Page 58 of Shadows in Bloom

He nodded his head once and placed his lips against my forehead. “We will make it so.”

It had become abundantly clear as we traveled through the tunnels that they were, at least partially, man made. Iron sconces lined the walls every few feet, holding torches long since extinguished, though easily remedied by a dash of magic. There was no cut out path, but it was clear where the ground had been treaded and smoothed over years of use. Certain walls had carvings I recognized to be of the Fae language, even without taking the time to translate them.

We pushed ourselves to move as fast as our legs would allow. After over an hour of twisting and turning with no end in sight, our pace had fallen to a mere stroll. My vision was swimming with exhaustion, and as much as I hated to admit it, I knewI couldn’t go much longer before my body would give out on itself. It was a miracle I’d made it this far. The only thing pushing me forward was the hope that we’d at least find an open space to take a break comfortably. Another moment spent in the cramped quarters of the tunnel and I was liable to suffocate.

Fresh, cool air hit my lungs all at once, and I nearly slammed into Alandris’ back as he stopped out of nowhere. I peered out from behind his tall frame to see what had made him stop so abruptly.

The tunnel had opened to another enormous cavern, almost as large as the one we’d initially entered. At the center of the room was a pool of water so clear it was crystalline. From the ceiling hung glowing flora in hues of indigo and violet. And in the very center of the pool was a towering tree, with weeping branches dipped in long, lilac leaves. The rest of the cavern was empty, save for a raised circular dais, in the very back, beyond the water. The entire display was otherworldly. I had to look behind me just to confirm that we hadn’t been transported to another realm.

“Do you think the flower could be here?” Alandris asked in breathless wonder.

I’d almost forgotten the damn flower. The Fae’s favor that had started everything. With everything else crumbling down around me, I’d forgotten it was all for naught if we failed to find the flower and release Alandris from his debt. “If not here, then where?”

Chapter 30

“We are of no use to our friends half dead,” Alandris said, setting down his pack. “I know you want to keep pushing forward, but you look as though you’re moments from collapse. We can rest here, do a quick check for the flower, and then resume our search for Kaz and Zorinna. You said he was going to look for her. I am confident they will be fine if they are together. Kaz will protect her.”

He was right, I knew, but it didn’t bring me any relief. Instead, I changed my focus. “What’s the flower supposed to look like, anyway?” I scanned the room. All the flora in the cavern looked rare and valuable. In all of my reading, I’d never seen anything like that which was growing here.

“Amorphael said I’d know when I saw it.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t question a Fae. A pointless endeavor. It’s all riddles and questions in lieu of answers.”

“I wonder if she knew just how awful of a forager she was trusting with her precious flower.” I laughed.

He threw a playful glare my way. “Hilarious, my love. Regardless, it can wait. I’m covered in grime and blood, and there is a sparkling body of water calling my name.”

A cloak dropped on the rock beside us. A shirt. A belt. He was moving so quickly I didn’t have the time to process what he was doing before I was met with his bare back, muscles flexing right in front of my eyes as he worked the buttons of his pants. I turned away, my face already heating at the sight.

I caught the sound of him snickering behind me. “If you’d like to join me, I’ll turn around.” His voice drew further away. “One moment, I’m getting settled. Ah, it’s quite nice. Not too cold.”

My stomach flipped, my wild imagination taking hold of my thoughts and painting me a vivid image of what was happening behind me. There were so many other things, more urgent things, to worry about, and here I was fantasizing about how the rest of him looked. Imagining the sensation of his hands running down my bare skin, how his lips would taste, both of us drenched in the glittering water. Gods, he was ruining my mind, and he hadn’t even touched me.

“Are you, then? Joining me?” His words were more tempting than a siren’s call. I could hear the water lapping against his skin as he swam.

It was a bad idea. Awful, really. The worst idea I’d ever had when I opened my mouth to speak. “Fine. Turn around.”

I waited until the sound of the water splashing reached my ears before I turned. Alandris had acquiesced to my request, the water hitting his back just above his hips, the rest of him hidden beneath the stirring pool. He was a vision against the stunning backdrop of the grand tree. Long pale ears poking out behind longer black hair, tangled at the ends from being dipped in the water. He had an ethereal beauty to him, a natural grace that was only magnified by our otherworldly surroundings.

I removed my cloak first, piling it on top of his discarded garments. I fumbled with my shirt, boots, leathers, hands shaking with nerves. He wouldn’t see me, I knew. He wouldn’t turn around unless I told him to, but he would be right there. Close enough to touch—skin to skin. There was something almost comforting in it—baring ourselves physically after sharing everything we’d shared with each other emotionally. The final layer pulled back before we would be fully exposed to one another, down to the soul.

I tiptoed into the water, gasping as the chill bit my skin. The shock of the cold tapered off into a comfortable coolness as I brought myself deeper into the water. I came to a stop behind Alandris, the water nipping at the skin below my breast. I was close enough to see him clearly. The smoothness of his back was broken up by a few scars, each one a story I wanted to learn. There was still so much of him that was unknown to me.

“What happened?” I spoke in a whisper, tracing the line of the deepest mark. It appeared old enough that it had faded to a translucent white.

Alandris’ back straightened at my touch. “Though not in the same way as you, I too have lived several lives before this one.” He settled, easing his posture, before continuing. “The Mages Consortium didn’t always have as much independence as they do now. I was only eighteen when I first arrived, and things were not as peaceful between the Kingdoms of Lustria at that time. Though the Consortium accepted mages from all over Lustria, being located in Nil’Faerith, the expectation was that you swore loyalty to the Elven Kingdom of Val’Naeris. To defend and protect in times of dire need.

“I’d only been in training for two years when Val’Naeris was attacked by the Dwarven Kingdom in the North, Kor Migdahl. It was the shortest war in history, quite literally. Sometimes I think our kingdoms fight every few hundred years because it is what is expected of us—a ridiculous racial feud repeating itself since the dawn of time. The Kings settled it amongst themselves after one bloody battle, but one battle was all it took for the Mages Consortium to be called to action.

“I’d had little to no combat training, so when we were called to defend our Elven cities, well, I was lucky to survive with only a few wounds. With the ability of the more experienced Mages, the battle was a landslide. The battle resulted in such a landslide that they decided to prohibit any one kingdom from controlling the Mages Consortium and declared the island of Nil’Faerith as neutral territory.”

I continued to run my finger along his scars. “Is that why you chose to remain with the Mages Consortium? The freedom of owing nothing to no one ruler or land?”

Alandris hummed in response. “That is part of it. I never wanted to serve the King. That was my family’s dream. I was furious when my decision to join the Mages Consortium resulted in my doing the one thing I’d been trying to avoid. It seemed like a cruel joke, like I’d never stood a chance against my predetermined destiny. When the treaty was signed freeing us Mages from political binds, I was relieved beyond measure. But now…”

I sucked in a breath. “Now?”

“Perhaps it is better I cannot see your face,” he mumbled. “I read Lyandril’s response in the journal when it was my turn on watch. Those people who attacked us, calling themselves the Divine Council… he is one of them. I believe he uses the Mages Consortium to recruit new members and hide in plain sight. I don’t fully understand it, or what their goals are, aside from hunting you down. But… but the one place I had found solace in has been corrupted yet again. Not by kings, but something worse.” Alandris sunk down further into the water, as though dragged down by the weight of his words. “And I have led them right to you.”

“That is not your fault, Alandris.” I reached for his shoulder, tugging him to turn and face me. I didn’t care if he saw me. I only wanted to comfort him in some way and ease the guilt that hung on his every word.

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