Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight: Reunited at Last
No words could describe the sort of feelings that were rushing through Ella's heart.
Preparing herself mentally was the worst part since she would have to bring Adariel with her into that place, and there was always a chance they could get caught again.
Which would be bad.
VERY bad.
Stepping out into the open, she headed over to where the duke had disappeared and stood on the threshold of the secret doorway, feeling cold air wafting her tangled, sweat-plastered white hair across her shoulders. A long, dimly lit staircase descended into the dark to parts unknown, and after listening for a good five minute, she started down into the deep.
Find, my, friends, she thought with each halting step. I, hate, stairs. Find, my, friends. I, am, scared. Find, my, friends.
After a long, long time the stairs terminated in a dark hallway lined with glass mirrors. It reflected her dirty, torn white dress and equally dirty white hair without any sugarcoating, and when she caught a glimpse of her smudged makeup and wide rabbit's eyes she paused.
She could see Adariel, clinging to her desperately, tail weakly flicking around.
His eyes were gaunt, and he looked frightened.
They both looked like a mess.
"We can do this," she told the boy, catching those large blue-green eyes in the reflection. "Your brother believes in you, and me. But right now, our friends are counting on... us."
When he shivered and tightened his hands, she grimaced, and tossed her hair behind her ears.
Then she continued walking, trying to keep quiet. The glass hallway went on and on and on, not turning or varying in any way, and when she came upon a large metal door she felt her mouth go dry.
Please be unlocked, she thought as she pushed down the handle, and her heart leaped when it opened smoothly beneath her hand.
Fresh, harsh light stung her eyes, and she squinted as she walked into it. Another hallway stood before her, but this one was immaculately carpeted. Rich red plush on the floor, wooden crown molding, golden walls with brass lantern fixtures.
It seemed like an extension of the actual castle, but Ella was in no mood to admire it right then because she heard voices down the hall.
She squared her shoulders, then leaned down and drew the dagger from her boot.
Thinking quickly, she looked down at her dress and scowled.
With a speed that startled the little boy on her back, she grabbed the front of the billowing skirt and held it out, plunging the dagger into it and tearing the cloth. He watched with wide eyes as she hacked away, ripping the fabric around in a wide circle just above the thighs.
Once she had a wide, circular strip of cloth, she cut it again so it wasn't connected, and cut it a third, fourth, and fifth time so she had four equal strips of cloth.
Then, she put the dagger between her teeth and wrapped the first strip around her back, forcing it to ride up beneath Adariel's tail and across his bottom. He flinched, squeezing so tightly that she almost choked, but she kept her calm and tied the strip around her middle.
His shivers bothered her immensely.
Curse whoever puts hands on a child, she silently muttered. Once she was finished, she used the other two strips to tie his legs securely to her sides, and with the last strip, she wrapped it around his back and tied it around her chest, making loops to slip his arms through.
She tied the knots as tightly as she could, then smoothed what was left of the skirt down and took the dagger out of her mouth.
"Slide your arms through those loops," she said quietly. "It'll help keep you safely on my back if we're attacked and I have to fight, okay?"
"O-okay," he mumbled, jerkily sliding his clawed hands through the silken cuffs she'd made; his arms settled back into their previous position. "Thank you."
Ella nodded, then looked at his arms.
Remembering the time that Xaphile had been carried on Sinmir's back, she cut one more piece of cloth from her remaining skirt and used it to tie his hands together. He quivered, but said nothing, and Ella winced since the fabric dug into his chafed, scabbed wrists.
She examined herself. Her skirt was now so short that it stopped near the upper part of her thighs. If she so much as bent over, her underwear would be on full display.
No time to worry about something like that, she told herself. Worry about it later.
"Here we go," she said quietly. "Don't make a sound, okay?"
"Okay," Adariel mumbled. "I won't."
Taking a deep breath, Ella cut the laces on her other boot and removed it, taking the sheathe to her dagger and shoving it down the front of her dress so it could rest with the ring in her sad excuse for a cleavage. Then she tore her stockings off and bounced on her toes.
Her bad leg still had mobility issues when it came to bending a certain way.
But she'd always had that problem.
Picking up her discarded clothing, she moved forward, using her ears to track the voices down.
She passed a door with a golden toilet inside of it, glancing only momentarily.
She peeked around the first corner she came to with more than a little caution. Luckily for her, someone had set a huge pot with a small, live tree right on the other side of said corner, and she was able to sidle up against it and peer through the thick leaves to see the hallway beyond.
Two men wearing pristine silver knight armor stood on either side of a closed door, a large one made of dark wood that had been gouged with symbols she didn't recognize. The grates on the plumed helmets had been pushed back to reveal their bearded faces. The first one was short, around her own height, she was surprised to realize, and the second was taller.
They were both passing a large bottle between them, taking pulls from it and grimacing when the liquid hit their throats.
"So, how long're we gonna have to stand here?" the one closest to Ella asked as he took a swig from the bottle. His voice was high pitched, almost like a girl's.
"Dunno," said the other. A ring with three keys hung from his belt.
"Seriously, though," said the first one as he stood on tiptoe to peer inside the door. "I'm glad they're chained up. The big one with the grey eyes is pretty intimidating."
That'd be Sinmir, Ella thought with a smirk.
"The sooner the duke kills 'em off, the better," the first guard sighed, taking the bottle back from his friend. "Heh, spies from Adanac... who'da thought? No match for the duke, though, right?"
"Yep."
"Yeah, we were right to join the rebellion," the first man hiccuped, obviously tipsy, and he stared at the bottle in his hand with a wry smile. "Look at us, drinkin' on the job. We're gonna get thrown in the stocks and lose our knighthood if we get caught."
He tried chugging the drink and failed with a splutter. The other one took the bottle away.
"Hey, you can have the rest o' that," the first guard chortled, licking his lips. "I gotta take me a shite. Be only a moment, now."
An idea instantly popped into Ella's head.
Wow, this might actually be brilliant, even for me, she realized, thinking through it with a thudding heart. Okay... I think I can pull it off.
"Go do yer business, but hurry up!" the second guard muttered, downing the rest of the bottle, but by then Ella was already well on her way to the bathroom she had passed earlier. Inside was the toilet, a stone well to draw water, a mirror, and a strangely-placed coat rack.
Thinking quickly, she hefted her boot and and hung it on the peg.
Hurrying over to the well, she dropped down behind it and crouched, holding fast to her dagger. She was just in time, too, because not two seconds later, the armored guard walked into the bathroom with uneven steps.
Adariel shivered.
She heard the clink of a bottle hitting the bottom of the wastebasket. Then she heard the sound of metal armor clinking together and rattling as it was sloppily undone.
Using the sound as cover, Ella raised her head slightly and peered out, ignoring the way Adariel shifted on her back. The guard had removed his helmet and was standing stock still, staring at the coat rack.
"What in the nine?" she heard him murmur. "Is this a boot or'm I just too drunk?"
He reached out to touch the boot she'd hung on the coat peg, but he didn't quite get there because by then Ella had already leapt out from her hiding place.
Tearing forward with the speed of a lynx, she lunged into the air and smashed the hilt of her dagger clean into his temple as hard as she possibly could. He went down with an oomph and she popped him two more times, each of them harder for good measure.
Her heart beat like artillery fire in her chest, and she leaned against the wall for support after he stopped moving. Adariel was shivering violently on her back, and he'd returned to biting the fabric of her tattered gown, muffling his frightened whimpers.
"Please don't wake up," Ella hissed, unfastening the makeshift sling keeping him pinned against her. "All right... Adariel? You're going to have to be really, really brave for a few minutes."
"Eh?" the little boy whispered. "What? Why?"
"I'm going to be getting into that armor," she explained, looking at it. "He's similar to me in size, so I might be able to fool the other guard out there into thinking I'm him. Then I'll knock him unconscious, grab our friends, and come right back."
"No, please!" he panicked, clinging to her throat. "Don't leave me alone! Please! Please!"
Ella sighed, then patted his arms.
"I'm not going to leave you," she soothed. "If you're really that frightened at the thought of being out of my sight, instead of waiting in here, I'll let you wait behind the tree in the hall so you can see me. Is that okay?"
He shivered madly, shaking all over, but then he whimpered and nodded.
"Don't leave me, okay?" he whined. "Please..."
"I won't. You have my word as the Countess of Nimika that I won't leave you."
With those words, she completely unfastened the sling. Then she set Adariel down and with little fanfare, pulled her dress off and over her head, throwing it to the side. Kneeling down, she began to take off the knight's armor.
It was a slightly lengthy process, and one that had her heart pounding.
I can't kill anyone here, she reminded herself. If I do, I'll void the treaty that protects me. So far, I haven't done anything that violates it as far as I'm aware, and that is literally the only thing that might save my neck if I'm caught. I can't be the one to break the treaty of the Four.
She vowed to thank Vordt time and time again for his wisdom as she donned the silver armor.
If it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't have known that there were options.
She wouldn't have known that she had one very important line of defense.
Wriggling her hands to get used to the weight of the armor, she put the man's red-plumed helmet on and closed the grate, cringing at the fetid stench of his sweat.
She was lucky that he was roughly the same size as her, otherwise this wouldn't have worked.
Muttering an apology to Amelia, she tore the rest of the dress right down the middle. She used one of the halves to hogtie the guard and then stuffed the other into his mouth like an impromptu sort of gag.
Being careful not to be too loud, she strapped the sword he had been carrying to her waist, and hefted Adariel into her arms. Carrying him down the hall was easy; he looked at her with kitten-like eyes that tugged at her heart, as if he were about to be abandoned.
She ran a silver-gloved hand through his long hair, staring at him through the grate.
He didn't shy away as he had the previous times, instead leaning into her palm.
Nuzzling it.
"I'll be back in a moment," she whispered. "I need to grab the boot and my dagger, and I'm going to take a few moments to hide the guard behind the well! Okay?"
When he opened his mouth, she held a finger against the armor's grate and upon seeing the gesture he closed it and simply nodded, tail curling around his bony knees. He huddled there, shivering, as she quietly walked down to the bathroom and grabbed her boot and dagger.
Then she shook herself, steeling her resolve.
With many grunts, she pulled the unconscious guard behind the water well, then made her way out of the bathroom as quickly as she could. She glanced at Adariel's eyes one last time as she passed him, and with a nod, she transferred her weight to her right foot and made her way out into the open.
"Agh! Blasted idiots!" she barked as she hopped around the corner, mimicking the short guy's voice to the best of her ability. "Somebody had this lyin' on the floor in there! I think I sprained my ankle! Bit my fuckin' lip, too!"
The taller man frowned as she hopped over and leaned against the wall, breathing hard in what she hoped looked like pain, but she didn't have to worry. He didn't seem suspicious at all.
"Wait here," he said. "I'll go check it out."
"Thanks," Ella said as he walked away, and as soon as his back was fully turned she sped after him and whacked him as hard as she could. He fell to the floor in a heap, cursing, but Ella pounced like a lion, stomping on his armored helmet as hard as she could. "DOWN! STAY DOWN!"
She kicked him until he stopped moving.
He was still breathing, but Ella kicked him in the head a few more times for good measure before dragging him off to join his buddy in the bathroom.
Adariel watched her in muted awe, blue-green eyes gleaming.
"You really did it!" he said, as if he couldn't believe it. "You did it!"
"Of course I did," Ella said, giving a small chuckle. "There's a reason I tell people I always get what I want. They never believe me until it happens, you see."
For the first time, a smile broke out across the child's face and he let out an adorable giggle.
Ella's heart bloomed with warmth even as she dragged the unconscious knight into the bathroom. As an afterthought, she cut a few more strips of cloth out of the sling she'd made and used it to hogtie him, as well.
Stealing the keys off his unconscious body proved easy, as did walking down the hall and putting said keys into the holding cell's huge wooden door.
Adariel peered around the corner, eyes large, as she took a deep breath.
All right, I can do this, Ella silently muttered as she turned the key and slowly tugged the door open, Get in, free them, get out, and grab Adariel. Simple. Oh, and don't get caught. That last bit's important.
But, of course, it wasn't all peaches and pie.
For starters, Vrael and Sinmir glared at her the minute she walked in.
Ella wasn't used to seeing such hostility from them and it made her freeze.
"Back already?" Sinmir asked from the corner. "Scum... I knew it wouldn't be long."
He and Vrael had been chained by their legs, necks, and ankles to the walls. Deep runes etched into the iron supposedly suppressed any sort of magical energy the same way the chains that had bound her earlier did, otherwise they would have long since broken free.
Even though she could hardly see him through the grate of metal covering her face, she was unable to move beneath Sinmir's frightening stare.
"Uh," Ella droned, not knowing how to respond. "I..."
"Kicking us around while we were tied up wasn't enough for you?" the prince went on. "You just had to come back for more, huh? Is this what you do to the children you take prisoner?!"
Before she could explain who she was, he lunged against the chains with a snarl.
She flinched.
His face was terrifying.
I'm really, really lucky he's my ally, she realized, feeling mildly alarmed. When he's angry, he becomes downright frightening.
"Don't let the filthy son of a trollop anger you, Sinmir," Vrael muttered, drawing her gaze; she noticed a cut on his left cheek. "Conserve your strength for when we get out of here. We'll need it to find you know who."
"You're right," SInmir sneered, looking at her in a way that curdled her blood. "I'll save my energy, with just enough extra to snap his filthy neck on the way out."
Ella shivered internally.
Since Vrael appeared to be the least bloodthirsty of the two, staring at her through suspicious but quiet eyes, she moved toward him.
His eyes went all buggy.
"Oi, don't come near me, I didn't do anything to you!" he shouted, shying away. When she bent to try the keys in his ankle cuffs, he lashed out with a kick. "Go away! They're tight enough already, you bloody ass!"
"Shut up and stay still, Vrael!" Ella finally snapped. "I'm trying to free you!"
"EH?!" Sinmir wheezed, eyes instantly flying open wide. "Ella?! Is that you?!"
She took a moment to lift the grate, taking a breath of fresh air, and tipped a wink at him.
"In the flesh!" she chimed, and when his and Vrael's eyes bugged out of their head, she rolled her own with a smirk. "Now shut up and let me get you out of here, you big oafs."
"How'd you get here?!" Vrael squeaked, flailing a little. "Where'd you disappear to?!"
"It's a long story, and we don't have the time for me to tell it," Ella said, fiddling with the lock; it wasn't the right key, though, and with a grumbled of annoyance she sifted through the ring and tried another one, only to have it fail as well. "Damn it. We don't have time for this."
She worried about Adariel being left alone for too long.
"Where did you run off to?" Sinmir finally asked. "Did Xaphile find his brother?"
"There isn't any time to explain," Ella said, trying not to sound panicked. "Just... be quiet!"
Her heart jumped when the key clunked and turned.
His clasp broke open with a snap.
She made quick work of the other locks until he was free, then hastened over to Sinmir and started working on his bonds as well. They fell to the floor with heavy clanks a few seconds later.
Sinmir instantly rose to his feet and stepped forward to embrace her, but Ella was already running back down the hall towards Adariel. The little boy's head flew up when she knelt down and touched his arm, but those blue-green eyes glittered as they stared into her own.
"You won't leave again, right?" he asked in a small voice. "Can we go now?"
Ella nodded.
With a heavy sigh, she stood up and dragged the helmet off, then began tearing the armor off of her body. Vrael and Sinmir trotted forward, but stopped when they saw her stripping.
"What are you doing, lass?!" Sinmir scoffed, eyes wide. "You should keep that on!"
"No," Ella growled. "I refuse to wear armor that belongs to a traitor's people."
Not to mention, she wouldn't be able to carry Adariel without hurting him if she was wearing it.
She knew that Sinmir and Vrael both would have been willing to carry the little boy if she'd asked them to, but for whatever reason, she didn't want to let them do it: as much as she trusted them, she felt that Adariel would be safest with her.
She was already as protective of him as she was Xaphile.
Once she'd stripped down to her bra and frilly bloomers, she sprinted to the bathroom and donned the sling, then hastened back over. Squatting down, she looked at Adariel; Sinmir and Vrael, realizing that she wasn't looking at them, peered around the tree.
"What are you doing?" Vrael asked, frowning. "Is something there?"
Ella didn't respond; she kept her attention on the little boy cowering behind her.
"Get on," she said softly. "Come on."
Adariel sniffled, then weakly crawled up against her back and she slid her arms beneath his legs, carefully getting him situated into the sling and hefting his weight. His body felt even bonier now that she could feel his skin against her own.
It made her sick.
When she trotted back into the open, she snatched the sword she'd discarded and belted it to her waist, tossing the dagger and its sheathe to the ground, but when she turned she realized that Sinmir had an eyebrow raised and Vrael's eyes were averted, face red.
"Well, I'm impressed," Sinmir finally said; his voice made Adariel cringe and huddle against the back of her neck. "You're really going to run around in your undergarments?"
"It can't be helped," she said shortly, narrowing her eyes. "I used my gown to tie up the guards. Now, let's get out of here... and... uh..."
She trailed off when Sinmir's eyes flicked lower, landing on the skeletal, battered, scabbed, bruised, extremely pale arms wrapped around her neck.
His eyes widened and lost their reflective sheen.
"Is that him?" he whispered. "Turn around!"
Ella grimaced and closed her eyes before turning to the side.
Sinmir actually gasped and Vrael's eyes grew so round that it was a wonder they didn't fall out of his head when Adariel turned his face in their direction, large, frightened eyes landing on them.
Sinmir stepped forward, raising a hand, but Ella felt his body flinch against her and set her fingers lightly on his clawed hands to soothe him. He buried his face in her neck, refusing to look at any of them after that, but she could feel how frightened he was.
Horrified, the bearded man clutched his mouth, looking ill and totally shell shocked.
"Those bastards," he breathed, tears filling his eyes. "What have they done to this child?!"
"They had him chained up against a wall for weeks," Ella said thickly. "I'll explain everything in detail later, but right now we need to focus on regrouping with the others and getting out of here! Nothing else! We're in danger!"
His brow slowly knitted into a wrinkled mess, and Ella felt her blood run cold since his face was shifting into a look she'd never seen him wear before. Her heart rose into her throat.
The look in his eyes... the rage, the hatred...
He looked like a man about to commit murder.
"I agree," he said coldly, lowering his hand and sweeping forward. "Let's go."
"Yes, let's... uh..."
She stared off into space when he stormed past her and Adariel before she could so much as turn around; the child flinched in the wake of his shadow, and he did so again when Vrael hurried past as well. After a moment, she followed them, keeping close to the wall.
Her bare feet padded against the carpet, making no sound.
"Who... are they?" Adariel whispered into her ear. "Those are my... brother's friends?"
"Yes," Ella said just as softly, raising an arm from beneath his knee to rub his chilly hands. "The big one is Sinmir. He's strong, but brave... and very gentle. The short one is Vrael."
"They... won't hurt me?" he asked in a voice that seemed surprisingly devoid of feeling. "They won't... touch me in places that shouldn't be touched?"
Ella's footsteps froze and her stomach literally dropped out of her body, plummeting into nothing when she recalled the scratches on the little boy's waist and hips. Bile rose up her throat when she fully realized, for the first time, what must have been done to him.
Her eyes stung.
"Did... Spack touch you?" she whispered. "Did people do that to you?"
He quivered violently for a moment... but then, he nodded.
And her heart broke.
Ella closed her eyes to block the tears, but they started falling regardless. She squeezed his hand a little tighter, then continued going, mouth pressing into a thin line. Her pulse pounded in her ears and rage boiled in her gut, making her want to smash something.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Adariel. I'm so, so sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" he asked, confused. "You saved me... why are you sorry?"
"For failing you," she hissed, squaring her shoulders. "You were taken from my lands. It's my biggest responsibility to make sure the people within Nimika are taken care of and doing well, but I failed. I failed you. I should have known. I should have known. And I'm sorry."
"You didn't fail me," Adariel instantly protested, squeezing her neck. "We protected you all our lives! Me and my big brother lived in the trees and watched over you, just like... just like he said we should, that it was our job to make sure that you were all right!"
Ella blinked, startled by that.
"What?" she asked slowly.
"We watched you, even though you hated everyone and everything," Adariel mumbled. "It was all my fault... Big Brother... he... he wanted to show himself to you. He wanted to walk into the human town and talk with you, because you were always alone. He... he was going to leave me alone while he did it, and... and..."
Ella felt a chill run down her spine when he started sniffling.
"And... what?" she urged. "What happened?"
"And I got mad, and I pushed him down, I told him not to go," he wept, shaking, "but he didn't listen, and I got scared, and mad, and... and I hit him in the head with a rock. I... I made him fade, and... and when I went to go get help, from the people, they... they took me here. And they..."
He trailed off again, but Ella didn't need for him to finish.
She remembered the words of the slaver that Xaphile had killed and shuddered, heart aching.
"Everything will be okay," she said, because what else was there to say? "You don't need to worry anymore. Your brother... his mind is a little jumbled up, so he's probably different than you remember, but he's alive... and he loves you more than anything in the world."
As she spoke, they started moving up the stairs towards the garden.
"He said he doesn't remember me," Adariel mumbled. "He said he forgot me."
Ella nodded sagely.
"Yes, he did," she admitted. "He forgot everything. In fact, when he first woke up, he thought he was a human from another world, where he and I were in love with each other! Imagine that!"
Adariel sniffled, but said nothing.
"The fact is," Ella said, keeping her eyes trained on Vrael's back, "brothers fight sometimes. It can be small or big, but in the end, the two of you need each other. And you still have each other, too, so don't worry. All right?"
He nodded against her back.
Just as Ella was about to make her way forward and catch up with them, she felt a blue itch filled with urgency and a twinge of fear erupt inside her head. She twitched, feet slowing down.
Ella, where are you? Xaphile's thought-voice suddenly asked. It feels like you're beneath us, but... how? Are you all right? Speak to me!
I'm in a secret tunnel underground. I was rescuing Vrael and Sinmir, she explained. I have your little brother. He's safe, but as I said, in bad shape. We need to regroup. Where are you right now?
Some sort of garden, Xaphile said; a grim wash of emotion swept through him. That creeper who put his hands on you is dead. We found his body here.
You're right above us, she exclaimed, letting out an exhale of relief. Stay put! Don't move! And... prepare yourself. Adariel... he wants you really bad, but he doesn't have the strength to walk, so if you want to keep him close, you're going to have to carry him.
Silence filled her head.
But a wash of emotions filled her heart and she closed her eyes, basking in them.
She could feel the fire of his relief, his joy, his yearning, his desperation, and his love.
The same passion that had burned for the other Ella.
You don't know how much this means to me, he whispered. Ella... thank you.
She smiled, pulse coming a little quicker.
"Sinmir! Vrael!" she called, speeding after them; they turned slightly. "Xaphile and the others are just up the stairs!"
"It's good that they weren't caught," Vrael sighed. "I was worried when they carried us off. It's actually a good thing that you weren't there! They said that---"
"I heard every word," Ella muttered, instantly scowling. "We need to have a serious talk once we're out of danger."
"I agree," Sinmir said softly, glancing at Adariel's arms. "Let's not delay their reunion."
Ella nodded, squeezing Adariel's hand again while she climbed the stairs.
She could smell the scent of bread flowers already.
"We're almost there. Just a little bit longer!"
"Big brother!" Adariel whispered, squeezing her arms with more strength she thought he had. "Big brother! I can feel him! I feel him again! I FEEL HIM!"
His tail began to fling itself around and he bounced a little on her back. His chin came to rest on her shoulder and he peered ahead, wide eyes locked on the stairs.
She could see the secret door already.
Ella took a deep breath when Sinmir shoved it open and burst out into the garden. Vrael followed him out; she did so as well, squinting in the starlight air. Then, she saw him.
Xaphile was looking at the door with Amelia and Vordt standing on either side of him.
Those handsome eyes landed onto her instantly, and he balked when he saw that she was in her underwear... but then Adariel began to flail.
"BIG BROTHER!" he wailed, fighting to get off her back. "BIG BROTHER!"
Ella could see it when it happened, the way his eyes lit up, the way his mouth opened; the expression that floated across Xaphile's face as he laid eyes on his little brother for the first time in his memory was one she knew she would never forget.
The eyes of a boy who had found someone he'd been missing for a long time.
Without even knowing it.
Ella untied the cloth keeping Adariel fastened to her back and let him slide to the ground, keeping her arms steady on him. He was in such a hurry that he tried to run all on his own, but his legs buckled and he fell flat on his face with a squeak, arms outstretched.
Xaphile's eyes widened and in a flash, he came running.
"Adariel!" he cried, falling to his knees in front of the shivering boy. "Adariel! Adariel!"
But the moment he touched the kid, another flail went through his battered body and he lunged across the ground, clawing at Xaphile's pants. He dragged himself into the startled teenager's lap and embraced him, burying his face in his throat and promptly bursting into tears.
And in turn, Xaphile's arms found him, wrapping around him tightly. They rocked back and forth, holding each other as if they would never let go.
Then he pushed the child away and took a look at his face; his expression cracked and he showered the boy with kisses.
"Adariel," he whispered, breaking down into tears. "Oh, god... my baby brother..."
"Xaphile!" the child wailed, face contorted with his crying. "Xaphile!"
Ella watched them, heart melting, tears filling her own eyes. She laughed, sniffing, as Xaphile rocked him back and forth, trembling and weeping.
Vordt hung back, looking somewhat hesitant and uncertain, but the expression in his eyes clearly said that he wanted to embrace the crying child as well.
Sinmir swaggered over and punched him in the arm, making the faery's head snap to glare at him, but the blonde merely smirked and nodded with his head.
"Go," he urged. "Don't hesitate."
Vordt's angry face slid into a stoic mask. He turned and walked over... and without a word, he dropped to his knees and gently wrapped both crying boys up in his arms, pulling them close to his chest and staring off at nothing. Ella wasn't fooled by his expressionless demeanor.
His eyes gleamed, and she could tell by the set of his mouth that he was relieved as well.
"They're finally a family again, huh," a voice said from beside her; Ella jumped and whirled to see Amelia looking at them with a sad smile on her face. "I'm glad we took this journey, Ella... for all the struggles we've been through, I think it'll change everything for the better."
"I'm... not so sure," Ella said slowly, making Amelia look at her in surprise, "but... if I had to admit it, I think that for better or worse, it was worth it in a variety of ways. Right now... right now, I'm just happy to see them back together."
"As am I," Amelia sniffed.
They watched for a time.
Then everyone seemed to remember where they were.
"All right," Vordt sighed, finally pulling away. "We have Adariel. Let us leave and return to Gus."
"Good idea," Xaphile sniffed, clasping his crying brother's cheeks and looking him in the eyes through his own tears. "Let's go, Adariel. I'm going to take you someplace safe. And then you're going to eat something, we'll heal you up, and you'll get some much-needed rest... all right?"
Adariel couldn't respond. He was still crying his eyes out so hard that it shook his whole body.
When Vordt rose, Xaphile lifted his little brother up bridal style and held his frail, wailing, quivering form close to his chest. Everyone started out of the garden, but Ella shared none of their confidence since she still had to think about everything she'd heard.
Everything she'd seen.
She felt a cold sweat break out across her face, but then, something was draped across her shoulder.
"Put that on," Sinmir said softly. "It's big enough to cover your state of undress."
Ella glanced at it to see that it was the crimson tunic he'd been wearing over his shirt. It took her a minute for her to remember that he was the only one who hadn't needed an illusion to make his clothes look different.
"Thank you," she said, giving him a weak smile. "I appreciate it."
"You all right?" Sinmir asked in a low voice. Neither he nor she moved to follow the others.
She looked up into his concerned grey eyes with a twist of her lips.
"Scared," she said. "Of what the future holds. I... I can handle a war against demons, Sinmir... but... a war against people? I don't know if I can."
His eyes flashed and he narrowed them.
His large hand extended and Ella cringed for a moment, having a flashback of Spack slapping her in the dark, but his gentle fingers merely brushed her hair out of her face and caressed the back of her head in a very fatherly manner.
"If they try to incite a civil war, or do anything to harm you," Sinmir said softly, "you can rest assured that my country will back you as an ally. If it comes down to it, I'll have Amelia take me back to Adanac with her teleportation magic so I can fill in my father."
Ella's brows rose, but then she grew skeptical.
"I doubt your father would agree to get involved with our internal political affairs," she said, then her heart softened and she patted his hand. "Although, thank you for the sentiment... I really am emboldened and... happy... that you care for us so much."
"Actually, he would," Sinmir said, smirking mischievously. "Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have a reason to, but if you recall, back in Calcoon you bent your knee to the Eastern Queen and swore your fealty as the ruler of Nimika, which makes the two of you political allies."
Ella's eyes widened with a jolt when she remembered that she had, actually, done just that.
It had been because of a bet, but still.
"Oh, Gods," she breathed, eyes wide. "You're right... but... how does that...?"
"Have you forgotten already who I'm engaged to?" he asked, leaning down to her eye level and waggling his eyebrows. "Even my father knows that faeries have the ultimate say in how things turn out. He cannot refute my decision to marry her, nor would he try to, since I once vowed right before his eyes to never take another wife and have more children. That moment hurt him. He would be beyond overjoyed to hear of this news."
"Sinmir," Ella breathed, eyes filling with tears.
"And because you and my fiance are allied as rulers and territories," the prince of Adanac said, narrowing his eyes, "if anyone attacks your lands and declares war, Adanac will get involved. Your fealty to her gives you access to our resources. And I am thinking... that soon, after we've gotten Adariel settled in, and discussed everything... you should make this news public."
Ella stared.
"You think I should show myself to the king and confront him about what happened here?" she asked. "And about the situation with the missing faeries?"
His brow furrowed, and he leaned down so they were more on level with one another.
"Yes, but not right now. We've got to figure this out, Ellameira," he said, and he clapped his other hand onto her head to ruffle her hair. "As soon as we're able to, we'll make this public and speak out against the atrocities that have happened here tonight. It'll work out; trust me."
Ella smiled at him. He smiled back. As his hand left her hair, a voice filled the air.
"Are you two quite finished?"
They both turned to see Vordt waiting with his arms folded; the others had stopped near the edge of the castle. Ella hadn't noticed him standing there, listening to every last word they'd said as if he had that right. Neither, apparently, had Sinmir.
"We're done," the prince confirmed, then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along. "Now, we have to get out of this blasted place without getting caught again. Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Ella sighed.
Which wasn't ready at all, unfortunately.
But at the very least... Xaphile and Adariel were back together.
Reunited at last.