17
Wellion returned to the major’s tent with the others, still reeling from what Tariel had told him. He had heard that Maroyan mages were unconventional, but he hadn’t known that sex with multiple lovers was required to rejuvenate theirmagic.
Was this why Tariel had several men traveling with her? Did she have sex with them all on a regular basis? Why did they all tolerate it? Was there something they gained in return? Certainly, they had the protection of her magic, but Wellion couldn’t imagine that being enough of an incentive forhim.
“I set out a bedroll for you,” Tariel said, pointing to a spot on the floor a short distance away from where Calrain and Yarim slept. “You should get what sleep you can. I imagine we’ll be on the road soonenough.”
Wellion nodded, wordlessly moving to the bedroll. As he’d half-expected, Tariel and Riann joined Calrain and Yarim on the bedrolls set next to them. Yarim rolled over the moment Tariel lay down, slinging an arm around her midsection, and Tariel smiled, pressing her back intohim.
Unbelievable,Wellion thought, shaking his head. He turned his back to them and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would come. But as his mind drifted, the sound of Tariel’s moans filled his head, and he gritted his teeth as heat washed throughhim.
Hehadstood outside the tent while Riann had fucked her, drawn by the sounds. They’d distracted him while he trained, and when he’d gotten close and recognized the sounds, he couldn’t turn away. He felt like a damn voyeur, even though he hadn’t seen anything, but the picture it had painted in hismind…
Damn,he thought as his cock hardened almost to the point of pain. He slid his hand beneath his trousers and fisted himself. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman—he didn’t believe in rape, and willing women had been few and far between in recent times. Stifling a groan as he stroked himself, he wondered what it would feel like if it was Tariel’s hand wrapped around his cock instead of his own. It might have been a while since he’d last had a woman, but he still knew how to make them sing. If he had her alone for a fewmoments…
Stop it,he scolded himself. Tariel did not belong to him. She had not one butthreemen at her beck and call, and Wellion did not believe in sharing. He was merely desperate because it had been so long, but he would fix that soon. Once he got to the capital, he would find a wet and willing woman to slake his needs on, and get this dark-haired beauty with her brilliant eyes and seductive smile out of hishead.
Through sheer force of will, Wellion forced himself to let go of his cock and focus on his breathing. Gradually, his blood cooled, and he slipped off into a relatively peacefulsleep.
A few hours later, a small hand curled around his shoulder, shaking him gently. “Major Gallington has returned,” a woman’s voicesaid.
Wellion rolled over, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. For a moment, he’d thought Tariel had woken him, but when his vision adjusted, he saw that it wasNatha.
“You look much better,” she said, giving him a small smile. Her thin shoulders were tense, and there was a wary expression on her face, as though she expected him to lunge at her and finish what his father had started. But to her credit, she did not back away. “Did Tariel heal you aswell?”
“She did.” Wellion stood and noted that Natha was able to get to her feet with no pain. “She fixed yourfoot?”
“Yes.” Her smile widened. “She is quite amazing, isn’tshe?”
Wellion’s gaze moved across the room, where Tariel and the others were in conversation with Major Gallington. The major looked exhausted, and the two lieutenants who stood next to him had dirt and bloodstains on their faces anduniforms.
Wellion’s skin went cold, and he stalked to the other side of the room in a panic, his heart thundering in his chest. “What happened?” he demanded, interrupting the conversation. “Where is—” He almost said “my sister,” before remembering that the major did not know who he was. “Did you take anyprisoners?”
“Yes, several,” one of the lieutenants told him. “But most of the bandits were killed. The stubborn bastards refused tosurrender.”
“Major Gallington was just telling us that many of his men were badly wounded and killed by magical traps that had been placed in the pass and inside the valley,” Tarielsaid.
“Yes,” Major Gallington said. His eyes glittered with anger. “It turns out you were right about the witch. We tried to capture her, but she fled through some secret pass, then collapsed the tunnel behind her so that we could not follow. She took a few men with her,too.”
Wellion did his best to keep his expression blank, but his knees grew weak with a surge of relief, and it took everything he had to remain standing. Riann met his eyes, and the tiny nod he gave him told Wellion the knight knew exactly how hefelt.
“I imagine you will be combing the countryside for her,” Lord Raffis said. “She cannot be allowed to escape. The bandits have no doubt used her magic to commit quite a fewcrimes.”
“Absolutely,” the major said. “We’ll be keeping half the regiment here to put order back into the region. The rest of us will be returning to the capital, and we will happily escort youhome.”
“Wonderful.” Lord Raffis beamed. “I will certainly sing your praises to the king when wereturn.”
The major smiled. “We would be grateful for that, and for the promisedreward.”
Lord Raffis blinked. “I’m afraid I’ve already promised that to this young lady and her entourage,” he said. “They are the ones who freed me and got me out of thepass.”
The major and his lieutenants went very still. “Forgive me, my lord,” the major said carefully. “While the assistance of these travelers is appreciated, we would have freed you without theirhelp.”
“I don’t think so,” Yarim countered. The major glared at him, but he merely stared back, unperturbed. “Without us, you would have never found the entrance. And the witch and her men might very well have used Lord Raffis and the others as leverage, even if you had found the valley without our help. The fact that he has been freed, without so much as a scratch on his head, is entirely due to ourhelp.”
“Too right,” Lord Raffis said firmly. “The credit rightfully goes tothem.”
The major looked like he was about to explode, and a chill went down Wellion’s spine. Was he going to turn on them? “I would like a word with you, Lord Raffis,” the major said. “Alone.”
