Chapter 18

I spent the next couple of hours going over all of the things that would be expected of me as the queen with Tuck and Jenna. There was a lot to think about. I would have to command the Guard, make sure that the streets and the rest of the city was maintained. I would have to impose punishment on those that broke the laws, maintain a good relationship with other fairy kingdoms. The more responsibilities that they thought of the more my stomach started to churn.

“Don’t worry, Callie.” Tuck must have noticed my sudden tension. “You will have plenty of help. You won’t have to do everything on your own.”

That was a relief. I was having trouble understanding how one person could do so much.

As we approached Drake, we could hear the sound of music being played. I could hear a lot of chatter and laughter emptying out into the tunnels. The three of us moved very slowly with our backs plastered against the tunnel wall. I could feel the sharp edges tugging on my pack as we moved.

We tried to stay hidden deep within the shadows. I knew that getting past this point would be tricky, but I never expected so much commotion. It sounded as if there was a party going on inside.

“I’ll be right back. I need to get some air and cool off.” We heard somebody call out as footsteps began to draw near.

We froze. I did not even want to breathe. I hoped that the dark shadows of the tunnel would keep us hidden from whoever was about to step out of the doorway.

A tall familiar figure entered the tunnel, he stood just outside of the cavern and took a long exaggerated breath. I strained to get a better look at who it was that looked so recognizable but he was facing away from me. I couldn’t really get a good look.

We waited. I hope that whoever it was would gather himself and just head back in to the party.

The figure turned and stretched his arms tall, and when he brought them back down his eyes locked with mine.

He squinted in the darkness of the tunnel as if he were trying to get a better look. “Callie?” He asked quietly.

“Brokk.” I said in a breath. I would recognize the sound of that voice anywhere. Even now, it sent an odd heat radiating through my body. Of all the people in the world to catch us, it just had to be Brokk.

He moved toward me and I raised my arm and grabbed my sword by the handle. I didn’t really think that he was about to hurt me, but I wanted to be prepared for anything.

“Callie, what are you doing out here?” He acted as if nothing had ever gone wrong between us.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing.” I held his gaze and smirked, but I never took my hand from my sword.

“I left the queen. After the last time that I saw you, I realized that she was evil and I finally saw what she was doing to me. So I left Patrona and came here.” He motioned toward the village behind him.

“How long have you been here Brokk?” I was getting a little irritated. He was talking to me as someone would talk to a friend that they hadn’t seen in a while. Apparently, he had forgotten the way that things had ended between us.

“Since the day after our fight, the guards found me in the tunnel and took me back to the palace to recover. I overheard the queen talking to them about you. She wanted them to hunt you down and kill you. I knew then that she had gone too far. I fled that very night and I have been here ever since.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal.

I wasn’t sure whether I could trust him or not. He had never lied to me in the past. He did not always disclose his intentions, but he had not lied.

If what he was saying was true, then he was here when Kailen came back for supplies. Kailen must have seen him, but he said nothing. Was this why Kailen’s feelings toward me had changed? No, that couldn’t be right. Kailen had changed long before he ever came back to Drake.

Now I was really starting to get mad. How dare Kailen keep this from me? Brokk was living in Drake and he did not even think that this little detail was worth mentioning? It was absolutely unbelievable.

“What is going on in there?” Jenna asked Brokk, nodding to the door.

“They are celebrating Kailen’s return to Drake.” Brokk said sheepishly.

“His return?” Tuck sounded just as confused as I felt.

“Yes, he announced just this morning that he would be staying for good this time, so everyone decided to celebrate. Kind of stupid if you ask me.” Brokk rolled his eyes. “But those folks are always looking for a reason to party.”

I didn’t know what to say. Once again, Kailen had left me speechless. He never planned to return to the cavern, another fact that he failed to mention. That dull nagging pain formed within my heart again. I could feel my face start to fall so I looked to the ground in an attempt to regain my composure. I really needed to stay away from guys for a while. Apparently, I only attracted the ones that would cause me nothing but trouble.

“Callie, please don’t tell me that you fell for him. Please don’t tell me that you believed all of his lies.” Brokk pleaded desperately.

“Lies? What lies, Brokk?” My voiced raised a pitch and crackled as I spoke revealing my emotions on the subject.

Brokk stood looking a little defeated for a few moments.

“Didn’t he tell you about his family’s part in all of this?” Now he was the one getting a little heated.

“He told me that they helped my parents escape with me to the surface. He said that they taught my parents how to use their fairy magic to disguise themselves. What more does he need to tell me Brokk?” I was starting to get really upset with him. If he didn’t watch himself, he was going to end up with another sore nose.

“Maybe we should continue this discussion somewhere else.” Jenna interrupted. “Someone could walk out of there at anytime and find us here.”

Brokk looked puzzled but he led us back the way that we had come.

A little ways back down the tunnel, he ducked into a small cavern where we were less likely to be seen or heard.

“Brokk, you better start explaining yourself!” I yelled. “And you better not lie to me!”

“I have never lied to you, Callie. And I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to explain that to you before.”

“Yes, at the same time that you were trying to turn me over to the queen! You are lucky that I don’t just end you right now!” I yelled again.

“Callie, calm down.” Jenna said softly in an attempt to soothe my nerves. “Let’s just hear what he has to say. Then we can decide how much of it we believe to be true.”

She met my eyes and I stared at her for a moment. Finally, I shook my head and resigned myself to behave until I had heard all that Brokk had to say.

“Continue Whelp.” Jenna told Brokk.

“Callie, it is true that Kailen’s family helped your parents leave. It’s why they helped that he has not bothered to tell you.” Brokk started but I couldn’t stand it.

“What are you talking about? They were friends of my parents. They wanted to help because they thought it was the right thing to do.” I stated firmly.

“Is that what he told you?”

“No, he didn’t have to tell me.” I said defensively.

“Callie, Kailen’s parents assisted your family to the surface because they were working with Lilith. She had been trying to weasel her way into the palace for a long time. After you were nearly kidnapped, she saw her opportunity and she took it. She had several of her supporters push your parents to leave with you. She made them believe that what they were doing was the right thing to do. Kailen’s parents were among those that secretly supported Lilith. Once your family was out of the way, Lilith could take over the throne. And she did.”

“That can not possibly be true Brokk!”

“It is the truth Callie. You need to believe me.”

My legs became so wobbly that I had to brace myself against the wall with my hand. Kailen’s parents tricked my family so that Lilith could take over. I replayed Brokk’s words over and over again in my mind. It just couldn’t be true.

“What happened to Kailen’s parents after Lilith took over?” I finally asked.

“Lilith thought that she could no longer trust them. She thought that if they were traitors to your family, then they would betray her too. She had them executed. Along with several others. Their children were cast out of the city. Kailen and his brothers settled here in Drake.”

“What about the war?” Jenna asked.

“Anyone who dared to defy Lilith was exiled. The older of those people started the village. Eventually they banded together and tried to stop Lilith. That’s when the war started. Many lives were lost and the outcasts eventually had to back down.” He said.

Jenna hung her head and stared at the ground. I knew that she was missing her family and trying to come to terms with their deaths. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

We all just stood there for a few moments taking everything in.

Kailen knew all along that his parents had betrayed mine. He never said a word. Did he pull away from me because he hated my family or because he carried some sort of guilt for what his had done? If he hated me he surely would never had agreed to help me to begin with, but he left. He left for good according to Brokk.

None of this was making any sense to me. I needed to talk to Kailen. I needed to hear the truth and I needed to hear it from him.

“I need to go. I need to talk to Kailen.” I said as I started to leave the cave.

“No, Callie!” Jenna pulled me back. “If you go in there they will wonder how you got here. They will question why you traveled this far on your own. They will know what we plan to do. Callie, Kailen is not going to let you leave again.”

“Like hell he’s not.” I said as I jerked away and headed toward Drake.