Sundered

by Bethany Adams

  “He’ll take us where we need to go,” Ralan finally answered, his voice almost casual. “Sheathe your sword. They’ll make it easy enough for us now.”

  Lyr complied. “I thought you said a fight was inevitable.”

  “It was.” The prince smirked. “I needed a distraction to break through their defenses. Fae beings are never as easy to control as humans, and I’m out of practice.”

  He had been so intent on Ralan’s role as a seer that he’d forgotten the prince’s mastery of mind magic. It was fortunate for Moranaia that the prince was a man of honor. If he ever went rogue, like Kien…

  “Come on, then,” Lyr grumbled.

  Lyr glanced at Meli’s pale face as the princes surrounded her once more. Had she ever seen a battle? If only he could stop and comfort her. Despite Ralan’s casual confidence, Lyr knew the prince’s power would only last so long over four adult Sidhe. He spun away to follow the wooden steps of their unwilling guides, but he cast his mind back to his bonded.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what? There wasn’t even blood.” A touch of amusement came through. “That was…I have never seen anything like it. He truly has control of them?”

  Lyr understood, then, what bothered her. “For a time. Hopefully long enough. I thought I’d scared you.”

  Her huff of laughter was so slight he wasn’t sure the others heard it. “I’ve seen mock battles. The Ljósálfar practice daily for wars we might never fight. But controlling the minds of so many Sidhe is new. Will his hold last long?”

  “I guess we have to hope for the best.”

  Lyr turned his dagger so the blade ran along his wrist, out of sight. He kept his arm close to his side as the corridor emptied into the main entry. To the right, a pair of glass-paned doors revealed the gardens beyond. On the far left, huge, stone doors stood partly open as if left in haste. The guards’ original station? Lyr and the others had entered under one side of the double stairs that curved up each wall of the room to meet over their heads. Another hallway opened ahead of them to continue along the terrace

  The guard leading them didn’t turn into the entryway but kept walking forward, down the hallway that was twin to the one they’d left. The Sidhe didn’t take them far, opening the first door they came to and descending a stone, spiral staircase. Lyr gestured for Ralan to precede him. If the guards got too far ahead, they would be more difficult to control.

  Forehead beaded with sweat, Ralan brushed past him. Lyr hadn’t seen his friend appear so strained since he’d returned to Moranaia with his sick daughter. Lyr’s anger started to crumble, then, for it was clear the prince was going to great effort to save Kai and Arlyn. It was time he remembered the trust he bore for his friend.

  “Whatever happens, I am sorry,” he murmured.

  Ralan gave him a quick, surprised look over his shoulder, a touch of tension easing from his expression. “As am I. Thank you.”

  After hundreds of years of friendship, they needed say no more. Fortunate, since Lyr didn’t want to distract the prince. It would be an unpleasant place for a fight if the guards worked free of their control. Instead, Lyr concentrated on keeping his footing on the smooth, slippery stone. How many millennia had these steps seen? A question he was unlikely to learn the answer to.

  Finally, they emerged in a room the size of an entire house. Columns of stone spiraled at regular intervals, supporting the structure above. White, fabric-covered lumps, possibly furniture, were scattered here and there, and crates ranged along one side of the dim room. But no sign of Kai and Arlyn.

  The guards stopped in the center. The leader squeezed his hands against his head as though trying to free himself, but his eyes remained glazed. “I can go no farther. I told you there were none here.”

  “I thought you said he would lead us,” Lyr said to Ralan.

  “He isn’t lying. They have no knowledge of anyone being brought here.” Lines of sweat trickled down the prince’s face now, and his hands trembled. “My vision showed an underground room, so I had him bring us here. This basement the lowest location I could find in his mind. There must be an entrance to a secret chamber around here somewhere.”

  “Miaran,” Lyr cursed. “I spoke briefly with Arlyn. She said something about a maze of tunnels.”

  The four guards suddenly crumpled, and Ralan swayed, almost falling before he righted himself against a column. “They’ll sleep, but shortly.”

  “Ralan—”

  “We have to keep going. I see it now. Behind the furniture on the left wall.” The prince straightened, pale but determined. “We have to go. The two lords are ahead of us, and I see plenty of things that can go wrong. So many damn decisions that could be made.”

  They hurried to the place Ralan had seen in his vision. Lyr sucked in a breath as the prince pointed out the slight split in the stone wall, barely large enough to slip through sideways. He never would have found it on his own. The dim flicker of light in the large room made it seem like a natural striation in the rock.

  “How could the lords be ahead of us? They couldn’t possibly have missed the fight had they gone down the main stairs,” he mentally asked, though he hated to strain the prince further.

  “I saw them take another way. A private one.”

  It made sense to have more than one entrance to the dungeon area. But why didn’t the guards know of the place? That answer wasn’t likely to be a good one.

  Chapter 33

  Kai stumbled, struggling beneath the awkward weight of two packs. They’d found their belongings a few rooms away from the one where they’d been held, but Arlyn was too weak to carry hers. He had hefted both onto his shoulders before they continued their search for an exit. But after climbing endless stairs and peering into countless empty rooms, he began to question the decision.

  “Is there anything of value to you in here?”

  “No,” Arlyn answered. “Though we might need some of the camping supplies later.”

  “I can survive in the woods without them.” Kai stopped in yet another empty room and shrugged the packs to the floor. “Making it out alive is more important.”

  In short order, he’d consolidated the most important contents into one lighter bag. A bit of food, a bundle of fishing line with hooks, and a coil of rope were all he carried, besides their weapons. Arlyn had her bow and quiver, the weight of her sword too much. Every few rooms, Kai fed her more energy. It wasn’t as much of a strain as it should have been, something in this place unexpectedly bolstering him.

  Kai ascended yet another stairway. Had the builder been insane? They had found a few more cells with chains for holding prisoners but also plenty of rooms that were empty. Little furniture and no signs of life. But other floors had rooms like any other house. Private quarters, public spaces, and even cooking and dining areas, though those were mixed up in odd ways. To get to the kitchen, he’d climbed a set of stairs from a room containing a large stone bed frame.

  Were they making upward progress? Climbing in circles? They’d retraced their steps so often, there was no way to tell. This time, they emerged in a large room lit by globes suspended overhead. Carvings of ancient scenes from when the Sidhe had ruled the surface covered the walls. The floor, though smooth, had been painted to resemble a raging stream flowing over rocks. A ballroom? Who would build a ballroom so many levels underground instead of near the surface where it could be accessed by guests?

  Arlyn stumbled against him, and Kai gripped her arms. “More energy?”

  “You shouldn’t,” she whispered, though her voice lacked conviction.

  “To lose you is death. I’ll not risk it.” He sent more power along their bond and sighed in relief to see her straighten. “I can draw readily from this place.”

  “Well, then,” a voice called from across the room. Caolte’s smirk greeted Kai’s startled gaze. “Looks like we should have blocked them from receiving energy after all, brother.”

  Naomh didn’t answer, his incredulous stare focu
sed on Kai and Arlyn. “How did you get free?”

  Kai’s lips curved up. “You should know better than to rely on spells. Too easily broken.”

  “Those were bound by my blood and magic. Without me, they should never—”

  “Guess you were wrong,” Kai interrupted, drawing his sword even as uneasiness settled in his stomach. “Just let us go. My bonded is ill, and we have no argument with your House. Since you mistook us as working for Kien, we can forgive your previous actions.”

  Naomh’s hand wrapped slowly around the hilt of his sword, and he hesitated before drawing it. “Our home has been invaded, and four of my guards are unresponsive. Possibly dead. I find your innocence difficult to believe.”

  Resigned, Kai rushed forward to meet the approaching Sidhe. He sensed Arlyn pressing back against the wall and nocking an arrow in her bow. Would she be able to draw it? He sped up, hoping to ensure the conflict would stay far from her in the huge room. Caolte settled in front of the other door with arms crossed and expression inscrutable.

  “This is pointless,” Kai said as Naomh neared. “Your intruders are only here to save us.”

  “Enough.”

  Naomh gave no other warning before taking the offensive, his sword swooping down with deadly intent. Kai parried without trouble, but he worried about besting a Sidhe lord of ancient power. A power held at bay. “Not going to tangle me in more trees or rock?”

  The Sidhe sneered as he spun into another blow. “Not this time. A duel in the old style, I think.”

  Kai’s eyes widened as he launched his own attack. It was a rare honor for the Sidhe to fight with blade alone, for they were happy to dispense with those they considered weaker with a flick of magic. Ancient duels fought as such settled disputes between equals. But it was difficult to feel honored as Naomh parried each blow with casual ease. Almost as bad as sparring with Lyr.

  Kai feinted low, then swooped high, tracing a thin line up the Sidhe’s arm. Blood dripped down Naomh’s forearm as he cursed and drew his sword back into position. Fury filled the Sidhe’s eyes, and he attacked with greater resolve, sending Kai into the defensive once more. Sweat beaded Kai’s brow as they circled the center of the room.

  “Yield,” Naomh muttered.

  “Only if you free us.”

  The Sidhe grunted in answer and continued his blows. Clear enough. Kai had no idea how long they fought, but he was grateful for the hours he had trained with Lyr. He never could have survived against a Sidhe lord otherwise. Was there any way he could win? Naomh had few weaknesses in his guard, but…there. Next time, he had only to—

  The clatter of Arlyn’s bow hitting stone distracted him. Though he parried automatically, his head turned to see who’d harmed his bonded. But no one was near her. She slumped against the wall, her eyes closed as though in pain. He needed to win this fight now. Kai looked back, desperation overcoming sense, to see the other’s sword sweeping toward his neck.

  He had just enough time to avoid a killing blow. Still, the tip of the blade sliced through his tunic and into flesh. As Kai hissed with pain, the sword caught the two chains he wore around his neck, one holding Arlyn’s pendant, and severed the metal. He felt both slither down, but it was the least of his concerns. He leapt back, hand finding the cut to test its severity, and sensed Arlyn stirring behind him.

  “Don’t shoot,” he called back, knowing she didn’t understand the implications of the duel.

  Kai’s hand shook, but he lifted his sword, ready for another attack. One that never came. Naomh stood frozen, his eyes on the chains that had fallen to the ground. Why was he hesitating? Kai gaped as the Sidhe threw his sword to the ground with a clang and dropped to his knees. Then he reached for the chain Kai had inherited on his twentieth birthday.

  Naomh raised stunned eyes to Kai. “Where did you get this?”

  “What is it?” Caolte asked, arms dropping to his sides as he approached his brother.

  “I gave it to Elerie.” Naomh gathered the chain into his hand and stood, his expression suddenly hard. “How did you come to have this necklace?”

  The uneasiness Kai had suppressed returned to choke him. “My mother.”

  Naomh strode toward him, heedless of the sword Kai still held. “Where is she?”

  “She is dead,” Kai managed to get out around the restriction in his throat.

  The room around them shook as rage filled the Sidhe lord’s eyes. Caolte reached out to grab his brother’s arm, but Naomh shook him off. “Did you kill her?”

  “What?” Anger released the shock that had held Kai’s voice. “You think I killed my own mother?”

  “It has certainly been done before.” One of the globes suspended from the stone ceiling broke free in a shower of pebbles, shattering on the floor a few body-lengths away. “How long ago?”

  “I didn’t kill her. I was a baby.” Kai clenched his teeth, though it speared pain through his injured jaw. “Five hundred and forty-three years ago next month.”

  Silence fell, save the tinkling of rock shards falling from the ceiling above. Kai had never seen a Sidhe look so…discomposed. Pain pinched Naomh’s face and glinted in his eyes. “Less than a year after she left me. All this time…”

  Gods of Arneen. Kai’s body went cold as unease solidified into suspicion. Then knowing. He’d been trying to uncover information about his father since he’d discovered he was not Allafon’s son. He hadn’t considered the Sidhe. But the way he’d broken the cuffs’ enchantment and the ease of drawing on the energy here… He swallowed hard.

  Naomh was his father.

  “She meant to return to you,” Kai forced himself to say. “My father—no, Allafon—held her until she bore your child. Then he killed her out of spite. He claimed me as his own.”

  Understanding crossed Caolte’s face first, and he reached out for his brother’s arm again. This time, Naomh didn’t shake him off. He sagged as his eyes widened. “You mean—”

  “Kai!” Lyr’s voice broke through the tension as his blade rang free. His expression was furious as he sprinted across the room, Ralan and Teyark behind him. Corath and Meli halted near the door. “Stand away from him, Sidhe.”

  “See to Arlyn,” Kai called. He had been feeding her energy despite his injury, but she wavered on her feet nonetheless. “The battle is over.”

  One glance at Arlyn and Lyr took Kai at his word. He darted around the three in the center and headed for his daughter. She blinked, her eyes glazed. He looked her over for injury but found nothing. “What’s wrong?”

  She trembled so much that it was difficult to tell when she shook her head. “Don’t know. Can’t hold energy.”

  Lyr placed a hand on her forehead. Her skin was clammy, her energy lower than he had ever seen it. If not for her human blood, she wouldn’t have been conscious. His anger surged as he peered over his shoulder at the Sidhe lords. “What did you do to her?”

  The red-haired one lifted a brow. “I fear she came to us this way.”

  “Something in that crystal,” she whispered.

  Lyr caught her as she crumpled, feeding her energy as he held her against him. Within moments, she was able to pull back, but he could sense what he’d given already draining away. He turned to Ralan. “Did you know?”

  “In the futures where the counter spell hit her, she was supposed to be in Moranaia before it took hold. The fairies can heal her.”

  “We need to get back.” Lyr swept her into his arms, alarm squeezing his heart when she didn’t protest. He strode to Kai, still standing next to the Sidhe. “If you wanted war, you have made a fine start.”

  “No,” the blond Sidhe murmured. “I wanted Elerie.”

  Kai’s mother? Lyr took in Kai’s pallor and the shattered expression of the Sidhe. Could it be? He noticed, then, the resemblance between the two, though Kai had inherited his mother’s coloring. “What business did you have with her?”

  Pain-filled brown eyes met his. “She was mine.”

  Had they been b
onded? “I am Lyrnis Dianore, Lord of Braelyn. As far as I know, Lady Elerie made no claim to such. However, I was only a boy when she returned from her last scouting mission on Earth. If she mentioned you to my father, he never said.”

  The room trembled around them, sending more shards from the ceiling onto the broken glass a few paces away. Lyr gave an uneasy glance upward, but everything stilled once more. The Sidhe lord stood with clenched fists, staring at him. “I am Lord Naomh a Nuall. Brother to Lord Meren, much as I wish it otherwise. This is my other brother, Caolte.”

  “We have much to discuss, Lord Naomh, but it will not be now,” Lyr said. “Allow us to leave in peace. My daughter is clearly ill.”

  “There will ever be peace between our Houses if I have any say.” Naomh met Kai’s eyes. “For it seems we are connected through my son.”

  Lyr could see the turmoil on his friend’s face even as he empathized with the Sidhe lord. How well he knew the shock of finding an adult child. “And his mate needs tending. I invite you and your brother to come to Moranaia as guests at your leisure.” Lyr gestured to the red-haired one. “This one, not Lord Meren.”

  Glancing to Lyr, Kai wiped his sword on his tunic and sheathed it. “I’ll take her.”

  “Not unless you want to get blood all over her.” Lyr grimaced. “Can you see to the wound?”

  His friend probed the cut with a wince and then nodded. But as he closed his eyes, Naomh stepped forward. “I’ll heal what I wrought.”

  “I’m not sure—” Kai began.

  “My mother was a healer. I may not use it often, but I possess the skill.” Light flared in Naomh’s hand. “Please allow me to do this small thing.”

  Kai nodded, though Lyr could tell by his stiff posture that he was uncomfortable. As the Sidhe lord healed the gash, Lyr studied Arlyn. Dark bruises shadowed her eyes, and her face was growing gaunt. He fed her more energy. And worried. When Naomh finished healing Kai, Lyr met the Sidhe’s eyes again and nodded. Having almost killed his own son… Well, Naomh would have much to deal with.