Chapter Thirty-Five #2
“Are you a fucking moron?” Bantar shoved the man who had spoken.
“King Jucai is besotted with this man. He stopped summoning his bed slaves the day Nadar arrived in Kansu. They eat in the King’s private dining room now because Nadar is uncomfortable with public sex.
And now I know why. They're mates! It doesn't matter that they didn't complete the bond.
In fact, it's worse. It means that the King won't even have to hunt for Nadar.
The mating magic will draw him here, as it's been drawing them together from the start! We need to go. Now!” Bantar motioned at the room.
“Leave it all. Flee! The Sea Dragons are coming! Everyone, go now!” He ran out of the cavern, leaving the rest of his army to gape after him.
The men seated nearby looked at me. I shrugged.
“King Jucai is probably on his way right now,” one of them said.
They bolted up and ran out of the cave. I watched them go, still sitting on the bench. Still bound to the crate. Still as weak as a human. But not for long.
I stood up and knocked the crate over. The plan was to knock the magic disruptor off the crate. Unfortunately, I didn't consider that I was bound to the crate. It fell off the platform, and I went with it. Crying out, I fell onto the sand and lay there, staring up at the lights on the ceiling.
As I lay there, I thought about what Bantar said about Jucai.
How he was besotted with me from the beginning.
Thinking back, I saw it too. And I had to admit that I was just as besotted.
Would the mating magic guide him to me? I was still hoping the shell had worked, but if it hadn't, maybe the magic would draw him to me.
“Anytime now,” I said. Then I sighed and sat up.
The magic disruptor was a foot away. All I had to do was get up and take the crate far enough that my magic could return. I stood up and used the rope to pull the crate through the sand. It was heavy, but I managed to get it three feet away before I heard the first scream.
Jerking upright, I turned to look at the main passageway. Roars echoed through it—Dragon roars. No, Sea Dragon roars. They carried through the tunnels, down to me like a lover's call. But beneath those roars was screaming. A lot of screaming and pleas for mercy.
And then came the voice I longed to hear. “Where is he?!” Another roar. “Where is Nadar?!”
“Jucai!” I shouted.
“Nadar!”
A man rushed into the cavern. He was so covered in blood that I couldn't make out his features. Even his hair was red. But I recognized him instantly. Blindfolded, I would know my mate.
“Nadar!” Jucai ran to me, came abreast of the magic disruptor, and stumbled.
“Destroy that metal box.” I motioned toward the disruptor. “It's a magic disruptor.”
“Fucking bastards!” He picked up the box and threw it against the wall.
As it shattered into pieces, we both sighed in relief.
I pulled my arms out, breaking the ropes, and ran to Jucai.
I didn't care that he was covered in blood.
He was Jucai, and that was the blood of our enemies.
I'd never been saved before. I thought Bantar had saved me, but he'd only told one of his men to stand down. This was real. Jucai had come for me.
As Sea Dragons poured into the cavern, I realized Jucai had brought his entire dread to free me.
Inside me, something stirred. Rose. I'd never felt this before.
It was a bubbly sort of feeling. As if my heart were flying in my chest. It was only when Jucai stood back to look me over that I knew. I knew it with absolute certainty.
I loved him.
The Sea King's hand went to my face. “Are you unharmed?”
“Yes, I'm fine.” I took his hand. “You found me.”
“You used the shell. Of course, I found you. Nothing could have kept me away.”
“Well, you took long enough that I thought the shell hadn't worked.”
“I'm sorry. The magic kept jumping from location to location because they were moving you.”
“Your Majesty, we’ve cleared the tunnels.” Another blood-covered Sea Dragon joined us. “We found some strange machines.”
“Those Kaikeyo were behind the enchantments failing,” I said. Then I looked at Jucai to add, “And they've been disrupting Sea Dragon Magic as well.”
“Sea Dragon Magic?” Jucai narrowed his eyes. “With those machines?”
“Yes, they moved around the city in a carriage with the disruptors. But, Jucai, don't you see what this means?”
“They are the ones who have been stopping us from mating.”
“Yes.”
“Mating?” the other Sea Dragon asked. “You have found your mate, sire?”
“We have yet to settle the bond.” Jucai glanced at him. “But now that we have the magic disruptors, that will change.” Then he went still. “This explains why I couldn't shift the other night when I went for a swim.”
I grabbed his hand. “You didn't tell me you couldn't shift.”
“I thought it was because I was upset. My sea dragon seemed upset as well. Damn those bastards!”
“Jucai, they want to abolish slavery.” I looked from the Sea King to the Sea Dragons who'd been drawing in around us. “They don't understand why your needs have changed. They feel abused.”
“Then why haven't they said so?” Jucai growled.
“For fear of your punishing them or withdrawing your protection.” I held up a hand when he started to speak.
“I know it was foolish. I told them their plan had flaws.
But they were desperate, and they weren't the only people unhappy with the service you've been demanding of them.
You need to speak with your slaves. Explain why you've been behaving this way. Listen to them. Give them the courage to speak honestly.”
The Sea Dragons looked from me to their king. All of them were covered in blood, and it made them look terrifying, even when their expressions shifted to concern.
“You could have prevented this,” I went on.
“If only you had told them why you were different. You assumed they would know. But how could they?” I looked at Jucai.
“I'm not asking you to end slavery. I'm asking you to be sure that these are willing slaves. Just speak to them. You say you care for your people. Show them that. Maybe you can stop another uprising.”
Jucai nodded and looked at his dread. “He's right. We've been so engrossed in ourselves that we've forgotten to tell the people who see to our needs why they've increased.”
“So we just talk to them?” a Sea Dragon woman asked.
“Why do you say that as if it's difficult?” I asked. “You claim that you care for these people, so show them. Speak to them as people, not slaves. But first, you should free them.”
“All of them?” a Sea Dragon man asked.
“Yes, all of them. What are you afraid of—that they'll leave? If you fear that, then you don't truly believe that they're serving you willingly.”
The Sea Dragons looked at each other.
“We will speak to them first,” Jucai said.
“We will address all of them together. After I finish explaining, I will free all who wish to be freed. I will also make sure they know that no repercussions will follow if they choose to leave. Only then will we be certain that those who serve us wish to do so.”
“And what if they all leave?” someone asked.
“Then we will hire servants,” Jucai said. “This is the only path forward. If we don't change our ways now, they won't just leave; they'll revolt. More importantly, if we continue as we are, knowing what we do now, we will be the monsters that these rebels believed us to be.”
They went quiet.
I looked down. I was still holding Jucai's hand.
It felt right. If we mated, these people would be my people.
So, I spoke to them as if they were. “You are not monsters. I know that now, but when I first arrived in Kansu, I was horrified by what I saw in your court. Without explanation, your actions appear monstrous. You need to explain and apologize.”
“Apologize?” a woman asked.
“Yes, apologize. You have done wrong. You've abused people who look to you for protection. The very least you could do is apologize.”
Jucai held up a hand when they started to mutter. “Sea Dragon pride is no small thing, but is it not honorable to admit when you're wrong? We need to correct our mistakes immediately.”
“These people love you,” I added. “Even these Kaikeyo who rebelled.
They told me they had once longed to serve you.
The Ilshi Court was known to be a place of sanctuary and romance.
You used to seduce them into your beds. You made slavery magical.
Now, you just crook your finger and expect them to bend over.
Is that really what you want? We Land Dragons enjoy a good hunt.
We don't want lovers who make it easy for us.
Anything easily won isn't worth much. Don't you want to hunt?
Give chase? Pursue your lovers with the chance that you might not catch them?
I know you have needs to fulfill, but isn't it time to move past them?”
“We are stronger than our primal urges,” Jucai said. “And it's time we behaved as such. It's time that we remembered who we are.”
The Sea Dragons looked at each other, then at their king, and bowed.
“Good.” Jucai motioned to the room. “Now, we need to clear out this cavern and bring everything back to the palace. When that's done, we will see to our people.”
Jucai led me out of the cavern, looking regal despite the blood. I'd never been so proud to hold a man's hand.