“Are you looking at my ass?”
Dalris glanced up. “Looking? Not precisely.”
“Then what?”
“I'm admiring it.”
Jada came to an abrupt stop, hating how her heart fluttered when he added, “The way your pants are hugging it is making me jealous.”
Turning around, she decided to ask before they reached the grotto where her sister might overhear, “And the fact that I'm an elf doesn't disgust you at all?”
“No,” he returned seriously. “Again, I have no bias, and I wouldn't change you for all of Dra'Kai's blue platinum.”
Jada frowned. His response was so confident that she nearly inquired if he'd even accept the outcome of Edith's search for a way to break their connection—saying the enchantress could find one. But the question seemed like something best saved until after Dalris had gotten his Wrath under control.
So she didn't respond, and started back up to the top of the hill.
“What about you?” he asked, quickly moving in beside her. “You don't seem to be disgusted with me, either.”
“I think disgusted is a little too strong for it,” she returned honestly. “Instead, try apprehensive, reluctant, annoyed, and disappointed.”
“Disappointed?” He growled as if her response was distasteful, leaning in to relate sincerely, “If you gave me a chance, Jada, you wouldn't be disappointed for long.”
She sucked in a breath to keep her heart from leaping out of her chest over his suggestive tone. But it also reminded her of how complicated the situation was, and how much she'd come to resent it, sparking her anger as she came to an abrupt halt.
Turning to face him, she asked pointedly, “Have you forgotten what kind of problem that could cause? I can't just give you a chance, Dalris.”
He took that opportunity to step in closer, staring down at her intently with the question, “But you would if you could?”
Jada held her breath, wishing she could tell him yes, she would. Maybe she was infatuated with Dalris Dra'Kai, or perhaps it was all a matter of childish curiosity that wouldn't be doused without seeing for herself. So if the situation was different, she'd love to let him prove why she had no reason to be disappointed.
Yet it was obvious that he was looking for hope, and Jada couldn't offer it without first finishing her grandfather's work.
Still, as she parted her lips to say so, another matter caught her attention entirely—during the pause in their conversation, they both realized the forest had gone completely silent.
Jada's eyes widened, and Dalris wasn't oblivious to the meaning because he immediately grasped her hand in an attempt to usher her the rest of the way up the hill.
She didn't resist, moving as swiftly as possible to reach the teleport sphere which was hidden behind several bushes and camouflaged by a pile of rocks just a few feet ahead.
Woosh-Woosh!
As they reached the top of the incline, the strange sounds hit their ears, and she realized it was a set of bolas just seconds before two sets of weighted ropes hit their bodies.
The first quickly slung around their torsos, circling them until they were chest-to-chest, while the second bound their lower legs. As a result, they fell forward—though Jada was less concerned with being bound to Dalris, and more worried when a familiar voice rang out from the trees around them, proving beyond a doubt who was behind this ambush.
Menlor.
CHAPTER 11
Dalris had no idea who'd attacked, but no matter their identity, he felt extremely foolish for letting his guard down.
For as helpful as Wrath could be in surviving, it was an impediment in this particular situation. He was so fully focused on his newfound mate instead of listening to their surroundings that they'd been trapped because of his preoccupation.
But he wasn't going to let it happen again.
As soon as he lost his balance, Dalris used all his strength to turn and protect Jada from taking the brunt of their fall, and thankfully, it worked. He landed on his back with her trapped against his chest, and immediately looked up to ask, “Are you okay?”
She nodded, struggling in an attempt to free them from the binds—which wasn't actually necessary. Dalris had plenty of strength to break the cords by himself.
Yet he hesitated after looking beyond his mate to see several cloaked figures emerging from the trees, all of them elves—and many were holding crossbows pointed in his and Jada's direction.
The rest carried swords, presenting a decent threat. Under normal circumstances, Dalris knew he could overcome them, but this situation was unique. With Jada on top of him, he couldn't ensure he'd break their ties quickly enough to prevent her from being shot.
Of course, that matter was simple enough to solve by rolling over and protecting her with his own body—it would take a lot more than a few crossbow bolts to put him out of commission. But even that measure was risky. The bolts could be poisoned, or possess a number of magical properties he was unaware of, making it a much better idea to find out what they were up against before putting anything—or anyone—on the line.
And he didn't have to wait to learn more, either.
“I finally caught you, Jada,” a man's voice rang out during his thoughts, adding, “and you're not even wearing a cloak!”
Jada groaned, her forehead hitting Dalris' chest—and he didn't ask why. This had to be Menlor, the elven tracker she'd mentioned, otherwise he wouldn't sound so happy about finally capturing her.
Only a moment after Dalris had the thought, the elf emerged from the trees behind his men, removing his hood to reveal a strong face with long, curly brown hair pulled into a ponytail, pale skin, and one green eye. The other was covered by a patch with a sharp scar running beneath it, suggesting he'd lost it to some type of blade, probably during a fight.
As Dalris looked him over, the elf added more casually, “I guess that could only mean one thing.”
“What's that, Menlor?” Jada asked as if only half interested in hearing his conclusions.
Walking around to Dalris' left side, the tracker looked them over and summarized, “No cloak, and you're with a draconian in Wrath.” More sarcastically, he drew out, “Hmm, I wonder … .”
Turning his gaze to Dalris, he asked, “You wouldn't care to put those horns away, would you? Or should I say, can you?”
Dalris' only response was a growl that seemed to humor the elf.
“That solves the riddle, then. Congratulations, Jada, you've found a scale farmer you'll never be able to breed with. But, if he's still in Wrath because he hasn't claimed you yet, then at least we know you're trying—unless you were just on your way to alleviate his uh … needs.”
Dalris had been mildly annoyed by this elf so far, but now, he was infuriated, approving completely when Jada scoffed and directed, “Kiss my ass, Menlor.”
“My, my, such language. I think you've been spending too much time in Terra, Jadariana.” Shaking his head, Menlor muttered as an afterthought, “Humans are so unrefined.”
“Can we just get on with this?” Jada muttered. “Aren't you going to cuff me and take me in?”
“Actually, I'm trying to figure out which House your draconian friend belongs to, and going by the blue eyes and black hair, I'd say he's one of Dra'Kai's.” With a regretful sigh, Menlor related, “Sad really, their House doesn't have a weakness to exploit, unless you use black stone.”
It wasn't hard to figure out what the elf was talking about. Some draconian Houses had weaknesses to ice or fire, and if Dalris belonged to one of them, Menlor would've likely told his men to load the appropriate bolts into their weapons.
But the one thing all draconians possessed a weakness to was black stone, a mineral they revered as sacred—and using it for any purpose, particularly as a weapon, was forbidden.
The thought prompted Dalris to return threateningly, “And if you've acquired even a single piece of black stone to use—”
“Yes, yes, I know,” Menlor interrup
ted. “It's forbidden to take black stone from the valley of its origin, otherwise face severe repercussions.” With a sigh, he added, “Don't worry, we're not desperate enough to break your laws, and all I really need is to haul Jada in and let Onoria decide her fate. As for you, we have no qualm with House Dra'Kai, so we'll just leave you here while she takes us to her hideaway.”
With that said, Menlor waved over one of his companions, who reached to his belt for a pair of shackles to cuff her wrists behind her back.
As he approached them, Menlor curiously canted his head in the direction of Jada's belt, then reached down to snatch the scroll possessing the stone rubbing.
Unrolling it, he looked the image over and smirked knowingly.
“So you finally managed to reassemble the disc. I'll be glad to confiscate it for safe keeping.”
Dalris snarled, nearly using his strength to rip the cords binding them together so he could prove how unwilling he was to allow Jada's hard work to be stolen.
But the tracker pressed the tip of his sword against Dalris' throat and shook his head.
“Don't do it, draconian. I know you're protective, but you won't do her any good with a sword in your neck.”
Barely able to contain his anger, electricity began rippling across his skin—thankfully hidden beneath his clothing. Otherwise Menlor would've likely reacted by automatically severing his head.
But the elf's threat didn't stop Dalris from promising, “And you won't do Onoria any good by taking a draconian's mate from him.”
Menlor sighed as if he knew the consequences, and may have even regretted them, but remained unmoved.
Still, Jada didn't give him a chance to respond. Instead, as their ties were cut and she was pulled back to sit with her knees by Dalris' thighs and wrists secured behind her back, she asked Menlor on a tart tone of voice, “Turning me in is one thing, but why in the world would I ever take you to my hideaway?”
“Two reasons,” the elf began, tossing her scroll aside in favor of producing a teleport sphere from a pouch attached to his belt. “Firstly, I have your means of travel anyway.”
Jada scoffed, unimpressed. “And?"
Smirking, Menlor directed another of his comrades, “Bring her out.”
Turning their heads, they watched one of his men escorting a woman from the trees with her hands bound behind her back and a cloth sack over her head. Dalris had no idea who she was, but Jada let a distressed gasp before they'd pulled the bag away to reveal a gagged elf with a young face and black, wavy hair.
But most notably, her wide, violet eyes looked just like Jada's.
Victoriously, Menlor remarked, “I thought that would give you a change of heart.”
Turning a fierce glare in Menlor's direction, Jada demanded, “Let her go!”
The fire in his mate's voice was impressive, but Dalris would have to admire it later, asking, “Who is she, Jada?”
The frown she gave ate at him, prompting him to silently promise he'd keep them both safe no matter the woman's identity. Yet he knew Jada wasn't about to name anyone who would be easily dismissed regardless—and he was right.
“That's my sister, Karina.”
Dalris' gaze darkened in response to Jada's answer, and somehow, she knew the look meant he'd protect them both no matter the cost.
Sadly, he wasn't in the right position with a sword at his throat and several crossbows aimed in their direction. Jada also knew the only reason he was staying still at all was that she was currently in harm's way.
But what he didn't realize was that she had not one, but a number of aces up her sleeve.
First, Jada knew Menlor personally, and realized he wasn't aiming to kill her, otherwise he'd never be able to use the teleport sphere and access her hideaway—or the goodies contained within it.
Second, unless Menlor had captured Karina in another form, which was extremely unlikely, he wouldn't know she was a mage apprentice studying to become an illusionist. Jada's former relationship with the tracker had ended several years before she'd even met her sister, meaning this was the first time Menlor had ever laid eyes on her.
So Jada played the part of being fearful for her sister's life, which wasn't hard to accomplish. She worried her timing would be off, or that Dalris wouldn't react quickly enough to give them the upper hand—and she was certainly counting on the draconian's abilities in this situation.
But she only had one choice, and turned a furious look up at Menlor, hissing, “Even you wouldn't be cruel enough to hurt my sister over this!”
“On the contrary, Jada, you know I'm capable of a great many things when I'm desperate,” Menlor answered nonchalantly, giving her a pointed look in adding, “and you have made me very desperate.”
Still struggling in her ties, Karina made several muffled attempts to speak, likely to tell Jada not to give in. Don't worry, Kari, I won't.
With the thought in mind, she allowed her expression to soften, and gave a nod of her head, conceding, “Okay, you win. I'll cooperate as long as she remains unharmed.”
Thankfully, she must've spoken convincingly enough because her sister was now vigorously shaking her head in disagreement—or she was just playing along. She is an illusionist.
Either way, Jada chose that moment to state an immutable truth. “But before I activate that sphere, Menlor, you should know something.”
“What's that?”
Pointedly, she announced, “You've made me just as desperate.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a doppelganger of herself appeared behind Menlor thanks to an anklet concealed in her boot. Attached to it was a duplication rune that could only be triggered a few times a day, and the more copies she summoned, the longer it would take to recharge.
It was the same rune she'd used to try tricking Dalris in his estate, and there was enough power left to allow her clone to appear and lock her arms around Menlor's neck in a choke hold.
The simultaneous actions left his men confused just long enough to allow both Dalris and her sister to act.
Karina was the first to move, her body quickly changing into a squirrel with the binds that once tied her falling to the ground. Without pause, she took off, moving much too swiftly for any of Menlor's trackers to catch her or take aim.
Still, those men were more focused on Jada and Dalris, who immediately grabbed his mate and turned her over during Menlor's distraction.
Just as his body covered hers, the sound of several bolts cutting through the air hit their ears, punctuated by the draconian's snarl of pain.
Some of the projectiles must've pierced his back, but they didn't stop him, or even slow him down. Instead, a bright blast of electricity erupted from his body, one that forked out in several directions—without harming Jada.
He must've been able to control the current, and though her view was blocked because of his size and position above her, she heard several thuds suggesting he'd just blasted a number of elves—Menlor included.
Lightning had just rammed into the tracker with enough force to knock him several feet away, the teleport sphere falling from his hand. At the same time, Jada felt her shackles coming undone when Dalris broke them apart with his bare hands.
As soon as she was free, Jada quickly reached for the sphere Menlor had dropped, then grasped Dalris' wrist in the other hand and urged him away from their enemies by calling, “Come on!”
The draconian immediately followed as she took off toward the woods, and the trackers weren't letting this go, several bolts flying through the air behind them. Jada quickly sidestepped as one of the projectiles slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree, only hoping Dalris hadn't been hit again on the way.
With the group now closing in behind them, Dalris knocked several branches aside with one arm and called, “I hope you have a plan!”
“I always have a plan!” Jada returned, managing to stay just ahead of him.
“And?”
“Right now? It's called I'm winging it!”
“Figures,” he muttered, but she ignored his pessimism when she saw Karina jumping toward her from a nearby tree branch.
Easily reaching her sister's shoulder as she passed by, Karina remarked, “It's a good thing you got that sphere back because they're gaining on us!”
“I know,” Jada returned.
“Now we just need somewhere to activate it,” Dalris called.
Winded from their running, Jada pointed out, “There's a cliff up ahead.”
“Oh goddess of light,” Karina groaned. “We're not jumping, are we?”
“Yep, so hold on tight!”
The edge of the cliff was already coming into view, and as soon as they saw it, Karina asked, “Can't we just stand on the edge and—”
Three crossbow bolts zipped by their heads in close proximity.
“—never mind! Jump, jump!”
Jada smirked just as they reached the cliff, and didn't hesitate to leap from the edge with all her strength.
But she waited to activate the sphere, twisting around in midair to find that Dalris was right behind her, and reached out with her free hand.
Thankfully, the draconian's strength outmatched her own, allowing him to meet her in midair with relative ease.
As his large hand engulfed hers, two more bolts found a home in his upper back, one of them piercing all the way through his shoulder. Blood spattered over her top as a result, making her wonder just how many times he'd been shot now, and how extensive the damage was.
But Jada could easily heal him in the grotto, and wasted no time activating the sphere the moment he pulled her into his arms.
With a bright flash of light, the three of them disappeared after only a few seconds, leaving the teleport sphere behind to plunge into the icy waters far below.
CHAPTER 12
One moment, Jada was falling through the air with a squirrel and a draconian pincushion, and the next, they were safe within the sanctuary of their island grotto hundreds of miles away.
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