Shake The Earth: Her Elemental Dragons Book Three

by Briggs, Elizabeth;

  Brin nodded. “We’re almost ready to get going.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Kira said.

  Brin shut the door and left us alone again. I turned back to Kira, who stared at me, her face flushed, her lips parted. I immediately wanted to haul her against me and take her mouth again, but that moment had passed.

  “Will you join us?” Kira asked.

  I had no interest in meeting Slade’s family or visiting another small, boring village, but the thought of being apart from Kira suddenly seemed unbearable. If it were any other woman I would have walked away by now, but for some reason I couldn’t stay away from her. “I will, but only because someone needs to be there to keep you all out of danger.”

  “Of course.” She granted me another smile that tempted me to reach for her again, and I forced myself to turn away. Curse this stupid destiny that tied me to her. It would make fools of both of us before the end. Especially when she realized I would never be able to love her the way she wanted.

  17

  Kira

  Slade’s village, Clayridge, was to the west of the Resistance hideout, and as we flew toward it, anxious butterflies flittered around my stomach at the thought of meeting his family. I’d already met both Jasin and Auric’s parents, but for some reason this visit made me the most nervous. Maybe because I sensed how close Slade was with his family and I desperately wanted them to accept me. I worried too that the Dragons had found out who Slade was and done the same thing to Clayridge as they did to Stoneham. I could only pray that his family remained anonymous and safe.

  Jasin and Auric flew high, their wings brushing the clouds, to avoid us being detected. Parin’s words made us cautious, knowing that rumors were already beginning about us—rumors that could bring the Dragons after more innocent people if we weren’t careful.

  When we flew over Clayridge and saw it was still intact, I let out a sigh of relief. From where he sat behind me, Slade gave me a slight squeeze of his arms. His family was still safe from the Dragons—now I just needed to get them to like me.

  My dragons discreetly set down in the nearby forest and returned to their human forms, and then we walked toward the town. Clayridge was about the same size as Stoneham, but it was set up on a hill with a river flowing down below. The terrain was especially rocky, but Slade led us along a well-trodden path up toward the village. Red clay roofs began to appear as we crested the hill, and soon I could see a cluster of stone buildings with a thick wall between them and us. A wall that was meant to protect against elemental attacks, dotted with braziers that could be lit at any moment and large buckets likely filled with water.

  A lookout guard stood on top of the wall near the gate, and called out to us as we approached. “Slade, that you?”

  Slade chuckled softly. “It’s me, Lon. Let us in, will you?”

  “Aye!” the young guard called out, then disappeared from view. The gate slowly creaked open moments later, and we were quickly surrounded by cheery dark-skinned men and women who all wanted to welcome Slade back to the village. He greeted each of them with a kind word, a pat on the back, or a warm nod as he led us inside. My nerves wound even tighter as I smiled at everyone, who would no doubt know who we all were by the end of the night. In a small town like this, nothing remained a secret for very long.

  As we moved inside the village, more people came out of the houses and shops to give Slade a wave and a fond greeting. Everyone seemed to know him and love him here, and with each step some of his hard demeanor melted away. It made me wonder what he was like before he’d been sent to find me against his will. Or before Faya had broken his heart.

  Ahead of us, an older, sturdy woman with warm brown eyes rushed out of a small house. “Slade! You’ve returned!”

  “Mother,” Slade said, as a smile lit up his face. An actual smile. Had I ever seen him truly smile before? Not like this, certainly.

  The two of them collided in a tight embrace, and then she pulled back and took his face in her hands. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe. Let me look at you.” She patted his cheeks like he was a boy, even though he towered over her. “We were all so worried after you left. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” He turned toward us as if to begin introductions, but was interrupted by another woman leaping out of the house and running toward him.

  “Big brother!” the young woman cried out. She was about my age and strikingly beautiful, with smooth dark skin and braids piled atop her head. Like Slade, she was tall, but she had also the curves of her mother. I remembered Slade mentioning his younger sister was a troublemaker, and I suspected part of it was because of the way she looked—she would always turn heads.

  “Leni!” Slade laughed as he swept his sister up in his arms and twirled her around.

  More people streamed toward us, enveloping Slade and giving him warm hugs and kisses on his cheek. I sensed family resemblance in most of them, and a sense of longing spread through me as I watched awkwardly from the sidelines with Brin and my other mates. We were outsiders, forced to watch the celebration, and it was a keen reminder that I didn’t have a family anymore. And even when I had one, it had been nothing like this.

  Jasin glanced at the others and cleared his throat, before speaking to me. “I think we’ll go find an inn and get some rooms while you meet the family.”

  I started to protest, but then saw how tight Jasin’s face was and remembered how he’d been upset around Auric’s family too. His own parents had betrayed us not long ago, and seeing this probably reminded him of what he’d lost. Explaining the situation to Slade’s family would be easier without my other mates at my side too.

  I gave Jasin’s arm a quick squeeze. “All right. I’ll find you later.”

  The four of them slipped away, leaving me alone to face the crowd. I swallowed hard and plastered on a smile, unsure of what else I should do.

  Eventually Slade was able to break apart from his family. He moved to my side and took my hand in his, sending a signal to all of them that we were close. Warm happiness filled me, even as color spread to my cheeks. “Everyone, this is Kira. She’s the one I was sent to find by the Earth God.”

  “Kira, welcome to Clayridge,” Slade’s mother said, as she moved forward to embrace me in a warm hug. “I’m Yena, Slade’s mother.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” I said.

  Slade brought two women over to me—the curvy sister I’d seen before, and another one who was a little more plain but had the same striking green eyes as Slade. “These are my sisters, Leni and Wrin.”

  “Hello—” I started to reply, but Slade was already continuing his introductions.

  “And this is Wrin’s husband Merl, and their son Tam,” he said, indicating a lighter-skinned man and a boy I guessed to be about five. Slade then pointed to more people surrounding us. “I’d also like you to meet my aunt Edda, my uncle Heim, and their son Noren, who took over as the town’s blacksmith for me.”

  I quickly nodded at a woman who looked a lot like Yena but taller and thinner, an older bearded man, and a young man who had Slade’s muscles and gave me a kind smile. Slade then went on to introduce me to a dozen other cousins, distant relations, and friends of the family who had joined us—so many I knew I would never remember anyone’s names. They all gave me hugs or shook my hands, and it was both overwhelming and wonderful. With so much love it was no wonder Slade had never wanted to leave this place.

  “Get back, let the poor girl have some room to breathe,” Yena said, as she forced her way through the crowd to me. She interlocked our arms and began to lead me toward the small house I assumed was her own. “Come now. We must have dinner, and then you can tell us everything about yourself.”

  Everything? I swallowed hard as the nervous butterflies returned to my stomach. Now the interrogation would begin.

  18

  Kira

  Yena led us inside her home, which was cozy and warm with a stone hearth already lit. Slade spoke a few more words t
o the people outside before following us, along with his sister Leni. We were immediately swept into the dining area, with a long wooden table and two benches. The air smelled of freshly baked treats.

  “Sit down and relax,” Yena said, as she nudged me to the bench. “You must be exhausted after all your travels. I’ll get us some food and you can tell me all about your journeys.”

  “That’s very kind of you.” I slid onto the bench and Slade moved in beside me.

  “Be careful, or mother will stuff you so full of food you’ll never be able to walk again,” Leni said, as she sat across from me. She gave me a warm, dazzling smile that reminded me so much of Tash it sent a pang of longing and grief through my heart.

  The door banged open and Slade’s other sister Wrin came inside too. “You better not start without me.”

  “Of course not, dear,” Yena said. “We’d love for you to join us. Where are Merl and Tam?”

  Wrin sat beside her sister. “I sent them home for the night. They weren’t happy about it, but I’m not missing out on hearing what Slade’s been doing all this time.”

  “I’m sure it will be all over town by the morning anyway,” Leni said, rolling her eyes.

  Wrin studied me with intelligent, serious eyes that looked so much like Slade’s. “So you’re the woman he left Clayridge to go find.”

  I ducked my head. “I am, yes. Although I didn’t ask for any of this either.”

  Slade’s mother began dropping wooden bowls of steaming hot stew in front of each of us. Wrin jumped up and brought over a loaf of bread, while Leni served everyone some ale. Everything about it reminded me of my time with Tash and her family in Stoneham, from the delicious smell of the stew to the slightly bitter taste of the ale. Grief tried to sink its claws in me again, but I forced it back down. Stoneham and Tash were gone, but Clayridge and Slate’s family were alive, and I would do everything in my power to keep it that way.

  When all the food was served, Yena plopped down across from us. “Eat! No need to wait for me.”

  Slade wasted no time digging in and then he closed his eyes as he savored the stew. “It’s been far too long since I had good food like this.”

  Yena smiled and patted her son’s hand. “There’s nothing better than a home cooked meal. Now eat up, you’re looking far too skinny after all that travel.”

  I held in a laugh. Slade looked anything but skinny. He was a mountain of a man made of pure muscle with arms the size of tree trunks, but I sensed this was just Yena’s way.

  She gave me a smile. “You too dear. You’re very pretty, but you could use some more meat on those bones of yours.”

  I flushed and shoveled a spoonful of stew into my mouth. Warm flavors exploded on my lips, and I caught the taste of rabbit, carrots, and more. It was definitely better than the food we’d been eating while on the road. “Thank you. It’s delicious.”

  “Glad you like it.” She barely touched her own food and instead took in the both of us while we ate, like she couldn’t drink in enough of us with her eyes to satisfy her.

  Leni pointed her spoon at Slade. “You better start talking, or mother is going to burst with impatience.”

  “Let them swallow their food at least,” Wrin said, shaking her head.

  Slade slowed down, his bowl already half empty, and glanced at me. I had no idea how much these women knew already and I was completely overwhelmed by the situation, but I sensed he wanted me to speak. I set down my spoon and asked, “What did Slade tell you before he left?”

  “We knew that the Earth God had chosen him for a great mission,” Yena said, her voice bursting with pride. “He was given great powers, and then was sent to find and protect you…although he was unable to tell us why.”

  “None of us believed it at first, until he showed us his magic,” Wrin said.

  I arched an eyebrow at Slade. “I thought you weren’t supposed to tell anyone about your encounter with the Earth God.”

  Slade shrugged. “You try keeping a secret from these three.”

  “He had to tell us something, or no one would have let him leave Clayridge,” Leni said.

  Wrin nodded. “It’s true, my brother is a very important and respected member of this village. He could have been the next mayor, if he’d wanted.”

  Slade scowled and shook his head. “I was a simple blacksmith, nothing more.”

  “Nonsense, dear,” Yena said, before turning to me. “Slade worked hard to keep this town running and make sure it was safe. Beyond what he did as blacksmith, he volunteered with the town guard and convinced everyone to build the outer wall after an elemental attack took two lives. We’ve been attacked three more times since then, but we’ve always held them off thanks to Slade.”

  “Three?” Slade asked, his spoon pausing halfway to his mouth. “There was another one while I was gone?”

  “Yes, this time an air elemental, if you can believe that. Must have wandered far from the Air Realm to make it all the way out here.” Yena shrugged. “We were able to keep it out without any issue.”

  “Good to hear,” Slade said, though I could tell it bothered him that he hadn’t been here to protect his town. He obviously cared a great deal for the people of Clayridge.

  “Now hurry up and tell us where you’ve been all this time,” Leni said.

  The others gave Slade expectant looks, and he finally sighed and launched into the tale of how the Earth God had chosen him as the new Jade Dragon, how he’d found me along with my other mates, and how we were on a quest to overthrow the Black Dragon and had recently joined up with the Resistance to help us get into the Earth Temple. I stayed quiet as I ate my stew, worried about what his family would think of all this—especially Slade sharing me with three other men.

  “That’s quite a tale,” Yena said, when Slade lapsed into silence. “And it all sounds quite dangerous, but I’m sure the Earth God chose you because he knew you could handle it all. I’m very proud of you, Slade.”

  “It sounds incredible,” Leni said, her eyes dancing with excitement. “I wish I could have been there for all of it.”

  “You’re not upset about me being only one of her mates?” Slade asked.

  “It’s not something I’m comfortable with myself,” Yena said slowly, as she glanced at me. “But who are we to questions the Gods?”

  Wrin nodded. “You can’t turn your back on the Earth God’s will. Do you think you’ll get to speak to him at the temple?”

  “I expect so,” Slade said.

  A knock sounded on the door and Yena got up to open it. Brin stood on the other side and was quickly ushered in. “You’re one of Slade and Kira’s companions aren’t you?” Yena asked. “You must join us!”

  “Thank you,” Brin said with a smile as she stepped inside. Her eyes caught sight of Leni and her gaze seemed to linger there before she turned to me. “I simply wanted to let Kira know that we’ve booked rooms at the inn for the next few nights.”

  “Very good,” Yena said. “I’d love to house you all, but as you can see my home is rather small. But please, sit with us and I’ll get you some food. And tell us your name, child.”

  Brin hesitated, but then slid beside me. Across from Leni, who was definitely watching my friend with interest. “My name is Brin of House Pashona, and it’s an honor to join you for a meal.”

  “House Pashona?” Leni asked, even more intrigued. She leaned forward, giving us a glimpse of her ample cleavage. “You’re nobility?”

  Brin offered her an alluring smile. “I am, yes. From the Air Realm. But please, don’t let that change your opinion of me. As you can see, I’m simply one of Kira’s traveling companions now.”

  “Brin is a good friend,” I said. “I’m lucky she agreed to join us. Being with four men all the time can get rather…complicated. It’s nice to have a woman I can talk with.”

  Leni let out a dramatic sigh and rested her chin on her hand. “You’re all so lucky, traveling the world, fighting bandits and Dragons, helping the R
esistance. I’d do anything to get out of this boring town.”

  “Why don’t you?” Brin asked.

  “Definitely not,” Slade said. “She’s too young.”

  “I’m twenty-one!” Leni said, then turned to me and Brin. “How old are you two?”

  “Twenty,” I replied, while Brin said, “Twenty-two.”

  “See, they’re the same age as me,” Leni said. “And Slade, you started helping the Resistance at my age. Why am I not allowed to do anything?”

  Yena returned and set a bowl in front of Brin, then patted Leni’s head like a child. “It’s not safe for you. Slade had to leave to fulfill his destiny, but your place is here.”

  “My place is wherever I decide it is,” Leni said, as she rose to her feet. “And I don’t plan on staying in Clayridge for the rest of my life.”

  She walked out of the house, while her mother sighed. “I’m sorry for that. She’s been like this ever since Slade left.”

  “I’ll talk to her,” Slade said.

  “She’ll get over it,” Wrin said. “Just like she got over that traveling merchant who stopped by. And the soldier before that.”

  “Leni has always had her head full of big dreams. I’m not sure she’ll ever be satisfied here.” Yena waved it away with a sad smile. “But enough of that. Tell us more about you, Kira. Where are you from?”

  I took a deep breath and settled in to tell them about my life. I could already this was going to be a long night.

  19

  Auric

  While Kira spent time with Slade’s family, the rest of us took over most of the inn. Brin grew restless and went off to explore the town on her own, while Reven, Jasin, and I shared a meal together. Jasin and I both ate like we had the hunger of five men after flying for much of the day, while Reven watched with amusement. We’d been served some sort of questionable stew common in the Earth Realm, a far cry from the fine dining of the Air Realm, but I was so hungry I didn’t care. And maybe I’d gotten used to such things after weeks of travel, because it actually tasted pretty good.