Tania Read online

  “I know.” He grins at me. “She’ll be safe with you. Happy with you. I want happiness for all my daughters.”

  We clink glasses.

  I want only Isabella in life. I have a wonderful son, a safe home, a family. I need a wife in my bed. A wife who can love me with passion. Right. Isabella loves to be a rebel. We’ll see.

  “I need you to attend the senate meeting with me,” Vahan says.

  “You need three more soldiers, Vahan. In case Wuylir doesn’t make an appearance,” I clear my throat, “we need numbers.”

  “Choose them for me.”

  We move to the balcony and sip our wine. A balmy breeze brushes against my face as delicate as her kiss. Memories flash through my head—

  —I stride into the hall of Nassara as my eyes sweep over a female figure. She’s standing by the fountain, her back turned towards me. My eyes slide over the braid made of her hair—white wisps intermingle with golden and almond streaks. The woman turns to me.

  “Isabella,” I rasp as the sight of her almost knocks me off my feet.

  She looks like I remember, and she doesn’t. Fuck me. She is a beautiful woman. A stranger even though we’ve known each other since forever. Her body is curvy in all the right places and pleads for a man to claim it. Pleads for me to claim it.

  I realise she’s my every dream.

  “My first day of half term,” she twitters.

  Yes, she’s been away for a while. Vahan is paying for the best school on the Continent to educate her.

  I can’t tear my eyes off her. She’s grown. She’s eighteen after all. She doesn’t look like a child any longer. She looks like her mother. And she doesn’t. There’s Vahan’s fierceness in her grey eyes, and a pinch of Nassara’s soul inside her. She’s like a gust of wind and freedom. Wildness and magic.

  “Welcome back then,” I say.

  “Arnau.” She frowns and leaps at me. Her arms encircle my neck, and she plants a wet kiss on my cheek. This kiss burns a memory into my brain. “Missed me?”

  “Everyone missed you.”

  “You’re always so… so…”

  “So?”

  I realise I don’t want to be what she’s thinking of me now. I realise my stomach is fluttering for some mysterious reason.

  “So reserved,” she says.

  I chuckle. “Reserved?”

  “Yes.” She pulls away from me. “Always so reserved. Vosgi said you’d been different before.” She steps even farther back from me. “More… relaxed.” She averts her eyes.

  It feels like I’m losing part of me, and I stifle the urge to yank her back to me. “You look good.”

  Her cheeks flush and she smoothes a hand down her blue tunic. “I look tired. Five exams, you know. I didn’t sleep much. I must look very tired.”

  “Alright. You’re more educated than me. If you say you look tired, then you’re right.”

  She frowns, steps forward, and nudges my chest with her elbow. “Yasen was your tutor. You’re very educated. Maybe even more educated than me.” She exhales with an audible sound. “How’s your son?”

  “Fine.”

  “I can’t wait to see him.” Her face softens as her eyes radiate joy.

  Pain squeezes my heart. My son is a half-orphan. Isabella is everything to him. Alyssa and Vosgi tried to be his mothers, but he chose Isabella. He chose her in the very beginning.

  She lowers a bit to pick up her bag from the fountain, but I rush forward and tear it away from her hand.

  “Like Earth men,” she says and purrs.

  “I have respect for Alyssa and I have respect for her culture.” Nothing wrong with that. Vahan does the same, and I have respect for Vahan.

  A female squeal diverts my attention, and I see Tania emerge from behind one of the cracked pillars. The girls hug each other and squeal. My ears start to hurt. Alyssa and little Maya join them. I exit the hall and go to Isabella’s bedroom to put her bag on the bed.

  I freeze for a moment with my eyes fixed on the arched window. Two net curtains the colour of blood rustle as the candles placed on the side table swish. Isabella and I watched my son’s first steps in this room. His cot stands by the wall.

  “I need to talk to you, Arnau.” It’s Isabella’s seductive voice.

  “There’s plenty of time for chatting.” I turn to face her.

  “In private. Just you and me.”

  “Alright. In three lunar triads.”

  Isabella puts her foot down and shoots me a stern glance. “Arnau.”

  “In two lunar triads?”

  “After supper.”

  “I’m busy, woman.”

  Her cheeks flush and she purses her full lips. I’ve never seen such beautiful lips. They’re shiny and sinful. Innocent and enchanting.

  “After supper,” I say.

  Her eyes slide over me and she looks like she’s trying to hide a dirty secret. She pulls herself together and flashes me a mysterious smile.

  “Thank you, Arnau.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  We all eat our meal in Nassara’s dining room, chatting about Isabella’s school, and everyone goes to the garden for a walk. Maya drags my son towards the sandpit as Isabella grabs my hand and pulls me towards the catacombs. We go down and stop in front of Yasen’s tablet. Isabella takes a sharp breath and sweeps the cobwebs away from it. She was the only of Vahan’s kids Yasen saw before his death. He loved her very much.

  “Things are gonna change, Arnau.”

  “Things must change. That’s life. Life is about changes.”

  She rolls her eyes. “People don’t want our gods to tell them what to do.”

  “Your school-mates are a bad influence on you.”

  She snorts. “There’ll be a revolution.”

  “And a lot of corpses.”

  She sucks in a breath. “Marry me.”

  I’m speechless. I’m fucking speechless for the first time in my life.

  “I mean…” Isabella clenches her hands in front of her stomach and blinks a few times. “I need your people to listen to me so our leader thought…”

  “No.”

  “Just no?”

  “Focus on studying.”

  Her leader thought? Her leader pisses me off. He planted that ridiculous idea into her head that she could marry me and divorce me. No, her leader came up with this idea like she couldn’t have done it herself. That pisses me off. We’re raising my son together. That means something. That… I don’t know anything.

  “Do I look like a trollisa?” Isabella explodes. “Everyone says I’m beautiful. I mean… I just need your brand… and you can divorce me later… I mean…”

  “No.”

  I’m not gonna take a wife only to divorce her later.

  Anger paints her face. I want to kiss her so badly it hurts. It’s like something has struck against my brain. Like there’s been a haze in my head my whole life and it has faded. Everything has changed forever. Everything is so absolutely clear to me.

  I bow my head and go to speak to Vahan.

  I need to speak to my brother because I’m gonna marry Isabella, but no way am I gonna divorce her later. I want a wife and my son wants a mother.

  I want Isabella. Tancred wants Isabella.

  Chapter 10

  Arnau

  —I return from my reverie. Vahan and I have another round of wine. Then another.

  The next lunar triad, Vahan and I settle ourselves onto our stallions, and we go to the Scarlet City. Three of my men are following us. We camp in the woods and reach the city’s walls as Dianes appears in the sky. The smell of smoke settles in my nostrils, and Vahan shoots me a cold glance. A warrior’s glance. The sound of fighting drifts to my ears from inside the city—swords clash, bodies clash, men growl. I look over my shoulder, raising my right hand. I gesture for my men to stay alert. We go through the gate and five of the emperor’s soldiers emerge from behind the bakery’s building. Their leader, Serav, steps forward as Vahan and I slide
down from our stallions.

  “I am Vahan, the ruler of Nassara,” Vahan says with fury.

  The soldiers grab their swords. Vahan glances at me as I hold the hilt of my sword and take it out of the sheath. My men follow me.

  “You are accused of treason, lord Vahan,” the leader says.

  I steel myself, my mind cold and detached. I knew this would happen. Vahan is a tough politician. He’s been trying to put all the hunters in jail and free all the slaves.

  “Surrender, lord Vahan,” Serav says.

  “I never surrender,” Vahan says and grins at me.

  I grin back and we stand in a line. We exchange glances, and I know what to do. There’ll be five corpses when we finish. Theirs, not ours.

  I once wanted to kill Vahan. That was when he bought me. At the age of fifteen, I started admiring him. At the age of twenty, I knew I’d kill and die for him. He is a fair ruler. He’s saved lives. He’s worth my life. Was worth my life.

  Now, I’m gonna fight to live. To be happy. To love.

  Isabella

  My father and Arnau walk into the living room, their faces rigid, marked with cuts and bruising. Blood stains their clothes. Dirt falls off their boots.

  “What happened, Vahan?” my mother asks in a cold voice.

  “Nothing to worry, Alyssa,” my father says.

  My mother’s eyes burn with fury. “Oh really? Have you seen your reflection in the mirror? A men’s night out in a pub, right?”

  “Be quiet, woman,” my father growls and looks at Arnau. “Brand Isabella.”

  Vosgi grabs Maya and Tancred and they exit the room.

  My father moves closer to me. “You’re going to obey your husband, Isabella.” The tone of his voice sends dread into my veins.

  “Vahan,” my mother squeaks. “What’s going on?”

  “We need more people to secure Nassara, my little flower,” my father says to her, his voice calm, but in a cold way.

  Arnau grabs my wrist and drags me out of the room.

  “Arnau.” I shriek.

  “Be quiet,” he barks.

  He tightens the grip on my wrist, and I hiss in pain. “Arnau, please, tell me what’s going on?”

  He stops as I bounce off him. “You wanted a revolution?”

  “I—“

  “Your school has been smashed. Ten kids are in the city’s dungeons. Ten dead. There’s a war coming to Nassara.”

  I feel dizzy. “You know the names? The names of the dead?”

  “I don’t know them and you shouldn’t know them either. You don’t know the names—you don’t mourn the people.”

  Yes, it’s as simple as that. “My father wants your tribe to come here?” I don’t think about my friends. I’m Vahan’s daughter and my father taught me to deal with my emotions, to get rid of the unwanted ones when needed. “Am I right?”

  “Your father wants to keep us all alive.”

  “What about Tania?”

  “One thing at a time, Isabella.”

  I don’t ask him more questions because I understand the seriousness of the situation. It’s about survival now. My father taught me how to survive.

  My father wants me to bring help, so I’m going to bring help.

  We exit the house, cross the garden and pass the training ground. Arnau shoves me into his three bedroom house and then into his kitchen. He pulls a stool and sits me on it. I watch him walk out and come back with a bunch of needles and a bottle of ink in his hand.

  “Take your tunic off, Isabella.”

  I do as I’m told. The tunic lands on the floor with a quiet puff. I’m naked from my waist up. Heat rushes up to my face, and I cross my arms over my breasts. Arnau puts the ink on the wooden floor and kneels down behind me. He glides his palm down my spine and a tingle spreads across my back.

  “From now on, you belong to me,” he says like he’s my owner.

  Suddenly, everything is clear in my head.

  I heard some rumours.

  When my father bought my mother, Arnau fell in love with her. I look like her. Arnau couldn’t have her so he takes me instead of her. Bile rises up to my throat.

  A needle pricks my skin below my shoulder blade. This is going to hurt.

  I hate my appearance more and more with each jab of the needle.

  Arnau

  My dick is so hard that I barely focus. Her skin is as white as snow and it’s flawless. She hisses as I draw the first letter of my name on her back.

  I don’t want to hurt her. And I want to.

  Everything is so insane with her.

  “Don’t move,” I say.

  “Are you going to fuck me today as well?” Her voice stirs as a thin stream of sweat trickles down her spine and the smell of her musk clouds my mind.

  “No.”

  We’ll set off as soon as I finish the tattoo.

  She gasps as though she’s furious or sad. It’s her problem. Nassara needs numbers—this is my main concern at the moment.

  “I know what it’s all about,” she murmurs. “My mother—“

  “Be quiet and don’t move.”

  It’s not about Alyssa. Men can fall in love many times in life, but they love only once. I love Isabella.

  Sweat pricks her upper back and she starts panting.

  “One more letter, Isabella.”

  “Whatever.”

  I draw the final line and put the needle aside. The skin around the tattoo is red and a few drops of blood trickle down, staining the waistband of her black trousers.

  “Sit still,” I say, “until the ink dries.”

  “I know.”

  I gather up the ink and needles and put them back into the chest that stands in my bedroom. My eyes sweep over my bed. It’s been empty since Kendy died. A delicate pain squeezes my heart. Kendy was a good woman. I didn’t love her, but I respected her. She respected me.

  I return to the kitchen and throw Isabella’s tunic at her. “Put it on.”

  “No kiss, no ‘I love you’?” There’s a pinch of sarcasm in her voice.

  “We’ll set off as soon as I gather up my swords. You take care of the food.”

  Our glances meet, and I see disappointment in hers. I know why she’s disappointed—I’m not the love of her life. It seems like her school-mate is the love of her life.

  But I’m her husband and she has to obey me. There are more important issues that will require my attention than her disappointment.

  Isabella

  I start bustling between two cupboards as Vosgi joins me. She puts a pile of clothes on the kitchen table and a pair of ankle boots on the floor—my clothes for the journey to Arnau’s tribe.

  “You’re a wife now,” Vosgi says and folds her hands as if praying. Her eyes radiate joy.

  “Not quite.”

  Vosgi flashes me a warm smile. “He is in love with you.”

  “He is in love with my mother.” Bitterness coats my voice.

  Vosgi shakes her head, and I see that she wants to say something else, but my mother walks in. Her eyes are red from crying.

  “Promise me you’ll listen to your husband,” my mother says.

  “I promise, Mom. Don’t worry.”

  “He knows what to do so you’d better listen to him.”

  “I know, don’t worry, Mom.”

  “He knows the mountains. The dangers.”

  “I know, Mom.” I kiss her cheek. “Hug and spoil Tancred rotten for me.”

  “I will,” she sobs.

  She hugs me then Vosgi hugs me, and I change the clothes. I walk out of the house with a big, heavy bag swinging in my hand. Arnau is waiting for me; two swords are hanging down his back. He takes the bag from my hand.

  My father hugs me and kisses the top of my head. “You’ve always wanted adventures in life.”

  “You just envy me, Dad. You love adventures and travelling.”

  “I’ve never been there,” he says. “I’m curious.”

  “I’ll bring plenty of stories
, Dad.” I kiss his cheek. I know the reasons for his abrupt decision—no words are necessary.

  My dad loves me, and he cares for us all.

  Worry fills his eyes. “Be careful.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “I am Vahan’s daughter. I’m invincible.”

  Arnau chuckles; my mother chuckles, and Vosgi shakes her head. Arnau grabs my hand and the journey begins. We’re going to go on foot.

  “The mountains are dangerous, Isabella.”

  “I’m not five, you know.”

  Arnau smirks at me, but says nothing.

  We start climbing a hill, grey stones scrunching under my feet. I correct my grey jacket as my eyes sweep over his black jacket. I’ve always regarded him as a very handsome man. With his shaven head and kissable lips, he’s just… yummy as my mother would say. And his perfect muscles? No man in Nassara has such a perfect body.

  “My father agreed very easily,” I say, my voice dry.

  “Your father knows I can tame you.” He grins and then his eyes wander off to the jagged mountains that profile in the distance, illuminated by our three moons—they’re all full moons today—a triad of passionate love, some people would say.

  “I don’t need to be tamed,” I snap.

  “You’re as wild as a punnica.”

  “Punnicas are ugly.”

  Arnau stops and turns to face me. “Punnicas are beautiful. They’re beautiful and very intelligent predators.” His eyes blaze like the soul of a volcano.

  My heartbeat speeds up. My core pulses. I want him to kiss me, but he doesn’t. And that pisses me off.

  “You can take me from behind,” I say. “You can imagine my mother—“

  “Be quiet.” He pulls forward.

  Fire seizes my insides. I drop my head and follow him in silence. That silence is denser and denser as time passes. A twig breaks under my foot. A bird twitters. Leaves rustle.

  My heart sinks.

  Arnau

  The mountains are dangerous, and I need to focus. I can’t focus while my dick is permanently rock-hard.

  I will take her from behind as soon as I find a safe place where we can camp. I will teach her to be quiet during the day and to moan during the night. She burbles like a young rabbita.

  We meander among black rock formations as low vegetation bends under our feet with a sharp scrunching sound. I’m thinking. I should make our first time special. She deserves to be treated like the noble woman she is. Definitely not the camp. The waterfall in my village. She deserves a beautiful place for her first time as my wife.