Ethon (The Other Worlds Series Book 2) (31 page)

A tiny part of him had expected as much. Will took a deep breath. Even though it had been two years in Ethon time, it hadn’t been even a full year yet for him personally. Their deaths were still fresh in his mind.

“The second thing is something I’m really sorry for,” Olinia said quietly, interrupting his thoughts. “I’ve seen your sister, Will. I saw Ariel. I saw her when I Globed with Tiara.”

“You said I was studying.” Will sat frozen in place, not fully comprehending what Olinia was saying.

“You were, but so was Ariel.” She pulled a face. “I should’ve mentioned it.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Olinia bit at the inside of her lip. She could almost see his thoughts churning over what she’d told him. His eyes were a tempestuous gray. She winced inwardly. “I didn’t tell you because, at the time, I’d lost my trust in you. You’d been gone. I was hurt.”

“Did Ariel and I say anything?”

She nodded. “It was about DS. Apparently some guy from DS approached Ariel about being able to predict her opponent’s next move. You thought he was a-”

“Talent scout,” Will finished for her. “I remember.”

“I think your sister was gifted.”

“Too bad her gift couldn’t save her,” Will spat out bitterly, surprising Olinia. He was glaring into the fire again.

“Will,” she breathed, “it wasn’t her fault that she died. You’ve got to let it go.”

“Let go?” He ran one hand through his hair. “Let go of what? My family’s already gone. It’s not like I’ve got much to hold on to. Oh, except for my old house apparently.”

“That’s not true,” she whispered.

“Isn’t it? Other than Trenton, I have no living relatives. The cemetery is filled with my family members.” He spat out the words – his voice steadily growing louder. “I’m all alone, Olinia. I don’t have any long-lost brothers like you did. When Trenton dies, it’ll just be me.”

Olinia stared at him. Since the moment she’d first met him, she knew Will was suffering. Even though he was good at keeping his pain below the surface, every once in a while he’d let it slip through his eyes. To see him now openly share with her his vulnerability made her heart ache.

Before she really knew what she was doing, she blurted, “I love you, Will. You won’t be by yourself because you can make me your family. You told me you’d follow me anywhere. If I’m with you, why would you ever feel alone?”

Will didn’t answer. Instead, he kissed her, his hand reaching out to her neck, pulling her to him. Olinia clung to his shirt. His kiss was ravenous. Never had Olinia experienced anything like it. He wanted her, needed her, couldn’t live without her. Words were not necessary – the passion from his lips betrayed his true emotions.

Both she and Will had endured tragedies in their lives. Broken dreams and regret would hold a part inside of them forever. Yet, from each other they had discovered a revitalizing strength.

Olinia loved Will. At that moment, all Olinia cared about was Will. With him, she could face her fears. She could decide to become the queen she was expected to be. She could one day win back her rightful throne – just so long as Will was there right alongside her. She’d been to several realms now. The one thing she could say with a certainty was that no one was like Will.

A few minutes later, Will pulled back, breathless and panting. The beautiful eyes she could gaze into for hours were peering at her, running over her features. He brushed her cheek with his thumb, and said softly, “Olinia, be my wife.”

“Y-your wife?” She stammered, completely taken off-guard.

He nodded. “Even if you don’t choose to be queen of Caprith or the Other Worlds, at least please choose to be with me.”

Olinia could feel herself beaming. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You want to marry me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He smiled crookedly. “From the second I first saw you, I knew you were unique. As I’ve told you before, I love you, Olinia Reien.”

She grinned, unable to contain the burst of pure ecstasy that coursed through her. “I would love to be your wife. I couldn’t marry anyone else but you.”

Once again, his response was a kiss.

18

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The Vrenyx’s first impression on Legann had been better than its second. From where he stood, the world looked like it had collapsed into shambles. Olinia did a pretty thorough job at destroying the place almost two years ago. Well, two years ago for him. He wasn’t really sure how long it had been for the Vrenyx.

Legann sighed and sat down on a nearby boulder. Rubble lay scattered around him in heaps ranging in size. The largest collection of stone was behind him in what had once been Dagon’s castle. A little ways off in front of him were the charred remains of Delvich Forest. Beyond that was a much bigger forest that appeared to be untouched by Olinia’s damage. The ruins should have given Legann the sense of absolute devastation, but all he felt was shame for helping his uncle escape an Ethon lab. He still had yet to figure out why Dagon had even been in Ethon.

“Which Eve sacrificed his gifts to bring down my castle?” Dagon asked in Eveon. It was the first time he’d spoken to Legann since leaving Ethon.

“Eve?” Legann repeated in Eveon, raising his head. How did his uncle know gifts were sacrificed to destroy it?

“Answer the question,” Dagon snapped. “Your people obviously did their research. I built my kingdom so that it could only be destroyed in the same manner as it was before.”

Legann wanted to point out that his people were also once his uncle’s people, but decided it best to keep his mouth shut on that topic. “I wasn’t aware that the Vrenyx had been demolished before.”

Dagon glared at him. “I was speaking of Balinorre.”

Again, Legann thought it a good idea to not bring up Dagon’s mistake. Balinorre had never belonged to his uncle. However, he had had no idea that the only way to destroy the Vrenyx was to use the method Tyra had employed for Balinorre. Olinia had told him all about her trip there with Will and not once did she mention this particular detail.

He frowned. “It wasn’t an Eve who did this to your castle.”

“Who was it then?”

“Olinia did it,” Legann replied.

Mild surprise took over his uncle’s face. “So, your sister is now giftless?”

He let out a short laugh. “No, far from it. She only gave up a few of her gifts.”

“How very brave of her,” Dagon said dryly.

Legann turned away from his uncle. He contemplated hitting his head against the rock he was sitting on. How could he have been so stupid as to let himself get caught, first by the fake social worker, and second by Dagon? Legann was a Wend! One would think that that meant he was capable of taking care of himself. Apparently not.

There had to be a way out of this. Dagon still had the Sinith. Legann could get it from him. If he dove at his uncle now, he doubted Dagon would be able to put up much of a fight. Dagon was obviously too weak. His face was almost as pale as snow. If Legann went for Dagon’s knees first, he was sure to bring down his uncle fast. Dagon wasn’t armed.

Approaching horse hooves halted Legann’s scheming. He twisted on his boulder. The noise was coming from around the corner where the castle had been. Dagon didn’t even bother to look – his gaze was locked on his burnt forest prison.

Five shabbily dressed men on horses that shouldn’t have been so skinny rode into view. One look at their faces, and Legann’s hope to steal the Sinith evaporated. The men were gray-skinned, steel-eyed, and dark-haired. Nagreth.

At the sight of Legann and Dagon, the closest Nagreth to them called out in Eveon, “You there! Are you wishing for a death order?”

“Death order?” Legann blinked. He secretly couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of joy at hearing Eveon from so many more people that day than just Olinia. Being threatened with death at the moment seemed more like a joke than a reality. It was even still a little hard to believe that he was no longer in Ethon.

“These lands are forbidden,” the same Nagreth retorted. “I am to kill anyone I find here.”

“And who gave you such a command?” Dagon asked, turning.

“Emperor Dagon!” The Nagreth exclaimed. “You’re alive!”

All five Nagreth jumped to the ground, kneeling before their sovereign. Dagon watched them with a frown on his face. “Yes, I am. From whom did you receive your orders?”

“Second Lorban, my lord,” he answered. “Caprith was taken by the Eves. We fear Captain Sazx and Third Kor are dead.”

Dagon grunted. “Sazx has betrayed me. He is no longer my Captain.”

Legann struggled to hide his smile. He felt a little proud of Sazx for deserting, even though the former Nagreth had disgusted him by kissing his sister.

The lead Nagreth, along with his followers, was staring at the ground. “Sire,” he said, “may we escort you to Second Lorban? He would be glad to see you and describe the state of our world.”

“Captain Lorban can wait,” Dagon replied, revealing the Second’s promotion. “What is your name?”

“Mebon Avvec.”

Dagon nodded once. “Rise, Third Mebon, and relay the state of our world to me.”

The new Third practically leaped to his feet. “Yes, milord.”

Legann listened as Mebon told Dagon that since the destruction of his castle, the Vrenyx had fallen into disarray. The lords of the Vrenyx had split into groups of allies, fighting each other for land and supremacy. The Nagreth, excluding those that followed Lorban, had separated among the people, joining sides with their kin. To Legann, it sounded like without Dagon, the Vrenyx was a complete mess of power-hungry lesser royals.

When Mebon finished, Legann saw that Dagon was frowning again. “Thank you, Third.” He paused, then, “Once you have brought me to Captain Lorban, you are to send for the lords to meet with me. They need to understand that their emperor is not dead.”

“Yes, my liege.” Mebon glanced at Legann. “Will your companion be joining us?”

Again, Legann felt the shame of his actions. Dagon shook his head. “No. Do you have a place where the boy may be contained?”

Mebon nodded. “Of course.”

“Good. This is the Lantz Legann Reien, my nephew.” His uncle waved a hand in his direction.

“We will take care of him, milord.”

Legann wasn’t particularly fond of the idea that he was to be under the care of Nagreth, but for the time it was his best option. Even though he could steal one of the Nagreth’s swords, he would be outnumbered six to one. It had been a while since he’d last wielded the weapon anyway, and if he were entirely honest with himself, the sword had never been his strongest skill either. His flair had always been in archery. For the moment, the smartest thing Legann could do was to play the part of the docile royal prisoner.

As the Nagreth motioned him to his feet, Legann couldn’t help but chuckle a little. He’d departed the Other Worlds in a state of warfare, and he returned to find it not much better off than when he’d left. Welcome back, he muttered to himself.

:  :  :  :  :

The launch through the portal was what Tiara needed to rattle her back into the present. Archrin had pushed her through without warning. He’d account for that later. She grimaced down at the stone floor she’d landed on. It was actually rather clean, upon her close inspection. There was hardly any dust between the grooves of the inlays.

“Princess?”

Tiara hastily pushed herself onto her feet, brushing off her hands on her white pants – not that there was anything for her to brush off. She was in an office or study of some kind. A large, plain desk made from what Tiara guessed was cedar sat in the middle of the small, bland room. Two high-backed chairs made from the same light colored wood as the desk were set against one wall – a tall, skinny window centered between them. Then, behind the desk itself, a familiar face peered at her inquisitively.

She forced a smile. She’d been in this room before, during an inspection of the Tlaid garrison. “Hello, General.”

Voiel raised an eyebrow. “Is this what you intend to wear to Drivian?”

“Drivian?” She blinked. He’d witnessed her appear out of thin air on his office’s floor, and he was asking her about Drivian?

Just then, Sazx materialized at her side. The former Nagreth took a quick scan of the study, offered Voiel a short bow at the waist, and stepped beside one of the chairs, peering out the window. Voiel turned to Tiara for an explanation. Fortunately, she didn’t have to give one. Archrin burst through the portal in time to divert Voiel’s attention away from her.

Archrin nodded his head once. “General.”

Tiara swatted his arm. “You shoved me through the portal.”

“No,” he replied, “I merely nudged you to safety.”

Voiel cleared his throat. “Might I ask why the three of you are in my garrison when at least two of you are expected to be down in the courtyard?”

“Actually, they are in the courtyard,” Sazx informed them.

“We are?” Tiara whirled.

She joined Sazx at the window, followed closely by Archrin and Voiel. The scene below was one she’d already experienced. If Tiara had never seen her own past before then she most likely would have felt thoroughly disturbed about now. The Archrin from a little more than a week prior was walking alongside Tiara’s decoy with Tiara several steps behind. The present Tiara pulled a face. Why was the earlier her wearing that silly grin?

Archrin chuckled, glancing up from the window. “It’s like we never left.”

“Time really does move differently here,” she commented.

“Explain to me why you are here and there.” Voiel didn’t sound like he found anything humorous about the situation at all.

Tiara ran her tongue along the back of her teeth and faced him. “General, explaining this will require I tell you something that you don’t know about me.”

Archrin eyed her warily. “Tiara,” he said slowly.

She ignored him, feeling her heart rate increase. “Would you like to know what I can do? To see what I can see?”

Voiel frowned. “Are you saying that you’re gifted?”

“Here, let me show you.”

:  :  :  :  :

Olinia had fallen asleep on the couch beside Will. His arms enveloped her middle as she felt his chest rise and fall against her back. Apparently he’d fallen asleep, too. With a yawn, she opened her eyes to the dimly lit room. The Astrilites were gone, leaving the fire as the space’s only source of light.

The mansion was quiet except for the sound of Will’s breathing. Not even the massive storm outside managed to penetrate its thick exterior walls. Olinia couldn’t help but smile at the silence. After years of noise, it was amazing to finally have an extended period of time when she heard nothing more than her own thoughts. She doubted she’d ever try to get inside of someone else’s head again, at least not until it was absolutely necessary.

Yawning again, Olinia nuzzled her face beneath Will’s neck, inhaling his rich scent. She was now his fiancée. It was almost too good to be true. How had she – an Other Worlder – captured the heart of an Ethon? If she went back to herself during her slave days and explained what was in her future, the younger her would have outright laughed, never imagining such a reality. Yet, here she was – wrapped in Will’s embrace. He was to be hers.

“I love you,” she whispered into his tunic. It was nice to say it out loud.

Just then, fire shot up from her fingertips to her shoulder on her left side. The unexpected jolt of pain sent her rolling off the couch to the rug on the floor. She cried out in surprise.

Will bolted up, yanked from sleep. When he saw her cringing below him, he slid off the couch to kneel beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“I have to Globe,” she muttered through clenched teeth.

“Again?” He blinked. “Now?”

“Yeah, it definitely feels like I do.”

Olinia didn’t wait for his reply. Gripping onto his forearm with her right hand, she waved her left. Light spread outward, as usual. The Hidden Mansion gave way to an open field of tall green grass and a simple gravel road running straight through the middle of it. Olinia followed the road with her eyes, noticing that it continued beyond the grass to split a large body of water in half. It actually looked more like two oceans.

Two oceans
! Olinia let out a short laugh as she realized where she was. The road was Water’s Pathway. She was in Evedon again. She turned to see if Will had recognized their location, too, but saw that he was watching a lone figure dressed in a pair of white scrubs.

“Tiara?” Olinia lowered her eyebrows.

“I don’t think she can see us,” Will commented.

“You’re right,” Olinia replied. Tiara hadn’t moved a muscle. She was close enough that she should have heard them. “We must be witnessing something from her past. A time she’s already visited.”

“I’m not so sure we’ll want to see what she can see,” he remarked. “Look at her face.”

Olinia peered more closely at Tiara and saw what Will meant. Tiara was gaping at some image behind them. It was obviously disturbing her. Olinia whirled, suddenly anxious.

A thousand different sounds hit her ears at once as Olinia’s eyes filled with the sight of war. It was as if someone had muted the scene until she was ready to view it. Well, she was no longer deaf to it now. The clang of steel, growls of beasts, and shouts of soldiers were so overwhelming that Olinia almost covered her ears. The noise wasn’t what shocked her, though.