Chapter 15
JESSAMINE
By the time I’d dragged myself out of a heavy sleep this morning, it was to find our entire party nearly packed and ready to leave.
I’d been a little embarrassed that I’d slept so long, quickly dressing then rolling my bed fur into a bundle and tying it with the leather sashes the way Tessa had taught me.
When I’d carried the bundle to Wolf where Leifkyn was cinching the saddlebags, he said, “Good morning, princess. So glad you decided to wake and join us.”
At first, I’d thought he was digging into me for being a lazy good-for-nothing. When he laughed and nudged me in jest, I’d felt a weight drop off my chest. It was the first time that a man of the clan, besides Bezaliel, had spoken to me as a friend would.
Apparently, this had encouraged his friend Dayn to be more friendly as well.
Since we’d set out this morning, all of us on foot except Tessa and Saralyn who rode upon Mishka, the two serious friends—or whom I’d thought were serious—had been regaling me with humorous tales of their clan, many of which featured their ornery king.
Redvyr hadn’t said anything to me at all.
While Leifkyn and Dayn walked on either side of me, he kept toward the front, leading us, not even glancing back.
Bezaliel walked alongside Mishka, talking quietly to Tessa.
I couldn’t tell if Redvyr was grumpy about something in particular or if this was always his ‘on the trail’ demeanor.
He watched the woods as we trekked across a wide, open field.
Snow drifted down lightly in small flakes, the temperature dropping as we moved out of the woods and the wind gusted more fiercely across the plain we crossed.
I’d pulled on my hood, tugging my cloak tightly around my shoulders and wrapping my hands in the folds as we walked.
I’d noticed Tessa had bundled herself and the baby up warmly as well.
But the males strode on without even a cloak or long-sleeves.
It was maddening how well-adapted they were to this climate.
“That was when our lord there,” Dayn said drawing me back to the present while he gestured toward Redvyr, “told the wood fae trespasser that if he didn’t head south and head fast, that we were going to skin him and roast him for dinner.”
“What?” I exclaimed. “He didn’t!”
I stared at the broad back of Redvyr, seemingly unaffected like he didn’t even hear us. He must have heard, of course. He was only a few strides ahead of us, and that fae male had the most heightened senses of anyone I’d ever met.
“He did,” laughed Leifkyn. “The poor man believed him. He took off running back toward the Borderlands. Never saw him again.”
“I guess not,” I laughed. “I’ll bet he—”
“Quiet,” snapped Redvyr, coming to a halt, his gaze on the sky.
Dayn and Leifkyn instantly drew their swords, corralling me between them, their faces turned toward the sky as well.
I heard nothing, but apparently, they did.
Bezaliel had drawn his blade too. Mishka had lowered to the ground, all of the wolves growling.
Wolf stood at my back, his rumbling snarl fierce.
But it was Redvyr now in front of me, tail lashing.
His black claws extended, his muscles flexed and bulged, ready to fight, that had my attention.
In all my life, I’d never had this sort of protection. Least of all in my own home in Morodon. That was what struck me the hardest as a whooshing sound from above, high in the gray clouds, drew my gaze to the skies as well.
The snow swirled in great loops as a behemoth of a beast, a black-scaled dragon, descended out of the clouds.
I gasped, backing away on instinct, my shoulders nudging Wolf’s chest. The dragon landed on the white-covered meadow in front of us, shaking the ground.
That was when I saw there was a rider upon its back.
Redvyr relaxed, standing straight and tall.
The others resheathed their swords, obviously deeming this dragon rider no threat.
He was a wraith fae, his deep gray skin, four smooth horns and black armor familiar to me because some wraith fae warriors in similar garb had traveled and stopped in Haldek’s tavern on occasion.
This wasn’t simply a warrior, though. I knew who this was. I’d never seen him, but everyone in all the kingdoms knew there was only one dragon rider in the realms. King Gollaya Verbane. His dragon lowered until its belly hit the ground.
As the wraith fae dismounted and strode toward us with purpose, I shrank further into Wolf, wishing I could disappear.
The dragon’s silvery blue eyes mirrored its owner’s, both of them assessing our party with keen scrutiny.
The wraith fae stopped several feet away from Redvyr, his long, silky black hair blowing in the wind.
I was surprised to see that the gods had blessed him with a regal, handsome face.
He wasn’t as tall or as broad as Redvyr.
I hadn’t met anyone who was. But magick—intense power—radiated from him.
It was known that he was a zephilim—a formidable fire-wielder.
He didn’t need to be the biggest or strongest among other warriors.
With a single word, his gods-given magick could decimate us all.
And yet, Redvyr seemed somehow relaxed in his presence, though I noticed that he had moved to stand directly in front of me, blocking me from the approaching wraith king.
A tinkling laugh and fluttering of wings drew my attention over my shoulder to Tessa, where Hallizel flew in circles around Saralyn’s head. The babe giggled, her playmate having returned from her errand.
“Redvyr,” said King Goll, his deep voice a rasp on the wind. “I received your message.”
“Goll.” Redvyr nodded in greeting, his tail still lashing slowly. “I didn’t expect you so soon.”
I couldn’t see him with Redvyr blocking my view, so I shifted to the side to peer over his shoulder.
“Your sprite said, ‘Lord Gael has started a rebellion and is burning witches.’ That was all. Of course I came.”
“How did you find us?” asked Redvyr.
“Drak scented you on our way to Ghasta Vale.”
The dragon snorted and turned his head toward the wraith king. His brow furrowed, his gaze flicking beyond Redvyr to me and his eyes widening in surprise.
“Well, well,” he crooned more softly. “This is not a beast fae from your clan. Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Redvyr stepped slightly to the side, and I eased forward. “Goll, this is Jessamine. She is under our protection.”
The wraith king reached out a clawed hand, a rather civil gesture from the man I was told was a murderous, debauched king who abducted Princess Una of Issos, now Queen of Northgall. I reached out my hand and shook his. His gaze flicked down.
“You are a skald fae. So far from home?”
“Yes, my lord,” I answered courteously with a curtsy and bow of the head, as I was taught to greet all nobility. Especially royalty.
When I straightened, it was to find King Goll smiling and Redvyr scowling.
“You can let go of her hand now,” muttered Redvyr.
King Goll dropped my hand and crossed his arms, seemingly amused as his gaze flicked from me to Redvyr and then back again.
“And who are you protecting this pretty skald fae from?” the king asked.
Redvyr glared at him for a moment before answering. “The same man who has started this rebellion in Mevia, which apparently has now spread to Hellamir.”
King Goll sobered. “Gael?”
“Yes,” Redvyr snarled.
A slight pressure on my booted ankle drew my attention downward. Redvyr had wrapped his tail around it.
“Why is that, Jessamine?” King Goll asked me, his watchful gaze missing nothing, in particular Redvyr’s possessive grip on my ankle.
“My father betrothed me to him,” I said, my voice shaking.
“Upon meeting Lord Gael when he came to court in Morodon, he told me what would be required of me in a marriage with him.” I dropped my gaze to the snowy ground at our feet, unable to look him in the eye when I confessed, “To kill the King of Northgall. You, my lord.”
I had expected anger, rage even. Or a furious silence. Instead, King Goll laughed.
“I knew he’d send assassins at some point. But his own wife?”
“They are not bound in marriage,” Redvyr clarified, a note of danger in his timbre. “She is not his wife.”
“Jessamine, who is your family? For I know this Lord Gael, and he would not ally himself in marriage to just anyone.”
I cleared my throat. “I am Jessamine Glenmyr, daughter of King Darian of Morodon.”
His silver-blue eyes flared. “So the king of Morodon has allied himself with Gael against me.”
I should’ve felt remorse or shame for outing my own father, but he had never been the kind of father, or king, that inspired my loyalty. Or my love.
“Yes, my lord.”
“And now he is burning seers with magick who refuse to help him?” He turned to Redvyr.
“She and Tessa witnessed it in Hellamir. We were there just two days ago when it happened. They were able to free the seer before she was executed.”
“Good.” King Goll sighed, glancing back at his dragon, whose silvery eyes scanned the meadow and woods beyond as snow piled in drifts on his snout and along his spiked tail.
“Jessamine. You are most welcome to return to Windolek with me. I can protect you there, and it would please my wife to have some female company.”
“No,” Redvyr snapped before I could even reply. “She is my responsibility. She is ours to protect.”
King Goll smiled, his fangs showing. “I see.”
“Might I have a word with you in private?” Redvyr’s tail slid from around my leg as he stormed away toward the dragon.
The wraith king gave me a slight bow. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Jessamine. You are in good hands here.”
He gave a respectful nod to the other beast fae and turned to meet Redvyr, who had stopped within biting distance of the dragon.
I found it amazing that he wasn’t terrified of the creature.
The dragon may have allowed King Goll to ride him but he didn’t appear tame in any way, his predatory gaze fierce as he scanned the distant woods.
I watched Redvyr speak to King Goll in hushed, but harsh tones. The king seemed just as grave as they spoke back and forth.
“I’m surprised Lord Redvyr didn’t claw the king with his suggestion to take Jessamine,” said Leifkyn behind me in a low voice, but not so low I couldn’t hear.
“King Goll was taunting him. Lord Redvyr knows it.”
“But why?”
Dayn snorted. “That is always the way between these two.”
I turned to Leifkyn. “Why would Lord Redvyr claw the king for offering to take me off your hands? He denied the request before I could even give my answer.”
Though I had no intentions whatsoever of leaving, unless Redvyr wanted me to go, I was a little shocked.
Dayn and Leifkyn shared a knowing look.
“What? You’re not going to give me any kind of answer?”
“Why don’t you ask him?” Leifkyn nodded over my shoulder.
Redvyr was marching back toward us while King Goll climbed up his dragon’s arm to the saddle on his back.
“Let’s move,” Redvyr growled, not even sparing me a glance as he walked past me and back onto the path we’d been traveling.
With a chortling call, the black dragon beat its wings and lifted off into the sky. I could do nothing but stare. What a magnificent creature.
Wolf nudged me, so I fell back in line, marching on toward the winter camp, hoping we’d arrive soon.
With the snow, I longed for the warmth of a tent over my head.
The temperatures seemed to drop further as we continued, perhaps not simply because of the snow, but from the cold beast lord leading our way.