Never Let You Fall (The Prophecy of Tyalbrook) (39 page)

“Skye?” a husky-voiced Xander called from the doorway.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

He stood against the door frame; a dark shadow with the very small glow of a light behind him. “What’s wrong? Did you have another nightmare?”

“I’m fine,” I lied.

“I’m so sorry about Rex, and I promise you that if Janelle was brought here we will do everything we can do find her!” Xander promised.

Trying to keep myself from crying again, I changed the subject.

“You guys met for a long time…did you come up with anything? Is there something I need to know?”

I could hear the waver in my voice and was sure that he could too. My suspicion was confirmed when he walked in and came to my side of the bed. “Don’t worry about that now. Go back to bed. I’ll sit here to make sure that you can sleep soundly.”

“You don’t have to sit there. Go get some sleep yourself, I’m fine.”

“Haven’t you noticed that you always have nightmares when you’re by yourself? Whenever I’m with you, you sleep like a baby,” he pointed out.

He had a valid point. Was Griffin not able to reach me when I was with Xander? Or was it just a coincidence? I didn’t really want to be alone though, so I relented.

“Fine, but you can sleep with me. You know I hate it when you have to sleep in a chair,” I insisted, and pulled the covers back for him.

“I’m fine in the chair.”

“I know you are, but I’m
not
fine. I want you in my bed, Xander,” I urged. Thank the sweet lord it was dark and he couldn’t see the flow of blood that rushed straight to my face at that comment.

Awkward!

I rolled to my side and tapped the empty spot for him, “C’mon.”

He sighed and slipped into the bed next to me. I smiled to myself for winning but said nothing.

Xander

There was something about the unnatural stillness of the house that pulled me from my sleep the next morning, and immediately set alarms ringing in my head. The bed beside me was empty.

I leapt up and called out for Skye, expecting her to be in the front room. When there was no answer, I hurried into the room to look around. There was no fire, nor was there a basket with food from Emeline.

“Maybe she went to visit Emeline herself,” I told myself as I pulled on a pair of leather boots and a tunic.

Last night’s meeting had gone on for hours and hours. Rioden, Cillian and I had sat around a table drinking ale and discussing all of the ways to go about ousting McClintock.

The bad part was that we still didn’t really have any answers, and the truth of the matter was that we didn’t really care as much about regaining the throne as we did about finding justice for both her parents and my own. As well as for the hundreds, if not more, of innocent lives that had been lost when McClintock had thrown his little coup.

But what the problem ultimately boiled down to was that we still didn’t know much about him. How had he gained access all those years ago to the Castle?

And why?

Was it for the power?

Was it because of the prophecy?

The one thing the three of us had agreed on, was that as dangerous as it was for Skye to present herself to the King, it was the best way for us to gauge what his plan was.

I walked into the bright sunlight and took measure of the men who worked throughout this little section of the village we were staying in. A few men were sharpening their weapons. Several were unloading a cart that was hitched up to a horse. The cart was full of wood that they must have just cut up for firewood.

I saw Cillian across the way, talking with Selene and Rioden. Walking over to them I couldn’t help but watch the way they acted towards each other. Selene had her hand resting on Rioden’s arm, and was listening intently to the men speaking.

“Have you guys seen Skye?” I called out, scanning the area.

Ri and Selene shook their heads simultaneously as Cillian added, “I just got back from town. I haven’t seen Emeline, so perhaps they’re in my cottage?”

Selene had moved out of Cillian’s place last night and into an empty cottage with Rioden, giving Cillian and Emeline their place back. Just as I was walking that way to investigate, Emeline stepped out of the door with a large basket. And no Skye.

“Good morning all!” she sang as she glided over to us happily. “Hi, Xander! I was just bringing some food over to Skye. I imagine that you’re both famished by now. I slept late today and…”

Fear punched me in the gut and I interrupted Emeline quickly, “Skye isn’t with you? She’s not in our cottage. Where the hell is she, then?”

Taking charge, Rioden started to shout out orders.

“Cillian - get the men to fan out into the forest to look for tracks or clues. Selene - try a tracking spell and see if you can find her. Emeline - check the stables and the other cottages.”

I watched as Emeline dropped her basket and ran off, while Selene scurried into the cottage they were staying in.

“We’ll find her,” Rioden promised, grabbing my arm. “C’mon, let’s mount up and ride into town. Cillian, once you get the men moving, catch up with us.”

I tried not to let the fear eat through my stomach as we rode into the center of town. Rioden had me wait outside as he went into the inn that the King’s men were supposed to be staying at. After a moment, he came out and signaled for me to wait.

I watched as he slinked around to the back of the inn. He appeared back around the building in a flash with his brows knit together in thought.

“There are plenty of horses tied up. The innkeeper said the men are still here, and by the looks of it he wasn’t lying.”

“You thought that maybe they kidnapped her? Ri, I would have heard them break in. She left the cottage herself. She must have been restless and decided to go for a walk.”

I could hear the doubt in my own voice.

We searched throughout the day in vain. Selene couldn’t get a bead on Skye, and there were no tracks of note going into the forest. I had Emeline repeat every word of their conversation the night before, hoping for a clue.

“She asked about elves and faeries.”

“What did she want to know?” Cillian asked.

“Nothing really, she was just curious. Wanted to know if I had ever met any. She said she wondered about something that was said in her prophecy and how it pertained to them.”

I recalled the mention of nations and all creatures in the prophecy and filed that for use later.

“What else?” I implored. The time had long passed for me to be calm. The sun was setting and she was still missing.

“Um, I asked her about going with her to the Castle. I wanted to be there in case she needed me.”

“What did she say?”

“She refused,” Emeline sniffed. “She didn’t want me to get involved. She said she didn’t want anyone else to be hurt because of her. She was upset about her friends, especially Janelle, and we talked about them for a long time.”

I met Rioden’s gaze and then stood up and started to pace.

“Do you think she went to the Castle on her own?” Rioden inquired, getting up to grab an apple.

“It would be just like her to go off by herself. She was adamant that she didn’t want to be the cause of our getting hurt. If she was scared enough for our safety, she would be strong willed enough to go on her own.”

“I checked, and all of my men are accounted for,” Cillian said. “Why would she have even tried to leave without a guide?”

Running my hands through my hair I threw myself down on the chair by the fire and all but shouted, “I don’t know!”

I was getting desperate. Selene had tried and tried to track her until she’d passed out from overexertion. The warmth and tingle that was normally present when Skye was near had been gone all day. I knew that she was far away by that point.

Kneeling by my side, Rioden slapped my knee with his hand. “Xander, they won’t hurt her. If she’s heading towards McClintock, we can catch up with her if we leave now.”

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

I couldn’t let myself think of all the things that could happen to Skye if she really was on the road to Montibello alone. Nothing made sense, except that she somehow had found someone to give her directions and a horse.

We hurried to pack provisions for the long ride. Rioden pulled out some body armor that consisted of a chain mail shirt and a leather top to wear over it. I tied a leather-wrapped scabbard around my waist that held both a sword and a smaller utility knife. Strapping my favorite daggers around my jerkin, I grabbed a heavy hooded coat and wore it over the weapons on my back.

Feeling antsy to be on the way, I stalked outside to check on the horses. Several Guardians who were prepping for the journey with us milled about in the street.

Cillian came over, dressed much as I was, and spoke while he adjusted his belt. “We will bring ten men with us and leave the others here to keep an eye out.”

“As long as they don’t hold us back, I’m good.”

“We’ll make haste, Xander,” Cillian assured me as he whistled aloud for the men and hollered, “Saddle up!”

I spied Rioden embracing Selene at the door of their cottage. Selene still looked exhausted. My faith in her had been restored, solely because of the fervor she had used in trying to track Skye. I mounted my horse and waved a silent good-bye to her.

Emeline stood next to Cillian’s horse and held the great black beast still, stroking its nose as he mounted. I could see the worry for her brother on her face.

The reality of the situation began to sink in.
My
priority was Skye, but these men? These men had families or friends who they watched out for, too. The risk that we were all being placed in was tremendous. I wished I had a
Braveheart
-like speech to shout out. Something to make them all feel better about our duty.

Rioden interrupted my thoughts as he pulled up next to me. “They don’t worry about the task at hand, Xander. They have trained for this, just like you have.”

Let’s go get her, Ri. I don’t want her to face McClintock by herself. Not yet, anyway. I don’t know what’s going to happen to her.”

Spurring our horses on, we set out for Montibello. I tried to clear my mind of the guilt I felt at putting the other Guardians at risk. It was their job to protect their Princess. She was all that mattered right now.

My current mission was finding Skye.

Priority number one. Find her…or die trying.

About the author

Having grown up in both the cold, quiet town of Topsham, Maine and the steamy, southern hospitality of Mobile, Alabama, Michele is something of a enigma. She is an avid Yankees fan, loves New England, being outdoors and misses snow. However she thinks southern boys are hotter, Alabama football is the only REAL football out there and sweet tea is the best thing this side of heaven and her children’s laughter!

Her family, a doting husband and three awesome minions, have planted their roots in the middle of Michele’s two childhood homes in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Never Let You Fall is Michele’s first novel and she is beyond thrilled to have finally followed up on a dream she has held for over 20 years! God willing there will be many many more books to follow.

Blog
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http://michelegmiller.blogspot.com

Goodreads: Michele G. Miller

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Blood Debt

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Nancy Straight

Copyright © 2012 Nancy Straight

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“I know it isn’t any of my business, but are you a full-blooded Centaur?”  I knew from what Bianca had told me that she was, but I had to keep myself distracted.  It was possible for a Centaur and human to marry and have a family, but those children were shunned from our community.  Will would have never had Camille at Bruce’s wedding if she weren’t pureblood.