by Stacy Reid
“Drac…” Her voice tapered off as she absorbed that they were truly within Mevia. They had suspected the truth, but she had hoped for another outcome.
“We will get them out my Princess.” His tone was cold and implacable, yet soothing to the horror that tried to rear its head.
“How?”
“Lachlan travels to Mevia.”
Saieke blinked. Lachlan Ravenswood was another enforcer for the dark king. “You sent your peacekeeper into the nest of vipers?” Saieke asked incredulously.
Drac’s low chuckle warmed her insides like nothing else could.
“He will not be suspected, my princess. His beast is buried so completely that even I sometimes doubt that he is a Darkan.”
“Would it not be best to send Tehdra or Tzar?”
“Tehdra is on another mission, and Lachlan is a Mecca, an Archduke and ruler of the Eastern Keep of our realm. He is far more powerful than Tehdra or Tzar, my princess.”
Saieke saw the shadows flare again only to be abruptly banked. There was a soft hiss in her mind, an ominous ripple of disturbance.
She frowned. “You worry for Tehdra. Where is she, my love?”
The eyes that held hers were cold and remote. “I do not feel fear.”
“King’s Teeth!” she exclaimed and sharply nipped his lips. “I know you are dark and deadly, but you just felt something at the thought of the mission that Tehdra is on. It only shows me that you love her. Where is she?”
Pleasure whipped through Saieke, and she gasped hoarsely as Drac lifted her and plunged his fangs in her breast. She knew it was a distraction from her probing, and she opened her mouth to protest, but what came out was a moan that echoed her delight and need.
She summoned a cold to envelope them that bit into her bones, and Drac’s snarl resounded inside of Saieke.
“Halt your attack, Princess.”
“Stop trying to distract me with pleasure, mate,” she murmured, kissing his chin as she drew back her wind. She controlled both water and wind and had no hesitation when using them on her mate.
With a quick nip at her neck he answered. “She is on a mission integral to uncovering the plot against Gidon.”
“Why do you fear for her?”
“Her being in Nuria may be akin to waking a sleeping dragon. I have not heard from her.”
“Would something have happened and you are unaware?”
He contemplated her words. “No. In distress, Tehdra would have reached out to me.”
Saieke leaned in, gently smiling, and glided her lips over his.
“Tehdra would never have need of you and remain silent.”
She laughed huskily and withdrew her lips as he sought to take control of their play.
“No you don’t, we must discuss Lachlan.”
We must? Rasped so sexily against her inner walls, she moaned.
“Is it safe to send Lachlan to Mevia?”
“Do not doubt his strength because he has suppressed his darkness. He holds the title of Mecca of the eastern quadrant for a reason, Princess. He is brutal and vicious even without darkness urging him. His use of blades and taijiu is beyond comprehension.”
So my guards are in excellent hands?
They are in the most trusted hands.
Saieke’s soft scream echoed in the caves as Drac hoisted her and plunged his fangs high on the inside of her thighs. The rising tide of pleasure drowned her while he held her in his arms and blanked everything but the need to be with her mate.
***
Nuria—Kingdom of Eternal Fire
Adara—the castle Shelah
“I am trying to locate the battlement arena,” Tehdra said to the warrior who appeared beside her. It was the warrior who had slipped into the dining room, the one who had smelled of darkness and death.
He was handsome, and the fearsome scar that ran across his cheekbones did not detract from his masculine appeal.
Cold, silver eyes met hers. “The battlements?” he queried with a slow raise of his brows.
“I was ordered to present myself to Princess Xian to learn the art of hand combat,” Tehdra said, and tried to smile so that she appeared nonthreatening. “I made my way, however it seems I am somewhat lost.” It would not do for her to simply appear at the battlement, even though she knew every room and corner inside the castle walls.
She strove to appear nonchalant as he perused her form. She had requested normal garb from her lady maid. It would not benefit her to appear in hari apparel for her sparring session with the King’s sister. A deep blue caftan molded her curves, it hugged her breasts and flowed loosely from her waist. More importantly, it covered her shoulders and hid her Cerja. Her shoes were not the jewel-studded slippers she had worn for the last couple of days. They were practical and designed with comfort in mind. Lastly, she’d wound her long tresses into a knot at the nape of her neck.
He inclined his head respectfully. “Follow me, my lady.”
“I am not a lady,” she murmured.
A fleeting smile touched his lips. “Then you are much adept in disguise, my lady.”
She laughed softly. “I am a hari for your King, and I submit myself for training at his command.”
He really was handsome with skin a deep golden bronze and hair the color of midnight held back in a queue. He had the build of a warrior and walked with the assurance of a man confident in his skill and might.
“Ahhh, the hari Tehdra. I’ve heard rumors of the king’s enthrallment with his untrained beauty.”
She glanced at him, almost startled. The rumors of the king’s distraction with her had already started. “Enthrallment?” she said with feigned ignorance.
“Are you not the hari that has been installed in his wing? The first ever. Our king is not ruled by desire, yet you are the concubine who causes his cock to harden upon seeing her.”
Tehdra blinked at his crudeness, and heat slid in her veins.
“Ahhh, she blushes. I can indeed see the fascination,” came his low, sexy drawl.
He laughed when she held her head straight, her cheeks burning bright.
“You are a sheep surrounded by wolves, hari Tehdra. It does not bode you well to be innocent and appear weak here. Yet you are a refreshment, and I can see why Ajali covets you.”
She felt the intensity of his gaze as his eyes lashed her figure in a slow, intense perusal.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. Innocent and weak. It was not intentional that he saw her as such, but it would benefit her deception. Her skin was so pale that any heat she felt from the thought of Ajali made her blush. Innocent and weak. She could kill this man before he released his flames to tangle with her, but she would utilize it to her means if possible. First, distrust needed to be abated.
“You refer to your king as Ajali?”
“I am Gavyn, a High Duke from the house of Westk’arr. I am one of the king’s personal blades and his friend.”
“So you are a warrior in his army?”
“I do not belong to his army. I am one of his blades.”
She did not understand, but she did not press. In the Darkage, they were given rank because of their predatory might and skill, not for noble blood and wealth that could be traced for millennia. And once you were given a title, you were a warrior, a part of the king’s army.
They came upon the battlement, and Princess Xian was already present. She had two swords in her hands that she held with ease. The battle arena was a wide, open, massive space. The walls boasted more weapons than Tehdra had ever seen in one room. Swords of all sizes and shapes, various battle axes and daggers adorned the walls. As she approached, the princess threw a sword to Tehdra. She lunged and caught the blade. Her hands slid on the hilt, and she tightened her grip. Her façade at being untrained should be easier to execute since they were t
raining with swords. She had never held a sword before now.
“Xian!” A harsh snap from Gavyn.
Tehdra looked down to see blood seeping from a wicked cut in her hand where the blade had sliced deep. She gripped the sword and shifted her thumb that had slipped below the hilt.
“I am well,” she said and glanced at Gavyn. “This is my first time holding a sword, and I did not grip it properly.”
“Your first time?” Xian asked while observing her intently.
Tehdra suspected what the princess had been looking for and why she’d thrown the sword at her—searching for reflexes that would have betrayed Tehdra.
“Forgive me,” Xian said her distress genuine. “I was not aware that you were so untutored.”
Tehdra smiled inside. “Please think nothing of it, the blade barely nicked me.”
The princess nodded. “Then let us begin.”
Tehdra walked towards her with the unfamiliar weight in her hands. She relaxed her muscles and concentrated all efforts on not moving with the shadows. The princess showed her the rudiments of how to hold the sword, parry and thrust, and how to attack and defend; then they danced together for what seemed like forever. Tehdra had seen the shift in Xian—distrust to respect and tentative trust.
Hours later, Tehdra ached in a good way. The sound of clapping reached her, and she glanced at Gavyn. Respect gleamed in Gavyn’s eyes, and Tehdra dipped in a mocking, shallow curtsey.
A loud crash resounded from the other side of the battlement. Lady Sascha had arrived after Tehdra had started training, and for several minutes had observed with a contemptuous sneer. Now, Lady Sascha danced with the sword as she dueled with two partners. She was beautiful, her movements fluid and swift.
The princess touched Tehdra’s shoulder. “Lady Sascha is enraged that you are in the King’s wing. Ignore her and whatever she may do.”
Tehdra suppressed her surprise. This was the first time the princess had engaged her outside of showing her the form to hold with her sword. “I am not rattled by the countess’ anger.”
Xian nodded in approval. “You are a fast pupil. You did well today, and your chakra strength is amazing. I will inform kalija of your potential.”
Tehdra smiled graciously at the praise. “Thank you for your time, Princess Xian. Sword mastery is indeed your domain.”
She grinned, executed a smart bow and walked swiftly from the arena. The session had been intense and brutal. Xian had been relentless; her weapon had been a natural extension of her body. Before today, Tehdra had never wielded a sword. Blades, yes, but not a sword. Close combat weapons were her trade. She believed in being up close and personal when taking a life. She had not needed to fake her imperfect form or her jerky movements as she’d tried to master the lunge and retreat dance.
“It seems the princess admires your endurance,” a soft voice murmured.
Gavyn stood directly in front of Tehdra.
“Why are you still here?”
“Why indeed,” he drawled.
She waited for a response but he provided none. Was he to be her shadow for the day?
“Be careful of Lady Sascha. It does not bode well that it seems that you have planted yourself in the king’s affection.”
“I do not have the king’s affection,” Tehdra said.
“I suppose you would not call it that,” he said, his tone rough but smooth with an enticing undertone of sensuality.
“No, if I remember correctly King Ajali said my purpose is to fuck him to repletion whenever he commands.”
Gavyn laughed, admiration lighting in his eyes. “I would urge you to heed my warnings.”
“I am a simple hari, why would I need to be careful? There are three hundred haris in the King’s harem, do they all have to be careful with Lady Sascha?” Tehdra asked, genuinely curious. She had no time for jealousy; she would probably be driven to snap the countess’ neck from the shadows.
“You are a hari, yes, but you are without power. As a countess, Lady Sascha has the potential to be my king’s kala. The house of Assia is rich and powerful and as old as the house of Haddin. Your presence in the king’s bed and wing threatens her ambitions.”
“Kala?”
“His Queen.”
She subdued her flinch. Lady Sascha desired to be Ajali’s queen.
Tehdra looked at Gavyn as she wiped the sweat from her brow and contemplated his words. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I would hate to see my king’s new favorite harmed. Take heed of the training provided by the princess. There may come a day you need it. The countess may allow her anger to cloud her sensible judgment.”
She tried to dismiss his warnings as frivolous. She rotated her shoulders to work the kinks from them. “Warning noted, Gavyn of the house of Westk’arr.”
A piercing scream resonated in the arena.
“Stupid chit,” Gavyn snapped beneath his breath as he flashed away.
She heard a rush of murmuring and looked in the sky to see Xian struggling to control a massive wraith.
It dipped and rolled trying to unseat her from its back. It roared and plunged, but she hung on as she tried to tame it into submission. Another wraith swooped in, Gavyn its rider. He grabbed Xian from the wraith, seated her in front of him, and flew away. The wraith, now freed of its weight, shrieked in triumph and soared towards the mountains of Nuria.
Tehdra slipped from the battlements and shadow-stepped in the direction that Gavyn flew with Xian. Tehdra halted as he landed the wraith. Her fingers itched to be on the back of one under the banner of darkness.
Xian, now laughing, slid off the wraith. “Did you see me on Azriel?”
Tehdra made to leave but the thunder on Gavyn’s face made her pause in the shadows and observe.
“You could have been killed!” he bellowed. “You have not comprehended the stupidity of your actions.”
Xian’s eyes flashed with anger, quick and bright. “You forget yourself, blade,” she growled softly. “Do not presume to overstep your boundary because you belong to Ajali’s personal blades.”
Her tone held contempt and defiance.
Tehdra blinked. Gavyn flashed so fast she didn’t see him move. He appeared before Xian, and his hands spanned her throat. A growl of feminine affront rose in the princess’ throat, but before she could blaze at him, his lips swooped in and conquered hers. The kiss was raw, dominant and filled with heat. Xian hesitated only for a few seconds, then wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back with fervor. The kissed changed from one of anger to one of seduction. Then, with a sharp wrench, he flung her from him.
“Hell!”
Xian flinched from the regret that coated his tone.
He swung back in the saddle, and with a powerful flex of his thighs, the wraith shot into the sky and away from the city.
Xian raised shaking hands to her lips. Tehdra could see the shock in the princess’ eyes, along with yearning.
Interesting. Tehdra filed away the knowledge of their attachment. She stalked in the shadows to the king’s wing, moving from room to room trying to detect any suspicious presence. She then went to the inner sanctum that housed the natural, underground spring.
Water gurgled and bubbled among trees and shrubs. Rugs and tapestries graced the room, with gold and gems inlaid in almost every divan and brocade. She stripped and submerged into the warm pool of water, sighing in pleasure as it heated her muscles.
She sank deep and submerged her entire frame.
She wanted Ajali. It ate at her relentlessly, even though she was without her essence urging her to recklessness. Her nipples hardened as lust curled through her. She swam through the water lazily as thoughts of the king flitted through her mind, keeping her restless and in need.
She closed her eyes and delved into forbidden dreams.
Chapter
Six
Tehdra was drawn to Ajali’s private room. The taste of need was alive and pulsing on her tongue. After her bath, she’d shadow stepped through the court and had even ventured into Adara. The shadows had been empty, and she had spied none of her people. Since then she had stayed close to the king, spying while he conferred with high chancellors from Aria and Caelum, ensuring he remained safe from attack. She kept waiting for something…anything to happen. Was it that they planned to take him on the trip to his realm of alliance? She’d gleaned he was to visit the realm of sand and earth in a few weeks’ time.
He’d returned to the wing a few hours past and instead of approaching her, he had secluded himself in an anti-chamber. She silently glided to the sanctuary. Raw emotions leaked through the massive doors, and there was a heated pulse inside of him that her darkness could not identify.
The creature inside her stilled as if sensing danger. In all her existence this had never happened to her. She shifted the psychic leash on her darkness and delved deeper, trying to understand the feelings buried inside of him.
She learned nothing.
His scent wrapped around her, and soft desire swept through her. He had not deigned to touch her since his lesson, and it was curious that he made no attempt to bed her. She drew closer to the door and lightly tapped. There was a pause for an infinite amount of time before he commanded her to enter.
Tehdra opened the door to his private room and sauntered inside. Hunger flared in his eyes, and she smelled the arousal that suddenly wafted from him.
“May I offer you some company,” she said, gliding closer. She sat in an armchair and curled her feet up under her thighs without waiting for an invitation.
A smile curved his lips as he rolled the scrolls that he had opened. She liked that. He smiled often.