Page 4 of Fate of Echoes and Embers (Heirs of Elydor #3)

ISSA

I despised Marek of Thalassaria, Navarch of the Tidebreaker Fleet.

Charming opportunist. A smuggler who was as reckless as he was daring.

As ruthless as he was charismatic. It should not surprise me that he’d volunteered to retrieve the Wind Crystal from a place none were known to have ventured to and survived.

But neither did I want him to die, a certainty than none but me in this chamber seemed to appreciate.

“No one has made it out of the Maelstrom Depths alive,” I said.

“That we know of,” Marek quipped.

“You will allow him to do this?” I asked Kael and Mev.

“None are more qualified to attempt it.” Kael sat back in his seat, wine in hand.

Mev appeared as worried as I felt, but she said nothing.

For her, the stakes were higher than most, and it seemed she was willing to risk Marek’s life to reopen the Gate.

And maybe I could not blame her for that, but neither could I so easily accept it.

“It is a death sentence.”

That smile. The same one that had so captivated me the day we met.

He was unmistakably Thalassarian, the sun-bleached hair and tanned complexion only part of his clan’s giveaway.

From his clothing— a loose, linen shirt and leather boots, more than one dagger ever-present at his hip, that he hardly needed courtesy of Marek’s water-wielding abilities— to his carefree attitude, he embodied the free spirit most Elydorians associated with his kind.

It was much more than just a smile. The combination of Marek’s strong jawline which emphasized an internal determination he kept closely guarded and his easy manner made it difficult not to be drawn in.

Never again.

“Not wanting to see you dead does not mean I wish you well.” I addressed Mev and Kael.

“I am sorry you’ve come all this way, and I sympathize with your plight.

I too wish desperately that those who travelled to Elydor, thinking it would be a temporary journey, could get back to their families.

I want you to be able to reunite with your family and friends,” I said to Mev.

“And for your parents to do the same. But, as you may have surmised, there is a history between us that makes it impossible for me to bear his presence.”

“Ooh, that hurts, Issa.”

“It’s honesty,” I shot back. Without going into the details of our situation, I tried to explain to Mev and Kael.

“Some wounds never heal. Instead, they change you, and not always for the better. Some might argue that even deep pain teaches us something, but the mark Marek left the first time we met is one not easily erased. It was a lesson I could have done without.”

No one spoke, at first. If my words were dramatic, there was no help for it. Each and every one was true. Willingly going on a journey with Marek would be akin to opening the gates to an enemy force who intended to overtake you.

“Our intelligence places the Wind Crystal in those caves.” Mev’s eyes were pleading. “But there is no way to be certain. Marek could be risking his life unnecessarily. If you were to accompany us, we could be certain.”

My shoulders dropped. The battle I prepared to fight fled my body instantly. Without revealing my thoughts, I listened, already knowing the outcome.

“When Terran attempted to stop me from taking Mev north, Adren was among the men. He defected and joined me,” Kael said. “But after learning what had to be done, he agreed to return home and attempt to locate the Wind Crystal.”

Kael’s right-hand man was as loyal as any in Elydor, so Kael’s story did not surprise me.

“He was welcomed back?”

“Mostly. Some suspicion remained. All know of his loyalty to me, but pledging myself to King Galfrid, partnering with his daughter, was the excuse he needed to publicly sever ties.”

“This is an extraordinary turn of events,” I admitted.

“You were right, Issa, to have criticized me over the years. I allowed my father’s hatred of humans to influence my thinking.

I never agreed my mother’s death was the fault of your entire race, but I did unjustly believe humans were inferior to native Elydorians in many ways. For that, I owe you an apology.”

Princess Mevlida had influenced Kael’s thinking more than I could have thought possible.

“You owe none to me, Kael, as well you know.”

He inclined his head. “I offer it nonetheless.”

By the way Mev grinned, I could tell she was proud of him, as she should be. Changing one’s thinking after so many years of influence by your own parent was not an easy task.

“Thank you,” I said simply, unable to stop myself from glancing at Marek.

He was no longer smiling.

If anyone in this chamber owed me an apology, it was him. But I doubted one would be forthcoming. Nor would I accept it anyway. There were limits to my ability to forgive.

“If I refuse to help?” I asked, knowing his answer already.

Without warning, the memory of our first kiss popped into my mind.

It had been summer, the garden at Hawthorne, once a source of my mother’s pride, in full bloom.

He’d taken me in his arms, and I went willingly, even knowing by then how many women he’d courted—or seduced, to be more accurate.

That kiss had been everything I’d expected, and more.

How long had it been that I dreamed of Marek’s kisses?

You know the answer to that already, Issa. It has been precisely the same number of years since the day you met him.

“I pledged to my queen,” Marek said, “and to Mevlida, that I would attempt to retrieve the Wind Crystal. When I arrive in Gyoria and meet with Adren, if he still believes it is hidden in the Maelstrom Depths, that is where I will go.”

Our eyes held each other’s as Kael and Mev fell away. It was just the two of us, and the crackle of the fire.

There was no hope for it. “I would speak with you alone.” Gritting my teeth, I stood and made my way to the door. Opening it, I found Edric there, as expected.

“Will you see Prince Kael and Princess Mevlida to their chambers. If they need anything at all?—”

“I will see to it, my lady.”

Kael and Mev were already standing.

“Also, my lady, Lord Draven would like a word.”

Mev stopped before walking past me.

“He is here, in this keep?”

I looked between her and Kael. “Aye. He resides at Hawthorne Manor,” I said, curious. “Did you meet him on your last visit?”

“I did. Briefly.”

Kael reached up, placing his hand on Mevlida’s arm, as if stopping her from saying more.

“Thank you, Issa, for your hospitality. We do not wish to impose on you for more than one eve.”

“You would leave on the morrow?”

“Aye,” he confirmed.

I had little time to decide.

“We will speak again in the morn.”

Kael’s eyes darted to Marek. I nodded, but said to Edric, “I will need more wine, please.”

At that, Marek laughed.

It was a deep sound, one of pure merriment and joy. The sound of a man with few cares, as if he was prepared to be lost in the Maelstrom Depths because of a life well lived. A sound I’d heard in my dreams, willing it away as the sun rose.

Closing the door, I spun toward him.

“You will notice, I am not laughing, Marek.”

Neither was he now, but the bold Navarch’s smile still lingered.

“I notice that, and much more, Issa.”

He dared his tone to be suggestive, and didn’t my traitorous body respond? Willing it to heel, I gave him my most stern and unforgiving expression.

“As do I, Marek. If only I’d done so the first time we met.”

Sitting, I said nothing at first. When Edric returned a moment later, Marek seemed relieved. Unfortunately for him, my steward remained long enough to fill our pewter goblets, replace the now empty wine flagon, and give me a final look of pity before leaving.

“I’m sorry, Issa.”

And there it was. Finally, after so many years.

I had naught to say to his empty words. They meant nothing to me.

Less than nothing. I took a long sip, wishing for a hot bath but then cursing the memory of Marek telling me what he would do to me the first time we found ourselves in a tub together. One of many promises he never kept.

“I would prefer we discuss the matter at hand.”

“I’m sorry for?—”

“Stop,” I said, unable to bear it. “I have little desire to hear your apologies now, Marek. The reason you left, without a word. The reason you never contacted me, or returned to Hawthorne Manor, later. The reason you said nothing to me at The Moonlit Current. None of it matters. Not anymore.”

“Of course it does.”

“No,” I argued. “It does not. You are here because of Mevlida and Kael. And for your queen. Not me. So I would prefer not to pretend otherwise or this will never work.”

He didn’t reply.

The intensity of his stare, the absence of an ever-present smile, often bordering on a smirk, almost had me shifting in my seat. Instead, I took a sip of my wine, held firm, and tried to forget his many more years of experience. Dealing with immortals was immensely draining at times.

This was one of those times.

I am Lady Isolde Hawthorne, daughter of two nobles who traced their roots to the origins of humans in Elydor. And before that, to kings in the human realm. I cannot control Marek’s thoughts or actions, but I can control my own and will not back down. He will never have my heart again.

“I’ll say nothing more on it than this,” Marek said finally.

“I was a coward to leave as I did. If I could have trusted myself to say goodbye and not stay, I’d have done so.

Should have done so. I should have said that in The Moonlit Current but was taken aback by your presence.

By the time I’d gathered my wits about me, you were gone.

And by your reaction, I thought staying away was for the best.”

I could hear the thud of my heart in both ears. How long had I craved for such an explanation? How many questions did I construct in my mind, wishing I could ask? There was a time, not long after he left, I’d have given everything to hear those words. But that time was long past.