I take each step toward him with my finger pointing at his chest until I’m touching him with it. “You have my best friend, my sister, my only family, working out and training with your ex?”
He looks down at me, clearly seeing nothing wrong with having Julia become friends with Kalis. “Yes, Lily, I did. Was that wrong?”
I glare at him and through clenched teeth I say, “You son of a bitch!”
He looks at me in surprise that I would use the actual curse word, but I don’t give a damn. That’s my Julia! I’m so mad I could just choke him. I know I’m being unreasonable, childish really, but with Lucas gone, Julia is the only family I have. She’s my friend. And, yeah, why would I want my only friend to be friends with his ex? Who am I supposed to talk trash about Kalis to?
Tharin moves to put his arms around me and I slap them away. The thought that Julia may have found a new best friend in Kalis has taken the wind out of me. He moves toward me again and I hit him on the chest, but it didn’t stop him. I don’t want to start crying, but it’s just too much. When he wraps his arms around me I sniff into his chest trying my best not to break down. “I’m sorry, Lily. Really I am, and when this is all over I’ll make it up to you…and Julia…and Tolan…and Kalis.”
Tharin starts to rub my back in an up-and-down motion, as he did the first time we met in San Diego. I lay my head on his chest, liking the feel of it, and finally letting go of my anger, I slip my arms around his waist. He hugs me tighter, placing his cheek on my head as he cradles it in his hand. I don’t know what to believe anymore. For weeks now I’ve made myself forget about him, believing that he loves Kalis, and yet, here we are.
I feel him shift. “Talk to me, Lily.”
“About what, Tharin?” I ask honestly. So much has happened I don’t know where to start or even if I want to start talking about any of it again.
“Have you feelings for Ziri?” he asks quietly, surprising me.
I lift my head quickly, looking at him appalled, “Are you serious, Tharin?” I push at him, but he holds me in place.
“Well, do you?”
“How can you say that?” I ask. “He’s your brother…why would I mess around with your brother? Who does that?”
“Obviously you do.”
I’m so shocked by what he just said that I pinch his side until he winces, grabbing at my hand. “I didn’t kiss him, he kissed me.”
He laughs as he takes my hand and kisses it. “Do not abuse your husband, Lily,” he whispers as he nuzzles my ear.
“You’re not my husband,” I answer, trying to keep my thoughts together.
He lets me go to look me in the eye, “I saw you sitting together…you were holding onto him. You hugged him twice and the way you two looked at each other, we all knew the kiss was coming.”
“Tharin, we were talking about him and Nameth…he loves her.” He gives me a confused look.
“Stop looking at me like that. He truly loves her, always has and always will and you’re going to help him get her.”
“I am? I don’t even know who this Nameth is.”
“You’re kidding, right? Your brother has been tortured all these years over a girl you don’t even bother to know or remember?”
“Wait…you’re telling me he’s been angry at me over someone I don’t even know? That idiot.” I roll my eyes at him as he steps forward and wraps his arm around me again. “Okay, if you say I must, then I will.”
I lower my head for a moment. “What, Lily?”
“I’m sorry, Tharin, but I can’t stop worrying about Julia. You just don’t know…I mean…if you knew how she –” he doesn’t let me finish.
“Lily, the first thing we’ll do when we get back is to let Julia know the truth. I promise, and if I have to spend the rest of my life making it up to her, I will. For you, I will.”
I stare up at him, his eyes tell me he’s sincere and I believe him. The whole being-with-someone-relationship-thing is so new to me and I really don’t know what to say or where to go from here. Finally, I nod and he leans down and gently kisses me.
So far our kisses have been light and sweet, and this one is no different. It is the kiss that follows that takes me to a place I’ve never been. He seems to revel in teaching me how to give and take at the same time – to feel physically and emotionally attached to him – to breathe as one. It is a million and one kisses in one kiss, taking me to dizzying heights where my feet tingle and my stomach drops into unfamiliar depths. Somewhere inside…I don’t know…I can’t explain it. It’s as if he had a piece of me…a missing piece. And it’s in this kiss that he gives back to me a piece of himself to complete me…to complete us. It’s at this moment a thousand voices come to me, so familiar, so distant, and as one whispers, “The Binding is complete.”
Tharin reluctantly pulls away and I realize he’s holding me up. With hooded eyes he asks, “Do you remember, Lily?”
I nod and I gently step away from him. I can see the disappointment on his face and I smile up at him. “I do remember, Tharin. I remember choosing you, but I…I…” I look away, not sure what I want to say. He pulls me to him and kisses my forehead.
“I love you, Lily. I know you’re not ready for all this yet. But, I’m not going anywhere. When you’re ready I’ll be right here.”
I shake my head at him smiling. “You sure are sure of yourself,” I finally say while giving a crooked smile.
“Of course I am. I’m Tharin Lunar of the Oak Clan, future king of Velesi, warrior that men fear and women want to love…”
“Hey,” I say at that last part, “you need to calm down, cowboy.” We end up laughing, but I’m actually irritated by what he just said….women want to love, yeah, right. I’d like to see them try.
~ * ~
Chapter Twenty-Four
~ Tharin ~
The sisters have made themselves personal guards to Lily, which I don’t mind having the extra help. By late afternoon we approach the entrance to the tunnels under Cini Falls, Ziri, Alorn and Mellis were there waiting for us. As soon as I let Lily down she runs to Ziri. He winces when she hugs him but doesn’t let her see when she pulls away to look at him. “Tharin told me what you did. Are you all right?”
He smiles at her nodding, “I’m okay, Lily. I should be asking you if you’re okay. That was really stupid of you.”
Lily laughs, “Yeah, you’re right…but I saved your butt, didn’t I?”
“You mean you saved your betrothed’s butt…not mine,” he answers laughing.
The laughter quickly dies and he straightens, giving me an expectant look when I approach. Lily steps aside as I reach my younger brother and embrace him to me. I let him go, turning to Lily and take her hand, leaving Ziri standing in shock and with his mouth open.
Lily leans into me and whispers, “Thanks.” The look of gratitude she gives me is more than enough thanks than I need. I put my arm around her as we walk toward the others.
“I see you’ve brought friends,” smiles Mellis as Milina dismounts. He takes the extra bags from Lily and then walks to Milina, taking her bags as well. Milina looks Mellis up and down assessing him as Mellis returns the favor. He smiles, noting that he likes what he sees as Milina gives him an arched look, walking past him with her chin up. Ziri takes the bags from Glynnis, his eyes widening when she looks up at him shyly. Well, if this Nameth is as beautiful as Ziri made her out to be to Lily, Glynnis may just give her a run for her money. Alorn takes the extra bags from me, giving me a questioning look. “They’re Lily’s protectors. I’ll explain later.”
I wait until Mellis releases the horses we rode in on. As we were ready to leave the clearing, it was Milina who brought the horses for our use. She said she asked for them from a farmer a few miles from the clearing. She gave a hefty gold piece for the farmer’s trouble. She made sure the horses would find their way back home by having Glynnis put a guiding spell on them. It’s the first indication I’ve had that Glynnis has some training in the arts.
/> When we’re in a tight circle, Lily looks at me asking, “Why can’t we take the horses?”
“Because,” answers Alorn, “there are things in the tunnels that hunt meat, and we can’t protect ourselves if we have to worry about the horses. Besides, there are areas of tunnels that may be too narrow for them to pass.”
“How long will it take us to pass?” asks Milina. Already I can see the leadership in her. I like her, and I know she will take protecting Lily seriously. I look at Glynnis and also sense her loyalty to Lily.
“Half a day, maybe longer, depending if we don’t run into any trouble,” replies Mellis, giving her a crooked grin. She looks at him as if snakes were coming out of his nose and his grin turns into a full-blown smile. Alorn elbows him to get him to focus.
“What kind of trouble are you talking about?” questions Glynnis.
“Like Alorn says, the tunnels have their creatures and beasts that feed on meat, but they won’t bother us if we stay on the path which will be lighted by panswas,” I answer. I look at each woman, including Lily, “The tunnel is a secret route, but it doesn’t mean we’re the only ones who know the secret. There’s been word of assassins and bounty hunters who have used it in the past, not many, but enough. Keep your eyes and ears open. Alorn and I will scout ahead with our senses, but there’s no guarantee there are others who can hide from them.”
“Does this mean there’s a chance Lily can be recognized?” asks Mellis
I look at Lily as she glances at Mellis and then back at me. I take her hand and give it a squeeze, “Yes. If we run into anyone, keep Lily hidden.” I turn to Lily, “The idea is getting back to the tower without getting killed or killing anyone. Keep your head down and don’t say a word.” She nods at me and nervously squeezes my hand back.
I turn to Glynnis, “Can you provide us light if necessary?” She nods, glancing over at Ziri who hasn’t taken his eyes off her since we got here. Lily gives him an irritated nudge and he tears his eyes off Glynnis to give her a look, unsure what warranted the nudge. As for Glynnis, she casts her eyes downward embarrassed that Lily was not happy with the way Ziri was staring at her. As for Milina, she gives me a put-upon look and shakes her head. Ah, the reasonable one. I’ll have to talk to her about keeping her sister in line during this short journey, while I have Alorn speak to Ziri.
“Alorn, you take lead with Glynnis following behind you in case light is needed. Lily, you and Milina are next, I’ll be behind the two of you. Ziri and Mellis, you have the rear.” Everyone nods in agreement to their positions, all knowing their roles, except Lily. The sisters came to the clearing as hired assassins, so I am counting on their training to know what I’m asking them to do, especially Milina. She is the final shield to Lily and no matter what happens, it is Lily she will protect. Even without Tolan and Phoris here, I feel there are enough of us to take care of business should anything happen. Then it hits me – Lily. Since she’s been training with Ziri and Alorn, she’s going to want to help, which I can’t allow. This whole escort is to make sure she gets to the tower safely.
Glynnis had dressed Lily to resemble her and Milina. She looks like a hired assassin with blades at her hip and thigh and no doubt, blades in her boots. Dark pants and jersey will help her stay hidden if necessary. On top of that is an old cloak with a hood, and I can’t help but wonder where the coat I gave her is. With her dark hair, she could pass as one of them with the brunette Glynnis and the dark redhead Milina. The only significant difference is that the sisters both have dark brown almond-shaped eyes, while Lily’s are light amber. The only other person with jet-black hair and distinctively clear amber eyes like Lily’s was her mother, Senestra. If by chance we run into anyone who may remember the queen and have heard of her missing daughter, we would have to take them out. I’m hoping it won’t come to that.
“Let’s move. The sooner we start, the sooner we’re out of the tunnels,” says Alorn as he moves toward the opening. I watch Milina give Alorn a look of appraisal to which Mellis only smiles and nods. This is going to be a long trip.
Before following, I pull Lily to me. “Stay close to Milina. I’ll be right behind you.”
As expected, she gives me a puzzled look. “I’ll be okay, Tharin, really. I can take of myself.” She stands on her tiptoes and plants a quick kiss on my cheek, but I give her a kiss to remind her of our time at the clearing. I pull away to see her eyes on my lips and looking a little dazed. I laugh and before I forget where we’re at, I take her by the shoulders and turn her toward the tunnel where Milina is waiting.
As we enter the tunnels, Alorn drops three panswas. The dimmed balls of light float inches from the ground, dancing about our feet. One remains up front while the second floats to the middle, leaving the last to float toward the back, lighting our way. Should anyone or anything approach, the panswas will give two slow blinks before going completely out. They will immediately come back to full light in a flash, lasting for a few minutes and but the light won’t reach beyond our small circle. That’s where Glynnis comes in.
“Alorn,” I call, “when we come to the straightaway we’ll each have to take a girl and speed through.”
“Is that wise, Tharin?” comes his reply and I hear the concern behind his words. “If we do so, we won’t see an attack coming. It might be best if we continue on a fast-paced walk. I’d rather take the time to walk through than get ambushed without warning.” He’s right, but a sense of uneasiness came over me soon after we entered the tunnels.
“Something is different here, I can’t place it…but I feel it.”
“I sense it to, cousin. I think you should let Mellis and Ziri know.” I agree and call them to attention. I glance behind me and they each give me a slight nod. Mellis drops farther back and I startle Milina and Glynnis when I reach out to them, but they make no move to show any change. Although I left Lily out, she still notices a difference in the group’s mood. She looks about her, then glances nervously back at me and I give her a reassuring smile.
The tunnels are a labyrinth of twisted underground passageways beneath Cini Falls. If you don’t know your way through the network of tunnels, you can be lost within the labyrinth for days, months, even years. The Sidhe have known these passageways since the rendering with the help of the mountain dwarves. The vein that we are traveling is the most straightforward path, more used than the others due to a straightaway two miles in from each entrance. It’s also the most dangerous. The challenge is getting through unseen and with several hours of walking before us, anything can happen.
When we reach the start of the straightaway, we stop for a rest. There’s no knowing what lies ahead in the open and the sense of something not quite right still lingers. Along one wall I sit with Lily, while everyone else sits opposite us. We remain quiet, lost in our own thoughts. Lily leans against me and I lift my arm to hug her to me and let her lie against my chest.
“How are you doing?” I ask, keeping our thoughts from the others.
“Tired, but I’m okay. I should have taken a nap at the clearing after this morning’s workout. Ziri and Kulzo kicked my butt.”
”Rest, we’ll be moving soon enough.”
“Tharin?” I can hear her exhaustion.
“Yes, Lily.”
“When we left the college, why didn’t you bring the weapons with us? It would seem that we could use them right about now.”
I peer down at her curiously, “When did we get so violent?”
“The moment you told me you loved me. I don’t want anyone hurt, but if they’re going to try and hurt you, I’d rather we have weapons that can prevent that from happening.”
I plant a kiss on top of her head, feeling a bit awkward, but thankful, that she loves me enough to actually hurt someone. “We left the weapons in Pathen because they’re useless here. It has something to do with the energy field that created this realm. You can have a gun that works perfectly, but once it passes through Velesi borders, they won’t work…no matter how simple the
mechanism.”
“What about slingshots?” Okay, she’s really tired.
“Um, we have slingshots here, Lily.” I wait for a response only to find her breathing deeply. Lily has fallen asleep. It’s about another thirty minutes before Glynnis is sleeping soundly against Ziri also softly breathing with her mouth open. I look over at Milina expecting the same from her but find her eyes open and on Lily. It takes me a minute to realize she’s actually sleeping with her eyes open. I give Mellis a quick look and he silently rises moving toward me. He places one of the bags near Lily and then helps me lay her on it. Next, he moves to Ziri and helps him with Glynnis. Alorn keeps watch.
Once Lily, Milina and Glynnis are tended to, I give Alorn and Mellis a signal and they disappear down the tunnel. About a mile farther is an open cavern about fifty stories high with tunnels running in a complete circle at each level. Alorn and Mellis will scout the cavern and will take care of any immediate threats. If there is more than they can handle, they’ll return with an estimated count and we would either decide to fight through it, or find another route to take.
I call Cessa forth and from the shadows she appears on silent paws at my side, nuzzling my hand until I rub at her head. I give her instructions and she disappears down the tunnel from where we came. I look at Ziri and give him a nod. He turns from me and with agility and speed climbs the tunnel wall to a hidden ledge at the top. Once he reaches it, he heads down the tunnel after Cessa. I move toward Milina and gently shake her. She awakens instantly with hands reaching toward her blades. I hold her still by the shoulder, putting a finger to my lips for silence. She looks about her, finding the others gone. Looking back at me, she gives me a nod, understanding what I want from her. She gets up quietly and I point down one direction, then the other. She takes a breath, but gives me another nod as she moves toward Lily and slides down the wall to plant herself next to the sleeping princess. She gives me another look before I turn from her and follow the tunnel after Alorn and Mellis.