“Are you in pain?” Dra’Kaedan asked as he laid a hand on the elf’s arm.
“Not the sort you can fix,” came the reply before a fat teardrop fell from one lavender eye. “He hates me.”
“Who hates you?” Chander asked as Edion’s watery gaze fixed on a spot somewhere over his shoulder.
“Lorcan. Lorcan hates me.”
“That doesn’t matter right now. You are what is important now. What can we do to help?” Dre’Kariston asked. Like his brother, he now laid a hand of compassion on the blond.
“It does matter. It will always matter. Lorcan was right. He was right about me,” Edion replied as he bit his lip and raised his eyes to the ceiling. The tears flowed unchecked down the high bones of his cheeks.
“Right about you, how?” Dra’Kaedan asked.
“He was right about who I am. Talfryn. My name is Talfryn and Lorcan hates me. Hates me enough to want me dead.”
“We’ll keep you safe from him. You don’t need to worry about that.” Chander watched as Talfryn lowered his gaze and looked at Dra’Kaedan before he patted first his hand and then that of his twin brother. Talfryn gave each of the warlocks a sad smile before he rose to his feet.
“Thank you, but I am afraid it’s not that easy,” Talfryn began. “You see, Lorcan is my mate.”
Chander let out a sigh; he had been afraid of that as soon as Edion had announced he was Talfryn. He didn’t know what circumstances had come between Talfryn and Lorcan, but he knew firsthand that sometimes mates were separated by powers beyond their own control. Someone had robbed Talfryn of his identity, and it likely involved Carvallius. Chander could only guess Lorcan believed Talfryn had betrayed him. What else could cause one mate to hate another?
Chapter 13
Talfryn rested his forehead against the cool tiles as he reached over to turn on the water of his glass-encased shower stall. He had no idea how he managed to pick himself up off the floor and drag his body into the bathroom. After he announced that Lorcan was his mate, the three sorcerers in the room looked at him bug-eyed, and the sentinel near the door gave away nothing. Hardly surprising considering Baxter’s race was an entire army of elite assassins. It helped Talfryn to dwell on little details like how the people he cared for had reacted to his identity.
With his newly returned sight and memories of colors, he could finally put descriptions with their names. The last two warlocks on the planet were twins and their appearances were similar. Navy-blue eyes and strong profiles, they were a handsome pair. A set of necklaces had been given to them at birth: Dra’Kaedan’s gold and Dre’Kariston’s silver. The medallion a navy-blue dragon, a depiction of the tiny beast the two could magically transform into. Like the one Madeline made Talfryn, the jewelry was imbued with power. Only, Dra’Kaedan and Dre’Kariston’s had a different purpose: theirs allowed them the ability to track one another.
Chander was not as striking. He had the appearance of a youth, though his pewter gaze behind their wire-rimmed frames seemed timeless. Atop his head was a frizzy mop of brown curls. His sentinel was blond like Dra’Kaedan and had serious eyes. Talfryn had no way of knowing if he was always that somber or if it was the circumstances of the day making him so.
The water grew uncomfortably warm, but Talfryn didn’t want to deal with the day’s events. Coping with the reality of who he was remained something he wished he could simply ignore, but that was an impossibility. His shower was simply a stall tactic. He needed to talk to the people that had become his family and explain what he could about his past. It was not going to be easy to discuss his mate, and Talfryn knew from the voice that had fallen upon his happy ears each day that Lorcan was not the same man he once knew. Dumping a large handful of shampoo into his hands he worked it into his long hair as he tried not to begin crying again.
He knew letting the tears flow served no purpose. What he needed was a plan to deal with the disaster that was his life. Quickly rubbing soap over every part of himself he could reach, Talfryn rinsed and shut the water off. His waist-length hair dried almost instantly. Once it had been richly decorated in elaborate beads, and Talfryn vowed one day he would proudly wear the black beads of the Acwellan again.
His tunics and pants were all in lovely shades of lavender and pale blues. Larissa, the D’Vaire seamstress, was not elven so they sported none of the embroidery or beadwork that his people were known for. That too would be seen to once his life was back in order. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and begged every force in the universe to help him. If he didn’t fix his relationship with his mate, then Talfryn would gladly allow Lorcan to slit his throat.
Dressed, Talfryn headed out of his bedroom and found himself counting the steps toward the living room. He nearly smiled at the gain of his sight but his heart was too heavy for that kind of expression. Unsurprisingly, when he arrived in the family room, the entire D’Vaire clan and the visiting necromancer with his sentinel were all present.
“Talfryn, how are you feeling?” Aleksander asked as Talfryn entered the room and lowered his body into a comfy chair.
“I am grateful for the recovery of my memory and of course, my sight. Thank you, Chander, Dra’Kaedan, and Dre’Kariston. I owe you so much more than you can imagine,” Talfryn replied as he met the eyes of each sorcerer in turn.
“You’re welcome. As you know, we were happy to rid you of the spell. I wish giving you back your memory hadn’t brought you such pain,” Chander said, his eyes dark and serious.
“You understand that it was not the removal of the spell that caused the pain but the return of my identity?”
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Aleksander said.
“You are my family and you deserve to know who I am, and I need you to know that Lorcan cannot be in his right mind. I’m afraid he has every right to wish me dead.”
“If you wish to get it off your chest, we’re all ears,” Dra’Kaedan said.
“Nearly a thousand years ago, I met Lorcan. As mates are prone to do, I fell in love with him and he with me. For one year, we lived in relative harmony. My family had cut me off, but my relationship with my parents had always been a troubled one. Falling in love with a man who was not fully elven was the last straw,” Talfryn began as he pulled his feet under him on the cushion.
“One day, they managed to infiltrate the Acwellan village. No easy task, given that my Lorcan was the chieftain. I was drugged. Once weakened, they dragged me from my home but not before leaving a note written in Cadlyr’s hand disguised as my handwriting. I don’t know what it said, but I can imagine that it was not a love note. They returned me to the Cwylld village and there Carvallius weaved his spell to rob me of being Talfryn. My parents and that hateful warlock stole Lorcan from me.”
“I wondered if the spell was the work of Carvallius. It bore some resemblance to the marks that were once on Dra’Kaedan,” Chander added in a quiet voice.
“Lorcan is the chieftain of his tribe?” Aleksander asked.
“Technically, I suppose he still is but as far as I know, he is a tribe of one. My memory as Edion began with a great war. The Acwellan attacked the Cwylld, though at the time I knew not why. It was Lorcan’s anger against me; his people had the advantage and Cwylld were dying everywhere. I was kept isolated at the time, supposedly recovering from my illness, so I could only hear whispers and rumors. Somehow the Cwylld acquired or found the magic stealing stones. It changed the tide of war and then it was the Acwellan who were burying their soldiers. After the war ended, the Acwellan were not spoken of very often but I did know their leader had managed to survive,” Talfryn said with a half shrug. “What I could not understand was why my war-hungry brethren had not put together a hunting party and killed him. I guess that is one mystery solved. With Lorcan dead, my existence would have ended as well. Although I don’t know why they didn’t just kill me; it’s not as if they were kind to me.”
“Does your family live still?” Aleksander asked.
&nbs
p; “Indeed. I am the only child of Chieftain Aniernan and Chieftess Taliya.”
“Well, I guess that makes sense. They would have had to be powerful to get the help of someone like Carvallius,” Dra’Kaedan said with a nod.
“You said he was not fully elven. He grew a pretty impressive set of red wings. Lorcan said you would be able to tell us what he truly was,” Aleksander said.
“Yes, the Acwellan were well known by the Cwylld and other local tribes in those days. All steered clear of them and there were whispers of dark magic that marked them as different. Occasionally you would hear stories of elves with eyes that could glow red and large wings to match. It was not until I met Lorcan and went to live with his people that I found out the rumors were true. The Acwellan are part demon,” Talfryn answered.
“Demon? Wow. We weren’t sure if demons were myth or fact. We knew for certain there weren’t any around to ask,” Chander said with wide gray eyes. “I’m sorry to sound so excited, but I’m thrilled to know that their race is not only real but that at least one still lives. How did their tribe become demonic?”
“You are a dedicated student of magic; I’m unsurprised by your delight,” Talfryn said with amusement. “As for how they came to be demons, that is a question for Lorcan. I was very young when I met him, a teenager. I didn’t bother asking intelligent questions like that, and I wasn’t all that fond of his demon form to start with. A lifetime of being told how evil the Acwellan were didn’t help.”
“What are you going to do now? How can we help you?” Aleksander asked.
“I need my mate back. A thousand years apart is a thousand years too long. I need help to find him. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m determined to have Lorcan in my life again. I hope you’re not adverse to him living here. I’d like to stay, but if Lorcan isn’t welcome, I can be packed in a few minutes,” Talfryn said.
“I like the confidence in Talfryn that Edion lacked. Lorcan is welcome here as long as he doesn’t intend to harm you,” Aleksander said with a small ghost of a smile.
“Thank you. I really would hate to leave. You have all become so important to me. Your caring has lifted my heart in a way I wouldn’t have dreamed possible before I was offered a home here.”
“We are thrilled to have you as a part of our family. It is you who add to our happiness,” Dra’Kaedan said and reached over to pat his shoulder.
“And after you are reunited with your mate. What then? I sense you won’t be content to move on without some kind of retribution for what has been done to you both,” Dre’Kariston said.
“No, getting Lorcan back will restore my heart and fill the void in my soul, but I will not feel fully complete until my parents and Cadlyr no longer walk this earth. They had no right to do what they did. They must pay,” Talfryn said, his eyes burning with the light of his need for revenge.
“Talfryn, I think it’s important to take things one at a time. For now, we’ll focus on finding Lorcan and then figuring out how to get him to listen to your tale. We’ll worry about the rest later,” Aleksander said, and Talfryn decided he was right. Seeing the second half of his plan carried out seemed rather pointless without his mate at his side.
“Thank you; when can we get started?”
“Whenever you are ready. Gavrael and Gedeon are still working on figuring out how to track someone like Lorcan. It might help knowing he is part demon; we can call Vadimas and see what he can find in the magical archives. Right, Gavrael?” Dra’Kaedan asked.
“Yes. A visit to Alaric might be of assistance as well,” Gavrael said in his careful way of speaking. A trip to visit the leader of the sentinels would be made by only Gavrael and Gedeon—there was no way for anyone else to travel to the magical compound where most of their kind made their home.
“While they work on that, we can use our magic to amplify the bond you feel with your mate; it can usually lead us straight there. Normally that would be fairly easy, but I’ve never dealt with demons before and I don’t know if that makes a difference or not when using our power that way,” Dra’Kaedan said with his brows scrunched together.
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I know Gavrael and Gedeon won’t be satisfied until they can track demons as they can track everyone else, but I doubt we will really need them for that,” Dre’Kariston said.
“Only one way to find out,” Talfryn said.
“Let me go find my shoes,” Dra’Kaedan said and hopped off the sofa.
“I hope you know I am coming with you,” Brogan hollered as he raced from the room.
“Not like it’s the first time I’ve dragged your giant dragon ass around,” Dra’Kaedan yelled back.
“My ass isn’t fat,” Brogan scoffed and Talfryn gave a shake of his head as he too got to his feet to hunt down proper footwear. The sooner he got to Lorcan the better. He had to explain to him that he’d not left of his own accord. Talfryn just hoped the man was willing to listen. Lorcan might not ever welcome him back with open arms, but Talfryn would do all that he could to see them reunited. Then the Cwylld would pay for tearing them apart in the first place.
Chapter 14
He wasn’t as alone in these woods as he would have expected, Cadlyr thought as he narrowed his pale eyes. On this day as he had the one before, Cadlyr believed there was a presence around him as he completed his daily tasks. Futile though most of his duties were, they still belonged to him and he didn’t appreciate being spied on. Over the course of his lifetime, he had acquired both nuisances and enemies, it could be either of those pestering his solitude.
Cadlyr curled his lip up in disgust as he planted his spear into the soft leaves of the forest floor. His days were annoying enough; the last thing he needed was another person homing in on his misery. Tilting his head slightly, it occurred to him that it might be Latarian or the boy wizard watching him. Perhaps they had used up all the magic stones and turned them into that dust he had found a few days prior. The pair were out of luck if they thought the Cwylld could help them now—the only thing left was the powder in the tip of Cadlyr’s spear and the two in the cave that no one was going to hand over. Latarian and her sidekick had absconded with the rest.
Of course, they had Edion with them, and the blind elf was fully aware all the stones were kept together. And they had taken all of them out of the hut, so surely Edion would have told Latarian that those were all the Cwylld owned. Like the majority of their tribe, Edion had no idea about the pair of rocks being used to subdue the young men in the cavern. No, Cadlyr thought, it made no sense to think it was the boy or the lady warlock stalking him. Lifting his weapon once again, Cadlyr resumed his walk through the trees. The chieftains wanted him to make more progress in his searches, but he had stumbled against finding anything new.
At least this newest wrinkle in his day gave his mind something to think about besides how long he could endure being the singular focus of Chieftain Aniernan and Chieftess Taliya. Were it not for the retaliation he feared from the elven pair he could not escape, Cadlyr might suggest they do some searching of their own or even better, acquire a hobby or two. Gardening would be very beneficial and would help see them fed, Cadlyr thought with a grin. He could well imagine the look of horror either of them would wear should he make such a suggestion.
Giving into his amusement, he filled the woods with laughter. Catching his breath after several hilarious minutes, Cadlyr once again suspected he was being watched. Whoever was shadowing him was persistent, he decided with irritation. There was another person who sprang to Cadlyr’s mind, but he could barely think the name without the hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention. Although he could hardly imagine why, after all these centuries, Lorcan would once again find any Cwylld worthy of his time.
If it were truly Talfryn’s mate hunting him in these woods, Cadlyr might finally be free of his chieftains’ bidding. If Lorcan was seeking him out, it was surely to end his life. The pair had met once on the battlefield. Lorcan had been badly injured and the gr
ound had been soaked with the blood of his entire tribe. His eyes had glowed red, as had the damaged wings he’d dragged behind him, and Cadlyr had fought with all his strength.
With as many cuts and bruises that marred Lorcan’s skin, Cadlyr should have been able to topple him easily. But Lorcan had his hatred of all things Cwylld to aid him, and it had only been Chieftain Aniernan using his ability to yank Cadlyr back to his side that had saved his skin. Cadlyr had no idea what Lorcan had even made of his unnaturally hasty retreat but perhaps his dark, non-elven side had caused him to see many things that would shock someone unused to magic.
Cadlyr’s life was full of misery and it was not worth much, but he did not like the fear that dried his throat as his mind remembered that terrible day. Lorcan’s hate was a force to be reckoned with and Cadlyr had no desire to come face-to-face with the Acwellan chieftain at any point. He doubted he would ever be given the opportunity to explain that nothing he had done had been of his own accord. That he would have fallen upon his own spear before he did anything willingly to hurt Talfryn and in turn, Lorcan whom he barely knew.
Barely registering the action, Cadlyr picked up the pace and nearly raced back to the hut he called home. The eyes that seemed to bore into him from deep inside the woods were suddenly too much to bear as his mind recalled his one and only meeting with Talfryn’s mate. Even the repercussions he would surely taste for returning before nightfall were not enough to slow his steps. Unfortunately, he knew all too well that there truly was no way to escape his own guilt.
* * *
Lorcan grinned as he watched Cadlyr practically sprint to the tiny village that housed what was left of the Cwylld tribe. Since leaving Talfryn to explain to his warlock and dragon family who he might truly be, Lorcan had made good use of his time. Shocking as it was, it appeared to Lorcan that the Cwylld now only numbered three. Talfryn’s parents and Cadlyr were all that remained, and it filled Lorcan’s dark heart with something he had not felt since his lips had last touched Tally’s. Joy settled over him as he realized Fate really did exact a cost for true evil in the world.
Vengeance From The Dark (D'Vaire Book 3) Page 8
