Arcane Enchantment (Unbreakable Force Book 2)
Read Arcane Enchantment (Unbreakable Force Book 2) Online
Authors: Kara Jaynes
Arcane Enchantment
~ Unbreakable Force Series Book 2~
by Kara Jaynes
To Elizabeth.
Thanks for your support. It means the world to me.
Adaryn has escaped the wrath of Kingsley, but her clan won't accept Aaric as one of their own until he has proved his loyalty to them. Aaric will risk everything to join the clan and gain Adaryn's hand in marriage, but will it be enough?
Table of Contents
Adaryn
“
I
can't take it anymore! I'm done. This standard of living is completely unacceptable. I don't want to live like a rover!”
I rolled my eyes at Aaric's dramatics. We had only been out in the forest a little over a week and already the man was giving up. True, we didn't have most of the luxuries he grew up with and took for granted. If I was being honest, we didn't even have most of what my clan used to get by, like tents, spare clothing and weapons for hunting. I was more than happy living off early spring berries, roots and grubs, but Aaric had . . . a more sensitive palate.
“Stop whining,” I said irritably. It had rained all night and we were both wet and cold. I’d tried to use my magic to light us a fire but the rain effectively put an end to that. I thought wistfully of my clan's tents and warm fur blankets, but shaking my head, put it stubbornly out of my mind. I’d made my choice, even if it was looking to be a little uncomfortable.
“Easy for you to say,” Aaric said miserably. “You lived your entire life eating worms and mud, but I am used to more civilized fare, such as coffee and—”
I held up a hand for silence, cutting Aaric short. I swore I heard the snap of a branch. Turning my head slowly, I strained to hear. I didn't hear the sound again.
“What are you listening for?” Aaric whispered. It sounded like a shout in the damp stillness. I glared at him.
“Nothing, now. Shades alive, when I say quiet, that means quiet!”
Aaric glowered at me in turn. “I
was
being quiet and I didn't hear a blasted thing.”
I threw my hands up in despair. “You're harder to take care of than a
baby
, Aaric!”
Aaric arched an eyebrow, giving me a sly look. “Care to test that theory?”
I laughed out loud, shocked and amused by his boldness, but I knew he was jesting. Aaric had already told me that he planned to wait until marriage. It was a custom that both our people shared.
Aaric grinned, pleased to have broken the grumpy mood. I took a good look at him. He had a smudge of mud on his forehead, his clothes were filthy and his hair was a mess.
Probably not long before it starts to look like mine,
I thought ruefully. I loved the woods, but looking at Aaric, I had to admit that unless we could get some supplies, I'd have to find him a different place to live. My brow furrowed in thought as I tried to think of a way out of our dilemma.
Aaric opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes widened with alarm at something past my shoulder.
I whirled, my arms raised to protect myself, hoping against hope Kingsley hadn't found us. I let my arms drop, knowing immediately that it wasn't an Oppressor, as a tall figure stepped out of the trees.
The man was dressed in furs and leather, his long hair pulled back by a narrow strip of cloth. His face was careworn and lined with many years. His brilliant blue eyes were usually soft, but they now shone with ice-cold hardness. I could tell from a glance that he was furious, as I knew that face better than my own.
“Hello, Father,” I said weakly.
2
Aaric
A
aric stepped forward and placed himself in front of Adaryn. “Keep behind me, Adaryn,” he said softly, ignoring her angry squawk as he looked at her father. The older man was taller, but had narrower shoulders. Aaric was pretty sure he could take him in a fight.
“Aaric!” Adaryn darted out from behind him, her eyes ablaze with indignation. “What are you doing? That's my father! You can't just—”
“Step away from the Oppressor, Adaryn,” her father said. He took another step toward them, hands raised and fingers spread. Aaric had seen Adaryn use her magic enough times to know what her father intended. He raised his fists, ready to fight.
Shooting Aaric an exasperated look, Adaryn whirled to face her father, hands on her hips.
“Father, what is the meaning of this?” She stopped speaking as another rover stepped out of the trees.
Aaric felt his heartbeat quicken as he prepared to fight for his life and possibly Adaryn's. Another rover stepped out, and another. In only a few moments, he and Adaryn were surrounded.
One of the rovers started toward Adaryn, a tall lanky man with long hair tied back in a tail. Adaryn turned to face him, bristling with anger.
“Bran, you
liar.
You said you would let Aaric be.”
Bran slowed and stopped a few paces from them. He held his hands up in a peaceful manner. “I promised I wouldn't hurt him, Adaryn, and I won't.” His brown eyes lifted to meet Aaric's, and his face hardened. “Against my better judgment, but a promise is a promise. I didn't promise I wouldn't try to find you, though.”
Bran. Aaric recognized the name, and jealousy surged through him. This was the man who loved Adaryn. He wouldn't let him have her, he thought savagely, and stepped toward her protectively. Too late, he heard sudden movement behind him. He turned to look when something slammed into the back of his head. Everything went dark.
Aaric
L
ight trickled slowly into Aaric's consciousness. He squinted his eyes shut, trying to keep it out, and sat up with a groan. He had a splitting headache. Aaric attempted to rub the spot where his head hurt the most, but couldn’t.
Opening his eyes, Aaric found he was sitting on a damp patch of grass, with his hands bound behind his back. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the rope was tied securely to a large, gnarled tree stump. He had studied knot tying several years ago, but these particular knots were foreign to him. It would take him some time to figure them out.
He went to stand, only to realize his legs were tied, too. He grunted with annoyance.
Adaryn.
Aaric frantically searched for her but she was nowhere to be seen. A man was standing close by, leaning against a tree, but after glancing at Aaric once, gave him no mind. A guard, Aaric guessed. He sat in the cold damp, and waited.
Time passed. Aaric couldn't tell what time of day it was with the sky overcast and the sun hidden, but it felt like forever before the sound of voices approached.
Two men entered the clearing. One was a gangly youth with vibrant red hair. The other was the man Adaryn called Bran. They walked up to Aaric, eying him distrustfully.
“He's alive. Looks like you didn't hit him hard enough, Donell,” Bran said, walking up to Aaric.
The red haired youth snorted. “I'll be sure to throw harder next time.”
Bran reached down and roughly untied Aaric's legs. He pulled him roughly to his feet, holding onto the rope that still bound Aaric's hands. “Walk,” he commanded, motioning in the direction from which they had come.
Aaric complied. He was beside himself with worry about Adaryn, but he knew he wasn't in any position to help her right now. He hoped she wasn’t in too much trouble with her clan for standing up for him.
Bran pushed him along, and in a few minutes they were in the nomads’ camp. It wasn't very large, but Aaric expected that. While there were a lot of rovers that lived in these woods and beyond, their clans usually comprised of just a few families.
A couple of kids ran across their path, laughing as they chased a small dog. They stopped running when they caught sight of Aaric, staring at him in open-mouthed wonder. And fear. He gave what he thought was a reassuring smile, causing the children to squeal with fright and run away.
There were several tents set up. Most were canvas, but a few looked to be leather and fur. There was a particularly large tent in the middle of the camp and it was to this one that Aaric's captors led him.
Donell went ahead of them, pushing aside the tent flap and entering. Bran and Aaric waited outside a moment longer until the red headed youth reemerged, motioning the two to go inside. Aaric took a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever might happen, and entered.
Adaryn
A
soft sigh of relief escaped my lips as Aaric came inside. He looked a little worse for wear with dried blood in his hair and his face smudged with dirt. He looked bone weary. I wanted to leap up and hug him, tell him that everything was going to be all right. But I couldn't. I was seated by my father, who was seated by the clan chief. I had managed to keep Aaric alive this long, but he was hardly out of the clan's wrath yet. I needed to secure his safety and that would require an unrelenting resolve of steel. Embracing him now could be construed as a sign of weakness.
Bran roughly seated Aaric across from the chief and my father. I silently cursed the nomad and resolved to give him the tongue lashing of a lifetime when this was over.
The clan council members were seated as well. Every eye in the room was turned onto my love. I felt a surge of satisfaction looking at Aaric. After his eyes flickered over to me, his face became unreadable. If he was frightened or on edge, he gave no sign of it. Completely unruffled, he sat there, coolly observing my father.
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Bran scowled at me. I scowled back, earning an eye roll from him.
The chief, Oisin, leaned forward a little, frowning. “So this is the Oppressor.” His voice was as emotionless as stone. “The man who kidnapped and kept one of our own captive these past months.”
“It's not like that,” I began, but a swift look from my father silenced me.
Oisin didn't even glance in my direction. “We would have killed you immediately,” he said to Aaric. “We don't believe in barbaric notions such as slavery, but we will not hesitate to protect or avenge one of our own. I have only stayed my hand because—” and here he did glance at me a moment, puzzled, before turning his full attention on Aaric once more “—one of our clan members
insisted
we show mercy.”
Insisted? I had threatened death to the first person to harm him, and would have attacked Donell if my father hadn’t intervened.
Oisin paused a moment, thinking, brow furrowed and eyes dark. “I don't know what you did to her to gain her loyalty, but I intend to find out.”
Aaric arched a quizzical eyebrow at the chief but said nothing. I stared in shock. Oisin was capable of intimidating everyone I knew, but Aaric appeared unaffected by his glowers and threats.
I smiled. Aaric caught my gaze, and his lips twitched upward before he caught himself and schooled his face back to stillness.
I quickly spoke, ignoring the shushing motions my father made. “Aaric is a reformed Oppressor.” I tried not to squirm under Oisin's dark stare. “He treated me well while I was enslaved and eventually freed me of his own will. He is a good man, and I insist that he be released from his bonds and allowed to go free.”
There were shocked murmurs from most of the men seated. I glared around the circle, feeling my face heat with anger. “He's to be set free, blast you!” Hands clenched, my fingernails dug into my palms. The magic in me boiled, anticipating release.
“Ryn, please.” My father used the nickname he and my mother had called me as a child. I turned to him, jutting my chin defiantly, and saw his face. It was twisted with pain, confusion, and disappointment. The anger drained out of me and I pushed down the magic. Guilt sluiced throug
h
me. My father didn't understand.
“Father,” I pled, hoping the desperation I felt didn't show in my voice. “I know I sound crazy but you've got to believe me when I say Aaric is different from the others. Please.”
He shook his head, and my anger stirred again. “I'm not going to let anyone hurt him, even you—”
“Let the Oppressor speak,” Oisin interrupted, motioning toward Aaric. “Adaryn insists on your innocence. Why did you free her, and what proof do you have that you aren't like your people?”
Aaric met his gaze levelly, cool gray meeting dark brown. “I freed her because I love her. I learned she wasn't safe in my city so I brought her here. She has made her affections known, and I plan to marry her. I don't have any proof save my word, and Adaryn's.”
“Who's to say you didn't torture her?” Bran spat out. “The only slaves who become . . . attached to their masters are those who are brutally treated. They do it to survive.”
Aaric's eyes flashed and he glared contemptuously at my friend. “Shows how little you know of me, rover.”
Bran surged to his feet, face red with anger at the derogatory term.
“Wait.” Bran froze when his father, Oisin, spoke. “There may be a way to test him and prove he speaks the truth.”
All eyes were on Oisin now, including mine. He was peering intently at Aaric, his fingers laced under his chin as he leaned forward.
“There is a legend among our people that when the world was wrought and the great air dragon, Vaarduu, created the sky, a fragment of the sky fell. On hitting the earth, it shattered into many pieces. These pieces are called sky jewels, and are very rare and highly sought after by magic users. It is said that a sky jewel gives incredible power to its holder.”
Aaric's face had become expressionless but his hands were clenched into fists. He said nothing. I frowned, wondering what caused his reaction.
Oisin continued speaking, not noticing any change. “If you really care for Adaryn as you say you do, you will find a sky jewel, and bring it to us. Only then will you prove your love to her. You will be adopted into our clan and may then ask Adaryn's father permission to marry. As it stands, I doubt he will allow her to do so at this moment.”
It was a custom of our people that a daughter must receive her father's approval in order to marry, and whom to marry. I had to admit, somewhat sullenly, that the women in Aaric's city had the upper hand in that custom. They were free to marry whomever they chose.
“You say legend,” Aaric spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. “How do I know these sky jewels are even real? I could be chasing after something as tangible as a moonbeam.”
“They are real,” Oisin said. His eyes locked on Aaric. “I have seen one before, but unfortunately was unable to claim it. Bring one to me, so I may protect my people.”
Aaric thought for a moment, then nodded. “Very well,” he said. “I will do as you ask. I will do it for Adaryn and return, either with the jewel or for your justice.” Our eyes met, and I felt my heartbeat quicken under his stare. Aaric’s jaw was set and a spark of determination glinted in his eye. I had no doubt he would try to find one of these jewels. My thoughts frantically swirled as my own plans started to formulate in my mind. Aaric wouldn’t go alone.
