Stay (18 page)

We froze. I did not even want to breathe. I
hoped that the dark shadows of the tunnel would keep us hidden from
whoever was about to step out of the doorway.

A tall familiar figure entered the tunnel, he
stood just outside of the cavern and took a long exaggerated
breath. I strained to get a better look at who it was that looked
so recognizable but he was facing away from me. I couldn’t really
get a good look.

We waited. I hope that whoever it was would
gather himself and just head back in to the party.

The figure turned and stretched his arms
tall, and when he brought them back down his eyes locked with
mine.

He squinted in the darkness of the tunnel as
if he were trying to get a better look. “Callie?” He asked
quietly.

“Brokk.” I said in a breath. I would
recognize the sound of that voice anywhere. Even now, it sent an
odd heat radiating through my body. Of all the people in the world
to catch us, it just had to be Brokk.

He moved toward me and I raised my arm and
grabbed my sword by the handle. I didn’t really think that he was
about to hurt me, but I wanted to be prepared for anything.

“Callie, what are you doing out here?” He
acted as if nothing had ever gone wrong between us.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
I held his gaze and smirked, but I never took my hand from my
sword.

“I left the queen. After the last time that I
saw you, I realized that she was evil and I finally saw what she
was doing to me. So I left Patrona and came here.” He motioned
toward the village behind him.

“How long have you been here Brokk?” I was
getting a little irritated. He was talking to me as someone would
talk to a friend that they hadn’t seen in a while. Apparently, he
had forgotten the way that things had ended between us.

“Since the day after our fight, the guards
found me in the tunnel and took me back to the palace to recover. I
overheard the queen talking to them about you. She wanted them to
hunt you down and kill you. I knew then that she had gone too far.
I fled that very night and I have been here ever since.” He
shrugged as if it were no big deal.

I wasn’t sure whether I could trust him or
not. He had never lied to me in the past. He did not always
disclose his intentions, but he had not lied.

If what he was saying was true, then he was
here when Kailen came back for supplies. Kailen must have seen him,
but he said nothing. Was this why Kailen’s feelings toward me had
changed? No, that couldn’t be right. Kailen had changed long before
he ever came back to Drake.

Now I was really starting to get mad. How
dare Kailen keep this from me? Brokk was living in Drake and he did
not even think that this little detail was worth mentioning? It was
absolutely unbelievable.

“What is going on in there?” Jenna asked
Brokk, nodding to the door.

“They are celebrating Kailen’s return to
Drake.” Brokk said sheepishly.

“His return?” Tuck sounded just as confused
as I felt.

“Yes, he announced just this morning that he
would be staying for good this time, so everyone decided to
celebrate. Kind of stupid if you ask me.” Brokk rolled his eyes.
“But those folks are always looking for a reason to party.”

I didn’t know what to say. Once again, Kailen
had left me speechless. He never planned to return to the cavern,
another fact that he failed to mention. That dull nagging pain
formed within my heart again. I could feel my face start to fall so
I looked to the ground in an attempt to regain my composure. I
really needed to stay away from guys for a while. Apparently, I
only attracted the ones that would cause me nothing but
trouble.

“Callie, please don’t tell me that you fell
for him. Please don’t tell me that you believed all of his lies.”
Brokk pleaded desperately.

“Lies? What lies, Brokk?” My voiced raised a
pitch and crackled as I spoke revealing my emotions on the
subject.

Brokk stood looking a little defeated for a
few moments.

“Didn’t he tell you about his family’s part
in all of this?” Now he was the one getting a little heated.

“He told me that they helped my parents
escape with me to the surface. He said that they taught my parents
how to use their fairy magic to disguise themselves. What more does
he need to tell me Brokk?” I was starting to get really upset with
him. If he didn’t watch himself, he was going to end up with
another sore nose.

“Maybe we should continue this discussion
somewhere else.” Jenna interrupted. “Someone could walk out of
there at anytime and find us here.”

Brokk looked puzzled but he led us back the
way that we had come.

A little ways back down the tunnel, he ducked
into a small cavern where we were less likely to be seen or
heard.

“Brokk, you better start explaining
yourself!” I yelled. “And you better not lie to me!”

“I have never lied to you, Callie. And I
never meant to hurt you. I was trying to explain that to you
before.”

“Yes, at the same time that you were trying
to turn me over to the queen! You are lucky that I don’t just end
you right now!” I yelled again.

“Callie, calm down.” Jenna said softly in an
attempt to soothe my nerves. “Let’s just hear what he has to say.
Then we can decide how much of it we believe to be true.”

She met my eyes and I stared at her for a
moment. Finally, I shook my head and resigned myself to behave
until I had heard all that Brokk had to say.

“Continue Whelp.” Jenna told Brokk.

“Callie, it is true that Kailen’s family
helped your parents leave. It’s why they helped that he has not
bothered to tell you.” Brokk started but I couldn’t stand it.

“What are you talking about? They were
friends of my parents. They wanted to help because they thought it
was the right thing to do.” I stated firmly.

“Is that what he told you?”

“No, he didn’t have to tell me.” I said
defensively.

“Callie, Kailen’s parents assisted your
family to the surface because they were working with Lilith. She
had been trying to weasel her way into the palace for a long time.
After you were nearly kidnapped, she saw her opportunity and she
took it. She had several of her supporters push your parents to
leave with you. She made them believe that what they were doing was
the right thing to do. Kailen’s parents were among those that
secretly supported Lilith. Once your family was out of the way,
Lilith could take over the throne. And she did.”

“That can not possibly be true Brokk!”

“It is the truth Callie. You need to believe
me.”

My legs became so wobbly that I had to brace
myself against the wall with my hand. Kailen’s parents tricked my
family so that Lilith could take over. I replayed Brokk’s words
over and over again in my mind. It just couldn’t be true.

“What happened to Kailen’s parents after
Lilith took over?” I finally asked.

“Lilith thought that she could no longer
trust them. She thought that if they were traitors to your family,
then they would betray her too. She had them executed. Along with
several others. Their children were cast out of the city. Kailen
and his brothers settled here in Drake.”

“What about the war?” Jenna asked.

“Anyone who dared to defy Lilith was exiled.
The older of those people started the village. Eventually they
banded together and tried to stop Lilith. That’s when the war
started. Many lives were lost and the outcasts eventually had to
back down.” He said.

Jenna hung her head and stared at the ground.
I knew that she was missing her family and trying to come to terms
with their deaths. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

We all just stood there for a few moments
taking everything in.

Kailen knew all along that his parents had
betrayed mine. He never said a word. Did he pull away from me
because he hated my family or because he carried some sort of guilt
for what his had done? If he hated me he surely would never had
agreed to help me to begin with, but he left. He left for good
according to Brokk.

None of this was making any sense to me. I
needed to talk to Kailen. I needed to hear the truth and I needed
to hear it from him.

“I need to go. I need to talk to Kailen.” I
said as I started to leave the cave.

“No, Callie!” Jenna pulled me back. “If you
go in there they will wonder how you got here. They will question
why you traveled this far on your own. They will know what we plan
to do. Callie, Kailen is not going to let you leave again.”

“Like hell he’s not.” I said as I jerked away
and headed toward Drake.

Chapter 19

I stormed into Drake looking for Kailen.
There was definitely a major party going on. People were playing
music and dancing, some were off to one side talking. There was
even a large feast spread out on a long table.

I scanned the crowd for Kailen. It was
difficult to pick him out of the massive crowd that had
assembled.

I finally spotted him behind the food table
talking to a couple of men. One looked a lot like him. It must have
been one of his brothers. He had the same dark hair and hazel eyes.
Even his wings were similar with varying shades of green and
blue.

I had to push people out of my way as I moved
across the crowded floor. I was nearly to him when he looked up and
saw that I was there. His eyes grew as big as saucers.

“Callie!” He gasped.

“You and I have a lot of talking to do.” I
eyed him sternly.

“There is nothing left for me to say.” He put
down his drink.

“Do you want me to cause a scene or should we
go somewhere a little more private?” I asked gesturing to the
crowd.

“What’s going on Kailen?” His brother asked
looking alarmed.

He looked at him for a long moment. “Nothing,
I’ll be right back.”

He grabbed me by the arm and led me to a
small wooden house a short distance away that I recognized as
his.

“What are you doing here, Callie?”

“That’s just what I was about to ask you.” I
said crossing my arms over my chest.

“I told you that I was coming back here. You
watched me leave.” He sounded frustrated.

“You said that you were coming back to
prepare everyone for a war. It looks to me like you had no
intention of doing anything like that. In fact it looks like you
are having a grand ole time.” I yelled.

“So you followed me here to check up on what
I was doing? That is ridiculous Callie!”

“That is not why I am here, but I can see now
that maybe I should have followed you. What are you up to, Kailen?
And why did you keep the fact that Brokk was here from me?”

“I didn’t think that it was relevant.” He
waved my question off.

“You did not think that it was relevant for
me to know that the man who kidnapped me, and then chased me in
these tunnels was your new next door neighbor?” I fought to control
my temper. “Were you jealous? Were you afraid that I would run into
his arms, forgetting everything he had done to me?

“I was not jealous!” He yelled. “I just did
not see why it would be of any importance to you!”

“You didn’t think that it was important for
me to know that you took in one of enemies like a lost puppy? You
didn’t think I deserved to know?”

“Callie, this is stupid. None of this
matters. Just go back to the cavern where you belong.” He started
to get up.

“Where I belong? Where you have me hidden
away like some forgotten umbrella? How dare you tell me where I
should go! You have done nothing but lie and deceive me since I met
you. You have no right to speak to me this way!”

“What lies have I told you Callie? How have I
deceived you? Do you mean that kiss? I already told you, that was a
mistake!”

“You kissed him?” I heard someone say quietly
from somewhere behind me. I turned to see Brokk standing just
outside of the door. He looked as if I had just dealt him a heavy
blow.

“This is none of your business!” Kailen
yelled.

Brokk ignored him and turned back to me.
“Callie, are you okay?” He asked softly.

I nodded my head, but it was Kailen who
answered for me. “She is just fine! Now why don’t you get out of
here and mind your own business!”

“Callie is my business Kailen, and I am not
going anywhere until SHE asks me to!” He yelled back.

I turned back to see that Kailen had turned
three shades of red. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that
smoke might start pouring out of his butt at any minute.

Kailen turned to me and I could tell that he
was struggling to get his temper under control.

“Why don’t you tell her the truth now,
Kailen.” Brokk said quietly.

Kailen just stared at me. I watched as he
slowed his breathing and regained his composure completely.

When I was sure that he had calmed down, I
asked my questions again. “Did your parents deceive my family so
that Lilith could take over the throne?”

“Yes.” He said. It was barely audible but I
heard him anyway.

“What did you have to gain by leading me to
the cavern and then leaving me there?”

“I thought you could live out your life
there. I thought that you would be satisfied to live there, and
maybe even start your own kingdom. Then you could leave Petrona and
Drake in peace.” He said.

“It was you who pushed me to want to be
queen.” This was all so confusing. “I never wanted that.”

“I was only trying to appeal to you. I knew
that you didn’t want it, and I was counting on your fear of Lilith
to keep you away. I mentioned the title to you a few times so that
you wouldn’t suspect what I was up to but I never planned to let
you try to take over as queen.” He said.

“I guess your little plan backfired on you,
didn’t it.”

“We just want to be left in peace. I knew
that you would cause trouble the first day that I saw you. You
brought the royal guards here. They were chasing you and in doing
so, they found us. There has been nothing but trouble since that
day. Our village has been ransacked. They steal our money, our
belongings, anything they can get their hands on to cover their
stupid tax! Another war would be devastating to us! Can’t you see
that Callie?” He pleaded. “You have already cost us enough! You
need to go back to the cave and stay there!”