Chapter 40
Aella
It was the third morning in a row that I’d woken up in bed without Darrow.
The sheets were cold and empty beside me.
I told myself it was good that he was out gathering information we needed, and that I was better off without him around, but frustratingly, I still wished he were here.
The brief times we’d spent together had begun to add up.
It was hard to resist him and his damned roguish smiles.
The mating bond had included an effect I hadn’t considered beforehand, making me long for his presence like a physical ache that never left. I kept rubbing my chest, as if I could ease the emptiness. It didn’t bother me at first, but with each day that passed, it grew worse.
I could always sense his general direction and distance from me, and I knew instantly whenever he moved somewhere else.
Every time I opened a portal for someone, I had to concentrate on using the correct rune sequence.
Otherwise, my irrational brain would try to get me to input the closest one to Darrow that I knew.
I actually missed him and worried about him in ways I’d never done before.
Things had changed so fast between us that my feelings were a convoluted mess.
The bad blood from centuries of death and destruction couldn’t evaporate overnight, no matter what started it.
We couldn’t bring those lost lives back.
Even though I was on their side now, I didn’t miss the tension in Crystal Castle or the nervous glances that servants and other Veronnians gave me when they thought I wasn’t looking.
Few here trusted me despite my efforts to protect them. They were simply too afraid of Darrow to say or do anything to my face. I couldn’t fully relax my guard in Darynia with anyone except Rynn, my husband’s inner circle, and Meilani when she was here.
As I sat alone eating in the great hall, I noted several kitchen maids standing nearby whispering and giving me furtive glances.
At the other tables, I caught guards and stable hands casting me weary looks.
With my husband and all my in-laws gone to lead their soldiers against Karganoth, I was alone.
Even Rynn had early morning lessons, so she had eaten with the princess’ daughter over an hour ago.
Scraping eggs from my plate and taking a bite, I looked up to find a male soldier heading my way.
He was in his olive-green and black uniform, though without armor.
When I lived in Therress before the confrontation with my uncle, our troops always looked at me with fondness or at least respect.
The Veronnian wore an expressionless mask.
He stopped in front of me, hands clasped behind his back. “His Royal Highness, Prince Armin, requests your presence right away, Lady Aella.”
“Thank you,” I said, nodding.
He spun around without another word as if he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
I quickly finished the last few bites of my food and headed for the future king’s temporary office. It was a sitting room on the first floor that had been converted for his needs with a desk, tables, chairs, and other supplies. The door was open when I reached it.
“Prince Armin, you wanted to see me?”
He nodded and beckoned me forward. “Yes. Before your husband left, he asked me to find a way to relieve his sister of her duties. The attacks on the southern coast have eased enough that Jacthor, my sister, and the Frostdar returned early this morning. I need you to take them to Radoumar and bring Lady Faina back to Darynia this morning.”
While I’d helped repel the Karganoth Navy at Bismag a couple of weeks ago, the dark elves had attempted to invade other villages along the coast since then—from land and sea.
Lord Jacthor and his people had been bouncing between locations to defend them, with occasional breaks back here to regroup.
For the last few days, they’d patrolled the area around another town, but it appeared they’d routed the last of the hidden dark elf groups who’d infiltrated that stretch of land.
I hadn’t heard of any more attacks in that time.
“Oh, that would be great to give Faina a break,” I said, glad to hear the news.
Every time they thought they could let Darrow’s sister come home, worse attacks happened. She’d been there since the night Lord Morgunn forced me to open the portal to the town for his surprise invasion. That was almost a month ago.
“Yes.” Armin rubbed his face. “The last sebeska from Radoumar was from one of the military commanders pleading with me to take Lady Faina back. Apparently, she gets moody and restless when trapped in one place too long.”
“My husband is the same way,” I said, shaking my head.
“Hmm, yes. It’s a quality some people have of hating to stay still for long.”
I shifted on my feet. “After I handle the transfer with Radoumar, could I have a few hours to use for a personal trip?”
“For what?” he asked, cocking his head.
I never thought I’d have to ask a prince for permission for this, but I refused to put it off if I had the time.
“My crunchertrap—Wrath—is lonely, and I promised it I would find another one to replace the one I lost at Ivory Castle. The only location I know to find that variety is at the foothills of the Sobaryan Mountains in southern Juvarn. We still hold the land and the surrounding area, so it should be safe.”
There was also a very good reason dark elves would never linger there.
“You wish to go acquire another carnivorous plant in the middle of a war?” he asked, lips twitching.
Did he have to make it sound ridiculous?
I squared my shoulders. It was important to me to keep my promise to Wrath and get it a new companion. “Yes.”
“Because the one you have is lonely? And you’ve named it?”
“That’s correct,” I replied, keeping my tone serious even as he seemed to be shaking for some reason. “Wrath is starting to get moodier than usual, and having a new companion would help make my plant more content. After all it has been through, it deserves it.”
Why did so few people understand that flora had feelings, too?
The prince’s face was starting to turn red, and he was holding his breath. He gestured with his hand, finally releasing the air he had. “Very well. Just try to be back before dinnertime in case you’re needed.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
He turned his attention to a paper on his desk and studied it with intense fascination, though I thought it was just an inventory sheet. “You may go now, and please close the door on your way out.”
I did as he asked, but as soon as I began walking down the corridor, I could have sworn I heard uproarious laughter coming from his office. How odd? I hoped the prince wasn’t cracking under the pressure of managing a war.
After we arrived at Radoumar, the Frostdar wasted no time rushing toward the city walls.
Their passion for battle never ceased to amaze me.
Princess Lillian kindly waited for me to come through as she stared in the direction of yet another attack.
It was loud with constant booms, high-pitched shrieks of magic, the cries of the injured, and the shouts of military leaders.
We were a handful of blocks away from the fighting and could still hear it clearly.
An acidic taste quickly coated my mouth and nose as I breathed in the fetid scent of battle.
My stomach lurched, already rebelling after only two minutes in the town.
The effects of excessive power use without the fountain to cleanse the land continued to worsen.
The Frostdar didn’t let that stop them. Instead, they drank a special tonic each morning to help mitigate the effects.
While it worked for their constitution, it didn’t for those of us from different native races.
I gazed around the nearby buildings and houses, finding they’d repaired a few homes and shops from that first battle my uncle launched a month ago. Unfortunately, many more had either not been fixed or had become newly damaged.
A massive fireball zoomed toward us like a meteor intent on destruction.
Princess Lillian and I dove out of the way before it splatted ten feet from us.
After hitting the ground, its flames briefly licked outward before extinguishing.
It left a small crater in the open field that surrounded the portal ring.
My heart took a moment to climb back down my throat and settle where it belonged.
“I’ve never seen one that big before,” I said, gaping at the scorch mark that had to be five feet wide. Usually, they were no more than twelve inches or so.
She climbed back to her feet, coughing from the resulting smoke. “Those druids they brainwashed into being on their side have clearly been busy. We’ve noted many differences in their battle tactics and the level of their magic. They’re getting boosts from the gems.”
“Dear nameless ones.” I rose as well and dusted off my tunic and pants while trying not to choke from the soiled air. “There’s no way to fight this without killing our planet even faster, so they’re forcing us to help them doom Paxia. The fools.”
“Faina is coming.” She gestured toward a narrow alley to our right. “Take her and leave now. If something happens to you, all of this fighting will be for nothing.”
I felt the pressure of my role in saving the planet in that moment.
It wasn’t entirely on me, but rather a team effort.
Without Darrow, I wouldn’t get the power boost I required to open the interdimensional portal.
Idwal had to research the celestial bodies so we could have the female ice giant work out the timing for our travels and the rune sequence.
Loden’s focus was on getting the ring repaired.
So it wasn’t all on me, but I was one of the necessary parts that would make it happen.
“Be safe,” I said, dipping my chin.