Iris's Guardian

by Lisa Daniels

  “Ow, ow, ow,” she muttered trying to get up on her elbows.

  Chadwick hurried forward, “No, no, you stay down and rest. You have a couple of broken bones after that storm.”

  “Storm?” The word Aeolians went through her mind, but she had no idea what it meant. “Was that really all it was? I thought that we were attacked by the wind or …something?”

  A beautiful laugh echoed in her cabin, “You suspect that something else would be knocking on the ship? There are not many creatures that could do that, and I can’t think of any that would take such an interest in a … ship with this kind of cargo.” The man was not saying something, but Kerensa was trying to remember why his words were suspicious.

  Kerensa’s eyes finally noticed the person who had been speaking with Chadwick. “Heath! Are you alright?” Again, she tried to rise, but Chadwick was quick to push her back on the bed.

  “Absolutely not.” He placed a hand on her head, “I think she may have sustained some brain damage, talking about strange wind creatures trying to harm the vessel.”

  “You may be right.” Heath was looking directly at her, his eyes saying something different than his mouth. “Mr. Chadwick, if you wouldn’t mind, I was educated in medicine and can help the young lady to recover.”

  Chadwick looked back at the man, his face clearly showing the concerns he was thinking, “Do you think that it is serious? Is this going to affect her studies?”

  Heath shook his head, “I think that she will be fine. She broke a couple of ribs. I believe that it is just the shock from everything that is confusing her. She will be back to her normal self within a day or two. Until then, I can take care of her and ensure that no one else finds out about her … condition.”

  Chadwick gave a weak smile, “Thank you. We have three researchers on board, a boat full of sailors, and a few high-class passengers, yet somehow we don’t seem to have any classically trained physicians. It seems like you have already done so much, I don’t like that we keep asking you to-”

  Heath waved a hand, “It is no trouble at all. You go help out where you can. I know next to nothing about ships, so this is about the only place where I can be of service.”

  “I am certain you are trying to be nice, but I still feel guilty that you have ended up managing so much without any kind of reward. If I could, I would give you a reward, but I have no such authority or wealth.”

  “You are a good man Chadwick, but none of those are necessary. Money means nothing to me, and I have no need for power. Seeing Velius recover is more than enough payment.”

  Kerensa had to stifle a laugh at the look on Chadwick’s face at Heath’s declaration. “It’s true. He’s been saying things like that ever since we met.”

  Chadwick looked between the two, and Kerensa noticed a sad look in his eyes before he bowed and left without another word.

  Heath moved closer to her and sat down in a chair near the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “A little rough, but nothing life threatening. You have not answered my question.”

  “Oh, I am just fine.”

  “Let me see your wound,” Kerensa reached up to feel the place where he had hit his head but was immedicably reminded that she had a couple of broken ribs. “Ow, oh ow!”

  Heath sighed and shook his head. Gently he pressed her back onto the bed. Just then the door opened and one of the passengers entered. “Excuse me but I heard that the gentleman –oh!” His eyes moved back and forth between Heath and Kerensa. The man’s hands were on her shoulders and he tried to get her to lie back down, but from the current angle it looked a bit different. The man began to stammer as he backed out, “I am so sorry, I did not realize.”

  Heath pulled away from her, “It’s quite alright. I was just helping Velius to get comfortable after that storm. He’s been a little seasick and will require a good bit of rest so that he can keep his food down.”

  The man looked between the pair, “Of course. I understand. I myself do not feel quite back to normal after that mess. Really, I don’t know what that captain is doing if he can’t avoid such a horrific storm like that.

  The shifter frowned, “I am sure he is doing his best. It is not like he can control the weather, and the further north we go, the more likely it is we will encounter much worse.”

  The man’s eyes were round as he asked, “Do you really believe that is the case? This was supposed to be a vacation for me and my fiancé. If we keep fearing for our lives it won’t be much of a rest, let alone the celebration it is meant to be.”

  Kerensa looked at him knowing full well what kind of man he was – she had turned down so many like him already, “But it will be a fascinating story later if you live.” She threw the last part in just to make the man squirm. With a slight bow, he left them alone.

  Heath let out a musical laugh as he shook his head, “You did that just to make him uncomfortable.”

  Kerensa looked up into the man’s face surprised that he understood what she had done. “You know?”

  “Of course! What person with a brain would not see what you just did?”

  Kerensa looked out the window, “Most of the people I have known. There have been far too many people like him who fail to see anything other than what they want to see. I can’t tell you have many men like him I have turned down because they just- Oh gods, I am so sorry.” Kerensa looked at Heath, “You do not want to hear about all of that.”

  “It is quite alright. To be honest, it makes your decision all the easier to understand.” He gave her a look that she could not read before muttering, “I wonder if you would still feel the same if you had not been forced to face so many buffoons.”

  He said it so low that Kerensa was certain she was not meant to hear. There was a meaning to his words that she did not get, but she did not feel comfortable enough to ask. There were so many things about this man that made no sense, Kerensa feared once she started asking questions, she may not be able to stop. It was clear that Heath cared very much about others, but not everyone. For some reason he had chosen to help her, though he had not shown the same attention or dedication to anyone else that she had noticed. His politeness to Chadwick seemed to be mostly on her behalf as the two had talked of nothing else as far as she had seen.

  Suddenly he stood up, “I must go take care of a few things, but I swear I shall be back within an hour. Is there anything that I can get for you while I am out?”

  Kerensa shook her head, “I only need my book and a drink before you go. With those, I will be the happiest creature in the world.”

  He gave her a glittering smile, “Which book would you like?”

  “Oh, um, actually forget the book. I think it has gone under the bed, and I couldn’t possibly-”

  She didn’t even finish the sentence before Heath was on his stomach sliding under the bed. Quickly sitting up, the pain shot through her, and Kerensa let out a gasp. Heath was beside her before the pain subsided. “I know you know better than that. Please stay still so that you can heal. Here.” He placed the book in her lap, then his eyes fell on the cover of the book. Heath’s head turned slightly to the side to read the title, An Extensive History of Dragon Hunting.

  Kerensa pulled the book to her chest, “I have been studying dragons ever since I was little.”

  The man’s beautiful blue eyes looked into hers as he asked, “You are interested in becoming a dragon slayer?”

  She could not read his expression, but the levity in his voice seemed out of place. More importantly, she found the suggestion entirely objectionable. “I am an intellectual, not a killer. Have you ever met a dragon hunter?” As the man was from the cold north, the young woman doubted that he had any inclination of what dragons were like, let alone the hunters. Assuming his answer, she pressed on, “I’ve heard there are some good ones, but that has not been my experience. In 10 years I have met three, and they left me thinking increasingly less of their kind. I always thought dragons were noble creatures, and anymore I c
annot think of them as anything more than a victim of human avarice and stupidity.” By the time she finished talking, Kerensa was sitting up. With her last words, she brought a fist down onto the bed, immediately causing her ribs to hurt. Trying to hide the pain, she pressed on, “My father gifted me this book because there are very few humans that know enough to write. As much as I do not like them, dragon slayers are the most knowledgeable about dragons.”

  The man gave a sigh as he put her hands on her shoulders, “You are certainly passionate.” The way he looked at her caused Kerensa’s heart to flutter, almost like she had just answered a particularly difficult question correctly. “But you still need to be careful because you will never heal if you aren’t more careful. Speaking of more careful,” a crease formed along his alabaster brow, “What were you doing endangering yourself like that?”

  Kerensa blinked at the man, “I don’t understand what you mean,” she finally responded.

  “After I hit my head. You shielded me. I may not have been fully conscious, but I can remember the way you pressed your body up against me when your ribs were broken. Why did you do that?” His eyes were full of concern as he looked at her.

  Kerensa smiled and looked at her hands, “Even if I were not indebted to you, there is something about you that is….” Her voice trailed off as she realized that she could not finish that sentence.

  Heath cocked his head and looked at her, but he did not press her to finish the thought.

  Kerensa looked over at him, “I thought you had things you needed to do.”

  “Oh, yes, I do.” Heath stood up at her words. He paused as he stood over her bed.

  “What is it?” Kerensa saw that he had something to say.

  With a quick shake of his head, the man dismissed whatever he had been thinking. “It is nothing. I will return. Make sure that you rest the entire time I am gone. If you do not, I will be able to tell when I return.”

  Kerensa could not help but smile at the threat, “There is no need to worry. I know how to be a good patient and will make sure that I am no worse off when you return.”

  The shifter flashed a smile at her before heading to the door. With his hand on the door handle, Heath turned to her, “Thank you for protecting me. It was the kindest thing a human has ever done for me. But please, in the future, just let me be. My body can handle a lot more than yours, and seeing you in agony causes me far more pain than any furniture could. Please, be careful with yourself.”

  Kerensa looked at the man wanting to ask so many questions, but having no idea how to bring any of it up. Where Heath seemed completely unfettered by taboo topics, years had taught her to skirt any discussions that would cause more than polite debate. Even among the scholars they did not like for her to get emotional – as soon as she was emotional, they would not listen to her arguments. It was strange and liberating, but she was not yet ready to jump into discussions that she had been avoiding for most of her studies. If she were, Kerensa would have launched right into a serious discussion about Heath’s shifting abilities. She knew next to nothing about them because she had poured her interests into other types of mythical creatures. For the most part, she had avoided anything that was humanoid. Because she was not comfortable with her own species, she had assumed that the others would be too similar.

  Kerensa’s eyes stared at the door for a while after Heath had left, her mind racing with questions and topics that she had never considered about other humanoids. It sounded like this shifter was accustomed to humans, but he did not seem to expect much from them. He was also very open about not being human. From what little she knew about shifters, they either avoided talking about their species, or avoided humans entirely.

  Knowing that she was not going to question him, Kerensa tried to put her attention back on her book. The hour passed slowly as she fought to keep her mind on her studies. When the door opened, the young woman could not help but smile as she looked over.

  The two talked for a while before Heath was satisfied that she was alright. Though she seemed to be in less pain than expected, the shifter refused to leave her for the night.

  “What would happen if you ended up harming yourself in the night?” His eyes bore into hers as she tried to object.

  “I am quite certain I will be fine,” she said, thinking that the man was perhaps a little too cautious.

  He shook his head. “Have you thought about how you will sleep in your current condition? It is not like we have the proper restraints here to keep you from moving as you sleep, and I am certain there are not many others who would have in your room at this time.

  “I don’t think that it is your responsibility to be here either.” It was the only thing she could bring herself to say, even though she knew she should point out that it was socially unacceptable for him to be there overnight.

  There was a smile on his lips as he shook his head, “This isn’t a matter of responsibility, it’s still about doing what is right. Do not worry, it does not bother me at all, and I will do my very best to ensure that you have minimal discomfort over the coming days.”

  Kerensa was not able to put up much of a fighter after that. For the next few nights, they shared her cabin for most of the day and all of the night. Heath had taken to sleeping on the floor near her bed, despite her best efforts to get him to sleep somewhere a little more comfortable. He simply laughed and said that he would not give her the room to slip out of her cabin.

  It was a strange arrangement, but something about it made Kerensa incredibly happy.

  Chapter 5

  The Unexplained Visit

  The only people to learn of her injuries beside Heath and Chadwick were the other researchers. When the researchers came in to check on her, they found her in tolerable shape. Deciding to carry on with their research, the four of them discussed what they needed to do. Chadwick sat nearby taking notes and trying to help where he could. Heath was always present near the foot of Kerensa’s bed where he could keep an eye on her and make sure she did not attempt anything that would compromise the healing process.

  Though she was not entirely comfortable, Kerensa did not feel that she could complain about the arrangements. After all, no one could find out who she was, nor would they be able to guess if they thought she was sea sick. It pained her to be trapped in a cabin since it meant missing so much of what she had wanted to see. On the other hand, there was no chance that her behavior or mannerisms would give her away. As much as she wanted to see everything, Kerensa could not ignore that this actually gave her time for additional instruction from Heath. He was very strict with her healing, but when he deemed her ribs to be mending adequately nearly two weeks later, he helped her start to correct her gait so that her hips would not sway as much.

  The first lesson was very distracting for her as the shifter kept a hand on her at all times. The coolness of his touch was something that she could not easily ignore as his hand helped to hold her up. The shifter did not have any problem putting his hands all over her, over emphasizing the movements that he said were too feminine, then showing her what he meant by doing the movements himself.

  Kerensa had often thought that women walked in a way that was too obvious. Then Heath began to point out the things that she did, and the young woman realized that she was not immune to certain aspects of the way women walked. The hips seemed to have a mind of their own, and it was very difficult to persuade them to sway less when she walked.

  Kerensa looked straight ahead of her and moved forward. Feeling like she was making progress, she turned to find out what Heath had to say. He was shaking his head and approaching her.

  “No. Your hips still sway far too much. Here.” He stepped behind her and placed his hands on her hips. Kerensa shivered a little at his cool touch, but he said nothing about it as he began to press her forward a little. “Right foot. Left. Right. See? Notice how you can feel my hands lifting as you step. Men do not do that.” He turned her around and turned his back to her. Without looking,
he took her hands and placed them on his hips. Her face flushed at the familiarity, her mind having trouble focusing on the lesson. They walked a full circle around the room like this, the shifter telling her what she needed to know. At some point the words began to sink in and her hands felt the way the hip muscles worked.

  “Your turn.” Heath turned her around again. This time he took her hands and put them on her hips, then held his hands over hers. “Right foot. Left. Do you feel how the muscles are moving a little differently? You need to quiet these muscles,” his hands slipped over her and onto the front of her pelvic bones. His fingers traced the bone and muscle back up to her hips. “If you can focus on these muscles,” his arms wrapped around her and his hands rested on her stomach, “tighten them.” He gave her stomach a little press, and she automatically tightened the muscles in response, her breathing getting a little shallower. “There. Now keep these tight,” he tapped her stomach again, “and these will do what you need them to do.” His hands traced back to her hips. Kerensa fought the urge to lean back into the man. The way his hands felt was so calming, she almost wished to find out what other kinds of reactions they could inspire. Mentally shaking off the thought, the young woman focused her thoughts on walking.

  “That’s better. Yes, much better.” Heath’s voice sounded pleased as he pulled his hands off of her hips. Kerensa took two steps forward, stopped, and looked at him. The shifter motioned for her to keep walking. Kerensa turned and tried to keep her hips from swaying. Without the pressure of Heath’s hands, she found it a little harder to keep the muscles still. The shifter’s melodic voice caught her ears. “You were doing better. I know it is a little harder on your own because the muscle go back to what they know. Put your own hands on your hips. Feel the way the muscles move. Those are the ones you need to quiet.”

  “I think it was the extra weight that was making it easier to keep them still.” Kerensa’s mind was trying to analyze why it was so much different, and she half spoke the truth as she stated the difference.