Read Online The Darkling Tide by Travis Simmons - Free Book Online Page B

it over with. Mari knew how she felt about the drink, so she always poured her less than was normal. Skye was far too fond of his wine, and so he was more than eager to accept the portion Celeste didn’t.
    “I think the dark elves are taking over New Landanten,” Celeste said around the burn creeping up her throat. “I think Garth is too weak and needs to pass on.”
    Skye looked at her sharply.
    “I’m sorry, it’s the truth. We can’t elect a new high chieftain until the old one gives himself to the light, and it’s obvious that Garth feels doing that now would leave us in a bad spot against the darklings,” Celeste said.
    “So out of trying to save us, he’s inadvertently putting all the worlds in danger,” Mari echoed. She toyed with the stem of her wine glass.
    “And I know the guard is in charge of keeping the high chieftains safe, so I hope you know I’m not planning anything untoward,” Celeste told Skye.
    He nodded and took a drink of wine.
    “But I feel it’s the truth, he is getting old. Normally elves have already given themselves to the light far before his age, but he’s holding on.” Celeste sighed. “If he thinks he’s doing us a favor, he’s wrong.”
    “So, do you think there’s any other way of opening the scepters?” Skye asked Mari.
    “No,” Mari said. “If there were, they would have figured it out by now.”
    “I agree,” Celeste said.
    There was silence for a time as they all reflected on what this meant for the elves.
    “Daniken wasn’t there today,” Skye said.
    “I noticed,” Celeste told him. “I’m curious where she might be.”
    “Probably hunting down some harbinger,” Mari scoffed.
    “Oh, dear All Father, how could I be so blind!” Celeste shot to her feet, fueled by the revelation Mari imparted on her.
    “What?” Skye asked, standing in confusion.
    “There’s a new harbinger here, remember, she was the one I was helping through the Fay Forest,” Celeste said, stepping into her boots.
    “And you think she went after her?” Skye asked, putting his boots on as well.
    “I’m almost certain of it.”

    Leona couldn’t sleep. Worried that the elle folk would return, she tossed and turned well past Abagail’s watch and into Daniken’s.
    The elf sat near to Leona, the moon scepter across her lap, staring off into the forest around them. The fire flickered weakly, casting tall shadows across the snow of the clearing. The light played off Daniken’s skin, shimmering silvery light into the darkened air.
    “Can’t sleep?” Daniken asked. Though she spoke softly, it was enough to make Leona jump.
    “No,” she answered.
    Daniken patted the ground beside her, and Leona sat up in her bed. It wasn’t far to move, and Leona took her blankets with her, setting down beside the elf. Just being around Daniken made her feel safer.
    “Do you know where the scepters come from?” Daniken asked Leona after a time of silence where Leona nearly fell back asleep.
    “From the sun and the moon,” Leona answered.
    “That’s partially right,” Daniken said, handing the scepter to Leona.
    Leona just looked at it.
    “It’s ok. It’s not bound to me. You can hold it, maybe even use it,” Daniken encouraged her.
    “Celeste said only the guardians of light could use them,” Leona said.
    “Maybe,” Daniken said, and shrugged. “It’s never been tested, but I do know that if an elf has died, their scepter can be awarded to another elf.”
    Leona held out her hand and tentatively took the scepter. She felt the cool wyrd within the crystalline staff. Where she would have thought the scepter was fragile, she was wrong. It seemed very resilient.
    “Now, the scepters come from Hafaress and Vilda.”
    “The All Father’s children?” Leona asked, forgetting, for a time, the power of the scepter that seemed to draw at her own energy.
    “Yes, the God of the Sun, and the Goddess of the Moon,” Daniken nodded.
    “How is it that the darklings can thrive in