Union (2 page)

“How did you know that?” Nykin bristled slightly, ignoring Ryneq’s question. “He only just left.”

“Yes, I know, I passed him in the hallway on my way here.” Ryneq reached out and gently stroked his fingers over Nykin’s side, right over where Hatak’s sword had gone in. “You’re almost fully healed, Nykin, I just… I don’t want you to open it up again.” He stepped up until they pressed together again, and Nykin shivered as Ryneq tilted his head and whispered in his ear. “I need you fit and well for all the things I want to do to you, Nykin. I’ve waited too long already. Please don’t make me wait any longer.”

Ryneq pulled back a little and smoothed out Nykin’s jacket, his hands lingering on Nykin’s waist.

“Okay.” Nykin swallowed thickly. “No riding, I promise. I just want to see Fimor.”

“Good.” Ryneq let his hands fall away and cast a glance around Nykin’s room.

Nykin had his own small house down in the lower town, but it had been easier and better for his convalescence to use one of the palace guest rooms while he recovered. And if Nykin was being honest, he wanted to be close to Ryneq after everything that had happened. But now he was back on his feet, he had no reason for not returning to his own home. Judging by the look on Ryneq’s face, he’d just realized this as well.

“You know….” Ryneq paused and looked up at Nykin. “You could always move into my rooms. There’s plenty of space.”

Nykin’s mouth fell open. This was the first time Ryneq had mentioned living arrangements, and Nykin had no idea what to say. “I… I don’t—”

“Everyone in the palace already knows about us, Nykin.” Ryneq grinned then, and Nykin eyed him warily. “But if you want, we can still have the announcement ceremony. Cerylea would be only too hap—”

“No!” Nykin cut him off, glaring as Ryneq burst into laughter.

According to Princess Cerylea, the people of Torsere should officially meet Nykin as King Ryneq’s consort. Nykin had managed to avoid it so far, being too ill to participate, and he’d like to carry on avoiding it at all costs. “Can’t I just stay in my house?”

Ryneq’s laughter trailed off, and he regarded Nykin with a more serious expression. “I know you’re not keen on the ceremony, Nykin.” Nykin snorted at the understatement. “And I’ll try to get us out of it, if possible. But the fact remains that you are the king’s consort, and as such I’m afraid certain things are nonnegotiable.”

“Like where I live?”

“Yes.”

Nykin sighed and his shoulders hunched in a little. He’d known all this when he got involved with Ryneq. He just hadn’t thought much beyond getting better and being able to ride again. Moving into the palace was going to take some getting used to.

“If you’re having second thoughts….” Ryneq interrupted his musings, and Nykin saw the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

“I’m not.” Nykin assured him. “I’ll start moving my things in tomorrow.”

Ryneq smiled, wide and happy, and Nykin knew whatever he had to do to be with Ryneq would be worth it.

“I’ll get a couple of the guards to help you.” Ryneq gave Nykin one last kiss good-bye and left for his council meeting.

T
HE
STEPS
leading up to the Eyrie had never looked more intimidating than they did now. Nykin stood at the bottom, where they joined the main palace, and looked up. The steps seemed to go on forever, and Nykin’s side ached at the thought of climbing them.

He could talk to Fimor from anywhere in the palace. Their bond didn’t require them to be in each other’s presence, but Nykin wanted to see his dragon in the flesh. He took one last look up the flight of steps and started to climb.

Halfway up, Nykin stopped to catch his breath and leaned against the wall for support. A slow smile spread across his face as the fire mark on the inside of his left wrist began to hum with magic.

“Nykin? Are you all right? Your heart rate is elevated, and you’re not in the palace anymore.”
Fimor’s voice filled Nykin’s head, and his body immediately relaxed as Fimor’s calming influence washed over him.

“Yes, Fimor. I’m fine, just a little out of breath, that’s all.”

Nykin closed his eyes, letting everything else fade away as he focused on Fimor. Dragon riders seldom went more than a day without seeing and touching their bonded dragons—proximity was important in keeping the bond strong for both rider and dragon. It had been way too long since Nykin and Fimor had been together, and Nykin felt the ache in his chest like a physical pain.
“I’m on my way up to the Eyrie now. Can you come down to the landing caves? I need to see you.”

A low rumbling sound echoed through Nykin’s mind, and Nykin felt Fimor’s eagerness and excitement through the bond.

“
Of course.”

Nykin’s heart skipped a little with worry as he caught the faintest trace of relief from Fimor.
“Is everything okay? I can feel
—
”

“Yes, Nykin, everything’s fine.”
Fimor paused
before he added softly,
“I need to see you too. We’ve been apart long enough, young rider.”

Something still felt a little off, but Nykin couldn’t quite work out what it was. He had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind suggesting it would all become clearer when he could see Fimor with his own eyes. He ran the pads of his fingertips over the rider’s mark, relishing the warm tingling under his skin before opening his eyes and pushing away from the wall. “
I’ll be there shortly.”

Nykin felt the connection fade away, and with a deep sigh, he continued to climb the steps to the Eyrie.

The entrance looked deserted when Nykin entered, but considering the time of day, most riders were probably out on their dragons already. Nykin headed for the caves, making his way through the long tunnels. He poked his head into the storeroom as he passed. He had no need to collect Fimor’s harness today, since his riding ban remained in effect, but he stopped when he noticed two of his friends and fellow riders, Jaken and Selene, in there.

“Hey.” He leaned in the doorway, grinning as they both startled.

“Nykin!” Selene squealed and rushed over to wrap him in a very careful hug.

“I won’t break,” Nykin huffed as Selene gently pulled back, avoiding his side. He hadn’t seen his friends since he’d left to rescue Ryneq, and he’d missed them. “How come neither of you came to see me in my sickbed?” He asked it as a joke, but Nykin was a little hurt that neither had bothered to come and see how he was.

Selene snorted and Jaken blushed a little, studiously looking at his boots.

“What?” Nykin looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow.

“Your bo—” Selene started, but Jaken coughed pointedly, and she rolled her eyes before continuing. “The king wouldn’t let anyone near you, Nykin.” Her expression softened then, and she placed her hand on his arm. “You were in pretty bad shape when he brought you back. Everyone was worried, especially the king.”

Both Selene and Jaken looked at him with knowing expressions, and Nykin realized that Ryneq had been right—the whole palace probably knew about them already.

“I know you know, so just….” He waved his arms around, not sure how to tell them to treat him as they normally would and not make it a big deal. “Nothing’s changed.”

“Yeah, right!” Jaken laughed, his eyebrows rising. “You’re the king’s consort now, Nykin. That’s… that’s—”

“That’s great and we’re very happy for you is what he means to say.” Selene gave Jaken a withering look. “But you’re still just plain old Nykin to us.”

She winked at him, and Nykin hadn’t realized how tense he’d become until he let it all out with a deep breath.

“Oh yeah, of course,” Jaken added, looking a little sheepish. “That’s what I meant.”

“Thanks.” Nykin felt the color rising to his cheeks and decided to make a hasty retreat. “I’m on my way to see Fimor now, so I’ll see you later?”

Selene’s eyes flicked over to Jaken, as though they knew something he didn’t, but she quickly plastered on a warm smile and nodded.

“Yes, definitely, and we want to know everything about everything!” she added, and Nykin laughed and shook his head, turning back into the tunnels. “I mean it, Nykin. I want all the details.”

He smiled all the way to the landing caves, and tried not to think about whatever Selene and Jaken were obviously hiding from him.

N
YKIN
WAS
tired again by the time he entered the huge space of the nearest landing cave. They were all empty, with most of the riders being out, and Nykin had his pick. “
I’m here, Fimor.”
He rested against the wall for a moment before walking over to the edge of the cave.

The view still took his breath away, even after all this time. This cave was a little farther round the mountain, and from here he could see all across the eastern borders of Torsere to where the forest met the Neest River and south down to the Nalvaq Sea. The sun was out, turning the sea a glistening blue, and Nykin longed to ride high over all of it on Fimor’s back, with the wind whipping past them. Up above and to the right, he could see the snow-tipped mountain peak of the dragons’ lair.

“On my way.”

The sky was a clear blue, with only a few clouds dotted here and there, so Nykin had no trouble seeing Fimor’s approach. He squinted slightly at the sun, straining to see his dragon more clearly. He was expecting the soft shimmer of dark red scales, but as Fimor flew closer and closer to the cave, his body appeared dull and lackluster in the light.

Nykin’s throat suddenly felt thick, and he struggled to swallow down the building panic. “
Fimor? What’s wrong?”

“Calm yourself, Nykin. There’s nothing to be concerned about.”

“That’s not nothing!”
Nykin hissed back, angry at Fimor’s easy dismissal. “
Your scales, they’re….”

Nykin stepped back as Fimor approached the mouth of the cave, giving him space to land, and Nykin’s stomach dropped as he finally got a good look at Fimor up close.

“Fimor.” Nykin whispered his name aloud, his mind too distracted by the sight before him to concentrate properly. He could never communicate using his mind when he got like this. “What happened?”

Fimor’s scales looked tarnished and brittle. His whole body had an air of exhaustion about it, as though it was an effort just to keep himself upright. Nykin had never seen Fimor like this before, and he felt sick with worry. It had cost Fimor a great deal of energy to keep Nykin alive after Hatak had stabbed him, but Nykin had assumed that as he regained his strength, so would Fimor. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and Nykin couldn’t believe he hadn’t considered it before now. He’d nearly died in the forest, but barely two weeks later, he was up and about and virtually healed.

“Have you been using your magic to help me heal?”

Fimor swung his huge head around to meet Nykin’s gaze. His obsidian-colored eyes were, thankfully, as full of life as ever, and he regarded Nykin as if Nykin had said something stupid. “
Of course I have. You are my rider. I will do everything in my power to help you, and keep you safe.”
Nykin opened his mouth to protest, but Fimor wasn’t finished speaking
. “Don’t worry about me, I feel better already. Look.”

Nykin dragged his eyes away from Fimor’s and looked down the long length of Fimor’s body. Fimor was right—the scales were definitely not as dull as before, and Fimor already seemed stronger. Nykin could feel it. He reached out and stroked his hand along the thick expanse of Fimor’s neck. Everywhere his fingers touched, the scales beneath sparkled and shimmered back to life.

Nykin gasped, and Fimor let out a contented grumble that echoed around the cave. “
It’s the bond, Nykin
—
stronger than ever now you’ve tasted my blood. Can’t you feel it?”

Nykin relaxed his body and mind and let the magic flow through him. His skin was alive with the warm prickle of Fimor’s magic. He felt the strength that held them together, so much
more
than it had been before, and he couldn’t help the excited laughter that forced its way out. “Fimor….” He wrapped his whole body around Fimor’s, covering as much of him as he possibly could, and the warmth of the magical energy spread out to the tips of his fingers and toes.

Nykin had never experienced anything as heady and intoxicating as this. His body pulsed with every beat of his heart, and he watched with rapt fascination as Fimor slowly healed until his scales shone brightly, and he once again stood proud and strong.

“Thank you, Nykin.”

Nykin expected to feel tired—like he had while climbing the stairs—but as he stepped away from Fimor and stretched his arms above his head, he felt nothing of the sort. Nothing ached, not even his side. He felt like his old self, as if the past three weeks had never happened at all, and Nykin almost sobbed in relief. He wanted to take to the skies so badly, wanted to ride on Fimor’s back and taste the sea air as they swooped low over the rolling waves. But he’d made a promise to Ryneq, and he wasn’t going to start off their relationship by breaking it.

Instead, he settled down onto the floor, resting against Fimor’s side, and closed his eyes. This would be enough for now.