Vengeance From The Dark (D'Vaire Book 3)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  “Glad they thought Lorcan would be temporarily upset with me out of the picture,” Talfryn added dryly.

  “No one ever accused them of being full of heart.”

  “This is true.”

  “You’re saying two of my own plotted to steal my mate, and yet you offer me no names.”

  “I was getting to that. Their names were Nyley and Heriell. I was told they were your guards.”

  Talfryn gasped. Those two were Lorcan’s closest friends. He looked at his mate and saw the purple in his eyes disappear. The blood red eyes of his demon blazed with fury. “Nyley and Heriell? You dare accuse them? We were raised together as boys. We were practically brothers.”

  Gathering his resolve, Talfryn spoke quietly but firmly. “Lorcan, it makes a bit of sense. You were annoyed they kept coming to you when we first mated with their fears about us. They cautioned you to take the time to learn more about me.”

  Lorcan bowed his head. “I remember. I told them that Fate does not make mistakes. It was what my parents taught me. After a time, they let it go…or so I thought. We didn’t speak of it any longer. They were my friends. They loved me. Of course, they wished for me to be happy and they knew how I cared for you. I cannot believe this of them.”

  It shouldn’t have hurt so much to hear Lorcan’s words. After all, he’d been saying awful things since Talfryn’s memory had been restored. But these ripped through him and he began to wonder just how Lorcan had really felt about him all those centuries before. When he spoke, the words were bitter. “So much easier to believe I would just walk away and leave you. That I would deny Fate’s match for me and live in misery. I was that unworthy of your trust. Were your feelings for me really so shallow?”

  Lorcan looked taken aback by the speech and his eyes, which were back to their purple-red elven counterparts, were filled with emotions Talfryn had no way of interpreting. “That’s not fair. They are not even here to defend themselves. I should trust you and your brother over men I called family? You’re asking me to believe they had so little care for my happiness that they would betray me in such a fashion. It’s not about my feelings for you, Talfryn. It is asking me to accept something that is nearly impossible.”

  “I have no proof to offer you. I wish I did. Perhaps the only consolation I can give you is that they did not know what fate awaited Talfryn. They simply wanted him to go away and they asked no questions. Not that I could offer them the plan for I did not yet know it,” Cadlyr said.

  “I will need time to think on this. I do not want to believe it and yet, I find myself not able to dismiss the idea outright. Thank you for your tale.” Without another word, Lorcan stood and returned to the house. Talfryn didn’t even bother to try and get him to stay. He too needed time to absorb all Cadlyr had told him and its implications. One thing Talfryn did know was that Lorcan was right. He needed to be fair and give Lorcan the benefit of the doubt that he would realize Cadlyr had no reason to lie and no way of knowing who the two elves were and what they meant to Lorcan.

  “Thanks, Cadlyr, I appreciate your honesty.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “So am I. Let’s just put this behind us and concentrate on being friends again.”

  “Remember that he loved you so much, he waged a war that cost him nearly everything. You don’t do that for someone you don’t love.”

  Talfryn’s mouth twisted. “You’re right. It’s just hard to hear him blame me for our separation, but I need to remember he’s had a thousand years to brood over this idea. To let it fester and churn in his gut. He had to witness all his family and friends dying. Thanks. You were always the voice of reason.”

  “How did he come to have a red hoop in addition to his mating ones, and how did he turn the markings on his face to red?”

  “He used our mating athame to draw his blood and forsook our mating bond. Fate obliged by adding the hoop and recoloring his marks.”

  “I was unaware such a thing was possible.”

  “As was I until I saw it.”

  Cadlyr was silent for a few moments. “I’d like to be friends again. I missed you. It was so hard to see you there as Edion and not wish for my best friend, Talfryn.”

  “You kept your distance, but I suppose you had to.”

  “You know the story by now. They didn’t want me near you.”

  “I will not mourn them.”

  “Neither will I. I am grateful for the life they gave me and that is all.”

  “Once again we agree.”

  “I will help however I can with your mate.”

  Talfryn laughed. “Thanks. You’ve met him, so you know I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

  Chapter 26

  Lorcan walked through the garden, pleased with how the crops were growing. His people would be fed well this year. In the distance, he could hear his name being called and hoped it was his mate. He hadn’t seen Talfryn since early morning, and his man had been wearing a smile full of satisfaction. It was an expression he always wore after they sated their lust for each other as they had done upon opening their eyes to greet the day.

  Walking back toward the circle of huts that made up their small village, Lorcan heard his name being shouted once again. Picking up his pace, Lorcan thought he heard panic in the voice. Voices, he discovered, as he saw his closest friends Nyley and Heriell headed in his direction at a dead run.

  “Lorcan, your mate has left the village,” Nyley exclaimed as they spotted him. By the time the pair caught up to him, they were breathless but their words made little sense.

  “Talfryn knows better than to leave the safety of our home.”

  “I do not believe he thought himself in danger; he was accompanied by two of his own kind,” Heriell informed him.

  “His kind is Acwellan. Is it so unusual to see your Chieftain-mate taking a walk with his people?”

  “They were not our kind, they were his kind. He left with two Cwylld,” Nyley said.

  “Impossible, he did not contact them after Cadlyr refused to respond to his last letter.” Lorcan was well aware of the pain Caldyr had caused Talfryn; he’d believed Cadlyr was his good friend and could not imagine for what reason he would refuse to respond.

  “I cannot explain how he came to be in their company, but their hair spoke of their heritage. It was the same blond and lavender as Talfryn.”

  Lorcan frowned. He had never known his friends to tell falsehoods, but he didn’t know how they could have seen Talfryn leaving the shelter of the Acwellan village with two Cwylld. “Rest easy, I am sure there is an explanation to what you witnessed. I shall simply find Talfryn and have him explain it.”

  “Chieftain, I know our words must be shocking, but you will not find your mate in the village,” Heriell replied.

  Their insistence that Talfryn had left with two Cwylld was beginning to annoy Lorcan. Without another word, he began walking toward his home at a fast clip. Nyley and Heriell fell into step behind him and seemed to understand his frustration because they did not say another word.

  Before he could make it to the entrance of his hut, he heard his name being called out once again. It was a wonder he could complete any tasks, he thought in irritation as he came to a halt. He could see his young brother racing toward him.

  “Lorcan, I thought you were checking on the crops,” Corwin said as soon as came to a stop in front of the trio.

  “It was my intention to do a bit of farming but Nyley and Heriell bid me come home. They believe Talfryn has left the village.”

  Corwin scoffed. “Talfryn would not do that.”

  “Have you seen him?”

  “Not since we broke our fast. I believed him to be with you.”

  “No, he had his own list of chores to see to.”

  “You will likely find him in your hut.”

  Lorcan nodded and crossed the expanse of their small village with three Acwellan now nipping at his heels. He called out Talfryn’s name as he walked and frowned as he heard nothin
g in response. Lifting the flap, he walked into the hut and found it empty. The stillness was almost otherworldly and Lorcan felt a chill race down his spine. He found himself filled with dread and yet he could find no reason for him to feel such.

  “Is that a note?” Heriell asked as he snatched up a scroll from the table in their dwelling.

  Ripping it from his friend’s grasp, Lorcan unrolled it and began reading. He was immediately sorry he had begun to do so when the words began to register.

  Lorcan,

  This note will no doubt be a shock to you as I have acted as your anleydir this past year. I find myself living a lie that I can no longer abide. I pledged all to you yet I cannot deny it was done without any love in my heart. I could never have loved you. A demon shares your heart, and I can only believe it leaves you barren of any soft feelings. Only evil resides in you. It was the lust for your gold that drew me to your side. With surprise, I find my distaste for your touch has overcome my desire for the bounty of your coin. I shall not return to you and beg that you make no effort to find me. Should I be forced to continue to live this way, my soul will wither to nothing. The contempt I feel for you would blacken my heart. A life alone without any hope of love is more appealing than being your mate. I beg you to find a way to free your people of their tainted blood.

  Be well,

  Talfryn

  Something deep inside of Lorcan snapped when he read the hateful words Talfryn had left for him. His rage grew quickly and was molten hot. Drawing on the power of his demon, he incinerated the note but knew the words would forever be imprinted on his brain. The man he loved called their matebond a distasteful lie.

  “Lorcan, what is it? Does the note tell us where to find your mate?” Corwin asked.

  “He is my mate no longer. He has returned to the Cwylld,” Lorcan said.

  “We must retaliate. His people should pay for this insult,” Nyley said.

  Heriell nodded. “Yes, you must show that the loss of your mate has not made you weak.”

  “I am no weakling.”

  “Lorcan, you know no Acwellan thinks you weak, but the Cwylld must surely be laughing at the fool they have made of you,” Nyley said.

  Trying to deal with his onslaught of emotions was proving to be a task far above him. His heart was breaking, shattering into tiny pieces. His soul latched on to the words of his friends and cried out for vengeance. Talfryn would pay for betraying him in this way. He would see to it if it was the last thing he did upon this earth. “Ready the tribe for war.”

  “War?” Corwin asked in shock.

  “Yes, the Cwylld will pay for Talfryn’s betrayal.”

  “Betrayal? What say you, Lorcan? Talfryn would never betray you.” Corwin argued.

  “Did he explain why he left with the Cwylld?” Nyley asked, curiosity bright in his eyes.

  “In fact, he did. It appears my lying mate is in possession of a black heart incapable of love. He can no longer abide my touch and only made the sacrifice of mating for the sake of my coin.”

  Corwin gasped. “That sounds nothing at all like Talfryn.”

  “I did say you should have trodden carefully with one of his kind,” Heriell said.

  “Indeed, Talfryn was never overfond of our demonic blood,” Nyley added.

  It was nothing Lorcan wished to hear. “Get out, I need some time alone. You have your orders. We will leave at first light tomorrow.”

  “Lorcan, Talfryn would not leave you,” Corwin insisted as the other two elves made their way out of the hut.

  “Corwin, I read for myself his words.”

  “Lorcan—”

  “Enough!” Lorcan yelled. “I have told you he is gone of his own accord. Now leave me be.”

  Corwin’s brows came together in a mulish look Lorcan was familiar with. His brother was as stubborn as he when it came to something he believed. “Fine. Believe whatever lie you wish. Talfryn would not leave you. If he is gone then someone has taken him.”

  “Corwin, please. I need some time alone.”

  Without a word, Corwin left and the silence that followed in his wake was deafening. Lorcan had no idea how to cope with the events of the last few minutes and carefully lowered himself to the pallet he’d made love to Talfryn on just hours before. A deep roiling blackness coursed through him and his heart shriveled in his chest.…

  Lorcan opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was not the hut he had once shared with Talfryn but the smooth white expanse of his room in Arizona. It had been a long time since he had remembered anything about that hated day other than the words that had been written on that damnable scroll. He had forgotten it had been Nyley and Heriell that had come to him and first announced Talfryn was gone.

  Before his discussion, he would have never even considered the pair were in any way responsible and yet it was too much of a coincidence to just disregard Cadlyr’s words. He couldn’t negate the fact that not only had they announced Talfryn was gone but they had seen him in the company of two Cwylld. In fact, it was Cadlyr and Eirsel who had supposedly carried Talfryn out. His brain insisted they could not have done this horrible thing but they did have access to his hut. Nyley and Heriell could have come and gone without anyone taking note of it. He reminded himself it was true of nearly all the Acwellan as he had never put on airs or thought he was so far above the others that he and his home should remain off-limits.

  Other memories forced their way in, and he remembered how Nyley and Heriell had practically begged for death when they had walked across that bloody field without protecting themselves from the arrows flying through the sky. Had it been more than the distraction of all that was taking place on the battlefield as he had thought? Could it possibly have been guilt driving them toward their deaths?

  Lorcan heard a knock on his door and was grateful for the distraction. His mind was a minefield of relentless and disturbing questions. He wasn’t even annoyed that it was likely his mate on the other side. He was so ready to be pulled away from his thoughts. But when he opened the door, it wasn’t Talfryn but an excited Dra’Kaedan, still in his pajamas, with an annoyed looking Brogan looming over him.

  “Hey, Lorcan, sorry about the wake-up call, but I believe your brother is waking up.”

  He couldn’t help the smile that broke out. Lorcan was grateful he was able to keep the tears at bay. Thanking Dra’Kaedan, he followed the pair into the bedroom next to his own and clearly saw the fluttering of his brother’s lashes.

  “Corwin,” he said as he came to his bedside and searched for his hand. He watched as Corwin struggled to open his eyes and Lorcan pleaded with Fate to allow his brother to come back to him whole.

  “He’s definitely doing his best to wake up,” Dra’Kaedan pointed out from the other side of the bed.

  “Scheredin’s still asleep,” Brogan announced.

  “I’ve got a theory that because Corwin is elven and less reliant on magic, it’s easier for him to overcome the pull the stone had on him,” Dra’Kaedan answered.

  “Lorcan?”

  Hearing the whisper from his brother immediately drew his attention downward and he saw the pale blue of Corwin’s eyes. “Yes, it’s me. Are you in pain?”

  “What has happened to your face and eyes?” Corwin demanded as he stared up at him. It seemed his brother’s faculties were well intact.

  “I will explain later. How do you feel?”

  “I find myself confused. Where am I? Who are these people? Why am I here? What happened to the Cwylld? Are they all dead?”

  Leave it to his brother to wake up and instantly begin firing questions in rapid succession. “We will explain as best we can, but I warn you it will take some time for it all to make sense.”

  Before he could begin those explanations, he saw an all too familiar face in the still open door of the bedroom.

  “Is everything okay?” Talfryn asked from the doorway.

  “Talfryn?” Corwin all but screeched as he sat straight up. It figured his brother wou
ld be more excited by seeing his mate than his own flesh and blood, Lorcan thought as he glared at Talfryn.

  “Corwin, you’re awake,” Talfryn exclaimed as he came running into the room. He didn’t stop until he was at Corwin’s bedside and the two immediately embraced.

  “I have missed you,” his brother said with a sniff.

  “I have missed you too,” Talfryn said, his voice just as nasally. The pair hugged for what seemed like forever and Lorcan couldn’t miss the tears that were falling into Corwin’s long black and red hair.

  Suddenly Corwin pulled away and turned toward Lorcan. He gave him a narrow-eyed stare before returning his attention to Lorcan’s mate. “Talfryn, tell Lorcan you did not choose to leave the village that day.”

  Lorcan watched Talfryn offer his brother a small, sad smile. “I have.”

  “We’ll discuss this later. We have too much to explain to Corwin to bother with that,” Lorcan said. He knew if he didn’t cut that conversation short, he would be faced with the anger of both his brother and his mate. It was not something he wanted to deal with now.

  “Are you hungry?” Talfryn asked.

  “It feels like much time has passed since I last ate,” Corwin replied.

  Lorcan could do nothing but stand there stupidly as Talfryn gently helped his brother to his feet. Corwin seemed confused as to why his legs were seemingly weak; it was bound to be a shock when he found out he’d been sleeping for the past thousand years. Neither man bothered to even glance again in Lorcan’s direction as they made their way out of the bedroom while Talfryn made the explanations about where they were and who else lived with them. Slowly Lorcan followed in their wake as he wondered how Talfryn had managed to steal his brother just minutes after he finally got him back.

  * * *

  “A thousand years? I have been resting all that time?” Corwin’s eyes were large in his pale face. It was not the first time he had asked it. Over the course of the day, he’d seemed unable to comprehend the magnitude of what had befallen him. He’d recognized Cadlyr with fear, but the pair had since found common ground over Talfryn’s disappearance. Lorcan was now the sole holdout when it came to reconciling the events of the past.