“Get your hands off of my breasts!” Gabriella ordered, even as she twisted to face him. It was a mistake, for while T’Harris moved his hands from her chest, it was to lower them to cup the globes of her rear, as he smiled cheekily and pressed her closer.
“Good morning, my Gabriella. I trust you slept well,” T’Harris purred. His voice sounded husky, giving only a hint of what he was feeling and thinking. He was sure Gabriella could figure what that was for herself, especially when she was pressed as tightly against him as she was. He watched her closely as her eyes grew icy blue, and the pupils changed shape. He was going to have to watch how he handled her, for he could tell her Dragon was very close to rising.
T’Harris wasn’t only worried about the possible emergence of Gabriella’s Dragon; he was concerned about what his might do under the circumstances. He could feel the excitement building within him, and he knew Thrax had taken note of her Dragon as it appeared just below the surface. He had to admit that there were times when his Dragon could be a challenge. This was definitely one of those moments. He decided she needed to be warned about what could happen if she couldn’t keep her animal under control. He also felt she was an Elf who was very much about being in command of a situation. They would deal with that at another time.
“Your Dragon is close to rising, Gabriella. You must not let her rule you. They can take over if you don’t keep them in their right place. There is a time for you to let your Dragon out, and another to keep it restrained. You will learn what to do at both of these times, and it will be natural to deal with it then.” T’Harris warned.
Gabriella had felt something strange happening deep inside of her, that much she was willing to admit to, but a Dragon living inside of her? This was more than she could believe. T’Harris had to be making the story up to cover for something he had done, and she wasn’t about to listen to him.
T’Harris watched Gabriella closely, as he felt waves of disbelief wafting from her. He sensed her doubt and, while he couldn’t blame her, he needed to find a way to convince her that what he was saying was not only real, but a great possibility that needed to be watched for. “I can tell you think I am lying, yet what I said is the absolute truth. I look into your eyes, and I can see her just below the surface. My Dragon also recognizes all the signs that signal her rising. I know he would be excited to see his potential mate, but as this happens he is growing more demanding and getting harder to handle.”
Gabriella gave a snort as she replied, “I can only imagine. So, what color is she? Silver, like Cambria’s, white, like Chania’s? Blue? Green? Pink with purple dots? Let me in on the secret.”
“Thrax won’t tell me. In fact, he doesn’t seem to know what to call the color, but he says he has never heard of another like it before. She is unique, as you are,” T’Harris answered.
“Imagine that,” Gabriella pretended to be impressed, even as she knew she wasn’t fooling anyone.
T’Harris could tell Gabriella wasn’t ready to accept anything he said. Sure, he knew she believed in his Dragon, as well as the others that lived within those who had them. She had seen those with connections to their Dragons change several times in the past. She saw them flying in the air, landing on the ground, and even in the midst of changing from one form to the other. She had ridden on them countless times. She hadn’t, however, had time to get used to the idea of having one inside of her body. The thought of having a second persona, especially one with even stronger talents than she had was beyond her understanding yet.
It wasn’t even a matter of Gabriella thinking her talents were more powerful than anyone else’s in the Elven Empire. She knew there were Elves with stronger talents than hers, but they were not thought of in the same way. There were no doubts in anyone’s mind in the Empire that when it came to raw power, no one could top the Sons and Daughters of the Sun. Even the Guardians of the Empire acknowledged their powers. But when it came to directing a battle that included the combined talents of everyone, it took a different type of talent. Controlling multiple talents took a special type of knowing, one that only Eagle Claw family members seemed to be able to use properly. No one could figure out why, but this was the way things were.
“One day, your Dragon will emerge, and you will understand what I am trying to tell you. In the meantime, we need to get out of bed. I believe you were given a task by the Emperor Lariel,” T’Harris’ voice sounded softly and with reason.
Gabriella frowned at the reminder. She couldn’t think of one reason why she was doing this or why Lariel thought she should. She felt the connection to the land clearly and there was nothing out of place. She had told him this, yet he had insisted that she double-check on what was happening. He had never doubted her instincts or talent before, why was he doing so now? She could only think of one thing that had changed over the last short while, and he was holding her in his arms at this very moment. Lariel knew she had met T’Harris, and that they were Life Mates. Despite this, he realized the Elven Empire would always come first with her. She would never allow another to dictate what she should or shouldn’t do when it came to the safety of the nation.
This meant T’Harris couldn’t be allowed to make his claim. The Fates had played a cruel trick on them by matching a couple that could never form a bond. As The High Lord General, she could never have children, especially when there was a war looming the way there was. It would have been different if she were a man. There wouldn’t have been any danger of destroying unborn lives in the case of an injury. Nor would a male General need to abandon his talent and responsibility, as she would be forced to do in the case of a pregnancy. It wasn’t fair, but it was a fact of life she had to live with.
T’Harris continued to watch Gabriella, as she thought, and he frowned. He had a sinking feeling he wouldn’t like the conclusions she was coming up with. It wasn’t enough she was going to make his life difficult because she was a Light Elf, but she was also the High Lord General, and had vaulted ideas of what this meant for her as a woman. The Fates, he thought, were probably laughing at what they had done.
As Gabriella stretched to get out of the makeshift bed, she felt T’Harris’ touch once more, albeit not in a physical sense. He had set three conjuring’s in play to see to her comfort. One was to cleanse her body; another was to finish healing her, so there would be no stiffness in her muscles to mar her movements. The third was to return her clothing, which she noted were cleaned and smelling fresh once more. She thanked him, as she would have done anyone else, then went to see to other matters in the forest. When she returned, she set about helping herself to the food he had made earlier. He could tell the walls she surrounded herself with were not only up again, but also well-fortified.
Gabriella was not about to allow T’Harris to serve her. She could, and had taken care of her own needs in the past, and she would continue to do so now. She made sure the dishes were cleaned, the fire was extinguished, and her horse cared for. When she was certain things were as they should be, she mounted Whyngold, bade T’Harris adieu as she thanked him for his efforts one last time, and then rode off in the direction of the Citadel.
T’Harris crossed his arms over his chest, and frowned as he watched Gabriella disappear down the trail. He knew his efforts hadn’t been for nothing, no matter what she wanted him to believe. He would have to continue to wear on her will. Sooner or later, he would win this battle.
No matter how fast Gabriella spurred Whyngold to get away from where T’Harris had spent the night with her, she continued to feel his presence close to her. This was not something she was happy about. She could tell when he took to the sky to follow her, when he would have been able to pinpoint his exact location at any moment. What really scared her the most was a voice deep inside of her that hummed contentedly. She especially didn’t like the suspicion he might be feeding her imagination, which she considered healthy enough without his input. She had never been prone to flights of fancy in the past, but things seemed to be changing. It wa
s going to have to stop before it got out of hand.
Whyngold was still moving at a full gallop when they passed through the gates of the Citadel. The guards didn’t have a chance to even try to stop Gabriella, although they moved to try when they saw she wasn’t going to stop for them. The moment they recognized her, they were grateful they had been too slow to intervene, even as they watched her bring her warhorse to a stop before the main temple building. There, a young man ran to take Whyngold’s reigns from her, and she ordered him to walk the stallion before putting him into a stall so he could brush him down in safety. It was the only way anyone but she could do this. She didn’t bother to tell the man to feed him, as that would be the first thing anyone did, but only after he was settled.
“Gabriella, what brings you to the valley at this time?” Britallia wondered, as she entered the foyer to greet her friend.
“Emperor Lariel sent me to make sure there hasn’t been any trouble in the land,” Gabriella got straight to the point.
Britallia looked at Gabriella strangely, even as she replied, “We would have let you know if there were any problems. Emperor Lariel knows this.”
“I would have also known even without being told,” Gabriella added. She then looked up to see Chania and Daeron, as they descended the stairs to meet her.
Chania smiled openly as Daeron guided her moves with a bracing hand at the curve of her back. He was not about to take the chance that she might slip or fall. “Gabriella, we are pleased to see you, as always. We received word from the Elven Empire that you may find interesting.”
“Really? Anything that might help your situation here?” Gabriella wondered.
“Perhaps. I assume it could take some of the pressure off of you at the least,” Chania answered. She passed on her tidbit of information. “Emperor Lariel has met his Life Mate, and it wasn’t in a vision. Unfortunately, she saw his reaction to you and is not pleased with him. because of it. Rumor has it that she will not meet or speak with him. The word is that she says she wants nothing to do with a man who has no scruples or idea of what he wants in his life.”
A smile crossed Gabriella’s face, as she thought of Lariel with a Life Mate. Chania was right. This most definitely would take him off of her back. Now, he could focus his attention on the woman who was meant to be by his side and leave her alone. She hated to think it, but she hoped she would give him a difficult time, because he deserved it for what he had put her through in the past.
As Gabriella turned, T’Harris sauntered into the room. The moment he noticed everyone gathered in the foyer, he stopped, then leaned against one of the marble pillars, even as he took in everyone in the room. “Chania, Daeron, Britallia, Talus.”
Gabriella could have groaned with the way everyone’s eyes moved from her, to T’Harris, and then back to her again in surprise.
Britallia was the only one that spoke, “I see we aren’t the only ones who have found Live Mates amongst the Guardians of the Empire.”
Daeron spoke to T’Harris, as he walked to his side with an outstretched arm, “Congratulations, my old friend. You do realize that you don’t deserve her.”
“You know better. My Gabriella is the finest Elf in the Empire,” T’Harris returned.
Daeron looked at Chania, as she walked to his side, then spoke, “Not to me she isn’t. No one can match my Chania.”
“Good comeback,” Chania teased, even as they all laughed.
Gabriella refused to play the game. She was not going to listen to any of this, and she was most definitely not about to acknowledge that T’Harris was her Life Mate. She had an Empire to take care of, and that came first. It was what she had been taught since she had been a child barely old enough to sit upon her father’s knee. It had probably been done at the same time he taught her how to hold her first sword.
CHAPTER VI
T’Harris remained close by Gabriella’s side while she received the reports from Britallia. He could tell while there didn’t seem to be much news to tell, she wasn’t satisfied with what she was hearing. Even to him, something seemed to be missing, although both Daeron and Talus assured him nothing was being held back. He knew she was going to follow up on this, which probably meant a trip to the fortress to meet with Cormar. He wasn’t so certain he liked that Elf, although he was up front and a good leader. It all came down to a feeling he was attracted to Gabriella, which made him a possible competitor. He knew it shouldn’t bother him, since he was her Life Mate, but it did. Of course, he blamed Thrax for his jealous streak.
“You have it bad for Gabriella,” Daeron noted sympathetically.
“The same could be said for you and Talus when it comes to your Life Mates. I will admit though, I have never seen you looking as contented as you do at this moment. I assume you now have full control of your Dragon,” T’Harris responded.
“It was a battle, but I think I can safely say he finally knows his place,” Daeron informed T’Harris.
The three Guardians were standing in a row as they spoke between them, while they watched their Life Mates. There was no mistaking the proprietary gleams in their eyes that warned every male in the vicinity to maintain a respectful distance from these women. There was also no questioning who those women were. When one messenger scurried away in fright after delivering a missive from Cormar, Chania looked at Daeron, to see if he had anything to do with it. He grinned sheepishly, shrugged an unapologetic shoulder and blushed guiltily.
“Busted,” Talus teased Daeron.
“I am not alone,” Daeron informed Talus. “If the look Britallia tossed your way is any indication of things are, we should be both looking up at the stars tonight, instead of cuddled close to our heart’s desire.”
“At least my reprieve won’t last that long. You have done everything but roll over onto you back and beg for tummy rubs to get your Life Mate to accept your bond,” Talus pointed out.
“Nothing is too much for my Chania, and if that is what it takes to please her, then so be it,” Daeron declared.
“Is this the same Daeron we knew a couple of months ago?” T’Harris pretended shock. In many ways, he wasn’t too surprised. He had always suspected that beneath the surface, Daeron was a pussycat. There had been a time, however, when Daeron had been so close to turning rogue that they often feared waking to discover the unthinkable had happened. He could barely believe the difference Chania had made in his life.
Daeron knew what T’Harris was thinking and he understood more than he let on to others. He spoke candidly as he admitted, “Meeting Chania was the only thing that saved my life. She brought me back from the brink of darkness. There is nothing I will not do for her, no distance I will not travel for her. She is the light of my soul and the reason my heart beats.”
“I must admit, Chania looks happier than she did the last time I saw her too. I don’t think she was as pleased about her bond as she was resigned,” T’Harris pointed out.
“Resisting her lure was more than I was capable of doing. She was a lifeline I didn’t realize I needed until it was nearly too late. When she is out of my sight, my heart hurts. Yet I know we both have duties to perform that take us away from each other. It is a fact of life. How about you? I am sure Gabriella Eagle Claw wasn’t an easy conquest,” Daeron said.
“She will be worth every effort I put into winning her over to my side. For now, all I can do is bide my time and wait. Eventually, she will realize she needs me, even if it is for no more than learning how to handle her Dragon when it emerges. Thrax says she is close to rising, and he is excited.” T’Harris reported.
“It is surprising you have managed to keep him under control if this is the case,” Daeron replied. He had always found T’Harris’ name for his Dragon amusing, as he was the only Guardian to give his inner persona one. None of the other Guardians had bothered. He had always wondered why but never thought to ask.
“Thrax knows his place. He was certainly warned enough over the years to realize I would punish him if he o
versteps his boundaries,” T’Harris informed Daeron.
“I never realized that was a possibility,” Daeron admitted.
“Me either,” Talus agreed.
“They like their freedom. They love to fly. I might enjoy the same things, but I don’t need it in the same way,” T’Harris explained, even as he kept his eyes on Gabriella. He could tell her mind was working overtime again, which meant she wouldn’t wait long to move on.
“You never stop watching Gabriella,” Talus noticed, just as he felt the need to tease his friend.
“The same can be said for you with Britallia. Both are beautiful Elven Females with more talent than most Elves could handle, yet they do so with an ease that comes natural to them. They are to be admired for this ability alone,” T’Harris spoke.
“What do you think she will do next?” Talus wondered.
“What she feels she must, which will probably mean a trip to the fortress to speak with Cormar and Lindquist,” T’Harris voiced his suspicions aloud. “She will not be satisfied until she has covered all the angles. It is how she is. She will likely then return to the Elven Empire to give her report to the Emperor Lariel.”
“Will you be going with her?” Daeron asked.
“Someone needs to prove she is more than the High Lord General to them. She doesn’t seem to be able to think past her position. No woman should believe all she is can be summed up by a label.” T’Harris made his thoughts sound irate. “I intend to wake her to the reality of what she truly is in the world, and it is not a mere general.”
“During all of Gabriella’s life, she was raised to take over our father’s position as High Lord General. You are going to have your work cut out for you if you think you can tear away a lifetime of conditioning from her mindset,” Cambria stated quietly.
The General Page 4
