Chapter 21 #2
Since the day of their release, Ronan had refused to step foot in his father’s kingdom.
They could all burn in hell for what he cared.
His loyalty was to the ones who’d been with him through the nightmare of captivity, and who’d helped him survive it.
Not with the bastard who’d handed him over to be tortured.
His father was lucky he talked to him.
Mischief reached out and placed her hand over his. “You know you always have a place on my boat.”
“True. A crow’s nest always needs a crow.”
She shook her head. “You know what I mean.”
No, he really didn’t. They’d always had a complicated relationship. “I don’t even know your real name. Rather sure it isn’t Princess Mischief.”
She chuckled. “Actually, that is what my parents called me. More often than Penelope.”
Ronan sat there in stunned silence. “Penelope?” he repeated, trying to reconcile that name with the beautiful bit of chaos in front of him.
She nodded. “Princess Penelope Augusta Victoria Vandermere of Cosaria.”
“So Mischief it is.”
She laughed. “Exactly.”
He shook his head as he remembered the last time they’d met. He’d fetched her for Dash, along with Cadoc, another of their Outlaws from the port city where she’d docked her ship. She’d been horribly drunk when he found her. They both had.
“Are you doing better?” he asked.
“I’m only all right when you’re around. I wish you wouldn’t leave.”
Those words hit him like a sucker punch to the gullet. She’d never said that to him before. “I thought you didn’t want me to hold you back.” That was what she’d said the time before when they’d run into each other.
“Why do you think I was drunk, Ro? You weren’t supposed to leave.”
“You told me not to bother you. Not unless Dash or one of the others needed you.”
Her eyes glistened from unshed tears. “Because it hurts to see you. You weren’t supposed to leave,” she repeated.
Ronan pulled her forehead to his. “You are the most complicated person I’ve ever known.” And he should have known that when she’d been so hostile.
Mischief was so afraid of being hurt again that she always pushed away what she needed.
“You know that I’m always here for you, Missy.”
“But you left me.” This time the tears were in her tone. “You weren’t supposed to leave me, Ro. You promised.”
He cursed himself for being stupid. “You hurt me when you told me to leave. I have feelings, too, you know?”
She nodded. “I always screw things up.”
“No, you don’t. And you can never screw anything up with me.” He kissed her lightly on the lips.
The moment he did, she launched herself into his arms and met that kiss with more passion than he’d ever known.
Closing his eyes, he savored the taste of her. It’d been a year since they’d been together.
A long, shitty year where he’d missed her touch.
Her warmth. She’d been the only woman he’d ever loved or that he ever would.
A little bit crazy mixed with vibrant intelligence and a willingness to slaughter anyone who got in her way.
There was no one like her, and he appreciated every moment of the chaos she brought with her.
Slowly, she crawled into his lap and deepened their kiss. This was what he’d missed most. Her passion and taste.
“Oh!”
Ronan pulled back at the startled gasp, then laughed as he saw Candara’s red face.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt…”
Mischief laughed as she extracted herself from his lap. “It’s all right. We shouldn’t have chosen such a public spot for our kiss.”
Ronan scoffed. “Not like it’s the first time, and that was rather chaste for us.”
Mischief elbowed him hard in the stomach. “Don’t make me beat you.”
“Long as you’re naked, I’m up for most things, as you well know.”
“Would you stop! You’re going to make the poor girl burst into flames.”
She was right. Candara was practically glowing from embarrassment.
“I’m not used to those who are so casual with their dalliances.”
Ronan wrapped his arms around Mischief and rested his chin on top of her hair. “Wouldn’t have to be casual if she’d ever marry me.”
To his surprise, Mischief leaned back in his arms and raised her hand to cup his cheek. “Are you willing to stay with me if I say yes? It would mean you’d have to finally put down the roots you so despise.”
For a full minute Ronan couldn’t breathe as he digested those words. Had she really said them?
Did she mean them?
“Are you serious?”
Mischief turned around in his arms so that she faced him. “If you’re willing to settle down, so am I.”
He couldn’t believe that. Not after all these years of begging her to marry. “You’re the only home I’ve ever known.”
She smiled up at him. “Then promise you won’t leave and abide by it.”
Picking her up, he laughed. “Not even you will ever drive me away.” He savored the way she felt against him as she kissed him again.
“What are we interrupting now?” Xaydin asked.
Candara clicked her tongue. “I think they’re getting married.”
“’Bout time. They’ve waited long enough to stop buzzing around each other. It’s really annoying for the rest of us to watch.”
Ronan set Mischief back on her feet. “I don’t want to hear it from you, X.” He slid a meaningful look to Gisela.
Xaydin pulled her to his side and smirked. “Didn’t take me twenty years.”
“Fair point.” Ronan stepped back from Mischief but didn’t go far as she caught his hand and held him there.
“Shall we portal, then?” Masakage asked.
“We can always go by way of my ship.”
Xaydin shook his head. “That’ll take too long. Better to update Dash on what’s happening now than wait.”
Ronan agreed. While he knew Mischief would hate to be without her boat, it would take days, if not a full week, to reach Dash’s palace over sea.
The portal would be even faster than if he flew. And it wouldn’t leave him tired on arrival. “Who’s going to open it?”
“I will,” Candara and Masakage said in unison.
Candara smiled at her brother. “Together, then?”
“Sure.”
They joined hands and began to chant under their breath.
Xaydin braced himself as a small circle began to spin the air in front of them. He’d always hated portals. They were extremely disorienting.
Slowly the spinning red circle grew larger and brighter. Taking Gisela’s hand, Xaydin stepped through to find himself in the courtyard outside of Dash’s Clovenshire Castle.
It was a large dark gray fortress that spread out into a perfect square. Each corner was equally anchored by a tall, square tower.
That was the outside. Inside those formidable stone walls was a spectacular manor house.
Dash’s ancestors had built this place over three hundred years ago to hold back those who wanted to invade and tear the unicorns down.
It hadn’t been that long ago that the unicorn race had been relegated to only this area of their lands and had stood on the edge of extinction. Until they fought back.
Unicorns were nothing if not resilient.
And violent.
“Welcome to your ancestral home,” he said to Gisela.
Stunned and amazed, Gisela turned around in a small circle as the rest of their party joined them just outside the beautiful manor.
This was so different from Meara’s castle. And it wasn’t just because there were no centaurs. Children ran about, laughing and playing. Some were in unicorn bodies while others were in human form.
And they all seemed so…
Happy.
A few appeared disgruntled, but nothing like the ones who inhabited Meara’s lands.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, wishing she’d grown up here instead. How different would her life have been had she known these people.
People who would no doubt hate her for being blood related to their biggest enemy.
Shit.
Just as she was tempted to run back through the portal to escape those she was sure would demand her head, the portal closed.
Why did I come here?
What had she been thinking?
The centaurs and unicorns had been at war as far back as anyone could remember. They’d never been united in anything other than hatred.
She shouldn’t be here.
“You’re fine.” Xaydin rubbed gently against her back as if he sensed her unease. “No one here will harm you.”
How she prayed he was right. Especially as the door opened and an exceptionally tall, handsome man walked through it. His long black hair was pulled back from his perfectly chiseled face with a leather cord.
But the oddest part was the large crow perched on his muscular shoulder. He leaned against a long, twisted staff that held a crystal at one end similar to the one preferred by Masakage.
Dressed in a black jerkin and breeches, he held an air of authority and danger. Of raw power that dared someone to challenge him.
That someone appeared to be Masakage who approached him slowly and said something in a language she didn’t understand.
Smiling, the man embraced Masakage, then turned to the rest of them. “I want to say welcome, but seeing all of you here…my sphincter clenches. What’s happened?”
By his regal demeanor, she thought him to be Dash, until her group climbed the stairs to where he waited.
Xaydin tsked. “Ryper…not like Dash to let you off the leash. Or should I say harness?”
“Ha ha, troll.” His gaze went past Xaydin to her. “And you’ve brought a friend. Should I ask?”
There was a hesitancy in Xaydin that made her curious. It wasn’t like him. “Her name is Gisela.”
Ryper smiled and gave her a courtly bow. “Pleasure to meet you, fair Gisela.” He stroked the head of the crow on his shoulder. “Allow me to present Chrysis and she is a crisis most of the time.”
The bird made a caw that sounded offended by his comment.
“Prince Ryper?” she repeated as she finally realized who he was.
“Ryper, please. I hate titles.”
This was the brother of King Dash.
My brother, too.
That made her feel suddenly awkward and terrified. She wanted to embrace him and tell him who she was, but why would he accept her when even her own mother refused?
No, she couldn’t let them know. The risk was just too great. And why would they ever trust her? She was her mother’s assassin. Didn’t bode well for family bonding.