“That wasn’t a Forest Sunset, or at least it wasn’t complete yet.” She smiled as she reached onto the bottom shelf and brought out a small, red vial. She dripped one drop into the glass. “Watch.”
The dark green muck swirled like a river, faster and faster until it lost its heaviness. The movement stopped. The dark colors exploded, blossoming red, then orange. The liquid settled down and I sniffed it. An orchard-like smell tickled my nose.
“Go ahead,” she said. “Taste it.”
I gave her a sour expression.
“Trust me. This time it’ll be different.”
“All right.” I sipped at the drink in case she was playing another joke on me. It tasted like honey, and I guzzled it down. She was right. It
was
good.
“Easy there,” Eliana said, touching my hand. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”
“Thank you,” I said, wiping my mouth. “How come you didn’t think I could handle it before?”
Eliana gave me a mischievous grin. “You’ll see.”
I took another sip, allowing the liquid to dance around my mouth. I wondered what she meant. Bubbles rose up out of the bottom of the glass. They hovered and circled around my head. I stared at them, but neither Eliana nor any of the other elves seemed to notice. The bubbles burst, and when they did, little animals appeared.
A tiny snake and a bird went at each other. The bird swooped down at the snake with its claws. The snake hissed and leapt up at the bird. When they clashed together, the bubbles vanished.
My eyes crossed from staring at the space in front of my nose where the bubbles had once been.
“What was that?” I asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“I didn’t see anything,” she said. “It’s different for everyone.”
“Can I have another one?”
“Of course, but this time drink it slower. The more you drink, the worse it gets. Sometimes, people drink so much they become lost in a hallucinogenic stupor, but it’s far worse than any ale or wine.”
I nodded. And Jastillian said the elves didn’t have anything as strong as the dwarves. He was wrong.
I nursed my second drink, the newness of the hallucinations starting to wear off. I stared into my glass and thought of home. We were going to be passing through Sedah on our way to Southern Shala. It had been so long since I’d been there, and I had changed so much. I missed my mother, and quietly wished that I didn’t have these powers so I could have had a simpler life—one with far less heartache.
Eliana pushed another drink in front of me. “Have another one and tell me what you see.”
I glanced up at her. “All right.”
That third one hit the spot. All sorts of weird things popped into view. It didn’t matter where I looked. Eliana didn’t help. She took out a coin and flipped it, making it dazzle like a sun from her hand. She even snapped her towel at me and it roared like a lion, nearly knocking me from my seat. Three Forest Sunsets and much laughter later, I had a visitor.
“Sharald,” Eliana said as she cleaned a glass. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. I haven’t seen you this high in a while.”
Sharald leaned against a chair and took a deep breath. “I much prefer the ground these days, but I came to find Hellsfire.”
“Your Majesty,” I said, rising. I leaned against the bar as the world tilted into view. “You didn’t have to come all the way up here. I would have met you.”
“Nonsense. I wanted one of Eliana’s delicious drinks, and I could use the exercise. I may be old, but I still love being in the trees.”
I struggled to pull out a seat so Sharald could sit beside me.
“How many of those have you had?” he asked.
“Four.”
“Six,” Eliana said.
The king laughed and smacked his hand on the table. “Thankfully, Eliana’s place is near the great oak, lest you break your neck climbing down one of the ladders. But I understand your need to drink so many. Eliana, can I have one Winter’s Chill please?”
“Of course.” Eliana fixed him a drink. A big mug was set in front of him. Frost hovered above the top. The king took a drink and sighed.
“Excellent, as always,” Sharald said. He wiped the blue residue from his mouth with the back of his sleeve. “How have you two been doing?”
“I was just keeping Hellsfire some company here.”
“And I appreciate it,” I said.
She smiled with her eyes. “Any time, Hellsfire.”
“Can you please give us some privacy?” Sharald asked.
“As you wish,” Eliana said. She motioned to the other elves in the building. All of them left, until it was just the king and me.
“I wanted a chance to talk before you left, away from prying ears,” King Sharald said. “I’m sorry to hear about your banishment from Alexandria and about what happened with
Princess Krystal.”
I stared at my now empty glass, wishing I had another. “Thank you.”
“I wish there was something more I could do for you.” Sharald took another sip of his drink. “This reminds me of something long ago.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t born to rule. I was third in line, but my older sister died and my older brother abandoned his duties. It had all fallen to me.” He reached for his drink, but then stopped. “There was also a girl involved, before my late wife.”
“And you chose the throne over her?”
Sharald sighed. “In a way. It was the toughest decision I’d had to make at that time. It wasn’t long after that I met my wife—a few short years later. I didn’t think it possible, but I loved Liliana far more than I ever did Kaleena. I had thought my heart would never mend over the hole Kaleena’s departure left. I know it doesn’t seem like this now, but you never know what the gods have in store and where it will take you.”
I didn’t quite believe in what the king said. The pain cut so deeply that I could drink Forest Sunrises until nothing I saw in front of me was real. I nodded, yet couldn’t find my voice.
The king looked at me with caring eyes. “After the expedition into Southern Shala, I do not know what your plans are, Hellsfire, but you will always have a home here.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
He raised his mug. “To lost loves.”
I raised mine. “To lost loves.” We clinked our glasses together.
“I do know some available elves,” Sharald said, leaning in closer. “Eliana’s pretty and single. Plus, you can have all the drinks you can handle.”
I glanced at the door and frowned. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
“In time, you will be.”
Eliana and the others eventually came back while the king and I sat and drank. While he had heard the report from Prastian, he wanted to know what the Wastelands were like from a wizard’s point of view. He said it reminded him of when Stradus told him stories when he was younger.
After more drinks, we eventually left Eliana’s bar. I would like to say I helped the aging king, but he helped me. He steadied me on the bridge and held my arm as we walked down the oak’s stairs. I burst out in laughter when a few of the leaves brushed against me, tickling me. The leaves laughed as they did so, and followed me no matter where I went. The king also chuckled, but more at my state.
“Hellsfire,” King Sharald said when we finally reached the bottom. “If I wasn’t here, I don’t know how you would have gotten down.”
“It was the leaves, I tell you. They wouldn’t leave me alone!”
King Sharald shook his head. “If you say so.”
Demay ran up to us. He stopped and said, “I was just on my way up to see you.”
“What is it?” Sharald asked.
“What’s wrong with Hellsfire?”
“I’ve had six Forest Sunsets,” I said, holding my hand out. I peered at it, only seeing five fingers. “That’s not six.”
“He’s had seven, and a Winter’s Chill,” Sharald said.
“Oh,” Demay said. “And you’re still standing? Anyways, we have visitors.”
“Who?”
“The Princess of Alexandria.”
I grinned at Demay and touched his nose. “Yeah, right. She’s in Alexandria. What would she be doing here?” My smile vanished and I frowned. “I’m never going to see her again except in my dreams.”
“I’m serious,” Demay said. “She’s
here.”
I stared at my friend and blinked hard until the circling stars around his head evaporated. What was she doing here?
“Lead the way,” I said.
We hastened back to the dome and I tried to sober up. The haze in my head didn’t leave me. It only worsened with all the questions of why and how she was here.
When we returned to the castle, Krystal and Prastian were standing in front of it, engaged in conversation. With her were Ardimus and Rebekah. They stopped talking and approached us.
I stared at her with my mouth hanging open. She
was
here and I was so glad to see her. The air dried my mouth and my heart threatened to burst from my chest. I hadn’t thought I would ever see her again. For a brief moment, I thought of the things we could do together, but then remembered that if I ever touched her again, she would die.
“Your Majesty,” Krystal said, bowing. She gave me a brief smile.
“Princess, please. Sharald will do.”
She nodded. “As you wish.”
“What brings you here?” Sharald asked. “I’m pleased to have you, but this is unexpected.”
“My father decided to send an expedition into Southern Shala now instead of later. I wanted to catch up with the others before they crossed the Ennis Mountains. Thank the gods I reached you in time.”
“I thought King Furlong didn’t want you to go?” I asked.
“I persuaded him to change his mind. This was too great an opportunity to pass up, and it’s best that we all go together.” She stared at me. “Hellsfire, are you all right?”
Krystal’s violet eyes danced and started to leave her skull. I shook my head several times. “I’m fine, Your Highness.”
“I’m glad you’re going,” Sharald said. “The more skilled warriors, the better.” He nodded at Ardimus and Rebekah. “Let me have one of my elves show you to your rooms. After you clean up, we can discuss the plan we came up with over dinner.”
Krystal bowed. “Thank you, Sharald.”
Two of Sharald’s guards escorted Krystal and her people. I followed them, making small talk and asking how their trip was. I waited to talk to her until she dismissed her guards and we were alone in her room.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping my voice low in case the elves overheard me. “I thought your father forbade you to go.”
“He did, but as I told you, I persuaded him, and I can be
very
convincing.” She stepped in close and ran a finger along my chest. I smiled, reminded of how much I missed her and how much she was right. “What happened to you, Hellsfire? Your eyes linger on things and you’re having trouble standing up straight without swaying.”
“You ever hear of a Forest Sunset?”
She chuckled. “And how many of those have you had?”
“Seven, and one Winter’s Chill.”