by Inez Kelley
Argot paled. “You mean he’s...?”
“Yep. I guess that makes him like my uncle.”
“Uncle?” Darach recoiled. “No. There is no familial branding in my world. We are. There are the Old Ones and us, that is all.”
“Old Ones?”
“Yes, those who create us.”
“So parents, right? Wouldn’t that make you all like brothers and sisters? And since my mother is from there...hello, Uncle Darach.”
Darach snarled. “I am not your uncle. Nor is your mother my sister. The Old Ones are many, though fewer than the rest. We are...I am... The queen was of my world but not of my kind.”
“What do you mean, your kind?”
Darach’s lip curled. “Your Highness, you reek of cat. Your mother was a jaguar.”
An affronted look furrowed Argot’s brow as he kicked his boots up to rest on the low table. “He’s a shithead but he doesn’t stink, you prick.”
“I meant no offense, simply an observation. The queen called for a tracker, the keenest nose in all realms. Do not berate me now for that which she summoned.”
Batu snorted. “I’ll let the insult slide. So what are you?”
“Ursine.”
“Ursine?” The future king frowned at him. “What is that?”
“You would call it a bear, a grizzly. But I am not your uncle.”
“Fine.” Batu shook his head with a laugh. “We’ll call you a cousin then. Which might be better since we’re closer in age than you and Mama.”
“Age? I have no age. I was called this morn, created in this form this day.”
Argot’s face went stony. “Wait. The queen was called to protect King Taric. Salome called to bring peace to Captain Haruk. What were you called to track?”
“The threat to the crown.”
His glass slammed against the table. “What the fuck am I, a court jester?”
“You guard the prince. I seek to unearth the threat and help Jana to eliminate it.”
“That’s the part I don’t understand.” The prince shifted closer and lowered his voice. “She’s just a reminiscent seer. How can she help?”
“There is more power in the past than mere memory, Your Highness.”
Batu sighed. “Magic. I’ve lived with it all my life and I still don’t understand it. But I’ve learned to trust it.”
“I don’t need to trust shit. You’re in danger, that’s all I have to know.” Argot refilled his mug, then pointed to Batu. “And you don’t even think about going anywhere without me. You don’t fart unless I know it, got it?”
“Yes, dear,” Batu sneered, reaching for his small clear cup. He downed the drink with one swallow. “I’m not stupid.”
“Better to be stupid and alive than brave and dead.” Argot cracked his knuckles. “Speaking of stupid, where’s your little brother? He really shouldn’t be out without a guard either.”
“Warric doesn’t need a guard, he’s got enough magic to defend himself.” Batu rubbed his forehead then looked at Darach. “Have you met Warric?”
“Not formally,” Darach said. He’d sensed Warric’s presence in the tower room moments after he’d been called to this world, felt his power and his strength. “He inherited your mother’s magic?”
Batu nodded. “Yeah. He’s normally at the Academy for advanced training but...he sort of got in trouble.”
Argot snickered. “What did the little shit do this time? Turn more frogs loose in the kitchens? Or did he make all the furniture in the headmaster’s chambers disappear again?”
“He got expelled.” The prince lowered his tone. “Don’t say anything. Papa doesn’t know yet.”
Wariness spread through Darach as Argot’s spine went stiff and his chin rose. “They expelled a royal prince? Then it’s bad.”
A long pull drained Batu’s mug. He refilled the small glass and tossed it back before settling deeper into his chair. Darach’s eyes narrowed, taking in his slouched body, his worried brow, his tensed jaw.
“They called it ‘improper use of magic with cruelty’ but I agree with Warric. It was more like justice.” His eyes shifted to Darach. “Apparently someone at the school was giving Jana a hard time. Warric stopped it before she dropped out but the guy was a dick and kept running his mouth. Warric snapped.”
Argot’s fist clenched around his mug. “What’d he do?”
“I don’t know exactly, just that whatever it was took a couple of the Grand Masters to undo. My brother has a short fuse behind that magic of his but he’s not cruel. Whatever he did was justified in his mind. That’s good enough for me.”
“Where is he now?” Argot rolled his cup around his hands. “I’m not going to let anyone get to you but if... He’s second in line.”
Batu’s lip angled up in a half laugh he tried to hide. “Warric as king? He’d rather eat snail shit. And he’s too arrogant to think a mere man can kill him. He’s at Kya’s.”
Argot snorted. “Lucky him. He’s getting laid while you’re stuck pacing the halls at night with a burning gut.”
A bright flush arced across Batu’s cheeks and Darach frowned in confusion. The prince had no flames on his stomach.
“Shut up, Argot.” Batu looked at Darach. “Segur men sometimes have a burning in their belly. It just means I need...I want Feena and a family, that’s all. Makes the nights damn long knowing she’s asleep only a few rooms away.”
Argot leaned heavily on the couch arm and wiggled his brows. “I might be joining you on your midnight strolls sometime.”
“Oh yeah?” Batu asked. “Who’s caught your eye?”
“More than caught my eye, agreed to be my wife.”
The prince’s jaw swung wide. “What? Who?”
“Jana. I signed the contract with Captain Haruk this evening.”
The prince’s congratulations faded beneath the sudden pounding in Darach’s ears. His blood pumped with a speed that forced heat into his face. His knuckles grew white on the mug. Argot was not Jana’s husband yet. For now, she belonged to him.
“You dog.” The prince punched his bodyguard in the arm. “Have you been sneaking off with her behind my back?”
Under his skin, deep within his core, Darach’s bear bristled in defiance.
Argot laughed. “No, of course not. The captain’d have my balls on a pike. I did it the honorable way and asked his permission first. I’ve been waiting to ask for...forever it seems. I’ve loved her since I first saw her.”
“I’m blind.” Batu scratched his head. “I never suspected anything.”
“You’re too wrapped up in Feena to see anything. It’s not like we’re bonded like you.”
In his chest, Darach’s temporal heart began to pound. He could see no shackles around the prince’s wrists. “Bonded? Explain.”
“Segurs have to find their heartmates.” Batu stretched his legs out, propping his boots beside Argot’s on the table. “Once we’re bonded, there is no other mate possible.”
Darach’s breath caught. Heartmates were powerful and ancient magic, nearly forgotten in his realm. If the Segur family was enchanted with that blood magic, then Jana’s reminiscent gift could be invaluable. Emotion pumped wildly through him. Heartmates changed everything. Of course, the Segur blood called to Jana. That spell was a blessing when given but always turned to a curse, destroying the line eventually. Whoever cast the original spell had been supremely powerful. His world had learned that, in the human realm, all magic had limits. If the spell wasn’t broken at the correct moment, it wiped the bloodline from existence.
Was that what was occurring now? Tilting his head back, Darach breathed deep, inhaling the scents around him—of fire and crackling wood, yeasty hops and spicy soap.
Heartmates. Blood magic. It didn’t answer why someone wished Batu dead but something in Darach’s soul, in his magic core, knew the two were tied. He just had to discover why and how. Jana’s untapped power was the perfect solution.
“Is Warric bonded to this Kya?
”
Argot burst out laughing, a deep rolling sound. “Their kind of magic isn’t so uncommon.”
Batu chuckled. “She and Warric have a thing.”
“A thing?” Darach tilted his head. Though he absorbed every sensation, every conversation, every action of those around him while resting in Jana’s pendant stone, some things remained beyond his understanding. This world seemed filled with unspoken rules and hidden meanings he could not discern. “What is a thing?”
“They’re lovers.” Argot belched. “Sometimes.”
“Every time he’s home. Can you name another lover of his? I can’t.” Batu stretched his arms above his head with a groan. “No, there’s something there but I don’t know what. He never talks about her.”
“Warric doesn’t talk about anything except magic.” Argot stared into his empty cup. “Hit me again, Tu.”
As Batu was refilling the mug, Jana entered with a soft knock. Heavy shadows colored beneath her eyes but the smile she sent them was sweet. “If you guys are just drinking whiskey, I’m going to go to bed.”
Argot hopped off the couch and strode toward her. “No, there’s ale too. Come on, for a little while anyway.”
Jana took Argot’s offered arm and allowed him to lead her to the small seat where he made sure she was settled before lowering his frame beside hers. Batu handed her his mug half-filled with frothy ale then raised his whiskey high.
“A toast—to Jana and Argot. May your marriage be long and happy.”
Darach followed when the others raised their glasses but his eyes were fixed on Jana. Her smile wobbled at Batu’s words but she hid it quickly behind her cup. After a sip, she beamed a bright grin at the man beside her. Darach angled his head. Could Argot not see her happiness was forced?
She answered inquiries about Feena while Darach stayed silent, studying her profile. She was truly lovely, with high set cheeks and bright, intelligent eyes. The firelight tripped over her face, pulling pink from her skin and gilding her hair to a noontime sun. Darach’s nostrils flared, catching the scent of heat, damp soil and dew, the fragrances of nature colliding. The smell grew richer as her fingers slid along the couch edge. Inside he made a low growl of contentment.
She glanced at Darach and her mouth rounded. “You’re drinking ale?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Darach blinked. “I was given the cup. I drank.”
Argot seemed to be amused and handed him the shorter, clear cup. “Drink that.”
“Argot, stop,” Batu warned. “He’s never had whiskey.”
Darach took the glass and did as he’d seen Batu do, tossing the contents back with a single swallow. Liquid fire warmed his belly. He thrust the cup back to Argot. “Thank you.”
Argot stared. “Damn, thought you’d at least cough.”
“Do you eat as well?” Jana asked.
“I can, but as long as I return to the Earth, my magic and this body are replenished.”
Argot’s scarred hand reached for Jana’s fingers. He murmured something low that dipped her head. Excusing herself, Jana rose and Argot followed her to the door. They lingered, their voices hushed and private.
“What’d you want to know about the heartmate bonds?” Batu’s question tore him from watching them.
“Everything. I believe the threat to your life is somehow connected to the bond. It must be broken. I need to understand more to do that.”
Batu frowned into his mug. “Broken? If you break it, will I feel differently for Feena? I mean, the marks are supposedly a secondary thing but I won’t need her less, will I?”
Darach drew a deep breath. “The mark is secondary? Why?”
“I loved her first. The mark appeared later.”
“I do not understand. Love? What is that?”
The mug made a sharp crack on the tabletop. “You don’t know love? But Mama says your realm is pure love, pure peace. How can you not know it?”
“Perhaps it is the word which confuses me. My world has no language for the atmosphere that cradles us. It simply is.”
“The Segur bonding marks are...well, it’s just a scar on my chest really. Nothing huge or ugly, just a straight line over my heart. Every male Segur gets them when they find their mate. Our parents knew we were destined but never told us. I’m grateful for that. I think it would’ve been odd to know growing up that Feena was my bondmate. I always thought of her as a little sister. Then one day, I looked up and realized she was more.”
“More? I do not understand.”
“I fell in love. Feena is the reason my heart beats. Without her, I existed, but I never felt alive until I loved her.” He looked into the snapping fire. “I don’t want to lose that, Darach. Will that fade if you break my bond?”
“No. What is will remain. Only the future will change.”
Batu blew a harsh breath. “Thank God. What about children? The burning in my blood gets stronger every night. It means my body wants to create a child. Right now, I can never give a baby to any woman except Feena. Not that I want it any other way but still, it’s best to know. Will that change?”
“What is will remain. Jana’s success would affect only those of future generations.”
In the doorway, Argot’s head dipped to Jana’s and Darach bolted straight in his chair. His grip on the mug tightened. “Why is he biting her?”
Batu turned to look, then chuckled while refilling Darach’s small glass. “He’s kissing her.”
“Kissing? Why?”
“He likes her. Kissing is what a man does to a woman he likes. Sometimes it is sweet and means very little. Other times, it means the man cares about her a great deal. Argot loves her.”
The image of Argot’s headless corpse flashed in Darach’s mind. His teeth began to sharpen but he forced the shifting under control. Decapitating Jana’s mate would not further his goal, even if it did give him satisfaction. He swallowed the whiskey then looked to the prince. “You kiss Feena?”
“Every chance I get.” The prince grinned. “You look like a full-grown man. It’s hard to remember you don’t understand these things.”
“If I have offended, I apologize.”
Batu waved his concern away. “I’m not offended. I can’t imagine leaving everything I know behind and trying to do what you’re doing. The way I understand it, you didn’t have to answer Mama’s call but you did. So I should be thanking you, not laughing because you don’t understand something.”
“I came to her call, yes, but I stayed for Jana. She draws me.”
He glanced back at the couple by the door and an itch began in his belly. He could not prevent the sour lick in his words. The itch erupted into a clawing sensation and his bear growled.
“She belongs to me.” Once the words had passed his lips, he wished to snatch them from the air. “As long as I remain in this world.”
Batu smirked. “Watch that hide of yours, Darach, or you’ll end up a rug. Argot’s not going to let any man take Jana from him.”
“I am not a man.”
Batu fixed him with a shrewd smile. “No, you’re not. This just might get interesting.”
* * *
“I know you don’t feel for me what I do for you.” Argot shuffled his feet on the rug. “But I hope you have some fondness for me.”
“I do.” She was very fond of Argot. She had just dreamed of love.
“I thought maybe you’d prefer to wait a full season or so, give the castle time to recover from the royal wedding before we...we marry.”
The stiffness in her mouth fell away and she grinned in honest relief. “That sounds wonderful.”
His eyes were hazel—brown and green and gold all at the same time. They sparkled with happiness, softening his rugged face. He dug into the coin pouch at his waist. Gleaming in the firelight, the silver ring seemed tiny, almost a plaything in his huge palm, but the stones were real. Four small diamonds at the points held an oval turquoise that was an exact color match to her pe
ndant.
“I tried to find a match to your necklace. This is as close as I could get.”
Jitters exploded in her stomach. A betrothal gift shouldn’t have surprised her. It was custom, although a ring was somewhat unusual. But his attention to detail only solidified in her mind that she’d made the right choice. A dream was nice but reality was better. Argot was reality.
Her hands didn’t even tremble as Argot slid the ring on her finger. The fit was faultless. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
He cupped her elbow and lowered his head. She forced herself not to jerk, not to pull away as he brushed her lips with his. It wasn’t unpleasant, just unfamiliar. She returned the light peck, rising to her toes and placing her hand on his chest.
Hard fingers stroked her cheek with the softest of touches. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make you a happy wife.”
Jana pressed her hand to his, holding it to her cheek. “We’ll have a good marriage.”
She kept her gait calm as she walked back to her father’s suite, knowing Argot watched her. It wasn’t until she was in her chambers with the door latched did she give in to the shaking that gripped her. Somehow she doubted bridal jitters began so long before the wedding but she pushed the thought from her mind. Argot was her future.
Chapter Four
Warric’s breathing slowed and his muscles softened under her caress. Kya threaded her fingers through the back of his hair, the rhythmic motion soothing him.
“Is your headache any better?”
Warric pushed up to his elbows, then leaned down to drop a kiss on her mouth. “Yes. You always make it better.”
The unbleached linen of her pillow seemed pale next to her dark brown hair. He loved it spread loose like this, fanned about her head like a cloud. It drew attention to her pert little nose so he placed a kiss there as well.
“I don’t like that they’re coming so often. Talk to the healer. Maybe she could help you.”
His head was shaking before she finished. “Been to three. Nothing works but you. You take the pain away.”
“Then maybe you should tuck me inside your pouch and smuggle me into that school. I could be your personal medicine.” She nuzzled below his ear. Draping her arms around his neck, she sighed. “I’ve missed you. Two months is too long. How long can you stay this time?”
