Page 3 of A Broken Ember
“When will you go to them?” I sighed, no longer able to meet her gaze as any shred of hope that she would avoid the Circulus disappeared.
“When the time is right.” She released my hand to lift my chin. “I will be fine, Prince. If what you say is true, your enemy-”
“They aren’t my enemy,” I snapped. Hen gave me a small smile, but didn’t voice the truth that we both knew. As much as I admired the other clan, they would still kill me if we met. It was why I didn’t want her to go to them—despite her strength, the Circulus… I couldn’t say whether they would take her in or just kill her to protect themselves from her foreign magic.
“By the gods, Stas! You say that but you’ve done nothing to change that.”
“Ercan-”
“Ercan may as well be De Vita,” she shot back before I could even defend myself. Again, her words cut me to the core, because she was right. I may have prevented Ercan from being Saved but I had failed so many others lately, and I hadn't done anything to protect those still within the Circulus from my father. I only reacted in the shadows, instead of being proactive against the horrors of Odon. But I had to. There was no choice. He had the power. My lip split open from the pressure of my teeth, but there was no pain. There never was any pain anymore.
She turned away, but I couldn’t let her leave. Not like this. I needed an answer from her.
“Tell me how to heal them,” I begged. My hand clutched at hers, scrambling to learn the truth. Hen spun around, eyes explosive with rage.
“You want to heal them? Then fight for them, Prince!”
“I am!”
“You’re not. You’re defending yourself. You’ve let your obsession with the curse consume you so that you’re blind to what is worth fighting for!” I winced and let my hand drop. My shoulders fell in defeat. “You’re a blind coward, Prince Anastasius,” Hen hissed and turned her back on me.
I didn’t say anything to that. I couldn’t: she was right.
I had failed them all.
Chapter 1: Claeg
A persistent knocking woke me up. An arm was lazily slung over me, its heat comforting, reminding me of the activities of last night—sex. Lots of sex. The Ruptor was insatiable, and despite Sivert’s best efforts he did little to placate my body’s needs to dominate. My cock hardened, ready for more.
“Get up! Thana has summoned us!” My sister burst into the room, not sparing the man in my bed even a glance.
I shrugged his arm off of me. The male’s response was a low groan as he slid the pillow over his head. Being awakened by my intruding sister wasn’t his preferred way to wake up. I had learned overtime that he liked being woken by my lips around his cock, followed by my cock buried in his ass. I couldn’t blame him. I shot a glare at Clotho.
“She’s expecting us for breakfast.” With that, she gave me a devious grin. She knew exactly what she was doing, the little demon. I groaned and threw my pillow at her, making her tilt her head back and laugh. Her long silver hair fell back to her waist as she chuckled and whipped the pillow back at me. I caught it and growled as she whirled out and was gone like the wind.
“Do you have to leave?” Sivert murmured, pulling me flush against his chest. His erection pressed hard against my back, revealing the direction of his thoughts. I sighed, leaning back into him for a moment. Sivert’s body rippled against mine in dips and curves that he liked when I drew my tongue over, but my duty lay in fulfilling my role to the clan first. Besides, he wasn’t my Entwined. He had a glorious body, one which was marvelous to fuck, but I had no interest in pursuing anything more between us. Still, as Sivert’s hands trailed down my chest to where I craved his touch, I leaned back into him a little harder, letting him suck on my neck. A moan escaped my lips. Sivert’s teeth grazed the crook of my neck as he smiled, thinking he’d gotten his way. As if sensing my hesitation, Clotho banged on the door again.
“Don’t think I won’t come back in there and haul your ass out! I’m not afraid to take either of you on!” she yelled through the door. I had no doubt that she could do as she threatened. My sister was a formidable warrior and would be a powerful Janardan. Ruthless, even. Grumbling unintelligibly, I forced myself out of the comfort of my bed and donned my leather armor, which fit like a second skin, perfectly molded to my muscles, leaving little to the imagination, truly just an extension of my body.
“Fuck, I wish you didn’t have to go,” Sivert groaned, and I smirked over my shoulder at him. He causally stroked himself, eyeing me like a fucking meal. The Ruptor keened at the sight, relishing the way my presence invoked lust into others. It thrived on the power of sex, wielding it like a weapon. A weapon which I unashamedly used frequently. The Ruptor always thirsted, and I nearly folded to Sivert’s proposal. The desire to overpower him was a need to be satiated.
“Later,” I promised, leaning down to kiss him lightly on the lips. My hand traveled down his chest to his wrist, and I coaxed him to continue pleasuring himself.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he murmured against my mouth. I smiled and turned toward the door just as Clotho threw it open again.
“Took you long enough,” she muttered as I slid past, ignoring her. It wasn’t as if she had never taken a lover. Males and females constantly sought her attention, even more than me. As the Janardan’s heir, Entwining with her would be the ultimate sign of strength—a fact that she often used to her advantage, inviting many to lie with her. Even Sivert she had taken to bed. But like me, none of her partners held her interest. They were all passing flings, much to our grandmother’s chagrin. Though we both knew she had taken many lovers in her younger years, she often inquired why we hadn’t chosen an Entwined yet. I refused to settle for just anyone.
It didn’t take us long to arrive at the Janardan’s rooms. Clotho knocked once, and the door burst open, a guard beckoning us in. “Your grandmother is in the dining chambers.” I nodded, and we made our way through the hallway which was lit with skylights on the roof to the dining room. Inside, the smell of roasted game and freshly baked bread assaulted my nose. A feast was spread out upon the table. Thana sat at the head, and Clotho positioned herself at the opposite end. I sat in the middle between the two powerful women, leaving three empty spots—all three of whom they belonged to were no longer with us. The sight used to fill me with anger and grief, but time dulled the emotions. One day, they would be filled with Clotho’s Entwined, perhaps even her children. I doubted either was in the cards for me.
When we all sat, Thana nodded and began serving herself from the feast before us. That was our cue, so Clotho dug in, filling her plate. I indulged in a buttery croissant and my favorite—a citrus fruit that was in season. As a last-minute thought, I added some boiled quail eggs to my plate. The comforting smell of strong tea with lavender wafted in the air, and I poured myself a cup as Clotho stabbed at a piece of juicy bacon. I preferred it burnt—that way it didn’t look like a fleshy wound, reminding me of the Ruptor’s mercy. I focused on my drink. The tea was piping hot, but I took a sip anyway. Circulus draconis didn’t burn. We were bred for resistance.
My stomach growled, eager for the feast before us. I obliged its demands, taking a bite of a scrumptious roll. It burst with delightful flavor on my tongue. The masters of the kitchen had really outdone themselves, despite the lack of need. A hardened biscuit would be enough to keep me strong. The food went down easily as I waited for Thana to reveal the intentions of this display. It wasn’t unlike her to offer a gift before making demands. The eggs popped in my mouth one by one, smothering me with their creamy flavor. I washed down the smooth yolks with another gulp of tea before Thana finally spoke.
“Ruptor, De Vita have been found hunting in the Neutral Strip. Evidence suggests some Circulus have been captured by Odon while patrolling there. I want to know why. I am assigning you the task of infiltrating their camp and acquiring this information for me,” she said. I raised an eyebrow at my grandmother over my cup. Clotho continued to inhale her meal as if this were the last time she would eat in days.
“Why me?” I balked at her.
“You are our greatest hunter, our Ruptor. If Odon intends to attack us, I expect you will be able to unearth his weaknesses so that we may come out victorious. And if he isn’t planning for war…” Her eyes grew distant, and a faint smile graced her lips. The Ruptor sensed a confusing mixture of hope and fear from my Janardan, but there was a more pressing matter than the fleeting emotions.