Daryk Warrior (13 page)

Instead she did something else she hadn’t planned. She reached
for his sword. “Take this off.”

“Why?”

She decided bold was better, and the last week had proven to
her that the bolder she was the more he liked it. “I want you to fuck me.”

His eyes widened but an appreciative smile touched his
mouth. “Mia, are you sure?”

“Now.” She smiled. “Take me from behind.”

His eyes blazed red and she sighed in satisfaction. Just one
look from those fiery eyes and her body responded instantly. She was wet,
aching and ready. He wrestled with his sword and scabbard and put them back on
the table. When he’d put them aside, she reached for his trousers and cupped
his erect cock through the fabric.

He hissed in a breath. “Gods, Mia.”

He took over, yanking open his trousers. With a gentle but
insistent movement he turned her toward a nearby table and bent her over it.
Excitement sang through her body. Many times they took each other with
gentleness but other times all they seemed to want was quick satisfaction. He
slid down her pants and she kicked them aside.

“Open to me.” His voice was commanding but not arrogant and
his tone added fuel to her needs.

She did as told, bracing her legs wide and tilting her butt
upward. She ached for him, longed with a throbbing intensity that shook her
from the inside out. Before she could order him to hurry he placed his broad
cock at her opening and slid in with one sure stroke. She cried out.

“Draconus.” The word came out of him like a prayer. “Gods
upon high, you are so tight and wet.”

He set to work, thrusting in and out with slow, measured
strokes. He reached around and cupped her breasts. When he pinched her nipples
and tugged them she cried out again. She shoved back at him, moving in a
cadence designed to bring their fucking to a quick close. He wouldn’t have it.
With a growl he kept the movements slower. Tormented, she whimpered. He crowded
her against the table, effectively making it harder for her to move. He drew
his cock from her wetness then jammed inside. She cried out at the sharp,
exciting force. Holding one nipple and pinching in time with his thrusts, he
rammed deep. As he fucked he fondled her clit. The combination of his touch on
her clit and nipple and the steady friction of his cock caressing her pussy was
more than Mia could take. She screamed as orgasm ripped through her.

He moaned loudly and his thrusts came harder and harder. A
moment later he lost control and shouted. She felt his hot, thick semen bathe
her and the warmth of his essence made her tingle deep within.

“Oh Magon!” She shivered. “Eryk.”

As if reading her mind, he continued thrusting. She was so
wet he moved with ease in her pussy. The tingle inside built moment by moment
until she cried out with bliss. He held her, kissed her neck as she trembled
repeatedly.

After they’d separated and cleaned up, he once more got
ready to leave. They kissed tenderly.

But then he set her aside, his face going grim. “Stay
vigilant. I will see you later.”

And with a lingering last look, he left. She stared at the
door as she closed it behind him, her throat clogged with the words she hadn’t
expressed. Oh Magon, why hadn’t she said them?

* * * * *

“You were afraid,” Asam said an hour later as they sat at
the table in Eryk and Mia’s lodging.

Mia sipped the tea Asam had recommended she drink. Two cups
a day to be exact. “I’m concerned about Eryk, yes.”

“It’s more than that.”

Mia sighed. The pull to tell Asam everything egged her
onward. “I’m having…feelings.”

Asam nodded slowly, understanding dawning in her smile. “I
see.”

Mia sipped again then watched as Asam took a long taste from
her own cup. The tea tasted flowery but it also made Mia feel calm in spite of
the storm. The storm inside her and the snowstorm that threatened to batter the
castle. Snowflakes had started drifting down as soon as Asam had arrived.

“Describe the feelings.”

Mia took the plunge. “Attachment. An aching need to be with
him.” There. She’d said it to someone and admitted what frightened her the most
right now. Right this minute. “For this last week the bliss has been
extraordinary. The sex more than I could ever have imagined. Physically I’ve
never felt better.”

“This is a wonderful thing.”

“Is it?” Mia shivered and drew the warm shawl closer about
her shoulders.

Asam narrowed her eyes. She pursed her lips, perhaps giving
deep thought to the question. “Enjoy what you have now. Every day. That’s what
life is, Mia. Right here. This moment.”

“I know that intellectually, and I have enjoyed it
tremendously. It’s so miraculous. But how can it last? Eryk will leave me
someday and then where will I be? I need him to stay alive. To stay cured.”

“It’s more than that. I sense a disturbance in you.” Asam
watched Mia warily, almost as if she expected Mia to run away. “It lies at the
surface, demanding to get out. You can tell me.”

Mia fiddled with the fringe on the shawl as she leaned back
in her chair. “Confessing my deepest feelings is difficult for me.”

“Because of your culture and what you learned growing up.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve notice Dragonians are an emotive people?”

Mia laughed softly. “Indeed. Eryk’s emotions always seem on
the surface, ready to come out without provocation.”

Asam’s pensive look deepened. “This man who tried to rule
you and rape you on Magonia. He dominated your childhood, didn’t he?”

“Very much so. He was the leader. Everything he said was
truth as far as the Truth and Order Police believed. Those people would have
done anything for him. They did.”

“Would
you
have?”

“I did most things he asked.” Shame curled in her stomach.
“Most things. Things I’m ashamed to say I did.”

“Such as?”

Mia licked her lips, suddenly dry-mouthed. Another sip of
tea cured that. “When I was younger I bullied other girls when asked.”

Asam also leaned back in her chair, and at first Mia thought
she’d angered the woman.

“How did you bully them?”

“I was asked to herd younger girls into the dining hall. To
talk aggressively to them. I regret that every day.”

Asam leaned across the table and held her hand out to Mia.
Mia took it, warmed by the gesture.

As their fingers linked, Asam squeezed gently. “My dear, you
were just a child yourself. Manipulated by that awful Janto. You didn’t know
any better.”

Mia released her friend’s hand. “Oh but I did. And that’s
the most shameful thing of all. I knew it was wrong to bully those girls and I
chose to do it anyway.”

“Would you do such a thing now?”

“Never.” Mia said it with certainty. “Never.”

“Then you learned somewhere along the way that you couldn’t
compromise your integrity and principles.”

Mia listened as wind howled, glad that the windows to their
lodging didn’t look out on the land outside the castle but into the castle
itself.

“Did you ever make mistakes in your life?” Mia asked to
distract herself from annoying physical awareness.

Asam chuckled. “Of course. It’s a part of life. And let me
tell you, they were large mistakes. I’ve been married once and lost my chance
for happiness with another man.”

Mia finished her tea with a gulp. “What happened?”

“I married very young. At seventeen. I thought I was in love
but my equally young husband decided he didn’t like that I could heal and do
other things he couldn’t. He divorced me after a month.”

“Oh no.”

“Yes. But I’m glad he did. Having a husband who couldn’t
believe in me wouldn’t have worked. I stayed blocked off to love for many
years. Ten years ago I met a wonderful man. A carpenter with very little means.
Before we could marry, well, he was struck by an arrow during a raid outside
Bardannia Castle and was killed. I loved him more than anything.”

Asam’s eyes were watery, no denying that. Mia’s empathy
heightened. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Asam’s eyes cleared and the steady compassionate look
returned. “Thank you. My biggest regret is that I never said I loved him.
That’s what you’ve done, isn’t it? You’ve discovered that you love Eryk and
have not said it.”

The woman’s perceptiveness never failed to amaze Mia. “How
did you know?”

“It’s easy to see from how you speak of him. He’s a
wonderful man, Mia. Don’t regret it like I did. Tell him the first opportunity
you get.”

“If he doesn’t love me, what will I do?” Mia wished she
hadn’t sounded whiny but there it was, out for Asam to hear.

“You will go on as you have. You are an extraordinary woman,
Mia. Look at everything you’ve been through. You made it to Dragonia and
freedom. To a land where at least you have equal footing with a man. You have
gifts of compassion and knowledge you can share with others.”

“Thank you.” Mia didn’t know whether all the praise was
warranted but she’d take it with grace. “I feel disjointed sometimes. My
concentration is horrible. I fear my illness is still holding on.”

“It’s not the illness that makes you lose concentration, my
dear. It’s the trauma of the shipwreck, the fear and anxiety.”

Mia heard the truth in those words. “And my friends are out
there somewhere.” She gestured toward one window. “Ketera and Xandra may have
perished in that storm. I can’t help wondering if they’re all right.”

“Are they strong like you?”

“The little bit I learned about them on the ship seemed to
support that.”

“They’re fine then.”

Mia doubted Asam’s assertion. She had no proof either one of
her friends had survived the big wave that had destroyed the ship.

Asam broke the silence. “Come. You’ve stayed inside too
long. Let’s take a walk and do some shopping.”

“Oh I have plenty of provisions here. Eryk saw to it.”

“Not shopping for food.” Asam stood. “Frivolous things.” The
older woman winked. “I know just the item you’ll want to wear for Eryk when he
returns.”

Mia wrinkled her nose. “Item?”

Asam gave Mia a wicked smile. “Never you mind. You’ll see.
Come on.”

Chapter Ten

Snow swirled around Eryk’s ankles as he trudged into the
mountain valley south of Bardannia. He’d acquired new winter wear from Garess
before they’d left. The huge suit he wore, made of dragon’s skin and fur from
other animals, ensured he’d stay warm. The suits covered down to the ankles and
could keep a man warm for many, many hours. Good thing too. The damn storm
roaring by had managed to pick up speed and viciousness. The cave where they
intended to meet their contacts, another contingent of Daryk Ones, wasn’t much
farther. Garess and the group of twenty Daryk Ones hadn’t left the castle
defenseless. A hundred able-bodied Daryk Ones stayed behind. Ordinary men at
the castle could fight too, and they numbered at least three hundred. At the
back of Eryk’s mind discomfort nagged. He’d sensed trouble brewing but couldn’t
voice it with clarity to Garess. Also, Mia’s behavior before he left the castle
suggested she needed to tell him something. He’d witnessed softness in her
eyes, a difference he couldn’t name nor question. Uncertainty had always
bothered him, as he imagined it did most people. A Daryk One, though, wasn’t
supposed to feel out of depth or search for answers. Only decisiveness made
sense in a country as chaotic as Dragonia. From her descriptions of Magonia,
the structure and certainty sounded appealing. Until the surface was stripped
away and the dark heart came to light. He couldn’t support a society that
placed women in such low respect or restricted all its citizens from
understanding real truth. As flawed as Dragonia was, he favored and supported
its essential being.

No. If anything was to blame for his unease it was Mia
Griffi, the beautiful and unsettling woman he’d left behind at Bardannia
Castle.

They reached the gigantic cave. The Mouth of the Many
Depths, as this place was named, had always created both fear and awe in Eryk.
Fear because one could lose themself in the many chambers, never to been seen
again. The depths had been mapped but only the wisest and most well-trained
knew all the passages. An unschooled individual could wander aimlessly to his
death. He considered himself a child in the ways of this cave, despite having
grown up in the icy wastelands. The tall ceiling towered above them yet gave
plenty of shelter within sight of the cave mouth. Here they’d settle and wait
for their contacts, if they came. The contingent settled with their packs,
grumbling about the weather even though this storm was like every other they’d
seen. Grateful for the knitted mask that covered vulnerable parts of his face,
Eryk set to work with Garess setting up camp.

“Damn storm.” Garess groused as well as any other man.
“It’ll be nightfall before our contacts make it.”

Eryk’s discomfort grew and he couldn’t contain it. “I don’t
like this.”

“This?”

“Something doesn’t feel right. They should be here. The
timing suggested they’d reach this cave before we did.”

Garess’ hard face grew pensive then doubtful as he threw
another piece of cave wood on the fire he’d built.

“They’ll be here,” another Daryk One by the name of Bruton
said from his fire nearby.

Several of the other men chimed in, their voices echoing in
the cave, all of them positive all would turn out well.

Eryk had used his gut in battle before and it had always
proved right but he felt off somehow. Could he trust his gut this time?

A rustling at the mouth of the cave drew Eryk’s attention
and on instinct he drew his sword.

The sentry at the front called out, “Who is there?”

No one answered but a man appeared, his winter storm
clothing bloodied and torn. He held his sword up in defense then, when he saw
them, dropped it with a clang into the ice and snow.

“By the god,” one of the Daryk Ones said in a low voice.
“It’s Cramdock.”

“He’s alone,” the sentry said as Cramdock fell into his
arms.

Several men rushed to the front to help, as did Eryk and
Garess.

“What the hell happened?” Garess asked the injured man.
“Where is everyone else?”

“An ambush.” Cramdock’s voice was raspy and he winced. “We
were attacked. I’m the only one who managed to escape.”

“Shite,” Garess said with harsh emphasis. “Shite. How did
this happen?”

Cramdock winced again as one of the men tried to look at his
wounds. “Came up on a glacier pass and forty men were hiding there. There were
only ten of us.”

“And you got away?” Eryk asked with a grim sense of
certainty.

“Just barely. I killed ten of their men. Other Dayrk Ones.
Rogues. I fell into a crevice and I guess they thought I was dead. Took me two
hours to climb out.”

“Get him some water and food,” Garess said.

Eryk and Garess stood at the front of the cave and scouted
for signs of anyone else and when they detected no one, returned to where
Cramdock lay near a fire. Two Daryk Ones attended the wounded man while another
handed Cramdock a hot drink. The man’s wounds appeared worse than they were at
first, and as he was patched up he told more of his story.

“Almost gave myself up for dead,” Cramdock said between sips
of drink. “Thank the god I made it. After this storm we have to head back to
Bardannia Castle.”

Apprehension struck Eryk. “Why?”

Cramdock shivered and burrowed deeper into the blanket
around his shoulders. “When I was in the crevice I heard one of the rogues say
something about it being a good day to take the castle.”

“They have too small a number of men to attack Bardannia,”
one of the Daryk Ones spoke up.

Cramdock shook his head. “We were coming to tell you that
Drakus Fina has a larger group coming directly to the castle. One much larger
than has ever attacked a castle before. They’ll overwhelm the castle by sheer
numbers.”

“Bardannia is too strong for Drakus Fina,” Garess said.

Once more a doubtful expression came over Cramdock’s face
and his shivering increased. He took a long swallow of liquid. “You
underestimate him. He’s bringing at least a half-dozen dragons with him.
Well-trained and strong.”

Grim fear spiked inside Eryk. “Damn it. Damn it all.”

* * * * *

“Surely you are not serious.” Mia held up the filmy dress
made of a shimmering red material. “Why would I wear this?”

Asam’s face crinkled in amusement. “Yes, I am serious.”

“But why?”

Asam looked at the shop girl, a slim dark-haired girl who
gave them both a conspiratorial smile.

Asam sighed. “Remember what we talked about when we came
here?”

Mia did but she couldn’t reconcile her conservative past
with this looser, more sexual attitude. Yes she’d been assertive with Eryk this
morning but actively chasing his sexual favors with provocative clothing might
take some practice.

The shop girl gestured toward the back of the elaborate
shop. “Would you like to try it on? The size is probably perfect for you but just
to be certain.”

Mia nodded, reluctance remaining inside her as she followed
the shop girl. The shop itself had no sign on the outside to indicate that
within one could find objects to attract a man’s favor. Row upon row of
flirtatious clothing in a variety of bright colors amazed Mia. On impulse she
snatched two other garments off the rack and continued to the small curtained
dressing room. After the shop girl left Mia changed into the red garment. A
mirror hung on one wall showed her full length. She didn’t look at her naked
body and drew the garment over her head quickly. Fabric fell to her ankles,
gliding over her figure with an intriguing effect. Material smoothed over her
arms down to her wrists. Was all this material too close to her body? She knew she’d
lost weight in the time she’d been in Dragonia but her appetite had returned.
Even at that, the material curved over her breasts and hips in a way Eryk
wouldn’t ignore. She knew that if she knew nothing else. A smile came to her
lips. She also knew that Eryk would appreciate the garment. Yes indeed. She
quickly changed into the other two garments, both similar in form. One was
purple, one green. She felt like a rainbow and a smile came to her lips. She
posed with one hand on her hip then the other, arranging her body in poses she
imagined might be provocative. She could hope. This new sexuality she’d
discovered frightened her on one level. Eryk had done things to her body and
had freed her to feel amazing bliss she couldn’t have imagined experiencing before.
Her nipples peaked at the thought of it and she closed her eyes. She smoothed
her hands down her breasts and a sharp spike of pleasure tingled in her
nipples. A tight throb filled her center and she wished Eryk were with her
right now. Filling her. Thrusting into her until she screamed out her ecstasy.
Her eyes popped open as she remembered Asam waited. Mia exited the room after
putting on her own clothes. Asam and the shop girl waited at the front and Mia
couldn’t stop a smile.

“I’ll take all three.” Mia retrieved money from the small
pack she carried around her waist. Asam and the shop girl cheered and clapped.

Mia laughed at their enthusiasm. “I’m glad you’re proud of
me.”

“We are.” Asam patted her on the back.

After they left the shop Asam and Mia returned to Mia’s
lodging.

“I need to return home,” Asam said.

“I should have walked you home.” Mia hugged her friend.
“Thank you so much for the friendship and the shopping.”

Asam’s eyes twinkled. “Eryk will thank you for the
shopping.”

Heat filled Mia’s cheeks. Her imagination worked far too
well.

Before Asam could leave, a huge booming noise came from the
front of the castle.

Mia jerked in surprise. “What was that?”

A roaring came from the same general direction. Then another
roar. And another.

“It sounds like—” Yet another roar came over Asam’s reply.
“Dragons.”

“Dragons in Imekland?”

“There are snow dragons but they’re shy. They’re rarely
seen.”

“Then what are they doing here?”

“Stay here. I’ll find out.”

Mia grabbed her friend’s arm. “Not without me.”

They dropped her packages on the bed and rushed outside,
down the long alley. Voices clashed with the roar of angered dragons. By Magon,
how many dragons were there? Then something happened she didn’t expect. They
rounded a corner just as several men and women ran by, screaming and shouting.

“Attack!” One man yelled at her. “Get inside! They’re
coming!”

“Who?” Asam asked, latching on to the man’s arm.

“Rogues. Daryk Ones gone rogue.” The man ran off.

Chaos had erupted. Carts tipped over, women ran with screaming
children. Men shouted as they tried to direct what would happen. Daryk Ones,
identified by their swords and large stature, ran toward the castle walls and
battlements.

Asam took Mia’s hand. “We have to hide.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere we can. The tunnels beneath the castle.”

Mia had never been afraid of anything underground so she
followed Asam in hope they could find refuge from the attack. As they dashed
toward the back of the castle she wondered if Eryk would arrive in time to help
save them. Anger erupted within her. She’d fought to get to Dragonia, to find
healing, and along with it had come war.

A thought occurred to Mia just as they reached a double
wooden door lodged deep in a nook. A different sound echoed above noises of
war. A rushing, terrible sound that froze Mia as surely as the snow flurries
danced around them.

She looked up and saw one of the battlements on fire.
Despite the stone design of this structure there was some wood within and it
would burn as easily as the next thing. A dragon roared. Flames and smoke rose
above Mia’s and Asam’s heads.

God Magon
.

“Wait,” Mia said. “Maybe I can stop this.”

Asam reached for the doorknob but turned to look at her.
“What? How?”

“Eryk and I were attacked by a dragon in the Tarrian jungle.
I drove it away with my healing power. Can you do that?”

Asam looked puzzled. “Not that I know of.”

Certainty grew inside Mia. “We must try. Or at the very
least, I will.”

Asam’s frown grew deeper. Mia hadn’t expected to see
trepidation in the healer’s eyes.

“What if we fail?” Asam asked.

“Then we’ll run. Do what we have to.”

Asam shook her head and for a moment Mia was certain the
woman would refuse. “Are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes. I did it once, I can do it again.”

Asam’s wariness eased and she grew a new smile. “Then I
trust you. Let’s go.”

* * * * *

It took Eryk, Garess and the other Daryk Ones some time to
return to the outskirts of Bardannia, and what they saw turned Eryk’s blood
cold. Rogues swarmed the castle but the number of dragons rampaging outside the
castle could prove even more dangerous. A rainbow of dragons stomped and
roared, their throaty declarations of anger and bloodlust making Eryk’s heart
beat faster. He was a Daryk One but even he understood that many dragons at the
beck and call of Rogues would be hard to defeat. More than that, a crushing
worry broke him in two. Draconus, he wanted to rush in there and save Mia. Yet
he knew he couldn’t. Not right this moment. Any attempt at this point, with
their lack of numbers, might prove suicidal.

“We have to send to Grimnald for reinforcements,” Eryk said.

“You don’t want to go after your woman now?” Garess asked.

“I could, but I’m no good to her dead.”

“By all the gods, what is that?” one of the contingent of
ten in the scouting party asked.

“Dragons,” Eryk said, knowing his voice sounded
contemptuous. “Fucking ten dragons being directed by people like Drakus Fina.”

“You’re sure it’s him?” Garess asked.

“Has to be. Who else has that many resources?” Eryk asked.
“He’s found some ice dragons. Damn. I didn’t think those things could be
trained.”