Ethon (The Other Worlds Series Book 2) (15 page)

“I am sorry, uncle,” Dallyn said after a moment. “I should have insisted that Will give me the princess’s whereabouts.”

“There is no need for your regret.” Fuladrik waved Dallyn’s apology away with one hand. “The heirs were never your responsibility. They were mine.”

:  :  :  :  :

The scene that spread open was surprisingly familiar to Olinia. It was the private study of Oldron the Wise, sovereign of the Relivaynt world. Olinia had been inside once before when Oldron gave her the legendary Tallet containing the names of the last Silver Hearts. Will had been with her that day. She noticed a glimmer of recognition in his eyes as well.

It was a smaller room of the Castle Relivaynt, lined with high, wooden shelves and filled with an assortment of objects, ranging from books to stuffed pheasants. Off to one side, Olinia noted where the hidden door Oldron had opened to retrieve the Tallet stood. Then, in the center of the room where there had once been a massive oak desk, were several figures. Olinia knew two of them.

Oldron’s still form was strewn on the scarlet rug, a trickle of dried blood at his mouth, mixing with his gray beard. A woman with long, wavy blonde hair had her back to Olinia, and was looking down at Oldron. She was Lady Aeorin, Oldron’s only child. Just beyond Oldron and Aeorin, a man with shoulder-length rust colored hair and adorned in flowing violet robes stood watching.

His was a face Olinia had never seen before. He could have once been deemed handsome, but now a long, thin scar covering one side of his face – going from just above his right eyebrow all the way down to his chin – left him disfigured. By the look of the scar, he must have received the wound fairly recently; it was still an angry red.

“He’s a Craele.”

Olinia whirled as Tiara joined her side. “What are you doing here?”

She smiled sheepishly. “I grabbed your shoulder before you left.”

“Where’s Archrin?” Will frowned.

“He’s back where we were,” she replied slowly.

“That poor man!” Olinia exclaimed. “You deserted him.”

“It’s not my fault you decided to Globe right when we arrived.”

“You didn’t have to come along,” Olinia retorted.

“Why do you think he’s Craele?” Will’s voice interrupted them.

Tiara turned. “Look at his eyes. They’re mismatched. The right one is violet.”

Just then, the Craele swept back his robes, holding his hands behind him, and circled around Aeorin, placing his mouth near her ear. “I can see it in your eyes, my offer tempts you.”

“Of course it does.” Aeorin’s voice was not at all what it had been the last time Olinia had seen her. It no longer held the irritating overly jovial – as if everything were amusing – tone to it.

“You would truly be a queen, not just a mere king’s wife,” the man whispered.

Aeorin twisted her head slightly towards him, but not quite far enough to catch his gaze. “Do not pretend I have never heard of you. I know what you are, what you have done, and how many women you have mated.”

He tossed that aside with the wave of his hand. “When you live as long as I have, you become accustomed to watching those close to you grow old and die.”

“Precisely,” Aeorin shot back. “If I am to be your queen, then I am to drink you elixir. I am to be your
last
queen.”

“My last?” He stepped around Oldron’s body to face Aeorin, an eyebrow raised.

Aeorin tipped her chin up challengingly. “Do you fear I would not satisfy, milord?”

Olinia was gaping. Beside her, Tiara was doing the same. “Ohreen doveem naunt,” Olinia breathed, realizing with a start who the man was.

“What?” Will glanced down at her.

“Aeorin is practically giving herself to Talik.”

“Talik?”

“Talik Palrt. He’s the king of the Velvitors,” Tiara answered. “You know who the girl is?”

Olinia grunted. “I thought I did. Her name’s Aeorin Del, daughter of Oldron the Wise.”

“I overheard Yrond say that Talik captured Aeorin before I left Evedon,” Will commented.

“It doesn’t look like she was captured to me,” Tiara muttered.

“One question.” Talik’s voice brought back Olinia’s attention. “You accepted my offer more willingly than anticipated. Why?”

“Do you really need ask? As you insinuated earlier, the women of Relivaynt do not rule as they do in other worlds,” Aeorin replied evenly. “We are bred to be lovely treasures, not decision makers. My father had me betrothed to a man who was fortunately killed. I was to be his pet while he took my father’s place as sovereign.”

Talik looked mildly surprised. “I was not aware of any such union.”

“Not many were. It was to be announced at my father’s birthday ball.” She dipped her head slightly in Talik’s direction. “The one you interrupted.”

“How did this man meet his untimely death?” Talik asked.

“A Nagreth murdered him a month or so ago,” she smirked.

“Enrid Vel.” Will let out a short, bitter laugh. “He was a close friend of Oldron’s. I bet it was him.”

Olinia blinked. “The Silver Heart?”

“Pity I could not have done the deed myself,” Talik remarked lightly. “Would your father have considered me as an appropriate candidate?”

“Of course not. He was an ally to the Eves. To bequeath his throne to a Velvitor through marriage would have been madness in his eyes.”

This was becoming a little much for Olinia. Aeorin and Talik were speaking of Oldron right above his corpse. At the moment, Aeorin seemed to be mad. Her father lay dead at her feet and she was conversing freely with the man essentially responsible.

“Then, I do not lament his death.” Talik held out one hand to Aeorin, his fingers long and bony. “Come, my queen.”

As Aeorin moved around her father’s body, Will raised an eyebrow. “This is weird.”

“And disturbing.” Olinia nodded.

“I do not recall agreeing to be your queen,” Aeorin retorted. “You say I will be more than just a king’s wife, yet you have shown me no proof of such a promise. Nor have you agreed to give me your elixir.”

“Your world has been overthrown, I am not so sure you are in any position to negotiate what I give you,” Talik mused. “I could have you killed should I so choose.”

“And I could kill myself,” she shot back, “but that would not benefit either of us. I will not be pushed aside as my father wished me to be.”

Talik watched her for a moment. “Then, allow me to present you with a wedding gift.”

 “What sort of gift?”

“It would involve the complete destruction of the Vrenyx and the Eves.” At the mention of the Eves, Talik eyed her carefully.

Aeorin grunted. “What have the Eves ever done for Relivaynt except leave us to the mercies of our enemies? My loyalties do not lie with the Eves.”

Part of Olinia wanted to point out to Aeorin that she was currently conversing with such an enemy, but her voice wouldn’t be heard as she was Globing. Luckily, Talik brought it up for her.

“Then, where are your loyalties, my dear?” Talik tilted his head to one side. “Not very long ago I was counted as an enemy, was I not?”

“You do not understand. My enemy is only he who deprives me of my right to reign,” she told him. “Had you not offered me power, then you would have remained an enemy.”

Talik smiled out the side of his mouth, scrunching up his scar. “There are some in our realm who would deem you an empty pretty head, but I see now that you are far more intelligent than they give you credit. You will make a splendid Velvitor queen.”

Olinia grunted. Was the lust for power really the only requirement to be a good Velvitor queen? She seriously doubted that Craeles were so simple as that. As for an empty pretty head, Olinia had personally been one of the accusers. Her previous encounters with Aeorin, though brief, had not portrayed her to be the manipulative woman Olinia saw now.

“Indeed I would,” Aeorin replied. “However, your wedding gift is not the gift I desire.”

Talik drummed his fingertips together in front of his chest. “Yes, the elixir.”

“I will not wed you unless I am given my gift first.” Aeorin threatened.

“If the elixir is the only way for me to marry you without you killing yourself, then so be it.” Talik bowed at the waist. As he straightened, he said, “We shall be wed in a week.”

Aeorin blinked. “Why so long?”

“The elixir is not an easy formula to digest,” he told her. “You will need at least four days of recovery.”

“I was not aware of this.”

Talik smiled crookedly. “Does it change your mind?”

“Why would my deepest desire frighten me?” Aeorin stepped closer, leaning against the king, and kissed him firmly.

Pulling a face, Olinia noticed her hand began to itch again. She knew that it would burn soon if she ignored it. Motioning for Tiara and Will to hold onto her, Olinia raised her hand and waved it in front of her. She watched as Oldron’s study evaporated into the Ethon grove she had left earlier.

Archrin stood from his spot beneath a nearby tree and said, “Finally.”

:  :  :  :  :

Legann lowered himself onto the cool grass, lying down on his back. High above his head, clouds both fluffy and gray with large gaps between them floated through the sky. Wind tousled his hair as he stared upward. He was in a community park. The sounds of children playing on a nearby playset drifted to him on the breeze. They were enjoying some of the last days of pleasant outdoor weather before the cold of fall took over. Legann couldn’t help but find himself envious of their innocent lives. Had his own life ever held such simplicity? If it had, he couldn’t remember. His childhood seemed like it belonged to another person – a completely different version of himself.

He sighed and shut his eyes, continuing to listen to the children’s laughter. He felt exhausted, but not physically. It was all mental.

Two nights before, his old friends Tiara and Archrin had showed up in an attempt to “rescue” him and his sister. Too bad for them that Will had already arrived to do the same thing. It didn’t seem to bother them though, because they had decided to stay until Zedgry – the brother Legann still had yet to meet – came to Virginia with Trenton. For some reason, Ethon intrigued them enough to visit a little longer.

So at the moment, Olinia and Will were taking Tiara and Archrin shopping in downtown. Legann had been with them too, about fifteen minutes ago – before he’d grown bored and decided to take a break at the park across the street from the shops. As for Sazx, he’d stayed home to watch the news. Legann wondered if the former Nagreth felt like an outcast among them now.

“Mind if I join you?”

Legann didn’t open his eyes as Will sat down beside him on the grass. “Where’d you leave my sister this time?”

Will let out a short laugh. “She’s on the swings with Tiara and Archrin.”

“They’re done shopping?” Legann sat up, leaning back on his hands.

Olinia and the others were over by the children on the park’s one swingset, taking up all three open swings. Several bags filled with the spoils of the afternoon were strewn on the ground near them. Tiara and Olinia were laughing about something. To an outside observer, the girls would look like they were twins.

“Archrin may be an Other Worlder, but he’s still a man,” Will replied. “He’s no shopper.”

Legann snorted. “I know the feeling. Olinia definitely falls under the Ethon stereotype of a female in regards to stores.”

“I noticed.” Will grinned. His eyes were on the group at the swings, but Legann had the suspicion that he was really focused on Olinia.

Will’s obvious love for his sister made Legann grimace. He didn’t know about Olinia and Sazx like Legann did.
Someone needs to tell him,
Legann thought.

I already did.
Olinia’s inner voice inside his head made him jump. He hadn’t expected her to be listening to him.

You did?
Legann blinked.
What did he say?

She flung him a quick glance from her swing.
He kissed me.

“Olinia’s talking to you right now, isn’t she?” Will mused.

Legann turned. “How’d you guess?”

He shrugged. “You both get this certain look on your faces. What is she saying?”

“She said she told you about Sazx.” Legann picked up a handful of grass and began throwing one blade away at a time.

“You knew?”

“Yeah,” he grunted. “I was unfortunate enough to walk in on them.”

Will was quiet for a second. Then, “What do you think she feels for him?”

Legann frowned. “He loves her, but she doesn’t return his feelings.”

“Did she tell you this?” Will asked.

“No,” he shook his head, “but she’s not the only one able to get inside someone’s head. I’ve been in hers. She loves you.”

“She hasn’t told me that since before I left.” Will tipped his head up, gazing at the clouds.