Skirts & Swords (Female-Led Epic Fantasy Box Set for Charity) Page 5

  He clears his throat and turns away from Ariella to look at King Oberon. He stammers at first but then regains his composure.

  “This way, Your Highness. I’ll show you the way,” he insists.

  “Thank you,” King Oberon replies. He takes Queen Tatiana by the hand and motions with his other for their servants to help bring the luggage and follow them. The contingent of warriors follows in their wake as well because they will be staying close to the King and Queen’s quarters. My father follows along after King Oberon, and I can hear their laughs echoing off the palace walls as they walk through.

  I’m now left with the remaining Summer fae, which includes Meliantha, Ariella, Elissa, Ashur, and Finn. They are all looking at me for direction, except Meliantha who still has her head turned away from me. I really want to see her reaction when she looks at me. I want to see if I affect her as much as she affects me. Ariella and Elissa walk up the steps to wait on the others to dismount their horses.

  Ashur dismounts first and comes over to clasp my arm in greeting.

  “Thank you, Prince Kalen, for offering to guide us.”

  “It is my pleasure, Guardian Ashur,” I offer.

  I noticed Meliantha’s body shivered when I spoke, and I also noticed that she shut her eyes tight. Could she be feeling the connection, too? My thoughts are put on hold as the uneasy feeling I had before they arrived returns in full force. I look around quickly to spot the danger, but again, nothing seems wrong until I look up at Finn. His eyes hold a deadly intent that wasn’t there before. He dismounts his horse and walks over to help Meliantha down from hers. She gives him an odd look, and I can tell she feels something is wrong as well. He reaches for her waist and he slides her off her horse to the ground. Finn grabs her hand in a possessive grip and pulls her closer to him. She clearly doesn’t like what he’s doing from the frown appearing on her face. Well, hell, I don’t like what he’s doing, and I believe my reddened face is clear proof of that. The heat rising to my cheeks make them burn, and if I had my way, I would rip off his arms. I tear my anger-filled gaze away from Finn to look at Meliantha. I can see she’s looking down at my clenched hands, Her pensive expression lets me know she can feel my anger.

  She bites her lip, and then from out of nowhere she lifts her face slowly to meet mine. Her amethyst-colored eyes bore into mine, and my heart instantly stops. Her eyes go wide and she puts a hand over her chest before sucking in a sharp breath.

  The blast from the connection has me weak in the knees, and I would have stumbled back if I didn’t catch myself in time. She can’t deny these feelings now because I know she feels them, too. I see it in her eyes. The look on her face goes from shock to confused, but then it changes to anger.

  I’m taken aback; I don’t understand why she would have hostility toward me. I’ve never done anything to her to make her react this way. I thought she would be happy to have this connection. I know her feelings in the past were growing for me each second she spent with me, and I felt the same feelings for her.

  Finn’s grip on Meliantha catches my attention. It looks hard and bruising, and what’s really strange is that his expression is one of alarm, not anger. This guy is acting really weird and the vibes I’m getting aren’t good ones at all. I honestly don’t like him being around Meliantha and holding on to her so hard. I reach for her hand, but she quickly pulls away. My chest tightens with rejection.

  I’m beginning to worry about her relationship with Finn. Why won’t she let me touch her, and why is she letting Finn do this to her? I don’t understand what’s going on. If we are meant to be together, why is she fighting it? I take a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves before turning my attention to the group of Summer fae before me.

  “I believe it’s time to show you to your quarters now. If you would follow me please,” I announce.

  I take them to the back entrance of the palace so we can take the path to where the cottage is located. I’m confused as hell and uncertain about this turn of events. What the hell am I going to do now? I’m engaged to another woman, but have loved someone else this whole time. Now, the one woman I had fallen in love with years ago has changed into a different person and is deeply involved with another man. How did things get so complicated?

  I can feel the frustration building, so I quicken my pace to hopefully get the thoughts of killing someone out of my head. I would really love to beat the shit out of Finn right now, but I don’t think that would be such a great idea. Imagining him and Meliantha together all these years make me livid. I know I have had Breena, but I never enjoyed sleeping with her. I shake my head and run my fingers through my hair.

  I really don’t need to think about it, and so I chastise myself. I decide to concentrate on figuring out a way to get Meliantha alone, so I can speak to her privately. She has to hear what I have to say. The only sounds I hear as we walk along the path to their cottage are the sounds of their footsteps crunching on the path, and the sounds of the snow pattering on the ground.

  - Arriving at the Palace -

  This can’t be happening, I scream at myself. How can I be feeling this connection to Kalen after everything that’s happened and after everything he’s put me through? I can see Kalen’s hands clench when Finn possessively wraps his arm around me I kept repeating to myself over and over that I can do this and keep my distance; however, some strong force is urging me to look up. I tell myself not to look him, but my eyes have a mind of their own and betray me. They search for his eyes and find them staring back intently at me. The pull to him is so strong it makes me weak in the knees. I thought hearing his voice earlier was a shock to my system, but nothing compares to this. My heart flutters at the sight of him, and I grab my chest hoping it’ll stop. I don’t want to feel this way for the man that broke my heart. I need to feel the anger. The anger has gotten me through the pain all these years, so I dig deep within my soul to bring it to the surface.

  I look at Kalen defiantly and I lift my chin. I refuse to be swayed by his charms; however, there is something different about him now. He doesn’t have the callous and evil looking eyes he had back when he broke my heart. He still looks like the same playful Kalen from before, but now he looks defeated and saddened.

  Finn momentarily distracts me with the vice-like grip he has on my arm keeping me by his side. The look he’s giving Kalen sends chills down my spine and it has me worried. Finn has never been the jealous type.. He has always been easy going and laid back. I can tell Kalen is starting to get angry with the way Finn is acting toward him and the way he is holding me. He reaches for my hand, but I quickly step back. My heart stops at the thought of him touching me, but my mind refuses to let me budge. He looks hurt at my rejection, but it quickly dissipates into anger when he looks down at Finn’s heavy grip on my arm. In a clipped tone, he addresses the whole group and says for us to follow him to our quarters. His stride is quick and angry as he leads us out the back of the palace and back into the bitter cold.

  Finn and I follow behind him while Elissa, Ashur, and Ariella trail along behind us. We’re all silent as we make our way along the path. I can hear Ariella sighing behind me in amazement. She’s always had a fascination with the Winter Court and I’m glad she’s enjoying her time here. At least one of us is.

  The white and snowy landscape is beautiful here, but the absence of flowers and greenery makes me feel empty. I could never live here and be happy seeing nothing but white for the rest of my life. I can see down the path and we’re headed toward three different houses and a gorgeous water fountain. The water is actually flowing, which I find odd since the temperature is below freezing. Kalen must be working his water magic on it to get it flowing. The houses up ahead are two log cabins —one more luxurious than the other —and a little cottage nestled off to the side. The cabins are simple with their basic log frames, but the cottage beside them looks quaint and elegant. It looks like a cottage in Italy surrounded by a vineyard. I can tell it’s made from various varieties of gray s
tones with a steep gabled roof, which no doubt has been used to keep the weight of the snow off the cottage.

  This place would be absolutely lovely surrounded by flowers. I can feel a twinge in my heart at the thought of flowers and gardens. I’ve neglected them recently and I know the land feels like I’ve abandoned it. I have promised it numerous times that I’ll return, but deep down I am afraid that I’m already lost.

  I try desperately to get the thoughts out of my mind and to concentrate on the task at hand. The snow crunches beneath my feet and the frosty air smells of pine as it burns its way down my lungs. I have the urge to cough, but I hold it back as best I can. I’m not used to the dry, crisp air of the Winter Court. My body definitely isn’t either, especially my feet. I can feel the cold spreading its way through my body, giving me the chills. I clench my teeth down hard to keep the chattering from being heard. I’m silently cursing my stupidity as I look at Elissa admiring the palace grounds in her fluffy wool coat. Why was I trying to prove how strong I was by not wearing a coat?

  Finn must have felt me shiver because he pulls me in closer to his body. I can feel his warmth and it does help, but my comfort is put on hold when I look up at his face. He gives me a wink and a sly grin, but it’s not a look I have seen on Finn’s face before. I think the chills I’m getting are not from the cold, but from him. I try to pull away from him slightly but his grip tightens on my arm keeping me in place. I have never been manhandled before, and it sure as hell isn’t going to start now. I grit my teeth to keep my anger held back. To avoid causing a scene, I call out to Ashur silently.

  “Don’t look at me. Ashur, and don’t acknowledge that I’m talking to you, but I need your help. Something is wrong with Finn and he won’t let go of my arm when I try to pull away. I’m trying to keep everyone from noticing, but he’s beginning to piss me off and I’m not far from losing my temper.”

  “Calm down and breathe, Princess. I could tell his mood switched from being pleasant to hostile in a matter of seconds. I was going to say something, but I didn’t want to alarm you. Has he done this before?”Ashur inquires.

  “Not to this extent, but there have been occasions when…” I pause, not wanting to tell him the rest. “Well, there have been times when he’s been a little rough and not his usual gentle self, if that answers your question.”

  “No need to explain, Princess. I really don’t want to know the details. Oh wait...look ahead, Meliantha. I think you have your way to escape.”

  I look ahead and, yes, I see my escape plan. Little Merrick, Calista, and Ryder are in front of the log cabins playing in the snow and having a snowball fight. They all look so happy together and I can’t help but be envious of what they have. I honestly believed that Kalen was going to be the man I shared all of that with. Calista notices us first and then Merrick. The snow throwing stops and with a mischievous grin, Calista leans down to whisper in Merrick’s ear pointing straight at us. If I didn’t know any better, I would say Calista might be plotting a snow war. She’s not the only one in the family who can throw things and always hit their target. Merrick bends down to grab a handful of snow and charges off screaming in my direction with a huge smile on his face.

  “Mel, Mel, Mel!”

  I know he plans to bombard me with his snowball so I use this chance to pull away from Finn to run to Merrick. Luckily, he lets me go easily, but if he hadn’t we were going to have some serious problems. I’m running toward the squealing Merrick and I lunge for his legs. I scoop him up into my arms and over my shoulders. He squeals when I pick him up and he slams the snowball into my back, laughing and giggling the whole time. The coldness of the snow makes me cringe and now I can’t stop the shivering. I laugh it off and swing Merrick around and around in circles watching his fluffy blond curls sway in the wind. He wraps his arms around my neck and latches on when he squeals, “Miss you, Mel!”

  I hug him tight and whisper in his ear, “I know, sweetheart, and I’ve missed you just as much.” I kiss his cheek and put him down. His eyes find Ariella, and he squeals while running off to her. Ariella beams at the sight of Merrick, and she kneels down to embrace him when he reaches her. She scoops him up just like I did and they laugh and giggle the whole time while running and playing in the snow. I steal a quick glance at Kalen and he still looks rigid and angry while Finn stands off to the side with a bored expression on his face. Elissa is staring at Ashur and is failing miserably to be nonchalant as she slowly migrates toward him. If I wasn’t feeling so uneasy right now I would find the situation humorous. I can tell by Ashur’s posture that he can feel the unease in my body. His body is tense and remains on full alert. My heart swells with pride, and I know that I couldn’t have asked for a better guardian than Ashur.

  “It’s good to see you, Meliantha,” Calista says, capturing my attention. I turn to look at her and confusion is written all over her face. I can tell by the determination in her eyes that she plans to find out once and for all what’s going on with me. It quickly disappears as a new look crosses her face. Her body goes tense and she looks around the group hesitantly before settling her eyes on Finn.

  The moment he meets her eyes everything around me changes. The chills prickling my spine ease and the menace I felt permeating the air earlier evaporates. It’s as if a huge weight has been lifted off my chest and I can now breathe easier. I think the whole group notices the change as well.

  A look of worry passes across Calista’s face and she quickly peers over at Ryder. They nod their heads in some kind of silent agreement and then Ryder turns to Kalen.

  “Let’s go, brother. We need to give Calista some time alone with her kin. She can give them the tour of the cottage while we have us some mead before the ball,” he says to Kalen.

  I can tell Kalen is clenching his teeth by the tension of the muscles in his face.

  “Very well,” he replies to his brother.

  He gives me one last look and then turns around to walk toward the larger cabin that is beside the cottage. I guess that is the one where he stays. Ryder walks alongside him and I can’t stop my traitorous eyes from staring at Kalen’s retreating form. I’ve watched him walk away before, but this time it feels different. My heart is demanding that I follow him and the pull in my stomach is making it hard for me to stay in place. It’s as if I’m a magnet being drawn to him and the harder I fight it, the harder it is to stay away.

  With a devilish grin, Kalen turns around while walking backward and has his eyes trained on Finn when he yells, “You might want to watch where you step. The ground can be quite…slippery!” Ryder rolls his eyes and grabs Kalen by the shirt to jerk him back around. Finn starts to move toward me when all of a sudden he slips on a patch of ice that miraculously appears under his feet. He goes down with a thud and lands hard on his back side. I can hear Kalen’s deep laugh as he makes his way onto the porch of his cabin. I give Finn my hand and he grabs it to pull himself up. Kalen stands on his porch and gives Finn a stare of pure anger. Finn stares right back at him with one of his own.

  “What the hell is his problem, and why is he looking at me like that?” Finn demands. I look into his eyes, and yes, they hold anger from being laughed at, but I can see no trace of evil in them at all. The look he gives me is full of love and devotion, but also of confusion. He brushes off his clothes and lifts his eyebrows at me waiting on an answer.

  “You have no idea why Kalen would be the way that he is right now?” I ask. Looking back and forth from me to Calista, he shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head. Oh no! This is just like before when he would have his episodes of forgetting. It hasn’t happened in a while, so I was beginning to think it was over. He stands there looking confused when all of a sudden Calista gasps and brings her hands up to cover her mouth.

  Looking wide-eyed she warns wearily, “Mel, this isn’t right. I felt something evil here and I felt it in Finn. It reminds me of the evil I felt five years ago when I was captured by the dark sorcerer, but right now I don’t feel it at all.
I think we have a problem.”

  My heart sinks to the deepest levels of despair because if what she is suggesting is true, then the dark sorcerer was here and…in Finn’s body. I close my eyes and wrap my arms around my stomach. Bile rises in my throat and I begin to feel disgusted to the core. This would explain the reason for Finn’s blackouts.

  I look at Calista and scream, “Damn it, Calista do you know what this means?”

  She looks at me with sympathy and understanding. She says softly, “Yes, I know exactly what this means. I’m so sorry, Meliantha.” She takes my hand and pulls me into her arms. She clutches me tight and whispers in my ear, “There has to be something on him that allows the dark sorcerer to enter his body.”

  I take a few deep, shaky breaths and I close my eyes while she rubs my back soothingly. “We’ll find it, Mel, but we have to find it now and get rid of it. There’s no telling when the dark sorcerer will make his move again. We need to let everyone in the court know the dark sorcerer is back.”

  Tears of anger and despair are pooling behind my closed eyes and when I open them they fall, leaving warm trails in their wake. All those strange nights when I thought I was giving myself to Finn I was actually giving myself to the dark sorcerer. My chest tightens in anger because all I can think about is how much of a fool I had been not knowing the dark sorcerer was screwing me over...literally. Being violated and deceived like that makes this whole situation a million times worse. My lungs tighten and I pull away from Calista gasping for air. Finn runs over to grab my face in between his hands and Elissa runs up behind me and starts rubbing my back. They both whisper soothing words in my ear. Ashur hangs back because I know he heard my inner turmoil and he’s trying to give me space. He knows there is nothing he can do to help me. Spots cloud my vision and my legs begin to feel weak.