Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series

Men and women with scarves over their mouths and dark hoods over their faces slipped through the woods and surrounded us. I couldn’t tell how many there were, but I estimated at least six from the quick glimpses between the leaves and the soft sounds of their movements through the brush. Bandits, most likely.

Slade let out a low warning growl, but the bandits didn’t attack. That wasn’t like them—from my time as a bandit, I knew they preferred to take people by surprise. What were they doing?

A hooded man emerged in front of me, and I prepared to strike him down with a lash of flame until I saw his sword was still sheathed. He reached up and slowly lowered his hood, and my eyes widened as I took in his familiar face.

“Cadock?” I asked, as the fire in my palms vanished.

“Kira,” he said softly. “It really is you.”

I nodded, speechless at the sight of someone from my past I thought I’d left behind forever. Cadock strode toward me with a smile, his blue eyes flashing under the moonlight. He was just as attractive as I remembered him, although his thick blond hair had grown longer since I’d seen him and now hung about his shoulders. His frame had filled out too, becoming a warrior’s body instead of a lanky teenage boy’s.

He threw his arms around me and drew me in for a hug. “Gods, it’s good to see you. It’s been far too long.”

Cadock’s embrace had once meant everything to me, along with his approval, but I was no longer that young girl on the run, looking for a new family, searching for someone to love me. I had my mates now and a new purpose.

I stepped back, but offered him a warm smile. “Four years.”

“When one of my scouts said they’d spotted you by the lake, I didn’t believe it, yet here you are.” He brushed his thumb across my chin as he gazed into my eyes. “And somehow you’ve gotten even more beautiful.”

Slade shoved Cadock’s shoulder, pushing him back. “Get away from her.”

“It’s okay,” I quickly told Slade. “He’s a…friend.”

Cadock arched an eyebrow. “We were definitely more than that once.”

I gave him a sharp look. Did the man have a death wish? I needed to quickly change the subject before Slade ripped off his head. “What are you doing in the Earth Realm?”

Cadock gestured around us. “The Air Realm has stepped up its patrols. We moved here a year ago and now wait for travelers on this side of the border. This is a good spot since people always camp by the lake.” He gave us a wry grin. “Easy pickings.”

“And you planned to do the same to us,” Reven’s voice said from the shadows. I hadn’t even realized he was there.

Cadock shrugged. “We do what we have to do to survive these hard times. Kira did the same once.”

“What is he talking about?” Slade asked, his green eyes narrowing.

“Ah, did she not tell you about that?” Cadock chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, she gave up this life to settle down in a quiet town somewhere. Or so she said.”

“I did, but the quiet didn’t last,” I muttered.

His eyes danced with amusement. “Of course not. You’re not meant for a quiet life.”

Jasin and Auric suddenly emerged from the tent, gripping their weapons and wearing only their breeches. Jasin asked, “What’s going on out here?” while Auric called out, “Is everything all right?”

“We’re fine,” I said, raising my hands in a calming gesture. “I know these people.”

“They look like bandits,” Auric said as he lowered his sword.

Cadock let out a hearty laugh. “That’s because we are bandits.”

“Kira, I think it’s time you explained,” Slade said.

I sighed. I’d hoped I could keep this dark part of my past a secret, but there was no hiding it now. I turned to face my men and met each of their eyes in turn while I spoke. “I was once part of Cadock’s gang. I’ll explain everything later, I promise. But right now I’d like to talk to Cadock alone. Please.”

“Definitely not,” Slade said, stepping closer until he was right against my back.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, then asked Cadock, “Would you give us a moment?”

He shrugged, with a hint of amusement on his lips. “Certainly. I’m curious to see how this plays out.”

He and his bandits slipped back into the forest, and I gestured for my men to join me by the fire. Not a single one of them looked happy, though I wasn’t sure if it was from the revelation that I used to be a bandit or because I wanted to speak to Cadock alone. They were overprotective at the best of times, even though I was supposed to be the most powerful of us all—or would be someday.

“Is it true?” Auric asked, once they were all crowding around me. “You were once a bandit?”

“Yes, I was.” I drew in a deep breath to steady myself and continued. “I was fifteen when they saved my life from two men who tried to capture me, and I became one of them because I had nowhere else to go. That gang, the Thunder Chasers, was like my family for two years, and Cadock’s father led us. Cadock became my closest friend, and he taught me how to use a bow and to live in the wild. But after his father was killed, things fell apart and the gang became desperate. I decided I wasn’t comfortable with what they were doing, and I left.” I paused, and then added, “I’m not proud of the things I did with them, but it’s the only way I stayed alive when I was younger.”

“Cadock implied the two of you were…together,” Reven said, arching an eyebrow.

My cheeks heated. Of course they would focus on that part. “We were, yes, but we were both a lot younger then. Nothing happened except for a few kisses, and I no longer feel anything for him.”

Jasin sheathed his sword but kept his hand on the hilt. “Good, but there’s no way you’re talking to him alone.”

“Agreed,” Slade said, crossing his arms. “I don’t like this at all.”

“Cadock would never hurt me, and even though he may look like an ordinary bandit, he’s clever and has a lot of connections,” I said. “If anyone can tell us where the Resistance is, it’s him. But I doubt he will do that if I have all of you hovering around me and glaring at him. I simply need a few minutes alone, and we won’t be far. Just trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Slade said. “I don’t trust him.”

I sighed. “If he tries to harm me, you can toss a boulder on him.”

“Believe me, I will.”

Auric rubbed his chin as he considered. “If you think he might have some information that could help us, then you should speak with him. Just be careful.”

“Thank you,” I said, relieved that at least one of my mates was on my side.

“Fine, but one of us is coming with you,” Jasin said. “You knew this Cadock guy years ago, but you don’t know what he’s like now.”

Reven stepped forward. “I’ll go. He’ll never know I’m there.”

“Fine.” I wanted to argue, but knew it was useless. This was the best compromise I would get from my domineering mates.

I grabbed my sword and my bow, just in case, and then headed into the woods with Reven falling into step at my side. He moved with the easy, predatory grace that came from a life as an assassin, and I managed to get one last look at his dark, deadly beauty before he slipped into the shadows. With his raven black hair, ice blue eyes, and sculpted face, he was the most striking of my mates. Being near him always made my heart race, and while I should have been afraid of him, I’d always known he would never hurt me. Instead, a calm steadiness settled over me as I walked through the woods, knowing his keen eyes were watching over me.

I squared my shoulders and set off to meet the bandit I’d once loved.