QUESTIONS ANSWERED
34
- ALANIS -
G roaning, I roll over, my hand seeking the hard muscled bodies that held me all night. Instead, my hand meets cold sheets.
The castle is eerily quiet as I emerge from my room, making the hair on my arms stand on end. The dining hall is empty, as is the kitchen. I’m just coming around the corner of the foyer when I hear the soft murmur of voices, so I follow the sound to the king’s study, unsure what to do.
I don’t have to fret long. The door swings open and I am greeted with Kailu’s giant grin.
“Sleep well?” he asks with a devious smirk.
My gaze shoots to Siveral and Hendrix, who are holding back a laugh. The office is spacious, the king’s desk sitting in the center, bookshelves lining the entire room. The walls are a light cream color, the floor a deep mahogany. A large window sits at the back of the room, showing the front courtyard, the array of flowers outside creating a vibrant rainbow backdrop. Elion sits next to Malakai in front of the king’s desk. The look he’s giving me is one I can’t decipher, but he rises and walks to me, planting a soft kiss to my lips.
“Good morning.”
I feel the blush spread across my cheeks. “Morning,” I mumble out.
Kailu leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips next and I practically melt into a puddle.
I turn my eyes to the king and queen, who haven’t said a word since I entered.
“What’s going on?” I ask, fiddling with my fingers nervously until Kailu takes my hand, leading me deeper into the room.
“Elion found your father’s book that listed how to contact certain people,” Kailu says gently. “He found an entry about the hooded man who gave your dad the potion to suppress and control your powers.”
“Do we know who he was?” I ask, looking between everyone.
Malakai stands behind me, his hand on my shoulder. “His name was never stated, but your father left a detailed description of how to get a hold of him. Elion reached out last night when he first found the entry. He got a response this morning.”
My heart pounds in my chest. “So, now what?”
Elion speaks up: “We have a meeting with him tonight.”
I nod. “Is that all?”
The king stands, pacing in front of the hearth. “We were also discussing the surprise attack in the Golden Vale. It is very worrisome. No blood has ever been spilled there, at least not to that extent. It is considered a peaceful and sacred place. People travel to it to honor the Gods and give thanks for our realm. How Iclas managed to create a portal there…”
It’s Malakai who answers. “He murdered King Solomon. We found his bones at the bottom of the well. He wore the royal crest ring.”
The queen looks sadly at her husband, squeezing his shoulder.
The king looks less surprised. “Alanis informed me of my sister last night. My father was a harsh man, not one loved by many. I hate to say that, when he went missing, my family did not grieve much. The problem is the number of ghouls coming through these portals and attacking my citizens.”
“They were forcing us backward,” I say. “Even though we had just escaped and had no run-ins with ghouls. It’s like Iclas knew that Mal and Kai came after me.”
Malakai grunts in agreement. “It was too convenient. Siveral, who else knew of the plan?”
“Just the men in my unit,” he says. “I did what your letter said, so I had them all on standby. I sent some to the tunnels under the Obsidian Hills so that they would be close if I got word that you needed backup.”
Malakai looks at Kailu, whose brow is pinched. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Mal asks, anger edging his voice.
Kailu nods. “Yeah…I think we might have a rat.”
A knock at the door sounds, and when the king bids them enter, a few men who were fighting in the meadow walk in, as well as Levi.
The latter gives me a soft smile, and I sigh in relief to see him looking much healthier than I last saw him. He comes to me and sweeps me into his arms. “Alanis, I am so glad to see you safe. I’ve been so worried since I got word of what happened.”
He pulls back, gazing into my eyes as if he might kiss me. I hear the low rumble start in Malakai’s chest, Kailu quickly grasping his arm to stop him from launching at my ex, who quickly retreats to the back of the room.
“Anything to report from Elderwood Forest?” the king asks.
“No,” Hendrix says. “Nothing strange, and no signs of any portals in the area.”
My memory comes rearing back. Us standing in almost this exact position as we faced the ghouls.
I was trying to find the leader of the ghouls.
A figure loomed at the edge of the field.
I gasp, drawing everyone’s attention. “The rat. The person working against us is Orion.”
A soldier rears back as if I slapped him. “Just because you weren’t his favorite doesn’t mean he is a traitor to the realm.”
I shake my head. “I saw him at the edge of the meadow, and then he dove into the well just before the ghouls fled. He seems to be the one controlling them.”
“He could be brainwashed like the soldiers who were kidnapped,” Kailu muses.
“No, he looked into my eyes and smirked. The other soldiers were almost zombielike. He was fully aware of his actions.”
The king moves towards us now. “When is the last time anyone saw Orion?”
“He left us at Bone Valley to help take the fallen soldier home…” Malakai’s voice trails off.
“I saw him in the pub not long after he returned,” says a human soldier. “He was boasting about having a side job helping someone gain control of their workers. He was pretty cocky about it, like he was some badass.”
The king makes a noise in the back of his throat.
“What do you want us to do, Your Majesty?” Kailu asks.
“This prophecy that Alanis mentioned, the one Iclas is trying to unlock, seems to be at the center of all our troubles. I want more solid answers about this. Malakai, escort Alanis and her brother to meet the mystery person. See what you can find out about her hidden powers. Kailu, prepare your men. And everyone, keep an eye out for Orion. He is to be considered extremely dangerous.”
The king grabs his decanter and sits back down behind his desk. He rubs his temple and the queen offers her quiet support, kneading his shoulders while he thinks. I’m amazed at the love that is blatantly apparent between them.
As Malakai and I slip from the study, he says, “Alanis, I’m going to have you train your powers today. I’ll send Kailu out with you for a bit while I get some things organized for later. We need to pinpoint what powers you possess.”
Pressing onto my tiptoes, I place a kiss on Mal’s lips. “All right.”
Kailu bumps my shoulder. “I’ll meet you in the training ring as soon as I get my men in order. I’ll see you soon.”
He places a kiss on my lips, and my body hums at having both of my males so close.
Training isn’t awful, but it isn’t great, either. We’ve been at it for a little over two hours and all I’ve been able to do is make it flurry, unable to dig deep enough into my emotions to form ice. When the emotions come naturally, I can’t control it.
I can feel the wisps of a breeze at my fingertips, but it sputters out before I can bring it to life. I curse under my breath.
“Why don’t we work on wind next?” Kailu suggests. “It correlated to anger. Try to put yourself back into that memory.”
I focus, sitting on my knees. We are just outside the main training ring, located about a mile into the woods behind the castle. The stone walls barricade it on all sides, creating an octagonal shape. The center of the training ring is little but dirt and dust from all the soldiers coming and going, and a wall of training weapons sits against the back wall, the guard tower protruding upward out of the south end of the ring, watching over not only the training ring but the woods around it.
Hannah sits next to me, offering support and doing her best to help heighten the emotions I need to feel. But nothing is working, and I feel so frustrated that I could scream. I understand why my parents kept my powers hidden, but damn, do I wish I would have known about them sooner.
Heat warms my hands, surprising me. Kailu looks at me with wonder and Hannah flinches away as fire dances at my fingertips. I roll it across my fingers like I would dice, fascinated by the flickering light and colors. I casually roll it to my palm, joining it with the flame from my other hand. The two meld together, forming a giant flaming ball.
Hannah’s face has gone pale, leaving me even more intrigued by what pains and secrets haunt her from the past.
I take the ball of fire, slowly pulling my hands apart. The further apart my hands spread, the larger the flaming ball grows.
“I knew you were a little firecracker.”
Malakai’s deep voice breaks my concentration, dousing the flames and leaving nothing but ash.
I shoot him a slow grin. “Maybe we can play with my fire later.” His whole body shudders and I can see the large outline of his cock through his trousers. The sight makes me weak in the knees, not to mention extremely wet.
“I’m right here,” Hannah mutters. “And unlike Kailu, I don’t enjoy the show.”
I shoot her a grin.
“Damn it. I want you now and we don’t have time,” Malakai grits through his teeth. “We need to leave in twenty minutes.”
I glance at Kailu, who shrugs, even though the heat in his eyes gives away his thoughts. Then I tip forward to kiss his cheek and stride for the castle, kissing Malakai’s cheek as I go, too.
- MALAKAI -
I have been rock-hard since Alanis left me in the courtyard, unable to get the sight of her flames and that plump ass out of my mind. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts so I can focus on what we are about to walk into. There are no promises that the person we’re meeting is someone who means well.
Elion stands by the front door of the castle, tapping his foot. “She always likes to push us on time.”
As if summoned, she descends the stairs. Even though she is only in a pair of black breeches and a deep red tunic, she is absolutely stunning. She left her hair down, the natural waves falling to the middle of her back. Gods, how I want to pull that hair as I thrust into her.
She gives me a knowing smirk like she knows exactly what I’m thinking. Hell, she probably does. By the pink tint to her cheeks, I think she might be thinking the same thing.
We step into the cool early evening air and mount the horses the stable-hand saddled for us. Alanis gives Aeros a quick kiss and pats my horse Atlas on the head, and he clearly loves every second of her affection. Just another creature enthralled by the lovely Alanis Bowman.
“I feel the same way buddy.” I pat his side, earning a snort.
We take off at a trot.
The person suggested meeting at the local inn just outside the city limits, so it takes about a half hour to get there from the castle. The flickering light from the shops on the main road quickly fade, the cobblestone road turning to one of dirt. We pass by the butcher shop, who still has a candle burning, and turn right at the blacksmith right across the road. We travel down the dusty side road for a while, the murmurs of voices and clomping of horses in the city fading until only the sound of crickets remains. It would almost be peaceful, if we weren’t riding into uncertainty.
At last, the dim lantern from the local inn becomes visible through a light drizzle of rain. I dismount, my foot splashing into a puddle.
“I’ll go in first, Alanis in the middle. Elion last.” Then I step through the door cautiously, scanning the room for a hooded figure. I spot him almost immediately, sitting in the corner booth at the back. The patrons of the inn mill about, the sound of utensils clanking against bowls, the smell of tonight’s dinner permeating the air. Roasted chicken, potatoes, and corn by the looks of it.
We move as one, only stopping once we are before the mystery person. I slide into the booth across from him, keeping Alanis close to me as Elion settles on her far side. It’s a tight fit, but being squished together makes it nearly impossible to miss Alanis’s shaking. Her body isn’t the only thing quivering. The table shakes slightly, causing the hooded figure’s beer to clank around.
“I see her powers are freed.” His gravelly voice breaks the tension.
The shaking stops. “Who are you?” Alanis asks, the nerves at bay for now.
The mystery man looks up, finally revealing his face. Shock shoots through my veins. Alanis and Elion remain unfazed. They have no idea who sits in front of us.
“Viros.”
Alanis’s head whips my direction, then back at the man. “Viros? Like the God of Magic and the Land?”
I would recognize him anywhere. His portrait hangs in the hallway right across from the library in the castle, and he hasn’t changed much since it was painted. His hair is deep brown with a white streak that falls across his face, his jawline sharp, and dimples appear in both cheeks. Well, when he actually smiles, which I would guess isn’t often. His defining feature, though, is the scar that stretches from his right cheek to his neck. His deep blue eyes survey Alanis, taking in every inch of her.
“What the hell are you doing here? I thought you went to the Eternal Vale.”
He makes a noncommittal noise. “I left, but not for the Vale. I left for the Caselian Realm with my mate.”
His statement hangs in the air between us.
Alanis balks at his words, staring dumbfounded. “You helped my father…How did you find him?”
“I didn’t have to find him. I knew where he was the entire time. I was simply waiting for the signs that your powers had made themselves known. I knew humans wouldn’t know how to handle them, so suppressing them was the only way. Especially in the unfortunate realm we found ourselves in. Their laws only got stricter the older you became.”
“No…no,” she says, face pale as she shakes her head. It can’t be. You can’t be…”
I grasp her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Alanis…”
She doesn’t seem to notice. “You’re…”
Viros completes her sentence without hesitation. “I’m your birth father.”