Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
ELARIYA
Lazy leaves drifted in spirals before the willow tree as a strong breeze rushed through the air.
It hadn’t even been a full day yet since returning from the Interstice, but I appreciated every little thing. Even something as simple as the blue hue of the fallen leaves and the lime-green color of the grass.
And the air… gods, it was like inhaling life.
I sat with Arielle in the garden at our usual spot. Wolfe was gone when I woke. I knew he was meeting with the Seer, so I found Arielle and we had breakfast together outside.
The guys sensed that we needed some girl time away from everyone, so they busied themselves with other matters.
Arielle and I had been out here for about an hour. Sirril spoiled us with a feast of fruit muffins and pastries.
I scarfed it down without a second thought. Arielle did, too.
We talked about a lot that felt great to get off my chest. Now I was eager to take the next steps.
“We need to contact Archmage Magdalena,” I said, straightening and brushing grass from my pants. “I know we needed to wait to hear back from her, but I think we need to… push it.”
Arielle bit the inside of her lip. “I already tried while you were away. I even did it the official way and sent a raven. But she didn’t get back to me.”
Tension sank my shoulders. “Do you think we’ll hear back at all? That doesn’t sound like her.”
“Because it’s not like her. I imagine the Citadel have some sway over her. In situations like this, we are all bound by them. Artemyss, especially will see to that.”
I didn’t entirely know what to make of him at the trial. There were times that felt like he was almost honoring Wolfe. At other times, he exuded an untrustworthy vibe, the sort you’d feel from a person with a hidden agenda. You couldn’t trust people like that.
They always claimed they were doing their jobs, acting in accordance with whatever rule or law they told you, but deep down… they were snakes. Snakes just waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
A gust of wind lifted the ends of my ponytail, curling it around my shoulders. I met Arielle’s troubled gaze. It was unsettling when those you relied on for strength looked just as stuck as you.
“Hey, we’ll figure something out. I have faith we will.” She reached forward and gave my arm a gentle squeeze.
“We need an action plan, Arielle. I can’t just sit here and wait.”
“I know. I feel the same.”
“Is there no one else who can help me? I don’t even know what more I need to do to be ready.”
“Mages like Magdalena are trained to help budding mages unlock powers and abilities in a safe way. Finding someone else like her will take a long time. I don’t even know anyone else.
Probably another archmage or a high mage in another realm.
” She sighed and sat forward. “You also have to remember this is new to you. You’re amazing, and you’ve progressed exceedingly fast, but it’s new.
Too much too soon will burn you out. Last time you got burnt out was from merely portaling.
Can you imagine being burned by raw Fray power? That could take months to heal.”
No. That couldn’t happen. That would be a disaster.
I leaned back against the tree and sighed. “I was hoping the Seer could help.”
Arielle shook her head. “I hoped so, too, but she can’t help you with this. She would have offered already. While you were away, she mentioned your training with Magdalena. She said it was imperative.”
Damn it. If the Seer said that, then Magdalena was the path. “I guess we’ll just have to wait, then.”
“For now, let’s just be grateful Wolfe is back. Yes, the circumstances are dire, but he’s back.”
I nodded. No one was more grateful than me. I just wanted to see the rest of the mission done. See it complete. Then we could get on with our lives.
We could think about the future.
I just wanted to be his wife, and him my husband.
A warm tingle pulsed in my chest. It was him. Wolfe. He could sense my wish and deepest desire. We’d gotten better at this—sensing each other. The marriage bond strengthened even more now that we were back.
As soon as I thought about him, he appeared before us, startling me.
Seeing him lifted my mood straightaway, and I smiled at him. But then I saw the solemness on his face and the thought that something was wrong struck me deep in my chest.
Arielle noticed, too. We both stood.
“Wolfe… hi,” I breathed.
He stepped forward and brushed my cheek. The gesture was tender. Loving. But his face did not change. In fact, I’d never seen him look so sad. That was saying a lot considering how much had happened between us.
“What’s going on?”
He looked at Arielle, his brows tense. “Arielle, can I have a moment with Elariya?”
“Of course.” She bowed her head respectfully.
She glanced at me first before phasing away.
Once she was gone, Wolfe returned his focus to me, eyes heavy with regret.
“What’s happening, Wolfe? You’re scaring me.”
He pulled a letter from his pocket and unfolded it. There was a seal at the bottom. I recognized it from some of Father’s paperwork.
The seal of the Veil. Meaning Veil law was at work and someone had invoked the Accords.
He handed it to me. “Alaric just received this from the Citadel.”
I took the cream parchment with trembling hands and read it. In neat swirling writing it read:
Your Highness Alaric Nightblade,
After careful review of the dire situation at hand regarding Wolfe Nightblade, I regret to inform you that we have decided to release Elariya Grayson from the contract that binds her to your brother.
While the ownership of her soul remains unchallenged, we invoke the laws of the land to revoke the bindings of their marriage. As such, her marriage will be annulled within a fortnight.
We understand that she was previously bound by contract to marry Thayden Fairstrom, a Lord Commander in the Kings Guard from the mortal realm. We uphold this agreement and order that Elariya is to return to the mortal realm within the next two days.
All other matters and prior agreements remain unchanged.
Yours sincerely,
Artemyss Mirkwood.
By the time I reached the end, my hands were fully shaking, and that horrid feeling of numbness had slithered right back into my soul. A cold knot formed deep in my gut, pulling me under as it grew bigger and wider.
I couldn’t even look at Wolfe. I just held the letter in my hand and stared and stared and stared at the words, willing them to change. Willing them to disappear and be far away from us.
How could this be?
How could this happen?
“They want to sever our marriage and send me back to marry Thayden?” I said it out loud, my mind still processing.
“Yes,” Wolfe muttered, his tone flatter than dead air.
For a moment, we just looked at each other in silence. It was like anything we could have said was meaningless. He couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t do anything. All that could have been done had already been done.
What was left when all the odds were against you? When you fought so hard to be with the person you loved and still, there was one wild card neither of us saw speeding toward us.
Wolfe briefly pressed his forehead to mine then stepped back. “I’m going out for a while. To check a few things out.”
That was all he was going to say?
“Wolfe, I—”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Translation: he didn’t want to talk about it now.
I nodded once. “Okay.”
“I’ll see you in a little while.”
He was gone before I could take my next breath, fading back into the air as though he’d never been there.
My legs trembled. I was sure I was going to collapse, but then gentle hands caught me, wrapping around my waist. I looked over my shoulder.
Arielle.
“I didn’t go. I heard everything. I felt you… needed me,” she stuttered.
I nodded and fell into her embrace when she pulled me closer.
“I’m so sorry, Elariya.” She held me tighter.
I wanted to scream and shout and cry every tear from my body. Instead, I just shut down and let the numbness take me.
Hedion lifted his massive head, checking on me again. Pyrion was across from him, watching me, too.
Arielle and I went to the dragon’s cave.
I needed to get away and be somewhere I could…
I didn’t even know what.
Being away was the priority. The dragon cave provided the escape I needed.
We found a little alcove above where the dragons slept. There, we sat in silence.
I watched the dragons. They thought I’d come to take them flying. I wished I could, but I wasn’t even in the mood for that.
We’d been here for a while. I didn’t know how long, or how much time had passed. Honestly, I didn’t care.
It wasn’t as though being back at the manor would do anything to help the situation.
Wolfe wasn’t back yet from wherever he’d gone, and the fact that no one had come looking for us suggested they knew I needed to be alone.
I’d felt that maybe Wolfe had gone somewhere like that, too.
Arielle reached across and took my hand, breaking the stillness. “I know there’s little point asking this question, but I’ll do it anyway, even though the answer is obvious. Are you okay?”
“No,” I croaked, sparing her a glance.
“I know. I just wanted to hear what you’re thinking.”
“Don’t know what to think.”
“We’ll find a way to fight this. I’m sure Wolfe is thinking of ways right now as we sit here.”
“He didn’t say anything.” I sounded listless and far away. “You know him. He’s always sharp and on the mark. But this time… he didn’t say anything.”
Arielle dipped her head, dismayed. “I noticed. But we mustn’t lose hope.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Arielle, they want to send me back to the mortal realm to marry Thayden. What hope is there?” There was no doubt in my mind that news of what had transpired here had reached the mortal lands.
They knew Wolfe was wanted for his uncle’s murder, and the plan to make the Citadel believe Wolfe broke out really worked. I could imagine Prince Maelor sending some decree summoning me back in favor of his pet, Thayden.