A Lion's Heart (12 page)

“They are already lazy,” Lormar pointed out. “They've hardly moved down the road. They take every advantage to eat and sleep. I'm surprised Mordara hasn't eaten them all in disgust.”

Shang nodded as he gripped his long knives. “We are trained. We have the advantage.” He skewered Kyrill with his reptilian black eyes. “As long as we are not foolish, we will rescue Prince Shakra.”

“And Tamarind,” Kyrill reminded him.

Shang looked disdainful. “He is not my concern.”

“He's Shakra's,” Kyrill told him. “They’re nearly mated I think.” Kyrill blushed to his earrings.

Shang was livid. His scales seemed to stand out from his skin and his eyes were slits. His dark crest was standing straight, like knives along his head and neck. Very slowly, as if Shang was taking great pains to calm down, the crest lowered. When it was all the way down once more, he said tightly, “We will see.”

Chapter Twelve

“Not far,” Tamarind said encouragingly.

Shakra's head was down and he was suffering, but he wasn't deaf to the odd bird whistle on the wind. His ear cocked in that direction, the only sign he gave and an involuntary one.

“There,” Tamarind pointed out. “That peak. Two miles and then it's down towards the Savannah.”

Despite himself, Tamarind sounded excited. Shakra grimaced as he breathed with aching lungs and tried not to blame him. Whatever the circumstances, it was Tamarind's home.

“Don't eat tonight,” Shakra warned, the barest sound.

Tamarind looked at him with a frown, wondering, perhaps, if he was ill.

“Quiet,” Shakra told him to forestall any questioning. “Just do as I say.”

Mordara looked back at them, tail twitching, but her weres were making too much noise for her to have heard anything.

Shakra wondered what his fate would be once he reached the Savanna. Would Katze kill him outright, ransom him, or use him to buy Tamarind's loyalty? He had given away his title and his throne. He doubted that his people, or especially Warden Kol, would pay to have him back again. If Tamarind was powerless, then death seemed a certainty. That left many things undone and unsaid and very little time to remedy it.

“Tamarind....”

Tamarind looked at him, silver eyes worried.

Shakra swallowed hard. Where to begin? What to say, exactly? He had never been tactful, diplomatic, or one to dance around words. Shakra steeled himself, as if he were going against one of Shang's best defenses, and said, “I think... I think that I care for you, Tamarind... deeply. I needed to say that before-”

Tamarind was suddenly nose to nose with him. It was hard to tell if he was angry at such close range.

“I'm sorry,” Shakra stammered. “I know it's strange... a werewolf and a werelion, but... it's true. I won't die and not tell you... how I feel.”

Tamarind chuckled. The sound was low and throaty. “You didn't need to tell me, Shakra. We both feel the same way.”

Tamarind's eyes were Shakra's world, glowing and wide, and then they were kissing, licking, and rubbing together. It was brief, a stolen moment of heat, and then they were apart and panting. Tamarind stood closer as they began walking again.

“It's not wrong,” Tamarind said firmly.

“No?” Shakra managed, dazed from interrupted passion.

“We... We are the same, remember? We saw...” Tamarind said with a bit of embarrassment. “How can it be wrong when we can...”

Shakra stopped and crouched, ears down, and body reacting very strongly. His scent filled the area and Tamarind's own scent was quick to join it. His warm body pressed against Shakra and his thrumming sound was in Shakra's ears. Shakra began to circle Tamarind's waist with his arms, ready to pull Tamarind underneath him and do something about the heavy heat between his legs.

Cold water doused them both and they separated, spluttering and shivering. Mordara capped her water flask with a scowl as she stood over them.

“You should be glad that I did that,” Mordara sneered as they both recovered and looked furiously at her. “If you were to take my werelion prince that way, kittens would be the last thing you'd get.”

Tamarind felt his face go red and he looked down. Shakra knew, that as much as he hated her, she was right. Tamarind wasn't a female. Shakra had to control himself and not let instinct take over. He wasn't sure how he was going to accomplish that, though. His body didn't feel under his control when passion overwhelmed him. He still wanted Tamarind. Shakra could feel his arms and hips twitching, wanting to mount, wanting to get rid of the fire still raging inside of him.

Mordara looked at Tamarind and warned, “Entangling yourself with this werewolf is a mistake. You know that. It won't be tolerated. Katze doesn't have a use for a perverted prince. He needs to appear strong and he needs to be seen as having bred normal children.” She looked around at the other weres. They were looking excited, nostrils flaring at the heavy scent on the air. “I should point out another danger. These weres haven't been near females for some time. Scenting the area, you may find more lovers than you bargain for.”

Tamarind laid back ears fearfully, but then he was growling, refused to be intimidated. “If they try it, they will die,” he promised.

“Don't make that necessary,” Mordara retorted, annoyed that her tactic hadn't given her the desired result.

They were left to walk again and Tamarind said to Shakra apologetically, “Sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It's ... hard... though. I want...” He blushed and ducked his head.

“I do too,” Shakra replied, staring hatefully after Mordara, but then his look softened as he rubbed noses with Tamarind briefly and promised, “We will have our time together. We will do things right. I won't hurt you.”

Tamarind grinned and the tips of his sharp teeth shone. “No, you won't,” he replied and it had a threat as sharp as those teeth, but he softened it with love a moment later as he pressed his body along Shakra's. His long tail whipped around and Shakra felt it caress underneath his tail. It was brief, and he could almost call it an accident, except for the gleam in Tamarind's eyes. They were apart again, almost at once, and mindful to stay that way, though it was difficult now that they knew, for certain, what they were feeling for one another.

“Tonight,” Shakra muttered under his breath and hoped that Shang's plan worked.

**************

Nothing seemed to happen at first. Shakra complained of stomach upset and Tamarind ignored his food when one of the pig like weres put it in front of him. Mordara frowned, but she didn't reveal her thoughts as the other weres ate noisily, brawled, and laughed until it was time to bed down for the night.

“We'll hunt fresh meat in the morning,” Mordara said to Tamarind before seeking her own bed. “You will need your strength for the climb down into the Savannah.”

She walked away and Tamarind exchanged a look with Shakra. Mordara thought that they weren't eating because the meat wasn't fresh any longer. Shakra hid a smile.

“You're confident,” Tamarind grumbled as he settled down beside him. His tail was lashing with his nervousness. Shakra caught it and held it still.

“It gives you away,” Shakra whispered.

“And yours doesn't?” Tamarind snorted.

Shakra's tail was bristled. Shakra made a conscious effort to relax it as he covertly watched the weres around them. He began to wonder if Shang had not been successful in his plan after all.

“Sleep. I'll watch,” Tamarind told him.

Shakra smiled, kissed the end of Tamarind's tail, and allowed his exhaustion to overcome him at last as Tamarind reclaimed his tail with an irritated growl.

It didn't seem long before Tamarind was waking him again. It was still dark and Tamarind's eyes were orbs of silver fire in the moonlight. “Your lizard is here.”

Shakra sat up and felt stiff and dizzy. He blinked around them and saw the dark mounds that were sleeping weres. “How...?” he began but a scaly hand on his arm was as familiar as his own skin. He grinned at Shang, who was crouched by his side and looking less than pleased. Lormar and Kyrill were ranged behind him, smiling in greeting.

“Quietly, my Prince,” Shang whispered. “I don't see the weretigress...”

Shakra and Tamarind looked quickly about them and Shakra felt a chill of trepidation. In the moonlight, she could be a few feet away and invisible, but Shang could sense her heat.

“The others are sleeping,” Shang assured him, “but all of us together may not be a match for the weretigress if she attacks.”

“Why should I attack?” Mordara's laughing voice said from the darkness. “Prince Tamarind will go where I wish, with or without my escort. I will go ahead and announce his arrival to King Katze. Until then.”

Shang gave a cold look to Tamarind and then said to Shakra, “Come, the sleeping potion will not last long.”

“Go,” Tamarind told Shakra sadly, but there was determination in his voice as well. “Mordara is right, I still must go to the Savannah.” He came very close to Shakra, touched noses, and then rubbed along the side of Shakra's cheek with a soft rumble of frustration. “I don't want you to leave me, but it's my home, Shakra, and it means death for you if you follow me there.”

“Enough!” Shang snarled in anger. “My Prince, you know where your duty lies and where your home is. This werelion is speaking sense. Listen to him. There is only death at the hands of your enemy if you pursue this course.”

Shakra reached out and cupped Tamarind's cheek with his hand. He brought him close and kissed him, not caring who saw them. “In your land, you believe in destiny,” Shakra told Shang as he broke the kiss and looked at him. “You've told me often enough that your destiny was with me. Because of that, you've been loyal to me. I'm feeling the same way, Shang. I know where my destiny lies, and I can't deny it, no matter what might happen. Take Kyrill and Lormar back home. I have to go with Tamarind.”

Shang was very quiet for a long moment and then he exploded, “Madness! I can see that my arguments will not make any difference. You are young and foolish and you are not a fit prince for the throne.”

Shakra bristled, but the accusation was a true one. He didn't have anything to say that would counter it. He ducked his head and then admitted, “I was born to it, but, you're right, I'm not fit and... I don't want it. I've burned my bridges already.”

Shang said, with an irritable twitch of his crest, “Rumors are rumors and they can be dispelled if you are there to deny them... without your werelion.”

“For how long?” Shakra wanted to know, “How will I marry? How will I have children? My people will know the truth in the end.”

“And if Warden Kol and Tal lead your land into disaster?” Shang asked.

“I wanted to keep Kol from the throne because I disliked him, but I don't think that I am a better choice,” Shakra growled. “I'm not a leader.”

Shang sighed. “No, I've known that. You are a soldier, the best soldier I've seen. With maturity and more training...” He looked around them at the sleeping forms and then back at Shakra. “Enough talk. It's a waste of time. Your decision is made. Lead on, my... Shakra.”

Shakra didn't expect that to hurt, that final stripping of his title, but he knew that he was truly following his heart and his destiny at last. It took a moment before he registered exactly what Shang had said.

“You're going with me?” he asked in shock.

“Of course,” Shang hissed angrily. “You are following your destiny and I must follow mine. It is with you, at your side, whether you are a prince or not.”

Kyrill chuckled. “Now that we have that settled, may we go before we are all captured? I for one would like the warm Savannah after so many days of mountain cold.”

“I've been enjoying it,” Lormar said.

Kyrill snorted, “Then you can stay and keep our enemy company.”

Lormar grimaced and nuzzled along Kyrill's shoulder in reply. He wasn't going to leave his werefox.

Tamarind was astonished, looking from one to the other, and then he snarled, “You are all fools! It is death for you, where I am going! I don't even know if I will be safe.”

“Tamarind's right,” Shakra agreed. “You must all return home. I won't allow my decision to lead you into disaster.”

“You are not a prince any longer,” Shang reminded him. “We don't have to follow your orders.”

Shakra scowled and Tamarind looked frustrated.

Kyrill smiled and said. “Both of you, don't try and fight our loyalty to our friends. You won't win.”

Tamarind looked up at that, surprised that Kyrill considered him a friend.

“Come, we need to go at once,” Shang commanded and took the lead with an air that didn't allow for a challenge to his authority. The others followed obediently.

“I know who should have been a prince,” Shakra chuckled under his breath, but he was worried as well. He looked back, wondering how long their enemy would sleep and why the weretigress had not been affected by whatever Shang had done to them. That begged another question.

“How did you make them sleep?” Shakra asked Kyrill.

Kyrill grinned. “I'm quick and I'm a good throw with desert hunting darts. Shang prepared a sleeping herb and placed it into cloth packets. I tossed them into their food.” He frowned. “The weretigress didn't eat.”

Shakra nodded. “I think she was waiting for fresh meat. She was planning on hunting in the morning.”

“She is so sure of me,” Tamarind said, disturbed. His tail lashed nervously, almost in Shakra's face. He caught it and used it to pull Tamarind back to him. He hooked an arm around Tamarind's waist.

“She is sure of me as well,” Shakra said. “She knows I'll follow you. She doesn't have to risk herself taking us to the Savannah.”

“We are all fools,” Tamarind grumbled.

“Yes,” Lormar agreed as they made their way through the rocks, picking their way in the moonlight, “but it is our choice to be fools.”