The Conquest (Kelderan Runic Warriors Book 1)

by Jessie Donovan

  Taryn clenched her jaw before finally replying, “Promise me we’ll revisit the Barren later and I will grudgingly agree to still help.”

  The fact the human had so much passion for a people she barely knew only raised her in his esteem. If he could convince Taryn to be his bride for good, then Keldera had no idea what was in store for them. Even if he and Taryn lived on Jasvar, he was positive his human would find a way to enact change on Keldera.

  If his father thought Kalahn was a handful, he would be in for a surprise with Taryn.

  Kalahn asked, “Why are you smiling?”

  “Never you mind,” Kason replied. “Taryn Demara, I promise to try helping the Barren, although I can’t guarantee things will change. That will require changing the hearts and minds of the people.”

  “I understand that. But just know that I won’t forget your promise.”

  The corner of his mouth ticked up. “I’m sure you won’t. When you set your mind to something, you see it through.”

  Taryn raised her brows. “That almost sounded like a compliment.”

  “Perhaps.”

  Taryn’s tension eased from her body, and she sighed. “If not for everything that needs to get done, I would tease you back.”

  He wanted to say she’d have many years to do that, but resisted. He didn’t want to scare or anger her. “Then help me with my plans. We can work in private in my room.”

  “I hope you truly mean work, Kason.”

  “Of course. You’ll fulfill your promise to me once I take care of the ships at the edge of the star system. Let’s call it a form of motivation.”

  “For you or for me?”

  He smiled. “Both.”

  Kalahn jumped in. “You do realize Evaine and I are in the same room? Hurry up and go next door. Then we won’t have to put up with the flirting.”

  Kason put out his hand. “Come, Taryn. We’ll get more done without my sister’s constant interruptions.”

  Taryn looked to Evaine, and the other female said, “I’ll be fine. With you gone, Kalahn can speed up my language lessons.”

  “So I’m just slowing you down?” Taryn asked.

  “Yes,” Evaine answered.

  “I love your honesty, Evaine. Have fun. I fully expect you to be my interpreter before long.”

  Taryn placed her hand in his, and he gripped her rough fingers tightly. He didn’t want her to change her mind.

  As Kason tugged Taryn through the wardrobe and into his room, he tried not to think of how much he was coming to admire his human. Keeping the secret about her being his bride was going to become trickier, especially if she helped with the possible threats and the other males saw her worth.

  In that second, he decided that as soon as any threats were vanquished, he was going to claim Taryn Demara publicly. She was his and the sooner everyone knew that, the better.

  Chapter Twelve

  Taryn crossed her arms over her chest and studied Kason from across the table in his room. “What if the other ships can’t come to aid the bait fast enough? I still say you should train the women for the positions they’ll be playing. It will make it that much more convincing, not to mention it will give them a little bit of protection in case things go wrong.”

  Kason shook his head. “My father would never agree to send the females if he knew we were going to train them.”

  She shrugged. “Then forget to tell him that part. I’m sure he’ll forgive you once you’ve won.”

  “Confidence isn’t enough to win.”

  “Ah, but a lack of confidence ensures defeat.”

  “Perhaps.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It shouldn’t be so hard to admit that I’m right.”

  He grunted. “If I do it too often, you’ll get cocky.”

  She grinned. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”

  “I have no idea what that means.”

  The slight frown between his brows was almost adorable. She enjoyed unsettling the big warrior across from her. “Just that you’re one cocky bastard and I have a long way to go before I catch up to you.”

  She leaned forward and placed her arms on the table. Kason’s eyes darted to her cleavage, sending a rush of heat through her body. She’d mostly been able to block what had happened in the cave.

  If not for the possible upcoming battle and wanting to convince him of her ideas, Taryn might’ve encouraged him to kiss her again.

  However, there wasn’t much time before he would be meeting with his fellow officers again and she needed every minute she could get to fine tune their plans.

  She pointed a finger toward her face. “My eyes are up here.”

  His heated gaze met hers, and her heart skipped a beat. The huskiness of his voice made her shiver as he said, “I wish we had time for a break.”

  “Even if we did, I don’t think we’d be resting.” The dark blue markings on his skin flashed red for a split second before returning to their usual color. She raised her eyebrows. “That’s a first. What does the red mean?”

  “It reflects desire.”

  Her cheeks heated. “Oh.”

  “You should feel honored. The color of my markings hasn’t wavered in many years.” He reached out and traced the skin of her forearm. “And yet, a human female easily rattles my control.”

  “Only because I’m your bride.”

  He never ceased stroking her arm. “Perhaps.”

  As they stared into one another’s eyes, Taryn saw them together when they were old and gray, arguing over how to protect their people.

  And not just their people, but their children, too.

  Get a grip, Taryn. There are more important things to worry about. She cleared her throat. “You say ‘perhaps’ a lot. Is that common in Kelderan?”

  He removed his hand, and Taryn nearly reached out to pull it back as he answered, “Yes. Ambiguity prevents arguments and strife.”

  “It also means you never get to say what you really mean.”

  “Perhaps.”

  She snorted and Kason grinned. The combination of his white teeth, lines around the corners of his mouth, and the lightness of his eyes made her suck in a breath. She tried to make her mouth work, but Kason beat her to it. “That’s twice now I’ve made you speechless. It’s becoming rather easy to do.”

  Clearing her throat, Taryn found her voice again. “Just be glad your grin doesn’t make me scream and run the other way. For a while there, I wondered if you could even smile or tease.”

  He reached out and took her hand. Taryn didn’t pull away. “There isn’t much opportunity to do so when you’re a general giving orders and inspiring men to follow you.”

  “Being a prince hasn’t helped, either, I would think.”

  “No. But we are each born to find our place and purpose. The royal family gives Kelderans someone to look to for guidance, strength, or even hope. If sacrificing a few freedoms means an entire planet is happier, is that not worth it? Even though you’re not royalty, I think you understand.”

  “Yes, I do.” She hesitated about how much to share, but Kason squeezed her hand in encouragement, and she added, “I’ve done the same for my people. That’s why I’m here in the first place.”

  He nodded. “Then we should understand each other, Taryn Demara. In a way, I think that is why we will work and live together well.”

  She blinked. “What?”

  He released her hand. “Think about it. Because while you seem determined to sleep with me, obtain your agreement, and go back to your life as before, the question is—do you really want to? Or, would you rather co-rule Jasvar with me and always have someone watching your back?”

  ~~~

  Kason had slipped up twice. First with his markings and then with telling Taryn he wanted a future with her.

  But he wasn’t about to take it back. Most of his life he’d been dedicated, obedient, and had done his duty. For once, he wanted to combine duty with his own wishes. If Taryn didn’t want the same thing
, he needed to know sooner rather than later. That way he could plan his next steps without her, if need be.

  He waited until his female finally spoke again. “I will think about it.”

  Only through years of training could he keep his markings from showing his hope at her statement. “At least it’s not a no.”

  “No, but it’s not yes either. How about we take care of the threats and cement our plans for your colony first? No one should make a life-altering choice right before you might die.”

  He growled. “We won’t die.”

  “We will if we don’t train the women.”

  Taryn’s steely gaze told him she wasn’t about to give up. “Let me talk with my men first and then decide if I want to deceive my father, the king. Is that amenable to you?”

  “Just because we disagree doesn’t mean you have to be cold and put distance between us again.”

  “I didn’t realize I was.”

  She smiled, and it eased his concern a fraction. “We’ll have your language skills in top shape before long.”

  “Speaking of which, you need to get back to your lessons.”

  “You want me to go?”

  “If I’m honest, no. But I need to meditate and prepare for my next meeting.”

  She tilted her head. “You seem to meditate a lot. What does it entail? Answer that and I’ll go back to bothering your sister.”

  Sharing a warrior’s meditation practice with a female was strictly forbidden. But considering how many barriers Kason had already broken, he decided one more wouldn’t be much worse. “Come, sit on the bed.” She gave him a skeptical look, and he added, “I’m not going to ravish you, if that is what you’re afraid of.”

  Taryn moved to the bed and plopped down. He smiled at her lack of grace. “Now, close your eyes.” She obeyed, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Imagine your mind in the black vastness of space with tiny pinpricks of light. Nod when you’re ready.”

  He watched Taryn’s face as her eyes moved beneath her eyelids. He noticed a freckle near her eye for the first time. It took everything he had not to reach out and lightly stroke the mark.

  Thankfully, the human nodded, and he was able to focus again. “Now pick one of the lights and imagine who lives there, how they protect themselves, how they fight. Then imagine their strengths, weaknesses, and what you would do if you have to protect your family from them. Next, how you would forge an alliance. By the end of the meditation session, you should have a fresh look on life, new ideas on how to do your best as a warrior, and a calm, focused mind.”

  “That is a lot to do.”

  “Shh. Just focus on your session. I will watch over you until you’re done.”

  Taryn raised her face an inch. She took a deep inhalation and then went still.

  As he waited for her to finish, he studied the curve of her cheek, the slightly unevenness of her eyebrows, her light tan complexion, and then focused on the shape of her lips. The upper one was much thinner than the bottom one, but it just meant he would have to focus his attentions there until her lips were swollen from his passion.

  Aware he had a meeting soon, Kason pushed past his desires and studied his human again.

  Her face was relaxed. Combined with her silence, his human looked younger and more carefree. In the moment, it was difficult to imagine she was a leader or strategist. While he knew the meditation would help her understand him and maybe even herself, he liked her better when she was lively.

  After about five minutes, Taryn’s lips curved up, and she opened her eyes.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “I rather enjoyed that.”

  “Enjoyment is usually not the objective.”

  “Perhaps.”

  He smiled. “I see you’re picking up my linguistic cues.”

  “Perhaps,” she murmured as she winked.

  Shaking his head, he took her hands and helped her to her feet. “Beyond enjoyment, what else do you feel?”

  “Calmer, for sure. And maybe even a little overwhelmed since I’ve never given much thought to those who occupied the stars.”

  He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Good. The meditation should make you both at ease and uncomfortable. We must always be reminded that others are out there, but with strength and determination, we can usually coexist. If for some reason we can’t, then we aren’t afraid to face them.”

  She gently laid a hand on his chest, and he reflexively put his own over hers as she replied, “There is more to you than I originally guessed, Prince.”

  “I can say the same about you, human.”

  They smiled in unison and Kason merely enjoyed the moment. No matter what happened, he would remember this sense of ease and lightness for the rest of his days.

  Standing on her tiptoes, Taryn gave him a quick kiss on the mouth before whispering, “I better go, or neither of us will get much done.”

  She tugged her hand, and Kason reluctantly released her. Just as she opened the wardrobe, he said, “I’ll update you once I know more.”

  “You had better.” She waggled a finger before grinning. “Tushaun.”

  It took him a second to realize she’d said “good-bye” in Kelderan, but she was gone before he could answer.

  Looking around his room, it seemed cold and lifeless without his human. The feeling motivated him to sit down and begin his meditation. He had his work cut out for him to convince the others of their plan, and he needed all the strength and wisdom he could muster.

  ~~~

  Kason stood at the head of the table inside the conference room and waited for the others to respond.

  Thorin was the first to speak up. “Never in our history have we used females during a battle, beyond nursing the wounded. Why would you suggest this? Is it because of the human?”

  Kason was careful to keep his face neutral as Thorin studied him. “As I learned firsthand, females can defeat others much stronger than them, and we should consider every option available to us if we fight and wish to defeat the Brevkan.”

  Thorin tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair. “Since you were recently defeated, I’m not sure we should take your advice.”

  Syzel chimed in. “We’ve all suffered defeat at some point in our lives, Thorin. I remember you losing to your fair share of warriors during our training years.”

  “Training is one thing, being bested by females is quite another. We can’t risk the upcoming battle with our greatest foe, if those ships turn out to be the Brevkan,” Thorin replied.

  “We don’t even know if it is the Brevkan.” Kason looked to Syzel. “Let’s put past defeats aside for the moment. You’re our chief strategist, Syzel. What do you say?”

  Syzel nodded. “The idea has merit. The Brevkan wouldn’t expect it. However, my main concern is convincing the others to cooperate. Many of the younger warriors will be offended at working with the women, almost as if they aren’t strong enough to do it on their own. Asking them to wear women’s clothing would be the last straw. We could end up with a mutiny.”

  Jerrick, one of Kason’s best soldiers, said, “If they were provided an incentive, such as a promotion, more may agree than not. And those who won’t can be sent back to Keldera when we pass by it in a day or so. That should prevent a mutiny.”

  Thorin shook his head. “Even if some of them would agree, what about the people of Keldera? This goes against tradition and everything we’ve been taught since we were children. The antimonarchy faction could use the change to their advantage, and we could end up facing a revolt.”

  “The revolt might come anyway, Thorin,” Syzel pointed out. “However, if the Brevkan finally finish what they started all those years ago, there won’t be a monarchy for anyone to try to overthrow.”

  Kason looked his second-in-command straight in the eye. “What is more important? A future free of our greatest enemy? Or preserving a tradition and not having much of a future to enjoy? Even if the antimonarchists try to use the situation t
o their advantage, a victory over the Brevkan will return us to favor with the people.”

  Enishi, chief of engineering and Kason’s weapons specialist, finally chimed in. “How about we quietly talk with a few of the best and most trusted warriors? If it looks as if no one will participate, we carry on with our previous plan. If we can convince them, then we’ll try the new plan. Either way, I will have our weapons at the ready.”

  Kason looked at Enishi. “What is your personal opinion on the matter? Would you be willing to train females?”

  Enishi shrugged a shoulder. “Considering some of the halfwit males I’ve trained in the past, a few females might brighten up the place. It’s not easy being stuck in the bowels of the ship for most of the day.”

  Syzel sighed. “You like it there.”

  Kason ignored Syzel and answered Enishi. “Good to know you’d be on board.” He looked to each male in turn. “For the next few hours, I want each of us to quietly seek out the best and most trusted of our crew and speak with them. We’ll meet back here in three hours. That will give us enough time to finalize our plans before we enter instant communication range with Keldera and possibly discover the threat. Dismissed.”

  Kason watched each of the men leave and paid special attention to Thorin. While his second-in-command’s markings were a steady, deep blue, Kason’s gut said the other man was unhappy with his request.

  Maybe once they dealt with the unknown ships, Kason could seek out a better fit for his second.

  Then he remembered that he would soon no longer be a general.

  After having Taryn once and getting to know the female, Kason wouldn’t hesitate to claim her publicly once the threat was vanquished. However, if she didn’t want to co-rule Jasvar, provided an agreement could be reached, then he wasn’t sure what he’d do with his life. He’d been bred and trained to lead. Sitting on the sidelines, even if he was blessed with a family, would soon drive him crazy.

  Pushing aside his doubts, Kason stood tall and exited the conference room. The next three hours could change his people forever. He needed to concentrate on that, and the rest could wait.