Redeemed by Rubies (A Dance with Destiny Book 6) (36 page)

Shamsiel grabbed her elbow and squeezed. “You should have questioned Uriel further concerning
my
abilities. I wasn’t his right-hand based simply upon my amazing looks alone. I
earned
that position, great-whatever granddaughter.”

Jenevier only rolled her eyes.

As she stepped down from the podium, Ardune took her hand.

“Come with me, my Lady.”

The Drowl quietly led her away from the arena and ever deeper into Sheol.

After they had walked for quite some time, Jenevier noticed a concentration of witch-vine up ahead and to their left.

“Ardune?”

“Yes, my Lady.”

“Do you think perhaps we could rest for a bit… over there, where it’s lighter? It seems I have forgotten what if feels like to be human. My legs are weary, and I thirst.”

Without a word, Ardune swept her up in his arms and continued walking. Jenevier started to complain, but was far too thankful to play at modesty.

“Not much further now, my Lady. Soon, you can fill your belly and get some rest.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but… it isn’t more bugs, is it? Or those giant spiders that Tree-man was eating.” She shivered. “When he would crack their legs off…”

Ardune chuckled. “You did very well, my Lady. I was surprised. You handled yourself like a pro back there. Even though your face turned about seven shades of green.”

“Ugh…” She shuddered all over. “I don’t believe I have swallowed back that much bile the whole of my life.”

“Worry not, little one. You shouldn’t have to go back to the arena anymore. Not until the end.”

“Little one, huh?” Jenevier smiled. “You and I are about the same size. How is it you call
me
little?”

“Because you are a Lady.” He smiled. “I haven’t seen one in so long… I forgot how dainty they were, how wonderful they smell. Here we go.”

When the Drowl lowered her to her feet, Jenevier realized they had come to the same glowing spot she had seen in the distance.

“Is this your home, Ardune?”

“We do not have homes in Sheol. This is simply a place I come when I wish for peace… wish to be alone.”

“Oh, and look… it’s right by a lake. That
is
water, isn’t it? The absence of light makes it hard to tell.”

Just as Jenevier was about to dip her toes into the still, black pool, Ardune jerked her back against him.

“Do not enter the water, my Lady. Never breach its surface.”

“But… why?”

“There are things asleep within its depths. Things that should remain there, undisturbed.” He took her hand. “Let’s get inside.”

Jenevier’s mouth fell open when they stepped through the mouth of the glowing cave.

“Ardune… it’s… it’s lovely. I never
dreamed
there was a place like this in Sheol.”

“There wasn’t. There isn’t.” The Drowl smiled. “When last I was here, there was nothing but dirt and vines.”

She lightly ran her fingertips along the fluffy blanket draped over the large bed. “What are you saying? Is this magic?”

Ardune snorted out a laugh. “Hardly. Now, sit down and eat while it’s still warm, my Lady.”

Only then did Jenevier notice the small table in the middle of the room.

“What is it?” She sat down cross-legged, smiling as she lifted the lid. “Oh… heavens holy stars. That smells incredible!” She snapped the chopsticks apart. “Where in the universe did you get this, Ardune? Come. Join me. If I eat all this myself, I’ll pop wide open.”

The Drowl knelt across from her. “You have a beautiful smile, my Lady. It reminds me of home… back when I was useful… needed.”

“Oh, Ardune.” Her eyes involuntarily rolled when she took her first bite. “These are the
best
noodles I have ever tasted. Here. Open wide.”

He smiled before slowly obeying. “You are right, my Lady. Never have I tasted their like.”

“How did you do it, Brother? How did you manage all this?”

“I didn’t, my Lady. Your Angel made all this possible. As I said, this was merely a cave when last I left it. The bed, the tub, all those blankets and girly things… your Angel brought them here while we were waiting in the arena for your formal introduction.”

Jenevier swallowed hard, then stopped eating.

“Don’t call him that. Ahriman is not
my
Angel.”

“Apologies, my Lady.”

“That soul-eater is the whole reason I am stuck here in the first place. If it weren’t for that forever-damned creature… I’d be having tea and laughing with my family back at the palace.”

“You have a palace, my Lady?”

She glanced up at the Drowl, then back down to her noodles. “I was Empress of Jinn… only this morning,” she whispered softly, tears burning the backs of her eyes. “Here, Ardune.” She handed him the chopsticks. “I’ve had about enough. Will you finish it up for me? I’d like to get some rest now.”

“Just a little more. Please?” the Drowl begged. “You need to keep your strength up. Just one more bite. Okay?” He smiled when she opened her mouth for him. “With no sun here, your lovely skin will suffer if you don’t eat properly.”

“I am not a child,” she grumbled while still chewing.

Ardune smiled softly. “And I am not treating you as a child. I am treating you as a Lady should be treated.” He fed her another mouthful. “If you were
my
Lady… you would have never even met that vile Angel in the first place,” he said, continuing to feed her. “I would have been your ever-constant. Ahriman would never have made it within speaking distance of you.”

“I had many capable Guardians,” Jenevier whispered, glancing away. “The fact that I met Vybius had nothing to do with
them
. No… that horrible introduction was due to my own stupid mistake, no one else’s.”

Jenevier turned back to him and opened her mouth, but she didn’t make eye contact with the Drowl.

“That’s it,” Ardune said through a gentle smile. “Eat as much as you can while it is yet warm, my Lady. There is no fire in Sheol—no way to heat it back up.” He laid the chopsticks aside as he poured her tea. “Now… where did that arrogant Angel leave the sugar cubes?’ he mumbled. “Oh, here they are… beside the fruit.”

Jenevier glanced over at the large fruit-laden bowl on the small nightstand. Her eyes went wide.

“Is that… Is that Tissamon fruit?”

“I know not,” Ardune said, picking up a piece. “Would you like me to cut one for you?”

The Drowl smiled when Jenevier only nodded her head, keeping her now brightened gaze locked upon the pink fruit in his hand.

*****

When the Drowl had counted her steady breaths for several minutes, he quietly stepped back out into the darkness.

“Did she eat? Is she resting?”

Ardune nodded. “She ate a bit. She’s sleeping now.”

Ahriman began to pace back and forth, worry furrowing his brow.

“That’s too little, too late, Angel.” Ardune sighed. “She’s here now. Nothing can be done for it.”

“Do not leave her side for a moment,” Ahriman said.

“I have no intention of it. Now, stop your incessant pacing before you draw the attention of something neither one of us wants to deal with.”

Ahriman quickly glanced to the smooth, black waters. “Will she be safe here?”

“Yes.” Ardune nodded. “Safe enough. I like to come here because no one else dares. We won’t have to worry about unwelcome company. I’ll tend to her now. You just go and see what you can do to speed up the process. If Father loves her as much as you say He does…”

“He does,” Ahriman whispered. “I am certain of it.”

“Aye, well, if He does… He’ll not be handing her over to the likes of
you
.”

Ahriman glared at the Drowl, but didn’t speak.

“And you can forget about keeping her
here
as your willing, or unwilling, bride. I hope you can see that now.”

Still, Ahriman held his tongue.

“If you lock her in Sheol, she’ll die here… well and good. This is not the land of the living, Angel. This you know. If she dies here, her soul will go wherever her soul is meant to go. Either way, you lose.”

Ahriman looked away. “Just… take care of her.”

“It is what I live for.” Ardune smiled. “To think that I would be in charge of another Lady… even in my dreams, I didn’t dare hope for such a thing.”

Ahriman studied the Drowl’s smiling profile a moment, before begrudgingly returning to the arena.

*****

Ardune’s soft humming is what pulled Jenevier’s eyes open. She smiled.

“What a lovely tune, Ardune. Is it from your homeland?”

“Yes. It is a lullaby, my Lady.”

When she sat up and yawned, he gently placed a cup in her hands.

“I fear the tea has cooled, Empress. Please forgive me the lack of comfort afforded you here.”

“You can just call me Jenevier.” She took a drink. “And, cold tea is better than no tea, any day. Gratitude, Brother.”

“No need for your thanks, my Lady. Serving you is a pleasure I do not deserve.” He took the teacup just as she emptied it. “I have drawn you a bath. Alas, as is all things here, it is cold. Would you like to stand while I bathe you, or will you dare to brave the tub?”

“I’ll give it a try.” She smiled at the Drowl. “You don’t have to dote on me so. I can bathe myself.”

“No, my Lady.” He lowered his head. “Please allow me the honor… please.”

When she didn’t answer, he slowly looked back up and met her uneasy gaze.

“Ardune, the last time I let a man bathe me… things did not turn out so well.” She glanced at the tub and back to him. “He tricked me. Lied to me. Made me fall in love with him.” She sighed softly. “I killed him,” she whispered. “Dante deserved it… and I deserved the punishment I earned for that vengeful act.”

“Well… it’s a good thing I am a Drowl and not a man.”

When she still hesitated, Ardune slowly slipped his tunic off. Jenevier stared at the onyx-colored creature. There was
nothing
upon his body to mark his gender, not even nipples upon his chest. He was a shell… a doll. She slowly reached out and ran her fingers over his skin. It was true that his flesh
looked
like onyx—as black as the stone itself—but it
felt
as soft as fine velvet.

“You are perfect, aren’t you, Ardune? The perfect Guardian for any young girl… a gentle smile, an almost compulsive need to pamper, not too large, not too tiny, and as soft as a child’s first toy.” She smiled. “You remind me of my stuffed bunny, Bixby. Papa bought him for my second name day. He had black velvety fur, and his eyes were silver buttons. I loved him immediately. He was my best friend. I carried him around with me everywhere. I couldn’t get a wink’s sleep if he wasn’t at my side. I had him right up until the moment I had to leave Tamar Broden. If I close my eyes right now… the feel of you sends those precious childhood memories flooding back to me.”

“And I can sing, too,” he whispered, smiling. “I would be honored to be your Bixby, your doll, your comforter. You are safe with me, my Lady. Although I may not look it to your eyes, I am strong—an ancient warrior of renown and respect. Place your trust in me, Jenevier. Let me do what it is I was formed to do.”

*****

When she shivered again, Ardune wrapped yet another blanket around her shoulders.

“It’s because your curls are yet wet,” he softly said. “Perhaps we should only wash your hair on occasion.”

“No way, Drowl.” She sort of snorted. “If I don’t wash it daily, it turns into a tangled mess—unmanageable by
any
creature. I can handle a daily chill or two.”

He twisted another sodden curl around his finger before gently releasing it.

“I will admit,” he said, smiling as he continued in his task. “My former Lady’s locks hung long and straight.” He met her gaze in the mirror. “I like the change… means I get to pamper you a bit longer.”

Jenevier smiled. “Let me guess… King Thacius’s daughters were spoiled beyond all reason, hard to manage by even the most worshipping of husbands.”

“They were spoiled, yes. Yet, that is a Drowl’s duty. Besides, once you are given charge of a Lady, she is yours always… husband or no.”

Jenevier popped another piece of fruit in her mouth. “Then I don’t understand why you are waiting here in Sheol. If
I
had the power, there would be Drowls upon every layer of this universe.”

Ardune stopped twisting her curls and smiled down at her. “From your lips to Father’s ears, my Lady,” he whispered softly.

Ahriman stepped into the cave just as Ardune was beginning to dress her. The soul-eater stopped dead in his tracks, staring.