Page 29 of Vathia
I reach her and whisper her name but all she does is turn her head away from me. Vasari growls and I hold my hands up to her. “She may be your rider, but she’s my mate. I respect you, your highness, but this is between us,” I tell her firmly.
Her gaze narrows on me but after a moment she huffs, blowing a curtain of smoke in my face before wandering over to Evisdor.
“Oh, so now you want to tell me that I’m your mate, huh?” she snaps, turning her red-rimmed eyes on me.
My head cocks to the side as the muscles in my jaw tighten. “We didn’t tell you because you had enough on your plate. Your world was just turned upside-down again, and we were giving you a chance to acclimate. We also wanted to wait for Talyn to be here as well.”
Her arms cross and her gaze narrows. “Oh so we’re playing the ‘Let’s protect the poor little female from her own emotions’ card, are we? You’re lucky Nero’s not here or I might let him take an eye. It’s not up to you to decide what I can and cannot handle. This ismylife too!” Her voice rises with the heat of her anger.
“You’re right. Maybe we could have handled it better. But you were barely trusting of us when I rescued you fromPhixmery. Need I remind you that you stabbed me? Would you have really trusted anything we told you without your memories?” I ask her gently.
She blows out a slow breath. “I don’t know. How would I know if you didn’t tell me? Shouldn’t mates be equal? Don’t treat me like I’m less deserving of what’s happening. I’ve been through more than you know. I can handle what you have to tell me. Even if I need to get away for a bit to think without all the testosterone that seems to be hanging around.” Her gaze stays narrowed on me.
I lean down so she can see how serious I am. “Do you even know where you are right now? On the other side of those mountains is enemy territory. Since we escaped Phixmery, more and more riders are coming. Looking for you. If you think for one second I wasn’t going to follow you to the ends of this realm to keep you safe, then you’re mistaken. I’ve failed you once by not getting you from that backwater village sooner. I’m glad I burnt that fucking place to the ground. I would do anything to keep you from being hurt again, Ravina. Do I make myself clear? Or would you like me to raze more of your enemies until you get the picture?”
She gasps, her brilliant blue eyes widening. “You did what to Shalo? There were kids there… families!”
I rest my hand on the pommel of my sword, taking steps towards her until she backs into the rocky wall of the cliff. “The kids and mothers went free, and the damn so-called leader escaped, but the rest? Those males who watched as they hurt you over and over again? They didn’t deserve to live. You’ve always been mine to protect, and when I realized those dreams weren’t just fears but memories… I would burn the world for you, my mate—my Queen. I will slaughter, torture and scheme to keep you safe. We grew up together, and I knew you were always special to me.” I lift her chin before using the shadows of the cliffto wrap around her neck. “I just didn’t know how special until that bond clicked into place, tying me to you for all eternity.”
Her breaths come in short pants as she traces my face, her lips parting and her eyes lit up with need and confusion. I pull away, letting the shadows return. I won’t touch her until that confusion is gone. I want her begging for my touch.
She gathers herself and locks down her emotions. “I’m not a queen. All of you really need to stop fucking saying that. I’m still frustrated with you four, but I understand. Just give me some time to wrap my head around this, please.” She scratches the side of her neck. “We should probably head back, it’s going to be dark soon.”
I shake my head. “We won’t be going back to Kraryn tonight. We’ll head to Cellis and stay at the inn. You’ve been flying most of the day, without a proper saddle. You’re probably sore. Come, you’ll ride with me so I can make sure you don’t fall.” It may be selfish of me, but I just want her wrapped in my arms. Staying away from her was the hardest thing I’ve done, and now that she knows, I just want her smothered in my shadows with me.
She laughs dryly. “No. I’ll be fine riding to Cellis. And if we’re staying at an inn, I want my own room,” she states like there’s no argument.
I smile, a plan forming in my mind. “Of course,” I lie.
She’s not leaving my sight, even if I need to sleep on the floor.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SHALO IS GONE. It’s gone and I’m not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I’m relieved, but yet there’s a part of me that feels sad for all the mothers and children who now don’t have a home. Aemon did that because of me, because they hurt me.
“He’s a good mate,” Vasari states. “He took revenge into his own hands and was fair and just. Those who survived will make new homes and hopefully they will learn their lesson: treat other beings with respect and you shall live a good life. No sense dwelling on what has been done.” Her large, bat-like wings flap once more as we glide through the air, heading towards Cellis—one of the port cities on the coast of Vathia.
“It just seems rash.”
She chuffs. “He just realized his mate was repeatedly tortured by the village folk there. Like us, fae are driven by their baser instincts, and you’re his mate. My mates would have done the same for me. Then I would let them mount me as a reward,” she purrs. “Nothing is more attractive than your male defending your honor, even if you’re strong enough to deal with the problem yourself.”
Am I mad that he did it? No, but there probably was a better way to deal with that whole situation. I put it to the back of my mind, deciding to ask her about something that has made me curious. “So. Speaking of mates. Are all my… mates’ dragons your mates?” It’s weird to think of the males I grew up with like that, but something about it seems right. I feel a pull to each one of them and the longer I sit here and focus on those pulls, I realize I can almost sense them, that I’ve been feeling this since I woke up with Aemon’s arms around me when we flew into Vathia after escaping Phixmery. Without a doubt I can figure out which direction they are in. Although they should have told me.
Vasari and I already got into it about whether she knew. She did. Although in her eyes, I should have known. She believes it wasn’t up to her to inform me about my bonds, that it’s for mates to work out. Bah. It’s ridiculous.
A feeling of contentment flows through our bond. “Of course. Although it wasn’t for our riders to know until they found their center—you. Mate bonds of the same species usually are fated for each other as well. So my mates and your mates are connected. A unit.”
“Well at least I wasn’t the only one kept out of the loop,” I mumble.
“It’s only as the fates intended. Much like our bonding: I knew the daughter of Queen Calantha would be my rider, just like our foremothers before us. Dragons were sent from the fates as guides for your kind, and we’ve grown dependent on each other in a way. I’ve been waiting my entire life to meet you, Lost One.”
I stare off into the distance, watching as the sun sets below the waves of the Vihar Ocean. “Why do you call me Lost One? Was it because of my memories?”
A jolt of amusement comes from her. “It is part of it,” she tells me but doesn’t elaborate.
She leaves me to my thoughts then, and it makes me miss Nero. We decided it was best to leave him at the castle—that way he wouldn’t be forced to be nestled away, or cling for dear life. I really need to talk about a harness or something for him for these longer flights. Dragons fly far too fast for him to keep up with us. Fates, it’s hard enough for me to stay upright in this saddle that’s far too large.
I shift and groan as stiff, sharp pains lance down my neck and shoulders down into my ass and hips. My inner thighs are also sore from being in the saddle for so long. Aemon was right, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing it. I’ve been doing things on my own for as long as I can remember, and after the things I’ve gone through, pain is nothing.
