FirePrincesBride

by Rebecca Airies

  A small scraping noise drew her eyes to the right side of the entrance tunnel. A shadowy figure leaned against the outer wall as if waiting for her to notice him. Bare-chested, he’d obviously just thrown on some pants before he’d come after her. She didn’t need to see his profile to know it was Callan. From what she’d seen of their behavior, Tyral wouldn’t have just been standing there. Tyral acted first. Callan tended to think things out. He faced her and seemed relaxed and calm, with one ankle crossed over the other, but she knew that was a façade. He was angry.

  “I don’t need your company.” Karissa raised her chin and turned away from him.

  She plucked a leaf off a nearby bush and began twirling it in her fingers as she waited for him to leave. Tension grew as she listened for his footsteps, but only the soft rustle of leaves in the wind came to her ears. She sighed and frowned. Why was he being so stubborn? She didn’t want to talk to him.

  “I’m not going anywhere so you might as well turn around and talk to me.” Callan sounded a little amused and too confident that he’d get his way.

  Karissa decided to ignore him. If he wanted to stand there, he could. She hadn’t asked him to come after her. She didn’t need his help or want his company.

  “Did something bother you, tana?” Callan didn’t seem to notice that she was ignoring him—or maybe he was too stubborn to let it matter.

  Karissa frowned, her fingers moving along the outer edges of the smooth, rounded leaf. Eventually he’d see she wanted to be alone and leave. She was angry and she wasn’t ready to be coaxed out of it yet. With a sigh, she stared into the darkness.

  “You know you’re beautiful when you’re angry, but it’s late and we all need our sleep.” His tone was as soft and soothing as a gentle breeze.

  Karissa opened her mouth, but then closed it with an audible click. If he was tired, he could go back to bed. She wasn’t keeping him here.

  “I know why you’re angry,” Callan said.

  Karissa narrowed her eyes. That wouldn’t be a hard guess. She thought he was over at the wall. His voice hadn’t gotten any closer as he spoke. She didn’t want to turn around and check. He’d probably take that as encouragement.

  “No one likes to feel weak, eli moru.” Callan’s words hit her like a boulder plunging into a pond.

  She swung around and gaped at him. He couldn’t seriously expect her to believe… “What would you know of how I feel? What do you know of being weak? Alone you are stronger than most men. With Tyral at your side, I doubt anyone could beat you.”

  Callan chuckled. “I’ve been just as you are now. Without magic and only my symbiote should I need aid. Both Tyral and I spent sixteen days like that.”

  “But…how?” Karissa strode forward, wanting to see his face when he answered. “Both of you are so powerful. I wouldn’t have thought that anyone could do such a thing to you.”

  “It was a lesson—a hard one.” Callan grimaced. “We hated feeling…less than what we knew we were.”

  “What could they hope that you’d learn without your powers?” To do this as a lesson bordered on cruelty. As an accident, it was regrettable, but not anyone’s fault.

  “Humility and perception.” Callan’s smile kicked up one corner of his mouth. “We’d flown through our lessons, mastering them with ease. We were overconfident, arrogant and certain we could handle anything we encountered. In short, we were in need of a fall to teach us the truth.”

  “So your instructors took your magic away just to show you that it could be done?” Forgetting her anger for the moment, Karissa reached out to him, running her hand over his bare chest. “That’s cruel.”

  “My instructors didn’t do it. They let a student deliver this lesson.” Callan captured her hand and brought it up to his lips, brushing a kiss across the back of her fingers. “One of our friends set the spell right outside our room. We walked into it when we left it.”

  “Why?” Karissa was becoming frantic. She felt as if half of her was gone, and the knowledge that her magic would eventually be back wasn’t much comfort.

  “Awareness.” Callan smiled. “That spell doesn’t require much power. Before the lesson, we were relying on the strength of our power to defeat any who came against us.”

  “As long as you defeat them, does it matter?” Karissa frowned. Stopping the opponent had to be the most important thing, not how it was done.

  “I can tell you haven’t spent much time around warriors. It’s better to outthink your opponents. Sometimes you can accomplish more with subtlety than you can by slamming them with power. There is also the fact that a man can drain his ability fast if he only relies on power.” Callan ran his thumb across her palm.

  “At least you knew Tyral was going through the same thing you were,” Karissa offered. She couldn’t help but lean close to him as a breeze blew over them. “I feel so alone and angry. I know you set the spell for protection and I don’t blame you—”

  “Thali, you think you’re bad-tempered right now?” Callan laughed and tugged her against his chest. “My behavior makes yours seem ladylike and restrained. I was reckless, foolish, rude, arrogant and foul-tempered in the extreme.”

  “What did you do?” Karissa relaxed against him, slipping one arm around his waist. He was so warm. His body was solid, muscled and, somehow, reassuring.

  “When our friend confessed what he’d done, I punched him and then I left the palace and went for a ride.” Callan slid a hand down her back.

  “Without your magic, you were vulnerable to any attack.” She knew a spell did protect the royal family from assassination specifically, but it was still possible to kill them—especially in battle.

  “I wasn’t thinking. My fathers’ men finally caught up with me and I wasn’t happy about it. Sacred Fire, I was furious. I’d worked out that my instructors would have only done that with my father’s approval.” Callan chuckled ruefully.

  She listened intently, interested in spite of her desire to be alone. Curiosity played a huge part in it. There was a group in the Frejan Realm that paired two men with one woman, but she hadn’t ever met any them. She’d just never been at court when they were there. She really didn’t know much about them or even how it worked.

  Karissa tilted her head back and saw him shaking his head. “So did your fathers yell at you?”

  “We all did some yelling,” Callan admitted. “I was in a rage and paced around their Audience Chamber… Let me just say that I’ve never spoken to my fathers with such disrespect before or since then. I acted like a spoiled child denied his treat.”

  “I bet you apologized even before your powers came back.” She settled her head against his chest. She loved how he smelled.

  “Once I had time to think, I saw what they were trying to teach me. It took a few days, but I did learn. And yes, I apologized for acting like a brat.” Callan’s fingers wove into her hair and massaged her scalp. “Before that though, I was an utter beast. Rude and inconsiderate. I made life hard for everyone around me.”

  “And what about Tyral?” Karissa looked up at him.

  “Well, he’s more hot-tempered than I am and he can be especially stubborn and blind.” Callan grimaced again. “He raged longer than I did, but eventually he realized why they did it.”

  “You two argued about it?” Karissa slid her hands over his chest and up to his shoulders.

  “Not argued—when he still showed all the manners of an ill-tempered savage by the twelfth day of our lesson, we fought.” Callan looked down and must have seen her disbelieving look. “We’re twins, but we don’t always agree.”

  “You just seem so…in accord with each other.” Karissa shook her head. At most times, they didn’t even need to speak to each other as they worked. They just seemed to know what the other was doing.

  “Even when we agree, we have different ways of doing things.” Callan tipped her head up so she was looking at him.

  “You do, hmm?” Karissa smiled. If he thought she saw them as o
nly one person, he needn’t worry. They may look like each other, but she had never doubted she was dealing with two men.

  Callan lowered his chin to the top of her head. “Are you ready to go back inside now?”

  “Yes, I’m ready.” Karissa knew she’d just been talked out of her anger, but at least now she didn’t feel so alone. He really did understand what she was going through. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

  Callan curled an arm around her waist as they walked back through the tunnel into their temporary home. He guided her through the main room and into the dimly lit bedroom. In the low light, she could just make out the shape of Tyral. He lay on his side.

  “You took a long time soothing her temper.” Tyral’s voice conveyed his impatience as he watched them cross the room. “It would have been easier if you’d have let me go.”

  Karissa chuckled, actually able to see some humor in this. “No, it wouldn’t. I’m sleepy. You two are going to have to save the argument for tomorrow.”

  “Still in a difficult mood, are you?” Tyral’s eyes followed her every move.

  “If I was still in a difficult mood, would I be here?” She felt like teasing him a little bit, but she didn’t know how long she could keep playing. The day’s events were beginning to take their toll.

  “You should have just picked her up and carried her back here. We can handle her temper.” His eyes traced down her body, lingering on her breasts and her hips.

  “That would have made things worse.” She stopped and put her hands on her hips. She couldn’t mistake the hunger in his eyes.

  “And that’s why I came after you.” Callan laughed, urging her the final few steps toward the bed.

  She crawled into bed and snuggled down into its softness. She felt the warmth of Callan’s body pressing against hers. Drowsily she closed her eyes. They snapped open as fingers brushed across her jaw.

  Tyral’s fingers turned her face toward him. “Don’t leave the caverns without us, thali.”

  After delivering that command and staring intensely into her eyes, he stretched out beside her and went to sleep within moments. How could he do that? Karissa stared at him, startled by the intensity she’d seen in those golden eyes. He was a strange man.

  It took her some time to go to sleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about that severe look. It made no sense. Why would he care if she went for a walk?

  * * * * *

  Tyral slanted a glance toward Karissa. Standing on a limb above him, she seemed to be totally at ease in the leafy branches. She appeared to be in a tractable mood today. She hadn’t argued when they’d told her she would have to be with one of them at all times. He was glad she was in a good mood, but he wasn’t too sure about the way she kept moving around in the tree. The telina fruit wasn’t worth a broken arm.

  They’d expected an argument—a loud one—but she’d dressed in a long-sleeved ice-blue shirt and black pants and calmly asked what they’d be doing as she’d pulled on her boots. They’d silently decided to take her agreement as a gift and not question it too much.

  Tyral looked up at her. From this angle, he had a nice view of her ass—a very fine ass that just begged to be held, stroked and spanked. She was lovely, but he’d like to get her out of the colors of the Ice Realm and into those of the Fire Realm.

  What does clothing matter? Ahvin ranted. She needs to see that you’re her mate. So make her see it!

  Tyral resisted the urge to snap back at the Elemental. He wanted Karissa to see him as her mate just as much as Ahvin did. The woman seemed blind to the fact that there was more than sex going on in their relationship.

  “So what exactly about being sent on your Ra’Asien upsets you?” Tyral watched her face closely. Finding out would enable them to help her resolve her problems and accept the future.

  Karissa sighed. “I suppose a little of it is envy for the freedom others have, the extra time they’re given. What really makes me angry is the way there are two standards—one for men, another for women.”

  Tyral didn’t understand. Men and women were different, thus they were treated differently. “What do you mean?”

  “I know that I’m not the first or the last woman to know she’ll be sent on her Ra’Asien long before it is normal. That’s fine. I can understand that they don’t want to lose anyone from the powerful bloodlines to the chomak, to allow them to change into a monster, but they hardly ever show the same diligence in their interference in the lives of men.” Karissa flung out a hand and swayed before she caught a branch and steadied herself.

  His heart pounding wildly, he swallowed the need to get her down from there. “You have a problem with the way the advisors watch over the women and men?” Tyral raised his brows and caught the fruit she dropped down to him.

  “A friend of mine, another Aliara, was sent on her Ra’Asien at twenty-five because her power was almost as strong as mine is. Her older brother, the second son, was well over four hundred years older than her. He nearly turned chomak before anyone noticed his need.” Karissa’s voice rose in irritation.

  “It isn’t all that unusual for such things to occur.” Tyral shrugged. The sages couldn’t keep watch over everyone.

  “I understand that men need to be trained first, yet even afterward, no one pays attention to them. They don’t have a set age to begin a marriage hunt. The most powerful women go to other kingdoms, yet the most powerful males, the ones who provide for the future of the Realm, are ignored. Some even turn chomak due to the neglect.” Karissa’s voice became clipped and her words tumbled out in a passionate rush .

  “You do have a point.” Tyral raised his brows. What she said was true, all of it. The most powerful men were being allowed to risk their very existence. “The council does have a responsibility to watch over the males as well as the females.”

  By the Fires, Tyral, stop making idle conversation. Just tell her that you and Callan are her mates. Frustration coated the Elemental’s every thought.

  Ahvin, we have to let her come to see it on her own. I don’t like it any more than you do. I’d rather just sit her down and tell her that she’s our mate, but all that would do is raise her resistance to the idea. She wouldn’t see it. Tyral pushed a hand through his hair and kept his eyes on her.

  “I have a point, but nothing will change. The men will still be left to decide when they seek their mate—if ever.” Karissa frowned and allowed Tyral to help her from the tree. “After what happened to my friend’s brother, I worry about my brothers. They’re all extremely powerful and two of them are old enough to be in danger.”

  “Do you have anything against actually mating with someone?” Tyral pressed, needing to know how resistant she was.

  “No.” Karissa grinned. “I want to feel the closeness to another that I’ve seen in other marriages. It’s just…”

  “It’s the fact that it was thrust upon you that makes it unpalatable.” Tyral fully understood her viewpoint. Being forced or told that you had to begin looking for your mate wouldn’t raise much enthusiasm for the search.

  There wasn’t much they could do to change her feelings. The Frejan Council was right. She was much too powerful to chance losing. They couldn’t give her more time to roam free. She was too precious to them.

  * * * * *

  Ijina chilled the glass of fruit juice in Karissa’s hands. Karissa smiled as she took a sip of the mixture of telina and molit juice. It tasted so much better cold. She took a seat on the couch and waited for Tyral and Callan to come join her.

  She was enjoying her time with them and really didn’t want to think about returning to the Frejan Court. From what they’d told her of that binding spell, she estimated there was a full day, maybe a day and a half, before her abilities returned. Once they did, there would be no reason to delay their departure from this prison. They’d have to break the spell. They all had family waiting for them and neglected duties in their respective Realms.

  Karissa looked over as Callan fussed with
the metal grating over the glowing coals. There was still quite a bit of time before the fish he’d caught would be ready. The fillets were cooking slowly in leaf packets. When it was ready, the herbed fish would be moist and tender.

  What do you think of them? Ijina purred.

  Karissa could sense the Elemental was more than just curious, but Karissa wasn’t interested in discovering just what Ijina expected. They’re nice, sexy. I think we’ve covered this.

  Is that all they are?

  Karissa didn’t have time to think of answer. Callan turned and walked over to join her.

  Callan came and dropped onto the couch beside her. He plucked the goblet from her hands and took a long drink of the juice. “That’s good.”

  “I thought maybe you liked yours warm.” Karissa took her cup back and chuckled as she noticed all the juice was gone.

  “I prefer wine, nectar and many other things cold.” Callan flashed her a feral grin, his eyes roaming to the V-neckline of her ice-blue tunic.

  “I’ve never been accused of being cold,” Karissa chuckled.

  “Do you want to play, tana?” Tyral stalked over to stand in front of her.

  Karissa caught the flash of anticipatory hunger in his eyes. She hesitated, a little cautious, but reminded herself that this was her chance to experiment and it wasn’t going to last long. Within just a few days she’d be back in the Frejan court. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that soon she’d be sent on her Ra’Asien. She’d take her freedom while she had it.

  “Is it the kind of game I can win while I have no real magical abilities?” Karissa smiled up at him and reached out to finger the soft material of his yellow shirt.

  “It’s the kind of game we all win, eli moru.” Tyral extended his hand and drew her to her feet.

  “Undress for us, te thali.” Callan got to his feet and watched her.

  The challenge flaring in his eyes set her imagination flying. Karissa stepped away from them and, smiling, began to slowly remove her clothing. She wanted to entice them, to tease them. Her ice-blue tunic came first, removed in a slow peek-a-boo fashion as she watched their reactions. Their eyes locked on her, the fire building with every bit of flesh she revealed and then hid. Her boots came off easily and she was able to move on to her pants without too much awkwardness.