Blaine sighed, stroking soft fingers down the curve of my cheek. “Sit down, everyone. This will take a bit of explaining.” He kept his hands on my face as we all found seats, desperate to hear what he had to say. “Like Master Jaison, it’s something I had never considered. I read about Guardians several years ago. I’ll need Master Jaison to help fill in some of the gaps in my memories. To put it simply, Guardians are chosen females. They are meant to mate with the royal bloodline. They are a rare genetic mutation. They have, somewhere far back in their bloodline, a drop of royal blood.” At this, Blaine turned to Master Jaison, as if for confirmation.
Master Jaison nodded, leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees as he continued to explain. “Guardians were once highly prized. They always had at least one specific ability. Some had super strength, some telepathy, some visions.” He smiled warmly at me, his eyes bright and excited, a youngling with a new toy. “I’m assuming that’s what your healing is, it’s your genetic gift.” That made a weird kind of sense, I guessed.
Blaine’s voice was as excited as Master Jaison’s as he picked up the storyline. “Due to the Guardian’s abilities, they were often trained as bodyguards. Although they did not have wings, their special abilities allowed them to make excellent bodyguards for the royal line. This also gave them a chance to get to know their charges and pick which of the royal bloodline they intended to take as mates.”
I didn’t really understand what he was saying. “Why were they expected to mate with a royal?” It just didn’t make sense to me. Many of our kind had a dormant drop of royal blood. It was expected, of course, we couldn’t all know our ancestors for the past several centuries. Nobody searched females’ bloodlines trying to pick ones with drops of royal blood in their past. What would make Guardians so important?
Master Jaison met Blaine’s eyes with his, his smile wavering a little. “There’s another special trait to Guardians. When they mate with someone of royal blood, they will only produce Queens.” I gasped. They could only have female children? We hadn’t had a true queen in so many centuries, not even the oldest of our kind remembered the last one.
“How would that work though? Even among those of royal blood no Queens have been born in longer than memory. How is it guaranteed that a Guardian would bear a queen?” It didn’t really make sense. Maybe it was more likely, but with how rare Queens were, I couldn’t see how it would be an absolute.
Blaine hurried to continue, “It’s something to do with the oddity of the bloodline. Just as they have other specific traits, no matter how many children the Guardian bears, each of them will be a female. She will literally not be able to bear a male child.”
I sucked air harshly through my teeth, echoing the gasps that had come from the other princes. I guess I knew what had caused the look of awe in Blaine’s eyes. “So, what about the wings? Why did they suddenly appear? Was it the venom like you thought?”
I couldn’t believe my eyes as Blaine blushed! What in the world was going on? Master Jaison’s expression was serious as he watched me. “Emberly, this is the part that I was most concerned about telling you. All lore of Guardians was highly treasured. The stories are all very specific in this regard. The only time a Guardian would get her wings…” He trailed off to take a deep breath, looking each of the princes in the eyes one by one. “She only gets her wings when she chooses a mate, Emberly.” His voice was a little sad at his statement.
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. “A mate? I chose a mate? But I didn’t choose anyone! I just woke up like this!” I gasped the words out, letting them tumble from my mouth as I looked around the suddenly silent room.
Master Jaison’s face filled with pity. “Emberly, according to the stories, it’s the only way.”
I looked around the room, my heart feeling like it was tearing from my chest. “But, who is it? How did I choose if I don’t even know who it is?”
Master Jaison’s face tightened, and he looked at Blaine as if asking for permission. Blaine nodded, his face serious and still. “According to the legend, to ensure that the Guardian was not forced to change her mate later, she would bear a mark of her chosen. The tips of her wings would take on the color of her chosen.”
Flynn laid voice to the only thought running through my head, his voice harsh and jagged as he said, “Well, fuck.” I didn’t have to look back over to my wings to know what had caused his statement. My wingtips were a rainbow of red, orange, blue, green, and black. I had chosen them all. How was that even possible? I remembered the tug back to them all that I had felt when I was in that place between life and death. I hadn’t realized that choosing to face the pain, to continue with my life and find the answers to my questions, was choosing them.
I panicked as I glanced around the room, taking in the shell-shocked faces that surrounded me. “I’m so sorry! I had no idea I was choosing you all!” In desperation, I turned back to face Master Jaison, frantic for more answers. “What if they don’t want me? Where’s their choice?” Growls surrounded me from all sides.
Master Jaison’s face was sad, as he nodded at my silent question. “The Guardian is the one who chooses. To ensure the continuation of the line of Queens, her mate – or mates, as apparently is possible, though I will have to do more research – are hers alone. They will want only to please and protect her. Your choice has tied you all into a connected bond.” My eyes welled with tears, and I desperately pushed myself off the bed, fleeing out the door.
Chapter Twelve
My eyes were sightless through the haze of tears that covered them as I ran blindly through the bathing chamber. I didn’t know where I was headed, I just had to get away. Oh God, they were all going to hate me! I hated me! Tearing into the first room, I reached I let myself crash onto the large bed. My chest was hot and raw, sobs tearing from my lips with every breath I managed to wheeze in. I had enslaved them all. I had taken their choice, their freedom, their souls from them. No one should be a slave, I knew that from experience. At least, to an extent, I had maintained my will. I had been sold, but I held a part of myself back. I had taken everything from them, tying them to me in a slave contract they could never escape from.
Tears streamed from my eyes into the soft sheets under me. Instinctively I had curled my wings across my back letting them act as a shield and a blanket for me. It may not have been a choice I made knowingly, but it was made. I had to try and find some way to sever these ties. After all that my princes had done for me, they needed to have futures of their choosing. I was sure that Master Jaison would refuse my request for an answer; he was far too thrilled with the prospect of our world once again being ruled by rightful Queens of the royal bloodline. I wondered who may actually help me. The ragged, gasping sobs had slowed some, though the tears continued to fall freely. The king, maybe? I thought to myself. He probably wouldn’t approve of having his sons turned into slaves. Maybe one of their mothers? Although I was unsure which of the ladies had born which of my princes, I was sure at least one would feel some maternal duty to them and not want them enslaved by a female who was little more than a servant, no matter what genetic anomaly I carried.
The scent of pine was tickling my nose softly as I tried to control my breathing. I risked a glance behind me, fearing that Hunter would have followed me to try and console me. I scoffed at that. They should rage and rail, maybe even cry some tears of their own. I knew that would have been my reaction if I had been told I was once again enslaved, only property to be used. It was possible that enough of their own will remained to hate me though, I thought bitterly. Once I tied them to me, I had probably stripped every bit of who they were from them. The dark thoughts ran in a constant loop in my head. Gods, I wish Cecilia had managed to kill me after all. I had just murdered the princes, and what was my life in exchange for theirs?
My eyes slowly began to make out shapes in the darkness that surrounded me. The pine scent told me that more than likely I was in Hunter’s room. I wondered if he had his
rooms cleaned with his soap – the smell was very strong in here. I reached my hands out, searching for the candles that most kept next to their beds. My fingers shook badly, it took several attempts for me to light the candle and distribute the flames amongst the candelabra branches. With the soft light of the candles bathing my skin, I turned back to my observation of the room. A loud gasp slid from my mouth, slightly choked by the tears that still seemed to be unending. His room was completely full of wood! Huge pieces that appeared to be tree trunks were sat in several places around the room by the large bank of windows. A number of small carved tables were scattered throughout the space, holding pieces that ranged in size from the length of my arm to the length of my fingertip.
I was utterly enchanted as I picked the candelabra up, moving carefully towards the table that sat closest to me. All the pieces were different carvings, I realized. Some were a mass of shapes and movement that made my heart ache. Others were small and detailed, toys possibly? I reached a finger out to brush across a tiny piece that was half-carved on the edge of the table. It looked like a rose, petals carving and twisting deeply in the partially formed wood. How did he make it look so real? My fingers ghosted over the other pieces that sat on the table – a small Valkyrie, a detailed bust of a person I didn’t know, a little panting dog. Each was carved to the finest detail, from the Valkyries feathers that looked as though they were flexing to the joy in the little dog’s eyes.
Hands stole softly around my waist as Hunter’s pine scent filled my nose. “I’ve been wanting to show you my room. I just hadn’t gotten the chance yet.” His voice was warm as he nuzzled my ear, the rasp of his facial hair an alluring burn against the skin of my neck.
“No wonder you smell like pine,” I responded in a monotone voice. Seeing these beautiful pieces had cracked something even further in me. This was such an amazing gift. If I had taken his soul, bound it to me, had I taken this from him as well?
Hunter reached for the rose, stroking it with his fingers the same way I had. “I was working on this one most recently. I haven’t had a chance to finish it yet.” His voice stayed soft, barely above a husky whisper as he stood at my back, radiating heat across my wings.
“Why did you run, Flower?” He angled my head so that I could look at him over my shoulder. His eyes were so sad, I couldn’t stop the tears from pouring from my eyes again, hot and heavy. “Is it that bad to have us for mates?” His voice was thick now, as if tears of his own were beginning to form. “Flower, we’re sorry we didn’t protect you before. We swear it won’t happen again.” Hunter’s voice rasped the words as he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me deeply into his embrace.
The sobs had returned worse than ever. He thought I didn’t want them? Foolish, foolish male. They were nothing but generous, gentle, gorgeous perfection. I would be a fool of the most epic proportions. “Please, please stop crying. We’ll make this work. I swear, we’ll be better for you.” Hunter seemed to get more frantic as my sobs increased. His green eyes were hot and damp, his emerald wings flicking rapidly behind him. “Just tell me what I can do,” he begged, burying his face in my neck and squeezing me tightly against him.
“I killed you!” I sobbed out, my voice cracking on the words. Hunter stilled, confused, though he didn’t remove his hold on me. “I bound all of you. I claimed you. You’re no better than slaves now. You heard Master Jaison, it doesn’t matter if you want me or not! You have no choice!”
“Well, that’s just foolish,” Blaine’s voice was dry and hard, echoing slightly where he stood in the doorway. I tilted my head sharply, trying to see over Hunter’s shoulder and wings as well as my own. Growling echoed around me as, one by one, my princes prowled into the room. I could feel the anger radiating off of them as they grew closer. Their eyes flashed and snapped, their wings were pulled tightly against their backs, their mouths were held in grim lines. Blaine stopped to stand directly in from of me. “Sweetheart, what in the world would make you think we were enslaved? Weren’t you listening?”
My mouth dropped open. “Of course I was listening! Master Jaison said that I was the one who chose, that you had no say in it. That you would want to please me, to protect me. It’s all in our blood!” My eyes were so swollen from all of the gods-damn crying, I was having trouble seeing straight. “I swear to you, I’ll try to find a way to free you all, I –“
My words were cut off as I was swiftly picked up and tossed on the bed. “Free us?” Neel practically roared at me where he stood over me next to the bed. The crests of his cheeks were nearly as red as Flynn’s wings, his eyes a deep, penetrating blue. “You will do no such thing!” Murmurs of agreement echoed all around me. Having five extremely pissed off males surrounding me was a very disconcerting sensation, and I tried to pull myself back to standing, to even our playing field.
“Of course I will! I –“ Yet again I was pushed onto the bed, this time by Flynn. His braid had started to slip, letting his flame-colored hair fall across his face.
“Enough!” His voice was hot and commanding, hard as steel. “You need to listen to us, Emberly. Stop freaking out, calm down, and listen.”
I pulled my eyes from his, turning my head to stare at an intricately carved wooden screen that stood next to Hunter’s bed. I tried to regulate my breathing, curling my hands into fists and counting slowly in my head. I turned my face back to theirs, but I couldn’t stop the anger that flowed into my voice. “Fine, I’m listening.”
Jett stepped forward, his eyebrows raised. “You didn’t stay long enough for Master Jaison to finish explaining. We would have followed you immediately, but he wanted to make sure the rest of us understood exactly what he had said. Starshine, you didn’t enslave us.”
I scoffed. Right, I had only bound them to me without their choice. That was enslavement in my world. Jett placed gentle fingers over my mouth, quieting the scornful words that tried to spill from my lips. “Starshine, the link goes both ways. It’s not enslavement. It’s not a curse. It’s a gift that will not only allow us to take care of you but allow you to take care of us.” His voice was rough, his eyes predatory and intense as he watched me.
“It goes both ways?” I tried to mumble from around his hand.
I caught a quick flash of humor in Flynn’s face. “Yes. Master Jaison wasn’t lying. We will want to please you and protect you. This is a true mating. There hasn’t been one in centuries, so the lore has been mostly lost. The other side of that coin, is you chose to tie yourself to us. You will have the same desire to please and protect us.”
I considered what he said. While it made me feel a little bit better, it didn’t remove the burden of guilt entirely from my shoulders. I was still the deciding factor. Just because I would want to take care of them, wouldn’t be able to be cruel to them, didn’t mean that I hadn’t done irreparable damage to them.
Blaine growled softly above me. “I can see your brain working on overtime. This is a gift, Sweetheart. We are connected. We will care for and protect each other, and any younglings, for the rest of our lives.” His fingers were gentle as they ran in small circles across my collarbone.
I looked into their faces, trying to get a better read on them. “Guys,” I sighed the word out, trying to make myself understood, as I searched for the right words. “You’re already tied to me. Of course, you will tell me this. I can’t say that I want to break the bond myself. I’m selfish, I want you all to be mine.” A different kind of growl ripped from their chests at my statement, but I pushed on, trying not to let myself get distracted. “I’m saying that none of us knew what happened when I pulled myself back. None of us even tried to agree to this. If you weren’t in my hold, you might feel completely different. Weren’t there Valkyries you were interested in? Plans you had for the future? As much as I want you all, I don’t want a portion of you. I want the real you!” The words tumbled from my mouth in a rush, quick and high as I tried to get them to understand.
Blaine cocked his head, studying me
seriously. “So, you’re saying that before the bond, you didn’t want us?”
My mouth dropped open as I stared at him. “Of course not! I wanted all of you from the moment Neel caught me in the sky and you all surrounded me. All of you are what let me hang on!” I was completely furious at him. I could feel my chest heaving, as I pulled myself off the bed to stab my finger into his chest. How dare he think my feelings for them were caused by some stupid magic I hadn’t even known I had! “You all are the most intelligent, funny, crazy, beautiful males I have ever seen in my life. I would have wanted you no matter what! What are you going to ask me next, if I only wanted you because you’re a prince? What kind of-“
My rant cut off at the grin that had slid across his face, wide and bright as he studied me. Chuckles surrounded me where I stood with my finger still pushed into his chest. Ow, now that I was thinking about it, that kind of hurt. His chest was like a rock! I whirled on the rest of them, my hands moving to my hips. I couldn’t resist taping my toes as I glared hard at them. Apparently, Flynn and Hunter didn’t find anything scary in my glare as they had to lean against each other to remain upright. I reached them in two long strides, leaning up to put my face as close to theirs as I could.
“What in the world is so funny? You like being slaves? You have no idea!” My voice snapped out, hard as a whiplash. Flynn and Hunter shared a quick glance, immediately succumbing to their laughter yet again. The two idiots were practically bent in half, howling!
Frustrated I shouted, throwing my hands up in the air, “What is wrong with all of you!” I wanted to slap the smirks off their faces! Why couldn’t they see how serious this was! I adored the fuckers, I wanted them protected, hated myself for becoming the kind of evil that I had endured during my whole childhood, and each one of them was laughing! Even stoic Blaine’s lips were twisted upwards, his chest heaving as he apparently tried to suppress the same laughter that racked his brothers.
The Valkyrie's Princes Page 13
