The Whispering Read online

  I call out to her, but she doesn’t hear me. She is still in a trance and the noise doesn’t help. Lily steps to the doorway with the key still around her neck. Before I know it, Kolinest is at her side with his long blade placed at Lily’s heart.

  “Will you let her live for the sake of this realm, king?” he asks, pulling Lily closer.

  I stare at him for moment, fighting the panic.

  “Do you threaten the queen of Velesi, Kolinest? Do you think you can easily take her, her people and her throne?”

  He chuckles and shakes his head. “Nice try, King of Velesi, I hold no threat to the queen, but am merely stopping this Halfling from taking what belongs to me. My way home.”

  The panic is now in my chest and I feel a rage burning in the pit of my stomach.

  “Let her go,” I demand quietly.

  “Or what? Nine of the people Ka chose to keep this realm intact are in the garden now. I can take them out easily and you can easily stop me, but can you do it and still save your queen?”

  I can feel the golden scabs of the wound caused by the hell fires begin to break. The hate and anger the dragon spirit healed start to spill from a tear that once was a scar.

  “Choose, Tharin, King of Velesi, Ruler of the Realm, husband to Lilianethia,” he goads. “What will it be, king? The nine who will carry the home you love and its people, or your wife? She has the ability to open any door to any realm you like and you will live your lives out together. Ah, I can hear them laughing, can’t you? Four little ones…no I see five, all adoring their mother, idolizing their father. They are so precious, so beautiful and now…a possibility of never coming into existence. Choose king.”

  I grow deaf to what is happening around me. I only hear him, Kolinest, and his voice drives me to insanity. I feel the scar rip wide open as I let loose my hate and rage; I pull in the energy from all around me. I cast my eyes toward Gastah Point and with the will of the Lunar blood I call forth the energy rising from the bottom of the lake. The lake I created out of anger as a child, the lake where the core energy of the realm flows from – from the Mother’s core.

  I allow the energy in, but stop it from going through me, holding it within. I use my hate to harness it and focus my attention on Kolinest and he sneers at me knowing I am at a point where if I release the energy I will destroy everything, including the realm. Too late I realize I have already made a choice. I allowed him to take me to a point of no return. And, it is that realization which further fuels my frustration and anger. What have I done?

  “Tharin,” she whispers gently.

  “Lily, I’m sorry, it’s too late.”

  “No, Tharin, it’s not too late,” she insists. “You know why?”

  “Why, Lily?” my anger eases.

  “One, because I love you,” she says.

  “You mean there’s something more than the fact that you love me?” The rage subsides a bit and the hate dissipates slowly.

  “Yes, there is,” she whispers, and I feel her shyness come through. I don’t release the energy at once, but let it flow through me gently; sending it back to lake.

  “And what’s that, jai’loa?” I whisper back, the rage, the anger and the hate almost gone now.

  “I don’t want to die a virgin.”

  That does it. I push the energy out slowly but forcefully and the noise returns. Since being in my cocoon of rage, the number of Kolinest’s men has increased and I can see the strain on my small group taking its toll. Dorlan and Kalis are now fighting alongside Alorn, Mellis, Ziri and Colsea. Walem, Kulzo and Minth are holding their own, but the dwarf is hurt, the old valet has blood running down the side of his face and Minth is weakening each time a dryad falls.

  “What the hell are you doing?” yells Kolinest.

  His plan to use me as the catalyst that would start the destruction of our realm is slipping through his ancient fingers.

  “You think you can out do me?” He grabs Lily by the back of her neck. “I will kill your precious queen and take everything from you!”

  A hollow, pulsating beat vibrates throughout the garden and everyone comes to a standstill. The lightning disappears and the thunder grows silent but the doorway remains as is.

  Kolinest’s eyes grow wide as he releases Lily and steps away from her.

  “Father,” yells Aureinia as she moves to stand by his side. “You idiot, what have you done?”

  I watch as the ground behind Lily tremble and break. A white mist rises and slowly transform, taking shape until a Sidhe warrior dressed in all white appears. His hair is jet black, his eyes soft amber and he is built like Alorn, tall, strong and deadly. In his presence the dryads and tree dwarves fall to their knees bowing low to the ground. Orcs, trolls, goblins and demons tremble and follow suit, all dropping to their knees.

  “Face me queen of the Willow,” he commands, his voice mesmerizing and soothing.

  Lily does as he asks, facing the Unnamed Sidhe without fear.

  The warrior’s eyes widen and he catches his breath upon seeing Lily’s face.

  He drops to one knee, taking her hand to his lips. “Tileanith, my love – you have come back to me.”

  Lily shakes her head. “No, I’m not Tileanith. I am her descendant, Lilianethia, daughter of Senestra.”

  The Unnamed Sidhe rises and stares into Lily’s eyes and the world around us seems to hold its breath.

  Finally, he bows his head slightly. “Yes, I do see you Lilianethia, my daughter.”

  Lily remains quiet as the Unnamed Sidhe steps back. And in a blink of an eye an invisible force has Kolinest by the throat, lifting him off his feet. But the demon master refuses to be defeated and from within, he calls the core of his will sending an energy blast meant to kill everyone in the garden.

  With the wave of his hand, the Unnamed Sidhe pulls the blast to him, sucking it into his body like a vacuum and all goes quiet.

  He drops Kolinest, who collapses in a heap at Aureinia’s feet. When he rises slowly, Kolinest has aged as Ka did, and is unsteady as he stands. When the dark warrior in white turns back to Lily, Kolinest lifts his hand aimed at her, trying to kill her with the last of his energy. Like a hot white comet, the Unnamed Sidhe cuts through Kolinest’s shield, killing him instantly with what looks like a scythe. But he moved so fast, I can’t be sure what it was. When Aureinia screams and turns to take Lily down, the warrior slices through her easily, again with a blur of a scythe.

  And the memory of the prophecy comes back to me.

  “An heir from the land of man and Sidhe will be born to the line of the true healers. The Virgin Queen will bring death to Eirrell’s door and Velesi will be no more.”

  Not death, but Death.

  He turns to Kabba who falls to his knees. “Master, forgive me. I was tied by the wards forced on me by the one you just took. Please...”

  The Unnamed Sidhe lifts his hand and Kabba is engulfed by hell’s fire, screaming as he dies before our eyes. This is the second time I have seen a demon killed and not returned to the UnderRealm.

  The white warrior moves to Harlu, who is lying unconscious. He stares at him for a long moment and then says, “I cannot take my own blood.”

  He turns and walks back to Lily. “What of these here who fight against you? I don’t feel them a challenge, but say the word and I will relieve you of their presence.”

  Lily shakes her head. “No, father. I just want to go home.”

  He moves in and holds her until Lily hugs him back. When he steps back, she takes the key from around her neck and puts it in his hand, closing it. He nods, knowing what she is asking by giving him the key. He looks to the door, and then looks back at Lily, then me. He lifts the key to the door and opens it. A soft breeze comes through and touches Lily’s face, her hair blowing gently as it passes her and makes its way to me; the breath of the First Sidhe. The realm will remain intact with its thirteen new sentinels, defying the prophecy of Velesi “being no more”.

  The Unnamed Sidhe closes the
doorway and it disappears, forever gone. He turns to me and holds out his hand. I drop to my knees as searing pain rips through me and the edges of my vision begin to blur. I see him hold Lily in place with just a look before setting his eyes on me again. And I realize what he is doing. He is taking back the gift of Healers and returning it to Lily. However, I still feel the remnants of the gold energy inside of me. The Sidhe warrior catches my eye and nods, confirming that he has left enough of the dragon’s spirit in me. But, it is not only to heal, but to plant. He sends me a mental picture of what looks like a dragon’s egg. The image fades and so does the pain.

  Finally, he turns to Lily and says, “You will rule well.”

  She continues to hold onto his hand. “Will you tell me your name?”

  “I go by many names, child. Most of them ancient and long forgotten,” he says wistfully.

  “Then tell me what Tileanith called you?” she asks.

  He looks at her for a moment, and with a sad smile he answers, “She called me ‘Jai’loa’.”

  He takes her hand and softly kisses it before stepping back and letting her go. And without another word, he turns back to mist and disappears.

  ~ * ~

  Chapter Thirty-One

  ~ Lily ~

  Once the Unnamed Sidhe disappears, it is like strings attached to all of us are suddenly clipped and we can move on our own again. I stumble forward and Tharin catches me, wrapping me in his arms and lifting me. We hold on tight to each other not believing it is over.

  We are pulled from each other by the battle cry of more demons coming from the balcony. Their call generates responding cries from the demons within the garden and the battle resumes. With no one to control them, they turn on us and each other, including the orcs, goblins and trolls who just moments ago were fighting on the same team.

  Tharin pulls me aside as he scans the area near the bench, spotting Tolan lying unconscious. He rushes to his brother’s side and I turn to look for Julia. I run to where I saw her last, looking frantically for her when I hear a scream. I turn to find Kalis charging me at full speed and I put up my shield at the last minute. Not that I had anything to worry about. The warrior reaches me in no time, her staff raised high but she overshoots me, landing behind me taking out two orcs.

  She glances over her shoulder, her face infused by the excitement of battle. “Do you want me in bed with him? I told you to watch your back.”

  All I can do is stare at her and nod before she takes off looking for more victims. I come to my senses and start my search for Julia again only to run into Minth.

  “My queen,” she greets as she sends roots from the pando forest floor to take out three attackers. “I was saddened to hear you have wedded and find I did not get an invitation.”

  “What?” I look at her confused before remembering. “Oh, I’m sorry. It was kind of a last minute thing.”

  “Hmmm,” is her only answer as she moves on, finishing off her attackers.

  “Tharin, I can’t find Julia,” I call, frustrated by not locating her.

  “I saw Frank and Chris hiding along the Willow path. Wait for us and we’ll come with you,” he answers.

  I can’t wait. They have no idea what Frank will do to her. If he can’t have her, he will kill her so no one else can. I head straight for the Willow path but come to a halting stop. Standing between me and the path is Harlu.

  I can see in his eyes the rage and hate he has for me, blaming me for ruining everything. He charges me without warning and I immediately pull up my shield several feet out, but he cuts through it easily. Instantly my bow is in my hands again and I only have seconds to spare as I take aim, but I hold. Harlu comes to a stop only a few feet from me. His eyes lock with mine and then shift to the man in front of him, Walem. The old valet’s blade goes through Harlu coming out his back. They both fall to their knees.

  I watch as Walem’s face and body wavers in and out to finally settle on a new form. Kneeling before Harlu is a human in his late forties, early fifties. His dark brown hair is peppered with gray, along with his beard. He is of a muscular build, but his shoulders are slumped as he continues to stare into Harlu’s eyes. I move to the side of them and see the resemblance between father and son.

  John Michaels' emotions are evident on his face and he holds them back while the life in Harlu’s eyes slip away. A second later, Harlu falls into our father’s arms. The man he hated the most, is the only man left who loves him still. I lower myself next to him and through his pain, my father reaches for me. I take his hand, letting him know I understand. Harlu was evil, but he was still his son…a son he never knew and can’t help but wonder “if only I was there”.

  Julia.

  I look at him, apologizing, “I’m sorry. I have to find Julia.”

  He doesn’t say a word, only nods as he continues to hold onto Harlu. I hesitate, not wanting to leave him like this, but I finally get up and go in search of Julia.

  I run past Tharin and Ziri as they try to get Tolan up. Tolan looks worse for wear; both his hands are blackened and burnt. I will heal them as soon as I find Julia, I promise myself. Once I reach the path I go into elf mode, only taking me minutes to catch up to the three of them.

  Frank has Julia by the arm, dragging her alongside him. I recognize the posture, the one of someone beaten and with no hope. It was the habitual posture of Julia’s before Tolan. She is whimpering, a sound I haven’t heard her make since the night Tolan rescued her.

  “Let her go,” I call out, holding back my anger.

  Frank turns, twisting Julia around cruelly as he waits for me to approach closer. Julia looks at me with terror in her eyes, already seeing what Frank will do to her.

  “Julia,” I look directly at her, locking her eyes with mine. “Where are you going? You’re going to miss your own wedding.”

  Julia looks at me, shaking her head. There is one thing I notice that she isn’t doing; she’s not crying. Every time Frank would threaten her, Julia would cry, but not this time.

  Frank pulls out a short blade, probably a weapon he picked up from a dead attacker at the garden. “She’s not marrying anyone, you interfering bitch,” he snarls at me.

  “I’ll take care of her,” spits Chris, moving toward me. “I’ve wanted to knock the shit out her since the day I met her.”

  I am about to pull up my shields but hold back.

  “Wait,” calls Frank, placing the blade at Julia’s cheek. “You’re going to get us out of here, take us back home. If you don’t I’m going to cut her face so bad you won’t recognize her.”

  I ignore him and turn my attention back to Julia. “You think Tolan will be able to live a normal life without you? What about us? What about our new dreams that includes the elves we love?”

  “She’s not marrying any freak!” he roars.

  Frank digs the blade into Julia’s cheek, piercing the skin. Blood runs freely, dripping down to her neck and jersey.

  “I’m warning you, Lily. I swear I’ll cut her face up,” he continues to threaten.

  “Let me take her, Dad,” begs Chris. “I’ll beat the way home out of her. She'll be begging to let her show us the way out.”

  This time Frank doesn’t stop him and Chris makes his way over, menacingly. I don’t move, just stare at Julia, pleading with her.

  “This is going to hurt so bad,” says Chris, a malicious smirk on his face. He comes at me and I still don’t call up the shield. Instead I stare at Julia who remains huddled within herself, peering through eyes daunted and afraid. But the moment Chris’ fist connects with my cheek and I go down, I see her eyes clear, focused and pissed the hell off.

  I hit the ground hard, my hand at my cheek holding it against the pain. I hear a whistling sound in my ear, deafening me. My vision blurs, but I hear distant cries and muffled curses and then silence.

  Julia.

  I try to get up and then remember I can heal myself, but the ringing in my ears is making it difficult for me to concentrate. I fe
el someone land on their knees beside me, helping me to sit up. I shake my head to clear it and find myself staring into the eyes of my best friend.

  Julia.

  “You know, you could have just knocked them out with that elf thing you do,” she says, hugging me to her. I look over her shoulder as I hug her back and see Frank and Chris out cold.

  “Yeah, well, you could have snapped out of it before he hit me – ouch!”

  Like magic, familiar hands lift me up, steadying me by the shoulders. Tharin gives my face a good look and his own turns hard. He takes a breath and raises a brow. “I take it you don’t want me kill anyone over that, right?”

  I look at Julia who is now hugging a worn out Tolan and we smile at each other. I turn back to Tharin, shaking my head. “Nah, it was worth it.”

  Tharin nods and with a serious look on his face, he steps back and goes down on one knee. Taking my hand, he says, “I know you believe you don’t have a choice, but you do. Lilianethia Senestra Michaels, will you marry me?”

  I am shocked to silence. I stare at him touched by his proposal.

  When I don’t answer immediately, a worried look comes over his face. “We don’t have to live here in Velesi if you don’t want to, I mean, I’ll have to come back every now and then but if you want to go back home…”

  I shake my head at him. “Go back home? Is that what you want me to do, Tharin?”

  “No,” he answers. “But you told the Unnamed Sidhe you wanted to go home.”

  “I did. I wanted to come home to you. Wherever you are is home.”

  He is quiet for a moment. “So…is that a yes?”

  I am in his arms almost knocking him over. He lifts me as I grab his face and say, “Yeah, that’s a yes, jai’loa.”