The Crystal Mines

76 Nik

Trife wriggled free of my hand easily while I was too busy observing the sun dripping from the canopy of trees above us. I recognized a few species of trees and other plants but many more that I didn't. One by one, each of my friends exited the portal behind me. We stood in the clearing of a wooded area where insects and small animals chirped about their small lives. The portal closed with a whispered snap, and I whirled around to see a massive aura crystal it had been blocking. How was that possible? I hadn't seen one in Aegran's throne room, and they needed a connecting crystal. Dath inched closer to me, and Callion's guards did the same to him. Though we knew we were here to see Atiweh, it could very well be a trap.

A snap of a twig told me that someone in the woods had wanted to be heard as they approached as Fae knew how to be quiet amongst their own kind. A tall man with straw colored hair broke through the clearing wearing a similar large-belted garment as Slater. Slowly and deliberately, he took in the nineteen of us newcomers and our defensive stances with his eyes landing on me. Though I grew uncomfortable under the male's dark blue gaze, I held my ground and revealed nothing. He only offered a kind smile that changed his face from sharp and severe to welcoming. But I had seen a smile like that before in Erix and learned to no longer trust anyone on first glance.

"Good morning. Thank you for bringing them, Slater. Atiweh will be very pleased to finally meet all of you." The male from the woods met each one of our eyes respectfully. "My name is Tarrent, and I am to bring you to the lodgings that have been provided to you for the duration of your stay."

"We won't be staying. We are here to see what the feck Atiweh needs so urgently after making no attempts before now to see us and then we will be on our way." I spoke to the man no differently than I had Slater, even after taking note of the same elongated ears and pulsing power.

Tarrent smiled at me as if pleased rather than annoyed. "She is otherwise engaged so she will be with you shortly. So, I am to bring you to your lodgings until then."

I laughed openly and didn't hide the act of false humor from it. "Are you entirely serious?" I looked between a cringing Slater and Tarrent. "Impatient, is she? Sure, distract us from her rudeness like a good sir as I'm sure you were told, and we are to be good guests, wherever the Hells we are, with strangers who have longer ears than a typical Fae. As if everything was just fine and normal. Well hate to break it to you, nothing is fine or normal right now. And you are keeping us from further investigating Erix's sick plans and every attempt at finally stopping him."

Tarrent took a step forward as my power flared in warning again, but he remained unfazed. Slater let his loose in return, making a single step towards the older male. Tarrent laughed joyfully. "You are everything Lambert said you'd be and more. I assure you Nik, our end goals are aligned. Atiweh had planned to greet you herself but something unplanned came up. So, yes, as you say, I am to distract you by bringing you to your accommodations. And yes, I do think you will all stay once you hear what she needs to say. She will be busy most of the day, so you are all welcome to explore Elantris until then."

"What did you say?" Ameer gasped and Sorin covered his mouth in shock. I looked to Callion, and he shook his head not understanding the outburst either. "Elantris. It's real?"

Tarrent laughed a sound that resonated deep in his built chest. "Yes. And it is actually not far from Aegran. We sit only a day's walk from the abandoned mine." He leaned forward and whispered, "Though, I wouldn't go telling just anyone about that." Mischief danced in his eyes, and I found myself relaxing slightly.

Ameer jerked his head in wonder. "No wonder it only took Lambert a short while to travel when he would go see Atiweh. You've been nearly at our door step this whole time. How have you kept this place a secret from Erix and his minions?"