by Rayna Tyler
It appeared I was not going to avoid having the state of my health be a topic of interest for my friends, a topic I was not going to encourage with a response.
Burke set a cup in front of me before taking a seat. “If you’re interested, I’ll take you on a tour of the settlement tomorrow…provided you’re still in one piece when you get back from seeing Celeste.” He hid his grin by taking a sip of his drink.
“Ignore him.” Sloane handed me an empty plate from a stack sitting on the end of the table to her right. “Garyck decided our food wasn’t good enough and went hunting this morning.” She picked a piece of meat off her plate with her fingers. “It’s not bad if you like your food overcooked.”
Garyck grunted and snatched the morsel from her hand.
“Hey, I wasn’t done with that.” Sloane tried to grab it back but wasn’t fast enough to stop Garyck from shoving it in his mouth.
I placed some food on my plate and ate while I half listened to Garyck and Sloane. Their banter consisted of him making noises and her responding as if she knew exactly what he meant.
“Khyron.” I turned my head toward the sound of Thrayn’s voice. “I believe you are in need of my assistance today, that you require an escort.”
I was going to ask him where he got that idea until I saw Vurell sauntering into the room behind him, a huge smirk on his face.
“Until the humans are more comfortable with our presence, having someone accompany you is not a bad idea,” Zaedon said.
I preferred to see Celeste alone but understood his concern. Arguing or ordering them to stay behind would do no good. They would follow me anyway, especially since I had already survived one attempt on my life. “I will take Thrayn with me.” He hadn’t interacted with the humans as much as the others had, and if Burke and the females agreed to the plans I had for the future, then learning more about their culture would be beneficial.
Impatient to be leaving, I washed down my last bite with the remainder of my freegea, then got to my feet. “Can you tell me where to find Celeste?” I directed the question to Sloane.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Sloane asked after taking a sip of her drink.
Thrayn puffed out his chest. “I am going with him, and I assure you he will not need additional assistance from a female.”
Sloane briefly narrowed her eyes, and I was certain she would do something to make Thrayn regret his statement.
Instead, she shrugged and settled back into her chair. “Suit yourself. Just remember our bet.” She gave the blade strapped to Thrayn’s hip an appreciative glance. “I’ll expect you to hand over my blade when you get back.”
Thrayn snorted and gripped the hilt possessively. “My blade will remain where it is.”
“You can discuss ownership later. Right now, I would like to leave and find Celeste,” I ordered.
After supplying me with instructions to her home, Sloane grinned. “Oh, and if she’s not home, you might try Harper’s place. It’s the two-story building on the other end of the main street, the one with all the children running around.”
“Thank you.” I gave Sloane an appreciative nod and headed for the exit.
Though I had never been to this settlement, having humans stop and stare was not an uncommon experience. Seeing two ketaurran males armed with swords and traipsing through their community had no doubt brought back unwanted memories of another time. A time when others of my kind had tried to take control and slaughtered humans for being different.
When I was younger, there was a time during the war when my sire was still alive when I had kept my identity secret and traveled with a group of soldiers rather than the vryndarr. We knew Sarus’s men were targeting humans, so I had visited several of the settlements to ensure they remained protected. It was where I met Celeste. After the report of her death, the memories were too painful, and I refused to visit the human communities anymore.
Sloane’s assumption that Celeste would not be in their dwelling had been accurate. A fact confirmed by an older ketaurran female named Nayea, but not until I had answered all her questions and she was convinced I was truly the drezdarr. After learning Celeste had gone to Harper’s home, it had not taken Thrayn and me long to reach the dwelling.
It seemed that Celeste was well-liked within the community, because Harper was just as skeptical and protective as Nayea had been. She didn’t care about my title and seemed even less impressed with Thrayn when he tried to intimidate an answer from her. After making him wait outside and listening to me apologetically answer all her questions, she finally told me where I could find Celeste.
Harper’s instructions led us through a heavily wooded area some distance away.
“Are you sure the female provided you with an accurate location?” Thrayn asked.
I wondered the same thing until laughter came from the other side of a copse of trees with deep blue trunks, the upper branches covered with thorns.
“That wasn’t bad. Try to keep your aim straighter when you throw.” Hearing Celeste’s voice made my heart race. I fought to keep my pace steady and my tail from happily swishing back and forth.
I moved through the trees and found her in a clearing with two young human males. They were facing away from Thrayn and me, focused on throwing knives at trees on the opposite side of the area. “Celeste.” I wanted to get her attention before her next throw.
She cringed, then spun, poised with a knife in her hand. I did not believe she had it in her to cause me bodily harm, so I remained immobile and watched the blade sail through the air. I released the breath I was holding when it missed my head and plunged into the trunk of the tree behind me.
It was the first time I had ever seen Thrayn move his mouth without speaking. I was glad he had been too stunned to react and had not decided to dive in front of me.
“What are you doing here, and how did you know…”
She must have realized Laria and Sloane had told me where to find her. “I can’t believe they…” She fisted her hands and continued to ramble. “Did Vurell tell you what I said? Is that why you’re here?”
She had matured a great deal and was more beautiful than the last time I had seen her. Her body was lean, her muscles more defined. Her brown hair was pulled back in a single braid that reached the middle of her back. It glistened in the sunlight, and I longed to pull it free, to splay it across her shoulders. I had forgotten how her cinnamon eyes darkened and shimmered when she was angry. “He did.” I held back a grin. “And no.”
Celeste crossed her arms. “Then why are you here?”
Thrayn interrupted by placing a hand on the hilt of his sword and taking an intimidating step forward. “You do know there are consequences for attacking the drezdarr. He could have you thrown in a cell for attempting to take his life.”
“You’re not taking Celeste anywhere.” One of the young males clutched his blade and moved to stand in front of her. I guessed his age to be no more than eleven or twelve and admired the fierce way he tried to protect her from Thrayn.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Further confrontation instigated by my vryndarr would not help the situation, and I wanted to throttle Vurell for insisting I bring the male with me. “Thrayn, enough. Go stand over there.” I pointed to an area on my right, far enough away to keep him from interfering. “I believe I can speak for myself.”
“Of course.” Thrayn frowned and bowed his head, then stomped to the spot I had indicated. The arrogant male still had many things to learn about his new role as a vryndarr. I knew it would come in time, but at the moment, I did not have the patience to deal with him, not when it came to Celeste.
“Can we speak alone?” I glanced at the two young males.
Celeste placed a hand on each of their shoulders and squeezed. “You guys head back to Harper’s place. I’ll be there shortly.”
“But what if he…” The taller of the two hadn’t taken his dark eyes off Thrayn.
“I’ll be okay. Now go�
�please.”
They reluctantly dragged their feet, shooting frowns and glares at me over their shoulders before disappearing through the trees.
I had had plenty of time since leaving the city to ponder how this meeting would go. So far, nothing had gone as I had imagined. Celeste didn’t budge, nor did she say anything, further proof my arrival had not made her happy.
I wanted to move closer but was afraid any movement might make things worse. “Do not be angry with your friends. It took a great deal of convincing for them to share your location.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“I wanted to thank you for risking your life to save mine.” There were many other things I wanted to tell her but knew now was not the time. They would have to wait until later. Now that I knew where she was and that she was safe, I had no intention of returning to the city until I told her everything I wanted to say.
“Seems like a long way to travel just to say thanks, but whatever, you’re welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go.” She spun on her heels, took a few steps, then stopped. “Oh, and Khyron?” She spoke without looking at me.
“Yes.” I took a hopeful step forward.
“Enjoy your trip back to the city.” Celeste strode in the direction the young males had taken, the sway of her hips accentuated with each irritated step she took.
After she disappeared through the trees, Thrayn appeared by my side. “I cannot believe she tried to kill you.”
“Her aim was perfect.” I retrieved her knife from the tree and smiled. “If she wanted to kill me, I would already be dead.”
“Do you wish for me to go after her?” Thrayn asked.
“No, but I need some time alone and would like you to return to Burke’s home to wait with the others.”
Thrayn’s gaze widened. “But who will protect…”
I cut him off with a glare. “I am quite capable of protecting myself.”
After Thrayn left, I lowered myself to the ground near the closest tree, using the trunk to brace my back. I closed my eyes and let images of Celeste fill my thoughts. Not long into my musings, I heard rustling close by and assumed Thrayn had disregarded my order and returned. I forced my eyes open, ready to admonish him for disobeying, and found a young human girl with inquisitive brown eyes and braids on each side of her head peeking at me from behind a tree.
“Are you really the drezdarr?” she asked as she took several hesitant steps into the clearing.
“I am, but you may call me Khyron.” I smiled when she grinned. “And what is your name?”
She took a few more steps. “Melissa.”
“What are you doing out here all alone?” I patted the ground next to me, then chuckled when she rushed to take a seat.
“I was watching Gabe and Ben train with Celeste. When I get a little older, she promised to train me too,” she stated proudly.
“I have no doubt you will be very good at it.”
She twisted her hands in her lap. “Celeste was really angry with you. What did you do to her?”
The intricacies that accompanied adult relationships were difficult to explain, and I did not want the child to worry. “It is complicated.”
“Harper always tells us to apologize when we do something wrong. Maybe you should give Celeste flowers or something.” Her smile widened. “The chirayka are her favorites.”
I remembered Celeste’s fondness for the deep purple blossoms. “That is a very good idea. Thank you.”
Melissa jumped to her feet and eagerly held out her hand. “If you want, I can show you where to find some.”
Chapter Seven
Celeste
I couldn’t believe Khyron came all this way to thank me for saving his life, yet he couldn’t tell me he was sorry for not keeping his promise, for not coming back for me years ago when I needed him the most. I’d been fuming by the time I’d returned to Harper’s house to check on Ben and Gabe to let them know I was okay. The bravery the two boys had shown when they’d faced off against Thrayn, who was no doubt a vryndarr, hadn’t surprised me. Their lives had been hard, and they’d grown up tough.
I didn’t want to admit it, but I was thankful and admired the way Khyron defused the situation before anyone got hurt. It irritated me even more to realize the attraction was still there, that I couldn’t stop noticing how handsome he was or worry about the pale condition of his scales.
Part of me wanted to spend more time with the children, but if Khyron was here, then so were Laria and Sloane.
I felt betrayed and more than a little angry with my friends for bringing him to the settlement, but my rational side didn’t fault them. Khyron had always been charming and could be very persuasive when he wanted something. Since our relationship ended so long ago, I had no idea what that something was, but I intended to find out, and I was certain my roommates had the answer.
When I walked out of the woods, I noticed a familiar transport sitting on the road in front of Harper’s house. It belonged to Joe, a middle-aged guy who traveled between the few remaining settlements selling and trading goods. Most of his inventory consisted of clothes made by some very talented ketaurran females from several of the cities. There was a market area set up on the other end of the community for all visiting traders. Whenever Harper needed clothes for the children, that was where she’d go to get them. Joe knew traders weren’t allowed to solicit homes, so I found it strange to discover his vehicle parked here.
I opened the door to the rear entrance and heard raised voices coming from the front of the dwelling.
“I said no. Now please leave.” Harper had her back to me and was trying to keep a guy I didn’t recognize near the front door and out of her home. He appeared to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. The uneven cut of his hair and the long bangs covering his forehead made it hard to tell for sure. He hadn’t seen a bath in a day or two, and his clothes looked as if he’d been sleeping in them.
Ben and Gabe stood off to the side, holding Draejill’s hands between them. Ben nervously rocked from one foot to the other. Gabe fisted his free hand, possibly contemplating going for the blade on his hip so he could help Harper. Draejill’s lower lip quivered, and he’d soon be shedding tears.
I didn’t care who this guy was. Nobody got away with upsetting the children, not when I was around. Fueled by a new wave of fury, I walked farther into the room. “What’s going on here?”
“Celeste, thank goodness.” The stiffness in Harper’s shoulders relaxed, and she shot a relieved glance in my direction.
“Just some honest trading,” the guy said as he inched to his left, giving me a better view. “Name’s Travis. And you are?” His grin, along with the way his dark, narrow-set eyes roamed up and down, then stopped when they reached my breasts, made me shudder.
“I’m the one asking the questions.” I placed my hand on my hip, ready to draw my blade if necessary, then realized I’d left it in the tree after I’d thrown it at Khyron. I had a thinner blade in my boot, but bending over to grab it would cost me valuable time if he figured out what I was doing and reached for Harper.
“No need to get upset. I was just telling the girly here that I know of a good home for the little one over there.” He pointed at Draejill, the movement enough to cause the tears I’d predicted to trickle down the child’s pale orange face.
“Good home, my…” Harper huffed. “He was trying to negotiate a trade.”
“Where’s Joe, and why do you have his transport?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.
“He was sick of trading, decided to retire.” Travis tapped the side of his leg.
I had a feeling Travis was lying, that something bad had happened to Joe, that there was a good chance he was dead. Even if Joe had decided to stop trading, which was doubtful, vehicles were hard to come by, and he never would have gotten rid of his transport.
More than likely, this guy was a bandit or slaver pretending to be a t
rader. There was no point in explaining the settlement’s rules about trading. If I was right, he was a greedy lowlife who had no use for rules and took what he wanted. He was dangerous, and I needed to get him out of the house and away from the children. “We’re not interested in your offer, so I think you should leave.”
“Who’s going to make me? You?”
“If I have to, yes.” I’d need to act quickly if I didn’t want anyone other than Travis to get hurt.
“Sure you will.” Travis dismissed me with a laugh, then stepped to his right. “I’ll be taking the little one with me.”
“Don’t you touch him.” Harper backed away from Travis and placed herself protectively in front of the boys.
I felt small fingertips brush the back of my bare arm. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder and found Gabe standing behind me so Travis couldn’t see him. He’d unclasped the sheath from his belt and held it out in front of him. Amazed by his ingenuity, I forced back a grin, nodded, then reached behind me. As soon as Gabe pressed the hilt against my palm and tugged on the sheath, I shouted, “Hey, Travis!”
The second Travis jerked his head in my direction, I released the knife.
His eyes widened, and he stepped to the left, the throw I’d meant for his shoulder slicing his forearm and ending up in the wall behind him. Travis growled, his disbelieving glare jumping from the blood trickling down his arm to me.
I had already retrieved the blade in my boot by the time his shock had worn off.
I glared at Travis, poised to throw again. “You can either leave now, or the next one takes out an organ.” This wasn’t Earth. There were no prisons, no long-term places to keep criminals. And if I was alone, I wouldn’t hesitate to take his life, because I knew if he got the chance, he wouldn’t hesitate to take mine. The children had witnessed enough death in their short lives, and I didn’t want them to see what I was capable of or give them another nightmare to deal with.
“And she won’t miss.” Gabe moved next to Harper. She’d scooped up Draejill, who now had his head on her shoulder and was sobbing against her neck.
