Ivar wanted to stay. Duty demanded he go.
“Are those…?” Beth blinked, pointing toward the portal opening.
Ivar turned, expecting to see his brother and Prince Finn coming for him. It was easy to detect the two men who did not belong on this world. One wore the cross-laces of the Var, the other the looser tunic style of the Draig. Ivar wondered if he had looked so out of place when he came through.
“They must be here for me,” Ivar said. “I expected my brother, at the very least, or Finn. Something must have happened.”
A warning sensation worked its way over him. Something felt off. There was no way his brother would not be here. If it had been Rafe abandoned on a planet, there was no way Ivar wouldn’t go after him.
“Do you have to leave right this moment?” Beth asked. “I feel like we should…”
There was so much he wanted to say. He felt like he did not have enough time, so the words came out in a rush, “Beth, if my life were my own I would give up my world for you. I would stay here on Earth and figure out a way to be the man you deserve. Never before in my life have I wished that I were not a prince. I have always accepted my place and never resented my role for my people. But never have I had to give up a woman like you. It is tempting. Please know that I want nothing more than to turn around and forget the portal even exists.” He touched her face. “I do not know these men. It would be best if you stayed back. I do not want them thinking they have to push you through the portal because you know the truth.”
He saw the men looking around and pointing. It was only a matter of time before they found him. They would sense another shifter was close, just as Ivar sensed them.
“Ivar…” She grabbed hold of his arm to stop him from leaving.
“I love you, Beth. There will never be another for me. Only you.” Ivar kissed her and then set her away from him. “Be safe. Don’t follow me.”
She gasped, touching her lips. “But…”
He left her beside his favorite statue. The men found him almost instantly, and he walked quickly toward them.
“Prince Ivar,” the cat-shifter said. “It’s good to see you unharmed. Come. We have been sent to escort you home.”
“Where is my brother? Did Prince Finn make it through the portal all right? What about the woman that went in after him?”
“Princess Sadie? Yes, she and Prince Finn both made the journey,” the dragon-shifter said. “They are waiting for you on the other side, in the caves.”
“Sadie,” Ivar nodded. The guilt he felt about pushing the woman through that first night lessened. It would seem the gods wanted him to send her to her future. He glanced back to look for Beth. She’d moved from the bench and now stood across the street watching him from behind a sidewalk railing. Her fingers lifted as if to wave. He gave a slight nod and turned back to the men, hoping they didn’t see the interaction.
“Are you waiting for someone?” the dragon asked.
“Who are you?” Ivar didn’t make a move to leave, but he did step to the side as if he might soon. He drew their attention away from where Beth stood, forcing their eyes to follow him.
“We are palace guards,” the dragon said. “I am Hackett.”
Ivar turned to the cat. He knew all the Var palace guards, but he did not know this one. He’d trained and spoken to every single one of them. “And you?”
“Tavas,” the cat-shifter said.
“You must be loyal servants if the kings and queens sent you to me.” Ivar glanced around, noticing just how many humans were in the area. He did not wish to cause a scene.
“Yes,” Tavas said. “My family has served your family for generations.”
“My parents were farmers,” Hackett said. “I’m the only one in my family to leave the trade. Six of us brothers and I am the only one who does not like to shove my hands in the dirt.”
Tavas chuckled as if they shared some great brotherhood bond in their positions.
Ivar nodded. “I am ready. Lead the way.”
The men walked ahead of him. He turned, seeing Beth starting to come after him. He held up his hand, motioning her to stop. They went inside the narrow passageway of Faulkner Alley.
“There are many people worried about you.” Hackett glanced back to make sure the prince was still following them.
Ivar didn’t answer. A third man waited for them. Ivar narrowed his gaze, letting his vision shift with the power of the cat to pick apart the shadows. A dark cloak wrapped the man’s shoulders. Thin lines were cut like rivers from his eyes, signifying his age. The cold look in his gaze was sinister.
“Lord Montague,” Ivar stated. “What are you doing here?”
“I volunteered to escort you back,” the dragon elder said.
“You hate Earth,” Ivar countered. “You have said so on many occasions.”
“It is true,” Montague glanced around in disgust. “I do hate this planet.”
Ivar’s senses prickled. He knew when something was off. Drake had told him about Montague’s connection to the Nutef faction. Tavas lied about being a palace guard. Even if Ivar had not trained the men himself, this man did not carry himself like a Var soldier.
It was a trap. Who knew what awaited him on the other side. Tavas came a little too close to him.
Ivar balled his hand into a fist. He roared, throwing a punch to knock the fake cat-shifter guard back. Tavas flailed in surprise. He hit the wall near the portal. His hand dipped inside, activating it for a second before he pulled back out.
“Grab him! We need him,” Montague ordered. “Without him, we have no leverage against the royal families.”
Ivar turned his attention to Hackett. Claws extended, he slashed at the man’s face, drawing blood before the man shifted into dragon form. Ivar slammed him against the wall, knocking his head hard. The dragon growled in outrage.
Claws hit Ivar’s back, slashing through his flesh. The narrow passageway made it hard to maneuver. He flung back his elbow, making contact with a chest. He kicked the dragon, landing his foot in Hackett’s stomach.
“I have to do everything,” Montague grumbled. He surged forward, talons drawn and eyes glowing with deadly intent as he slipped his arm over Ivar’s neck and squeezed. Ivar clawed at the man’s armored flesh, but Montague held on tightly.
He kicked at Hackett when the man would get up to help Montague.
“Ivar!”
Beth’s voice brought him back from the edge of passing out. The sound of running feet reverberated in the passageway. There was a thud, and Montague’s body jarred and his hold loosened. Ivar took hold of the elder’s arm and flipped him. Montague whipped over Ivar’s shoulder and slammed down onto the pavement.
Beth screamed as Tavas grabbed hold of her. She dropped the broken piece of wood she held in her hands.
Ivar slashed at the man’s neck, ripping flesh before throwing him into the portal. Tavas disappeared. Hackett moaned. He must have fallen to the ground after Ivar’s last kick. He tried to stand. Beth kneed Hackett in the jaw to keep him down. The blow knocked the dragon-shifter unconscious. She breathed hard.
“Ivar… are you…?” she gasped.
“Beth, get out of here,” he ordered. “Run!”
“Stop trying to be all alpha on me,” she countered, still gasping for breath. “I’m saving your ass.”
“Gerard,” Montague yelled. The elder pushed up from the alleyway. “It is good to see you, man. Help me. The prince has come to force you all back to Qurilixen to stand trial. Help me stop him.”
Ivar faced Gerard. Was the man in on this?
“No,” Gerard stated. “Prince Ivar is an honorable man. Things are not like you said they were. You lied to us. You sent us through the portal believing the royals wanted to control the commoners by withholding our chance at happiness.”
Montague yelled. He pulled out a knife. Slashing wildly, he aimed for the nearest target—Beth. She cried out and grabbed her shoulder. The smell of blood filled Ivar’s nostr
ils, and he acted on pure, protective instinct. He leaped and grabbed Montague by the wrist. Montague pushed forward at the same time. Ivar drew the blade hand down, twisting the elder’s arm so hard the bone snapped beneath his hand and the blade embedded itself into Montague’s chest.
Ivar glanced around in shock at what had happened. He saw a shadow at the end of the passageway start to run toward them. With a groan, he shoved Montague’s body into the portal.
“You have to get out of here. People heard the fight and are coming to check it out.” Galen appeared with the painting and Beth’s bag. “I brought this in case you changed your mind.”
“Help me push Hackett through,” Ivar said. Gerard helped him lift the unconscious man, and then they hefted his body toward the wall.
“Ivar, go.” Beth pushed at his arm, shoving him through before he could speak. The purple light surrounded him, and a loud roar filled his ears like a waterfall was crushing him against rocks. He barely had time to brace himself for the pain as the stabbing sensation of portal travel struck his entire body at once.
Ivar came out of the portal and landed with a hard thud on his back. He scrambled to his feet. The black cave walls were lit with torch light. The tunnels leading to the Draig palace were caved in and blocked. He swung around. Tavas and Montague’s bodies were on the ground. Tavas had bled out at the neck, and Montague’s knife was still embedded in his chest. Hackett moaned and tried to crawl away on his hands and knees. The dragon-shifter slid on the jagged rocks littering the cave floor and knocked himself on the jaw.
Ivar started to reach for the man when something flew out of the portal and struck his back from behind. He turned, disorientated and ready to fight. It was only the painting Beth had done of him. Another object flew from the portal, and he caught it on instinct. It was Beth’s travel bag.
The muffled sound of a scream caught his attention. He glanced towards the cave opening and found Finn, Rafe, and a woman tied up. Their mouths were gagged. Near them, a couple guards were also bound.
Ivar dropped the bag and reached forward as yet another object came out of the portal. This time Beth flew into his chest. He caught her and held her tight. Her camera bag was over her arm, and it bumped into him. “Beth, are you all right? What happened?”
“Oh, damn that stings,” she exclaimed. “No one mentioned how much portal travel hurt.”
Beth pushed at his chest, and Ivar let her go. Blood marred her sleeve from where Montague had cut her. She grabbed her injured arm. Her eyes moved to the carvings of the dragons and cats that pointed away from the portal as if warning them to turn around instead of going through. She then turned to the men on the floor. Hackett moved too slowly to be an immediate threat.
“Where are we?” she asked.
Ivar rushed to his brother’s side and sliced his claw through the ropes to untie him. He pulled the gag out of Rafe’s mouth. “Rafe, what’s happening?”
“You found Montague.” Rafe pulled his brother close, hugging him. “He’s behind the rebellions. He must have known where your portal was. These two men pretended to be guards. They jumped us from behind and tied us up. We think they wanted to kidnap you.”
“Montague must have arranged this with them before we exiled him to Earth,” Finn said, as he gently untied his wife’s hands. Ivar recognized the woman they’d called Sadie. “He was supposed to be on an icy tundra. The only way he could’ve found you was with help.”
“So, ah, sorry to interrupt your reunion, but what’s he doing?” Beth asked.
Ivar went to her as Rafe and Finn freed the others.
Beth pointed at one of the statues. “I can’t read what it says, but is that a bomb or something?”
Hackett had moved close to the statue base. He had reached behind it. Ivar moved to see what Beth was looking at. A timer counted down in the Draig language but the technology looked to be alien to their planet.
“Run,” Ivar yelled. He swooped his hand around Beth’s waist, lifting her off the ground and running with her from the cave. Finn tugged at his wife’s hand. Rafe had untied the guards, and they all leaped from the cave opening to the valley beyond. Beth let go of a small scream as Ivar shifted and pushed faster.
Suddenly a large explosion sounded behind them, and heat blasted at his back. He stumbled and barely managed to keep his footing. He set Beth on the ground, and she fell over. Her body landed in the softer grasses of the valley. Orange light lit her face. He turned to see the danger of the cave. Rocks flew through the air, and a giant rumble sounded from above the mountain. Boulders dropped to bury the cave entrance.
“Run,” Rafe ordered.
Ivar reached for Beth’s hand and together they ran farther into the valley. He pulled her behind him with his faster speed. When the noise started to subside, they stopped and turned to see the damage that had been done. There was no sign of a cave opening.
“What was that?” Beth asked, stunned as she gasped for breath. She fell to her knees and held her sides.
“Let me be the first to welcome you to Qurilixen,” Sadie said. “I promise, it’s not always like this.”
17
“I guess I know how to make an entrance,” Beth said, as they looked at the black stone covering what had once been a cave. They had found safety in a sprawling valley. It was so strange to realize that in one second she had jumped from Oxford, Mississippi into a field of yellow grass. The green sky could not be mistaken for Earth, nor could the three suns overhead. They were just as it had been described—two yellow and one blue. The air smelled sweet, almost too sweet, like spun sugar from the fair grounds. The air felt normal though as it blew against her skin.
Excitement filled her. When she looked at Ivar, she did not feel afraid. She knew she had made the right decision. This is where she belonged.
Aside from the bad guy who had blown up the cave, no one had been seriously harmed in the explosion. Princes Finn and Rafe led the others to look at the damage. Beth stayed on the ground, looking up at Ivar. “Does this happen here a lot?”
Ivar dropped to his knees and cupped her face. “I don’t understand. Did someone push you through the portal? I’m sorry, I don’t think…” He turned to the cave-in. “I can’t send you back.”
“You better not try to send me back. Not after I jumped in that torture tunnel. Portal travel freaking hurts.” Beth covered his hands with hers. “You left too soon.”
“You pushed me in,” he countered. “I didn’t want to rush away from you.”
“Well, you needed to go before the locals saw you and tried to follow you here.” Beth turned her face and kissed his palm. “And I need to tell you something important.”
“What?”
“I love you, too, husband.” Beth grinned. “Or is it mate? How does this work exactly?”
“I will be anything you want me to be,” Ivar said. “I thought you didn’t want to come. What changed your mind?”
“You did. Before you just stated I was your woman. You said you regretted us being together. I didn’t think you could care for me the way that I was coming to care for you.” Beth turned and kissed his other hand. “But then you told me you loved me. And I saw the truth of it in your eyes. That’s all I needed. I love you, too. This is where I belong.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Beth closed her eyes. She knew that everything was going to be all right. She felt it as sure as she felt the breath in her lungs and the heart pounding in her chest.
“What do we have here?” Finn teased.
Beth recognized the man she’d met on the streets looking for a bride. Ivar let her go. She stood, brushing off her clothes the best she could. The wound on her arm stung at the movement, and she flinched. Ivar leaned over to examine it.
“It’s not too deep,” Beth said. “It just stings. I’ll be all right.”
“Sadie, come here, you remember Ivar, don’t you?” Finn motioned to the woman with him.
“Sure, he’s the guy w
ho threw me into your arms,” Sadie said. “I think you owe him a debt of gratitude.”
“I would apologize, but it looks like the gods have spoken,” Ivar said.
“Loud and clear,” Sadie answered. She touched her husband’s face. “I owe you a big thanks for sending me through to this one.”
“This is my Beth,” Ivar said. “She saved my life in many ways.”
“She saved all of us by seeing that bomb,” Sadie said. “Thank you. We’re lucky there was no one else allowed in those tunnels today.”
“Beth, do you remember Finn from Earth?” Ivar asked. “I believe he tried to marry you.”
“Uh,” Beth looked apologetically at Sadie.
Sadie laughed. “It’s all right. Lover boy here told me all about his Earth adventures.”
“I do remember you,” Finn said. “I thought you said your ring was being cleaned, and you were already married.”
Beth gave him a guilty smile. “I might have lied to spare your feelings.”
“And my brother Rafe,” Ivar continued the introductions.
“It is very nice to meet you, Rafe.” Beth moved closer to Ivar, wanting him near.
“Rafe, this is my wife, Beth.” Ivar pulled her to his side.
“I suspected as much by the way you were acting, brother,” Rafe teased. “Welcome to the family, Beth. On behalf of all of us, we are pleased to have you join us. My wife will be beyond ecstatic to have another Earth female at the palace.”
“Palace?” Beth repeated. “We are going to live in a palace?”
“Of course,” Rafe answered for his brother. “That is where princesses live.”
“I’m sorry about your portal,” Beth said. “Ivar told me how hard you have all been working to keep it open. I know how important it was.”
Headstrong Prince Page 13
