by Lisa Kumar
Bound to the Elvin King
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Bound to the Elvin King
Mists of Eria, Book 2
Lisa Kumar
Cover art Hot Damn Designs
Copyright 2014 Lisa Kumar
This is a work of fiction, so any resemblance to persons, locales, or events is purely coincidental. The characters, locales, and events are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
Brenda, you helped me whip this story into shape and encouraged me to finish when I wanted to give up. Kary, your help was invaluable and guided me in the right direction. Ladies, your friendship means the world to me. Mom, thanks for rereading the manuscript several times to help catch the mistakes I made. There were plenty of them!
Chapter 1
Maggie D’Anglio strode up to the tall elvin guards standing on either side of the entrance to the royal wing. The finely detailed depictions on the door never failed to awe her. A craftsman must’ve labored over the wooden piece for years. But considering the elvin lifespan, they had more than enough time to spend on their work, unlike humans.
Kavlin smiled, a sparkle in his perpetually youthful gray eyes. “You’ve come to visit the princess?”
“You know it.” Though she grinned, a sense of surrealism hit her. So weird to think of Cal as a princess, and not just any princess, but princess over Eria, a land of elves. Cal was as human as Maggie. Really, it was a miracle most elves accepted Cal so readily, but then, they hadn’t had much choice. The veil, something no wise elf would disrespect, orchestrated Cal’s arrival in Eria. Maggie had just come along for the magic carpet ride. And what a ride it’d been so far.
“And what do you have planned today, if I may be so bold as to ask?”
Kavlin’s voice broke into her thoughts, and she forced her attention back to the brown-haired elf. “The princess has a free moment in her busy schedule, so we’re going to do girly things.”
Batin, the other guard, groaned and shook his head, sending his dark blond hair cascading over his shoulders. “Spare us the details, then.”
She suppressed a smirk. The mention of girly things frightened most males, human or not. Though she enjoyed talking with the good-looking guards posted around the palace, she’d seen too little of Cal recently to stay and chitchat. “Will do.”
“Goodbye, Lady Maggie,” said Kavlin. Batin echoed him, opening the door for her. Each gave her a small bow, and she rolled her eyes.
“Bye, guys. Don’t have too much fun.” She flashed them a wink and walked through the open entrance.
Their laughter followed her down the corridor until the door to the wing clicked shut. Maggie quickened her pace because she didn’t want to run into him. Talion was a burr in her butt. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t dislodge the handsome ass. Though his chambers were past Cal and Relian’s, he could still be lurking in the hallway. Waiting for her.
Gazing around her furtively, she scoured the many shadows that lingered, not that there were many in the understated elegance that was the royal wing. Beige stone and plaster made up the hallway’s walls, ceiling, and floor, and lent it a bright, airy feeling she definitely wasn’t channeling today. Even the lovely tapestries and rugs that added splashes of color here and there didn’t calm her mind as they usually did.
She huffed at her paranoia. Yeah, right. The King of Eria had better things to do than lie in wait for her. He may never pass up an opportunity to piss her off, but he certainly didn’t stalk her. Now, if she could only figure out why he loved to piss her off so. Admittedly, she gave the same treatment back to him, but he always started it. Most of the time.
The skin at the back of her neck prickled, but a glance around showed no Talion in sight. She breathed in deeply. A heady fragrance of fall flowers filled the air. The windows, offering gorgeous views of the gardens and, behind them, landscapes of the mountains that cradled Eriannon, punctuated the corridor in regular intervals. Somehow the openings could keep out all adverse elements while letting in a scented, warm breeze. She shook her head, knowing she’d never understand it.
“Well, look who’s here.”
The drawled voice caused her to startle. Her gaze flew to an alcove ahead of her, and she froze. Shit. Talion leaned against a corner wall of the small area. A tailored green tunic and a black pair of leggings molded all the right areas of his physique. Desire to touch those muscles swamped her. She licked suddenly dry lips, cursing herself all kinds of crazy for wanting him. He might be gorgeous, but his personality was obnoxious. Still, she couldn’t take her gaze off him.
His long, golden hair shimmered in the bright light spilling through the alcove’s window, and his gray eyes glinted with an unholy light that always appeared whenever he was around her. A shiver snaked down her spine. She felt like a mouse to his cat. For some reason, the realization only spiked her desire higher.
An answering blaze of anger flooded her. Damn him. How could she lust after and hate him in equal measures? It was all a game for him. He had no real interest in her other than pushing her buttons and watching her squirm, and she knew it.
“And look who’s skulking in obscure spots.” She made sure to put the acid bite reserved just for him in her tone.
He pushed himself off the walk and stalked toward her. Yeah, she was so the prey right now. Maggie held her ground, though her stomach had plummeted south of her toes. He stopped a few feet from her. Though her 5’8” height had always made her feel tall, Talion loomed over her by a good half foot.
“It’s my private wing. I don’t need to skulk, but if I wanted to, that would be my right.”
Always talking about his kingly rights—like she gave a flying flip. “I’m here to see Cal.”
“My delightful daughter-in-law could use some light, flippant company. You should meet the requirements. She’s been studying hard, learning about her position as a princess.” Admiration for Cal shone in his voice, and he smiled like a proud papa.
Maggie bristled at the implied insult to herself. He constantly took cheap shots at her. “I’m sure she needs a rest from studying all the elvin princess crap you’ve surely shoved at her.”
“She handles everything with grace”—here, his gaze raked over her—“unlike some humans. If not through a chance of birth, she could pass for an elf.”
“Oh, please. She’s human but is trying to please Relian and you. You can dress her up in all the fancy clothes you want, but she’ll remain human.”
“She’s now the Princess of Eria and shares Relian’
s lifespan. She may be human, but her behavior is becoming elvin.”
Like elves acted so much differently than humans. Sure, they tended not to wear their emotions on their sleeves. Underneath it, though, they carried many of the same weaknesses as humans. So what if they didn’t show them as much? They merely regulated them, but these failings still existed.
“Believe what you want. I don’t want to hear about elvin decorum, not that it would ever apply to me, anyway.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
Why did he try to control her with these little threats? Anger overrode the little part of her telling her to shut up and find Cal. “When have I ever shown any interest in elvin decorum? Plus, I’m a mere human with no standing here.”
A funny expression ghosted across his face so quickly she thought she’d imagined it. The notion slipped from her mind when he closed the distance between them.
He invaded her space like a conquering army. Alarm skittered through her. She needed to leave. Now. Pushing past him, she forced herself not to break into a run. She wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction.
“Running away again, I see. Well, have a good day, and enjoy your stay,” he called after her.
Maggie ground her teeth and kept walking. Having a good day was a lost cause because of her run-in with him, and his words about her stay had a stinging double meaning. She’d been stuck here for eight months now, and had been told that when Cal visited Earth, she could likely go back. The question of when Cal would go back to see her family hadn’t been decided. But it couldn’t be soon enough for Maggie. She wanted to get the hell out of Elfland. But would that ever happen?
At that all too possible reality, tension coiled in her stomach. Maggie drew in a deep breath. She’d calm down once she spent some time with Cal. Her friend exuded a calming quality. Plus, Cal was one of the little pieces of home still left to her. She scowled. Talion had a point, though. Cal wasn’t elvin, but out of necessity, she’d wrapped herself up in their ways. To Maggie, that was almost as bad.
Oh, she didn’t hate elves. In fact, some of them were pretty cool, like Avrin and Kenhel. Most of the servants seemed nice, too, and she loved to joke around with the less uptight guards. But the average elf, one who wasn’t a pal or at least an acquaintance, tended to act stuffy around her. Just the thought of them made her yawn. If she didn’t want boredom to suffocate her, she had to stick close to her friends. At gatherings, only that select circle could be counted on to let loose around her.
She didn’t doubt many of the people could have a good time. They just wouldn’t in front of her. She was something to be dreaded—a stranger. And a human one at that. Double strike.
With a shake of her head, she dispelled these depressing thoughts. Cal and Relian’s door stood before her. When she had nothing to do later, she could pout all she wanted.
Just as she knocked on the door, it swung open and a smiling Cal pulled her into the room. “Ready for our afternoon of fun?”
Maggie raised her brows. Her friend didn’t normally greet her with such enthusiasm. “You’re awfully chipper. And how did you know I was at the door?”
“I was coming out to see if you were on your way. Just happy to have an afternoon with my bestie.” Cal shrugged sheepishly and ran a hand through her wavy auburn hair. “Though I love Relian, I think I’m experiencing elvish overload right now.”
So the elvish immersion program wasn’t as successful as Talion thought? A grin spread over Maggie’s face. “Trust me, I know what you mean.”
“Let me guess. Another run-in with Talion?”
Maggie groaned. “How did you know?”
“You have that Talion flush of anger about you.”
“You have a name for it?” Maggie asked, disbelief lacing her voice.
“Something that occurs so frequently needs a name, don’t you think?”
“Not really.”
Cal laughed, her green eyes crinkling at the corners. “Well, it has one.”
“Ugh, I think I need to get out of here then.”
“Here? The palace?”
Maggie shook her head. “No, out of Eria and back home. I need a break from all things elvin.”
“I don’t know when that will be possible.”
A shiver wound its way up Maggie’s back. “Yeah, I know what you mean. With the weakening magic and the prophecy we found, I sometimes wonder if we’ll ever see home again.” The mist veil, a materialization of Eria’s magic and what separated the fey world from Earth, was the means that had bought them to Eria, and was erratic on the best of days.
Doubt chipped away at Maggie’s hope like a woodpecker. She couldn’t explain why, but she couldn’t see her being back in her own world permanently. Call it intuition. The feeling rarely led her wrong. She had never wanted to be more wrong about something.
But then Maggie remembered something and smiled. “At least there’s one positive. If and when we return home, not much time should’ve elapsed in Wisconsin.”
Sympathy cast shadows on Cal’s face. “Yes, but this is home, at least for me. Even if the veil can open a rift between dimensions, my place is now by Relian.”
Maggie’s grin faded at that reminder. If they did go home, Cal would have to come back to Eria, while Maggie would probably be able to stay on Earth indefinitely since nothing tied her to the elvin world. That prospect sucked almost as much as staying in Eria.
Forcing her mind to happier matters, Maggie asked, “So, what are we doing today?”
Cal placed a finger to her chin. “Mmm, talking? Playing our instruments? We haven’t done it for a long time. Last but not least, Arrein gave me something that is the Erian equivalent to nail polish.”
“Basically goofing around?” Maggie liked the sound of this—and the idea of nail polish. Cal had the best maid ever, though Maggie’s maid Vana was pretty awesome.
“I guess I’d call it that.”
Some fun to take her mind off her problems? She’d take that. Maggie rubbed her hands together. “Let’s get started, then.”
***
Maggie stalked around the garden. She’d had a great time with Cal yesterday, but now the restlessness haunting most of her waking hours consumed her. He itched at her mind like a rash that wouldn’t go away, no matter how much Maggie ignored him.
The palace’s gardens usually calmed her, but today their carefully manicured wildness failed to work its magic. Not even the elegant marble statues and fountains housed in the green space could entice a smile from her. A gray flower—the color of his eyes, damn it—swayed in the wind and seemed to wink at her. Taunting her, just like he did. Racing over to the offending bloom, she ripped it out of the ground.
As she glared at the Erian fall flower, she crushed it in her hand and pretended it was Talion. It didn’t help.
Her nose twitched. The mass of mangled petals had released a heady scent that wafted up her nostrils like a bothersome insect. Maggie swiped at the itch. Stupid allergies…and stupid Talion flower for taking her down into scratching hell. She knew better than to trust anything that resembled him, even a fricking blossom.
A growl worked its way up her throat. She couldn’t hold still. This restlessness unsettled her. She didn’t have a purpose here. Cal was often busy with all things Relian—and by extension, all things elvin ever since the bonding three weeks ago that made her a real-life princess.
With a sigh, Maggie sat on a stone bench. Studying, reading, and going for walks could only occupy so much of her day. Sure, she had Kenhel and Avrin. They couldn’t be with her at all moments, though. Both had responsibilities to their king and the Erian people.
The king. Talion. Why must everything come back to him?
She frowned until another thought pushed away the previous one. Avrin might have a few hours free right now, if she weren’t mistaken. Even though he was the king’s advisor, that elf knew how to have fun. So proper and lordly on the surface, but that was all a façade, a wickedly
misleading one.
As for Kenhel, he reminded her of a younger Avrin—one who couldn’t be bothered to shine and gloss his sophistication. There was no one quite like him in Eria. Not that she’d really know, because she’d never been beyond its capital’s walls. That he was commander of the king’s guard seemed somewhat frightening. He didn’t appear big on responsibility. Both were elves after her own heart, and she desperately needed them in her life. Avrin and Kenhel were the other peas in her demented pod.
Still, a certain disquiet hung over her. She stretched her tense shoulders, trying to dislodge a niggling sense playing along her spine like a frigid chill from a Wisconsin winter. Something was looming, waiting to flood down upon her. This tension couldn’t be for nothing. She waited for the barrage, though she didn’t know what form it would take.
It was coming, whether she was ready or not. Goosebumps popped up on her arms, and she rubbed them through the long sleeves of her gown.
She lurched to her feet. This feeling was making her crazy. She’d never had dreams or visions of Eria as Cal had from a young age. So, why should she now have a sense of something momentous waiting for her? That had always been Cal’s destiny, not hers.
A meow sliced through her thoughts and drew her attention to a black and white cat padding across one of the garden paths. An orange collar circled its neck, and a faceted crystal hung from the leather. Fancy bauble for a cat. Must be someone’s pet. She bent down and held out her hand. “Here, kitty, kitty.”
The cat paused and flicked its tail before it gazed at her with haughty yellow eyes. Its arrogance seemed almost palpable. “Must be an elvish cat.” But then, this would make most cats elvish, even the ones back home, which surely wasn’t possible. Undoubtedly, it was one corrupted by Talion’s influence. He charmed all the cats she’d come across. Grr, how she hated him and his smugness.
Maggie dropped her hand to her side after the cat made no effort to come near her. “Stuck up cat.” She headed back to her room before the formal dinner in the great hall. At least her friends would be there.
