by Tara West
Twisting the washcloth around her finger, she eyed Jade. “Yet most people think the Fae brought it with them when they first visited Sawran seventy-five years ago.”
Jade let out a most unladylike snort. “Most people are stupid. The king knows this, and he uses fear to control them.”
She looked over her shoulder, paranoid that they were not alone in the bathhouse. “Fear is a powerful weapon,” she whispered. It had worked well enough on her all these years.
“We are all ruled by fear at times.” Jade hung her head. “Look at how I behaved today when you tried to save the girl.”
She cupped Jade’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. “I do not blame you for being afraid.”
Jade’s eyes glistened with emotion. “I was not afraid for my own life, but for yours.”
“Oh, Jade.” Her heart was so full, she feared it would burst. “What did I do to deserve such a wonderful friend?”
“My dear Kyria.” Jade wrapped her arms around Kyria, pulling her close. “You are the bravest, most kind-hearted person I’ve ever known. I’m honored to call you my friend.”
She pressed her forehead to Jade’s. “I love you.”
“And I love you,” Jade answered.
They steered each other to the edge of the pool, practicing loving on one another as they’d been taught by their head priestess, touching each other while making sure to keep their virginity intact. One day they’d use their lovemaking skills on their husbands, but for now, they cherished the time they had with each other.
Afterward, they dried each other and dressed, holding hands while tiptoeing through the halls. By the time they crawled into their soft bed, the morning sun was already peeking over the horizon. They’d only get a few hours’ sleep before it was time to wake and resume their lessons.
As they held each other tight, Kyria realized that during their love-making, she hadn’t thought once about her three dragon guardians, a first for her. Maybe she was finally over them.
Chapter Three
KYRIA KNEW THIS TO be a dream, for she didn’t feel the familiar pain from the blisters on her feet, but she didn’t care. She longed to be reunited with her defenders once more, and she’d probably only ever see them again in her dreams.
Kyria bent over, panting heavily. After sprinting for two hours, even she, with her superior strength, was winded. At least in the dream she didn’t have to worry about the familiar pain in her lungs.
“Kyria, you came!” Alexi rattled the bars of his cage, looking like a lamb at the slaughter, the full moon behind him turning his olive complexion ashen.
“Of course I came.” No way was she ignoring the cry for help that had woken her from a deep slumber. She squinted up at him. He and other defenders rocked in their hanging cage, which was suspended from an Empire tree high off the ground. How had they gotten stuck up there and why? They were noble Dragon Defenders, the bulwark of Delfi against the mighty sea leviathans. Who would imprison their nation’s heroes?
“The keys are over there.” He jutted a grimy finger at a ring of keys hanging from a nail high up the tree trunk. Their jailer had to have been standing on a horse to stick them there.
He held a hand down to her. “Climb up and throw them to me.”
Her veins solidified with fear. “But—”
“Do it, Kyria!”
She flinched at his impatient tone.
“They know about us,” he said more calmly, nodding at his companions. “It’s okay. They won’t tell.”
She looked at their dirty faces and saw no judgment there, only desperation. She did a quick scan of the forest, her Fae-touched senses more perceptive than the average human’s. Nothing appeared amiss and not a sound could be heard except the hooting of an owl and the slow movement of the low-water creek. Wherever her brother’s jailers had gone, they were far away.
She focused once more on Alexi’s companions. Beneath the filth were three strong men with defender tattoos on their forearms. One of them had blood dripping down his skull. If he didn’t get medical treatment soon, his wound would become infected. Swallowing back her fear, she launched herself at the tree, ignoring the stabbing of the bark, which cut wider holes on the soles of her shoes and rubbed the blisters on her feet. Though this was a dream, she remembered the pain from before.
She climbed slowly, the silky fabric of her dress catching on the rough wood, which ripped through her gown and chafed her knees. When she reached the keys, she calculated her aim. The way they blinked at her reminded her too much of her mother’s little singing birds, looking forlornly through the bars of their cage. To see her brother brought so low was almost comical.
He sneered, squeezing the bars with whitened knuckles. “Why are you smiling?”
“You look like Mother’s birds. Shall I give you seeds when I let you out?” Holding tightly to the tree with one arm, she practiced her swing before throwing the keys.
He caught them easily. “This isn’t funny.” He fumbled with the lock and swung the door open, rusty hinges squealing.
The cage tipped, and everyone slid toward the opening, swearing when they almost fell through it. Alexi held their arms, lowering them as far as he could stretch before letting go. Kyria and Alexi had been jumping out of trees for years, landing like graceful felines. These men fell like birds with clipped wings, landing with thuds and cradling their injured legs. After his three companions were freed, Alexi soared through the air, landing on his feet.
She jumped to the ground, swearing when her dress ripped all the way through at the knees. She frowned at the swatch of pink fabric fluttering in the tree. Her mother would not be happy. She couldn’t help but be self-conscious about her indecency in front of Alexi’s friends when she caught them staring at her bare legs.
Alexi jumped up and snatched down the fabric, then handed it to her. He gave her a quick hug. “You need to go.”
She wasn’t leaving without answers. His sandals were dusty and his knees were scraped, and his worn tunic was covered in patches and holes. The King’s Guard was always so smartly dressed. Why were the defenders dressed in rags? “Who locked you up?”
He and his companions laughed. “King Milas’s soldiers, of course.”
“That’s not good.” What had her brother done to anger them and how had they defeated him?
She touched the faint scar below his eye. She hadn’t noticed it before. Since Fae healed faster than humans, she knew this scar had come from King Milas’s soldiers. His clothes were stained with yellow powder. Strange. Where had it come from? Her mother had once told her of a yellow sleeping powder called scyllashade, but it was a Fae herb and didn’t grow on Delfi.
Taking her hand, he rubbed it across his stubbled chin. “I wish our reunion wasn’t so tense, sister, but I need to find our horses, and you need to flee to safety.” He kissed her forehead, then dashed into the forest with Fae speed, clicking his tongue and calling to Demon, his warrior horse and trusted companion.
Two of his brothers-in-arms had stumbled to their feet and were stretching their legs. They also had yellow powder on their clothes. Unlike her brother, the first warrior had golden skin and hair the color of wheat that practically glowed from what she presumed were years spent working in the sun. His dimpled smile and thick biceps made heat creep into her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. He was handsome, and she couldn’t help herself.
His companion had pale skin, hair the color of a raven’s wing, and a direct gaze that made her knees weaken. They were both more broad-shouldered than her brother and nearly as tall.
“Thank you for saving us!” The golden god let out a howl and rushed her, knocking the breath from her lungs when he picked her up and twirled her in so many circles, her head spun. When he released her, she slid down his front, feeling every hard angle along the way. By the time she found her footing, her heart pounded so rapidly, she could scarcely hear her heavy breaths. He cupped her cheeks, bent over, and kissed her, a hard, wet smack on the
lips that was over far too soon.
She pressed her palms to his chest when he drew back, and she wished his lips were on hers once more.
“Hey, Quin, don’t hog the pretty Fae to yourself,” the raven-haired warrior teased.
Her mouth went dry. He had acknowledged her Fae blood, and yet he still flirted with her.
Quin chuckled, pulling her flush against his hard body once more. “Maybe when I’m finished, Theron.”
Theron? Though the dark-haired warrior was pale, he appeared strong, with a broad chest and thick biceps. His blue eyes sparkled like sea foam in the midday sun, nearly stealing the breath from her lungs. He was devastatingly attractive, and she wouldn’t have minded a kiss from him, too.
“Hands off my sister, Quintillas!” Her brother’s words echoed through the forest.
Releasing her, Quin stepped back. He hung his head like her father’s hound when he was caught digging a new hole. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” she said a little too eagerly, her eyes locked on Quin. “I liked it.” Her first kiss had been more than she’d expected, liquefying her insides and making that juncture between her legs swell with a vengeance. Crossing one ankle over the other, she wished for another kiss.
Her brother joined her, his black horse trailing behind him while he tugged on the reins. His brows knitted together. “You’re not supposed to like it.”
Crossing her arms, she was suddenly irritated with him. At seventeen, she was ready for hand-fasting. Plenty of girls her age had already been kissed. One was even married, with a baby on the way. What right did her twin, who’d run off to join the Dragon Defenders at fifteen, have telling her who she couldn’t kiss? “Why not?”
Alexi swore under his breath. “We don’t have time to get into the intricacies of marriage between a unit and their bride.”
She was about to tell him off when she heard a low, deep moan. The third defender, with skin and shorn hair the color of onyx, was still curled up in a ball like a wounded animal, and nobody seemed alarmed.
She knelt beside him and wrapped a hand around his wrist. “Are you okay?”
His eyes flew open, and she gasped, reminded of a dragon waking from slumber. He unfolded himself like an uncoiling snake and slowly stood to full height. Great goddess! Sturdy legs corded with thick muscles descended from his ripped tunic like tree trunks. He was taller than her brother, his chest as wide as a bull’s. He had a bloody slash across his forehead, and the top of one ear was missing and bleeding. She instinctively reached for him.
He pulled back with a snarl. “Don’t touch.”
Feeling sorry for him, she clasped her hands together. “Can I do anything for you?”
“You’ve done enough,” he said. “Now fly away, little sprite.”
She blinked, mesmerized by the silver flecks in his dark eyes. Did he just call her a sprite? How rude! When he brushed past her, she spun and said, “Listen here, Fanfir. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save your ear, but I saved your ass, so show a little appreciation.”
He didn’t flinch when she referred to him as the most menacing of all the dragons. His face had a blank look, as if his soul was devoid of emotion.
The golden warrior clasped his shoulder. “Go easy on her, Titus.”
Titus? He reminded her more of a tight-ass.
“We can’t afford to waste time, Quin. Round up any weapons,” Titus said to him and then glared at her as if he was seeing through her. “It’s not safe for you here. Go home.”
She wouldn’t let him intimidate her. “Do you mind if I catch my breath first and maybe find out why the king imprisoned my brother?”
Quin dumped a sack of rusty swords on the ground. “He thinks punishing us will stop the rebellion.”
“So the rumors are true? The defenders have rebelled against the king?”
Titus chuckled, a low menacing sound. “What does it look like?”
Ignoring the big brute, she went to her brother. Grabbing his wrist, she projected a thought to him. Brother, his army will crush you.
“I’d like to see him try.” He jerked away. “We are all that stands between the dragons and Delfi, and it’s about time he gave us the recognition we deserve.”
She pretended not to be hurt by the way he pulled away and answered her thought out loud. As twins, they’d shared this telepathic connection since birth. They’d grown up sharing conversations and exchanging secrets, much to their parents’ chagrin. Until the day Uncle Anton had come to visit and filled her brother’s head with stories about the Dragon Defenders. Alexi had shared less of his thoughts after that. Then one day he’d disappeared without a word, breaking her heart when she found his goodbye note.
She fought back a rising tide of emotion. “Recognition? What kind of recognition?”
“Better supplies, for one. Food that isn’t rotting, warmer furs, plus a severance for our families if we die in service.”
“That doesn’t seem unreasonable. Why would he have a problem with that?”
All four defenders laughed as they shared a secret joke.
“Because he’s a selfish prick.” Titus looked her over as if she was no more significant than the grime under his fingernails.
Alexi turned her toward him. “Run home, and do not tell a soul you saved us.”
Why was Titus so cruel to her and why didn’t Alexi defend her?
Do you love them more than me? She projected the thought out of habit, instantly regretting it and fearing his answer.
“Look at me.” He cupped her chin in callused fingers, forcing her to meet his eyes. He looked like her, with an olive complexion, large Fae eyes and thick lashes, a slender nose, and high cheekbones. “Why do you think I joined the Dragon Defenders?”
“Because our uncle talked you into it.”
He shook his head, his voice dropping to a soothing whisper. “I joined to keep you safe.”
“Oh.” She remembered him saying as much in his note, though it hadn’t made it any easier losing him.
He brushed a brief but tender kiss across her forehead. “These are my brothers-in-arms. They have risked their lives for me too many times to count. I love them, but the love I feel for you is different.”
“I see.” She cast a cursory glance at his “brothers,” who were eyeing them impatiently. She wondered if Titus had been so cross with her because he was jealous of her connection with Alexi. Or maybe he simply despised her Fae blood, like so many other humans.
“Please go home.” Alexi squeezed her shoulders, desperation in his eyes. “I have enough to worry about. I don’t want to worry about you, too.”
“Okay.” She acquiesced, a maelstrom of emotions swirling in her chest ranging from relief to utter confusion. Before she turned from her brother, she caught sight of Quin’s sideways smile. He tipped an imaginary hat to her from atop a chestnut horse. Where the horse had come from, she had no idea, but he resembled a golden god on a winged stallion.
Her heart skipped a beat when he blew a kiss at her, and embarrassment flooded her veins like a rush of venom.
“Fly, sister!” Alexi cried, pointing to the rising sun that painted the distant sky in pink ribbons.
She spun on her heel and raced into the forest, the memory of Quin’s kiss still on her lips.
KYRIA WOKE WITH A START, perspiration dripping down her forehead as she sat up, looking down into Jade’s wide eyes.
Jade cupped her cheek. “Kyria, what is it?”
She pulled her knees to her chest. “What do you mean?”
Jade sat up. “You were moaning in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?”
It took all of her willpower not to look away as she lied. “I-I don’t remember.” She forced a smile.
The dream had been too real, a recreation of a scene that had happened three years ago. She wondered why lately she’d been dreaming so often of Alexi and his brothers-in-arms. She wished she could fall back to sleep and relive the dream, from Quin’s kiss to Alexi telli
ng her he loved her, because dreams were her only chance of ever seeing them again.
“WAKE UP, PRIESTESSES.”
Kyria sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes as the slave named Phoebe pulled back the heavy drapes, letting the sun spill into the room. She had no idea what time it was, but she was exhausted.
Jade rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in a pillow. “Let us sleep for another hour.”
Phoebe, a young, bone-thin woman with skin a few shades darker than Kyria’s, clapped her hands, the sound ricocheting through Kyria’s skull. “I can’t let you sleep. Our lady says you must prepare for the banquet.”
Kyria rolled onto her back. “I’m not going.”
Phoebe looked ready to pass out from fright. “What?”
She wasn’t surprised. Melandris struck the girl for the slightest offense. Phoebe probably feared the head priestess would beat her for Kyria’s insolence. She felt bad for the slave, who tiptoed around the temple like a frightened mouse. She even looked like a mouse, with her small nose, narrow chin, and large, luminous eyes.
“I’m not going,” Kyria reiterated. “Tell your lady I’m feeling unwell.” When the girl trembled, she added. “If she has a problem with that, she can take it up with me.” She laid down and wrapped her arms around Jade’s waist, snuggling against her back.
She wanted to add that she refused to put on a cotton dress and be forced to dine outside with the zetas, but that would’ve been unkind, considering the slaves had to eat below the temple with the smell of raw sewage.
“You will not be with the zetas,” Phoebe said as if reading Kyria’s mind. “Our lady says you are to dine with the alphas.”
Jade sat up, pressing her hands to her heart, looking wide awake. “I knew she’d have a change of heart. She cannot deny your late brother’s influence.” She waved to Phoebe like she was shooing away a stray dog. “Fetch our silk gowns.” Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she looked at Kyria. “She will wear her lavender gown, and I will wear the emerald.”
