Chapter 2 #2
“Oh, right, you don’t know him. Zaurahel is Valeen’s husband and mate.” He shifted anxiously thinking of all that had transpired the past eight months. “Recently reconciled.”
“It never ends well when two males love the same goddess. It often results in war. Territorial things, you are.”
“We’ve already been there and done that,” Thane said with a chuckle. “In another life. We’ve moved past it. And Valeen was reborn as Layala, but she doesn’t want to be called that anymore.”
“But you still want to be known as your elf name,” she said with an air of curiosity to her voice.
“Right.” His gaze dropped and heat inched up his neck.
Breasts. Round, full breasts. The silk dress she held pressed against her chest, barely covered her nipples and he felt like scum for noticing, but they were hard to miss.
He was sure she had no idea how much she had exposed and quickly turned his head away. “Your dress is, um, falling.”
“Oh, dear, I am sorry. I did not mean to give you a free peek.” She grinned like it bothered him more than her and tugged the straps over her shoulders. “Well, now that you have practically gotten me out of my dress, you will have to tie it back up.”
His heart skipped a beat, and he pressed his lips together to keep from smiling.
Already she was different than he might have guessed.
Clearly she wasn’t shy. “Of course.” He stepped behind her and his fingers trembled as if he were a young lad touching a lady for the first time and pulled the two pieces together and threaded the string through the loop.
“We need to get back to the others and I think I’ll insist you come with me. It could be dangerous out here.”
With the turn of her head, he caught the smile tugging at the corners of her lovely mouth. “You are a protector by nature.”
“As a king, it’s my duty.”
“And as a god. Protector of the realms,” she added.
“Yes, that too.” He finished tying the bow and stepped back, even tucking his hands behind himself like if he didn’t, they’d touch her again of their own volition.
He still felt like both sides of him fought for dominance.
He couldn’t ignore his past, but he preferred his life as Thane, as High King.
Maybe because it was most recent, but he wasn’t adapting to this new reality as quickly as Valeen seemed to be.
He remembered and accepted it before her, but he longed to be in Palenor.
He longed to be at Castle Dredwich. Maybe because he hadn’t yet seen his family here, but Runevale, home of the gods, and Ryvengaard, home of the dragons, were distant memories.
Bad memories. This place felt like tragedy.
Whooshing wings caught his attention. He turned, pushing her behind him and nudged her up against the tree with his backside, protectively standing in front of her. Metal slid against metal as he tugged a sword free and his magic hummed in his veins.
“What is it?” she whispered.
A great dragon was in the sky above them, from here it looked like a shadow.
It was massive, with lighter scales, so it wasn’t Varlett—her dragon form was jet-black.
Please don’t be an enemy. The last thing he wanted to fight right now was a dragon.
The beast began to lower until pearl scales glimmered in the moons’ light.
Thane sighed and peeked over his shoulder. “It’s Presco.”
“You know this dragon?”
“Yes, he’s a shifter and Valeen’s right-hand man.”
She nodded and released the hold around his bicep. He hadn’t even realized she’d grabbed him until she let go.
“Come on. It’s safe.” He led the way out with Katana close behind.
Valeen dropped from Presco’s back, boots hitting with a soft thud. She brushed the white streak in her black hair out of her face and sauntered forward. Her steps started slow, until Katana came out from behind Thane. Valeen’s broke into a smile, and she ran, throwing her arms around Katana.
Katana embraced her back, and both of them choked on sobs, trying to talk but unable to get words out. Even Thane felt his throat tightening up at their reunion. It was the reunion he wished he could have gotten with Hel, if only things had gone different in the past.
“I can’t believe it’s you!” Valeen’s voice wavered with emotion. She finally pulled back and looked her in the face. “It’s really you.” She wiped the tears off her cheeks but more flowed.
“It is me, and I hardly believe it myself. How are you?”
Valeen sobbed and hugged her again. “Oh, Katana, I’m fine. What about you? Do you feel well? I don’t understand what happened, but it doesn’t matter, you’re here.”
Katana brushed her hand over Valeen’s hair like a mother would and wiped her sister’s tears but let her own fall.
“I do not know either, but I missed you. You are as beautiful as I remember. And what is this?” She picked up the white piece of her hair and then giggled when she touched Valeen’s pointed ear then her moon and star crown. “The night elf queen!”
“I know, it’s strange, isn’t it?” she said, laughing with her. Thane wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Valeen so happy. It warmed his chest to see her lit up like this. She turned to him. “Thane introduced himself, I hope. You can trust him. He’s one of my closest friends.”
“He did.” She nodded and they stepped apart. “He is lovely.”
“When he wants to be.”
“Hey.” Thane narrowed his eyes. “I ran after her when you asked. A ‘thank you’ would be nice.” He assumed everyone else was fine based on her behavior. If there were trouble, she’d be dragging him back to fight.
“Thank you, Thane.” Valeen grinned, took Katana’s hand, and tugged her toward Presco. “Let’s go. I want to introduce you to the others. You need to meet Hel.”
Katana halted and pulled her hand back.
Valeen’s eyes flicked to Thane then back to her sister. “It’s alright. Synick can’t hurt you. We’ve… subdued him.”
“What if he gets free?” she said, barely more than a whisper. “I am not ready to see him. I cannot.”
“We won’t let him hurt you,” Thane added.
“You don’t have to.” Valeen’s lips formed a hard line, and she shoved her hand into her hair. “Thane, Presco can take you back to the others, and Katana and I will wait here until you hide Synick somewhere.”
“I’m not leaving you both here. We don’t know who is in control of this territory right now.
We don’t know if Synick was alone. We don’t know if your wall held up after all this time.
This place could be crawling with the council’s assassins.
The new ruler here could see you as a threat. We don’t know anything.”
“We’ll be fine.”
“No.”
“I suppose it’s alright if you stay with her though, War, right? I’m done with the double standards. You and Hel both have treated me like I’m a porcelain doll.”
Thane rolled his eyes. “ Thane , and it’s not about that, Valeen. The council hunts you first, not me. I’m not the one with Soulender, you are. That is why Hel and I are so protective over you. You should appreciate that we care about you so much.”
“I love you both and I do appreciate it but sometimes it’s smothering,” Valeen said, calmly. “And I don’t think you should be saying that I have you-know-what so loudly.”
He looked around. “Do you see anyone else here besides us? And I doubt Presco would want to leave you either.” Thane clenched his teeth.
Maker above, she could be a pain in the ass.
The most stubborn person he’d ever met. Always had been.
Sometimes he wondered why he ever loved her to begin with.
Half of their relationship had been arguing.
“Don’t bring me into this,” Presco grumbled, laying his head on his huge paws.
“Well, if there’s no one around, you should be fine going with Presco while we wait. Maybe Katana and I will just start walking and find my castle. You can meet us there.”
“ Valeen .”
Full of attitude, she folded her arms. “Thane.”
“You know what, I think I will go get Hel and maybe your husband can get you to listen, because you damn sure never listen to me.”
“I don’t need a couple of broody males telling me what to do but thank you.”
“Exactly how long ago were you lovers?” Katana interrupted. “I am getting the feeling that it was… recent.”
Too bloody recent , he thought, turning away from Valeen.
He couldn’t even look at her at the moment.
If they didn’t need each other to survive, they would be better off with some time apart.
Far apart too. Things were certainly easier for him when she and Hel were in an entirely different realm in Ryvengaard.
After a long stretch of silence Katana said, “I will go. I will go with you both to find the others, so no one has to stay here with me. Just keep Synick away from me.”