Chapter Five
Thonis
Hendric joined Thonis halfway to the portal room. He was grim-faced as he strode beside Thonis, sparing only a nod of acknowledgment as they headed for the room. Thonis was meant to bring Audiv back to Indulf after that quake. It had felt like magic but unstable and with a signature that Thonis didn’t recognize. His gut clenched as he thought about everything that might have caused it.
“I’m bringing Audiv to the king,” Thonis said to Hendric as they crossed into the portal room.
“The king sent me to bring whoever it was that just came through—” he cut off, eyes widening.
Thonis followed his gaze. He stopped dead when he saw the two people who had clearly just come from Earth. First was Vindr, whose presence meant that something had happened on Earth. In front of him, her hands clenched at her sides as she glowered into his glare, was Katrina. Audiv stood nearby, arms folded, and an unimpressed look on her face.
What the hell was Katrina doing here? And why was Vindr glaring at her like that? He was a hunter—not even a proper guard! He had no right to look at the princess that way. Not to mention that whatever he was currently hissing at Katrina couldn’t be her fault. It was his own damn fault for bringing her along to a world she knew next to nothing about.
“It was definitely a portal surge,” one of the mages nearby said, and Thonis turned to see Hendric’s mate, Sylvia, standing to one side with him. “It wasn’t like anything I’ve felt before. Untamed and very powerful. Audiv was nearly caught in the blast, and we lost a whole statue. And then they came through.” She cast a worried look at Katrina. “Indulf’s going to be furious that she’s here, isn’t he?”
He wasn’t the only one. Thonis found his feet again and strode forward, his flames roaring so hard that he could taste the smoke in his throat. He opened his mouth furiously as he got closer, but before he could start chewing Vindr out, he heard what he was saying.
“I don’t care if you have received invites before. That was a stupid move, jumping in after me. All we had was a battery.”
“Well, we made it, didn’t we?” Katrina spat back.
“We could have—”
“I know.” She held up a hand. “Those portals were designed for single passengers only, and with the magical surge, it could have ripped us both to pieces or sent us into a completely wrong time. But it didn’t. We’re here, it’s the right time, and there is no reason for you to keep shouting at me.”
Vindr threw his hands into the air. “I’m not shouting at you,” he shouted at her. “I’m trying to get you to understand that you took a risky, stupid move that made it even more likely for both of us to die. These things have effects—who knows, maybe you jumping in after me like that was why there was the magic surge to begin with.”
Thonis had seen enough. He quickly strode over, putting himself between Vindr and Katrina. He felt a little chagrinned for assuming that Vindr had brought her along and a little annoyed that she thought she should just jump into a portal after him, but most of all, he wanted this to stop.
“So,” he drawled as he stepped between them, “what brings you here, Vindr?”
“There was some sort of magic quake back on Earth. Jord ordered me to come inform the king at once.”
Thonis turned to Katrina. He opened his mouth, intending to ask her the same question but before he could, she had flung herself at him. Her arms wrapped tight around his waist as she buried her face in his shoulder. Thonis froze, eyes widening. They had hugged and had physical contact before, of course, but for her to throw herself at him like that?
“I needed to know what was happening,” she blurted, her arms tightening around him. “And—I had to see you. I thought it might be the connection between our worlds and I couldn’t just… I had to see you.”
Her voice fell to little more than a whisper. When she lifted her head, Thonis saw tears on her cheeks. He wasn’t sure how to respond… She had come through to see him? Made that risky choice, could have ended up dying… because of him? He searched her gaze, his heart hammering. Could it really be true?
He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. What could he say to that? Katrina bit her lip and started to pull away. Not wanting to lose her warmth from his embrace, he tightened his arms instinctively. A light flickered in her eyes and she started to crane her neck to him—
Out of the corner of his eye, Thonis saw Warmund enter the room. Once more, he acted on instinct. He pushed Katrina away from himself, turning on his heel to face his prince as he did so. His stomach clenched at Katrina’s startled, disappointed gasp.
“Your Highness,” he greeted the prince, who had stopped dead and stared at Katrina with eyes as round as plates. “It appears that Katrina came through the portal with Vindr.”
Warmund turned to the other dragon, fire starting to burn in his eyes. “Why would you take such a risk?”
“He didn’t.” Katrina strode forward, head held high, looking like the princess she was—even though she was wearing Beauty and the Beast pajamas. “I came through behind him, without Vindr’s knowledge. Now, we should go talk to Indulf. There was a huge magical burst on Earth, and it ate half our basement. We need to figure out what’s happening.”
Thonis watched as Warmund nodded and swallowed. He glanced over Katrina’s shoulder at Thonis and jerked his chin. Thonis nodded his understanding and gestured for Vindr and Audiv to go with them.
“I’ll keep looking into things on this end,” Sylvia said and hurried to join the other mages.
***
Indulf was just as surprised as the rest of them to see Katrina. Thonis thought briefly, hopefully, that he would tell her everything now that she was in Byrelmore. It wasn’t going to be long before her dragon emerged, and it was time for her to know the truth. However, Indulf didn’t say a thing about her heritage, instead listening to what she said, then chiding her that she shouldn’t have come to Byrelmore like that.
Katrina shrugged her shoulders and twisted a tight curl around her fingers. “I didn’t really think about it. I just wanted to get here and see for myself… That everybody was alright.”
Indulf’s gaze flickered to Thonis and he tried to appear smaller. After the embrace that Warmund had witnessed, he had every reason to suspect he was going to be taken off his assignment.
The king, though, didn’t mention him. “We’ll send a message through to have Hazel and the others find another place to stay until we can get this figured out,” he said and gave Katrina a tight smile. “Until we do, though, you’ll have to stay here. We can’t risk sending you back through until we know it’s stable.”
“Fair enough.” Katrina dropped her hand and ducked her head. “Guess I did act kind of stupid.”
Indulf laughed and put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re young. We all do stupid things when we’re young. Thonis.”
Thonis straightened and nodded.
“Please show Katrina to the guest room next to my apartment and inform Anna and the others that she’s here. It’s time for Friday night D&D anyway.” The king’s smile became strained, but Thonis saw him struggling to remain calm. Behind him, Warmund glared a death-glower at him. “You may go.”
Thonis bowed to his king and prince, then put a hand on Katrina’s arm to lead her out. She wrapped her arms around her waist and let out a shuddering breath as they left Indulf’s office. Audiv waited outside and nodded to them as she went into the office.
The two of them walked in silence for a while, until they reached the room where Katrina would be staying. Thonis entered it first and gestured her in, feeling awkward.
“We don’t have mattresses here, at least not the kind that you’re used to. I’ll have something sent up for you.” Thonis shifted on the spot. Would it be alright for him to bring up what she said, or was this an inappropriate time? “Uh… I am happy to see you,” he settled on. “But with everything—”
“I shouldn’t have come. You dragons have made that very clear.”
Thonis sighed and put an arm around her. “It’s late, and it’s clear you’re tired. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”
Tension visibly drained from her body. She gave him a small smile and nodded. Thonis stepped back into the hall and closed the door. That day at the lake, she had pretended like nothing happened. And now she tried to kiss him… Had he been so focused on his own emotions and making sure he wasn’t overstepping bounds that he had missed something from her?
He turned, only to nearly collide with Warmund. The prince glowered at him, lips curled back over his teeth.
Thonis repressed a sigh. This was it. He was about to lose his position.
“What the hell was that about?”
“Was what about?”
Warmund folded his arms. “The way you were holding onto her like that. What’s going on between the two of you?”
Thonis bristled at his tone. Yes, Katrina was his sister, but he was acting far too possessively-overprotective. His position be damned—Thonis crossed his arms. “What is between me and Katrina is nothing more than what she has indicated she is comfortable with. Maybe there’s nothing at all. You are my prince, but you have no business trying to threaten me off if she wants a relationship with—”
“You were assigned to her protection. This has nothing to do with Wildref being my sister.” Warmund snarled and stepped forward. “She was assigned to you. Are you so unprofessional that you would start an affair with your ward?”
“She was never my ward,” Thonis argued. The word had too many child-guardian connotations. He was twenty-five centuries old, equivalent to her twenty-four years. Sure, she was young, but living on Earth, she wasn’t younger in maturity than he was! He glared at the prince now, folding his arms. “Your Highness, I respect you and I respect that you want to protect your sister. But she is an adult and quite frankly, you have no business involving yourself in her love life.”
Warmund’s eyes flashed
“But I will say this… there has been nothing between us. Nothing,” Thonis repeated as Warmund relaxed slightly. “And there won’t be—unless she wants there to be.”
Warmund opened his mouth then closed it again. He studied Thonis for a moment before nodding, looking irritable, and turned on his heel. He marched away without a word, leaving Thonis to breathe out a sigh. He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. Where had that come from? He had defied his prince! He was going to be kicked out for sure.
But as he thought about Katrina and how close she had been, her scent enveloping him… he didn’t care. He wanted her. And as soon as things were calm enough, he would tell her and let the path go as it chose from there.