Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (14 page)

When they awoke one day to find another
storm had rolled in, Bo took that as a sign to spend more time with Elaina.

Aro didn't mind, their wandering days had
taken up a lot of her practice time. When Bo finished his chores and headed out,
she continued to practice. Her blades flew as she thought of Kei. His pain
remained a lingering reminder of his absence.

She’d still heard nothing from Damon on
when Kei would be returned, or anything from Prince, either.

Whipping a dagger, she growled in
frustration. It was hard not to think about him. Walking to her target, she
jerked out the blades and put them away. The need to do something suddenly overwhelmed
her.

She'd told Hale she'd visit and liked
the idea the more she thought about it. Though genuinely interested in seeing
what other weapons he wanted to show her, she had ulterior motives. Perhaps
they could talk various Vor species and what might be most helpful to her. The
large Vor she'd encountered before hadn't been as large as a dragon, but any
weapon used effectively against it might work well.

Closing her eyes, she pressed a hand to
heart.

I miss you, Kei.

Set on her task, she dressed for the
weather and headed for the blacksmith's shop. With the driving wind, she knew
they wouldn't be working outside today.

Hale greeted her with a surprised, but
warm smile.

"I didn't think you'd come."

Stepping in the door, she threw back her
hood. "When you tempt me with weapons? Of course I would."

His head tilted to the side as he smiled
and regarded her thoughtfully as she removed her hat and gloves. "You look
better."

"I told you I was fine." In
the days since he'd stopped her in the street, her hands had healed and her
swollen lip returned to normal. A little boost of Fey power sped things up. Of
course, being in a human city, she now dealt with the annoyance of keeping her
healing powers hidden.

"Well, let me show you what we have,
then."

He led to the back room and then
surprisingly through the next door. It didn't go to their quarters as she'd
thought, but a long workroom. She looked around, intrigued at the weapons and
drawing and crafting implements spread over walls and tables.

"Would you like something to
drink?"

She nodded, wandering to a wall to look
at a collection of swords hanging there.

He moved across the room to a side table.
"You know, my brother thinks I should stay away from you."

She laughed and turned to face him.
"My brother said the same about you."

Sharing a conspiring grin, she found
herself relaxing.

"Hmm, whiskey or whiskey?"

"That's fine."

He brought over two small glasses.
Apparently, Bo wasn't that strange after all for having some. As they slowly
sipped, he walked her around the room, pointing out the various weapons and
their attributes.

"Why are you here?"

He paused, head tipping to the side.
"In Westport?"

"Yes. Shouldn't you be running in
the woods?"

He turned away and shrugged. "The
Were need metal goods. We supply them."

As she'd thought. "You like doing
this, then? Why don't they have a smithy in one of the settlements?"

"Supplies, mainly. Though we like
to keep an eye on the humans. Make sure they aren't planning to move their
borders, that sort of thing."

She nodded. Humans always wanted more
space, more land, more wood. More everything.

"I don't mind it here. You can get
used to anything, I guess." He smiled weakly. "Being low in our
social order, I'll likely be here a while."

Prince once told her of how packs worked,
with the most powerful being the alpha and how Were each had a place in the
pack. She knew when Garen lost the ability to shift, his place dropped
considerably. "I'm sorry," she finally said.

"Nothing to be sorry for. It is how
it is." Hale leaned back against a table. "So…anything you
like?"

She didn't argue when he changed the
subject. "What do you have that I could use against the Vor?"

He coughed into his drink. "You
are
going back?"

"I am. Come spring." She
smiled wryly. "I've Fey to heal. I've fought the Vor before, so don't
doubt I will again."

"But…the king," he said
quietly.

She made a face. "I'll deal with
that when the time comes. So… Vor?"

He looked away and she wondered what he was
thinking. Perhaps he talked to someone else. So far, he hadn't tried to mind
speak with her. For all she knew, he hadn't found out she could. She didn't
completely trust him, not yet, so didn't share the information, or that her dog
was one of his kind.

"What have you faced so far?"

The rest of the morning they spent in
discussion, about types of Vor, how to kill them, and what possible weapons she
could use. As noon passed, they sat at a table, heads together while they spoke
rapidly as Hale made notes. The whiskey bottle in front of them became lighter.

She found herself swaying in her seat
and laughed. "Time for me to head home."

He looked up and out a window. "The
day has certainly gone by quickly."

"So it has." She grinned.
"Good conversation."

"And good company."

"That, too." She stood,
catching her balance on the table. Maybe she shouldn't have had that last
drink. Or two.

He walked her to the door. She grimaced
at the howling wind as she donned her hat and gloves.

"Can you come by tomorrow? I'll
talk to my brother about some of these ideas. I can let you know what he
says."

"I can. Not sure when,
though."

"Anytime is fine."

When he opened the door for her, she
smiled over at him. "Thank you, for your time and…everything."

"Don't thank me yet. You might not
like what we make for you."

She rolled her eyes and stepped out.
"I’m sure I will. See you tomorrow."

The walk home froze her face, even
though it wasn't too far. An empty house proved Bo and Garen hadn't yet come
back from the tavern. Cold and tipsy, she stoked the fires, curled up on the
couch, and fell asleep.

Chapter 14

No Choice at All

Aro sat on the couch, staring at the
fire. Bo had not been impressed the night before when she'd missed meeting them
for dinner or the reason why. He still didn't trust the blacksmiths. Her
argument that she had no reason not to trust them, and the Were had been good
to them so far, didn't go over well. She didn't ask, but from Bo's rising anger
and irritation, she assumed Garen took her side. He'd stomped off to bed,
telling her to do whatever she wanted.

It had been a long night. Despite her
whirling thoughts, she'd eventually fallen asleep on the couch, back into
nightmares. When she woke in the morning, he and Garen had already left.

Putting her face in her hands, she took
a long breath. Fighting with her boys tore her up inside, but sometimes they
just didn't want to listen. Was she being unreasonable?

With everything going on inside her head,
perhaps she wasn't thinking clearly. Anger, fear, and worry over Kei, Prince,
and the future nearly overwhelmed her. She hated the helpless feeling clawing
at her insides. She hated the hopelessness that pulled at her heart and stole
her breath away. The uncertainty, not knowing what she should be doing, drove
her crazy.

She didn't have any answers. The only
thing she'd decided on was to prepare herself as best she could for whatever
the future held.

Finally, she rose and made herself
presentable. Checking both of the fires, she then bundled up and walked out
into the dying storm.

Hale greeted her in the shop once again,
though she surprisingly found his brother also waiting in the larger back room.
While Hale chattered on about designs, she felt Laek's eyes on her and shifted
uncomfortably. He hadn't spoken, and she wondered why he was there.

When Hale eventually wound down, she
glanced over at the other Were.

He shifted, noticing her questioning
look, and stepped closer. "You're most interested in weapons for the
larger Vor. Why is that?"

Her brows drew together at the strange
question. "I can fight with daggers, a sword, and bow. Those kill the smaller
Vor just fine."

"The Were will handle the
Vor."

She snorted. "I'm sure they will.
But we've stumbled on them before, and by the time the Were arrived we'd
already had to engage."

"What you should be worrying about
are the Vor-ai."

The name sounded familiar, but she
couldn't remember who told her about them. "The smart ones." She
paused, trying to remember. "They turn into fog?"

Laek nodded. "Fog, mist. You can't
touch them, but they can certainly kill you. Suck the life right out of you.
You can only kill them when they are in solid form, which isn't often."

"A weapon won't be any use with
them, then," she pointed out.

"No, but the Fey can bind
them."

"I don't see the problem," she
said, wondering why he'd brought it up. She'd have Kei, and once back in the
forest, likely a number of other Fey around as well.

"It's been five centuries. How old
are the ones you've found? Even if you heal those from before the fall, will
they remember how to bind them?"

She had absolutely no idea.
"I'll…see what I can find out about that." Not much of a response,
but it was the best she could come up.

His frown showed what he thought of her
answer. He looked her up and down for a moment and then moved to stand between
her and Hale. Shifting the papers around, he selected a few pages and then
pointed at a weapon on each. "These would be best for your size and
skill." He glanced over at her. "Since you're still alive, I'm
assuming you're moderately capable."

She gritted her teeth. "I am."

"Where is the Fey?"

His sudden question surprised her.
"He left."

"To go where?"

"I don't know where he is," she
snapped.

"So how–"

"He'll be back in the spring."

"Brother, enough." Hale gave
her an apologetic smile. "You know a Fey wouldn't do well in a city."

"True," Laek admitted
grudgingly.

"Are you done with the
questions?"

The oldest Were stared at her for a long
moment. "For now." With that, he turned and left.

"Please forgive my brother. He
isn't very trusting of humans."

"I'm feeling rather foolish for
trusting you," she stated bluntly, rising to her feet angrily.

Hale rose hastily and reached out a
hand. "Aro, please. I want to help you."

The sincerity in his voice, as well as written
all over his face, made her pause. Could she trust him? She wanted to. If she
walked away now, what would that accomplish? She looked down at the drawings.
"Can you teach me how to use these?"

The surprise on his face made her smile,
but also wonder if she was asking too much. "I can pay. Or if you can
direct me to–"

"No," he interrupted. "I
can show you." A grin lit his face. "I thought you didn't trust
me."

She shrugged and smiled in amusement.
"I need to learn these things. Trust can be overrated."

"Very true," he said solemnly,
though his eyes danced with laughter. "Come by in a few days. They won't
be ready yet, but there are some things we can work on."

"Good enough."

He walked her out, and with a wave, she stepped
out into the snowy streets. She stopped once, the feeling of being watched
again crawling down her back. Looking around, she saw only a few people out,
and none paid any attention to her, so continued on her way.

Pausing by the tavern, she braced her
shoulders and headed inside. Even if she didn't agree with Bo, he was family.

∞ ∞ ∞

"You be careful," Bo lectured
as they walked down the street.

"I'm always careful," she
grumbled. Things were better between them now. The day before, they'd even
headed down to the docks again. They still hadn't found out anything about her
brothers but had made progress with the regulars and bartenders. Stopping by
their chosen taverns often now resulted in more people talking to them. Of
course, the topics ranged from the unseasonable amount of storms to the
celebration the prince planned for the upcoming winter solstice in a few weeks.

She found talk of the pirate Roan rather
fascinating. He'd taken over the lower city and was mentioned in almost every
conversation. He provided work and order. His ships came, left, or didn't, due
to the weather. Yet, there was an undercurrent of awe and fear in those who
spoke of him. Not all the gossip spoke of pleasant things. Some spoke of him
fighting with the other so-called rulers of the darker parts of the city,
others of fierce and bloody retribution to those who did not obey him. Not much
was spoken about him personally, other than he was a superb fighter and had a
commanding presence. The dock district of the city belonged to him, and though
many had seen him, or so they said, she hadn't yet. Though curious, the more she
heard, the less she actually wanted to meet the man.

"Are you listening?"

Bo sighed at her blank look, and Elaina
chuckled.

They hadn't gone to the docks that morning.
She'd planned on meeting up with Hale, and Elaina had talked Bo into going to
the market with her. They'd all left together, and when it turned out Hale had
gone out to run some errands, she'd decided to continue with them to the market
and try again on their way back.

Garen looked up from where he padded
along beside her.
Sometimes I wonder if you annoy him on purpose.

She held in a grin.
Sometimes I do. Was
just thinking this time, though.

Are you looking for anything today?

A good question. There wasn't really
anything she needed. She joined the others in conversation as they made their
way, and once they reached the busy market, she browsed around. People crowded
the square, enjoying the milder weather and sunshine.

She caught sight of a shop at the edge
of the market and smiled. "I'm going to the book shop. Want to come?"

When Bo gave her a wry look, she
shrugged.

I don't believe they'll allow me in
, Garen said
when she looked down at him.
Besides, we're heading to the meat stalls next.

"I won't be long."

Bo looked over at her and nodded.
"We won't be far."

The bookshop, in fact, contained very
few books, which didn't really surprise her. Likely most were in the upper
city. Browsing the few titles, a wistful longing for home came over her. Books hadn't
been scarce there. There'd been a time she'd even hated how much she had to
read for her lessons.

Nothing struck her fancy, and in a sour
mood, she headed back out to the market.

She paused outside. Looking right and
left and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she turned her attention to the
throng of people before her. It didn't take her long to spot Bo in the
distance, standing with Elaina by the meat stalls as he'd said

If you can hear me, run! Run now!

The unfamiliar voice in her mind
startled her, but she'd had enough experience to instinctively listen and
react.

Her feet exploded her forward, but she
barely made her second step before being jerked back by her cloak. The force of
her sudden stop and the cloak tightening around her neck left her gasping for
breath. She kicked back with one foot as she went for her daggers.

Someone grabbed her wrist and wrenched
her forcefully to the side, pulling her off balance. Another hand snaked around
her, grabbing her chin roughly.

"Careful now." Her attacker
stepped back, pulling her with him. "I wouldn't do that," he
whispered in her ear. His grip relaxed, his hand sliding down to her throat and
then around to painfully grasp the back of her neck.

She had to admit he was good, his hand
hidden in her hair. To onlookers they likely appeared a couple.

"What do you want?"

She was about to call for Bo when the
mystery voice spoke again.
Can you get away?

"For you to come with us. Just to
talk."

Not easily.
"Why? Who
are you?" The double conversation made it hard to concentrate on a plan of
escape.

What does he want?

Her frustration grew.
I have no idea!
To go with him. Who are you?

"I would suggest you come quietly.
We have need of you for a time. Do not look to your friend."

Look, by the woman who sells eggs.

She turned her head very slightly,
searching for the stall. At least it wasn't near Bo. When she found it, she
blinked in surprise. A man stood there, a crate held on his shoulder. He turned
slightly, so she could better see his face and then hid once more.

"That's a good girl. Now listen
carefully…"

Hale?

I didn't know you could mind speak.

Yes, well...
She was wasting
time, and her captor was still talking.

"Your friend will receive a letter,
from you, stating you have taken a ship west."

"What?"

"He is not to search for you. You
should be thankful we are being so considerate. If he interferes, he will
die." His fingers bit into her neck as he forced her to turn her head to
the left. "Look up. Two shops over. See the window?"

She did…and the arrow pointing out. Her
breath caught in her throat. It wasn't directed at her, but into the market. At
Bo. Struggling against him, the fury began to rise within her.

His grip tightened more and pain shot
down her neck. "You see the archer," he whispered. "Trained on
your friend? There are others as well. Do you understand?"

Gasping for breath, she nodded.
Hale,
he has archers. Don't…don't do anything.

Don't go with them. You can avoid the
arrows–

They're not aimed at me.
She looked out
and found Bo again. Her heart twisted, watching him talk and laugh with Elaina.

"Let's go for a walk, shall
we?" The man turned her, heading along the edge of the market, keeping a
tight hold on her wrist and hand.

She didn't fight him.
Keep Bo safe
for me, please.

Aro, don't do this!

I don't have a choice.

They…
He paused.
They aren't human.

Yes, she should have known that.
What
am I dealing with?

"Down this way."

Elves.

"Wither me," she whispered.
They headed down a side street, her heart began beating faster in her chest.
Taking a slow breath, she tried to calm herself. She would have to wait. Wait
until Bo was safe, and keep her mind closely guarded.