The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bailey Ardisone

  “What? How else do you expect to get in that thing? Magic?” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Yeah, magic,” he smirked sarcastically. “Just follow me. It’s getting dark so I’m sure it’ll be starting soon.”

  I did what he said and let him lead the way.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ~Naminé~

  For a reason unbeknownst to me, Dae’Sûl granted me reprieve from his torment. However, I still suffered. I was deeply worried about my companion way down in the deep dungeons. I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks now, and I feared for his welfare. Did he know what had happened? That the King had found out my betrayal and had sentenced me to be locked in his chambers?

  It racked my insides not being able to speak with him regarding my current predicament. I had been with him daily for five cycles, delivering meals twice a day. Then to all of a sudden not be there, what would he be thinking?

  Surely, being a prisoner deep in the dungeon, they must not get news from above. I would share certain information with him, but that did not mean the next servant going down to serve food would share the same. He most likely had no indication of what had happened. I hoped dearly he was not in agony over my concern. He was always kind and patient with me.

  I could not dream-weave with him; his mind was too weak. I could not send a messenger, for they would not understand what association I had with a prisoner. Being a prisoner myself would not help any as well.

  I felt completely stuck, for there was nothing I could do.

  Leaving him in the dark was the only option.

  Chapter Nineteen

  ~Nari~

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I whispered forcefully into Rydan’s back. He stared up at the wall of the castle. Dusk drew on the horizon, making the sky explode in a rainbow of colors overlooking the thrashing ocean. One false step, and I’d be plummeting head first down into said ocean.

  We stood on a narrow ledge against the castle similar to the one I had walked on before the waterfall in Lassaira. Only this was much worse. At least we were hidden from the village lying at the foot of the castle. I took a long inhale of breath and relished the salty smell of the ocean. It reminded me of Kennebunkport.

  Rydan began climbing the wall.

  “What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!” I squeaked, grabbing onto the hem of his shirt. He dropped back down and looked at me with wild eyes.

  “We can do this. There’s a ledge at the top. I think it’s a balcony,” he whispered.

  “You are insane. I am NOT climbing that. Oh my god—are you serious?! There is no way.” I shivered from the thought of falling to my death.

  “Nariella, will you just listen to me for once? I’ve learned things. I’ve...experienced things. We can do this. It’s natural for us. I know it may come as a shock, but we’d never needed to use our instincts back home like we do here. Just let it happen, and I promise you’ll be fine,” he explained quietly, full of earnest. I had to believe him. “You go first. I won’t let you fall, and I’ll always protect you. I give you my word, Nari.”

  Just like that, I did believe him. I felt his words all the way to my heart, so I gave in. I closed my eyes and slowly worked to calm down my nerves. After a moment, I went to reach up and grab the stone—

  Only Rydan stopped me. He gently grabbed my arm and wrapped it around the back of his neck while moving his body in front of mine. He picked me up and held me like a baby animal attached to the front of its mom and said, “Hold on tight.”

  So I did. Shock could barely describe how I felt in that moment—but even more than that—fear. Because now all I could see were the violently crashing waves over the unwelcoming sharp rocks that were tons of feet below us. My stomach churned so I buried my face into Rydan’s warm neck and shut my eyes fiercely.

  We moved gracefully upward, scaling the rocky wall—from what I could tell. I couldn’t say for sure, since I refused to look. I squeezed my legs tighter around his waist and trusted that he could do this. If Rydan were anything like his brother, then I really shouldn’t doubt him.

  Then in no time at all, he set me back down on my feet. I looked up at him in awe, and this time didn’t flinch at his glowing silver eyes streaked with orange.

  “Thanks,” I breathed. He nodded his head at the same time his eyes went back to their normal non-glowing, just silver way.

  “Keep quiet. We have a lot of ground to cover,” he whispered. He peeked in through the curtain that draped down like a door, veiling the inside from the outside. “Let’s go, the room is empty.”

  I softly took hold of the hem of his shirt and followed along behind.

  “Wait,” I stopped before we got to the door, “let me change real quick.” Rydan turned the other way while I quickly threw off my clothes and put on the beautiful, dark purple gown. It was empire waist style, which was my favorite, and fell to the floor. The shimmery sheer ribbon wrapped around my torso and tied in a bow in the back. The long pieces fell down to the floor like a train. The sleeves fell just off my shoulders and went all the way down in a V-shape over the back of my hands. The fabric clung to my breasts, making me feel voluptuous. I felt my cheeks burn with regret and looked to my comfy jeans and cotton shirt with longing.

  I wanted to change back, but thought better of it. I was grateful that there was no mirror; otherwise, I’d probably chicken out if I saw my appearance. Like I kept telling myself, I was eighteen now. I needed to grow up. If only I had grown up with a mother who had taught me how, I wouldn’t need the reminder. Slowly but surely, I was learning.

  I tore out of my boots and slipped my sore feet into the silver slippers.

  “Okay, let’s go,” I said gruffly before clearing my throat. Rydan turned around and handed me a brush.

  “You look beautiful,” he said sweetly.

  “Ugh, shut up,” I laughed, gladly taking the much needed brush he must've found somewhere. I raked it through my tangled, dark chocolate locks. I took thin strands from the side of my face and pulled them up to tie in a braid around my head like Zaylie taught me.

  I sighed at the thought. I missed her.

  I stashed my clothes in an inconspicuous spot and prayed I’d be able to get back to them later. Yes, they were dirty, but it was all the comfort I had with me.

  Once we exited the small, plain room, we were out in an empty stone hallway. The smell of evening and the salty sea clung to the air around us. It was dark, but I could still make out where we were going. The sound of my frantically beating heart, coupled with the nervousness twisting my stomach, was almost too much to bear. I took Rydan’s arm, hoping to steady my breathing.

  We ended up at a set of stone stairs, but were stopped by a lady with long, black hair wearing a plain, simple dress and smock, carrying a lit lantern. Forget calming down. I almost freaked out the second she looked at us with confusion.

  “Please, no one is allowed in this wing of the castle. Come, follow me. I shall lead you back to the feast,” she said firmly, like we were school children caught skipping class. I breathed a sigh of relief that she didn’t alert the guards.

  “Thank you! We got lost...looking for the bathroom, sorry,” I replied regretfully. She looked at me with even more confusion than before. “I mean, uh...we just...got lost.” Shoot—did elves have bathrooms? I had a lot to learn. She left it alone and began leading the way.

  We followed her down several flights of winding stone stairs, passing no one else on what seemed like a never-ending trip. Finally, we reached a level that was made up of massive grand halls with marble pillars. The walls contained magnificent paintings that resembled picture books, depicting historical events and stories.

  The inside of the castle was extremely impressive. I tried to take as much of it in as I could without getting left behind. The sweet smell of paint gently hit my nose, making me close my eyes and draw in a bigger whiff. I loved that smell.

  The lady stopped in front of equally massive grand do
ors. They were taller than a two-story house. I almost broke my neck trying to look up at how far they went toward the ceiling.

  Once she opened the doors, a beautiful melody floated through the air, and a glowing ambiance struck me in the face.

  It was amazing. The giant space was filled with stunning elves, all dolled up and fancy. I was sure there were other species here, too, but I would have no idea what to call them.

  Most everyone was tall, slender, and just...gorgeous. My mouth dropped at the beautiful jewelry that all the female elves embellished their ears with. Each one had an intricate piece of silver that wrapped from the top of their ear down to the bottom in the shape of leaves, branches, dragons, or some other just as stunning crazy design.

  They were obviously proud of their elf ears. I reached up and felt the ones I had yet to become acquainted with. It made me wonder if one day, I could be proud of mine, too.

  Then something happened. If I hadn't been paralyzed and frozen in place, I would have doubled over. My breath hitched in my throat once I felt him. I anxiously spun around, eyes darting to every corner of the large room. My heart beat wildly in my chest and my pulse shot through the roof.

  Mycah.

  I didn’t know where he was, but I felt him. I dug my fingers into Rydan’s arm and pulled him next to me, never ceasing to search for the one man I could never get sick of seeing.

  “Do you feel him?” I whispered, unable to get over my shock to say or do anything more than that.

  “Who?” Rydan responded in question.

  He was alive.

  I unconsciously moved around in desperation to find Mycah, but Rydan grabbed my arm.

  “What in the world are you doing?” he whispered in my ear.

  “Let go of me!” Was he crazy? I overflowed with emotions at feeling Mycah; I just needed to get to him. Fast.

  “Who do you think that arrogant male wearing a crown wrapped around his head just happens to be?” he questioned back firmly.

  I was reluctant to stop my eyes from the search for Mycah, but I finally forced them to. Rydan was right. A handsome, thirty-something-looking male stood stoically on a small platform that overlooked the elegant crowd. He had long, shiny black hair and an evil glint in his eye. I had no doubt in my head that he was King Ohtar.

  I looked up at Rydan and noticed he had tears in his eyes and stared vividly at something. I followed his gaze back to where the King stood, only this time I noticed a beautiful woman. Long, black hair tied in a fishtail braid lay over her shoulder. A dainty yet endlessly intricate silver crown sat atop her head and dipped into the middle of her forehead. She was smiling.

  “Who is that?” I was in awe of her beauty and did not hide it from my voice.

  “My mother,” Rydan breathed. I whipped my head back around and stared at her some more. She looked way too young to be a mother. Man, I could see where the boys got their good looks. She was the most beautiful female I had ever seen.

  “Come on, let’s hurry. Everyone is distracted. I have to get to Naminé,” Rydan rushed his words together before taking my hand and pulling me out of the room. My heart broke in two from the growing distance between Mycah and myself.

  “Rydan, we have to find Mycah. He’s close—I can feel him. Please!” I begged, afraid this was my only chance at finding him again.

  “I can’t risk it. I need to get this girl out of here first. What we’re about to do isn’t exactly a peace offering. We have to stay hidden until I get her out,” he explained while dragging me along behind him. Argh.

  “Then I’ll just go find him by myself!” I yanked my arm out of his hold and turned the other way. He stopped me, of course, by taking my arm again.

  “Fat chance, La Femme Nikita. You’re not leaving my sight,” he growled protectively, eyes slightly swirling silver and orange. Dang it! I huffed and crossed my arms while he pulled me along.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, wondering if it were possible to find our way back even if we did somehow manage to find this girl, whom I knew absolutely nothing about.

  “I just have a feeling. I don’t know,” he answered vaguely, but I understood what he meant. So I let him lead me without saying another word.

  It seemed to take forever as we quietly made our way through the darkened corridors and stony stairways. We went up, up, up, from tower to tower, until finally he stopped.

  We were in a huge wing of the castle with a large wooden door between us and whatever was on the other side.

  Rydan opened the door slowly, and then stepped inside with me following closely behind. We walked through the giant room, decorated in fancy furniture and fabulous paintings.

  He ran to a girl with long, straight blonde hair, lying on a tiny bed. She sat up with astonishment billowing out of her bright green eyes.

  “Rydan, you shouldn’t have come!” she said in a melodic voice with that strange foreign accent everyone had here. “Where is King Remycah?”

  “Shh, we don’t have much time. That Shadow guy got him. That’s all I can say right now. Hurry, let’s go,” Rydan said as he picked her up like a princess. My jaw dropped at his tenderness and affection toward her. I had never in all my life seen Rydan with a girl. I watched in shock as he ran toward the way we came. “Nari, what the hell! Come on!”

  Grrrr. “I’m coming! Jeez,” I shot back in the same tone as him.

  “Rydan, you need not carry me! I am perfectly well. Set me down this instant,” she whispered nervously, a blush coloring her milky cheeks. Rydan paid her protest no attention. We ran with speed back the exact way we had come. I held my dress up so that I wouldn’t trip on it and prayed we wouldn’t get caught.

  “Calen. I cannot leave Calen,” the girl spoke again fiercely and with determination. Rydan still did not say anything in return.

  Just as we were about to round a corner, Rydan suddenly stopped and pressed me back against the wall with his arm, setting the girl down.

  “Umm, hi. I’m Nariella,” I greeted the blonde-haired girl in a soft whisper.

  “Hello, Nariella. I am Naminé,” she greeted in return.

  “Sh!” Rydan ordered, pressing a finger to his lips. “Something is coming. It knows where we are.” My stomach twisted into a pretzel immediately.

  “How do you know?” I asked in surprise. I couldn’t stop the fear from crippling my heart, knowing we were about to get caught, and by what, I didn’t know.

  “Because I can feel it,” he breathed. It? That’s when I heard the deep rumbling growl accompanied by a few hisses drawing near just around the corner. What the??

  I backed away but it was no use. A black lynx came face-to-face with us. I bit my lip to hold back any sound I might have made. The lynx stared at Rydan and flicked its pointy tufted ears back and forth. It no longer made a sound. My mouth repeatedly opened and closed all on its own accord. Why was it black? No such thing existed!

  Naminé squeezed Rydan’s arm before whispering in a trembling voice, “We are doomed. She belongs to King Ohtar.”

  “She’s fine. She won’t hurt us now.” Rydan was so calm, cool, and collected, I almost choked. Naminé gasped.

  “You are a Guardian of the Animal Kingdom,” she said reverentially.

  “A what?” I couldn’t hide my quizzical brow. Rydan turned to Naminé looking just as confused.

  “An Animal Guardian,” she clarified without actually clarifying anything.

  I had no time for questions. King Ohtar, flanked by three males, appeared behind the overgrown cat. I felt nauseated; my scalp prickled in anticipation of what was to come. The lynx stalked off, then lay down, leaving a large cushion of space between it and our group. I was certain that if it had a long tail instead of just a short little stump, it would have been swatting it back in forth out of irritation.

  “How dare you!” the King scolded toward Rydan and Naminé, making me flinch. Once he laid his eyes on me, his angry face immediately molded into sinister joy. “I knew it.” This time, I coul
d not move. Not even to flinch.

  I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his evil stare. The way he looked at me made my stomach lurch. He continued speaking without taking his eyes off me either, “Elròs, place Naminé in the dungeon. Sarqua, bring the Healer to my chambers—”

  Unexpectedly, Rydan reacted instantaneously to his words and jerked me behind his body. “Don’t you touch her!”

  Elròs grabbed Naminé as she fought against his hold and stared at Rydan. Sarqua stalked toward me, and Rydan about lost it.

  “NO!” he growled so loudly. “I swear to God I will kill you.”

  The King scoffed at Rydan’s words. “Is that so? I would not be too certain of that. Make haste, Sarqua. My subjects await their feast,” the King commanded.

  Rydan stood firm in front of me. “You are insane if you think I will ever let you lay a hand on her,” he bit out menacingly toward the King.

  “Kill him, N’taurn,” the King ordered as if he were bored with the whole thing.

  “Wait!” I yelled, feeling dizzy from the mere thought of them killing Rydan. “I’ll go with you. Please, just let them both go, and I’ll willingly go with you.”

  “Nariella, don’t you dare! You know I won’t leave you,” Rydan pleaded urgently, his eyes were already an explosion of bright glowing orange. The mercury was no longer visible. Had I not already learned better, I would have jumped back from him.

  The King swiftly turned directly to me in shock. “It matters not, child! You will come with me whether it is willingly or by force. So why would I agree to that?”

  “If you try to take me, Rydan will kill one of your men. You would be a fool to doubt that. Let them go and there will be no fight here.” I was confident in my threat, backed by what I’d seen his brother do. And dang, Rydan’s eyes were fierce.

  King Ohtar barked a disgusting laugh before saying, “You stupid girl. That boy is worthless. He stands no chance against my skilled fighters. The moment you were carried off I would have killed him. However, I am feeling generous. It is after all, the night of my grand feast. For you, dear child, I shall have him hung at dawn instead so that you can witness him taking his last breath with your own two eyes!” his voice grew dark and sick, just before he turned on his heel and began walking away. My heart crumbled to a pile of ash. “Take both Naminé and Rydan to the dungeon and arrange for their hanging at dawn,” he called from over his shoulder.