Unquiet Slumber

by Paulette Miller

  When she approached, she noticed that everyone seemed to be helping with the meal. Some were cooking while others were serving, while still others cleaned up. Everyone was talking and laughing.

  Gabriel and Marcus were instantly surrounding by members of Haven wanting to welcome them back. Tianna gave them their space and proceeded forward with Seth.

  When Tianna entered the area, many stopped what they were doing and stared at her, causing a knot to form in her stomach. Seth felt her unease. Knowing that she was going to try to hide, he grabbed her hand and enthusiastically talked to her about life in Haven as he drug her to a table.

  She half listened and nodded as she snaked between the tables and watched members of Haven try to figure out who and what she was. Many of the males smiled and sniffed the air as she passed. The look in their eyes reminded her of the expression on the knights of Castle Knightstorm.

  Tianna peered down, realizing that she was still dressed in the leather hunting outfit that accentuated her figure. She pulled Seth’s hand to get his attention. “Maybe I should go back to Gabriel’s and change.” She dropped his hand and started to back away.

  He glanced down at her confused and asked, “Why?”

  She nodded her head to the side to get him to look at those around them.

  Seth scanned the room and chuckled, “They just think you’re very pretty and are wondering how I was lucky enough to have you on my arm. Why don’t you sit at this table and let me get you some food. You can be my date.” He gave her a brilliant smile.

  She sighed, knowing that she couldn’t disappoint Seth. “Okay date. Go get me some food.”

  After Tianna was seated at a table, Seth quickly went off to get their food. Noticing the continued staring, Tianna looked down at her hands and fiddled with the top of the table. She was afraid to make eye contact with anyone, especially the males who were gazing at her like she was on the dessert menu.

  Seth came back within moments with plates heaped full of food. “Turns out there are other advantages to being a part of the returning quest. I didn’t have to wait in any line.”

  He sat down and they tried to eat together, but they were interrupted continuously by a stream of onlookers whose curiosity wouldn’t let them stay in in their own seats. Every time Seth was about to take a bite, he had to put his fork down to introduce Tianna to someone else.

  Tianna constantly had to answer the same ‘what are you’ question over and over. Although she was grateful they weren’t running from her in fear, this type of attention wasn’t much better. Their reaction to her was making her very self-conscious about the fact that she was completely different from everyone else in Haven. Thankfully she had covered her lily mark with her arm bands or they would’ve been asking her about her connection to the prophecy. She wanted to avoid those questions because she still didn’t believe she was connected to it at all. In her opinion, it was all some cruel joke.

  Seth, on the other hand, loved the attention. When he took off his shirt to proudly show off his new mark, he forgot about his battle scar from Kai on his back. Several onlookers gasped when they saw it and insisted on hearing the story of how it came to be.

  Seth had been ordered not to mention Kai, so he adjusted the story to say they battled an unnamed evil wizard. He retold the story of his near-death experience several times, each time becoming more animated. They all agreed the evil was growing stronger every day and must be stopped—no matter the cost.

  As Tianna listened to the reactions to Seth’s story, she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what their reactions would be if they saw a real Black Dragon mark and found out that she was bonded to that evil, but how long could this remain a secret? Tianna feared they would learn about it sooner than later.

  As she tried to smile and tolerate all of the questions, Tianna caught Nathaniel watching her from a nearby table. She hung her head and decided she could take no more. As Seth took a short break to eat a few more bites, she leaned over and gave him a kiss on his cheek. She said, “You stay and enjoy your fame. I’m going back to Gabriel’s to rest.”

  “Can I walk you home?”

  Tianna shook her head. “I know the way and I really want to try it on my own.”

  Before Seth could try to change her mind, she got up and quickly squirmed away through the every growing crowd. The stares as she passed were like a weight on her chest, and she was finding it hard to breathe. Once she had enough open space, she ran up the road until she was completely clear of the crowd and could no longer hear the cheers for Seth’s bravery. It didn’t take her long to realize that she must have taken a wrong turn, because she found herself down a street she didn’t recognize. She had no idea where Gabriel’s home was. She refused to go back to the common area so she decided to just walk around until she saw something she recognized, hoping she would find a tree to touch along the way.

  People continued to point and whisper as she passed. They weren’t running from her in fear, but it hurt just the same. She was once again an outsider and would have to struggle to be accepted. She was tired of having to fight to belong.

  She aimlessly wandered for almost an hour with no luck in either finding Gabriel’s home or in finding a tree. She turned yet another corner and found a dark, quiet sitting area. She sat down on a bench, rubbing her hands on the cold stone beneath her, and groaned as she observed nothing but stone for as far as she could see. She felt like she was trapped in a large stone cage.

  She laid down on the bench and stretched out while staring up at the stars. It was a beautiful, clear night and she noticed a bright star pattern in the shape of a cross twinkling directly above her. The pattern resembled a similar pattern that rested in the sky above Trille. She stared up for a long time willing herself to think that she was lying in a tree back in Trille.

  While in her make-believe tree, she pondered on her current situation. She thought of her bond to Kai, the prophecy, and the Seer’s decree for her to be mated to an unknown Draak. If she did successfully mate with a Draak, would that stop her need for Kai? Would it break the bond she had with him? If the bond was broken, would his mark disappear? If she did mate, could she even get pregnant given she wasn’t full Draak?

  There were so many questions running through her mind, her head was spinning. She sang quietly to herself to calm her mind.

  She awoke suddenly from her waking dream when a smiling face appeared above her and said, “Hello.”

  She yelped and jumped up, her heart racing. She looked over and saw Aryyn staring back at her.

  He held up his hands and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I called to you as I approached, but you didn’t answer. I thought you might be sleeping.”

  She tried to calm her pulse and replied, “No, I’m the one that’s sorry. I guess my mind was somewhere else and I didn’t hear you.”

  Aryyn sat down appearing relieved. “When you disappeared, father became frantic.” He scanned the area where they were sitting and asked, “What are you doing here?”

  Sitting back down Tianna replied, “I got lost. I tried to go back to Gabriel’s after the evening meal and I must have taken a wrong turn. I’ve been wandering ever since.”

  He stared at her a little perplexed. “Why didn’t you just ask someone for directions?”

  She laughed. “I think the people of Haven are having a hard figuring me out. I didn’t want to scare anyone by approaching them.” In reality, she still wasn’t used to asking others for assistance, and she just didn’t want to talk to anyone.

  Aryyn got up and held out his hand. “I had better get you back before my father calls out the Royal Guard.”

  Tianna sighed. She knew Gabriel well enough that he wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it would take to bring her home safely. She gazed up at Aryyn’s smile, took his hand, and let him lead her down the road.

  Neither of them spoke at first but then Tianna broke the silence saying, “But your father
did send out the Royal Guard. Aren’t you one of their captains?” She smiled up at him.

  Aryyn stopped for a moment, pondered, and then laughed. “I guess you’re right.”

  They both found it very easy to talk to each other. They had an instant connection like they had known each other for years—like family. Aryyn’s feeling of family quickly turned into protector when he began to feel the weight of the whispers and stares from the people they passed. He thought to himself, “No wonder Tianna wanted to hide.”

  When he felt Tianna’s body start to tense, a low growl started in his chest. Trying to distract her, he gave out an overly loud sigh and flipped his hair back. In exasperation, he said, “I don’t know why these people keep staring at me. I know I’m beautiful but really!” He smirked at Tianna adding, “I’m sorry that you have to watch my adoring fans. I guess it’s the price you must pay for being in the presence of such magnificence.” He puffed out his chest and flexed his arms.

  Tianna couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle. He just looked so silly she couldn’t hold it back.

  He liked that sound and decided to go for more. He stared intently at Tianna’s hair and fiddled with one of her braids. Touching her hair was a mistake. It felt unreal between his fingers and he wanted to touch more. He shook his head to clear his mind and pushed back his reaction. When he spoke, it was with absolute seriousness, “Do you think you could do that braided bead thing in my hair?” He scanned her body up and down. “Oooo, better yet. Could you make me an outfit like yours? I think I would look marvelous in tight leather. And, I want my ears pierced too.”

  Tianna found Aryyn very attractive, but he was also a very large warrior that looked extremely lethal. Seeing him in her mind dressed up like an Inari was too much. Tianna covered her mouth as she let out a giggle.

  Aryyn smiled with his accomplishment. He made her to giggle but he wanted to hear her laugh.

  As they proceeded forward, he chuckled and shook his head, “Unbelievable. Our future savior got lost in the streets of Haven.” He scanned the area in a panic, acting as if he lost sight of her. He then glanced down and jumped like he was surprised to find Tianna next to him. “Sorry, I thought I lost the prophesized savior of Haven due to her lack of height.” He patted her playfully on her head.

  From somewhere deep within, a voice took over and Tianna instantly returned his tease with one of her own. “You lost sight of me because I was lost in your shadow—you’re large enough to eclipse the moon.”

  He threw his head back and let out a barking laugh just like his father’s. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. Soon they were teasing each other like siblings.

  Tianna had a question in the back of her mind that she wanted to ask. “On our travels to Haven, your father told me a story about when you were young and had to be encouraged to eat a meal. I was just wondering if the story was true.”

  He let out another barking laugh while rubbing his backside. “More than once. I swear I can still feel his encouragement.” He told her the whole story from his point of view and then studied her with curiosity. Given the look on her face, he asked tentatively, “Don’t tell me, you have been encouraged?”

  Tianna nodded and told him her story. He wanted to laugh but found protective instincts swelling in, not over his father’s encouragement, but toward Nathaniel’s betrayal. He hugged her tight to his chest and said sweetly, “Well, little Faye. You’re more than welcome in our family.”

  They continued down the street sharing embarrassing stories from their childhoods to see who had the worst ones. Aryyn won by a landslide, he was a handful in his youth.

  As hard as he tried, he wasn’t able to coax a full laugh out of her. He smiled as an idea came to his mind. He stopped, grabbed her hands, and swung her body around until she landed against his back with a thud. He grabbed onto her legs and growled, “Hold on, little savior of Haven.”

  He proceeded to run down the road bouncing Tianna on his back. To stay on, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. She couldn’t stop herself and she started to laugh. The sound caused a tingling to flow throughout Aryyn’s body and he bounced her harder. He continued to run until they ran, literally, into Gabriel who was standing outside of his home. He had several large warriors at his side and was about to send them out to search.

  Gabriel saw Tianna and relief washed across his face. He asked, “Where have you been? I was about to call out the guard.”

  Aryyn twisted his head to look back at Tianna who was still perched on his back. “I told you.” As he gently placed Tianna back on the ground, he replied, “I found her on the far side of Haven hiding in a small gathering area.”

  Tianna hit Aryyn in the arm and defended herself. “I wasn’t hiding, I was watching the stars.” She turned to Gabriel and fidgeted. She couldn’t lie to him. “Actually, I got lost.”

  Gabriel couldn’t hold back any longer and he pulled Tianna into a tight embrace. “We saw you leave the meal and, when you didn’t show up at my home, I thought the worst.”

  Aryyn took this as his cue to leave. As he started to walk away, Gabriel grabbed his arm and said, “Thank you, son.”

  Aryyn smiled broadly and said, “I told you that I was willing to help show her around Haven. I’m only doing what I promised. Let me know if you need any more help watching this one.” He gazed at Tianna and caressed her cheek sweetly, bopping her on the nose. “Now, try not to get yourself lost again.” He chuckled and walked away.

  Gabriel called off the search and led Tianna down the road to Marcus’ for their meeting. As they walked, she told him all that happened at evening meal and how everyone reacted to her. She ended her story with, “I’m sorry that I made you worry. When I couldn’t find your home, I decided to try to find a tree to hug. A stone bench was the closest thing I could find.”

  Gabriel realized that Haven was designed well for a fire-breathing dragon but not for one connected with nature. She needed her trees and he needed to find a way to give that to her.

  Once all were assembled, Marcus cleared his throat to gain the group’s attention. He said, “The Seer and I spoke privately and there are a couple items she wanted me to discuss with you.” He turned to Tianna, “I told the Seer of your Faye mark and my thoughts on its significance. The Seer commands that within the next few days you allow the Haven historians to view the mark. She thinks they might be able to decipher the meaning of the symbols.”

  Tianna shook her head adamantly and crossed her arms tight across her chest. She had no intention of letting anyone stare at her mark like some object on display.

  Marcus sighed. “But Tianna, it’s critical we find out the meaning of the symbols. The historians might be able to help us.”

  Seeing the stubborn look on her face, Gabriel knew they hadn’t convinced her yet. He took Tianna’s hands in his. “What if I escort you to the Hall of History? I could stay with you if you like. If they misbehave, I can beat them up for you.” He added, “Please,” and gave her his special smile.

  Tianna couldn’t say no to Gabriel and especially not to that smile. She reluctantly nodded but made sure that they all knew she wasn’t happy about it.

  Marcus shuffled his feet, feeling a little uneasy about the next topic. “The next item I wanted to talk about is a little trickier. It’s about the command to find Tianna a mate.”

  Tianna stood up abruptly and let out a loud “Ha!” and said, “That’s an easy one. Don’t. I. Don’t. Want. One.”

  Marcus stepped forward. “Tianna, the prophecy is beginning to play out as the Seer has foreseen. We must consider that she may be correct and you need a strong mate by your side. It may be the only way to protect you from Kai.”

  Tianna scanned the room for support. Her eyes stopped briefly at Nathaniel and, when his gaze dropped quickly to the floor, she shifted her gaze to Gabriel. She didn’t have strong passionate feelings for him, but he was a strong warrior and she did care for him deeply. Ou
t of pure frustration, she blurted out, “Fine. If I need to take a mate, then what about Gabriel? He was a Draaken. Surely the Seer would consider him a strong warrior worthy of her prophecy.”

  Gabriel’s eyes widened and Nathaniel was about to protest, but before either could respond, Marcus spoke. “The Seer believes that the mate we seek will come from another. It’s not a member of the quest.”

  Everyone sat in silence and Tianna fell back into a chair. Marcus kneeled in front of her. “You need time to adjust to your new surroundings. Although we can’t wait long, let’s take a little time and we can speak of this again at a future date. The Festival of Fire will soon be here, which will fill Haven with many Draaks from other strongholds. Just keep your eyes and heart open to the possibilities.”