Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3)

  BROKEN PROMISE

  Book three of the Broken Ones

  All Rights Reserved

  Copyright © 2014 by Jen Wylie

  Cover Design © 2014 by Sean Hayden

  Cover Photo © 2014 Shutterstock/ CURAphotography

  First Untold Press Publication / October 2014

  All rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination and or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Untold Press LLC

  114 NE Estia Lane

  Port St Lucie, FL 34983

  www.untoldpress.com

  PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Dedication

  To Mom and Dad, and my boys. For their everlasting patience while I got this book written!

  To Sean. For always being there and every night consistently asking, "Are you writing yet?" You are my best friend, my partner, and my love, making me the luckiest girl in the world.

  Love you all!

  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks to fan Ariel Tam, who suggested the name for Baelan! Many thanks also to fan Renae Poletti who came up with the names for Silas and Raythe!

  Super big rainbow hugs to all my fans who, through emails and posts on facebook, have shown their support and love of this series. You've kept me writing and your kind words mean more than you could ever know! I love to hear from you!

  Additional thanks to my awesome editors, Sean and Lynn, who whipped this book into shape, and to all my fabulous proofreaders; Donna, Angela, Amy, Deborah, Tambra and Rayna! You girls rock!

  Chapter 1

  Missing You

  The small fire crackled and popped. A light breeze sent embers swirling up into the air, each disappearing suddenly as their little sparks died.

  Exhaustion made Arowyn’s eyelids heavy, but her mind whirled with too many thoughts for sleep to come.

  They'd finally returned Prince to Rivenward, and just in time. The final leg of their journey began the previous night as the sun set. They’d reached the gates before noon and sent him off before heading back to the forest. Being awake for a full day didn’t help with her mood.

  She closed her eyes and tugged her cloak tighter around herself. The fact Prince was gone didn’t want to settle in her mind. Part of her couldn’t believe it. The rest just wanted to cry. She missed him. His absence made everything feel…wrong. Another of her boys gone. At least he wasn’t dead…and he’d promised he’d see her again one day.

  One day.

  He couldn’t have been any more vague, and she ground her teeth in frustration.

  Men.

  "Aro, you need to get some sleep."

  Her gaze flicked over to Bo, resting on his side by the fire. "I know. I will soon."

  Firelight reflected in his brown eyes as he watched her worriedly for a moment before letting out a loud sigh. Large fingers rubbed at the scar on his cheek. "I miss him, too."

  With a small smile, she nodded and ducked her head, not wanting him to see her struggle not to cry. She’d promised herself no more tears. So far, she’d somehow managed and hoped to keep it that way. Her life had been too full of tears.

  Kei walked into the light, having returned from checking on the horses. She smiled when he sat down gracefully next to her.

  "You look tired," he said quietly.

  "I am. I was waiting for you."

  He grinned but shook his head. The firelight danced across his golden skin and brought out the gold in his spikey, light brown hair. His golden eyes caught hers, searching them to see how she was doing. Her eyes matched his now, thanks to Fey magic. "Are you…"

  "I’m doing fine," she insisted. "Don’t worry about me."

  Shrugging a shoulder, he looked away, but his lips curved up in a wry smile. "I always do."

  She rubbed her tired eyes. It wasn’t very late, but she needed sleep. They'd borrowed an extra horse from the Were and would leave early in the morning to return it. She needed to be awake and on her guard. The alpha, Rhee-En, had taken an interest in her, not romantically, but still an interest. Alphas wanted strong packs, and though she was human, she could mind-speak, take the fury from Fey, and now even heal herself with borrowed Fey power. More importantly, she hadn’t been afraid of them, or of the Dragos, Damon. The Were appreciated such strength. Or thought her insane enough to be of use to them.

  Kei patted the ground beside him. "Come. Try to sleep."

  She settled down next to him, rolling onto her side to face him as he did the same. As always, he took her hands in his to hold between them.

  "Have good dreams tonight," he whispered.

  A deep sigh escaped her. "I’ll try."

  He frowned, his eyes searching hers. "Why so sad? He’s home safe now. He’ll be better soon."

  "I know," she mumbled. Elves were bound to their land and its magic. Being gone so long from Rivenward almost killed Prince. Her thoughts turned back to their parting. "He kissed me."

  Kei grinned. "We saw." His brows drew together at her solemn face. "That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?"

  Her cheeks flushed remembering the kiss. A passionate, frantic kiss that stole her breath away. "I don’t know what I wanted," she admitted. "I love him. I wanted him to love me, too. But…I know it can’t work, not with him being a prince, and an Elf, and immortal." Sighing again, her chest tightened. "It’s not fair to him, to love me but have to watch me die. I wouldn’t do it to you. I shouldn’t expect it of him either."

  Kei watched her quietly for a while. "Love is love, Aro. Sometimes it’s all that matters."

  "He never said he loved me."

  His brows rose in surprise. "He didn’t? But he kissed you."

  "I know." Even gone, Prince continued to cause her no end of frustration and confusion. They’d kissed once before, but it hadn’t gone well. He’d said such cruel things to her, and she’d told him never to kiss her again unless he loved her. "I did remind him."

  "And?"

  She grimaced. "He said I know."

  "You really should have let me kill him," Kei whispered harshly, his eyes beginning to glow with a soft inner light.

  "Do you think…" She paused, sorting out her thoughts. "Do you think he just pretended? That he just wanted to give me something, to make me happy?"

  Kei looked at her like she was an idiot. "No. He talked to us about you sometimes. How confused you made him. He didn’t know what to do."

  She remembered more than once coming across all the boys deep in discussion, but stopping when she approached. At least she knew what they were talking about now. Who knew how many telepathic conversations they’d had that she never knew about. Having her family bound as a Were pack and able to communicate with mind speech had its advantages, but it certainly took some getting used to.

  "I don’t know what to do," she whispered, lowering her eyes.

  Kei pulled one hand away and lifted her chin with a finger, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Don’t be sad. He wouldn’t want that. Remember him. Wait for him. If you want," he added with a mischievous smile.

  "Kei!" She mock-glared at him and then sobered. So many worries and doubts circled within her mind it made her head ache. "What if he doesn’t ever come? What if I should have–"

  A finger pressed against her lips, abruptly silencing her. "You can only run toward the future. There is no going back. Worrying about what migh
t or might not happen won’t change anything."

  She grimaced. There was no point in arguing with him. "You’re right."

  He grinned. "Of course I am." He slipped his hand into hers again. "Have hope, Aro. Remember, I’ll always be with you." His eyes brightened. "Even if you two do get together again."

  "Oh, he’ll love that," she said wryly. Kei and Prince barely got along as it was. The Fey probably wasn't too heartbroken to be rid of the Elven prince.

  Kei chuckled. "If he loves you, he’ll get used to it. I’ll make sure he treats you properly."

  "And if not you’ll give him another black eye?"

  "Something like that," Kei answered, struggling to keep a grin off his face. "Now sleep. We’ve a long day tomorrow."

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Aro leaned against a tree, her cloak wrapped tightly around her as she stared into the slowly lightening sky. She’d managed to slip away to the edge of the forest without waking anyone. She wasn’t far; the sound of Bo’s snores still reached her.

  The short sleep she’d gotten had been deep, which wasn't surprising considering the depth of her exhaustion. If she dreamed, she couldn’t remember about what. Considering she usually had nightmares, her lack of memory actually relieved her.

  A yawn made her jaw crack. Leaning her head against the tree, she stared out over the gently rolling hills of grass. Even with her new Fey eyesight, they'd traveled far enough she couldn’t see the gates to Rivenward.

  Did Prince still sleep? Her emotions warred within her. She wanted to try to contact him, to see if their pack bond worked beyond the magic of the wardwall. Fear had kept her from trying since he left. Fear it wouldn’t work. Fear he wouldn’t answer even if it did. He'd returned to his world now. She wasn’t naive enough to think things hadn’t changed for him. For them. Perhaps he’d come to his senses or changed his mind again. He’d certainly taken long enough to figure out his feelings for her. Trying to understand how his mind worked was futile. She wasn’t an Elf, immortal, or royal.

  She thumped her head against the tree, trying to knock the downward spiral of thoughts out of her head. It would be too easy to slip into the darkness, to go back to the despairing person she’d once been. Things had changed for her, too. She wouldn’t let herself be like that again. Certainly not over a man. Not for love. Love was supposed to bring happiness and joy.

  Tugging her cloak tighter, as if it were made of courage, she closed her eyes.

  Prince? Are you… Her words trailed off and she opened her eyes. She could feel her mental words weren’t going anywhere.

  Disappointment choked her. She should have known. Nothing ever came easy, not for her. A surging rush of anger came next, and she slammed her fist against the tree. It wasn’t fair! The emotion died quickly as reality set in. Nothing in life was fair.

  Weariness overcame her, and she slipped down the trunk to sit at its base. She was so rotting tired. Of everything. Closing her eyes against tears of frustration, she slipped into her mind.

  The dreary landscape didn’t surprise her. The fortress she’d built to guard her thoughts and memories remained a towering structure. She ignored everything, instead searching for the links of the pack bond connecting her to the boys.

  She found them easily enough, faint glowing strands. Following them, she paused when they began to rise into the air. Without hesitation, she willed herself up. This was her mind after all. If she could build a fortress out of nothing, she could certainly move as she pleased.

  Having nothing beneath her feet felt strange, but she continued upward, only to stop again in surprise to see they rose into a dark churning sky.

  "Strange." She’d never bothered to see where the links went before. Once she’d found them and learned how to use them, she simply connected to the ones she needed and sent her thoughts.

  Continuing upward, the strands wove haphazardly before disappearing into the dark clouds. Waving her hand, she willed the clouds to part.

  Four stars revealed themselves, their bright light shining down. A smile grew on her lips as she stared at them. Her boys. She instinctively knew which star belonged to each. Bo, Kei, Garen, and there…Prince.

  Heading toward the light representing his mind, she cursed in surprise when she suddenly hit an invisible wall.

  Finding her bearings, she approached more slowly, hands out in front of her. Finding the barrier again, she moved her hands over it, pushing here and there. It reminded her of the actual wardwall out in the real world. The magical barrier that let no living thing pass into Rivenward.

  She pushed harder but couldn’t break through.

  "Rot!" Floating backward, she glared at it. The thought of trying to force her way through crossed her mind, but then she shook her head. Her knowledge of magic was limited.

  With quiet longing, she stared at the star just out of her reach. "One day…" she murmured to herself, a reminder of his promise.

  A thread next to her vibrated with a voice, startling her.

  You are up early. Though I suppose up isn’t the correct word.

  She smiled at the amusement in Garen’s mind-voice. I’ve been thinking.

  About him.

  Yes.

  There are tears on your cheeks.

  She let out a soft sigh. The boys would all want to talk, sooner or later. They cared for her and worried about her too much.

  I can’t reach Prince, she admitted to him.

  This is not unexpected.

  I know… She turned in the sky. Would you come in? I can show you, and it would be easier to talk.

  Of course. He hesitated for a moment, which didn’t surprise her. Garen had only come into her mind a few times.

  From above, she watched the area in front of her fortress, smiling when he finally appeared. As always, the young man wore only simple pants and a shirt, no shoes.

  Look up, she instructed him.

  He did, his dark hair falling away from his eyes. Every time, the sweet innocence of his human form struck her hard. For some reason it didn’t quite match with the wolf she knew. A reminder she had no idea how long he’d been trapped in his wolf body.

  Why are you up there?

  It’s where the threads went. But Prince’s is blocked. It feels just like the wardwall.

  He tilted his head to the side. Well, that is what it is.

  She put her hands on her hips in annoyance. Are you coming up to see?

  No, I’ll keep my feet on the ground, thank you.

  Fine. Then I’ll come down, she grumbled.

  He laughed as she carefully descended. When she wobbled in the air attempting to land next to him, he reached out to steady her. Strong hands grabbed her waist and shifted her to the side. Startled at the movement, she grasped his arms.

  Careful, you don’t want to crush it.

  Crush what? She looked up at him in surprise and then followed his gaze to the ground beside her feet.

  A small spot of green brightened the dark, otherwise barren earth. Stepping back from Garen, she knelt down to look at it more closely. A spindly little brown stick poked up, topped with three little bright green leaves. What is it?

  Garen crouched beside her. A tree, I would guess from the stem. Plants have lighter, softer stems. I think. He shrugged.

  She peered at the leaves but didn’t recognize them. What kind of tree?

  He shook his head. I don’t know. Baby leaves can be different though.

  She looked over at him, eyebrows raised. How do you know so much about plants?

  He flashed her a wry grin. I pay attention in the forest. You should, too.

  She snorted and turned her attention back to the little tree. How did it get here?

  This is your mind. You tell me.

  I have no idea, she said in exasperation. What do you think?

  He stood and crossed his arms, staring down at the tree thoughtfully. It could be a manifestation that you are healing from all that has happened. It could have something to do with your
growing powers. Or… He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. Perhaps it has something to do with you and Prince.

  What about us?

  Your growing…relationship. You love him, and he has admitted his love for you.

  She shook her head. No, he hadn't. And so a tree grows in my mind? That doesn’t make a lot of sense.

  When it comes to magic, things rarely make sense.

  Well, she could certainly agree with that. Straightening, she worried her lower lip between her teeth, eyes still locked on the little tree. So…do I have to water it or something?

  He let out a deep sigh. Listen to your instincts. If you pay attention, you’ll know what it needs. He cocked his head to the side. Bo and Kei are awake.

  Good, I’m hungry. She glanced at the tree one last time. Seeing it there gave her a little feeling of hope. Perhaps that was what it meant.

  Chapter 2

  Gifts

  As they walked back to camp, Aro thought about what Garen had said. When it comes to magic, things rarely made sense.

  It bothered her she knew so little about it. Growing up on the western continent, magic had only been vaguely referred to in children’s stories. The west was only home to humans, but…it must exist there. Kei, the only Fey in the west, had been able to use his fury. Humans, however, did not have magic. They were different from the other races. They hadn’t come from the same place.

  She shuddered at the thought. Thinking about how none of the races originated on this world hurt her head. Rhee-En had told them how dark, evil creatures called the Vor had been imprisoned on this world. The other races were sent here to make sure they never returned to the home world. The humans…no one knew how or why they’d come.

  They must have used some kind of magic to get here, so she didn’t understand why humans didn’t have any now. Maybe they did but just didn’t know it. Perhaps she was just the exception.

  Her strange abilities hadn’t started until after Kei used binding magic with her on the slave ship. Had the Fey magic triggered something? Yet, her coming to the east and saving the Fey had been prophesied. Maybe she’d had it all along. Not knowing only frustrated her more.