Kanin: Crystal Kingdom Part 20

Standing right outside on the dock was a small hobgoblin, maybe three feet tall. In some ways, hobgoblins were like miniature ogres, except that they were far more symmetrical in appearance. His features were humanoid, but his skin appeared slimy, with thick grayish brown hair sticking up wildly on his head. Like ogres, hobgoblins were insanely strong.

I'd met hobgoblins before, and I realized that I'd actually met this one in particular. He was Ludlow Svartalf, the right-hand man of Sara Elsing, the Queen of the Vittra. He'd accompanied her on trips to the palace in Doldastam before.

Just to the right and slightly behind him stood Finn Holmes, offering us an uneasy smile.

Standing behind both Finn and Ludlow were rows of troops, lined up down the dock. Most of them wore the dark emerald uniforms of the Trylle, but a fair amount had the deep burgundy uniforms of the Vittra, worn by both hobgoblin and troll alike.

"Queen Wendy Staad of the Trylle heard about the plight of Skojare, and after considering it, she decided to send half of her army to aid you in your fight against the Kanin," Finn explained.

"In addition, Queen Wendy and King Loki persuaded Queen Sara Elsing of the Vittra to join in the fight," Ludlow added in his low, craggy voice. "Queen Sara has sent a third of her army to join your fight."

Mikko appeared too stunned to speak for a moment, but finally he managed to say, "I am forever grateful for your offers, but I am not sure that I can ever repay your kingdoms. We are not in a position to indebt ourselves so greatly to such powerful kingdoms."

"We are not asking for anything in return," Finn told him. "We are simply here to help you as you may need us."

"We are here to serve, King Mikko," Ludlow said, and he bowed before him. Finn followed suit, as did the troops on the dockall of them bowing before the Skojare King.

FIFTY.

masquerade "We need to celebrate!" Linnea declared. "We're not all going to die, and if that doesn't call for a celebration, then I don't know what does!"

It was hard to argue with that logic, so I didn't even try, and neither did Mikko.

Since the Trylle and the Vittra had pledged their allegiance and a chunk of their soldiers to us yesterday, we had spent the entire time trying to combine our armies. It required more effort because each of the tribes had such different strengths.

Many of the Trylle had powers of psychokinesis, meaning they could move things with their minds or even start fires. Since the soldiers present were all lower-ranking trackers and civilians (and stronger abilities went along with the more powerful bloodlines of the royals), they weren't very powerful, but they had did have some psychokinesis.

The Vittra were physically stronger than almost any other tribe, possibly barring the Omte. Despite their smaller stature, hobgoblins were easily as strong as ogres, if not stronger. And while Vittra trolls were generally more attractive and smarter than the Omte, they could be just as quick-tempered and aggressive.

The Skojare could breathe underwater, which wasn't very useful for this fight. They were also the least skilled in combat, and the other two tribes were often frustrated by their inability to properly defend themselves.

More than once during training I saw a Vittra soldier throw a Skojare guard across the room in irritation. Ridley, Finn, and Ludlow were doing their best to keep order and get everyone working together, but it was no easy task.

It was during our training in the afternoon that Linnea came into the ballroom, excited about the cause for celebration. She insisted that everyone needed a morale-booster and a fun way to bond, and the way to do that was with a party in the ballroom.

With that, she tossed everyone out, telling us to go practice outside where the Trylle and the Vittra had set up camp in Storvatten. I spent the rest of the day out in the warm spring rain, teaching Skojare new maneuvers and fighting in the mud.

After a hard day of training, I walked down to my guestroom to wash off all the dirt in a warm shower. I'd almost made it to my room when Linnea came rus.h.i.+ng down the hall toward me, carrying three garment bags in her arms.

"Bryn!" she called to me, nearly tripping on her long satin dressing gown in her hurry. When I turned to face her, she realized how filthy I was, and she slowed down. "I was going to hand these off to you, but you'll get muck all over the bags. I'll just put them on your bed while you go shower."

"Why are you bringing me garment bags?" I asked.

"For the party." Linnea gave me a look like I was an idiot and brushed past me as she went into my room. "I know you weren't able to pack your finer clothes with you, so I grabbed a few gowns that I thought you might like and would fit you."

"That's very kind of you, but I hadn't planned on going to the party," I said as I walked more slowly into my room.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you are." Linnea kept her back to me as she carefully laid out the bags on the bed. "You're integral to everything that's happening here, and you need to be here to mingle and get people to trust each other."

She unzipped each of the bags, pulling out the gowns a bit so I could see them. I'd owned some nice dresses in my life, but none as fabulous as these.

One was a rich navy-blue fabric that looked like liquid when it moved, and with a slit so high, I would be worried that my panties would show. Another was snow-white satin with diamond and lace embellishments creating an ornate illusion neckline. And the last was pale aquamarine, embroidered with flowing designs and sapphires, and a bit of tulle under the length filled out the skirt.

"And besides," Linnea went on as I stood, transfixed by the lavishness of the gowns, "you've earned it. You've been working so hard lately. You deserve a night to let your hair down."

I nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll go to the party."

She clapped her hands together. "I would hug you, but I don't want to get covered in mud. Now hurry and get ready."

In the end, it wasn't the logic of her arguments that won me overalthough she had been right. It was simply the sight of the dresses. Something in the troll blood made it hard to deny luxury, which was why we all had such a penchant for gems and jewelry.

But also, a part of me just really wanted to wear a gown that was made for a Queen.

I showered quickly but thoroughlythere was no way I was ruining one of Linnea's dresses. Then I hurried back to try them all on and pick one.

While I'd been showering, Linnea had sent down a masquerade mask and a pair of pale sapphire earrings. The silver mask was gorgeous and delicate, its ornate flourishes encrusted with diamonds. Attached was a note that read, "Wear me."

The difficulty of the choice was made easier by the fact that the aquamarine one was snug in the chest, squis.h.i.+ng my b.r.e.a.s.t.s in a very unflattering and uncomfortable fas.h.i.+on. While the darker navy dress felt like heaven on my skin, the slit felt too high, and it also had a plunging neckline, a combination that felt slightly improper for this party.

The white one fit perfectly, almost like it had been made for me. The illusion neckline allowed a hint of cleavage, and it was open in the back, showing off a bit of skin. While the length was longer than I normally liked, it was light and flowed away from me, so I didn't think it would be a problem to run or kick in if I needed to.

Once I'd finished with my hair and makeup, I went down the hall to admire myself in the full-length mirror of the bathroom.

Since I wasn't doing anything other than looking at my reflection, I'd left the door open, which allowed Konstantin to pause and whistle at me.

"Well done, white rabbit." He smiled crookedly at me, but his eyes were serious as they a.s.sessed me.

Something about the way he looked at me made my skin flush a little, and I turned to face him. "Thanks."

"It's kind of a shame I'm missing the party tonight," he said.

"Why aren't you going?" I asked in surprise.

Based on the way he was dressed, I a.s.sumed he planned to attend. He had on a simple black uniform, similar to the one that Ridley had worn as Kanin overste, with epaulets on the shoulders, and a sword in a scabbard that hung from a belt around his waist.

While Ridley and Tilda had taken to wearing the s.h.i.+mmery blue uniforms of the Skojare, Konstantin had managed to dig up one that showed no allegiance. No color, no insignia, nothing to tie him to any kingdom.

"I'm walking the perimeter of Storvatten, along with some of the other guards," Konstantin explained. "Since we don't know when Mina and Viktor are going to strike, we're keeping a lookout."

"d.a.m.n." I looked down at my gown, suddenly feeling very silly. "I should change and go with you."

"No, no." He shook his head. "We've got enough guys going out. You should go. You should be happy."

I started to tell him that he should still come to the party if he got a chance, but he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there in my beautiful dress feeling fl.u.s.tered and alone.

FIFTY-ONE.

dalliance Given the short amount of time Linnea had had to put it all together, the ballroom looked especially impressive.

Under the dark canopy of night displayed in the gla.s.s dome, twinkling lights had been strung around the room. Along the walls, tables had been adorned with s.h.i.+mmering linens, crystal centerpieces, and mood-enhancing candles. A buffet of savory and sweet ran along the wall at the end of the ballroom, with an ice sculpture of a fish.

In the far corner of the room, a small chamber orchestra had been set up. When I entered the room, they were just finis.h.i.+ng an old Skojare song I remembered my mom singing, then they switched to an ethereal orchestral cover of "Bulletproof" by LaRoux.

I'd arrived late, so the dance floor was already crowded, all the guests wearing masks equally as beautiful as mine. It was a veritable rainbow in the ballroom, and not just because of all the beautiful dresses. All the highest royals were in attendance, along with the Skojare guards dressed in their frosty uniforms.

Most of the allies that had come to the party from the Trylle and the Vittra were men, dressed crisply in their dark uniforms of emerald and claret, but the Skojare women were more than happy to dance with them. After years of living in the rather isolated Storvatten, new faces were exotic and exciting, especially when they had come to save the kingdom.

I stood in the doorway for a moment, content enough to watch so many trolls coming together like this. Talking, laughing, twirling around on the dance floor together. Even at parties, like at King Evert and Queen Mina's anniversary party, everyone was still so segregated. Trylle danced with Trylle, and so on.

This was the first time I'd ever seen the kingdoms so commingled before. It was kind of amazing, and I wondered if Linnea's masquerade theme had helped this happen.

"I wasn't sure if you were coming," a voice said at my side, and I turned to see that Ridley had somehow snuck beside me.

He'd forgone the Skojare uniform, unlike many of the other attendees, and instead wore a simple, surprisingly well-tailored suit. It was pure white, with a satin and diamond finish, and he wore it with a black dress s.h.i.+rt. Based on the exquisiteness of it, I realized that Linnea had procured it for him the same way she had gotten my gown for me.

Since we'd been in Storvatten, Ridley hadn't shaved, leaving him with a light beard along his jawline and above his lip. His hair was only slightly disheveled, like he'd styled it perfectly but couldn't help himself and ran his hand through it.

His mask was black and thicker than mine, more masculine, but just as gorgeous.

"I wasn't sure you were coming either," I admitted. Since we'd just been focusing on training and hadn't had a chance to talk since our late-night rendezvous, I had no idea where we stood.

"I'd never miss a chance to dance with you." He stepped back and extended his hand to me. He said nothing, but he didn't have to. The question was in his eyes.

Tentatively, I took his hand and let him lead me out onto the dance floor. I wasn't sure if the crowed actually parted for us, or if it just felt that way. Whenever I was with Ridley like thiswhen he was touching me, and his eyes were focused on me, and my heart was pounding so fast I felt dizzy and drunkthe whole world always seemed to fall away. Like we had become the center of the universe, and everything spun around us.

Ridley pulled me close to him and put his hand on my backhis hand warm and rough on my bare skin, thanks to the plunging back. We stayed that way for a split secondmy hand in his, my body pressed against him, and him staring down at me.

I loved the darkness of his eyes. It seemed to overtake me.

And then we were moving. I let him lead me along, following his quick moves step for step. He extended his arm, twirling me out away from him and making my gown whirl out around me, before pulling me back to him again.

The crowd had definitely moved for us by then, creating a s.p.a.ce in the center of the room where Ridley and I could show off the dancing we'd learned in school. All trackers learned it, but I had to admit that he was more proficient than most.

When he dipped me back, so low my hair brushed the floor, he smiled, and there was a glint in his eye. With one quick move, he pulled me back into his arms, holding me to him.

The song had changed, s.h.i.+fting to "Love Me Again" by John Newman, so we slowed. He kept his hands on my waist, and I let my hands relax on his shoulders. We were flirting, playing the way we had before, and it made my heart ache.

Because things weren't the way they were before anymore. Not even close.

My smile must've fallen away, because Ridley looked concernedhis eyes darkening beneath the mask, and his steps slowing as his arms tightened around me.

"Why did you come back for me?" I asked him finally, referring to what he'd said when he first arrived in Forening. "Did you even come back for me?"

"Yes," he said emphatically. "Of course I came back for you."

"But why? Why, if you're not even really here with me?"

"I am here. I can't be with you more than I am right now." His gazed s.h.i.+fted out to everyone else dancing around us. "This probably isn't the best place to get into it."

"There's never a good time to talk, not with everything going on here. I just want to know what's going on with us." I looked up into his dark eyes. "Is there even an us?"

He took a fortifying breath. "I came back for you because you're my first thought in the morning. Because you push yourself to be better, and in the process, you push everyone else around you to be better. You make everything better.

"You are far more courageous and stronger than anyone I've ever known," he continued. "And I never thought you'd ever want anything to do with me. I was certain I'd never be good enough for you.

"But when we kissed for the first time, under the lights of the aurora borealis, everything I'd ever felt about you was proven true," Ridley finished. "I came back for you because you're all I've ever wanted or needed, because I want to be with you always."

For a moment I was too stunned to say anything. I just stared up at him, my mouth hanging open and my heart pounding in my chest.

"You have me," I said simply. "You'll always have me."

His lips turned up slowly into a smile, looking both relieved and amazed. Then he leaned in, and I wrapped my arms more tightly around him. His lips had just brushed up against mine when I heard shouting over the music.

The orchestra finally stopped, and I heard Baltsar shouting, "Ridley! King Mikko!"

"What's going on?" Ridley pulled away from me, but kept his hand around mine. His eyes scanned the crowd, until it parted enough for us to see Mikko standing a few feet away with Linnea at his side.

Baltsar burst through the crowd, standing in the clearing between Ridley and Mikko. "There's been an attack on our men walking the perimeter. Two were seriously injured, and one was killed. We need a medic, and we need to make sure the area's secure."

"Mikko, you go with Ridley and get the men together to make sure we're safe," Linnea said. "I'll get the medic."

Ridley let go of my hand and started hurrying toward Baltsar.

"Who was hurt?" I asked, and it was hard to be heard over the distraught murmurings of the ballroom. I took off my mask and started pus.h.i.+ng my way through the crowd, but they didn't part for me the way they had before. "Baltsar, what men were attacked?"

"A couple new recruits." He paused long enough to look back at me. "And Konstantin Black."

FIFTY-TWO.

expiry In the chaos that followed, I had to remind myself to breathe.