Mark of the Princess (35 page)

Kaleb walked over, joining them explaining about the goblins that chased them into the woods and everything that had happened since, including the voice that Evyette had claimed to have heard.

“Evyette.” Magister Torin looked at her solemnly. “I am afraid that someone has been countering our protective wards against you.”

Evyette opened her mouth but no sound came out.

“Who?” Tristan spoke the word that was caught in her throat.

“We do not know. But this attack would not have happened if the wards had not been tampered with.” He brought his hand to his chin. “The problem now will be finding the culprit.” He began to turn to walk to the horses.

“But someone is trying to help me too.” All eyes turned to Evyette.

“I know it sounds deranged, but I don’t think the voice I heard earlier was my conscience.” She looked down at her new mark which along with her spell casting mark had spread slightly.

“Well. It is late and you three could use some healing spells, baths and rest.” Torin turned and nodded to the guards who stepped off their horses and offered to go on foot so that Evyette, Tristan and Kaleb could ride back.

~
Chapter
29~

Not much had been spoken since the encounters with the Satyrs. Aside from informing Brennus about what Cormac told her and then seeing Saros, the walk had been quiet and fast. Alannah hadn’t asked him to stop, but once it got late enough Brennus stopped, realizing that they should stay in one place, eat and get some rest.

She watched him, preparing his bow and arrows. It was not uncommon for a faerie to be attractive. After all, Kaleb and Tristan sure fell into that category. However, when she looked at Brennus, the fact that he was beautiful was surrounded by all the qualities she never saw in anyone else. His intensity, his determination and even his witty arrogance lent themselves to his beauty.

He noticed her looking at him but didn’t say anything. She waited for a sardonic comment about how she kept looking at him but to her surprise received nothing. So she reached into her bag and began pulling out the food and blankets they would need.

“Going hunting.” He said lowly, not looking at her and walking out of the small clearing.

As soon as he left, she began preparing the fire and other foods she had been carrying. Once she was done, she sat watching the fire and the plumes of smoke that rose from the flames. She reached her hand up with her palm facing the fire. She closed her eyes for a moment envisioning what she wanted and opened them again. There before her, under her control was the smoke that had been rising. She made it move from one side to the other, and even twirl up to the sky. The higher she pulled the smoke, the larger the flames became although she had not noticed.

She continued playing with the smoke until the flames roared angrily and threw off a heat that made her break a sweat. She dropped her hand quickly and saw the fire return to its normal size.

Wow,
she looked at her hand and back to the fire in disbelief. She thought back to the times she had seen her mother use her power and it was always limited to weather. She had never been able to control the elements so simply. She decided not to try again until they reached the Kingdom of Anrad.

She waited for quite some time for Brennus to return. Constantly studying the area around her, she found no trace of him. Pulling her bag over her shoulders, she made her way out of the clearing in search of Brennus.

The forest was eerily empty to her. She kept her hand on the hilt of her sword as she glanced back to the clearing where the fire burned and still did not see him. Her heart began to beat a little faster, filling with dread over not knowing what may have happened to him.

“Brennus.” she whispered his name not wanting to call too much attention to herself should anyone else be around.

The forest was still.

She walked a bit further until she heard some leaves rustling. She looked back to the clearing which from this distance only gave a slight glow, but was still empty. She looked around and didn’t see anyone or anything but she heard the leaves rustle again. Her heart began beating even faster.

“Brennus?” her trembling voice, this time well above a whisper.

“Did you lose your protector princess?” The voice came from behind a tree as the speaker emerged.

“Oh!” Alannah turned quickly to see was there. “Cormac.” She said releasing a sigh, and removing her hand off of the hilt of her sword. “You frightened me.”

“I do not think he is looking for you.” He dropped his hand to the belt around his waist. “He probably does not even know that you are wandering around does he?”

“Cormac, I have no quarrel with you,” she tried to step back a couple of feet but he quickly moved as well, “we are not in your territory any longer and even if we were, you gave your word not to harm me.”

“Do you really believe that after the embarrassment Brennus caused me to suffer that I would let that go?” Anger twisting his features in the darkness that surrounded them.

Alannah stepped back again, but Cormac stepped toward her in response. She reached for the hilt of her sword but like a flash he drew the dagger that was at his waist and held it at her throat with his other hand pressed behind her neck.

“Now, now princess, that is not the proper way to behave. I have not even threatened you,” he looked her over, “yet.”

She clenched her fist as her anger began boiling up inside of her. Alannah thought of calling on her power,
No, I might hurt myself too being this close to him

“Cor-“

“Ssh.” He cut her off, a malicious smile spreading across his face. “Well, well, looks like your knight is coming to rescue you.” He maneuvered behind her, keeping his dagger at her throat while he looked around.

Alannah steadied herself, trying to hear what he was listening to but heard nothing.

“Brennus!” He yelled into the seemingly empty woods. “I would not try anything foolish. I will take her with me.”

The blur behind him was fast and at the same time painful. He looked down at his furry calf to see that it was covered in blood from a fresh gash. He turned around quickly only to find the woods empty. Again he heard only a slight wind followed by a searing pain across the back of both of his legs.

“Do not toy with me Brennus!” Alannah could hear his voice shaking. He was scared. “I will kill her!” His hands trembling, he dug the blade into her skin causing her to bleed. She felt the warm blood trickle down her neck onto her chest. For a brief moment, the pressure on her neck subsided as he pointed the knife forward in a panicked state, then brought it back to her throat.

“Show yourself!” He was unnerved. She couldn’t see him but she knew that he was turning his head frantically trying to catch any impending attacks. The gust of wind was fiercer this time and left him with a gash across his back. Upon feeling the force of the last attack, he jerked his hand back cutting the Alannah and shoving her onto the ground.

As he arched his back in pain the princess saw a familiar sword protrude through his abdomen. The engraved marks lined in Cormac’s blood.

“Brennus.” she whispered, before watching every bit of light fade from her sight.

The sword was pulled back out and Cormac fell to the ground with a thud and Brennus standing behind him.

Brennus rushed over to Alannah who was still lying on the ground and put his hand over the gash on her throat, reciting a spell to immediately stop the bleeding.

“Alannah?” He held her limp body waiting for a response. “Don’t do this.” He put his hand over the other cut whispering in his ancient language and healing it as well. “Alannah?” His voice begged, as he held her face in his hand. Brennus quickly recited a spell as he held his hand over her chest transferring some of his energy to her. “Alannah?” His voice shook this time. “Alannah, please awaken!” Still no response. He looked over at the ground she had laid on, the leaves and branches covered in red liquid. Then from the corner of his eye he saw the rise and fall of her chest and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
She still lives

He put his free arm beneath her knees and picked her up, carrying her back to their campsite. Her head laying against his chest while the rest of her hung limply in his arms.

Brennus knelt by the fire, placing Alannah’s feet down on the ground but leaving her torso against him. He put his free hand over her heart and recited the spell again, transferring some more of his energy to her.

She awoke and sat up with a large gasp and instinctively reached for her neck. He stopped her hand before she could reach it. “It’s healing.”

“I.” She looked away with her eyes for a minute and then met his gaze again. “I do not know. I just couldn’t bear thinking that something had happened to you. That you weren’t coming back.”

“No, I think you do not
want
me to know you.” She sat up so that she was almost level with him, tilting her head slightly. “Why? Why do you not want me to know you?” her last words brought down to a whisper.

She slid her hand onto his cheek and brought her face closer to his, still leaning against him. She felt his muscles tense below his leather vest and straps. Alannah looked at his face, into his grey eyes that were looking at her longingly, burning with a passion that she had not seen before. His dark hair which looked blue by the fire tickled the back of her hand that lay on his face.

He pulled her tight to him, sliding his hand onto her face and kissing her fiercely. The feel of his lips on hers released the wave of feelings she had been trying to suppress. She held him back just as tightly as if they could possibly merge both of their bodies. She kissed him in return, running her hands through his hair, along his back, forgetting everything. There was no Venator-Animus, there was no Kaleb, there was no Satyr trying to kill her or a master sorcerer trying to declare war on the fae. There was only them. There was only that moment.

He eased his hold on her and pulled back slightly, kissing her chin and then on her neck avoiding her new injury. She leaned her head back reveling in the trail of fire he left in his wake. Her fingers still tangled in his black tresses. He brought his face back to look at her. Her eyes clearer than any emerald he had ever seen, her fair skin, a sharp contrast to her brown hair. Her pink lips slightly parted as if awaiting his.
She does know me
. He thought to himself. He tried to distance himself but he could not. Not from her. Not from the one person who made him feel as if there was nothing else in the world that mattered.

“We need to get your energy back up.” He said brushing his lips lightly against hers. “The bit that I gave you can sustain you for a while but you need to eat something before you weaken again.” He never took his eyes off of hers, caressing her face and jaw as he spoke to her.

“I suppose so.” She didn’t want to stop. She wanted the world to fade away again. She wanted that feeling she just had. But after the last attack on her she knew she could not risk being in a weakened state. She slowly released her grip of him, bringing her legs underneath her so that she was kneeling. Alannah removed her pack and the food that she had put back in when she went to look for him.

Brennus stood, speaking some words out loud and then with a motion of his hand the clearing was concealed.

~
Chapter
30~