Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
EIRA
“You brought her here!” Eira was shocked at the piercing pitch of her voice and how she wanted to launch herself at the pirate standing before her in the middle of Aytigin’s hoard.
It wasn’t logical as it was only time before Amelia would make her way to the Paravian mountains.
In fact, it was a miracle she hadn’t before now.
But she was coming their way at the same time Finley had abandoned her and arrived here. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Don’t blame me for my cousin’s choices,” Finley snapped back.
The casual playful glimmer in her blue eyes from her first arrival now turned into an all too familiar cool steel that Eira remembered seeing in Amelia as she stared into the orb showing the former queens location.
If it was fear, anger, or guilt though Eira wasn’t sure.
“And she’s not here yet. She’s still some villages away, and once she reaches the mountains, she won’t be able to use The Mystic because there aren’t any large enough bodies of water for her to travel through.
It’ll slow her down and give you time to prepare. ”
“Us time to prepare,” Cadeyrn corrected.
He was already in the hoard chamber to keep an eye on things when they arrived while Aytigin patrolled the area from the air.
His calm voice helped settle Eira’s pounding heart.
For the short time Finley had been in the castle Eira had been on edge and the temporary peace they had found hiding in the castle was gone.
Having him there at her side was the reminder she needed that she wasn’t doing it alone.
Finley crossed her arms over her chest and turned on her heel to stalk toward them.
“No, you. I’ve made my stance clear. I’m here for the Chalice and then I’m leaving.
” Her sharp eyes worked their way around the room, surely in search of the Chalice she so desired.
“Show me where it is and I’ll be out of your way. ”
The arrogance was astounding. Eira clenched her jaw and tapped her fingertips against one another to steady her breath. “You can’t come in here and take whatever you want, especially after what we’ve seen. Join us against Amelia and prove you aren’t working with her, and we’ll help you.”
Ai approached Finley the way someone would an anxious animal and spoke softly. “Maybe we should consider…”
Finley’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. “I doubt they’d help Rafe too.”
Eira blinked a few times. Rafe? What did he have to do with anything?
They should count their blessings that Eira didn’t banish him from the castle with what he did to their family.
He’d pretended to be their friend then killed Grandmother.
Ice and darkness stirred and swirled beneath her skin at the mention of his name.
She should turn him into an ice sculpture the next time he dared approach.
“What about him?” Cadeyrn asked in a low growl. Eira was grateful he was the one who responded because she was on the verge of exploding.
“He wants to use the Chalice too,” Finley explained. “We’re going to free him of his bond to Stula.”
Myra, who had been quiet the whole time, took her gaze away from the orb and looked to Finley. “You think the Chalice can help him?” Her tone was pitying.
For the first time something in Finley’s face wavered. It was only for a moment, but still there. “Yes, why not? It can help others, why not him?”
Myra bit her lower lip and took a few moments before answering.
“For illnesses and curses on humans, yes, but Rafe is an immortal and Death’s Prince.
It’s not an ailment or curse but a blessing and honor from the goddess.
The Chalice won’t work the same way. And you don’t know what it will even do to you, Finley.
Eira was fortunate that it saved her father, but there’s a reason why the deities didn’t want mortals using it. ”
Finley almost seemed to sway on her feet but kept her gaze hard and focused. “Then say goodbye to your sister.” She looked at Myra. “We need to talk.”
Without another word Finley stormed out of the room with Ai close behind.
A wave of dizziness swept over Eira and she grasped Cadeyrn’s arm to steady herself.
It was like the breath had been knocked right out from her.
Ice and stars began to escape out of her hands and swirl around the room.
She’d finally begun learning how to control this new power within her from Luana, but sometimes when her emotions got the better of her it was still unpredictable.
Rose?
Taking in a deep breath Eira approached Myra. “What does she mean? Is Rose in danger?”
Myra shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ll go speak with her.
” She put her hand on Eira’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring rub.
“We will find out what she’s talking about and keep Rose safe, I promise.
I will go find Finley while you discuss what we should do next. I’ll meet with you and Alvis later.”
Yes, they had to protect the castle and the village. Finley was probably just trying to get under her skin anyway. Eira’s racing heart began to slow, and the ice and stars faded away, returning the room to normal. “All right, we will start to form a plan. You’re right. Thank you, Myra.”
They parted ways and returned to the library where Alvis and Aytigin met them.
Eira’s hand trembled, but her mind was starting to clear, so she could think straight.
Eral Forest still had the protections Rose had put around it, and she had the ogres and Cal there.
Rose could take care of herself for the time being.
Alvis stood in front of the fireplace and stroked his trimmed beard as he pondered what Eira and Cadeyrn had told him of their conversation in the hoard room. He took in a deep breath. “What if we let her come?”
The stars and darkness swirled within Eira once more, and she had to get herself calm again before responding. “Let her come? But Alvis, you came here to protect yourself and Nell from Amelia. If we allow her to come here, we’ll be playing right into her hands.”
“We can’t keep running and avoiding her,” Alvis answered.
“We make sure she doesn’t know we know her whereabouts, and we find a way to lure her to the castle not realizing it’s a trap she’s walking into.
Make sure she is here when we want her to be when our allies are also present and we have a plan. ”
It was a thought. Eira stood from her seat and paced around the room. “What would bring her here even sooner than she wants to though and everyone else we need too? Rose and Cal can only be away from Eral for so long. Amelia would see right through it if it wasn’t legitimate.”
“A celebration or festival of some sort to show your presence and loyalty to the kingdom, and we can even have your father come so the two of you can publicly make amends and team together,” Cadeyrn suggested.
Eira shook her head. “We’ve already passed the summer solstice, and the autumn festival is too far away. It would be difficult to come up with a large enough festival or celebration where it would bring everyone together.”
“A wedding perhaps?” Cadeyrn asked.
“Who do we know that is ready to be married? Alvis and Myra surely want to have their wedding at home in Oxare with his kingdom.” Eira turned on her heel to find Cadeyrn kneeling before her.
“I know I’ve already asked this question, and I know we wanted to wait until this was all over but… would you marry me?”
Eira’s jaw dropped, and she glanced back and forth between Cadeyrn and Alvis who both had mischievous smiles on their faces. “But... we can’t… now?”
Cadeyrn shrugged. “Why not now? And we don’t have to have the full ceremony if you’re not ready. We can have a pretend wedding for the purposes of this and have a real one when you want it. What do you say?”
“It would be a perfect and logical explanation for both your father and Rose to come to the mountains,” Alvis added. “Your wedding would be widely known, and Amelia will hear of it immediately and won’t be able to resist.”
A wedding. With everything happening, planning her wedding to Cadeyrn had been the last thing on her mind.
“It would need to be soon. I don’t know how we’d be able to get everything prepared in time.”
“Is that a yes?” Cadeyrn asked.
Eira looked at her fiancé and rubbed the band around her wrist, the one he’d given her all those months ago.
Etched into the metal were words and images about their journey together.
The years of longing and separation, a short affair, the lost child, Cadeyrn being a bear and them running away to save her father and the kingdom.
Their love story was always there, reflecting back at her, reminding her of all they’d done to get to where they were now.
There was no question she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
“Of course.”