Secret Worlds (312 page)

“Announce your business,” a deep voice shouted from within the shadows of the window.

“I am Danst. This is Relena,” Danst said, gesturing to me, “Marren’s mate. He’s expecting us and won’t tolerate you delaying their reunion longer than necessary.”

A few shouts and responses in the same language I knew belonged to Marren echoed to us. Though the words filled me with awe; the enchanting side effect seemed to belong to Marren alone. The doors shuttered with a loud scraping sound, like stone against stone. They opened out to us and revealed Marren waiting on the other side.

I ran to him, slamming hard into his body, and wrapping my arms around him. My body ached from the force and the exertion, but I didn’t care. Especially when his arms wrapped around me and tightly squeezed me farther into him.

“Relena, my love. You’re here. You’re safe.” His voice cracked and his body shook against mine. His hands moved along my hair as he twirled me in place.

“I’m here…I’m here.”

He pulled away from me and kissed me fiercely with several pecks all along my face. “I thought I would never see you again.”

“That very worry crossed my mind as well,” I said.

He released me and took a step back. “You have been in Death’s clutches for far too long…and smell like it too. Let’s get you a bath and get your wounds dressed. You’ll be placed in a room you can rest in until you have your strength back.”

“Wh-what about you?” I didn’t think to use our private way of communicating until the words were already out of my mouth.

“I will be around. Trust me.”

My heart gave a sudden leap then dropped in my chest like a weight. My breath left my lungs and stared as horror played on Marren’s face. The world shifted, and I floated weightlessly down into the darkened parts of the earth. I wasn’t afraid or concerned with the lack of control I had. I went along, surrendering to what was until I connected with the bottom of the dark force that had pulled me down. Comforted in a blanket of cool, soft, silk.

I felt air enter my lungs and leave, slow and evenly. I still felt weighed down, but what I lay on was soft and comfortable. The air carried a sweet and dusty tang. A smooth breeze came over me and faded away. Somewhere in the distance was singing and drumming, even some flute playing. I wondered where the music came from, sounding close by but below me some distance.

I had summoned enough will to peel my eyes open to a darkened room. Panic threatened to consume me until I realized I still had my vision, the air was clean, and I lay in a soft bed. I found Marren’s shape overlooking the direction of the sound of a celebration. I stared at him for moments, drinking him in, relishing in the sight of him after having been confronted with never seeing his beautiful face again.

Marren turned around and faced me as my heart picked up in beats.

“You’re awake,” he breathed, full of relief. He half-walked, half-ran to me, sitting down on the edge of the bed and tightly gripping my arms in his hands.

“What happened?” I asked. After thinking about the numerous things I could have said, somehow that was what decided to fall out of my mouth.

“You were extremely exhausted. That…thing…nearly killed you.”

“What thing?”

“Jiren.”

I realized he referred to me being in the crypt-like prison and blamed Jiren for it. “Why was I put in that thing?”

“He wanted to give me a message that he was in charge and just how easy he thinks it is to catch us off guard.”

“Which he clearly did, but why?”

“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

“What was that place?” I asked with a shake in my voice. The all too familiar image brought panic back into my body and made the world start to spin.

“A Tombcell. A place our kind goes for breaking the most sacred of laws and not traditionally done often. Occasionally you do have a rogue who needs extreme handling.”

“I’m not a rogue, and nothing is extreme about me,” I said.

“Well, Jiren seems to think of us as enough of a threat he tried to tip the scales in his favor. Though I can’t prove he did it, the whole thing is covered in his stench. The other Ancients have been notified and arranged for a meeting in two days. We will get to the bottom of this,” Marren said.

I nodded, unable to think of anything better to do or say. The rush of the events from that night came flooding back. I wouldn’t have been able to escape without the help of Neyr and the werecat’s sacrifice. “I think the werecat died trying to save me.”

“Tobias? He’s sulking right now, down by the fire.” He nodded toward the open window.

“Tobias. Now I know his name.” I tried to sit up with a stabbing pain going into my hands. I collapsed back down on the bed and lifted my hands view the thick bandages covering them.

“He told me what you did.” His eyes rested on my bandages. “You never cease to amaze me with the things you can do.”

Not only could I view his smile, but I heard it, too. Full of pride and wonder.

“Did Neyr come back?”

“Neyr’s allegiance to me isn’t a secret, but she is bound by duties I cannot override. She’ll be along soon, though.”

While trying to scratch an itch I discovered most of my torso was bandaged as well. I also wore a different set of clothing, leather pants, and a loose fitting tunic. Answering thoughts I wasn’t thinking, Marren said, “You got pretty banged up. The decay you were exposed to sickened you, exhausting your body beyond its normal capacity. You’ve been out for a few days.”

“You must have been worried.”

“I would only worry if your heart stopped.”

He stood from the bed and walked back to the window. He motioned with his hands in an up and down fashion. The music quieted. Marren climbed in bed next to me, curling up. The warmth of his body seeped into mine and filled me with the relief of his touch and his closeness. He held back, not fully letting himself lean into me or even touching me much at all. It still bothered me that, after what we had just gone through, he still wouldn’t touch me as much as I wanted.

“My people are traditional in the old ways. We cater and cling to them desperately. Because we were forced to cross over to this realm, and after having lost so much as it is, the traditions are all we have that
can’t
be taken from us.”

“What traditions are you speaking of?”

He laid a peck on my ear, sending warm tingling down my spine.

Before I had realized what was happening, Marren’s words became distant and slurred together, blending into one another. In place of his words, a vision appeared before me, of a massive celebration between two people. Both smiling like there was no end to their happiness. The woman’s back remained facing me, except every now and then, I would glimpse the side of her face, her cheeks puffed and reddened from the love that filled her and the heat from the fire that burned high into the sky. The man reminded me of Marren with a few changes. He remained in continuous human form, somewhat thinner, and his hair was shorter, barely touching the edges of his covered shoulders. He wore a vest lined with fur and laced up the front, over a thin, white, long-sleeved tunic. The woman wore similar clothing with a leather skirt instead of pants. A dance surrounded them as they swayed together around the fire until the thumping beats of the drums ceased, and they were finally together, joined not only in body, but by spirit.

The vision shifted again, to a woman whose belly swelled with life. She lived alone, distant from her mate. She didn’t seem bothered at all. Instead, she was comforted in the thought of the small life growing within her, evidenced by the way she held her belly. Her mate always stayed nearby, careful to not get too close and hurt her or the baby.

The vision dissolved, revealing the image of three. The same couple and a child. A girl, around five, with intense black eyes, appearing as though they caught more than what was on the surface, absorbing everything seen and unseen. Her hair was parted into two braids on either side of her head with a band of colorful beads on each. She turned her head toward me, nearly stilling my heart. She didn’t seem bothered by my appearance, instead she was happy. A gentle smile stretched her lips that struck me deep within my core.

Darkness shadowed the vision, growing thicker and heavier around the child. At first I thought clouds moved in, but I discovered it was ink that blotted out the sun and swallowed the heat and caused my heart to jump and race. A thick ball of fear formed in my stomach, holding me frozen and unable to move.

What could all this mean?
I tried to ask out loud, but nothing came out. My words, echoed thoughts, muted at my lips.

I struggled to move but couldn’t, still frozen in place. The darkness increased and grew until my eyes were filled with it, drowning out all sources and hints of light and making it extremely difficult to breathe. My heart pounded so hard, little stabs of pain shot through my chest with each beat.

With the last of the image gone, I was stuck inside the sea of black. Frantic, unable to move, I waited for the heaviness of the dark to lift. The vision forgotten, replaced by a greater fear weighing on my mind…

Did I really escape the crypt? Or did I just dream I did, remaining stuck inside the hopeless realm of my demise, struggling to keep my clutches on life? Would I really be able to wake from this, if it was a dream? Had Jiren made it so he would win? What about Marren and the immortal races?

Relena…

I sucked in a deep breath, my heart jolting forward at the slightest whisper of my name. A whisper coming from Marren, somewhere in the distance. I tried to ignore the desperation that tinged his voice.

Relena…wake up.

A massive wave of air blew around me, bathing me in a cold layer of sweat. The dust and stone filled air, the softness of the bed, and my clothes caked to me came to me next. I opened my eyes and found Marren’s face. His lips were pressed firmly together with worry within his eyes, and I knew he experienced everything I had.

I moved, wrapping my arms around him tightly, and sobbed into his shoulders.

There was more to what was going on than Marren told me. After I calmed down from my dream, he left to find me something to eat. He didn’t want me leaving the room without him and even went as far as stationing a few guards outside my door to prevent anyone but him from coming in. I wanted to visit with Danst, but Marren had forbidden it. I had to hold back my anger and accept he had his reasons. But to keep me locked up like a prisoner, there had to be a damn good excuse.

I walked to the window, resembling every other that dotted the face of the mountain with the frame carved smooth, the rest of the rock on the outside and inside left jagged and natural. Below me, a clearing sat nestled against the face of the mountain. A black, charred spot marked the center with some cutoff tree trunks as stools surrounded it. A small stream trickled along to a bigger pool to the side and farther down the hill. I wondered if it led to the pool I saw when I first arrived. The one with the shadows.

The trees had thick, brown trunks and stretched out like giant green spikes reaching toward the sky. They covered the land in patches, with small spaces for paths or streams, even some wider spaces that must have been towns or villages. Beyond them, several larger hills and even a few more mountains jutted up from the ground. The sky was heavily clouded, light grey in color for rain.

Farther off to my right were the mountains bordering the path Danst and I took to get this place. Thinking about Danst brought a twinge to my gut. Why was he kept from me? Marren knew he was my best friend. I couldn’t imagine a reason severe enough to keep me from him.

A knock at the door startled me from my thoughts. I turned to Marren bringing in a small round basket filled with fruit, his eyes glimmering with love. His beautiful face was still in wolf form. I thought about asking why but decided to wait, too busy gaping at him, not accustomed to him walking around in only pants and barefoot. His muscles rippled along his chest, abs, and arms, moving as he moved. The desire to be pressed against his body filled me. He smiled at me, obviously enjoying my staring.

“Breakfast, my lady?” He presented the basket in one hand, holding it out to me.

Clearing my throat, I took the basket and walked to the bed that took up the center of the room. “Thank you. But, why call me lady?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” he asked.

“No. Should it be?”

He smiled, giving a light chuckle under his breath. “Considering my position, I would think so.”

I considered that, and it made sense. I shrugged, placing a strawberry into my mouth. The sweet tanginess of the fruit danced along my tongue, awakening my senses.

“I want to show you around now that you are here and we have some daylight left,” he said after I ate a few more pieces of fruit.

“Okay.” I started to set the basket on the bed, but he stopped me, pushing it back into my lap.

“After you’ve eaten enough.”

I gazed at him with a raised eyebrow and finished eating.

“How are you faring?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

“I’m good.” Marren seemed as though he didn’t quite believe me. So, I added, “A little stiff and my hands feel odd with the bandages.”

“I have the perfect solution to that; a hot springs pool. The odor is a little bad, but is good for the skin and will help your body heal,” he said, sounding anxious.

I thought about saying okay, but instead, “I keep expecting us to change back, but that hasn’t happened yet,” came out.

“That is because we don’t need to here. Whereas, on the mortal realm we do.”

“Oh.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. My mind still reeled over the past few days and the events that had left me exhausted and too afraid to sleep. I feared the nightmares would come back.

***

Marren started the tour by taking me through a series of turns that climbed higher up toward the top of the mountain within the hall that bordered it. I let my hands, now healed and free from bandages, wander along the stone, my fingers moving with the rise and fall of the jagged edges. Coolness returned my touch, bringing just the right amount of contrast to the heat given off Marren’s body walking next to me. At the top, a large cliff overlooked the entire world, it seemed; standing at the point closest to the stars. Considering how high we were, we made the trek pretty quickly.