Horizon

by Christie Rich

  At first I thought he was talking about Heath, but how could that be right? Heath was nothing more than an underlord now. He didn’t have any say when it came to the workings of the fae council. I wasn’t even sure how much power they’d left him.

  With anxiety setting my heart racing, I made Zach stop. Was this the mystery man Tabitha had warned me about? “Who are you talking about?”

  He sighed, and the sound held an old contempt. “Valen.”

  “What?” Confusion clouded my mind. Valen had never shown an ounce of interest in me…until the trial. “Isn’t he bound?”

  Zach’s shoulders tensed. “We all thought his bondmate had years left. He’s been strong, stronger than any lord has ever achieved, but she’s suddenly taken to her chambers. He’s assured us she will be fine, but her power is waning, Rayla. It won’t be long until he takes her back to the mortal realm. He went hysterical when he received word of your abduction.”

  Abduction? Who did they think abducted me? I was the one that hit Zach with that lightning bolt.

  “Even now,” he continued. “We are searching for the wraith leader. We have come close. In fact, the guard almost pinpointed him when we came to rescue you.”

  I shook my head, stunned at how clueless the fae were. I had a feeling Creed could look after himself, but what if he couldn’t? What if I had put his whole race at risk simply by naming him?

  With things happening the way they had, I couldn’t remember if Zach knew about Creed. My mind was such a jumbled mess lately I was bound to mess up if I didn’t watch what I said and, worse, what I thought.

  Somehow, I had to figure out how to fix this mess I’d made. So many people I cared about stood to get hurt if I did the wrong thing.

  Zach stayed silent, as if he was lost in his thoughts, too. For a split second I wondered if I should try to establish a mental link with him, but that idea fled as fast as it came. I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t risk giving him the chance to forge an unbreakable link with my mind.

  Heath had done it, so it was possible.

  When Zach guided us toward the council chambers, I stiffened. I didn’t want to see any of those people, yet here we were barging through the gigantic doors into a session.

  All eyes trained on us, but none looked surprised.

  Valen stood at the front of the room clothed in black robes that skimmed the cold marble floor. As he turned, part of his body shifted into the white half of the room and the fabric of his robes turned white as if absorbing the dominant color around it.

  In a way, it was an odd sort of camouflage. Now if only it could cover up his smug face. A face, all of a sudden, I wanted to punch.

  Valen walked closer. With every step, his smile grew until he might as well have been the Cheshire cat when he stopped a few feet away from us.

  “Welcome Ammon, and…Rayla, don’t you look lovely today.”

  Zach flat out frowned at the man. “What is this, Valen? I heard of no session today.”

  Valen gave Zach a disapproving frown. “Chairman, if you will, and we,” his arm swept sideways as he pointed out the other council members, “assumed you’d have other, more pressing…” he smiled, “…issues to address now that you have Rayla back.”

  Zach scoffed. “I’d love to, but it seems someone has blocked my ability to travel.”

  Valen paced in front of us, his hands clasped behind him. “Only a precaution, lord Ammon.”

  Zach’s question came out as a hiss. “Why?”

  Valen smirked. “With the wraith still posing a threat, we determined it is in the best interest of our realms for Rayla to remain here, where we all can oversee her protection.”

  “I am perfectly capable of protecting my bondmate,” snapped Zach.

  A pasty smile parted Valens lips. “Ordinarily, I would most definitely agree with you; however, given the circumstances of her abduction, we feel she would be better protected with the guard at the ready.”

  Zach clanked his jaw together. His voice came out tight, as if it had been poured through a strainer. “Then send them with us to Eirie.”

  Valen clamped a hand on Zach’s upper arm. Normally, I would have thought it was a friendly gesture, but right now it seemed like a threat.

  “I don’t want to stay here,” I put in before Valen could say anything else.

  “You see,” said Zach. “Rayla wishes to go home. I haven’t even begun training her in the elemental arts. We need time before we are saddled with court.”

  Valen’s eyebrows shot up. “Court is a burden to you, young Ammon? I am sure we can figure out another plan that would insure Rayla’s wellbeing.”

  “I’m not staying here!” I shouted and the buzz in the room stopped.

  Valen’s eyes flared then narrowed at me. “My dear, you have uttered your last command. You will learn your place in this court, and if your current bondmate cannot control you, another will be appointed.” His eyes honed in on me, making me shudder. “Have I made myself clear enough for your young mind to understand?”

  My insides burned with humiliation and rage. Who did this man think he was? God? From the steely look he gave me, there was no alternative.

  No one else in the room uttered a word. Zach even looked stunned.

  I had expected him to defend me, but he just stood there. Silent.

  Zach was right. This man wanted my power, and he would use any excuse he could to usurp the already fragile bond Zach and I shared.

  I lowered my face. “Forgive me, Chairman. It has been a trying few days.”

  His soft hand clasped my wrist. My eyes snapped to his.

  They were ordinary eyes, nothing special about them. In fact, he was homely compared to the man at my side, yet in those eyes, I saw my captivity.

  I forced a smile, but I wasn’t about to say another thing.

  He turned to Zach. “You see that? All she needs is a bit of guidance, a firm hand.”

  Man, I wanted to fry this guy. Or better yet, flick his jackass self into the nearest black-hole.

  Keeping my mouth shut was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. The arrogance of these people astounded me, but if I wasn’t careful, I could end up as another man’s bondmate, even Valen’s. The ewwness of that thought slithered down my body all the way to my toes and back up to my mind. No matter what, I had to keep that from happening. I’d have to check on his bondmate to see how she was faring. Maybe I could help her somehow.

  Valen patted my hand. “The guard will show you to your new quarters. Rest assured, my lady, we have taken every effort to make sure your stay in Lombarda is comfortable.”

  Valen seemed to be waiting for a reply, so I gave him a curt, “Thank you.”

  Zach placed his arm around my shoulders then ushered me toward the exit. Right before the big doors swung open, Valen spoke up. “It really is good to have you here, Rayla. We eagerly await your presence in court.”

  When the doors whooshed by, I raced out the door. My lungs refused to expand. Zach kept up, but he was no longer the one leading. My mind wouldn’t stop replaying the look Valen had given me just now, full of lust, full of greed. We followed Nicco through parts of the castle I had never been and up several flights of stairs.

  What if Valen really was the new threat Tabitha told me about? He seemed the most likely option, but how could I be sure? Luke was still at large but Tabitha should have known if it was Luke. I tried to focus on my surroundings to distract myself, but the severity of my situation wouldn’t let go of my mind.

  I wanted to talk to Zach about this, but raising questions in the corridors wasn’t the best idea. Seemed odd to me the fae didn’t use escalators or teleport pads to get places since they weren’t allowed to drift inside the castle.

  The higher we climbed, the more nervous Zach seemed.

  Finally, when I couldn’t take it anymore, I said, “What’s going on?”

  All he did was shake his head, as if to say not now, maybe not ever. He was still refusing to give me
answers, and I was sick of it. If he thought he was going to control me, he was sadly out of it.

  Figuring I wasn’t going to get anything from Zach right now, I quickened my step until I walked next to Nicco. I gave him a quick glance. “Hey,” I said. He nodded in response. “So, where are we going?”

  “Chairman Valen has asked that you be placed adjacent to his quarters.” Was that disapproval I noted in Nicco’s tone? “He seems very interested in your safety.”

  I scoffed. “If you ask me, he’s more interested in my power.”

  A sharp chuckle escaped Nicco, but he recovered with a cough. “It is unwise for you to speak your mind so freely, my lady.”

  “Yeah? Tell me about it.”

  He glanced at me sidelong. “A word of advice?”

  I shrugged. “Sure, if you’re offering?”

  His jaw clenched. “Make every effort to gain control of your power as quickly as possible.”

  “Great idea in theory,” I said. “Harder to put into practice.”

  He gave me what looked like a secretive smile. “We shall see. Sometimes things are not as difficult as they seem.”

  I totally didn’t get him. Here he was, supposedly this imposing force that put fear into any person he happened upon, but the more I got to know him the more comfortable I felt around him—like he was my protector and always would be. It was stupid to think that way because he was a royal guard for heaven’s sake, but he’d done things to protect me when no one else would. Things that would have gotten him in trouble if anyone found out.

  We walked down another brightly lit corridor that reminded me more of a centuries old assembly hall than a mere hallway. The translucent stone arched up into a sharp peak at least a hundred feet above us. So many things about this castle were lovely, amazing even, but I couldn’t let myself linger on things that didn’t matter. I had to focus on what did.

  Too bad I still didn’t know what was most important. I got lost in my thoughts for a while, and Nicco didn’t say anything else.

  Zach still trailed behind us. I glanced back a couple times, but his gaze stayed locked on the floor. His face was unreadable. He had to be fuming at me right now, and I sort of felt bad about that, but what did he expect from me? I’d given my heart to another man, and I intended to figure out a way to have Heath in my life instead of Zach.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t care about him. I felt awful about what had happened between us, not to mention how badly I’d hurt him, but it wasn’t like I could just flip a switch and shut off my feelings for Heath.

  My mind wandered back to when Ainessa told me if I allied myself with her, I could have had all the lords I wanted. The thought was more than repulsive. How could she even think such a thing?

  Once I had decided who I wanted, that was it. My caring for the other lords would never die, but I couldn’t think of them in a romantic way anymore. I wouldn’t betray Heath like that.

  My body was just going to have to learn what my mind already knew. I belonged with Heath.

  He was a part of my soul now, and nothing these people did was going to change that. Finally, Nicco stopped in front of an unassuming set of doors. The thing that bothered me was an identical set lay across the hall only a few feet away.

  I turned to Nicco. “Is that—”

  He gave a sharp nod then let me into my new chambers. The bright space belonged in a dream. A wall of windows greeted me, casting the gilded room in a celestial glow. Even though the view of the valley was stunning, a sting of disappointment stiffened my spine. I’d been hoping for a balcony. Fat chance with my track record.

  I bypassed the cream sofa that was set on a luxurious monchromatic rug and made for the windows. The mist from the waterfall was barely visible up here, and apart from the occasional scuffling of shoes, the room was soundless. In an odd way it reminded me of my time in Altasia with clouds being the only thing in sight. I shook my head, like I needed a reminder of that. When an unwanted shiver sliced through me, I turned away from the scene.

  Tabitha had made known to me I’d have to face Luke at some point. I’d been trying to get my mind used to the idea, but every time I thought about him, I recoiled both mentally and physically.

  Ainessa having been in control of him didn’t help me accept what he’d done to me.

  I wanted to think I would have had a chance in defeating him on my own if Creed hadn’t shown up, but that was just wishful thinking. He’d overcome all my defenses in no time flat.

  The onslaught he’d unleashed on me had been nothing short of relentless. What would he do when he saw me again? I wanted to think he’d apologize and plead for my help in getting Ainessa out of his head, but the more realistic idea would be that he’d still be trying to figure out a way to claim me.

  He’d made it clear he wasn’t giving up. Just like Ainessa. They were of the same mind, so I should have thought of them as the same person, but I couldn’t do that. Not really.

  Somewhere inside the beast Luke had become was the vulnerable man that had pleaded with me in a carriage to help him save his people. His intensions had always been honorable, but his approach could have used some work.

  Zach came into my periphery, his silhouette a dark shadow against the glow of the room. In a voice more suited to church, he said, “What are you thinking?”

  Him having to ask that question gave me some hope I had made progress in controlling my thoughts. I shrugged. “This whole thing is strange, surreal.”

  He nodded. “I’ll get us out of here, Rayla. I promise.”

  I stared at him, searching his eyes for that tale-tell line of green. It wasn’t there. At least I didn’t think it was. Even if I hadn’t already pledged my devotion to Heath, I couldn’t trust Zach. Not after what had happened.

  “It doesn’t really matter,” I said.

  His hands shot out and he grabbed my shoulders. He yanked me to face him so fast my head spun. “You don’t think I know what you’re up to? You don’t think I can see where your mind has gone? Where your mind always goes when you have a quiet moment?”

  Chapter Four

  I bristled under Zach’s touch. “What do you expect from me? I’ve made my choice, but nobody cares. I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you. You have no idea just how sorry, but you’ve hurt me too. You compelled me when I thought you were the one person protecting me. You’ve shown me the only thing that ever really mattered to you was my power. You’re just like everyone else!”

  I tried to yank free of his grasp, but his grip was unyielding. “I’ve told you I was sorry for deceiving you. You know why I did what I did.”

  “I do,” I said, staring him down. “You wanted my power.”

  His face contorted in anger, a red tinge sliding up his neck. “Yes! I wanted your power, but no more than I wanted you. I gave up everything to give you time. I risked my people and my position within the realms for you! What more could I have done?”

  I shook my head. “I can’t believe a word you say.”

  His grip tightened on my shoulders until I yelped under the pressure. As if snapping out of his rage, he relaxed his hold, but he didn’t release me.

  “You want to know what truly happened. Here you go.”

  My world tilts. I’m in his head, and I don’t want to be. He’s here too, but I’m the one in the front row. His mind races back to that night on the desert highway, the night he first saw me.

  He’s tracking my signal, unsure what to expect. Something is off with this situation, and it’s nagging at his mind. He’s been in the area for days and hasn’t felt anything…not even a twinge of power nearby then bam, just like that, I’m there, lighting the world with my beacon. He’s never felt power like mine, and it’s intoxicating. He wants to soak me up like the rays of the sun.

  He races toward me, knowing any moment the others will feel me too. He has to find me first. He has no choice. Ainessa’s made a mess of the council, and he has to bring order to Faeresia. If they sent someone else in his
stead, he’d have no recourse to contest the action. He’s been away from court too long.

  For one horrifying moment, he remembers her, the love he’s suppressed for hundreds of years. The reason he’s stayed away from court, from everyone. Faine should be a mere memory, but she creeps into his mind more often than he will admit. Her soft smile flashes in his mind. It was the thing he most loved about her.

  Then his mind pushes her down were she belongs…in the pit of his regret. He’s flying on a stream of instinct as he traces me in the darkness. Styx responds to every command as if he’s an extension of this man.

  They glide on the wind with practiced ease. The moment he sees my car, hope floods him. Maybe I can ease his pain? Maybe I can erase her from his memory?

  He’s desperate now, so desperate for an escape from the pain. He commands Styx forward without thought. They rush up behind me, taking in my beater car and desolate surroundings. He smiles. No one will question when I go missing. His heart hammers in his chest as he moves to the side of me.

  The moment he catches a glimpse of me, he loses it, and I see Styx for the first time. My mouth opens in a hideous scream, so he concentrates and regains his illusion.

  Then he notices Cassie. I’m already freaking out so badly, he’s worried I’ll roll the car. Taking one last glimpse, he cloaks Styx and makes himself follow us from above.

  He’s angrier than he’s been in forever, and he can’t believe what he just did. Not only did he risk my life, he exposed himself to a human.

  He’d been away from court too long. He’d allowed himself to get immersed in human culture, and now he’d risked his entire race on a whim. On compulsion.

  I recoiled away from him, breaking his connection with my mind. “I did not compel you!”

  “What you saw is the truth,” he said, letting me step away from him.

  I wandered over to the couch, hardly aware of what I was doing. Considering what he implied, I sank into the sofa and pulled my knees up to my chest.