“Lassandra’s eldest child resembles me?”
“In the facial features,” Erwin answered, “but where you are lean and weak, Arlin is broad and strong. Like a draekon.” I refrained from pointing out Erwin had never set eyes on my brother. It didn’t really make a difference. He was right.
Lerick laughed. “Then he must be very handsome,” he gave me a wink. I raised my canteen to hide my surprise.
“Are you flirting with your cousin, cousin?” Erwin’s question made my face heat. I choked on my water.
“So what if I am?” Lerick countered. I couldn’t tell if he was serious, or if he just wanted to get under Erwin’s skin. But why he thought flirting with me would bother Erwin was beyond me.
“Then I would remind you Amelissa is your second cousin—far to close in blood for anyone to ever accept you as an appropriate match.”
I would never accept a match with anyone with whom I shared any blood, not even half of an ounce.
“And she’s half-draekon,” Lerick added. Seeing my angry glare, he explained, “Meaning you share a gliminee bond with the draekon prince. There will be no other match for you now.”
Was that true?
I felt a strong connection to Brion, and I wanted more than anything for us to find a way to be together. But I couldn’t deny the ways of the world seemed pitted against us. He ran his father’s army—an army tasked with ending the rebellion my family was a part of. And I was a half-draekon, half-elven abomination. At least, that’s how the draekon world would see me. And based on what I’ve learned on Erwin’s island, the citizens of Avelin might view me the same way. It might not matter I was their princess. Prejudices were strong barriers to overcome on all fronts.
“Shall we continue,” I looked at the beach, eager to change the conversation to something not about me or my seemingly-doomed relationship. “Or are we done training for the day?”
Lerick interrupted Erwin’s reply, “I still cannot believe Lassandra left you on Draekon without any knowledge of what you are.” He started to shake his head, disappointed with his cousin’s decision.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care to hear her excuse,” I snapped. What could I say? My parents’ abandonment was a sore spot.
Lerick kept his mouth closed.
“I think we should work on your draekon abilities now.” Erwin dropped his canteen and settled into the cool, shaded sand. “We can practice right here.”
I peeked at Lerick to gauge his reaction. His face was an expressionless mask. I’d known Lerick for less than one day, but I realized the elven male rarely concealed his emotions. His feelings were right there on his sleeve, easy to be seen by anyone with the desire to look. He must truly feel uneasy.
The thought made me smile.
I fell back onto the sand, sitting opposite of Erwin. “All right. What do you want me to do?”
“Shift your hearing. Then, tell me what Rachel is singing as she walks along the shore.” He pointed over my shoulder. I turned and confirmed Rachel was strolling along the beach, carrying a large, wicker basket.
“What is she doing here?” Erwin had given strict instructions for all of his employees to avoid this section of the beach while we trained.
“I told her to bring mid-afternoon refreshments,” Erwin revealed. “Now, focus. What is she singing?”
I turned back around and brought my knees to my chest. Wrapping my arms around my shins, I held tight and breathed deep. Focus.
My eyes closed. I picked up the usual sound of waves crashing against rocks farther out into the ocean. Seagulls flew overhead, squawking to one another.
I pressed my arms against my legs, holding myself tighter as I squeezed my eyes for greater focus.
A breeze whistled by my ears, ruffling my hair.
I heard Erwin’s steady breaths and Lerick’s quick, short breaths.
All of the sounds were normal. I couldn’t shift, much to my annoyance.
With a sigh, my eyelids parted. “I can’t hear her.”
Lerick sucked in a breath. I swung my neck his direction. “What’s wrong?”
Wide, shocked eyes locked onto mine before moving to my hands. “S-see for yourself.”
I looked down and released a tiny squeal. Bright blue and emerald green scales covered my skin from my wrist to the tip of my fingers. Only, they weren’t my fingers. Elongated, wide talons extended from my hand. The claws gleamed when I tilted them from side to side, and they looked sharp.
I met Erwin’s carefully-neutral gaze. “I’m guessing my eyes shifted too?”
He dipped his head. “Why don’t you go wade in the water to cool off. Take this towel.” He tossed the gray material my way. I thought about catching it, but I worried my talons would cut the fabric. I let it land in my lap, slid my hands underneath, then got to my feet. With the talons covered, I struggled to kick off my shoes. Erwin helped by loosening the laces.
“Thanks,” I huffed. Seeing Rachel drew near, I quickly heeded Erwin’s suggestion and made my way down to the beach, wading into the water without a care for my clothes or the towel covering my hands.
I let the salty water wash over me, hoping its cool caress would help hide the evidence that I was an abomination.
11
Rachel had delivered the midday meal without incident. I’d stayed in the water until she was well out of sight, though I felt her confused gaze land on me more than once as I waded through the water fully clothed.
The training session came to the end for two reasons, one being I was thoroughly soaked and uncomfortable. The other was Rachel had also informed Erwin of additional royal arrivals. I’d asked who they were. Erwin dismissed them as very distant relations who were around my age. Meaning, they’d never laid eyes on Princess Lassandra. His explanation alleviated the fear of yet another person discovering my true identity.
So, I’d dripped water on the sand as the three of us quickly devoured the midday meal. Then, I went off to my rooms to wash the sticky salt off my skin and change into dry clothes before leaving my room. The day’s tournament games were scheduled for the evening, and I’d made a point to make sure I was there. I wouldn’t make the mistake of hiding myself away again.
The evening proceeded without incident. No royals stared at me, and there was no evening meal or ball to throw me under anyone’s attention. The only obstacle had been Rachel. She’d cornered me and questions my sanity for swimming in the ocean without a proper bathing suit.
I made up some lie about becoming overheated, and Erwin suggesting I cool off in the sea. Rachel’s skepticism had only lasted another brief moment before she dismissed the unusual encounter from her mind. I felt a little guilty about deceiving her. Rachel was nice, and I might be good at lying, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed it.
The following days proceeded in similar fashion, except for the part where I had to jump into the ocean to hide my draekon form. Lerick became a regular presence at my training sessions. He even offered useful advice when he suggested I meditate twice a day. He recommended I spend the time focusing on my emotions. He claimed I needed to come to terms with who I was and what my blood made me capable of before I would successfully master any of my elven or draekon gifts.
Needless to say, I’d scoffed at the idea. But Erwin supported Lerick’s suggestion. So, I obliged them. Why not give it a try? Nothing else had been working, and I was certain both elves would not give up until I at least attempted to “accept who I was”.
So, I did. I mediated twice a day, chanting the truth of my bloodline over and over again until the words echoed in my head.
Amazement flooded me when, at the next training session, I could shift into draekon hearing and sight with relative ease. I couldn’t maintain both shifts at the same time, but just the fact I could summon one and then the other was remarkable.
Too his credit, Lerick resulting smirk hadn’t been too smug.
I kicked the crest of an incoming wave as I walked across the shoreline during high tide. Erwin and
Lerick sat under the tent which was now a permanent fixture on the beach. A speck of white caught my eye. I bent down and retrieved the shell before the next influx of water washed it away. Erwin tasked me with gathering seashells for him to grind up and put in some exfoliating soap he makes. I didn’t know if I believed him, or if he just wanted me away from the tent.
I tuned in my draekon hearing and heard the sound of wind flapping against the tent, but no noise came from underneath. Erwin or Lerick had enacted a sound barrier, and my earlier suspicion spiked to new heights. I observed Lerick’s stern expression and Erwin’s troubled frown. Something was happening, but I couldn’t even begin to guess what that might be.
I dropped the shell in the cloth bag attached to my wrist and continued walking along the beach, but I kept my ears turned towards the tent in case there was a break in the silence shield.
As I walked, I adjusted the thin rectangular piece of fabric hanging off my hips. The knot I’d tied to keep the fabric around my waist had shifted to the center, revealing a wide opening of my bare legs. Most elven fashion kept the majority of my skin covered, but the bathing suit was a different beast entirely. The skin tight fabric left little to the imagination, but Erwin insisted I wear the item during training sessions. In case I ever needed to dive back into the ocean again.
The only blessing was Erwin lent me a large tunic while we trained on the beach. The cover up would be easy enough to remove before going into the water, and it fell down to my knees.
But I’d abandoned the cover when Erwin sent me on the seashell scouting mission. My state of dress, or rather undress, made me glad the males were distracted. But I wanted to know what, exactly, was distracting them.
I spotted a large, pale-pink seashell at the same moment the tide hit my ankles. I quickly reached for the shell, wishing the water would retreat and not wash away the shell. Erwin wanted me to fill the entire bag, and I was barely halfway done. The larger the shells, the quicker I could complete the boring task.
The wet outline of the previous influx of water revealed the tide should have reached well past the location of my shell. But, alas, it did not. Almost the second I wished the water to stop its path… it did.
What in the gods?
Biting my lip, I picked up the shell. The moment the smooth item was in my palm, the water resumed its path, flowing higher on the beach until it pulled back into the ocean.
My pulse roared in my ears. Did I just control the ocean?
I’d learned some elves had elemental gifts; Erwin claimed to have power over the wind. Could I possibly be able to manipulate water?
The sound of masculine laughter encroached on my mind-blowing realization. The sources of the noise were coming closer.
I swallowed back my shock and schooled my features. I needed time to think about what just happened and make sure I wasn’t crazy before I told anyone about it. For all I knew, I could’ve imagined the entire thing.
Though, my heart told me that was unlikely.
Erwin and Lerick arrived beside me. Gone were all traces of stress from their earlier discussion. I couldn’t tell if their demeanor was an act, or if they were truly no longer bothered by whatever conversation they’d been having.
“How’s the hunt going?” Erwin asked with a mischievous grin. I wanted to fire a bolt and wipe it off his face.
“Woah!” Erwin held up his hands. “Take it easy.” He acted afraid, but his smile revealed otherwise.
I frowned, confused by his reaction. “What are you talking about?”
“Your eyes,” Lerick said. “They’ve shifted.”
“Oh.” I blinked and mentally imagined my eyes as their normal, blue color. Based on Lerick’s approving nod, it worked.
Erwin dramatically sighed and let his shoulders slump. “Phew. I thought you were going to blow fire from your mouth and burn me.”
“Ha. Ha.” I rolled my eyes, earning me a wider grin from both elves. I wasn’t even close to being able to breathe fire. At least, I didn’t think so.
“What were you guys talking about?”
Erwin’s lips twitched, but he kept the smile in place. Lerick wasn’t able to pull off the same feat.
“Nothing.”
“Liar,” I accused Erwin.
I turned to Lerick. “What’s going on?”
My new-found relative averted his gaze. I could already tell he wasn’t going to tell me what I wanted to know.
I exhaled and brushed back loose strands of hair. “Erwin, listen. If the matter has nothing to do with me, I will drop it. But if this, in any way, deals with me or my family, I would appreciate if you didn’t keep it hidden from me. Trust goes both ways.” I crossed my arms and waited for his response. Water splashed against my calves. The tide was getting higher, but I refused to move.
Erwin watched me for only a few seconds, but it felt like minutes. He weighed whether or not he should tell me something, which made me realize their discussion had definitely involved me in some way.
“Very well.” He straightened his back. Gone was his joking demeanor. He was all business.
“What?” Lerick called out. I jerked back a step. I hadn’t expected him to speak.
“She deserves to know, Lerick.” Erwin sounded calm and reasonable. “She will not reveal anything to anyone.”
I waited in silence. I couldn’t force the issue; that would only put Lerick more on edge. Thankfully, I didn’t think I had to. Erwin seemed more than willing to share the information with me. He only delayed in order to give Lerick time to agree.
Lerick clenched his teeth, then he huffed, “Fine.” He looked at me. “I am trusting you with this information. If this gets out, I am dead.”
My eyes widened. What could they possibly be about to tell me?
“I won’t say a word,” I vowed, hoping he could see the sincerity in my gaze. We remained staring at each other for another moment before Lerick broke away and gave Erwin a nod.
Erwin was quick to act on the approval. “The tournament wasn’t the only reason Lerick came to Eelie.”
I glanced between the two males, trying to figure out where this was going. “It wasn’t?” What other reason could he have had to show up?
“No,” Erwin continue to speak on behalf of our cousin. “Lerick came to Eelie in order to meet with an informant.”
An informant?
I assessed my newest cousin with fresh eyes. “Are you a spy?” Was Lerick working with the rebels on Draekon? Or, worse, was he working against King Aquin with a different group? Like King Roderick, for example.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Lerick answered.
“What would you say?”
Something huge was about to be revealed, and I was imagining too many scenarios to figure out which was most likely. I wanted one of them to just spit it out already.
“Lerick isn’t a spy. He has no connection to King Aquin and plays no role in his Court. His participation is simply that of a member of this world who wants peace to exist between Draekon and Avelin.”
“A participation in what?”
“The rebellion against King Roderick.”
So, I hadn’t been that far off with my guesses.
I let the information sink in, then asked, “You work with the elves who are helping the humans and half-draekon rebel?”
“I am.”
“But you didn’t know my mother was involved?” I found that hard to believe.
“My communication with the rebellion has always occurred under the cover of anonymity. I don’t ask for names of his colleagues, and my informant returns the favor by not asking for the names of mine.”
“How did you even get involved?” I asked.
“It was shortly after I was disinherited, actually,” Lerick began. “I sailed with Erwin’s fleet of social outcasts and males without families. We searched isolated islands and other inconspicuous lands for your mother. I had hoped I might get my title back if I found her. That’s when we encountered a dif
ferent ship, displaying a flag whose allegiance I did not recognize. The other ship docked onto ours. The sailors boarded us, and we learned who they were.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Many of the sailors reveled in the idea of joining a rebellion against the draekon. Myself, included. It filled me with a sense of purpose. I might no longer have the king’s love, but perhaps another way to earn back my place would be to help defeat his lifelong enemy.”
The motive was understandable, but the act itself seemed precarious at best. “How did you know you could trust a ship full of rebel strangers? It could’ve been a trap.”
“I took my chances,” Lerick replied. “I had little to lose.”
How incredible that a group of rebels encountered a ship filled with their enemy, but they ended up on the same team? Both groups were lucky the other hadn’t turned on them the moment their guard was down.
“So, you continue to work with the rebellion. Not as a spy, but as what if not an informant?”
“I recruit elves to the cause and pass their names onto my rebel contacts. I also orchestrate a time and place for the newest recruits to join the rebels ranks, usually aboard one of Erwin’s ships.”
I shot Erwin a look. He’d said his ships were commissioned to search the seas for my mother. He was more involved in the rebellion than he’d admitted.
“Who are your rebel contacts?” I asked, wanting to get as much information as I could before one of them shut down the conversation.
Lerick shifted closer to the shore when the next tide dampened his long shorts. I abandoned my stern position and moved up as well. The soaked fabric around my waist was plastered against my legs. “A half-draekon who operates under the guise of a Census Agent. He recruits new humans and half-draekon, and I give him elves willing to join the fight against our common enemy.”
His words hit me like a bucket of ice-cold water, chilling me to the bone. It couldn’t be.
I swallowed the knot in my throat two times before I could finally speak. “W-what’s this male’s name?”
If Lerick noticed my anxiety, he didn’t let it stop him from saying, “Leith. Agent Leith of Draek.”
Freed Page 7
