The Drifting (13 page)

Curious, I wait while she takes another breath.  It seems like she’s trying to work herself up to something and I feel I’m not going to like it.

Taking a breath, she starts slowly, “I understand why you needed to bring me here, why you kept Lucas’ death from me.”  Damn.  An uneasy feeling starts at the pit of my stomach. 

She continues, “I should be pissed at you…but honestly, I’m just too tired.  You have to understand, Tharin, that the only parents I can remember were my uncle and aunt.  The only true sense of the word ‘family’ that I know is what I had with Lucas, and what I have with Julia and Marilyn.” 

She pauses and when she begins to sway, I reach out forgetting I can’t touch her.  She puts her hand on the kavi’s trunk to steady herself before continuing.  “My reason for being here is gone, Tharin.  I came for Lucas, not to marry a prince.  But even Lucas tells me I need to go through with the wedding – to save Velesi and its people.  But here’s the thing.  I don’t know if I can.  I know that sounds selfish, but I think it’s only fair that you know where I’m coming from…how I feel about all of this.”

Lifting her chin she says determinedly, “I will marry you, Tharin.  I will do what I have to do to save your realm, but I have three conditions and I know you’ll honor them.  The first, I want to set my brother’s soul free from this Demus place.  I want you to help me get this Falsad to release his body.  I can’t do it alone, so I need your help.

“Second, I want to be there when you kill Harlu.  It’s his fault my brother is dead.”  She chokes back a sob, but she goes on, determined that I hear her demands. 

“And last, when all is done, when we do what we have to do to save Velesi, I want to go home.  I don’t belong here, Tharin.  There’s nothing here for me.”  She’s quiet for a moment and I can see she’s thinking about her next words.  “Velesi will be saved and you will be free to be with Kalis.  I know that she’s the real reason why you didn’t tell me of Lucas’ death.  I know what I am to you…I’m a means to an end.”

She stands for a minute looking about, not knowing I’m standing only inches from her.  “I want to go home, Tharin…where I belong.”  With one last look, she turns and walks away without a backward glance.

What just happened?  Damn it!  What the
hell
just happened?  I’m stunned and for a moment I’m
at a
lost on what to do next.  Frustration eats at my chest and I feel my anger rising.   

“Hmmm.  I’m guessing you had planned for that to go a little differently, huh?”

I turn to find Ziri leaning up against the kavi trunk.  He’s far enough around it that Lily wouldn’t have seen him there, but she was close enough for him to hear everything she had to say.  I give him a hard look and in return he gives me a cocky grin.

“I don’t know,” he continues lifting his hands.  “The world must be coming to an end if the great Tharin Lunar is not only turned away by a woman, but by his own betrothed, future queen of Velesi.”  The mocking laughter behind his words chips at me, but I turn back to look after Lily.

Ziri walks up to stand beside me also looking after Lily.  He takes an exaggerated sigh, “Don’t worry, Tharin.  I’ll keep a good eye on her.  I mean, what’s not to look at, right?”

I continue to ignore him, thinking about what Lily said.  She said Lucas told her that she needs to go through with the wedding.  Did she mean to say Sema wanted her to go through with the wedding?  That’s probably who she meant. After all, she’s in shock over Lucas’ death. 

I mentally kick myself…I should have told her sooner, about everything.  My feelings for her, about Kalis, about Lucas, Julia…

Julia.  I moan inwardly.  If I could feel the kavi tree I would bang my head against it.  Everything that has to do with Lily just keeps piling up.  Once Lily finds out what I’m putting Julia through for Lily’s sake, she’s going to kill me.

Everything that’s happened has finally taken its toll on
Lily
.  I need to give her some space, let her work through her loss.  Not that I have any choice thanks to Ka.  Stubbornly, I make up my mind that I would be here for
her
.  I don’t care what the old elf said. 

Her last request weighs heaviest on my mind.  She wants to go home.  But her home is with me.  She only wants to go back because she thinks I’m in love with Kalis.  I’m going to have to fix that and soon. 

“Ziri,” I call without looking at him.  He turns to me with a raise brow and sardonic grin, “What?”

I turn to look him in the eye, “Keep her safe.”

Taken aback by my request, Ziri is quiet, his mocking manner gone.  After a moment, he nods.  I leave him standing there, looking after me as I call for Ka to return me to my body…and away from Lily.

~ * ~

Chapter
Eight

~
Tharin
~

We met up with Phoris, Alorn and Mellis at Mili’s place.  It was good to see both Mellis and Alorn on their feet again, thanks to the old healer.  Mili is one of the six remaining Ancients, but according to Ka she’s now one of eight.  Standing at six-foot-one, Mili’s slender build is described by many as “willowy.”  With a cranky temperament that rivals an angry ogre, her features make up for her shortcomings…she is stunning.  Unlike the other Ancients, Mili doesn’t seem to age.  Her dark skin has a soft tone to it, like that of the dark ballam cocoa, her hair reaches her ankles and is always kept in a long braid that hangs down her back like a thick silver rope.  Although her hair is completely grey, her brows and lashes are as dark as a raven’s feather.  She is one of the few full-blooded Noloks left in Velesi, an ancestry that goes far beyond Velesi’s existence.

Mili is examining Julia, who hasn’t said a word since we left the clearing near the doorway.  From the time we left our small shelter to the time of our arrival here, the distance between Julia and Tolan has grown…leaving my brother distracted with worry.

“She’ll be all right, Prince Tolan.  Nothing a good rest and some food can’t fix,” says Mili as she pulls the cover over Julia’s shoulders.  As she rises off the bed, Tolan takes her place next to Julia.  He sits holding Julia’s hand, rubbing it gently.  Julia doesn’t react to his touch, her eyes open and distant. 

I think of Lily’s own mourning over Lucas.  Julia and Lily handle their grief in their own ways:  Lily cries privately.  Julia doesn’t cry, but buries her pain deep, not caring who knows.  I worry about Julia the most.  Tolan told me about the disappearance of her mother, about her stepfather and stepbrother’s treatment of her.  I suspect she’s been able to keep it together because of her bond with Lily.  As for Tolan, he hasn’t spoken a word to me since I told Julia that Lily was dead.

The old healer takes hold of my arm and leads me out of the room.  As we enter the next room, Mellis and Phoris stand.  Alorn has been standing looking out into the night since hearing of the situation with Lily and Julia.  Even Mellis seems to withdraw from me.  As for Phoris, well, he has a better understanding of what’s going on and why I had to deceive Julia the way I did.  Yet, even he seems to have a hard time looking me in the eye.

Phoris asks as we enter the room, “How is she, Mili?”

“How do you think she is?” snaps Mili turning to give me a withering look.  “Why you agreed to this stupid scheme of Ka’s is beyond cruelty.  How can you put that poor girl through this?  I haven’t seen that much scarring on a young soul since the days after the rendering.  Shame on Ka for thinking of such a plan, and shame on you for going through with it.”  I let the healer have her say.  She’s only voicing what everyone else in the room is thinking.

“It’s the only plan we have to keep Lily safe, to make sure that Eathos and his minions are convinced she’s dead.” I answer, defending myself.

“Humph,” grunts Mili as she turns away from me.  “You take too many liberties with others to gain your own goals, Prince.”

“Say what you will, Mili, but I do this for Velesi.  Besides, you don’t know what Ka is capable of,” I answer quietly.

She turns on me once again saying, “Oh, I know what he’s capable of.”  She’s quiet, shaking her head as if speaking to herself, “I know too well what he’s capable of, Tharin.”  She turns to all of us and warns, “Keep your wits about you when you’re around him.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s on our side, but don’t be fooled to believe that he and Sema are just Ancients like me…they’re not.”  She turns and walks out of the room.

I recall the moment Tolan and I first arrived with Julia.  When we told Mili about Ka and his wife, she nearly fell over.  If it weren’t for Phoris, she would have hit the floor stunned by our news.   

I look back at my cousins and all but Alorn stand watching me, waiting.  I don’t make them wait long.  “Mellis, what have you heard from the Tower?” I ask, hoping to dispel the uneasiness in the room.

“Word has reached the
tower
of
Lily
’s passing.  I’m sure it won’t take long before it reaches Falsad and Harlu, if they haven’t already heard from this Eathos you spoke of,” he replies solemnly.

“Alorn,” I call, bringing him back to us from his distant thoughts.  He looks over at me as I ask, “Can you remember sensing anything off about anyone in the Tower?  Especially those close to Thilthen?”

“No,” he answers.  Sighing, he walks over to stand next to Mellis.  After a moment of thought, he says, “If what Ka told you about a demon in disguise as a Sidhe is true – then you, Thilthen or I would have discovered him long before now.  Eathos might be able to deceive you and me, Tharin, but not the king.  Whoever this Eathos is, he’s powerful.”

I nod in agreement, “Supposedly Eathos has been here before and almost tore apart the realm.  Which I have to believe was during the time of the Great War, and if he’s returned, it would stand to mean that he was banished to the UnderRealm.”

“That could explain how he’s able to have access to dark artifacts like the Sheni Bells and the Lorelei Cord,” adds Phoris.

“The question is,” asks Mellis, “who let him out?”

I shake my head, thinking about someone else coming into the picture.  Mellis is right, if Eathos was imprisoned in the UnderRealm, who would have the knowledge to free him and be powerful enough to do it?  “I don’t know.  First thing’s first – Lily.  We have to draw attention away from her until the Seating.”

“And if we can’t?” asks Alorn.

“Then she’ll be exposed and hunted.  Eathos will use her to get to Eirrell, destroying Velesi,” I reply.  I face Phoris’ questioning look.  “No, cousin, I don’t know his reasons for wanting to destroy the realm.  It could just be because he’s as evil as Ka says he is.”

“Even if he has her, only the Oak Clan Summoner knows the summoning to locate the opening.  Lily may be the key, but without my father or me, it’s pointless to have either.”

“You’re right,” I answer, “but who’s to say Eathos doesn’t already know the summoning to locate the doorway.”

“No, Tharin,” answers Phoris adamantly.  “It has been a well-kept secret handed down from Summoner to Caller in our line since Mikas.”

“Let’s hope so, Phoris.” I say earnestly.  Making a decision, “I will head back with you, Alorn, Tolan and Julia,” I announce.  Looking at Mellis, “I have a mission for of you.  I want you to find someone.”

Alorn moves in, now alert.  He remains quiet as Mellis asks, “Who?”

“Lily.”

“I’m going with him,” says Alorn.  He isn’t asking.

I look at my cousin and know why he feels he needs to find Lily.  Alorn is a warrior and  fourth in line to the throne, but doesn’t care about such things.  Instead, he has always been at my side, and his quiet ways speak volumes of his dedication to his duty.  He is a Sidhe warrior by all that it means and stands for – but when he was badly hurt and on the brink of death, it was Lily who saved his life.  Not me, not Tolan or Phoris or Mellis, but a five-foot-one girl who weighs no more than a feather in his powerful arms.  His code of honor dictates he owes her a debt.  And no one, including me, will keep him from paying it.

It would be the first time ever that Alorn would disobey my orders should I refuse him to go with Mellis.  I look at his determined face, and even though Mellis would be able to handle the task on his own, I give Alorn a nod.  He releases a breath and everyone in the room seems to breathe once again.

“I don’t know where exactly she is,” I say to Alorn, “but she has to be close by.  Sema has a shield around them, so it may take you a minute to find them.  The area that Ka sent me to is surrounded by kavi trees, so it has to be near the doorway.  Start there.”