Warrior

by Michelle Magly

  “What the hell just happened?” asked Nat, coming closer.

  Senri waited for Alina to say something, but her hands still trembled and she did not seem to hear Nat or anyone else. “We were attacked,” said Senri.

  Yahn looked around at the four dragon corpses. “Clearly, how did they get in?”

  Senri nodded toward the gap in the floor. The uplifted stone tile had been smashed to bits in the skirmish. “Secret entrance.” She tried to go over to examine it, but Alina clung to her tightly when she tried to move. She winced as she felt fingernails dig into her forearm. Lanan walked over instead and lowered herself into it.

  “There’s more than one tunnel.” She ducked down and Senri heard the receding footsteps. Lanan returned shortly and pulled herself out. “The pathways lead to other entrances. This whole house is filled with them.”

  “Damn dragons.” Yahn kicked at a chunk of rock. “They’re going to murder us all in our sleep.”

  “I think that remains to be determined.” Nat stooped and picked up a rock. He tossed it in the air and caught it. “Those guards looked very mad. I’m guessing the visit was not a planned one.” One more toss, and the stone went flying into the opposite wall, embedding itself with a crack, the only sign of Nat’s anger. “We might as well go out and find our escort. Let them give us a stern talking to and be done with it.”

  Senri shook her head and glanced at the others. “Can you go ahead? I think Alina needs a moment.”

  The other three glanced at her, and then to Alina. Yahn muttered something to Nat and Lanan as he left the room. They followed, but not before Nat stopped and said, “You’ll let us know if you need us, right?”

  Senri nodded. Nat held her gaze for a second. Any of his usual jovialness had vanished. His jaw tightened, and for a second she thought he might not leave, but he turned and walked after Lanan. She let out a sigh and drew Alina close. Even wrapped in her embrace, Alina did not show much response.

  ***

  Concentrate on breathing. You have to keep breathing. Alina did not know what else to think. Somewhere in reality, Senri spoke to her.

  “Did they hurt you?” she asked.

  Alina pushed against Senri, holding her at arm’s length. Some of the color had returned to her face, but red bruises already formed on the Warrior’s throat. “They were going to kill you,” she said.

  “They were going to abduct you.”

  “Senri.” Alina pulled away and leaned against the wall. She sank to her knees. “It had you by the throat.”

  “I’m alive, though.” Senri crouched in front of her. “We both are.”

  Alina shook her head. Her lips trembled and she buried her face in her hands for a moment. Once she had her composure regained, she looked up. “I never wanted you to give your life for me. I wanted to keep you as far away from harm as possible. I even saw this happen before and was powerless. You know I ordered a detachment sent as soon as Nin told me who they sent to investigate that camp? I was so scared.” The words tumbled forth. “Any time you were in danger, I nearly lost it. Some ruler I am. I can’t keep my composure with you, and yet I’m expected to treat you like all the other soldiers, just send you off to die.”

  “You would never order me to my death.” Senri gripped her shoulders. “You make hard decisions. I follow them because I am a Warrior.”

  Alina stared at her Warrior. Senri’s gaze had haunted her since the moment she set foot in the city. “You…Senri, you are everything to me. I can’t make you give your life in service to the crown.” She knew it in her heart. The recurring visions of Senri had been mingled with her own desires. Desperately, more than anything, she wanted her future entwined with Senri’s and she knew she would do anything to keep it that way for as long as possible. She closed her eyes and tears pressed against her eyelids.

  She felt Senri’s warm hand on her cheek. A thumb stroked her skin. “Alina, I have chosen to dedicate my life to this. I chose to give my life for you.” She paused and gave Alina a kiss on the forehead. “You are everything in my eyes, you know?”

  The tears spilled over. Alina could not hold them back any longer. She had never meant to get this entangled with anyone. The ache in her heart reminded her why. “You could have died,” she sobbed. She pulled her knees to her chest and crossed her arms. “Senri, I don’t know what I would do if you died.” Senri’s warm arms encircle her, pulling her away from the wall. Senri stroked her hair and she buried her face against the Warrior’s chest. Words paled against whatever warred inside her, so she sobbed instead. When she had calmed down enough, the Warrior tilted her chin up to look at her.

  “I won’t throw my life away, not when I just found you.” Senri kissed her. When she pulled away, they both sighed. “Will you be able to face them?”

  Alina blinked and remembered the orders from the dragon. “We need to, don’t we?” Senri helped her to her feet and she wiped her face. She laughed softly when Senri handed her a strip of cloth. “Is it that bad?” she asked, mopping the edges of her eyes.

  “If we’re lucky, the dragons don’t know what it means to cry.”

  Alina laughed again and shoved the cloth back into Senri’s hand. “All right, I suppose we should make ourselves presentable, first.” Heat seared her cheeks as she eyed the tattered, singed clothes hanging off Senri. The holes revealed most of her chest.

  Senri glanced down at her clothes. “Oh. Right.” They pulled on their armor, though both looked disheveled still.

  “Let’s go,” she said. Senri nodded and led her from the room. The others waited at the doorway. The dragon guard flicked its tail a little too much.

  “Follow,” it hissed.

  They walked down familiar streets. Dragons roamed the roads or flew overhead. Many stopped and watched them. A small hatchling attempted to scurry toward them before being snatched up by its mother, or Alina assumed it was a mother. She still had no clue how to tell their genders apart. They returned to the hollowed-out mountain. Their guide led them directly to the top this time.

  On the basin, the ancient dragons had already shed their guise of rock and shuffled around one another, speaking in their own tongue. The guard stood at attention at the edge, so the Warriors did, too, waiting. One of the dragons noticed and roared. The others hushed. Only then did the guard urge them forward. It nudged Alina in the back, indicating that they wanted to talk to her specifically. She swallowed and walked to the center of the plateau. The same elder she had spoken to before lumbered over to her. It released a deep rumble from the back of its throat.

  “Human,” it growled. “It seems my own kin have shamed me.”

  Alina dared not agree. Instead, she inclined her head. “We were attacked.”

  “Without provocation?” The dragon adjusted its stance so it sat lower, more at level with her.

  “We haven’t left the lodgings you provided for us. I don’t know why they broke into my chambers, but they entered secretly.”

  “I am aware of what happened!” The blast of dragon’s breath almost seared her skin. She took a step back. “What we need to understand is why.” A deep rumble released from the dragon and it prowled around Alina. “You brought a sun-killer with you.” The dragon glared at Senri.

  Senri took a hesitant step forward. “I never killed one of your kind before today.”

  The dragon growled and walked over to Senri. “You are lucky it was self defense.”

  The two stared at one another for several tense seconds. Alina swallowed her fear. “The dragons targeted me,” Alina said. She remembered struggling to get away from the one that dragged her toward the tunnel entrance. “I am supposedly unimportant, unless you determine to forge an alliance with the humans, then I am necessary. The way I see things, these creatures either acted on someone’s orders or went against your wishes”

  “You accuse them of betraying me?” The ember eyes burned brighter.

  Alina took a step back. “No…well, yes, they did betray you, but I am s
ure they were doing what they thought was for the good of their people.”

  The dragon stared her down as if it waited for something. Alina did not know whether to look away or stare back. Perhaps eye contact did not matter to them at all. She knew nothing. Her people knew absolutely nothing.

  The dragon looked away and roared at the others. Alina quickly covered her ears as the other dragons roared back. When the din quieted, her head rang with the sound.

  “You are smart. Smart enough to speak plainly to,” the dragon growled. “When your predecessor came, he lied to us, and we killed him. You are truly in need, however. Your last king was not fortunate enough to have desperation on his side. This makes you interesting, human.”

  “And what do you plan to do now that I’m here?” Alina asked. Her heart hammered. This could all have been a trap. Demek could have orchestrated my entire fate, leading me away just to become a meal for the dragons. All this trouble just to have me killed in some elaborate way.

  The dragon huffed a breath of scalding air at her. “We will talk, and if you talk well, the humans and dragons may just have an alliance..”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  THE DRAGONS DISMISSED THEM to their newer, safer quarters, leading them to rooms farther in town and higher up on the mountainside. The new view took Senri’s breath away, and terrified her. The city below shimmered with torchlight and multicolored lanterns as the dragons celebrated the waning hours of the nighttime. Are they for a special occasion?

  She shook her head and returned to her current task. After finally getting back her pack and supplies, she dug out the small, sun-shaped gem Valk had given her on her first day as a Warrior. She held the yellow object up in the torchlight and studied it for a moment. The center contained a neat hole to thread a chain through. It had always meant to be worn as a pendant, Senri supposed. She had just not had the desire. As she threaded the string through it, she wondered if it would make a suitable gift for Alina. The delicate gold chain around her neck certainly spoke of finer craftsmanship.

  “What are you up to?”

  Senri nearly dropped the necklace. She tucked it into a tunic pocket and smiled over her shoulder at Alina. “Oh, nothing much,” she said. “Done being needed for the day?”

  Alina smiled and walked over to Senri, sitting down next to her and touching her forearm. “For now,” she said. They both looked out the large window. Stars glittered by the thousands outside. “How did we end up here?” Senri felt Alina’s fingers caress hers. Their hands clasped.

  “That is a good question,” Senri said. The world felt different, as if for so long they had pushed against an unmovable force. Now, they dangled weightless and free on the precipice of something completely unknown. She turned and looked at Alina. The young woman stared up at the sky still, her eyes drawing invisible patterns. “What are you looking for?”

  Alina blinked and glanced at her. “I’m reading the omens.” Her gaze returned to the stars.

  “Any good news?”

  “Oh, it’s not nearly reliable enough.” Alina sighed and leaned against Senri. Her stomach knotted at the close contact. “If I really wanted to know details, I would cast my runes, but that spends energy, precious energy that I happen to need on this whirlwind adventure.”

  Senri laughed and wrapped an arm around Alina’s shoulders. “So what details are you looking for?” She had never learned much of fortunes and fate.

  “News of the kingdom, mostly.” Alina moved her hand to rest on Senri’s lower back. “The sky is not filled with an overwhelming amount of anything shocking, at the moment. Neither are the constellations aligned in a pleasing way.” Senri nodded and moved her free hand to her pocket. She felt for the necklace within.

  On her other side, Alina shifted closer. “What are you doing?”

  “You had a birthday, recently,” Senri replied, grasping the necklace. Before she withdrew it, she leaned in and kissed Alina. The small noise she made caused heat to spread over Senri’s cheeks. She pulled away, not wanting to lose herself just yet.

  “And I can think of an excellent gift,” said Alina. Her cheeks looked flushed as well.

  “True.” Senri pulled the necklace from her pocket. “But I would still like you to have this.” She held it up, letting the gem catch the faint traces of moonlight.

  Alina caught sight of it. “Senri.” She raised a hand, touching the small sun. “Senri, I...”

  “This was given to me at my initiation as a Warrior,” she explained. “I would be honored if you wore it.” She smiled at the look of awe Alina gave her. Instead of waiting, Senri draped the necklace around her. She touched the small gem now resting against Alina’s breastbone. “I know it’s not much, but it’s supposed to represent my dedication and honor to protecting Osota. Who better to wear it than you?”

  Alina eyes shone. “I love you.”

  Senri smiled, for she did not know how else to respond to those words. Her chest felt like it might burst. She wanted to laugh. As unexpected as the declaration was, it really did not shock her. Somehow, she knew their fates would lead them to this conclusion. She grinned and wrapped an arm around Alina.

  “I’ve known since the attack today.” Slowly, she bent down and kissed Alina’s forehead. “And I love you,” she mumbled against the soft skin. Alina drew in a sharp breath. “I think I’ve been in love with you since you stole me away from the castle.” Alina laughed. Senri dipped her head and caught Alina’s lips in another kiss. This time, Senri moaned softly. Alina’s hands cupped her face and drew her in closer.

  They managed to find the bed without breaking contact. Senri nudged Alina onto it and settled herself on top of her. She felt Alina’s hands slide under her shirt and shuddered as soft fingers trailed along her skin, nails barely digging in. She sucked Alina’s bottom lip in between her teeth and bit down gently. Alina’s hands pushed upward, taking the tunic with. They parted for a moment as Alina pulled the shirt over Senri’s head, and then kissed her again. Senri’s hands traveled down to the gap between Alina’s clothes and grabbed a hem. She tugged upwards, pulling back so that Alina could lean forward. Once she pulled the tunic free, she stopped.

  Alina’s pale skin nearly glowed in the moonlight. The gentle curve of her breasts rose and fell with her breathing. Starting above the heart, pale blue lines marred their way along Alina’s skin, following the path of her veins, barely noticeable without the aid of a vision to draw them out. She had been so terrified when she first saw them. Now, she could only think Alina looked beautiful, seer veins and all. She shivered as Alina’s hand touched her side.

  “Senri? Is everything all right?”

  She leaned down and kissed Alina. “You’re beautiful.”

  Alina’s arms encircled her and drew their bodies close. Senri gasped as her skin came in contact with Alina’s warm body.

  “As are you,” Alina whispered against her ear. She whimpered when Alina nipped at her neck.

  Senri turned and buried her face into Alina’s loose hair. She kissed Alina’s neck, moving lower down to her collarbone. She wanted to kiss every part of Alina, memorize her whole body. The first time she had been with a woman, she had not thought of love, only of proving a point. With Alina, she did not know what to do first, what pace to take. All she knew was that she wanted Alina, all of her. And her heart ached with the knowledge that Alina wanted her, too.

  Senri kissed along Alina’s neck again. The pale skin felt warm under her lips. She closed her lips around a pulse point and sucked in, causing Alina to moan softly and shift her hips upward. One of Alina’s legs slipped between her thighs. She groaned and pressed back. They kissed again, more hurried than before, their hands wandering. Senri reached down and tugged her own trousers off, kicking them aside before grabbing Alina’s. She stopped and pulled back a bit, waiting for her to say no or show hesitation. Instead, Alina nodded and raised her hips, allowing for her to pull them off with ease.

  They settled against one another. Skin-t
o-skin contact had never felt so blissful for Senri. She kissed Alina’s jawbone, down her neck, over her collarbone. She moved down so her lips met the rise of Alina’s breasts. Her lips slowed over the soft skin. Alina breathed in short gasps. Senri smiled and sealed her lips over a taut nipple. When Alina cried out, she raised a hand to the other breast, feeling along the expanse of her body, loving how Alina groaned. She was usually so practiced with her words.

  She released the nipple and Alina grabbed her shoulders. “Senri, I need you.”

  This admission sparked a flame in Senri. She kissed Alina hard and moved her hands down Alina’s sides. Anything that elicited a moan, she stopped and caressed again. She wanted to satisfy Alina as fully as possible, more than any lover before her had. Alina’s body trembled before her hand even reached a thigh. Still, she let her fingers travel as slowly as possible over the unexplored skin. Slowly she let her hand slip between Alina’s legs.

  Alina broke away from their kiss. “Senri, please.” Her hips rose, searching for contact. Senri smiled and Alina breathed deep, her eyes shining with a need Senri had never seen before. “Please,” Alina said again.

  Senri pressed two fingers against Alina and dragged upward, brushing over her swollen clit. Alina cried out and Senri felt fingernails digging into her back. “You all right?” Senri asked as she paused.

  Alina opened her eyes. “Senri, if you’re not inside me in another second, I’ll—”

  Senri pushed two fingers inside her and Alina’s words got lost in a moan. She paused, an increasingly difficult task as the velvety heat tightened around her fingers. Senri met Alina’s gaze and watched her expression change from rapture to frustration. Her hips rocked. Senri moved with her. They picked up a slow rhythm, her fingers sliding and curling forward.

  “Oh Senri,” Alina gasped. She rocked harder against her hand. “More, please. I need more.”