Hollow Earth (Hallowed Realms Book 2) Page 18

  Betha had yet to emerge from her room, a fact I was very grateful for. To say that our dance together had been pleasant would be a stretch. Alana’s intuitive observation of Betha’s lack of interest in me, or any other man, had saved me a great deal of pretend schmoozing. Though, I doubted her parents would take her…inclinations towards the fairer sex very well.

  The parting of the clouds allowed a wide swatch of sunlight to fill the garden space. I breathed in the crisp air, savoring the warmth for what brief time it was present. This rare moment of clarity from the constant cloud cover was something worth taking part in.

  The sound of splashing water from a fountain caught my attention. I moved around a manicured hedge to walk towards it. The sight of Alana standing beside its circular stone casing made my breath catch. Her hair glowed a golden auburn in the sun. Her skin was so fair and without blemish, making her appear like a porcelain doll. My mother had acquired three such dolls from the humans when I was a child. A boy and a girl still sat to this day on a shelf in her room. The other, a boy if I recalled, broke some time ago and was removed. Though I’d been blamed for the damage, I’d never touched it. I suspected it was my father who had done the deed. He’d always hated that one most.

  I watched with wonder as Alana danced in place beside the fountain. The sway of her hips drew my gaze. Even without her fine gown, there was no denying that she was stunning. No girl had ever made me ache with such a need to be near her.

  This was another thing Taryn had guessed right about me. I did love Alana in a way that was different than what I felt for Taryn. Given the time, I believed it could have been the sort of love that would last through the ages. Time, however, was the one thing we did not have.

  A soul-wrenching desire to go to her seized me. I stepped closer, driven by a will not my own. The desire to breathe in her scent, or feel the light touch of her hand propelled me towards a conversation I knew I wasn’t ready for. Yet, I was helpless to stop.

  I watched her fall still as she reaised her hands to her lips. Unconsciously, I mirrored her actions, not wanting to disturb her as I approached. Her lips moved with silent words as I watched in rapt fascination. Then with a sudden whoop of delight, she tossed something small into the fountain.

  “What did you just do?” I couldn’t help myself. I had to understand everything about her.

  She whirled around, her cheeks already taking on the blush I’d come to love about her.

  “Oh!” She hurried into the curtsy I’d shown her the day before. “Prince Aed, I did not see you standing there.”

  “That’s because I didn’t wish to be seen. Don’t forget, I’m a sneaky one.” I laughed and moved to stand beside her. Peering down into the water, I saw something small and round floating to the bottom. “Why would you throw that sea stone into the water fountain?”

  The tips of her ears, exposed by the gentle breeze, took on a shade of colour to rival her cheeks. “It was a bit of sea glass I found when walking with Eivin.” She shrugged. “I tossed it in the well because it’s tradition.”

  When she said nothing more, I stooped to reach for it, but she stopped me. “Oh, no. Please,” she pleaded. “You don’t want to upset the gods, do you?”

  I cocked my head. “The gods?”

  “Aye. Have you never used a wishing well before?”

  “A what?”

  She smiled and moved to sit on the ledge and then patted the seat beside her. When I sat down, she folded her delicate white-gloved hands in her lap and leapt into a fanciful story.

  “They’re common where I’m from.”

  I was struggling to understand. “And you toss these wells a stone? Whatever for?” Was it possible she was joking with me? Certainly, such a thing didn’t happen in Moneyglass.

  Her delicate laugh made my heart melt. “No. I’m not explaining it right.” Her face screwed up as she tried to think. It was adorable.

  “You see, years ago, long before even my parents were born, wishing wells were placed around Ireland. People believed they granted access to the gates of the otherworld.” She held up a hand to silence me when I tried to tell her there was no other world. Well, none apart from this one. The tremor of a smile at her lip told me she enjoyed the power of knowledge she held over me at this moment. “As a child, I watched my ma go into town to the well each day to toss in a wee coin for her da. He was sick and she believed the gods had the power to heal him. The wells were a way to ask the gods for a wish, you see? She believed that by tossing her coins in, her da would be well again.”

  “That’s not true,” I broke in finally. “When a man’s time is up, no god could save him from the stroke of my father’s pen. He is the ruler of this realm, a god in some aspects when compared to a human, but he is not immortal. He can die, as you and I can. But Baylor is the only one who has the power over a man’s fate.”

  She thought about that for a moment. “Then, perhaps, the tokens were meant for him.”

  “If they were, I can guarantee you their message never arrived.”

  Alana nodded. “You’re probably right. Her da died not long after.”

  Her sadness pulled at me. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her in comfort, but I dared not.

  “And why is it that you now toss in a stone instead of a coin?”

  She looked away. “A bit of sea glass is hardly a valuable trinket, but it’s all I had. I know it’s foolish, but it’s a habit.”

  I pondered her answer. “Can you tell me what you wished for?” I vowed that if it were within my power to give, I would.

  “That’s not how it works,” she said, playfully touching my thigh. The echoes of her touch sank deep into my soul even when she pulled her hand away. “You can’t speak the wish aloud or it won’t come true.”

  “Fine. Keep your secrets.”

  Her conspiratorial smile made me want to brush my finger across her lips. Instead, I cleared my throat and shifted away so my shoulder was not pressed against hers. It was too hard to think with her so close to me. Even harder to accept what I had to do.

  “Aed—”

  “Alana—”

  We laughed as we tried to speak at the same time.

  “Ladies first.”

  When she took a breath, I watched the rise and fall of her chest. The dress she wore was plain and far more modest than the one the night before, but it suited her perfectly. I actually preferred her like this.

  “I wanted to thank you for last night,” she said in a sudden rush. “I’d always dreamt of going to a ball. It’s childish, I know, but I used to love pretending I was wearing a fancy dress and that I’d get to meet a dashing prince. I never thought I would actually get that chance.”

  “It is not as grand as you may think. Look at the toll all this has taken on Taryn.”

  At the mention of her name, I felt a pang in my chest. Alana’s smile faltered only slightly, proving to me, yet again, how perfect her giving heart was. She cared about Taryn. But she also understood why we were in this position. What a mess we were all in.

  “Taryn was so kind to me when I transitioned. Not only on this side but on Earth as well. She eased my fears of dying with such compassion. From what little I’ve seen of your world that seems to be a rare thing.” She rested her hand on my arm. “You are very lucky to have each other.”

  “We are.” The words caught in my throat for a moment, but I pushed them through. “I am not sure she would agree with that, though. My family has been rather unkind to her.”

  “But you care for her.”

  I nodded. “In my own way, yes. We have an understanding.”

  Small creases of confusion formed along her brow. “I’m not sure I follow you.”

  “Taryn has a rebellious heart, and while I admire her for it, there is only room for one.”

  Alana lowered her gaze. “You’re talking about Devlin.”

  “Aye.”

  The sound of the water rippling behind us filled the moment of silen
ce.

  “You don’t need to worry, though. She won’t choose him,” Alana whispered. “She loves her family and her people too much. She’ll put them before her own heart.”

  I nodded. “Both of us must sacrifice for our people.”

  She blinked and turned to look at me. “And what is it that you have to sacrifice?”

  “Everything,” I whispered.

  Because she truly had become everything to me. I couldn’t fathom how in such a short amount of time that could be possible. Hell, if Taryn hadn’t seen it first, I might not have realised until it was too late.

  I sat in silence, memorizing every detail of her. The way the wind tugged strands of hair across her face, tangling in her lashes. The colour in her cheeks that mirrored a blush rose. The brilliance of her eyes as she peered at me against the sunlight. The graceful sweep of her neck sliding down to delicate shoulders was sturdy enough to bear the weight of the world.

  Taryn had told me exactly what Alana had suffered through before crossing over. The love and devotion of her family alone was enough to convince me she was someone worth saving. Worth loving.

  “Alana, I—” I said but cut off at the sound of another person yelling.

  “There she is!”

  I shot to my feet and turned to see my father marching across the gardens, forgoing the rock path for one of his own making. My mother was fast on his heels, eyes flashing with a more controlled rage. Not twenty steps behind were the king’s guard. Ten of them no less. Where the hell had my mother been keeping those men?

  “What is the meaning of this?” I demanded, stepping in front of Alana to hide her from my parents’ wrath.

  “That wench is not who you think she is,” my mother announced.

  I winced at the volume of her voice. Even though the gardens were barren, there were more than enough open windows for people to hear.

  “I won’t have you calling her such things.” I took a step forward, but the king’s guard’s blade fell between me and my father, stopping me in my tracks.

  “Be reasonable, son,” Baylor said.

  “Reasonable?” I scoffed at my father’s words. “You came out here with armed guards. No matter what crime you think you have against her, she’s only a girl I danced with at the ball. A girl I asked to dance with me. I’m the one who humiliated you, Father, not her. Don’t you think this charade is all a bit overkill? Even for you.”

  The vein in my father’s forehead appeared. “This has nothing to do with a dance, boy.”

  From his side, he pulled out his Book of the Dead. I had never seen the ledger outside of his rooms before.

  Flipping the pages, he finally stopped. “Alana Jeanne Gallagher. Born October 5, 1997. Died January 2, 2018. Processed January 3, 2018. Admitted entrance to the Isle of Glass on…” He turned the book to show me. “The entry is blank, Aed. The girl never made it.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “You know?” My father looked taken aback. “She’s a stowaway. Why didn’t you tell us if you knew her past?”

  “Why would I tell you anything? You’ve proven that all you are capable of is finding a way to cover your own arses,” I snapped back at both of them. “She’s no common criminal, Father. She’s not a stowaway. She’s a lost soul and in need of our aid.”

  When my mother snorted, I turned to glare at her.

  “Do you think I’m lying?”

  She waved me off. “What I think is no matter. The truth is standing behind you. She was bound for the Isle of Glass, yet here she is.”

  “Aye.” I raised a hand to point at my father’s book. “And how many others like her have an empty space beside their arrival date?”

  The king’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”

  I pressed as close to my father as the lowered blades would allow. “Meaning that you missed something, Father. Alana’s ship never arrived at the Isle of Glass because it sank.”

  “Preposterous,” the queen rasped. “There haven’t been any storms this season large enough to cause such damage.”

  “Aye, but this was not the work of a storm. It was a lorcan attack.”

  Glancing over my father’s shoulder, I saw his guards exchanging glances.

  “What honeyed lies did this girl whisper into your ear, son?” My father passed off the book to his aid and then straightened his coat jacket. He was still dressed in last night’s finery. “Such a thing could never happen.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Alana spoke from behind me.

  I reached out to stop her, but she darted around my hand and faced off with the most powerful couple in all the realm like the brave soul I knew her to be. Taryn would have been proud of her. I knew I was.

  “Those things swam across the water and attacked my boat. The wreckage is likely still out there at the bottom of that sea if you want to see for yourself. As are the shriveled bodies of the lorcan along the shoreline, but Eivin could tell you the truth of it.”

  “Eivin?” My father looked bored.

  “Aye, Father. One of the reapers you sent to the Wall upon my return to Eimear. He is a man of noble heart and has an honest word. He verified Alana’s story himself not two nights ago.”

  “This is ridiculous.” My mother flounced several paces before returning to jab a finger at Alana. “That girl is lying.”

  “Peace, Morrigan.” My father placed a hand on his wife’s bare shoulder. “It matters not. Within a week’s time, our problem will be solved.”

  I froze. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  The king’s eyes twinkled with the secret he held over me. “Have you not noticed that the girl wears gloves, Aed?” Baylor said. “I would wager this is not the first time you’ve seen her with them. Perhaps you should ask yourself why, when it is a warm day and they are not required for any social gathering.”

  When I turned to look at Alana, she could not meet my gaze. “What is he talking about?”

  “Of course,” the queen whispered from beside my father, seeming to follow his train of thought. “The vanishing has already begun.”

  “Vanishing?” I asked. The lack of emotion in my mother’s voice frightened me, but not as much as seeing Alana shaking. “Alana? What is going on?”

  Morrigan shoved the guard’s blade aside and moved past me. Seizing Alana’s gloved hand, she yanked it off and then frowned. Twisting her hand this way and that, I saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  “Is this some sick joke?” I asked. “Release her! I grow tired of your deceptions.”

  My mother’s face gathered into a scowl. She took hold of Alana’s other hand, but this time Alana tried to resist. When the glove pulled free, my heart stopped. There, was Alana’s absence of two of her fingers. There was no sign of trauma to indicate they’d been lost during the battle on the boat. Her pinky and ring finger had vanished.

  “I’m sorry.” Tears rolled down Alana’s face. “I was going to tell you.”

  “How…what…” I couldn’t command my thoughts into a single line of reason. “I don’t understand.”

  My father was the one who answered. “Come, Aed, did you honestly think there wouldn’t be consequences for those who tried to escape their fate? The girl is long overdue to the gatekeeper. That delay comes with a price.”

  “So, what? You’re saying she’s going to become invisible?” I couldn’t begin to wrap my mind around that.

  “No. Her fate is far worse than that.” My father was taking a sick joy out of handing down Alana’s sentence to me.

  “She is being erased,” my mother said. “Not just from our realm of existence, but from all time as well.” My mother almost looked sad when she said it.

  “In one week, you will no longer feel a need to protect her, son. It will be as though she never existed.” My father’s sneer made my blood boil.

  No. That couldn’t happen. Not to Alana. I wouldn’t let it!

  “Aed!” Alana called out to me when I lunged for my father. But it was too late. The king�
��s guards seized me as I fought against them. They outnumbered me, but I had to try. I had to save Alana, somehow.

  “I realize this is no easy thing for you, son.” My father passed by me to take hold of Alana. “She is a lovely little thing.” His eyes looked her up and down in a hungry way, which made me fight harder. “Trust me, this is for your own good. Not to worry. We shall take good care of her until the end.”

  “No!” I bucked against the guards. “You can’t do this. Put her on another boat. Spare her life.”

  “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.” Morrigan smiled. Her mask of shock was gone, and in its place was the cold, hard woman I’d always known her to be. She stepped back for the king and Alana to pass by. “You made sure of that when you made a spectacle of yourself last night. No one can know what she truly is.”

  “So what if people saw us dancing together. None of them matter. You’re the king. You control what they think. You can undo this. You could save her.”

  “Of course he could, but you have given us no reason to aid you,” she replied. “As such, I’m afraid the damage is done. People are already talking. Now your father will do what he must to clean up your mess with the least amount of involvement for appearance’s sake, of course.”

  “She’s not a mess. She’s a person.”

  Morrigan shook her head. “No. She was a person, Aed. She’s only a lost soul now. Nothing more. But for your father, her existence could bring down ruin on his head if word of this ever got out. Imagine how the people might revolt if they suspected that a ship had been sunk by lorcan?”

  “But it was!”

  “Perhaps it was.” Her eyes narrowed as she took hold of my face. She stared deep into the silver colouring of my eyes that I shared with my father. “But the truth of that wreck will fade with her. I assure you that.”

  Chapter 17

  Alana

  Tears followed me ever since being forced out of the garden and into a different room adjoining the queen’s. The doors had been guarded with no less than six of her royal guard lining the hall. While it was missing bars, the implication was clear...I was a prisoner. My crime was being here. It was a fitting punishment.