Page 49 of Empire of Wrath and Ruin
He nodded reluctantly, though I could see it was costing him to keep the secret from Livia.
“The Talfen have enough to worry about without learning they're harbouring the Emperor's son. When the time is right, when it might actually help instead of hurt, then we'll tell her," I reassured him.
The secret of Jalend's identity was dangerous, but it might also prove valuable if handled correctly. For now, keeping quiet was the safest option for everyone involved.
Two weeks passed in a strange sort of limbo. We were free to move about the temple and the city, but we were never withoutwatchers. Subtle ones, but present nonetheless. The Talfen trusted us enough to release us from cells, but not enough to let us wander unsupervised.
I'd advised Antonius and Septimus to continue keeping Jalend's identity secret, and though none of us were comfortable with the deception, we all agreed it was necessary. Livia didn't need the additional burden of knowing she was bonded to the Emperor's son, not when she was already dealing with so much.
Taveth barely left her side during those weeks, which I understood better now than I had initially. Whatever time he had left with her, he was determined to make the most of it. I found myself watching them together sometimes, seeing the way he looked at her—as if he was trying to memorize every moment, every expression, every laugh. At night, he led her away to his chamber, and although Tarshi sometimes joined them, the rest of us were never invited. There was a possessiveness in Taveth that worried me, but although each of us hungered to have our woman in our bed again, we didn’t want to risk upsetting the fragile balance by provoking her strange new mate’s powers.
The other thing that worried me was the war preparations happening all around us. The temple had transformed from a place of quiet contemplation into a military headquarters. Warriors streamed into the city from outlying settlements, their faces grim as they received briefings about the coming Imperial assault. The city rang with the sound of weapons being sharpened and armour being fitted. Mira had integrated seamlessly with the Talfen war council, her knowledge of Imperial tactics and strategies proving invaluable.
I'd offered our services to the war effort, of course. All of us had. We were experienced fighters with knowledge of Imperial tactics and weaknesses. But so far, our offers had been politely declined. The Talfen leadership seemed content to keep us ashonoured guests rather than active participants in their defence planning.
It was frustrating, knowing that thousands of lives hung in the balance while we sat idle. I'd fought the Empire for years, knew their strategies and vulnerabilities better than most, but apparently being Livia's mates didn't automatically grant us the trust needed for sensitive military planning.
The attacks had been getting worse. Imperial forces were pushing deeper into Talfen territory, probing defences and testing responses. Each day brought news of another outpost overrun, another patrol that hadn't returned. The recent scouting missions had been particularly troubling—three separate groups had been dispatched to gather intelligence on Imperial movements, and none had come back.
That was why the council had decided to send dragon scouts. Faster, more manoeuvrable, better able to avoid detection and return with vital information. When Livia had volunteered along with Sirrax, Tarshi, and Taveth, I'd wanted to object. But I also knew that her skills and the bond she shared with the dragons made her uniquely suited for this kind of mission.
Still, watching her prepare for departure was one of the hardest things I'd done in weeks.
She stood beside Sirrax in the temple's main courtyard, checking the straps on her gear with the practiced efficiency of someone who'd done this many times before. The dragon was magnificent in the morning light, his dark scales gleaming like polished metal, his intelligent golden eyes tracking every movement around him. Beside him, in a deep midnight blue, Tarshi had taken his own dragon form after agreeing to act as steed to his brother. Taveth checked the harness thoroughly, and then double and triple checked Livia’s, even though I had already done so. It might have annoyed me, but I only saw it as a demonstration of his devotion to her, and he didn’t knowme enough to trust me yet.Livia was strapping on her own armour, a leather and metal studded vest that fitted over her warm clothing. She had worn long Talfen robes for the last few weeks, and although she’d looked beautiful, seeing her back in armour made me smile and my blood stir. This was my Livia. They thought they could keep her in that temple, but it hadn’t taken her long to be sliding a short sword into the scabbard at her waist and be climbing back onto her dragon. I knew by now never to underestimate this woman. Clearly, the Talfen hadn’t learned that yet.
I approached her slowly, not wanting to interrupt but needing these final moments with her.
"Everything ready?" I asked.
She looked up from adjusting a strap and smiled, though I could see the tension around her eyes. "As ready as we can be. We should be back by tomorrow evening, assuming we don't run into trouble."
"And if you do run into trouble?"
"Then we fly away very fast," she said with forced lightness. "Dragons are excellent at flying away."
I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest. "Be careful," I said fiercely. "I've already lost you twice now. Don't make it a third time, because I couldn't take it."
"I know," she said softly, her hands coming up to rest against my chest. "I'll be careful. I promise."
But even as she said it, I could see the excitement in her eyes, the thrill of getting back into action after weeks of relative inactivity. This was who she was—a warrior, a scout, someone who thrived on danger and challenge. I couldn't ask her to be anything else, even if it terrified me to watch her go.
She pulled back to look at me, her hands coming up to cup my face. "I love you," she said simply. "All of you. Andalthough everything looks bad right now, you need to have hope. Everything will be okay."
"How can you know that?" I asked, unable to keep the doubt from my voice.
She smiled then, a real smile that lit up her entire face. "Look around," she said, gesturing to where Antonius, Septimus, and Jalend stood watching us. "Look at all of us, standing here together. Despite everything that's happened, despite all the odds against it, we're all here. We're all together. If that was possible, then anything is."
I wanted to believe her. Gods, how I wanted to believe that her optimism could somehow overcome the brutal realities we were facing. The odds of all of us surviving the arena, finding each other again, tracking her across hostile territory, and ending up here together should have been impossible. Yet here we were.
I kissed her then, pouring all my fear and love and desperate hope into the contact. When we broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers.
"Come back to me," I whispered.
"Always," she promised.
I stepped back reluctantly, allowing the others their farewells. Antonius embraced her fiercely, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh despite the tension. Septimus was more restrained but no less emotional, his hands lingering on her shoulders as if reluctant to let go. Jalend's goodbye was brief but intense, and I caught the way his jaw clenched as he watched her prepare to leave.
Taveth approached last, and the shadows around his feet writhed with barely contained anxiety. He pulled her aside, speaking to her in low tones that I couldn't overhear. Whatever he said made her nod seriously, and when he kissed her, there was something desperate about it that made my chest tighten with unease.
