28. Tempest
28
TEMPEST
I grabbed onto the torn mesh, and it raked across my palm until I latched onto the bound tip.
My body snapped as it came to a halt, my teeth jarring together. I dangled and swayed in the air with my heart aflame and my breathing ragged.
Where are you? Vexxion growled. I sense—
I’m having a delightful time with Madrood.
Vexxion appeared in the stall above me, stooping down, his hand extended.
“I can do it,” I said.
His lips thinned. “ Tempest .”
I flung my other hand up and grabbed onto the torn mesh, scrambling to find purchase with the tips of my boots on the stone cliff. “If you weren’t here, I’d have to do this on my own.”
“You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
Honestly, my body shook with adrenalin, and my muscles kept twitching. My left thigh was one big spasm. Why was I insisting on handling this on my own?
My gaze swept past Vexxion to Madrood.
He was watching me, ignoring Vexxion. I suspected he didn’t dare take a bite out of the controller.
Most didn’t give enough credit to dragons. Actually, no one did other than me. Something had changed between me and this silver beast, though I didn’t know how to describe it or why it was happening. I’d worked with him today. He’d not only allowed me inside his stall, but he’d also let me groom him. He’d snapped out at me as dragons often do, and I needed to handle this like I would’ve with Seevar.
The pinch in my heart turned into a full-on ache in my throat. Madrood would never replace the golden dragon I’d loved. But just like in Seevar, I saw something special in Madrood. He kept it well-hidden, but it was there.
It might be silly, but I suspected I’d lose his respect if I let Vexxion help me.
“Go away,” I told Vexxion.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“I mean it.” I wedged the toe of my boot in a crack in the cliff and used it to lever myself up to the edge of the stall. Fortunately, I could then grab onto a groove in the lip and flop onto my belly on the sand strewn across the big open surface. I scrambled to my feet and shot Vexxion a grin. “See? I’m fine.” I’d need to locate another mesh to replace this one as soon as possible. The king would not be happy if his prize dragon flew out from his aerie without a rider.
“Why are you here?” I asked, cocking my head to peer up at Vexxion. He looked good, almost glowing with color in his cheeks. His hair looked nice, too, swirling around his shoulders. I wanted to comb my fingers through it. Stroke his pretty cheeks. Kiss him.
“I’m here because you needed me.”
He said it so simply, I wanted to hug him. But I never knew who might be watching. Would there ever be a time when we could be free with each other outside our suite? I craved the chance to let loose and just be with him. To drag him off into the sunshine and strip off his clothing with my teeth. To lie with him in the deep grass and laugh to my heart’s content.
To shout out to the world that I loved him.
With a sad sigh, I snagged what was left of the mesh together and knotted the ends to cover the opening. It wouldn’t hold up if Madrood bumped against it, but it would present a barrier he was unlikely to challenge until it could be replaced. Most dragons had been trained to remain inside their stalls, only flying with a mounted rider.
“You haven’t told me why you’re here without Drask,” he said. “Let alone inside this infernal beast’s cell. You did see him burn someone after we arrived, did you not?”
Something like that was hard to miss.
“I finished with Brenna, and I’m not needed until it’s time to help her dress for dinner,” I said. “I decided to work here a bit before strolling through the castle. I’ve been thinking about the marscapoles and how grateful they were that I freed them. I thought—
“You did what ?” he roared, then switched to speaking in my mind. Explain .
After leaving Brenna, I worked out in the room and practiced some magic. You need to share the moving objects spell again, because I don’t believe I remember it correctly. It’s not working, and I—
Tempest.
Yes, sweetie?
He sighed, but his eyes gleamed with humor. I might irk—no, vex —him every now and then, but he adored me. And he enjoyed being called sweetie, though he’d never admit it. Tell me what you did with the marscapoles.
The spell you taught me worked. I’m not sure why you seem upset about that. You shared it with me. You must know I’d use it.
It’s a difficult spell.
Oh. I huffed, pretending to be highly offended. You didn’t expect me to master it so quickly. I tipped my head back, watching him, though I kept an eye on Madrood as well. He stared at Vexxion, basically ignoring me. You really don’t know my potential, do you?
No one knows your full potential, which suits our plan. You’re amazing. You’re going to stun the fae realm soon.
I like that idea as long as it comes with killing the king.
Always. You shouldn’t be freeing creatures from the paintings. Someone will notice.
I can’t leave them trapped.
It draws attention, he said. I can’t protect you all the time.
One of these days, I’m going to surprise you by protecting myself. Sure, my hands shook at the thought of dealing the final blow, but that was the point of training, right? I’m getting closer all the time .
You are. He watched me. He always watched me, even when he wasn’t nearby.
“Go.” I waved my hands at him. “I still have time before I’m needed in Brenna’s suite, and Madrood’s eyes need cleaning.” I’ll see you after dinner in the meadow for training?
You will.
I started to march past him, but he snagged me around the waist, lifted me, and pressed me against the metal wall.
His mouth crashed down on mine, and the need I sensed within him all the time poured through me, molten and a touch feral, just the way I liked it. His mouth was hot and demanding. His tongue slaked across my lips, and when I gasped, he dove inside.
This. This was what I needed from this man all the time. How could I forget for even one second?
I forgot where I was. What I was doing. Who I was, for that matter. All I could think of was Vexxion. This moment in time.
The feel of his mouth claiming mine.
Fire coiled tight, low in my belly, and shot downward. If he touched me there, he’d find me wet for him already. Always. Always. There would never come a time when I didn’t need him more than I needed to breathe.
He held me with his silver threads and the harsh lines of his body while his palms caged me against the wall. This man was made up of sharp edges. Sinew and endless muscles. I’d named him correctly back at the fortress.
But he had a soft side he showed only to me, and I craved that as much as his hardness .
I drowned in the possession of his mouth, the groans he released, and the stroke of his hand on my side.
He lifted his head. If I didn’t have to be in the throne room right now, I’d take you far from here, love. I’d show you everything.
I want you. I always will. I love you.
You’re mine.
I am.
His lips curled up on one side. And I’ll always be yours. He gently lowered me to the floor, stroking his knuckles down my face. Don’t get into any more trouble. But if you do, call me.
I will. Maybe.
“ Tempest .”
That’s Fury to you, buddy. I shot him a smile. My heart was singing after our kiss, and pretty much everything was right in my world. For now, that is. But I had to snatch up moments like this when I could because all too soon, they’d be gone. I said I would be careful.
He just growled and flitted away from me.
Injecting confidence into my limping strides, I strode over to stand in front of Madrood and gave him a sharp look. “You’re going to let me finish, right? No more shoving me out into the valley. I can’t fly without a dragon beneath me.”
He huffed, shooting sparks down my front.
“Ha ha. Try harder. I’m wearing leather.”
Lifting his head, he sent sparks toward my hair.
Yelping, I dove to the right, barely missing a mound of shit. I rolled and came up in a crouch, rubbing my aching thigh. “Good one.” Hobbling over to stand by his head again, I carefully stroked my fingertips down his snout. “I’ll treat you right. I just ask for respect in return. You can trust me. I promise.”
He shot me a glare, but what else should I expect? This dragon was owned by the fiercest fae in the land, one I hated but held a healthy respect for, if nothing else.
“Get to work, Tempest,” I whispered.
Leaving his stall, I tracked down a new mesh and secured it to the outer opening, making sure this one didn’t have tears.
“I’m going to take care of your claws,” I told him. As I lifted his left front leg and started oiling his talons, I sang a little poem I’d read somewhere, though I couldn’t remember where or when. Beasts seemed to like music, and I needed all the help I could get with this one.
I didn’t want Vexxion to worry about me, but I refused to sit in our suite until he said it was time. There were so many things I could do here that would make a difference.
I still had to get inside the king’s room to search for a way to remove collars. Could I flit there like I had to the dungeon? Vexxion must’ve been there before, and I could steal the image from his mind like I had last night when I tracked him to the dungeon.
Vexxion would snarl if he knew I was considering trying to get inside the king’s bedroom. But if there was a way to free my friends and all the other Nullens wandering in the ether, I was going to find it.
After finishing with his claws, I tackled Madrood’s eyes, and he was surprisingly compliant. See? When you treated a beast with kindness, it paid off.
Then I cleaned his stall and returned the gear to the tack room, leaving the aerie without seeing anyone else, though I heard voices echoing from various stalls as I walked down the hallway and out into the afternoon sunshine.
My muscles ached from my exertion, and my left thigh kept spasming, but I felt as good as I could considering I was living this close to Kinart’s murderer.
There weren’t even any fae men or women lingering around, looking at me like they wanted to kill me. I wasn’t sure my day could get much better than this. The memory of Vexxion’s kiss humming through my veins didn’t hurt either.
I flitted to the front door and as always, I was drawn to the poor dragons writhing across the surface. I cringed as I watched them. This was wrong. No one should do something like this to such glorious beasts. I was sure they’d done something paltry, and the king had punished them by trapping them inside the frame. I couldn’t imagine what anyone could do to deserve something like this. Sneered at Ivenrail, probably. The marscapoles probably peered at him from the woods.
I stretched out my hand and laid a fingertip on the right door dragon’s snout, keeping my voice low. “I wish I could do something for you.”
The dragon stilled. Our eyes met. Then it started writhing again, its pain slicing through me.
Fuck this.
Drawing on my power, I sent it out with the spell I’d used to release the marscapoles.
Nothing happened.
What are you doing? Vexxion asked in my mind. He sounded distracted, but if I knew him, he’d send Drask my way to spy and arrive soon after to tell me again that I needed to behave.
Nothing, I said. I’m done in the aerie. I’m heading toward our suite. Will you lay out a dress for me?
Of course.
I hope it’s pink.
You hate pink, he drawled. What are you doing?
Absolutely nothing. Don’t pay any attention to me.
I’ll be there soon.
I didn’t have much time.
I grabbed onto a bunch of power and flung it at the dragon.
To my shock, it slipped—oozed—from the door and plopped onto the stone in front of me. As it grew and grew and took the form of a beast even bigger than Madrood, I flung myself backward, toppling onto my ass on the hard stone platform.
It grew larger. And larger. Finally, its growth slowed, and it rattled its head, smoke blasting into the air from its enormous nostrils.
Damn, it was going to shoot fire at me, and I’d be turned into a pile of ash. I should’ve left this alone. Vexxion was right, as per usual. And I was wrong, as per usual.
“Free,” it hissed. “Iasar issss free!” He rose over me, looming like an icy blue, murderous statue morphed from a time long forgotten. His neck arched, jagged spikes quivering as they jutted up from his spine. His spiked tail snapped around as if he intended to smack me off the platform then lash me while I writhed on the ground.
He was going to kill me .
“I’m sorry,” I stuttered, my hands lifting, my fingers splaying wide. Struggling to my feet, I gathered power, though I had no idea what I’d do with it. “I didn’t mean to release you.” I did, actually, but maybe stating that was the wrong tactic to take. Would it help if I bowed? I did it just in case. “I’ll find a spell to send you back.”
“No.” His voice thundered, making the ground shake. Me as well. “Iasar issss free!”
Iasar. Was that this glorious dragon’s name?
He stomped toward me, each step making the stones rattle and the very air blast my ears and echo in the valley below.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My heart slammed against the inside of the cage forged by my ribs, determined to break through and flee.
“Free.” Iasar’s head snapped forward, stopping only when his snout was a breath away from my face. Smoke continued coiling from his nostrils, and I bit back my overwhelming urge to sneeze. “Lissssten and lissssten well, tiny being. You. Freed. Me.”
“This is a good thing. Right?” Please, let it be so.
“It issss,” he bellowed, the words shoving the leather front of my tunic against my quivering skin. “Lissssten well, tiny being.”
I swallowed, spittle clawing its way down my throat, and jerked out a nod. Speaking felt like too much in this gorgeous beast’s presence.
“A blade will be forged in light, torn away by thorn’ssss blight,” he whispered, lifting his snout to speak by my ear as if no one but me should hear his words. “And veiled beneath the gaze of eternal right.” Lifting his head, his dark gaze met mine. “Do you lissssten? Do you remember, tiny being?”
“A blade will be forged in light, torn from thorn’s blight,” I repeated softly. “And veiled beneath the gaze of eternal right.”
“Good. There issss more.” He cocked his head, revealing spikes jutting up around his eyes. Modern dragons didn’t have anything like that. How old was this beast, and how long had he been trapped inside the door? “Where no foot treadssss and no eye sssshall ssssee, guarded by ssssilence, assss if held within treessss.”
“Trees?”
He nodded sagely. “Treessss.”
I repeated what he’d said, though I didn’t know what this referred to or why he felt it was so vital I remember. I’d imprint it in my mind because I sensed this might one day mean everything to me.
He shot a look over his shoulder before snapping his head back to stare at me. When a fae woman rounded the side of the castle and stopped, gaping our way, his head jerked in that direction. With a shake of his neck, he blasted blue fire toward her. She shrieked and flitted, disappearing from view.
The dragon faced me once more. “Ssssplit between realmssss where the horizon meetssss the world beyond, half 'neath starssss where dreamssss unsssspoken are drawn.”
I repeated the phrases after the beast, and he nodded.
“It waits where a blood red ssssun does ssssink,” he said. “In dawn’ssss embrace—it'ssss there you must sssseek.”
I whispered the words as if they were a spell, having no idea what they meant. “Anything else? ”
The dragon’s gaze flicked back to the door where the other beast still writhed. “Free my mate, Amronth.”
“Amronth is your mate?”
He nodded. “He’ll gift you with resssst of the riddle.”
Then Iasar had given me half.
“I’ll do it right away,” I said.
Tempest, Vexxion growled. What’s going on?
Nothing. Nothing! Fates, don’t come here now.
Iasar scrambled around me and up onto the bridge railing. It cracked beneath his vast weight, fissures snaking across the stone.
Then he leaped and soared out over the valley.
I rushed over to stand at the rail. The world . . . parted. There was no other way to describe it. A slice appeared in the sky and the dragon angled his body to fly into it. The gap closed, and he was gone.
It was so beautiful and perfect that all I could do was stare after him with tears in my eyes.
Vexxion flitted. I felt him arrive on the bridge behind me.
I quickly swiped my tears away.
His arms wrapped forward, pinning me against the rail. “You said you were going to our suite. Yet, here you are, standing on the middle of the bridge in wide open view like bait.” A snarl edged into his voice, though it was never directed at me. It only showed how concerned he was about me.
I peered up at him.
His gaze snaked around the still empty area, seeking threats as always. If there was a fae person in the vicinity, they’d be shaking from fright—just like I still did after what happened .
“I was on my way to our suite.” I said, trying to inject strength into my quavering voice. “Did you lay out a pink dress? I need to bathe off Madrood’s stink and go help Brenna get ready for dinner.”
“What were you doing?” he bit out, still on the edge. He turned me, pressing me against the railing, tipping my chin up with one finger to gaze into my eyes.
“Oh,” I said, evading his eyes. “I was having a bit of fun. Freeing a dragon named Iasar from door captivity. You know. Nothing unusual for me.”
Iasar? His voice coiled as tight as Iasar’s tail just had.
Do you know him?
I do. He’s a legend.
Great. Just great. Leave it to me to free a legendary dragon from captivity, not your usual plain one.
Vexxion’s gaze snapped to the door. Fuck.
Yeah. Maybe. This one could be a double fuck, I bet. One fuck won’t do in a situation like this.
Did you think . . . He shook his head, and his eyes blazed. This is the main entrance. Before you acted, did you think that someone might happen to notice that one of the dragons was missing?
It was trapped.
It’s been there for a very long time. It could’ve remained there a little longer.
No. It’s wrong. He’s happy to be free. To thank me, he shared something with me.
Vexxion placed his fingertip on my lips and flitted us to our suite where his threads encircled us like his arms still wrapped around me .
“Tell me everything,” he bit out.
He didn’t have to shout. His deadly tone delivered his mood quite well. I didn’t fear him. He loved me. I loved him. But boy did he make me quake with lust when he spoke to me like this. That stern tone of voice made me want to climb all over him.
From the look in his eyes and the frustration pretty much pouring from his ears, he knew this. He wanted to chastise me, but he liked seeing I was turned on by his berating words.
I told him what happened, including the riddle.
He sighed; his brow tight. “Interesting.”
“What do you think it means?”
“Those dragons are a mated pair.”
“Iasar said that. I assume Ivenrail trapped them there because they wouldn’t share the riddle.”
“You’re incredibly wise.”
I flashed him a smile, though it faded fast. “He shared half of it with me. I’ll have to free the other dragon to get the rest. Assuming we need this information.”
“Oh, we do. You do, that is.”
“I’ll do it right away, then.”
“Not today.”
“Why not today?” I asked.
“Because it’ll take considerable power to hide the fact that Iasar’s missing. Two disappearing dragons are too much for me to handle right now.”
“Alright.” I could wait, though not for long. “What will the riddle do for us, assuming we can solve it?”
“You’ll solve it.”
“With your help. ”
“I’ll be with you for as long as I can.”
If I could break away, and we didn’t need his silver threads to shield us from being overhead, I’d start pacing. “Please don’t suggest you won’t be with me always. Promises, Vexxion, remember? I’m not the only one who made them.”
“Sometimes, promises have to be broken.”
“Fates, no. I need you for more than just training. I love you. I’ll follow through on this. I need to do it. But I want you with me when it’s over. Please.”
“You’re stronger than you know.”
“That sounds lovely, and I appreciate you saying it, but my heart will be a hollowed-out thing if you’re not there to fill it.”
He kissed me, and while that soothed me and heated me up at the same time, I sensed a touch of desperation in it. I understood why. We were getting closer to the end of this journey. Would we live long enough to start a new one together?
Lifting his head, he stared into my eyes. “You’ll do what you must.” His arms tightened around me. “I’m determined to stand in front of you for as long as I can, but the time may come when I can’t be there for you. If that happens, I want you to go on without me. You need to end this. If you don’t, right won’t triumph like it must.”
“I’m not anyone’s savior.”
“In the end, save yourself. That’s all I ask.”
“If I was going to do that, I’d hide now, not continue this dangerous plan.”
“You’re not someone who will ever allow yourself to hide.” He nodded, convinced of this even if I wasn’t as sure. “When the time comes, you’ll kill him, and you’ll walk away with your head held high.”
“You said I need to do it when he’s weak after claiming Brenna. Will I be allowed to walk away after killing him?”
“The court will be stunned. They won’t know what to do. You’ll not only walk away, but you’ll also be able to claim what has always been yours.”
I cocked my head. “What might that be?”
“Remember the riddle. It’ll one day guide you.”
“I assume I’ll need all of it, then.”
“Be patient. Don’t act too quickly.”
“Should I wait to free the other dragon until after I’ve killed Ivenrail?” I asked.
“Do it before but give me a day or two first.”
“Restraint has never been one of my strong points.”
His low laugh rang out. “I’m well aware of that.”
I was glad he wasn’t angry about this, because I was going to make sure every creature trapped within the castle was freed before I left.
I glanced at the timepiece on the mantle above the fireplace. “I should bathe and dress. Brenna will be waiting. You’re going to craft a spell that will suggest Iasar is still trapped inside the door?”
“I will.”
I felt bad that he had to keep cleaning up my messes. “I won’t say I’m sorry for doing it.”
“I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
I nodded.
He released his silver threads, and we separated .
“Do you have to return to the king?” I asked.
“He expects me to stand by his side at all times, especially after my recent disobedience.”
“Be careful.”
He nodded; his gaze locked on me. “Always.”
After he flitted from the suite, I walked to the bathing area, finding the bath drawn already, candles lit, and a solitary black rose with silver tips perched in a delicate vase.
He’d laid out a gown for me.
I laughed when I saw it was pink.