Raene and the Three Bears (The Alder Tales Book 2)

by RS McCoy

  But Raene cared not a bit about it. She was walking beside Parson, her hand squeezed tight in his, and they were married by the laws of Terra. She fulfilled her duty to Kaide and Blossom, but more than that, she had a husband who cherished her.

  He was a bumbling oaf who said the wrong thing at every opportunity, and he could drive her mad like no one else, but he also made her laugh harder and run faster and dig deeper into who she was than anyone ever had. He saw past her demure smiles and batted eyes. Parson wouldn’t let her live a quiet life. He would keep her challenged, and Raene was excited for that more than anything else.

  At the end of the line, Raene’s excitement faded into nerves, regret, and guilt. Hale stood tall with a brown ribbon in his hands. As if she hadn’t ripped out his heart only moments before, Hale tied his ribbon around the considerable bunch of knots and said, “May the Mother protect you.”

  Raene wanted to stay, to tell him how utterly sorry she was, but Parson pulled her toward his tent. It wasn’t the time or place for that conversation, she knew. Those wounds would take years to heal, if they ever really did.

  For the last stretch, Raene and Parson walked alone. He looked at her with such emotion in his eyes, Raene’s cheeks flushed with color.

  Then his features darkened. “I’m sorry I don’t have a ring to give you—”

  Raene tilted forward to kiss his lips, silencing his futile apology. When she pulled away, she told him, “I know you gave it to Darsa. So your child would have something to know you by.”

  His mouth fell open so fast she burst out laughing. “Besides, I don’t need a ring. I have all these.” Raene chuckled as she held up her bandaged hand, revealing a half-dozen rings symbolizing all sorts of things she couldn’t remember.

  Parson rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead. “It should be a perfect day for you. I’m sorry I can’t give you more than this.”

  Raene softened under his gaze, apologetic and adoring as it was. “It’s just right. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Parson kissed her cheeks sweetly. She smiled through her nerves and kissed his shoulder as they arrived.

  For the first time, Raene entered Parson’s tent, a dark and mostly-empty space with a floor covered in linens and blankets from the usual Terra color pallet. No sooner were they inside than they were ambushed by a tiny creature.

  “Sorry, this is Fig,” Parson explained as he scooped up the slender rodent, rubbing a thumb over its tiny head.

  “What is it?” Raene had never seen such a creature, like a stretched-out mouse with strange little hands. It was cute in an odd sort of way.

  Parson set the animal on Raene’s shoulders as she laughed, his feet tickling her as he walked. “A ferret. He was Blossom’s…” Parson collected the animal and set him back on the floor. “Sorry, I should have warned you. Well, uh, this is it, I guess.” He held out his hand toward the interior of his tent.

  A few candles sat around the edges, none of them lit, and between them, a few boxes of clothes and food. On the far side, a half-dozen bows leaned against the canvas, along with a handful of quivers already full of arrows.

  “It’s not much—” he started.

  “Let me guess, you’ve been too busy hunting to decorate?” Raene’s laughter was sucked clean out of her when Parson spun and kissed her. His free hand clutched at her head and held her near as his lips consumed hers. With one hand tied to his and the other entirely useless, Raene could do nothing but stand idle and kiss him back. The motion and excitement and sheer joy of it sent her head reeling.

  And then it was over.

  “Let’s get you down. Come on. That’s enough excitement for one day.” Like she was nothing more than a child, Parson lowered her to his pallet on the floor. It wasn’t as comfortable as her bed in the manor, but it was better than the ground or the cot or anywhere else she’d slept recently. As before, she lay on her side, keeping the worst of her injuries off the floor.

  With their hands still joined, Parson lay in front of her, his eyes even with hers. There was a smile, a glow to him she was sure hadn’t been there before, and it made her want to bask in it forever.

  “I can’t believe you did that.” Parson’s free hand skated across her cheek. His fingertips were warm and electric, and Raene couldn’t help but close her eyes at that little touch. “I never thought—I mean, I wanted it. I wanted this, but—” He gingerly skimmed the swollen purple lump on her cheek before moving to the thick bandage on her neck, and down to her arm. It wasn’t tied to his, but it was no more useful. Raene couldn’t feel it, move it. She could only watch as he touched what little tips of her knuckles that stuck out from the end of the bandaged splint. “It just seemed impossible.”

  Raene tilted forward and kissed his cheek again. It really was sweet to see him try to talk, utterly failing as he was. “Obviously not impossible,” she teased him.

  “Raene, even before we were attacked, you were with Hale. You wore his rings, you slept in his tent. I knew what I wanted, but I knew I was too late. And then when you were hurt—” Parson paused with his eyes distant, his brow furrowed. “You were so brave,” he whispered.

  “I just defended myself.” Raene didn’t feel brave. She felt like an idiot. She’d provoked a coyote for no reason and paid the price for it.

  Parson pressed closer, so close his breath warmed her cheek. “Raene, you have to see how incredible you were. If you hadn’t fallen—” His hand moved from her shoulder down her arm, or at least she assumed it did. She couldn’t feel it, she couldn’t peel her eyes from his to look. Raene was unwilling to miss a single moment of those eyes.

  Raene pressed her forehead against the soft skin of his neck and basked in the warmth of his embrace. She didn’t want to talk about all the ways they’d wronged each other or all the things that could have gone better or worse. “It doesn’t matter. You brought me back, Hale and Gemini patched me up, and here we are.”

  Parson groaned. “It matters. I never meant for you to get hurt. We were set up by the Pyro traders.” He sighed, long and slow, as he worked to get his words out. And once he did, they haunted her. “I’m going to kill the Alderai and any coyote that sets foot in the Alderwood. I swear, they’re going to pay for this.” His pulse thumped loudly in her ear, and all at once, Raene realized she’d heard that same racing, rhythmic pounding before.

  “Gemini said you brought me back in your totem.”

  “I had no choice,” he said in a clipped tone.

  “I didn’t know you could do that.”

  In answer, Parson’s fingers crept into her hair, curling in and massaging her scalp, a move he knew would calm her. “It’s not supposed to work. Sometimes with kids, a parent can transition to keep them safe, but sometimes it just kills them. You were—I thought—”

  “You thought I was going to die, so it was worth the risk.” Gemini had told her as much. She would have given anything to have a single working hand to stroke his rugged cheek but instead, she was left to try to explain. “I’m glad you did it. I remember—” But that wasn’t it. She stopped and tried to figure out what she was trying to say. “It felt like this. I could hear your heartbeat. You were warm—”

  “I was running,” he said, like that explained everything. “I had to—”

  Raene nodded against his neck. “I know.” And then lower, quieter, she whispered, “I know.”

  Bonded

  “YOU SHOULD EAT,” Eton fussed.

  Blossom shook her head. She couldn’t eat. She wasn’t hungry. Any food she ate would immediately come right back up.

  She had never been more nervous or terrified or excited in all her life. She was in freefall, spinning toward the ground, waiting for the inevitable, terrible impact.

  Today, she was going to see Kaide.

  Blossom had no idea how long she’d get to see him, if she’d get to talk to him or not, but in the span of a second, he would see what she’d become.

  He would know she was alive.


  He would know she was Aero.

  But he wouldn’t know that he still occupied her every thought, both asleep and awake, and that she wanted nothing more than disappear with him to the manor and never see Aerona again.

  That was her mission today. Find a way to tell him. He could work out the rest on his own.

  “Seriously,” Eton continued, his endless fussing more grating today than usual. “The meetings can last a whole day. If you don’t eat now, you might not get another chance.”

  Blossom pushed up from the table in response, and Eton followed her to the door. They were both perfectly polished and put together. They wore their masks of calm serenity, but Blossom knew they were both apprehensive about what would transpire today.

  For Eton, it was the first time he would be present during formal Syndicate affairs. For Blossom, she was going to show the man she loved that she had become one of his enemies.

  She couldn’t think about it. She could think about nothing else.

  “Would you like to ask the Apprentice Vice Syndicate to walk with us?” Eton offered.

  “Yes, thank you.” Blossom had to work extra hard to maintain her measured formality. She stood aside as Eton knocked and discussed their travel arrangements with Herson.

  Five minutes later, Yveline Dodd emerged with a luminous smile. Not a hair was out of place, and her cloak fit her every curve. “Miss Blossom, I’m thrilled we’ll be attending the Syndicate Council together.” Yveline gripped both Blossom’s hands in hers and squeezed, the only indication her sentiment was genuine.

  For the first time, Blossom saw Yveline’s mask. In her apartment, she’d been open and vibrant. Here, she was all smiles and manners, but these niceties were fake.

  Everyone was a false version of themselves today.

  “I’m so looking forward to traveling to the capital city,” Blossom purred, mirroring Yveline’s easy cadence.

  Together, Yveline and Blossom filed into the elevator, each flanked by their advisor. They chatted happily as the made their way to the Robin—thankfully the ride was brief, for her stomach was already in knots—then to the portals. Only there did they separate.

  Eton and Blossom entered one portal room while Yveline and Herson took the next. “I don’t suppose you can refrain from soiling my shirt this time?” he asked when they were alone in the too-small room.

  Blossom forced a smile as he inserted the coin. “I didn’t eat, remember? You should be thankful I’m at least kind enough to do you that small favor.” She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, picturing Kaide standing over her, one arm planted on the wall on either side of her. He would hold her, kiss her, run his hands over her figure—whatever it took to keep her distracted during the awful spinning.

  “Seriously? Again?” Blossom opened her eyes to find Eton kneeling beside her. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, knees pulled up to her chest.

  She didn’t remember sitting down.

  “Are you back now?” Eton asked, his brow creased with a rare display of worry.

  “I didn’t go anywhere,” Blossom argued, pushing him back so she could stand. She ran her hands over her cloak to smooth out any wrinkles.

  “Are you that nervous?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she lied.

  “Yes, you do.” Eton was quick to call her bluff. “Are you sure you can do this?”

  “I’m fine. Stop fussing.”

  “I’ll stop fussing when you stop drifting off. You can’t afford that kind of slip up in there. The Syndicates and Vice Syndicates will all be there. Even the Alderai. You need to be focused.”

  Blossom nodded and took a good deep breath for strength. Eton was right. Regardless of her feelings for Kaide, she needed to be alert. Mercer was only one of the critical players in the realm’s politics.

  Satisfied she was ready, Eton opened the door and led her out into the lobby. The last time she saw those shimmering alabaster tiles, she was in Eton’s grip, being manhandled all the way to the portal room. She’d been a falcon only moments before, the last time she’d let her wings spread wide.

  So much had happened since then.

  Yveline and Herson stood waiting in the lobby. “There you are!” Yveline cooed, linking arms with Blossom once more.

  Blossom focused on her breathing. She tried to calm the horrible pounding pulse in her ears and soothe her stomach as it threatened to claw its way out her throat. She was an elevator ride away from seeing Kaide.

  She was really going to pass out this time.

  Eton slipped a hand around her elbow, squeezing too tight for comfort, but it was just enough to keep her grounded. She’d have to remember to thank him later.

  With the warped clarity of a dream, Blossom walked the long hall arm in arm with Yveline. Eton released her elbow at the massive metal doors that stood taller than three men and were engraved with a delicate pattern on their shimmering surface. Such doors had all the weight and presence of the Syndicate.

  This was it.

  Ignorant of her apprehension, Herson pulled open the doors, producing an ominous groan. With all the elegance demanded by their positions, Yveline and Blossom entered the Syndicate Council Chamber, a circular room broken into four quadrants. At its center was round table with four chairs, one for each Syndicate, though only the Hydra and Terra Syndicates were already seated. At the next level, a few steps higher, were three chairs for the branch Vice Syndicates. Behind them, chairs for the five branch Commissioners, though Blossom knew they wouldn’t be in attendance today.

  Illuminated screens ringed the perimeter of the room, and on every one, the topic of today’s meeting: The Prentis.

  Blossom’s stomach dropped out from under her.

  She turned to Eton long enough to know he saw it. When she looked to him a moment longer, he shook his head ever so slightly. They would discuss it later. For now, they were on display for the realm’s most powerful and influential politicians.

  Eager to keep her emotions hidden, Blossom tried to look like she was merely admiring the general size and splendor of the space—truly it was magnificent—but really, she was looking for Kaide. He was taller than most, with dark hair and a perfect black cloak. It should have been easy to spot him, but Blossom couldn’t. She breathed easier at being spared his hatred a few moments longer.

  Blossom could only wait.

  At least Yveline didn’t seem to notice her distraction. Blossom stuck close to her friend as they moved about the room, reintroducing her to the Vice Syndicates she had only met in passing at the Spring Ceremony. Eton and Herson maintained their positions a few steps behind, but otherwise, they didn’t interfere.

  The two young women formally greeted Jin Nona and Zuni Bartel, both older Vice Syndicates of the Terra branch. After that came Unsel Gould, the only Pyro Vice Syndicate currently present, and one of the few Blossom hadn’t already met. She forced a smile to the Hydra Vice Syndicate Tead Iolla as she wondered if his wife was at home tending to the injuries he often inflicted. They made sure to offer Syndicate Mercer a public greeting as her position demanded, a show of allegiance and support in the midst of representatives of the other branches.

  Together, Blossom and Yveline made their way around the room, plying the realm’s leading political figures with their fake smiles and batted eyes. And to Blossom’s amazement, it wasn’t as awful as she expected. She kept her mask on, pushing back thoughts of Kaide, working to stay focused on her current company. Only one managed to compromise her practiced calm.

  “What a lovely pair you two make,” Castor offered with the warmest of smiles.

  Blossom choked back the urge to gag. He was so eager to fill her ear with compliments each time they met.

  Two could play that game.

  “How fortunate to see you again, Vice Syndicate Castor. How are you finding life in Terrana? I’m sure it’s lovely this time of year.” Blossom had never personally visited Terrana, but as the home of the Alderai
, she knew it would have alder trees aplenty. This close to summer, they would be in full bloom, a luscious pink canopy. She envied he should get to see it while she was stuck in the underground of Aerona.

  “Not half as lovely as you, Vice Syndicate Frane. I hope you’ll accept my invitation to visit later in the season. I’m sure you’ll be due some sunlight after so much time in the dreariness of those tunnels.” Blossom managed to smile. Not a fake one, but a real one. Even for Lota Castor, the lowest of the low. He seemed the only one who understood her imprisonment.

  A loud groan sounded.

  Castor’s eyes shifted to something behind her. Someone.

  Blossom turned in time to see Kaide entering the Council Chambers. At his side, the other Pyro Vice Syndicate, Pruda Swain. A viper, Blossom remembered.

  But she had no time to think of the woman. Instead, she could only see Kaide. He wore his usual Vice Syndicate expression, as solid as stone. His hair was perfect, as it always had been, and his cloak was smooth black luxury. Even from across the room, Blossom could see his mouth move as he whispered to his colleague. His eyes scanned the room, taking measure of each and every person.

  His gaze sailed right over Blossom and kept moving. A half-second later, he stopped walking. He stopped talking. He only stared at her. Frozen. For an eternal moment, he took in the sight of her, from her straight, half-shaved hair to the metal piercing in her nose, from the opalescent cloak to the absence of his ring on her finger.

  Kaide saw it all.

  Blossom covered her mouth with her hand to keep from saying the words she so desperately wanted to tell him. This was a snake pit and she was a mouse. Her eyes welled with tears as she saw him go rigid with anger. With disgust.

  It was as bad as she feared.

  So long she’d clung to that dire hope that somehow Kaide would see past the color of her cloak and still want the woman beneath. Now she knew it had been a fool’s dream.

  His eyes seared her with their hatred.