Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (36 page)

She tracked Kei as he drew ever closer,
her heart speeding up in her chest. He passed in front of them, continued south,
and then came back toward them before suddenly stopping.

She reined in the horse, trying to judge
where Damon had landed. Ahead slightly, and to the south. Heading toward the
dark outline of another low hill, she struggled to keep calm. Rushing headlong
to a dragon wouldn't be smart, no matter how much she wanted Kei back.

Thoughts tumbled about her closely
guarded mind. By the time she reached the hill and pulled the horse to a stop,
her neck ached from tension. Slipping to the ground, she rolled her shoulders
and tipped her head to each side, trying to loosen up. Grabbing a leather
hobble from the pack, she fastened the ends to the horse's front legs so it
wouldn't wander off. Bo's idea, they'd lost enough horses before, and here in
the fields they didn't even have anything to tie it off to.

Brushing off her hands, she turned to
Baelan. "I don't suppose you want to stay with the horse?"

"Do I have a choice?"

She scowled. "Of course you do. I
just think it would be best if you stayed here."

"I will come."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."
Shaking her head, she started to make her way around the side of the hill.

Despite not wanting to hurry, her feet
picked up speed. Kei was so close. It'd been so long since she'd seen him and
her entire being ached to have him by her side again. Roan spoke of need and want.
She certainly wanted Kei back and almost believed she did actually need him.
Her brother, her best friend, though not mated, they were still bonded. Perhaps
being human, it affected her more.

Light ahead distracted her. Slowing, she
stopped suddenly. The dragon had made a nest, cutting out a huge section of the
hill. It looked like a giant hand had just swiped the dirt to the side. A fire
burned not far from the new dirt wall, a few huge pieces of a dead tree set to
the side.

Beyond the dancing flames, the massive
dragon curled on the ground by the fire, his monstrous head resting on a
forearm. Searching the area, she saw no sign of Kei.

A muffled noise made her turn, and she
met Baelan's wide eyes. He glanced to the dragon, and then back to her, appearing
to be at a total loss for words.

I did say you should stay with the
horse.

I…that's…but…

Keep back,
she ordered.
Try not to get his attention. It's unlikely he'll hurt me.

Turning back to Damon, she once again
searched for Kei. She could feel him, and knew he was close. Ignoring the
frightened Elf beside her, she began walking forward. She couldn't bring
herself to care how Baelan felt and certainly wouldn't try to comfort him.
Hopefully he wouldn't be with her for long.

After half a dozen steps, her feet froze
in place as her gaze met Damon's.

Slowly, he moved, pushing himself up
onto four legs. Her breath lodged in her throat as he towered above her. She
didn't fear him. His enormous size simply stole her breath away.

Tilting her head up, she put her hands
on her hips. "Where is Kei?"

Here. Where are your manners?

Grimacing, she tipped her head slightly.
"Hello, Damon."

And greetings to you, Arowyn.
He turned his
head slightly.
I see you have a new companion.

Cursing under her breath, she could only
watch as Damon took a few steps forward, all he needed once he craned his neck
forward and down. Stopping a short distance from the Elf who had so foolishly
followed her, a grin spread across his dragon face.

Baelan stiffened. His brows drew
together as he stared up at the dragon face so very close to his own. A muscle
in his jaw ticked and his fingers curled into tight fists at his sides.

For a long moment, nothing else happened
and she let out a brief sigh of relief. Too soon. Baelan suddenly dropped to
his knees, fingers clutching at his head.

Damon. Damon!
She struggled
not to take a step forward and to control the wisps of rising anger within her.
Please stop,
she finished more calmly.

The dragon snorted and turned his head
to look at her.
I understand now. I had wondered how it would be with Shael
now gone. You have replaced one broken Elf with another.

The anger pushed harder. "He hasn't
been replaced," she snapped.

Damon pulled back, settling on his hind
legs.
Of course he has. Did you really think your prince would return to
you?

"Yes, he will," she answered
quietly.

Always such a foolish child. He has no
reason to.

Her mouth opened and then snapped closed
angrily. There was no point in arguing with him.

You may find him to be a bit unstable,
the dragon
continued.

What?

Though, you aren't exactly…
He trailed off
and gave her a knowing look.

Mouth tightening in anger, she didn't
have a chance to reply.

Perhaps you are a good match.

"What!" She sputtered, both
shocked and furious at the idea. Her eyes flicked to Baelan as he stumbled back
to his feet. She hoped he'd missed that conversation, but couldn't tell when
Damon spoke only to her or both of them. She sent just to Baelan,
Can you
kill him?

Are you insane?
Baelan stared
in wide-eyed terror at the dragon towering over them.

Damon roared with what could only be
draconic laughter.
When will you learn, child? Enough with such useless
thoughts. I am not your enemy. Even if I was, you could never destroy me.
Nothing on this world can. Not even the Enai could kill a dragon.

Any?

En-Ai,
he enunciated slowly.
Those who created your magical friends and turned this barren rock into a
world.
His voice deepened,
Also those who created the Vor. The mistake,
or madness, of one. Through trickery, the dragons who had been attracted to
their powerful world were sent here, trapped here!

She didn't really care about the history
lesson. Disappointment overran her anger for a moment. Certainly they had some
weakness? Shaking her head slightly, she pushed those thoughts aside.
"Where. Is. Kei?"

The sudden appearance of a large taloned
fist made her jerk in surprise. The fist lowered and the talons slowly
uncurled. Kei's limp body rolled off and across the ground.

Without thinking, she ran to his side,
dropping to her knees and pushing him over onto his back.

Even in the firelight the paleness of
his skin shocked her. His closed eyes were so dark it looked like he had two
black eyes. Shaggy hair matted around his pale face. She brushed it aside with
shaking fingers. "Kei? Kei!"

Leaning down, she pressed her ear to his
chest.

Damon snorted. "He lives. He is
still needed."

"What have you done?" Her
voice came out a cracked whisper as she took Kei's cool face in her hands.
"Kei? Wake up. I'm here."

"Now he is broken, as he was meant
to be."

Her head shot up. "He already was!"

"Not enough. What I have done was
foretold. His mind is now shattered…and you will now heal him. You will make
him stronger than he was before. His new strength will–"

"You rotting bastard," she
snarled. The little remaining fury within her sprang free. With its wild anger
rushing through her, she pushed to her feet and lunged at the dragon. Reason
left her. All she wanted to do was take revenge for what he'd done to Kei.

Arms wrapped around her waist, jerking
her to a stop. Screaming in fury, she struggled against them.

Damon’s amused laugh filled her mind and
she screeched curses at him.

Not now,
Baelan said
softly.

Finally jerking out of the Elf's grasp, she
spun and smacked him across the face. "Do not ever do that again."

Yet his words calmed her and brought
sense back to her mind. Lowering his head, he stepped back. Turning, her hands
trembled as she dropped down beside Kei once more.

"Wake up," she whispered.
Pulling him into her arms, she buried her face in his dirty hair. "Please,
Kei."

"It will take more than that,"
Damon said into the quiet.

Shifting, she turned to glare at him. "Why
would you do this? You aren't Fey!"

He regarded her
for a while before lowering his head closer. "Years ago, I held that book
in my hands for a short time. I merely flipped through it then, but later…later
I took the time to go back in my memories and read what I could. What I learned
there, involves me and my kind."

She shook her
head in confusion as she continued to try to revive her friend. "What are
you talking about?"

"Part of
one prophecy says 'and the dragons are singing'. To me, this means more than
you could ever know." He paused a moment. "I am not your enemy,
Arowyn. Because of Kei, I now understand much more than I did before and know
what I must do to ensure the future I want comes to pass."

"The future
you want?"

"Where the
dragons sing," he said absently, looking off into the distance. "I
will gather those of us who remain, and we will support the Fey in the battle
to come. It will take some time, but do not think I will not spare time to
ensure the prophecy follows the correct path." When she stared at him
blankly, he continued, "You will see more of me, little one."

"Go rot. I
don't want to see you again."

"What you
want matters not," he replied. Rearing back, he spread his massive wings.

As they pounded
down and he launched himself toward the sky, she bent over Kei, trying to
protect him from the sudden blast of wind and dirt.

When the air
once again calmed, she leaned back and looked to the sky, but couldn't see
where the dragon had gone.

Baelan flopped
to the ground and put his head in his hands.

For some reason,
a flash of guilt for hitting him rushed through her. Clearing her throat, she
turned her attention back to Kei. "Did he do much damage?"

The Elf sighed.
"I'll be fine."

"He…" She
paused, her dislike for him warring with the part of her who wanted to be kind.
"He's done that to me. I… I always just built my walls stronger."

"Can you
keep him out now?"

"I really
don't know," she admitted. "I just threaten to fight him to the
death. He wants me alive, so that seems to work."

She heard
Baelan's soft snort of disbelief but kept her attention on Kei, gently stroking
his face and hair. Closing her eyes, she found him within her and tried to
reach him, to let him know she was there. She shook and pulled and screamed,
trying to reach him through the terrifying numbness.

When a hand
gently covered one of hers, she snapped back to herself and opened her eyes.

Kei stared up at
her, pupils wide and unfocused.

"I'm
here," she whispered.

He blinked and
his brows furrowed. "He's…gone."

She nodded,
words sticking in her throat as she struggled to keep her composure.

"We'll not
be parted again," Kei whispered, his voice hoarse and each word coming
slowly.

"Never again," she agreed,
holding him tightly.

Pulling back, he grasped her face with
his hands, staring wildly into her eyes. "Not until death."

"Yes, Kei," she said softly.
The wildness faded and he fell back into her.

"Come on," she said gently.
"Let's go home."

Unfocused eyes sought hers as she pulled
Kei up with her. The confusion in them tore her apart. He was so…broken. But
then, that's what they were…the broken ones.

"Aro," he said quietly.
"It's almost time." Leaning heavily against her, his shaking hand found
hers. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready," she answered
with a wavering smile, knowing he meant it was finally time to begin healing
the Fey.

Trembling, he crumpled against her.
Baelan took a step toward them, but stopped when she shook her head.

"I'll fix you," she choked
out, holding her Fey tightly.

Golden eyes met hers. "I
know."

Arowyn's tale continues in the next book, Broken
Kei!

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If you enjoyed The Broken Ones
don't miss Tales of Ever!

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A few months ago, I was a normal girl. Life
sucked, and just like everyone else, I took the simple things for granted. At
least until I got this new power, a "gift" my mom called it.
Apparently, I'm a firestarter. I didn't want to be. I didn't ask to be. It
would be cool if it wasn't so dangerous and I knew how to control it. When an
uncle I'd never heard of showed up to take care of me after my mom died, I
should have been grateful. As it turned out, my whole family isn't normal and
more than a little bit crazy. I thought things couldn't get any worse. I was
wrong.

They banished me to Ever.