The Drifting (52 page)

Why Kalis?  Have I hurt you that deeply you would betray me in this way? 
A
re you working for
Eathos?  Was that Eathos who help
ed you drag,
me up here?  Or was it Harlu? 
I take another deep breath as I enter the spare room. 
No…not Harlu, even though the voice sounded familiar, it wasn’t
him
. 

It
takes
me a minute to find some clothes and get dress
ed
. 
As
I
pull
a jersey over my head
,
I
hear
a low whistle from the front area.

I walk in to find Phoris, Alorn and Mellis standing at the entrance to the master bedroom.  They turn to me as I make my way to a chair, sit and pull a sock on.  Alorn moves and takes the chair next
to
me, Mellis
goes to
the sofa and Phoris remains where
he is
.  After looking at me, he turns back toward the bedroom and stops the rain in the shower areas
as he
pushes the water back.

“What has happened?” asks Alorn, straight to the point.

“Kalis,” I answer, yanking the second sock on.

“Kalis?” questions Mellis with a puzzled look.

“She drugged me, dragged me up here, stripped me of my clothes and then got into bed with me.”

“Kalis?  You’re saying Kalis did that?” This time it’s Alorn who questions me.

I stop what I’m doing and stare at them angrily.  “What’s the matter with you two?  I said it was Kalis.”

They look at each other, remaining quiet.  It’s Phoris who speaks as he comes around to sit next to Mellis.  “It couldn’t have been Kalis, Tharin,” says Phoris.  “She was with us all night.  In fact, we just left her and the others down at
the
hall after we got your call.”

I stare at all three of them, my anger now mix
ed
with frustration.  I lean forward, speaking carefully, “Alorn, you saw me walk out with Kalis.  We walked to the
Summer
Garden
to talk, I drank the simi water you gave me, and she took it from me afterward and poured it out.  I realized I had been drugged, but by then it was too late.  I was dragged up here by her and someone else.  The next thing I know I’m lying naked in bed with Kalis.  A second later, there’s Lily
, s
tanding there with a look of…damn it.  I’m telling you
, it was Kalis
.”

Alorn sits back, leaning against the chair
, Phoris shakes his head, staring
at the floor and Mellis gives a low whistle falling back into the sofa, sinking into the cushions.  He then sits back up quickly.  “You explained to Lily that you were set
up, right?”

“Of course I did,”
I say,
going back to putting on my boots.  “Or I tried to.  She w
ouldn’t listen…she used her new
found abilities on me and threw me up against the door.  And she called me a
‘ho’.
” I shake my head
,
pulling on the second boot.
I stop, looking up at them and ask, “What the hell is a ‘ho’?”

We look at each other, at a lost to the meaning of the word when Phoris shrugs and answers, “A garden tool?  She called you a garden tool?”

“Maybe she’s saying you’re a tool,” offers Mellis.  Alorn looks at me, nodding in agreement.

“No,” says Phoris shaking his head.  “Under the circumstances, it might mean something cruder.  I’ll ask her when she’s had time to calm down.” He turns to me and asks,
“
You mentioned h
er new abilities?”

I shake my head before answering. 
“Yes.  And I promise you
–
Sema has done a hell of a job with her lessons with Lily.”  I tie off the last boot and lean forward, placing my elbows on my knees and cradling my head in my hands.  I can feel the headache coming on and I rub at my temples.  I look at Alorn, “Are you sure Kalis was with you all night.”

Alorn nods, thinking out loud, “I wonder if it was Eathos who was really with you.  Because ten minutes after you walked out with her, Kalis
returned
not
as
tipsy as she was when she left with you.  I figured you had given her some of the simi water.  And once she sat down, she never left.”

“She did seem surprise
d
to see everyone when she sat down,” remark
s
Mellis.

“Or it really was Kalis with you
,
and it was Eathos who’s been with us all night,” adds Phoris.

“
Eathos…has to be him either way,” says Alorn, rubbing at his chin.  “We’ve been unable to sense his true identity since we’ve been back. It only makes sense that it would be him.  Kalis, or the fake Kalis, was in the same room with the both of us, Tharin.  And neither of us sensed she wasn’t the real deal.  As far as we were concern
ed
it was Kalis.”

I run my hands through my hair.  I was ready to tear Kalis apart until she told me who Eathos was.  And if she’s innocent…I can’t even finish the thought.  Phoris could also be right.  Maybe it really was her and she’s working with Eathos.

“We have bigger problems,” says Phoris.  We all turn to him, “Based on what you’re telling us, Tharin, it’s only reasonable to say Eathos knows Lily is alive.  Somehow he found out that she still lives.”

I stand quickly and say to Mellis, “Where’s Milina and Glynnis?”

Mellis stands as well, “Milina is with Lily.  Not too long before you called us, we were becoming very comfortable with each other
when
she
suddenly said
Lily needed her.  I was about to go with her, but she said Lily was more distraught than in physical danger.”

I nod, “Good.  And Glynnis?”

Alorn, now standing,
says
, “She left.  When Tolan and Ziri made to leave earlier
,
Ziri pulled Glynnis after them.  I haven’t seen her since.”

“I’ll talk to Milina.  We camp out in Lily’s suites,” I instruct as I head for the door. 

When we round the corner where my
parent
s
’
suites are located, Milina is waiting outside for us.  She puts her finger to her lips and whispers, “She’s in bed
,
but not quite asleep despite being exhausted. 
I gave her something to help her sleep.
She’s in and out.”  She gives me a steady look, “I’m afraid you have upset her, my prince.  If it weren’t for the fact that you are my liege, I would have had no choice but to slit your throat.  And even though she seriously thought about it, I told her I couldn’t.”

I give her an arch
ed
look, saying, “Thanks, I appreciate that.  Is Glynnis here?”

“Yes,
she returned a moment ago.  S
he’s inside the bedroom with her.”

“Tell her to move into your room, you included.  I’ll be in the room with Lily.”  I turn to Alorn, Mellis and Phoris.  “You three take the living room.”

I turn back to Milina, “It looks like Lily’s presence has been discovered.  We can’t take any chances until the Seating tomorrow morning.  Stay alert.”  She nods at me and moves to the side to let me in.  As I walk in, Glynnis walks out of the master bedroom and I notice the solemn look on her face.   

I walk
past
her and quietly open the bedroom door.  I can hear Lily breathing softly, and I make my way to her bed.  I sit close to her
,
not making a sound or causing the bed to move
and
I gently move her hair aside.  Damn you
,
Eathos, I curse, letting out a hard breath.  Lily moves and turns to her side, her eyes flickering open, staring into the darkness.  I can see her lips moving, but I can’t make out what she’s saying.  I watch her closely before I realize she’s
c
iting the oath for the Seating tomorrow.  Her eyes blink once befor
e they shut completely, her lips
stop moving and her breathing is regular once again. 

I don’t know how long I sat watching her sleep, but after some thought I rose and moved to the other side of the bed.  I sat back down and quietly move to lie next to her.  I stayed on top of the covers, fully clothed
with
boots still on.  As much as I’d like to have been under the covers with her, I had to be ready should there be an attack.  I won’t be caught with my pants down again. 

Throughout the night Lily would wake and do the oath thing with her eyes open.  I’d wait until she fell back to sleep before shutting my own eyes, wrapping my arm around her and holding her close.  Sometime before morning’s light I made my way out to the living room area.  Mellis is asleep on the sofa, Phoris asleep on the armchair, with a second chair pulled up for his feet.  Alorn is in his usual spot, at the window, awake and alert.  Quietly, Milina comes out from
the spare room
. 

As she makes her way to my side, she glances down at a sleeping Mellis and stops.  She cocks her head to one side and gives him a soft smile.  She reaches down and moves a wayward hair from his face.  As she’s about to remove her hand
,
Mellis snatches her at the wrists and pulls her over the sofa back to land on top of him.  They both hit the floor with Milina on the bottom. 

“Let me go,” she whispers dangerously.

“Not until you admit I’m the most fascinating elf you’ve ever met and you want to ravish me in every way possible,” replies Mellis with a cocky grin.  He leans down with puckered lips to give her a kiss when Milina brings her knee up…
hard
.  Alorn and I instantly wince, along with Phoris who came awake when the two fell to the floor.  Mellis rolls off her, clutching at himself in obvious pain.  Milina is up on her feet, staring down at Mellis with a cocky grin of her own.  She straightens herself out, lifts her chin at him and continues to make her way to me.  Mellis attempts to grab at her ankle, but she easily sidesteps him.

Alorn leans over to me, whispering, “I like her.”  I glance at him, nodding in agreement.

“My prince,” greets Milina.  “The old woman will be here soon, I don’t know if you want to be around when she arrives.  We will stay close to the princess.”

I forgot about Sema.  In a few hours, this room will be bustling with people all trying to get Lily ready for the coronation.  “One of you will have to stay with Lily at all times.  Knowing the old woman, she won’t let you or Glynnis attend with what you’re wearing.  Be sure tha
t she doesn’t chase you off al
together.  As soon as Alorn and Mellis are dressed
,
they’ll be close by.” I look over at Mellis now sitting on the sofa with a cold pitcher of water on his lap.  When Milina turns to him, he blows her a kiss.  She turns back, eyes skyward and
releases
a sigh.  “Phoris will need to be with his father,” I continue.  “They are a big part of the ceremony, but he’ll also be close and watching.”