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“I’m fine. I guess my curiosity got the best of me,” I replied, studying the creatures from afar. Though I was terrified, my interest was piqued. Missing limbs, rotted skin; what were these things, and why did they appear more dead than alive? My heart was racing as I tried to calm my nerves. Was I going to have to get used to random creatures popping in unannounced?
“Your curiosity is going to get you killed, sweet Genevieve. Word of advice: when you hear screaming, run away, not towards it.”
“I’ll try to keep that in mind. What are they?” I asked.
“Draugr. They’re undead. Nasty little things that usually keep to themselves. Their lands lie in the dark court’s territory. They can shapeshift, grow in size, travel through stone, and have great strength.”
“Why did they attack the castle? Surely, they knew they would be cut down.”
He shrugged. “The pests rolled through their land a few days back, taking their treasures and destroying their crypts. I guess they were desperate enough to come here looking for handouts.” Levos took me by the arm. “Come on, let’s get you to bed. Gaelin will deal with them when he returns.”
I laid in bed that night trying to get the image of the draugr out of my mind. The smell of their rotting flesh still hung in the air. If those things were desperate enough to attack the castle, the monsters coming from the rift must be making quite an impact. The thought made me weary. I needed to get to Lily and then somehow get us both back behind the protective border before a war broke out.
Chapter 10
At the end of the week the court assembled in the throne room to welcome Gaelin’s entourage back to the light court. I stood off to the side, trying to be invisible. The large doors opened and Gaelin and his men walked in with dominance and strength, demanding the attention of the room. He and the others knelt before King Lysanthier, waiting to be acknowledged.
“Rise, Lord Atros,” said the king. “What report do you have from the Kingdom of Doonak?”
Gaelin stood to his feet. “A beast the size of five men terrorized their lands,” reported Gaelin. “Taking their livestock, murdering anything that it came in contact with. It had large fangs that dripped with poison and a hide of armor.” The court gasped in shock. “We hunted and eliminated it as instructed. We lost two from the light court and one from the dark. As agreed, the dark court will conduct their research, then send the remains to our kingdom for our own discovery,” reported Gaelin.
“Very good, Lord Atros. We are glad to see you and your men in good health. The fallen will be honored this evening and we will have a feast to commemorate their sacrifice. Until then, welcome home.” The king waved his hand, releasing the court.
I rushed past the crowd, heading straight for Gaelin’s bedchamber. It was over thirty minutes before he finally entered. I was pacing with anticipation, barely able to contain myself. He closed the door, dropping his sword in its usual place. He looked at me and gave me a small, tired smile.
“Lilian? Did you find her? Is she still alive?” I blurted out.
He nodded and stepped closer towards me. “She is alive, and surprisingly doing well in her current situation.”
“What? How? What do you mean?”
He sat down on the edge of the bed, taking off his shoes. He winced in pain at the action. “She sings,” he replied. “You didn’t tell me she sings.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I demanded.
“They’re keeping her for entertainment. Apparently, the court likes the way she sounds.”
I exhaled, feeling relief rush over me like a cold wind. I sat on the bed next to him, reeling from the news that my sister was alive. “Is she…is she being harmed?”
“Not that I could assess.”
I laughed, not knowing how else to react. Gaelin’s eyes were heavy. “Thank you, so much,” I said, taking his hand in mine.
He smiled tiredly at me with a nod.
“And how are you? Are you hurt?” I asked.
He exhaled and pulled his jacket away from his side. Blood seeped through his shirt from bandages that wrapped a wound on his left side. I stood instantly, rushing for freshwater and cloth.
“Why didn’t you say something when you first came in?” I exclaimed.
He chuckled. “You didn’t really give me the opportunity.”
“I’m so sorry. Here, let me change those for you,” I said, kneeling in front of him. He painfully removed his shirt from his torso. I unwrapped the saturated bandage from his skin, revealing a gash about four inches across his side. “Do you have a healer or something that will quicken the healing process?”
He gestured to a dresser. “There’s a balm over there. It will help ease the pain while it heals. It should be gone by tomorrow morning.” I retrieved the balm and cleaned his wound gently. I felt his eyes on me, never straying. As I finished wrapping his side, his fingers trailed through the curls in my hair.
I remained kneeling and raised my hand to his bare chest, gently grazing the back of my knuckles over the skin. His hand trailed down the back of my neck, leaving goosebumps in its path. He cupped the side of my face as his traced thumb over my lips. I leaned into his touch, savoring the moment.