Page 70 of Chaos Tempted

Oakes helps me up to ride with him. “Isthere another portal?” he asks Eldrin.

Eldrin’s eyes dart over to Rhys. “I believe so. Not too far. Recently, Jaden heard a rumor of another portal that had been created near this castle.”

“That’s how the ghouls got in!” Rhys narrows his eyes. “Why was the portal created?”

“I believe my father wants a war.” Eldrin kicks his horse into moving. “And if I don’t get back to Ryven soon, he will have the perfect excuse—King Nathaniel’s unlawful imprisonment and attempted murder of an Elven prince and his royal advisors.”

Rhys urges his horse to follow Eldrin’s. His jaw flexes, and he asks, “How do we find this new portal?”

“From the accounts, I believe it’s to the west.” Jaden waves in that general direction. “We should be able to find it easily enough once we are close. The ghouls aren’t usually careful about their tracks.”

“Should we do anything to help the humans with this attack?” Oakes asks Eldrin from his perch on the saddle.

The Elven guards wait patiently, poised to do whatever their prince asks of them.

“It’s more important that we find the portal and make sure no other ghouls can enter.” Eldrin sighs. “Or the stars forbid, Elven soldiers try to come through. We also need to make it known I’m no longer being held captive.”

Rhys stops his horse after we reach the gate. “I think this is as far as I can go—I need to help my realm. May the fates be with you.”

“May the fates be with you.” Eldrin nods. “And thank you. I will do my best to stop this madness from my side.”

“I will too.” Rhys nudges his horse to gallop away.

30

PORTAL

WYNSTELLE

“Rhys is a better man than I thought,” Eldrin says to me as we ride west to search for the new portal.

Jaden and Baelen ride several yards ahead of the group to scout for tracks or the scent of ghouls. The other three guards keep an eye out for a hostile approach, be it Elven, ghoul, or human.

None of the elves look like they have fully recovered from the iron shackles. Their color is sallow, and their shoulders are slumped.

“Would King Magnus truly send ghouls to attack?” I ask in disbelief.

“It definitely isn’t an honorable way to incite a war.” Eldrin grimaces. “But we learned recently that he isn’t as honorable as he’d like everyone to believe.”

“But setting ghouls loose in the mortal realm?” Oakes frowns, holding me tightly to his chest in our saddle. “That seems like a desperate move.”

“Probably meant to stir up human hatred for all things fae.” Eldrin rubs his face with one hand as he grips his horse’s reins in the other. The adrenaline has faded, and so has his energy. He didn’t receive as much healing as Jaden did from Oakes, and it shows.

“You still look a bit gray.” I hold out my hand to give him some healing energy as our horses ride side by side, but I make it seem I only need to touch him again for reassurance. I can’t let any elves in on my secret magic, not even the ones Jaden trusts.

Besides, my need to touch him for comfort isn’t untrue. I need to feel him again.

Startled when my mirrored healing magic pours into him, Eldrin snaps his gaze to me. Then the surprise of my ability makes him smile. “Thank you.”

Jaden trots his horse back to the main group. “We found several ghoul tracks in a dense cluster. I think the portal is nearby.” He points out the likely area to search.

“Spread out. Let’s find it quickly,” Eldrin orders. “Oakes, stay here with Wyn. We’ll all meet back at this point and go through together.”

Although I know time is of the essence, I don’t like the idea of splitting up. I want to protest, but I’m not the authority on this sort of thing. When Jaden doesn’t argue, I try to shake off my foreboding.

Jaden nudges his horse to ride off to the right with Baelen. Eldrin heads left with his two guards, Corwin and Agis, flanking him on both sides. Daylor moves his steed closer to Oakes and me on our shared horse.

Dread passes through me as they disappear from view.

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