The Scythian Trials

by Elizabeth Isaacs

  Nya’s brows rose under her bangs as she took in his powerful form.

  Jax grinned and crawled toward her, the mattress dipping in his wake. “Quit thinking, Vtachi. We got this.”

  He sank his hands into her thick hair, his lips drifted down the gentle arc of her throat before traveling to the mark meant just for her.

  Nya closed her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her lips as his palm grazed the fresh tattoo between her breasts. Subtly, slowly, his whisper-soft touch stroked her pebbled, sensitive flesh, and her breath quickened to short, shuddered pants. Jax kissed her newly marked skin before traveling lower, his lips grazing, tasting, exploring the delicate indentations between her ribs. He took his time exploring every part of her, loving the way her waist dipped in before flaring into sensuous curves.

  “Your skin is so soft, and you smell like heaven.”

  Nya brushed her fingers through his hair, muttering softly as if she found it hard to speak.

  His tongue circled her belly button before his fingers plunged lower, into her soft curls and the fragile crease hidden beneath.

  “So perfect,” he whispered, totally absorbed in her scent, gently ravaging every part of her.

  She shifted her legs, squirming beneath him.

  “Jax, I need you closer.”

  Her husky voice had his lips trailing back up her body until they found hers. His knee parted her thighs, creating a space for himself. Resting the brunt of his weight on his forearms, he buried his hands in her hair and kissed her softly. “Keep your eyes open. I need to see you.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, and he held her gaze as he settled his hips closer.

  “I love you, Vtachi.” His breath shook as he pushed into her, breaching her for the first time.

  She whimpered as her fingers ran down the deep groove of his spine. He forced himself to keep still, giving her time to adjust to him.

  Lost in sensation, she tilted her head back, arching toward him as her body instinctively tightened around him.

  “Oh, God,” Jax whispered.

  Nya kissed his soft lips, and pulled her knees up, encasing him in her strength. She ran her hands up his sculpted back, wrapping her fingers around his shoulders and holding him as she circled her hips, her body completely immersed in pleasure. Jax marveled at how completely she gave herself to him, so vulnerable yet strong, taking him as much as he was taking her until neither of them knew where one began and the other ended.

  He tangled his fingers in her hair, his eyes never leaving her face as he whispered how much he loved her, how incredible she was, how happy he was that she had chosen him. With each word, his movements grew stronger, deeper.

  She whimpered, her eyes rolling closed as passion swept her away. Jax’s control shattered, following her, finding his release in turn.

  Thoroughly drained, he fell forward, burying his face in her neck, his body enveloping hers. He took in her sweet scent, which had mingled with his own musk, and it became his life’s mission to end every day just like this. He rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

  Nya started to shift, but he kept his arms around her. “Not yet.”

  “I’m smothering you,” she murmured, kissing his chest.

  “No, you’re not. I need you.” He linked his hands together at the base of her spine, nudging into her luscious warmth. “Stay with me, just like this.”

  “I can do that.” She smiled.

  They settled into a peaceful quiet. One born of utter contentment.

  “It’s still possible, you know,” Nya mumbled, fighting off sleep.

  “What is?”

  “Having young.” She rested her cheek over the Tovaris brand on his chest.

  Jax kissed the top of her head. “As long as we’re together, I’m happy either way.”

  “If we’re going to try, we need to start soon.”

  “I think we just did,” he muttered.

  Nya giggled. “True.”

  He stroked her back until she yawned and finally eased into slumber.

  Yeah. Jax would never tell her how badly he wanted her to have their nata, a true Amazonian female, or maybe a vina that would carry on the male traditions of Troy—or both. Hell, he’d love a houseful if they could.

  But Sarkov may have made that impossible.

  He must have grown tense because Nya stirred.

  Jax muttered in Dacian, and she nestled down again.

  Moonlight filtered through the trees, streaming in their window as a lone wolf howled.

  They’d take it one day at a time, but Vtachi was officially his, and right now that’s all that mattered.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Three days later Nya and Jax made the long journey to Ireland. They exited the plane, and Nya half smiled as she saw Zander standing by the entrance to the jet’s hangar.

  The thick scar marring the side of his face glared at her in the morning light, his eyes ruthless, angry.

  She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”

  Surprised, the male tensed. “For what?”

  “For making sure we survived.”

  He wrestled her arms from his waist, gently pushing her away. “Don’t get used to the royal treatment, Princess. You’re a Tova now.”

  Nya grinned. “A Tova that kicked your ass.”

  Amusement glinted in his eyes before he scowled again.

  Jax shook Zander’s hand, Dacian rumbling across his lips. “How are you, my brother?”

  “Better, now that we have the Zvaz behind us. I’ve warned the other Tova that anyone who pulls that shit again will have forty-eight hours to claim their romni or they’ll answer to me. Four years is entirely too long.”

  Jax chuckled as they made their way to the SUV out front. “It was definitely worth it, though.”

  “I can only imagine.” Zander raised a brow.

  Nya smirked and kept her eyes forward as they wove through the lot.

  A Tova waited in the driver’s seat, and Zander jumped in the passenger side while Jax and Nya got in the back.

  The vehicle rumbled as they drove through the village and onto the compound’s private drive. They neared the gates, and Nya gripped Jax’s hand as a slew of reporters rushed towards them. Camera’s flashed, even though the tinted windows made it impossible for anyone to see inside.

  “The Irish Suveran has forbidden the press to report on Gia’s Nex ceremony, but that hasn’t stopped those nosy bastards from hanging at the gates,” Zander said.

  Nya groaned. “I hate the media.”

  “We’ll have to deal with them at some point.” Jax kissed the side of her head.

  “Yeah, well it fucking isn’t going to be today.” Zander motioned the driver forward, and the Tova hit the gas.

  The gates opened, and they left the media behind. Zander’s expression softened as they pulled to a stop in front of a modern cottage. “The Suveran has reserved one of the compound’s guest houses for you. He thought it would be too painful for you to return to your childhood home.”

  Nya took a deep breath and got out of the car. He was right. There were too many memories associated with the place, both of her mother and Penn.

  Zander opened the back hatch. “There is one other matter.”

  A dark-headed warrior with gray eyes opened the cottage door.

  Nya froze. “Killian.”

  Zander hefted a suitcase under one arm. “As soon as Jax called to say he’d finally shouldered your mark, I went to the consulate and informed your Chosen. The others accepted it, but Killian insisted on seeing you first. Figured it was better him showing up here than at your cabin in Montana.”

  “Damn straight,” Jax muttered. His warm palms ran up and down her arms, briefly resting on his mark. She tilted her head, and he kissed her neck before pulling away. “I’ll wait for you in the house.”

  Jax grabbed another case from the back, and he and Zander walked away.

  The warriors warily nodded hello as
they passed one another.

  Killian waited until Jax closed the cottage door before facing her.

  “So. It’s true. You’ve shouldered Jax’s mark.” He tripped over the words like they were difficult to say.

  “Yes.” Nya cleared her throat. “Are you staying for mom’s Nex ceremony?”

  Killian shook his head. “Can’t. The American Academy postponed the start of the Claiming Season until tomorrow. My plane leaves in a few hours.”

  Stilted silence settled around them. For the first time in weeks, Nya’s thumb found the scar on her palm.

  “Jax said you were with my mother when she died.”

  Killian sighed. “I was. We were outnumbered ten to one, and your mother had taken a bullet to the thigh, but she refused to give up. We’d just gotten to the second floor when Penn came from a hidden passageway at the end of the hall.”

  Nya swallowed back the tears. “Did she say anything ...” her voice trailed off.

  Killian stepped forward and rested his hands on her shoulders. “She loved you, Ny. Maybe she didn’t openly show it, but when we were searching through the castle, it was like she was possessed. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Thank you,” Nya whispered.

  Killian ran his finger down her cheek, his deep voice softened to a husky whisper. “You should have come back to Carpathia. I would have fought for you.”

  “I know.”

  He leaned forward, his eyes intense. “You’re happy?”

  She took a deep breath. “Yeah, I am. I love Jax. I think I always have.”

  He stepped back, his unhappy gaze taking in her features. “Well, I guess that’s that.”

  “I never ...” Nya’s voice became thick. “I know it doesn’t help, but I’m sorry you’re hurting.”

  Killian leaned in and kissed her forehead, lingering for a moment before he pulled away. “Me too, Ny. Me too.”

  Night settled over the compound’s rolling hills, shrouding the verdant landscape in black. Gas lanterns glowed in the chilly breeze, their comforting flicker guiding grieving warriors to the rocky shore.

  Nya pulled her mourning shawl across her shoulders, watching the shell of her father’s former self lead the crowd to the ceremonial pyre, a small vessel cradled in his arms.

  Zander’s recovery team had gathered an urn full of ashes and a partially melted necklace that Nya had given her mom as a birthday gift years ago.

  The ceramic vessel hadn’t left Ike’s sight since Zander brought it to him in Carpathia.

  Her father’s gaunt face held a gray tinge, his muscles seemed to hang from the bone. Nya had offered to stay, help him ease into a life without Gia in it, but he refused, saying he had already scheduled a flight back to Carpathia as soon as the Nex was complete.

  “Dad can’t keep going on like this.”

  Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I know, but as hard as it is to accept, he has to find his own way.”

  Since Gia’s death, Ike had emotionally shut down. Tonight was worse—his eyes were no longer guarded and empty, but were now completely open, raw. He kept a tight hold of the urn as he neared the wooden structure jutting from the water’s edge, his white ceremonial robe sweeping the ground behind his bare feet.

  The moonlight reflected off the black water like a thousand teardrops glittering on the sea. Ike brought the vessel to his lips, kissing the side, rocking back and forth, muttering his final goodbyes. He stumbled in the water, placing the urn on the platform. The first spark beneath the pyre flickered in the night, the flame hissing and snapping as the dry wood caught ablaze. He fell to his knees, freezing water lapped around his waist as he hung his head and openly wept.

  Nya started toward him, but Jax held her back.

  “He’s requested to do this alone.”

  She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “I know, but he needs me.”

  Jax kissed her forehead before pulling her into his arms. “He does, and we’ll be there for him when he’s ready. But right now, he can’t see past his pain.”

  Silent tears streamed down her face as the blazing pyre gave way, its flames dancing across the wooden pallet as the currents pulled it out to sea. Firelight wrapped Gia’s urn in bright light before the platform’s charred remains sank into the depths below.

  Ike stumbled to his feet, his ceremonial robe ebbing and flowing in rhythm with the waves. Cobalt kissed the horizon, hinting at the dawn of a new day. He turned from the light, his feet unsteady, and stumbled back to shore. The others followed at a distance.

  Nya’s back nestled against Jax’s chest as she looked up at the waning night sky. They watched the stars twinkling lights disappear as pink and purple bled into various shades of orange.

  The last conversation she’d had with her mother flitted through her thoughts.

  “Love exists, but you must let go of the past. Concentrate on the beauty around you and live in the moment you’re in ...”

  A tear slipped down her cheek, and she brushed it away. Someday she’d share her memory with her father as she finally understood what her mother was trying to say.

  The past was riddled with pain, and tomorrow would surely bring more heartache, more war.

  But in this moment, there was beauty. In this moment, she was loved. And in this moment, Nya knew her mother finally had found peace.

  Her eyes stayed on the horizon, watching the sun crest over the endless sea of blue. Gulls called overhead as a chilly wind blew from the north, and she turned and looked into Jax’s deep brown eyes. This life with Jax was something special, something rare, something worth fighting for.

  He kissed the tip of her nose as if he sensed her thoughts. “Come on, Vtachi. Let’s go home.”

  Epilogue

  Headmistress Cassius’s voice blared over the speaker as the wind whipped through the arena. Killian stood next to Giovanni, watching the female warriors spar. Luka had declined to participate, stating he wasn’t ready for the responsibility of a romni. He wanted to wait a few more years before putting his name on the list again. David and what was left of Xari’s Chosen were toward the end of the field, and Myrina’s warriors watched from the other side.

  A few of the males had been enthusiastic about finally having control of the process, but Killian hated it. His father had found Killian’s mother in the Highland Academy Claiming Season. Their mating was a disaster.

  Luckily, the upheaval in Carpathia kept the news crews busy, thank God. Killian’s pride already had taken a hit, and he shuddered at the thought of the press storming the American Academy’s gates.

  Giovanni clapped Killian on the back. “I think I have chosen my candidates, although I do believe there is only one that matches my passion.”

  Tonight was the end of the first round. The Academy had catered a formal meal, and afterward, the males would declare their potential mates. The problem was, Killian had already dismissed four of the five from the initial personality analysis, and he hadn’t found anyone to replace them. Not that these weren’t fine Amazonian females. They were, to be sure. But for years he’d wanted Ny—obsessed about it if he were honest. And after meeting her? No way he’d settle for less. The cold, hard reality was that none of these females even came close to what he wanted—and they never would.

  Giovanni kept his eyes on the arena. “So, have you heard from Dia?”

  “She’s on her Amanti Azil. Why would she contact me?”

  Giovanni glanced at his friend. “After her time with her rovni, she’ll call or write. You were special to her, moreso than the others. She’ll want to stay in touch.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Killian rubbed the back of his neck. No way would he tell Giovanni that he had volunteered to become the CIA lead on a tracking mission to find Nya’s eggs. Even as they spoke his team was prowling Drahzdan hotspots for information.

  But his Ny didn’t need to know that, and neither did her mate. Killian wanted to find what was taken from her so s
he could have some peace.

  And maybe then he’d be able to close this chapter of his life and move on.

  The horn blared, signaling the end of the sparring round. Rissa looked up, waving both arms overhead as she smiled.

  Giovanni waved back. “Tonight is the night I officially name her as one of my Chosen.”

  “I’m afraid I won’t be here to see it.”

  “I thought you might leave.”

  Hating the pity in the other warrior’s eyes, Killian looked away. “I’m not in the right headspace for this.”

  “I’ve heard it gets better with time.” Giovanni’s eyes warmed with compassion.

  “I’m sure it will.”

  The sun sunk below the horizon as Killian made his way out of the stadium. It didn’t matter if the pain of losing Ny went away or not. In his heart, he knew she was his one chance at developing an Intima bond.

  He may never have the future he’d dreamed of, but he’d make damn sure his life counted for something.

  “The time scale for evolutionary or genetic change is very long. ... But today we do not have ten million years to wait for the next advance. We live in a time when our world is changing at an unprecedented rate. While the changes are largely of our own making, they cannot be ignored. We must adjust and adapt and control, or we perish.”

  ― Carl Sagan, Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence

  Terms and Definitions

  Allos (ALL-ose) Scythian term for an average human.

  Amanti Azil (a-MAN-tee a-ZEEL) Dacian for honeymoon.

  Dacia (DA-chi-ah) The original Scythian homeland.

  Dacian (DA-chi-an) The original Scythian language.

  Drahzda (DRAH-zdah) An elite group of Allos soldiers determined to eradicate the Scythian species.

  Epona (ee-POH-nah) Ancient Amazonian blood oath ritual, generally before a marking ceremony.