Night of the Storm: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Eura Chronicles Book 2) (14 page)

DELIA LED THE WAY,
her staff outstretched before them, casting a glow that lit the overgrown path beneath her and Liam’s feet.

Though Lilae rested, seemingly peaceful, Liam worried that he shouldn’t have left her side. Rowe was there; he would protect her. Liam had to be content with that fact. There was no one he trusted more than his old general.

How many times had Rowe saved his life, stood by his side in dire situations, and left his family to accompany him on the most dangerous journey of their lives?

Gollush’s front gate was far behind as they walked farther into the surrounding dark woods. The charred trees were tall, the tops fading into the night sky. The air was hot and humid, filled with the sounds of nocturnal creatures.

“Just a little bit farther,” Delia whispered.

Liam’s eyes scanned the left and right. He had the distinct feeling that they were being watched. He had faith that Delia knew where she was going, but the hairs on his flesh rose at the thought of unknown creatures that waited in the darkness, ready to strike.

After crunching on dead leaves and twigs for what felt like much longer than they’d actually been trekking, Delia led him to an old, abandoned temple.

“Here it is,” she said, stopping just before the old stone steps.

Liam waited beside her, his eyes taking in the sight of the ruins. Crumbled stone, broken pillars, and dark windows awaited them.

“This is it?”

Delia turned her gaze to him and nodded. “It is.” She rested her weight on her staff and sighed. “This is where Dragnor was born and raised. He trained here and ultimately became the temple’s grand master.”

Intrigued, Liam took his first step onto the stairs.

“Careful,” Delia warned. “Dark magic still lingers here.”

Liam looked back. “Wasn’t he dead for centuries before Wexcyn brought him back?”

“Yes. But dark magic can remain alive until the end of the world. It is not to be trusted or taken lightly.”

“What am I supposed to do here?”

Delia pointed her staff to the front door that looked as if it had been broken down. The light shot toward the inside, illuminating the entire building.

“Inside, there should be a black book made of elven flesh. Find it, and bring it to me.”

“You aren’t coming?”

“I will stay behind and keep watch.” Her eyes turned to the forest that encircled the ruins. The trees rustled as a breeze blew from the mountains. “There are many that do not want us here.”

Liam rubbed his hands together and nodded. The air felt tight as if it urged them to leave. Not even the forest wanted them there.

“Right,” Liam said under his breath. “I can do this.”

Delia lifted a quizzical brow. “You have to. Lilae may not survive without that book.” She took a step toward Liam, her finger pointed at his face. “We must attempt to counteract the curse he’s drawn into her flesh.”

The notion of Lilae not surviving was enough to send Liam running up those stairs, but he had to be cautious. Dark magic was not something he was used to meddling with.

The power inside of him was god-given and pure, not a spell contrived from darkness and evil—not the kind of arts the Bellens practiced.

Quiet filled his mind as he tried to tune into his senses. He stepped over stones and deteriorated wood as he entered the temple. Delia’s light cast a glow on everything, making it easy to navigate his way into the main room that closely resembled the temples in Oren.

A red altar stood before a black wall with symbols much like the ones of Lilae’s tattoo painted over every inch. Tattered rugs were scattered on the floor for people to sit and listen as the Dark Clerics gave their speeches.

Statues of the Shadow Elf god, Inora, lay in pieces on the stone floor. He looked up, following vines that had wrapped themselves around the columns and beams to the domed ceiling that had a gaping hole in it.

The air was thick with the smell of mildew and a faint hum—as if someone was right behind him, breathing in his ear.

Liam tensed.

He was certain that someone other than Delia watched him, and it made his skin crawl. Liam looked around and saw nothing but artifacts strewn about.

“Try to be quick,” Delia called from outside.

Liam looked back at her. She sounded farther away than she was. Her voice was muffled.

Warnings filled Liam’s gut.

Go.

Liam’s eyes widened. A smile crossed his face at hearing his old friends.

The Winds.

“Go where?”

He spun around as if he might catch sight of one of the spirits who had guided him since childhood.

Lilae. Go.

Liam pursed his lips. His back straightened.

“What about Lilae?”

Delia’s light went out, leaving Liam in darkness.

Something creaked behind him: A loose floorboard, or a door. Liam glanced back to see a shadow cross past the archway at the back of the room.

Fear gripped Liam’s throat.

Dark magic.

It wasn’t something he was prepared to meddle with.

But Lilae. She needed him.

Liam ran the palm of his hand down his face and sucked in a deep breath.

He looked back.

Delia was gone.

Liam ran for the door, and some unseen force grabbed him by the shirt and threw him far across the room to the archway where he’d seen the shadowy figure.

“Delia,” Liam called, getting to his feet. He drew his sword, not quite sure what use it was against an evil spirit.

Silence.

Liam held his breath, listening.

Delia’s light returned, and with it the vision of a Shadow Elf standing before him.

The color drained from Liam’s face as he beheld the being. There was no doubt in his mind that the elf was not alive.

Dark eyes, dark skin, a svelte body under black robes with long black hair.

And a snarl.

“You’re The Storm,” the Shadow Elf said. He lifted his head, looking down his nose at Liam. “I expected more. Not the frightened boy before me.”

Liam’s heart pounded—not with fear—but with realization.

Realization turned to rage.

His eyes glared at the elf.

“Dragnor.”

The Shadow Elf took a step forward. “You’ve heard of me,” he said. “And yet you still came to my temple. My house. I should kill you right now. The spells I’ve left behind will do it for me. And then I can kill that temptress in Gollush.”

Liam pointed his sword at Dragnor’s nose. “You touch her, and I will skin you alive,” he said through clenched teeth.”

Dragnor grinned. “But you can’t, boy. I’m not here with
you
.”

Liam lifted a brow.

“
I’m with Lilae
.”

A gasp escaped Liam’s lips. He ran through Dragnor’s body as if he were composed of nothing but cold air. The room was empty when Liam spun around.

Lilae!

Once outside, he saw Delia standing there, a look of surprise on her face.

“What is it? Did you find the book?”

“Forget the book,” Liam said. “Dragnor has Lilae.”

He ran into the forest, unsure of where he was going and hoping Delia would hurry and lead the way, when a blast behind forced him to stop.

No,
Liam thought with dread.

Lilae. Go.

The Winds had tried to warn him.

Delia sped past Liam.

“Come,” she said, seeming to float on air as she headed toward Gollush.

Liam nodded and ran into the darkness of the forest as the temple burned.

“YOU WILL WISH YOU WERE DEAD,”
Dragnor hissed into Lilae’s ear.

His hot breath made her shudder.

Strapped down to a cold stone altar, Lilae wanted nothing more than to get up and run, but her body wouldn’t obey.

This dream—or whatever alternate reality this was—terrified Lilae.

Once again, her greatest enemy had the ability to manipulate her and do whatever he pleased.

Why couldn’t she wake up?

She winced as his sharp dagger traced the tattoo he’d etched into her skin. She watched the blade trail from her breastbone to her navel. The tattoos burned as if her skin had been removed and she’d been patted down with salt.

Dark eyes met hers as he leaned down, an inch from her face.

“If you do not come back to me, Lilae,” Dragnor purred. “You will regret it. I will not stop until I have you back.”

She twitched, refusing to cry out as the pain increased tenfold.

“I will not,” Lilae said through clenched teeth. “You will be the one to wish you were dead.”

“Is that so? What about those you love and care about? What if I exert my rage on them?” His breath was hot on her ear. “What if I kill Kavien while he sleeps?”

Her door burst open, waking her.

“
Kavien
,” she said into the darkness.

“Lilae,” Liam called. “Are you all right?”

Lilae’s eyes popped open.

Lilae’s entire body tingled with the after effects of Dragnor’s curse. Her stomach churned, as she processed what she’d just learned.

Her breaths came out too quickly as she sat up in her bed. She ripped the blanket off, desperate to cool her sweaty skin.

“Liam?”

“I’m here,” he said.

“Where is Delia? Dragnor—” Lilae paused, shooting up in bed to search the room. “He visited my dreams.” She tried to get out of bed.

“No,” Liam said. “Please, lay down and rest. You need to conserve your energy.”

Delia stepped inside the small room. She knelt down beside Lilae and took her hand into hers. The lines in her forehead were creased as her blue eyes looked over Lilae’s face.

“What is it? What happened, Lilae?”

Lilae tucked a chunk of red hair behind her ear, shaking her head.

“I don’t know, exactly. From the first night, I could feel something…like an itch trying to get inside my head.”

Liam folded his arms across his body. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Every night since her escape, Dragnor was there.

Waiting.

And each night, Liam was by her side.

Protecting her—healing her the same way he did in their dreams.

“I wasn’t sure what it was,” Lilae said with a shrug. She wiped her forehead of sweat. She fixed her eyes on her hands. “But, tonight was different.”

Her eyes flickered up from her hands, past Delia to the dim light out in the hallway. “Dragnor was here. He hurt me. He threatened me, and it
all
felt real.”

Delia and Liam shared a look.

“What?” Lilae sensed something had transpired while she was recovering from the affects of the curse.

Liam sighed as he rubbed his chin. “I’ll tell you all about it,” he said, turning to Delia. “Can I speak with you outside?”

Lilae pursed her lips as Delia and Liam left her room.

She stretched her legs, tired of being bedridden. It had only been a week, but she hated feeling so useless. Dragnor wanted her. She needed to find a way to free herself from his curse.

“Lilae,” Liam called when he returned.

“Where did Delia go?”

“She went to bed,” he said, taking his shirt off.

Lilae averted her eyes but didn’t say a word.

“Delia and I went to a temple tonight. Dragnor’s temple.”

Lilae’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Yes,” he said, taking off his boots and setting them neatly beside the door.

The only light came from a candle whose light was moments away from burning out. Liam’s sculpted body made it hard to think straight.

Darkness.

Curses.

A handsome half-naked man is in my room.

She wasn’t sure what vexed her more.

“We were looking for his old spell book so that we could destroy it. But, he knew we were there, and destroyed the temple and everything inside.”

The revelation was startling. The only hope for breaking Dragnor’s curse was probably nothing but ash.

Liam crossed the small room and got into bed with her.

Despite everything that had occurred in her dream, Liam’s presence alone made it all melt away. Lilae looked down at Liam as he rested on his elbow. His bright blue eyes were full of concern, and she wanted nothing more than to lie back down and cradle her head in his arms.

She bit her lip, conflicted by having Liam in her bed while her heart broke for what Dragnor threatened to do to Kavien.

“Delia knows we’ve been sharing a bed,” Liam said.

Lilae nodded. “She knows everything. It’s fine. I should have told her. We aren’t doing anything wrong. I just feel safe with you. During all I went through, you were always there for me.”

Liam reached for her, helping her back to the feather-filled pillow.

“There is nothing he can do to hurt you, Lilae. He can try his best to scare you, but you are stronger than that. Don’t let him affect your waking hours.”

Lilae sighed. “You’re right.”

“Why did you say Kavien?”

She tensed, avoiding his eyes.

“When I came in, you whispered his name.”

Could she tell Liam the truth? Was she naïve enough to think Liam felt anything for her beyond their predestined bond?

He
is
in my bed.
She met his eyes full on.
He has to feel something.

But was she certain of how she felt?

“Dragnor threatened to kill him unless I came back to Avia’Torena.”

After a moment of silence, Liam’s eyes narrowed.

“Lilae.”

“Yes?”

“Do you care for Emperor Kavien?”

She turned away from him, unable to face his question. Her eyes fixed on the flickering flame of the candle as it began to die. The question was so layered that she truly didn’t know what to say.

Kavien was her first kiss.

He was also the man who kept her in a chest beside his bed.

The man who let Dragnor put the curse on her.

The man she missed despite it all.

“You’re not going to answer me?”

“I do—I did. I don’t know,” she said, her words not making sense. Her stomach churned again, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “He was kind to me in the end. He wanted to leave the empire behind. With me.”

She couldn’t look Liam in the eyes.

“Lilae,” he said, taking her hand into his. “Look at me.”

Trembling, Lilae looked at Liam. “Yes?”

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I understand. Don’t be ashamed by what happened to you or your feelings. I thought I would spend the rest of my life with Sona. At least Kavien didn’t betray you and try to take your life. You are fortunate, and don’t ever apologize for it.”

Lilae’s lips parted.

Who was this man before her?

Was it possible for anyone to be so good?

She leaned down and pressed her forehead to his. She closed her eyes, and they remained like that for a moment, before Lilae took a chance and kissed Liam on the lips.

Nothing mattered at that moment, just the feel of his lips against hers. And then he pulled her onto his body so that she straddled him.

Liam’s arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace as their kiss deepened, erasing any doubts she had in her mind that Liam was the one her heart yearned for.

Still, she cared for Kavien and wanted no harm to come to him. She loved him still, but this—what she felt for Liam—filled every crevice of her heart with joy, a joy she’d never feel ashamed to reveal.

She moaned as he parted her lips with his tongue, tasting her mouth. Warm and wet, his tongue tasted of cinnamon and sugar from the pastries Valhorians were famed for baking.

Heat raced up her body as he cradled her head in both hands. Places that had only been awakened once before ached with need. This ache was different. As Lilae’s most sacred spots pulsed—she enjoyed it.

She craved more.

Liam placed her on her back and rested on his elbow beside her, his face in his hand as he looked down at her.

Lilae’s chest rose and fell with quick breaths.

He smiled at her.

“I wanted to do that the moment I saw you at The Barrier.”

Lilae nodded, captivated by his eyes. “I did too.”

He leaned down to kiss her again and then pulled her body into his.

“We need to rest,” he said. “Tomorrow is our last day here.”

A part of her wanted him to continue, to kiss her until dawn, but he was right.

Lilae nodded, closing her eyes.

Lilae’s body relaxed. She’d never felt so safe and sure in her life, even as a little warning in her gut threatened to wedge its way into her confidence.