The Hawk Lord by Amy Sumida

Chapter Twenty-Five

“How long will this trip take?” I asked as I strapped on my flight rig.

I'd already said goodbye to Raeshal—the only friend who wasn't avoiding me—and our trunks were outside the tent. We'd be leaving in a few minutes. Dal would carry me while his guards carried our belongings. Every knight in the Hawk Lord's Guard was coming with us. This wasn't unusual; the only time I knew of when they hadn't escorted him was when we'd gone to Alantri.

“An hour and a half or so,” Dal said. “The Hawk Kingdom lies on the Northernmost tip of our continent.”

“I've always wondered where exactly the Fae Lands were.”

He frowned at me.

“I mean, I know they're off that way.” I waved a hand toward the tent flap. “You can see the mist of the ward. But humans can't see how far the land extends. Our ships can't even follow your coastline since your wards push them away.”

“Our wards,” he corrected me with a soft smile. “Varalorre makes up two-thirds of the continent in a roughly triangular shape. Currently, we are close to the center of one coastline, which means that if we go straight inward to Varalorre, we'd be about a third of the way up from the Southernmost point of Varalorre. We need to go to the Northern point. Do you understand?”

I scowled. “Maybe.”

“I'll show you a map when we get there.” He stroked a hand over my jaw, then rubbed a finger over my lips.

He'd spent the afternoon coming in my mouth, as promised. I could still taste him and damn if I wasn't hungry for more. I flicked out the tip of my tongue and licked him. Dal growled and shoved his finger in my mouth, watching me suck it for a few seconds before sighing and removing it.

“Come along, my naughty bird. It's time to be off.” Dal turned and left the tent, expecting me to follow like a puppy.

Which, of course, I did.

The Hawk Lord's Guard was gathered before the tent. Trunks strapped with leather rigging sat before several of them. They shrieked in salute as Dal approached. He nodded to them and removed his war robe, handing it to me. I folded it and distractedly put it in my satchel, too busy watching him shift to focus on silly things like robes and bags.

The Hawk Army had come out to see their lord off, and they cheered and shouted as first his guards, and then he, took to the sky. I went to stand in the open space they left, glancing at the crowd around me. The soldiers bowed their heads respectfully to me, and I flinched, startled. Then I saw Rae; he grinned, then blew me a kiss. I winked at Raeshal just as the Hawk Lord's claws closed around the shoulder loops of my rig and I was lifted into the air. I waved at Raeshal, and he waved back as the Hawk Lord carried me off to his homeland. To our homeland.

The Hawk Lord shrieked and his Guard fell into formation behind him. We veered right, toward a wall of mist on the horizon that surged so high there didn't seem to be an end to it. I took a shaky breath as it drew closer and closer. What if it didn't let me through? What if I was a fae fraud? Fuck, why hadn't I considered any of this before I let my lover carry me off in his big bird claws?

But the mist didn't push us back as it did to humans and Farungal. It was only mist for the Fae. Soft, glowing fog that welcomed us into its cool embrace. All I saw was gray for a few seconds and then...

“Holy fuck balls,” I whispered.

I thought I knew the colors of trees. I thought I'd seen every shade of leaf and flower imaginable. But I was wrong. Before me spread a paradise of vibrant green in shades I didn't know existed, and a rainbow of colors spotted it in the form of flowers, fruits, and flying creatures. A flock of multicolored birds flew beneath us, crying to the Hawks in greeting. The Hawks cried back and surged over an ancient forest that spread beneath a gentle sun.

The forest rapidly thinned and farmland came into view, then a village, and, finally, a city. But none of it was normal, or human, rather. The people who worked the fields did so with magic, tools moving in front of them without being handled and water rising to drench the fields at the wave of a fae hand. The villages were clean, composed of houses grander than those in any human city. I had thought the village was a city until we flew over a gleaming collection of palaces so beautiful, I could only gape at them.

A pack of Coyotes ran through a cobbled street below, yipping up at us.

“The Coyote King will soon know we're passing over his lands,” Dal said.

“Is that bad?” I asked warily.

“No. We are free to travel through any kingdom. Landing, however, would require permission.”

“So, we're in the Canine Region?”

“Yes. Passing into the Fox Kingdom now,” he said. “We have six more kingdoms to fly over before we reach the Hawk Kingdom.”

“And the Felines are in the other direction?”

“It's always best to keep the Cats and the Birds separate,” he joked.

At least, I think he was joking. He must have been; he was friends with the Lion Lord.

“What do you think of your new home so far?” Dalsharan asked.

“It's beautiful. Is the Hawk Kingdom similar to this one?”

“Each region is slightly different. Varalorre was divided by landscapes that suited our beasts best. The Felines got the grasslands, the Canines were given the forests, and the Avians got the mountains. Of course, no region is entirely one type of terrain, but those are featured predominantly.”

“Mountains,” I murmured, thinking of the caves we had camped in, in Alantri.

“We birds like heights. You'll see.”

And when we crossed into the Avian Region, I finally did.

Though they were taller than any I'd seen before, the ancient trees of Varalorre knelt at the feet of mountains that shimmered in the sunlight. Ranges of rock rose and fell with valleys of farmland and villages cradled between them. The Owl Kingdom came first, then Falcon, Eagle, and, finally, the Hawk Kingdom. There, the mountains overlooked the sea and the sound of waves hitting rock became soft background music.

The peaks were capped with a sprawling city joined by arched bridges. Palaces took the place of pointed mountaintops and streets wove across the plateaus they stoop upon. The buildings were built to resemble the mountains, either using the same stone or carved out of the mountain itself; I couldn't tell from that distance. Richly dressed people strolled through gardens that spotted the lofty city while water glinted in fountains and small lakes. Wide platforms spotted the shimmering gray mountainside below the crown city of Kestria, some of them loaded with giant Hawks. More Hawks flew around us, crying out in greeting. The Guard shrieked back and the Hawk Lord angled sharply, taking us into a dive toward one of the platforms. He pulled up when we reached it, flapped his great wings to hover just above the outcropping, and set me carefully upon it. I hurried out of the way so he could land.

The Hawk Lord's Guard landed around us as I retrieved Dal's robe from the satchel. Dale stepped up to me, and I opened it for him, holding it up while he shrugged into it. He smiled appreciatively and brushed a finger across my cheek before belting the robe.

“Welcome to Kestria, Ravyn,” Dalsharan whispered.

“Thank you.”

“Hawk Lord!” a woman's voice came from our right.

Dalsharan grimaced at me before turning toward the sound. I turned with him to find a blonde woman in an expensive gown. She sashayed up to us, her hair swept back in an elaborate braid and crowned with a band of gold feathers.

“Princess Farina,” Dalsharan greeted her. “Well met.”

“Well met, Hawk Lord,” she purred and looked him over as if she might like to lick him from toes to nose. “I was so excited to hear that you were coming home at last and with a Valorian!” She looked over at me. “Is this him? Are you he?”

“Yes, this is my consort, Ravyn Arandel,” Dal introduced me.

The Princess' eyes widened as if she couldn't understand what he'd said. Oh, fuck, don't tell me she was one of those who didn't know that there was more than girl on guy action.

“It's true?” Princess Farina asked and pouted. “You've decided on a consort?”

“I have. Allow me to introduce you. Your Highness, this is Corporal Ravyn Arandel. Ravyn, this is Princess Farina of the Royal House of Hawks.”

“Your Highness.” I bowed.

“Oh, it's lovely to meet you.” The Princess rushed up and kissed both of my cheeks. “We are thrilled to have a Hawk Valorian. Welcome, Ravyn! And what a glorious name. Perfect!”

“Thank you,” I said in surprise. Honestly, the way she had eyed my man, I thought I was going to have to fight her off.

“Now, I'm sure you'll want to freshen up a bit first,” she said to Dalsharan. “But my father bid me to you to attend him with the Valorian as soon as possible.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Dal bowed.

“Oh, so handsome.” Princess Farina stroked Dal's cheek. “If only.” She sighed and walked away.

I lifted a brow at him.

“Do not start with me,” he growled at me.

“So handsome,” I mimicked her.

“Shut up, Ravyn.”

I snickered.

Dal headed through an arched opening in the mountainside, following the path of the Princess. Behind us, Dal's Guard had shifted and donned their war robes. They shouldered our trunks and strode after us without a word. We went into an echoing passage spotted with fae lights. The Princess was already far ahead of us—that girl was fast—climbing a sweeping staircase that led to an archway of sunlight.

We took the same stairs, but I lost sight of Princess Farina when she stepped into the light. We did the same a few minutes later, emerging onto a busy street full of beautiful people dressed in silk, leather, velvet, and damask. Voices spoke in melodious tones, birds chirped from the branches of trees that randomly spotted the sidewalks, and the scent of flowers and saltwater was everywhere. I sighed in delight. Shops selling food, jewels, and clothing lined the streets—shops so luxurious I would never have ventured into any of them. Above their squat roofs, I could see the spires of stone palaces.

A carriage passed by and Princess Farina waved at us from the window.

“So handsome,” I said again.

“I will beat you,” Dalsharan said dryly.

I laughed brightly. “No, you won't.”

He glowered at me. “Fine. I will not fuck you.”

I blanched and shut the hell up as he laughed uproariously.

Then another carriage approached but this one stopped before us and the driver, perched atop his platform, greeted Dal. “Welcome home, my lord!”

“Thank you, Creshal,” Dal said as he waved his knights forward.

The guards stowed our trunks on top of the carriage and one of them opened the carriage door. Two guards climbed on a platform in the back and the rest went to a second carriage that pulled up behind the first. Dal got inside, and I took one last look around before going in after him. I shut the door, and the carriage started to move. I was leaning forward even as I sat down, not wanting to miss a single sight. Every time I glanced over, I caught the Hawk Lord watching me instead of the view.

“You're making me nervous,” I muttered.

“By looking at you?”

“Yep.”

“You're worth looking at. Especially when you're seeing our home for the first time. I like the way your eyes widen.”

“This place...” I shook my head. “Why are there so many birds? That makes me a bit nervous too.”

“Why would that make you nervous?”

“Uh, where birds fly, there's a risk of being pooped on.”

Dalsharan burst out laughing. “I promise that you won't get pooped on. The birds who live among us are attuned to us. That's why they flock here.”

“Aren't hawks predators? Don't they eat smaller birds?”

“We are not normal hawks, Ravyn,” he said wryly.

“Right. Of course.” I cleared my throat and looked back at the city.

A woman formed on the sidewalk. Her body was mostly transparent, but as I watched, she seemed to absorb color from the world around her and became solid. I lurched toward the window, gaping at her.

“Fuck me flying,” I whispered. “I think I just saw a Sylph.”

Dalsharan glanced out the window. “Probably. They're one of the few Unsidhe who live in Kestria. Most wingless faeries prefer the ground.”

“Sylphs have wings?”

“Flightless faeries prefer the ground,” he amended. “Sylphs are air spirits, they float.”

“I've heard of them but have never seen one,” I murmured as I scanned the streets for another. “Fuck, there's a Pixie!” I gaped at the tiny, winged faerie as she landed on a branch beside a brightly colored bird. “I've never seen one of those either.”

“There are Sylphs in the Unsidhe Armies, but the Pixies don't leave Varalorre.” He leaned back against the leather cushion and propped his boot on the seat beside me, giving me a possessive look. “As you will not be leaving without me.”

“Since I can't fly, that's a given,” I grumbled.

“You will fly.”

“How can you be sure?” I gave him a somber look.

“You have me inside you. You will fly.” Dalsharan grinned sensually.

“Well, as much as it felt like flying when I had you inside me earlier, I don't think your cock can give me wings. It's not that magical.”

Dalsharan threw back his head and chortled. When he looked at me again, his eyes were sparkling amethyst.

“What does it mean when your eyes go amethyst?” I whispered.

Dalsharan blinked. “Are they now?”

“Yes.”

“Huh,” he said and grinned. “Interesting.”

“What's interesting?” I leaned forward. “I've figured out that green means you're furious. Is amethyst arousal? Is it a sign that I can jump your bones?”

Dal's grin turned wicked. “You don't need a sign, you naughty bird.”

“Is it?” I insisted.

“You will just have to figure that out for yourself. If you are a good consort, you will.”

“All right, be like that.” I pushed his foot off my seat.

Dal laughed again, then he straightened as he glanced out the window. “We're home, Ravyn.”

Home. The way he said it made my chest constrict. I looked out the window and felt my jaw fall open. We were passing through a gate manned by a couple of guards who bowed to us as we rolled by. Even the gates were impressive—soaring silver things with flying hawks shaped by the twisting metal. Beyond it lay a glorious garden of fruit trees and flowers with flocks of birds swirling from tree to tree. And beyond the garden stood the Hawk Lord's home. My home. At least for now.

It was made of paler stone than the other palaces, a snowy white that matched Dalsharan's hair. The palace rose into the sky before us in tiered arches, each arch bearing a carved design within its tip. It appeared to be more of a collection of towers than a normal palace. Various heights of towers rose behind a sweeping entrance, their spires connected with walkways and every sharply pointed arch accented with a balcony. The grand entry held the lowest arch that nonetheless stretched the highest, with walls sweeping down from it to either side and then up at the ends, into columns topped with statues of hawks. The Hawk Lord's black and gold banner hung from the central arch of that entry, standing out sharply against the white stone.

“This is where you live?” I asked in wonder.

“This is where we live,” he said softly, watching me again.

The carriage pulled around a circular drive and stopped before a set of steps that led to the peaked front door. Our driver jumped down and opened the carriage door for us. Dalsharan went first, then stepped aside for me. I jumped out, landing hard on my boots, and peered up at the palace that soared over my head.

“Ravyn, this is Creshal, my steward.” Dalsharan waved at our driver. “Creshal, this is my consort, Ravyn the Valorian.”

“It's an honor to meet you, Sir.” Creshal bowed deeply.

“Uh, thank you. Nice to meet you too.”

Dal's grin pressed together as if he were holding back laughter.

“Your rooms have been cleaned and a selection of clothing was delivered this morning for the Valorian, my lord. I had them taken to the Consort's rooms.”

“Very good, Creshal.” Dalsharan strode up the stairs where the front door seemed to magically open for him.

Actually, there was a guy in a fancy uniform who'd somehow known that Dal was walking up and had opened the door for him at precisely the right moment. It must be a pain in the ass to be a faerie servant.

Dal paused in the doorway and glanced back at me. “Are you coming?”

“Nearly,” I muttered before running up the stairs after him.

Creshal chuckled under his breath and jumped back on the driver's platform. The carriage rolled away. It probably had its own palace.

I nodded at the guy holding the door and followed Dal into his home. A shining interior of silver, pale gold, and dark gray greeted me. Dal strode forward, barely glancing at the chandeliers above or the designs of hawks in the marble floor below. He went straight to a doorway at the end of the entry hall, got into a tiny room, and turned around to face me.

“What are you doing in there?” I frowned at the small space.

A maid passing by coughed to cover a laugh.

“It's an elevator. It will take us to the upper floors,” Dal said.

“A what?”

“Just get in, Ravyn,” he growled.

I stepped into the room and a door slid out of the wall, closing us in and startling me. I jumped and spun around while Dal chuckled. There was a numbered panel to the right of the door and he hit the largest number—18. The button lit up and the whole room trembled.

“What the fuck?” I held my arms out for balance, but the room only shook slightly. It felt as if we were moving upward. “You have magic that lifts boxes full of people?”

“It's not magic,” Dal said and laughed again. “There's a system of pulleys and chains and... I don't know what exactly. It's all very tedious, I'm sure, but it's a machine, not magic, Ravyn. Relax.”

“Fuck me flying,” I whispered as the room stopped moving and the panel opened on another place entirely. I walked out warily, peering around the circular space he'd taken me to.

“You keep using that exclamation, and I'll take it as an invitation,” Dal purred in my ear as he stepped past me. “This way, Consort.”

I followed him to the right, gawking at the vaulted ceiling with its glass panels that let in the late afternoon sunlight. All around me were amazing pieces of art—statues carved from precious stones and metals, paintings taller than me, and curtains worth more than I made in a year. I suddenly felt dirty and coarse. My shoulders began to hunch in as if the opulence were pressing down on me.

Dal kept walking right out of the room. I stumbled through a doorway after him, then jerked back when open sky greeted me. We were out on one of the walkways I'd spotted from the carriage. I wasn't afraid of heights, I just hadn't been prepared to encounter them right that second. I glanced at the garden far below, then across the bridge to the tower Dal was heading to. The walkway looked solid enough, with a stone railing to either side. I stepped out further and then took a good look around. I only made it halfway before I stopped completely, leaned against the railing, and stared at Kestria. That feeling of being dirty and coarse? It vanished and all I felt was damn lucky.

“It's lovely, isn't it?” Dal was suddenly beside me. He leaned his forearms on the railing next to mine and stared at the city with me. “It's been a long time since I've seen it.”

“It's...” I leaned my shoulder against his. “It's the most beautiful place I've ever been. Thank you for bringing me here.”

The Hawk Lord's arm slid around me, and he pulled me in against his side. “It's more beautiful when I have someone to share it with. Thank you for coming home with me, Ravyn.”

“As if I had a choice,” I teased and nudged his chin with my cheek.

Dalsharan turned to look at me with surprise, then frowned. “You always have a choice, Ravyn. I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise.”

“No, I know.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “It's just this thing with meeting your king—that wasn't optional, was it?”

He grimaced. “No, I suppose not. You could have said no, but it would have made things difficult and truly would have been to your detriment anyway. You need training. You need to be here. And, honestly, now that we're home, I'm glad for it. I feel as if I can breathe for the first time in years.” He gazed down at me and brushed a kiss over my forehead. “No battles to plan. No soldiers to look after. Just you and me and the whole of Kestria to explore.”

“Sounds amazing,” I whispered as I stared at him.

“Come on.” He took my hand and pulled me across the bridge. “I want to show you your rooms.”

“I have more than one room?”

Dal took me through another doorway, across a grand dining room, a library, and a sitting room before we reached a bedroom. The space was massive, circular, and centered around a black and gold bed that was also circular. Swaths of black silk hung from a gold hook in the vaulted ceiling and swept out to drape across golden posts that bordered the bed. Embroidered on the silk were golden hawks, glittering in the light that fell from panels of glass in the ceiling.

Masculine furniture dotted the room and dark rugs covered the pale floor. A fireplace stuck out from one curved wall and a fire flared to life within it as Dalsharan passed by. Two armchairs sat in front of the fireplace, one to either side, and a chessboard waited on a table between them. But Dal kept walking. He stepped through another doorway and across yet another walkway.

This one took us to a smaller tower. There was no library or dining room or even a sitting room in this one, just another circular room with a round bed in its center. The bed wasn't draped, but was still impressive, swathed in white with a golden base. The room continued this color theme with gilded furniture upholstered in pale fabric and a fireplace bordered by swans stretching their long necks and holding their wings up. I walked across the thick rug, looked out at the curving balcony, and peered into a golden bathroom before I turned to face him.

“This is a woman's room, isn't it?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

Dalsharan burst out laughing. “It's meant to be a neutral palette, but you may change it in whatever ways you wish.”

I grinned and lowered my arms. “Nah, it's fine. I kinda like the white. I don't know how long it will stay this clean around me, but I like it.”

“You will not be training in the mud here, Ravyn.” He stepped past me to a door I hadn't noticed. “You will be at the Academy.”

“I'm going to school?” I asked in surprise.

“Who else would teach you except a teacher?” Dal shot back. “And besides, you don't have to worry about keeping this room clean. It will be cleaned for you.”

“Nice.” I whistled as I followed him through the hidden door. Then I stopped short. “Now this is more like it.”

He'd taken me into a dressing room done in warm mahogany with gold clothing racks running down the longer walls and a rectangular chest of drawers in the center. A huge mirror in a golden frame leaned against the far wall, reflecting the racks of pants, tunics, jackets, and cloaks. I pulled out some drawers to find folded underwear in the softest cotton I'd ever felt and the finest silk. Belts, chains, and cloak clasps filled another drawer. Then there were lines of boots and dress shoes set out on low shelves beneath the racks. A padded bench waited at the end of the chest of drawers. Dal sat down on it and watched me.

“Try something on.” He waved a hand at the clothes. “We need to make sure they fit.”

I smiled as I started to strip. His eyes followed every movement. I was hard by the time I was naked, but he merely nodded toward the clothes. So, I turned away and picked a pair of pants. They were black suede, embroidered with a golden design up the sides, and they felt like heaven against my skin. I sighed as I buttoned them.

“Perfect,” Dalsharan murmured.

“They're a little tight,” I argued, peering at the way they stretched over my ass.

“As I said, perfect.” He grinned.

“I've never worn anything this nice before.”

“You will wear something far nicer tonight when I take you to the palace.”

“I'm a little nervous,” I admitted.

“Come here,” he whispered.

I went to stand before the Hawk Lord, and he held my gaze as he unbuttoned my pants and pushed them down my thighs. My heart sped up as I watched him take my cock in his hand and stroke it. He made a soft sigh and bent his head to rub his lips over my weeping tip. The moisture slicked his lips and his tongue flicked out to taste it.

I let out a broken breath. Dal had yet to go down on me. He'd stroked me and kissed me and tongued my ass but he hadn't sucked my cock. I didn't need it, didn't even want a lot of it, but a little tongue action would be nice once in a while. I bit my lip and prayed for a small miracle.

But then Dal removed something from his pants pocket. It looked like strips of leather. He spread the leather, revealing two metal rings, and slipped the rings over my cock. They fit snugly but not tightly. The leather straps hung from the rings and for a moment I thought they were decoration or maybe a leash. But then Dal took one strap from each side and brought them around my waist, lifting my cock with them, and tied them behind my back. My breath caught in my throat. The Hawk Lord grinned devilishly as he slid the other two strips between my legs and brought them to the back where he tied them to the first. It created a harness that held my cock tightly against my belly. Dal leaned forward and kissed the tip of my dick again. I whimpered. Then he pulled my pants back up and fastened them. I nearly wept.

“Now, you'll be too focused on that kiss to be nervous,” Dalsharan declared as he stood up and strode out of the room. “And the harness will prevent your erection from tenting your pants.”

“What the fuck?!” I huffed as I headed after him. “You're not going to fuck me?”

Dal chuckled. “We don't have the time for that. We have to get ready for the king. Princess Farina said he wanted us there as soon as possible, remember?”

“Yeah but—” I waved at the outline of my cock. It may not have been tenting my pants but with the suede so snug, you could see everything, including the rings. “Not even a quick bang?”

“A quick what?” He spun to glare at me.

“Bang,” I whispered. “Just, you know, bend me over a bench and fuck me fast?”

Dal's lips twitched. “No, we are not having a bang. I need to get dressed. Go back to your dressing room, I'm sending someone to help you.”

“I can dress myself!” I called after him.

“Not for the king, you can't!” he called back.

“Fuck,” I whined as I rubbed my cock through the suede. “That feels good, actually.” I headed back to the dressing room, stroking my cock as I went.