by Laurie Roma
“I love you. Be careful.”
Jasyn saw the worry in her eyes, but he was proud of the way she held firm to her belief in them. She trusted them to take care of the situation, and so they would. He was the one who had caused this situation, so he would be the one to fix it.
But not alone.
His brothers always had his back.
Sharing thoughts through their bond, they transported themselves to the middle of the desert. Standing on top of one of the highest sand dunes, they could see in all directions. With their enhanced eyesight, they saw the hover-cycles speeding over the sand. It wasn’t exactly an army, but it was a large group of warriors.
Transporting again, they positioned themselves directly in the path of the approaching vehicles. Usually, Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron felt naked without their weapons, but since they had mated Liandra, they hadn’t felt the need to carry their swords or knives around.
At that thought, Braden cleared his throat, then reached down and pulled a knife out of each of his boots.
Jasyn scoffed. “It figures. You just cannot help yourself.”
“We do not need weapons any longer. Even if we want them, we can use magic to put them into our hands,” Aeron reminded.
Shrugging, Braden put the knives away. “It is just habit.”
Jasyn grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest and braced his feet apart. Braden and Aeron moved to stand beside him and mirrored his stance. They always stood in order of birth, even if they had been born seconds apart. Most warriors followed the same custom since it made things easier.
As the convoy drew closer, he could sense the moment they were spotted. The hover-cycles slowed down until the entire group came to a halt several yards away. Most of the warriors remained seated, resting their hands on the hilts of their swords.
The three large warriors in front of the group got off of their machines and began to walk forward. Like their younger brothers, the Kings of the Palace in the Clouds had long blond hair and glowing blue eyes. They were dressed in blue leather and carried themselves like males who had been born to rule.
“If we fight, we should use swords,” Braden said.
“As opposed to what? Fireballs?” Aeron dropped the sarcasm when he added, “Actually, I might have to try that.”
“Do not show them our magic too soon,” Braden ordered. “Something feels...off.”
Agreeing with him, Jasyn scanned the warriors still seated on the hover-cycles and picked out the three faces of the princes. At least they’d had enough courage to come face the fire, even if they were hiding behind their elder brothers.
Surprisingly, there were several individuals in their group who had varying shades of blond hair. Since it was an extremely rare trait on Arcadia, he found it interesting. Perhaps that was why the people of Cloud City kept to themselves. Purity of their gene pool? Even they couldn’t be that foolish, he thought. Then again, the young princes had proved there were at least some within their group who had an alarming lack of sense.
“We are Kronos, Idris, and Maze Braga, Kings of the Palace in the Clouds,” Kronos announced as they came to a stop.
Ignoring the formalities, Braden cut through the bullshit. “What business do you have in the Sands?”
There was a long pause before Idris said, “We demand the right to speak to your kings.”
“That is not going to happen until you state your business with them.”
“You should know,” one of the young princes yelled. “You are the ones who attacked us!”
Jasyn sighed. He had definitely been right about their lack of sense. “Then, your business is with me since I am the one who tossed you on your ass.”
“Have you come here to turn yourself over to our justice, then?” Kronos asked curiously.
Jasyn snorted. “Not a chance.”
“If you attacked our brothers—”
Fuck it.
“Did your brother fail to mention that I only put him on his ass after they attacked a female under my protection? They touched her after they were warned not to,” Jasyn growled, rage surging through him at the memory.
The kings stood frozen, not even blinking as their glowing blue eyes bore into him. He felt something pushing at his mind and immediately created an impenetrable wall to keep whatever it was out. Alarm shot through him. “These fuckers have magic.”
“What?” Aeron asked, shocked.
“They were trying to get into my head. I felt it but blocked them out. Take precautions.”
“Is it true?” Kronos asked, turning to face his younger brothers.
“She bumped into me, and I touched her shoulder.”
“You dishonor yourself and your house by lying,” Jasyn growled. “The three of you cornered her, frightened her, then you put your hands on her.”
“Now, who is lying? You are just trying to justify your attack on us.”
“You are lucky you walked away at all,” Aeron snapped. “We do not know how you do things in your region, but all females are protected in the Sands. They have the right to walk around the marketplace without fear of being accosted or attacked.”
“It is not like we forced her into a mating.”
“If you tried, your bodies would have been sent home in boxes,” Braden growled.
“So, you did touch a female without permission,” Maze stated, his voice devoid of any emotion.
“None of this justifies that guard attacking us!”
“That female was—”
“Be very fucking careful about what you say next,” Braden snarled. “That female you are speaking of is Princess Liandra of the Palace of the Sands, and we are Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron Mazer, her mates.”
The young princes went pale at the announcement, and the kings’ expressions turned hard as stone.
“Brother—”
“Escort Ajax, Kaemon, and Uryk back home,” Kronos ordered his warriors.
The warriors gave the young princes no choice but to comply. They sped away on their hover-cycles, leaving the kings and a dozen guards behind.
Turning back to address Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron, Kronos said, “There has obviously been a misunderstanding on our part. We apologize for our brothers’ actions. You can trust that this will be dealt with. Now, we would like to make our apologies to your mate and her mother and fathers.”
“There is no chance in hellfire you are going anywhere near our mate or her family,” Braden declared.
“Especially when you have the ability to attack someone’s mind without a blood bond,” Jasyn added.
The kings stared at them blankly, but Jasyn sensed there was so much more going on beneath the surface.
“We do not know what you mean.”
“Lie,” Jasyn spat. “That is obviously a trait that runs in the family.”
“Watch yourself,” one of the guards snarled. Several of the guards reached for the hilt of their swords.
Jasyn ignored the others as he continued to stare at the kings. “Are you going to tell me you did not try to push into my mind?” Since no answer was given, he said, “Stay away from the Sands until you decide to be honest. Until then, you are not welcome here.”
“Trust does not come easy,” Idris said carefully.
“True,” Aeron allowed. “It is earned, and I would say none has been won here today.”
Maze nodded. “That is fair.”
“Speaking of fair...the next time you try to use your magic to get into my head, I might just bite yours off,” Jasyn added, trying for a casual tone to hide his anger.
With that, all three of them shifted into their dragon forms and launched themselves into the air.
“They never really intended to fight or declare war. There was something more at play here,” Jasyn said as they made a slow circle over the shocked warriors below. “We need to know more, like how the fuck they have magic when they are not mated. And I also want to know why they look more satisfied than scared right now.”
&
nbsp; “Oh, there is fear mixed in with the satisfaction,” Braden observed. “I do not think they have ever seen a dragon before. Most have not. If they can enter people’s minds without a blood bond, they could be a serious threat.”
“Aeron,” Jasyn snapped when his brother let out a plume of fire.
“What? I was just making sure they understand what a real threat is. How many of them do you think just pissed themselves?”
Laughing, they circled the sky until the visiting warriors left the Sands, then they flew back to their island palace.
Back to their mate.
When the palace was in sight, they saw what looked like the entire city waiting for them on the beach in front of their home. Liandra was standing on the island with dozens of females, the crystal bridge separating them from the others. As she watched them flying overhead, they sensed the overwhelming relief she felt at seeing they were well and uninjured. Circling in the air, they decided to transport down to her instead of looking for a clear space to land.
Liandra jumped in surprise when Aeron suddenly appeared by her side. “By the gods, Aeron! Are you trying to scare me to death?”
“Forgive me, mate.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
“Why are all of these people here?” Braden demanded as he pulled her away from his brother and into his own arms. “And how can we get rid of them? We wish to be alone with you.”
He kissed her passionately, not caring about their audience. She slapped at his chest and had to stifle a giggle when he lifted her off her feet and spun her in a circle. Some of the females who were watching them tittered and sighed at the romantic gesture, and the sound made her feel even more jubilant.
“Braden, behave.”
“Never,” he growled playfully. “Please tell me all of these females are not moving in.”
She shook her head and chuckled. “Do not worry. I invited them to wait on the island so they would not be surrounded by the others. Everyone is here because my mother and fathers summoned them. They would not tell us why until you returned.” She scanned all three of her mates. “All is well? You are not hurt?”
Jasyn claimed his own kiss before saying, “We are fine, little one. There was no fight.”
“You sound disappointed,” she said with a laugh. Because she trusted them absolutely, she didn’t bother asking more questions. If they said all was well, she believed them. She was sure they would tell her all the details of their encounter with the Kings of the Palace in the Clouds later.
For now, just knowing they were safe was enough.
“I am a little disappointed,” he admitted. “We will tell you all about it when we are alone. Right now, I want to know why the entire city is out here.”
“Come on, then.” Liandra grabbed hold of Braden and Jasyn’s hands, tugging them toward the bridge. Glancing behind to make sure Aeron was following, she said, “I actually had to stop my brothers from showing my mother and fathers the inside of our palace earlier. I promised them a full tour later.”
Braden’s eyes narrowed. “Damn it, if your brothers keep trying to take over our island, we are going to have to banish them. The main palace and the city will one day be theirs. They need to leave our home alone.”
She pouted a little. “That means we would not see the babies.”
Jasyn lifted her hand and kissed it. “Do not worry, little one. He never said we would banish Allie, Kaspen, or Kaia. Just your brothers.”
When they reached the end of the bridge, Aeron pointed to a large, solid stone altar that had been placed in the sand. “I think we figured out the sword stone before we had to leave. All someone has to do is place their sword down on the flat top, and it will sink into the stone. Then, when they wish to retrieve it again, they put their hand down on the stone, and the weapon will be returned.”
Liandra grinned. “Magic.”
“Aye, a great deal of magic and several attempts later, we have a sword stone. Though, I am still not sure asking warriors to give up their weapons is going to work,” Braden stated.
“You are just saying that since you are abnormally attached to your weapons. And we are not going to ask,” Aeron countered. “Either they leave their weapons in the stone, or they will not be allowed onto the island.”
“Banished like my brothers,” Liandra whispered, making her mates laugh.
Those brothers glanced over at the sound of their laughter. Tynan, Cael, Ryder, and Allie stood together with Zarek, Solan, Cian, and Liandra’s fathers and mother. Each king was carrying one of the twins, and they wore besotted expressions on their faces as they looked down at the babies.
When Tynan and Cael hurried over to join them at the end of the bridge, Jasyn sighed. “Here comes the questions.”
As predicted, the first thing Tynan said was, “What happened?”
“Did we miss a good fight?” Cael asked.
“There was no fight. It was as we thought. The Kings of the Palace in the Clouds had not been told the entire story,” Aeron confirmed. “I believe the young princes will be getting a severe, well-deserved ass-kicking when they get home.”
Cael frowned. “That is it? That is all you are going to tell us?”
“For now.”
There would be time to fill them in later.
“Can someone tell us what is going on here?”
“Aye, we will get to that in a moment,” Arik announced as he and Falon walked over.
Liandra noticed that both of her fathers were holding her mother’s hands. They looked united for the first time in...well, ever. When Falon pulled her away from her mates, she thought, not this again. “Father—”
“Forgive us, Liandra. You were right, about all of it,” Falon said as he hugged her close.
“I—what?”
Arik laughed as he pulled her into his own arms. “You wish to hear the actual words? Fine. We were wrong. We finally understand what you were trying to tell us. Duty and titles do not matter when it comes to mating, and it is crazy to consider anything but love when it comes to bonding lives together. If you are lucky enough to find what fate has declared is yours, it is important to never let go.”
Wide-eyed, Liandra stared at each of her mates and realized they were as shocked as she was. So were her brothers, who stared at their fathers as if they had never seen them before.
Kyriani pushed Arik aside and kissed both of Liandra’s cheeks before she said, “We have so much to talk about. So much to catch up on, but that can wait. Now, we wish to do the one thing we hope will show you just how much we love you.”
“Mother, I do not understand.”
“You will.”
Kyriani stepped back and took both of her mates hands again. Then, beaming a smile, all three of them transported onto the top of the sword stone.
Tynan blinked. “What the—?”
Liandra felt tears sting her eyes. “They did it. They finally unlocked their magic.”
“And you helped them do it,” Aeron whispered close to her ear. He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to his front.
Arik’s voice boomed out. “Quiet, please. Thank you all for venturing beyond the city wall to come here to listen to the words that should have been spoken several days ago during the last celebration. We honor our daughter and her mates today.”
The crowd cheered and clapped, making Liandra smile through her tears.
When the noise died down, Falon called out, “Most of you know them as the Commander of the Guards, but no longer. Instead, they have taken on a far more important role.”
Kyriani smiled down at them, then said, “Join us in celebrating our daughter’s mates, Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron Mazer, the new Princes of the Palace of the Sands!”
Liandra let the tears flow free as the entire crowd burst into cheers and roars of approval. When she turned and glanced up at her mates, she saw that all three of them wore matching expressions of sheer astonishment.<
br />
“What the...this is...” Jasyn sputtered through their bond since no one could possibly hear him over the noise still coming from the crowd.
“They cannot just make us princes, can they?” Braden asked weakly.
“They can, and they did,” Liandra answered. “You are loved and accepted by our people. Now, my whole family has accepted you as well.”
“All we need is your love,” Aeron said.
“You have it,” she vowed. “Always and forever.”
No matter what title they went by, Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron were hers. Her mates, her partners, and the loves of her life. And now that her fathers, mother, and brothers had truly accepted them as a part of their family, she felt as if she had everything she had ever wanted.
She had mated warriors, and by doing so, had found the princes of her dreams.
EPILOGUE
“Enough! Liandra cried out as she slapped at Braden’s seeking hands. Laughing, she rolled away from him on the bed, but he caught her and hauled her back against him. “We just made love twice, you fiend. You cannot possibly want me again.”
“I always want you,” Braden countered, amusement filling his voice. He nipped his fangs on her bare shoulder, then soothed the sting with the stroke of his tongue. “You asked me to distract you, and I am nothing if not thorough.”
“Lucky me.”
And she was...very, very lucky.
It had been a few days since her fathers and mother had declared Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron as Princes of the Palace of the Sands in front of the entire city. They were still shocked by their new titles, but it hadn’t changed who they were. In fact, it amused her to see how uncomfortable they were whenever someone called them a prince. She knew they would have refused the titles if given a choice, but they accepted their new status for her and who they were together.
And for the children they would have.
They had spent a great deal of time with her entire family over the last few days. They had been shocked to discover that King Arik, King Falon, and Queen Kyriani had unlocked their magic by fully accepting Liandra’s new mates into their family. It was going to take everyone time to acclimate to the new dynamics, but they would have time to work on that.
