Like the Dawn (Lark #3) (11 page)

              “How many?” Alberico continues. “Where are they now?”
              “We were able to contain four of them before the rest transported. They are already in the dungeon.”
              “And Mia's family?”
              “Unharmed and still unaware,” he confirms, but it doesn't matter. I need to see for myself.
              “I have to go see them.”
              “You can't, Mia.”
              “Of course I can! I have to!”
              “They don't even remember who you are.”
              “I can't—we have to—” I turn to face King Valdar and his queen, Isla. “I know that they aren't your family. I know that you have no love for the humans. But can't you see? We have to stop them! My family had nothing to do with them. We can't allow them to continue this reign of terror—they were stopped before they hurt my family but what about all the families who don't have elves guarding their homes? We have to do something.”
              King Valdar made a gruff noise that erupted from the back of his throat. “Remind me again whose fault it is that this evil has been unleashed on the precious humans?”
              “I—uh—” I'm completely speechless. He's right, of course. This is my fault—is it really fair for me to expect anyone else to help clean up my mess?               “Come on Isla, Hugo—we're leaving. I should have known better than to waste our time coming here. Alberico doesn't want to restore friendship between our kingdoms. He only wants us to risk our own lives in a vain attempt to fix the precious princess' mistake.”
              I realize then that my outburst may have just ruined everything.
              “Wait! Please!” I call out to them, but it's no use.  Valdar and Isla leave without looking back, only Hugo spares me a regretful glance.

Chapter Fifteen

             
T
he king and queen of Raumelfr ultimately decided not to leave Álfheimr though it did take quite a bit of groveling to make up for the offense.
              “I do hope you are happy, Princess.” Lord Odin sneers, not even trying to hide the disdain in his voice.
              After King Valdar and Queen Isla stormed out last night, the council held an emergency meeting to come up with a quick plan to convince them to stay.  I was of no use; I was still in shock and preoccupied with worry for my family and their safety after the attack.  However, I am relieved that they decided to stay—it means I still have one more chance to persuade them to fight alongside us.
              “Look, I didn't mean to upset them. I just don't understand how they can just sit back and allow the Dökkálfar to keep doing this!”
              “You stating your opinion was not part of the plan!”
              “And maybe that is what’s wrong with this whole situation!” I shout back. “You and your ridiculous plans for a stupid ball aren't exactly doing us any good either.”
              “Whose fault is that?” Henrik chimes in.
              “Henrik—,” Alberico warns.
              “No, it's fine,” I tell my father. He tries so hard to protect me but it's time I start standing up for myself to the council. “I'm guessing that's my fault too? Never mind the fact that the idea itself is idiotic? We shouldn't be planning balls, we should be learning to fight!”
              “Fight?” Brigit scoffs disbelievingly. “Why would we do that?”
              “Because you can't just rely on your elemental magic! The Dark Elves don't use magic in battle—they use swords and axes and whips and a plethora of other weapons that will inflict physical pain. You can't just harness powers of Air and blow them off course or pour rain down on them. Even Fire won't do much when faced with a double-edged sword. And don't forget, Dugan can use Spirit—he has the power to get into your mind and make you see horrible things—how are you going to fight him off? Don't you get it? We need to be able to do more than just defend ourselves.”
              “That's absurd,” Brigit says, rolling her eyes.
              “Is it?” Isobel asks.  Her thoughtful expression tells me that she might actually agree with me, and she would be an extremely powerful influence on the council. Everyone loves Isobel so they value her opinion. If I can get her on my side then maybe, just maybe, I would have a chance of getting through to them.
              “Of course it is!” Brigit exclaims as though she's shocked that Isobel would even say such a thing.
              “The one time we've actually come face to face with the Dökkálfar, yes, our elemental magic helped, but if the princess wouldn't have been able to harness the powers of the Sun, I'm not so sure we would've been successful,” Isobel addresses the council.             
              “And whose fault was it that our people were put into that situation to begin with?” Blaise snarls.                I can't believe he honestly thought I would ever consider him as a 'mate'. He's never even pretended to be fond of me—he just covets my throne.
              “If I remember correctly, you were not there Blaise so I'm afraid your opinion does not matter,” Isobel points out.
              “I think it is best to continue this conversation with the princess in private. You may all go,” Alberico says, standing up and gesturing decisively toward the door.
              The council reluctantly clears out with a few audible grumbles.
              “Please tell me there is another way,” I say as soon as we're alone.
              “I'm afraid the council doesn't believe so.”                            “Well, I don’t understand why that should make any difference.” I’m pouting and I know it but it’s hard not to be upset over this ridiculous situation.  Was forcing me into a hopeless marriage really the best solution they could come up with? I was barely eighteen and had literally an eternity before me.  I can’t even fathom the prospect of spending every day of the next several centuries with someone I would never willingly choose for a partner.
              “I know this hardly seems fair. And I promise you, I will never force you to do anything that you do not wish to do. But the council has a point—it would all but guarantee the support of at least one of the kingdoms. You haven’t been a part of this world for very long, so it’s hard to explain why they are hesitant. Maybe I should take you there so you can see the difference between our kingdoms. They are so much smaller than Álfheimr and lack our strength. They believe it’s in their people’s best interest to remain a neutral party. I cannot fault them for that. The risk is far too great. If I was in their shoes, I’m not certain I would be so quick to get involved either.”
              “I don’t believe that,” I argue. “There’s no way you could ever just sit back and be okay with innocent people losing their lives.”
              “Perhaps. It’s very hard to know how one would truly respond until walking in the other shoes.”
              “This is stupid.”
              “This is the way it is—the way it's always been.”
              “That doesn’t mean it has to be the only way! We need to train our people to not just defend themselves by relying on the elements. We need to teach them to fight!”
              “As reluctant as I am to admit this, I think you may be right. I have always played it safe and depended on our defensive mechanisms during battle, waiting for our opponents to make their move. Perhaps we are too soft. But, my dear, who will train them?”
              “I will,” comes a voice from behind us. I'm not sure who let him in or how he knew where to find us, but I don’t care.  I can't deny the stirring inside of me at the sight of his familiar green eyes. Jacoby's tall lithe frame leans casually against the door frame. His coppery brown hair, as always, appears disheveled in that 'messy on purpose' sort of way. I can tell it's been a few days since he's shaved because his cheeks are sporting a scruff, but it only makes him that much more attractive.
              There are so many conflicting emotions raging inside of me right now. A part of me feels like I can breathe for the first time in days now that he's here but the other part aches because I know that it doesn't matter. I'm afraid that his being here is only going to hurt us both.
              “You're here.”
              “Yes,” he answers cautiously.
              “But—why? I mean, what are you doing here?” I ask as soon as I can articulate the words.
              “Aren't you happy to see me?” Jacoby smirks and my heart stops for a second before picking up double time. His smile widens as though he can hear the fluctuation but I know that's impossible. He's a Half-blood like me and while we may have inherited some elfish traits—super hearing is not one of them.
             
“But you've never been good at blocking your thoughts from me and despite the frown—and now the look of disdain on your face—I know you're happy to see me,”
he says using mind-speak so my father can't hear him.
              “Where have you been?” I ask him.
              “Manhattan.”
              I knew that already. I don’t know why I just wanted to hear him say it—to hear him admit that he was there and chose to avoid me.
              “Is it bad?” He's actually been there, witnessing everything first hand.
              He nods solemnly. “The people are scared. The city is enforcing a curfew—not that it’s helping anything. The Dark Elves lack decent common courtesy. It’s not like they are going to knock first.”
              “We have to stop this.”
              “I know. That’s why I’m here. I’m going to help you.”
              “You are?”
              “Of course I am. You should know by now—there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. Even if it’s completely crazy and dangerous and I’ll likely die in the end. I’m here. For you.”
              “How—?” I start to ask how he knew what I was trying to do, but then it occurs to me that he's probably been spying on me through my thoughts this entire time—and that really freaking pisses me off.
              “Who better to train you how to fight the Dökkálfar than the Half-blood who once lived amongst them?”
              “Stop messing around. I'm serious. I don't have time—we don't have time for your games.”
              A sober look replaces his blasé expression.
              “I’m serious too. Why else would I return? You made it clear that there was no future between us.”
              That sorta stings because a part of me had secretly been hoping that he
had
come back for me.  I shouldn't be thinking like that.
              “When can we start?” I ask.
              “No time like the present,” he says.
              Alberico eyes Jacoby warily, then sighs. “Well, I guess we better call an emergency council meeting.”
              “Another one?” I ask.
              “I suppose we could wait until tomorrow.”
              “No.” I have a feeling this isn't going to go over well. “Might as well get it over with now, right?”
              It takes less than ten minutes to gather up the council members and even less time than that to explain what we want to do.
              However, the argument about whether or not we should actually learn to fight and whether we trust Jacoby to teach us took much longer.
              I don't understand why they are being so difficult. I mean, sure, we don't exactly have any weapons to speak of but surely it can't be that hard to get some.              
              They're already less than enthusiastic about having yet another emergency meeting, but I think seeing that Jacoby is back just increases their irritation.
              The Light Elves have never really trusted Jacoby—only Isobel, his aunt, seems pleased to see him. So I know it's not going to be easy to get them to agree to this. But what he's offering is valuable information and training—we need him.              
              “How do we know he isn't just using this training as a distraction? The Dökkálfar could be trying to figure out a way to infiltrate the kingdom as we speak,” Odin argues.
              “And if they are, what is your plan for stopping them?” Grey asks. I'm relieved that he seems to be on board despite the fact that he has never liked Jacoby.
              “If he's truly on our side now, Princess, where has he been the last few weeks?” Odin continues, ignoring Grey’s question.
              “Wallowing in self-pity, of course, after the Princess shattered my heart,” Jacoby says with a playful tone, but because I know him better than anyone, I know he is hiding just how hurt he is.
              A part of me wants to reach out for him and tell him that I'm sorry and that I didn't mean it, but I know that I can't. If we didn't need his expertise so desperately at the moment I’d send him away so I couldn’t hurt him anymore.
              “It doesn't matter where he's been,” I speak up. “All that matters is that he is here now and he can teach us fighting techniques that will help us to defend ourselves more effectively.  We need him.”
              “You cannot be serious.” Brigit exclaims after I fill the council in on my plan. “You cannot expect us to learn to fight in combat like—like—like a bunch of savages!”
              “She's right!” Odin agrees. “Why would we want to revert to tactics from the Bronze Age when violence prevailed?”
              “It’s unfortunate, but what other choice do we have?” Lars surprises me by asking. “The Dökkálfar obviously don't have any qualms about it.”
              “Surely you don't expect us royals to put ourselves at risk like this? Not when it is her fault we're in this mess to begin with. Everything was perfect before she came along,” Lady Brigit fumes.
              “Lady Brigit, what you say is treasonous. Consider this your final warning.” Grey cautions sternly.
              “No, Lady Brigit. I don't expect that,” I speak up. “I will not force you to learn to fight. This is my battle and I intend on seeing it through on my own. I don't want to have to involve any of you, but the truth of the matter is that you will be affected regardless. You will be involved. All I want is for you to be able to defend yourselves against the Dark Elves. Yes, your magic is strong and, yes, it has been enough in the past, however, I fear that it will not be enough this time. I won't force you to stay and learn to fight—I just think it's something that should be considered.”