Chapter 11

CHAPTER11

Abraxas settled at the table with Lore and focused on the elderly man in front of them. Where Beauty’s father had looked strong holding the crossbow, now he seemed to have aged years. The old man had been holding a lot of stress, apparently, and had finally let it go.

“There are more people like us, sprinkled around the kingdom. Mostly those of us who had the means to hide when this all first started.” He winced. “It should have been more. I wish we had been able to hide others, but we didn’t have anywhere else to put them.”

Leaning back in his chair, Abraxas crossed his arms over his chest and tried not to glance around them at the large root cellar that had multiple makeshift rooms in it. They didn’t have room? They had plenty.

But if the man wanted to pretend they didn’t have enough room for all those who had been lost to Margaret’s forces, then he would let him pretend. Now was not the time to point out the obvious.

Beauty sat down next to her father and placed a hand on the old man’s back. “We couldn’t have gotten them to us, anyway. Margaret came in the middle of the night. By the time we realized the houses were burning, it was too late. So many people ran out into the streets, trying to get away from the smoke, and then they were just gone.”

“But we have a network,” her father interjected. “A network of those who are still here and are trying to get the humans back from her clutches. I hope you might be able to help us with that.”

Abraxas glanced at Lore, curious to see what she would say. Obviously, his elf wanted to help. She wanted to bring the humans back home and fill this city with its denizens again. But they had another reason for being here.

Helping the humans wasn’t in the plan. They had to get to Zephyr first, and Lore wanted an army. Not another task.

Lore’s eyes had narrowed on the old man, her teeth worrying the inside of her cheek. “You know I can’t do that.”

“You can, and you have no reason not to.”

“I have every reason not to, and every reason to help. There is a strange dichotomy in my life, old man. You would do well to remember it.”

“All I am asking is a few moments of your time and your power. With that, we could find out where they are and free them. If we do that, then we can move forward with a better plan afterwards.” His hands had curled into fists, but he put them underneath the table when he caught Abraxas staring at them. “Surely you can waste a few moments of your time to help us.”

“I can’t waste much time at all while I’m here.” Lore pointed at Beauty. “And I’ll need her.”

“For what reason?”

Beauty opened her mouth to interject, but Abraxas caught her gaze and shook his head. This wasn’t an argument for them. This was between two leaders of Tenebrous and Umbra. They needed to figure it out on their own.

“Why do you need my daughter?” Beauty’s father pressed yet again.

“Because I intend to collect the rightful king of this land. She would be the only person he will be interested in being around after what he’s gone through, and trust me when I say, he has gone through enough. She needs to be there for him the moment I rescue him or I’m afraid he will have no reason to continue living.” Lore leaned across the table and stared directly into his eyes. “I will help whatever humans I come across along the way to save him. You have my word. But we have to look at the bigger picture here.”

“Which is?”

Lore sighed and tossed up her arms. She leaned back in her chair like she was arguing with a child, and Abraxas had to cover his mouth with a fist. She was arguing with a child in comparison. Both he and Lore were hundreds of years old compared to this man’s sixty years. Though he understood why Beauty’s father refused to budge.

He wanted his people back. He wanted them to be alive and well and back in their homes without wondering who was going to attack them next. And could they blame him for it?

“Let me spell it out for you, then. I will bring back the king of your people. The one who should be making deals with the magical creatures and speaking on your behalf. Right now, you are a snake with its head cut off.” Lore sliced her hand through the air like a blade. “I want to give you back your mouth. And you will be the first person who talks with him once he is healed. I can promise you that. But I cannot gather your people without doing this first.”

Beauty’s father leaned back in his chair and mimicked her position. “Understood.”

“That is a good enough deal for you?”

“It’s the only one I’m getting, I assume.”

“It’s the only option I can see working. We cannot fight Margaret without an army, and we cannot gather an army without hope. Is there enough of you for that?”

Interesting question. Abraxas watched the man swallow but then nod.

“Most of us are old,” Beauty’s father said. “Most of us are nobility or those who had money. We are not fighters, but we will fight if necessary. Many of us are not... pleased with the developments and change in this kingdom.”

“Then you will not fight.” Lore stood and cracked her back. “I need soldiers, not soft handed politicians. But those who have any history in it, then please, let them know they will be needed.”

They all stood up as though Lore had dismissed them.

Beauty’s father gave her a sharp nod and then blew out a long breath. “All right. When do you want to leave?”

“Now, if possible. I don’t have time to wait and neither does Zephyr.” She did pause at least and smile at Beauty. “Any chance you could be ready soon?”

With a bright grin, Beauty was already racing away from them. Of course, she’d want to go on an adventure one more time.

Although, Abraxas wasn’t so sure this was a good idea.

Drawing Lore away from the others, he muttered underneath his breath, “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I do.”

“Are you sure?”

And there it was. The haunted expression that spread across her face and deepened the hollows underneath her eyes. “I have to get out of this place, Abraxas. I can’t stay in what used to be my home and what is no longer my city. Zephyr needs us. The kingdom is falling apart. I can’t stay here any longer waiting for someone to do something. It’s time for us to move.”

He didn’t want her to feel like this. But mostly, he wanted her to realize that her home was with him. He was her home, just as she was his.

Drawing her closer, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed. “Home isn’t a place, remember?”

He’d said that to her once. Home wasn’t a place, but a person. They were together in this and always would be. And yet, she seemed to have forgotten that in the shadows and muck of Tenebrous.

Lore pressed closer to him and nodded. “You’re right. When we are all together again, I will breathe. But right now, we need Beauty to be our guide.”

“Elven stronghold?” he suggested. “That might be the only place where we can rest.”

“The elves are the ones doing this, and I cannot help but assume they are aware of all the places that we might hide.” She took a steadying breath and then stood on her own, her face a mask that even he could not read. “We will, unfortunately, have to go about this the hard way.”

“I never questioned that this would be easy.” Though he laughed at the thought, he wasn’t exactly excited about it.

Abraxas had forgotten just how difficult it was to trudge through the wilds with little food and heavy packs. He had thought they were past that part of their lives, but apparently, camping it was.

Beauty rushed toward them, dragging three bags that clanked like she’d stuffed them full of metal. “I’ve been preparing for this, just in case you came back.”

“Preparing?” he asked, amused as she struggled to get to them.

“One can never be too prepared, dragon.” She flashed him a bright grin. “And in case you forgot, you were the one without a pack during our last journey and sorely regretting your decision.”

“I don’t need reminding,” he growled. Abraxas grabbed the three heavy bags from her before she threw her back out and lifted them for each woman to take. “Where are we heading?”

“To Solis Occasum,” Lore said. “And whatever we find along the way will be part of the journey, I suppose.”

“To save Zephyr?”

She nodded.

A small whine erupted from Beauty’s mouth before she pressed her hands against it to contain the sound. “I’m so sorry. I just... I never thought I’d see him again.”

He had nothing to say to that, and neither did Lore. There was too much happening and they couldn’t afford to get emotional. Even when Beauty’s father tearfully said goodbye to his daughter. They must not have planned to part so soon, and Abraxas knew the old man must be worried about what would happen.

After all, Beauty was no longer herself. None of them were.

He couldn’t watch. Abraxas turned away from the women and started toward the tree where he would wait. He couldn’t feel like this. He couldn’t get himself all worked up when there was so much left for them to do and fix.

A warm hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to see Beauty’s father had followed him.

“Here,” the old man gruffed, handing him a piece of parchment that was worn around the edges. “It’s a map. Beauty knows this city well, but she gets turned around sometimes. Best if you have something else to check her with.”

“Thank you.” Abraxas cleared his throat and rolled the map up in his hand. Should he say something? The old man just awkwardly stared at him. “We know where we’re going. It’s a start.”

Finally, the old man cleared his throat and said, “Take care of her. You hear me? She’s the only thing I’ve got left.”

Ah, shit. There was a time when Abraxas would have shrugged that off. But now he thought of Nyx and how he’d left her alone with Tanis, and the guilt that still rode his shoulders that he wasn’t there with his children when they needed him to be their father. Sure, they weren’t a kingdom that needed saving, but he was supposed to be there for everything with them. And all he’d done was put them aside for the greater good.

Voice raspy and emotions choking him, Abraxas nodded. “I’ll look after her as if she were my own.”

Perhaps his words confused the old man. Abraxas knew he looked rather young and not at all like someone who had children, especially grown children at that, but Beauty’s father quickly regained his composure and nodded. “Good. I’ll have to hunt you down if she dies, boy.”

Boy.

When was the last time anyone had called him that? Abraxas pressed his lips into a thin line so he didn’t laugh, and nodded at the old man. At the very least, he’d make Beauty’s father feel like he was involved.

He could do that for the man. He could make him feel like he was the hero of this story.

“Ready?” Lore’s voice sliced through their quiet moment.

Beauty trailed along behind her, and even though her eyes were ringed with red from crying, she appeared brighter than she had since they’d arrived. He knew adventure ran through her veins as thoroughly as any other. She was not a young woman who enjoyed staying still.

Abraxas nodded. “Ready. We’ll have to get out of Tenebrous during the day. Both of you keep your hoods up, and if everything goes to shit, I’ll keep everyone off you while you run.”

Lore rolled her eyes. “No one is going to recognize us.”

He wouldn’t be so certain of that.

They left Borovoi’s home behind with only the slightest bit of hesitation. Abraxas had no interest in looking at the cursed place any longer, nor did he want to stay underground. But beyond, Tenebrous was almost more dangerous.

The city had woken, and that meant there were so many opportunities for someone to notice them. The people who wandered the streets wore no hoods, and the three of them stuck out. Eyes were on them, and Abraxas immediately felt every muscle in his body lock up.

It took only three blocks for someone to start following them. Five for the creatures to call out and ask for them to remove their hoods.

Lore glanced back at him and he knew what she wanted. He took his own hood off first, turning toward the men with a wicked grin. “Gentlemen! What can I help you with?”

His size should have been enough to deter them, but it wasn’t. This city had become home to the creatures, and though they were kinder than the humans, he wondered if it wasn’t by that much.

One of the men who wandered closer had the face of a rat, whiskers and all. He had no idea what kind of creature this man was, but he seemed even less humanoid than the others.

Baring his teeth in a snarl, Abraxas loomed over him. “We’re just passing through.”

“And we’re just making sure you ain’t smuggling humans out of Tenebrous. You know how much money those bring in? If anyone’s making the profit, it’s us.” The rat man jabbed a thumb into his chest, then sneered up at Abraxas. “You wouldn’t be stealing from Tenebrous, stranger. Would ya?”

“Not stealing anything.”

“Then you won’t mind if they take off their hoods?” The rat leaned around him to leer at the two women, and clearly they were women. Even cloaks couldn’t hide how small they were, nor Beauty’s curvy hips.

Abraxas was ready to snap the rat’s neck. He had no problem with violence or killing to keep his women safe. But Lore lifted her hand and pulled her hood off. What he stared at was not... Lore. Not quite.

She’d somehow changed her features, just slightly. Her ears were longer, her hair more red than gold, her eyes twisting into a green rather than the blue he loved so dearly. She smiled at the rat, her gaze serene and soft. Not at all like herself.

“We had hoped to keep our journey quiet,” she said, her voice light and airy. “I apologize if we’ve inconvenienced you.”

He’d thought the rat man would fall under her spell, but he didn’t. Instead, the man crossed his arms and nodded at Beauty. “Then who’s that? You expect me to believe two elves are walking through Tenebrous with a lone bodyguard?”

With a deep snarl, Abraxas lunged at him. But Lore whispered a quiet word, and he pulled back at the last second. “They only need one bodyguard,” he still growled, making sure the man knew what danger he was in.

Again, the rat only laughed. Did the man have a death wish?

Lore reached for Beauty’s cloak and Abraxas could almost smell her magic. It poured out of her skin so easily now that he knew the scent, knew the feel of it as well.

And when she lowered Beauty’s hood, his dear friend had tiny pointed ears. She looked right at the rat man without fear and then smiled.

“Is that suitable?” Beauty asked, her voice wavering a bit.

The rat merely tsked and turned on his heel. “Lucky day, strangers!”