Chapter 14 #2
Haera swallowed hard and the smile she plastered on her face was far more fragile than he’d ever seen.
But maybe it was the sunlight. Maybe here, under the Sun, it was harder to hide one’s feelings.
Still it shocked him in some ways and angered him in others.
How dare she be hurt after all she’d done to him over the years?
How dare she show him it after blowing into his life when he least wanted her here?
“Mother said… Well, when she told me you were alive and working with… with family,” she meant Vex, but she wouldn’t say that with Aquilan ahead of them, “that you had abandoned us. Did not need us any longer.”
“Mother said that, did she?” Rhalyf let out a soft, bitter cackle. “Really? She’s angry because she thinks I’ve gone to work for family?”
That explained it! His mother was likely more upset that he was allegedly working for Vex and not dead!
Had she mourned him? Was there a spot in the family tomb for him?
Well, if people thought he was dead because he’d gone up against Vex, his name had likely been struck from everywhere including the family vault.
But then he realized that his mother knew he was alive still and where he was and that Vex was here and… Had he ever been hidden?
Haera crossed her arms over her chest as if chilled, but the Sun was deliciously warm. “It was always going to happen. He showed interest in you when you were a child. Mother tried to stop it, but–”
“Stop it? Didn’t want anyone else playing with her toys? Even the broken ones in her opinion,” he snorted disdainfully.
Haera sent a surprised look his way. “Broken? What are you–”
“Are you honestly going to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about?
That you and she and even Father when he could be bothered to not be too drug-addled to speak didn’t consider me some kind of failed Kindreth?
Too soft! Too gentle! Too weak!” He hissed these words.
It felt like poison spewing out of him. And maybe it was. Her coming here…
Aquilan was not turning around to hear them now, because he had turned his own silencing spell on. But Declan had half turned his head and there was a frown on his lips as if he heard what Rhalyf was saying.
“You were,” Haera said simply. “Except for the weak part. You were never weak just… those other things meant you could be hurt more easily. That was a weakness, I suppose.”
“Who exactly could hurt me?” he asked. “Who was she protecting me from?
“Everyone,” she answered.
“No, Haera, not everyone. My status protected me from everyone except for you, Mother and Father. And, I suppose, our uncle, too. But he…” Rhalyf found himself glancing back again at Vex and Finley.
His uncle’s eyes were hidden completely behind the black sunglasses, but he was looking at Rhalyf.
And Rhalyf doubted that his silence spell was working against Vex. “He doesn’t hurt children.”
Vex might destroy whole civilizations–and that, of course, included their children–but he had never been said in tale or tome to have harmed children. His mother’s sadistic streak was not there.
“It was always clear that you were going to have a place of destiny, Rhalyf. Not making you strong would have been the true harm,” she said, but was looking down at her feet.
“Destiny?” He let out another sharp laugh.
How he would have loved to have heard that before he’d come here!
But, ironically, she would never have said such a thing back then.
No, only now when she thought he was here because Vex had given him a great task was she speaking of destiny!
That he was pretending to be an Aravae and had befriended Aquilan just so he could betray the Sun Elves and attain his destiny!
And then when he returned to Nhamashel, he would take his place at Vex’s right hand.
Ah, destiny!
“So that’s why you are here.” He shook his head. “To get in with me, because you think it will cause your star to rise higher.”
“You will need people by your side who you can trust,” she said almost noncommittally.
“Trust?” His lips twisted as he said it. “That is a word I would have never thought you’d use other than to scorn me for trusting anyone. I learned your lessons, sister. Trust no one. Especially you.”
“I didn’t mean…” She gritted her teeth. “I meant everyone else–”
He whirled on her. His hands tightened into fists as he snarled, “Oh, well, I didn’t get that distinction especially after you were always the one to betray me.
Telling Mother about my spellbook, which she destroyed!
Tattling about my friendships with the servants, who she bled and killed! Let’s see–”
“She told you that I told her these things?” Haera’s brows drew together. She looked offended and shocked.
“Because you did. You can’t expect me to think otherwise! What kind of fool do you think I am?” He shook his long hair back with an angry movement.
She stared at him for long silent moments. Finally, she let out a breath.
“I’m sure she was convincing,” Haera’s voice sounded sad. She even looked sad as her shoulders were curled forward as she held herself and her step was less active.
“Let me put us both out of this misery of you attempting to convince me you’re trustworthy and someone I want by my side, guarding my back. It will never work. I learned all those lessons you and Mother taught me too well,” Rhalyf said, “Go home, Haera. There’s nothing for you here.”
“There’s nothing for me there either,” she whispered.
But before he could ask what she meant by that, the populace of Hope was crowding around them, crying out Aquilan’s name and calling for Rohannan.
Duty calls.
He broke off from his sister and headed up to Aquilan’s side.
“Maybe we should have called ahead?” Rhalyf asked as he teasingly jostled Aquilan’s nearest arm.
“Oh, and miss out on all of this excitement?” Aquilan chuckled, keeping a warm smile on his face even as they both scanned the people that were clustering the top of the wall and the entrance.
“I think every person in Hope is coming out to say hello,” Rhalyf said.
“So long as they look and don’t do anything else, we’ll be fine,” Declan murmured as he stepped slightly ahead of Aquilan. He was watching everyone and everything. Rhalyf was certain that nothing and no one would get past his cousin.
“They are just curious,” Aquilan said lightly and continued smiling.
Seeing some of the crossed arms and jutting chins not to mention dour, suspicious faces, Rhalyf wondered if that was true.
“Is that why we are waiting out here rather than going inside? Because they are so curious?” Rhalyf asked with a lifted eyebrow.
“Hope is their… their home. I want to honor that,” Aquilan said.
“Not that I ever want to take Vesslan’s side on anything, but treating this place as if it isn’t part of the Aravae Empire is likely unwise,” Rhalyf pointed out.
“I am merely observing the front of this… structure,” Aquilan said.
“Until Rohannan gets out here and escorts us inside?” Rhalyf asked with a slight chuckle.
“Perhaps. We’ll see. I haven’t fully absorbed the architecture.” Aquilan crossed his arms behind his back at the wrists and began to walk leisurely around the gateway. The humans, despite their bravado, all moved out of Aquilan’s way. Or maybe it was Declan’s who was near Aquilan at all times.
He felt Finley’s hand touch his as the young man hustled up to the other side of him. He felt a burst of warmth at the brief touch and looked down at Finley.
“Hey,” Finley said softly. “Sorry I stayed back for the walk. But he was… a little upset about Declan, I think.”
“Upset?” Rhalyf’s brows drew together. His uncle had hardly seemed upset. He wouldn’t want to see Vex upset. No one would. And if anyone actually had they likely wouldn’t still be around to talk about the experience.
Finley gave him a smile. “I know he seems like he doesn’t care about anyone or anything, but… it’s not true.”
“I wouldn’t dare disagree with you as you seem to know him better than I do,” Rhalyf said as his eyes scanned the area, looking for Vex.
His uncle was mixing in the crowd of human onlookers. Despite his preternatural good looks and rocker attire, no one seemed to notice him. Undoubtedly, Vex did not wish to be noticed so he was not.
“You looked to be having quite a nice chat with him,” Rhalyf said.
Finley touched his hand again. “You aren’t upset, are you?”
“I… no, no, I just… just was curious–”
“I really stayed with him because he was hurt. Declan isn’t–understandably–interested in having a relationship with him yet and he’s not used to…” Finley paused as if to find the words.
“Used to being rejected?”
“That, too, but just ignored,” Finley said softly. “You have to earn Declan’s attention. And you really have to earn a place in his life. He doesn’t let that many people in.”
“I’m sure not. But his father is not just anyone. Nor, as you said, will he simply accept being kept out,” Rhalyf murmured.
“I think that they could be good for one another,” Finley said. Rhalyf’s expression must have shown the disbelief he felt. “You saw what Declan can do. Watch people do a spell a few times and just… do it.”
“Now I should be asking if you’re the jealous one,” Rhalyf flashed him a smile.
“I am,” Finley grinned. “Aren’t you?”
“Terribly. Though we don’t know if he can do that with every spell.” Finley’s expression told him he was compensating. But really if it were true…
“My point is that both of them are… singular,” Finley said. “So they can understand one another maybe better than anyone else.”
“Perhaps.”
“You were having a pretty intense conversation with Haera. What were you talking about?” Finley looked up at him brightly.
“Oh, just about her plans. And why she’s here,” he said tightly. His sister was standing off a little ways, staring at the lake. “And when she’ll be leaving.”
“Do you want her to leave?” Finley cocked his head to the side.
“I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to have too much of my family in one place,” he answered. “The gods notice.”
“King Aquilan,” Rohannan’s drawl rose up suddenly from the entrance to Hope.
Like when they had met him on the road to Tyrael, he was flanked by more of those angry young men. The Void was at Rhalyf’s fingertips. He felt a flare of it to his left. It was coming from Declan. Finley was looking over at his best friend, too.
“Whoa,” Finley whispered. He held up his right arm. The hair on the back of his arm was standing up. “That’s… that’s magic.”
“You’re feeling it differently now?” Rhalyf asked as much as said.
Finley turned his arm this way and that. “Fascinating. I wonder…”
“Mr. Rohannan,” Aquilan was saying as he gracefully approached the rangy human man.
“Well, this is an unexpected pleasure,” Rohannan said, moving a toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. He had on those same mirrored sunglasses, cowboy hat and boots as he had on the first time they’d met as well. “Have you come here for some good food? Or better music?”
“You have music here?” Aquilan immediately brightened and looked around as if the humans would break into song.
“Oh, yeah, we’re having a concert tonight and some BBQ,” Rohannan said.
“That sounds very interesting. Is it open to the public?” Aquilan asked.
“We might be able to open a few seats for you and your friends,” Rohannan said. “Let me show you around first. Maybe we can talk along the way.”
Aquilan nodded. “I would like that.”
Rhalyf went to join the Sun King when he realized that Finley wasn’t moving. He was staring off into the distance. Frowning.
“What is it?” Rhalyf asked.
“He’s gone,” Finley said.
Rhalyf didn’t have to ask who Finley meant. Vex was nowhere in sight.
And neither was Haera.