Zach chuckled, and my brows furrowed until I realized I’d let that thought slip through. Even if I had to picture pink elephants dancing through the mighty council room, I needed to make sure no other thoughts skated by unnoticed.
Zach frowned at me. “I realize why you would think you can’t trust me, Rayla, but now is not the time to keep things from me.”
I nodded because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. We were nearly to the council chambers, and I had the urgent need to turn around and run. Pretty soon, I lagged behind the rest of them.
Unfortunately, Zach came back for me. “Don’t be nervous,” he said. “You’re not the one on trial here.”
I laughed. I should be.
“Rayla, this is hardly the time for humor—”
I held up a hand. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m really on edge. Can’t we just go back to your place?”
The look he gave me sent my stomach into a riotous twist of emotions again. As far as Zach was concerned, he’d almost gotten me to give in to our connection. Did he think we would pick up where we’d left off?
I was beginning to think I’d made a huge mistake by listening to Tabitha, but then again, she’d risked quite a bit by altering memories. I was sure rearranging timelines for so many people had to be near impossible.
I had to deal with the consequences of my decision. She had given me no guarantees. That was part of her bargain and the risk of memory manipulation.
Heath was better off not being the lord of fire, anyway. He’d be less conspicuous, but if I knew anything about him at all, this would eat him up from the inside.
Zach squeezed my shoulder. “We can delay no further, love. The session is about to begin.”
I nodded and Zach escorted me through the massive doors into the enormous black and white room. My eyes ate up the space searching for Heath, but he wasn’t there yet. Part of me sighed in relief, but the other part of me ached for even the slightest glimpse of him.
We followed Jett and Nicco into a lower level booth that faced the dais. Once I was situated next to Zach, I glanced around. Unlike the last time I’d been here, only a few boxes lined the other walls, and I couldn’t see who was in the box next to us. When I realized most of the boxes would remain empty, I whispered, “Tell me why we’re here again.”
“I’m not so sure I am privy to all that goes on here.”
That was no help. “If you had to guess?”
Zach smirked at me, his blue eyes lighting up. He patted my hand. “Perhaps to teach you a lesson about how fae politics work.”
That was what I was afraid of. I nodded and decided it would be better for me to keep my mouth shut.
Valen, the council chairman, walked through a small door I’d never noticed before at the front of the room. He was followed by his queen, which I still didn’t know her name, and queen Rachel. The king of the fire realm was the last through the door.
Queen Rachel took her bondmate’s outstretched hand and glided down the steps. Her eyes found mine, and I would have sworn she was gloating, but why would she care what I thought?
Valen took a seat in one of the ornate thrones, giving me a once over that seemed a little too interested for a bonded man, but thankfully, he moved on as he addressed the court. “My lords and ladies, we have little to discuss today, yet the matter we bring before you is most grievous. I learned of Lord Heath’s misconduct months ago; however, I wasn’t made aware of the direct impact his actions have brought to the fire realm until recently. Long held alliances between Ignis and Eldrea have been threatened; therefore, swift action must be taken.
A chorus of murmurs swam through the room, mine among them. “What’s he talking about?” I asked Zach.
He clasped my hand. “I’ll answer your questions later, but right now, I need you to be completely silent. It’s best if you don’t react to anything that happens.”
Yeah right. How was I going to do that? I nodded for his benefit and turned my attention back to Valen. Only he wasn’t speaking anymore.
Queen Rachel stepped forward. “Your majesties, I beg of your indulgence for a few moments.” She waited a second and when no one commented she continued, “Thank you. As many of you may know, Lord Heath is an outstanding member of our realm…when he desires to be. The issue I bring to you today has more to do with recent events that have left our friendship with our brother realm in question. I’ve come to learn that a pact was created between Lord Heath and Lord Jafan in relation to the protection of the Elemental Rayla Tate. This agreement held stipulations that should Lord Jafan become incapable of fulfilling his duty to his realm in obtaining said Elemental, the obligation would then fall to Lord Heath.
“Even though circumstances have warranted a significantly different outcome, I believe Lord Heath was not only capable of bonding with the Elemental, he had prime opportunity to do so while on the island the Order occupied.”
The crowd murmured and whispers started. Queen Rachel’s voice rose above the low hum. “It is my belief that Lord Heath has betrayed his people by allowing another to stop the union already in progress. I’ve asked for the opportunity for that union to be consummated—”
I nearly choked on my saliva. If this woman only knew how much consummating I’d shared with Heath, she’d be begging her pardon.
“In light of recent events,” she said. “I’ve been told that outcome is not an option; therefore, to maintain our good standing with the earth realm, I propose Lord Heath be stripped of his titles, his lands, and his status as lord of fire. We shall hold a tournament of champions as soon as we are able to gather our underlords. Lord Heath has made his intentions to refuse to bond with another Elemental clear. That is why I invoke our right to obtain another champion. Demoting him will not only appease the insult he inflicted upon Eldrea, it will ensure the strength of Ignis. I do hope at some point, Lord Heath will have the courage to wield the title of lord of fire, but he has proven himself unworthy.” She bowed her dark head and said, “We shall leave it to you to decide. Thank you.”
After she was done speaking, she picked up her skirts and took her husband’s arm. They walked up the dais steps then disappeared into the small room they’d come from. I heaved a relieved sigh. As far as I was concerned, it could have been a lot worse.
Zach leaned in closer to me. “It’s not over yet, love. All I know is she’s hell bent on getting Heath out of her court. I’m not sure what the bloke did to deserve Rachel’s wrath, but she hasn’t shut up about removing him for weeks. The council has to act now.”
Valen flowed down the steps before he paced the black and white floor, straddling the line the entire way. His head turned slowly and our eyes met. He searched my face. For what, I couldn’t be sure, but after a moment, he walked toward me.
Each step that brought him closer was like a jolt to my pulse. Sweat trickled in tiny streams down my back and pooled on my palms. Little zings of electricity danced in my stomach. Since when did Valen affect me like this? Zach stiffened beside me, but didn’t say anything until Valen was right in front of us. “Your liege,” said Zach. “What may we do for you?”
Valen ignored Zach, still staring at me, his eyes seeming to find my internal barrier. “Seems you’ve learned some skill since the last time we met, Rayla.”
I gave him a tight nod.
He inclined his head toward me. “What are you hiding from us?”
My courteous smile drained from my face. “What makes you think I’m hiding anything?”
His expression remained open, unreadable. “Your thoughts have been easy to discern previously. Something has changed in you. I cannot quite name it, but I will find out what it is you are keeping so heavily guarded.”
I gulped.
“What?” he said. “No arguing? So unlike you.”
Zach leaned forward. “Do you have a specific question for my bondmate?”
Valen laughed. “No insult was intended, Lord Ammon. I am merely curious.”
Valen’s eyes still clung to mine as he cut Zach off. “You shall not leave court until I give word. Is that clear, Lord Ammon?”
Zach stiffened. “I have a realm to look after.”
Valen cocked his brows. “You may go if you like, but she stays.”
The scoff that came out of Zach startled me. “I’m hardly leaving without her.”
Giving a huff of contempt, Valen lashed out at Zach, “You have your orders, Lord Ammon.”
Zach bowed his head. “Yes, your majesty.”
That was it? He was just going to let Valen boss us around?
The gigantic doors to the council chambers opened, sending a chill into the room. Heath strode in, head held high in clear defiance, his braid trailing over one shoulder. He walked to the middle of the room and waited, setting his legs in a wide stance.
He hadn’t even glanced at me. It was all I could do to keep myself from jumping the banister and racing to his arms.
The door at the top of the dais opened and Queen Rachel came out again, this time her bondmate stayed back. She strode up to Heath, hell’s fury swirling in her eyes.
Without a word said, she slapped his face.
He didn’t even flinch.
She reached out and touched the end of his long braid then cocked her head at him, her dark brows lifting. “Lord Heath, you have failed your kingdom. You have brought disgrace to your realm and have no right to wear such a badge.” Badge? When she leaned down, I couldn’t see what she was doing, but she came back up wielding a knife. I couldn’t even gasp. My body stiffened, my power sliding to the surface. What was she going to do to him?
Once again her voice filled the chamber as she circled him. “For misconduct and failing to act in the interest of your nation, I strip you of your titles, your lands, and your power.”
I couldn’t hide my emotions any longer. Fear climbed up my face as I leaned forward, but Zach’s arm pressed me back into my seat.
The horrible woman stopped in front of Heath and raised her blade to his cheek. In a horribly slow motion, she slid the knife down his jaw line, drawing a bright line of blood.
“What is she doing?” I hissed, ready to light her up.
Zach shushed me. “It is nothing more than a flesh wound. Hold your tongue.”
My heart thudded against my ribs. I couldn’t let her do this. I had to stop this.
My scream died in my throat as a hard hand clamped onto my shoulder and a deep voice whispered into my ear. “If you care at all for Heath you will control yourself.”
I clenched my teeth together and balled my fists. When I looked up again, Queen Rachel stood at Heath’s back. She picked up his braid, and in one quick motion sliced through it, severing it at his nape.
Before I could react, I was yanked from my chair and whirled around. I gazed into coal black eyes, wondering for not the first time why they looked so familiar. Then everything went dark.
*****
I woke to the bright light of morning. It had been so long since I’d seen daylight my eyes refused to stay open. My arms and legs might as well have been glued to the mattress for how much I could get them to move. Nothing seemed wrong with me, really. I just felt heavy, like I’d been asleep for a really long time.
“Good morning, sunshine,” said a familiar voice.
My eyes popped open, and I scanned the room until I found her. “Lacey?”
She smirked at me. “Expecting someone else?”
I smiled at her, but I wasn’t feeling it. There was a good chance I’d never feel happy again. When she continued to stare at me I realized I hadn’t answered her. “Uh, I don’t know, but certainly not you. I was beginning to think you’d pissed someone off and gotten yourself shipped off to the dark realms, or worse.” I’d secretly wished for just that not so long ago. I’d wanted to see her so badly, to make sure she was okay.
She frowned at me. “Yeah, well, when I heard you were here, I insisted on seeing you. Some dickhead guard finally brought me in here. The minute I was through the door he locked me in.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Seems like I’ve been waiting for you to wake up for hours. Any longer, I would have poured that trencher right over your head.”
I sat up too fast, and dizziness made the room spin. “Well here’s to waking up dry,” I said, smiling for real this time. “It’s so good to see you.” I stifled a yawn. “Just give me a minute to get my head on right.”
She leaned against the bedpost and threw out her hand. “Sure thing. Take your time. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.”
The intense glow in the room contrasted against her dark skin, which only highlighted how tall she really was. All things considered she looked pretty good, although seeing her in a yellow ball-gown brought a chuckle out of me. My eyes traveled down to her slippered toes and back up.
She made a face. “Not you too.”
I lifted myself onto my elbows. “Too?”
Her feet shifted uncomfortably. “Saw Roger a few days ago. He wouldn’t let me live it down. Made such a fuss about how great I looked in a dress, but I could tell he didn’t like it.”
The tiny hairs on my neck rose in anticipation. There was a good chance he would know where Travis was. “Roger’s here?”
She shrugged. “Hard to say. Since I refused to play the fae courting game, they’ve kept me pretty much locked up. Not very different than the Order if you ask me.”
I nodded. “How long have you been here?”
Her hand shot out to the side, moving higher with every word. “Days, weeks, years, who the hell knows?”
I could empathize. Time didn’t seem to mean much in Faeresia. All humor drained from my face. “You’ve got to tell me what’s happening.”
One side of her mouth tilted up before she gave a sad shake of her head. “At first, I was really encouraged. I thought we’d actually get a choice with you making such a show, but each Elemental that comes here to bond seems different than when they left. It’s like they can’t think past their hormones or something.” Her eyes grew distant, but her voice stayed strong. “Yeah, I’ll admit it—the guys here are hot, but it’s not like that’s all that counts. I’ve known some of these girls most of my life, and every time I see one of them it’s like looking at a stranger in a friend’s body.”
My jaw clenched. “I know exactly what you mean. I saw Robin before she bonded.”
Lacey grunted. “She was one of the worst. At the island, all she could do was talk about how she’d off herself if the fae ever got her. She refused to go with any of them, like me, for a while, but the minute she saw Strayak, her brain went on vacation. I’m not saying I think she should have killed herself instead of bonding with him or anything, but for her to come back here two weeks after meeting him for the first time all twitterpated just reeks of wrong.”
“Bambi fan?” I asked with a chuckle.
A bright grin covered her mouth. “You could say that.”
I let a smirk slide onto my face while I gave her a nod. “I felt the same way. I couldn’t believe how she acted. And the way she talked about him made me want to barf. I’d have said no to him the minute I heard his name.” Lacey gave a short chuckle and her eyes lit in amusement, so I went on. “Can you imagine? Every time you said it, it’d be like throwing up a little in your mouth.”
She laughed. At first it was a short chortle like before, but soon it morphed into a full-out belly laugh. The contagious sound grabbed hold of me and soon we were feeding off each other’s giggles. I hadn’t laughed this hard in ages…maybe even before I set off for school, and something tight inside me finally released.
We went on like that for a while, but suddenly the light in her eyes drained, replaced by an ominous shadow. “I’m supposed to meet someone in a few hours.”
A dark panic washed over me, but I wouldn’t let her see it. “Who?”
Her usua
lly boisterous voice came out barely a whisper. “They haven’t told me his name.”
“Can’t be as bad as Strayak,” I said, but the moment for laughter had gone.
She gave me a token smile. “What am I gonna to do, Rayla?”
My mind jumbled with images of her and Roger at the island: secret glances every time I turned around. “Do you love him?” I asked. Roger had made it clear how he felt about her, but I’d never been able to get her take of things.
Recognition flitted into her eyes even though I hadn’t said his name. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think I do. Then I see his dark side, and I want to run.”
“Everyone has a dark side,” I said, thinking back to when I killed Frick. I’d gone over it so many times, but I couldn’t come up with a scenario that didn’t end with him dead. One day I was going to find out what his real name was. One day, I was going to face what I’d done. Lacey opened her mouth as if to respond, but I butted in. “I get what you mean about him. He’s kind of hard to understand.”
She nodded. “I’ve known Roger a long time. Too bad I’ve never been good enough for his family. The closer I came to the age of power, the harder it was for my parents to handle the thought of losing me to the fae, so they defected to the rebellion. The first time I saw him after that was on the island. He seemed so different. He wasn’t the fun-loving guy I thought I knew. Part of me wants to fight for him, but the other part of me says, ‘what’s the point’? He’s an Order man. I don’t know if I can deal with that.”
“So you grew up with him?”
She walked over to the window and gazed out into the distance. “Not really. We saw each other at festivals and other Order events. He was a mean little brat as a kid. When he picked on my sister one too many times, I knocked him out.”
A giggle erupted from my chest. “How old were you?”
“Ten.” Her shoulders lifted a bit. “Even then I was tall for my age.”
I burst out laughing and she turned, a huge smile splitting her mouth. “For some reason after that, he wouldn’t leave me alone. Every time he saw me, he’d come and pester me. Somewhere along the way, I learned to care for him. I even loved it when he’d tease me.”
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