Sky and Storm ( Warriors of Vis #1)(3)

When Sky was finally able to escape Cloud’s grip and retire for the night, he crashed on the bed, face first, a feeling of dread gripping him and holding him prisoner for the night. The one benefit of his terror-filled slumber was being too exhausted to mind Cloud’s constant complaints.

***

It was almost dusk when they spotted the terrible shape of the castle in the distance. Four black towers marked the cardinal points on the huge walls. The gray Royal Keep, huge and overpowering, had guards posted on every ledge. Sky felt dizzy and sick, the panic muffling Cloud’s voice.

Sky was separated from the princess the moment he stepped out of the carriage. Servants took him through a side entrance and up to the fifth and uppermost floor of the castle. A maid told him the entire floor and most of the one below it belonged to the Dragon and his private guard.

So this will be my prison, Sky thought.

The servants had Sky bathed and dressed in fine leathers and colorful silks. They brushed and perfumed his hair, pulled his boots on and attached a beautiful sword to his hip. When they finally left, Sky sighed, feeling the sting of tears behind his lids. He sat on the edge of the bed, struggling not to shake, not to scream, not to run.

He jumped at the sound of his door hitting the wall and a strangled cry that sounded a lot like his name. Sky turned to see a tall man, and he felt minuscule, although Sky was a good height himself. The man was all muscle and power, his long curly black locks framing his unexpectedly warm and beautiful face. He had strong, manly features, but his dark blue eyes with incredibly long lashes and his bright red, full lips gave him a certain softness. Storm was indeed stunning, and somewhere deep down, Sky could find, if he really struggled, the traces of the boy he’d once known.

The man was smiling brightly and seemed out of breath. Strands of hair stuck to his face and Sky could see the small beads of sweat on his forehead. Had Storm ran here? Why would the Dragon do that? Sky’s eyes fell on his long, heavy sword and he remembered. This gorgeous man before him had painted the skies red in his hunger to possess other lands. The Devil might never be as breathtaking as Storm, but no demon could ever match him in cruelty either.





CHAPTER II


The Returner



One year later



Sky was lying in bed, trying to find a reason to get out of it. He had been up till dawn, then had slept for a few hours. A dreamless and dark slumber as always. He tried to talk himself into having a better day, to get out of his chambers, maybe even step outside the fifth floor. He sighed and fell back onto the pillows. Silent tears started rolling down his cheeks and he wiped them roughly with the back of his hand.

“My lord, wake up,” the tiny and frail-looking woman that took care of him shrieked, her hands thrown in the air. She was from Estas, had moved to Vis as a child and had since been working at the castle. Was it a palace now that it was home to an empire’s royal family? Sky supposed it had the grandeur and size of a palace, but Storm still referred to it as a castle.

“Master, he’s coming back,” she added in the same panicked tone. Sky’s eyes snapped to hers, his jaw dropping, his mouth dry with fear.

“He’s only been gone a month. No, Sera, it can’t be!”

The woman smiled sadly, the turn of the corners of her mouth wrinkling her dark skin. “Apologies, my lord. He will be here tonight.”

Sky’s hand flew to his hair, getting stuck in the tangled, oily mess that covered his head. He closed his eyes, imagining what he looked like. It took at least a week to look presentable each time the Dragon returned. Seven to ten days of being bathed and pampered by Sera with her oils and creams and herbal concoctions. It took all that to hide the traces of pain and misery he’d succumb to every time Storm rode away to fight yet another war.

“He’ll see, he’ll know,” Sky whined, fresh tears washing his face.

Sera ran to his side, taking his hands in hers, rubbing them with her callused thumbs. “Don’t you worry, my boy. I’ll make you look good as new.” She winked and brushed away the dirty hair from his face. “Get yourself into the bathing room, the hot water should be all ready for you.”

Sky nodded, wondering if her skills would be enough to hide a month of barely eating and spiraling down a vortex of melancholy and regret. It would have to be. He might wear some baggy clothes and even make up an illness if he had to. The Dragon surely didn’t care enough to notice. As long as Sky helped him entertain the troops and the court, who cared how he truly was?

Sky pushed himself off the bed, standing on wobbly legs. He was dizzy from not eating. He grabbed the pieces of furniture in his path—a table here, a chair there—and held himself up and on course to the bathing room.

As he was soaking in the large marble tub, Sera kept refreshing his water, scrubbing him clean, and feeding him fruit to make him hungry. He’d take a bite and chew for far too long before forcing himself to swallow.

“Cloud asked to see you again.” Sera lathered his hair using some weird goo that smelled of fresh oranges.

Sky groaned, not even trying to hide his discontent. Cloud was back from Estas now that spring had come, and she was pushing for more time with him ever since Storm had left on his new campaign. Sky missed the long, cold winter. It was all so quiet.

“I told her you weren’t feeling well,” the old woman added. “Only half a lie, I suppose.”