Tested by the Night (15 page)

She took one deep breath and then another and then another. Perhaps the council really wasn’t out to see her fail, after all. Perhaps she’d misjudged them. She could do this, she knew she could.

She could devise some kind of a trap and catch a bear cub without harming it. After all, hadn’t she spent more hours than she liked to remember out in the woods with her father, King Adan, her Uncle Uthiel Dragonheart, and every bug and snake between Alaria and castle Kuropkat while being forced to learn how to forage and hunt like a commoner? Let alone the crazy overnight expeditions in the woods with Kit, her pet dragon, and their elfin cousins Graydon and Gareth? Nights filled with strange sounds and the discomfort of sleeping upon cold, hard ground? VoT, if she’d survived those adventures without a scratch, she certainly could survive this.

Mia smiled. “I’m confident I can capture a young bear and bring it back before this council within a week’s time.”

“Do you really think so?” The duke smiled back at her, and Mia’s stomach did a roll. Something was wrong, very wrong.

“Perhaps I’ve spoken in too broad of terms concerning our expectations of you, Princess Hammerstrike.” He chuckled. “Please, allow me to be more specific.”

In the morning light of the great hall Duke Algen Daggertoss’s eyes gleamed a strange mixture of blacks and gold, and his smile stretched so tightly across his face, Mia wondered at his sanity, or lack thereof. “You see, my lady, it isn’t just any ole’ bear cub we wish you to catch and present before this council. Even my page could accomplish that simple task. Oh, no, Princess, it’s a very rarely seen and specific offspring we wish you to procure.”

He hesitated, and Mia knew it was for effect. Bile rose in her throat. She had no doubt as to what he was about to say, but that didn’t make the impact of his words any easier to hear.

“Bring us the cub of a pure white bear found only upon the tundra and ice fields of Bane, Princess Hammerstrike. None other will do. Present it before this council within the time allotted or forfeit this silly undertaking.”

A dwarf debutant and a high elfin co-ed fainted off to her right at the same time Headmistress Seychelle gasped. Mia glanced quickly in her direction. The headmistress’s pet human, Raynorel, was jumping up and down. “Ray loves cock. Ray loves cock. Ray loves cock,” he chanted over and over.

What a disaster. Though she’d known Ray all her life and expected him to say what he did, his three word phrase had the crowd tittering again, and the duke glaring a hole right through her.

“Well, Princess Hammerstrike, don’t keep the council waiting,” he demanded. “What’s it going to be?”

Mia closed her eyes to prevent the tears building behind them from leaking out and did the only thing left for her to do. She nodded her acceptance of the council’s terms.

From somewhere behind and to the left she heard Talon. “Let go of me,” he roared. “Someone needs to put an end to this insanity once and for all.”

She turned in his direction.

The sight that met her eyes would have been laughable under almost any other circumstance, but right this moment, it was just plain…disturbing. Talon Starkweather lumbered toward her. His face a mask of rage, red and angry eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring. His big hands fisted tightly, and the muscles of his arms bulged and rippled beneath the force of his fury

Uncle Leeky clung tenaciously to his neck. His silver go-to-meeting gloves tightly clutching the collar of Talon’s tunic while both of his feet were flying in the air behind him. At the same time, cousins Pierced and Wally each desperately gripped one of Talon’s ankles with their own feet dragging behind. It appeared the trio was attempting to slow the huge barbarian’s forward progress. If that truly was their intention, they weren’t succeeding very well.

Duke Algen Daggertoss, and the entire council with him, backed up a good foot and a half.

Suddenly, Leeky let go of Talon’s neck and slid down his back. He jumped right in front of the huge barbarian as if to block his way. “What the rancid ball sweat of an overindulged ogre organ player with a bad case of jock itch and crotch rot do ya think ya are doing, lad?” The gnome glared up at Talon. “Ya can’t go around attacking council members no matter how stupid they are. Our lass needs ya, keep that in mind. If ya kill someone, even that useless duke, ya’ll get tossed in the dungeon. And they’ll throw away the key ta boot. Who’d be around ta protect our little princess then?”

Talon kept walking as if he hadn’t heard a word Leeky said and stopped inches from the duke. “What you’re asking,” he shook his head, “demanding of Mia is impossible, and you know it. It’s suicidal even. No one, not even Bane’s greatest hunters can get close to a Bane Bear’s young and live long enough to tell about it. Let alone capturing one and bringing it back to your group of idiots like a pet. Come up with a different test of her skills, Daggertoss. Come up with something that can actually be accomplished.”

The duke had the audacity to chuckle, and the sound of it sent shivers racing down her spine. “Who do you think you are to threaten me, spawn of a traitor?” He pointed a finger toward her. “She already nodded her agreement to the terms of this quest, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it.”

Talon stepped closer, his fist raised.

The duke and the entire council took a few more steps back. “I see no reason for all this drama. We both know you aren’t going to do anything irrational, like resorting to violence, which I can guarantee will jeopardize the princess’s chances of succeeding. And anyway, it’s not as if this council were sending the little chit off into the wilderness with only your sorry arse to protect her. My son and heir, Alistair, has graciously agreed to accompany her. He’ll not only watch her back if need be, but he’ll also make sure all the stipulations are followed and report back to me, I mean, the council.”

Mia gasped. Could this day get any worse?

The duke pointed. “Oh, look, here he is now.”

Perhaps it could get worse after all, and the last thing on Albrath she wanted to do right this moment was turn and face the man who’d told her she wasn’t good enough for him. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Alistair Von Daggertoss since the day more than two years ago when he’d informed her that being the spare to the heir wasn’t a high enough position to warrant him, a future duke, taking her as his bride.

Mia couldn’t help herself, however, and like every other head in the great hall, hers turned, too.

He walked toward her with the same self-assured swagger he’d always possessed. His hair was still as sunlight golden as she remembered, but now it curled about his shoulders and kissed the collar of his bright purple and lime green tunic in fashionable, little ringlets. His eyes were as blue as she remembered and twinkled with the same mischief they always possessed. And his lips, God Draka help her, but his lips were still as temptingly plump and full as they’d been the last time she’d sampled them.

But unlike two years ago, her heart didn’t race, her legs didn’t go weak, and her breath didn’t catch at the sight of him. As a matter of fact, other than a slight curiosity as to what he’d been up to for the last couple of years, Mia felt nothing but a slight irritation at the fact she was going to have to deal with him at all.

And it wasn’t until he walked past her with a saucy wink in her direction that she began to understand why he no longer affected her as he once did. Though Alistair stood side by side with Talon, the real differences between the two men were so blatantly clear they stole her breath. If she’d ever doubted for even a single second that she was hopelessly and forever head-over-hobgoblins in love with Talon Starkweather, and never really had been in love with the duke’s son at all, the truth had just slapped her square in the face.

Where Alistair could never be described as short, for in truth he was probably average for a barbarian, next to Talon, he seemed almost small and insignificant. And next to Talon, even Alistair’s complexion appeared bland and washed out, his features almost too feminine, his fancy attire garish and loud instead of manly. His muscles were basically non-existent, his hair better fashioned than her own, and even the gleaming sword at his side was delicate and shiny, unlike Talon’s huge, work-worn Claiborne.

And those weren’t even the most glaring comparisons.

The simple truth was Alistair was obviously a follower. The man had probably never made one single decision on his own. Mia had always known that about him. There had been a time when she’d even been glad he looked to his father for guidance. Where as Talon was a man of action. He did whatever needed to be done without question or permission from anyone and to VoT with the consequences. Alistair was pretty, a delicate creature even, whereas Talon was a man, a gloriously handsome, extremely lustful, wonderfully sexy, over-protective, pain-in-the-arse, one hundred percent barbarian male.

A barbarian male who could, without a doubt, be a most worthy mate for a queen someday, if only he could get past his ancestry.

For the first time since Alistair had broken her heart, Mia was greatly relieved she hadn’t been good enough for the Daggertoss family. That, however, didn’t change the fact she was going to be stuck with the man’s company—for the foreseeable future anyway—and was going to have to make the best of the situation. And with the near impossible quest set before her, having both Talon Starkweather and Alistair Von Daggertoss in such close proximity with each other was a complete and total recipe for disaster. She just hoped she could prevent Talon from doing bodily damage to poor little Alistair. But if the way Talon was glaring daggers at the duke’s son this very moment was any indication, simple bodily damage was the least of her worries.

It was on the tip of her tongue to argue the need of Alistair joining them at all when Pierced ran forward. “Don’t ya be worrying for the space of even one grain of sand, Cousin Mia. Talon and I’ll help ya catch one of those white bears.” He pointed toward Alistair. “And I’ll even help protect ya from the likes of Blondie, too, if need be.”

Mia shuddered. Talon, Alistair, Pierced, and no doubt his red-headed blow-up doll Bruno to boot? All forced together during her quest? She shook her head. It could’ve been worse she supposed. At least, Uncle Leeky hadn’t insisted upon tagging along…yet.

The duke bristled. “Back away you…you…you ugly little gay-goth-gnome person. No one may give the princess direct help of any kind. Do you hear me? If they do, she immediately forfeits her quest. That’s the rule. All any of you can do is stand back, watch, document, and report. And as my illustrious son has already agreed to perform this task, I see no need of your presence or even the traitor’s spawn.” The duke wagged a finger at Pierced. “Interfere, even a smidgeon, and I’ll have you brought up on charges of treason and tossed head first into a dungeon so deep and dark you’ll never see daylight again.”

Out of the corner of her eye Mia watched in horror as Uncle Leeky scampered foreword like a streak of lightning. She was thankful, when a moment later Talon scooped him up and held onto him tightly. Another inch, and he would’ve reached the duke.

“What the puked up puff pastries consumed by a gaggle of dwarf dandies after an all-night get together of lewd debauchery are ta talking about ugly, little gay-goth-gnome?” Leeky’s fist pumped the air, and his feet kicked frantically. “Let me down, Talon. I’m going ta kill him.” He shook his finger at the duke. “And I’ll have ya know, my son’s name is, Pierced, not ugly little gay-goth gnome, and he can prove it.”

Leeky struggled again, and Mia was glad Talon was able to hold onto the squirming bundle. She didn’t wish anyone to be hurt, especially her uncle, because of a quest she herself had asked for.

“Mark my words,” Leeky yelled. “When Talon lets go of me, and he’ll have ta eventually, I’ll show ya an ugly, little gnome all over ya ugly big arse.”

Talon shook his head. “We can’t go around attacking council members, remember. Your words not mine. You were right, though, Mia needs us. You can kill the duke later, I promise. I’ll even help.”

Leeky grumbled, but he calmed. “I suppose ya is right. I’ll wait, for Mia’s sake. But don’t ya be thinking I need any help killing the likes of the duke. I might be mortal like the rest of ya now, but I’m still a rogue. I could slit Daggertoss’s throat in his sleep and he’d never even know it happened until he didn’t wake come morning.”

The duke paled, gulped, and stepped back another few steps.

Mia didn’t see Aunt Laycee sneaking forward until Cousin Wally grabbed her up with one hand while already clutching a struggling Lavender Shortz with his other.

The female gnome screeched. “Put me down this moment, Walaford Titwilder, before I tell your father on ya. I understand why my Leeky can’t be killing the duke, but that doesn’t mean I can’t. He insulted my family, our family. For shame. Ya ought ta be killing him with me instead of holding me back.”

Wally shook his head. “Now is not the time, Aunt.”

Laycee Shortz crossed her arms and lifted her nose in the air. “Seems like a fine time ta me. The world and especially Mia will be better off for it.”

Wally shook his head again. “Now is
really
not the time, Aunt.”

From somewhere off to the side Ray once more began jumping up and down. “Ray loves cock,” he chanted. “Ray loves cock, Ray loves cock, Ray loves cock.”

Duke Algen Daggertoss huffed in disgust, Talon shrugged, Leeky cackled, Pierced nodded and grinned, and Alistair winked at her again.

Mia’s head pounded. Every muscle in her body ached from standing rigid for so long, and she was getting weary of all of the testosterone in the room. On top of that, she really, really, really needed to pee, badly, and soon.

She cleared her throat. “Enough squabbling please. All we’re accomplishing is wasting time. The first of the three quests has been set and accepted. All that’s left is to pack and get under way. Those who are accompanying me, be at the entrance to The Academy when the hourglass has turned twice more, and don’t be late.”

Without another word, she uncrossed her legs, turned, and walked out of the great hall with her spine as straight as she could keep it and her head held high. And she didn’t care if the whole VoT room followed or stayed behind. Pee first, pack, and then quest. That was her plan, and the only thing she could concentrate on.