Hollow Earth (Hallowed Realms Book 2) Page 16

  “You will not strike me again,” I said in a low voice that broke through her walled-off emotions. My mother had pushed me for the last time. Taryn was right. I should have acted a long time ago.

  “There are things you do not understand—”

  “Save it for the jury, Mother.” I tossed her hands aside. “Because I assure you that when I am king, you will pay for this under the law of treason.”

  “Aed!” she called out to me as I shoved past her, but I did not slow my pace. The door slamming behind me reverberated in my soul. My hands shook as I sought out the solace of my room.

  I never wanted to be next in line for the crown. My older brother Alroy was the one groomed for that seat. All I’d ever wanted to be was a soldier. To do my part. Keep people safe. Now I’d become a bloody politician.

  But when I arrived at my room, I saw Taryn’s door stood wide-open. Her things had already been removed. My mother’s threat to have her placed under guard was carried out with the utmost speed. The guards at the door must have overheard our...conversation.

  “Damn you, Mother. You always make things worse.”

  Chapter 14

  Devlin

  Walking the halls of the manor house, I could still remember watching my dead sister dancing around the floor earlier tonight. The look of longing in her eyes for Prince Aed wasn’t easy to forget. It had frozen me where I stood for several minutes. How? How was this possible? She’d died. We’d buried her. Mourned her. Taryn had assured me her spirit would be ferried to her final resting place. I had a hard time believing that place was in the arms of that whore of a man.

  When I had tried to step onto the dance floor to find out what the hell was going on, the royal guard stopped me.

  “No one is allowed on the floor while the royal family dances,” one of the guards hissed.

  Right. Shite. I should know that. They were going to cut my head off if I didn’t come up with something fast.

  “I’m Prince Aed’s reaper,” I said. “My job is to go where he goes.”

  The guard didn’t budge.

  “No one outranks the king’s orders. Now step back or I’ll do it for ya.”

  I had done as instructed as I believed they would strike me down in cold blood if I didn’t. It ended up being a moot point because Alana finished her dance with the prince a moment later and then promptly disappeared into the halls. I had to find where she went and figure out what the hell was going on.

  Searching the hallways of the manor house wasn’t the safest plan, but my time here would be limited. Once all the guests were gone, the royal guard would kick us all out. That meant I was on a clock to find Alana and Taryn. I’d searched two wings and still, there was no sign of either of them. I tried locked doors, darkened corridors, even washrooms, much to the horror of a woman I hadn’t realised was still inside.

  Time was escaping me and I didn’t know what more to do.

  I was just debating which corridor to try again when I heard a voice. Not any voice, but the prince’s. He might know where Taryn was. Or be with my sister. Either way, I had to investigate.

  I poked my head around for a moment to see who he was talking to. He was with a woman. Not Taryn. Not Alana. Another one. Of course he was.

  “Hadley, you shouldn’t be here,” Aed said.

  “Shouldn’t I?”

  I stood there and watched as this Hadley woman ran her hands over Aed’s chest. He didn’t stop her advances.

  Why, that no good bastard. He had his hands up everyone’s skirts.

  “Hadley, it’s late. It’s been a long evening, and you’ve been in the cups for too long.”

  “Yes, I have, but you and I both know I can make this long night worth your while.”

  She went in for a kiss as my hands balled into fists. Who does this guy think he is? First Taryn and now Alana? Has he no decency?

  “Enough, Hadley,” Aed said. “This needs to stop. I won’t have you behaving like this in public.”

  Hadley huffed but composed herself.

  “Fine. Have it your way. I’ll leave the door unlocked, for when you change your mind.”

  She gave the prince another kiss, but this time it was on the cheek. Then, she walked past him and farther down the hall, disappearing from sight.

  Aed stood there for a second and then walked towards the hall where I was waiting.

  He rounded the corner and I glared at him.

  “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in?” I sneered.

  At first, he paid me no attention, as though he didn’t hear me, but then he stopped in mid-stride and slowly turned around.

  “Devlin?” he whispered.

  “Whose bed are ya headed to now? Taryn’s? My sister’s? Or is there another whore you wanna tick off your list tonight?”

  He didn’t answer me, but instead, grabbed hold of my arm and dragged me a small distance to a kitchen area to the left of us.

  Several workers stopped their baking preparations and immediately bowed to the prince.

  “Out. All of you,” he ordered.

  The kitchen crew dropped what they were doing without a word, and a moment later we were alone in the dark room.

  “You dirty bastard,” I said, not even caring that I was yelling at a prince. “You have to have your hand in every pot, don’t ya?” It was bad enough he was stealing Taryn away from me, but now he was going after my sister as well. Had the man no morals at all?

  “Devlin, what in the blazing hell are you doing in Netherworld?” He glanced down at my outfit. “And dressed as a reaper no less?”

  “I could ask you a few questions as well. Where is Taryn? What are you doing dancing with my sister? Where is she? What have you done to her?”

  “I haven’t done anything to your sister.” He sighed, seemingly annoyed by the accusation.

  I didn’t believe him for a second. As a prince, he likely took whatever he wanted. Well, if he thought that included my sister, he was grossly mistaken. There was no way this loathsome scum of a man was getting anywhere near Alana.

  My hand curled into a fist and was against his jaw before he could react. His body fell against the counter, scattering bowls and food prep all over.

  I braced myself for his retaliation, but I should have known he would not play fair. I threw a punch, but he pulled a blade. He was smart enough to know I wasn’t skilled at weaponry. The only thing I knew how to fight with was my hands, and they proved to be useless when you had a blade pressed against your neck.

  “That will be the last time you ever strike me. Do you understand?” Standing nose to nose, Aed pushed the glass blade hard against my jugular.

  “You’re the tough guy, aren’t ya? Using a knife against an unarmed man.”

  Aed didn’t release his grip on the blade, but I saw his eyes narrow.

  “You are the one who walked into my world, uninvited, struck me, accused me of abominable things, and you have the gall to talk to me of being unarmed. Now I ask you again, what are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to save Taryn from the likes of you,” I said, making sure to spit at him, despite the pinch of the blade.

  “Looks like you are the one in need of saving,” a voice said from behind me. A moment later, Aed’s blade was off me.

  A woman had shoved him off me. Even as she stood with her back to me, dressed in her sexy as hell warrior leathers, I knew it was Taryn.

  Unable to feel the earth under my feet, I sank to my knees. I’d found her. After all this time, I’d finally found her.

  “Now would ya mind telling me why one of your reapers wants to rip yer heart out?” she asked Aed. When he pointed at me with his blade, she turned around and finally saw who was on the floor, kneeling before her.

  “Devlin?” Her eyes took me in. Standing before her in a reaper’s outfit instead of my own normal human clothes must have sent her mind reeling. As mind reeled seeing her.

  She was absolutely stunning. Her hair was down and flowed across her
face, which wore a look of shock and disbelief. Through the thick leather of her outfit, I could make out the lush curves of her body.

  “Taryn,” I said, pulling myself up to standing. I walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. My face buried itself naturally into the crook of her neck. “I can’t believe I found you.”

  Taryn pushed me away then, to look me in the eyes. Her face indicated that she was in shock. A second later she was in my arms. My arms wrapped around her as she linked her fingers into my hair. Her eyes searched mine for a moment before we both couldn’t contain ourselves any longer. Our lips met in a passionate and hungry kiss, fingers digging into each other’s flesh, pulling us as close together as we could get. Her lips were so warm and soft that I moaned out in pleasure.

  “Taryn,” Aed snapped, breaking our lip-lock. “Remember where you are. Anyone, especially my mother, could walk in. Your human’s fate would be out of even my control if that happened.”

  “Aye. You’re right. I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  I traced my hand down the side of her face. “Don’t be.” My heart was full. She was here. She was safe and in my arms. Nothing else mattered.

  “How?” she asked. “How are you here?”

  Aed came forward, forcing Taryn and me to take a step back. Our hands still remained interlocked. “That is a question I would very much like the answer to as well,” he said.

  “It’s a bit of a long story,” I confessed.

  “Give us the short version.” His face was unimpressed.

  Taryn gave my hand a squeeze, so I decided it was okay to tell them both the truth.

  “It all started with Tris,” I began.

  “Tris?” Taryn asked. “Has something happened? Is she okay? What does she have to do with all this?”

  “She led you here.” Aed guessed. “I knew it was a risk trusting her.”

  “You should have listened to her,” I spat. “She told you Seamus wasn’t ready to go back to Moneyglass.”

  Taryn’s other hand touched my jaw, forcing my attention back on her. There was worry there about the fate of her friend.

  “She came to check on Seamus. She had a feeling he would relapse. And it’s a good thing she did. He’s sick again.”

  Taryn spun out of my arms to face Aed. “You told me he was recovered!”

  Aed waved a hand. “He was nearly healed. I sent him home with some of our herbs. He should have been fine.”

  Taryn crossed her arms. “Did ya give him a full lunar cycle worth?”

  “Of course not. I gave him a week’s course. Same as we give our reapers.” Aed seemed affronted by her accusation.

  “This won’t work the same on a human!” Taryn shouted, then lowered her voice, remembering her volume. “By sending him home early, all you did was put us all in danger,” Taryn said. “If he dies before he’s meant to, don’t ya think the king would want to know why since he controls all human death? We can’t let him die. You know it as well as I do.”

  Aed seemed to let that information sink in because he gave her a small nod. After that approval, she turned her focus back on me.

  “I’ll gather some supplies and give them to you to bring back to Moneyglass.”

  “You can give them to him yourself,” I said. “Tris is tending to him in a room in Odran.”

  “Seamus is here, too?” She gasped.

  “In Netherworld?” Aed fumed. “How many of your lot did Tris let in?”

  “Just the two of us. Tris said he needed the herbs and healing mists of Netherworld, and there was no way she was taking him without me.”

  Taryn’s hands dug into my leather vest, holding me tight. “Devlin, as much as I am happy to see you, ya canna be here. It’s too dangerous. If the king finds out...”

  “Or the prince,” Aed interjected.

  Taryn glared at him over her shoulder before she turned back to me.

  “Why would ya risk so much coming here? Tris would have tended to Seamus. Why did ya return as well knowing the risk if you were caught?”

  I cupped her cheek and held her jaw still so she could hear the truth in my words. “I had to find you, Taryn. I had to make sure you were safe.”

  “I’m fine.” Her eyes darted down, but I swore there were tears there.

  Fine wasn’t good enough for me. I needed to make sure Taryn was happy, and one look at her with her body clinging to mine, I could tell she had a million thoughts running through her head. Were any of them of me?

  “The last time I saw you, you were being dragged off to the dungeons for treason. Now I find you on the arm of the man whose father put you there. I had to know what happened. I needed to make sure you weren’t being held prisoner in a situation you didn’t wish to be in.” The last line, I directed at Aed, who narrowed his silver eyes at me.

  Taryn’s hands rested on my chest. Her eyes were downcast.

  “I’m sorry you worried. I know ya think Aed is the enemy, but he’s not what ya think.”

  Aed narrowed his eyes further as she spoke.

  “The truth is, Devlin, he’s the one who saved me and my family from the hands of the king. I know it sounds crazy, but marryin’ him was his only way to see that I lived.”

  “Aye,” Aed said, pulling Taryn away from me. “It was and still is. Now I’ll thank you to keep your hands off my betrothed.”

  I snorted, feeling the sting of Taryn being taken away. “You mean one of your many betrothed. Just how many women do you need bowing at your feet?”

  “I bow for no man,” Taryn said, clearly affronted by my accusation that she was somehow subservient in the prince’s game.

  “No, that’s not what I meant.” My anger was getting the better of me. I had to remember the purpose of why I came. It wasn’t to take Taryn out of Netherworld, which I knew wasn’t possible. I tried to convince myself that seeing her this one time would be enough. “I just…I just had to make sure you were okay.” The words were strained. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving again even though I knew that had always been the only outcome of this trip. “I needed to know you were happy,” I said, looking at Taryn, whose eyes were as glassy with emotion as mine were.

  “Happy?” she repeated. “I don’t think Aed is any happier with this situation than I am.” She glanced at Aed. “I know you can’t see it in the same way I do, but he’s actually doin’ this for me. This is the only way to help our people.”

  “He has a fine way of showing it, placing you in a long line of his conquests.”

  “That’s it,” Aed said. His hand was on his hilt again. “I don’t have to stay here and listen to these insults from a human who knows nothing about our world. I have not done any of the vile things you accuse me of, Devlin. But I would not need to explain my actions to you even if I had. You do not belong here. This is our world.” He walked over to Taryn and put his hand on her shoulder. “There is nothing for you here.”

  “Is that what you want, Taryn?” I asked. “For me to leave you here? With him?”

  Taryn closed her eyes. “Devlin…it’s not safe for you here. I canna risk ya gettin’ hurt, especially not because of me. I dunna think I could take it.”

  “So that’s it then?” I said, hating how easy it was to dismiss me. “I spend months looking for a way back to you, and now you’re going to send me back to Earth without you because you couldn’t bear it if I got hurt?” I didn’t let her know my plan all along had only been to make sure she was safe and then I’d return home. Now that I was with her, I didn’t know how I was supposed to walk away. “What about me, Taryn? What about what I can bear? I lost Alana, must I lose you too?”

  A single tear fell down Taryn’s face before Aed stepped in front of her, blocking me from her view.

  “Taryn was never yours to begin with,” Aed interjected. He came up close to me, trying to be intimidating, but it didn’t work. I rose up to meet his stare. “You are a human, Devlin. She is a banshee. What part of that don’t you understand? It can’t happen
for the two of you. What can happen is that I can save not only her neck from the noose but her family’s as well. I’ll keep her safe. That’s far more than what you could ever offer her. Even her standing here talking to you is an offense punishable by death. My mother would see her hanged if she thought Taryn snuck you into our world. But she wouldn’t stop there. She would go for your friend and Tris. You would all die.”

  I looked over at Taryn to confirm he was telling the truth. The hurt in her eyes told me he wasn’t lying. Each time she had visited me in Moneyglass was a risk to her life.

  “The king is here, Devlin,” he went on. “In this very manor house. If my mother knew you were here…”

  Our being together was a threat to both of our lives. I was being pig-headed and reckless. If Taryn got into worse trouble because of me, could I really live with myself? I had done what I set out to do: to make sure Taryn was safe. I’d gotten that confirmation. I knew it was time to let her go, no matter how much it was going to destroy me. I couldn’t put her in further jeopardy. I loved her too much.

  “Aye,” I whispered. “I’ll go, but I can’t leave until I find a way to help Seamus.”

  “I thought you said Tris was tending to him?” Aed said, seemingly annoyed.

  “She is but doesn’t have enough money to buy enough Chinois Root to see him through.”

  Aed let out an exasperated breath. “I should have known this would come down to money.”

  His anger with me and the situation couldn’t be any clearer, but there was no way I was going to be leaving Netherworld only to watch Seamus die.

  “I’ll fetch my royal seal. That should secure you what you need.” He went towards the door. “Make your goodbyes, Devlin, for they will be your last.” Aed left me alone with Taryn, who seemed so small now in the darkness of the room.

  “Taryn…”

  “No. Just go. Dunna tell me goodbye. Let’s pretend we will see each other tomorrow.” Her eyes were glassing over. I could see this was a new emotion for her. She was the strong one, the type to never let her emotions betray what she was feeling, but here she stood, raw with them. It was a small comfort that this was hurting her as much as it was me.