Reign (Land of the Elementals Book 4), page 19
She reached deeper, imagining the swallows and hummingbirds, constructing them in her mind and pushing them out into the world around her.
Dozens of birds formed over the next thirty seconds, this time placing significant strain on both of her Origins. She gritted her teeth, feeling the telltale release of heat as her head began to steam. She was entering dangerous territory, but as she watched the birds flitting about, landing in trees and moving to drink the floral nectar, Karria could feel the breakthrough coming.
She pushed just a little harder, adding to her scene. Red squirrels appeared next, only four of them, their bodies constructing themselves in the branches of trees. Skeletons appeared first, muscle and tissue flowing over their frames next, followed by the nerves and internal organs, and finally, skin and fur.
She shuddered as she breathed life into them, sagging in her throne as the squirrels began to move about. Her body felt as though it were burning up, and her vision was beginning to grow hazy. Yet, even as she felt on the verge of collapse, her magic threatening to recoil and cause severe damage to both her body and mind, the next Tier opened to her.
Karria felt a rush of pleasure as another dam broke, power flooding into her and soothing all of her aches and pains. Maintaining the forest was now only moderately difficult, even with all the moving parts. She felt her lips quirk up as she examined her handiwork, feeling that there was now something far grander that could be created.
She now had both the capacity and mental fortitude to do so and the power to carry it out. Each and every successive Tier she surpassed gave her access to more of her incredible power. Even though her brilliance continued to grow, she could see no way for her to access all of that power without going through the meticulous process of breaking through each Tier.
It was annoying, to say the least, yet Karria found it strangely exhilarating, knowing how powerful she already was and that when she reached her final Tier and her body granted her full access to her power, that no one would be able to stand up to her. Not even creatures of other realms!
27
Arbor stared out the coach window, watching the people rushing to get out of their way as they rode through the streets of Vergara. He’d been on the road with Seven for just under a week, and though he’d hoped the soldiers he’d sent out to retrieve Karria would have returned before he had to leave, no one had.
Everything was ready to go upon his return, or so Frunk had assured him. Their armies were trained, and the supplies were being gathered. They were preparing for a war against the elves of the Goldenleaf Forest, and yet, here he was, heading to meet Seven’s father, the Duke of Vergara and his future father-in-law.
Frunk had done some digging on Seven as he’d asked, but despite the gremlin’s thorough investigation, he’d been unable to find anything incriminating or damning. The woman was just as she’d appeared. A bit pompous and self-important, but a lovely and wonderful person, just as he’d thought.
“You seem distracted.”
Arbor started, looking to Seven, who was sitting across from him with her hands folded in her lap. They were alone. Well, as alone as one could be in a moving coach. Their butlers both sat on the other side of the separating glass, fully capable of seeing in and preventing any ‘funny business’ between the two of them.
“I’m worried,” Arbor said.
“About meeting my father?” Seven asked.
“Well, that too,” Arbor admitted. “But mostly about my sister and friends. They still hadn’t returned by the time we left, and I can’t help but think that something horrible happened to them.”
Seven reached out a hand, carefully placing it over one of his.
“We probably only missed them by a couple of days,” she replied. “Just watch. They’ll probably be waiting for you upon your return.”
Arbor sighed. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad had happened, but Seven’s assuring smile did make him feel a bit better. She looked so beautiful when she smiled that way.
The two of them had only grown closer over the intervening weeks as they waited for the Duke’s answer, and they had set off as soon as he’d agreed to the meeting. Arbor had wanted to wait, but both Sebastian and Frunk had told him it would be a bad idea to keep him waiting, and his two best friends had backed them up.
Both Grak and Hord had come along on this trip and were traveling in Arbor’s coach behind them. He and Seven were currently in her coach, which explained the much more feminine design. The colors were lighter, with more hues of purple, red, and pink. Red was Seven’s favorite color, though she saved gowns and dresses of that color for special occasions.
She’d informed him that when her father signed the contract and blessed their engagement, she would have a red gown made for the party. Honestly, she seemed to be more excited about the clothes she would wear than the actual event itself, which she and Grak seemed to have in common.
“Arbor, you’re doing it again,” Seven said, concern lacing her voice.
“Sorry,” Arbor said, coming back to himself. “And you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be okay.”
Seven, who was still holding his hand, squeezed it a bit tighter.
“If all goes according to plan, I’m going to be your wife. That means that it’s going to be my job to worry about you.”
“Isn’t that what guards are for?” Arbor asked.
“Oh, you know what I mean,” she said, swatting his arm.
The two of them smiled at one another then, Arbor feeling a rush of warmth as she squeezed his hand again. He wanted so badly to lean in and kiss her. Those shining hazel eyes, standing out even more due to the shadow dusted on her lids, the sheen of her long lashes, her lips painted a light pink and slightly parted.
He could feel her heartbeat through their touch, the quickening of her pulse as the moment stretched on.
“Arbor,” she said, her voice coming out low and breathless.
He could feel it from her as well, her longing, her desire, the wish to act on her impulses, despite the impropriety. Had that moment been allowed to stretch any further, Arbor didn’t know what could have happened, but thankfully, the coach ground to a halt, breaking the strange spell the two of them had been under.
They quickly leaned back, breaking contact. Seven’s cheeks were flushed red, and Arbor himself felt a bit hot under the collar. He could feel people moving about on the outside and see figures rushing around through the windows.
A mass of gray stone took up the rest of the view, the corner of a tall spire visible against a small sliver of blue sky.
“It looks like we’re here,” Seven said, just before the door opened to reveal a man Arbor had yet to meet.
“My lady,” the man said, going into a sweeping bow. “It is good to see you again.”
“Mudsworth,” Seven said. “Is my father home?”
“Indeed, he is, my lady,” Mudsworth said, extending a hand to help her out. “He has been eagerly awaiting your arrival and is excited to meet your Viscount Emerald.”
Arbor noted that the man didn’t even look at him, helping Seven from the coach and turning his back. He hated politics.
“Do you need assistance exiting the coach?” Prudence asked, appearing at the door.
“I think I can manage on my own, thanks,” Arbor said, getting out of the carriage and stepping onto solid ground.
Prudence immediately began fussing over him, straightening his clothes and smoothing his hair.
Grak and Hord exited his coach, the gremlin woman arching her back and groaning while the dwarf examined the towering castle before them.
“Well, he has a big house,” Hord noted as he walked over.
“He is a Duke,” Arbor said with a shrug. “What else did you expect?”
“Stop moving,” Prudence said as she brushed his clothes off. “You’re making this difficult.”
“I look fine,” Arbor said, itching to go catch up with Seven, who was being ushered through the massive front doors.
“Not to meet the Duke,” Prudence said, pulling a small squeeze bottle from her suit and aiming it at him.
“Nope,” Arbor said, snatching the bottle from her and handing it to Hord. “I’m not some pompous asshole who’s so full of himself that he needs to be doused in perfume.”
“To be fair,” Grak said, running a brush through her hair. “You are a bit full of yourself. You do like staring into the mirror an awful lot.”
“That’s not the same,” Arbor defended himself. “Mirrors just offer an opportunity to make sure I look neat.”
“You literally have someone who follows you around all day to make sure of that. So, either Prudence isn’t doing a good job, or you’re full of yourself,” Grak said, tucking the brush away. “Seeing as all those ladies are staring and blushing, I’m guessing it’s the latter.”
Arbor started, then turned, seeing that there was indeed a flock of maids – likely sent to tend to the needs of the guests – all staring at him at him, red-faced. They quickly looked away as soon as he turned, their blushes deepening.
“Is it just me,” Hord said as the three of them began walking toward the palace doors. “Or are all of the maids here young and pretty?”
“No, it’s not just you,” Grak said, looking around, then lowered her voice and gave Arbor a suggestive grin. “Maybe the Duke’s some kind of pervert and likes to—”
“Okay!” Arbor said, cutting her off there. “No more talking for you.”
Grak giggled to herself but didn’t say anything else, hiding behind a smirk. Every time Arbor looked back, she would wiggle her eyebrows at him. He had no idea why she was acting like a child now of all times, but oddly enough found that her behavior was making him relax.
“Why are they ignoring us?” Arbor asked Prudence as they continued following Seven’s procession down the sweeping corridor.
They were about twenty paces behind, but Prudence’s hand on his shoulder stopped him from trying to catch up.
“For appearances, my lord,” Prudence said. “This is the household of a Duke and you are just a Viscount. Most here aren’t privy to what is happening, though there are some circulating rumors. However, until it is official, you will be treated only with the respect due to your station.”
“I’d have thought a Viscount would receive more respect from household staff,” Arbor muttered. “Or does the fact that they serve a Duke make them think they’re better than me?”
“How very petty of you,” Grak said. “You sound almost like a noble.”
“Oh, shut up,” Arbor muttered, shooting her a glare. “Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
“Yes,” Grak said. “Although your thinking seems to be all wrong.”
“Oh yeah, and why is that?” Arbor asked.
“The servants aren’t ignoring you because they work for a Duke,” Grak said. “They’re just too busy hiding behind doors and blushing to offer any assistance.”
The corridors were some fifteen feet wide, so Arbor’s Perception Field should have been able to pick that up. As he switched over to his Inter Sight, he could see dozens of figures all hiding inside doors, though they were all cracked open just enough for them to peek through.
Since he could literally see their insides, he could see that their heart rates were elevated, indicating either fear or excitement. Grak was a pretty good judge of character, which told him it was likely the latter.
“I’m never gonna hear the end of this, am I?” Arbor asked.
“Nope,” Grak replied, her grin wide and promising no end for future teasing.
“Maybe the Duke is a pervert,” Arbor muttered, noting again how young and female all the staff seemed to be.
In fact, the only male employees were the house guards, and even some of them were female. He judged their ages to range from twenty to twenty-five at the very oldest, while the male guards seemed to vary a bit more. Of the female staff, not a single one appeared over the age of twenty, further cementing the fact that the Duke was a total deviant. How he didn’t have more children with all these young women serving him was a complete mystery.
“Wait,” Prudence said, snagging his arm again and halting him as Seven’s group stopped before a closed door.
“Shouldn’t we go now?” Arbor asked. “I assume the Duke is waiting in there for you.”
“Probably,” Prudence replied. “But custom dictates that she meets with her father on her own first. We will only be invited over once they have entered, and then, we will patiently wait to be called in.”
Arbor sighed but did as he was told. The door swung open and Seven entered. She turned her head ever so slightly before she did, and their eyes met for an instant. Arbor caught a flash of something as she entered, though it was so quick that he was sure he had to have imagined it.
The door closed and four guards stepped forward, blocking the corridor. They didn’t draw their weapons, but it was clear by the way they were standing that they were here to ensure none of them approached the door, leaving a gap of some twenty-five feet between their group and the door, effectively blocking Arbor’s Perception Field from telling him what was going on inside.
Sharpening his hearing to try and listen in would do him no good, as he still didn’t have fine enough control to block out ambient sound and would likely be deafened the first time anyone said or did anything.
His Mage Sight could show him the flow of magic within the room, but that wouldn’t really give him an idea as to what was happening in there. His Inter Sight might help, but with walls in the way, it wouldn’t do him much good. It had only worked earlier because the servants had been peeking out at him.
He was stuck waiting, not knowing what was going on inside that room between Seven and her father. Arbor hoped the Duke didn’t have any reservations about the two of them getting married. After all, although this had been arranged at first, he wanted this to work out more than anything.
He loved this woman, and she loved him. Additionally, their children would be safe and the sole inheritors of a powerful family. His little sister would be well cared for, and all those he held close would be that much safer.
“Cookie?” Prudence asked, holding out a small silver tray.
Arbor had no idea where his butler had pulled that tray from. The smell was tantalizing, but he was too nervous to eat, so he just waved her off.
“Well, if you’re not going to eat it,” Grak said, reaching for the cookie, only for Arbor to slap her hand away.
“You’ve stolen enough of my pastries, witch!” Arbor snapped, grabbing the cookie and biting into it.
“Now that’s just plain rude,” Grak said with a pout while rubbing her hand.
“Says the woman who’s been stealing my breakfast every day,” Arbor said through a mouthful of cookie.
Any signs of weight loss from her incarceration were long since gone, thanks to Grak coming to steal his food after his morning training sessions.
“Not to worry,” Prudence said, pulling another tray from seemingly nowhere. “I packed extra.”
Grak reached for it eagerly, only to have Arbor snatch that one as well.
“Hey!” Grak complained as Arbor bit into her cookie.
“No cookies for you!” Arbor said, stuffing it into his mouth.
“Now, lad,” Hord tried to intercede, but Arbor just snatched the next cookie that Prudence produced.
“Don’t ‘lad’ me,” Arbor said, spraying the dwarf with cookie crumbs. “She’s been stealing my food for weeks now. This is the least she can do to repay me.”
With that said, and ignoring Grak’s glaring, Arbor proceeded to eat all of the cookies, getting his revenge on the pastry-stealing monster who came after his favorite treats on a daily basis.
28
While Arbor and Grak were squabbling over cookies in the hallway, Carve was busy grilling his daughter on everything she’d discovered over her stay at the manor.
“But, Daddy, I don’t care about all this boring stuff!” Seven complained.
Her veil had slipped almost before she’d entered his office, and only a quick yank on her sleeve by Mudsworth had prevented her true personality from being shown to her future husband.
“But I do,” Carve said, his tone calm. “Now tell me again about your seventh date.”
“Ugh!” Seven complained, throwing her arms in the air. “I already told you. We had a super-romantic candlelit dinner. He gave me a really hot kiss and he smelled so good.”
Carve just stared at her flatly.
“Oh, calm down,” she said, waving a hand. “It was still all ‘proper,’” she said, making finger quotes in the air. “He kissed me on the cheek, and there was no exciting, clothes ripping ravishing on the table. Even though I wanted to so badly.”
“Focus,” Carve said, not wanting to hear the details of his insane daughter’s inner monologuing while on her date. “I want to know about the Pendant. Did you see it?”
“Yes, I saw the stupid pendant,” Seven said. “I got a look down his shirt when he was leaning in to kiss me. Oh, you should have seen him! His muscles were so hard, and…”
Carve tuned his insane daughter’s prattling out, feeling a thrill of excitement. He hadn’t been entirely sure that Arbor did indeed have the Pendant. He’d suspected as much, based on the fact that the gremlins had been flocking to him, but he hadn’t actually known for sure. Now, for the first time since he’d heard the rumor and sent his daughter to investigate, he knew.
“Tell me about it,” he said, interrupting Seven’s rambling about Arbor’s biceps and how she’d talked him into allowing her to feel them.
“I am telling you about it,” Seven said, looking confused. “Weren’t you listening?”
“Not about him,” Carve said, feeling his patience slipping. “About the Pendant!”
“Again, with the stupid pendant,” Seven said. “No one cares about that stupid thing. Arbor is the one who matters here.”
