The Beast's Beloved (Ballads of Cadarnle Book 2)

by Amber Burns

  “Are you alright?”

  Feeling a hand upon her shoulder, Liandrya’s eyes snapped open to reveal Raeloun looking at her with evident concern. “Hmm? What?”

  “Are you alright?” Raeloun repeated.

  “What is the matter, child?” Golau asked.

  “I…” Liandrya’s head swam, and she was forced to dig her nails into the palms of her hands to keep herself from reaching for the mask. The voice did not stop. “No...no, I’m not alright.” She wrapped her arms around herself now. “The mask...I think it’s calling to me,” she whispered. “I need to get away from it. I’ll just be over by the door,” she said hurriedly before stepping away and rubbing her temples.

  “Start the ritual,” Raeloun said to Golau before turning and striding after Liandrya. It did not take him long to catch up to her. “Liandrya?” he asked while placing a tentative hand on her shoulder.

  “I hear a voice in my head,” Liandrya whispered while gripping her head. “Every time the box is opened, I hear a woman’s voice in my head telling me to put the mask on. It was only a whisper before when I first discovered the mask, but now it’s clear as day!” A pained whimper escaped her as her eyes watered with tears. “Raeloun, it won’t stop. It won’t stop!”

  Without saying a word, Raeloun pulled Liandrya close and wrapped her in his embrace. As Golau began the ritual, Raeloun cradled Liandrya protectively against his body and tenderly smoothed her hair. “It’s alright,” he murmured as a trembling Liandrya clung to him. “Ssshh, it’s alright. It will all be over soon.” After a few moments, he felt Liandrya struggle and attempt to return to the mask, but Raeloun stood firm and immovable.

  An angry growl filled the space. As with the mortal High Priestess, the mask sought to defend itself by attacking Golau, but the Lodestar knew what to expect and easily braced himself against the assault. Not once was his concentration broken as he continued the ritual, and he left Raeloun and Liandrya to their own devices.

  “Raeloun, I need to put the mask on,” Liandrya said tearfully.

  “No, you don’t,” Raeloun replied firmly. “Be calm, little lark,” he murmured as Golau’s voice began reaching a crescendo. “Feel my heartbeat and focus on its steadiness. Hear my breathing, and breathe with me.” He glanced over his shoulder and saw Golau raising a large crystal over his head. As the crystal began filling with light, he knew the end was drawing near. “It will be over soon, Liandrya,” he whispered while soothingly stroking the half-elf’s hair. “Breathe deeply, my sweet lark. Breathe deeply, and everything will be alright.”

  Liandrya responded by simply tightening her grip on Raeloun. She clung to him as though her very life depended upon it, and tried to do as he instructed. Unfortunately, ignoring and breathing through what was beginning to feel like an instinctual need, was easier said than done.

  Suddenly, the entire space was flooded with a blinding light as the large crystal shot out radiant beams to the crystals situated around the room. A disembodied shriek emanated from the mask before gradually dying down and becoming silent as the light slowly faded away.

  “It is done,” Golau announced while closing the fox and fastening it shut.

  “Thank Anfarwol,” Liandrya breathed. The earlier tension left her entire body the moment the box was closed.

  “Are you alright?” Raeloun asked with obvious concern as he carefully regarded Liandrya’s face and searched for any signs of lingering distress.

  Liandrya nodded. “Yes, with the box now closed, the voice is gone,” she answered. “I’m alright now, I promise,” she added with a smile.

  “Liandrya, please let me go with you on the remainder of this quest of yours,” Raeloun entreated fervently. “Clearly, you cannot do this alone. You need help, my lark. Please, let me help you.”

  A small but nevertheless fond smile played over Liandrya’s lips as she gazed up at her former lover. “You know perfectly well why I can’t let you come with me,” she admonished gently. “You have no wife and no heirs. If anything happens to you, then your people would be leaderless.” She sighed upon seeing the deep frown form upon Raeloun’s face moments before he opened his mouth to protest. “As genuinely touched as I am by your offer, you coming with me would be a very foolish thing for you to do, Raeloun. You know I’m right,” she said simply.

  Raeloun sighed and shook his head while shifting restlessly back and forth on his feet. He truly did know that Liandrya was right in her reasoning, and he was clearly unhappy about it. “Then let me send a contingent of our finest hunters with you,” he entreated.

  Liandrya sighed softly. “A smaller group stands a better chance of evading and escaping ambushes and capture,” she remarked.

  Raeloun slowly breathed out through his nose. “Liandrya, you can’t expect me to simply stand idly by and do nothing,” he said matter-of-factly. “this quest of yours is no mere walk down the garden path. It is rife with danger, and I would never forgive myself if I sent you back out into the fray with nothing.”

  “Would it make you feel better if you gave me fresh clothing and supplies?” Liandrya asked after glancing down and getting a reminder of her physical state.

  “Only slightly,” Raeloun replied. “Supplying you does nothing to put my mind at ease in regard to your personal safety, especially not after what I saw during the ritual. If that voice gets any stronger, then you must have someone with you to pull you back. In any case, having someone watch your back could only benefit you.”

  “I promise that I won’t be alone,” Liandrya assured.

  Raeloun raised an eyebrow. “Truly? You aren’t simply saying that to appease me?”

  “I truly mean it,” Liandrya replied with a smile. “I already have two people in mind to ask.”

  “Will they help you?” Raeloun asked.

  “Without a doubt,” Liandrya answered with a nod.

  “And you trust them? Raeloun asked with concern.

  “With my life,” Liandrya replied fervently.

  Raeloun slowly breathed out through his nose. “I suppose your assurance will have to do, as will the small task you have allowed me,” he remarked wryly.

  “There are no small tasks in an endeavor such as this,” Liandrya retorted with a smile as he turned and started for the altar.

  “No, in the long run, I suppose not,” Raeloun replied with a small smile as he fell into step beside the half-elf. “You know, I don’t remember you being so silver-tongued,” he remarked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

  “Because I wasn’t,” Liandrya replied with a small chuckle. “As I said earlier, I’ve grown quite a bit in the past seven years.”

  “Well, you certainly seem surer of yourself. That much is clear. There is a confidence to your stride that was not there when I first knew you,” Raeloun remarked with a fond smile. “I would even go as far as to call it a swagger,” he added with a chuckle.

  Liandrya smiled and laughed. “Believe me, it was hard earned,” she said as she stepped up to the altar. “Thank you for all your help, Lodestar Golau,” she said with a respectful bow of her head before taking the box and placing it carefully in her satchel.

  Golau gave a small wave of his hand. “I played but a small part in the grand scheme of things.”

  “You did more than I could,” Liandrya countered with a smile.

  Golau smiled. “I wouldn’t say that.” He cleared his throat when the half-elf began turning to leave. “Liandrya, I would speak to you, if I may?” He glanced pointedly at his apprentice as well as Raeloun. “Alone.”

  Raeloun regarded the Lodestar curiously as the apprentice dutifully busied herself by tidying up the altar after the ritual. Nevertheless, he nodded. “Alright. I will ensure your supplies and such are ready for you,” he said to Liandrya. “Come see me when you finish here,” he added before turning and striding out of the temple.

  Now alone, Golau gave Liandrya a smile that managed to be both tentative and warm. “Walk with me,” he requested while motioning for Lia
ndrya to follow him.

  “Is there a problem?” Liandrya asked cautiously while falling into step beside the statuesque elf. While outwardly, she was calm, inwardly, she was terrified that the Lodestar somehow knew about Dorlyn and Vylkur.

  “Why do you ask?” Golau asked in reply.

  Liandrya shrugged casually. “You ask to speak with me alone after just having performed a ritual for the Mask of Essence. I’m sure that you can understand why I would make such a leap,” she replied, carefully feeling the powerful cleric out.

  Golau nodded in understanding. “I beg pardon, my child,” he said with a sheepish smile. “It was not my intention to alarm you. I simply wished to speak with you.”

  Liandrya blinked in surprise. “Oh? Well, I’m flattered that you would take the time for me, given your undoubtedly busy day.”

  “I do have a great, many responsibilities, yes,” Golau replied with a nod. “But, sometimes a friendly chat is a most welcome distraction.” He led Liandrya to a door and ushered her inside after opening it. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked after closing the door behind them. “I have water, wine, or I could make some tea.”

  “Water’s fine,” Liandrya replied airily as she took in the sight of the room in unadulterated awe.

  The walls were lined with shelves that were filled with ancient tomes and parchments; however, unlike the Wizard’s Guild, there was no mustiness hanging in the air, for it was obvious that none of the knowledge placed upon these shelves was put away and forgotten. Off to the far side of the room, there was a desk with quills, ink, and various star maps arranged in a neat and organized manner, but it was the massive star scope that held the half-elf’s interest the most.

  “Gods,” Liandrya breathed. “I’ve never seen one this big in my entire life. I’ll wager that you can see everything.”

  Golau smiled and nodded as he approached with two goblets of water. “It is impressive,” he agreed while handing one of the goblets over. “No matter how many centuries I have served in the role of Lodestar, I never tire of gazing at the moon and the stars.”

  “Do you know all the stars by name?” Liandrya asked before taking a sip of water.

  “I do,” Golau answered with a nod before taking a sip from his own goblet. “Please sit,” he invited while motioning to two chairs by the warm hearth.

  “Thank you,” Liandrya replied while crossing over to the chairs and claiming one. It was plush, comfortable, and clearly meant for being sat in for long periods of research and study.

  They sat in silence after that. Every time Liandrya would turn her gaze to the elder elf, it was to find his brow furrowed and his eyes thoughtful. On more than one occasion, Golau would open his mouth as though to say something, only to close it again without saying a word. Not wanting to draw attention to the matter, Liandrya simply sat quietly and slowly swirled the contents of her goblet in between sips until she finally could not take any more of the cleric’s floundering.

  “Is something wrong?” Liandrya asked gently.

  “Am I so obvious?” Golau asked sheepishly.

  “Only a little,” Liandrya replied with her best disarming smile in her attempts to put the Lodestar at ease.

  Golau sighed. “Forgive me, but there is something that I simply must tell you, but I am having difficulty in determining just how to approach the subject. It is not the sort of thing one simply blurts out without any preamble.”

  “Sometimes, preambles simply get in the way,” Liandrya said before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before then squaring her shoulders. “Whatever it is, I can take it, Lodestar Golau,” she said.

  “Are you certain, my child?” Golau asked carefully with a raised eyebrow.

  Liandrya nodded. “Please, just tell me.”

  “Very well,” Golau replied before slowly breathing out. “Liandrya…I am your father.”

  13

  Liandrya stared at Golau silently for several moments, unsure as to whether she had heard him correctly. “I beg your pardon?”

  Golau took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I am your father, Liandrya,” he repeated carefully while searching the half-elf’s blank expression for any hint of a reaction. Joy, confusion, shock, anger, Golau saw none of them as Liandrya sat as still as a statue.

  “You’re my father,” Liandrya repeated matter-of-factly.

  “Yes,” Golau answered with a nod and the beginnings of a smile.

  Liandrya pursed her lips together and furrowed her brow a little as she regarded the man sitting beside her. After a few moments, her thoughtful pout melted into a smile. “Of course, you’re my father.” She leaned in towards Golau in a conspiring manner. “And I am actually an orc in disguise,” Liandrya said before touching a finger to her lips. “Hush now, don’t tell anyone,” she added cheekily before taking a sip of water.

  Golau sighed. “You don’t believe me,” he said simply.

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” Liandrya replied with a wave of her hand. “Of course, I believe you. You are my long-lost father, and I am the recently crowned Goblin Queen. See? I can make things up too.”

  Golau sighed again and took a sip of water before speaking again. “I am not making this up, Liandrya. I am your father, and you are my child. I sired you. That is simply the way of it.”

  The playfulness left Liandrya’s face. “You truly expect me to believe that you are my father?” she demanded. “Do I look as though I were born yesterday?”

  “No, you were born twenty-seven years ago,” Golau replied simply.

  Liandrya stared at the cleric silently for a heartbeat. “How do you know that?”

  “Because I was there the night you were conceived, Liandrya,” Golau answered patiently. “It was from my seed that you sprung.”

  Her gaze never wavering from Golau’s, Liandrya rose to her feet. For a moment, she thought about storming from the room, but she could not deny her deep and genuine curiosity. From the first moment she had discovered that she was not of the same blood as the only mother and father she had ever known, Liandrya had wondered about her origins. While she would never have forsaken her adoptive and very loving parents for the ones who had forsaken her, she was nevertheless curious to know from where she truly came. Was any part of who she was a result of the man and woman who had conceived her? Did she resemble either of them? Were they good people who had found themselves in a bad situation?

  A small part of her had hung onto the fantasy that her parents had died together in a tragic way, but Liandrya had long since made peace with the idea of her being a bastard who had been abandoned due to her being the accidental outcome of a passionate tryst between a mortal woman and an elven man. There was no doubt in her mind that it had been her mother who had been mortal, for elves never abandoned their children in such a manner. What she could never be certain of was if her elven father had ever been aware of her existence. She had suspected that he had not known of her, but with Golau speaking to her now with such certainty, Liandrya was beginning to doubt that suspicion.

  Even so, she was far from gullible.

  “So, you say,” Liandrya replied before walking towards the small table upon which were goblets, various bottles of wine, and a water pitcher. “Alright, then prove it,” she said while turning to face Golau from her new location. “What makes you so certain that you’re my father?”

  Golau smiled fondly. “Because you are the very likeness of your mother,” he answered. “While we were only together for one night, I still remember her vividly. She looked just as you do now, the same petite build, the same ginger hair, and the same beautiful face.” His smile grew a fraction of an inch. “When you entered the temple today, there was a moment in which I truly believed that you were her, but then I saw your ears, and I knew the truth. You are my child.” He slowly exhaled. “By Anfarwol’s mercy, I cannot believe you are standing before me. It feels like a dream, and yet here you are.”

  “None of your pretty words prove that you’
re my father,” Liandrya replied while placing one hand on her hip since she still held the glass. “That just means that you fucked a woman who looked like me.”

  “You also have my eyes,” Golau remarked with a smirk. “And, as it so happens, you are the correct age in addition to being half-elven, my dear.”

  Liandrya pursed her lips together in thought and frowned. “Alright, say for a moment that I believe you, and I’m not saying that I do…where the fuck have you been my entire life? Why are you only just making yourself known to me?”

  Golau sighed. “I am the Lodestar of our people, my dear. As such, I must devote every waking moment of my tenure to Anfarwol and the guardianship of our people. I simply do not have the time needed for a family and fatherhood.”