“What are you doing?”
Latching his arms around her waist, he answered, “Protecting you from scorpions until I get an answer.”
Jada muttered under her breath, but decided not to argue if only because she did feel better in his lap with her feet hanging safely above the sand. Hate to say it, but I'd pay him to carry me inside.
Pushing the silly notion away, she inquired, “What was the question again?”
“Your anklet has runes. What are they for?”
“Oh, right. The anklet was a gift from the Deaconess of the convent where I grew up, but I added some charms to it. One is for duplication, and the other lets Adravi find me wherever I go.”
With a look of enlightenment, he remarked pointedly, “So that's how you escaped me thirty years ago.”
“Yes,” she answered plainly, her demeanor casual—until she looked up to see his expression.
And her mind went blank.
The suggestive tone of his voice coupled with the reminder of their first encounter had Jada recalling that last look he'd given her, the one that said I will find you—and here she was, sitting in Dalris Dra'Kai's lap with his arms around her.
Her heart drop kicked her sternum at the thought, and if she didn't know better, she'd say he was recalling the exact same moment in time because his expression was much the same now as it'd been back then.
But this time, the look said I told you so.
Tension crackled between them like electricity, but it wasn't unpleasant—it was seductive, and she could barely focus when he whispered pointedly, “Now it's my turn.”
Her throat nearly closed up, making it hard to ask, “Your turn for what?”
He leaned in with his answer. “To thank you.”
She only figured out what he meant a split second before his lips met hers. Jada tensed in the process, but his low groan of satisfaction chased her concerns away with a single thought emerging. Dalris Dra'Kai is kissing me.
Her breath hitched, pulse racing as her arms wound around him as if controlled by someone else. Somehow, it didn't seem real, and she forgot herself entirely, particularly when he responded in kind.
The moment she latched on, he drug her in until her chest was fully pressed against his, fingers threading through her hair—and it felt so damned good she couldn't think of anything else.
All her worries over how wrong this might be dissipated, her lips parting as her tongue darted out against his mouth. The movement elicited a growl from his throat just before his tongue sought hers, flicking over it in a way that had her melting against him.
And when he thrust it into her mouth?
She heard a low moan, soon realizing it was hers, but damned if she could stop herself. If this kiss was meant to say thank you on his part, then she was sounding a definite you're welcome while begging please come again.
And no matter what happened next, she knew one thing for certain.
Dalris Dra'Kai had finally caught up with her, and this time, there was no escape.
CHAPTER 17
Even wearing Karina's talisman, Dalris could feel his dragon blood stirring, threatening to put him in Wrath as he shared an incredibly erotic first kiss with his coveted mate.
The best of his long life.
Thirty years ago, he'd promised Jada their chase wasn't over, and now that he'd finally caught up, he refused to let go. Of course, he hadn't quite expected to find his mate in the end, but it didn't matter.
Their kiss was like a homecoming, and for a few blissful moments, his life no longer seemed so bleak.
Slanting his lips over hers, tasting her mouth for the first time, everything just seemed right, as if he'd finally acquired the ultimate treasure. But Jada was more than that, and catching her sweet little moans in his mouth had his heart hammering a line straight down to his cock.
Physical need ate at him, strengthened by the way she dug her fingers into his back and inadvertently shifted her ass over his lap. The movement had him in erotic agony, craving much more than a few teasing brushes muffled by their clothing.
And somehow, she seemed just as insatiable.
If he didn't know better, he'd think Jada had been waiting to kiss him for as long as he'd waited just to find her. Her soft lips nibbled at his mouth, her tongue insistently pushing inside to search for his own, and he couldn't hold back.
Stroking her tongue with his, he lifted his hips, grinding his erection against her. The movement was equal parts satisfying and frustrating, and he knew that if it weren't for his talisman, Jada would be laying on the sand that very moment, stripped completely naked.
But sadly, she didn't react quite as enthusiastically to the sensation.
Wrenching her lips from his, she breathlessly cried, “Stop!”
It took a level of control Dalris didn't believe he was capable of to prevent himself from capturing her mouth again to silence her protests. But he managed, rasping on a gravelly voice, “What's wrong?”
Already, she was squirming to escape his grasp, and her movements were so frantic that he had no choice, immediately releasing her.
“This is wrong,” she announced, departing as quickly as possible.
Immediately, Dalris followed, calling her name as she marched toward the cavern's entrance.
“Just leave me alone, Dalris. I can't—”
She stopped speaking when he caught up and took her arm, then immediately spun around to knock his hand away.
He nearly scowled at the reaction, but her expression stopped him. Where he'd expected to see anger, instead, Jada's violet eyes were almost … sad.
Somehow, the look made him think she actually wished, somewhere deep down, that there was nothing standing in the way of a union between them, and to be sure, he insisted, “Just tell me why it's wrong.”
“Because you weren't supposed to be here, not yet,” she answered pointedly. “I needed to find Rinora's temple, then I would've been free to locate my mate if I could. But there's still so much doubt.”
“And what if you get there only to find out Onoria's right?”
Though he asked the question, he didn't think it truly mattered. Dalris was drawn to Jada so absolutely that he knew he'd never give her up, regardless of the consequences.
She was his, and that was what mattered.
But he needed to know her thoughts, and waited patiently while she retorted, “I don't know, okay? If Edith learns of a way to break the connection, maybe I'd go with that.”
Dalris couldn't stop himself from letting an angry growl, prompting Jada to state, “I knew it. You wouldn't go through with it, would you?”
Leaning in, he gave her the most serious response he'd ever given anyone.
“No. Your my mate, Jada, and if that means no children, or fighting against someone trying to separate us, then so be it. I've waited eight centuries to find you, and I can promise you this; anyone who tries to keep me from you will pay with their fucking lives.”
Each word spoken had grown more intense until he was growling the last with a deadliness he didn't bother to hide—and Jada looked stunned. Perhaps she hadn't expected such a ferocious response, or maybe she was just surprised he'd be so openly possessive of her, but she actually didn't seem upset.
In fact, she asked as if extremely curious, “You don't think it would be a pain in the ass to live that way? Because it is possible that Onoria would send assassins to tear us apart if they found out.”
Finally, he found a smile. “I'd welcome them to try just for the sheer satisfaction of proving it to you again and again.” Leaning in closer, he stated pointedly, “No one takes what's mine, Jada.”
Jada sank her teeth into her bottom lip, making him think she enjoyed hearing that—and he was having trouble focusing on anything but her mouth and the way she'd used it to kiss him just moments prior.
But he listened intently when she glanced down and started, “I know you'd fight, and so would I. But I need—”
Questionabl
y, the elf abruptly stopped after looking back up, and then to his immediate left. In turn, her lips parted and eyes widened as if she'd spied something significant—and whatever it was had her smiling brightly.
Dalris turned his head to see, but only detected a few low-lying clouds moving across the distant ocean that looked like a natural phenomenon.
Still, her reaction was too specific to think it didn't hold some meaning.
“What is it, Jada?”
Returning his gaze to her face, she happily replied, “It's Novak.”
Dalris wasn't entirely certain how she knew that, but she didn't stick around to explain. Instead, Jada excitedly rushed into the caves, leaving him to follow, otherwise he'd probably never understand.
“Karina! Novak's coming!” she called on the way, emerging in the grotto to find her sister counting money at one of their tables.
But she quickly abandoned the task in favor of standing and asking, “Really? How far away?”
“He's not close enough to use his stone, but he's definitely trying to sneak up on us.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he's coming from the south.”
Knowingly, Karina grinned. “He knows you don't like the lagoon. Okay, we've got a few minutes to gather our things.”
“I'll grab the bin!” Jada announced.
As the two got to work on packing, Dalris interjected, “Wait, what are you planning?”
“To get the drop on Novak before he can do the same to us,” Karina qualified. “You see, we both have transit stones with permanent charges. Our stone leads to his ship, and his leads to the grotto. So once he's close enough, he'll teleport here and try to surprise us, then gloat about how we're never quick enough to catch him.”
Already, the sisters were storing their supplies in a large bin meant to be teleported, and Dalris offered a helping hand in moving the items while asking, “Have you ever reached his ship first?”
“Not yet,” Jada answered, strapping her twin swords to her back. “But we've already packed our things, so we'll make it this time.”
He smirked at her determination, and nearly asked about Adravi before recalling the beacon on her anklet.
So instead, he inquired, “Was the mist we saw outside a cloak for his vessel?”
“Yes, there was a magician serving the crew as first in command for a while, but he returned to Mystikkar a few months ago, and left The Cutlass equipped with a number of magic tools.”
Once Jada was done explaining, they finished piling their supplies into the bin, and Karina asked, “Are you sure this is absolutely everything?”
“Including that crate of ale for Novak? Yes. I've got Papa's tome and the key in my pouch, and this box has all of your magic trinkets. The rest is money, clothes, and a few other necessities.”
Karina clapped excitedly, then grabbed Dalris' hand. In turn, Jada grasped the edge of the bin and placed her opposing hand on her sister's shoulder.
Once they were all linked together, Karina lifted her transit stone in one hand, and mentioned, “It's not glowing yet.”
Dalris knew that meant Novak's ship was still out of range. Most transit stones had limited charges, but those that were permanent sacrificed their teleportation range for power, meaning they only worked from a certain distance.
But once the destination was within reach, they started glowing, and as he had the thought, her stone finally lit up.
Grinning, Karina announced, “Here we go!”
Activating the stone, Dalris found himself being transported from the grotto and aboard a large galleon sailing across the ocean with Jada's island in the near distance. The clear sky above was only partially obscured by tall masts sporting dark blue sails, a fitting sight to be accompanied by the sound of waves crashing against the hull and the scent of salt hanging in the air.
The Cutlass was a fine ship, and the crew was primarily comprised of barbarians judging by those on the upper deck. Several had stopped working in favor of staring at the newcomers as well, almost making it seem like they'd arrived in the wrong place.
Yet it soon became clear that his presence was the oddity because those same crewmen grinned when they saw the elven sisters with him.
“Salt? Where's Novak?” Jada called.
Salt? Somehow, that name sounded familiar, and Dalris soon learned why when the same barbarian who'd worked with Robi's team in Antarctica came walking over.
In answer to her question, he silently pointed toward the island with a lopsided smirk.
“He just teleported to the grotto?” Jada asked in surprise.
The barbarian nodded in confirmation, and Karina laughed. “Oh, this is even better! We got the jump on him, and he made a trip for nothing!”
Salt seemed to agree, grinning in amusement—though his expression turned hesitantly curious when he regarded Dalris.
Seeing it, Jada waved a hand and mentioned, “Oh yeah, Dalris, you remember Salt. He's the one who introduced me to Robi, and well … he went to Antarctica as a backup for me in case I was caught.”
Somehow, Dalris wasn't surprised by this, though he had to ask the barbarian, “If that's the case, why didn't you recover the tome after Jada dropped it?”
“He didn't know I dropped it, and your brothers got there first anyway,” Jada explained.
Salt nodded to confirm her story, then shrugged as if to say shit happens.
Dalris grinned, though their conversation came to a halt when someone called, “What in the blue hells? Did you doves finally get the drop on me?”
The sudden exclamation came from the quarterdeck, and they all looked up to see an older barbarian with a long mane of dark hair and a bushy beard walking down to meet them.
Proving this was Novak, Jada and Karina both laughed and rushed in for a hug, similar to the way children greeted a grandparent when they hadn't seen one another in a while.
In turn, the barbarian kissed each on the cheek, then asked, “Don't tell me you just arrived.”
“We did,” Karina started, “and if our victory stings, there's a case of ale for you in the bin.”
“Bah, you don't need to give me anything … but you know I'll take it anyway,” Novak laughed, releasing them from his hug.
Following the movement, he motioned at Dalris and asked, “So, who's the blue? Not the same one who had Morwin's tome, is he?”
When Jada confirmed Novak's suspicions, the barbarian seemed confused.
“You're not wearing your cloak. Does that mean … ?”
Knowing what he was asking, Dalris supplied, “It does, but Karina made a talisman to control my Wrath.”
At that, Novak gave a look of enlightenment, then reached out a hand and introduced himself. “I'm Novak Dans'Loren, Captain of The Cutlass and owner of the Ovall Ocean Trading Company. But I'm sure the doves told you most of that.”
Taking Novak's hand in a firm grip, he replied, “Dalris Vök Dra'Kai, and they told me some, but mostly just that you promised to help when the time came.”
Nodding, the barbarian grinned, looking at Jada when he mentioned, “That I did, and speaking of, let's not keep the voyage waiting with long introductions. So where we goin', girl?”
“Papa's map marked the location in Northern Sadonia.”
Without hesitation, Novak cussed, “Damn it!”
“What's wrong?”
Grumbling, the captain shook his head. “Nothing, I just owe three hundred gold to Moira's crew. We bet it would be in The Wastelands.”
“That's what I thought!” Karina announced.
Grinning, Novak called, “Helm! Set course for The Platinum Sea, full sail!”
“Aye, captain!”
Immediately, the crew went to work, the sails unfurling above to catch the wind and get them underway. In the process, one of the crewmen handed a bottle of ale to Novak, who took the item to the edge of the deck.
There, he engaged in an old barbarian custom meant to ensure good luck on a journey by
uncapping the bottle and calling, “One for me … ”
Taking a long swig, he then tilted the bottle to pour the rest into the ocean, adding, “And the rest for the goddess of the deep, blue sea!”
The crew cheered in accord as the bottle was emptied, and Novak then waved his hand at the three of them with a grin. “Come on, let's go plan this thing out in my cabin.”
The sisters didn't hesitate to follow him to the quarterdeck, and Dalris took up the rear, considering everything on the way.
For as intriguing as meeting Jada had been so far, and judging by this ship and her crew, things were just getting started. Of course, his biggest concern at the moment was his mate, and wondering what she was trying to tell him on the island before Novak showed up. But despite the hitches so far, he couldn't suppress his enthusiasm to get underway.
For the first time in recent memory, Dalris was truly eager to learn where things would lead.
CHAPTER 18
A long journey awaited, and Jada couldn't be more eager to get started.
After thirty years of searching, The Cutlass was now slicing a path across the Vokan Ocean in the direction of Northern Sadonia, a thought that had her giddy with excitement. So though their trip would take at least a week, she eagerly joined Novak in his cabin to discuss their travel plans.
Thankfully, Novak didn't waste time cutting to the chase, taking a seat behind the desk where he started by addressing Dalris.
“Before I get into this journey with the doves, I want to know what your intentions are here. Jada's always been reluctant to let outsiders in on her fun, so I'm assuming you two have some kind of arrangement.”
Novak sounded very much like a protective father, and Jada was appreciative. Yet she didn't get the chance to answer before Dalris gave his own simple, but honest reply.
“My only intentions are to help Jada complete her work, and she allowed me to come along because I promised not to involve Draconia in this.”
“Oh? Then you believe Morwin's right?”
“Ultimately, that doesn't matter. This is important to Jada, and that's all I need to know.”
Fated Fortunes Page 14
