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“Where are they going?” I leaned into Guy’s side as warriors dispersed from the dining room in large groups.
“Training. It’s the first order of business after breakfast. There’s an outdoor arena next to these barracks.”
Back home, our protectors did the same, and then they followed orders, heading out to guard our villages and the locations which saw the most attacks by warriors infiltrating our shores. Our lucrative diamond and gold mines were constantly hit, and so too, our coal reserves and forests.
Warriors came and they took, and here I was sitting amongst them, not raising a hand. This sucked, in a hundred different ways. Still, I deposited my plate and cutlery into the cleaning trays beside the servery and plodded after Guy and Vitaria.
Vitaria chatted a mile a minute with Guy. It was a relief when we arrived at the supplies room and she stopped to consider which sheath would go best with her blade. Done, we continued on. At the end of the long passageway we came out into an open-aired arena. It was massive, with its ancient architecture and circular dusty floor sprinkled with sand. Blocked seats, layered back and up, towered three-stories high. Impressive, and close in size to our arena in Peacio. This place would hold thousands of spectators, but for now, warrior men and woman trained with their swords and spears and axes, with shields and headgear worn for protection. Some had changed into red tunics with leather-flapped skirts, and they lunged and parried, as accurate with their brutally sharp weapons as any protector would be. If Silas and Davio knew I was here right now, they’d freak.
I stepped past two battling men. One of the men’s blades struck flesh and bone, and blood spurted in a wide arc. Yuck. I hurried along, catching up to Guy.
He and Vitaria had found a clear spot. Guy slid his headgear on then gripped the hilt of his blade. “Silvie, Vitaria looks all gentle and unassuming, but she knows exactly how to fight. Stay back.”
“Right, out of the way.” I leaned against the safety railing.
Vitaria pulled her sword free and rested it between her hands, the blade flat across both palms as she eyed Guy. “We fight, and no attempting to distract.”
“When you’re ready.” Guy bowed then whipped around. His sword slashed down on Vitaria’s as she moved like lightning to meet his attack.
Whoa. I scurried under the railing and into the first row of seats.
“Silvie?”
Zayn’s voice bounced inside my head.
“Hey.”
“I can take you to school if you’d like.”
“Ah, I’m going to have to skip today. I’ve got another project on.”
“Do you need a hand?”
“No, I’m all good.”
“Well, if you change your mind, ’path me.”
“I will. Catch ya later.”
I shut the link as Guy dove in for a second attack. His tan shirt pulled tight over his back, molding to muscle. Yep, all was definitely good. They both moved, their swords clashing and meeting dead center. Guy breathed roughly and Vitaria eyeballed him, and then they fought with a torrent of energy. Sweat poured off them as their morning session progressed.
All around, dozens of warriors fought equally as hard, skillfully, and with dedication. It was no wonder when we fought them we never knew who would win. Sometimes we came out on top, and at other times, they did.
“Silvie.”
I spun around, came eye to eye with Hope. “What are you doing here?”
“Shh.” She pressed her finger against her lips. “Faith sent me. She’s at school, but since I was already here, she asked me to get you somewhere safe.”
“What? Why somewhere safe?”
Her gaze darted toward Guy. “She had another forewarning.”
“Not again.” She had to stop having those, and I was going to insist on it.
“Just come,” she urged, tugging me along. “And don’t draw any attention to yourself.”
“I am having a word with her.”
“You and me both.” She pulled me past the seating on the lower level and through a small gap between two rows which dipped down into a darkened corridor. “This is the way out, to the palace grounds.”
“No way. That’s one place I’m not allowed.”
“Well, the stables, right next to the palace. I’ve got two horses ready to ride since neither of us can ’port.”
“To ride where?”
“Where you can’t burn everything down.”
“Are you saying—” We burst out of the corridor and into the sultry sunlight. “Oooh, nice.”
“You’re about to explode. Now get moving.”
“Please tell me you don’t mean explode the way I would mean explode?”
“Silvie? Where are you?”
It was Guy, and no surprise since my heart was trying to leap from my chest.
“The bathroom.”
“Grrr, don’t lie to me. I can sense that through our link.”
“The outdoors. It’s a lovely day and all. I’m taking a walk. Well, actually a run. I need the exercise. Just ask Faith.”
“Stop being evasive.”
“Silvie, hurry.” Hope yanked me around a corner and toward a stable hand who waited with two mares. She hoisted herself into the saddle.
“I mean it, Silvie. Where the hell are you? You just can’t up and disappear like this.”
“I’m with Hope. Apparently we’re taking a ride. Nothing for you to worry about.” If I was about to blow, I didn’t want him in the firing line.
“You’re at the stables?” He shimmered into sight.
Drat. He was too fast for his own good. “As it appears, yes.”
“Where you go, I go.” He bent and cupped his hands. “Here, mount up.”
I set my foot in his clasp and he lifted me. The leather creaked as I settled into place. “Faith said I’m about to explode. She sent Hope to take me to a safe place.”
He flicked a look Hope’s way. “How bad will it be?”
“Faith never said, only to hurry and make sure we’re far enough away so no one sees. She gave me the perfect spot.”
He leapt up behind me and grasped the reins. Bending low, he prodded the horse with his knees and we were off. “Hold on tight.”
We rode out the main gates after Hope. We veered left toward the forest path. Pine trees grew tall and strong either side as we galloped. Above, the thick canopy masked the sun, but the ocean and its rhythmic crashing reached me on the breeze. The rough path narrowed as we followed Hope’s lead.
I ducked my head as tree branches snagged my hair and clothing. Guy bent lower, squishing me into the saddle. “Since you’re now here, you could ’port us.”
“It appears Hope knows where to go, but I’ll zap us if I need to.”
“I don’t want her hurt. Make her leave once we get there.”
“We’re almost there,” Hope called over her shoulder.
We rode into the sunshine. The black granite cliffs appeared in a deadly drop. Whoa.
Hope reared around and pulled her horse to a stop. “This is where Faith said to come.”
Guy tugged the reins and his horse halted beside hers. “You go. I can handle her heat.”
The wind lifted her blond hair and swept it about her face. She shoved it back and eyed me. “Faith’s instructions were to go with the flow, and don’t fight the fall.”
“Don’t fight the fall?” I gulped, so hard my throat hurt. “Ooo-kay. Thanks for that.”
She nudged her horse’s flanks then rode away.
Guy dismounted, gripped my hips and lifted me clear of the horse. He clapped the mare on its rear. It bolted and raced after Hope into the woods.
“Right, don’t fight the fall.” I stalked toward the cliff’s edge. Below, the ocean stirred, the depths of darkest blue tinged with white caps. “I can’t believe I’m about to explode when I’ve been controlling my skill of late.”
“Your skill is still gaining in strength.” He eased in behind me and stroked my arms.
“Hey, not so close, Guy. You’ve got to be careful too.”
He rested his chin on the top of my head, and rubbed as if trying to soothe me. “I need to remain close. I won’t let you fall, no matter what Faith said.”
Of course he wouldn’t. He was my mate and our bond pulsed strongly. I squeezed his hands then dragged his arms around me. I needed him too, even though I shouldn’t give in to that need. “You would make the best boyfriend. That’s if you weren’t a warrior.”
“I can’t change who I am.”
“I’d never ask you to.” The sun glinted along the horizon. “I never thought this would happen.”
“What would happen?” His lips whispered across my cheek, so soft.
“That I’d like you this much, to the point where I don’t want to give you up.”
“That’s how you feel?” He held perfectly still.
“Truthfully, yes.” I couldn’t lie to him. Didn’t even want to.
He dragged in a deep breath. “Hell, since we’re being honest. I never thought I’d begin falling for you either.”
“You mean that?” Please, please mean it.
“Yes, not that I can do a damn thing about it.”
“Then we’re still ending things?”
“Yes, even though every hour that passes means an hour less with you.”
“This is such a mess.” Goodness, why were we putting ourselves through this? I pulled away in an attempt to be the responsible one.
“Don’t.” He grabbed my hand. “I lost my mother at such a young age, but at least I knew her. The same goes with you. I wouldn’t trade the time we’ve had together for anything in the world. We need to store the good memories, and appreciate them for what they are.”
“You’re saying the good memories will sustain us?”
“Yes.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Or they better.”
“This is still a mess.” I stormed away then kicked the craggy edge, mad and frustrated. A flare of heat coursed through my veins, pulsing and building. Damn it. I hated that I’d miss him once this was all done.
“Silvie, look at me.”
I swung around. Flames flared to life at my fingertips. “Just back off. This is my battle, not yours.”
His wide-eyed gaze shot to my feet. “Hell, you’re melting the rock.”
“What?” No way. But the black granite bubbled at my feet. “Crap. I’m melting it like tar. Am I that hot?”
“You must be, but I can’t feel your heat. Can you get your temp down? I can’t get to you. Heck, I can’t believe this rock can melt.”
“Well, it is.” It continued to bubble outward, a hot, sticky mess.
“Cool it now. You’re right on the edge.”
Sheesh. Like I couldn’t see that.
“How am I supposed to—” The edge oozed away at my feet. Shoot.
“Silvie!”
I slipped over the side as he yelled.
The ocean rose up, so stony cold.
“Don’t fight the fall,” Faith growled in my head.
“You could have told me it was this kind of fall,” I screamed back.
“Raise your arms and tuck your head in.”
“I’d better survive this. What kind of best friend are you?”
Damn. Two-hundred feet. It was a death drop, but Faith would never desert me. I kept that at the forefront of my mind as the icy waves loomed.
I hit hard and plunged deep. My breath was knocked out of me.
No.
Not deep. I was in the dark.
Where on earth was I?
I grabbed my sides, patted around to my back. Nothing was wet, and the sensation of ’porting was strong. Oh boy. Had I just ’ported?
“Did I come into another skill, Faith?”
“Yes, so cool. I wish I could have been there.”
“So do I, because I really wanna rip your head off for not telling me. You are so gonna get it.”
“A ’porter has to move fast to initiate their first speed jump, and yours was complicated by your fire skill’s energy burst. This way you’re dealing with both at once.”
“Don’t try and wriggle your way out of this. I just speed-jumped into a black hole. I didn’t get a chance to attach a location or coordinates.”
“Yeah, but your explosive heat was contained in the hole.”
“Guy will be freaking out.”
“Then I’ll go so you can talk to him. Just make sure you come up with a soft place to land.” She closed the link.
Unbelievable. I had to ’port free of this hole and since I was on foreign soil, with no way back to Peacio, the only choice I had was Guy’s room. Grrreat. I braced myself as I brought his room’s image into my mind. I added the coordinates and let go. Then slammed down.
I crashed into his bed. The wooden legs snapped and collapsed and everything creaked and groaned, including me.
The glare of light coming through his window was punishing, and when I dragged in a breath, it rattled around in my chest and barely made it back out.
“Guy.” I threw open our link.
“Where the hell are you? You disappeared into thin air.” His voice was panicked, well, beyond panicked.
“Bring a healer, okay. I landed on your bed.”
“At the speed you were going? That’s where you landed?”
“Calm down. I didn’t exactly have a choice.”
“I’ll grab Nicolas and be there in two seconds.”
My belly rolled, and I bit back bile. “I’m sorry I argued with you.”
“Which argument?”
“All of them.” Blood dribbled from my mouth and pooled on his pillow. “Hurry.”
“I’m almost there.” The air stirred, and Guy’s guttural groan echoed around the room. He knelt and carefully took my hand. “I’m here. Stay very still. The healer will fix this.”
A tall warrior with a whiskered jaw and intense blue eyes bent and peered at me. A light radiated in a gentle glow all around him. “I’m hallucinating. He looks like an angel.”
The man laid a hand on my head. “Where does it hurt? The most?”
“You should ask me where it doesn’t hurt.”
“Gotcha.” His hand was warm. No, more than that. His healing-heat increased in strength and blasted out. “I’m Nicolas, one of the leading eight.”
“Nice to meet you.” I didn’t care who he was, as long as he took this pain away.
“Take it easy. Do you not have the skill to fast-heal?”
“No, and I’m kinda wishing I did.”
“Silvie.” Guy stroked my fingers, his tone a warning.
“It looks worse than it is.”
“It looks pretty bad.”
“I survived, and see, I’m arguing with you again. That’s a good sign.”
Nicolas glided his hands down my body. His aura glowed brighter, his touch hotter. “There isn’t anything I can’t fix. Let me get started.”
“What did she break?” Guy tucked my hair behind my ear.
“So far I’ve got a punctured lung from a broken rib, a ruptured spleen, and some internal bleeding.” His wicked heat radiated to all those places, and then traveled down my spine. “She’s crushed two of her lower vertebrae, dislocated her hips and—”
“You know, Nicolas,” I wriggled my fingers within Guy’s as the feeling returned to them. “You’d be more helpful without the commentary.”
Nicolas switched his gaze to Guy. “She’s your mate?”
“Cousin.”
“No, she’s not. As I heal, I can feel the mated bond pulsing between you both.”
I hiccupped as my damaged lung inflated and tingled anew. “We’re mated, but not doing anything about it.”
“It’s okay if your relationship is new and you’re wary.” He slid his hands carefully under my lower back, until his fingers rested over my spine. The nerves pinched together, and feeling flooded back.
Guy cleared his throat. “Silvie is a Moyer, and we’re distantly related. We just can’t go there.”
“So, you’re truly cousins?” Nicolas looked between Guy and me.
“Far-removed, but yes,” Guy answered.
Nicolas ran his hands over my thighs and down my legs. “There’s one break and a twisted ankle. I can heal both, but you’ll have to take it easy. Your balance will be off.”
“I’ll rest.”
“Good.” He smoothed around my calves and continued to work down until he’d encircled my feet. Bones popped and refused. His golden glow slowly diminished. “The healing is complete.” He rose to his full towering height. “But take care, as I said. You’ll be extremely sore for a few days.”
Compassion shone in his eyes.
“Thank you, Nicolas.” Now, that was something I never thought I’d say to a warrior.
And now, what did I say to Guy?
