Seared

by Bethany Adams

  “My father was so proud of the alliance he was forming with Moranaia.” Cora sighed. “I admit I wasn’t fond of an arranged marriage, but Orn was too terrible to contemplate. Then we received word that the prince would not honor the contract. Orn demanded we wed, so I ran.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cora,” Maddy said softly. “I’m guessing Ralan was the one who broke the engagement?”

  “According to him, he’d never consented. He thought it was an idle idea of his father’s.”

  “Wait a second,” Maddy said, her brows furrowing. “He never agreed?”

  “No.” Cora squeezed her hands together. “He was in love with someone else. He’s a seer, but he didn’t even bother to check if there could be a future between us.”

  Maddy’s fingers drummed a rapid beat along the steering wheel as she frowned at the road. “Cora,” she finally said. “I get that what happened really sucked. I’d probably be mad about it, too. But the way the guy looks at you… Damn. And the way he held you as he carried you to the portal? Dude looked like his whole world would end if your hair snagged on a branch.”

  Cora’s heart thumped. “He didn’t argue when I left. Not a word. Well, except to give me directions home.”

  “He’s probably feeling guilty as hell,” Maddy said. “You said it was how long? Three hundred years?”

  “Three hundred and forty-two.”

  “I know you didn’t exactly ask my advice.” Maddy grimaced. “But you’re going to get it anyway. Nurse your mad if you have to and then go work things out. Three centuries is a long time, and people change. Anyway, think of all the awesome things you would’ve missed if you’d gone straight into a marriage with him. Earth can be a fun place.”

  “That’s true.” Cora nibbled on her lower lip as memories flitted through her mind. She’d seen and experienced so many changes, and she’d made wonderful friends. She wouldn’t have experienced any of that on Moranaia. “I’ll think about it, Maddy. Thanks for listening.”

  “Of course.”

  Cora studied her friend, and guilt swamped her at the sight of the dark circles beneath Maddy’s eyes. “Crap. I can’t believe you’re comforting me right now. How are you? You’re the one who was kidnapped and held in a cave.”

  To think she’d called Ralan self-centered.

  “I’m pretty shaken up,” Maddy admitted quietly. “But they didn’t hurt me. The Victor guy wanted to, but Kien warned him against it. They were worried about the damage a healer could do. If only they knew.”

  Cora winced at the dry tone of her friend’s voice. “You’ll get your magic worked out. It just takes time.”

  “I think I’m going to have to find a Master Healer, which means relocating.” Maddy sighed. “I can scan people’s bodies for injury, but that’s about the only reliable thing I’ve managed. Well, I knocked Patrick unconscious. Go, me.”

  “Won’t any of the Sidhe healers help?”

  Maddy’s mouth twisted. “We haven’t found one who will train a half-blood from a nobody family living on Earth.”

  Unbidden, the image of the healer on Moranaia popped into Cora’s mind. He was grumpy, but he’d been eager to speak with her about the method she’d used on Inona. If he’d been bothered that Cora wasn’t a Moranaian elf, he’d given no indication. Would he help a half-Sidhe?

  But if she didn’t work things out with Ralan, she had no clue if she would return to his world. Best not to mention the possibility to Maddy. Instead, Cora filed the thought away for the future. She would barter her knowledge of fire-healing if she had to. Maddy deserved help.

  After a quick glance around, Kai stepped into the small portal to the Veil. The energy embraced him, the rolling mist and swirls of color embracing him like a mother’s arms. He settled into the power and met it with his own before searching for the thread that led to Moranaia. Crossing had been easier since Kien’s energy poisoning spell had been disrupted, so it didn’t take long to find it.

  But just as he snagged it, a hint of disturbance rippled along his skin.

  Frowning, Kai cast his energy in a sweep. Was Kien still working his way through the Veil? He reinforced his shielding as his magic brushed against a strange presence. Pulling a knife from his belt, he crept into the fog.

  A form took shape, but Kai realized at once that it wasn’t Kien. This male had short blond hair, unlike Kien’s black, and when he turned, his face was unfamiliar. A lost traveler? It wasn’t unheard of for the unskilled to go adrift in the strange mists of the Veil, especially if they lacked the talent to find the strands between dimensions.

  “Identify yourself,” Kai said, his voice ringing hollowly around him.

  “I’m Fen,” the fae answered. “I don’t suppose you know the way out of this place?”

  That name sounded familiar. His brow wrinkled for a moment before it hit him. Ah, fuck. The guy who’d helped Kien. “Death would be an easy way out.”

  Fen scoffed. “Nice line. Bet you had to hunt hard for something that cliché.”

  Kai found his mouth tipping up in a reluctant grin. “Got me there.”

  “Can we skip to the part where you tell me why you’d like to kill me? I usually remember the people I offend.”

  “The last time I heard the name Fen, it was in connection to Kien,” Kai said, studying the other for his reaction. Would he deny it?

  But the fae’s shoulders slumped. “Figures. Look, I was trying to correct my mistake in working with the guy. I would’ve killed him if he hadn’t kidnapped Maddy. She’s too good to have her life ruined by this mess.”

  Kai’s thoughts returned to the young Sidhe they’d found by the portal. She’d told them that Fen had bargained for her life, so it seemed he spoke the truth. But that didn’t make him a friend.

  “Where’s Kien?”

  “I shoved his ass through to Moranaia before he could kill me,” Fen answered, lifting his shoulder in a quick shrug. “But I’m beginning to think I didn’t do myself a favor. Just leave me if you want. I’ll starve in here, so you can be assured I’ll have a nice slow death.”

  Kai lifted a brow. “No supplies?”

  “No blood.” Fen smiled and revealed a set of sharp fangs. “I pull in energy through blood, not from the world around me. I need blood more than food considering how much magic I’ve used lately.”

  Normally, Kai would be fascinated. He’d heard of blood elves but hadn’t met one. Now he just wanted to get home. “I’ll guide you from the Veil if you’ll allow yourself to be bound.”

  “Kinky,” Fen said with a smirk.

  Kai sheathed his knife and tugged a small coil of rope from the pouch on his belt. It was thin but strong, and it had been spelled to restrain magic. “I’m both straight and soulbonded. You’re out of luck there.”

  Fen turned his back to Kai and held his hands behind him. “No chance of a triad?”

  “Nope.” Kai let out a soft chuckle as he wrapped the rope around the fae’s wrists. He had to give the guy credit for being snarky under pressure. “Better luck on your next capture.”

  “Eh, you’re not my type, anyway.”

  Kai drew his knife again. “This isn’t going to improve the sentiment.”

  He shoved the blade against Fen’s side and propelled him forward. As Fen began to walk, Kai grasped for the thread to Moranaia. The way had grown more turbulent as they’d talked, but it still shouldn’t take long. With a heave of power, he tugged them toward home.

  Chapter 26

  Ralan paced the clearing in front of the portal and tried not to lose his mind. He’d spoken to Lyr as he’d darted along the trail, and his friend had reassured him that the king would be warned. Then he’d connected with Eri, not wanting to leave without letting her know. She, of course, had already Seen the possibility and had sent a sleepy but understanding reply. He’d even contacted Delbin to check on Inona. She hadn’t woken yet but was doing well.

  What was taking Kai so long to return?

  With a resigned sigh, Ra
lan plopped down on a nearby bench. Again. His fingers dug into the rough underside as he struggled for calm. He would be in time to help Cora. Megelien wouldn’t have shown him the vision otherwise. Would She?

  He closed his eyes and bowed his head. After a brief hesitation, he reached out for the goddess, a link once as familiar as breath. “I have not intended to neglect your temple,” he sent.

  “AND YET YOU HAVE.”

  “You’re right,” Ralan agreed at once. “As Cora so recently said, I have been more than careless. I can offer nothing but my profoundest apologies.”

  Silence. “HAVE YOU PREPARED YOURSELF FOR THE TRUTH YOUR DREAMS BRING?”

  Ralan sucked in a ragged breath. Was he prepared? In all honesty, he didn’t want to die. Life was not for giving up or giving in. Life was for fighting. Still, not even the long-lived elves were guaranteed forever. If he had to sacrifice himself to the fire to save his people, he would.

  “As much as I can be,” he answered. “But I confess I’m not looking forward to it.”

  Her amusement and affection filled him. “TELL ME WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO SPEAK WITH ME THIS DAY.”

  She knew, of course, but She had always given him the respect of not saying so. “Can I save Cora and still stop my brother?”

  “YOU ARE BOUND BY BLOOD TO YOUR BROTHER.” Her soft laughter filled his mind. “YOU DO NOT NEED MY HELP WITH THAT PART. I SHOWED YOU WHAT YOU MOST NEEDED. PERHAPS FOR YOUR HONESTY, I WILL SHOW YOU MORE.”

  The blood spell. Ralan might have smacked his palm against his forehead if a burst of pain hadn’t bloomed between his temples. Instead, he shoved his fingers against his eyes, a hiss slipping from his lips. His heart began to pound as visions flitted through his mind, faster than he could grasp.

  “YOU WILL KNOW WHAT YOU NEED.”

  Then Megelien was gone—and so was the pain.

  Ralan blinked against the light trickling through the leaves. For a moment, he stared at the broad trunk of a tree as he struggled to process what had happened. Hesitantly, he reached for the future strands. His heart pounded hard when he immediately found the one leading to Cora.

  Some were still muddled. He could tell with certainty that he would have several days, maybe a week, before Kien reached the palace, but the confrontation itself remained hazy. He couldn’t track Cora’s future beyond a few days, and his friends’ lives were blurred as well. But he didn’t care.

  For the moment, at least, he knew what to do.

  Remembering Lady Megelien’s words, he searched along the link he’d formed with his brother. Close but not immediately so. And he thought…yes, Kien’s energy was to the northwest, heading away from Braelyn. Ralan sent a quick message to Lyr with the information and then stood. Kai would emerge in a moment.

  The guards on each side of the portal stared at Ralan as he approached. He merely smiled. No doubt he’d looked like a madman pacing the clearing and then speaking with Megelien. He didn’t care. The guard on the right would laugh about it with his wife, and their good humor had a decent chance of leading to a child if they maintained that mood until later. A likely strand.

  Gods, he loved having his Sight back at full strength. Mostly.

  The portal shimmered, and Kai shoved Fen through. The blood elf’s hands had been bound, but his expression appeared more relieved than concerned. Getting lost in the Veil tended to do that to a person.

  Kai jerked to a halt at the sight of Ralan. “Let me guess. A vision?”

  “I am asking for your help this time, not ordering it,” Ralan said.

  “Clechtan, Ralan,” Kai said with a groan. “I wasn’t really mad at you. I knew I had to go, but I didn’t want to. I took it out on you.”

  Ralan shrugged. “Apology accepted.”

  “I didn’t actually—”

  “You were about to.” Ralan couldn’t stifle the quick grin. “Close enough. I had a vision about Cora in danger. Will you guide me through? We can take Fen back to Earth.”

  “Shouldn’t we imprison him for helping Kien?”

  “I ordered him to try to save Maddy,” Ralan said. “So it’s technically my fault.”

  “I would’ve done it anyway,” Fen said.

  Ralan waved a hand. “Whatever. I’ve talked to Lyr. If you’re willing, we can go.”

  Kai frowned, his gaze going distant for a moment, before he nodded. “Arlyn is resting, and my energy reserves are decent. But once you arrive on Earth, you’re on your own. I need to get back.”

  Nodding, Ralan strode the remaining steps to the portal. It should only take them a few minutes for Kai to return them to Earth. Then Fen was going to drive him to Cora.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Maddy asked.

  Cora lifted her backpack out of the trunk and slammed it closed before forcing a smile to her lips. “I’ll be fine. Hey, at least the shop is closed tomorrow, right?”

  Maddy leaned against her open car door. “I suppose.”

  “Just go home and rest.” Cora headed up the sidewalk with a wave. “I’ll call you in the morning.”

  Cora ducked inside the house before Maddy could argue. After she closed the door, she slumped against it, the heavy weight of her backpack digging into her leg. Only after she heard Maddy’s car rolling out of the driveway did she start toward the kitchen.

  Her heart twisted at the sight of the mess she’d left in the sink. The last meal she’d eat with Ralan. Even if Maddy was right that he had let her go out of guilt, so many obstacles stood between them. She had to do something about Orn, for one thing. If he found out that Cora had completed the alliance with Moranaia, he would surely try to sever it before their people found out. Even after all this time, her bonding to Ralan would give her father renewed political importance. Orn wouldn’t be able to tolerate that.

  Then there was Ralan’s search for his brother. After encountering Kien in the cavern, Cora understood exactly why Ralan thought he would die while attempting to defeat him. It wasn’t that Kien was some great, powerful, unbeatable mage. It was his utter, careless cruelty and his cleverness. He would try anything regardless of the cost.

  That lack of caring was the most dangerous of all.

  She had always known Orn to be a terrible man, but in Kien, she had witnessed true evil. She’d watched Ralan’s mad brother murder in cold blood and then lick his knife clean. And Inona… Cora shuddered as the scene in the cave replayed in her mind. Orn was bad, but for the first time in her life, she had seen much worse.

  Cora settled her backpack on the table. A dull thud caught her attention, and frowning, she slid the zipper open and peeked inside. She shoved aside the rolls of extra clothing, a bundle of rope, and a packet of dried food. Then she noticed a velvety black fabric pouch near the bottom.

  With trembling fingers, she pulled it free. She stared at it for a moment, knowing what it was without even opening it. But she had to be sure. Her spine stiffened as she reached inside, and she shivered as her skin made contact with cool metal and smooth glass. After taking a deep breath, she pulled it free.

  The mirror.

  Cora stared at her own face, her lips pinched tight and her eyes lined with pain. He’d tucked the communication mirror in her backpack. But when? She dropped into a seat and leaned her elbow on the table, still staring at herself. He had to have done it after carrying her out of the cavern. Had he guessed that she would leave him?

  I left your pack in your car.

  She might have forgotten it if he hadn’t reminded her. He must have wanted her to find the mirror sooner rather than later and realize that he’d thought of her. That he’d given her a way to call for him if she changed her mind. Maybe. She could guess all day, but she wouldn’t know until she spoke with him again.

  Her fingers tightened on the metal frame. Unfortunately, she didn’t know how to use it. If she decided to. Though it was a risk with her energy so low, Cora allowed a small tendril of magic loose into the edge to see if she could find a clue. She found no hint of a s
pell she would need to latch on to. Too bad it wasn’t as simple as picturing Moranaia or the man Ralan had spoken to before.

  Or was it?

  Light flared, tugging her energy from her as she inadvertently activated the spell. The room spun, and she blinked against the wave of dizziness as the mirror’s glow settled. When it did, she found herself staring at Ralan’s friend, his expression colder than a mountaintop in winter.

  “Name yourself at once,” he said.

  The red-haired woman from earlier stepped into the image. “That’s Cora.”

  The man’s expression didn’t change. “How do you have that mirror?”

  “Ralan left it in my backpack,” Cora said quickly. “I didn’t mean to activate it.”

  “Onaial,” the woman—Arlyn?—said. “Cora is Ralan’s bonded. Remember? I guess he wasn’t as clueless as I thought.”

  “So he has reached you?” he asked.

  Cora’s brow wrinkled. “What are you talking about?”

  “He left to warn you about some vision he had,” Arlyn answered. “I’m surprised he hasn’t contacted you telepathically.”

  Heat rushed into Cora’s cheeks at those words. It was possible he had tried, but she’d done her best to put up a shield between them. She wasn’t about to explain that to a stranger, though. “I’ll see if I can reach him.”

  “Forgive me for my rude greeting, Cora,” the male said. “I am Lyr, the lord in charge of Braelyn. With so much danger of late, I feared the worst when I realized it wasn’t Ralan calling.”

  “Understandable.” Cora gave a wry smile. “I don’t suppose you can cut this link? I’m not entirely sure how I activated it.”

  Lyr gave a slight bow. “Certainly. I bid you good day.”

  “Good day.”

  As soon as the magic winked out, leaving her reflection once more, Cora tucked the mirror into the pouch. She set it on the table and nibbled at her lip. What could Ralan have seen that would lead him back to Earth? It was possible his brother hadn’t returned to Moranaia after all. Or there was Orn.