Secrets and Stardust

Chapter 35

Iyana

Iyana woke the next morning on top of the softest thing she’d ever slept on. She was clean and deliciously sore in all the right places. For a moment she was content, until she noticed Altair was gone. Again. But his side of the bed was cold this time, and he wasn’t sitting in the chair by the hearth. A breakfast platter with apples, pastries, and eggs sat on the low table between the chairs, a mug of hot coffee sitting next to it. The steam curling up from the cup enticed Iyana out of bed.

The fire had died down to embers, leaving a chill in the room. She pulled the blanket off the bed with her, wrapping it around herself for warmth. After taking a sip of coffee to warm her insides, she flicked her fingers towards the glowing embers. A controlled flame leapt into life, and Iyana smiled to herself at the accomplishment. She hadn’t burned down the inn! Wishing Altair was there to heap praise upon her, she curled her hands around the mug and glanced outside. The little northern village was just as adorable in the daylight, with sunlight causing the snow to sparkle. People buried in warm winter clothing bustled about their daily business. Iyana sat in one of the wingback chairs and dug into breakfast. Amazing flavors danced over her tongue, and she moaned at the taste. Altea take her, the food was delicious. Either the cook was a goddess or Iyana had been on the road for too long and was now accustomed to eating only jerky, nuts, and berries.

Once she had eaten enough to feed a family of three and her stomach was close to bursting, Iyana set out to find Altair. Reluctantly, she put on her clothes from the day before; they still stank. She made a mental note to wash them before they left. The hallway was quiet, and she padded downstairs on her bare feet. It was honestly one of the best parts of being inside—she was able to take off her boots without Altair nagging at her like a mother hen. Iyana grinned at the idea of an ancient, immortal star being so concerned with the wellbeing of her toes.

Other patrons were filtering through the front door, an icy breeze taking every opportunity to sneak into the warm inn. Her star was nowhere to be found on the main level. She did, however, spy Talon sitting at a table eating breakfast, facing away from her.

“Talon,” she called. “Have you seen—” But as Talon turned to answer her call, she saw who was sitting at the table with him. Crown Prince Zane was casually eating a plate of eggs, and seemed as surprised to see her as she was to see him. Iyana was instantly back to the last time she’d the prince—in the garish throne room, Zane handing her over to Uther without blinking, the guards dragging her away. She’d beseeched Zane with her eyes for any kind of assistance, and he’d watched her go with a blank expression on his face. He didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed or apologetic.

Iyana tunneled into her magic with a swiftness she hadn’t yet been able to accomplish. Adrenaline coursed through her, her heart racing, thoughts jumbled. Why was Zane here? Why was Talon with him? Had Talon given her up? The last thought almost sent her to tears. She trusted Talon with her life, and if he was duplicitous enough to pretend to be her friend but plot against her, she’d never be able to trust anyone again.

Magic crackled in the air and over Iyana’s skin in silver sparks.

“What’s going on?” she whispered.

“Iyana,” Talon said, placatingly. He moved to block Zane with his own body. Iyana was taken aback. Talon was worried she would hurt him? Maybe the crown prince deserved a bit of pain for lounging in his plush bed, living a life of luxury while he left her to rot in the dungeons. Rage built up inside her, hot and potent. She would take Zane out, and Talon too if he’d switched sides, even if it would kill her later. Talon’s eyes widened as the magic built between them. Heat increased in the small space, creating a sweltering atmosphere. He wasn’t going to move out of the way. Idiot.

Strong, warm arms enveloped her, pinning her hands to her sides.

“Astalle,” Altair whispered. “Come back to me.” He rubbed soothing circles into her skin, murmuring reassurances and calming words into her ear. Iyana’s rage fell away, leaving only the pain behind. She sobbed and spun in Altair’s arms to bury her face in his chest. He held her closer, stroking her hair gently, allowing her to cry. A rumble in his chest told her he was talking to the other men, but she couldn’t bring herself to listen. Altair gently pulled her face out of his shirt, drying her tears with his thumbs. He pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head. It was quiet around them. Not only Zane and Talon had gone, but all the patrons—half-eaten plates of food abandoned.

“I woke up, and you were gone,” Iyana said, sniffling.

“I’m sorry, my star. I, uh…I needed some fresh air.” He looked ashamed and rubbed the back of his neck. Iyana assumed he had been claustrophobic. “Did you eat the breakfast I left you?”

“I did, thank you.” She pieced herself back together, brick by brick, taking a deep breath and wiping away the rest of her tears.

“I told Talon we’d meet with him in his room. Why don’t you head up there and I’ll get Emmeric and Kaz?”

“No, I’ll get them.”

Altair raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t want to be in the same room as him without you there. And it will give me some time to compose myself.”

Altair’s face softened. He ran his thumb along her lower lip. “You possess more than enough magic now to kill him before he could even draw his sword. But, of course, love, I’ll be waiting for you.” He kissed her chastely before leaving. Iyana had wanted to sink into his embrace and shut out everything else that had happened in the past ten minutes. She thought about dragging Altair back to their room and ignoring the Zane issue altogether, but instead she pulled up her big-girl pants and went to find her other friends.

Emmeric

He couldn’t breathe, but for the best possible reason. Sheets tented above Emmeric, his head buried between the thighs of a beautiful woman, listening to her sweet moans of pleasure, her fingers tight in his hair. So when a knock sounded at the door, he was all too happy to ignore it. Kaz, however…

“Come in!” she called.

“What? No,” Emmeric said in a panic. He tried to clamber out of the bedsheets, but Kaz gripped his hair harder, tugging him back to her center.

“Don’t stop,” she moaned. Absolutely not, he thought as the telltale click of the door opening echoed through the room.

“Oh!” He heard a woman gasp in the doorway. And, oh fuck, it was Iyana. Now he really struggled to free himself, while Kaz did her best to try to keep him where she wanted him. He could only imagine how it looked from Iyana’s perspective. Probably like a dying fish on dry land, flopping around, searching in vain for a water source. Meanwhile, Kaz was the picture of calm, although Emmeric couldn’t see her face. She didn’t even seem out of breath.

“What’s up, sweetcheeks?”

When he finally broke free, he saw Iyana standing in the doorway, wide-eyed. She gave him a once over, blushed, then covered her face with her hand. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’re having a group meeting in Talon’s room with a special guest.” Then she turned on her heel, slamming the door shut as she left.

“What the fuck, Kaz?”

“What?” She crossed her arms over her bare breasts. “I just did you a favor.”

Emmeric almost choked. “A favor?”

“Yes! Now she’ll be consumed with jealousy and realize she was in love with you this entire time. She’ll dump the glowing bastard. You’re welcome.”

“I really doubt any of that will happen.”

“Stop being such a pessimist, grumps. Bare minimum, she’ll incorporate you into her reverse harem. I’ll volunteer to join too. It’ll be fun!”

Emmeric shook his head but smiled. “You’re crazy.”

Kaz matched his grin. “Maybe, but you like it.” She poked his chest. “As much as I hate to cover up this work of art, we should probably go see who our special guest is.” Emmeric grumbled. He desired nothing more than to stay in bed for another week, alternating between sleeping and fucking. But he hauled himself out of bed, dressed, and walked the short distance down the hall to Talon’s room.

Opening the door, Emmeric stopped in his tracks, Kaz bumping into his back with a little oof. “Oh, shit,” he muttered at the sight of Zane, Geoff, and Gordon all crammed in the small room.

“I know who you are,” Kaz said, peeking over his shoulder. Which was Emmeric’s cue to hustle her inside. The room was cramped, so Emmeric and Kaz were forced to stand, leaning against the door. Talon and Zane sat side by side on the bed, their thighs pressed together. (There was definitely something going on between the two of them.) Altair sat in the only chair with Iyana on his lap. She sat stiff-backed, staring daggers at Zane, but the star seemed mostly unaffected. Emmeric noticed he kept a hand on Iyana’s hip, though, almost as if he needed to hold her back. Honestly, Emmeric wouldn’t blame the woman one bit if she felt she was owed some retribution. The bulky twins sat on the floor by the dead hearth, knees tucked to their chests.

“Em! Great to see you, man,” Gordon said. There was no room for proper embraces, so he nodded to the three newcomers, then introduced Kaz to everyone.

Zane leveled his gaze on Kaz. “You’re the shifter.”

“Oh, the prince is a clever one,” Kaz purred. “How did you figure it out?”

“There were prints of a large cat which would come and go, interspersed with a woman’s footprints. I knew they weren’t Iyana’s because she never wears shoes.” Iyana glared harder, most likely upset the prince recognized any personal details about her at all. Zane ignored her, directing his attention to Talon. “You were extremely sloppy, by the way. Anyone could have found you.”

“Emmeric and I knew you’d find us regardless, so we figured why put in the effort.”

“Because what would’ve happened if someone caught up to you before me? Where would you be then?”

“Prison, probably.” Zane frowned at Tal, who shoved him slightly. “Lighten up a bit, Zane. You found us first and we’re all fine.” It was amazing to Emmeric to see the sullen crown prince opening up to someone and allowing Tal to tease him.

“How are you so quick to trust him?” Iyana asked. She was still sitting stiffly, arms crossed, bristling with anger. Emmeric saw Altair’s hand squeeze her hip a little tighter.

“He helped—” Talon began.

“How?” Iyana interrupted, throwing her hands in the air. “He allowed his father to throw me in a dungeon and torture me.” Her voice broke on the word torture, and tears threatened to overflow. Zane hung his head.

“I didn’t want to,” he said. Looking at Iyana with fire in his eyes, he continued, “If I could stand up to Uther and win, I would in a heartbeat. But that man has been beating me down every day of my life since my mother died. I’m in a cage. Not a physical one like you were in, but a cage nonetheless.” Iyana scoffed while Talon laid a comforting hand on the prince’s thigh.

“You’re the prince. You could have done something,” Iyana continued to protest.

“I did. Who do you think gave the guards the night off for the festival?”

Emmeric saw Iyana didn’t believe him.

“Mouse,” he said, quietly. He hated for her to think they were all ganging up on her, but he believed Zane was telling the truth. And he would be a very powerful ally. “When I was bringing you the numbing draught one night, Zane saw me with it, and he recognized what it was and who it was for. But he gave it back to me. And we were able to get you out so easily because there was nobody there to stop us.”

Emmeric hated the hurt flashing in Iyana’s expression.

“I know what Uther did to you was terrible and unforgiveable,” Emmeric continued, “but Zane is not his father.”

The look she was giving him would kill him, especially since it was the first time she’d really paid him any attention since he walked in the door following their little incident earlier. Suddenly, Emmeric realized he could feel her pain; her emotional pain, because she obviously wasn’t injured. Which didn’t make sense, as he’d only mirrored her physical pain until then. But the icy sensation squeezing his heart wasn’t coming from him. At some point during this crazy journey, he’d stopped finding things that ‘didn’t make sense’ as odd, because his life now was one big, convoluted mess of weird.

An idea flashed through his brain. If Emmeric could sense her emotional turmoil, and he was the Kanaliza maybe… He imagined a warm hug from a loved one and the emotions that evoked, then pushed it towards their connection laying ever-present in his chest. Iyana’s posture relaxed ever so slightly, tension leaking out of her shoulders, and he knew it had worked. Joy pulsed through him at this newfound ability. Mouse’s cute little face frowned in confusion, and her gaze flicked over to him.

“Fine,” Iyana said. “Since I’m outnumbered, he can stay. You two—” she gestured between Geoff and Gordon “—can do as you please, I couldn’t care less about what you do.”

“Rude,” Geoff muttered.

Zane breathed a sigh of relief. His green eyes regarded Iyana in earnest. “Thank you, really. I have a lot of questions about the Aztia and the star—”

“And they will remain unanswered.” She looked pointedly at Talon, Emmeric, and Kaz in turn. “At least until I determine you’re trustworthy.”

“Who put you in charge?” Kaz asked. The shifter had posed the question in a joking manner, but with a slight undercurrent of anger. While she seemed like a very go-with-the-flow girl, there was no question she was used to being in charge when she wanted to be.

“The gods.” With that, Iyana stood from Altair’s lap, stomping out of the room, forcing Emmeric and Kaz to step away from the door.

Altair watched her leave, and after a beat said, “I should…” Without finishing the thought, he followed Iyana into the hallway. Her heavy footfalls were audible until she reached her room, where she slammed the door hard enough to rattle the walls.

“Well, that went swimmingly,” Talon said. Zane frowned at him, then scrubbed his face with his hands. Emmeric sat in the chair Altair had vacated, and with most of the floor now open Kaz shifted in a burst of light to her leopard form. The twins about leapt out of their skin, scrambling back towards the wall. Zane hid his shock better, but Emmeric saw him twitch once the massive cat appeared. Kaz circled, then lay down in a ball, closing her eyes and purring.

“Amazing,” Zane muttered. Kaz opened one large brown eye in Zane’s direction, winked, and went to sleep. Emmeric didn’t even know cats could wink.

“Who is the man Iyana is with?” Zane asked. Emmeric and Talon glanced at each other, having a silent conversation about how much they should share with the prince. While they both trusted his motives, Iyana certainly didn’t. And Emmeric did not want to be on her bad side more than he already was.

“His name is Altair,” Talon eventually said. “Anything more than that should probably come from him or Iyana.”

“So, she is in charge of this ragtag operation, then?” Zane asked.

“Ragtag?” Talon clutched at his chest in mock offense. “And, yes. She is the Aztia, after all.”

“Is that man the Kanaliza then?” Zane mused.

Emmeric coughed. “Ah, no, that would be me.” Zane’s eyes widened in surprise, and Emmeric practically saw the thoughts whizzing about in his head. He explained—truthfully, this time, other than leaving Altair out of it—about his time in Imothia. How Imo had explained that their destinies intertwined, but he didn’t want to believe it. Then he’d left her, but felt the soul bond more and more the further away he ventured.

“That explains why you were so protective of her on the ride to Athusia.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Emmeric attempted to evade revealing too much about his own personal feelings. “Yeah, exactly. The bond can really mess with me.”

“Well, and he lo—” Emmeric kicked Talon in the shin before he said any more. “Ow! Fucker…” Silence reigned for several minutes except for the sound of Kaz’s light snoring.

“Is there anyone else on our trail?” Emmeric asked Zane.

“Not that I found, but I’m sure there are some behind us. My father wouldn’t put all of his faith in me.”

“Then we should leave tomorrow.” Emmeric glanced about the room, the other four men agreeing with him. Then he took in Kaz’s gigantic sleeping form and wondered how to get her back to the room. Should he wake her? Would it really be wise to awaken a slumbering leopard? Maybe he could leave her in Tal’s room…

“Don’t you leave the pussy cat in here,” Talon said, reading his mind.

Emmeric sighed, leaning down to whisper filthy promises in her ear. Kaz sprang up, shifting back rapidly. She grabbed his hand and ran out the door, dragging him along.

Iyana

Zane was up to something. He had to be. Iyana paced the length of her room, back and forth, back and forth, thinking furiously. Outrage burned hot within her. Everyone had practically ganged up on her, deciding to invite the prince along—the prince who had snatched her off the street for no reason other than his father asked it of him. The prince who had watched placidly as she was thrown into a dungeon cell and tortured. The prince who had raided her village and killed her people.

Also, what had Emmeric done back there? Her emotions had been overtaking her—hurt that the others would gang up on her, especially Emmeric; fearful for the future, curious and annoyed by the connection between Zane and Talon—all those swirling together into a panic threatening to make her scream. And then she just…didn’t. A comforting, calming warmth filled her, and she tasted lemons on the back of her tongue. She knew he had done something, but she was mad at him, so she refused to ask. The reason she was angry…she didn’t want to examine that too closely.

Altair sat in a chair, one ankle crossed over his knee, observing her pacing. It was infuriating.

“Are you going to sit there all day watching me?” she asked, finally stopping her pacing to stand in front of him with her hands on her hips.

“I could watch you always,” he said, voice low and husky.

Iyana scoffed. “Not the time, Altair.”

“I would respectfully disagree, my star.” He stood in one fluid, graceful motion. A thrill ran through her as he prowled towards her until her back hit a wall. He placed his hands on the wall around her head, effectively caging her in. A small bolt of fear struck her chest at the thought of being caged again, but she reminded herself this was Altair. Iyana trusted him, and should she ask him to stop, he would. But she didn’t want him to stop—her body came alive with him so close. An ache to touch him, to grab his face and kiss him for eternity, overcame her. Especially when he lowered his head to nuzzle her neck, trailing small kisses up to her ear before nipping at it.

“There is never a wrong time to worship you, astalle,” he murmured in her ear. “You are a goddess and I will bow down at your feet.”

“Then kneel,” Iyana said, breathless. Altair’s golden eyes darkened.

“As my lady commands.” He sunk to his knees, his gaze intense as his fingertips skimmed their way over her curves. Iyana marveled at the sight of this powerful star kneeling before her. Rubbing down her thighs, he teased at touching where she wanted him the most, then massaged his way down her calves. It still felt amazing; she never wanted him to stop touching her, but she ached for him to be inside her.

“Altair…” she whimpered, grabbing a fistful of his blonde hair.

“Needy little thing, aren’t you?” He chuckled deep and low in his throat, continuing to tease her with his fingers barely at her waistband, touching the soft skin there. Slowly—so slowly—he lowered Iyana’s breeches, planting light kisses to her stomach and thighs, then tossed them aside as she stepped free. He grazed his fingers at her core and moaned at the wetness he found already there.

“So wet and ready for me. Do you want me inside you, my star?” he asked, nipping her inner thigh.

Iyana gasped and nodded.

“I may be the one kneeling at your feet, but you are mine,” he growled. “And I’m going to ensure you never forget it.” She swore her heart rate tripled with his claim, and then quadrupled as he tossed one of her legs over his shoulder, kissing the inside of her knee gently.

He licked and nipped his way up her thigh, inching closer and closer to her center. Iyana leaned her head against the wall, restraining herself from jumping on Altair and tearing off his clothes. It was something he would punish her for, and she wasn’t sure she could endure more teasing. He squeezed her ass, hard.

“Eyes on me, love, I want you to watch me devour you.” Peeling her eyes open, she saw Altair’s smirk just before he licked up her core excruciatingly slowly. A loud moan burst from Iyana, and she threaded her fingers through his hair, urging him closer. But she kept her gaze on him. “Good girl.”

Then he was upon her. His tongue inside her was bliss, soon replaced by his long, graceful fingers while his mouth found her sensitive bundle of nerves and sucked. Gods, he was magical. Pushing her firmly against the wall, he flung her other leg over his shoulder and stood. Iyana was now over six feet in the air. She squeaked in surprise, but Altair never broke his pace, continuing to nudge her towards the edge. Iyana clung tighter to his hair, and he moaned into her, the reverberations crashing through her.

Her release took her by surprise, waves of pleasure coursing through her body, her inner walls pulsing against Altair’s fingers. She felt as though she were flying.

Altair dragged her down his body, settling her with the tip of his cock poised at her entrance. Iyana was dizzy with desire. She kissed him hard, tongues moving in tandem, and she tasted herself on his lips. He rocked into her in one smooth motion, both of them gasping at the sudden sensation. Then Altair tightened his grip on her ass, and leaning her into the wall, he moved her up and down his shaft in a slow, methodical rhythm. Iyana dug her nails into his shoulders, reveling in the knowledge that she was his, he was hers, and they could do this whenever they pleased.

“Fuck, Iyana,” he ground out. “You feel amazing.” His speed increased, and he used his thumb to press at her clit. Another orgasm built within her, and when Altair roared his release, spilling himself inside her, she tipped over the edge with him.

Their chests heaved. Altair kept her pinned to the wall, smoothing her hair away from her sweaty face and kissing her tenderly. “You are mine. Understood?”

Iyana nodded, incapable of words at that moment.

“Say it.”

“I’m yours,” she whispered.

Altair pressed his brow against hers. “And I’m yours, love. Forever.”

Three words sprang to the tip of Iyana’s tongue, but she swallowed them back down. Not yet, she told herself. But as Altair cleaned her up and tucked her into bed for an afternoon nap, safe within the comfort of his arms, it was becoming harder to hold back. There were so many valid reasons for her to keep these feelings to herself; she simply didn’t want to anymore. Not yet, but soon.

As she fell asleep, she could have sworn she heard Altair ever so quietly whisper those three words against her skin, but it might have been a dream, and she was too far gone to ask. When she awoke, she’d already forgotten he had said anything at all.