Hunted (Book 2) (16 page)

Jarrett yanked on Tressa's hand, pulling her off the dais
and away from danger. "Run!" he yelled.

She didn't hesitate, kicking up a cloud of sand in her
wake.
Bastian will be okay,
she told herself. It was the same thing
she'd thought when she left him in the forest glade with their parents and when
she and Jarrett left Hutton's Bridge for the Sands. It was her mantra, and she
knew it to be true. If anyone could handle himself in a battle it was Bastian.

"I don't normally run from a fight," Jarrett
admitted to Tressa as they wove through the panicked crowd.

"I know," Tressa said. And she did. He always
thought of her first.

Jarrett tugged on her hand again. "This way."

She gave one last glance to the others running in the
opposite direction. She trusted Jarrett. He'd never given her a reason not to.
They headed farther out into the desert, coming upon a swell of sand. Jarrett
helped her to climb the dune. He brushed aside the sand, revealing a door
underneath. "It's not a real dune. It's a bunker we built in case there
was ever such an ambush. We can hide here until things blow over."

He tugged at the latch. The door groaned, opening slowly.
Jarrett clapped his hands, releasing a small ball of light, not unlike the one
he'd made when they were hiding in the alley with Henry in Ashoom. It was the
night everything changed for Tressa. When she found out dragons were just as
human as her. Well, at least some of the time they were.

She followed him in, and he closed the door behind them.
"There isn't any water or food, so we can't stay long. Hopefully the fight
will end soon. Jacinda's warriors are nothing like the Black Guard. These men
have been trained rigorously for battle."

"And we weren't?" Tressa asked, amazed. She'd
never worked so hard in her life, practicing from morning until night. She had
only to think about it, and her muscles would start aching again.

Jarrett laughed, tossing his head back. "What we did
in Ashoom was child's play. My men here could have defeated the Black Guard
with a tilt of the head and a swish of the sword. Even Marden, the man like a
mountain, would have pissed his pants in the presence of my men."

"Wow," Tressa said, a smile on her face. All this
time she thought she'd achieved something impressive only to find out others
were far more powerful. She shouldn't have been surprised. After growing up in
a village hidden from the rest of the world, her knowledge was miniscule.

Silence fell. Tressa wrung her hands, looking down at them.
Remembering she was still in the see-through gown, she crossed her arms over
her chest and crossed her legs.

"Seeing Bastian was a surprise." Jarrett said it
in a monotone.

"Yes," Tressa said. Surprise was a mild way to
put it.

Astounding. Shocking. Unforeseen.

No, surprise would have been saved for her reaction. Or
lack thereof.

"As soon as my men defeat the kilrothgi, we'll look
for him," Jarrett promised.

"And the woman he was with," Tressa added. She
hadn't seen the blond before. The girl was pretty. She reminded Tressa of the
woman back in Hutton's Bridge who'd bragged about her liaisons with Bastian.
"We will find them both and see to their safety. For now, tell me more
about the kilrothgi. What are they?"

Jarrett didn't ask more about Bastian, to Tressa's relief.
He motioned toward a simple chair, so utilitarian and unlike anything she'd
seen in the castle. She sank into it and closed her eyes. Yes, she preferred
this to the finery.

"A long time ago in the Hills of Flame, the king
–”

"King?" Tressa asked, interrupting. "I
thought all the dragonlords were women."

Jarrett shook his head. "Not at all. A man rules the
Meadowlands. A man also ruled the Hills of Flame when the Great War
started."

"And the Charred Barrens?" Tressa was curious.
Most children probably learned the history of the Dragonlands, but due to her isolation
growing up hidden behind the fog in Hutton's Bridge, she knew so little.

Jarrett sighed, stroking his goatee. "The Charred
Barrens is a mystery. The land is dead. No one has been seen or heard of from
there since the fog fell on Hutton's Bridge."

"Strange," Tressa said.

"Indeed. But back to the Hills of Flame. It's always
been clear they feel they have the right to rule all of the Dragonlands. To
help them achieve their goals, they used dark magic to create evil creatures,
the kilrothgi being one of their minor creations."

"Minor?" A shiver traveled down Tressa's spine.
"What else do they have at their disposal?"

"I wish I knew," Jarrett said. "I've tried
sending spies, but none ever return. I gave up two years ago. It was a waste of
life and of good men. I also couldn't bear to see the widows left behind."

Tressa grinned. "You're a good man." She took a
deep breath, changing the subject. "How did you end up in Jacinda's
bed?"

Jarrett stood and paced, his arms behind his back.

"I'm sorry, that was unfair of me to ask."
Silently Tressa scolded herself. What had she been thinking? His past
relationships were none of her business.

"No, no, it's fine. I don't mind telling you."
Jarrett sat on the ground at Tressa's feet. "Jacinda is a powerful woman. I
was young, weak, and fascinated with her. Women in the Sands aren't known for
their subtlety, but when the queen shows interest, a man would be a fool not to
take notice." He shrugged his shoulders. "She seduced me one night. She
made me captain of the guard not much later."

"That couldn't be easy for you."

Jarrett looked up at Tressa, his eyes wide and unblinking.
"You know me well. You know the responsibility I feel."

"You weren't trying to keep the position for the power,
you were trying to serve your realm." She wasn't guessing. By now she knew
Jarrett's heart.

He laid his head on her knees. "It's true. And I did
care for Jacinda. I wouldn't say I loved her, nor did I ever tell her I did.
Not even a misplaced word in a moment of passion. I think she hoped I would
come around. She was lonely after her husband died. A mother raising two sons
alone. I had great respect for her."

"You don't love her..." Tressa let the words
trail off into the silent bunker.

"I have only ever loved one." He lifted his head.
"And that is you."

"We haven't known each other long." It was a weak
protest.

"And you have known Bastian your whole life. You have
loved him. Yet you came with me instead of running to him. Does only the length
of time you’ve known someone determine how much you can love them?"

Tressa thought carefully, wanting to choose the right
words. She wasn’t sure she knew the answer. Her lips parted and a screech rang
out in the sky.

"That's not one of our dragons," Jarrett said,
springing to his feet. "I know their calls." He flung the door open
and looked out, then poked his head back in. "Tressa, it's the blue
dragon. Bastian and the blond woman are riding it."

Tressa scurried out the door behind Jarrett. He was right.
The blue dragon flew above the Sands, casting a shadow across the bunker's
door.

Jarrett jumped, waving his arms in the air. The dragon
continued to fly toward the southeast. Then it banked slowly to the left, coming
back toward Jarrett and Tressa. It coasted ever closer to the ground, kicking
up a small sandstorm.

Tressa flung an arm over her face, squinting through the sandy
air. The dragon landed not far away. Bastian slid off its back, holding a hand
out to Tressa. He beckoned.
Come with me,
she could almost hear him say.

She looked at the grand beast who she believed was her best
friend Connor and at the blond woman sitting expressionless on his back. Who
was she to Bastian? Was she really just a healer or something more? She was
pretty. Her face kind. The way she gazed at Bastian told Tressa the woman had
feelings for him. It was easy to see.

Tressa waited for a pang in her heart. She waited for that
jealousy to kick in. She waited for the memories of her time with Bastian to
rush over her and send her running into his arms.

They didn't come.

Tressa stumbled backward, closer to Jarrett. Bastian would
be safe and healthy without her. She knew that. If he’d survived everything
he'd faced over the last few months, he could live with losing Tressa.

She looked Bastian straight in the eye and shook her head
no.

He stood still for a few moments. His arm dropped to his
side in resignation. Bastian climbed back on the dragon and dug his heels in.
Without another glance, the three of them lifted into the air leaving Tressa
and Jarrett standing alone in the sand.

The fighting in the distance was done. Tressa turned to
Jarrett. "Perhaps it's time to head back to the castle?" She slipped
his hand into his as they climbed the dune.

Kilrothgi lay dead on the dais where they'd almost been
joined in marriage. Men in Jarrett's guard stood on top of the defeated beasts,
waving their swords in the air.

"Where were you?" Jacinda demanded when Jarrett
and Tressa walked through the door to her throne room.

"I was protecting my bride from the kilrothgi,"
Jarrett said, his arm around Tressa's shoulder.

"You are the captain of my guard." Jacinda
huffed, sinking into her throne. It sparkled, crusted with gems and fitted with
a fine red silk over the golden frame. Her hands gripped the armrests.
"You should be protecting me."

Jarrett rolled his eyes, keeping a tight grip on Tressa.
"You can take care of yourself just fine."

"Then my people!" she yelled, slamming her fist
on the chair. A sapphire broke off and tumbled to the floor.

Tressa remained silent. Jarrett swore he knew how to handle
Jacinda's anger. He'd had years of experience taming her dragon.

"I am protecting Tressa, just as we should be
protecting her people. Give me troops to find the residents of Hutton's Bridge.
With the fog gone, no one is safe. Only one village holds the secret of the
honey and that is Hutton's Bridge. Do you think the Red will sit by? No! That's
why the kilrothgi attacked today." Jarrett stood firm. He'd let go of
Tressa and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know as well as I do if
the Red gets to the honey first, the war will be reignited. All of our lives
will be in danger."

Jacinda sighed, the pinched wrinkles around her eyes
relaxing. She rubbed her forehead. "I know. The world is regressing. We
are going back to the time of our forebears."

"The fog is gone. War is upon us." Jarrett pointed at Tressa. "She can
help us. She knows her people better than anyone. With Tressa on our side we
can return peace to the Dragonlands."

"The Red will not back down so easily," Jacinda
says. "They will not be afraid of one girl."

Tressa's hands tightened into fists. She lifted her chin
and stepped into the argument. "No, but with your help, we can put fear
into their eyes. I will lead them into battle. I am not afraid."

Jacinda laughed. "Silly girl. You should be sulking in
the corner, upset about your wrecked wedding day."

"That is not why we came to you," Tressa said.
She gritted her teeth, remembering the harrowing ride to Risos in the dragon's
claws and her imprisonment until Jarrett arrived. "You forced this wedding
on us. Jarrett and I were fine the way we were. We only came to you for help
because Jarrett thought you would care about the future of the
Dragonlands."

"What can you do? You're just a girl, not a
warrior." Jacinda eyed her, reminding Tressa of her see-through gown.

Tressa's first instinct was to cover her body, still
exposed in the sheer gown. Instead she thrust her chest out proudly. "I am
a woman. Younger than you. Stronger than you. I have ties to the honey. I know
who tended to the bees. There is no one better suited than me to lead this search
mission. Give me some of your troops. Let me win this war before it
starts."

Jacinda's eyes narrowed. They swept over Tressa's
midsection, then focused on her face. "If this is what you want, then I
will offer you a small contingent of my men." She glared at Jarrett.
"Get the honey and her townspeople, and get back here as soon as
possible."

"You'll offer my people asylum?" Tressa asked,
pushing the boundaries. She needed every assurance her people would be cared
for or there was no point in pursuing help from Jacinda any longer.

"Yes, yes. Asylum. But I expect them to work and
contribute. I won't be host to a permanent settlement of dullards."

Tressa fumed. "My people are not like that. They are
survivors and they are hard workers. Everyone outside the fog assumed they were
dead. Not only were we alive, but we flourished. If anyone can adapt to a new
environment, it's the people of Hutton's Bridge."

Jacinda yawned. "Are you done with your little
speech?" She waved a hand in the air. "Be gone. Both of you. It's
been a tiring day."

"That it has." Jarrett placed a hand on Tressa's
back. "Are you going to order us married again tomorrow, or do we have
your leave to set out in the morning with the army?"

"You've proven to me that you're going to go through
with a marriage to this girl whether I like it or not." Jacinda closed her
eyes, but not before Tressa glimpsed the resignation in them.

So she'd won. She and Jarrett had proven to Jacinda that
they truly loved each other. Tressa wasn't sure exactly how she felt about
Jarrett yet, but she did know he was a special man. Attractive, caring,
empathetic. She hadn't found a chink in his personality yet.

Jarrett bowed to his queen. "With your leave, we will
retire to my rooms."

Jacinda either ignored him or missed the implication of his
simple statement. But Tressa didn't. He wanted her to come back to his chambers
instead of the ones where she'd been held prisoner in the last few days. Her
heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Of course he'd
take her to his chambers. That was where her new wardrobe awaited her. The
attendants had probably moved all of her things there during the first part of
the ceremony – before the kilrothgi had taken them by surprise.

Jarrett slipped his hand over hers and lead her out of the
throne room. No one stopped them. Tressa felt the invisible bonds that had
chained her here fall away. Finally she had her freedom.

They walked in silence through the castle to Jarrett's
chambers. He flung the doors open, revealing a sumptuous sitting room. Another
door was set back in the room, presumably leading to his bedchamber. A fire
roared in the fireplace, infusing the room with warmth in the dark of the
night. Jarrett held his arms out wide. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful." Tressa's fingers ran along the
silken couch. She'd never grow tired of the gentle fabric, so unlike the bulky
wool of Hutton's Bridge. It screamed luxury and at the same time whispered
sensuality.

"I know you stayed here only because of your loyalty
to your people. I don't mistake your choice for anything else. I know it does
not include me."

"Jarrett..." Tressa wrung her hands. How could
she tell him that she couldn't stop thinking about him? That he'd broken
through that armor she'd so carefully built? That she wasn't married to Bastian
in her heart any longer, and hadn't been for a very long time? That she'd
fallen into Bastian's arms out of habit? That if Jarrett made one more move,
she wouldn't be able to resist him any longer?

He placed a hand on her cheek. "I'm sorry for
everything you've had to endure here. I had hoped Jacinda would readily agree
to help us. The wedding, well, it was brave of you to go through with it."

"We didn't actually get married," Tressa said,
letting the heat from his hand warm her whole body. She closed her eyes and
leaned in. "Jarrett?"

"Yes?" he asked, his voice a careful whisper.

"I —"

His lips fell on hers and his arms snaked around her back.
They tumbled onto the couch, their arms a tangle, Tressa on top of Jarrett. She
forgot to breathe, only taking in Jarrett, as if her heart couldn't manage one
more beat without him.

Jarrett pulled back. "Are you sure?" His hand
found its way back to her cheek, his thumb stroking her lips.

Tressa trembled. His shirt had fallen open and her hands
rested on his bare chest. The stark paleness of her skin contrasted against the
deep brown rippling across his abdomen. A shiver traveled from her heart to
that warm spot between her legs.

"Yes."

All it took was that one word. Jarrett stood up, gathering
Tressa into his arms. He kicked open the door to the bedchamber. She laughed.
"Don't break anything."

Jarrett turned his dark eyes on her. "Trust me, I'm
very gentle."

He laid her down on the soft blankets. Tressa had no doubts
in his promise as he slowly removed her sheer gown, savoring every inch of her
body with his lips.