Page 43 of The Night Prince 3
He felt a lump form in his throat. He truly hoped that Vex had saved the young man and wasn’t using him as some sort of bait to get the Sun King, Darcassan and Declan in his clutches. Not to mention himself and Elasha. Maybe even Helgrom, Snaglak and Glom were part of the plan as unlikely as that seemed.
Indeed why bother kidnapping us when we’ll just give ourselves over to him willingly?
Vex had plans within plans. Always. That’s how he had always kept ahead of the ruthless potential king slayers that had come after him over the millennia.
The thought of Finley’s face when he had seen Rhalyf for real flashed before his mind’s eye. The young man hadn’t screamed in terror and fled when he’d glimpsed red eyes and white hair. No. He’d looked upon Rhalyf with awe, respect and fascination. Rhalyf prayed that Vex didn’t destroy those emotions towards Kindreth forever in Finley’s inquisitive heart.
And what will my uncle do when he sees me?
There were so many options! Kill Rhalyf. Laugh at Rhalyf and then kill him. Torture Rhalyf and then kill him. Reveal Rhalyf to Aquilan as his nephew, a traitor, and then kill him. On and on it went.
The killing part is the only thing that doesn’t seem to change in all my imaginings.
But it was the thought that Vex would reveal who he was to Aquilan before he had a chance to do it himself that caused his heart to ice over. For most immortal beings, death was an anathema. But to Kindreth, death was a companion.
The Under Dark was designed to kill everyone. The Kindreth themselves delighted in killing each other in imaginative and involved ways especially if it brought them more power or a darker reputation. So Rhalyf had been courting death all his life. But to see Aquilan’s expression fall, to see love turn to confusion and then turn to… hate? That he could not abide. It might happen anyway even if he were the one to tell Aquilan the truth. But it definitely would happen if Vex did it.
Though he hadn’t yet been able to get out the words–his confession–he knew he had too. And quickly. He’d hedged around it. Hinted. Feinted. Thrust. But never fully committed. In some bizarre way, Declan revealing his far greater secrets had taken the wind out of Rhalyf’s sails. It would almost seem anticlimactic to say, “Well, Declan may be the Night Prince, but he and I are cousins! I’m a Night Elf, too, Aquilan! Surprised?”
Yet I should tell Aquilan the moment I pass through the rift. In the shadow of Illithor. Trade one childhood desire to a very adult one not to lose my best friend and place in this sunlit world. But I must speak first if there is to be at all a chance of that.
He had heard what Aquilan had said to Declan about how his heritage didn’t mean anything bad. Truly, the quick, volcanic rage Aquilan had unleashed against the Kindreth on the Lieran Plane had been out of character for the normally even keeled and understanding Sun King. However, because of that rage Rhalyf had just assumed that seeing any Kindreth–no matter who they were–would be enough to cause Aquilan to snap. But no. He had been wrong about that. At least in regards to Declan anyways.
The fact that the Sun King had admitted hypocrisy–something no king ever did in his knowledge–just showed how special and wonderful Aquilan was. But he had no illusions that Aquilan would welcome the knowledge that Rhalyf was a Kindreth, too, with as much grace and acceptance as he had done so far with Declan. Even knowing that Declan might be the Night Prince himself had not quelled that welcome. But that was not going to be Aquilan’s reaction to him.
Because of the lying. He pinched the top of his nose. For decades. He might accept my reasoning as to why I kept it secret at first, even as we developed our friendship until I was sure of him, but now? After everything we’ve shared and gone through? He won’t understand me keeping silent all this time.
But the dice were cast. There was no affecting the roll any longer. He had his number and that was it. So all he could do was control the narrative as much as possible. It was time to embrace the red and white truth.
Should I just drop the glamour once we’re in the Under Dark? That might be better than trying to stammer out an explanation. And it would actually get Aquilan’s attention from his–understandable–concern about Declan and Finley.
Musing about his next move, Rhalyf stepped forward towards the rift. All of this thinking had taken but half a moment yet Darcassan shouldered him out of the way. Elasha let out a sound of dismay at her brother’s rudeness.
“Darcassan!” she chastised.
“What? We outrank him.” Darcassan stared at Rhalyf with open dislike. “He might be the Sun King’s best friend, but we’re family.”
Elasha’s eyes cut to Rhalyf and there was an apologetic look in them as she said, “But that’s no excuse for being rude!”
Rhalyf’s eyes narrowed. It wasn’t. And in Kindreth society, a shiv between the ribs would have been an appropriate response to Darcassan. Family? Family did not matter. One could be a complete loser in a family of winners. Haera had told him that often enough. One had to prove oneself worthy! Darcassan wouldn’t have lasted a hot minute in Illithor. But then Rhalyf smiled. A sharp and likely unpleasant smile.
“Don’t worry, Elasha. Darcassan has to pick up the pieces of his ego somehow,” Rhalyf replied dryly. “I did slam him against the wall and he could do nothing about it. Of course, if he had even a fraction of the power or skill that Aquilan has that would never have happened. So claiming family is all he has to fall back on.”
Darcassan’s forehead resembled a thundercloud, which just had Rhalyf smiling wider. He normally kept the barbed side of his tongue in check. But not now. Not after Darcassan’s actions pushed him to this point and could have caused Finley his life.
“I won’t forget you did that!” Darcassan tipped up his chin.
“Oh, neither will I. Nor the reason for it,” Rhalyf’s voice was sharp.
Darcassan flushed. “He was one human! I can’t believe you’re getting worked up about it. Are you bedding him or something?”
The urge to smash Darcassan against the wall again was strong. Rhalyf’s right hand curled into a fist. “Finley is worth–”
“Far more than me? An Aravae of royal blood?” Darcassan shook his head. “The one thing I never expected of you, Rhalyf, was naivete!”
Rhalyf’s smile felt more like a slash across his face. “Oh, I’m not the naive one, Darcassan. Only someone who thinks family is going to save them in Illithor is.”
Darcassan’s eyes grew wide. “Are you threatening me?”
