Flames of Auriel (A Caeles Adventure Book 1) (13 page)

“Yes, they wore tan-colored garbs as you asked, and one of our contacts at Greenwich Castle confirmed that the prince is aware of his princess’s death. They say the queen is still in mourning.”

Armanel tapped his fingertips together and then leaned his chin upon them, his eyes deep in thought. Things were going according to plan, but he was still not sure it would be enough to keep them safe. The desert king had held up his end of the bargain, giving him men to take over the mountain fortress, but he wondered at what cost. He would need to send word to Dederic soon to let him know he could start his plans, whatever those may be.

The new king did not know what Dederic was planning. The recent communication from the desert did not sit well with him. Dederic was planning something bigger than any of them. Bigger than Aldabel. But what? Was it all just revenge for their ancestors or did he have something bigger in mind? Whatever he was planning, Armanel had played his part and he only prayed that it would not turn to bite him in the ass.

He fingered the dinner knife in his hand, “Good. Everything is coming into place. Aldabel will be on their guard more now than ever. We need now only to bide our time. Marie will drop her defenses eventually and that is when Dederic will strike.”

He stabbed his knife into the table and the sound of it caused Richard to jump. Richard started edging toward the door as the king reveled in his plan. The look of delight on the king’s face disturbed him. Being a coward at heart, Richard could only pray that it was worth it and that he was on the right side.

Zoe grimaced and pulled at the constricting contraption at her waist. Though it did not look it, it felt like one of those atrocious corsets Alice always tried to get her into back at court. Zoe’s eyes started to well up at the thought of her deceased nurse.

“Are you alright, your highness?”

Zoe looked back at the dark-haired girl tightening the corset-like clothing around her waist. Things had not exactly happened as they would have expected when they found themselves surrounded on the forest floor. Even when she was old and grey, she would still look back on this event and laugh.

After her smart remark to the men surrounding Garrett and her in the forest, Zoe calculated the odds of them getting out of there alive. She was just about to take a chance and attack what looked like the leader of their group when the men burst out laughing. Zoe narrowed her eyes at the men, slapping their knees and chortling at Garrett and her. She hated being laughed at.

“What’s so funny?” She growled out at the men, which only made the men laugh harder. She clutched her dagger in her hand and got up to one knee, poised to strike. The leader must have seen something flash in her eyes because he stopped laughing and held up his hands to her.

“Now, now none of that. We mean you no harm.”

The man who had spoken to them was about mid-forties, with dark hair that curled down to his shoulders and a goatee that fought to become white. His clothing was the more colorful and flamboyant of the troupe, filled with purples and coins that jiggled as he moved. Zoe had been suspicious of him from the start, no one should draw that much attention to himself, criminal or not.

“How do we know that?” Zoe waved the hand with her dagger in it at him.

The man stroked his beard and looked around at his men, then shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t, but how about we start with a name. I am Randolph and these are my men of the Nemus tribe. Our camp makes its home here in this forest because we alone are strong enough to hold back the darkness.”

“Darkness?” Garrett’s eye brows creased at the Randolph’s cryptic words.

“You don’t know where you are, do you?”

Zoe chimed back in. “We’re in the Dark Forest.”

Randolph’s eyebrows rose at her confident answer. “So you do know where you are. We heard the commotion from the road and had hoped to help, but we arrived too late. We saw that you held your own quite well, your highness.” He gestured toward Zoe’s tattered gown and gave a mock bow.

Zoe’s hand tightened on her dagger. “So, you know who I am then. What else do you know?”

“There is not much that we gypsies do not know. But one thing I am most curious to know is how you two have come this far into the forest and not be consumed by the darkness?”

Garrett looked at Zoe, the confusion at the man’s words clear on his face. She had kept her eyes on the men in front of them as her voice answered his unspoken question.

“The Dark Forest has traces of celestial waste left over from the last war. The fragments have clung to the forest trees, leaving them full of dark energy that messes with the mind, takes your darkest fears and pulls them into your heart.”

Garrett’s eyes trained on the trees then as fear found its way into his eyes. His face scrunched up when nothing came out at him. Zoe smirked at her friend’s confusion.

“Well, that’s the story anyways. I’ve never heard anyone ever living to tell if it was actually true.” Zoe chuckled at the fear on her friend’s face. “Don’t worry Garrett, it doesn’t affect us.”

“Why not?”

“It’s the fire, isn’t it?”

Zoe jerked her eyes up to the older man before them, curious at how he knew so much, but looked so…wild. She had never met someone quite like him. He maybe just what she needed until she found out her next move.

“Yes, the fire of Auriel resides in all of his people. It keeps the darkness at bay.” Zoe flicked her eyes at her friend, now more confident in his place on the forest floor. “But that does not mean we should drop our guard.”

Zoe pulled herself up to her feet and Garrett followed. She replaced her dagger and held out a hand to the man in front of her. They would need to be on good terms if Randolph would give into her request.

“I am Zoe, Princess of Aurelius and this is my friend and bodyguard, Garrett Fairemane. We seek asylum in your camp as it appears someone wants me dead.”

After that, Randolph had been more than happy to house royalty in his camp. So here she was sitting in Randolph’s tent, the insides covered with elaborate carpets and trunks full of stage props. The girl behind her pulling the torture device was Randolph’s niece, Rebekah. Rebekah had been assigned to help transform her from a semi-proper princess to a knife-throwing gypsy performer.

While the other women of their camp wore the traditional colorful array of skirts, Zoe had been convinced that she would not do well cooking and cleaning, so instead she took on the role of an entertainer. She had immediately fallen in love with her new identity’s ensemble, which included a pair of dark breeches, knee-high leather boots and a flowing violet tunic, but the device currently being strapped on her waist was giving her doubts.

Zoe tugged at the straps of the corset-like top and turned her face back to the mirror in front of her. “I’m fine, Rebekah, but why am I wearing this again? Shouldn’t it go inside my shirt?”

The young girl blew out a hard breath. This had been the third time she had to explain the purpose of the top to the princess. When her Uncle Dolph asked her to help dress the princess of Aurelius she had been nervous to enter the tent, but her initial awe at meeting a real-life princess had been squashed. This pretty redhead may look like a princess, but her mannerisms were anything but princess like.

“What good would it do you in there? It’s to keep your shirt from getting caught. It will increase the speed of your movements. And these…” Rebekah gestured to the loops in the front of the black clothing, “…are for your daggers.” Rebekah smirked when the princess grimaced as she pulled the last strings closed. “You are lucky we were able to find clothing to fit you, but praise be to Camael, my brother, is as slender as you are.”

Zoe looked up from her new clothing at the sound of desert dweller’s patron’s name. “Camael? I thought you were Aldabelan?”

The girl started braiding Zoe’s hair down her back and shook her head in defense. “No, no. We are Aldabelans, but we gypsies don’t honor only one patron. We believe each angel has their own place and role in our lives. Close your eyes.” Zoe did as she asked, and Rebekah applied charcoal to the princess’s lids. “Look up. You have to understand our position, we are grateful to the Dark One for giving us life and providing our food and we are all dependent on Auriel to give us fire for warmth. But above all else, we gypsies are wanders and Camael is the embodiment of wanderers, isn’t he?”

Zoe nodded her head. She had never thought of it that way. She could see Rebekah’s point, but it was still unsettling to hear Camael’s name so close to their recent attack.

“Here.”

Zoe looked down at the gloves the girl held out to her. “What are these for?”

Rebekah just shook her head, disappointed at the older girl’s question. They were going to have a hell of a time with this one, she could already tell. “You don’t want to cut your hands if you mess up. Believe me it hurts like a b –” The young girl caught herself before she could curse in front of the princess. “Anyway, the leather hide in them will protect you from accidently chopping your delicate little fingers off. Are you sure you know how to throw a knife?”

Zoe jerked the gloves from the gypsy girl’s hand. “Yes, I know how to throw a knife. I’m Aurelian aren’t I?”

The young girl chuckled at Zoe’s blatant irritation. “Well, all due respect, your highness, but we don’t get many Aurelians in our camp.”

“I can throw a knife.” She looked up when the flap of the tent opened and revealed Garrett’s smiling face. She suddenly felt self-conscious under his gaze. She could feel the heat from his gaze on her as he took in her disguise.

“Looking good, Zo.” Garrett pulled her into a tight embrace, “No one would even guess you are a princess in that get up.”

Zoe cast a wary glance at Rebekah, who had all of a sudden become shy. The young girl’s eyes never left Garrett as she ducked out of the tent door. Zoe was startled by the feel of Garrett’s hands sliding down to cup her bottom through her breeches, his eyes fixated on her amplified breasts.

“I believe I like you better this way.”

She pushed out of his embrace and hissed at him. “You can’t just touch me whenever you like! I’m still engaged to Asher, you know!”

Garrett placed his hands back on her hips, “Everyone thinks you are dead, Zo. There’s no reason why we can’t be together now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Randolph just got word from one of his ears from the palace. He said that the prince and his men had come after you yesterday. When they didn’t find you in the wreckage, they all assumed you were dead.” He moved her hips flush against his own, his hands wandered back to their place on her bottom. “You’re free, Zo.”

“Now, Garrett? Now you decide it’s okay to be with me?” She shook with fury. “When there nothing is in our way?”

“Well, yes?” Garrett frowned. He thought she would be happy. “Now you don’t have to worry about what will happen if you didn’t marry that womanizer. You can be with me.” When she was silent he grabbed her hands in his. “Don’t you want to be with me?”

Zoe laid her hands on his chest to keep some distance between them. The temptation to give into Garrett’s words tugged on her heart. It would be so easy to give in to him and everyone else be damned, but she could not let herself be swayed. There was more at stake than her freedom. Besides, she could not believe Asher would give up on her so easily.

“But what about your brother? Your father?” She shook her head and pushed away from his grasp. “We can’t just let Armanel win, Garrett! Without us, Aldabel is a sitting duck for Dederic’s men.”

Zoe moved to the door of the tent and threw back the flap into the midst of the gypsy’s camp. Her eyes roamed over their current home. Rows of tents and wagons were lined up around a huge fire pit. Some of the dwellers were practicing their acts along one side, while the others took care of the children and chores. She admired how a man or woman could do either job; she liked Randolph even more for it. She honestly could not think of a better place to hide.

“No, Garrett. I can’t go back yet, not with Armanel trying to kill me,” She turned back to face him, “but you can.” Zoe grabbed his hands in hers, “You need to get back to the palace and tell my father what happened. He needs to know that Armanel is not to be trusted.”

Garrett moved his hands on top of hers, his eyes cast down to the ground. “There’s something else, Zoe.” He turned his gaze to hers, “Your father. He’s dead.”

Zoe stared at him not comprehending the words, “What?”

“A few weeks before we left to return home, they found your father’s body. Someone had bled him out in his sleep.” Garrett wrapped his arms around her as her knees had buckled beneath her, “They had just received news at Greenwich a few hours after we left. That must have been why the prince was coming after us.”

Zoe buried her face in Garrett’s chest unable to keep the tears from spilling out this time. Garrett placed a hand on the back of her head and shook his head at a few of the gypsy women looking on with concern. They would not be able to console his princess.

Zoe lifted her head from his chest. “What am I going to do now, Garrett? I have no one left. I am alone.”

Garrett brushed his thumbs under her eyes. His thumb wiped away the charcoal that had smeared there. “You have me, Zo. You’ll always have me. I love my family, but I would give them up and more to be with you.”

Zoe felt her heart clench at his words. This was not the time or place to tell him, but she could not let him give up everything to be with someone who did not love him back. She glanced around them at their audience, and then pulled him back into the tent.

“You can’t just forget your family for me, Garrett. They need you and Aurelius needs you.”

Garrett tried to pull her back into his embrace, “Zoe, tell me you don’t need me?”

“I don’t need you, Garrett.”

She locked her eyes with his, the pain of her having to say the words evident in her eyes. It was easy to say. She had been saying it all her life. She did not need anyone but herself. She grimaced when she saw something break inside Garrett’s eyes. She moved away to put some distance between them, her voice low.

“I love Asher.”

At her confession, Garrett straightened his back, his eyes trained on the tent flap. “I see. Well in that case, I’ll be back in a few months.” He started for the door, “I will ride to my brother on the border and find out what they know. As soon as I find out something, I’ll come back for you.” He glanced back at her and his eyes softened. “Even if it is just as a friend. Auriel protect you.”

“And you.” He was gone before her words ever reached him.

Zoe felt her knees give out on her seconds before she collapsed to the tent’s floor. She felt all her heartache and despair wash over her and she set into rocking sobs. She really was all alone now.