by Eric Vall
I caught Qiran’s arm once more and turned him toward another hall, and when we came to the first chamber, I pushed him inside and took a look around.
It appeared to have been a small workshop at one point, but the shelves that were carved in the stonework were empty now, and only an old iron table stood against the wall.
“This’ll do,” I said with a nod.
“Do for what?” Qiran grumbled.
I turned and grinned at the leader as his feet sank into the stone to be locked around the ankles.
“For a dungeon,” I replied. “Dragir said they didn’t have one here, so … this’ll have to do.”
Qiran’s eyes flared with anger as he attempted to yank his feet free of the stone shackles, and he nearly fell off balance in the effort.
“How dare you,” he growled. “I am the leader of House Quyn, and this fortress belongs to me. How dare you imprison me in my own--”
“How dare you steal my shit,” I replied calmly, and I leaned against the iron table to cross my arms.
“These scrolls do not belong to you,” Qiran informed me, and his deep purple eyes narrowed into slits.
“They don’t belong to you either,” I pointed out. “I entrusted them to you to guard them for the good of Nalnora, and you did great. Really. Now, you’re relieved of duty, and you’re gonna hand them over.”
“Over my dead body,” he shot back.
I sighed. “Unfortunately, I promised Dragir I wouldn’t kill you,” I replied, but I slid my hand to my holster anyway. “Still, I’m not above starving you out, so you can take as much time as you need to think over your options. Make yourself comfortable.”
As I said this, the head of House Quyn sank a bit further, and the stone locked just above his knees. This time, he started cursing me out in Elvish, and I smiled and nodded along as I lowered him another few inches.
“You done?” I asked as the elf’s eyes widened.
“Traitor.”
I shook my head. “Who’s stealing from whom here?”
“These are ancient ancestral scrolls,” he growled as he pulled a few parchments from within his travelling cloak. “They document the discoveries of our elders’ elders! The gods have brought them to me for a reason, mark my words. The information on this paper--”
“You can’t even read them,” I interrupted. “The elven language has changed drastically since the time of the ancients. You have no idea what’s on those papers.”
Qiran was flustered in his anger now. “That is beside the point!”
I began to contemplate burying the elf up to his nose just to give him some time to think in silence, but then Dragir strolled in.
He stopped the moment he noticed his father was partially buried and cocked a brow at me.
“Dragir, my son,” Qiran preened. “This traitor has imprisoned me, you must hold him accountable.”
A vague smirk came to Dragir’s face.
“Hold him accountable?” he asked and leaned against the wall at his back.
I couldn’t help grinning as the elf counted everything off on his fingers.
“Well …” he mused, “first he saved your life, and then Deya’s. After that, he fought beside your army to save House Quyn from utter ruin, and at some point during that, he saved my life as well.” Dragir looked at me. “Thank you, by the way.”
I smirked. “Likewise.”
Qiran raised his brows. “He saved your life?” he asked, and his voice shook as he eyed Dragir for any sign of harm.
Dragir nodded. “Yes, so I believe Mason Flynt’s own prophecy has been fulfilled, and we are now all wholly in his debt,” he concluded. “And yet, here you are.”
Qiran glowered from his place in the floor while his son sent him a pointed look. “If our ancestors knew you spoke this way on behalf of a human … ”
“That’s … House Aelin, right?” I cut in. “You’re descended from Aeris’ family, if my memory serves me correctly.”
I tried not to smile when Qiran’s cheeks flared.
“House Orrel,” he corrected thickly. “I am descended from House Orrel, there is a world of difference.”
I furrowed my brow. “You sure? I could’ve sworn it was House Aelin. Maybe you just remind me of Aeris.” I eyed him up and down. “No offense.”
Dragir worked to hide his grin, and I was happy to see the head of House Quyn had taken full offense.
“Aeris is a devious and deceitful viper with nothing but his own interests in mind,” Qiran spat. “He is not to be trusted.”
I nodded my agreement. “Sounds about right.”
Qiran cursed as he was lowered to his waist.
“See, this is why I didn’t give the scrolls to Aeris,” I explained. “He’s a devious and deceitful viper with his own interests in mind. You, on the other hand, seemed more honest … more worthy. Was I wrong? Maybe. But I forgot you were descended from House Aelin, so that’s my own fault.”
“House Orrel,” Qiran growled, and Dragir actually snorted, but it turned into a cough somewhere, and his father didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re sure?” I clarified again. “You know what? It’s the jaw line … you both have the same stubborn set. Plus the chin, that’s what’s throwing me off. I’ll get it right, though. Deceitful and selfish is House Aelin, and you’re not from House Aelin, you’re from … wait a minute. Aeris is deceitful and selfish, and you’re…”
I worked it out to myself while Qiran fumed in Elvish for a good minute.
Finally, I shrugged it off. “Honestly, you’re all kinda blending together these days. I mean, who isn’t a backstabbing prick in this place? I should have seen this coming.”
Dragir nodded his agreement, and Qiran snapped his jaw so tight I could hear it from where I stood.
“How’s that fit for you, by the way?” I asked. “Snug enough?”
I cinched the stonework a little tighter around the old elf, and he ground his teeth in silence for a long moment without responding.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’m probably gonna put the bed over here,” I told Qiran as I gestured to the wall beside me. “I wasn’t expecting company, but there’s only four of us, so you can probably fit right where you are pretty comfortably. We’ll try not to keep you up.”
Qiran abruptly tossed the parchments to the floor in front of him, and I grinned.
“You are not worthy of these scrolls,” Qiran spat.
“Neither are you,” I assured him as I stooped to pick them up. “I think you’ve made that clear.”
I counted the slips of parchment and cocked a brow when I found only six in hand.
“All of them … ” Dragir sighed.
Qiran pulled another few from his robe and kept his eyes averted.
“You’re three short,” I informed him.
“They’re in my boots.”
Once I’d freed the head of House Quyn and raided his boot stash, Qiran stormed out of the chamber and ordered for his son to follow.
Dragir took a steadying breath and considered the ceiling.
“How’d you like that drive?” I asked.
A sinister smile spread across the elf’s face. “I like the Mustang,” he assured me. “I felt much better before I came in here. I think I killed a borian.”
I furrowed my brow in confusion. “That’s pretty cool, I guess.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “quite satisfying. Thank you.”
“Any time,” I chuckled.
Dragir followed the hollering of his father, and I returned to the iron table against the wall to look over the ancient scrolls. They were only a little crinkled after being hoarded by the angry elf, but there didn’t seem to be too much damage, and none of the strange and curling script was affected. Out of habit, I flipped a few of the more annotated pages over and scanned for any symbol I might recognize, but it was a useless endeavor.
I sighed and scruffed my beard as it occurred to me I might never find an elf I could trust to deciphe
r them. If anyone living actually could translate the ancient language, they were likely so old and age addled they’d be even worse than the heads of Houses I’d met with so far.
The thought was a disappointing one, but it did make me realize I might have better luck if I sought the help of the elves who lived outside the hierarchy of the Houses. Deya had told us there were some who managed to live separately, and if I could locate even one elf with the knowledge needed, perhaps they’d be less inclined to steal the parchments right out from under me. For all I knew, the elven scrolls were only valued by the members of the ten Houses.
I didn’t hear Deya enter the chamber, but the irritated sigh tipped me off, and I turned to find her pink brows pinched in anger.
“My father is insisting I return with them to House Quyn,” she huffed as she came over. “He refuses to let me stay here, even after Cayla assured him I would be in her chamber. He is behaving ridiculously and doesn’t seem to realize I am well past the age where his opinions … ”
I ignored Deya’s rant as I gently brushed my lips along her neck, and she trailed off into a sigh as she leaned into my touch.
“Your father knows damn well Cayla sleeps with me,” I murmured and carefully unhooked the chain around Deya’s neck to place the necklace aside. “What does your father think you’re doing right now?”
“Getting my things together,” she muttered as I lifted her onto the iron table.
“That’s not nearly enough time for what I had in mind,” I chuckled.
“Can’t you come back to House Quyn with us?” Deya begged.
“It’s probably best I keep some distance between me and Qiran right now,” I told her. “Besides, this place is perfect for my next project, and I’m starting the building tomorrow morning.”
“I hate this,” she sighed. “I want to sleep here with you. I don’t want to go home and only think about it all night. It makes me … restless.”
I raised my brows and slid my hand down her taut belly. “You’ve been thinking about it?”
Deya bit her lip and blushed. “Constantly,” she moaned.
“Good.”
I pulled Deya closer so her legs spread around me, and as I leaned in to graze my teeth along the tender skin of her neck, my hand slid lower and shifted the silk between her thighs. Even though I’d just lightly touched her, she was dripping wet, and I slid my fingers along her pussy lips before I slipped them into her.
Deya dug her nails into my back to hold me closer, and I let her bite at my tongue while I caressed her and traced circles across her clit. The beautiful elf began to writhe against my grip, and I held her firmly in her place as I pushed deeper.
I could hear Deya’s father hollering for her from the cove, but she was fully distracted and clawed at my arms for more as she began to tremble. So, I slid a second finger into her tight tunnel, and a desperate moan slipped from her lips as she clenched around me.
I quickly brought my other hand up to cover her mouth, and just as Deya reached her climax, she sank her teeth into the side of my hand to keep from shrieking.
Her flesh was like fire and slick from her arousal while she writhed with pleasure in my grip, and I tightened my hold on her as pain shot through my hand and down my arm.
When Deya finally began to go limp, she loosened her bite, and as I slowly slid my fingers from her taut center, her violet eyes fluttered open. They were hooded with lust, and she kissed me deeply as Qiran’s voice began to draw closer.
“I want you,” Deya whispered against my lips, but before I could respond, the beautiful elf pulled the necklace from the iron table and vanished.
I let out a long breath as my blood pounded for another taste of her, but by the time Qiran stormed into the chamber, I was propped with my back against the table and studying the elven scrolls once more.
I couldn’t help sending the old elf a broad grin when he entered.
“I knew you liked me,” I told the leader. “Why don’t you stay a while? I feel like we’ve barely gotten to know each other.”
Qiran looked ready to unleash a stream of fury, but Deya’s sweet voice called from the domed cavern, and he locked his jaw as he abruptly turned his back on me.
“Next time,” I hollered after him.
I could still feel Deya’s heat on my fingers, and it was lucky the chamber was so dim, or her father might have noticed the fresh marks all over my arms. My stitches burned from a couple swipes that came too close, but messing with Qiran made me a little more amused by the circumstances.
Deya may have been owned by the ten Houses of Nalnora, but something told me the beautiful elf would be sleeping in our bed much sooner than anyone expected.
Maybe the caves were getting to me.
The moment I’d first set foot within the bounds of the pillars, a sense of calm and assuredness coursed through me, and Nemris seemed to be drifting in the air of every cavern no matter where I went. I could sense her presence in this very chamber, and in the dim hallways that led me here, and I knew I would win out over Qiran without question.
I would win out over all of them, and Deya would be knotted up in the sheets with me and my women where she belonged.
My blood settled a little as I focused on this, and by the time my three women found me, I was fully intent on keeping everything well concealed as long as necessary.
“You have to see this,” Aurora insisted as she tried to pull me from the chamber. “We found a random hall while we were looking for you.”
Before I let her lead me away, I carefully parted a bit of the stone in the wall and stowed the elven scrolls inside. Then I resealed it completely and let the women lead me back to the vaulted entrance.
They steered me toward one of the many small archways that lined the walls, and Shoshanne giggled with excitement as she ducked inside.
Aurora sent an orb of flames ahead of us when the hall only became darker, and we seemed to be travelling downward by the feel of the stone under my feet.
“How did you go down this far and not realize I wasn’t in this direction?” I chuckled.
Cayla shrugged. “Oh we knew, but this obviously leads to something secretive and amazing, so we kept going.”
I grinned and couldn’t deny the logic.
The air began to feel damp after a little while, and it smelled more strongly of the sea. There seemed to be something about the winding hall that felt more ancient to me as well, and when my magic sparked to sift through the rocks, I could tell they hadn’t been reformed for ages. The hall had been this way for longer than I could sense, and I was just beginning to wonder if Nemris had ever roamed the same path, when Aurora’s flame illuminated a chamber not far off.
Shoshanne trotted ahead and flipped around with an eager smile while she waited for us, and when we joined her in the chamber, Aurora’s flame grew stronger to help me see.
My eyes popped wide open as I turned in a full circle, and everywhere I looked, gilded paintings sprawled along the stonework. The paint shimmered like it was made of real gold, but the soft coloring still held out despite the obvious fading over the years. It looked like a series of murals depicting all manor of things, and I came closer to study the gilded strokes that resembled the ornate pillars at the entrance of the fortress.
“Damn,” I mused and moved on to a strange scene I couldn’t make out the meaning of. There were serpents knotted around the belly of a beast with three horns, and beside this, two elves looked like they were fucking against a tree.
I smirked and shook my head, but Shoshanne caught my arm and sent me a glittering smile.
“This is the best part,” she assured me, and she brought me around to the other side of the chamber before she pointed to a figure on the wall.
Even without the galactic eyes, I knew it was Nemris the moment I saw her. Her hair was soft pink just like Deya’s, but her face was slightly less mischievous. She stood completely naked and painted with gold, and above her, the sky was a wash of ambers a
nd oranges that melted into her hair. Her feet were drowned in the water, and the rest of her mural was made up of the sea dragons we’d seen from the cliff.
They were nearly identical in almost every way except they were much smaller than the beasts who’d rolled through the waves to see Deya. It seemed impossible they could have been alive long enough to have swam with the goddess Nemris, but the notion was derailed as I noticed something else.
The painting of Nemris had what looked like a dragon’s scale in her hand, and although time had worn away a few of the lines, I was certain I could make out the light etching of a rune in the center.
“No shit … ” I muttered.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Shoshanne sighed. “It looks exactly like Deya, but Cayla thinks it’s the goddess Nemris.”
I glanced over to see the healer roll her eyes.
“Obviously, it’s one of Deya’s ancestors,” she continued. “Look at the hair, and the hips … ”
Cayla smirked. “Obviously,” she allowed.
I bit my lip and realized I really had to fill Shoshanne in soon, but a quick movement from Aurora caught all of our attention next.
The half-elf’s head was turned toward the hall we’d come from, and her brows furrowed.
“What is that?” she asked.
I could tell she was listening by the expression on her face, and I came to her side as I strained to hear.
Only silence drifted from the blackened hall, but just as Aurora’s eyes widened, I thought I heard a distant rumble.
“Breathe!” Aurora ordered.
Then the ocean burst from the darkness and threw me to the ground.
Chapter 3
I slammed into the stonework as the water pounded against me and rolled me over and over. My back scraped against the walls, and my limbs slammed against the bodies of the women being thrown around as well. I tried to reach out and catch any of them in the watery chaos, but Aurora’s warning had come seconds too late, and I never did take a breath before the chamber filled with water.
