“I assume the others are already here then,” I said.
“Yes, they’re staying somewhere else. It’s a long story.” She sighed as she shoved a pair of ragged-looking slippers in the bag. “A few hours ago I led a quiet life. Now two men are dead and four men say I have to bond with them and become a Dragon. Why is this happening to me?”
I didn’t reply. It had taken me a long time to accept that the Water God had truly chosen me. I’d ignored it at first. Then I’d gotten angry. Eventually I’d tried yelling, bargaining, and even praying to get out of it. I hated the Black Dragon and her mates with every fiber of my being, but that didn’t mean I wanted to get involved in some mad quest that would only end up with all of us getting killed. But no matter how much I resisted, I couldn’t deny the tugging in my gut that got worse with every day that passed, until the need to find Kira became all-encompassing. So here I was.
But as soon as I could find a way to get out of this mess, I was gone.
12
Kira
I didn’t get any more sleep that night. After telling my story to the town’s soldiers and trying to comfort Tash and her mother, I’d accepted it was time for me to say my goodbyes. It was clear I couldn’t stay here any longer, no matter how hard it was to leave my home behind.
Roark and Koth had never been especially loved in Stoneham, but they were respected. They’d lived in the town their entire lives and were related to half the people in it. The soldiers believed me when I’d said their deaths were a result of self-defense, especially when Tash and her mother backed up my story, but the townspeople would never look at me the same way again. Especially if word got out about my new companions’ strange magic. So far no one else knew about them, but how long would that last?
No, the longer we stayed, the more dangerous it was for everyone. Including Tash.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I asked her for the tenth time. We stood in the middle of her kitchen, with dawn’s light filtering through the windows and illuminating the shadows under her eyes. Tash hadn’t slept much either last night.
“I’m sure,” she said, with a weak smile. Her eyes were puffy and red, but she stood tall, as if a great burden had lifted from her shoulders. “We both knew something like this would happen eventually. I’m only grateful none of us were hurt.”
I took her hands in mine. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right.” She squeezed my hands. “You protected me for so long, and my mother too. But it had to end someday. At least now we can live without fear, and you can fulfill your destiny without worrying about me anymore.”
“I hate leaving you behind,” I said. “You could come with us, you know.”
She chuckled softly. “What, and travel the world with you and your four men to help overthrow the Black Dragon? That sounds fun, but my place is here. I have an inn to run, after all.”
I nodded. I knew that would be her answer, but I had to ask anyway. “You’re going to be amazing at it. But what about food?”
“I’m reaching out to the farmers my father made angry to see if they’ll do business with me instead.” A sad smile touched her lips. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll figure it out. Just make sure you come back and visit sometime, okay? I want to hear all about your adventures.”
“I will, I promise.”
“And be careful.” She gave me a tight hug. “I believe in you, Kira. If anyone can save this world, it’s you.”
Emotion made my throat tight as I hugged her back. “I’ll do my best.”
We said one last tearful goodbye and then I rushed out the kitchen door and headed toward the stables. I lifted my pack up on my shoulder while wiping my eyes before approaching the four men who waited for me near their horses. The four men I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. Starting now.
Gods, I was not ready for this at all.
Reven leaned against the stable walls with his arms crossed, his hood pulled low over his face so all I could see was his dark stubble. He’d barely said a word to the other men, so it wasn’t just me he was chilly with. I got the feeling he wasn’t all that excited about being here, and how could I blame him? We’d all been forced into this situation, but there was nothing to do except make the best of it somehow—and trust that the Gods had chosen us for a reason.
The other men stood apart from each other as well. Jasin rocked on his heels, his fingers resting on the hilt of his sword as if he might pull it out at any moment, while he watched for any trouble from the soldiers or other townspeople. He wore his military uniform again, which consisted of black trousers with a stiff coat over them, both trimmed with dark red to show he was from the Fire Realm division. As a former member of the Onyx Army, could I really trust him?
Slade stood inside the stables, saddling a large brown horse with gentle eyes. He had a calm way about him, perhaps because he was a few years older than the rest of us. I had no doubt he was loyal to our cause, and I couldn’t forget the way it had felt to be held in his arms for even a brief moment, but I had the sense something was holding him back too.
Auric peered at a map and took notes in his journal while the wind tousled his golden hair. His clothes were finer than the rest of ours and I wondered how he felt about being stuck with a girl like me, so below his station. I got the feeling he saw our mission as a chance to uncover hidden knowledge, but was that all he cared about? Could he ever care about me?
Would any of these men?
Not Reven, for sure. Slade was just as distant. Jasin maybe, though I got the feeling he’d be willing to bond with just about any woman.
“We need to make a plan,” Auric said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I drew in a breath as I stared at his map, which was more elaborate and finely made than any I’d seen before. Done in different colors, it depicted the four Realms, each one converging in the center at the capital, Soulspire, where the Black Dragon and her mates resided near the Spirit Temple. The Earth Realm, where we were now, was located in the north, with the Air Realm to the east, the Water Realm to the west, and the Fire Realm to the south. The map had each Realm’s capital labelled, along with some other major cities, rivers, lakes, mountain ranges, and—most importantly—the five Gods’ temples.
“We have to visit the temples in the order in which we arrived,” Auric said. “That means the Fire Temple is first.”
“Why can’t we go to the Air or Earth one first?” I asked. “They’re both closer.”
“Because that’s what the Gods decreed,” Slade said.
Jasin flashed me a suggestive grin. “Definitely fine with me.”
“I suspect they made that rule to keep it fair and to encourage us to find you faster,” Auric said, with a shrug. “Either way, we need to head to the Fire Realm first.”
For the next few minutes, Auric, Jasin, and I plotted a course to the Fire Temple, with a few helpful comments from Slade, while Reven ignored us entirely. Once that was done, the men’s horses were brought out, each one as unique as their riders. I didn’t have a horse, and certainly didn’t have the money to buy one. Not that there were any for sale in a town as small as Stoneham anyway.
“You’ll have to take turns riding with one of us,” Auric said, from atop his elegant white horse with the gold-trimmed saddle.
“She can ride me any time.” Jasin winked. “I mean, ride with me.”
“I’m sure that’s what you meant.” I rolled my eyes and threw my pack on the back of Auric’s horse. Jasin was a little too eager, and the other two were keeping their distance from me, so Auric it was.
Auric offered me his hand and I climbed onto the horse behind him. A jolt of surprise and desire shot through me when I pressed against his back, along with the realization of how close we were. It had been years since I’d been this close to a man, but in the next few days I’d have to sit with all of the men like this. Of course, if they were really my mates, I’d be doing a lot more than just riding a hors
e with them soon.
I hesitated, then slid my arms around Auric, trying not to focus on the feel of his strong chest or his clean, fresh scent that made me want to get even closer. He sucked in a breath at my touch, but then rested his hand over mine and gave it a quick squeeze.
“Ready?” he asked.
I cast one last glance back at the town that had been my home for the last three years, then turned to gaze at my other companions. Each one was staring at me, waiting for me to give the signal to leave. Reven, on his swift black steed, looking broody and bored. Jasin, impatiently twitching on his dark stallion that looked like it was no stranger to combat. And Slade, on his large chocolate brown horse, waiting with a steady, calm demeanor.
“Let’s go,” I said.
My arms tightened around Auric as the horse began to move. It had been three years since I’d ridden a horse and I had the feeling it would take some time to get used to it again. By the time we stopped, I’d probably be sore all over.
As we rode out of town, the soldiers watched us with stony glares and a few people stepped out of their houses to gawk at our strange procession, but no one seemed all that sad to see me leave. I’d killed Koth, and might as well have killed Roark too. They weren’t the first men I’d killed and likely wouldn’t be the last, but their deaths still weighed heavily on me. Taking a life never got easier, nor did seeing a dead body, even if the person deserved it. I only hoped Tash and her mother would be okay.
I gazed at the forest where I’d gone hunting every day for the last few years. I’d promised Tash I would return someday, but it was hard to know what lay ahead of me, or how different I would be if I did return. Would I truly be the Black Dragon then? I’d never seen the current Black Dragon before, but I knew she was immortal, could control all four elements, and turned into a great winged beast with huge talons and glowing eyes. Was that my fate as well?
And what would the Black Dragon do when she learned I was like her?
13
Auric
Kira was quiet as we left Stoneham and traveled on the road alongside the edge of the forest, but I was constantly aware of her presence. Not only were her arms wrapped tight around my chest, but her feminine curves were pressed against my back in a way that was hard to ignore. Especially since I wasn’t used to anything like this. I spent my time with books and…well, that was about it. I certainly wasn’t very good with women and didn’t know what to say to them. Now I was put in a position where I desperately wanted to get to know my future mate better, but was also unsure how to talk to her. I bet none of the other men had that problem.
“Is your head okay?” I asked her.
She pressed a hand to the back of her head. “Surprisingly it is. No pain at all, actually. They must not have hit me as hard as I’d thought.”
“That’s good.” I paused. “Are you comfortable?”
“As comfortable as can be expected, considering I haven’t ridden a horse in years.” She shifted behind me, making her breasts rub against my back, a sensation that made my trousers suddenly tight. “How long do you think it will take to reach the Fire Temple?”
“I estimate it will take about eight or nine days, depending on how long we stop and if we have to go out of our way to avoid any problems.”
“Is that all?” she asked, her voice hollow.
Was she nervous about this too? “I believe we’ve mapped out the most efficient route, but if you’d like to go slower or stop somewhere along the way I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”
“No, it’s fine,” she said, then drew in a long breath. “Eight or nine days is simply not a lot of time to get to know all of you, before we…”
“Before we become mates.”
“Yes.”
I understood her concern all too well. “None of us want to rush you. Take as much time as you need.” I hesitated, glancing over at the Fire Realm soldier, who looked at ease on his horse. "You might want to spend extra time with Jasin though, since you’ll have to bond with him first.”
“Probably. But your temple is second.”
“True.” I cleared my throat at the thought of what that meant. “You’ll have a lot more time to get to know Slade and Reven before we arrive at their temples, at least.”
“I suppose so,” she said. “What else can you tell me about all of this?”
“Not much, I’m afraid. I scoured the library in Stormhaven for any information after the Air God visited me, but found very little of interest. What I did find, I picked up from various different texts that otherwise seemed to have nothing to do with the Black Dragon or the Gods. One was on geography, one was on fashion, and one was on food. I suspect the Black Dragon had the rest destroyed.”
“Probably,” Kira said. “She didn’t want anyone to be able to challenge her.”
“That seems likely. I’m hoping I might be able to uncover more during our travels. I’d like to record all of this too, for future generations. Assuming we survive and the Black Dragon doesn’t destroy my writings too.”
“So you’re a scholar?” she asked. “And a nobleman, I assume, judging from your clothes.”
I tried not to react to her question and chose my words carefully. “Yes, I’m a member of House Killian, but I spend most of my days in the library. Or I did before all of this, anyway.”
“House Killian? Does that mean you’re related to the royal family of the Air Realm?”
“Yes,” I replied hesitantly. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t feel comfortable divulging the full story yet. “But I’m no one of consequence.” There, that was true enough.
“Maybe not to you, but I guarantee your life has been very different from mine and the other men. You grew up in luxury and never had to worry about where your next meal would come from or whether you could afford to repair your shoes.”
I wondered what she had gone through before we arrived in her village. She wasn’t wrong either. Gods, she must think I was pathetic, and if she only knew the full truth, she’d definitely think the worst of me. Now I really couldn’t tell her. “That is true. I grew up in privilege and have little to complain about.”
“I didn’t mean what I said as an insult,” Kira added, with the slightest brush of her hand against mine. “I was only pointing out the differences between all of us.”
“I understand.” I tilted my head as I considered. “Perhaps the Gods chose the four of us to be your mates for the sheer reason that we are all so different from one another.”
“That could be. The Air God didn’t give you any hint of why he picked you?”
“No, not at all. He was pretty vague about everything though. Of course, I was also pretty shocked at the time, so I didn’t get to ask him as many questions as I would have liked.”
“What happened? I know you all supposedly met the Gods, but I don’t know the details.”
My hands tightened on the reins as I thought back to what occurred a month ago. “I’ve always been an early riser, and I like to take breakfast outside in the garden at dawn, usually with a book or two. That morning it was unusually windy outside and I could barely read because the pages kept turning. I nearly went inside, but then he appeared. The Air God.”
“What did he look like?” she asked.
“Like a giant made out of a tornado. He was composed of swirling wind and lightning, and his voice was like thunder. As he spoke to me, everything around me floated in the air. My books. My breakfast. The bench I’d been sitting on.” I shook my head, remembering how shocked and confused I’d been. “He told me I’d been chosen to be the next Golden Dragon and that I had to find you so we could take the place of the current Dragons. Then he sent a rush of air through me, lifting me up into the sky, and I thought I would surely plummet to my death. Instead I floated back down, but he was gone.”
“It sounds like something from a dream.”
“Yes, it does. I questioned everything that happened, sure that I’d been imagining it all, but then I
began moving things without touching them, and one night woke up floating in the air. Not to mention, I had this overwhelming urge to head northwest to find you.”
“What did your family think of all that?” she asked.
“I didn’t tell them anything. The Air God warned me not to speak of this with anyone except you and your other mates. Of course, it was difficult to hide my powers from my family, but people are often willing to believe there was a sudden gust of wind or a strange breeze instead of magic.”
“Were they okay with you leaving?”
“I informed them I was traveling to Thundercrest to visit the library there, but once I was on the road I escaped my guards and came here.” I frowned as my guilt at deceiving my family returned. “I left them a note telling them I was all right, but they’re probably looking for me now. I hope they’re not too worried.”
She shifted again behind me, as if trying to get comfortable. “Are you close with your family?”
“Yes. For the most part.” Talking about my family would be tricky without revealing more about who I truly was, so I changed the subject. “What of you? I’m guessing those people back there were not your family.”
“No, my family is long gone.”
I heard something in her voice that made me think this wasn’t something she cared to elaborate on, and I fell silent. I could understand not wanting to talk about some things about our pasts. None of that mattered anyway. Our old lives were over. What mattered now was the journey ahead of us.
14
Kira
We traveled along the road with the forest all around us, Jasin in the lead to make sure the way was clear, while Slade and Reven rode behind to guard our backs. On any other day I would be heading into the forest right now and trying to find some game for Roark to make sure that Tash would be safe and that I would be fed tonight. Now I was sitting behind this man I’d just met, with three other strange men around me, and together we were supposed to save the world. I still didn’t know how I had gotten involved in this, and wondered if it was all a big mistake. Maybe the men were supposed to find some other girl. Maybe the Gods chose wrong.
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 5