The kitchen was emptier than when they had left. Seb and Clay still discussed travel preparations. Clay’s heightened abilities allowed him to measure distance and time accurately. He informed them they could be in the city in 12 hours if they left in the morning. While that was fast, the timing was not the best. They would arrive tired from a day of traveling.
Seb found a suitable waypoint to rest as Kiarra kissed Clay and Reed. She was gauging their emotions about being left out. They didn’t seem upset. Ian knew from Kiarra’s time with Reed that there was satisfaction in feeling the desire and climaxes from afar. It was pleasurable in its own right.
The Princess of Acclesh and her female guard dog were arguing again. Ian found that funny. He could see the golden sparks. There were unresolved, and perhaps unacknowledged, desires between them. It probably affected their relationship more since Ahnika had come of age. The girl didn’t remind Ian much of Carson; the only thing they had in common was their keen intelligence and air of command. They both expected to be obeyed.
Ian understood the Princess better than Kiarra's other matches, though. His speed and hearing had been enhanced. He had heard the conversation between Ahnika and Kiarra when the Princess cornered Kiarra in her room. He was proud of his girl for her strength. Ahnika was not the cold bitch she appeared to be. He didn’t entirely trust the Accleshians, but he had trusted Carson so he would give them the benefit of the doubt. They seemed to have Megreria’s best interests in mind.
Kiarra was still brushing her hair, oblivious to her men’s admiring glances. Clay pushed her down into a chair and took the brush, leaning against the wall behind him to balance while he combed through her snarls. Kiarra’s eyelids fluttered closed in pleasure as the Merchant tended to her hair. He seemed somewhat practiced at the skill, and Ian wondered if that was due to his upbringing.
“Are you ready?” the gruff voice from behind Ian nearly made him jump. He had been focused on Kiarra and Clay; the big Accleshian had crept up on him.
Ian half turned toward him, cocking a brow. “Ready for what?” He knew what Drummond referred to, but he was never one to give away information easily.
Drummond didn’t appear bothered by his evasiveness. “The capture of her brother and mother will have her in knots,” Drummond said in a low voice. Ian glanced at Kiarra, but she was busy talking to Seb about the journey and not listening to their conversation.
Ian sighed. “Yes,” he admitted. It worried him. He’d never loved anyone enough to sacrifice himself for them, not until he’d met Kiarra and her other bondmates. But Kiarra deeply loved Rowan and her mother. If the Sorcerer threatened to hurt her family, she would be distracted from the battle.
“Not only that,” Drummond added, “but your presence will make it more difficult for her. She’s going to want to save all of you, and it will be distracting. I wish I could go with you, lad. Carson has told me so much about you. I have every faith in you, but you are all young. It’s not fair that so much is expected of ye.” Drummond’s accent thickened.
“Self-pity will not win a war,” Ian replied. “You worry about either keeping the Princess safe or rescuing the captives. Alyson and her mates have been so generous.”
“Aye,” Drummond agreed. The woman was nowhere to be seen. She had lost the peacefulness of her home, and her partner was in trouble. She might have faced difficulties had they not decided to descend upon their farm in the first place, but it still wasn’t fair. Ian didn’t doubt the Merchant’s plan for reimbursement. If they lived through this, Alyson and her partners would never want for anything again.
Drummond caught his attention again. “Every dark magic user has a weakness. This Synlair feeds on magic and corruption. If his source is halted, he will falter. It is an addiction to him, this need to feed on other’s energies. You understand addiction, Lad?”
“Aye,” Ian replied. His father and uncle had been fond of the drink, and he knew several others that had been addicted to either the betel nut or alcohol.
“He won’t be thinking clearly because he’ll want his fix. He also needs that corruption to live. It is what runs through his veins; he is no longer human. He’ll go to any lengths to get his fix.”
“So, someone else might satisfy him as much as Kiarra?” he asked quietly.
Drummond stroked his long beard. “It might distract him, but not satisfy him.”
Ian nodded, and he shared a look with Mason. The Soldier nodded. He had seen how the Sorcerer’s veins ran like ink underneath the surface of his skin. That anomaly signified his dark addiction to corruption. They would do whatever it took to save Kiarra.
Chapter 23
Kiarra
Ian forgot that I inherited the same enhancements he did. Even though I was speaking with Seb, I could hear his conversation. I didn’t know what he planned, but I wouldn’t use anyone as bait besides myself. The idea settled more firmly within me as I thought about it. The Sorcerer might want any woman, but they would be like watered-down ale; my magic was fine whiskey. I would tempt his addiction the most.
I finalized the plans for the trip with the men and went in search of Alyson. We were leaving early in the morning, and I wanted to thank her. She and her two bondmates waited outside, standing at the creek. I was afraid to intrude, but Alyson turned to me with a smile. She embraced me in a hug when I approached.
“I’m sorry,” I began. “It was never our intention to turn your farm into this.” My broad gesture included the burnt wood of the barn, the paddock, which was nothing more than scorched grass, and the soldiers wandering the property.
Alyson shrugged her slim shoulders. Her men stood off to the side, letting us talk, while the kids played in the nearby trees. “The Fates led you here, Kiarra. My many greats grandmother hid your grandmother when she fled to Acclesh. It is written in the book of knowledge that is passed down to the women in my family.”
My brows rose. Everything was intertwined. Everywhere I looked, we had a part to play in the grand scheme of destiny. I scuffed my foot on the ground. “The Accleshians will return Anders to you,” I said in a smaller voice. I didn’t know. There were too many variables for me to be sure, but I begged the Fates for it to be so. I had played my part in their plans and would do my best to save the Kingdom; I only asked that Alyson’s bondmate be returned to her. He had left because of our arrival. We would reimburse them for their trouble, but the money would be worthless compared to Anders’ return.
“I know,” Alyson said with a sigh, but her voice wasn’t confident. She looked at her boys and flattened her hand over her stomach. Intuition hit me like a flash of light.
“You’re pregnant.”
She nodded. There was barely a bump there, but now that I knew what to look for, I saw it. She looked at her stomach and back at me. For the first time since I had arrived, she looked shy. “Will you bless my child, Your Majesty?”
Surprise rocked me backward. I didn’t know what I could do, but the look on her face was so earnest I nodded. I could say a few words. Hopefully, it would help ease her birth and bring her a healthy child. Her men looked on as I came closer and placed my hand on her little tummy bump.
The energy pulsed within her. The child, while still very young, was healthy. I smiled, awed by the beauty of the tiny spark of life humming under my hand. “May the Fates bless this child,” I murmured. It was simple, but I felt something happen; a spark of my energy transferred to the child and strengthened it. I looked into Alyson’s hopeful blue eyes, tears obscuring my vision.
“She will be a healthy child.”
Alyson smiled. “A girl?” she asked breathlessly. I nodded. I was certain of it, though I couldn’t explain how. She looked at Clyde and Edward, their smiles transforming their usually sedate expressions. I knew girls were rarer between bondmate families, but the tiny spark in her belly was female.
“Thank you, Kiarra,” Alyson murmured and hugged me again. I said a special blessing for her and her family under my breath while we
embraced, and I felt the same magic pour through me. The conviction came at that moment. Anders would return home, and their child would be born healthy. I walked away from them with a smile; at least one thing would end beautifully.
After I said goodbye to Alyson, I sought Ahnika. I felt a kinship with this family member that I’d never met before. We were different, but she could be the sister Delia never was. We walked away from the keen ears of the others, although Lyra followed at a healthy distance. I spread my hands out, grazing the knee-high grasses. I was pleased the unnatural rain hadn’t destroyed the ground. Alyson and her matches retained a pasture to feed the remaining sheep.
Ahnika caught my arm after we had walked a distance in silence. Her pale hair glistened in the sunlight, the colors picked out as precisely as mine by the seeking rays.
“You are scared,” she said.
“Very. The Sorcerer is powerful.”
“And yet, you were able to save many men.”
I shuddered as I remembered the one I couldn't save. That could have been one of my matches. It made me more determined to kill the Sorcerer, although I was more frightened now that I’d seen the evils he was capable of enacting. I didn’t say anything, fearing any words would sound pitiful.
“You are special, Kiarra. Nobody has such an easy bond as you. The Fates are on your side. You need not fear.”
I snorted indelicately. “I can’t help but be afraid, Ahnika. How will I survive if he hurts one of my matches?” That was my worst fear. I didn’t fear death; I feared living without one, or more, of my men. “How does your father survive so far from your mother?” I asked, thinking of how often the Spymaster lived in Treleaven.
“My mother has four bondmates, including my father. The other three never stray too far from her to make up for the lack of my father. When he visits, they spend all their time together. A wise woman made a potion, a drink he imbibes while he’s away from her, which helps soothe the pain of the strained bond.”
My brows rose. I had never considered there could be a spell or a potion for something like a breaking heart or a lost bondmate. I couldn’t imagine any magic soothing the loss of one of my men.
“My parents, all of them, are strong. I don’t think many bondmates could maintain a relationship like theirs. Compared to the Queen, my mother’s bond is strong. Still, it is nothing compared to yours. There is a distance between all of them because of their personalities. They are introverted people and have many hobbies which help to fill the time they are not together.”
“You will have a closer bond with your matches than your aunt,” I said, feeling the certainty of it within me. I thought of the woman who trailed behind us, her keen eyes always set on the Princess’s safety. Ahnika merely shrugged at my observation. “What is the story behind your bodyguard?” I leaned closer to my cousin.
“Lyra? There is not much story there. She was a playmate of mine before she became my guard. When I needed to avoid my other cousins, I would find Lyra. She taught me how to climb trees, ride horses, and swordfight. My cousins only wanted to play with dolls or learn how to sew.” She shuddered as if the thought offended her, and I restrained my smile. Her relationship with Lyra sounded like my relationship with Rowan. “As long as I can remember, she has always been there,” Ahnika said absently.
I had to bite my tongue not to mention the sparks I saw flying between them. It would do no good to put ideas in my cousin’s mind. Still… “She is beautiful,” I commented casually.
Ahnika was quiet several moments, a somber expression on her face as she contemplated my words. “Yes,” Ahnika replied, “very beautiful. I don’t know that she’s ever had a partner. She’s too busy watching over me.”
I fell silent, knowing I couldn’t say more. I also struggled with whether to mention Jeff and decided not to. I would only do harm by interfering more. If her cousin still needed a bondmate, it could be that Jeff was destined for that woman. In my heart, I knew it wasn’t so, but I had said enough.
We turned around and walked back to the house. Ahnika glanced at Lyra out of the corner of her eye with a different expression on her face. I hoped I hadn’t messed everything up.
Chapter 24
Reed
Reed had read the entire book on Costinian magic and culture. He had been beyond disappointed. Besides saying that it was possible for a pure bond to combat dark magic, it contained nothing more than that. After lying with Kiarra and becoming a part of the whole, the book nagged him as strongly as the Sorcerer’s ability to send boiling rain and transport an image of himself across long distances.
The night was long. They all went to sleep early, curled around Kiarra as best they could without lying on top of each other. It was almost impossible, so a couple of them shifted places in the middle of the night to be closer to her. They did this in a dreamlike state, perhaps not even knowing what they were doing. Reed didn’t sleep well, though. His mind tossed around the words in the book. There had to be more to it. The nagging feeling didn’t leave him through the tearful goodbye or the tension-filled ride away from the house. Kiarra was riding her own horse and doing reasonably well at it. Midmorning, she nudged her mount up to his.
“Something’s on your mind, Scholar.”
Reed glanced at her and flashed a quick smile, but his gaze remained far away. “I feel like there’s something I’m missing.”
“Where do you feel this information will be?” It was a simple question, but it sparked something in his mind.
“I want to believe an answer lies within the book I brought from Treleaven, but I’ve looked at it a million times.”
Kiarra fell silent, and Reed came back from his mental wanderings to gaze at her. The day was sunny and bright, and the sun picked out the blonde and red highlights in her hair. It was also warm, foretelling summer, and they opted for shirtsleeves and breeches. Her supple thighs encased in the tight leather pants and the bounce of her breasts with the horse’s movements made him harden instantly. He shifted uncomfortably on his mount, wishing it was her underneath of him instead of a skittish horse.
“When was the last time you looked at it?” she asked, surprising him out of his lusty thoughts.
He furrowed his brows. They had been so busy the last couple of days. “I suppose it was two days ago.”
“Before we completed our bond?”
“Yes, but a book is a book, Kiarra. It’s not going to change.”
She smiled again, distracting him with her bright blue gaze. His hands twitched to draw her off her horse and onto his lap. Her eyes darkened as desire rose between them. A sense of ease blanketed the party; it was the calm before the storm.
“Humor me, Scholar,” she said with a playful quirk to her lips. Reed didn’t want to remove his attention from those shining, full lips.
“In a second,” he murmured. He nudged his horse closer, and they leaned toward each other. Their lips met and Reed’s indecision passed instantly. The answers were there, he just had to look for them. But first… His lips moved over hers, drawing her tongue out to play until the horse whinnied and stepped sideways, nearly pulling him from the saddle.
“Do we need to take a break?” Seb asked in a playful tone. The others had turned to watch. His brother’s eyes were joking but also thoughtful. Reed studied Kiarra again. His rapid breathing matched hers; her glorious breasts heaved.
Reed seriously considered Seb’s question. They rode through the lowlands on a rutted path. Besides several thick copses of trees and a few lowing cows watching them while they munched grass, nothing existed for miles. Mason’s voice spoke from in front of them.
“We plan on making this a two-day trip, Scholar. We have time to stop.”
Reed started to shake his head. He didn’t want to stop moving for sex. Ian’s voice interrupted his protests. “Once we get to the city, we won’t have time to play.” His words hung in the air. Once in Treleaven, there would be no time for lingering looks, kisses, or caresses. They would be watche
d and on guard, and there was a possibility they wouldn’t make it out alive. But, they had traveling to do and they should continue on. He should also check the book like Kiarra had suggested.
“Stop thinking, Scholar,” Kiarra growled. She grabbed his horses’ reins and led them off the road. The rest of the men followed, and neither of them cared. Reed cared least of all. Mason and Ian had their moment the previous night. He wouldn’t deny any of his brothers a possible last chance with Kiarra. The thought made him almost desperate. They would survive; they had to. He had always considered an afterlife impossible, but he couldn’t imagine only having a couple more days to finish what they had started. It was too short a time to enjoy and grow the bond which had evolved between them.
Kiarra entered the tree cover and slid from her horse. Reed dismounted, and she attacked him the moment he was on his feet. Her mouth tangled with his, pushing him against a towering tree. The bark cut into his back, but he barely noticed. Another body sandwiched Kiarra from behind. Reed recognized his brother’s energy and automatically shifted his hands so Seb could touch her too. She moaned between them, and their surroundings disappeared. He didn’t know how he had lived before he met her. That time had been colorless and lifeless. He loved his mind, but these moments, when he focused only on his body, were miraculous.
Breathing hard, Reed removed his mouth from Kiarra’s and ripped her shirt off. It fluttered to the ground, and he caught the tip of one of her breasts between his lips. Seb controlled her mouth, and Kiarra bent backward to accommodate him. Reed had a sudden thought for the Merchant and steered their cluster toward Clay. The man rested on a stone in the center of the clearing, watching them with heavy-lidded eyes. Mason and Ian were absent, and Reed assumed they were keeping watch.
Harmony of Their Souls Page 15
