Arryn: Mystic Protectors Series (6 page)

“Where is it?” She told Him she didn’t know what He was talking about. “I think if you let me read it over that I can bargain for your life. It is not right that I wasn’t made aware of the contract in the first place, much less him taking a babe when she could not consent to anything.”

“Say I know where it is and what it says…why would it matter to You?” Renie looked away from Him as she continued. “In the large picture of things, I’m not really worth all that much to get Your panties in a twist over. Don’t you think?”

“No. I think that you’re as worthy as anyone that I watch over. And I have a grand plan for you. Before this…I knew nothing of the contract until I saw you in the courtroom that day.” She asked Him how that was possible. “I cannot see into the underworld, and even if I could, what was done to you and how it was done is not right.”

“But it’s done. Penny will live forever and I will rot in hell.” His heart hurt for her. “Arryn will be hurt by this as well, won’t he? I think he imagines himself in love with me. Which isn’t possible, since we’ve only known each other for about, what? A day or two?”

“He
is
in love with you, my child.” Her pain was raw and real. He wanted to comfort her and took her hand in His. As soon as He did, He realized his mistake. Her scream took His breath away.

Boss held her. Letting her go now would cause her more pain, so He moved His mind into hers and looked for what He wanted. She couldn’t block Him out as she dealt with the pain; not that she really could, but He knew the pain it would cause her should He just take the information. So Boss took everything He could from her before He let her go.

Arryn moved Him away from her and took her to his body. As soon as his wings closed around her and they disappeared, Boss stood up. But He fell back, the weakness in His body surprising as well as painful. As He sat there, He let her memories, her pain, run over Him. The demon was going to pay for this as well.

“You going to sit there and scare me witless, or are you going to speak to me?” He looked at Michael, who had not just drawn his sword but looked ready to do battle for Him. “You do not know what it was like for me to see you thusly. Do not do that again, if you please. I’m not a man to be trifled with.”

“I shan’t. I have what I need.” Boss looked at Judith and Dusty, who had drawn their swords as well. He was very proud of them in that moment. “I am fine now. She needed me to see what she would not share willingly. I know a great deal more than I did before.”

“And you had to just move in and take it? Even at the cost of harming you both? I do not like this, sire. You have gone too far.”

He knew Michael was scared; to be honest, so was He, but Boss knew that Michael talking to Him this way was not going to get them anywhere. Instead of telling him it was enough, He only stood and crossed His arms over His chest. It was enough to make Michael back off.

“I’m sorry, my Lord. I was beyond terrified when she screamed, and then to have You nearly fall…it was more than I had thought could happen.”

“For me as well.” Swords were put away and Boss sat down as He continued. “We must find out why this has come to be. There are rules to follow and even in the underworld, they are sticklers about such things. And he was there…this demon arranged this entire event to get what he wanted. We do not—either world—go in and manipulate things to have an outcome that we wish. Not ever. I will speak to his lordship and find out what he might know. Can you arrange it—?”

“Whoa your horses there, big guy.” He and Michael both looked at Dusty when she spoke. Setting a glass of tea in front of Him, she mimicked His stance from earlier. Her arms weren’t quite as big, but He knew her to be powerful. “You’re going to go and have tea and crumpets with the king shit himself of the underworld? I thought you guys were…I don’t know, sort of mortal enemies.”

“There are enemies and then there are rules.” She cocked a brow at Him and He had to work hard to not laugh at her. She was a might dangerous when upset. “We each have rules that we adhere to. His are less flexible than mine, believe it or not. And when one is broken—especially after the last encounter we had with his realm—he has been very good about keeping them in line. His minions, I mean.”

“You don’t call us minions, do you?” He shook His head, but He had feeling that Dusty didn’t really believe Him. “Anyway, about this tea and cookies stuff. I vote no. No way in…well, hell…are you going to have a sit down with this guy without me there.”

“Nor me.” Boss looked at Judith, who had come to him with a plate of cookies. Then he watched as both their husbands came to stand next to them. He was sure had she been able, Kala would have been there as well. He started to speak when Judith continued. “You have to be really smart or really stupid to do something like this. I mean…is it worth it?”

“It is for Reyna.” No one spoke, but He could see that they thought it was worth Him going to see the underlord. “I will take the utmost care with him. He is…for all his work, he is a fair and very good man. I’m not saying that I trust him wholly, but I know that once he finds out about this, he will have some words to say about it.”

While no one was happy, they did sit with him calmly. Michael went to check on Arryn and Renie as the rest of them sat around the computers that had been left behind. Kipling was staring at the screen when he suddenly stood up and went to the paperwork that Renie had spread out on the desk. Boss looked at Dusty.

“He’s getting into helping her. She told him this morning that there was something there, but she was too close to it. As she was explaining to him what she had found so far, all I could think about was how far behind I am in everything.” Dusty smiled. “Did I tell you that he’s going to advance to the ninth grade? Gifted classes for the most part, and then he’ll be able to take some on-line college classes next year.”

“That is wonderful news.” He looked over at the boy who was going through the paperwork like a tornado. “Renie has a system. Perhaps he should make sure he puts things back before she returns.”

“Oh, he will. She’s already warned him about her things. She warned Arryn, too, when he moved something to another pile. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Michael returned then and He stood up when he didn’t come to the table. “She is awake. Madder than…she is most unhappy with You. And Arryn. I have never seen a person so…all he did was suggest that she have a lying in for a bit before coming back here.” Boss nodded, laughing himself. “Lady Reyna can be most…loud, when she is in the mood.”

“I’m sure that all of the women can be vocal with their displeasure when they want.” He turned back to the group before He continued with Michael. “Will you call in the meeting with the underlord for me? I need to get this taken care of as soon as possible.”

“Do you think he is aware of this?” Boss told him he didn’t think so and sincerely hoped not. “He will be very angry should he not be aware. Do you think it wise that you speak to him, on his grounds?”

“Invite him here, to this realm.” Boss looked around the pretty little shop. “Ask him to come here, to the deli. I think he might enjoy some fine dining after all this time. Make sure that you let him know that it’s my treat. For all our riches, we still enjoy having a meal on someone else on occasion.”

Michael was still laughing when he left Him. Now Boss had to tell Judith and the others what His plan was, and to convince them that they had to behave. He didn’t want a war started over someone trying to kill the king of hell any more than he wanted Renie to be a subject of said king. But they had to talk. There was no way around it.

Sitting down, He started speaking just as Renie and Arryn appeared. He knew that something had happened. He moved toward her, but Arryn stepped in front of Him. That startled Him more than anything.

“She…her magic is beyond…she is very powerful. And has little control over it.” Boss nodded and looked at Renie as Arryn continued. “You may wish to speak to her outside, sire. She might feel better, safer anyway, out there. I have a mess…there is a mess in the room upstairs from when all the furniture began to move and fly. My Renie is terrified that she’ll hurt someone.”

Chapter 6

Renie paced back and forth in the large field as she tried to get her thoughts in line. She was terrified of what had happened upstairs in the little apartment, and now that she was outside in the open, it made what had happened seem surreal. She looked up when Boss said her name.

“Did you know that this would happen? Did you have an idea that this stuff in me would…take over?” He shook his head and then nodded. “Not helpful. I’m scared out of my underwear right now and I’m afraid that I might hurt you. I don’t want to, not really, but I might.”

“What has happened?” She looked at Arryn to be assured that he was still all right. “Tell me and perhaps I can fix this.

“I nearly killed him when one of the couches upstairs flew across the room and hit him in the head. I had no idea…it just happened, and there he was just lying there.” Boss looked at Arryn and Renie felt her eyes fill with tears. “I was hurting and he was trying to help me. But something…I don’t know what…it sort of bundled me up and then spit me out. When it did…when it did, all the furniture in the room started to swing around like it was on some sort of circus ride.”

“I have told her that I am well. But she was frightened when the blood was seeping from my head.” Boss looked at his head and there was nothing there. “I tried to explain to her that I heal—several times, as a matter of fact—and that I am an immortal. But she won’t believe me. I think she fears that she might hurt any of us next time and…she wants me to lock her away.”

“I fucking will hurt you now if you don’t stop talking about me when I’m standing right here.” Renie took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, counting to ten as she did. “I’m sorry. I’ve never had that happen before. I’ve brought down a building, but that took a lot out of me and then I was out for several days. Right now I feel like I could run…what is wrong with me?”

“What do you know of the men who sired you?” She told him nothing. “There were several, as you know. What you might not know is that they all contributed to your conception. And each of them—well, three of them—had magic. Not very powerful as individuals, but together it was a great deal.”

“So I got it. From…how is it possible that I’m here because of several men? I don’t understand.” Boss nodded and she thought that He was trying to shield her from something. “Just say it, damn it. I’ve had enough people walking around me like I’m some fainting lily that will keel over if something upsets me.”

“I think should anyone spend more than ten minutes with you, Renie, they would change that opinion very quickly. But as for the men…. You have their magic. It was planned that you should have it to…to last longer once you were in the underworld.” She sat down. It was simply too much to believe that, first of all, several men were her father and that she was this powerful. “You were to come into it when you turned twenty-five. Your mot…Penny knew it, but it’s not why she made the deal with the demon. She was tricked into giving you to him. I believe now that the demon that holds your contract is the one that set this up. He handpicked those men to sire you. Chose them to rape the woman who would bring you life, and then he whispered in her ear that he could give her immortality in exchange for your soul.”

“Why?” He didn’t answer her and she looked up at Him. “Why did she not give me up for adoption or leave me where someone could find me? Was his whispering so strong, or was it because she was so weak? What is it about my…whatever this is; what is it that scares her enough that she would sell me? Tell me, damn it.”

“Both I think. His voice would have been strong enough to pull her there, but her will, her greed is what turned it for you. And because with this magic you’d have it all, while she still had nothing at all.” In a sick sort of way she could see Penny thinking along those lines. “I’m so very sorry.”

“She would do that, you know. Make someone lower on the ladder of life and fairness that she had in her head; make sure that she was the one with the most. It’s why she wanted me to give her my money all the time. She never needed it, her family left her comfortable. But I had it and she knew that I had more than her. Even at the expense of me going without. I did it, too, at first. Gave her everything, until one day I just decided that she was never going to love me no matter how much I gave her. It was never going to be enough.” Renie sat there thinking of her lot in life. “I’m in love with Arryn. I think I’ve figured out that was Your plan, but You had no idea that I was sort of spoken for, did you?”

“Nay, I had no idea until you told me in the courthouse. I have since been looking into it. I have a meeting in a few days to talk to the lord of the underworld to see what he can tell me. I’m sure he has no idea either.” She looked at Arryn while Boss continued. He had told her he’d give them privacy because what she had to say was going to be about him. “You have to know this was not my plan when I mated you to him. I didn’t know of the contract.”

“It says that I can get out of it should I give him a piece of ten protectors. I won’t do that, but I want you to know that I can get out of it. For him.” She looked at Boss then. “Do you know what he’d do with a piece of them? And what this piece is that I’m supposed to get for him?”

“I do. It’s their feather. A feather from their wings. It’s as much a part of them as their blood and heart. Should they lose one, they would never be whole again.” She asked him what being whole meant. “They would never be able to come to my realm to die. If the demon has it, he has a part of their soul, a part that I have given them. And as for what he would do with them? He would rule them. Command them because of what he is, what he can do. And should he destroy the pieces of them in the pits of hell, then they would burn as well. Forever, child. Not even I could put out the eternal flame that would be set to them.”

“I thought they were immortal. I didn’t even know that they could be killed at all.” He looked away, then at her again. Renie waited, wanting to know as much about the man she loved as she could.

“There are a few protectors, not many, that tire of what they are doing. One of them you know is nearly to that point.” She asked him if it was Valyn and he nodded. “When he comes to me, and I fear he will, Valyn will hand me his medallion and then he will give me a feather. Once I have it, I will not destroy it but will keep it in a safe place. Then I will put him into a sleep so deep, he will be gone from us.”

“I see. So you can kill them, but no one else can. But there are other ways to kill them, right? I know that, somehow.” Boss nodded and produced a blade so beautiful that it burned brightly in the light of the day. There were markings on it that she knew were magic.

“Yes. They can be destroyed by a blade such as this one. You should know that protectors can kill the lords of the underworld with the same type of blade. My men and woman, all of them, are also armed with such a blade to kill their kind should a war come to pass again. The blade must be used to remove their head. It will not only destroy us but our blades as well, so they cannot be used against us. Same with the protectors. The swords are magical. All the Mystics have one as well, including Dusty and the other women. They work to protect us as much as they do.” She told Him that Lily was different than Judith and the others. “She is a protector like Arryn, not a mate to one. I think…I believe it is why she burns you when the others do not.”

“She’s sort of pure.” Boss nodded and Renie thought of something else He might not know. “The man who signed the contract, the demon, that’s not his real name. I don’t know what it is, but that’s not it.”

“You’re sure?” Renie nodded. “How do you know this? Are you aware of what repercussions this will bring should we figure out that he’s lied on a contract?”

“Color me silly, but I thought that was a way of life for his kind.” Boss laughed, so Renie smiled at him. “I’m going to die in seventeen days. I lied about my birthday. Not just to you, but to myself too. I know when this ends, and I guess I was trying to pretend like I had more time.”

“We will have to work quickly then.” She stood up and watched as Arryn came toward them. “He is in love with you as well, Reyna. Very much so.”

“Yeah, I have that effect on people.” Boss was careful not to touch her, but she could tell that He wanted to. He was a hugger and normally she wasn’t, but she thought that she could use one about now. “Can we try something? I mean, if it hurts, just back the…just back up.”

“I should very much like to try it. Give me permission, Reyna, and we shall see if I can hug you to me.” She nodded, almost ready to tell Him to forget it when she realized that He was laughing at her.

“I would very much like for You to give me a hug if You think You can do it without—” He had her in His arms almost before she could finish the next word. It felt wonderful, like light and bright sunshine. She looked up at Him and saw the tears in his eyes, and they brought her own. “If this doesn’t work out, I’m really going to miss you.”

“And I you, love. And I you.” He wiped at her tears then let her go. “But we will work this out, and when we do, you and Arryn will marry and I can have a new Mystic working with the others.”

As they made their way back to the shop, Arryn held her hand. It was a feeling that she’d grown to enjoy. Looking up at him, she knew that of all the people that had come into her life, she would love him and miss him the most of all. Leaning into him, she told him that she loved him.

The next thing she knew, they were in a large room. Arryn grinned at her. There was something very boyish and charming about his smile.

“I wanted you to see our new home.” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him it was a waste of money for him, but she looked around. “This is our room. Bedroom. There is one on the lower level that was intended for the master bedroom, but I love the light in this one. If you should like the bigger room—it’s not really that much bigger—but if you should like it, we can move back to it.”

Skylights were all over the ceiling and there were large floor to ceiling windows on the back side of the room. Renie went to those. The view was spectacular. It looked right down into an orchard. There was also a large pond back there with a dock and a smallish house near it.

“The pond is stocked, they told me. And it costs very little to have it done monthly should you want to fish. I have never been, but I think it would be a sport that I could enjoy.” Renie leaned against him when he wrapped his arms around her as he told her about the view. “I have been here in the evening, while you slept. I needed to be assured that it would be safe for us and the other protectors. There is a family of deer that comes out at dusk. They have a few fawn with them now.”

“I’ve never been fishing either. I’m not sure how much of a sport it is, but I think I’d like to do that too.” He held her tighter. “I’m going to die, Arryn. And soon. I’m going to…I don’t want to. I’ve never cared before I met you and the rest of the guys you hang out with. And even Dusty and Judith. But I don’t think this is going to end well for me or for you. I just…I don’t want to lose you like this.”

“We will be able to fix this. I know that we can. Boss is working very hard to make…. I love you too, Renie. I cannot go on without you. I don’t know what I would do without you in my life now that you’ve moved into my heart.” He turned her into his arms. “I’ve asked Boss if I could make you my wife, and He said that we can do this when you are ready. But He would like to wait a few more days. I told Him not much longer than that if He could manage it.”

“Make love to me, Arryn. Take me somewhere that means a lot to you and make love to me all night long. And let’s not talk about what might be or not.” His hand came down over her eyes, and when he let her open them again, he told her here was the place that meant the most to him.

It was the same room, only furnished now. The big four poster bed was right under the windows, and the light of the sun that was going down was making shadows across the snowy white comforter. The furniture was dark wood, matching the hardwood floors perfectly, and the skylights were shadowed in some kind of gauzy material. The entire room looked like a picture of a room she’d had hanging in her old apartment long ago, a dream of hers to have someday.

“I saw it there. One night when you were resting, I wanted to give you something that you’d love, something that we could both love. The house was easy to find with the help of Riss. He is quite the haggler.” She grinned at him. “The house has a great many acres, I’m told. And Riss has asked that we allow some of the protectors, if they wish, to come here and fish. I have agreed on the condition that they provide their own bait. Riss has a great respect for worms, did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t. Worms?” He nodded and smiled. “I’m betting this will be a story that will make me laugh a lot, won’t it?”

“Yes. I believe it will.” Arryn stepped back from her and looked down at her. “I should very much like to undress you. Slowly so that I might taste each inch of you that I reveal. And when I have you naked for me, I wish to lay you down on our bed and make slow passionate love to you.”

“Yes. Please.” He kissed her then, his mouth not just touching hers but making love to it. She could feel his love for her, the way he wanted her. When he lifted his head, she looked at him. “I love you, Arryn the Avenger.”

~~~

His need was nearly too much. Arryn wanted to strip her down quickly and take her where she stood. But he knew that she wanted passion, love making, and he was going to give it to her. Walking behind her, he thought of a mirror in front of them, and was happy to see them both reflected in it when it appeared.