Intoxicating. Bone melting. Heart wrenching. Kayden’s hand slid from Arelyn’s hair, trailing down her spine, then back up. Her lips, strong against his, demanding, filled with passion. The fear he’d seen in her eyes evaporated as their tongues battled for dominance.

  Only the pain in his shoulder reminded him where they were and why. As quickly as the kiss had begun, he pulled away. This wouldn’t happen. Not now. Not when she wasn’t thinking clearly and primal instincts fueled her desire. He’d have her on his own terms, and because they both wanted it.

  “I have to go.” He dug through his clothes to find clean pants and shirt, doing his best to hide the pain. “Go, rest, take care of yourself, Arelyn.”

  Her words echoed in his heart. His men disobeyed him and it couldn’t be left unanswered. Sure, they wouldn’t take orders from a woman, but she was under his protection. Was he clouded by emotions? Obviously. But that didn’t matter now.

  “I’ll rest later. I’m going to help where I can,” she said. Of course, she wouldn’t make this easy for him but he was going to do what he had to do.

  “Martyn!” He snapped at the man when Kayden exited the train.

  “My King.” The warlock bowed.

  Kayden grabbed his throat and pushed him against the side of the train, lifting him so his legs barely touched the ground.

  “Anyone under my protection is under yours.” He squeezed Martyn’s neck a little harder. “You’re demoted for your disobedience. The moment we set foot in Oxlight, you can pack your things and crawl back to the whole I found you.”

  He was about to let him go when he felt the air shift around them with magic. “Do I need to remind you what’s the punishment for treason?” He pointed at Kieran. “Your next king stands right there.”

  Martyn closed his eyes and Kayden released him, letting him catch his breath as he turned to Liam.

  “This time, I’m letting you off the hook, Liam, but know that hiding behind your supervisor won’t save you next time.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “Yes, My King.” The man bowed, his voice cracking from fear.

  Kayden nodded and turned to Kieran. His brother was exhausted; using his magic had taken a toll on him.

  “What’s the status?”

  “Only two were severely injured among the passengers. Todd will recover but he’ll need at least two more rounds of healing. The horses are anxious but unharmed, the track will take some effort to fix, along with the locomotive, and I’m afraid the water is gone.”

  Kayden tried to hide a grimace, but the corners of his eyes twitched. “Thank you. Go inside. It’s an order.”

  Kieran glanced at Arelyn, then nodded and headed inside. Kayden ignored her. That kiss still ran through his veins; her taste was still on his tongue, so he didn’t want to see the disappointment or fear in her eyes.

  Instead of engaging with her, he turned towards the passengers and staff members. “Is any of you an avian shifter?”

  One of the older women stepped forward, giving him a tentative bow. “King Lionheart, I’m an owl shifter.”

  Her clothing was ordinary, and nothing signaled her noble blood. She was probably a bastard, but he wouldn’t dig deep into her history right now. All he needed was her ability to fly.

  “When the sun goes down, fly out, half an hour in each direction, and look for water.”

  “Yes, your highness.”

  “The rest of you, help with the bodies, and the repairs.” He looked at his guards. “Liam, Martyn, make sure the horses are tended to and have some time to run.”

  With that, he waved the engineer over as he walked towards the locomotive to check the damage himself.

  “What can you tell me?”

  The man summarized the damage, pointing out where and what needed to be fixed. With Tod recovering, he only had Liam to help him with the fire, unless there were other fire wielders among the staff or the passengers. All he needed was raw power for the tracks, but the train itself needed more precise work.

  Dusk settled by the time he was finished. They had to fix the damage and find water within two days, before the food ran out. Sending for help wasn’t an option. The closest town was more than a day away. They had to work with what they had and hope for the best.

  The bodies were gathered in two piles: one for the robbers, one for the passengers.

  Kayden ordered everyone around as he stood in front of the makeshift pyres. A few of them were sobbing, finding support in fellow passengers, but most of them just stared at the dead with empty eyes and tired faces.

  “Would anyone like to say a few words?”

  When no one stepped forwards, Kayden turned to the pile on his right where his guard’s body lay, and whispered, “You deserve better,” as he ignited the dry wood under them.

  Without so much as a glance, he threw a fireball to the other pile, then headed inside, finally getting the weight off his injured leg.