She stopped her horse and dismounted.
The earthshifter was lying on the ground, bloodied from scrapes and abrasions. He was no longer under the glamour spell, but in no condition to fight her either. She walked over to his prone body and kicked him in the ribs. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He lifted his head groggily. “Water,” he said faintly. “I need…water.”
She reached down and grabbed a fistful of hair lifting his head. “You will get water when you answer my question. Why did you not tell me that the bodyshifter was trailing us?”
He shook his head dazedly. “Bodyshifter?”
“Your friend, you idiot! You must have known that he would come after you. Why didn’t you warn me?”
One side of his mouth lifted in a small smile. “Maybe because I…want him to catch up…and kill you.”
She smiled, too, as she balled up her fist and hit him in the jaw.
He worked his mouth around woozily and then said hoarsely. “I have had worse. Do you remember…Citrine? Now, that woman… could punch. Well… before you murdered her anyway.”
Avalon tensed her body and then began pummeling the earthshifter with blow after blow, stopping only when he fell unconscious.
Smoothing her dress and pulling the hood of her cloak back into place, she turned to Cyrus. “Wake him up and give him some water. I don’t want him to die before I have the chance to kill him.”
The sight of Etin’s Eagles looting the city of Nysa caused Maximus to seethe in loathing. The cowardly bastards stalked the streets like arrogant thugs, taking by force the hard-earned coin of any innocent who stumbled in their path. The legionnaires must have been promised the spoils of victory, but at such a cost? How could the renegade nobles not realize the damage they were causing both to the city and in the hearts of the people? Even through his closed window on the third floor of the palace, he could hear the sound of breaking windows and the screams of citizens followed by the laughter of the vandals.
He imagined it was much like this in Iserport. These soldiers, with their mob mentality, had been without discipline or structure for a long time now it seemed. The corruption was so extensive that the young men of Etin’s army had lost sight of their humanity and their morals and were taking extreme delight in defacing the beauty of the royal seat of Nysa, the highest symbol of authority and power in Iserlohn.
He felt helpless stranded behind a locked door, but knew that in order to have a hope of saving the city, he had to bide his time until his allies could intervene. He just hoped that his careful planning would lead to triumph. Not for him, but for his people. He would give up his life right this instant if it meant that the citizens of Nysa would be spared, but if he made such an offer to Davad Etin, he would be trading his life for naught. The devious Lord was insane.
The mayhem allowed to run amok outside as well as his actions over the past few months proved that much. If he was not exorcised from Nysa very soon, the havoc would have a lasting, demoralizing effect on the families he had sworn to protect.
Unfortunately, he had been unable to protect Darin Morel and now a second Saber Captain had given up his life in defense of him. He had thought the death of Colbie Nash too much to bear during the Demon War and now he had to deal with the pain of losing Darin.
And, Gemini.
It was still impossible to understand how someone had managed to penetrate the High Priestess’ formidable defenses. It was even more difficult to imagine a life without her. He had thought often over the years of asking Gemini to marry him. Him! Marrying a sorceress! Had she said yes, she actually would have been the second woman he married with the gift of magic. His Gracie, Kiernan’s mother, had been a shifter although he had always pretended not to know.
He regretted now that he never acted on his desire to marry Gemini. He had grown to love her very much over the years and so did Kiernan, Beck and Kenley. Now, it was too late. It broke his heart to know that he would never see those twinkling blue eyes of hers or hear that infectious laughter ever again.
“Your Grace, can I get you anything?”
He turned from the window. It was Eden, the young sorceress who had been unfortunate enough to end up on the wrong side of the door with him. She had come to Nysa to inform him of Gemini’s death when the combatant soldiers descended on his chambers.
“No thank you, Eden.”
“Miss Belle and Larkin have taken an inventory of the supplies you asked them to stock and there is no need to worry. We have enough food and water for many days yet.”
He nodded.
His suite of rooms included a sitting room, bedroom and small library and, although they did not know the reason at the time, he had ordered Larkin and Belle to stockpile foodstuffs in his chambers for days before the attack.
“Captain Franck and Saber Ryan have also just finished constructing a privy and wash room out of your library,” she reported with an embarrassed look.
“Very good. Maybe it will get more use now than that stuffy old library ever did,” he teased. “I am sorry that you have been caught up in this mess, Eden. I promise to do all in my power to keep you safe.”
The young brunette smiled. “And, I promise to do all in my power to keep you safe, Your Grace.”
He grinned. “Yes, it seems we may have to depend on each other for a little while yet. Tell me. What are you studying at the Academy, Eden?”
“Fireshifting, but I must confess that I have not had much luck as of yet.” She snapped her fingers and a small yellow flame danced above her hand. “That is it, I am afraid. Although, I can still cast quite the spell when I need to.”
“About that, Eden. I thank you for using your sorcery to remove a threat from my presence, but it is prohibited to do more than that. You do understand that, don’t you, Eden?”
There was no trace of a smile on her face this time. “Now that is a promise I cannot make, Your Grace.”
Make it happen,” demanded Ava Conry angrily.
“Be reasonable, Ava,” Davad Etin implored. “We can be married immediately after I am crowned King. I promise you.” They were lying in his bed in one of the spare rooms in the royal palace. It was acceptable for now, but soon he would be living in more lavish accommodations. Now, he was the Lord from the south fighting for justice. Soon, he would be the King of Iserlohn.
He leaned over and kissed Ava’s forehead, while tracing the nipple of her right breast with his thumb.
She pushed his hand away and stepped out of the bed, padding naked to the night cloak she had thrown over the back of one of the chairs in his room.
He traced her movements critically. She was a little plump for his taste, but he could certainly suffer that much, and more, to achieve his goals.
She turned back to him once the cloak was in place. “When, Davad? You have been stringing me along far too long for my liking. If you think you can pull this off without the support of House Conry and the Badgers, just say the word. Maybe the loss of two thousand men will not make a difference to you?” she challenged. “My Captain has implored me to have a change of heart and abandon this attempt to topple Maximus, and I should probably listen to him.”
He panicked and jumped out of the bed to cross the room to her. “Your men at arms mean nothing to me, Ava, if I do not have you in my life. That is all that matters to me.” Nestling his face into the crook of her neck, he whispered, “I cannot do this without you.” He took her in his arms and felt her soften, felt the effect his words were having on her.
“Three days,” was all she said.
“Three days? But, Ava…”
“All right, make it four, Davad! We will be married in four days or I will take my forces and join with Gregaros. Do I make myself clear?”
He wanted to punch her in her fat face. “If that is what you wish, my darling, then I will make it so.”
She nodded. “Fine. I must go now to inform the Captain of my army that we will not be leaving Nysa after all.”
/> He kept the smile in place as she dressed and left his chambers. As soon as the door closed, he slammed his fist into the wall and then grabbed the sides of his head.
The voices!
They were telling him to dispose of Ava, but deep down, in the place where reason still existed, he knew he could not. He still needed her and her soldiers. If she left him now for Gregaros, he would lose everything.
Stumbling over to the wash basin, he almost sent it toppling when he grasped the rim and dunked his head into the warm water. Coming up for breath almost a full minute later, the voices were still there, but he felt somewhat better. Picking up the towel hanging on the side of the basin to dry his face, he walked back to his bed and laid down. He began to hum. Humming helped to rid the incessant buzzing of the voices in his head.
Sounds of the soldiers ransacking the city echoed through the air outside. He knew he should probably stop what they were doing. This was going to be his city soon, and he did not wish to see it destroyed.
Where was Abram? He might be able to help.
And, where was Ava?
He shook his head. Yes, yes, Ava just left, didn’t she?
In a brief moment of clarity, he also wondered what had become of the spy they sent to Bardot. He had not yet returned, and Davad was anxious for news of Gregaros. Fortunately, wherever the former Saber was, it seemed as though he had no intention of entering the fight.
What fight?
It did not matter. He needed to rest. Tomorrow was a very big day.
He had a wedding to plan.
CHAPTER 11
Old Enemies
Airron’s eyes popped opened precisely at sunrise. The internal clock that signaled the time for the Morning Song to Elán was abiding and unfailing in each and every child of the forest. He yawned and stretched. Last night, he attempted to construct a bed out of his horse’s saddle and some blankets, but it was no use. It was impossible to get a good night’s rest on a bed of stone.
Ever since they had left Kondor, Melania performed the Morning Song alone, but she was awake now, sitting across from him and staring with an expectant look. He sat up and brushed back his silver hair. “What?”
She looked like she had never slept. “As husband and wife, I have decided that we should perform our prayers to Elán together. She would wish it so.”
“Oh, she would, huh? Well, I would never want to disappoint Elán.” He stood and held out his hand.
She hesitated briefly before placing her hand in his and the contact sent a blaze of electricity through his body. Taking a steadying breath, he pulled her to her feet and led her to a niche underneath an overhang of rock that would provide a measure of concealment.
“Will this do?” he asked.
She nodded and turned to face him. A bit awkwardly, they pressed both of their hands together and held them high, fingertips pointed toward the sky. Because it was only the two of them, the required pose caused them to stand very close together, and he could smell the freshness of her skin. She must have used soap when she took her brief dip in the pool yesterday and it still clung to her like an exotic fragrance.
Melania began the song, and he immediately joined in, drawn to the beauty of her voice and the stir of the words. As always, it was a very personal, very moving experience for Airron, but it was made even more so by the heat of Melania so very close.
He opened one eye. The only way he could describe her face at that moment, upturned in prayer, was ethereal as the silver frame of her hair cast her features in an enchanting glow. Even though he had yet to discover that something special that Loren promised he would find if he gave Melania a chance, he did feel a very real, very visceral attraction to her. The image of her by the pool crowded his mind until he could think of little else. But, attraction alone was not enough. Not for him.
The song almost at an end, he pushed his thoughts aside and lost himself in the final refrain. At the close of the prayer, he opened his eyes to discover Melania staring at him once again. She looked so captivating and her lips so full, that he could not stop himself. He leaned in and kissed her. She returned the kiss dispassionately as if it were a chore she had to carry out but derived no real pleasure from. Almost desperate for a reaction, he reached out and pulled her close, but she stiffened and pushed him away. “If we are to find your friend, we must be going.”
He groaned silently. Just splendid! I would be married to the only woman on the island who can resist my charms! Angry now, he turned from her without a word and packed his belongings. Mounting the Haventi, he directed the horse back to the road without waiting for her. She could catch up on her own.
The day wore on, hot and dusty, and it gave him plenty of time to reflect over his feelings. He was not sure exactly what it was that prevented him from accepting Melania completely and unequivocally. She really was everything he could ever hope for in a wife. He supposed it really boiled down to his continued detachment to the Elven people as a whole. He had lived in Haventhal for six years now but still felt like an outsider among the Elves. No matter how hard he tried, it just did not feel like home to him. He could not even master their blasted magic!
Airron shook himself out of his reverie. Beck depended on him to be vigilant right now, not lost in useless introspection.
Tomorrow they would reach the Koda River where they could replenish their supplies. Maybe Avalon, arrogant in her abilities, would stop at the riverside town to spend the night, and he would be able to catch up to her there.
Deciding he needed another scent, he walked his horse off the road and undressed, not bothering to tell Melania what he was doing. It was obvious that she wanted nothing to do with him and that was fine with him. Two could play that game.
He transformed into the Gangi, whose phenomenal nose could pick up the trail of a wraith, and not long into the search he caught the scent of blood—the blood of the human he tracked. For some reason, the trail was in the form of smears instead of drops. The Gangi recognized it as a kill drag and was not sure what it meant.
Continuing to follow the scent, it took him into a sharp left turn off the road where it abruptly disappeared. Confused, he circled the last spot of the smear and then lifted his head to try to gain a scent from the air. It was no use, the trail was gone.
He was not sure if it was a sudden movement, a smell or an imperceptible sound, but his animal instincts warned him of danger, and he leapt into the air to run. The action saved his life. The arrow aimed for his heart, hit his hind leg instead.
The Gangi yelped in pain and then morphed into a black wolf, head whipping around and fangs bared in a vicious growl.
The smell came to him then. The bitter scent that had been there all along, mixed with the scent of the human he tracked. The dog did not recognize the scent, but the wolf did. He had fought these creatures before.
The large hulking figure emerged from a gap in the rock formations at a run, thinking to find a dog, but came up short when he saw the wolf instead.
His one eye widened in surprise and he skidded on the stone road as he tried to turn back the way he had come.
The wolf was upon him in seconds, leaping into the air and onto the back of his assailant. The arrow was still lodged in his leg, but he ignored the pain as he thought of nothing but the kill. The attacker still held a bow in his hands and turned his body to smash the weapon into the wolf’s head. It dazed him for a moment, but he shook it off and sank his teeth into the vulnerable, blood-filled flesh of the neck. His natural senses told him that if he did not eliminate this threat, it would kill him and the Elven girl. He shook the neck in his mouth with ferocity and felt it snap. The creature’s now paralyzed legs folded beneath him and they both crashed to the ground. Distracted by thoughts of the one he protected, the wolf left himself vulnerable and the attacker managed to reach around and with a last dying act, plunged an arrow into his flank. The wolf howled out in pain.
“Airron!” He heard the shout just as he bodyshifted into his E
lven form, but could not move for a moment winded from the fight and from the pain that laced up his side. “Oh, Airron!” cried Melania, dropping by his side. She quickly ran her fingers over his body, and she must have seen the two arrows because she gasped.
She jumped to her feet, and he heard her grunt with effort as she pulled at the enormous Cyman who was still lying partially flung over his body.
Apparently giving it up as impossible, she knelt beside him once again. “Airron, can you hear me? Are you all right?” She reached out and stroked his hair back from his face. “Oh, dear Elán, please let him live.” She paused. “Airron, can you hear me? Please do not die on me. I need you! I… I know I have not been a very good wife to you, but I promise I will change.” She paused again, longer this time. “If you want to know the truth, Airron, I have loved you ever since you first came to Haventhal. You did not know I existed, so I begged King Jerund to let me be the one for you. To be the one chosen as your wife. I was so happy when my wish came true, but then you seemed so displeased with the wedding and me that I acted the fool. My feelings were hurt, Airron, and I tried to act like you did not mean anything to me, but you do. Oh, Airron.” She leaned over his chest.
Airron picked his head up and she drew back with a startled squeal.
“As much as I am enjoying this,” he said, “do you think you could extract the two arrows stuck in my flesh before continuing?”
The pain in Kiernan’s lower back intensified with every step she took as she strode along the empty corridor in her home in Bardot. She tried to ignore it as her thoughts drifted to the report she received earlier of the impending marriage of Davad Etin and Ava Conry. A wedding? In the midst of an overthrow attempt? If she wondered before, she knew without a doubt now—Lord David Etin was completely mad. If she needed more evidence, there were also the reports of his erratic behavior and a new habit of talking to—and answering—himself.
Island Shifters: Book 02 - An Oath of the Mage Page 11
