"It's painful to love someone this much, I know."
Tyrian's reference to a fishbowl was very correct, Cassie discovered as she made her way back from the inn with dinner. People either knew or at least suspected what would be the outcome by morning. If anything, everyone assuredly knew she was now sharing Tyrian's room. Much to her relief, people seemed to be quite glad for it. Kell had done his job well. Everyone was talking of the Kaiten Star and his Kentei protector.
As she crossed the courtyard toward the tower, she looked up at the balcony. Her heart clenched in her chest with a swell of emotion. Tyrian was leaning on the rail as he looked out over his city. He looked unbearably alone in that moment. So much was being asked of him!
The guards at the base of the tower opened the doors for her since her hands were full, and they were either good actors or just too tactful to grin openly. She certainly could tell they looked a bit on the gleeful side.
When she got to the room at the top, she nudged the door open with her foot. As she walked inside, she said, "I've never seen so many sly winks and giggles in my life." She put the tray down on the table. "Even the kids were doing it."
Tyrian had to smile as he straightened from the railing. She always seemed to know just what to say to him. He walked into the room and went to get the fire stoked. It was still cool enough at night that the room got chilly without it. The sun had set and the moon was rising. He lit a few lamps for light and then sat down at the table gratefully. "Liang was cooking."
"R.K. made him. Said he liked us too much to risk poisoning us on a night like this." She sat down across from him and then stood again as she realized she still wore her monk wear. "I really should change."
He caught her hand. "Don't. I've wanted to peel that gear off you from that first day when you saved my life and I realized there was no one who I was safer with."
Her eyes softened. "Well, how can I turn that down? Forgive me if I laugh at you as you attempt to decipher how it goes together."
He saluted her with his glass of brandy. "I'm a quick learner. Besides, the longer it takes, the more we'll enjoy it."
She just shook her head. "You are a rake and a terror, and I can't imagine why the girls in Trinan weren't mobbing your door."
"They were." He grinned when she lifted her brows. "Right on my birthday, there was a crowd outside the door. Marian scared them off. She said that no one could have me unless they could out-heal her or beat Liang at arm wrestling."
Well, that explained that. She thoughtfully stirred her porridge. "I'm not much of a Healer, but I think I could beat Liang. I'm smaller than he is, but I'm stronger. And sneakier. So does that qualify me as eligible? Can I cut to the front of the line?"
"There's no line." He covered her hand and waited until her eyes lifted. "I've been waiting for you," he told her softly. "There were no others I wanted until you. If there's one thing I don't regret about anything that has happened, it's you. You brought me to life."
She curled her fingers into his. "You're immortal now," she said softly. She took a deep breath and let it out again. "There might be a way for us, Tyrian. I'll have to go through my own hell to do it. But I will. I'll do anything to be with you. I can't stand even the idea of you being alone through eternity, and I don't think the stars would give us a destiny that would be so short. There is a way, and I just have to find the courage to do it."
"I'll wait." He slowly smiled. "I'm very patient."
Her eyes lit with sudden humor. "You are the very paragon of patience. And my sanity thanks you for it. I needed to be here on my own. I needed to be able to say that this was a choice as much as it was destiny."
"You choose me?"
She drew his hand to her cheek. "I love you." Her eyes widened as his hands suddenly curled around her wrists and then she laughed breathlessly as he dragged her out of her chair and onto his lap. He was much faster than she had imagined, almost as fast as she was. It was a thrilling realization. "You had to know."
He framed her face and held her eyes intensely, his gaze dark with rioting emotions. "I love you," he whispered. When her entire body trembled, he brushed his lips tenderly across hers. "You had to know."
Knowing and hearing, she realized then, were entirely different things. She curled her arms around his neck and smiled as he stood with her in his arms. She had never been carried before. It was rather enjoyable. "I won't run." She feathered her lips over his throat and savored the taste of his pulse. It beat as hard as hers did, but his hands remained gentle. "Promise."
He went around the wall separating their bedroom from their sitting room and slowly let go of her legs so that she could stand. As her body slid along his, her eyes darkened to a stormy color with the blue overtaking the black. For a moment, she simply held onto him. His arms tightened around her, and their bodies seemed to be perfectly made to fit together.
He slowly released her and set her back a step to study the clothing she wore. It covered her from neck to toes, tied in some places, buckled in others, and wrapped or folded in the rest. There wasn't a lace or button anywhere in sight. "Hmm."
As his hands slowly shaped her body, hot through even her clothes, she stopped breathing. Her eyes closed helplessly in delight as ripples of pleasure followed in the wake of his touch. The heat of his relic hand, that wonderful sting of magic, lingered even when his touch slowly, maddeningly, moved on.
He bent his head and took her mouth unhurriedly. The sigh she gave was sweet. Hunger rode hard, but he ruthlessly held onto his control. He needed to know everything about her. Every secret. Memorize every perfect curve. Map the marks of her life, banish the memories. Need. He had never truly understood what it meant to need anything until he had met his Kentei.
When he lifted his head slightly, she realized that the first layer of her gear had been removed. The overlaying garment was knotted and wrapped around her upper body to diminish her curves. Somehow he had gotten it loose without her knowledge. "It took me years to learn to wrap that," she said huskily, "and you undid it in minutes."
He smiled and tossed the material aside. "I have more incentive." He studied the next layer, which was some sort of sleeveless, snug, tunic tucked into the bottom half of her clothes. "Like opening a birthday present," he said softly. "While tearing off the wrappings to get to the prize appeals, there's something to be said for enjoying the scenery."
She eyed his tunic with some frustration. That she was slowly losing her clothes, and he wasn't, seemed entirely unfair. "I'm going to skip to the tearing part if you don't get rid of that top." When he laughed, her heart clenched wildly. He almost never laughed. That very seriousness that was so much a part of him seemed to reject laughter. His laugh sounded beautiful. Young and carefree. She would do anything to hear it again.
He stripped off his tunic and tossed it aside, leaving him gloriously bare on top. She slowly spread her hands across his chest. "I've wanted this from that first night," she confessed. "You're beautiful, Tyrian." She trailed her fingers across a small scar and then traced the line of a powerful muscle. "Tanned. When did you run around without a shirt?"
"I don't like clothes," he confessed. "Especially if it's hot. Half the time during summer, when I'm alone in my room, I don't wear anything."
"I'm going to become very fond of summer." As he laughed again, she rose up to kiss him fiercely, wanting to taste that beautiful sound. She caught his hands and lowered them to where the buckles on her outer legwear hid.
It only took two tries to figure out the trick to them. The heavy material dropped to the floor and revealed snug black leggings that molded faithfully to her long legs. The snug tunic went over the top to her hips. She looked like some sort of graceful and powerful sleek black cat. "How much more is there?" he managed to ask.
Her lips curved. "Not much." She lifted her arms helpfully as he stripped the tunic up over her head with a swift gesture. She could sense let alone see that his control slowly corroded with every passing minute.
He knelt to strip away the leggings as well and then straightened. His breath lodged in his lungs and remained there. Every muscle in his body seemed to tighten at once as he stared at her. The scraps of black silk that tried to act as underwear and bra clung to a body more perfect than he remembered.
But only in proportion was she truly perfect. Bare to his eyes, he could see the tiny flecks of white that dotted her skin. The biggest and most obvious was the one across her neck. Other much smaller ones scattered across her pale skin. Where the arrows had struck were the most recent; the scars looked a pale pink as they finished healing. He lightly touched where the one had hit her arm and then bent his head to press his lips there.
Her legs went weak with delight as he began to find and caress every scar with his lips. As he pressed a hot kiss to one on her stomach, she grabbed his shoulders for balance. "Tyrian." It was all she could say.
He stood and lifted her into his arms. Rather than tumbling her onto the bed as she expected, he put her down slowly, almost reverently, his dark eyes glowing in the lamplight. "Mine," he breathed. "Finally, mine."
His relic hand curled around her waist, and she took a sharp breath as the whiplash of pleasure streaked through every nerve before coiling deep in her body. Skin to skin, there was nothing to muffle the power in his blood. He slowly glided his hand down her leg, leaving a wave of tingling delight, and her entire body quivered. "Cheater!"
"I may grow to like this relic." He buried his lips between the curves of her breasts. Her skin was slightly damp with sweat and tasted salty and sweet all at once. Her hands buried in his hair to drag him up again but he resisted the effort. "I'm not done yet," he said roughly as he stripped her bra away. "Let me know you."
A moan was all she could manage as his mouth closed over one tight nipple. His relic hand cupped her other breast and she arched against him wildly. The laziness had been melted in fire. The gentleness in him was burning away. She was burning too, her entire body aching with need.
He trailed his fingers down her body slowly, somehow finding nerves she had never known she had. The magic in his skin acted like a beacon. She opened her mouth to beg him to stop tormenting her when his hand slid between her legs. The words became a soft cry as the throbbing increased rather than lessened.
He softly caressed her, teased hidden nerves, his mouth seeking other points until she quivered almost violently in his arms. With a sudden surge of strength and a lithe twist of her body, she tumbled him over and reversed their position. She pinned his hands beside his head. "My turn," she warned huskily.
She looked rumpled and flushed with her hair tumbling around her face and shoulders. The blue chips in her eyes had melted into a sapphire pool. His aching arousal hardened to the point of pain as he stared at her hungrily. She was wild, untamed, and beyond control. There was nothing sexier than his beautiful monk out of control.
She returned every kiss, every embrace. Her lips and fingers memorized his body, sought each little scar and erased it with a kiss. She nimbly unfastened his pants and tugged them down his body. As she did, he managed to tease, "You seem to know what you're doing with other combatant styles of clothing."
"I've worn them." She nipped at his flat stomach and savored the way his muscles bunched and rippled under his skin. "I have a lot of stories to tell you. Want to hear them?"
Her fingers trailed lightly over his erection and he groaned. "Later. Damn it, Cassie!" Her fingers curled around him, learned him, and he shuddered. "Stop." Her body slid against his temptingly as she nipped at his chin, and he grabbed her fiercely. "Stop!"
He twisted and rolled her under him, and she wanted to laugh. It seemed impossible to be so happy when her body was so frustrated and needy. But she was happy. To be free to love, to be loved . . . She wrapped her arms around his neck fiercely. "I won't let you go!"
He couldn't answer with words. He simply moved between her legs, caught her close, and slowly began to press inside her beckoning heat. He struggled to be slow, to give her time if she needed it, but she was hot and wet and perfectly formed for him. Her legs tightened around his hips and he surged forward completely. Her breath hitched and he froze. "Cassie?"
She couldn't find the words for how she felt. Elation, euphoria. Wonder. Joy. Too many words, too many emotions. There was no way to tell him how right she felt. It was as if her world had been set right for the first time. All she could do was catch his face in her hands and pour herself into kissing him, needing him to know.
He did. He caught her closer and pulled her arms around him again, needing her to hold him. He took her again and again, the hunger rapidly going out of control. He couldn't have stopped. Her soft cries muffled against his shoulder, but imprinted themselves inside his soul. Her entire body tensed and her nails bit into his shoulders with sudden alarm. "Let go." He breathed the words against her lips. "I'll catch you."
The cataclysm started deep and spread outward without warning. The sudden ecstasy was shocking only for an instant. She trusted him. She tightened her grip on him with arms and legs and let it take her in wild waves of pleasure. And when it took him as well, it was she who caught him as he took the final leap.
He had enough presence of mind to catch his weight on his arms, but that was the best he could manage. "Legs," he managed to say.
She belatedly realized her legs were wrapped around his waist and slowly let them slide down his hips. As she did, he let his weight rest more fully against her as he relaxed entirely. He made a wonderful blanket. Who knew a sweaty male body could smell and feel so delicious? She buried her fingers in his hair on a contented sigh. "I'm flexible."
"I'm grateful." It was muttered against her breast, his voice drowsy and amused all at the same time. "Mind if I stay here a few minutes?"
"Take your time." She closed her eyes to savor the way her body felt. There were a few aches making their presence known, but she had to assume it was like any new muscles being used. Practice would make them get used to it. At least practicing with these muscles was bound to be a great deal of fun.
He lifted his head, a bemused smile on his face. "Did you just giggle?"
She had. "Maybe I'm happy." She framed his face and searched his eyes. There was a peace inside him that she hadn't seen before. He looked relaxed and young and unburdened by life. "What about you?"
He kissed her softly and tenderly. "Very happy," he said against her lips. Reluctantly, he disentangled their bodies and rolled to the side onto his back. She promptly curled up against him with her head in its place on his shoulder, and one of her arms wrapped around his chest. He felt himself relax entirely on a contented sigh. "Wonder who won."
She smiled up at him. "I think we did. Is it midnight?"
"Possibly. I can't see the clock from here."
"I'll check." She kissed his chin and slipped from the bed. She hesitated only briefly as she stood and then walked with her usual grace around the wall. When she returned, she carried their forgotten dessert and his brandy. "It is officially after midnight. Whoever had money on what is now today is the winner."
"All's fair." He piled the pillows so that they could both sit up in bed. "Dessert in bed, hmm? Now that's my idea of service."
She just smiled as she got back into bed. "Well, I was hungry. I assumed you might be as well." She laughed and batted at his right hand as it skimmed over her arm. "Don't you dare, you fiend!"
When dessert had been finished and the plates put aside, they snuggled together under the covers. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and he gently covered her hand on his chest. "Kyle will be alright," he admitted softly. "Ophelia told me . . . she told me she knew she would die when she met me." He closed his eyes. "But she said that something wonderful would happen someday if she did. And she said that Kyle wasn't her soul mate. She didn't have one yet."
"Will you tell Kyle?"
"When he can say her name without a haunted look in his eyes, yes." He turned and braced himself over her, and his free hand slowly smoothed down her body. Her breath caught as he lightly touched her lips with his. "Just how flexible are you?"
Her lips curved. "I'm sure we'll find out."
They were awakened the next morning to the sound of knocking on the door. Cassie drowsily lifted her head from Tyrian's shoulder. He made a grumpy noise and she tightened her arms around him. "Someone's at the door," she said softly. He muttered something under his breath, and she found herself smiling. "I hadn't realized you're not a morning person."
The door opened and a maid called, "It's just Merilyne, Lord Tyrian. I've brought breakfast for you and Lady Cassie, and I'm taking your clothes to be washed." There was a pause, then, with a giggle in her voice, she added, "And mended."
Cassie pinched Tyrian lightly as she sat up. "You owe me a bra," she whispered. "And underwear." Louder, she called, "Thank you, Merilyne. And for those who are sure to ask you, yes, it was after midnight."
Giggling the entire way, the maid hurried from the room, and the door shut with a thunk behind her. Tyrian opened his eyes to see Cassie smiling at him, and his world aligned properly. He had slept, truly slept, for the first time in a long time. He couldn't break apart so long as she held him. "Sleep well?" he asked her. He brushed her tangled hair out of her eyes.
She lowered her forehead to his with a smile. "When someone let me sleep."
"I've got a fondness for flexible monks with really sexy smiles. You can't blame me if I can't keep my hands off you. Your stamina is better than mine though." He tugged her in for a kiss. "But I'm trainable."
There was a playful streak in her lover hidden under his normal intense seriousness. She looked forward to teasing it out more. "Practice makes perfect, as they say." With much reluctance, she released him and got out of bed.
He got out of bed as well and watched as she pulled on her normal gear. Even knowing how to take it off her again, it was fascinating to watch her put it on. He understood the practicality, but he liked her body too much to want it covered.
He smiled as she stepped closer to tie his green scarf around his neck for him. "Thank you." She then used the scarf to tug him down for a kiss, and he was happy to oblige. "Thank you for that too." He curled a lock of her hair around his finger and then slowly released her. "We'd better eat before I give in to the urge to practice getting that stuff off you again."
She slowly stepped back. The idea sounded very tempting to her as well. If this was what an eternity with him would be like, it would be a very, very enjoyable eternity. But eternity was not hers to be had yet. She knew what she would have to do to claim it, and the idea still terrified her.
His fingers skimmed down her cheek. When she looked at him, he kissed her warmly. "Don't think about it," he said softly. "There's time. And that's not just the newly made immortal talking. Five years, ten years, twenty years. However long it takes you, Cassie. I'll be waiting."
After they finished breakfast, they headed down to the meeting room. Kyle and Kell had beaten them there, and they were talking together over coffee. The two males looked up, studied Tyrian and Cassie, and then looked down with grins.
"Is it that obvious?" Cassie asked dryly.
Tyrian curled his arm around her waist. "I've been told it is very obvious to a knowing eye. We'll be able to spot it from now on too." He nuzzled her hair. "I think it will be a real test of my control if I ever see Marian looking like we do. She has a soft spot for villains, and I'm terrified her Healer's heart will get broken."
"And you'll break heads if that happens?" Kyle asked dryly.
"Very likely. For now, my sanity is maintained since she has yet to find someone to court or date." He sat down at the table and then glanced at the door with a smile as Liang and Ewan walked in. "Good morning."
Ewan walked over to Kyle and handed him a bag that made a thump when it hit the table. "It was after midnight. You win the pool." He grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down with a contented sigh. "Morning, Tyrian. You looked nicely rested for once. Cassie, well done."
She felt her cheeks warm slightly but just shook her head. He was incorrigible. "Thanks. So what's on the agenda for today? Are we going to go to Lupine?"
"We might as well make our way there." Tyrian drummed his right hand on the table. "I, Ewan, and you will lead our unit into the battle. If we're lucky, we'll have many more Army members come to join our side. A couple hundred more and we'll have two units worth, even if we leave some behind to hold the town."
"Lupine has its own militia unit," Kell spoke up. "Word reached me last night from one of my contacts. Rarely do the smaller cities have them, but Lupine does. They were retired when Albanion sent in the Imperial Army, but they stand ready to join the Rebellion if we can route the Army."
"Then they could hold the town themselves and we'd still have two units for battle." Tyrian raked a hand through his hair. "We're going to need a high class Weaponsmith and Armorer soon. We'll need our soldiers to be as upgraded as possible."
A guard knocked lightly on the door and then opened it. Tyrian turned around curiously only to get to his feet as a newcomer walked in. She was unassuming in appearance, a bit on the plain side, and though quite slender she also seemed quite strong. She couldn't have been much older than he was. "Hello," she said softly. "Are you Lord Tyrian Southerwind?"
"I am." He smiled as he felt the familiar tug inside. It seemed much simpler to find his companions than he had thought it would be. He didn't doubt it would slowly get harder, but the task was beginning to feel less daunting. "What can I do for you?"
She suddenly smiled at him. "It's what I can do for you. My name is Mouse, Lord Tyrian. I am a Weaponsmith."
Ewan looked at the ceiling. "Okay, next we want the Army to surrender."
"It only works when Lord Tyrian does it," Kell told him dryly.
"If you'd like to see some of my work, I can show you some examples," Mouse offered to Tyrian. "Oh." She frowned thoughtfully. "Wait, is Laia here?" At the nod, she smiled again. "Then you have seen my work. I created her claymore."
Tyrian thought of the brilliant and masterly made weapon that Laia wielded. Oddly, he wasn't surprised that it was one of Mouse's creations. "Done," he said instantly. "Do you work solely in metal, or do you work with wooden weapons as well?"
"I can make anything you ask of me," she said simply.
Tyrian offered his relic hand, and as she clasped it, his relic glowed and the answering star appeared on her shoulder. "Thank you," he said simply. "We have several empty shops both on ground level and in the Belowgrounds. Whatever suits you best, please choose. Any help you need to get supplies or to get set up, just let someone know."
She squeezed his hand tightly for a moment. "You can count on me, Lord Tyrian. As soon as I am set up, I will start upgrading weapons for those who need it."
While she hurried out to find a place to set up, Tyrian turned to look at the others present. In particular, he looked at Ewan and Cassie. "Would either of you like to bet that Laia knew precisely who she was referring to when she was telling us about the stars?"
"No," they both said promptly.
With Kyle to hold down the base, Tyrian, Cassie, and Ewan headed to the barracks to pull together their unit. Tyrian did his best to balance out the capabilities of his soldiers, but he knew that eventually they would need more mages and more healers. If he could get even one unit each of magic, combat, ranged, and healing, then the Rebellion would be far more ready to take on the Imperial Army.
They had barely ridden out of the gates when he spotted a figure running across the field toward them. He couldn't quite make her out clearly, but he suspected it was a female if only because of the clothes she wore. She was also being chased by a swarm of monsters. "Ewan! Grab her, and we'll grab the beasts!"
Ewan kicked his horse and shot across the ground toward the girl. "This way!" he shouted. She diverted and ran toward him, and he leaned over the side of his horse to scoop her up under an arm as he went past.
The monsters couldn't change direction in time and ran directly into the middle of the unit. It took only a few moments for all of the beasts to be destroyed. As Tyrian reequipped his staff on his back, he turned his horse toward where Ewan approached. The girl on the horse in front of him was in her early teens, and very lovely. If her vibrantly colored clothing and wildly curly hair were any clue, she was a bard of some kind. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.
Ewan lifted her down onto the ground, and she brushed out her skirts with shaky hands. "I am now!" she managed to say with a laugh as shaky as her hands. "Where am I?"
Tyrian opened his mouth and then closed it. In consternation, he looked at Cassie and said, "I need to name this place, don't I?" He frowned thoughtfully. He had never liked the name 'Rebellion Army' because it didn't fully encompass the entire situation. Rebellions could occur even when they weren't warranted. "The home base of the Liberation Army," he finally said.
Ewan gave him a thumbs-up and the soldiers began to murmur excitedly. The bard smiled with relief. "Then I think I'm in the right place. My name is Myrroria, but everyone calls me Myr. I'm a bard from Rubentia. I am here to seek your aid, Lord Tyrian. Rubentia is being strangled to death. You have to help us! Our fields are dying and our people are starving. The Army won't do anything to help!"
"That's a long way to come from," Cassie said softly. "How old are you, Myr?"
"Fifteen. But I'm strong." She lifted her chin. "I know my appearance doesn't seem to prove it, or my entrance, but I'm strong. I can fight. I can fight in small range or large combat. My daggers are always accurate." She reached up to take Tyrian's hands. All she knew for sure was that he needed her as much as her city needed him. "If you need me to fight, I will. If you need me to dance or sing for the troops for morale, I can do that too. Let me join the Liberation Army. I want to help you help our country!"
Though her long golden sleeves covered her shoulder, the glow underneath was as obvious as the flicker of Tyrian's relic. "I'm glad to have you on board, Myr," he said softly. "When I form a ranged unit, you can be sure I will turn to you for advice. You're the first battlefield ranged combatant that I have found. Until then, your songs and dance will keep everyone's spirits up. Including mine."
She brightened. "Thank you, Lord Tyrian! You won't regret it!" She peeked at the moat warily. Though the water was a lovely blue, she could see monsters swimming under the surface. "Uhm."
Ewan grinned. "They're tame. They won't be looking for musical snacks." He whistled loudly, and when someone peered over the top of the gate, he called, "Open the gate for Myr! She's one of us!"
The guard saluted and promptly had the gate lowered. Myr wasted no time in hurrying into the castle. She had a lot to do to get herself settled in. She needed to come up with new songs and stories for the soldiers!
"One wonders what we'll find next," Cassie murmured.
"It takes all kinds," Tyrian said with a smile. "No two stars in the sky are alike, so no two people, even if they share a star, will be alike. I wouldn't want it any way else, truly. If someone is my Destined Star, then it must be because I need them."
Uncaring that the soldiers were watching, she leaned across their horses and softly kissed him. She was sure it wasn't just her that felt proud to be chosen to share his sky. And as the soldiers cheered, she found herself laughing. "Fishbowl."
His green eyes sparkled. "At least no one is bored."
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
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