15. Tempest
15
TEMPEST
W hen I woke in the morning, Vexxion was gone, and for an instant, stark, raving terror jolted through me.
He’d been taken by the king.
He’d left Weldsbane.
He’d left me .
But then I heard subtle sounds coming from the bathing area. After sliding off the bed, I moved silently in that direction. The door hadn’t quite shut. If I were wise, I’d back away and wait for him to finish. I could dress with magic. Flit to another bathing area to take care of my needs.
Instead, I peered through the narrow gap, watching as he dried his body with a big cloth, as he tossed it aside and lifted a pair of dark leather pants from a nearby chair.
He had the most amazing ass, defined with muscles that etched across his thighs. Strong calves. And a back I ached to run my fingers up and down. I’d press my face against his warm, damp skin and close my eyes while I sucked in a breath of pure Vexxion.
Until he shoved me away.
He thrust one leg and then the other into the pants and tugged them up to secure them around his waist. Taking a tunic from the chair, he shook it out and pulled it over his head.
The play of his skin across his broad shoulders was a melody I wanted to listen to forever. Droplets of water slid down his smooth skin, and I needed to trace the paths with my tongue. Lick the water from him and kiss my way around to his front. There, I’d—
He pivoted sharply and there was no missing the glare he stabbed through the narrow opening. “Does privacy mean nothing to you, woman?”
My face blazed. I jerked backward, my leg spasming from the motion. “Sorry. I . . .” I had no excuse, so I didn’t try to drum one up. “When you’re done, I need to use the bathing area.”
“I’m done now.” He pressed open the door and stepped out of the room, bringing with him the scent of warm water infused with a light spice. “The room is yours. I’ll see you downstairs.”
Before he could reach the door to the hallway, I pulled magic from my well and sent it at him with the spell I’d used to unlock creatures throughout the castle, the one that had freed Reyla and Brodine. It may have freed Vexxion, but it hadn’t brought back the man I loved. Could the spell do it for me now?
He came to a shuddering halt, but he didn’t turn around to face me. “Do not ever,” he snarled, “and I mean ever , use your magic on me again.” His fists released at his sides, and he opened the door and stepped out into the hall, pulling the door closed with a bitter bang. His footsteps resounded on the landing, heavy, purposeful, and with a grim determination to take him away from me.
Unable to breathe, unable to gather my wits together enough to think, I remained where I was until I could no longer hear him.
I did not cry.
I did not wail.
And I did not run after him to beg him to love me.
Finally, my lungs gave way, air rushing from me in a sour wave. My heart shattered like fragile glass dropped on stone. Cold numbness spread from deep inside me, freezing every hopeful thought in its path.
With jerky motions, I rubbed my thigh until it stopped aching. I took care of my needs in the bathing area and washed quickly, dressing in leathers I found in the closet. My breath kept hitching in jagged gasps as if the air itself had decided to abandon me. A whirlwind of anguish and dismay tore through me—each burst leaving raw pain and an empty core where my dreams once flourished.
Tugging out the rest of my clothing from the closet, I started adding it to my bag. My fingers grazed the wooden dragon Vexxion had carved me, and I pulled it out, holding it aloft in my flat hand. It remained as motionless as it had been after he crafted it. I hadn’t seen it move other than that one time, and I’d begun to believe it never had.
Where was the woman who’d vowed the night before that she’d make Vexxion love her again? Her world had been shaken, but her determination should still remain strong. I’d survived being dumped at the fortress as a child. I’d learned how to defend myself from bullies, dregs, and life itself. I’d found a family of friends who loved and supported me.
Not only that, but I’d also come close to killing Ivenrail. I’d bonded with and stolen his dragon. I’d freed more creatures inside the castle than I could count, and they could now live free.
I could survive Vexxion’s rejection. My core of strength still remained.
And I would not give up easily.
Growling at myself, I stuffed the dragon back inside the bag and secured the top. I armed myself with every sheath and blade I could find in the room and with the bag in my hand, I called out to Drask. He left his perch and soared in his cute, jagged way over to land on my shoulder.
“Hold on, buddy,” I said, my voice raw with unspent emotion.
When his claws tightened on my tunic, I flitted to the kitchen.
Reyla turned from where she worked at the stove. “Morning.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Everyone else seems content to sit in the parlor, chatting,” she said with a laugh that told me she wasn’t insulted that no one had offered to help her cook.
“Not me.” Please, distract me. I placed my bag near the door.
“Could you put dishes and silverware on the island? ”
“Glad to.” With Drask bobbing around on my shoulder, I took things down from the cupboard, adding mugs for tea. Once everything had been laid out on the island, I checked on the tea pot, sucking in a whiff of the heady brew.
Despite the blade of Vexxion’s anger stabbing my heart, I was hungry. Funny how the body did all it could to ensure survival. It would carry on even if the heart couldn’t follow.
I helped Reyla dish up the simple meal, then I walked down the hall and stopped in the open parlor archway. “Breakfast is ready.”
I didn’t look at Vexxion, though I felt the weight of his gaze. Not giving up on us and knowing what steps to take to win his heart were completely different things. Back at the fortress, I’d never put much effort into attracting men. I liked guys. I enjoyed sex as much as the next woman. But fight for a man?
Never.
I was a dragon trainer. A rider. A weapon sent on a regular basis to kill dregs.
That woman had no idea how to win a man’s heart. But the woman I’d become wouldn’t give up without trying. I’d fix this soon, once I figured out how.
The others followed me down the hall and into the kitchen. When we sat, I didn’t take the stool next to Vexxion’s. I didn’t sit opposite him either. I purposefully settled in a place where I couldn’t see him without tilting my head to the side. I mechanically served myself food and ate, finishing everything. My heart had been ripped from my chest, but it somehow kept beating. My belly told me it needed food if it was going to continue this fight .
How did a woman lure a man she was in love with? If I remembered what happened at the fortress correctly, I’d tried to shove him away, but he’d refused. He’d kept at me from the moment he said I belonged to him, from almost the very instant I met him. He’d pursued me with a steely resolve that didn’t allow for refusal.
That man had been stolen away.
“Can I take some of the clothing I found in the closet of the room I slept in?” Airia asked. “Weapons too? I didn’t grow up training in a fortress, but I’m decent with a blade. If the dregs come after us again, I want to be armed.”
“Take whatever you want,” Vexxion said. “As for dregs, you don’t need to fear them. We’ll fly.”
Brodine huffed. “They fly now too.”
Vexxion’s worried gaze sought mine. “Since when?”
“Since the king shoved some magic at them,” Reyla said.
“Then we’ll have to keep watch.” His gaze scanned us all. Funny how easily he’d not only accepted that dregs could fly but taken control of our planning. “Tonight, we’ll stop in a village partway toward Lydel. There’s an inn there that often has open rooms. We’ll leave there with supplies though we may need to visit nearby villages to buy what we need during the rest of the journey.”
“I have coins,” I said. They were his, but he’d given them to me.
“Money will not be an issue,” he bit out.
Was he still angry that I’d used magic on him? I was only trying to help, trying to bring back his memories of what we’d shared. He’d probably seen it as me trying to force this, and he wasn’t wrong.
“I have plenty of money here,” he added in the same sharp tone. “I’ll bring enough for all of us.”
Brodine looked from me to Vexxion, his eyes narrowing. “I’ll pack a bag too. I don’t have anything with me but the clothing I was wearing when we left Bledmire and what I found in my closet this morning.”
“Each room is magicked to give the guest what they need,” Vexxion said. “Consider everything there as your own.”
We cleaned up after breakfast, everyone helping this time. While I packed food and water for the day, the others went upstairs to gather things to take with us. Since I’d already packed, I grabbed my bag and stepped outside. Drask soared off my shoulder and started toward the woods.
“Don’t go far,” I called out to him. “We’re leaving soon, and I don’t know when we’ll return.”
Maybe I’d be dead before I could come back to Weldsbane. A grim thought right there; a product of the sad feelings churning through me.
As Drask cut back and started toward me, I leaped off the top step and onto the walkway, striding out onto the lawn.
We’re leaving soon, I told Madrood, placing my bag on the lawn.
Drask landed the grass in front of me and plucked his way around, seeking bugs.
The young blue dragon is a pain in the ass, Madrood said.
In what way ?
She refuses to listen. I had to make threats to get her to return to the aerie for the night. Youngling dragons . . . he huffed.
Tell her she needs to pay attention to you, that you’re a mighty dragon, that the entire fae kingdom is terrified of you.
I did.
And that didn’t do it? I asked, trying not to let even a touch of humor shine in my voice. How long had it been since anyone challenged Madrood?
It did not.
Well, we’ll tire her out flying today. Maybe she’ll be better behaved this evening. I told him Vexxion’s plan to stop in a village and stay overnight in an inn.
Dragons do not stay at inns.
I’ll ask about a nearby aerie.
You’ll leave us on the edge of the village, he said. And we’ll take care of our own needs tonight. We can meet up again in the morning when you’re ready to depart.
That’ll work. I paused. Assuming you can keep control of the blue dragon.
She doesn’t realize who she’s dealing with, but she soon will.
Do you want me to intervene? I asked.
Do you truly think your intervention would make a difference? he grumbled. You’re not bonded to her like you are with me. Pride shone in his voice. I doubt she’s capable of hearing anything you choose to say.
I have a way with dragons.
The others left the building and joined me on the lawn, and even Vexxion, who could magic his own clothing based on his latest whim, had packed a bag .
We’re ready to leave, I told Madrood.
We’ll join you.
“The dragons are coming,” I said.
Vexxion frowned; the others nodded.
Soon, the flap of their wings echoed in the forest, followed by wind gusts bursting around us.
Vexxion peered at the sky. “Fuck. He’s here.”
Drask squawked and took flight.
Vexxion leaped and took me to the ground beneath him. A blink, and he’d flitted us to his bed.