Chapter 31
Galadon
The Taugud shifters had set up a designated landing pad near downtown Norman, so we could avoid creating any more burn holes in the ground when we visited that area of the city. I landed directly at the center of it, reluctantly releasing my mate to make my shift.
Rayna wore a burgundy camrium dress with a halter style that showed the slight swell of her breasts, and the bottom only reached her knees. It was one of the garments delivered before we left our territory, and I’d brought it with me by storing it in shiggara, but she hadn’t had a chance to wear it until now. I’d only made it halfway between the fortress and the city before stopping in a secluded part of the woods to change briefly back to human to take advantage of the easy access her clothing provided.
My mate had been just as eager, though we had to take extra care not to ruin the dress. The cloth was far more durable than what humans used, but I was strong enough to damage it if I didn’t watch myself. Camrium didn’t wrinkle, either, so there were no visible signs of what we’d done fifteen minutes ago.
I emerged from the flames, fully clothed.
Rayna smiled as she spun in her boots, looking around at the bustling shops and restaurants. “It feels like ages since I’ve been here.”
“What do you wish to do first?” I asked, pleased to spend a normal day with her, where we could put our worries aside. “I traded coins at the fortress, so if you want something, we can get it.”
Although the Taugud and Faegud territories had different styles of currency, we had an exchange rate agreement. It made things easier for those who traveled between territories often, and it promoted cooperation between the toriqan and humans.
Rayna’s brows drew together. “I’m so used to planning for weeks or months in advance to buy anything, then having to scavenge things to trade. I sort of made myself stop wanting anything I didn’t absolutely need.”
“In all these years as a slayer, you’ve never bought anything unnecessary?” I asked, horrified at how sparse her life had been before. Even I hadn’t been that frugal.
She shrugged. “It was easy enough to pilfer books, but that was the only luxury I allowed myself since I could leave them for others once I finished. People don’t exactly pay slayers to kill dragons—aside from the coalition—so the most I got from locals was food sometimes. Plus, there’s only so much Onyx and I can carry. It was pointless to pack anything we didn’t need.”
Though I still didn’t care for her profession, it saddened me that she risked her life without compensation or a reward. She couldn’t call a place home because she had to keep moving. Even the jakhal guards and border security were given a decent wage for their duties. For me, I had my land as a resource and trade dealings with others to acquire what I wanted.
Sometimes, when she spoke of her years roaming the land, I could see the deep loneliness that had occupied her during that time. I hoped she never had to feel that way again and that we could make up for what we lacked before joining together. Making her happy drove me in a way I never imagined.
I took her hand and began guiding her down the street. “If you don’t choose at least one or two things for yourself, I will be deeply upset.”
A gleam entered her eyes. “You won’t get an argument out of me because I seriously need to brighten that mancave where you keep your bed.”
“Mancave?” I asked, confused by the unfamiliar term.
“There’s hardly anything feminine in there, Galadon.”
I supposed she was right, though I’d always liked my sleeping quarters well enough. But with her wearing that dress, it wouldn’t have mattered what excuse she gave. She could ask for anything big or small, and I would find a way to get it for her—and transport it.
As Rayna stopped frequently to peek inside shop windows, her features showed such light-hearted happiness that it took my breath away. It reminded me of the photos I saw when she was younger, and her whole future was ahead of her. The ones from a time before she was forced into a life of solitude and killing. Until recently, I hadn’t realized how much it weighed her down. Her brazen behavior and sarcasm had been a way to hide her pain and loneliness. How couldn’t I have seen it when I donned my own mask to hide similar hardships?
For this moment, at least, the weight had been lifted. Her slayer urges were curbed, we’d overcome our fears, become fully mated, and even developed genuine friendships. The smile she sent my way as she pointed at something inside a shop struck me like a boulder. I’d burn the world down for her if that’s what it took to keep her happy. She was everything I hadn’t realized I needed.
“Let’s go in there,” she said.
I pulled the door open for her, and we stepped inside a shop filled with hand-carved wooden boxes of various sizes. Some were only suitable for small items like jewelry, others large enough to hold a small wardrobe. Rayna ran her hand over several of them, carefully tracing the carvings. She moved through the room gracefully as I followed behind, entranced by her.
“Do you have any that are flame-proof?” she asked the proprietor.
The middle-aged man glanced between us, clearly nervous about my presence. I gave him a pointed look to focus on Rayna.
He obliged by giving her a friendly smile. “A few of the small chests are pre-treated, but we take commissions and have an arrangement with one of the shifters at the fortress for larger items. Is there something in particular?”
She turned to look at me with a shyness I’d never seen on her face, but I could also see she desired something badly. “Whatever you want, najeema.”
There was gratitude in her hazel eyes as she turned back to the man. “A larger one.” She paused and pointed at a box that appeared to have interesting brass locks and would easily hold all the garments she currently owned, plus a few more we’d add soon. “Similar to this, but I’d like to create my own design if it’s possible for you to carve it on the lid?”
“Depending on what you’re thinking, it’s certainly possible. Would you like a pencil and paper?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes, please.”
The man reached beneath the counter and pulled out the requested items. Rayna’s hair fell over her face as she bent to sketch out her design with extreme focus. I tucked it behind her ears for her.
At first, I couldn’t tell what she intended to draw, but slowly, the scene came to life. She was an artist—an incredible one. Her pencil flew across the page as she worked to put the finishing touches that were clearly a dragon and a woman who suspiciously looked like us. Another thing I hadn’t known about her until now.
“Why have I never seen you draw or any of your work?” I asked, moving closer to her.
She framed the design with artistic flourishes. “I always burn them after I’m done, and I haven’t drawn since we…well, there hasn’t been time or opportunity lately. Plus, the Kandoran stole my sketch pads and pencils.”
“You didn’t mention them before.”
“Technically, they aren’t a necessity, but when I was on the road, they helped pass the time between hunts. I just didn’t have a place to store them, so sometimes I gave them away if I thought someone might appreciate them. Usually, though, I burned them.”
I gave her an incredulous look and noted the proprietor doing the same.
“You could sell these,” he said.
She shook her head. “They’re just a hobby, nothing special.”
I turned her to face me. “They’re a lot more than that, and if there is anything you wish to do with your art, I will support you.”
She blinked. “But my mother always said it was a waste of…”
“No.” I cupped her cheek. “You told me yourself you could never please her, so why let her ruin this as well?”
Rayna opened her mouth, then closed it. “I guess you have a point.”
I turned my attention to the man. “How long will it take for the chest to be completed?”
“I only have a few orders ahead of you, so two to three weeks.” He glanced at Rayna. “If she were willing to provide a few more designs I could use for the pre-made chests, I’d be willing to give you a discount."
I didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on Rayna. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Wait.” She put a hand on my arm and turned her gaze to the human. “I’ll work on them between now and when we pick up the chest. I’ll be coming near here to hunt anyway, and if you like the designs, we can talk about a discount.”
“You’re a slayer—like the pendragon’s wife?” the man asked, eyebrows lifting.
She nodded. “Yes, though I recently moved to Faegud territory in Texas. I still come up here to hunt Kandoran, though.”
“Were you here for the war?”
“Yes.” She gestured at me. “We both fought in it.”
“I admit I hid underground when the battle came close, but I’ve heard plenty of stories. I’ll never understand how you all stood fighting while badly outnumbered, then survived and won. Those of us who couldn’t join appreciate what you did and your sacrifices. Anyway, slayers automatically get a ten percent discount on top of whatever we agree on with your sketches,” he said, tapping her paper.
“Sounds great.”
Despite the human not being a warrior, I found myself liking him. He wasn’t in the kind of physical shape needed to fight against an enemy, but he still did what he could to support those who protected him and other innocents. The world needed all types of people to flourish.
“I assume you’d like a deposit now?” I asked, making certain I used as friendly a voice as possible.
He nodded, appearing less tense than before as he met my gaze. “We prefer half up front. I’d say a hundred and thirty-five for the chest at the current discount.”
Rayna gasped. “But…”
I squeezed her hand. “Also, I want her to choose something smaller today that she can take with her. How much would that be?”
“Twenty-five for any of the ones along that wall,” he said, pointing to our right. There were numerous chests that could suit her. “The ones on the bottom shelf are all flame-proof for five extra.”
Rayna hesitated for a moment, but I was rather certain the adamant look on my face told her not to argue. She skimmed over the ones on the bottom shelf until she came upon one that caught her eye. Picking it up, she brought it back to the counter. It was a simple design with a single rose.
“This one.”
I was beginning to think I’d never be able to predict what she would do next.
Pulling from shiggara, I dropped the exact number of necessary coins. Some were larger and worth five or ten, but they would add up correctly. It still didn’t bother me when the proprietor counted them out. I would have done the same. Then, he made out a receipt for the transaction. I took it and sent it to shiggara before I could singe the paper.
“We will get you parchment and other supplies for sketching from the fortress, so they will be flameproof,” I told Rayna.
She knitted her brows. “Oh, right. Good idea.”
I was rather certain she wasn’t accustomed to anyone taking care of her. If I were honest, I wasn’t used to doing things for another person, either. I’d begun with my mother, so I’d had some practice before Rayna came along, but it was different with her. The amount of pleasure I derived from making my mate the slightest bit happier was something I never anticipated.
She clutched the chest as we departed the shop. I offered to take it for her, but she refused to let it go like it was the most important treasure in the world. It made me feel pleased that I’d added it to the order. I knew very well the larger chest had a practical use, even if it was nicer and costlier. The small one would be to store the items she didn’t necessarily need.
“Thank you,” she said, throwing her free arm around me and kissing me on the cheek. “You’ve made me happier than you know.”
Somehow, she managed to lift my mood even higher with a few words. I’d become accustomed to long periods of feeling little to nothing, but with her, I felt everything. A question had been lingering in my mind the last few days, and now seemed as good a time as any to ask.
“After we handle the Kandoran threat, would you consider doing a bonding ceremony?” I asked, nervous about her answer. While we didn’t need anything official, it would help others see how serious we were about our relationship, and I wanted them to know she had become the most precious person in the world to me.
Shock filled her hazel eyes. “Really? I didn’t think you’d be into that sort of thing with how you grew up and me being a slayer.”
“The bond is enough for me,” I said, grazing my knuckles across her soft cheeks. “But exchanging words before those closest to us and giving each other official bands lets the world know how serious we are without question. It will also give you another reason to wear one of your new dresses.”
Rayna laughed, the tone so light it sounded like music. “I’d love that, Galadon. After we handle the Kandoran, we’ll arrange it, but I want it on your land, and only those closest to us should be there.”
I nodded, liking that idea. “Agreed.”
Then I leaned down and gave her a kiss meant to sear this day into our minds forever. She didn’t hold back, tangling her tongue with mine and holding onto me tightly. After a few passersby made rude comments and sounds, I reluctantly pulled back. As much as I wished to burn the annoying people to ash, that sort of thing was frowned upon in Norman.
“Do you wish to keep looking at the shops or find a restaurant?” I asked, deciding we should probably get moving.
“I want to find a gift for Phoebe’s baby, but we’re probably better off looking at one of the fortress shops so it will be fireproof. Let’s do food next—I’m starving.”
It was good to see her appetite had fully returned since our ordeal. “Any preference?”
“I’ve heard the new Italian place is good, but I’m not sure how shifters do with that,” she said, uncertain.
I leaned down to kiss away her hesitant look.
“They got steak in there, too, in case any carnivores visit,” came a loud, vexatious voice behind me.
I’d barely touched her lips when I recognized it and pulled away. “Conrad. Have you come to ruin a perfectly good day?”
He was one of Bailey’s closest friends and had transitioned to a full slayer last fall, but most of us shifters had difficulty tolerating the man. Rayna didn’t seem to mind him, though I couldn’t imagine how she found the patience to endure his presence. She leaned to the side to look behind me, where the annoying male stood a few feet away.
“Conrad!” she said, pulling from my arms to smile at him.
I turned and yanked her into my side. Sure enough, the male slayer stood closer than I liked. He had short black hair, dark skin, and brown eyes. His height was average for a human male and half a foot shorter than me, but he was far more muscular than most of his kind. Bailey had mentioned once that he exercised a lot while working to become a slayer. The expression on his face as he took us in was priceless and almost worth seeing him again.
“You two are…together now?” he asked, shaking his head as if he thought he’d lost his mind.
Rayna put a hand on my chest. “Yes. We fully mated a few days ago.”
“I mean, I heard you slept together because that was all the talk after the war.” He rubbed his eyes next as if that would correct his vision. “But everyone said you were more likely to kill each other than actually mate. Guess I’ll have to pay up on that bet.”
I lifted a brow. “There was a betting pool?”
Conrad nodded his head. “It started when Rayna began helping at the pre-war training and grew from there. You two havin’ to work together and bickerin’ all the time had everyone wondering what would happen, but I guess ya’ll finally settled your shit.”
It was just as well I hadn’t known about the betting since it would have annoyed me before. Now, I truly didn’t care. I got what I wanted, and I was happy with the end result.
Rayna cleared her throat. “Where is Rosalie?”
“Gettin’ her nails done over there,” he said, nodding to a place across the street. “One of Javier’s proteges has some kind of special magic that can make ‘em last longer. That place has some seriously strong smells and too many females who give men the stink eye if we come inside, so I always come out here and walk while I wait.”
“That’s good that you take the time to bring her and wait,” Rayna replied.
He cocked his head. “You ever go in there?”
She shook her head. “No. You know how it is with our job, but occasionally, I find some nail polish in an abandoned home that’s still good, and I paint my toes.” Rayna glanced down at her boots and sighed. “The Kandoran ruined the last polish I put on and stole the bottle.”
Conrad winced. “I saw how shitty you looked when we came to the rescue. Sorry. I know that must have sucked ass for both of you, though I guess I can see how that might have bonded you together.”
“Thanks for coming for us,” Rayna said, giving him an appreciative smile.
I supposed I could stop glowering as much at him since he had dropped everything to help save us. Still, it wasn’t easy to soften my attitude since Conrad had witnessed me at my weakest. I tried not to think of everyone who’d seen our pulverized bodies or how I’d failed to protect Rayna.
The male slayer shrugged. “You know I don’t like to miss a good fight. I’ll be there for the next one tomorrow, too, not to worry.”
“They’re going to see us coming this time for sure,” she sighed.
Conrad grinned. “Just have a little faith in Morgan and some of the other sorcerers. They’re comin’ with us and ready for whatever those fools throw at us.”
I noted the surprise in Rayna’s face, though I’d heard as much from Aidan while the slayer was out hunting. Since they couldn’t use the element of surprise, they needed to put together a strong enough force to counter whatever the cunning sorcerer leader had planned.
“That makes me feel better.”
“We need to get going, so I can feed Rayna before she becomes grouchy,” I said, wishing to return to time alone with my mate.
She glared up at me. “I do not get grouchy.”
“You do, but I’ve found kissing you calms you enough until I can get you sustenance.”
Conrad laughed. “Okay, this is just gettin’ weird. I still can’t get used to ya’ll bein’ cute and couple-y and shit. See ya’ll later!”
He hurried away before we could respond.
“You did that just to get rid of him,” Rayna accused.
I lifted my brows. “Can you blame me? I’m hungry and ready to eat.”
“You made me out to be the cranky one, though,” she said, poking my chest.
“It was more amusing that way.”
She rolled her eyes and took my hand, leading me to the Italian restaurant. “For that, you aren’t allowed to order steak. You’ll eat whatever I eat.”
“If it makes you happy to force me to suffer poor-tasting sustenance the day before a large battle, then I’ll endure your food choice.”
Her shoulders slumped. “No, it’s fine. Order what you want.”
I hid my grin so she wouldn’t know I’d anticipated that response. We only had tonight to enjoy each other’s company. Once we rose tomorrow, we’d meet with the Faegud and face an enemy who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy us if we didn’t prove strong enough. I had to hope my mate and I were better prepared than the last time we saw Astaroth.