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  Aiden finished eating, wondering when she was going to explain where he fit into all this. It surprised him how easily he found himself believing her, but there was something about Diana that made him trust her. In addition to the fact that he was clearly somewhere besides home, the information she was explaining to him seemed too complex for her to just make up. She also didn’t seem quite so crazy now—not like she had the night before. His mind was still in shock, but he found it slowly bending toward acceptance. Maybe it was just that he wanted to believe her. Was it wrong to want to believe there was actually more to this world, than one’s own boring life?

  He sat and listened intently as she wove a story of a younger son’s discord and betrayal of his family. Now a war threatened them, all because of those events ten years earlier.

  “What is the King’s army?” he asked when she made a quick mention of it.

  “It is exactly as it sounds. The High King has an army, known to be the best in the land. Boys in the Capital are required to join on their fifteenth birthday, and they are put through rigorous training. If they complete the training by their eighteenth birthday, they become one of the King’s men; if not, they are forced to choose another path in life.”

  “Look, I’m sorry to hear about all your troubles,” he began. “I just don’t understand why you’ve brought me here. Where do I fit into all of this?”

  She got up from her seat and slowly walked over to the wood stove. They sat in silence momentarily before she began again.

  “There is a great man here in the Capital named Alistair. He is the High Priest, a devoted follower of both our God and Goddess. He is not a man of magic like Aziz is, but he does have some inner sight, which allows him to see things only the higher powers may choose to show him. They came to him the same night Elrond died, and warned him of the threat Callum’s new alliance would bring to Eden. They told him to bring the other tribes together, and create a strong force in Eden to oppose the north. However, they warned him that even with the combination of the Riders, the eastern Swordsmen, the Archers from the south, and the King’s army, it wouldn’t be enough. There would be a great warrior from another world that he would need to cross over and bring to Eden, a person who would bring us victory in our time of great need.”

  With each word, Aiden could feel himself growing more and more pale. She wasn’t actually suggesting what he thought she was, was she? His mind swirled, wondering if this was some elaborate joke after all.

  “I’m assuming then that you need my help finding this man?” Aiden asked hopefully.

  She smiled down at him as if he were a small child. Her face was so gentle and pretty, it made his palms sweat.

  “Aiden, you are that warrior. Alistair saw your face, and told me exactly where to find you.”

  He got up from his chair and backed up against the door. “There has to be some mistake. I am no warrior,” he argued.

  Diana walked toward him, grabbing both his hands in hers. “I know how absurd this must all sound—” she started.

  “There’s an understatement,” he interrupted. “Are you even looking at me? I’m only fifteen, and I’m not experienced in any type of fighting. You are insane to think I’d be anything but a burden to you.”

  “Aiden, you must believe in yourself. The men will train you; I will train you. We will all help you reach your potential, and you will be a great warrior.” Aiden shook his head as she spoke. Her grip tightened. “We need you! I cannot stress to you how dire our situation is. Alistair said you would be ready when you turned fifteen, and that now was the time you should come.”

  Panic started to set in, and his breathing started to come out in short gasps. “I can’t do this, Diana. I’m not the one.” He took his hands away from hers and walked outside. The fresh air helped calm his attack, and his breathing slowly returned to normal. “I’ll get myself killed,” he said, feeling her presence behind him. “I can’t risk that; it would kill my parents.” His thoughts went back to them and Eddie, and he knew he couldn’t take such a risk.

  “This is not your world, Aiden,” she replied. “You cannot die here.” He turned in surprise, raising his eyebrows.

  “I can’t?”

  “No, not here. That is why our God and Goddess told us to get someone from your world. You’re the only thing that will rival their creatures. They won’t be able to kill you like they can us. Don’t you see? This is why you are so special; this is why you must help us.”

  According to Diana, the time he spent in Eden wouldn’t affect the time back at home. When he returned it would still be night, and no one would have noticed he was missing. This made him feel better. Thinking about how his mother would react when she went to get him up, and he was gone made him sick. Nothing made sense to him thus far, but he was trying to be a good sport about it. That afternoon they went outside to begin his training. Apparently, someone would come for him in three days, and Diana wanted to teach him the basics before he went to the city. The men in the army were the best of the best, and Aiden guessed she wanted to limit his embarrassment as much as she could.

  Weapons of various kinds were laid out on the grass, none of which Aiden would ever have imagined using. He almost expected them to be movie props. There was a long, thick sword, straight as an arrow. There was a thinner sword, slightly curved, and a thicker, short sword, also curved. Then there was an axe with two heads. This weapon made him gulp when he looked at it. The damage something like that could do to a person would be gruesome. Aiden prayed for courage. Then there was a bow with arrows laid out. Diana said he didn’t need to perfect all of them, but should at least be comfortable with each. They would have to find the weapon that suited him best once they got started.

  “Here is your helmet,” she said, holding out a metal contraption.

  “Great,” he said sarcastically, taking it from her hands. He put it on his head, but found it annoying and uncomfortable. “Do I have to wear this? It hurts my head, and it’s making me sweat. Plus, it’s pushing my glasses into the side of my head.”

  “Don’t you want to stop someone from shooting you in the head?” she asked, crossing her arms.

  “Yes …”

  “Then, yes, you need to wear the helmet. Why don’t you take off those things,” she suggested, pointing at his glasses.

  “I won’t be able to see,” he replied.

  “Hmmm …” Diana walked over to him, holding her chin while she seemed lost thought. “Let me see if I can fix this.” Slowly, she took off his glasses and told him to shut his eyes. Holding her fingers over each of his eyelids, she began to chant in the strange language he had heard her speak before. After thirty seconds, she told him to open his eyes again.

  Looking around at the area they stood in, he could see the trees and birds in front of him perfectly. His vision was even better than it had been with his glasses. He began to jump for joy, exclaiming his amazement at her powers.

  Diana laughed, telling him to calm down. “Your eyes will remain like this while you’re here in Eden, but my powers won’t extend into your world. I’m afraid you’ll still need those things you call glasses when you go back home.” That put a slight damper on things, but at least he had perfect eyes for the time being. “Shall we get to work?” she asked, walking over and picking up one of the swords.

  With his new vision, Aiden felt more confident and was ready for anything she threw at him.

  Or so he thought.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The moons sat full in the sky, lighting the Capital with their bluish glow. The night was only beginning, but already the streets were filled with the people of Capital City. He looked down at the laughing, carefree citizens, and couldn’t help but wonder how many more of these nights he would live to see. The threat from the north was always looming in his mind, making it hard to enjoy such festivities. Past spring festivals had been his favourite night of the year, finding it his only escape from the life and position he held. Tonight, he thou
ght sadly, would probably pale in comparison to the others.

  “Are you coming?” Melaine asked from inside the room. He turned to look at her, appreciating the view. She was dressed in the ritual colour of red, her long dark hair pinned up in an extravagant twist, and her green eyes accentuated with paint. Even her high cheekbones were painted pink, making her look youthful and attractive.

  “I’m certainly not letting you go out looking like that, all by yourself,” he answered with a smile. “Let me just change first. I’ll meet you in the courtyard.”

  “Yes, your majesty.” She smiled, grabbing the mask that sat on the bed. It was common for the women of the Capital to wear masks that night, finding it more freeing to do as they pleased while in disguise. The men, however, did not. Jameson always owned it up to the fact that men didn’t care what others thought anyway. There was no need to hide who they were. As she left, he headed to the mirror to make sure his hair wasn’t too dishevelled.

  Staring at his reflection, Jameson wondered where the time had gone. He had once been one of the most handsome men in the Kingdom, but now he just looked old and tired. Admittedly, he wasn’t that old, but he felt it often. His sideburns were beginning to show grey, which Melaine constantly teased him about. She knew how insecure he was about his increasing age. There were lines around his eyes now, and his stomach wasn’t as flat as it used to be. He sighed, trying to mentally prepare himself for the night to come. It would be a long one—the spring festival usually was.

  “God, you’re vain,” he heard a voice remark from the doorway. He turned to see the Captain of his army, and incidentally his best friend, Turk, standing leisurely in the opening. “Why are you sitting there, staring at yourself?” He laughed.

  “I’m old, Turk.” He sighed, ignoring his friend’s jest. “I look old, I feel old, I am old. What has happened to our youth?”

  “We drank it away,” he replied, laughing. Jameson laughed in response, and nodded his head in agreement. “Why are you so glum? It is the festival tonight—you should be excited and ready for fun. God knows, it is our only night to let loose!”

  Jameson began to dress, picking plain clothes so no one would recognize him on the streets. It was a long shot, but hopefully everyone would be too busy trying to find a lover or friend tonight, that they wouldn’t be looking for him.

  “Do you think anyone down there truly realizes the danger that threatens us every day?” he asked as he pulled on his tights.

  Turk walked over to the bar, pouring them both a drink of whatever liquor was there. “I don’t think the people of this city are in any way naive to what is going on, but I think everyone, including our men and the two of us, just need one night to forget about it and enjoy our lives.”

  Jameson looked at the back of Turk thoughtfully. The two of them had known each other since the time they started training camp for the King’s army. They had been best friends ever since the day they got in a fight, and Turk beat the crap out of him. A smile crept onto the King’s face as he thought about that day. His father had been so angry with the both of them, especially Jameson. Not so much for fighting, but because he had lost. It had bonded the two boys, however, and they never fought again after that. They were each other’s backup, and they helped each other through the three years of training camp. Both boys had been at the top of their class, so it came as no surprise to Jameson when his father had named Turk the new Captain.

  Getting up, he walked over to grab the drink Turk stretched out for him.

  “You’re right,” he agreed, smiling. “Tonight is our night to relax. I won’t speak of depressing things any more for the rest of the night. If I do, I give you permission to punch me.”

  Turk laughed in delight. “As much as I would love to take you up on that offer, I think I’ll have to pass. I might break a bone in that old, frail body of yours.” Jameson pushed him, Turk laughing at his own insult. “Let us go now, my friend, and walk the streets we live for.”

  “Yes, let’s. I believe Melaine is waiting for us.”

  “Tell me, when do you plan to wed the fair lady?” Turk asked, his eyebrows moving up and down suggestively.

  “You know I’m not one for marriage,” he replied, ignoring the question.

  “You were once,” he reminded him. “Melaine is a good woman, Jameson. She would be a prize for any man to have. Plus, you are the King, and you must have a queen and make children.”

  This was a sore subject for him, knowing that the High Priest and the Chancellor were constantly worrying about this very topic. He had no wife, and therefore no heir. It wasn’t that Melaine wasn’t a good choice for a partner: she was beautiful and knew him better than anyone. It also wasn’t that he didn’t love her, but he couldn’t say that he was actually in love with her. He knew this was unfair, but he could admit it to himself. Only once in his life, out of all the lovers he had throughout his younger years, did he find himself in love. She had been a vision, everything he could have ever dreamt of, but she had left. She had chosen a different life over one with him, and it still stung when he thought about it. It was just something he couldn’t get over, even after all these years.

  “I thought you said no more depressing subjects,” he said to Turk, changing the topic.

  He laughed. “You’re right. Let’s just go and party with your loyal people!”

  “Yes, and hopefully we don’t run into your daughter.” Jameson winked. Turk immediately went rigid, his face turning visibly red with emotion. Jameson laughed at his friend’s obvious discomfort. No father would want his daughter out on a night like this.

  “It’s not funny,” Turk said, pushing him as they walked toward the stairs. “I forbade her to join the festival tonight, and she refused. Can you imagine? It’s as if she doesn’t care about a word I say.”

  “Those are kids for you.” He continued to laugh. “Turk, she is seventeen, and beautiful beyond her years. Not only that, but she also happens to be the best archer in the King’s army, and is a girl. You cannot keep her locked up forever. There are many men who are wait—”

  “Don’t say it,” he interrupted, holding up his hand. “I don’t want to hear it. Thankfully, she has a job to do tonight, so she won’t be walking the streets for too long.”

  “How convenient,” Jameson noted. Turk only smiled back at him.

  The streets were overflowing with people. Everyone laughed and shouted, filled with excitement and anticipation of what the night would bring. Every tavern in the city was full of patrons and music. The women were all dressed in their best gowns, their faces hidden by extravagant masks. Elisa’s mask wasn’t anything too special—she wasn’t one to be overly flashy. She was also wearing a dress that night, realizing that had she worn her usual pants and shirt, the people around her would know exactly who she was. Nobody would expect her to wear a gown like the other girls. It was tight and uncomfortable, and was quite an embarrassing exercise just to get into, but it seemed to be worth it. Her maid had laughed at her cursing while she tied her into it, but exclaimed at how good it looked on her when they were done. The best part was that no one seemed to know her! The dress was a deep green, which caused her eyes to look greener than they usually did. Her maid also helped to paint her face a little, but not too much. Her long golden hair was braided and pinned at the base of her head, a strand of pearls woven through the braid.

  Elisa wandered, enjoying the energy she could feel from the people. Everyone was carefree, if only for one night, and she loved that. Numerous men, and girls, had kissed her already, although just small pecks on the cheek, and one man had asked for her hand in marriage. He was in his sixties and stank of alcohol, so she had no choice but to refuse. He had no idea who she was, and clearly had not cared. Tonight was the night everyone was free to love whomever they wanted. Interestingly, she hadn’t seen Wolf around, not that she cared, but she had figured he would be using this night to its full advantage. Actually, now that she thought about it, that was probably ex
actly why she hadn’t seen him yet.

  She came upon a large group of people, all of them singing a song at the top of their lungs. They looked like a rowdy group, so Elisa quickly ducked into the nearest tavern to avoid passing them. The place was full, and smelled of alcohol and sweat. Three men were on a makeshift stage, playing a song for the crowd, which was cheering them on in return. One sat playing a small stringed instrument, while the other blew expertly into a flute. The singer’s voice wove through the notes as if they had been written for each other. Clearly, they were a well-established trio, probably in town only for the festival, since she had never seen them before.

  Waitresses weaved their way through the crowd, carrying trays of drinks expertly over their heads. Elisa had never had a drink before, and wasn’t about to that night. She still needed to go to the witch’s house. Her mind had to be clear and alert. Instead, she decided to stay simply to enjoy the music, even without alcohol.

  Walking around the bar, she observed everyone silently, taking in the frenzy that was the spring festival. It was the first one her father had allowed her to go out for … well, that she had insisted she go out for. He had originally refused, but gave up. He knew better than to argue with her for long—she always won. Besides, many girls her age went out for spring festival, so it hadn’t made sense that she wouldn’t be allowed. The only thing she prayed for, was that she wouldn’t run into him that night. The amount of embarrassment that would cause them both would be immense, especially if her father was with a woman. He hadn’t dated anyone she knew of after her mother died, but she assumed he must behind her back. Normally, she hated secrets, but that one didn’t bother her. As she thought about him, her eyes scanned the crowd just to make sure her father wasn’t there. Thankfully, he wasn’t.

  As her eyes swept back across the room, she saw him, sitting at a large table in the back corner, surrounded by three women and his sidekick, Logan. Both boys looked like they had been drinking for a long time already, their cheeks red from the heat of the place and the alcohol in their blood. Logan was busy talking to a vibrant redhead, who was wearing a dress that revealed almost everything she had to offer. Elisa scoffed inwardly at the woman. Had she no respect for herself, she thought angrily. Wolf was busy with three women, all blonde, all pretty. Figures, she thought, and this was the man her father had suggested she marry. It was clear neither of them wanted to marry the other, as she noted his intense interest in the ladies around him. She would have to speak to her father about it when the time came, she thought again, for the millionth time.