Rasnake(9)

A ringing silence fell, until Cecil motioned to the twins and ordered, "Lock him up." Lord Weatherby was immediately hauled up, his loud protests summarily ignored while a weary looking Henry trailed after with his keys. "See that preparations are begun for a proper burial," Cecil ordered the men still standing by the cart. "I am going to speak to—"

His words were drowned out by the sudden blowing of a hunting horn, which called out a series of notes that meant nothing to Tallant but obviously meant nothing good to everyone else.





Chapter Four





The already somber mood turned grim. "I really wish mating season would end," the eldest of the thieves said. "We'll take the west, Rasnake."

Cecil nodded. "I'll go east, then. I should be fine with just Bite and Raze."

Bite and Raze? Who were they?

"Where is my bow?" Cecil asked, but before one of the thieves could reply, a young boy came running up with it. Tallant was impressed, looking at it. By the size, it had a damned good draw behind it. Curiosity getting the better of him, he asked Cecil, "What's the draw?"

"Two hundred," Cecil replied shortly. He nodded to the others, then abruptly spun around and jogged off through the castle gate. Turning as movement caught his eye, Tallant nodded at Milton as he reached him. "What's going on?" Milton asked. "I heard a horn, but that's new to me."

The young boy who had brought the bow looked at them both like they were halfwits. "How can you not know the horn? Two dragons are coming this way, from the east and the west."

"Shit," Milton said. "Where's Cecil?"

Tallant pointed. "He headed east."

Milton raced off. Tallant sighed, then followed, because really he'd wanted to see how a rasnake fought a dragon anyway. He and Milton had nearly lost their fight, despite being seasoned warriors. He wanted to know how a scholar four years their junior turned into a rasnake that seasoned criminals swore to follow for life.

"Cecil!" Milton called out as they spotted him.

"What?" Cecil snapped, clearly impatient and annoyed.

"Let us come with you," Milton said. "We can—"

"Help?" Cecil cut in. "Don't make me laugh. How many dragons have you killed?"

"One," Tallant said before Milton could put his foot in his mouth. "It almost killed us. We have no idea how to fight dragons, but we obviously need to learn fast. We'll stay out of the way, just let us come along."

Cecil stared at them hard, and despite everything Tallant could not help but admire his beauty. It was hard, cold, and Cecil was obviously trying to bury whatever he had once been, but it was all still there. Tallant wondered how Cecil would look when he smiled, when those eyes were not so overburdened with shadows.

"Fine," Cecil finally bit out. "But if you get in my way, or disobey me, I will let Bite and Raze tear your throats out."

"Who are—"

Before Milton could get the question out, the brush rustled, and Tallant stared wide-eyed as two wolves came bursting through it. They walked up to Cecil, sniffing, snuffling, rubbing, and growling with obvious affection. When they were appeased with the state of their master, they rounded on Tallant and Milton and growled in warning and curiosity.

Cecil spoke to them in thieves cant, and the wolves calmed. One was gray and white, the other a dark, rusty red mixed with gold and brown. Cecil scratched their ears, and indicated first the gray one, then the red one, and said, "Meet Frostbite and Raze. Boys, these are Milton and Tallant. Don't eat them unless I say so. Now, let's go kill a dragon."

Turning, he jogged off into the forest, the wolves taking off ahead of him. Milton started to follow, but stopped when he realized Tallant hadn't moved. "What's wrong?"

"Wolves," Tallant said, unable to believe it, scared and elated and guilty and thrilled beyond belief. It was Milton's brother but the wolves. He could scarcely believe it but fate tokens didn't lie. Your destiny lies with wolves. Cecil was his destiny. That was why Tallant was so captivated. On some level, he'd recognized what he'd spent his whole life trying to find.

"What—" Milton's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Cecil—" He closed his mouth, but was obviously less than pleased.

Tallant's heart sank, but it was stupid to think Milton would be happy for him right then. Cecil was barely acknowledging Milton's existence. The very last thing he wanted was to hear about was how Tallant's fate lie with Cecil.

"Let's go," Tallant said hastily, wishing he'd thought to keep his mouth shut. "I want to learn the proper way to kill a dragon." He dashed off, ignoring it when Milton called his name. It was stupid to be disappointed. Beyond stupid. He did not even know that he was correct. The wolves might be the key to his destiny, but that did not mean Cecil was his fate.

Really, even if Cecil were his fate—that didn't mean he'd finally have marks for his left arm. That his fate was with wolves could mean literally anything. Perhaps his fate was to help restore Milton's home.

Even if Cecil was his destiny, right now it didn't matter. What mattered at the moment was that Milton was crushed and forlorn over his disastrous homecoming. Doing what he could to fix the brothers' relationship was all that concerned Tallant at present. In fact, that made a lot more sense.