Echoes of the Raven (The Eldrystone #2)

41. CHAPTER 41

41

VALERIA

“If you pronounce the words, the world will hold its breath. I will teach them to you, son, as you will soon take my place.”

Faolan Theric - King of Tirnanog - 1878 DV

I stand at the edge of the plaza, my head spinning and my body tingling all over.

Rífíor is walking away from me. He uses his wide shoulders to cut through the crowd. He’s gone off to find drinks. On the other side, there’s a cart selling orange juice. He offered to get me some, said I must be thirsty. His cheeks are flushed, and his eyes gleam. Stranger yet, the ghost of a smile touches his lips. He looks so young, so content, and if I didn’t know better, I would say he’s eager to please me, eager to do something nice for me.

Not that he didn’t do that already.

Saints and feathers! He turned my world upside down and, from now on, nothing will be the same. I thought I knew the power of sex, but I’ve only scratched the surface. Is there more? I can’t wait to find out.

Yet, it’s this small act, this modest bit of attention, that is making me feel a strange warmth inside, making me wonder about this other Rífíor I’ve barely glimpsed at, a side that he officiously keeps hidden from everyone.

Gods! It scares me. I don’t want this other side to be real. If it is, it might be my doom. This desire I feel for him is already more than I can handle, more than I should feel. But if he can please more than my body, if he can soothe my soul with a simple smile, I will forget what he has done to me, and I will fall, fall, fall…

My heart feels fit to burst as I follow his strong shape cutting through the crowd. If only—

Something imperceptible happens. It is negligible, a slight disturbance, a split-second pause in the crowd, an overall change of mood. My breaths speed up.

Rífíor’s head snaps in my direction, his eyes locking with mine, his gaze flashing a dire warning.

My ears ring. My heart hammers.

Is there danger nearby?

My instincts flare, heightening all my senses. The din of the crowd echoes in my ears. The twirl of the dancing couples fills my vision with rainbows of color. The smell of hot bodies, food, and smoke from the bonfire overwhelm my sense of smell. And yet, despite the warning, I react a second too late.

“Valeria! Behind you!” Rífíor shouts across the distance and over the bodies that separate us.

Just as I’m about to turn, an arm viciously wraps around my neck, cutting the airflow. I buck, nails digging into flesh as I fight to get free. Instead, the hold tightens, strong muscles bruising my throat. A wall seems to press against me. I attempt to plant my feet squarely on the ground to lean forward, but I’m lifted clean off until my legs dangle.

Through blurred vision, I watch Rífíor cutting through the crowd, shoving people aside and sending them reeling off balance. He calls my name as my assailant pulls me back into the woods, the thick canopy throwing deep shadows over me.

I thrash and claw, but I can’t get free. A couple kissing nearby startles and runs away, shrieking.

“Be still, Princess,” a female voice sneers in my ear.

A chill shoots down my spine. The wall of muscle is Calierin.

Gods! I should have killed her.

Hoping against hope, I send out my awareness to make a connection with The Eldrystone and to use espiritu to repel her. But as I feared, Niamhara remains elusive, failing me yet again.

“You little human bitch,” she says. “You thought you could get away from me?”

Her free hand paws at my neck, reaching for the amulet.

I clench my teeth, struggling for air, fighting as hard as I can to stop her from taking it. She grabs the chain and pulls. It cuts into my skin, then snaps.

Calierin seems frozen, as if surprised that she finally has it. Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, I buck again. The motion brings my feet to the ground, though she doesn’t let go. Undeterred, I stamp my heel down on her toes.

Calierin, a seasoned warrior, barely loosens her grip. Desperately, I twist my head and tuck my chin. She attempts to regain her hold, but her efforts falter as a body collides with us, sending us tumbling to the ground. My bones rattle. My elbow slams into a rock and pain shoots up my arm. I cry out. Grunts and growls fill my ears as Rífíor pulls Calierin off me, finally setting me free.

With a quick shove, he sends me rolling over the ground, down a slope. My head spins. When I come to a stop, I spit out dirt. Holding my side, I roll to my knees, blinking to clear my vision and reclaim my bearings.

Rífíor and Calierin fight at the top of the incline, punching each other viciously.

Calierin is as strong as any fae male. She’s fierce, and on top of it all, she has espiritu, which she might use at any moment.

“I should have killed you when I had the chance,” Rífíor says, landing a punch that knocks Calierin to the ground. Jumping on top of her, he proceeds to strangle her. “I have told you enough times that you will never beat me in hand-to-hand combat.”

I start up the slope, the wound in my side pulling.

Calierin struggles under Rífíor for a moment, trying to get free. But she seems as helpless as I was against her. As I reach the top, she braces her hands against Rífíor’s chest, and I know it’s coming.

“Rífíor!” I warn.

Espiritu blasts from Calierin’s hands—a blinding flash of violet sparks between their bodies that sends Rífíor flying through the air.

Something glints in his hand as he hurtles away, and I realize it’s The Eldrystone. He took it back, but his grip is tenuous. The amulet slips from his fingers, soaring through the night sky. Its iridescent opal winks as it travels. Briefly, it seems suspended in midair, and then gravity takes hold. With a sudden drop, the chain snags on a branch, leaving the jewel hanging like a pendulum, just out of reach.

Knowing I must do everything I can to retrieve it, I sprint toward the tree at full pelt. Rífíor writhes in agony, his chest smoking from Calierin’s blast. I do my best to ignore him. As I reach the tree, I scramble up the trunk, clutching at the rough bark and trying to reach the lowest branch. I manage to gain some traction, but quickly lose momentum. I fight to hold on, but my side is on fire, and a couple of my fingernails tear off their bed. I cry out, then helplessly slide downward. The bark ripping away under my weight, I tumble to the ground and roll to a crouch.

A growl of frustration escapes me. I shoot a glance over my shoulder.

Calierin is back on her feet and straddling Rífíor, this time with her hands around his throat, though I doubt she plans to simply strangle him. There’s still espiritu left in her, and she’s not stupid enough to underestimate an opponent like Rífíor. I might not have been a problem for her, but he’s a whole different story.

Panic surging, I look back to the amulet and mentally reach for it.

Blast her! I order.

The Eldrystone swings, mocking, useless.

Niamhara, why did you bring us this far just to let us fail?

Cursing the capricious goddess and her trinket, I do the only thing I can. I charge, fists clenched. I aim for the sorceress, hoping I can knock her down before she kills Rífíor.

Calierin jerks her head upward, and her violet eyes lock with mine. She grins, hands beginning to glow.

No!

I’m only a few steps away, but I know I’m too far, too late. Every fiber of my being screams it, yet I press on, hoping against hope.

The sorceress turns her attention to Rífíor again, bearing down on him, her espiritu intensifying.

Whizzing and barely audibly, Rífíor speaks. “Let the whispers… turn to screams if you dare defy me.”

Calierin’s eyes widen at the words.

“My crown demands obedience. My blade demands respect,” he goes on, his voice clearer as Calierin seems to lose her resolve and the pressure around his neck diminishes. “By the will of Niamhara and my people, I am your ruler! And in their name, you will stop.”

The words reverberate through the forest. This realm and all the others hold their breath, stilling at the powerful command. The trees stop swaying, and no insects chirp or owls hoot for leagues.

I realize I’m not running anymore. I’m at a standstill, my lungs paralyzed as I stare in disbelief.

Calierin, cruel and terrible Calierin, is rooted to the spot, unblinking, espiritu dead on her fingers. To my utter bewilderment, she slides away from Rífíor and stops several feet away, one knee on the ground, her head bowed.

Rífíor coughs and struggles to a sitting position, hands to his throat, scorching marks of espiritu still smoldering on his chest. Blistered skin bubbles beneath his shirt, outlined by the singed imprints of Calierin’s hands. Rubbing his neck, he finally stands. His chest rises and falls visibly as he struggles to catch his breath. He glares darkly at the sorceress.

Slowly, Calierin holds her hands up in surrender. “Forgive me, my king. Forgive me,” Calierin begs. “I did not know.”