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

by Amber Burns

  “You ignored the plan,” Dorlyn growled.

  “Oh, yell at me later,” Liandrya said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “We’ve still got the puppet-master to deal with,” she said while motioning towards Morkessa who was rising slowly to her feet.

  “Stay back,” Vylkur said softly while stepping in front of his mates. “Nothing is more dangerous than a desperate mage. Let me handle this.”

  “Your powers have grown since we last saw each other,” Morkessa with what could only be construed as mild approval. “I still remember a time in which you could not take on such a heavy horde.”

  “Three centuries of intense study tend to have that effect on a person,” Vylkur replied with a smirk as he took a few steps forward. If he and Morkessa were about to duel as he suspected, he did not want to risk his loves getting hit.

  Morkessa grinned sinisterly from ear to ear, and her solid red eye began to glow. “Indeed, it does,” she hissed before extending one of her hand forward and then gripping the air. Moments later, Dorlyn went completely rigid with a pained gasp as he dropped his shield and halberd.

  “NO!” Vylkur screamed before throwing a bolt of lightning at Morkessa, only to have his eyes widen at the sight of his former mentor catch it before hurling back at him. As he dove out of the way, he saw Morkessa twitch the fingers of her free hand before sweeping said hand upwards. He then looked on in horror as every single corpse slain by their hands rose from the ground.

  Including the spider.

  “Not possible,” Vylkur whispered in horror. As though Morkessa was not already one to be feared! “You never possessed powers of necromancy!”

  “Three hundred years without my favorite pet made me bored,” Morkessa replied with a cackle before snapping her fingers.

  The undead spider reared up and enveloped Vylkur from head to toe in webbing, and Liandrya and Dorlyn both watched and screamed in horror as the gargantuan beast crawled over until it was standing menacingly over the encased dark elf. When the other corpses began shambling and shuffling over to Dorlyn, Liandrya screamed wordlessly and drew her blades.

  “You think to try and fight a horde that cannot be killed by normal means? By all means, try!” Morkessa crowed before cackling. “Your punishment, you filthy half-breed, will be to watch helplessly as my minions feast upon your loves. Only when they have been utterly decimated, will I kill you and take the mask that rightfully belongs to me.”

  Sheathing her blades, Liandrya turned her gaze to Morkessa. “That’s what you think,” she said while taking the box out of her satchel. Opening the box, she let it fall to the ground once she had taken the mask out.

  Put on the mask.

  “You cannot destroy it with any weapons or means that you possess,” Morkessa sneered. “And if you think that handing it over to me now will convince me to let the three of you go after all the trouble you’ve caused me, you are sorely mistaken.”

  Put on the mask, Liandrya. Put on the mask, and all will be well.

  Liandrya canted her head to the side as she regarded Morkessa. “I plan to do neither, you crone.” She gripped the mask in both hands now, and unbeknownst to her, the moon glowed more brightly than before. “Dorlyn, Vylkur, if you can hear me, I love you. Remember me the way I was.” She closed her eyes and swiftly placed the mask against her face, and the moment it made contact with her skin, it attached itself to her.

  “NO!” Dorlyn screamed while fighting futilely against his invisible bonds. Tears streamed down his face.

  “You fool!” Morkessa cackled. “You think yourself to be worthy of the mask?” Her next words died in her throat when instead of being reduced to a shriveled husk, Liandrya was instead surrounded by an iridescent, white light that radiated down from the very moon itself, and lifted into the air by an invisible force. “What?! What is this?!”

  When Liandrya opened her eyes, it was to reveal that they were glowing with a radiant, white light, and when she spoke, it was with an otherworldly voice. “This is the powers of light and love overcoming the powers of darkness and hate,” she said moments before she spread her arms wide and sent a massive wave of warm, blinding, white light outwards.

  The undead horde shrieked before evaporating into dust. No efforts to shield herself worked in Morkessa’s favor, and she screamed in enraged agony as the wave of Divine love and light caused her dark and twisted heart to burst into flames which then consumed her entire body. Only when Morkessa’s ashes began blowing in the wind did the light begin to fade.

  No longer blinded, Dorlyn dashed over to Vylkur and cut him free from his sticky bonds. After helping him to sit up, they both turned in time to see Liandrya slowly descend to the earth. The moment her feet touched the ground, she turned her glowing gaze towards her mates.

  “I love you,” she said moments before the mask shattered into dust and was scattered to the winds. A mere heartbeat later, Liandrya fell lifelessly to the earth and was still as the grave.

  18

  When Liandrya opened her eyes, it was to find herself in a vast space, surrounded by warm, ethereal light and swirling mist. She felt safe and loved, and while the space was empty, she was nevertheless overcome with the beauty of the patterns created by the light and the mist.

  After a few moments, Liandrya became aware of being watched, and she turned to find herself face to face with undoubtedly the most beautiful elven woman she had ever seen. Dressed entirely in white, the elven woman’s flowing hair was of the purest gold as is cascaded down to the backs of her knees, and she regarded Liandrya with a loving, motherly smile.

  Liandrya bowed her head respectfully. “If you’re who I think you are, then that means I’m dead, doesn’t it?”

  “Is that what you want?” Anfarwol asked.

  “No, of course not,” Liandrya replied while slowly raising her head. “No one wants to die, but to save my loves and the land of Cadarnle, I was willing to pay the ultimate price.” She smiled. “So long as Vylkur and Dorlyn are safe, then I will happily accept my fate.”

  “Very admirable of you, my child,” Anfarwol praised while closing the distance between Liandrya and herself.

  “May I just ask one thing?” Liandrya asked.

  “Only one?” Anfarwol asked curiously while canting her head to the side.

  “I didn’t want to press my luck,” Liandrya answered with a sheepish smile.

  Anfarwol smiled and laughed softly. “Ask your questions, my child. There is no rush.”

  “Why me?” Liandrya asked. “Why not simply destroy the mask yourself instead of going through all the trouble of creating me and putting me on the path?”

  “I cannot physically exist within your realm,” Anfarwol replied. “And I cannot inhabit a body without destroying its very essence, and that goes against everything I am.” She gently cupped Liandrya’s cheek. “I can only inhabit a physical body for a very short time, and only after certain preparations are made.”

  Liandrya’s eyes widened in realization. “Thrice-blessed,” she whispered.

  “Exactly, my child,” Anfarwol answered with a smile and a nod of approval. “You truly are clever. You were conceived by my Lodestar under the light of the full moon, and you were born under the light of the full moon. You were prepared from the very beginning to be my vessel.”

  “Who was my mother?”

  “A mortal bard who had recently endured monumental heartache and strife,” Anfarwol answered. “With Dynol’s permission, I visited her in a dream, and I promised to put her on the path of a new life that would lead to happiness and love, and all she had to do in exchange was lie with my Lodestar, carry you until birth, and then leave you to be found by the ones destined to be your parents.”

  “Must’ve been easy for her to agree to those terms in the face of such a promise,” Liandrya remarked with a sigh.

  Anfarwol raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you truly think?”

  “Am I wrong?” Liandrya asked.

  “I will have you know
that she did not simply abandon you before going on her merry way,” Anfarwol replied. “She waited until you were found to ensure that you were safe, and all the while she waited, I could feel the longing in her heart. She wanted to keep you.

  “Oh,” Liandrya replied softly while hanging her head in shame. “And I spent so many years thinking ill of her.” She fell silent for a few moments. “Did she find what you promised her?” she asked softly. “Is she happy? Is she loved?”

  Anfarwol nodded and smiled. “Yes, my dear. Very much so.”

  “Good,” Liandrya replied with a nod before clearing her throat. “Why make me a half-elf instead of full-blooded?”

  “Because, while I love my children infinitely, they have become overly conceited in the way they view the world around them,” Anfarwol explained. “That sort of pride and conceit is what began my sister’s downfall, so I thought it best to have a half-breed be the one to save the day.” She smiled. “And I knew that the trials you would encounter from being a half-breed would only add to the strength of your resolve.” Her smile grew. “Is there anything else you wish to know?”

  “What happens now?” Liandrya asked simply. “Do I stay here? Do I go somewhere? Do you take me where I need to go?”

  Her smile still in place, Anfarwol leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Liandrya’s forehead. “Your time has not yet come, my child,” she murmured while gently pressing a hand against Liandrya’s flat belly. “Now that you have saved Cadarnle and all its people, you must next turn your attention inward to help the others that need you.”

  Liandrya gasped and pressed a shaking hand to her belly. “I’m...I’m…?” Tears formed in her eyes as she smiled. “I’m going to be a mother?”

  “Yes,” Anfarwol replied with a nod.

  “Is the baby alright?” Liandrya asked in a frightened whisper. “What happened with the mask, it...it didn’t hurt my baby, did it?”

  “No harm was done, my dear,” Anfarwol reassured with a smile. “The lives inside of you have taken a firm hold, and they grow stronger with every passing moment.”

  Liandrya blinked. “Lives?”

  Anfarwol nodded. “Sprung from two separate seeds,” she said with her smile still in place. “One from each father,” she added with a cheeky wink.

  Tears of unadulterated bliss rolled down Liandrya’s cheeks. “They will be so happy,”

  “And they will be happier still with the final I now bestow upon you,” Anfarwol remarked before pressing another kiss to Liandrya’s forehead. “The gift of immortality. Consider your reward for willingly making the ultimate sacrifice.”

  “I...I don’t know how to even begin to thank you,” Liandrya said tearfully.

  “Live, my child,” Anfarwol said with a lingering smile as she began fading from sight. “Live long and love.”

  19

  Liandrya awoke with a gasp, and as she rapidly blinked her eyes while turning her head this way and that. She was disoriented, and she eventually was forced to dig her fingers into the earth in order to ground herself as she came back to herself. When she was finally able to get them to focus upon the tear-stained faces of Dorlyn and Vylkur as they peered down at her in stark shock. Reaching up with trembling hands, Liandrya lovingly brushed their tears away with her thumbs while looking back and forth between their red, tear-filled eyes.

  “Not today,” Liandrya whispered with a smile and a tired wink as she slowly sat up.

  Dorlyn and Vylkur said nothing for several moments. Then, it was with a wordless cry that they both threw their arms around their beloved and embraced her tightly between them. They wept into Liandrya’s hair in between pressing frantic kisses to her cheeks, lips, ears, and nose. Liandrya laughed happily even as she wept with her loves and clung to them. The two men were in no hurry to let go of their beloved, and the half-elf was in no hurry to rush them as they took turns reverently nuzzling and kissing the pulses in her neck and wrist before pressing hands against her strong, steady heartbeat.

  “How?” Vylkur asked tearfully when he was finally able to formulate words. “How?”

  “Who cares?” Dorlyn replied. “Don’t question this precious gift we’ve been given,” he said before kissing Liandrya’s lips deeply. “Just thank Anfarwol for seeing fit to gift us with it,” he murmured moments before Vylkur claimed Liandrya’s lips as his own.

  “A precious gift indeed,” Vylkur murmured against Liandrya’s lips when the kiss ended. “So very, very precious.”

  Liandrya smiled. “Oh, my loves...you have no idea,” she whispered. “Help me up, please.” She could not help but laugh fondly when her mates both began dusting her off once she was on her feet. “We have a great deal to talk about,” she said while lacing her fingers through those of her loves. “It’s a good thing we’ve got a long journey back home.”

  “Home sounds wonderful,” Dorlyn agreed. “A proper bath and meal followed by a good night’s sleep in our large, comfortable bed.”

  “Divine,” Vylkur said with a nod before squeezing Liandrya’s hand. “Promise me that you won’t go on any more dangerous journeys for a while, alright?”

  Liandrya giggled as the three of them began walking. “Funny you should say that.”

  “No, not funny,” Vylkur said firmly. “I mean it. No leaving us for a good, long while. Not after what just happened.”

  “You’ll be lucky if we don’t tie you to the bed,” Dorlyn remarked.

  Liandrya smirked and giggled. “I can think of worse ways to pass my time,” she replied cheekily.

  His lips set in a straight line, Vylkur raised one foot behind Liandrya in mid-step and used it to lightly swat her bottom. “Can you blame us for wanting to keep you close by? You really had us scared, Liandrya.”

  “I know,” Liandrya replied with a nod. “And I do promise not to go off and do anything dangerous.” She smiled. “In point of fact, I can’t anymore. Not for at least a few years, and who knows? By then, I might have gotten completely accustomed to a life of domesticity.”

  Both Dorlyn and Vylkur looked at each other quizzically before turning their gazes back to Liandrya. Before either of them could speak, the half-elf spoke again.

  “Incidentally, when we get home, I would like to extend an invitation to my mother and father,” Liandrya said. “I would like it very much if they visited us. I think it’s time they met the two of you.”

  Vylkur blinked in surprise. “Are you sure?” he asked with uncertainty.

  “Lia, I can’t promise that they’ll be accepting or even understanding of the life we’ve built together,” Dorlyn began.

  “Especially the part that includes me,” Vylkur added before sighing. “Will you be ready for their possibly bad reaction?”

  Liandrya squared her shoulders. “I want to give them a chance,” she said. “Besides,” she added with a knowing smile while taking the hands she currently held in her own and pressed them gently against her stomach. “It would be nice to have at least one set of grandparents around.”

  Both Vylkur and Dorlyn stopped dead in their tracks and stared incredulously at Liandrya before dropping their gazes to where their hands rested against her belly. They both slowly sank to their knees and looked to each other before gazing up at their woman. While they said nothing, their eyes asked the same question.

  Really?

  Liandrya nodded and smiled. “You each have a child growing within my belly as we speak,” she murmured. “You’re both going to be fathers, and I couldn’t think of anyone else to spend my newfound immortality with as we raise our bundles of joy and love.”

  “Immortality?” Dorlyn asked with bemused excitement.

  “H...how?” Vylkur asked.

  “I told you we had a lot to talk about,” Liandrya replied with a happy laugh before weeping with joy as both Dorlyn and Vylkur kissed and nuzzled her belly. When they rose to their feet and embraced her, Liandrya nestled into them and eagerly received their kisses. “I take it you’re as overjoyed as I am?”
she asked playfully.

  “I have never before known this type of euphoria,” Vylkur murmured into Liandrya’s temple. His hand still rested upon her belly, and his fingers intertwined with Dorlyn’s.

  “Neither have I,” Dorlyn uttered through his blissful tears.

  “We now have everything we could possibly ever want,” Vylkur said tearfully with a joyful smile. “And it’s all because of you, our lovely Lia.” He kissed her again.

  Dorlyn kissed Liandrya after her kiss with Vylkur ended, and then he gently disentangled the half-elf from their three-way embrace so he could then lift her into his arms like a bride. “Let’s find shelter for the night. We can talk about everything while we rest around a fire.”