Guardian (21 page)

Pike and I left Grace with the guards and went back to the clearing.  Pike had a sinister feeling about Kinsler’s intentions.  He’d caught a glimpse of a few things going through the dirtbag’s guard’s minds that didn’t add up.

I walked to the middle where Grace stood when Kinsler reached to grab her during the meet up and hell broke loose. 

“To step in the clearing, Kinsler had to leave footsteps.”  Pike was searching the ground where he would’ve stepped in.  They were there.

“Are you sure they belong to him?”  I searched the area noting unrecognizable prints there I couldn’t decipher who belonged to.

“I know his print.  He spies more than you think, on her even more.  Not so stealthy when your brain’s the size of a damn lima bean.”  Pike explained to me that he’d tracked the same footprints through several places in the woods nearby for weeks as well as by the garden at court.  He could confirm that it was Kinsler today if the footprints match. 

He also told me about two separate occasions in the last forty-eight hours where he’d met Kinsler or one of his scouts dropping in too close to the garden when Grace was there.  Since I knew well Pike followed her footsteps as much as I and he would no doubt, keep her safe.  I could trust that if not anything else when it came to her. 

Pike took care of Kinsler’s jaw on the first incident effectively strutting around me recounting the event in slow motion.  This hardly bothered me.

We found the answer to our footprint evidence in the dirt right where Kinsler entered and exited the circle.

“See?  He drags his left foot just slightly since that run in with the dwarves from a few years back.  He called it a football injury in the human world.  No one else would even notice it.  Remember?”

I did.

  “He’s playing on both courts and I want to find out why.  I tracked him all the way to the winter court at the end of the summer season.  They stopped right outside the guard station of his
own
court he was banished from.  I can’t figure out his agenda, but he is watching both courts, seducing the Nyms, and now playing us.”  The suspicion remained thus so.

My confusion was evident.  I knew about the Nyms, but the close watch on his own court was unexplainable.  Like he’s meeting with all races and gaining their favor or something, but what?  It’s unlikely and probably a wrong guess, but why would he be deceiving
daddy
?

“Only a Seelie can bind to another Seelie and the same for the Unseelie.  When the bind was complete, he bound the two courts, I’m sure of it.  At least it was the intention.  This could be devastating.  Or, it could null and void the whole binding.”   He could be wrong, right?

We headed back to camp and gave a condensed version on what conclusions we’d come too for Grace and the necessary guards.  I asked Pike not to worry Grace about the binding issue until there was more information from the seer.

After all the told thoughts on the footprints, Kinsler’s possible motives for nearing courts, and avoiding why Kinsler might bind to her, we entertained the idea that perhaps he trying to start a war.  

“A war!” she said hoarsely.  Red lines waved through her pretty eyes, she looked tired. 

“Between the courts,” I answered.

“Why?” she asked.

“That part, we’ve no idea!  I have my guesses.” Pike pondered then laughed under his breath.  He didn’t have need to by the comment, so I guessed he’d heard something out of her. She snarled at him proving me right.  Every day lately was a race to keep her.  Today was turning out to be one where the shark in the waters keep his relentless teeth holding on to my girl’s edge and refusing to let go.

“But no evidence!”  I folded my arms warning him and trying to tell her to watch her thoughts with the best stare down I could give without making her self-conscious. 

“Grace here requires a no shave day,” Pike with a smirk. 

“Not sure I like this anymore.  Maybe I’ll hire Danella to keep an eye on her thoughts.  You’re—

“What are you afraid of, Tree Boy?  She might like it.”  Pike, the shark, squared his shoulders up.

“He’s not afraid of anything.  He’s looking out for my best interests, unlike you,” she cat-ted back at him.   

“Oh, I’m looking out at your best interests.  That I can see very well.”  He watched her like a hyena eating its dinner oppressively stepping an inch too close. 

“What?  Did you read into me too much, Grace?  Go blind?  I think not!  Unless it’s to Tree Boy’s thoughts about you.  But your thoughts about me…you seem to have no problem understanding what I mean or making it clear what you mean or do you just like it that much?  Your
interests
line up with mine more than you want to admit,” Pike taunted her.

“ENOUGH!”  I yelled reaching my limit.  I tried to let her handle it, but he overwhelms her.

No more!

Grace and I headed home.  I was nervous averting our course a little, but so far nothing had surfaced.  Being in the very edges of Nym territory to avoid goblins was against my usual route, but I didn’t feel comfortable with either one.

Rion flinched and jerked his head left and right giving me only a split second notice of what was to come.

I had spoken too soon.

Something slammed into the guard on her right barely missing his head.  He made a noise, but didn’t move.  Grace was safe beside him sending me into attack mode. 

The human cannon balls this masochistic creature threw at us were unremitting and unforgiving.  One of the ugly boogers ripped at me missing my head by an inch.  I heard Grace’s terrored screams and took turns blocking and snapping my head up to see her still safely wrapped up in between her two guards.  Something tore that wasn’t my own clothes and I zeroed in on the one crawling up to Grace’s feet reaching with their nasty claws. 

Rion and Caymin were in my debt, their oath fulfilled at their death or Grace’s, whichever came first.  I didn’t intend for it to be Grace’s death today.

I slammed the hilt of my sword over the back of one and slit the middle of the next one.

She screamed seeing or feeling the one reach for her making the palpitations of my heart stagger like a dying man. I finished the last of them attacking me head on and scrounged to get to her.  More came!  I dragged the one off Rion’s feet with over a dozen left to go!

I had them all down within seconds now that my adrenaline was pumping.  They were easy targets without a weapon other than the razor sharp teeth the other one aimed at her ankles. The screams deafened my feet to get to her. 

“For all that’s green in this world, would you puhlease find your meal elsewhere?”  I heaved the last one away and reached through the cage of arms to her.

With all that lay around her, her cage still intact, she yelled to me, “You said
puhlease.
”

She hauled herself into my arms immediately and I couldn’t find the strength to laugh at her comment.  She whimpered against me releasing the built up fear then looked down to see my clothes torn and filthy. 
Again!

I heard her liking to it as if it was out loud.  Hearing her was tied to something emotional, I think.
It was at the oddest of times.

She patted all around me.  Filthy as I was, I didn’t stop her.  I raised my eyebrows at her hands on approaching the ties of my pants.  She looked down below my belt at my leg awhile, so I followed to where she stared.  She touched it.  The scar. 
 

“I, of course, am not immune to iron.  Have several scars.”

Her eyes went wide, “Where are they?” 

Really?  She was awfully daring at a moment of unease. “Later, babe.”  I smiled satisfied with her obvious draw to me.  The man dog howled inside even if the fleas were finding their ride. 

Her blush was worth every second. 

When she finally refocused on the situation her mind queried, “What were those things?”

“Remember, you saw the goblins that first day you came.  You compared their speech to turkeys if I recall.”  I told the guards to burn the bodies in a pile while I had her attention away from the rubble.

“Not out loud, I didn’t,” she mumbled under her breath with certain misgivings I couldn’t quite read.  

I gave her a smile that reached her face and sparked.  “I could still hear you then.  I do have a present for you later.” I paused knowing I was changing the subject fast but wanted her eyes averted from what Caymin was doing to keep the bodies from toppling. In reference to her first encounter with such goblins I said, “That made for an interesting story to save for later.  Perhaps we can discuss other possible outcomes to avoid even stickier situations later.”

“So formal sounding mister, and what present?” she tried not to sound too eager.

I let her stew while the noise behind grew louder, but she was focused on what I was saying.  “Well, they were here for a reason, I’m sure of it.  Someone sent them.  And I had it made for you.  It isn’t ready yet.”   

“They were given orders by Queen Lazyra to protect you at all costs.  They were a gift to you.   They have hers, and your, sworn allegiance.”  I couldn’t tell her about their debt. The debt he’d just made good on.   She would not understand it but I’d give her a little. "Remember I told you about the laws we, the Seelie live by?”     

“Death before dishonor.”  She remembered!

“But they aren’t original members of the Seelie court, I’m guessing,” she gestured in their direction to make her point.  And I didn’t respond to the comment either. 

“Love conquers all.”

“And never forget a debt.”  I glanced at Rion and she saw him nod slightly.

“So, I’m guessing…they have allegiance with the Seelie Court and therefore have to abide by their conduct.  I’m flattered, but that is barbaric.”

“It is our way.  Your way.” She lives here now.

“Iron?” she guessed. 

“Very clever!  How did you guess?” She definitely had her ways.  I liked her ways.  I wanted to know more of her ways.  Intimately.

“The fireplace at the party.  I didn’t know till right now.  It was just a guess.”  She stopped to think, “What is your sword made of?  And the daggers?”

She read my shock.  She kept things from me.  When did she learn these things?

“I read Ian, a lot!  Remember?”

Shaking my head at her I relinquished the information, “Pure silver.  Fey are “allergic” to iron.  It’s why your mom wanted copper.”  She would have more questions now.

“Oh.My.—

Yes, she was intelligent.  “All the weird things my mom does.  That’s why.  She could have been hurt by my own negligence.   How did I never know?” Like a puzzle magnetically pulling together, she pieced it all together.

“You couldn’t, remember?  Safety, treaties, Kin, prophecy…she’d do anything for you Grace.”

“What does iron do?”

“It weakens us, but in large doses, it can kill us.  It slowly drains you and eventually your life force.  But not you.  You are not affected.  Being half human apparently makes you unaffected.  And the only thing that can scar us also.”

“No iron then.  Note to self,” she shivered.  “Still want to know where all these scars of yours are.”

“Will be granted.”

I held her close as we headed back.  For me.  For her.

I walked in and stood right inside the door of her room, no closer. 

“I just wanted to check on you.”   I watched only her eyes not trusting myself to stay gentlemanly at the moment.  She was in midstretch and without much clothing on, which didn’t help my unintended motives.

“Um!” she dove under the sheets and held tight to the edges feigning surprise.

My brain told me what my body wanted to do.  “It’s later than usual.  I thought maybe you’d be almost ready and I could walk you to morning meal,” I stumbled over the words feeling lame now for coming at all.

Smiling from the bed covers she said, “I would love that.”

I didn’t want to go, “I’ll be waiting outside when you’re ready.  Danella will let me know.”  I wanted to...

I saw the brush beside the bed and her eyes followed mine.  We took turns doing that back and forth sending the messages we wanted received.  I smiled feeling the warmth of her happiness at seeing it and knowing its giver.

She smiled back and then heard her sigh and giggle from outside the door.

We ate not taking our eyes off of each other.  Or rather, I kept my eyes on her fueling the fire I knew could only be doused with her body lamented across mine.  She simply refused to look away because I wouldn’t let her.  Any time she looked down, I whistled just audibly through my teeth to get her eyes back to me.  Our knees knocked once and though we both reacted, we both settled back against each other under the table.  Her thigh rubbed against mine and I had to hazily watch my food to not reach my hand under and squeeze her knee to let her know I was happier than I’d been in a very long time.  Now if I could get rid of the others in the room and help myself to her lips. 

At one point I watched her stare at Rion.

“Was the nod you gave Rion yesterday a way of saying thank you, or did it mean something else?”  She stabbed her food like it was attacking her. 

Once again, I didn’t give her credit enough for the small things she caught.  “I am in his debt for saving you.”

“But you said he had no choice!”  I heard the strain in her voice. 

“Yes, death before—“

“I know, I know.”  She rolled my eyes impatiently.

“Let me finish,” I heaved my shoulders in defeat.  I was reluctant to do this, but knew the conversation was unavoidable.  I heaved my shoulders in defeat.

“When Fey ask another to do something for them, they are obligated to return the debt.  Without fail?”

“And you asked Rion to do what?”

“Save you.” She thinks I failed her.

“Save me?” 

“I asked them to save you.  They took the shots for you.  You’d have been killed with one hit.”  I was dying inside.  This wonder moment that seconds ago might have gained me mer lips went down the rabbit hole fast.

“Nothing is simple around here, is it?” she reasoned rather well.

“No!” I paused.  “He did, and now I am in his debt.”

“And you have to repay him how?”

“When he calls on me to repay it!”

“And you can die too?” Ahh!  The real reason. 

“Yes.  I’m not as invincible as I make myself out to be.  But I’m glad you think so.”  I smiled for her. 

“I guess I’ve just watched you battle goblins and defeat Nym guards and…” she looked down at her food, “and rescue me all the time, I didn’t take time to think you could possibly lose.  You are so amazing in the sparring ring.  The lumberjack wouldn’t have a chance against your big bad wolfiness.”

“I love your confidence in me and your analogies.  But, the important point to make here is that you are still very fragile and I will not let anything happen to you.”

She angered fast giving me an enticing growl, “I’m not
that
fragile.”

I raised an eyebrow, the one she would take in fast and offer forgiveness with.  “Not even I would have survived the impact of their ammo, Grace.  For that, I’m in Rion’s debt.”  She blanched.  “I’m fast, Grace.  I’ve had years of practice.  I’ll not be easily killed.” 

“Not reading my thoughts, are you?” she asked giving over to my will. “More like invincible, don’t you think?” she argued after we both laughed.

“Already conquered by you, green eyes, as hard as it may be to admit!” I had to give her something to chew on.  She batted those pretty eyes and I didn’t stop myself this time from hanging on to it a little longer.