Chael's Luck (A Knights of Dorathan Novel) (15 page)

I raised an eyebrow at him as he materialized
beside me. “Aren’t I the one who’s supposed to be asking the
question? It’s my dream after all.”

He grinned. “By all means, then. What would
you like to know?”

I looked him straight on, knowing exactly
what I wanted to know. “How do I die?”

He blinked and shook his head. “I can’t
answer that one.”

“Can’t, or won’t?”

“Can’t.”

I blew out of my nose in frustration. “Fine.
How about this. Will I fall?”

He frowned. “Chaela…” He help up a hand as I
opened my mouth to voice my irritation. “Yes. You will fall. Having
said that, you will fall in more ways than one.”

I growled at him. “Good gods, can’t you ever
just give me a straight answer?”

He seemed to take a minute to think about it.
“No.”

“And why not?”

He grinned. “Well, then, what would be the
fun in that?”

I blinked and he disappeared. Blasted, good
for nothing,… I still had no idea who he was, but he was starting
to rank at the top of my most irritating people’s list right along
with Chael and Ian. The thought of Ian brought a smile to my lips.
Maybe he wasn’t on that list anymore. I closed my eyes and let
myself drift out of the dream.

I awoke to the smell of straw and the feel of
Ian’s arms around me. I’d turned in my sleep so that I faced him. I
recalled the fear and relief on his face as I’d woken up the
previous night. He refused to tell me what had happened, but I knew
that whatever it was, he’d been shaken by it. He hadn’t left my
side the entire time we’d eaten and had only moved away long enough
to get our blankets to lie on the straw.

I smiled as his lips pressed to my forehead.
“Good morning,” I whispered.

“Morning.”

I gazed up at him and was glad to that a good
night’s sleep had erased the previous night’s worries.

The barn door opened and Blarenagin appeared
in my line of vision.

“It is time.”

I yawned. “No coffee first?”

He shook his head. “You will leave the horses
and dog here. They’ll be fine and you can return for them once your
quest has ended.”

I frowned. “I don’t think so.”

“I cannot displace animals. Simply
people.”

Ian sat up and nodded. “We’ll come back for
them, Chaela. We need to get that book.” We got our packs together
and I gave the horses a hug.

“You guys be good. No funny stuff, Klora.
Klard, keep your son in line, yeah? And True, You’re in charge. You
know how boys get.” I gave them all another pat on the neck then
knelt to let Whisk lick my face. “And you… you keep an eye on all
of them.”

He whined and placed a paw on my leg. I
swallowed hard. “I’ll be fine.”

“Master Ian, I believe the object you seek is
in that direction.” He waved toward one of the tree houses we could
see from the barn.

“I’ll find you in a few minutes.” He smiled
and I watched as he jogged up the long staircase to the
catwalk.

“You’re fond of him.”

I started to object to Blarenagin’s comment
then stopped. It seemed the old elf indeed had a way of knowing
things and denying this was simply futile.

“I am.”

He nodded. “He’s a good man.”

My gaze found the tree house Ian had entered.
“He is.”

We were quiet until the subject of our short
conversation reappeared at our side. Blarenagin didn’t miss a
beat.

“There are a few things you need to know
about the spell,” he explained as we walked. “One is that it must
be cast on the night of the new moon. Also, the caster will need a
goblin’s tear, a bat’s foot, a pinch of horse hair, the trunk of an
elf tree, and the sun’s blood.”

I repeated these things to him then again to
Ian who also repeated them back.

I gave Whisk one last pat on the head. “Are
you sure you’ll be able to handle Klora?”

Blarenagin smiled and nodded. Ian took my
hand. The wood elf mumbled something under his breath, touched my
shoulder, and closed his eyes.

“Should you find yourself falling, miss
Chaela, all you need to do is say the word ‘yenstid’.”

“But…” The feeling of falling returned,
though not as badly as when the vision had appeared the previous
day.

He shook his head. “Yenstid.”

“Yenstid.”

“Good.” He closed his eyes again then
frowned.

“What’s wrong?” inquired Ian.

“It feels as though the book is in two
places.”

“How can that be?”

The old elf took a moment to think about it.
“If this Caleb has been carrying it around with him, it could be
that the book’s energy has imprinted itself on him. I’ll have to
send you each to a different place. We can’t risk sending you
together and ignoring the second location.”

Ian shook his head. “No. I’m not sending her
on her own.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m quite
capable of taking care of myself.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he
growled. “I just… I guess I’m getting used to having you around.”
He took a deep breath. “If there’s a chance I won’t see you again,
I need to give this to you now.”

“What is it?” My heart jumped at the sight of
a beautiful silver chain he pulled out of his pocket.

“Ian, it’s…”

He dropped it into my hand. “Do you like
it?”

I nodded. He took the chain back and went to
stand behind me. He brushed the hair from my neck, clasped the
chain and pressed his lips to my skin. I shivered and leaned back
into him.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” he
whispered.

“I promise.” I turned around and gazed into
his eyes. “Do the same.”

He nodded.

“Ian, I…” I stopped, not sure how to word
what I wanted to say.

“We must do this now.” Blarenagin interrupted
our moment. Ian held his lips to my forehead for a few seconds
before kissing the end of my nose.

“I’ll go first,” he volunteered.

The wood elf nodded and started to mumble
under his breath.

“Wait!”

Everyone froze at my shout. I tried for a
second time to get my feelings in order. Knowing I wasn’t going to
be able to do it in time, I shook my head. “I just… Do you know
what Caleb looks like should you see him?”

Ian nodded. “Our fathers are second
cousins.”

Blarenagin resumed his chant.

“Chaela…” Ian took a deep breath. “Chaela, I
need you to know, I love you.”

The wood elf put his hand on Ian’s shoulder
and I watched, stunned, as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Before I had time to register what he’d said, the wood elf touched
my shoulder and I felt the ground disappear from under me. I felt
as though I was free falling for a few seconds. My feet touched
solid ground once again and I fell backwards.

“Bloody hell, where did you come from?”

I stood quickly and gawked at Caleb who was
staring at me, his mouth hanging open.

“Where’s the book, Caleb?”

He jerked back to his senses and his surprise
turned to contempt. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He blinked and
looked at me a bit more closely. “By gods, you’re a woman!”

I fought the urge to laugh. “I am.”

“A woman named Chael. Your father must really
have despised you.”

I grunted. “Not that you actually care, but
my name is really Chaela.”

He tilted his head to the side. “You’re
right. I don’t care.”

“The book.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Over my dead
body.”

“You’re right. It will be over your dead
body. It doesn’t matter anyhow, Caleb. If I’m here with you, then
Ian’s with the book. You’ve lost and you don’t even know it.” I
swung and my fist connected with cheek.

“Bitch! Gods, are you ever going to change?
You insolent little… You don’t understand, Chael. This is bigger
than just us.”

He pushed me backwards and I realized I’d
made a mistake. Being so preoccupied with Caleb, I’d let myself get
backed up to the edge of Guard’s Ridge. I fell to my knees to try
and stay balanced as the piece of ledge I stood on gave way beneath
my weight. Caleb’s foot connected with my shoulder and I fell
backwards with a cry. His hand reached for me, or so I thought, but
stopped short as it clasped around the chain Ian had given me. He
managed to pull it over my head as I disappeared over the edge of
the cliff. I looked down at the ground rushing up at me.

“Yenstid!” I yelled the word as loudly as I
could. My heart jumped in my chest. “Yenstid!” When the word didn’t
work the second time, I had a few seconds to wonder if Blarenagin
was ever wrong before I closed my eyes and waited for the
impact.

*****

It had been two days and he still wasn’t sure
if he was supposed to find the book or the idiot that had taken it.
Ian took a drink of his ale and watched from the corner booth as
Caleb came strutting into the pub. His anger flared and he was
surprised that it had nothing to do with the fact that the man had
killed Alexander. He was angry that this was the one who had made
Chaela’s life hell growing up. He felt the hollow feeling in the
pit of his stomach. By gods, he missed her. It didn’t matter that
she irritated the hell out of him with her need to be strong and
independent. He took another drink. It was of no importance either
way. The look on her face when he’d told her how he felt had been a
good enough indication of how she felt. He knew she’d come to care
for him, that much was obvious, but she wasn’t the kind of woman
who needed or wanted a man in her life. She was man enough by
herself.

He was so busy watching Caleb and thinking of
Chaela he didn’t notice the other two men come up behind him. He
felt the point of a dagger press into his side.

“Keep quiet and walk out the back door.”

Great, he thought. Just perfect.

The men walked him past Caleb who sneered and
followed them out. One of the men hit him between the shoulder
blades and he grunted as he fell to his knees.

“Well, now, if it isn’t the dead come to
life,” commented Caleb. He laughed at Ian’s obvious surprise,
though the shock was more at his cousin’s choice of words than then
fact that he’d recognized him. “Did you think you could just walk
into town and that no one would recognize you for who you truly
are? Sir Ian Murphy, or should I say simply Ian Murphy.”

Ian shrugged and looked up to the other man.
“What’s wrong little Caleb?” He grinned as Caleb’s eyes flashed at
the nickname. “You can’t possibly still be upset they banished you
from the Knighthood? At least I walked away of my own free will and
wasn’t cast out like an unwanted dog.” His comment had the desired
effect and Caleb threw himself at him. Ian raised himself and
shoved his shoulder into the other man’s abdomen. Caleb’s breath
left him in a huff, Ian landing over him and quickly straddling
him, his fist connecting with his opponent’s face. He let out a
frustrated grunt as he was pulled off.

Caleb raised himself on his elbows and wiped
the blood from the cut on his lip. “Now, what I want to know is if
you’re still upset I killed the old man, or if you found out I
killed Chael. Or should I say Chaela. I always knew there was
something wrong with him.”

Ian’s heart dropped. He struggled to suck in
his breaths. “What?”

Caleb grinned. “See, boys, I told you he was
fond of the runt.” He wound up and kicked Ian in the chest. “What?
No fight left in you?”

Ian coughed. “Where is she?”

“I really don’t think it matters, do
you?”

“Where is she?” Ian’s yell echoed through the
alley.

“Well, if it matters that much to you, she’s
the bottom of Guard’s Ridge.” He smiled. “It was the most amazing
thing, really. She screamed all the way down… just like a
girl.”

Ian clenched his jaw and tried to slow his
breathing. He shook his head in denial.

“Do you think I’m lying to you?”

Ian glared at Caleb, trying to convince
himself his cousin was just trying to get to him. The image of
Chaela having the vision of herself falling flashed through his
mind and his heart sank.

“Maybe what you need is a bit of proof,
yeah?” Caleb reached into his pack and pulled out the silver
chain.

Ian remembered how her skin a been covered
with goose bumps at the touch of his fingers as he’d softly moved
her hair to the side to do it up, how she’d tilted her head forward
and leaned back into his chest as he’d pressed his lips lightly to
the back of her neck.

Caleb tossed the chain to the ground and
watched as Ian picked it up gingerly. Ian’s fist tightened around
it as his eyes met Caleb’s. He started to charge at him again but
was pushed roughly to the ground by his guards. Something struck
him in the back of the head and his vision blurred. The only thing
that managed to keep him conscious was the fear of dropping
Chaela’s chain.

He felt himself getting dragged a short
distance before being hauled up some steps and finally sat down
roughly on a chair which his legs were then tied to. He struggled
to stand and was hit again. The men proceeded to tie his hands
behind the chair. The rope cut into his wrists, threatening to make
him lose his hold on the necklace. One of the men gave him a final
punch to the stomach before they left him, alone, in the dark room.
He flexed his jaw and pushed against the gag in his mouth until he
couldn’t get it to loosen any more than it could. The weight of the
chain in his hand pulled like an anchor on his heart. He felt a
tear slip down his bruised face and then another.

No. Please no.

*****

I watched from my hiding spot behind
Jasmine’s house as she moved around her room. I checked myself over
once more, still shocked at having gotten away with nothing more
than a speeding heart. Once all of this nonsense was over I’d be
sure to make a special trip to the coast to thank the old wood elf
personally for the charm he’d put on me. I wondered how Ian was
doing and if he was doing better than me. Blasted Caleb.