By the Horns

by Jeanette Lynn

  Such a contrast they were at times, but for now. They’d never looked more alike than they did in this moment, the similarities in their parentage glaringly obvious. They shared the same angry face as their sire—a furious snarl of a look, their upper lips curled up on their left sides, ears perked up and twitching, the muscles in their shoulders and neck bunched, their barreled chests pushed out, making them look puffed up. Kvigor’s quick tempered hot headedness and Adelric’s battle ready stance left me staring after them, my gaze darting between the two. The resemblance, in mannerisms if nothing else, was uncanny.

  Both males cleared their throats when I continued to stare.

  “You’re awake now,” Kvigor pointed out unnecessarily. He blinked, clearing his throat once more.

  Adelric’s head tilted. He was watching me closely. “Not for long in that condition, she won’t be.”

  “Oh, well, just when I was getting to like you,” I scoffed, huffing, “you- W-w-whoa…” The ground moved, or perhaps that was me. I couldn’t be sure.

  The males moved at once, leaving Suzaela blinking stupidly, her hands held out to hold back the empty space left behind.

  Kvigor reached me first, but I shook my head.

  “No.” My hand shot out. The look on my face implied I wouldn’t accept anything from him under any circumstances.

  “Addie...” He jerked as if I’d slapped him, his throat working as I waved him off. I didn’t want him.

  I don’t need him. I don’t.

  “Wingless,” I barked out, correcting him. “Isn’t that what your kind says? A wingless beast. Rejected princess of them, apparently.”

  A flinch and another jerk. If he could feel even a miniscule taste of what he’d done to me...

  No. No, I didn’t want to believe him to be that kind of person.

  “I’m sorry,” I said on a sigh. “Just...” I couldn’t do this, not right now. I sounded, felt so damn tired. “Just, please, don’t touch me. Not you. Anyone but you.”

  Closing my eyes, I focused on breathing, my hand going to my forehead to come away wet. I was dripping with perspiration, sweating my body weight as I stood here trying to keep myself upright.

  My jaw clenched and I grunted, attempting to turn around and slink back from whence I came. Strong hands reached for my waist, the familiar tingles, such an intimate gesture, I sucked in a breath to screech, reflexively, when, reaching down to pry those thick, steadying hands from me, I found three fingers on each hand, dark brown with thick fur, flat black nails.

  The tingles never left. For a moment, neither did my hands.

  I couldn’t help the flutter in my chest and the traitorous way those pesky stomach caterpillars thought to wriggle around, but this mouth worked just fine. If I could just get the blasted thing to form coherent words now.

  And, no, again. Pox on the tingles. It didn’t work with Kvigor, I wasn’t even going to contemplate something, anything, with Adelric. Those tingles could die in a ditch.

  Forgetting myself, he led and I followed, allowing him to usher me back to my room.

  “Thank you,” I murmured softly, once we were alone.

  “Don’t thank me.” Adelric’s hands slid away, though he hovered. I felt like a little one learning to walk, the dark bull the eager parent following along, just in case, at the ready should I fall.

  “Fine,” I muttered, “I won’t.” The male was an enigma. He had the ability to make you feel bad for being grateful, and rightfully indignant even if you knew you were in the wrong.

  Once I’d settled back onto the bed, he grabbed a thin sheet, flapping it out to put it over me.

  Reaching out, I snatched the sheet from him, holding it to my chest to tuck it around myself. My lips were pursed, eyes narrowed in a glare. “Thank you, Ferdinand. That’ll be all.”

  Adelric blinked, eyeing me funny. “Adelric,” he said slowly, as if I needed reminding.

  Innocent expression firmly in place, I smiled politely. “That’ll be all.”

  The beastman opened his mouth to speak but paused. His ears twitched, flicking from side to side to fall flat to the sides of the top of his head.

  Suzaela and Kvigor were talking in the other room quietly, as if to whisper.

  “I know what I know,” I felt the need to tell my temporary nursemaid.

  Adelric’s gaze swung from the door to me. “What? Riadne, I am-”

  “No. Not that, Ferdinand. At the tree, what I said.” I gestured with a very slow jerk of my chin. “It’s all true.”

  Picking up a long strip of clean, rolled linen off the small end table, he took a long time in answering. “I believe you do.”

  Which didn’t mean jack diddly. I believe you think it’s true, you crazy, wingless pestilence, he might as well have told me.

  “Because it is.”

  Adelric stood. “I should go.”

  “Your King-chief awaits you,” I gestured towards the door, “the celebrating of my mauling by trees is but a short walk away. Don’t want to be late.”

  “Just because I do what is asked of me, doesn’t mean I agree with everything I’m told,” he said carefully, which could be taken in so many ways. “And it is not in celebration of your tree mauling,” he tried for a smile but couldn’t, “it is one of many Ekodar has insisted on as of late. The chief, he has been in a celebratory sort of mood.”

  “And now,” I tossed out with a casual air, “you must realize how much of Bainan resides in you.”

  “Bainan?” The beast stiffened.

  “And Kvigor,” I added, rolling over, because how were they not all alike and in this at length, together, by association, and acknowledgment that they’d all followed along with blind faith.”

  “Hold your tongue,” he hissed. “You speak-”

  “The truth, and you know it.” Wincing at the pressure I was putting on my side, I rolled flat to my back. Adelric was in the doorway, gripping the frame now. He held it so tight bits were crumbling. “Blind compliance is no better than willfully knowing and proceeding forth anyway.”

  “I-”

  “Nay,” I continued, “mayhap worse.”

  “Vachel,” he croaked out.

  “Is a convenient excuse,” I mused, “is she not, to excuse the true motivator?”

  “And what would that be?” he spat.

  “Fear,” I said simply.

  Adelric snarled and quit the room. His stomps to the door sounded like the devil’s horses were on their way. The door slammed with a jarring thud.

  He hadn’t argued. The pit in my stomach roiled. Though, I tried to tell myself, that could be the feverish sickness talking. I shouldn’t have said what I had, truth or not. Of course he was afraid, and I was no better a beastie than he. Beasts, indeed.

  Suzaela came in, the sounds of the mug being cleaned reaching my ears. The clank of something being set on the table by the pitcher alerting me she’d thoughtfully brought in a new one. She even refilled it.

  Eyes closed, I reached for the water mug blindly, surprised but relieved when it fell away, a hand at my nape lifting, for the cup to be brought to my lips moments later.

  This wasn’t my water, I realized as I drank; it was another of Suzaela’s mixes. Tears filled my eyes. I was emotional, grateful. Here in this tiny space with the high priestess, I could be human. It was okay.

  “I wish I’d never come to this place,” I admitted, pushing the cup away, swiping at my lips carefully. “Nothing good has come of it.” It was a lie steeped in truth.

  In the end, so many would’ve suffered sooner by my presence, should they attempt to shield me. I shouldn’t goad Adelric as I do, but I wanted him to see, even if deep down we both knew he readily acknowledged it, if only to himself.

  A hand gently brushed my hair away from my face. It stayed, combing the stiff, tangled knots away. The action caught me—it was both caring and tender.

  “The feast, what will happen if I don’t-” The effects of this draught were already working their mag
ic, leaving me blissfully blank.

  A small smile quirked my lips despite my annoyance at myself. I needed to know.

  Lips gently pressed to my forehead, a hand slipping to the bed to capture mine. “Nothing else will befall you, Addie-mine.” Kvigor’s deep, resonating voice had my breath hitching. Our palms pressed, the familiar tingle barely a fizzle as I slipped into dreamland. “I swear it.”

  Shit. Not Suzaela.

  “Kvigor,” I mumbled, my words slurred. Moisture was already leaking from my eyes steadily to drip down my cheeks.

  I couldn’t put a wall up like this, couldn’t fend him off. Keep away from me, blaggard, I wanted to screech. My lips trembled instead.

  “I’m sorry, vacha. Please understand.”

  Ah... but I did, even if I thought his actions cowardly and my heart still ached from the wound, and there was the rub.

  I hated myself for this, being so understanding. I wanted to hate them, hate them all, same as I did for Puck. I wanted to... to...

  My fingers completely slackened, and I heard those three little words, “I love you, Addie-mine. If we could- If I could have- I- I’m sorry, luv. Truly I am. So damned sorry.”

  With a gentle press of those thick lips to mine, he fell away. My heart tore anew.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Mother, I can’t-”

  “Of course you can!”

  A long sigh. “Mother.” The dark-furred bull sounded as if he spoke through a mouth full of gravel. “Vachel-”

  “Is perfectly capable of taking care of herself!” Her tone softened but was no less adamant. “Adel, you forget yourself. Vachel is my daughter, a fully matured heifer. You never give her a chance to show you her, you are too busy coddling!”

  “I-”

  “I care not what you think will happen, you will not remove that human from my house, she is too ill!”

  “Ekodar-”

  “Is not himself,” she snapped sharply, “and hasn’t been for some time.”

  The Chief’s Enforcer sighed, the sound overloud. “She has gotten to you,” he muttered, his tone affected.

  A feminine snarl had the hairs on my nape pricking, struggling to sit up. “You think me stupid, do you? But who will be here when the ruins fall, hmm? Who will you seek for refuge when the New Rise begins, the All-father’s will come to fruition? Already the wingless walk among us. Is that not the first sign?”

  “One is hardly-”

  “And it matters not what the little wingless has told me, I’ve already drawn my own conclusions. I am no fool, child of mine. Don’t forget yourself.”

  Adelric chuffed. “I know you aren’t a fool...”

  “Good.”

  “Your conclusions, Mama, those would be?”

  “You are not so little that I might put you over my knee, boy,” she informed him primly. “Think you so big? I wiped your bottom not so long ago! I labored to bring you into this existence. I can labor to drag you right out of it!”

  “And you lecture me on my treatment of those old enough and capable?” A small laugh escaped him then, the sound cutting off abruptly.

  Oh, to be home and hear squabbling again, the kind that didn’t involve my fate in the balance.

  “Adelric, hear me now! You will not!”

  “Step aside, priestess, I-”

  Suzaela gasped, affronted. It was a motherly gasp I knew all too well. Coming out of Suzaela, a woman who not only came to my aid but was now shielding me, I felt protective of the Tauran.

  “Adelric! You will not-” Slapping sounds rang.

  Damn it, and there was my cue.

  With a burst of adrenaline rushing through me, I was to the door, the sheet from the bed draped around me like a cape, glaring at Adelric from over his mother’s shoulder.

  “Touch her again, Tauran, and it’ll be the last thing you do,” I snarled in warning, then blinked. It was Suzaela who’d been slapping Adelric, the broad Tauran who stood there, wincing as if readying for another, his cheek turned to the side to allow it.

  My lips parted in astonishment.

  Glowing gold eyes narrowed as his head turned and they settled on me. “Do not think me a beast, pixie demon.”

  “Don’t call me pixie demon, Ferdinand.”

  “Ferdinand?” Suzaela started, perplexed. Sparing me a short glance over her shoulder, her mouth worked and she blinked rapidly, thin fingers going to her throat. Maroon eyes flushed a deep, dark, red tinted pink and she blurted, “But he is Adelric...” When her free hand lifted to feel my forehead, I laughed. “Who is this Ferdinand?” she spluttered, flustered.

  “A male I once knew,” I replied tartly, vaguely, lips twitching at the grunt the male blocking the doorway made. “A very willful, bullheaded one.” Then, to Adelric, “What will happen if I don’t attend?”

  The dark-furred Tauran took a long time in answering. “I cannot be sure.” For once I saw his composure slip. He could deny all he liked, but his chief’s strange new behaviors were growing apparent, and troublesome, and it worried him greatly. Yhem had already confirmed others were seeing it and speaking of it in quiet whispers.

  Good.

  Arms loosely folding, one over the other, I waited.

  With a grumble he continued, explaining to his mother, well aware I was listening, “Your refusal to allow her to come has displeased him. He- he does not care if- He insists, loudly.”

  And wasn’t that a mild way of putting it. Knowing the male, their precious leader was probably incensed.

  “She is ill!” Suzaela ranted.

  My gaze kept going to Suzaela. No matter what happened, I wouldn’t allow others to be pulled into this, not for me. It would only end in more pain.

  My hand slid to her shoulder and I gave it a light squeeze. “I’ll go.”

  Adelric grunted and flinched. His lips pressed, eyes glowing so bright I wondered at that but didn’t care to comment.

  “Riadne-” Suzaela started, glancing to me, startled, but I held up a staying hand.

  “Don’t.” I hated to throw her words back at her but, “Had you not just lectured your eldest on letting those capable make their own mistakes?”

  “I-”

  “Decisions,” Adelric muttered under his breath. “Capable of making their own decisions.”

  “Oh, I do not know,” Suzaela started. “You are still too-”

  “I’m doing this.” My tone was hard, unyielding.

  There was a hint of pride in the female’s eyes as she watched me, though she didn’t look at all pleased, huffing and chuffing about stubborn youths. “You will need things to wear. I shall go and fetch something for you,” she muttered finally.

  “A robe, perhaps,” I joked.

  My tease fell flat. She forced a smile. “A basin to wash and another draught, I be thinking.”

  “As long as it won’t have me drowning in my soup, something to numb the pain would be lovely,” I nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

  That left Adelric alone with me.

  “Earlier,” he started carefully, “what you said...”

  “Don’t.”

  A flash of hurt skimmed his features to disappear, but he nodded.

  “I’m not doing this for you, so don’t think you need to be grateful to me or anything.” I was putting my armor on, pulling that guard up.

  “I know.” A dark scowl folded his brow.

  “Can’t have you cow beasts fawning over me left and right. I have things to do.” It was ridiculous, completely preposterous, which was why I’d said it.

  Wide-eyed shock turned to quiet admiration. He was on to me. “I won’t, I mean, I’m not. I- Cow beasts? I am male...”

  “You heard me, Ferdinand. Cow beasts.” I flashed him a feral smile.

  Clearing his throat, he raised a single eyebrow. “I shall endeavor to keep any cow beast fawning to a minimum, princess,” he intoned with the same idiocy I’d adopted. Lunatics, we were. His lips twitched.

  “Good.” My hand waved wi
th an air of finality—amazing me just how low one, myself, would go to distract. “I’d hate to have to contend with a groveling, snot nosed,” I gestured at his snout, “imbecile.”

  His hand lifted to touch his snout but he dropped it just as fast, fingers flexing, forcing it to his side. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Queen’s pet.”

  “Puck’s reject cow baby.”

  “Hairless demon pixie.”

  “Snotty cow head.”

  “Broken fae.”

  “Crooked-tailed big butt.”

  “What?!” Bull eyes widened and he stole a shocked peek over his shoulder.

  A laugh burst from me and I smiled, despite this whole screwed up thing. He caught my look, eyes crinkling at the corners, and he shook his head.

  It was inappropriate, we both were, yet both parties were fighting off smirks.

  Then his expression sobered suddenly, gold eyes dimming to amber studying me, and with it, my will to go through with this started to wane. “Thank you,” the big bull murmured quietly, back to the serious, sad-mad Minotaur grump he appeared to be at heart.

  “I thought I just told you not to thank me, Ferdinand?” I huffed, chuffing.

  His chuffing huff back was genuine, but his scowl softened. His eyes had a smile in them, no matter how small or slightly sad, rimmed with resignation as they were. Taurans smiled best with their eyes. It was an unkind observation I was sure the feeling was mutual on—human faces probably looked no better to them pulling up into a cheeky grin.

  “Someday you will tell me of this Ferdinand,” his deep voice rumbled.

  “He was a great love,” I replied easily, allowing the bullshite to pour from my cracked lips, “I devoured him, chewed him up and swallowed him, piece by delectable piece.”

  Amber eyes filled anew with glowing gold and his breath hitched. Masculine shoulders twitched, ears flicking, snout wriggling. The Tauran was not unaffected. Thick legs shifted, the pleats of his leather kilt shifting, the beginning of a rather sizable bulge making its presence known.

  Leaning in close, I stared up at him, whispering, “Perhaps, if I should survive this night, I’ll run off to find him.” My hand boldly slid to his chest, pressing right over his thundering heart. Maybe it was the fever talking, possibly the draught making me so bold. The organ beneath my fingertips thumped heavily, working double-time.