Radella had come and swept Vixen out of his arms, promising him she would save her. Lorrek had believed her. After everything had been settled following the Battle of Cuskelom, Lorrek followed Radella’s trail to the world of Nedra and found Vixen in a state-of-the-art hospital connected to life support. All the doctors had been confident she would live.
A year and several weeks had passed, and they were proved wrong.
Now it was time for Lorrek to bring Vixen home and bury her beside her husband.
With a sigh, Lorrek rose to his feet. He took the black vest he had crafted for Vixen and pocketed it away in another dimension.
She wouldn’t be needing it.
That realization emptied Lorrek’s heart even more.
He was tired. Tired of being responsible. Tired of feeling guilty all the time. Tired of trying to fix things only to make everything worse. He wanted to disappear for good, but he knew he couldn’t do that. His sense of duty bound him to those closest to him, and it was time he returned home.
Looking around the small cabin he had called home for a little over a year, Lorrek knew if he ever wished to escape and find peace, he could return here once more. But for now, he had to go. He closed his eyes, gathered his magic around him, and magicked to Vixen’s last known location.
Lorrek reappeared in the hall outside the room where they kept Vixen in a coma on life support. He didn’t take in his surroundings. He had been here hundreds of times over the last year. Instead, he fixed his eyes on the door, took a deep breath, then moved toward it.
He had seen death before, so he was familiar with it, but with every person it was still different. The death of some people didn’t affect him because he hadn’t known them when they were still alive, so it didn’t matter to him that they were dead. The deaths of those he knew had a greater impact on him—when Loroth died, when his father died, when his brother, Honroth, died, and a few others. Vixen would be added to that short list, and he really didn’t want to witness this.
Closing his eyes, he exhaled heavily and pressed lightly on the door with his fingertips.
The door opened.
Lorrek halted and stared.
Sitting on the bed with her feet swung over the edge was Vixen, arguing with the doctors and nurses.
Vixen caught sight of Lorrek standing in the doorway, and she fell silent.
Relief rushed over him as well as confusion, and Lorrek took a step forward. “How…how is this possible?” He looked at the doctors, and he noticed Radella was also there. He narrowed his eyes. He had run into her here several times during his visits, and he sensed she knew more than she ever told him. He placed his hands on his hips. “Someone explain this to me—now.”
“First off,” Vixen pushed herself to her feet, stormed up to Lorrek, and glared up at him. “Are you in your right mind now?”
Her question caused Lorrek to frown, but he realized the last time she saw him she had been his target—nothing more. He drew back his shoulders then bowed his head to her. “I am Prince Lorrek of Cuskelom—the youngest son of King Sindric, Mage of Cuskelom.” He locked eyes with her. “And I know how I wronged you.”
“Fantastic.” With that, Vixen slammed her fist into his cheek as hard as she could, causing Lorrek’s head to snap to one side.
He didn’t move but rather absorbed the hit and let it sink in. In a way, it was a relief to be touched again. For ten years he had lived like a ghost without a solid body, but that had changed after Vixen stabbed him with a dagger he had given to her. It had been infused with spells to make him whole again. That was why he had his memories now. He had struck her down with the fatal blow in the middle of the battle, but she snuck in with the last strike, stabbing him in the chest. Since this had helped rather than harmed him, it was yet another reason why he owed Vixen more than just his life.
He shifted his gaze back to Vixen to see her rubbing her hand as if the punch had hurt her knuckles. She glared at everyone in the room and said, “I want to know what exactly is happening here, or I will begin getting answers my way.”
Lorrek folded his arms over his chest and nodded. “Yes, I would like answers as well.” His gaze landed on Radella. He jutted his chin toward her. “You were the one who brought Vixen here. Explain yourself.”
Radella took this opportunity to step forward, and Lorrek noticed how she had matured in the past year. No longer did she look like a troubled girl with more magic than she could manage. She had once been kept in a coma for the protection of herself and those around her. Now she had grown up, having traveled to places and seen strange new things, and in so doing gained Lorrek’s respect. Ever since he had stripped Countess Verddra and King Roskelem of their magic, Radella was one of the few magic users whose power could rival Lorrek’s own. Bearing that in mind, he waited to hear what she had to say.
She opted to open with a question while the doctors excused themselves. “What do you know of the ancient kelliphs?”
Vixen shared a look with Lorrek then shrugged. She had no idea.
Lorrek, however, spoke up. “It is believed that they are the once immortal ancestors of the pure magic users of Athorim, but their magic was complicated and eventually drove their king into madness. He sought to terminate both humans and dragons, and he very nearly succeeded had not the handblade been developed. After that, little else is known of the kelliphs and what became of them. Why do you speak of myths?”
Radella smiled. “The kelliphs’ key to immortality lay not in the blood of the kelliph themselves but rather in this land.” She spread out her hands. “We are in Elloi. It is believed to be the land of the kelliphs, although back then it was known as Kellirothen. You see, if you come to this land and stay here for a year, you are granted an unusual gift—an extra life. As you can imagine, if you live here all your life…well, though you can die, you will be regenerated and continue to live. That is what is believed to be the secret to the kelliphs’ immortality, and they lived to be thousands of years old.”
Tired of the history lesson, Vixen sat on the edge of her bed and shook her head. “And what does this have to do with me?”
“After the kelliphs were overthrown, healers and peacekeepers of the human race discovered the gift of this land. Those who live here never stay a full year. Only those who are close to death but whose time is not yet up are allowed to stay for an entire year. That is why I brought you here. I knew they could sustain you for a year, at which time you would be given an extra life, and all they needed to do was to let you die, and you would regenerate and be whole again.”
Lorrek stalked up to Radella. “You let her die?”
Radella stared at him and raised her brows. “If I recall correctly, you were the one who put her in such a critical condition in the first place.”
Lorrek glared at her.
She returned the stare unflinchingly.
Vixen pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed. All this was too much to comprehend. First, she woke up in a strange place, and then Lorrek, the man sent to kill her, showed up, and now Radella expected her to believe that she had died only to regenerate? “I’ve been unconscious for a year?” Vixen looked at Radella for confirmation.
“A little over a year. They wanted to make sure they had the timing right.”
Vixen took another deep breath and looked at her hands. Her muscles didn’t seem fatigued. She didn’t feel weak, and she knew this wasn’t normal. “And how am I able to talk and walk around if I had been in a coma for a year?”
“Your regeneration.” Radella stepped up to her. “Your body regenerated itself even on a microscopic, molecular level. You’ve heard of muscle memory, correct? Your brain retains that memory even when you are in such dire straits as a long term coma. Usually one would wake from a coma and would have to work to regain muscle mass and such, but when you regenerate, your brain is able to…reformat your body to its prime condition prior to the coma. Thus you wouldn’t notice a difference.”
“So, she
lives…and has no dire ramifications?” Lorrek lifted his brows.
“Yes.”
He folded his arms, considering this. “And how did you come to discover the secret of this place?”
Radella smiled at him. “I had a lot of time to wander endlessly all those years I was asleep. I came upon this place because it pulses with magic.” Then she looked at Vixen. “Once I learned the secret, I brought Inecha here to try and save her, but I was too late.” She shook her head. “She was dead before I could bring her here. These people…this place, they can’t bring back the dead. They can only prolong death and give the individual a second chance.”
Vixen remembered Inecha during her brief stay in Jechorm. The sorceress, Erita, had magicked Vixen and Inecha out of Jechorm when both of them nearly died. Inecha’s power had been greatly depleted, but over time she regained her strength. However, she was never as strong as she once had been. Lorrek’s older brother and king of Cuskelom, Honroth, became fond of the exiled princess of Talhon, but the two never had the chance to recognize this before Inecha’s violent death at the hands of a Jechorian machine, the Rakessat. Vixen frowned, glancing back at Radella. “What happened to Inecha after her death?”
“I took her home to Talhon where she was buried.”
Vixen nodded when she heard this, and then she cast her gaze to Lorrek, who had fallen silent and was staring at nothing. “I would like to speak with Lorrek if I may.” This statement drew Lorrek’s gaze up to Vixen’s, and she didn’t break eye contact as she continued speaking. “We have much to discuss.”
Radella’s eyes shifted between the two, and she sensed the tension thickening in the air, so she bowed her head. “Most certainly. However, once issues have been resolved, I must speak with both of you about a detrimental turn of events you will find most curious.” With that, she stepped out of the room.
Lorrek looked away from Vixen and drew in a deep breath. If she wanted to talk, she would have to speak first.
Silence stretched between.
Vixen crossed her arms and waited.
Lorrek pressed his lips together—still not meeting her gaze.
Several seconds ticked by.
“I’m sorry, Vixen.” Lorrek finally broke the silence and cast his gaze across the room to her. “I am deeply troubled by and am sorry for my actions. They have caused nothing but hurt for you.”
“Do you remember anything?”
He nodded. “I remember everything.”
Vixen uncrossed her arms. “You killed Tobias.” He was a young thief she had regarded as a troublesome little brother.
Lorrek bowed his head, closing his eyes. “Aye.”
“You are responsible for Loroth’s death.” Her husband—the man who somehow managed to show her there was more to life than killing and death.
“Aye,” came the confirmation from Lorrek, who still would not lift his head.
Vixen narrowed her eyes. “And my father?” This caused Lorrek to snap his gaze up at her and look at her confused, and she nodded, continuing, “The last I saw, he had been wounded on the battlefield and was dying. That was right before you whisked me away and attempted to kill me. Did my father die or does he still live?”
This question caused Lorrek to sigh in relief. Of everything, at least there was one thing he had done right. “Your father still lives. After I regained my memories, and after Radella took you from me, I returned to your father immediately and healed him. Yet I was too late to save Honroth.” His own brother. Lorrek lowered his eyes. He hadn’t been too late. He had arrived just in time to say goodbye and had watched as Honroth died. He had no way of preventing his brother’s death because Honroth’s wound had been magical, only curable by the one who had inflicted it. There was no saving Honroth.
Hearing this and seeing how downcast Lorrek was, Vixen’s features softened. She knew Lorrek fought hard to save everyone and to do everything within his power—and he had much power—but sometimes there were things beyond anyone’s control. She wanted to say she was sorry for his loss, but she felt those words were cheap. He was never one to depend on others, and she knew the best thing to do was shift the topic. “Who is king of Cuskelom now?”
“Heldon,” came the easy answer though it was unexpected for Vixen.
“Heldon?” Vixen raised her brows as she began to pace the room. Although Lorrek was the youngest, Heldon oftentimes acted like the youngest—reckless, irresponsible, and careless. However, during the ten years Lorrek had been absent, Honroth had taken the throne and Theran went into self-exile. Because of this, Heldon had matured into a strong counselor for Honroth. But Vixen had never imagined him as king.
“He married Erita,” Lorrek added, and this surprised Vixen even more.
“Erita?” Vixen shook her head then brought her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose.
Apparently a lot had happened during the last year. Vixen and Lorrek had met Erita when they had met Inecha in Jechorm. Both had befriended Princess Atheta of Serhon, and the only reason Erita came to Cuskelom was to save Inecha and Vixen’s lives by magicking them out of Jechorm. Erita later became the Mage of Cuskelom after Lorrek disappeared. The fact that Erita and Heldon married surprised Vixen, but that was more because Vixen had never imagined any of the four brothers marrying. They were too preoccupied with business of the kingdom to consider that, yet Heldon had always more sensitivity than the other brothers. At least he had found someone who could balance him and give him strength.
Considering all this, Vixen nodded. “Very well. And what of Theran?” She glanced back at Lorrek as she mentioned his eldest brother.
Lorrek sucked in a deep breath and turned his shoulder away from Vixen as he contemplated his response. As the oldest prince of Cuskelom, Theran had been heir to the throne, yet his gluttonous behavior deemed him ill-fit for the role. Honroth took the crown after their father’s death, although Lorrek never witnessed the actual event. That was around the time of Lorrek’s disappearance, and following that, Theran had spent all those years trying to find his youngest brother—or so Lorrek heard from others when he finally returned.
However, since the Battle of Cuskelom, things became complicated, and Lorrek raked his hand through his long black hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh then fixed his gaze on Vixen. “You recall the Guardians of Jechorm?”
Vixen thought back for a moment and nodded. “They wear special suits fused with magic, which grants the wearer of the suit a unique magical ability.”
Lorrek nodded and dropped his hand. “I’m not sure if you recall, but Theran wears such a suit. However, it is a prototype of a more advanced form of the suit, and there is a malfunction. He is unable to remove the suit.” Then Lorrek began pacing. “Well, it is not a malfunction per se because it works exactly how it is supposed to work—removing any human waste from the body and so forth, and he is able to remove his helmet, but other than that…” He cast his gaze to Vixen. “He remains trapped in that suit.”
While Lorrek spoke, Vixen nodded, recalling her last encounter with Theran was on the battlefield of Cuskelom, and he wore strange black armor. Vixen folded her arms and furrowed her brows as she tried to remember the details. “What was the ability the suit gave him?”
“The ability to break anything with a single touch.”
Vixen winced when she heard this. Being stuck in armor with an ability like that would be unpleasant indeed. “Why haven’t you gotten him out of it?”
Lorrek looked her way, but no emotion passed over his face. “The last time I saw him, he refused to allow me to help him. I have been here ever since, watching over you.” He met her gaze—not allowing any emotion to be visible in his eyes.
This was a lot to take in, and Vixen heaved a heavy sigh. She wasn’t sure what to think. All she knew was she wanted something familiar, wanted to go back to life like it used to be. She looked at Lorrek. “Now what?”
“Now…” He strolled toward the door. “We speak with Radella. She had something she
wanted to share with us.”
He came to the door but halted and turned back to face Vixen. His mouth moved as if to speak, but no words came out. When Vixen tilted her head, curious at his actions, Lorrek thinned his lips then reached into a pocket dimension and pulled out something black, offering it to her. When she took and inspected it, he withdrew his hand. “Your vest of blades was destroyed beyond repair when I struck you. I have been crafting this one ever since in the hopes that you would wake.”
Vixen turned it over and ran her hands down the black scales of the vest. It was weighed less than her original vest, and it appeared to have even more blades. That didn’t make sense because of how the blades were sheathed, but she tugged on a black scale then yanked it out, expecting to see a blade. Instead, she saw it was only a large black scale in her hand. Confused, she moved her gaze to Lorrek, hoping for an explanation, but just before she did, she noticed a blade emerge from the scale. Her eyes widened, and she shot Lorrek a look. “This is the same material as the handblade! How did you…”
Lorrek smiled. “I have my ways.” Then he nodded to the vest. “Each scale is a blade that will emerge if only you pull it out. Once it is lodged in someone, if someone other than you pulled the blade out of the individual, the blade will automatically sheath and will not emerge unless you take hold of it. This prevents anyone from stealing your throwing blades.”
“But what if someone still takes the scale from the vest, and I never get it back?” She raised her brows as she sheathed the blade then slipped on the vest, fastening it so it hugged her body. It was comfortable.
“Another blade will grow on your vest in the place of the former,” Lorrek explained to her, and at her surprised look, he nodded. “Your vest’s blades are more organic than regular blades, and it has other properties that you will discover. Now though, let us discover what Radella wishes to tell us.” He held the door open for Vixen to allow her to exit first, and then he followed.
The Chronicles of Lorrek Box Set Page 78
