25. Yera

Chapter twenty-five

Yera

I am hurled behind Arrick's giant body before I can wrap my head around what's happening. The impact of his kiss still pulses through my bloodstream, and I have to shake my head to clear my thoughts.

Dia sheepishly takes another step out of the side room, and Arrick meets her. His powerful body looms closer. She has no control over him, and that fear reflects in her serpentine eyes. A beast cornered.

She takes another light step out into the main room. He instinctually moves in her direction, keeping a barrier between her and me.

The orcs are starting to move in our direction. I can see all the progress I've made in the past few hours crumbling before me. My eyes scan everything that's happening. If I don't step in, I can see the outcome before it happens.

Assuredly, I step left quickly and quietly enough. Arrick doesn't have time to reach out and stop me. His brawny arm swings out protectively but misses and grazes the tulle of my skirt. I situate myself between him and Dia, holding both hands out in a steadying motion, a stance used to quell unbroken horses.

"Stop, stop whatever you are thinking about doing," I say, not just to Arrick, but to everyone raising tensions in the room.

I now notice the stag-horned male lining up behind Arrick as if to defend him. This must be the other Vaki. It's also now that I realize I'm the dividing factor between two sides of frightening amounts of power—a lone human standing between two forces that could flatten one another in moments.

All eyes focus on me. Arrick is slowly moving in my direction at a pace not easily detected.

"Arrick, she will not hurt me. She will not come after any of us anymore. Isn't that right?"

Dia eagerly shakes her head, both the orcs and the harpies flanking her.

"There is so much we need to discuss." I point over to Dia. "And she is part of it, but I can't explain anything if you are all fighting."

The stag-horned man wears a stern scowl while mirroring Arrick's motions. His complete focus is on the queen. A light goes off in my mind when I remember what the queen said—what she took from him. This isn't good. Alarm bells start ringing in my mind. I need to stop this now.

"Look, I'm not hurt. They have fed me and clothed me. I'm here, albeit for nefarious purposes. I'm safe, and there is no longer a threat, if you would let me explain things to you." My arms fall to their sides, letting my fragile grasp slip.

"I will talk," Arrick says, breaking the deadening silence. "But he needs more explanations than any of us." He gestures back at the fierce-looking Vaki, staring daggers into the queen. The tension in the air is palpable, causing my skin to prick.

Dia scans the Vaki from horn to foot. He fixes his intense eyes on her with a glare that could crumble statues. "I'm sorry I removed your spells. I'll have them recast immediately," Dia softly exclaims, safely tucked behind the towering orc.

The Vaki scoffs at her. "Be still my heart. An apology and promise from the selfish queen." His voice is a growl that forces everyone to stand at attention. Dia holds her ground.

"I can't take it back; this is what I can give you now. This, and a vow that things are going to change."

He huffs out a breath incredulously at her words. "I'll believe that when I see it, Monster."

"It's Mother of Monsters."

"Is it, now? I'll stick to the former if it's all the same to you." Everyone is hushed, watching this verbal sparring. Then the Vaki saunters past, not a care in the world as we all gape at him. He walks over to the slit that leads to the conference room and holds the door open. "Shall we?"

I walk over to the hidden door. Arrick follows close behind. He looks past me into the room with the large wooden table and then back at me. "Let's do this. We all have a lot to discuss."

I notice the queen halting the orcs and harpies before they enter. I speak up. "Oh, no, they are coming in, too. It's their opinions and suggestions that are needed most." David, the only orc whose name I've learned, straightens. His posture reflects the new position being assigned to him. He will do just fine in court life.

Everyone finds a seat. Strangely enough, the head of the table is reserved for me, with the Vakis on one side and the queen and her new court on the other. I take my place in the middle, seated beside Arrick and Dia.

I fold my hands patiently in front of me and examine both sides of the room, scanning each face, trying to see the future, looking for a crack that will spur a fight. But I don't see one. I breathe out a long, slow breath, letting the air entirely escape my lungs. Then, I make eye contact with the room. I muster up all the assertiveness possible as I speak. "Thank you all for sitting down and agreeing to work together. Let's begin."

The conversation goes on well into the night. I'm surprised at how well Dia takes all the anger and criticism. At first, just from Kalevi.

When he begins to speak, I think all hope for peaceful communication has gone out the window, but Dia just takes it. She takes his anger and the anger from her people. She takes a beating for about three hours before the conversation becomes more logistical.

Arrick has his hand locked with mine the entire time. Anytime his attention isn't required elsewhere, his stare is locked on me. He watches my lips, my hair, and my hands. He eyes me like someone assessing a fine work of art. The intensity of his stare has my cheeks heating a bit. When his thumb brushes at my leg in a gesture intended to be comforting, heat pools in my lower abdomen.

It's only been a handful of days, but I've missed him every night since we were separated.

Time continues to creep by. Fortunately, some genuine progress has been made. The orcs, the harpies, and Kalevi will serve as advisors. Kalevi's spells have been re-cast, and have also spelled him to the castle to move fluidly between that and the forest.

By the time the clock strikes three, we're all exhausted. Even Dia has bags forming under her perfect, gilded skin. She's probably feeling the drain of stress as well.

Knowing everything she was taught, her goals were self-serving and logistically fraught. The way she pinches her brow and looks from the orcs to the harpies makes me feel for her a bit. This is most likely the longest night of her life, and nothing will be the same afterward.

The golden queen picks her head up out of her hands, her auburn hair falling to her sides like sheets of liquid fire. She looks drained and frustrated, but she opens her mouth to speak. "It's been a long night. I don't know what else we are going to accomplish tonight." Everyone straightens in their seats as a group. She looks over at me. "I've changed your quarters. You're now in a guest suite just down the hall." She pauses. "I've arranged more suitable rooms for everyone. Kalevi, I hope you'll stay this evening so we can discuss more tomorrow."

He nods in her direction. The Vaki male has been quiet most of the night. He only really spoke up around the time he felt his powers return. He insisted that protections be put in place so no one may remove his gifted power again, and I don't blame him. What she did to him was so invasive. I'm curious about what Arrick has to say about it.

"If we're ready, I can walk everyone to their rooms." Dia is an oddly gracious host. She gestures to the door, and we all file out. She waits for us to pass by and offers a generous smile, a move that seems regal enough. I wouldn't personally have the energy for such pleasantries.

This is truly a motley crew. We move as a group out of the enormous throne room and down the marble walkways lined with intricate sconces beaming golden light. The harpies are the first to break from the pack, led to a full apartment right off the main hallway.

I get a small glance when the door opens, and opulent is the only word that comes to mind. Now that everyone knows I can hear their thoughts, they block me out, but the looks on their faces say enough.

This must be leagues nicer than the room they were initially given, and the women file in one after another. Their eyes scan the apartment before the door gets slammed, and we move on.

The next hall down has another apartment. I watch the orcs smile at one another as they step into the main entrance. Before they shut the door behind them, I observe an ample general living space with a massive shale fireplace. Once the door closes, giggling and small noises of excitement echo from the cavernous room. I like those two despite their fruitless efforts to intimidate.

It's the four of us now, moving silently down the corridor, just the sound of our feet gliding on the polished floor. Dia stops in front of an elaborate door carved with nymphs, centaurs, fairies, and all matter of creatures. She pauses in front of it. "This room was made up specifically for you. I was hoping this could be your second home, a place you could be comfortable while advising me."

Kalevi eyes the hardwood door. His stare is still tinged with rage, and I can't begrudge him that emotion. Somehow, he takes all the anger beating at the seams of his mouth and sucks it back. "Thank you. This will work fine. I look forward to making some significant changes." He eyes her fiercely, punctuating his words with pure ire.

The intense Vaki male eyes Arrick and then me momentarily before stepping into his room. He runs his gaze from our linked hands to our faces. "Good night. It was a nice meeting you, Yera," he says, voice going gentle before disappearing behind the oak-colored door .

I wonder just how much Arrick told Kalevi about us. Quite a bit, I would guess. The longing way he looked at our clasped hands was telling enough.

Things here are going to change, I reassure myself. I have done some good here. That eases some knots tied in my stomach, and I relax against the feeling.

Everything for the past few weeks now, I guess, has been so scattered. I need to refocus on my ultimate goal: find my friends and get back home.

Just as the thought pops into my mind, the warm grasp of Arrick's fingers lightly tightens around mine. Fuck, what am I supposed to do about this? I like him. I don't want to lose him, either. Everything is muddied now, and confusion weighs on my thoughts.

Several more carved hardwood doors pass before we reach our room for the night. I take a big gulp at the threshold. This is the first night we've had to be leisurely with our time. Thinking of what could happen behind these closed doors makes me nervous and excited.

Dia stops me before entering and wraps her long arms around me. "Thank you. I believe things will get better," she whispers into my ear.

The hope in her voice makes me smile, and I squeeze her back. Her tone has some enthusiasm and a bit of trepidation, which is good.

Everything will fall to pieces again if she goes back on her word. I've only spent a day with the woman, so who am I to say if she is stable enough to see this to the end? I just really, really hope she does.

The radiant queen gives us a small up-and-down glance before she leaves us in front of our room for the night. Arrick's eyes look down on me, a bit of weariness in them but also contentment.