Vowed

by N R Tucker

  “Yes, it’s time we confirm what the fae already know. You and I are partners and will fight together.”

  “I sort of hoped no one had to know,” Ryan muttered.

  “They already know. Why not let the courts see?”

  Ryan sighed. He had enjoyed training with Kulvir in private. No one, fae or shifter, watched to see if he failed or had a weakness to be exploited.

  Kulvir turned his neck to look at Ryan, “I too have enjoyed our private training sessions, but to better protect those who need us, we have to show ourselves. I can drop you off at the floating stairs of the Northern Realm. It’s where I dropped Valiant the Bold so that the guards didn’t think they were under attack.”

  Ryan nodded. As they crossed the river from the wastelands into the Forest Lord’s home woods, he saw a fight next to the river. When he recognized Styrax and Spruce going at it, he said, “I guess we should stop that.”

  “No, but we’ll land and take the wounded to a healer.” Kulvir glided down to the ground and landed.

  Ryan jumped from the dragon’s back and landed beside the watching fae. “Well met. I find myself curious as to the purpose of this gathering.”

  “Nothing curious about it,” Liron retorted. “We were walking with Styrax, attempting to convince him that forcing a fight with Spruce would be worse for him than Spruce, as Lord Ellwood might revoke his permission to be with Lady Yunnan to stop a blood feud.”

  “That’s the moment my idiot brother jumped Styrax and started beating him,” Ascan added.

  “Since they exchanged punches before we could intervene, we await the outcome. We shall explain this as a simple fight between two foolish young males,” Salix offered. “Since Ascan is Spruce’s eldest brother and I hold that title for Styrax, we will explain that there is no blood feud, only one male who doesn’t think another male is worthy of his sister.”

  Ryan scoffed, “Who’s going to believe that?”

  “No one,” Salix admitted, “But with both of us saying it’s so, no one will contradict us in court. How could they?”

  “Well, that will give us a new conversation for the feasting hall,” Ryan mused.

  “Since you rode Kulvir here, you will be the main topic tonight. I will remember the timing of your reveal, as it might save my family some irritation this evening.” Salix bowed before turning to Kulvir. “Kulvir, defender of the worthy, well met. ’Tis pleasant to see you again. Your absence has been noticed with regret by many.”

  Kulvir inclined his head but didn’t speak.

  Ascan pointed toward the fight, “I don’t think Spruce has much fight left.”

  “Neither does Styrax. Ouch! That will leave a mark,” Salix commented. Styrax landed a perfect right cross to Spruce’s left eye.

  “And Spruce is down,” Ascan sounded unconcerned as he ambled over to check on his foolish brother.

  Salix grabbed Styrax before he could jump on Spruce’s unconscious body. “He’s done for, and so are you. This will not happen again. You have avenged your lady, and this is at an end.”

  Styrax looked like he wanted to argue but he remained silent.

  “I shall return Spruce to my progenitor.” Ascan opened a gate, tossed Spruce over his shoulder, and was gone.

  “Progenitor? Why not Father?” Ryan asked.

  Salix shrugged, “Ascan split from his father over recent events. He no longer addresses Pinus as Father.”

  “But he still addressed himself as Spruce’s eldest brother?” Ryan raised an eyebrow. Yet something else he didn’t know about the courts.

  “He only denounced his father.”

  “I offer my back to fly all of you to the floating stairs.” Kulvir lowered his body so that the four men could climb on.

  “My first dragon flight,” Liron grinned.

  “If it pleases you, turn that into song instead of the fight.” Salix helped his brother climb onto Kulvir’s back.

  Ryan grinned and hopped onto the saddle once the others were settled. “He’ll write both.”

  “Today has given me three new songs, my friends.” Liron laughed as they flew into the air.

  Chapter 46

  “Are you serious?” Victoria’s voice carried down the corridor.

  Ryan swallowed his unprofessional retort and explained again, in more detail. “In the Farseen, all red dragons will protect you, not just Montore. In the Farseen, the fae understand exactly what the dragons are willing to do to protect you. Here, in the Seen, dragon protection is not part of the picture and even if it were, humans – and a lot of the Seen preternaturals – don’t understand what dragon protection means. You may not go anywhere in the Seen without guards.”

  Victoria glared at him. “Who’s going to track me in the mountains? I want to go on a day hike with Fred. I know a nice mountain trail that opens into a lovely field about six miles in. We’ll be fine, just the two of us.”

  “Un-huh? What did Fred say?” Ryan leaned back on the wall, outside her quarters, and crossed his arms.

  “He thinks I need guards,” she snarled.

  “Then why are we having this conversation?”

  “Because, mister powerful alpha, defender of the masses, you were supposed to agree with me.” Victoria wrinkled her nose and snarled, “If you said yes, Fred would agree. It’s just a hike. How many human kidnappers do you think would follow us six miles into the mountains?”

  “It only takes one.”

  “So, I’m to spend the rest of my life in Calabozo? How about Father’s Day? Do I get to go home to see my Dad or will he be brought here under cover of darkness and magic for a visitation?” She had been embarrassed that, on Mother’s Day, her mom and dad had met her at Eli’s. The entire shifter clan, plus a host of alphas, supervised the visit. It was kind of the shifter to open up his house, but it wasn’t the same as being back home with her entire family.

  “If we’re voting, I like option two,” Fred quipped as he joined them. Ryan rolled his eyes and Victoria lit into him, punctuating words like overbearing, idiot, and knuckle-dragging Neanderthal. She finished her tirade, and he tried for understanding, “I know it’s hard…”

  “You know nothing! I will not be kept here like some weak little female in the shifter knowledge protection program.”

  “It’s not the female they worry about so much, as the human in your genetics.” Destin approached the trio. “It’s not my place to tell you where to bandy your words about, but we can hear you in the break room. Bets are currently being placed on who’ll get punched first, Ryan or Fred.”

  Ryan rubbed his forehead, “Seriously?”

  “Oh yes, I put money on Fred.”

  Ryan noticed Tempe’s approach and stretched his neck in a vain attempt to reduce the tension. “You know, if the dual full moons hadn’t happened, I would be in college right now, perhaps dating a cute girl and worrying about finals.”

  “But it did happen. No reason to dwell on what might have been. That road is full of regrets and serves no useful purpose. Destin, you may leave. Victoria, let’s go into your quarters and finish this discussion. I’ve already received five texts from concerned shifters who think a human female is going to kill Fred, Ryan, or both. And in this case, they are more concerned about the female genetics, than the human ones.”

  Destin laughed and walked away. Victoria snarled but opened her door. Tempe, as the last one in shut the door and leaned on it. “If you want to argue, do so where the entire facility can’t hear you.”

  “Sorry,” all three muttered. Victoria added, “I’ve been cooped up here for weeks. I want to get out, see the sun, get back to nature.”

  “What precautions do you think are appropriate? Keep in mind the humans are still unhappy over your refusal to talk to any of their representatives. They feel that you are unjustly penalizing them for one person’s actions.”

  Victoria eyed the powerful shifter, “Is there a suggestion in there?”

  “What do you think?”

  “
It sounds like you’re saying if I meet with them again, it could reduce their interest in kidnapping me and I might get some freedom.”

  “No,” Fred blurted out. “I mean, it might reduce interest for some but not for all. There would still be danger.”

  “It’s everywhere,” Tempe shrugged. “The goal is to minimize danger and maximize defense.”

  Fred nodded and asked, “Can I see a map of the shield around Calabozo?”

  Tempe tapped the screen a few times and handed over her tablet. Fred angled the screen, so Victoria couldn’t see it. She harrumphed, leaned back in the chair, and crossed her arms.

  After a few minutes of staring at the tablet, Fred asked, “How about a compromise?”

  “What compromise?” Victoria glared at him.

  “We could take a walk through the woods inside the shield of Calabozo. There are a couple of nice places to picnic on the property. For Father’s Day, you could go to your folks, but there would be guards, less visible perhaps, but they would be there.”

  “I like the walk inside the shield,” Ryan leaned forward, “And I think we could make the trip to her parents work, but I’m not sold on the idea.”

  “I want more freedom in the Seen, but I’ll take it by inches. After all, enough inches and you get a mile.”

  “Ryan, provide a detailed inches-to-freedom plan for review in forty-eight hours.” Tempe left.

  *****

  Fred helped Victoria across a small stream, and said, “I thought you would be happier out here on the trail.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Victoria wasn’t sure what was wrong. She was thrilled with the homemade bug spray Sara had given her. Sara had assured her that magic wasn’t involved, just essential oils, but Victoria wasn’t so sure. The bugs weren’t biting at all, and normally she was a magnet for biting critters. Suddenly she looked up and snarled at an eagle, “Is that Ryan?”

  “Not every bird in the sky, or predator on the ground, is a shifter.” Fred adjusted the backpack that held the picnic supplies.

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “Fine. That’s a young bald eagle. Ryan takes the form of a golden eagle. Therefore, that is not Ryan.”

  “You don’t have to be so snarky,” Victoria said. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but Victoria felt like she was being watched, and she probably was. She was willing to bet all of her undergraduate degrees that shifters were trailing them. The woods were lovely, but she couldn’t relax. Victoria walked to relieve stress or to think. Now she was busy looking for her guards. She suspected this would be her life now. Guarded, never a moment alone. Victoria glanced over at Fred, “Do you know anyone who takes a bald eagle form?”

  “Contrary to popular belief, we do not have a database of shifter forms.” He held up a hand for silence, “I know you’re asking if anyone in Calabozo takes that form. Serenity and Loane are the only two I know with a bald eagle form that frequents our facility. Both shift to adult bald eagles. Don’t know if either is local at the moment. And I don’t know the form of every shifter in the local area.”

  A squirrel crossed the path and raced up a tree. Fred grinned, “I know of no shifter anywhere who had chosen a squirrel form.”

  Turkeys gobbled from somewhere on their left. Victoria huffed and asked, “Wild turkeys?”

  “Again, I know of none.” He pointed off in the distance at horses. “No horses either.

  Victoria pulled out her binoculars and stared at the horses. “How about deer? I see a doe and faun in the horse pasture.”

  “Not a chance. Unless it’s a slip at first shift, we usually take predator forms.” Fred’s smile disappeared. “Come on, we’re near the ledge.”

  “Ledge? I thought we were heading for an open field.” Victoria frowned. She had thought the horse pasture was their destination. It looked lovely.

  “This is better, trust me.”

  Fred cut up a small trail that grew smaller and more vertical with each step. A few minutes later, hanging onto a kudzu vine for stability, Victoria asked, “Just how upset will the sovereign be with you if I fall to my death?”

  Fred chuckled without slowing down. “Shifters with a flying form have flown here to get away from everyone for a while now. Recently, others have made a trail up here.”

  “I’m not sure I’d call this a trail.” She used her scarf to wipe the sweat dripping off her face and continued to climb. “I repeat, how upset? I’m a valuable resource and…” Victoria stopped speaking and stared. She had arrived at a rock outcropping, with trees above, below, and to either side. Someone had carefully trimmed the trees below so that the outcropping was somewhat hidden but anyone on the rock could see out. Below them was a beautiful, lush valley, including the horse pasture, she had thought was their destination. The Smokey Mountains surrounded them. It was breathtaking.

  “Okay, props to you. This is a much better place for a picnic than an open field.” Victoria joined him on the blanket he had laid down. He produced wine glasses and a leather flask of what had to be wine. She grinned. “Not sure I can drink wine and walk down the trail we just came up.”

  “That’s okay, the flask doesn’t hold much, so we only get one glass each, and we have the afternoon.” Fred grinned and pulled out bread, cheese, fruit, raw veggies, and fried chicken.

  Victoria looked over the valley and back at the spread. Nice.

  *****

  “We need to head back before the sun dips behind the mountain.”

  “Going down is going to be tricky.” Victoria handed him the leftovers as he loaded the backpack for the return trip. There wasn’t much. Shifters ate everything in sight. Must be nice to have that type of metabolism.

  Fred grinned his little boy smile, and Victoria sighed. She had learned that the cute little boy smile usually meant he wasn’t sure she would be happy with whatever he had done. “What?”

  “Well, I sort of wanted you to take the trail up. It’s the best way to get that first awe inspiring view.”

  “You mean there’s another way to access this view?”

  “Yep. Most shifters know about this place now, and even some of the kids have snuck up here a time or two. They’re bored with all the restrictions. Tempe was concerned that someone would get hurt, so she built a rope ladder and net system.” He moved her toward the other side of the outcropping and showed her the system. No more than ten feet between each net platform the rope ladders connected in a crisscross pattern.

  Turning to face Fred, she commented, “That looks a lot easier than the trail we took.”

  “It’s fun, too. Once you’re comfortable with it, you can jump from net platform to net platform. Just be sure to aim for the center of the net.” To prove his point, he jumped and bounced on the highest platform.

  “No. I will not jump. I don’t have a flying form as backup. I will climb down, thank-you-very-much.” She grabbed the rope ladder and slowly lowered herself. The rope swayed, just as she thought it would, but she enjoyed the ladder and landing net much more than hanging onto kudzu on the side of the cliff, with no safety net. Just as she started down the next to last rope ladder, she let go, and dropped to the net, bouncing until it stabilized.

  “Victoria!” Fred, already on the ground, climbed back up, and moved quickly across the net to check on her.

  Victoria grinned, “You’re right, that’s fun.”

  He forced a laugh, narrowing his eyes on her “You could have told me you were going to drop for fun and not because you lost your grip.”

  She was amazed he was able to speak considering how clenched his teeth were. How sweet, he worried about her. She leaned up and kissed him. “Sorry, just wanted to try it.”

  Once they were on the trail through the woods, Fred asked, “Have you completed testing on tracking gates to specific locations in the Farseen?”

  Biting the inside of her lip, she stared at the location of the shield, even though she couldn’t see it. She didn’t want to look into Fred’s eyes. “How did you kno
w?”

  “Every spare moment in the Farseen, you had Montore fly you around. I assumed you had video going to map everything.”

  “You told everyone, didn’t you?” She couldn’t stop the blush that crept up her cheek. “What else could I do? Destin obviously knows how to track gates in the Farseen. He wasn’t interested in the project at all.”

  “If you knew it was already done, why work on it?” Fred stopped walking as his voice trailed off.

  She waved her arms around. “Why do you think? You guys keep stuff from me. There’s so much to learn.”

  “Do you have any idea how valuable you are? Every group wants you working in their facilities. Everyone. The fae and other preternaturals are playing nice right now, but if the opportunity presents itself, they will secure you. And you know the humans aren’t above kidnapping. The more you know, the more valuable you become.” Fred ran his fingers through his hair. “We’ve managed to keep the humans in the dark about the Farseen, to prevent them from planning an attack on the fae. The fact that iron is deadly to the fae and the Farseen is a known fact. Do you want the fae’s homeland, their entire dimension, destroyed just to satisfy your curiosity?”

  Both angry and embarrassed, Victoria stomped down the trail. Knowing Fred was right only increased her anger. “I know the way back. You don’t have to stay with me.”

  Fred ran to catch up, “Actually, I do. The only way Ryan would agree to this outing is if I promised to stay by your side. You only have one guard today, me. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

  “You did not just go caveman on me. I’m an adult. No guard needed.” Victoria ran down the trail and took the right fork, knowing full well the left fork would take her to the entrance. Not that it mattered. She could hear Fred closing in.

  “Victoria, wait!”

  She picked up speed and ran full out. Oh sure, Fred would catch her, but he would have to work for it. Friggin’ shifters. So confident in their knowledge. Especially this one. Although, Victoria conceded, the know-it-all attitude might be because he’s a male.