Chapter 27
THANE
T he afternoon sun peeked out from behind stark gray clouds, threatening rain.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, but despite a coming storm, it was relatively warm, and the bees and birds fluttered about.
Thane peered up at the top of the colossal wall that surrounded the dragon territory, waiting for one of the beasts to soar across it.
It wouldn’t be long before they noticed intruders on their land.
Thane sat on the grassy knoll under the cover of a bundle of redwood trees.
He ran a whetstone along the edge of one of his swords and watched Katana move from one wildflower patch to another gathering her favorites along the way.
The sway of her hips in her fitted peach dress did things to him he didn’t care to admit.
“Why are we still stuck out here?” Fennan put his hands on his hips and lifted his chin up at the wall. His black curls bobbed against his forehead as he shook his head. “I thought they knew we were coming.”
“They do.” Thane continued sharpening his sword.
“This time they know who you are. They shouldn’t keep the High Elf King waiting.”
“We can’t send a magical message without Hel here, so we wait for them to notice the smoke.” He pointed the tip of his sword at the small fire they made. “Toss a few pieces of wetter wood on if you want them to see it faster.”
Leif scratched at his scalp, tugging on a knot, then went back to digging under his dirty fingernails with the tip of a dagger. “It won’t be long now, Fen. Have a bit of patience.”
“As if you’re one to talk.”
“As your elder, I’ve got plenty of patience.”
“You’re not that much older than me.”
“Thirty years, ya wee lad.”
Fennan rolled his eyes. “In elven time, that is nothing.”
“Still something.”
Thane smiled and shook his head. It was nice to be away from the pressures of his duties and surrounded by his friends again.
Being away from Valeen allowed him to simply be, without annoying thoughts of what if wandering through his head.
If Ronan took more time, he wouldn’t mind.
There was something calming about being in the woods doing a mind-numbing task like sharpening his blades.
On his other side, Katana settled on the ground with her legs crossed and began braiding her long blonde hair, weaving in some of the blossoms she’d picked.
He typically prided himself on being able to read people, but unlike her sister who always made certain everyone knew when she was pissed off, Katana was more of a mystery.
A darkness plagued her and yet she was sweet and thoughtful.
The violence of her past didn’t make her bitter like many others.
She lifted her chin and smiled at him, as if she knew he was thinking about her at that moment.
After being naked with her in the hot springs, it was hard to focus on anything else but what might have happened.
That night was an accident. She hadn’t known he was there when she stepped into the pool with nothing on.
They seemed to keep running into each other in innocent ways that could be…
more. And every time she was around, he felt almost an electric current that seemed to flow between them.
Like if she moved, he would know it. It had to be her magic; what else could it be?
Piper dropped into a squat in front of Thane and offered her silver flask. “I don’t know if you need this, but I do.”
Thane took the flask and smelled it. A strong brandy. Today was not a day to risk drinking anything that dulled the senses. “What are you worried about? I’m not leaving until I get this alliance.”
She frowned and let out a breath that puffed her freckled cheeks. “A lot of this rides on me.”
“Who says?”
She deadpanned. “Thane. Let’s not pretend what happens or doesn’t happen with Ronan and I could sway the outcome of this alliance. If he wants to break it off with me, it could ruin our chances.”
With his hands still on his hips, Fennan turned. The golden hoop in his ear caught the sunlight. “What are you talking about?”
Piper snatched back the brandy flask, and after a generous few gulps, she lifted a shoulder.
He knew exactly what she was talking about.
Thane hadn’t pushed her to decide, but a betrothal to Ronan would likely help, if the King Drake Drakonan allowed it.
Dragon royals were particular about who they married.
Although, Piper wasn’t his bargaining chip.
He could give the dragon shifters the one thing they wanted most. A way back to their homeworld of Ryvengaard.
Leif put his dagger away and stood. “You’re not thinking of marrying him, are you?”
“I’ve thought about it.”
“You’re going to marry him, not because you love him, but because you think it’s your duty? Piper,” Fennan ran his hand over his hair, “we don’t need you to do that. What made you think so?”
“That isn’t the only reason.”
Fennan turned a sharp eye on Thane. “Did you push for this?”
Thane shoved one sword in the scabbard on his back. “No. It’s her decision.”
“You can’t leave your home or the elves for these strangers,” Fennan said angrily.
“I can do whatever I want!” she fired back.
Leif got in between them and brushed a stray lock of red hair off her cheek. He softened his voice when he spoke, “Listen, Red. We care about you, that’s all.”
“I know.”
“It’s not safe,” Fennan snarled.
“He will keep me safe,” she shouted around Leif.
“For how angry you are with Valeen you sure are a hypocrite. You’re going to leave us for someone else.”
“What!” Piper went to charge around Leif, but he caught her around the waist.
“Settle down, little fire.”
Fennan sneered at them both. “Let go of her. Let her come at me.”
“This is not even close to the same thing! You and I were never engaged to be married. You and I were never even more than friends. And Hel was her husband .”
“Speaking of Hel, did he put you up to this?”
“Ugh! I’m capable of making my own decisions. I do have a mind!”
“Lay off, Fen,” Leif snapped. Leif wrapped her up tighter and whispered something in her ear that calmed her down some. He was usually the one razzing her but not today. Thane didn’t like to involve himself in these sorts of squabbles but if it went much further, he’d have to.
“What right do you have to even be involved in this discussion, Leif?”
“Well, I’m the only one of the two of us who has slept with her, so I have as much right as any.”
Thane’s arm froze, stopping the scrape of sharpening his sword. When was that? He wanted to ask but carefully set the whetstone down. Everyone went quiet while Piper looked absolutely mortified.
She whirled around in his arms and glared. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I must have heard that wrong.” Fennan slowly shook his head.
“You didn’t,” Leif said.
Thane made his way over and pulled Piper from between them and walked her over behind a group of close trees. Tears rimmed her eyes, and she gripped the front of his shirt and buried her face in his chest. “It’s fine, Piper. You don’t need to be ashamed.”
“It was a long time ago.”
He tensed. “ How long?” Leif was several years her senior, so it better not have been that long.
“I was sad about Fennan slinking off with some random girl in Doonafel, and we’d all just fought in a long battle against the pale ones.
Leif was flirting, like usual. Osric had just died, and you were a mess, and I thought maybe I could be next.
Any of us could die at any time. I didn’t want to die having never experienced…
Anyway, we decided not to talk about it again, so I wasn’t treated differently by any Ravens. He swore he wouldn’t say anything.”
“I hope he was at least good to you.”
She pulled away and covered her face with her hands. “Please don’t embarrass me, Thane.”
He laughed and gently patted her shoulder. “I don’t want any details, Piper. I just know Leif is kind of a… brute. And I’ll kick his ass if he was less than a gentleman.”
She lifted her face. It was nearly as red as her hair. “Yes, he was good and gentle. He’s a brute but not with me.”
“Was it just the once?—”
“ Thane .”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. It’s not my business.
” If he were a female and not her king, she might open up, but in all honesty, he didn’t want to know details as much as she didn’t want to tell them.
If there wasn’t a problem, he didn’t care what they did.
He glanced back. “I better get over there before they start fighting.”
“Yeah.” Piper turned on her heel and went for a walk in the opposite direction.
He wasn’t surprised when Katana set her bouquet of flowers aside and followed after her. It seemed to be in her nature to comfort people, and even if she and Piper weren’t close friends, it didn’t matter.
“Good job, both of you.” Thane shook his head at Fennan and Leif. They stood with their backs to each other but not far apart. “You’ve upset her, and she doesn’t deserve that.”
Fennan threw out his arms in exasperation. “I just don’t understand where I went wrong. We were close. I knew she cared for me for years, loved me even, but I wasn’t ready for a long-term commitment.”
“Which is exactly why you don’t deserve her now,” Leif said, and stomped off.
“And you are ready now? Or is it just the thought of her being with someone else?” Thane asked.
“I love Piper. The harder I fight for her the more she pushes away. I thought that’s what she wanted. She wanted me to want her back and I do.”
Thane looked up to the top of the massive wall.
It’s what she wanted before Ronan came into the picture.
“I had to let Layala go and hoped she would come back to me. She didn’t.
But you have to do the same, and if she comes back to you then it was meant to be.
If she doesn’t then there is someone else for you.
It hurts, Fen, it hurts worse than you can imagine, but then one day you wake up and go about your morning and find you forgot to think about her.
And slowly days go by where the ‘what could have been’ hurts less and you find joy in things you used to like again, and soon you can think about her without a pit in your stomach.
Then you get to the point where you just want her to be happy even if it’s not with you, and a while after that you really don’t think about her at all.
Then you get hope. Hope that you won’t be alone forever. ”
“Shit, Thane.” Fen groaned and ran his palm down his face. “But I don’t want you to be right.”
“You can keep fighting with her, Fen, but it’s not getting you anywhere, and it will destroy any friendship you have.”
He was quiet for a moment. “You won’t be alone forever, Thane. You could be with anyone. You’re a literal god-king.” He let out a short laugh. “It’s ridiculous how much of an advantage you have over the rest of us.”
Thane smiled. “It does sort of make me an asshole, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Fen said, and they both laughed until the shadow of a dragon blocked out the sun. “I guess the smoke worked. Now all I have to worry about is Ronan burning me to death with dragon’s fire.”
A branch snapped and the silver-haired Prince Ronan emerged out of the woods with his mute friend Dax.
“I’d only do that if I thought you were an actual threat, Fennan.
” He smiled. “Welcome back to dragon territory, boys.” Dax made a few hand gestures to Ronan, and he laughed.
“Dax said I should make you tonight’s dinner.
Roasted elf is a delicacy.” He turned in a half circle and found Piper and Katana walking their way.
“There she is. I’ve been waiting a long time to see that pretty face. ”
Flushing, Piper picked up her pace and, in a few strides, Ronan closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her thighs and lifted her. She giggled and held onto his shoulder. “Hi, dragon prince.”
“Hi, beautiful elf.”