Bound by the Mist (Mists of Eria) (29 page)

As if Relian sensed her question, he seated himself on the divan next to her, taking her hand in his. She was sometimes still amazed at how well he read her. While he couldn’t read her mind, the emotions behind those thoughts were up for grabs if she didn’t guard them well.

“There are some who seek it out in a more violent manner, such as in war, but most prefer the peaceful way—slowing down respiration and heart rate until the body shuts down.”

Her mind spun. How in the world did they bring about the mechanics to achieve death? She dreaded to hear anymore, though. There’d be plenty of time to find out if she did stay and bond with Relian. It seemed all paths lead to him, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

Her mind screeched to a halt. She couldn’t imagine her life without him? Was Maggie right? Was she crazy about him? Had she passed “crazy,” and now waded into “permanently and deeply”? It was a sobering thought. Sure, she’d dated and liked some guys well enough, but nothing more. None had ever made it past lukewarm.

“Cal? Cal? Are you okay?” Maggie’s voice floated through her consciousness.

Cal jumped, caught unaware. “What? I’m sorry.” Her heart pounded much too fast for her voice to sound normal.

Maggie clucked her tongue. “We’ve been trying to get your attention for the last half-minute or so. You had Relian panicking. I thought he was going to shoot down the hall to fetch a doctor.”

Turning to Relian, Cal was startled to see him kneeling next to her and the truth of Maggie’s words became clear. Though he glared at her friend for the descriptive account she gave, his cheeks had lost all color and something greater than worry lurked in his eyes.

She gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine. I didn’t mean to concern you.”

He squeezed her hand. “As long as you’re fine, all is well.”

How could she resist him? The blue of his eyes burned into her, warming every crevice. They gazed at each other until Maggie’s words drew them apart.

“The whole immortality thing for mortals—wouldn’t that upset some kind of mythical universal balance or something?”

Talion gave a hint of a smile. “Ah, but not everyone would choose to live through eternity, and to choose to do so, one has to be offered the chance first. There’re not so many mortals being offered the opportunity as to cause any imbalance.”

“Yeah, considering there are only two mortals here to begin with, I wouldn’t think so.” Maggie’s tone was dry.

Avrin looked at Talion. “But Lady Maggie’s words do call attention to an important factor between our worlds. Balance.”

Talion nodded. “Symbiosis—it’s a delicate thing. The balance has been unsettled. Both our realities are in danger. But what’s the cause? Who can say which draws more heavily, the host or the parasite? In this case, one cannot determine who is the host and who the parasite or if they are equal in measure.”

Maggie shot Talion a guarded look. “I thought you would say the human world.”

He smirked. “As much as I’d like to say that, I don’t have any true answers and, as such, cannot in all fairness lay the blame there.”

“World War III, here we come,” Cal muttered to no one in particular. For a moment Maggie appeared she would launch out of her chair and greet the king’s face with her fist. But as so many times before, potential disaster was averted. Avrin leaned near her and whispered words in her ear, placing a restraining hand on her arm.

Cal sat back and watched the show. Relian stood behind the divan, a possessive hand on her shoulder as she listened to Maggie challenge the king.

“So tell me more about when you die? Where do you go?”

Talion lifted a lazy brow. “Me? I don’t go anywhere. I’m alive.”

Maggie huffed impatiently. “Not you. Your kind. I thought that was understood.”

He sent her a small bow of the head that came off looking more haughty than courteous. “When we die, we die as you do and go where you go, wherever that may be.”

Maggie looked at him through lowered lashes. “I thought there were legends about a paradise where only your kind goes. Wherever that is.”

His shoulders shook in a slight laugh. “You can’t believe everything you read. Some legends don’t have any truth in them whatsoever. That is one. As for the ‘wherever’ of death, why as far as I know, no elf has ever come back for a visit after leaving this plane of existence or yours.” He smirked at Maggie. “That would indeed be a memorable occasion, but alas, sadly it’s never happened.”

Maggie closed her eyes and appeared to be counting to ten in an effort to control her temper.

Relian sighed in her ear. “Children.”

Cal couldn’t agree more.

Chapter 27

In her bedchamber, Cal settled more snuggly against the padded arm of her chair. The methodical motions of the brush caused a stupor to overtake her. She wished she could stay like that for a few weeks. No such luck, though.

Behind her, seated on a stool, Arrein stopped her chatter. “My lady, you must hold still. I’ll soon be done brushing your hair. Then I will arrange it.”

“Is all this really necessary?” Maggie groaned from her own seat a few feet away from Cal’s, where Vana subjected her to the same treatment.

Yes, was it? She knew they were to rub elbows with some important elves, as their numbers had inundated Eriannon for a meeting of some sort with the royal father and son team. That meeting meant fancy dinner gatherings, not to mention spare elves wandering all over the place. Of course, it didn’t matter that she’d found the previous dinner arrangements fancy enough or that she already had enough elves wandering around her. Relian and Talion probably viewed this as a total immersion exercise, where they ruthlessly pelted her with elves from all sides.

All she knew was that Relian would parade her in front of those haughty elves like some kind of exotic freak show—look, a real live human! She cringed. As his betrothed, she was to take her proper place by his side now she could fluently speak Elvish and had been indoctrinated with proper elvin protocol for the last three weeks. As it happened, this etiquette didn’t differ much from what she’d expect human nobility or even people with manners to use.

Arrein tsked, Vana echoing the sound. Go figure, they were in on the conspiracy, too. Cal frowned and rolled her eyes at Maggie, risking a scolding from Arrein again.

“It’s very important. Many of our people haven’t seen you since you first arrived, and only those in attendance at the time. The council and the attending festivities have been carefully planned out, and most of the lords and ladies of the realm are here or arriving as we speak.”

“That was what I was afraid of,” Cal said under her breath. She didn’t want to face a horde of elvin lords and ladies. No, the servants and commoners were more than enough for her.

“Tell me about it.” Maggie didn’t sound any happier at the prospect but soon visibly perked up. “At least I’m not the one with the binding bracelet. Now all that attention I wouldn’t want.”

Cal slid Maggie a dirty look. “Thanks. Thanks a lot.”

Maggie laughed. “Glad to help. I’ll be with you, even though I won’t be able to share that misery.”

“A binding bracelet should never be misery,” Vana murmured, horrified.

Cal sighed. “We meant all the accompanying attention that follows one.”

“Yeah,” added Maggie, “especially when the other binding happens to be on the wrist of the crown prince, and you’re human.”

“Ah.” Both Arrein and Vana apparently got it, making sounds of commiseration.

“Maybe I’ll be lucky, and some binding will have magically appeared on a wrist or two, or hopefully, on a couple of dozen. That might take some of the limelight away.” Hope welled up, allowing her to sink into fantasy.

Arrein yanked her right out of it. “Oh no, my lady, the binding does not just appear.” Cal’s head whipped around, as Arrein’s eyes widened and she faltered to a stop.

What? True to form, she had no clue what these elves were talking about. “It doesn’t just appear one day?”

After Arrein shook her head in the negative, fury encased her heart. Not more secrets or half-truths! Cal ground out, “How does it get there then?”

Maggie moaned and slapped her palm against her forehead.

The maid hesitated. “Maybe Prince Relian or even the king should explain.”

“Explain? It’s a simple question. Please tell me.”

Arrein shook her head, trading a wary glance with Vana. “I’m sorry, my lady. This is a subject that should be taken to the prince.”

Cal gritted her teeth. She knew all about seeking answers in relation to reticent elves. Besides, she didn’t want to involve innocent bystanders. So she sat there, smoldering. When she got her hands on him....

***

Cal walked with Maggie down the hall, metaphorically dragging her slipper-clad feet as much as she could. Neither she nor Maggie were in a hurry to get where they were supposed to be. The council had finished, so that was where they headed. Well, at least toward the council room’s doors, where Arrein and Vana had told them the congregation of elves would exit. If her memory served correctly, the area outside the room consisted of a wide-open space with massively vaulted ceilings.

All too soon they neared the area, the honorary guard assigned to them walking back a pace. That took some getting used to. While it was called honorary, she knew it was as much a matter of security as a show of power. Relian took no chances with her safety after Eamon’s attack.

Now, her gown was a show of power. The ivory confection floated over her skin, the silver threads running through it glinting like silver moonbeams.

As they entered the wide hall, she saw that Relian stood with the king, surrounded by the lords and ladies of the court. There were so many that her anger at Relian nearly deflated. Maybe that was a good thing. She couldn’t countenance making a scene here, so any confrontation would have to wait. She didn’t want everyone to remember her as “that human.”

She girded herself for patience. Patience in dealing with Relian and the measuring looks the other elves cast her way. Those speculative stares ran the gamut from open curiosity to downright judgmental. They all had one thing in common, though: their owners delivered them with an oh-so-cool demeanor that left her scrambling to find an ounce of true emotion buried under their coldly serene exteriors. Those faces could grace the highest fashion magazines back home, but all she could see was the cruel beauty that could freeze a person if one ventured too near.

She unclenched her hands. Well, she could play that way, too. Cool, calm, and collected was what she would be. Cal almost faltered to a stop. While asking for the impossible, she might as well request a new face and body. A dose of beauty would be needed to get the proper glacial look down.

Her thoughts came to a stop, allowing some sense of perseverance to flow through her, when she and Maggie halted in front of Relian and his father. She curtsied in the way Arrein taught her, adding that all-too-important hand gesture used in formal and informal situations—with head bowed, fingers briefly touching the forehead. Maggie followed suit. Relian and his father returned the hand gesture, not bowing from the waist, as their station didn’t require it.

The king greeted them first. “Lady Calantha, Lady Margaret, you are both a welcome sight after a long council. If there’re no protests, I would like to introduce you both to all those gathered here. Everyone is anxious to meet you.” At this, he looked around at everybody assembled and gave them a steel-coated look. Murmurs of assent immediately arose.

Turning, the king sent his son a smile. “Relian, if you would escort Lady Calantha?”

“Of course, Father.” Then he offered up his own greeting to Cal. “My lady, it is indeed good to see you.” He lifted her hand up to his lips, causing the female populace to sigh in adoration. “You shine in that gown. It does you justice.”

Cal felt herself melting like a piece of chocolate under Relian’s insistent attentions but forced her anger to the forefront. She’d make nice with him for now, but he wouldn’t charm her out of her well-deserved rage.

“You are too kind, my prince.” Cal kept her voice an even monotone.

Surprise flashed in his eyes, and he lifted a brow. She leaned in toward him, and whispered, “Later.”

His jaw firmed and comprehension flared in his eyes. So he knew she was angry but still followed her lead. She snorted to herself. What else could he do surrounded as they were?

The king commandeered Maggie as Relian escorted her away. Her friend was getting the royal treatment and didn’t seem too happy about it. Now Cal could appreciate her own situation a little more. Even though she didn’t want Relian to parade her around, even though she desperately desired to evade all attention, there was a worse thing than having a prince by her side: it was called a king.

While Relian introduced her to the peerage of the realm, he was more formal with her than usual. She shook away the pang that shot through her heart. After more introductions and conversation than she could count, the fact some people warmed to her lightened her. Their icy reserve retreated like a glacier, slowly inching away but leaving the indelible signs of its movements. There were even a few with whom she could see becoming friends. Maybe this place wouldn’t be so bad after all. And there was Relian. Always Relian.

Her anger petered out for a second, only to reignite when he motioned for them to slip away. He led her to a private alcove located in one of the less traversed hallways. It was an idyllic spot with a gilt-framed window that sported a built-in seat nestled below it. As usual, the delicate shutters were folded open, allowing fresh air and sunshine to come streaming in. She’d since learned why there was no glass. Elves had their enchantments, especially ones over nature that could attract or repel. They could keep out rain and insects, while allowing everything else in they deemed desirable.

Pale gold curtains completed the private effect of the alcove. Relian detached the sashes that held both sides open, and the material swished closed around them.