“Poppy leaped into the crowd and calmed them.” His voice vibrated with unrestrained anger.
Ah, he wasn’t quite ready to let that go yet. “I couldn’t let them hurt each other.”
“She collapsed,” Brodin said.
Cassanra lifted her scanner. Poppy rolled her eyes and sat through it.
“I’ve been reading more on runa,” the healer said. “Calming a crowd is difficult. It is not a common skill.”
“I wasn’t even sure it would work. I still don’t understand this ability.”
Brodin growled. “You didn’t know if it would work, and you still jumped in there?”
She glared at him. “I had to try.”
“You could’ve been killed!”
“I wasn’t.”
“You release some sort of pheromone,” Cassanra said.
Poppy blinked. “What?”
“Runa skills appear to be similar to a mated pair, except in that instance, their pheromones only work on each other. Runas could emit pheromones that affect all Damari in a calming way.”
“Oh.” A horrible thought occurred. She tried to scramble off Brodin, but he held her tight. “Is that why—?” She swallowed, her heart beating hard. “Is that why Brodin…?”
She couldn’t voice her worry. His heavy arm slid around her, his mouth at her ear. “No.”
That deep voice was a growl.
Was he attracted to her because she exuded some pheromone?
Cassanra smiled, knowingly. “Is that why the emperor’s attracted to you? No. You only emit calming pheromones when you actively use your ability. The rest of the time, you’re all you.”
Poppy sagged against him.
He caressed her hip.
“We’ll finish up and get the injured back to the infirmary,” Cassanra said.
“Cassanra, find out how Candela did this,” Brodin growled. “We have to find a way to stop it from happening again.”
The woman gave him a brisk nod. “I won’t stop until I do.” She looked at them both. “You two should get some rest.”
“I need to check on everyone first.” Brodin set Poppy down on the table beside him.
She watched him stalk off, and have a quick word with a female cleaver, then he moved through the crowd.
She saw the way the people looked at him for strength. He cupped cheeks, patted shoulders, hugged people. He was a good king, the leader they trusted and looked up to.
She saw the female cleaver he’d spoken to shift closer to Poppy.
She felt a brief burst of annoyance mixed with pleasure. He was looking out for her. Again.
Poppy wrapped her arms around her knees and watched him give so much comfort. People absorbed his strength.
And he took all of their pain, their struggles, on those broad shoulders.
But she saw the strain, the tension. Did no one else?
Finally, he made his way back to her.
His jaw was tight, his eyes boiling. She felt the swelling rage.
He held out a big hand, and she took it and jumped off the table.
They walked back toward his cabin in silence. She felt an urge to help him welling. It almost hurt to hold back, and she bit her lip.
Then, he led her inside his cabin, straight to the huge, tan couch in his living area, and he dropped down.
He pulled her onto his lap. This seemed to be his favorite spot for her. His big body was so tense. She stroked his shoulder.
“Candela will die,” he said.
“You’ll stop her.” Poppy fingered that thick, silver-white hair of his. She toyed with one of the braids at his temple. She felt her calm seep out of her, and she fought to hold it back.
It hurt, and she let out a small whimper.
He lifted her chin up.
“Your eyes are gold,” he said. “You want to soothe me.”
“I know you didn’t like it, so—”
“Don’t hold back. I’m sorry about my reaction the first time. I understand it’s a part of you, part of you and your Damari abilities.” He stroked her jaw. “I was an ass before. Do it.”
The sensation flooded out of her, and she let out a sigh of relief. She saw him relax, his pupils contracting. He let out a long sigh.
Then he tucked her under his chin. “Thank you.”
“Just hold me,” she murmured.
“I will.”
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, Brodin once again headed out to meet his cleavers. He hoped they had better news for him today.
Poppy was with him.
Rage for Candela and his father was still inside him, but now coated with a layer of control. A night spent wrapped around Poppy had helped.
She’d tended the scratches he’d gotten in the fight, both of them excruciatingly aware of the growing desire between them. Then Annora and some of his cleavers had arrived with updates on the trackers, and all of them looking for reassurance from their emperor. Tolf was holding onto his rage and worry for his brother by a thread.
Brodin was conscious that it was another night that Nayla, Stein, and the other teens had been gone.
Whatever he had to do to stop the warlord hurting more of his people, he’d do it.
Annora and the others were in the cleaver lodge. His First Claw was brewing a pot of cinnamae. She smiled, but looked tense.
He knew she was worried about her sister.
Brodin gripped her shoulder. “Don’t lose hope.”
Annora nodded. “Poppy, have you tried cinnamae?”
Poppy shook her head.
Annora gave her a mug, and she took a tentative sip.
“Mmm, it’s not like anything on Earth. I like it.” She sipped it again.
Watching her eat and drink made Brodin happy. Knowing she enjoyed discovering everything about Damar pleased him.
The doors opened and Cassanra appeared. The healer wore leather pants and a green, smock-style shirt.
Brodin stiffened. “The injured?”
“Healing well.”
His chest loosened a little. Good. He didn’t want to lose more people.
“I think I know how Candela infected the people in the market,” the healer said.
“Did they ingest it?” Poppy asked.
Cassanra shook her head. She touched her projecta band and blue text shot up.
“Several of the injured from the market said a swarm of rockflies flew through prior to the fight.”
“Rockflies?” Poppy frowned.
“Insects,” Brodin told her. “Annoying insects. They’re not harmful, but their bites itch.”
“Ah, we have something similar on Earth called mosquitoes.”
“The swarm flew through, then disappeared.” Images appeared on the healer’s projection. “All the people who are infected had bites.” Images of small welts appeared.
Poppy gasped and nodded. “Candela used the rockflies to deliver the poison.”
Brodin scowled. He hated the Zhylaw. “Is there any way to stop this happening again? A way to protect ourselves?”
Cassanra’s mouth tightened. “I’ll work on something, but I haven’t got anything yet.”
“So don’t get bitten,” Poppy said.
The doors burst open. A mud-splattered tracker, Darther, ran inside.