Into the Ashes [The Arcadians 2] (14 page)

where I couldn’t embarrass you

until I learned all the rules of this

place.”

“You didn’t embarrass us.” Kadan

rushed to say.

She wanted to laugh, but had a

sinking feeling if she did she would

end up crying. And she hated to cry.

“Look, this is hard enough for me as

it is being here in this strange place

and I’m trying my best. I’m sorry I

ate too much and that it bothers me

to be fed by you. And I hate that

your friend would talk about me like

I’m not even here. I find it

demeaning and it makes me feel like

some pet or something you own

instead of a person you’re supposed

to care about.”

“You are our queen, mate,”

Savitar said softly. “There is no rule

that is more important than your

happiness.”

“Savitar is right.” Kadan added

with a look of remorse. “This is new

to all of us, but we will learn

together. Have patience with us,

sweetling.”

Raven smiled at him and Kadan

leaned down to press a soft kiss on

her lips as Savitar squeezed her hand

in comfort. Kadan turned back to the

rest of the table, who were watching

them with curiosity.

“Our mate was wise enough to

point out that the reason males do not

speak to mated females is because of

the jealousy her mates feel,” Kadan

explained. “We may have been

wrong if the female does not feel

respected by the practice. From now

on Raven wishes to be spoken to

directly and should be accorded her

request.”

Raven was touched that Kadan had

explained her wishes to the men at

the table. “Not that my mates have

anything to worry about,” she said

quickly.

She

appreciated

them

making it clear to their people that

she wanted to be treated equally, but

she didn’t want to make it seem like

she welcomed attention from other

men. Males. Damn it, she had to

remember to get the terminology right

from now on.

The males at the table nodded and

Damos took a deep breath before

speaking directly to her. “What is a

cop, my queen?”

Raven smiled at him. “A cop is like

a warrior where I’m from.”

“A warrior?” Koreth laughed.

“How can this be? You are no bigger

than a youngling!”

“And you are female!” Brynt burst

out.

Selina frowned. “This is all very

strange.”

“But exciting!” Nyla exclaimed.

“Do you come from a race of female

warriors then?”

“No, where I come from men and

women are equal.”

“Impossible!” Brynt burst out,

making Kadan and Savitar growl

again. Brynt cast a leery glance at

Savitar who had started to rise out of

his seat.

Raven placed a gentle hand on his

arm so he settled back down then

eyed the idiot sitting across from her.

She remembered him now. He was

one of the males that she had

managed to allude during her frantic

escape upon her arrival. Amused

now, she couldn’t help but smile

sweetly

at

the

stupid

male.

“Impossible? Really? It didn’t seem

so impossible when I flipped you

over yesterday.”

Brynt’s nostrils flared with anger,

but the heat in his eyes had more to

do with just resentment. Disgusted

with him, Raven leaned into Savitar.

When his arm came around her again,

she felt safe and protected. Yeah,

maybe she shouldn’t have baited

Brynt, but it was hard not to when the

stupid guy all but asked for it.

Selina cleared her throat and shot

Raven a fake smile. “Queen Raven,

perhaps you would like to visit with

Nyla and myself today so we may…

help

you

learn

about

female

Arcadians.”

Oh, hell no. There was no way in

hell she was spending any more time

with this viper. “Thanks, but I was

hoping to spend the day with Kadan.”

Raven turned to see Kadan’s golden

eyes glowing with warmth at her

announcement. “If that is all right

with you?”

“It would be perfect, mate.” Kadan

growled softly. “What is it you wish

to do?”

“Well,” Raven hedged. “I would

like to see some of the city. But

before that I was hoping I could see

where you guys train.”

Kadan’s eyes narrowed. “You wish

to see the warriors training?”

Idiots. The flash of jealousy she felt

coming off of both of her mates had

her rolling her eyes. “I don’t want to

ogle your men,” she said through

their bond. “I just wanted to see your

training facilities. Remember? I was

a warrior, too. I’m used to exercise

and stuff.”

“Keep your mate in bed and that

will be enough exercise for her,”

Koreth said with a laugh.

On a deadly growl, Kadan reached

out and with a casual display of

strength, picked Koreth up by his

shirt and flung the large male away

from the table. Koreth landed in a

heap several feet away. “You will

want to stay away from me and our

mate for some time,” Kadan warned

in a savage snarl. “Until I no longer

have the urge to kill you or until you

learn to hold your tongue.”

“Forgive us, King Kadan,” Brynt

said as he quickly stood, obviously

knowing they had pushed them too

far. He then held out a hand to Selina.

“Come, sister. We shall take you

home.” Selina and Brynt hurried

away from the table, all but racing

from the room to catch up to Koreth,

who had already left.

Kadan turned sad eyes to Raven.

“Do not fear me.”

His jaw dropped as she laughed.

She reached out, cupping his face in

her hands, and smacked a hard kiss to

his lips.

“This may be inappropriate, but

that was totally awesome!”

Chapter Seven

Raven walked out into the sunlight

holding both Kadan and Savitar’s

hands. The sun was a bright white

against the light-pink sky, making it

difficult to see until her eyes adjusted

to the change. Nyla and her mates

walked with them as they made their

way across the courtyard.

There were people milling about

that stopped to bow as Kadan and

Savitar walked by. It made Raven

feel weird, but hey, they were kings.

It was going to take her a lot longer

to get used to the genuflecting being

directed at her. She could tell that the

others were curious about her by the

way they stared, but she tried not to

notice them and kept her head held

high even though she wanted to

burrow into Savitar’s side to avoid

the scrutiny.

“Queen Raven—”

“Ah, do you think you could drop

the title and just call me Raven when

we are among friends?” Raven asked

her mate’s cousin. “We are related

after all…sort of.”

“I would be honored.” The other

woman smiled and her eyes glowed

bright with pleasure. “I am so

pleased my cousins have chosen such

a beautiful and kind mate. It has been

many long years that I have waited to

see Savitar, Kadan, and Tristan so

happy.”

“Speaking of…” Raven began. “I

thought you guys were all born as

triplets. Are Kell and Damos your

only mates?”

“Nay, our other brother Malik is

guarding King Tristan while they

hunt,” Damos said.

“Ah. And by hunting you mean…”

“They hunt the rogues that hide

within our region,” Kadan explained.

“Malik is Tristan’s personal guard,

just like Damos is mine and Savitar

has Kell. About that, we will need

you to have guards as well. One of us

will try to always be with you, but

for the times when we cannot, you

will need to be guarded.”

Well, that made sense. There

would always be threats against the

rulers of any land and as the Queen of

the Iron Palace it would make sense

she would have to have guards to

keep her safe. “Okay.”

Kadan nodded. “Good. We shall

choose

a

trio

that

you

feel

comfortable with. Two of them will

always be with you and they shall

rotate on a schedule.”

“Why two when you only have

one?”

“Perhaps it is because we believe

you will cause twice as much

mischief?” Savitar quipped, shocking

the others at his lighthearted mood.

Raven could tell that this was not

how he normally was in front of

others and that he was making an

effort, for her. She could also sense

that he was worried she would be

angry with the added protection.

They only wanted to keep her safe, so

she would have to suck it up and deal

with two guards.

She sighed. “You’re probably right.

But if I have to have two bodyguards

I reserve the right to tell them to get

lost if we need…private time.”

Savitar’s eyes brightened with lust.

“We shall send them far away.”

“Deal.”

She felt Kadan’s sorrow at her and

Savitar’s easy banter. He believed it

would be a long time until she was

comfortable enough to joke with him,

but he was also pleased that she

treated Savitar well and accepted

him for who he was.

Still, she had decided to start fresh

with Kadan and that was what she

was going to do. Knowing their

thoughts was confusing, but very

helpful at times. She turned to Kadan

and batted her lashes up at him,

making

him

stiffen

in

shock.

“Although, I thought it was your job

as my mates to guard my body

personally,” she said in what she

hoped was a seductive whisper.

“Every

inch,

mate,”

Kadan

growled. She slowly smiled in

response.

Kell cleared his throat. “The

guards will mostly be necessary

when you leave the palace, Queen

Raven. It is essential that you let your

guards know whenever you are

venturing out into the Citadel.”

“I will. But I’ve also been trained

on how to defend myself,” she

reminded her mates.

Nyla smiled shyly. “Cousin Raven,

were you truly a warrior where you

were from?”

Raven nodded at the taller woman

who shivered at the very thought.

Savitar had told her earlier that

Arcadian

females

didn’t

like

violence and it was clear by the

expressions of the others that they

couldn’t imagine a woman doing a

warrior’s duties.

“I mean no offense, my queen. But

you are as big as my sword. How is

it that one such as small as you are

able to defend yourself?” Damos

asked cautiously.

Raven laughed. “Well, considering

people from my world aren’t as big

as you guys, it’s a lot easier. But

besides that, I carry a weapon when

I’m on duty.”

“Is that what that toy was you held

last night?” Kell asked.

“Toy?” Raven asked.

Kell nodded. “The small metal

object that you held in your hand at

the festival.”

She laughed. “That was my gun. It’s

not a toy, it’s a weapon.”

Kell

frowned.

“I

do

not

understand.”

Savitar’s head tilted to the side. “I

would like to see this weapon of

yours.”

Uh oh. The rest of the group

stopped walking as she slowed to a

stop. She nibbled at her lower lip as

she thought about how to approach

this. If she showed them how her

weapon worked, what would be the

effect on this new world? She could

be the cause of mass destruction if

they chose to replicate it. Thousands

of lives could be destroyed. Jesus,

they would end up calling her the