Von chuckled and shook his head. He headed for his tent set further from the others beside a cluster of thick shrubs and trees. Other than Elon, no one dared go near his tent. So, it surprised him when Len slinked out from behind the trees.
The girl halted at the sight of him. He caught the brief flicker of alarm before her expression smoothed. Len lifted the hood of her black cloak over her equally long black hair.
“What are you doing?” Von asked, glancing in the direction she came. Had she been in his tent?
Len widened her dark eyes innocently, and she canted her head as though she didn’t understand. The dusky skin of her soft features marked her as a foreigner as much as the X brand on her cheek marked her as a slave from Versai. Tarn purchased her from the slave traders when she was a child but after ten years—although he’d never heard her speak—Von knew she understood Urnian when it was convenient for her.
“Report to Elon.”
Len ducked her head and darted away, moving swiftly through the shadowy corners of the camp. Another figure joined her, and they vanished into the dark together. She and Novo had taken to their spy training well. Elon may have taught them a little too well.
Von glanced around before continuing to his tent. The flaps of the entry moved gently in the soft breeze, carrying the scent of canvas oil and wild grass. He found it nearly dark inside. A single candle flickered atop a storage chest placed between two cots. To the right was a small wooden table and one chair.
“Yavi?” Von sensed her presence behind him before her arms wrapped around his torso, her cheek pressing against his spine. He placed the bowls on the table. “I’ve brought you supper. Eat quickly. The camp is moving.”
Her arms tightened. “I heard.”
“Did the tremor frighten you? It was only Benton having a fit.”
“I’m all right.” Something in her voice proved against it.
“What is it?”
“I … I have something to tell you,” she said, the airy words quivering.
He turned around to find Yavi’s hazel eyes puffy and red, tears glinting on her lashes. He immediately assumed the worst. “Has someone learned of us?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “No one knows.”
Von exhaled, letting his worry wash away. Yavi was a secret, a sweet betrayal that could take both their lives. It was against slave edict for life-servants to have life-mates or family. They lived only to serve their master, but she had become his reason for living.
He gently cupped her slender face in his hands, adoring the light sprinkle of freckles decorating the bridge of her nose. Long auburn tresses of wet hair stuck to her temples from how long she had cried. He wiped her wet cheeks, delicately brushing a thumb over her lips. They were as pink as the dawn and soft as satin. His favorite part of her face.
“Who must I kill for causing my lovely wife to weep?”
He intended it as a playful question but he meant every word. The men knew not to touch her. They had seen what he had done to the last one who tried.
Her exquisite mouth tweaked in a faint smile. “No one today, my love.”
Von glanced over her kirtle to her bare feet.
“I’m not hurt,” Yavi reassured him. Her fingers brushed the strap of the cylindrical case on his shoulder. “You’ve brought me another Scroll …” she trailed off when she noticed the stains on his coat. “Is this blood?”
“Aye.”
“Von …”
“It was necessary.” He took her hand. “What troubles you?”
Yavi searched his face. There was so much passing over hers that he couldn’t guess what she was thinking, only that she was afraid. She closed her eyes and clutched him as though he might disappear. “You’ll send me away from you soon.”
Von sighed and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. “We’ve discussed this. It’s for your own good. I’ll find a way to gain your freedom before Tarn no longer has need of you.”
They were quiet, fearing that it would be sooner than they were ready for.
“Was Len here?” Von asked.
“Oh, um, yes.”
“Why?”
“She comes to see me occasionally.” Yavi pulled away, giving him an edgy smile. At his frown, she huffed. “She’s becoming a woman. Who else is she to discuss such things with?”
Von grimaced, not wanting any further explanation. He’d always thought of Len as a child, but she was a couple of years older than the lads. Other than Yavi, there were no other women in the camp. “She speaks to you?”
“In a way.”
“Hmm. Well, come and eat. You missed breakfast this morn.” He guided Yavi to sit at the table, but she took one whiff of the mutton stew and ran out of the tent. She heaved and gagged over some shrubs, trying her hardest not to spew. Von held back from going to her, wary of anyone who might be watching. “Yavi?”
“Oh, don’t fret about it.” She waved him off, breathing in deep gulps of air. “I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me.”
“Let it out. I’ll ask Sorren if he has anything to settle your stomach.”
“No,” she blurted. “I’m fine. No need for fuss. Will you take the food out of the tent, please? I can’t stand the smell.”
Von frowned but did as she asked. Only then did Yavi go into their tent again and lay down in a cot. “Will you stay with me for a while?”
He pretended to grouse, although there was little he would deny her. “How could I refuse such a fair lady?”
She laughed and held out a hand to him. Von laid down beside her she curled against his chest. He traced patterns on her back, inhaling the floral scent of her hair. He could spare a few minutes before he needed to resume his role as commander.
“Why must the camp move so soon?” Yavi asked. “We’ve only arrived yesterday.”
“We encountered Rangers.”
“Oh.” She studied his frown. “But there is something else, isn’t there?”
Von sighed. If he had never gone to Landcaster, would it have made a difference? “We found the Maiden.”
Yavi’s eyes widened. “God of Urn, you found her?”
“Aye, her name is Dyna. She is only a wee lamb. Innocent and much too trusting. Tarn will tear her apart should he get his hands on her.”
It had been five years since Tarn received the divination about the ‘Maiden with the key’. He had hoped it was all a ruse, and that they would never reach Mount Ida where the Unending laid. That hope shattered when he met Dyna. Now she was in danger, and he couldn’t protect her this time, not from his master.
“He hasn’t captured her yet?”
“No, we are to observe her and her companions for now.”
Yavi squealed with delight. “Companions? She’s gathered the Guardians already?”
Von chuckled at her excitement. “There are two young men with her, but I’m uncertain if they are the foretold Guardians. Elon has gone to confirm.”
“What do they look like?”
“One is a werewolf—”
“The moon dweller!”
“Aye …” Which Von found rather concerning. A werewolf meant trouble. He supposed they would be fine, as long as they didn’t confront him at night. “The other didn’t seem as capable. Too refined and pretty.”
“Pretty?” Yavi giggled. “You mustn’t assume. One never knows what a divination truly means. They tend to be particular in that manner.”
Von tightened his hold around her. He had refused to believe the Faery Seer for she had given him a divination of his own. Prophetic words he had ignored but couldn’t forget. “Only when she burns will she be free …”
“Von? What is it?”
He debated whether he should tell her his greatest fear. The promised future he had refused to believe. But it was coming. He sensed it barreling toward him faster than he could run. “I had hoped it had all been a lie.”
“The fae folk cannot lie, love.”
&n
bsp; It was Yavi’s smile that kept him from telling the truth. If he were to reveal the Seer’s words, it would frighten her as much as it did him.
“Aye, but they have a knack for telling half-truths,” he said. “Never trust the fae. They will no sooner ensorcell you to dance forever on Faery Hill than to help you.”
“Well, it’s a good thing the fae live in Arthal, is it not? They are a thousand leagues from here.”
It was a mild comfort. The fae courts resided in Arthal, but some fae roamed Urn. Not the Seer, though. She was confined to her eerie cave. Those seeking to know their future went to her.
“And now Tarn’s divination is coming to pass,” Yavi said excitedly. “Come, tell it again.”
“I have repeated it to you many times already. You have it memorized by now. I must return.”
“Not yet. I want to hear you say it.” Yavi’s fingers slid up his coat, undoing the buttons one by one. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt, and he inhaled a breath as they inched over the ridges of his stomach to his chest. She kissed the corner of his mouth and her soft lips moved across his jaw to his ear. The sensation sent a spark of heat through him.
“Hmm… it’s not fair to use your wiles, woman.” He gripped her hips, reminding himself he had work to do, but they had so little time together. Every minute was more precious than gold. He couldn’t bring himself to go—or stop. His hands continued roaming down her back.
“Von, tell me,” she murmured.
He tugged the sleeve of her dress down her shoulder, running his nose along her collarbone, whispering against her skin: “’Seek the Maiden with emeralds for sight and tresses of fire. For she holds the key to the Unending thou desires. Beware the Guardians who come to shield her from thee. She will be protected by one of divine blood and a dweller of the moon howling to break free. Thus, follows a warrior bestowing his vow, and a sorceress grants her sorcery. A familiar face vies for vengeance, and a creature with the strength of ten eradicates the forgery. Great peril in the venture thou art pursuing. Be not swayed by love, lest it be thy undoing.’”
“’Be not swayed by love, lest it be thy undoing,’” Yavi’s voice spiked when Von kissed the pulse on her neck. “There is a possibility he will fail.”
“The lass won’t entice him.”
“The foretelling didn’t say it would be the Maiden who he loves. It could be anyone, even a man.”
Von laughed at the ridiculousness of it.
“It’s possible. I have never seen him with a woman.”
His laughter died away. “Tarn has not touched a woman since we left Troll Bridge. He lost his love-mate in the Horde of trolls that overran our old town.”
“Oh … You’ve not once told me he had someone.”
“It was a long time ago, and he was a different man then. We both were.”
“Azure Knights, hailed from Old Tanzanite Keep, sworn to protect the land of Azurite for your Liege Lord.” Yavi smiled at him with admiration.
Von thought of Lord Morken and his cold demeanor that Tarn inherited. He had served the Earl of Old Tanzanite Keep when they once lived in the northern end of the kingdom. That was before the Azure King gave him peerage of the isthmus. There everything changed.
“We are knights no more. Tarn cares nothing for honor, nor fealty, and certainly not for love. To him, it’s a weakness. More so since he’s been warned by the Seer. His only goal is the Unending. He will never let himself be swayed.”
Yavi dropped her head against his chest. “Then will we never escape him?”
Von lifted her chin. “You have my word. I’ll free you from his chains. I swear it.”
Even if it meant letting her go and never seeing her again. Whatever it may cost him, he would return the freedom that was stolen from her. It would be the last and only priceless gift he could give.
Yavi rose on one arm and leaned over him. The silken tresses of her hair curtained around them, brushing on his face. She smelled of wildflowers and fresh air after rainfall. He wished he could encase it somehow. To take it with him wherever he went so he wouldn’t forget it.
For all of her hopes and dreams, he knew he could only save one of them. He’d have to stay behind so she could escape. The hourglass of their time together had been turned over. Tiny grains of moments like these spilled toward the day he would have to say farewell.
Yavi held his gaze as she stripped away his coat, letting it drop to the ground. The bandolier went next. He lifted his arms as she pulled off his tunic. Desire burned in the liquid hazel of her eyes. Her gaze dragged across his abdomen, to his chest, full of need and wicked intent.
Duty could wait a while longer.
He pulled the laces of her bodice loose until the dress slipped off in a pool of fabric, leaving her bare and perfect for him. The sight lit everything within him ablaze. No matter how many times he had her, it wasn’t enough. It could never be enough.
If he could live forever in a single moment, it would be right here with the woman who truly owned every part of him. Where nothing and no one else mattered. But this was merely a stolen moment that wouldn’t fully be theirs until they were both freed.
“There must be someone out there who can fill that man’s heart the way you have filled mine.” Yavi brushed her lips over a scar on his chest. “I hope and I pray for it.”
Secretly, he did too.
Chapter 25
Dynalya
With a furious cry, Dyna swung a fist at Cassiel’s face. He easily careened to the right. She stumbled past him with the momentum of the missed blow, and her knees hit the grass. She paused to catch her breath. They had been practicing for two days. Why couldn’t she hit him?
“Get up,” Cassiel commanded.
Dyna released a frustrated huff and rose on her feet. She brushed the sweaty strands from her forehead as she faced the Prince again. Wings arched behind him, he stood confident in the meadow where they had set up camp for the evening. His loose white shirt hung slightly open, giving a tantalizing glimpse of his chest. It kept drawing her gaze. His sword remained sheathed, nor did he bother to hold up his defenses.
Cassiel’s silver eyes never left hers as he beckoned her forward. “Again.”
She attacked, and he deflected every punch without effort. Each time they touched, a gentle zap of energy passed between them, rushing through her until it fluttered in her stomach like a tickle of feathers.
The zaps occurred only with skin contact. She suspected it was the reason Cassiel had avoided her before. He didn’t anymore. Not since the night he carried her through the sky. If it bothered him now, he gave no sign.
“Move your feet. Hold up your fists.”
Pivoting on her heel, Dyna swung again, but her foot caught the ground unsteadily.
“Focus,” he barked.
She was trying, but his intense stare was distracting.
“You need to learn this, so that does not happen again,” the Prince said, glaring at the discolored bruise on her forearm. It had formed into the shape of Dalton’s hand.
She tugged on the sleeves she had rolled up to her elbows and covered the tender spot.
Lady Samira warned they would discover her, but Dyna didn’t think it would happen so soon. What were the chances of meeting a mage in the first town they reached? If an adult mage had found her, she would have been spirited away to Magos, never to be seen again.
She missed another strike and tripped into Cassiel’s chest. He gazed down at her, a foot or so taller than her short height. Her heart spiked, very aware of the inches between them. His hands took her wrists, long fingers wrapping around them, sending a gentle current down her arms.
Why did that keep happening? What caused it?
He set her back on her feet. “That’s enough for today.”
“No, let’s continue.” Dyna shook out her tingly hands, ignoring the blush heating her face. She wanted to keep sparring. When Dalton had grabbed her, all she could do was squirm and yell. She didn’t want
to feel so helpless again. “If I can learn to harness Essence, I can learn how to defend myself.”
She went for a surprise kick. Cassiel sidestepped and swept the other leg out from under her. She hit the ground with a wheezing gasp.
He shook his head, expression nothing short of disappointed. “This may be a waste of time.”
Zev chuckled. Her cousin was enjoying the view from where he sat on a large flat rock by a brook. “She only lacks proper instruction. It’s not enough to tell her to strike your palms.”
Cassiel crossed his arms. “If you have a better method, then, by all means, do step in.”
Zev strolled over and helped her up. She got into position. “First, protect your face, Dyna. You leave too many openings. Second, mind your feet so you don’t trip over them.”
“All right,” Dyna said, looking down at her scuffed shoes. The soles had quickly worn down, allowing rocks to dig into her heels. They weren’t made for travel and wouldn’t last much longer.
“Set them apart, parallel to your shoulders and bend your knees. When you swing, use the force of your entire body. Your punch will land with greater force when it hits less than the full range of your arm.” Zev demonstrated, and she imitated his position.
Cassiel eyed her stance critically. “She does not exactly inspire confidence.”
Zev turned her so she faced the Prince again. “Never take your eyes off your opponent. Anticipate his movements before he makes them so you can avoid them.”
Dyna raised her fists and braced herself. She studied Cassiel’s posture, the shift in his expression, muscles tensing.
“Ready?” He lunged without waiting for a reply. She ducked under his arm and swung. He rapidly deviated backward. Her knuckles skimmed past his jaw, scarcely missing it. Both blinked at each other, then she broke into a wide grin. It wasn’t a hit, but that was as close as she ever made it past his defenses.
Zev patted her head. “Well done.”
“Mere luck,” Cassiel said.
“You let your guard down.”
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