Page 39 of Fated Unkindness
“That weapon of war you speak of is my son, Soren. You need to watch your tongue.” Dad seethed. “I consider you my friend, but I am your Lord first and foremost. I know that Dax is powerful. I too have felt it, and while you think that he is sent from the gods to be a weapon of war, his mother and I believe his path to be different. He will continue to train with the others, and he will continue to take theadditional studies I have laid out for him. There will be no more discussions about him being a weapon for us to use to take the kingdom. If anything, one day he will be the one to restore the kingdom, and my hope for him is that it will be peaceful.” My father spoke calmly but assertively to Cano's father. We were playing hide and seek, and I hid in his library. When they came in arguing, I froze in fear of being discovered. My father's library was one place he forbade us to play in.
“You are making a mistake, Travis. Power rules in Aldramani. The next to rule will take the throne by force; it will not happen with peaceful negotiations. You have to know I am right.” Soren clenched his teeth, his jaw ticking.
“Perhaps you are, but my son, he will know how to live righteously with the power he has been gifted by the gods. He is meant for greatness, which I have no doubt about. I feel it in my bones, but not the way you deem necessary. You may raise your son the way you see fit, Soren, but do not tell me how to raise any of my children.” Dad’s eyes darken as he steps into Soren's space. Chest to chest, he looks down at him. “The next time you think to tell me your opinion on how I should raise one of them, I will cut your tongue from your mouth and shove it down your throat so you can choke on the words you speak. This conversation is finished. Leave me.” I have never heard my father speak so cruelly before; my heart is racing and my eyes are wide in fear. I bite down on my lip to stifle a sob. I didn’t like hearing people argue. I was a sensitive ten-year-old.
My father saunters to the large, arched double doors, pointing Cano’s father out of the room. Before he shut the door, I heard Cano’s father, his voice a lowgrowl.
“I will never speak on it again after I say what I must. Dax will come into great power, and if you don’t teach him to wield it the way that he should know how—it will be your fault when it becomes too late. Mark my words.” My father slams the door in his face. Grunting as he turns to the desk and sits in his old leather wingback chair.
“My boys are destined for greatness, but they will be on the right side, not the side of corruption and dissolution of our great kingdom. The crown may have fallen, but it will rise again.” He takes a photo out of the top drawer of his desk, looks at it for a moment, then puts it back and locks the drawer. He looks around as he stands, then leaves the library the same way Soren left.
A hand rests on my shoulder, pulling me from my dream. I’m not sure how long I was asleep. I lift my head and see Maki standing to my right, a somber look on his face.
“I don’t like seeing you all in these conditions, cousin. Nonetheless, I am glad you’re here and safe." He clears his throat. “I spoke with the healer; she said you and Miles are cleared to leave the infirmary. Miles refuses, saying he will stay here as long as Melani is still unconscious. You are free to move about the castle; I was hoping that you would like to join me for lunch?”
I run a hand down my face and look around the room. Mel is still asleep, and Miles and Kait are speaking to each other in hushed voices. There is no reason I couldn’t leave for a bit. My legs could use a stretch. Plus, I feel like I could eat a whole damn feast to myself, and I know how good the cooks are here in Loema. Maki doesn’t mess around; only the finest. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
“I think lunch sounds fucking amazing, but I'd like a shower first if it's not too much to ask, cousin,” I ask him as I stand and sling my arm over his shoulders as we walk to the door.
“I think a shower for you would do us all well, Trent. You smell something fierce.” He laughs a deep-bellied laugh, pulling me in to join him. Before I leave the room, I make eye contact with Kait and Miles, nodding to them and sending Kait a wink. She rolls her eyes but smiles back.
“Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone,” I call to her.
“They are both safe; I will ensure it,” Miles promises. And at those parting words, the door closes, and Maki shows me to a room where I can shower and get rid of my stink.
Chapter thirty-eight
Thankful doesn’t come closeto how I feel about my siblings being safe here in Loema with us. The need for Ella to wake up and be okay eats at me, though, and Kait too. The healer in charge assures me that she believes they would both make full recoveries, but Ella, being so young and not yet ascended, may take more time to recover. Raelle and I left the others this morning to head into town. We plan to meet the seer contact I have; hopefully, we can get some answers.
“Raelle, this woman we are going to see…” Her head whips in my direction, with her eyes narrowed, she purses her lips.
“This better not be another female of your past thatclearlystill has an attraction to you, Dax, or so help me.” Before shecan continue on that path, a deep laugh rips from me. I wrap my arm around her stiff shoulders and twist her body flush with mine. I pull us into a darkened alley between two of the limestone buildings.
“This...” She sucks in a sharp breath, and when I kiss her nose, it scrunches up into a sneer. “She is no female of my past in the sense you are thinking.” A chuckle rolls from my lips. “There will be no need for claws.” I go to kiss her nose again, but she swats me away, and I flinch out of her reach, which brings a laugh out again. It feels good to allow myself to laugh.
“Seriously, Dax, I won’t have the patience for another Vi…” She draws out the nickname like it's making her sick. “Especially if she tries to gain your interest while I am just feet away from you. I'm not a jealous person, but I am not a spineless person either, and I won't let somebitchwhom I've just met try to make a claim on what is mine.” I growl as I take her lips passionately, the fierceness of her words overwhelming me.
Hearing her claim me as her own makes blood rush to areas it should certainly not be rushing to in this dark alley. I move my lips to her throat and towards the sensitive skin below her ear. Trailing kisses everywhere I can on her soft skin. The moan that escapes her makes my dick twitch and grind against her. She reaches up and places both hands around my neck, and I hoist her up, pressing her back against the wall as she wraps her legs around my waist. The only thing separating our bodies is the leather of my breeches and the thin fabric of her leggings.
“This is so inappropriate, Dax.” She pants into my ear, her lips skimming the shell of it, sending shivers down my arms and a pulse to my cock. She feels the swell and grinds her body with a quietwhimper. I lift my gaze to hers, noticing her biting that damn lip. Just as I go to steal it from her teeth with my own, I hear someone clear their throat.
I whip around to face whoever has snuck up on us, dropping Raelle to her feet and shielding her behind me in the process. Her breath catches at the sudden change of position.
“Don’t stop on my account.” A raspy voice croaks from a cloak in front of me. She lifts her hand to the cloak hood, dropping it, revealing weathered chocolatey brown skin, white hair, and her eyes a warm golden brown. She titters as her eyebrow quirks up and a smile breaks across her face, revealing her sharp canines, and I laugh too. Raelle looks confused, which just makes me laugh even more.
“Sariah. This is Raelle.” I sidestep, so Raelle is no longer shielded behind my body. “Raelle, this is Sariah, the seer we were on our way to visit.”
“Your mate… Interesting,” Sariah says with a knowing smile.
“Sariah, as cozy as this alley is, do you have somewhere more private where we can discuss some things with you?” I ask. She smiles, shifting her gaze between Raelle and me.
“Yes. Let us. Just this way. The ally has seen enough action today. Eh, Dax?” She winks and saunters deeper into the alleyway.
Shaking my head, I reach out to Raelle, and she places her hand in mine. She leans in close to me and whispers, “She's making my power go kind of zappy. I don’t know how to fully explain the feeling. It's not bad… I can tell that much.” I contemplate what that could mean as we continue to follow Sariah.
“Your power stems from your ancestors. Perhaps they are excited about the path you’re on? Or maybe they recognize Sariah or her power as it recognizes my own?”
“I guess it could be that,” she said, but her eyebrows stitched together like she was still deep in thought about it.
