Chapter Thirty one
“I will never take it off,” I beamed, watching Darce place a necklace around my neck. I touched the heart pendant, stroking the jewel inside. The moment we were back in the safety of his bedchamber, he vanished for a few moments and then returned with the pendant.
“I have had a protection spell put on it. Charna will not get to you when you are wearing this. I need to know you are safe at all times. If anything happened to you...” Darce couldn’t finish his thoughts.
Gently, I stroked his cheek. “I’m falling in love with you, Alora.
I know it goes against everything we are, but I can’t stop. ” His honesty scared me.
“We are playing a dangerous game, Darce.” Fear began to take over every thought I had.
If his parents ever discovered I was Dylin, what would they do to him?
I loved Darce too much to risk him. Charna had easily uncovered who I was.
How could we have been so foolish? “I think you should take me home.”
“Is that what you truly want?” Defeat showed clearly in his jet black orbs.
“Take me home, please,” I pleaded, trying to look as sincere as I could. This last month, I had been completely blindsided. With the beauty of Eallarim, giving myself fully to Darce, and immersing myself into his world, I had forgotten how dangerous all of this was for both of us.
With a wisp of shadows, Darce pulled me against him and portalled us back into my bedchamber in Dallethas. Being a day early, the room was empty.
“Thank you,” I muttered, pulling away from him to walk towards the balcony. I needed to be energised from our two suns, but the brightness I hadn’t been used to made me squint. Was this how it had felt for Darce the first time he portaled here?
“Don’t walk away from me,” he pleaded, his eyes wet with emotion. “I can’t do this without you, Alora.”
“How do we make this work, Darce? How can we do this without getting each other killed? We are breaking every rule. If we carry on, we risk war.”
“You know how I feel about you.”
“You know neither of us can fully admit those feelings. If we give in...” I shook the thought away.
“This doesn’t feel wrong to me.” Moving to me, he tucked a stray piece of my hair behind my ears before cupping my cheek. I hadn’t even noticed he had turned my features back to Dylin until now.
“Maybe you never should have saved me,” I whispered, leaning up to peck his lips.
“Don’t say that. I can’t imagine a world where you don’t exist.” He breathed against my mouth. “Don’t push me away please. We will work all of this out. Together.”
“I can’t help but think your life would be so much simpler if I had never crashed into it. Charna...”
“Do not bring her into this. Watching her try to kill you...” He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to shake the thought away. “Charna is lucky I didn’t kill her there and then.”
“She fears what I am, Darce. She only did it because she cares for you.”
“Do not defend her!”
“You should leave soon. If anyone discovers you can get into my chamber, my father will go to war.”
“I will leave, but this conversation isn’t finished.
You are pushing me away because you’re scared, and I understand that more than you know.
” I tried to break the connection between us, but his lips were still too close to mine.
“Alora, you are something I could never give up on. Saving you in the Barren Lands was the most selfless thing I have ever done, and I’d do it over and over again if I had to.
” He wiped a few stray tears from my face.
“I will be back soon. If you need me at any time, you know what to do.” Darce breathed against my mouth, stroking the bracelet on my wrist before pecking me on the lips.
He took one last look at me before shadows surrounded him and he was gone.
****
KNOWING NO ONE WOULD be looking for me for a few hours at least gave me a little time to think.
Giving up Darce wasn’t an option, I knew that, but keeping him safe was a priority.
The Books of Elder World held the key somehow, but we needed time to decipher the information.
I had to get my hands on the Dylin copy, if only to look at it for a few short moments.
Getting changed, I made my way towards the outskirts of the city, using the old palace tunnels.
Because they were lying in the fresh green grass, I heard Loki and Enyo before I saw them.
They must have picked up my scent. The two crazy hell dryads came into view, looking larger than I remembered, but it was probably because I had been used to Boulder’s smaller size.
They licked my face before jumping around me, making it difficult to stand up.
“Give her some room, you two,” I heard Noor chuckle, but I couldn’t see her through my two giant fluff balls.
“I missed you both, too,” I giggled, finally finding Noor’s face. She offered her hand, helping me up and pulling me into a tight hug the moment I was vertical.
“Praise Holy Ether! I’ve been so worried.” Noor sighed in my ear. “I had visions of you being locked in a dungeon the entire time.”
“Far from it. Eallarim...Noor, it’s beautiful. Darce, well, he was more than hospitable.” Loki and Enyo nuzzled me as we began to walk back to the palace. Uri would have seen my return now that I was out in the open. “How has it been here?”
“Xavier is still plotting behind the scenes to make your father bond the two of you. He’s been drilling the army to prepare for war, too.” Noor eyed me suspiciously. “You look different. Do I even want to know why?”
“I’ve been training with Noxlins for an entire month.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “That is all I will tell you. It’s best if you don’t know everything I’ve been up to.”
“Agreed.”
****
MY FATHER GREETED ME back with welcome arms, desperate to hear what I had discovered.
It was easy to lie to him. I explained that Darce had kept me inside the palace, and only changed my appearance the few times I had wandered just outside the grounds.
I told him that it would take time for the Noxlin to trust me.
That was what Darce and I needed: time to work out how and why our two races began this battle of power.
“You have done well, my daughter.” My father clapped his hands in rejoice.
“We will give Holy Ether extra blessings today for your safe return. Uri has seen that this Noxlin will allow you to stay for a week every month with him. You will break him down and learn all his secrets. War is set three hundred years from today.” Uri had visualised this?
I knew his visions were subjective and could change, but any kind of war in three hundred years wasn’t good.
“Yes, Father,” I muttered, keeping my cover. I bowed my head in respect. “I can not wait to bring down the male that killed my mother.” I now knew that person was in this room. My father and Xavier might not have physically killed Duska, but their need for power had.
“Come! We have put on a wonderful spread to celebrate your return.” Elin came into view, giving me a fake smile as she opened her arms to me.
“You look well, Alora. Who knew being in the shadows could make one look so radiant,” she observed, hugging me but with little contact.
“It would appear they have a very rich diet. I was very well looked after.”
“Tell us about the Noxlin palace. I am sure it’s not as luxurious as this.” She gestured around at all the splendour. “I imagine it’s simply a large cave they like to call a palace.”
“It’s worse than you could ever imagine. The race is primitive.”
“How much did you see of the royal dealings?” My father asked, helping himself to the display of fresh fruit.
There was enough food here to feed over a hundred of our kind, yet I only counted ten of my race here.
Why had I not noticed this greed before?
The palace always had the best crops and the more superior fruits and meats.
“Not much. I mostly duelled with the Noxlin and his two close friends. They kept any talk about their kind private.”
“You have time to wear him down. Use that charm of yours,” Elin sneered, her eyes dropping down my body. “How could the Noxlin resist such a delicate little flower?” I was about to respond but Xavier burst into the room, rage burning in his eyes.
“Was there a reason I wasn’t informed that Alora had returned?
” he seethed, storming over to me. “We must check that she’s still pure.
” My body went rigid as I searched for the nearest weapon.
Uri and Xavier would not touch me this time.
Looking down at the bracelet on my wrist, I remembered I had other options, too.
“You have stepped out of line, General! Know your place!” My father bellowed. “None of that is necessary. Alora had already proven herself.” Relief flooded me. Noor was tilting her head, watching me, as was Elin.
“You honestly think that scum kept his hands to himself for an entire month?”
“The Noxlin kept his hands to himself more than you, Xavier,” I goaded, giving him a side smirk as he lunged for me.
My father shot his light power to protect me as he stared down Xavier. “LEAVE! Guards, please escort the general from my sight!”
It seemed the tables were turning for Xavier. For once, I might have my father’s ear instead.
****
THINGS BEGAN TO SETTLE a few days later. It gave me a chance to talk to Noor, Nell, and Luz. I told them the truth about Duska’s body, the beauty of Eallarim, and the freedom of the Noxlin race. They were fully on my side and agreed that we needed to find the answers.
Nell was going to see what she could do about me viewing the Book of Elder World, but could make no promises.
Questioning Luz on parts of the book she had seen was a good start, though.
She had drawn a few sketches of the images she could remember for me to take back to Eallarim on my next visit.
All of them were a little uneasy that we were working with Noxlins, but I was quick to reassure them.
It was all for the freedom of Dallethas and Afterlight Veil.
We had to trust the path Holy Ether had laid for us.
****
I LAY AGAINST MY COOL white sheets trying to sleep, when shadows began to form in the corner of my bedchamber. Darce suddenly stood there, shirtless.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I gasped, sitting up in my bed.
“I can’t keep away,” he swallowed, stalking towards me with purpose.
“If anyone finds you here...” I stressed, looking over at my hell dryads that had moved from the balcony to see who I was talking to.
“Loki and Enyo love me. Relax. They won’t alert anyone,” Darce soothed as Enyo rubbed against him before they both left through an archway draped in glistening voile.
“Darce, if anyone finds you here, you’ll be killed.”
“They can try.” He was so sure of himself, positive nothing could touch him. It was there in his jet black eyes. Moving onto my bed, he pulled the silk sheet from my body. “Holy Ether. You are beautiful,” he breathed, capturing my lips with his.
The taste of him invaded my senses. I swept my tongue into his mouth, gasping as his fingertips traced the curve of my chest.
“I’m sorry,” I cried into his mouth. “It’s all my fault.”
“No, it’s mine. You have this hold over me.” His hands captured my face. That longing, that pure desire in his flecked midnight eyes, I could fathom no words. “I need you, Alora.” The rasp of pain in his voice sliced me apart.
“I’m yours. Take me any way you please.” Darce gave in with a low snarl, kissing me with a force that made my insides burn.
He made quick work of the fabric on my body. His hands gripped both my breasts aggressively, making me feel all his need for me.
“I dream of this,” he muttered against my mouth.
“When we’re apart, this is all I dream of.
” I cried out in pleasure as his fingers swept into my waiting sex.
As I wrapped my arms around his neck, I noticed my arm was glowing.
“Shine for me, Alora,” Darce breathed. When he captured my lips again as his fingers twisted that special spot inside me, I lost myself.
All I felt and saw was him.