“Hardly.” The water stopped moving immediately as he turned toward me with a scowl.
I gestured toward the stream. “Good to see you’re practicing. You should train with the others too sometime.”
He gave me a scathing look. “No thanks. I have no interest in keeping these powers.”
I blinked at him. “Are you still planning to leave?”
“I am.”
I’d thought he had changed his mind after all we’d been through. And with everything else already frustrating me, this was the last straw. I gestured into the forest angrily. “Why don’t you go then? No one’s stopping you.”
“None of you would survive a day without me.” He shook his head with disdain. “Besides, I can’t leave. The Gods saw to that. But I’ll find a way.”
“Good luck with that,” I tossed over my shoulder as I stomped off through the woods, even more annoyed than I’d been before. I didn’t even glance at the other men when I entered camp again, just grabbed my bow and quiver and stalked back into the forest. Target practice. That’s what I needed.
Once I was in place, I pulled the bow taut and released an arrow. It flew true and struck the tree in exactly the spot I’d intended, a little round knot in the trunk. As the arrow vibrated against the wood, I drew another one and prepared to shoot again.
"Not bad," Jasin said, as he approached me through the trees.
I arched an eyebrow at him, then released my arrow without even looking at my target. It struck the tree in nearly the same spot. "Not bad?"
"You're definitely good, I'll give you that."
"You think you can do better?" I asked.
With a cocky smile, he pulled his own bow off his back and drew an arrow. With lightning fast movements, he fired into the tree, his own red-tipped arrow nearly on top of mine. As I watched, he fired three more times, forming a circle around my own arrows. What a show off.
Not to be outdone, I released my own volley, splitting each one of his arrows in half with my own. I turned to him with a wry smile.
"Let's call it a draw," he said, with a wink.
"If you insist,” I said, shaking my head.
He gestured at my waist. "How's that new sword? You any good with it?"
"Getting there." I put my bow down on a tall rock and drew my blade. It fit perfectly in my hand and the weight was ideal for my size, although it was much smaller than Jasin's.
He drew his own sword. "Let's see what you've got.”
I lunged for him, but he was fast, even with his heavier weapon. Our blades clashed, the ringing of metal echoing through the forest as we exchanged blows. I was sure he was holding back, especially knowing how strong he was, but it was good practice for me anyway. And as we fought, my tension and frustration slowly melted away.
"You favor your right side," he said. "Be careful of that."
I nodded and made a mental adjustment, then slashed out at him. He did a quick swirling maneuver and the next thing I knew my sword was sticking out of the ground a few feet away. Then he grabbed me from behind, his free arm across my chest, holding me tight against him. I nearly fought back, but then his lips were on my neck, and all the fight left me.
"So easy to let down your guard?" he asked, as his teeth nipped at my earlobe. "Or maybe you wanted me to catch you?"
I stomped on his foot and pushed away from him, but all he did was laugh. Breathing heavily, I used his moment of distraction to knock his sword away. Then we were fighting hand to hand, blocking each other’s blows, although he was so much more experienced than I was that it was hardly a fair fight.
He knocked me off my feet, but I brought him down with me onto the forest floor. We tumbled over until I found myself on top of him, staring down at him as he laughed again.
"If you wanted to get on top of me, there are easier ways," he said, as his hands rested on my waist.
I gazed into his eyes, my heart beating fast, and not just from our fight. "Don't read too much into this."
"No? This is the second time we've been on the ground together. Although last time I was on top. You'll have to tell me which position you prefer."
I pushed on his chest to stand up, but he caught my wrists and pulled me back to him. The anger from before quickly turned to passion as our mouths found each other for a smoldering kiss. All I could think about was his firm body beneath mine and the way his arms circled my back to hold me against him like he never wanted to let go.
"Kira?" Auric called out from somewhere in the distance.
Jasin broke off our kiss and released me. "As much as I'd like to continue this, I think our companions are calling us.”
Reality came crashing back in and I sat up, feeling dazed. I brushed leaves off myself. "Right. We should get going."
Jasin rose to his feet and offered me a hand, then pulled me close for one more kiss. "We'll continue this later."
The other three men were already on their horses and gave us looks that showed they knew exactly what we were doing. I tried not to let it get to me. Jasin would be the first to have me, and there was nothing I could do about that. Only Auric was even trying to stake his claim, so what did Slade and Reven have to be upset about?
I decided to ride with Slade, hoping it would stop some of the jealous looks. As usual, his quiet, calm strength made me feel better, as if just being near him soothed all the anxious thoughts swirling in my mind. I also found it easy to talk to him, much more so than any of the others.
“Slade, is there a magical bond tying you to me now? Or could you leave if you wanted?” I asked, as I remembered Reven’s words.
“I don’t know,” he said, in that low, grumbly voice I found so sexy. “Originally, we had this overwhelming urge to find you, but that passed once we met. I suspect any of us could leave now, but maybe not after we’re officially bound together.”
I nodded slowly. If Slade was right, then Reven could have left at any time. He was simply using the magic as an excuse. Maybe a tiny part of him wanted to be here after all.
As we rode, the landscape began to change. The forest thinned out around us, the trees becoming sparse and the ground becoming harder. I'd heard much of the Air Realm was a desert, but we wouldn't go very far into it, luckily. At least not yet.
To avoid the border crossing—where the Onyx Guard soldiers might give us trouble—Jasin had us go out of our way over some steep hills that our horses were not happy about in the slightest. The off-road terrain slowed us down and it felt like we were making no progress at all, until we were officially in the Air Realm.
Slade’s horse threw a shoe only a few minutes later, and we were forced to stop at the first village we found. None of us thought it was safe to do so, but we didn't have much choice, and luckily the place was small enough that there were few soldiers in it. Slade immediately took the horse to the local blacksmith, while the rest of us went to find rooms for the evening.
The inn was mostly empty and much smaller than the one we'd stayed in the other night, which suited us fine. The fewer people who saw us, the better.
"We'd like a room for the evening," Jasin said to the innkeeper, a stout man with a moustache.
"Of course. We have many rooms available. How many will you need?"
Jasin glanced back at Auric, who said, "Two, I think."
The innkeeper nodded as he scanned our group. But then he paused and his eyes widened. He suddenly dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "Your highness! I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you at first. Please forgive me, Prince Tanariel.”
I stared at him in confusion, until I realized who he was addressing.
Auric.
25
Auric
I knew we should never have stopped in the Air Realm.
I cleared my throat, trying not to show my panic. “You must be mistaken. I’m not Prince Tanariel, I simply bear a passing resemblance to him. Please stand up.”
The innkeeper slowly rose to his feet and lowered his voice. “Of course. Your
secret is safe with me, your highness.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Please don’t call me that.”
“My apologies.” He clapped his hands together and smiled at the group. “Now then. You'll have the finest rooms available, and I’ll make sure some food and wine is brought up for you. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
“That will be great, thanks,” Jasin said, as he glared at me. He already hated me, and now he had even more reason. Not that I was particularly fond of him either, but I didn’t want to fight with him, for Kira’s sake at least.
And Kira… she gaped at me like she’d never seen me before. My gut twisted with guilt and shame from deceiving her, even if I had a good reason for keeping my identity hidden. Now that my secret was out, would she look at me differently, knowing who I truly was?
The innkeeper showed us to two of his best rooms, which meant they were slightly larger and cleaner than the others, before apologizing again and promising to have someone bring up some refreshments. I pressed a coin into his hand and assured him all was well.
The second he was gone, Kira turned to me with narrowed eyes and asked, “You’re a prince? I thought you said you were only a distant relation!”
I sighed. “I said I was no one of consequence in the family, which is true.”
“I don’t think being fifth in line to the throne of the Air Realm counts as inconsequential,” she snapped.
“I can explain everything,” I said quickly.
“Better get started, Auric,” Jasin said, crossing his arms. “Or should we call you Prince Tanariel? Is Auric even your name?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “It’s my middle name. No one calls me Tanariel. That was my grandfather, not me.”
“So you really are a prince,” Kira said.
I met her eyes. “Yes, I am.”
“I’m surprised none of you recognized him,” Reven said from the corner, where he was flipping one of his knives.
“You knew who he was all along?” Kira asked, growing visibly more upset. “And you never thought to mention he was a prince at any point?”
Reven shrugged. “Not my problem.”
“It’s all of our problems,” Jasin said. “Auric was going to be recognized sooner or later, which puts all of us at risk. He should have told us long before we got to the Air Realm.”
“Yes, he should have,” Kira said.
Before I could respond she threw open the door and stomped out. Silently cursing myself for being an idiot, I started to follow after her, but Slade blocked me in the doorway.
“What’s going on?” he asked, sounding weary.
“Auric is a prince of the Air Realm,” Jasin explained in a low growl.
Without waiting for Slade’s response, I darted after Kira, who had slipped into the other bedroom reserved for us. I closed the door behind me and faced her. “Kira, I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be. But please let me try to explain.”
“You lied to me,” she said, in a way that made my heart twist.
“I didn’t lie, not once. Everything I told you was true, I simply…omitted certain things.”
She sat down on the edge of one of the beds. “Some really big things. Things you should have told me.”
I sat beside her. “Probably, yes. But you have to understand that when this started I had no idea who you or the others were. I didn’t know if I could trust any of you. Telling people I’m a prince is like putting a target on my back. Not to mention, people treat me differently once they know who—what—I am. I didn’t want that to happen with you, Kira. I wanted you to get to know me as you would any other man, not as a prince. And after everyone’s reaction to me being a nobleman, can you blame me for being hesitant to reveal the truth?”
“I understand why you didn’t tell me at first, but don’t you trust me now?” she asked.
“I do, yes. And I was going to tell you at the right moment, I promise.”
She raised an eyebrow. “When was that going to be?”
“Um.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Before we reached the Air Temple, for sure.”
She sighed. “I just don’t know how I can trust you anymore.”
“I’m sorry I kept this from you, but please try to understand. I’m the youngest prince, with enough older siblings to make sure I’ll never be king. In my family, I’m the odd one out who was always in the library instead of attending balls and dealing with politics. I never cared about any of that and so to them I’ve always been inconsequential. So yes, I am a prince, but at the same time, nothing about me has changed.”
She nodded slowly. “Are you hiding anything else from me?”
“Not exactly,” I said. “There’s nothing I am hiding. Simply things I haven’t chosen to share yet. Surely you can understand that. There are lots of things you haven’t told us either, and I don’t see you getting upset with Reven for not sharing all the details of his past. But in time, I’ll be willing to open up completely.”
She blew out a breath. “Okay, I see your point.”
“Thank you. I truly had no wish to deceive you, I just wanted to make sure my place in the group was more stable before I told everyone.”
“Why wouldn’t it be stable?”
I cleared my throat and looked away. “I’ve been reminded many times that I don’t fit in with the rest of you.”
“Ignore the others.” She leaned against my side. “I want you to stay, and that’s all that matters.”
“You do?” I took her hand in mine. “Because I have no desire to leave either. This is my life now.” I slowly ran my thumbs along her knuckles. “That’s another reason I didn’t mention I was a prince. In my mind, I no longer am one. I gave up that life and that title when I left home to find you.”
“Do you regret leaving all of that behind?”
“Not one bit. I’m your mate and one day I’ll be the Golden Dragon. That is more than I ever dreamed of, and all I could ever want.”
She melted into my embrace and our lips found each other easily. Kissing Kira was the most amazing thing I’d ever experienced. When we touched, sparks danced between us, but when we kissed, our connection flashed like a burst of lightning. I could only imagine what it would be like after we’d officially bonded.
Her hand rested on my thigh as she moved even closer, and the sensation shot straight to my groin. I groaned as I pulled her flush against me, my fingers digging into her hips as I took the kiss deeper. This woman, Gods. She was gorgeous, but that wasn’t why I cared for her so much already. It was her intelligence, her kindness, and her inner strength that had won me over. Even now, she accepted me for who I truly was, despite my mistake of not telling her the truth sooner. How had I gotten so lucky to end up as one of her mates? When I met the Air God again, I’d be sure to thank him for choosing me.
Her hands stroked my jaw, but she finally pulled away. “Come on. Let’s go calm the others down.”
When we went into the other room, she held my hand, even though the other men eyed me warily. “All right,” Kira said, as she glanced between them. “Auric was a prince once, but he’s one of us now, and that’s all that matters.”
Jasin frowned and looked away, while Reven shrugged as if he couldn’t care less. Slade said, “Fine with me.”
“I know this isn’t easy for any of us, and I can’t expect all of you to get along, but please try at least.” She looked between me and Jasin. “For me.”
“Fine,” he muttered.
“Of course,” I said, squeezing her hand.
A knock sounded on the door, and the innkeeper and a young woman brought in large trays of food with two bottles of wine. If nothing else, at least we’d be well fed tonight. I still wasn’t thrilled my true identity had been revealed this way, but at least the weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I didn’t have to keep it from Kira anymore. Of course, once we got closer to the Air Temple, I’d have to reveal some of the other things I was afraid
to admit—but hopefully she would accept those parts of me too.
26
Kira
As we continued through the rolling hills of the Air Realm, passing a few farms but little else, I thought back on what had happened the night before. Auric was a prince. Even now it was hard to wrap my head around the idea. It was even harder to accept that he had given all that up to be with me.
I wasn’t happy that he’d kept something this huge from me, but I also didn’t blame him. I understood his reasons, even if I didn’t like them. And it’s not like the other guys were all that forthright about their pasts either. Nor was I, for that matter. But I was beginning to think the only way we’d get through this was if we started trusting each other.
Easier said than done, of course.
My thoughts were interrupted when I began to smell smoke. We were moving through a large field of wheat, and I noticed black smoke rising in the distance to our left. A bonfire? I hoped that was all it was, but we didn’t really have time to stop, especially when it was probably nothing.
A piercing, inhuman shriek tore through the air, one I hadn’t heard in seven years. I was suddenly doused in pure terror, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. My arms tightened around Reven’s chest as he pulled our horse to a stop and reached for one of his knives.
“What was that?” Auric asked.
“A Dragon,” I whispered.
Then it appeared. Through the black smoke, the beast rose up on his giant, blood red wings. Sark, the Crimson Dragon. The monster who had haunted my nightmares for much of my life.
The others tensed, but there was nowhere we could run—we were out in the open, too far from anywhere we could hide. If we had to fight Sark with our weapons and our magic, would we even stand a chance?
But Sark didn’t even glance our way. With a great flap of wings that sent the smoke billowing away, he cast one last breath of fire on whatever was below him before flying off toward the west, his tail whipping behind him. Within seconds, he was only a dark speck in the sky, and then he was gone.
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 11