Dragons Don't Cry (13 page)

Bastian

Three days and there was still no sign of
Acasia or Laryn. Sarn and Tahr helped me search. If they hadn’t fed
me, I wouldn’t have eaten. My moods switched from rage to
overwhelming sadness and back to rage. Mostly I was angry with
myself.

Besides our monthly poker games, we usually
spent very little time in the company of other dragon brides. Tahr
brought Megan to Sarn’s lair to help Calista. When we weren’t
scouring territories, I observed their relationships. It took no
time for me to realize we were at the mercy of our brides. If they
were happy, we were happy. As dragons, we postured, but the bottom
line was we loved our brides deeply. This knowledge did nothing to
help my situation, so I stored the information.

This was the third night, and Sarn had taken
it upon himself to make sure I was drunk enough to sleep. The
females had gone to bed an hour ago and we were on our second
bottle of whiskey.

“I think Laryn took her out of the realm,”
Tahr said before upending his goblet.

I was thinking the same thing, but hadn’t
wanted to voice my suspicions because it was the worst possible
scenario.

Sarn refilled Tahr’s drink. “Have you
thought about this, Bastian?”

Fuck, if I said the words aloud, it was that
much closer to being true. “It’s what I’d have done.”

We stayed quiet for a while. I knew they
were thinking about the one-hundred years until I claimed a new
bride. They might even be thinking their brides would be in danger
from me like mine was from Laryn. They didn’t understand. There was
no other bride for me. Acasia was it. It didn’t matter what the
curse entailed or if there was a mate in my future. There was only
Acasia.

“Are you going to kill him if we find him?”
Sarn was looking at me.

“Yes, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, but I’m getting close to a time when I
won’t have Calista. It makes us crazy. Is Laryn really at fault or
is it the curse?”

I slammed down my cup and stood. “I don’t
give a damn. He’s a dead dragon when I get my hands on him.”

Tahr stood and handed me my drink then
tipped his cup against mine. “I agree. You touch my bride, you
die.”

I clicked his glass, finished my drink, and
went to the room provided for me while I was here. Sleep did not
come.

***

Acasia

I’d been here three days. All I thought
about now was Bastian—not escape, not food, or even what Laryn
would do to me.

Bastian.

Laryn didn’t come near the bed again. Once,
I asked about the private facility and he smiled like keeping me
from it might have me talking. I didn’t ask again. Hours later, he
took me outside to an outhouse. I didn’t thank him or even look at
him. I crawled back into the bed when I returned.

The need for an outhouse was beyond me
today. I was lightheaded from lack of food and liquid. Nothing
mattered but Bastian. My poor dragon. I lay thinking about
him—loving him and his sharing his world with me. I slept in fits
dreaming about him holding me. I opened my eyes and jumped. Laryn
sat in the chair, which he’d pulled close to the bed again.

His voice was softer this time. “You aren’t
going to eat are you?”

I stared without answering. I woke up this
morning no longer hungry; food didn’t matter.

“I’ll make you a deal.” He waited, but I
didn’t respond.

“You eat and talk to me for a few hours
today. I’ll take you back tomorrow.”

I shook my head. I didn’t trust him as far
as I could throw him.

“You must eat, Acasia. I’m sorry I took you.
It’s easy to blame it on grief, but I was also selfish. Bastian’s
different with you. I was so jealous it hurt. If you won’t talk, I
will. I’d like to tell you about Maleah.”

He started talking. I didn’t want to listen.
He began at the claiming ceremony and went on from there. In some
ways, Maleah was like me and in others completely different.

Laryn’s voice was laced with sadness, “She
hated growing old and me staying young. I found myself in dragon
form more and more as she aged. It didn’t bother her as much to see
me like that, and I wanted her happy. She loved to ride. Even when
she was so old and her muscles and bones hurt, she would insist I
take her flying. Towards the end, she was in pain all the time.
That bothered me more than her eventual death. I hated seeing her
in agony that I could do nothing about. She begged me to end her
suffering, but I couldn’t. One more day with me was one more day I
wouldn’t be alone.”

He stopped talking and looked down. Finally,
he lifted his head to meet my eyes. “She couldn’t sleep and would
take short walks around our chamber. I would listen for her, but
leave her alone because I knew she suffered. The night she died, I
must have nodded off. She jumped to her death.”

My body was so dry from lack of water that I
didn’t think I could cry, but tears rolled down my cheeks.

“I won’t watch you die or suffer. We leave
tomorrow. Bastian will kill me, but I want you to know I’m
sorry.”

“I forgive you,” I whispered.

He didn’t acknowledge my words.

We left in the morning. I was too weak to
ride even if he’d brought a saddle, which he didn’t. We passed
through a realm because he warned me about the pain coming my way.
The pain was worse than when I passed the earth realm; I wondered
where he’d taken me, but I didn’t ask. If he managed to escape
Bastian, I couldn’t tell Bastian where to look for him.

Eventually, through the gap
in his talons, I could see things I recognized—the lake nearest the
lair, the stream that I walked to the first day Bastian left. It
was such a relief, but something else bothered me. What would
Bastian do? Killing Laryn would be first on his agenda, but after
that, would Bastian believe Laryn never touched me? I’d seen
Bastian’s rage when he thought my own finger might have ruined my
virginity. And I knew the story of Drakon and
Eileithyia—Drakon killed her.
As weak
as I was, I cringed over what I might face.

“If he’s here, he’ll come out quickly.”

Bastian didn’t show and part of me was
glad.

Laryn released me from his talons and I
managed to stand while leaning against his leg.

His blue eyes jerked around watching for
Bastian but they also showed wary concern. “Can you make it to the
door?”

My head spun, but I had the door in my
sights and I thought I could manage.

“Yes. Fly away quickly, Laryn,” I
whispered.

“Thank you, my lady.”

I took a tentative step and then another.
Laryn waited until I leaned against the door. He turned away and
his wings sent enough air my way that I almost fell over. I turned
the large handle and pushed. The door opened easier than I expected
and I fell into the front hall.

It took me a few seconds to open my eyes.
Maxwell stood over me.

“Water,” I croaked.

Someone placed cool water to my lips a
minute later. I drank too much and nausea rose in my stomach. I
knew I looked the complete fool, but I managed to gain my hands and
knees, then my feet.

“I don’t think I can make it to my chamber
without help.”

Several younger men practically carried me
to the library. “Bastian’s room please.” I needed his scent
surrounding me. I had no idea when he’d return, but I wanted a
reminder of him, now, this instant. I hadn’t bathed since leaving,
but I had no strength to get in the bath and needed to lie down.
“Please bring me soup and more water.”

They placed me at the edge of the bed and
made a hasty retreat. I looked around before shedding my smelly
gown. I lay down and waited for food or Bastian.

Fifteen minutes later, Maxwell placed a tray
with soup and water in front of me. I drank most of the water
before taking a few spoonfuls of broth, not daring to try the
chunkier bits. It stayed down. My hands shook as I placed the tray
on the floor and fell back on the coverings. Though I fought it, my
eyes wouldn’t stay open.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bastian

Laryn took her to another realm. I no longer
had any doubt, and I could no longer keep Tahr or Sarn away from
their brides. My head pounded from lack of sleep and too much
alcohol. I told them that if today’s search failed to uncover my
bride, Tahr and Sarn would return to their homes and I would return
to mine.

Alone.

Sarn, offering his lair, saved my sanity
over the past few days. But I had to find a way to go home, though
I wasn’t giving up my search. I needed another plan. One was
contacting Dmitri and having him make inquiries throughout the
earth realm.

The sun had gone down, but the moons showed
the gold and jewels that littered the area under my perch. I didn’t
care; there was no treasure worth more than the one I’d lost. My
dark room just added to the gloom. Her smell overwhelmed me and I
almost turned around and left when I heard a slight rustling from
the bed. It had to be my imagination, but something drew me closer.
My feet hit a hard surface then something wet slopped against my
legs as I tripped over whatever it was and fell on the bed. On my
bride.

“Bastian?”

Her sleepy voice was the sweetest music in
the realm. A dream. This couldn’t be happening. She was in my arms
held against my chest before I took another breath. It was her. I
stood, refusing to release her, kicked the spilled items away, and
carried her out to the perch where I could see her in the
moonlight.

I lowered my face into her hair, running my
nose over her neck and absorbed her scent.

“I smell.”

She shook against my chest, her tears
soaking my shirt. “Wonderful,” I breathed against her ear.

“I need to bathe.”

I gently pulled back so I could see her
face. Beautiful. I wasn’t letting go. “Forgive me for failing you,
Acasia.”

“No, Bastian, I failed you. I was punishing
you, I…”

I kissed her, refusing to listen. Pulling
away a few moments later, I breathed her in again—running my hand
through her hair.

“Please, Bastian, you can bathe with me, but
I can smell myself and I need to be clean.”

I could smell her too and him, but it wasn’t
the smell of sex. He’d brought her back, carried her, but hadn’t
touched her intimately. A part of my heart eased. If he raped her,
it was on him, but my own failure would have been complete. My rage
at Laryn continued to burn beneath the surface, but it could wait.
Killing Laryn would wait.

I carried her into the bathing room and
finally set her on her feet. I didn’t mean to scare her, but I
ripped the clothes from her body. She stood shivering, her head
turned away.

I tipped her chin around, but she wouldn’t
look in my eyes. “Acasia.”

She gazed up and what I saw broke my heart
all over again. “He didn’t touch me. He didn’t, I swear.”

She was afraid and it tore me to shreds.
“Shh, I know he didn’t. Do not worry, I’ve got you now.”

She leaned against me and began sobbing. I
kept ahold of her while I turned on the water and adjusted it,
pulling her in and sitting down as the water filled. She cried
against my chest while I held and soothed her.

“Shh, I’m not leaving you again.” It was a
small lie. Laryn had to die, but it could wait.

She calmed and I began washing her from head
to toe. I took my time combing the tangles from her wet hair. Her
shoulders began shaking again; she took a deep breath, fighting for
control, and won. I knew exactly why Laryn returned her. He
couldn’t fight her internal strength. I smiled against the top of
her head. She was strong, far stronger than my previous brides. And
precious, the most prized of my treasures.

The only one who truly mattered.

I lifted her from the tub and dried her with
a soft cloth as she clung to me. “What have you eaten?” I whispered
against her cheek.

“Just broth.”

“When did you last have a meal?”

I felt her tremble and moved away slightly.
I pulled back on her hair gently, making her look up at me.
“Acasia?”

“Not since he took me.”

I would kill him slowly. I sent a message to
Maxwell for a full meal. I placed a robe around her, picked her up,
and carried her to the library, releasing her long enough to light
the lamps. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around
them. She looked so small on the overly large couch. I did
something I would never have imagined. Going to my knees, I sat
back on my calves and pulled her feet into my lap. I started
massaging the arch of one foot. She smiled.

“Tell me, Acasia, let us talk about what
happened.”

Her eyes closed and I didn’t make her look
at me. I waited.

“He found me in the cave.” Her voice was
surprisingly strong. “I don’t know where he took me, but we crossed
a realm and stayed in a one-room cabin.”

I had her foot in my hand and had to remind
myself not to flinch or show my fury in any way.

“He tried to feed me, but I would not
eat.”

I closed my eyes; it was killing me to think
of her suffering. I continued rubbing up her foot to her ankle
before taking her other one and massaging it too.

“I stabbed him.”

Shocked, I opened my eyes and saw she stared
at me with such intensity. It was the first time I took a good look
at her face. A fading bruise outlined her cheek.

“I’m going to kill him, Acasia.”

She shook her head and my anger grew.

“Yes, he needs to die.”

She touched my face, leaning forward so her
fingers skimmed down to my jaw. “His greatest punishment is
loneliness. He seeks death. I feel sorry for him, but mostly for
you, Bastian. I fear for the time you are like him, waiting for
your next bride. I promise if you leave him be, I will fight to
live every day of my life as long as possible.”