by L. M. French
By the time I was done the tea was cool and Phin grip on my shoulders was tighter. I chanced a glance in Bay’s direction, but his eyes were on his boot where it sat across his knee.
It was Emerick who broke the uncomfortable silence. “So, he just..” He made a fluttery gesture with his fingers.
I flushed. “His ashes, yes.”
“And this is when your seal changed?” Pike asked.
I nodded then shook my head before shrugging. “I don’t know. It was there when Ivory grabbed me and gone by the time I woke with Sestie.”
Pike shoved his hands in his jeans. “We need to talk to the Priest.”
Bay frowned. “The Timorii?” At Pike’s nod, Bay looked to me. “Why the Priest?”
I, in turn, looked to Pike who sighed.
“Someone spit it out. In case you haven’t noticed we’re still minus a king and his sentinel is malfunctioning.” Emerick was a lot of things that were not patient or tactful. I bet he was great at blunt force.
“When Veda was found Sai placed her with her guardian after she was assessed by the Priest. Something was off but he didn’t say what. Just asked me to hold onto something for Veda.” He watched me as he spoke. “He asked me to give it to her when the old bastard showed up again.”
All eyes swung to me, but it was Ozias who spoke next. “The stone.”
It wasn’t a question, but I confirmed what he already knew. “The stone.”
Phin’s hands left my shoulders to dig his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll call Fenna, but you know those stodgy fucks are going to demand an emissary.”
He wandered a few feet with the phone at his ear. One second I was watching Phin’s back the next my chair rocked back pulling a shriek from my lips as the whole thing shot forward. When the chair was on all four legs again I was less than a foot from Bay, his large frame bracketing my body with his thighs.
Jericho and Emerick snickered and a smirk teased Bay’s lips. “What the hell?” I yelped.
“Time for us to get a few things straight.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Bay
She looked like a deer in the headlight and the guy’s snickers turned into “ooohs” before I cut a withering look their way. Pike rolled his eyes at me before I turned my attention back to the female doing her best to edge away.
Grasping her palm, I turned it over. The constellations there swirled as if her skin were simply a temporary home for its light. My thumb stroked across palm and the hair on her arm rose as goosebumps raced across her skin. She might call to my wolf, but the little sentinel was far from unaffected.
“Sai’s disappearance is tied to whatever is happening to you. Anything you know or think you know is important. You don’t have the luxury of secrets, sentinel.”
She tugged her hand back. “I told you everything I know.”
“Now.” I stressed. “But what about next time?”
“What do you want me to do? Pinky promise?”
This female and her mouth. “Give Ozias your blood.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Give Ozias your blood. That way he can track you if you go missing.”
“You mean runaway,” she sulked.
“You’ve been kidnapped once and less than honest about the circumstances, if you’re looking for faith, darlin’, show some.”
“Fine.” If she gritted her teeth any harder they’d break. “When?”
“Now.” I jerked my chin at Ozias but before he could step forward Phin cut in.
“No time, we’re needed upstairs.” Everyone snapped to attention, their relaxed demeanor dissolving under Phin’s words.
“The priest?” Of course, the fucking priest. Cunt probably never left to begin with. “Let’s go” I shoved my chair back and headed towards the door.
He nodded. “Fenna said not only was the priest still here but, get this, he called the last of their guard. Their headed this way now.”
I paused on the stairs as I absorbed the news. The last of the Timorii guard were exactly what they sounded like. They were rarely called on for much other than ceremony. They’d contributed lifetimes to the four territories.
I turned to Oz and Emerick, “Stay with the sentinel-”
“Not a sentinel.” Emerick quipped earning a slap across the head form Jericho.
“Stay with the sentinel, get her blood, and keep her here. We need to piece this together before we go on another wild goose chase.”
Oz nodded and he and Emerick headed back down to magically tag Veda and hopefully sit on her ass until I found out what this priest wanted with our girl.
Veda
I LISTENED TO THE GUYS have a pow wow in the stair well and I rolled my eyes at Bay’s growling tone. A sharp smack cut through the voices. My money was on Emerick. Suddenly noise traveled both up towards the main house and back towards the basement.
I felt their presence before they entered the kitchen not at all surprised Bay left me with sitters. I was, after all, a flight risk. Ozias rounded the corner first and I couldn’t help the grimace. His presence wasn’t a mystery. There was to be a bloodletting.
Now I was rolling my eyes at my own dramatics. He’d need a thimble full at most and yet the very idea of shedding blood for some magical gps inspired the same outrage as carb restriction. Frank never failed to point out my over-the-top outrage when the office ran low on fried doughy goodness. A girl needs donuts and that was the hill I died on.
Like an open sesame, the mere thought of donuts made my stomach growl and twist. I hadn’t eaten in, crap, two days? Had it only been two days? I mean that was a lifetime to my stomach but really wasn’t all that long. Forty-eight hours for everything I knew to be true to shatter.
My stomach churned clearly not offput by my existential crisis. Who was I? What was I? My body didn’t care. It wanted carbs and it wanted them now.
“Trying to ignore us until we go away?”
Emerick’s voice came from above me so I tilted my head back to meet his eyes. Blond hair, dark and ashy, no golden locks for this wolf, contrasted with eyes the color of molasses. His jaw was buried in scruff a few shades darker than his hair and I watched as he manipulated the labret in his lip.
“How do you keep the piercing when you shift?” The question slipped out as I stared at it.
He grinned. “I don’t. I just put in a new one.”
I frowned. “Doesn’t the hole close?” Wolves healed fast and Daenali’s were next level.
His grin widened. “Yep.” He flicked the hoop again as I watched. When I realized he was staring at me staring at his mouth I flushed and righted my head leaving him hovering.
I took my tepid tea to the sink and dumped it. Turning I braced my back against the sink. Ozias leaned a shoulder on the door frame seemingly content to watch me. He did this a lot and it made me feel like a specimen at the science fair.
Look at the pretty butterfly pinned on the board folks. I hated butterflies.
Crossing my arms, I stared back. Emerick looked from me to Ozias and just shook his head before heading to the fridge.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Huh?” Confused I looked at Emerick standing in front of the open doors of the refrigerator.
“You’re stomach, babe. It growls anymore I’m gonna think you’re a wolf.”
Cue more blushing. Over hunger pains. “I haven’t eaten in more than two days.”
He started pulling items from the fridge and piling them on the counter. “Probably should fix that if your gonna donate to the silver fox.”
Ozias rolled his eyes as if he heard this often. Pushing away from the door he pulled a small glass vial from his pocket. “We should get this done and then you can eat. Emmy’s right, we can hear your stomach grumbling.”
My eyebrows flew to my hairline. “Emmy?”
Emerick dropped a carton of eggs on the counter so hard I was certain we were having them scrambled. “You’re a dick, Oz.” He looked at me. “M
y baby sister calls me Emmy.” He sent Ozias a filthy glare.
Ozias grinned. “His baby sister is three-hundred years old.”
I sucked in my lips to thwart a smile but failed miserably. Emerick saw and sighed. “You all suck.”
I wanted to remain pissy but this giant man, wolf, tattooed from his wrists to his shoulders and everything between, front and back, answered to Emmy. “It’s sweet.”
He winked and I knew I was blushing again. Fucking wolves.
Ozias sat the everphial on the table and crooked a finger. Sighing I gave up my post and crossed the room until I was standing in front of him. His ruby eyes watched me gently, always gently and what to make of that I didn’t know, before he drew a knife from under the back of his white henley.
“Want to sit, sweetheart?” I eyed the blade but shook my head. I’d seen too much of my own blood lately to feel faint by it.
I don’t know what I expected but he lifted my hand and sliced almost simultaneously. I had no time to flinch or brace. He’d cut down the length of my forefinger and blood welled. Dropping the knife on the table he lifted the small everphial to the end of my finger and tilted my hand so the blood ran into it. It filled quickly and my blood dripped on the floor as he capped it the everphial before sliding it into his pocket.
I gapped at him. “Overkill, Ozias. I’m gonna need a towel while I heal.”
His eyes came back to mine as he gripped my hand. He lifted it towards his mouth and my muscles tensed. Dipping his head he caught my finger in his mouth, blood and all. First it stung and I hissed.
“Oz-”
His eyes snapped to mine and they flared. Ever so slightly his mouth pulsed around my finger sucking gently until it throbbed in time with my heart. My breathing quickened as I found myself closer than I had been a moment before. Almost chest to chest we stood as he lapped at my finger and my stomach coiled.
Holy shit.
My skin felt too hot and too tight. Oz’s rumble betrayed his own reaction as he groaned and suddenly sucked harder dragging a gasp from my lips.
I was suddenly spinning when an arm around my waist hoisted me back. Ozias growled lunging forward but Emerick put himself between us.
“Nuh uh uh. No!” He shoved Ozias back. “No seducing the sentinel-not-sentinel on an empty stomach. We’ve got shit to do and no time for fucking.”
Twirling me around he grasped my hips and planted me on the counter. “Stay.”
Pointing Ozias. “Go. I’ll feed her and make sure she doesn’t run away.”
Ozias cheeks were flushed and as my gazed dropped I realized his face wasn’t the only place the blood had gone. He noticed, of course he noticed, and stepped forward before Emerick once again blocked his view.
“No, brother. Not now, hell not till y’all figure out the time-share. Go.”
Emerick blocked my view but I heard his footsteps as Ozias did as Emerick bid and left. Turning around Emerick grinned. “Looks good on you.”
Puzzled and more than a little embarrassed. “What?”
His deviant smirk grew. “Desire.” He stepped forward. “Lust.” My eyes grew wide. “Arousal.” Another step closer. “Horny.” He booped my nose when I choked.
He chuckled and went back to preparing food. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen that look on you.”
“We barely know each other.”
He scoffed. “Maybe, we travel the same circles though and I’ve never heard of you hooking up or hell even having a steady thing with anyone.’”
Could I salvage my dignity? Or was avoiding abject humiliation the goal. I lifted my chin. “Maybe I’m just a private person.”
“Nah, baby girl,” he looked up from the cutting board and studied me, “I think you’re just awake now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Bay
Normally I was hard to rile but finding out the old priest had withheld need-to-know information we most definitely needed to know left a bad taste in my mouth. Add in his flex with the Timorii guards and my ass was well and truly chapped.
“You alright boss?”
I glanced at Jericho. “Peachy fucking keen, Jer.”
We strode into the sitting room our collective boot-steps sounded like thunder on the hardwood. The priest, Grakel, stood in front of the hearth and continued to stare into the fire knowing damn well we were in the room.
Phin stood silently at my right while Pike stayed at my left. Jericho was at my back like he had been for the last century or so.
“I’d ask what brought you back but instead I’m gonna ask what you should have already told us in the first place.” My tone strongly suggested ‘or else’. “What’s happening to the sentinel and what does that have to do with our missing king?”
“We don’t believe the two circumstances are related, Commander.” The feminine voice did not come from the priest but from behind us. I didn’t jump, cause I don’t do fucking surprises, but I heard Pike curse softly beside me.
Is that-?
Veda’s foster mother, I told Phin.
Turning I met the gaze of a Priestess I knew well and liked less.
“Senevia. To what do we owe the honor?” Pike’s tone was flat. Guess he didn’t like her either.
“She came at my request.” Now the stodgy fuck wanted to speak.
“Why?”
“Because I have relevant information regarding the king’s seal-bearer.” Senevia interjected.
Pike made an oh-fucking-really face. “Huh, I find that hard to believe when you haven’t seen her since she was sixteen.”
She waved away his comment. “I did my duty by the sentinel.”
“Of course, you did.” Pike’s tone called bullshit. “This has nothing to do with your son by chance.”
Her face flushed angrily. “I come because the only seal-bearer in the four territories is unstable. Her human half is succumbing and endangers everyone here.”
I growled low in my throat. “What. The. Fuck.”
Branding her unstable was a death sentence.
“Enough!”
We all turned to see the Grakel glaring. “We are here to determine the state of the sentinel. Her bond with Sailas is broken and if she is truly unstable that could be why.”
Senevia gasped at the news of Veda’s seal and I glared harder at the old priest. “That information was tightly held, old man.”
“In this instance, it is no longer an issue for the Kings guard to protect. Unstable halflings must be evaluated by one of the order. This issue has naught to do with Sailas’ disappearance.”
So, they’d already made up their mind. “Says who?”
Senevia straightened her spine. “We have reports of Veda’s violent outbursts. This kind of behavior has been seen before with half-breeds-”
Phin snarled. “Ivory. He’s the one spreading those rumors. What wrong? You little boy couldn’t manage to kill her so he’s running to mommy?”
“While I find the source distasteful is it not true she was recovered after a violent altercation in Ivory’s district?” Grakel asked.
“An altercation he instigated by kidnapping her in the first place. Yeah, we call that self-defense. You know what they say, no means no?” Pike flashed an unfriendly smile at the old goat.
“That is her version of events, the order will question the sentinel and give their decision.”
Pass judgment was what he meant. They were talking about the trials and if she didn’t pass, they’d have her executed. Oz, block the entrance to the basement. No one gets in but us.
Roger that, boss.
“You plan to do this even though you know Sailas would never permit it.” I wanted to hear him say it.
“Sailas is perhaps too close to this issue to judge without prejudice. It might be serendipitous he is absent from the proceedings.”
He did not. “You’re calling the disappearance of our king fortuitous?”
Jericho rocked back on his heels. “Motherfucker. That’s cold.”
Phin’s fists clenched and his chest rumbled. They’re gonna try and take her.
Fucking hell, there was gonna be a fight.
“Is that why you called your guard? For one little sentinel? Cause I’ve seen halflings go bad and we’ve never had to call on your guard.”
Senevia and the old priest shared a look that lasted too long and meant a conversation I wasn’t privy to was going down.
“Share with the rest of the class.”
“The sentinel will be turned over to the Timorii guard. She will be transported to our holding site where she will be questioned. You will of course, continue the search for Sailas.”
“One question.”
“Of course.”
“Who died and made you king?”
Senevia gasped in outraged. Phin chuckled darkly. Pike was grinning like a fool.
Me, I was deadly serious.
“Cause I take orders from one man and you ain’t him.”
Ozias
I WANTED TO GO FIND Bay and ask him to punch me in the face. As if things weren’t already complicated enough, I had to go and put my mouth on her. She was already bonded in some way to Phin and, whether he’d admitted it or not, had our commander tied in knots for years.
The complications were endless and yet her taste still coated my tongue, making my body hum and my skin burn. I wanted to thrust into her while I sucked her down. Adjusting my swollen cock, I stifled a groan. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong female.
Oz block the entrance to the basement. No one gets in but us.
Bay’s voice interrupted my frustrated thoughts and helped cool the fire she’d so innocently lit. Whatever was happening with the priest, Bay thought it might lead to a fight.
As lust turned to aggression I grinned. I’d welcome a fight. Roger that, boss.
Sucking a cinnamon candy into my mouth erased the lingering taste of V from my tongue, the sharp bite familiar and normal making me feel more myself. I moved along the hallway towards the stairs stopping to glance in the kitchen.
