Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (22 page)

At least the passing time cleared her
head. She worried over what he might do with the information he'd learned about
her. What would he do if he found out she hadn't told him everything? She'd
left out her bindings with Kei and how Prince taught her to build a fortress in
her mind. Likely he knew she could mind speak, though he hadn't tried to talk
to her yet, which left her wondering. Perhaps he had but the fogginess in her
head prevented her from using it.

Her growing feelings for Prince had also
been left out, and she wasn't sure what to say to him about that, or how much she
should mention about what came next. As little as possible, she finally
decided. If he didn't ask for more information then it wasn't her fault.

After Roan returned with a tray of food,
they ate, or at least she did. A sudden stream of men came and went. She began
to wonder if he'd had them all wait outside while he listened to her talk.

Picking at her food, she pretended to
ignore the men, and their occasional curious glances her way, while she
listened to the quiet conversations. Ships, both coming and going, weather,
delays, supplies, crews, and cargo were main topics. Some discussed people she'd
never heard of, things they did, and one man talked of a fight in the southeast
quarter. Roan seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere. She began to wonder if
he'd known more about her than he let on.

Dreading more memories to come, she
thought of Kei and not being alone. Did he know what a comfort their bond gave
her? Did she give him any? Perhaps her wild range of emotions, few of them
good, hurt him more than helped. She wished the Elves had never found her and she
could just be there for him without causing him worry. Would he be the same
when Damon finally returned him to her? She didn't know what months of mental
pain would do to him. The heartache and worry and anger remained a festering
sore within her. She hated it, and she hated Damon for doing this to them.

Finally the men stopped coming and Roan
finished eating. After collecting another bottle and small glasses from the
shelf, he returned to his seat. He poured and handed her one of the delicate
glasses.

"Let's continue."

Carefully sniffing the contents, a relieved
smile crossed her lips. Finally something stronger than wine. With the past
unleashed, maybe she could keep the nightmares away with a few glasses of
whiskey. She tipped the glass back and emptied it. Blowing air through clenched
teeth, she blinked rapidly as her eyes watered.

Roan chuckled and took a small sip of
his. "I believe I can see how they thought you were a boy."

She continued telling him of her
journey. He poured her another drink, though she sipped it this time. With no
windows in the room, she had no idea how long she spoke, but by the time she
told of returning Prince to Rivenward her eyes itched with fatigue.

"This has been quite the summary.
Don't be mistaken, I'm quite aware you have left much out."

Looking at him innocently, she kept her
mouth shut and took another sip. Was it her third glass or fourth?

"This, however, pertains to the
situation you are in now. Please tell me again what occurred before the gates,
in greater detail."

Tossing back the last of her drink, she
thumped the glass down on the table, focused on a shelf behind him, and told
him exactly what happened.

Once finished she finally looked at him
again, meeting his disturbing pale eyes. A number of emotions played faintly
across his face. Confusion and disbelief she recognized and wasn't surprised by
them.

"This explains much," he said
finally. "You do realize his show of affection toward you has likely been
seen by most Elves in Rivenward now."

"I gathered that."

He shook his head. "What was he
thinking?"

"I don't know," she answered
quietly, truly wishing she did.

"What are your feelings for the
prince?"

"I love him."

"And his for you?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "He cares
for me."

"When did this start? You seem to
have forgotten to mention it."

Closing her eyes, she ignored his
irritated tone. Did he really expect her to tell him everything? "I…it
just happened. I'd been fascinated by him from the start and that grew into
something more. I kissed him once, this fall," she admitted. "I got a
lecture in return. He always thought of me as a child, which is why I think he
cared for and protected me like he did."

"This was sudden, then?"

Since she hadn't told him about the kiss
he'd given her when she'd filled Prince with Fey power, or that she'd given him
the power at all, she wasn't sure what to say at first. "He…It wasn't
until I almost died, from the Vor attack, just before we reached the
gates."

"His actions make no sense."

She shrugged. From an Elven point of
view, it probably didn't.

"Have you heard from him
since?"

"No."

"You do understand–"

"Yes, I know I'll probably never
see him again," she snapped. She rubbed at a suddenly pounding temple.

"It's late. We can finish this
discussion tomorrow. I've a number of questions and wish to hear the rest of
your story, what occurred leading up to me finding you. To bed with you. I've
some work to finish."

Rising, the amount of relief she felt at
not having to continue surprised her.

"I will be out in the morning but
shouldn't be long. I'll have breakfast left on my desk for you."

"Thank you." She turned and
stopped as she remembered she still wore the dreaded dress. "Can you untie
me?"

Silence met her question for a long
moment, and she began to worry she'd have to sleep in the stupid thing. Finally
he stood and she braced herself as he worked at the knot and loosening the
laces.

Holding the dress to her chest, she
muttered another thank you and headed to the bathroom to change.

"Sweet dreams, Arowyn."

Though he certainly heard her sarcastic
laugh, he didn't reply.

∞ ∞ ∞

Everyone died. All around her, bloody
bodies littered the ground. She tried to run. The hands of the dead moved,
grabbing her, trying to pull her down to join them. A scream bubbled up in her
throat as she fought against them, her family…her dead family.

Hands gripped hers as someone called her
name. Eyes snapping open, she struggled to breath. The absolute darkness didn't
help and she closed her eyes again.

"Shhh, you're safe."

Rolling toward the voice, her fingers
tightened around the other's hands. Kei… He'd keep the nightmares away.

"They all die," she whispered.

His hands gently squeezed hers. If he
spoke, she missed his words as she drifted back asleep.

Chapter 20

Elven Lies

She hated how the room had no windows.
Since Roan still slept, she assumed it to be quite early in the morning.

Waking to find herself curled on her
side, a warm hand holding hers, brought back not so old memories. A deep sorrow
stole her breath away. She missed Kei. She missed Prince. Realizing Roan held
her hand brought forth a wide range of emotions, none of them good.

She remembered the nightmares. The fact
he'd tried to comfort her shocked her beyond words. Her mind thankfully came up
with reasons why the cold man held her hand. She'd probably been tossing, or
even screaming, in her sleep. He'd likely done it to calm her down so he could
get some rest. Even so, he'd unintentionally taken Kei's place and a part of
her resented him for that.

Slowly and gently, she untwined her
fingers and pulled her hand away. When he didn't stir, she rolled over to her
side of the bed. Hopefully he wouldn't remember, or at least wouldn't say
anything. Thoughts of Kei filled her mind, and then of Prince holding her as he
had that last night before he went home.

The next time she woke, Roan had left
and she could smell food. After cleaning up and eating, she wandered the room.
Where would he have put her weapons? After poking around shelves, cupboards,
and his dressers, she finally sat in his desk chair. The desk itself had
drawers on either side. The third one she tried brought success. Inside she
found her daggers and belt, carefully set on a pile of papers. Closing the
drawer, she stood, made sure the chair was as she'd found it, and then browsed
his book collection again.

He found her sprawled on a chair
reading, wearing one of his shirts over her underclothes. A blanket covered her
legs, only her boots sticking out. She swore she could hear his teeth grinding.

"A pair of pants would be helpful,
considering I can't get the dress done up on my own."

He pinched the bridge of nose and took a
calming breath. "So I see."

Setting a leather satchel by his desk,
he came to sit in the chair next to her. "You're reading."

"I like to read," she said
absently, turning a page.

Plucking the book from her fingers, he
turned it to read the cover. "Fortification and Defense."

"By Jalan Hayward. Have you read
his book on infantry tactics in mountainous terrain?"

He stared at her for a long moment
before setting the book down. "No. I'm afraid not."

"It's quite good. He had–"

Roan raised a hand, cutting her off.
When he didn't speak, she raised her eyebrows expectantly. "You surprise
me occasionally, which is surprising in itself."

"Just because I'm a woman doesn't
mean I can't read. Or think. Or fight," she added.

"Human women rarely do. You are
also very young."

"Not for a human," she pointed
out.

He conceded that point with a nod.

"Did you have a point?"

"Not particularly. Though learning
of your past has explained many things, I am still at a loss understanding much
of what you do."

His words brought her a great amount of
satisfaction. Good. Keeping him guessing would certainly work in her favor.
"If it helps, I don't understand you at all."

"You know nothing about me."

"No, I don't," she agreed.

"Did you even brush your hair this
morning?"

She turned to face him fully. "What
do you care? Why the dress?"

He regarded her for a long moment, his face
unreadable. Times like this he reminded her too much of Prince, and she
surprisingly realized, her father. "It has to do with respect," he
said finally.

"I'm supposed to respect you?"

He shook his head. "Respect is
earned for various reasons. It seems you can fight, and you have some
intelligence. You have a natural ability to lead. Yet to be a leader, you must
also have the respect of not only your men, but of others who rule. Do you
understand?"

She understood perfectly well…and
thought he was an idiot. "Looking pretty, wearing a dress, and minding my
manners will cause others to respect me, then?"

"Other leaders. Right now, your
youth both helps and hinders you. You can get away with much, but also you lose
credibility acting like a wild youngster."

"And I should care about this
because…"

"You are to play an important role
in this world. Healing the Fey is no small act. Because of this ability, you
will become powerful. The Fey will see to that, if nothing else. Until a new
queen is chosen, they will look to you to lead them."

Turning her head, she shook it slightly.
It wasn't his words she disagreed with; quite likely what he said would come to
pass. However, now he'd given her another reason to wonder at his motives for
helping her.

Thinking she disagreed with him, he let
out an irritated sigh. "You are quite frustrating."

Grinning, she looked back to him.
"So I hear. Often."

"Such a child," he muttered
under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Let us begin," he said.
"Once you arrived at the city."

She grimaced at him, but inside she
laughed a little. At least she didn't have to repeat the time between when
Prince went home and they arrived. Pushing feelings aside, she began once more.

Roan quickly dashed her hopes of having
this done with quickly. Though he let her sum up their initial weeks in the
city with a few sentences, he started asking questions when she mentioned her
fight with Kei. His interest irritated her for more than one reason, especially
having to tell him the full story of the fight and Kei leaving, and then Damon
taking him. Still, she managed to avoid telling him about their bonds.
Unfortunately, the story couldn't be told without her mentioning the mind speech.

He did not look pleased at all and she
fidgeted in her chair.

"Have you been ignoring me, then?"

"I…what? No?" Shaking her
head, she frowned, not understanding what he was talking about. "I never
heard you."

He stared at her with cold eyes and a
set mouth.

Gritting her teeth, she lifted her chin
and gave him a defiant look in return. "I didn't," she finally
insisted. Her own anger faded slightly as the reason occurred to her. "If
you tried when I'd just woken up, it doesn't work then."

His dark brows drew together. "How
do you mean?"

"The drug leaves me…foggy. It takes
a while before I can talk to anyone." She paused a moment. "I imagine
with that strong dose, it took even longer."

And do you hear me now?

She grimaced at the irritation quite
evident in his mind voice and snapped her response.
Yes.

"You have quite the temper, Arowyn.
Was this always so, or is it due to your exposure to Fey fury?"

His question took her by surprise.
"I always have," she answered stiffly. Though this was the truth, she
refused to admit the anger had grown stronger and more frequent in the last
year.

A slight frown crossed his lips, but he
didn't press the matter. "Continue."

So she told him of the Elves and her
abduction, though didn't get far before the boy came with lunch, followed by a
stream of men while they ate and for some time after.

Once again she watched Roan's
interactions with others. The stern and cold demeanor he shared with her didn't
change with his men, though she wasn't sure if she should find that surprising
or not. Sitting in his chair, he still ruled over the men standing before his
desk. Every word or action remained controlled, thought out, and precise.

The more she watched him, the more he
reminded her of her father among his men. Yet Commander Mason had been
different at home. Though still stern, he had his gentle and caring side as
well.

Did Roan possess such emotions? Did he
keep his feelings hidden or not have them at all? So far she hadn't seen a cruel
and ruthless side to him. Unyielding, commanding, stern, yes. He was a natural
leader who expected immediate obedience and respect, and he received it.

Perhaps she irritated him so much
because she didn't give in to him. She couldn't. She still didn't trust him.

Which was why she continued to leave
certain things out of her story, like Prince giving Garen a glamor rune.

When he finally finished with his work,
he paused by the shelf of liquor bottles. "Will you be needing
something?"

How sweet he cared. Likely he wanted to
loosen her tongue. She shook her head, and once he sat, she immediately jumped
back into the story, wanting to get it over with.

When she finished, he sat for a long
time, staring off over her shoulder while she calmed the anger within her.

"Where is Kei now?"

The sudden question startled her.
"I…I don't know." Mostly truth. "Damon flew north. He's far
enough I can't speak with him."

Roan frowned but nodded. "Have you
heard from Damon since? Do you know when he'll return the Fey?"

Another question she couldn't really
answer. Had the dream of him been real? She honestly didn't know.
"No," she answered. "And by spring at the latest."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because despite all the trouble
he's been, he does want me to heal the Fey. Spring is when we were to set out
to do that."

"What of the Were king?"

Of course he had to bring that up.
"I haven't figured that out yet," she admitted grudgingly. At least she
still had a few months to come up with a plan.

"And Garen, where is he?"

She'd noticed the pirate's interest in
the Were while she talked, so was prepared for the question. "I don't
know."

"Is Garen his real name?"

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "As
far as I know."

Roan frowned his displeasure at her
response and rose. "Very well. We are done with this, then."

A slow sigh of relief left her. All his
questions had set her on edge, leaving her stiff and tired. Talking of those
she knew to be dead left her unsettled. She just wanted to sleep…and forget.

"I do feel," he continued,
"it would be unkind of me not to share some information of my own."

She straightened, eyes locking on his.
"Oh?"

"The Elves lied. Your house still
stands. Your…brother, Bo, continues to search for you."

She blinked and her mouth opened, but no
words would come out.

"I had wondered why you consented
to our agreement so quickly, and this of course, certainly explains that."

"He's alive," she whispered,
tearing her gaze away as tears flooded her eyes. She raised the back of her
hand to her mouth, trying to regain her composure.

She'd tried to reach him…and just as she'd
explained to Roan, the drugs had prevented it. Not being able to contact him
hadn't meant they'd killed him!

Bo! Bo, are you there?

Aro, pup, wither me,
his mind voice
choked.
Where are you? Are you safe?

Springing to her feet, elation filled
her. "I have to go!"

I am. I am. I'm so sorry. They told me
you were dead.

Roan grasped her shoulders. "No.
That wasn't our deal."

"He's alive! I have to see
him!"

I'm here, as is Garen. We haven't
stopped looking for you. And Hale, too. Where are you?

Glaring up at Roan, she tried to pull
his hands away. "He's my family! Can't you understand that?"

I…I'm not sure. Someone took me in. It's
complicated.

Bo sighed.
What–

Give me a moment.

Roan's grip tightened and he gave her a
little shake. "You need to understand it's not safe for you," he said
angrily. "I do intend on keeping you safe."

Pressing her lips tightly together she
shook her head, trying to calm the emotions flying wildly within her.
"Please," she finally said. "I need to see him."

Staring up into his icy eyes, she put
all the feeling she could into hers, begging him to understand.

"Please," she said quietly.

Dropping his hands, he stepped back and
ran a hand through his hair. "Very well. For a short time," he added
quickly as she bounced on her toes. His expression darkened. "I cannot
accompany you. There is a meeting I cannot miss. However, I'll send some of my
men. Understood?"

"Yes," she agreed quickly, turning
for the door.

"Clothes," Roan said wearily.
"Go get dressed."

"Oh, yes."

"Plan to meet him somewhere. Near
the west end of the market would be best. If I need to get you back here
quickly I don't want you all the way across the city."