“First, beloved?” Cadlyr asked as he turned toward Talfryn. “He knows it was their plan to separate you two? That they blinded you, spat on you, starved you, kicked you, and everything else that happened in the centuries after they changed your name and forbid us to speak of Talfryn?”
Talfryn gave him a bored look. “Yeah, he thinks I asked to be blinded to forget him.”
“Where did he get such a stupid idea?”
With a glare Talfryn replied, “Oh, I don’t know…maybe from the note you left him? The one that said I was sickened by the sight of him. That I only stayed with him for his gold.”
“You know now I didn’t write that of my own free will, but I never thought he would actually believe any of it,” Cadlyr said before facing Lorcan. “I thought you fought us to get him back?”
Lorcan didn’t bother to reply to the insolent elf. Giving his focus to Dre’Kariston, he said, “I think I can remove the spell if you can supply the magic.”
“I can give you all the power you want, but it will likely hurt since you’re not a warlock.”
“I have no fear of pain.”
Rolling his eyes at the exchange, Cadlyr set his eyes back on Talfryn. “I’m sorry. I thought when I saw the two of you together you had fully reconciled.”
“Nope. He pretty much hates me. Blames me for all of it. He is convinced he’s going to kill me after we finish with you and the chieftains.”
“He thinks he can kill his own mate?”
Talfryn shrugged. “I know, he’s crazy. But he’s mine, you know?”
“I want to kill Aniernan and Taliya,” Cadlyr demanded.
“You are to die before them. Do you fear Talfryn will not see the deed done?” Lorcan asked. “Should he hesitate, I will cut them down myself.”
“They are my parents. My responsibility. I will kill them,” Talfryn insisted.
Cadlyr leaned slightly on his garden hoe. “No offense, but they are my parents too and since I’m older, I would beg you allow me to see it done before I die.”
Talfryn’s mouth went slack. “What?”
“We are brothers. I was forbidden to tell you. They disowned me after they met my mate and hated him on sight.”
“Your mate?” Talfryn asked in a shocked voice.
“Yes, he decided to end his own life rather than disgrace himself by spending his life with me.”
His eyes fell closed and Talfryn said in a soft but firm voice, “Get that damn spell off him. We have a lot to talk about.”
For the first time since they were brought back together, Lorcan agreed with Talfryn. Obviously, the Cwylld had many secrets and he would know them before they left this world. Since the four men were of the same mind, they made their way into Cadlyr’s filthy hut to see to the deed of removing Carvallius’s spell. With his back toward the rest of the group, Cadlyr pulled off his tunic and held it in his hand as Dre’Kariston funneled a painful blast of magic into Lorcan. Without giving the warlock any time to get a healing spell cast in Cadlyr’s direction to prevent pain, Lorcan reached out with the help of his demon side and hastily ripped the mark that symbolized the damning curse.
Unsurprisingly, the elf let out a loud yelp of pain and then threw his shirt back on before glaring at Lorcan. Lorcan thought it was hilarious but refused to smile or laugh.
“That hurt, you know?”
“I am aware.”
Cadlyr rolled his eyes. “And you don’t care. All right, there is something I must show all of you. I cannot explain it until we get there, so please just follow.”
Lorcan didn’t trust any Cwylld, but he had to admit his curiosity was piqued and looking at his travel companions, he saw the same eagerness in their eyes. Cadlyr had already provided the revelation of his connection to Talfryn and Lorcan appreciated the fact that the elf had not begged for his life to be spared. He was outnumbered, so Lorcan did not fear Cadlyr either. It seemed their little group had nothing to lose by respecting Cadlyr’s last wishes. Without another word exchanged, the foursome headed out of the dirty dwelling and headed for a wide, open-mouthed cave not far from the Cwylld village.
Chapter 24
Cadlyr led their little parade to the cave while his mind whirled with so many different thoughts, he was literally getting a headache. It had shocked him to see Talfryn, Lorcan, and the man introduced to him as the Grand Summoner while he’d been tending to the crops that would feed their tiny village. While he had been unsurprised to discover Lorcan wished him dead, it was a mystery to him why the elf would want to murder his brother. They’d met once after their mating, and Talfryn had glowed with the love of and for Lorcan. It had pleased Cadlyr to see him so blissful. With the reputation of the Acwellan, he’d worried for his brother’s happiness, but Talfryn had assured him the pair was devoted and all was as it should be. If Cadlyr’s mate hadn’t committed suicide, he would have done anything for the man.
He supposed it didn’t really matter now that his life was about to end, but it was always a secret desire of his to find love. But it seemed Fate had a different destiny in store for him, and he would meet it head on. Death didn’t scare him.…He supposed it was long overdue after all that had happened in the past two millennia. Lorcan would see that he wouldn’t suffer and in some ways, it would be a relief to no longer serve his parents.
It occurred to Cadlyr it probably had been Lorcan who’d been watching him about a week or so ago. Cadlyr didn’t think it could hurt to ask. “Was it you spying on me last week?”
“I decided it was necessary to see what was left of the Cwylld.” Acknowledging Lorcan’s words with a nod, Cadlyr entered the mouth of the cave and without hesitation, the others followed. He hoped when he revealed the secret inside, Lorcan and his companions would feel kindly enough toward him that they would allow him the honor of ending the lives of his parents, who were his captors.
Thinking back to a few minutes before when Lorcan had torn the spell from his back, he doubted there was any kindness left in his heart. Outnumbered though he may be, Cadlyr was still determined to try and tackle the task before he died anyway. Perhaps his unveiling of the men lying ahead would be a big enough distraction. Suddenly, Cadlyr was dragged to a halt by Lorcan’s hand on his arm.
“Where are you taking us? Is this some trap?” Lorcan demanded.
“I was thinking the same thing. I can feel the drag of those damn magic-stealing stones. I thought Latarian and Idris stole all of them?” Dre’Kariston asked in a tone as hostile as Lorcan’s had been.
“All but two. I promise you this is no trap. Grand Summoner, if you would destroy the giant rock in our path you will see the greatest secret of the Cwylld.”
“It will not serve you to trick us. Your death will be soon, but if you pull some stunt I can promise you that it will be in the most excruciating manner I can imagine, and I’ve had a thousand years to dream of murder,” Lorcan threatened and though all the spit in Cadlyr’s mouth dried, he met the elf’s eyes and repeated that he was not trying to deceive them.
He waited for a few minutes before the Grand Summoner spoke a few magical words and obliterated the big stone that Cadlyr had spent centuries wiggling under and he heard shocked intakes of breath from all the members of their group. No doubt, they were reeling from seeing the two men who had slumbered so long in this wretched stone prison.
“Corwin,” he heard Lorcan whisper just before the demonic elf fell to his knees. It was apparent that Lorcan was overwhelmed by the sight of his brother lying asleep on a stone slab after all this time. Cadlyr met the misty eyes of his own brother as Talfryn lay his hands on the shoulders of his mate.
“How is this possible?” Dre’Kariston said, his voice gentle in the stillness of the cave.
Cadlyr gestured to the two men lying on rocks a few feet from where they stood. Each one had a milky stone edged in blue and purple lying flat on their chest. “That they are here or how they came to be here?”
“They seem to be in a vegetative state.
Is it magic?” Dre’Kariston asked while Lorcan continued to kneel and stare at the body of his brother.
“We searched for a way to overcome the Acwellan. I know not how, but the Chieftain found these stones. We brought them to the battlefield and with the Acwellan weakened, they soon began to fall. I came face-to-face with the boy—”
“The boy has a name,” Lorcan interrupted with a glare. He shook off Talfryn’s hands and got to his feet.
“Corwin. Yes, I know. He’s your brother. I saw him and discovered I was not capable of murdering a boy. I struck him and he lost consciousness. I threw him over my horse and convinced Aniernan it would help to have a hostage should you ever show up in our village. They agreed. I put him in the cave and set the stone on his chest, never realizing it would prevent him from waking up,” Cadlyr said to Lorcan before turning to Dre’Kariston. “The warlock, you know him?”
Forcing a breath through his mouth, Dre’Kariston met his eyes. “Yes, he’s my cousin. Scheredin. He was just sixteen when the war began.”
“His story is much the same as Corwin’s. He was running from the castle, having just found out his parents had died. I was unable to kill him any more than I could Corwin, so I brought him back and added him to the cave. You and your brother were missing, so it was again easy to convince Aniernan a bargaining chip would be a good thing.”
“Will removing the stone wake them up?” Dre’Kariston asked.
“I have no idea. I have never tried.”
“Of course not. It is so much easier to keep two boys captive if they cannot move,” Lorcan said with a sneer.
“Dre’Kariston, can you make me a box like the one your brother made me? The copper one with the other stones in it?” Talfryn asked.
Cadlyr leveled a stare at his brother. “You mean the other ones you stole?”
“I may have given Latarian and Idris the information on how to steal them, but I was not involved in the actual theft. The majority were destroyed, but I do have a handful remaining.”
Seconds later, Dre’Kariston handed Talfryn a thick copper box, and he carefully plucked the stones from atop Corwin and Scheredin and shut them tightly inside it. Then the three men in the cave who were conscious stared raptly at those that were not and waited to see if they would wake. Several minutes passed but nothing happened.
“I can still feel the coldness of the stones. It is bone-deep inside my brother and your cousin.” Lorcan touched Corwin’s hand and laid his long fingers around his wrist. “He has a pulse. I can only assume it will take time for the effects of the stone to wear off.”
Carefully Lorcan replaced Corwin’s arm to his side before he turned to Cadlyr. His voice was unsteady as he began to speak. “It would have been easy to kill a defenseless boy and yet you did not. You have my thanks.”
* * *
Talfryn did his best to keep his tears at bay as he heard Lorcan thank the man he had just learned was his older brother. He knew how much Lorcan had loved Corwin, and he marveled over the fact the pair were now reunited. Like Lorcan, Dre’Kariston was also emotionally thanking Cadlyr for saving his equally young cousin. He’d lived in this village with these two boys in this cave for nearly a thousand years and had never known. Talfryn hoped they could wake them.
Watching Cadlyr, Talfryn saw him shaking his head almost violently. “I will accept no thanks for kidnapping innocent young boys who should have known nothing of war.”
“You will accept my gratitude. They are alive and I came here to kill you and you could have kept this secret to your grave. These two boys would have lain here forever.”
“Exactly. My brother and I have hoped since we were reunited that we would find more living warlocks. To not only find another of our kind but our cousin? There is no way I can repay you for this gift.”
Cadlyr offered the pair a considering look. “Fine. I will accept your thanks if you will allow me to kill Aniernan and Taliya before you see to the end of my own sorry life.”
Talfryn was having none of it. “No, I am not going to lose my brother. I think you are the only one I have, right? Or are there others?”
“It is just us. Our parents refused to have any further failures. I refuse to ask for my life to be spared. I don’t deserve it.”
Rolling his eyes, Talfryn wondered if all the people in his life shared the same propensity for melodrama. “Are you sure you aren’t really Lorcan’s brother? You sound just like him.”
Still staring at Corwin, Lorcan replied, “I will not ask my mate to suffer the burden of losing his only sibling.”
Talfryn almost fell over in shock and had to grab Cadlyr’s arm when he seemingly tripped over thin air. Had Lorcan just given up the idea of dying? Did he just refer to Talfryn as his mate without grimacing? It seemed the miracle of having a living Corwin was enough to salvage Lorcan’s desire to survive. Would he wake? And what if he too hated Talfryn?
Before Talfryn could figure out what to think, Cadlyr responded. “I still want to kill Aniernan and Taliya.”
“Get in line,” Talfryn said.
“Stop bickering like children. Let’s just see the deed done. Corwin and Scheredin need to be taken care of. We have much to discuss and much to figure out. Dra’Kaedan will wish to know his cousin lives and get answers to his questions,” Lorcan began before meeting Talfryn’s eyes. “It is your choice.”
Turning to his older brother, Talfryn asked, “What happened to the rest of the villagers?”
“After the stones were stolen, they feared for their safety and left.”
“I’m sorry. I am grateful for all you have done to save these boys. I would like to get to know you as my brother, and I am glad to have you return with us to our home. I know you have suffered much over your life, but I still wish to handle our parents myself.”
Talfryn watched as his brother nodded once in agreement. Cadlyr headed out of the cave while Talfryn removed the dagger Gedeon had given him the night before from the bag he carried. With weapon in hand, he started to follow in his brother’s wake. Lorcan and Dre’Kariston decided to stay behind to watch over their kin while the task was taken care of. Dre’Kariston already had his cell phone to his ear to get Aleksander and Dra’Kaedan up-to-date on current events.
Cadlyr was not far ahead until he looked back and saw that Talfryn too had emerged from the mouth of the cavern. Then the elf took off running and try as he might, Talfryn couldn’t catch up with him before he got to the hut that belonged to their parents. Talfryn picked up speed as he called out his brother’s name but he knew he wouldn’t catch him. He was not even to the door when he heard a loud scream from inside that was abruptly cut off short. Racing into the dwelling he saw his father fall forward with this brother’s spear buried in his chest. Taliya lay on the floor next to him staring up at the ceiling of their smoky hut with now sightless eyes. Death had already taken them. Before Talfryn could fully process that thought, Cadlyr fell to his knees.
Immediately concerned for his brother, Talfryn knelt next to him and placed his hand on his back. “What’s wrong?”
“My chest,” Cadlyr whispered.
Talfryn screamed for Lorcan while his brother breathed loudly through his nose. It seemed like eons before Lorcan burst into the hut with Dre’Kariston on his heels.
“What is wrong?” Lorcan asked in a pant.
“It’s his chest. He’s in pain.”
“Talfryn, do you truly remember nothing of our mating? His chest,” Lorcan began as he shook his head and tried to catch his breath. “He is now Chieftain of the Cwylld. He is feeling the burning of the sword that is now emblazoned on his skin.”
That pissed Talfryn off. “I didn’t forget a damn thing about that day. It was the best day of my life. I forgot he’s the oldest child and with them gone he would be chieftain,” he said while gesturing to the still forms of their parents.
Shaking off the helping hands, Cadlyr wobbly got to his feet. “You two really need to work out your issues.”
“I can still kill you,” Lorcan retorted.
“Ignore him. He’s all bark and no bite.”
Cadlyr laughed, but the sound was hollow as he rubbed a hand over the lightly glowing lavender sword just below his collarbone that marked his new rank. “Not quite so easy as that. I’ve seen him in battle.”
“We’ll discuss pleasantries later. Let’s gather Corwin and Scheredin and head back to D’Vaire,” Lorcan said before turning on his heel and heading back to the cave with Dre’Kariston.
Talfryn turned to his brother. “I can’t believe you didn’t allow me to kill them myself.”
“It is better this way.”
“How can you say that? I had things I wished to say before they died.”
Cadlyr wrapped his hand around Talfryn’s biceps. “Talfryn, whatever you think they needed to hear, it would have done nothing but harm you. They only ever thought of themselves. It would have given them an opportunity to hurt you again with sharp words. Neither one of them cared that they tore you away from your mate. They were proud of it. Your energy is better spent healing the rift between you and Lorcan.”
Talfryn didn’t like what his brother had done, but he knew that he spoke the truth. His parents wouldn’t have shown any remorse for the havoc they’d caused in his life. They would have taken pleasure in any pain that radiated from him over their deeds. He looked at Cadlyr and gave him a nod to acknowledge all he’d said. It seemed too easy and quick an ending for all they had done, but there was nothing to do now but move past it.
Without saying another word, Talfryn and Cadlyr lay the bodies of Chieftain Aniernan and Chieftess Taliya next to each other. It was hard for Talfryn to believe this part of his life was finally over. He supposed he should be mourning the loss of his parents, but their cruelty had outweighed any soft feelings he had for them. Growing up, they had not been kind or affectionate and stealing him from Lorcan was not something he thought he could ever forgive. He decided he wouldn’t hold it against Cadlyr for wielding the deadly weapon; he had once been a good friend. Together, Talfryn and Cadlyr set the bodies afire as was the tradition of their people.
Vengeance From The Dark (D'Vaire Book 3) Page 16
