Broc was correct, if harsh in his judgment. What good was she as a general, if she let Black Mountain's most precious inhabitant wither away in the darkness of his prison cell? For he was precious. As the last of his species, he was unique, of course. And he was precious to her too.
She'd known it from the moment she'd first laid eyes on him that he was something special. Different than other men. Beautiful, yet infuriating. Unimaginatively strong and also more vulnerable than anyone else she'd ever met.
Rhea realized that she did not just need to save him because it was her duty, but because her heart would not survive if she failed this time. Somewhere in between the arguments and the flirtations, she had come to develop feelings for him. And his actions on the battlefield had proven to her beyond any doubt that he cared for her too. Kelly's insights into his mind had only confirmed it.
Love… Was that what Uri had referred to?
It made sense. Love and companionship. All sentient beings craved it, didn't they? Loneliness was a killer, and Saras had been alone during his many lifetimes in the dungeons. She could relate; despite being surrounded by people, she herself had never found that connection.
How desperate she'd been.
And how bitter it had made her. How dismissive of other people's quest for love and happiness. She'd hated Teaq for choosing his mate over his job. And she'd rejected Kelly simply because Broc had chosen her as his bride.
Meanwhile Saras had flirted with her right from the start. And her heart had been too cold to respond truthfully. By the time she'd decided to trade a kiss for his help, he'd sensed that the gesture was an empty one. Perhaps he'd felt that her heart belonged to someone else.
But this time, everything would be different. This time, she'd go to him and prove that she was changed. She was no longer shackled by the dream of a life with another man.
If that did not convince him to come back into the world, then neither would she. As it was, Broc had begun to question his decision of her appointment.
With a renewed determination in her step, Rhea made her way through the winding hallways of the castle and down the steps leading into the dungeon, perhaps for the last time ever.
She'd do everything she could to reach Saras. And if she failed, or she had misread the situation, she was prepared to pay the price.
Chapter Twelve
Two whole days and nights without sleep, and Saras was even more of a nervous wreck than before. More confused than ever, his mind kept on serving up images he had no use for.
Rhea, bathed in sunlight one moment, covered in bloody burns a moment later.
Shivers ran down his entire body. For the first time in his life he felt cold, as ludicrous as it seemed for a being of fire.
Perhaps this was the end. Perhaps the guilt for all he had done would finally break him in two and the world would be better for it.
Footsteps approached. Saras wasn't certain if they were real or imagined, but just in case, he withdrew as far as he could into the darkness.
"Saras?" Rhea called out for him.
He turned away. "I told you I'm not interested. There is nothing more to say."
"I've only come to talk to you. I promise that's all."
He shook his head, though he knew she was unable to see. "Just leave. If you don't, you'll get hurt."
It would have worked better if he had made it sound like a threat, but he did not have the energy to sound menacing anymore. He did not have the energy for much of anything, such was his level of exhaustion.
"Well, I'm not giving up this easily. Just hear me out."
His head throbbed and his heart pounded in his throat. No, no, no. Leave now!
But there was also a conflicting voice that spoke from within. His heart grew curious.
Why not spend a little time with her? One last goodbye before he left her world forever.
No! She ought to leave right now! For her own safety as well as his sanity.
Then again, what would be the worst that would happen? He'd regret talking to her? So what, he already regretted so much, this would make little difference.
She approached the corner where he'd been hiding, finding her footing solely by touch.
The wounds all over her body looked like they'd started to heal, but she was still damaged, and even walked with a slight limp. Every instinct, every fiber in his body told him to get up and help her, but he knew that would only make their farewell more difficult. He needed to keep the distance.
"That's far enough," he said when she was five or so feet away from him.
She stopped and fumbled with something on her hip. Once she was done, she threw an object in his direction. It landed heavily on the ground.
Saras leaned forward to see what it was. A sword, sheathed in leather. It was easy to recognize, because it was one of the few things on these Isles that was older than even he was. And yet she'd discarded it on the floor of his cell like it was nothing.
The General's Sword.
"You can't, Rhea! Pick it back up!"
She shook her head. "It's of no use to me anymore. You keep it."
"It's yours. It was given to you by the king. Nobody else has a right to it."
"I'm not fit for the job. Under my watch, these Isles will be lost to the Sea Folk."
Saras sighed. "I see what you're trying to do. It won't work. Pick up your sword."
Rhea didn't. Instead, she sat down on the cold floor of Saras' cell and wrapped her arms around her legs.
"What on earth are you doing?" Saras asked. "Don't! You should be resting, healing!"
This was no place for her, especially in her current condition.
But she did not move.
"Do you know my father carried this sword once, under the previous king's rule," Rhea spoke softly.
Saras wanted to argue, to make her see sense, but something in her voice gave him pause. This wasn't the Rhea he'd met before. Something had changed. She was no longer hiding behind a wall of pretense and toughness.
"So your appointment must mean a lot to him," Saras said.
"I wouldn't know. He fell in battle a long time ago."
More talk of loss and death. Saras shook his head. Why did it always come down to the same old crap?
"Saras, I haven't been honest with you. I only sought to use you for my own gain. To further my career."
He leaned forward and picked up the sword, weighing it in his hands before brushing the dust off its sheath.
"Everyone has secrets," he said. Most of all him. "You do know why I was imprisoned here, don't you?"
"There was a fire all those years ago. Many got hurt."
Saras nodded. His dreams had told and retold the same tale over and over. But he had long since blocked out the underlying cause for that tragedy. It was difficult to admit it now.
"There was a woman who had caught my eye. The daughter of the king's senior most advisor. Her name was Gillian."
Rhea did not respond, but he could see her looking up in his direction.
"I was convinced she was the one. The true mate to tame my dragon. Instead, her rejection drove me wild. I was no longer in control of my senses. In a burning rage, I…"
"You killed her," Rhea whispered. "I've heard the old stories."
"I don't know why I did it. I no longer remember…" Oh, how it hurt, admitting his deepest, darkest shame to her.
Rhea stirred. That was it, she was going to leave. Saras would finally get what he'd asked for: his solitude.
But once she was up, she didn't head for the door; instead she came closer and lowered herself back onto the ground right beside him.
"I loved someone once," she said. "It brought me only pain and jealousy."
Afraid he'd ruin this moment of honesty, Saras hardly dared to breathe, never mind move. How was it that she was still here? How was it that her voice did not carry fear or disdain for his actions, but only compassion?
"You saved many lives out there, during the battle. I did
not deserve your help, least of all because I tried to trick you to get it. But I'm thankful for your actions anyway."
Saras frowned and shook his head. "But so many were hurt. I hardly knew who I was aiming at!"
"Many always get hurt in war. That's just the nature of it. You sent the enemy running that day. We would not have made it through the night without you."
But… the shock he'd seen on her face after. Had he simply imagined it?
"How many," Saras mumbled. "How many on our side?"
Rhea brushed his question away. "That's not important now."
"It's important to me."
"Five were injured, two were burned beyond recognition. There is no way of knowing whether they’d succumbed to the fight already, though."
"Two lives…" Saras took a moment to let the information sink in.
Rhea looked in his direction. Her eyes were glistening with tears. "Saras, we lost two-hundred in total. Almost half of our fighters going in. That's why I can't do this anymore. It's too much of a burden knowing that I sent them into their last fight that day. I failed to keep my soldiers safe."
His heart broke for her. Finally, he understood. The guilt he'd seen in her face after he'd rescued her had nothing to do with him. She was being haunted by her own demons.
Forgetting his earlier reservations, he wrapped his arms around her. This was no longer a game. He wasn't trying to score points, or provoke a reaction like during their earlier meetings.
"I'm sorry, Rhea. For everything."
"So am I." She sighed. "The king sent me in here to get you to fight. To attack the Sea Folk in their own territory and scare them off once and for all."
"Rhea, I can't," Saras protested.
"I know, I know," Rhea interrupted. "I'm not even going to try. He's wrong to ask this of you."
She rested her head against his shoulder, prompting Saras to run his fingers through her hair. Addictive, seductive…
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Despite the change in her, her sweet scent had remained the same. Still as fresh, as tempting, with rich undertones betraying her arousal. Why had she fought him so hard before?
"Who was it?" Saras wondered aloud. "You said you loved someone once."
Rhea let out a sad chuckle. "Don't laugh. Promise me."
Saras tightened his arms around her just a little. This closeness, this physical and emotional bond, was something he could get used to. "Fine, I promise."
"The King… Broc."
"No way, that guy?" Saras said.
"You promised!" she exclaimed. She didn't sound angry, though. Not like the last time he'd teased her.
"I'm sorry, I simply had to…"
"In any case, that's over and done with," she said. "I only have so much to give. Not wasting it any longer on a man who isn't interested. Life's too short."
Saras let out a laugh. "Oh, my dear. I promise, life is anything but short."
"Not everyone can be immortal."
Despite everything, Saras smiled briefly. This was the calmest he had been in as long as he could remember. The fear was still there though, deep in his heart. That somehow, all of this would come undone and it would be all his fault.
"I don't know how to come back from this," Saras said, speaking mostly to himself.
Rhea lifted her head. "There's a door right there. All you have to do is walk through it."
It sounded very simple, though it hadn't been when he’d tried it.
She's the one.
What he felt for her made his memories of Gillian pale in comparison. How naive he'd been in the past. To mistake simple lust for what he felt now.
His heart lightened a little. The voices of protest faded into the background, as his dragon took over from within.
She's the one, and we must have her.
He looked down at her face. Their eyes met in the darkness. His mind had been a battleground of conflicting voices for as long as he could remember. The knowledge that he was no good for anyone versus the hope that the myths were true. That his inner dragon with his violent urges could be tamed by the right woman.
In her eyes now, he saw the truth. His instincts had been right from the start. She was his redemption. Where he'd gone wrong was that he’d tried to leave this place alone.
She hadn't known it yet. She wasn't by his side.
But after this shared moment, everything had changed.
Hope had returned.
"How will I redeem myself?" he wondered again.
Rhea reached up and held his face in her hands. "By confessing your sins and sharing your guilt."
Such wise words from someone so young.
"I'm a murderer," he whispered.
"I forgive you."
Had he not seen the look in her eyes, and felt her lips touch his ever so gently, he would not have believed it. But she left no room for doubt. There was no fakery in this moment.
Ancient tales described true love's first kiss as a magical moment that could heal any ailment and right every wrong. He'd often rejected that idea as nonsense, cynical as he had become. But perhaps there was some truth in it.
She felt he was worth her forgiveness. Perhaps that knowledge was enough for him to start to forgive himself.
That was a miracle in itself.
Chapter Thirteen
It felt so good, sharing her true self with Saras. At the same time, it hurt so deeply. For the first time ever, she’d bared her deepest fears and pain to another. Just as he had done. Was this what it meant to love?
To feel so naked, so vulnerable, but not judged for it.
The terrible things he’d done obviously had to have been an accident. A young dragon's misguided reaction to heartache. But Saras wasn't young anymore. Someone so remorseful could not be a bad person. He'd bled for what he did.
Did he not deserve a second chance?
If there was one true match for everyone out there, was it so far-fetched that he could be hers? She felt a connection to him that words could not explain.
Their first kiss might have happened days ago, if it wasn't for his refusal. She'd felt humiliated, but now she was grateful for his rejection. It might have been exciting to kiss him then. Like a novelty or a crazy game, but it would have meant nothing.
Now it meant everything.
"You know, I've been wondering if you just tried to seduce me because I happened to be the first woman who walked in here," Rhea joked, although it had indeed crossed her mind before.
Saras laughed. "Now that you mention it, that Queen Kelly wasn't bad either."
Up to his old tricks already.
Rhea smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "Watch it, or I'll have you locked up again. This time for disrespecting our queen."
"Yes, ma'am."
His lips found hers for a repeat of their earlier union. This time it wasn't so emotionally charged, but still special in its own way. Like two carefree young lovers, exploring for the first time what it meant to be alive. Only neither of them was particularly carefree, and despite his appearance he wasn't all that young either.
"Funny," she mumbled, in between kisses.
"What is?" His breath tickled her face when he spoke.
"I tried to trade my body for your cooperation, and failed. All I needed to do was give you my soul too." Rhea smiled.
"I'm a great many things, but I'm not cheap."
If his lips felt so amazing against hers, she had to find out what the rest of him was like. Her hands started their own journey of exploration. Slowly at first, fingertips against the bare skin of his arms. It was almost more exciting in the dark. Her other senses intensified to make up for the lack of sight.
He sighed and shivered slightly under her touch.
"You're warm," she noted.
"I can breathe fire, you know."
Rhea rolled her eyes.
She turned to face him properly, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"
He silenced her with yet another kiss.
All of this affection, all of these sensations were so new to her. She'd only felt a fraction of them in her dreams in the past. Nothing of what she’d fantasized about came even close to what she felt with Saras now. Despite the teases and little jabs, or perhaps because of them.
They weren't like other people, saccharine and innocent. They had both looked upon the face of death. They knew life was fleeting and fragile. Perhaps that was why they were suddenly so desperate to claim a moment of happiness for themselves.
This would have never worked with anyone else. Rhea knew in her heart, Saras was the one for her.
Suddenly, Saras pulled away from her, if only slightly.
"What?" she asked.
"Not here. We shouldn't do this here."
She still couldn't see, but apparently he could. He got up and took her by the hand, leading her out of the forgotten corner of this cell, and into the light.
He was handsome as ever, and Rhea's heart skipped a beat as she looked upon her new lover for the first time in days.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
Saras simply put his index finger softly against her lips and shook his head. "You'll see. No more questions."
Rhea gave in, probably for the first time in her life.
He was in charge.
From high up on the balcony of the tallest tower on Black Mountain, Rhea could see for miles. Vast seas, currently unsullied by enemy movement. A jagged coastline below that acted as their only barrier from the water.
She'd never been too fond of these lands, much preferring the lush hunting grounds of the mainland to these barren islands they lived on. But even she couldn't deny their stark beauty in the receding light of day. The skies were lit up in reds and oranges that showered the landscape below. It was spectacular.
"I see why you brought me here," Rhea said.
Saras smiled at her. "This was always my favorite spot. Though by now, it's about the only part of the castle left that I recognize."
"Things have changed a lot, haven't they?"
"More than you can imagine."
Rhea forced her gaze away from the fabulous sunset and instead turned toward a masterpiece of natural beauty of a different kind. Saras was an enigma to look at. His age had provided him a certain wisdom and depth not found in Rhea's peers. And at the same time his features were so young and unspoiled. You'd never guess the truth from looking at him casually.
A Dragon's Treasure Page 8
