“I think we can, but I’ve never left the castle before.” Keiana got to her feet, and after wringing her hands, she sat down on the side of the bed and bounced her left leg in nervous energy.
Ambriel got to her feet and paced. Three steps forward, three steps back. “Do you know anyone else here?”
“Well… there is this one person. She cleans the kitchen, and sometimes she spots me spying on everyone. When she does, she’ll smile and sometimes offer me a cookie.”
Ambriel stopped her pacing and faced Keiana. “Really?” With her nod, she continued, “Do you think she’ll help us?”
“I don’t know. Should I ask?”
“I don’t know anything about the Santiarns, only what I’ve seen in the Human realm, and of course, Ornias. If you think she would help, then yes, otherwise we’ll figure something else out ourselves.”
“When should I ask?”
Her large innocent red eyes had Ambriel questioning herself. Should she put Keiana is such a dangerous situation? What if the women turned her in to Ornias? Ambriel wanted out of this realm as soon as possible, but it didn’t feel right to involve Keiana in such dangerous missions.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Keiana? It’s very dangerous.”
“You will take me with you?”
Ambriel sat down and faced her new-found friend. She needed to be perfectly honest with her. “I will, but you will have to hide there, as well. Humans don’t know about other realms, and you look very different from them in some ways.”
“How?” she asked with a sad, shaky voice.
“Nothing that we can’t fix…I think.” Ambriel looked over her appearance. “Nobody has red eyes. I think we can get you colored contacts and make them appear more human.” Keiana smiled. “Your teeth will have to be fixed to look more like mine.” Ambriel peeled her lips away from her teeth, showing her own.
“But how will I eat?”
“Don’t worry, our food is not like yours. You’ll be fine.” Ambriel reached over and squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her.
“Okay, what else?”
“Your nails will have to be filed down. Thankfully, the nailbeds look human, so I’m sure we can make it work. There’s nothing we can do about the black, but some people wear black polish, so it’ll be okay.”
The worry evident on Keiana’s face had Ambriel wanting to reassure her even more. “You do want to go with me, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I’m really scared. I’ve never been outside the castle.”
“I know. When I found out I was half-Cusas, everything scared me. I have a friend named Brian, and I think he’ll help us. Also, I met a witch named Zira, and I feel certain she’ll help, too. Maybe she’ll even know something about you…about your family.”
“You really think so?”
She shrugged, “Maybe.” Figuring it was better to tell her now, Ambriel continued. “Keiana, I need you to know upfront that I have a mate who lives in the Cusasleon realm, and I live there with him.” She hurried on when she noticed the panic on Keiana’s face. “But I won’t just leave you there in the Human realm. I have plenty of money that you can have. We’ll get you a place to live, everything you need. I’m certain that Zira will help you, as well. I promise, I won’t abandon you.”
Keiana let out a shaky breath before saying, “Okay. I trust you. I don’t know why, but I do.”
“Thank you. I promise to visit often, especially if we can end the war between the Santiarns and Cusas.”
“Why don’t we just lock the Santiarns in this realm? We could lock the Cusas in theirs also, but then you couldn’t come and visit me.” She casually spoke as if locking the realm were no big deal.
Ambriel froze. “What did you say?”
Seeing Ambriel’s intense focus, Keiana cautiously continued. “Why don’t we lock them in their realms?”
“You can do that?” When the girl nodded, Ambriel squealed, “Oh my God, Keiana! You can really do that?” A grin spread across Keiana’s face, and Ambriel threw her arms around her neck, hugging her tight while slightly jumping up and down. When Ambriel drew back, her excited voice almost shouted, “Tell me how!”
“There was a spell in one of the books…” Keiana sat on her knees on the floor, looking through one stack of books before crawling over to another tall stack, trying to find one book in particular. After picking up one after the other and throwing them to the side, she grabbed one, and with a huge smile she announced, “Found it!”
She flipped through the pages until she found the spell they needed. “Here it is. Let’s see…hmm, there several ingredients, but the three most important are blood from a human, a Santiarn, and a Cusas.” She looked up with a frown.
Ambriel said with a giddy chuckle, “We have all three.”
Dawning shone on Keiana’s face. “That’s right! We do, don’t we?”
Chapter Seven
The two of them plotted for a while longer, trying to decide the best way to get the Santiarn female to help. They needed a way out of the castle, and both had to disguise themselves. “Okay. I’ll ask her in the morning,” Keiana said as they talked about the female in the kitchen.
“Tomorrow,” Ambriel muttered. She couldn’t wait to be free of this realm. They talked until Keiana grew tired, one wide yawn appearing right after the other. Ambriel sat with her back resting against the wall as she thought of Mikal. She missed him sorely and needed him like the air she breathed. Did he feel it, too? She’d found a home there with him, along with her father and some good friends. Tears formed in her eyes, and before she could swipe it away, one fell to the ground.
“What’s wrong?” Keiana asked. She was changing into her nightgown, and Ambriel had hoped she hadn’t noticed. Oh well, no use hiding it.
“I miss my mate,” Ambriel admitted.
“I’m sorry,” she replied with such concern it made Ambriel smile just a little. She had no doubt that Keiana meant it. “Would you like to see him?” she asked mid-step, before climbing into bed.
Ambriel’s sadness changed to confusion. “What do you mean?” She sat up straight, intent on listening to every word her new friend spoke.
“I can make a potion that will allow you to speak with him in a dream. That’s what I did for Ornias, and that’s why it’s my fault you’re here.” Her lips tipped up when she admitted, “But I’m not sorry you came.”
“I would have to drink it?” She was definitely considering the idea.
“Well, yes. It probably doesn’t taste very good.”
“What’s in it?” Ambriel got to her feet so she could look Keiana in the eyes. She needed to see Mikal, needed to feel his arms around her in a hug, reassuring her that everything would work out.
“Some rare herbs mixed with fresh blood. I have to say a spell while I mix it.”
Ambriel’s stomach rebelled at the thought of drinking more blood—that just wasn’t normal. But she needed to see her mate and was actually considering the idea.
“Whose blood is in it?” If it were hers, then maybe…
“Mine,” Keiana admitted, “since I’m the one casting the spell.”
Ambriel thought about it, and every time she started to dismiss the idea, a picture of Mikal formed in her mind and her heart ached. Deep inside, she knew she didn’t have a choice in the matter. “Okay.”
“Are you sure? You don’t look sure.”
“I am. I just don’t like the idea of drinking blood, but I want to see Mikal. How long will I be able to talk to him?”
“I don’t know,” Keiana twisted her face in thought. “I’ve only done it once, and that was when Ornias wanted to talk to you.” She grabbed a small old metal pot and a wooden spoon from under her tiny bed. The stains it sported spoke of heavy use. Keiana grinned as she looked over her shoulder at Ambriel, “It’s kind of boring here, so I like to practice a lot.” She then pulled out small containers containing herbs and who knows what else…
“Where did you get all of the herbs?” A
mbriel peered curiously over her shoulder, watching everything Keiana did.
She shrugged and then admitted, “I just took them.”
“Took them,” she mused, “You stole them?”
She shrugged again. Ambriel noticed that Keiana shrugged a lot, especially if she grew uncomfortable.
Ambriel watched as Keiana opened a book, displaying the spell and the ingredients needed. She opened several containers, pulling out the herbs needed. Some of the “herbs” smelled horrible and looked like bone fragments. Don’t ask, Ambriel, she thought. Knowing that it contained blood was bad enough.
When Keiana produced a knife and slit the palm of her hand, Ambriel flinched, knowing that it had to have hurt. She let several drops of blood fall into the pot while she spoke words that Ambriel didn’t understand. Right before her very eyes, the mixture turned into a dark potion.
Keiana grabbed a cloth to wrap her bleeding hand and said happily, “It’s ready.”
After she bandaged her hand, she grabbed an iron goblet, poured the potion into it and then handed it to Ambriel. “Here you go.”
Ambriel took the goblet from Keiana and placed it under her nose, sniffing the contents. “That smells awful,” she said with a grimace.
“That’s why you should drink it fast.”
She sat down, her legs outstretched and her back against the wall. “Okay, here goes nothing.” Ambriel tipped the goblet to her lips and let the contents slide quickly down her throat. She fell into a deep slumber.
Mikal
The Cusasleon Realm
How long had it been since he’d seen Ambriel? Two days? Three? It didn’t matter. Time had stopped with her disappearance, and the feeling of loss only strengthened. He’d killed as many Santiarns as possible in the Human realm, and still he didn’t feel any better. All his warriors avoided him, and even Lukke kept things formal.
Returning once again from the Human realm, Mikal walked with conviction toward the dining hall, not worrying how menacing his blood-covered clothes appeared to others as they passed.
After grabbing a tray of food, he sat opposite Lukke. Lukke was the only one who would be near him unless it was absolutely necessary. He bowed his head with Mikal’s arrival. “Lukke,” he acknowledged.
“Commander, how did things go today?” Mikal just grunted while shoving food into his mouth. Lukke let him be until they had both finished eating.
“Mikal,” Lukke said, and the commander’s head shot up. Lukke hadn’t called him that since he’d spoken to Riysa. “I would like to speak with you in private. Let’s adjourn to my rooms.” Mikal held Lukke’s gaze for a moment and then nodded.
After they discarded their trays, the two of them walked in silence. As soon as the door closed behind them, Lukke turned to his friend.
“Mikal, you don’t look—” he started, but Mikal interrupted him.
“How do I look?” He stood with his arms crossed, a stern look on his hardened face.
“You look like death.” Lukke let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his forehead. “You look like the fucking grim reaper!”
Mikal relaxed his stance somewhat before taking a seat. Lukke poured them both a tumbler of ale and handed one to Mikal before downing his own. Three drinks later, Mikal had relaxed enough to let his guard down.
“I don’t know how to get her back,” he admitted in an almost defeated voice.
“Well, I have an idea. I don’t know if it will work, but we can try,” Lukke said. He sat down in another chair, resting his elbows on his knees while holding his drink.
Mikal now mirrored Lukke’s posture as he asked, “What is it?” Right now, he’d try anything to get his mate back. Every part of his body ached with the pain of losing her.
“How about we try catching a Santiarn instead of killing them all? There has to be some way we can enter their realm and retrieve Ambriel.”
“There realm is like ours, heavily protected by magic.”
“We can at least try. That’s why they wanted Ambriel to begin with. They needed her blood.” When Lukke knew that Mikal was considering it, he continued. “Did you ever wonder how they took Ambriel to the Santiarn realm?”
With renewed hope, Mikal knew Lukke was right. Ambriel didn’t have Santiarn blood, but somehow they took his mate there. The answer was in the blood. “It’s definitely worth a—” Mikal slumped over, dropping his drink as he fell fast asleep.
Mikal stood under a tree in the middle of a park. Looking into the distance, he could see a graveyard in which the tombstones littered the ground. Slowly turning around, he recognized the area where he’d chased after Ambriel, and she’d gotten away. It was sunny out, which confused him even more. He’d just been talking to Lukke, and nighttime had fallen.
“Mikal!”
He quickly turned toward the sound of the voice and spotted Ambriel running toward him. He sprinted in her direction, and when they stood face to face, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her body tightly to his. The soul-deep pain that had plagued him day and night eased with her presence. Without saying a word, he took her head in his hands and kissed her like a dying man gasping for a last breath. He needed her, needed to feel her!
With roaming hands, he tore off her clothes, then quickly shed his. “I thought I’d lost you forever. I love you, Ambriel,” he said between kisses while his hands roamed her luscious body.
“I don’t know how much time we have,” she admitted breathlessly as she lifted her leg around his hip.
Not wasting any time, he lifted her up and entered her quickly. Just needing to feel her body connect with his, Mikal’s soul reached for hers and rejoiced once again. Their primal needs overruled any logical thought until he roared his release. She soon joined him, and the two of them were left panting, trying to catch their breath.
Mikal lowered himself to the ground and sat with her on his lap, his arms wrapped around her body, afraid to let go. “Where are we?”
Ambriel smiled, “We’re in my dream.” She kissed his cheek before snuggling next to him. She cradled her head in the bend between his shoulder and neck. “I have so much to tell you, Mikal.”
“Where are you? I’ve looked everywhere and know you must be in the Santiarn realm. I’ve feared what Ornias is doing to you,” he admitted as he hugged her tighter, if they were even possible.
“I am in the Santiarn realm…” she started.
“We have a plan to get you out. Lukke thinks we can capture one of them, then we can use his blood somehow to enter their realm.”
“No!” she shouted. He startled, and she continued on. “I’ve met someone like me there. A girl. She’s half-human, half-Santiarn, and she’s a powerful witch, even if she doesn’t know it.”
Another half-human! That certainly changed things. Could she be the key that Ambriel seeks?
“She protected me from Ornias and then freed me from my cell. Oh, Mikal! She’s so innocent and has been alone for so long.”
“How has she survived?” he asked.
“I don’t really know how she could be so good and innocent, living in a place like that. She’s the reason I’m talking to you right now.”
“Then I’ll have to thank her when I get you back.”
“What? Thank a half-human?” she chided with mockery.
“Hush,” he grinned as he kissed the top of her head. Just to feel her in his arms brought so much indescribable peace. “So tell me why I can’t come to the Santiarn realm and rescue you?”
“Keiana, that’s her name, she has all these books of spells and potions. She’s spent years just studying them. Wait, I’m getting sidetracked. There is this woman here, and Keiana thinks she’ll help us. Ornias has the castle protected, and we can’t escape to the Human realm without his knowing.”
“He knows you’re there anyway, Ambriel,” Mikal interjected.
“No, he doesn’t, at least not right now. Keiana cast a spell and made him forget I was here.”
“Okay…” he said,
slowly.
“So, Keiana thinks this woman will help us sneak out of the castle. We have to steal a transport crystal first. Theirs is different from ours, of course. Once we’re outside the castle, we plan to open the portal to the Human realm. Once we’re there, Keiana knows how to lock the Santiarn realm. Everyone there will be unable to escape. The only downfall is that every Santiarn in the Human realm will be locked there, as well. So please, don’t try to enter the Santiarn realm. Give me a day or two, and I hope to be in the Human realm.”
“This girl can lock a realm?” he asked with surprise. Had anyone ever been able to do that in the thousands of years? He didn’t think so.
“She can. She can lock yours, too, but she wants me to be able to visit, so that wasn’t an option.”
Mikal’s head was spinning with the revelation. This…Keiana…could really end the war and bring peace to the humans, peace to the Cusas. He had to think. They had little time to plan. “Do you have your protection necklace?”
“Yeah, it’s in my pocket.”
“Okay, put it on and when you enter the Human realm, take it off when the time is right, and I’ll find you and be by your side.”
Ambriel looked at him and worried her lip between her teeth. “Okay, but listen. Keiana has been through enough. The woman who raised her left when she was young. They told Keiana she was an abomination, and that was the reason for her departure. She never knew she was part human and has been left alone for years. Many of those years were spent locked in a small room until she found a spell to help her escape. So no snide remarks about her, to her, or about humans!”
He’d made so many mistakes when he’d met Ambriel. She didn’t trust him at first, not that he blamed her for that. If this girl was as powerful as Ambriel said, getting on her bad side was the last thing they needed to do.
“Let me prepare myself. What does she look like?”
“She has red hair. Her skin is almost the color of mine. It’s her red eyes, sharp teeth, and sharp black nails that are the problem.”
“Okay, then.” He could feel the dream falling away so he hurried on. “I love you, Ambriel.” He took her lips in a tender kiss.
Ambriel's Quest: Book 2 Page 7
