Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
There was no fault in Caelian’s logic.
And Kjeld could not blame her, not this time.
Besides, he had no right to her. Not to her attention or her affection.
She owed him nothing. He’d not made any declarations of love.
If anything, he’d been far too vocal about his frustrations.
And he certainly should have remained silent instead of admitting his desires.
Because she was right. Caelian’s feelings were born out of love, and his seemed forged from primal lust. She was not his wife, and it was unjust of him to toy with her emotions.
And yet…
The loss of her was profound. Intentional.
He felt it keenly.
Even though she stood an arm’s length away from him in the courtyard, the distance between them was a wide, gaping chasm.
A void of eternal emptiness. Hollow and desolate.
Despite being so attuned to her heartbeat, to her breathing, it was as though she was constructing a barrier around herself.
An impenetrable fortress of strength and determination that he may never breach.
Midmorning mist drifted across the damp patches of grass and dirt, swirling around Caelian’s ankles as a light drizzle emptied from the overcast heavens.
She was pristine in the gloom, elegance among the muck.
And Kjeld was reminded of a time when he trained her twin sister, Creslyn, how to fight with a sword in an incredibly similar situation.
But while Creslyn had been eager to stay and learn, Caelian was determined to leave and forget.
She was the epitome of a lady, but he tracked every one of her irritations.
A pinch of her brows each time an errant strand of hair, pulled loose from her plait by the stiff breeze, plastered against the side of her neck from the rain.
The way she constantly tugged at her billowing sleeves, as though she couldn’t stand to have the fabric touch her skin.
The slight shift in her weight from one foot to the other each time the skirt she wore tangled around her legs.
Caelian was uncomfortable. Antsy. Always fiddling or fidgeting with the snaps on her corset to keep from wringing her hands together in a show of unease.
“Must you leave so soon?” Queen Viktoria reached out and clasped Caelian’s hands, her eerie golden eyes flicking between Caelian and Kjeld. “You’ve only just arrived.”
Caelian offered a small, forced smile. “It seems futile to prolong our stay, Your Majesty. For I believe if you meant Aeramere any sort of malice, you would have shown your hand some time ago.”
The queen’s painted ruby lips curved easily, an admirable gleam sparking in the gold of her gaze.
“I have no doubt your brother underestimates your abilities, Lady Caelian. It’s true that I mean you and yours no harm, though I imagine Lord Starstorm may call upon me for a favor in time.
One I will be willing to grant, so long as he offers repayment whenever the need arises. ”
Caelian dipped her head in acknowledgment. “Ariesian is most honorable, and his loyalty to his family and his word is without fault.”
“Though I am curious…” Queen Viktoria looked toward Odryss, where the mighty dragon was seated with his wings tucked, awaiting Kjeld’s orders. “Why are you traveling with dragon eggs?”
The smooth planes of Caelian’s face turned stony, her mouth thinning into a hard line. “Aeramere is not the wonder it seems. There is foul magic afoot, and the source has not yet been determined, though there are some who think our queen is the one behind it.”
“Your queen?” This from Elder Lothaire, who, to Kjeld’s immense frustration, seemingly appeared out of thin air. The vampire positioned himself directly beside Caelian. “What reason would a queen have to wreak havoc upon her own kingdom?”
“What reason indeed?” Kjeld muttered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants.
Caelian, the queen, and Lothaire all turned his direction.
“The land is slowly turning against the fae of Aeramere, and Queen Elowyn is doing nothing to stop it. We’re moving the dragon eggs far from the poisoned reach so they can hatch in safety. ”
“Forgive me, I believe I misheard.” Queen Viktoria’s brows pulled into a hard line of concern and her gold eyes slid to Lothaire, held, then focused on Kjeld again. “Did you say Elowyn? As in, Elowyn Willowblade?”
“The very one.” Caelian tilted her head to one side. “You know her?”
Queen Viktoria’s painted red lips pursed, and she shared one more questionable look with Lothaire. “I know of her existence and not much else. That being said, it is incredibly wise of you to be making the trip to Wenfyre.”
For the first time since they stepped into the courtyard in preparation to leave, Caelian spared Kjeld a glance. The faintest shadow of concern flitted across her eyes. “What makes you say that, Your Majesty?”
“Only that I imagine you will learn plenty on your adventure.” The queen clasped Caelian’s shoulder, squeezing once, her lips turning up into a small smile of encouragement. “Do not be afraid to ask the difficult questions, Lady Caelian. Now, or ever.”
Sound advice, Kjeld thought, shuffling away from the group to prep Odryss for their flight to Wenfyre.
He busied himself with tightening the straps and double then triple checking the satchel containing the dragon eggs while Caelian bid Queen Viktoria and Lothaire goodbye.
Once Kjeld was satisfied the eggs were secure, he ran one hand along his dragon’s scaled shoulder.
The sharp, rough ridges were the color of an approaching storm, a cloudy slate gray with a faint sheen of deep blue.
Odryss snorted, steam pouring from his nostrils as he swiveled his neck, his keen eyes tracking Kjeld’s hand.
He grabbed a raw slab of meat from the feeding sack and tossed it high, watching as Odryss snatched it out of the air, swallowing it whole.
The dragon grunted, shifting his massive weight against the slick ground, his gaze swinging back toward the sound of Caelian’s feathery voice.
He huffed a mist-filled sigh.
“I know.” Kjeld gave Odryss another sound pat. “Trust me, I know.”
“Are you well, General?”
The rich, honeyed words came from directly behind him, and Kjeld jerked, twisting around to see Lothaire standing less than a stride from him. His gaze darted to where Caelian stood with Queen Viktoria, then back to the vampire right in front of him.
“How the hell did you do that?” Kjeld demanded, pointing to the ladies on the opposite side of the courtyard. “You were just there a moment ago. I saw you. Yet I didn’t even hear you approach.”
If there was one thing Kjeld strongly disliked, it was being caught unaware. Or outsmarted. Or outmaneuvered. Or basically anything that put him at a disadvantage.
Lothaire shrugged, rolling his shoulders as though nothing was amiss. “Perks of being a vampire, I suppose.”
Kjeld scowled and folded his arms over his chest. “What do you want?”
“Merely inquiring as to the state of your health. You seem a bit…tense.” Lothaire glided closer and Kjeld took an instinctive step in the opposite direction, his hands curling into fists to keep from reaching for Kaldflam.
“I’m fine.” He gritted out the words from a locked jaw.
“You’re also a terrible liar. I can see the strain in your shoulders and neck.
You appear as though you’re ready to grind your teeth to dust. Your muscles are coiled so tightly, wound so snugly, they could snap at any second.
” Lothaire clicked his tongue, inspecting Kjeld from head to toe.
“I can help, you know. One bite could ease all that built-up tension. I can give you the relief you so desperately seek.”
Kjeld spat on the damp ground. “Keep your fangs to yourself, bloodsucker.”
A dark rumbling laugh filled the air between them, and Odryss growled in warning, his mighty claws sinking into the earth, ready to defend.
But Lothaire was unfazed by the dragon’s show of strength. “I think the reason you look as though you might combust has everything to do with a pretty little faerie.”
“You leave her out of this.” Kjeld took one menacing step forward, his nails biting into his palms until he was certain he would draw blood. At his back, the wind whistled against cold iron and Kaldflam’s blade sang.
“But why? She is of no consequence to you, given how poorly you treated her the other night.” Lothaire nodded in Caelian’s direction as she and the queen approached them both.
“Therefore, one can only deduce that she is available to be wooed. And I, for one, would grovel for the opportunity to be on my knees with my head between her thighs.”
Kjeld saw red, then black.
Blood then death.
He lunged for Lothaire, snaring the vampire by his throat and hoisting him high in the air. Ready to crush and kill. “If you so much as even look at her again, I’ll snap your neck.”
“Kjeld!” Caelian screamed, her footfalls clicking quickly across the slick stone. “Put him down!”
Lothaire only laughed, wicked and cold. “Perhaps you should heed your own warning, General. And be careful what you wish for.”
There was a brief shimmer and then the vampire disappeared completely. Kjeld’s fist was closed around nothing at all, Lothaire’s mocking laughter ringing in his ears.
Bastard.
“What…” Caelian pressed her hand to her chest and glanced around them. “How? Wh-where?”
“Being a vampire fae comes with certain abilities.” Queen Viktoria’s mouth was pressed into a thin line, the face of someone with too many secrets. “Some are subtle, others are more impressive.”
“Like the fact that he can disappear at will?” Caelian asked, continuing to search the courtyard, and Kjeld found it irksome that she always seemed rather taken by Lothaire and his dramatic flair.