He led Auric to a carriage, and though Auric protested and tried to explain that this was all a misunderstanding, no one seemed to listen. We were hauled into a different carriage forcefully and the door was locked shut, trapping us inside a small, windowless space. I sank back against the threadbare cushions with my hands bound behind my back as our carriage rolled away, leaving Auric behind.
So much for our inconspicuous arrival.
11
Reven
Two guards shoved me and Kira into a small prison room, before the heavy door closed and locked behind us with a loud slam. I did a quick survey of the room: dark stone walls, a small window with bars, a meager cot with no blankets, one chamber pot in the corner, and rat droppings on the ground. Not the worst prison I’d been thrown into, but not the best either.
After I cut our wrist bindings with a sharp shard of ice, Kira sat on the edge of the cot and buried her face in her hands. “That did not go as planned.”
“These things never do, although I wasn’t expecting a search of the ship. The Royal Guard has definitely stepped it up since I was last in Stormhaven.”
“I hope the others are okay.” She ran her fingers through her hair to calm the tangles, her face lined with worry. “Where are Jasin and Slade?”
I inspected the bars on the window, but they were secure. “Being kept in another prison, I assume. Or being questioned.”
She sighed heavily. “At least Auric should be safe. They wouldn’t hurt him.”
“No, but I can’t say the same for us.”
She glanced at the door, her brow furrowed. “What do we do?”
“We wait and plan our escape.”
“Escape? Is that possible?”
I leaned against the heavy door and shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve broken out of a prison like this.”
“How?”
“When they come to feed us, we’ll fight our way out. They took our weapons, but we still have our magic. Then we’ll find Jasin and Slade and get out of here.” Along with my swords. I wasn’t leaving without them.
She shook her head. “Auric will get us out. We shouldn’t use our powers unless we have no other choice.”
“We’ll see.”
We lapsed into silence as I studied the room for any potential weaknesses. I stared out the tiny window, trying to get a sense of where we were, but all I saw were overgrown weeds.
"You did a good job handling the ship today,” she said. “Where did you learn to sail?"
There she went again, trying to pry into my past. Why did she care so much? "Most people in the Water Realm know how to sail a boat. I'm surprised you don't."
"I learned how to paddle small boats, but not a ship of that size, though I did leave the Water Realm at thirteen.” She tilted her head with that inquisitive look in her eyes I was starting to know all too well. "Did your parents teach you? Did they have a ship?"
I turned away from her to study the door, looking for any cracks, nails, or broken hinges. "Something like that."
She paused so long I thought perhaps she’d given up, but then she asked, “Was that true, what you said the other night about your parents? And your first time?”
I looked her in the eye. “Everything I’ve told you is true. I may keep secrets, but I’ve never lied.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that.” She looked at me with the pity I’d been trying to avoid. That was why I didn’t tell people this stuff. I didn’t need anyone’s pity, and certainly not hers.
I lifted one shoulder casually. “It was a long time ago.”
“Can I ask what happened to your family?”
My lips pressed into a tight line briefly. “They were killed by the Crimson Dragon, like yours were.”
Her face paled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I looked away with a scowl. “Because I didn’t want you to think this makes us connected in some way. Sark is the Black Dragon’s enforcer. He’s killed a lot of families. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“But we are connected, and now I understand you a little more. Or better than I did, anyway.” She rose to her feet and moved toward me with sympathy on her face. “The Dragons both took away our families. Did they think your parents were part of the Resistance too?”
“They were in the Resistance,” I snapped. “They got themselves killed, along with everyone they cared about, all for their stupid cause.”
“How is that stupid? They died for their ideals. We’re fighting for the same thing now—to stop the Dragons.”
I crossed my arms. “Trust me, that’s not my idea. If it were up to me, we’d find a nice island to hide out on until this all blew over.”
She stared at me with fire in her eyes. “You think we should run away?”
“If it saves our lives, then yes. If my family was smart, they would never have gotten involved with the Resistance—and they’d still be alive today.”
She gestured wildly. “And what about all the people who will suffer if we don’t stop the Dragons?”
“How is the suffering of the entire world our problem?”
“Because the Gods chose us!”
“And like I said, the Water God chose wrong.”
With those words I would normally have stormed off, but all I could do was walk to the other side of our cell and face away from her. Gods, what was I even doing? And why had I come back to Kira? I had no desire to stop the Dragons or represent a God. I didn’t want to be involved in this impossible fight. We were only going to get ourselves killed—including Kira.
Her small hand rested on my back and I stiffened up. “I don’t think he did,” she said.
I spun to face her. “You’re wrong. I’m no hero. I don’t care about saving the world. I don’t even know why I’m still here.”
Her fingers brushed against my jaw as she looked up at me in a way that made my chest clench. “I know why. Deep down you have a good heart, even if you won’t admit it.”
I took her beautiful face in my hands. “I’ve been many things in this life. A thief. A whore. A killer. But I have never once been a good man.”
“It’s not too late to start.”
My thumb ran across her lower lip and I was seconds away from kissing her hard and showing her that I wasn’t good at all, when the door opened. Kira and I jumped back as Slade was thrown into the prison with us. The door was locked again before I could even summon a shard of ice. Dammit, there went my plan of escape. If I hadn’t been distracted by Kira, I’d have been ready.
“Slade!” Kira threw her arms around him. I tried to ignore that touch of jealousy twisting in my gut, along with the realization that I would have kissed her if he hadn’t interrupted us.
I turned away and crossed my arms. It was better that we’d been interrupted anyway. Everyone I’d ever loved was dead, and I refused to love Kira and have her meet the same fate. But for some reason I wasn’t able to walk away from her either. Gods knew I’d tried, yet here I was. Drawn by this invisible string to her side, no matter how much I wanted to fight it or escape it.
And in the end, it would probably get us both killed.
12
Kira
I pulled back from my tight hug to examine Slade for any injuries. “Are you all right?”
He nodded as he leaned against me, his hands still bound behind his back. “They asked me some questions and roughed me up a bit, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The biggest problem was that they think we kidnapped Auric.”
“Of course they did,” Reven muttered, as he bent down to cut the bindings on Slade’s wrist.
I gestured for Slade to get on the cot and then pulled up his shirt, revealing his hard muscles and smooth dark skin. As I pressed a hand to his ribs, he inhaled sharply. He’d definitely taken a beating and would likely be black and blue soon, not to mention whatever was going on inside of him. A broken rib maybe. I closed my eyes and willed his body to heal, causing his cool skin to warm under my touch.
“What did they ask you?” Reven asked him.
Slade’s eyes were closed and when he spoke it sounded pained. “They wanted to know what we were doing with Auric, how we had captured him, and why we had returned. I didn’t tell them anything. I wasn’t sure they’d even believe me if I did.”
“Probably not,” I said.
After I finished healing Slade, the door was thrown open and Jasin was pushed into the room by a guard. He stumbled forward and hit the ground on his knees, with a trail of blood trailing from his lip and his left eye puffy and swollen. Gods, what had they done to him? And why was he so much worse than Slade? Had he given them a hard time?
I rushed to Jasin’s side and took his face in my hands, eager to heal him, but a gloved hand gripped my arm. I looked up at the plumed helmet of the Captain.
“Come with us,” he said to me.
Two other guards stood behind him, pointing their swords at my chest. At the sight, Reven let out a low growl and summoned small blades of ice in his hands. Slade pushed himself to his feet and clenched his fists, while Jasin threw himself in front of me and growled, “Don’t touch her.”
A fight seemed inevitable even if I went willingly, and maybe fighting was the only way we would be able to escape and find Auric. I wished we could do it without shedding blood or revealing the secret of our magic, although I was less concerned about shedding blood after I’d seen what the guards had done to my men.
“Stop!” Auric yelled. My breath caught and relief rushed through me at the sight of him pushing through the wall of guards. As they parted, he stood tall before me, looking every inch the regal prince even in his common traveling clothes. “Let her go.”
The Captain released me. “Yes, your highness.”
Auric gestured at my other mates. “Release these people at once. As I told you earlier, there was no kidnapping. I left the Air Realm willingly, and these are my hired guards.”
The Captain hesitated, but then nodded and stepped back so we could leave the prison cell. All of the guards sheathed their weapons, while Slade helped Jasin stand. Reven glared at the Captain as he sauntered by, making his way to my side.
We were given back our things, including all our weapons, and then escorted out of the prison into the bright afternoon sunlight. Another group of guards awaited us there, along with a gilded carriage emblazoned with the royal crest.
And just like that, we were released.
I wrapped my arms around Auric and gave him a quick kiss. “I knew you would get us out of there.”
He kissed me back, but then grimaced. “Yes, I did. Unfortunately everyone knows I’m here now. Including my entire family.”
“Can we get some horses and leave the city tonight?” Slade asked.
“No, I’ve been ordered to return to the palace, and the Royal Guard will make sure I comply.” Auric glanced back at the prison, where the Captain and the other guards were watching us intently. “We have to meet with my parents before we can head for the Air Temple.”
A servant opened the carriage for us, which was quite different from the one we’d traveled in earlier with no windows. This one had lush purple interior trimmed with yellow accents, all made of the finest velvet and trimmed with real gold. I sank into the cushion with Jasin and Reven at my side, with Auric and Slade across from us. Everyone except Auric was disgusting and bloody after being in the prison, not to mention hungry and tired from our ordeal.
Auric leaned back into the seat, his finely sculpted, perfectly clean face the only one who looked like it belonged here. “I’m sorry for all of that. Did they hurt you?”
“Nothing a little of Kira’s touch won’t fix,” Jasin said, though he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I took his hand to heal him and give him strength while the carriage began to roll forward.
“That should never have happened,” Auric said. “Again, I’m sorry. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”
Slade grunted. “We’ll be fine.”
Auric sighed, leaning his head back. “Gods, this is a disaster. How am I going to explain this to my parents? I can’t exactly tell them the truth, but I don’t want to lie to them either.”
“Keep it vague,” Reven said.
“I shall. I told the guards you were mercenaries I’d hired to protect me during my travels. We’ll stick to that for now, I suppose. But my family is going to have a lot of questions for me.”
“Who else will we meet at the palace?” I asked. Although this wasn’t how we’d hoped to spend our time in Stormhaven, I couldn’t help but be curious about Auric’s family and his home. I only hoped it went better for us than our meeting with Jasin’s parents did.
“My mother and father. My siblings, if any of them are staying at the castle, though my oldest brother Niyal is probably at the palace in Mistvale and my sister Fema is likely on her estate with her husbands. My other brother Garet should be there though.” He hesitated and opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, but then thought better of it.
While Jasin and Slade dozed off, the rest of us stared through the windows at the city as we moved through it. Everywhere I looked people were walking by in brightly colored clothing that flowed loosely and revealed plenty of skin. They stopped at little shops and adorable cafes, while above us the tall spires reached high into the sky.
The carriage climbed a hill as we approached the palace, which shined under the sun like a beacon. Auric’s body was tense as we passed through a huge gate before traveling along a stone path lined with perfectly trimmed trees with tiny yellow and white flowers. I pressed my face close to the tiny window to see everything I could, filled with awe at the sight of the majestic white castle in front of us.
The carriage came to a halt in a courtyard in front of the palace. Auric stepped out first and glanced around with a tense expression, then turned to offer me a hand to help me out.
I stepped out of the carriage and gaped at the beautiful palace and all the guards and servants waiting for us, wishing that my hair was brushed, or that I wasn’t covered in dirt and blood, or that I wore finer clothes. I’d never had anything very nice to begin with and I’d left most of my clothes with our horses at the Fire Temple. I supposed my dirty hunting leathers fit Auric’s story that we were mercenaries, but I couldn’t help but feel like an imposter standing there among such finery.
As the other men stepped out of the carriage, a beautiful woman with long black hair and smooth golden skin rode up on a glorious white horse. “Auric! You’ve returned!”
She dropped off her horse and smoothed her peach silk riding habit, then throw her arms around Auric. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, which gave me an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach that I tried to ignore. She could be related to Auric, perhaps a cousin or other relative, but there was something about the way she touched him that seemed familiar in a different way.
Auric has never been with a woman, I reminded myself. Though he’d certainly kissed at least one before me.
“Brin, what are you doing here at the palace?” Auric asked, sounding alarmed.
“I’ve been staying here for the last month, ever since you vanished. I’m so relieved you’re all right.” She brushed a piece of dirt off Auric’s chest in a way that made me squirm. “I was so worried when you ran off like that without a word. Made me think you might want out of our arrangement.”
“Yes, about that…” He glanced over at me and cleared his throat. Brin turned toward us like she hadn’t even noticed us before. Her gaze swept over us with confusion on her lovely features.
“Auric, who is this?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“This is Lady Brin of House Pashona.” His face turned grim. “My betrothed.”
13
Kira
At first I thought I must have heard Auric wrong. He couldn’t be engaged to another woman…could he? But then I saw the way Brin smiled as she took Auric’s arm, like they had known each other for years, and my doubts vanished. It was tr
ue. They were betrothed.
I wanted to turn and run away, to escape the heartache crushing my chest and making it hard to breathe, but there was nowhere to go. Guards surrounded us, the carriage had already rolled away, and there was no place to hide out here in the sunny courtyard. My next instinct was to yell at Auric and demand answers, but that would probably get me arrested again. All I could do was stare at this perfect, regal couple in front of me while my anguish and jealousy burned so hot I was surprised the ground didn’t catch fire beneath me.
“How could you keep this from me?” I asked, my voice shaking with each word.
Auric stepped toward me, breaking free of Brin’s grasp. “Kira, I can explain everything.”
I shook my head and turned away, swallowing hard. Slade crossed his arms and gave Auric a stony look, while Reven leaned against a pillar and watched the scene unfold with a bored expression. Jasin rested his hand on my lower back and glared at Auric. “Is that the best you can say?”
Brin eyed us all with interest, then clasped her hands together. “I can see there’s a story here, and I’m guessing it’s one you don’t want the entire palace staff to know about.” She gave me a warm smile, then swept her gaze across my mates. “Why don’t you all join me in my suite, where we can talk about this in private?”
All I wanted was to return to the boat and get away from this situation, but there was no escaping this. Auric was my future mate, and no matter how upset I was with him, I had to hear him out at least.
“All right,” I said reluctantly. “Let’s talk.”
Brin led us inside the palace into a huge entry that was all velvet and silk, purple and gold, elegant and opulent. The front room alone practically dripped with wealth and sophistication, and I immediately felt even more out of place. Especially beside Brin, who wore clothing suitable for a princess and clearly knew the palace as if it were her own home.
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 23
