Chapter 49: Chapter 49

REYNA

Vok and Drik’s bodies were taken away and prepared for instant burial. Cas built a pyre, said a prayer for them or whatever it was. Something about the smooth passage through the aether to the mother.

Then he lit their bodies with flames and watched them burn.

I stood beside him like the rest of his people throughout it all and felt the connection between them like a live wire. It was a beautiful thing, the bond the Dakkuth shared with each other through their Aekhi.

Aekhi was what they called the essence, and each and every one of the Dakkuth had it except the few humans and two witches who lived here. I knew the witches, Abella and Drake, were second cousins of Olivia.

After the burial, Kayak embarked on the hunt for Allison and Janet while everyone else went on about their day. I felt like I should also go with him to find the women and ensure their safety—after all, the Roses were my sworn sisters.

But Casvan convinced me to stay here in Dakhur. He said that the warriors he’d sent to find my family might come back any time and it would be best if I was here to receive them.

Of course I agreed to stay back. I missed my nana so much.

I also wanted to see Cassandra despite everything, though there was a part of me deep inside that told me they wouldn’t find her.

Cas asked one of his warriors to bring him a horse instead of Kayak’s big vehicle we rode in when coming here. The black steed stood strong and powerful, majestic, making me nervous.

I’d never been on a horse before, and I felt like the horse was glaring at me. Cas helped me up, then climbed up and sat behind me.

He pulled the reins and slightly kicked the horse, which made the horse begin to trot. I thought we were going back to the Palace.

But Casvan didn’t take the road that would lead us back there. Unless I was mistaken and he was taking a different route.

“Where are we going?” I asked, leaning against him, my anger completely forgotten.

Well, I couldn’t stay mad at him forever. I’d never forget the anguish I’d felt when I thought I’d lost him.

And then to top it all, I almost lost my life in the hands of that lunatic Elizabeth. I refused to address her as a doctor anymore—she was deranged.

All these things made me realize I could not live without him. And honestly, I was just tired of being angry and fighting my needs for him.

I just wanted to replenish myself with his warmth and scent I’d been starving for, for days.

Casvan’s right hand wrapped around my waist while the other held onto the reins of the horse.

“There’s somewhere I want to show you, Kitten, it’s close to the castle. Besides, I’ll know if the warriors arrive with your family,” he said in my ear, raising goosebumps.

“Where is this place?” I asked, trying and failing to tamp down my excitement.

“It’s a surprise,” his lips grazed my ear, making me shiver.

My heart was pounding with excitement when the horse increased the speed of its trot, which then turned into a full gallop. We rode through the busy alien kingdom, wild giant trees, dark shiny soil, and water.

Dakhur was, simply put, a beautiful island with small bodies of water everywhere. The houses were colorful, the streets filled with strange-looking vehicles, the usual cars I’d seen in books, and horses.

When we rode through the big marketplace, my excitement got the best of me and I made Cas stop right in the middle of the market. He got down first and helped me down.

My nipples pebbled, my eyes fluttered closed when he deliberately dragged me down his body before putting me down. His scent was doing those familiar wicked things to my senses.

His eyes told me everything I needed to know—he did it deliberately. Wicked beast.

“I’ve never seen a market this big,” I said. “I’ve never seen a market at all,” I amended thoughtfully.

There was no market in Marlenia. The women there grew or hunted their food, which was then given to the crown and later rationed.

They also made their own clothes and helped build or repair their homes. But even with everyone working hard, there were a lot of things they didn’t have.

This was where the Roses came in. They went to the outside world and got supplies at the risk of losing their lives.

Although there was no market, there was an occasion which the people called the commutation. People gave out their food rations for a day or two to others in exchange for a token.

Others earned the tokens when they excelled in their field. Either when they farmed more produce, hunted more animals, or did something great like winning the championship.

Win some kind of rewards from Cassandra—the only people who got more tokens than anyone were the nurturers. The women who carried on human survival by birthing more children, and then the guardians.

I’d only just learned the reason why women gave out their food for a token after we were inducted. They did it to receive pleasure from the men or women in the chamber.

The only time when they were free to have sex with whomever they wanted, without repercussions.

“Well, what do you want to buy?” Cas asked, reaching for me, banishing the thoughts in my head. His hands on my waist seared me.

I looked all around us and noticed most of the people in the market were just minding their business. While the others stared at us with friendly smiles.

What I also noticed was that the stall and business owners were mostly women. Both Dakkuth and human women.

This, however, didn’t mean the women were many. From everything I’d seen so far, the female and male population were one to ten.

“I don’t know, why don’t we check out everything the market has to offer?”

“As you please, Kitten,” he grinned at me, making me blush.

“Is that what Dar’sen means?”

“What, Kitten? No,” he drawled.

“I assumed that’s what Dar’sen means. That’s why I never asked you about it.”

“Hmm.”

“So why do you call me Kitten?”

I stopped beside a stall that was selling some kind of delicious purple pastry shaped in a circle and smelling so good. The woman selling the pastry was a Dakkuth.

She packed four pieces in a paper bag, and Cas paid her the money despite her reluctance. I couldn’t wait until we went wherever it was Cas wanted to take me.

I grabbed one of the purple pastries, and the second I bit into it, it melted right on my tongue—buttery, sugary, and creamy.

“Oh my God, Cas, you have to taste this,” I crooned, offering him the pastry in the bag.

I gasped a second before his mouth closed over mine, kissing me until my lips parted for him and he drove his tongue inside, swallowing my moan.

My toes curled as pleasure surged inside me, making my nipples bead and my walls spasm. When he finally let me go, my head was spinning.

“Sweet, absolutely delicious,” he growled. My stomach fluttered, my face flushed with heat.

I glanced around to see if anyone had noticed us kissing in the open—a lot did, but instead of fear and shame, I felt empowered when they only smiled at us.

“Um, you still haven’t answered my question.”

“I call you Kitten because you looked like a haughty, shy, and yet ferocious kitten trying to protect her mother when I first met you. It’s funny because it’s like a chihuahua barking at a pit bull terrier.”

“Pit what?” For a moment, my eyes glazed over as he sent me the image of both a chihuahua and a pit bull terrier through our connection. I understood instantly what he meant.

“You’re the chihuahua,” I said, glaring at him.

He chuckled.

I glared at him but couldn’t help smiling as we walked through the market, with me in the front by a few steps while Casvan’s towering height followed behind me, pulling at the reins of his steed leisurely.

“And Dar’sen—what does it mean?”

“Soulmate. My soul, my mate,” he purred.

My heart sang with this revelation.

“What do I call you? I mean, what’s the male equivalent of Dar’sen?”

“Ar’sen.” I rolled the name on my tongue and it felt perfect, natural.

Nothing had ever felt as wonderful as it did when we strolled through that cobblestone street market. We perused the wares in the stalls, tried out clothes against my maroon dress, and tasted new delicacies.

With Cas directly behind me, holding the reins of his horse.

***

Dakhur was beautiful.

Casvan had told me he’d made a lot of changes after he met me to fit the kind of place I would love. Which explained why he always asked me questions about what I loved.

Like what my favorite trees and fruits were, back when we were in Marlenia and I would sneak in to see him.

There was still a lot that looked alien to me, like some of the trees with giant leaves, and some of the fruits were unlike anything I knew, tasted, or had read about.

We left the market and were now back on the horse, which I had decided to name Sterling.

We rode for another ten minutes, through the forest and between trees and foliage, before we finally slowed down.

Casvan had taken a shortcut and brought us near the palace. Though I couldn’t see the onyx, jagged stone that was the palace, I could still hear the crash of water against stone from the waterfall.

Cas swung his legs and got down, then he helped me down from the horse. He spoke to the black, gorgeous steed softly.

I stroked the horse’s soft mane tentatively, not wanting to spook him.

Casvan held my hand and started guiding me down a paved path.

He grinned at me, his green eyes flaring with heat. “Come, it’s only about a hundred feet down this way,” he said.

My heart jumped up in my chest, with that deadly smile directed at me. I returned his smile and let him lead me to the place he intended to show me, leaving the horse to graze freely.