Dark One Rising (49 page)

Sol took one of Melenthia’s hands in his and spoke gently, “What happened, my dear?”

She looked up at Sol, then glanced at Dain. He nodded, telling her to go ahead.

“I saw Fallon. He had me up against a wall, clasping my throat. I couldn’t breathe, and I could feel his hot breath on my face. He told me that I would soon be his, that he had found me and would take me soon.”

Sol glanced over at Tomaz, gray eyes asking a question he did not ask out loud. Tomaz approached Melenthia and sat on the bed beside her. He turned her face toward him and lifted her chin. He saw the bruise on her neck and the finger marks. He looked back to Sol, nodding.

Sol sighed. “That’s what I suspected too. Those marks on your neck were made by your own hand. The face and voice in your head, only in your mind.”

“Then it was only a dream as I suspected,” Dain said, almost sounding relieved.

Sol turned to him. “Not exactly. She did see and hear him in her sleep, and she did choke herself, but it’s only because Fallon has breached her mind. He was speaking to her in her dreams, but he was present too. He has learned to manipulate her thoughts and make her do things he wants. He can only manipulate her thoughts if he can find her. He knows where she is. If he enters her mind again, he may lure her away from here. I’m afraid we must leave. She’s no longer safe here. We must take her to Vallis.” Sol looked to the elf; Tomaz nodded.

“I concur with Sol. If we are to teach her, we must do it in the safety of Vallis’ boundaries.”

Dain looked at Melenthia, but spoke to Tomaz. “If he can get into her head like you said, what’s to say he won’t force his way into her mind there?”

“Vallis’ borders are protected by spells. They are safe from any magical probing or spells from outside influences. He will not be able to touch her there, or manipulate her thoughts. In fact, he will not even know she is there. She will be protected against his mind. She will be able to train without fear of him.”

She looked at Dain. A tear fell from her eye. Dain looked at Sol. “When do you need to leave?”

“We must make haste if we’re to get her where Fallon can’t touch her. We must have everything ready to go later today.”

She looked at Sol, then Tomaz, then back to Dain, feeling all of a sudden helpless. She had been asked to fight for the world, but now she was being told she would have to do it away from the people that she loved. How could she get through what she needed to do alone?

Her eyes welled with tears once more, and Dain stood from his chair. “Sol, Tomaz, would you excuse us please?”

Sol stood from his place in his chair, Tomaz from the bed. The elf bowed to Dain. “Of course, Your Majesty. We will get everything ready for the journey.”

“Have the servants and the stable hands get you anything you require and prepare you anyway you need. They’ll make sure you have everything for your journey.”

Tomaz nodded and took Melenthia’s hand in his. “We will protect you, My Lady. On our honor we will not let any harm befall you.” He bowed to her now, and he and Sol left them alone.

Dain sat down on the bed again, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He rubbed her back and brushed the hair from her face. He pulled back a bit and looked into her emerald eyes. He stared into them, not able to tear his gaze away. He kissed her forehead, then each eye, tasting salt from her recent tears.

“I don’t want to go, Dain. I don’t want to be alone.”

“You won’t be alone. Sol and Tomaz will be with you. They’ll keep you safe. I have faith in them, and I trust they are making the decision that is right for you.” He touched her neck, purple and swollen. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Melenthia. I would die if anything happened. If Fallon can reach you from wherever he is, then you are not safe. If the boundaries in Vallis can protect you, then you must go there. I can’t do my part in this if I have to worry about your safety. I’ll miss you, but our separation will be easier if I know no harm will come to you. Please, Melenthia, don’t make this harder. I love you and can’t lose you.”

He hugged her harder, kissing the top of her head. She looked up at him and nodded. “Okay, Dain, I’ll go, but I don’t know how I will fare away from you.”

“You’re strong, and you’ll do what is necessary, what you were put on this earth to do. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met, and your strength will keep you going, and me too. You’re special, and I’m so very blessed to have you in my life. When the elf and Sol deem you ready, you’ll return, and I will be here waiting.”

“You might forget about me while I’m gone. I don’t want to lose you to someone else. I love you too much.”

He lifted her face. “I will never find another. You’ve touched my heart and soul in ways I cannot explain, and I have never loved anyone the way I love you. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would find someone who fills me so completely. I love you deeply, Melenthia, and I will never stop. There will never be another.”

He kissed her deeply and passionately, her arms now holding on tightly to him, responding to every touch. Soon they were lost in each other, the morning melting away.

CHAPTER 30

M
elenthia awoke again later that morning to birds in the garden below singing a spring tune and a warm body lying next to her. She snuggled closer to him but did nothing to wake him. She listened to the sounds of morning and to his steady breathing. She felt safe and warm and didn’t want to do anything to disrupt that feeling, even though her throat still had evidence of the previous evenings nightmare. She touched it lightly. The bruising had faded somewhat, but it was still tender to the touch. She took in a deep breath. The air smelled a bit like rain, and she hoped that travel to Vallis would be smooth. Riding again in a downpour didn’t thrill her.

She felt Dain stir a few minutes later, and she flipped over to look at him, their bodies tight together. He opened his eyes and smiled at her, reaching up to brush back the curls in her face. He kissed her on the nose and wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” she said.

“No, that blasted bird did.” He pretended to be annoyed but she knew him better.

“I like it. It makes me warm inside, like a renewal of spirit.”

“Things are beginning. Are you ready?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve hardly had the time to let all this soak in. I don’t know what to do, or say, or even think. Except that I’m afraid.”

“I know. The fear will subside in time, and those feelings that have you lost will present themselves as well. Then everything will be as it should.”

“Maybe. But I don’t think anything will ever be the same, and that frightens me too.”

“You will learn to embrace the new, just as if it was always the norm. There’s one thing that will never change though.”

“What?”

“The way I feel about you. The way I feel when you enter the room, or the way my heart beats faster when you brush by me or touch my arm. The way I feel when I see you across the room, or the way my breath catches in my throat when I look at how beautiful you are. I love you. Now. Always. That will never change.”

She leaned in and kissed him, his arms tighter, pulling her into him and responding fully to her want. He didn’t know when they would be together again, or what the future held for either of them, but he felt sure that whatever happened, his love would stay strong for her.

She broke the kiss and looked into his pale eyes. She got lost every time she looked into them, and she hoped that memories of him would keep her going through to the end.

“I love you, Dain. I never thought I could love anyone like I do you. I never thought it was possible that I could find someone who cared for me. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

“You won’t. I’ll be here when you return. Thoughts of you will keep me strong.”

“I feel the same.”

“Are you ready to get up now?” he asked her, not wanting to hear the answer yes. He wanted a few more minutes with her, before he had to let her ride away.

“No. Can’t I have a few more minutes with you? Can’t I feel your strong arms around me, your warm hands on my skin, just one more time? I don’t think I can leave your comforting embrace just yet.”

“I thought you’d never ask, My Lady.” He wrapped his arms tighter, the both of them floating away into a world only they knew.

***

After lunch, Kevaan, Alek, and a cortege of ten knights, including Tarak and young Squire Henri, were ready to go, their horses outfitted and their saddle bags packed. He had taken a huge chance in coming, now he would see if that had been his realms undoing.

The sky had turned dark, the low flying grey clouds threatened rain, and it fit her mood perfectly. She was standing in Dain’s audience room, looking out into the bailey where the nervous horses stamped and whinnied under their loads.

The dark sky and chilly air held a menacing she couldn’t explain, but obviously the horses felt it too. It gripped her all the way down to her toes, and she hoped she wasn’t sensing danger coming their way.

Dain had tried to talk Sol and Tomaz into taking a couple of armed guards with them, but the elf refused, stating that too many in the party would make them stand out more. He felt safer with just the three of them. Sol tried to calm Dain’s anxiety, claiming there would be an Evading charm on them hiding them from anyone who might want to cause them trouble. Dain reluctantly agreed. She knew he was still uncomfortable with the arrangement but would not say so out loud. Instead he fumed in silence.

Kevaan entered the audience room and approached his sister. He didn’t want to leave her and hated even more knowing she was leaving the safety of these walls and the protection of the man she loved. He was not comfortable with the whole scenario, but he trusted her. He knew that if she felt this was right, he would not question it.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, following her gaze which was now on the king saying his good-byes to his friend once again. Dain stood beside Alek, their bodies locked in a friendly embrace. There was a lot of weight riding on Dain’s shoulders, and Alek was reluctant to leave. He promised he would return as soon as his task was finished. This would be the most important trip he had made since rescuing her.

Melenthia turned and looked up into her brother’s face. She smiled at him, trying to hide the pain she felt about their separation. She didn’t know if this would be the last time she ever saw him alive. Fallon had already taken her father. She didn’t want to think about what she’d do if he took Kevaan from her as well.

He touched her cheek and brushed her hair back from her forehead. He smiled down at her, a look of pride on his face. He was proud of her for surviving on her own and for choosing to take the path for her life. He was proud of her for her fortitude to face this destiny she had been given with grace and strength. He’d worry for her every day, but he knew that if she was taken from him, it would be for what she believed in and for the people she loved, him included.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“There are so many thoughts, I don’t know if I could pick one and put it into words. I’m afraid. For myself, but also for all of you, the people I care about, away from me. I will be thinking of all of you, and hoping we are joined again soon.”

“And we you, little sister. We will do what we must to keep Fallon and his army from destroying everything. He has already taken too much.”

“Please be careful, Kevaan. I couldn’t bare it if I lost you.”

“You too, Melenthia, and know that I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you for believing in me.”

“It’s easy to believe in someone when they believe in themselves. You will face this destiny you have been given, and you will endure. You’re stubborn, that I know.”

She laughed. “Yes, I am. Take care, brother.” She reached up and grabbed him around the neck, squeezing hard. He leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. He took her hand, squeezed, then let it slip from his grasp. She watched him walk away and out of the room.

She looked out the window a few more minutes, watching him and Alek mount their steeds, and they and the men assigned to them trotted out of the bailey under the gates. She tore her eyes from the window and turned in time to see Dain standing behind her, his shoulder on the door frame. He was staring at her, no expression on his tired but handsome face. She approached him and put her arms around him, resting her cheek on his broad chest. He placed his arms around her in response and laid his cheek on the top of her head. He rubbed his hand up and down her back and buried his lips in her hair.

“Is it time to leave?” she asked, her voice muffled in his shirt.

“Yes. Sol and Tomaz want to get on the road before the storm rolls in. They don’t want to get caught in it. I got the feeling Sol gets extremely grumpy when he’s cold and wet.”

She lifted her face and looked up at him. “I’m not ready to leave.”

He brushed her hair back with his hand and cradled her neck. “I know, but the sooner you go, the sooner you can return to my arms.”

“You won’t find another to wile away the time until my return?” She believed that he was true, but wanted to hear it again, nevertheless.