by Helene Gadot
My hands ripped up grass as the climax tore through me with a rippling violence. Whistler returned his grip to my hips, his fingers bruising in their strength.
He stiffened against me and a roar shook the limbs of the trees as he spilled himself inside me. Gentle hands stroked the warm and pulsing spots on my ass as we collected our breath.
Whistler slid out of me and helped me to my feet. "Are you all right?" Worry replaced the wildness in his eyes.
I smiled and reached up to cup his face in my palm. "I'm much better than all right."
"I didn't hurt you?" Why was he so worried?
"Whistler. You didn't do anything I didn't utterly enjoy."
He yanked me into him. "There's no way I can let you go. You were made for us. You're perfect. You're everything."
I kissed his neck and gave him a little nip. "You still haven't guessed my favorite dish."
With a snort, he released me. "I'm fairly certain I figured it out. But you'll have to wait and see if I'm right. Now, come on. Let's try to get back so Sky and Saber don't come after us."
"You told them to wait until morning." I righted my clothes as best as I could, replacing the infernal dress with my shirt and cloak.
"I doubt they'll listen."
"This is trash. It was already trash, but you ripped it." I shoved the dress into my pack anyway. It could come in handy one day. Perhaps as dust rags.
Whist shined his smile on me again, bright and burning. "It's grown on me."
Indeed.
TWENTY-THREE
A bit sore and aching from Whist's rough treatment, we had to return a little more slowly on our way back to the safe house. I couldn't stop thinking about it the entire way back, remembering how hard and rough and filthy it was. How wild and free and uninhibited I felt. It was completely different from my time with Saber, but no more or less powerful and perfect. I couldn't help but wonder how it would be with Sky. He showed hints of dominance as well, completely different from his usual easygoing humor.
The three assassins were nothing like each other and I craved each one. I was starting to think I needed each one. Sky brought fun, laughter, companionship to my lonely life. Saber brought understanding and shared love of music and art to my thirsty soul. And Whistler met my darkness with his own, turned my pain into something beautiful and strong.
What did I do for them? Something similar or completely different?
The safe house appeared at last and a warmth built around my heart. Almost like I'd just caught sight of home. Something I'd never had before. The assassins had brought me a lot of firsts.
My eyes were heavy with weariness, our trek took us deep into the night to make it back. The safe house sat in a pool of welcoming moonlight. Our steps sped up at the sight, glad to be back.
Inside, everything was dark, quiet. It made me nervous. Whist seemed to sense my unease because he smiled and held a finger to his lips and led me over to Sky and Saber's door. He cracked it open and leaned back for me to peer inside.
Moonlight streamed through the window, shining down on the two naked men intertwined on the bed. I softened as I spied on them. Sky's arm was tossed carelessly over Saber's waist, half of Sky's ass peeking from beneath the covers.
I stepped back and Whist closed the door. I grinned at him over my shoulder as I opened my door, leaving it ajar for him to follow me inside.
He followed.
We stripped off our boots and outer clothes and climbed into the bed. He laid on his back and held an arm out for me to snuggle into his chest.
"You disappointed you weren't here to watch them?" I asked as I wiggled against him, trying to get comfortable.
"Not even a little."
"Do you ever join them?" The thought turned me on. All three of them, moving together in a beautiful dance of pleasure. Though I had a hard time imagining Whist indulging in his darker pleasures with them. They were both a little too alpha to enjoy it.
He rubbed his thumb against my upper arm. "Sometimes. But I prefer women and I don't have the same sort of bond with them that they have with each other. I'd rather watch them rather than take part."
"You sure seemed to enjoy taking part earlier." I grinned into his chest.
"It's different with you. And trust me, watching you with them is still almost as good as being inside you myself."
I squirmed against him, his words making me hot.
He kissed the top of my head. "Sleep, gorgeous. I'll fuck you again tomorrow."
How the hell was I supposed to sleep now?
TWENTY-FOUR
Sky and Saber woke us the following morning by bursting into the room and jumping into bed with us. Sky shoved Saber into it, right on top of me and Sky leapt onto Whist, smacking a kiss right on his lips.
Whist shoved him off with a curse, but Sky just squirmed until he snuggled between us. Saber rolled off me to my other side, spooning me from behind.
"At least you assholes have your clothes on." Whist grumbled the words, sleep still thickening his voice.
"We didn't want to show Rhapsody that side of us this soon." Sky poked my belly.
I swatted his hand away. "I've already seen your naked side."
"You haven't seen mine." Sky fake pouted.
I grinned at him. "I did last night."
Sky gasped dramatically. "Did someone spy on us while we were vulnerable and sleeping?"
"Maybe." I hid my face in his chest.
Sky scooted closer, trapping me between him and Saber. "You two should have climbed in with us. We were worried."
I shuddered, my nipples tightening. What would they do if I kissed Sky right now? Would the other two leave or would they join us?
"Clearly." Whist's dry voice pulled me away from my dirty musings.
Sky pushed his ass back to nudge Whist. "Oh shut up, Whist. You just wanted to have her for yourself a little longer."
Saber intervened before their bickering could continue. "How'd things go?"
Wiggling out from between the two assassins, I left Whist to recap our day together and disappeared into the bathroom. I still had dirt crusted in my nails and palms and probably my knees as well. Living with plumbing was the greatest luxury of my life. Returning to a life filled with bathing in streams was not appealing in the slightest.
I slipped into the tub brimming with steaming water and sighed. It still boggled my mind that they went to such extremes for a mere safe house. Even my vivid imagination couldn't come up with a picture of what their actual home was like.
Too bad I'd never have a chance to find out for myself. I felt awful I'd stolen it away from them. Would they one day resent me for it?
But could I really take their choice away when I was so determined to make my own? When I spent all my time demanding the freedom to make choices for my life?
A tap on the door pulled me from my thoughts and I realized the bath had grown cold.
"You okay in there, doll? You're not hiding from us are you?"
"I'll be out in a minute, Sky." I unplugged the drain and stood, water sliding down my skin. I had a couple scrapes on my knees and my palms beneath the dirt from Whist's gentle ministrations. The sight made warmth trickle through me even though it stung. It was worth every second.
After toweling off, I slipping back into my then vacant room and got dressed. I'd been in the bath, lost in thought, for at least on hour.
I emerged, my wet hair still dripping down my back and found Whist holding out a plate with a treacle tart on it.
I stumbled back against the door. "Whistler. How the fuck? How did you guess?" I blinked hard, certain I was imagining things. There was no way.
"I'm just that good." His cocky smirk rivaled Sky's.
"Seriously? You cheated somehow." But I couldn't figure out how. "Tell me how you knew."
He stepped closer, the plate still held out to me. "It's going to take a lot for you to convince me to reveal my secrets."
I took the plate from him with tremblin
g hands, my heart in my throat. "Guess you got your three weeks."
Whist's eyes softened and he held out a chair for me at the table. Overwhelmed with crashing emotions, I used a fork to cut into the tart. Tears burned my eyes at the first bite. It tasted exactly like my mother's.
"You have a gift. I'm starting to suspect there's magic involved."
"You all right, love?" Saber rubbed my back.
"Yeah, I'm good. It's just been a really long time since I've had this." I paused, then decided to let them in. Just a little. "My mother used to make it for me when we had the money. It was always a rare treat, but we all loved it. She tried to teach me, but I'm an utter failure in the kitchen." Did Whist have any idea of the gift he gave me?
Based on the look in his eye, something fierce and protective and burning with complete understanding, made me think he had more than an inkling. How did he know me so well so soon? They all did.
And I thought I was beginning to know them as well. It terrified the fuck out of me.
Saber stroked my back once more, and we all turned our attention to dessert for breakfast. They gave me the space I needed to sort through my emotions. How did they do that? Know what I needed before I needed it?
For the first time, I wished my parents were kindreds. Then, maybe I wouldn't have been so confused, uncertain which was the magic of them and which was the magic of the bond.
"What's the plan now?" Sky asked. "The guards are still searching for our girl here. It won't be long before they make their way out here once she doesn't show up in villages."
"All the surrounding villages have more guards than usual." Whist passed around mugs of coffee.
I almost choked on my bite of the tart. "Wait. When did you find that out? You didn't mention it to me."
"I overheard a couple villagers whispering about it when the guards came into the tavern. Word has gotten around. I'm surprised the owner let you play. It's going to be hard on all bards for a while. They let you go once you convinced them you were someone else, but it's making people uneasy."
My ears perked up at his choice of words.
Whist read the hope on my face and shook his head. "Not uprising kind of uneasy. Wary of musicians kind of uneasy. Most people don't want change, gorgeous. Failgrey is a prosperous country. More people find their kindreds than not and everyone pretends the single ones or the ones whose kindreds are fucked up don't exist."
Before I could start ranting and railing against the system, someone kicked in the door.
TWENTY-FIVE
The assassins leapt to their feet, chairs falling to the floor behind them.
Whist whipped a fork at the face of the royal guard in the doorway. "Sky. Get Rhapsody out of here. You know where to meet. We're blown."
Sky picked me up out of my chair while Whist and Saber unearthed weapons out of thin air. Where the fuck were they hiding all those? Sky hustled me towards the back door.
I struggled against his grip. "Wait. My pack. My ukulele."
Sky didn't stop. "There's no time. We have to move."
A sob caught in my throat, panic clawing at me. I couldn't lose Papa's ukulele. It would shatter me. "It's the only thing I have left, Sky. Please."
"I'm so sorry, doll. We'll try to come back for it. I swear. But there are more than just that one lug and Saber and Whist will be distracted if they have to worry about you. Please, Rhapsody."
Another sob tore from my throat, but I let Sky drag me away, no longer fighting, but not helping either. Outside, four guards waited for us. And based on the crashing noises inside, more had joined Saber and Whist.
We were trapped.
Sky shoved me behind him and the air rang with the scrape of steel as he drew his sword. "You're a burr on my ass, got it?"
I sniffed and nodded. "Yeah."
He squeezed my arm and then he was moving, spinning, slicing, cutting, killing. It was like a dance. I could almost hear the music. Shock kept me frozen and I could do nothing but watch.
A song began to come together in my mind -- this one crying out my grief and burgeoning love for my assassins. One about the agony of choices, but the freedom in having them. The lyrics were still a jumble, but the music was crystal clear.
Could Sky hear it? He moved perfectly to the beat in my head. Perhaps I was adjusting the beat to him. There was such a strange beauty in his killing, stark and harsh. His body swelled in protection. His movements calm and certain. His eyes burning with a sort of holy vengeance.
If I could paint, I would have painted him. Just like this.
I hated waiting on the sidelines, unable to help for fear of getting in the way. Two lessons did not make me a fighter. I'd always fought with my words, with my music. Only occasionally had I used my dagger and only as a last resort.
Maybe it was time for me to take up a sword.
Sky stumbled and the remaining guard raised his sword to strike. Before my brain had a chance to catch up, I started to belt out a song as loud as I could. The guard jerked with surprise and his eyes darted over to me. It gave Sky the opening he needed to smash the hilt of his sword into the guard's face and knock him unconscious to the ground.
Sky's wide eyes met mine. "You just saved my life. With song."
I stuttered a little before I was able to push words out of my stiff lips. "I guess I did."
He wrapped me in his arms, breathing in the scent of my hair. "That's definitely a first for me."
"Hopefully a last."
He set me back on the ground and pulled me away from the house. "Keep it in your arsenal just in case. I'm willing to wager it would work again."
I dug in my heels. "Wait. What about Saber and Whist?"
He tugged on my arm. "I have my orders and they're to get you out of here."
"But they might need help." I cast a desperate, fearful glance over my shoulder, hoping for a glimpse of the others.
"Trust me. They'll be fine. More guards will be on the way. We have to go."
Before I could argue further, the other two assassins tumbled through the door, Whist holding up a bleeding Saber who held my ukulele in his arms.
I rushed over to them, ignoring the instrument, and reached out, my hand hovering over the slice on Saber's arm. "What happened?"
"He went after your ukulele and got a sword to the arm for his trouble." Whist shook his head.
My mouth dropped in horror as I relieved him of my most precious possession. "Saber, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to put yourself in danger for that."
Saber's uninjured arm reached out to run his hand along my shoulder. "It was your father's. You need it."
"I need you more." The words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. But I meant every one.
Whist nudged us towards the woods. "We need to get out of here. More will be coming and the closest safe house is half a day away."
"Why don't we steal the guards' horses? They might make the trip faster." I wasn't a confident rider, but I knew how. And I wanted them far away from danger.
Sky grinned. "You'd make a pretty decent assassin, doll. Just wait until you two hear how Rhapsody here saved my life."
I rolled my eyes and remained close to Saber's side. "He needs to be stitched up."
"I'm fine, love. Once we get away from here, we'll stop and you can tend to me, all right?" Saber patted my hand.
"Fine." Avoiding his wound, I raised up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "And thank you."
"Anytime, love."
I scowled and shook my head so hard my braid almost whipped me in the face. "No. Not again. Nothing is more precious than your life."
"It was worth it just to see you smile."
"I think the blood loss is making you cheesy. You're usually smoother than that." I ignored how even cheesy, his words made me melt.
He smiled. "I'll do better next time."
Whist broke up the moment by leading over two horses. "Rhapsody, you're with me. Sky, you take Saber."
"Splitting up or
staying together?" Sky asked.
"Split up. Circular route and meet in the middle." Whist's words made no sense to me, but Sky seemed to understand them.
"See you in about an hour."
"We'll probably beat you there so we'll wait." Whist tossed me into the saddle and leapt up behind me, his hands coming around to grasp the reins.
I still clutched the ukulele to my chest, some of Saber's blood splattered across it. My heart clenched at what could have happened just because Saber wanted to make me happy. Why did he do that for someone he'd only known a few days, kindred or not?
I didn't understand.
TWENTY-SIX
We galloped for twenty minutes with only the whipping wind as company.
I needed to take my mind off my worries for Saber. "Can you explain the kindred bond a little better for me?"
"What do you mean?" Whist asked.
"My parents weren't kindred and we were never close to anyone, so I was never told much about it from people who have personal experience." It was still a mystery to me even though I was surrounded by it and it was an integral part of our world.
I didn't like mysteries.
"All right. What specifically do you want to know about it?"
Questions flew from my mouth almost faster than my lips could form them. "How strong is it? Does it override free will? Does it make you do things you wouldn't normally do? I know it's possible to not accept the bond, but that it's extremely painful."
"Kindred bonds are incredibly strong, but it doesn't take away your choices. You can choose to accept it or choose not to. Few people go against it and not just because of the pain, but because of how their kindred fits them so perfectly. When we found you, it was like a piece I didn't even realize I was missing clicked inside me and made me whole. Being with you hasn't changed my personality or made me do things any differently than I usually would. But I feel complete now. Mainly all the kindred bond does is draw the best matches to each other. It helps you recognize each other. Whether that's just two people of it's five. There are tons of books and songs and poems and studies written about it, but it remains our biggest mystery."
