"Get out! You're not welcome here!"
Concerned that angry shout might be directed at her, Edilyn slowed as she neared the oversized oak doors that were marked with ornate iron hinges. Then she realized the two guards shoved at an old man who was dressed in dirty rags and matted furs.
"How many years do we have to throw you out, slagge?"
With an admirable obstinacy, the old man refused to budge. "I was given an invitation, same as the others. Is this not open to all?" The ancient voice was barely a raspy whisper that came from the depths of his filthy hood. Oversized and in the shape of a wolf's head, the cowl revealed no trace of his features.
"Beggars aren't welcome. Now begone with you before I set the dogs on you! Bother us no more!"
This time, they shoved him so forcefully that the one would have fallen had Edilyn not caught him. But that charity cost her, as it was quite painful when his back slammed into her front, proving that he was much heavier and more hale than his shabby, hunched-over appearance gave him credit for.
Stifling her cry of pain, Edilyn helped him regain his balance before she stepped away to address the guards. "He's right. 'Tis St. George's Day. Should we not all be on our best behavior? After all, that blessed saint gave away everything he had before he died to those who were less fortunate. Surely we can find a modicum of charity for those in need?"
The guard sneered at her. "You would break bread with something that reeks like the back end of a horse's arse?"
Rather that than feasting with a dragon.
Wisely, she kept that thought to herself.
Instead, Edilyn cast a kind smile to the old man, who was strangely quiet now. "Better to break bread with someone who smells like an arse than to be one. Stenches can be washed off. But an ass today is an ass tomorrow."
The guard curled his lip as Edilyn boldly took the old man's arm, and in direct defiance of their cruelty, led him inside. However, her victory was short-lived as the guard's parting words struck her like a blow.
"Speaking of asses, you can tell by the ample girth of hers that she's never skimped a meal or been picky over when or where she finds sustenance. Never mind with whom."
The other guard laughed at his snide tone while she ground her teeth, refusing to give them the satisfaction of knowing that those cruel words had struck their mark, and left another bloody wound on her heart.
"Ignore them, my lady. You are by far the most beautiful one here."
She smiled at the old man's kindness and patted his arm. Poor thing must be blind as well as indigent. "Thank you, gentle sir. But I'm no lady. Merely a simple archer's daughter."
"I take it your father is very proud of you."
Those words brought a lump to her throat. "I should like to think he would have been."
"He's passed on?"
"Aye. When I was a girl."
"I'm sorry to hear it."
She offered him a kind smile. "As was I. He was everything to me--a good man with a cheerful disposition, and a wonderful father. He is sorely missed." Her bottle necklace warmed, as it always did whenever Virag wanted to let her know that he was with her and sending her his love and affection.
Edilyn released the old man's arm to show him her most prized possession in all the world--her beloved bow. "But he did give me this, though, before war took him from me." With a bittersweet smile, she ran her hand over the runic engraving her father had placed above the grip while she'd watched him work on it with eager eyes.
"My precious Edilyn?"
Nodding, she blinked back a sudden round of tears. How she missed her father. Instead of becoming easier, his loss and absence seemed to sting more with every passing year.
Same for her mother.
She cleared her throat. "He made the bow himself from the strongest yew he could find, and then gave it to me on my birthday. Since it was just the two of us, we would spend hours in practice. Every day. The women of the village used to say that I drew my bow so much I had the arms of a man." A frown creased her brow as she recalled the old wives' tale about how it was bad luck to cut down a yew tree. Supposedly, anyone who dared such would die within the year.
Was it mere coincidence that her father had perished on the thirteenth day of the eleventh month after he'd dared cut the wood for her bow? She'd always wondered about that.
Not wanting to consider something that was forever near her mind whenever she held her bow, she led the old man to a seat. "You rest and I shall get you some nourishment."
Still completely shielded by his filthy, worn cloak, he complied.
And as she made her way across the room, she overheard numerous familiar conversations....
While the seasons and years changed, the people here and their concerns never did. She'd heard their whining gossip so much, she could recite it from memory. And with that sudden thought, she had to bite back a laugh as an image of Virag's earlier play in her room went through her head.
Her brother was ever rotten.
"Think you he'll come this year?"
"The Ancient Drakos? Nay, not likely. He never does. I'm told he cares nothing for pomp and noise."
"I heard the brenin offered the Ancient Drakos the hand of his only daughter in marriage to join our ranks."
Another nobleman scoffed. "I heard he'd give up one of his sons to him in marriage to procure him as our guardian. His skills are that great. 'Tis said none can defeat him."
"Son, nothing. I heard he'd give up both testicles for it."
They laughed at something that rang with truth, knowing their brenin. And it explained why Morla was dressed in such fine and expensive armor. No doubt she was hoping to do her father's bidding and catch the attention of one of the oldest, most lethal of the dragon clan. The mysterious Illarion Kattalakis who no one had ever seen.
Not even the dragons themselves. They merely whispered tales of him--as if afraid to say his name too loudly lest they somehow offend him with it.
He was more myth than reality. A shadowy sorcerer of unparalleled power and skills who hated humanity with legendary fervor. Older than time itself, he only left his cavernous den to prey on those who angered him. And those fools, he consumed with his incendiary breath.
The circulating tales said that he guarded ancient treasures and weapons forged by the old pagan gods. Some even believed he might be the keeper of the Holy Grail itself. Others speculated he'd been the snake who'd tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Never had she known any creature to hold more outlandish speculations. Many claimed he was the inspiration for the new tale the Geats, Jutes, and Wulfings had been passing around that had recently come to their shores--the tale of the noble Beowulf, who'd been slain after a slave had stolen a golden cup from a mysterious dragon's lair. Furious over the theft, the dragon had razed their settlements, demanding the return of his enchanted cup and the head of its thief.
After all his noble battles and victories that included slaying the infamous Grendel and his mother, Beowulf had finally succumbed to the dragon's fierce prowess.
Some tales claimed Beowulf had slain the dragon before the Geat had died of his wounds, but others said that was a total fabrication made by Beowulf's clan in order to save face. That the dragon had reclaimed his cup and feasted mightily on the hearts and heads of all those who'd taken part in its theft.
It made her wonder what such a beast might really look like. Not that she cared. She hated all dragons for what they'd done to her father and people. The only good one was a dead one. She was merely curious about the creature that inspired such fanciful legends.
Nothing more.
Daydreaming about the coming day and how she wanted it to end--in her favor, of course--Edilyn prepared a platter for the stranger.
As she reached for a cup of mead, she felt a pair of angry eyes glaring at her. She glanced up to find Morla curling her lip in distaste at Edilyn's mismatched clothes.
Tall, slender, and with hair so golden, it appeared to have been spu
n by the fey, the noble maid dropped her gaze to the platter. "Don't you have food at home?"
Her dark-haired best friend, Lady Nesta, snorted. "No wonder she's the size of a man. She eats like three of them."
Annoyed by the spoiled women who'd never known a day of starvation or hardship of any kind, never mind the grief that had plagued Edilyn all her life, she didn't bother to correct their misconception. They weren't worth her time. Instead, she took the platter to her guest, who seemed to be watching Morla and Nesta intently. Not that she blamed him. They were two of the richest, most beautiful women in their village, and every man, young and old, would sell his soul for a night with them.
If only they weren't quite so aware of it. And if they hadn't allowed that knowledge to go to their oversized heads. Heads that if they grew any larger, would overfill the hall and cause the two women to be unable to stand upright.
But that was their problem. Not hers.
Grateful she didn't have to live with those massive egos and petulant moods, Edilyn set the platter down next to her new friend. No sooner had she stepped back than the doors opened to admit their long-awaited guests of honor.
The dragon clan.
Her lips involuntarily curled as they entered the hall in all their expensive finery. Their dark leather armor was trimmed in gold and silver that glimmered in the bright sunlight as it spilled in through the windows. More beautiful than any human, they were here for the Winnowing--to choose the best, noblest warriors of her clan to be their partners in war.
And life.
Supposedly, it was the greatest honor to be chosen by them. The men and women of her clan clubbed each other for the chance and spoke of little else the rest of the year. All the eligible youth practiced for this day, hoping to be among the ones taken to live with them.
It was the last thing she wanted.
"Why do you tremble so?"
Rage. But she didn't answer the old man. She couldn't.
"Are you afraid?"
"Nay," she scoffed.
"Not even a little?"
She shook her head. "Not even a little," she repeated his words. "Merely concerned that I might make muster."
"What do you mean?"
Pain lacerated her soul at his innocent question that forced her to remember things she wanted to keep buried. But what was the use? And before she could stop it, the truth tumbled out of her lips. "Every year I audition for the brenin with my skills, and I best all my clansmen."
"Then what's the problem? Why aren't you mated to a dragon?"
"Don't want to be. Rather, I want the brenin to choose me as a marchoges."
"But not for the dragons? Why?"
"Because she knows she'd break their backs and cripple them," Gryffyth said as he walked past them.
His friends burst out laughing.
Stifling the urge to toss something at the arrogant prick, Edilyn narrowed her glare at Gryffyth's worthless hide while he and his cronies vanished into the crowd.
But she wasn't so callous.
She turned back toward the old man. "I've no interest in being chosen by the dragons. In fact, I never appear for the Winnowing. Rather, I withdraw before it begins. I want to stand on my own. But the brenin refuses me. Every year. He only wants draigogion for his army."
And speaking of, the call rang out for the contestants to gather.
She glanced down at her guest. "Do you need anything else before I join them?"
"Nay, my lady. Good luck to you."
"And to you, my lord..." Heat crept over her face as she realized how rude she'd been to him. "I'm so sorry that I forgot to ask your name. How thoughtless of me."
"You've been anything but thoughtless, dear Edilyn. Call me Emanon."
"Lord Emanon. It's been my pleasure to assist you." She gave him a slight bow, then ran to join the others.
Emanon sat in silence as he watched Edilyn push her way through the crowd. Taller even than most of the men, she held an exotic kind of beauty that made her stand out from the others. Or maybe it was her zest for life. Her innocent exuberance in the face of their negativity.
She was a beacon through their dull storm.
He'd never seen anyone so determined in the face of adversity. Rising to his feet, he kept to the outer edge of the crowd so that he could watch her compete. Like a free-flowing ebony banner, her long black hair blew behind her as she raced to her place beside the others. Her cheeks were mottled bright red from her exertion while her ample breasts rose and fell with her excitement.
Aye, she had a lush, full body that said her appetite wasn't just for life, but was robust in all things.
Several of the women curled their lips or rolled their eyes at her approach.
She smiled in response and boldly wished them luck. She was such a cheeky, jovial lass, dressed in a garishly orange tunic that fell to her feet. It was interlaced with green and blue that seemed faded or smeared. She'd placed sprigs in her hair and horned helm. Emanon wasn't sure if she wanted to appear as a drunken sprite, a tousled flower ...
Or a drunken bull that had rolled around a field for a bit.
And that forced a rare grin from him. If he could appreciate anything in life, it was that degree of defiance in the face of those who wished you ill.
"Did he come with you?"
Emanon narrowed his gaze at the man nearest him as he heard the brenin's gruff voice questioning Tarius Kattalakis. A rare Katagari Drakos, Tarius was the current leader of this group who'd come here to pick mates from the humans. It was a spring ritual they'd been practicing for decades now, and it left Emanon sickened.
Every year, the Drakos came, watched the humans, and opposed the Greek gods' decree for their people by selecting a mate when they all knew that only the Fates themselves were supposed to assign them their life partners. It was this kind of hubris that had caused their race to be first cursed.
Yet the Katagaria Drakos, because their progenitor Illarion was a son of Ares and had been biologically bonded against his will to the Arcadian prince who was a grandson of the goddess Nyx, thought themselves above it.
Dumbasses.
Illarion would never intervene on their behalf to save them from the wrath of the gods. Honestly, he had no greater love for their hybrid species than he did for humanity. If the truth were known, he'd tried his best to get his brother to leave them all to die after their creation. The only reason any Were-Hunter had ever survived was the benevolence of Maxis Drago. He was the one they should be currying favor to.
Not Illarion.
He was the one dragon who would gladly hand-feed them to their enemies, and laugh while they bled out at his feet. The son of Ares cared nothing for these creatures. Nothing for their races or their wars. He felt no obligation to them whatsoever.
And he never would.
Burn in Tartarus, you bastards....
Their treatment of Edilyn was exactly why Illarion had no love of humanity. The whole problem with human beings was that they were so seldom humane. And those whose genetics had been combined with animals were even worse. Instead of being made better, they'd sunk to an all-new level of viciousness.
Emanon ground his teeth as he started to leave so that he wouldn't have to stomach another moment of their vile presence, and yet his gaze went back to Edilyn.
She rubbed at the bottle on a string she wore around her neck, and smiled a smile that enchanted him in a way nothing ever had. Damn. It left him breathless.
Worse? It quickened his blood and fired a need inside him to taste those lips. For the first time in his exceptionally long life, he actually desired a taste of human flesh for something other than a quick, bloody meal.
He hungered for her.
What the Hades?
And still the men in front of him continued to speak. "Nay, he's not here. But fear not. We are more than able to protect your village and people."
"Did he not receive the offer to marry my daughter?"
Tarius sighed. "It's not t
hat. They claim he's sterile."
"I heard he's insane," Bracis added. "As the first of our kind, he couldn't handle the transition from beast to man. While he physically survived, he broke mentally."
"It's a shame." The brenin let out a tired sigh. "Our enemies grow bolder and stronger. We lost half our best warriors in the last battle."
"Well, we're here now and we'll take care of you." Tarius turned his head back toward the contestants. "Who is that tacky brunette who keeps winning?"
"Edilyn?"
"Aye. She's here every year." Scoffing, Tarius passed a smirk to Bracis. "She's a stout one, isn't she?"
The brenin shook his head. "I think she's hoping one of you will take her since no man among mine will have her."
"Why's that?"
"She's an orphan with no property. No dowry. No family. All she has in this world is that old war bow she carries. Pathetic, really."
And yet she who had so little held more kindness than any of the rest. The last thing that made her in Emanon's eyes was pathetic.
As he watched her racing against the others, his respect for her grew. They did everything they could to trip her, knock her from the path, or cause her to veer from the goal.
Edilyn didn't falter or stumble. Steadfast and determined, she ran with her head held high and kept her gaze on the goal, without regard to any of the others or the tricks they used to foil her journey. Nothing and no one could stop her.
In the end, she crossed that finish line first. Way ahead of the others.
It'd been a long, long time since he'd seen such intrepid courage. Instead of congratulating her for the achievement in spite of their ill behavior, they glared. Their hatred increased to such levels, he could feel it as a living creature slithering in the air around them all. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck to see such tangible evil.
Still, she continued on with resolute grace. She even glanced at him, smiled, and waved.
Stunned by that unexpected act, he gaped and felt the most peculiar fluttering inside his stomach. One that only fueled his hunger. He had no idea what it was. Never had he experienced anything like it.
Brushing at the perspiration on her brow, she went to retrieve her bow for the last round of games. He didn't miss the way her exotic features softened ever so slightly the moment her hand touched the wood.
Aye, it was exceptionally dear to her.