Earth & Sky (10 page)

His gaze flicked to me and away and I thought he looked
amused.  He thought I was refusing to change.  If only it were that simple.

Marshall crouched and held a hand out to me, fingers
curled under so that I could sniff his knuckles.  Of course, I did nothing of the
sort.  “Here sweetheart,” he cajoled.  “I bet your owner is looking everywhere
for you.”  He glanced at Ville.  “She sure is a pretty thing.”

He beamed.  “Isn’t she?”  He winked at me when Marshall
wasn’t looking, then turned to the woman.  “Ibbe, do you know if we have any
meat?”

She raised an eyebrow.  “We might.  The human staff just
finished their supper.”  She wrinkled her nose.  “I think I smelled some sort
of stew.” 

She eyed me again, taking in my size.  A one-hundred and
thirty pound woman isn’t much to look at.  A one-hundred and thirty pound,
bright red wolf is another thing entirely.  “I’ll bring a bucket,” she muttered
under her breath.  Ville grinned. 

Ibbe stood and ghosted off, presumably to find me some
food.  Marshall returned to his seat, gesturing to Ville in invitation.  “Come
sit awhile, it’s been a hard day.”

Ville gracefully folded himself into one of the tall
chairs.  The backs were narrow in the center, with big curved cutouts to
accommodate their wings.  He gestured to me and I slowly made my way to his
side, and sank tiredly onto the plush rug under the table, like a good dog.  He
stroked my head again and I let out a wuffling sigh.

Ibbe returned a few minutes later with a massive bowl of
rabbit stew.  I forced myself to eat some of the delicious stuff, but my
stomach was clenched, and I didn’t manage very much.  Marshall looked under the
table.  “Are you sure it’s not sick?”

I perked my ears and wagged my tail as if I were
completely content.  “I’m sure she’s just a bit tired.”  Ville trailed his
fingers over my back and Marshall sat up.  I dropped my head on my paws,
exhausted.  I imagined that when I woke, I would find it had all been nothing
more than a really bad dream. 

I must have drifted off for a while, lulled by the soft
rumble of the men’s voices as they chatted about inconsequential things.  I
jerked awake at the scrape of a chair being pushed back from the table.  Ville
had stood and was taking his leave of Marshall and Ibbe.  “It’s been a very
long day,” he said tiredly.  “If you’ll excuse me.”

He turned and headed for a hallway on the far side of the
room, and I darted after him.  I could feel the sharp eyes of his friends until
we were out of sight.  Ville was quiet as he made his way up a twisting flight
of stairs and down a long corridor.  The tapping of my nails echoed down the
hall, and I drew curious looks from the guards stationed in the corners.  I
thought it odd that this section of the house was so heavily guarded.  I eyed
Ville’s broad back and glistening wings as he walked, wondering just who he
was.  I had assumed he was a general, but maybe he was a lord or something-
someone with a title. 

We reached a heavy wooden door at the end of the hallway,
and Ville inclined his head to the guard that stood outside.  The man’s eyes
widened at the sight of me.  “A pet, sir?”

He clasped the man’s shoulder in a familiar way.  “Something
like that, Arthur.  Could you please stand guard at the end of the hallway
tonight?  I’d like some privacy.”  He opened the portal and gestured me
inside.  “Besides, I have a guard dog now.”  He grinned at me and I snorted as
I trotted by.

The guard nodded and moved away from the door. 
“Certainly, Your Majesty.”  Then the door closed and I was alone with the new
emperor of the Sky clan.

He paced into the room, pausing to light an orb in
passing.  The blue light of his energy filled the orb and the room was bathed
in a soft glow.  I turned to keep him in my sight, wary.  If this was a trap of
some sort, it had been all too simple for him- though I had no idea why he
would even bother.  Winona, he could have ransomed or something.  I was worthless.

I took in my surroundings, and realized that this must be
his private suite.  The room was large, and it was filled with oversized
furniture big enough to accommodate a tall man with a twelve-foot wingspan.  A
long, antique fainting couch was positioned near the entryway, opposite a tall
bookshelf full to bursting with well-worn books.  It didn’t look like a place
where he would keep a prisoner- or a place where he would bring a stranger for
that matter.

Ville skirted the huge canopy bed that took up the center
of the room and opened the massive wardrobe shoved up against the far wall. 
“I’m sorry, but I think you’ll feel more secure if you sleep in my rooms.  No
one will bother you this way.”  He tossed a glance over his shoulder.  “I’ll
have the maids make up a room for you tomorrow- I have an adjoining room here
if you’d like.  I’ll just have to have them bring in a bed.”  He seemed to
think I’d be staying a while.

He slipped off his shirt and dropped it into a basket
inside the wardrobe, revealing one of the most beautiful sights I have ever
seen, and then he glanced back at me.  “Are you staying that way, or would you
like some clothes?” 

He seemed completely unaware that I was shocked at his
identity.  Maybe he had just assumed that I knew who he was.  I should have
known, and I was furious with myself for missing it.  I sighed and padded
across the room, investigating.  A pair of big shutters took up half of the
remaining wall, and I sniffed at the cool air that slipped in around them.  Ville
came to stand beside me. 

“It’s a private courtyard.  I usually leave them open when
I sleep.”  He moved to unlock the shutters and I whined. 

He paused and looked down at me.  “It’s just an enclosed
garden… but I suppose it would worry you to feel exposed?”  He ran a hand
through his silky hair and I looked away, trying not to notice the way his pale
skin rippled with muscle when he moved. 

He yawned hugely, displaying a good length of wicked fang
before he covered his mouth.  Then he crossed to the big fireplace that took up
the rest of the wall.  Crouching, he sent a bit of energy to the logs that were
neatly stacked in the hearth.  A tiny blue flame appeared and he breathed life
into it, until a small fire crackled away merrily.  I watched with fascination. 
I could make a fire too, but it involved alchemy to change the molecules enough
to form heat.  He simply used pure energy.

He stood and moved to the bed.  I sat by the fire, basking
in its warmth, as I watched him turn back the mountain of grey silk that
covered the bed.  He sat on the edge, glancing at me questioningly.  “Are you
coming to bed?”

I gaped at him- probably a truly idiotic expression on a
wolf.  He patted the end of the bed, unfazed.  “A good dog sleeps here, right?”

I eyed the mountain of fluffy blankets, and then glanced
at the worn hearthrug where I had planned to spend the night.  Feeling foolish,
I stood and stiffly made my way to the bed.  Ville smiled at me, and I noticed
the dark circles under his pale blue eyes.  He had been through as much as I
had today- maybe more.  He was just better at hiding it.  A tinge of loneliness
tried to overcome me, but I fought it off.

I lunged up onto the foot of the bed in one graceful
motion.  He watched me as I curled up in a ball and covered my nose with my
fluffy tail.  Then he gestured at the orb, and the room was cast in shadows. 
His fingers slid over my ears once, as if in benediction, then he lay down and
was silent.  I closed my eyes and slept more soundly than I had in years.

I
didn’t dream that night.  I remember closing my eyes, then nothing more until I
opened them again.  I lay still for a moment, taking in what I saw, my sleepy
mind trying to place my surroundings.  I was covered in piles of fluffy,
down-filled grey silk.  A small distance away, a long, graceful foot poked out
of the covers, taking up most of my field of vision. 

I sat up slowly, careful not to make the mattress move. 
Bracing myself on one hand, I used the other to push the tangled hair out of my
eyes.  The foot belonged to the Fallen emperor, whose bed I currently occupied. 
I shook my head in disbelief. 

My eyes traveled over the rumpled drifts of blankets,
gliding over a long stretch of muscular calf that was visible where his loose pants
were rucked up, and to the wide, muscular back that supported those massive
black wings.  He lay on his stomach, and I was seized with the sudden urge to
touch his wings, to let my fingers glide over the deep indentions of muscle around
his shoulder blades. 

A chill draft seeped in through the closed shutters, and I
wrapped the end of the blanket around me, tucking it under my arms.  My motions
disturbed my slumbering companion and he stretched, flexed his wings, then
tucked them flat to his back before rolling over. 

 He sat up and gave me a sleepy smile.  “You’re not a wolf
anymore.”

I looked away, embarrassed.  “Sometimes, when we’re under
some kind of emotional stress, it’s impossible to shift.”  I refused to meet
his eyes.  “It… usually only happens to children.”

I felt the bed dip as he scooted to the edge and stood. 
“I don’t think any less of you for it.”

He crossed to the big wardrobe while I untangled myself
from the blankets and stood, drifting along in his wake.  “It was an ugly evening,”
I said softly.  “I didn’t consciously decide to come to you.  But I fought with
my father and sister- I shifted while I was angry and confused and…”  I
shrugged, “well, I just ended up in the forest- and then I couldn’t shift back.”

He glanced over his shoulder at me, then away, his posture
stiff.  “You were hurt,” he said shortly.  “Some instinctive part of you knew I’d
offer you sanctuary.”  His voice was a bit more gruff than usual.  Maybe I had
overstayed my welcome. 

He riffled through the wardrobe, pulled out a shirt,
frowned, then cast it away and continued rummaging.  I came to stand at his
side, wondering what he was doing.  Was he that picky about his clothes?

He tensed when he sensed my nearness.  His crystal blue
eyes met mine for a moment, then darted away.  I ran my fingers through my
hair, trying to get the tangles out while I waited.

“You’re the new emperor,” I ventured.  “Does that mean
that your father…”

He kept searching his wardrobe.  “He was assassinated-
poisoned.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.  I waited for the accusations
to come, but they never did.  Finally, he came up with a long white shirt, and
thrust it at me.  “Here.”

I stared at him, wondering if he blamed me for his
father’s death.  “I’m sorry I’m being a bother,” I said softly.  I wasn’t used
to being dependent on anyone.

His gaze met mine and he looked into my eyes intently, as
if we were engaged in some sort of staring contest.  “Just take it.”  His voice
sounded forced.

I took the shirt and tucked it over an arm.  “Are you
angry?  Is my being here going to cause trouble for you…”  He was the emperor
now.  Brining a Shifter into his home might be a huge problem.

He took a deep breath and grabbed the shirt.  He shook it
out and held it up.  I noticed there was a flap in the back where two pieces of
fabric crossed, wrapping around to tie in the front- leaving a hole for his
wings. 

“Please,” he said stiffly.  “Put this on.”  His gaze
dipped for a moment, lingering on my body before he jerked it away and turned to
rummage through his wardrobe again. 

Understanding washed over me, and I felt my face grow
hot.  I slipped into the shirt, pausing to roll up the long arms.  “I’ve never
been ashamed of my body in my life,” I said, miffed at him for making me feel
this way- and more than a little amused at his reaction. 

He glanced at me and away.  “You have absolutely nothing
to feel ashamed of.” 

He closed his eyes in a long blink, and I smirked as I
pulled the front of the shirt closed, wrapping it around me like a robe.  There
was a bit of a draft in the back.  “You can open your eyes now,” I said
impatiently.  “I’m sorry for embarrassing you.  Shifters aren’t so… offended by
nudity.”

He rolled his shoulders and opened his eyes.  Turning, he
offered me a pile of fluffy white towels.  His eyes traveled over me, lingering
on the curve of my hips, then darting to my face.  “Gods, that’s even worse,” he
whispered under his breath. 

I frowned at him and he handed me the pile of towels.  “The
bath is just through that door,” he said, nodding toward the far side of the
room.  “You can get cleaned up and I’ll…find you some clothes.”  He sounded
haunted. 

I sighed and wished, not for the first time, that I were
as voluptuous as Winona.  I gave myself a mental shake.  What was I thinking? 
A relationship between us would be disgusting.  We were two different species-
that was probably why he was so uncomfortable.  “Sorry,” I said again.  I took
the towels and started to turn away.  Ville’s hand on my arm stopped me. 

“I’m not offended,” he said with a wry smile.  “I just don’t
know where this attraction is coming from.  Our situation is… unusual.  I don’t
want to complicate matters by making you… uncomfortable in any way.”

My face flamed at his directness.  I cleared my throat and
tried to think of something intelligent to say.  It was difficult with the very
large, very obvious sign of his arousal that was revealed when I took the
towels away.  “I…” I swallowed hard, then gave up and burst out laughing. 

Ville smiled and turned back to the wardrobe.  “Go on,” he
said, his voice trembling with suppressed laughter, “before I embarrass
myself.”

I snorted.  “Too late, I think.”  Then I made my way to
the bathroom.  I closed the door and leaned against the solid wood.  My heart
felt like it was beating a million times faster than it should be, and I was
hot, like I was about to break out into a sweat.