“Nothing,” Sylam shook his head quickly. Too quickly. “Go to the training camp and drive your mate crazy. I’m sure he will love it,” he said with a smile. A fake one.
Still, I decided that there were more important things to focus on. Such as seeing Dahr. And having a conversation about what had happened at the solstice celebrations.
“Don’t you need to escort me there? Can I go by myself?”
“You are Grannicus’ mate. As he said so himself, if anyone touches you, it would be an offence against him. And dressed like that, I doubt anyone would dare to,” he raised his brows and looked at me top to bottom, just like Mira had.
“Don’t be a creep,” I turned my shoulder to cover my boobs. “Thanks,” I said quickly and made my way towards the sea, ready to find my two loves, as my new ‘mate’ had so delicately put it.
If I thought that wearing a dress and looking the way I did as I walked through the camp wouldn’t draw too much attention, I was sorely mistaken. As soon as I passed the central tents, which were positioned in circular lines around Dahr’s main one, I started drawing attention to myself. Or better said, my attire did.
Wherever I stepped, there were dozens of gazes coming my way, some greeting me with a smile and others that looked at me with damnation. I wasn’t sure what exactly I had done to merit them… either of them. Apart from apparently mating their Grannicus, but that was another issue. Which had to be dealt with immediately.
Having no other choice but to follow through with my plan and realising that I must have over-exaggerated with makeup or jewellery that day, I let my steps slowly guide me to the western side of the camp. Fortunately, I did not have to stop and ask for directions, the shouting sounds and the clanking of metal telling me exactly which way to follow. I walked with determination until the very final line of tents, that had remained empty for the day, all their occupants busy in the training camp.
I finally understood why they did not allow women here. Looking around, I let my gaze follow the harsh terrain, much more difficult to navigate than the central part of the camp, the scarcity of food and firewood and the tattered fabrics of the tent around me. Not only were these men fighting for their lives every single day, but they had to face harshness in every aspect of their lives, including their place of sleep.
My courage vanished like a demon in a church at the sound of footsteps. My entire body shuddered, frightened thatI would find the same gang of men that caught me when I was swimming.
I was left with little choice but to throw myself into the training camp and hope that I would place myself in Dahr’s line of sight faster than whoever wanted to catch me did. My only hope was to get to Dahr’s side as quickly as possible, because there was no one else that could protect me from the mess I had gotten myself in.
“Can I help you, miss?” a male voice sounded from behind me. I immediately turned, my heart jumping in my throat as I saw a bare-chested tall man looking at me in question. My eyes fell over his sweaty and dirty skin, over the long cut that bled down his torso, leaving small rivers of blood that fell onto his abs.
“I’m looking for Grannicus,” I immediately said and pushed more air into my chest as I forced my body upright. I might at least look the part, if I had already dressed like that, and hope that Dahr’s threat was still valid. That whoever touched me had to answer to him. I pushed myself to the point of a heart attack in the few seconds it took the man to look me over and understand who I was. Whom I was after.
“He is scheduled to fight next. Were you invited to observe?” He poked at my intent with a deep furrow of his brows, unknowing if he’d just given me an out.
“I was, but now that I think about it, I might turn back. I wouldn’t want to distract him,” I tried to smile, but what I forced out was a sight of peeled lips over teeth.
“Nonsense,” the man nodded, as though he’d made the decision for me. “I will escort you to him, I am sure he’ll be more than happy to see his mate,” he let out a chuckle, and I did not care if it was a mockery or a true sentiment. He was offering to take me to Dahr, and by the looks of it, safe and untouched, so I couldn’t really ask more than that.
“I would be in your debt,” I dipped my chin slowly and motioned for him to go first, with an elegant wave of my hand, which made my gold bracelet gleam in the sunlight.
Wordlessly, the man started placing heavy steps over the sand and I had no choice but to follow, trying to make myself invisible and hide from view behind the man’s wide back.
That was, until he stepped to the side to reveal me in front of a wide training ring, where Dahr and two other warriors sparred. I had not expected to be brought so close to the fighting and especially, I had not expected for everyone’s attention to turn to me.
I found myself in the line of over a hundred pairs of eyes, all of which shifted from the fight in the training ring to my dress and… I hated to admit it… to the generous cleavage that push-up bra sported under the crochet pattern of the dress.
“She’s here to see Grannicus,” the man who brought me there responded in my stead as all the eyes of the camp continued to drill into me. I started looking around, desperate for some control, desperate to get out of this mess. I would give anything to vanish and return to the safety of the tent, away from whatever foolishness had possessed me to act like this.
“Training is over,” Dahr's voice resounded from further behind the army of men that had turned to me. Their bodies must have been trained to listen to Dahr’s voice, because they all obeyed, as if enchanted by the command. As one, they turned towards him and dipped their chins in a barely noticeable bow, before they all turned on their heels and started walking away. Their attention finally removed from me.
“Thank you for bringing her, Cartash,” Dahr pinned the man with a grateful gaze before he too, followed the order and faded away from sight.
Only then, only when Dahr pressed his attention to me with a smirk, I felt the air return to my lungs.
“Not the most calculated decision, little flame. These men are starved for female attention, and you decided to come in here looking like that…” he arched his brows, his dark eyes possessively dropping into my cleavage, just like everyone else had done.
“I just…” God, I barely had enough strength to speak, the fright of what could have happened still tensing my bones. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Come up,” Dahr tilted his head in invitation and crouched onto the ring floor to stretch out his hand for me. As soon as I grabbed it, I found myself flying for a few metres until my feet were steady on the ground again, on top of that training ring that was filled with sweat, dirt and blood.
I took a second to look around, to study the view from up there, to feel the elements of power that drummed into that soil. And it felt… amazing. Adrenaline shot through my body, filling me with unimagined strength and energy.
“It feels like I’m drunk,” I slowly giggled, looking at my feet to make sure they hadn’t started dancing on their own accord. “And happy,” I added.
“It’s enchanted to spike our blood. This is what we feel before battle,” Dahr motioned, stretching his arms wide and displaying the invisible force that bloomed around him.
