The Stones of Kaldaar (Song of the Swords Book 1)

by Tameri Etherton

  Taryn inclined her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. The other princesses…they’ve expressed a desire to train. If you would consider it, I would be most grateful.”

  Lliandra’s mouth tightened to a thin stain. “You are bold, young Taryn. I hope you are not also foolish. I will take your request into consideration.” She left them without another word, sweeping through the crowd in a swirl of rose and lavender chiffon.

  To Taryn’s surprise, Rhoane was smiling. “Baehlon has taught you well. I thought I might be bested by you today.” He inspected the cut on her upper arm. “I was careless.”

  “It’s not your fault. I was too slow.” His Shanti wrapped around her like a warm blanket in the dead of winter. It caressed and soothed her, mending the wound he’d inflicted.

  They left the training grounds amid excited babbling from the soldiers. After hearing the empress, they were more than willing to continue working with her. Rhoane led her away from the barracks toward the gardens, all the while talking about their sword fight and the ways she could improve. When they reached the orchards, Rhoane took Taryn’s hand.

  Their runes glowed briefly, and Taryn asked, “What did Ohlin mean when he said that when I’m ready, he’ll add his blessing to our bonds?”

  Rhoane cleared his throat. “Strictly speaking, we are fully bonded, but to make them immutable, we need Ohlin’s and Verdaine’s blessings added to these. As it is now, we are bonded by the Light only, and if we are not careful, they can unravel.”

  “Nadra said they’re permanent.”

  Rhoane kissed her fingertips. “They are, but when they were placed on us, you were unaware of the true meaning of the bonding. Therefore, they are not as strong as they could be.”

  “I see.” She looked away, embarrassed by her lack of understanding of so many things a woman her age should know. “I don’t have a lot of experience with this.” She glanced up at him, searching for reassurance in his eyes. “With relationships, I mean. None, actually.”

  The little half-smile that made her pulse zigzag tugged at his lips. “Neither have I.”

  “But you’re so old. Surely you’ve had women before?” The words were out before she could pull them back. “Oh God, I’m sorry.”

  His laugh surprised her. “For an Eleri, I am not that old. Besides, I have known since birth that my destiny was with you.”

  “What if you didn’t like me once you met me?”

  Rhoane stepped closer, brushing her hair back with his long fingers. “I loved you the moment I first saw you in the cavern. Before that, I loved the possibility of you. Now that you are here before me, I love the reality of you.” He covered her mouth with his.

  For the space of a heartbeat, she faltered, frightened but also thrilled by the heat coursing through her. His clean, forest scent filled her nostrils, overwhelmed her senses. His strong arms held her close. Everything about him was comforting, as if the world could stop and as long as she had him, there would be life.

  Rhoane pulled back, his eyes fogged with desire, questioning. She crushed him to her, not wanting to ever let go. They clung to each other beneath trees heavy with fruit. The smell of sargots warmed by the summer sun intoxicated her, adding to the deliciousness of the moment. Ideas that made her blush skittered through her mind as her hands roamed over his body. She wanted to feel every inch of him, to know him in ways only she could, but she hesitated. When they finally parted, Taryn could hardly grasp a single thought. Rhoane moved behind her to kiss her neck.

  “You’re sure you’ve never done this before?” Taryn asked in a voice steeped with a slurred huskiness she didn’t recognize.

  “Quite sure.” He nuzzled her neck, and she swayed against him. “But I have often thought of doing exactly this with you. Only you.”

  Her ShantiMari rose, and she surrounded him with it, enveloping them in a cocoon. If only she could take them far from the palace and everything that might threaten their happiness. A surge of her power threatened to overtake her. Rhoane’s body shook and his ShantiMari enclosed hers, subduing the force.

  “We should stop,” she forced herself to say. “I’m afraid of what might happen if we don’t.”

  His arms circled her, pulling her close. When he spoke, his voice sounded much like hers, deep and full of unspent emotion. “As you wish,Darennsai.”

  Raw desire edged his words. All she wanted was to pull him down beside her and lie on the grass, letting his fingers trail over her body, finding ways to excite him as much as he excited her. Her heart no longer beat in her chest but settled between her legs and pulsed with a terrifying urgency. She turned back to face Rhoane, and all thought vanished. She lost herself in the mossy depths of his eyes.

  Electric current ripped through her as their lips met again, this time with a heated fervor she embraced. Her nails scratched up his scalp, her fingers tugged at his curls. His tongue scraped along her teeth, and she savored the feel of him, the taste of him.

  Him.

  A tempest of power swarmed around them, drowning out sound and light.

  Rhoane ended the kiss with airy touches of his lips to hers, lingering a moment before kissing the tip of her nose and then her eyelids. A fine misting of sweat dotted his forehead, and his breath came in shallow pulls. His ShantiMari cloaked hers, soothing, calming, protective.

  Concern. Apprehension. Rhoane’s worry slid over her.

  The torment within terrified her almost as much as it excited her. She swallowed down the urge to release her power, to consume them in a vortex of ShantiMari. Rhoane shook as he stroked the sides of her arms, whispering to her in Eleri until her shuddering subsided, the tempest dissipated, and the light shone bright around them.

  She could have killed them.

  The thought crowded her mind. If she didn’t learn to control her power, she would hurt Rhoane. Or someone else close to her.

  “I, uh,” she faltered, unsure what to say. “I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry.”

  Rhoane tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His runes flared in the sun’s rays. “I, for one, am not sorry for anything.” He flexed his hand a few times. “Look what you have done. And they were just starting to settle down.” His lips met hers in a tender kiss.

  Except she saw beyond the casual tone of his words. The anxiety he tried to hide was clear in his eyes. She’d frightened him. Of that she was certain.

  He took her hand, and they walked beneath the sargot trees to the seawall. She kept her power in check, but in the depths of her consciousness, the darkness lurked.

  Waiting.

  Chapter 28

  THE sun beat down on them, warming the sand beneath their damp bodies. Taryn stretched along the rough blanket they’d brought and blinked against the day’s brightness. After the orchard, Rhoane had taken Taryn to her rooms, where Sabina had been waiting with the younger princesses and the promise of an afternoon lazing on the beach.

  She plucked at the damp fabric of her swimming frock, making a mental note to have Tarro design something more fitting for the ocean. Having yards of fabric billowing against the tide wasn’t ideal. Nor was the wool blanket that scratched her exposed limbs.

  “Stop fidgeting,” Sabina scolded, a hand over her eyes to block the sun. “Why are you restless?”

  Oh, I don’t know. I can’t control my ShantiMari and almost killed my boyfriend this morning. My parents are power hungry freaks. My sister is plotting against me. Pick one.

  “I’m not. It’s just…these clothes are awful. How can you be expected to swim in something like this? It’s torture. I’m surprised more people don’t drown.”

  “In the Summerlands we wear our small clothes to swim. Or we go naked. We don’t have the same prejudices as they do on the mainland.”

  “It sounds like you Summerlands people know how to have a good time.”

  Sabina rolled to her side, her face suddenly serious. “Can I confide something in you?” She glanced to where Tessa and Eliahnna strolled along the shor
e, looking for seashells. “Whatever we say here must stay between the two of us.”

  “Absolutely. You have my word.”

  A ripple of relief washed over Sabina’s features. “As you know, I have no loyalty to Marissa but must pretend otherwise. She is heir to the Light Throne. Once she is crowned, she will be the most important person on Aelinae. Even those in the West know that the true power in all the seven kingdoms resides in Talaith. That is why Valterys is anxious to have you side with him.”

  “I’m not siding with anyone.”

  Sabina gave a short chuckle. “Everyone has to take a side eventually and your father would love nothing more than to have you live at Caer Idris with him. All the other kingdoms would have to bow and scrape before him because he sired the great Eirielle, and look, she sits at his side, blah, blah, blah. But never mind that for now.” She waved a dismissive hand, “Marissa is determined to marry me to Lord Aomori. I have no wish to marry him, and I’m sure he would prefer another life partner.” Sabina’s tone held a hint of amusement.

  “You mean Tinsley?”

  Sabina smiled, her pearlescent teeth bright against her dark skin. Her two front teeth had the slightest bend to them, giving her a charmingly crooked smile. “Ah, yes. Because of him. I, of course, have other reasons,” she added with a hint of mystery.

  “Hayden?”

  Sabina’s cheeks blossomed the color of cherry trees in springtime. Her shyness regarding the marquis delighted Taryn. “What can I do to help?”

  A shadow fell over Sabina’s supine form, and the girls looked up to see Marissa standing a few paces away, Lady Celia by her side. Lords Tinsley and Aomori spoke with animated gestures a pace behind them. Hayden was nowhere in sight.

  “Ladies, I thought perhaps you’d enjoy some company.” Marissa said with exaggerated politeness.

  Taryn gave Sabina a we-won’t-let-her-win look and rolled to a sitting position. “Sure, the more the merrier. Do you guys know how to swim?”

  The men dashed off, kicking sand at each other and diving into the waves. Marissa took a seat on the blanket beside Taryn, digging her toes into the sand. She wore a long skirt and loose-fitting chemise, neither of which was appropriate for the water. Celia hung back until Marissa glared at her. She plopped on the sand with an unhappy grunt.

  “I guess that answers your question,” Marissa joked, indicating the two figures who were now racing to the rocky island not far from shore.

  “What about you?” Taryn asked.

  “I’ve never been a fan of water.” Marissa shielded her eyes. “Or the burn that occurs if left too long in the sun.”

  Taryn lifted her face to the light. “I love it. The sun, the sand, the salt water. It feels like home.”

  “I suppose you missed this place while you were gone,” Marissa said cryptically.

  “I didn’t know about Talaith, or you, or any of this while I was gone, so there wasn’t a chance to miss it. But I have to admit, I am glad to be here now. With all of you.” Taryn forced a shy smile for her sister. “I like having a family.”

  Marissa leaned back and shook out her long mane of dark curls. They cascaded down, nearly touching the blanket. “It must be strange, though, to find yourself in this awkward position. To realize that you have blood relatives and have to learn about your life in a short time.”

  “I love a good challenge. Since you brought it up, what can you tell me about my half-brother?”

  Marissa cut her a look from the corner of her eye. “Zakael? I don’t know him that well. Why don’t you speak to him and find out for yourself?”

  “I will, but I was hoping you could give me some idea of what kind of man he is. The few times I’ve met him haven’t exactly been positive experiences, and I’d like to change his impression of me.”

  “Sabina,” Marissa intoned with an air of authority, “the boys are returning, why don’t you take them a towel?”

  Sabina gave her a worried glance, but Taryn nodded that it would be fine. Sabina grabbed two towels from the basket and sashayed to the shoreline where she spoke with Eliahnna until the men came splashing out of the water.

  “They make a fetching couple, don’t you think?” Marissa studied the way Sabina and Aomori greeted each other with polite cordiality.

  “I suppose.” If Marissa were baiting her, Taryn wasn’t going to play into her hand. “What about you? Is there a special someone you’re interested in?”

  Lavender ShantiMari made lazy loops around Marissa’s reclining form. “No one has caught my attention yet. But then, it isn’t prudent for the heir of the throne to claim one suitor. It’s tradition that the empress has many lovers to sire her children.”

  “Sweet gig.”

  “Are you saying you don’t favor your bond with Rhoane? He is a much sought after bachelor. Any woman would be honored to have his hand.”

  Damn. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. Rhoane is perfect. I am honored that Verdaine chose him for me, and I look forward to spending the rest of eternity with him.” The words echoed in her mind, mocking her. “I mean, all you have to do is look at him. He’s totally hot.”

  Marissa cast her a scathing glance. “Hot?”

  “Trust me, that’s a compliment. It means he’s attractive. Very much so.” Heat burned in her cheeks. The kiss she’d shared with him earlier replayed itself in her memory, igniting a spark of passion that she tamped down.

  “Then yes, he is hot. I wish you happiness in your union.” The blessing rang false.

  “Thanks. And who knows, maybe you’ll find your true love one day. It might even be Zakael. The two of you, both rulers, maybe you could unite Aelinae the way your mother once sought to do.”

  Celia’s eyes bulged with suppressed laughter. Marissa glared at her, and Celia sniffed haughtily. “Truly, Offlanders will believe anything they hear. The empress never sought to co-rule. She mated with Valterys for one purpose and one purpose only.”

  “Celia.” An undercurrent of anger vibrated that single word.

  Celia looked to Marissa with exaggerated innocence. “You told me yourself the only reason your mother endured Valterys and then Zakael was to create this abomination.”

  With a start, Taryn realized Celia meant her.

  A guard approached and gave Taryn a quick bow. “Princess, it is nearing sixteenth bell, you have an appointment to keep.”

  “Already?” But it couldn’t be soon enough for her. Celia was one insult away from finding herself face first in the sand. Taryn might be new to this royalty thing, but she was fairly certain what Celia said was punishable. And Marissa had allowed it.

  Taryn shouted her goodbyes to the others before she raced back to the palace and up the stairs that led to the gardens. To her horror, Celia followed.

  “Your Highness, wait.” She panted when they reached the top step. Bent over and wheezing as if that was the most exertion she’d ever experienced, Celia held out a hand to keep Taryn from leaving. “I’m sorry. I know”—huff, puff, wheeze—“you don’t like me very much, and I can’t say that I blame you, but there’s something you should know.”

  She straightened, and Taryn was taken aback by the color of her face. Red from lack of oxygen, but also faint blue lines marked her features. As her breathing returned to normal, they faded until Celia’s face was again clear.

  “What is it? I’m late for an appointment, and I don’t have time for games.” Taryn started to move away, but Celia grabbed her wrist.

  Taryn glanced at her hand. “Let go of me.”

  Celia dropped her wrist and took a reflexive step back. “Hear me out, please.” She took a deep breath and began. “Marissa asked me to be cruel to you. I don’t know why, perhaps she was testing you. Or me. Or both. It doesn’t matter. I can’t do it any longer. I’m sure I’ll be punished, perhaps even sent back to my family, but you’re kind. Truly, I’ve never met anyone like you. Please accept my apology.”

  There was a muddiness to Celia’s ShantiMari that intr
igued Taryn. She might be playing her, pretending to offer an apology to gain access to Taryn and her friends, or the offer could be genuine. Either way, Taryn had nothing to lose.

  “Of course, Celia. It must be difficult to be in your position.”

  Celia’s features relaxed, and for the briefest moment, Taryn thought she saw the markings again. They appeared to be runes similar to her bonds. “I hope someday you can forgive me, and perhaps will call me friend.”

  Taryn gripped Celia’s hand in her own, sending a thread of her ShantiMari up the woman’s arm. The markings started at Celia’s temples and disappeared beneath her gown. “That would be lovely. But I truly am late.”

  She left Celia standing alone at the top of the stairs and hurried to her rooms where Cora and Ellie waited with a bath already drawn.

  Despite her rushing, Taryn arrived late to Lady Faelara’s suite. She was ushered into a formal sitting room, which was decorated in various shades of green. The walls were a soft sage and the couches a deep forest that complimented Fae’s pale skin and auburn hair. The open windows allowed in a nice breeze, and the scent of flowers freshened the air. Tiny threads of ShantiMari were woven throughout the rooms.

  Rhoane rose to greet her, giving her cheek a simple pass with his lips. Even that brief touch sent a spiral of giddiness through her.

  Once seated, Faelara got straight to the point. “Now, Taryn darling, since you’ve been practicing with ShantiMari, I’m going to assume my father’s wards have all dissolved. From what Rhoane shared of the events in the orchard this morning, it is imperative we teach you to control your powers. The sooner the better.”

  Taryn glared at Rhoane, hurt evident in her voice. “You told her?”

  “Not everything.” That damn half-smile tugged at his lips, and her heart. “Just about the surge of your powers.”

  “Show me what you can do,” Faelara ordered.

  Nerves fluttered in Taryn’s belly. The simple tricks she’d taught herself were probably far below what Fae expected. She never thought she’d have great power, therefore had never challenged herself to great things. “Well, I, um, can light a candle. I can…” Faelara held up a hand to stop her.