Shadows of the Keeper (31 page)

“Water’s heavenly.”  Droplets
flung from her fingers as she stood again, shaking her hand dry.  “Uh, you
can leave now.’  I’m a big girl.  I can bathe all by myself.”

“Keer’dra.  Your life is in
danger, even in my kingdom.  It is why, when you awaken, there will be
guards posted to the four corners of your bed, if I am away.  And I would
suggest you curb your tongue.  I might be tempted to take it.”

Emily leaned closer to him,
conspiratorially looking over her shoulder, in case they were overheard. 
“Think enemies will slither in through the drain?”

Dezenial leaned down, whispering,
“I think your sarcasm is about to earn you a beating.”

Emily stomped her foot.

“Very effective.  Do it
again.  This time I promise to flinch on cue.”

“
Dezenial
!  You will
not
remain in here while I bathe.  I won’t have it.  Bad enough being
naked when we were prisoners, but I refuse to continue now that we’re in a
semblance of sophistication.”

He lazed against the door, arms
folding.  Emily’s gaze lapped up his bulging biceps—then frowned. 
Instead of a tattoo, there was a carved design of swirls around a crescent moon
pierced with . . . an . . . arrow!

“It is my royal mark.  It is
the mark I placed upon Zaiyne, the mark my father placed upon Aurelia’s wrist,
and the same you chose for yourself to tattoo on your back.  Genetic
memory, or so Inzyr calls it.”

Just what I need, more
weird.  Why can’t anyone understand there’s only so much woo-hoo a brain
can handle before it shimmies over the wall of lunacy?  Maybe if I scream,
nonstop, Bubba here will finally understand? Hot bath.  It’s all I want.
 
“Could you at least turn around?”

“Ever thought you heard something,”
he made a pinching motion, “just a small something, but enough to give you
pause?  Your body tenses.  Your heart thuds.  Shadows come
alive.  Peripheral movement.”

All the time.  Since my
aunt’s murder.  Woman never was kind, but a body in the house did offer a
measure of comfort versus being home alone
.

Dezenial pushed away from the
door.  He took a step towards her.  “The stairs creak.”

I hate the dark.  Things
always go bump in the night.  House settling, my ass. How come they never
settle during the day?
  She stepped back.

“You lie in your bed, marinating in
fear.  Too afraid to get up and investigate because maybe, just maybe
something really does exist under your bed . . . waiting to grab your
ankles.”  He took another step closer.

Hate living alone.  Can’t
sleep.  Unless radio’s on.  Tom Petty, Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood
Mac.  Blocks out those damnable noises.  The terror
.  Again,
she retreated.

“Above you, something
scurries.  Mice?”  Dezenial’s gaze jailed hers, immobilizing her
body.

“Squirrels bedding down for the
night,” she whispered.  Another step advanced on her.  Bravery
thudded  upon the onyx tiles.  She actually heard it skittering away.

“Some nights, there isn’t a
sound.  No creaks.  No settling noises of an old house,” he
whispered.

I lived in an old house
.

“You forget your fear.  You
grow . . . comforted by familiar possessions surrounding you.  No longer
do you huddle, a blanket clutched up to your chin.”

A quilt, her first and final
attempt at sewing.  The disproportionate rag had become her favorite
.

“Late night.  You awaken,
parched.  Ice water . . . bottled.”

Hate tap water.  Chlorine
is too pungent
.

“Halfway down the stairs . . .
what’s
that
?  Did something . . .
move
?”  His final
step placed him against her, forcing her to look up at him.  Unknowingly,
her hand pressed against his chest.  Where his warm flesh touched, she
quivered.  “Sixth sense warns you.  Terrified, you race up the
stairs, slamming shut your door.  Locking it . . . against . . .
what
?”
 Lunar brow arched down at her.

“How . . . could you possibly . . .
know?”  So captivated by his intensity, Emily was incoherent of her
fingers pinching and pulling at his taut nipple.

He burned to fist her hair, devour
her mouth—

“Because,” he said, his voice
husky, “
I
was the shadow lurking in your house.  I even know of the
times you raised your face after washing, fearful of what you’d see looking
back at you from within your mirror.”

“But . . . those thoughts were . .
. in my mind.”

He lowered his head, his whisper
billowing against her ear.  Her shiver excited the Lumynari in him. 
“I have always been in your mind, Keer’dra.  Have you not figured out yet
who I am?  Have you not felt the whisper of me just a breath behind
you?  Never have you questioned the sudden warmth wrapping you on a
chilled night, odd you never questioned your longing gaze upon a horizon
visible only to you.”  He inhaled the scent of her.  Of its own
accord, her neck arched back.  His large, warm hand caressed her
face.  “I am your faceless lover in sexual fantasies you mistakenly assume
are of your own making.” 

She trembled.  His voice
lapped her flesh.  Desire torched flames along her spine.  She’d
sworn off men.  Traitorous against her resolve, her body was very aware of
his dominance, his pure maleness.  And it screamed for more.  If she
leaned just a tiny bit more, she could taste—

He stepped away.  “If I can
come to you even in your mirror, I dare not trust what else can.  Take
your bath, Keer’dra, enjoy the hot water, but you do not enjoy the luxury of
solitude.  I will not step away from you again, and this time, be too late
to save your little neck.”

“
Fine
!”  She whirled
from him, squared her shoulders, and with the blanket still wrapped tightly
around her, stepped down into the pool he swore was used for bathing . . .
damn
thing’s large enough to fit twenty people!

She flinched against his roar of
laughter.  “I hope you choke!”

Her retort only succeeded in making
him laugh more.  “I fail to understand why you hide your curves from my
viewing.  Have you yet to realize we Lumynari see perfectly well in the darkest
abyss you silly humans need lanterns and flashlights for every step you
take?”  His grin mocked her.  “Your sweet curves are what kept me
sane during incarceration.  Who do you think cared for you when you
arrived in my kingdom?”  Azure gaze narrowed.  “When you slept in my
bed, in my arms, against heat of my nakedness?  Do you think I would allow
any other to sponge bathe the blood from your wounds?  Place cool cloths
upon your fever-ravaged body?”

Gasping, she whipped around. 
“I find it in poor taste—“

“I can see through the blanket, now
that it’s drenched.”  Slow, wicked smile curved chiseled lips. 
“Very, very nice, Keer’dra.  Perhaps as you desire to lick my chest, I can
lick the water from yours?”

She glanced down.  And plunged
into the water for modesty.  The blanket, cumbersome and heavy, she let
slip away.  “A gentleman would pretend to not notice.”

“A gentleman would have to be dead
not to.  I am Lumynari, not some tea party buffoon quivering upon every
glance you think to graciously dole out.”

“You’re a real bastard.  I
have never felt
superior
to men.”  She remained huddled, arms
folded across her breasts.  The water was perfectly scalding, just the way
she liked it . . . if it could just thaw the soul-deep chill—

A slight splash caused her to look
over her shoulder.  “What are you
doing
?” she screeched,
backpedaling.  Not an easy task with her arms folded.

“Turn around, Keer’dra.  I
might fall dead away from the sight of bared flesh.”  He made a
face.  “I will wash your hair, since you seem unable to move.”

“Don’t . . . touch me.”  She
resumed presenting her back.  Faint lines zigzagged her pale flesh.

“Too late.”  He bent low,
whispering in her ear.  “I’ve touched you
everywhere
.”

She flushed miserably.  “You .
. . lie.”

“Even your little toes.  I
particularly enjoyed tracing your tattoo.  Did I tell you how honored I am
by your choice in body art?”

Emily spun faster than he was ready
for. 

She smacked his chest several
times.  Her smacks turning into balled up little fists, pummeling the rock-hard
wall mimicking a male chest.  He simply stood there, waist deep in water,
allowing her tantrum.  Emily sobbed.  Her punches weakened and
slowed.  Drained, she collapsed.  Dezenial caught her to him, the
band of his arm offering comfort and strength, his other hand tightly cradling
the back of her head.

“Never was it my intention for you
to be imprisoned.”  His voice cracked.  “I am sorry, Keer’dra. 
It was our belief you were better off in your world of light, than mine down
here in darkness.  I settled to protect you while remaining in the realm
of your shadows,”  He nuzzled her hair.  “To be your fantasy.” 
Hades, but ignoring her nakedness pressing against him was more trying than the
fire ritual he’d passed in his youth.  He held her, allowing her to cry
out her grief over brutal ordeals she’d suffered, over the acceptance forever
denied her, and the final insult that had chased her into Drakar’s
clutches. 

A slow death, the Forest Lord would
suffer, for his words scorching her heart.  Peter had slipped into death
far too quickly, though Hades’ flamethrowers were certainly amusing themselves
with the human’s soul.  Broc would not fare so well.  Emily had
confided in him the reason for her running away in an attempt to seek escape from
Castle MacLarrin.  Her capture and degradation down here in Drakar’s
prisons would be Broc’s consequence.  But what his Emily did not yet
realize, he had heard every uttered word the Forest Lord had made, right along
with her.

Emily sniffed, looking up at him,
bleary eyed.  “When you rescued me from Peter, I felt more safe than I
ever had in my life . . . more safe than ever I’d felt with those dozens of
males forever surrounding me when I was at Broc’s keep.  I wanted to leave
with you.”  She dropped her gaze from his intense stare.  “You left
me.  You didn’t want me.”

“The bond between us cannot be
denied, no matter the paths our lives place us upon.”

“Seems my paths are full of 
manure and potholes.”

His chuckling vibrated against
her.  “Turn around, and I’ll wash your hair.”

She complied.

“I will not deny who and what we
are down here in Balkore, however, Princess Emily, realize that your questions
may contain answers you’ve not been prepared for in
your
world.”

“Why do I not fear
you
? 
Lord knows you keep trying.  The night you rescued me from Peter, one of
the Lumynari with you kept commenting on how I lacked fear.  Oh-my-God,
you should sell your hair-washing services.  If you do all this
before
you add shampoo . . .” She moaned under his fingertips currently massaging her
scalp.  “Where
is
Peter?  Hang on,” she turned to face
him.  “Did I really see you wag your finger at me?  Were you beating
him—“

Dezenial dunked her.

Emily geysered.  Sputtering,
she backslapped his mega-chest.

“I had to get your hair good and
soaked.”

“You were trying to shut me up!”

“Do not concern yourself with the
human.  That is final.  Remember, Keer’dra, you reside in my world
now.  If I forbid you knowledge, respect it.”  He leaned down, closer
to her ear.  “Shall we discuss your curiosity, and where it led
you?”  He mimicked Spinner hissing.

“You’ve made your point.”  She
pointed to her head.  “Back to massaging, Bub.”

Dezenial complied. 

Her eyelids became heavy, her head
falling back.  Mewling escaped her.  “You’re grinning.  I can
feel it.”

“You purr.”

“I scratch too.  You have
coconut scented shampoo?” she asked over his chuckling.

“We are not
completely
uncivilized.  We have patrols continuously trading with land-dwellers.”

“When, during the week of
Halloween?  You guys put a whole new meaning into Trick-or-Treat. This
water is uber hot, just the way I like it.”

“Living in Balkore has its
privileges.  My chambers tap into hot springs.”

“I could stay in this
forever.”  His massaging traveled down to her shoulders.  Her head
fell forward, giving him better access to her nape.

“Your modesty leaves you.”

“You’ve seen more of me than I
have.”

“Dunk.”  He didn’t give her
time to comprehend his command before pushing her under water again.  She
caught him off guard, swimming away and coming up for air several yards
away.  Treading water, she arched her head back, rinsing her hair even
more.  Peeking at him, she thrilled over his possessing her with his
uncanny blue eyes.  Flirtatiously, she leveled her gaze and lowered her
arms.  Time no longer slipped forward, nor paused.  None existed here
but the two of them.  She offered a hint of a smile.  Dezenial
lowered the wide expanse of his torso into the steaming water, and glided
towards her.  Her smile broadened, encouraging his advance.

Shoving hard against the water with
her palms, she splashed him full in the face.

He sputtered, spewed water, roared
and bared his fangs.

Emily shrieked with laughter.

Dezenial eyes ignited into red
flames . . . just before he submerged, his expression full of murderous
intent.  Emily twisted around and dove into the dark waters.  Madly
breast stroking, she pulled through water with fevered—

A hand clamped around her
ankle.  Crying out, she gulped mouthfuls of water.  Choking. 
Flailing furiously, she tried pushing off the Lumynari.  His hold
tightened.  He pulled.  She choked harder.  White spots
danced.  Violently, she squirmed, frenzied.  Screeching humming
noises escaped her, gagging again.  Abruptly seized around the waist, her
body rocketed towards the surface.