Hidden Darkness (Hidden Saga Book 4) (7 page)

“No, it’s okay,” I said. “It’s broad daylight, and you probably do need to get back—I’m just greedy when it comes to you. I’ll be fine.”

He studied my face for a moment. “Okay. I like you greedy, by the way.” He kissed me—a brief, sweet connection. “I’ll see you soon, right? After school tomorrow?”

“Of course. Have a good time wining and dining the fashion twins.”

“Who?”

“Ava and Culley? Your new ambassador and her fiancé? They’re models—you know—fashion?”

“Oh, right.” He chuckled to himself. “Fine host I am—I almost forgot he came along. Isn’t that weird?”

It was weird. Very weird.

Was Lad so focused on Ava that her betrothed was a non-factor to him? A bright, piercing panic shot through my heart like a surgical laser. All the tension zoomed right back in, locking my limbs.

“Lad… what is Ava’s glamour?”

“I don’t know. I asked, but she didn’t want to talk about it. She said it was ‘embarrassing.’ Why?”

“Just curious.” 

That wasn’t exactly true. I wasn’t
just
curious. I was also suspicious. Especially knowing she was reluctant to discuss her “embarrassing” glamour. I’d seen sexual glamour up close—I knew how powerful it could be.

I could only pray that
wasn’t
the special gift of Lad’s special guest. Or if it was, that he had the strength to resist it.

Instead of going straight home, I made a detour to Lad’s nest hideaway. Hopefully he wouldn’t also decide to stop by and catch me here.

Fingers trembling, I reached for the first branch, hoisted myself up, and began climbing. Of course I shouldn’t have been snooping but I couldn’t help myself. This was the place Lad kept things that were important to him—things he didn’t want others to know about. Maybe there would be some sort of clue here about his current mindset. If there was something I needed to know—even if it was potentially devastating—better to find out
before
the wedding rather than after we were bonded.

My heart thumped heavily as I reached the nest and crawled across to the ancient chest where Lad stored his prized possessions. I unlatched it but hesitated for a moment before lifting the heavy lid, letting my hands rest on its warm, age-smoothed surface.

It’s wrong. Just stop, Ryann. Trust him. Trust what you have together.

Unfortunately, trust was not my strongest attribute. Maybe it was part of my Dark Elven nature. Maybe it was the residual effect of my parents’ breakup and my past heartbreak at Lad’s hands.

Raising the lid, I quickly catalogued the trunk’s contents. Library books. The framed picture of me Lad had taken from my house. And a wrapped package.

What was inside? A welcome gift for his new emissary? Something pretty that would make Ava’s eyes light up the way mine had when Lad had first shown me this place? Then a new thought occurred to me—would he bring
her
here? It would depend, I guessed, on how strong her appeal to him was.

If she did have sexual glamour, and he was susceptible to its power, he’d do anything to please her. I’d done things I’d
never
imagined I’d ever do with Nox. Suddenly, I wished he weren’t so far away. Nox and I were truly friends now, and he could easily tell me whether Ava did indeed have that dreadful, wonderful gift after a few moments in her presence.

Speaking of gifts, I picked up the small box. It was covered in light-colored paper of such a fine texture it almost felt like cloth. Holding it to my ear, I shook it gently. Something shifted inside. I put the box down.

For a long time I stared at it, fighting an internal battle. I shouldn’t open the box, but I desperately wanted to
. If it’s something for her, I’ll die
. Then the rational part of me spoke up and said it was probably just something for his mom—when
was
her birthday anyway? I needed to find out since we were about to become family.

I picked up the package again and searched for the seam of the wrapping. There was no tape. It was sort of an origami thing with intricate folds I could never hope to duplicate. If I opened this, I’d be busted. Maybe I should just march back to Altum and
ask
him what was inside. No, I couldn’t reveal to him the embarrassing depths of my insecurity.

Finally caving to temptation, I tugged at the paper flaps, my face hot with shame, my heart beating in hard, guilty thumps. Fold by fold, I invaded Lad’s secret until finally, something fell into my lap.

With shaking fingers I picked it up. It was a tree, intricately carved out of wood. Oh, it was
this
tree. I recognized it by the branches that started low to the ground
.

Lad made this
.

Wonderment filled me at his talent—and at the amount of time and effort this must have required. Each tiny leaf was perfection. At the miniature tree’s base were two small figures. A little boy and a little girl. Inspecting it closely, I saw both children were laughing. And the boy’s hands held the little girl’s face between them.

Tears filled my eyes, stinging my nose and squeezing my heart. He’d carved the scene of our first encounter—the moment we’d met more than ten years ago. Turning the precious carving over in my hand, I noticed an inscription on the bottom.

I gave you my warmth. You gave me a voice.

What you could not know that day was I also gave you my heart.

Forever.

There has only been, and will ever be, only you.

I will treasure every day I get to have with you.

They are the only days that matter.

Yours for eternity, Lad

A tear slid down my cheek. It was a wedding present. I should have guessed it the instant I found a wrapped box hidden here.

What was wrong with me? Did I really have so little faith? Lad wasn’t the one who was wavering—I was. And for no reason. If I didn’t get a handle on my trust issues, I was going to ruin the best thing that had ever happened to me.

I did my best to re-wrap the gift, following the existing creases, and miraculously managed to get the box back together. Then I began the painstaking process of descending the tree, branch by branch.

By the time I reached the ground, I knew what I had to do. Screw my unfinished homework. I’d left something far more important unfinished in Altum.

Following this morning’s tour of Altum, I spent the remainder of the day in my quarters, sick at my stomach.

My job had gone well today—had been easy, even. Instead of being satisfied or relieved, I was steeped in sadness. If I felt this way now, how was I going to live with myself once I’d
completed
my mission?

It was worse, somehow, than the work I’d done for Audun before, though that had always made me feel icky. I hadn’t really known those people—or what they would be losing. It had been quick, almost clinical, and I’d never had to stick around to see the aftermath.

No doubt I was terrible company for Culley. He paced around my room, restless. “This place is dead boring, isn’t it? What do they do here all day—play the harp? Whittle?”

              “How should I know?” I snapped. “I just got here, too. Why don’t you go for a walk in the woods or something?”

              He glanced over at me. “Maybe I will. I heard the king’s pretty little human pet likes to do that. Maybe we’ll cross paths.” When that got no reaction from me, he said, “What’s the matter with you anyway? You’ve been in a
mood
all day.”

              “Nothing. I’m fine. I’m just bored, too.”

              Culley crossed the room and plopped onto my bed, stretching out his long limbs, studying me. “No you’re not fine. Are you worried about your mission or something? What—is your badass glamour not working on Mr. Perfect?”

              I rolled my eyes. “No. It’s working.”

              “Oh, good.” He crossed his arms behind his head. “So what is it then—second thoughts? You’re feeling guilty about messing up the lovebirds’ happy little nest, aren’t you?”

              I turned away from him to hide my sudden flush, busying myself by pouring a glass of saol water from the handmade pitcher on the table. I took a drink. “Of course not. Why? Are
you
having second thoughts?”

              Glancing back over my shoulder at him, I caught Culley’s sardonic
Are you serious?
expression.

“Not a one. It’s not my job to think,” he said with a bitter smile. “I’m just another pretty face, doing as I’m told. As I said, your best course of action is to get in, do the job, get out, and then get as far away from the parentals as possible. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever found to peace on earth.” He was quiet for a moment, causing me to look back at him again. His fingers plucked at the threads that made up the elaborate design of the handmade bed covering. “They are quite sweet, aren’t they though?”

His eyes darted up, catching me watching him.

I shrugged at his obvious attempt to bait me and turned away again, staring down at the fruit plate that had been provided for us, hungry for none of it. I’d have to force myself to eat at the welcome dinner tonight to avoid questions.

“I’ve never seen such a love,” he continued. “It almost makes one wish to experience it… personally.” His tone wasn’t quite sarcastic. It was more like probing.

Shrugging again, I made sure my voice was no-big-deal light. “Not really. I don’t see the point in it.”

The truth was, I was deeply affected by the relationship between the Light King and his betrothed. I’d never felt that way for someone before, and certainly no one had ever felt that way about me—our people didn’t do things that way. Arranged marriages didn’t leave much room for love.

But really, who
didn’t
want to be loved deeply? Passionately. Irrationally. Just thinking of being held in someone’s arms, being the subject of someone’s adoring gazes, made my chest ache with longing and had me blushing all over again.

I kept my back to Culley. Why didn’t he just leave already? Hadn’t we done enough today to support the ruse of a love-match? Maybe I could just tell him to—

“I think
someone’s
a closet romantic.”

The whisper just behind my ear startled me. I jumped and spun around, colliding with Culley’s chest.

“What are you doing, creeping up on me?” I yelped.

He grinned and stepped close again, backing me up against the table until the contour of it pressed into my thighs. With one hand on either side of my hips, he leaned over me, forcing me to sit on the table edge and lean back to preserve the distance between our faces.

“Maybe we should take advantage of all those cuddly, sappy feelings you’re having. Your bed
was
awfully comfortable.” The corner of his mouth and his brow lifted in a suggestive manner.

I raised my hand to slap him, but Culley caught my wrist easily, his grin turning hard. “Don’t let the pink candy hearts in your eyes make you forget who your real friends are—and who the enemy is. The Light Court has never done a bloody thing for us, Angel. And the humans…” He huffed a derisive laugh. “Lad is a damn fool to let himself fall for a girl with even one drop of human blood. It weakens him.
Love
has made him weak. And it will be his downfall.”

“How would you know?” I challenged. “Have you been burned or something? Why are you such a cynic?”

“Just part of my charm, sweetheart.” He backed away from me a few steps and bowed. “I’ll leave you to your daydreams. See you at dinner.” Then he spun on his heel and left the room.

The obedient daughter in me knew he was right. But another part of me rebelled against his words. From what I’d seen, the Light Court was stable and secure, its people happy. Lad seemed like a solid and just leader. And from what he’d said about her today, Ryann’s love hadn’t weakened him—she made him stronger, better in every way.

I looked at the door where Culley had disappeared. I could never tell him I was having such traitorous thoughts. He’d report me to Mother and Audun faster than I could say “banishment.” And I couldn’t just leave Altum without completing my mission. That would bring the same result—I wasn’t ready or able to live completely on my own, without a family, without a people. And I’d made a deal I couldn’t back out of.

But I didn’t have to do a
great
job of it, did I?

I felt the corners of my mouth pull up. Maybe there was a way to provide for my mother and technically adhere to the deal with Culley’s father without doing any real harm here. If I refused to use the
full
power of my glamour against Lad, only I would know. Excitement rippled through my chest.

Yes that’s it.
I could go through the motions, make it look convincing, use my
gift
just enough to prove to my babysitter/chaperone/betrothed that I’d obeyed orders.

For the first time since we’d arrived in this foreign kingdom, I felt a sense of hope. Instead of destroying the new peace between the Dark and Light Kings, instead of killing the love between Lad and his bride, I would strike—but I’d leave only a flesh wound behind.

*     *     *

My new lightness of spirit evaporated the moment I saw Ryann’s face. Entering the formal dining room of the royal residence, she came straight toward me, as if she’d been waiting for me. She was wearing a nice dress and makeup. From a distance, she looked like a high school student dressed for a dance. But as she got close, her expression was all business. 

“Ava. I’d like to speak with you privately.” She slipped a hand around my back and guided me toward the hallway.

Uh oh. She was onto me. My pulse thrummed in my ears as we walked together. I’d heard she had powerful emotional glamour. Had she been able to see right through me from the start? Why had nobody considered that when they sent me into the arena with transparent armor?

“What’s this about?” I asked as soon as we passed through the tall arched doorway into the empty hall.

She stopped and faced me. “This—is about your glamour. And my fiancé.”

“Oh. Well, you don’t have to worry. I’m not—”

She held up a hand in a silencing gesture. “Please just let me speak, and then you can have a turn, okay?”

I nodded.

“I’m not a stranger to glamour. I’ve been on both ends of it and I know how it can affect people’s behavior—and their thoughts and feelings.” She swallowed, took a breath, and went on. “Lad and I have been to hell and back. We have earned our happy ending, and I’m not about to let anything—or anyone—get in the way of that now when we’re so close to it.”

“But I wasn’t planning—”

Again her hand went up, and I subsided.

“I appreciate that Lad is
very
appealing. I can’t blame anyone for thinking so. But just in case it’s not totally clear to you, he’s taken. I’m not sure what’s going on—or not going on—between you and Culley, but Lad and I are not just betrothed in the Elven tradition. We’re in love. He’s mine. And if you want a fight for him—you’re on.” She let out a breath. “Now. What would you like to say?”

I stood there, shaking my head like an idiot. Her speech had stolen my breath. The sincerity and determination. The passion. My pulse raced as rapidly as my mind.

I wanted to feel that for somebody.
I wanted someone to feel it for me.

And to think I’d come here to wipe it out. If my decision hadn’t already been made, I would have made it here and now.

“I promise you, I have no intention of interfering with your relationship. The two of you inspire me, and I wish you only the best.”

For a moment, she studied me—maybe she was reading my emotions? Then her shoulders relaxed, and once again she looked like a high school girl ready for a nice dinner date.

“Great. Let’s go find our seats.” But as we entered the dining room together, she said in the Elven way.
And you can tell your frisky fiancé I’ve got my eye on him, too.