Thirty-Four
Zalesthorn
Shocked over Casin’s death and what he attempted to do to her and Saber, Tirah glanced around the little cabin for her fierce warrior. “Where did he go?”
Mihel frowned. “I don’t know.” Skirting Casin, he went to the open door and peered out. “I don’t see him.” Then Mihel looked back at her. “Who is he anyway?”
Tirah swallowed deeply. “He—” She stopped. What should she say? Saber had captured her? Or that he claimed her as his mate? “His name is Saber. Saberthorn.”
Mihel paled and his eyes grew wide. “As in the one who has been hunting and killing everyone from that night?”
Tirah nodded. “Yes.”
“The same one who has been hunting you, keeping you on the run for ten long years?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes, but you can’t blame him.” Tirah stared morbidly at the blood seeping into the wooden floorboards, and a shiver of dread ran through her.
“Can’t I?” Mihel asked, bitterness in his voice. “You had to run because of him. I lost my sister because of him.”
Tirah sighed. “No. I had to run because of what I did, and you know it. I killed my superior. Besides, you haven’t lost me. I’m right here.”
“Yeah, for how long?” Then Mihel pursed his lips, as if he knew she was right and didn’t want to admit it.
“Mihel, Saber told me it was his niece we killed that night, and—” She sighed with frustration. “Apparently Casin was there. He must’ve been the one hiding behind the outcropping of rocks, the coward.” Realizing she was rambling, she got back on topic. “I can’t believe Casin was the one who sent Saber’s brother to Hades. Saber’s been trying to find a way to get his brother back ever since.”
Mihel sighed and then winced and rubbed his temple. It was an action she was all too familiar with, and only made her worry about Saber more.
“Are you all right?” she asked, noticing the lump on Mihel’s temple.
“I’ll be fine. Casin hit me with something really hard. You know, I really tried. For years I tried to get along with him, but he was always such an asshole.”
“I know.” Bending down, she picked up the large ruby and the shiny dragon scale her brother had used to send Adariasthorn to Hades. Going over to the pack, Tirah tucked them inside to keep them safe. “Do you have any idea of what spell he might have used?”
Mihel shook his head. “No.”
“Crap,” Tirah sighed.
“I guess if it’s that important I can try to find out,” Mihel offered.
Tirah nodded, holding her pack. “Yes, please do. In the meantime, I need to give these to Saber. Maybe he can figure it out or knows someone who can. Maybe these can be used to reverse the spell.”
Mihel stared at her. “I might agree with some of what you said, but are you crazy? I don’t think you should go anywhere near this Saberthorn, he’s dangerous.”
Tirah smiled sadly. “He is, but not to me.”
“Tirah.”
“Mihel, I’m a grown woman. Please trust me. Saber won’t hurt me,” she said the last quietly. “Besides, he could easily have killed all of us and didn’t. In fact, he freed you.” She stared at his raw wrists where he’d been bound.
Mihel scowled at her. “Well, it doesn’t matter. We need to go get Mother back. Somehow.”
Tirah nodded and they spent a few minutes trying to come up with a plan.
“Aren’t you next in line to be commander, now that—” Tirah looked sadly down at Casin. She knew he had hated them all, though still didn’t really understand the why of it, or his desire for her. She shuddered at the memory of his gaze on her. “Now that he’s dead?”
Mihel sighed deeply. “That is the last thing I ever wanted to be, but yes, I’m next in line.”
“Well, maybe it will be a good thing.”
Anger lit his eyes. “How do you figure?”
“Maybe you can make some changes for the Ilyium,” she suggested.
Mihel swore quietly and shook his head. “Me as commander? I’d really rather die.”
“Mihel.” Tirah stared at her brother, but he just rolled his eyes.
She laughed, and a moment later, Mihel joined her. Tirah hugged him again. “I missed you.”
“Missed you, too, sis.” Mihel pulled away and toed Casin with his foot. “We can’t let anyone know we had any part in killing him.”
“Right. I guess we should try to bury him. Wouldn’t want anyone coming across his body here. Though if we do, then it might be a while before they declare him dead,” Tirah said, depressed and unsure of their next move. She had secretly hoped that Mihel would get her status changed, so she could go home. Then she realized that she didn’t want to go back to the Ilyium. That wasn’t her home anymore.
Mihel opened his mouth to respond, when they heard the flap of wings outside.
“Maybe that’s Saber,” Tirah said, hopeful once more. She slipped past her brother and rushed outside only to pull up sharply at the sight that greeted her. Her heart plummeted. Though it was dark out, and the dragon slowly descending looked black, she instinctively knew that it wasn’t Saber.
Just like she knew it was a male landing in front of her.
Tirah bit back her disappointment as moonlight reflected off the dragon’s navy scales.
“Is that him?” Mihel asked, watching the dragon land about thirty feet away.
“No. Someone else.” Then she frowned. “Who does he have with him?”
“Mother?” Mihel left the porch and cautiously moved toward the dragon.
“Oh.” Happiness and excitement flooded Tirah. “Mother!”
The dragon set the female in his talons gently onto the ground, and Ashara smiled up at him briefly, before turning to her children. “Tirah? Mihel?”
A grin split Tirah’s face and she ran into her mother’s arms. “Mama, how …?”
Tears of happiness ran down Ashara’s face as they hugged, then she pulled Mihel close as well. “I can’t believe you are both here. I never thought I’d see either of you again.”
Tirah smiled, then as the dragon’s power tingled all through her, she watched him shift into a large, handsome male with short-cropped, dark hair and familiar luminous blue eyes. He held himself with the same commanding presence that Saber did. A presence she now felt sure all Thorn brothers must have.
“Who are you? Where’s Saber?” Tirah asked, as another tremble of … dread and pain? rushed through her. Something was terribly wrong, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Are you Tirah?”
“I am.” Tirah glanced up at the night sky, hoping to see Saber. There was no movement. “Where is he?” she asked the male who looked different, yet eerily similar to Saber.
“Who are you?” Mihel asked the dragon shifter at the same time.
“I’m Zalesthorn. Saber freed your mother and asked me to bring her to you. Now I need to get back to my men. They’re trying to get the other prisoners to a safe place with some medical care.”
Tirah blinked. Saber was the one to free her mother? Why?
“I thank you,” Mihel said, standing with his arm around Ashara. It was clear he was just as confused as Tirah was.
Zales nodded, then went to leave when Tirah stopped him. “Wait. Is Saber still helping the others?”
Zales shook his head. “No.”
“I need to see him. Tell me where he is, please?” Tirah begged and heard Ashara draw in a sharp breath.
Zales ignored Ashara and studied Tirah. “Who is he to you?”
Tirah glanced at her mother and brother, before straightening her shoulders and meeting Zales’s serious gaze. “He’s someone I really care about.”
Zales seemed to consider her words, then agreed. “I will take you, but we need to be quick. I must get back to my men, in case the soldiers Saber chased away call for help and return to where your mother was held.”
Tirah bit her lip. She hated to leave her mother and brother, yet the feeling that Saber was in trouble just wouldn’t leave her alone. “Will you bring them later?”
“Yes, I can do that. After I see to my men’s safety.”
“Thank you. Give me a moment?” Tirah asked.
Zales nodded and moved away.
Tirah turned to her mother and brother, then felt Zales’s power as he shifted back into his dragon. It didn’t bother her, though she didn’t have the desire to soak it up the same way she did with Saber’s power.
“I have to make sure Saber’s all right. Casin stabbed him with a poisoned blade, and I—” She paused, not sure how to explain without causing her mother grief.
“Where is Casin?” Ashara asked.
Guilt flooded Tirah. “I’m sorry. I know Casin was your son and our brother, but …” How did she tell her mother that her oldest son lay dead not fifty feet away?
“He no longer lives, does he?” Ashara asked. Mihel looked at Tirah, his worry reflected in her eyes. “I can feel my tie to him gone. I want to see him,” Ashara said.
“Mother—” Tirah began.
Ashara gazed at them sadly. “I know what he was. I know he hated all of us, me especially. Your father poisoned him against me a long time ago. I … I’d just like to see him one more time. He was still my baby once.”
Tirah swallowed deeply and indicated the cabin, but as she started to walk that way, Ashara touched her arm, stopping her. “You go to Saber. Mihel will come inside with me.”
Tirah hesitated and Ashara smiled sadly at her. “It’s all right. Really. Go to him. We’ll be fine here until Zales comes back for us.”
“Mihel?” Tirah asked.
Her brother shrugged. “Go. But if he hurts you …”
Tirah rolled her eyes at her brother, then gave her mother another hug. “I don’t know why Saber went and rescued you. I’m just glad he did.” She pulled away and stared at them both. “I’ll see you soon.”