Betrayals of Spring (18 page)

“Come on, Aki, let’s go get our
princess.”

He huffs and runs around me once before
bolting away to the cottage. His enthusiasm and excitement brings a smile to my
face and joy to my heart. I know Meliantha has an affinity for animals, but I
think Aki would have been drawn to her anyway, affinity or not. He is wagging
his tail and staring at the cottage door as I approach. I knock firmly on the
door and wait patiently for someone to answer. A few seconds later Meliantha
opens the door and looks at me and Aki with the most beautiful smile. Her eyes
look a little sad, most likely from the situation with Elissa, but it doesn’t
take anything away from the lovely features of her face.

Her auburn red hair is down and she’s
wearing a knitted cream-colored cap that hugs the top of her head and over her
ears. She’s also wearing a cream-colored snow jacket with cream-colored snow
pants to match. I know she can’t be comfortable in all that, being from the
Summer Court and all, but she looks absolutely amazing.

After being stunned into silence by her
beauty, I finally find my voice.

“I have a surprise for you,” I say with
enthusiasm as I hold out my hand for her to take. She gazes at me with
excitement and quickly grabs my hand. Seeing her elation fuels mine, so I pull
her hurriedly out the door and into my arms.

“Come on, let’s go.”

- Night of the
Attack -

My mind feels like it’s in complete
shock. I think it’s a combination of everything that is taking over my body. I
am angry, tired, hungry, devastated, frustrated, and every other terrible
emotion you can think of. The list could go on forever, and it still wouldn’t
touch the way I truly feel. How many of my loved ones is the dark sorcerer
going to use to torment me? First Kalen, then Finn, and now Elissa. Who knows
what’s going to happen to Elissa at the trial?

The walk back to the cottage with Ashur
is not easy. He was the one who witnessed the horrid display and I know he
fears what will happen to her, and also for me. He cares for Elissa in a deeper
way, so his feelings go way beyond just fear. While we were with Kalen and the
warriors, Ashur told us what the dark sorcerer said while he was in Elissa’s
body. He said he will see me soon, and deep in my gut I know it is the truth.
He will come for me because I know his time is running out. But when will he
make his move?

My home will not be long in the Summer
Court now that the transformation has begun. Kalen and I will form our new
court as soon as possible, I hope. I can feel the land calling to me. It’s
pulling me with an invisible force, demanding I claim it and make it mine. I’m
deeply honored by this gift, and as soon as I leave this Winter haven I’ll be
one step closer.

“Soon,”
I whisper among the wind.

In order for the dark sorcerer to get my
magic, he has to get it before Kalen and I bond. Once I combine my power with
Kalen’s, the dark sorcerer will no longer be able to use it because it will no
longer be pure. By the way things are going, it might be best to complete the
bond tonight. My heart races at the thought of making Kalen mine tonight, and
being able to make love to him. I wonder what he would say about completing the
bond tonight. I shake my head and silently laugh at myself, I’m sure he
wouldn’t mind in the least.

When we made it to the cottage and
walked inside, Finn was nowhere to be found. I wonder if he’s in my room or in
another one. I’m sure I am about to find out.

“Get some rest, Princess, we have a long
day tomorrow.”

Ashur looks worn and defeated, so I walk
over to him and put my arms around him, holding him close. He grips me tight
and all his sorrow and all his heartache pours into me in a huge rush. His pain
runs deep like a knife being shoved in my gut. It’s deeper than I could ever
imagine, so I do the only thing I know of to help. With him holding me tight, I
release my power, sending it through every ache and every pain in his body. I
mainly send it to his heart because that is where he needs it most.

His grip lessens, and he pulls back,
startled and wide-eyed.

“What did you do?”

I take his face in my hands and I answer
silently, “I’m taking care of my Guardian for once. The pain was too much for
you to bear, so I took it from you, but you must not speak of this to anyone. I
don’t want anyone to know what I can do yet.”

He closes his eyes and bows his head.

“Thank you, Princess.”

I kiss his forehead and release him.

“You are most certainly welcome,
Guardian.”

He nods his head and slowly walks away
toward his room. Once I hear his door shut, I make my way to my room. The door
is shut and I hesitate for a second before turning the knob. I turn it slowly
and open the door. I look around the room and Finn is nowhere to be seen. I’m
relieved, but I also feel guilty. I open the door to the room beside mine, and
there he is. His white-blonde hair is fanned out across the pillow and his
steady breathing lets me know he’s in a deep sleep. Knowing I’ll be leaving him
and the Summer Court sends a twinge of guilt sparking through my chest. I will
miss his companionship greatly.

I close the door quietly and I walk back
to my room. It’s late in the evening and my body is worn from the long journey
here and the stress of the recent events. I unfasten my dress and slide it off.
A nice, hot shower is what I need before I go to sleep for the night. Maybe
it’ll wash away all the evil I feel surrounding me. The bathroom smells of
lavender and everything is laid out in all shades of purple. I need to make it
a point tomorrow to ask Kalen what the obsession is with the color purple;
although, I think I already know the answer.

The hot water relaxes my body, and I sag
against the wall of the shower. I can’t wait to see Kalen tomorrow so we can
figure out everything with Elissa and also talk about our future plans. I am
going to mention to him about my earlier ideas of completing the bond as soon
as we can.

The bathroom is steamy with the smell of
lavender and fresh cut flowers. I dry off quickly and I take the bathrobe
hanging on the back of the door and wrap it snugly around my body. It’s soft
and cool making my heated body feel sensational underneath its silky covering.
The bed looks comforting and it takes every ounce of energy I have to make it
there. I lie on the bed, sinking into its comforting embrace, but I can’t help
but feel like something is missing. It only takes one quick second to realize
this will be the first night I have spent alone in years. The silence is
lonesome, but the fear of being alone doesn’t come. Soon I’ll be in Kalen’s
arms every night for the rest of my life.

I can feel my eyelids getting heavier by
the minute. I blink a few times, but then I quickly fall into the labyrinth of
sleep. All I see as I close my eyes are the colorful array of flowers in the
field from the vision, and the ice blue eyes of the man beside me holding me
tight.

I wake to the sound of light knocking on
the bedroom door. I wait for the person to enter, but the door never opens.

“Come in,” I call out.

The door opens and Finn walks in
carrying a tray of food and a steaming cup of something that smells absolutely
wonderful. My stomach is growling so loud I know he can hear it as he makes his
way into the room. A smile takes over his face and it instantly makes me smile.
After everything that’s happened, he is still trying to take care of me. He
truly has a heart of gold. He walks over to the side of the bed and his smile
slightly falters when he sees me up close. I completely forgot that he would be
seeing me in a new light now. Finn never saw me again last night after the
change from the vision, so seeing me now has to be hard for him.

I open my mouth to explain, but he cuts
me off before I get my first word out.

“You don’t have to explain, Mel.” He
sets the tray down in front of me and takes a seat on the bed beside me. I wish
he would let me explain so I can tell him how sorry I am and that I don’t want
him to hurt. I hold back the tears as best I can. The burn makes me want to
blink, but if I blink they will fall.

He continues, “I knew what I was getting
into when we became lovers, and I’m fine with that. I’m not going to lie to
you, but it does hurt to see you like this.” His eyes are sad and full of
longing when he meets mine. “I hate knowing that I will never be with you
again.” He reaches over to grab my hand, squeezing it tight. I guess it’s safe
to assume he will not be following me to the Spring Court. I know it’s for the
best, but I can’t help feeling the twinge of disappointment in my chest.

“So you’ll be staying in the Summer
Court, I presume?” I ask to confirm my assumption.

He nods in affirmation, “I would love to
follow you, Mel, but I don’t think it would be a great idea.” He pauses for a
few minutes in thought, and then his lip starts to tilt up into a mischievous
smirk when he teases, “As much as I would like to torment your prince, I don’t
think he would enjoy seeing your ex-lover every day.” His smirk grows into a
full out grin and the laughter he bellows eases the tension in my chest.

I lean over to kiss his cheek and when I
pull back, I give him a warm smile. He stands up and motions to the food he
brought in for me.

“You need to eat something, Princess.
Elissa will need you to be strong for her today.” Yes, she will, and I plan on
doing everything possible to get her out of this mess.

I take a sip of the warm, chocolaty
drink that’s in the cup and it tastes like heaven as it glides down my throat.
I can taste the touch of cinnamon that’s been sprinkled on top of the cream
making the mixture absolutely sinful. Finn looks from me to the covered dish in
amusement so I lift the cover curiously. My eyes go wide at the sight of . My
mouth is watering and I can’t wait to taste the masterpiece of the food. I
thought I was going to have to forgo having my favorite breakfast on this trip.
I’m starving, so I will probably eat everything on the plate and then some. I
beam at Finn to show my appreciation.

What lies before me is a loaf of pumpkin
bread with crumb topping that’s been sliced into thick slices and is surrounded
by an assortment of fae berries. It’s my favorite breakfast and Finn knows it.
He has been with me every morning for years and has seen me eat the same thing
over and over. We have grown to know each other well. What’s strange is that
Finn knows more about what I like than Kalen does. I guess I will need to
remedy that.