On a Barbarian World (17 page)

“Plus,” Gadiel said, “there are monsters far worse than the naga in there.”

Aurina couldn’t imagine much worse than the naga. “It’s the only plan I have. Of course, it will be Kavon’s decision on what he wants to do.” She stared at the papers. “Do you have any maps of the old tunnels?”

Gadiel sighed. “Yes. They are very old, and, we suspect, not very accurate. And it is possible things could have changed over the years. Tremors cause tunnels to collapse or new tunnels and caverns to open up.”

Aurina nodded. She wondered how much of what they were telling her was warlord-manufactured stories to keep Markarians away. “Show me what you’ve got. Please.”

After another hour with the miners, Aurina had a somewhat workable map of the tunnels. Okay, so it was a thousand years old and pretty sketchy, but it was something. She also had a workable plan. There was a closed-up entrance to the mines at the base of the mountain. From there, they could follow the map to a few of the places marked as interesting or dangerous.

Now, all she had to do was convince a certain hard-headed warrior to give it a shot.

She made her way to the training yard. She heard the clang of swords and saw a small crowd of spectators had gathered.

She pushed through the villagers, and heard the whispers of how strong the warlord was.

“He was at death’s door, but now look at him,” one woman said.

“I’m looking.” Her friend let out a gusty sigh. “The warrior is a mighty fine sight.”

Aurina cleared the crowd in time to see Kavon strike his sword against one of his warrior’s. The warrior stumbled back and landed in the dirt. The crowd cheered.

Yes, the warlord was a mighty fine sight, indeed.

Kavon called out to his warriors, and with laughs and slaps on the back, they ended their training. Aurina walked toward Kavon, and when he saw her coming he stopped, pressing the point of his sword to the ground.

God, that beautiful blade suited him. It was strong, and deadly, but beautiful at the same time.

“Aurina.” His eyes flickered gold, the corners of his lips lifting.

She felt an instant flush of heat. “Kavon.”

“You are supposed to address me as warlord out here.”

“You aren’t my warlord.”

He raised a brow. “Am I not?”

That heat intensified. “Kavon—”

“I like the way you say my name.”

“I came to talk about Durendal.”

His smile slipped away.

“No, listen.” She drew a deep breath. On the way out of the house, she’d practiced what she planned to say a hundred times in her head. “I spent time with your mining supervisors. They’ve given me maps of the old Riom mining tunnels. I’ve planned a route I think will take us to where the ship would have crashed.”

He made a noise, but she hurried on.

“I’ve made a list of gear and supplies we’ll need to navigate the old mine.” She dragged in another breath, aware that his face was impassive as he watched her, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “I saw some tech of mine when I got the medscope. We should bring the medscope and the scanner. It’ll make the journey much easier.”

“I think—”

She wasn’t letting him dismiss her ideas outright. “And lastly, I have another idea. I think we should get some of your warriors to create a diversion to distract Drog. Keep him busy, so he doesn’t know we’re heading to the mines.”

She finished and clenched her hands together.

Kavon was quiet, looking at her steadily.

“Well?” she prompted. It was best he started all his “impossibles” and “absolutely nots” now, so she could rebut them and bang some sense into his head.

“I agree.”

She blinked. “What?”

“It is a sound plan.”

She dropped her hands to her sides. “I was expecting you to put up a fight.”

He leaned closer. “Believe me, I do not want you in danger. Especially now that I have tasted the pleasure of your sweet body.”

Her cheeks heated. Damn her pale skin. “Kavon—”

He held up a hand. “But I want Durendal and I will not let the mountain beat me. And we have a deal. Besides, it is a well-thought-out plan.”

The praise left her warm inside, but as she watched him, another thought snuck in. “You let me ramble on with my sales pitch just to humor me, didn’t you?”

“Of course not.” His lips were twitching again.

She slapped his chest.

He yanked her close so fast she barely had time to react. Then, she was plastered against a warm male chest, and a second later, his mouth was on hers.

She moaned, opening for him, kissing him back. Her fingers dug into hard muscles, and she felt every part of her flame to life.

“An interesting way to end training.”

The deep voice made Kavon raise his head.

Licking her lips, she saw Colm beside them, smiling.

“Find your own woman, Colm,” Kavon said.

“I like the variety of different women each night, my warlord.” Colm winked at Aurina. “Although, if I had a skyflyer as pretty as yours…”

Kavon kept his arm tight around her. “We have a mission to plan for.”

Colm’s face turned serious in an instant. “It is too soon. You were recently injured—”

“You can see I’m perfectly healed. I feel better than ever.”

“So, we’re headed back to that damned mountain?” Colm did not look happy.

“To the Riom mines beneath it.”

Colm groaned. “That’s worse. Remember, that damned naga pulled itself out of the bowels of the mountain…and now that is exactly where you want to go. Wonderful.”

“I thought you big, tough warriors were afraid of nothing,” Aurina said.

“I am not afraid, Aurina,” Colm said. “But neither am I stupid.” His gaze swung back to Kavon. “It won’t be an easy trip.”

“Aurina has laid out the plan, the route, and the supplies we’ll need. We’ll also need a little distraction to keep Drog busy.”

Now Colm’s face sharpened, a faint smile appearing. “Now that sounds like an excellent idea.”

“Good. You can be in charge of that aspect of the mission.” Kavon looked down at Aurina. “Let’s get the preparation done, then we can leave at first light.”

She nodded. “Let’s do it.”

The rest of the afternoon was a whirlwind of tasks. Kavon bellowed for different people, and soon, hargon beasts were being readied, supplies—ropes, food, healing kits—were being stacked near the stables, and warriors were checking their weapons.

Colm was absent, off planning a diversion for Drog. Aurina had noted the warrior’s glee at being assigned the task.

Eventually, Kavon scanned the preparations and nodded. “Tarik, have the beasts loaded and ready at first light.”

The stable master bowed his head. “Of course, Warlord.”

Kavon grabbed Aurina’s hand, and soon she found herself tugged into the house and up two flights of stairs. He stopped at a doorway and pulled out a large metal key. He stared at it for a second before he shoved it into the lock. It scraped on the metal as he turned it, then he shoved the door open.

She followed him in…and saw all her stuff from the crash on the table.

She swallowed. “Thank you. For trusting me.”

He wandered closer, his fingers brushing the beacon. “I still do not want you to leave.”

God, a part of her didn’t want to leave either, but this wasn’t her world. She didn’t belong on this planet. Whatever they felt, neither of them had ever planned for the other.

She cleared her throat and plucked up her scanner, checking it still worked. “For now, we focus on getting your sword.”

He nodded. “What is that?”

“A scanner. It can give lots of information on objects and biological entities.”

“Anything else?”

“That’s it. You already have the medscope, and I have my stunner and Sync.” She shoved the scanner in the small pack she’d brought with her.

“Good.” He grabbed her, lifting her to him, his mouth slamming down over hers.

The bag slipped from her fingers, and she slid her hands into his hair. They gorged themselves on each other. Stars, how could she want him again so desperately?

His big hands cupped her bottom, and she clamped her legs around his waist. He snatched up her bag, strode out of the room, and somehow managed to get the door closed with a kick of his boot.

Then he was marching down to his rooms.

Yes
. For now, all she wanted was Kavon. His warmth, his strength, that single-minded attention he focused on pleasuring her. And she wanted to see him lose that warrior control, to be completely lost in their loving.

In his rooms, he tossed her on the bed, and she bounced once. He tossed her bag to the floor, drew his sword, and set it in its place on the table. His scabbard followed.

Her breath coming in short pants, she watched him methodically strip out of his clothes. She’d never, ever tire of seeing that body—all those muscles, that ridged stomach, that hard cock.

He pressed one knee to the bed, looming over her. “I’m going to make sure you’re sore tomorrow as we ride out for the mines.”

She pressed her tongue to her teeth. “Is that so?”

He moved closer, his fingers drifting up her leather-clad leg. “You’ll feel me, even when I’m not there.”

Her breath hitched. “Do your worst, warrior…or should I say, your best?”

His hand drifted over her belly, atop her corset to fiddle with the ties. “This needs to go.”

“Let me undo—”

He gripped the tough leather, and in one hard tug, tore it down the middle. Her breasts spilled free and his eyes turned from amber-brown to molten gold.

“Come inside me, Kavon.”

With a growl he covered her, and Aurina lost herself in her warrior.

Chapter Thirteen

Kavon watched Aurina mount the hargon beast. She settled in the saddle, looking like she’d been riding one for years.

Like she belonged here.

Tarm shifted beneath him, and Kavon patted the beast’s side.

Aurina looked back over her shoulder at him, and grinned. “So I’ve graduated to my own hargon. Sure you trust me?”

He nudged Tarm forward a few steps until he brushed Aurina’s beast. He leaned over, his mouth near her ear. “I will miss having you in my arms, pressed against me, safe under my protection. I will miss imagining sliding my cock inside you—”

“Kavon!” Her word was sharp but she was still grinning. “You can still imagine that last bit…but I’m pretty sure you don’t want an erection while riding one of these.”

Now, Kavon tossed his head back and laughed at the morning sky.

When he looked back at her, she was staring at him. “That is a good sound, warrior. You should laugh more.”

He stared back. “I’ve never had much reason to laugh before.”

“Are we leaving or what?” Colm called out from his beast. Three other warriors—Darroch, Viken and Kian—were mounted on their beasts behind him.

Kavon touched Aurina under the chin, then turned to face his men. “We’re leaving.” He glanced at his friend. “The diversion?”

Colm’s teeth flashed. “My men used Aurina’s special recipe for explosives. They blew up one of Drog’s grain storages, and are currently leading Drog and his warriors on a merry chase…in the opposite direction from us.”

Kavon felt a savage sense of satisfaction. It was less than Drog deserved, but damn, it would have been good to see. “Good. All right, let’s move out.”

Soon, they’d left the estate behind, following the mining road into the Wilds.

After an hour of watching Aurina learn to control her beast, including an amusing battle of wills after the beast wanted to chase some reptiles, Kavon almost forgot the danger of the mission.

Then Mount Furioso rose up ahead.

Kavon felt himself grow tense. The Wilds could and did throw anything at travelers stupid enough to venture into them. He’d seen that firsthand the last time they’d been here.

His gaze fell on Aurina’s back as she rode ahead of him. He would do anything, give anything, to protect her.

As they neared the base of the mountain, Aurina pulled out her glowing Sync. She bent over it, muttering.

“Aurina?”

“The entrance is here…somewhere.” She scanned the rock face at the mountain’s base, her mouth pressed into a hard line. “I’ll find it.”

“What should we look for?”

“A cave entrance? Anything that doesn’t look natural.”

He nodded to his warriors and they moved along the rock wall, circling craggy clusters of rocks.

Then a shadow passed overhead.

The hargon beasts all started pawing the ground and snorting fire. Kavon gripped the reins controlling Tarm and looked up.

Nothing. Just the clear, blue sky.

Then the great bulk of a flying beast appeared. It had circled the mountain, but now it flew over them again, and let out a deep, echoing squawk.

“Trondor!” Kavon called out.

“What?” Aurina clutched her reins, desperately trying to control her beast.

“Giant bird of prey.” He pulled in close to her, grabbed her reins, and barked an order to her beast. It instantly settled, but steam was pouring from its nostrils. “We have to get inside. Now!”

“I can’t find the entrance, Kavon.” She stabbed a finger at her device. “The map says it should be right here.” She waved a hand at the rock wall. “But I don’t see anything.”

Kavon studied the wall, and a huge pile of boulders that sat in a pile against it. Like they’d fallen from the mountain above…or been placed there. “The boulders.”

She blinked, then she nodded. “Of course. The entrance is covered up!”

There was a loud screech, and the huge shadow passed over them again. Kavon spun…and saw the trondor diving at his warriors.

“Oh, my God,” Aurina said, staring at the huge wingspan of the attacking animal.

Kavon’s men spurred their beasts out of the way of sharp claws and a snapping beak.

“We need to get inside.” Aurina urged her beast toward the rock pile.

“Aurina!” Kavon urged Tarm to follow.

She leaped off her beast and skidded to a halt. “It’ll take forever to move these.” She pulled her laser, fiddling with buttons on it. “I should be able to open up enough room for us.”

She aimed and fired.