Chapter 54
Aiden
I had thought it was impossible for someone to love me like this. Like Kiera did. With her whole heart, mind, and body.
We made love for hours. The way she looked at me felt like she was touching my soul, which added new pleasure to something that already felt like ecstasy.
In between bouts, we talked. And ate, when she made me get dressed and sneak out for some food and mead. We’d made a mess of the lodge, but I tucked away her scarf to keep it safe.
I told her stories of my childhood with Nikella in Twaryn. She told me stories of Brielle, Everett, and Delysia. It helped to hear happy memories of her mother. To layer them over the painful ones so that wasn’t the only emotion I associated her with.
Thinking about how things had been between us two months ago, I was amazed we could be here now, lying naked, telling stories. And yet, it somehow felt inevitable. As if our souls were meant to collide. We just had to clear away the rubble of our old defenses first.
But as dawn came, and Kiera drifted off to sleep mid-story, the tension crept back into my shoulders. I gently stroked her hair, trying to keep myself anchored to her.
If Henry was marching toward Aquinon as he’d promised, he would arrive at the gate in two weeks. That left little time to re-gather our forces, finish the ship repairs, and sail for the harbor.
Renwell likely had his remaining warship patrolling there, and our ships didn’t have catapults like his did. We had our warriors with their weapons. But that wouldn’t matter if we couldn’t make it into the city.
It’d matter even less if we couldn’t make it through the cliff gate.
I kissed the tip of Kiera’s nose. I knew that was what she wanted to talk to me about. I’d drawn the same conclusion she must have over the past few days. That someone had to be in Aquinon, and there was no better person than her.
I just hated it with every fiber of my being.
I’d already lost Nikella. I’d nearly lost Maz. If I lost Kiera . . .
The thought of her being in Renwell’s clutches again, listening to his oily words, fighting the pain he seemed to inflict on her so easily.
It killed me.
But I’d told her that loving her didn’t mean I’d keep her in a cage. And I meant it. I refused to be like her father or Renwell, who tried to imprison and control her. Her choices, her life, were her own. I just hoped to all the Four that she chose me at the end of this.
I must’ve fallen into a fitful sleep because the next thing I knew, Kiera was kissing me awake.
She looked thoroughly loved . . . and nervous.
“You can say it now,” I murmured, gazing at her across the pillow.
“I’m going to Aquinon,” she blurted out, as if she had to get the words out quickly or not at all. “I want to leave tonight.”
My heart flinched, but I tried not to let my emotion show. “That journey will take a week by horse, if you ride fast.”
“I can do it.”
“And don’t forget the border patrols. The soldiers. They will stop you at the city gate.”
“Then I’ll tell them the truth—Renwell is looking for me.”
I couldn’t hide my grimace this time. “Kiera . . . he might kill you.”
Her eyes tightened. “He won’t.”
I stroked the scar on her cheek. “We destroyed his forge, his weapons, his ships, his mine, his brother, his general. That’s enough loss to change anyone’s intentions.”
“He still has Everett and Delysia. I can’t abandon them, and he knows that. He’ll keep me alive as long as he has a way to make me be useful to him.”
My dread grew. “He could do terrible things to you. Make you do things you’ll regret forever. You’re one of the strongest people I know, but everyone has a breaking point.”
Kiera bit her lip. “I know. I will do what I can to avoid that, but not at the cost of my siblings or our plan. You and Henry will lay siege to the city, and I will be the key that lets you in.”
“And what is your plan this time, little thief?” I asked, trying to infuse lightness into my voice. Just to see the smile come back to her face. And it did.
“When Henry was saying goodbye, he told me the names of his two soldier friends who stand guard on the city wall. They’ll have access to the cliff gate. Dredger and Mankmen.”
I frowned. “You’re going to ask two strangers to sabotage the gate?”
She shook her head. “Just to let me in while I damage the gate chains, as Nikella intended. They rarely lower that gate. No one should be the wiser until you arrive.”
“How are you going to get to the gate if you’re stuck in the palace with Renwell?”
Kiera pursed her lips, uncertainty growing in her eyes. “I haven’t quite figured that out yet. I’m hoping Melaena can help me with that part. Maybe Renwell will let me visit her.”
My jaw clenched. Not likely. Unless he got something from her in return. Or he shadowed her every step of the way.
Kiera smoothed my wrinkled brow. “I’ll find a way, Aiden. I always do.”
I captured her hand and kissed her palm. “But you’ll be alone. One warrior in a palace of wolves.”
“I’ll have Everett and Delysia. And you won’t be far behind me. Right?” she asked in a worried voice.
“No warship, no Wolf, no army, no gate will keep me from you, Kiera.” I kissed her lips. I needed to while I still could. “Even if I have to storm the palace alone, I will come for you.”
She smiled, something shining in her eyes that I never thought I’d see—trust. “Perhaps I’ll fight my way to you. If Everett and Delysia are out of harm’s way, I might just kill the usurper king myself.”
“I fully support that goal, especially if he threatens you in any way. Then I hope you tear him to shreds,” I growled.
Kiera kissed me again, immediately softening me. “I must admit,” she murmured between warm kisses, “I thought you would put up more of a fight.”
“It’s hard to fight you when you’re so good at distracting me, little thief.” I grabbed her shoulders, pinned her to the bed, and kissed her long and hard. “But I certainly won’t say no if this is how you’d like to conduct all our fights in the future.”
She grinned. “If only I’d known that this was how we could both win the fight, I might’ve tried sooner.”
She hooked her bare leg around my waist and twisted us so she sat on top of me. Her glorious, ribboned hair fell over her bare breasts, and I lost all threads of what we were talking about.
A very pleasant hour later, she reminded me by slipping out of my grasp. “I need to prepare,” she said gently.
But she let me pull her in for one more lingering kiss. “I’ll help you.”
We both dressed, stealing glances at each other. It felt playful and sweet, but a hole was already growing in my heart. Right next to the wounds from Nikella and all my other losses.
Love always left a scar.
I reluctantly followed her out of our lodge to where half the camp was having breakfast by the main fire. Maz and his sisters were already there, looking as tired as we felt.
But Maz brightened the moment he saw us. “Good morning, you two! I see you’ve already misplaced your scarf, lovely. Or was that Aiden’s doing?”
Kiera’s cheeks turned pink as Yarina guffawed with her brother.
I fought a smile. “This is why you keep getting gravely injured, Mazkull.”
Maz puffed out his chest like a ridiculous rooster. “Because of my dazzling wit and distracting good looks?”
“Your big mouth.”
He shrugged. “Still alive, aren’t I?”
“Thank the gods,” I said quietly.
He heard me anyway and grinned. “No, thank your little lovely. Yarina said that if Kiera hadn’t yanked me backward, I would’ve fallen into the water.”
“We would’ve fished you out,” Sigrid grumbled under her breath.
I glanced down at Kiera, whose cheeks were still pink. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“I forgot,” she said, the truth clear in her amber eyes.
“All your screaming probably erased the memory,” Yarina said. “You’ve got quite the pipes, princess.”
Kiera frowned, as if she couldn’t believe Yarina was teasing her about such a horrific moment. But it was the Dag way. Most especially the Maz and Yarina way.
Kiera shook her head. “Thanks, but I prefer dancing.”
“I’ll bet you do.” Yarina winked at her, then grinned at me.
Sigrid, meanwhile, hadn’t stopped staring at Kiera with her one eye.
Finally, she rose and stretched out her hand.
“I never thanked you for what you did at the mine for Bruna and the prisoners and for Maz.” Sigrid swallowed hard.
“And Davka. But . . . thank you. And I’d be honored to fight at your side in Aquinon. ”
Kiera solemnly shook her hand as if this moment meant a great deal to her. “I don’t need your gratitude, but I will take peace and respect between us.”
Sigrid dipped her head in acknowledgement, then sat back with Bruna.
Kiera took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “I won’t be going with you to Aquinon. I’m going to ride ahead. Today.”
Every gaze swung in my direction.
I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled at all of them. “This is her choice, and I fully support it.”
Maz’s brow furrowed as he looked between me and Kiera. “But . . . Renwell.”
“You bring up a valid argument, Mazkull,” I said, my lips twitching. “But she knows how to handle him. She also has a plan to make sure the cliff gate isn’t a problem for us.”
Kiera sent me a grateful look. Probably glad I hadn’t mentioned the gray areas in said plan.
“I don’t like it,” Maz groused. “And Ruru will hate it.”
Kiera gave him a loose hug, minding his bandage. “You’ll see me soon enough on the battlefield. I expect you to be in full armor this time.”
“He will be,” both his sisters said.
Maz rolled his eyes. “Fucking Four, you almost die a few times, and suddenly you’re as fragile as glass.”
We finished our breakfast and secured a horse and supplies for Kiera. She said a brief goodbye to everyone at camp and instructed me to tell Ruru and Daire that she would see them soon.
We walked to the edge of the woods in silence.
My grip was sweaty and tight on the horse’s reins. “You have my map?”
Kiera patted the saddlebag next to her head. “Right here.”
“All your weapons? Do you want more food? I can—”
Kiera wrapped her arms around me, her warmth chasing away the snowy chill. “I have everything I need, Aiden. Except you. Hurry to me as soon as you can.”
I crushed her against me, kissing the top of her head and inhaling her sweet scent. “There’s nowhere you could go that I wouldn’t find you.”
“There’s nowhere I wouldn’t want to be found by you.”
“Stay alive,” I choked out.
She drew back and studied my face with soft eyes and a teasing smile. “Is that a command from my king?”
My heart swooped low and hard. My king. I was only her king if she agreed to be my queen. “It’s a request from the man who loves you and would cross any battlefield to reach you.”
“We will be together again, Aiden,” she whispered and kissed me once. Hard and resolute. Then she mounted her horse, her eyes silvery and her chin trembling. “I love you.”
She urged her horse into the woods, leaving me behind. I stared after her until I couldn’t see her. Until she was far beyond my reach.
Then I marched back to camp. The final battle for Aquinon now had a prize more important than a crown.
Kiera.