Warrior Lover (Draconia Tales) (13 page)

Lily ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Can’t I relieve myself?”

“As long as it doesn’t take all day.” He gestured to the woods as he turned in the direction Jamie went. “Jamie! Come back here!”

When Lily returned, the glaring continued with Jamie snarling at the edge of the camp ground. At least he hadn’t wandered off. While Enar occupied himself with Jamie’s attitude, she grabbed a comb from her pack and pulled it through her tangled hair.

Nothing like having smooth hair.

A quick braid followed by a tie and she stuffed the comb back into her pack, ready to leave. Ready to find her friend. Ready for Enar to tell her about her new life.

As if that would happen anytime soon.

Once she stood beside Enar, he started walking, Jamie running ahead, disappearing behind a strand of trees. At least they headed in the same direction as the boy.

“Are we going to get horses?” Her feet already hurt and they hadn’t even left the campsite.

A snort was her reply. “You have a sense of humor.”

“There is nothing humorous about wanting to ride. How far is Draconia anyway?”

“Maybe about a week from here. Give or take a few days.”

“A week! And we’re not stopping to get horses?” Was he crazy?

“We have feet. They work. And horses cost money.”

“What? You’re saying we don’t have money?”

Enar shrugged. “Don’t worry, woman. We have enough to eat. I won’t let you starve.”

Didn’t that give her a ball of happiness? She shook the feeling off. Being told she needed to walk to Draconia, walk a bloody week, all day long every day, on top of learning about Keara, did not make her morning.

Although it wasn’t as bad as being cheated out of her fair share.

Walking sure didn’t endear her to Enar. Jamie was right, they should have waited for Fafnir to return. At least that way they could have all ridden.

“Why don’t we wait for Fafnir?”

“Because I don’t know if he’s coming back. I don’t know where he went and if we wait around we become sitting ducks for anyone who might want to do us harm. That’s unacceptable.”

“So we walk?”

“Yes.”

“And it’ll take a week?”

“Did I not just finish saying that?”

Definitely crazy. She hadn’t walked for more than an hour in years. Maybe not since she was a child. And now he wanted her to stomp through the woods and grass for a whole week? What if Keara died while Lily was busy traipsing through the woods?

The man clearly had nothing between his ears.

Although she had to admit, his talented fingers and tongue made up for it.

Not that he would be getting any tonight after making her hike the whole day.

Lily adjusted her bag and marched after Enar. It could be worse. She could still be in River’s Run.

****

Her legs hurt, her feet hurt, her eyes hurt from squinting in the sun and still they walked. No relief in sight, no conversation, no breeze, but at least they caught Jamie.

Shortly after leaving the campsite, Jamie ran off, disappearing into the trees lining the dirt-packed trail they walked. They found him some time later, wandering through the trees, lost as a bird caught in a storm’s updraft. For the time it took them to get back to the path, Jamie seemed relieved to see them. Now he chafed at Enar’s grip on his shoulder, trying unsuccessfully to escape.

Considering how bad her feet hurt from traipsing around looking for the little imp, her normal sympathetic nature disappeared like steam over cooling water.

Jamie spun to the side in an apparent attempt to free himself. No such luck. Enar white-knuckled the boy’s shirt, his glare forcing Jamie into submission.

For now.

That same glare had turned on her when she asked how far to go until they rested.

She still didn’t have the answer, but had long since given up on hearing it.

Lily took a swig of lukewarm, leathery-tasting water. The sun beat down on her head, burning her skin despite her hood and cloak. Cool water sounded wonderful, but she didn’t see or hear a stream. Lily sighed. At least the scenery looked pretty. Thigh-high prairie grass to her left, trees off to her right, light fluffy clouds floating through a crystal blue sky, Enar.

She stared at Enar’s nicely formed backside and wondered, yet again, why he claimed her. For nighttime bedroll activities? And after walking the Goddess only knew how far, she did not look forward to that activity.

Then there was the little problem of what exactly her life would be like in his village. She knew next to nothing about his society and his unwillingness to talk to her about it made her expect the worst. Would she be shunned like she had been in River’s Run? Vilified for her complexion? Would they think her a witch and try to burn her at the stake? Run her out of town? Turn Enar against her?

No, Enar would never let his own people hurt her.

And didn’t that make her bricked-up heart leap into the air looking for an escape.

No, no, no.
The knowledge she walked out of danger instead of into it did nothing but make her feel safe.
Safe.
Safe was good. Being safe meant not journeying down the road of infatuation. It meant observing but not getting involved.

And the observation noted Enar still hadn’t informed her of what she could expect from her new life. If only he’d tell her about her future.

She’d have better luck getting him to stop walking.

Despite focusing on her feet and the pain therein, her thoughts kept returning to Enar. Probably because his fine arse continued to walk in front of her, muscular leather-clad legs eating long strides in the dirt. Lily took another swig of water, drawing her arm across her mouth. She couldn’t help but think of being with him when he walked that way. Or any way.

He seemed to care for her. She remembered Enar’s dagger pressed against the priest’s neck, blood welling from the cut, the vibe of angry warrior spreading through the crowd gathered around them. He took his time in the bedroll, ensuring her pleasure before his own. But he never said why he captured her.

He needed a pleasure slave?

Was the answer as simple as that? Did pleasure slaves experience the type of mind-blowing orgasms like she did with Enar?

Probably not.

All right. So her purpose in being captured wasn’t to be a pleasure slave. Although pleasuring each other did seem to be part of her new life.

Not that she was complaining about that. Not at all. She enjoyed being with him. A lot.

Lily caught herself as she tripped over, well, nothing, unless one counted a clod of dirt. What if he locked her in his home and never let her out? Never to see Keara again, never to be free, only to be used for his personal pleasure.

The personal pleasure aspect wasn’t so bad. The rest of it was a nightmare waiting to happen. And if that was her lot in life, wouldn’t he be more controlling? Tie her up and lead her around like an animal?

Most definitely. Since that hadn’t happened, she could only deduce the rest of the thought was flawed.

Stick that on the list of things to ward off a panic attack.

All right. He wouldn’t lock her up and take away her freedom. But what if he had a wife? What if she was a mistress?

Oh, mercy no. Being someone’s mistress while his wife lived around the corner was not on her to-do list. Too much like her parents’ relationship.

“Enar! Do you have a wife?”

Enar spun, dropping Jamie’s shirt, a look of complete confusion on his face. “What?”

“Do you have a wife?”

“A mate? Goddess’s toes, no. Are you jesting?”

Jamie chose that moment to make a dash for it. Where he thought he was going, she didn’t know, but he apparently wanted to get there fast.

Enar glanced at Jamie running free. “Flaming swords, woman! Look what you did. Wait here!” Dropping his bags, he dashed after Jamie.

All right. That didn’t go so well. She needed a new approach. Maybe if she drank some more water, the new approach would magically fall into her head.

Stranger things had happened. Take dragons for instance.

Lily grabbed her canteen and upended it, pouring the last drop down her throat. Uh-oh. She needed more water, but Enar told her to wait here. He’d also told her to make the canteen last all day. She tilted her head to the sky, noting the sun overhead. Looked back at the empty canteen. So much for it lasting all day.

She could imagine Enar’s glower when he returned from chasing Jamie to find her canteen empty. His glaring no longer frightened her. A man who pleasured her the way he did would never hurt her. At least not on purpose. Right?

Right
. Great. Now she was answering herself. Was that a sign of lunacy or overheated brain?
Overheated brain.
If she was crazy it wouldn’t be bothering her.

The sun beat down on her head, melting away all thoughts but finding more to drink. Amazing how knowing she didn’t have water made her thirstier.

Maybe Enar’s canteen was in the lump of bags he dropped. Lily walked to the pile of baggage and rummaged through it, looking for Enar’s canteen. Food packages, clothes, Keara’s herb bag. No canteen. Lily muttered one of Enar’s choice words.

Great, now she was starting to curse like him.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, tumbled into her eyes. She wiped it away with the back of one hand, wishing Enar and Jamie would return so they could find her more water. He could glare and glower all he wanted as long as a filled canteen was the end result.

She heard what sounded like the gurgle of running water and turned to the right, peering through the cluster of trees lining the path. She glanced ahead to where Enar had disappeared after Jamie. Looked back to the trees. If she jogged, she could dip her canteen in the water, fill it and return before he came back with Jamie.

Lily smiled as she headed toward the water.

Chapter 10

“Jamie!” Enar’s boots pounded the packed dirt trail, his sword bouncing against his back, his canteen slapping against his hip.

Why had Lily asked if he had a mate? Her question shocked him to the point where he released his grip on Jamie’s shirt, letting the boy make a break for it, leading to his current boot-thumping predicament.

Jamie darted into the grass, doubling over as if it would hide him from view. It didn’t. But it did slow him enough for Enar to catch up. Stretching his arm out, he grabbed Jamie’s upper arm, pulling him to a stop.

“Let me go! I wanna be free!”

“Hush!” Jamie closed his mouth, eyes narrowing as he glared at Enar. “What is your problem?”

Enar started walking toward the path, dragging a resisting Jamie. What was wrong with the boy? Didn’t he realize wandering around on his own was not a good idea?

“I need to find Fafnir! I can’t stay with you.”

“Fafnir is gone. He left. You can’t find him.”

“He wouldn’t leave me.”

He did.
“Sometimes adults have to take care of things.”

Jamie sniffed. “You think he’s coming back?”

No.
“He might. But he probably went to the Temple.”

Jamie walked beside Enar, shoulders slumped. “I liked Fafnir. He reminded me of my dad.” He ran the back of his hand over his eyes.

“And this is a good thing?” If Enar met someone who reminded him of his father, he’d run in the opposite direction.

Jamie nodded and sniffed. Enar glanced at the boy. Was he crying? Loosening his grip, Enar patted Jamie’s shoulder.

“You’ll see him when we get to Draconia. And until then, you have me.”

Jamie’s head tilted, looking up at Enar. “But you’re a Watcher.”

“And your point is?”

“Watchers are cruel.”

“You think I’m cruel?”

Jamie’s gaze landed on his shoulder, following Enar’s hand up his arm until he looked him in the eyes.

“That’s only because you insist upon running off. Lack of trust leads to my hand on your shoulder.”

Jamie looked at the ground. Three steps, another back-of-the-hand-across-the-eyes and he sighed. “Fine. I’ll give you my word I won’t run off again, if you promise not to hurt me or Lily.”

“Agreed.” That had to be the easiest promise he’d ever made. As if he could hurt his woman. Or Jamie, for that matter. “I’ll let go of you now and you’ll keep your end of the bargain by not running off. If you don’t, I’ll string a rope around your waist and lead you all the way back to my home.”

One side of Jamie’s lip curled as if to say, “I’d like to see you try.” He nodded. Enar released his grip, holding his breath. Jamie continued to walk beside him. Whew.

They came around a curve in the path and Enar saw his bags lying on the ground. Saw the bags but nothing else. Where was his woman? Where was Lily?

He scanned the grass, looking for any sign of Lily. A breeze blew across the grass, rustling the stems. Taking a deep breath, Enar tried to smell the air, then gave himself a mental smack. As if he could scent Lily. What did he think he was? A dragon? His nose might not work, but his eyes did.

Not that they did him any good. Lily was nowhere in sight. Where had she gone? A hard hammering in his chest caught his breath. Pressing a hand against the pain, he managed to drag in a mouthful of air, planning on bellowing her name.