Fiery Secrets: Legacy of Secrets #3

Prologue

The last thing I remembered was heading down the corridor to meet in Pops' chambers with Christian on one side and Leslie on the other. There were servants buzzing about, as was expected, and then the nagging feeling that haunted me the entire length of the walk. Who was watching us?

I thought harder, pushing through the artificial haze that clouded my mind. Clearly, I had been drugged. Since the second awakening, my mind didn't get cloudy. But I was fully capable of being utterly pissed off. Someone on the compound was holding me somewhere. I desperately hoped it wasn't who I thought it was.

Faces flashed behind my lids. The whirlwind caused my stomach to lurch, probably also a side-effect of the drugs. I knew better than to show I was awake yet. There was more to remember before I allowed my captor the advantage of knowing I was conscious.

The last face I saw was Christian's. The horror and betrayal etched in his expression scared me. Yet one last piece of the puzzle forced my mind to pop. One name, uttered by Christian in those last moments, was exclaimed in both disbelief and horror. Someone who should have been suspected, but was ordinary enough to be overlooked. A person who was easy to trust.

In one swift motion, I stood up and extended my hand outward in his direction. I smelled him before, but was trying so hard to remember what happened I didn't pay attention. The biggest questions were where was I and why he was there. The dust settled in the dank cell and I walked toward him slowly. With each step, his feet rose higher and higher off the ground, courtesy of the earth's magic.

"What did you do, Austin?!" I demanded.

"Lia...please...let me explain," he gasped.

"Why should I? You think I'm going to believe a word you say anyway after you kidnap me?!" I spat.

"I didn't want this, Lia. It was out of my hands," he croaked. "I'm a prisoner, too. We're the same here."

I released him and he fell to the floor with a thud, coughing and sputtering. Succumbing to the itch, I had to shift and paced the floor, never taking my eyes off of him. He didn't look like the Austin I was used to seeing. He looked haggard and run down, like he'd been away for days. The most shocking factor was his fear. I'd never seen him afraid before, but relished in the delicious waves it left up and down my spine.

"I had no choice but to bring you here. I am a servant, have been my entire life. I've tried everything I could think of the break the covenant, but nothing has worked."

I shifted back to myself, "I don't understand. What do you mean you're a servant? I thought you were a liaison?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Sure I am, but that's only a part of it. When I go home, this is what I come to. I live here, in this dungeon, in this exact cell. This has been my home, my entire life."

"Why?" I sat on a hard cot across from him. Looking around, the horror sank in.

The room was small, maybe nine feet on all sides, with concrete walls and a dirt floor covered in hay. There was a bed on each of the three walls, or the best bed a solid metal cot could be. They were lined with hay and had wool linens draped over as makeshift blankets.

I did notice the one sort of vacant cot look different. The hay was cleared away, leaving only the wool to cover the metal. There was a small lantern and several books piled on one side, while the other held a quill pen, parchment and ink. Underneath the cot was a long trunk that, undoubtedly, held the only belongings he had to his name.

"A pact was made a few years after I was born. My mother traded my life for her magic, if he promised not to kill me. My fate was sealed and I'd barely left the womb."

"Who is he?" I asked, almost afraid for the answer.

"The Prince," he shuddered.

"Nolyn? What part does he play in this? Why would he kill you?"

He laughed morbidly, "Because that's what he does. He's killed everyone I've ever loved, every last surviving family member. That's why I'm still alive."

"But you still haven't told me why," I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'm an elf. Around the war times, the Trylle invaded us. Our kind was usually peaceful, but we held our own for as long as we could. What we lacked in physical defenses, we made up with magic. But, it was that magic that brought them to us. Turns out that they were after our soul wells."

"The Soul Wells? What would Nolyn want with the souls of your ancestors? It wouldn't make any sense for a Trylle to have a use for them. Their abilities are physical, but not magical. They might be able to move objects or read minds, but they can't conjure anything or use spells. I don't get it."

"It was his idea that our magic could amplify their mental abilities, however only elves can access the pools."

"So, what does any of this have to do with me? I'm not even an elf."

"That's not entirely true," he looked away.

I shook my head, "We've traced my lineage. You did it yourself! No elves. Or did you lie about this, too?" My hands were balled into fists in my lap.

"Josiah wasn't exactly a human before he was turned into a werewolf, and subsequently, a hybrid. He was an elf, but did the one thing that set him apart as an outcast. He bound his soul to his body and, in turn, gave his magic away. Since he made the choice, the elven priestesses banished him until he let his soul rest where it belonged.

"Not long after, he was bitten and you know the rest. He is an elf, or was, before being turned and re-turned. Had he released his soul back to the wells like the rest of us, he could have been immune to the changes. Our elven blood is strong, one of the oldest breeds, and the magic even stronger."

"How long have you known all of this? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. I was bound by the covenant to do his bidding, although I hid many of your abilities from him. Of course, he saw the full exhibit at the meeting, which is why he didn't want to wait any longer. He plans to use you to access the wells."

I laughed sarcastically, "Like hell he is."

"Listen to me," Austin leaned close. "Do not underestimate this man. He is a vile killer and doesn't care what he has to do to get what he wants."

I smiled, "He can't kill me, Austin. Christian and I are bonded. Even now, he's on his way to find me. He will get me out of here."

"I hope so. There's only so much I can do to protect you," his voice shook.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, "I will find a way to free you. There's no way I'm going to leave you in this cell to rot. We will figure this out and then we will stop him. Okay?"

He looked at me strangely, "How can you be so sure?"

"Because, if I've learned nothing else from you and Christian and this whole experience, everyone underestimates what I'm capable of." We both smiled and waited for Christian to rescue me. I just hoped I could convince him not to kill Austin when he showed up. There was no way I was leaving him behind.