I shiver with horror as he takes my hand.
“I am most desired by women.”
A knock interrupts him. He stomps to the door and returns with a polished stone bowl filled with fruit. My body recoils when his leg touches mine as he sits.
“Eat, Elandra.”
I hate the sound of my name coming from his mouth. “Please feed my companions.”
He pats my arm. “The boy is a stranger and the woman, deformed.”
It is all I can do not to kill him instantly. “I thought power was yours to control.”
“Not until I become the true leader. Become my mate.”
“You are charming. It is easy to see how you gained power.”
He smiles. “See, we are already getting along.” He removes his vest, sleek muscles glowing in the light. “Sit closer to me.”
“Daniel says you think you can have whatever girl you want.”
His eyes turn cold. “Daniel is a coward.”
“You were his prisoner.”
“A mistake. Let us not talk about him. Many women would love to be my mate.”
“I am not one of them. I would rather die.”
Jyrr leaps on me and crushes my body into the fur rug. “No one refuses me. Ever.”
He is so strong I cannot move.
“Get off,” I warn.
“You will learn what it is to be loved by an Ice Lord.”
I try to push him away. “This is not love.”
His lips devour mine and I cannot escape his probing tongue. I arch against him, trying to escape.
“Yes.” He rips my jacket off.
As long as there is a chance to save Daniel and Bryntar, I force myself to maintain complete, cold control. His hands roam. I am thankful for the protective vest.
His mouth moves to my neck. “Your skin is like the softest fur.”
My head aches with anger.
He starts to remove my protective shirt with eager, fumbling hands.
“Let me go or you will regret it.”
His consuming passion is so great he does not hear.
The light burns inside and I slowly let it rise to my finger. I touch his chest. He flies backward with a scream. Jumps off the floor, eyes gleaming. “We will be unstoppable.” He takes a step forward.
“Touch me again and your pain will be greater.”
He smiles and steps closer to me. “Surely we can come to an agreement? I can free your friends.”
Hate throbs inside me. “Free all of us.”
“Impossible. An heir to the throne cannot lose face. You stay with me, I free the others.” He casually walks around me.
I can feel his lie as he moves closer. It will be difficult not to kill him.
He grabs my arm and twists it behind my back.
I cry out. Light shoots from my entire body.
He shrieks and crashes into the wall.
The door slams open.
Ryz-IL stomps inside. “What is going on?”
Jyrr staggers up, horror on his face. “She tried to kill me.”
I sneer. “Yet you live.”
“You do not have permission to be here,” Ryz-IL says. “Overstep my authority once more and I will disown you.”
Jyrr swaggers out of the room without a backward glance. I know he is even more dangerous now.
My father throws Jyrr’s vest out the door.
I pull my jacket back on.
“Are you hurt?” he asks.
“He is lucky I did not kill him.”
Ryz-IL laughs. “So like your mother.”
Confusion clouds my thoughts.
“You are surprised to hear the truth? Your amazing mother could not love someone who is cold and callous.” He realizes the door is ajar and closes it. “I hardly dared hope when the Kepyrs told of an Enchantress on the island. It seemed impossible.” Stepping toward me with joy on his face, he stops when he sees my expression.
“How could you leave my mother alone?”
“We had plans to hide her before you were born. We never expected an early birth.”
I can only stare at him. “She needed you.”
“We wanted a life together. She insisted we stay apart and convinced me it was necessary. I needed to become the Ice Lord ruler and try to effect change.”
“Did you change the laws?”
He shakes his head. “No. I have been unable to affect the laws that reinforce inequality. Thousands of seasons cannot be changed in a lifetime.”
My hidden fear, hope, need and pain burst in the need to hurt him. “I felt the arrow tear into her heart.”
A burning pain shoots through his body. He clutches the wall for support.
Hurting him does not give me the satisfaction I thought it would.
His voice cracks. “You experienced it?”
“One of my, gifts.”
Sorrow and guilt shudder through him. “I should have been there. I cannot expect your forgiveness. When word came that you were both dead, I wanted to die.”
I feel the truth and take his hands. “We might all have died. There would be no one to save the island.”
My father paces. “I never expected this day would come. That I would meet you only to face losing you again. If I had known you survived, nothing would have stopped me from finding you.”
Warmth seeps into me. “It was hard not knowing if you were alive. Maybe destiny has a better plan for us. How would you have raised me?”
“With difficulty. I wish it were possible to change the past.”
“I am concerned that I have no future. Nor will you if your Council executes me.”
“I am their King. I will find a way to change their minds.”
I smile and shake my head. “You know I cannot escape my ultimate destiny.”
“It is one thing to try and save an island. Quite another when faced with the daughter your mother and I created for the purpose. I am truly sorry, Elandra.”
“I have accepted it.”
His face darkens. “I never expected to see Jyrr. Was he only here only to, to . . .”
“He wanted me to become his mate and rule the island.”
My father shakes his head. “His zeal exceeds his capacity for sound reasoning. Although I wonder where the idea came from. You did not explain your power to him?”
I smile. “Only the effects of it.”
My father’s eyes twinkle. “That is good. The less he knows, the less trouble he will make.”
“What will happen tomorrow?” I ask.
He heaves a deep sigh. “You and your friends will be dressed for execution. Your hands will be tied behind your back and your head will be covered. If I cannot sway their decision and you are condemned, they will cut off your hair.”
I shiver, remembering the pain when Taroc snipped only a tiny end of hair. “They will torture and kill me in front of everyone?”
He nods grimly. “The only time you will be able to use your power is when your head is uncovered. Tell me your gifts, for I am determined to help you escape if the vote goes against you. I would rather die than see you executed.” He lowers his head to stare at the floor. “Your mother and I had such plans. Not a day goes by that I do not miss her.”
“Yet you took another mate.”
“I would not have done so. My lady’s husband forced me into a battle for the throne. When I killed him, it was my duty to take her as my wife and raise her son. It was unfair that I could never love her.”
I take his hand. “Tell me about my mother.”
Memories replace his desolation. “She had a wonderful laugh. The gentlest person I have ever known. Smart with an iron will. She had complete trust in me. I failed her.”
“It is the lives of my companions that concern me now. Can you give them food and water? Promise you will not fail me. No matter what happens tomorrow, save Daniel and Bryntar, even at risk to your own life. I would not be alive without them.”
“You have my word, Elandra.”
Chapt
er Forty: The Betraying
“I must go,” Father says.” It will look suspicious if I stay too long.”
I choke up. There is so much more I want to say to him. “When is my execution?”
He clasps me in his arms. “My dear child.”
I blink and swallow hard.
“Sunrise,” he says. “Eat and rest. Soon you will be given clean garments to wear. I will be sure Daniel gets a knife so he can free himself and Bryntar, in case. I will cut your bonds at the same time I remove the covering from your head. When your light blinds the crowd, we will escape to the khorbock stables. The creatures will be saddled and ready to ride. We will leave together, disappear into your underground home and decide how to proceed.” He hugs me. “Until tomorrow, my dear.”
The cell is empty without his presence. I eat and lie down to rest.
. . .
The door clanks open once more. I am surprised to see the Lady Ryz-IL, a wicked knife in her hand. Her eyes rake over me. Although I should fear her, I do not.
“Do not try to escape or I will use this knife.”
I smile inside.
“I suppose you have a certain beauty. Undoubtedly, it is the power you yield that makes Jyrr desire you.”
“Power attracts the weak,” I say in defiance.
She slaps my face and I reel from the strength in her hand. “You should have accepted my son’s proposal.”
“You would mate with a man who forces himself on you?”
She quickly controls the surprise in her eyes. “He is young and needs guidance.”
“He is spoiled and arrogant.”
She starts to strike me again.
I point a finger at her. “Do not touch me again.”
She stares at the light glowing in my finger and pulls away. Fear, then calculation flashes in her eyes. “You could own this island. No one would dare stand against you and Jyrr. Anything you want would be yours.”
“I want my freedom.”
“That can happen with my son as the king.”
“You do not have enough power as the Lady of Ryz-IL?”
She laughs and it is not a pleasant sound. “Women have no power. However, many young Ice Lords and council members favor Jyrr as ruler. It shall happen soon.”
“His father is in good health. Does Jyrr intend to kill him?”
“I have a better plan than that.”
Sudden fear grinds through me at her complete confidence. “You want the throne.”
She smiles. “I will control it through my son. Why not?” She spits out words with bitterness. “I deserve to rule after living with a man who does not love me.” She sneers. “At least now I know he mated with a lowly Kepyr.”
I control my bitterness. “Why did Jyrr’s father lay claim to the throne?”
Her guilty eyes betray her. “It was his decision to fight Ryz-IL.”
“I think not,” I say.
She glares at me. “I loved him. I thought he could win.”
“What will you do when Jyrr decides he does not need you?”
Her eyes become slits of contempt. “You are more intelligent than I thought. It will not save you from execution. Come with me. You must bathe to be worthy of a trial
before the Council.”
I burst out laughing. “I have to be clean to die?”
“You must honor the great Council of Ice Lords.”
“What honor is there in executing those who threaten their power?”
She lifts her hand to strike me again and stops. “What a shame that you do not value your potential. Go ahead of me.”
I think about my potential as I climb staircase after staircase. Perhaps she is right. Without Aru, I could rule the island. But only because of fear.
We reach a huge room filled with sculptures of trees, every leaf cut in detail. Pillars of pink and green crystal rise around steaming baths carved out of pink stone with tiny, black veins. My heart lurches when I see Daniel in one bath being scrubbed by a Kepyr servant. Our eyes meet in relief. Bryntar undergoes the same thing across the room in another bath. Her eyes question mine, but she smiles when she sees I am not afraid.
The Lady leads me to a private bath encircled with long white drapes. “Strip and hand me your clothes. I must be sure you have no hidden weapons.”
As much as I despise doing so, I remove my clothes in front of her and hand her everything except my protective shirt.
“I said all of your clothes,” she says, pointing to the shirt.
“It protects me from Aru.”
She smirks. “I thought you above the superstition of uneducated Kepyrs.”
“Aru exists. I have encountered the beast.”
She bursts out laughing. “You do not expect me to believe you. The shirt is some kind of weapon and I shall have it.” She rips it off and gives it to a servant.
I watch the old female Kepyr disappear with my only protection against Aru. “You do not believe the beast is a creation of the evil on this island?”
“That is absurd,” the Lady says. “Bathe and put on these clothes. I will return when your trial is ready to begin.”
I submerge completely in the hot, perfumed bath and avoid the young Kepyr servant standing ready to help me. I close my eyes and enjoy the peace of seeing, hearing and feeling nothing but warmth. It is impossible to stop thinking. I try not to worry about my father’s plan of escape should it be necessary. If all goes well, I can protect Daniel and Bryntar and reach home and safety. If not, I know my father will keep his word and save them.
The worry in the young servant hovering above me wavers through the water. I glide up and submit to a thorough scrub, glad to feel clean for once.
She places a gown over my head of soft white material laced with silver thread and places silver slippers on my feet. “You are beautiful. I am sorry for you.”
“May I have some time alone?”
She bows and leaves.
I peek through the curtains, but Daniel and Bryntar are gone. It is getting harder to take a deep breath without light, so I rest on a bench.
“Psst.”
I look around quickly and see a shadow behind the gauze curtain. Casually, I slip behind it and blink in complete shock. “Uncle!”
“Ssshh.”
I throw my arms around him and hold on, never wanting to let go. “I thought you were dead.”
He smiles. “It takes more than a few rocks to kill me.”
“What happened?”
“I was knocked into the tunnel by flying rock. When I awoke, rubble blocked the entrance. It took a long time to free myself.”
“How did you find me?”
“Listening to the drums.”
“How did you get in?”
“I know many Kepyr servants,” he says.
“You may be in danger here.”
“When do I avoid danger? I came to rescue all of you.”
I hug him again. “Thank you for coming,” I whisper. “My father is Ryz-IL. He has a plan to free us.”
His eyes widen in surprise. “Do you trust him?”
“With my life.”
“Tell me what I must do.”
“Stay as close as you can. Join us when the cover comes off my head. You must not worry about me. If necessary, help Daniel and Bryntar escape with my father.”
“It shall be done.” He smiles and is gone.
I sit on the bench with hope.
The Lady returns a short time later. “Put your hands behind your back.” She lashes my wrists together with leather straps and leads me away.
We climb a myriad of stairs and I gasp for breath. She covers my head with a cloth before we walk out of the Palace. I feel the warmth of sunrise.
Yells and shrieks blast into my ears. Fear and hate from hundreds of people hit me with such force that I stagger. Someone lifts me to a platform and pushes me into a chair.
“Elandra?”
“I am here, Daniel.”
“Tell me why I
have a knife hidden in my sleeve,” he whispers.
“To cut Bryntar free and follow my father.”
“Who?”
“He is the Ice Lord King,” Bryntar says.
“I’m sorry you can’t see anything,” he says.
“It is enough to know you are here. Explain what you see.”
“Here goes,” he says. “We are on a raised platform in front of the Palace. I imagine the King will sit on the fancy throne to our right, three platforms up. His Lady and the jerk sit on the next level down. Five men and two women in robes sit on the level right above us.”
“The Council,” I say.
He hesitates and his voice quavers. “There are two stakes and a bunch of dry wood in the courtyard. Hundreds of Ice Lords are here: guards, Kepyr warriors and families, maybe the whole island. They don’t all fit in the courtyard. A lot of them stand on the road outside the Palace.”
“Can you find Uncle?”
He pauses. “Did they drug you? He’s dead.”
“He is alive, Daniel.” I feel his doubt. “Please look in the crowd. He will be as close to us as he can be.”
“Oh my God, I see him,” he whispers.
Bryntar says nothing, but I feel her relief and, what? Joy?
I shiver when a warm hand touches my arm. “Last chance to join me,” Jyrr says.
“Get your hands off her, you scumbag.”
Jyrr snarls, “I would rather kill you with my bare hands, foreigner. An execution is more spectacular.”
“I will not mate with you, Jyrr,” I say.
“How I will enjoy your death,” he snarls.
The crowd applauds.
“Wow,” Daniel says. “Your father looks like a rock star.”
A rock star?
“His crown is gold. The three-star emblem on it sparkles like a diamond. His cape is white jaguarat fur and covered in jewels. His vest and pants are bearran.”
My father’s voice carries across the Palace grounds. “Ice Lords and Kepyrs.”
The crowd hushes.
“You are invited here as a courtesy for the trial of this girl and her two companions. If she is found to be an Enchantress with intent to harm us, she will be executed with the others.”
Screams and yells drown the courtyard.
I feel my father step down the platform and stand next to me. His voice booms.
Enchantress Sacrifice Page 20
