The Unseen Tempest (Lords of Arcadia) (7 page)

Ater considered speaking again to learn how far he could push before the other elf killed him. However, another thought crossed his mind and made him hold his tongue. For some reason, he was alive, and he needed to know why. There was more than enough time to get himself killed later. Leaning up against the headboard of the bed, he waited until Kor found a way to curb his temper. After a tense few minutes, the elf resheathed his dagger and went back to sitting in the chair.

“Tell me how it happened,” he commanded after a moment’s pause.

Ater had been dreading this since the moment he decided to come back to Evermore to tell Kor his brother was dead. He could tell the angered elf that Pullus had died saving the youngest member of the Crystal Court from an agonizing death at the hands of a djinn. He could try to explain how Puck had manipulated them into traveling to Earth to kill Hawk and bring the secret of ascension to the changeling. Or he could even just admit that Pullus’s death had been as quick as it was useless in the full scope of things. There was no good answer to the question, so instead he simply spoke from his heart.

“I got him killed,” Ater said with all the emotion of a corpse. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

He looked up at Kor, whose furious glare would have burned a hole through the dark elf if Kor had had his way. Ater knew what the other elf wanted. He wanted to repeat what he had told them all those years ago when they left—that they would find nothing but death at the end of their journey. Kor looked like he was dying to rub Ater’s face in the fulfillment of his prophecy. Even though it had taken centuries, his words had indeed come true.

“I told him following you was going to be the death of him,” Kor growled. “I knew you’d corrupt him eventually.”

Ater felt a fire in his chest begin to burn, a feeling he hadn’t felt since he cried at Pullus’s death. “Your brother was not corrupted nor was he mislead. He came with me because we were in love. Why is that so hard for you to—”

Kor got up, screaming for Ater to be silent. “What you and my brother shared was not love, not love as it is defined by Koran!” Ater forced himself not to sigh as the other elf continued to rant. “Love is reserved for a man and a woman, so they can between them create the miracle of life! You are an abomination, and you seduced my brother into thinking he was one too!”

Ater sprang out of the bed, not caring if he was unarmed or not.

They both tumbled to the ground, as if Kor hadn’t expected Ater to physically attack him. Crushing Kor beneath him, Ater pressed one forearm across the other elf’s neck, pinning and strangling him simultaneously. His snarl was feral enough to cow even Kor. “Call your brother weak-minded one more time and you’ll live out the rest of your days with one arm.”

Though the majority of his training focused on the mystic arts, Kor was not incapable of defending himself. Practicing the Arts required physical strength on a par with most warriors. He managed to break Ater’s hold and partially pull himself clear. Ater grabbed him by his beard, and Kor rolled away after kicking the dark elf in the side. Still battling, they rolled out of the bedroom into the main living area. “I’ll call my brother anything I damn well please!” Kor panted.

Ater threw the other man off of him, and he lurched to his feet. “Prepare to lose an arm,” he threatened, already summoning his blade and raising his hand, palm up to receive it. Half a mile away, hidden in the underbrush outside of Evermore, his blades took flight instantly, making a beeline to his hand.

Kor wiped the corner of his mouth free of blood and glared at the other elf. “You’ve taken everything I value in my life! What is that when compared to the loss of an arm?”

He took a half step forward when the wooden door to his house crashed inward and Ater’s sword flew into his hand. He paused as Ater looked at him with a dangerous stare. “I have taken nothing from you.”

Ignoring the weapon altogether, Kor advanced on him. “My brother, my honor—how can you stand there and claim you’ve done anything less than destroy me?”

Before the man could respond, a dark gray kingbird flew through the hole in the door and moved between them. Ater watched as the bird grew in size, its plumage becoming a flowing cloak of large black and gray feathers enfolding a strikingly beautiful elven woman. Although she was in elven form, Ater realized, there was no mistaking the sharp avian features in her face.

Both Kor and Ater went down to one knee instantly.

“Nystel,” Kor said reverently. “You honor me with—”

“Shut up, Kor,” she snapped, cutting him off. Her gaze never left Ater. “I’ve never seen a dark elf bow to a disciple of Koran before.”

Ater refused to look up.

Seeing he was not going to respond, she glared back to Kor. “You have an armed heathen in your house. And yes, I know you have hidden your weapon, heathen. Don’t play me for a fool. Would you care to explain why?”

“It is complicated,” Kor answered after a few seconds.

Nystel’s voice got very cold, very fast. “Then I would suggest you find a simple way of explaining it before you share his punishment.”

“He is—” Kor began and then choked the words off. “He was family in a way.”

Ater looked up for a second in shock at the statement.

“Is, was,” the high priestess mused. “Does this man have any connection to your brother?”

“He was my—” Ater began to explain.

“Silence!” Nystel roared and the sound of rolling thunder could be heard outside the house. “I was not speaking to you.”

Ater stared back at the floor, gritting his teeth in rage.

“He was bonded with my brother,” Kor explained reluctantly, as if wanting to talk about anything other than Pullus and Ater’s “relationship.”

“Was?” Nystel asked, arching one perfect eyebrow in question. “Now I am addressing you, dark elf. Explain why you are here.”

Ater looked up at her, his expression clear of all emotions. “I am here to give him the Right of Revan.”

Kor gaped up at him, his face pale. “You’re what?”

Nystel looked deeply into Ater’s eyes. “You are serious. You came here for that.”

The dark elf knew Nystel’s magic would tell her if he lied, which was good since he wasn’t. “I am here to give him the Right of Revan.”

She shook her head, seemingly amazed. “Very well, then. That changes things.”

Kor looked up at her. “Changes what?”

She returned his stare. “I suppose I won’t kill him, then, since he is giving you the option of doing so.” The statement hung in the air for a few seconds. “You are going to kill him, am I correct?”

The room was silent as they both waited for him to answer.

I
WAITED
in silence for the giant bunny to say something.

See, waiting for a giant bunny to say something is a thought you’d never believe you’d think, yet when you do, it makes perfect sense. I had told Milo about Puck and how he’d arranged for the Dark to rise up against Hawk’s parents and how he was just playing both sides against each other. I didn’t mention the whole tree of life thing, because I’m pretty sure that was the secret we were all supposed to be keeping.

The good thing about the secret of the ascension, Hawk had explained, was that it had an enchantment on the seed so that, after some time, you forgot what you had seen. You remembered the whole secret thing but not what it actually was. Ruber and Ferra and the rest might know Hawk had the secret of ascension on him, but they wouldn’t be able to remember what it actually was.

Turns out I was immune to that spell too.

I not only remembered the seed, but I remember seeing it back on Earth when Hawk had changed shirts, a fact that was bothering Hawk something awful. Of course, I was the guy who had a telepathic link with his boyfriend, only to find out that his boyfriend was better at telepathy than I am. So, unless I was willing to get into a mental thumb war with him, he could keep facts from me pretty easily. And yeah, that pissed me off something fierce.

Anyway: big rabbit, waiting for him to talk, things I never thought I’d say for a thousand, Alex.

“You’re telling the truth,” Milo stated after a rather long time of wiggling his whiskers and smoothing out the front of his vest. “That’s a point in your favor.”

Hawk took a step toward us. “And what points are against us?”

Milo’s ears flattened on his head, and he took a half step back. “Try kidnapping a royal page, threatening said page with bodily harm, not to mention hijacking my spell.”

Ruber’s voice interjected. “That is not a crime.”

“No, but it’s annoying, so it’s a point against you,” the rabbit growled back.

“Fair enough,” Ruber answered, retreating some.

“Will you help us?” I asked Milo, trying to get him back on point.

“You know the Family Crimson will never help you,” he said to Hawk. “The queen hates your mother with the heat of a thousand suns.”

“I know my history,” Hawk answered, trying to sound bored, but I could tell from his thoughts that it was a sore subject. “And if I remember correctly, Queen Demain and her forces were stopped dead in their tracks.”

The rabbit’s eyes got huge, which did nothing to make him look menacing, just even cuter. “And do you think that will somehow endear her to your cause?”

“Milo, please,” I interrupted, stepping between him and Hawk before there was another fight. “We just need to talk to her. All we’re asking for is a ride, not an endorsement.”

“Why would you even need to hijack me? There are portals to….” And then he stopped talking. “Your changeling has them all guarded. You don’t need a ride as much as you need a back door in.”

Hawk said nothing, but his thoughts were dark and angry.

“Can you help us?” I asked Milo again.

He raised one eyebrow, which was odd because rabbits don’t really possess eyebrows. He raised the area
above
one of his eyes, which made me want to laugh.

“Okay,
will
you help us?” I put on my best “Please, Dad, I need those shoes or I will literally fall dead and wither away where I stand” voice and prayed for the best.

“I don’t see how I can,” he replied after some deliberation.

Hawk’s frustration pushed at the back of my mind, and I knew we were seconds from doing things his way. I closed my eyes and tried not to scream at him and then at the stupid rabbit, because this was getting old.

I had vaguely understood how incredibly idiotic politics were at home, but ever since I fell into this world, that point was just made clearer and clearer every time I met someone new. How hard was it for someone to just get over itself and see what we were trying to do here? If Puck won, did Milo really think his realm would be safe? Like the bad guy
always
gained a bunch of power and then said, “Hey, you know what? This is enough. I’m good.”

Why couldn’t people just get it?

“I’ll take you,” Milo’s voice said, breaking me out of my silent tirade.

I opened my eyes and looked at him, confused. “Seriously?”

He nodded. “This Puck sounds like a horrible person, and I am sure once he has conquered Faerth, he won’t stop until he rules all Nine Realms.”

It was almost word for word what I had been bitching about.

“I need to recharge this,” he added, holding up his pocket watch. “There is no way it can carry all of us without a boost.”

I looked back at Hawk and Ruber; both of them were staring at me oddly. “What?” I asked when it felt like I had something on my face or something.

Hawk blinked and looked away. “Nothing. What do you need to recharge?” he asked Milo.

“Time,” he answered. “And I need to be released from this circle.”

Hawk glanced over toward Ruber. “Do we have any time here?”

“Not that I am aware of.” Ruber’s voice sounded, strained and I got the sense he was still looking at me.

“What are you talking about?” Milo’s snapped. “We’re surrounded by it.”

Hawk and I both looked around at what the rabbit was pointing to, but we saw nothing. “We are?”

You have not lived until you hear a bunny sigh in exasperation. “Drop the circle, and I’ll show you.”

Hawk waved his hands, and the glowing runes around Milo vanished.

“Follow me and learn,” he said to me as he began walking toward one of the bookshelves. I glanced at Hawk and could tell he wanted me to go with Milo in case he was trying to trick us.

A
S
SOON
as Kane was out of earshot, Ruber said, “You had to have seen that.”

Hawk’s eyes never left Kane and the rabbit as he spoke. “I did, but now is not the time to talk about it.”

“And it wasn’t the time back in my realm when he supposedly brought me back to life. You can try to deny the proof, but the fact remains, Kane is not what he seems to be.”

Finally Hawk’s eyes moved from Kane to Ruber. “My soul is linked with his. If there is another being in existence who knows him, it is me, and I am telling you he is exactly what he seems to be.”

Ruber said nothing, but it was obvious from the uncomfortable silence that he didn’t believe Hawk.

Chapter 3