Vengeance From The Dark (D'Vaire Book 3)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  Watching the flames, Talfryn had no idea what kind of afterlife Fate would choose for his parents, but he doubted it would be a pleasant one. They had destroyed everything in their path. Aniernan and Taliya had fought for the sake of war. The pair had nearly wiped out more than one race because they had asked their warriors to do the unspeakable and murder people who never picked up a weapon to defend themselves. Not even children had been safe from harm. The former Cwylld chieftains were revolting in their wickedness.

  Dre’Kariston had used magic to ensure the fire would not spread, so there was no need to linger here. Silently he thanked Aniernan and Taliya for his birth, then he said good-bye to the life he had led in this horrible village and walked to the cave with his brother at his side to return to D’Vaire. He would put his life as Edion far behind him and focus on his future. Talfryn hoped with Cadlyr as chieftain that someday Cwylld would not be synonymous with evil.

  Chapter 25

  “Scheredin’s alive. I can hardly believe it,” Dra’Kaedan said as the entire D’Vaire family stood in a guest room and stared at the warlock and the demonic elf that slept peacefully.

  “You can thank Cadlyr for that,” Dre’Kariston told his brother.

  “I have and I will again; it’s a miracle.”

  “Yes, it is. I mourned the lives of so many, but my brother’s death was a hurt that had no limits,” Lorcan said. Like Dra’Kaedan, he was still somewhat disbelieving what his eyes beheld. His parents’ deaths had made him more than a brother to Corwin; he had been a surrogate father as well. Their bond had been close and he would never be able to repay Cadlyr for his mercy. It surprised him that he did not feel any bitterness in setting aside his plans for killing Talfryn. Of course, he had not yet decided if it was going to be delayed or forgotten. Much depended on Corwin.…If he was not going to wake then it did not matter much that he still breathed. And if Corwin woke, then he would have to take his brother’s thoughts into consideration before killing both himself and his mate. Somehow, he doubted his sibling would be happy about the last of the Acwellan, and the silly boy had always been Talfryn’s champion.

  While he waited to see what the future held for Corwin, Lorcan had no intention of pursuing a closer relationship with Talfryn. But he would have to work harder on seeing to his own needs. He would eat, bathe, and yet the floor would remain as his bed. One life saved from his fruitless war with the Cwylld was not enough to absolve him of the deaths of the rest of the Acwellan.

  “They were innocent and I saw no reason for them to die,” Cadlyr said. “I probably would have tried to save more young people, but I was so rarely allowed to fight, especially after the Acwellan war. The chieftains became obsessed with their safety, and the day I saved your Scheredin was the only time I actually participated in the battle against the warlocks.”

  “They knew they had many angry enemies who would kill them,” Talfryn added.

  “I believe it was Carvallius they feared the most. They knew how powerful he was and just as he turned on the warlocks, he turned on the Cwylld. He was a most evil man,” Cadlyr said. “Word did not reach us of his death until well after the war was over, though I know now he died before I abducted Scheredin.”

  “I killed him shortly after it began. I was sent to a cottage to hide and he came after me. He thought it would be easy to kill me, but he had more arrogance than power,” Dre’Kariston said.

  “He spoke of the twins. He told us of his granddaughter who I had the displeasure of meeting and the enslaved one who was serving as her familiar.”

  “That would be me,” Dra’Kaedan supplied.

  “And the granddaughter? Latarian? Where is she?”

  “She is dead. You can thank Gavrael for that one,” Dre’Kariston said.

  “The boy wizard? Is he dead as well?”

  “No, Idris is alive and well. Flourishing as a matter of fact, now that he is at school and learning how to use his magic,” Aleksander informed Cadlyr.

  “So yeah, these two sleeping beauties gonna open their eyes anytime soon?” Renny asked as he tapped one sneaker-clad foot.

  “I wish I knew. I think they need to be separated from the stones for a while before they will wake. Maybe a couple of days before they open their eyes? I’m guessing here,” Dra’Kaedan said. Waving his hand in a circle, he produced a bright globe with a blue dragon in the center. “This will keep watch. If either of them so much as wiggle an eyelash, I’ll know.”

  “Thank you,” Lorcan said. He had been ready to sit in the room for as many hours as he could manage but now he need not worry; Dra’Kaedan would inform him as soon as Corwin woke.

  “All right gang, dinner isn’t going to make itself. Let’s let our two newest residents sleep off the power of the stones and get Cadlyr settled,” Noirin ordered as she began ushering folks out.

  “I’ll call the Emperor and let him know we have three new D’Vaires. He’ll be glad to know you guys made it out of enemy territory without incident,” Aleksander said. Lorcan had already thanked him profusely for allowing him, and now Corwin, to stay here. As much as he would have liked to get away from Talfryn, he no longer had any resources to take care of the last living Acwellan elves. And the Council would keep his brother protected—Lorcan was not going to lose him again if he could help it.

  Giving Corwin one last look, Lorcan began his own march out of the now nearly empty room but he was stopped by Talfryn’s hand. Their eyes met. He saw a mixture of so many emotions in those lavender eyes he once loved.

  “Can we talk?”

  “Talfryn, much has happened today. I am not myself.”

  “Just for a few minutes,” Talfryn pleaded.

  Lorcan huffed but relented. “Fine, but not in here.”

  “Your room?”

  It was a short walk as Noirin had put his brother right next door. As soon as they were ensconced in a place Lorcan had thought never to see again, he turned on Talfryn. “What do you want?”

  “I don’t know. I just wanted to talk about today. Your brother. I know what he meant to you. You were practically his father in the year we lived together.”

  “We had a father. Remember? He was murdered for his demon blood.”

  “I know,” Talfryn said. “I loved Corwin too, you know.”

  “I don’t want to discuss this.”

  “I know. I can’t help it. I’ve got all this stuff in my head from today. I don’t even know where to begin. And we still need to talk to Cadlyr. Hopefully he can tell us more about my kidnapping and Carvallius’s spell. How did I not know Cadlyr was my brother?”

  Lorcan watched as Talfryn began to pace and drag his hands through his long hair. He had always been affected deeply when his mate was upset but he was a bit too overwrought himself to deal with this. “Cadlyr has solved all the puzzles I need know.”

  Talfryn stopped walking and Lorcan saw the tears in his eyes. “That’s too bad. You are going to listen to him. You’re going to hear him tell you I didn’t have anything to do with it. I was abducted and blinded. Stolen from my life. Ripped away from you. I need you to know that. You don’t have to love me. You don’t have to even speak to me again after that, but you’re damn well going to hear that I have always loved you. That I will always love you. That I would have sooner taken a blade to my own throat than walk away from you.”

  He didn’t want to have this conversation and though he knew it was hardly fair, he knew how to piss Talfryn off. “Cadlyr is your brother. He would tell any lie to paint you in the best light.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Talfryn stared at him. Lorcan would never admit it but it was slightly unnerving. “You can do better than that, anleydir.”

  “Stop calling me that.”

  “Stop acting like a stubborn ass.”

  The smile came without his permission. “When have you ever known me to be different?”

  Talfryn laughed. “Okay, you have a point. Look, I’ll leave you alone for the rest of today, though I don’t think Corwi
n would like knowing you were locking yourself in here and not eating and all that, but tomorrow we are going to talk to Cadlyr.”

  “I had already decided to take meals.”

  “And bathe regularly?”

  He rolled his eyes. “I will bathe.”

  “And sleep in your bed?”

  “You weren’t this annoying when we were mated.”

  “We are still mated.”

  “In deed. Not in heart.”

  Those lavender eyes pinned him again. “You are the one who doesn’t want to have this discussion, so stop riling me up. I’ll see you at dinner. And Lorcan?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m so glad you have your brother back.”

  Lorcan didn’t know how to reply to that, so he said nothing as Talfryn left the room. For a thousand years, he had only looked forward to killing him. There was no Plan B. While he waited to see if he had his little brother back in his life in truth, it seemed Lorcan had to start making long-term goals and plans for the first time in a millennium. Talfryn would give him no choice but to listen to Cadlyr and whatever he could tell them about the past, but Lorcan could not imagine any revelation changing the facts. Lorcan’s mate had left, and now it seemed they would both have to learn to live with that.

  * * *

  The next morning dawned, and the men who had slept since they were boys had yet to open their eyes. Talfryn had lain awake much of the night before, half afraid if he went to sleep he’d wake up and the day before would be nothing but a dream. It hadn’t been the best of days. After all, it had begun with a mission of death and yet he had gained a brother. So had Lorcan. Talfryn smiled; he’d gained two brothers—he had loved Corwin too. He didn’t know the warlock, Scheredin, but he hoped to. As much as he would like the sleeping men to wake, he was glad he would have some time to speak with Cadlyr before they did.

  Talfryn wanted the full attention of his admittedly stubborn mate and he knew once Corwin was awake, Lorcan would focus there. He couldn’t blame him for that, but he needed to somehow, some way, get through his thick skull that he’d not left of his own accord. While he might promise to leave Lorcan be after he faced facts, the truth was Talfryn was never going to give up trying to have his mate back. The love he had for him still burned bright, and he intended to light that flame in Lorcan’s heart if it was the last thing he did. In the meantime, he was going to enjoy the fact that for now at least, Lorcan seemed to have put aside his idea of killing him. It was a ridiculous notion because it was impossible, but it was annoying listening to him repeat it constantly.

  Putting his thoughts on the matter aside, he dragged himself from his bed and got ready to face his day. Showered and dressed, he headed for the kitchen to fill his belly. He decided he would sit quietly near Lorcan and give the man peace during his meal. The other elf was already seated when he arrived, so he took his plate of fresh cut fruit and sat to eat. As he expected, Lorcan didn’t bother to acknowledge his presence, but it didn’t faze him. Talfryn enjoyed the view and reminded his brother when he got to the kitchen that they needed to speak to him.

  “Of course, we can talk after we eat?”

  “Fine with me. Lorcan, okay with you?”

  “I suppose if you insist on this fools’ task, it would be best to get it over with sooner rather than later.”

  “Don’t worry; he was a lot more pleasant when we were together,” Talfryn told his brother who looked concerned with Lorcan’s less-than-pleasant way of dealing with things.

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “I wouldn’t take his word for anything. He’s a liar.”

  “Do shut up, anleydir, and eat your breakfast.”

  “Stop calling me that.”

  “If you would sleep on a bed instead of a wooden floor you’d probably wake up in a better mood each morning.”

  “Don’t worry about where I sleep.”

  “Your brother is not going to like it any more than I do.”

  “Leave him out of this.”

  Talfryn didn’t bother replying. He knew they could go on like this all day, and he didn’t want to give Lorcan an excuse to postpone or cancel their little after-breakfast meeting. He focused on his meal and exchanged pleasantries with his brother and the other members of their D’Vaire family.

  Once Lorcan had popped the last grape into his mouth, Talfryn grabbed his plate as well as Cadlyr’s and deposited them into the dishwasher. Beckoning the pair to follow him, he led them outside to sit on the deck for their talk. Cadlyr marveled over the expansive garden as they found seats among the large scattered pieces of furniture. In the distance, they could hear the clang of metal on metal as the two D’Vaire sentinels honed their deadly skills each morning and afternoon.

  “What is it you wish to ask of me?”

  “I have no questions,” Lorcan said.

  “Well, I have plenty. You’re here to listen.” For a moment, Talfryn wasn’t sure where the hell to start. He had so many questions. About Cadlyr and his life. The mate he had never heard of and more importantly, how he had managed to keep such secrets. But the most important questions revolved about his own sad situation. “I want to know about our parents’ plan for me.”

  “I don’t know when they decided that they would kidnap you. They never approved of your mating; you know that.”

  “Of course, they made it clear what they thought of my demonspawn.”

  “I hate being called that.”

  “I know, I’m sorry,” Talfryn said to Lorcan.

  “They asked me to write to you. To ask you to come home to visit. I refused. They were furious. Then Carvallius came to visit. It was his idea to bind me to them so I could not disobey a direct order. So it was done, and then I wrote to you. You said you did not wish to visit the village. You invited me to the Acwellan instead.”

  “I remember. I did want to see you. We had been such good friends for so long, but I never planned on going back. You know why. My parents were never the caring type and when I met Lorcan…”

  “I know, they forbid you to mate with him.”

  “You never told me that,” Lorcan said, his brow furrowed.

  “It was embarrassing. Elves do not deny their mates, and I certainly wasn’t going to be told to do so. I was happy with Fate’s choice.”

  “Yet you had no love for my demon blood. I knew that.”

  “It scared me. I was hardly more than a boy, and I was sheltered. I thought it was evil. It took no time at all living with the Acwellan to see the truth.”

  “I couldn’t visit you. They would not allow it because they realized I wouldn’t be able to talk you into returning with me. It was my fault their plan would not work,” Cadlyr said. “I didn’t hear anything about it again for several months. They spoke often with Carvallius about what they would do if they could lure you there. It seemed to change from visit to visit, but there was little talk about how to get you to come back.”

  “I was hurt that you didn’t write me again. I guess they didn’t let you?”

  “No, I was told to have nothing to do with you. I believe they feared I would betray them and tell you of their plans. I was left with no choice. I was sad to have lost my brother and friend, but I was glad you wouldn’t fall into their clutches. And then came the note from the Acwellan.”

  “From the Acwellan? I didn’t write any note. No one else in my village would have any reason to send correspondence to any Cwylld.”

  “It was unsigned. The note begged for a meeting with either the Cwylld chieftain or someone well trusted. They feared it was a trap. That Talfryn, now an Acwellan, was plotting against them.”

  Talfryn knew right where this was going. “Let me guess. They sent you?”

  “Of course. If I should die then it would, in their words, ‘solve the Cadlyr problem.’ They didn’t want a war with the Acwellan—they feared them.”

  “You went. What happened?”

  “When I first arrived, I thought it was a hoax.
There was no one. But after several minutes I found myself with two Acwellan. At that first meeting, they refused to tell me their names but they assured me they were close to the chieftain and they feared for him.”

  “Feared for me? What reason could they have to be afraid?” Lorcan asked. It seemed though he had been reluctant to have this meeting, his curiosity was piqued by Cadlyr’s story.

  “It was your mate. They thought you were unduly influenced by him. I was told they feared you would forsake your demonic blood and force the Acwellan to deny their birthright. That you would be convinced being part demon did make you evil. That your young brother would grow up to hate what he was. You had once held these two men in your confidence, but now it was only Talfryn who had your ear. For the good of the entire Acwellan people, there had to be a way to get the pair of you separated.”

  “I never spoke of denying my demon. Even if Talfryn had insisted, I would have never agreed. I do not wish to call you a liar, but this story is beyond incredible,” Lorcan said. Talfryn had always appreciated Lorcan’s ability to be fair—except of course when it came to him. He told himself it was love blinding him; he thought he had been betrayed and he couldn’t see past his feelings to see the truth.

  “I know only what I was told. I had been raised to fear the Acwellan. I knew Talfryn loved you, but I also knew he had reservations about your demonic side. It seemed far-fetched but still plausible.”

  “So, you took this information back to our parents?”

  “Yes, and they were thrilled to hear it. Carvallius was invited back to the village, and he concocted a draught that would make you sleepy, and you know what happened after they knocked you out.”

  “So, you met with the betrayers and gave it to them and they—what? Slipped it into my drink?”

  “Yes. We had agreed to meet again. I told them you would be taken in by the Cwylld and not return to the Acwellan. They were very pleased. They assured me Lorcan would be temporarily upset, but he valued the lives of his people so he would never wage a war against the Cwylld. I gave them the draught and the note and we agreed to meet the following day so Eirsel and I could carry Talfryn back to our village.”