A Lady of the Realm (13 page)

I followed the irresistible tug. Like a puppet on strings, I moved soundlessly in the deserted cemetery against my common sense. He had no notion I was there. If he did, his essence would’ve changed. I crept closer, wondering out loud if Lilith could detect my presence.

“She doesn’t. She’s all into her conversation.”

Supersonic hearing. Great. Maybe it’ll come in handy in the future. I stopped as I rounded the corner of a crypt; the spokes around the tomb looked ominous in the moonlight that filtered through the oak trees. I finally saw them. Their voices carried on the still night air.

“‘Tis time we get on with what we came to do. I have other engagements tonight.”

Lilith walked away from Sasha, clearly upset by his words but trying valiantly to conceal it from him.

“It didn’t have to be this way, Alek. You’ve lost yourself.” She sighed deeply and turned around to face him again, her face blank and smooth. “Take that witch for instance. You go to such an extreme for what?” she asked with no hatred in her voice, just understanding.

“You know nothing of the situation,” Sasha answered.

“She’s using you,” she said, raising her hand up and towards him as if to take his in a moment of compassion.

Sasha took a step back, hissing, “Lilith, what I do is of no concern to you.”

“But you need me.” The pain behind her words was indescribable. It clutched at my heart, wrung my conscious, and filled my eyes with tears. For a split second, I actually felt sorry for her. Sasha felt pity. I could hear it when he spoke.

“That was a long time ago.”

Lilith pointed into the distance as she spoke. “We still have time.”

I heard the smile in Sasha’s voice as he answered. “Let’s draw our swords. I’m not leaving tonight the loser.”

He extended his hand towards two shining swords embedded in a mound of deep green moss. Lilith moved forward and grabbed one with obvious anger, hefting it in her hand. Sasha grabbed the other with steely determination in his demeanor.

“As you wish, Lord Alek,” Lilith sneered.

They bowed their heads and started towards each other in a stance. Peaches’ constant chatter was at least informative.

“It’s the ancient battle stance. There are rules of engagement depending on the proceeding. For a divorce like the one Lord Alek requested, they must both follow a certain etiquette. The swords will make sure that neither breaks the rules. They have until first light to finish or they both forfeit their lives. That’s only happened once.”

Unbelievable that it could happen at all. From what I saw, they were most definitely trying to kill each other. I had once taken a fancy to fencing after watching my first Olympics. I should’ve realized that most of the competitors were shifters of some sort with inhuman speed and coordination. I quickly realized that I had no chance of mimicking the graceful flow and movements of the sport. Watching the two beings battle for their lives gave me a deep respect for the sword. I wouldn’t last a minute in combat.

They parried and lunged at inhuman speed, the metal clanking musically and sparks flying from their exchange. The clearing was void of all sound except for the clash of metal and the occasional grunts when one or the other got a good blow in.

Their bodies glistened as they danced to their own beat in the moonlight. The smooth marble—like muscles rippled sinuously with every supernatural move. Their blood, so much blood, flew in big heavy jewel like drops with each swing of the swords. Sweat, dirt, and blood matted Sasha’s golden red hair against his neck. The grime made him look like a deranged berserker from another time.

I gradually became aware of the other voices around me but was instantly assured that they were all ‘other’ voices. Peaches was bringing them up to speed with what had happened. Her smug tone conveyed how much she was enjoying the limelight. The cacophony of voices was in my head. I was going to have to figure out how to tune them out as soon as I had a chance.

I continued staring at the bodies going back and forth in the clearing. Sasha’s swift, snake—like, movement caught Lilith by surprise. He tripped her with his sword as she came flying towards him. She went sprawling, her hands flinging forward to catch herself lest she do a face plant. She shouldn’t have wasted the effort because before she finished grunting out an oath, Sasha kicked her in her face with all the force he could muster.

The sound of the impact, his foot against her face, was like rock on rock. She was motionless for several seconds as he stood over her, his chest heaving in and out from rage. He turned her over, the sword poised above her throat for the final plunge.

I could feel his anger from where I hid. It boiled over, scalded the air, and tinted my sight. He kicked Lilith in the face one more time, a howl of rage erupting from his lungs. Blood flew out of the corner of her mouth, a thin arc of red liquid. She wiped it with one hand, her eyes sparkling gold.

In one quick fluid motion Lilith’s head was severed. I was in shock, the animals stunned, and Sasha enraged. He stepped back roaring in anger.

“No one may interfere; those are the rules,” Sasha yelled at the top of his lungs. I stumbled back, falling onto my knees in pain. Peaches whined softly in my ear, concerned.

An omnipresent voice came from everywhere at once filling me with dread. I was sure that my presence was no mystery to the owner of that voice.

“I believe the correct response is thank you.”

I still couldn’t tell who the owner of the voice was. For some reason, when I looked towards the area where he was supposed to be, the air shimmered bright blue and indistinctly.

“Damn it, Sigmund, what are you doing here?”

“A favor to your shadow. We don’t need any blood on your hands, Sasha,” he said.

“Let them interrogate me, Sigmund. I win every time. Besides, I’ve been waiting over two hundred years to slice Lilith in two,” he said.

“Is that why you hesitated?”

Sasha’s sword vanished from his hands as he continued to shake his head. He grimaced and swiped his hand across his forehead.

“I was merely savoring the moment.”

A hollowed laugh filled the cemetery. The indistinct person turned, and he seemed to be looking at me. Sasha turned towards my direction; it was then that he finally noticed my presence.

“My, my … and here I thought Malachi was giving me a tall tale in order to help you two out of a mess,” the indistinct person said.

Sasha smiled coldly. “No tale, sir,” he said.

“And the spitfire is a Lady?”

“Not just a Lady, she’s the DeDe heir, my allodial,” Sasha said.

The light burned brighter, intensified and settled. A man stood in front of Sasha in a neon green suit. He had on dark sunglasses, which he took off to look at me better. He gave me a smile but spoke to Sasha.

“A Lady in name only I wager. I want the job. Call me when it’s time, young man.”

“Yes, sir,” Sasha said crisply.

The man bowed and disappeared in a bubble of hilarity. I blinked a couple of times but there was nothing more to see. Nothing, that is, but Sasha’s bloody body standing in the dim light waiting for me.

Chapter Twelve
:
A Break

Sasha walked slowly towards me in predatory grace. Every unconscious tick of his muscles promised lethality. His steps were soundless upon the greenery of the cemetery ground. An actual smile played across his features, which were thankfully, unmarred from the fight. New scars were forming along his right bicep as I watched with academic fascination.

Lilith was dead. The only sure way to kill any member of another race was decapitation. The French peasants had it correct when they went for the guillotine as a means of execution.

He had no idea I knew what had occurred between them prior to shimmer man coming to the scene. No idea because I’d become better at shielding my mind. We hadn’t had time recently to talk about abstract ideas. No time to discuss the change in my psychic abilities since we slept together. Time, once my enemy, had manifested into a friend.

His eyes narrowed infinitesimally as he looked around the cemetery. Stopping just a foot away from me, I didn’t understand the sudden urge I had to throw myself into his arms. I should be furious with everything about this night not relieved that he was okay.

“How’d you find me?”

His voice was low, seductive. It would be easy to answer his question and forget everything else. I clenched my hands at my side remembering what he did to me. I had to remember he didn’t trust me. I was only one of his people.

“You’re such a douche bag.” I was proud of how calm I sounded. I didn’t go into hysterics or a full-blown tantrum, as I wanted too. My vision didn’t blur into a hazy, bloody red, even when he gave me a thin patronizing smile.

“Bethany, I was pressed for time,” he purred gently.

My hand twitched upward, ready to strike his face. He saw the movement and stepped back.

“I want to go home,” I said.

He glanced around and noticed the audience that had grown in mere seconds. A large group of other worldly creatures had started to gather after shimmer man had disappeared. The first topic of conversation was Lilith’s death; the second topic was my scandalous appearance at the duel. He reigned in his expletive before the gathered spectators and absently scratched his head.

“After you,” he said curtly.

“The car is by the front gates,” I said over my shoulder as I headed in the right direction.

I walked ahead of Sasha who was right on my heels. Peaches brought up the rear keeping a fair distance between herself and Sasha. I reached the car first and slid into the driver’s seat, after letting Peaches jump into the back. I wasn’t about to abandon her. Sasha was quiet, and it was becoming difficult to understand his feelings while I was still upset.

We drove in silence to his place, not even bothering with turning on the radio. The sun was starting to rise over the city. Faeries, elves, and vampires darkly clad and shaded early in the morning lined the streets. They were intensely curious as we passed them. There were dozens of cats and dogs all looking profoundly depressed when my gaze swept over them.

When I parked the car and got out, I was surprised to see Malachi standing by a street lamp with a cigarette in his hand. I didn’t know the half-breed smoked. He nodded slightly towards me but spoke to Sasha instead.

“So you live through the night, and Beth manages to come through unscathed. I made a small fortune.” A lopsided grin emerged on his rugged face as he inhaled slowly.

“Malachi, is this your doing?” He gestured towards where I stood.

Malachi smiled. “Couldn’t let her go through the city alone now could I? Who knows what creatures she would’ve bumped into?”

“True,” Sasha said.

Malachi stared into Sasha’s eyes without blinking; his cigarette forgotten for a second as it burned away in the morning light. Sasha nodded once, shook his head vehemently for several seconds and finally grinned. They had a full conversation without saying anything aloud. A gift I didn’t know the boys shared, which proved I didn’t know anything about them.

“I know, Malachi,” Sasha finally said.

He glanced over towards me, and I felt the tension in the air rise again. There was a tug towards him but not a demand, not a persistent pull. He sighed.

“Bragh, let me speak to her alone,” Sasha said.

“I’ll be at the office.” Malachi looked over at me for a moment and added, “Duckie, you know how to find me.”

He turned and walked away, flicking his cigarette in the gutter. Sasha didn’t try to clasp my hand as we walked into the house for which I was grateful. I was exhausted mentally and physically and really just wanted to take a shower and deal with everything else at some other time. Sasha didn’t try to stop Peaches as she came in, and it made me feel better.

I went upstairs to the bathroom, turning the shower on to the hottest setting. Sasha was nowhere to be seen. Good. I took my time in the bathroom enjoying the routine and solitude. When I stepped out, Sasha quietly went in behind me and did his own thing. I rummaged through the mini fridge for some food, sighing at the meager offerings, and wondering what Nola had baked that morning.

I sat down with a Mountain Dew on a bar stool and waited for the inevitable confrontation. Sasha pulled up a stool within moments as I sipped on my drink. I looked up into his eyes and for a moment, forgot the monster from the last few hours.

“Sasha, I want a break,” I said.

I needed distance from the freak. The convention was weeks away, and I was tired of dealing with him on a daily basis. He owed me, and I knew the elf would pay. Elves never reneged on their debts. So what if I actually talked to him on occasion of things not related to sex or money. So what if I slept blissfully in his arms. So what if I liked waking up to his crinkling violet eyes. He’d tied me up. He hadn’t confided in me. And there was one dead woman.

“What are you saying?” he asked without meeting my eyes. I strived to feel nothing but my own thoughts. This shouldn’t be so difficult. I just had to word my request carefully. It wouldn’t do if I left a loophole.

My hand strayed towards his fingers, which were carefully drawing a circle on the counter. I stopped right before touching him and inched them back.

“Why did you have to tie me up?”

He quirked an eyebrow up as he glanced over towards where Peaches was sleeping, her breathing labored.

“I did more for your phobia than years of therapy were able to accomplish,” he said with a smile.

“Stop changing the subject. That’s not the point. Why?” I asked with such pent up pain that it bounced off the walls, accusing the betrayer.

Sasha rubbed his hand across his eyes, the tendons standing at attention.

“I’m sorry. Is that the appropriate sentiment?” he asked as his eyes met mine. “Do you have any idea the amount of paperwork necessary to claim a title and add a House to the books? You need tutors. There are history lessons and law lessons and personal combat, and who knows what else.”