Page 239 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

We hold each other, enjoying the aftershocks, my head on his shoulder as I gently stroke his back. “Can you feel that?” Just below where my bonds sit is something new, and I know that something is Eldrin. I don’t understand what it means, or how we’ve created a bond. It shouldn’t be possible, yet somehow, it is.

“Yes.” I hear the smile in his voice, and when he pulls back, his face is practically glowing. “You are the other half of my soul.” Our next kiss is slow and passionate, like we have all thetime in the world. I’m still on a high from our joining, but I know we’ll soon have to go back to camp.

“Eldrin—” I start, but I’m stopped when a huge wave of magic slams into me. Except it isn’t any magic that the mages use, it’s dark and wrong. At first, I think the darkness that’s been tainting the lands has reached us, but as I look around, I notice the trees and other lifeforms still seem to be standing. No, whatever that was, it was a warning.

Eldrin hisses and moves away from me, pulling up his trousers as he moves into a defensive stance, obviously having felt the magic also. Most beings don’t feel magic unless the magic user intends for you to.

Not seeing an immediate threat, Eldrin straightens and helps me into my dress. “What was that?”

Fastening up the buttons on my dress as quickly as possible, I fight back my panic and rising nausea. “I think the queen just declared war.”

Eldrin freezes for a second before snarling, “I won’t let her hurt you.”

I nod, but I know he can’t promise that. We have no idea what she has planned. The queen has been suspiciously quiet since the attack with the forsaken, which makes me nervous. We know she propositioned the king, and they will most likely be working together now, especially considering Rhydian’s sudden use of dark magic. That’s what had been bugging me back in Arhaven when I couldn’t connect the dots—none of the king’s sons had any magical abilities, and Rhydian’s certainly was not normal. His magic was all too similar to the queen’s darkness. I’ve had a lot of time to ponder everything that happened, and the king’s concerned glances he kept throwing towards his son tells me he didn’t like what was happening. When I asked Jacob about it, he didn’t know much, since he was taken away before anything transpired, but he said Rhydian changed, and that itwas almost like there were two sides to him. Remembering Rhydian’s twitching form and his comments about me being their city’s only hope, it makes me think that the darkness came with a price.

Shuddering, I push thoughts of the dark prince from my mind and check to make sure I’ve not left anything on the ground when a glow catches my attention.

My mind goes back to when I initially met the wood elves and I saw a forest spirit for the first time. It had taken the form of a wolf, and Speaker Hawthorn had told me it signified that magic was returning to the forest. Except the form I see before us is no forest spirit.

“Great Mother.” I drop into a deep curtsy before the glowing figure. She’s hazy, nothing more than an ethereal outline—I can’t even make out her features—but I don’t need to see her face to know her love for me. The mark on my wrist begins to glow in her presence, and I can feel her approaching me.

“Beloved,” she greets in return, cupping my chin as she raises my head. It’s an odd sensation. She’s not here physically, so it’s like being caressed by magic, my skin tingling where she touches. Although I can’t see her features, I get the impression she’s smiling.

“Menishea.” Eldrin kneels on the ground, awed to be in the presence of his goddess. My heart constricts tightly as I watch him press his face into the dirt. It’s obvious he thinks he’s lowly and unworthy of the goddess’ time, based on his behaviour. I thought he was starting to work through some of his self-worth issues, but then I suppose when someone has felt as worthless as he has for so long, it’s difficult to move past.

“Rise, Lord Eldrin.”The goddess kneels by my mate, offering him one of her hands as he lifts his shocked gaze. Pausing, he stares at the proffered hand with vulnerability shining in his eyes, as if he’s scared this may be a trick. However, the Motheris patient and holds steady. Slowly, Eldrin extends his hand and places it in hers, standing to his full height.

Now face-to-face, she cradles his hand between hers. “You have had many hardships. I am glad you have found happiness with my beloved.”A weight seems to lift from Eldrin at the goddess’ approval of our joining, a slow but glowing smile spreading across his lips.

Her words finally register with me, our connection throbbing in my chest. Does this mean we were fated all along? Taking a step towards them, I place a hand on Eldrin’s shoulder, looking at the glowing form of the Mother. “Then you blessed us?”

“That was not me, my beloved, but another. However, that is not why I have come to you.”She sounds apologetic, and I know she wants to tell me more, but as she releases Eldrin, her form flickers. I feel a fluctuation of magic in the air. We don’t have much time before she runs out of magic.

Another?I ask myself.Who could she mean? Another god?I want to pepper her with questions until she gives me the answers I seek. Is she suggesting that Eldrin and I were blessed by a different god? So were we always fated to be together anyway? Looking at Eldrin, I feel my love for him course through my body, and I find myself wondering if it really matters.

Taking a deep breath, I focus on the task at hand, guessing why she’s appeared to me tonight. “The darkness.”

Nodding, she clasps her hands in front of her. “I would come to you in full form, but I am still weak and being blocked by another. I am beginning to suspect one of my siblings is involved in all this.”

“You mean another god?” I ask with surprise, swapping looks with Eldrin. This is the second mention of ‘another,’ and now she thinks her siblings may be involved. Does she believe they are behind the dark magic, or blocking her powers? Foreboding fillsme. Dark magic, forsaken armies, and evil queens are one thing, but how do we fight a god?

“Yes, but leave them to me. If they are involved, I can’t do much to help on land, but you have your army behind you,”she explains, her voice hard. I’ve not heard her speak like this before, but she’s protective of us and angry that one of her siblings could be messing with her subjects.“It is time.”Her words both thrill and terrify me as Eldrin reaches out and threads his fingers through mine, joining our hands. “You march to Galandell in the morning.”

The forest is not happy. Even without spreading my awareness, I can feel its displeasure at having so many denizens traipsing through it, but unfortunately, it’s the only way the army can get to Galandell.

The elves are light on their feet, and even the sea and high elves seem to have a deep respect for nature. That respect, it seems, is not shared by the humans or tribesmen. I don’t believe they mean to be disrespectful as they tramp loudly through the undergrowth and crush the delicate wildflowers under their boots, they just seem to be oblivious, unaware of the beauty and life around them.

The other fae are travelling with us but at a distance, disturbed by the presence of the wagons and so many humans and tribespeople. Over the last several weeks, more people have joined us. Most were magicians sent by Pierre, but some were humans who had heard about my standoff with the king, guards who had worked in the castle. When I spoke with them, they said Wilson told them where they could find me. I don’t know how they managed the long journey, and I worry for those whowill arrive after we’ve already left, but I have to trust that Wilson won’t send anyone who can’t handle the travel.

So far, the humans who have joined us have been wary but tolerant of the elves. The two groups have mostly kept to themselves, but I haven’t had to step in and break up any fights like I previously feared.

I’ve been spending more time with the sea elves. Their quiet and gentle nature appeals to me, however, I’ve watched them in training—they are lethal. The spears and fishhooks they use are wickedly sharp, and their aim is deadly. Combine that with being quick on their feet and having incredibly strong upper bodies, and they are not a foe to be trifled with. Eldrin learned this the hard way one morning in camp before we marched, thinking them an easy target. He earned himself a thwack on the head and a bruised ego. Since then, he’s trained with them daily, enjoying the challenge, even learning to wield their fishhooks.

“Beloved.” Blinking from my deep thoughts, I turn to the voice, finding one of the young mages leading his horse towards me, and I have to fight my groan.

“Five,” Naril whispers conspiratorially, smiling smugly at me. Tor and Vaeril chuckle, Eldrin snorts, shaking his head, and even Grayson cracks a smile. Shooting the males a look, I turn back to the mage.

“Yes?” I try to sound polite, but it comes out more like a bark, stopping the mage in his tracks. A look of uncertainty crosses his face. Wincing and feeling like an awful person, I take a step forward, making an effort to soften my expression. “Sorry, how can I help?”

---