Flames And Starlight

Chapter 45

Tatum and Sam dragged me down the hallway. Not exactly the welcome I had desired. Nor the one I had imagined.

Especially as I struggled against the magic binding my hands behind my back. My grunts were muffled due to the gag tied around my mouth and my sweaty dark hair was a mess, falling into my eyes and sticking to my forehead.

Sam was stronger than I expected him to be for his age and frame. All things considered he was still a growing boy and had not yet hit the peak of maturity or strength. But his smaller body surprised me with the size of his strength as he tugged me along by the shoulder. Much like his sister, I'm sure, there was also a well of hidden power inside of him. I could scarcely feel it but I knew it was there.

Tatum's strength had not surprised me. The man was built like a house. I would have thought he could have flung me over his shoulder and carried me by himself. So I took a small amount of pride in know that at least he was maybe struggling. As much pride as you could have while behind cuffed, gagged, and dragged through a castle.

I tried to figure out where we might be going but considering I was being pulled backwards, I could only see what we had passed, not exactly what was in front of us. Cute family portraits, big windows, long green curtains, gold accents. Small pieces of the puzzle, but not enough to get an idea of the big picture quite yet.

It seemed we had entered, from the hallway,  into a much bigger room. Maybe the ballroom I had caught a quick glance at before being "captured" by Tatum and Sam. (That word being used lightly because they tricked me).

I was more sure of being pulled into the ballroom when I saw a grand piano in the corner. It was a beautiful black piano and was surrounded by music stands on the small dais. Perhaps where the music performers would play during dances in the ballroom. I almost smiled while thinking of what Lyria would look like dancing at a ball.

I heard Tatum call out in a language I did not know. It sounded and felt ancient but that was about all I could pick up on. The meaning of the words was completely lost on me. The language sounded like a form of music.

In response, I heard muffled voices and footsteps rush towards them. Two. Maybe three more people. None of them were Lyria, but one man and one woman came closer. To inspect what the cat dragged in I guess.

Sam and Tatum lifted me to standing and spun me around. They allowed me to stand on my own but still had a firm grin on my arms, keeping me in place. The dagger Sam continued to press against the side of my throat.

I was correct. One man and one woman. But for all that I had dreamt and imagined what the amazing creatures that had given life to Lyria would look like, I was still taken back. Lyria's parents stood before me in all their mighty glory. My blood felt the depths of power that resonated in their own veins. Powerful creatures call to powerful creatures.

Maybe the man had thought the same as he analyzed me with a tilt in his head and an accessing stare. The woman raised a brow. If they hadn't masked their thoughts and schooled their features so well, I would have thought that maybe they were surprised. Or perhaps intrigued?

I remember Lyria had told me that the Fae in her world - this world - age similarly to those in mine. I was not surprised to see that her parents still looked very young, their immortal bodies forever preserved at their physical prime. Though they looked young, they did not seem young.

Especially not the Fae warrior that stood in front of me. There was something about him, just like the sound of their language, that was ancient. Maybe it was the look in his deep forest green eyes that seemed to speak of hundreds of years, hundreds of stories, hundreds of battles and wars.