“It was dangerous,” I pointed out and he shrugged.
“Living here is dangerous,” Nixie patted my hand. “It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Although I did worry much more than usual. You should have seen me. I was a wreck! I couldn’t eat anything and I think I spent a full day staring at the ocean, hoping we would see your arrival on the horizon.” She laughed when she finished, and I had to smile at the sound.
“It’s not fun having to wait,” I agreed.
“No it isn’t, but when you arrived it made all the waiting worthwhile.” She smiled again and glanced around the room as though searching for something. “I must say, this room is pretty dreary.”
I nearly scoffed at her. The whole point of the mournful décor was in reverence to her father. “But it’s appropriate, don’t you think?”
“Not at all,” she shook her head and looked back at me. “I was just telling Shaylee this the other day. I don’t like black, or at least the idea of it. You see, I want to remember my father as he was, not for what happened to him. He was loving and joyful, even though he kept that side of himself hidden from most. He told me he loved me every day, and black really doesn’t represent that, you know?”
I didn’t know what to say as I listened to what she was really telling me. For the longest time, I had seen the three princesses in a particular light. The eldest was the supporter of her husband and the strategist for battle. Kryssa was a warrior, fighting her battles and remaining loyal to those she loved. It had always been Nixie who I had seen as simple and at times foolish. She lived in a bubble of happiness, which touched those around her. But her words opened my eyes to something I had never really seen before. She had a strength in her I had never understood. I had tasted grief and by hanging onto the tragedy, I had refused to give up the mourning and release the pain.
Nixie was a different immovable force. She would remain in the memory of what was good and pure, of what made her feel blessed and loved. Her strength was her ability to move onto remembrance with a blessed peace.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said softly.
“Oh, you can try and convince me otherwise, that’s all Kryssa and Shaylee have done.” She waved a hand as though it didn’t matter. “So what have you been up to in here?” she asked and her husband gave out a choked laugh, his eyes glinting as he looked at her.
“Nothing really, just pacing.”
“And destroying the door,” she nodded toward the hacked wood.
“That too,” I smiled, and for the first time since I had been in Lathmor, I felt a little at peace.
“As fun as that looks,” her eyes widened as though she thought otherwise, “how about we play a game?”
Daggin sighed, “Not that again.”
“Yes,” she whipped her head in his direction. “Oh, come on, you know you like it.” He merely shrugged in response and without any further encouragement, she began to explain the game. I didn’t understand it from the beginning, but caught on soon enough as she pulled out the dice and Daggin produced a deck of cards as if from nowhere. Somehow, we all ended up in a circle on the floor, our heads bowed over the dice as each roll determined our winnings or losses.
We were laughing, our minds at ease as the time passed quickly. It was long past dark when they silently exited the room with promises to visit in the future. I thanked them both as the door closed, and long after they left, I was smiling to myself.
For the first time in what seemed like ages, I finally laid down upon the mattress. My thoughts drifting back and forth until I was nearly asleep. It was at that precise moment when a solid click resounded, once more within the silent chamber.
Scrambling out of the bed, I turned on my foot and braced myself as the gashed, wooden door slowly swung toward me. My fingers tingled in anticipation, reminding me how soon I would have to fight to keep my blades retracted, and I waited for whoever was outside to step in the room.
The round obtuse shape of a head popped around the side of the door, through the shadows a large hand was holding onto the white wood, “Lissie?” A hushed whisper called out, though I knew he could see me standing there.
“I’m right here, Elik,” I said, matching his tone of whisper.
“Come with me,” he said and swung the door a little wider, giving me my first glance into the hallway and beyond in over a day and a half. His statement was not a request, but a command. I followed without delay, hoping again my obedience wouldn’t go unnoticed. After the casual conversation with Nixie and Daggin, his formalness was a blow to my gut.
There was complete silence between us as I followed him down the halls of the palace and through empty rooms. It seemed as though the entire place was asleep, and our movements were loud against the shrouded walls and draped windows. A small tremor ran down my spine as I watched the dark ghost of a curtained veil drift in the wind; the movement akin to the way Morven’s hair floated. Seeing the dark ripple, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect; I tried not to step closer to Elik.
It’s just your imagination, I chided myself. Logic won over as we reached the door which led to the king’s office.
Without a knock, Elik shoved the door open and silently ushered me into the room. The marble pressed against my feet as though calling me to look at its patterned expanse, stark white patches dashing in bright streaks over the diamond-design.
In here, as well, were dark veils and hooded windows. Bright orange torches created two pools of light over the black wooden desk and the still figure standing behind it. His back was turned to me, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared through a small crack between the curtains, slightly parted before the window. As I suspected, the night was too cloudy for the moon to shine over the island.
Behind me, the door clicked shut. A soft grinding turned into a clang of finality as the lock was shoved into place. A warm hand pressed against my back and I startled, only to allow Elik to lead me farther into the room.
When we were in the center of the large black diamond, he came to a stop with me beside him and I tried not to recall the first time I had stood in this very room facing the now deceased king. The memory came back without regard for my feelings; it was when Patrick had still been with me, his trustworthy presence had been enough to give me the courage to get through the questions posed in my direction. Tonight, I didn’t have such a luxury.
I was alone and once again a pang of longing mixed with frustration tremored through my body, whether I was irritated at Zale for not being here or at the circumstances, I wasn’t sure.
Tunder’s calm figure turned away from the window and as his arms slipped to his sides, his face came into the light of the burning torches. His expression was one I had never seen before, a sort of calm which mingled on the verge of being overly stifled, as though on the point of breaking. His eyes remained just outside the circle of light keeping his thoughts hidden from me. I waited patiently, even though I was brimming with questions.
“Thank you, Elik,” his voice was the same as it had been in the throne room. The harshness of it surprising and also concluding my earlier accusations of the type of leader he was. “I’m not going to waste our time,” his voice was sharp, “you’re here because we have a need of your power.”
Taken aback, I gave no inclination to my thoughts. I wasn’t going to give him the benefit of hearing my shaky voice, no matter how many questions I had.
“Before the king’s death he told me what you were practicing, what I need to know is if you were successful?” He dangled the question in the air, but I didn’t answer. Elik shifted uncomfortably beside me. “Well?” He prodded and when I remained silent he stepped out from behind the desk and my heart rate accelerated.
I had always noticed how large and powerful he was, but in the past his presence had been one of kindness and, if needed, protection. To have it facing me now in hostility was at once shocking and terrifying.
“Answer him,” Elik said beside me in a soft whispe
r. The words weren’t harsh, more of a plea for me to acquiesce to the demands of Lathmor’s new leader.
Deciding to answer without giving away as much as he asked, I raised my chin a little higher and looked the captain directly in the eye.
“And what if I have?” I asked, a little unsure of where the confidence was coming from.
Tunder’s jaw tightened only to relax a moment later when he smiled, his tight lips pulling back and baring his teeth. “Then, I would ask you to do me a favor.”
“And what is that?” I asked quickly, realizing I was showing too much curiosity in his plans. My suspicions were confirmed by the spark in his eye as he readied himself to tell me.
“As you know, we have been on the hunt for a particular warrior,” he didn’t have to say which, “and although we’ve searched harder than ever these past weeks, we cannot find him. My sources tell me he’s no longer with Morven, but we can’t be sure. I had given up the idea of going after him, until he murdered the king.”
A gasp passed through my lips and I felt a shock numb me. It can’t be true. It can’t be.
“W-w-what?” I stuttered.
“So Kryssa didn’t tell you,” Tunder looked pleased, “I didn’t think she would be able to keep it from you.”
His eyes met mine and there was a challenge in them, beckoning me to try and dissuade his judgment. “Did you see the dried blood at the location of his massacre on your way up to the castle?” He asked and I didn’t even nod. I couldn’t forget the sight of all that blood. I now knew exactly what he was going to tell me. “Did you also notice there was a bright pool of it in the middle?”
Again, I didn’t answer.
He took a step toward me and I wanted to move back. Against my better judgment, I held my ground even though my eyes were no longer seeing what was in front of me.
Dusted and red cracked stones, long since dried with the blood of Lathmorians, floated before my eyes. The screams and cries of pain pushed their way into existence and I wanted to shake my head to shut them out. But it was the memory of the warrior’s gaze, filled with blood lust, which shook me to my core.
In the mere seconds it took for my mind to register just what Tunder was telling me, my heart was pumping hard enough to leap out of my chest and my breaths had become loud in the still room. With all the effort I could muster, I reigned in the image of the blood-caked stones and lifted my eyes to Tunder’s. Zale had warned me of this before I even realized what was happening.
Hang onto what you know. To what you told me when I left. The words ran through my mind with a different form of clarity.
“Is that where King Oberon died?” I asked, my words shakier than I wanted to admit.
“No, that is where the king was murdered.” He said the last word with such finality and vengeance that the torches behind him were dull in comparison to the fire in his eyes. “It’s where Morven’s mutilated creature took our king and sliced his throat, leaving him for dead in the middle of the night.”
An unwarranted shiver ran up my spine as the image of the very same warrior filled my mind, I fought it back with everything I had. I had seen the warrior and I had seen the man beneath.
It was the man who had given me the dagger, now sheathed against my arm, the man who had saved my life on the island and resisted fighting the Lathmorian captain against his better judgment. Most importantly, he was the man who had said he loved me and had proved it, by leaving Morven. It was his word against Tunder’s; a fight I had never wished to witness.
“And what makes you so certain it was him?” I asked, my mind working quickly.
For a moment Tunder’s face cleared as though hit over the head with something heavy, but when the words sunk in, the anger I had grown accustomed to returned.
“What did he do to you?!” He suddenly yelled making both Elik and me jump. “How did he make you believe him without question? How? The girl that was in love with Patrick would never have been this stupid!”
“How dare—” I began, but he cut me off.
“No! How dare you stand there and not listen to reason!” His words seemed to echo throughout the room and my eyes welled with tears, as they always did when someone yelled at me. “You are here because the king told me your powers were important for our survival in this war. That alone is the reason for your presence. If I had my way, you would never set foot in Lathmor again.”
“Then why don’t you go ahead and tell me what it is I’m supposed to do. That way I can get back to my cell.” I spit the words back at him, wanting to hurt him in the same way he was tearing me apart.
His jaw clenched again and he looked toward the windows once more, in some way I felt as though I had just crossed an imaginary line, putting myself in the same place as his enemies. Yet, he was not reacting the way I expected he would. Instead of sending me away, he turned his back and paced toward the desk, each step he took looked weighted and heavy, as though burdened. For the first time since I got here, I began to realize the position he was in.
For many merfolk years, Tunder had been the war leader, but now with the king’s passing, he had been thrust into the political side of ruling which he had never had before.
As though confirming my beliefs, he braced his backside against the edge of the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. It was the lines streaked over his forehead which made him look older than ever before; he had always been a leader to me, but a confident one. Now, he was pulling at loose strings.
“Wait,” I said, just as he was opening his mouth to speak. His eyebrows lifted and he paused. “I know you don’t believe me about Zale, and you’ll never be able to trust him. I also know you don’t trust me, but I have my reasons to believe Zale wasn’t the one to murder the king.” Elik shifted beside me once more, but Tunder made no movement as he listened.
“A few weeks ago Morven visited me,” the lines in Tunder’s brow grew more pronounced and he glared at me again. “He left a note in my bedroom that I thought was from Zale and I went down to the beach expecting him to be there, but it was Morven instead. It’s true, Zale has left Hyvar and is no longer under their control, but he wouldn’t do this, and—”
Tunder raised his hand to silence me and I let the words remain unspoken, “I don’t have the luxury to think that way anymore.” He said and turned his back to me.
“I wasn’t finished,” I continued, refusing to let him dominate me. “I received a note two night before Voon came for me. It was from Zale.”
The captain turned back to look at me, this time his eyes were once again hidden in the shadows. I focused on the stubbornness of his jaw line and recited the words of Zale’s letter; each word falling from my lips as though I had repeated them thousands of times before.
“That doesn’t prove anything,” Elik pointed out beside me and stepped away, his shoulders were slumped and more relaxed than I had seen them since my arrival.
“He’s right,” Tunder agreed, “Unless you have the note with you?”
“No,” I shook my head and tried to ease the growing frustration in my gut. I knew why they couldn’t trust him or me; I just wanted to make them understand. There is a way, the thought shot through my mind with a streaking brilliance, but I shied away from it, afraid of the power it had had over me in Kryssa’s bedroom.
Deciding to distract myself, I looked Tunder directly in the eye, or at least from what I could tell I was looking directly at him. “You spoke of a favor earlier,” I said, with a confidence from somewhere within. “You obviously don’t want to hear about Zale, so what do you need from me?”
The captain shifted and brought his face back into the light as he sat down behind the large wooden desk. His chair creaked and he leaned forward to look down at me, clasping his hands together on the table before he spoke.
“We have a Hyven prisoner in the dungeon. I want you to speak with her.”
“When you say speak…?” I trailed off in suggestion, realizing what he meant.
He nodded, “I mean interrogate, and use your gift to get the information we need.”
I scoffed, “And you think I’d do it?”
“Yes,” he said and pursed his lips. “I remember making a promise to you about Zale; one where Lathmorians wouldn’t kill him, but bring him in as a prisoner. I can always change my orders.”
His words were cold and made my breath catch in my throat. “How do you even know I’d be able to do it?”
“King Oberon believed in your abilities,” the captain said and cocked his head to the side. “He may not have been right about some things, but I would bet my life, he was right about you.”
I was being backed into a corner and was well aware of it; Tunder was cleverer than I had realized. “Are you commanding me, my Captain?” I asked with mock reverence, which didn’t go unnoticed. His mouth twitched, but he nodded all the same.
“Then you’ve left me no choice,” I sighed, “Bring in the prisoner.”
“Tomorrow,” he said, “be ready.” With a wave of his hand, he beckoned to Elik and I realized I was dismissed.
Elik followed me out of the chamber, and this time we walked side by side on our way to Kryssa’s room. The daunting task, which Tunder had set before me, crashed over me in a wave. It was simple enough to practice using my power on my brothers when they were willing to help, but it was another thing entirely to presume I was strong enough to overcome a resistant enemy.
“Go a bit easier on him next time,” Elik said from beside me and I shook my head at his words.
“Not when he treats me like that,” I said and sighed. “He’s changed, more than he realizes.”
“True, but he wants to believe you. Show him he still can.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?” I asked. If there was anything Elik and I shared, it was the way we were always able to tell one another the truth. He had been more understanding than the rest of them when I thought Patrick was dead, and though he was frustrated with me now, I was aware of his belief in me. Maybe I hadn’t lost all of his trust yet.
Torrents (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 3) Page 9
