Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(76)

“Not if he can’t see straight. No rock giant king can have a human in his bed. If he can’t get rid of her, then he is no son of mine.”




"Now remember to take these every morning." Claira explained to a rock giant woman and her young child, as she handed the woman a bundle of herbs. "And don't forget to check back with me in a few days."

The woman nodded, took her child's hand, and left Claira alone in her healer's chamber.

She smiled. Sometimes the rock giants wouldn't say a word to her other than to tell her what was wrong with them, but eventually trinkets or flowers would find their way to her, and she knew they weren't coming from Kaeldar. These things were coming from her patients, and it meant everything was going her way.

Even if she hadn't made any friends, they were being friendlier than the villagers she’d lived with.

Well, there had been someone who had been friendly to her back in the village. Robert. He just shouldn’t have acted like he did. His approach to everything had been wrong. There’d been so much going on in her life, she hadn't the time to think about it, but his death still weighed on her mind.

But now that she’d had time to think about it, she didn’t blame Kaeldar. Robert signed his own death warrant, when he came after her. He should’ve left well enough alone.

Brushing her hands down her dark emerald dress she decided she needed to keep remembering what Kaeldar was really like. He hadn’t done anything to help those villagers, instead he’d let his troops march away to a defenseless village.

Now that she knew he was prince, she knew he had to have some power, even if it might be limited. She would be the first to admit she didn’t know much about the politics of royalty, but surely he could’ve done something.

For now, she needed to get back to the chamber which she shared with Kaeldar.

Kaeldar always had a guard waiting outside their chamber for when she got called away in the night, like tonight. She, of course, still had those parents of Kaeldar's who wanted her to drop dead, as soon as possible.

The rock giants had started coming to her at all times of the day and night for remedies to their illnesses. Claira was, of course, willing to help them at any time of the day or night, because she wanted them to know she would always be there for them. She wanted them to rely on her and want her care.

She grabbed a candle from a table near the door, and then left the room. She couldn't wait to slip back into bed with him and have his warmth once more envelope her.

Shaking her head she forced herself to remember she was going to put distance between them. He might be her dream man, but there were still some problems with him. He was going to rejoin the war effort as a soldier, at some point. She couldn’t live with him, if he was going out there to slaughter more people.

After taking a few steps into the hallway, she noticed her guard was missing. He should’ve been waiting right outside the door for her, and he should’ve followed her the moment she left her healer's room.

Confusion hit her just, as her stomach flipped, and her eyes darted around the dark castle. Perhaps he’d just decided to stretch his legs and walked farther down the corridor.

She, slowly, made her way down the corridor, but didn't call out. Claira didn’t want to announce her presence to any wondering rock giants.

Goosebumps raced all over her skin. She really wished her guard had been where he was supposed to be. Then she might’ve already been in bed with Kaeldar.

Peering around a corner she still couldn’t find her guard. She would have to make her way all the way across the castle, to get to Kaeldar's chambers.

Frowning she started to make her way there, when a sudden sharp pain coursed through her skull. The floor came crashing up to meet the side of her face, as she crumpled to the ground.

As her vision faded, she watched two rock giant men come and stand over her. She tried to ask them for help, but all that came out was a jumble of scrambled words, as her vision blurred and darkness overcame her.




"I don't know about this." One of the rock giants grumped to the other, as they stared down at the motionless human female. "Kaeldar will be less than pleased, when he finds out."

"The king will have our hides, if we don’t get her out of the castle, and as far as I know, Kaeldar has yet to be crowned king." The second rock giant looked over at the first. "Now get the bag ready, Marn. We don't have time to weigh our options. We need to get her moved and quickly.”

Marn looked down once more at the human female. "It’s a shame we have to get rid of her. She was really starting to make a difference with her healing.”

The second rock giant scoffed. "Stop your mumbling and get going before someone stumbles upon us."

Marn bent down and wrapped the fur bag around the human female. When he stood, he tossed her over his shoulder like a bag of vegetables and off they went.

"I mean it though, Taeg. If Kaeldar finds out what we’ve done, there will be no stopping him from having our heads. I’ve seen the way he looks at this female."

"He won't find out. She’ll have dissappeared without a trace. That is all that Kaeldar will know, so shut up and stop blubbering about it." When he saw Marn was about to start all over again with his complaining Taeg ordered, "Be quiet or you will attract attention to us, and then Kaeldar will know who has gotten rid of the human female."