Camden spoke, “They are anxious to hear what she has to say.” His cloudy gaze went to her, but did not stay long. Light couldn’t help but wonder if he did not trust himself, even after all this time, when it came to temptation. Did looking upon her make him want to tear into her?
Light shook such thoughts off, knowing he should not be thinking those things. Camden was his brother, his friend. He trusted him, just like he trusted Jag. Finn? Well, he wouldn’t trust Finn farther than he could throw him. Which probably wouldn’t be too far, considering how muscular he was. Just like Jag, though Jag’s muscles blended in with his fur. On Finn, the muscles bulged too much.
What if, he began to wonder as he followed Faith and Finn from the room, Faith liked that sort of thing? What if she liked the shadow of hair that grew on his jaw and cheeks? Light rubbed his smooth chin, suddenly self-conscious about a lot of things. And his ears—were they too pointed? She did call him knife-ear a few times, though it was in all odds just a way to rouse him and rile him up, but still, it was possible she preferred the tiny, rounded ears that Humans had.
“There is something I want to talk to you about,” Jag said, shooting Light a glance as they rounded a corner. In the pristine halls, the Malus looked out of place, especially in his shirtless and shoeless state, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He was as carefree as ever, save for whatever was currently on his mind.
Light would only need a single guess as to what, or who, it was.
Jag amended, “Later.”
Yes, later, because hopefully, during Faith’s slumber, the memories of the other Harbingers came to her, and she would be able to convince Frey that she was indeed who Light knew she was.
In a few minutes, the Court members were seated on their chosen thrones. Ophelia smiled while Frey looked bored and uninterested. Bul’ara was eerily silent, her expression unreadable, even as Ophelia gestured for Faith to speak. Light stood beside her, Jag close on her other side. Camden and Finn hung back, away from the strong and penetrating gazes of the Court.
“What do you want me to say?” Faith asked. “What can I say to convince you that I am the Harbinger?” Bold and strong, she stood as tall as her small stature allowed. “Does it even matter? One of you believes in me, one doesn’t care either way, and the other won’t believe me no matter what I say.”
“Look at the fire in her eyes,” Bul’ara spoke, leaning forward. Her voice was soft. “She reminds me of Reed.”
Reed. The man who opened the gateways between the Second and Earth permanently. That was about fifty years ago. Nearly everyone in the Second knew of him, though not all knew what had happened to him in the time since.
“Let us hope she is no fool like Reed,” Ophelia spoke sadly, tilting her head. The jewels on her chest clinked together as she inhaled. “Has the past come back to you, Faith? What do you remember?”
Faith glanced to Light, as if apologizing. “Not much. Not really. I can remember bits and pieces, but not everything.”
“Remarkable how inept she is,” Frey said. “Even when given the tools to—”
“You were all Court members the last time this happened. You chose to keep things to yourselves, didn’t you? Like Springstone,” Faith spoke a word Light had never told her, and he was certain no one else had, either. She remembered it from another Harbinger.
Frey scoffed, “She could have heard us ordering more guards there.”
“I didn’t, because you never spoke its name,” Faith said. “It’s where he is, isn’t it? Dracyrus.” The way she spoke his name made Light close his eyes. “Any word from the guards there yet?” Ophelia shook her head. “Since I’m here, someone is going after him. Someone wants to bring him back. We’re going to stop them.”
“Are you?” Frey sneered, glancing to those opposite him. “You and what army?”
“I don’t need an army,” she said. “I only need a team.”
“A fellowship,” Ophelia stated, glancing to the others behind Faith. “A Malus, an Elf, an Ulen, and a Human. I will send a summoning to Furen Pyre, though it will be some time before an emissary arrives—”
Faith nodded. “While you do that, we’re heading to Springstone.”
“And what will you accomplish at Springstone?” Frey questioned.
“We’re going to take his bones for ourselves.”
Light looked at her, surprised, as Frey roared, “There are guards stationed at Springstone! What could you possibly do that they cannot? Why would you risk disturbing his bones? They are under constant guard—if you take them, you put us all at risk.”
“It’s as good a plan as any, and we’re already at risk. We can separate them, grind them into dust, something besides leaving them there.” Faith added, “We leave tomorrow, whether you agree with the plan or not.”
Ophelia was the only one who nodded along eagerly. “Do not worry about Frey. He will come around,” she said as Frey scoffed beside her. “Stay here tonight. Eat and rest, so come dawn you are all prepared for your journey.”
The journey part made Faith’s stolid exterior waver a bit, like she wasn’t so sure she wanted to go on a freaking journey, but she shrugged it off quickly and nodded.
So, this was it, then? Light thought it would feel different, but he felt the same as he felt before. Nothing inside him changed. He was only an Elf in far over his head; an Elf who used to hate Humans. He was an Elf who’d somehow fallen for a Human hard.
Chapter Nine
Well, that was that. Faith thought it would be harder, but it wasn’t so bad. She did hesitate just a bit when Ophelia mentioned the journey to Springstone, but it was something she really should have known. There were no cars here, not even any horses. They would hike to Springstone on their feet. She was physically fit, yes, but had she ever hiked days on end, only resting to eat and drink and sleep? That would be a definite no. She’d be the one who’d slow her group down.
She and her group of men, her fellowship—her boyfriends, as Finn called them—returned to the same room she’d been using. Faith spotted the furry cloak hanging on the bed’s canopy, remembering being stuck in it in the water world, recalling how the Dread King would slip his fingers through the string and pull her close. The mere memory sent a shiver down her spine and she did her best to act normal even though she thought about some very abnormal things. The others must’ve taken it out of her hands when she’d passed out.
As the guys dispersed into the room, Finn was the one to break the silence, “So what’s the plan?”
“The plan is to go to Springstone and take his bones,” Faith said, turning her gaze away from the cloak. It was only making her hot, and that was not something she needed right now. She was met with an unimpressed stare.
“Yeah, I got that part. And then what?”
“And then…what?” Faith echoed, clueless. When Finn laughed, she said, “Does anybody else have any ideas? I’m working on fragments of memories that aren’t even mine, so if anyone has anything to add, any ideas, I’m all ears.”
Jag perched himself on top of a dresser-like piece of furniture, his muscular form hunched. “Technically, Camden and Light are all ears.” The quip earned him a glare from Light and a shrug from Camden.
Not quite finished with being annoying, Finn said, “Say, by some miracle of nature, we’re able to get his bones without a hitch. What are we going to do with them? We can’t just roam the countryside forever.”
Eh. He did have a point, didn’t he? Faith was slow to admit it. “We could,” she offered, sitting on the bed after kicking off her boots, “separate the bones? Hide them in different spots and tell no one where they are.” She grinned. “Saw that in a TV show once.”
Finn rolled his eyes. “Of course you did.”
She glared at him. “Why are you here, again?”
“I’m asking myself the same thing—”
“It might not matter,” a soft voice interrupted their arguing. Everyone looked at Camden, who seemed sad in the corner o
f the room by himself. “Someone could have already taken his bones. He could already be risen.” As he talked, his lips hardly moved, covering his pointed teeth.
Light spoke with a shake of his head, “The Court said that there was no word from Springstone. If someone had tried to take the bones, they’d know of it.” His blue eyes turned to Faith. “I think it’s a good plan. As good as any.”
Chuckling, Finn muttered, “Kiss-ass.”
Faith jumped to Light’s defense, saying, “Light can kiss my ass any time he wants to.” She said it without thinking. She said it, and as she said it she realized how bad it sounded. She was about to change her choice of words when the Malus in the room spoke.
“Do I have an open invitation, too?” Jag smiled widely, his ears perked up as he waited for an answer.
“Oh, sure,” Finn said dryly, answering for Faith as he crossed his arms. “Let’s all just get in line so we can worship you, Faith.” It was more than obvious worshipping her was the last thing he wanted to do.
It was difficult to imagine having a crush on such a huge asshole, but she did. And he was even more attractive in the I.D.’s hunter uniform and mask. The mask itself held a mini-computer, able to track, sense heat signatures, and a bunch of other stuff that didn’t work in the Second. Here it was simply a cool mask. Now, after this, Faith would never get one of her own.
A ping of irritation grew in her as she replied, “When did I ever say I wanted to be worshipped?”
“Well, you seem to have gathered three boyfriends already,” Finn said with a dramatic shrug. “Collecting them like candy.”
“Even if they were my boyfriends—”
Jag leaped off the dresser and sat beside her on the bed, saying, “Actually, we are, and—” He closed his mouth when Faith gave him a come on look.
“They’re not my boyfriends,” she said, meeting Finn’s glower with one of her own. “But even if they were, it’d be none of your business, Finn.” A hint of a smile grew on her lips. “Why would you care?”
He must’ve realized what corner he backed himself up into, for he started to go for the door as he said, “I don’t. Just wait until I’m out of the room before you have your ménage à…whatever the French word for four is.” He left, slamming the door as he went.
“Well,” Jag said after a moment of silence. “Isn’t he an amiable fellow?”
Faith thought about letting him go, letting him storm off and fester, but if he was going to be a part of the team, he couldn’t hate her or anyone else on the team. She sighed as she slipped back on her boots. “I should go after him.”
Jag and Light gave her confused looks, while Camden nodded and whispered, “You should.”
She paused as she stood, meeting Camden’s gaze. Almost immediately, he looked away. Faith couldn’t help but wonder if she made him uncomfortable, for he hadn’t acted like that in front of the Court. She’d have to work on that, too. For now, Finn.
The bastard.
“I’ll be back,” she said, heading for the door. Faith was out of the room quickly, turning her head to see which way Finn went. He hadn’t gotten far in his storming off, for she found him fifty feet away, about to turn down a hall. “Finn,” she called out for him, “wait.” Did he even know where he was going?
His legs paused only for a second as he turned his head back to her, meeting her eyes from down the hall before he vanished behind a corner.
Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. What a drama queen. Faith ran after him, catching up to him within a few moments, though with her short legs, she had to walk at a brisk pace to keep up with him. “Finn, I said wait.” She grabbed his arm—something she never would’ve done before—stopping them both.
It was weird to think that she and Finn stood in the halls of the Elven castle, that they would be together in the Second for a while. Even weirder when she remembered the look on his charred face after the robo-cat blew up on his desk.
His green eyes looked down on her as he muttered, “I heard you, I was just hoping you’d give up and go back to your boy toys.” There was a pause as he yanked his arm from her grasp. “Should have known better.”
Faith let out a groan. “They are not my boy toys.”
He held up a finger and then took off his mask to show her his risen eyebrows.
Her irritation wavered as she laughed. “They’re not. Really.” She gave him a playful punch. “Not yet, anyway,” she added slyly, watching as Finn fought back a smile. “Hey, it’s only a matter of time until you join the I-love-Faith crowd, too.”
“I managed to hold myself back on Earth. I think I’ll be fine here,” he told her, sliding his mask onto his belt. “And if I get tempted, I’ll remember the dog you blew up in my face.”
Ah, so the bastard did remember, but…a dog?
Faith was mad. “It was a cat.”
“Really?” They started walking again. “I would’ve bet my life that it was a dog.”
She wanted to punch him for real now. They eventually came across a door that led to the backyard of the castle, where the gardens sprawled in a seemingly never-ending grove. They walked through it for a bit. Faith showed him the pond where the colorful fish were. He was less amazed at it than she was.
“Ooh, yes,” he said, “fish. Can’t see those at home, can you?”
Faith shot him a glare. “Are you going to be this difficult the entire time? Because I’m trying to avoid that. You’ll make everyone miserable.” At least, with Finn on her mind, she was able to forget about how badly she wanted to jump the Dread King’s bones.
Well, except for that thought.
And the few that followed.
But the moment Finn opened his mouth again, she focused on him. He said, “I’m sorry if I seem a little upset to you. It’s not every day that I’m told that I have to stay in another world and protect someone who breaks the rules anytime she wants to. And the I.D. better be paying my rent while I’m gone. I just got that apartment.”
They walked through a line of flowers that were reminiscent of roses, only more fragrant and three times the size in both flower and stem. Colorful insects buzzed in and out of their petals, their legs clad in pollen.
Faith stared hard at the nearest red flower as she muttered, “You don’t sound sorry.”
“Oh, that’s because I’m not.”
Their eyes met, and she wondered if he was always this annoying. If he was, what was she smoking in junior high and high school? Because the man beside her was not crush material. He was annoying material. Material you only used if you had nothing else, like the magazines in a dentist’s office or the boring infomercials left on in a hospital waiting room.
“Well, you don’t have to be here,” she said in a huff. “I’m sure if you knock nicely on the gateway, they’ll open it for you.”
“If I went back without you, the President—and the Director—would kill me. No,” he said with a heavy shrug, “I’m stuck here with you and your boy toys to do something with old bones.”
Faith thought about arguing about the boy toy thing again, but she let it slide. It was kind of fun thinking about them as her boys toys, even if it wasn’t true. Fun, and kinky. Two things, she started to realize, that she had a thing for. A thing, just like whatever bizarre thing she had going on for the Dread King.
Her stomach burned at the thought of him. His horns, his sneer, even his white hair…
No. Bad Faith.
Since she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about him, Faith asked, “Do you know the story of the Dread King and the Harbinger?”
Finn glanced at her, his attitude having lightened a little. “No, but I’m betting you do, and you’re going to tell me.”
“Well, I’m still a bit fuzzy on all the details, but here’s what I know,” Faith started. She told him about their shared destiny, how an ancient Fae seer prophesized they would fight each other until the end of time. How they would be reborn again and again, Dracyrus in his own body while the
Harbinger was whatever Human had somehow stumbled into the Second. Not so much stumbled as were called. Nature always had a way of bringing them together. She also told him how every Harbinger before her had been a man.
That didn’t seem to surprise him, for he finally spoke, “So you’re some special Harbinger, aren’t you? The first girl in history.” Finn sighed. “That doesn’t help our odds, does it?”
“From the few that I can remember,” Faith spoke, mostly of her dreams that she now knew were memories, “either the Harbinger wins or it’s a stalemate.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning one dies after inflicting a mortal wound on the other,” she explained. “I am a little worried that this might be the first time the Dread King will win.” Her legs stopped as she added, “That he’ll kill me.” Because she was too hot and horny for him to stop him.
“You won’t die,” Finn told her quietly, his vivid green eyes sparkling in the daylight. “Not while I’m here.”
His confidence was…actually reassuring. Faith had to break eye contact as she said, “Whatever this is, it needs to stop.” She wasn’t going to start crushing on Finn again, just because he occasionally had a nice side beneath the ass.
“The reincarnation?”
“Whole kingdoms were destroyed because of this prophecy. Thousands and thousands of people gone.” The more Faith spoke, the more she believed it to be true, “It can’t continue. We have to stop it from happening again.”
“Great, so we get the bones and find a way to break an old magic prophecy. How hard can that be?”
Faith looked at him, adding, “And we find the missing students.”
Finn gave a nod. “If they’re even still alive after all this time.”
She blinked, gaze falling to the green grass. They had to be alive. They had to be. If she believed otherwise, reality would be too bleak for her.
Step one: get the bones.
Step two: find the missing students.
Step three (to be completed after or simultaneously with previous steps): find a way to end this prophecy once and for all.
The Fellowship: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (The Harbinger Book 2) Page 5
