I nod, thankful to hear that my brothers would be returning, despite being gone less than twenty-four hours. Even with the distance that separates us, I can feel Tolan’s grief – one of the perks of being a twin, especially in our bloodline.
“I’m sorry, Tharin,” starts my father slowly, “but we’ll have to delay the wedding. We must prepare for the funerals.”
“No,” interrupts Ka, briefly coming out of his mourning. “We must have the wedding and get the two of you to the doorway.”
“How are we to do that?” asks Colsea. “Our brother and his son are both dead. They were the only ones who knew the summoning of the doorway, the location to Eirrell.”
Ka raises his hand to wave off my uncle’s question, shaking his head again. “No, Tolan knows. He’s trained with them for years. Although he isn’t a Caller, Madeas taught him alongside with Phoris the summoning to locate Eirrell.”
I look at the old man confused, “You did the rending of the realms, don’t you know?”
He shakes his head, “No. To do the rendering we had to summon an opening and create the realm. When Mikas, the Summoner then, called forth the opening, I immediately started working with my guards at my side. When it was completed, we pulled the war through, taking everyone involved. The fight was immediate and Mikas was left to close the opening, sealing us from Eirrell. I thought it best that only a few should know the location, but that it should be passed on from father to son.”
I stare at the old elf with new respect.
I hesitate before saying, “I am sorry. I believe it’s my fault that Lily was discovered.”
My father looks at me confused. “What are you saying, Tharin?”
“I ran into Cili in the hallway the night we arrived. I asked him Ka’s whereabouts. When I mentioned your name,” I turn to Ka, “he obviously knew who you were. My guess is he may have switched to one of your people helping Sema with the preparations. I’m sure that’s how Harlu found her.”
Ka stares at me for a moment before sighing and says, “Who is to say he didn’t already know? Don’t dwell on it, Tharin. You have too much to worry about, and it no longer matters. Eathos has probably found another vessel. Stay alert.” I nod as my father squeezes my hand.
We continued through the afternoon until servers came in the hall setting up a buffet for us.
“Go to Lily, son. She needs you more than we do right now. Besides, we all agree you should be at her side at all times. We’ll arrange for a private ceremony and get you two married tonight. In the meantime, we’ll make arrangements for the…the funerals.” My father clears his throat roughly and I nod as I stand, suddenly anxious to get to Lily. Yet, I hesitate as I give Ka another look.
The old king smiles at me, “We will talk later, I’m sure you have many questions. Right now, I need to mourn my wife and kin. I shall wait to see if her spirit will come to me one last time.” With that, he leans his forehead against his walking stick, closes his eyes and shuts us out. I look at my father and he gives me a nod before he and my uncle also become quiet and shut me out of their thoughts.
I leave them and walk past the buffet, stopping one of the servers. “Send food up to the queen’s suite.” He bows and goes off to take care of the order.
I make my way to Lily’s suite and the closer I near it, the more anxious I feel. Alorn told me Julia was nowhere in the city. That sinking feeling I had when I first noticed that the Manui stone was missing from Lily’s neck eats at me again. I don’t know where she is, but if Julia did leave, then she’s gone home…to her stepfather and stepbrother. But why? Why would she leave to go back to them?
The closer my steps take me to Lily, the more sure I am that Lily gave Julia the necklace. Julia has the Manui Stone. No problem, we’ll just go and get her and get the stone back. Tolan will definitely want to come along. I’m sure he has something he’d like to say to those bastards on Julia’s behalf.
The thought of marrying Lily tonight excites me more than I thought it ever would. Lily, my wife. I can definitely live with that – my precious, naive and stubborn Lily. I love her and I swear I will care for her, let no harm come to her and love her until the end of my days.
I push the bedroom doors open to find the room empty. I peer across the room toward the bathing area but hear nothing. Instantly, the worst comes to mind and I run to the garden doors, searching the nearby area and then make my way to my mother’s private garden. Nothing.
“Alorn, Mellis, Lily is gone. I need you here now.” My call is a desperate one and I’m not surprised to find my cousins coming around the corner to the small garden area. A part of me subconsciously calls for Phoris and I pull the thought back quickly.
“What’s happened, Tharin?” asks Mellis as he walks to the middle of the garden, scanning the area. There’s no playful greeting from my cousin, nor is there the usual smile on his face, only red swollen eyes. The loss of Phoris along with Milina has cut him deeply. As for Alorn, he remains the same, no reaction, and no emotion showing. Kabba has a death mark on him now, and it will be a matter of time to see which of us three, Tolan and Ziri, will kill the demon first.
“I don’t know. Lily should be here, but I can’t sense her anywhere in the tower.”
Alorn remains quiet, but walks along the perimeter of the pando trees. He turns to me, asking, “When was the last time you saw her?”
“After the attack,” I answer, a feeling of guilt eats at me as I remember walking out of the hall with Kalis.
“I was there with her until Dalim and his men escorted her back to her suites. Do you think Dalim has something to do with this?” asks Mellis.
“No,” responds Alorn. “I ran into Dalim and his men as he did a perimeter search of the tower earlier. I spoke with him after doing my own search.”
I turn about and remember where I am. We’re standing at the only location of the doorway to Malainisi. From here I don’t need Cessa’s stone to call her. She comes through the darkness and saunters over to me. I look her over and the effect of the drug Harlu used on her seems to have disappeared.
She nuzzles at my hand and I rub at her ears, glad to see she’s okay and there are no lingering signs of the drug. I catch her by the chin and ask quietly, “Where is she?”
I can feel Alorn and Mellis move in closer, waiting to hear what the black cat has to say. It doesn’t take me long before I explode. “She what? Who the hell sent her back to Pathen?” I wait as Cessa growls her words at me.
I spin away from her in frustration, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I turn back to the cat who stares back at me with her most innocent look possible. “How long ago?” I demand but then look about us calling out, “Really, Mother? Can you complicate things any further? And Senestra, how can you just send her off unprotected?”
No answer. I knew my mother’s spirit was still with us. She came to me one night to let me know that she waits for E’leiana. But I didn’t know that Senestra was here, too.
I turn to Alorn, “We leave as soon as Tolan gets here, but you go and see if you can find her. The time difference gives her a week’s lead. I can’t imagine her being anywhere else but San Diego, and I don’t know what she’s thinking or what her plan is.” I look back at Cessa and give her an arched look. She growls low. “Okay, start there. Cessa says she’s gone back to get Julia and the Manui Stone.” Alorn nods and takes off without another word.
“What are you going to do when you find Lily, Tharin?” asks Mellis as we watch after Alorn’s departure.
I take a patient breath. I knew she would drive me mad, but this little stunt has taken me over the edge. “I’m going to kill her.”
~ * ~
End of Book Two of the Velesi Series
L. Filloon, The Drifting
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