Betrayals of Spring (26 page)

“Meliantha, that’s enough! Stop!”

I can hear the screams from Ashur and
Finn, but I am too drawn into my magic to stop. My body is warm and light
making me feel as if I’m floating above the ground. Using too much power can
make you drunk off of it, but I think I’m way beyond drunk when the pain
starts. My muscles begin to ache while the power inside me dissipates.
Dizziness overtakes me and my eyes begin to lose focus. I fall over, expecting
to hit the ground, but instead I’m scooped into Ashur’s arms and cradled
against his chest.

“I told you to stop!”
he screams
inside my head.

I look around the village and a sigh
escapes my lips. “It’s so beautiful,” is all I can say before exhaustion takes
over my body.

- Dark Sorcerer
-

“What the hell are you doing?” Breena
screams as the fae surround her to take her away.

“Something I should have done a long
time ago,” I sneer at her. Her eyes go wide when the realization hits her that
I will not save her this time. Her piercing screams echo in the night and fades
the farther I walk away. It feels good to be rid of the worthless bitch. She
has caused nothing but trouble since the day she opened her legs to me. I have
endured too much of her whining and complaining, and no amount of fucking is
worth all of that. Now that I have Meliantha’s power flowing through my veins
it feels like there is nothing I can’t do. Thinking of the way Breena’s face
looked as I left will always stay with me. I laugh thinking about it because
now she will spend the rest of her life doing what she does best- screwing
everything that walks by her path. I find the outcome fitting.

I deliberately made my way through this
part of the Mystical Forest for two reasons: One, to get rid of Breena, and
two, to torment Meliantha. Meliantha will soon realize I am leading her around
in circles. Destroying the leprechauns land was easy, but now the fun will
begin. Once she follows my trail, she will fall prey to the fae that live in
these parts. Due to their possessive nature over women, they will not let a
prize like her go. They will have a feast with her and Breena because in these
parts it’s rare for these men to get a hold of a fae woman.

I would love to see how she gets out of
this without becoming victim to their power. It’s almost impossible. Her
companions, no doubt, will have a say about it and will most likely be killed
if they interfere. I strongly believe my game will stop here, but I’ve been
surprised before. I plan to make one more visit before I put this game to a
close. The most terrifying group of fae creatures will be in this village I
plan to go to next. I have several of them in my army and I have seen what they
can do. They can be brutal when provoked, and they make the best killers. I
would love to have more in my army and I plan to get more of them tonight.
These creatures live to kill and if Meliantha makes it past my last stop then
there is no way she’ll survive where I lead her next.

I have lain low the past five years, but
now is the time for me to grow. If Meliantha makes it past this last stop, then
she’s much stronger and wiser than I anticipated. If it comes to that, I will
finish her off myself. I will give her a taste of the prince, and then break
her down to nothing when I kill him before her very own eyes.

“Never again, Meliantha,” Ashur
chastises me. He climbs up on his horse with a scowl on his face while Finn
walks up behind me and lifts me onto Prince Ashe. I don’t need the help but he
insisted that I take it.

“You had us worried, Mel. You’ve never
done that before and we didn’t know what to do to help you. Please don’t do it
again,” Finn begs, looking concerned. I don’t want to put them through grief
and worry, but I have to do what I can to help. If that means going crazy with
my power then so be it.

I feel a little weak, but looking at the
village around me I do not regret a single thing I have done. The land is
healed and its joy is coursing through my veins bringing me a new surge of
hope. I give Finn a reassuring smile, “I’m okay, Finn. It just took a lot out
of me, but I’m fine now. Trust me.”

Ashur snorts and Finn raises his
eyebrows in disbelief. His skeptical glare is penetrating, but then he nods his
head and leaves me to mount his own horse. I panicked when I found out I slept
for twelve hours and that it was late in the afternoon. My healing dilemma has
set me back farther than I wanted. The longer the dark sorcerer has a chance to
get away, the longer it’ll take to get Kalen back.

My things had already been packed and
ready to go for when I woke up and I was amazed to find that the leprechauns
had prepared us a grand feast before we left as well. The food was amazing and
they also sent us some for the journey ahead.

“Be careful, Princess. We all bid you a
safe journey and a fond farewell,” Griffin announces.

All the leprechauns in the village have
gathered to see our departure. Ashur, Finn, and I were each given a four leaf
clover for luck and were told to keep them on us at all times. I entwined mine
with Kalen’s thistlebirch cord that I have now wrapped around the braid in my
hair.

I address the crowd, “Thank you
everyone. Remember what I said, if you need protection, I’ll gladly offer it to
you.” I look at them all and say, “Farewell my friends.”

They shout their goodbyes and I wave
them farewell as Prince Ashe leads me away. Even though I hate the
circumstances of my visit, I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet them.
Today makes the third day we have been on the hunt for the dark sorcerer. I
wish I knew what the courts were doing right now, and if they have sent
warriors to find us. I honestly hope they haven’t, but I’m sure that with me
and the prince missing they will most definitely have a search out for us.

Aki is running with great speed while
the rest of us follow closely on his heels. The farther I go in this journey
the more my stomach twinges in fear. The first stop with the leprechauns is
going to be but a taste of what the dark sorcerer has in store for me. I fear
for Kalen’s safety and I believe with all my heart that I can save him, but I
also fear for my own safety and the safety of my friends.

This twisted game the dark sorcerer has
conjured is only going to get tougher. I had thought the dark sorcerer would
lead us to the Black Forest, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The path we
are taking is moving us away from the Black Forest, and it’s looking as if
we’re headed in circles. I’m determined to remain strong, but leave it to the
dark sorcerer to screw around with me any chance he gets.

We’re riding hard and swift, and
thankfully, Prince Ashe doesn’t appear to be tired at all as we make our way
through the forest. I worry that I may be pushing him too hard. I know what I’m
doing is putting everyone through hell, but they have to understand that I
refuse to give up.

“Don’t be mad at me, Ashur,” I plea
silently.

He glances over at me and his expression
softens.

“I am not mad at you, just worried. You
will kill yourself trying to save everyone and everything, Meliantha. You need
to take care of yourself for a change.”

He does have a point, but it’s in my
nature to want to protect the people I care about. It is my duty to protect all
fae creatures of the land. If I have the power to help them, then I need to
help them.

“I know, Ashur, and I promise to take
care of myself. I just want you to understand that I will do anything to save
Kalen. I’m sure you would do the same for Elissa if the situation were
switched.”

He sighs.

“You’re right, I would. There is nothing
I wouldn’t do for her, but I am your Guardian and it is my job to protect you.
I am going to repeat what I said earlier…NO MORE! Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes, Guardian,”
I reply
sullenly.

“Thank you.”

I know he worries about me, but I know
how to take care of myself. I tell him that constantly, but he never listens to
me. Ashur is an amazing guardian and I am honored to have him by my side.
Truthfully, I don’t know if I can keep my end of the bargain, but at least I
didn’t make a promise. Promises are sacred and all I agreed to with Ashur was
just an understanding. I’m hoping he doesn’t pick up on his mistake.

I notice the land beginning to change
and I can see an opening where a huge lake lies up ahead. There are several
different types of fae creatures that inhabit the waters in the Land of the Fae
and most of them are ones to steer clear of. I don’t want my warriors to be
swept away by sirens or water nymphs.

“Stay away from the water!” I yell.

Ashur and Finn look amused, but I don’t
think they would have those smiles if they met a watery grave. Aki skirts
alongside the water banks and stops when he reaches the bridge. The bridge
expands across the water to the land beyond where a dense fog has taken over.
The fog makes it to where we can’t see the end of the bridge or what might be
waiting there when we cross.

“Are you sure you want to cross here,
Meliantha? I don’t think it’s a good idea if we can’t see what we are heading
into,” Ashur points out.

“I agree with him, Mel. I don’t like the
way it looks around here at all,” Finn agrees.

If we don’t follow the dark sorcerer, I
will lose Kalen forever. I have to go across this bridge. What lies ahead is
going to be a challenge, but I am ready for it.