The Lion Soul by Amy Sumida

Chapter Ten

That night, the Lion Lord and I shared a meal and then a bed, but not our bodies. It was difficult to fall asleep with him beside me, but I finally managed it and in the morning, I was proud of myself for not giving into temptation. Sex was more than physical pleasure for me, and with Kaelen especially, I wanted our first time to be exceptional. I didn't want to look back and regret going too fast.

Kaelen's hand brushed my hip, and I knew that if I didn't get out of bed immediately, all my resistance would be shredded in seconds. He turned toward me, but I flipped back the covers, sat up, and sprung out of bed. He chuckled as he laid back and watched me get dressed.

“You could have just said no,” Kaelen drawled.

“With you nearly naked beside me?” I glanced over at him, allowing myself only a few seconds to appreciate the expanse of muscles revealed by the thrown-back covers—his sculpted chest, rippled belly and bulging arms—before determinedly looking away. “I don't think I could have spoken the word.”

Kaelen made a low, predatory growl that sent shivers over my back, and I heard him leave the bed. I didn't look. Couldn't look. I just hurried into my clothes. But I wasn't fast enough. Before I could slip into my tunic, Kae spun me so that my bare chest hit his. I looked up just in time to catch the intense expression on his face before his lips covered mine.

With a groan that felt pulled from my soul, I opened to his sweeping tongue. I tried to kiss him back, but he took full control of our kiss, invading my mouth like a conqueror. His hand wandered up my back before pressing me closer, and I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my arms around him and doing the same. He was so vivid, so full of vibrant life, that it seeped from him into me, and I lapped it up as if starved for it. For him.

But Kaelen pulled away without trying for more, only pressing his forehead against mine to nuzzle me as he stroked my back. “I will always respect your wishes, Rieyu. You don't have to fear me pressuring you.”

“I don't.” I leaned up to nip his bottom lip. “As I said, it was my response that worried me, not yours.”

Kaelen growled again, this time in a satisfied way, and bent to nuzzle my neck. “I've been wanting to kiss you since the moment you first came striding into my tent, barely even looking at me. Focused on your work. So stoic.” His tongue trailed up my neck and then he nipped my ear. “So dangerous and yet so refined. Just like those swords you wear. I've spent many years around soldiers, but I've never seen anyone like you.” As he stepped back, he grabbed my braid and brought it forward with him, to dangle over my chest. “I loved watching you fight with your hair unbound. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.”

Before I could reply, Kaelen turned away and got dressed. I put my braid back over my shoulder but I stroked it thoughtfully as I did, running my hand down the length as if I could feel the traces of his touch. I finished dressing, adding my sword belt last, and then we left the bedroom. I determinedly did so without looking back at the bed.

After breakfast, Kae took me to meet the scholars, his escort of knights attending us. He'd found some fresh clothes for me the day before, using them as an excuse to enter the bathing room while I was in the bathtub. He made a big show of stealing peeks at me while he laid the clothing on the table, enough to have me laughing by the time he left. The clothes hadn't bothered me much then, but now, walking through the camp, I felt strange in them, too constricted. Awkward. At least I had my swords; their weight on my hip was reassuring.

“Your clothes should be dry by now,” Kaelen said.

I blinked and looked at him in surprise. “How did you know I was uncomfortable?”

The Lion Lord grinned like a cat. “I pay attention to you. Currently, you're twitchy, and you're never twitchy.”

“Twitchy,” I murmured. “Yes, I feel a bit awkward in these garments. But I think it's important for your people to see me dressed as one of them.”

“I agree, but I rather have you comfortable. Besides, I'll be purchasing a new wardrobe for you in Varalorre. So, you should probably wear your clothes as much as you can while you can.”

“A new wardrobe?”

“You'll be presented to the Queen, remember?” Kaelen grinned at me. “And you'll need more than one set of clothing for the rest of your life.”

“Yes, but I didn't think you'd have to pay for it.”

“Think of it as a loan if you like,” he offered. “As a valorian, you'll have your own income soon.”

“I will?”

“Of course. It's a military position as well as a rank of nobility.”

“Nobility?” I gaped at him.

“Yes, your rank is just below mine, and I am just below the Queen. She doesn't have any children, or they'd be right above me.”

“I'll be the third highest-ranking person in your kingdom?” I stopped walking.

“Yes.” He stopped as well and cocked his head at me. “Is that a problem?”

Around us, his knights stood at attention, waiting and watching.

“No, I . . . I've just gone from outcast to nobleman in seconds. It's a little shocking.”

“I did tell you that the job has its perks,” Kaelen teased.

I smiled softly at him. “You did.”

“Come along, Lord Rieyu,” he said smugly. “The scholar tent is just up ahead.” He waved a hand at a tent nearly as large as his, just ten yards away.

I followed him into the tent, where we found a couple of faeries sitting at a heavy, wood table. One was a man and the other a woman. The man had dark hair and light eyes while the woman was the opposite—light hair and dark eyes. And, judging from the way they were holding hands, they were also a couple.

“My lord,” the man said as he got to his feet. “We were just discussing your good fortune. Is this our valorian?”

“Yes.” Kaelen waved me forward. “Rieyu Brimara, meet Vaarda and Nimalta Weycassa.”

I bowed to them. “It's an honor to meet you, esteemed teachers.”

“Oh, my,” the woman exclaimed as she stood. “Aren't you polite?”

I frowned. “Was that a question?”

“Technically yes, but not really.” Nimalta giggled in delight. “Just an observation.”

“I assume that we'll be heading home now?” Vaarda asked Kaelen. Then, with a grin my way, he added, “Now that was a question.”

“Yes, I made arrangements yesterday,” Kaelen said. “We'll be traveling by carriage since Rieyu hasn't shifted yet. You're welcome to join us in the carriage.”

“Oh, we wouldn't want to intrude,” Nimalta said.

“It's no intrusion; we'd be happy for the company,” Kaelen said chivalrously.

“Then I suppose we should pack,” Vaarda said.

“Why don't I pack and you can start Rieyu's lessons?” Nimalta offered.

“Thank you, Mate. I think you're right; it will be good to get a head start on things.”

“It was nice to meet you, Rieyu,” Nimalta said to me.

I bowed to her again, and she headed into one of the rooms.

“If you two will help me move the furniture, we won't have to go outside,” Vaarda said.

“Why would we have to go outside?” I asked as the three of us moved the dining set to the side of the main room.

“Just in case you prove to be a quick learner.” Vaarda winked at me.

“He's going to teach you to shift,” Kae explained. “Usually, it takes a while, sometimes months even, but the other valorians have been surprising their teachers with the speed of their shifting and their aptitude for magic.”

I grunted.

“But don't let that intimidate you. It's all right if it takes some time,” Vaarda said as he sat on the floor. He patted the floorboards in front of him. “Strip and have a seat, Rieyu.”

I lifted my brows at Kaelen.

“You need to be nude in case you shift,” Kaelen explained with a wry grin. “You don't want to ruin your clothing.”

I grunted and undid my belt, carefully wrapping the leather around the enameled sheaths of my swords. I set the bundle down on the table, then undressed. When I turned around, I found Kaelen staring at me, his amusement shifting into arousal. He swallowed visibly as I strode back to my new teacher, and I preened a little—inside. Outside, I was cool and composed as I sat down and set my hands on my knees.

“Shifting is natural for us,” Master Vaarda began. “But it doesn't come naturally at first. You must forget that you are a man and believe that you are a lion. The key to making the change is that belief, but you must also have an image in your mind of the beast you will become. This will help your lion emerge. Like a map for your body.” Vaarda looked at Kaelen. “Would you mind giving him a visual, my lord?”

“Not at all.” Kaelen strode to the table and got undressed, setting his boots neatly beside mine below the table and his folded clothes on top.

The Lion Lord didn't approach us but instead shifted immediately, giving me very little time to appreciate the muscular length of his broad back and the perfect mounds of his buttocks. But watching him shift was nearly as fascinating. A shimmer of magic coated his skin, blurring his form as he morphed into something much larger. He sprouted fur in seconds, his hair lightening and thickening as his hands transformed into paws and a tail lashed around his powerful legs. I sighed in appreciation when he finally stepped up to us—an enormous Lion with blue eyes and a soul stone hanging around his neck. That necklace had to be enchanted to survive his shifts.

“That doesn't give you much room to shift,” Vaarda noted with a look around the space. “But it isn't likely that you'll do so today. If you do, Lord Kaelen can shift back in a moment and clear some space for you.”

I nodded.

“Now, look carefully at him,” Vaarda instructed. “You will probably become a similar lion since it's his magic that the Goddess used to transform you.”

I grunted in acknowledgment.

“Note as many details as you can,” my teacher went on as Kaelen drew closer, his breathtaking eyes blinking slowly at me. “See his whiskers and the curve of his cheeks. Look at the length of his fangs and the slope of his forehead. I want you to memorize as much about him as possible.”

“Done,” I said crisply.

Master Vaarda made a shocked sound. “Are you sure? You can take your time.”

“I have him memorized. What's next?”

“Uh, well, next, you close your eyes and envision him. Once you have his image set firmly in your mind, you must convince yourself that it isn't Kaelen you are seeing but yourself. That the Lion is you.”

I closed my eyes and did as instructed, adding my meditation techniques to the exercise. I breathed slowly, relaxing my body and clearing my mind to bring myself into a state where I was in complete control. Once I felt that liquidity in my muscles that signified a meditative state, I brought the image of Kaelen to mind and focused on it. He came bursting to life inside my head, every little detail in stark relief. I probably could have imagined him without the prompt of him standing before me; I'd seen him often enough in my dreams to have his lion form memorized. Still, it had helped to have Master Vaarda point out the little details. I held the picture of Kaelen in my mind for a few breaths and then I shifted my understanding of the image. I believed it was me.

Nothing happened.

I didn't let that jar me. I kept meditating on the image of the Lion, believing with all my being that it was an image of me. Still, nothing happened. Long minutes went by in silence and stillness, neither Vaarda nor Kaelen disturbing me. The only sounds came from Nimalta and the soldiers outside the tent. I relaxed. I believed. I remained as I was.

“Because you are envisioning the wrong beast,” a man's voice whispered in my ear.

I jolted, my eyes popping open, but no one was near enough to have whispered to me.

“What is it?” Kaelen demanded.

“I heard a man's voice,” I said warily. “In my ear.”

“It wasn't either of us,” Vaarda said with a scowl. “You probably imagined it.”

“No, I did not,” I said firmly.

“What did this voice say?” Kaelen asked.

“He said that I was envisioning the wrong beast.”

“The wrong beast?” Vaarda scowled deeper and exchanged a heavy look with Kaelen. “Does that mean anything to you?”

“No,” Kae said.

But it meant something to me. I shivered as I realized what the voice was trying to tell me. I wasn't meant to be a Lion; I was a Shirie. Guardian of the Gods. Their champion. I felt it in my bones. But how could I possibly shift into a creature part lion and part dragon? I may not be human anymore, but I'd never been a dragon. That was only my name. How could a name alter fae magic?

“It's not the name that altered the magic,” the whisper came again.

This time, my eyes were open, and I was prepared for the voice. I could see that no one was near me and no one else was in the room. The voice had to be coming from my mind. Either that, or it belonged to someone who was incorporeal. Most men would have discounted this as nonsense, but I'd spent my entire life believing in the Gods and destiny. After being led to Kaelen and seeing his soul, a voice without a body wasn't too hard to accept.

“You know what you are,” it spoke again. “Embrace your destiny.”

And that was all I needed to hear. Whether this voice was my subconscious manifesting or the bidding of a god, I believed it. I closed my eyes and pictured a Shirie. When I had the image firmly set—the same picture that had flashed over my reflection in Kaelen's mirror—I believed the Shirie was me. Honestly, I had already believed it; I just needed to accept that I did.

Magic immediately coasted over my body and a tingling sensation filled me. I felt myself move and grow. Muscles lengthened over stretching bones. Fur sprouted along with horns. I felt it all, and I felt it in seconds. Then the magic receded like a wave. As it left, I lifted my head and roared. This was me; the true me that had been waiting to emerge for my entire life. I finally felt comfortable in my own skin.

But not for long.

As soon as I shifted, Vaarda shouted in dismay, and Kaelen made a cry of distress, both men jerking back from me. Kaelen's knights came flooding into the tent and added their shocked sounds to their warlord's. Lastly, Nimalta emerged, standing just to the side with a satchel in her hands. She dropped it as her mouth fell open.

“That's my boy!” the voice shouted in glee.

More shocked cries came as the incorporeal voice took a body at last, and a man appeared in the crowded tent. A winged man. Vaarda scrambled to his feet and hurried to Nimalta to stand before her protectively as the newcomer stroked a hand over my head affectionately.

“Who are you?” Kaelen demanded. “And get the fuck away from Rieyu!”

“I would have thought you'd guess,” the winged man drawled as he flicked back his long, black hair. His skin was deeply tanned, making his blue eyes appear even brighter. “Take another look, Lion Lord.” He folded his wings and spun in a circle as he grinned at Kaelen. “I appeared out of nowhere and have dragon wings . . . hmm, who could I be? Come on, I know you've heard about me.”

“No,” Kaelen whispered. Then he launched forward and rammed the man with his lion head, sending him stumbling away from me. “Begone, Dragon God!”

“Dragon God?” I murmured.

“He is the father of the Farungals,” Kaelen explained without taking his stare off from the handsome man. He bared his teeth ferociously and growled.

“And your Goddess is their mother,” the God said in a chiding tone. “She loved them once, as she loved me, and I intend to win back her love for all of us—our children and myself. Rieyu is going to help me do that.”

“The fuck he is!” Kaelen snarled. “You're not getting anywhere near him ever again.”

Around us, Kaelen's knights closed in, though they didn't have far to go, what with Kae and me taking up most of the space.

“It's done, Lion Lord.” The God waved an elegant hand toward me. “When you set your soul in him, I was there, and I touched him too. I have been with Rieyu since he first set foot on this land. I felt the weight of fate upon him and knew he was meant to be mine.”

“He is not yours!” Kaelen roared.

“Kaelen,” I said softly.

The great lion head turned to face me.

“I have had a dream since I was a child. A dream of a lion attacked by monsters. The monsters I later learned were Farungals and the lion was you.”

“What?” Kaelen whispered.

“I knew when I first saw you that I would save your life,” I went on. “In the dream, I'm a dragon, and after I save you from the Farungals, you open your chest and give me a piece of your heart. Your heart transforms me into a beast that's half lion and half dragon. My people call them Shiries. They are the guardians of the Gods, and I am honored to have become one.”

“See? He knew he was mine even before I did,” the God said.

“No. He thought he was to become a guardian of his gods, not your plaything. He doesn't understand,” Kaelen growled. Then he looked back at me. “Rie, you were meant to be my valorian. To be a Lion Faerie. You cannot be this . . .” His eyes skimmed me in a way that made my stomach clench. “You cannot be a Shirie. Your fables are of another beast. This god is not our friend. He fathered the monsters we fight, and he's using you to undermine our efforts. He's tainted you with his magic, and twisted you into his tool. But I won't allow him to use you.”

“Hey!” the God snapped as he shoved Kaelen's head. “For your information, warlord, I happen to be on your side. Yes, I want my children to reclaim their magic and old forms, but I also want peace between the Fae and Farungal. Haven't you heard the Leopard Valorian's tales of me? I'm helping you idiots!”

“How is this helping?” Kaelen snarled.

“You think I'm a monster,” I whispered. With that heavy ache of rejection, I shifted back to my Sidhe body.

“No.” Kaelen shifted back too and took me by my upper arms. “I think he has made you into something that shouldn't exist. I don't think you're a monster, Rie.”

I pulled away from him and went to get dressed.

“You take it out of him right now!” Kaelen shouted at the God.

“You do realize that you're speaking to a god, right?” the Dragon God growled. “I've had just about enough of your attitude, Lion.”

I turned, half-dressed, to see the God stepping toward Kaelen.

“Enough!” I shouted and got between them, facing the God. “You say that you're on our side, but you're not. You're on both sides, and that makes it difficult to trust you. Especially when you threaten the Lion Lord.”

“Yes, I suppose you're right,” the God said stiffly. “But you, Rieyu, are my son now. You're as much mine as you are hers, and I do want the best for you. I want you to help the other valorians and their warlords end this war. Whether I care about the Fae or not is moot; we share a common goal.”

“If that's true, you shouldn't have interfered,” Kaelen said as he stepped up beside me.

“Did I interfere, or were my actions necessary for the prophecy to be fulfilled?” the God lifted an eyebrow at Kaelen. “If something is meant to be, it happens. This has happened.”

The Lion Lord blinked.

“Let's start again, shall we?” the God said brightly and extended his hand to Kaelen. “I am Ry'zaran, the Green Dragon of Death.”

“Death?” I asked.

“Yes, he is the reason the Farungal practice death magic,” Kaelen growled and smacked the God's hand away.

“So rude!” Ry'zaran huffed as he shook out his hand. “I can't change him back now, Lion Lord. You are stuck with my son as is. Either you make the best of it, or you reject him, and I will take him with me now. What shall it be?”

I went still, willing my expression blank and pushing down the fear that instantly rose inside me. I didn't even look at Kaelen. Because inside me, my dream was starting to crack. Everything had come true; I had saved the Lion, and he had transformed me. But that's where the dream ended. Was I meant to walk this path without my lion? It would make more sense for a Shirie to attend a god. Shiries aren't born; they are the creations of gods, and they have no mates. Their lives are about service. With a sinking feeling deepening as the silence extended, I realized that I wasn't meant to be with Kae at all, and I suddenly regretted waiting to sleep with him. I should have taken the pleasure he offered. At least then, I could have walked away with a few lovely memories. Now, I'd have nothing. An eternity of nothing.

I turned back toward the table as I said to Ry'zaran, “Give me a moment to finish dressing.”

“Rie!” Kaelen grabbed my arm. “Damn you, look at me!”

I stopped and lifted my stare to Kaelen's. His eyes were full of sharp emotion and his face etched with fury.

“I choose you. I will always choose you,” he declared. “I just wanted you to look at me when I said it, so you could see the truth in my eyes.”

I blinked. “You still want me?”

“Of course, he does,” Ry'zaran said with amusement. “You're meant to be together, my boy. He's right, by the way, you're not exactly a Shirie. As far as I know, those creatures don't exist. What you are is a child to bridge the races. A sort of living truce. You are the key to peace, Rieyu. But I like the name Shirie; let's go with it.”

“Are you saying that my gods don't exist?” I growled and swung my head to glare at him.

“Honestly, I have no idea if your old gods are real. Maybe they are, and maybe there are Shiries running around their palaces,” the Dragon God said with a shrug and a casual wave of his hand. “But they are all irrelevant because you are not their child anymore. You belong to the Goddess and me.” He grimaced and added grudgingly, “And her Lion consort.”

“The key to peace,” Nimalta murmured. “I'd never once considered that we could end this war peacefully.”

Kaelen blinked and looked from her to the Dragon God.

“Did you really think the war would end with genocide?” Ry'zaran lifted a dark brow at Kaelen. “Were you willing to scour Alantri and kill every man, woman, and child?”

Kaelen looked unsettled by this, but he collected himself enough to say, “The Farungal will not stop attacking us merely because we parade Rieyu before them.”

“No, they need more than that,” Ry'zaran declared. “And I intend to get it for them.”

With that, the Green Dragon of Death vanished.