Rion

by Susan Kearney

  Rion looked down at his father. The man had loved him enough to send his only son away to be raised by his brother. His father had loved him enough to save his life, to change the future. And his decision might or might not have cost this world dearly.

  With a heavy heart, he kissed his father’s cheek for the last time. His people had loved him. Rion had loved him.

  Mendle knocked on the door and entered. He held a sheaf of papers in his hand.

  “This is not a good time,” Rion told him.

  “You have to see this. Now.” Mendle had never spoken to him in such an insistent tone. His posture was urgent, his voice vibrating with tension as he held out the papers.

  “What is it?” Rion asked, his heart aching over the tremendous loss of his father.

  “We have found documented evidence that proves the Unari intended to keep the Holy Grail in the structure they were constructing.”

  “Is the Grail here?” Rion asked.

  “We don’t believe so. But apparently there are beacons on the roof intended to guide those who have the Grail from a world called Pentar to Honor—but the journey was not to be made until the structure was finished.”

  When Rion didn’t say anything, Marisa spoke quietly. “Is there anything else, Mendle?”

  “There are also documents with the entire plan to overrun Honor. It’s a history of the invasion, sire.”

  Rion handed the papers to Marisa. “Make copies and take them to Earth. And send a set to Tor.”

  Marisa scanned the documents. “This should help me convince Earth of the danger. I hope it’s enough.”

  “We’re sharing intel with Tor?” Mendle frowned.

  “Yes, Tor.” Rion pushed down his grief. Mourning his father would have to wait. “More specifically, send the documents to an Enforcer named Drake. You can reach him at the space museum on the rim. I promised that if we found information that might help Tor repel the Unari, we’d share. I want those bastards out of our solar system.”

  “I will see to it personally, sire.”

  “Thank you. Hopefully we can prevent what happened here from—”

  “Excuse me, lady,” Mendle said, his face flushing red before he turned to Rion. “Sire, you need to read these papers. Erik’s name is in them.”

  “And?” With a frown, Rion glanced at the papers. Erik’s name caught his eye, and he read more carefully before he looked up. “These suggest that my cousin conspired with the Unari. This must be a mistake.”

  But was it? His father had warned him of a traitor.

  Mendle shook his head. “According to these records, the Unari had spies among the Enforcers on Tor. They knew you’d escaped them on Tor, and they had tracked your ship to Honor. The Unari sent an Honorian informant to Winhaven to betray you.”

  “They sent Erik?” Rion surmised.

  Marisa’s eyes widened. “He didn’t escape?”

  “The Unari freed him to spy,” Mendle said. “Normally our rebel group is more suspicious, but we were so happy to see one of the royal bloodline had survived, we didn’t question his good fortune.”

  Rion sighed. “Just because the Unari sent him doesn’t mean he followed their orders.”

  Marisa’s troubled gaze went to Rion. “When we arrived in the floater, the Unari fired on us before the door opened.”

  Rion dismissed Mendle. He had to face facts. Erik was different from the man he remembered. Harder. More bitter.

  But a traitor? How could the man who’d saved Rion’s life have betrayed him? It didn’t make sense. He and Erik must talk. There had to be some other explanation.

  Right now he had so much to do.

  He had a country to lead. A father to bury. The possibility of a cousin’s betrayal to deal with. And he would also have to say good-bye to Marisa.

  At the thought of losing her to Earth, he felt his bones turn to water. His soul cried to go with her. But he wasn’t free to do as he wished. His birthright had already cost him a childhood with his real parents, and it might now cost him the woman he loved. But he couldn’t compare his own sacrifices to those his people had made to survive.

  The rebellion plan had worked. The Unari had been defeated. Woodenly, he embraced Marisa, dropped his head to her hair, and breathed in her scent.

  Whatever you decide, someone, somewhere, will think you are wrong.

  —HONORIAN KING

  32

  Marisa squeezed Rion so hard that if he hadn’t been a dragonshaper, she would have broken his ribs. Rion hadn’t had time to mourn his father’s death, and now he had to deal with the possibility of his cousin’s betrayal. And her imminent return to Earth.

  She hated leaving Rion in such a mess.

  With every atom in her body she wanted to stay. But the Unari had already left for Earth. Just as his people needed him to rebuild and heal, Earth’s people needed her to warn them about the Unari intentions.

  Rion tipped up her chin. “This is not good-bye.”

  “But—”

  “Shh. We belong together. My father was right. You’re meant to be Chivalri’s queen. My people will learn to accept you. And come to love you like I do.”

  Her throat tightened. Perhaps someday…

  Rion tensed. She thought it due to her lack of a reply, but a guard pushed Erik into the room. “Sire, he resisted when I removed his sidearm.”

  “Of course I resisted. I’m the king’s cousin.” Erik straightened, his tone harsh.

  “Sire, I found him burning papers. Unari papers.”

  “I would rid this world of everything and everyone alien.” Erik’s eyes pierced Marisa’s with open hatred.

  Rion raised his head, giving the man the benefit of the doubt and speaking as if he hadn’t heard the disrespect in Erik’s voice. “Would you like time alone with the king?”

  “With a dead body? I don’t think so.” Erik straightened, his back taut. His face was drawn, his eyes wild. “However, I would have liked to have spoken to him one last time.”

  “I’m sorry.” Rion held out his arm to draw Erik into an embrace.

  Erik sneered and pulled out a weapon he had hidden up his sleeve, shot the guard, then aimed at Rion. “I could have told Shepherd that all his scheming would do no good. His son will still die.”

  So it was true. Erik was the traitor.

  And even though she shook with fear that Erik might pull the trigger, she could feel the emotional pain rolling off Rion.

  Rion might have been hurting, but at the sight of the weapon, he thrust Marisa behind him. “Grief is twisting your—”

  “I’m glad he’s dead.” Erik shook with anger.

  Rion made yet another excuse for Erik’s behavior and ignored the weapon. “You wanted his suffering to end?”

  Erik spoke with bitterness. “Shepherd may have saved you from an assassin, but I’ve finally found yet another way to be rid of you.”

  Yet another way? Had Erik tried before? Marisa’s mouth went dry with fear. Just how long had Erik’s hatred been festering?

  “What are you saying?” Rion took another step closer to Erik.

  “You can’t believe a word he says,” Marisa hissed, unnerved by the way Erik’s finger tightened on the trigger. Perhaps if she drew attention to herself, she could buy Rion a little more time.

  Frantic, she glanced around the makeshift hospital room for a weapon. But there was nothing besides a bed with the kng’s lifeless body, a tray at his side. On the tray was a glass of water.

  Erik chuckled. “Ah, so she is intelligent. That makes her all the more dangerous. Maybe I’ll shoot her first, so you can watch her die.” Erik’s laughter sounded forced, his words clearly meant to taunt Rion.

  She snatched the glass. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was all she had.

  “By blood right, the throne is mine.” Rion took another step closer to Erik.

  “My blood is purer than yours. I’m one hundred percent Honorian. You are a half-breed. And now you seek to dilute the roy
al blood with another alien woman?”

  “An alliance with Earth will strengthen us,” Rion countered.

  “Your mother couldn’t bear to lose you, so she convinced your father to alter the future. Another alien interfering in Honorian affairs. If not for her, your father wouldn’t have taken a wife and the crown would have been mine.” Erik’s tone grew petulant. “Now I’m restoring the rightful order.”

  Erik wasn’t making sense. Even if Shepherd hadn’t married a Toran woman, he would have likely taken a wife. Erik still wouldn’t have been king. But Marisa didn’t argue.

  “Erik, you risked your life to save me. You aren’t thinking straight right now—”

  “Fool. It might have been a mistake to invite the Unari here—”

  “What?” Rion’s eyes burned into Erik.

  Erik shrugged, but he kept the weapon firmly aimed. “The Unari promised they would rid Honor of all outsiders. That I would finally rule. But they didn’t keep their word,” he muttered. “I was actually happy you didn’t die in your escape attempt, that you returned to Chivalri to help rid us of the bastards. Things have worked out. Shepherd’s dead. You’ll kill yourself in grief and guilt that you left Chivalri when we needed you most. We’ll have a triple funeral. First, I’ll kill the alien woman—”

  Rion lunged. Marisa threw the glass, dived to the floor, and rolled.

  Erik ducked the glass and fired.

  Instead of striking Erik’s head, the glass flew by his ear. But water splashed into his eyes and ruined his aim.

  Erik’s shot spun Rion around, but momentum carried him forward. The two men grappled for the weapon, and Marisa scrambled out of the way.

  Rion released a grunt of pain, and she turned to look over her shoulder. Oh… God.

  “Rion.” There was blood on Rion’s chest. So much blood she couldn’t see the injury itself. Blood matted his clothing and dripped onto Erik as the two men wrestled across the floor, each trying to aim the weapon at the other.

  Fear for Rion made her stomach knot. She had to do something. Help Rion.

  “Guards!” she screamed and prayed Rion’s men would hear her.

  Quick and cunning, Erik tried to knee Rion in the crotch.

  Rion twisted his hips to one side and received only a glancing blow.

  Even as the men grappled for the weapon, they jammed elbows and knees into each other. At a vicious chop to his ribs, Rion groaned, and he countered with a knee to the kidney. Erik shrieked but kept hold of the weapon. With a jerk, he pulled it free.

  Marisa leaped onto Erik’s back, wound her arm around his throat, and choked him. Erik’s finger tightened on the trigger. She yanked him backward, just as he fired.

  With a rising thrust of his arm, Rion knocked Erik’s arm upward, and the shot went over his head. Erik bucked Marisa off his back as if she weighed no more than a flea. Tumbling, she slammed into a wall, knocking her head hard.

  For a moment, her vision narrowed. The room went black, and stars exploded before her eyes.

  Although she couldn’t see, she forced her wobbly feet under her and used the wall to balance. Blood on her hand smeared on the wall. It wasn’t her blood—but Rion’s. By the time she regained an unsteady stance, her vision had cleared. Rion had knocked away Erik’s weapon, and it skidded toward her.

  She bent to pick it up. But Erik kicked it away, catching her fingers in a brutal blow.

  But the pain in her hand was nothing compared to the pain of watching Rion bleed to death. Blood matted his shirt, made the floor slick as it gathered in pools. She didn’t know how he could lose that much blood and still remain conscious, much less fight.

  Where were his men? Why wasn’t help arriving?

  Erik had thrust Rion’s head down and trapped it against his belly, his arm wrapped around his neck. She braced for the sound of Erik snapping Rion’s neck. But with a roar, Rion shifted into a partial dragonshape. His skin thickened. His muscles grew. His eyes glowed golden.

  There wasn’t enough room to fully shift. But the extra dragon strength gave Rion the brawn to break Erik’s choke hold. As he straightened, Rion rammed the back of his head into Erik’s face, shattering Erik’s nose in a bone-jarring crunch. Erik fell back against a wall and slumped, his eyes staring sightlessly.

  Rion had delivered a deathblow.

  But Rion was down, too. Eyes closed, flat on his back, he wasn’t moving.

  And there was blood. So much blood.

  If you honor and serve your people well, they will honor and serve you well.

  —KING ARTHUR PENDRAGON

  33

  Guards and a physician had finally rushed into the room. They’d tried to stabilize Rion, then carried him on a stretcher to a surgery center in the palace where Marisa now waited. The waiting area was much like those in hospitals everywhere, and she paced, unable to sit.

  Lex, Mendle, and Darian waited with her. No one spoke, all of them tense.

  Sometime around dawn, a doctor came out. Eyes exhausted and lined with dark circles, his hands still covered with blood, he spoke gently. “We repaired the nerve damage and gave the king blood transfusions. The internal bleeding’s stopped. Now we wait to see if the blood loss compromised the brain.”

  He could have brain damage? She swayed on her feet, sank against the wall. “How long until we know?”

  “Not until he comes out of the coma.”

  “And that will be?”

  The doctor sighed. “Goddess willing, it will be soon. But you must prepare yourself. He might not ever wake up.”

  She refused to believe that. She wouldn’t think it. No way could she live the rest of her life in a universe that didn’t include him. Rion was going to wake up. He was going to survive and lead his country into the future.

  Marisa squared her shoulders. “I’d like to see him.”

  “Come with me.” The doctor took her arm and led her through a set of double doors.

  Marisa barely recognized Rion. His skin was as pale as the white sheets. Tubes were attached everywhere. Machines that breathed for him pumped and hissed. Careful not to displace the IV in his wrist, she slid her hand into his. So cold. Too cold.

  But six hours later, the doctors thought Rion was strong enough to breathe on his own and removed the tube from his throat.

  Twelve hours later, Lex brought her food, but she couldn’t eat. Aware of the food shortage, she insisted Lex give hers to someone else.

  As the door shut behind Lex, Rion opened his eyes. “You must eat.”

  God, it was good to see him awake.

  She grinned in delight, felt like dancing around his bed. Happy tears, the tears she couldn’t release earlier, trickled down her cheeks.

  Relief lightened her heart. Marisa leaned over him, let him see the joy in her eyes. “It figures you’d wake up to tell me what to do,” she teased.

  Marisa climbed into the bed and snuggled against him, careful not to damage his tubing or bandages. She needed his touch, needed to feel his heat, to reassure herself that he would be all right.

  “How long was I out?”

  “Including surgery—almost a day.”

  Rion held her against his side, his hand tracing a path up and down her arm. She wished she could stay in bed next to him, touching him, talking to him, forever. “I don’t know how I’m going to leave you.”

  “Then stay,” he said simply.

  “I can’t. Now that we have solid evidence of the Unari plan to attack Earth, I have to warn my people.”

  “I know. But I’d do almost anything to keep you here.” He let out a long, husky sigh.

  “I should have already left.” She nuzzled his side and breathed in his scent. “But I couldn’t leave until I knew you’d be all right.”

  He smiled at her. “I’m glad. But will your people believe you?”

  “Some of them will. And perhaps that will be enough to prevent what happened here from reoccurring on Earth.”

  She propped herself onto her elb
ow so she could look into his eyes. She wanted to memorize his face, every detail. His specific shade of gray eyes. The pattern of the green flecks in his irises. The shape of his lips.

  He reached behind her head, drew her mouth toward his, his voice low and husky. “Promise me one thing.”

  She lifted her eyebrow. “What’s that?”

  “You’ll come back to marry me?”

  A new lump of happiness formed in her throat. “I will, but I don’t know how long—”

  “However long you take—that’s how long I’ll wait.”

  His words bathed her in warmth. “Then yes, I’ll marry you, Rion Jaqard.”

  After hearing her words, he closed his eyes again. When he awakened, she was gone.

  Marry a man from Honor and you marry all of Honor.

  —HONORIAN PROVERB

  34

  Marisa’s days had been swamped with high-level meetings, but at night she missed Rion so much that when she finally fell into exhausted sleep, she dreamed of him. Dreamed of his arms around her. His kisses. His smiles.

  But finally, four weeks later, she’d returned to Honor, and it was better than any dream. Rion had a special guard awaiting her arrival at the Infinity Circle, and they whisked her straight from the transporter into a vehicle.

  She had so much to tell him and couldn’t wait to hear what had been happening during her absence. The driver, Mendle, opened the door for her. “Welcome home.”

  Marisa smiled at him. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Thank you, my lady.”

  Marisa settled into the seat and gazed out the window.

  The moment they left the heavily guarded Infinity Stones and pulled onto a road, she stared in surprise at the crowds of Honorians lining the road. Some waved flags. Many greeted her with smiles.

  “What’s going on?” she asked Mendle.

  “The people are honoring their new queen,” he told her.

  “They’re here for me?” Marisa got a warm hitch in her chest.