by KC Kingmaker
He seemed to actually think about it. Fury flared anew inside me. “If you don’t,” I said in a calm voice, “I’ll make sure none of you leave this place alive. Ashlyn be damned—I’ll raze the entire Summer House to the ground by myself.”
His eyes widened at my blasphemy. It was enough to unnerve him. He slowly removed the steel from Levia’s neck.
“Now then,” he said, his voice tense, “if you’ll be a good sport and come with me. You”—he called one of his henchmen forward with a wave of his hand—“go gather the dragonrune sword.”
The soldier strode past me. When he got halfway to the sword, though, he stopped and turned to face Rafe with a perplexed expression.
Rafe snorted with laughter. “What, boy, scared of superstition?”
The mercenary frowned. “It’s not superstition, Vero. The blade is cursed.”
Rafe waved him off with a grin. “Good, man, good. Was just testing you. Go get the fucking bag first.”
The soldier grumbled, “Not funny, boss,” and then wandered off.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked. “Taking us? Because wherever I go, she goes.”
“Ah, haven’t you turned into quite the valiant dragon shifter, Coalt? Well, it’s too little too late for that. But to make things go smoother, fine, I’ll bring the bitch.”
My knuckles cracked with anger. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“You’re my prisoner, alpha. I don’t owe you shit.”
He turned and let Levia slump to the ground as his soldiers surrounded me.
I rushed forward, pushing through their grabbing hands, and came to Levia’s side. I kneeled and hugged her close to me. She felt so small and vulnerable nestled against me like a babe.
In the distance, Rafe spun with his hands folded over his chest. “Just to watch you squirm, though, I suppose I’ll tell you. I’m taking you to the man who hired me, to collect that reward.”
Another dark smile spilled across his face.
“Then I’m dropping you off right at Ashlyn’s feet.”
28
Levia
I woke up with a blaring migraine pulsing behind my eyes. When I sat up, I touched my forehead and flinched. “Ow. Fuck.”
My tongue was a leathery blob in my mouth. My thoughts were fuzzy. I thought I probably had a concussion, so I tried to keep myself awake despite my droopy eyes.
I surveyed my surroundings. I sat in a wooden structure, not much larger than a jail cell, yet it was partly furnished like someone lived here.
Then I remembered we had been near the fae settlement in the Miran Forest before fighting the mysterious soldiers.
Perhaps I’m in someone’s house then?
The walls creaked and seemed to breathe with life, the air seeping through chilly on my skin. I still wore my leather garb and nothing felt untoward down below, so I had to thank Merlog I’d at least remained unmolested during my fitful sleep.
A squabble broke out on the other side of the door—raised voices, ruffling clothes, angry sounds.
“At least let me see the poor woman,” a familiar voice implored.
Another voice growled, this one unfamiliar. “Fine, but not alone. Just remember the consequences if you try anything funny, faerie.”
The door opened and King Oakwreath stepped inside, followed by two armed guards who stayed at the door.
As Oakwreath approached, his slim form taut, I scooted back against the wall from a sudden burst of fear.
He put his palms out as if beseeching me to calm down. “Please, Lady Levia, do not fret. I mean you no harm.”
My eyes narrowed. We had been attacked by the soldiers while speaking with the fae oracle, Elowen. And we’d been in Oakwreath’s backyard.
“I am not just a king of my people here,” he said. “I am also a healer. Let me take a look at your head.”
His smooth face looked genuine, but I couldn’t be sure. My scowl remained. “You also betrayed us, Oakwreath.”
A sorrowful frown twisted his features. His shoulders sank. “Yes, I am sorry for that. I had little choice.”
“You led them to our whereabouts,” I continued, my voice raspy. “Did you know they had a dragon in their midst? They could have burned down Elowen’s sacred tree!”
Oakwreath approached and kneeled before me. I stared into his black eyes. What I had seen as animal and alien before now appeared . . . mournful. Even in the dark depths, there was compassion there.
The tension slightly eased from my shoulders.
“That is exactly why I had no choice, Levia,” he said morosely. “Captain Rafe and his men threatened to rain fire down on Miran Forest if we did not aid him. We’ve already been persecuted by dragonkind enough as is, though I’m sure you know little of our history. I could not take the chance Rafe was bluffing—for my people, I couldn’t.”
I sighed, resignation settling in my belly. “I understand.” I let my head sink.
Then soft fingers tipped my chin up. His other hand hovered over my forehead, concern etched on the lines of his brow. When his palm pressed down, I winced, his hand cold but his touch gentle.
“Besides,” Oakwreath said as his hand remained on my face, “Rafe is from Coalt Firesworn’s own court—the Summer House. What could Coalt have done to make his own people hate him so much and hunt him?”
Warmth flooded through my head and I closed my eyes, fighting back a groan. My skull felt like it was swimming in a pool of pleasant sunshine.
“I don’t know what Coalt did,” I said. “But if I had to guess, I’d say he . . . refused.”
The fae king tilted his head. “He refused? I don’t understand this riddle.”
I chuckled. “He refused to let the empress subjugate his people. He resisted Orphea, King Oakwreath. Or so I think.”
He let out a low hum. “Yes, that makes sense. It is what any good leader would do, I suppose.”
Yes, and a good leader he’ll make, if . . .
“D-Do you know—” I choked, fighting a sudden lump in my throat. “Is he still alive?”
“Coalt Firesworn? Oh, yes. He is Captain Rafe’s prize, after all.”
A surge of hope rose through me. At the same time, the puddle of warmth building into a lake in my brain started to whoosh in gentle streams along my extremities, and my headache immediately began to abate.
I blinked rapidly. “You know magic?”
Oakwreath smiled wryly. “We are a magical race, dear girl. But we have lost much of our strength over the years. The forest fae are considered feral savages among many other species of fae, and I suppose for good reason. Our magic is more wild and uncontrollable. It’s our curse for settling in the Miran Forest so many generations ago.”
There was immense sadness in his words. I could tell these people had an unfair reputation. Yes, King Oakwreath had let the bounty hunters and this Captain Rafe fucker find us, but all he had really done was strike a bargain for the safety of his people.
Like me, and like Coalt, it all came down to protecting the ones you cared for. I couldn’t fault him for that, even if I was now sitting in a prison cell in one of his tree-houses.
Rafe had no doubt showed up first, before Coalt and I, and laid in wait while we approached Elowen.
Those who arrive first are often the most successful, I guess.
I smiled at the dispirited king. I was feeling a lot better already. “It’s not your fault, Oakwreath.” I reached out and gently touched his shoulder, and a slow smile spread across his smooth face.
I leaned in closer and lowered my voice. “Though I don’t suppose you can magic your way out of the little predicament I’m in?” I said with a sly smile.
The two guards behind the fae king shifted their weight. “All right, that’s enough talking,” one of them growled. “You fixed her up. Now get out of here, old man.”
King Oakwreath sighed. “I can’t risk Rafe’s threat, Levia.”
“I know. But I had to ask.”
T
he king stood and nodded. When he faced the two soldiers, they seemed to shrink back a little, despite holding swords leveled near his face.
Oakwreath was a tall, intimidating presence, especially when he stood with his chest proudly puffed up. “Young man, I daresay you have no idea how old I am.”
“Older than me,” the man grumbled.
“Hmm. Fair point.” He cackled, his voice rising to a high pitch. I couldn’t help but smile.
He pushed his way past them. The door closed behind the soldiers and I was left all alone, wondering where Coalt was, where these people would be bringing us, and how we were going to get out of this mess.
NEXT MORNING, OUR TREK out of the Miran Forest began. It was another warm, stuffy day enclosed by the trees, with dust motes and pollen clouding the air.
My headache wasn’t completely gone, but the bruise felt less severe and I was well on my way to recovery. Plus, I had bigger problems to deal with.
Captain Rafe and his men had shoved me into a fucking cage—like the ones you put an animal in, with metal bars and just barely enough room to sit up straight.
Four men carried my cage: two soldiers holding flat handles at the front, and two at the back.
My heart leaped when I saw Coalt was in a similar cage being carried along behind me. His body language said he was depressed, defeated, and dejected.
But that all changed when our cages fell in line next to each other.
His head shot up and he grabbed the bars. “Leviathan!”
I grabbed my bars but could fit little more than my fingers through them. “Coalt!”
I couldn’t reach out and touch him and it hurt me to my core. His auburn hair looked tangled and sticky with old sweat. His body had a couple new scars and bruises and he was largely naked except for some thin cloth covering his waist and, unfortunately, the parts below his waist. But he was still the same fiery Coalt I’d fallen for, and seeing him made my pulse spike.
“Gods, you have no idea how happy I am to see you’re safe,” he rasped. “I worried all through the night. The bastards wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I took a shiner on the head, I guess, but Oakwreath came in to help me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Oakwreath? The wretch who betrayed us?”
I quickly told him everything the fae king had told me the night before.
“So you see,” I finished, “he can’t be blamed, Coalt. He only did what you or I would have done, to protect his people.”
Coalt grumbled and slumped against the bars. The cage wobbled and he nearly pitched sideways. He growled in frustration. “I suppose you’re right. I’m just pissed we’re in this situation—that I led you right into it. I’m such a fool.”
“Don’t,” I demanded. “Don’t beat yourself up like that.” I smacked the iron bars, and then my cell also shook in the air. Okay, I guess hitting the bars is a no-no. I looked to the imploring face of my mate. “I voluntarily came with you to find the dragonrune sword.” I smiled. “And I would gladly do it again.”
The absolute elation in his eyes swelled my heart. He still looked sad, but now he was also proud.
We had come a long way and it seemed we were finally on the same page. It only took us getting bombarded and put in animal cages to realize it, I thought sarcastically.
Lines of fae townsfolk watched as we were carried out of the settlement, curious heads and pointed ears poking down from the tree-houses and from behind the tent flaps on the ground.
I thought I saw some vague empathy in a few of those dark, impassive eyes. Aru spit at the feet of one of the guards as we passed.
I suddenly understood I appreciated these people, even though we were being dragged away from their home in chains. They had escaped the fraught lifestyle outside the forest—the savagery of civilization—and made their lives here. They had become a bit primitive as a result of that choice, but they were also loyal to their kind and had more emotion and compassion than I’d originally thought. King Oakwreath was proof of that.
In short, they had done exactly what I wanted to do with my women’s refuge: escape society and carve out a little utopia where we could live in peace.
Now I just needed to return to my girls to try and turn that dream into a reality.
When we were carried through the forest, a farfetched idea sprang to mind, remembering what Aru had said about his people controlling the forest—
Maybe they’ll control the trees, ward off our captors with swinging branches, and free us!
As that heroic event became less likely, the trees thinned and we finally exited the Miran Forest.
Recalling Rafe’s threat, I knew Oakwreath couldn’t chance it. I was a fool for giving in to wishful thinking.
As our journey as prisoners truly began, the days dragging on in silent boredom and cramped confines over hills and across grassy plains, I noticed the direction we were heading.
It made my eyebrows pique with curiosity.
Because I started to realize I might get the opportunity to return to my girls much sooner than I’d originally thought.
29
Levia
After a while traveling through the plains, Captain Rafe separated me from Coalt, putting my cage in the back of the line and Coalt’s near the front.
It made the journey twice as bad.
I guess Rafe got tired of hearing us talking to each other, likely thinking we were scheming our grand escape. The truth was I just wanted to be near my dragon shifter.
Even though we were both locked in oversized chicken coops, being around Coalt made me feel protected. He always seemed on the verge of exploding with anger, and for some reason that kept my spirits up. His zeal was infectious.
There was a particular conversation we’d had that probably led to us getting split apart.
Seeing Coalt’s jaw muscles bunching with frustration, I had asked him, “Can’t you just bust out of that cell by shifting? I know you have it in you, even if they’re metal.”
He’d blinked at me in astonishment, as if just returning to reality from some faraway place. “I won’t leave here without my father’s sword. And, more importantly, without you.”
My throat had tightened. “Oh.”
“They would kill you, Levia. And I won’t let that happen. I already broke one promise and I’m not going to break it a second time.”
His words had been so heartfelt tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I’d fought them back. “But your promise was to see me to Cerophus. We’re well beyond that now, Coalt.”
He’d shrugged and leaned his head back against the bars of his cage, not seeming to realize the impact his words had had on me. “We are well beyond that, Leviathan. I intend to see you safe, not because of any vow or oath, but because I couldn’t stand to see you hurt.”
And then Rafe had chided us and split us apart.
I could tell Coalt still felt responsible for where we found ourselves. If anything, it angered me a little: men and their perceived heroism, always thinking the damsel in distress needed rescuing.
But I was no damsel, and that was a lesson I’d need to teach Coalt in the future if we made it out of this alive. I might not have had the proper years of training or discipline, or the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon at will, but I was every bit a warrior as him.
The sooner he realized we were in this together, and stopped blaming himself, the sooner we could move on to whatever the future held for us.
That being said, as the hours dragged on and I became lost in my own thoughts, my outlook became bleaker. I started to shame myself for getting into this situation.
If I’d not been tagging along with Coalt, his mission to retrieve his family heirloom would have been so much simpler.
He might’ve been able to take out Rafe and his men if I’d not been there. All I ended up doing was getting in the way and being used as leverage against him.
The idea depressed me, but it only got worse
from there because I had no one to talk me out of my dark spiral.
As long as our relationship continues, actually, I’ll only ever be that person. I’ll always be a nuisance, someone in the way, someone that can be used against Coalt.
Maybe he’d be better off without me around.
After a time of feeling incredibly unworthy, with darkness seeping through my soul, I did start to feel like a damsel.
And fuck that. I needed to fight back.
I recalled when we’d first laid eyes on one another from across Jervus’ tavern, and the alarming heat that had wedged between my legs. Even then, I’d known something was different about this man.
And he had seen something inside me that ignited the same profound response within him.
I was a strong person. I had to battle my own insecurities to bury the thoughts of inadequacy.
I didn’t have to do it for Coalt. I needed to do it for myself.
No, I won’t just lie down and die. I will get better. I’ll become a better fighter, a better lover, and a better partner. I’ll make sure no one can use those things against me!
And I know it’s not true Coalt will be better off without me. He’d just be fretting all the time, anxious and worried whenever I wasn’t within arm’s reach.
For fuck’s sake, the man told me he loved me! When has anyone except Blythe ever done that?
I smiled despite myself. My anxiety fizzled.
My ass was starting to hurt from the hard surface of the iron cage jutting up into my tailbone with every wobbling bounce on the road, but my spirits were renewed. I had drive again, and purpose.
I wouldn’t let these bastards get the better of me, no matter how long they kept me caged.
They’d see who they were messing with once I was freed . . .
IT TOOK NEARLY A WEEK of agonizing, tailbone-jarring travel to make it to the road to Belfue. I had started to suspect that was where we were headed—back to where it all began. I had to wonder why, but I figured I’d find out soon enough.
We were returning with Chief Garnu’s prized dragonrune sword, just not in the fashion Coalt or I would have hoped for.