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No guards were posted here, and there were no sounds of footsteps coming up the stairwell. That, in itself, was concerning. I shot Rand and Nato a concerned look.
Nato’s brow furrowed as if he was thinking along the same lines as I was. Rand was too focused on heading down the stairs. Eight flights of stairs from my count. I was incredibly thankful we were going downhill this time.
Rand shoved the wooden door open at the bottom, and Wade bowled into him. Because we were all running behind him, we pushed them to the ground and created a cuddle puddle of Fennin.
Wade grunted. “How did you get out? I was coming to open the door.”
“How did you get here so fast?” I asked as Jari lifted off my back, then removed me from the pile.
“We alternated between running and riding, never taking a break.” His voice was thin with exhaustion.
Now that he mentioned it, he was wet from sweat with bags under his bloodshot eyes.
“The question is, how did you get here so fast? I’m pretty sure you were all deep in meetings with Yunez’s commanders when I left.” He quirked a brow as he glided to his feet.
“Dragons,” I blurted. “But we lost Yunez. Did you see him on your way here? Wait, how did you know we were locked up in the tower?”
“Come.” He gestured for us to follow him. “You didn’t lose him. He’s exactly where he didn’t want to be. In a screaming match with Toste because my lover is…hot headed when he’s ambushed. It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to make it here first. In hindsight, I should have waited five minutes, then I could have caught a ride with your Mannos.”
Sure enough, we entered another hallway and the distant echoes of shouting reached out ears. What I now knew as Toste’s voice blanketed every inch of the hallway. Then Yunez would answer with a yell full of exasperation instead of real aggression.
Wade moved at a slow pace, probably bone tired from his run. I didn’t blame him. On top of the hard trip, he showed up to a wasteland of a victory. Toste’s people may have won, but they had suffered a fair number of casualties. There had been too many bodies on the field to believe otherwise.
How many children were orphaned today?
In fact, where were the children we had saved? I hoped they had been treated with kindness after we were locked up. From everything I witnessed, they would have been. The Caen people were emotional but nurturing.
“You locked up my mate and our Lusty Legion after we saved your asses. That is not the way to show gratitude, Toste.” Yunez’s voice traveled clearly now that we were almost upon the entrance.
They must be in a throne room, or something equivalent, from the echoes.
“I appreciate the help, but that still doesn’t tell me if you’re on the right side. For all I know there are three sides. Yours, theirs, and mine. Your word isn’t good enough. Look at how my people suffered!” Toste started out calm and ended in a fevered yell. “Look at our home!”
“What about my word?” Wade asked as he stepped into the room. We followed him but stopped just inside the threshold. If the guys were thinking like I was, it was a better play to not appear threatening.
“Wade,” Toste breathed. His face crumpled and he rushed forward to grip his shoulders, then wrapped him in a fierce hug. The bright joy warring with despair on Toste’s face hurt my already battered heart.
“It is fine, my love. All is well with me. We’ll make sure our people are taken care of.” Wade rubbed a soothing hand up and down Toste’s back.
“And avenged. The babies…” His breath hitched.
“I know,” Wade whispered.
I could see why they worked so well. They clung to each other as if they needed the other to breathe. There was clear love in the lines of their bodies. Toste’s raging fire simmered to a comfortable warmth in Wade’s arms, and the water Fennin’s easy going nature became something strong and beautiful in Toste’s embrace.
They made each other better.
“Is she…” Wade started but didn’t finish as if the answer would hurt too much.
“She’s fine. She wasn’t hurt.” Toste swallowed. “The Mazza saved her.”
“So, you locked her and her mates up as thanks?” Humor threaded through Wade’s words.
“I didn’t know if they could be trusted,” he grumbled, burying his face in Wade’s neck as the Caen warriors formed a half circle around Toste’s back. They looked like they desperately wanted to be included in the hug, but the need to protect them both was too strong.
“They can. What do you say we let the Mannos and Cherries inside to feed them and offer them shelter. Then you and I can sit down with Yunez and his mates.”
“Yunez?” Toste straightened, his face crinkling as he looked around the room. “He’s here?”
