by Erin Bedford
“All right,” I breathed, trying not to throw up at the head still sitting a few feet away. “Just be careful please?”
“Of course.” He smirked and jerked his head to the tent. “Now go.”
Jack and I headed inside while Raiden jogged toward the supply tent. Anxiety wracked through me as we waited for the all clear. The camp seemed quieter than usual which made me worry things hadn’t ended completely. I feared we might not make it out of the camp alive again.
“Do not worry,” Jack took my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Firestar and Raiden know what they are doing. None of us will let them take you.”
“I knew this was a bad idea.” I stared hard down at the ground, trying to relax but not being able to. “We should have waited where we were and sent them to get stuff. Or maybe even just did without. I’m not a forager, but I’m sure we could have managed.”
“But then Firestar would have to come back eventually to send his men home,” Jack explained. “Would you want him to abandon them without a word like your father did you?”
I glared at him. “That was a low blow.”
“Still,” Jack stroked the back of my hand. “You know I am right.”
“So, you don’t have to be so smug about it.” I pulled my hand away from his, enjoying his touch a little too much.
Jack opened his mouth, but the sound of fighting from outside the tent cut off whatever it was he was going to say. Jack and I jumped to our feet as a cry of pain was suddenly cut off.
I started for the tent flap, but Jack stopped me, putting himself in front of me. My lips pressed together in a thin line, the whole damsel in distress thing becoming old, but I didn’t object. Whoever came through that flap might very well be there to hurt me.
When Raiden’s two-toned hair showed, I couldn’t have been more relieved. I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. The pack on his back got in the way, but I didn’t let it stop me.
“What’s all this about?” Raiden laughed, putting his arms around me.
“We heard a fight,” Jack explained as he approached us. “We feared something might have happened.”
Raiden shook his head as he released me. “That was just Firestar taking out another one of his men. I think the rest have decided they would rather go home to their families than risk his blade.”
“Good,” Jack nodded. “Then we can get going without worry of attack. Come, Maya, stay behind me.” He positioned me where he wanted me and turned to Raiden. “You watch our backs.”
“Got it.” Raiden moved to stand behind me as Jack started toward the tent flap.
I held my breath as he put his hand up in the air behind him, signaling for me to wait. Then after what seemed like forever, he waved me through.
When I exited the tent, the camp was as bustling as ever, but this time it wasn’t the usual kind of bustle. There was not joking or playful fighting in the arena. No, everyone moved like they were running late for some big event. When my eyes landed on Firestar, I realized why they were running.
Five bodies littered the ground before him, each of them headless. Very little blood covered the scene because of the fire in his weapon for which my stomach was thankful. The display had a very clear message, mess with him and die. I for one was happy Firestar was on my side.
“So, what now?” I asked as Jack stopped our party next to Firestar.
“We head to my father, and then we go deal with yours.” Firestar sighed and looked down at the men at his feet with disgust and a bit of regret. “Did you get what we needed?”
“Yeah, it’s all right here.” Raiden patted the backpack with a self-satisfied grin.
“Good.” Firestar nodded and turned his attention back to the scurrying crowd. “I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to. The sooner we leave, the better.”
“Well, you don’t have to tell me twice,” I started to move away from the bodies and toward the exit. “Let’s get out of here.”
Before I could get much further, Raiden shouted, “Maya! Watch out.”
I threw myself down on the ground just in time for a flying dragon to swoop above me right where I had been standing before.
Firestar’s kusarigama hissed by me and wrapped around the dragon. I inched to my knees just in time to see him fighting to pull it off his mid-section. Every touch burned him, and Firestar pulled hard on the chain ripping the blade through him, leaving two halves before me.
“Oh my god,” I gulped in small gulps of air. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Jack came to my side and offered me a hand to my feet. I gratefully took it and held onto him tight. I might be a fighter, but all this killing was playing havoc on my stomach. Suddenly running away to Earth didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
“Are you okay?” Jack asked, his arms tightening around me.
“Yeah,” I nodded still a bit in shock. “I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here.”
“Now will you let us fly?” Raiden whined, and this time I didn’t argue. My pride didn’t matter anymore, my safety did. If I had to suck it up just to get the hell out of there, I would let them fly me all the way home.
“Yes, let’s just get out of here.”
“Finally!” Raiden cried out in victory and turned to Jack. “You want to take her? Or let...” he trailed off as his eyes turned to Firestar.
Firestar shook his head. “As much as I’d love to, I think it best if I act as guard and ice boy here takes her.”
“Ice boy?” I cocked a brow at Jack, who only rolled his eyes. “All right then, ice boy. Looks like you’re up.”
Jack ignored my teasing and scooped me up, cradling me in his arms. His wings sprouted from his back, and for a moment, I was mesmerized by their beauty.
“God, I hope my wings are that pretty,” I murmured to myself.
“I’m sure they will be and more,” Jack replied, startling me.
“Did I say that out loud?” I flushed and ducked my head down.
“Don’t be embarrassed, it is refreshing to know what you think for once.” Jack offered me a small smile. “It gives me a break from trying to guess what is behind that mask you wear.”
“Mask?” I scoffed and shook my head. “That’s funny coming from you. Besides, I don’t know what you mean, I’m an open book.”
Raiden came up beside us and snorted. “Hardly. Reading you is as easy as the ancient Draconian text.”
“I’m not that bad,” I argued, but Firestar jumped in.
“Yes, you are. Now if you don’t mind we are drawing attention to ourselves.” His eyes went to the staring men.
“Very well.” I nodded. “Back to Lord Amun’s and then home.”
The guys grunted in agreement before Raiden and Firestar released their wings as well. Sadly, before I could take in the sight of all three of them winged and glorious, we took flight, leaving the camp behind.
It wasn’t my first time being held while flying, but it had been a while. The feel of the wind on my face and the weightlessness of it all couldn’t compare to anything they had on Earth. I had the urge to let go of Jack’s neck and let my arms fly freely, but I knew if I did so, it would throw him off balance and might make him drop me. Reluctantly, I tightened my grip on him and just enjoyed the feeling while it lasted.
“You’re beautiful,” Jack whispered in my ear, jerking my attention to the dragon above me. “And once you are with child, I have no doubt you will be radiant.”
My face flushed at his compliments, not used to receiving such attention. I hadn’t thought much about what I would look like or feel like when I finally did get pregnant. Pregnant dragons weren’t something you ran into every day. Hell, I’d never even met one before.
What would I be getting into? How would my pregnancy be different from the humans I’d seen back on Earth? I suppose I could always ask my mother or even look it up but still, the thought made me nervous. It was one thing to try to get pregnant but a completely different one to actuall
y be pregnant.
“I can feel your heart racing,” Jack murmured in my ear. “What are you thinking about?”
I sighed against his chest. “I’m not so sure I’m cut out to be a mother. I can hardly control my own life let alone be responsible for another one.”
Jack’s arms tightened around me, squeezing me close to him. “You’ll be fine.”
“But what if—”
“But nothing,” he interrupted. “You will do great and don’t forget.” His eyes went to the other dragons flying just in front of us. “You won’t be alone.”
I sighed, and some of my worries went away. He was right. If and when I got pregnant, I wouldn’t have to do it by myself. I would have all of them by my side. Or at least I hoped I would.
21
The flight to Lord Amun was uneventful, and truth be told, I couldn’t have wished for better. We’d had too much excitement for one day - for one week, as far as I was concerned.
When we stood before Lord Amun, I let Firestar do most of the talking. He knew his father better than me, and since I was still shaken up by the attacks, I didn’t trust I wouldn’t burst into tears at any given moment.
“Father,” Firestar walked toward his father his arms open wide. Lord Amun embraced his son, clapping him on the back.
“I’m so happy to see you again and with my soon to be daughter-in-law?” Lord Amun’s gaze landed on me with a broad smile. “Thank you so much for helping us out with our little...” he coughed and muttered, “problem.”
“Not at all.” I waved him off, not wanting to talk more about it than I needed to. I’d never been a good liar, and if Lord Amun kept asking questions, he was bound to figure out our rouse.
“Yes,” Mon Liz commented. “It’s so good of you to step in like this. Especially since you have your own set of problems to deal with.” Her eyes lingered on Raiden and Jack. “How are your fellows taking the news?”
“About what?” I asked feigning innocence. I knew exactly what she wanted me to admit and I wouldn’t play her game.
“You know,” she moved around the room until she stopped at Jack’s side. “That you are tossing them aside like yesterday’s dragon to be with your old lover. It must sting a little bit.”
Jack kept his eyes forward as he answered, “We understand the obligations Maya had to her prior lover and the needs of a kingdom comes first. What are we if we focus on ourselves and let our allies burn?”
“But still,” Mon Liz continued, clearly not taking Jack’s answer to heart. “You must care for Maya Rose deeply to let her go so easily and to someone who wasn’t even in the running.”
“We do.” This time Raiden stepped in. “Which is why we are doing the honorable thing by stepping aside.”
Mon Liz opened her mouth to no doubt continue her tirade, but Lord Amun cut in. “Mon Liz, enough.”
She snapped her mouth closed, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff. “Can you blame me? I just want to be sure our boy isn’t jumping into something that would end up hurting him and the kingdom in the long run.”
Lord Amun gave me an apologetic frown. “I’m sorry, she worries. But despite my second’s doubts, I know your love is true. At least,” he turned his gaze to Firestar. “If the way my son talked about you is the same way you feel.”
“It is,” I said, this time not having to lie.
The lord smiled and nodded. “Then I have nothing to worry about and you,” he looked to Mon Liz. “Will drop this.”
The older woman moved to Lord Amun’s side her displeasure on her face more prominent than ever. How she could hate me more now than the last time we saw each other, I could hardly fathom.
Unless.
Maybe because she felt responsible for Firestar? Motherly love? No. She didn’t seem the type and the way she openly ogled Firestar’s muscles said Mon Liz had had high hopes for her and Firestar in the future. Which meant she had as good a reason as any to hate me.
“Get in line,” I muttered under my breath.
Lord Amun’s gaze shot to me. “What was that, my dear?”
My face heated in embarrassment. “Nothing, just thinking out loud.”
“Well, do share,” Mon Liz smiled a bit too brightly. “We’d all love to hear your thoughts on this agreement. Wouldn’t we?” She turned to Lord Amun, who nodded.
Great.
I bit my cheek to keep from commenting something rude and pretended to be contrite. “I apologize, I’m afraid I am simply becoming impatient to get home.”
“Oh, nothing to apologize for!” Lord Amun grinned at me. “I can imagine you would want to get home to tell your father about all that has happened and perhaps get started on your future?” His eyes slid over to Firestar and then back to me.
“Yes, exactly.” I agreed not bothering to mention Firestar might not be my future.
Lord Amun waved me forward to witness his signature on the treaty my father had sent with us and then Firestar signed as a witness and then myself. Jack rolled up the document and tucked it into a watertight cylinder.
“Now,” Lord Amun clapped his hands together. “Shall we have dinner to celebrate?”
“No, no.” I waved him off. “We really should be getting back. My father isn’t a patient man as you know.”
Lord Amun frowned, stroking his chin and then sighed. “No, I suppose not. Another time then?”
“Of course,” Firestar answered for me, coming to my side. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. “After everything has been taken care of we will have a grand festival.”
“Excellent!” Lord Amun smiled. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Please take care on your trip home. You are a precious commodity.” He eyeballed me, his eyes going down to my stomach before he looked to his son, who nodded.
Just what I needed another guy to think of me as breed stock. Could my day get any worse?
Oh, yeah, it could. I still had to talk to my father. He wouldn’t be happy in the least about our new addition to his little competition.
Since when do you care what he thinks? A voice in my head hissed.
It had a point, but still, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Hell, I was half tempted to tell Lord Amun I would have dinner after all. Before I could change my mind, Firestar ushered us out of the throne room and then out of the palace.
When we had exited the palace gates, I turned to the men. “So, who is carrying me this time?”
The guys looked between themselves a silent question being asked between them before Firestar stepped forward.
“I think it is best if I carry you home. At least, until we are out of sight of the palace.” I cocked a brow at his explanation. “You know since my father thinks that I am the front-runner in your suitors.”
“And whose idea was that?” I put my hands on my hips.
Firestar frowned at my question. “You know as well as I, he would not have signed the treaty if he didn’t think we were a sure thing. If there was even a hint of a chance I wouldn’t get the money we needed, he would have held it hostage until we provided it.”
He had a point and a good one at that. The problem was, it was going to come back to bite us in the butt and in a major way. Still, I couldn’t let Firestar’s problems make me biased in my choice, not that it really was a choice. It was more of a whose little guys could reach the finish line first. I really had no say in it.
At least, not right away.
“Very well.” I held my arms up for Firestar to pick me up. When I was settled in his arms, I hollered to the others. “Are you guys ready?”
“Yes,” Jack responded on the left.
“All set here,” came Raiden’s answer from the right.
“Good. Now one more show and then we can finally relax.” Even as I said the words, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Lord Amun might have been easy to fool, but my father wasn’t. Neither was my sister or mother, who would bombard me the moment I arrived home. I just hoped we could keep it
up until we figured something else out, or I ended up pregnant, whichever came first.
22
“What?” my father’s voice reverberated through the palace making my mother and sister wince. To say he was taking the news bad would be an understatement.
Growing up with Lord Dannan, I’d quickly learned his different stages of anger. Anywhere from his irritated tick beneath his left eye to the veins pulsating on his forehead, I knew them all. The stage he was at now went far beyond any I had ever seen before.
My father’s face had turned a vibrant purple-red shade as if he were an overripe fruit waiting to burst at any moment.
“I knew I couldn’t trust this to you,” he sneered, shoving his nose in my face. “You never thought of what was best for us, your family. Only what you wanted.”
“That’s hardly the case—” I tried to explain, but he kept going.
“I thought your time on Earth might have helped you get over this hothead.” He gestured toward Firestar who had done a good job keeping his mouth shut while my father berated us. Far more than I expected for sure.
“Lord Dannan, if I may,” Jack interjected, trying to appease my father. “We did accomplish what you wished. Lord Amun signed the treaty.”
“But at what cost?” my father shot back. “My kingdom? My daughter? I would rather go to war than this.”
I scoffed, “I didn’t know I meant so much to you.”
“Maya,” my mother cried out in disbelief. “Your father might express himself differently, but he does care for you.”
“Well, he has a crappy way of showing it.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “All he seems to care about is if I can provide an heir for our family.”
“And have you?” my father asked his anger receding slightly as hope took its place.
I was quiet a minute too long for him because he threw his hands up in the air and growled, “See she can’t even lay on her back right!”
