Dark Lord of Kismera: Knights of Kismera (34 page)

Drace’s fork paused before he took another bite, “Ashley’s planning on making a lot of money the last night. He can afford to comp us a room.”

“I think it’s romantic,” Cerise said.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t. I’m just saying I will have earned it.”

Cerise waved him off the subject with her fork. “Finish up, big boy. You still have tonight to get through.”

Ki watched the two of them bicker affectionately and felt a stab of longing for Cearan. She missed him terribly. She gave her head a little shake to bring herself out of her melancholy. She would have a lifetime with Cearan later but for now she had Drace. Until her time with him was up she would not let anything distract from that.

KI WATCHED the scenery pass by the truck’s windows as they traveled State Route 169 towards the Valley of Fire State Park. She leaned into the solid warmth of Drace next to her with a small sigh of contentment. He placed his right arm over the back of the seat and she laid head back against his arm and reflected on the past week. Most of her time had been spent with Drace at the casino. Yesterday, however, she had spent with Cerise, shopping. It pleased Drace that the two women were getting along so well.

A finger gently probed the inner curve of her right ear causing her to jump.

“Hey there,” Drace said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “I asked you a question.”

“I am sorry. I did not hear it.”

What had you so enthralled?”

“I was just thinking of the dress we bought. Cerise called it ‘a killer’.”

“Hmmm. I hope it comes with an easy way out of it.”

“I do believe, my love, you feel that way about anything I wear.”

Drace gave her a quick glance. “Damn, you’ve figured me out.

Drace stopped at the park entrance to pay for admittance, and then drove on until he found parking in front of the visitor center.

They toured the exhibits on the early occupants of the area and then headed to the gift shop. Drace bought a book, several post cards, and some bottled water, knowing it would get hot during their hike. They left and drove to the loop that would take them to Atlatl and Arch Rocks. They hiked for a couple of hours, taking their time. Drace took several pictures with his camera phone. They explored Mouse’s Tank and stood for a few minutes looking at the petroglyphs left by the prehistoric Indians.

At Fire Canyon and Rainbow Vista, a nice older couple offered to take a few pictures of the two of them with Drace’s phone. Then it was on to the Seven Sisters rock formation. They finished their park visit by driving the rest of the way to White Domes and took a short hike to Duck Rock. They got out of the truck and took in the view. Drace stood and held Ki with her back against his broad chest. He felt her sigh softly. “What is it?” he murmured into her hair.

“This is a very beautiful place. I am happy to have been able to see it, especially with you.” She turned in his arms and he bent his head to kiss her then raised his head and gave her a smile.

A clicking noise broke them apart.

“I’m sorry, young man, but that was a photo moment if I ever saw one.” It was the older couple who had taken pictures for them earlier. “Guess you two had the same plans of viewing the park.”

“Yes, sir,” Drace replied, shaking the man’s hand.

The man fished in a pocket for a card and a pen. “Give me an address where I can send you copies. I’m a photographer by trade and sometimes it’s just fun to see young people so much in love. You two are a striking couple and I couldn’t resist.”

Drace and Ki learned that the couple, a Ben and Anna Herley, were on vacation and visiting Vegas and its surrounding areas. Drace invited them to come see tomorrow’s show and promised to leave two tickets for them at the box office.

It was time to leave and they walked back to the parking lot. When they got back to the truck Drace looked at Ki. What he saw worried him. “You’re white as a sheet.” He opened the truck door and sat her in the seat. “Ki?”

Ki closed her eyes, willing the world to quit spinning around her. After a moment, she opened them. “I am fine now. I just felt rather odd, but it has passed.”

“Did you get too hot?” He pulled roll of shop towels from the back seat, wet one with water from a bottle, and placed it on her forehead. She squeaked as a trickle of cold water ran down her chest. Ki reached up and held the cloth in place. Drace didn’t fail to notice the slight tremor in her hand.

He leaned over to see her better. “What’s goin’ on?”

“I am fine now, really,” Ki said quickly. “Maybe I did get a bit overheated. I just felt a little dizzy.”

Her color returned and she gave him a clear, bright look with her tawny eyes. “I’m hungry; I believe I could eat a horse,” Ki said.

“Maybe that’s it,” Drace replied, his own stomach growling in sympathy. “You’re sure you’re fine now?”

Ki pulled him closer into the V of her legs and then pulled his head down. When she released her hold on him, his eyes were dark with a different hunger. He pushed against her, letting her feel his arousal.

“As much as I’d like to finish this, I know a park ranger or a visitor will be through ’bout any time,” he said huskily. “Scoot over and let’s get going. What do you want to eat?”

“A steak?” Ki suggested hungrily, buckling her seat belt.

“A steak it is then.” Drace started the truck and backed out.

As they merged onto the main road, Drace said, “Look, Ki, I don’t want to lose you, but if you start feeling unwell or getting weak, I want you to let me know. Sooner or later it’s going to happen and I don’t want you to wait too long and risk your chance at going back.” Drace gave her knee a gentle squeeze. “I mean it. You have to promise me”

Ki covered his big hand with her own smaller one. “I promise, love. Do not worry.” She linked her fingers through his. “Oh sweet Tala. Drace, look,” she breathed.

The sun was beginning to set and the colors were vivid over the sandstone. Drace stopped the truck at and overlook and cut the motor. He pulled Ki closer to him and with his other hand managed to snap a few pictures. Once the sun had set he started up the truck and they continued towards Las Vegas.

“I know now that there is magic here,” Ki whispered, still caught up in the beauty of the sunset.

Later, after their steak dinner they went home and showered. Drace was very careful when he made love to Ki. Despite her reassurances, he felt a shiver of fear. Afterwards, he held her close to him and although he was pleasantly tired, sleep was a long time coming.

Cerise took Ki to her favorite hair salon in the casino’s mall. Ki refused to have any length cut from her hair, but did agree to have the ends trimmed. She allowed the stylist, with trepidation, to shape and taper her hair around her face similar to actresses popular on Drace’s TV. The shape of Ki’s face and the color of her eyes enthralled the stylist. Ki left the salon with an exotic look.

She wore a royal blue knee length tank dress and accompanied Cerise whose own red-gold hair flowed in long waves to her shoulder. She wore a green dress with a short shirt. Cersie appreciated Ki’s natural beauty, but still encouraged her to try some makeup. She agreed to a bit of eye shadow, liner and mascara, which turned her eyes from mesmerizing to heart stopping. When they added a touch of lipstick in a bronzy peach color, Cerise concluded that if Ki were able to stay, she could’ve had a career as a top model.

Drace had already changed into the Spanish rider outfit and was getting his hair up into a tight queue when Cerise and Ki arrived. He caught their reflections in his mirror as he put the final twist in the band that held his hair. Drace turned slowly to take them in. He stared at Ki like a starving man being offered filet migon.

Ki turned around and let her hair fan out then settle in long waves, the fringed ends framing her face. Her eyes gleamed at him in their seductive slant, emphasized by the eye makeup. She moved tentatively toward him, afraid he would not like the new look. “My Lord, do I please you?”

Drace literally choked at her question and his coughing brought Joe running from around a corner. He started pounding Drace on the back. “Man, are you okay?” he asked, as he helpfully beat the hell out of Drace. Joe caught sight of the two women and saw what had caused Drace’s attack. “Oh Jesus,” he swore, “MacKinnon, you are one lucky bastard.”

Drace finally quit coughing. “Christ, I think I swallowed my tongue,” he wheezed.

“You gonna live, big guy?” Joe asked ready to start pounding again.

“I’m good,” Drace said, sucking in a deep breath.

“If you’re gonna live; I’ve got to go get ready.”

“I’m gonna live,” Drace assured him, running a big hand through his dark hair. He cursed when he felt the already abused band pop.

Cerise shoved Drace down into the nearest chair, found his brush and another band, and attacked his hair. “I take it you like the results of today’s shopping?”

“Oh yeah,” he replied, not taking his eyes from Ki. He held out a hand to Ki who walked forward and took it. “You look fantastic, hon.”

Cerise put the final touches on his queue and handed him his hat. “You had better get going D. You’re late.”

Drace stood and gave Cerise a quick kiss on the cheek, then Ki a lot less brotherly one. He disappeared with a wink down the barn alley.

Cerise and Ki found an observation spot and watched Drace’s ride. He and Magnifico gave one of their best performances.

After his medieval show with Pride, he took a shower and then took the two women for a quick meal.

Once home, Cerise made herself scarce. Drace took Ki into their room and proceeded to show her how much he appreciated her.

DRACE WOKE SLOWLY, trying to shake off his sleep fogged brain. The early morning sun dimly lit the room. The bed beside him was empty. He rose up on his elbows and turned his head. He saw Ki standing naked in front of the mirror of his armoire. “Hey,” Drace called to her, his voice husky from sleep.

Ki gave a guilty start, moving the hand she had splayed over her lower belly. From his angle on the bed she knew he couldn’t see her reflection. She closed the closet door and went to the bed, knee walking over to lie against him.

He lay back down and enfolded her in his arms.

“Good morning,” Ki returned and nuzzled under his jaw.

Aromas of coffee and bacon wafted under the closed bedroom door.

Drace ran a hand down her back and returned her nuzzle. “You nervous about tonight?”

“Maybe a little,” Ki admitted, letting him pull her tighter. “Cerise will be expecting us in a few moments.”

Drace nipped at her collarbone. “Guess I better hurry then.” He flipped her over onto her back. When he rolled out of the bed later, he left Ki lying in a sated sprawl.

“If you hurry, I’ll leave the shower running for you.”

Ki gave an acknowledging hum and watched him leave the room. A stronger smell of coffee finally got her moving.

Drace was in front of the mirror, shaving, and wearing a pair of black swim trunks. “Why don’t you put on your swim suit under some shorts?” he suggested. “We’ll go down to the pool after breakfast.”

Ki clipped her hair up high on her head then stepped into the shower. “That sounds like fun.”

“Don’t forget to pack for overnight. I’ll leave a case on the bed for you.”

Ki heard him leave the bathroom. She yawned then cursed roundly in Werren.
By the gods, I’m tired this morning.
She leaned her head against the wall, letting the warm water sluice down her back. Tears choked the back of her throat. “Please, Arahtok, not yet,” she prayed. “By sweet Tala, if it is your will I must go then I must, but if I might have more time, I beg this of you. Please, oh please.”

She steadied herself and picked up the soap Drace had used and inhaled the scent. She placed it back on the shelf and grabbed her own.

A short while later she stood in the kitchen, drinking a cup of strong coffee, a look of pleasure at the taste on her face. “Where is Drace?” she asked as she sat at the table across from Cerise, accepting the plate offered her.

“He went to get the mail. He’ll be back any moment.”

At that moment, Drace came in carrying a large manila envelope. “Remember that nice couple we met at the Valley of Fire last week? This is from them.” He sat next to Ki, carefully opened it, and pulled out several photos.

Cerise leaned across the table to see. “Oh, he is good!” she exclaimed.

The top picture was taken before Drace and Ki had known they were being photographed. They were in a loose embrace and the look between the two was something one could not pose. The depth of feeling was clear on both their faces and it made tears come to Cerise’s eyes.

The second photo was of them kissing before they had been interrupted. In the third, Ki and Drace had their backs to the camera. She was leaning back in his arms against his chest, the incredible panoramic view beyond them. Despite the modern clothing, the couple looked as if they belonged to that ancient and vibrant land.

“There’s a note here,” Drace said, pulling a card from behind the last photo.

“These came out even better than I had even imagined,” Drace read. “I enclosed copies of each. Thank you so much for the tickets. We enjoyed the show immensely. Wishing you a wonderful life together, Ben and Anna Herley.”

Ki sat stunned for a moment, feeling the burn of tears returning. She tamped them down before the others saw them. “It is a strange thing to see myself this way,” she said.

“What do you mean?

“It is hard for me to explain. A reflection is one thing, but this is as if a part of my soul might live here,” she said tapping the pictures. “This is somehow,” she searched for a word, “raw.”

Ki gently pushed the pictures to Cerise then finished her breakfast. After Cerise looked at them, Drace carefully put them back in the envelope and took them into the bedroom, laying them on top of his dresser. He leaned on it for a moment.

Raw may not have been the right word, but somehow it seemed fitting in this case. He straightened and returned to the kitchen.

“You ladies ready to go to the pool?” he asked.

Cerise rose from the table. “Let me grab some towels and I’ll be right down. You two go on.”

When Drace and Ki got to the pool, Autumn and Penny were already there. Penny sat reclined in a pool side chair while Autumn played in the shallow end.

When Autumn saw Drace she squealed with delight. “Come swim with me!” she yelled and ducked under the water. A moment later, she popped up halfway down the pool, sleek as an otter.

“Hey Pen,” Drace greeted as he set his things down on a side table. He stripped out of his shirt and laid it over his keys and phone. He gave Ki a quick kiss on her cheek, and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I have a hot date with a mermaid.”

Drace strolled over to the edge of the pool and dove in. He came up in the middle close to Autumn. He gave her a playful grin then ducked under and grabbed her foot. Autumn screamed then took a deep breath and let Drace pull her under. When they came up, she was astride Drace’s broad shoulders. With sure hands on her waist, he gave her a toss.

She came up laughing. “I’ll race you to the deep end,” Autumn challenged.

“Okay,” Drace agreed. “I’ll even give you a head start. Go!”

Autumn started in an awkward dog paddle, and then hit a rhythm as she headed for the end.

Drace gave her several lengths head start then dived under and with a dolphin kick went several feet then came up already in a strong stroke. He quickly caught up to her and touched the end several feet ahead of her. His reward was letting Autumn dunk him.

Ki watched with amusement at the two at play. She sat perched in a chair next to Penny. Ki laughed out loud when Autumn dunked him a second time and he came up with his hair all in his face, spluttering.

Drace dunked himself, and came back up with his head back so his hair was out of his face. “Come join us,” Drace invited as he treaded water.

“Go on,” Penny urged. “I’ve got this,” she indicated the romance novel, “to entertain me.”

Ki looked at the picture on the cover and her eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline.

“Do you read English?” Penny asked her.

“I can read your language, although it is somewhat different from what I learned.”

Penny flipped through the pages until she found the passage she wanted. She indicated the spot with a fingernail.

Ki took the book and began to read. Spots of color appeared on her cheeks and her eyebrows rose higher. Ki slanted a look at Penny. “One can do that?” she asked in disbelief, her gaze shifting to Drace and the mental picture had her blushing furiously. Ki read a few more lines and burst out laughing.

“That’s kinda what I thought when I read it,” Penny confided, taking the book back when Ki offered it. “You’ve never read a book like this?”

“Nothing quite so colorful or educational,” Ki admitted, wiping her eyes. She stood and pulled off her t-shirt. “Excuse me.”

“Sure,” Penny replied and bent her head back to her book, a grin on her face.

Ki dove into the pool and swam over to Drace and Autumn. “You swim very well,” she told the little girl.

Autumn clung to the edge of the pool and kicked her feet. “Thanks. Drace taught me. Momma helped.” She wiggled over the edge onto the cement. “Watch this.”

Autumn took a couple of running steps, leapt out over the water and wrapped her arms around her raised knees. She landed by Drace with a big splash.

When she came up, she grabbed the side again. “Did you see me? I did a cannonball.”

“That was cool,” Ki said, using Drace’s word. “Did Drace teach you that as well?”

“Oh yeah. But he makes a really
huge
splash,” Autumn replied.

“I imagine he does,” Ki said, looking over at Drace.

Drace gave her a lopsided grin. “Since I’m skipping the gym today, I think I’ll do some laps,” he said. He gave Autumn a playful splash then swam off.

Ki and Autumn played for awhile then Ki left the pool. She took the towel Cerise offered. “I did not see you come down,” Ki remarked, blotting her hair and then her front.

“You girls were having so much fun. I was enjoying watching you,” Cerise said. “Twenty-one.”

Ki stopped blotting with her towel.” What?”

“I’m counting laps for Drace. He did a lot of swimming for his physical therapy after he got hurt.”

Ki felt a guilty rush of heat in her cheeks.

In a low voice so that Penny wouldn’t hear, Cerise said, “It wasn’t your fault, okay? He took a chance to save you and you did the same to save him. You made the right choice. Understand?”

Ki wrapped the towel around her, tucked the end in, and sat in a chair by Cerise.

“Oh shoot!” Penny exclaimed, looking at her wristwatch. “I forgot to get something in the mail. Can you two watch Autumn while I run to the mail box?”

“Sure,” Cerise said. She turned her gaze back to the pool. “Twenty-two.”

Ki smothered a laugh as she watched Drace swim. Autumn was getting bored now that her playmates had deserted her. She climbed from the pool and got her towel.

Cerise stood up and stripped down to her own swimsuit. “Since Autumn is out of the pool, I think I’ll take a dip myself.”

Ki made a noise of acknowledgement, and then helped Autumn dry off. The little girl complained of being cold so Ki pulled Autumn into her lap.

D
race finished at lap thirty then eased over to the pool’s side. He crossed his arms on the side, resting his chin on his forearms. Cerise floated over to join him. She noticed his attention was riveted on Ki.

“What is it?” Cerise asked, noticing that Drace looked a bit pale and his jaw was clenched.

“I think it’s starting,” he said, so low Cerise almost didn’t hear him.

“What’s starting?” she asked, following his gaze.

Ki was leaning back in her chair, eyes closed, with Autumn in her lap. By all appearances she seemed to be asleep.

“The beginning of the end, I’m afraid,” he said, and with a shove, pushed himself from the pool. Cerise followed.

He squatted, dripping, beside Ki’s chair where Autumn was playing with the end of Ki’s braid. He laid a hand on her arm.

Tawny eyes slowly opened and looked into concerned blue grey ones. “Oh, I guess I dozed off for a moment.”

Drace gave her a dejected smile. “Yeah, I think you did.”

Ki gave Autumn a hug. “She just felt so good to hold and it is warm.” Ki gave a little shrug.

Penny walked back over to the chairs, her mail mission accomplished. “What’s wrong? Autumn?”

“Autumn’s fine,” Drace assured.

“”Thank goodness,” Penny said with a hand over her heart.

“Momma, I’m hungry,” Autumn piped up from Ki’s lap.

“You’re always hungry, sweetie. I think, though, that it’s about time for lunch, then we need to be getting ready for Drace’s show.”

Drace stood and helped Autumn out of Ki’s lap. “See ya tonight, kiddo.”

With a wave, Penny took her daughter’s hand and headed for their apartment.

“Hey, you two. I’m going to go on up and grab a shower and then make us a big Chef’s salad.” Cerise looked at Ki. “We have our appointments at the salon before the show, remember?”

When Drace was alone with Ki, he squatted down again. “Ki, what’s going on?” He took one of her hands in his.

Ki gave him a steady look. “I told you,” she said simply.

Drace studied their entwined fingers for a moment. “Ki, I’m sorry, but I’m having trouble believing that.”

She placed her other hand on his shoulder. “I have been tired lately, but I am alright. It felt so good to hold a child and…I do not know how to explain it. I just was savoring it and I must have drifted off.”