The Binding (8 page)

“No, just the royal family, and even then, not all of them have it. Our lin e age goes back for centuries to my ancestor, the greatest Sidhe k ing in our history, Kalinest. He and his queen conquered and united the Thirteen Clans. Only a few presently have the gifts of our ancestors. Like I said, it’s primarily the royal families from each c lan that has the ability to manipulate the energies around us . But all of our people have the gift of communicating with Mother Earth , t o be able to hear her words, feel her power and know her heart.”

“Know her heart?” I ask, but Tharin was through talking.

He leads me through the empty house and by the time we come to the back door th at leads out to the garage, the p answa is now the size of a boulder marble. Before opening the door, the balled light blinks out and drops into his hand, now looking like a small copper pellet. Tharin shoves it into his coat as he walks out into the closed garage. There, the three guys I saw earlier in the back alley are loading an SUV and talking quietly among themselves. I look around for Julia, but she’s no where in sight, nor is Tolan. One of the men, the one who winked at me, looks up and walks over to us. He hands something to Tharin, who takes the item and stares at it for a moment. He tenses and I notice that before he put s the item into his coat, he lets my hand go.

The stranger in front of me waves his hand saying, “Hi, I’m Mellis.”

He has similar features to Tharin and Tolan , but he’s not as well—
built or as tall as Tharin . Still, he looks compact and fit. Although he has a coat like Tharin’s, his is of a dark brown color, like the others with him, not the dark green of Tharin’s. Tharin’s coat is so dark it almost looks black until you are close enough to see that it’s not . I look down at my own new coat and find that it’s the same color as Tharin’s.

“I’m Lily,” I answer, responding to his welcome smile with a shy one of my own.
I’m n ot sure why I suddenly feel shy.
I move a little closer to Tharin, which makes Mellis’ already large grin grow even larger. I look up to find Tharin watching me with that annoyed look back on his face.
So we’re back to that are we?
It’s okay to be pleasant to one another when we’re alone, but not in front of others. I step back from him as he moves away and walks pass Mellis. Mellis step s up and stands beside me, both of us looking after Tharin as he heads toward a door that opens to the side of the house.

“Don’t worry about our fearless leader there,” Mellis says as he folds his arms, “he’s not really the social type.”

“So I’ve come to know .
”
I reply.

Well,
it’s just not me who thinks that our “
f earless l eader” is a rude jerk. Mellis shoots me a look and I’m embarrassed he can read me so easily. He winks at me in response and I can’t keep from laughing at his audaci ty .

“You and I,” he s ays, “are going to get a long just fine. Com e on.” He leads me to the side of the SUV and starts the introductions.

“This is Alorn. He ’
s my first cousin on my mother’s side.” Mellis is compact and lean, while Alor n has a little more muscle bulk, broader and is taller than his cousin.
He does not share Mellis’ sunny disposition. He greets me with a curt nod, looking me over closely, particularly my ears.
I’m startled when he reaches out and touches my right ear and scrutinizes it for several seconds before he let s his hand drop. He looks me over a second time, makes a small nod of his head and then turns back to what he was doing without a word.

I stand
staring at his back. Like Mellis and Tharin, he wears a black beanie that covers his ears. In fact, as I look at Mellis and the other elf , they a re all wearing black beanies and t hey all have long sandy hair. They ’
re athl etic looking and tall, and they a re all young. I refocus on Mellis when I realize he’s talking to me again.

“…around women, so pay him no mind. Alorn doesn’t say much to anyone, including me , and I ’
m his favorite cousin!” He gives me that contagious smile of his.
I can’t help but smile back. He leads me next to the third elf who is bulkier with more muscle mass than Alorn . He must be seven feet tall, but I know that’s wrong. He can’t be more than an inch , maybe two, taller than Tharin.
He’s not massive like those body builders you see in the m uscle m agazine s , but he definitely has more mass on him than the others . Maybe that’s why he looks taller than the rest.
He’s intimidating looking , too .

“This big guy here is Phoris, first cousin on my father’s side , ” offers Mellis , as he slaps Phoris on the arm.

I stare up at Phoris and slowly lift my hand in a small wave as a greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess.” His voice is soft, belying his bulk, and his eyes are gentle. His politeness and the softness of his voice put me at ease instantly.
I smile back at him.

“Please,” I say, “it’s just Lily. My name is Lily.”

The big man cocks his head to one side and then his face is like a golden sunrise as he smiles back at me. I find myself smiling even broader at him.
He reaches for my ear, this time the left one. For someone his size, his touch is gentle and soft. I barely feel his fingers trace my ear. Then he let s his hand drop and steps back. The look he gives me is apologetic and with a shy smile, he bows his head and return s to what he was doing.

“As you can see, the big guy’s a teddy bear,” says Mellis, “but I’d have that big teddy bear at my side in any fight. Trust me, I sleep better at night.”

“Do you get in a lot of fights?” I ask.

“Oh, on an occasion or two, you know how it goes.”

I laugh, “No, no I don’t.”

The garage door open s and as I adjust my eyes to the morning light, I hear Juli a ’s voice. When I’m able to make out the scene before me, I stand stun ned . Tolan is standing in front of another SUV with his fists tightly clenched at his side. Julia is pacing back and forth shouting at Tolan abo ut how people in this world don’t kidnap girls in their sleep , and if it were not for the fact that he and his “buddies” are keeping me from her, she would take each one of them down. Especially Tolan , who she believes is the ring leader.

I watch
as Tolan step s up, cutting off her pacing , stopping her in her tracks.

“I’m going to tell you this one more time, you she-devil,” he says through clenched teeth “I didn’t kidnap anyone .
I was asked to find you and you came of your own free will. You’re the one who’s holding me prisoner with your stupid accusations!” By this time he’s yelling just as loud ly as Julia, ignoring the growing fury on her face.

“Listen you pointed—
ear mental case, if I’m keeping you prisoner, then let me release you from your chains!”
With her usual agility, Julia shuffle s her feet closer to him attempting a roundh ouse kick to his head. She’s not quick enough, though. Tolan side steps her easily, at the same time grabbing her ankle and yanking her forward , pulling her off of her standing leg. She hit s the ground face first.

She turns on her backside looking up at him, coughing dust and glaring , “Why , you son-of-a-bitch!”

Tolan moves
to the front of the SUV. He puts his foot on the bumper just as Julia is up and charging at him. As she throws a punch, Tolan shifts his upper body slightly, catches her wrist and throws her over his knee. He swings his arm back and puts a hard smack to her backside .

Leaning into me Mellis whispers, “It’s been like this since last night. I don’t think any of us got any sleep. Tharin moved you two in this house, and Alorn, Phoris and I moved to the next. Even the distance couldn’t cut out their screaming.”

Trying not to laugh , I finall y move toward Tolan . With my hands out waving before me, I stop him from smacking Julia a second time .

“Tolan, stop!”
H
is hand stops in midair and Julia stops struggling as she tries to twist around to look at me .
“Please, Tolan. I think she’s had enough. Besides, do all the guys in your family beat on girls?”

I mean
t it as a joke, but the mortified look on Tolan’s face tells me that he took my comment seriously . He looks at his raised hand and then down at Julia. He pulls her up to face him by her shoulders. I watch him as he studies Julia’s face, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time. Knowing Julia, she’s more pissed about the fact that he had the upper hand than about the spanking she just received. Without a word , he pushes Julia to me and walks away.

“Julia, are you okay ?
”
I ask looking her over. When I push her hair from her face I notice the bruise above her jaw line, the purple goose egg under her right eye and her split bottom lip. I know that they are n o t from Tolan. Her stepfather had beaten her again disguising it as a workout session in the boxing rin g. It happened on my birthday. It’s the reason why she wouldn’t have been able to do the run that night with me.
Frank and her stepbrother are the reason s I wanted her with me.

Julia
didn’t hear or even notice me. Her eyes remain fixed on Tolan.

*

I take out Kalis’ message sphere that Mellis handed me. Kalis. How is it that I haven’t thought of her since last night? I feel a pang of guilt because I’m not as excited about receivi ng a response to my own message, which I sent yesterday.
You’re just tired, that’s all , I tell myself. Yeah, that’s it. Yet, while I call forth the message from the sphere, all I can think of is the feel of Lily’s hand in my own. Small and warm it seem ed to fit nicely as she did in my arms.
I must be tired.
I shake off my thoughts of Lily and smile as the back of Kalis’ head appears. She must be in the Summer Garden as I can see the red Londias in the back ground. The face that turns to me is fair and beautiful , and like all the other times that I’ve see n her, I catch my breath . Her golden hair surrounds her beauty with soft curls pulled loosely back in her usual braid . H
er green eyes widen with pleasure. Her red lips break into a smile and I feel my heart beat a little faster. How can I forget such beauty?

“Tharin,
finally! I was worried when I did n’t hear from you.”
Her smooth brow furrows in concern. “Is everything al l right?” she asks.

I smile at her, “Yes, Kalis, everything is fine. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too, Tharin. You look tired.”

“It’s been a long night. Lily was hurt by Rinis and we had to stop for a few hours while she rested.”

“Rinis?” she pauses only for a second before continuing , “So the Black Prince has sent in his dogs. Are you al l right? Are you hurt?”

I didn’t miss how she ignored the mention of Lily .
“Yes, Kalis, I said I was fine. It was Lily who was hurt.”

“Lily? Oh…the l ittle p rincess. I’m sorry , Tharin .
I was only worried ab out you.” S
he pouts as she cast s her eyes downward . It’s a ploy she’s used before and I would fall for it each and every time. So, why now, is it more annoying than pleasing?

“No, Kalis,”
I sigh, trying to shake off the feeling of impatience .
“
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be short. It’s like I said, I’m tired and it’s been a long night. We still have a ways to go before reaching Ephraim .”

“Where are you now?” she asks looking at me again, instantly forgiving me.

“We’re in
Victorville , California , but we’ll be in Las Vegas by this afternoon. We’ll be leaving shortly.”

We say nothing for a moment. I watch her face as she slowly gives me one of her special smiles ; one that I would like to believe is just for me.

“Is she beautiful, Tharin?” she asks quietly, with uncertainty in her eyes .

“Who?” I reply confused.

“The
l ittle p rincess, i s she beautiful?”

I smile at her and tell her what I know she wants to hear, “There is no one more beautiful to me than you, Kalis.”
What she wants to hear?
Why did I think that?
Of course there’s no one more beautiful than Kalis , I tell myself.
Lily’s face comes unbidden to mind .

“Tharin?” I focus my attention back at Kalis. I smile at her and I’m right. She is the most beautiful woman I know.

“Yes, Kalis?”

“Who’s screaming in the back ground? Is that the l ittle p rincess?”

I look behind me to see Lily and Mellis watch ing as Tolan and Julia continue their screaming match. I look back at the sphere saying, “I’m sorry , Kalis.
Tolan needs my help, and no , it’s not Lily. I have to go. We’ll talk again.”

Before I release the call, Kalis calls out once more, “Tharin? You use d to call her the l ittle p rincess. You now call her by her name.
Has something changed?
I know you’re betrothed to her, but you know how I feel about you, how I still feel about you.
”