Bound by the Mist (Mists of Eria)

by Kumar, Lisa

  When she caught Maggie’s gaze, her friend grinned at her. Cal performed a visual sweep of the table. Kenhel was directing a taunting smile toward Relian, and Talion smiled in seeming satisfaction.

  Did everyone desire them together? Did she? He made her all tingly. That had to count for something. Would it be so…. No. She had to return home. Or her family would panic, and her dreams of a college degree would disintegrate to dust. Her mind shied away from the pesky thought she might be too late in both regards. She’d struggled too long and hard for a normal life to give it up. Earth was her home.

  Relian captured her gaze, his fingers softly stroking hers. The hue of his eyes seemed softer, more accepting, than usual. Her breath caught as he spoke, his tone mirroring his eyes. “While we can’t be certain, we estimate that a few days to one week remain until we can no longer understand each other. Lessons can’t begin until you lose comprehension of Elvish. We should spend our remaining time familiarizing both of you to your surroundings and any major societal customs that would make your stay here pleasurable.”

  The king flashed a smile at Relian and Cal. “I’ll make arrangements that the bulk of your duties are transferred to capable hands during this time. I’m sure you’ll want to spend as much time as possible with each other before the tedious instruction of languages begins.”

  Cal frowned. “Languages?”

  Talion nodded. “Yes, languages. We deem it fair if you’re to learn our language, we can do no less in return. We all have much to gain from it, especially Relian, as it’s hoped you both will finalize your relationship.”

  Cal’s cheeks heated at the king’s last words. To her relief and gratitude, Relian deftly suggested a change of subject. “Let us not put undue pressure on her, Father, concerning her choice as of yet. We promised her a certain amount of time. She needs it in its entirety to come to a...a decision.”

  Startled and uneasy, Cal searched his face. Had he meant to finish his last sentence differently? No telling outward expression flitted across his countenance, so surely she’d imagined it. He hadn’t almost said she needed time to come to acceptance rather than to a decision. Relian couldn’t mean that, because it was her choice, and no one could make it for her.

  The king responded to Relian’s light chide with one of his own. “I wasn’t attempting to force an answer out of her. There can be no harm of informing her of our wishes, of what we desire to happen. I believe she’ll be a welcome addition and merely wanted her to know this.”

  A smile spread over Relian’s lips and lightened his face. Cal gulped in an effort to relieve her suddenly dry throat. Sometimes, just sometimes, the idea of staying didn’t sound so bad.

  Chapter 18

  Cal’s hands were becoming sore from clenching onto the pommel. “I really don’t think this is such a great idea.”

  As expected, Relian didn’t answer the way she would’ve preferred. In fact, he didn’t answer at all. Since he could only understand a few words here and there of English, it wasn’t surprising when he merely gave a ghost of a smile and motioned they continue.

  Continue? How could she do so while on this big beast? Surely, it wasn’t safe for a novice like her. Okay, she exaggerated the height. And Relian, without a doubt, would only give her the most docile of horses. These facts only helped marginally, though. The handful of times she’d actually been on a horse did nothing to disabuse her of the panicked thoughts that pounded in her brain.

  Relian held the lead to her horse, so she had to follow. Unless she wanted to jump down. She glanced down at the ground and gulped. No, she would stay glued to the saddle. At least the horse’s walk was smooth and not jarring.

  They wound their way down from the stables, through the palace’s main gates, and then down a wide, paved path to the village below. With the sights that surrounded her, her glares soon morphed into awe.

  She’d known that the palace and village nestled among the mountains in a large valley, but she’d never appreciated that fact until now. Her previous visit to the village with Relian hadn’t prepared her. Majestic mountains soared in every direction. The flagstone street was most definitely a different route from the one they’d taken last time. And the previous path was sorely lacking in view, for it hadn’t let a hint slip of what now lay before her.

  Bemused, she shook her head. Even the suite of rooms Maggie and she shared didn’t boast a scene of this magnitude. Their accommodations only afforded them with a pleasing view of a terraced garden that leveled out into a relatively flat expanse of land that served as an orchard.

  Her room and Maggie’s must be facing in a direction not conducive to grand views. She bet only important people received chambers that offered up glimpses of this precious real estate. Important people like the royal family…like Relian. Her mind led her down the dangerous trail of what his bedchamber looked like, and she shot another glare at his back. Would the sheets of his bed caress her skin as they had in her dreams? She squirmed in the saddle. Worse yet, would the intimate press of his skin against hers unravel all her inhibitions, causing them to disappear like mist as they had so many times before?

  She tore her gaze away from his much abused back and prodded her thoughts to a safer path. Did public spaces anywhere in the palace proper offer up a view like this? Perhaps in one of the many gardens sprinkled like colorful gems around the grounds? Other than their rooms, she and Maggie had spent most of their days in a handful of other places, and none had scenery to rival this. At least, she didn’t think so. But taking in the local attractions hadn’t been on her list of priorities, either.

  Cal shivered. Upon second thought, these views overwhelmed. The landscape was too majestic, too beautiful, making it next to painful to keep gazing at. Kind of like the elves. Remote and pristine. Did the beauty here affect the inhabitants the same way? Or did they inure themselves to it, like they seemed inured to each other’s beauty?

  The hair on the nape of her neck stood at attention. It looked next to impossible to make it through the mountains. Not that she would try, but surely, the elves had a route that would allow easy passage. Cal took in a shaky breath, swaying in the saddle as nausea flared in the pit of her stomach. Like a speck of humanity, she was surrounded and trapped by giants. But did she mean the mountains or elves?

  Cal fought to moderate her breath and shut her eyes to head off the looming mountains that closed in on her. How had she arrived at this time and place in her life?

  They’d come to Eria two weeks ago. The language, just like the people, seemed out of her reach. Elvish fought her all the way and was apparently winning for all the progress she’d made. Previously non-existent languages were a challenge to learn.

  And today, Relian, sword strapped to his hip, had strolled into one of the gardens outside the main library and interrupted any semblance of calm or peace, leaving her as clueless as usual. All she’d understood at the time was something about a waterfall and a horse, but she hadn’t fathomed how the two related. Now she could guess, and happy didn’t describe her.

  A waterfall, probably remote and secluded with her luck, didn’t top her list of destinations to visit, even if she made it there alive. Alone with him—she gripped the pommel even tighter, threatening to cut off all circulation in her hands—that was so not good.

  She should’ve gripped onto that bench in the garden for dear life, instead of letting him pull up her unresisting body. Like a toddler trailing behind her new favorite person, she’d followed him. Actually, in experience and years she probably was that to him. Her spirits further dampened at that disheartening thought.

  When they went through the town, her mood took an even greater spill. Cal stiffened under the combined stares of hundreds of eyes and used Relian’s back as a target for her gaze again. Only after they made it out of the town did her shoulders droop. There was nothing quite like a lone human in the company of an Elvish royal heir that managed to grab the attention of every elf in the vicinity. She really could do withou
t these displays. They only intensified the unshakable feeling humans didn’t belong here, that she didn’t belong here.

  As if sensing her discomfort, Relian twisted around and flashed her a comforting smile. He repeated this process over the course of their journey through rolling hills and valleys. The horses’ ambling gait broke the silence, along with the birdsong that floated from the trees. She didn’t have a functioning watch, but probably forty minutes to an hour had passed since they set out. How much longer would they ride?

  Just then, the horses slowed. Once they broke through the tree line, the tumble of water drifted on the wind. Her breath stilled. Thick foliage and trees gave way to a grassy expanse that met the banks of a small pond. Cascading water from a cliff fed the shallow pool. A crystalline stream flowed from the pond and glistened in the sunlight.

  Her gaze meshed with his. “It’s beautiful.” Though he couldn’t have understood her words, an awareness sparked across his face. His smile grew, and his eyes glittered in the early afternoon sun.

  He murmured something to the horses and brought them to a stop inside the opening of the clearing. Vaulting off his mount, Relian came to stand before her. A barely discernible glimmer of hesitation played over his face before he reached up and settled his hands around her waist. An involuntary tremor ran through her. God, had he noticed? Though his face gave nothing away, his touch felt knowing, intimate.

  His eyes darkened as he slowly lifted her, unresisting, from the saddle. Neither looked away, and when she slid down his body inch-by-torturous-inch, time came to a complete halt. His lips were so close to hers. Infinite moments ticked by before her feet touched the ground. Some part of her mind shrieked at how he encroached on her space. She should try to pull away. As if reading her thoughts and deciding to ward off any possible retreat, he tugged her closer, and then as if not yet satisfied, nearer still. His hands, while gentle, didn’t loosen. His thumbs drew lazy circles at the sides of her waist, branding through the riding habit she wore.

  Relian lowered his head, and her eyelashes fluttered closed. His breath caressed her cheek and lips. She opened her eyes after untold seconds passed. Or was it minutes? A burning intensity in his gaze that both titillated and frightened set her heart hammering. He drew one of his hands away and trailed a fingertip lightly across her check. She shook from the electric sparks shooting through her, and tension hummed between her and Relian.

  Suddenly, she wanted his kiss more than anything. More than returning home. The first tentative touch of his lips against hers was the most blissful sensation she’d ever felt. His tongue slipped inside, dancing along the recesses of her mouth. Her tongue met his in a sultry tango. He deepened the kiss and pulled her tight against him. Not even a shadow could sneak between them, and the proud flesh jutting against her stomach proved how much he wanted her. Heat flooded to the apex of her thighs. He could lay her down and have his way with her right now. Their worlds could wait.

  Worlds. The dichotomy of that word burrowed into her brain, and brutal reality settled in. She groaned. If she wanted to go home, she’d better not screw things up further by having sex with him, no matter how her body burned for him. Though every instinct rebelled against it, she pulled away from him, shaking her head.

  He closed his eyes as if in pain and pressed his forehead gently against hers. Then he sighed and released her. When he turned from her, his back hunched slightly.

  The bitter disappointment on his face haunted her, causing her throat to close. She swallowed. Had her face mirrored the same emotion? She somehow suspected it had. As he strode away, she watched him in a daze. Why did she feel as if her world was walking away?

  He led their horses further into the clearing but didn’t tether them. Apparently, they stayed put wherever an elf placed them. But she knew nothing of horses, much less of the elvin variety.

  She stood where Relian left her, not sure if she wanted to follow. It wasn’t so much a matter of not wanting to follow, as it was one of prudence. For her to be alone with him risked any impartiality she maintained, not that she truly had any left. Their kiss, their earth-shattering kiss, proved that. But she couldn’t ignore him, not when he’d sought to please her by bringing her to this paradise.

  Only half-aware of what she did, Cal walked up to Relian. He gazed out over the stream, which soon meandered out of sight. She remained beside him until he looked down at her questioningly. A wry smile tugged at her lips. Now he was the hesitant one.

  Her actions must’ve overcome his resistance, for his hand found one of hers. He pulled her to stroll along the bank. The soft grass cushioned their footfalls. After a while, they descended toward the water. What did Relian intend?

  He bent down and scooped out a handful of water, letting the liquid slip between his fingers. “Atin.”

  Cal started. That word sounded familiar. Wait, she knew it. It meant...water. “Atin,” she repeated back to him before adding in English, “Water.”

  He nodded. The word must’ve sounded familiar to him, as he repeated it back to her with no hint of puzzlement or confusion. Had he learned it from Henril, their instructor of all things Elvish so far? Relian had attended only a few of the many language lessons, even though she thought he desired to become fluent in English.

  Now it appeared he’d been busier in that regard than she suspected. Henril had to be passing on what he learned to Relian and, maybe, even to the king. She would have to mention that possibility to Maggie. If the king indeed learned the language, Maggie would have to stop insulting and cursing him in English. She smiled. Her friend would be disappointed to lose that perceived edge over him.

  “Atinve.”

  Relian’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Huh, what did that word mean? It contained the Elvish root word for “water” in it. Following Relian’s gesturing hand proved she’d drawn the right conclusion. Waterfall.

  “Atinve.” She cringed at her accent. The few words he’d said in English sounded wonderful, their cadence pleasing to her ears. She couldn’t say the same when she spoke his language.

  If Relian thought her accent atrocious, he didn’t show it on his face. He only gave a smile of encouragement before leaning down to cup another handful of water. Relian let it rain down from his fingers. When it was all but gone, his fingers undulated gently as he mimicked the motions of a waterfall, causing droplets to cascade down his skin. How different he was from most men she’d been acquainted with throughout her life. So many of them would’ve scoffed at Relian’s graceful movements. Coming from the elf, though, it looked natural and wasn’t the slightest bit effeminate.

  No, there was nothing effeminate about him. Even with his waist-length hair braided down his back, along with his warrior braids woven throughout that longer braid, his unmistakable maleness hit her. While he could never be termed rugged by any means, femininity was the last thing she thought of when she looked at him.

  “Ves atin.”

  His husky voice sent a shiver through her, and those blue pupils of his glowed with an intensity she shouldn't name. When he lifted his still damp hand, flicking his fingers to dislodge a few errant drops that clung to his skin, her throat grew dry. Those same drops landed on her cheek, where Relian tenderly traced their path with a finger. He moved a step closer, bringing their bodies mere centimeters apart. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, the meaning of “ves atin” swam into her bloodstream. Yes, falling water—it fell, trickling through her, along with his voice.

  A few remaining droplets reached her lips, and she would’ve fainted if not for all the electricity firing through her synapses. His roving finger left a burning path in its wake. As he neared his destination, her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks.

  Chapter 19

  As the water made a slow path down her cheek, the softness of her skin enraptured Relian. He’d wanted nothing more than to feel it again, to see if his mind accurately recalled the experience. Relian smiled. He’d not been mistaken. Her skin was exactly as he re
membered, as soft as it looked.

  He trailed his finger closer to her lips. Her hesitancy in coming too close should stop his quest. Unbidden, he traced the upper curve of her lip. Her breath hitched and became choppy as he continued his discovery of her cupid’s bow. The lashes of her eyes quaked like the wings of a butterfly. She gave a slight shudder, but it wasn’t in revulsion. He swayed her unwillingly, just as she did him. No matter how she desired to be away from his touch, she also craved it in equal measure. This he knew all too well, for he experienced the same chaotic emotions her eyes so plainly reflected. Pleading him to stop. Pleading him to continue.

  His exploration continued down to the lush curve of her lower lip. Would the feel of her mouth against his set him aflame like before, the very taste of her fanning his desires to new heights? He lowered his lips to hers and captured the sweetest kiss he’d ever had in all the long years of his life. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, though passion simmered underneath the surface, waiting to break free. No, this was the intimate touch of lips between two souls who wanted to finalize their connection.

  As much as he might want to deny it, his fate rested with this human. Visions suddenly swirled before his eyes, their countless possibilities converging in a maelstrom of mere seconds. In this moment, infinite future paths flashed through their developing link, paths they may follow alone or together, in harmony or out of it. The ramifications blinded him to all but the feel of her lips playing against his. These images weren’t complete in their scope, only meant to guide. The most trivial of things could change them.

  Cal’s eyes shot open in panic, her mouth going slack against his before she ripped herself away. Relian cursed to himself. The images that had played out for him had materialized before her, too. He couldn’t fool himself otherwise. Her terror said it all.

  But there was no way to tell her what had happened. Her back heaved, and his heart constricted. By way of their deepening connection, whether she was yet aware of it or not, echoes of intense emotion felt by one relayed itself to the other. It had been so subtle at first, he doubted he would’ve noticed it, if not for the fact he knew what to look for. She had not the luxury of such an upbringing. No doubt his wildly fluctuating emotions had contributed to her state, and she, already overwhelmed by the numerous stimuli appearing in her mind, had lost all calm.