Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
What drew his gaze to Katla again and again? She was stunningly beautiful, aye, but it was more than that. She had an aura about her that called to him on a primitive, primal level that made him want to throw back his head and roar. Push her against the wall and lay claim to her so everyone would know she was his.
Merrill noticed the flush to her cheeks. Desire coiled tightly, urgently, as it rushed through him. He burned for her with a need that could bring him to his knees. Yet he made no move to show his interest. His position was tenable at best. He was better off hiding his attraction lest she push him away again. That he wouldn’t be able to stand.
“ If you wish to continue north, I suggest we wait a few hours and let the storm pass,” he told her once he knew he could say the words without the truth coming through his voice.
She absently picked at her shirt. “ I have no destination in mind.”
“ Villette knows Stonemore will be watched closely. She may return eventually, but I doona think it will be for a few months. There’s no reason we can no’ search in the north.”
“ You said yourself that she may not be on Zora anymore.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “ She may no’.”
“ How can she leave? Better yet, how did you get here from your world?”
Merrill had wondered when she would get curious about that. There was no reason not to tell her. Katla would have to traverse dragon land to reach it, and he doubted she would ever go there again. Also , the doorway was invisible. “ We came through a Fae doorway. They have magic to connect realms where travel is instantaneous. Melisse’s mother was the first to travel in such a manner, going from the Fae Realm to Earth . As for Villette , the answer is in the description of their kind. They move freely among the stars.”
A cool breeze brushed past, sending Katla closer to the fire. “ I still don’t understand how.”
“ I’ve never seen it, so I can no’ explain the how of it.”
“ Dragons used to be with them. Does that mean you can also move among the stars?”
The wind grew brisk, sending colder air into the building through the doorway and the windows without covering. He shut the door, fastening it so it stayed in place. “ Maybe . We’ve never tried.”
“ In other words, I could be searching for Villette for the rest of my days.”
“ Possibly .” He didn’t add that they had no idea how long Katla might live.
She scratched her earlobe and pulled the chair to her as she sat. “ I’m not good at this.”
“ At what?”
She clasped her hands and stared at the flames intently as if waiting for them to deliver a message. “ I don’t know how to ask for help.”
Now , he understood her reluctance. Merrill was lowering himself to the floor when the first drops of rain began to fall. He leaned against the wall. “ You just did. What would you like help with?”
“ Finding Villette .”
Her turbulent gray eyes cut to him, almost as if she were afraid to look at him head-on. They might have suffered similar losses, but she had been completely on her own, whereas he’d been surrounded by the other Kings . Ulrik had lost his mind when he was on his own, dying over and over, only to return and suffer through it all over again.
It was probably a blessing that Katla hadn’t realized how much time had passed since her family’s death—likely Villette’s doing. And for once, Merrill agreed with her actions. Had Katla been aware of the passage of time, she wouldn’t have continued trapping dragons. Villette’s decision had served her needs, but it also aided Katla .
Merrill had difficulty asking his brethren for help, and they had been his constant companions. Which meant he understood exactly how hard this was for Katla . “ I’ve already said I wanted to help.”
“ I tried to send you away.”
“ Notice how I ignored that.” There was a soft curve of her lips when she looked at him. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it was close. “ Saying that, I would leave if you truly wished it.”
Her brow furrowed as she shook her head. “ I don’t want you to go.”
“ Then we shall take this journey together.”
“ And if it takes months?”
He leaned back against the wall. “ Then it does.”
“ What of your friends?”
“ If they need me, they’ll let me know.”
Katla gathered her hair over one shoulder and ran her fingers through the long, inky length. He imagined grabbing a handful of the onyx strands and winding them around his hand as he held her head in place for a searing kiss. The vision was so clear and vivid that, for a heartbeat, he believed it was real. Blood rushed to his cock. When he blinked, he was still on the floor across the room from her. He swallowed a moan.
The rain began droning louder as the storm settled in. Droplets came through the windows. The instant he saw Katla shiver, Merrill rose and waved his hand over the windows. He could almost see Con shaking his head. The Kings ’ magic was powerful, but they used to be mindful of how often they used it and for what purposes. That directive was disregarded by all after coming to Zora — Con included. It was just another thing that was different on Zora .
“ I’m beginning to think there isn’t anything you can’t do,” Katla said.
He returned to his seat on the floor. “ I was getting wet.”
“ I suspect you wouldn’t have minded.” She nodded at the fire. “ None of the wood I brought in has been used. Is that your doing, as well?”
“ It is. Druids on Earth can do such spells. I imagine you could, too.”
At the mention of magic, her hands paused in her hair for a heartbeat.
“ You shouldna be frightened of your abilities,” he said after seeing her reaction.
“ When I was in the vines, I knew my purpose and place. I knew where I fit in the order of things and why I was there. Some of the things I did with magic just happened. I didn’t feel in control of it.”
Merrill was fascinated by how her fingers nimbly moved as she plaited her hair. “ Magic can feel like that. It can be instinctive at times, and then others, it won’t come when we need it.”
“ Did that happen to you?”
He pulled his gaze away from her hair to look into her eyes. “ No ’ in the way I know it has occurred with the Druids . Specifically , the ones who didna grow up with someone to teach them how to use their power.” The disappointment that crossed her face was like a punch. “ I can try to help. If you want, that is.”
“ I’d like that,” she replied.
There was a vulnerability about Katla that hadn’t been there before. She was opening up in small increments. It didn’t diminish her. To him, it made her even stronger because it took a great deal of strength to take a hard look at yourself and want to change. It took even more to step toward that by asking for help. It was a different kind of strength. One inherently more potent.
“ Would you like to begin now?” he offered.
She tied off the end of the braid before reaching for the waterskin. “ Maybe not quite yet.”
“ There’s no reason to be nervous.” He watched her throat as she drank. He wanted to run his tongue along the vein before kissing down it and then behind her ear.
Katla lowered the waterskin and pressed her wrist to her mouth to dry it. “ I don’t trust myself. What if I hurt you?”
“ We have to know the extent of your magic. How much of it is Druid , and how much from Villette . I’m also curious to discover if there are differences in your magic compared to the Druids from Earth .”
She flipped the end of her braid over her shoulder to fall down her back. “ Why help me?”
“ I doona have an answer. I followed my intuition after I saw you at Stonemore . It wasna just because Kora and Derek wanted to know that you were all right. It was as if something told me we would be on this journey together.”
“ I’m not sure I deserve your help— anyone’s help.”
He held out his hand and waited for her to toss him the waterskin. He caught it easily and removed the lid to take a long drink. “ I know that feeling well. I still think you’re too hard on yourself.”
“ Then you are, too.”
“ We’ll have to agree to disagree on that,” he replied.
This time, he got an actual grin. It was fleeting, but it was there. She tore off pieces of meat from the porunea. Merrill produced rolls with his magic. She spotted the basket near her feet and grabbed one. The smell of warm, fresh bread permeated the dwelling, making even his mouth water.
“ Delicious ,” she said after biting into the roll.
Her eyes closed in contentment as she chewed. He liked pleasing her. It made him want to do more. He was considering turning their space into an opulent chamber when he heard his name in his mind.
“ Cullen wants to talk. Give me a moment,” he told her.
She hurriedly asked, “ Can you inquire about the children?”
He nodded and opened the mental link. “ I’m here, Cullen . How are the bairns?”
“ Settling in nicely. They’re a wee bit overwhelmed, which is to be expected after what they went through. The other children are helping them more than we are. It tends to be how things are.”
“ That’s good to hear. Any issues?”
Cullen chuckled. “ Only with keeping enough food for Perick . The lad is never full. It will take some time for them to fully settle in, but they’re on their way. As you know, everyone is looking out for them. How are things with you?”
“ We’re fine.”
“ No encounters with anyone?”
Merrill frowned at the question. “ Nay . Has something happened there?”
“ It’s strangely quiet. It’s put everyone on edge.”
“ We’ve spent so much time fighting that maybe everyone needs this.”
Cullen sighed. “ That’s what Tamlyn says, but we’ve no’ seen the last of Villette .”
“ I agree. I think she’s forming another plan to hit back hard.”
“ If that’s true, then you and Katla shouldna be out there alone searching for her.”
The mention of her tugged Merrill’s gaze to Katla . “ There is more to Katla than we think. I believe Villette gave her some Star magic.”
“ I think you’re right.”
“ Katla might be able to take down Villette .”
“ Merrill ,” Cullen said, worry lacing his words. “ You know how many it took to bring down Miena . If you locate Villette , contact us so we can get there to help.”
Merrill wanted to refuse, mainly because he wanted to end Villette on his own. But he knew that wasn’t possible. Nor would he watch Villette harm Katla . “ Doona worry, brother. I plan on it.”
“ You might want to reiterate that to Varek . He’s concerned. We all are.”
“ Doona waste your thoughts on me. I’ll figure things out.”
“ You can figure them out here.”
Merrill remembered a time when he had said similar words to one of the Kings . He had always told them that family was there to lean on. It wasn’t that he no longer believed that. Because he did. But this time was different. “ No ’ this time.”
“ Varek said you’d say that.” Cullen exhaled loudly. “ I doona like it, but I’ll stand by your decision. Though , I will say I’m glad you’re no’ on your own.”
“ Aye .” Merrill was glad Katla was with him, too. Or was he with her?
“ Where are you headed?”
“ North at present.”
There was a brief pause. “ No ’ to Orgate ?”
“ We’re steering clear of that city.”
“ Good to hear.”
Merrill drained the last of the whisky from his glass. “ Tell the bairns Katla is thinking about them.”
“ They’ll be happy to know that. They miss her. Be safe, brother.”
“ You , as well.”