Exiled: A Return of the Elves Novella (The Return of the Elves Book 3)

by Bethany Adams

  Delbin’s mouth tightened at the thought, but he only hit the brakes and shoved the vehicle into park. No use dwelling on a past that wouldn’t change.

  “Let’s get going,” he snapped, shoving himself out of the truck before Inona could comment.

  Her door clicked shut as he crossed to the side, but she didn’t speak. Fortunately. He couldn’t explain his sudden ill humor even to himself. Huffing out a breath, Delbin glanced over the side of the truck. Then he froze. The space where Kien had lain was empty, save a puddle of blood and a tangle of rope.

  “Fuck,” Delbin yelped.

  Inona rushed over. “What?”

  “He’s gone.”

  She sank low, her gaze moving around the area as she pressed her back against the side of the truck. With a sharp tug on his wrist, Inona pulled him down beside her. “When did you last see him?”

  Delbin thought back. Had he checked after turning down the dirt road? “On the main road for sure. When we turned under the trees, it was too dark.”

  “Clechtan,” she cursed. “We need to move. If he gets to the portal first, there’s no telling where he’ll go.”

  Before he could say a word, she darted out of sight.

  Inona didn’t bother waiting to see what Delbin would do. If Kien had escaped near the main road, he might have circled around the base of the ridge to the portal. Although it was technically spelled against letting him enter Moranaia, there were plenty of other realms he might escape to. Realms she wouldn’t know to search.

  Instead of heading directly across the open hill, Inona cut right until she reached the trees lining the south end of the ridge. She sent her senses out around her as far as she could with the minuscule energy available. No sign of Kien, although she detected Delbin just behind her. As she ducked into the trees, she pulled her knives and worked her way carefully toward the portal.

  They rounded the base of the hill, and the gentle slope gave way to the sharp line of the ridge wall. Inona gave Delbin a mental nudge. “I don’t sense him. You?”

  A brief pause. “No. Dammit. I should’ve kept mental control, but it takes so much energy.”

  “Which isn’t exactly plentiful on Earth,” she grumbled. Then a new thought hit her. “Are you sure it was really him? That illusion he did this morning was quite realistic. I’m not sure of the extent of an illusionist’s power.”

  “Illusions don’t bleed, or if they did, they wouldn’t leave any blood behind. There was a pool of blood in the back of the truck.”

  At least that was one worry gone. But Inona hadn’t sensed him by the time they approached the portal, and a quick examination of the area showed no signs of disturbance. No footprints, no blood. She closed her eyes and connected to the shields around the portal. Thankfully, no one had passed through.

  Where could he have gone? Back to the cave? Maybe he had some way to detect them so he could stay out of sight.

  “You said there’s an old house on the north side of the ridge?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He frowned. “Well, more northwest. You think he’s there?”

  “I suppose we’ll have to find out.”

  In silence, they followed the ridge until they reached the line of trees. The stone wall had shrunk to waist height, and it wasn’t long until the ridge disappeared into the gentle hills around it. Inona startled when Delbin grabbed her wrist, tugging her gently to the left toward the sparsely forested slope.

  “The house is back in the trees where this hill drops away,” he said.

  Inona nodded, and after a brief hesitation, she pulled her arm away. She might enjoy his touch, but she needed her hands free for battle. With a quick smile, she started forward, her senses ranging wide. She could feel nothing from Kien, nor had there been any energy surges that would indicate a mage at work.

  Had he escaped the truck sooner than they’d thought?

  She detected nothing on the way to the old house, a two-story wooden structure with sagging shutters and paint peeling from the siding. The farmhouse had clearly seen better days, and yet… Inona’s eyes narrowed on a window beside the back door. A light.

  With a gesture for Delbin to follow, she crept closer, only to jerk to a halt at the sound of a sharp bark. A dog? She scanned the area as Delbin froze beside her. There. Near the back corner, a dog was chained on a lead. The back door creaked open, and Inona strengthened the camouflage spell around herself and Delbin as a young man poked his head out.

  “Hush, Ginger,” the man called. “I’ll be done in a few.”

  The man retreated, the door slamming behind him.

  “Did you read him?” she asked Delbin.

  “Yeah. He bought the place a few weeks back and is working on a remodel.” Humor entered his mental voice. “He’s painting, so he left the dog outside. Seems he had to do a bit of cleanup last time he let Ginger in with him. Blue prints everywhere.”

  Inona grinned at the mental image Delbin had sent with the words. Then her smile dropped. “Any hint of Kien?”

  “I don’t think so. I didn’t catch any thoughts about the dog barking sooner.”

  A sigh hissed through her teeth. “Figures. Let’s circle around to the truck.”

  Quietly, they worked their way around the house and through the forest bordering the driveway. By the time the truck came into sight, Inona was ready to kick something. Kien could’ve gone anywhere, and there was little hope of tracking him without a team of her fellow scouts to search in multiple directions.

  She couldn’t take the time to hunt him herself. It was more vital to return to Moranaia with the information she’d gained about Kien’s actions. How much of this did Lord Lyr know? All of the scouts had been warned to watch for Kien and to apprehend him if possible. But they’d been given no other details. Rumors swirled about a confrontation, but there’d been nothing about a spell to destroy Earth’s energy. Regardless, this was too serious to assume Lyr knew about it.

  Delbin leaned against the side of the truck, his steady regard focused on her. “Well? What’s next?”

  Inona bit her lip. She needed to return Delbin to his proper home. No matter what happened, he deserved to know what had befallen his brother.

  “We should go,” she sent to Delbin.

  His eyes narrowed. “Shouldn’t we search a bit longer?”

  “Not alone,” she answered with a shake of her head. “I have to report in and gather more scouts.”

  Delbin studied her for a moment, his expression inscrutable, and then nodded. “When will you return?”

  She crossed her arms. “You’ll know firsthand. You’re coming with me.”

  Joy and dread collided within Delbin, and his heartbeat thumped hard in his ears as he stared at Inona. “I can’t,” he finally admitted.

  “Excuse me?” she demanded.

  He swallowed against the lump forming in his throat. “I was formally exiled. To return, I’ll have to face the Myern’s judgment, and I doubt he’ll feel favorable toward me after our deception. Especially if I level with him about all of the rules here I’ve…bent.”

  Inona slid one knife back into her pocket. Then her hand darted out, her fingers wrapping around his wrist. “Did I give the impression that you have a choice?”

  He froze, surprised by her hard tone. “Are you serious?”

  “I believe you have information vital to Moranaia,” she answered. She tightened her grip on his wrist. “Judgment or not, you’re coming with me.”

  Damn. Well, he hadn’t been that bad, right? He hadn’t hurt anyone. He’d probably be sent straight back to Earth, but he hadn’t done anything to warrant execution or an isolated exile. Hopefully. “I need to take the truck back to Grunge.”

  Inona shook her head. “We’ll have to come back for that.”

  “No.” She tugged at his wrist, but Delbin refused to budge. “I’m not going to cause Grunge trouble after all he’s done for me. That guy back at the house will be leaving soon, and if he spots this truck, he’ll have
it towed. Maybe even call the police.”

  Wincing, she let go. “Fine. If he won’t drive us back to the portal, we’ll walk. But if this is a plan to cause trouble, I’ll—”

  “It’s not.” He smiled. “I promise I’ll return with you.”

  “Let’s go, then.” Inona spun toward the truck. Then she paused, her hand on the edge of the truck bed as she peered over the side. “Hey, you don’t happen to have a jar, do you?”

  Delbin blinked. “A…jar?”

  “Blood has power,” she answered softly. “It’s a dangerous thing, blood magic, but having a sample of Kien’s could be useful for tracking.”

  A chill washed through Delbin. “Allafon was rumored to dabble in blood magic.”

  Inona eased closer and lifted her hand to Delbin’s cheek. “I promise it isn’t for that. I’d say it’s a danger to leave the blood of a powerful mage where anyone can find it. We’ll take the jar to Lord Lyr. He’s honorable.”

  Was Lyr so trustworthy, then? Delbin had only met him a couple of times during his exile, before Lyr had stopped traveling to Earth to take his father’s place as Myern. Delbin didn’t know much about that, save that Lyr’s father had died abruptly. He’d seemed kind and fair during their interactions. But more importantly, Inona trusted him.

  “Let me see what I can find,” Delbin said.

  He gave her hand a squeeze and shifted away to search the clutter. There’d been a container full of Mason jars that Stephie had bought at a flea market for some craft project she’d seen on the Internet. Delbin moved a stack of bent metal poles and tossed aside the two old seat cushions beneath them. There. Quickly, he popped the latch securing the plastic box and lifted the lid just enough to snag a jar.

  “Here it is,” Delbin called out, lifting the Mason jar high.

  Inona stepped closer to peer at the glass. “Is that writing on the side?”

  Delbin turned it so he could see the side. Then he smiled. “It’s just the name of the company that made the jar. Nothing mystical or anything.”

  “Ah.” She considered the jar for a moment, then nodded. “It should work.”

  After he handed the jar over, Inona unscrewed the lid and leaned over the side of the truck. But she didn’t scoop the blood in with her fingers as he’d expected. Instead, she waved her hand over the puddle, and Delbin’s breath caught at the sudden surge of energy flowing over him. The blood pooled together and lifted, floating like water droplets in space. The eerie red bubbles dropped into the jar without a splash.

  “Well, that trick certainly makes cleaning easier,” he said as Inona secured the lid.

  Despite the humor of the comment, she turned a serious glance his way. “You didn’t see such magics on Moranaia?”

  Delbin shrugged. “Other stuff, sure. But I don’t remember that one. I was pretty young.”

  Inona’s mouth tightened, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she strode around the truck and jerked the passenger door open. Delbin smiled as he moved to his own door. He’d never had someone be so indignant on his behalf before. It was…nice. But he made certain his expression settled into something more neutral by the time he climbed into his seat. He had a feeling she wouldn’t appreciate the observation.

  Chapter 7

  Hardly an hour had passed before Delbin stood in front of the portal once again. Grunge had driven them back in his cargo van, and he’d even assured Delbin that he’d hold his place in the fair until Delbin knew if he’d be sent back to Earth. That was one relief, at least. As technology advanced, it grew more and more difficult to establish a new life.

  “Are you ready?” Inona asked softly.

  Delbin took a deep breath and nodded. He jolted as she twined her fingers with his, though both his body and heart warmed at the gesture. This was real. After all these years, he was finally going home. His shoulders straightened as he walked with Inona into the maelstrom of the Veil.

  The mists flowed around them, so thick he could barely see his feet. But only for a moment. Energy poured from Inona into him, and he instinctively flinched as they seemed to leap forward into a swirl of color. Delbin closed his eyes against a wave a dizziness at the abrupt movement. Had it been this way before? He’d been too terrified the first time to remember much.

  After only a few heartbeats, it was over.

  Delbin lifted a hand to his eyes against the sudden sunlight. Then the energy of Moranaia poured into him like hope. Oh, Gods.

  A moan slipped from his lips as his power reserves were fully filled for the first time since his exile. He could feel his muscles strengthening, his magic expanding. His eyes slipped closed at the unexpected ecstasy.

  Followed promptly by agony.

  Voices crammed into his mind—too many to pick out words. He dropped Inona’s hand to shove his palms against his temples, and he fell hard to his knees. What…?

  Inona whispered to him from somewhere far away. Had she kept walking without him? “Delbin.”

  Gasping against the pain, he struggled to reinforce his ragged shielding. Too many. A crowd? “Get. Them. Away,” he ground out.

  “Who?” she asked softly. “There are only a couple of guards in the clearing.”

  A couple? But… Delbin poured more power into his mental shields. More layers to the invisible bubble of energy that guarded his mind. Slowly, the voices began to wink out. The pain to recede. His own thoughts became clear once more.

  Had his talents grown so much since he’d left? They hadn’t been overwhelming before, but he’d only been sixteen. He released a long breath and opened his eyes.

  Inona knelt in front of him, her worried gaze focused on his face. “Are you okay?”

  He blinked in surprise at her nearness. Hadn’t she kept walking? It had certainly seemed like it. “I don’t know what happened,” Delbin answered. “But I think so.”

  He could feel the thoughts of others pounding against his shields, just outside the edge of “hearing.” Delbin winced, and Inona’s face wavered before his blurry eyes. He rubbed his forehead and blinked again to clear his vision. Why couldn’t he control himself?

  Gods, I wish I could hold him. I wish I had the right.

  As Inona’s voice rushed into his mind, Delbin jolted. They’d linked telepathically before, but it was obvious she hadn’t meant him to hear this confession. What did she mean, she didn’t have the right? A hint of her attraction had come through with her thoughts, so he wasn’t sure what to think of her words. If only… But no. No way he would delve into her mind on purpose.

  Her eyebrows drew together. “Are you sure you’re fine?”

  He shook his head to clear it. Now was not the time to focus on Inona’s unwitting admission. Unfortunately. He added another layer of shielding between his mind and hers. “Yeah.”

  Delbin heaved himself to his feet, his body shaking as he took his first look at his home world in a hundred years. Sunlight trickled through the leaves of the huge trees that surrounded them, the branches sparser above the clearing where they’d paused. Two guards in leather armor stood by the stone portal, their faces impassive as they studied him. But Delbin knew there were more in the trees, carefully camouflaged from sight—both tradition and his mind magic told him that.

  Though his muscles trembled, Delbin forced himself to take a step forward. Then another. His rubber-soled boots made little sound against the packed dirt as he hobbled toward the edge of the clearing. He sensed Inona beside him, her voice the loudest as it pounded against his mental shields. Her worry picked at his protections until he feared they might crack.

  “I’m okay,” he murmured, risking a glance just in time to see her roll her eyes.

  Inona’s hand darted out, and she steadied him as his balance shifted. “Obviously.”

  Delbin paused at the edge of the clearing where it met the trail to the main estate. Heaving a sigh, he leaned against a nearby tree. Inona stared at him, her eyebrow lifted, but he only shrugged. How could he explain what he didn’t understand?
The initial surge of energy had made him feel stronger than he had in ages. So why was he shaky?

  “It’s fine to admit when you’re overloaded,” Inona said.

  He blinked. “That’s a thing?”

  “I’ve never seen it in person, but I’ve heard of it,” she answered. “You weren’t ready for the full activation of your powers. Your body needs time to adjust, I think. But I’m no healer. There’s one at the estate, if you can make it. Should I call ahead and have the healer’s assistant carry you there?”

  As he shoved himself away from the tree, Delbin caught the teasing glint in Inona’s eyes. She’d challenged him on purpose, knowing perfectly well he wouldn’t want such an undignified arrival. With an answering smirk, he started down the path. If he was heading to his own judgment, he’d damn well do it on his own two feet.

  “Coming?” he called over his shoulder.

  Grinning, she hurried to catch up.

  By the time they reached the main entrance to the Myern’s estate, Delbin had steadied somewhat—at least physically. He could walk without shaking, and greater vitality filled him with every breath. But even as he strengthened, his shielding grew closer to crumbling. With each step nearer to the manor, more voices pounded against his mind.

  Moren had taken Delbin along the back trails to the portal when he’d started his exile, so he’d never actually seen Braelyn, Lyr’s estate. Gods, what a sight. The tan stone structure curled around the trees like a snake—and almost as well camouflaged. From a distance, the rock’s pattern blended with the nearby tree trunks, but as they neared the entrance, he could discern carvings of forest life. The entire place was a work of art.

  But entirely too populated, a strain on Delbin’s failing shields.

  He rubbed at his temples in a vain attempt to ease the ache. Then he dropped his hands at Inona’s concerned frown. “Just a bit of a headache,” he whispered as a guard in leather armor opened the large wooden doors for them to enter.