“I feel I should be insulted by that,” the taller woman says, her face covered in the citrus-scented foam. Done with the shampoo, she juggles the bottle and tosses it back onto the shelving unit. “Sari is right. I can make myself believe you are clothed if that would make you feel better.”
“It isn’t that. I’m just confused and-”
Dariana dives under the water to get the shampoo out of her hair and flips out of the pool to land next to the half-elf. She gently undoes the towel and gives the other woman a hug while making sure their bodies do not touch. When Nyx starts to squirm and shiver, the telepath strokes her hair and gestures for Sari to get an item from the cabinets. A quick mental image tells the gypsy to grab a glass bottle from the bottom shelf and open it under their friend’s nose. The smell of chocolate makes the half-elf’s pointy ears twitch and a rumble in her stomach reminds all of them that they skipped breakfast.
“You were going to say exposed,” Dariana whispers, leading her friends back into the warm water. They sink up to their necks and drift to the middle of the pool where only the telepath’s feet can touch the bottom. “Your emotions are raw because the man you love has abandoned you. This has left you broken on the inside and feeling that you are ugly on the outside. I can assure you that is so far from reality that Leon Gar the God of Truth and Knowledge would break the Law of Influence to correct you. Well maybe not that, but he would send a vision. Please drop your defenses, Nyx. For all of your determination and bravery, you’re emotionally frail when it comes to love. I believe that’s at the heart of your current problem.”
“You really should be honest, Nyxie,” Sari states before a splash of water hits her in the face. She sends a wave at Dariana, who swings her hand to chop the playful attack in half. “I only want to hear her say what’s in her heart. I mean, I’ve heard it before and I know she’s always meant it. But I want it said in regards to why she wants us to go after Delvin. Fearing that Stephen will kill him is not the only reason.”
“I agree, but I splashed you because you are not one to talk,” the silver-haired woman states before the water around her turns to ice. The cold on her bare skin makes her shiver, but she is fully aware that it would take days for her to freeze to death. “I noticed that you were mercilessly teasing Kira and getting under her skin. You made a deal with her to give up on Luke, but you broke that promise once you were back in your body. At least that is what I originally thought when discussing your situation with Timoran. There is something different about your interactions with Luke now.”
Nyx extends her hand to melt the ice around Dariana and swims over to give the gypsy a hug from behind. “I promise to speak the truth if you do it first. You know I’ll go through with my part of the bargain, so tell me what’s wrong. It isn’t fair that you try to help me, but I’m kept out of your love life.”
“Damn telepaths and friends. This whole thing is backfiring,” Sari mutters as she lets Nyx hold her. The two women float to the edge of the pool while Dariana remains in the middle. “I’m only messing with Kira and making her think she’s still working for Luke. The truth is that she’s won. As painful as it is to admit, I know I shouldn’t have him even if the two of us survive the Baron. I was honest with my feelings before and they’re still true. I love him. I simply found him too late. Besides, I’m not sure we’d be able to last forever once his wanderlust ended. He’ll want to settle down and I might never reach that point. So one day I get my last kiss with Luke and then we remain friends.”
“Are you capable of that?” asks the blunt channeler before she cringes at an elbow poking her ribs. “I mean, you’re still going to be around him. Doesn’t it hurt that you can’t just walk away and heal?”
“Like I’ve been stabbed in the heart and kicked in the stomach.”
“Then how?”
“It’s just what I have to do to make sure he’s happy.”
“What about you being happy?”
“I’ll find a way, Nyxie,” Sari admits, noticing the knowing smile on Dariana’s face. She runs her thumb along the water, creating an icy finger that dances up the telepath’s spine. “As our ancient friend already knows, I’m finding happiness in making other people happy. I forget my worries when I help you and Delvin or tease Kira into fighting harder for Luke. Yes, I wish I could be loved and in love, but that isn’t my place right now. Maybe it’s my punishment for what I did before.”
The young woman blushes when she realizes that neither of her companions know what she is talking about. Fearing that Nyx will be angry, she slips out her friend’s grasp and gracefully swims out of reach. She notices that Dariana is moving into position to intercept the half-elf in case the revelation causes a fight. Both of them know how protective Nyx can be when it comes to her little brother and neither want to risk underestimating her reaction.
“I may have been subconsciously keeping him under a love spell,” Sari explains as a layer of frost grows over her body. She tries to wipe the coating away, but it grows back due to her intense anxiety. “I found out when I was in my coma, but I didn’t want to tell anyone. I removed the spell the night I was reunited with Luke. That’s another reason why our intensity has died down. He does love me, but not as much as he did under the spell and I’ve pulled away because of doubt. Before you get mad, Nyxie, know that I hate myself for what I did. It’s another reason why I feel like losing him to Kira is how it should be.”
Nyx swims over to the gypsy and coats her hands in fire, the spells sputtering as she tries to maintain control. Pulling Sari into a tender hug and kissing her cheek causes the frost to melt, the water merging with the pool. With neither of them using their powers, the two women sink to the bottom until they have to return to the surface. Nyx gasps for air while Sari wipes a few tears from her cheeks, her powers helping the pair stay afloat.
“It wasn’t your fault and you made amends,” Dariana states before the half-elf can say the same thing. Still figuring out social situations, the telepath blushes when she receives a nod of agreement from Nyx. “I don’t think you’re being punished by losing Luke. You’re showing your true light by helping him and someone you once considered a rival. Very few people are capable of such an act of selflessness. Perhaps you will be rewarded by ascending to the vacant station of Love Goddess.”
“Do you really think Windemere would survive Sari as a goddess?” Nyx asks with a friendly smile. She sputters when a spurt of water hits her face and she tries to retaliate, but every splash is sent back at her. “Fine. I surrender, but I still think you would cause too much trouble as a goddess. So are you ever going to tell Luke and Kira about this?”
“If I can ever find a time to do it and not lose him as a friend. I’d tell Kira, but I have a feeling she’d react violently,” Sari says, feeling like a weight has been lifted off her chest. She casts a spell to create a floating chair of water beneath Nyx and she swims over to lean on the dripping arm. “Now that we got my problems out of the way. I want to know the real reason you’re determined to follow Delvin. If you tell me the truth then I will support your request that we leave Nevra Coil.”
“I will too,” Dariana adds as she moves behind Nyx. She puts some of the chocolate-scented shampoo into her friend’s ear-length hair, but pauses when she senses a tremor of confusion. “I thought she would like to use this and get an actual bath. Her toes are already getting wrinkled since she’s not part naiad or goddess born. I’m sorry if I crossed a line by helping to bathe you. Do you want me to stop?”
“Keep going and I’ll relax as if this is a professional spa,” Nyx replies while closing her eyes. The chair suddenly becomes a hand that dunks her underwater, the half-elf flailing to grab the edge of the pool. “Fine! The truth is that I miss him, worry that he won’t come back, and I’m angry that he left in the first place. Back then, I knew I couldn’t stand in his way, but maybe he could have taken me with him. Even if he made the offer, I could have said no and felt like it was a mutual decision instead o
f him walking away. Are you happy now?”
“I still didn’t hear the words I wanted,” Sari replies, preparing to dunk the glaring half-elf again. Her hand creates lazy circles of vapor above her head, the rings eventually moving throughout the room. “Let the guys know where to meet us, Dariana. We’ll either discuss going after Delvin or how to keep Nyx in Nevra Coil. Tell them the topic all depends on what our little channeler has to-”
The burst of foaming water catches Sari off guard and rockets her toward the wall, the impact cushioned when she uses the geyser as a pillow. She looks back to see Nyx knocking Dariana into an alcove, a crazed expression of terror on the channeler’s face. The half-elf leaps out of the pool and charges at the gypsy, her fingers turning into claws of fire. Every jet of water or ice is evaporated with a slash, leaving Sari open to the incoming attack. At the last moment, Nyx stops and blinks a few times before backing away from her friend.
“I’m so sorry, little sister, but you talked like Stephen and I lost it,” the channeler whispers, falling to her knees and reaching out for her friend. Fearing another attack, she tenses when the gypsy takes her hand and strokes her face. “I need Delvin here. I don’t want to face Stephen without him and I don’t want him getting killed by that bastard because I wasn’t there to protect him. He’s an easy target and I love him so much that I’m scared I’ll never see him again. It’s gotten so bad that every time I go to sleep I have a nightmare about him getting killed. I just want to hear his voice again and tell him to call for me if he catches even a hint that Stephen is nearby. Please help me find him and make sure he’s okay.”
“Did you get what you wanted, Sari?” Dariana asks while she wraps a towel around Nyx.
The blue-haired woman smiles and gives her friend a kiss on the lips, delivering a relaxing spell. “I heard everything I already knew, but never expected her to say. Nyxie really has fallen hard and she has no idea what to do about it. Stephen still being alive makes it even worse, but I wonder why she’s become so paranoid about him attacking. So let’s make a plan to get her back to Delvin. Call the guys and tell them to have food ready. I’ll get my big sister dressed and pack our things. We’re leaving tonight.”
*****
Luke keeps his arm tight around Nyx while they rest around a bowl-covered table. There is an array of soups and noodles that Fizzle snuck out of the busy cafeteria, but the drite forgot spoons and ladles. They are forced to use their battered traveling utensils, which brings a sense of finality to their time in Nevra Coil. The somber mood and awkward silence is made worse by the tension that flows off Nyx, the half-elf snarling at anyone who tries to tell her to relax. Luke is thankful that the gnomes cleared out of the lounge as soon as they arrived, but part of him fears all of the inventors saw voids and retreated out of self-preservation. He carefully lifts a spoonful of chicken soup to his friend’s mouth and struggles to remove the utensil from her clenched jaws.
“I wouldn’t have to do this if you didn’t keep throwing fits,” Luke says as he adjusts his grip on the channeler’s arms. He smiles when her skin heats up because he knows the spell will sputter out in a few seconds. “I’m sure we can come up with a plan and get out of here after dinner. So stop being an impatient brat.”
“I refuse to use my powers to track Delvin,” Dariana states from across the table. Turning away the piercing gaze of Nyx, the woman adjusts her emerald top and her fingers trace the vine pattern on the sleeves. “The distance would be too much and I would have to remove my control ring. That means I can stumble onto anything between me and him. A lot of minds sit between us, so I could get lost or stumble onto an enemy that I accidentally send to Delvin. My telepathy is not like your magic, so the potential for disaster is different and not as well-documented.”
“Your powers are stronger when you’re asleep,” Nyx states before Luke pinches her in the side. “Stop doing that. All of you promised to help. Now you’re only telling me what we shouldn’t do. What if Stephen is after Delvin right now?”
Timoran noisily slurps down a bowl of bitter noodles and finishes a mug of ale before he answers, “Then he is ahead of us as usual. Though I have not seen him show any interest in Delvin before. He might not know that our friend is traveling alone. So Dariana using her powers at a long distance could reveal that to him if he is nearby. Let us forget Stephen and focus on making contact with Delvin since that is what you wanted. To that end, I have a proposal that should make everyone happy to some extent.”
“Sleep spell for Nyx?” Fizzle guesses, shying away from the growling channeler. “Fizzle sorry. Thought funny, but not. Fizzle not try again.”
“I got us a ride!” Sari announces as she walks into the room. She stops when she sees her friends’ dour expressions and senses the uncomfortable atmosphere. “I really shouldn’t have left you guys alone. It’s such a chore to be the source of happiness and smiles in this group. Move over, Nyxie, and let me get some of those red noodles.”
The gypsy sits next to her friend and fills a bowl, knowing that she interrupted an important part of the conversation. She makes exaggerated sounds of ecstasy as she eats, the display stopping the others from talking. Her friends eventually go back to their meals and wait for someone to get through the gypsy’s blunt distractions. With a window-shaking burp, Timoran manages to drown out Sari’s moans and gets a stifled laugh from Nyx.
“I believe with that change of mood, I can relay my plan,” the barbarian declares while putting on his studded bracers. The large man watches his friends to make sure they are paying attention, a gentle glint in his blue eyes. “Delvin wishes to settle his past without our interference and I think getting in his way would be wrong. Yet I also agree with Nyx that his failure to contact us is disconcerting. I suggest we try to catch up to him before he enters the Yagervan Plains. We can go directly to Darkmill and wait or attempt to find him on the road. If we choose the latter then maybe we can convince him to let us escort him to the border.”
“What if he’s already over the border by the time we find him?” Nyx asks without hesitation. She wriggles out of her chair and goes to face Timoran, the half-elf still shorter even with the large man sitting. “Would you be willing to go over the border with me? If he’s already there then I should follow.”
“No you shouldn’t,” Luke states from the couch. He catches Sari’s arm to prevent her from moving away and hiding. “We all know you’re worried and we are too, but we have to respect his wishes. If we don’t reach him in time then we’ll wait for him in Darkmill or one of the border stations. That way he will return to you faster than if we remained in Nevra Coil.”
“You mean return to us, little brother.”
“Do we really have to play that game again?”
Nyx claims the plush chair next to Timoran and puts her booted feet on the table. She stares at the ceiling and thinks about the plan that has been presented to her. The half-elf silently admits that it is better than her idea to charge into the plains and ask the first tribe about Delvin. Her nightmares of finding the region covered in bodies while Stephen toys with the warrior’s corpse has made her paranoid and illogical. Putting the vivid images out of her mind, Nyx decides that the others are right, but there is still an issue gnawing at her strained nerves.
“Is there any way to contact him if he’s already in the plains?” she asks with a half-hearted smile. She mutters some playful curses when Timoran pats her on the head, the barbarian’s hand being big enough for his fingers to tickle her nose. “I think I’ll be okay if I can just hear from him. That would tell me he’s alive and thinking about me. Mostly that he’s alive. I’m sure he’s thinking about me at times, but he’s probably really busy getting to his old tribe. He might not be thinking of me at all since it will be very difficult to reconnect with his family.”
“I remember the days where the great prodigy of Rainbow Tower had no interest in romance,” Sari teasingly announces, her voice doing a decent imitation of the blushing channeler.
“I’m happy to see that you’re growing up and thinking about your future. Nothing says you can’t be a strong fighter while in that gooey, loopy state of love. Now I’ve said my piece, so somebody smarter than me can answer the poor thing’s question.”
“There are three options,” Dariana says while trying to remember a few things she heard about the Darkmill region. She can feel the building’s anti-telepathy defenses tapping her brain, the sentient spells reminding her to behave. “One is that I send a brief message to Delvin, but that would depend on how far he is and my level of exhaustion. The second is to find a messenger bird service, which I’ve heard mention of during my conscious moments. The final idea is to send Luke in as either Stiletto or the griffin.”
The forest tracker nearly chokes on his water and waves the last idea away with his free hand. “I wouldn’t want to go into the plains without knowing if Delvin is in a delicate situation or not. Besides, there are problems with using either form. A lone dog would be a target for the predators and tribes, which would force me to reveal my true form. Not to mention I would need to be rescued. The griffin would avoid that trouble, but how would Delvin explain me showing up out of nowhere. I think using a messenger bird is the best option.”
“Or I can keep trying to convince all of you to cross the border,” Nyx interjects, refusing to shy away from the groans of frustration she receives. She rocks forward to claim a bowl of noodles, her appetite returning now that she is calm. “As if I’m going to give up so easily. I have something important to tell Mr. Cunningham and I swear nothing is going to stop me. I say we go to Hamilton Military Academy first and ask my dad a few questions. There has to be a reason Delvin didn’t use the Tri-Rune to contact me.”
“This is going to be a long and awkward journey,” Luke mutters under his breath.
3
Sitting in the center of a deforested valley, Fort Journeyman is a base for the mercenaries and bounty hunters that work throughout Ralian. The thick walls glisten with the enchanted lacquer that protects the logs from the area’s constant rain. Even on the calmer days, the ground is nothing more than mud and nobody stands still when outside because they fear getting trapped in the muck. Wooden gazebos are found at every intersection, which are surrounded by canopied stalls designed to take advantage of those who take refuge in the simple structures. The larger buildings resemble cabins of various shapes and sizes, but they all have slanted roofs with metal gutters that are maintained by a local group of halflings. Chimneys are constantly puffing out smoke from the fireplaces that warm the homes and businesses, the need for kindling making wood as valuable as gold. It is not uncommon for meals and lodging to be paid for with lumber or for the locals to volunteer as guards to earn some extra tinder rations.
The Mercenary Prince (Legends of Windemere Book 9) Page 6
