“So...Good night?” Lon’s familiar voice cut through the blissful peace of slumber.Disseus peeled open his eyes to see Lonnix standing over him. Peering over his wide belly with a knowing smirk.“Was.” Disseus rolled over to get up. “’Til I woke to your face.”Where the hell is she?She wasn’t next to him.In-fact she was nowhere in sight. He frowned at Lonnix.“Don’t glare at me, My Friend.” Lon frowned. “Wasn’t my doing that drove her off. She headed down to the river.”“Said she had to go ‘wash off a mistake’.” Lon mimicked a shrill womanly voice.“So…how good a mistake was it?” He wiggled his brows suggestively. “Was it?”I’m not talking about that. Disseus glared at him.“She can wash all she wants.” He called loudly down to the river. “But she won’t be able to wash away what she did.”Came to me warm, wet and willing.That was no fault of mine.Glancing over his shoulder toward the bank, Lonnix winced and shuffled away. Unwilling to see her come stalking back after biting that b
“Who is she?” Almora rode close now.Disseus had been oblivious to her long scrutiny. I forget how perceptive she is.He lifted his head to stare at her back. “She calls herself Nealinim now. I knew her as Nim.”“I didn’t ask her name.”I know what she’s asking.He eyed her. “She’s a woman wanting to save her son.”“Disseus,” Almora sighed. “I’m asking who she is to you.”I know…After a long look, he sighed. “She was a young First Water fey girl when I met her. She wanted to be a warrior like her father before her. She was orphaned young and wanted to honor his memory.”He stared at her back thoughtfully.“Fey named her, because she was too little to remember her name. They dubbed her Nealinim, meaning ‘lost warrior’ in our tongue.” He explained. Giving a harsh laugh.“As if someone knew what she’d become.”She has indeed become a warrior.“Elders said she was freckled with copper hair and meek eyes and would not be able to marry well. First Water Fey are supposed to aspire beyond th
The rest of the ride was relatively peaceful until a sound like flapping ship sails.Tilting up their heads, they watched a giant orange bird fly over. Its shadow engulfing them.“Guardians.” Disseus hissed yanking up his hood and folding his cloak carefully around him.Did she call to them? He sent Nim a sharp look.Horses shying, they moved from the landing path of the massive bird.Descending through the trees it shrank, wings disappearing. Legs reducing and scales falling away. Clothes climbing up his length like snakes winding over him. Polished boots crunched over the branches as he took a few steps and came to a stop.“Nim.” He greeted. His solemn face typically impassive.She gave a slight nod.She knows him. Disseus looked from her to the Guardian. Waiting to find out exactly what he was here after.Pulling his hood low over his forehead Disseus willed his features to be mottled and slack again. Tipping his head sideways he leaned away from them.***Fortunately, Bernus had e
Lonnix watched Marnie with rapt attention. Even as Disseus moved to put him in his place he noticed the young man at her side watching Lonnix carefully.“This is my husband, Aardix Mane.”The giant Guardian.Disseus eyed him warily. Wondering if this was some trap that Nim had established to get him taken back to Enuchte.“The young prince.” Disseus interjected a bit too astutely for the blustering fool he appeared to be. He reminded himself to slow his responses.Several surprised glances went his way.Too late.“Yes.” The regal young man nodded in confirmation.“I must speak to you.” Bernus murmured, gesturing for Nim to step aside with him.To discuss what? Disseus’ head whipped. Feeling like a cornered animal.She did.But they weren’t far enough Disseus couldn’t hear them. Even Nim underestimated his acute senses.“We need the Harbinger, Nim.”Me.***Disseus’ head spun as he honed in on their conversation.“I understand the importance of your mission but-” Bernus began but she c
“Be a sport.” Lonnix pressed. “The rest of us did so at our own expense.”Shaking her head, Nim drew another careful sip.Lonnix and Disseus exchanged a look. In unison they laughingly lunged for her. Though Lonnix was far quicker than expected it was, of course, Disseus that reached her before she could react. Cup clattering as he laughingly hooked her under the armpits and hoisted her up.Still dangling helplessly in shock, she failed to struggle until he pushed her down before the witch. Nearly singeing her hair in the fire.Objecting she hissed profanity at him.“Shush.” He put a finger to his lips and gestured to Almora commandingly.***Snarling up at him, Nim glared from beneath lowered brows as she thrust her rigid hand out as he’d made it obvious, he’d not be letting her up until she complied.And she won’t have me touching her any longer than necessary. That thought caused a bitter twinge to rush through him, but he pushed it aside as he awaited Almora. Unable to resist a li
“She never used to be this bad.” Disseus could recall warmth and laughter and rolling through flowers and being tackled by a woman in skirts dropping out of a tree.Days of sunshine and laughter. He looked around him now and saw everything through darker eyes. Reminding himself that those days were long gone.Almora was still giving him a quizzical look.But I don’t have any answers to offer her.Almora clearly wanted to know what had changed so much in Nim.I don’t know. It wasn’t my fault. She left me. His thoughts turned bitter, and he shifted away from the witch. Making it clear the conversation was over and he cared to discuss it no further.***But thinking over what Almora had said made him curious.I know some of the more ugly parts of her story. Of the time she was gone. But I’d like to know the rest… Yet he feared asking to fill in the blanks would likely cause him pain.But his hunger to know was making him restless.What did happen to her the years since I knew her? Other
“Are you afraid?” Disseus queried. Hungering to see if she’d admit her vulnerability.Become a bit closer to me through a hint of truth. If she’s even capable of that…“No.” She choked a little. “I just can’t protect both your friend and your mistress by myself.”He scoffed.“Almora isn’t my mistress, as you know very well. I’ve only ever wanted one woman.” Catching her chin, he turned her face back to him. Giving her a long look that conveyed his disbelief.But she promptly jerked her head away.“Look at me.”“How do you somehow make your commands seem coaxing?”She wants to do what I’m asking but it defies every instinct she has to protect herself. Some part of him could faintly understand that. She had no one else to look after her for a long time.But that thought made the old bitter part of him return to the fore. That was her own doing.I’d have been there.“Because I’m asking you to obey.” He reached for her again, but she turned away.“Don’t.” There was pleading in her soft vo
Thunder cracked above Disseus and Nim jerked. Making Disseus’ arms tighten protectively around her. Protecting her as she slept. He let his wild reveries play out in his mind’s eye. After she’d spotted him up on Black Rock’s that foggy morning and he’d fired a warning arrow past her to let her know he was aware of her presence, he’d climbed down the rocks and headed into the trees with her nipping at his heels like a small yappy dog. She was so close on his heels, and therefore slammed into his back as he abruptly stopped and pulled a spiced flower from a bush. Looking at it thoughtfully. “I know enough.” “You don’t know anything.” She countered. Turning fully, he lifted a quizzical brow. Knocking her hood back he eyed her face as she gasped in surprise at how rapidly he rounded on her. His face relaxed. “Nealinim.” He finished as if it confirmed what he’d already known. I could always sense when she was near. Smell that sweet scent that is hers alone. “You know me?” She blink