Page 15 of The Rowan's Stone
ARDEN
Exhilaration steals my breath, and for the first time in days, I’m free and unencumbered. The destiny, my assassins, Cassandra, the council, and…everything weighing on my shoulders suddenly releases into the night air. I hadn’t realized how much weight I’d been carrying until it was gone.
Astor pushes the bike to the max, and the thrill of the ride makes me feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, the wind whipping through my hair, while I stare out at an abyss. My breath catches, and I can’t help but laugh wildly.
The curvy, mountain road sweeps toward the sea, and we hurtle around its curves, racing to the finish, Fallon’s beast following us the whole way.
At the bottom of the mountain, on a small cliff, a tiny restaurant shines like a beacon. Astor throttles to a lower gear, and we coast into the parking lot.
Placing my hands on his shoulders, I slide down until my right foot hits the ground then swing my other leg off the back. I stretch and shake out my legs. My thighs tingle from the power of the bike and the proximity of Astor. Easing off my helmet, I release my hair and wait for him to do the same.
As soon as his helmet is off, I grab his jacket and jerk him toward me. I lay waste to his lips, devouring the taste of him, thanking him for the exhilarating ride. I break it off, my chest heaving for air, and lay my forehead against his. “That was incredible and so needed.”
He closes his eyes for a second, then hugs me tight. “Let’s go, gorgeous. I know you’re hungry.”
“Dinner’s on me,” Fallon’s husky voice interjects from behind me. “Let’s sit outside.”
Nodding in agreement, I follow Fallon, who’s striding over to a table near the edge of the patio. It’s the perfect spot to watch the ocean and take in the night. The string lights above us give off a soft glow, creating the perfect ambiance. Glancing around, I notice several groups of people hanging out, laughing, and drinking.
The menu is extensive, filled with the promised seafood and, according to Fallon and Astor, everything’s good. I order the grilled red snapper with crabmeat in a champagne beurre blanc sauce with a side of steamed vegetables. Fallon orders lobster, and Astor chooses the linguini with lobster and crab in a cream sauce, and he adds a crisp bottle of white wine for the table.
Leaning back with a sigh, I listen to the waves pound the shore below. “This place is fantastic. How did you two discover it?”
“On a ride, one afternoon, we came upon it. Over time, we’ve brought the entire cadre here to enjoy it with us,” Fallon answers.
“Does everyone ride?”
“We all have bikes, but only Astor and I ride together regularly. Theron’s often too busy, Valerian would rather train, and Daire…used to spend a lot of his free time with Solange,” Fallon states. “Although our lives and routines seem to be changing lately.” He slides a glance at me.
“The thrill of the ride, the escape from everyday pressures, and the feeling of freedom, it can’t be beat.” I pause and smile at them both. “So, who’s willing to teach me?”
Astor roars with laughter. “Definitely a convert.” He snickers and looks at Fallon, who waves a hand. “Fallon should teach you. I don’t have the patience and, according to him, I’m too reckless, so you should learn from someone who’s the opposite.”
I throw Fallon a dazzling smile. “Would you mind? We’re going to be spending a lot of time together in the next couple of weeks. It would be easy to slip in another lesson or two.” Tilting my head, I blink up at him and use the same pleading eyes I’ve used on Vargas in the past.
He gives a loud laugh and holds his hand in front of his eyes. “Stop. We can add a couple riding lessons to the plan.”
Our food arrives, and I wait until the server leaves to reply. “I didn’t realize the two of you were so close. I know the cadre is bonded, but it seems like everyone does their own thing?” While I wait for them to reply, I take a bite of my food and moan. I don’t know if it’s the freshness of the seafood or the night air, but this is the best fish I’ve ever eaten.
Fallon clears his throat, then lifts his shoulder. “We used to spend quite a bit of time together, but duties and responsibilities started taking center stage. It’s only since you’ve been here that we’ve focused on something together. We’re all close, but sometimes, our interests are different.”
“Beyond interests, I get the feeling some of you know each other better,” I murmur, reflecting on how they act around each other.
“We’ve shared different experiences together, and some of those have been particularly intense. It’s shaped us, and our interactions probably reflect it,” Fallon muses.
“Exactly,” Astor chimes in. “For example, Valerian and I met when we were both stalking a group of warlocks who’d kidnapped a boy. The boy’s mother had gone to the cadre asking for help. At the time, the cadre only consisted of Fallon, Theron, and Valerian. Fallon and Theron were following up on another case, which left Valerian to recover the boy.”
He pauses to think for a second. “I was pretty much a waste of space at that point in my life. Drinking all day, fucking all night.” He watches my face to see my reaction. I wince internally but keep my expression neutral. “Until the day they entered my favorite dive bar, talking about their plans to steal the boy’s power, and I knew I couldn’t walk away. I followed them. Later, when I was surveying their hideout, I noticed a dark, hulking mass picking them off one by one.”
He grins. “That night, I decided to go introduce myself and see if we could join forces. I met Valerian, and together, we saved the boy. It was the first good deed of my entire life, and it was life-changing. I wanted more. Valerian brought me home, I started helping the cadre, and after a trial period, I eventually took their oath. I’m forever grateful to Valerian.”
Pausing to savor a bite of my incredible food, I shake my head in amazement. “I can see why you and Valerian are close. Who started the cadre?”
Fallon murmurs, “I guess, technically, I did, almost fifteen hundred years ago. We didn’t form a cadre bond until later, though. As a prince, I ran into a lot of people who needed help, but I couldn’t always help them because of political reasons. It frustrated me. Cormal was a…contact of sorts. He reached out and offered to set up a separate identity for me in exchange for a favor. It was the perfect solution, so I agreed. When it began, I only helped one or two a month, but when word got out, it grew.”
Fallon takes a long sip of his wine. “About four hundred years later, I met Valerian. A lost soul. He’d wandered into our kingdom in search of a greater purpose, and I knew exactly what he needed. Cormal helped create another identity for him. We eventually added Theron, Astor, and Daire, and created the Imperium Cadre. We found the sanctuary and applied to the Supernatural Council to be its guardians, and they approved. There’s a lot to the story, but that’s the gist of it.”
Admiration sweeps through me. Very few people step out of their comfort zone to help others. I lay my hand over Fallon’s and squeeze. “You don’t find many members of royalty, or people with power, stepping out from their safe havens to help others. All of you are remarkable.”
