A Blood Heir

Chapter 16- The Only Fertile Female

“Do you think they’ll let us ride one of those horses?” Tavish asked from where he stood by the window. 

Maya’s eyes flared with excitement. “They have horses?” Standing up from the bed, she hurried towards him. Pushing the curtain open further, she glanced outside. 

A steel-walled and metal-roofed stable sat on the stretching green field. Around it, horses went on grazing as workers walked in and out of the structure, going about their evening duties. Nearby, a bright and bonny brook flowed to join the main stream stemming from the forest behind the solid castle wall. She’d never seen such a huge forest with a cloud-like canopy. Maybe, they might let them hike into those trees if horses were too much to ask. 

“Not if they think we’ll use them to escape,” Lockie who’d now joined them commented. “I wish they would have let us stay at Dallan’s house. At least we would be outdoors and no one would have attempted to kidnap Maya.” Peeling his gaze from the window to his sister, he added. “From now on you don’t go anywhere without us. The three of us should stick together.” She nodded. “And I know the crystal didn’t work but we are not giving up. We’ll find another one and keep trying until it does.”

Maya smiled, suddenly remembering something. “If the crystal doesn’t work, we might have another way out of here.” 

Lockie and Tavish stared at her in confusion. “What do you mean?” Tavish asked. 

“The letter… Wally… Great-great grandaunt Cecilia…” She gave up trying to remind them and resorted to explaining instead. “In the letter, Cecilia wrote to her sister Margary, she mentioned she was planning to come back to Krystan with Wally once he found his way back home. And since no one knows what happened to them back on Earth, we can only assume they made it here. So, we just have to find them and they will take us home.”

“And how do you suppose we’ll find them if the Krystanians won’t let us walk out of this castle that’s more of a prison?” Lockie asked. “And don’t you think they would have told us or been a lot more welcoming if a human was already living among them? Besides, the Krystanians were shocked when they heard we came through a portal like it was unheard of.”

“That doesn’t mean they are not out there.” She reassured herself. “We’ll ask around; someone should know something.”

She glanced back outside the window in time to see two males enter the arched gate from the forest on horseback. They followed the dusty path leading to the stables and as they drew closer, Maya made out who they were. Hunter and Cade.

Riding a horse had never been hotter. The way the king took control of the beast was magnificent. It willingly gave its back and the strength of its limbs to carry him onward, connecting him to the ground with each gallop of its hoofs. 

He pulled the reins and the black creature came to a halt on top of the draw bridge. Swinging his right leg up and over the haunches, Hunter pushed himself off the horse and landed on the strong wood. 

As if sensing eyes on him, he elevated his gaze to meet hers. 

She wanted to be pissed at him for being happy at their failed escape plan but then if it weren’t for him, goodness knew where she would be right now. She didn’t even want to guess what Marek wanted with her. 

Stepping away from the window, she walked back to the bed. She’d barely sat down when the door opened. “It’s time for the evening meal,” Evera announced. “Come with me downstairs.”

The three followed the Krystanian out of the bed chambers. Dusk was creeping in and the hallway was now lit with a series of torches. Distant bustling noises emanated from the floor below. The smell of some kind of roasted meat wafted into her nose as they went down the stairs. Momentarily, she felt weak from her hunger. They hadn’t eaten since this morning. She’d been too busy weeping to think about lunch.

Conversations stopped the moment they came to view. Maya tried to ignore the eyes of the hundreds sitting around the tables. Walking ahead, Evera led them to the table just below the dais. 

They made sure to sit on the side where they could face away from the rest of the room and gave them the view of the high table where the queen was eating alone. Settled, Evera went to join her people.

As if someone hit a play button, conversations carried on and servers went around placing filled plates in front of the sitting crowd. 

Maya dug into her meal as soon as it came. The three didn’t speak to each other. It might have been because they were all racing to fill their empty stomachs or they wanted to take the shortest time possible in this hostile environment.

“So, you are the human female,” said a tall male, easing on her unoccupied side. Something more than his huge size had her feeling uncomfortable. His dark unblinking gaze on her, he added, “You are more beautiful than people described you.”

Lockie glowered at him. “Mate, I’ll ask you this once. Please leave.”

The Krystanian snickered. “We all know who should be leaving here. But since you’re stuck on my planet it will be wise to find a strong male for your sister. Someone who will protect her and in exchange, she’ll give him some heirs.”

Lockie stood up abruptly. His fist clenched, his breathing uneven, he was ready for a fight.

“Get lost, Dixic,” Evera said, standing over him. “Go find something better to do.” Reluctantly, he stood up. Plucking his gaze from Lockie, he glanced at Evera. “Leave, unless you want me to tell the king and Commander Cade about this. Then you can kiss your leader of the troupe’s position goodbye.”

“I didn’t do anything. I didn’t try to harm the humans.”

“You should already be out of my face.”

Furious, the Krystanian walked away. With him gone, Lockie eased back on the bench. Placing the tray in her hands on the table, Evera took the position previously occupied by Dixic.

“Thank you,” Maya said. The situation might have escalated if she hadn’t intervened. And who knows what would have become of her brother after a fight with a trained warrior?

Cutting into her stake, Evera said, “I never thought I would feel anything other than hatred for you but now I feel sorry for you.”

Her brows pulled together in a frown. “What do you mean by that?”

Discarding her fork and knife, she turned to face Maya. “You are the only fertile female in Krystan and every male will want to have you. The worst part is… the most dangerous male in Krystan wants you. He has already sent a person after you and I doubt he’ll be the last. Marek won’t stop until you’re his.”

“What do you mean she is the only fertile female on the planet?” Tavish asked.

“For centuries, Krystan has been facing an infertility crisis and she is the salvation of any male hoping to save their bloodline.”

Goodness! What had she gotten herself into? Why did she let her historian curiosity get the better of her? Why didn’t she stop pursuing the journal like her father advised? She just had to find the crystal, open the portal and make herself prey to all these hungry males.

She turned to look around, her fear growing with each meeting of a male Krystanian’s gaze. Were they planning on how to kidnap her? Were they thinking vile thoughts?

“I lost my appetite.” She pushed her tray and stood up. “I’ll be going to my room.”

“I’ll go with you,” Tavish said, standing up and Lockie followed.

“Looks like I won’t be finishing my meal today,” Evera muttered in annoyance.

“You don’t have to take us upstairs. We are not going to escape. We can’t,” said Maya. 

“I don’t have a choice.” Evera got on her feet. “The king commanded me to protect you.”

Maya didn’t know whether to be pleased or annoyed by this revelation.

They left the hall and the further they walked away from the crowd, the more she felt at ease.

Pausing in front of her new bedroom, Evera reached to open the door. Stepping inside, Maya was hit with confusion when she noticed the changes in her chambers. “Why are there two beds here?”

“News flash,” Evera said, “I’m your new roommate.”

The day couldn’t have gotten any worse.