by Jayne Castel
“A good thing? How can you say that?” She was starting to get annoyed now. “It’s a disaster.”
“Maybe, but it’s not in your hands anymore. This is a mess for Thrindul and the king to clean up—our part is done.”
Lilia stared at him, torn between losing her temper and bursting into tears. She knew he was right, and yet every part of her resisted it. Even though she no longer bore The King Breaker, she still felt some responsibility for its fate. It had left a scar upon her.
Seeing her turmoil, Dain’s mouth quirked. “I know it’s still early in the day, but I think we could do with a cup of wine.”
Lilia frowned. “Considering Thrindul can’t stand the sight of us—is it wise to go down to the feasting hall?”
He turned and opened the door to his room. “No, it’s not, but luckily for us I have some wine up here—come on.”
Numbly, Lilia followed Dain into his chamber. It was the mirror-image of hers: a stark, sparsely-furnished cell.
Perched upon the window-sill, Lilia watched Dain cross to the table and pour some wine from a clay bottle. “I’ve only got one cup,” he said. “You don’t mind sharing?”
Lilia shook her head, shifting her gaze to the sunless day outside. “The days grow so cold,” she murmured. “You’d think it was winter.”
“Let’s hope King Nathan manages to retrieve The King Breaker,” Dain said, passing her the cup of wine. “Or that’ll be the least of our worries.”
She looked at him. “But won’t the crops all die, if this continues.”
“Eventually, yes.”
Their gazes held for a few moments. Lilia looked away first, aware that they were alone together for the first time in days—since they’d kissed in fact. Despite that her thoughts were on other matters, his nearness affected her.
“Do you remember that song Ryana sang us back in Idriss?” she murmured,
He nodded. “Gone is hope, gone is the light. His shadow obscures the sun.”
Lilia shuddered and took a large gulp of wine. It was elderberry—spicy and rich—and she sighed as its heat spread out through her body. She handed the cup to Dain. “Is that what we’ve got to look forward to?”
“Only if he’s not stopped.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, sharing sips of wine, each lost in their own thoughts. Lilia continued to stare out the window. On The King’s Way below, she could see a company of soldiers marching up to the citadel—Nathan was readying his troops for tomorrow. Her chest constricted.
Brand would be far ahead of them by now, and would reach the Shadefell Mountains long before the king’s army did. What would Nathan find upon his arrival there—would Valgarth be freed already?
Lilia glanced over at Dain to find him leaning against the stone window-ledge watching her. She held his gaze.
“I want to help stop him.”
Dain inclined his head, his gaze narrowing. “How?”
“With your help, with Ryana’s.”
Dain gave a bitter laugh. “I’m flattered, Lily—but I’m just one man, and Ryana’s locked up under this building.”
Lilia snatched the cup of wine from him and downed the rest of it in one gulp. “You’re easily worth ten men, and we’ll find a way to get Ryana out of the Vault. Then we’ll travel north.”
Dain’s gaze widened. “Shadows, you’re serious.”
“I am.”
He muttered a curse and raked a hand through his hair, leaving it sticking in all directions. “I can’t let you do this. It’s too dangerous—and not only that, it’s futile. What makes you think the three of us can make a difference?”
Lilia slid down from the window-sill and faced him. He was shorter than a lot of men, but even so she still had to lift her chin to meet his gaze.
“Haven’t you ever wanted to be part of something important?” she asked “Part of something bigger than yourself?”
He started, as if she’d just struck him. “Yes, but—”
“This is your chance, our chance.”
Dain made an exasperated sound. “But we don’t even have a plan.”
“Then we’ll make one.” A mix of fear and excitement twisted Lilia’s belly but she continued. “If The King Breaker hadn’t bonded to me, I’d never have come on this journey. I was too afraid. You probably never even noticed, but everything used to scare me. I took that job in your parents’ inn because I wanted to change, but I took myself with me. I couldn’t even look you in the eye. Bearing that stone changed me, freed me. I don’t want to go back to being that girl. I want to be brave.”
Dain stared at her, and Lilia suddenly felt embarrassed, as if she’d said too much—revealed too much of what was in her heart.
Long moments passed, and then he stepped close, raising a hand to brush away a curl of hair that fallen had across her eyes. The look on his face was new to her; a blend of surprise, tenderness and alarm.
“I did notice,” he murmured. “I notice everything about you.”
His words made her feel strangely flushed and nervous, as did his closeness. He reached out once more, cupping her face with his hand, his thumb caressing her cheek. “Although I admit, I thought you couldn’t stand me.”
She inhaled deeply, trying to calm the wild beating of her heart. “It was your teasing I couldn’t stand.”
He stepped closer still, so that their bodies were almost touching. “Don’t you know that men only tease women they like?”
She looked down at the floor, feeling oddly breathless. “Yes, but that doesn’t stop it from being hurtful.”
He laughed, his breath feathering across her skin. “We all have our ways of coping, Lily—teasing is mine.”
She glanced up at him. “Coping?”
He gave a huff of frustration. “Isn’t it obvious? Do you think I came on this trip for a change of scene?” His thumb continued to caress her cheek as he spoke, distracting her. “It was for you. I risked my neck, and I’d risk it a hundred times over—for you.”
Lilia stared at Dain, her body tingling as his words sunk in.
She forgot the conversation they’d been having prior to this. She stared into his eyes and the past and the future faded to mist. All that mattered was this moment.
“Dain,” she whispered. “I—”
His mouth slanted across hers, cutting her off.
This kiss was different to the one they’d shared a few days earlier. That had been unexpected, a brief respite from the harrowing journey on the Eastern Road. This one had purpose behind it. This kiss claimed her.
Lilia reached up and entwined her arms about Dain’s neck, pulling him against her. The feel of his lean, hard body pressed against hers, the taste of his mouth, the rasp of his stubble against her cheek, caused all coherent thought to unravel.
The old Lilia would have stopped things here. She would have pushed him away and hurried off mumbling excuses. But that girl was gone, and in her place was a woman who knew what she wanted. She wouldn’t run from this.
If she was to be brave, she would start now.
She started to un-lace the front of his shirt, her fingertips sliding across the warm skin underneath. Her hands ran down his chest, exploring the lithe, hard feel of him. Likewise, his hands slid under the hem of her shirt, tracing across the soft curve of her belly.
Hunger reared up within Lilia at his touch, and she groaned into his mouth. She could feel the hard length of his arousal, pressed into her hip as they kissed. Blindly, she reached down and fumbled for the buckle of his belt. She wanted nothing to separate them.
Their clothes came off, pooling to the floor at their feet. Lilia leaned up against the cool wall and closed her eyes, letting Dain kiss his way down her body. Her fingers tangling in his hair, she watched him as he suckled her breasts, and the ache of need in the pit of her belly ignited like dry kindling.
Another low groan escaped her.
Dain scooped Lilia up against him, pressing her back against the wall. His mouth
found hers once more, and they devoured each other. Lilia wrapped her legs around his hips, angling herself to meet him as he slowly entered her. This was her first time with a man—and she’d been afraid that it would hurt—but she felt only a sense of discomfort, of stretching, as Dain slid into her.
“Oh,” she gasped.
He stilled. “Am I hurting you?”
“No.” She buried her face in his neck, kissing the warm skin. “The opposite.”
He gave a low chuckle and gently bit her earlobe, causing her to shiver with pleasure. “Just wait—it gets better.”
“Really?”
He shifted his hips, slowly grinding against her. The ripples of pleasure it brought her, radiating out from her core, caused Lilia to moan.
Dain’s teasing expression disappeared, replaced by one of hunger. His mouth covered Lilia’s once more; his tongue tangling with hers. Dain’s hands slid down her back and cupped her buttocks. Then he withdrew slightly, before thrusting deep, pulling her hard against him this time.
Lilia groaned loudly, arching back against the wall. She couldn’t believe she’d been avoiding this. Naked, her breasts thrusting up to him, she felt deliciously exposed and out of control. Every fear she’d ever had dissolved. Nothing else mattered. She felt wild, capable of anything.
Pleasure built into a great aching wave. Dain moved inside her slowly, deliberately. She felt his body quiver against hers; his skin under her fingertips was damp with sweat despite the cool breeze filtering into the chamber.
Lilia angled her hips so that he could go deeper—searching for something she couldn’t quite name. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she clutched at Dain. A deep throb built at the pit of her belly. She arched back her neck and cried out, calling his name, pleading with him.
Dain cursed, losing control. His body shuddered and he ground himself deep into her, panting her name as he found his release.
A breeze flowed in from the open window, feathering across the two naked figures entwined upon the sleeping pallet. Dain’s chamber lay on the west side of the House, and should have caught the noon sun—if there had been any sun to catch.
Dain stretched lazily, his eyes slowly opening. A sense of wellbeing flowed through him; his limbs felt loose and relaxed. Next to him, Lilia sighed and snuggled closer against his chest. Dain looked down at her, watching her face. She was beautiful. A light smattering of freckles covered her pale skin, her full-lips were bee-stung from his kisses, and her auburn eyelashes rested like butterfly wings against her pale cheeks. She looked young and vulnerable in his arms, and he felt a surge of protectiveness.
He gently traced his hand down her naked back, following the indent of her spine with his fingertips. She had a lovely body; sleek and lush in all the right places with skin like creamy milk. His gaze slid down from her face, down the slender column of her neck to the swell of her breasts, shifting down her pale flank to her toned, shapely legs.
“We can’t lie here for much longer,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering open, her gaze ensnaring his. “There’s much that needs to be done.”
He made a non-committal noise and continued to stroke her back. Couldn’t they keep the world at bay for a little longer?
However, Lilia continued to watch him, with unnerving intensity. She’d changed over the last couple of days. The grit he’d always known she possessed had surfaced. She had a sense of purpose, and even their coupling could not distract her from it. With or without him, Lilia was going to find a way to join the army on its march north.
With a sigh, Dain disentangled his limbs from hers and slid from the pallet. Then he went to retrieve his clothes. She watched him as he pulled on his breeches and laced them, before buckling his belt. The frank appraisal in her eyes made him want to yank his clothes off and rejoin her. Instead, he met her gaze.
“Are you with me?” she asked softly.
Dain nodded, before reaching for his shirt and pulling it over his head. Then he scooped up Lilia’s clothes and tossed them to her.
“Come on,” he said. “Ryana won’t rescue herself.”
34
Making Plans
Asher glanced up from packing a box full of medicines—bottles, vials and pouches—to see Lilia and Dain enter the annex at the back of the House of Healing. Half the space was a store area, where he kept the bulk of his medicines, bandages and instruments, the other half—curtained off—was the mortuary. Just beyond that heavy curtain lay the bodies of Gunner, Lars and Rina. He’d just finished preparing them for cremation. Thrindul had enchanters out readying a funeral pyre beyond the city walls at this moment—the ceremony would take place this afternoon.
Preparing Rina’s body for the rite had saddened him. He wasn’t blind; he’d known how she felt about him, although he hadn’t returned her feelings.
Asher watched Lilia and Dain step inside the cramped space before closing the door firmly behind them. He frowned. “You two shouldn’t be in here. Thrindul has—”
“Don’t worry, we know he’s enjoying his noon meal in the feasting hall with the others,” Dain replied with a smile. “Why aren’t you?”
Asher snorted. “Some of us are too busy to eat.”
“Asher.” Lilia stepped forward. “We need to speak to you—we need your help.”
Asher met her gaze and noted the direct way she regarded him. There was something different about her this afternoon. Just hours before she’d been pale and on-edge as she recovered from the sleep charm; her gaze downcast as if she’d wanted to disappear. Yet now she stood tall, shoulders thrown back, a slight flush on her cheeks. Her eyes were bright as she watched him.
Asher shook his head. “You know I can’t help you.”
“We want to get Ryana out of the Vault,” Lilia continued, as if he hadn’t spoken. “But we can’t do it without you.”
“We also intend to stow away with the army tomorrow,” Dain added from behind her. “So we’ll need your help with that too.”
Asher stared at them, stunned, for a few moments before he laughed. “The pair of you are idiots. I could go straight to Thrindul and tell him what you’re up to.”
Dain folded his arms across his chest. “But you won’t—because you can’t stand Thrindul. Plus, Ryana’s your friend and you want to help her.”
Asher straightened up, irritation flaring. “Is that so? How did you suddenly become an expert on me?”
Dain and Lilia merely watched him, waiting.
Asher slammed the lid of the box he’d been filling closed, the sound echoing in the annex. “Shadows, you don’t know what you’re asking. I could be cast out of the Order for helping you, or thrown down in the Vault myself.”
“Only if you’re caught,” Dain pointed out.
“We don’t want to put you at risk,” Lilia added quickly, “if there was any other way, we never would have come to you.”
“Everything’s about to change for this Order,” Dain added. “You must realize that. You don’t know how many of you are going to come back, and if you do—Thrindul’s no longer going to lead you. The king made that clear.”
“That doesn’t mean I should start taking matters into my own hands.”
“You can’t leave Ryana to rot,” Lilia added. “She’s a talented enchanter—we need her.”
Asher stared at her, incredulous. “What exactly are you planning to do?”
She met his gaze once more, her own fearless and hard with resolve. “With your, Dain and Ryana’s help, I’m going to try and retrieve The King Breaker once we reach the Shadefells.”
He might have laughed in her face, if she hadn’t looked so fierce, so resolute.
Seeing his skepticism, she frowned. “I bonded with that stone, I promised to protect it with my life. I failed once, but I won’t do it again. With or without your help I’m going north.”
Asher stepped back from her and ran a tired hand over his face. This was the last thing he needed right now. Yet there was something about the way Lilia sp
oke to him that made it difficult to refuse her. After so many years in this Order, led by a man who never did anything without considering how he stood to lose or gain, Asher was not used to such unselfish behavior.
“This won’t be like the journey you made here,” he said eventually. “That was dangerous, but this one is likely to be far worse. You might fail. You might never come back.”
She held his gaze and nodded. “I know.”
Asher sighed and walked away, turning his back so neither of them could see his face. Dain was right—he hated Thrindul. Was it that obvious? He’d been right about Ryana too. He didn’t want his friend to remain in the Vault. She needed to be given the chance to put things right.
Still, the thought of going against the High Enchanter’s wishes made his stomach twist. If Thrindul ever found out …
Asher turned round to face Dain and Lilia. “Alright, I’ll help you.”
They both beamed at him, and Lilia opened her mouth to say something. However, he raised a hand to forestall her. “But before we get started, the pair of you need to pull your heads in. No more wandering about the House. Thrindul’s in a black mood. You don’t want to cross his path.”
He fixed his attention on Lilia first. “Go up to your chamber and stay there until dark. It won’t be safe to go down to the Vault until then. We’ll need to wait till the kitchen servants bring Ryana her supper. After that, she’s alone down there till just after dawn.”
He swiveled his attention to Dain. “I’ll have trouble finding a place for Lilia and Ryana to hide in one of the supply wagons in the rearguard—there’ll be no place for you.”
Dain nodded. “Then it’s just as well I’ve already come up with a plan for myself.”
Lilia swiveled. “What? I thought you were joining us?”
Dain turned to her. “It makes sense the three of us don’t travel together. It’s safer if I’m somewhere else, keeping an eye on things.” His mouth curved into a smile. “Don’t worry—I’ll be close by. I’m going to join the King’s Guard.”
