Hidden Darkness (Hidden Saga Book 4) (6 page)

Ava kept her eyes on the stone path ahead. “Um… yes, our parents have known each other forever. My father was on the Council with Audun—Mother took his place after his death. But Culley and I just met recently. He grew up abroad—his mother rules the Australian clans, and he went to school in England.”

Her answer was rushed, as if she was uncomfortable discussing her fiancé’s disjointed upbringing. Maybe she felt it was his place to talk about it. Then she gave me a bright-eyed side glance.

“What about you and Ryann? How did you meet?”

A smile overtook my face. I couldn’t stop it. “We
did
meet as children, actually. I was out in the woods as usual, exploring. It was nighttime. She was lost, and I found her.”

“I thought Light Elves didn’t mix with humans. I’m surprised you didn’t run the other way when you saw her.”

“Yes, well, that is what I was
taught
to do. But she fascinated me. She was wearing these little pink pants—I’d never seen a girl in pants before. I knew she was human. When I got close, I could tell she was in trouble. She was alone. She was so cold. I thought she might die if I didn’t help her. I gave her saol water, and… I brought her back here.”

Ava’s eyelids flew open. “Oh my God. All Hell must have broken loose.”

I laughed, remembering. “Oh yes. Father was furious. The Light Council met for hours, trying to decide what to do with her. Mother was upset with me, but she did insist I be allowed to stay with the human child while we waited for a verdict. She was worried about her and didn’t want her to be afraid. So, Ryann and I were locked in my room all night together, unable to even speak to each other. But you know what? We communicated anyway—just through looks and smiles and hand gestures… and music. I liked her instantly. She liked me, too. I could tell. She fell asleep on my bed. I stayed awake as long as I could, watching her dream.”

“That’s so sweet,” Ava said. “Almost like it was destiny for you to meet.”

“
Exactly
like destiny.”

She nodded, looking thoughtful. “So then… you continued to see each other over the years and became friends?”

“No. We never saw each other again, not until this year. I tried but—well, it’s a long story, and here we are at the crystal cave. There’s a hot spring in here that forms a heated pool. It’s where we all learn to swim as children.”

As we entered the warm, humid environment of the cave I saw there was a class of small children and their adult minders wading in the shallow end.

“Oh, they are adorable,” Ava said, watching the tiny naked bodies splashing about. “I suppose you’ll be wanting one of these before too long?”

“I haven’t thought that much about it, but yes.” Now that she’d brought it up, I could picture a little brown-haired girl with Ryann’s beautiful eyes. Or maybe a rambunctious tree-climbing boy who’d challenge me as much as I’d challenged my father. “I wouldn’t mind having more people in my life to love.
After
we’ve been able to go on a honeymoon and have some time to ourselves. Right now, I’m kind of selfish when it comes to my time with Ryann.”

“Oh. A jealous streak, huh? You’ve got to watch out for those… they can get you into trouble.” She punctuated her teasing remark with a wink.

“Is that what you tell Culley?” I asked, teasing her back.

At the mention of Culley’s name her expression soured. “He’s not exactly the jealous type. And you’ll figure out soon enough, no one tells Culley Rune
anything
. So tell me how you and Ryann ended up running into each other again. That must be a good story… ”

After church with my parents, I went to Altum to meet Lad. I was eager to find out how things had gone with Ava this morning. He was planning to show her around and basically give her a welcome to his kingdom while learning more about her.

              Walking through the common area, I marveled at how much things had changed. Not the place itself—the attitude of Lad’s people toward me. I was no longer an intruder, an outsider, though I’d never be just another citizen of this underground world, which was too bad.

              Those I came into close contact with acknowledged me with a nod or slight bow as I wished them good day in their native language. Naturally, their deferential treatment made me feel weird, but I understood. They showed me respect because I was the betrothed of their king, and soon, I’d be their queen.

One day, when my natural, believable human lifespan expired, I’d move here permanently—assuming I did possess immortality. It was a strange thought, that my human life would end and a whole new one would begin in this land of silence.

“Good morning, lovely.” A very audible voice behind me caused me to whirl around in surprise. From the distinct accent, I knew before I saw him it was Culley. He was casually dressed today in a black sweater and jeans. Even in his human clothes, I was once again caught off guard by how much he resembled my fiancé. He was the only person I’d ever met whose eye color even approached the mesmerizing green of Lad’s eyes.

I gave him a friendly smile. “Hello. How are you getting along here so far?”

“Well, I’m a bit starved for conversation, but the food’s decent,” he quipped. Stepping closer, he grinned down at me. “You are a breath of fresh air—literally. You smell like the woods.”

His tone and the way he raised a brow with his last statement made it feel like he’d just told me I smelled like sirloin tip steak right off the grill. I hadn’t thought it possible, but there was actually someone in the world more flirtatious than Nox.

I took a step back. “Oh. Thanks I guess. Have you seen Lad today?”

“I do believe your betrothed is still
occupied
with my betrothed. Shall we seek them out and catch them in the act of whatever mischief they’ve got up to?” He gave me an impish smile.

I blinked in surprise. “Um, I’m sure there’s no mischief. But, yes, I am supposed to meet him, so I’m on my way to find him. I’ll tell Ava you’re looking for her.” I turned and continued on toward the palace.

Culley fell into step beside me. “I’ll come with you. We third wheels have to stick together.”

There it was again—the insinuation that I didn’t belong here while Ava somehow did. It irritated me. I cut my eyes over at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh nothing. It’s just that I’m not really needed here. I’m just the plus-one, the man candy.” He winked at me. “And you… well, it can’t be easy being the only human. Especially when everyone here only puts up with you because they’ve been ordered to.”

The words were like a hard slap. Unexpected. Stinging. Offensive. But not necessarily untrue. Culley had only been in Altum for one day. How would
he
know how the people here viewed me? Unless it was common knowledge.

“Is that… what you heard?” I asked.

“Oh, don’t mind me. Everyone knows I have a big mouth and an even bigger…” A wicked smile spread across his face, and his eyes held a devilish spark. “Never mind. That’s a discussion for another time. Speaking of… how are the wedding plans coming along? You must be eager to get on with it.”

Still off-balance from his earlier remark and now reeling from his obvious attempt to be provocative, I was no longer in the mood for conversation. But we were going to the same place, and he was the ambassador’s fiancé—I couldn’t exactly tell him to get lost.

My tone downgraded from friendly to merely polite. “They’re coming along fine. How about yours? When’s the wedding?”

“Whenever the blushing bride decides to get around to it, I suppose. She’s not exactly in a hurry. A less confident fellow might suspect she had her eye on… someone else.”

He punctuated the last sentence with a pointed glance that literally made me stumble on the smooth earthen path. What was going on here? Was he trying to tell me something? More likely, he was just trying to mess with my mind.

Extending my emotional glamour in his direction I did read a sense of naughtiness, though no evil intent. Thankfully, I spotted Lad and Ava ahead, entering the royal residence together.

Lad
, I called to him, waving.

He turned and our eyes met. His filled with unmistakable delight at seeing me.

“Ah, the bonny prince,” Culley muttered under his breath. “And my own ravishing fiancée. They look like they’ve had a
satisfying
morning.”

I ignored his ridiculous statement and picked up my pace, hurrying to meet Lad. A sense of relief spread through me as he wrapped me in his arms, affectionate as always. I squeezed him tightly, drawing a deep laugh from him.

“Well, I’m glad to see you, too. How was your evening with your parents?”

“It only made me miss you more,” I told him honestly.

“I missed
you
,” he said aloud. And then silently,
Very soon I will have you here with me every night, and I’ll have
everything
I’ve been missing. Every night.

Warmth pulsed through me at his sexy threat
.

Turning to Ava, I eyed her with a fresh sense of foreboding thanks to Culley’s cryptic comments. “Hello. How was your tour?”

“Hello Ryann,” she said. “It was very nice.” And then her eyes dropped to her feet. She looked almost… ashamed.

My glance shot to Culley’s knowing expression.

Noticing the odd exchange, Lad asked,
What’s going on? Is he bothering you?

I shook my head.
No. He’s harmless. Just annoying.

Agreed.

He reached out to shake Culley’s hand.
“Good morning. Did you sleep in?”

“Always. It’s my favorite thing about your charming kingdom so far—the complete absence of alarm clocks and annoying sunrises,” Culley said. “How was your liaison with my betrothed this morning?”

Lad’s brows lowered, his lips forming a flat line. “Our
tour
was fine—though we didn’t get to everything. We’ll have to continue it tomorrow. I hope you’ll join us.”

“Of course. Will Ryann be along as well? No, I suppose you’ve already seen it all,” he said, answering his own question. Turning to Lad he asked, “When did you introduce this lovely little outsider to your hidden world?”

It was a simple question and by far the most innocuous thing he’d said today, but Lad just stared at him, a strange expression crossing his face. Maybe he was mad Culley had called me an
outsider.

“I… not that long ago,” he said. “Right, Ryann? It’s been…”

His searching expression startled me. I thought guys were supposed to start forgetting your anniversary
after
you’d been married a long time, not before you even got going.

“It was about five months ago,” I answered, filling in the verbal blank. “Lad was hurt, and I followed the guards who brought him back here.”

Lad blinked then turned back to Culley and nodded. “So… I hope you and Ava will continue to settle in. I have a date with my beautiful fiancée now, and then I’ll be busy with affairs of the crown for the rest of the day. I’ll see you at dinner tonight. Please don’t hesitate to ask the servants for anything you may need.”

Culley gave us both a little bow. “Thank you, good sir. So nice to see you, Ryann. Enjoy your time together, however long that might be.” He extended a hand to Ava. “Come along Angel. Let’s give these two lovebirds their privacy.”

With a wink, he spun on his heel and led Ava away from us, whispering in her ear. I was still watching them go, mulling over Culley’s strange words, when Lad spoke.

“I’m glad you grew up in the human world instead of the Dark Court. I don’t think I’ve met a Dark Elf yet I could figure out.”

“I know what you mean.” I took his hand, enjoying the warmth of his skin. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes. Why? Don’t I look okay?” He dropped his lips to mine, already well aware of how attractive I found him.

“Of course. You just seem distracted, I guess.”

He sighed dramatically. “Such is the life of a king. And I’ve never had to entertain an ambassador before. I’m always having to learn something new.”

Reading his feelings I could tell he
was
a little overwhelmed and preoccupied. An unexpected cold shiver hit my middle. The last time Lad was preoccupied with kingdom business, he broke things off with me, saying he needed to focus his full attention on his people.

Tamping down the disturbing feeling, I chastised myself.
Trust, Ryann.
Based on Lad’s loving expression, it was clear I was his priority. 

I gave him a happy smile. “What you need is some fun. Want to have a picnic? We could stop by the kitchen and take a basket out to the bluff.”

He smiled at me and narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. “The bluff? That’s one of my favorite spots. Did I tell you about it?”

I stared at him, incredulous. How could he have forgotten? He’d taken me there the day he’d finally committed to our relationship and agreed we couldn’t be “just friends.” For him to forget our special picnic and our nap in the hammock there pinched my heart.

But then I thought about it. That romantic interlude had been followed by a near-death experience for Lad. On the way home from our afternoon at the bluff, he’d been shot by drunken hunters in the woods and lost consciousness—not to mention an astounding amount of blood. No wonder his memories of that day weren’t exactly clear.

I squeezed his hand in mine. “You showed me. And it was beautiful. It might be just the place to get away and relax.”

“Sounds perfect.” And he punctuated his agreement with a perfect kiss.

As it had been the first time, the bluff was beautiful. It offered an expansive view of the meadows and woods below, now a stunning quilt of dappled fall color. Birds chirped busily in the nearby trees, and the afternoon sunshine offered the perfect foil to the fall breeze. But in spite of the peaceful beauty surrounding us, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Lad wasn’t fully present.

We chatted while we ate. We kissed and snuggled in the hammock. But there was a faraway look in his eye, and several times I caught him studying me with a quizzical expression on his face.

“What are you thinking?” I scratched my fingers lightly down the inside of Lad’s forearm, watching the spray of chill bumps that raised the silky blond hairs. “You seem like your mind is a million miles away today.”

His shoulders gave a slight shrug. He kept his eyes trained on the pattern my finger now traced on his palm. “I don’t know. I have a lot to do I guess—a lot on my mind.”

Something was going on with him—I could feel it—but he obviously didn’t want to share it with me. A little hurt, I made a suggestion I thought might snap him out of it.

“Well, I have school in the morning, and I know you’re
busy
, so maybe I should just head home.” I shifted, starting to get out of the hammock.

He blinked a few times, taken aback by my sudden change of demeanor. “You’re not going to attend the welcome dinner tonight?”

“You don’t need me to help you welcome Ava. You’re doing fine all by yourself.”

Lad’s brows drew together, his expression registering concern and confusion. But he sat up and offered a hand to steady me as I put my feet on the ground. “Okay—if that’s what you want. I’ll walk you home.”

It wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted him to talk me out of it—to ask me to stay with him.
He didn’t even try to talk me out of it.
Now the
little
hurt morphed into a big one.

“No. I’ll be fine. That would take too long. You should be getting back to your duties—I know you have a lot to do before tonight.”

He cocked his head, narrowing his eyes as he examined my face. “Is everything okay?”

“Sure. It’s great,” My clipped tone said it was anything
but
great. “I just have homework I put off and a test to study for. I haven’t exactly been focused on school this semester—I need to put in a little more effort. And I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“Ryann.” Lad gathered me against him and kissed the top of my head. His love flowed around me like the heat from his unnaturally warm body. “I wish I could spend
all
my time with you. I do want you to do well in school, though—I know it’s important to you. And I don’t mind walking you home—really. I want to.”

The knot in my stomach relaxed a bit. This was the Lad I knew and loved. I was ridiculous for being so mental. My vow to let go of the past and trust more wasn’t starting off so hot. I blew out a long slow breath, mindfully releasing the tension I’d allowed to build in my body.