Shadows of the Keeper (30 page)

“Yet, you broke your fast amongst
Elves and immortals.”

“Are you being a smartass?”

He sighed heavily.  “You are
in Balkore, the portion I have seized from my mother.”  Dezenial
bowed.  “You are a most honored guest.”  Slowly, a grin spread upon
his smoky gray face.

“I recognize a devious grin when I
see one, Mr. Man.”

“You’re a bit of a prisoner as
well.”  He smirked.

“
Prisoner
?”

“For your own good.”

“My own
good
?”

He scowled.  “Yes!”

Emily flinched.

“Your own good.  Should I set
you free, you would no doubt traipse into tunnels, exploring . . . most likely
captured again.  We cannot have that.  I swore oath to protect you,
though you prove most difficult.”

“Difficult? 
Difficult
?”

Was he grinding his teeth? 
Men! 
No matter the species, they need women cowering and molded into thank you sir,
may I have another
? Folding her arms, leaning back and drawing up her legs,
she attempted to ignore him.  The blanket began slipping.  She tucked
it deeper between her cleavage.

“I assure you, you needn’t observe
modesty for my sake.”

“It’s for mine,
Lumynari!
”
Her glittering eyes hacked him.  “Where did those others go?”  She
nudged with her chin towards the terrace she’d spied.

“They guard you against any who
would enter without my permission.”

Emily leaned forward.  “What’s
going on, Dezenial?”

“You are remaining under my
protection until Drakar has been dealt with.  In the meantime, you are to
be cherished as you are, a royal guest in my domain.  Be careful your
judgments, Lady Emily, of what you see and hear around you.  My world
differs from yours—“

“No shit.”

“Save your sarcasm for when we are
alone.  In public, your quips will succeed in your execution.”

“Execution?  As in,
kill
me?”

“Is there another form of execution
perhaps I am not aware of?”

“Are you always so rude?”

“Do you always repeat every word
spoken to you?  You are forbidden to question me.  I have spoken, you
are simply to listen and obey.  Do you understand my command?”

“That’s
it
!” Emily snatched
the sheet. “Mombo warrior decides, because I have a set of tits,” yanking free,
irately sweeping herself off the bed, “I’m to be dominated!
And
then
dares to waltz in wearing waxed-on-leather!”  Furiously wrapping the
fabric around her torso, Emily lifted the makeshift toga hem and raised her
chin as if adorned in a gown of high society.  Storming the arrogant
Lumynari, she halted a breath away and glared up into—

“Are you wearing contacts?  No
way are those real blue?”  She shook her head.  And fought neurosis .
. . she barely reached his chest.  A very lickable chest. 
Why
can’t he be the one imprisoned naked?

Dezenial nearly choked but
succeeded in tamping down laughter over her audacious musings. 

“Just who do you think you
are?”  She threw up her hand, halting his answer.  “You assume
because you can snarl, look ferocious and surround yourself with Halloween
Wannabe’s, I’m to cower every stinkin’ time you speak?”  Emily jabbed his
chest with each word.  “You listen to me, and make sure
you
get
every word.”  She exchanged jabbing him for animating her hand. 
“Since landing in this country, that mind you, I’ve spent my adulthood drooling
over the chance to see, I’ve been run off the road and just about killed by a
ghost.”  She raised her hand.  “I’m not finished, MacDaddy.”

She ignored his eyes igniting into
red orbs—literally red.  Flames rollicked in place of pupils. 
Almost, she rolled her eyes.
Boys and their toys
. 

“I’ve been enlightened about Elves,
magic, immortality, oh, not to mention people who, at will, manifest themselves
into a cat and a horse.  Please, let’s not forget the talking sword who
seemed incredibly eager to educate me about Lumynari.”  She resumed jabbing
his chest—filing for later analysis the rock hardness of it.  “I’ve been
whisked away by spiders big enough to stuff and mount above a fire—“

“Spinners.”

She flung her hand. 
“Whatever.  Beaten, stripped, and then, whipped until my back felt like it
had met up with a cheese grater.  And you—“

She jabbed him again.

“Stand here fully clothed and think
to accuse me of being difficult?”  Bitter laughter bubbled up inside
her.  “What have you done to earn my respect that I would ever obey you
about anything?  You’ve lost your ever-loving mind.  I do not obey
anything male. 
Ever
!”

“I have hot water, soap, thick
towels, your land-dwelling precious hair conditioners,” he bent closer to her
face, “and, coffee.”

“Coffee?”

Throaty chuckling emanated from the
doorway.  Emily whipped around.  And gawked.  “What’s in the
water down here that there are two of you who look . . . edible?”

“You will not take a bite of him,”
Dezenial warned, laughter in his voice.

Garbled words were exchanged
between the two males.  As tall and obviously as arrogant as Dezenial,
glowing white hair cascading to his waist, the stranger glided closer.  He
reminded her of a jungle cat.  Baldric strap was his singular torso
attire, he too preferring tight black leggings and boots.  Emily’s eyes
dropped down.  So did her jaw.  He possessed thighs bodybuilders
could never hope to achieve.

She snapped out of her
ogling.  “What are you two saying?”

“Humans never live through a
standoff against Lumynari,” the stranger said.  “You lack fear of us, or
commonsense.”  He shrugged.  “I’ve yet to decide.”

Emily’s eyes flashed. 
Unknowingly to her, they glowed amber.  Laughter erupted from Dezenial as
he stepped in front of her, blocking her view.  And her rage.  Her
eyes extinguished.

“You aren’t going to offer an
introduction?” Emily quipped.

Her new enemy gave her a black
layered look.  “An introduction is a call to challenge.  Is this what
you seek?”

Emily shoved past Dezenial. 
“If it is your wish to battle just because I ask your name, than keep it, but
so too, since it has been announced these are
my
quarters,
you
are dismissed from my having to view you in them.”  Batting her eyes, she
offered her best bitchy smile.

In the span of five minutes,
Dezenial laughed more than he had in a lifetime.  On the threshold of
nearly ten thousand years in age, that was saying a lot. 

Much to Emily’s frustration,
whomever Dezenial’s buddy was, the schmuck mistook her for a standup comic as
well.  Refusing to be intimidated, she stared down—well, up, since she’d
be lucky to head-butt his chest . . . if she jumped—the irksome male.  He
reciprocated, not bothering to hide his growing anger.  A long slim scar
ran the gamut down his bronze chest. 
They really suffer god-complexes,
the way they show off their bodies
.

Dezenial threw his head back, his
laughter contagious when he spoke again to his friend in their language,
sharing Emily’s mental accusation.

“You said you had coffee.  You
made it sound as if you were offering a bath too.  Would it be too much to
ask to receive such hospitality, or do I have to forfeit something?” 
She’d yet to cease her glaring on the cretin just as formidable as
Dezenial.  His scar recaptured her attention.  Visually, she traced
it’s length.  Emily’s mischievous grin amused her audience.

Her next words sobered them.

“I gave you that.”  Images
flittered making the two males swim in and out of focus.  Her smile turned
malicious.  “My intention was to claim your death.”

“Keer’dra?”  Her voice had
changed.  Husky.  With an accent from long, long ago . . .

“You spied upon me as I
trained.  I chased you.  We battled.”  Confusion marred her
features.  “Then, you vanished, nothing more than a shadow.”  She
turned to Dezenial.  “Will you yet again cradle me in death, sending me to
your father, your brethren my executioners?”

“A very long time ago, Keer’dra.”

“I asked you a question, Shadow
Master!”

Almond shaped eyes narrowed,
flashing with fury.  “You are a guest, but never underestimate my
graciousness.  Speak to me with respect, or your life is what you will
forfeit
.”

Amber glow heightened in Emily’s
eyes.  “
Promise
?” she hissed, teeth clenched.  Her blanket
fell away, fluttering to shroud her ankles. “Think to keep me without cloth;
therefore, dominate?”  Lethally, she took a step towards Dezenial. 
“Do you dare imprison me, Dezenial, son of Hades?”

Her nakedness was pure beauty to
his parched eyes of the soft flesh he’d held securely during her healing
slumber.  Her audacity was a balm to his forever-present fury.  He
found himself thoroughly humored.  “Princess Emily, you are but a guest
whom I keep in order to spare your life.”  He stepped closer,
towering.  “Do you threaten mine?”  Feral smile matched glint of
death in his eyes.  “I am aware your power . . . are you, Emily?”  Unintelligible
words were muttered, his hand suddenly thrusting outward as if showering her
with something. 

Emily blinked several times. 
A strangeness within her faded.  “Dez?”  Cool air blasted against her
skin.  She squealed, covering her breasts.  “What are you
doing
?”
She turned away, shamed in her nakedness, shamed for the tears coursing down
her face. 

Another blackout.  When are
they going to stop?

She was naked.  In front of a
being she couldn’t explain how, but loved.  Would he leave her yet
again? 
Best to keep him away from my heart.  Like Broc, he’ll
turn on me
. 
And now, he induced humility to encourage me to hate
him.  Why?  Ah, because I dared have feelings for him.  Can’t
have that.  Can’t have disgusting Emily, the human, falling for
—

Whisper-soft, the blanket draped
around her shoulders, and whisked around her small frame with kind hands. 

“Thank you.”  She lifted
tear-filled eyes up to Dezenial.

It was the stranger providing her
modesty.  Kindly, he smiled down at her.  An offer she instinctively
knew very few had ever seen.  It was the first time she’d ever been in the
company of someone with the same odd colored eyes as her own.  She dropped
her head, looking back down at the thick rug, her long hair blessedly hiding
her flaming face.

“
Inzyr
are what allies are permitted
to call me.”

“Emily, is what everyone calls
me.”  She’d yet to lift her gaze.  “Just, Emily.”  She
shivered.  “Dare I ask what your enemies call you?”

“Vergla.”

“Yes, of course.  Pfff.”

“Death.”

“I think my heart just stopped.”

Belying cruelties his hands were
capable of, very gently they swept her hair aside, enabling him a better view
of her face.  “You are brave, Just Emily.  Most brave.  Your
boldness astounds many.  Be careful your courage, for it makes you daring
in the face of certain death.”  He leaned closer to her ear.  “We
Lumynari thrive on such challenges, Just Emily.”

A flicker of apprehension coursed
through her.  Her eyes were liquid amber, tears waiting to spill. 
Something about him . . .

“Who are you?”  She felt . . .
safe?  How?  From him?  Impossible.  Stress was speeding
her down the boulevard to Lunacy Square.

“I am many things in the dark of
night which you humans fear.”  Inzyr shrugged.  “Some think to
imitate our ways, but as mortals, they botch it, ending up in your prisons.” 
He chuckled.  “Fools.  Like children playing with fire.”

“Am I in danger of you?” 
Emily sought reassurances from Dezenial but instead, drew more confused by
their amusement.

Inzyr cupped her face, forcing her
to look up at him.  He was so much taller than she, like Dezenial. 
“You are not in danger from me . . . for the moment.”  His glance clipped
over her shoulder.  “But, I am not in love with you, Just Emily, so do not
tempt your goddess, the Lady Fate, where my temper is concerned.”  His
boyish grin contradicted the deadly intent of his gaze.  “My goddess
relishes death.  Encourages it.  The more torturous, the more she
approves.  And my mother, well, let us simply pray you never look into her
eyes.”

Emily knew, down to her toes, this
being was terror on a tight leash.  Let loose . . . beyond sanity to think
on.

“You have a power,” Inzyr
continued.  “Dormant, surging to be free, vast in its ability. You will
train under me, freeing that power before it comes calling and you lack
aptitude to control it. This,
this
is what your Dezenial fears.”

“
My
Dezenial?”

Inzyr laughed softly, shaking his
head and easing away.  “Your woman is in need of her coffee.  Her
brain rattles like gourds shamans raise to their gods.”  He exited by
route the guards had taken earlier.

“Why does he refer to me as
your
woman?”

“Several times, I have saved your
life, forfeiting my own council to stay away from you.”  The Lumynari
moved in on her, taking her around the shoulders.  His hands were warm and
huge
.  A shudder surged through her.  Her heart thumped
erratically. 

She did not see his grin.

“Come.  Allow me to show you
hospitality.  We usually only bring humans down for sport in our arenas or
torment.”  Her shocked expression made him laugh devilishly, fully aware
it made her toes curl and her palms sweat.  Unable to resist, he came around
in front of her, pretended to have need to work the kinks from his neck and
then stretched.  The brazen hussy scrutinized parts of his anatomy no lady
would dare admit to staring at.  Her tongue darted out, moistening her
bottom lip.  Now
he
was the one in dire of a shower—ice cold!