by Bianca D'Arc
“Portu has family lands on the sea, bordering the sand flats. It is sparsely populated except for his people and would be an excellent place to hide for both the gryphons and Sendra,” she stated in a calm voice, when Hugh knew she was feeling anything but calm on the inside.
They had put a map of the city and its environs on the table and Lera pointed to a place just north of where he had flown her when they’d fled the second batch of assassins. They’d been close to her enemy and he hadn’t even known it.
“Perhaps you two
will get your wish,” Hugh said to his brothers. “There’s no moon tonight. Nobody could possibly see you unless you do something rash.” He eyed Trey when he said the last bit. Of the two, Trey was the more likely to act first and think later.
“We’ll fly out and scout the area. If the gryphons are there, we’ll find them.” The twins stood and were about to head for the door when Lera stopped them.
She went to the mantle on the opposite wall and retrieved a small frame, then walked back to where the twins stood. “This is a recent likeness of my cousin, Sendra. She will most likely be wherever the gryphons had fled.”
The twins studied the portrait for a moment before handing it back to Lera.
“We’ll find her, milady,” Trey said.
“We’ll find them all,” Collin added with conviction in his tone.
They left and Hugh had only one further word of advice for his brothers as they walked down the hallway toward the balcony where they could shift and fly.
“Be careful.”
Chapter Thirteen
“We have about two hours until dawn,” Hugh said. “The twins should get where they’re going in a less than a half hour, if I gauge the map accurately. I suggest we all prepare for action. We should be hearing back from them very soon. What forces do you have in the area?” he asked Lera.
“Not much. The responsibility for securing the area around a noble’s lands is up to each noble. Portu isn’t a high-ranking man and I doubt he has a large force, but whatever soldiers he does have won’t be loyal to me if he’s thrown his lot in with Sendra.”
“She probably promised him an elevation in rank if he helped her,” Drake suggested.
Lera nodded. “He’s definitely the type of man to be swayed by the promise of power or wealth.”
“Or both,” Drake added. “I remember your cousin well, milady. I entertained at her home once, and once was more than enough for me.”
“I saw it from the outside and it was pretty bad. Gaudy and overblown,” Hugh commented. “Is it as bad on the inside?”
“Worse.” Drake and Lera spoke in unison and both laughed, breaking a bit of the tension.
Mace was quietly lacing up his armor and even Krysta was checking her weapons. Drake was more leisurely about it, but he stood and went to his pack, which was resting against the wall, and began removing bits of leather armor from within.
It was clear the knights were bracing for battle. Hugh didn’t have to, it seemed, because he would be flying and Lera had noticed that when he changed from dragon to man, he could be wearing armor, or not. He always seemed to have the same pants and boots, a shirt of soft black fabric and either a jerkin of black leather or boiled leather armor. There was definitely a lot of leather involved in his clothing choices and that probably had to do with the fact that he was a warrior and when he shifted form, he was a midnight-black dragon.
She’d ask him about it someday when they had less to deal with. For now, she was glad he’d be able to have the protection of both his nearly impervious scales and his armor should he need to shift shape from dragon to man.
“If you have no further need of me, I will return to the temple,” Brother Hubert said, rising from the table. “It’s just possible that we can be of some assistance. The gryphon volunteers were more eager to help than I had imagined they would be. If nothing else, they could ferry their chosen partners out to Portu’s estate, even if Sendra is not there.”
Lera was surprised by the offer. “Do you think Father Gregor will allow it?”
“With all that has happened in these few short days, everyone in our Order knows it is the Lady’s will that you remain in your current position. The elders decided to support you in whatever way necessary until the threat against you has been eradicated.”
Lera was shocked by the lengths to which the religious order was willing to go on her behalf. It was unprecedented. It was downright amazing.
“Thank you, Brother Hubert. And please pass on my thanks to Father Gregor and the elders. Their support is all that I could have hoped for and much more than a secular leader deserves.”
“You are also the Keeper of the Flame, milady,” Brother Hubert reminded her. “In that role, you will always have our support.” He bowed his head and took his leave on that reassuring thought.
Hugh took her hand and tugged her toward her bedroom. “Come on, let’s see if there’s something in your wardrobe that will offer the slightest bit of protection.”
She was surprised he wasn’t going to argue that she should stay here, safe in the castle while he went out and dealt with Sendra. Other men would have. But then, other men wouldn’t have been the perfect man for her. Hugh was. And he probably understood how important it was for her to face her problems head on.
Oh, it would have been nice to let big, strong Hugh and his knights and dragons go out there and fight her battles for her. They’d return victorious with her enemy’s head on a platter. But that wasn’t her style. Not at all.
Lera believed in self-reliance for her people as well as for herself. She couldn’t ask Hugh to fight all her battles. Certainly he’d take care of the physical side of the actual fighting—that wasn’t something she was capable of doing herself. She wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t go out s217f tthere and fling a sword around to make herself feel better. That was a good way to get killed.
No, what she had to do was quite different. She had to be there. To pass judgment. To carry out sentencing, if necessary. To be the ruler—and Keeper—she was born to be.
She had to be there. Whether she wanted to or not.
In this case, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to face Sendra and her cronies, but she knew, deep down, she had to. If she didn’t, Lera feared she’d always carry a secret terror of assassins in the night. No, she had to see Sendra and know once and for all that she’d faced her demons and they could no longer hurt her.
The Eyes would do what Sendra wished. If Sendra called them off, Lera might be lenient. If not, the only way to stop the Eyes would be with Sendra’s death. There was nobody after Sendra to carry on the vendetta. She had no children, and her other relatives might be snakes, but they had never acted openly against Lera before. Now that Sendra’s treachery was known, they would be even more careful to hold on to what power they still had.
Lera followed Hugh into her bedroom and watched him close the door. Before he could do more than that, she walked into his arms and gave him a full-body hug.
“Not that I mind, but what is this for?” Hugh asked as he snuggled her into his arms.
“For realizing that I need to be there. For being the perfect man for me. For being you, Hugh. Because I love you.” She looked up at him with all the love she felt in her heart shining out through her eyes and in the magic that twined and swirled whenever they touched.
“I love you too, Lera. You are my heart.” He dipped his head to kiss her, but it was all too short. Both of them knew they had a mission to carry out soon. They had to prepare.
“We’ll finish this later, my love,” Hugh promised as he let her go with something that felt like regret and moved toward the small room where her clothing was stored. “Now let’s see what you’ve got in here that might work. First thing, we’re going to order you some warm leathers and furs for when we go out flying together. And maybe a little light armor, for added safety.” He opened the large wooden door.
“You’d turn me into a warrior qu
een?”
He smiled at her as he turned, surrounded by silks and satins in a myriad of colors. His black leather stood out against the rainbow, incongruously masculine against the frippery.
“Personally, I think you’d look stunning in leather.” His humorous leer made her laugh.
“Then stand back, my prince. I think I’ve got something in the back that you might approve of.”
Lera went into the large walk-in closet and selected a set of dark brown riding leathers. She enjoyed horses and had participated in hunting parties on country estates from time to time. She’d never worn them in the city and never in public—other than among the small groups at the estates. They were a bit daring. Very form-fitting, and the skirt was split right up the middle so she could ride astride.
The lacings were of leather through metal grommets along the sides of the over-dress and the matching leggings. They formed what she thought was a very attractive X pattern all the way up her thighs and could be adjusted at top to put them on and on bottom to accommodate various kinds of footwear. She chose matching dark brown leather boots with a low heel made for walking.
Hugh’s eyes leapt with fire when h sh fe matce saw the outfit on the hanger. She couldn’t wait to see what he thought of her in it. Feeling devilish, she placed her palm in the center of his chest and pushed him gently out of the closet, closing the door on his smiling face.
Quickly, she donned the garment. It was even more comfortable than she remembered and she wondered idly why she put up with the scratchy, stiff court garb. Maybe she should wear soft leather all the time, like Hugh did. It certainly looked good on him, and he was royalty. Why couldn’t she be comfortable too?
She laced up the sides with little difficulty and put on the boots. As a last touch, she braided her hair simply, in one long tail down her back. She looked in the mirror at the back of the small room, next to a slit of a window that let in the light. She looked like a hunter.
Well, then. She would be a hunter. And her prey was Sendra and whoever else had tried to kill her. Lera was through running away and hiding. Now was the time to go on the offensive. Now was the time to become the hunter instead of the hunted.
With Hugh’s loving help and support. With him at her side, she could do anything.
She opened the door and found him waiting for her. His gaze roamed up and down her body, like a warm caress.
“Will this do?” She stood before him, feeling fierce in her toughest bad-girl outfit. It wasn’t much by comparison to the light leather armor Krysta sported, but it was certainly different than anything Hugh had seen her in before.
He had to clear his throat before he could speak, and that made her smile. She’d gotten to him. He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from her body.
“It’s perfect.”
He walked closer and touched the thin, supple leather. It was warming as she moved, taking heat from her body and recirculating it back to her skin. The clothing would be more protective than simple cloth and would help keep her warm.
He frowned a little when he slid a layer of the soft leather between his fingers.
“It’s thin. Not much protection. Makes me want to throw you down on the bed and have my wicked way with you, though.”
“There is that.” She answered his wicked smile with one of her own. That throwing her down on the bed thing sounded really good to her, but they both knew they didn’t have time for fun and games. “There’s also this…” She trailed off as she reached for the hidden weapons in her costume.
Quick as a flash, blades slid down her arms. He stepped back with a bloodthirsty grin when he saw the glint of steel throwing daggers in both of her hands.
“Now that is hot.” His words purred with approval. “And I’ve seen your skill with a dagger. I’ll worry less knowing you’re armed. Are there more where those two came from?”
“A few more secreted in other parts of the outfit. Almost all my gear has daggers hidden somewhere in the seams or bodice. I haven’t had to use them often, but I drill with them all the time to keep myself sharp.”
“Very sharp.” He lifted one of her hands in his, kissing her knuckles as he admired the sharp, flashing steel blade. “It comforts me to know you take your personal security seriously. We’ll work on that more once this crisis is over.”
“You’re going to teach me self-defense?” The thought tickled her mind. “Are we going to wrestle?” she teased, liking the way he responded. The ability to laugh and f so l21; Thelirt with a lover as an equal was something new and very tantalizing. And to think—she’d have this for always. The Lady had indeed blessed her with the perfect mate. The more she was with him, the more compatible she learned they were.
“Wrestle? Perhaps.” He delivered a scorching kiss to her lips before stepping back and becoming more serious. “However, there are some techniques I think Krysta could teach you that would come in handy in court. Have you ever seen fighting fans?”
“Fans? Like ladies’ fans?”
“Exactly like, but Krysta’s fans have sharp steel blades. She is quite an expert with them, and it’s the kind of weapon that can be easily concealed and carried everywhere by a lady. It’s perfect for you, if you can learn the technique. Daggers are good for throwing, but you need something unexpected for close-in fighting. The fans could really work for you if you have a talent for it.”
“Sounds intriguing. When this is over, maybe we can convince her and her mates to stick around for a bit so she can teach me.” Lera tucked the blades back into their hiding places as she spoke.
Hugh surprised her by coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around her waist, tugging her back against his front. His embrace made her feel protected, wanted and loved. It was such a new feeling. She wanted to bask in it, but they didn’t have much time. At any moment, the twins would reach Portu’s estate and be reporting back.
“I think Drake has been chafing a bit, being stuck in Draconia,” Hugh admitted. “He’s used to the traveling life and likes it. Plus, he has to deal with his family when he’s home and even though his blood father has mellowed in recent years, they still don’t get along all that well. Krysta is Jinn and likes to travel too. Poor Mace and the dragons have never been far outside the borders of Draconia. I think they’d enjoy extending their visit. I can ask Roland to assign them here for a bit. I don’t think he’ll mind having one of Draconia’s best spy teams in your court. As long as you don’t mind that they’ll be reporting back to Roland from time to time.”
“I suppose Drake was doing that all along anyway, so I can’t very well begin to object now. He was a favorite in my court for a very long time when he was still just a simple bard, and I did always suspect he was a spy. I sent him to your brother with a message when I heard about King Lucan’s desire to kidnap one of your brothers, after all. I figured Drake was always a little more than he seemed, but what he’s become…well, it’s quite a change. A good change. He looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. I’d be glad if he and his new family could stay for a while.”
“I’ll arrange it. But for now…” Hugh tuned out for a moment, then came back. “My brothers are at Portu’s. So is Sendra and the two gryphons.”
There it was. The confrontation was imminent. Now that they were at the moment, Lera found she felt calmer than she would have expected. Having Hugh and his people there—people she could count on because she trusted Hugh beyond the shadow of a doubt—made her feel much more secure than if she’d been facing this alone.
“I guess we’d better get moving, then.”
Hugh gave her a puzzled look as she moved toward the door.
“Are you all right?” He joined her near the door and put one arm around her shoulders.
“I’m fine.” She smiled up at him, tryin sat
Hugh squeezed her once before letting go. “All right. Let’s do this, and after all is settled, I’m locking this door for a week and not letting you out of bed.”
“That’s a pr
omise I will hold you to, my prince.”
The flight to Portu’s was uneventful and thankfully short. Hyadror had shown up on the palace balcony when they were ready to leave, along with the four temple-tested gryphons newly partnered with warrior priests. Hugh had observed them in flight and knew they still had a lot of work to do to cement each partnership, but for now, it was good to have them along on this mission.
The emissary had come as well, leaving Miss with the other cat-faced gryphons and Brother Hubert. He was teaching the younger ones their letters, as he often did. She would be safe with the old priest.
Hugh and Lera flew in the midst of a large formation, a knight and dragon on either side. The emissary had agreed to carry Krysta, which had at first surprised Hugh, but then he realized the gryphon understood the dragons and knights would be more effective as two-being teams. Having Krysta ride with either of her mates might cause an imbalance that would hamper that dragon and knight’s fighting abilities.
Hyadror was out front, the only gryphon with no rider. Hugh and Lera were behind him, with dragons on either side. Jalinar and Krysta were behind them, followed by the four gryphon-priest pairs.
They’d talked about how they were going to do this on the way. One major advantage the dragons and knights had over their newly paired gryphon and priest counterparts was that they could communicate silently, mind-to-mind. The twins kept up a steady stream of information as they observed and reported back on the movements within and around Portu’s estate. Their black hides kept them well hidden in the darkness.
Hugh estimated they had another hour or so until dawn. They would be able to use the darkness to make their approach and surround Portu’s estate. He hoped this would all be over by first light.
But that all depended on the players who had yet to realize they were part of this drama, hiding out at Portu’s. How the gryphons, Sendra and those loyal to them reacted would play a role in how this night’s work unfolded.
Hugh and his party approached cautiously. The twins had laid the groundwork and were guiding the flyers in one by one to advantageous landing sites all around the property. This was where the constant training and drilling Hugh and his brothers had undergone with their knights came in handy. They worked as a cohesive unit and knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.