Rogue's Rage Page 6

  “This woman was Aurora,” Lincoln said and Rory stumbled a few steps. Aurora? Her friend was the true queen? They had known each other since they were young girls. Raven had once told her that Aurora and Lynx were like the sisters of Rory’s heart. They had always been close, that was part of the reason why she continued to stop into the shifter camp so many times a year.

  “Aurora is queen,” she breathed it out. Not a question though both men nodded to her.

  “She and her mates are at the castle now planning battle,” Lake said.

  “And what of Lynx?” Rory asked. Lynx was so much a part of Aurora that it was hard to imagine the two separated.

  “When Queen Aurora was captured, Lynx came with her sister’s mates to find her,” Lincoln said. “The queen was not alone though. There was a Danuja in the wagon with her.”

  “The Danuja are here?” she queried. Her people had not known that. It shouldn’t surprise her as the Danuja magic was even more powerful than that of the natives. There were none as powerful as Danuja.

  “Micah travelled on a duel mission,” Lincoln said. “They had sent another with a message for King Aslan of a plot to kill him but that messenger never arrived or returned.”

  “Wilhelm,” she said and both men nodded again.

  “This man was Micah’s twin brother and Damikan of his people,” Lake said.

  “The king of the Danuja came to relate this news?” she asked with amazement. Why would the king come himself?

  “According to him, who better to speak with a king than a king?” Lincoln said with a laugh.

  “So how does all this relate?” Rory asked, her head spinning.

  “Merced was being held by Wilhelm,” Lake said.

  “Micah brought us news that we could not keep from King Aslan,” Lincoln said. “Plus the queen had returned with information as well.”

  “There were more people around, more ability to protect the king,” Lake added.

  “The return of the queen was like a door opening for us, enabling us to allow King Aslan to learn some of what we feared Wilhelm was doing,” Lincoln said.

  “And how did the king react?” Rory wanted to know.

  “He was devastated,” Lake said quietly. “He is such a good man that learning what might have been happening almost brought him to his knees.”

  “He spoke of renouncing his role as king since his sister was returned,” Lincoln said. “He felt that he had failed them.”

  “If he is like his sister than I can see that,” Rory said.

  “They are so alike,” Lincoln said with a smile. “She is the one who held him to task and wouldn’t allow him to renounce.”

  “With information coming in now from people who had been afraid to approach before, we garnered that there was a secret chamber under the castle that Wilhelm used to hold prisoners,” Lake said and his voice was hard.

  “We found it and though we were able to save the Damikan, Merced, we were not soon enough to save the others,” Lincoln said.

  “Men and women held and tortured right below our very noses,” Lake said. “One of them was King Marcus,” he added.

  “It almost killed Aslan to see his uncle there, to know that he had been so close all along,” Lincoln said. She noticed that when his emotions were fully engaged he often forgot to use the title and just thought of his friend, the man.

  “There were only two guards down there when we arrived, only one when all was said and done,” Lake said. “The queen made him carry everybody up to the courtyard so that families could claim their kin. Then she nailed him to the outside wall for everyone to see what became of traitors.”

  Rory nodded. It was something that she would have done as well. “So it was declared that Wilhelm was responsible for this?”

  “We were able to get enough information from the remaining guard to know that Wilhelm had been in charge of all that had taken place there, only he had told some of the men that it was at the king’s command,” Lincoln said.

  “So Aurora is queen, King Aslan’s eyes are finally opened,” Rory began listing things. “The Danuja are safe and Wilhelm is finally revealed. Is that pretty much what has happened?”

  “There are a few other things,” Lake said, thinking of how Lynx had mated with both Danuja males but he did not feel it was his place to tell her of that. Let Lynx share that with her friend. “But those are the important ones for you to know before we arrive.”

  “So why were you here to speak with Lydia and I presume to bring her back with you?” Rory asked.

  “It was urged by the queen in hopes that Lydia would be able to shed more light on what had happened all those long years ago on the night when Queen Ona was killed and Queen Aurora was taken.”

  “I see,” Rory nodded. Her heart was both light and heavy. Finally her mother’s name would be cleared in truth. It was what they had always prayed for, especially she and her sister Raine. Yet she knew that now it was her turn to share the secret she held, the secret that only a few others knew and guarded as well. “There is one thing that you must know before we arrive at the castle, one thing that I must tell you.”

  Both men stopped, forcing her to stop and turn to face them. Somehow it was harder to say with them both looking at her.

  “My mother was pregnant when she escaped,” Rory said softly. “With me.” She looked up so that she could see both of their faces before adding her final words. “I am Wilhelm’s daughter.”

  Chapter Eight

  She stood waiting and watching to see what they would do, what they would say.

  Lincoln stepped to her and pulled her into his arms, stroking his hands up and down her spine. She felt Lake at her back then his arms were wrapping around her as well so that she was held between them.

  “And you think that we will want you less because of that?” Lincoln finally asked.

  “I am his blood,” she said, feeling the weight of those words on her soul.

  “Yet you are not him,” Lake said. “I would garner that there is more of your mother in you.”

  She felt tears welling and realised how important it was to her that they accept her as she was, flawed blood and all. “He captured my mother and held her captive, trying to get her to give him her magic, trying to steal it from her. He raped her many times to try and break her.” She took a shuddering breath as she told her mother’s tale and felt the first tear fall when they only held her tighter. “She was pregnant with me on the night that Queen Ona slipped her the key to the cage she was being held in and bid her to leave when the time was right.”

  “Your mother was there on the night that Queen Ona was killed? Right there with her?” Lake asked stepping back from her.

  “Yes, my mother spoke with the queen, was in the room with her when she was attacked,” Rory said.

  “Did she tell you of this moment? Of what was said? What she saw?” Lincoln asked.

  “Yes,” Rory shuddered.

  “I know it is hard for you to think of what your mother went through but it is important that you share what you know with all of us when we get to the castle,” Lincoln said. “I promise that Lake and I will remain at your side.”

  She nodded her head. Finally she would be able to share her mother’s story and clear her name.

  “You do not wish to withdraw your offer of courtship?” she asked just to be certain. She would not blame them if knowing she shared blood with Wilhelm had them changing their minds.

  “You think that little of us?” Lake said, shaking his head and stalking off angrily. “You do not know us just yet and so I have to not take offence at that.”

  “We care not of such things,” Lincoln said. “Wilhelm is the brother of the king and queen’s father, so a blood relative of theirs as well. It does not change who they are any more than it does who you are.”

  By the goddess, she had never thought of that, of the blood relation that the king and queen shared with Wilhelm. How could she have not considered that? Because s
he was too wrapped up in the fact that she was his daughter by blood that she had forgotten that hers wasn’t the only one linked to his.

  She looked up at them and smiled a genuine face splitting smile. “Thank you,” she said and never had those two words meant so much coming from her.

  Once more she found herself held between them. Lincoln tilted her head up and lowered his mouth to hers. His lips met hers and his breath washed over her. She felt the tip of his tongue against her bottom lip before his teeth nipped there making her gasp and open to his tongue play. He explored her mouth touching and tasting every inch that he could. She played her tongue along his, wrapping and stroking along it.

  “Your friends are gone,” he breathed as he pulled back slowly from their kiss. She could feel Lake’s lips and teeth along her neck and shoulder.

  “Yes,” she agreed with Lincoln. Theron and Thaden had left as soon as they had seen that she had nothing to fear, that she was truly accepted by these two warriors.

  “Then we need to be ready,” Lake breathed quietly into her ear as he nipped along the fold of it.

  “Ready?” she asked, her body humming with the desire they were awakening inside her.

  “Someone is coming up on us in the woods to the right,” Lincoln said against her lips. “How long do we have?” he asked her and Rory zoned in on what was happening around her.

  Lake and Lincoln had the ability to wrap her senses totally in them. She’d never had that happen before. Now she opened them to the world outside of the three of them.

  “They are probably within two hundred feet of us,” she whispered.

  “We’ll give them the illusion of taking us by surprise,” Lake said.

  Lincoln nodded as did Rory. She could feel the blood pumping in her veins. Were they friend or foe? Within the next few minutes they’d find out.

  “Well, well, well,” a voice sneered. “Look what we have here. Looks like our friends found a playmate.”

  “You guys going to share that prime piece?” another voice asked.

  “We don’t share,” Lake said and finally pulled his mouth from her neck.

  Lincoln stayed in front of her but they could see the others now. Four men of the warrior class stood loosely grouped around them. From the look on both her warriors’ faces, she had little doubt of who had sent them.

  “What business do you have here?” Lincoln asked them.

  “We’re about on the king’s business,” the one apparently in charge sneered again. “No need to concern yourselves with that. You sure you don’t want to share the woman? I’d hate to see anyone get hurt over pussy.”

  “We don’t share,” Lake said again.

  “Sure about that?” the man asked one more time. “There are four of us here and only two of you.”

  “Three of us,” Lincoln said and smiled. “You are not here on the king’s business either. You do realise that Wilhelm has been declared a traitor to the crown and is wanted, as are all of his men.”

  The men shifted and looked uncomfortable now. No time like the present to make them even more uncomfortable. Rory turned fully to face them and smiled just before flipping her hood up and disappearing into shadow.

  “What the fuck just happened?” one of the men yelled.

  “Where did she go?” another yelled.

  They all tensed and weapons were reached for and drawn. She wanted to laugh. In shadow form they would never be able to see her, which gave her all the advantage. Not to mention she had Lake and Lincoln on her side. She glanced at them and noticed that while the four men now held weapons of various kinds in their hands, her men did not.

  “I’d worry too if I were you,” Lincoln said softly. “You’ve heard the story of the native fighter, right?”

  “Sure,” the leader said his voice not so sure anymore. “But that is all myth. People can’t just disappear.”

  “Then where do you think she went?” Lake asked with a grin.

  She was behind the four men now. Time for a little fun. Reaching out she caught one behind the knee with her foot sending him sprawling forward onto his knees. He yelled and scrambled away on hands and knees from where his buddies now stood looking around.

  “Call her off,” a new voice spoke from the edge of the woods. A man stepped forward just a bit and he held a crossbow in his hands already notched and ready to fire straight at Lincoln.

  Before Rory could do more than think of throwing back her cape, Lake and Lincoln moved. Two men were taken down quickly and what appeared effortlessly. The notched arrow flew and Rory cried out as she watched it hit Lincoln in the upper arm. It kept flying even as he swung around a knife in his hand. She watched the knife fly and embed in the shoulder of the man with the bow.

  He grunted and more men stepped from the woods. How many men had Wilhelm sent? And had they been sent to follow Lake and Lincoln or for some other purpose?

  “The king only sends two men,” the one with the knife still in his shoulder spoke. “It appears Wilhelm was smarter on this mission.”

  “And what mission would that be?” Lake said. Both Lake and Lincoln still held their swords. Lincoln’s arm dripped blood.

  “Where is the woman that you were sent to get?” the man asked as he pulled the knife free. He wiped it on his pants leg and tucked it into his belt.

  “The only woman we went to meet was our mate,” Lincoln said.

  “Warriors mated to a native,” the man said. “How stupid do you think we are?”

  “Do you really want us to answer that?” Lake said.

  The man glared at them and told his men to spread out. Two of the original four were dead but more had replaced them. “Show yourself,” he commanded and she was happy to comply.

  Lifting her hood, she revealed where she stood, just behind Lake and Lincoln not allowing the three of them to be separated. His men formed a semi-circle in front of them. Rory smiled. Her skin itched as her dragon moved along her skin eager for her words to set him free.

  “Have you ever fought a native?” she asked him.

  “Keep your arms to your sides,” he ordered her. “I know that your weapons are in your skin.”

  “Yes, they are,” she said. “But you do realise that I have more at my disposal than mere weapons, don’t you?”

  “What are you talking about?” he said.

  “Perhaps I should tell you that I am of royal blood,” she said.

  “A royal?” the man backed up a step but kept his gaze glued to her.

  “Yes, and my guardian is just itching to come out and play,” Rory assured him.

  “We just want the mother of the shifter, the one who stole the queen,” he told them. “Hand her over and we will be on our way.”

  “Back to Wilhelm?” she asked. “Now what would he want with Lydia?”

  “He only wishes to discover why she stole the queen and kept her hidden all this time,” the man stated. She honestly didn’t know if he believed it or just used the lie he’d been told.

  “Lydia has gone,” Rory said.

  “She was not in the village,” Lake said.

  “Disappeared in the night,” Lincoln added.

  The man let his gaze go back and forth between the three of them before replying. “Then we will just be on our way.”

  “Back to Wilhelm? Or to try and attack the shifter village seeking answers?” Lake asked.

  “Neither are of concern to you,” the man replied.

  “Ahhh,” Rory said. “But it is. Lydia is a dear family friend.” Her dragon trembled now and she could feel his desire to be free. She pictured the leader of Wilhelm’s men in her mind, letting her dragon know that he was to be spared. She had plans for him. “I’m afraid that I can’t allow you to hurt those most important to her.”

  “This Lydia is a kidnapper and the true threat to the crown,” the man said.

  She let her gaze slip to Lake and Lincoln. Both men nodded and keeping her hands at her sides as she had been ordered, she spoke the words
needed. “Fresia avar,” she murmured and her dragon took form in the space around them.

  For this encounter he chose to be large. His hind legs were directly in front of her with his tail winding around her so that she was completely concealed by his form. No matter what, her guardian would always protect her first. His body curved between Lake and Lincoln with his front paws in front of them. His neck was extended so that his head was even with Wilhelm’s men.

  Three of the men bolted immediately for the woods. One passed out cold while those remaining trembled, their weapons shaking in their hands. The only one who remained steady was the leader who held his ground, his weapon firm in his grip.

  “There is no need for further bloodshed,” the man spoke softly. “We will be on our way and you on yours.”

  “According to Queen Aurora, how many men does it take to send a message?” Lincoln asked sweetly.

  “I believe that was to answer questions,” Lincoln said. “And she stated only one.”

  “I think it is safe to say that she would feel that only one was needed to send a message too,” Lake said.

  “I agree,” Lincoln offered.

  Rory nodded though none could see her and gave the command to her dragon. Within mere moments there was only one man standing before them. She almost respected him when she saw that he still did not tremble in fear. Not even when he saw her dragon take out all of his men, even those who had sought to find safety in the trees just beyond.

  “Fresia avat,” she murmured and her dragon disappeared in thin air returning to rest along the tip of her sword at the base of her spine.

  “Before you go, there is a message that I would appreciate you giving Wilhelm for me,” she said, moving up to stand between Lake and Lincoln.

  “What would that be?” the man asked, quirking a brow at her.

  “Tell him that Raven’s daughter is here,” she said. “His daughter. Tell him that if it is the last thing I do, I will see him die.”

  For the first time the man looked startled. He let his gaze take her in from head to toe. Then he threw his head back and actually laughed. “I will see that he is informed of his daughter’s arrival.”