Deadlands (The Healer Series, #2) (22 page)

Chase laughed. “Yeah, we kind of
just left everyone there, huh?”

“Is that a trend with you or something?” Declan asked.

Chase turned to him looking skeptical. “What do you mean, exactly, Warlock? Be very specific.”

“I couldn’t help but notice—”

“Stop right there, Pretty Boy,” Chase held up his hands. “I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t like where your thoughts are. The only thing you need to know about me is that I am loyal. If you need me and call upon me, I come.”

“That m
ust be the dog side of his race coming out,” Declan said nudging Willow.

“Hey,” Chase scolded, but he stopped and looked off into the distance for a moment. “Well, actually, I guess I walked right into that one, huh?” He smiled and Willow laughed at him. Declan’s harassing could’ve unleashed a big fight between them, but instead, Chase was the better man and laughed it off. Maybe he was starting to change. And maybe that change was coming from a certain Elf.
Who knew?

“Chase, you are loyal,” Willow said. “And if certain people don’t see it, then th
ey don’t know you at all. You are a great guy. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“Awe! I love you too Healer baby.”

“She never said she loved you,” Declan grumbled and put his arm around Willow possessively.

“Easy Pretty Boy,”
Chase said. “I’m just messing with you.”

“
Are you coming or not?” Elirana’s voice asked at the top of the stairs. From the angle Willow was at, she could only see Elirana’s long, pale legs poking out.

Chase, now in a much better mood after his earlier episode said. “Be right there, Eli baby.”
He turned to them and smiled knowingly.

“Ugh!” Elirana said and her legs disappeared as she retreated back to the second level.
She stomped her feet extra loud letting him know she was pissed.

Willow rolled her eyes.
“What are you trying to do to the poor Elf, kill her with kindness?” Willow asked.

Chase winked. “Exactly. You know, Elirana still loves me. I feel it in my soul. She may be pissed, she may be hurt, and I know it’s all because of me. But if I have to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to her to prove my love for her, I will.
See…loyalty.” He wagged his eyebrows to prove his point.

“Is it true Chase…about her brothers?” Willow asked cautiously. It was a sensitive s
ubject and Willow wasn’t sure she should bring it up, but she was dying to know.

Chase looked forlorn when
he looked up the steps. “It’s true. But unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one involved when it happened. Sometimes, being a Werewolf in a pack has its down side.”

“Like what?”

“Like when an Alpha gives an order, you follow through, regardless of who you hurt. The Alpha’s commands have power over everyone in the pack. It’s a part of the bond we have with each other.”

“Did you let her know that, Chase?”

“Trying to explain the inner workings of different races can be complicated. Like the Elves. They live by the laws of Elders, the oldest and wisest of their kind. Their rules are harsh and their enforcement even harsher. I know it would’ve been way easier to fall for a Werewolf chick and live a happy, totally unadventurous in any way life. But I didn’t. I fell for an Elf, and I haven’t looked back. I’ll never give up on her.”

Declan squeezed Willow’s shoulder and leaned down to whisper, “See? He’s never giving up on who he loves. Sound familiar
, baby?”

“
Too familiar,” Willow groaned.

“Okay, let’s get up there before the wrath of Eli baby comes down upon us,” Chase said and took the stairs two at a time.

Declan took Willow’s hand and walked with her up the stairs. Ever since they got back together, she found that Declan took every opportunity to touch her, even if it was simple hand holding. Willow didn’t protest, though. She could’ve lost him forever. Declan could’ve been beaten to death or tortured and she would’ve never experienced the love he continually poured out on her. She had received the fear of losing him enough in the Deadlands, she hoped the Elven realm was different.

They reached the top of the stairs. It was a second level that looked exactly like the other floor,
except for the small table with an unlit lantern in the middle of the room. Elirana was standing by the lantern with her arms folded in front of her, waiting impatiently. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders. With the light casting down on her from different angles, it almost looked like she was wearing a halo on the crown of her head. She was staring at them and her lips were pursed in annoyance.

“Once I open the portal, we have seconds to go throug
h it before it closes,” she informed them blandly. “The portal’s destination is the Magnolia Trees on the outer boundaries of our realm. Are you ready?”

Willow, along with Chase and Declan nodded their heads in response. Elirana took the lid off the lantern. Leaning over
it, she whispered something in her native tongue and then suddenly, the candle inside it ignited with fire. The fire created a billowing smoke that quickly wafted out of the lantern and towards one of the walls of the cave. The smoke started churning around and around like a wheel, ever gaining speed.

Willow had never seen a portal opened before, and it was pretty amazing watching the smoke churn faster
created a vortex until suddenly, landscape appeared on the other side. The Elven realm.

“Okay, everyone! Follow me!” Elirana said and ran up to the circular portal. She jumped through easily and vanished behind the veil. Chase was next, and he also took a running start, leaping through the portal
and disappearing.

Declan squeezed Willow’s hand. “Ready for this?”

“Ready!” she said.

“Don’t let go of my hand,” he commanded her.

“Never,” she smiled and Declan took off running, pulling her through the portal.

Willow was immediately sucked into a vacuum of wind as she traveled to the other side of the veil. Tightening her hold on Declan’s hand, she refused to let go no matter how much force was thrown her way. Seconds passed when she landed on soft grass with oomph as the breath was knocked out of her. She had fallen flat on her stomach, still holding Declan’s hand. She honestly hated port travel and would much rather fly by broom. It was uncomfortable and she could never land upright. Elirana, however, was standing smoothly in front of them, an expert at port travel from the many trips she had taken to the human realm during the sieges.

“You okay, Willow…Trees
…” Declan said trailing off beside her and looking above him. “Whoa, look at the trees!” He was already getting up to his feet and helping Willow stand, reveling in awe of the landscape around him. Elirana wasn’t kidding when she said the portal led them straight to the magnolia trees bordering their realm. Willow took a deep breath, inhaling the intoxicating aroma of the flowers.

T
he heady scent of magnolia and jasmine filled the area; the whole property was in full bloom. The flowers on the trees were huge and gorgeous colors of purple, pink and white. The trees were clumped together tightly and the trunks had a sleek shine to the brown wood. The branches were hid from the fullness of the flowers covering the tops of the trees. They looked like lollipops with a thin stem. It was breathtaking.  

Willow looked behind her quickly and sighed in relief. The portal was shut. They had made it out of the Deadlands alive! Was this real or was this a dream? She pinched herself just to make sure. Yep. It was real.

The temperature
in the Elven realm was significantly cooler than the Deadlands, but it was still nice and warm with a bright yellow sun high in the sky accompanied by the largest fluffy white clouds she had ever seen. The grass beneath her was soft and the most luscious green color imaginable. It was like the grass was pure and had never been walked on before. She felt Declan tuck her hair behind her ear and place a flower in it that had fallen to the ground. She smiled warmly at him.

“It’s not a whi
te rose, but you look beautiful. The flowers don’t hold a candle to your beauty, Willow.” Declan said and ran his arm down her shoulder until he grabbed her hand. He sent shivers down her arms and she leaned into Declan’s waiting lips. She didn’t protest even though she disagreed with him, but that compliment definitely deserved a kiss.

Looking around,
Willow could see that Elirana was in her element. She soaked up the sun and closed her eyes in relaxation, smelling the flowers as well. Coming from the land where nothing grew into this was a complete shock, but she seemed very happy to be back in her homeland. Chase was exactly the opposite. He was tense and looked around, his eyes flitting everywhere as if a threat was close by.

Horns blared in the distance and Chase jumped. “What is that? What is that?” He asked frantically. Elirana looked aroun
d, just as baffled by the noise as he was.

“Th
ose are war horns,” Elirana stated confused, listening intently to the strange bell tone that drifted in the air. “They’re coming this way. They must’ve sensed our presence already!”

“Who’s coming?” Willow asked and spun in a circle
searching wildly through the foliage and seeing nothing.

She didn’t have
to wait long to find out who it was. Large white horses burst through the trees with Elven knights in shiny silver armor riding them fluidly. They galloped quickly towards the group and circled around, blocking everyone from escaping. One of the Elves carried a pole with a thin flowing golden flag. The flag had a picture of a tree on fire. Lightning was striking the trunk on both sides of the tree symbol. The horses whinnied and neighed as they stomped their feet. The riders pulled them to a halt. They were surrounded in seconds.

Willow looked up to watch the Elves carefully. Their helmets blocked out most of their faces, but they were frowning sternly. Attached to their shoulders were
white capes that rippled in the breeze. Their armor was shiny and glinted in the sun. Declan pushed Willow behind her and drew his sword, gaining the attention of the Elves. They pointed long spears aiming directly for him.

The knights turned their
heads as another horse came bursting into the trees. The horse was midnight black and very large, its rider sat tall and proud in the saddle. Elirana came up and raised her hands in the air, speaking quickly in Elvish. Then, she put her hands on her hips and smiled when she saw the new rider approaching them. The knight dropped down to the ground effortlessly and took off his helmet as he came towards Elirana. He was very, very attractive.

The rider stood nearly 6’5” and had broad shoulders under his armor. He had dazzling green eyes and long shoulder length brown hair. He was pale
and young, as most Elves were, but he had a strong, chiseled jaw and high cheekbones. He had a masculine presence about him, and his full lips turned into a smirk as he took in Elirana with knowing eyes.

Then,
his face fell when he looked passed her shoulder to see Chase walking up behind her. Chase stopped before he would touch Elirana, but he was close enough to send a clear message to the knight. The Elf’s eyebrows creased as he saw Chase towering protectively over Elirana. He spoke in Elvish to her, and it didn’t sound pleasant since his voice was very deep and authoritative.

She spoke back and they continued to have a conve
rsation in their native tongue. Willow obviously had no idea what they were saying and stood watching impatiently, and getting edgy with each passing moment. The Elf spoke to the other knights and they lifted their spears up and relaxed some. Elirana turned to Willow and Declan and motioned to the handsome Elf. “Healer, this is Tierran, Captain of the Guard of my people.” Willow’s mouth fell open. This was the Elf Elirana was engaged to before she fell in love with Chase! Chase growled low at the admission, confirming it so.

Tierran quickly looked Declan up and down, his green eyes flashed at seeing his drawn sword. He dismissed him quickly and then took in Willow’s appearance. His smiled sult
rily as his eyes raked up and down her body, finally landing on her face. Declan noticed the heated look in the Elf’s eyes and stepped in front of her, shielding her from the Elf. He was jealous, and now in a very grumpy mood. Tierran laughed quietly but proceeded with the introduction. “Na-amin su, Healer,” Tierran put a fist over his heart and bowed his head. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” His voice was smooth, but had an underlying accent as if speaking in the Common Tongue was strange to him. “What brings you to our beloved realm? Many do not know where our portals are located, and yet you show up here at the entrance of the one portal leading to the Deadlands. Now I know you have not traveled there, so tell me how you came to be here?”

Tierran seemed friendly enough, but the way he talked seemed like he was
accusing them of a crime. This wasn’t good. Elirana spoke up to address the question, holding her head high.

“Tierran, I have
indeed led them through the Deadlands in search of a key. We have learned much. The Deadlands have been civilized and are being ruled by Selene, one of the Three. Things have changed for the worst, Tierran. We are not safe anymore.
They
are not safe.” Elirana motioned to the others. Willow gawked at Elirana. What did she mean by one of the Three?

Tierran scoffed. “
You came from the Deadlands, Elirana? How dare you go there! Did they force you there? Against your will?” He turned to the others and gripped the hilt of his sword by his side. “Your father thought he lost you! We all thought you were lost! And yet here you are showing up with two magic casters and the repulsive Werewolf Chase Hawthorne seeking sanctuary for them?! Don’t you know who he is and what he’s done to you?” Tierran scolded in rage. Chase growled, but didn’t attempt to fight the Elves since he was clearly outnumbered.

“Let me explain, Tierran,” Elirana pleaded. “I have recovered my memories and there is so much to tell you! If you would just—”

“Save it for the Court, Elirana,” Tierran looked at her hatefully. “Well…actually we can bypass the Court and go directly to the King and Queen on this matter.” Elirana stepped back, her mouth dropped open in shock. “You have broken our laws bringing other magical races into our realm. You know what happened after the sieges. Do you really want a repeat of that?”

“But Tierran, you don’t understand!” Elirana begged. “Please listen to me! The world is crumbling before us! War is on the horizon!”

“War in the human realm, Elirana! Not here!” Tierrran boomed.

“But it will be here too if we don’t do something about it!”

“We will do nothing, Elirana, use your senses! You are not in control of your emotions right now!”

“THAT’S IT!” Chase screamed and pushed Elirana behind him before winding his hand
back and socking Tierran right in the face. His punch landed hard on the Elf’s jaw and Tierran was knocked backwards. He wasn’t anticipating this and couldn’t block Chase’s assault in time. Immediately, the other knights dropped to the ground off their horses and surrounded Tierran, while a couple attacked Chase and pushed him roughly on the ground kicking him in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of him in a deep gasp as he coughed and held his stomach painfully. The knights drew their swords and pointed them at the Werewolf.

“STOP!” El
irana pushed passed the knights to stand in front of Chase protectively drawing her own sword. The move shocked Willow as she watched Elirana warding off the knights.
Elirana was protecting Chase?
What? The Elf guards looked like they weren’t sure what to do, so they put a little space between them, still pointing their swords-now at Elirana as well. “Please, Tierran. I must explain my purpose here. See reason!”

Tierran wiped his jaw with his hand and his bright green eyes looked
treacherously at Chase, who was beginning to stand to his feet. “He will pay for that,” he growled out.

“He was just try
ing to protect me,” Elirana defended him.

“
He is a fool, Elirana. He is in our realm now, and he will suffer for what he did to you. He must come to justice.”

“No! You must understand! I have led the magic casters
and Chase here for a purpose! Do not punish them for my actions! There is much to do and no time!”

“Elirana,” Tierran said staring at her, “You have no say
in the matter. We bring this to the King.”

“Good,” Elirana crossed her arms. “Surely he will see reason here, since you have none.”

“Watch your tongue, Elirana, you forget to whom you are speaking,” Tierran said dangerously and started speaking to Elirana in Elvish. Elirana sheathed her sword and bowed her head as Tierran continued to speak to her.

“Stop listening to this bastard,” Chase said beside her. Willow’s eyes went wide when
Elirana turned her head toward him and smiled. That was weird. What was even weirder was that Elirana was defending them all, when before they entered the portal, she was taking the side of her people. She was one confusing Elf.

Tierran saw that Elirana was no longer listening to him, but staring at Chase
instead. Noticing his scolding was a wasted effort he stopped talking and turned his head to whistle loudly. Two rider-less white horses galloped up.

“For the Healer and the Warlock,” Tierran said giving Elirana the reins. “And for you and the Wolf.”

“Were-wolf,” Chase muttered. “Were! I mean seriously, I am so sick of people sometimes.”

Elira
na patted Chase on the shoulder and hopped up easily onto her horse. “Thank you Chase.” She then turned to Willow and Declan. Declan was helping Willow up on the horse. “Have you ridden before?”

Willow shot Elirana a look. “Brooms, Elf girl. Brooms.” Elirana
merely smiled.

“Flank them,” Tierran commanded
the guards as he took his position at the front of the group. “We make for the city.” Tierran forced his horse into a small gallop. Willow squealed and clung onto Declan’s waist as he kicked the horses’ sides softly. With a jolt, the horse began to trot. This was the first time Willow has ever ridden a horse before, and she had to say, it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for her. She preferred her broom much better than the constant up/down of the horse. It was uncomfortable and she felt like she was going to fall off with every movement. Luckily, the horse knew what to do, especially since it couldn’t go anywhere being flanked by horses on all sides. Elirana and Chase were riding in front of them, only Chase was the one holding onto Elirana’s waist. She was an expert horseback rider. What couldn’t she do?

As they emerged out of the magnolia trees, Willow took the opportunity to look around. The Elven realm was huge and perfect. The landscape was all green
will rolling pastures and open space. The air was clean and fresh and the sun kissed her skin and warmed her. There were flowers everywhere. A glistening blue lake was off in the distance and little diamonds from the reflection of the sun sparkled off the surface of the blue waters.

A large group of gazelles and does ran across the land to try and escape the oncoming horses galloping their way. Several colorful birds flew in the sky
overhead, making their way to a small forest beyond the lake. Everything was tranquil, everything was living in perfect harmony, and the land was healthy and full of life.