Chapter 37 Rhianelle
Iwake to the familiar scent of a warm ocean breeze and the sensation of a powerful arm curling across my abdomen.
Svenn is right behind me on the Noctral.
“What are you doing?” I ask in a fluster of panic.
“Calm down,” he says, steadying me.
I must have dozed off on the horse at some point.
How he ever climbed on a traveling Noctral is beyond me. Then I remember the creature is a part of him, along with hundreds of different beasts.
He lowers his head to look at me. “Does the offer from this morning still stand?”
My invitation was to ride side by side. But this is much better. I quickly nod.
“How long have I been asleep?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.
“A while.”
“Long enough for me to finish my story,” Garrett interrupts, striding his Noctral beside ours. “And so, they lived happily ever after in the forest, for the rest of their immortal lives. The end.”
I can feel Svenn’s rising annoyance from behind me. I bite back my smile.
“Would you like to hear the tale of the Wailing Mary next, my sweet queen?” The blonde-haired knight asks. “It’s a ghost that haunts the Ash Tree. Classic horror.”
Svenn pays Garrett no heed but his grip on me tightens. I hope he doesn’t hear the rapid beating of my heart.
“Only if it has a happy ending,” I say softly. Nothing in the In Between seems scary to me anymore. Perhaps it is because I have the most dangerous beast at my side. It scares off other predators completely.
“It doesn’t… Shall I tell you about the terrifying Lokard who lives in Astefar instead?” My knight considers for a moment. “You might not be able to sleep tonight though.”
“Stop scaring her,” Svenn snarls low, giving him a scathing glare. I feel the stiffness of his chest against my back. But he doesn’t have to worry about Garrett making me nervous. Karl the Lokard is one of the nicest friends I met along with Lulu.
“I’m just trying to give you a heads-up. The land beyond the Veil is not a wondrous place like the fairytale humans told their children.” Garrett says, meeting the vampire’s stare with an easy smile.
The wood around us stands still as if it’s listening to each one of our whispered secrets.
“We’re almost at the Ash Tree,” Aelfric’s calm, even voice accosts from behind us. He canters his Noctral to flank ours carefully. His hawk-like gaze shoots a glance at Svenn before turning away.
A glimmer of sunlight dances through the heavy canopy of leaves above us. Its glory doesn’t last long when the heavy mist in the forest robs its warmth. With several beats of the Noctrals’ hooves against the moss and ferns, we finally reach the ancient sequoia tree and the tunnel to our realm.
The sight of the giant tree never ceases to amaze me. Its peak reaches the open expanse of the sky, far taller than the Atlas wall in the capital. Gnarled roots cover its base, running deep into the earth to make sure that not even time, war, and chaos can erase all traces of its existence.
Humans call the Veil between worlds the ‘Ash Tree’ because they had once tried to burn it to the ground. But no weapons or magic can close this small rift into our realm.
I steal a glance at Svenn as he stares at the colossal figure beyond us.
“Have you ever crossed the Veil before?” I ask.
“No.”
“Are you afraid?” I ask again. He seems amused by my question.
“Humans may find it a bit intimidating to cross,” I say quickly.
“I am no human,” Svenn says curtly. There is a faraway look in his dark eyes. I might have missed that flicker of sorrow had I not felt the same way.
It’s a longing for something you can never have, for a place you can never find. Emotions gather in my heart, and I touch the vows on my right wrist. It makes me more determined to help him.
“Last chance to reconsider this, Nightwalker,” Aelfric suddenly says, interrupting my thoughts. “During the war, the elves were victorious because no vampire can pass through the Veil. The Ash Tree is unlikely to fall for the tricks of a wolf wrapped in some pretty sheepskin.”
Garrett breaks into a grin. “Aww, Aelf thinks you’re pretty. You should be flattered.”
Both Aelfric and Svenn cut him a sharp glare.
Our Noctral pushes forward until Svenn suddenly reins it directly in front of the tunnel.
“I should have a go at this on my own,” he whispers to me. I follow his gaze to the faces lining the walls of the pathway. Those it considers unworthy will be absorbed into the tree. I didn’t notice this creepy sight the last time we were passing through.
“The vampire is right,” Rainer suddenly says, closing in with his Grimsbane. “Come to me, Rhianelle. If the tree does something, it might endanger you.”
I know my uncle well enough to know that he had thought of this from the start when he asked the vampire to come.
This will be a test and a solution in a way.
If Svenn is a threat to our realm, the ancient sequoia tree will never let him pass through the passageway.
He will be buried among the lost souls stuck in the tunnels.
Shade has already hopped off from his Noctral to take me away. My chest caves in at the thought of leaving Svenn, at the thought of him stuck in another curse.
“We go together,” I say, tapping the Noctral to move forward before anyone can have a say.
A stone lodges in my heart the moment we enter the darkness of the passageway.
I grip the reins tighter, ushering our mount to keep its pace.
The creature is just as determined as I am, never faltering a single step.
“Nel, what are you doing?” Svenn asks against the wind.
“Together,” I insist, staring deep into his ochre eyes. I clench my teeth to keep them from chattering from a sudden gust of air. He takes a moment to look at me before finally tucking me against him a little more firmly.
Flowers of all kinds bloom from the ground beneath the Noctral’s galloping hooves.
They spread to the walls and the road beyond us with a soft, bioluminescent glow.
The orchids, hibiscus, and daffodils pop up as if the Veil itself is greeting us.
I can hardly drink in the sight fast enough even as our race gradually slows down to a complete halt.
“It’s beautiful,” I hear Svenn mutter as he softly runs his hand over the violets and ivy dangling from the roof.
“Perhaps the veil is trying to congratulate you,” Garrett says to me, finally catching up to us. “Maybe it’s trying to make up for that awful marriage ceremony hosted by the devil.”
Yes, my wedding was a dark, gloomy occasion beneath a blood moon, but I was truly happy by the end of that night. More plants and leaves sprout around us, showering me with petals. Blaire would have loved their soft fragrance.
This does feel like a celebration. I hear the murmuring voices of the envoy behind me, happy and jovial. Even Tallula and Lenna are leaping with joy as they stop to pick up the flowers cheerfully.
“Thank you,” Svenn says to the Ash Tree before I can.
Tendrils of vines move to present him with a rose.
He examines the bright red flower in his hand before planting it on my waterfall braid.
A laugh escapes me before I have the chance to stop it.
My giggle becomes continuous when the Ash Tree keeps giving him more flowers.
He places each one on my head and I begin to wonder how ridiculous I must look right now.
For all the wonders of the Veil, I can’t stop staring at Svenn. Thank the heavens I am silent, discreet.
My heart hastens the moment those scarlet iridescent eyes pierce straight through me. Once again, I am trapped in their depth, snared like a foolish deer.
“We made it,” I say to him.
His answering smile is enough to knock the air right out of my lungs. There’s something new in the way he looks at me. It’s almost as if he’s seeing me for the first time.
“Things should be smooth after the crossing,” Aelfric suddenly says, lifting an invisible curtain at the end of the tunnel for us to pass through. I say farewell to our new friend as we return to our realm beyond the veil.
Svenn’s expression morphs into something solemn before settling into its usual unreadable state. I know now he is assessing the dangers around us in the new territory. His tension gradually eases when he realizes the trees and the shrubs are not much different from the human world.
“Rest. I won’t let you fall,” he says slowly, his warm breath tickling my ear. “Go back to sleep, Rhianelle.”
My name on his lips almost sounds like a beautiful song. I keep myself quiet for the rest of the journey. Part of the reason is to avoid the awkwardness with him, but mostly it is because Svenn seems to hold me closer when he thinks I’m asleep.
He leans down and presses a kiss on a soft spot on my neck. My heart becomes a wild thing in my chest. I remind myself the only reason he’s touching me is because of the bond. But I’m going to savor every single second.
His hand softly wraps around my mine, slowly massaging my wrist. The small movement sends a surge of heat through my body. My mind starts to wander to strange, nasty places.
What is happening to me? The back-and-forth motion across my skin is making me feel weird. I clench my thigh involuntarily. This is extremely inappropriate.
He flicks his thumb over my skin in soft soothing strokes and another delicious shiver goes through me. A moan almost rises to my throat before he muffles it with his palm.
“Apologies,” he briefly says. “I forgot you are hypersensitive right now.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, a little breathlessly.
“It’s my venom.”
“You said it has healing abilities…”
“It does other things too,” he says with a heave. “It gives you the ability to hear me in your mind temporarily.”
“I thought I was going mad in the dungeon,” I mutter absently.
“It also makes you more sensitive.”
I pause at the new information.
“Like an aphrodisiac?”
He nods.
So, when you kissed—licked—my head…”
“A small amount but yes,” Svenn admits.