by Lisa Kumar
“Where are they?” she asked.
He seemed to know exactly who “they” were. “My son and other kin are playing with them. Or should I say terrorizing them?”
The dark humor in his voice caused her to shiver. Remind her to never get on his bad side. At the moment, a scream cut through the forest, causing her to jump and stare out into the woods. That had sounded like Cassy.
Anni glanced at Eacion and started a bit in surprise again. His appearance...it wasn’t what it normally was. The elongated shape of his face, along with his serpentine features, seemed halfway to full dragon form. He was an oddly handsome yet fearsome sight with his skin glittering in shades of blue, green, and gold. And the subtle pattern she’d noted before was much more pronounced. He truly had scales now.
A knowing smile turned his lips upward. “The others are in their half-changed form because a forest isn’t conducive to large dragon bodies. The other humans are not being killed, but they might later wish for that reprieve.”
Though she knew they deserved punishment, her soft heart was firmly against torture, and she said so.
He laughed. “We but toy with them. Terror is the only thing they’re experiencing right now. Any hurts they suffer are ones they inflict on themselves in their fright.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “What will be done with them?”
“I have to decide. Most likely banishment from Bending Willow.” A slow smile slid over his face. “Is that loathsome minister that I ran into earlier married?”
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“I think I’ve found the perfect groom for Cassy.”
Anni choked on a laugh, though the pain in her limb was ramping up. “That’s a fate worse than banishment.” She almost felt sorry for Cassy. But then, the harpy was sure to drive the minister insane, too. It would be a true match made in hell.
Eacion’s head cocked to the side. “I believe my people have ceased their games and rounded them up.” As he spoke, his appearance faded back to normal.
“You do that so easily.”
He shrugged. “Hundred years of experience.”
She shifted and jarred her bad leg. A gasp ripped from her.
Eacion steadied her. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s just my leg,” she said, shaking her head. “I injured it while trying to escape.”
“Let me tend to it.” He placed a hand on her hip, and a cooling warmth spread downward.
The pain disappeared. Barely believing it, she gingerly placed some weight on her leg. The limb held and didn’t shake. There was no discomfort whatsoever, either.
What she wouldn’t give to have his healing abilities. She’d mute her pain and even cure herself if she could. “Thank you. My leg...is it something that can be fixed?”
He shook his head mournfully, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “Not even I have the magic to repair this. Though I can take away pain and mend some hurts, I can’t reform bone.”
A grain of long-felt bitterness took root in her heart again, and she drew back a step. “You sound quite sad about that.”
“Not for myself. I see how badly it bothers you. I would ease your pain if I could.” He sent her covered leg a considering look. “My healers might have a few ideas, though. I doubt they could give you the leg you want, but they can do wondrous things with braces.”
The breath froze in her lungs. “They could make it better? Even just a bit?”
“To a degree, I think.” He paused, looking at her closely. “In order to do so, you’d have to come to my home—to Glenson—with me.”
Ah, there was the catch, but it didn’t upset her as it would’ve this morning. She tapped her chin as if she were thinking. “Well, we are engaged, so I guess that’s acceptable.”
His shoulders relaxed. “You’re amendable?”
She slid her arms around his neck and sighed in contentment when he held her close. “Very much so. How far is your home, by the way? If we do wed—and I need time before we would—I’d want to visit my parents frequently or vice versa. I also reserve the right to leave at any time.”
When his face contorted with worry, she tacked on quickly, “Not that I plan on it. But I won’t be kept prisoner.”
He nodded, appearing reassured. “If you ever want to leave, you are free to do so. But I can guarantee I will seek to change your mind to the best of my abilities.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Now that we’re cleared that concern, let’s address any others you may have. As for distance...if we flew, it’d take less than a day.”
“Flew?”
He lifted a brow. “You did notice I can turn into a dragon, did you not?”
“Of course. I may be lame, but I’m certainly not blind.”
“Then there’s your answer.”
She stared at him, trying to ascertain if he was teasing or not. “You expect me to ride you?”
A lecherous smile came to his lips before he lowered his head to give her a quick kiss. “As many times as you want.”
She good-naturedly slapped his shoulder. “I don’t mean that kind of riding.”
“Cease your attack, fair maiden,” he said with a laugh, setting her away. “Yes, you can indeed ride on my back.”
She frowned. “That sounds dangerous.”
He touched her cheek in a tender caress. “I’d never let any harm come to you. Before we leave, I’d take you on a few shorter flights so you can get your bearings.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a chance.” Though she still wasn’t sure about the whole idea of flying, she wouldn’t dismiss it until he took her up at least once. If she could see her parents often, it’d be worth a bit of mental discomfort.
“I hope you’ll come to love soaring through the air as much as I do. It’s a freeing experience.”
With a laugh, she held up a staying hand. “That waits to be seen.” Then she sobered. Any future with him left one huge, glaring question concerning their lifespans. He’d said she could adopt his, but how did that work?
“So how does sharing your lifespan work?”
He leaned against the nearest tree and drew her with him. After he settled her against his chest, he wrapped an arm about her waist. “When we wed, I’ll bite you one more time. That will join us together. Though you won’t have the abilities of a dragon fae, you will be given our lifespan.”
So easy yet so momentous. “I’ll need a bit to wrap my mind around that.” A realization sunk in, and a lump formed in her throat. “I’ll outlive all my friends and family.”
He cast her a sympathetic look. “You will. There’s no good way to lessen that blow, but you will have family in me and my kin.”
“Will they accept me?”
“All those that matter will.”
That was a fair enough answer. She didn’t say anything else. Instead, she yanked his head down and glided her lips over his. As they shared whisper-light kisses that turned increasingly passionate, she knew neither of them could predict the future. So, together, they would discover what love—and life—held in store for them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm a wife, mother, and romance writer who grew up in small-town Indiana. I studied psychology in college and worked off and on in mental health over the years. I now reside in the suburbs of Chicago with my husband and our two sons. When not spinning tales of romance and fantasy, I can often be found with my nose buried in a book. I also love going for walks with my youngest son and taking Zumba classes. One of my stories, Bound to the Elvin King, won Ind'Tale's 2015 RONE award for best Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
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OTHER BOOKS BY LISA KUMAR
Bou
nd by the Mist
(Mists of Eria Book One)
Relian has lived a life that hasn’t changed in millennia, and he likes it that way. As Prince of the Erian people, he has his conscripted duties. And a human woman, even one as desirable as Cal, does not fit into them. But as the enemy darkindred knock on the borders and the magic of his people fades, he might just have to find room.
College student Cal Weston spends a good portion of her time trying to keep people from thinking she's crazy, including herself. And with good reason. But her carefully constructed reality is turned upside down when she discovers that Relian, the seductive elvin prince who has been starring in her sensuous fantasies, isn’t merely a myth and his magical kingdom really exists. Now she’s bound to an elf and stuck in a land where no one, least of all Relian, is willing to spill any answers about the truth of her arrival.
Excerpt
Relian led them down a steep ravine, one side dwarfed by a small cliff face. After hopping from his mount, he lifted her down from hers. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the looming stone. Laying his free hand on a thick tree trunk that rested in front of the rock face, he murmured in Elvish again. Then he repeated the same procedure on the gray stone. Neither spell seemed to do anything. What was he doing? Their pursuers were sure to find them, even with the cover the branches provided.
As if to back up her thoughts, cursing voices carried on the wind. Relian stiffened but didn’t move. Just as Cal was about to pull on his arm, the tree suddenly bent to the side. A faint orange-colored outline of a door glowed against the gray stone.
Cal blinked to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Relian placed his hand against the makeshift door and pressed. With a groaning sound, the rock moved, revealing a shadowy corridor lit by floating blue lights.
“Come,” Relian said, pushing her toward the door.
Cal hesitated, her feet digging into the ground.
He sighed impatiently and pointed to the entrance. “Safe.” Then he gestured toward the canopy of trees where the angry voices floated ever closer. “Not safe. Now go.”
Closing her eyes, Cal plunged into the opening. No lightning struck her down. She opened her eyes. No bogeyman charged toward her, either. Relian said something to the horses, and they neighed, shaking their heads. Then he stepped in beside her and shut the door with a handle she now only noticed. “The horses?” she asked. Though fear stilled clawed at her, she didn’t want the horses to be hurt.
“They go back to palace. Will be fine.”
She nodded, easily following his short, simple sentences after a few seconds of thought. Relian reached for her, and a flash of something red on his arm caught her attention. Squinting, she saw there was a gash in his sleeve, with a matching slice to his skin that still had blood welling from it.
She gasped and lightly touched the area below the wound. The damp fabric was tacky from the blood. Not used to touching such things, she had to stifle a shudder. “You’re hurt.”
He shrugged, not seeming fazed at all. “A mere flesh wound from arrow. Nothing at all. Will take care of later.”
That was a mere flesh wound? She’d be rigid with pain if she sported that slice. But he was a warrior for a reason and had probably dealt with much worse. Which was a thought she didn’t want to dwell on because when she did, an invisible fist squeezed her heart.
AMAZON
Bound to the Elvin King
(Mists of Eria Book Two)
InD'tale's 2015 RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) Award Winner for Fantasy/Sci-fi
After countless millennia as the King of Eria, Talion thought he’d experienced all life had to offer. That is, until Maggie entered his land. The beautiful human whirlwind refreshes his spirit, while all too often trying his patience. Though he desires nothing more than to claim her as his bond mate and queen, his secrets could drive them apart or even end their lives.
Stranded in the elvin land of Eria, Maggie D’Anglio spends her days trying to figure out a way home while attempting to avoid the sexy and provoking Talion. Unfortunately, she’s living in his palace. His world. His rules. The mysterious king intrigues and infuriates her as no one ever has, a lethal combination to her commitment-phobic heart. But when she parties too hard and wakes up magically bound to him, there’s no escaping the irresistible irritant—or her new role in a land on the brink of war with the darkindred.
His past, along with her pride, will threaten their relationship and their very lives. Will they have the courage to admit their love for each other, or will their fears bind them together in death?
Excerpt
Maggie D’Anglio strode up to the tall elvin guards standing on either side of the entrance to the royal wing. The finely detailed depictions on the door never failed to awe her. A craftsman must’ve labored over the wooden piece for years. But considering the elvin lifespan, they had more than enough time to spend on their work, unlike humans.
Kavlin smiled, a sparkle in his perpetually youthful gray eyes. “You’ve come to visit the princess?”
“You know it.” Though she grinned, a sense of surrealism hit her. So weird to think of Cal as a princess, and not just any princess, but princess over Eria, a land of elves. Cal was as human as Maggie. Really, it was a miracle most elves accepted Cal so readily, but then, they hadn’t had much choice. The veil, something no wise elf would disrespect, orchestrated Cal’s arrival in Eria. Maggie had just come along for the magic carpet ride. And what a ride it’d been so far.
“And what do you have planned today, if I may be so bold as to ask?”
Kavlin’s voice broke into her thoughts, and she forced her attention back to the brown-haired elf. “The princess has a free moment in her busy schedule, so we’re going to do girly things.”
Batin, the other guard, groaned and shook his head, sending his dark blond hair cascading over his shoulders. “Spare us the details, then.”
She suppressed a smirk. The mention of girly things frightened most males, human or not. Though she enjoyed talking with the good-looking guards posted around the palace, she’d seen too little of Cal recently to stay and chitchat. “Will do.”
“Goodbye, Lady Maggie,” said Kavlin. Batin echoed him, opening the door for her. Each gave her a small bow, and she rolled her eyes.
“Bye, guys. Don’t have too much fun.” She flashed them a wink and walked through the open entrance.
Their laughter followed her down the corridor until the door to the wing clicked shut. Maggie quickened her pace because she didn’t want to run into him. Talion was a burr in her butt. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t dislodge the handsome ass. Though his chambers were past Cal and Relian’s, he could still be lurking in the hallway. Waiting for her.
Gazing around her furtively, she scoured the many shadows that lingered, not that there were many in the understated elegance that was the royal wing. Beige stone and plaster made up the hallway’s walls, ceiling, and floor, and lent it a bright, airy feeling she definitely wasn’t channeling today. Even the lovely tapestries and rugs that added splashes of color here and there didn’t calm her mind as they usually did.
She huffed at her paranoia. Yeah, right. The King of Eria had better things to do than lie in wait for her. He may never pass up an opportunity to piss her off, but he certainly didn’t stalk her. Now, if she could only figure out why he loved to tick her off so. Admittedly, she gave the same treatment back to him, but he always started it. Most of the time.
The skin at the back of her neck prickled, but a glance around showed no Talion in sight. She breathed in deeply. A heady fragrance of fall flowers filled the air. The windows, offering gorgeous views of the gardens and, behind them, landscapes of the mountains that cradled Eriannon, punctuated the corridor in regular intervals. Somehow the openings could keep out all adverse elements while letting in a scented, warm breeze. She shook her head, knowing she’d never understand it.
“Well, look who’s here.”
The drawled v
oice caused her to startle. Her gaze flew to an alcove ahead of her, and she froze. Shit. Talion leaned against a corner wall of the small area. A tailored green tunic and a black pair of leggings molded all the right areas of his physique. Desire to touch those muscles swamped her. She licked suddenly dry lips, cursing herself all kinds of crazy for wanting him. He might be gorgeous, but his personality was obnoxious. Still, she couldn’t take her gaze off him.
His long, golden hair shimmered in the bright light spilling through the alcove’s window, and his gray eyes glinted with an unholy light that always appeared whenever he was around her. A shiver snaked down her spine. She felt like a mouse to his cat. For some reason, the realization only spiked her desire higher.
An answering blaze of anger flooded her. Damn him. How could she lust after and hate him in equal measures? Half the time he made her feel like an idiot. It was all a game for him. He had no real interest in her other than pushing her buttons and watching her squirm, and she knew it.
AMAZON
The Fae Lord’s Mistress
The New Earth Chronicles, Book 1
Ever since the day a fae raid stole away my parents, poverty and scavenging have been my life. I live in the human slums of Chimra, though it was once known as the great city of Chicago. The fae rule over New Earth and humanity with a neglectful and ruthless fist. But everything changes when Gabreon, the fae lord who led that raid six years ago, finds me in the forbidden dumping grounds and claims me as his own. Which leads to anger, confusion, and heartache—on my side and his.
Lina. The human Gabreon couldn’t forget. When he sees her in the dumping grounds, he no longer can ignore the pull between them. Though claiming her goes against everything he was brought up to believe, he takes her as his companion. During the day, she holds herself away from him, but at night, she sparks to life in his arms. As a human revolution ferments, his growing relationship with Lina becomes even more perilous. Earning her forgiveness will be hard, but keeping them both alive in the meantime might prove impossible.
