by Kumar, Lisa
“Do you think that wise—to leave them alone after so short a time?” Kenhel laced his voice with concern. “They just arrived and might need comfort.”
“I believe they are overwrought enough from their journey as to desire rest and even sleep,” Relian replied dryly. He had the distinct feeling Cal would be quite relieved not to be in his or any elf’s presence for a while. She needed time to gather herself and her thoughts. That was no easy task. He still hadn’t gathered his.
“I bow to your superior wisdom.” Kenhel gave a bow to punctuate his words.
The king gave them both an amused glance. “Did you happen to assign one you believe will be...open-minded toward mortals and any special needs they may have?”
“Yes—” He stopped and looked askance at his father. “Special needs?” What could those be, as they seemed young and healthy?
“If I remember right, humans can be frail creatures, always becoming sick and coming down with this ailment or that.” Talion emphasized his somewhat disdainful words with a wave of a hand.
Relian stopped the biting retort that formed upon his lips. Though remarks about the superiority of elves, real or imagined, weren’t appreciated right now, he kept his voice patient. “We can also become sick, though it’s rare. I think our two women are in good health, Father. They are young, after all.” Even as he finished his last sentence, pangs of doubt threatened to grow beyond his control. What did he know of humans?
“I suppose you’re right. However, I still think it best to keep a close watch on their health.”
“Yes, of course.” Relian tamped down his rising worry. Where humans that sickly? Did his father know something he did not?
Talion must’ve noticed Relian’s growing distress because his next sentences were soothing. “Do not worry unduly about it. I’m sure all will be fine.”
Before he could answer, Kenhel broke into the conversation. “I wonder how Lady Cal’s friend came to be here.”
The king sent Kenhel a humorous smile. “Dear boy, the veil brought her along with Lady Cal.”
Kenhel rolled his eyes and looked at Relian. “I always said our people were too literal.”
Relian and his father gave a short laugh. Once the last chuckle escaped Talion’s lips, he answered Kenhel’s query. “I wasn’t being entirely facetious when I said the veil brought that hoyden. It surely had the power not to do so. Hence, it must’ve desired her presence here. For what reason, I don’t know. The veil may have decided Lady Cal had need of another lady from her dimension. Who can say with any surety? The veil does its own bidding, often offering no clue as to why.”
Kenhel straightened up in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. He appeared deep in thought, his blue eyes narrowing. “We’re not even certain of the true reason for Lady Cal being allowed here. Except for the binding, we know little of the situation. Never before has the veil taken such bold action since removing us to this dimension.”
Relian shrugged. “We can only hope she holds some key to the dwindling magic. Whether she does is totally another matter. Regardless, she is my fated bond mate. I find I can’t turn my back on this fact, no matter the ambivalence it causes me.”
“I’ve noticed that the binding is strong upon you, my son. It’ll be hard for you to not seek her out, whether you will it or not.”
His father’s sympathetic gaze weighed on him. He clenched his jaw before he spoke. “That’s a worry I have. I find I don’t have the control I’ve always been able to call forth. It’s disconcerting,” he unwillingly found himself admitting. “She does not seem affected as I do. When I talked with her, she was unwilling to fully accept the idea of the bond. I’ve learned to do so, though it grates upon me.”
Talion addressed Relian’s concerns. “The binding is operating in the way it is meant to—to see the bond completed. Free will hardly pertains here, even though our people bandy these two words about as a viable option. If that choice does indeed exist, it comes at a hefty price. I don’t think she will walk away from this. She also can’t leave unless we will it.”
“That’s not comforting,” he said in a low tone, giving his father a stabbing look. “I don’t want to keep her here against her will, especially as it will likely be permanent.”
Talion shook his head in astonishment. “Do you not have eyes or elvin senses? She notices the effects of the binding, or should I say, she feels them. It shines in her just as it does you, even if not as brightly. I admit that the binding has affected her to a lesser degree, probably because she is human and has only newly come to Eria. Give it time. I believe it shall quite overcome her soon, as the magic here will accelerate the process. Have patience, she can’t possibly feel its full effects yet.”
Before he could acknowledge his father’s wisdom, Kenhel offered up his own particular kind of insight. “Yes, give it time. In a few days, you’ll have her languishing at your feet, begging for the binding to be completed.”
“I don’t want her at my feet.” He just hoped he would not be at hers, though. “I just want this over and done. It’s galling. It’s been going on for too long.”
Kenhel gave him a puzzled look. “It’s been going on for a matter of months, not that long. We’re nearly immortal, after all. That is nothing to us.”
He shook his head. “The dreams started over twenty years ago. They’ve grown steadily worse in the last months.”
Talion broke the tension. “Kneeling at your feet, Relian, wouldn’t be befitting of a princess, even a human one.” He drew the focus back to the original discussion. “Regardless, the longer you are exposed to one another, the greater the pull of the binding.”
Relian sighed and rubbed his temple wearily. “Yes, and the more disastrous the outcome, if she cannot overcome her denial.”
***
Cal woke to a knocking on the door. She burrowed under the massive amount of pillows on the bed, not wanting to be disturbed. Her hazy mind stuttered and lurched as one word intruded. Pillows? There weren’t normally this many on her bed. Memory seeped back, and she shot up.
Gazing around the dim room, she gave a soft “damn” as horror shivered through her. Mellow candlelight, not the artificial light she was used to, glowed softly off the cream-colored stones of the room. Her bedroom at the apartment could fit into this chamber at least three times over. Cal quickly swallowed the bile that rose. She hadn’t been dreaming.
Despair welled up. She wanted her life back and the relative normalcy that came with it. A hand smacked her in the ribs and jerked her out of her thoughts. Grimacing, she pushed Maggie’s hand off. Her friend stirred.
The knock grew more insistent and she huffed, rising. Her foot caught on one of the pillows that had fallen on the floor. She crashed onto the surface of the marble-like stone beneath her. A large “oomph” escaped her. Apparently, whoever had been outside the door heard the thump because the knocking stopped and a pretty elvin woman entered.
Cal, her cheeks burning, looked up from her place on the floor. “Hi.”
The blond elvin lady clucked her tongue and hurried over, helping her rise. The elf swept her gaze over Cal. “My lady is not injured? The floor is slippery, no?”
Cal shook her head in confusion. While she understood the woman, her words were nowhere as smooth as Relian’s had been. The newcomer spoke musically. There could be no doubt about that. But the language started to sound more foreign and lilting and so much less like English. Yet she understood it.
The language had to be the same one she’d briefly heard as a girl, although she hadn’t been able to understand a word. It was also the same language from her dreams. Her heart and mind knew this. More importantly, her body knew it, had been intimately caressed with it. Heat stole over her.
Cal shut out the increasingly steamy thoughts. “I’m fine, thank you. I just tripped on a pillow.”
The elf broke out into a smile. “Yes, very many pillows to trip on.” She turned and took a few long strides to the b
ed. She reached under the left side and pulled out a basket. “This is for the pillows. If they are corralled, they cannot cause harm,” she said, as she started tossing pillows into the basket.
Cal looked over to Maggie, who’d sat up in bed to watch the whole fiasco. Her friend shrugged. Apparently, Maggie didn’t know what to make of the elvin woman, either. But for an elf, she seemed nice enough.
The elvin lady’s voice drew Cal back to her. “Oh, excuse my manners! I am Arrein, your maid. My ladies, I am to see to your comfort and provide you with anything you need.”
Cal traded a glance with Maggie, dazed. They were to have a servant? To wait on them? She tore herself out of her stupor. “Thank you, Arrein. It’s nice to meet you.” Pausing there awkwardly, she added, “I’m afraid we’re a bit lost and out of our element right now.”
At that point, Maggie gave a little laugh. “Yes, we’re quite clueless as it all stands right now.” She recalled her tardy manners. “Pleased to meet you.”
Arrein acknowledged Maggie’s greeting and gave both women an understanding smile. “Don’t worry. You will soon become accustomed to us, as we will to you. King Talion and Prince Relian care much for your comfort and happiness. They have only assigned those to you that can provide for such needs.”
Overwhelmed by the elvin woman’s little speech, Cal’s heart fluttered at the thought of Relian truly caring for her comfort. But she still wasn’t used to anyone making such a fuss over her. She turned slightly to see if Maggie fared any better. That would be a “no” by the glazed expression in her friend’s eyes.
Cal prayed for the strength to dredge up another sentence. “Please thank the royal family and everyone else you mentioned for their hospitality.” Royal family? What rabbit hole had she fallen into?
Arrein beamed in approval. “I will do so, my lady, but you should also be able to do so in person, if you wish.”
The thought of meeting more elves made her head spin and her pulse thud. Cal didn’t know how to respond to this suggestion other than by giving a hesitant “that’s good to know.”
Arrein turned back to business. “Do you wish for a bath before retiring for the night, or maybe a light repast?”
Chapter 15
Cal’s hands wound in the fabric of the light green dress she wore, partly in nervousness and in part due to its length. She and Maggie followed Arrein and Vana as they swept through the halls. They had to hurry, or breakfast would be late. According to the maids, the meal was already later than normal because of the festival that had occurred last night.
Since many important people would be there, they'd been primped to an inch of their lives. She cringed when she thought about what that had entailed. It had started out so innocently. Both she and Maggie had declined a bath last evening, so they’d eagerly agreed to one this morning. Cal could think of no better way to cheer up—other than waking up in their apartment. Because that probably wasn’t going to happen, she’d settled for water therapy.
But as she had stood before the marble tub in the bathroom that their two rooms shared, her blood pressure skyrocketed off the charts. It couldn’t be healthy—that much stress. She and Maggie had hoped to enjoy the novel experience of relaxing in a tub that rivaled the proportions of a small pool. But they weren't used to sharing a tub or shower with each other. At least, not at the same time.
However, Arrein and Vana, the other maid, had assured them “it was common for females, no matter their standing in society, to bathe together when desired.”
She shook her head and increased her pace to keep up with the maids. Really, bath time was considered some sort of social hour?
Though she’d been surprised with this supposition, the most astonishing one had to be the discovery of hot water. They hadn’t seen how the maids filled the tub, but she definitely hadn’t expected steaming water. Maybe lukewarm, if she was lucky.
Arrein had giggled upon seeing their surprised expressions. “Not expecting hot water? Do you not have such conveniences at home?”
That comment took Cal aback. She’d not considered that the elves would be unaware of her world’s advances. Upon further reflection, did she really expect the elves to know of American culture or any culture of her world? “No, we have them. We just didn’t know if you had them here.”
Vana laughed. “We’ve had such innovations for untold centuries, long before humans surely found a way to do so.”
Arrein sent Vana a chiding look that caused her to hastily finish her last sentence. After that, the elf remained unnaturally silent. A trace of irritation settled in Cal’s chest. Did the elves consider themselves superior?
She’d shrugged it off, and in a surprisingly small amount of time, the maids had them dressed and groomed. And out the door.
Cal frowned down at the lovely gown she wore. Here, even the simplest clothes seemed to have an understated elegance, though she couldn’t call the thin velvet dress she had on simple. While she liked pretty outfits as much as the next woman, such lavishness and coverage unsettled her. Why, the dress she’d arrived in must’ve appeared scandalous. She pushed that embarrassment aside for now and turned to her friend.
Maggie looked about as comfortable in her blue dress but the style suited her. At least, it would when Maggie walked without tripping in her light slippers. She looked down at her own in askance. They were quite comfortable but took some practice to get use to walking in them. For some reason, she felt like a dress-up doll or a child raiding her mother’s closet.
The hallways they passed through were fairly empty. A stray elf or two walked about on whatever task that acquired their attention. Frowning, Cal noticed a pattern—any animation displayed by the elves melted away when faced with the truth of two human women. All would stop and stare, inclining their heads to the four females. She and Maggie offered tentative smiles, but the other elves rarely returned them. Except for a quiet few words spoken by their maids, the silence was riveting. Sadly, that probably wouldn’t rival the disquieting vacuum that was sure to come.
Maggie echoed her thoughts, her voice a harsh whisper. “Well, are we freaks or what? All this staring is getting to me, and I don’t think we’ve seen the half of it yet.” Cal gave a woebegone tilt of her lips, conveying she agreed with Maggie’s assessment.
They entered the great hall, and all went silent. A sea of eyes was trained on them as if expecting some kind of mishap from the ignorant humans. She felt more exposed than she ever did in the tiniest bikini. Pausing, she wanted nothing more than to turn around and run the way she’d come.
Deciding she was making a spectacle by standing there, she searched for Arrein and Vana. She found Maggie a few strides ahead of her but no sign of the maids. Traitors. Her mind filled with panic. She didn’t know what to do or where to go. How could they do this to her and Maggie?
Skimming her gaze over the amassed elves around her, she spotted her quarry at a long trestle table raised a foot above the others. His father sat at the head of the table, with Relian to his right and Kenhel to his left. Richly dressed elves had taken many of the other seats.
Relian looked straight at her. Their gazes locked and held for a brief second before he turned away to whisper something to his father. His father nodded, and Relian rose in one fluid movement.
Her breath caught in her throat as he strode toward them. Resplendent in a silver and blue silken tunic and gray leggings, the clothing displayed his masculine beauty to perfection. Again, their gazes meshed, and held her immobile. Time and space were no longer of any concern. All that existed was him.
He stopped a foot or two away from her. A smile played upon his sensuous lips. Cal’s surprise threatened to bubble over. Was he delighted to see her or just a superb actor? At that moment, she didn’t care. To bask in his pleasure and acceptance, even if they only proved superficial, was all she desired.
Inclining his head slightly, he reached for a hand that hung limp at her side. “My lady, how are you this morning? You look very
well-rested and lovely.”
No hint of a lie rested in his gray eyes. He seemed...sincere? She mistrusted that last thought. This charming Relian set a new precedent, and she didn’t know how to handle him. Playing it safe, she just gawked at him.
A small functioning part of her mind cried out it seemed harder to understand his words. Surely, it had been easier yesterday? Everyone and everything was becoming increasingly incomprehensible. When had things become so complicated?
Aware he expected a reply and that she must resemble a gaping fish, Cal closed her mouth and spoke through a throat tight with nerves. “Yes, I slept well. Thank you.”
A smile again tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he cocked his head, black hair hanging over his shoulders like a shining curtain. “That is good.”
While retaining her hand, he turned to Maggie to offer her a greeting, which she returned without hesitation. He swept an arm toward the table. “Come sit. We will break our fast together.”
Cal glanced at her friend, who shrugged and shot her a look that said, “What else can we do?” Both women followed.
When almost at the table, she noted the only seats available were two to the right of the king and one to the left. She gulped. What had she expected?
Maggie’s gaze prodded the back of her skull. Cal turned to her, and what she saw made her freeze. Discomfiture lined Maggie’s face, her alarm an almost palpable thing in the air.
Looking about to find the perpetrator of this distress, she didn’t have far to go. The king watched Maggie with a look of glee in his gray eyes that he poorly disguised. The sinking suspicion he wasn’t trying to hide it at all filtered into her brain.
She shot Maggie a reassuring look. Where was Maggie’s composure? Not often could someone shake her confidence. The king seemed to take delight in doing so. Hopefully, this wouldn’t cause uncomfortable tension while they were stuck here.
Relian, with a hand on her back, pressed her into one of the chairs to the right of his father. Even after he removed his hand, the imprint burned against her skin. He bent down and whispered in her ear, “You are in a seat of honor, rest easy.”
