Betrayals of Spring (10 page)

I could feel the dark sorcerer’s
presence more when Calista was around. I’m starting to think that we’re more
powerful together than apart. This concept is definitely something we need to
discuss.

Finn gently pulls away and turns around
to face me. He looks down at me with his sensual amber eyes and draws me tight
against his body. I wrap my arms around his waist and I lay my head on his
chest.

I can hear the deep rumble of his voice
when he asks Calista, “What could I possibly have on my body that would have
been spelled by the dark sorcerer?” He lifts the arm that has his golden band
circling his bicep and continues, “I’m not wearing anything other than my
clothes and this golden band I received as a gift from Durin, the dwarf leader
when Mel’s arrows were deliver-ed.”

I stand back abruptly to take a look at
his gold cuff. It was supposed to be a gift from Durin, but Durin didn’t
deliver it, one of his people did. I knew I found it odd that Finn would
receive such a gift. It never made sense, but now that can only mean one
thing...there’s a traitor in the dwarf kingdom!

“It’s the cuff! Finn, take the cuff
off!” I yell appre-hensively. As long as he has it on his body, the dark
sorcerer can take him over. He slides it off quickly and it falls to the floor
with a heavy thump. We all freeze in place and stare at the gold band lying
helplessly on the floor. I want to take it and rip it to shreds, but I have no
idea how to destroy it.

“Finn, would you mind getting me
something to wrap it in?” Calista asks.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he says and
quickly sets off in search of something to use. When he’s out of sight Calista
grabs both my arms in desperation.

“Mel, this is really bad news. He’s
played games with you for five years now. He could have taken you multiple
times. Why would he do that?” she asks, confused.

“I don’t know, but I could tell earlier
that Kalen could feel that something was wrong around us, and when
you
came in sight the feelings intensified. I think with us together it makes us
stronger. You felt how fast the evil disappeared when you looked at Finn the
way you did. I’m beginning to believe the dark sorcerer wasn’t expecting us to
be stronger together,” I state.

At my mention of Kalen, she furrows her
brows and purses her lips.

“Speaking of Kalen, what happened
between you two? I thought things were going great for you at the wedding. One
minute you look like you’re in love and the next you turn into Xena the warrior
princess with a heart of ice.” She pauses and then continues to look at me
skeptically when she continues, “The reason why I’m asking is because I’m
concerned for you, and Kalen has wanted to know for years why you denied him.”

What? Kalen wants to know why I denied
him?
That doesn’t make any sense. He’s the one that turned me down.

“When did you talk to Kalen?” I snap.

“Right before you arrived he told me he
came to visit you and you denied his visit. Why would you do that when you were
obviously in love with him and him with you?” she retorts back.

I guess I can’t keep the past hidden
forever. I didn’t want to have to tell anyone of that horrid visit, but I know
Calista will understand. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open my
eyes Calista’s gaze is filled with wisdom and sorrow. She’s known pain and
loss. I can’t believe I was too afraid to confide in the one person that’s
always been by my side.

“Kalen came to visit me right after your
wedding and said some real terrible things to me. He said I was too timid for
his tastes. He broke my heart into a million pieces, and I vowed to never fall
for a man like that ever again. I don’t know what he told you, but that’s what
happened and that’s what fueled my persistence to change.”

She looks at me confused and shakes her
head.

“He never said anything about talking to
you.” She bites her lip and looks around the room mumbling, “Something doesn’t
feel right about this. If the dark sorcerer fooled you once, who’s to say he
hasn’t done it before, maybe with...Kalen?”

Thinking back to that day, things did
feel a little odd and detached with the way Kalen was acting. Could it have
been the dark sorcerer who visited me that day? He can’t take over any of the
royal’s bodies, or at least he used to not be able to. Now that he has
Calista’s power we’re not sure what capabilities he has. If it
was
the
dark sorcerer being Kalen that day, then that would mean the
real
Kalen wasn’t
the one who denied me. How could I have been so stupid? I should have known
something was wrong that day.

“Do you really think it could have been
the dark sorcerer impersonating Kalen?” I ask Calista, hopeful.

She looks at me like I’m crazy and rolls
her eyes when she says, “Mel, the dark sorcerer has been screwing around with
you for years. Hell yeah, I think it was him. Kalen would never have done that
to you.”

“What am I going to do now? I’ve spent
the last five years hating him for nothing,” I cried. Feeling weak, I find the
closest chair I can and fall into it. Resting my elbows on my knees, I cover my
face with my hands in hopes of being able to think.

Calista kneels in front of me, takes my
hands away from my face, and holds them in my lap.

“You’re going to talk to Kalen, that’s
what you are going to do,” she answers.

I can hear Finn fumbling around in a
room down the hall, so I take the chance to quickly confess to my sister. I
whisper quietly, “I felt the connection, Calista. As soon as I saw Kalen, I
felt it and I know he did, too. It blasted through my body with such force that
I could barely stand. It feels the same way you said your connection with Ryder
felt like.”

She closes her eyes and sighs while
hanging her head. This wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for.

“Why are you acting like this? What’s
going on?” I demand.

She lifts her head with a sad look in
her eyes. I can tell she’s keeping something from me, but what? My hands start
to sweat and I can feel my heart pounding. I’m beginning to get frustrated with
all the secrets and lies being flown my way.

“There’s something you should know,” she
begins, but stops when Finn enters the room carrying a thick black towel. Damn
it, why couldn’t he take a few minutes longer? I need to know what Calista was
going to say.

“Do you think this towel will work?”
Finn asks Calista while holding it out to her.

She gets to her feet and accepts the
towel.

“Yes, Finn, this will work. Thank you.”
He bows his head in reply and comes to stand by my chair. Calista walks over to
the gold band lying on the floor and picks it up using the towel making sure
her skin doesn’t touch it. I know I’ve touched it before and I’ve often
wondered why the metal always stayed frigidly cold even after being on Finn’s
warm skin all day. It never made sense until today. The cuff is filled with the
essence of black magic and there is nothing warm about that.

“I’m going to get Ryder and Kalen and
tell them everything. We need to inform King Madoc and Queen Mab as well as our
parents to let them know we need to be on our guard tonight.” She looks
directly at me and commands, “You stay here with Finn and Ashur. I don’t want
you going anywhere by yourself, understand?”

She’s treating me like the scared
Meliantha from the past. I’m not that girl anymore and to be treated like it
infuriates me.

“You don’t need to treat me like a baby,
Calista. I can take care of myself now if you haven’t noticed,” I say angrily.
Her face falls at my outburst, so I soften the next words I speak. “I
appreciate your concern, Calista, but I’m not stupid. I know to stay here with
Finn and Ashur, and I didn’t need you to have to tell me. What I need you to do
is stop underestimating me. Can you do that?” I don’t want to be mean to her,
but I need her to be fully aware that I can take care of myself. The dark
sorcerer is after my power this time, and I plan on being ready.

Calista looks back and forth between
Finn and me, and with the band wrapped up and in her hands, she turns to head
down the hall. A few minutes later she’s back with a sleeping Merrick in her
arms and Ariella following in her wake.

“What about the ball tonight, Calista?
What are we going to do about that?” I ask quickly. If the dark sorcerer is
here, he’s bound to try something malicious.

She gives me a faint smile and answers
hesitantly, “The ball is still going to happen and as long as you’re not alone,
you will be safe. Rest for now, sister, and I’ll see you tonight.”

Dealing with the dark sorcerer can’t be
easy for her. I know it’s been five years, but the traumatic events she went
through during her capture are bound to leave scars on her soul. I may not have
been captured and watched my best friend die, but knowing the dark sorcerer has
had his way with me intimately has left some deep wounds on my essence as well.

Calista and Ariella leave quickly and
I’m left alone with Finn. My time with him may be coming to a close if what I
suspect is true about Kalen. If he’s the one I’m supposed to be with, then I
have to let Finn go. Standing before me, Finn’s face displays an array of
emotions making it hard for me to tell what he’s truly feeling.

He takes my face in his hands and sighs
heavily before pleading, “Mel, I can’t begin to express how sorry I am. You
know I would never hurt you. Please don’t let this come between us.” He takes a
deep breath and leans his forehead against mine.

I can hear the anger rumbling in his
chest when he adds, “If the dark sorcerer ever, ever lays a hand on you again,
I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make him regret it.” Finn is a very
strong warrior, but I don’t think his ability for air and wind is going to
damage the dark sorcerer. I’ll never tell him that, but it warms my soul to
know that he’ll risk his life to go up against the dark sorcerer to protect me.
I would also do the same for him. I may not be in love with Finn, but the
thought of being without him or losing him to death will be an extreme agony.

I kiss his cheek softly and I look at
him with sheer determination.

“I know you would do that Finn, but if
the dark sorcerer tries this again, it will be
me
that makes him regret
it. He’s toyed with me for far too long.”

He tilts his lips up in a slow smile and
chuckles.

“Of course you would, Mel. Why don’t we
rest for a while before getting ready for the ball?” He looks down my body and
his eyes take on a lusty glow when he adds, “I can’t wait to see you in your
dress tonight. I bet you’re going to have all the men demanding to dance with
you.”

My eyes go wide at the thought of my
dress. I’m sure everyone’s going to have something to say about it. I wonder if
Kalen is going to be one of those men to ask for a dance, and if he is, what am
I going to say to him? I have a few hours until the ball, so I’ll worry about
that when the time comes.

I smile sweetly at Finn and tease, “I’m
pretty sure I’ll be dancing with you most of the night. You are, after all, my
date.” His eyes sparkle and I laugh. “Come on, let’s go find a room and relax.
I’m sure tonight is going to be eventful and we’re going to need our rest because
of the long journey here.”

We walk through the kitchen and down the
hallway to find a room. There are so many to choose from, so I pick the first
door I come to. I open the door and inside is an immaculate king size bed with
a light purple comforter. Actually, everything in this room is purple, and
there are flowers everywhere. Did Kalen do this for me, too? If he did, I think
he went a little overboard with the purple. It is still beautiful, though. Finn
walks past me into the room and begins to take off his warrior armor; however,
he doesn’t stop there. When he’s done taking his clothes off, he lies down on
the bed naked and pats the area beside him.

My stomach is in knots while I slowly
remove the breastplate from my chest and then the vambraces from my arms. I
don’t want to give him the wrong impression by taking off all my clothes. He’s
very understanding, so I’m sure he’ll understand if I don’t want this to go
further at the moment. I give him a faint smile and I know my eyes are
conveying to him that I’m not in the mood. He smiles and shakes his head while
patting the bed again. I leave my leathers on and I climb onto the bed beside
his naked body. I honestly don’t think sleep is going to come easily for me.

Finn moves closer to me from behind and presses
his warm body against my back. He wraps his arm around my waist, and he
snuggles closer as I lay my arm over his. We entwine our fingers and I grip his
tightly. Finn has always been a comfort to me, but I don’t think anything is
going to calm and relax my rapidly beating heart. The terrible warnings from my
soul are screaming at me saying that something terrible is going to happen
tonight. All I know is that whatever it is, I’ll be ready
.