“Daniel already told her, and she seems resigned. She kicked up a little fuss, but Daniel reminded her that Kahn would not be happy were she to leave him again. We thought that if you stayed with her as well—”
“What? I’m going with you!”
I told you he was going to be stubborn.
“Darius, I don’t think it’s such a good idea for you to go. The king is…unpredictable. He doesn’t know you like we do. I think—”
“I’m going, and that’s all there is to that. If you think I am letting you out of my sight for one moment, then you don’t know me at all.”
“Think, Darius.” Dearra placed her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. “What would be gained if you were to come with us? We have to convince the king the threat is real. His distrust of the Breken will only serve to make you a liability to our mission.”
She didn’t want to hurt him, but he needed to be realistic. She knew he would be at risk if he went with them. The king could easily order Darius killed—one less Breken meant one more threat eliminated.
“I’m not leaving you.” He crossed his arms and stared down at her. His jaw was clenched, and his hands were balled into fists.
Brin sighed, and Dearra knew they had been beaten. She would have to tie Darius up to ensure he remained behind. Rordan would untie him eventually, and then he would follow anyway.
Dearra threw her hands up in defeat. Darius relaxed his stance and grinned at her.
“Don’t be angry, Dearra,” he said, using the half smile he knew she couldn’t resist.
“I’m not angry. Worried, maybe, but not angry.”
He wrapped her in his arms and caressed the side of her face. “Don’t be worried, then. I can look out for myself. Everything will be fine, you’ll see.”
She placed her head against his chest and breathed deeply. When would it be over? It felt like a lifetime since she had been just a girl. Where had those happy days gone?
Darius lowered his face, and his lips met hers. Dearra felt his kiss, feather soft and hesitant. She ran her fingers through his hair. She heard him take a deep breath and hold it. She put both arms around his neck and leaned into his kiss, silently asking for more. She felt one of his hands as it traveled to the small of her back to press her tighter against him. Her pulse raced, and she felt a warmth spread through her.
Darius deepened the kiss. He could feel her tremble under his touch, and he reminded himself to go slowly, cautiously. He did not wish to let down his guard too much, lest the Breken inside makes himself known, but there was no possibility he was walking away. He was feeling quite proud of his self-control when Dearra gently bit his bottom lip and pressed herself even tighter against him. His eyes opened wide, and he saw her grinning impishly up at him.
Dearra enjoyed his startled reaction, and couldn’t resist. She issued a small, feminine growl. She placed both of her hands flat on his chest, and steered him toward her bed. She knew she wouldn’t be able to force him, but he seemed willing enough. He wrapped his arms around her just as he fell back onto the coverlet, and she landed on top of him. Their faces were only inches apart, and her grin slipped as she became lost in his eyes.
Darius tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she leaned her face against the palm of his hand and closed her eyes. She could feel him beneath her. He seemed frozen, unsure of himself. She opened her eyes and found his eyes still on hers, asking, questioning. She moved, trying to get closer so she could kiss him again, and he tensed beneath her.
“Are you all right?” she asked when she saw his strained expression.
“Join with me, Dearra. Marry me. We are meant to be together. I need you.”
Dearra put her head against his chest and heard the frantic beating of his heart. “Darius, what about Brin?”
Darius stroked her hair, but remained silent.
“You know we can’t be joined, not really. Unless…unless you think we are ready to try the spell to release him.”
No, Dearra!
Dearra had long been expecting to hear just those words from Brin, but she thought they would have come during the kissing, not at the suggestion of his freedom.
“Why, Brin? It’s what you want isn’t it? We can’t just go on like this forever, caught in-between.”
Darius took a deep breath and let it out in a slow exhalation that spoke to his frustration more clearly than any words could have done. “Brin is right. It’s too dangerous. We don’t know what would happen…to any of us.”
The thought of something happening to Darius or Brin was enough to give Dearra pause. Still, they couldn’t remain undecided forever.
Dearra, I was thinking. Maybe…maybe you and Darius should be joined. We don’t know what will happen when we try the spell, and there isn’t any guarantee that it will work.
“Brin! How could you even suggest such a thing? Do you think we care for you so little that we would relegate you to an eternal existence locked in a cage?” Dearra was a little angry. What kind of person did he think she was?
Darius rolled Dearra over and hovered over her. “We could still be joined. We don’t have to—well, what I mean is, there is more to a joining than…that. I’m getting pretty good at denying myself certain things. I want you for my wife. Why should our little dilemma keep us from having at least that much?”
“Darius,” Dearra said softly, “I would join with you in a moment. You already have my heart—I gave it to you long ago—but there is another reason we cannot be joined, and I’m afraid it is an obstacle we won’t be able to get around. On Maj, when someone wishes to join, they speak to the parents for their blessing. If there are no parents, then they must go to the lord for his or her blessing.”
“And?”
“I have no parents to ask, and neither do you. I am Lord of Maj, and I cannot ask myself,” she explained. “You and I would need to gain permission from King Jaymes.”
Darius’s shoulders sagged. The king. From what Darius had been told about the king, he would never grant permission. He was too proud, too narrow-minded.
Darius lay down on the bed and curled Dearra against his side. “We’ll think of something. I can’t believe that it’s hopeless.”
They held each other for a long time, listening to the crackle of the fire, and the wind outside, until, at last, they were able to sleep.
Chapter 10
Ocean spray slapped their faces, plastering their clothes uncomfortably against their skin as they made the crossing to the mainland. It was a short trip, but that was little consolation.
Darius asked Aesri why they couldn’t put up a protective shield as they’d done in Parsaia during the assault on Darak. She explained that she was water, and Niada was water. The shield had been produced by Etrafarians with control over the wind. Darius grumbled that they should have brought Carly, but he quieted when he saw Daniel glaring at him.
Reo leaned into Darius’s legs, looking bedraggled. Though his coat was once again white, it looked less than beautiful as it lay flat against his muscled body. Every few minutes he would stand and shake his body, trying to rid himself of some of the dampness before sitting back down. Darius had not intended to bring the wolf, but after they’d cast off, Royce was unable to maintain his grip on him, and Reo had splashed into the sea, swimming as hard as he could to catch the raft on which his master sailed.
When the craft beached on Mirin Tor, Dearra stepped onto the rocky shore, and walked inland to find someplace they could start a fire and change into dry clothing—it wouldn’t do them any good to freeze to death before they even got to the capital.
“Darius, could you come over her and start a fire?” Dearra asked, pointing to a small clearing with a ring of stones and a small pile of wood in the center of it that had obviously been used for that purpose in the past. The king liked regular updates, and Carly must have stopped here often on her way to complete just that task.
Faster than she could blink, Darius had the wood lit, and the flam
es danced merrily, warming the area.
“Niada, Aesri, will you join me? We can go into the woods to change.”
“Don’t be silly, Dearra,” Daniel said. “Darius and I will go into the woods and give you ladies your privacy. Stay here by the fire and get warm.” Daniel tipped his head toward the forest, and he and Darius moved off.
Dearra shrugged out of her wet garments and tugged another set of clothing out of her pack. She shivered, and stepped a bit closer to the fire.
“Why does the weapons master not call you, Lady Dearra?” Niada asked.
“He does…sometimes. He’s known me since I was born, and he and my father were very close. I think he’s still adjusting.” Dearra fought to pull a stocking onto her foot. It had twisted, and her legs were still damp, which prevented her from getting it turned in the right direction.
“You do not correct him, I notice. It would be easier for your people to reconcile themselves to a new leader if Daniel set the right example. Darius, as well, should use your title. You should—”
“Niada,” Aesri rebuked gently. “This is not for us to say. Dearra will handle her people in her own way. Remember yourself.”
Dearra didn’t think Niada looked very chastened. The fairy didn’t even have the good grace to blush. There was a time when Dearra knew her temper would have gotten the better of her, and she would have been offended, but Niada’s words hadn’t bothered her very much. She had seen her father listen to his people. He was always interested in their opinions, but in the end, he made his own choices. The people of Maj respected him, because they knew he genuinely considered their point of view before he made his decision, one way or the other. If she was going to govern, that was how she wanted to do it.
“Niada, there is more to being a leader than a title. I can make them call me Lady Dearra, and sometimes that may be necessary, but it would be better if they called me that because they felt I had earned it, don’t you agree?” Dearra turned from the fairy before she could answer, and warmed her hands in front of the crackling blaze.
Daniel and Darius emerged from the woods and headed straight for the fire, with Reo trailing close behind.
“How far is it to the capital?” Darius asked. He hunkered down in front of his pack and removed some bread and cheese.
“Not far. We’ll get there tomorrow,” Daniel said, accepting the piece of bread Darius had offered him. He paused before taking a bite, the bread halfway to his mouth. He looked at Darius and then the bread, and raised his eyebrows.
“Catherine packed it,” Darius said when he realized that Daniel was worried this might be a piece of Dearra’s bread. “It’s the last of the batch she made, and she wanted us to have it.” Darius glanced at Dearra for a moment, but she hadn’t seemed to notice the exchange; thank Cyrus for small blessings.
Daniel smiled in relief and popped a bit of bread in his mouth before sitting down on a fallen log to enjoy the rest of his meal.
Darius shook his head and sat beside Daniel. His teeth tore into the soft, flavorful bread. “Tomorrow? Why is the capital so near the sea? Wouldn’t it make sense to be further inland? For protection from invaders, I mean.”
Dearra joined the men and nibbled around the edges of a piece of hard cheese. “Long ago, there were no invaders,” she said in answer to Darius’s question. “When raiders started to become a problem, the king colonized Maj to protect Mirin Tor. That arrangement has been adequate as even when the Breken came against Mirin Tor the last time, they never made it as far as the capital.”
“I still say it’s risky. You would never catch the Breken making a tactical decision like that.”
“Well, we aren’t Breken, I’m happy to say,” Dearra said sharply. “Not everyone lives their lives expecting the worst.”
Darius agreed with her, but he didn’t necessarily think that was a good thing. A little distrust and suspicion could be a healthy thing.
“We should get going.” Daniel stood and slung his pack over his shoulder. “Walking will warm us up.”
They rose to go. Darius was trying to kick partially frozen dirt over the flames of their fire to extinguish it before they went on their way. A small sigh came from the vicinity of his elbow, and he looked down to see Niada raise her hands. A burst of snow fluttered to the ground, completely covering the fire pit. A few wisps of smoke snuck through the snow before disappearing altogether.
“Neat trick,” Darius said.
“Never send a Breken to do an Etrafarian’s job,” she responded.
Dearra, we’ve got company, Brin warned her.
Dearra turned in time to see a dozen or so palace guards. Two of them were gripping Aesri none too gently by the upper arms.
“Let her go! Stop!” Dearra said as she ran toward them, pulling Brin from his scabbard as she went.
The guard responded to her actions and drew their swords as well, which didn’t go over very well with Darius and Daniel who closed ranks with Dearra. Reo growled and snarled at the unknown men before him.
Well, that escalated quickly. I guess I should have said something sooner, but really, they’re your own people, for Tolah’s sake.
The captain approached. He waved at his men to stay back.
His rank was evident by his uniform and the weapon at his side—all of His Majesty’s officers carried swords with gold plated hilts, a bit showy perhaps, but His Majesty liked a bit of flash and pageantry. “Lady, Dearra,” he said.
“What is the meaning of this, Captain? Since when does Mirin Tor treat a guest so rudely?” Dearra lowered her sword, but did not return it to her side.
“Forgive my men their exuberance. I’m afraid they were caught off guard, so to speak. We were told to expect you and perhaps a few others from Maj. We never thought we’d encounter Etrafarians of all things.”
He turned to one of the guards. “Thomas,” he said, “release Lady Dearra’s companion.”
“Expected us? Who told you to expect us?” Daniel had sheathed his weapon, but stood slightly in front of Dearra, as did Darius. The guard was too jumpy for Daniel’s liking, and he wasn’t about to take any chances.
“First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Hadden. King Jaymes expected you would be coming when he sent Bryan back to you with what he assumed you would take as a less than satisfactory response.”
“I may be an infrequent visitor, Captain, but I do know my way,” Dearra said. “An escort was unnecessary.” She felt somewhat foolish as she tried to see around her two protectors, who either didn’t notice or didn’t care that she wanted them to step aside.
“The king was not concerned about you finding your way, Lady Dearra. It’s our other visitor, and now visitors, that he wanted to exercise a bit more caution with,” Captain Hadden said, nodding in Darius’s direction. “The king feels that a Breken should not be allowed to wander as he pleases through the countryside.”
Dearra turned sideways and finally managed to squeeze her way past the two men who’d stood like granite boulders barring her way.
“Darius is a member of Maj society now, Captain,” Dearra said as she stood directly in front of Hadden. “He is free to go where he chooses.” She purposely didn’t blink as she waited for him to contradict her.
“On Maj the king allowed your father to run things as he saw fit, but he is king. His word is law, or do you dispute that fact, Lady Dearra?”
She was trapped. She didn’t want to give in on the issue, but Hadden was correct. King Jaymes was king of Maj as much as Mirin Tor, and she would never consider rebelling against his authority.
Instead of forcing her to respond, Captain Hadden said, “The day is wearing on, and we have a lot of ground to cover. If you are ready, we can begin at once.”
Dearra nodded, but glanced back at Darius. She frowned for a moment, and then grabbed her pack. She knew she should have made him to stay on Maj where he would be safe.
Chapter 11
The capital city loomed before them. Walls shot
skyward and encircled the city, protecting it within a stone embrace, giving the illusion of security. In truth, the stone crumbled in spots, and the gates of the city had not seen repair in centuries. Where there were once narrow archery slits, whole sections of the barricade lay open to allow views of the woods and hills beyond.
“Are they mad?” Darius said to Daniel.
One of the guard overheard and glowered at the Breken, but held his peace.
Daniel lowered his voice so as to not push the soldier too far. “The capital is more ornamental than protective these days. There was no measurable threat when it was built, but the first kings were wise enough to realize that that didn’t mean there never would be. Now? Well, King Jaymes considers it more of a show piece.”
Darius snorted. Trust was one thing, but letting the city’s defenses completely fall into disrepair was beyond foolish, bordering on the suicidal where the Breken were concerned. Judging by the state of things, the neglect had been happening since long before Jaymes’s time, but that didn’t excuse his complacency in the matter.
Cattle, horses, chickens, and pigs made a cacophony of sound in the pens, boxes and stalls in the outdoor market, erected just outside the city’s walls. People stopped to openly stare at the procession.
“Are those fairies?”
“A Breken! Mabel, do you see him? Look at the size of him!”
“That must be the new Lady of Maj. Pretty little thing, ain’t she?”
“A winter wolf! Would you look at that! What a beast! Susan, where are the children?”
A cluster of children began to trot alongside the group as they proceeded in through the gate to the city, oohing and aahing at the fairies, their eyes round with wonder and excitement. Aesri smiled and waved at the children, which set them to giggling.
One child who looked to be older than the rest said, “Them ain’t no fairies. Everyone knows real fairies got wings. I bet them’s just a couple o’kids dressed up to look like fairies.”
“What about their eyes?” a little girl asked. “You ever see a kid with eyes like that?”
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