AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Stay there. Leader Timmon will probably be there shortly. I'll head out to meet you guys. I am so fucking glad you're okay.The relief in his voice was heartwarming, which was unusual for him.
Everything okay?
Not really. Tessa's convinced that you're all dead and that she's going to die soon as well.He sounded as though the mere thought made him sick.
I debated for a moment about reaching out to Tessa mentally but decided it was better if we could talk to her in person. A man stepped through the trees. His robes, more like dresses, were rich greens and browns. They looked nothing like I'd ever seen before. The top material was a light green, helping him blend with his surroundings, and making him easy to miss, which I figured was the point.
"You must be Leader Timmon," I said as he approached us, trying to be as cordial as possible.
"And you must be the missing warriors that the key was so worried about," he replied with a tired sigh. "You certainly don't look as though you're in mortal peril and needed the entire Agarthan army to be mobilized and sent to El Dorado."
I could feel Griffin's smile emanating from him, even though he was standing behind me. "She would want you to do that. It's exactly the kind of thing she would demand."
Timmon just grunted. "Yes. Well, as you can see, we did not do that. El Dorado's politics are their own problem." The smile that I had been feeling quickly vanished.
"This was the One Realm cult. This wasn't an El Dorado issue. It just happened to take place in El Dorado. It could have happened here or in Hyperborea or in Atlantis. Every realm has its problems with that cult." Griff's voice was verging on anger, which wouldn't do us any favors if we needed this Timmon guy on our side.
Surprisingly, Niall stepped in and said, "Leader Timmon, would you mind showing us to Tessa and Kai? We would really like to reunite with them."
Finn's voice sounded in my head, and I knew he was projecting.This guy is a dick.
Agreed,I said to Finn before reaching out to Kai once more.Is Timmon usually so, uh, grumpy?I didn't want to offend my friend by insulting the leader of his people, but I couldn't stop my curiosity.
Kai responded with what was essentially a mental snort.Yeah, He's not the greatest. Is he bringing you to us?
"Please follow me," Timmon finally said after staring at us for a moment.
Yeah, he seems to be.I told Kai.
A wave of relief rippled through our connection.Good. I'll wait for you in the rooms.Even Kai's mental voice sounded exhausted, making me wonder what was going on. Had Tessa just been railing against them, demanding that she be released to return to El Dorado? Or demanding the use of the Agarthan army as though she had any pull here whatsoever? I could imagine Kai being an outcast and trying to keep her calm would be more than a little challenging.
We wound through the trees, getting stared at by the locals, which wasn't a surprise. I knew from experience that the buildings might look primitive from the outside, whether on the ground or in the trees, but that didn't mean that they were. The growth in technology was nothing short of miraculous most of the time.
Finally, we arrived at a stone building with layers and layers of rock piled high, like it had just been cobbled together. Only if it had been, it wouldn't be standing so strong. Timmon turned to us and said, "You'll find your key and your guardian friend inside. I would advise you to stay with them until we announce the welcome dinner later."
"Thank you, Leader Timmon," I said before I turned and headed inside.
Finn and Griff followed behind me, with Niall bringing up the rear. As soon as we opened the door, Leader Timmon was completely forgotten about, and we all looked for Tessa. Seeking her out like she was a homing beacon. But she wasn't there.
Kai was, though, and he looked like hell.
Dark circles hung under his eyes, and his skin was blotchy and pale. "Are you okay?" I asked as soon as I walked in.
"Yeah, I'm good," he grunted, seeming weak or bone weary and as though standing was just asking too much of him at that moment.
"You sure as hell don't look like it," Finn mumbled from the other side of me. He was right. This was probably the worst I'd seen Kai look in a long time. I'd expected the opposite since this was his home realm and all.
The four of us piled into the small living room area.
"Where's Tessa?" Griff demanded. Finn was just behind his shoulder when I looked over, both of them eagerly awaiting Kai's answer.
"She's in the room at the back. Just so you know, I haven't been able to get her to eat. She's barely had anything to drink. I think she's just been waiting to die because she thought you guys were dying or dead. She gave up. Me taking her... It broke her."
My heart seized at his words. I knew she'd be upset, but for him to say it broke her was a whole different level.
Griff and Finn wasted no time going to check on our girl. I found myself rooted to the spot, though, staring at Kai. It had only been a few days since we last saw him, yet he looked like half the man he had been as he grabbed Tessa and ran from the battlefield.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" I asked.
