The cavern is in complete darkness and the smell of mold and earth mixes with odors of death and rot. Like the rest of our senses, the Sidhe’s night vision is like that of an owl. We don’t need light to see. The panswas used at the start were for Lily’s, Milina’s and Glynnis’ sake. I send out my senses and find Mellis two levels above me, and Alorn on the fifth level making his way back down.
“Tharin, there’s evidence that the cavern has been used recently,” confirms Alorn from above. I make my way to the other side staying close to the tunnel openings.
“What is it?” I reply.
“Lutimi.” Damn. Lutimi are meat-eaters. There are thousands of them – earthworm-like creatures that attack as one. You won’t know they’re there until it’s too late. Our only advantage over them is that they’re slow moving and we can stay clear of them as long as we know where they are.
“Mellis?” I wait for a response, coming to a stop when he doesn’t answer immediately. I feel Alorn do the same, waiting silently.
“Tracks, booted,” he finally answers. Alorn and I stay quiet, knowing there’s more to come. “Three, large and armed. They seem to be dragging something with them.”
“Which direction?” asks Alorn, continuing his descent. He’s at my side in moments.
“To the south, an hour, maybe two,” replies Mellis as he makes his way toward us.
“It has nothing to do with us,” comments Alorn. I nod in agreement as Alorn continues, “I’ll head back and bring the others.”
“Mellis, you scout ahead and wait for us midway at the shelter,” I instruct. “I’ll wait here and keep an eye on things.”
Both Alorn and Mellis hesitate. Alorn gives me a look before moving on, but Mellis lingers, “Are you sure, Tharin?”
I place a hand on Mellis’ shoulder, “There’s something here with us…something that doesn’t belong. Keep your wits about you.” For the first time since meeting up with him at the tunnel entrance, Mellis becomes serious.
~ * ~
Chapter Twenty-Five
~ Lily ~
I must have fallen asleep. I’m surprised to find myself lying on my side with Milina shaking me awake gently. She smiles at me but places her finger to her lips for silence. I look about, searching for the first thing that comes to mind – Tharin. Alorn is now beside me and despite getting a scowl from Milina, he takes my hand and leads me forward.
I’m startled when Alorn reaches me, gently touching my mind. “Tharin’s okay, he’s up ahead waiting for us.”
“You’re able to communicate this way, too?”
“Family trait.”
I walk quickly to keep up with his long strides, “So Phoris and Mellis can also do this? What of Ziri?”
Alorn keeps his eyes ahead and I nearly jump out of my skin when Cessa touches my hand with her wet nose. I pull free from Alorn, stopping him in his track. I wrap my arms around the panther and hug her to me, thinking that I should let her out more. Tharin must have called for her when I was asleep. I rub at the cats ears, but soon find Alorn’s hand reaching out for me. I grab hold and he pulls me quickly along. I glance behind me to see Milina following immediately behind us, with Ziri and Glynnis covering the rear.
“Why haven’t you done this before?” I ask, still surprised. I thought it was only something that Tharin and Tolan did.
“I had nothing to say.” He looks down at me, giving me a wink.
He stops near the opening of the tunnel…at least I think it’s the opening. I can feel a change in the air, less stifling, but fouler. I put my hand over my mouth, breathing into my palm, trying hard to keep out the stench. I feel someone nudge at me and find Milina offering me a kerchief. I take it from her, quickly covering my lower face.
Alorn looks down at me, “Ready?” I give him a nod and he pulls me forward as the panswa at our feet light up. They give enough light for me to see the huge cavern with a ceiling that disappears into the darkness above. All around are levels of tunnel openings staring back at us like black eyes of an enormous beast. We quickly make our way across and I can see why we needed to hurry, we’re out in the open, exposed to what lurks behind the black eyes of the cavern.
Once we’re within the tunnel, I’m disappointed when Alorn tells me that Tharin has gone ahead. I’m assuming that Mellis is with him since he’s not here with us. Alorn turns to Milina and signals her ahead, she silently takes the lead position – it’s as if she’s done this many times before. Glynnis follows, staying close to her sister, ready to cast a spell should Milina need her to. One of the panswas, now back to a low dim, floats at the front, lighting the way. Alorn stays close and Ziri remains in the rear, protecting our backs with Cessa lurking in the shadows.
We moved along at a good pace and near the end of the straightaway without incident. As we come to the end, the panswas at our feet dim. We come to a sudden stop, holding our breaths. When they finally dim a second time and go out completely, all weapons are drawn. Alorn lets go of my hand and I feel Milina move beside me as I hear the others move into position. Without warning, blinding light from the panswas explode within the tunnel exposing what looks like a thousand, if not more, earthworms. The light agitates and scatters the small creatures and before I know what’s going on Alorn picks me up and takes me farther down the tunnel leaving the others behind.
I struggle against him, “Stop! We can’t leave them!”
“Quiet, Lily. We’re not out of danger yet. I’ll go back for them. I need to get you out of harm’s way first.”
“Please, Alorn. I should be safe here.”
“Mellis is up ahead, I’ll leave you with him.”
I stop struggling, “And Tharin, right?”
He remains quiet for a moment, “No.” He cuts off communication and in short time, I find myself with Mellis.
“Mellis,” I whisper, “I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself. Go help them…please.”
“Alorn and Ziri got this, Princess. They’ll be here in a minute,” he replies. There’s no use arguing with him without yelling, and in the situation we’re in, yelling would only get us killed. So, I wait anxiously next to him until finally I ask, “Where’s Tharin?”
“We ran into some trouble.”
My heart skips a beat, “Is he okay?”
“Yes, but he had to return to the city before us to inform the king and Ka of a new development.”
“What kind of development,” I ask, both relieved Tharin’s okay and disappointed he’s not here with me.
Changing the subject and assuming he knows, “What were those things?”
“They’re call lutimi, flesh eaters,” he whispers back casually, knowing exactly what I’m talking about.
I’m stunned and a bit grossed out. “What did you say?”
“Flesh eaters. You know, they eat flesh…meat. You see, first they sneak up on you, then they spray you with an acid that burns your clothing and skin off, and then they attack you as a whole, eating your flesh. Flesh eaters.”
I can’t see his face in the dark, but I can imagine his delighted expression as he explains the gory details of the lutimi. Not needing any light to find him, I smack at his shoulder.
“Hey,” he whispers, stifling his laughter.
“You’ve got a problem, you know that?”
“Yeah, I’ve been told. But handsomeness isn’t a sickness, cousin…it’s a gift.”
I snort a laugh, but try to keep quiet. His distraction, which I’m pretty sure was his intention, worked. Before I know it, Alorn appears beside me carrying Milina. With the panswas glowing at our feet again, I’m able to see them as they stop next to us. I didn’t miss how Milina took her time letting Alorn go – neither did Mellis, but his usual humor and smile remain on his face. I don’t think the guy has a jealous bone in him.
We didn’t wait long before Ziri arrived with Glynnis. Alorn reaches over to Ziri and swipe at his back. Holes burned on Ziri’s cloak indicate a few of the worms got on him as they fled. I re
ach out to him as Glynnis moves to the side. “Are you okay?”
He nods his head as he continues to swipe at himself, even though there’s none left on him. He finally shivers and shakes his whole body, “Yeah…yeah, I’m good.” Although it’s still dark with the panswa dimly lit, Ziri reaches back, shakes out his hood then covers his head, pulling the hood as far down as he can. When he looks up, we stare at him with blank faces. Mellis shakes his head, giving his cousin a sad, pathetic look, while Alorn stares at him with an arched brow. “You done?” he asks the big elf. Ziri glares back at him without saying a word.
Sighing heavily, Alorn takes hold of my hand and nods down the tunnel to Ziri. Immediately, Ziri takes the lead with Glynnis at his side. Alorn and I are next, followed by Mellis and Milina.
I notice Milina giving Alorn another hard look. When she catches my eye, she casts her own at her feet. Thinking that she’s sensing something we should know, I pull away from Alorn, stopping him.
“What’s wrong,” I whisper to Milina.
She looks at me, throws another look at Alorn and says, “Nothing, my princess.”
Alorn notices Milina’s disgruntled look and steps to her. “You have a problem with me?”
Milina blinks at him, but then the scowl returns. Stepping up to him, she whispers softly, “Yeah, I do. Tharin left me in charge to watch over the princess, not you.”
“Tharin isn’t here now, so that leaves me in charge,” he whispers back.
“No, I’m supposed to watch the princess,” pipes in Mellis pretending to be offended.
“No, I am,” calls Ziri in a loud whisper from where he and Glynnis wait.
Then everyone is whispering above each other claiming that Tharin left him or her in charge of protecting me.
I shake my head, not believing what I’m hearing. Forgetting where I’m at, I say out loud, “He did what?” Everyone shuts up, stopping in mid-sentence turning as one to look at me.
I take a patient breath and turn from them without another word. Milina follows immediately coming to a halt when I turn on her, “I don’t need a babysitter.”
She lowers her head, hands folded before her, “Yes, my princess.”
I move past Ziri and Glynnis as I make my way down the tunnel toward the opening. I hear shuffling of feet and know the sisters have moved directly behind me but are keeping their distance. Looks like Tharin and I have a lot to talk about still.
I hear Milina ask Mellis, “How much longer?”
“Another two miles and we’ll be out,” whispers back.
I’m not surprise when Alorn is back at my side. I give him a look and tap at my temple.
“Yes, Lily.”
“I know that Tharin connected with you before he left. What really happened?”
“He ran into a demon,” he replies.
“Falsad? Was it Falsad?” I ask eagerly, thinking of Lucas.
Alorn gives me a sideway glance, “No, Lily, it wasn’t Falsad.” He pauses then asks, “Why the interest in Falsad? I didn’t realize that you even knew about him.”
“He has Lucas’ body. I want it back,” I answer. The thought of Lucas being stuck in purgatory nags at me once again. Tharin told me once you can’t kill a demon, only send it back to the UnderRealm. I haven’t figured out how to do that yet, but maybe he’ll let me borrow his fire sword. Yeah, okay…next plan.
“So what kind of demon this time?” I ask, changing the subject.
Alorn replies without hesitating, “Kabba. The bad kind.”
~ * ~
Chapter Twenty-Six
~ Tharin ~
I found my father in the Hall of Thirteen. Here is where the thrones for the Seating of each clan sit. At the center and on a two-foot high dais is the throne of the Oak Clan. One day I will be walking down this aisle to accept the crown as king of the Oak Clan and ruler of the Thirteen Clans of Velesi. I hope that the day will be long in coming and my father remains ruler until the day we return to Eirrell. I cast my eyes to the throne at the right, the throne of the Willow Clan, and pride fills me knowing that in only a matter of days Lily will sit upon it as queen. Sema was right to call for Lily at this time, she will have much to prepare for and learn before ascending the throne.
I’ve been standing a few rows from the first set of benches where my father now sits alone. When I was a boy, he was always larger than life in my eyes. The first day he took me from the nursery was the first day of my lessons in war strategy. Although my uncle Colsea was responsible for my training, there would be days that my father would come out and give me a workout. When he wasn’t with me, he was with Tolan and Ziri. He always had time for my cousins, either throwing Alorn in with me during our training or yelling after Mellis for some prank or another that he played on a royal relative. But standing here now, watching him, he seems old and frail.
I had come here to see him about the demon Mellis and I ran into at the tunnels, but now I take my time as I approach, sitting down next to him quietly.
Without looking at me, he says, “I remember the day I met your mother for the first time. I thought she was beautiful, but at the time I was in love with someone else. At least, I thought I was.”
“Ziri’s mother,” I reply.
He nods, “Yes, Kali. She was beautiful, fierce and very much the woman. I was young and brash thinking I knew what I wanted, but it wasn’t until I was married to your mother that I realized how wrong I was. My Lea’ith was my true love, my one and only…and I miss her terribly, Tharin.”
I reach out for his hand and he grabs hold. I had forgotten what this day was, the anniversary of my mother’s death, E’leiana’s birthday. I think of Lily and now wish I had stayed behind with her. News of the demon can wait I decide. I sit quietly next to my father while he mourns for his wife and only daughter.
An hour later, and after leaving my father in the care of his faithful valet, Walem, I’m in search of Ka. He’s still using the disguise of a helpless old man in public and has been taking advantage of the kindness of the young maidens around the tower. It will be interesting to see what Sema will do when she arrives and finds out what her husband’s been up to. As I round a corner, I run into young Cili.
He comes to a sudden stop, startled as he bumps into me. “My prince, I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“No need for apologies, Cili. I was lost in thought as well. Have you seen Ka?”
He looks at me puzzled, “Ka, my prince?”
“The old elf who came with us on the night we arrived.”
“Oh, that’s his name,” he answers thoughtfully. “I’m sorry, every time I asked, he distracts me with ramblings of days gone by and whatever else comes into his head. I haven’t seen him all day.”
“Put the word out that I’m looking for him. I’ll be in the war room.”
Cili gives me a worried look, “Is everything all right, my prince?”
“Yes, thank you. Just have Ka sent to me if you run into him.” He bows his departure and heads off to whatever task awaits him.
I enter the war room and walk over to the seating area off to the side. I call on the sphere next to my father’s chair and a threefold screen appears giving me news of what’s going on in the realm. A side panel opens and three servers come in with drinks and a platter of fruit, bread and meat. One of the servers catches my eye and I watch her carefully. Lily had told me the girl Ziri is supposedly in love with is blind. I watch the redhead go about her business quietly and if it weren’t for the way she reaches with her hand before placing the platter down, you wouldn’t know she’s blind. As they move to leave, I call out to her. “Wait, are you Nameth?”
The other two servers turn toward the girl I’m addressing before bowing out and leaving the room. She stands nervously, before answering, “Yes, my prince, I am.” She gives me a shy smile. According to Lily, Ziri states that “his” Nameth is beautiful. She is very attractive, but doesn’t hold a candle next to Glynnis with her dark exotic lo
oks.
I’m curious about the girl before me and the years of angry silence I received from my brother because of her. I try to remember any time I’ve spoken to her. It takes me a minute until it finally hits me. She’s one of Ziri’s few friends. She would follow him everywhere he went, except I didn’t know she was blind. If I remember correctly, she was tall and skinny, about the tallest girl in his group. I don’t think I’ve said more than a handful of words to her in all the years she’s known Ziri.
When my silent assessment becomes uncomfortable for her, she nervously ask, “Is there something I can do for you, my prince?”
“I understand you know my brother?”
She nods, smiling sweetly, her eyes just off to the right of my shoulder. “Yes, my prince, I know Prince Tolan. We just served him drinks about an hour ago.”
I don’t like the sound of that. Tolan hasn’t been himself since we arrived. Julia has become obsessed with her training, using it to stay away from Tolan. With her room only a suite away from his, I would find him leaning against the wall opposite her door just staring at it. The drinking is new, but nothing to worry about…yet.
“No,” I answer, coming back to the moment. “I’m talking of my brother Ziri. I understand you were friends as children.”
She folds her hand before her and casts her eyes downward. I find it interesting that there’s a slight scowl on her face. Shaking her head, she replies, “Yes, my prince, we were. But that was a long time ago. I haven’t spoken with Ziri since he left us some seasons back. And…even before then, after all, he is Lithi.”
I find myself glad she can’t see my expression of disapproval. I didn’t know who she was then and I don’t really want to know her now. “That will be all.” I turn away, knowing she’ll sense the change and know a dismissal when she hears one. She starts toward the panel slowly but turns when she reaches it.
“My prince, is there anything else that you need? That I can do for you? Perhaps you would like some company?” she asks shyly, but bold enough. Maybe this is the opportunity she’s been waiting for.