by Keri Salyers
“I didn’t ask you. Priestesses do as they’re told.” He ended with a smiley face.
“Do you expect us to just walk home after all that?” I angrily typed out.
“Ugh! Whatever will get you to be silent. My tryst is starting to get impatient with all these interruptions.”
I nearly tossed the phone in the trash right there. I did not want to think about that. Wait, wasn’t Sho Hashida married? That bastard! “I guess we’re walking,” I said, tossing up my hands. The sky above gave a rumble and the first raindrops began to patter down. “Damn it, Invyrchal!”
In the blink of an eye, from one second to the next, the Rutherford Park was gone and we were all standing in the center of my living room. The rain began to pour and exhaustion hit us all. The ordeal was over. It was time for rest, but first things first. Everyone needed to get the hell out of my house. “I will send you all home. Invyrchal probably won’t even notice to draw.”
I was not going to explain why. I moved to stand before Devi. The Harbinger was glowing with health, his shirt however was completely ruined and he smelled strongly of spilled blood and effluence. He smiled at me, his human smile. “If you need me, Mistress,” Devi said, taking my hands, “I’ll be in the shower.”
The Harbinger strode past me heading toward the second bedroom, not without a last jab at Ian. “And if you ever feel indebted to me again, I think we can always work something out.”
Did I just gain a permanent roommate?
Standing before Cen, I resisted the urge to pull him into a hug. Sarkkrai don’t hug, after all. He stood tall, his wide shoulders squared—so disciplined, my boy was, even here amongst family and friends. His arms had stopped bleeding and he was in no danger even from scarring, but I still wanted to use the last of my energy to heal him. But I had portals to open. Cenav didn’t belong in this world. Neither did Ian and Devi (Devi I’d deal with later). “Where to, Cen?” I asked, my voice miraculously not breaking.
“Rakmorath. I grow tired of being cold and surrounded by… Pelthocians.”
“They’ll be happy to have you back—your men. Your father. Your siblings—”
“I don’t have siblings.”
“Your father has other children and they—”
“They are not like us.” He gave me the wrist-to-wrist salute Sarkkrai typically gave their superiors. Then, with a slight jerkiness, my son reached out and placed his thick hand upon my shoulder. “I will miss you, mother. I know why you stay but no one—not even the Warlord—can keep you from visiting.”
“I will, Cen. You can count on it.” I touched the infinite pool of energy I had access to and recognized it for what it truly was—not mine. In my mind, I connected this world with the Sarkkrai outpost Invyrchal had sent Ian and me to. With a snap that was sure to wake the neighbors, the portal opened before us.
Surprising me, Cen stepped past me to stand in front of Ianarius. “This is who I am, what I am. I must return to Rakmorath,” Cen said. “I do not fear you, Mage, nor can I say I would not welcome a fight for I know it would be a good one. But… I do not hope… for such soon.” His words were the best one could hope for from a Sarkkrai and Ian knew it. He clasped the offered wrist, barely able to wrap his hand around Cenav’s thick limb where Cen’s engulfed his. Turning away, he paused once more, this time by Eleanor. Again there was a hint of uncertainty. “Female.”
Done with his goodbyes, Cenav strode through the portal and I closed it with a twinge. Eleanor, I knew, had no idea how forward thinking it was for him to have included her. Perhaps she’d earned some of his stingy respect? Then again, she was smiling, maybe she did know. Why was she smiling so? Before I could give her any more thought, she excused herself out of the room, mumbling something about the bathroom. Yeah right.
“I wanted to tell you something,” Ian said, rubbing his stiff neck. He looked ready to sleep a week. And knowing what I know about mages, he probably would. “I didn’t learn English, per se. At least not like I said I did. It was a spell.” A little shame-faced, he explained that he had used a mindreading variable spell that pulled connections from a few random people—my neighbors, in fact. It was not too invasive, he claimed, because it wasn’t like he was reading their thoughts. Being that he remembered things so fast, it seemed like the best way of approach. That was also how he spelled Devi.
Not exactly what I was hoping for, but okay. I studied the mage like I might not see him again. The skin under his eyes was tinged purple and there was the shading of a future bruise on his jaw, his hair was mussed but he still looked good. I remembered our dance, the feel of his arms around me. That kiss… it would have been terrific. I smiled sadly.
“What?” He asked. “Sad to see me go?” He stepped closer and I retreated back a step. “What, really? Is it the fact my skin is the wrong color, I don’t smell of blood and iron, or am I just not enough of a raging psychopath for you?”
I couldn’t trust my voice; I shook my head, hair dashing at my cheeks. I palmed my traitorous eyes and shook my head again. “I was wrong, okay! I was wrong about you!” Ian drew up, preparing to be offended. “I thought you were like me, deep down. Beneath appearances, beneath your wanting to play the hero, I figured you were… you were like me. But I was so wrong.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” His voice was neutral.
“You aren’t a monster.”
He gave a small laugh, the sound sending a thrill of excitement through me. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”
When he stepped closer, this time I did not move back. I could feel the warmth of his body, the scent that was simply him. When he placed his arms around me, for a moment, I let everything just go away. There was nothing else but us. I pressed my cheek into his chest, feeling his heartbeat. Gone was the modern clothing; he wore no illusion. It was just him. My hands roamed the plains and valley of his back. I wondered if his skin was as smooth to the touch as the cloth of his robe.
“Why do you torment me? I am but a mortal man,” he asked, voice low, husky.
I pulled back so I could look at those eyes one last time. Up close they were amazing. Just as were those lips. “You really like playing the hero, don't you mage?”
“Yeah I guess I do, and unless I've missed my mark, so do you.”
“Maybe. Now go home. Get some rest.”
His eyes widened and he blinked a couple of times. I could feel the heavy disappointment and even a touch of insecurity and confusion. But he complied. As he turned to the portal, I studied him like I might not see him again. Who knew, right? Broad shoulders. Lean. Man that ass... When he began to shift through the portal I dropped my mental barriers and let all those naughty thoughts envelope him. I did think highly of him. I did want that kiss—our first time. Hell, I wanted a whole lot more than that. I wanted his hands on me, his lips everywhere. I wanted to touch him, stroke his fire till we both burned like an inferno. I wanted that man like I’d never wanted anyone in my life. And I’d been alive for a very long time. Ian’s whole body jerked to a stop, posture rigid. He turned to look at me but the portal was already taking him back. Our eyes met briefly and I smiled evilly. It would take him days to be able to return once he rested and begun work on setting his own portal.
Delicious, agonizing days.
My portal collapsed on its own; I could no longer hold it open. The island barstool suddenly looked like a little slice of heaven. I sat down.
“Hey, Z,” came Eleanor’s voice. “Ian gone?”
I bobbed my head, not trusting my voice. She had a sympathetic look on her face that I didn’t like. How much had she heard? How much did she know was more the question! Eleanor had washed her face of dirt and makeup. Gone was the fancy—now ruined—dress. She popped up onto the barstool across from me.
“So… you still scheduled for Saturday?” I said, picking at my mangled nails.
“Yes, I think so.”
“Ah, if you want me to fill you in on the past ten years, we could
get some coffee. If you want to listen.”
Eleanor smiled brightly and I found myself mirroring the grin.
Yes indeed, the people in my life were all sorts of screwed up, none more so than I. There was the frustrating, inexplicable yet somehow fascinating mage, the inhuman assassin with a penchant for chocolate, the mousy repressed house sitter, my son the killer and his father the leader of a whole race of killers. Add in the addition of a god brought over from a whole other plane of existence and you got a recipe for screwed up with a capital S and capital U.
My name is Zofeya Aldridge. I am the reluctant Priestess of Invyrchal.
I was not always a good person.
But now, I have a reason to try to be…
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Zofeya Aldridge – [zoh fay uh al drij]
Ianarius Nalach – [ee in ar ree us nuh lock]
Devi – [dee vee]
Cenav – [sen nav]
Ve’Sath – [vv sath]
Invyrchal – [in veer chal]
Trinathe – [trin nath]
Dalayn – [dal lane]
Eleanor Stoffs – [el leh nor stahfs]
Sho Hashida – [show ha shee duh]
Ostas Burend – [ost stus bur rend]
Zarhsha – [zar shuh]
Sarkkrai – [sar cry]
Pelthocia – [pell tho zhuh]
Osiril – [oh seer ril]
Trine – [try n]
Rakmorath – [rack more rath]
