Читать книгу Reluctant Prince - Dani-Lyn Alexander - Страница 6

The sisters crouched beneath the bushes, submerging themselves deep in the shadows. Mia buried her face in Ryleigh’s back.

Ryleigh didn’t dare breathe. Tremors surged through her body, and she fought to suppress them, praying fervently the younger girl’s teeth would stop chattering so loudly.

Jackson lay in a heap on the concrete walkway. He didn’t move.

His attacker stood perfectly still, his back to her, head cocked to the side. He waited an eternity before he lifted his hands over his head, fisted them together then ripped them apart, tearing an enormous hole in the darkness.

The world as she knew it ended. For just an instant, another world existed. A barren world, filled with shadows. Then the darkness swallowed both the killer and the universe he’d unveiled.

Holy crap. She had to get out of there. Now. But no amount of coaxing would move her feet from the spot where they’d rooted. What had happened? Where did he go? Was he still out there? Would he find them? Her heart pounded hard enough to rock her back and forth. Bile gushed toward her throat. The blood rushing through her ears drowned out all other sound.

Mia gripped her arm tighter, nails digging into her skin, and sobbed.

Clamping her mouth shut, Ryleigh lifted a finger to her lips.

Mia nodded.

Ryleigh gestured for her to slip out the back of the bushes.

Mia shook her head.

With her eyebrows drawn together and her fiercest scowl firmly in place, Ryleigh gestured again for the younger girl to move.

Again, she shook her head no. This time, Mia pointed to something behind Ryleigh.

Fear clenched Ryleigh’s stomach, and she whirled to face her attacker. Something sharp scratched her face, and she threw her arm up to ward off the ambush. The branch caught her arm, tore through her sleeve, and drew blood.

The alley stood empty, save for Jackson’s crumpled body.

“What were you pointing at?” The harsh whisper barely made a sound.

“We can’t leave him,” Mia whispered back, voice trembling, tears running down her cheeks.

“I mean it, Mia. You’d better listen. Get over to that wall behind you and crawl toward the walkway. Now.” Ryleigh pressed her mouth against Mia’s ear as her whispers grew more urgent. Anger replaced some of the fear holding her paralyzed, and she gritted her teeth even tighter, grinding them together. Pain burst through her temples. Great.

“We can’t leave him.” The plea in Mia’s eyes touched Ryleigh’s heart, but no way was she going out into that courtyard.

“We’ll send help as soon as we get somewhere safe. Please, Mia. Please. We have to get out of here, before it comes back.”

“Jackson saved your life. What if it comes back and gets him before we get help?” Sobs wracked her fragile body. She still spoke softly, but her volume increased with every word.

“Mia, please. I have to get you out of here.”

Mia shook her head.

Why does this child have to be so stubborn? Ryleigh massaged her temples. Damn. She lay on her belly, pressing her body flat against the cold, damp ground. Dodging the branches and prickers clawing at her, she crept toward the edge of the bushes, peered out from her hiding place, and searched the alley for the lunatic. Nothing.

Mia moved up beside her. “Do you think he’s all right?”

“I don’t know.”

She struggled to see the rise and fall of his chest, or any movement. That thing shot fire from its fingers, hurled the flames into Jackson’s body, and threw him all the way across the courtyard and into the alley wall. For all she knew the fireball had killed him. Maybe he’d already been dead when his body had hit the wall. Was she supposed to risk their lives for someone she didn’t know, a stranger who was most likely dead…a man who’d saved her life and probably Mia’s as well?

Ugh. “Stay here.” She turned a glare on her sister and lifted a finger in warning. “I’m not kidding, Mia. You stay hidden. If anything happens, you wait until it’s safe and then run for help. Do you understand?”

Mia chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, Ryleigh. You don’t have to go.”

Exasperation and fear shortened her temper. “Make up your mind already, will you.”

Mia threw herself against Ryleigh and wept. “I’m scared. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“It’s okay, Mia. It’ll be all right.” She rubbed Mia’s back in an effort to soothe them both. “All right.” She inhaled, and the rich smell of dirt mixed with the smoke from Mia’s hair scratched her raw throat. She swallowed the urge to cough. “I have to go. You’re right. We can’t leave him. I have to check and see if he’s alive. If he’s unconscious, he’s too vulnerable lying there like that. I have to hurry, though, so we can get out of here. Promise me you’ll stay put.”

Mia nodded.

Ryleigh crawled deeper into the shadows beneath the bushes and positioned herself against the wall. Her heart raced erratically, pain throbbed through her body, and tears blocked her vision as she crawled quickly toward the alley. Stray branches grabbed her hair and clothing. Claustrophobia threatened to suffocate her. Until she reached the edge of the bushes and had to leave their protection then she wished fiercely to remain beneath their cover.

With a quick glance in each direction, Ryleigh launched herself from the illusion of a safe haven. Crouching low, she raced awkwardly toward the alley. Though her feet were bandaged, the local anesthetic had begun to wear off and each step sent a million shards of glass stabbing into her feet. When she reached the wall of the alley, she pressed her back against it, resisting the urge to slide down the wall and sit, to rest her feet for even the briefest moment, knowing she’d never get back up.

Squinting into the darkness, she strained to see if Jackson appeared to be breathing.

He lay curled in a ball on his side.

All right. She was going to have to get closer. With one last, anxious glance around, she headed for his lifeless form. She used the wall for support, tried to ease some of the pressure off her feet. Was he alive? She really, really didn’t want to find a corpse.

Images of his crooked smile and his mischievous eyes filled her mind.

Hesitation warred with impatience as she edged closer.

When she finally reached him, the coppery scent of blood assailed her. She knelt beside him, restraining a small sigh of relief at finally getting off her feet and alleviating the worst of the pain.

She held her breath and placed her hand against his chest. A heartbeat. A new flood of tears and a small sob escaped before she wrestled her emotions under control. He was alive. Now, how would she get him out of there?

She gingerly shook his shoulder. “Jackson.” The fierce whisper did nothing to elicit a response. She shook him again, a little harder this time. “Jackson. Wake up.” Still nothing. She thought of screaming for help but dismissed the idea just as quickly.

If his attacker realized he’d left Jackson alive, he might return.

Her blood ran cold, and a shiver coursed through her. All right, enough of this. She grabbed Jackson’s arm and shook him ruthlessly back and forth. When she called to him this time, it was no whisper. “Jackson, you have to wake up. Now.”

No response.

She hobbled to his head, turned him on his back, and grabbed him under both armpits. By the time she turned him around so his head faced the desired direction, she was soaked with sweat, breathing in short, harsh gasps that burned her throat, and bent at the waist with a stitch in her side. “I can’t do this, Jackson. You’re going to have to wake up. Please.” She bent to grab him again.

“Here, let me help.”

Mia. “I thought I told you to stay hidden.”

“You did, and later we can argue about it. Right now, let’s just get out of here.”

Ryleigh didn’t have the strength left to argue. Instead, she grabbed Jackson with both of her hands beneath one of his arms.

Mia did the same on his other side.

Together they dragged him to the bushes. They pulled, shoved, and pushed until they managed to conceal him beneath the cover.

They crawled in beside him. “We can’t pull him any farther. We’ll have to leave him hidden here and hope for the best until we can send help.” Ryleigh worked to slow her breathing. Tried to swallow, to soothe her parched throat, to no avail.

“Should we go back into the hospital for help?” Fear shone in Mia’s eyes.

“No. I won’t risk anyone asking questions about why we left in the first place.” She bent to examine Jackson’s head. “He bled a lot.” The memory of the blood pooled around his head sent a shiver rushing through her. “But it seems to have mostly stopped now.”

She ripped the tattered sleeves from her blouse folded one in a square, placed it against the wound at the back of his head, and used the other to tie it firmly in place. “There. I’ll make an anonymous 911 call as soon as we can and tell them I saw someone getting attacked and tossed in the bushes behind the hospital. Hopefully, he’ll be all right until then.”

She studied his face one last time, remembering the way his eyes had glimmered with humor, his smile had held a hint of mischief.

Something deep within her stirred, protective instincts clawed their way to the surface. She brushed his hair off his forehead and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I’ll send help. I promise.” One tear dripped onto his cheek, and she wiped it away with the back of her finger. Then she tore her gaze from him. “Come on, Mia. We have to go.”

They moved to the wall and headed toward the walkway.

Mia was a mess. Soot still covered her face and clothes. Her puffy, red eyes sunk into deep, black circles. Hair stuck out in every direction, and scratches and cuts crisscrossed every bit of exposed skin, thanks to the sticks and branches they’d had to battle their way through.

Ryleigh probably looked even worse.

Any form of public transportation was out of the question. Talk about drawing attention to themselves. They would have to stay to the shadows as much as possible and walk back to the building where she’d had her job interview, what seemed like a hundred years ago. Then they could retrieve the car and go home.

Her feet screamed in agony at the thought of walking all those miles. It would be worth it, though. Her breath hitched. Home.

When they reached the end of the row of bushes, she grabbed Mia’s arm and gestured for her to wait.

Chances were their attacker wouldn’t return after this amount of time, but who knew? She had no idea how much time had actually passed. It seemed like hours but was probably not more than fifteen minutes, give or take a few. Seeing no one in the immediate area, she left the cover of the bushes and stood. She scanned the walkway and the side of the building it led to then waved a hand for Mia to follow. She brushed at her clothing and hair, hoping to at least get some of the dirt off. Then she tried to clean Mia off.

A groan brought her up short.

She paused, strained her ears to listen for a repeat of the sound. It came again. She bit her lip. Indecision paralyzed her.

“Ryleigh.” The voice was faint but unmistakable.

She took Mia’s hand, limped around the bushes to the spot where they’d left him, and sat on the ground with Mia beside her. “Jackson? Can you hear me?”

The bushes rustled, and he emerged on his hands and knees. “Are you two all right?” He tried to move toward her, but winced, grabbed the back of his head, and sat where he was.

“We’re all right, just scared.” Pain pierced her brain, and she longed for a hot bath and her soft bed. “What was that thing?” Her voice shook, but she lacked the energy to try to steady it. A memory struck her. “You knew it.”

“Yes.” He held her stare.

Her thoughts churned frantically. Jackson knew that bizarre creature, had called it by name, conversed with it, stabbed it. Was he one of those things?

She maintained eye contact as she began to back away, didn’t dare break it. Grabbing Mia’s arm, she dragged her back too.

“Ryleigh, wait.” Jackson reached for her hand.

“Get away from us.”

“Please, Ryleigh. You have to listen to me.” He held both hands up in front of him.

She got to her feet, hauled Mia up with her.

Jackson stood as well, but didn’t lower his hands. “Ryleigh.”

“Stay away from us, or I’ll scream.”

“Just wait.”

“Is that thing going to come back?” She had to turn around, needed to check behind her, but didn’t dare take her eyes from Jackson.

“Yes.”

Fear gripped her lungs, squeezed. She couldn’t breathe.

“Calm down. Please, listen to me. I don’t think he’ll come back right away. Besides, he’s not really a threat. He’s just angry, probably because he doesn’t understand what’s going on. If he wanted to kill me, believe me, he could have. It’s Daygan we have to worry about. Please, let me get you somewhere safer, and I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She hobbled toward the walkway.

“Wait.”

She looked over her shoulder as he moved toward her. “What?”

“Where are you going?”

“None of your business.”

“You can’t even walk, and Mia is freezing. Please, just wait here and let me pull the car up. I’ll drop you off wherever you want to go.”

Mia stood shivering, arms wrapped around herself for warmth, or comfort. Ryleigh pulled her sister closer, tucking her under her arm.

“Please?” His cocky smile returned, and he turned it on her full force.

Her feet pleaded with her to accept his offer. She scrubbed her free hand over her face, and slivers of pain stabbed her. “Oh, fine. But you’re dropping us off at my car, and then I don’t want to see you again. Are we clear?”

His smile widened. “Be right back.” With that, he took off, jogging down the alley into the darkness.

She must be crazy. How could she even contemplate going with him?

Mia rested her head on Ryleigh’s shoulder. “Thank you, Ryleigh. I didn’t want to walk all that way.”

“Here, honey. Sit down.” She helped Mia to the ground and sat beside her.

Mia curled into a ball and laid her head on Ryleigh’s lap.

“I’m not sure what’s going on here, but we’ll be home soon.” Small bits of sticks and leaves had tangled in Mia’s hair, and Ryleigh tried to work them free.

Mia smiled but didn’t open her eyes. “I’m just exhausted, and I want a shower.”

“Me too.” She gave up and smoothed the mess of knots.

Jackson didn’t make them wait long. He pulled a dark colored car into the alley, hopped out, and jogged to them.

Ryleigh remained sitting. “I guess you’re feeling better?”

He appeared perfectly normal, no lingering effects from the injury he’d suffered.

“I heal fast.”

That cocky grin shot straight to her heart. “No kidding.”

“Come on.” He lifted Mia into his arms. “Grab my arm.”

Ryleigh used his arm to pull herself off the ground. Her feet were on fire. She took a few steps on her own then gave in and leaned on Jackson’s arm until she slid into the passenger seat.

Jackson placed Mia gently on the back seat. Before closing the door, he brushed the wild mass of hair out of her face.

Warmth spread through Ryleigh.

“Where to?” He climbed in beside her, threw the car into reverse, and hit the gas.

“They brought me here in the ambulance and left my car across town.” She started to give him the address, but a memory surfaced. A silhouette moving toward her. “You were there.”

“Yes.”

She waited.

He didn’t elaborate.

She stared out the window and watched the miles pass. Everything looked so ordinary, so normal. People moved on with their lives as if an earthquake hadn’t rocked the city only a few hours earlier. As if a very large, strange man hadn’t tried to kill her. As if he hadn’t shot a fireball from his fingers and disappeared into a world that couldn’t possibly exist.

She studied his profile.

His full mouth had thinned to a firm line, his forehead wrinkled in a frown of concentration.

The urge to reach out and smooth his brow overwhelmed her, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Strong hands gripped the steering wheel, hard. The same hands that had so gently—“Hey.” The ignition sat empty. “Where are the keys?”

His answering grin told her all she needed to know.

“Let us out. Now.”

“We’re almost there. As soon as I drop you off I’ll return the car to the hospital and leave it a few spots away from where I took it.”

She shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t get any more involved with this stranger who appealed to some deep part of her she didn’t understand, elicited feelings that scared her. “Why not leave it where you found it?”

“If the owner already looked for it and couldn’t find it, maybe he’ll think he just forgot where he parked.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t have taken it if it wasn’t an emergency, but I had to get you and your sister out of there.” He met her stare, held it. “Would you consider following me and letting me take you somewhere safe so we could talk?”

“No.” She held his gaze.

He broke eye contact first, only for a second to glance out the windshield then returned his intense, hypnotic stare to her. “Your life is in danger, Ryleigh. Mia’s life is in danger. Please, you have to trust me.”

Indecision beat at her. She tore her gaze from his to check on Mia. So many things had happened in only one day. How could she possibly decide what to do? Every instinct screamed at her to trust him, and yet…“Are you human?”

She looked back in time to catch the indecision in his eyes before he turned them back to the road.

“How can you ask me to trust you, if you aren’t going to be honest with me?”

“You’re right, and I want to be completely honest with you, but I don’t want you to get scared and run before I’ve had a chance to explain everything.”

Perhaps she should listen to his explanation. If Mia was in danger, she needed to know about it. She could always tell him to get lost afterward. She’d give him one chance. If he answered her honestly, she’d hear him out. If not…

“I asked you a question. Are you human?”

He tugged at the neckline of the borrowed scrubs. “Not exactly.”

* * * *

He tried to gauge her reaction each time they passed beneath a streetlight, watching her face light in the glow of the streetlamps then slip back into shadow as they passed back into darkness. Light, dark, light, dark, the hypnotic effect captured him, held him.

“Look out.” She threw her hands up and braced them against the dashboard.

Jackson yanked his gaze from her and found headlights barreling toward him. He overcorrected as he pulled back into his own lane and swerved onto the shoulder, sliding in the sand as he hit the brakes.

When the car finally rocked to a stop, he shoved it into park and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Sorry.”

Mia clutched the door handle in a death grip, a look of terror frozen on her face. “Is it back?”

The tiny whisper knifed through his heart. “No, kiddo, everything’s fine. I just wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing. I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

She nodded and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

“Are you all right?”

Ryleigh finally released her hold on the dashboard to face him.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Her hand shook as she brushed her hair behind her ear. “Watch where you’re going.”

The reprimand caught him off guard, and laughter escaped before he could suppress it. “Yes, dear.”

Her answering smile clenched his stomach. For a flicker of time he allowed himself the illusion that everything between them could be normal. Reality quickly intruded, though, and he shoved the car into gear and guided it back onto the road.

“So tell me, if you’re not human, what exactly are you?”

The sarcastic bite of humor in the question ignited a small flame of hope. How much should he tell her? He didn’t want her to run, but at the same time he couldn’t protect her if she didn’t understand the danger she was in. A quick check in the rearview mirror showed Mia listening intently. Oh well, best to get it all out in the open. At least then they could make some decisions about how to handle the whole bizarre situation.

“My name is Jackson Maynard. I’m from a land called Cymmera.”

“I’ve never heard of that. Where is it?” Mia grabbed the seat backs, slid forward to perch on the edge of her seat, and peeked around to study his face.

A quick check of Ryleigh’s features showed only interest, so he continued. “Cymmera is another realm. My people are able to transfer between our realm and yours.”

“Can humans go to Cymmera?” Ryleigh’s eyes held curiosity but a little fear as well.

“Not if they are alive.” Was that true? He had a sneaking suspicion it might be only partially true. “Actually, I’m not a hundred percent sure about that. Until now, no human has ever passed into Cymmera by choice.”

Shadows and suspicion turned her blue eyes a deep, stormy gray. “What do you mean by choice?”

He pulled over in a small parking lot not far from where she’d parked. “Please, Ryleigh. You have to understand and give me a chance to explain before you get upset and run away. Promise?”

Her turbulent eyes held his, and she nodded once.

That would have to be good enough for now. He shifted the car into park. “Give me your keys and wait here. I’ll run and get your car, so you don’t have to answer any questions.” Emergency vehicles littered the lot and the street, lights flashing, even though the sirens no longer blared.

“You can follow me back to the hospital so I can return the car. We’ll clean up and settle Mia then we can sit and talk all night if you want.”

“Fine.”

He got out, went around, opened Ryleigh’s door, and held out a hand.

She handed him the keys, climbed out, and stood staring at the destruction down the street. “Everything looked so normal by the hospital. How could there be so much damage here?” A tremor coursed through her.

He left her leaning against the car surveying the damage and strode toward the lot. He’d never thought of the destruction his people left behind. Sorrow filled him, and he hung his head, ashamed. How could he ever tell her his people had caused this mess? What would she think of a race who held such little value for human life? Maybe he could explain the reason they were so bitter first, and then perhaps she could have some compassion for them. Did they deserve it, though? He stopped and spoke to an investigator, then got permission to take the car. Even without any special powers, he could be quite persuasive over humans.

He returned to Ryleigh, not wanting her alone any longer than necessary. “Come on, let’s get Mia in the car and go somewhere warm.” He helped the girls into Ryleigh’s car. “You’ll follow me?”

“Yes, but I’m not making any promises other than I’ll hear you out.”

“Fair enough.” He closed her door and returned to the stolen car.

He tried to organize his thoughts as he drove. No matter how he phrased it, he couldn’t change the fact that the inhabitants of Cymmera had been enslaving humans for hundreds of years. Would she understand? Forgive him? And what did the future hold? Would he be able to continue on the path the Cymmerans were currently following?

What about Kai, that bastard? And Daygan? Had it been his soldier Jackson had disposed of in the parking lot, or one of Kai’s men? He’d have to ask the warrior when he saw him next. He rubbed the back of his head, winced at the pain, and returned his hand to the wheel. Well, maybe after he taught the cocky bastard a lesson.

He searched behind him in the rearview mirror. Good, Ryleigh was still back there, and as far as he could tell, no one else followed. When he pulled into the parking lot, he gestured for Ryleigh to wait where she was, then held his breath while he parked the borrowed car and ran back to her. He opened the driver’s door. “Move over, I’ll drive.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“It’ll be fine, I’ll pay attention.”

She glanced around but remained in the driver’s seat.

“Your feet have to be killing you. Just move over. I’ll drive, and you can rest them.”

She finally shrugged and got out and limped around.

He followed and opened the door for her. With one last look over his shoulder, he climbed in and hit the gas.

She laid her head back against the headrest. Strain lined her face, dark circles cradled her eyes, her hair hung limp and tangled. Her eyes drifted closed. Maybe she was offering him a reprieve.

He reached toward her to soothe some of her tension.

“Start talking.”

No such luck. He heaved a deep breath in, and let it out on a whoosh. “Cymmera is dying, has been for hundreds of years. Since the death of our Queen.” Jackson thought of his mother, as he often did. He’d only been a small child when she died, and several hundred years had since passed, yet he remembered her vividly, the radiance of her smile, the warmth of her embrace, the flowery scent always surrounding her. He missed her terribly still. Grief filled him, the only emotion Jackson fully understood.

“Daygan’s army attacked the farthest reaches of the Kingdom, a day’s journey at the least. The king had already left to lead his warriors into battle. They’d hoped to defend the outlying areas, head the invaders off and stop them before they reached the city itself. It should have worked, would have, if not for the army of humans.”

“Wait, I though humans couldn’t enter Cymmera?” Her head still rested against the headrest, but now she stared at him. Dirt covered her face, smeared where she’d wiped her tears away.

“They can’t, not voluntarily and not alive in the sense that you understand it. Our enemies are strong. Their leader, Daygan, is an incredibly powerful sorcerer, but he’s filled with evil and consumed by hate. He found a way to collect humans and enslave them. He brought them to Cymmera to attack the city while the Cymmeran soldiers were occupied elsewhere.” Rage threatened to surface, but he inhaled deeply, fought it back.

“The city of Cymmera is more like a very large village surrounded by a huge stone wall. The castle sits upon a hill in the center of the city. With the soldiers gone, mostly women and children remained within the confines of the wall. Some of the older boys, who were not yet warriors, lined the front wall of the city in a valiant effort, but everyone knew they would be no match for the onslaught. So Queen Dara left the safety of the castle.” A difficult enough memory without having to give voice to it. The helplessness the small child had suffered still plagued the man. He’d secreted himself in the highest window of the castle, witnessed his mother’s journey across the lush green field.

“She walked across the field that surrounded the wall and met the army commander. She spoke to him for a few minutes as the invaders moved into position, surrounded her. She waited until she stood in the center of the enemy army.” He paused, forced back the scream begging for release. She’d stood with her chin held high. Her defiance and pride had mocked the invading mass.

“Make a right here, and pull into that driveway.” Ryleigh gestured toward a small house.

He pulled into the driveway, put the car into park, folded his hands on the steering wheel, and rested his chin on them.

“She removed her crown.” He’d known then what she would do. Even then, he’d known. “Took two stones from it, replaced it atop her head, and lifted the stones high into the air. When she smashed them together over her head, they exploded. She felled an entire army that day, except for Daygan, and saved the city and its inhabitants. She sacrificed herself to save her kingdom.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Tears flowed unchecked down Ryleigh’s cheeks, but she stayed quiet and waited for him to compose himself and continue.

“The entire kingdom died with her. The lush green grass of the fields turned brown and brittle, the trees and flowers wilted and died, a cover of haze fell over the land. Darkness and shadow overtook spaces that were once filled with sunlight and color.” The memory of what Cymmera had once been was more distant, elusive, more difficult to envision.

“What happened to Daygan? Why didn’t he die with them?” She spoke quietly, affording him respect and reverence he didn’t deserve.

“He’s a powerful sorcerer, and his prophet is always at his side. His seer must have known what she had planned. Maybe they’d staged the whole thing to eliminate the queen. Who knows? But an instant before the stones crashed together, they both vanished.” It still tortured him.

If Queen Dara had realized the two of them would disappear, would she have stopped? Probably not. She had a kingdom to defend, children to protect. Taking Daygan with her would have been a bonus, but she still had to eliminate the immediate threat.

Would he have the courage to sacrifice himself to save the people of Cymmera? He thought he would, or he would never have trained as a warrior, wouldn’t be next in line to inherit the throne. He shifted in his seat.

“What happened after that?” Mia leaned forward between the seats.

He had no doubt he would sacrifice his life to protect this child. “When King Maynard returned—”

“Maynard? Are you a descendent of the king?” Ryleigh twisted her fingers together. Nerves? Or was she having a hard time believing him?

“Yes.” How much to tell her? “A direct descendent of the King and Queen.” Not a lie. He held Ryleigh’s gaze.

“What happened when he came back and found out what the queen had done?” Mia’s rapt interest saved him from answering the further questions he sensed Ryleigh had.

“We sent—”

Ryleigh sucked in a breath.

Oops—”a rider to inform him.”

Mia remained still, though, and Ryleigh didn’t call him on it, so he continued.

“He was heartbroken…more than that.”

His father had been inconsolable.

Queen Dara had been the light to his dark, the kindness to his ferocity. Her sensitivity had balanced his strength and power. Without her, he became a dark, brooding figure who ruled with an iron fist and a heavy heart.

“He sent out a team of assassins to kill Daygan, but the sorcerer eluded them every time. The inability to send an army to Argonas to punish Daygan ate at King Maynard, caused him to become even more bitter, more angry. But his hands were tied. No less than an army would make it past Daygan’s savages, yet he couldn’t send all of his warriors and leave Cymmera unprotected. His bitterness festered. Until one day…” He blew out a breath. Would they hate him? Hate his father, his king? Could they understand?

Jackson took a moment, opened his senses, searched for any sign of danger. Nothing, but without his extra senses he couldn’t be sure. They seemed safe enough for now.

Ah, well. “Cymmera’s seer, Elijah, approached King Maynard. He relayed a vision he’d seen in which humans fought alongside Cymmeran warriors. Not just any humans, specially trained men who were experts in the art of battle. The King wasted no time assembling a team of Death Dealers to retrieve the humans from the vision. And so it began. Each time Elijah had a vision of who was needed, the Death Dealer squad was sent to acquire them. Humans can’t be transferred to Cymmera alive, so the team was aptly named. Once the humans were reborn in Cymmera, they had no hope of returning to your realm. They were all given a choice.” Some choice. “They could survive eternity as slaves, or fight for Cymmera and receive all the glory due a warrior. The Cymmerans are good people.” He silently pleaded with Ryleigh to believe that. “All of the humans eventually joined us, even the ones who initially held out.”

That was the worst of it, well almost anyway. “Come on, let’s get Mia inside, and I’ll tell you the rest.” He needed a break, if only for a few minutes, a little time to collect his thoughts, reign in his grief, prepare himself for her rejection.

Neither of the girls argued. They probably needed time to digest it all as well.

His protective instincts ratcheted up as they crossed the pitch black of the front lawn and climbed the stairs to the porch.