by Kali Argent
The stabbing sensation at the base of his skull wasn’t his own, not really. As he concentrated on the different aches in his body, he could almost envision the metaphysical thread that connected him to the last person he’d expected.
Isla.
“What is going on?” he muttered, only to be shushed by Kahla.
“You feel it, too?” Slade asked, his gaze fixed on Isla where she sat with one of the Tarin males on the sofa between the bookshelves. “What the hell is happening?”
Bastian spoke quietly, his voice barely more than a breath. “I wonder if this is what that Xenon male meant by a ‘parting gift’ last night.”
The pressure in Bastian’s head grew until his vision blurred, and flashes of white light nearly dropped him to his knees. He’d sensed the connection between him and Isla the minute he’d landed in the library, but he hadn’t believed it at first. As the seconds ticked by, however, he could no longer deny the truth. Every time Isla twitched, so did he—and so did his brothers. When her shoulders scrunched up near her ears, his own muscles tightened until he felt sure they would snap his spine.
He didn’t know what the hell she was doing with the Tarin male, but she kept muttering aloud, as if narrating a book or a vid. Whatever was happening, it was clearly causing her a lot of pain.
“She’s hurting.”
The look on Slade’s face spoke volumes, and he sounded almost panicked when he spoke. “We have to stop her.”
When tears began streaming down Isla’s pale cheeks, and blood dripped from her nose, Bastian couldn’t take anymore. He could feel her strength draining, could sense the slowing of her heart, even as her breaths came in shallow, sobbing gasps. She wasn’t just hurting…she was dying.
Without stopping to think about it, Bastian rushed across the room, grabbed Isla around the waist and jerked her away from the Tarin with such force that he fell to the floor with Isla clutched to his chest. Thankfully, his brothers had been right behind him, because the other Tarin males seemed to take issue with him ending the session early.
Everyone in the room converged on the males, holding them back as they shouted insults and threats. Bastian didn’t give a damn about any of them, his sole focus on Isla. Pushing into a sitting position, he leaned his back against a nearby armchair on the other end of the sofa and propped Isla up in his lap as he brushed her hair back from her face.
“Isla? Can you hear me?” His heart seized with panic when she didn’t move, and the blood continued to flow freely from her nose and over her pale lips. “Isla, wake up. Open your eyes.”
“She’s cold,” Slade muttered, running his hands up and down her arm. “She’s so still.”
Knox took both of her hands and squeezed them gently. “What the hell just happened?”
Isla’s lashes fluttered against the tops of her cheeks, and she whimpered quietly as she struggled to open her eyes.
Bastian’s relief was palpable. “She’s waking up.” Gently, he skimmed his knuckles along the curve of her jaw. “Isla, can you hear me? Open your eyes, baby. Open your eyes, and look at me.”
Finally, she did as he asked, but instead of looking at him, her gaze went to Reva, and she called the female’s name. Reva knelt over the Tarin male where he sprawled on the sofa, and she didn’t respond, which only seemed to upset Isla more. Shoving against Bastian’s chest, she squirmed and twisted, trying to crawl out of his lap, but he couldn’t let her go, not yet, not until he knew she was safe.
Taking her hands again, Knox held them immobile as he stared at her with wide, stricken eyes. “Her nose won’t stop bleeding.”
“Damn it, Isla.” Bastian growled and tightened his arms around her when she continued to struggle. “Just relax. Stop moving.”
She ignored him. “Is he alive?” she called to Reva. Then under her breath she added, “Please let him be alive.”
Amari knelt beside the Helios female and whispered words to her that Bastian couldn’t hear. After several seconds passed without a response, he was having a hard time holding Isla back without hurting her.
“Reva? Please…” she pleaded.
“Yes,” Reva finally answered, her voice tight and hoarse. “He’s alive.”
When Reva turned to look at her, Isla placed her hand on Knox’s shoulder and pushed him aside. Her words flowed fast as she talked of Earth, the Capital, someone named Quilla, and warnings of danger. While Bastian didn’t understand what her words meant, he could sense the urgency and fear behind them.
It seemed to take a great deal of effort for Reva to mumble a thank you for the information. Bastian knew the Helios was hurting, and he gathered that she had a personal connection to the unconscious Tarin male—maybe even a mating bond—but right then, his only concern was for Isla. She’d almost died trying to help them, and he felt Reva could have shown a bit more fucking gratitude.
He opened his mouth to say just that, but a hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up to find Slade shaking his head.
“Don’t,” was all his brother said.
Obviously, he wasn’t thinking clearly if Slade had become the rational one, so he took the advice and kept his unkind and unfair thoughts to himself.
“I couldn’t…hold him. He would have died,” Isla hurried to add before Reva could turn her back again. Of course, she showed no concern for her own wellbeing. “But…you brought him back, Reva. It was your connection. You brought him back.”
Again, Bastian didn’t fully understand what Isla meant, but he thought it confirmed his suspicions of the connection Reva shared with the male.
“We need a medic.” Knox cursed while he tried to mop the crimson from Isla face with his hands. “Her nose still won’t stop bleeding. Something isn’t right.”
Then, the situation went from bad to worse when Isla suddenly went limp in Bastian’s arms.
CHAPTER FIVE
Isla wouldn’t wake up. The medics at the citadel assured everyone she just needed rest, and she’d rouse when she was ready. It had been two days, though, and while he wouldn’t admit to anyone else, Slade worried.
Once they’d convinced everyone that they believed Isla’s innocence, and that they no longer wanted to take her to Earth to collect the bounty, Kai had invited Slade and his brothers to stay in the castle. Normally, Slade would have declined, but he felt too restless on his ship, and he didn’t like being so far away from Isla.
He wasn’t the only one, either. Knox and Bastian took turns pacing the floor at the foot of Isla’s bed, or sitting beside her, holding her hand and telling her stories about their travels. Occasionally, when his brothers were otherwise occupied with the crew or eating dinner with the Xenon in the Great Hall, Slade would slip into Isla’s chambers and sit on the edge of the mattress, just watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her even breaths gave him comfort and reassurance, even when blood would sporadically drip from her nose.
The child—Cord, he’d been told—had been inconsolable after Isla had passed out in the library and wouldn’t wake up. His little body had trembled, and he’d cried until his face had turned bright red and snot ran from his nose. It had been terrible to witness, and it had also awakened instincts Slade hadn’t realized he possessed.
He’d wanted to do something to calm the boy, to hold him close and protect him from the harsh realities of the world, but he didn’t. Cord didn’t trust him, barely even knew him, and he knew his presence would only make things worse. Besides, the kid couldn’t understand a damn word he said anyway.
When neither Tira nor Ivy were able to calm the child, an unexpected hero stepped forward to save the day. Slade hadn’t been the only one surprised when Amari had offered to shift into her dragon form and take the kid for a ride through the bright skies of Xenthian. It had helped, at least for a little while, and when they’d returned, Cord had still seemed sad, but no longer completely devastated.
Now, days later, with Isla still suspended in sleep, Cord no longer spoke, not even to Tira, an
d he cried at unpredictable times. Everyone worried about him, especially when he suddenly refused to eat, even when offered his favorite, sugary treats. Slade didn’t know a damn thing about kids, but he wanted to tell everyone to just leave the boy alone. He was grieving in a way, and when the darkness over the castle passed, he’d be just fine.
The creak of hinges surprised him, and Slade jerked upright when the bedroom door opened, uncomfortable at being caught in Isla’s quarters.
“Relax,” Elder Torren Blue told him, entering the room with Cord perched on his hip. “We’ve just come to see Lady Isla.”
“I stay wif Isla,” Cord announced, adorably mispronouncing her name as he clutched what appeared to be a stuffed toy lion to his chest.
“Sure thing, buddy.” Crossing the room, the elder lowered Cord onto the mattress and grinned. “Why don’t you tell her about the bekshin in the back gardens? I bet she’d like that.”
Cord crawled across the mattress and snuggled against Isla’s side, resting his head on her shoulder as he began babbling about the piglets that roamed the gardens. Slade had never seen a bekshin before, but it had been explained to him that the little, furry creatures had once been considered a delicacy on Xenthian. Then, Ivy had arrived with her bleeding heart, and now, most people just kept them as pets.
Frankly, he didn’t care either way, but his lips curved when he thought about how Isla would react to hearing the story for Cord.
“I have somewhere I need to be,” Torren announced. “When he’s finished here, just take him to Ivy. She’s expecting him.”
“Wait.” Slade jerked toward the elder. “What? No. I can’t stay with him.”
Torren snorted. “He’s a child, not a wild animal. You’ll be perfectly safe.”
Slade didn’t fear the child, at least not in the way the elder implied. “What if he cries?”
“Then you comfort him.” The “duh” had been implied.
“He can’t even understand me.”
“Actually, he can. After your arrival, and the visit from so many outsiders a few days ago, we’ve decided that it was finally time to update the translators.” He smiled, causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle. “Amari helped.”
For once, Slade got the joke. “In other words, she just did it, and you had no choice but to accept.”
“Precisely. She’s remarkable, isn’t she?”
“Who? Isla?”
Torren laughed right from his belly. “I was referring to Amari, but yes, Lady Isla is quite special, I’d say.”
Slade felt the heat rising in his cheeks, so he cleared his throat and looked away quickly. “So, uh, what exactly did you do to us?”
“Just a little conduit spell to link the four of you.”
Feeling calmer, Slade turned back to the elder. “Why?”
“You are the size of a mountain, and about as approachable as a thorn in the eye. You’ve spent most of your life being the most fearsome person in the room, and as a result, you’ve lost any sense of compassion or empathy.” Torren’s eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms across his chest. “I thought it would be good for you to see the universe through someone else’s eyes, and just maybe remember what it’s like to be scared and alone.”
“Oh, burn!” Bastian laughed like an idiot as he sauntered into the room and went straight to the bed. “Push over, kid.” He stuck his tongue out at Cord when the boy glared at him. “Hey, I like her, too, and you have to share.”
Cord seemed to consider this for a moment, his little nose scrunched. Then, he smiled, just barely, and nodded.
“Ah, that’s the ticket.” Plopping onto the side of the mattress, Bastian reached over to ruffle the tot’s hair. “Did you eat today?”
Tucking his bottom lip between his teeth, Cord buried his face against Isla’s arm and shook his head, still clutching the toy to his chest.
Slade envied his brother’s patience and ease with the child, but he had more questions about the spell the elder had cast on them. “Will it wear off?”
“Nope.” Torren seemed quite proud of this. “If you focus, you can block it, but you’re stuck with it until I decide you’ve learned your lesson.”
“You said ‘between the four of us.’ What does that mean?”
“You’re being purposely thick,” the elder accused. “It means exactly what it sounds like. The magic links all four of you. You feel what she feels. She feels what you feel.”
“And we feel each other’s emotions,” Bastian added. “For example, right now, I can feel that you want to punch Torren in the face.” He smiled widely, showing off his fangs. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“I like him.”
Slade growled. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“Because I’m cute and cuddly.” Bastian arched both brows and challenge.
“Be nice,” a quiet, groggy voice interjected, casting everyone else into silence. “Slade just wants what’s best for everyone.” Through heavy-lidden eyes, Isla looked up at him with a weak smile. “He’s not a bad guy.”
Her defense of him was more than he deserved. “Isla, you’re awake.”
“Good catch. Nothing gets past you.” Groaning, she rearranged herself into a sitting position and pulled Cord into her lap. “Hello, leelan. Have you been staying out of trouble?”
Abandoning the stuffed lion, Cord wound his arms around Isla’s neck and hugged her fiercely. “I ride a dragon.”
“What?” With comically wide eyes, Isla looked to the males in the room for an explanation. “What is he talking about?”
“Uh, well,” Bastian began, stumbling over his words as he shrank back from her glare. “You see, when you passed out, Cord was kind of upset, and the only way to make him feel better was to, well, that is to say…”
“It was Amari’s idea,” Slade said when his brother seemed at a loss. “She thought it would cheer him up.”
“You let him ride a dragon?” The iciness in her voice dropped the temperature in the room by several degrees. “By himself?”
“Well, that’s my cue.” Torren nodded at Isla. “I had nothing to do with it.” Then he simply vanished from the room, leaving Slade and Bastian to defend themselves.
“He was perfectly safe.” Damn, the spell the elder had cursed them with was wreaking havoc on Slade. He could literally feel the mixture of anxiety and righteous fury boiling inside the fiery redhead. “Amari wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”
Isla’s stomach fell, and her heart beat too fast. Slade was probably right, but so many things could have gone wrong. Cord could have fallen. He could have moved too quickly and ended up under one of the dragon’s massive feet. Amari could have sneezed and set him on fire.
“Isla, please calm down,” Bastian implored. “Look at him. He’s perfectly fine, other than the fact that he hasn’t eaten today.”
A new kind of worry overcame her, and she held Cord back so she could examine him. “Are you hungry now, Cord?”
His face split into a smile, and he bobbed his head energetically. “Cookies, please.”
Slade laughed, and Isla was mesmerized by the transformation of his normally hardened features. “You’re very handsome when you smile,” she commented. “You should do it more often.”
The mask of stony indifference slid into place almost immediately, but Slade couldn’t hide from her anymore. She could feel that he was pleased by her compliment, if maybe a little embarrassed. Not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable, she let him off the hook, and turned to Bastian.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“About two days.”
“Well, that would explain it.” She shifted, moving Cord to the side and off of her bladder. “I have to pee.”
Cord covered his mouth with his hand and giggled so hard his face turned bright red. His laughter was so infectious, but it didn’t help her situation when she giggled with him.
Bastian just grinned, but Slade looked completely mortified by th
e mention of bodily functions. It made her laugh harder.
“Oh, stars. Okay, take him.” Without hesitation, she lifted Cord and dropped him right into Bastian’s lap before climbing down from the high mattress.
Her legs shook, and she wobbled slightly, needing to grab the end post to keep herself steady. She also felt a little lightheaded, and her stomach gurgled with hunger, but food would have to wait.
“I’ve got it,” she insisted when Slade offered her a hand.
Grunting, he stooped to lift her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “Stop being so stubborn, female.”
He carried her into the bathroom, but stood at the door, his back turned, while she conducted her business. Once she’d relieved her bladder, brushed her teeth, and ran a comb through her messy hair, she felt slightly more human, though she really longed for a shower. She got the sense that Slade had a whole string of questions for her, so for the time being, she made due with a change of clothes and a couple of splashes of water to her face.
Walking out of the bathroom on her own volition, she stopped just beyond the threshold and stared. Her hand went to her chest, right over her heart, and her eyes filled with moisture at what she saw.
Cord rested in Bastian’s lap, his little head tucked under the male’s chin. In one hand, he held the toy Amari had made for him using her magic, and he was fast asleep with his thumb in his mouth.
“What’s wrong?” Bastian whispered. “Why are you looking at me that way? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You’re…happy.” Slade tilted his head to the side. “I don’t understand.”
With tears welling along her lower lids, Isla briefly recounted how she’d found Cord, the life he’d led before his rescue, and how he’d been reluctant to trust anyone, especially males. He still hid behind her when Kai walked into a room, and never made eye contact with any of the male guards in the castle. Until now, the only male he’d really interacted with had been Torren, but then again, everyone seemed to like the elder—with the possible exception of Tira.