Blossom and the Beast (The Alder Tales Book 1)

by RS McCoy

  Kaide reached around her and lifted her at the waist, enough to pull her from the floor and let her lips press against his neck, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him. He breathed a stilted breath in her ear, and Blossom knew she’d made him feel that same jolt of energy she had come to crave.

  Blossom pulled her lips from his skin when she heard him groan, a low growling from deep in his throat. “And here I thought I was going to get a nice Terra girl.”

  “And I thought I was getting a vicious Pyro politician,” she teased him back before kissing the spot on his neck below his ear. There was no denying how much she liked being the one to make his heart race.

  Kaide sighed against her cheek. “I can’t promise to go slow if you keep that up.”

  Blossom answered with slow, drawn out kiss to his neck, with her teeth lightly raking across his skin, just enough to get his hands moving across her back and his feet carrying her to bed.

  Transmission

  KAIDE WOKE with a start, his animal ears alert. He looked around in his dark bedroom, at a loss as to what disturbed him, when he heard the sound of boots on the stairs.

  “It’s only me.” Olin bowed when he reached the top step, though Kaide could only see his silhouette in the pale pillars of moonlight that streamed through the window.

  “What time is it?”

  “Well before dawn. They’ve called an emergency council of Syndicates in the capital. Just received the transmission. Syndicate Mora requested your presence personally, sir.”

  Kaide rubbed his hand over his face to combat the last thoughts of sleep. At his side, Blossom lay curled in the sheets—his sheets—her hair spread around her like a halo, sound asleep with an armful of fabric clutched against her bare chest.

  The sight of her made his heart ache. She was here. She wanted to stay, and maybe someday, she’d marry him. Somehow, by the grace of the Alder Mother herself, Kaide had managed to get her to stay. The realization of all that had changed between them filled his heart to the brim, as if it were going to explode.

  It was the moment that made him sure, above all others, that he wanted her in his life. Not for a night or a week or even a year. Forever. He wanted her as his bride, as his wife. That pull he’d felt toward her in the Alderwood had only grown, evolving into a sheer, overwhelming need to be with her.

  “Sir?”

  “I’m coming.” Kaide whispered low as he toyed with the tip of one of her curls. “Get my cloaks from the service quarters downstairs. I don’t want to wake her.”

  “As you wish, sir.” Olin’s boots clapped together with a small thud before he tip-toed back down the stairs. “I’ll get the transport ready and meet you downstairs.”

  “No. Wake Druma. He’s coming with me this time.” Kaide didn’t bother to look at Olin. He knew his expression would be stern and laced with anger, but it couldn’t be helped.

  Kaide planted a kiss on her shoulder, so gentle he was sure he wouldn’t wake her. He moved about the room as quietly as possible, readying himself for the trip, and when he was certain he’d done all he could, he slipped out of the room and down the stairs.

  “Kaide?” Blossom looked around the empty bedroom with no small amount of alarm. No matter how far she craned her neck to survey every inch of the room, there was no sign of him.

  Then she saw it—a lava stone resting on his pillow. On top sat a pretty pink flower with paper thin petals and anthers as blue as the sky. An alder blossom.

  She brought it up to her nose and breathed in its sweet scent, and with the flower covering her face, she let a smile consume her features. Never had she enjoyed the sight of an alder blossom as much as she did in that moment.

  “Ms. Frane?” Valenta called up the stairs, bringing her back to reality.

  “I’m up,” Blossom shouted back.

  Valenta flew up the stairs with a speed Blossom didn’t know she had. “I brought you some fresh clothes. Did you have a wonderful evening?” Looking up from the folded clothing bundled in her hands, she gasped when she caught sight of Blossom’s figure covered only in bed sheets.

  Blossom laughed and covered her face in her hands.

  “I’ll take that as a yes! By the Mother, I hope that means he’ll be in better spirits.” Valenta busied herself collecting their discarded clothes from the floor.

  “Do you know where he went?”

  “Druma said the capital. Something about a meeting.” Valenta waved her hands as if she couldn’t be bothered with such details, but Blossom knew it would have to be something important to pull him away to Seraphine City in the middle of the night.

  She only wished he’d woken her and said goodbye. Though of course, he’d decided it wasn’t worth waking her. “Did Druma go with him?”

  “Yes, Ms. Frane. But he left Olin here in case you wanted to go back into the markets. Shall I fetch him for you?”

  “Could you help me first?” Blossom reached for the scarlet shirt in the stack Valenta had brought. She managed to get it over her shoulders and the first sets of strips tied, but got stuck on the last.

  “Very well done, Ms. Frane. Just tie these ones here like this,” Valenta said as she clasped the final strips behind her neck. “Did the Vice Syndicate show you?”

  Blossom nodded, biting back a nervous smile. What had she done? She couldn’t quite manage to regret it—she’d enjoyed every last minute of it—but still, she wasn’t sure she wanted to marry him yet. She’d gotten a tad ahead of herself.

  Once dressed, Blossom headed down to the kitchen to find Norsa cooking away as usual. And like Valenta, her eyes held faint traces of a smile.

  Then she remembered Norsa had seen her sitting in his lap, arms squeezed around his neck. Heat filled her cheeks as the realization sank in.

  “It’s all right, child. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Though between you and me, I’m glad it was sooner. He’s been grumpy as anything these last days.”

  Blossom tried to hide her grin. To her, he’d been sweet and protective and intense as always, only turning irritable when he thought she’d leave again. It was her who made the difference, enough that even the others could see it.

  “Here, child. Drink this.” Norsa set a small alder wood cup before her, steaming hot and smelling of sour oranges.

  “What is it?” Blossom asked with her nose crinkled.

  “Hush and drink. One big sip. Go on.”

  Blossom did as she was told. The liquid was too hot as it slid down her throat, but it was gone soon enough. Only the faint aftertaste of oranges remained.

  “What’ll it be today? Fruit and nuts?” Norsa teased her as she handed over a plate. “You eat less than a bird.”

  To Blossom, it was more than enough. She happily tossed bits of melon in her mouth until Olin arrived. He stood in the doorway as stiff as a board before he lowered his head. “You asked for me?”

  “Can you take me back to the markets today?”

  Olin’s usual frown deepened, but he said, “Of course, Ms. Frane.”

  Blossom hopped down from the stool and followed after him, but not a moment later, Valenta appeared in the corridor and chased after her. “Ms. Frane! I’m glad I caught you. I thought you might like to try these.” When she reached Blossom’s side, she held out a pair of slim shoes, little more than bed slippers.

  “I’ll be fine, thank you.”

  Valenta stared at the lush, patterned carpet as she said, “But, Ms. Frane? It’s not proper for the bride of a Vice Syndicate to walk through the city without shoes.”

  Blossom sighed and crossed her arms.

  “They’re very light, not like your boots at all. You won’t even notice them.” Valenta held the shoes out in front of her.

  “Did he tell you to do this?” Blossom asked as she grudgingly accepted them.

  “No, ma’am. Here, let me help you.” The two sat in the middle of the hallway as Valenta pulled the shoes onto Blossom’s feet. They were terribly light, nothing more than a thin bit o
f scarlet fabric that matched her shirt, enough to protect her feet while still letting her feel the ground beneath her.

  Valenta was right. They weren’t like boots at all. Blossom thanked her and hurried toward the door.

  Olin waited outside, still wearing his ever-present grimace.

  “Ready?” she asked with a pleasant smile. Not even Olin could sour her mood today. She’d spent the night with Kaide and woken to an alder blossom. It would only have been better if he was there himself.

  Blossom took off down the hill, feeling the paved path under her new shoes. She raked her hands through her hair a few times, aware it was still wild from sleep. The morning air was crisp and cool and already filled with the bright light of the sun peaking over the nearest volcanic rise.

  “Can we go see a volcano?” Blossom asked her stoic guardian.

  “The Vice Syndicate wouldn’t like it. You’re not to be in danger.” Olin walked with his hands in the pockets of his wide-legged pants, as if it were beneath him to escort her.

  Blossom had expected as much. Kaide would want to take her himself. Where once his penchant for the over-protective had annoyed her, stifling her until she fled, now she could see it was rooted in how much he cared for her. She couldn’t have one without the other.

  “How long have you known him?”

  “Longer than anyone.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I was present the day he was born.”

  Blossom looked at Olin with new curiosity. He looked to be in his early thirties, his dark hair sleek and black without any signs of grey. His skin was tanned and rough from a life of hard work, but she knew he couldn’t be more than ten or fifteen years older than Kaide.

  “Were you in his father’s service like Druma?”

  “Yes. I served his father until he accepted the position of Vice Syndicate.”

  Blossom could feel the pieces starting to fit together. Kaide trusted his two servicemen because he grew up with them. They’d been with him his whole life.

  Only Blossom was new.

  By the time the wooded hill gave way to the market streets, Blossom was eager to look around. Olin wasn’t half the conversationalist Druma was, and he had none of Kaide’s charm and intensity. He only had that grimace, but she refused to let it bother her.

  As she explored the fabric vendors, she let her fingers skim over the soft silks and plush cottons. The tanner showed her a dozen different colors of leather and presented her with a small leather bracelet as a token for her patronage, even though she didn’t buy anything. They passed the same lava stone vendor as the day before, and Blossom couldn’t help but smile as she thought of the stone still resting on Kaide’s pillow in the manor.

  And despite how she tried not to, she found her eyes scanning the crowd each time they ventured back into the street to move to another shop, waiting for him to show up again. Of course, he didn’t, but Blossom couldn’t quite manage to quiet the hum of excitement that surged through her whenever she thought about him.

  By mid-afternoon, she led them back. This time, she knew the way, or at least the direction. Twice Olin had to show her where she’d passed the turn, yet she still made it back to the manor at least an hour before sunset. Plenty of time to get ready for dinner.

  Blossom knew something was wrong when she saw the front step empty. No Norsa. No Valenta. No one waiting to fuss over her hair or try to get her to wear some elegant gown.

  Instead, she found them in one of the spare bedrooms changing the linens and wiping down the furniture.

  “Ms. Frane, how was the market? Did you see anything you liked?” Valenta asked with a wide smile.

  But Blossom was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to answer. “He’s not back yet?” She was all too aware of the disappointment in her voice.

  Norsa abandoned the bed and put a hand on each of Blossom’s shoulders. “Not yet, child. Sometimes he goes away for several days, when there’s something important to be done. Don’t worry, he’ll be back before you know it.”

  Of course, she knew he was the Vice Syndicate and the work he did was important, though that didn’t do much to ease her mind. Here in his house with his staff and his things, Blossom didn’t know what to do with herself.

  Until, all at once, she did. Blossom thanked the women and headed for the kitchen, collecting a handful of snacks in her pocket. Then she bolted up the stairs.

  In Kaide’s bedroom, the bed was made so perfectly it looked as if no one had ever slept there. On the nearby table resided the lava stone and her flower, already half-drooped.

  Still, she moved on into the washroom and found the wall behind the tub. Several times she pressed and shoved, but nothing happened. Nothing moved. For half an hour, she tried to get the wall panel to open. By the time she finally resigned herself to defeat, sweat glistened along her forehead and her jaw clenched in frustration. If only she could get to her book, she could keep reading about Pyrona Dusk, she could be distracted rather than bored.

  Blossom trudged down the stairs and found her mother’s book in her bedroom. There, she flopped on the bed and read, though it wasn’t quite the same without a shoulder to lean on and music from a time gone by. When she grew tired, she pulled her pillow to the floor and lay waiting for sleep, wondering if Kaide would be home tomorrow.

  “The Spring Ceremony will be held in three days’ time. Security is of utmost importance at this critical time in our society.” The Terra Syndicate Dormier spoke with his usual booming voice that echoed off the metal walls of their official chambers.

  Behind Syndicate Mora, Kaide clung to the wall pretending for the others to be a shadow but absorbing their information in silence.

  Syndicate Mora held up an appeasing hand. “And Pyro will continue to offer its protection as always. If Hydra cannot prevent its populace from protesting, Pyro will provide sufficient security for the Syndicate.”

  It was Hydra Syndicate Voltez’s turn to interject. “Our populace wouldn’t protest if there weren’t food shortages. Hydra transformations are lower than ever. We simply don’t have the work force to harvest sufficient quantities of food. We need to settle this matter before things get further out of control.”

  “Your branch is the only one out of control!” boomed Syndicate Dormier. “We have a Spring Ceremony to plan and the Alder Mother to honor. If only your branch would stop interfering.”

  Kaide was tempted to press his fingers to his eyes and rub the sleep from them, but he refused to move in front of his present company. No one could know how tired he was, how he’d been up most of the night with Blossom before being summoned to this useless meeting of Syndicates.

  Another Hydra protest. No one had cared about the last three, but now they could interfere with the Terra ceremony to honor the change of seasons. Syndicate Dormier acted as if spring wouldn’t come without a wine-filled festival to bring it in.

  If it was up to Kaide, he’d have elected to skip it altogether. But of course, that would be sacrilege to the Alder Mother. Kaide didn’t dare whisper such sentiments aloud.

  Instead, he was doomed to listen to the four most powerful leaders of the realm bicker about a festival and a preventable protest.

  Somewhere downstairs, Druma waited, likely apprehensive on his first time accompanying Kaide on such a venture.

  Kaide tried to feel bad about leaving Olin behind, but he couldn’t. In these last days, Druma had proven loyal while Olin had not. Maybe a missed venture to the capital would realign his priorities. Or maybe he could get to know Blossom better. In any case, Kaide hoped his absence would serve to act as a lesson for Olin.

  An intermission was called at last. Kaide followed Syndicate Reva Mora out into the corridor and into her personal quarters—a lofty space with alder wood walls and floors of exotic crimson stone. He was sure it was worth more than ten of his manors, and rightly so. She was the most powerful Pyro, after all.

  Someday it would be him.

  But for now, he o
ffered her the reverence her position demanded.

  An aging woman in her fifties, crippled with arthritis only a few knew about, Syndicate Mora collapsed into her office chair and pointed a knobbed finger at him.

  “You asked to see me?” Kaide asked, his head bowed low.

  “I want you to see to the Hydra protestors. Put an end to this rebellion.” She pulled at her bob of light-grey hair until it lifted off her head. Then she turned and placed it on a stand behind her, scratching her scalp absent-mindedly. “The Spring Ceremony is an important gesture of solidarity. It must go off without a hitch.”

  “I’ll do everything I can, my lady.”

  “I know you will. That’s why I’ve already arranged for your portal to Hydra. I expect you to silence the rebellion in time for the ceremony. That gives you three days, Landel. Three days. If you can get me to my retirement without further interference, I’ll sponsor your ascension.” From her cloak, she held out a copper coin.

  Kaide stared openly, blinking in disbelief.

  “Don’t bat your eyes at me. You’ve known this day was coming. Well, now it’s here. And you have work to do. Silence the Hydra uprising and return here for the Spring Ceremony. And don’t forget that pretty young bride of yours.”

  Blossom lay sprawled across the carpet of her bedroom. Morning light filled the space, yet she couldn’t find the energy to get up. Sleep had been slow to come and quick to leave.

  And still no Kaide.

  It bothered her more than it should, but he hadn’t said goodbye or told anyone when he was coming back. She felt trapped, doomed waiting for his return.

  If anything, it was almost boring without him. Without those intense eyes and unapologetic words that made her struggle to breathe, the time passed more slowly that she ever believed it could. No one made her feel that way he did. Everyone else paled in comparison.

  As if summoned by her thoughts, Valenta’s quiet knock sounded on the door. “You’ve got a visitor today, Ms. Frane.”

  Blossom bolted up for a half-second before she realized Valenta didn’t mean Kaide. Someone else was here to see her.