Warrior Lover (Draconia Tales) (27 page)

“You saw me die?”

“Yes. You need to be careful! I thought it happened last night, but it will happen soon.”

Enar rolled onto his back, one muscular arm thrown over his eyes. “It already happened.”

“What?” How could he say he died when he was beside her?

“Did you know Keara had certain abilities?”

Like making the blind see and healing the sick?
“Like what?”

“Promise you won’t mention it? She doesn’t want others to know.”

“Promise.” Keara was her best friend. Didn’t she know everything about her?

“Keara has the ability to raise the dead.” All right, clearly she didn’t know everything about her best friend. “Thoren and I were killed on our mission to capture Simon and the rogue Draconi. You knew they kidnapped Keara in River’s Run and tonight they entered Draconi territory.”

Lily listened to Enar recount how they had been killed, how Keara raised them, how she now lay in a coma in the healing ward, all about Lord Simon’s death and the rogue Draconi escaping, and how the titanium sword was hidden in a wooden chest, which rendered its power over Draconi magic null. Her heart tripped an uneven rhythm.

“Will Keara be all right?”

“Aryana and Annaliese say she will.”

“And you? Are you all right?”

“Of course. It takes a lot to keep me down.”

Lily tried out a small smile and found it did nothing to calm the beat of her pulse. She almost lost him in the night. If not for Keara she would have. And now Keara lay in a coma.

“I’m glad you’re alive.”

Enar turned to face her. “Are you?”

“Of course. How can you think otherwise? I was so panicked when I saw you die that Annaliese had to spell me into sleep.”

His eyes widened. “You...enjoy my company?”

“Didn’t I just say that?”

His face broke into a smile, happiness slipping out to surround him like a cloak. “Woman, you make me happy.”

Her pulse still beat its erratic rhythm, but now for a whole different reason.

He reached for her, drawing her against him. She felt the hard planes of his chest, the steel bands he called arms, the erection pressed against her stomach. All warm and living, not the cold of death as her vision showed, as she had feared when the necklace slipped off her neck. Good thing she managed to repair the clasp on the beads. Enar would never know his death broke the clasp. And since the necklace stayed around her neck all night and Enar remained alive, perhaps it meant the magic holding the necklace on had returned.

What did it matter? He was with her now, warm and living. What difference did it make if the necklace broke earlier? As long as Enar didn’t find out about it, who cared?

Definitely not her. All she cared about this moment was the touch of his skin against hers, the press of his lips as they trailed from her ear to her breast.

Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, holding him to her as his tongue circled her nipple. Her vision narrowed, focusing on him, her world. Goddess, if Keara hadn’t raised him...

Settling his hips between her legs, Enar met her gaze and held it as he thrust himself into her. Lily gasped at the pleasant invasion, amazed how much she wanted him, needed him. One hand reached to stroke his cheek, the only way she knew how to tell him what he meant to her.

“Goddess, woman.” A slow slide out. “I missed you.” He slammed back into her, starting the whole process over.

“And I missed you. Oh, that feels good.”

His teeth flashed white. “Hmm. You like this—” he stroked into her, angling his hips to rub against the sensitive spot inside “—huh?”

“Oh, Goddess, yes!”

“Mmm. Good.” Lips nuzzled against her neck, causing chillbumps to run down her arm. She was almost there. If he would just stroke...one...more...time...yes!

She felt her body shatter, drowning in waves of pleasure crashing over her. One minute she floated alone in her bliss and the next Enar joined her, calling out her name with his release.

Tightening her hold on his shoulders, she pulled him closer to her, not minding that his powerful body threatened to suffocate her as it pressed her deeper into the mattress. Death by Enar. Not a bad way to go.

He rolled to the side, her body grasping his as he slipped out, his arms wrapping her against him. Security. Strength. Love.

She loved him.

The thought both scared and invigorated her. Invigorated, because that was what love did. Scared, because he would never return her feelings. And what would happen if she spent the rest of her life loving someone who did not return the feeling? She’d become like her mother, bitter, bickering, the way she swore she’d never be. So much for erecting a wall around her heart. Enar managed to shatter that barrier, chipping away at it brick by brick until he rescued her heart from its confinement. Now she would live with loving him and not having him return the emotion.

Sadness tainted her joy at his return.

What would happen when she went to his village?

Her heart skipped a beat. Not much time left until she’d meet his family. Did he have a family living? She tried to remember and came up with nothing. Either way, family or not, the whole thought of going to his village gave her chills. Odd that. She didn’t normally get chills thinking of a place. Maybe it was because she was nervous and he wouldn’t answer her questions.

Yes, that had to be it. Nothing else made sense.

“Enar. About going to your village.”

He stiffened, his entire body going ridgid. “Woman. I don’t want to talk about it. There’re better things to do with my lips than speak words. Let me show you.”

He did and she forgot the question.

Chapter 21

Lily stared at the squat white building set in the middle of the town and swallowed. Unlike the pristine temple of the Draconi, crumbling corners in desperate need of repair bled into the street. The white rock gleamed in the sun like teeth on a wolf. She tried to swallow, but it stuck in her throat.

Last night they attended Keara and Thoren’s wedding. Keara looked beautiful, no trace remaining of her brush with death. Her friend was happy with her mate, happy and glowing. Lily glowed too, but her gleam had more to do with the sun and less to do with Enar, who had been acting strange all morning.

Not once since they left the Temple grounds did he speak to her. Not to answer her questions. Not to reassure her. Where her caring lover went, she didn’t know.

But she really wanted him back.

Enar strode forward as if he couldn’t wait to drop her off at this squat house.

“What is that house?”

“That is the Claims’ House.” Not the best conversation, but at least he spoke. It beat the rest of the morning.

“All the claims live here?” What kind of place was this?

“Yes. You’ll meet my mother.”

“Your mother lives here?”

He nodded. Lily scampered to keep up with his long strides.

“Please don’t leave me here. I can stay with you.”

“No, you can’t. Claims stay here.”

“But—”

“No buts, woman. This is how it is.”

Lily’s jaw ached. If she clenched her teeth any tighter her face muscles might spasm and freeze in place. She wanted to speak back and she probably would have if they hadn’t turned down a street filled with blond male Watchers. All of whom were staring at her white hair and skin.

And why were they staring? Maybe it had to do with Enar insisting she leave her hood back, allowing all to see her unusual coloring. She felt their eyes on her like a brand, searing her to her soul and she shivered.

“Come, woman,” Enar gestured her forward until she stood beside him in front of the solid oak door barring entrance to the crumbling building.

The door was locked from the outside.

The outside.

Chills shook her body despite the heat of the sun. A glance at Enar showed a tense jaw, the muscles bunching under his skin. If she wasn’t so nervous, she’d make him think twice about leaving her to his mother’s whims.

Enar pushed the bolt back on the door, the metal bar sliding along the wood with a groan. She heard him draw a deep breath before shoving the door open. Scurrying, as if from a hoard of rats, sounded as flashes of white darted into the shadows, out of the way of the light streaming in. Rats? No, not rats, women. Lily blinked in the dimness and looked around, hoping the action would still the pounding of her heart.

No such luck.

Couches crowded the small antechamber they stood in, basking in the dim light filtering through high windows. That were barred. Her heart flopped like a beached fish.

“Ayla!” Enar bellowed as he shut the door behind him.

The entire house grew silent before the scurrying noises started. Even over the noise, Lily heard a distinct set of footsteps drawing closer. The scurrying stopped as the steps grew nearer.

A tall, thin woman with strawberry blonde hair shot liberally with gray stepped into the room. An aura of power surrounded her, similar to what Lily felt with the priestesses in the Temple. Similar to Keara’s. But much weaker. Still, the woman’s aura crept across her skin, its path raising chills.

But the woman’s power was not what made Lily gasp and take a step closer to Enar. It was her face.

Small beads had been placed in geometric designs across her cheeks, beautiful, and yet frightening. What did the designs mean? Why would someone decorate their face that way? If she had to venture a guess, she would think the designs a warning, some sort of beacon broadcasting this woman’s power. The designs met at the bridge of her nose, a nose that had been broken judging by the lump on it. Lines bracketed her eyes. Laugh lines or lines of pain?

Maybe pain seeing how her arm hung at an odd angle as if it had been broken and not healed properly. A twin to Lily’s necklace hung about her neck and she was clothed in a white sleeveless dress.

The woman took one look at Enar and let loose with an exhale that drifted into the shadows of the room.

“Mother, I’d like you to meet my claim, Lily.” One hand gestured to Lily, his voice flat. “Lily, this is my mother, Ayla.”

Mother? Lily looked from Enar to the woman, forcing her mouth to close. Wonderful. His mother was more frightening than she thought. Would the woman kick her out?

His mother took another step into the room, cocking her head to the side as she peered at Lily.

“So you became like your father after all.” The word “father” was spat out like “dung heap” despite her voice sounding like bird song.

Clearly no love lost between the two of them.

Enar stiffened at her words, gritting his teeth as he spoke. “I am nothing like him.”

“And yet,” her hand waved toward Lily, “here is your claim. Did you take pleasure in her injuries? Did you give her a choice?” She advanced closer as she spoke. “Of course not. She is here, is she not? Depart from my presence. You have done what you came here to do. Go reap your reward.”

One hand grasped Lily’s upper arm, tugging her away from Enar and behind the woman before Lily could move or voice her displeasure. Clearly tall and thin did not equal weak.

Lily turned to stare at Enar, hoping he understood her silent plea not to leave her here with his mother, his powerful, obviously a little off, mother. But he either didn’t understand or didn’t care. Anger and hurt flashed in his eyes before he schooled his face into a blank mask. Not her lover, no longer the man she knew, he nodded once to his mother and turned to the door.

No! He couldn’t mean to leave her here. Surely not!

“Enar—”

He turned and faced her, cold blue eyes staring like ice, slicing her heart into shreds. Where was the Enar she knew and thought she loved? Where had he gone?

“You’ll see me again, Lily.”

With that he shut the door behind him, shutting her into the dimness, the slam of the bolt like a stake in her heart.

“Come, Lily. We will tend to your injuries.”

“Injuries?” Lily hated to tell Ayla nothing could be done for her hair and skin color. But who knew, maybe the woman could change the color.

Ayla placed a gentle hand on Lily’s arm, the touch feather-light. “Surely you are hurt. Watchers are not known for their gentle care of claims.”

“What?” Had she missed something? “I’m sorry, what do you mean?”

Ayla sighed, stroking Lily’s arm slightly with her fingers, the effect soothing. “Didn’t Enar hurt you when he claimed you?”

“What?” Great. Enar left her with a crazy woman and departed to places unknown. What in the name of the Goddess was Ayla talking about?

The older woman stopped walking and crossed her arms, one eyebrow raised. Lily felt like a bug caught in a net. Like she had when the priests at home stared at her, knowing she must have done something wrong but not knowing what that something was.

“Enar never hurt me. He saved me from death several times. Why would you think he’d ever hurt me?” She mirrored Ayla’s position, arms crossed, one foot turned outward.

The woman’s eyes rounded, surprise and pleasure filling them. “He didn’t?”

“Why would he?”

“Ah, yes. That is the question we all ask. Why do the Watchers treat us so badly?”

“What do you mean?” Lily felt her left eyebrow rise.

Ayla’s head cocked to the side as she sucked in her lip. “Hmm, maybe something I said got through his thick skull after all. The Goddess only knows he spent enough time with me. If he truly has not hurt you, then he is the only one. Watchers derive pleasure from watching those weaker than themselves writhe in pain.” Ayla’s eyes grew distant, her jaw tensing.