Night of the Storm: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Eura Chronicles Book 2) (6 page)

LIAM RUBBED HIS HANDS
in front of the fire. 

Delia and Rowe had been asleep for a few hours. Both Nani and Rowe had fought to find their way to Liam. Now, Nani was gone. The Overworld was her new home.

Liam missed her. Her laughter and love could cheer his gloomiest moods. He’d never wanted to see the Overworld so much in his life. Just one more time, to see his friend once again.

Dawn wasn’t too far away, and yet Lilae was still awake.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Lilae roll over onto her back. She sighed and looked up at the sky.

“Can’t sleep?”

Lilae turned onto her side and rested her head in her palm.

Her red hair fell over her shoulders, the tips pooling into the dirt. She pushed the mass of hair behind her and shook her head.

“No,” she said. “I can take your watch if you’d like.”

It was unfortunate that Garion couldn’t watch over them while they slept. Delia’s control over the undead skeleton warrior was weakened in her sleeping state. So, while she slept, she reduced him to a single bone.

To recharge.

“I’d be happy if you simply kept me company.”

Lilae nodded and stared at him, her big green eyes taking in every inch of his face.

Not even Sona, despite her spell over him, had made him feel unsure of himself the way Lilae did. He cleared his throat.

He would not waste another moment thinking about the woman who betrayed him. Not when the girl from his dreams was right there, beautiful and real.

Liam sat beside her. “What were you thinking about before I came over? Is something troubling you?”

She lifted a thin red brow. “Other than the god trying to kill us?”

“Yes,” Liam said with a smirk.

“I was thinking about Auroria. No one told me
anything
about my birth mother.” She stared into the fire, her eyebrows furrowing. “Until my father was killed.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He wanted to pull her into his embrace and console her. He barely remembered his own father. Queen Aria had raised him on her own. She’d never taken another husband.

“I never even knew he was my father until seconds before his death. Can you imagine learning that your mother was a queen? After living like a peasant all of your life. After thinking no one cared about you as more than a nuisance or duty.”

“That must have been hard.”

Lilae shrugged. “Being made a slave forced me to think about other things,” she said. “Like staying alive.”

The thought of her being in danger turned his stomach.

Liam took her hand. When she didn’t pull away, he held it, comforted by the warmth of her palm against his. He couldn’t believe how much chemistry there was between them, in just hours of meeting one another.

“When I learned of your capture, I wanted to rescue you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He sighed. “Yoska, my mother’s advisor told me that you would have to escape on your own. That I had other duties.”

He couldn’t look her in the eye at that moment. Shame washed over Liam at the thought of Lilae being enslaved by their enemy, and doing nothing about it. He should have trusted his instincts and gone after her. But there she was, safe, and had done just as the Ancients thought she would.

Liam glanced at her. He could tell that although she looked innocent, Lilae was a formidable adversary. Luckily, she was on his side.

“I wish the Ancients would look at us as more than pawns in a game,” Lilae said. “I could have been killed by that filthy Shadow Elf. With the same dagger that he used to kill my father.”

Tears welled in her eyes. Her fist was clenched.

“But you were strong, Lilae. You did exactly as they knew you would.”

“But why?” Her bottom lip trembled. “What was the point of making me suffer? I suffered enough by losing my
entire
family. How am I supposed to go on after so much tragedy?”

Liam didn’t know what to say. He’d lost almost the entire Order of soldiers under his command. Each was a friend, and now they were gone.

Lilae rubbed her eyes and then covered her face with her hands. “My father would be so ashamed to see me in tears. I wasn’t always this weak.”

“You’re not weak.” Liam stroked the back of her hand. “I know that for a fact.”

“How?”

“Because you’re sitting here with me right now. You fought your way to me, just as I fought my way to you. Against all odds. Here we are.”

Lilae tilted her head. “I dreamt of you. Many times.” She rubbed her eyes again and drew her legs into her chest. “I thought you weren’t real.”

A smile came to Liam’s lips. “That’s funny. Because I thought I made you up.”

“And here we are,” Lilae said. “Together at last.”

“Get some sleep, you two,” Delia called from her place beside the fire. She sat up and stretched her legs. “I’ll keep watch. Tomorrow we will stop in a town called Dunn for supplies.”

Lilae laid her head on her arm and looked at Liam from across the fire.

“Good night,” she whispered.

Liam smiled at her. It was surreal that they were finally in the same place. As she closed her eyes, he felt cheated. He’d give anything to lay beside her and stare into her eyes forever.

What was that feeling?

He’d thought he’d felt it with Sona once before, and it had been real to him.

He refused to believe that everything he and Sona had shared was part of the enemy’s plan.

The spark that fluttered in his belly felt too good.

Too real.

Liam’s smile faded.

He pushed it away, and rested on his back, his eyes fixed on the stars above.

Sadness washed over him as he told himself to resist her charms.

Charm couldn’t be trusted—no matter who they came from.

LILAE HAD TO REPRESS THE
urge to cover her mouth at the horror she saw as they walked into the southern town of Dunn.

Heads cloaked, they entered the newly conquered city, where the people were unlike those Lilae had seen in the palace. These people looked much like the ones she had grown up with. She’d seen so many shades and types of people through her travels but never had she seen the aftermath of one of Emperor Kavien’s conquests.

Hanging by their necks from the branches of trees were Shadow Elves. She had only encountered Dragnor in her life, yet these elves were different.

What were their crimes?

She stared up at the Shadow Elf woman and what looked to be her young grandchildren. There were two boys of about seven and eight and a small girl.

All in a row.

“Delia,” Lilae whispered, her eyes transfixed on the little girl’s face. She nearly burst into tears at seeing her tiny body hanging there, but held it in.

“Yes?”

“What’s happened here?” Lilae nodded toward the dead bodies, but tried to avoid looking at them again. The smell was enough to turn anyone’s stomach.

Delia didn’t glance at the bodies. She looked ahead. “War, Lilae. This is what war looks like. The humans have suffered many raids and attacks from Shadow Elves over the year. So much so that they have lost the ability to separate the innocent from the guilty.”

Dunn reminded her of Lowen’s Edge, and just like when she and her family had entered the busy town, the suspicious eyes now followed them as they walked the road into the town square.

There were similar two-story cottages with shops on the bottom and winding dirt roads. The people looked about the same—pale, freckle-faced, with brown hair. Still, there was a sense of gloom that lingered in the air. This is what Avia’Torenan armies had left behind when they conquered a city.

Lilae’s face paled as she listened to the whispers. She shot a look at the woman and man who stood before a goat chained to a post.

“Liam,” she said.

“Yes?”

“They are talking about your glow,” she said.

“Let them talk,” Delia said. “We are only here to purchase supplies. They will have to deal with the presence of Tryans for a few hours.”

Liam and Rowe nodded.

Lilae’s heart quickened when she noticed the crest of the Avia’Torenan palace on the shoulder of some of the men’s armor. Fear rose as she noticed that there were Avia’Torenan soldiers all around the town.

The only sounds were of their laughter as they harassed the townsfolk.

Delia glanced over her shoulder and saw the soldiers as well.

“Come,” Delia said. They veered off the main road and entered the closest building.

Inside, there was an old man wiping the tables with a wet rag. He paused mid-stroke and looked them over. His gray beard was long, yet he only had sparse hairs above his ears.

“You need a room?” His voice was tired.

Delia shook her head. “No. We need food for the road. And clothes. If you can provide this for us, I will give you this bag of coins,” she said, lifting her coin purse from her belt.

The man stared at Delia before his eyes went to the other three and down to the coin purse. “Cally!”

“Yes, Pa?”

“Get out here.”

A young girl rushed from the back room. Cally couldn’t have been older than nine, but she wore her apron proudly. She rubbed her wet hands on her apron and looked at her father. Her hair was braided in two blonde pigtails that reached the tops of her shoulders.

“Get these folks a few packs of food and jugs of water. And pack some of Paddie’s old clothes.” He looked back at Delia. “Hungry?”

“We don’t have time for food,” Delia said.

“Well, you’re not leaving in the daytime without the soldiers seeing you and entertaining themselves with your deaths,” he said. “You might as well eat, and stay inside until nightfall. I can help you out of town.”

Delia pursed her lips. She turned her back on the old man and spoke in a hushed tone. “He’s right. We don’t want any trouble. We will hide inside until this evening.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said. “I’m Morrow. Have a seat back here in my private house.”

He led the way from the main dining area to the back, where a dark hallway opened to a small room with a wooden table and chairs. Lilae looked around. A pot of potatoes sat on the table, peelings littered the table and floor beside it.

Morrow said something under his breath and started cleaning the peelings up and putting them into another pot that would probably be used for a stew.

“You Tryans with your glowing skin,” Delia said as she looked at Liam and Rowe.

Liam shrugged. “There’s not much we can do about it.”

“I know,” she said. “It’s not your fault your Ancient loves pretty, glowing things.”

Rowe pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m not opposed to a meal while we wait.”

Morrow nodded. “I have some goat and potatoes I can bring out.”

“That is fine,” Delia said. “We appreciate your kindness.”

“No need to thank me, miss,” Morrow said, holding a chair out for Delia.

She accepted it and sat down, her hand on her staff and the other in her lap. “Thank you.”

He went on, pouring cups of water for everyone. “We do not agree with what those soldiers are doing to our town. When they attacked, they took all of the young men that had any interesting traits and killed the rest. And our women—slaves back in the empire.”

Lilae lowered her eyes, her chin clenching. She knew this story all too well.

“Those Shadow Elves hanging out there did nothing to us. They soldiers will kill you for no reason other than being different.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Lilae whispered.

Morrow shrugged. “No need to apologize. It was not your fault.” He picked up the pot of potatoes from the table and headed to the archway. “I’ll bring the food.”

Lilae plopped into a chair beside Liam.

“I wonder how many towns are occupied by soldiers,” Lilae said, picking up her cup of water. She took a long drink and felt the cool liquid travel to her empty belly.

“I’m guessing most are. I’d be surprised if any kingdoms or cities this far south are still free from Emperor Kavien’s empire,” Delia said.

“Holy Elahe,” Liam said. “So you think that the North is the only free land in Eura.”

“Yes, Liam. I’m afraid so.”

They all thought about that in silence. The armies Kavien must have gathered were more than they could ever amass.

Morrow returned and set down a platter of goat in a dark sauce and a plate of potatoes. He set an empty plate before them all and left once more.

Lilae didn’t wait. She dug into the goat, tearing off a chunk for herself. She bit into it and groaned with delight.

“It’s so good.” She wiped her mouth of juice with the back of her hand.

She was pleased when Liam put some potatoes onto her plate. She smiled at him.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he said, returning the smile.

They ate in silence, happy for the delicious dish before them.

The flavors of goat were familiar. The sauce reminded her of one of the dishes in the Avia’Torenan palace. She stopped eating and looked down into her lap.

Rahki and Faira—the harem girls that had been her friends and helped her when she was beaten by Dragnor.

Lilae had left them behind, and that fact knotted in her stomach.

A great commotion outside made Lilae tense. She strained to hear what was going on outside. A quick glance at Liam and Rowe, and she could tell that they were doing the same.

Why were the people of Dunn shouting?

A loud screech of pain made Lilae’s blood run cold.

Morrow returned, a fresh loaf of bread on a plate.

Liam stood. “What’s going on outside?”

Morrow set the bread down. No one even glanced at it. The screams outside were too unsettling to think of food.

“A Shadow Elf woman and man were found camped on the outskirts of town,” Morrow said, rubbing butter from his fingers onto his apron. “The soldiers are going to kill them.”

Lilae shot to her feet. She had no allegiance to Shadow Elves, but she refused to let the soldiers kill innocent women.

“Lilae,” Delia called, placing a hand on her hand. “We cannot reveal ourselves.”

Lilae clenched her jaw, and looked at Delia. “You all can stand by if you’d like. If it were Risa and Jaiza, I’d want someone to rescue them.”

Delia’s eyes searched Lilae’s, her face softening. She shook her head, waving a dismissive hand. “Fine,” she said. “We’ll not be staying until night,” she told Morrow.

Lilae headed for the back door.

“But,” Delia said to the old man. “You might want to stay inside.”