She raised onto her toes and grabbed his face. “Calm down, Leo, I'm fine. Just a little pain.”
He growled low in his throat. “I will find and kill whoever is responsible for this.”
Her eyes widened. A gasp from the hallway had them both turning. Leo pushed his mate behind him, facing the interloper. It was the maid, she clutched a canvass bag to her chest as she observed them. He eased down minutely.
“What has happened?” She dropped the bag and rushed towards them.
Leo growled again, the menacing sound stopping the maid in her tracks. Liliana's hands moved on his back, the upward motion soothing.
“I'm fine, Leo.” Her voice went through him like a cool breeze.
He exhaled with a hard shudder. The whorls on his arm brightened, the light pulsing with his increasing heartbeat. If he thought handling the mating in his Eshu and human skin were hard, his Cagyn form was worst. The beast was simple, his mate was near, and in danger. No one and nothing would be allowed near her. The urge to mark her, and bond them sent blood straight to the perpetual erection he had around her. First he needed to get rid of the Cagyn woman standing in the hallway rightfully looking at him like a dangerous animal. The maid’s fear appeased him, if only a little. Liliana made a small sound of distress and he whipped around to her. Her eyebrows were lowered, her body shaking, her pain obvious. He lifted her, pushed pass the maid and took her to her room. He laid her gently on the bed and whipped out his communicator. As soon as the dispatcher at Haven answered he ordered him to find the nearest healer and send them to Liliana’s father's house.
“We have a family healer, Leo.” She adjusted in her bed to sit against the headboard.
He shook his head, waiting for the dispatcher to confirm his order. Once he received confirmation he hung up.
“Leo, you’re over reacting, I’m fine.”
He towered over her in his form, making her look smaller and more helpless than ever. “You will rest until the healer looks over you.”
“Are you going to watch over me in beast mode for the rest of the day?” Her small smile melted him.
Wiping a hand across his face, he bade his beast to calm. Deep breaths brought his magic back under control and he transformed into his Eshu form. “Better?”
Leaning forward, she grabbed his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss. “You’re sexy regardless of your form.”
He deepened the kiss, magic dancing between them, lighting her hair and the whorls covering his arms. Someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Leo sensed the soldier the moment he entered the house, but nevertheless he turned and shielded Liliana with his body.
“Who is that?” Liliana pushed his shoulder down to see the Amanda soldier standing at the door of her room.
“I want someone watching you while I go investigate this.”
She frowned. “You’re leaving me behind to do it?”
He angled his head to side. “You have investigatory skills I don’t know about?”
“Leo.” She slapped his arm. “You don’t know my skill set.”
He couldn’t stop the smile from forming. “You’re right.”
She reared back in surprise.
“What? You want me to be an ass about it?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t expect you to be okay with me going.”
“I’m not okay with you going, and for now, I will have my way on this.” He held up a hand to stem her argument. “Perhaps later you will get your way. But, today, with you injured, I insist you stay in bed.”
Expressions flitted lightning quick across her face as she thought through his words. At some point defeat settled and her body loosened the tension she was carrying. He knew the time she’d spent on Adro would keep her from being the perfect submissive mate. If he were being honest with himself, he didn’t want one. He liked the fire of Liliana. Though he was happy to have won this mini fight, he didn’t like the slump of her shoulders. He nodded the guard out of the room and stared at her.
“What? You won, I’ll stay.”
He leaned over and kissed her lips softly. “There is no win or lose in this, mi ina. Today scared the shit out of me. I want you safe, is that a bad thing?”
She sighed. “Now you’re trying to make me sound petty.”
“Am not.” He chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Can we compromise?”
“I’m listening.”
“You stay in bed until I get back, and I will tell you what I find out.”
“I want to know everything, Leo. I deserve to know who’s trying to hurt me. No leaving out what you think I can’t handle.”
“Promise.”
She sighed in relief. Anxiety was still there in her eyes, but the spark he’d come to love about her was there as well. The compromise cost him nothing, but made a world of difference to Liliana. He wanted her safe, but he didn’t want her to feel stifled by him. He kissed her a final time and left the bed.
“Be careful, Leo.” She called to him as he left the room.
He smiled and gave her a small salute. Leaving instructions for her guard, he hurried to the waiting air lift.
***
The scene was just as bad the second time seeing it as when he’d experienced it. A hard lump gathered in his throat as he took in the scorched ground. A crater the size of…Liliana, was at the epicenter. Candy and various treats scattered the ground, some burning still an hour after the explosion. Every soldier he passed straightened, their face serious. He located the duty commander by the gold bars on the sleeve of his uniform. Walking up to him, Leo waited as the officer finished examining the site.
“What do you know so far?”
“A spell for sure.” The soldier stood, brushing his hands on his pants to clean them off.
No bomb could kill the demi and he was pretty sure whoever threw it knew that. He refrained from snapping at the commander’s slow movements. “Kill or stun?”
The male grimaced. “This is some dark magic, sir. We’re waiting on a Kira to be sure. The shopkeeper isn’t dead, but that means nothing. From what we can tell, there is no debris to indicate a device was left here, so someone casted it live, when your mate arrived. The brunt of it was centered here.” He motioned his hand in the area blackened from the explosion.
Leo nodded, swallowing hard. Liliana had been inches from the spot the commander indicated, right as it hit. It was the reason she was alive. His phone beeped and he answered it with a growl.
“What has happened?” Xavier gruff voice held a wealth of worry.
“I don’t know for sure, X. Someone threw a bomb, a spell, something at Liliana. It exploded, badly injuring the shopkeeper and…” He broke off and took a shuddering breath.
“Liliana?”
“She’s fine. Stunned, she was bent over when the blast hit, so whatever it was missed her.” And he thanked all the gods he knew for it.
“I’ll get with the commander there for detail, you take care of your mate.”
Leo nodded, though he knew Xavier couldn’t see the motion.
“I’m calling the king and moving up the di êjê. I don’t want you on that realm any longer than you have to be.” Xavier was angry if his tone of voice was to be believed. “Gods know I didn’t want you there in the first place. I don’t like anywhere near that bitch.”
Leo knew the bitch to whom his brother referred. They both were silent a moment.
“Do you think she could’ve done this?” Xavier asked.
Leo cursed and looked around. “The queen hasn’t tried to kill me in years. What could she possibly gain from it?” He saw the funny looks from the other soldiers at his words. He walked further from the group for privacy.
Xavier grunted in answer.
“It was aimed at Liliana, X. The royal family won’t get a dime if she’s killed.”
“Especially not before the di êjê.” Xavier sighed. “I’m sending Fallon there to help you. I want whoever did this sooner rat
her than later.”
Leo agreed. “Thank you.”
He spied the Kira circling the crime scene. The seven feet tall male was nut brown like the trees that inhabited Edin, their realm. Braids resembling tree branches, with leaves at the end of them, trailed his back. The Kira was shirtless, as most of the males of their race were. Rings, like those on a tree covered his chest and shoulder showing his age. He got to the blast site and stooped over the burnt ground. He ran his hand through the sand there, letting it fall through his fingers. He reached into his pouch at his side and extracted a gold chain, a stone on the end. He set the stone in motion, quietly watching as it swung in circles. He frowned heavily then stood. Leo opened his mouth to ask…
“Kill.” The Kira said quietly. “Dark, dark magic.”
Leo’s ripe curse made the male cringe.
“I’ll sweep away the magic, but I want to get a better sense of the spell before I do.”
“Call me with updates.” He ordered.
The Kira nodded, turning his back to Leo. Kira were never one for conversation. The introspective race kept a tight lid on their thoughts. All at once the urge to get to his mate struck him. Rushing back to the lift station, he cursed the slow transit the Eshu used.
Chapter 13
LILY CLOSED HER EYES wincing as she turned to her side. The healer Leo sent had checked her over, and deemed her aches and pain small enough that healing was not required. She should’ve insisted Leo called her family’s healer. The one from the Amanda was used to dealing with soldiers, of course her bumps and bruises were minor to him. She sighed once she found a comfortable position. Reaching for the comms tablet on the bedside table, she perused through the news stories. She groaned at the breaking news story, bearing a picture of Leo running with her in his arms. His face was set in an intense expression, with her cradled close to his chest. She ran her finger across the image. She barely remembered the race back to her parents’ home. She certainly didn’t remember this stricken face whoever had taken the photo captured. His worry for her was there for the world to see. A small smile of pleasure ghosted across her face.
“Do you know how I know you left the house, Liliana?” Her mother didn’t bother knocking. She stood at the door of Lily’s room, all aggravated scowl and pinched lips. A scarf covered her hair and hid her face in its shadows. It was a strange look for her mother, who took exceptional pride in her hair.
Raising an eyebrow, Lily said nothing. Feeding into her mother’s nastiness got her nothing but hurt feelings. She’d learned not to take the bait. Though, it never stopped her mother.
“There are rumors flying around about you blowing up a market stand!” Her mother snatched the scarf from her hair and balled it in her hands.
Lily sat up straight, instantly regretting it. “That’s not fair, and it certainly isn’t true.”
“Why can’t you go somewhere without making a spectacle of yourself?” Arian took a step into Lily’s room, her hands fisted at her sides.
“How is this my fault?” Why she bothered, she’d never know.
Arian ignored her question, pacing back and forth in front of her bed. “I can’t wait until you leave this house, nay, this realm.”
Hurt crystallized her blood, tears involuntarily springing to her eyes. “You can’t mean that.”
“We managed to go four years with no one mentioning an embarrassing thing you’d done. No whispers behind my back about poor Arian and the daughter she was stuck with. I’ll never understand why Kita was taken and not you.”
Lily’s body trembled, the pain of her mother’s words had found their mark. Her mouth opened but no words formed around the lump in her throat.
Arian’s eyes widened as she realized what she’d said.
“Get out.” Liliana’s strangled words were barely a whisper.
Her mother backed from the room. “Lily, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone that far.”
Liliana bit her tongue to keep from groaning in pain as she dragged her body from her bed. She walked slowly to her mother and slammed the door over her stricken face. She couldn’t stay here. Her promise to Leo was the only thing keeping her from racing from her parent’s house and to the portal station. She conjured a box and slowly made her way around the room packing only the things she couldn’t conjure with magic. The necklace Bea had given her when she’d finished school, pictures of her and her father, and of her sister. Small trinkets of sentimental value all went in the box.
Leo walked in on her a few minutes later confusion written all over his face.
“Baby you’re injured, you can do this later.” He grabbed her elbow, guiding her away from her closet. “Has the healer come to see you?”
She nodded, pain tightening her lips as she sat on the edge of the bed.
“Then why are you still in pain?” He brushed a hand across her hair.
She waved off his question, breathing through the pain in her back.
“We’re going to rush the di êjê, but it’ll still take at least a week. Why are you packing so soon?” He looked around her room.
“I can’t stay here.” She whispered.
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t stay here with that woman!” Her voice ended on a shrill scream as her knees gave out she collapsed on the bed in pain.
Leo gathered her onto his lap as he sat next to her. He pulled the phone out, but she couldn’t hear what he said over her sobs. She hated crying, especially over something her mother said. She should be used to the cutting remarks and blatant disregard for her feelings. In the years on her own she’d grown to rely and trust in herself. She’d gained a confidence her mother had spent previous years undermining and within a day of being back home she’d been reduced to this. Leo stood with her still in his arms and walked out of her parents’ house. A lift was already waiting for them and she was thankful. She fell into an exhausted sleep as the transport left the pod.
***
THE NEXT MORNING LILIANA ROLLED OVER, in a giant, unfamiliar bed. Incredible smells permeated the air, bringing her out of the fog of sleep. She tentatively sat up, the aches in her body were gone. She twisted, testing her body further. Not even a twinge. She sighed in relief, thankful for the healer Leo had had meet her when they’d arrived last night.
The whole trip to the officer’s quarters at the Legba Amanda station was done in a fog of pain and sadness. Leo had arranged everything, for which she was grateful. She peered around the elegant chambers, searching for signs of Leo. Spotting none, she left the comfortable bed conjuring a robe to cover the simple nightgown she’d slept in. Following the smell of breakfast, she spied him sitting at the small table in the surprisingly spacious kitchen.
He was focused on the comms pad in front of his eyes. As though he sensed her, his eyes lifted and met hers. He motioned with his hand and she joined him at the table. She pulled out a chair intending to sit, but he pulled her into his lap.
“How do you feel?” He whispered the words against her cheek as he kissed her.
“So much better.” She ran her hand through his short hair, marveling at the difference between his forms. His hair was prickly as though freshly shorn. She loved the dark mahogany of his skin in his human form. She turned his head and kissed his lips softly.
“Your father called to check in on you. I told him you were okay.”
She groaned. Her father was probably in the market when it happened. He was probably going out of his mind with worry despite Leo’s reassurances. She made a mental note to call him.
“I’m glad this healer actually helped you. The guard I posted on you told me what the first healer said.” He frowned and ran a hand over her hair.
She scrunched up her face. “It’s fine, I’m sure the healer is used to dealing with hard headed soldiers.”
“Yeah, and it seems he had contradictory orders. No matter, he’ll not make the same mistake again.”
She rubbed a finger over the frown lines forming on his fore
head. “Did you hurt him?”
“Just a little,” he smiled mischievously.
She tried to hide her smile, not wanting to encourage him, but his over protectiveness was very much a turn on. She looked down to find out what he’d been studying so resolutely and her stomach plummeted. Images of the candy stall where she’d been attacked were displayed on his comms tablet. She sucked in a breath at the decimation. Scattered wood shards, and blackened earth were all that was left of the stall.
“My god.” she whispered.
“Yeah, it was pretty bad. There wasn’t much to find out yesterday when I went down there. It was definitely a spell. I received confirmation from the Kira that it was specifically targeted towards you. I’m thinking he or she followed us waiting on an opportunity.” He sighed, running a hand over her tangled hair. “Had any of the magic touched you, you would be dying.”
She shuddered, her hands shaking as she flipped through the images. “Someone tried to kill me?”
His grip tightened on her waist and he leaned down, his breathing harsh as he pulled in her scent. “It won’t happen again. I’ll protect you.”
“You’ll try.” She said absently, spotting the picture of the shopkeeper’s gruesome injuries.
He turned her to face him. “You don’t know my skillset.”
She smiled at him using her words. Sobering she glanced back at the tablet. “How is the shopkeeper?”
“Alive. Just barely, but the healers have been working with him for hours and are positive he’ll recover.”
Liliana’s stomach lurched at how close she’d been to dying. Leo’s hands weaved a complicated spell over the tablet making it go dark.
“That’s enough of that.”
She blinked up, breaking the trance the images held over her. “Yes, definitely enough.”
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