Horizon (19 page)

“Let us pass,” she said. “It’s better for her to see what happens. I’ve known her much longer than you have.”

“It’s okay, Cass,” I said. “Maybe we should just go for a walk or something.”

Nicco shook his head. “That is not a good idea, either.”

I shoved my hands at my hips. “Well, I’m not just going to sit in my room all day worrying. I have to do something!”

After a brief scan of my face, Nicco stepped aside. As I passed him, he said, “Stay to the upper levels and try to keep out of sight until you are called forward.”

I looked back at him. “It’s not like I’m going to hold up a banner to announce my presence.”

He smiled. “My lady, you need only to enter a room to have the same effect.”

Right. I didn’t want to believe him, but at least in the fae realms that seemed to be the case. Blasted power. I gave him a nod and strode into the arena.

Cheers shot up to heaven. Good gracious, what had I done? A sea of bodies stood and clapped at my arrival. We headed to the stands, taking a lower seat because, really, what was the point now?

Once we were situated, I let myself take in the sheer magnitude of the event.

From the looks of it, at least two thousand men were on the field fighting with old fashioned swords. I chuckled and Cassie shot me a concerned look.

“Rayla, these men are here to win your hand. I don’t think you should be laughing at them.”

I shook my head. “It’s just…they’re immortal for heaven’s sake. Why are they fighting with swords?”

Finn came into view over Cassie’s shoulder. He sat next to her and leaned in. “Cassie’s right. You should not show emotion at all.” He motioned his head toward the field. “Those are no ordinary swords. Think of them as a conduit. Every time a lord is bested his power transfers to the winner. In essence, the loser has to start all over again and it usually takes a century or more for a fallen warrior to regain his power.”

I should have known it was something like that. Everything these people did revolved around acquiring more power. “Usually?” I asked.

Finn nodded. “There have been a few lords that have rebounded right away when power was taken using a cheap-shot. For the transfer to stick, it has to be won.”

“So you people really do stab each other?”

“We are warriors, Rayla. What would you have us do? Have a knitting contest?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, but stabbing. Doesn’t it hurt?”

He grinned and said, “Yes.” His eyes went wistful as if he wished he were participating. “We have all the nerve endings a human does. If anything we have more.”

I grimaced. “Does it take a while to recover from a tournament?”

“You could say that,” he said. That wistful look was back in his eyes.

“Hey, I thought you were officiating,” I said.

“Not until the final tournament.”

I nodded. “Where is he?”

“Heath?” he asked, winking at me.

I smirked at him. “Who else?”

“For you there may not be another man, but look at the men fighting below. Do you not see their passion? It is all for you.”

I scoffed. “More like for my power.”

“How can you separate what is part of you. You are your power. You might not like it, but truth cannot be denied for convenience’s sake. Power runs our nations. What would you have them desire you for? Your looks? Your body? Maybe your personality?”

“Anything but my power,” I hissed, bristling at his words.

“Why?” he asked, his face as stern as a reborn preacher.

I looked to Cassie for some help, but she seemed as curious as Finn. “I don’t want this power! They can have it.”

Finn gave a sad shake of his head. “What a tragedy. You have no idea what you possess. You have no idea how important you are to our future.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

Cassie’s hand rested on top of mine. “Grace should have told you. She should have prepared you for this.”

I pointed at the gladiator-esque battle playing out before us. “How could she possibly have prepared me for
this
? If I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes, I would never believe something so barbaric could happen now days.”

Finn frowned at me. “There you go again…judging what you don’t understand.”

I took a deep breath. “You might think I’m intolerant, but can you blame me? Ever since I met you guys it’s been nothing but power this and power that. I’m sick of it. I want a life. I want to love and be loved. I don’t care about your petty land disputes or who has insulted whom. I just want to be left alone with the man I love. Is that too much to ask?”

Apparently so. Both Cassie and Finn gaped at me. That was it. I wasn’t going to watch anymore of this. In fact, I was this close to heading for the borderlands on foot.

I stood up. “Please excuse me.”

“Not so fast,” said a man over my shoulder.

I cringed at the familiar voice. I turned slowly, trying to reel in my bubbling temper. Valen stood behind me, smug written all over his face. “Get out of my way,” I said, pushing to move past him.

He caught both my wrists and pulled me close to his armored body. “I don’t think so. It’s about time you learn some respect for our ways, Rayla. If your bondmate will not control you, I will.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Just try, Valen, and I will launch you into next week.”

Instead of biting back a rude comment, he studied me. “Human dramatics have always fascinated me. How could you possibly transport me into a time that has not happened? Even Tabitha cannot do such a thing.”

I gritted my teeth, but instead of pulling away from him, I inched my nose closer to his. “Make no mistake. You keep pushing me I’ll show you my power, up close and personal. Why don’t you ask Zach how well that went for him?”

He laughed, smiling at me then he looked at Finn. “I’ve not seen one this feisty in over a thousand years.”

I’d show him feisty. I stomped on his foot, but he didn’t even flinch. I narrowed my eyes at him. “How long has it been since you participated in a tournament?”

His blue eyes swirled with newfound life. “Didn’t you know? I enter every single tournament we have. I am chairman of the council because I have bested every man in every tournament I’ve entered for the past eight hundred years. I only go on hunts when I am not bound.”

Right? He had to be exaggerating. This mouse of a man couldn’t be stronger than Finn, let alone Zach or Heath. There was nothing spectacular about him at all. In fact, he was the ugliest fae I’d ever seen. “Not this time,” I said.

He released my hands, but he still blocked my path. “You keep thinking that, my young Elemental, but at the end of the day you will understand that your fate has never been anything other than twined with mine.”

I inclined my head, suddenly remembering how pale his bondmate had looked the last time I’d seen her. “What happened to your last bondmate? She seemed fine when I first saw her. She seemed to fizzle out pretty quickly.”

His smile held a sharp edge of evil, but his voice came out quite sincere. “The same thing that happens to all of your kind: I used her power until it was gone and then I discarded her.”

My face twisted in disgust. “You’re sick. I don’t know what you’ve done to rig past tournaments, but it’s not going to work this time. I won’t let it.”

He huffed, grabbing my arm again. “Excuse us, Finn, Cassie. Rayla is required elsewhere.”

There was no way Finn was going to put up with Valen manhandling me, but he didn’t move. He just nodded, a strange look misting over his eyes. The same thing happened with Cassie. Her blank stare could only mean one thing.

“Stop compelling them,” I yelled.

Heads turned our way, but no one got up. When I scanned the crowd for Zach or Heath, they were gone.

My head whipped back around when Valen let out a mangy chuckle. “Your warriors have gone to prepare themselves.”

I sneered at him. “Shouldn’t you be preparing, too?”

A soft exhale escaped him. “I’ve been preparing for this moment for centuries, my dear.” His already steely expression intensified. “The instant I gave up claim to Faine, I have been preparing for you.”

I couldn’t look at him anymore. Truth stared back at me when I did, and I would not accept his truth as my reality. “There is only one man in this arena I will be bound to in the end and you are not that man.”

He grabbed my shoulders, pulling my face inches from his own. “You will not know another man exists when I’m finished with you!”

My breath came so shallow, my head spun. I couldn’t stand this man. I couldn’t handle his scrutiny any more than I could stand next to the sun. Something inside me snapped, nearly allowing him access to my mind. Fear curled inside me. I had to get away from him, but first I had to get him to let me go. His death grip was more like a noose around my neck.

I set out to change the subject. “What house are you from?” I asked, suddenly realizing I had no idea. If anything he had seemed neutral in his abilities.

He gave me a token smile, releasing my shoulders. “I have lived in Lombarda for more years than you can imagine, but I came from Altasia before our fair city was hauled into the clouds.”

At first, I had thought that Uldran had to be the foundation of the myth of Atlantis, but I was wrong. The city in the clouds. The city that had disappeared. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he smiled broader, clearly waiting for me to make the next move in our conversation.

Why hadn’t anyone warned me about this man in the beginning? Had everyone discounted him because he was bound? Was he the reason Luke had never amounted to much in the realms?

For the life of me I couldn’t come up with something else conversational. His tongue jetted out to wet his upper lip while he stared at my mouth. I cringed to my toes. Just eww.

Diplomacy be hanged. Words snarled from my mouth, “Even if I have to fight you myself, you will not have me. Is that clear enough for you? Do you get it?”

“Oh, I’ve got you, Rayla. I’ve been watching your progress for years now.”

I leaned away from him, as if he was a ticking bomb. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

His eyes grew intense with some emotion I couldn’t quite name. “Some of us knew about you from the moment you were born.”

I gasped. My stomach sank with rigid fear. “My mom? Did she tell you?”

“Your mother and I have had enlightening conversations. Alithea could not fool some of us. Her sad attempt to bind you to Jafan before you were discovered would have never worked. You may not believe this, but we value every Elemental we acquire, especially those with heightened abilities.”

I nodded, infusing my face with as much mockery as I could manage. “Yeah, just like you
valued
your last one. Man, you’re just the most—” His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist before he smiled, big and icky, as if waiting for more banter. I couldn’t—shouldn’t say anymore. But I would be damned before I would let him haul me around like a piece of luggage. “—you know what, Valen? I’m tired of arguing with you. Do your best, and I’ll do mine. We’ll see who wins in the end.”

With that said, I sent a blast of electricity along my skin. He didn’t so much as flinch, but he did remove his hand. He stepped back and bowed. “My lady, until we meet again,” he said before he stood and descended the steps to the field below.

When I turned back around both Finn and Cassie stared at me, mouths agape. “What?” I hissed at them.

Finn recovered first. “I’ve just never seen something like that before. Maybe Luthais was right. Maybe you are a queen.”

“Ugh. I hope not,” I replied.

Cassie laughed. “You should have seen his face as he passed us, Rayla. I think you scared him.”

“Good,” I said. “It’s about time it is him on the run and not me.”

I watched Valen as he hacked away his competition. It was like watching a choreographed fight scene. As if his victims fell on his sword. I gagged when he ripped into one man’s torso and his body fell backward, exposing his intestines.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned around Nicco stood there, looking sheepish. “What is it?” I asked, grateful for the distraction.

“I’ve been told to escort you to your room,” he said, blandly.

I gave him a smile. “I was done here anyway. Lead the way.”

When we were nearly out of the woods I asked Nicco to stop. I caught up to him and glanced around to make sure we were alone. “Do you know how to remove the binding spell those other guards put on me?”

“Yes,” he said.

Hope brightened my heart. “Would you remove it if I asked you to?”

He closed his eyes tight. “I desire to help you, my lady, but I am unable.”

“You’d get in too much trouble?”

He opened his eyes. “I was not the one to place the restriction on your soul. I cannot remove another man’s mark.”

“Mark?” That was an odd term.

“You are marked for the realms.”

“So I’m stuck here?”

He touched my hand and the sensation shocked me, literally. When I jumped, he yanked his arm back. “Forgive me. I should not have touched you.”

“No.” I told him. “It’s okay. It just startled me. It didn’t really hurt, just felt strange. Why did that happen?”

He frowned. “I am not certain. It usually only occurs when I touch—” His eyes widened then narrowed at me. He straightened, turning away from me. “We’d better get you back to the castle.”

“Wait,” I called after him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

No matter how fast I moved, he stayed four steps ahead. Infuriating man.

Fine. He wanted to be that way; I’d just corner him when we got to my room. My mind stirred, considering what happened. He opened my door for me, but I hesitated to walk through.

Before I could utter a word, he said, “I cannot answer your questions, my lady. If you will please excuse me, I am needed elsewhere. Get some rest. You will be summoned soon.”

Then he walked down the hall as if this was just some ordinary day, and I was just some ordinary girl. Man, I wished that were true. I called after him, “Thanks so much for nothing!”

Using way too much force, I slammed the door behind me, my heart attacking my chest wall. I couldn’t just sit here and wait. If Valen had been telling the truth, and he had actually won every tournament he’d fought in, I was in trouble. He had to be the force Tabitha had warned me about, but she’d abandoned me when I needed her most.