Eternal Promise (Between Worlds Book 3) (16 page)

The sides of my vision were getting blurry and I knew it would be only seconds until I passed out.
Kallan. Please hear me. I love you.

Run, Rylie.

I looked around. Had I imagined that? I swore I heard someone tell me to run. Had it been in my head?
Kallan?

Slowly his grip loosened and I could tell by the look in his eyes he was struggling. Tears sprang to my eyes as I kicked him back and broke free. I immediately turned invisible and headed toward the door. I had to get help.

A groan stopped me. I looked back and found Satine standing over Kallan. “Disobeying an order is not an option! I’ll just kill you and your girlfriend now.”

Fury blinded me. I knew a few of the talents in this room and with the blocker out of the way I was going to find out if I could use more than one at the same time. Still invisible, I made everything go black. No one could see, not even me. Breathing deeply, I made the ground shake and everyone stumbled.

The darkness lifted quickly and I focused on Satine. I used Zanna’s talent and began to raise her body temperature. She shifted uncomfortably before she realized what was going on. I threw out my hands and paralyzed her guards. Then I released another sonic wave, which knocked down everyone but Satine, whose face was now lobster red.

“You pissed off the wrong faery,” I said to her, focusing on raising her temperature more.

Kyro flung a fireball at me and I froze it. That split-second change in power allowed Satine to grab Kyro and pull him toward the back. “We need to go.”

Kyro sent a second ball of fire flying straight at Kallan. Before I could react, Sebille jumped in front of Kallan and took the hit. Kyro scowled and put his hands up, ready to aim another, but Satine grabbed him, sweat dripping down her face. “Another time,” she told him. They hurried out a door in the back and I felt the magick slip away.

I ran to Sebille and knelt down at her side. The fireball had hit her in the chest and rolled a few feet away. I watched as her chest rose and fell one last time and then felt her spirit leave her body. Zanna fell to her knees and sobbed.

“I’m so sorry,” I said in a whisper.

“Rylie!” Drake called.

Kallan, who had just been standing there, had crumpled to the ground. I rushed to his side and placed his head in my lap. One of my tears fell off my face and onto his cheek. Lying there he looked like my Kallan. Not the Kallan who was being controlled by his sister. Not the Kallan who had his hand wrapped around my neck.

“Wake up, Kallan. It’s over. You’re free.”

His eyes didn’t open.

“Rylie, we need to go,” Drake said with urgency. “That little earthquake made the cave unstable.”

I looked around and realized dirt and rocks were falling all around us. My eyes shot over to the cage where Adam was still trapped. “I can’t yet.” I rushed over to the edge of the Tetterzu.

My heart raced in my chest as the cave crumbled around us. I wasn’t leaving without Adam. I knelt down and placed my hands on the cold ground. Closing my eyes, I asked the earth to help me. I imagined the ground rising up to the cage in a way I could get to it. When I opened my eyes again, what I imagined had happened.
Thank you,
I said in my head to the earth, or Mother Nature, or whoever was listening.

Quickly I hurried up to the cage. I held the lock in my hand and using heat, I melted it off. I finally allowed myself to look up and meet Adam’s wild eyes. “Run out of here.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He scrambled from the cage toward the exit. Drake and Olwydd picked Kallan up and carried him outside. It was dark and the moon was high in the sky. I fell to my hands and knees and stared at the cave that caused so much pain. The ground shook and the cave collapsed upon itself, leaving no evidence a cave was ever even there. Did I just do that?

I heard an animal noise behind me and turned just in time to see Adam leaving with a light faery on a winged horse. “They’re real?”

Drake stifled a laugh. “Yes. It’s the quickest way home, but Kallan will have to go in the wagon.” He motioned to a small wooden wagon pulled by two centaurs. At least I knew the name of those fantasy creatures. Head and chest of a human, the rest of their bodies and legs were horse. They nodded at me and I returned the gesture.

Azura rushed toward me. “Oleander! Are you okay? Are you hurt? What were you thinking?” She looked me over and then hugged me tight.

“I’m okay. Any injuries I have can be healed.”

“You have fingerprints around your neck.”

I winced. “They’ll heal too.”

Drake and Olwydd loaded an unconscious Kallan onto a wagon.

“Satine and Kyro got away,” I told her.

“We’ll get them,” Drake pledged.

“Do you want to take Abrax?” Azura asked, motioning to the beautiful winged horse in front of me. I did want to ride him, but I needed to be with Kallan.

“Not this time,” I answered and jumped in the second wagon with Kallan, who was lying on the floor. I placed my hand over his heart and felt it beating. “Did you bring a healer?” I asked.

“No. We didn’t have time,” Azura answered. “Drake, would you ride Abrax home? I’ll stay with Oleander and the others.”

“Of course.” Drake boarded Abrax, who took off running and then with a flap of his wings, he was in the air. I couldn’t wait to ride him.

The rest of the rescue group got in the wagon. “Dash, Bion, when you’re ready…” Azura said to the centaurs.

As the two centaurs began galloping away, I turned my attention back to Kallan. “He hasn’t woken up,” I said to Azura.

“We’ll get him help.”

“I’m scared,” I admitted, tears filling my eyes.

Azura scooted closer to me and put her arm around my shoulders. “He’s strong and he loves you. Hold on to that.”

“Two fey died in there.”

Azura looked away. “I know. It’s very sad. They will be missed.”

“What do you believe happens when you die?” I asked.

“We believe in a spirit world. About twenty-four hours after a faery dies, our bodies become ash.”

That surprised me. When I died, my body would become ash. I guessed it was kind of like a human cremation.

“It gives us long enough to say goodbye.”

“What do you do with the ash?”

“Usually put it back in nature. A field. A tree. A river. Whatever we think the faery would want.”

I didn’t want to let go of Kallan to wipe my tears away, so a couple fell down my cheeks. I tried again to reach him in my mind.
Kallan. I’m here with you. I won’t leave you. I know you’re in there and I’ll keep fighting until you come back to me.

The centaurs brought us right up to Azura’s house. We all jumped out and a couple faeries brought Kallan inside.

“Lena’s on her way,” Azura said. “And Adam is inside. Don’t forget he has faery sight.”

I nodded as I walked through the door. My eyes rested on Adam, who sat in a chair looking very confused and a little frightened. He stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time. In a way he was. I cast my eyes down, unable to look him in the eye. After a long uncomfortable minute, I asked him, “Are you okay?”

“I…uh…you have wings.”

“Yes.”

“So you are really…one of these…faeries?”

“Yes.” I met his eyes. “I am a faery, Adam.” I gave him the quick version of my story.

“So…the past year and a half…this is what you’ve been going through?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Adam. I never meant to hurt you. I loved you, but things changed for me. I changed.”

“This is just so weird.”

“I know. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you’d freak out. I fought it, Adam. I didn’t want to be a faery, but now I do. I want you to know you’ll always have a place in my heart. You’ll always be my first love, but I’m not human and I don’t belong there.”

“Kallan…he’s like your promised one?”

A smile tugged on my lips. “Yes. I tried to fight that too, because I loved you, but ultimately…I fell in love with him.”

Adam glanced over at Kallan, who was still unconscious. “He kidnapped me.”

I nodded. “Someone else was controlling his mind.”

He nodded, but I wasn’t sure he believed me.

“It’s time for you to go home,” I told him. “Would you mind keeping everything here a secret?”

“Sure.”

“It’s important, Adam.”

“Of course I’ll keep your secret.”

“Thank you.” I walked him to the door. “I’ll have Drake take you home.”

“Will I see you again?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know, but if I don’t, I wish you all the best. I hope you get into the major leagues and are the best baseball player ever. I hope you’ll fall in love again and get married. I hope you’ll look back at what we had and know that it was real. I hope that you don’t hate me. And if we do see each other again, I hope we can be friends,” I told him honestly and opened the door. Drake was pacing back and forth. I called to him, “Drake, will you take him home? Check on Sierra for me?”

“Yes, mo Bhanríon.”

“That needs to stop.” I raised my eyebrows and made sure Azura wasn’t around. “Oleander is bad enough.”

Drake smiled. “I’ll make sure he gets home safely.”

“Do it quickly.”

He nodded and waved to Adam. “Come on.”

Adam started out the door and then stopped and turned back to me. “For the record, I wouldn’t have freaked out. You’re still Rylie and you’re even more beautiful.”

My eyes filled with tears and for a split second I saw our future together. A future that I would have loved as a human. A life that wasn’t mine anymore. I hugged Adam and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I watched as he walked away with Drake. I didn’t know what the future held for him or if I would see him again. I could only hope he understood. When he got to the end of the meadow he turned and waved.

Once he was out of sight, I rushed back to Kallan’s side. I clutched his hand again and tried to talk to him in my mind, but it was no use. He wasn’t answering.

The door swung open and Lena walked in. I jumped up. “Lena! Oh, Lena, thank goodness, please heal him.”

Lena looked from me to Kallan and she went to his side. Her eyes scanned his body and then she laid her hands on his head. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t heal him.”

“Why not?” Fear rushed over me. If she couldn’t heal him what was I supposed to do?

“He’s not hurt. There’s no injury. Whatever is going on, it’s dark magick.”

“And you can’t fix it?” I laid my hand on my necklace.

“No, Rylie, I can’t.”

“But you’re a healer!” I whined loudly. “You’re supposed to be able to heal him.”

Her blue eyes were sympathetic. “I’m sorry. I would do anything I could to heal Kallan. You know that. But there’s nothing I can do.”

“So what do I do?”

“Talk to the council.”

“They’re not going to be happy.”

“You’re the Aurorian.”

I nodded, understanding what she meant. I needed to step up and lead. I looked up at Móraí and said, “Call a meeting here.”

She nodded and left the house.

“I need a minute. I’ll be right back,” I told him and kissed his forehead. I went outside for some air. What if the elders refused to help again? I had no idea what to do. I felt like I was being ripped apart. What if Kallan stayed like this forever? A lump in my throat rose and I knew I was going to cry, but I didn’t want anyone to see me break down. I started running away from Azura’s house and through the meadow into the forest and as far as my feet would carry me. Finally I stopped and fell sobbing to the ground. A clap of thunder sounded and rain started pouring down. The wind picked up and began blowing the trees around me. Of course, nature was responding to me.

Chapter Sixteen

I
cried until I couldn’t cry anymore and then I pushed myself up and walked back to Azura’s. A few of the elders were already there; the rest were approaching.

“Where did that storm come from?” Rosa asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m drenched,” Alston replied.

“What is she thinking calling a meeting at her house?” Brigid questioned.

“She needs to be taught the rules—” Sheridan complained.

I charged past them and stepped onto a tree root. “Maybe the rules need to be changed.”

The council members looked up, surprised by my outburst.

“As you know, Kallan had been captured by his sister and her army. Satine’s talent has something to do with mind control. She took over Kallan’s mind and made him kidnap a human to get to me. She wants us dead and wants control over the land. We cannot let that happen, but in order to stop her, we need leaders. Kallan is one of those leaders and right now he’s unconscious. Our healer says it’s dark magick. I need to know how to fix him.” I stared into their faces, waiting for one of them to tell me what I needed to know.

Móraí came to my side. She looked up at the sky and then met my eyes. “It has to be done with the sun and the moon. We’ll need a dark and a light faery, as well as the healer. It’ll be dawn soon. Bring him outside to the meadow. Put him in the light of the moon and call upon the light magick to heal him as the sun rises.”

“How do I do that?”