floor.
“Yes,” Tressa said, sad to break the spell. “First I need
to know why those women believe I am your promised. Was that necessary?”
Jarrett’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, but it was. Without
that label, it’s likely you wouldn’t make it to Risos alive. The queen can be
very jealous.”
“Jealous?” Tressa’s interest was piqued. The queen had sent
Jarrett with her youngest son, Henry, to take over the throne of the Blue. But
Henry’s youthful arrogance had cost him his life. Jealousy wasn’t the feeling
Tressa would have guessed the boy’s mother would feel upon Jarrett's return.
“Yes. I am the First Guard to the Yellow Queen of Risos. I
am her lover as well as her guard. If I didn’t give you an official place
beside me, she would kill you. Even now, I’m not sure your head is safe, but
rumor will spread from oasis to oasis. By the time we arrive at Risos, everyone
will know you exist. It will be harder to kill you.”
“Ah,” Tressa said, taking in the information. “Why not just
make me your wife?”
Jarrett laughed, but Tressa didn’t understand why it was so
funny.
“Wouldn’t I be better protected as your wife?” she asked,
irritated.
“We have no proof of marriage. No witnesses.” Jarrett
shrugged and sank into the pillows.
Tressa raised her chin, vowing to be strong. “Then I’ll
pretend to be your promised, but only as long as it serves my needs.”
The smile disappeared from Jarrett’s face. His dark eyes
looked sad. “Don’t be over-confident, Tressa. You’re entering a very dangerous
place.”
“Then why did you bring me here? Are you sure she’ll help
us?” Nerves fluttered around her stomach.
“Once I realized what happened to your village and I saw
the red dragons searching it, we had no other option. The only help I can ask
for lies here. We just need to hope it will be given.” Jarrett stood and
extinguished a candle. Then another.
“Aren’t you going to wait until I head back to my tent
before doing away with all of the lights?”
“Tressa, you are my promised. You must sleep here to keep
up the charade,” his voice softly reminded her.
Chapter Ten
A low growl pulled Bastian out of an erotic dream. He
rubbed his eyes and sat up, his body aching with the lust his dreams had
brought.
Connor still slept. Elinor lay next to him. Her little pink
lips set in a snarl, her eyes scrunched shut and her delicate hands in fists.
Another growl rolled out of her nostrils. Bastian smothered a laugh behind his
hand.
So it was the healer. In her dreams she must be just as
fierce as she imagined herself in real life. Bastian found it funny that a girl
so small could be so confident. Woman, he reminded himself. She’d said she was
eighteen. Not a girl, then. A woman in the dream he’d just had about her.
Bastian stood, careful not to nudge either of the sleepers.
He squatted a few times, stretching his legs. Running his hands over his chest,
he marveled again how fully his wounds had healed.
Elinor had risked a month of magical healing to help him.
Maybe she’d seen him as a challenge, as badly hurt as he was. She'd said it was
her first time. He was glad it worked properly and all of his parts were in the
right place.
He checked on Connor and Elinor once more. Still asleep. He
stepped out of the cave and into the forest. The sun barely glimmered through
the thick tree canopy. He walked to the bank of the Snake River. The water
meandered in a serpentine motion, bouncing off the rocks and trees that
littered the riverbank. Bastian had never seen its like. Hutton’s Bridge had
one small pond they used for bathing. The rest came from wells.
Rushes swayed in the light morning breeze and the sun
reflected off the gentle waves. Bastian hadn’t bathed since he'd been healed.
The filth of battle still clung to his body.
Bastian pulled his shirt over his head and his pants fell
to the ground. He waded into the water, the chill biting his legs. He
“Yes,” Tressa said, sad to break the spell. “First I need
to know why those women believe I am your promised. Was that necessary?”
Jarrett’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, but it was. Without
that label, it’s likely you wouldn’t make it to Risos alive. The queen can be
very jealous.”
“Jealous?” Tressa’s interest was piqued. The queen had sent
Jarrett with her youngest son, Henry, to take over the throne of the Blue. But
Henry’s youthful arrogance had cost him his life. Jealousy wasn’t the feeling
Tressa would have guessed the boy’s mother would feel upon Jarrett's return.
“Yes. I am the First Guard to the Yellow Queen of Risos. I
am her lover as well as her guard. If I didn’t give you an official place
beside me, she would kill you. Even now, I’m not sure your head is safe, but
rumor will spread from oasis to oasis. By the time we arrive at Risos, everyone
will know you exist. It will be harder to kill you.”
“Ah,” Tressa said, taking in the information. “Why not just
make me your wife?”
Jarrett laughed, but Tressa didn’t understand why it was so
funny.
“Wouldn’t I be better protected as your wife?” she asked,
irritated.
“We have no proof of marriage. No witnesses.” Jarrett
shrugged and sank into the pillows.
Tressa raised her chin, vowing to be strong. “Then I’ll
pretend to be your promised, but only as long as it serves my needs.”
The smile disappeared from Jarrett’s face. His dark eyes
looked sad. “Don’t be over-confident, Tressa. You’re entering a very dangerous
place.”
“Then why did you bring me here? Are you sure she’ll help
us?” Nerves fluttered around her stomach.
“Once I realized what happened to your village and I saw
the red dragons searching it, we had no other option. The only help I can ask
for lies here. We just need to hope it will be given.” Jarrett stood and
extinguished a candle. Then another.
“Aren’t you going to wait until I head back to my tent
before doing away with all of the lights?”
“Tressa, you are my promised. You must sleep here to keep
up the charade,” his voice softly reminded her.
Chapter Ten
A low growl pulled Bastian out of an erotic dream. He
rubbed his eyes and sat up, his body aching with the lust his dreams had
brought.
Connor still slept. Elinor lay next to him. Her little pink
lips set in a snarl, her eyes scrunched shut and her delicate hands in fists.
Another growl rolled out of her nostrils. Bastian smothered a laugh behind his
hand.
So it was the healer. In her dreams she must be just as
fierce as she imagined herself in real life. Bastian found it funny that a girl
so small could be so confident. Woman, he reminded himself. She’d said she was
eighteen. Not a girl, then. A woman in the dream he’d just had about her.
Bastian stood, careful not to nudge either of the sleepers.
He squatted a few times, stretching his legs. Running his hands over his chest,
he marveled again how fully his wounds had healed.
Elinor had risked a month of magical healing to help him.
Maybe she’d seen him as a challenge, as badly hurt as he was. She'd said it was
her first time. He was glad it worked properly and all of his parts were in the
right place.
He checked on Connor and Elinor once more. Still asleep. He
stepped out of the cave and into the forest. The sun barely glimmered through
the thick tree canopy. He walked to the bank of the Snake River. The water
meandered in a serpentine motion, bouncing off the rocks and trees that
littered the riverbank. Bastian had never seen its like. Hutton’s Bridge had
one small pond they used for bathing. The rest came from wells.
Rushes swayed in the light morning breeze and the sun
reflected off the gentle waves. Bastian hadn’t bathed since he'd been healed.
The filth of battle still clung to his body.
Bastian pulled his shirt over his head and his pants fell
to the ground. He waded into the water, the chill biting his legs. He
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