The Lily Harper 8 Book Boxed Set

by HP Mallory

  “So, dude,” Bill shattered the silence and faced the wary Scotsman. Tallis didn’t bother to respond or look at him; he simply continued tearing pieces of meat off with his teeth, and his gaze seemed to be fastened on something in front of him. “Yo? Conan?” Bill persisted.

  “Aye?” Tallis replied at last. He eyed Bill only briefly before scanning the perimeter of the forest behind us once again.

  “So I’m not sure if nerdlet informed you yet or not, but I’ve decided to be the bigger person an’ forgive your sorry ass.”

  “I forgive you too,” I immediately added, offering Tallis a quick and nervous smile as I paused from scarfing down my dinner. Funny how being on the brink of death makes one so ravenously hungry …

  Tallis didn’t answer right away; he continued chewing his mouthful before looking over his left shoulder and then his right. When he glanced back at us, we were both staring at him. He must have realized we were still waiting for his response because he finally answered.

  “Ah thank ye both,” he said with a brief nod, first at Bill and then at me. When his eyes settled on mine, his lips turned up at the ends only slightly, like the Mona Lisa.

  “But don’t go thinkin’ that just ’cause her an’ I are bigger persons means you can pull that shit on nips again,” Bill continued. Then he pointed at me, apparently just in case Tallis was confused about who nips was.

  “Nae,” Tallis started.

  “’Cause it don’t mean that at all,” Bill interrupted between mouthfuls as he shook his head fiercely. He took another bite and proceeded to chew with his mouth open. The meat was horribly undercooked and I could see it bleeding all over Bill’s tongue. My previous appetite suddenly tucked its tail between its legs and scampered away.

  “Nae,” Tallis repeated, but Bill interrupted him … again.

  “An’, I’m still maintainin’ my belief that nerdlet is insipiosexual.” He raised both of his eyebrows at Tallis and then at me to let us know we constituted said classification. “To the un-learn-ed-ed, insipiosexual comes from the Latin: insipiens, and sexualis. That means in science speak that Pollyanna, over here, is exclusively attracted to fools.”

  “Bill,” I started, hoping to prevent another argument between the two of them again. I’d already witnessed more than my fair share.

  Bill held up his hands, as if he were backing down, or didn’t want a fight. “I’ve said my peace,” he finished while nodding. He then made a poor attempt at covering up a yawn and glanced at me with a frown while shaking his head. “I can’t improve your taste in men, so I’m givin’ up.”

  “Really?” I replied. I could only wonder how Bill’s grasp on reality remained so utterly different from mine …

  “Yep, just one o’ them things,” he answered as he swallowed his last mouthful. Then he leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms behind his head and heaving his stomach up into a large mound. His stained, Megadeath T-shirt rode up above his belly button, revealing the pastiness of his skin. “Now, Billy the Angel’s gonna take hisself a nice, long nap, soze my tummy can digest whatever the fuck I just ate,” he finished with a tiny hiccup/burp.

  “Good night, Bill,” I grumbled. I had to admit I was pleased to see him conk out early because it gave me some private time with Tallis. Time that was sorely needed since we had some talking to do.

  “’Night, honey mounds, an’ you, too, Tido,” Bill said as he closed his eyes. “Thanks for the nasty grub,” he added.

  Tallis didn’t respond and neither did I. I just watched Bill for a few seconds as I tried to find the best way to approach a conversation with Tallis. I inhaled a large breath and summoned all my courage before I turned to face him.

  “Ah willnae deceive ye agin, lass,” Tallis announced as soon as I looked at him. “Ye have mah word,” he finished with steely resolve. He held my gaze for the space of a few seconds and I stared at him, feeling strangely nervous. Actually, my reaction wasn’t all that strange. Tallis made me nervous in general. His mere presence was intimidating, or maybe it was his unpredictable nature, but something about Tallis always kept me on edge.

  “How much longer ’til we git home?” Bill suddenly piped up, peering at Tallis through one eye.

  “Mayhap anither day an’ night.”

  “This is the freakin’ trip that never flippin’ ends,” Bill grumbled as he closed his eye again and, moments later, was snoring.

  “Ye need yer sleep too, Besom,” Tallis said. Besom was Tallis’s nickname for me. In Gaelic, it meant “troublesome woman.” Initially, it was intended to be a jibe, but over the last few months, it had become more endearing and now I actually appreciated it.

  “I’m not tired,” I answered. Taking another glance at Bill, I watched him for a few seconds to determine whether or not he was really asleep this time. His snoring grew louder and reminded me of the sound of clothes in a dryer. After a few long minutes, I noticed a string of drool started to lengthen from the corner of his mouth. That definitely had to mean he was out … Unless he was doing an Oscar-worthy performance of faking it. I assumed the latter but hoped for the former.

  “Is whit the angel says true?” Tallis asked as soon as I looked at him again. “Have ye forgiven meh, lass?”

  “Aye,” I answered with an impish grin. Tallis seemed taken aback by my attempt at humor, but seconds later, his lips parted into a dazzling smile that made my heart flutter. It was so rare to see him smiling, and one of the moments I cherished most.

  But getting back to the subject at hand, I didn’t want Tallis to think my brief answer meant that it wasn’t a big deal. The whole process of handing-me-off-to-Alaire was a scary situation. And even though I forgave Tallis, it wasn’t an easy decision for me to make. I cleared my throat and thought about what I wanted to say.

  “Take yer time, lass,” Tallis encouraged me.

  Clearing my throat again, I nodded, feeling terribly uncomfortable while caught in his direct gaze. “Well, I just want to say that what you were planning to do with me was a horrible thing to do,” I took a deep breath, finding it difficult to look him in the eyes.

  “Aye,” he answered as he dropped his gaze down to his feet.

  “But the sticking point is: you didn’t go through with it,” I finished quickly, not liking how his mood suddenly darkened. Worse still, I didn’t want this conversation to make him feel bad about his actions all over again. I figured he’d already put himself through the wringer; so he didn’t need anything from me to further add to it.

  “Ah couldnae go through with it,” he concurred.

  “Well, that’s why Bill and I both forgive you,” I replied with a reassuring smile.

  “Ye dinnae know how mooch yer forgiveness means tae meh, lass.” He paused for a few seconds as we just stared at one another. “Ah will make it oop tae ye; ye have mah word.”

  “It’s already done,” I answered, shaking my head. “As of this moment, I want all of us to forget it ever happened.” I continued more resolutely, saying, “We have to move forward, and not focus on the past.”

  Tallis nodded as he grew more pensive and thoughtful, his gaze resting on the horizon again. This time, however, I didn’t think he was scanning for potential threats. Instead, he seemed to be gathering his thoughts. When he looked at me again, his eyes swam with emotion. “Ye dinnae know how yer words warm meh, nor how grateful Ah am for yer mercy, lass.”

  A rush of heat flowed through me as soon as the words left his mouth. The way he was looking at me only further enhanced my reaction. He wasn’t smiling, but something in his expression, or maybe in his eyes, suggested he was rejoicing on the inside.

  “You have been there for me more times than I can count, Tallis,” I said. I wanted him to understand how much he meant to me, and why I could so easily put the past behind me and move on. “You’ve saved my life on more than one occasion,” I continued. “And I also haven’t forgotten that I owe you an incredible amount of money.” I flashed a flirtatious smile, but could o
nly hold it for a few seconds before a blush colored my cheeks and took my presumptuous smile along with it.

  At the beginning of Tallis’s and my acquaintanceship, he’d agreed to serve as my guide. It was the first time I’d traveled through the Underground City, and in return, I promised to pay Tallis fifty thousand pounds. Later, he said he would train me in the art of swordplay and self-defense for the price of one thousand pounds a day. So far, however, he had yet to collect any of it.

  “Ah willnae accept yer money, lass,” Tallis declared, dropping his gaze to the fire and shaking his head. His lips were pressed into a tight line.

  “Well, technically, it isn’t my money,” I answered with a shrug. As a Soul Retriever, Afterlife Enterprises kept my bank account well stocked at all times. Not a bad perk to an otherwise crappy job …

  “Ah’m sure ye can find somethin’ else tae spend it oan,” Tallis replied, averting his eyes to the tree line behind me again.

  “If you ever need anything … financially speaking,” I started. I shrunk as soon as he narrowed his hawklike eyes on me.

  “Ah dinnae need anythin’ money can buy,” he interrupted me immediately. “Everythin’ Ah need, Ah alriddy have.”

  “Okay, I was just trying to be nice,” I replied, feeling suddenly attacked.

  Of course, I knew he didn’t mean for it to come off that way. He was just as proud as they came. He didn’t say anymore and neither did I. Instead, we both busied ourselves by looking anywhere except at each other. The fire continued to pop and crackle, even as the flames began to die, reducing the logs to no more than glowing, red embers.

  “Ah will procure oos more firewood,” Tallis announced. Reaching for his sword, he got to his feet.

  “What does it mean when you said you’re in love with me?” I nearly spat the words out. My heart was racing at the thought of him disappearing into the forest, taking my only chance to speak with him in private. Never mind that his announcing he was in love with me was the only subject on my mind since he first said the words an hour or so ago. I just hadn’t been sure how to approach the topic. Well, that is, until now.

  Tallis paused and stood there for a long moment, looking entirely awkward. The question of whether or not he should retreat into the haunted forest and thereby avoid any and all discussions seemed to be playing out across his face. That was, no doubt, the truth since Tallis wasn’t exactly comfortable with his emotions; or anyone else’s, for that matter.

  “Ah dinnae know whit ye want meh tae say, lass,” he admitted finally after another protracted silence.

  I sat up straight, and a bolt of energy suddenly hummed throughout my entire body. “I want to know what this means, you know, for you and me,” I explained. “How does it change things between us?” I watched his brow furrow before his face assumed a confused expression.

  “It doesnae change anythin’ atween oos,” he answered with a shrug. His tone of voice suggested he thought that much should have been obvious.

  “I don’t understand,” I started, shaking my head. A definite sense of despondency overcame me. Maybe I just didn’t understand how things were between men and women. It wasn’t like I had very much experience when it came to relationships; but I always assumed that when a man told you he loved you, it meant he wanted a relationship. Of course, Tallis was so complicated, he might not have fit into the category of “man.” Maybe, he should have been classified as some other genus or species.

  “Ah am the same person Ah always was,” he argued plainly. “Ye are the same person ye always were. Naethin’ is different,” he finished and his lips stiffened.

  “But we are different!” I retorted. Getting onto all fours, I felt strong enough, and lunged onto my feet. I became immediately light-headed and wobbly and grabbed the rough trunk of the tree beside me to catch my balance.

  Tallis was instantly by my side. He seemed to be only seconds from reaching out to me, but he held himself back. “Ye shouldnae be standin’ oop, lass,” he warned me, and his expression appeared gruff and reserved. “Ye need yer rest.”

  “I’m okay,” I said, waving away his concern as if it were a pesky fly. “And don’t think you’re going to get off the subject that easily.”

  “Ah dinnae know whit more Ah can say,” he replied, looking frustrated as he shook his head and sighed. He made no motion to back away from me and just continued to stand there, looking like he half wondered if I might keel over at any second.

  “I care very much about you, Tallis,” I started before inhaling deeply. I realized any conversation about our relationship, or lack thereof, would have to come from me. Tallis was as stubborn and recalcitrant as an old goat where his emotions were involved. Half the time, I wondered if he had any.

  “Ye shouldnae care aboot meh at all,” he persisted, his lips drawn into a tight line.

  “Regardless of whether you think I should, or shouldn’t, I do,” I spat back, frowning all the while.

  “We have been through this, lass,” he started before shaking his head as his eyes met mine. His were narrowed and almost appeared angry. “Ah dinnae deserve any o’ yer affection an’ Ah willnae accept it.”

  “Well, regardless of that, you have it,” I rebutted flatly. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself away from the tree, and grabbed onto both of his forearms to steady myself. He glanced down at my hands where they clung to his arms and seemed to study them for a few seconds. His expression didn’t reveal anything—whether he was annoyed by my touching him, or actually liked it. I found myself focusing on his sinewy strength in the contours of his muscular forearms. They were dusted with black hair and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to rub my hands through it.

  “Lass,” he started, but I shook my head vigorously, and he seemed to swallow his words.

  “I want you, Tallis,” I gasped at him. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any man before.” I shook my head, knowing my comment couldn’t even begin to describe the way I felt about this man. “I need you, Tallis,” I finished. Gazing up at him, I clung to him as if he were my only lifeline and I were drowning in the middle of the sea.

  “Nae,” he said, but his voice was whispery and sounded weak.

  “I know you feel it too,” I insisted, while nodding. My heart beat loudly, ricocheting through my chest like an unruly bullet. Tallis didn’t respond, but his eyes held mine; and the fierceness I detected there only confirmed the truth of my words. But it wasn’t enough. I needed to hear the words from his lips. “Tell me you feel it too.”

  “Ah cannae,” he said, shaking his head emphatically. “An’ ye moost stoop this nonsense.” He dropped his attention to my hands where I held his arms, and shook them, trying to free himself. Of course, I did what any respectable woman would do in a similar situation.

  I pretended to faint.

  “Lass!” he ground out with alarm. Dropping his sword, he immediately cradled me in his enormous arms. As soon as he pulled me upright, I opened my eyes, smiling at the expression of surprise in his face before looping my arms around his neck. Not wasting any time, I stretched onto my tiptoes and brought his face closer to mine. My eyelids closed as my lips met his. His mouth was so warm and the sensation of his lips against mine thrilled me all the way down to my core.

  Without even realizing it, I pulled him still closer. I couldn’t help noticing how he didn’t fight me. In fact, he tightened his embrace, pulling me so close to him, I could feel how hot his body was. We were pressed against each other, and I could feel his heart pounding against my chest. His tongue began to explore my mouth. He was soft and gentle at first, but as soon as mine eagerly met his, he began to lap at it feverishly and his fingers dug into my flesh.

  I heard the snap of a tree branch behind me and Tallis tore himself away from me, gripping my upper arm, and thrusting me behind him. Reeling around in surprise, I found myself facing Saxon, one of my colleagues and fellow Soul Retrievers.

  “Well, it appears my sense of timing probably leaves much t
o be desired,” he announced with a boyish grin. His eyes settled on the tip of Tallis’s sword, which was mere inches away from his nose. “At ease, soldier,” Saxon said, chuckling nervously.

  “Tallis, it’s Saxon,” I said a bit louder when Tallis made no attempt to drop his weapon.

  “The people who are lying in these tombs, might they be seen?”

  - Dante’s Inferno

  THREE

  “Whit dae ye want?” Tallis demanded without bothering to lower the tip of his sword from Saxon’s nose.

  Saxon smiled at Tallis, albeit nervously, but smiled all the same. “Actually, there is a reason I followed you, which is currently residing in my backpack,” he replied proudly. Then, holding his hands up with his palms facing Tallis, he started to bend down to remove the backpack from his shoulders.

  “Stop right thaur,” Tallis ordered him, taking a small step forward. He thrust the tip of his blade against Saxon’s carotid artery. Saxon immediately stopped what he was doing and stood up straight again.

  “Tallis,” I said, my voice a warning of its own. I just wasn’t sure why Tallis was so concerned about our guest. Saxon wasn’t a threat to any of us. On the contrary, he was just another employee of Afterlife Enterprises, another Soul Retriever.

  Having only met Saxon twice, it wasn’t like I knew him at all well, but I felt comfortable in saying that he wasn’t a threat. Besides, not that it really mattered, but he also was pretty cute …

  Of course, it wasn’t like his handsome face made him a good person; remember Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer? But, I was fairly sure Saxon wasn’t interested in killing us or planning to eat us later. He seemed like a decent enough guy. Physically, Saxon was tall, but nowhere near as tall as Tallis. He was still over six feet, and although he was muscular, he wasn’t broad and massive like Tallis. Saxon’s physique more resembled that of a swimmer—broad shoulders tapering down to a lean waist.