I stood alone, dazed and confused. The battle raged on. My strength faded.
Tears streamed uselessly down my face. Gavin’s emotions twisted, weakening, waning. The sounds of battle muffled around me as my flesh grew cold.
Gavin!
A weak, desperate thread of devotion wrapped around my heart.
Stay with me. You can’t leave me ... My feet slid out from under me, my back scraping down the tree. I need you ... fight ... stay alive. Those words became a mantra as his feelings faded ... flickering ... weakening ...
Gavin?
One desperate wisp of his warrior curled through me, wrapping my heart in its sweet embrace ... and then nothing.
I felt nothing.
A solid block of emotional ice settled in my chest. Frigid air swept through the desolation, showing my breath in short, erratic tufts of white. Rena and Tark swam in and out of focus as I struggled just to breathe. Orange streaks of daylight etched over the horizon, bringing the scene into sharp relief. Hundreds of Dokkalfar lay in ruins, their bodies intermixed with the silver uniforms of fallen warriors. Black blood streamed back to the badlands. Even with death and sorrow all around me, I still felt nothing.
The Elite Guard filtered from the trees, taking their place by the forest’s edge, guarding me. Rena helped me up, linking her arm with mine. She tugged me forward, but I dug my heels into the blackened soil, pressing my back against a tree.
“Not without Gavin.” My voice barely made it past my lips.
Rena brushed a tear from her face. “My lady, we have to leave. Rune and the others are searching. You must get back into the mountain.” Her voice, hollow and desolate, matched the look in her eyes. She tugged my arm again, but I didn’t budge.
“I can’t.” Despair wrenched through me. “I promised I wouldn’t leave him.” My whispered plea, so full of anguish, was too much, and Rena stumbled back, unable to handle the sorrow. Tark grabbed her, pulling her to him. He kissed her hair and cradled her face to his chest, muffling the sounds of her cry. Tark’s Lapis eyes met mine before they blanked.
I began to shake as I watched Elaine make her way across the battlefield.
“Princess.” Elaine cupped my face in her hands, her voice seemed old as time. “We must leave this place.”
“Not without Gavin.” A sob tore from my throat. Grief, tempered by conviction, made its way through the cold surrounding my heart—the strength of it made every beat painful.
I locked my knees, pressing my back against the petrified bark.
Tears trickled down her face. “So be it.” She shook her head and looked down. “I am sorry, Princess.”
As she backed away, the guard in front of me cleared a path.
Elias made his way through the warriors, his sapphire eyes liquid, muted, telling. “Nora—”
“No.” My head shook of its own volition. The world distorted; my breath came in short pants. Blood thrummed hot and light through my body, stinging my cheeks with disbelief.
“I promised him that I’d protect you at all costs.” Elias took another step forward. “I swore it in the ancient language. You will come with me. Now.”
I stumbled away from the tree, turning toward the abyss.
The wild child took over with ruthless clarity. I wouldn’t leave this place without Gavin. If they couldn’t find him, then I would.
I started to run, but Elias grabbed me from behind, jerking me back against his chest. His unfamiliar arms caged me, encasing me in steel. I hit and clawed, trying to break free.
An animalistic scream ripped from my throat. The land stood silently as I wailed Gavin’s name over and over until my voice became nothing but a husky shell, pained with grief. White ash filtered through the dawn as if the land itself wept.
Elias’ arms, gentle yet fierce, stayed around me, forever bracing me against him.
“We have to find him,” I finally sobbed. “The longer he’s out there ...”
My strength gave way, and I collapsed, weeping uncontrollably.
Without a word, Elias picked me up, cradling me in his arms like a child.
“No!” I panicked. “Not without Gavin,” I rasped, desperately pleading. Pushing against his chest, I used every ounce of energy I had. His grip tightened as his lips found their way to my ear.
“I will bring him back to you,” he muttered in the ancient language, his voice thick with loss.
Tears blurred my vision as I stared into his sapphire eyes.
“I vow to you with all I am. I will bring him back.”
I stopped struggling. Tears streamed down my face, and I rested my head on his shoulder. Elias’ musky scent shielded me from the stench of the abyss. He jumped and leapt across the prostrate logs, never letting me go. Silver uniforms stayed close, keeping pace through the Petrified Forest. The last of my energy drained as we passed through the protective barrier and into the sanctuary of the mountain.
It was an effort to just breathe. Everything that made me whole had been taken in the blink of an eye. The only thing left was that cold weight settling around my heart. Elias gently set me down. He leaned against the side of the cavern. Elaine placed her hand over his heart. She kissed him, pulling him close. Resolve settled around them, and without a word to anyone they headed back out.
Rena took my hand in hers, and I closed my eyes, searching, reaching, trying to feel. My mind shied away from the thought that surely this is what death felt like—cold and empty.
“What happened out there?” I mumbled, finding Rena’s deep brown eyes.
“Let’s not talk about it right now.”
I blindly looked ahead. “I have to know if we were deceived.”
“Elias and Elaine found Ester. They hid her but chose to come back for her after the Queen was safe.” Her eyes glittered with regret. “We found the guard at the fringe of the Centaur’s land, several miles from where you thought we were. Weylin rescued the Queen, and he and his troop made haste for the castle. The cloak served her well.”
“But Weylin was giving Gavin updates ... he was telling him...” my voice trailed away as comprehension dawned. “Gavin never spoke to Weylin, did he?”
“I believe he spoke to him once and then the Dokkalfar discovered the connection and imitated Weylin’s voice. They’ve never had that capability, but they do have a way of adapting to serve their needs. There was no battle like the one you described. We fought only a fraction of the Dokkalfar. The rest were north waiting for you.”
Tark knelt in front of me as Rena’s hands covered mine. One minute of silence melded into the next while Tark and Rena silently conversed. He kissed her forehead and stood.
“There’s a small contingency of guard staying behind to assure the entrance remains undetected. I need to speak to them.” He started toward the badlands.
“Why? You shouldn’t leave your source.” I said, noting that my voice sounded as hollow as I felt.
“I’ll be back. Rena will explain.” Tark nodded and then left.
“Tark wanted to give us some time alone.” She paused. “We’ve been deceived, Nora. All of us. The target was never the Queen, or you. I believe it was the Prince.”
Tears slid down my cheeks as Rena’s hand stroked mine.
“Why?”
“They know.” She looked at me, her eyes anxious. “Well before the reign of King Frey, the ancients foretold of one who would heal the wounds of the land. For centuries, the kinsmen believed it to be one of the ancients, for they were the leaders of this world. And then the responsibilities were broken into seven, but one who was not from ancient lineage was chosen to rule over the dominion of the elves. It had been well rumored for years it was done in this manner to help fulfill some prophecy, although none but the ancients knew the truth.” Rena took my hand in both of hers. “The day the Prince was born, rumors spread like wildfire. It didn’t help the Queen chose to name him Gavin.”
I looked confused.
Rena’s eyes warmed. “An Alfar name e
mbodies the hopes and dreams the parents hold for their child’s future. The Prince’s name in English means white hawk, which is known to be a great predator. But the Alfar take the derivative from the original Gavril, which means strength of God. The Queen’s intent then became that she hoped her son would be a great warrior who had the strength of God.” Rena took a deep breath; her expression became uncertain. “I fear they’ve broken through Ester’s mind and found this information. Either that or ...” She took a breath and looked away. “It matters not how they know. The point is they believe Gavin now holds a greater threat than you.”
I shivered. Cold seeped through me, and Rena got Edna’s quilt and threw it around my shoulders. A hint of peace ebbed through me, calming me enough to help focus my mind.
I pulled my legs to my chest and rested my forehead on the caps of my knees. The ice sitting in my chest was back. “What about Ester?”
Rena shook her head. “We cannot find her. Tark fears she’s back in the hands of the Dokkalfar.”
Tark entered the cave, his eyes sweeping over the scene. He grabbed a bag by the entrance and found some bread. He took a chunk and handed the rest to Rena. “Eat.”
Rena broke it in two, offering me half, but I shook my head.
“I can’t.” I kept my body in a tight ball, rocking back and forth. The sun made its way westward, and still, no one had seen or heard from Gavin.
“Nora.” Tark’s calm voice hovered over me. I looked at his lapis eyes, liquid with concern. “All is not lost.” His large hand found mine. “We have the entire guard looking for him. You must stay strong.” Tark’s voice always held a calm assurance, and I allowed him to help me off the floor.
“I’m cold, Tark. My heart. It’s cold.”
He glanced at Rena before cradling my hand in his. Rena put her arm around my shoulder. We stayed like that, Tark on one side, Rena on the other, watching for something, anything. The shadows from the forest stretched across the badlands, ensnaring the mountain in a tangle of darkness.
Something shifted the ash as dusk settled. Rune’s form appeared through the trees. His feathers outstretched, his features terrifying. He turned to the abyss and roared, his rage carried through the dusk. My breath hitched as my heart fought the cold. His rock eyes never left mine. He made his way into the cave, his hand balled into a fist.
“Rune,” I whimpered, locking my knees in place.
Gray tears pooled in his eyes; without a word, he unfurled his fingers. A golden band embedded with topaz lay nestled in his palm. The world became distorted, black fringed around my sight, but I kept it at bay.
“Where did you find this?” I asked my voice distant, hollow.
“At the edge of the abyss, Lass.” Rune’s voice broke. The room began to spin as I looked at my wrist. Gavin’s soul stone lay cool, lifeless. As I touched the amulet an open latch appeared. I held my breath as frigid pain lashed through me. My heart struggled to beat. The world tilted as I watched his soul stone fall to the floor. Despair smothered Rena’s muffled cry, and I plunged into darkness.
Chapter 23
Lera
“PLEASE, MY LADY.” RENA echoed in the distance. “Nora, you have to be all right.”
“Leave her be, Rena.” Tark’s deep voice held a desperate edge.
I stirred, trying to focus. The energy field. Malachi must have carried me this far. I shifted. Edna’s quilt covered me, a pillow had been tucked under my head, and I lay on warm stone encompassed by light. Gavin’s amulet had been placed back on my wrist, his ring hung from a gold chain around my neck.
It was odd, really. Sweat beaded on my forehead, but my chest felt frozen from the inside. Like something in me had died.
I felt nothing.
“You have work to tend to, Corina. Do not shirk your responsibilities.” Malachi’s walking stick tapped across the cavern floor.
“My first responsibility is to the Princess,” she snapped. Her voice shook; her conviction turned the walls blue. I stirred.
“I see you’re up,” Malachi came through the haze to sit next to me.
Tears streamed silently down my face.
“You need sustenance.” He put a tray of my favorite foods next to me. I shook my head; the thought of eating caused my stomach to roil.
“Nora,” he softly chastised.
I curled my back to him and closed my eyes, welcoming the dark blanket that covered my mind.
Rena’s voice echoed in the distance. “Nora, please. I can’t go that far in the energy field. Please wake up.”
I shivered; my eyes opened to a white haze. Rena paced just yards away, ringing her hands.
“What time is it?” I croaked, wincing in pain from being in the same position for so long.
“We’ve been back in the mountain for four days.” Her apprehension grew. She slid a tray across the floor. It hit Ester’s gift.
“What’s this doing here?” I drug the tray to the side, careful not to touch the box.
“Malachi said you might want to see it, but he didn’t say why.”
“Is Elias back?” I asked, ignoring the glittering stones next to me.
“No, and he won’t answer me. Do you know what he is up to?”
“He promised.” My voice caught as images of sapphire blue eyes, aged by loss, played through my mind. It was more than I could bear. The cold inside me turned frigid, a sob escaped my throat, and I lay back down.
“My lady, please, come to me.” Rena had her arms outstretched, but I shook my head and closed my eyes, seeking oblivion, just wanting the emptiness to go away.
“PRINCESS NORA?”
The innocent timbre of a child caressed my ears as a small hand gently stroked my face.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” a giggle bubbled around me.
I rubbed my breastbone, vaguely surprised that it wasn’t frozen.
“Siana?” I struggled to sit up, straining to see the mahogany waves and aquamarine eyes sitting in front of me. “How did you get in here?”
Her eyes became round. “Ms. Rena said I could come. You haven’t finished the unicorn’s feet.” Her brow crinkled in accusation.
“I’ll try to get that done,” I mumbled.
Siana’s smiling eyes became haunted. “Don’t tell mamma I came to see you. She’s already sad and upset. She won’t come out of the house. She keeps saying it’s all her fault.”
“Have Rena bring your mom here. She’ll feel better.”
“Mamma can’t see past the mountain. Why are you so sad?” she asked, grabbing my hand, playing with my fingernails.
“Captain Elias hasn’t been able to find the Prince.” My voice became nothing more than a whisper. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.
“Why don’t you go look for him? You’re his source.” She turned my hand over. “I like the way the Creator wrote on your hand. He didn’t write on mine.” She glanced at her smooth palm before examining mine again. Her eyes danced with joy as she pointed to the center “Look, I see a unicorn!” She squealed, the walls blazed embracing the joy. Memories of Gavin’s fingers tickling my palm, his voice echoing the same sentiment ran through my mind. A tear spilled down my cheek as the pain in my chest became unbearable. Siana reached over and brushed the tears away.
“Wanna play a game?” Her eyes sparkled at the thought, and she put her hands together, chanting the hand clap I taught her just a few weeks ago. I took her hands and held them.
“What I really want is a hug.” My voice was high, tight. She jumped in my lap, wrapping her little arms around me, her dimpled hand patting the back of my head. “Captain Elias will find him,” she said, her faith rung the walls white. “But when he does, Prince Gavin will need his source.”
I held her, my hands gripping her silk hair. Grief choked me, and I fought it down.
“Mamma says to let the bad feelings out. It makes more room for the good.” Her soft voice was next to my ear. “I know you miss Prince Gavin, but you still can play with me. ...
And he did say a unicorn would show us his foot. ... And you still must finish your art,” she said in a matter of fact manner. The sweet scent of dew drops on a fresh spring morn enveloped me, and I took a deep breath for the first time in days. The ice in my chest started to thaw.
“I have a gift for you.” I sniffled, reaching for Ester’s box. Covering my hand with Edna’s quilt, I popped open the latch and lifted the lid. Gavin’s menagerie was scattered among the gold lining.
My breath caught as I realized that if I held one, just one, I could feel Gavin again. My fingers hovered over the box, itching to touch the small sculptures inside, my heart needing to feel him, see him ... hear his laughter, his voice. I pulled away. No, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to handle feeling him and then having him taken away again. It would surely kill what was left of me.
Taking the edge of the quilt, I pinched the miniature of the unicorn between my fingers and placed it in Siana’s hand. This would be the only one I would part with; the rest would be with me until I drew my last breath. “The future King made this.”
Her face lit up as she smiled. “Thanks, Princess Nora. It’s just like the unicorn in the courtyard.” She held up the sculpture and inspected it “... except these feet are smooth.” She commented, putting it in her pocket.
Malachi appeared through the mist with a tray in hand. “Ah, there is nothing more powerful than the innocence of a child,” he softly muttered, patting Siana’s head. “I believe the King of the butterflies has requested your presence. He wishes to indulge in this new game called hide and seek.”
Siana jumped off my lap and grabbed my hand. “Come on, Princess Nora!” She squealed and futilely tugged on my arm. I shook my head.
“You go on. Take Rena, she looks like she needs to play.”
“No,” she wisely commented, “she looks like she needs a hug too.”
My legs fought to stand, and I walked toward her out of the fog. I dropped the quilt to the ground; The cold settled in my chest again, snuffing out the little ray of hope Siana had brought. As soon as I reached the point where she could go, Rena grabbed me and pulled me to her.
The Secret of the Keepers Page 23
