made another mistake in anger. He should have killed the fool mage after he brought them back to Uleni. Travel mages couldn’t handle many extra people, but moving him and the five others should have been safe enough. He wondered if Riese would have him killed, despite the fact it had been Riese that accepted the faulty intelligence and ordered the attack.
He had no doubt someone would pay for this mistake. He sighed, and sent one of the remaining men ahead. Not as fast as a travel mage, but with the air talent word of their failure and what happened would reach the king and Riese in mere hours, instead of the few days it would take him to return.
*
Nicole understood why, but it still annoyed her. Her brother had ignored her completely on the field after the battle. He could not acknowledge her while she was banished from her family, not in public at least. She had half a mind to go knock some sense into her father, but she knew that would only make things worse.
They only travelled about a mile south before the stench of battle cleared the air and they made camp for lunch.
“So what next? Do we go home? Or do we need to go spank a king?”
She was thinking of her father when she said that, but she meant the Uleni one.
Justin said, “Depends,” he looked at Trina and asked, “Will they come after us now that their plans are broken?”
Trina frowned. “Not for revenge, they want more power, not to squander it on a useless cause. But if they plan to raise another army and try again…”
Nora blew out a breath, “Let’s wait and see what they do. If they send another team, we remove the king and hope that serves as an example for the next one. It would be ironic if the king had given up, and we put another on the throne that still wants to invade. I say the next move is theirs.”
She gave it some thought and said, “I agree with Nora. Let’s go home.”
*
Sally watched as Trina and Sara walked closely side by side. Both smiling about something. She was not surprised the assassin was coming back with them. Trina was still closed off and just short of haughty with the rest of them, but with Sara she was a kitten. No, it was obvious why she was stayed, but it concerned her. Still, Sara seemed to be opening up, and they all loved Sara, so no one wanted to rock the boat. She just hoped they wouldn’t regret it.
They didn’t bother to move at speed, home was just a couple of hours away at a sedate walk. They would be home in plenty of time to get dinner on the table at a decent time. She was the last of the intended mates, all the others now mates. Not counting the love she saw growing between Sara and Justin, but they were kept apart for now. She wondered when he would ask her?
She grinned, maybe she would have to ask him like last time, but she dismissed the idea. It was actually good he was leaving a day or two between them. It was tradition for mates to spend their joining day alone with each other every year on the same day. That would be hard to do if he had asked them all on one day.
Thinking of that gave her an idea and walked closer to Nora and took her hand.
When Nora looked at her questioningly she said, “It is my turn tonight, why don’t we swap, you should have his attentions tonight. I will wait for the morrow.”
Nora grinned and asked, “Are you sure?”
She said, “Of course, you are mated today, I would feel guilty though I have the right. I love you my sister, it will make me happy to do this. I can wait.”
It was the least she could do for them…
Chapter 7
Mage Riese was beyond enraged when the news reached him. He was angry at the spies, but he was even angrier with the Flame of Cytherea, and Cytherea herself. It was her fault, she created the young fool who had thwarted years of careful planning. He was angry, cursed with a woman goddess. It would take years to recover those military numbers.
He growled in disgust. He knew what he had to do, he made his way to the royal
He had no doubt someone would pay for this mistake. He sighed, and sent one of the remaining men ahead. Not as fast as a travel mage, but with the air talent word of their failure and what happened would reach the king and Riese in mere hours, instead of the few days it would take him to return.
*
Nicole understood why, but it still annoyed her. Her brother had ignored her completely on the field after the battle. He could not acknowledge her while she was banished from her family, not in public at least. She had half a mind to go knock some sense into her father, but she knew that would only make things worse.
They only travelled about a mile south before the stench of battle cleared the air and they made camp for lunch.
“So what next? Do we go home? Or do we need to go spank a king?”
She was thinking of her father when she said that, but she meant the Uleni one.
Justin said, “Depends,” he looked at Trina and asked, “Will they come after us now that their plans are broken?”
Trina frowned. “Not for revenge, they want more power, not to squander it on a useless cause. But if they plan to raise another army and try again…”
Nora blew out a breath, “Let’s wait and see what they do. If they send another team, we remove the king and hope that serves as an example for the next one. It would be ironic if the king had given up, and we put another on the throne that still wants to invade. I say the next move is theirs.”
She gave it some thought and said, “I agree with Nora. Let’s go home.”
*
Sally watched as Trina and Sara walked closely side by side. Both smiling about something. She was not surprised the assassin was coming back with them. Trina was still closed off and just short of haughty with the rest of them, but with Sara she was a kitten. No, it was obvious why she was stayed, but it concerned her. Still, Sara seemed to be opening up, and they all loved Sara, so no one wanted to rock the boat. She just hoped they wouldn’t regret it.
They didn’t bother to move at speed, home was just a couple of hours away at a sedate walk. They would be home in plenty of time to get dinner on the table at a decent time. She was the last of the intended mates, all the others now mates. Not counting the love she saw growing between Sara and Justin, but they were kept apart for now. She wondered when he would ask her?
She grinned, maybe she would have to ask him like last time, but she dismissed the idea. It was actually good he was leaving a day or two between them. It was tradition for mates to spend their joining day alone with each other every year on the same day. That would be hard to do if he had asked them all on one day.
Thinking of that gave her an idea and walked closer to Nora and took her hand.
When Nora looked at her questioningly she said, “It is my turn tonight, why don’t we swap, you should have his attentions tonight. I will wait for the morrow.”
Nora grinned and asked, “Are you sure?”
She said, “Of course, you are mated today, I would feel guilty though I have the right. I love you my sister, it will make me happy to do this. I can wait.”
It was the least she could do for them…
Chapter 7
Mage Riese was beyond enraged when the news reached him. He was angry at the spies, but he was even angrier with the Flame of Cytherea, and Cytherea herself. It was her fault, she created the young fool who had thwarted years of careful planning. He was angry, cursed with a woman goddess. It would take years to recover those military numbers.
He growled in disgust. He knew what he had to do, he made his way to the royal
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