Page 20 of Fate Calls the Elf Queen

His movements were stronger than the last time she’d seen him. As if he found a new source of energy.

“Now I want you to stand at the center, close your eyes, and find stillness.”

With a sigh, Layala moved to where a smaller circle was carved into the stone and closed her eyes. All her fears and worries seemed to come crashing in. She worried about her upcoming confrontation with the Black Mage. She fought him once and failed. What if it happened a second time?

“I’m sensing anxiousness,” Vesstan said in a soothing voice. “I can feel your energy.”

Was that part of his magical power? “I don’t know how to stop it.”

“Clear your mind.”

Because that’s so easy? How do I stop my thoughts?

“You are in control of your mind; it doesn’t control you. Silence it.”

Layala forced herself to think of a black wall, of nothing, an eternal emptiness where nothing existed and that lasted for about three seconds before she began to worry if Vesstan could still feel her bad energy and she opened one eye.

“Layala,” he murmured. “I want you to feel each of these statements as I say them and repeat them aloud but keep your eyes closed. Take a deep breath before each statement… I am powerful.”

“I am powerful.”This is stupid,she thought.

“I am worthy.”

“I am worthy.”

“I am light in a world of darkness.”

“I am light in a world of darkness.” That struck her core. She sat with those words, repeating them silently in her mind.I am light in a world of darkness.Could she be that? Her parents believed so. They named herLightbringer.For a moment she felt hope. They had hope when they gave her that name.

Then a rogue thought came,How can the goddess of night be a Lightbringer?She furrowed her brows.But maybe I am both.

The sun disappeared from the sky, bringing about the cool evening air, and the crickets chirped in the tall grass before she opened her eyes again. Her tears were dry and sticky on her face and the deep breaths filling her lungs calmed her nerves. For a while she’d forgotten about her strained uncertain relationship with Thane, all the notes, and thePalenor Scroll.

Vesstan sat completely straight, shoulders pushed back, and without opening his eyes he said, “You can go inside now. Come back at the same time tomorrow.”

She was far from feeling at peace but there was hope. “May I walk you in?”

“I’ll stay here a while longer. It’s been years since I sat out under the stars at Castle Dredwich.”

She glanced at the castle and a feeling of dread filled her gut. Far more than a few minutes had gone by since she and Piper saw Thane in the throne room. Why wasn’t he here yet?

Chapter7

THANE

Thane left Hel in the library smoking a civar. The sweet smell of it still lingered on his clothes and in his hair. Seeing him take Layala by the throat, press her into the wall, it made him lose it. He’d wanted to keep his cool, to be able to outwit Hel, but the bastard knew exactly what buttons to push. A bloody “stand-in” for his prick of a cousin huh? Oh, he was much more than that.

He paced back and forth, boots tapping lightly, anxiousness burning through him worrying about Layala and Piper headed out to train with Vesstan. Even armed with katagas serum, it felt like when she went into the Void alone. And this was the hard part, the part he almost didn’t agree to.

He had to wait.

Leaving her alone even for a few minutes set his nerves on fire but he had to trust her. Thane had to give Hel a few minutes to do exactly what he knew he would do, follow Layala. He couldn’t spot Thane there waiting. He had to catch her appearing vulnerable and then if she could get him with the serum, Thane would be ready. Layala’s magic would hold him long enough to tie him up, and they would hold him in a prison cell in the dungeons.

How long would it take to break Hel and convince him to end the pale one curse? He needed to question him on why he did it in the first place, and the problem he mentioned. Something was coming… or someone.

Layala wanted him dead, but Thane couldn’t do it. Even knowing every evil, horrible thing he was, knowing he wanted to take Layala, he couldn’t imagine killing him. Once Layala remembered being Valeen, she wouldn’t either.

The double doors flung open causing him to pause his pacing, and Leif and Fennan strutted in like a pair on a mission. “Tell me why we just cleaned up two dead bodies.” Fennan said, in a fresh crisp dark blue tunic and clean black pants. He brushed a stray, short curl off his forehead.

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