at his words held her in place.
“It should have been me. We were meant to be together.” The words fell out of his mouth in a rush.
“Darrin...” she started, eyes widening in confusion.
He dropped to his knees before her, hands grabbing hers.
“I love you. I have loved you since we were children. My future was always you.”
As he stared up at her, she could not find her friend anywhere in those glowing green eyes.
Mute, Helena just stared at him and shook her head in denial.
Taking her silence for agreement, Darrin pushed himself up and pressed his lips against hers.
Wrong, this is wrong, she shouted in her mind, panic clawing through her. As she struggled to break away, he wrapped himself around her; trapping her in the prison of his arms.
He continued to kiss and nip at her lips, as she struggled to break free of his grasp.
“Helena?” her name a question in her mind.
Calloused fingers were trying to work their way down the front of her dress, nails scraping along the delicate skin as she squirmed.
“Helena!”
NO! She screamed in her mind, retreating into herself until she was staring down at the shimmering depths within her.
As if in answer, the magic rose and built until it broke through like a wave.
Darrin was flung from her like a rag doll, flying through the air until he crashed against the wall with a sickening thud.
Then Von was there. Helena had never seen anything like it. If her magic was a wave, Von was a storm. Each blow came faster and with more force than its predecessor; the snap and crack of Darrin's bones a grim harmony.
Von grabbed Darrin by his shirt and lifted him off the ground, holding him pressed against the wall.
“You dare to touch what is mine?” he roared, deadly violence in every word.
Darrin hung limply from his hands, blood dripping from a face that was no longer recognizable.
Von slammed Darrin back into the wall, a small groan coming from swollen lips.
“Enough,” Kragen said softly from behind Von.
Von growled in warning, turning to glare at the man over his shoulder.
Helena saw his eyes and pressed her fingers to her lips. Slate gray was now a swirling molten gold.
Her legs shook as she stood and made her way towards him, studiously avoiding looking at the man pressed against the wall.
“Mate.” she called to him.
The molten eyes looked towards her but did not see her.
“I am fine.”
His lips curled back as he snarled, “He hurt you. You were afraid. I could feel your fear as if it were my own.”
From a distance, she could hear voices shouting orders to get help, but did not look away.
“Do I look injured to you, Mate?”
Molten eyes swept down the length of her. Confusion was working its way onto his face, replacing the rage. “But I felt...”
“I was scared, but I am safe and unharmed. Let him go now and come to me, my love.”
Blinking Von released Darrin, who slid down into a bloody heap at his feet. Gray eyes peered up at her in shock.
Assessing the damage, Von stepped away from Darrin. Remorse and guilt flooded those gray eyes.
With shaking fingers, she reached for him and pulled him to her.
“What have I done?” he whispered hoarsely.
Holding him tightly, she shushed him and pressed herself into him.
He trembled against her but held tight.
“I – I thought he was hurting you. All I could think was to protect you. I did not mean...”
Her warrior was afraid of her reaction to what he had done to her friend. Helena was too confused by what Darrin had done to be able to process anything else as they stood there by the fountain.
Tanya rushed into the room, firmly ordering Kragen and Timmins to step back. She ran her hands along Darrin's body and closed her eyes and she began murmuring under her breath.
Helena watched as twisted limbs began to right themselves and as the swelling in his face went down. He was still covered in blood, but he looked like the boy she recognized.
With a groan, Darrin struggled to open his eyes.
Looking around at everyone standing above him, and then at the healer, his brows lowered in confusion, “What happened?”
His voice was a rasp from Von's fingers being wrapped so tightly around his throat.
His green eyes sought hers, “Helena?”
There was something in his expression that stayed the harsh words she wanted to launch at him.
“What is the last thing you remember?” she asked softly instead.
His brow furrowed, “The meeting... yelling at Von... walking out.” He lifted scared green eyes back to hers. “How did I get here? What happened?” he repeated, trying to push himself up off of the floor.
Helena felt ice wrap its way down her spine.
Joquil stepped forward quickly and went to his knees beside Darrin. Gesturing for Tanya to move aside, he placed his hands on either side of Darrin's head and closed his eyes.
Darrin's own eyes rolled back in his head, and after a few moments of tense silence, both men opened them at the same time.
Joquil was breathing heavily when he turned to address the group.
“It was a spell.”
“What?” Helena breathed in shock.
“It was too finely worked for me to be able to trace it, but imagine a snare, Kiri. A certain set of conditions needed to be met in order for the trap to spring. Once it did, whatever happened next was the result of the spell.”
“H-How?” she asked, fear and anger at war within her.
Joquil shook his head, “I would have to know what happened in order to hazard a guess.”
Helena blushed fiercely and shook her head in protest. It was one thing to have to live through the confusion of that last
few minutes, but to risk further damage to any of them by repeating it... it wasn't a chance she wanted to take.
“Perhaps we should speak privately, Kiri,” Joquil offered, sensing her concern.
Helena looked up at Von, who appeared as if he wanted to argue.
Helena nodded and stepped away from him.
As they stepped away from the others, Joquil created a soundproof barrier around them. Instantly the noises surrounding them became muffled. She could no longer hear the gentle lapping of water or the hushed voices of the men across the room.
“What happened, Kiri?” Joquil asked, not unkindly.
“He – he...” closing her eyes and taking a shuddering breath, Helena started again. “He apologized, and I tried to comfort him. I told him he owed Von an apology, and then when he looked at me it was like he was someone else, I didn't know him anymore.”
Helena shook her head in frustration, “He told me that he should have been my Mate, that I belonged to him, and then he, then he...” she trailed off.
Joquil nodded in understanding. “Would you say that he was not acting like himself?”
Helena thought back, before nodding. “I couldn't say whether the words or feelings he was proclaiming were really him, but never, in all the years I've known him, have I ever seen him act that aggressively. The man I know would never force himself on me like that.”
Joquil's expression was grim as he processed her words. He let out a long sigh, “It was a sloppy spell, but strong. Whoever cast the spell effectively seized Darrin’s mind, so that once it went into effect he would do and say what they had requested, like a puppet.”
“Fortunately,” he continued, “they are not well-versed in the mating bond and did not understand that Von would respond to your fear.”
“Or maybe they did,” Helena whispered, eyes widening in horror. “Do you think whoever did this meant for Darrin to go further? Or for Von to kill him for it?”
Joquil merely shrugged, but his lips were pressed into a flat line as he considered her questions, “I could not say, Kiri.”
Helena's eyes shot back to where Darrin was still sitting on the floor.
