Game Night
It didn’t take long for the rest of my guardians and Gavin to join us at the table, all waiting to hear what happened on our journey. Food and a mug of the pain meds were set in front of me as Becka slid in across from me.
“I’m beginning to think we can’t let you ever leave this place,” she teased. “Every time you leave, something crazy happens. Who gets into a fight with ten rogue dragons?”
“First of all, we didn’t really get into a fight—”
Payson let out a bark of laughter. “What do you call Vasin playing chicken after he dive-bombed the fight? Oh, or the fact you used your Birthright to hold the line before you threatened them?”
“Yeah, that totally sounds like it was no big deal,” Becka scolded, giving me a disapproving look. “Cassarah, what are we going to do with you?”
“I had people with me this time. It just so happened the only way to end things was to meet it head-on,” I countered.
“Literally,” Zan added. “Let’s also not forget about leaving the dragon riders on the edge of the Unclaimed Lands as punishment for their disrespect. I believed they deserved it and hopefully will learn not to underestimate our queen.”
At this news, all of them turned to look at me with shocked expressions until May burst out laughing.
“You left them there? Oh God, what I wouldn’t give to have seen their reactions as you flew away.
Those assholes have always been too self-entitled just because they have their own dragon.
Let me guess, Svan was the biggest dick of them all. ”
“Bast wasn’t much better,” Dayson added.
“Can we all join you when you talk to them later?” May asked with excitement shining in her eyes.
“Um… sure,” I answered with a shrug. “I don’t think it will be all that interesting for all of you, but I won’t stop you from sitting in on any of my meetings.”
The rest of the meal was full of talk about the dragons, and Zan added in what he knew about the Dragon Lands, amazing them all.
It was nice to see everyone was truly starting to become a team after such a short time.
It put me more at ease, hoping that as things became more strenuous with the impending war, we could all handle the pressure that came with it.
“Has anyone heard from Jade at all?” I asked as the conversation came to a lull.
Everyone shook their heads.
“My queen, you will be the first to know when he returns,” Izel assured me. “If he comes in late, do you want him to wake you up?”
“Yes, I need to know the answer as fast as possible. My whole plan hinges on them agreeing,” I answered as a bubble of panic started to take hold at the thought of them saying no.
“Cass, calm your mind. There are many other things we can do. Remember, you now have another kingdom to call on if you need to.”
“But that means accepting becoming their queen and changing everything for that kingdom and my clans. Don’t you think fighting to survive is enough right now?”
“A queen must do what is best for all people involved. If you believe the Lost King knows about Sheca and its people, they will not be safe for long, either.”
“I accept that, but I will deal with that once we know Queen Mary’s answer.”
Dayson returned to the table with three large glass bottles in his hands. “I say we take the night off. You wanted to leave the riders out in the desert for the night, so why not make them wait until morning.”
“That means you got distracted finding this mead and forgot to hunt down the dragon riders,” May accused as she stole one of the bottles and pulled the cork out to take a swig. “Damn, you got these from Tati, didn’t you? That woman is the best mead brewer in the clans.”
“I did, but they were a gift to Queen Cassarah, welcoming her to the clans,” Dayson pointed out, snagging back the bottle. “You should ask before you steal from the queen.”
Looking at the others and the excitement shining on their faces, I couldn’t say no. Besides, as Vasin keeps telling me, I need to learn to have fun and build stronger bonds with my guardians.
“Sounds like a great idea, Dayson. Where do you suggest we hold this night of fun?” I inquired.
“Our rooms might be the best,” Payson suggested. “We have an open middle room with more space to sit.”
Becka jumped to her feet, clapping her hands. “I’ll get everything we need to play a few different games. No, Cassarah, I’m not talking about chess. No one would be able to beat you.”
I laughed, remembering all the times I conned her into playing with me when my father wasn’t around.
Becka wasn’t bad at the game, but she wasn’t willing to plan out as far as I was, nor as patient.
Izel brought me to their rooms as the others ran off to get what they thought we would need for this evening of drinking.
I hadn’t really spent time in their space other than seeing it the first day from the entryway, so I was pleased to see how cozy they’d all made it.
Thick furs covered the floor and chairs, making them look comfortable to relax in.
Izel sat me on a long wooden bench with furs padding the seat and backed up against the wall for me to lean against. Instead of sitting next to me, Izel sat at my feet, leaning his back against the bench and his shoulder against my knee.
“How is your leg feeling? The others mentioned you’ve been walking on it more than you should,” Izel pressed as he ran a hand down my leg.
Shifting to the side, he put my foot in his lap and carefully pushed my pants leg up until he could see the injury.
Gently, he ran his fingers over my skin, feeling for any heat to show it was irritated.
The tea that Alto had been having me drink was helping greatly to quiet the dull ache that’s been bothering me most of the afternoon.
“I’m ready to have my leg back. All it’s doing now is slowing me down.” I sighed, trying to hide the shiver his touch was causing. “After this, I will never again take the ability to walk for granted.”
Izel gripped my ankle in a firm hand as he pulled my pants leg back down. “Why is it so hard for you to show even the slightest amount of weakness? No one is that strong. Each and every living thing has something that makes them weak. It’s a fact of life.”
“Before coming to live with the clans, I was never strong,” I whispered, causing him to lift his gaze to meet mine.
“All my life, I’ve been weak, never able to stand up for myself or others until Vasin, Becka, Abbott, Cole, Ballard, and even Helena taught me how to fight for myself.
Now, my biggest fear is becoming that weak version of myself all over again, having been told I would fail day in and day out.
My mother never thought I would amount to anything.
I was too smart, too impertinent, and not ladylike at all.
Even my father, who showed me the most kindness, turned his back on me when it mattered so that he wouldn’t be ridiculed further for having tainted blood.
Having had a taste of this freedom, I can’t ever go back to being that. ”
“You, My Queen, are a warrior through and through. Sure, you might have lost sight of it, but I doubt that will happen again,” Izel said, reaching up to take my hands in his and pressing them to his lips.
“Never have I met a woman as strong in spirit and mind as you are. There are many physically strong women in our clans, but they have sacrificed the part of them that feels as deeply as you do. Your strength is not in just what you can do with this body but with the mind that controls it. Once they see a glimpse of what is going on in that beautiful brain of yours, they will never assume you are weak, and if they do, that is to their detriment, not yours.”
“How is it that you can know that? We’ve only just met.”
Mischief glinted in his eyes as he gave me a half-smile.
“I’m a trained mercenary, meaning I can spot a person’s weakness and strength a mile away.
That and you, my warrior, are an open book when you are with me.
You let me see you, the real you, when we talk, holding nothing back.
It’s these moments I’m coming to treasure more than anything else. ”
My cheeks heated as I flushed under his attention and honest words. His voice was so smooth and sultry it was like I was being hypnotized by the sound of it, almost to the point I might have missed the others entering the room if Izel hadn’t looked away.
“All right! We’ve got the games, the mugs, the mead, and food to eat as we play to keep us from getting blackout drunk.” Dayson’s voice boomed with excitement as he set the bottles on the table.
Izel shifted to sit next to me, again seated on the floor, watching everything going on like we didn’t just have this moment together.
On the other hand, I needed to figure out how to get my heart to stop pounding in my chest and my cheeks to cool before someone else noticed.
Just when I thought I’d managed, I caught Cole’s gaze watching me with a critical eye, shifting between Izel and me.
“What are we playing first?” Payson asked as he filled a mug with the amber liquid and walked it over to me. “Do you have a favorite game, Cassarah?”
Accepting the mug, I shrugged. “Other than chess and checkers, I wasn’t really taught many games, and I didn’t have any siblings to play with, either.”
“That makes this even more fun!” May declared, slapping down a deck of cards. “I say we teach her Smugglers Lies.”
“What about starting with something simpler?” Abbott interjected. “What about knuckles or dice?”
“Oh, we have pick-up sticks too,” Becka announced, holding up a tube of brightly painted sticks.
Gavin scoffed. “Don’t you know anything? That game needs to be saved until everyone is well on their way to being drunk. It’s too easy if you’re sober.”
Dayson slapped Gavin on the back, making him flinch a little. “I like this prince. He knows how to have a good time.”
“Perfect. Zan, do you know what bones are, what points?” Izel asked, rising to his feet and walking over to the table.
Zan gave a wide grin, rubbing Ezzu’s head as he took a seat. “You could say I’m confident in my skills at this game.”
“Come on over, little phoenix. Let’s teach you how this game works,” Abbott said, waving me over.
Once I was seated at the table, he rested his hands on my shoulder and stood over me.
“It’s all about getting the highest numbers you can from what you’re given.
See how each bone has a different shape on each side, they are worth different points. ”
Caging me in with his body, he tossed out the bones and showed me every possibility that could be done numbers-wise.
It was much like paying dice… just without the dice.
Even though I was far more comfortable and used to Abbott touching me, there seemed to be something different in his motives for this lesson.
He was using any excuse to make sure he was touching me in some way.
It brought back memories of having my first kiss after riding the high of winning the fight with him at the capture the flag game before I was taken.
Abbott never acted any differently toward me, so I didn’t bother to bring it up, especially when I knew that most women in the clans didn’t see it as a big deal.
Something was telling me it might just be a big deal to Abbott.
“I think she’s got it. No need to keep hanging all over her,” Cole snapped, shocking us all.
Cole and Abbott might not have been best friends, but I knew they were good friends. This was how Cole typically treated everyone else around him but not Becka or Abbott.
“Something wrong?” I asked before I realized now might not be the best setting to ask such a personal question.
“It’s fine. I just know you’re smart enough to have learned this simple game the first time he explained it,” Cole grumbled.
Payson nudged Cole with his elbow. “Looks like someone needs to drink more and chill the fuck out. Leave them alone. We aren’t in any rush to pressure anyone into anything they aren’t comfortable with or ready for.”
I tilted my head to the side as Payson spoke, knowing what he said didn’t make any sense to the game at hand.
Dayson cleared his throat and nudged over my mug. “Have you ever had mead before, Cassarah?”
“No, I’ve had wine on special occasions, but it wasn’t something I was allowed to indulge in,” I answered, taking a sip from the mug.
The mead was sweet and crisp, full of spices that gave it a deep flavor. Quickly, I took a bigger gulp, enjoying the taste of it immensely.
“Whoa now,” Dayson laughed, grabbing the mug. “Don’t drink too fast, or you’ll be passed out in the corner before long and miss all the fun.”
“Oh, tonight is going to be great,” Payson chirped, grinning from ear to ear. “All right, let’s play a round, and then we wager.”