After her storm of cleansing tears, Tansy took a leisurely bath, using the time to pull herself together. It was more than an hour before she got to finish breakfast in company with a quietly comforting Dev, and she was just finishing up when Rye entered the den from the exterior door. He wore dark-gray leather pants and tunic with black, knee-high boots. His autumn-blond hair was pulled back neatly in a low ponytail in what Tansy always considered his “work look”.
“I thought you and Dev were off-duty today,” she said, laying her utensils on her plate and pushing it away from her.
“We are. I had an errand to run and we thought it would be easier if it seemed official.” Rye came over to the table, pulling out a chair and positioning it so he sat at right angles to her. “Dev and I had a discussion while you were in the bath and we came up with a temporary fix.”
“Maybe,” Dev added. “If you want.”
Tansy leaned back in her chair and shook her head. “Too cryptic. Just spit it out.”
Rye grinned and threw a small, neatly wrapped package onto the table. “I’ve just been to see a friend of ours, an apothecary. I didn’t give him the who or why, but I did explain to him what we needed.”
She frowned at him. “Still cryptic.”
“What we have here,” he said, gesturing to the package, “is a special blend of herbs. They’ll send you to sleep for a little while and when you wake up you’ll feel alert and refreshed.”
She stared at him. Then the package. Then back at him. “You want to drug me?”
“No,” Dev replied. “What we want is to give you some normalcy. We want to take you to the market for some sunshine and fresh air, and dragonback is the only mode of travel.”
Rye nodded, his lavender eyes sparkling. “One moment you’ll be in our den, then after you sleep for a bit you’ll wake up in a field on the outskirts of town. It will seem like you’re part dragonet, popping out of one place and into another.”
“And it’s safe?” As soon as the question was out of her mouth she knew she was stupid to even ask it. Her Enforcers would never put her at risk.
“Yes, it’s safe,” Rye replied.
Dev pulled her up out of her chair. “It’s also temporary, so don’t get too used to it. This is a short-term measure until we can figure out a way to tackle your fears.”
“Which ones?” Tansy muttered, allowing herself to be pulled in to the strong heat of Dev’s chest.
He stroked his hand down her back. “All of them. Just not all at once.”
And thank god for that.
Rye stepped in behind her, sliding his hands under the silk of her tunic to rub her bare stomach. “Go get changed into something conventional.” His hands crept up to cup her bra-covered breasts. “And for the sake of my sanity, wear a proper bloody corset.”
Tansy stepped out of their arms, laughing, both at the fact that her new underwear drove them crazy and at the fact that she’d spent so much time around Rye he was using her swearwords.
The standard attire for a woman on Ivasta consisted of an array of clothing that would have made an Edwardian princess swoon. Half boots—which Tansy privately loved—silk stockings, garters, long frothy petticoats, chemise, the dreaded corset and a bustle. Strangely enough, all that layering and ladylike covering up didn’t include panties of any kind, so she bowed to tradition and went commando.
Her outer gown was an ornate concoction of cream-and-rose brocade and boasted fitted sleeves, rounded neckline, tight waist and a floor-length skirt. All the lacing, trussing and buttoning made Tansy feel so confined she could hardly breathe, and it was impossible to dress herself. As a consequence of needing help from her men, getting dressed took far longer than it should have. It was also a lot more fun.
The ladies of Sapphire township also wore their hair up in elaborate designs that went far beyond Tansy’s meager abilities. The best she could do was to braid her ponytail and wrap it in a round bun, pinning for all she was worth.
It was strange not to feel her hair swinging against her back, and the confining tightness of the corset made her aware of her body in a way that was surprisingly sexy. And she was naked from the waist down under her petticoats, so her body was almost throbbing when she finally joined her men in the lounge room.
They both stood, and the appreciation in their eyes stirred the throbbing into an ache.
Dev smiled and held out his hand. “You look beautiful, Tansy.”
“Thank you.” Crossing the room, she slipped her hand into his strong grasp.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Rye handed her a glass half-filled with a liquid that looked, and no doubt tasted, like viscous dam water. “You need to drink it all at once.”
She hesitated. “What about the ride home?”
Rye pointed to a flask on the table. “We’ve got it sorted.”
Of course they did. She smiled at her men, ignored the pitching roll of her nervous what-am-I-doing? stomach and took the glass from Rye. It suddenly hit home just how far gone she was for these men. She would rather drug herself than miss out on spending a day in the sun with Rye and Dev. She winced at the way her fuck-ups kept accumulating.
Before any of them could change their minds, she raised the glass, knocked back the contents and let the shudders take her as the revolting brew slimed its way down her throat.
Rye swung her up in his arms and she snuggled in, relaxing against him as he carried her to the lair. The dragons were saddled and waiting in the landing area, and the moment Dev settled in Fellescend’s saddle, Rye handed her up. They were just buckling her into her harness when she let out a contented sigh and sleep took her.
Dev should have been happy. Cradling his woman close, flying with Fellescend while his best friend flew a bare wing-tip away, the sun on his back and the wind in his hair. It should have been perfect. Joyous.
But Tansy was breaking his heart.
She was so courageous, so gutsy, it was agonizing to see her fall and get back up, only to fall again. Willersby fucking Lockmehdyhn was living on borrowed time. Dev knew killing that little prick wouldn’t help Tansy’s recovery, but it would help him to sleep at night. He and Rye had promised to care for and protect their woman, and Dev didn’t see how that vow could be kept while Lockmehdyhn drew breath.
The township grew closer and Dev tucked his dark thoughts away. He didn’t want anything to spoil Tansy’s outing, and after everything she’d shared this morning she was bound to be sensitive to his and Rye’s moods.
The dragons landed in a small clearing, and once the Enforcers dismounted they tucked themselves between the blacks and waited for Tansy to wake. Once she was fully alert, the three of them headed toward the market while Fellescend and Zenbaylan once again took to the air.
Ion storms were frequent on Ivasta, so everyone considered a full day of clear skies an opportunity to be grasped with both hands. The market was busy, vibrant and crossed all social classes and age groups. Dev preferred the quiet solemnity of the libraries in his spare time, but he was in no way immune to the festival atmosphere of market days.
He squeezed Tansy’s hand. “What do you want to see first?”
“I want to see all of it.” She pointed to the first row of neatly laid-out stalls. “Let’s start there and work our way up and down the aisles.”
He shot a grin over her head at Rye. Their woman was nothing if not methodical. Resigned to walking past every stall in the market, Dev shortened his step, slowed his pace and let Tansy guide them wherever she wanted to go.
She seemed fascinated with everything she saw, asking questions, rubbing those soft, smooth fingers over items as varied as fruit and jewelry. She even stopped at stalls showcasing weaponry and leatherwork. A few times Dev offered to buy her an item that took her fancy, but she always refused. He wasn’t sure what was behind her reticence and he didn’t push to find out. She had enough to deal with already, and today was supposed to be fun and relaxing for all three of them. Besides, he could always come back and buy her something next time.
Hours later they were still strolling, and Dev could no longer ignore his empty stomach. “Let’s get something to eat.” This was his third attempt to convince Tansy he needed food.
“In a minute,” she replied, not turning her attention away from the dinnerware she was perusing. “Just let me get to the end of this row.”
Dev peered around her back, and when he saw how many stalls they still had to traverse, his stomach squeezed. “I’ll be dead by then. Nothing left of me but skin and bone.”
Offering the stall-holder an apologetic nod, he wrapped his arm around Tansy’s waist and began steering her toward the food area.
She craned her head around to catch Rye’s attention. “Can’t you do something? I wasn’t finished.”
Rye clasped her free hand and tugged her along. “I’m with Dev on this, I’m afraid. I’m hungry too, and it’s not as if the stalls won’t be there when we come back.”
“Yes, but I might miss out on a bargain.”
“A bargain?” Dev asked. “You haven’t let us buy you anything all morning. I’ve lost count of the bargains you’ve passed up.” Then his stomach growled, loud enough to make Tansy’s eyes pop.
“Okay,” she snickered. “Food it is, then.”
Once again Tansy went to every stall, just so she knew what was on offer before she made her choice. Dev was ordinarily a patient man but Tansy was pushing her luck when she got between him and decent meal. When they’d decided on their orders, Dev got into line for the food and Rye wandered off to get drinks. Tansy continued to stroll, peering at the variety of food, chatting to the stall-holders and tasting whatever samples were on offer.
Their order was so large the grinning proprietor placed it an oversized canvas bag free of charge. Stomach rumbling, Dev eased his way out of the crush and searched for Tansy’s dark head. He didn’t see her immediately but he wasn’t too worried. Rye was still in his queue and no doubt Tansy was with him.
But when Rye turned and came toward him, there was no woman by his side. Their eyes met across the space, over the heads of countless townsfolk, and Dev knew the panic in Rye’s eyes was reflected his own.
“Tansy!” He dropped his packages, the food forgotten, and began pushing his way through the crowd, frantic with the need to find their mate. He shouted and kept on shouting, but she didn’t answer him. Fear clawed his gut, cold and vicious, and he couldn’t even contemplate the thought that they might have failed her again. She’d trusted them, she’d relied on them to keep her safe, and now they couldn’t even find her.
Fellescend, do you know where Tansy is?
Isn’t she with you? The question was threaded with a dark threat, but Dev didn’t have time to deal with dragon arrogance.
Just answer the question. Can you find her?
You lost her? You lost my pet? A spike of anger shot down the link, along with an overdose of indignation.
Dev didn’t have time for dragon histrionics. Fellescend, please.
You are a terrible mate. We need to have a long talk about your duties and responsibilities in regard to taking care of my possessions.
Dev rolled his eyes and was about to wrangle his dragon back on track when Oskaal popped into the air in front of him.
The dragonet will find her. At least he knows how to execute his duties—
Dev cut the link to Fellescend and spoke to Oskaal. “I can’t find Tansy. Can you track her for me?”
The dragonet gave an agitated trill and pumped his wings until he was a body-length above the crowd. He turned a full circle, sniffing and humming deep in his throat, then he stopped, trilled again and set off at an angle away from the food stalls. Dev ran to keep up and Rye kept pace with him, shoulder to shoulder as they raced to find their woman.
They’d barely traveled fifty paces down the aisle when Oskaal darted off at a right angle. Unwilling to be left behind, Dev pushed aside the stall patrons and vaulted over the sturdy wooden table. The back of the stall was enclosed in a three-sided tent, and as the dragonet wriggled its way through a gap in the corner fastenings, Dev unsheathed the knife from his boot. In two swift slices the flap of the back wall swung free and Oskaal was through it in a flash. Dev and Rye were right behind him, running across a small alley before repeating the procedure in reverse on the other side. This stall-holder’s fruit didn’t survive under the momentum and body-mass of two fast-moving Enforcers. Dev kept going, not having the time or the patience to deal with the chaos he and Rye left behind. Keeping his eyes on the sparkling brown-and-gold scales in front of him, Dev focused on nothing but Oskaal and the safety of their woman.