Metal Mage 6

by Eric Vall

  Many of the merchants were elderly elven women like the one I’d met in Rhoemir, but there were more young women here than I’d seen anywhere in the south. They sold fresh herbs from their baskets, or fish strung up on lines across their storefronts, but I didn’t see a single one who had any resemblance to the elven beauty beside me. For one, none of them had pink hair, and their faces were all lined and sunken despite their apparently young age. They wore linen pants instead of dresses, and they all wore daggers at their waists. They looked as deadly as the elven men, but more exhausted, and I noticed several spit in the faces of their customers and overturned their tables as arguments broke out on most of the streets.

  Then there were the stately elves who stuck out with their silken tunics and Halcyan glaives on their backs. Their hair was long and finely kept, and they looked down their noses as they brushed the merchants aside like flies. Yet they bought goods from them and appeared to at least pay their share as they did.

  Our path was intercepted several times by fine carriages, and I was surprised to see they were pulled by the first horses I’d seen so far in Nalnora. Each time the more distinct carriages passed, the streets would clear around them and immediately fill once they’d gone.

  Cayla leaned toward Deya while we waited for a gilded carriage with a driver dressed in deep purple velvet robes to pass.

  “Does Nalnora have one rightful ruler?” she asked curiously. “A king of sorts?”

  Deya shook her head. “There are no kings in Nalnora,” she replied. “Only those who consider themselves as such.”

  Cayla chuckled as we drove on, and at our slow speed, I noticed Deya got nearly as many glances as Bobbie and Aurora did. I was used to the bike drawing attention everywhere we went and had learned to expect the shit attitude toward my beautiful half-elf in Nalnora, but I started to realize having Deya along was a different game entirely. The looks of wonder on their faces when they eyed Bobbie turned into shock at the sight of the pink-haired elf, and then inevitable disgust when they saw Aurora beside her. As the same happened over and over, I began to wonder how the head of House Aelin would react to the friendship between the two.

  I only hoped Deya wouldn’t give up her kindness toward my half-elf over Aeris’ degrading opinions, but we’d only driven through Lyralus for fifteen minutes, and I already noticed Deya’s countenance change.

  She’d looked eager when we first arrived in the capital, with her violet eyes roving over every single cart or shop we passed. Now, she had a nervous crinkle between her pale pink brows, and she kept her eyes forward with her fingers curled deep in the sable wolf’s pelt.

  The storefronts became less crowded with the lower class of elves as the great tower of House Aelin grew larger ahead of us, and by the time we were at the gates of the stately House, only fine carriages and well-dressed guards occupied the streets.

  Now, the looks of disgust greatly outweighed anything else we passed, and I dropped a hand to Aurora’s thigh. The half-elf curled her fingers around mine, and I left a kiss in her blue braids before we came to a stop at the gates of House Aelin.

  As much as I’d grown to dislike the elves, I had to admit they had a way with metal.

  The iron gates were constructed entirely in endless spirals, none of which overlapped. They looped ornately in every direction, and as I craned my neck, I could see the entire house was surrounded by a fence in the same style. The gates themselves were easily thirty feet high and topped with six pristine diamonds. The fence was less adorned, but it kept this impossible height all the way around.

  The guards who stood at either side of the gate wore the same blue silk I’d seen on Aeris, but instead of diamond studded chains, they wore no less than four blades around their belts. Each elf had two glaives crossed at their backs as well, and the four who approached us kept their hands braced on the hilts of their swords.

  They all eyed my hold on the half-elf first thing, and then settled their scowls on me.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m Mason Flynt,” I explained. “Aeris summoned me from House Quyn.”

  The guards’ serpentine eyes flickered with recognition, but they still looked reluctant as they nodded to the elves at their backs. Then the gates parted, and we drove into the regal grounds of House Aelin. The road was paved with pale white stones that took a path along the ornate fencing before it turned toward the House. The great tower jutted up from the center of the substantial place, but it wasn’t even the most distinguished part of the structure. Two massively round sections with domed roofs flanked the great tower on either side, and each roof had circular blue and green glass windows that spiraled from the pinnacle down.

  I snorted when I realized the domes had massive diamonds glinting from their spires. It was honestly a shame the elves despised the dwarves so much, because they’d probably appreciate one another’s taste. House Aelin reminded me a lot of the fortress where the Elders of Aurum resided, except where one preferred gold and rubies, the other clearly opted for silver and diamonds. Everywhere.

  We parked Bobbie at the base of a large white staircase, and I could see the diamond border around the arched doorways at the top. I sighed as I cut the engine and dismounted, and the women turned circles as they admired the stately grounds.

  “You’re sure there are no kings?” Aurora asked with a smirk.

  The whole bike rocked as Ruela leapt from her place in the sidecar, and I held out my hand to Deya.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked her, and she blinked before she finally noticed I was there.

  Deya smiled sweetly at me as she slid her hand into mine, and I kept my hold on her as she stood and settled the folds of her dress.

  “I’m fine,” she assured me, but she fidgeted with her dress much longer than was probably necessary. “I’ve just never come to the capital before.”

  I nodded. “You said that. Aeris probably isn’t expecting to see you this far north.”

  Deya raised her pink brows and took a deep breath. “I don’t think anyone would expect to see me here at present, no,” she admitted. “I just hope they’re … ”

  I waited for her to finish the statement, but she only stared at the massive tower behind me

  “You hope they’re what?” I asked.

  “Kind,” she said with a shrug. Then Deya stood taller and smoothed her long pink hair before she felt along her chest for a thin strand of silver I hadn’t noticed. The long necklace was tucked within the gauzy bodice of her dress, but I couldn’t see the pendant buried between her breasts.

  We all steadied or bags over our shoulders, and with Ruela panting ahead of us, we turned to make our way up the steps of House Aelin.

  I took Aurora’s hand, and Cayla was about to join on the half-elf’s other side when Deya stopped abruptly and turned.

  “May I ask you for a favor?” she said uneasily.

  “Anything,” I answered a little too quickly, but the elf had been looking at the women more than me, and I noticed her smirk a little as she continued to address them.

  “Will you three pretend to be my personal guards? Stand close, go everywhere with me, that kind of thing?”

  Aurora cocked a brow. “Of course, but … do you need guards?”

  “No one will expect me to be here,” Deya explained, “and if my father had truly allowed me to come, I would have the guards of House Quyn with me. I don’t want them to suspect anything is wrong.”

  Cayla nodded. “Absolutely. We’re armed enough for it, anyway.”

  Shoshanne smirked as she adjusted her thigh strap, and I grinned as I eyed the bows on the women’s backs.

  “I wouldn’t fuck with any of you, that’s for sure,” I pointed out. “Although, Ruela might be as lethal as the three of you combined.”

  Deya smiled and eyed her wolfish beast, and her relief was clear when she turned back to the women. “Thank you for this,” she said. “My father would never send me here unprotected.”

  Aurora loo
ked closely at the elf. “Will your father be very angry that you came away with us?” she asked.

  Deya let out a nervous giggle. “Yes, he’ll be furious,” she assured us. “I hope he won’t send a letter to Aeris over it. I love my father but … ”

  The elven beauty trailed off, and I knew she was thinking of the conversation I’d overheard from the window. Deya finally knew her father hadn’t sent anyone to rescue her from House Kylen, and I couldn’t blame her for walking out after that.

  I was honestly proud of her and more than glad she’d climbed into the sidecar.

  The three women nodded without pressing her for details, and Aurora and Cayla moved to put themselves on either side of Deya while Shoshanne and I brought up the rear.

  In the bright sunlight, I could see straight through the gauzy material of the elven beauty’s dress, and I couldn’t help but drag my eyes along her slender figure while she mounted the stairs ahead of me.

  Her hips swayed with each step, and her slim thighs gleamed tantalizingly as they wove around one another. She was still barefoot, and I grinned as I considered how Aeris would take this. He’d looked down on House Quyn as if they were lowly, and I had a feeling his apparent interest in Deya might falter at the sight of her casual attire. Personally, I enjoyed the little glimpses I’d get once in a while of her bare ankles beneath the dress and found myself wondering how smooth they’d feel hitched over my shoulders.

  I took a steadying breath as heat began to build in my chest and then travel south, but it was hard to ignore how fantastic the three women looked strolling side by side. I really had the best view in the realm at the moment, so I let myself enjoy it a little while longer.

  Shoshanne noticed the direction of my gaze and nudged me, and when I glanced over, she flicked her eyes toward the hypnotic sway of Deya’s hips.

  I immediately shook my head, but the healer nodded hers just as stubbornly.

  I let out a long sigh and made a point of looking up toward the arched doorway from then on, and when we finally got to the top of the staircase, I’d managed to not look at any of the women’s asses for almost a full minute.

  The two guards gaped when they saw Deya. They bowed low and pulled the large doors open without questioning any of us, and I furrowed my brow at the tops of their heads as we passed into the cool chamber.

  From inside the great tower, everything glowed with the green and blue hues of the windows, and as I craned my neck, I could see clear to the top of the massive tower. It seemed to go on forever, and where it met with the chamber we stood in, it sloped elegantly to arched hallways on three sides. I could tell the two on my sides led into the round chambers with the domed ceilings, but the one ahead of us had well-polished wooden doors beneath the archway that looked about twenty feet tall.

  Our footsteps echoed across the deep green marble floor and were joined by the sounds of the elves of House Aelin who strolled between the chambers or gathered along ornate silver benches that looked out through the colored glass. Some were dressed like the guards, but many wore fine robes and dresses, and I noticed an overwhelming number of them had different shades of blue hair flowing along their backs. Others had every color I’d seen so far in Nalnora, but as I scanned more deliberately, I realized none of them had hair like Deya or Aurora. The two women almost stood out more than the wolfish beast in this crowd, and I was only half surprised they got more double takes than Ruela.

  The conversation in the chamber shifted to murmuring as we stood there, and I leaned forward as it became clear we were the primary topic.

  “Maybe we should try those doors,” I muttered to the women, and Cayla nodded. The elves stepped out of our way as we headed for the large pair of wooden doors, and I wished I could understand Elvish as they began to whisper and point.

  I stepped ahead and opened the doors for the women to enter, and I eyed the crowd before I followed.

  Every serpentine eye was turned toward us.

  I offered a slight bow and pulled the door closed, and when I turned around, I saw Aeris high in the rafters of the quiet chamber and just descending a marble staircase. There were only armed guards around in this room, and all of them stopped in their places when they saw the five of us.

  Then Aeris reached the bottom of the staircase, and when he turned toward the head of the chamber, his grim expression suddenly sparked to life. His silver serpentine eyes went wide, and he hurried forward with a hazy smile on his face.

  “Miss Deya,” he called across the hall, and he bowed to her before taking both of her hands in his own without her offering.

  Ruela let out a snarl, and Aeris looked as if he really hadn’t noticed the beast there. Clearly, he hadn’t seen Ruela with a Wendigo in her jaws, or he would’ve dropped his hold on the beautiful elf.

  “Hello,” Deya replied sweetly.

  Aeris chose to ignore the dog. “Miss Deya,” he mused once more. “You bless this hall merely by standing within it. Has it been seventy years already?”

  “Sixty-three,” Deya replied, and her tone seemed slightly insulted. “I was four when you last visited House Quyn.”

  “Yes, and a lovely little sprite, if I recall,” he said. “You’ve grown into the very image of beauty, my dear. A true gem to behold. I hadn’t expected to receive you in my household so soon, but the surprise is very welcome, indeed. I suppose your father has decided it would be best for you to reside in a more secure location?”

  Deya wriggled her hands free of Aeris’ grip and smiled. “I came for a short visit, is all.”

  “Very wise,” Aeris said with a solemn nod. “Your father has kept you quite well in the south, but given recent circumstances, I’m sure he’s grown to appreciate the need to have you more well protected for a time. My guards and I can offer you the utmost safety here for the duration of your stay, and should you choose to extend your visit--”

  “You’re very kind,” Deya interrupted, “but my father has already made the necessary arrangements.” She gestured to the three women around her, and I tried not to smirk at the look on Aeris’ face.

  He especially seemed taken aback by Aurora’s place beside Deya as he said, “Are you sure these … particular three will serve well enough?”

  Deya nodded. “Absolutely sure.”

  Then Cayla spoke up, and her authoritative voice seemed to catch Aeris off guard. “We would not fail in our duties to House Quyn,” she assured him. “Deya will be under the strictest protection during her time in Lyralus.”

  Aeris attempted to look polite as he offered a small bow, but he failed miserably. Then he caught sight of me behind the four women, and his brows furrowed.

  “Oh,” he said blankly. “Mason Flynt, you have arrived already?”

  Deya flicked her violet eyes over her shoulder at me. “Yes,” she replied, “I travelled here with Mason Flynt to--”

  “Oh yes, of course!” Aeris interrupted, and his face relaxed entirely. “Yes, I should have known he would be assigned to your watch. Well, then it is lucky for House Aelin that you have pledged yourself to Deya’s protection, for my summons has happily brought you both.”

  I stared as I realized he’d mistaken me for her personal guard, but before I could correct him, he barreled on with his speeches.

  “Yes, this all makes perfect sense now,” he continued. “Mason Flynt will relinquish his watch to the women while we sort out our own matters and will escort you back south when all is handled. Yes, that’s very wise of your father to arrange things so carefully. I’m glad to know he’s seen sense, very glad indeed.”

  Aeris looked it, too. His grim face pinched almost painfully as he smiled adoringly at the pink-haired elven beauty, and I felt a little nauseous over the unnatural expression. That, and the constant roaming of his serpentine eyes. Aeris couldn’t seem to make it a full sentence without looking at Deya’s breasts, and I realized this might be why my blood pressure had gone up since entering the room.

  Aeris continued soliloquizing
for Deya, and I ground my jaw lightly as I sifted through a few things. Deya had said there were no royalty in Nalnora, but she was received like a princess at House Aelin. Even Aeris, with all of his lofty ideas of himself and his House, had bowed to the elven woman, and his obsession with her protection closely mirrored House Quyn’s.

  It couldn’t only be that she was a beauty. Granted, she was the most beautiful creature I’d seen in all of Nalnora, but there seemed to be something more going on where Deya was concerned. Beauty alone couldn’t warrant the obsessive attention of the elves, and my nerves tweaked uneasily as I considered the endless number of possibilities.

  Then Aeris said my name, and I blinked back to reality.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “I asked if that would be alright with you,” Aeris said curtly. “You are her head guard.”

  I stared blankly and nodded, but I immediately regretted it. Cayla shot me a lethal glance, and Deya’s face suddenly looked paler as she turned back to Aeris.

  Shit.

  I would have to stay focused if I was going to pretend to be Deya’s head guard.

  Aeris was the only one pleased by my response, and he bowed once more to Deya as he offered her his arm. Then he led her forward and began to tell her of the feast he would have prepared for her, and I fell in between Cayla and Aurora as we followed at their backs.

  Aurora glared at me, but I didn’t want to ask what had just happened with so many elves around to listen in. So, I only shrugged at her and hoped I hadn’t signed Deya up for something outrageous.

  We followed Aeris and Deya through a grand and arching entrance, and the head of House Aelin called a few servants over to give them orders in Elvish. The servants hurried off immediately, and we were brought into a regal room with three golden chairs at the far wall. It gave every impression of being a throne room with its white marble floors and elegant columns, and I wasn’t surprised to see Aeris place himself in a gilded chair after he finally released Deya.