Unquiet Slumber (21 page)

Everyone let out the breath they were holding and laughed with her. She loved the sensation and took several more sips each time the bottle passed by her. Before she, or anyone else realized it, she had drank too much. Her Faye blood was easily influenced by the wine. Marcus realized this and put the bottle away, much to her displeasure.

She was drunk and they learned that a drunken Faye is a dangerous thing. She took out her braids and let her hair hang loose. She giggled and started to sing and dance around the fire. Her voice caressed their minds and seemed to be lulling everyone into a trance. Her dancing was hypnotic and stirred feelings within that they couldn’t be allowed to act upon.

Marcus, being mated, was the least impacted, although he felt her draw. Based on the look on Nathaniel’s face, he reacted to it the most. Marcus knew he had to do something quick. He wasn’t sure how long his brothers could hold themselves back. He jumped up and grabbed Tianna. While holding her tight in his arms, he announced that it was time for bed.

When both Gabriel and Nathaniel volunteered to be Tianna’s watcher for the night, warmth shot through her body and she let out a low growl. She approved of the arrangement.

As Tianna started to walk toward her bedmates, Marcus pulled her back. He ordered his men to their own beds. He alone was going to watch over Tianna that night.

Unable to get to her protectors, she turned in Marcus’ arms and jumped up. She hugged him tight around his neck, while her legs wrapped around his waist. She sniffed his neck and hair like she had never smelled anything so good. She licked his neck and said sweetly, “Mmmm. You smell and taste yummy.” She purred and rubbed her cheek on his.

While trying to take calming breaths, he ignored Tianna and repeated his order. He had to command his Draaks several times before he forced them to their own bed rolls. Tianna never loosened her grip.

Marcus carried her over to his bed and forcibly peeled her off of his body. She tried to jump back up, but he held her back. He quickly turned her around and picked her up. He tucked her under the blankets and laid down behind her. She kept trying to crawl back on top of him and he realized that he needed to take control of the situation. After several failed attempts, he managed to successfully roll her over so she was facing away from him again. He roughly pulled her back against his stomach and held her so she couldn’t move. She liked this game and snuggled back against him. He growled in frustration.

Her hands and feet were wandering, rubbing and caressing every bit of Marcus she could reach. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them in front of her body, wrapping his leg over hers and pinned her legs tight as well. He was amazed by her strength and determination. He sighed in relief when he finally had gained control over her.

“Now stay put,” and he growled in her ear.

She giggled and wiggled.

Her movements were causing a heat within him to build. “Now let’s have none of that. Behave!” He held her tighter so that she couldn’t move a muscle.

Still giggling, she whispered a few suggestions of where else he could put his hands. If he hadn’t been mated, he would’ve been in trouble. To keep his mind clear of Tianna’s influence, he concentrated hard on battle strategies he had been struggling with. He didn’t ease his hold until her body relaxed and he knew that she had fallen asleep.

In the morning, Marcus announced that Tianna was no longer allowed to drink Fire Wine. Tianna remembered the night’s events clearly and offered no argument. At the first opportunity, she whispered, “I’m sorry,” in Marcus’ ear and kissed him on his cheek.

He smiled back at her. “We’re here to help protect you, even if it means protecting you from yourself. I fear that this won’t be the last time we have to handle new found powers.” He let out a chuckle from deep within his chest.

Tianna smiled sheepishly and took her mind off what she had done by staying busy making the morning meal.

After everyone was fed, they decided to fully shift and stretch their wings. They needed to work out the pent up energy from the previous evening’s excitement. While they played, Tianna promised to sit right by the side. She wasn’t sure they believed her because she noticed that there was always one dragon that sat out of the play and kept glancing over at her.

She had so many questions running through her mind. What was this evil that they feared so? Who was this dark stranger? Why was he interested in her? She tried to keep her attention on the dragons in front of her in an attempt to push these questions out of her mind. She started to watch Nathaniel and her mind shifted to how she felt when he held her in his arms and she couldn’t hold back a smile.

By the end of the week, they were becoming accustomed to their new routine. Everyday Tianna and Seth masked their trail and secured their campsite. Tianna was feeling more secure at night and began to sleep next to only one Draak at a time. She looked forward to being held at night. Her body now craved it. She also craved being back in her trees. She needed to touch them and be touched by them.

Nathaniel could feel her need to connect with nature and he spoke with Marcus. He thought that maybe she needed to ‘stretch her wings’ regularly just like they did.

When Marcus caught Tianna staring up into a tree with longing in her eyes, he walked up to her and said, “As long as you stay close, go to your trees.” A huge grin lit up her face and she pulled him down, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She was up the tree within seconds.

All of them watched in wonder as she climbed and leapt through its branches with such ease. Her sense of balance was extraordinary and the branches seem to appear right where she needed them.

Seth observed her with admiration. “Watch her move. She moves through the branches with the grace of a cat. She doesn’t make a sound.” The only sound they heard was her occasional giggle and Gabriel yelling if she strayed too far.

After that day, another addition to their routine was Tianna’s tree playing time.

At night, whichever Draak was beside her would wake her at the first sign of distress. She had a couple of dreams of her shadowed stranger but none that scared her. She would walk through the trees in her dreams, except he never found her.

Although she hated to admit it, she enjoyed it most when it was Nathaniel’s turn to guard her sleep. While she slept, she naturally snuggled into him. On these nights when she dreamed of her dark stranger, she would wake up in awkward positions. In the dream, there was always a tree nearby so she could climb up to safety and lie down hugging a large branch. When she woke, she would find that she had climbed up onto Nathaniel’s body. He was the large branch that she was hugging in her sleep. His arms would be wrapped around her pressing her tight against his body. When he knew she was awake, he would offer suggestions about other interesting positions they could try for the next time. She would blush and scramble off of him while he laughed.

She could have taken him out of the rotation, however, she couldn’t make herself do it. She wanted him close by at night, regardless of what position she woke in.

They traveled most of the day when they entered a very dense forest. The trees were so thick it was difficult to ride. As they rode, odd things began to happen. Occasionally, someone would jump when they claimed something touched their shoulder. Then pinecones fell out of the trees and hit their heads. After that, vines and branches would seem to snag on their clothes and try to pull them off of their saddles. Even whole trees fell in front of them blocking their path. Seth was actually knocked off his horse when a branch snapped and hit him in the chest.

After traveling about an hour, Seth‘s tracking sense picked up something else wrong in the air and went on alert. Tianna also began to feel an odd tingling sensation. Shortly after that, everyone else said they were getting a strong urge to change direction and the horses stomped their hooves nervously. They knew they had arrived at this first destination.

Seth studied his map and said, “We should be just outside the village of Willow.”

They stopped in a place where the tree’s thinned. Tianna pulled out the spell book and performed the magic to reveal its pages. Tianna opened to the chapter on villages and read, “Willow is the home of the Inari. They are a fun-loving friendly group that excels in controlling all forms of nature. They have extensive maps of the stars. Warning, the young ones are tricksters that love to hide my hat.’”

She flipped the pages to the spell to request entry and spoke the words.

Hear me magic village shrouded in mist.

I sense your presence and offer my humble request.

I wish to gaze upon that which is safely hidden,

What other travelers have been forbidden.

I freely expose my inner will,

So that you may see I harbor no ill.

Please respond to me so that I will know,

Whether to stay or quietly go.

As she spoke the words, a feeling of power grew in the air. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her hair began to swirl around her like she was in a whirlwind.

When the tingling on their skin was actually becoming uncomfortable, they noticed a shimmering in a group of overly dense trees ahead of them. The trees began to part and soon they were staring at an entrance to a beautiful village. After traveling what felt like months, they were about to enter their first magical village.

Seth announced to the group, “Welcome to Willow.”

They got off their horses and walked to the entrance gate. They noticed that although they were in a forest so dense that little light came through from above, the village before them was as bright as standing in an open field.

They all stopped with Tianna in the lead and waited until they were welcomed in.

A small greeting party approached Tianna. Although the tallest of the males barely stood to Tianna’s height, they looked like warriors to be respected. They were all exceptionally muscular and well-armed with spears and knives.

As instructed by Zarin, Tianna stepped forward, curtsied, and said, “Greetings. I’m Tianna of Trille. I’m the wizard Zarin’s apprentice.”

They all nodded in acknowledgement of Zarin’s name. The leader of the greeting party glanced over Tianna’s shoulder at the large males behind her and asked, “Is the old man with you? Last time he was here we didn’t get to finish our game of chance. I was going to beat him this time.”

Tianna smiled and shook her head. “No. He’s back in Trille. I’m traveling with a few friends from Haven. We’re on a quest.”

The Willow leader took a step forward and bowed. “My name is Huon. Any friends of old Zarin are friends of ours. You’re welcome in our village.”

Tianna motioned the Draaks forward and introduced them to the greeting party.

As they proceeded into the village, several of the villagers stepped back into the shadows. They were obviously intimidated by the size of those traveling with Tianna.

Like Draaks, the villagers of Willow seemed to be quite comfortable in their own skin. Instead of leather, their clothes were made out of tightly intertwined vines and leaves. The females were all in short dresses or skirts. The only things that the males wore were two pieces of material that hung from a thin vine tied around their waist. The material draped to mid-thigh and covered just the front and back of their body leaving the sides open. No one wore any foot coverings.

In their hair, most everyone had braids intertwined with beads, flowers, or brightly colored leaves. They all wore a wide variety of jewelry around their necks, wrists, and ankles. Some of the villagers had the edge of their ears pierced. From these piercings, there hung colorful beads and gems.

Tianna marveled at their craftsmanship. This vine-based attire made complete sense once you surveyed their surroundings. The entire village was located high above the ground in trees.

Nathaniel groaned his question. “Trees? We’re going to be staying in trees?”

Draaks weren’t fond of being in trees. Between the height, build, and weight of a dragon, they preferred to stay on the ground. If needed, they could never fully shift within all of the branches.

While Tianna walked with Huon, other villagers came forward and took the hand of each Draak and led them into the village. Two females escorted Nathaniel and gave him huge grins, which he returned enthusiastically. He was going to thoroughly enjoy himself despite the trees.