Ruby lowered the cup she was drinking from to look at Tyrisey and repeat her insistence that she would not be staying here.
Only she found him staring at her.
His eyes were locked on her lips and the droplets of water balancing there from the cup she’d just sipped from. “You are quite beautiful, Ruby. Like a flame, bright and vibrant. Pale skin to light my nights. Eyes blue like the sky I so crave. Lips soft and full. You will be mine. I will love you well. You will see that you are meant for me. You will come to love me as well.”
“I won’t. I can’t.”
His eyes clouded over and his anger was easily seen, though he controlled it well. “Why do you resist so? You actually believe that Jamisey meant to keep you? He knows nothing of loyalty, of committing to one’s mate. He knows nothing of the ways of our people. Whatever mating he clumsily performed will be nullified the moment I make you mine!”
“I’ll never accept you. I belong to Jaime. I claimed Jaime just as he claimed me. You can insist all you want, I’ll never agree.”
“You will!”
“I will not!” she shouted, holding her pounding head in her hands.
He regarded her for a moment, his eyes taking on a completely detached appearance, his face becoming a mask of intolerance and resentment. “Have it your own way. It does not matter. You’ll birth my whelps. And I’ll have what he’s claimed as his. It’s only fair don’t you think? He got the parents, the love, the fairy tale life, and I get the shit!” he shouted. “The darkness, the cold, the manipulating psychotic bastard to shadow my every fucking move and try to twist my every fucking thought!” He glared at Ruby, his face softening a little as he struggled to separate her from the reality that had been his life.
“I know it wasn’t your fault. I shan’t punish you for it. It will all be well. Because now I’ve got the girl.”
“I’ll fight you every step of the way. I will not give birth to a damn thing that comes out of you. You’re not my Jaime and I will not have any other.”
Tyrisey reacted as he had been taught to. Intimidation when all else fails is the way to get things done. He roared, rushing her where she rested at the edge of his bed.
Ruby’s heart rate picked up, but she didn’t shrink away. If this was the end, so be it. She would not live as this male’s mate.
His nose pressed against hers so closely she could feel the spittle on her chin from his growls, shared his breath as he breathed, felt as well as heard a slow crackling, rumbling sound deep within his chest. Tyrisey watched her, waited for tears, for acquiescence. Yet none came. Calmly she stared back at him, even pressed her nose more tightly against his.
The ridges where his eyebrows would be if he had them wrinkled as he observed her. “You do not display fear. There is something wrong with you. Are you defective?”
Ruby snickered. “No. I’m not defective.” Her eyes tilted up toward the ceiling of the cave she was in and she thought about it. “Well, not actually defective, but now that you mention it. I should be a little more afraid than I am.” She looked back down and smiled at Tyrisey. “I think it’s because you remind me so much of Jaime.”
“I do not remind you of Jamisey! We are nothing alike!” he shouted, jumping back from her and straightening himself to his full height.
“You do. And you are. And any time you're ready to stop shouting at me, I’ll be happy to discuss it with you.”
“I don’t want to know about him and his perfect little life in the human world.”
“Perfect little life? Really? Says you who got to live here with your parents, while he was thrown out into the desert, a defenseless little baby to die alone, his skin burned by the sun, starving and dehydrated. What kind of perfect little life does that sound like to you? Always wondering why your own parents wanted you dead. Thinking you weren’t even enough for them to bring back to your aunt to raise. They just fucking left you to die.” She’d gotten so worked up she’d spilled the water on herself while shouting at Tyrisey.
“Lies! This is all nothing but lies!”
“I don’t lie, you over-sized winged fox!”
“I am not a fox!” he shouted.
“Look like a fox to me,” she said quietly, setting the cup down on the floor and sitting back and holding her head in both hands while bringing her knees up to curl into herself. “But with wings.”
Right away he was beside her. “Your head still hurts. What can I do? I’m sorry I caused you pain. It was not my intention.”
“You really don’t have any idea of how to interact with people, do you? Goddamn, erratic ass male! If I didn’t know any better I’d believe you are defective! You can’t go around screaming at people one minute, promising them protection the next, then screaming at them again! You’re insane!”
Tyrisey sat there his eyes betraying his complete lack of insanity. “Forgive me, Ruby. I have played the part for so many years, it is sometimes hard to step away from it. And the emotions you bring to the surface in me have long gone unaddressed. It is a volatile combination.”
Ruby didn’t say anything, just watched him, an inner struggle obviously taking place. “You’ve had to pretend to be something you’re not to survive.”
He leaned forward, looking her intently in the eyes, and decided she saw him much too clearly. “Stop. Talking.”
“And you’re also an alpha asshole.”
He stood up and glared at her, before asking his questions. “Why do you tell me these outrageous stories of Jamisey’s life? They are not true.”
“Yes, they are,” Ruby insisted.
“No. He’s painted a heartfelt lie for you to fall into. Knowing that your soft heart would feel for him and you’d be easily taken in by him. When in truth it was I who was left behind, deserted without another thought, tossed aside as though I didn’t matter.”
“That makes no sense. Because Jamisey was the one deserted. Your parents are still here with you. They cast him aside because he looks human and not like you.”
Tyrisey’s mind whirled. If indeed his female was telling the truth, and it seemed she may be, there was a conspiracy afoot. One that had torn his life apart.
“What is going on?” Ruby asked, her voice quiet as she watched a multitude of conflicting emotions cross his face.
“Silence!” he barked at her. “I am in thought! Do not interrupt me!”
“Annnd, there you go, off into insanity again.” Ruby snickered and laid back against his pillows.
Tyrisey snarled and rushed out of his room, flinging the edge of his tapestry aside as he exited.
Ruby sat up and looked toward the door. She was afraid for a moment that he really had left her unattended, unprotected. But she could see the shadow his feet made beneath the tapestry that covered his doorway.
“I’ll just wait here until you calm down and are ready to talk again. I think we have some really interesting information to trade. And your name is too formal. I think I’ll call you Ty. That’s how you spell the first part of your name, right T — y?”
“Just. Stop. Talking.”
Ruby snickered before pressing her hand to her head again. “Oww.”
Tyrisey’s mind rushed as he hurried out of his room, flinging the edge of his tapestry aside as he rushed through it. He dared not leave Ruby unattended, but he needed a moment of silence to gather his thoughts. She’d said that Jamisey was left in the desert to die. That was a lie. He’d been left alone. If not for his grandfather he’d have perished alone, a tiny infant unable to care for himself. It was the only reason the crazy old man still lived; otherwise, he’d have killed the cold-hearted bastard by now.
But she’d said something else, too. She said that his parents lived there with him. And they didn’t. He’d been told his parents had deserted him and left to go live in the human world with Jamisey. Obviously, they weren’t with Jamisey. If they were, Ruby would have met them. He emitted a high-pitched whistle, which a younger male responded to at once.
&
nbsp; “Bring a brew for pain to my quarters at once. My female has pain of the head.”
The male bowed to him before hurrying away to carry out his request.
Quietly, Tyrisey lifted the edge of his tapestry and re-entered his room
Ruby heard him enter and sighed. “Can you allow me to rest for a little while?”
Tyrisey went completely silent.
Ruby opened her eyes to see what he was doing. She raised her eyebrows at him in question.
“I’m allowing you to rest.”
“Alone?” she asked.
“No. That is out of the question. As long as my grandfather lives, you will never be alone.”
She lay there, willing her heart rate to slow, trying her best to relax and breathe deep to allow the headache to lessen.
“Prime?” a male voice called from the other side of the tapestry.
“Come,” Tyrisey called.
A young male entered, holding a steaming cup in his hands. “For her pain of the head.” He offered it to Tyrisey, then bowed, took a few steps back and waited for Ruby to finish the cup so he could return it to the kitchens.
Tyrisey lifted the cup to his nose, inhaled and sipped a tiny bit. He nodded, then approached the bed. “Here, Ruby. This will ease your pain.”
Ruby sat up but looked at him suspiciously.
“Why would I poison you? I wish for a life with you, not to bury you.”
Ruby reached for the cup and sniffed it. It smelled like mint. “Smells good.” She took a sip, testing out its flavor. “It’s not bad.”
“It is a natural medicine we use often for pains of the head. It also helps with nausea and pains of the stomach.”
“What about pains of the ass?” she asked, pinning him with a glare.
“Your female has pains of the ass?” the young male blurted out, a horrified look on his face.
“Him!” Ruby said, pointing at Tyrisey. “He’s a major pain in my ass!”
Tyrisey was dumbfounded. “I… It…” He waved his hands from the young man to the door. “Just go! I will bring you the cup when she is finished.”
Tyrisey turned angry eyes to Ruby and found her laughing so hard she could barely keep from spilling the brew he’d given her.
“You should have seen his face!” she said, trying to hold her head with one hand now that he’d taken the cup from her so she could regain control of herself before she spilled it all.
“I did see his face. It is not funny. He thought I’d truly given you pain in the ass.”
“That’s why it was funny!”
Tyrisey sighed and since Ruby was beginning to get herself under control, her laughter dying away, he handed her back the cup. “I have things to discuss with you, Ruby.”
Ruby sat back sipping her brew. “You gonna take me home now? You know, if you don’t, it’s only a matter of time before Jaime comes for me. He won’t just accept that I’m gone.”
Tyrisey’s face took on the coldest look she’d seen cross it yet, but instead of arguing with her, he pulled one of the chairs closer to the bed. “Did you meet my parents when you were with Jamisey?”
Ruby looked at Tyrisey over the rim of her cup. “Ty, I told you. They’re not there. They never were. They’ve always been here with you. They’ve never even checked on Jaime to see if he was okay. He’s always been alone. He doesn't even want to meet them, and I don’t blame him for being resentful they decided he wasn’t good enough.”
“If what you tell me is true, there is a larger vengeance on the horizon than even I imagined.”
“Of course, it’s true. I have no reason to lie to you, Ty.”
“My name is…”
“Ty! I’m going to call you Ty, just like I call Jaime, Jaime, instead of Jamisey,” Ruby said, smiling sweetly.
“You do have reason to lie,” Tyrisey said.
“No I don’t!”
“Do you not want to go home?” he snapped.
“I do. But I still don’t lie.”
They glared at each other for a while.
Ruby sipped her brew until it was all gone, then she handed Ty the cup.
He looked down at the cup, spinning it round and round in his clawed hand until finally he looked up at her, and his eyes looked just like Jaime’s, so trusting, and almost childlike. “My parents are not here, Ruby. They never have been. I was told they deserted me because I look like this,” he swept his hand from above his head and down toward his feet. “I’ve always resented them, hated them, for throwing me away and leaving me with my grandfather.”
Chapter 16
Ruby sat up and looked at him, understanding beginning to dawn on her. “Oh my gosh. Then, where are they?”
“I don’t know,” he answered, sincere confusion in his eyes as he looked from the cup in his hands to her face.
Ruby decided to take advantage of his state of confusion. “Why would you want a woman that is not in love with you?”
“You were meant to be mine. Jamisey should not have taken you.”
“No. I was meant to be his,” she answered softly.
Tyrisey rose to his feet, looking down at her. “I felt you when you entered our territory. I felt you when you came closer to watch the bats.” His voice grew steadily, getting louder and louder as he explained. “I felt you when he took you, claimed what was mine! I swore that I’d find a chance, take you for my own, make him suffer the way I’ve suffered all these years!”
“Why didn’t you stop him?” Ruby asked.
“What?” he looked down at her, confused by her question.
“You felt me. You knew he planned to claim me. You say you felt me when he did it, so surely you knew I claimed him as well. If I knew someone else was planning to claim my mate, I’d be breaking down doors, throwing bodies across the room. Whatever I had to do to prevent it. You’re certainly strong enough. You can fly with those, I’m guessing?” she gestured at his wings. “You could have intervened. Why didn’t you?”
“You chose him. I was angry, afraid of my own actions!”
“Of course I chose him! I’m his!”
“You are mine!” he shouted. But his face gave him away, he wasn’t really sure she was his. He was just so angry that Jaime had claimed her first, so angry that Jaime even breathed, that vengeance had taken over. He’d felt her presence, that much was true, but because Jaime wanted her, Tyrisey was unable to see around anything other than claiming her for himself.
“Then why do you look so unsure?” Ruby asked.
His chest started heaving and he started pacing. “It’s written. It’s there for any who have access to read and understand. You are meant to be mine. And I felt you!” he turned and looked at her. “I did! I felt you. But, I…”
“But you what?” Ruby asked, crawling to the end of his bed to watch him pace and work out the issues of it all in his mind.
“I felt another,” he finally admitted. “I felt her. But she’s you. But you’re here, and you are not the female I felt only a short while ago. I don’t understand!” he snarled this last word, clawing at his own head.
“When did you feel her?” Ruby asked.
“You were already here. Then I felt you again, only you are already here, so how can I feel you break the barrier of our territory when you are already here?!” Tyrisey rushed to her, swept her into his arms and pressed his dark lips against hers.
Ruby pressed her hands against his chest to try to hold him away.
Ty pulled back and looked at her, then slowly pressed his lips to hers again. Then he let her go, shaking his head.
Ruby understood only one thing. His reaction meant that he now knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, she didn’t feel like his. “Take me home, Ty. I’m not yours.”
Ty looked at Ruby. “But I felt you.”
“And how do I feel now? When you hold me? When you kiss me? How do I feel?”
“You are connected. I feel you, I feel your heart but it is not one with mine. There is no fire, no love. W
e do not fit. I don’t understand it. The prophecy says that you should be mine. If I take what is his, sharing what was his, we will become one. The shame of my parents will be exposed, and I will be made human, just like Jamisey.”
“What? Ty, that’s not what the prophecy says.”
He looked down at her suspiciously. “You know of the prophecy?”
“I do. Jaime told me.”
“It’s impossible,” he muttered. Then he thought better of it. “No, perhaps it’s not. Our mother was supposedly the one who tore the page from the ancient tomes.” His mind connected the dots. “You see?! She was with him! She told him of the prophecy!”
Ruby shook her head. “No, she wasn’t. Clarence told him of the prophecy.”
“Clarence?”
“He was like Jaime, of your kind, but appeared to be human. He used to come back to visit your people until your grandfather refused to let him in any longer. He banished all humans, and all who looked human.”
Ty started mumbling under his breath.
“What are you saying, Ty?”
“The prophecy. I’m trying to understand what I’ve missed. If you’re not mine, then I’ve missed something. My grandfather always said that it meant the downfall of our people, the end of our dynasty. Though I believed it was meant for me personally. But now that I have the one born of fire and flames,” he looked at her apologetically and shrugged, “she’s not mine.”
“These things are always open to interpretation, and it may be no more than a poem written centuries ago. But if you tell it to me again, I’ll try to help.”
Ty started speaking.
“Two the brothers, the same.
One born of fire, and of flames.
A people to be banned.
Steal the flame, expose the shame.”
“Wait, that’s it?” Ruby asked.
“Yes. I am sure of it.”
Ruby shook her head. “No. There’s more. I know it was longer. I can’t remember the words, but I know there was more to it.”
Wings Page 13
