Zane had to admit it wasn’t a term he was familiar with, either.
“All of Nyr is encircled by magical wards,” she explained.“It’s how I knew we’d be safe here from the stars; it won’t let in anyone with ill intentions towards our kingdom.But it’s a closely guarded secret, which was why I didn’t want to say anything on the road.The wards keep it so that the weather is always like early summer.”
That had to be why Uther had always refused to visit Nyr.Zane had asked him about it once, wanting to see the kingdom for himself, but his father told him Nyr was reclusive and wouldn’t let anyone in.Uther either must have known about the wards, or else had tried to get into the kingdom before and hadn’t been able to.The wards would have sensed his nefarious plot and barred his entry.
Zane finally took in his surroundings, viewing the kingdom he’d always wanted to visit.Though they still stood within a forest, unlike the trees he was accustomed to, this one was filled with palm trees, green leaves larger than himself, and vines crisscrossing above them in the canopy.Flowers of every color and shape were dotted throughout the greenery and they perfumed the air with their sweet smell.Birds were chattering away, and the sound of a distant waterfall could be heard.Zane thought his mother would have loved it here.
A rustle in the leaves alerted him to the presence of someone else a split second before an arrow came spearing from out of the trees, aimed right at Kaz.With feline swiftness, she grabbed the arrow out of the air and snapped it in half.All three men’s mouths were agape at the display of speed they’d never witnessed before.However, they quickly recovered and drew their swords.Silver light glowed in Iyana’s hands, her magic at the ready.
“You can put those down,” Kaz said.Then, shouting into the forest, she continued, “Not your best shot by far, Jato!”
Over a dozen men and women, all with varying shades of dark skin, emerged from the surrounding jungle.Their clothing was perfectly dyed to match their surroundings.They all held either a spear or a bow.One large man stepped forward closer to them.His hair was cropped close to his head, and his deep, brown gaze assessed Kaz first, then the rest of the group.Zane saw him catalogue the weapons they all had, and his eyebrow raised ever so slightly when his eyes passed over Iyana’s magic.
“You know the rules,” he said, his voice rich and deep.“Once you leave, you aren’t allowed back in.”
Kaz scoffed.“I doubt that applies to me.”
“Zahar has instructed me not to let you in.”
“And tell me, Jato, have my parents revoked my rights as crown princess and given them to Zahar while I was gone?”
Jato frowned deeply.“No.”
“I have vital information the king and queen will want to hear so, as your crown princess, I am ordering you to stand down and escort us to the palace.”
Jato finally nodded, then turned on his heel and disappeared into the forest.
Kaz beamed at them.“Well, come on, then.Let me show you to my home.We’ll have to walk the horses from here.”
Team Save Arinem followed the shifter into the forest, the rest of Nyr’s warriors falling into place next to and behind them.Their weapons were still drawn, but Kaz didn’t seem concerned.Iyana sidled closer to her side.
“Kaz,” she asked quietly, “who is Jato?”
“He’s captain of the border guards,” Kaz said, looking towards the man leading them forward.“And my betrothed.”
Chapter 12
Iyana
“I’msorry…yourwhat?”Emmeric practically shouted.Iyana felt his panic down their bond.
Although Emmeric didn’t have any romantic feelings towards Kaz, they had spent a decent amount of time in a sexual relationship.An unwanted stab of jealousy speared through her, causing Em to glance at her, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“My betrothed,” Kaz repeated.“Don’t worry, grumps, we’re not actually together.”
Emmeric frowned, and Iyana could sense his relief mixed with continued trepidation.
“How does that work, exactly?”Iyana asked.
“Our parents decided on our betrothal when we were babes.We grew up and trained together, but because of that, I always viewed him as a friend.Once we were adults, our parents began to push the issue more, and we tried for a bit.But he couldn’t quite keep up with me; he’s too rigid.I told him I wanted to see other people, experience other things, and he wasn’t okay with that.So we went our separate ways, but he’s been pursuing me ever since, and he’s mad I won’t settle down.”
Iyana knew Jato could hear her talking by the way his shoulders tightened with every word.Kaz wasn’t exactly trying to be quiet.
“I swear,” she continued, “you give a man the time of day once or twice and then he’s relentless in his pursuit of you.”
“Been there,” Iyana said.The two women glanced at each other, grinning, then high-fived.
Jato spun around to face them while continuing to walk backwards, avoiding all the roots and vines on the forest floor.“It doesn’t help that you ran around with anyone who would spare you a glance.I swear I found you in a compromising position with multiple men and women more than once.You refuse to grow up, settle down, and be with me.”
