With no clan to go back to and no means of providing for himself and Esther, what was he going to do? Well, she worked and would continue to do so but he wasn’t just going to be dead weight holding her back. But perhaps that was something to think about at a later time.
“What the hell?” Virdi demanded when Bryant, cleaned up and dressed in a pair of blue scrubs, was brought before him. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“About what, exactly?” Bryant forced himself to stay calm. “I didn’t kidnap anybody. Dunn attacked Esther and me and I took her and the human Kayla to get away from him. After that everything sort of fell apart, but I had nothing to do with the deaths or—”
Virdi held up his hand. “I will have someone take your statement. And you will be under house arrest until your trial.”
“But Dunn—”
“I will deal with Dunn. I am very disappointed in you, Bryant. You’re supposed to be smarter than this.” Virdi gestured at James. “Get him out of here.”
Bryant opened his mouth but James pushed at him. “Wait! I have a bullet in me, at least get a doc to come take it out.”
Virdi didn’t look at him. “You’ll be checked out. Now you’d better leave because you don’t want me to lose my temper right now.”
Chapter Thirteen
Esther
When Esther was taken to see Dominique, her friend rushed over and threw her arms around her. The simplicity of the act had tears blurring her vision and she clung to Dominique. It had been rough but now that they were back, everything was going to work out. She’d be able to tell her friend what had happened and Dominique would tell Virdi and everything would be fine. They’d take down Dunn and reinstate Bryant into the Emperor’s Guard…
But they wouldn’t, because he was married. To her. And they were going to stay married. Esther sucked in a deep breath as she pulled away from Dominique. Married. With no plans for the future. Would Shane still fund her dig after what happened? Especially since she was going to stand by her husband.
“Thank God you’re okay.” Dominique’s expression hardened. “I’ll make sure that that traitor never—”
“If you’re talking about Bryant, he isn’t a traitor,” Esther interrupted.
Dominique narrowed her eyes.
“Look, I know what it looks like, but he’s being set up by Robert Dunn. I know because he said as much while he was trying to kill me. Dunn was trying to kill me, in case that wasn’t clear.”
Esther ran a hand through her messy hair. She pulled a leaf from it and looked Dominique in the eye. She told her everything, starting with the night that she and Bryant got drunk together. By the time she was done, Dominque’s jaw had dropped. Thunder started fussing and she retrieved him, then sat on the couch beside Esther with a glazed expression.
“So, Bryant isn’t a traitor,” Esther finished.
“That is… Okay. So, he’s not a traitor. I’ll make sure that Virdi hears your side of the story. But everything else? What were you thinking? You’re the most stable person I know and you went and married someone you didn’t know while you were drunk, and then slept with him after he locked you up? You don’t even know him.”
Esther had expected that. “You slept with Virdi when you barely knew him.”
“That’s different.”
“Really? Because as I recall, he lied to you, essentially kidnapped you, tried to steal from you—”
Dominique glared. “It was different. I didn’t jump into bed with him thinking that I was going to have a forever happily-ever-after. I didn’t let him convince me that he loved me when—”
“You still slept with him for weak reasons. Don’t start calling me stupid when you don’t know how I feel. Even while I was freaking out about being married to him, I didn’t really want to annul our marriage. That was just the whole logical mess that I always let get in my way. But I love him. I love him.” Esther stroked Thunder’s downy hair. “Just like you love Virdi.”
“Virdi and I are mates. But Bryant already had a mate, he can’t have another one.”
“And according to tradition in Virdi’s clan, you can’t be his mate because he wasn’t a virgin when you got together,” Esther snarled back. She knew that it would be hard for people to wrap their minds around this, but she was fast getting tired of Dominique’s refusal to see what was happening here. It was bizarre, yes, but it was true. “This whole thing that since he loved someone else it means that he can’t love me is hogwash and you know it. He loves me and I love him.”
Dominique’s brow creased. She shook her head but didn’t argue further. That was good. Esther wasn’t certain how much she could continue holding onto her temper if she didn’t accept the truth for what it was. A thick silence fell between the two of them, and Esther picked another leaf from her hair.
“Where is Bryant now?”
“I imagine he’s going to be held in a cell for the time being.”
“What? But he didn’t kill anybody!”
“It’s not just about that. Kayla and Shane have already given their testimony and he locked you up. He doesn’t have the authority to do that, and from where I’m sitting he did that so that his marriage to you would remain secret.”
Esther jumped to her feet and paced around the room. Her chest felt tight and hot, her teeth clenched so hard that she could almost hear her molars grinding. She wasn’t certain what to say about this now. She could keep arguing but that might not be the best after all. Perhaps it was best to just leave it as it was and allow emotions to calm before attempting to continue the conversation.
“And what about Robert Dunn? He’s already killed people and tried to kill Bryant and me.”
Dominique stood. “Take Thunder. I’ll go talk with Virdi. I’m not as versed in dragon law as I’d like.”
Esther accepted the baby and Dominique left the room. Once she was alone, the anger making it difficult to breathe started to leak away. The warmth of the baby in her arms had a calming effect. His dark eyes peered from thick lashes, and his little puckered mouth looked very much like Virdi’s stubborn way of holding himself. The baby kicked and waved a hand in the air, gurgling.
By the time Dominique returned, Esther was sitting on the couch, rocking the baby gently as he gurgled and babbled.
“We’ve sent people to arrest Robert Dunn,” Dominique said. “And I convinced Virdi to allow you to argue on behalf of Bryant.”
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t tell Virdi that you married him. But you have to know that even if Bryant is pardoned from the kidnapping charges, he still broke his vows as part of the Emperor’s Guard by marrying you. He is going to have to face the consequences of those actions.”
Esther sighed. “If we had annulled the marriage the morning after, would it be as serious?”
“I don’t know.”
The door opened. Both of them turned to see Kayla stride in. She ran to Esther and threw her arms around her.
“You’re safe!”
Esther readjusted Thunder so she could half-hug Kayla back. “And so are you. I’m glad.”
The other woman pulled back and a scowl crossed her face. “You could have let me know that he hadn’t eaten you. I thought that the worst had happened. I was certain that I would never see you again, and then you’re here holding babies and being perfectly fine?”
There was a brief pause as Esther considered what her options were. Eventually, she just shook her head and handed the baby back to Dominique. From what she had seen, Shane was very protective of Kayla already. If she could be on their side, then maybe there was a chance that she could ease Shane’s anger towards Bryant.
“You have to know that Bryant had already decided to release you and Shane before you escaped. He didn’t think it through and he regrets going that far. I know it was a terrifying situation, but it was terrifying for him, too. He was just trying to protect himself and little Thunder here.”
Kayla’s expression darkened. “Oh, rea
lly? Are you sure that’s what he was going to do and he wasn’t just feeding you a line?”
A glance at Dominique’s face showed that she felt the same. Esther felt that tightness start again and sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. Okay. They had reason to be suspicious. They didn’t see the regret in Bryant’s green eyes when he told her that. “I’m sure.”
“And you’re not saying that just because you love him?”
“No.” Esther shook her head firmly. “Look, I know it’s strange and sudden and you, Kayla, don’t know me, but I’m a good judge of character. Aren’t I, Dominique?”
Dominique nodded. “Yes. You are. Usually at least. But feelings can cloud the mind and—”
“This isn’t about feelings.”
Kayla held up her hands. “It kind of is. I mean, I’ve fallen for pretty guys who tell me what I want to hear often enough to know that no matter how smart you actually are, it’s not hard to be deceived. So, tell me this. Did he tell you that he was going to release us before or after you had sex?”
“After.”
Kayla’s eyes went so wide that it was comical. Her jaw dropped and it seemed like she was having difficulty breathing. “What? You had sex with him?”
Esther closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
“I guess he ate you after all. At least, he better have,” Kayla muttered. “You had sex with him. While we were still prisoners in that castle of his. I know he’s hot and all but he’s not really that hot. What were you thinking, I—”
“If you’re just going to stand there and slut-shame me for having sex with my husband–yes, he’s my husband–when you don’t even know who I am or what our circumstances are, then you can leave. Okay? When I ran after him that day I didn’t realize the woman he was with was his sister-in-law. His late wife’s sister. Bryant and I...” It was complicated to explain but her feelings weren’t. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like she could just make the other two women feel what she felt.
“I’m sorry.” Kayla lowered her head. “I didn’t mean to imply anything. And I know we just met, but I already think of you as a friend and I care about you.”
Esther didn’t really want to accept that, but given the situation, it seemed like the best idea. She sat down again and nodded. In truth, it was mostly worry that was making her so angry, rather than her friends acting this way. If their situations were reversed, she would be the first to be yelling at them for being so stupid. Logically, it made no sense. But she knew how she felt.
“He was going to let you go,” she said again. “He panicked but he’s a good man. And the whole situation happened because of that other dragon, the one that you used the bear spray on. He’s the real villain here.”
Kayla nodded seriously, and then a sly smile spread across her face. “So… Did he eat you?”
A hot blush rose in Esther’s face and she turned away, trying to avoid Kayla’s glance. Honestly! The girl needed to make up her mind as to whether she hated Bryant or not. Even so, those were intimate details about her sex life that she certainly wasn’t going to share, not with her, not with Dominique. Sex was something special, and her intimacy with Bryant was special. It wasn’t something to share with everybody.
“Come on,” Kayla wheedled. “He’s hot, we all know that, but is he good?”
“That’s between him and me,” Esther said quickly. Her face was still hot and flushed. “What about you and Shane? Anything there?”
Kayla looked away. “Okay. Okay, I get it. We won’t talk about your sex life. So, are you hungry? I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
Esther’s stomach growled. “I haven’t eaten since we left the city. Dominique?”
“I’m hungry, too. I’ll have something sent up.” She stood, cradling Thunder still. She headed for the door, then hesitated. She turned back to Esther with a determined expression. “I understand what you’re saying. What you’re feeling. But you have to remember that regardless of Robert Dunn or intentions, Bryant still broke his vows and kidnapped two people. There will be consequences, and I don’t want you to feel like it’s your fault.”
Esther opened her mouth but closed it again. She nodded reluctantly, understanding what Dominique was saying. Bryant had done stupid things. But whatever happened from here, they would face it together. And it would be okay.
Chapter Fourteen
Bryant
There were two things that Bryant clung to as he paced around the sparsely furnished room that was serving as his prison cell at the moment.
One was that no matter what happened from here on out, Esther was safe. There was no way that Dunn would be able to tear through all the Guard to get to her, especially since Virdi assured him that she was spending most of her time with Dominique. Since she and Thunder were the most heavily guarded, that meant that Esther was surrounded by dragons who would die to protect her.
The second was that Virdi, and the others, believed him when he said he hadn’t killed anybody. Esther had backed him up, and they were searching for Dunn to arrest him now. It was only a matter of time before he was brought to justice. The dragons that had been murdered weren’t any of Bryant’s friends, but they were colleagues and brothers-in-arms and he wanted nothing more than to tear Dunn apart for what he had done to them.
The day after being arrested, a couple of guards brought Bryant out of his cell and took him before Virdi. The Emperor’s Father was much calmer now than he had been when Bryant was first brought to him. Bryant himself was calmer, too, more willing to accept whatever punishment that was decided. At least he knew he wasn’t going to be convicted of something he hadn’t done.
“Dominique spoke with Esther,” he said as he gestured for Bryant to sit. “She says that you were planning to release your captives before they escaped. After some discussion with Dominique, I’ve decided that the continuation of this… event will be left up to your victims.”
Bryant winced at the term. It was accurate enough, he supposed, but calling them victims felt so wrong. Like he had done some unspeakable crime…. Again, which was true in a certain light. He had been immensely stupid and he wasn’t certain how he was going to make it up to them.
He nodded, though. “That’s only fair. Do I get the chance to explain myself to them?”
Virdi gestured at the guard, who stepped out. Moments later, Shane and Kayla entered. Bryant got to his feet, which was met with a snarl from Shane, but otherwise the other dragon looked calm enough. Kayla scowled at him, but the scowl quickly melted into a smirk as she looked him up and down. She poked Shane in the side and waggled her brows at him, which made the dragon scowl. Bryant glanced between the two of them, uncertain what was going on.
“Thank you for seeing me,” he started uncertainly. “I know that what I did was wrong and frightening. Please believe me when I say I honestly didn’t see another way at that time. I didn’t mean to hurt either of you, and I certainly didn’t want to cause you distress. I know that I did,” he quickly added. “And I am very sorry for that.”
“Okay, fine. So, you panicked and freaked out.” Kayla folded her arms, the scowl returning. “Does that mean that we should just forgive you?”
What was with this girl? Scowling then smirking then scowling again. She needed to make up her mind as to what she was feeling. Bryant tried to keep his thoughts off his face, knowing that further antagonizing her was a very poor idea. He contemplated the question for a moment before he shrugged. He had apologized and there wasn’t really anything else he could do about it.
“In all honesty, I wouldn’t have locked you up if you hadn’t learned about Thunder. Yes, I panicked but it was as much fear for the Emperor as anything else.”
Shane nodded at that. “I can understand that.”
Kayla whirled on him. “What?”
“He was acting in defense of his people. I can understand it. Especially considering that he had been attacked twice in such a short time.” Shane vie
wed him for a moment before smiling slightly. “You remind me of my younger brother. I accept your apology.”
“But he kidnapped us!”
Shane shrugged. “What would you do to protect the people you cared about? What would you do for your country? As misplaced as his actions were, he was defending his people. I can’t condemn a man for that, although Virdi, you might want to provide your Guard with more training.”
Bryant smirked as he nodded in agreement. Perhaps more training was needed.
“Well, I don’t accept it,” Kayla declared. She folded her arms and stuck her nose into the air. “Especially not after what he did to Esther. She’s been in tears, utterly desolate. I’m not going to forgive a man who’ll use a woman like that and just toss her aside like she’s an old, worn-out shoe.”
Use her? In tears? Bryant jumped to his feet as anxiety rushed through him. Every instinct told him to fight his way out of this room and find Esther, his mate, his love. Find her, comfort her, make sure that she wasn’t crying anymore. Blood pounded in his ears as he stepped for the door but he stopped himself.
Be smart, he scolded himself.
“Where is she? Is she hurt?”
“Only as far as you’ve hurt her.”
“I need to talk to her.” He stepped towards the door again. After their talk and the time they spent together in the forest, he thought that they were on the same page. That they were in love and that she was going to work at their marriage, just like he was going to. He took another step, heart pounding. His fires leaped and flickered, smoke tasting in his mouth. “I didn’t use her, I didn’t… I need to talk to her.”
To his surprise, Kayla suddenly laughed. She clapped her hands and bounced on the spot, a gleeful look on her face. He stared at her, once more completely befuddled with her. She looked… triumphant. His hands curled into fists and he sucked in a deep breath and breathed out a lungful of smoke as he attempted to calm his roaring fires.
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