Forbidden Craving(74)

Shaye rubbed the back of her neck. "If you don't come back, I swear I'll kill you myself."

"I'll come back." Valerian gave her a swift kiss before nodding to Dylan and Terran, who stood sentry at the cell.

Terran brushed his fingers against the bars, the medallion he wore acting as an on-off switch. The blue dulled until only mist remained.

But one taste of his mate hadn't been enough. Valerian crushed his lips into Shaye's, his tongue swooping inside for a demanding taste, bringing all of his fiercest desires to the surface. She responded violently, brutally, taking everything he had to give her.

When he lifted his head, they were both panting. Once again, she squared her shoulders. Without further prompting from him, and without ever removing her gaze from his, she stepped into the cage.

Terran removed his hand and the bars reappeared.

One heartbeat passed, two, silence sizzling between Valerian and Shaye.

He hated to leave her and wanted to kiss her again, to linger this time.

He hefted up his shield and stalked from the enclosure, heading for the dining hall. Broderick caught up with him halfway.

"The men are ready."

"Excellent." He pushed Shaye from his mind, determined to act as a warrior: cold, unemotional and lethal. "Where are the dragons now?"

Valerian and Darius had fought only once before, and though Valerian had injured the hulking beast, the end had been a draw, with neither man able to completely conquer the other.

"The Outer City," Broderick replied.

"Have they any allies with them?"

"No. They've come alone."

Their mistake. "I want our best men on the parapet and a group of soldiers strategically placed in the surrounding forest. I want the dragons' every move tracked. If flyers land on the roof, cut them down without mercy."

The two advantages dragons had: their wings and their fire.

Their forces had to be stopped quickly, before they had an opportunity to decimate everything on the ground from a perch in the air, where no one else could reach them.

At least the palace, which had been made for dragons, was fire resistant.




 

 

The one advantage the nymphs had: the power to seduce.

Males were not immune, and they, too, could be caught up in the spell of a nymph, becoming a slave to desire.

"Shall I unleash the traps we set around the palace?" Broderick asked.

He considered the idea. "No. Let the dragons reach us without incident. Perhaps we can reach a truce before a single battle must be fought." Whatever would keep the women safest.

Broderick blinked in astonishment before rushing to convey all he'd been ordered.

In the dining hall, Valerian stopped at the wall of windows to peer out. Empty streets greeted him. The citizens who lived in the Outer City must have spied the dragons and run home, fearing for their lives.

Wise.

Valerian spun on his heel and strode to the arena. Broderick was busy instructing the men. As they received orders, they raced to obey.

"May your strength only flourish," he told those who passed him.

"And yours, my king," he heard numerous times.

Those without assignments formed a line and eyed him expectantly. He paced in front of them, saying, "I want you to circle around the Outer City undetected and remain behind the dragons. I want them flanked by nymphs on every side."

They nodded in unison.

"When you receive my signal, close in on them and finally let them know you are there. Now go."

Hurried footsteps echoed as the men rushed to obey. Valerian found himself alone. Gripping his sword hilt, he stood there for a moment, his thoughts drifting inexorably to Shaye. Had she not been here, he most likely would have led a section of his army into the outskirts of the city and attacked the dragons there. As it was, he wanted his forces surrounding the palace. Close at hand. Forming a circle of protection.

All he had to do now was await the dragons' arrival. If a truce couldn't be reached, blood would flood through the city, a crimson river.





  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SHAYE STUDIED THE other women who'd been locked inside the cell. Of course, they were the same women who'd been trapped inside the hobby room and attended the wedding. They didn't seem to grasp the danger of the current situation and were, in fact, chatting amicably with one another.

If she stayed in Atlantis, this would her life. She would be locked away every time war threatened. 

Considering the creatures populating the underwater world, war would always threaten.

Shaye wasn't sure why, but a new card filled her head. One that had nothing to do with her circumstances: Congrats! You started your period. May you snarl at nothing, cry about everything, eat as many pies as humanly possible and opt not to murder your loved ones.