Fated - Book 1 (Completed)

Chapter 11

"Lord Novus."The hazel eyes of the elf were dancing over an old statue situated at the centre of the witch's village. Calling his name, Barley, made him twitch in my direction. What an arrogant man!"I'm amazed that you didn't want to meet in my throne room."Now that he slowly turned to look at me, I had to force a smile on my lips once his eyes were on me. I felt too exhausted as I made my way down to his requested meeting place."My apologies, Lady Rowena, but I wish to talk to you out amongst the fresh air."His dashing smile crossed his lips. The Elven King was a dashing man with his tight bone structure, sleek body frame, and slightly pointed ears. Despite his alluring appearance, the words he spoke were riddled with lies. What was he up to?"Well then, you will have to bear with me, as it would seem today that my magic has drained a large sum of my energy this evening."A false smile flashed over his lips as he offered me his arm to loop myself around and use him as a support while we took a slow walk down a cobbled road that twirled through the black forest."Tell me, my lord, what brought you down to my humble abode?"His scent was that of heavy wood; it made me swoon and feel tight between my legs. Oh, how a young man such as the king could do damage to me between my sheets; he might just give me my youth back.A heavy sigh rolled off his lips, pulling me out of my desires."I thought Lord Crastil had the duty of keeping the prince distracted with matters of new roads and trade routes within the western lands of the beasts."My brows pulled tight. What was this man getting at? Was my crow lying to me?"Yes, when last we spoke, he had the task of distracting the prince. Why?"The arm under my hand tensed. The king's body pulled stiffer under my hand as we walked down the path; our heels were the loudest noise around us; birds sang in the distance, but nothing beyond that."Then please tell me, why the hell was the prince at the site of the last attack?"Now that my body had tensed, I pulled on his arm as I stopped to ponder the reasoning. The prince was the lead rider; he would lead investigations, but not in person, according to my crow."The princess was with him; I told my men to kill anyone who intervened with them cleaning the sites of your magic."My eyes fluttered to his face as my anger washed over me. I was being lied to and played with, but I wasn't sure by whom."While my men were busy with the last site, General Aziel appeared, not long after the prince and his bride."His hazel eyes grew dark as he spoke about the prince. There was jealousy behind them; it rose whenever the half-breed princess was mentioned. What a shame that she enthralled him. I cleared my throat and straightened myself. I slowly pulled my arm out of his as I stood my ground."Well then, my lord, it would seem that the Crow's messages have been delayed; were your men able to clean the site?"He stood straight; his hazel eyes glowed under the fading lights of the sunset above us. The king had a strong jaw that he clenched tight while he chewed on his thoughts."Most of it, but the princess."His pink lips curled into a smile as he thought of the half-breed."She found the magic in the ashes and informed the prince of her findings."His eyes fell on me as he smirked with excitement."My spies said that the prince left without her, and for once they thought by themselves and followed the man; they found the nest where his first dragon, Serina, resides."My heart fluttered in my chest. I couldn't help but smile at the dragon that slipped from my grasp many years ago; we have finally found her, the prince's weakest point in his impregnable armour of slithering beasts."Did they believe your men about the rouge dragon?"He shook his head; his brown hair shimmered under the dim lights of the forest."The prince is stubborn and hardheaded; besides, my men ran off at the sight of that monster, Neim. So they couldn't push the false findings and my lies about the rouge."My toes curled at the beast's name. Oh, to have that dragon's heart, it will give me youth beyond the years I have already lived."But is the seed planted about a possible rouge dragon?"He frowned down at me at my question—if the dragons even had the thought or idea in their minds that if one of their beasts could be rouge, then it would throw them off completely."Yes, there was some chatter, but it was never said out loud; we can only hope that they are simple-minded enough to believe the lie."His words made my heart flutter. Even with the Crow's lies, and now the lies that the elves have placed have given us a new footing, but it still leaves me with issues: the vampire lied to me, and that princess is more tuned than I expected."What about Lord Crastil?"His words were a growl in my ear; all I could do was hum in response. There are so many ways to illuminate him."Leave him to me; well, the dragons, soon they will eliminate the lord for us, keeping our hands clean of a bloody mess."