Authors: Rosalie Redd
“He won’t be mad, at least not for long. C’mon, let’s go.” Ginnia grabbed Melissa’s hand and dragged her into the corridor.
There would be consequences for this little excursion. Noeh had all but promised. Deep in her heart, Melissa couldn’t wait to find out what that would entail.
Chapter Thirty-One
Noeh stroked the hilt of his sword. The warmth from the sunstones set into the handle calmed him. He rubbed his hand up the sleeve of his finest woven shirt, the one made for him alone, as king. The deep green color reminded him of Melissa’s eyes—ones that haunted his soul.
He shook his head to clear his mind and glanced around the Hall of Warriors. Merchants, warriors, and Jixies paraded into the room. All wore their finest garments to honor the fallen warriors.
Noeh wore black pants and military-style boots in an effort to blend in with the warriors in the room, but he could do nothing about the adornment on his head. Made of intricately engraved silver, the crown curved down to a point, where a large, red sunstone dangled flat against his forehead. This was a Stiyaha ceremony, so he’d elected to wear his old crown to honor his fallen warriors. Besides, in his mind, he hadn’t earned the right to wear the new gold one with the large ‘T’ engraved on the front. He’d wear the one Veromé gave him once Ram was dead.
The Hall of Warriors was a sacred place for fallen soldiers, one full of history. Noeh’s gaze followed the route Caleb’s and Jade’s swords would take during the parting ceremony. The path led up and onto the walls, where weapons from ancestors long gone lined the ancient stone. The blades faced upward, as if their warriors still held them, ready for battle. The weapons would rest there until called upon by the soul of another male, creating the vibration that bonded sword to warrior and warrior to sword.
In the middle of the floor stood the sacred stone, a large, flat rock so finely polished it looked like the midnight sky. A natural spring bubbled at the base of the rock, caught in a small pool fed by the underground stream. Noeh closed his eyes, straining to capture the quiet sound of the water. His ear itched, and he rubbed at it.
Why does my ear itch? This isn’t normal. Maybe I should have Gaetan take a look.
The crowd of merchants, councilmen, and Jixies shuffled to their chairs with whispers of “excuse me,” “pardon me,” while warriors remained standing against the walls. Wood creaked as bodies settled in for the sad custom.
“Your Majesty, all the preparations are finished.” Saar bowed, giving Noeh the utmost respect.
Warriors lining the room followed suit, bowing down on one knee in tribute to their king. Merchants, council members, laborers, and Jixies sat in wooden chairs brought in from the Grand Hall, their heads bowed to honor their king.
“Thank you.” Thankful for his friend’s courage and devotion, Noeh touched his commander on the shoulder, and his chest constricted.
He peered at the crowd, evaluating them, gauging them for their readiness to begin. Once all had quieted, he spoke in his most imposing voice. “All rise.”
Chair legs scraped against the surface of the smooth stone floor as the crowd rose to their feet. He waited until the silence returned once again.
“Many great warriors have passed this way, giving their lives so that we can survive. Two more, Caleb and Jade, join the ranks of our fallen brothers. We honor them tonight—two courageous warriors who fought for our kind.” He exhaled, his heart heavy.
Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of movement distracted him. Ginnia pushed her way into the back of the room. He stilled when he noticed who was with her. Melissa’s red hair was visible despite her attempts to hide behind the warriors at the back of the room. His gaze locked onto hers, and his pulse quickened.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes once again, relishing the fresh air, now tinged with Melissa’s unique fragrance. With great effort, he forced himself to relax, to concentrate on his task, and opened his eyes.
“You may sit.”
The crowd settled once again into their seats. A small cough, the scraping of chair legs, and soft whispers filled the room. He scanned the crowd, assessing what remained of his kind. Gaetan’s rapt attention bore into Noeh, his eyes riveted on him, as if he awaited his words.
“Caleb and Jade died an honorable warrior’s death. It is our duty to remember them, cherish our memories, and lay their swords to rest in the Hall of Warriors.” Noeh pointed at the weapons on the wall, their gleam becoming brighter as the Keep poured energy into the surrounding sunstones.
“Who will remember them with me?” Noeh searched the crowd.
“I will.”
“I will.”
“I will.” The chant of hundreds filled the large cavern.
“Who gave their life for us?” Noeh’s voice cracked.
“Caleb.”
“Jade.”
Their names filled the room, echoing up to the ceiling as the chant grew louder.
Noeh scanned the faces in the room. Their numbers had dwindled yet again with the recent deaths. If they lost many more, there would be less than two hundred warriors to protect the five hundred or so inhabitants in the Keep. His chest tightened.
They stared at him with their grim mouths and tear-streaked faces. As their king, they needed him to give them hope, in spite of death knocking at the door. The realization hit him hard. His knees buckled under the pressure, and he leaned against the sacred stone for support.
A gasp escaped the crowd.
His marking for faith pulsed under his eye. He couldn’t hide his diminishing belief. It was evident in his fading mark. He pulled on the sunstones for strength and pushed away from the sacred stone.
“Yes, Caleb and Jade.” He spoke their names to bring the focus back to the fallen warriors. “Bring me the swords.”
He scanned the room once again. When his gaze found Melissa, he couldn’t break eye contact. He was caught in the depths of empathy shining from her eyes.
*****
Melissa stared at Noeh. The crystals in the ceiling made the sunstone in his crown flash and shimmer. The Hall of Warriors was eerily silent, despite the large number of inhabitants in the room.
She wanted to reach out and stroke her fingers down Noeh’s face, tell him how much she ached for these warriors she didn’t even know. The depth of his compassion melted her heart. Her nerves tingled, and her mouth went dry
.
He was an honorable and just king.
Saar handed two swords to Noeh. He broke eye contact with her to accept the deceased warriors’ cherished weapons. He placed the weapons on top of the sacred stone, tips pointing out in opposite directions. He dipped the fine silk cloth in the fresh spring water and rubbed the material over the sword from handle to blade’s tip, his touch slow and tender.
She studied his movements. A lump formed in her throat. His torso moved in concert with his hands. She longed to have him touch her that way, to feel his sensuous fingers on her body. Heat bloomed within her, and she glanced away. A warm flush rushed up her neck and into her face. She shouldn’t be having these thoughts under such sad circumstances.
“The cleansing ritual is done.” Noeh raised the weapons above his head.
The tips reached upward, as if to the stars.
Screeeee
. A shriek emitted from the blades as if the swords gave up their warriors. Noeh’s arms shook from the force, and he bowed his head. His words were but a whisper caught on the air. “May their souls find their way back home.”
“Home to Lemuria.” The chant of many voices filled the air.
Noeh approached the wall and placed Caleb’s sword in the opening in the rock. The Keep held the blade against the stone as the weapon traveled up the wall to its final resting spot. He did the same with Jade’s sword.
Noeh placed the back of his hand to his mouth and closed his eyes. His drawn features and hunched shoulders pulled on Melissa’s heart. A tear slid down her face. She wiped the wetness away with her fingers.
Saar approached Noeh with a large wooden object three feet tall and two inches thick, about the size of a large sword. The figure resembled a giant letter ‘T,’ the symbol for Lemuria and life everlasting. Intricate carvings of deer, trees, and plants covered the surface of the wood.
Noeh raised the symbol into the air, his arm straining under the weight. “Life comes full circle—birth, death, and rebirth. May we rejoice in the knowledge Caleb and Jade live anew back on Lemuria.”
Cheers rose from the crowd, celebrating eternal life.
Noeh placed the Lemurian symbol across the sacred stone. “Remember our fallen warriors. Honor them in the privacy of your own chambers.” He nodded, ending the ceremony.
Chair legs scraped against the stone floor. Stiyaha and Jixies rose from their seats. The chatter of voices filled the room as the crowd dispersed.
“Will there be a separate ceremony for Torbin and Niko?” Melissa asked Ginnia.
“No, only warriors have this ceremony because they have swords.” Ginnia smiled, wisps of brown hair flying around her head. “When a Stiyaha civilian dies, only their families say goodbye.”
“Ah, thank you for telling me.”
A smile crossed Ginnia’s face, and she glanced at the doorway. “I need to go now, bye-bye.” She slipped between two council members before Melissa could stop her.
“Wait!” Melissa tried to get through the mass of moving bodies, but there were too many Stiyaha and Jixies in the way.
She took a deep breath and turned around. Noeh’s look bore into her. A tingling started at the base of her skull and ran down her spine. Time to face the music.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The death ceremony had taken a toll on Noeh’s body and his spirit. He picked up the cloth and wrung out the water, letting the coolness seep between his fingers. Shaking out the fabric, he laid the cloth on the sacred stone to dry. The movement soothed his battered spirit.
He tapped the hilt of his sword with his ring, anxious for the last of the crowd to shuffle out of the Hall of Warriors. Melissa hung back by the entryway. Her fingers alternated between twirling a strand of her hair and straightening her short dress. She seemed nervous, and that made him smile.
When they were alone at last, she approached him. He couldn’t help but notice how lovely she was. She caught him watching her, but she didn’t scowl as he would have expected. Instead, she held his gaze, her green eyes pulling him in, making him desire her all the more.
“That was a beautiful ceremony. You honored your warriors well.” The gentle cadence of her voice danced across his nerves, soothing him.
He expected another tongue-lashing, not a compliment. “Ah…” He ran his hand through his hair, knocking his crown off his head. The headdress clattered to the floor.
She rushed to pick it up. Touching the scrollwork etched in the silver, she ran her delicate fingers over the sunstone jewel. “Your crown is exquisite. It must have a long history.”
She handed the symbol of his legacy back to him, and their fingers touched. The sensation sent a lightning bolt of desire straight to his groin. She must’ve felt something too, for her cheeks reddened, and she glanced at the ground.
The chamber warmed in an instant. Unable to take a breath, he stared at her, his heart racing. His inner beast stirred.
Possibly mistaking his desire for anger, she became defensive, crossing her arms over her chest. “I won’t stay cooped up in that room. It isn’t fair, and you have no right to keep me there.”
There it was, that fire he was getting used to. He laughed, a big hearty chuckle. She stomped her foot in defiance, making him laugh even harder.
“My dear little kitten, as king, I have every right.”
She ran at him, her fists flying, pummeling his broad chest. He let her get in a couple of good whacks before he set his crown on a nearby table, grabbed her wrists, and placed them behind her back. With a quick tug he wrapped his other hand around her waist, pulling her against his aching body,
The swell of her breasts against his abdomen ramped up his need. Her anger made her breathing ragged and pressed her bosom further into him with each breath. She was so soft, and
craya
, he wanted to pet her, caress her, and spoil her rotten.
“Let me go.” She squirmed, pressing herself against his hard shaft.
He liked this side of her, the spunky side, and he admired her fight as she continued to push into him.
“Are you done?” he asked, goading her.
She stilled for a moment and looked into his eyes. “Not on your life.”
“Good.”
He wrapped his hand in her hair, capturing her in his grasp. His mouth covered hers, devouring her in an instant. Still stiff from her fight, she didn’t relent but remained taut in his arms. Slowly, she relaxed, opening her mouth to him. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue between her lips. He savored her flavor, her intoxicating scent shutting off all thoughts except his need to have her.
She placed her hands around his neck, pulling herself closer into his embrace. Inside, his beast screamed in triumph. He was deep into their kiss when his conscience reared its ugly head.
Stop! Don’t do this to her.
But his beast pressed on, ravaging her mouth, forcing her to keep up with him.
I want her. Gods, I want her so much.
Deep inside, he knew he had to stop. Pulling back, he held her head in his palm and stared into her eyes, their foreheads touching. “What you do to me, I do not know.” He ran his finger down the side of her face, a sad smile crossing his lips. “I shouldn’t be around you like this. It’s not safe.”