Heirs of War, Crown of Flames

by Mara Valderran

  Bianca watched the group exchange excited whispers, but noticed Nolan and Tate looking grim. “What is it?”

  Tate reluctantly stepped forward. “There is no world called Talamdine. Are you sure it wasn't a city?”

  Isauria's face fell. “No, the woman helping them specifically said it was a world. Are you sure? I mean, you can't possibly know the names of all the worlds off the top of your head, right?”

  “He can,” Nolan said. “It's his job, and my duties with the Council require it as well. There's no such world. Perhaps this woman was lying to throw us off.”

  Isauria leaned against the table behind her and shook her head. “How would she know I was watching?”

  “The gifts of the Duillaine are common knowledge among the people,” Nolan responded, full of regret. “I'm sorry, sister, but it appears we are no closer to finding her than we were before.”

  “We have more information that might help with that,” Bianca interjected. “The woman that took them in is part of some kind of rebel movement against Cahira and Estridia.” She turned to Nolan. “Have you ever heard of something like that?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I can look into it. I can ask around the Council about rumors of such a rebellion and see if they've heard anything.”

  Bianca looked around at their pitiful little group, thinking about how it was such a small and weak force compared to what she had seen with the Cahirans. “How do you plan to fight them?”

  Zelene held out her hand and a flame appeared in the center of her palm. “With magic,” she said, beaming with pride over her accomplishment. “We've been training, and we'll have the Cynewards backing us up in case we come across any trouble.”

  “I don't think it's that simple,” Isauria said in a meek voice. “You guys haven't seen what they're capable of. Terrena, I know you've seen a lot because I've seen you face them, but even the things they've done to you . . . it's not the half of what they're capable of.”

  “Isauria is right,” Bianca said firmly. “It doesn't matter how much you train. You will still be no match for them. If we are Ariana's only hope, then I am afraid that really isn't saying much.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Rhaya replied dryly. “We have to try, Izzy. You've seen what they've done to Ariana. Do you really want to just sit back and hope that she finds her way back on her own?”

  “No, of course not,” Isauria insisted defensively. “I'm just saying that I think we need a backup plan.”

  “I'm open to suggestions,” Zelene said and she gestured for Isauria to let them in on whatever ideas she might have.

  “I didn't say I had a backup plan,” Isauria mumbled with a pout. “I just said we needed one.”

  Ellowyn nodded her agreement. “I'm not saying I don't have faith in all of you. I do. I know in my heart that you are the ones to lead us in times like this. But the Cahirans are brutal.”

  “They can be very . . . innovative with their uses of the elements as weapons,” Bianca agreed.

  “Well, what do you expect us to do?” Zelene shot out. “I mean, we've been preparing for this in the only way we can. Short of capturing a Cahiran to teach us how to fight like them, I'm not sure what there's left to do.”

  “Bait,” Ellowyn said suddenly.

  Tate lifted a brow. “Are you volunteering?”

  “No,” Ellowyn said and waved her hands excitedly. “You all act as bait. Once the Duillaine find out where you are and what you're doing, they'll be forced to follow you.”

  “I'm not so sure about that,” Zelene said with a shake of the head.

  “Then I'll have to make sure I tell them where you are in a very loud and public way,” Ellowyn said deviously. “With all their people watching and talking, how can they possibly stand idly by?”

  “What? You can't stay behind, Ell. Don't be ridiculous.”

  “We both know that I will only hold you back,” Ellowyn said sadly. “I'm one of the Tainted, Zelene. I stand no chance against a Cahiran or anyone else for that matter. It has to be me.”

  “She's right,” Nolan said and put a hand on Ellowyn’s shoulder to show his support. “She'll be safer here, and we can't risk involving anyone else. Not with a spy in our midst.”

  “A spy?” Isauria repeated and then sulked. “No one tells me anything.”

  “We don't know anything yet,” Terrena assured her. “All we know is that the Cynewards intercepted a communication from someone here in the castle and were speaking about luring one of us away during Imbolc. We don't even know who it is they were planning to lure away, but the only people we know we can trust are in this room.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Day after day, Zelene struggled to keep her promise to Kyle. If she was completely honest with herself, she suspected he was dead long before she'd seen his ghost. She kept waiting for him to reappear, but he never did, and she didn't understand why.

  “Maybe it's because he is from Dhara,” her mother offered as explanation while they walked along the corridors. “It could be possible that your gift requires magic on both ends in order to work.”

  “Maybe,” Zelene answered noncommittally. “But how did he appear to me to begin with?”

  Nandalia puzzled this over. “Perhaps whoever . . . perhaps they used magic against him and it was enough to allow him to appear.” She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ended up walking right through a servant passing them.

  Zelene cringed, still thinking it was too weird to be talking about her dead ex-boyfriend with her dead mother. She noticed Cedwen walking with Nolan down the hall and quickly ducked into a room to avoid him. She cracked the door open, peering through it to watch the duo.

  “It's just a few questions,” Nolan assured Cedwen as they passed. “You've been here for years, but we have to run these security checks every so often now that the girls have returned.”

  “Of course,” Cedwen agreed before he disappeared around the corner.

  “You can't keep avoiding the poor boy like this,” Nandalia fussed.

  Zelene thought that she could easily avoid Cedwen for the rest of her life if she really put her mind to it. “Come on,” she said, entering the hallway. “And just because you wanted me to marry him doesn't mean I have to.”

  Her mother glanced askew at her. “Prince Cedwen wasn't our doing, Zelene. Meridel and Solanna plotted to bring the boy here in the hopes he would win us over with his charms before you returned home.”

  “And did he?”

  “He was too much of a flirt for my liking. He had both Mira and Kara fawning over him at the same time, which caused a lot of friction between the two. He didn't seem to mind that one bit.”

  “Yeah,” Zelene agreed. “It is kinda weird that he'll flirt with Ellowyn right in front of me. If he's trying to make me jealous, it isn't working. And if he wants to win me over, flirting with my friend definitely isn't helping his case.”

  “What about this boy in the leigheas that you keep visiting?” Nandalia asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

  Zelene stopped walking and turned to her mother. “Kyle just died and you're trying to figure out my love life?”

  Nandalia put a sympathetic hand on her cheek. “I know, dear. And I know that is hard, but I was speaking about how you treated your young patient before. There's a spark between you two, and I don't think you should let that go, especially now. Kyle urged you to move on.”

  “Not that quickly,” Zelene mumbled, even though she knew she had already been moving on. She started walking again, ignoring the way her stomach twisted when she thought about her nameless patient, almost like she was betraying Kyle. “Besides, we aren't going to go see him. We're going to see Dad. That's why I dressed up.”

  Nandalia looked Zelene up and down quizzically. Zelene wore a simple dark green dress with lace up sleeves and a gold cord belt around her waist, but her mother was less than impressed with the outfit. “You look lovely.”

  “Whatever. I t
hought you might want to see Dad.”

  “Are you thinking of telling him about me?”

  “I think he knows you're dead, Mom,” Zelene retorted dryly and then caved to her mother's reproachful stare. “I don't know. Maybe. We'll see how it goes. He's still recovering from what your sisters did to him, you know.”

  Nandalia darkened. “Sylvanna is not my sister. She is my cousin, and nothing more.”

  “Then why did you guys make her leader of the pack?” Zelene waved her hands in front of her dismissively. “Forget it. It's done.” She stopped in front of her father’s door and turned back to Nandalia. “Just . . . don't say anything or do anything to distract me, okay?”

  Her mother nodded and placed her hand over her heart. “I promise to be as silent as a ghost.”

  Zelene glared, even though she found the joke to be morbidly funny. Apparently, she inherited her sense of humor from her mother. “Ha ha.” She put on a bright smile and opened the door, but her delight quickly faltered when she saw her patient sitting at a small table playing chess with her father.

  The young man beamed at the sight of her and jumped to his feet. “Hello again, friend. You look . . . stunning. Why are you so dressed up?”

  Arland seemed pleased that they had met. “Ah, I see you already know my daughter—”

  Zelene coughed over his word. “You mean, the best servant the leigheas has to offer,” she said forcefully and then turned back to her patient. “Walk you back to your room?”

  The young man stared at her in wonder. “You are Maistir Arland's daughter?”

  “Like a daughter,” she tried to quickly cover but failed and slumped with defeat. “I'll explain in your room. Okay?” He nodded and she gestured for him to go first. She turned back to her father after her patient left. “Thanks for that. I'll be back after I talk to him.”

  When Zelene entered her patient's room, she found him pacing the floors. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She didn't know what to say to him, so she settled for watching him pace.

  He rubbed his hands over his face and turned to look at her. “You're not one of the Tainted, but I already knew that.”

  “What? How?”

  He held out his hand and called forth just enough air to dance lightly over her skin like a gentle breeze. “I can sense it in you. Who are you really? You're too strong to be just a servant.”

  “Maybe I like being a servant. Feeling useful.”

  “I thought you trusted me.”

  “I do, but—”

  “No, you don’t,” he argued and paced away from her. “If you trusted me, then you wouldn’t have lied to me about who you were. About what you are. How am I supposed to trust you when you’ve been lying me this whole time?”

  She sighed, the hurt reflected in his eyes cooling her temper. “It’s complicated, okay? When I first started to come see you, I really couldn't do anything. I've never been able to. I might as well have been one of the Tainted for all the good I could do around here. Sometimes I felt like I fit in better with them than anyone else.”

  “That's why you were so bold before in speaking to me.” He said the words slowly, still coming to terms with this new revelation. “That's why the Duillaine Ainnir you told me about before has soft spot for the Tainted, isn't it?”

  She didn't know how to answer that. She was too shocked that he was jumping to all the wrong conclusions. Then again, he was still recovering from head trauma. “I guess you could say that.” She sat down on the bed and patted the mattress beside her. “I'm sorry I haven't been more honest with you about who I am,” she said when he joined her. “It's just . . . people treat me differently, but you don't. It's been nice to have someone get to know me for me instead of my . . . bloodline,” she concluded, still resisting giving him the whole truth.

  “Your bloodline hardly matters. People would have no choice but to adore you, if you were to allow them the chance to get to know you. You treat Ellowyn like she is an equal even though you are far above her station. You give your time to the paion here, knowing her duties stretch her thin. And you befriend monsters like me.”

  Zelene blushed at his words. “You aren't a monster.”

  “Why are you so keen on seeing good in me when I've told you of the many men I've killed?”

  She shifted her body to face him. “I've met terrible people in my time. People who enjoy hurting other people. There's this darkness in them that I've never seen in you. Are you happy that you've killed people?”

  “No,” he answered, aghast. “What kind of man would I be if I took joy in their pain? In that violence?” He shook his head. “I hate it. Every moment, every memory. I wish I could forget. Ironic, isn't it? A man who loses his memory so set on forgetting everything. But I know I shouldn't. I owe them that. The memory.”

  “See? That tells me everything I need to know about who you really are inside.” She placed her hand on his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat pickup at the touch. “You're a good man. You just have to give yourself time to remember that.”

  He placed his hand over hers and gently ran his thumb across her knuckles. “You inspire me to be that man, the one you see in me.”

  Zelene lost herself in his eyes. “I do my best,” she said shakily. She could still feel his heart racing, and hers picked up too. She felt so conflicted, wanting so badly to close the distance between them, but her heart still ached over Kyle.

  The young man must have read the need in her eyes, because he scooted closer to her. He hesitantly reached his hand to her cheek. He searched her face for permission, but before Zelene could resolve the conflict in her heart, the door burst open and the Duillaine entered.

  Zelene leapt to her feet. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Greetings of the brightest of days to the Duillaine Banair,” he said with a shaking voice, then clamped his fist over his heart and bowed his head. “It is a great honor to be housed within the walls of your great city and to be in the presence of your power.”

  Zelene slapped his arm. “Stop sucking up. What do you want, Sylvanna?”

  Sylvanna's green eyes darkened as they looked at her. “Solanna told us of your connection to this man. Why am I not surprised that when there is trouble, you are connected to it?”

  “Just doing what I do best and standing between you and the people I care about. Do I need to remind you of what happens when you try to hurt people I care about, Sylvanna?”

  Her patient tugged on her arm. “You mustn't speak to them like that, friend. Please, do not get yourself into trouble on my behalf.” He turned back to the Duillaine. “I apologize for any grievance I may have caused you. I will do everything I can to rectify this situation.”

  Meridel stepped forward. “I can see that you're very nervous. It is understandable, but in order to get a better read on you, I need you to calm yourself as much as possible. It is just a few simple questions, that is all.”

  “Questions about what? He doesn't even remember who he is,” Zelene exclaimed. “Can't you guys get anything right?”

  “We have a traitor in our midst,” Solanna explained. “Someone who claims to be close to one of you. Close enough to lure you away.”

  “I know. I heard.” Zelene swallowed hard, remembering how close she had come to falling for a Cahiran trap just like her mother had. It had cost Kyle his life. She glanced back to her patient, wondering if her trust had been misplaced. She shook her head, answering her own internal question. “It's not him.”

  “Zelene,” Sylvanna snapped, “this is not up for discussion. We have a job—”

  “Zelene?” The young man stared at her, his brows furrowed. “That's your name?”

  Zelene nodded, knowing she was most definitely busted now. “Yes, and I'll explain later. After the Duillaine aren't looking to put your head on a pike.”

  “No one wants his head on a pike,” Meridel said, her annoyance rising. “I'm just trying to ask the boy some questions.”

>   “And I've seen what you guys do to people who don't give you the right answers,” Zelene shot back and stepped in front of him. “I'm not gonna let you touch him—”

  Solanna held up her hand to interrupt and nodded to the young man standing behind Zelene. “Zelene, your friend is unwell.”

  Zelene whipped around to find him clutching his head in his hands. “Hey, you okay?”

  He raised his head to look at her with deep confusion. “I know you.”

  She nodded, thinking he might have lost it. “Yeah. I've been taking care of you.”

  “No, I mean, I know the name Zelene. How? You act as though we've never met.” He backed away when she stepped closer and held a hand out to halt her. “No, wait. I remember.” He looked to her with confusion bordering on madness. “I was supposed to marry you.”

  Zelene balked. “What?”

  “I was sent here to marry you.” His eyes darted around, pushing memories to the surface. “My caravan was attacked before I arrived. My father sent me . . . I was supposed to . . . what was I supposed to do?” He paced away and then turned back. “They wanted weapons and soldiers from Tremain. My father told me to get close to Zelene, to you,” he said to her. “He didn't know what to think of the other—your twin—because she's the fifth. He thought you'd be a sure bet.”

  Meridel swallowed hard. “What is your name?”

  He pressed his palms to his eyes and let out a noise of frustration. “It's right there. I can't . . . ”

  Zelene had already caught on. She pulled his hands away, her own shaking. “Cedwen?”

  He smiled, his eyes wet with relief. “Yes. Cedwen. Now we know each other's names.” He looked around, noticing the horrified looks everyone wore. “What's wrong?”

  Zelene stepped away from him, unable to believe it. “I've already met Cedwen. It can't…” she turned, choking on her own emotions as her breathing intensified. She clutched her chest, replaying every moment she had spent with the imposter over and over again in her head. He taught her to dress like the Tainted. He knew Isauria was locked away, using her gift to watch Ariana as Kellen pursued her. He knew about Zelene’s relationship to Kyle. The thought hit her hard, making it so difficult to breathe that she was starting to see black. Or maybe that was just her anger. “He watched my mother’s every move. He knew when she left. And he knew about Kyle. He knew that I’d go after him, regardless of the cost. He knew everything. Oh, god—he was with Nolan. I just saw them together.”