The Queen's Consorts (34 page)

“Sari, Taryen!” Calder’s voice suddenly came from the other side. “Where are you?”

“Cal!” Taryen shouted back. “We’re coming.”

“No, let me come to you. The bolter effects wore off. Don’t drag her over all this.”

Sari let out a sob of relief when she heard Calder’s strong, sure voice. Her entire body shook with it because she’d been terrified they’d find him buried and broken. It was such an intense sensation, she nearly collapsed under it. She shakily lowered herself to a large piece of stone that seemed more stable than the rest and sat there, trying to find her breath past the collision of joy and horror as Taryen started shouting to communicate information with Calder.

“Is
Darin
with you?”

“Yes, the blast didn’t affect him either. He’s here.”

“Macro and Haven?”

“They’re all right. They’re helping with recovery efforts,” another voice responded, making it obvious Calder had help. “Is Darisa safe?”

“He’s asking about you.” Taryen turned to Sari and raised his eyebrows in question. “Are you unharmed?”

Sari nodded, still sitting on the piece of stone as the rain hit her face, and she cried tears of gratitude. She couldn’t speak. She was so overwhelmed by everything.

“Tary!” Calder barked when he didn’t answer the question.

“She’s fine.” Taryen sat next to her and pulled Sari into his arms. “She’s in shock.”

“Stay there. We’re coming to you. Some of the soldiers are helping us clear a better path. Taris is dead. Hers was one of the first bodies we found.”

“Most of the council members that were firing from the guard tower have to be dead,” Taryen agreed. “This building is destroyed.”

Sari took another shuddering breath at that piece of information. She was relieved to know they were gone, but the information wasn’t nearly as important as learning Calder had survived the blast. She hated to be useless, like one of those sisters accustomed to waiting for males to do everything for them, but she couldn’t seem to move under the weight of everything.

When Taryen pulled her closer, she tucked her face into the curve of his neck while they waited. He rubbed her back, soothing her with his presence. At the same time they could hear rescue efforts taking place in other parts of the fallen building. When a sob burst out of her, she didn’t fight it.

“It’s been a long day.” Taryen sounded as exhausted as she felt, and she got the impression he was hitting the same adrenaline wall she was. “But it’s over.”

“Your b-back.”
Her entire body was shaking from the force of her emotions, and the rain started falling harder. “I know you’re hurt and—”

“I’ll be fine.” Taryen pulled her tighter against him. “We’re all going to be fine. I promise.”

She sobbed into Taryen’s shoulder until suddenly Calder was there, wrapping his big, powerful arms around both of them. He was shaking as violently as they
were,
his breath a great rush of relief as he kissed Sari’s cheek and held her from behind.

“Gods
be
blessed.” Calder was crying too, his voice shaking. “You’re both safe.”

Sari turned around, seeing Calder was covered in dirt and blood. He had a large cut on his forehead and dark circles under his eyes, but he was healthy and alive. That made his smiling face one of the most magnificent sights she’d ever seen.

Calder placed a kiss against her lips, the rain and tears blending together as she opened her mouth to him. They kissed hotly for one long moment before he pulled away and breathed against her ear. “I love you, Sari.” Then he leaned over her and kissed Taryen. “I love both of you. We’re strong. We’re going to move past all that’s happened and heal. We can survive this.”

Sari nodded, believing both of them as she leaned her head back against Taryen’s shoulder and held both of Calder’s hands in hers because she couldn’t bear to let go of him.
“All right.”
She closed her eyes and took a long breath. “I love you too.
Both of you.”

When the first of the soldiers appeared and started working to clear a better path, Taryen grabbed one by the sleeve and said, “There are two people still trapped in the dungeons. You need to send help to them. They’re safe, but one of them is a sister and she’s weak. She needs aid.”

“Get word to Captain Macro or Lieutenant Haven that it’s Kayla,” Sari added. “They’re likely worried for her safety.”

The soldier bowed, looking unnerved to be addressed by Sari. “Of course,
Your
Majesty. I’ll tell them straightaway.”

Sari closed her eyes in exhaustion once more, feeling grateful. “Thank you.”

They sat there for a long time while they waited for the soldiers to clear a path. If it were any other time, Sari might have tried to climb over all the debris just to get out of the destruction, but Taryen and Calder were both hurt, and it became clear they were experiencing the same overwhelming adrenaline crash she was. None of them were in any shape to scale down the remains of the guard tower just yet.

“May I help you, Your Majesty?”

Sari lifted her head from where it rested on Taryen’s chest. They’d nearly fallen asleep as the rain died down to a light drizzle. Calder’s head was in her lap, both of his hands still squeezed tightly in hers, but still she blinked at the soldier in front of them. He was in his midforties, with a strikingly handsome face and light coloring. His robes were strange, all black except for the red embroidery on the sleeves.

She frowned in confusion, and he clarified. “I’ll help you get down the rocks, since Calder and Taryen are both injured. They’ll need all their faculties to get to level ground. It’s still unstable in some places.”

“Oh.” She could sense his need to help. His hazel eyes were wide and watery. He was shifty and uncomfortable, but his gaze rested on her as if she had the ability to cure a lifetime of unhappiness. Though she was reluctant to let go of Taryen and Calder, she couldn’t help but notice how pure his intentions were. “Yes, please. I’d appreciate it. We’re all a little shaky.”

“Sari, this is
Darin
.” Calder’s voice was choked. “The one I told you about. He raised us.”

She smiled, realizing this was the man Calder and Taryen thought of as their father. Then just as quickly it hit her who
Darin
was to her personally, and she gasped. She cupped her hand to her mouth and felt a fresh bout of tears pool in her eyes. As odd as it was, in the very unusual culture of the Rayian monarchy, she actually shared a father figure with Calder and Taryen.

“Please don’t cry,” Darin said quickly, though the
impact of his words were
lost because his eyes were watery too. “I didn’t want to intrude on your moment with Taryen and Calder, but—”

“No, no, you’re not intruding.” Sari got shakily to her feet as both Calder and Taryen supported her, making sure she didn’t slip on the unstable wreckage. She reached out to
Darin
, took a step to the next slab of broken stone, and then wrapped her arms around him. He was tall, more so than even Calder and Taryen, and she had to stand on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek as she shook from head to toe. “I’m so happy to meet you.”

He kissed her cheek too.
“And I you.”

“And you lived. You’re here and healthy,” she squeaked as she fought against completely breaking down. “I have a real family.”

“You do.” Darin squeezed her tightly, his voice cracking with emotion. “You look like them.
Both of them.
You have her eyes, and his hair and I just—”

“Thank you so much for taking care of Taryen and Calder,” she couldn’t help but add as she wiped at her cheeks. “Thank you for loving them while I’ve been gone.”

“I’m sorry we lost you. It’s something I’ll never forgive myself for.” The sudden guilt flooding from
Darin
nearly choked her. “We needed you out of the palace. Things were too hostile here, and Helta was your mother’s most trusted servant. I knew she’d protect you, but then when she didn’t report back, we came looking. You were already gone by the time we arrived.”

Now wasn’t the time to tell him she’d been hiding when the soldiers showed up. If they had looked in the attic, they would have found her, but it was so long ago and it didn’t matter now.

“It’s over.” Sari rubbed his back, because she could feel the lifetime of pain he’d endured. “I’m just happy to have a father.”

“Come on; let’s get out of this rubble.” Calder was standing again. He placed a kiss on top of Sari’s head before he reached around her and grasped
Darin’s
bicep, squeezing it in affection. “We need to get Taryen in the healing waters. Sari and I need them too. Then we need about five days of sleep.”

Darin wouldn’t let go of her, and she was fine with that. She let him help her down the rocks while Taryen and Calder helped each other. She kept turning back to look at them, waiting for something drastic to happen simply because life had made her cynical. The soldiers helped them along the way, and Sari could see that more people must have gotten to safety than they’d expected, because there were so many assisting with the recovery efforts.

The fighting had stopped completely.

It wasn’t until they finally stepped onto flat ground that Sari started to believe the three of them might really be all right. That they’d survive this and go on to do something with all the difficult life experiences they’d endured in their first twenty cycles.

She wiped at her tears again, only this time they were optimistic when she thought of everything they could do together for their people. Their suffering made them unique leaders, and she knew they would accomplish amazing things because of it.

“Look.” Taryen pulled Sari away from
Darin
, wrapping both arms around her as they stood there in a ray of sunshine that had broken through the clouds.

“Gods, that’s amazing,” Calder said in awe as he leaned down and kissed the top of Sari’s head once more. “Look at what you can do when you believe in yourself.”

Sari looked to the sky, seeing what they were talking about.

A massive rainbow stretched out over the horizon.

In the distance, a chant was rising up over the walls of the Sacred City. One word, over and over again, was being shouted by the people on the other side, getting stronger and louder as more voices joined in, making the rainbow brighter when Sari believed them.

Hope.

The Sacred City wasn’t the place to heal, especially when they were still looking over their shoulders, wondering who among their brothers and sisters had betrayed them.

They retreated to the sea just like they had originally planned in the tunnels. The Cavaden Palace was so very different than the Sacred City, open and airy, with the sea breeze blowing in through all the windows. Its rounded turrets were so tall it was hard to see the top of them while standing with her feet on the shore. In its own way it reminded Sari of the fanciful castles children tried to make out of sand and failed simply because it was hard to make dreams reality.

Their palace by the sea
was
a fantasy, one she didn’t want to give up now that their allotted time for healing had passed.

“They say the Ralatian Palace is lovely.” Aria picked up a seashell and sent it skipping across the water that was remarkably flat this morning. “So high in the mountains you can see the town below for miles and miles.”

Sari also picked up a seashell and sent it across the calm surface of the Cavaden Ocean. “I’m sure it’s beautiful.”

“And people have been preparing for the Festival of Flowers for weeks now.”

Sari nodded. “I know.”

“Everyone is really excited.”

She forced a smile for Aria.
“Me too.”

Aria scowled and looked up to the overcast sky. “It doesn’t look like it.”

Sari would never get used to her emotions being on display for all to see. Six months by the sea wasn’t near long enough to cope. Now she was going to have to find a way to be happy about the parade for the sake of all those who were coming to see her off in Cavaden, and the larger crowds that were welcoming them in the Ralatian Mountains.

The entire planet was waiting to feel the sun. It wasn’t fair to keep it huddled in their safe haven by the sea.
Though it had certainly been fantastic for the Cavaden tourist industry.

“Is someone bribing you to pester me this morning?” Sari asked suspiciously. Aria was only eight. Her interest in politics was minimal. “Tell me.”

Aria looked back to where they’d set up their breakfast picnic in the sand.
“No one.”

Sari followed her gaze, glaring at Calder, who was sprawled out on the blanket. He was reading over one of the new proposals from their community engineering team that was working on ways to help rejuvenate the economy. When Sari, Taryen, and Calder had banned slave labor without preamble, it put a lot of different areas of commerce in shock, but they were recovering fairly fast, especially since the Rayians took huge lifestyle cuts in order to help the struggling communities.

Calder obviously felt her look and glanced up. Even from a distance she could see his guilty smirk. She didn’t have to call him over to confront him. He set his paperwork aside and got up.

“You told on me,” he called out to Aria.

“No!” She shook her head in denial. “She guessed.”

Calder’s smile grew wider, his voice carrying across the beach. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true!” Aria took a few steps away from Sari. “I swear it on the great mother.”

Sari laughed. “Do not pull me into this.”

When Calder started running, Aria screeched and took off. Her bare feet splashed in the waves as she ran toward the palace. Her long, flowing skirt became soaked with seawater. It seemed it was almost on instinct that she shouted, “Taryen!”

“Oh no, he can’t help you.” Calder was a powerful runner. Even in his royal robes, with his sword slung over his back, he still made it across the sand in record time. He leaned down and scooped up Aria. Then he turned around to walk back toward Sari with a big grin on his handsome face and a struggling Aria in his arms. “Look what I caught.”