Iris's Guardian

by Lisa Daniels

  A quiet laugh filled the cabin, “You can’t exactly walk around with my hands on your hips.”

  Kerensa looked at him with a smile on his face, “It would certainly draw unwanted attention if you did.” She placed her hands on her hips and tried to apply more pressure. The lesson lasted another 10 minutes. She was feeling a little tired after so much effort to keep her movements under control so soon after being confined to a bed.

  Slowing making her way back toward him and the bed, Kerensa found her mouth asking one of the questions that had been running through her mind. “Are you a teacher back in your homeland?” She had to fight the urge to clamp her hand over her mouth as Heath tilted his head to the side. There was definitely a look of surprise on his face as she had managed to keep from asking personal questions over the last couple of weeks.

  “Me? No, I am no teacher.” As he shook his head, the shifter’s hair moved like grass on a breeze day. “You are just a very enthusiastic and quick learner. It makes the job that much easier. I am one of the last people to be asked to teach back home.”

  “I find that difficult to believe,” Kerensa said as he helped her back into bed.

  “That is alright, you do not have to believe me for it to be true.”

  “Why would they choose you last as a teacher. You are patient and very thorough.”

  “That is not always the case. If a student does not learn to my satisfaction, I tend to lose faith in instructing using the more traditional methods. You could say that I can be downright scary when I get bored or bothered.” There was a shy smile on his face.

  Kerensa laughed, “Now I know you are lying to me.”

  He just smiled back at her, “It looks like you are healing very nicely. You just laughed without wincing.”

  Kerensa looked down at her ribs, “You are right. I had not even realized that.” She couldn’t resist poking them where they had hurt before, almost as if she were trying to cause herself pain. “I didn’t feel anything at all. That was far faster than I usually heal.”

  “I would imagine that in the past you never stayed still long enough to heal properly.”

  “I don’t know what makes you think that.” The young woman tried to make her tone one of hurt, but she was too impressed by the guess to pull it off. Just as Bree had seemed to know what to say, Heath seemed to have an innate understanding of what she was like. She began to wonder if the other humanoids were actually much more astute than common humans.

  He laughed again as she looked away to hide a blush. “I have known enough humanoids like you who refuse to believe in their own limitations. Once you know how to tame one….” His eyebrow was raised as she turned a frown on him. He had brought up something that she had been thinking about, and it made her wonder if perhaps the man had read her mind.

  “No one is taming me because I require no taming.”

  Heath simply laughed his melodic laugh, something she had come to realize after so much time together. The man had seemed happy, nearly boisterous at first, but over time Kerensa had noticed something sad in his eyes. Perhaps it was just that his eyes were so startling that she could not see it at first. Once she noticed though, it was nearly impossible to miss the sadness that was there. As much as she wanted to ask, the young woman didn’t feel she could without potentially offending him. Heath seemed open and affable, but in truth he seldom talked about himself.

  With a glance at his watch, the shifter said, “I have a few things to attend to. Though you seem to be doing better, please remember that you are not fully healed and restrain your enthusiasm. I strongly recommend staying in your quarters for another week.” He gave her a knowing look.

  “Are you telling me to stay, or telling me that you hope I will stay while you step out?”

  “It is a recommendation. If it were a command, I’ve no doubt that you would ignore me entirely. So I offer my advice and hope that it will convince you to do the right thing.” The smile on his face was gentle, almost sad. Without another word, he turned and left.

  Kerensa’s brow creased as she thought about the conversation. The more she learned about him, the less she understood. The young woman had no idea how the shifter had managed to pretty much reach the point where he could read her mind, yet she was still so clueless about what he was thinking let alone what he had been through. Then again, he had been traveling so far from home, while she had been confined to a few places where her father could take her. Though she had been to far more places than most of the women she knew, it was nothing compared to what Heath must have seen.

  156 actually, but that does not change the fact that I was there.

  The words were his on that first day when they had met. Kerensa’s head tilted to the side as she wondered if that had in fact been true. If shifters lived that long, then what could Heath tell her about the world?

  Kerensa decided that she did not want to put off asking her questions anymore. It was clear that Heath was in control when he was in her cabin, so the young woman doubted she would be able to find the courage to ask questions once he returned. The shifter would take control of the conversation and steer it in directions that were incredibly interesting, but that ended up teaching her nothing about him.

  Slowly, she rose and dressed just as he had showed her that first day. There had been no occasion to get fully clothed since then, so Kerensa took the time to review her notes before reviewing her appearance in the mirror. With a quick nod, she decided it was good enough. Her ribs had been a little sore as she had added layers, but the young woman was not about to let that stop her as she headed toward the door.

  As soon as the door was open, the intellect realized that she needed to be more cautious about her walk as well. Holding her head high and pulling her stomach muscles in, she made her way toward the lodgings of the few leisurely passengers. It was only as she approached one of the doors that she realized she did not know which one was Heath’s. Biting her lip, the young woman thought about how to approach it. Finally, she decided that it really didn’t matter. Whomever answered would be able to point her to the right room.

  Taking a step forward, she knocked on the door closest to her. After waiting a few seconds, Kerensa could hear someone walking toward the door. The handle turned and she was face to face with the man who had entered her cabin a couple of weeks ago, just after the storm that had injured her. His eyes looked her up and down and a strange smile passed over his lips.

  Kerensa hid a shiver with a demure smile, “Excuse me, but I was looking for Heath’s cabin and was wondering if you could point me to the right one.”

  The man opened the door a little wider and stepped close to her. He gave a look back before closing the door behind him. “Perhaps you don’t need him.”

  Kerensa’s brow drew together slightly, “I have a few questions that I need to ask him.”

  “I may be able to answer your questions. There is no need to constantly rely on a foreigner. After all, who can better enlighten you,” his eyes moved up and down her body again, “than a fellow countryman.”

  Kerensa stepped back, not sure what to say.

  “Velius!” The firm voice caused both parties to turn their head to look for the source. To Kerensa’s relief, Heath had stepped out of his room and was heading toward her. There was a wide smile on his face, but she had gotten to know him well enough to know what the look in his eyes meant – he was upset with her. His hand slid behind her back as he led her to his room. The shifter turned his head toward the passenger who had detained her, “Thank you for attempting to help him find his way. I guess I did not explain the directions clearly, so I apologize for the disruption. Good night.”

  Kerensa watched the smile slide off of his face as he turned to look at her. Heath remained quiet as he opened his own door a little ways down the corridor. Kerensa looked at the ground as she entered the cabin because it was only with the look of disappointment on Heath’s face that she remembered their last conversation.

 
I offer my advice and hope that it will convince you to do the right thing.

  As usual, her curiosity had gotten the better of her, so she had completely forgotten his advice.

  “I’m really sorry, I didn’t think-”

  “What is she doing here?” An unfamiliar voice cut her off.

  Kerensa’s eyes snapped up and she found she was looking into a pair of greyish-blue eyes. The man’s hair was long and jet black, like the ocean at night. His skin was nearly translucent in the lighting that came in through the window behind him. Kerensa’s initial reaction was fear. Though the man was not nearly as muscular as Heath, there was something cold and clearly dangerous about him. The young woman could hear the door close behind her and suddenly she felt as if she were trapped.

  Then a cool familiar sensation pressed against her lower back. “As I was saying, she is a curious creature who seems unable to act in her own best interest.”

  “Typical human.” The man’s eyes took her in, but unlike the man outside, she felt like the assessment was more closely aligned with her species than her actual appearance.

  “Perhaps, but not a typical socialite. As you can see, she wants to be a man, and she is willing to do anything to be recognized as one.”

  Kerensa’s head snapped to her right and she looked at Heath. His eyes were set firmly on the visitor. Soon the conversation changed to something else entirely as Heath walked away from her. Kerensa was still trying to process how he introduced her as the shifter continued. “It’s alright. She-” his eyes shifted toward her, “Apologies, he hasn’t spoken a word about me. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would say the lad is rather attached to me, as you can see that a few broken ribs have not been enough to keep him confined to his room once I leave it.”

  The stranger looked at her again, then appeared to lose interest. “If you feel it is safe, then I will show you about what I learned from the expedition.” The man took a few steps toward a table with several pieces on it. Kerensa looked at it and immediately she forgot about everything that had been said as she took in what she was seeing. The small things on the table appeared to be made of marble, but they moved in a way that suggested they were actually alive. Taking a few steps toward it, she watched as the two men discussed … something. She tried to follow their words as much as possible, but it was only when the stranger invoked some words that she had only read about in the unmentionable war that the young woman realized they were talking about troop movements and a war. Blinking at the board, it suddenly made sense. The things on the board indicated the movement and what was happening. It was news that would reshape the world, happening on a continent far from her own. As she listened, Kerensa quickly realized the reason that no one back on her continent was talking about it was because the war was entirely on the opposite side of the world. Word likely would take several months, if not years to reach her homeland.

  “Excuse me,” her voice was soft as she interrupted the stranger. “But judging by the way they are moving here,” the young woman pointed at an area that the men had largely ignored, “I don’t think they are going to attack head on.”

  The stranger glared at her, “Heath, please keep your pet quiet.”

  Kerensa didn’t hear anything he said as she leaned forward, her mind too focused on the board, “You see how they have been sending in a couple of men at a time. It’s almost impossible to see if you don’t keep an eye on it, but they are definitely building up their army here. And looking at this here,” her finger followed a slim path toward the mountains, “they are filtering just as many people into this area here every day. If this is an accurate representation of the mountains, there is a little opening here. Could they be hiding soldiers there?” Her eyes looked up at the two men, whose mouths were now both open.

  The cold stranger leaned forward and looked closely at the area. Heath’s dimple appeared as he looked at her curious expression, “Don’t tell me that you have studied strategy? All you researchers discuss is terrain, weather patterns, and how seasick you feel any particular day. Well, not you, but…” his eyes gleamed, “It is strange Velius, that you can find a way to surprise me after all of this time.”

  “It has only been a couple of weeks.” She said as her eyes blinked at him a couple of time. She pushed her glasses back up, “This expedition was meant to expand my knowledge in areas where I know little. While it appears that is nearly everything, there are a few areas where I know a pretty good bit.”

  “Like dragons?” Heath’s grin suggested he was enjoying the little chat very much. The stranger’s eyes shot up and watched them.

  “Studying dragons is a hobby nothing more. Since there is no chance that I will be able to go out and study them myself, it will have to remain merely a hobby. No, I dare say that most of my knowledge is actually based on military strategy and the history of various wars.”

  “Ah, was that why you were so interested in the Samnite Sundown?” He leaned back and looked at her, his expression almost like he was seeing her for the first time.

  “It is one of the few wars where I have next to no knowledge, and it is clearly frustrating since it was recent enough that we should have records. They did a magnificent job of hiding it so that even with all of the resources at my family’s disposal, I potentially learned more from our brief discussion than a year and a half of digging.”

  “Why wars?” The stranger stood up and folded his arms across his chest as Heath gave her a questioning look. His mind was on a different aspect of her information.

  Kerensa turned and looked at him. Shifting her glasses, she finally responded, “My family is what it is today because we stood on the right side of the war, something my father and I discussed when I was young, if only in passing. If one thing had gone differently, I would not be here. War is epitome of chaos, and if there was a way to prevent it, the world would actually find a way to move forward.”

  The men looked at each other before the stranger asked, “Are you sure she’s human?”

  Heath let out a loud laugh, “So much for her being a typical human, huh? Yes, you can sense that there is no other species mixed within her, but her ideas are nothing like a normal human’s.”

  Kerensa stood by unsure how to speak as they talked about her. Then Heath turned to look at her, “But who is your family that you are so certain?”

  “My father is Sir Gwavas of Marcella.”

  The stranger’s eyes went wide and Heath placed his hand over his mouth, his eyes now looking at her in a way they had not before. The two men shared another look at her words. Kerensa had no idea why it mattered because they were a long way from where she had lived. Her father was well respected at home, despite his tendencies to criticize war. Her people were particularly adept at it, but her father was one of the most vocal advocates for change. There was nothing that he said or did in their country that would affect the other side of the world – not unless Volsci decided to try to take over all of Letera.

  “Dear gods Heath, what have you been doing all of this time? How did you charm a woman of her rank and breeding away from the nest?”

  Kerensa had no idea what the stranger meant or if it was meant as an insult to her or her country. Heath’s eyes were squarely on her as he rubbed his chin, “I have nothing to do with it. The young man made his own way onto this ship of his own volition, and it was only here that we met.” The way he was calling her a boy somehow bothered Kerensa, although she didn’t feel that she should correct him as there were more pressing issues to consider at the moment. “If I were to hazard a guess,” he continued, “he is far too intelligent to be doomed by the trappings that they forced on him. You know as well as I that you can only keep intelligence penned for so long before it finds its own way or dies.”

  The stranger nodded, but said nothing else. His eyes looked at Kerensa again, this time she felt that the calculations were entirely different than the first appraisal. The man then turned his attention back to the board, “I will be da
mned, if those bastards didn’t find the perfect way to hide their movements from us. If she hadn’t pointed out the thin trickle of movement, I would never have believed that they would have the patience let alone the intelligence for such a move. I will need to return and inform them as soon as possible. Dammit!” He hit the side of the table with his hand, “I hate underestimating the enemy. I thought we had more time, but by the look of it, they are going to be ready to move within a week, and we are not at all prepared. This is my fault” The stranger stood up straight.

  Heath nodded, “I understand how you feel, but if you could Cyprian, I need a few more minutes of your time before you run off to do something reckless.” He turned to Kerensa, “I’m sorry Velius, but could I convince you to return to your quarters for now?”

  Kerensa looked between Heath and the stranger named Cyprian, “Of course. And I promise to stay in my room until you arrive.” She gave a slight bow, then immediately stopped as a pain shot through her body.

  The feel of two cool hands were immediately on her, “None of that. We are indebted to you, and I will not have you doing yourself a harm for something so unnecessary. Or any other reason. I swear I will be along directly. Try to stay out of trouble until then.”

  Kerensa nodded, then headed to the door. She was about to open it when she realized she had to say something because she did not want to feel that she had not done all she could. Turning back around, she twisted her mouth waiting for a lull in the conversation between the men. Her eyes went to the window and for the first time she realized that the floor was wet. Questions about it formulated in her mind, but she knew that she would never ask. Neither of the men were wet and nothing in the room appeared to be soaked or to even contain water. A slight frown creased her face as she realized that there was nothing in the room to drink or wash. Her mind was working as a silence fell over the room. As if they heard her thinking louder than their own discussion, Heath and Cyprian turned to look at her.