“You don’t need magic for a game of pretend. Come now, I’ll not bite.” He slung an arm over my shoulder, the scent of pine and fir wafted around us, and we walked closely down the road, me nestled into the curve of his body as though I was his shadow. I had to admit, it was a nice place to be. He smelled wonderful.
“I don’t wish to hurt the poor guard,” he continued, “as he’s only doing his duty, but I’d also prefer not to be de-scaled.”
I pushed down my discomfort. “Ah, shit.” It came out long and rough. “It’s just a game of pretend. But do not touch me inappropriately.”
“I wouldn’t dare think of touching you without your consent, although if consent were given, then you’d purr, kitten.”
“I’m many things, but not a cat. That’s unoriginal.”
“What would you like to be compared to, a sparrow?”
“No, too fragile.”
“A snake?”
“I’m not venomous.”
“Then what say you?” I’d been asked a thousand things over the past few years but never what sort of lover’s name to consider. This had never been an option for me. But for a smidgen of time, I reflected on nature. “I’d like to be something special, something beautiful, regal even, and powerful.”
He snapped his fingers with a broad smile gracing his face. “Got it, you’ll be a unicorn.”
I stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the road—pretend be damned. “I am not a unicorn. Do you see a horn protruding from my forehead? Or rainbows shooting from my ass? I think not.”
He chuckled. “But what a nice ass it is.”
I whirled on him. “You’re a swine.”
“Why, do you prefer pork?”
“Dear goddess, you’re insufferable.” Playing the mean drunkard, I was. “Where’s that damn inn?”
Edrick turned to the guard. “The missus gets a little angry after drinking too much mead.”
“You know, laying wood,” the guard winked, “always makes them submit.”
For once, I wished for a bit more magic. Jokes about wood, stones, and handiwork seemed to be a secret language of men. It just kept coming.
Edrick smiled at the guard, and I suppressed my glare. “That it does, fine man. That it does.” He dipped his head, and we headed toward the Tallyman Inn across the dirt road.
“You men are filthy.”
“Yes, I know.” He chuckled and pulled me close again. “Only a few more minutes until we secure a room for the night.”
“Two rooms, you mean. I’m not sleeping in the same room as you. Have you gone mad?” Again, I stopped walking. I wasn’t to be played a fool. He was kind, yes, but he was still a man, and I was… Well, I just wasn’t going… I was sleeping alone.
“Nova, if we’re to be believable, then we must share a room. I’ll not invade your privacy nor your bed. I’ll be on the floor.” He opened the door to the inn before I could respond.
Voices of loud burly men—mostly the king’s guards—assaulted my ears, and the smell of body odor mixed with mead and food nearly made me gag. The eating area was dimly lit, with square wooden tables and chairs filled near capacity, and a stone hearth centered the back wall. Dear goddess. The stuffed head of an elk hung over the hearth’s mantel. I’d never seen such. Oh, the space grew more odoriferous only three steps over the threshold. I held onto my composure as we walked toward a bald, bearded man standing behind the inn’s long wooden bar. It appeared I wasn’t far off. Everything was indeed made of wood in this town.
Edrick slapped several gold coins on the bar. “A room, sir, and a meal for two.”
“You’re in luck, it would seem. We’ve only got one room left, as there’s a dragon about in these parts. Your brothers’ in arms have filled my tavern.” He tossed a towel over his shoulder. “What’ll it be? We have rabbit stew or a bit of meat pie.”
I wanted to choke for several reasons, the main ones being only one room, and the fact all the king’s men were here in this very inn searching for Edrick. All right, and rabbit anything did not sound too appealing. I cast my eyes downward to keep my expression from displaying my emotions and remained quiet.
“The missus and I will have meat pie and two mugs of mead.” Edrick nudged me with his elbow, and I glanced up, plastering a smile on my face.
“Yes, dear, that sounds wonderful.” It did not. But food was food and I needed to eat something. Yuck.
The barman set a brass key on the bar top. “Your room is up the stairs, third door on your right. Your food’ll be out in a minute.” He turned away from us, and we headed toward the only available table in the back near the stairs.
At least our disguises were holding well. I couldn’t say the same for my stomach.
Once seated at our table, Edrick leaned across and urged me forward. “We’ll eat and then rest for the night. Then leave at daybreak.”
“I’ll need to consult the map first, but it will have to wait until we’re upstairs in our room.” He smiled at that, and I wanted to slug him. Now he was simply trying to be funny.
“Our room, my dearest unicorn, we—”
“Call me that again”—I grinned and drew closer to his face—“and I’ll feed you your own testes.” I sat back in my chair, satisfied.
He visibly swallowed. “Understood.”
We were interrupted by a young girl who couldn’t have been more than fourteen. She had red hair pulled away from her face and freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks. “Here you are. Hope it’s to yer likin’.” She then turned and walked away.
“All right, let’s eat this… meal, and then head to our chamber and plan our journey from here.” I picked up my fork and took a tentative bite of meat pie. It wasn’t as dreadful as I’d thought it to be. I washed it down with a bit of mead, and that shit was nasty. It was nothing like the wine we had at the coven, but it would have to do.
Edrick chuckled and silently tucked into his food. He must have noticed the grimace on my face.
“Did you hear about the witch taken to the castle?” I heard a guard say to my left, and my ears perked up. I kicked Edrick under the table and averted my eyes toward the conversation. “Ronald said she was a feisty one. And young, too.”
“Is that right? How’d ole Ron get her to comply without being spelled?” I heard the other guard say. “Those witches… they don’t belong round here. Hope she pays a hefty price.”
My blood began to boil. I wanted to yank the men up by their throats and give them a taste of what a witch could truly do, but I was without magic, and it wouldn’t lead me to Sadie. So, instead, I continued to listen in.
“Dampening cuffs, but I’ve got no idea where they came from. Ron had ‘em when he picked her up. Someone took her from that witches’ compound. Alls I know is she’s at the mercy of the king. Where she should be.”
“Damn right. Hope she hangs.”
“A toast to that, Henry.” And the two evil guards clanged their mugs together.
I narrowed my eyes on Edrick and lowered my voice. “We leave now. Sadie may not have much time, if what these maggots say is true.”
He inhaled sharply. “I understand your urgency, but, Nov—my wife,” he lowered his voice just above a whisper, “you’re without an ounce of magic, and you must rest if you’re to rescue your friend from the palace.” With a discreet glance around, he continued, “Believe me when I tell you, you must be at full strength. And that goes for the both of us.”
Deep down, I knew he was right, but my heart. I was furious. “Very well.” I pushed my plate aside after having lost my appetite. “Shall we retire to our chamber?”
He rose from his chair with a grand smile. “As you wish, my lady.”
This game of pretend was grating on my last nerve. “Thank you, dearest husband.” I all but choked out with a smile.
And we were off to the chamber of doom for two.
Chapter 12
Edrick turned the key and opened the door to our… chamber? It was odd. I
had to admit I’d led a sheltered life within the confines of the coven, and I wasn’t quite prepared for what I saw. It was nothing more than a small bed that I prayed to the goddess was clean, and a tiny bedside table pushed against the wall, with see-through window coverings. Well, there was a chair, but it appeared a bit lopsided. If I had to bet, I’d say a leg may have been broken.
I had to look. So, I did. Yep. The leg was indeed broken. I felt terrible that Edrick had to sleep on the floor. It didn’t appear as if it had been cleaned since Sister Cloris decided she was thirty-three. I heard the door close behind me, and I stood from my hunched position.
Edrick held a half-smile and set the key on the bedside table. “It is not the best, but it’s better than sleeping beneath the trees and in the elements.”
I waved my hand in dismissal. “No, no, it will be fine. I, um… I’ll just get the map.” I had never been alone with a man in my entire life, other than my father. I had no idea how to behave. I typically used my wit and fiery personality when needed, but this was awkward to say the least. I just pulled the map from the folds of my cloak and spread it on the bed. “Here we are.”
He leaned over the bed to get a better look and furrowed his brow. “What is it exactly that I’m supposed to be looking for?”
Again, it seemed Sadie’s dot was moving erratically over the map. This couldn’t be right. There had to be some sort of magical interference. But whose? And how? No one that I knew of at the palace had magic.
I placed my index finger on the parchment. “You see this blue dot? It’s supposed to be Sadie, however, since leaving the coven, her movements have been all over the map in a literal sense. The last point of direction I saw her was near Niverwe Bay in a human village, Granton Village, but as you can see, that’s no longer the case.” I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “If we take the word of the king’s guards, then this map is all but useless.”
“It would appear so, as she now looks to be in the middle of Puck Lake.”
“Yes, useless. Another magical creature has placed some sort of spell on her, or it could be the dampening cuffs the guards spoke of.” I thought about it for a moment. “That would make sense. They would interfere with her magic, therefore hindering the location spell.” I rolled up the map and placed it inside my cloak.
“I believe you’re correct, Nova. The palace it is, then, but… after we’ve rested.”
“I agree.” I glanced around, and only a thin coverlet was draped over the bed. I supposed I could share.
We’d only been upstairs for a few minutes. Enough time for us to get comfortable and for me to fall asleep.
Until a creaking floorboard woke me.
Imagine my surprise when I opened my eyes to find myself plastered to Edrick’s side. Again, the aroma of nature and the outdoors hit me. It was comforting, as well as appealing. Although we were both fully clothed, heat ballooned between us. I remained perfectly still, not wanting to interrupt this moment. I hadn’t slept this deep in ages. Dear goddess, I didn’t believe I’d slept that well since before my mother’s death. Having warmth nearby to cuddle pushed back the horrific memories that sought nothing more than to pull me further into the pit of despair.
There were still things that needed to be done and learning the truth behind my mother’s murder was one of them.
I now knew with absolute certainty the dragons weren’t responsible for her death, just as I’d originally believed. The tales of them feasting upon witches on a Blood Moon were just that—tales created from long ago. But what, or rather whom, was now burdening my mind. I thought again of the divination pool and what I’d seen: the golden chalice, land whites, and magic. Something was there, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. And I also wondered if her death was linked with Sadie’s disappearance.
I tried to ease my hand away from Edrick’s chest. Even through his tunic, I could feel his strong heartbeat. After the night he’d been through, it was good to know he was still safe.
“I tell you. I’ve never seen that man before.” I heard a man’s voice speaking not far on the other side of the door. I leaned over a bit to listen as their voices carried through the walls of the corridor. “And the woman he’s with is surely a witch.”
“Witches aren’t allowed to consort with mortal men,” another responded. “There’s no way she’d be sharing his bed.”
“Well, I’ve not heard a peep coming from those quarters.”
Shit. Our cover is blown.
I stared at the doorknob, waiting for the door to burst open at any moment.
Suddenly, Edrick rolled my way. “Just go with it, moans and all. Think, dogs in heat.”
“That was all of the direction he was going to have time to offer me, before I found myself on my back, with him between my legs, his warm lips on my neck.
He nibbled, which caused a loud yelp to escape me.
His fingers then ran up and down my ribs, producing giggles.
“Remember, dog,” he mouthed.
“Ruff,” I barked.
He paused his hands, and again, I played the part. What barking had to do with intimacy between men and women made no sense to me. I’d never seen it, but I’d been told how it was supposed to happen. This was indeed additional information I couldn’t quite place on any shelf. Perhaps it was a game, and men enjoyed this doggy-styled play.
Over his shoulder, I looked to the door and saw the knob jiggle.
“I want you now,” I cried out. “Enough with the games, you brave knight. I want you.”
The doorknob stopped jiggling.
“Like this?” He pushed on the mattress until it squeaked. I lifted my foot and banged it against the wooden frame with my hand on the wall.
“Pant,” Edrick instructed, his long ash-brown hair falling into his face.
I stuck out my tongue, making panting sounds, uncertain of how dogs didn’t get cramps from having their tongues flopping and lolling about.
“Just like that,” he said with a lot of enthusiasm. He was truly getting into this act.
“Oh, yes, my lord.” I tried to remember what some of the servants talked about when they returned to the covens’ walls. Over the years, there’d been less and less, but when they arrived, they usually had extravagant tales and comparisons. One had even remarked that the best thing a man could be called was to be compared to the finest of birds, the male chicken or rooster. I wondered at that, but chickens were protective, the coop’s servant had assured me. The way Edrick was acting, he’d make a nice rooster, too.
“You are as succulent as a freshly roasted chicken, as capable as a mighty donkey. Oh, my lord.”
Laughter rang out on the other side of the door. “Did you hear that, Byron? She compared him to a chicken.”
“Well, she said ‘my lord,’ too, and that isn’t something a witch would say, as witches have been known to eat men.”
The floorboard creaked again, and this time, it sounded as if they were retreating.
I exhaled loudly in relief. That had been a close call.
“I’ve done enough pretending tonight,” I said. “Do you suppose they will venture back down to their cups to convince the other men to let us be this night?”
Edrick pulled away. “You needn’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
Staring into his marvelous gaze, I believed his words. With him being so close, I cupped his bearded cheek. “Yes, dear rooster, but it is not only I who needs protecting. Come, sleep now, and you can take the next watch.” He moved away, and I yawned as though in protest.
The air now felt cold. Empty.
How was it this strange man was whittling me down even more that I truly missed his warmth? Was the room so cold that I took comfort in a stranger—no, Edrick’s presence, despite the repercussions? At the end of the day, there was never anything that could truly exist between us. I was, after all, a witch, and the rightful high priestess.
And he was a dragon.
That word didn’t hold as much fe
ar as it had previously.
But… it was treason.
Chapter 13
We rose from the tiny bed, the room seemed nicer than what I’d recalled when we’d entered. Perhaps I’d placed on a set of rose-colored spectacles, and this was charming. A memory I tucked away into the recesses of my heart.
I would treasure this, always.
My gaze slid to Edrick, as he pulled the armor back over his tunic. Gallant.
“Are you ready, Nova?”
That was a loaded question in my mind. I thought I’d been prepared for this journey, for everything, but I truly knew less than nothing. This world… oh, how I prayed I could speak to my mother again. Confliction of what I was feeling mixed with the burden of what I needed to do.
“I must confess, there is much we must do once we arrive at the castle, as my brother was captured. I’m not certain if he still lives.” He paused for a moment, his jade stare piercing me. “When I mentioned that we needed to be at our full strength once we were there, this is why. I couldn’t elaborate further because of the guards.”
“Your brother?”
“Aye, we were soaring around the grove to make our offering to the land wights for Gebo’s Day. It’s the day we honor our ancestral spirits, when the king’s guards came out and attacked us. They downed Cade with mistletoe-tipped arrows, and well, I was only injured.”
“I thought I’d seen two dragons flying, but then only one. I did all I could to save him.”
“You did?” He took a step closer to me. “What did you do? I…” He trailed off.
“Yes, I performed a spell so the poison couldn’t harm him further, because he certainly would have died from those wounds.”
Edrick nodded. “Thank you for saving him. The problem is, the king seeks our dragon scales. He believes Moon dragons have a sort of power, and our impenetrable scales are what his army needs to thwart a prophesied evil. And our blood is thought to be the cure.”
I gasped, appalled.
“Not to worry. Everything has consequences, as we are all part of the same ecosystem, riding the waves of the energy around us.”
Queens of Wings & Storms Page 6
