Bastial Sentinels (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 5) (9 page)

Cleve’s body felt heavy from fatigue. It wasn’t a long ride to the palace, but depending on what the innkeeper had to tell them about The Nest, Cleve might suggest they stay the night there.

“What brings the three of you here?” the innkeeper asked Reela.

“About that,” Cleve interrupted. “We were hoping you could tell us what happened. I was in Goldram not too long ago, and it was nothing like this.”

The innkeeper let out his breath. “So I assume the Takarys were still ruling when you were here?”

Cleve felt as if he’d swallowed a rock. “What happened to them?”

The innkeeper looked at him sideways. “You cared that deeply for them although you were just a visitor?”

“I…” Cleve felt dizzy. Unable to think, he couldn’t answer the man’s question and asked his own instead. “Are they dead?”

“Danvell Takary is. I don’t know about the others.”

Cleve grabbed the table as dread coiled in his stomach. Leaning forward, he practically screamed. “What happened?” But then, suddenly, he knew.

Fatholl
.

Reela brought her hand to his back as the innkeeper answered. “About two weeks ago, Fatholl took over the palace and killed the King in the process. I’ve heard that the rest of the Takarys made it out of the palace alive, but I don’t know what happened to them after that. From what I know, they haven’t been back to Goldram since they fled.”

Panic was fighting against Reela’s touch, making Cleve’s whole body hot. “Do you have any idea where they might be?”

“None,” the innkeeper answered grimly. “I doubt many do besides the nobles who are left. They always know more than we common folk do about royalty. Though, much of it could be rumors.”

Cleve felt lost, consumed by fear and heartache. He began to wonder if there was any chance of getting the evesal seeds to Jek to cure the poor man’s nightmares.

“Is Fatholl still in the palace?” Reela asked.

“I believe so. He and his Elves control it like they do this city, though they don’t care about any of us to the east of the palace. Fatholl decreed that everyone north of the center of the city must either move or promise allegiance to his army. About half of them moved, while the other half stayed. It wasn’t long before about half of the whole city left. Crime was rampant with no guards around. Most of those who stayed moved to the north to join Fatholl’s cause. The houses are nicer there. Everyone else, me included, stayed where we are.”

“What exactly is Fatholl’s cause?” Reela asked. Cleve was thankful for her questions. He was still having difficulty forming thoughts.

“He claims he’ll rid the continent of desmarls. This is all well and good, but he also has made everyone who doesn’t follow his orders an enemy. The whole continent has become divided because of it. Many have joined him, many have fled, and then there are still the four armies—Goldram, Waywen, Zav, and Presoren.” The innkeeper set his eyes on Cleve. “Were you here when the war started?”

“It had only just begun when I left.”

“The four kings are now dead. But their armies still exist. Your guess is as good as mine as to what they’re doing or where they are. Some think they might be allying together to face Fatholl. Others think they’re still killing each other like they were before this thing with the Elves began.”

Cleve’s mind went blank. He could feel Reela’s eyes on him, so he looked back at her beautiful face, letting her kind features relax him.

“I’m sorry,” she told him. Turning to the innkeeper, she asked, “Do you know of any nobles we might speak to about finding the Takarys?”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

Cleve found his voice. “Why are the docks abandoned?”

“Fatholl’s army has been taking towns all over Greenedge. His Elves march in, and sometimes they force everyone out. Other times they don’t ask anyone to leave. It’s still yet to be known what Fatholl has planned.”

“Archer shoot at me when we near docks,” Vithos said. “Why?”

“Was it a Human or an Elf who shot at you?”

“I no see.” He made a whistling sound and used his hand to imitate arrows landing near him. “They shoot lots, so I run.”

The innkeeper shrugged. “Could be scavengers looking for goods people have left behind. Many people are angry at Fatholl about what’s been happening, so of course they’d shoot at an Elf. But it also could’ve been someone allied with the Takarys who perceives you as an enemy. There’s no way to know. But it’s a good lesson, isn’t it? Wherever you go, you’d better be careful. You should try to hide those ears if you can.” With a grimace, he wagged his finger. “Any of you have a hat?”

“We don’t,” Reela said in disappointment.

“Well, I would sell you mine, but I’ve only got one. There still should be a tailor somewhere in the city. Though…could be they’re all in the north by now.”

“We’ll figure out something.” Reela stood and walked to a nearby window. She peeled back the curtain, revealing that night had come. She turned to meet Cleve’s eyes. Whether it was psyche or just the familiar twist of her mouth, he could tell what she was thinking. He nodded to show he agreed.

She turned and asked the innkeeper, “May we rent two rooms for a night?”

“Certainly.”

Chapter 7:

CLEVE

Cleve felt despair softening him, making him weak and hopeless. A difficult task he could endure. But what was he to do when there wasn’t a task for him to figure out in the first place? How could he help Jek and the Takarys if he didn’t know where they were? He sat slumped on the bed, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

Reela came in to their room wrapped in a towel, her hair wet and dark. Cleve’s heart jumped at the sight of her, clean and nearly naked. Her shins seemed to reflect the light of the lamps. Her curves shaped the towel in a way that made Cleve wish for nothing more than to remove it.

Reela stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. Cleve came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down to smell her hair and kiss her neck. She set the brush down and turned to meet his lips.

But before they could settle into the kiss, she pulled away. “There’s a lot we need to figure out before the morning,” she said. “Unless you’ve already devised a plan?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Cleve replied. “But there’s certainly no chance I can think of anything right now.” His gaze roamed her body.

When his eyes returned to her face, she had a look of regret. “I’m of the opposite mindset. Until we know what we’re doing, I can’t think of anything else. You should take a bath…maybe a cold one.”

His heart sank as she kissed his cheek and returned to brushing her hair. He trudged off to the bath.

As Cleve scrubbed the dirt from his body, his worries returned. Reela was right. They had to come up with a plan.

He started with what he knew. They needed to find out where the Takarys had gone and what they were doing. He also needed to know what Fatholl’s intentions were. An idea formulated as he dried himself.

Re-entering their room, he saw that Vithos had come in to speak with her. They looked to Cleve expectantly, both with the same almond-shaped eyes.

“I don’t think Vithos and I can figure out what to do,” Reela said sadly. “We don’t know anything about Goldram or even this city like you do. Have you come up with anything?”

“I have.” Their desperation was gone in an instant. They looked eager…until he added, “But I don’t think either of you are going to like it.”

Turning to each other, the siblings wore identical frowns.

“I have a feeling I know what you’re going to say,” Reela said sullenly. “It was the only idea Vithos and I could come up with, but both of us hate it.” She took in a slow breath. “We need to visit the palace, don’t we?”

Cleve nodded. “It’s the only way to find out what we need to know. We don’t have any allegiance toward either side, as far as Fatholl knows.”

“Except you care about the Takarys,” Reela said. “Which means Vithos and I care about them as well. Fatholl or the other psychic Elves might be able to sense this when they question us. And what do you hope to accomplish by speaking to them? Do you expect them to tell us where the Takarys are without wondering why we want to know? We won’t be able to lie to them.”

“We wouldn’t need to lie. We want to find Jek Trayden so we can give him the evesal seeds. We want to rid the continent of desmarls just like Fatholl does—doing so would mean the Takarys wouldn’t need to take Kyrro. We have no desire to kill Fatholl or fight against him. All of those things are true.”

“You right,” Vithos said. “But Fatholl still no help us without us help him. He will want something.”

“I’m willing to find out what that is if both of you are.”

Reela had a sour look. “I suppose it’s either this or we find some way back to Ovira. But we didn’t come this far just to run away after finding out how difficult and dangerous it would be. Some part of me already knew what we were getting into. If we must speak to Fatholl, then that’s what we’ll do. But I wonder how we’ll even get inside the palace.”

“I have a feeling they’re going to want to speak to us, especially after they see Vithos.”

The Elf pinched one of his ears and playfully wiggled it. “True.” He stood and let out his breath, clearly showing how tired he was. “So it’s settled, right?”

Cleve waited for Reela, Vithos turning to her as well. She looked back and forth between them before nodding. “I think I’m going to keep my ears pinned back, though, at least until we know more.”

Vithos said goodnight and retired to his room. With a plan in place, Cleve suddenly was overcome with his desire for Reela. He happily removed his shirt and lay down beside her. As he put his arm over her stomach, she turned and pressed her back against his chest.

He waited for some sort of sign of her thoughts.

When she said nothing, he lightly kissed her neck. She took a quick breath. Taking it as a cue, he held her tighter against him and ran his fingers lightly down her body.

“You’re not worried about tomorrow?” she asked as her hand came up to fist in his hair.

“My worries and fears are buried beneath my thoughts of you. I know exactly where they are, so they’ll never be lost.”

“You always talk about feelings as if you’re a mound of dirt and all possible fears and desires are constantly within you, some on the surface, some very deep.”

“You don’t feel that way?” Cleve asked.

She chuckled. “No, and I don’t think most people do. But I like that about you. You’re different.”

“So how do you think of feelings?” Cleve pressed his fingers against her shoulder, kneading. Then he ran his hand across her collarbones, barely resisting going lower.

She moaned. “That feels wonderful. And that’s how I think of feelings, not as something constantly there but something that can be triggered. Your touch makes me feel a certain way. It doesn’t dig up a feeling that’s already there.”

Cleve couldn’t disagree more. “But if a stranger touched you in this way, it wouldn’t evoke the same feelings. So there must be a connection between us that’s already within you, waiting to be awakened. You’re part of me, and I’m part of you. Sometimes my feelings lie dormant, other times they burn red hot.” He moved his hand lower, caressing the top of her bosom.

She rolled over and gave him a searing kiss. With a coy grin, she asked, “And right now, is it lying dormant or burning hot?”

“It’s practically scorching my body from the inside out.”

When she kissed him again, he felt as if his chest would collapse if he didn’t have her. And when she sat up and pulled her nightgown over her head, Cleve almost came undone. The moment her creamy skin was exposed, his hand and mouth covered her breasts, and she gasped in pleasure.

She cupped his cheeks and brought his lips to hers again as she climbed onto his lap. When Cleve scooted down to stretch out on the mattress, Reela slid on top of him and aligned her most sensitive parts with his. Slowly, methodically, she began to move.

Soon, as her pleasure built, she ached to feel his skin on hers. She frantically yanked down his pants and underwear, then kissed her way up his stomach…then his chest…then his neck. He filled his hands with her well-rounded rear and squeezed.

As she sealed her lips over his, he filled her with one quick thrust. Reela groaned and bucked her hips. Soon, she was biting her lip to keep from crying out.

“Is that good?” Cleve asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“Yes,” she said, breathing heavily now.

As she rose and fell above him, Cleve thought she was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen, absolute perfection. For some time, he just watched her move and relished the sensations surging through him.

He fondled her breast and felt himself losing control. Reela said nothing but his name, and he could tell she was getting close, too. Cleve’s whole body was as taut as the string of his bow, and he ached for release. He rolled her beneath him, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They both fell over the edge.

He collapsed on top of her afterward, and they struggled to bring their breathing back to normal. When he finally could lift his head, Cleve kissed her closed eyes, her nose, her lips.