by K. M. Raya
“You’re my chosen mate, Sera—if you’ll have me.” His voice is pleading, but excited. His arms tense as I let it all sink in. “You don't have to answer me now, but know that you’re it for me. No matter what you say, there will never be another in my life. Even if you don’t feel the same for me, my life belongs to you,” he declares proudly. “My soul belongs to you.”
My head is spinning. The idea of this powerful creature wanting me as his mate is almost unbelievable. This is all so much. “How is that fair?”
He scoffs. “Fairness means nothing, little mage. My dragon claimed you and there’s no undoing it. I’ll spend the rest of my life protecting you, in any way I can.”
I look downwards, not wanting to meet his eyes as a face flashes through my mind. Guilt floods though my body. “Shayde, there's someth—” .
“So, this is how you choose to waste a night of precious sleep—” Thallan’s voice cuts though, silencing what I was about to confess.
I whip my gaze to the elf, striding out from the shadows with his accusing eyes riveted on Shayde’s arms holding me up. My heart lurches at the hurt in his expression and my mind scrambles for an excuse, but I stop myself. I don’t owe him anything. He thinks he can control me—that because I bring him into my bed means I belong to him. But he’s wrong. He had a chance to belong to me and didn’t take it.
“Are you following me?” I snap, allowing Shayde to lower me back to the ground. My hair is windswept, and my cheeks feel flushed and lips swollen.
Thallan’s frown deepens. “I was worried about you.” His eyes flit to the side and I could have sworn his cheeks colored pink, though through the darkness it’s hard to tell.
Shayde steps behind me, once again placing a hand on my shoulder. “She’s safe with me, Commander.” His voice comes out deeper than before, like a growl in the silence.
Thallan squints his eyes and his top lip curls. “I can see that.” His fists clench at his side and one moves towards the hilt of his sword.
Suddenly, Thallan’s body goes rigid as his gaze drifts over my shoulder, locking on something in the distance. Shayde and I turn at the same time, following Thallan’s eyes out to the sea at the edge of the valley where the moonlight reflects off what looks like a grouping of white sails.
Shayde squeezes my arm bring my attention back to him. “You have nothing to explain, Sera. I know about you and the elf and he does not threaten me.” He stares into my eyes and his words are whispered over my lips and he bends down. “You are a queen, and by all rights you can be loved by more than one man.” My heart swells and I can’t suppress a grin.
“We’ll revisit this conversation later, we have to gather the others,” Thallan snaps before turning away and disappearing through the trees. With one last glance at the oncoming sails, we follow.
Sera
It takes almost a full day to reach the shores where Derrund’s ships are docked. The massive boats tower over us.
Their sails remain hidden beneath a canopy of clouds, but I can just make out the slow-moving shadows of its crew on the decks. A wooden ladder the size of a tree trunk tumbles down the side of one of the ships and the noise it makes is like a clap of thunder. Though I knew we were expecting giants, the sheer size of the wooden monstrosities takes me by surprise. Two large shadows drop to the water with a loud splash and they move towards us as we huddle on the sand with our horses. Shayde has shifted to his dragon form and stands off to the side patiently.
It’s colder out here on the black, rocky beach and the thick fog blankets everything within a few paces from my face. The salt and sea plants smell musty, and yet somehow invigorating. The shadows move towards us and the ground shakes with each step. Out of the haze comes two of the most terrifying—most utterly baffling creatures I’ve ever seen or dared to imagine. They stand at a height of at least two kingswood pines and about as thick too. Their skin is a deep grey color that faintly shines in the low light of the morning. They seem to be made from some sort of...stone? It isn’t scales and it’s definitely not the same skin that covers my body. I squint, trying to make sense of them. The same violet moss that clings to the trees of the Darklands coats their skin like makeshift clothing. They’re bare footed and hold no weapons that I can see—though they might not even need weapons while their fists have the power to crush mountainsides.
Thallan breaks off from our group as another giant lowers himself into the water with a thud. ‘This must be Derrund.’ I assume as the other two wait for him stoically. Derrund moves in closer, sloshing his way towards Thallan who is now up to his knees in the shallows. He looks like an insect standing before a tree. Thallan starts speaking but I can’t hear him until they begin to walk towards us. The ground shakes and so do my limbs. Derrund has a long beard and shaggy hair made entirely of violet moss. He looks like a mountainside suddenly stood up on two legs and sailed across the sea. Thallan speaks again, but I don’t understand the strange language—it’s garbled and gruff, rolling around like a mouth full of rocks. Derrund listens intently to the elf before glancing at his two companions. Thallan’s shoulders relax and he turns back to us with a determined stride. Derrund and his companions return to their ships without a look back and board without a word.
“Well? What did they say?” Thallan sloshes his way back to the sand.
He looks at me and stops. “They need to confer with their troupe before making a decision. Derrund thinks it is none of their concern should the Veil fall, but he promised to put it to a vote. They’ll meet us back here at sunset. In the meantime…” He looks to Rayne who stands to the side—staring in awe at the ships, but his eyes are milky white—a sure sign of one of his visions.
“Rayne, can you see anything?”
He shakes his blonde head, squinting his eyes as the white fades back to his sea green. “Not since last night. It’s all just blackness. As far as I know, Roark and the others have made it to the Tainted Waters, but something is blocking my sight now. I can’t see a thing; I suspect Dorethe's behind it.”
Thallan nods, we expected as much. The old crone has never been considered an agreeable ally—always following her own agenda. I was and continue to be reluctant to turn to Dorethe in the first place, but we’ll need every advantage against Sephrian and his shadow.
“Let's make camp close by, I want to be on the shores at sunset.” Thallan casts an unreadable look towards me as he walks past and continues further up the beach—angry as always.
“Thallan!” I call out after him and I watch as his shoulders stiffen, but he does stop. Shayde’s glowing dragon eyes meet mine, but he only nods his massive head, as if telling me it’s okay. I make my way to Thallan. “Can we talk?” He looks apprehensive, but we both knew this conversation was coming.
We step far away from the group—a heavy silence between us that makes my chest ache. He walks alongside me, elbow brushing my arm ever so slightly. His are footsteps light, almost like he’s gliding along the rocky coastal mountainside. His silvery hair is bound in a long, silky plait that hangs down his back, brushing his hips. For such a pretty creature, Thallan looks a picture of a warrior. His strong, yet slender jaw is clean shaven, and his cheekbones could cut through stone. My heart speeds up and my fingers ache to reach out and touch his pearly skin.
“What's there to talk about, Sera?” He asks impatiently. We come to a stop beneath a heavy tree with branches that swoop down to the ground—leaves falling in a curtain around us, shielding us from prying eyes.
“Please don’t act like this—not with me. You’ve done nothing but glower since we left the Veil and I’m tired of it.” I place my hands on my hips, cocking my head to the side as he turns his head away from me. “Look at me, Thallan. Give me that much at least,” I whisper.
He chews on his lip. “How long?” he asks. His words are sharp—accusing.
“How long what?”
He cuts me a glare. “Don’t play with me.” Thallan steps in closer. “How long has something been happening between
you and the drac? How long have you been lying to me?”
I huff, shaking my head in disbelief. “Lying to you? I don’t owe you a thing!”
“And how do you figure that?” he snaps. “After all we’ve been through, you think I’m going to let you run to his arms? Do you think so little of me that you honestly think I wouldn’t notice the way you watch him?” His eyes blaze with anger and hurt, but I’m hurting too.
I back away. “Is it so wrong of me to feel this way? To want someone to love me back?”
His face darkens and for a moment he looks taken aback. Deep down I know Thallan feels something for me. Stronger than he lets himself admit. Being Commander puts him in a unique position and a part of me knows that he’s always held back out of some long-held respect for my mother. The truth is, we’ve had a connection since day one and the longer we try to deny it, the stronger these feelings grow.
Thallan takes a sudden step forward, grasping me shoulders—holding me in place as he brings his face closer to mine. “Do I mean anything to you at all?” His hands shake, his voice wavers. Icy breath wafts over my lips and I inhale his familiar scent of sage and leather.
His question breaks my heart. ‘How can he not know—how can he not see it plain as day on my face?’ “I’ve been in love with you from the beginning, you daft elf…but all you can ever give to me is your bed—” He flinches. My shoulders heave as his eyes search my face. “I need more—I need all of you, or else I’ll give you nothing. ” My eyes plead with him. “You can’t control me like this. I love you, Thallan, but I need to be loved back or else why am I wasting my time? What more can you ask of me because I’ve been waiting for you for too long.”
His lips capture mine as his fingers thread through my wild curls. “You have me, Sera. You’ve always had me,” he whispers. “I’ve kept silent—as your Commander and your friend, but I’ll not sit by while Shayde steals you away from me.”
I kiss him back, pressing my body against his and gripping the leathers of his tunic in my fists. ”There’s nothing to steal…” He growls against my mouth, tilting his head as he drinks me in. He tastes like honey and sage. Hooking his hands beneath my thighs, Thallan lifts me up as he begins to walk forward. He carries me like I’m lighter than a feather. Soon, I feel the roughness of bark against me, knowing he’s pressed me against the old tree. I feel his body grow solid through his trousers, making me writhe and squirm against him.
His lips rip from mine as he rears his head back to search my eyes. “Do you love him?” he asks and it tears at my heart.
I have no choice but to answer him honestly. “Yes.”
Sadness flits through his gaze—his jaw clenches and he looks skyward for a moment before looking back to me. Resolve covers his face and my heart picks up, not wanting this to be over. “He can have you,” he whispers. I suck in a breath and open my mouth to protest, but he continues. “But he can't have all of you. You belong with me, no matter what happens I’m going to love you. Shayde be damned you are mine—” His lips capture mine once more and relief floods me.
I run my hands up the side of his neck and into his silky hair where I grip on tight. He thrusts his hips into me making me groan. His tongue invades my mouth and I bite down gently eliciting another growl. He holds me against the side of the tree with his hips while he brings his hands to the belt of his trousers and unclasps the iron buckle. Once undone, he helps me with mine. I’m wearing my riding trousers as well and he must sense my dilemma because he backs up and lays me down with a small chuckle and drops to his knees in the long, thick grass.
One by one he unlaces my boots—removing them along with my leathers until I’m bared to him completely. I should feel bashful, so out in the open, but Thallan makes me feel safe. The branches of the low hanging tree assure me that we are alone and soon he’s covering my body with his. Thallan kisses his way up my neck while he unlaces the top of my tunic and pulls it down to reveal my breast. His tongue traces a circular pattern around my puckered flesh—sending a thrill over my skin. I tip my head back, running my fingers through his hair and undoing his braid. A waterfall of white silk surrounds me as his lips meet mine in a frenzy.
“Mine—” he growls under his breath. “Mine, mine—” He enters me with one swift thrust, and his lips smother my cry. We need to be silent as to not alert the others, but silence grows difficult as he takes control of my body. I rake my fingernails down the length of his strong back causing him to shudder.
Bringing my hands up, I use the tips of my fingers to trace over the delicate lines of his pointed ears. He moans, kissing a trail over the exposed skin of my throat down to the blade of my shoulder. His speed increases and I can feel myself reaching the height of ecstasy we’ve been chasing. Thallan leans back, bracing himself on his knees and he places his hands on either side of my hips. I raise them off the grass to meet him thrust for thrust until I feel wave after wave of exquisite pleasure roll over my body. He follows next, shuddering, shaking and moaning until he’s spent and letting himself fold over my prone body.
~~~
A roar rips through our cocoon of silence, long after our cries of passion have died down. My clothing is back on, and my weapons are strapped where they belong, but the deep booming of wings through the trees breaks our peaceful spell.
The low hanging branches part and Wesley stumbles through with his face half covered in blood. I race to his side, grasping him in my arms as I run my eyes over his battered body.
“The blood isn’t mine,” he assures me, lifting his gaze from me and shifting to Thallan who approaches quickly. Wesley frowns at the two of us but it lasts only a moment. “The others—there's been an ambush, we need you now!”
Unsheathing our weapons, we make our way through the dangling branches and run back towards the others in a panic. Chaos surrounds us. Smoke rises from the scorched dirt and bodies are scattered over the ground. A dozen men surround Anya, Rayne and Wesley—swords swinging and magic sparking from their fingertips. Thallan rushes to join his men as they attempt to form a circle around the clearing. Getting boxed in against the water could lose the battle for us. We seem to be mildly out manned, but Thallan’s men are trained well.
I spot Rayne near the water's edge, locked in a battle with some unknown mage that’s cloaked in black—face concealed with an iron mask resembling some sort of distorted skeleton facade. Rayne isn’t a warrior but is well capable of handling himself when needed. Regardless, I notch an arrow and send it flying until it buries itself in the mages neck—laced with battle magic, my arrow drips with flame as it sizzles in their prone body. Spinning on my heel, I have no time to dwell on the fact that it was the first human life I’ve ever taken. I send more arrows flying. Mage after mage drops dead while my friends continue to fight. Even Anya holds her own as she tosses charms from her leather pouch through the air, exploding into deadly shards of glass and fire at our enemy's feet. As their cloaks catch fire and the glass blinds the mages, Anya picks them off with a dagger to the throat. I large part of me wishes we’d asked more of our elvish soldiers to come, but we needed to leave the Veil as protected as possible.
After picking off a few more masked mages, a hand wraps around the lower half of my face, dragging me backwards while covering my mouth and stifling my scream. My magic rolls over my skin, attempting to singe my attacker, but it seems to have no effect. The others are preoccupied with their own battles as I am dragged into the trees silently and swiftly. A cold feeling washes over me and tingles over my skin. Dread seeps into my body as black smoke begins to swirl around myself and whoever has me, blocking out the trees and the blue sky overhead. The world disappears in a sea of pitch as the icy hand leaves my lips.
“Shhh,” hisses a voice from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
I jump to my feet, notching another arrow blindly and sending my magic down the shaft, lighting up the iron tip, but the light just fizzles out until I am left standing in darkness once more. I’ve never felt su
ch utter hopelessness and despair. It feels like the life is being drained from my body and my will to continue living is becoming thin. Sadness cloaks me, but it doesn’t feel like my sadness. Instinctively, I know who it is that’s captured me. I recognize the ashy scent of the shadow.
Breath wafts over my neck and I yelp, jumping forward, but I come up short as a shape materializes in front of my nose. The outline of a tall, cloaked figure comes into focus and suddenly I feel too afraid to move. My body is frozen with terror and every breath I take wheezes out in a puff of icy vapor. “You should leave this place. You know you don't belong here,” the voice hisses. There’s a low, raspy quality to it and I cannot tell whether it belongs to a man or woman.
“Y—you killed my mother,” I whisper. My voice croaks as my throat dries up.
The figure’s gloved hand reaches up until it hovers over my face, but it never touches my skin. “A casualty of war,” it tells me. “Your General knew the risks…”
“What war? The war’s been over for five years...the General’s done nothing—”
“You speak of things you do not understand, princess,” it interrupts.
My breath stills. “So, you know who I am then.”
A rumbling noise spills from behind that dark hood—almost a laugh, but it strains like the action is somehow painful. “So much innocence…” It moves in closer, but still something blocks its face. “Come with me and I can rectify that.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I try to take a step back, but my body is locked in place. The icy black fog still swirls around us, blocking out any other sound and cutting me off from the others.
“I’m giving you the chance to take control, princess—to take what belongs to you.”
I grit my teeth, wanting nothing more than to notch another arrow, but my arm remains at my side, clutching my useless bow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come now, child, you are a queen—the rightful heiress to the throne of Karn. Do you deny it?” A roar rips through the stifling silence of the black fog and the shadow figure staggers back slightly. It holds its long, slender hand out to me, beckoning me to take it. “Come with me now and this can end here.”
