Priestess Bound: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Guardians of Sky and Shadow Book 2)

by Lidiya Foxglove

  “Why did you want it to hurt, you silly girl?”

  “I think you know what I mean. I want it to mean something if I lose one of you.” I stopped and picked up a blanket. “Do you…need this or something?”

  “I don’t need a blanket, no.”

  “Okay. Well. And—I’m sorry about your home. You had all that stuff. Valuable stuff, I’m sure, like…precious…things. That paintings of the cats and the dragons, I’m sorry about that. Plus, we probably could’ve used the money and weapons and stuff.”

  “All the people got out alive,” he said.

  “Are you sure? I really hope so.”

  “Pretty damn sure.” His head sank heavily onto the pillow.

  I covered him up with the blanket anyway.

  Chapter Thirty

  Phoebe

  Forrest held me close. Our bare legs tangled together under blankets that smelled like Emmaline’s closets—flowers and cedar. It was just the two of us again, Forrest and me, and I sank into the feeling. I took a deep breath, tucking my head against his chest, running my fingers through his chest hair and listening to his heart beat.

  “I’m scared.” I shut my eyes. “I keep hoping it will get easier to be brave.”

  “It does,” he said. “It just sneaks up on you so you don’t realize it. You’ve already changed a lot from the girl who sold me cabbages. I wish I could protect you from that.”

  “From changing?”

  “From seeing terrible things, at least. From…becoming comfortable with…a strange existence. It’s strange for me. I’ve known you longer that you’ve known me. I was tasked with watching you. I got to see you live a normal life.”

  “…yeah.”

  “There was no chance, back in Istim, to rise to the occasion,” he said. “You were safe there. But you’re not safe now, and you are growing stronger whether you realize it or not. You’re slowly learning what it means to be a leader.”

  “I never felt like much of a leader.”

  “It’s rare to find a born leader,” he said. “Someone who has the strength to lead but not too much ego. Most leaders are more like you. They get stuck with it and they have to find a way to shoulder the burden. Do you suppose Prince Raio thinks himself a born leader? Nah, I see the conflict in his eyes every day. He loves his country and his family but he doesn’t want to be a king, not one bit.” He covered my hand with his own, massaging my palm with his thumb. “Of course, I didn’t realize as I watched you that the priestess needed to be a leader at all. I thought she was more of a symbol. But I’m starting to think that’s not the case.”

  “Yes. I think so too.” I looked at him. “Is that why you agreed to the quartet even though you hated it?”

  He winced. “Dunno if I hated it.”

  “Oh, come on.”

  “Well, I’m certainly not used to sharing a woman, that’s certain, but I will say, it feels like we all have a different role. In some ways it felt…correct. I still feel like there’s a part of you that’s all mine.”

  “Of course there is. You’re all so different. What I mean to say, though, is that I’m grateful that you understand and you did it even if you were uncomfortable. I know you do these things for me. And I want you there…”

  “I never have liked the idea of fates and prophecies,” he said. “But a family legacy sits easier with me. Thinking that this was my great-uncle’s destiny, too…well, at least it’s less embarrassing.”

  “Priscilla said the priestess is supposed to have children with her guardians after all. Before the Elders took control.” I knew how much he wanted children but we hadn’t really talked about it. “I can just see you with our son, teaching him to fight…”

  “I’d rather have a daughter.”

  “Oh? Why? You big ol’ manly men always want sons.”

  “Nah, I don’t want to teach my kid to fight. Plus, my dad was so much easier on my sisters.”

  “What if our daughter wants to fight?” I poked his stomach. “What if she wants that knife you promised her?”

  “Why didn’t you just take a knife from Niko? Did you see his weapons stash?”

  “I wanted it to be a gift from you.” I gave him my shiny eyes and he smirked.

  “Well, I don’t know when I’ll next see a marketplace. Maybe for your birthday.”

  “I just had a birthday right before we left!”

  He shrugged. Our little space under the blankets was starting to get cozy and warm, and I could hear the rain pattering against the window. With his arm around me, I started feeling sleepy and I shut my eyes, savoring this moment. I’d already thought he was going to die, or I was going to die, several times, but here we were again, safe and sound.

  Maybe that was what he meant by bravery sneaking up on you. There was no big grand moment where you suddenly went from ordinary person to legendary hero. You just kept surviving and realizing that maybe you were capable of more than you knew.

  “I’ll teach her to hunt,” he murmured. “But I hope by the time she’s grown, there’s nothing to fight over.”

  It was always weird waking up in someone else’s house. I slept longer than everyone else. Priestesses needed a lot of sleep. Forrest had left the room, and I didn’t know if he was off eating breakfast with Emmaline or washing up or what. I wasn’t sure where Gilbert’s room even was. Plus I had lost all my clothes in the fire.

  As soon as I stirred, Polaris walked in with a folded bundle. “You’re awake,” she said. “I brought you these.”

  “Oh…thanks.”

  Polaris was starting to feel like my servant instead of Niko’s. But I realized that Wretch had spent the night with Niko instead of me. I don’t know what I thought of this trade-off.

  This must be a dress loaned by a young member of the Emmaline entourage. It was girlish and ruffly white with a lot of bows. Forrest was going to hate it. It was very comfortable, at least.

  “Where is everyone?” I asked Polaris.

  “Sir Forrest is speaking to Master Niko in his room. Gilbert is in the parlor speaking to Miss du Barien and another gentleman. Prince Raio is having breakfast in his room.”

  “What are they talking about?”

  “I can’t be everywhere at once, and mostly I have been waiting here for you to wake, but as far as I could tell, Sir Forrest wants to know when Master Niko is well enough to travel and if there is anything that could expedite his healing, and Gilbert is talking about music.”

  “Okay, that’s fine. Where’s the prince? I’m starving.”

  I wanted to see Rin anyway, and thank him again for saving our asses last night.

  Rin was sitting alone at a little table in the bedroom where he and Gilbert must have spent the night. I saw the rumpled covers and remembered the look of joy Gilbert had from the moment Rin reappeared. Suddenly I felt more awkward than hungry—but still, there was a pile of muffins at the table and they looked amazing, so I forged onward.

  Rin looked up at me like I’d interrupted some deep thoughts. “Oh—good morning. Please—have a seat.” He quickly sprung to his feet and pulled the chair out for me.

  “No need for all that.”

  “Better learn to enjoy some protocol now,” he said. “If you become the priestess, you’ll be in a swirl of it.”

  “Oh…gosh. Is that a threat?” I grabbed a muffin and took a bite.

  He was a little flushed. “Phoebe, I—I meant what I said last night. I’m not just here for Gilbert. I’m here for you too.”

  Oh great, now I was blushing too, but I’m sure he meant it in a purely honorable way. I tried to swallow some muffin to reply and it went down wrong and I started coughing.

  He was on his feet again, scrambling for something to drink. “Here—uh—my coffee is cool enough to drink.”

  “Thanks,” I croaked between coughs. “I’m fine. I really appreciate it. I came here to thank you for last night. You were awesome. It seems like I end up needing you more than I should…”

  “
Well.” He poured himself a new cup of coffee while I took his. Half-finished. I sipped where his lips had touched.

  Forrest said Rin didn’t want to be king. That was one of those things that seemed obvious, once it was stated. Rin had fled Gaermon and the duties that were crushing him, but I’m sure he never expected to lose it all while he was gone. Now he was fighting to get it back, this thing he didn’t even want, because there was no one else to do it, and everyone depended on him.

  In that way, I really identified with him.

  You would think, then, that I would know what to say, but instead I just managed out a typical little, “I’m sorry about Himika.” How many times had I said that by now? I needed a new line.

  “Gods, I just keep thinking—what if—what if the Emperor’s right? He said she was poisoned with a crystal that ate her bones. What if someone within the kingdom caused her sickness and it’s been curable all this time? If he actually does cure her— He’s a horrible man. But she looked—more free than she is at home. I don’t really know what to do. You are the only thing that feels clear to me now.”

  “Your absence has been felt,” I said. “Not just by Gilbert.”

  His posture kind of relaxed. He glanced at the bedcovers and looked sheepish. “Can I just confess something?”

  Under the table, I clutched at my skirts. This whole thing had me on edge. With my guardians, I didn’t have to guess at their feelings. I’d started to appreciate what it was like to have choice taken out of the mix. It was easier in a lot of ways. I was trying so hard not think much about Rin. “Of course.”

  “I don’t think I’m much of a ruler, but I think I’m a hell of a knight. I’m a little jealous of Sir Forrest, because he’s just—fighting for something and protecting something, that’s it. I need to work on my iron stomach, clearly…” He scratched his head. “But—I like fighting for you. It feels like I was born to do it.”

  “Rin… I’m glad you came back. I think I already said that. But, it’s true.”

  He stood up and took my hand, and kissed the back of my palm. I remained frozen. What is happening right now?

  “If you could name your guardians, my lady…would you choose me?”

  I must have gone very red. “If I’m as important as everyone says, Rin, why can’t I name my guardians?”

  “Now you’re thinking like royalty.”

  “I—I mean—I don’t know why I said that. That’s not how it works.”

  “I mean it as a compliment. Anyway, you might be closer to the gods than the kings are. You were chosen not by lines of succession, but by fate.”

  I swallowed. “Then…would you like me to name you as—my chosen protector? Not a guardian. Of course you don’t have to do the other stuff. We don’t have sigils, anyway.”

  “I would be honored to be your chosen protector.” He put his hands on his hips and I finally dared to look at him. There was a bit of mischief in his eyes. “But…”

  “But?”

  “Gilbert has my love,” he said. “First and foremost. But he also loves and desires you, and I know that will never change. When I knew that you and Niko were both with him—that was part of the reason I had to leave. And when Gilbert is with you alone, I’ve found myself wishing I was there too. I don’t mind him being with you, if I could be there as well. If we could share Gilbert the way Gilbert, Forrest, and Niko share you.”

  A weird, relieved little laugh twisted out of me. “I think I’ve been wishing you’d ask since the day we met.”

  “Really?” He seemed as relieved as I was.

  For a minute, I felt so normal, like—we were just two nervous young people feeling each other out. “Yeah.”

  “Why didn’t you say so?”

  “Well, I didn’t know if you would want that! And I’ve been trying so hard not to tread on your relationship with Gilbert. Why didn’t you ask sooner yourself?”

  “You’re right. I was so taken aback when all of this unfolded…”

  “Will Gilbert mind?” I asked, just as the door opened.

  “Will Gilbert mind what?” Gilbert asked, looking at us. He seemed in a bad mood. “Emmaline du Barien was just gushing to me about all these other bards.”

  “No, I don’t think he will mind,” Rin said, beckoning with a finger. “Come here, my love. I have a surprise for you.”

  Gilbert immediately seemed to have an inkling. Maybe because Rin never called him ‘my love’ around me. Or maybe just the way we were looking at him. He came close to Rin, who slid a hand up the back of his shirt, along his back. “Phoebe and I have come to an understanding.”

  “Oh, have you?”

  “That’s right. Maybe you’ll forget all about other bards,” I said. “I have named Rin as my chosen protector. Of course, he doesn’t have a sigil, but if Priscilla du Barien can have all her hot bodyguards, I should be able to have an extra guard, too. While we were discussing that, we realized we share a mutual interest…”

  “And that maybe we should share our interests a little more,” Rin said, sliding his hand down the front of Gilbert’s pants now. He was always more teasing with Gilbert than he was with me. I liked seeing more of that side of him now.

  “I see,” Gilbert said, blushing.

  “Do you agree?”

  “I’m glad your mutual interest seems to be me and not, say, knitting…” Gilbert trailed off as Rin stroked his cock to attention.

  It really turned me on more than I expected to see Rin doing to Gilbert what the guys were always doing to me, the helpless distraction in Gilbert’s expression, Rin’s black hair brushing his fair skin. My heart started pounding as I wondered if Rin was going to fuck Gilbert, too, in the same place where Abel would have to claim me in the quintet. I had been shoving that out of my head; it made me nervous even as I had a weird anticipation of the idea of being pinned between two guys. Now wet heat soaked my panties as I imagined Rin and myself taking Gilbert between us. I could tell Gilbert and Rin were both as turned on as I was by the prospect; this was a new kind of excitement because it wasn’t about sigils, it was about making our own choices.

  Someone pounded on the door.

  “Phoebe in there?” Forrest called.

  Gilbert, quite flushed, pulled away from Rin and sat down on the bed, adjusting himself.

  Well, that’s no fun. “Yeah,” I snapped.

  “Can I come in? I just spoke to Niko.”

  Rin leaned against the bedpost with an expression of languid patience that said, Later. I felt like I was in on a secret. Not that I wouldn’t tell Forrest and Niko about it; that wasn’t the secret. I was getting a peek behind Rin’s royal mask and that was the exciting part. I flung open the door.

  “We need to get out of here,” Sir Forrest said. “Emmaline du Barien is having another party tonight.”

  “I know,” Gilbert said. “She has a lot of parties.”

  “We can’t be here for another party. It’s too much of a security risk.”

  “It would be worse to cancel the party,” Gilbert said. “She never cancels parties.”

  “Niko isn’t well enough to travel yet, unfortunately, but this house should be on lockdown. Phoebe, maybe she’ll listen to you.”

  “She told me the party is necessary for securing us more support,” Gilbert said. “Since there is absolutely no hiding what happened at this point, what with the burning buildings, all the rich girls who almost died while waiting to escape, the Black Army charging in, the dragon in the street with a hundred witnesses, and the du Barien guards…the best we can do is work the narrative in our favor. Sort of an impromptu fund raiser for our journey. After all, it isn’t cheap to move an army around, even a small one.”

  “Fuck the narrative,” Forrest growled. “We’re doing fund raisers now? I am never getting out of this fucking city!”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” Rin said. “That’s why I would rather be a knight than a prince. But diplomacy and financing are important parts of war. If every weal
thy person in Capamere knows about the priestess, the Emperor will have a harder time taking us out.”

  Forrest crossed his arms and paced to the window. “He just burned down Niko’s house and came this close to take out dozens of innocent women in the process. You’re underestimating how much he enjoys the hunt and how little he cares about anyone’s life. But if it’s four against one, I suppose I’ll go sharpen my sword.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Abel

  “We are at the point of reckoning.” The Emperor seemed restless, lingering by the tall windows in the hall where he met me. “I think you’ll be pleased to hear this. I know you dislike cat and mouse games.”

  Somehow I doubted I would be pleased.

  “That is true,” I said. “I would rather get to the point.”

  “They have no home now,” he said. “But they still have a safe place with the du Bariens. Still, the du Bariens can’t say no to a direct order. In the end, they care about their own skin, not the priestess.”

  “What do you want me to do?” I asked, twitching with impatience. I know it will be unpleasant. Let’s just get it over with already.

  Leonidas turned, his hands still crossed behind his back. He was wearing a particularly regal coat of gold brocade, like he wanted to remind me where I stood. “Abel, you seem very tormented, considering we have been friends for so long. You don’t understand why I can’t let the priestess fulfill her duties? Why I can’t give the Elders the tool of power they have been craving for the past hundred years? I have been very generous with you, because of the trust we share and the loyalty you have given me. If you have a better solution than taking the priestess to a beautiful castle in which to live our the remainder of your days, please tell me.”

  It is for her sake. It’s to save her life.

  I felt like a dulled blade. My loyalty to the Emperor had deprived me of my edges. I thought he was liberating the world from the Elders, while in fact, I was just a tool. Thanks to the projections of the mages, he had made me the most feared and famous man in the realm besides himself, and now there could be no escape, no slipping off into the night. I had to take what he offered, and it was all I could do for Phoebe. I would have to try to make her happy. That would be the only goal of my later years. To make it up to her.