Saving the King of the Underworld #2

One

I took Julian's hand.

And when I did I felt something course through me. It was an immediate need to completely trust him. It was inexplicable. It completely washed over me making my heart swell and my cheeks flush.

My head wasn't so easily convinced.

I pinned it on desperation.

Yes, I was desperate. Desperate for someone that wanted to genuinely help me save Damien. Kymra, despite having thrown me off the balcony hadn't let me down before. She knew what was at risk, she knew the consequences if I stayed knowing that Robyn had possessed Damien.

She saved my life. She was saving my parents' lives too.

'He's a good King. It's why I will lay my life down for him and protect him until my dying breath,' she'd told me.

And I believed her.

And if she trusted Julian, I'd give him some of my trust, too.

He led the way through the dark forest, with a small amount of light cradled in his hand to light the way. While the different colored sprites did illuminate the inky darkness around us, the small light illuminated the rest.

I followed through the trees, careful of the upturned roots, carefully avoiding anything that looked like it could move.

"Why were you there that night?" I whispered to his back.

He turned towards me, the small light in his hand casting stark shadows against his features.

I remembered the black hair, the storm grey eyes. He had a small amount of stubble now growing on his chin and cheeks.

"I have my reasons," he said smoothly. "But don't for one second think I was going to join Robyn's forces. I am not that stupid."

I shook my head. "I need to know. Why were you there?"

He had turned back to continue but stopped again. After a moment of silence, he answered. "There was a rumor of a new Queen." He looked towards me behind him but didn't turn. "I wanted to meet her."

I shuddered but it wasn't because of the wind that happened to pick up at that moment. I'd be happy if I never heard that title ever again. I tried to remember the conversations from that night. "You're a lord?"

"Unfortunately," he said slowly as he continued forward. "I am."

I frowned.

"Lords and Ladies are the keepers of their regions in the Underworld.

They keep a closer eye for the King." He sighed and turned towards me.

"Look, I will tell you everything soon but first, we must make it far enough away that we won't set off the protections of the Keep when we specter the hell out of here. "

"Specter?" I asked.

"Yes," he said as he turned and continued on his way. "The ability to use magic to appear in different places at will. Not all Fae can do it, only the ones with the most power. I can do it, the king can as well as you, in time."

"Specter," I echoed as I followed behind him.

Never once did Damien correct me. Transporting is what I'd called it - like we were in a damn episode of Star Trek. I probably sounded like a moron every time I said it. For a moment, I wondered if I said the same phrase to anyone else at the Keep.

I probably sounded like a moron then, too.

Instantly, his name clicked. "Julian..."

He stopped and turned to me again.

"You told Damien where I was."

He was silent.

"That was you, wasn't it? You're the reason they found me in Robyn's mansion."

He didn't answer. Whether it was due to embarrassment or because he didn't want to stay in the woods for longer than necessary, I didn't know. "Come on," he said softly, nodding his head in the direction we were headed. "We're almost there."

We continued forward and then suddenly I had to stop.

It was as if a rubber band had snapped. The intensity and energy of the backlash began to fill me. I could finally feel the magic around me.

Not only magic but everything else too.

I felt it once before - and that was nothing compared to what I felt around me now.

It was like when I first had to start wearing glasses.

I didn't know what I was missing - what everyone else was seeing and what I was blind to.

But as soon as I had my glasses on I could see everything.

The individual leaves on the trees, the forms of the clouds, the birds as they flew through the sky.

It was like that now - the world was much more breathtaking, much more alive than ever before. The trees, the ground, the roots, the flowers all of it were breathing magic. And it was all coming to me - through me.

It was overwhelming - making me buckle at the knees and fall on the forest floor. Despite Julian having been almost ten feet in front of me the entire time, he caught me in his arms. He placed a comforting hand on my back and held my left hand with the other as I sank to the ground.

I could feel the energy of the world around me. The water in the nearby stream, the fish within it, the animals burrowed in the trees and ground. I could see the energy as it flowed up and down the tree trunks, through the branches and into the leaves themselves.

It was powerful. And loud. But harmonious, It all worked with each other in a way I'd never seen before.

"Breathe," he told me. "In through your nose and out your mouth."

I did as he said, closing my eyes. My fingers dug into the earth beneath me as I struggled to grasp to any sort of comfort.

"Breathe slowly. Focus on me, Emylin," his soft voice rang through the oppressing noise. "Focus on me only."

I held to his voice like a lifeline, letting it lead me out of the static noise. Despite the pulse of energy of everything around me, Julian's was calm and collected. I focused on his soothing energy as it enveloped me like a warm blanket - settling the screaming noise in my head.

"Don't let it control you," I could hear him clearly through the noise. "You control it. You control life, Emylin, you are Life. This energy you're feeling - it's of all living things. Let it flow through you, embrace it - don't let it take over."

I followed his instructions as I took long heaping breaths ... and slowly, ever so slowly, everything came into focus.

The trees, the magic of it all.

"It's never been this bad," I finally confessed when I was able to gain control of myself again.

He didn't waver as he spoke. "This is only the beginning. Now that Kymra has released you from his hold you will have your full power as you were meant to have it."

I shook my head. I couldn't tear my eyes from the ground. "I don't want it, I'm not ready for this. I'm no one."

"You are not no one," he whispered. "I will help you and you will control it just as we all do."

I let out a long shaking breath but nodded.

Carefully, he helped me to my feet and we continued forward.

At one point, he looked around then back where we came from. Satisfied, he turned to me. "All right, we should be safe here."

I looked behind me at the skyline beyond the trees.

The Keep sat quietly on the cliff overlooking the river. There were no alarms, no sounds coming from it, nothing looked amiss.

Somehow, we did it.

My heart squeezed. Damien was in there living through a hell I couldn't imagine.

My hands balled into fists. I'd come back for him even if it killed me, I'd come back for him.

"Emylin."

I turned to Julian as he called me.

He once again extended his hand. "Come on," his voice was soft. "We better get going."

I looked at his hand again, hesitating.

"There is no need to question my motives," he said as he watched me. "I don't want this to happen any more than anyone else does. I can help you focus, train and we can do it away from him."

"And save Damien."

He nodded. "And save your friend."

I took his hand and instantly the world changed around us. The familiar feeling that made me sick before was no longer taking over. Instead, it felt natural, like I was momentarily stepping on a moving platform then instantly, it vanished.

We were no longer in the dark forest, instead, we were on a cobblestone street standing in front of what looked like a small house, completely dry. The street was deserted and barely lit the only light was from the line of homes that stood in front of us.

"I have to put a glamour on you in order to continue. May I?"

I nodded.

Julian went up the stone walkway to the front door then knocked once I caught up to him.

Two knocks. Then one. Then four.

A secret knock.

The door opened widely and Julian walked in ducking slightly to get through the doorframe. I followed and found myself in a small living room with a small fire burning in the corner.

The door closed behind me. A man behind us spoke making me nearly jump out of my skin. "Payment first."

Julian turned, only it wasn't Julian, the man that turned had ash blond hair and grey eyes. His nose was long with high cheekbones.

He threw something at the man which he caught. "Here," he answered roughly - in a completely different voice from his own. "One room for the boy and I."

I looked down at my hands. They were gloved from the elbow down, when I looked at my chest I realized that it was completely flat.

If the man found any of it suspicious, he didn't say anything, instead, he waved a hand. "Upstairs. First door on the left."

I followed Julian up the stairs and paused on the threshold of the room.

The room was small but at least we could both stand in there comfortably without touching each other. There was one bed large enough for one person, a small closet and a small fire. There was a small closed door nearby, a bathroom possibly.

I ran a finger over the mantle. At least it was somewhat clean. "Where are we?"

Julian walked to the window that looked over the empty street, taking a seat on the small chair next to it.

"Currently, Memnas, it's a city outside of Kingstown.

Smaller, usually just for passing through.

The man downstairs runs this inn for those of less than desirable reputation to hide out.

He has protection spells on it to make sure we're not followed.

It's a precaution. Just in case Robyn was following you more closely than we anticipated. "

"Was the glamour so he doesn't recognize us?"

He nodded as he started taking off his boots. "Yes. He's not that powerful, he won't detect the magic I used."

I started biting my nails as I stood next to the fire, trying to warm myself. I stared at the only bed in the room. "Are we going to be here long?"

"It's all right Emylin, you can relax. I'll stay in this chair for the rest of the night. You take the bed."

I shook my head. "No, that's all right."

He laughed. "You need it more than I do. Go ahead."

I sat on the bed warily, watching the empty town through the small window. "Now what?"

Julian cleared his throat. "I'll stand watch. As soon as it's safe we will go to my home. That is where you will train and stay until you're strong enough to take on Robyn."

I shook my head. "It can't just be me, look at what happened last time I used magic, what is the guarantee that it won't happen again?"

"Your training," he responded. "No one else will be able to save us except you. It was your magic that did this, it will be your magic that will undo it."

I looked at the ceiling, trying not to let the tears fall. "I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened -"

Julian shook his head. "You had no blame in it. You were only trying to save him." He looked to the sleepy town out the window. "Look, try to sleep. We can talk about all of this tomorrow. You must be exhausted."

He was right. As soon as I sat down my body completely shut down. It was still aching from the fall and the hike in the woods. My eyes were getting harder and harder to keep open. I shook my head. "No. I'm not tired."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

I yawned but nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Hmm," he crossed his legs as he took his seat next to the window. "Tell me about how you and the king met."

I smiled slightly. "We were both kids. We'd found each other in the woods. It was during the coup."

"Ah," he said knowing. "The Siege of Blackdown Keep, I remember it well."

"You remember it?" I yawned.

He nodded. "Yes. Warren had come to me, wanted me to help him."

I placed my head on the pillow below me. The bed was too hard, too sturdy to be comfortable. "Help?" I yawned again, closing my eyes.

"Yes," I could hear the laugh in his voice. "He needed men with him to help his claim to the throne."

I nodded sleepily. "I"m listening."

I fell asleep before he could continue.