The Whispering (31 page)

Harlu starts to come to, moaning.

“No, let’s just go, please.”  Before I can say anything else, Glynnis holds my hand tightly and changes into her golden form.  I look at my hand and watch in amazement as the golden specks from her body quickly cover my skin and soon all of me.  I turn to Harlu as Glynnis pulls me away and see him turn to us, hatred in his eyes as he roars his frustration.  He tries to reach out but we are already gone.

~ * ~

Chapter Thirty

~ Tharin ~

“I don’t sense her anywhere, Alorn,”
I call, trying to stay calm.

“
She’s not anywhere in the suites, Tharin.  Where else would they take her?”

I try again to whisper to her, knowing if she is near, I should be able to connect with her.  Nothing.

“Tharin?”

“
Mellis, what are you doing here?”
I ask, surprised to hear from him.

“
We’re all waiting for you”
he says
.  “When we didn’t find you there, I decided to come and look for you here.”

“
Is Lily with the others?”
asks Alorn, before I could.

“
No, isn’t she with you?”
answers Mellis.

“
The study is empty, you might as well come in,”
I say, moving toward the bedroom.

“
What is it, Tharin?”
asks Alorn.

I stop and stare at the bedroom door.  I let my senses flow throughout the suite, particularly at the master bedroom.  Nothing.  I look at Alorn
, shaking my head, hoping it would be that easy to find her. 

We
open the doors to the front rooms.  No lights are on and we make our way to the front doors when someone speaks from the sitting area.  Quickly, we melt into the shadows and slip into a spare room.  We leave the door ajar and listen.

“
But you told the others you were going...” says Aureinia’s whispered voice.

“
Yes, child, I did,” replies Kolinest, cutting her off.  “But the assassin has betrayed us, and so has Kalis.  They know of my plans to take no one with me when I go through the doorway.”

“
And, me.  And I won’t go without Harlu,” insists Aureinia.

“
Of course,” he answers quietly.  “Our men are ready to strike the Willow Clan in about an hour.”

“
What about the priests and assassins?  Are they in place and ready to go?”

Kolinest gives a low laugh. 
“There are no priests and assassins.  That was something I created to take the attention off the real catalyst to destroying Velesi.”

The world around me suddenly stops.  No, it can
’t be.  I remember now what I couldn’t remember when Kolinest took over my body.  It’s me.  I am the catalyst, the detonator to causing the destruction of Velesi.  And with the dragon spirit inside me, the gift of the Healers, Lily won’t be able reach me when I go atomic on the realm and everyone in it.

“
Tharin,”
calls Alorn.  He, Tolan, Mellis and Ziri are the only ones who know my secret. 

“
I’m okay, Alorn”
I assure him
.  “But you know what you have to do.”
My father knew that one day I wouldn’t be able to control the power of the Lunar blood inside me.  Alorn trained not only to protect and fight beside me, to become my First Greaneth, but also as my executioner should I lose control.

“
No, there is another way.  Lily?”
he suggests.

“
Lily can’t help me now, she doesn’t have the gift anymore, it’s in me. And, I can’t pull up the dragon to stop the destruction when it overtakes me.”

“
Master,” interrupts Morlo from the main doors.  “I received word our men are ready to leave for the Willow and await your command.”

“
Thank you, Morlo,” answers Kolinest.

Aureinia waits until the orc closes the door before asking,
“What about you, father, where will you be?”

“
I’m heading back to the Willow, to help prepare Colsea’s men for the attack; by the time he calls for the march in the morning, it will be too late.  We will have the queen, the key and the Summoner at Gastah Point and have the doorway open before light.  As soon as the battle begins, I’ll be back in time to start the summoning and soon after, I’ll be home.”

“
You mean, we’ll be home, father,” interjects Aureinia, a tinge of doubt in her voice. 

“
Until we are home, daughter,” confirms Kolinest.  Even from here I know it is a lie.

It is another fifteen minutes before the room is empty and to play it safe, we wait another fifteen minutes before slipping out of the spare room.  We move to the double doors and Alorn slips out first, finding shadow
s between the torches along the far wall.  I mean to follow but Mellis stops me. 

“
Tharin, I have to warn my father,”
he says.  I can feel the worry in his thoughts.

“
When we get back to the garden, take Ziri with you.  Return if you can, but I’ll understand if you decide to fight by Colsea’s side.”
  I reach out and grab hold of his shoulder. 
“Be careful.”

I wait for his usual off the cuff remark, but instead he gives me a solemn nod and slips into the hallway after Alorn.  As we move along the shadows, I stop the others before reaching the queen
’s suite.

“
It’s Tolan, he has Lily and Glynnis.  They’re in the garden,”
relief lacing my thoughts as I relay them to the others.  Distance plays a large part in the whispering.  Usually, from here to the garden I would not be able to connect with anyone else.  My bond with my brother enhances our abilities to connect at a longer distance.

Now knowing Lily is safe, I am anxious to get back to her.  It wasn
’t until she initiated the whispering between us in the study that I realized she did say she loved me.  I was in a haze and I didn’t know if it was a hallucination or a dream at the time.  And I now know why her kiss was so passionate, so deep, when Harlu had my body. 

We find ourselves at the double doors of
the queen’s suites, and we hesitate before opening it.  Alorn and Mellis stand with their backs to the wall on each side of the doors as I bypass the wards and quickly move inside.  Once in, I make it in no time to the garden archway to find everyone there.  Lily, Julia and Glynnis are near the trees where the pando leaves gives them some shelter from the rain.  Tolan and Ziri are just inside the garden, heads together looking at something in Tolan’s hand.

I nod
to my brothers and walk past them, ignoring Tolan’s hand as he tried to wave me over.  The only person I want to see and talk to is Lily.  I know what sacrifice she made to save me, to save my soul, but I need her to take the gift back.

When Lily senses me, she wraps her coat tightly about her, pulling her hood further down as if cold.  I glance
at Glynnis, nodding in gratitude for bringing Lily back.  She bows in return and moves back to give us some privacy.  Julia sees me and steps up, pointing a finger at Lily.

“
Tell me you kicked that bastard’s ass,” demands Julia angrily.

“
Kicked whose ass?” I ask, a bit taken aback.

“
Julia,” calls Lily annoyed.  “I took care of it; he doesn’t have to kick anyone’s ass.”

I look from one to the other and finally notice how Lily is holding her coat at the neck.  I thought she was keeping warm from the rain, but now
I see she is hiding something.

I step to Lily and
say tightly, “Let me see.”

“
Tharin,” she starts, sighing heavily.

“
Let me see,” I say again, this time with an edge that brooks no argument.

She
sighs again, opens her coat, and slowly pulls her hood back.  I see the torn jersey, the deep, ugly red scratches on her chest and the dark bruising on her neck that can’t hide the hideous bite mark.  Visions of Harlu attacking her, beating her helpless and defenseless turn me cold, and where was I?  I was there but I couldn’t find her.  With all my abilities and newfound power I wasn’t able to save her. 

The rage takes over and before I realize what is happening
I’m through the archway making my way back to the suites.  Suddenly, Tolan and Alorn are blocking my way to the balcony.

“
Move,” I command through clenched teeth.

“
No,” says Tolan.  “If you go now, everything we have worked for will be wasted.  You risk everyone’s lives, including Lily, if you go after Harlu now.”

I glare at him and he puts his hand out to me
.  “We need you here, Tharin.”

Lily puts herself between us, a fed up look on her face. 

“Stop it!” she demands.  “Look at me, Tharin.  Am I not standing on my own two feet?  What do you see on me that you haven’t seen on everyone else?  And these are nothing compared to what has happened to Alorn, Mellis, Ziri and Tolan.  What makes me any different from them?  Please, it’s too late in the game to start going off like an insane, mad elf when we’re this close.”

She
points at Alorn.  “He told me once that I had to put aside my feelings when under attack.  To trust the people beside me to either be okay, or take care of themselves because if I don’t I’ll not only get myself killed, but them too by letting my emotions get in the way.  But that’s exactly what you’re doing now; you’re letting your emotions get in the way.  Look at me.  So he hit me, he tried to choke the life out of me, but he didn’t break me – only you can do that.  And if you go now that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.  I’m still here, but will I be when you get back?”

She has never look
ed more beautiful.  I step up to her, taking her gently by the chin.  “You are different because you are the queen.  And because you saved my soul, have become my life and I will have no life if I lose you.  You are different because you are my wife and I love you more than you will ever know.”

I lean in and gently take her lips, kissing her with a promise to myself to never let her go.

“Um, Tharin, we have to go,” says Tolan, interrupting us.

I pull back, looking Lily in the eye and we smile at each other, knowing we have business to take care of.  I pull her in as I look over her at Alorn.  Julia is
standing next to Tolan looking proudly at her friend. 

Tolan
seems to be the only one thinking at the moment.  “Tharin, I found the doorway.”

I let go of Lily, but take her hand as we walk back into the garden.  Tolan holds out the Junsper Stone and it doesn
’t look any different from when he first showed it to me.  He turns to the archway, laced with the Mezila flowers.

“
Can it be that easy?” I ask.

Tolan shakes his head
.  “No, it’s not there but watch.”

Julia moves to stand beside Lily and we watch as Tolan walks to the archway to stand directly under it.  He closes his eyes and lifts the stone
.  Quietly he begins to call out to the elements.  This time, however, he makes the calling using words I have never heard before and neither has he. 

When Tolan opens his eyes they are completely white and unseeing.  He continues to chant as the rain starts to pour heavily and the wind picks up.   The change in the air causes Alorn to melt into the shadows, left of the archway.  Remembering I have the key, I take it from my coat and turn to Lily, who along with Julia stares at Tolan in awe.  I nudge her, startling her
into facing me.  She sees the key and without a word, lifts her hair so I can place it around her neck.  She turns back to Tolan, as Ziri and Mellis return from the Willow path along with Colsea, Lodus and...Walem?  Walem is here?  Seconds later Dalim falls behind them.  What’s he doing here?

“
Mellis, what’s going on?”
I call to my cousin.

“
Colsea has brought the battle to the Oak Clan.  We have men ready to charge along the Kufftai forest.  By the way, Motai is with them along with his pack.  We also have men within the city.  Molker has his people situated as well and ready for Colsea’s signal.”

I look at the elves and men I have known all my life and realize that one of them, with the exception of Ziri and Mellis, is actually Kolinest.  Damn it.

“Tharin,” says Colsea, “what’s going on?”

“
We’re opening the doorway, uncle.  Keep watch, as soon as Tolan locates the door and finishes the summoning, Kolinest will be here with his followers.”

Mellis follows Alorn
’s lead and melts into the shadows, right of the archway.  Ziri and Dalim move back closer to the tree line.  Colsea and Lodus take a defensive stance to the far sides of the archway, opposite each other.  Walem moves to stand behind Lily.

“
Walem, why are you here?
I ask my father’s old valet.

“
A promise I made to her mother a long time ago.  I lost that chance when she was taken back to Pathen, but I am given a second chance to fulfill that promise now.  I stay with the queen.”

If Walem is Kolinest, then I have him at my side, keeping a close eye on him.  I continue to cover my brother
’s back as I look at each face here in the garden.   I know once Tolan ends the summoning, Kolinest will make himself known, he can’t help it.  To pass through the doorway, he has to be in his own form; that much I learned in the brief moment he possessed me.