Shame didn’t leave as they abandoned the room, taking their few belongings. Finny had returned to the front desk as if nothing bad had occurred, as if she didn’t have blood in one of her rooms.
Once in a new chamber on the second floor, this one overlooking the courtyard, Mia dared to peer outside. Blood stained the ground here and there but there were no bodies. The raging desire of moments ago had gone and now she was worried about what might come next.
Eryk’s eyes held sexual need, as if their small encounter had only fueled a bigger conflagration. “I must wash.”
Eryk stripped his clothes, and when she realized what he was doing she turned back to the window. She couldn’t witness his total nakedness. Sinfully, however, it didn’t prevent her imagination from running wild. She closed her eyes and allowed feelings to overwhelm her. Erotic sensations filled her body. Her nipples beaded, warmth pooled in her lower belly as she thought of the water flowing over his body. Her hands ached to touch him, to discover the mysteries of physical love. At the same time her mind revolted. She barely knew this man. What she’d already done with him, the kissing and…other things, seemed to ease the wildness of her healing power. But fear also rocked her. Why were her healing abilities so out of control on Dragonia? Nothing like this wild need had ever happened to her on Magonia.
When Eryk left the bathing room some time later he wore a cloth covering around his hips. God Magon, they’d been in this position before. Alone. Him mostly naked and her body clamoring for discovery. His expression, though, held apprehension rather than desire.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She rubbed her throat. “I’ll be fine soon.”
He stepped close and the heat and warmth of his big body increased the sensitivity within her core. She took a deep breath but didn’t move away.
“Are you fine?” he asked softly. “Those marks on your throat…”
The honest concern in Eryk’s eyes eased the tension. “I can’t heal myself, I told you.” She heard the defensiveness in her tone but didn’t care. “I gave everything to Finny.”
He sighed and gestured to the bed. “Rest. Sleep as long as you like.”
His words had an effect she didn’t expect. Some of the crazy arousal drained from her body and fatigue returned.
“Rest,” he said again.
“I’m not sure I can.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” She didn’t even know why. She sank down on the edge of the bed.
His eyes held perfect knowledge and they glowed red. For a moment he looked as if he hovered on the edge of movement, of finishing what they’d started earlier.
He shook his head and repeated his earlier statement. “Lie down and rest. You’ll feel better when you awaken.”
Impulsive words came to her lips. “Stay with me. I don’t want to be here alone.”
He answered quickly, “I’ll be right here.”
With that she lay down and succumbed to the weakness.
Chapter Six
A low rumbling broke the relative silence over the castle as Eryk waited for Mia. He’d slung his pack over his shoulders when thunder reminded him they’d waited too long to leave today. A storm was arriving. A day had passed before he felt safe venturing into the jungle with her and on to their next destination. He didn’t want another delay. He’d convinced her Grimnald Castle wasn’t the best place for her, that at Bardannia Castle she’d be safer.
Being so close to Mia without taking her drove him to within an inch of releasing a scream of primal frustration. Since he’d seen her heal, he’d expected his desire to mate with her to slacken. Perhaps even disappear. Instead it had grown. Selfless sacrifice as genuine as hers hit him in a place deep inside. He found himself more fascinated with her every day, more convinced that she harbored many secrets.
Problem was he didn’t wish to change his mind. Healing abilities aside, she was Magonian. Sheltering her could prove the worst mistake of his life. Old resentments she knew nothing about awakened and bit him on the ass. He couldn’t shake them. Neither could he ignore how much he’d wanted her after he’d killed the men who dared threaten her life.
She gripped her backpack just as he glanced out the window. “What’s wrong?”
He turned toward her. “Remember, when we leave here, you cannot tell anyone about your healing ability.”
“So you’ve already told me.”
“We don’t want anything to bring attention to you. Nothing extraordinary.”
“Don’t worry, Eryk. I already know I’m not extraordinary.” She glared.
“By all that is worthy, that isn’t what I meant.” Angry at her self-flagellation, he stalked toward her. She took a step back but he kept coming until he towered over her. “Who on earth ever gave you the idea you aren’t worthy?” He held up one hand. “Don’t answer that. I think I know.”
“Do you?”
He drew in a deep breath. “Your society. Women aren’t valued.”
She rubbed one hand over her chin. “I’m not affected by that anymore.”
He reached for Mia, touching her throat gently. “I think you are.” She flinched and he withdrew his touch. Bruises didn’t mark her delicate throat but red spots did. “When that bastard had you in his grip I was terrified he’d severely injury you.”
He swallowed hard, as if he was the one being strangled. It occurred to him that maybe she’d been traumatized by watching him kill a man. Regret stung. He didn’t want to add to her pain.
“You’re mine to protect.” There. He’d said it. “No man shall harm you again while I live.”
Her eyes widened a little, with surprise, he thought. Surprise rocked him too. He knew, with absolute certainty, that she belonged to him. Yet he didn’t want that to be the truth. He refused to acknowledge it out loud. He couldn’t mate with her. A healer? The irony stung. His vow to never forgive healers as long as he lived fought with his instincts to take her as his own forever.
She looked away. “Don’t say that. You cannot protect me all the time.”
“It is true.”
She shook her head and went for the door. “You don’t know that.”
He allowed Mia her mood and they left. They bid Finny a fond farewell and made their way through the castle. The mess from the rogue insurgency had been cleaned.
“Why wouldn’t you look at me earlier, when I was undressing?” he asked.
“A Scribe is not permitted to see naked bodies. You must know that.”
“Not even their own?”
She shrugged. “Nakedness is a sin on Magonia. Modesty is everything. And chastity.”
He grunted in disdain. “It’s a wonder Magonians aren’t going extinct either.”
“It is a wonder.”
A soft snort came from him but he didn’t say any more.
“I suppose public nakedness is pursued here?” she asked.
“In the privacy of one’s abode it is acceptable to be as naked as one likes.”
She didn’t comment on his explanation, and as they left the castle apprehension showed clearly on her face.
“Stay close to me at all times,” he said.
“Of course.”
Her voice was cooler today, far less personal and more that of a stranger. He couldn’t pinpoint why this bothered him but it did. Once mated to a woman, a Daryk One needed the connection and craved it. At least he’d heard this, and he’d seen other Daryk Ones behave in such a manner.
No. It wouldn’t happen for him.
He placed one hand on his sword hilt, glad for his weapon. At least with it he could slay a dragon or protect a woman should the unfortunate need arise.
They traipsed through the jungle until clouds hung low and oppressive. They’d need shelter again very soon and there wasn’t a cave to be found. So be it. If they got wet, they got wet. It didn’t take long for his summation to come true. Rain poured down in heavy sheets, making leaves slick beneath their feet. The moisture soaked clean through th
eir clothes. When he glanced behind him Mia’s hair was plastered to her head, her eyes filled with misery. She hadn’t said one word during their entire trek. After a considerable time the rain slowed to a trickle, a patter on the foliage around them.
He stopped and turned to her. “Are you all right?”
She smiled and some of the discontent in her expression disappeared. “I’m fine.”
“Sorry there’s no true shelter.”
“It’s all right. How much farther to Bardannia Castle?”
He pushed aside a huge frond and beyond, the desert beckoned. “Through there. The sands of the Ithycan Desert. A day’s travel. If we hurry we can cut that in half. The temperatures are lessening this time of year. Put on your hat and you have your caftan. Don’t worry about being wet. You’ll appreciate the coolness of water against your skin.”
She didn’t argue, putting on her desert attire quickly. He did the same. Daryk Ones could tolerate the punishing sun with little effect if any to their skin but he appreciated comfort far more than showing toughness. When they hefted their packs again he caught her watching him intently.
He returned her stare and took in how right the caftan looked around her slim body. The tan cloth, draped in deep folds that obscured her form, covered her from neck to toe. The cloth would also insulate her once they reached the ice of Imekland. The large, enveloping head covering sheltered her face from punishing light and heat and would also protect her in the cold. Sturdy boots on their feet would prevent discomfort and injury from the elements.
“Do I look odd?” she asked.
“You look as she you should.”
Her gaze took him in. “No one would know you’re a Daryk One under all that clothing.”
“That could be a good or bad thing. Come on, let’s go.”
He knew many of the wandering groups who lived in this land, but took a shorter route, which forced them to climb some high dunes and would avoid the groups all together. None of them lived or wandered among the dunes for a good reason. It took considerable effort to climb them. Eryk made certain she could continue, and as they crested the last giant sand drift in late afternoon, he appreciated the sight in the distance. Bardannia was a speck but he could see it. Mia stopped beside him, panting and looking tired.
She gazed in the direction he was looking. “Is that Bardannia? Magon, would you look at the ice.”
“Yes. Several more hours’ walk.”
Her gaze caught his and he saw wonder and amazement gathering on her features. “I’ve never seen ice or snow. It is beautiful.”
“And extremely cold. Once we start walking across I don’t plan to stop. For anything.”
She nodded with no sign of being intimidated by the idea. “Of course.”
He almost didn’t hear her sigh but when he took a closer look Eryk noticed how drawn and pale she appeared. She might be determined but this trip had already drained her reserves.
“We’ll eat at the bottom of the dune and rest before pressing on.”
When they reached a sheltered place at the bottom, she sank to her butt in the sand. She struggled out of her pack and rummaged through her meal packs.
Her silence worried him. “Did you drink enough water coming across the desert?”
She took her water bladder and slugged down water without answering him. Her silence continued through bites of dried meat.
When she spoke the question shocked him. “Do you have friends?”
It took him a moment to answer. “Two. Correction. One.”
She smiled and a soft laugh came from her. Warmth rose within his gut and his loins. He enjoyed her smiles and her laugh, as seldom as she did either.
“Only one?” she asked.
“Dane Charger, a Daryk One. He’s a good man.”
“Who is the other almost friend?”
“He turned rogue Daryk One four years ago, after his sister was murdered. His name is Rayder Tyrus. He serves on a slaver ship.”
“A slave ship for Magonian women, I’m guessing.”
He winced. “Yes.”
“You must be disappointed in him.”
“That’s an understatement.”
She squinted a little and he wondered if the sun bothered her. He reached toward her head covering, hoping to angle it down over her eyes. She flinched away.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He knew she was lying. Anger rose inside him. “When are you going to realize I’d die before I’d hurt you?”
Sadness filled her eyes and he immediately regretted his strong words.
“The head of the Scribes once said that to me,” she said.
He frowned deeply as suspicion filled him. “The head of the Scribes?”
“Janto Ribboner. The man who ran the school. He was considered the anointed one.” She chewed dried meat slowly before continuing. “Whatever he said should happen, happened. His power was absolute. He had the power of life or death over everyone at Scribe school. He…”
Suspicion rose inside him, high and sharp. “He was a tyrant?”
She swallowed hard and took another sip of water. “Yes.”
Deeper concern pulled at his inner beast, the part of him that awakened in battle. “Did he harm you? Because if he did, he’s a dead man.”
Eryk’s face turned angry and the blaze in his eyes looked redder than she’d ever seen. She was tired, hot and wished she could simply sleep. But she didn’t want him thinking she was a weakling.
“Tell me.” His scowl said he wouldn’t change his mind.
“It’s a long story.”
“I am listening.”
“Don’t we have to go soon?”
“There’s enough daylight. And if we don’t make it across the ice today we’ll pitch a shelter in another cave near Bardannia Castle. I’ve camped there before.”
From the tightness of his lips she knew he wouldn’t budge. A shaking started in her middle, surprising her with the impact of her memories.
She swallowed hard and took yet another drink. “Janto was this tall, skinny man with a thin face and cruel blue eyes. He never smiled unless it was because he was amused at someone’s expense.” She drew in one deep breath and then another. “To make this story short…he was brutal. There were beatings. Torture. Things that most of the other Scribes didn’t know.”
“Draconus.” His word was hard and disgusted. “What did he do to you?”
“He was mentally abusive many times. Too many times to count. After a while he decided he liked me and treated me with less cruelty than the other Scribes. He took the older Scribes into his bed. Two of them I know of.”
If it was possible, his eyes got redder. “Did he touch you?”
She took a long time to reply. “When I was sixteen he tried to…rape me.”
Fury tightened his hand around the dried meat he held and it crumbled. His hand opened and the pieces fell to the sand. “I will kill him.”
Tears filled her eyes. “My friends tried to stop him. I was screaming and kicking. He didn’t rape me because the twins broke down the door and jumped on his back. I ran from the room but—”
“But?” His voice was sorrowful as the red left them.
“They were taken away one day and I never saw them again. I’m certain he murdered them or had them murdered.”
“Draconus.” The fury in his eyes faded. “I’m very sorry.”
She ran one hand through her hair. “That was a long time ago.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t try to escape sooner.”
“I regret every day I didn’t try to escape sooner.” And she did. Memories ran over her. “He didn’t try to rape me again…he threatened to many times. I think he believed the threat was enough to keep me in line.”
“Was it?”
Regret sliced deep. “Yes.”
“Until…?”
“A few weeks ago. When I decided to leave Magonia behind.”
“What
motivated you to leave?”
“Pain. I saw Janto marry a girl who clearly hated him. She was only sixteen. And I couldn’t do anything about it. He gloated, cornered me and said that I couldn’t save the girl. And he was right. He was right.”
Understanding filled his eyes and he touched her hand. This time she didn’t flinch. Warmth surged under his touch. “You feel guilty that you couldn’t save her.”
“Yes.”
“There’s something else you’re not telling me. Yet another reason from coming to Dragonia. For leaving everything you know for a dangerous, unknown land. Freedom can’t be your only reason.” Eryk pulled his head covering farther over his forehead. She saw a question in his eyes, and sure enough he asked it. “You aren’t telling me everything, are you?”
Caution and a desire to evade made her reply casually, “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.” His voice and eyes were soft. “You came to Dragonia to escape cruelty and oppression. Because you’re a healer and feared what would be done to you in Magonia. But there’s something else.”
How did he know? She swallowed hard. She had to confess, because there was no point in keeping mum any longer.
Mia allowed her case to cross the wavering sands. “As you know, I can’t heal myself. So I need to find another healer who can help me. At least I hope they can.”
“Help you with what?”
“A year ago I learned that I’m dying.”
Chapter Seven
Mia saw his expression change from concern to shock to grief. She’d seen the face of grief before when she’d witnessed people losing loved ones. Yet she’d never seen that same expression on anyone’s face for her.
Stunned by his reaction, she hurried to explain. “On Magonia they call it entonesia.”
“What—” He took a deep breath. “What is entonesia?”
“A rare and strange disease where the body simply wears out. Fatigue is common. Using my healing abilities actually increases the disease’s progress. Every time I heal someone else, it takes time off my life.”
“Then you shouldn’t heal anyone else.”
“What?”
“You must stop healing others. Let the law of nature take effect. Save yourself.”
Daryk Warrior Page 9
