by C. A. Worley
“Where did you get that?” he snapped, watching the medallion swing hypnotically, back and forth.
“It was in the stream. I found it when I was awake, minutes after I fell.”
“Impossible.”
“Obviously not. Is it yours?”
“It was … I had it around my neck that night with Brennen.”
Evelyn nodded. “I thought so. When I saw the ‘M’ engraved, your face immediately came to mind.”
They stood still, the necklace between them. Evelyn stretched closer so he could take it. Marrok didn’t reach out. He just stared, as if in a trance.
“Take it,” she insisted.
Marrok blinked, watching his dead wife’s necklace sway in the hand of his mate. After he’d awoken those years ago, he’d been preoccupied with the implications of Brennen’s death. He hadn’t thought of the missing medallion until he rode on the palace, days later.
He should tell Evelyn the ‘M’ stood for Melena, not Marrok. He didn’t.
Too many feelings were working their way through his system. Melena wasn’t something he was ready to discuss tonight, so he held up his palm and allowed Evelyn to drop it into his hand. Marrok put the necklace in his pocket, the one opposite the place where he’d stowed Evelyn’s underwear.
“Are you not going to wear it?”
“No.”
“Is everything okay, Marrok?”
“It’s fine.”
His eyes met hers and he felt like he’d somehow let her down. “I have a lot on my mind. Do not be concerned.”
Evelyn’s mouth twisted back and forth, making her appear more childlike than she was. “If you say so,” she grumbled.
Despite his ill mood, his mouth lifted. “Come here, moj draga.”
Evelyn stepped into his embrace, allowing his sturdy form to support hers. The tension drained away and she rested her cheek upon his chest, inhaling his masculine scent.
“What does that mean? Moj draga?” she asked, mimicking his Sundari accent.
“It’s an endearment. Something along the lines of ‘my darling’ or ‘my sweet.’ Why? Do you not like it?”
“On the contrary, I think I like it very much.”
His chest shook under her face. “Don’t laugh at me,” she chastised.
“I’m not.”
She tilted her head back. “You are.”
“Maybe just a little. I can’t help it. You’re very entertaining. You tell me exactly what’s on your mind. No one does that. Not once have I felt compelled to search your thoughts.”
“I see no reason to not be honest with you.”
Marrok’s grin slipped. He would have to tell her about Melena. Eventually.
Wanting a distraction, he leaned down and kissed her pliant lips. He kept the pace slow and his pressure light. Ever eager, his little mate tried to ravage his mouth but he didn’t allow it. He did not intend to play with her in this dream.
When they broke apart, she sighed dreamily and he nestled his head against hers. Suddenly, she jerked backwards.
“I think I’m waking,” she said.
“Don’t panic, Evelyn. This isn’t the end, remember?”
“Tomorrow night?”
“No, I’ll need some time. If I’m out on campaign, I’ll need to sleep lightly. I can’t afford to be dreamwalking and dead to the world. Give me a month.”
“A month?” she whined.
“’Tis only a moment for an immortal.”
Evelyn dissolved before his eyes. Not ready to wake, he put his hands in his pockets, rubbing the fingers of one hand across cool metal, and the fingers of the other across silky lace.
Guilt burned hot in his gut, coming to terms with which he preferred to have in his grasp.
Chapter 10
One month later …
“Thank you, sister dear,” Evelyn chirped sincerely after Eden handed her the plate of biscuits. They were the only two currently at the breakfast table, having been the last in the family to come down for the morning meal.
“What’s gotten into you?” Eden accused, disturbed by her sister’s sudden bout of pleasantness. It was the second agreeable thing she’d said in as many minutes. Evelyn was not a morning person.
“What? I say thank you all the time.”
“Yes, but you rarely mean it. Even rarer is your lack of sarcasm. So I’ll ask again, what’s gotten into you?”
Evelyn’s face split into an enormous grin. She was powerless to stop it. She’d risen from bed full of anticipation for the coming night. This was the night she’d meet Marrok in her dreamworld. She hoped he’d made progress and she was closer to being with him in the waking world.
“Nothing. I’m content today.”
“Sure you are.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Stop. I’m capable of playing nice. Don’t make me feel bad about it.”
Eden’s astute intellect wouldn’t let her drop it. “Something’s going on with you.”
Evelyn studiously buttered her biscuit then crammed it into her mouth. She couldn’t speak if her mouth was full.
“Manners, Evie.”
Evelyn sneered at her sister and continued chewing. She took a swig of water to wash it down, tempted to shove another down her gullet just to avoid talking to Eden. She wasn’t ready to divulge the details of her dreams, not until she knew Marrok was ready to talk to her father.
“Maybe I’m looking forward to sparring today.”
It was the truth. Since the blood exchange, she’d felt stronger. Physically, as well as magically. She hadn’t felt exerted once these past few weeks during their hand-to-hand exercises. She was by no means as strong as Marrok or any other male warrior, but she was starting to hold her own for longer.
Eden eyed Evelyn, a sly grin spreading. “Is it because you-know-who is sparring with us today?”
Evelyn pursed her lips. “Who is you-know-who?”
“Come now, don’t play coy. You know today some of the male soldiers are grappling with us.”
Evelyn wiped her hands on her napkin and threw it on her plate. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Sure you don’t.”
“Seriously, Eden. Why are you nettling me?”
“Because it’s working.”
“What?”
“Now you’re acting normal. I don’t like the Sweetie Evie routine.”
“You are so odd,” Evelyn laughed.
“And you think you’re normal?”
Evelyn laughed again. “I’m going to get changed. I’ll see you out there.”
“I’ll make sure Jasper saves you a round.”
Evelyn stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned back towards her sister. “Jasper’s sparring today?”
“Like you don’t already know.”
She didn’t know. Well, she knew, she just forgot. Still, it wasn’t relevant. He was one of her father’s men. They all took turns training the king’s daughters. He hadn’t been around lately, so he was due to take a turn.
Without a retort, Evelyn lumbered out of the kitchen and returned to her room. She couldn’t help but think sparring with Jaspar was a bad idea. He hadn’t come on to her since the incident, but he was a terrible flirt. An incredibly handsome one, too.
Evelyn doubted Marrok would appreciate her being so close to Jasper, yet she couldn’t refuse to train.
Lifting her dress over her head, she looked at the new definition in her frame, at the shallow lines forming outlines of her muscles. She could see the curve of her biceps, the roundness in her shoulders. Her thighs, though lean, were firm, reminding her of all the running and jumping she’d done.
Evelyn felt strong, even more so now that she looked it. Vigorous training was finally paying off. Plus, she was convinced mixing blood with a demon had added to the effect. She would take any advantage she could get.
She slid her body into her sparring attire, feeling more confident than ever. She could handle Jasper—she would handle Jasper. All she had to do was outlast
him and not allow him close enough to pin her.
Armed with nothing other than her plan, she ran down the stairs.
* * *
“You’re serious?” Evelyn asked her grandfather, Flynn, who was also her father’s Second in Command.
“Yes. The three of you have spent a lot of time in the sparring ring. Your skills are good. Now we’re escalating things.”
Her head swiveled back to the forest, where a group of soldiers stood nearby. She ignored the one trying to catch her eye.
Nora and Eden had already gone through the exercise in the woods and moved on to the next activity. They were rotating stations and now it was Evelyn’s turn at this one.
“Who’s chasing me?” she asked.
“It’s not a chase, Evie. You’ll be tracked and attacked. The goal is to either capture you or subdue you.”
“Fine. Who is tracking me?”
“I am.”
Evelyn didn’t have to look to know which of the soldiers had replied. Sparring with Jasper in the ring was one thing. There she had some advantages, namely she could see his movements. In the forest, he wouldn’t be coming from the front. The element of surprise was on his side.
She couldn’t outrun him. She wasn’t supposed to use her powers to take him down. The idea was to figure out how to survive when weakened or unable to call forth the elements.
Flynn nudged her towards the closest trail. “You’ll have three minutes before I send him in.”
“A full three minutes, huh?”
Her grandfather’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, smart mouth. Now get to it.” He two-hand pushed her and she stumbled onto the path.
Some girls had doting grandfathers who whittled them toys and told fond stories of their youth. Evelyn had a grandfather who preferred being called Flynn and loved ‘toughening up his girls’ as he often said.
Evelyn gave a small salute and sprinted off down the path. She waited until it curved and she was out of sight of the males before she darted off in a different direction.
She zigzagged back and forth, jumping over logs and rocks, touching as little foliage as she could manage. She knew a little bit of tracking and tried to avoid the things that would make it obvious in which direction she’d gone.
She half expected Jasper to jump out at any moment. She paused every minute to listen for his approach. Only the usual sounds of the forest drifted around her. He couldn’t be far behind. He was one of the fastest in her father’s regiment.
After what she thought must have been at least ten minutes, she started searching for places to hide. If she could evade him completely, she could win. She finally settled down between two enormous trees covered in Gwydion’s thick, purple ivy. It was often used to make rope because it was malleable yet strong.
Squatting, making herself small but also holding a position where she could bolt, Evelyn used the surrounding vegetation to cover her body. She kept her breaths shallow and quiet, listening for Jasper’s approach.
The minutes ticked by. A noise to her left had her frozen in place. Another sound—a twig breaking?—a little further away echoed under the canopy. If it was him, he was moving away from her.
Evelyn released the exhale she’d been holding.
“This is fun,” a breath whispered across her right ear. Evelyn screamed and sprang forward. She didn’t even make it a full step when large hands wrapped around her waist from behind, lifting her off the ground.
“Never took you for a screamer,” he chuckled.
Blood filled her head. He was laughing at her. This kissing bandit who had all but knocked her off a boulder trying to attack her mouth was laughing at her?
Not for long. The moron had left her arms free. She was too far above him to use her elbows. Glancing down, she realized her feet were at the perfect height.
She extended one leg and brought her heel back as hard as she could. Jasper shifted his hold and was able to deflect enough so his man parts didn’t take the blow.
Evelyn twisted and grabbed a handful of his hair, yanking his head back and forth like a rabid animal with prey in its mouth. It wasn’t a combat move, but her sisters hated it when she’d tried it on them.
“Ow! Bloody hell, Evie!”
“Let go of me.”
“No.”
Jaspar squeezed her tighter and she grimaced at the severe pressure around her abdomen. Close to panicking, she started kicking back with both heels and pulling harder at his hair. Several small clumps came out by the roots and he yelped. If she could just get a little lower, or turned, she could punch his face or go for his eyes.
In the struggle, his grip slipped enough for her to be lowered a few inches. It was all she needed. Her dominant arm crossed in front of her, winding up to elbow him in the side of the head. She caught his temple and they dropped to the forest floor like a sack of potatoes.
Evelyn turned to her side and pushed herself to a sitting position. Jasper’s big body was next to hers. He wasn’t moving. Uh-oh.
She shifted him to his back and checked his breathing. His chest was rising and falling so she knew he wasn’t dead. Evelyn sagged in relief. She’d only knocked him out.
Lifting to her knees, she leaned over his trunk, slapping him lightly on the face. “Jasper! Wake up.”
Nothing happened so she did it again. Still, he didn’t wake. Evelyn covered her face. “Damnit. Now I have to go get Flynn to help drag your big body out of this place. Thanks for nothing, moron,” she grumbled.
A big hand knocked Evelyn to her back followed by an even bigger body. Jasper had her pinned to the ground, his hands holding down her wrists. Her eyes narrowed on his smiling face and he chuckled again.
“I can’t believe you fell for that,” he gloated.
“That’s not funny, you giant miscreant! I thought I’d hurt you!”
“Nah. I’ll have a bruise but it wasn’t enough to kill me.”
“I’ll be sure to hit you harder next time.”
His head lowered towards hers. His breath blew across her face as his chest pressed against her own. Her body sparked with interest, liking the feel of his weight. She cursed it, knowing her physical response was because she missed Marrok.
“Apologize for calling me a moron.”
“What? No.”
“Do it or I’ll kiss you.”
“Quit joking around, Jasper.”
“I’m not joking, Evie,” his nose grazed hers.
Her eyes grew big. Had he gone mad? She watched in slow motion as Jasper’s mouth descended. By the Goddess, he really was going to do it! She tried to turn her head and he grabbed her by the chin.
“Jasper, don’t—”
His lips cut off her threat. Warm and soft, they pressed into her own. Too stunned to react, she remained still, her traitorous body tingling all over. His tongue tried to breach her mouth and something inside her snapped.
Evelyn bit his lower lip and he grunted, rolling off to the side and freeing her from under him. She popped up to her feet, fueled by her anger towards him for daring to do something so stupid.
“You bit me!” he yelled.
“You deserved it!” she yelled back.
Jaspar’s hand lowered. “Am I bleeding?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Never took you for a biter, Evie.”
Her mouth dropped open. She could not believe the gall of this male. Her hands lifted and the thick ivy wrapped across and around his body.
“Hey, what are you doing? No magic, remember?”
Evelyn ignored his whining and used the ivy to secure him to the base of the tree, with his hands bound behind his back. He wouldn’t be able to call forth his power like that, not without harming the ivy. She trusted he wouldn’t be foolish enough to damage one of her elements.
The longer she looked at him, the more aggravated she became. “Not one word, Jasper. My father is still upset with you over the last time you pulled a stunt like this. You say something asinine and I’ll have him
be the one to come retrieve you.”
Jasper’s face paled. “You’d tell him?”
“I should. Seriously, what is wrong with you?”
“Nothing. Is it so bad to want to kiss you? You’re gorgeous. Every male in the kingdom would give his right arm to have you.”
Evelyn was taken aback. No, that couldn’t be right. Jasper must be teasing her. Even if it were true, he shouldn’t have done it.
“I’m going to go tell my grandfather where you are. While you wait, you might want to sit here and think about your actions and why I might be upset with you.”
“Evie—”
“No. I don’t want to hear it. Keep your mouth to yourself, Jasper. If you don’t, I might just remove it from your face.”
She didn’t wait for his reply.
Chapter 11
When Marrok opened his eyes, he was on the path he’d walked with Evelyn a month ago. He could scarcely believe he’d managed to keep away from his saatus for so long.
Thankfully, the blood exchange had been enough to help him with his focus and to remain clear-headed. Even in the dreamworld, their combined lifebloods held true power.
If this moment was indicative of their bond, he would now be able to enter her dreams easily. Some of his anxiety over being apart diminished believing he could reach her when he needed to.
His entire core flexed with every step, brimming with anticipation to be reunited with his mate. Rounding the small bend, the clearing came into view. He was surprised to see Evelyn’s barrier was already down. Or, perhaps, she’d never bothered to put it back up.
His lovely mate was already there, scanning the tree line, presumably looking for his arrival. This night, she was clad in nothing but her white nightgown, sleeveless and hitting just above her knees. Marrok walked faster and her head jerked in his direction. When she smiled, Marrok ran.
He hauled Evelyn against his front as his mouth slanted down over hers. The prickling sensation from the saatus bond tickled his lips. He could hear her heartbeat quicken, matching his own frantic rhythm. He loved how he could affect her as much as she affected him.
Marrok allowed himself to get lost in their kiss, content in one of the simplest, albeit most intimate, acts between lovers. He reveled in the feel of her soft, pink lips touching his. He adored the tentative press of her tongue, exploring and curious.
