Tyla caught her breath and her eyes widened. He was so close, so tantalizing, just within her grasp. She rose up on her tiptoes and brought her lips within a breath of his. His eyes glittered like blue glass in the lantern lights. He moved closer to her, but just at the moment when their lips would touch, his gaze shifted away from her and he suddenly straightened, his hand sliding from her chin.
Tyla stumbled, then whipped around. Muzik and Kendrick stood in the walk of the Stravad Leader’s house. Muzik looked sheepish, but Kendrick had his arms folded across his chest.
“Good night, Jarrett,” he said pointedly.
Tyla felt rage spire inside of her and for a moment, she fought to contain it. Power hummed in the tips of her fingers and flushed her cheeks with blood. She turned back to Jarrett. His jaw was set, but he took a step away from her. The physical distance felt emotional as if he was walking away from the connection they had.
Anger bled away, replaced by sadness. She’d brought them to this impasse by her inability to make a decision. How much longer would a man like Jarrett wait?
He touched her arm. “Good night, Tyla,” he said.
She couldn’t meet his eyes. “Good night,” she answered.
With another challenging glare at Kendrick, he melted back into the shadows and walked down the street. Tyla waited until she could no longer see him, fighting to corral her emotions. Then she strode to the gate and opened it, resisting the impulse to throw it shut. Kendrick blocked her way.
“Tyla, I really think…”
She reared back from him. “Do not push this now,” she said, her voice thrumming with fury. “I will talk with you about it tomorrow. Not before.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but Muzik clamped a hand on his shoulder and dragged him back out of the walkway.
Once he was removed, Tyla slapped her thigh for Kian and strode past him, mounting the stairs and never once looking back.
CHAPTER 25
Rain had fallen overnight, clearing the air and dusting the plants with glistening drops. The clouds were parting and sunlight was shining down as Tyla and Farad made their way back from Thalandar’s house.
The lunch with her grandfather had gone well, though not as effortlessly as it did when Jarrett was translating for her, but the men were all patient and Tash continued to revel in her presence. He’d told her a bit more about her mother and Tyla stored the information away, letting it chase back the anxiety she was feeling.
As they neared the gate to the Stravad Leader’s house, Farad slowed his stride and gradually came to a halt. Tyla turned to face him, puzzled by the delay. “You’ve been unusually pensive today,” he said. “Is everything all right?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer. She didn’t think the leader of the Stravad capital was really interested in the petty problems that plagued her. “I have a decision to make and it’s weighing on me,” she answered.
“About marrying the Nazarien?”
Tyla’s mouth opened in shock, but she couldn’t find her voice.
“He asked me about Temerian marriage practices,” Farad offered, “and when I wanted to know why, he explained the pledge you both took.”
Tyla should have guessed as much. Kendrick had told her something similar himself. “I loved Tarnow dearly, but I’m not sure I can do what he asked.”
“If it helps, your pledge to Tarnow legally ended once you crossed under Temeron’s gate. We do not believe in forced or arranged marriages here. In fact, they’ve been outlawed.”
Tyla smiled and touched Farad’s arm. “I appreciate the information, but I have to make this decision myself. I’m afraid I’ve let it go too long.”
“If I can help, you know I will, even just to listen.”
“I know and I appreciate it. You and everyone else in Temeron have been nothing but welcoming.”
They turned and continued down the street. Tyla left Farad at the entrance to his study and continued on to the back porch. Chairs had been set up in the lawn that led down to the creek. Tyla descended the porch stairs and wiped off the damp seat on one of the chairs, then she tucked her skirt around her and sat down.
Birdsong reached her from the trees bordering the property and the trickle of the stream calmed her. She leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes, letting the sun bathe her face in warmth. Peace lay all around her, but inside her emotions churned.
“Tyla?”
Kendrick’s voice was soft, but it shattered the calm she’d built. She lowered her head and opened her eyes. He was in his uniform, the buttons done up to his chin. His expression was pained. She exhaled. The full realization of what her indecision was costing them both hit her.
“Sit down,” she said, motioning to the seat beside her.
“I’d rather stand,” he answered and smoothed his hands down his trousers. Tyla marked the perfect seam pressed into the legs. “I really think it’s time we finished this business and honored our pledge.”
Tyla suddenly realized that she’d known for a long time that she would never honor Tarnow’s pledge. Jarrett was a huge part of the reason, but so was Kendrick and his happiness. For Kendrick, she was and would always be a duty, nothing more.
She also realized that she’d held off making this decision because it was her last tie to Tarnow, but Tarnow was gone. Sitting in the spring sunlight in Temeron, Tyla released him. He would always be part of her, but he was part of her past. The ache of this knowledge felt cleansing. For the first time since his death, she accepted he was gone.
She rose to her feet and faced Kendrick. “I can’t marry you,” she said, meeting his eye.
Surprisingly, he didn’t drop his gaze as he usually did. “What?”
“It’s not right for either of us. Tarnow shouldn’t have forced that pledge on us.”
Kendrick appeared confused. “I-I don’t understand. You and I both took it willingly.”
“No, Kendrick, neither of us did. He made me promise before I knew what I promised and you did it because you couldn’t refuse, but you don’t have any feelings for me beyond obligation.”
“That’s enough. Nazarien do not need more.”
She took a step closer to him. “I need more. I want more. I was forced to marry Tarnow. I won’t be forced to marry anyone else. I release you of your pledge and I release you of your service. Stay in Temeron, go home, do whatever you want, Kendrick. You are free.”
“Tyla, please,” he said.
She held firm, despite the confusion in his voice. “Can you tell me you love me, Kendrick? Swear it on all that you hold holy.” Her eyes narrowed. “Swear it on the name of my father.”
He fidgeted. “That’s not fair. Nazarien do not need love.”
“I’m not Nazarien, Kendrick.”
His eyes snapped up to her face, open and vulnerable. She wondered if that had ever occurred to him before. He started to say something, then stopped. She waited, surprised at the calm that flowed over her.
He looked down. “I understand,” he said.
Tyla stepped forward and rested her hand on his arm, then she rose up and kissed his cheek. He didn’t move, but his arm trembled under her touch and the moment she finished, he took a step away. She smiled wryly and turned, walking back toward the Stravad Leader’s house.
* * *
Tyla paused on the porch and took a deep breath. The road wound away to the left, leading her toward a future that both excited and terrified her. For the first time, she was making a choice that had nothing to do with obligation or duty. This was a choice of the heart, her heart, her choice.
“Your Majesty?”
Muzik stood at the gate with Kian beside him. She hadn’t noticed his approach. A giddy laugh tickled her throat and she choked it back. Picking up her skirts, she hurried down the steps and met him in the walk.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes,” she said and didn’t feel the need to say any more.
He frowned at her. “Can I
accompany you?”
She looked out at golden houses, glittering in the dusky pink end of the day. “No,” she said and laughed.
His frown deepened, making his small eyes nearly disappear. “Are you all right, Your Majesty?” he asked. “Pardon my forwardness, but you’re acting oddly.”
Happiness bubbled up inside of her, chasing the last of her fear away. She felt like a young girl again, but this time there was nothing to constrain the pure joy of the moment. “You’re right, I am,” she said, “and I’m delighted by it. Isn’t freedom a beautiful thing, Muzik?”
“Freedom? Are you all right…” His eyes widened as understanding came. “You’ve broken the bond with the Nazarien, haven’t you?”
A sigh shivered from inside of her, the last of the tension snaking away. “I have, and now I’m off to do a bit of living for myself.” She twirled around him, brushing her fingers through Kian’s fur. The dog licked her hand as she passed.
“Your Majesty, let me come with you. You shouldn’t be running around without an escort.”
She stopped in the path and swung back around, the skirt of her dress belling around her. She liked the way the emerald green stood out against the gold of Temeron. “Who would harm me here, Muzik?” A mischievous smile touched her mouth. “In fact, who would bother me at all? I’m not without my abilities.”
“Your Majesty, at least tell me where you’ll be?”
She hurried back to him and rose on her tiptoes, kissing his cheek. “Where I should have been all along,” she whispered, then danced away down the walkway.
She didn’t bother to look behind her, but wandered toward the left, letting her fingers trail along the bushes that marked the yards of the other houses. She passed Thalandar’s house and came to the fork in the road, where she hesitated for a moment to marvel at the beauty of Temeron in the last blush of the day. Lamps twinkled from the cottages, but there was still enough sunlight that the street lanterns hadn’t been lit. A slight chill whispered through the town on the evening breeze and the smell of fresh baked bread wafted to her.
With a deep breath, she stepped into the street and crossed to the opposite side. The small cottage with the picket fence lay just before her, curving like a hand to beckon her in. She forced herself to walk at a normal pace, but her heart began to pick up speed, beating a staccato rhythm in her chest. She curled her hands in her dress and felt a flutter of fear again, but she quickly brushed it away. Nothing was going to dampen the euphoria she felt.
She came to the gate and curled her fingers over the top of it. He was sitting on the porch, slouched in a chair, his hands folded on his belly. His eyes lifted at the same moment that she reached for the latch.
As she pushed open the gate and strolled up the walk, he unfolded from the chair and glided down the porch stairs, stalking her like a cat. She marveled again that he could move such a large frame with so little effort, muscles sliding and lengthening as he advanced.
They met in the middle, Tyla staring up at him, her heart in her eyes. His expression was a mixture of hope and worry. How many times had she rejected him? Well, no longer.
“I found out something interesting,” she said, delighted her voice was level.
“Really?” he answered, leaning over her, his hands clasped tightly to his sides as if he was trying to hold them back.
“Actually, I learned it from Kendrick.”
He stiffened at the name and she felt the flutter of his thoughts against her own. Still, she needed to say this out loud.
“Go on,” he prompted, an edge evident in his tone.
Calm flowed through her. She suddenly knew he would never deny her. “A couple who wishes to marry need only express their commitment to one another in order to be joined. They need no witnesses, no ceremony. Only their solemn vow.”
His eyes glittered fiercely and a muscle stood out in his jaw. “Really? That is interesting.”
Another mischievous smile lit her face. “Oh, and of course, they must consummate the union.”
He drew a deep breath and held it, expanding his chest. “I can do that,” he answered in a husky drawl.
“I love you, Jarrett,” she said softly. “I have for a long time. I wish I’d told you sooner, but I had to let Tarnow go first. And I had to realize that I’m entitled to something I want in this life. You are that something.”
A shudder took him, but he didn’t move to touch her yet. “You know I’ve loved you from the moment I woke to your voice all those months ago. Nothing else in the world has ever meant as much to me.”
She tilted her head and allowed the faintest of smiles to paint her lips. “Then there’s only one thing left to do.”
He gave a growl and then pounced on her, catching her in his arms and lowering his mouth to hers. He kissed her until her knees weakened, then he swept her into his arms. She laughed as he spun her around toward the house.
“What about Allistar?” she squealed.
“He can find his own wife.”
She laughed again. “No, isn’t he home?”
“Thank the Lord Eldon, no. He’s on patrol until tomorrow morning. We have the house to ourselves.” He climbed the first step, then set her on her feet at the top so he had to look up at her. With the backs of his fingers, he brushed a curl from her face. “I love you, Tyla Eldralin, and I pledge my life, my soul, my heart to you forever.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You’ve always had mine,” she said.
He climbed the remaining stairs and pulled her into his arms. Then he lowered his mouth to hers again.
* * *
Muzik led Kian to the back porch for his daily romp around the Stravad Leader’s grounds. The dog bounded down the steps, tearing off toward the stream in the distance. He loved to nose around beneath the foliage and possibly startle a rabbit out of hiding.
Muzik leaned on the rail, watching him, but his attention was drawn to the chairs arranged on the lawn. Kendrick sat in one, his hands clasped in his lap, his head bowed. Muzik recognized the dejected angle of the Nazarien’s shoulders.
Descending the stairs, he moved to Kendrick’s side. The Nazarien didn’t lift his head or acknowledge Muzik, but he sighed. “I’ve failed.”
Muzik crossed to the chair beside the Nazarien and lowered his heavy bulk into it. “You didn’t fail.”
“I failed my faith, my order, and most of all, Tarnow.”
“You can’t fail if you never had a chance, Kendrick. You knew she had feelings for Jarrett.”
“We made a pledge to each other. She made a pledge to Tarnow.”
“Tarnow’s dead.”
“I think the pledge was meant to last beyond his death. That was the point of making it.”
“It was wrong, Kendrick. Tarnow had no right to ask that of her, or you.”
“He asked it so she would have a protector.”
Muzik stretched out his legs and watched the dog pounce into the stream after fish. “As she just told me, she doesn’t really need a protector. She’s certainly better able to defend herself than either of us are.”
“There’s the why of it.”
“Huh?” Muzik frowned.
“I’ve never been skilled enough. I’ve never been a match for Jarrett. He’s always bested me, shown me up.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t understand it. We had the same training. I’ve been taught sword and bow just as he has, but whenever we’re in battle, I freeze. She sees that and knows I’m not good enough.”
Muzik arched one brow. “I don’t think it has anything to do with battle, Nazarien. Jarrett just has that something…I don’t know. Who can understand the minds of women?”
“I can never go back to Chernow. I can never be a Nazarien again.”
“That’s ridiculous. She made the decision, not you. You were still willing to fulfill your pledge. No one can blame you if she changed her mind.”
“She’s with him now, isn’t she?”
“I think so.” Muzik shift
ed on the seat so he could face Kendrick. “You didn’t really think it would turn out differently, did you? I’ve known all along that she would choose him. You had to see that too.”
Kendrick finally met Muzik’s gaze. “We had a pledge,” he said, his expression tormented. “We swore it. How can she just abandon it so easily?”
Muzik gave a wry laugh. “She’s a woman. They can do anything they want.” He pushed himself to his feet and slapped Kendrick’s knee. “Come on. Let’s get a drink.”
“A what?”
“Let’s go get a drink.”
“Nazarien don’t drink.”
Muzik shrugged. “You’re not Nazarien anymore.” When Kendrick still didn’t move, Muzik gave him a stern look. “You coming?”
“I’m not sure.”
Muzik crossed his arms over his chest. “Kendrick, since the beginning of time, men have always done the same thing when jilted by a woman.”
“What is that?”
“Get drunk,” Muzik said and headed toward the stairs.
* * *
The sunlight woke Jarrett. He stretched languidly, keeping his eyes shut, not wanting to disturb the feeling of peace that enveloped him. Gradually he opened his eyes, turning his head to the spot where Tyla had lain all night, encircled in his arms.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, slipping her feet into her shoes. Her hair was a tangled mass of curls, cast across one shoulder as she bent over. He reached out and ran his hand along her spin where the dress dipped low. She turned and smiled at him, her hair spilling down her back.
He returned a lazy smile and ran his hand along her arm, drawing her down to him. She leaned across his chest, her hair tickling his bare skin, and kissed him languidly. He gathered her to him, pulling her in tighter.
“You’re wrinkling my dress,” she said against his lips.
“Mmhmm,” he answered. He gathered the heavy mass of her hair and pulled it behind her, so he could see her face. Holding it against the nape of her neck, he ran his free hand along her jaw. No woman was as beautiful as this one, he thought. “I love you.”
The World of Samar Box Set 3 Page 41