Daryk Warrior (9 page)

“You should rest,” Mia said.

“You sacrificed some of your strength to help me.” Finny’s
eyes teared.

“No. I didn’t.”

Finny managed a smile that barely removed her frown. She
placed her hands on her hips. “I feel even better than I did before. Brand
new.” She strode to where Eryk held Mia on his lap. “I can never thank you
enough. But I’m certainly going to try.”

With that Finny left the room and closed the door. Mia felt
strength returning to her, the slow and occasional movement of his hand over
her hair bringing vitality back to her limbs. Along with something far more
distracting. She moved in his arms and inhaled sharply. A long, thick column of
male flesh—a very solid erection—pressed against her bottom.

“Rest easy. It will go away in time.” Amusement laced his
voice but so did a smoky sensuality.

Tingles raced over her skin. Through her weariness, a
throbbing awareness bubbled under the surface. Heat pooled low in her loins and
she groaned softly. She looked up at him, at a loss for words to describe how
he made her feel.

“Don’t look at me like that.” His words came out sharp.

“Like what?”

“Like the fresh, innocent woman you are. It’s driving me out
of my mind.”

The tension rose higher, building inside her and pushing her
tiredness aside. It was almost as if his strength replenished her. Normally a
healing like the one she’d performed on Finny would put her to sleep for hours,
and now that she understood what more was wrong with her…

“Are you certain you weren’t out of your mind to start
with?” His expression was so ferocious she hovered between fright and wanting
to giggle. “Well thank you for everything you did. For saving my life twice.”

He didn’t speak but he reached out to touch her throat.
“Does it hurt?”

“My throat’s a bit sore. One unfortunate side effect is that
sometimes when I heal I hurt myself.”

She shifted on his lap again and he sucked in a breath.
“Keep doing that and I’ll—”

“You’ll what?”

“You do not want to know.”

The idea of him doing anything in retaliation shot thrills
of excitement through her belly. She couldn’t imagine what he’d do but it sounded
interesting. Then she recalled those men, killed right in front of her. She
shivered in revulsion.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’ve never seen anyone killed before, and now two days on
Dragonia and I’ve seen more than one dead body.”

He hugged her closer and she lapped up the sensation of
perfect safety and comfort. “But you’ve seen a lot worse on Magonia, haven’t
you?”

“What? Is there anything worse than murder?”

“Oppression.”

She dared look up at him, into those sinfully dark eyes.
“Have you ever been oppressed?”

“Not the way you have.”

She could have said that she’d already told him what
happened to her and yet she didn’t. His understanding took her off guard and
softened her toward him. His gentleness shook Mia into putting up her defenses.
Despite physical weakness, she sat up straighter and pushed away from his
chest.

“Let us attend to Finny.”

Mia’s anger at what had happened to Finny overwhelmed her
fatigue. Restlessness burned along with a primal desire she couldn’t recall
feeling at any other time. Except when she’d healed Eyrk.

“I need to walk. To do something. Anything.” Mia headed for
the door.

“No.” Eryk stood and reached for her arm, his grip firm but
not hurtful. “It’s too dangerous out there if you go alone.”

She sighed with frustration. “You said that in the cave.”
She pulled against his grip. “You know what happened after I healed you. You
didn’t see how I tossed Emrond on his butt a moment before you broke in.”

“I wondered about that.” Doubt filled his eyes. “I thought
perhaps those energy spurts were an aberration.”

“I feel it now.” Her skin started to tingle. “This healing
force feels alive and unleashed.”

Something that looked like frustration crossed his face.
“You controlled it before. You can control it now.”

More tingles radiated in her body, her skin and bones
crawling with need for action. Her body’s erratic attitude, first tired then
full of energy, was driving her mad.

His eyes went liquid and hot with intent. She shivered as
his warm touch slid upward over her arms to her shoulders. He pulled her into
his arms. He tangled his fingers in her hair, his other arm bracing her against
his hips.

His mouth tasted hers, gently at first, but his cock pressed
urgently against her, reminding Mia how potently his sensuality acted upon her
senses. His tongue teased, tasted until her lips yielded. Raw desire rose with
amazing speed. She yielded to his heat and strength. Prickly urgency drained
from her limbs, the restless need to move dropping by degrees until it
vanished. As her body lost the overrun of energy she sighed and forgot where
she was and what she’d experienced a short time ago. Her hands slid from his
shoulders as she linked her arms around Eryk’s neck. She ached in her core,
felt moisture dampening between her legs. She longed for a deeper connection
and suddenly didn’t care if she left behind her honor and purity, the code of a
Scribe. Her body wanted and wanted with a fierceness that superseded her last
such encounter with him. She wriggled against him and he grunted.

Suddenly he pulled away. His eyes were glazed with
unmistakable need. His cock pressed hard and large against his trousers.

“Not in here. Not where men have died,” he said.

Shame burned her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she’d ignored
the blood on the floor. “Of course.” Her cheeks filled with heat.

Shame didn’t leave as they abandoned the room, taking their
few belongings. Finny had returned to the front desk as if nothing bad had
occurred, as if she didn’t have blood in one of her rooms.

Once in a new chamber on the second floor, this one
overlooking the courtyard, Mia dared to peer outside. Blood stained the ground
here and there but there were no bodies. The raging desire of moments ago had
gone and now she was worried about what might come next.

Eryk’s eyes held sexual need, as if their small encounter
had only fueled a bigger conflagration. “I must wash.”

Eryk stripped his clothes, and when she realized what he was
doing she turned back to the window. She couldn’t witness his total nakedness.
Sinfully, however, it didn’t prevent her imagination from running wild. She
closed her eyes and allowed feelings to overwhelm her. Erotic sensations filled
her body. Her nipples beaded, warmth pooled in her lower belly as she thought
of the water flowing over his body. Her hands ached to touch him, to discover
the mysteries of physical love. At the same time her mind revolted. She barely
knew this man. What she’d already done with him, the kissing and…other things,
seemed to ease the wildness of her healing power. But fear also rocked her. Why
were her healing abilities so out of control on Dragonia? Nothing like this
wild need had ever happened to her on Magonia.

When Eryk left the bathing room some time later he wore a
cloth covering around his hips. God Magon, they’d been in this position before.
Alone. Him mostly naked and her body clamoring for discovery. His expression,
though, held apprehension rather than desire.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She rubbed her throat. “I’ll be fine soon.”

He stepped close and the heat and warmth of his big body
increased the sensitivity within her core. She took a deep breath but didn’t
move away.

“Are you fine?” he asked softly. “Those marks on your
throat…”

The honest concern in Eryk’s eyes eased the tension. “I
can’t heal myself, I told you.” She heard the defensiveness in her tone but
didn’t care. “I gave everything to Finny.”

He sighed and gestured to the bed. “Rest. Sleep as long as
you like.”

His words had an effect she didn’t expect. Some of the crazy
arousal drained from her body and fatigue returned.

“Rest,” he said again.

“I’m not sure I can.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” She didn’t even know why. She sank down on the
edge of the bed.

His eyes held perfect knowledge and they glowed red. For a
moment he looked as if he hovered on the edge of movement, of finishing what
they’d started earlier.

He shook his head and repeated his earlier statement. “Lie
down and rest. You’ll feel better when you awaken.”

Impulsive words came to her lips. “Stay with me. I don’t
want to be here alone.”

He answered quickly, “I’ll be right here.”

With that she lay down and succumbed to the weakness.

Chapter Six

A low rumbling broke the relative silence over the castle as
Eryk waited for Mia. He’d slung his pack over his shoulders when thunder
reminded him they’d waited too long to leave today. A storm was arriving. A day
had passed before he felt safe venturing into the jungle with her and on to
their next destination. He didn’t want another delay. He’d convinced her
Grimnald Castle wasn’t the best place for her, that at Bardannia Castle she’d
be safer.

Being so close to Mia without taking her drove him to within
an inch of releasing a scream of primal frustration. Since he’d seen her heal,
he’d expected his desire to mate with her to slacken. Perhaps even disappear. Instead
it had grown. Selfless sacrifice as genuine as hers hit him in a place deep
inside. He found himself more fascinated with her every day, more convinced
that she harbored many secrets.

Problem was he didn’t wish to change his mind. Healing
abilities aside, she was Magonian. Sheltering her could prove the worst mistake
of his life. Old resentments she knew nothing about awakened and bit him on the
ass. He couldn’t shake them. Neither could he ignore how much he’d wanted her
after he’d killed the men who dared threaten her life.

She gripped her backpack just as he glanced out the window.
“What’s wrong?”

He turned toward her. “Remember, when we leave here, you
cannot tell anyone about your healing ability.”

“So you’ve already told me.”

“We don’t want anything to bring attention to you. Nothing
extraordinary.”

“Don’t worry, Eryk. I already know I’m not extraordinary.”
She glared.

“By all that is worthy, that isn’t what I meant.” Angry at
her self-flagellation, he stalked toward her. She took a step back but he kept
coming until he towered over her. “Who on earth ever gave you the idea you
aren’t worthy?” He held up one hand. “Don’t answer that. I think I know.”

“Do you?”

He drew in a deep breath. “Your society. Women aren’t
valued.”

She rubbed one hand over her chin. “I’m not affected by that
anymore.”

He reached for Mia, touching her throat gently. “I think you
are.” She flinched and he withdrew his touch. Bruises didn’t mark her delicate
throat but red spots did. “When that bastard had you in his grip I was
terrified he’d severely injury you.”

He swallowed hard, as if he was the one being strangled. It
occurred to him that maybe she’d been traumatized by watching him kill a man.
Regret stung. He didn’t want to add to her pain.

“You’re mine to protect.” There. He’d said it. “No man shall
harm you again while I live.”

Her eyes widened a little, with surprise, he thought.
Surprise rocked him too. He knew, with absolute certainty, that she belonged to
him. Yet he didn’t want that to be the truth. He refused to acknowledge it out
loud. He couldn’t mate with her. A healer? The irony stung. His vow to never
forgive healers as long as he lived fought with his instincts to take her as
his own forever.

She looked away. “Don’t say that. You cannot protect me all
the time.”

“It is true.”

She shook her head and went for the door. “You don’t know
that.”

He allowed Mia her mood and they left. They bid Finny a fond
farewell and made their way through the castle. The mess from the rogue
insurgency had been cleaned.

“Why wouldn’t you look at me earlier, when I was
undressing?” he asked.

“A Scribe is not permitted to see naked bodies. You must
know that.”

“Not even their own?”

She shrugged. “Nakedness is a sin on Magonia. Modesty is
everything. And chastity.”

He grunted in disdain. “It’s a wonder Magonians aren’t going
extinct either.”

“It is a wonder.”

A soft snort came from him but he didn’t say any more.

“I suppose public nakedness is pursued here?” she asked.

“In the privacy of one’s abode it is acceptable to be as
naked as one likes.”

She didn’t comment on his explanation, and as they left the
castle apprehension showed clearly on her face.

“Stay close to me at all times,” he said.

“Of course.”

Her voice was cooler today, far less personal and more that
of a stranger. He couldn’t pinpoint why this bothered him but it did. Once
mated to a woman, a Daryk One needed the connection and craved it. At least
he’d heard this, and he’d seen other Daryk Ones behave in such a manner.

No. It wouldn’t happen for him.

He placed one hand on his sword hilt, glad for his weapon.
At least with it he could slay a dragon or protect a woman should the
unfortunate need arise.

They traipsed through the jungle until clouds hung low and
oppressive. They’d need shelter again very soon and there wasn’t a cave to be
found. So be it. If they got wet, they got wet. It didn’t take long for his
summation to come true. Rain poured down in heavy sheets, making leaves slick
beneath their feet. The moisture soaked clean through their clothes. When he
glanced behind him Mia’s hair was plastered to her head, her eyes filled with
misery. She hadn’t said one word during their entire trek. After a considerable
time the rain slowed to a trickle, a patter on the foliage around them.

He stopped and turned to her. “Are you all right?”

She smiled and some of the discontent in her expression
disappeared. “I’m fine.”

“Sorry there’s no true shelter.”

“It’s all right. How much farther to Bardannia Castle?”

He pushed aside a huge frond and beyond, the desert
beckoned. “Through there. The sands of the Ithycan Desert. A day’s travel. If
we hurry we can cut that in half. The temperatures are lessening this time of
year. Put on your hat and you have your caftan. Don’t worry about being wet.
You’ll appreciate the coolness of water against your skin.”

She didn’t argue, putting on her desert attire quickly. He
did the same. Daryk Ones could tolerate the punishing sun with little effect if
any to their skin but he appreciated comfort far more than showing toughness.
When they hefted their packs again he caught her watching him intently.

He returned her stare and took in how right the caftan
looked around her slim body. The tan cloth, draped in deep folds that obscured
her form, covered her from neck to toe. The cloth would also insulate her once
they reached the ice of Imekland. The large, enveloping head covering sheltered
her face from punishing light and heat and would also protect her in the cold.
Sturdy boots on their feet would prevent discomfort and injury from the
elements.

“Do I look odd?” she asked.

“You look as she you should.”

Her gaze took him in. “No one would know you’re a Daryk One
under all that clothing.”

“That could be a good or bad thing. Come on, let’s go.”

He knew many of the wandering groups who lived in this land,
but took a shorter route, which forced them to climb some high dunes and would
avoid the groups all together. None of them lived or wandered among the dunes
for a good reason. It took considerable effort to climb them. Eryk made certain
she could continue, and as they crested the last giant sand drift in late
afternoon, he appreciated the sight in the distance. Bardannia was a speck but
he could see it. Mia stopped beside him, panting and looking tired.

She gazed in the direction he was looking. “Is that
Bardannia? Magon, would you look at the ice.”

“Yes. Several more hours’ walk.”

Her gaze caught his and he saw wonder and amazement
gathering on her features. “I’ve never seen ice or snow. It is beautiful.”

“And extremely cold. Once we start walking across I don’t plan
to stop. For anything.”

She nodded with no sign of being intimidated by the idea.
“Of course.”

He almost didn’t hear her sigh but when he took a closer
look Eryk noticed how drawn and pale she appeared. She might be determined but
this trip had already drained her reserves.

“We’ll eat at the bottom of the dune and rest before
pressing on.”

When they reached a sheltered place at the bottom, she sank
to her butt in the sand. She struggled out of her pack and rummaged through her
meal packs.

Her silence worried him. “Did you drink enough water coming
across the desert?”

She took her water bladder and slugged down water without
answering him. Her silence continued through bites of dried meat.

When she spoke the question shocked him. “Do you have
friends?”

It took him a moment to answer. “Two. Correction. One.”

She smiled and a soft laugh came from her. Warmth rose
within his gut and his loins. He enjoyed her smiles and her laugh, as seldom as
she did either.

“Only one?” she asked.

“Dane Charger, a Daryk One. He’s a good man.”

“Who is the other almost friend?”

“He turned rogue Daryk One four years ago, after his sister
was murdered. His name is Rayder Tyrus. He serves on a slaver ship.”

“A slave ship for Magonian women, I’m guessing.”

He winced. “Yes.”

“You must be disappointed in him.”

“That’s an understatement.”

She squinted a little and he wondered if the sun bothered
her. He reached toward her head covering, hoping to angle it down over her
eyes. She flinched away.

“What is wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He knew she was lying. Anger rose inside him. “When are you
going to realize I’d die before I’d hurt you?”

Sadness filled her eyes and he immediately regretted his
strong words.

“The head of the Scribes once said that to me,” she said.

He frowned deeply as suspicion filled him. “The head of the
Scribes?”

“Janto Ribboner. The man who ran the school. He was
considered the anointed one.” She chewed dried meat slowly before continuing.
“Whatever he said should happen, happened. His power was absolute. He had the
power of life or death over everyone at Scribe school. He…”

Suspicion rose inside him, high and sharp. “He was a
tyrant?”

She swallowed hard and took another sip of water. “Yes.”

Deeper concern pulled at his inner beast, the part of him
that awakened in battle. “Did he harm you? Because if he did, he’s a dead man.”

Eryk’s face turned angry and the blaze in his eyes looked
redder than she’d ever seen. She was tired, hot and wished she could simply
sleep. But she didn’t want him thinking she was a weakling.

“Tell me.” His scowl said he wouldn’t change his mind.

“It’s a long story.”

“I am listening.”

“Don’t we have to go soon?”

“There’s enough daylight. And if we don’t make it across the
ice today we’ll pitch a shelter in another cave near Bardannia Castle. I’ve camped
there before.”

From the tightness of his lips she knew he wouldn’t budge. A
shaking started in her middle, surprising her with the impact of her memories.

She swallowed hard and took yet another drink. “Janto was
this tall, skinny man with a thin face and cruel blue eyes. He never smiled
unless it was because he was amused at someone’s expense.” She drew in one deep
breath and then another. “To make this story short…he was brutal. There were
beatings. Torture. Things that most of the other Scribes didn’t know.”

“Draconus.” His word was hard and disgusted. “What did he do
to you?”

“He was mentally abusive many times. Too many times to
count. After a while he decided he liked me and treated me with less cruelty
than the other Scribes. He took the older Scribes into his bed. Two of them I
know of.”

If it was possible, his eyes got redder. “Did he touch you?”

She took a long time to reply. “When I was sixteen he tried
to…rape me.”

Fury tightened his hand around the dried meat he held and it
crumbled. His hand opened and the pieces fell to the sand. “I will kill him.”

Tears filled her eyes. “My friends tried to stop him. I was
screaming and kicking. He didn’t rape me because the twins broke down the door
and jumped on his back. I ran from the room but—”

“But?” His voice was sorrowful as the red left them.

“They were taken away one day and I never saw them again.
I’m certain he murdered them or had them murdered.”

“Draconus.” The fury in his eyes faded. “I’m very sorry.”

She ran one hand through her hair. “That was a long time
ago.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t try to escape sooner.”

“I regret every day I didn’t try to escape sooner.” And she
did. Memories ran over her. “He didn’t try to rape me again…he threatened to
many times. I think he believed the threat was enough to keep me in line.”

“Was it?”

Regret sliced deep. “Yes.”

“Until…?”

“A few weeks ago. When I decided to leave Magonia behind.”

“What motivated you to leave?”

“Pain. I saw Janto marry a girl who clearly hated him. She
was only sixteen. And I couldn’t do anything about it. He gloated, cornered me
and said that I couldn’t save the girl. And he was right. He was right.”

Understanding filled his eyes and he touched her hand. This
time she didn’t flinch. Warmth surged under his touch. “You feel guilty that
you couldn’t save her.”

“Yes.”

“There’s something else you’re not telling me. Yet another
reason from coming to Dragonia. For leaving everything you know for a
dangerous, unknown land. Freedom can’t be your only reason.” Eryk pulled his
head covering farther over his forehead. She saw a question in his eyes, and
sure enough he asked it. “You aren’t telling me everything, are you?”

Caution and a desire to evade made her reply casually, “What
do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.” His voice and eyes were soft. “You
came to Dragonia to escape cruelty and oppression. Because you’re a healer and
feared what would be done to you in Magonia. But there’s something else.”

How did he know?
She swallowed hard. She had to
confess, because there was no point in keeping mum any longer.