The Queen's Consorts (20 page)

He might have said more if Sari hadn’t scrambled to get out of the bath, completely heedless of her nakedness. Taryen followed her as she ran to Calder. Without words, she reached for Calder’s robes, clearly intent on lifting them and seeing the damage Laysa had done to his back. Taryen grabbed her arms before she could, knowing the grim sight she’d face if she pulled them off him. Laysa’s handiwork with that nail-studded flogger always churned Taryen’s stomach, and he’d been helping Calder deal with the aftereffects of their leader’s dark tastes since he was thirteen.

“The waters will heal him.” Taryen squeezed her hands tightly in his when her face paled. “Focus on that.”

Her eyes narrowed as the roll of thunder echoed in the distance. All except Sari turned to look out the windows lining the right side of the consorts’ baths. The attendants reacted first to the clouds mirroring Sari’s suddenly dark mood. They turned and fell to their knees while they finished taking off their robes.

“I want to see what she’s done to you.” Sari’s voice was every bit as dangerous as Calder’s had been earlier, perhaps more so with the crash of lightning backing up her fury. “Show me.”

“Come here.” Calder handed Taryen his sword and the bolter weapon. Then he turned to Sari, letting his gaze sweep over her in one long, sultry look before he met her gaze. “Time is of the essence, but I’m asking you kindly to take a moment to help me heal. Will you?”

Something about the plea caused the fury to abate as Sari took a shuddering breath.
“Of course.”
She reached out, grasping Calder’s bigger hand in her smaller one. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

“Tary, protect her and lock the doors.” Calder pulled Sari with him to the baths. “They’re not going to wait for morning, not now that they know. I believe they’re mobilizing as we speak. I’m not sure why they waited this long; perhaps Laysa believed her own lies, but the truth is visible through every window.”

Rather than watch them walk off, Taryen took up the post of protecting them. He deliberately kept his back to the baths, knowing he didn’t need the
distraction,
instead he focused on the sword that felt like an old friend in his hands as he allowed Calder the few moments he needed to be with their queen and heal.

* * * *

“Look at me, Sari.”

Sari blinked when Calder cupped her face in his hands. Her heart hurt when she thought of the pain he was likely in, and she asked, “Are you going to let me see what she did?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m going to ask you not to force me to do that.”

She felt tears sting her eyes. “Why?”

“Because I only want my body to bring you joy and pleasure, not sadness and pain.
I don’t want you to have any bad memories about it. Does that make sense?”

It did in an odd way, but still it felt wrong. After all the suffering he’d endured, she didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone with the burden, but she didn’t want to do anything to upset him either.

“You’ll need to take the pain syrup before you get in the waters.” She shuddered as she remembered how horrific the pain of healing was. Judging by the blood pooling at his feet, it was going to be agony. “Do you see how much you’re bleeding? You likely left a trail all the way here.”

“Very true,
which is why we must hurry.
Do something for me, Sari.” Calder’s voice was strong, demanding she listen. “I want you to force me into silence.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to force you into anything.”

He took her palm, placing it over the black material where his heart beat steady and strong. “I would do anything for you, even surrender my dignity if you truly wanted me to, but I’m asking you to help me keep it intact.”

“What about the pain syrup?”

“I can’t take it. I’m sorry.” He grimaced regretfully as he pulled his robes off, being careful to keep his back from her. “Even if the combination weren’t poisonous, I need as many of my faculties intact as possible. She forced me to take a large dose of the herb too. We need to hurry. The baths are not the place for me to lose track of myself.”

Sari heard his urgency, but she still had arguments.
If only her mind weren’t so clouded with the drugs.
Even now, with Calder standing there injured and bleeding, she couldn’t help but notice how beautiful his light eyes were and how strong his jaw was. She admired his cut, broad chest, and she found herself wishing he’d pull off that loincloth too.

If only he weren’t covered with blood.

“I demand your silence,” she whispered rather than question him.

He was more in control of his faculties than she was, and she trusted him completely to lead her down the right path. If he wanted to be silent, she would give that to him. When his jaw locked, she caressed the hard line of it and closed her eyes at the revulsion of knowing her words had that strong a control over him.

He walked backward toward the pool and then stepped into it. She saw his entire body stiffen the second his feet made contact with the magical water, but he still waded out farther until he was waist-high. She couldn’t imagine the strength that required, especially as she watched the pure agony etch itself deeper on his face the farther he went. Sari knew from experience it was almost impossible to just stand there and endure, even in the name of healing.

When it became too much to hide, even in silence, Calder dropped down and sank completely under the water. All the blood swirled up around him, spreading outward in an ominous pink cloud. Unable to stand by and silently watch, Sari jumped in and waded over to him, seeing his light hair floating like sea grass as he sat on the marbled floor. It was such an oddly serene and beautiful sight, she gasped when he abruptly burst past the surface, taking in a silent gulp of air that was so completely soundless it scared her.

“Speak!” she shouted, because the choking silence made it seem like he couldn’t breathe.

“Gods,” he panted when his voice was suddenly forced back at him. He grasped his side, still breathing heavily as he tried to recover from the onslaught. “Give me a moment. I’ll be fine. I just need—”

Sari cut him off by wrapping her arms around him from behind and laying her cheek against his bare back, still etched with long, pink strips of nearly healed skin. She just held him as he breathed through the lingering effects of the healing that was clearly still painful. She rubbed his arm softly, watching the scars fade and willing the moment to pass quickly.

“I want her to die,” she whispered vehemently as she held him.
“Painfully.”

“Me too,” Calder agreed, his voice still raspy in recovery. He turned in her arms and looked down at Sari with a thoughtful gaze. “But not for the reasons I once thought. I’ll do anything to keep her from touching you.”

“Is she really after us?”

“Yes.” He tilted his head, his gaze resting on her bare breasts as the light of something purely sexual found its way into his eyes now that the pain was fading. “We have very little time to find a safe haven.”

For some reason, standing there with Calder nearly naked made the urgency of their situation slip to the background of her consciousness. Nothing seemed more important than connecting with him. It felt like she had just spent a lifetime crossing a fathomless ocean, and he and Taryen were the island she’d been looking for, her safe haven after a lifetime of fighting the storms. How could she turn away from that after being alone for so long?

She ran a hand up to his neck and fingered his wet hair, which clung to his warm skin. “I have him on my tongue, you know?”

Clearly understanding her meaning, Calder’s eyes widened. “You mean you put your mouth
on him?
I’ve never known a sister to do that.”

“I’m not a sister,” she said darkly.

He nodded rather than argue.
“Very true.”

Sari didn’t seem to be the only one losing
herself
to the moment. His hand slid up to the curve of her neck, and she felt pliant under his touch. When he pulled her closer, she went with it, her eyes closing heavily as his breath fanned across her cheek. Then he was kissing her, leaving the sweet taste of fruit wine on her lips, making her feel drunk for him. She let his tongue sweep into her mouth and taste Taryen. She ended up swallowing his low groan as he pulled her tighter against him, forcing her to feel the hard evidence of his desire beneath the wet loincloth.

“How much herb did she make you take?”

Taryen’s voice broke through the haze, but only barely as Calder released her lips to lean down and bury his face in the curve of her neck. Rather than answer his lifemate, he trailed warm, wet kisses up to the shell of her ear and whispered, “Do you know what I want to do to you?”

“I think we all have a pretty good idea.” Taryen’s voice was stronger, more demanding this time. “How much time has passed?
Nearly an hour?
If we’re thinking at all, then it’s a gift from the gods, and we need to seize the moment.”

“I want you to stay.” Sari’s body was on fire, so much so she was practically vibrating with need, and she couldn’t possibly understand what reason he had to pull away. “Love me, Cal. Please.”

“Your wish is my wish.” He bit at the curve of her neck softly, making
a sheen
of pleasure dance out from the point of contact.

“Sari, listen to me.” She jumped when Taryen suddenly wrapped an arm around her and physically pulled her away from Calder. He turned her around, forcing her to look into his dark eyes instead of Calder’s light ones. “You speak and he has to obey. Even if he doesn’t want to, which obviously he does, his body will obey you. If you tell him to stay here with you, even if you’re unsafe,
he’ll do it
. Now I want you to do something for me.”

Sari blinked heavily, fighting the rose-colored haze of pleasure that was swamping her senses. She was failing for the most part, but something in Taryen’s urgency had her nodding.
“Anything.”

“You just have to do one thing once we leave these baths.” He held up a finger to prove his point. “Don’t speak. That’s the only battle you have to fight for us. Be completely silent, and we will get you somewhere protected. Then you can tell him to do whatever you want.”

She reached out to Taryen. “I want you too.”

“Look in my eyes. You can read my soul, Sari. That’s part of your gift. See I’m already yours,” he said so solemnly she believed him without really looking for it. “Now hear my words and tell me to protect you at all costs.”

“No.” Sari shook her head, knowing even in her clouded state she didn’t like that order. The distaste for it helped snap her out of the haze that was totally overwhelming and certainly made her a danger if her words held that much power over them. “I’d rather you save yourselves. If she’s truly after you, run now and I’ll face her wrath. It’ll be a distraction.”

“Absolutely not.
You’re coming with us. Now say it. Please.” There was a wild desperation in his eyes. “Your will outweighs the drug’s effects on our bodies. We need it to last these next few minutes.”

Calder wrapped an arm around her from behind and leaned down to breathe against her ear. “Do it, Sari, and we will show you heaven for the
effort.
”

She shuddered in his arms and, before she could stop herself, whispered, “Protect me.”

“At all costs,” Taryen coaxed.

“Protect me at all costs,” she amended as she sagged heavily in Calder’s arms, losing herself to the sexual yearning pounding in her bloodstream. Even if it was against the core of her being, something about that green wine had her willing to say
anything
just for the chance to experience what they promised. “Find us somewhere safe, and help me find heaven.”

The effect was so stunningly immediate, Sari gasped when Taryen suddenly
swooped
her up in his arms and turned to wade out of the water. Calder was behind him, sounding every bit as focused and determined. “You’re swifter with a sword, Tary. Give her to me.”

“You’re soaked.”

“So are you.” Calder made quick work of pulling on the black robes he’d come in with. “Besides, that’s the least of our problems.”

It was true. All three of them were still wet and didn’t bother drying off in their haste. Her hair was dripping. The black robes Calder pulled over her head stuck to her skin, but she could care less as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck when Taryen handed her over to pull on the second set of servant robes.

“I wouldn’t recommend leaving anytime soon,” Calder growled at the two unfortunate servants tasked with watching them. “Picking the wrong side could be very costly for you.”

Sari was so far
gone,
she had completely forgotten Laysa’s two servants in the room. They still knelt against the wall, naked save their underclothes, with their foreheads pressed against the wood. Sari should feel guilty, but the way Calder smelled made her forget common decency. Even wet, his scent was divine, and she found herself curling into him as his arms tightened around her protectively.

With time chasing at their heels, the three of them left. Sari was sure they made quite a sight, two huge servants walking quickly, one with a sword hidden beneath the black folds of his robes, the other carrying a third, much smaller servant, whose hood was pulled low over her head. Her face was buried against Calder’s neck, because she couldn’t seem to get close enough to him. Her fingers softly stroked the short, wet hair at the nape of his neck, but he didn’t complain about the distraction.

Everything in her wanted to demand something more than this midnight rush through the Sacred City, but she remembered Taryen’s plea for her to remain completely silent. If only they knew how difficult the task was. It felt like she was fighting against nature. Something raw and primal was welling up in her, and the battle was fiercer than they could possibly understand. Under the influence of the herb, everything seemed out of place, as if a lifetime of fighting for survival was all to get back to these two men, and now she was being forced to stay silent and patient when it had been such a long journey for her.