Work of Fate (Dual Court Kiss Book 2)

by Britt, Samantha

  Chapter 31

  Kalan was curious to know if he could faze directly past Eirie’s wards like Gwen. After assuring Ronan he would rather speak to the Wise Ones alone, the prince focused and tried to faze inside the gates of Eirie. Cold sweat rolled down his back as he continued to draw in the room’s energy. His jaw clenched in concentration. Kalan seemed to have a more difficult time utilizing dual-court abilities, compared to Gwen.

  Gwen.

  Her name brought with it strength and resolve to see his task accomplished. He needed the Wise Ones help if he was to find her before it was too late. With renewed purpose, Kalan continued to call on the forces around him and redirect it to his goal.

  In moments, he felt the familiar pull associated with fazing. Kalan opened his eyes, and had to shield them from the bright light reflecting off the marble buildings around him. Despite his stressed state, Kalan smiled. The prince found himself wondering what he had always been capable of, if he only attempted them. He shook his head for clarity. His new reality was disconcerting to say the least.

  Recognizing the tower he felt pulled to, the day he encountered Gwen in Eirie, Kalan moved to enter the structure.

  The prince was not surprised when he was met at the door by a Wise One. The Elder, who confirmed Gwen was the subject of his prophecy, stood in the entryway.

  The Elder titled his head in greeting. “Prince Kalan. I was wondering when you would arrive.”

  Kalan bowed low. He figured deference could go a long way in soliciting the Elder’s assistance. “You Saw I would come?” He asked after straightening his spine.

  The Elder smiled kindly. “No. Fate tends to not reveal day to day occurrences to its servants. I simply heard of the attack at Summer Court and young Gwenevere’s disappearance. I assumed you would wish to find her.”

  “That is exactly my wish,” Kalan replied. The Wise One nodded and gestured for the prince to follow him into the tower. Instead of moving further down into the building, Kalan was led to a small door to their immediate left.

  The room was large and filled with glass flasks lining shelves around the circular walls. Most of the flasks were corked closed and filled with cloudy substances of varying colors. Others were uncorked and empty of any contents visible to the naked eye. Two stone stools were placed next to a table made of the same material in the center of the room. The Elder led Kalan towards the archaic furniture, and sat on one of the stools. The prince sat on the other, facing the Wise One.

  The Elder observed Kalan, seeming to search his face. The prince forced himself to not fidget under the scrutiny. Kalan did not speak. Somehow, he knew the Wise One’s action was important and should not be interrupted.

  “You have learned of your own nature, I see.”

  Kalan nodded.

  “And you have managed to utilize your powers. Very impressive. After years spent only strengthening your Winter abilities, I expected you to struggle to tap into your Summer skills.”

  The prince smirked; his damp shirt still stuck to his skin. “I would say I struggled. It definitely was not as easy as Gwen made it appear.”

  The Elder returned his smile. “The princess did not have the mental blocks in place from a life of not knowing her true nature. She practiced and strengthened both of her abilities in equal measure. With time, you will be able to manipulate both natures as easily as she.”

  The news was good to hear, but Kalan wanted to focus on the pressing matter of Gwen’s safety. Everything else could wait.

  The Elder must have noticed the change in his demeanor. “You have a connection with Gwen.” It was not a question. Kalan tilted his head in acknowledgement.

  “Have you experienced any emotions or sensations that were unexpected? Perhaps, you suspect they were not your own?”

  Kalan opened his mouth to say no, but paused before he got the word out. He remembered the feeling of suffocation he experienced when speaking with Ronan. Once he was able to draw breath again, the prince wrote off the sensation as a mild panic attack. His worry for Gwen, at the time, had been great to say the least. Though, now that he thought about it, the deprivation of oxygen did feel real. Too real.

  The prince met the Elder’s inquiring eyes. Kalan informed him of what happened in his rooms. He told the fae how he lost his breath and collapsed to the ground without warning. The Wise One’s expression betrayed nothing.

  Kalan, also, threw in information regarding his extreme anger when he feared for Gwen in any way. The prince already identified the emotion as Wrath, but he did not want to withhold any information the Wise One could provide insight on. Especially, if doing so might help Gwen.

  Once he finished explaining, Kalan waited for the Elder’s response. He only waited for a moment.

  “I believe your connection with Gwenevere allowed you to share her feelings in an extreme moment of panic.”

  Blood pounded in the prince’s ears as he registered the implication. “So… she was actually suffocating?”

  There was no hesitation. “I believe so.”

  Kalan clenched his fists. “Who was attacking her?”

  The Elder’s gaze was even. “I do not know. There is a possibility it was not an attack.”

  Kalan shook his head. He knew what he felt in addition to the panic associated with suffocating. There was fear. Gwen’s fear. She was afraid of what was happening to her. The prince knew someone attacked her.

  The Elder saw Kalan’s determination. “Very well,” he nodded. “The solution is simple. You will use your connection to Gwenevere to determine her location.”

  “I do not know how to do that,” Kalan admitted. “It only happened by accident.”

  “No,” the Elder corrected. “The connection was not felt by accident. You and Gwenevere have always had the capability to feel one another’s emotions.”

  “Then why did I not realize it before?”

  “I believe the severity of Gwenevere’s emotions made it so they were unable to be ignored, or not felt by you. Her everyday emotions would take more effort to be discernable.”

  “So why can I not feel her now?” Kalan began to panic. “Wouldn’t she still be in trouble?”

  What if I am too late?

  The Elder held up a calming hand. “You would know if something fatal happened to Gwenevere.”

  “What if that was what the suffocation was?”

  The Elder shook his head. “Trust me. You would know.”

  Kalan exhaled. He was worried, but believing the Wise One’s words was all he could do. “So… what do I do?”

  “Try to reach inside yourself and pull on the connection. If done correctly, not only should you be able to feel what Gwenevere is feeling, but you will also be able to follow the connection and figure out where she is located.”

  Kalan leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “How do I do that?”

  “Think of her. Dwell on your feelings for Gwenevere. Use all the emotions associated with your lifemate to find her.”

  Kalan met the Elder’s gaze. The male looked completely at ease while Kalan knew he must look like a crazed fool. The prince always knew he shared a connection with Gwen, but never one so deep as to actually feel and share in her emotions. Not to mention find her physical location.

  “You make it sound easy,” the prince spoke softly, deep in thought.

  “It should be. Just think about Gwenevere.”

  Kalan continued to ponder the Wise One’s advice. His mind wandered to his first trip to the Human Realm after learning of his relation to Gwen. He remembered being able to find Gwen in the human shop almost without thought. He simply felt… drawn to her. He knew where she was instinctively. Hope fought to replace his ever-present unease. The Elder’s advice did not seem as farfetched as moments before.

  “I think of Gwen?” Kalan asked the Elder with renewed strength. “That is all?”

  “Yes. You and Gwenevere share a unique bond of great power. Use it to connect with her.”

&nbs
p; “Will she be able to sense when I am doing it? Can I communicate with her?”

  “The ability to do so exists, but Gwenevere would need to be open to the connection for that to occur. I imagine she does not know the depth of its existence yet.”

  Kalan nodded in agreement. “But I will be able to connect even without her awareness?”

  “Yes. Meditate and relax.”

  Knowing he already asked all the relevant questions, Kalan sat back and fell silent. He closed his eyes and conjured up an image of Gwen. She was dressed in black pants and wore a formfitting blouse. Kalan smiled as he realized he was picturing the first time he saw her.

  Gwen’s black hair fell past her shoulders in weightless waves as she turned to face Kalan’s direction. Her bright blue eyes were hesitant when they met his own. The same jolt coursed through Kalan’s limbs as he locked eyes with Gwen in his memory. He barely registered the red drink hitting the ground until it caused the beauty to break eye contact.

  Kalan’s mind jumped to sitting in Gwen’s and Eilian’s apartment. It must have been their third or fourth lesson together, and the girl still could not use her Winter ability on physical objects. Gwen frowned, and dramatically laid her head on the table in front of them. The prince could not remember the words exactly, but he made some cheesy joke to lighten her mood. Kalan did not understand why, at the time, but he could not bear to see her look forlorn. Gwen’s answering laugh sent a warm rush through Kalan’s chest. He never heard a more beautiful sound.

  The pair stood in his rooms in Eirie. Gwen gazed at him with love he yearned to see almost from the moment they met. She revealed they were lifemates. Kalan swept her up in his arms with happiness he never felt before. She was his. Gwen was his lifemate. He was hers.

  A new image appeared.

  Gwen was in a light green dress with a large green sweater covering her torso. She looked lovely as ever, but Kalan could not help but notice her disheveled appearance. Blonde hair was falling out of its arrangement, and smudges of dirt marred her smooth skin. He realized she was lying on a floor. Try as he might, Kalan could not place the memory.

  Suddenly, Gwen let out cry of pain as she attempted to sit up. Kalan released his own grunt as he felt a sharp pain against his wrists. He squeezed his eyes together and forced himself to remain in the scene.

  The prince realized he was not in a memory, but viewing Gwen’s reality.

  Kalan felt her confusion and fear. Gwen positioned herself against a wall, and engaged in a conversation with someone he could not see. With concentration, Kalan identified her companion’s voice as belonging to Duke Aeron… his father. The prince tried to catch a glimpse of him, but he was too distracted by Gwen’s emotions and sensations to manage it.

  Gwen’s wrists continued to burn and pass the feeling to Kalan. Fury threatened to take over when the prince realized Gwen wore shackles on her thin wrists. They were the source of the burning discomfort.

  Kalan continued to assess the situation. He learned Gwen was in a prison-cell of some type. He searched for more clues. Just as he was about to admit there were no indications of Gwen’s location, Kalan heard another voice in the cell.

  Still enveloped in Gwen and her sensations, Kalan could not see the intruder. It turned out he did not need to. Gwen addressed the fae by name, “Lord Leo?”

  Red, hot anger boiled in Kalan’s veins. He listened as the two prisoners and captor conversed about their situation. Lord Leo admitted to murdering Princess Gwendolyn, and Kalan heard his biological father’s stream of threats and curses.

  Kalan felt fury as he experienced Gwen’s discomfort with the Winter Fae’s touch and admiring words. The prince wanted to tear the secretary’s offending hand from his body.

  The prince’s rage did not diminish even after the captor left the cell. He continued to listen to the prisoners’ conversation, but tried to focus more on Gwen. He felt her fear; he could sense her thoughts. Gwen did not think she would get out of her predicament alive, but she was keeping calm to not worry the duke.

  Kalan wanted to scream at her for conceding to defeat. He wanted to take her by the arms and shake sense into her. She couldn’t leave him. They were meant to be together. She needed to fight to survive. Gwen needed to find a way out of there.

  But where is there?

  Kalan returned his focus to identifying Gwen’s location. It was futile. The prince could not see past his anger. He recognized the telling signs of Wrath.

  With reluctance, Kalan opened his eyes and was pulled out of Gwen’s reality. Even though he was out of her head, he could still feel her emotions. Their connection remained intact.

  “Did you learn of the princess’ location?” The Elder asked calmly, as if they discussed the weather and not Gwen’s safety.

  “No,” Kalan bit out. His hands shook with anger.

  The Elder noticed and gave the prince a knowing look. “You are in Wrath. You felt something you did not like.”

  “Saw and felt,” Kalan growled, rising from the stone stool and pacing the room. “She is in a cell. Other than that, I learned nothing.”

  “That is not true,” the Elder countered. “Stop. Think. Use your Wrath, but keep your mind clear. You can sense Gwen. Just follow your instinct.”

  Before Kalan could offer a reply, a searing agony travelled up his left arm. He shouted and knelt on the floor, grasping his pained arm.

  “Use it,” the Elder knelt beside him and grabbed his chin, forcing Kalan to lock eyes. “Use the discomfort. The Wrath. You should sense a path to Gwen. Use the connection to find your lifemate.”

  The pain flared across Kalan’s chest. He felt as if something was branding his tender flesh.

  What is happening to Gwen? Kalan thought just as the darkness crept into the corners of his vision. He was about to pass out from the pain.

  No. Kalan gritted his teeth. He was not in actual pain. Gwen was. He needed to separate himself from being debilitated by it in order to help his lifemate.

  All of a sudden, clarity swept across the prince’s mind. He sensed Gwen’s feelings, but he was not a victim to them. He acknowledged her discomfort and emotions, but maintained his own at the same time.

  Kalan stood and turned to the Wise One rising beside him. The fae’s features seemed sharper. The prince flicked his gaze to the round room. The space seemed brighter; its items in greater contrast than before. He returned his attention to the Elder’s perceptive expression.

  “You can sense Gwenevere?”

  “Slightly,” Kalan’s voice sounded odd to his own ears. “I know she is in Winter Court.”

  The Elder placed an encouraging hand on the prince’s shoulder. “Go. Once you are there, you should be able to better pinpoint her location.”

  Kalan did not need to hear anymore. With greater ease than before, the prince fazed out of Eirie and back to Winter Palace. He intended to enlist assistance before searching out Gwen, and punishing those who dared to threaten his lifemate.

  Chapter 32

  Sara sat in the apartment complex’s office, digging through her uncle’s unorganized file cabinet, when she heard the bell above the door jingle with someone’s entrance. She stood and stretched her back; it was sore after being hunched over looking for the lease Mrs. Wilson insisted she receive a copy of, after losing her own.

  Glad to have a reason to leave the dusty office, Sara turned off the light and walked around the corner to greet the lobby’s visitor. She tripped on the uneven carpet the moment she locked eyes with the handsome man in the doorway.

  Sara managed a tiny cry of surprise, and was bracing herself for impact, when firm hands grabbed and pulled her up.

  Ronan’s concerned eyes met her own. “Are you alright?”

  Sara blushed at her clumsiness. “I’m fine.” She pulled out of his hold. She couldn’t think when he stood so close. “What are you doing here?” She asked in a harsher tone than intended.

  “Checking on you.” The words were spoken simply, with
no inflection, but they caused butterflies to take flight in Sara’s stomach.

  Stop being ridiculous, she scolded herself. He’s just being nice. Ronan offered to help her if she ever needed anything. Sara thought it was an empty gesture considering the two had not exchanged numbers the previous day, but she guessed she was wrong.

  Sara offered him a small smile. “Sorry,” she apologized for her tone. “I just didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

  Ronan returned her smile. “It is not a problem. So,” he paused and glanced around the lobby. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Um,” Sara pretended to think of something when, in reality, she had a never-ending list of things to do. “I was thinking of cleaning the pool out.” A company normally came by once a week to check the pool’s chemical levels and give it a quick clean, but the recent weather had swept a lot of debris in it. The weather was still nice enough to swim in so Sara wanted to keep the water clean for the residents who wished to use it.

  Ronan nodded. “I can do that.”

  “How about we both do it?” Sara suggested. She would feel guilty if she left all the work to him.

  His smile grew and nearly stole the breath right out of her lungs. “Even better,” he responded.

  Sara’s heart did a tiny flip as she brushed past him and led them to the pool area. After providing him with the netted skimmer and basic instructions, the two set about cleaning the pool. Ronan retrieved large debris while Sara brushed up settled dirt, hopefully giving the filters the chance to catch it.

  “So, how is Kalan?” Sara asked in an attempt to fill the silence. “I forgot to ask the last time I saw you.”

  “Kalan is under a lot of stress at the moment,” Ronan answered without hesitation.

  “What is he stressed about?”

  “The truth?” Ronan paused and turned to face Sara. She stopped sweeping to give him her attention.

  “I’d prefer it to a lie,” she responded teasingly. It earned her a charming grin.

  “Actually,” he began as Sara watched his amusement fade. “He is worried about Gwen.”