Into the Ashes [The Arcadians 2] (23 page)

Gods, and it made her wonder even

more why she had been brought to

this place during the short time they

were together.

Silas frowned at her. “I thought I

would have this matter already taken

care of.”

“You thought wrong,” Lunaria said.

She turned back to Raven. “Do you

love your mates, Raven?”

“I do,” Raven answered honestly.

“But it is too soon, isn’t it?”

“Either you know what’s in your

heart or you don’t,” Silas said with

finality.

Raven rounded on him and snarled,

“Will you give me a fucking minute

to think, for Christ’s sake? All of this

goes against everything I’ve ever

known. You’re asking me to give up

everything for men I’ve only known

for a few days, when everyone I’ve

ever depended on has either hurt or

left me.” Her words ended on a sob.

Lunaria scowled fiercely at Silas

then drew Raven into her embrace.

“Come, Raven. There is something I

want to show you that will help put

your mind at ease.” Lunaria led her

into the garden. They walked over to

a large stone fixture in the center of

the garden. Raven looked down into

it to see the bowl on top was filled

with dark-purple water that lay

perfectly still, despite the breeze.

“My mate and I combined our

powers to bring you to our world.

We brought you forth to Arcadia to

mate with the Kings of the Iron

Palace because we knew that you

would thrive together. I know it

seems like a great task we ask of you,

but you have only to be yourself to

enact the change that is needed. You

have already begun.”

Lunaria trailed her fingertips into

the pool of dark-purple liquid and the

water began to move, continuing to

swirl even as she pulled her hand

away.

“In your heart you know that you

belong with Savitar, Kadan and

Tristan. I can sense the love you have

for them. The bond you have with

Savitar is strong, as is the one you

have now forged with Kadan. What

is holding you back is your feelings

for Tristan. Even though you feel

love for him through the blood bond

with him and your other mates, you

are still worried that he will hurt

you.”

“I’ve forgiven him for what

happened,” Raven said.

“But it still does not change that it

did happen,” Lunaria said. “I know

that you have not yet had a chance to

spend time with Tristan, but I can

sense the hesitation in you that is the

reason you have not asked to see him

since it happened.”

“He’s been busy—”

“He has been avoiding you because

he can sense that is what you want.

He gives to you what you need even

when it hurts him,” Silas growled.

Shock tore through Raven. Was that

true? Was he staying away from his

home because of her?

“Look into the pool, Raven,”

Lunaria said softly. “See the truth.”

Raven looked down in the swirling

water and saw a vision appear like it

was a movie screen. In the vision she

could see Kadan and Tristan walking

along the streets of the Citadel

together. Somehow she knew what

she was witnessing was shortly after

they had left her in Savitar’s care that

first night when they had gone hunting

for rogues.

“She will never forgive me,”

Tristan

said,

his

deep

voice

breaking.

Kadan put a hand on Tristan’s

shoulder. “She will. Give her time,

brother.”

“How can I ask her to forgive the

pain I caused?”

“You did not mean to, Tristan. It

was the memories—”

Tristan stopped and turned on his

brother. “It was me who caused her

to relive those memories. I wish

nothing more than to go back in

time so I could kill that animal

before he ever touched her. I want

to make sure that nothing ever hurts

her, that she is always cared for.”

Emotions swirled in Tristan’s

eyes. “I love her, Kadan,” he

whispered.

Kadan nodded. “I know how you

feel. I love her, too. It pains me that

Raven fears us now.”

“I would do anything for her. I

would walk through fire for her, just

to see her smile. There is nothing I

would not give her, if I only had the

chance. We have been waiting our

whole lives to find the one, and now

that we have, I fear that I have

ruined it for us. I was overcome

with the need to be close to her.

Savitar is the quiet, compassionate

one, you are the logical one, but I

let my emotions rule me.”

“All will be well, Tristan,” Kadan

said. “You will see.”

Tristan smiled sadly. “I can only

hope…”

The image in the pool disappeared

so that the purple water was once

again still. Raven had felt Tristan’s

pain as she watched the scene play

before her. She could feel how

deeply sorry he was and just how

much he loved her. Tears streamed

down her cheeks. Until now she

hadn’t understood the depth of his

emotions for her and his pain was

tearing her apart.

Arcadian males were born and

bred to love one female who would

complete them. Some males waited a

lifetime to find their true mate, the

one who was the other half of their

soul. They believed in love at first

sight and the mating blood bond

ensured that that feeling grew as time

passed. The connection between them

was forged in steel, strong enough to

withstand anything that tried to come

between them. No matter what their

station in life, be it king, warrior, or

servant, nothing was as important to

the males as their mate was.

That is what Savitar, Kadan, and

Tristan were offering her. The chance

to be loved so completely she would

never want for anything. To be

cherished and taken care of.

To be needed.

“Let me stay,” Raven whispered,

then turned her tear-covered face to

Silas. “Please, I want to stay.”

“Then you shall,” Silas said softly.

“Right now your spirit is here, but

your body remains in stasis in bed

between your mates. Only a matter of

minutes have passed, but the three of

you lie as if sleeping so they have not

noticed your absence,” Lunaria

explained. She exchanged a look with

her lover then turned her swirling

silver eyes back to Raven. “You have

made your choice so we would like

to speed up the conversion process

since you are here.”

Hold up…conversion?

“What

do

you

mean?

What

conversion?”

Lunaria led Raven over to a stone

bench. Silas snapped his fingers and

a large cushion appeared on the

bench before both women sat down.

“Thank you, mate,” Lunaria purred.

“Anything for you, my love.” Silas

snapped his fingers again and a large,

comfortable,

throne-like

chair

appeared in front of them. Silas sat

down and leaned back, linking his

hands together over his flat stomach.

Lunaria laughed. “Now he is just

showing off.”

Silas countered. “When one is a

God, I have only to breathe to show

off.”

Raven wasn’t touching that one

with a ten-foot pole.

Lunaria rolled her eyes and Raven

had to struggle to hold back a laugh.

She liked these two. Truly enjoyed

them now that her decision had been

made and her future was clear.

“It might not be clear…yet,” Silas

said ominously.

Raven cringed. Damn it, why

couldn’t she remember they could

read her mind? And what else did

they have to throw at her?

“Arcadians have a long life span,

far longer than your human years are

capable of. Your mates are one

hundred and seventy-seven years of

age,” Silas explained.

“Blood bonding with your mates

has another side effect that you are

not aware of. It is nothing to fear,”

Lunaria rushed to explain. “Right

now your body is undergoing a

change. We have, in essence, altered

your

genetics.

Each

time

you

exchange blood with your mates the

changes grow stronger, bringing you

closer to being a true Arcadian.

But…we have another offer for you.”

“With our magic, you make the

change right now. It is usually a

painful process, but if you do it now,

you will feel no discomfort,” Silas

added.

Rave waited a beat then had to ask,

“Okay, so what is the catch? What

are you hesitating to tell me?”

“You have seen your mate’s claws,

but true Arcadians were full shifters,

gifted with the ability to change into

their

animal

forms.

Current

generations do not remember clearly

the time long past when peace ruled

the land and dragons ruled the skies.

Ah,” Silas sighed. “What is it your

people say? Those were good times.”

Raven rubbed her forehead. Her

head felt like it was going to explode.

Dragons?

Seriously?

Why was she surprised they wanted

to make her into a dragon. At this

point she’d thought nothing could faze

her, but this…well, this was totally

out of left field.

“My love, my time is almost gone,”

Lunaria said softly. The sadness in

her eyes brought tears to Raven’s in

sympathy. “More explanations will

have to wait. I will soon have to go

back to my own world. I have used

much of my power to bring you here

to this world and I have not yet

regained my full strength.”

“I’m sorry,” Raven whispered.

Lunaria smiled at her. “It is

passing. My weakened state is

temporary and it was well worth it to

bring you here.”

A jewel encrusted goblet filled

with wine appeared in Silas’s hand.

“Give me your hand, my love,” Silas

said.

Lunaria looked at him curiously as

she held her hand out to him. A single

claw came out of Silas’s finger and

he used it to prick Lunaria’s

fingertip. A single drop of silver

blood welled from the wound and it

fell into the wine, turning the wine a

bright,

glowing,

silver

color.

Lunaria’s eyes widened as Silas

pricked his own finger and a single

drop of golden blood fell into the

cup, mixing into the wine, making it a

swirl of gold and silver.

“Silas…?”

He turned to Raven, holding out the

goblet. “Drink, and become a true

Arcadian.”

Raven didn’t know much about

what was going on, but she could tell

that what Silas had just done was

monumental. Ready to take her future

in her hands, she tipped the cup to her

lips and drank the contents down

without

hesitation.

Her

hand

tightened on the goblet as a strange

feeling took hold of her. She felt like

her body had turned to pure light,

searing her from the inside. She

panted for breath as the feeling faded,

leaving her feeling lightheaded.

Raven came back to find herself

with her head resting on the

goddess’s

shoulder

as

Lunaria

stroked a gentle hand over her hair.

Raven sat up and her brows furrowed

at the sight of the tears in Lunaria’s

eyes.

“Thank you,” Raven whispered.

Lunaria smiled with a look of such

joy that Raven had to smile back.

“You are truly an Arcadian now.”

The goddess leaned forward and

pressed a kiss on Raven’s forehead,

leaving a pleasant tingling sensation

behind when she pulled back. “We

shall see each other again soon.”

Lunaria stood and walked a few

feet to where Silas met her. Their