Page 32 of Realms of Shadow and Sun (A World of Sun and Shadow #3)

Grayden held his dagger right at Brandle's throat. "I should slit you from ear to ear for touching my mate,"

he growled, his voice thunderous and echoing off the walls of the room.

The chamber, once used as a dungeon, had been converted to a weapons storage by Grayden's father, though the chains still remained. Brandle sat chained to a chair in the center of the room, pale and cowering as Grayden continued to threaten his life.

"Do you not have words for me?"

Grayden continued, jerking Brandle up by the collar of his robes. "Did you think there would be no consequences for touching what is mine?"

Brandle sputtered, eyes wide and darting. Grayden released his hold, and Brandle fell back into the chair, which creaked and shifted with the impact. Grayden roared and threw the dagger at Brandle, feeling a bit of satisfaction as it just grazed his neck before impaling the chair he was sitting on.

"Grayden,"

Cyrus warned. Grayden continued pacing the chamber, fisting his hair in his hands. "Do we need to do this without you?"

Grayden sighed, trembling and clenching his knuckles. He had promised Renya he wouldn't kill Brandle...yet.

Phillippe moved in, standing in front of Brandle. "Tell us why you are here, or else I'm going to let my brother gut you like a fish."

Brandle shook again, and Grayden rolled his eyes as he saw a gleam of a tear in Brandle's eye. Weak. He was weak, hiding behind his powerful cousin and his magic.

"Fine, I'll tell you everything. Just please, don't hurt me,"

he whined, staring at Grayden. Grayden grinned, relieved that his presence was enough to frighten Brandle.

"Then speak, you disgusting coward,"

Phillippe said, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"She's coming here to the Snow Lands. She might be on her way now already. She wants her daughter back."

Grayden growled again, and this time Cyrus came over and put a gentle hand on Grayden's shoulder. "She's not going to take her again, son. I've made sure of that. I'll protect her with my life."

"I will too,"

Grayden replied, grinding his teeth. He hated relying on Cyrus's magic for everything. He wanted to protect Renya himself, protect his lands and people.

"Is she bringing her army?"

Cyrus asked Brandle. He shook his head no, and Grayden felt a bit of the tension leave his body.

"She must think she can come in and grab Renya and leave,"

Phillippe said, still eyeing Brandle carefully. "Are you sure your magic will hold up?"

"It should,"

Cyrus said. "It's weaker than it's ever been, cloaking two separate areas, but it should hold for a little longer. We need to start making plans, though. I can feel myself weakening."

"Just in case, I think we need to restrict everyone in the village and have them shelter inside, and I want everyone in the lodge to wait her out in the sublevels."

Grayden looked at Phillippe, and he nodded his agreement.

Just then, a loud roar echoed throughout the lodge, terrifying and deep. Grayden's heart sank. She was already here.

"Stay with Brandle,"

he ordered Sion. "And don't kill him,"

he added, knowing Sion wanted him dead just as much as he did.

"Grayden, go to my daughter,"

Cyrus instructed. "Don't let Renya anywhere near Cressida, and don't let her out of your sight. You know how she is, she'll want to sacrifice herself."

Grayden nodded, but hoped in his heart that Renya's last promise to him was enough to deter her from that. "Phillippe, I want you to go outside and protect the village. If Cyrus's magic holds, she shouldn't be able to see anyone."

Phillippe left without saying a word, and Grayden headed in the direction of the stables. Renya was often there during the day, stroking her new filly and talking to Beauty. Grayden was almost certain that the dragon understood every word and command Renya gave her.

He rushed up the stairs to the main floor, issuing orders to every servant he met to stay inside the lodge, before leaving through the back door. He trudged towards the stables, the heavy snow making it difficult to move quickly.

Another roar, followed by deafening silence. Grayden looked up, and saw Cressida on the back of one of her dragons, only a few yards away from the lodge, circling in the sky. He stopped, feeling exposed in the middle of the snowy field. But Cyrus's magic held, and she circled around and around, irritation easy to read in her posture.

He heard a loud roar from inside the barn, and knew Beauty was agitated. Ignoring Cressida above him, he ran for the stable, throwing open the door and closing it against the cold air.

"Grayden!"

Renya exclaimed, and quickly ran to his side, fear in her eyes. "She's here!"

"Shhhh, it's okay. She can't find you. Everything looks abandoned. Cyrus told me that she doesn't know of this type of magic, so she won't even suspect that we are hiding in plain sight."

Renya nodded, her fear preventing her from speaking. Grayden grabbed her hand, holding it in his. Her hand was cold, and she was shaking. He wasn't sure if it was from the temperature or fear.

"She won't take you from me again, Renya."

Her bottom lip trembled, and Grayden knew she was trying so hard to be strong. He understood her fear, because it was the same as his. His dreams kept him up at night, horrible nightmares where she was ripped from his arms. He often awoke, covered in sweat, breathing unevenly until he found Renya next to him. He held her tight in those moments, not wanting to wake her, but needing the comfort her warm body provided him.

He did that again now, covering her body with his, feeling her tremble beneath him. He kissed her hairline, trying to comfort her the best way he knew, and in turn, comforting himself as well.

Beauty continued roaring, but it was a panicky, throaty roar. Grayden wasn't sure if she was picking up on Renya's nervous energy, or if she could sense the other dragon.

Renya sighed from inside the protective cocoon of Grayden's arms and then carefully untangled herself. Grayden watched her walk towards the stall that held Beauty, and undo the iron latch keeping her contained. She comforted Beauty, making soft crooning noises, and the dragon began to settle.

"Do you think she's gone yet?"

Renya asked him, her eyes moist with unshed tears.

"I'll go check,"

Grayden said, walking towards the door. He opened it, and peered outside. The snowstorm had picked up, and visibility from the barn to the lodge was poor, but he didn't see any sign of her. He stood at the door for a few more minutes, making sure she was really gone before heading back to Beauty's stall.

"I think she's left, Little Fawn."

Renya exhaled, looking at Grayden, and then ran over to him. He pulled her into his arms again, and held her for a long time, listening to her heartbeat against the howling wind outside.

"I think we need to make our move now,"

Renya said, her voice strong and steady. Grayden watched on with pride, glad she was asserting herself and becoming the leader she was meant to be. "She'll only keep searching, and next time, I imagine she'll bring her entire army."

Tumwalt, Almory, Phillippe, Agatha and Sion all joined them in the cabinet room. After Grayden and Renya left the stables, they immediately called a meeting. It was time for them to stop planning and start acting.

"How will we draw her to the Sun Realm?"

Agatha asked.

"Brandle,"

Grayden said. "We'll force him to send her a falcon stating that Renya will be there, held against her will."

"Then what do we do with him?"

Sion asked, and Grayden knew he wished the answer to be death.

"We bring him with us,"

Renya said, looking at Sion. "I know that's not what you want, Sion, and it's not what I want either. But if something goes wrong, perhaps we can use him as a bargaining chip. But I do promise you this, Sion. He won't be allowed to go free. Even if Cressida bargains for his life, we will track him down."

"Do you promise?"

Sion asked.

"I promise, Sion,"

Renya said.

"So, what next?"

Phillippe asked.

"We coordinate with our allies: the Spring Lands, the Twilight and the Tidal Kingdoms. I need to let them know immediately, since Triston was going to come here next and will need to change directions,"

Grayden said. The second he mentioned the Tidal Kingdom, his brother sat up a bit straighter. Renya must be right, Grayden thought. Phillippe was very interested in Esmeralda.

"And we're all meeting in the Sun Realm?"

Tumwalt asked quietly. He was still cautious around Grayden, not wishing to invoke his wrath. Tumwalt was also careful to be respectful to Renya. Grayden was glad that his advisor finally understood her importance in their world, and in his life.

"Correct,"

Grayden said. "This evening, I'll send a hawk to Triston, Kalora, Samatra and Thesand. We'll march under Cyrus's cloaking spell, and the Tidal Kingdom will travel along the river with the Spring Lands to avoid detection. Kalora's army will stay close to the trees in the Twilight forest and then move at night in the desert. Hopefully we can all get there undetected. When we arrive, that's when we'll force Brandle to write to his queen."

"Does anyone foresee any problems with what we've proposed?"

Renya asked.

Almory shook his head, pleased with the plan. Tumwalt stroked his chin, and then voiced his agreement. Phillippe and Sion both agreed.

"It's a good plan, daughter,"

Cyrus said, looking at Renya with the same pride that Grayden shared. "Let's put everything into motion."

The next few days flew by, with everyone working furiously to prepare. Renya trained with Cyrus, picking up additional pointers on how to wield the magic of the sun. Grayden watched, pleased to see his mate bond with her father and grow even stronger in her magic. For his part, Grayden trained hard with Phillippe, Charly, and Sion, working their muscles until they bulged from the blood flow.

Tumwalt and Almory oversaw the village, ensuring every resident knew to go to the lodge at the first sign of trouble. Almory and Tumwalt would both stay behind, at Grayden's insistence. If something happened, they would be in charge of securing the Snow Lands. Dimitri would come to the Sun Realm and provide assistance to those injured in battle.

They all worked incredibly hard, right up until the night before. Grayden spent several hours that night in the cabinet room, reiterating their strategy and preparing for any unforeseen circumstances or problems they might encounter. Only when he saw Renya yawn did he finally decide to dismiss everyone.

"Go get some rest. We leave at first light,"

he said, and watched everyone file out of the room, leaving him and Renya alone.

"Come with me, Little Fawn. I have a surprise for you,"

he said, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the room and up the stairs to their chambers.

They entered their room, and Renya looked around, her forehead wrinkled. "What's the surprise?"

she asked. "Or was this just your attempt to get me in your bed so you can seduce me?"

"You'll see,"

he teased. "Wait here for a few minutes."

He went into the bathroom, getting to work.

"The bathroom? What kind of surprise could you possibly have in there?"

He could hear her mocking him through the closed bathroom door.

After a few minutes, he called her in.

Grayden looked around the room, pleased with how it turned out.

While they were all concentrating on the battle ahead, Grayden reached out to the best stone cutters in the village and had them replace the bathtub in their chambers. The bath was made of a beautiful piece of carved marble, smooth and warm colored in the light of the candles that he lit on every surface of the bathroom. Lotus petals floated in the water, and Grayden knew the lavender bath salts he put in would delight Renya.

"It's...amazing, Grayden!"

she beamed, happiness shining in her eyes. "How did you pull this off?"

"I have my ways, Little Fawn. I must admit, it was hard to keep it a secret. I tried so hard not to think about it so you wouldn't find out."

"Well, I didn't suspect a thing,"

she said, quickly disrobing. He watched her remove her clothing, excited but also worried. He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life here, in his home, with her by his side. He wasn't sure if this would be their last night together, or if they'd have an entire lifetime of moments like these. Trying not to dwell on it, he brought his mind back to the present, watching Renya slip into the tub, giving him an encouraging look.

Grayden breathed deeply, as Renya dunked underneath the water, lotus petals floating around her. He stripped down and then crawled in behind her, dragging her across his lap and against his chest.

"I thought we got a bigger tub so we could have our own space?"

she teased.

Grayden growled, and then playfully bit her earlobe. She sighed, and he kissed her neck, slowly making his way down to her collar bone. He placed another nip along her shoulder, and she began to squirm in his arms.

"Hold still, or I'll stop,"

he warned, and she giggled and splashed water back at him.

"I'm never going to do what you tell me to do,"

she threatened.

"You will right now,"

he replied darkly, dipping his hands under the water to stroke the inside of her thigh. She shivered under his touch, creating ripples on the surface of the water, and he knew he had won.

"That's my good girl,"

he whispered huskily against her ear, his hands moving closer and closer to her center. "My sweet Renya. Hold still and let me love you."

He moved his fingers to her folds, and she jerked back against his touch. The second she moved, he stopped what he was doing.

"What did I say, Little Fawn?"

She didn't answer, but he could see the red creep down her neck and he knew it wasn't the temperature of the water causing her to flush. He continued gently kissing her along her neck, then replaced his fingers.

"Grayden,"

she whispered, as he began teasing her again, just enough to make her tremble but nothing more than that.

"Do you need me, my love?"

"Yes,"

she whimpered, leaning back farther into his muscular chest.

"I think we need to get clean first,"

he said, grabbing a tiny bottle and lathering up his hands. She whined the second he moved his hands away from her flesh, but he just grinned. She'd teased and taunted him enough during their time together, and he was enjoying the erotic game he was playing.

He ran his fingers through her hair, cleaning the strands and humming lightly as he worked the soap through.

"You're a tease!"

she accused.

"It takes one to know one. Now hush. You're distracting me."

But in truth, he was the one hoping to distract her. He knew tomorrow they would leave the protection of the lodge, and they wouldn't be able to be together again until it was over. He wanted to give her this one night, these few hours, to relax and try to forget what was coming.

She sighed impatiently, and then he gasped as he felt her fingers circle around him.

"You were saying?"

she asked sweetly, and he growled a low growl.

"Keep playing with fire and you're going to get burned,"

he warned.

She slid her hand up and down his length and then turned her face towards him, a defiant smile evident.

"That's it, you've done it now."

He stood up and stepped out of the tub before she could react, and then scooped her up in his arms. He carried her to the bed, dripping wet, while she protested.

"We're going to ruin the bedding,"

she complained.

"I don't care."

He laid her on the bed, sweeping her wet hair off of her face before kissing her. He joined her on the bed, and rolled on top of her. She reached out to stroke his chest, but he grabbed her hands and held them above her head.

"Now you're going to pay for not listening to your mate," he said.

Her eyes flashed with desire, and he was glad. He leaned back in and kissed her, swallowing the smart remark that he was sure she was about to give him. He deepened the kiss, and he felt all the resistance leave her body as she melted into the furs under her.

He gave her one last kiss on her swollen lips before beginning a trail of kisses down her body. He lapped up every drop of water that clung to her skin, and every drop that dripped down on her from his wet hair.

"What have you learned?"

he growled.

"Absolutely nothing,"

she said, eyes sparkling. He groaned, loving the fire she possessed. She was truly of the Sun Realm. She burned so brightly for him; she was a beacon of hope for everything in his life.

"I love you,"

he said, now in the mood for tenderness.

"I love you too. Forever.

"Always,"

he agreed.