“Caolte and I will journey to your land soon. I’m not sure—” Naomh broke off and took a deep breath. “I need time to compose myself. There is indeed much to discuss.”
While Kai stooped down to get his pendant, Lyr stared at the Sidhe lord. He had a feeling Naomh knew far more than he would say about all of their troubles. Why else would he have taken Kai and Arlyn had he not been involved? When these two arrived on Moranaia, Lyr would have his household on highest guard.
With Lyr carrying Arlyn behind him, Kai followed Naomh up a set of spiral steps. His body ached once more but not just as a result of his capture. This day had been a sad, strange echo of his confrontation with Allafon. First, Kai had been captured by the elf who had claimed to be his father, and Kai had killed him to escape. This time, he’d been held by a supposed stranger and released at the revelation of his parentage. Were he not so sick with confusion, he would laugh.
Gods, but his true father had almost killed him as surely as his false one would have. Was there something within him that inspired hatred? Irrational question. Naomh didn’t even know him, but it made Kai’s heart pound nonetheless. For their kind, energy was its own truth, and his power had resounded clearly with Naomh’s.
Only a close blood relation could have opened those cuffs.
“I love you,” Arlyn whispered into his mind.
A little of his tension eased at her words. She would take away his pain if she could, and it meant more to him than anything. Whatever happened with his newfound father, she would support him. “I love you, too.”
Finally, they emerged from the endless spiral into a small, circular room with nothing but a door to one side and a few windows. Kai sighed with bliss as the light washed over him, though he knew the sun outside was not a real one. At a soft chuckle from Caolte, he frowned over at the two Sidhe. “Fine place you have here.”
Caolte’s grin widened. “The underground section was built by my grandfather. Our father tried to talk him out of it, but he had long gone mad from being forced below Earth’s surface. Naomh built the house over it when he inherited this realm.”
Naomh shifted as though uncomfortable with the revelation, understandable since such knowledge wouldn’t usually be granted to strangers. Family history. Kai’s stomach churned, but he merely nodded to acknowledge Caolte’s words. Naomh opened his mouth as if to speak, but he snapped it closed and turned, leading them once more to the door.
Chapter 34
If not for Arlyn’s motionless weight in his arms, Lyr would have been relieved. Freeing Kai and Arlyn could have ended in death, but instead they had gained a new ally. Kai’s father, no less. When Lyr had considered possible outcomes, that hadn’t been one of them.
He followed the Sidhe lord down one of the staircases in the main entry. Kai hovered on one side, his anxious gaze on Arlyn, and Meli trailed behind, next to Corath. Ralan and Teyark followed last. Why had the seer been so concerned? Considering the possibilities, the mission had gone miraculously well.
At the doorway, the Sidhe stopped. Expression blank, Naomh opened the door and gestured to the trail beyond. “It is a straight walk down that path to the portal. I trust you can find your way safely.”
Lyr inclined his head. “Certainly. We will anticipate your arrival on Moranaia soon.”
He didn’t want to leave it at that, for Kai’s and Arlyn’s abduction tore at him, but it was the safest way to get his daughter to help. If these two were part of Kien’s treachery, Lyr would deal with them later. Kai’s family or not. As the lord met his eyes, Lyr could see understanding of that fact within them. Naomh gave a slight nod in acknowledgement.
As they stepped onto the terrace, the two guards at each side of the doorway bristled, one of them reaching for his sword. Their glares settled on Ralan, whose mouth quirked up. “It was a pleasure working with you,” the prince said.
The sound of metal rang through the air, but Naomh’s hand closed around the guard’s wrist. He squeezed until the blade clattered to the ground. “My guests are just leaving. You will grant them the greatest courtesy.”
“Guests? My lord—”
“Silence.” Naomh’s gaze flicked to Kai. “One among them is a son of this House. I will cast you back to the main Court if you cannot recall your place.”
The guard’s mouth snapped closed, lips whitening. Though he nodded, he still glared at Ralan. Lyr couldn’t blame him. Having one’s mind and body taken over was no small thing. “He performed his duty to you well, Lord Naomh,” Lyr said. “I hope you are not too hard on him on our account.”
Though the Naomh’s face didn’t soften, he flicked the guard’s wrist away. With one last look at Kai, Naomh disappeared inside, leaving his brother to gaze after them. Caolte, too, focused on Kai, though his expression was more considering. What did it mean that they now had a connection with a powerful Sidhe House? It changed nothing. And yet everything.
Lyr strode away, ignoring the Sidhe’s regard. He barely noticed the lush gardens or the trees swaying in a spell-cast breeze. The sun was riding low, near the edge of the cavern. Would it wink out, magic exhausted, at the end of the artificial day? He had no time to find out, for both he and Kai had to give Arlyn energy now. She slept in his arms, her body jerking from time to time with some dark dream.
They were almost to the portal when he felt a flicker of danger. His combat senses sprang to life. There, near—
“Ralan!” He called over his shoulder. “To your right.”
The prince twisted, barely missing the arrow that would have lodged in his throat. In a flash, Ralan had his sword free. He dodged another arrow and then sprinted toward the trees, Teyark behind him. Lyr cursed, unable to act with Arlyn in his arms. Should he give her to Kai? Before he could decide, Kien broke into the clearing, sword in hand.
Ralan’s chest heaved as he pulled himself to a halt just out of attack range. “Enough of this, Kien.”
“Never enough until you’re dead.” But the prince only smirked, lifting his sword as if in salute. “Fortunately, you brought yourself here so I could accomplish that deed.”
“Why?”
Kien’s face hardened. “A seer should never be king.”
Ralan advanced on his brother, but a startled shriek from Meli drew Lyr’s immediate attention. His heart froze to see Kien behind her, his right arm curled around Meli’s throat. In his left hand, he gripped a knife, the point alarmingly close to her face. Lyr glanced at Ralan, only to find the place where Kien had stood now empty. When he met Meli’s eyes once more, they were full of fear. The same terror that burned along their bond.
“Do you like my illusion?” The prince’s face twisted, a grimace of madness and rage. “I’ve had plenty of time to perfect it.”
“Let her go,” Lyr said, forcing calm into his voice.
Kien’s arm tightened, drawing a yelp from Meli. “Funny how you found another soulbonded, Lyrnis Dianore. That only happens with reincarnation, you know. You did know, right?”
Wordlessly, he handed Arlyn to Kai. “So I learned. I have accepted it.”
“Have you?” A gleam entered the prince’s eyes. “I know a spell to recall memories from a past life. I could use it, for a price. You could have your old love back. It might erase this one’s current life, but you haven’t known her long. At least according to my spy.”
Meli’s eyes widened, and her breath came in sharp gasps. For only a second, Lyr was tempted. For almost thirty years, he had longed to have Aimee back. But as he met Meli’s gaze, all the doubt and all of the past disappeared. He loved Meli for herself as surely as he had loved Aimee. His heart drummed in his ears. Or maybe…maybe more.
Lyr shoved his shoulders back and stared Kien in the eye. “You will have to name some other boon. I have no need of such a thing.”
“I see.” Kien trailed the flat of the blade along Meli’s cheek. “How about this? Allow yourselves to be bound and guide me back to Moranaia, and I won’t kill her. This blade is steel, you
know.”
Bound? Lyr’s vision grew hazy, and bile rose up his throat. Allafon had used Arlyn to force him into chains. Gods, he’d sworn never to be captured that way again. Lyr gripped the hilt of his sword and fought to slow his breathing. Could he do it? By Arneen, he would have to. If Kien cut Meli deeply enough with a steel knife, she would bleed out before they could get her through the gate. Kai wouldn’t be able to heal that kind of wound.
Then Meli whispered quietly through their bond. “I have no allergy to iron.”
As Lyr processed Meli’s words, she slid her left hand slowly up her side until she could grip the hilt of her knife. By Freyr, she was tired of having others treat her as disposable and weak. She was more than they believed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ralan creeping closer. Then Teyark on the other side. Her captor shifted a little, and Teyark stilled. “Father will not have you back no matter how you gain entry, Kien,” Teyark said.
“He’ll have little choice with both of you gone,” Kien answered, his voice loud in Meli’s ear.
Teyark snorted. “I’m not a seer. What’s your excuse for killing me?”
“I don’t have to kill you. You’ll never produce a child. It should be simple enough for me to meet that goal.”
“Have you forgotten our sister?” Ralan called.
Kien’s arm tightened again, startling a gasp from Meli. “She’s a child.”
“Maybe when you left.” Teyark took another step forward. “A couple of centuries tends to age a person. I suppose you’ll have to think of something else in your bid for power.”
“She will step aside, or—”
A crackling roar interrupted the prince’s words, and heat washed over Meli. Kien shrieked and jerked to the side, forcing her to claw at his arm with her free hand when her airway restricted. After another roar and wave of heat, Kien’s grip eased enough for her to breathe. The acrid smell of singed hair and clothing wafted around them, and Meli gagged. But the distraction allowed her to draw her knife, point facing downward where it would be harder to see.
When Kien spun around, Meli saw the source of the fire. Caolte stood, another ball of flame balanced in his hand, at the other end of the path. “My brother ordered you gone from here. I would take great pleasure in killing you.”
Meli’s heart thudded hard as Caolte cast the flame. Would it hit her, too? But Kien danced away just in time. An odd sort of relief. “Watch it,” Kien said. “Or I will kill her.”
From behind, Meli heard Lyr’s soft curse. Kien’s knife blade pressed against her cheek, just short of drawing blood. Her breath heaved in and out, and her chest squeezed. She could do this. She had to do this. Loki—a God—believed in her. It was well past time she believed in herself.
Ralan lifted his sword, and Kien swung around to face him. A small diversion, but enough. As Kien called out another threat, Meli plunged her dagger backward, directly into her captor’s stomach. Her ears rang with his shout of pain, and for the briefest moment, his arm loosened around her neck. With a quick wrench, she tugged free.
And ran.
It happened so fast Lyr almost missed it. One moment, Kien held Meli in his grip. The next, he screamed, and Meli slipped away. She dashed across the clearing, directly toward Lyr, as Kien’s hands flew to his waist. Was that…a knife hilt sticking from his side?
“Do not attack,” Ralan sent. “That’s an order.”
Lyr’s brows rose. Seriously? But he didn’t have time to ask before Meli reached him. Hastily, he shoved his throwing knife into its sheath and wrapped his arms around her. As Meli held tight, Lyr stared across the clearing. She’d stabbed Kien. Meli had stabbed Kien. She might not be a warrior, but she certainly had the heart of one.
Lyr had no more time to marvel. As Ralan, Teyark, and Caolte advanced, Kien darted between them, not even pausing when a ball of flame caught his cloak on fire. He ran toward the portal as though an army chased him. Teyark and Caolte started forward, but Ralan called them to a halt.
“Not now. I will face him eventually, but it is best not today.”
“You dare to order me?” Caolte challenged.
Ralan barely glanced at the Sidhe. “If you go now, your brother will follow. In his current state, there is a chance he’ll be gravely injured.”
“He won’t go after me,” Lyr muttered, shifting Meli away and drawing his sword.
“Do not follow,” Ralan snapped. Lyr turned toward the portal, more than ready to ignore his friend, but Ralan’s next words halted him. “By order of your prince. Don’t make me enforce it.”
“Gods, you could end him.” Kai’s frustrated cry matched Lyr’s thoughts. “Why in all the worlds would you wait?”
“The futures I can see all show negative outcomes from pursuing him now. He has subordinates who must be subdued.” Shoulders slumping, the prince ran a hand through his hair. “We need to concentrate on getting Arlyn back to Moranaia.”
Lyr ground his teeth together. He needed to act, but Ralan was right. Arlyn needed help. With a final thanks to Caolte, the group rushed to the portal.
Meli’s hand gripped Lyr’s, and her worry radiated through their bond. “Will we encounter him in the mists?”
He squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Kai is a skilled guide and will take us directly along the path to Moranaia, which Kien cannot follow.”
“At least we won’t have to rely on the runes.”
His eyes met hers. “You and your runes saved us, for I could not have borne the loss of Kai and Arlyn.”
Meli ducked her head in denial, but they reached the portal before she could answer. Kai studied the group, Arlyn still and pale in his arms. “Stay close,” he said. “I can’t spare much energy to ensure your safety.”
As they gathered around Kai and proceeded through, Lyr sent more energy to Arlyn, heedless of the cost to himself. His combat senses dulled, and he could only hope they wouldn’t require them. Kai needed his own reserves to see the large group through the turbulent Veil. With each step, the mist rolled violently around them. Meli shuddered beside him.
Then blessedly, they were through. The light of a real sun filled him with its glow, and the energy of Moranaia poured through him. Lyr let out an involuntary sigh, grateful to be home. He peered at Arlyn, hoping her illness would clear like the Neorans’ had, but she was just as listless as before. He exchanged a fear-filled glance with Kai.
“I can still sense her, but she’s weak,” Kai said. “Lial might be at the Neoran camp. He can—”
“The fairies,” Ralan interrupted, voice resolute. “It would take Lial too long.”
Kai took off at a sprint toward the fairy pond. As one, Lyr and Meli followed.
Meli tried not to think of the blood drying on her hand and in her robes. The squish of knife in flesh. Bile rose, and she shoved the memory aside. There was too much to do to be paralyzed now. Would the fairies help this time? Lyr would be destroyed if something happened to Arlyn.
Maybe Meli would be, too.
She turned her thoughts away from that possibility. As the forest flew by, Meli focused on the only bright spot. Lyr had chosen her. She had no idea if Kien had lied about that spell, but it didn’t matter. Lyr had passed up the chance to have Aimee restored to him—for her. Ameliar Liosevore, who had been considered last in most things all of her life. She who had never been good enough for any except her parents. She held the wonder close to her heart as they neared their destination.
Kai skidded to a halt at the entrance to the fairy pond, Lyr and Meli behind him, but they didn’t have long to wait. The fairy appeared at once, her voice granting them entrance. Meli thought it was the same one, Nia, but she wasn’t sure how fairies might vary in appearance. Perhaps they were all fond of blue.
As Kai knelt with Arlyn at the edge of the pond, the fairy floated closer, her form growing larger as it had before. Lyr and Meli stopped a few paces away, though she could feel how much her bonded wanted to rush forward. He held himsel
f back by dint of will. And love. He did not want to interfere with Arlyn’s healing even to ease his own discomfort.
“Princess Nia,” Kai murmured. “Can you save her?”
The fairy placed a hand on Arlyn’s brow. “This is earth poisoning most foul. It latches to her Moranaian blood the most. I will call my family.”
Four other fairies—two males and two females in a rainbow of colors—popped free of the fog that rolled across the water. They grew as Nia had and surrounded Kai and Arlyn. Meli could see little then, for a green glow filled the air, blinding her. She winced away from the light. How could Kai stand it up close? Fear surged through her from Lyr, and she wrapped her arm around his waist.
When the light faded, the fairies stepped back. The four who had come forth to help bowed before Nia and left as soundlessly as they had appeared. Meli rushed forward with Lyr, his anxiety melding with her own. Then she sighed in relief to see Arlyn blinking blearily up at Kai.
Slowly, Arlyn glanced around the clearing, and her brows lowered when she spotted the fairy. “Where…how…” she started, her voice hoarse, before clearing her throat. “What happened?”
Meli stared at her, the sense of kinship she’d always felt for Arlyn blending with a new kind of affection. A friendship that had nothing to do with who they’d been before. They might be blood-souls, as Nia had said, but they would make their own relationship in this life.
Thankfully they’d now have the chance.
Chapter 35
Relief poured through Lyr at Arlyn’s words, and he gave a shaky laugh. Thank the Gods. “What do you remember?”
She rubbed a palm against her temple. “Kai fought with the Sidhe. Naomh, I think?” Arlyn gasped and reached toward Kai. “He hurt you. Are you okay?”
“He healed me,” her soulbonded whispered.
Arlyn stared into his eyes, her face softening as they shared private words. “At least you know now,” she murmured.
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