Tethered (The Avenlore Series) (15 page)

Walking back into the bedroom, I discovered the soup and cider seated on the desk.  I still didn’t feel like eating, but the soup did smell divine.  I picked up the cup of cider and inhaled the rich scent of apples and sipped slowly.  The warm liquid slid over my lips and down my throat, soothing as it went.

I turned to stare at the bed and it called to me, promising warmth and comfort, but I was wound kind of tightly for sleep at the moment.
  I sleep would elude me if I attempted to lie there, but my thoughts would not.  I turned my gaze toward the door instead.  Decision made, I went to wardrobe and found a simple yet pretty emerald green frock and yanked it on. 

On bare feet I walked to the door and pulled it open.

Nikolas was on the other side mid stride, pacing in front of the doorway, fingers raking through his damp hair.

My heart twisted as my stomach descended to my toes.
 

He stopped when he saw me, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides while his mouth worked silently
as he opened it to speak, but didn’t half a dozen times.

Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, his captivating features screwed up by the pained expression on his face.  He walked a few steps forward, leaving only about a foot of space between us.  He concentrated his intense gaze on me and I was paralyzed.  “If you want me to go, you need only to tell me.”

Of course I wouldn’t, glutton for punishment that I was.

I glanced back and forth in each direction.  “Where is your, uh, betrothed?  I’m surprised she allowed you out of her sight.”  My words
emerged from my mouth with more bite than I’d intended.

He looked wounded by
my statement, maybe even a little angry, at least at the floor where his gaze had fallen at my words.  “Not sure.”  He sounded like he didn’t care, or maybe that was just how I wanted to interpret it. 

A voic
e in my head told me my comment sounded a little on the bitchy side and I didn’t really feel I had a right to act that way.  I felt that way, wounded and catty, but I couldn’t pour that on him like he’d slighted me in some way.  What had he done?  Rescued me, comforted me?  And wasn’t I just teetering on the Liam/Nikolas seesaw only a few hours ago? 

I was such a hypocrite. 

I could almost hear the internal GPS in my head.  ‘Recalculating.  Recalculating.’  I backpedaled.  “I mean, she just seemed worried about you.”  He still looked wounded, eyes unfocused in the direction of the wall to my right now.  “I would’ve been.”

His eyes flicked back to mine and stayed there
and then the words were hurriedly pouring from his mouth.  “Our parents just announced our betrothal a week ago, just a few days before we left in search of you.”  He looked away and mussed his hair with his fingers again. “Apparently, Brigitte has known for years, I only learned of it the day her parents came and demanded we make the announcement.”  He blew out a breath and met my eyes again.

He looked so lost now and that was totally at odds
with the confident, charming guy I was pretty sure was his norm. 

“You don’t owe me an explanation.”  I told him quietly.

His eyebrows knitted together as he tilted his head just slightly to one side.  He shuffled a little closer and leaned his head down, rooting me to the spot with his electric blue eyes.  His words were almost a whisper.  “Don’t I?”

Oh…so much trouble.

I couldn’t stop myself from blurting out my thoughts.  “So, you don’t love her?”  I asked, trying to sound like it didn’t matter to me.  Fail.

“Am I interrupting?”  Liam’s voice effectively popped the little bubble Nikolas and I were holed up in.

Nikolas groaned and leaned away from me leisurely as I stepped back too quickly into the door frame and bumped my head. 

“Yes.”
  Nikolas ground out between clenched teeth. 

I squeaked out a “No!”  at the same time. 

Liam smirked and leveled Nikolas with a look.  “Your, uh…betrothed is it?  Yes, I believe so.”  He glanced at me, then back to Nikolas.  “She is looking for you.  Rather worked up, demanding your location from anyone with ears, and probably those without ears if she were to encounter anyone so unfortunate.  Charming girl, that one.”  He laughed and tried to cover it with a cough.

Nikolas closed his eyes slowly and ran a hand over his face
and through his deep brown waves.  I heard him mumble something about ‘the Maker’ under his breath.  Opening his eyes, he looked to me with that same troubled look that begged my understanding.

“She’s somewhere in that direction, mate.”  Liam offered, je
rking a thumb over his shoulder to the left. 

Liam looked at me now.  “You look well, Princess.
”

Nikolas
turned to him and if his eyes could’ve spit fire I believe they would have.  “Tell me, Liam… or do you prefer William?  What brings you to this particular wing of the castle?  You are aware that the royal apartments are housed here and only the royal family is allowed?”

Nodding and smirking, Liam responded.  “Liam, please.  And forgive my boldness Sir Nikolas, but doesn’t that beg the same question of you then?”

The Nikolas I’d first met made his appearance then, flashing a grin and a knowing look at Liam.  He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head to side.  “Did I not mention?  There are quarters here as well for on duty Royal Guardsmen…as well as a permanent residence for the head of the Royal Guard.”

Liam turned three different shades of red before replying.  “I see.  Well, I just wanted to
check that the Princess was well.”

Nikolas looked to me and I nodded. 

“Very well, make your visit brief.  I will leave you to it.”  Nikolas took a step back, holding me with his eyes.  “The answer to your question is no.  Without question, no.”  He left us there alone, and headed off down the hallway to the right.

I watched him go until Liam cleared his throat.  I whipped my head back to focus on Liam who just stared at me for a moment, his face unreadable.
  Despite what expression was plastered on his face, he still remained beautiful and mysterious to the power of ten.  It kind of scrambled my brain to look at him. 

And then
I remembered I was angry with him a little and decided to start there.  “Forget to mention something, did we?”  I spat the words in his general direction.

Anger flashed in Liam’s pale green eyes, making them a few shades darker.  “From the look on your face
in the courtyard, I’d say I was not the only one who
forgot
to mention something.”  He shot back.

He did not just go there.

My breath came quicker as I tried to think of something suitable to say.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  The words came out kind of sing-songy, so they weren’t exactly convincing. 

Liam nodded and looked pointedly at me, leaning in closer.  “I am quite sure you do…and I did not wish to frighten you with the knowledge of who I was.”

I lifted my chin defiantly, and locked eyes with him as my heart rate sped up.  “Maybe you should’ve had a little faith in me, you might’ve been surprised.”

Liam held my eyes with one of his soul-burning gazes.  My
skin was flushed with embarrassment and anger as I returned his stare, refusing to back down.  His eyes softened and he extended a hand, trailing his fingers lightly along my cheekbone.  Before I could react, he laced his fingers through my hair down to the nape of my neck and tugged me forward.

Lips against my ear, he whispered.  “Oh, Dani…I was.”  Liam guided my head back until he could see my eyes and he was captivating…he was fire and danger and beauty. 
Voice rough, he spoke again.  “There was something I wanted to tell you, before they found us by the cave…”

“What?”  I breathed.

He searched my eyes, vulnerability flashing in his own.  “This.”  He grasped my face with both hands and pulled me to him.  His lips, warm and soft, pressed to mine with a desperation that made me feel like I may unravel or he may unravel, or maybe we both would.  He inhaled deeply, like he was breathing in the moment and not the air and my heart rate climbed higher.

Liam broke the kiss and took a step back, a satisfied smirk curving his mouth up at one side.  Without a word, he turned on his heel and strode off down the hall
, never once looking back, leaving me breathless and dumbfounded, with my mouth hanging open like an idiot.

Damn him.

Chapter 18

It was late afternoon when I finally woke, as I had spent the better part of the previous night staring down the hallway, in one direction for a while, and then in the other. 

After that, I crawled into my massive and unbelievably comfy bed and stared at the ceiling for a while.  Once my brain had exhausted itself with the wonders that were Nikolas and Liam, it finally shut down and allowed me to sleep. 

The smell of food coaxed me from the mounds of blankets and pillows I was entrapped in once the sun was on its downhill swing and I discovered the meal from the night before had been replaced with a steaming bowl of chicken soup, fresh bread, and tea.  This time, I did eat.  I even sopped the bowl clean using the small loaf.

I stepped into the washroom and splashed water over my face, then rubbed my oil of choice over my pulse points.  From a wardrobe, I chose a cream colored number composed of a satiny material beneath a black lace overlay.  I walked back to the bathroom and studied my reflection in the large, gilded mirror that leaned against the wall.  Undoing my braid, I combed my fingers through the waves until I was satisfied with my reflection.  While I knew I was nowhere near the corner of beautiful and gorgeous, a girl couldn’t help but feel a little pretty in a dress like that.

A timid knock sounded at my door as I walked back into the bedroom.  My heart did backflips as I worried Nikolas or Liam may be waiting on the other side of the thick wood.  I took a few breaths to compose myself and opened the door to find my mother standing on the other side. 

“I am so sorry, my dear, but I just couldn’t stay away any longer.”  She explained, wringing her hands again.

“No, no.  Its fine, I’m happy you’re here.” 

“I thought you may have some questions…if so, I would be happy to answer them for you, we all would.”  My mother offered.

“I do, actually.  I have lots of questions.”  I wondered who “we” entailed nervously.

My mother nodded.  “Of course you do, my dear.  Come now and let us provide you with the answers you seek.  Then, maybe we can get down to some semblance of normalcy for you.  I know lately your life has been anything but.”  She looped her delicate arm through mine and led me down the hallway to the left. 

We rounded a corner and came to the royal suite that housed my parents’ rooms.  Thick double wooden doors with polished gold handles stood before us.  My mother turned to me and spoke.  “We passed by this way last night and your father and I pointed out our quarters.  I do believe you were too exhausted to notice.”  She offered a warm smile, but her eyes held the same knowing look they had the night before. 

I smiled and tried to make it believable.  “Yes, I was.  I don’t remember that at all.”

My mom kept the smile on her face and nodded, but disappointment crossed over her fair features.  “Not to worry, you are well acquainted with its location now.”  She let go of my arm and threw both doors open.  “This is our private parlor.”

The room was large with high ceilings and the upholstery was a muted gold, from the thick drapes to the furnishings, all plush and cushy and inviting.  The back wall was all windows, floor to ceiling, flooding the room with sunlight.  The endless lake stretched out beyond the windows, waters sparkling like liquid emeralds. 

My father stood staring out across the water and I recognized the golden haired woman seated at a desk, intently studying the open book on the desk in front of her.

My mother gestured toward the woman.  “Danica, this is Soleil, Enchantress of Castle Lux and longtime friend of House Connolly.”

Soleil unfolded herself from the seat she occupied and crossed the floor gracefully, movements like water, flowing and seamless.  She stopped in front of me, offering a slight bow.  “Princess, my heart is gladdened that you are where you belong once again.”

“Thank, thank you.”  I blurted.  It was imposing to be in her very presence, not to mention she was an amazon and had to be about six feet tall, and I felt like a child looking up at her. 

If memory served, this woman was over two hundred years old and aging remarkably well.  She looked to be in her middle to late thirties.  Her skin was pearly and iridescent, her laugh lines and crow’s feet only visible when she smiled.  Thick glossy hair like spun gold was twisted into a loose bun at the nap of her neck.

“Perhaps we should be seated for this discussion.”  My father offered as he crossed the floor.  He gestured to a grouping of cozy looking couches and we made our way over. 

I sat on one of the immense couches, only using the edge of the seat.  My mother shared my couch, sitting to my right and my father chose a large chair to my left.  Soleil lounged on the couch facing me, stretching her upper body across the cushions to rest her elbow on the arm of the couch, legs tucked neatly beneath her.

I thought it best to get my dumb question out of the way first.  I just had to know.  “So, are you like…uh, how old are you?” 

Soleil chuckled.  “Of all the things you could ask and that is your first question.” 

I smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

“Let us just say that I am older even than you are imagining, and leave it at that.”

Got it.  So, really old.

“Okay then, down to business.”  I took a deep breath, trying to decide what to start with.  “Why did you send me away?  I mean, I know what I’ve been told, but I want to hear it from the people that actually did it.”  As I said the words, I realized I was kind of angry.  Feelings of abandonment bombarded me and while the logical side of my brain called it a necessary evil, the emotional side called it rejection.

My mother reached out and took my hand in hers, tears brimming in her soft eyes.  “You must understand, my dear heart, we felt it was the best choice.  This was decision made with heavy hearts and…and we could not have parted with you, except to save your life.”  She squeezed my hand, lips trembling.

My father rubbed his massive hands over his face, and immediately he looked as if he’d aged ten years.

Soleil rose and crossed the space between us, kneeling down in front of me.  “I am to blame for this choice.  I felt there was nowhere in our realm he could not find you.  I had learned of another realm, a people who did not believe in magic, a place so very different from our own world.  It was the last place anyone would think to look for you and there are few who are even aware of the existence of another realm.  I cannot imagine how painful and difficult this all must be for you, but you were never abandoned.  I kept a close watch on you.”

My eyebrows rose at this proclamation.  “How?”

Soleil reached into a hidden pocket in the generous folds of her dress and opened her hand to reveal a small, clear orb, the size of a marble, balanced in her palm.   She withdrew her hand and the orb remained suspended in the air.  I drew in a breath at the sight of it hanging there as the moon hangs in the sky.  With a flick of her fingers, the orb grew to the size of a basketball.  With another flick, she brought forth the image of a busy strip of road lined with shops, walkways full of people moving busily down the path.

It was the same image I’d recalled the previous night in my mind, but again, I couldn’t think of the name of the place.  “That…that’s where I was.”  I breathed.

Soleil smiled warmly and nodded.  “We, your parents and I, would view you each day, often many times a day.”

My father nodded in confirmation.  “We have never forgotten you, sweet girl, not for one moment of one day in all these seventeen years.” 

I felt a tear escape my eye and nodded my understanding.  The anger I’d felt had begun to ebb.

My mother squeezed my hand again, face wet with tears.  “There wasn’t much time to decide who to leave you with.  We did not know the woman we chose would be so…so…please forgive us, my child.”

I couldn’t remember the woman’s name, but I did know she wasn’t an awful person.  My memories of her were fading fast and I knew that parting with her was like parting with an acquaintance, someone that you didn’t really mind, but wouldn’t really miss either.  “No, no…she wasn’t a bad person, she just wasn’t, well…a parent.”  I said, trying to soothe my parents.  The guilt they were carrying hung so heavily in the air I thought it may soon suffocate me.