by Eric Vall
“It seems Aeris has also found some interest in you Mason Flynt,” Qiran said flatly. “He has summoned you to House Aelin in the north, and requests you waste no time setting off on the journey.”
“Seriously?” I asked. I’d almost forgotten my conversation with the head of House Aelin, but I wasn’t surprised he hadn’t. The greed on Aeris’ face came to mind, and I immediately began to calculate what my next move should be.
Cayla sent Deya a sad smile. “It’s a shame we have to leave so soon, I’ve enjoyed your company.”
Deya’s eyes sparkled at the words, and she took a long sip of her goblet before she spoke up. “Perhaps I’ll go with you,” she said casually.
Aurora grinned. “Really?”
“Absolutely not.” Qiran didn’t even bother to lift his eyes from his letter, but his voice was sharp as knives.
Deya sat a little taller. “Why not? If Aeris is so … pleased that I am safe, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I paid a visit with my friends.”
Qiran snorted. “These are not your friends. They’re his playthings.”
“The fuck did you just say?” I demanded, and I let Cayla slip the butter knife out of my fist as I leveled my eyes on the head of House Quyn.
Qiran finally lowered his letter and calmly folded his hands in front of him. “You heard me,” he replied. “You drag these things about like no one knows the sort of life you lead. You have no self-control, and they’re stupid enough to oblige your whims.”
I tried not to laugh. “I have no self-control?” I asked. “Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to please three women at once? Show me a man with no self-control who could manage it.”
Aurora buried her smirk in her hands as she nudged me hard.
“You’re right,” I told her, “it’s irrelevant, because it’s not even about self-control, it’s about decency.” I turned back toward the head of House Quyn, and I didn’t miss the way his eyes flared at my tone. “You can think whatever the hell you want about the sort of life I lead, but you’ll shut your mouth about my women. The fact is, if anything ever happened to the women I love, I wouldn’t sit around like a spineless coward and feel sorry for myself. I’d burn every house in Nalnora to the ground before I let anyone hurt them, and that’s fucking decency.”
I rose and drained my goblet before I turned for the door, and Qiran let out a low sigh.
“So nice to have you, as always,” he said thickly.
“Oh yeah, it’s been a real treat,” I returned as I stood aside to let the women file past. “Next time, maybe I can save your son’s life for you. I think he’s next on the list.”
Back in the tower room, we swiftly strapped our bows around us and caught up the few things we’d brought from the sidecar. I was fuming over Qiran’s arrogance, but somehow, the women tried to hide their grins.
Finally, I turned on them when Aurora stifled a giggle.
“Are you seriously laughing after what that asshole--”
“Okay, but,” the half-elf interrupted as she came to my side, “all bullshit aside, that was kind of incredibly sexy.”
I stared.
“Seriously,” she told me. “You’re cute when you’re defending us and also accidentally complaining.”
“I wasn’t complaining,” I shot back, “it’s just a fact. It’s fucking exhausting, and my back is nearly always ripped to hell these days. Do you have any idea how much it burns when I’m constantly sweating in this fucking jungle? Plus, the amount of self-control it takes to not use up all of my energy on one of you and then drop the ball for the next is just--”
Cayla giggled this time, and I rolled my eyes.
“Hey,” she tried as she slid her hand in mine. “We’ll go easy on your back, okay?”
I smirked. “Wait a minute, I thought I just said I wasn’t complaining … ”
“You sure?” Aurora asked coyly.
“Positive,” I said with a chuckle. “I’m sorry to go off. I definitely don’t have any regrets. I’m just … a bit worn out on Nalnora right now. It wouldn’t hurt so bad if it wasn’t so ridiculously hot and sticky in this stupid jungle, and my leg’s giving me a hard time after that dagger and running all over last night, and I can’t even … ” I trailed off as I realized I’d started to go off again. “Sorry. I’m good.”
Shoshanne came to my back and gently pulled the collar of my shirt down. Then she blew lightly across the tender flesh, and a shiver rippled down my spine. The cool air immediately soothed the stinging, and I grinned as she left a soft kiss there as well.
“I have something in the sidecar for that, and your nose,” Shoshanne whispered, and then she bit lightly at my ear with a giggle.
I blinked in surprise and touched at the bruised skin around my nose. In the chaos of everything, I forgot Deya slammed a candelabra into it.
Then I groaned and pulled my women closer to me. “What would I do without you guys?” I asked them, and they let out a few giggles.
“Probably spend a lot less time arguing with people,” Aurora pointed out.
“Worth it,” I assured her.
We left the tower room, and on our way out the splintered doors in the front, I heard Qiran’s telltale tone he always used when he berated Deya, and my jaw locked.
I handed my bag to the women and told them I’d meet them by Bobbie, before I silently slipped around the edge of the house and headed toward the garden. I stopped beside a small window and caught the end of the father’s speech.
“ … haven’t we done enough to ensure you have a good life here while you can?”
My pulse pounded in my ears, and I waited for the heavy silence to break in the room. I heard Dragir’s goblet set down as a chair screeched across the marble floor, but the next sound was his steps leaving the room.
I contemplated going in myself to defend Deya when she suddenly spoke up, and her voice was quiet and sad.
“When Ruela found where they’d taken me, was it you who sent Mason Flynt to bring me back?”
The father didn’t respond.
“Or did you have Dragir ready the troops?” she asked pointedly.
No answer came from the spineless leader, and when I heard Deya stand to leave the room, I turned back toward the front of the house.
I rounded the corner just as she disappeared behind the wall of blue leaves that led to the forest village, and I briefly contemplated following after her before I heard Cayla say my name.
I turned to find the princess behind me, and my pulse slowed as the sight of the raven-haired beauty tempered my anger.
“Is she alright?” Cayla asked as her eyes flickered to where Deya just disappeared, but I only shrugged.
“If she weren’t, what can I do about it?” I sighed as I reluctantly began to head back to the other women with the princess in tow. “Anything I do is only going to get me into trouble.”
“That’s not true,” Aurora countered as we reached Bobbie.
“Oh it’s true,” I assured her. “If I have to listen to one more arrogant speech from that guy, I’ll end up ripping the fucking walls down. We should go.”
I picked up the three women’s bags and dropped them into the sidecar, but Shoshanne gently hooked my arm.
“Sit down,” the healer urged. “I’ll tend to your back before we leave.”
I didn’t want to sit still, but I knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, I let Shoshanne lead me to a log at the base of the willowish tree, and she settled herself behind me with her thighs against my hips. Then Aurora and Cayla joined us on either side, and I let out a steadying breath as they pulled my shirt open and slid it down over my shoulders. The poultice Shoshanne applied stung like hell, but within a minute it felt like she’d dragged ice across my skin.
“We really did rip you to shreds,” Shoshanne muttered apologetically.
“Yeah, but it’s cool,” I chuckled with a shrug. “Totally worth it actually. I’m just mad at that asshole.”
“We know.” Aurora laid out with her head in my lap, and I smirked and brushed a few braids from her face while Shoshanne dabbed a cloth along my neck.
“You ready to see how the elite elves behave?” I asked.
The half-elf rolled her eyes. “Do you think we’ll run into any carnivorous plants on the way?” she asked.
“Not at all,” I answered, and I shifted to pull Dragir’s map from my pocket. “The red spots are the ones we’re avoiding at all cost.”
Cayla snorted. “Nice map.”
“Right?” I said with a chuckle.
We studied the map and decided on a course that would lead us along a few roads so we wouldn’t have to rough it through the jungles anymore. Judging by the league marker on the bottom of the map, it looked like House Aelin was about eight leagues to the northwest of us, in a city called Lyralus that bordered on the ocean.
Once we got through the first leg of the jungle and made it to the roads, the journey would probably only take us about an hour with Bobbie at top speed. As much as I wanted to see what Aeris had up his sleeve, I wasn’t very eager to arrive. His own degrading tendencies were worse than Qiran’s, and I wasn’t in the mood to be as complacent as I’d been so far with the elves of Nalnora.
I knew I needed to find some means of holding my own just a little longer, and I hoped putting some distance between myself and the infuriating dynamics at House Quyn would give me a clearer perspective. I couldn’t seem to focus on dealing with the threat of the Master with Deya and her father around.
Shoshanne finished her work on my back, and I felt like a new man after being tended to by the talented woman. Without the constant stinging along my shoulders, my mood settled another measure, and I pulled the Aer Mage onto my lap to give her a kiss.
Shoshanne giggled and settled her thighs around me, and I grinned as she trailed her hands along my chest. “Let me look at your leg,” she said.
I shook my head. “It’s fine. Just need to lay off it for a bit.”
The healer didn’t press the issue and laid a light kiss on my cheek instead. “Are you ready for the next house?” she asked wryly.
I sighed. “Probably,” I told the women. “As long as the three of you don’t mind tying me down if I get too irritated, we’ll most likely do alright.”
Shoshanne blushed and glanced at Aurora, and I remembered the time she’d walked in on the half-elf and I playing with chains. I chuckled as the two giggled over the memory.
“That reminds me, ” I mused, “I’m gonna have to make some more of those chains.”
“How much metal do you have left?” Cayla asked as she stood to head to the sidecar.
“Not much,” I admitted, and I lifted Shoshanne with me as I stood as well. Once she was settled on her feet once more, we all made our way over to Bobbie to get on with our journey north.
Aurora let out a sigh as she settled onto the seat. “I wish we didn’t have to go so soon,” she mumbled.
Cayla nodded. “Me too. I like Deya, and I hate the idea of leaving her here. What if something happens, and we’re not here to help her next time?”
My pulse surged at the notion, but I forced myself to ignore it. “Let’s get going.”
With the last of our things packed, we all climbed on behind Aurora, and Bobbie roared to life beneath me. The growl of the engine washed over me, and I let the sound settle my nerves a bit before I moved to kick us into gear.
Just as I lifted my boot, Aurora grabbed my arm, and I turned to see a sable wolf trotting through the trees with Deya close behind. I climbed off the bike when I saw a small bag over her shoulder, and as she made her way toward me, she sent a nervous glance over her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” I asked and took her slender hand.
Deya nodded. “Is it alright if … may I … ”
I didn’t even let her finish the question as a grin spread across my face. “Hell yeah, you can.”
Deya was the most beautiful elf I’d ever seen, with a laugh that sounded like bells and violet eyes that cut straight through me. It killed me to see how she was treated by all these bastard elves, and ever since we met, I’d wished she would tell the lot of them to go fuck themselves.
Now, here she was. With me.
A warning sounded in the back of my mind, but I shoved it away for now. I’d do whatever it took to make the pink-haired elf smile, and I’d deal with the consequences later.
When I led Deya over to Bobbie, the three women sent her glittering smiles, and they quickly scooped their bags from the sidecar to make room.
“One second,” I told the elven beauty.
I called my magic to the surface and eyed the lumps of metal in the base of the sidecar, and then I slowly melted them down and organized them side by side. Each puddle shone with a different hue, and as they elongated, I sent out an extra surge of power. I managed to line the interior with clean strips of each metal that I could easily separate when the time came, and as the metals solidified once more, I carefully smoothed the surface so it would be more comfortable. Then I turned to help Deya climb in.
The second she was settled, Ruela leapt in after her, and I raised my brows as the wolfish dog sat herself between the elf’s legs and ignored me.
“The dog’s coming with?” I asked uneasily.
All four women shot me a look.
“Of course she is,” Deya said with a smile.
I chuckled and put my hands up. “Alright, the dog’s coming with.”
I rounded the other side of Bobbie and slid in between Aurora and Cayla, but I noticed the tense expression on Deya’s face as I did. She scruffed the dog’s thick coat absentmindedly, and her usual sweetness seemed replaced with sadness.
I realized the difficulty of the decision she’d just made and had a feeling she’d never left the southern jungles before. The idea of her running away with the four of us suddenly weighed heavily on me, and I briefly wondered if I was just as bad as House Kylen to sneak her away from her family.
Then I caught the familiar glint of a silver coin in Deya’s hand, and I kicked Bobbie into gear without another thought.
Chapter 8
Not long after the sound of the waterfall faded, we veered west for a while to leave a wide berth around the Putre grove. The smell still lingered in the air despite being half a league from the grove itself, but soon we were back at the road we’d travelled on to head west from Rhoemir, and the smell was finally far behind us.
Ruela was not a fan of the off road route we started out on. She let out a deep growl that almost matched the pitch of Bobbie’s engine for the entire first leg of our journey, and Deya had spent this time murmuring in the dog’s ear to keep her calm. Her hackles were still up, and her massive fangs were only a few inches from my thigh, and every second I expected to be thrown from the bike by the wolfish beast.
Somehow, the elf managed to keep her companion calm enough to spare my life, and when we reached the road and followed the bend that led to the north, the dog began to settle along with the terrain. I was able to bring us up to Bobbie’s top speed, which wasn’t very fast with five of us plus a dog, but we managed to make good time.
The elven roads were well tended as we got further north, and the dirt of them was not only smooth but wound strategically to avoid the steeper terrain. The land in the north was still dense with jungles but had large cliffs and deep valleys throughout. Some of the rich brown rock of the cliffs reached up into the clouds, and the road would dip into the valleys and run along the base of each.
We had just come out of one of these valleys and begun to climb a hill when we got our first glimpse of the ocean ahead. It glittered a shade of blue almost as light as Cayla’s eyes, with a thin mist above the surface, and I heard Deya gasp when she saw it.
“Have you ever been to the ocean?” I asked her over the growl of the engine.
“Not in the north,” Deya called back. “It’s different here. But I’ve never been to the capital before. Dragir h
as told me a little about it. It should be visible soon, he made it sound quite impressive.”
When we reached the top of the hill, I decided her brother hadn’t been wrong. A city much larger than Aurum sat at the ocean’s edge, and several ornate towers glinted high in the afternoon sun. Even from this distance, I could tell a few of them were made of gold, but several were a deep blue, and others were pure silver. The city looked as densely packed with buildings as the jungles were with ferns, and I nudged Aurora with my thigh as we drove.
“You think Lyralus is as large as Serin?” I asked the half-elf.
“From here, it looks about twice the size, maybe bigger,” she guessed.
I turned toward Deya. “You said Lyralus is the capital of Nalnora?”
The elven beauty nodded. “It’s where three of the Elite Houses reside. After the great wars, the other Houses formed in the south, but the original Houses all kept their places here in the north.” Deya pointed to the tallest tower with a spire at least forty feet long. “That tower belongs to House Aelin.”
The diamond-paned windows of the tower were pieced together with glass in several shades of green and blue, and they covered the entire structure between the spiraling metal framework that came together at the peak. It stood nearly twice as tall as any of the other towers.
With no gates at the edge of the great city, we were able to drive straight into Lyralus, and I slowed Bobbie to a crawl within a minute. The streets were packed with merchant’s carts and elves who pulled tethered livestock behind them. Some sold chickens in crates, and others sold strange slaughtered birds from the jungle, but there were several more who had baskets of eggs balanced on their heads as they called out above the clamor of the streets. The roads were lined with stone buildings that had been painted creamy whites, blues, and beiges.
Much like Serin, the structures got cleaner and more impressive as we neared the center of the city, and the class division amongst the citizens of the capital became pretty clear. Those who sold goods or services had no colors of merit in their dress, and most of them wore ragged tunics and worn-through leather boots. Their hair was tied back haphazardly from their sweaty, sun-scorched faces, and several wore scraggly braids down their backs.
