by ERIN BEDFORD
“I wanted to help,” I answered for Raiden, returning Firestar’s glare with one of my own. “I couldn’t stand by and let you die.”
“Do we look dead to you?” Firestar shouted in return, his anger obviously getting the best of him amongst the blood and chaos. “We can’t take care of you right now.”
“Hey, go easy on her,” Raiden argued, patting me on the shoulder. “If it hadn’t been for our girl, we wouldn’t have won this one.”
“Really?” Firestar asked not completely won over.
A man came up behind Firestar and Raiden cried out to warn him, but my borrowed dagger flew through the air and found its home in the man’s face before Firestar could react. Eyes wide and mouth ajar, my three men stared at me like I’d done something unheard of. With a twist of my finger, the dagger jerked free of the man’s face and returned to my hand.
“You were saying,” I retorted, twirling the dagger in my hand.
Brow furrowed, Firestar turned his back on me and signaled to the lightning brothers. Raijin and Fujin had rounded up the last of the raiders and moved to capture the bridge.
The rain had slowed during the battle to barely a sprinkle, but it didn’t help my hair plastered to my face and neck. I picked at it, trying to form it into some semblance of order, while blatantly ignoring Firestar. His eyes bore holes into my back, and then I realized no one had asked about my wings.
Reaching up, I grasped at my back only to touch air. Frowning, I wondered when they had disappeared. It must have been before Raiden found me because he hadn’t said anything about them either. Too bad. It’d been nice to show them off. I wasn’t sure if or when I’d be able to call them out again.
“You could have been killed,” Firestar finally broke the silence, the anger barely contained in his voice.
“I wasn’t,” I countered.
“But you could have been.” He pointed a kusarigama at me, the end of it sharp and gleaming. To an enemy, it would have made me think twice about talking back to him, but since I knew he wouldn’t use it on me, it only made me roll my eyes.
“Regardless of popular belief, I was one of my father’s best fighters.” Though, no one would be able to tell now. Five years in banishment had done its job on my fighting skills. Being back in Waesigar hadn’t helped that nor had my three overprotective suitors.
“I don’t doubt that. I saw you fight before we were separated, remember?” Firestar leaned against the edge of the bridge, crossing one ankle over the other. I raised a brow at his relaxed position when there were very dangerous men only feet behind him.
“I remember,” I said, turning my attention back to him though danger still pricked at my senses. “You were mostly done fighting anyway, I don’t know what the big deal is.” I crossed my arms over my chest and shrugged.
“The big deal,” Firestar repeated before leaning toward me so that we were inches apart. “The big deal is that not only did you put yourself and your men in danger, but you put our unborn child in danger.”
I bent at the waist until my nose brushed his and murmured, “Our pretend unborn child you mean.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Firestar shook his head, and his arm lashed out behind him, smacking a man who had gotten too close in the stomach. “They think you are, so if you want to keep up this ruse, then you have to act like it.”
“I know,” I grumbled, my lip poking out in a pout. Lady Nariko had said the same thing, and even though Firestar had repeated it, I knew she was right. Thinking of the Lady of the East made me remember what we had discussed just before I left.
“What is it?” Firestar asked, too observant for his own good.
I wanted to tell him, but one glance around us and I knew I couldn’t, not here. There were too many ears and not enough allies. Giving Firestar a meaningful look, I said, “I’ll tell you later.”
Jack and Raiden came toward us keeping Firestar from questioning me further.
“Everything is taken care of,” Raiden explained, gesturing back to the main part of the village. “Those who didn’t die have been bound and are ready for transport back to the palace. Fujin! Raijin! Are you ready to go?”
His brothers called back their consent, and then the three dragons looked to me. “One of us will have to carry her, or it will take forever to get home. How did you get here in the first place?” Raiden asked, cocking his head to the side, so his bangs fell into his eyes.
I bounced on my heels and a goofy grin plastered across my lips. Finally, I got to tell them, and hopefully, if my wings cooperated, I could show them.
“I’m not sure I like that look on your face,” Firestar grunted as I focused on my need to fly.
I watched their faces as my feet floated off the ground and their eyes widened. Doing a little spin mid-air which ended up being less of a twirl and more of a tumble before grabbing hold of Jack to keep my balance as I giggled. “I flew.”
15
“How did this happen?” Jack asked, tracing along the edges of my wings and making a tingle run through me.
Shrugging my shoulders, I stared down at the ground as I recalled what happened. “When I found out you were outnumbered, I just knew I had to come help, but the only way I was going to get here in time was if I flew. So...” I waved a hand back at my wings as if they explained it all.
“So...” Raiden smirked and saddled up to me, his own wings sprouting up to let him hover beside me. “You finally got your wings because you were worried about us?”
Shoving a hand at him, I rolled my eyes and giggled. “Don’t get full of yourselves now. I just didn’t think you could handle it on your own.”
Firestar glanced around the scene and raised a brow. “I think we did all right.”
“Only because I took a few out for you or you’d have gotten stabbed in the back,” I pointed with the silver dagger. Jack’s eyes locked on the blade and flushed. My first instinct had me putting it behind my back, but then I slowly withdrew it wiping the blood off before handing it to him hilt first.
“Where did you get this?” Jack asked, taking the dagger for me. He didn’t seem mad, just confused.
I rubbed the back of my head as my feet touched the ground. “I found it.”
“You found it?” Jack raised a perfectly arched brow his tone of voice telling me he didn’t believe me.
“Okay.” I sighed and threw my hands up in the air. “I snooped. I was going crazy waiting in your room, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. If you really think about it, it’s your fault for leaving me behind.”
Hands on my hips, my lips puckered in a pout, I dared Jack to lecture me, but the ice dragon simply looked amused. It should have made me happy, but it only irritated me to no end. He thought I was funny? I’d show him funny.
“You know, if you’re with me, then you need to be with me and not harbor a past lover’s things.” I pointed an accusatory finger at the dagger.
“Why would you think that?” Jack’s face sobered and confusion took its place.
“Don’t try to act innocent, buddy. That’s a female dagger, don’t try to deny it.” I shoved a finger into his chest, getting worked up despite myself.
Firestar and Raiden shot looks at Jack as if they too were waiting for him to explain himself. His having a lover he hadn’t been able to forget about would explain why he had been so reluctant to have sex with me right away like the others. But it didn’t explain why he did now but still had the dagger.
“I won’t deny it.” Jack’s hair swished around him as he shook his head. “It is a female’s dagger, but it wasn’t from a past lover.”
“Then why do you have it?” Raiden asked this time, irritation in his own voice. It seemed my other suitors didn’t care for cheating any more than I did. If he were going to be in this foursome, it would only be right for him to be in it wholeheartedly.
Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead as if he were dealing with rowdy children. “The dagger is for you, Maya.”
“For m
e?” my voice raised in pitch surprise filling it.
“Yes, for you.” Jack nodded and handed the dagger back to me. “It was my mother’s. I planned on giving it to you once we had consummated our relationship. But there never was a right time since then, so…”
“Oh.” The one word was all I could say. I felt so embarrassed jumping to conclusions without letting him explain to me first. If I hadn’t had snooped, then I wouldn’t have found it leading to my embarrassing assumption.
Firestar cleared his throat saving me from having to say anything further. “Well, if we are done making asses of ourselves, I think we should get these prisoners back, so we can figure out who is behind their attacks.”
Nodding in agreement, we took flight while the soldiers and the older brothers took care of getting the prisoners back. Since the rain had stopped, it was easier to get home than it had been on the way there. Also, I wasn’t in such a hurry to get home which my wings thanked me for. While I loved being able to fly, I clearly needed more practice, so I wouldn’t tire so easily.
Grateful to finally be back, I couldn’t even argue when Firestar insisted I go rest while they dealt with the prisoners. I let myself be ushered back to our rooms, my eyes barely staying open from all the excitement.
“Are you going to be all right?” Raiden asked his hand on my elbow keeping me from going into the room. “I could stay with you if you need me. I’m sure the others can interrogate the raiders without me.”
I placed my hand on Raiden’s chest and leaned against his warm form. I wanted to tell him to stay just so I could curl up next to him while I napped, but I knew he really wanted to be there with the others. Pressing my lips to his in a chaste kiss, I gave him a small shove.
“Stop babying me. I can pass out all on my own thank you very much.”
Raiden gave me a lopsided smile but then tucked my hair behind my ear, his fingers trailing along my face as they fell. I watched him walk away, my eyes lingering on his lower half longer than they should have.
Turning back to Jack’s room, hand on the door handle, I paused when I noticed something. Spinning back around, I stared at my room in shock. My door had been replaced. Could that mean they fixed my room?
Not that I didn’t like sharing a room with Jack but having my own space was needed in a relationship as ours. Too many emotions with nowhere to go was hazardous to our health. It was a miracle none of us have beat the crap out of the other by now. We were bound for some kind of drama to occur soon. I just hoped it would wait until after I showered and took a nap.
The dagger Jack had given me in my hand, I slowly opened my door. Swinging it open, I half jumped into the room, prepared to attack first only to see my fully repaired bedroom. Letting out the breath I was holding, I made my way to the bathroom, my dagger still in my hand. When the coast was clear there, I pulled off my clothes which had become a second skin even after the rain had stopped, and stepped into the hot shower.
I didn’t dally there this time. No matter how soothing the water may have been. My body ached, and my eyes were heavy. Washing my hair and body as quickly as I could, I jumped out of the shower only to find myself standing there like a dumbass. I didn’t have any other clothing clean. The attacker had destroyed most of my room, and the clothes I had brought with me hadn’t been replaced yet. We hadn’t had time, and I didn’t trust Raiden’s mother to pick some for me.
Shrugging a shoulder, I was too tired to care about going to bed nude. Besides, only the guys would dare come in here will I slept. Dried off and ready for bed, I dropped the towel and slid under the covers. Burying myself deep into the pile of pillows, I was out before my eyes lids even fully closed.
Dreaming had never been something I did. When I did dream, I rarely remembered what I dreamt about. This time though, I jerked awake, my heart pounding and pulse racing as images of blood and fire filled the forefront of my mind. When I finally cleared my head and sat up, I realized I wasn’t alone.
My eyes slowly raised from the bed to lock onto an unknown man. His clothes weren’t of any alliance. He had dark hair and bright yellow eyes. The only interesting thing about him was the dagger in his hand. It was mine. I’d left it in the bathroom when I’d taken a shower.
“Do you mean to kill me with my own weapon?” I asked, raising a brow and trying not to be bothered I sat naked in bed with a stranger staring down at me.
His eyes roamed over my figure clearly noticing my state of undress before he smirked. “Makes for easy cleanup. No witnesses and nothing left behind.”
I forced myself to smile at him though I just wanted to scream my head off for help. “Understandable. So, before you kill me, who do I owe my death to?”
The man threw his head back and laughed. “I wouldn’t be a very good assassin if I told you who my employer was.”
“But I’ll be dead anyway, who would I tell?” I shrugged a shoulder, letting the sheet fall slightly so that one of my breasts showed. The move had the desired effect, his eyes dipped down, locking on my exposed nipple. He licked his lips, and I could smell the scent of his arousal in the air, making my stomach roll. I shoved the feeling away.
He wanted me. Good. If I could keep him talking maybe, I’d have a chance to of killing him before he killed me.
Stroking his chin, he seemed to think about my offer. After a moment, he came to a decision and lowered the dagger. “Very well, I don’t see the harm. Your cousin, Ned hired me to get rid of the competition. Families can be such a pain, can’t they?”
I wished I could say I was surprised but after his attack in the gardens, it only made sense he’d try again. But I hadn’t expected it so soon or through a third party. This guy didn’t even look like one of ours.
If he had been hired by my cousin, then he wouldn’t be easily paid off. Lucky for me I had more to bargain with than just gold. Crawling out from under the covers, I prowled toward the middle of the bed. The assassin’s gaze followed me his lust almost choking my senses. I stopped when I had made it to the center and spread my legs so he could see all of me.
“My dear cousin didn’t tell you why he wanted me dead, did he?” I asked, flipping my hair over my shoulder before trailing my fingers down my face and across my collarbone to cup my left breast.
The assassin licked his lips, his eyes firmly on my form. “Insurance. In case your father decided he still wanted you as his heir after Ned told him your little secret.”
Ned had threatened to kill me if his original plan didn’t go the way he wanted. It seemed he’d gotten impatient to wait for me to return.
Anger at my cousin filled me as I wrapped my fingers around my nipple, I tugged on it for good measure before sighing. “It’s too bad because I have something worth more than a crown.”
“Oh yeah?” he cocked a brow and adjusted himself, his eyes following my hand as it dipped between my thighs. “I can see that.”
With my fingers stroking, my eyes locked with his, a smug satisfaction filling me when I realized that I had him caught in my trap. “You must have heard the rumors about what I can give you?”
He shook his head and gave me a lopsided grin. “I don’t believe in such fantasies or listen to common drivel.”
“But it’s true,” I insisted with a breathy moan. “All those who lay with me end up with more power than they know what to do with, and you could have it. You could have it all.” I spread my legs a bit wider on the last bit making sure he was good and focused on me before sliding from the bed.
Not bothering with the covers, I let my fingers trail the bed completely comfortable in my own skin. The assassin’s eyes followed me, his gaze ravishing my skin with his lascivious thoughts. I placed my hand on the banister pole just a few feet away from him.
“What’s to keep me from killing you right after I get these acclaimed powers?” The assassin fiddled with the dagger no longer holding onto it as well as he should have.
Shrugging one shoulder, I purred, “Nothing, but we can decide t
hat afterward.”
My mystery man chuckled and unbuckled his pants with one hand as he came toward me. So eager to take me he didn’t even notice when I twitched my finger, pulling the blade from his hand and into my grasp. When he placed his grubby hands on my hips, I shoved the blade upward through his ribs and into his heart.
His lustful gaze fell replaced with shock, anger, and then nothing. He fell to the ground with a hard thud. Bending down, I wiped the blade off on his clothing and then sat on the edge of the bed waiting for my suitors to come.
After a few minutes, I got tired of waiting. I went to the bathroom and wiped off the blood that had splattered on me from the assassin. Then I grabbed the sheet off the bed and threw it over the guy. Dead bodies didn’t really bother me but being around it this long was starting to freak me out. At least, with a sheet over it, I didn’t have to look at it.
With nothing left to do, I chewed on my thumb. Where the hell were they? It couldn’t take that long to interrogate someone. Surely the assassin had been noticed by someone.
Just as I was about to get up to grab a towel from the bathroom, so I could hunt someone down, the door burst open. All three of my suitors came rushing in their weapons at ready.
Snorting, I hopped off the bed and kicked the body toward them. “Took you long enough.”
A rush of questions came at me too fast for me to decipher who was asking what.
“Are you okay?”
“Why didn’t you call for help?”
“Who is he?”
Firestar was the first to reach me, his hands skimming over my still nude form looking for any kind of wound. Then he leveled me with a serious stare. “Did he touch you?”
I simpered up at him. “Only long enough for me to kill him.”
“I apologize,” Jack said, coming to stand beside me. “I don’t understand. Last time, you were so scared, and we hadn’t even encountered the assassin but this time...”
I frowned at his assessment. I had been scared before, but for some reason, this time fear hadn’t even registered. I had only been thinking about staying alive.