Heart Song (25 page)

“Then the planning for the ceremony begins, if you want. We don't have to rush it, but my people don't like children born outside of the ritual of binding.”

“Wow. That sounds like a death sentence.” I chuckled on the last word. But the look in Marren's eyes said it wasn't funny. “I'm sorry.”

“Do you still want to marry me?”

“What?” I could hardly swallow the piece of meat with the way he said the words. It wasn't like he was anxious and really wanted to know. It was almost as if he was trying to reassure himself that I really wanted to be with him and not because of the heart song.

“Do you still want to marry me?” he repeated.

“I heard you. What I don't understand is why you are asking me this? Didn't we already go through this conversation?”

“We've been over this, yes, but I may have manipulated you into agreeing and I want to know that you really, truly want this as much as I do.”

I twisted to face Marren straight on and grabbed his hands. I focused on the contrast that was still amazing to me. His deep bronze color compared to my fairer tone. I almost looked too pale sitting next to him. “Marren, whatever makes you happy and keeps you by my side I will do. I don't want to forsake any of your rituals or customs because they are unfamiliar to me. Though I may not understand all of them or the reasons behind them, I do understand that I love you completely and undeniably. I can't see living my life without you so if that is what it
takes
to make it happen and keep peace among your people, then so be it.”

I looked into his eyes, slanted under partially sealed lids. His lips were together but relaxed. I couldn't tell if that was what he wanted to hear. I looked away and asked, “Do—do you still want to marry me?”

I found his eyes again and tried to find any emotion in them. I tried to find the warmth, the love, the passion, but it was hidden behind the wall that he had up. Something wasn't right about this. Something felt...off. I couldn't place it but this didn't feel like Marren. I looked away quickly then said, “I don't feel well. I need to go lie down.”

I stood up and turned my back towards him. I had taken no more than the first step when my wrist was caught in a tight hold. I looked over my shoulder and then down to my wrist and back up to Marren's face. “So, how long did you think you were going to trick me into believing you were Marren?”

There wasn't a glint of surprise in his eyes like I had hoped to see. I tried again.

“Well, Jiren, is it? Where is Marren?”

His face broke into a smile and it was just as bright and just as beautiful as the real Marren's but there was something threatening in it. He looked hungry for blood.

His eyes changed to an iridescent green, cold and just as hard as the first time I’d seen him. “Well, you're smarter than you look.” He clapped his hands.

People poked out from behind the pillars and Marren, hands bound behind his back, stepped out with the dwarf Ancient, Ildir. Marren had drilled me on all of the Ancients and this would be the only one that would dare to hold him against his will.

I started to take off towards him as Ildir released Marren. He wrapped his arms around me and planted a large kiss in the middle of my forehead. “I'm sorry, I didn't have a chance to warn you and I didn't know if he could hear if I spoke to your mind.”

I nodded understanding. “He knows about our child,” I whispered.

“I know. It will be okay.”

“Now, Jiren, are you satisfied yet? Or are you still convinced this woman, who has already convinced the rest of the Ancients of her love for Marren, isn't his heart song?” Ildir spoke with a booming voice that could probably be heard on the next mountain over. He clearly didn't like the idea of having to detain his friend like this or play these games, continuously try
ing to catch me in something I
wasn’t guilty of.

“She may have you all fooled, but I'm not yet convinced.” He was in his human form now, the one from when I first encountered his disdain for my existence. I forced down a shudder, remembering the way it felt when he tried to shove energy up my arm like sharp thin knives.

“Need we remind you of the consequence of pursuing this and being proved wrong?”

“I need no reminder, because when I have proved
you
wrong, you will be punished. This pup is no closer to Marren's heart song than she was to actually leaving this realm!”

There was a loud gasp. It shocked me to see that the hall had filled with people. I had a mind to say something snide, but I felt Marren's hands squeeze mine and I held back.

“You would do well to show her the respect of your equal rather than a piece of dirt at your feet,” Marren snapped.

Jiren let out a deep, throaty chuckle. It was meant to raise the hairs on the back of my neck and send a thread of warning through me. All I felt was a taste of bile in my mouth. I felt my hands start to tingle and move up my arm. I was readying for battle.

“Why would I take the word of the one who is under this witch's spell?
Hmm?”
Jiren asked. There was a murmur of hushed voices that moved through the crowd. “What do you have to say about that child that’s growing in her womb?” His voice echoed loudly through the hall, returning the last word a few times just for emphasis.

“That's enough!” Ildir interrupted. “Jiren, you expect this realm to punish this woman, who somehow managed
to bewitch myself, Blyl, Joe'n and Marren into believing she is his heart song?”

“And most of the races…” Jiren added.

I rolled my eyes. It was getting harder to resist ripping his throat to shreds.

“Marren, I'm sorry my friend, but it seems he'll stop at nothing. What do you have to say that will support your side?” Ildir asked in a lower voice.

Marren released me and stepped into the center of the hall, a few feet from Jiren. “Relena was a human. She didn't possess any powers or have any knowledge of our world before me. She didn't even know of her own friend's true identity until one of my own told her. Relena would have to be an extremely powerful sorceress in order to pull off the energy necessary to successfully fulfill the magnitude of the spell it would take to effectively fool everyone, but Jiren...” He let the last word hang in the air and looked at him.

Jiren's jaw clenched tight, lips pressed firmly together. His hands were clutched at the cuffs of his robes. For a moment, I thought I saw a strange purple aura surrounding him, glowing faintly and pulsating.

“
Relena,
is my heart song. She has proved it. Yes, she did try to leave, but only because she felt like she had no choice and thought it would save the races. She quickly found that the heart song we share wouldn't let her leave and kept leading her back to me.”

The other Ancients, who seemed to have sided with us for now, stepped into the center of the hall and joined Marren, staying a few feet behind him. The rushed murmurs grew louder.

“The prophecy is here,” Marren continued.

“Yet,” Joe'n stepped forward, bringing the attention to her, “Jiren seems fit to find any way necessary to make it not come true.”

“Perhaps, the real question here is why Jiren is so convinced Relena is a threat and how a mere human could have pulled off such an elaborate hoax?” Blyl asked. Not of anyone in particular, other than to spark curiosity in the rest of the crowd.

“Relena?”
Ildir drew my attention to him. “Do you have anything to say for your own defense?”

I kept my eyes locked on Marren's. With a reluctant nod from him, I said, “What can I say that hasn't already been said? I have nothing to hide and continue to be obedient to the Ancients and their requests. I've done nothing to be guilty of.”

“Very well,” Ildir said. “Jiren—”

There was a bright purplish light that filled the room. It came from where Jiren was standing and was so bright it stung my eyes, making them feel like they were melting. I couldn't look for Marren. I couldn't think to use our private way of talking. The screams and shouts that filled the room would most likely drown out any word. A loud hum filled the air, growing louder as the light grew brighter until there was a sudden burst of heat, knocking me off my feet.

Silence filled the air, and darkness.

I waited for the
humming to end. It started back up shortly after the silence fell. It began as a soft whisper,
then
grew in intensity while I remained on the ground, too afraid to move. The sound grew louder until I realized it was a combination of my heart beat banging in my ears and murmurs that surrounded me. Words came to me in bits and broken pieces.

“Not...gone!”

“Jiren...”

“He's right...”

“We were blind...”

I opened my eyes to the stone floor covered by feet surrounding me. I looked up and found that Joe'n, Blyl, Ildir, and Gurth, the goblin Ancient who had remained out of sight and distant, were all standing around me like a shield. Panic struck my heart. I stood up and pushed my way through the Ancients, despite their grumblings not to, and found in place of Marren, only his clothes were left. Lying as if he was curled up on the floor, but his body was completely consumed.

“No! No! Where did you take him?” I shouted at Jiren who was looking pleased with himself.

“Think about this,” he said to the crowd. “If she was supposedly Marren's heart song, would she be standing here, asking such questions?”

With his words, I knew what he was trying to do. He wasn't above sinking to levels so low he set new standards. He somehow made Marren disappear and made it look like he was dead in an effort to prove me wrong.
To get his way.

A hand gripped my arm and jerked me back behind the line of Ancients.

“The laws of this land are clear. An Ancient killing an Ancient without due cause is an unforgivable wrong. In an effort to prove your desires, you may have killed Marren, but Relena is with child. Not only is she protected because she carries Marren's heir, but she is protected because of you, Jiren. She is protected because she was Marren's mate. Whether or not she was his heart song,” Ildir said. He tried to force the sadness out of his words, but they were still there, eating away at my strength.

“But he can’t be dead! I'm still alive!” The words fell out of my mouth softer than a whisper.

“The Ancients decree you are banished. Any races that follow you are to be released of your leadership and allowed to side under the Ancient they choose,” Joe'n said, her voice calm and smooth. Her words, as far as I could tell, didn't hint at sadness. I felt grateful for that.

Blyl turned towards me. “I'm sorry, but you are not free from punishment either. It has been written that if two share a heart song, they share in death. Either Marren isn't dead, or you really aren't his heart song.”

I nodded my understanding. It felt numb, almost like I wasn't in control of my body.

“You will be taken to your room, where you'll be most comfortable. But you will have no luxuries, you will not be allowed outside, and you will be forbidden to leave that room,” he added.

I nodded, numbly, again.

Blyl tried to escort me towards the room. I felt his hand gently cupping my upper arm. I heard the metallic clanking of the sword on his belt. I turned my gaze towards his waist. It wasn’t secured. He must have forgotten to do that in the commotion. His hood remained over his head and I seriously doubted he had seen me looking.

We approached the doors that lead out of the mountain. They were open. I stopped. Blyl stopped with me, seeming to understand that I needed a break. Well, I needed a plan.

Footsteps echoed towards us from down the hall. My head turned towards Jiren, being escorted out with a smug look on his face. I narrowed my eyes towards him, needing to see a flaw in him. He would stop at nothing to win this war.
But why?

“Are you satisfied, Jiren?” I asked.

“Relena, don't,” Blyl warned.

Jiren walked past, then stopped and turned his head towards me. He didn't really look at me. The smile on his face was all the answer I needed. “One thing you should remember, I always win. One day, this realm will see that I gave them a gift.”

“This isn't over, Jiren. I know Marren is alive!”

“Oh, you have that right.” He paused long enough for the question to linger as to which point he was agreeing to. “This isn't over. I will be back to finish the job. I won't stop till you and that abomination is dead.”

“Leave, now,” Blyl spat towards Jiren.

“I'm sorry
,
Blyl. Marren's not dead.” I quickly jabbed my elbow into his ribs and grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it. I pushed him to the ground and went after Jiren, who ran as soon as he saw me take down Blyl. Something
told me he let me do it. He believed me. I know he did.

I followed the aura of Jiren out of the mountain halls, running until my sides ached and my throat hurt. I had no idea where I was or what he was doing standing in the middle of a meadow, filled with grass and flowers that reached his waist. He slowly turned around and faced me.