Ravenborne

by Chandra Ryan

  Relaxed and glowing after her release, she smiled at him. There would be time for disbelief and cynicism later. Now was for enjoying. Rolling him onto his back, she straddled him and slowly brought herself down onto his erection.

  Another ripple of release ran through her as he filled her. She loved the way he felt inside her. Tightening her muscles around him, she tipped her head back and took a moment to enjoy the sensation. But then his hands were on her hips and he was firmly guiding her into the rhythm he needed. She was consumed by hunger again. Too soon, she was panting with renewed desire and racing to set a pace not even he could match.

  His fingers dug into her back as he called out her name and threw his head back into the pillows. Watching him being pushed over the brink of desire was enough for her to follow him. Determined to get every ounce of pleasure her cursed life presented her with, her inner muscles tightened around him time and time again as she rode out the climax.

  Awash in euphoria, she lay down on top his muscular chest and listened to his heartbeat start to slow as he wrapped his arms around her back. It would be all too easy to fall asleep in his arms, too easy to forget the circumstances that had brought them together in the first place. But now that the glow was starting to fade, she just couldn’t. She kissed him once more before rolling off of him and onto the cool sheets of the bed.

  “Hmm, where are you going?” He sounded determined despite the sleepy slur to his words.

  “Nowhere.”

  “That’s good.” He paused as he ran a lazy finger over her abdomen. “Leissa?”

  She didn’t really want to talk right now. Talking tended to ruin the afterglow of phenomenal sex.

  “Would you return to Keep Quince with me?”

  Her heart stopped in panic. Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly. “What?”

  “Return with me. Once our child is born and named heir apparent you’ll be free to move. We could raise our child together. I would spend my life protecting you from whatever it is that makes you wake shaking in the night.”

  It was torture worse than what Davad had in store for her. It was everything she ever wanted and yet could never have. After all, servants were for bedding, not marriage. And even if his feelings for her were honest, she was betting they would change once she made her demands. He wasn’t going to be pleased with having to make the arrangements for her next six deaths, especially since the first one was going to have to be right after the baby’s birth.

  She knew he was going to fight her, but there was no other way. If not, it would be too easy for Davad to use her to re-take the throne. It was a certainty. The man’s family would do anything to keep the crown, and the only thing worse than generations of forced suicides would be being bred like a common farm animal. “I didn’t ask for your life, Elleum. And I certainly didn’t ask for your protection.” Tears burned the back of her eyes, threatening to betray her.

  “But…”

  “No.” She was done with this conversation. She had to end it before she foolishly gave in to her loneliness and said something she’d later regret. “This isn’t open for debate. We made a deal. You will do as I tell you when the time comes and nothing more.”

  “If that is your wish.” Picking up his tunic and breeches off the floor, he quickly began dressing. “I’ll leave you to the solitary life you apparently crave.”

  Rolling away from him to hide her tears, she listened as he walked out the room. It wasn’t until she heard the door slam that she turned over to make sure she was alone. And only then did she allow the great sobs that wracked her body to escape. Gods, she wanted to trust him. Wanted to so badly it hurt in ways she didn’t think were possible any longer. But it had been so long since she’d trusted anyone. And that’s what had gotten her into this mess. Even the thought of repeating her mistake made her slightly nauseous. She needed time to get everything straightened out.

  Time and tea, she decided as her stomach lurched.

  She stood quickly and grabbed her silk robe from its hook before she could succumb to the nausea. And, after tying the sash around her waist, she wiped her eyes and crossed the room to the door. Time she couldn’t do much about, but tea was always within reach.

  Opening the door, she peered into the dark corridor expecting to see one of her handmaidens, but it was empty. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled, but that was all the warning she had as someone stepped out from the shadows and grabbed her tightly around the waist. Gasping for breath, she smelled something sickeningly sweet, then everything went black.

  She awoke some time later in an all too familiar cell, her head throbbing. Looking around the small, dank room memories flooded her—filling her with terror. In the middle of the room sat the small wooden table and on top of table sat what appeared to be nothing more than a glass of water, but she had drank from that glass three times before.

  “No!” she cried into the darkness, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No.” Wrapping her arms protectively over her abdomen she scurried to the farthest corner in the room. “I’m not going to do it this time. I won’t drink it.”

  She heard footsteps as Davad walked up to the barred door. “It’s not poisoned. I want you alive—for now.” He pushed a coarse dress between the bars, letting it drop to the dirt floor at the front of the cell.

  “I don’t believe you.” Even if she was inclined to trust him, she still wouldn’t allow herself to drink it. This time it wasn’t just her life at stake. If the water was poisoned, her baby wouldn’t be reborn.

  The pain of possibly losing her child shook her to her core. Yes, it’d always been a possibility, but it was quickly becoming a probability and she wasn’t ready for that.

  “Now who’s being paranoid?” His sadistic smile made her stomach cramp painfully. “It’s okay, though. Dragons are a hearty beast. You won’t die of thirst before she gets here. Don’t drink it.” He shrugged nonchalantly as he continued. “But I promise it is just water. I wouldn’t want you to die before I get the names of your conspirators. I might even send down some food later—if I’m feeling generous.” Turning, he walked away leaving her in the dark cell to change out of the silk robe and into the prisoner’s garb.

  It didn’t matter if he was feeling generous or not, there was no way she could eat anything. Not with the way her stomach was twisting in knots. When the Raven girl did get here, Davad would discover her only conspirator was Elleum. She would lose her baby and her lover by the time this was all over.

  Sobbing, she rocked on her heels as she thought of Elleum. She didn’t wish to take back the words she’d said to him. She could never regret speaking the truth. But she did long to see his face again and she wished for the opportunity to tell him why she couldn’t be with him. At some point he and the baby had gone from a calculated strategy to her greatest vulnerability. If anyone ever figured that out, she’d never know a moment of peace in this life or the next.

  She’d been a fool for thinking she had managed to get the upper hand.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sara was the first in the group to see King’s City sprawling out in front of them as they cleared the forests. It had been a long week. And, thanks to Lord Smy’s interruption, a very celibate one. The annoyingly overprotective man had immediately separated her and Kavin and had assigned her a chaperone, of all things. Then he spent their entire visit ranting about lines of power and how now wasn’t the time to join them. The poor man had slipped from suspicion to full-blown paranoia. It was a sad thing but it seemed inevitable in royal families. They spent so much time chasing shadows that eventually they saw ones that weren’t there.

  And then, after they left the keep, they were back on their merry way and Kavin was all about control and safety. He didn’t want to ravish her in a tent in the middle of the woods where an attack could happen at any moment.

  No. He wanted to be behind a city wall in a bed with silk sheets and soft blankets to wrap around her naked body. And, every time he imagined her wr
apped in those silken sheets, she had not just her own hunger to deal with but, thanks to her gift and their bond, his as well.

  She grimaced as she thought about the bond. Not that she disliked being so intimately aware of Kavin’s feelings; that actually gave her insight into his actions she would never have gotten any other way. It was the every second of every day part that got under her skin, especially since there was no way to shut it off. She couldn’t just redirect or ignore the bond like she could her gift. He felt something and she did too. It happened instantaneously, regardless of whether she wanted it or not. The only comfort she had was the knowledge that he was suffering as much as she.

  As she remembered last night’s dream her body knotted with desire.

  “We’re going to be in King’s City soon,” Kavin said quietly.

  It was that thought that kept her focused on the path in front of her. They were, indeed, almost to the gate of the city. “And then King’s Keep. Where there are beds with silk sheets and scented candles.” Nudging her mare into a faster walk, she didn’t wait for his reply. She could feel the desire already heating him.

  “Right Hunter,” a woman guard called as they approached the city gate. “Nice to have you back home.”

  “Nice to be back, Michelle,” he said with a warm smile.

  “I’ll inform the king you’ve returned. It will be most welcomed news,” she said as they continued through the gate.

  “The king won’t want to see you, will he?” Sara grimaced as she said the words. What was wrong with her? She sounded like some hormone-crazed girl in the throes of her first crush.

  “I may not have to report,” he answered hesitantly. “But you will.”

  Great. How long was she going to have to wait to get him alone? Her skin itched with the need to be touched and her heart raced every time she caught the scent of sandalwood on the air. She was going to go insane if this continued much longer.

  What she needed was a distraction.

  She glanced at the city around them not knowing what to expect, only to find everything as she expected. Not much had changed over the past seven years. The street was still lined with cart merchants hawking their goods as travelers came and went through the gate. They were primarily selling traveling goods, but Sara did see a smattering of jewelry and clothing booths amidst the sea of canteens and dried meat.

  People pressed in around her horse as they tried to get a better view of the merchandise at the nearby booths. And taking in a deep breath, Sara nearly gagged on the smell of the unwashed masses mixed with roasting meat. But no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she was constantly aware of Kavin’s presence next to her.

  “We’re headed for the keep. Just in case we get separated.” He had to lean in close to her to be heard over the crowd, his hand warming the skin on her shoulder under her tunic. Resisting the urge to snuggle into him, she moved her horse away from his.

  “We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” she asked teasingly.

  Kavin winked before setting off again. Fortunately, as she made her way out of the cart-shop section and into the city proper, the crowds were more manageable so there was no real fear of them getting separated.

  The keep sat in the center of the city, allowing her the opportunity to peer into many of the shops as they worked their way toward it. Some she recognized. Her favorite seamstress was still in business. But next door there was a bakery where a jeweler used to be.

  “Like a walk down memory lane, isn’t it?”

  And it was. But, as they approached the keep doors, all she could think about was getting this day over so she could have him to herself this evening.

  Turning toward him, she tried to stay focused. “Where do I report?”

  He studied her for a moment before shaking his head. “I’ll show you.”

  “I know where I’m going.” Kemah’s whole demeanor was still sullen. It was a bit surprising that after a full week and a half together, she hadn’t found one quality about the man she liked. He most certainly didn’t fit in with the rest of Kavin’s group. “Can I be dismissed?”

  “You’re all dismissed to report to your superiors.” Then added, “Jar, you can have three days leave to finish healing.”

  “It must be nice to have your friend as your commanding officer,” Kemah grumbled.

  “Not really. If I were still under Bellick I’d have gotten five days off.” Jar exaggerated his limp as he dismounted and handed off his mount to a waiting stableman.

  “Take five days then. I could use the break.” The last bit was muttered so quietly Sara was sure she was the only one to hear.

  When everyone else had left, she looked at Kavin expectantly. “And?” The tension of the last week intensified now that it was only a matter of hours until they could be together.

  “I’m to take you to see Bellick to report in.”

  “I’m not going to be under you?” She blushed as she realized what she had just said. “I mean—”

  He smiled at her slip but let her off without any teasing. “I know what you meant. The king was concerned our past might make others feel slighted.”

  “Our past? I don’t think anyone would care about our past. Now our present…” She winked at him. “Though I’m sure you aren’t the kind of commander to give favors just because you’re bedding a woman.” She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

  “I’m not. And now that you mention it, I’m not currently bedding anyone so I don’t see how that would be a problem.”

  She glared at him, but let the comment pass unchallenged since it was mostly true.

  “Bellick’s offices are just over there,” he said, gesturing down the corridor. “Once you report in to him, you won’t be under my command anymore.”

  Staring up into his gaze, she thought he was going to kiss her. But a high-pitched voice broke the spell.

  “Kavin!”

  “Alexandra.” Kavin’s gaze quickly shifted from Sara to the black-haired beauty that was bounding down the corridor at him. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”

  “Where else would I be on the eve of Harvest Festival?” She wrapped Kavin in a delicate hug before stepping back for introductions.

  “Sara, you remember my little sister, Alexandra. Alexandra, you remember Saraphina.”

  Sara suddenly wished she had taken time to brush her hair that morning instead of just pulling it back in the clip. Brushing some dust off of her tunic, she looked up into the woman’s eyes. “Hello, Alexandra.”

  “Sara? Good gods, it is you.” The tall beauty wrapped her long arms around Sara in a far more exuberant hug than she’d bestowed upon her brother. “It’s so good to see you again.”

  “You too.” The last time she had seen Alex they’d fought over Kavin’s decision to join the guard. But it looked like time had healed that wound. And it was nice to have her friend back.

  “I was just about to have tea in my quarters. Would you two like to join me?” Alexandra asked.

  Kavin saved her from finding the right reply. “As tempting as that is, Sara needs to report in to Captain Bellick.”

  “Later then. After you’re all settled in.”

  Sara nodded though she wasn’t sure there would be time. She was suddenly a little more sympathetic toward Kavin’s excuses of being busy.

  “And I’ll be offended if you aren’t sitting at my table tonight.”

  “I’ll be there.” That was one promise she was pretty sure she would be able to keep. After all, even with all their responsibilities, the guard did get to eat.

  They waited for the younger woman to disappear from sight to speak again. “She’s so grown up.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Kavin said dryly as he continued down the corridor.

  “She’s quite striking.”

  “And a political powerhouse. She has more suitors than one can keep straight.”

  “Suitors? At nineteen I’d expect her to be married already.”

&
nbsp; He shook his head ruefully. “As would half the court. Alexandra, however, couldn’t care less about expectations. That child’s the cause for half my white hairs.”

  “Can’t Devin—”

  “Devin’s too busy enjoying his bachelor lifestyle to fight her.”

  She was sure he was. “Well, he had better make a decision before she makes it for him.”

  “Wouldn’t that be fun?”

  She could have sworn she saw the flicker of a smile flash across his face, but he didn’t say anything else until they came to a large set of double doors.

  “You ready?”

  Sara took a deep breath before nodding. Wherever her life was taking her, the next step was through this door.

  “I’ll leave you to it then.”

  She froze, her mind trying to make sense of the words he had just said. He wasn’t coming with her? “I’m not to be guarded? After all the lectures about my safety?”

  “We’re in King’s Keep. None would dare threaten you here. Not with all the attention it would draw. Besides, I think I’ll know if you’re in danger regardless of where I am. This bond might just be good for something other than self-torture yet.”

  She nodded and then stepped forward to give him a kiss goodbye. It was just the barest brush of his mouth on hers, but it held a promise that made her tingle. Grabbing onto that promise, she stepped back and watched him leave.

  She had been alone before. She had started over before. She could do this.

  Squaring her shoulders, she turned the doorknob and pushed open the heavy door.

  Captain Bellick wasn’t as tall as she imagined him to be. Nor was he as lean. He actually reminded her of a grandfather who had resigned himself to a life well spent and was ready to spend his summers in the sun and his winters sleeping indoors. But when he looked up, his eyes sparkled with intelligence and his mind echoed with constant strategy.

  “Lady Guard Raven, I’m so glad you’ve finally made it.”

  “Captain Bellick, it’s an honor to meet you.” Her initial instinct was to curtsey, but she corrected it quickly with a stiff salute. “Sir.”