Beloved (24 page)

I promise not to ask Altaria.

Thanks.
Why was this so hard? She knew him. She should be able to share anything with him and not feel such awkwardness.

Kira?

Yeah.

Can you meet me somewhere?

Not today. It’s too dangerous.

Tomorrow then?

I don’t know. Maybe.

Another pause. He was obviously being cautious—perhaps even afraid he’d scare her off. She’d never known him to be so short or hesitant with his answers.

Can I ask you something?

I may not have an answer.

What happened? Did you leave because of what you saw with Serena or did Nigel
—?

He saved my life that day.

That doesn’t answer my question
. She could feel his tone change. He was angry now.

It’s not that easy.

Explain it to me then. Please
. He seemed calmer now.

Kira thought back to that day in the meadow and how Shandira’s words—that if Kira lived, everyone else would die—cut straight through to her heart. There were a hundred excuses she could use for why she left, but she didn’t want to lie to him. There’d been enough lies floating around in their past. There didn’t need to be anymore.

It was my idea.

It wasn’t what you thought. I went there to pay Serena for your shawl. There is nothing between Serena and me.

I know. I think I knew that day, I was just upset . . . and scared.

I do not understand then
.
Why did you leave?

It was something Shandira said before she died. She said if I lived, everyone I loved would die. I knew she was right. King Tyrius wouldn’t stop until I was dead, even if that meant killing everyone else.

And you believed her?

Yeah, I did. But I also knew you’d gone to Kazedon to talk to the king. That’s why I was headed back to the castle. I knew there was hope. But when Draego and his brother attacked, I knew you had failed and what Shandira said was true.

So you faked your death.

I actually don’t remember that part. I was hurt pretty bad. I’d hit my head and everything was all jumbled up. It took me a few days to even remember what happened and by then everyone thought I was dead. I thought it was for the best
.

He didn’t answer at first and she knew he was probably taking his anger out on some innocent animal. She’d seen how angry he’d gotten when she woke in the castle and found out she prevented Shandira from entering the portal to save him and Lydia. He’d blamed himself for her torture.

She gave the stone another rub.
You still there?

His spirit surrounded her, engulfing her and filling a hole in her heart she didn’t even know existed. The branch swayed with his weight as he appeared in front of her and in the next moment he’d scooped her into his arms and landed somewhere outside the B’Kari Mountains. She knew because the pines where a brilliant green and colorful flowers dotted the forest floor.

He gently set her feet on the ground and took her face in his hands. “Please do not be angry.”

Even with his scruffy beard, she couldn’t believe how beautiful he was. She’d forgotten how it felt to look into his eyes. Oh how she loved seeing into his soul. “Umm,” was all she could manage.

He smiled and she wished he had shaved so she could see his dimples. “I am going to kiss you now.”

“Okay,” she breathed. Her knees were like mush. What had happened to all that training she’d received? Why wasn’t she demanding he take her back? The last thing she needed was . . .

His warm lips pressed against hers and suddenly nothing else mattered. Every thought, every fear melted away as her heart soared with more joy than she thought possible. She threw her arms around his neck and he lifted her feet off the ground as he continued to trail kisses down her neck and collar bone—she knew it must have been torture for him, but she gloried in every single touch.

She arched back and groaned as his touch overwhelmed her senses. She’d never felt so alive as warmth boiled within her and traveled to places she didn’t even know existed.

“I love you,” he whispered into her hair.

She wanted to say it back, but she couldn’t breathe, let along speak. With the stone still clamped in her fist, she gave it a squeeze.
Ditto
.

She felt a laugh quiver in his chest before he found her lips again and teased them with his tongue. The heat from his kiss exploded inside her and she couldn’t help herself. She launched herself into his arms and wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him closer still.

He sucked in her bottom lip and groaned before relaxing his hold on her so she slid to the ground. He stepped back, leaving one hand on the side of her face. He brushed his thumb across her swollen bottom lip, and she couldn’t help but notice the fire in his eyes. This was a big mistake.

“You need to take me back.”

“Stay with me.”

“I can’t. Please take me back.”

He leaned his forehead on hers and growled deep and low, yet somehow it felt soft and gentle, like a cat purring. “I cannot let you go. Not again.”

“You have to. I need time to figure this out. And I need you to trust me and not get in the way.”

He kissed her again, then pulled her to him, running his hands through her hair. “Convince me. Tell me you are safe.” He released her and let some distance grow between them, but only enough so their eyes met. “Tell me your heart is still mine.”

“I’m safe.”

She slid the stone into her pocket, then slowly and seductively ran her hand up under his tunic, caressing the scars left by Shandira’s claws. Her touch alone had healed them. She focused on the others—the ones she couldn’t see or feel with her hands. They also mended with very little effort, including the gash in his leg left by Blayde.

Octavion sucked in a sharp breath before speaking again. “And your heart? Have you given it to someone else?”

She slid her hand down his chest and out from under his shirt. Taking his hand, she placed it over her heart and held it there. “You should know by now that it’s not mine to give away. And it never will be again.”

She leaned into him. “Now take me back before I’m missed.”

After Octavion’s insistence, Altaria finally agreed to join him in the hunt. In a way, Kira was grateful. After what happened with Octavion, she needed the time alone. She lay awake for most of the night listening to the sounds of the forest and trying to figure a way out of the mess she was in.

She’d been a fool to use the blue stone Octavion gave her. She had no idea he’d charmed it to give away her location and being with him had only made things worse. As much as she loved him and wanted to be with him, she didn’t want to leave Lairdor. These people were her family now, and it wasn’t like they’d allow her to visit. She was sure plans were already being made to move their location and if she didn’t go with them, she’d never see them again. That thought tugged at her heart.

At first light, the Royals began to return. It didn’t take long for the events of the last two days to spread and tension to grow in camp. By midday, those who hadn’t returned on their own were summoned with great urgency. A new location needed to be found immediately, before the king of Panthera found out they were squatting on his land, something no kingdom allowed.

Shortly after the last Royal arrived, Brenna called a meeting in the clearing in hopes she could calm everyone’s fears. Kira sat in front with Mahli curled at her feet. She wanted to face everyone with her head held high. She knew she’d put them all in danger, but she wasn’t ashamed of her actions. She’d saved a friend from a lifetime of pain and suffering and would do the same for any of them, regardless of the consequence.

Blayde and Nigel stood at the back of the group listening to Lessa and Cyna. Occasionally, Blayde would nod, but didn’t seem to be getting any words in.

Zin and Aleese, the two newest additions to Lairdor—aside from Kira—stood off to one side, their personal items already collected and sitting at their feet. Both had their arms folded and a scowl on their faces. Not that Kira was surprised. She hadn’t quite warmed up to them and she knew the feeling was mutual.

The children were exempt from the meeting, but Kira could see several sets of eyes watching from the trees. Jaya, a little less shy about her eavesdropping, stood just inside the tree line in full view.

Kira scanned the group. Most whispered quietly, while others stated their opinions so everyone could hear. Brenna tried three times to quiet them so she could speak before giving up and taking a seat next to Kira.

Kira leaned closer to her. “I’m really sorry about all this.”

Brenna patted Kira’s knee. “It is all right. We will figure it out.”

A few moments passed before Blayde and Nigel moved to the front with Lessa and Cyna not far behind. Nigel took his place standing behind Kira while Lessa and Cyna took a seat at her side opposite Brenna. She was grateful for the show of support, but wasn’t sure it would do any good.

Blayde jumped up on a rock, put two fingers to his lips and blew, making a very loud, high-pitched whistle. With Kira’s acute sense of hearing, it felt as though someone had stuck pine needles in both ears.

The clearing fell silent and everyone found somewhere to sit. There were a few logs and rocks left in the clearing for that purpose, but once they were filled, everyone else sat on the ground—except for Zin and Aleese. They still stood like statues, waiting to hear Lairdor’s fate. Or maybe they planned to leave altogether and only stuck around to see Kira punished. Either way, their position on the subject was more than obvious.

Blayde hopped down and Brenna took his place on the rock. She motioned for Jaya to leave the clearing, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. Brenna shook her head then turned her attention back to the group. “Thank you for your patience.”

“Where are we going?” someone from the back blurted.

“How much danger are we in?” another asked.

“Calm down,” Brenna said. “There’s no immediate danger and I think we need to discuss our options before making a decision.”

“The girl should be exiled,” Zin yelled, his voice deep and gruff.

“And so should Nigel for bringing her here,” Aleese added.

Lessa jumped to her feet. “Her name is Kira, not
girl
. And she did not do anything that any one of us would not have done in her place. She is one of us now—our sister.” She plopped back down on the log next to Kira and patted her hand. “Do not worry. It will be all right.”

“Thanks for standing up for me.”

Lessa turned so that their eyes met. “I meant every word.”

Brenna continued to explain what had happened—that Octavion and the others had been searching for her and that Altaria accidently stumbled into one of Blayde’s traps. She told them how Blayde had taken them on alone and how Kira had risked her life to help fight them off, completely unaware that they were her friends. Then she told of the special connection Kira and Altaria had, about the Crystor and her oath as Altaria’s healer, and that she had no choice but to bring her to Lairdor.

Blayde jumped in and explained the difficulty of taking off the trap and the urgency of the situation because the moons were new and the sun was going down. He left out the fact that Altria was a shifter and had two spirits. He tried to smooth it over by saying it was his idea to bring her back with them, but it only angered them more. He should have known better.

Several more questions were called out at once, making it impossible to distinguish between them or provide answers. Several jumped to their feet, their fists in the air as they tried to make their opinions known.

It broke Kira’s heart. She’d learned to love these people and had never seen any of them mistreat another. They’d all treated her kindly. When two Darkords in the back almost went to blows with differing opinions, Kira stood and jumped up on the log she’d been sitting on.