Page 87 of Night Meets the Elf Queen (The Elf Queen #4)

KATANA

T he swirling waters fell away, and Atlanta loosened his grip on her.

A meadow of tall green grass with patches of wildflowers surrounded them.

In the distance the mountain peak behind Castle Dredwich was visible.

The lip of the Valley of the Sun wasn’t far off.

She’d expected to be standing in the middle of the unnamed forest to be dragged through the portal to House of the Seas.

Atlanta strode away from her then suddenly halted as if he hit a wall. He pressed his hands flat against what appeared to be nothing. Then she remembered what Valeen said, “No one is allowed in or out unless I or the goddess of day wills it.”

Atlanta was trapped inside unless she or Valeen allowed him to leave. She smiled and felt laughter bubbling up in her chest.

He whirled, ferocity taking over his features. “What magic is this?”

“I don’t know.”

His fists crashed into the invisible wall. Then he conjured his trident and stabbed wildly at it. He hit it with a blast of water, with a force that could cut through stone, and it only sprayed back at him. “Did you do this?”

She shook her head but the laughter that had been threatening broke free. Even with her hand over her mouth she couldn’t stop.

Eyes blown wide with rage, Atlanta stalked toward her and backhanded her across the face. The blow knocked her off balance and she fell to one knee.

She rose back up and wiped the bead of blood at the corner of her mouth. “All you are is a boy who never learned to control his temper.” He sneered and raised his hand, but she didn’t flinch, didn’t move. She pushed her shoulders back.

“You’ve been around your sister too long, but you’ll remember your place. Now, let us pass.”

“I can’t. It’s Valeen’s magic. The same she had at House of Night.” If he believed she had no control over it, he wouldn’t try to force her to do it. If he found out she could open the way, it would be painful.

“It wasn’t there before!” he shouted.

“Well, maybe it’s because you took me. I don’t know how her magic works. She knows I don’t want to be with you, Atlanta. It’s over. Just leave me alone and go live your life.”

Her stomach dropped as rage twisted his face. Charging for her, he grabbed her arms, gripping hard enough to bruise. Water overtook them.

Moments later she stood outside a white manor with overgrown weeds around the front steps and along the walls.

He dragged her along the trampled path and up the chipped stairs.

The front door’s blue paint peeled from harsh weather.

Gold letters formed what she assumed was the name of the owners “Nerinhall”.

Once they were through the door, he shoved her in the back. She stumbled into the entry table, knocking off the silver vase. It clattered loudly to the white marble floor.

Footsteps pounded. Someone else was here…

Synick came around the corner. Katana’s gut seemed to twist, and she backed into Atlanta’s arms. Of the two of them, she at least knew her former husband wouldn’t kill her without reason.

He’d taken off the armor she’d burned a hole into and wore a sleeveless white top.

Like his face hidden beneath the mask, there were signs of decay on his left arm, patches of scabbed skin, and divots where the muscles seemed to have been eaten away, although it wasn’t as disgusting as before.

It appeared being away from the underrealm was regenerating him, slowly.

“What are you doing here?” Synick asked. “I thought you’d be in House of the Seas by now.”

“I would be, but we can’t get out. Valeen has put up a wall.”

“The bitch did that before.”

“I know.” Atlanta curled his arms around Katana’s waist. Nausea rose up her throat and an involuntary shudder wracked her body.

He must have mistaken it for a chill because he slipped off his cloak and put it around her shoulders.

“I need to know, was it you that killed Katana before? Don’t lie to me.

” His deep voice rumbled against her back.

If they started fighting, she could get away. “It was him,” Katana said matter-of-factly.

“Of course it wasn’t me.” Synick stared right into Atlanta’s eyes when he lied.

“She says it was you.”

“Maybe it was a shapeshifter to look like me, but it was not me.”

“And how would this shapeshifter have gotten an immortal weapon?” Atlanta gripped her tighter; his breath brushed the top of her head. His touch repulsed her, and she couldn’t wait for an opening to get out of his grasp.

“You know as much as I. They were gifts from our creators meant to slay the demon princes and their kind if they should ever break free of the underrealm.”

“It’s rather convenient that you would blame a shapeshifter for something you did.

” Surprisingly, Katana no longer felt anger toward him.

Fear didn’t rise to the surface and make her want to cower either.

All she felt was the urge to get away from both of them.

“Why was your soul sent to the underrealm after your death if it were not true?” The half mask covering the decaying side of his face didn’t hide the way he’d been punished for taking her life all those years ago.

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, and looked away, focusing on the vase on the floor.

“There were many things I am not proud of that I did to earn my place there, for which I was severely punished. Two thousand years of punishment, but it wasn’t for what happened to you.

And I plan to make amends for my past mistakes and retake my place on the council to set things right again in Runevale. ”

It was disgusting how easily he lied. The innocent act was even worse after what she saw in the smithy.

He would have forced himself on her sister right in front of her if he could have.

She hated him more than Atlanta, despised him with every fiber of her being.

Angry heat started to work its way through her body.

She looked up at Atlanta, and by the softening of his expression he either believed him or wanted to give him the chance to make amends as he said.

Neither would be surprising, especially after he spoke of the balance being restored.

He didn’t want to believe it because then he’d be forced into killing or imprisoning Synick to avenge her.

“He stabbed me with the Sword of Truth. I laid there calling your name, Atlanta, and you never came,” her voice broke on the last word. “He took me from you. He would do it again.” She had to get them to fight.

“We are primordials, all of us are bonded. I would never kill you.”

She turned and pressed her hands into Atlanta’s chest. “He’s lying. He wanted Valeen and when she wouldn’t give herself to him. He killed me to punish her.”

Atlanta’s eyes smoldered with intensity. It was working.

Synick snorted as if it were ridiculous. “I don’t even find Valeen attractive.”

“No, you’ve told me many times you wanted her,” Atlanta said, tone getting more menacing. “You watched her with lust in your eyes for too long.”

“Be careful, Atlanta.” Synick touched the bronze sword’s hilt at his hip. “Believing your wife’s lies won’t end well.”

“My wife doesn’t lie. She never has. So, you want to kill me too? I thought primordials were bonded?” Atlanta boomed.

“We are. Which is why we need to band together to restore the balance. The way to Runevale is open again but unless this fight ends with the council, what’s to stop Valeen from closing it again?”

The anger started slipping, and Katana clamped her hands into fists. No, they can’t find peace or come to an agreement. “Look at him, Atlanta. He is cursed by demon magic. He shouldn’t have the immortal sword.”

“No, he shouldn’t,” Atlanta agreed. “I will take it to the council where it belongs.” He held out his hand and Synick angled his hip away from him.

“I was head of the council.”

“Long ago.”

“The demons have gotten to his mind,” Katana added. Holding Atlanta’s waist, she slipped behind him. “I can see it. You know I see auras, Atlanta. His is as black as a raven’s feather. He is wicked. He is more demon than god now. We must take the sword.”

“Shut up, bitch,” Synick snarled.

“Do not speak to my wife that way.” Atlanta’s trident appeared in his hand, and he slammed the end of it to the marble floor with a loud crack . “If you are trustworthy, give me the sword, and we shall go to the council together.”

“Two thousand years of torture wouldn’t make me give up this sword. I will go to the council myself.”

“He will poison Pricilla’s mind just as he has everyone else’s,” Katana whispered. “The aura doesn’t lie, blackness oozes from him. You know I speak the truth, Atlanta.” The truth was more powerful than all of his deception, and all she had to do was tell it.

Atlanta tilted his trident points at Synick, and Katana slowly backed away.

VALEEN

Paintings on the walls blurred as Valeen tore through the halls.

She dashed past the guards and servants, down stairs and through twisting corridors.

Talon and her group of friends quickly stepped aside when they saw her coming.

Thane’s sister had been unusually quiet and kept to herself since the death of her mother. Probably afraid she’d be next.

She hurried past the towering bookshelves and the smell of old paper, until she found her way up the metal spiraling stairwell to Presco’s loft. He was pouring a deep-purple liquid into a larger beaker when she reached the top.

“My queen.” His brow creased with worry. “What’s wrong?”

She leaned back against the railing and took a few breaths.

“He took her. Atlanta, took Katana, and Synick is with him. The wall is up so as long as she doesn’t allow them through they won’t be able to leave the city, but I have no idea where they are, and Hel and Thane are not back. We must go to them.”

“Right away,” he agreed and set down his vial.