Mercenary Little Death Bringer (14 page)

“You’re my best friend,” he whispered as
turned to face me. “I couldn’t live with myself if…”

I put my hand over his mouth and whispered,
“How do you think I feel? I feel exactly the same way, which is why
I can’t allow you to risk your life to protect mine.”

“I feel that we are at an impasse,” he said
as he pulled my hand away from his mouth.

“We are. The only thing that can be done is
that we both promise to watch each other’s backs. Agreed?”

“I already promised to protect you, I cannot
change that promise.”

I groaned. “We were four!”

“And I meant it. When I saw you covered in
ogre’s blood and crying in my father’s arms I had never felt such a
strong protective urge in my life. It was like I was created simply
to protect you.” He shook his head. “I know that doesn’t make sense
to you, but that’s how I feel.”

“We can’t be partners if you don’t allow me
to protect you with my life as well. Partners protect
each
other
,” I reminded him as I laid down beside him.

“Well then I guess we aren’t partners,” he
said.

I turned and stared at him in alarm and
disbelief. “What?”

He smiled. “I guess I’m more like your
bodyguard.”

“No,” I said adamantly. “You are not my
bodyguard. I refuse to have a bodyguard. If you aren’t my partner
than you aren’t anything,” I said seriously though I felt fear
shaking my hands.

Favian linked our hands that were touching on
the one side together and said, “We will always be partners, Marin.
I shouldn’t have to tell you that so many times.”

I felt heat rushing to my face at our joined
hands, but enjoyed the feeling too much to pull away. “Then stop
this crazy bodyguard talk and let us be partners.”

He closed his eyes and yawned. “Alright.
Partners.”

I tried to fight the yawn that was trying to
come out, but it slipped past my lips and my eyelids grew heavy.
“Finally, I won an argument.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” he whispered
as he started to fall asleep.

I sadly pulled my hand from his to pull up
the blanket at the bottom of the bed to cover us both and closed my
eyes. “Stubborn elf,” I whispered as sleep pressed down upon
me.

“Obstinate human,” he whispered and then we
both started snoring.

~~~~

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Marin, have you seen Prince Favian? I
can’t…” Amile began as she opened my door and stepped inside my
room.

I was still groggy with sleep and Favian was
still completely asleep so there was nothing I could do to hide the
fact that we had shared a bed. It had been completely harmless, but
Amile wouldn’t know that from simply looking and even though I
threw the covers back to reveal us both fully clothed, Favian’s
shirt was off, but he’d come to my room like that, I couldn’t get a
word out before she jumped to conclusions.

Amile screamed and then charged at me, trying
to slap my face. “You evil temptress!” she screamed as she tried to
hit me. “How dare you defile him and use your dirty, evil humanness
to…”

“Amile, please calm down,” Favian said as he
woke up and figured out the situation. He was trying to get across
the bed to intervene, but I was mad now and she was still slapping
at my face.

I had been okay with her displeasure until
she had started to insult me. Now I was really angry. I punched her
in the face and knocked her to her butt. “Your ignorance was
dismissed at first, but once you started insulting me you crossed
the line. First, you had no right to barge into my room without my
permission. Secondly, I did not lure him to my room. He came here
willingly last night and knocked on
my
door.”

“Marin…” Favian said, “That’s not
helping.”

“Thirdly, I am not an evil temptress. We
shared a bed and slept nothing else. My virginity is still intact
thank you. Fourthly, if you ever call me an evil human or insult me
because of my humanity again I will kill you. Now remove yourself
from my quarters before I change my mind about showing you mercy,”
I finished.

She stood up and glared at me. I had to hand
it to the girl, she was tough for getting punched and having
someone threaten her life. “Who gave you that necklace?” she asked,
“Was it Favian?”

“No, actually it was me,” Maddock said from
the doorway. “And obviously I missed one hell of a party.”

I grabbed Amile by the throat and pushed her
backwards so that she stumbled out of my room. “I was being serious
Amile. Next time I will kill you.”

Her face paled and I yanked Maddock inside
the room and slammed my door shut. “What happened?” Maddock asked
Favian.

I walked to my window and opened it, drawing
in deep breaths to calm myself and keep the female emotions away. I
could hear Favian updating Maddock on the events, but I couldn’t
look at them yet. I was upset, but not because she had assumed I
was sleeping with Favian. I was upset because of the other things
she had said. Why did it bother me that she thought I would have to
be an evil temptress for Favian to share a bed with me? Was I that
hideous?

“Marin, what’s wrong?” Favian asked.

I shook my head and pushed the emotions down.
“Nothing. Let’s get our things and head out. The sooner we get to
the Academy, the better.”

Favian and Maddock looked at me and then
shared a look with each other. I ignored them and grabbed my bag,
making sure I had everything and then put on my boots and strapped
my sword on since I was already dressed. Favian and Maddock left me
and I turned to look at myself in the full length mirror Mother had
forced me to put in my room. I stared at myself and couldn’t see an
ugly girl, but neither could I see a beautiful girl, or a beautiful
elf like Amile. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was too ugly for
Favian or any other elf to ever be interested in.

I shook my head at my ridiculousness and
jogged out to the courtyard where Favian, Maddock, Father, Mother
and the horses were. Amile gave me a dirty look and then started to
try to talk with Favian, but he spoke quickly and angrily to her,
interrupting her and then gave her the bracelet she had given him.
She spoke angrily back to him and then burst into tears and ran out
of the courtyard. If I didn’t hate the girl so much I might have
felt sorry for her.

I climbed onto Fire’s back and waved to
Maddock and Father. “Good bye. I’ll see you soon.”

Favian mounted Ice and cantered after me to
catch up as we exited the gates and went on the main road. We
cantered slowly for a few hours and then we slowed to a walk to
preserve the horses, especially since we might need to escape from
other mercenaries.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s
bothering you or are you going to make me pester you again?” he
asked me as he moved Ice closer to Fire.

“Am I ugly?” I asked him.

He stared at me with the most priceless
stunned expression and said, “What?”

“Am I ugly?” I asked again.

“No,” he said, “Why?”

“Do not lie to me. Am I ugly? I mean I know I
am not beautiful, but do you think I’m unattractive?”

He stopped Ice and Fire stopped beside him
even though I hadn’t given her a command. “What’s going on? Why are
you asking me this?”

“Please answer me. I must know. I promise I
won’t hold it against you if you think I’m hideous,” I said
pleadingly.

“You want the honest answer?” he asked.

I nodded my head.

He took a deep breath and then he said, “You
are beautiful.”

I groaned and squeezed my legs to make Fire
go. “I hate when you lie to me.”

He grabbed Fire’s reins and stopped her so he
could face me completely. “I am not lying, Marin. You are
beautiful. You wanted my honest answer and that is what I gave you.
I think that you are beautiful. I assumed you already knew
that.”

“I think you’re crazy if you believe I am
beautiful, but thank you.”

“What brought this on?” he asked, releasing
Fire’s reins.

“Amile seemed so sure that you wouldn’t sleep
with me unless I was some evil temptress so I assumed it was
because I was ugly,” I answered him honestly. I sighed. “She was
probably just upset since she fancies you and she thought I had
defiled you.”

Favian went back to being silent as we
continued on our way. We kept focused on everything around us,
looking for any sign of danger. We left the forest, passed the
fields and made it to the gate unscathed.

“What are you doing back so soon?” the
gatekeeper asked when he saw me.

“I escaped from the dungeons of the Elves and
they decided to let me come finish my training,” I said, teasing
Favian.

Favian rolled his eyes. “We had a change of
heart and decided that it was only right to let her finish her
schooling since she’d worked so hard.”

The gatekeeper nodded his head in agreement.
“I feel the same way. Alright boys, let ‘em in.”

We walked through the gate and into the town
and then continued on our way to the shops. We stopped at the
butcher just long enough for me to purchase a piece of barbecued
beef. I ate it happily as we made our way through the rest of the
town. “This is so delicious,” I said around a bite in my mouth.

Favian looked at me with disgust and shook
his head. “You’re foul.”

I smiled with beef in my teeth. “Thank
you.”

He shook his head at me and then turned his
attention back to protecting me. “Who approaches the gate?” asked
the back guard.

“Favian and Marin,” Favian called out,
“please grant us permission to pass to the Academy.”

“Permission granted.”

The gate opened and we cantered out onto the
main street and towards the Academy. “So far, so good,” I whispered
as I patted Fire’s neck.

“Don’t get complacent,” Favian said.

“I know, I know,” I muttered.

The forest converged around the road and we
galloped two more miles towards the Academy when we spotted the
trap. Thankfully it was midday so we had plenty of light to see the
trap strung across the road ahead of us. It was simple trip wire
which our horses would pull with their hooves when we ran across
the road.

“Innocent lives could have been taken by this
trap,” Favian said angrily.

We dismounted and surveyed the sides of the
road to look for any other traps, finding three before we finally
made it around. “How did they know I was even coming back to the
Academy?” I asked.

“These traps weren’t for you,” he said
quietly.

I turned and stared at him in shock as I
comprehended what he was saying. They were traps set for him. They
were going to capture him in order to lure me to them. It would
have worked too. If I heard that Favian was being held prisoner and
they wanted to trade me for him, I would go in an instant. “Well we
know they’re smart,” I grunted.

“So you’re admitting that you would have
fallen for their trap knowing they would have probably just killed
us both in the end?” he asked me.

I nodded my head. “Yes and you would do the
same.”

He ignored me since he knew I was right. We
were each other’s weakness and if they grabbed one of us, they
would get both of us. Most mercenaries didn’t have partners for
that very reason, but having grown up together with his
overprotectiveness had made the transition to partner
inevitable.

We finally made it to the Academy and were
ushered inside immediately. As we untacked the horses Macon came
into the stables. “Good to see you, Marin.”

I smiled. “Thank you, sir. I’m glad to be
back and ready to finish up this year.”

“So you are ready to complete your final test
then?” he asked.

I nodded my head. “Yes.”

He looked at Favian. “Are you ready?”

Favian nodded his head. “I am, sir.”

Macon smiled. “Good. Get some food and rest
today. We will brief everyone tomorrow morning on the plan and then
execute it that day.”

“One day?” Favian asked in shock. “I thought
we were going to wait?”

“We were, but the attack at the school shows
just how serious these people are. We must act quickly and we must
find out who is after Marin before it is too late,” Macon said
seriously.

I nodded my head. “I completely agree. I am
tired of being scared and looking at every leaf like it could be
hiding a kidnapper.”

“Finish up and then head to the food hall,”
Macon said, “And Marin, it truly is good to have you back at the
Academy.”

It was the nicest thing Macon had ever said
to me and it filled my heart with joy. I finished putting away
Fire’s tack and then followed Favian to the food hall where we
waited in line with everyone else for lunch.

“Marin!” Micah called happily. “I am so glad
to see you. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them taking your
unconscious body away.”

“Yes, that was fun,” I said sarcastically as
Favian purposefully avoided eye contact with me. “How have things
been since I left?”

Micah smiled. “They haven’t been the same
without you around, but it has still been very busy. Everyone has
been preparing for the final test and I have to say I’m really
looking forward to it.”

“We all are,” I said with a smile.

The line move forward and Micah waved good
bye to us as he left the food hall. “He seemed different,” Favian
whispered.

“What?” I asked, “How?”

He shrugged. “I can’t really say. It was just
a feeling I got when he was talking to you.”

“You are being super paranoid,” I said
angrily, “He has been a good friend to both of us the past six
years.”

“I know,” he said as he grabbed a plate,
“Just remember that our enemies could be anyone.”

“Even you?” I asked him with cross eyes.

He rolled his eyes at me. “Yes, even I could
be a potential enemy.”