Chapter 8
Reynard
The fire burned long enough for me to drag another cart out and extend the barrier. After an hour, I’d created a haphazard barricade. With only Sana’s pendant for protection, it took every ounce of my berserker strength, but the hope in my men’s eyes kept me going.
At the first blush of dawn, the oppressive presence in the forest seemed to fade away, but I barely registered the change, and it took five of Ivar’s finest to hold me back from continuing my labour.
‘That’s the last one, sire. We’re safe now.
You can stop.’ Ivar covered my shoulders with the cloak I’d casually discarded.
The moment his words broke through to me, I felt the cold steal the last of my strength.
I sat heavily on the ground, trembling, as weak as a kitten.
Working as a draft horse was far from my favourite activity, but the village was safe. That was all that mattered.
‘Roksana?’ I asked, relaxing when he smiled.
‘Safe in the inn; a healer is with her,’ Ivar said.
I rubbed my temples. ‘Healer? Is she injured? Or did this flux affect her?’ I attempted to stand, but Ivar’s hand on my shoulder stopped me.
‘She’s safe, my king. And less affected than the others. The healer’s there more to ease your worries than heal her body.’ He gave me an embarrassed look. ‘The men know she’s important to you. The inn was well guarded last night.’
‘Thank you,’ I managed to say, my throat tight. ‘And the mages?’
‘Still sick as dogs. Whatever the cause, they’ve been rendered useless,’ he said, frowning when Tova sat next to me and pulled a pipe from under his cloak, offering it to me once he’d lit the contents of the bowl.
The aromatic smoke trailed away on the winter breeze cooling my clammy body, and, grasping the edges of my cloak, I wrapped it tighter around me.
‘The fog continues to retreat. Maybe it hates the sun as much as it hates fire,’ Tova muttered.
He was right; I could already see the road outside, and the outline of the scorched earth was slowly becoming visible. The heat from the dwarf’s creation had uncovered a wide area almost stretching to the treeline, where ominous shadows lingered in the dense forest undergrowth.
‘That means we’re safe till dusk,’ Ivar said with a sigh.
‘Yes.’ My fist tightened on the pipe, but its herbal scent failed to calm me. ‘One night, and we’ve already lost men. We haven’t even encountered the enemy, and our strongest unit is emptying their guts in a peasant’s barn.’
‘We need to know what caused this,’ Tova said, his eyes scanning the tree line.
My hand shook when I ran it through my hair as I fought the unsettling sensation his words provoked. ‘There was something unusual. A glint of metal caught my eye earlier, it… You remember that schemata you discovered? I swear that it looked like that drawing brought to life.’
The change in Tova was immediate, his eyes turning wild as he spun to face me.
‘You saw the box? When? Where? I must get my hands on it.’ The dwarf was already heading for the gate.
My mind was spinning, still too tired to think straight, but one thing I knew: Sana would never forgive me if I allowed Tova to get hurt.
I turned to Ivar, orders already falling from my lips.
‘Get a squad of men out there to keep him safe. They’re looking for a metal box near the treeline to the west.’ I rubbed my forehead, squinting at the sunrise.
‘Check if there’s any mages able to help him.
If Sana’s dealing with the flux, maybe there’s someone else who can work.
It’s too late to stop the dwarf, so we might as well help. ’
Ivar’s surprise at my orders nearly made me laugh, but I knew that if I started, I wouldn’t stop. Tova was Sana’s family, and his loyalty to her was growing on me. I stood up, ignoring how much the world was spinning.
‘I need to check on Roksana. Ivar, I’ll leave the rest to you.
I’m sorry, old friend.’ I should have stayed, should have checked on my men, but berserker fury came with a price, and if I didn’t head to bed soon, I’d fall on my face in the snow.
The thud of Ivar’s fist hitting his chest in a military salute was reassuring, and I felt more at ease as the glow of the morning sun drove the last of the mist away.
‘Sire…’ A quiet voice from behind made me turn around. A squire stood there with a steaming mug. The boy lowered his gaze, lifting the cup to me. ‘The Lord Marshal ordered it for you, Your Majesty. He said you needed it.’
I took the cup, giving it a cautious sniff, a soft chuckle shaking my frame when I recognised the concoction. Wretched man knew me too well. It wasn’t even mulled wine, but soldiers’ rotgut mixed with honey and spices. One sip and my insides warmed, chasing the shivers away.
‘Thank you,’ I said, sighing in contentment. ‘How are the villagers?’
‘Scared but alive. You saved us. I’ve never seen anyone do that… Even two drays would struggle in those conditions,’ he said before catching himself. ‘I meant no offence, sire. Just… the soldiers can’t stop talking–’
‘Let me guess. They’re saying their king’s a monster.’ He nodded eagerly. I sighed. After today, there was nothing I could do to hide this uncomfortable truth. ‘How unsettled are they?’
‘Unsettled? Sire, they lit pinecones to thank Perun for his blessing. They say no one can tame the berserker; no one except the Erenharts. If anything, the soldiers are in awe of you. The dwarf, though…’ The boy shook his head solemnly. ‘They’re saying he’s a warlock who can create demonic fire.’
That made me snort, the drink spraying onto the ground, the mental image of Tova in flowing robes refusing to disappear from my mind. As long as they called him a warlock, I wouldn’t complain about the hero worship, even if it made me uncomfortable.
‘Thank you, that will be all,’ I said, ready to face my woman.
‘How is she?’ I asked, entering the room.
The quarters were spacious, with a four-poster bed in the middle and a bathtub in the corner. A large window, now covered by dark green curtains, allowed enough light through to prevent tripping, but was still dark enough for the sleeping guest.
It was impressive, furnished in a simple but comfortable manner, suitable for travelling nobles. Furs and quilted covers were piled on the bed, and beneath them was my Viper, her chest rising and falling in a slow, regular rhythm.
‘Tired, but she’ll be fine. The flux drained her the same as the other mages, and impressive as it was, the repeated casting didn’t help either,’ said the tired healer, rising from her chair to bow.
‘No need for formalities. Is that why she’s still sleeping?’ I gestured for the healer to stop bowing, too tired for court theatrics.
‘I gave her a sleeping draught. No one could cast, so I used a potion to replenish her body. She should wake up soon.’
‘Good.’ I nodded, approaching the bed. ‘Get some rest, but on your way, tell the innkeeper to send a maid with water. I need to wash.’ The woman bowed again and left the room while I continued towards the bed.
Sana looked exhausted but unharmed. I had to fight the overwhelming need to wrap her in my arms and hold her until the terror of seeing her collapse disappeared from my heart.
‘You are my greatest weakness, little Viper,’ I whispered, brushing a strand of her hair with one finger. When she murmured my name, I had to turn and walk away. I was sweaty, stinking of charred wood and wet wool, with my shirt stuck to my body in all the wrong places.
I was halfway to the door to shout for water when the first servant rushed in with a steaming bucket. Several more followed, and before I knew it, the bath was ready, even if I could barely squeeze into the tub designed for an average person.
I didn’t bother dressing myself afterwards, simply sliding under the covers, wrapping my arms around Roksana, and resisting the urge to crush her against my chest. My throat bobbed as I swallowed hard, struggling with the wave of relief that threatened to unmake me.
I needed this. I needed her.
The sounds from outside, the chatter of the soldiers bursting from the inn’s dining room, faded away as I buried my nose in Sana’s hair, losing myself in her presence.
This woman, unaware of the turmoil she created in my heart, turned around and wrapped her leg over my hip in a gesture so possessive it made me grin.
‘Good girl. Claim what’s yours,’ I whispered in her ear, letting the joy of the moment seep in as I lazily stroked her back.
She arched, pressing closer, her nose wrinkling when my chest hair tickled. ‘Rey?’ she murmured, stretching and rubbing her cheek over my skin, still flushed and soft from the bath. ‘This must be a dream; war could never smell so sweet.’
‘I bathed for you.’ Blurting out the words like an idiot, I blushed.
I couldn’t believe it; Reynard, the War King and monstrous berserker, blushing like a virgin suitor.
Roksana moved, brushing against me. I was hard for her, all thoughts of cuddling until the sun set, demolished by the first touch of her silky skin.
Understanding dawned in Sana’s eyes, but when she raised her head from my chest, my name wasn’t the one on her lips. ‘Tova?’
The fear in her voice pained me, but I had the perfect answer to dispel her worries. ‘Alive and kicking, currently searching for a metal box with my soldiers. Also, he’s lauded as a warlock and a hero.’ My light-hearted tone made her frown for a moment before her lips twitched in a relieved smile.
‘Does he know?’ She grinned, placing her head back on my chest. My fingers caressed Sana’s cheek, making her sigh. With a grin, I held her head, rolling over until she lay on her back, eyes wide as she looked up at me.
‘He doesn’t, but, more importantly, I should put you over my knee for worrying me,’ I said, only half joking.
‘I had to… The mist crept up without our knowledge and the aether within it… Gods, if it had touched us.’ She wrapped her hands around my neck, pulling me down. Her lips parted as they touched mine, and I groaned, disarmed by her softness but not surrendering yet.
‘Why were you travelling here in the first place?’ I muttered, a hand sliding over the curve of her hip.
‘I had to come. Tova said he was on the cusp of understanding the schemata. He just needed a sample of one of the materials, something more than marks on the paper,’ Sana said, looking up defiantly.
‘Maybe I should lock up our newly discovered warlock in the dungeon again. Only then will I be sure you are safe.’
Sana threw her head back and laughed before giving me a sharp look. ‘You are not being serious, are you?’ she asked, her fingers tangling in my hair as she pulled me back to her neck.
‘No, I’m not serious.’ I nipped her earlobe before whispering, ‘You should rest, Viper. Stop teasing me.’
‘I’ve rested long enough, and you’ll sleep better if you relieve this twitching tension that keeps tapping my thigh,’ she answered, stretching with such a sweet purr my resistance crumbled.
Her body welcomed me, warm, soft, and eager as I caressed her thigh.
My muscles trembled from exhaustion, but I wanted her too much to let the pain cool my ardour.
‘Lie on your side,’ she murmured, finger tightening in my chest hair as she pushed.
I complied, initially confused when our bodies parted, but as Roksana lay beside me, her delicious rear pressed against my hips.
The moment her legs parted, my brain started working, and my hips moved forward, the tight velvet channel wrapping around my manhood.
‘Yes, my liege, just like that,’ she whispered when I began rocking back and forth.
I held Sana’s rounded hips as if my life depended on it, without fearing I might crush her under my weight.
Unable to help myself, I leaned in, kissing the slope of her shoulder, growling softly when Roksana moved my hand to the soft flesh of her breast. It felt so fucking good I could barely hold back my desire, and yet there was a peace in our joining, in the slow, deliberate movement of my cock as it slid in and out of her body.
Sana turned to me, her lips finding mine in a long, languid kiss. Our lips parted before she whispered, her voice breathless with need, ‘I want your hands to caress me. I need you to touch me, Rey… please.’
Without waiting for my answer, she took my hand and slipped it between her legs, both submitting to my touch and taking control.
It was intoxicating.
I swallowed the quiet gasps and frantic moans she made as my fingers teased her sex. Sana’s hips jerked instinctively against my hand, desire driving her every move. I almost gave in to the urge to thrust faster, but loving her felt too good to rush.
‘You’re driving me wild, Viper. Now be a good girl and come for me,’ I whispered into her ear, nipping the soft flesh of her lobe, when she moaned. ‘I want to see the stars explode with emerald fire in your eyes. I want to feel your magic blazing over my skin.’
Sana’s breath hitched when I teasingly pinched her delicate pearl, then bit her shoulder to hear that soft, desperate whimper. She was so close I could feel it, the tightening of her channel, the frantic moans escaping with each slow thrust, her body begging for release, but she resisted.
I leaned back, grasping her throat with my free hand, while pinching her sensitive flesh harder. ‘Scream my name when you fall apart, beloved. Scream my name, Sanika.’
‘Reynard… Oh gods, Rey!’ The sob turned into a scream, destroying my restraint.
Goosebumps swept over my skin, responding to her magic as it wrapped around us in a cocoon, setting my blood on fire.
I pounded her pulsing core with sweet abandon, unable to form coherent thought except for one devastating certainty:
Sana was my life, and I would tear apart the veil itself to protect her.
Heat built at the base of my spine, urgent and demanding, and I let the pleasure crest, roaring her name as I erupted inside her, my body shivering uncontrollably.
‘Stay with me… please,’ I murmured, sated and drowsy, then finally gave in to the overwhelming exhaustion. I wanted to stay like this, joined with my greatest weakness and most beautiful blessing.
Roksana chuckled softly when she reached down to pull the covers over our bodies. ‘Get some rest, Rey. I’ll be here when you wake up.’
I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, that she was my light, but my lips mangled the words, turning them into nonsense. Moments later, my mumbling turned into a carefree smile as the scent of lilac and honey wrapped around me like a sweet promise, chasing me into oblivion.