Shadows of the Keeper (45 page)

The undeniable hiss of several
claymores and broadswords being unsheathed filled the night.

“Nay, MacLarrin.  Ye’ll no’
fight against any o’ us for yer’ betrayal of Lady Emily.  Ye’ cast her
aside when she was yer wife; ye’ cast her aside when she was yer’ ward.”

“Move aside,
Celt
,” Broc
snarled.

Reignsfeugh’s voice remained calm,
his gaze steady.  “Cool yer’ head, mohn.  We stand by yer’ side ta’
fight the Lumynari, but her Shield Guard has the right ta’ defend his lady.”

“She is
mine
!”  Broc
staggered.  Claymore slipped from his fingers.  His admission sobered him
like a slap.

“Not for a very long time,” Xyn
corrected before turning away and melding into the dark.

“Here,” Garreck proffered a flask
to his laird.  “ ‘Twill help yer’ mind as well as ease some o’ this cold.”

Broc slowly accepted.  Neither
brother commented on how badly Broc’s hand trembled.

“You will tell us what you saw of
Emily,” Aedan demanded of Pendaran.  “How she fares.  How could you
guise yourself, yet the Elders dare not enter the Lumynari lair?”  Aedan
rotated his shoulder and glared venom at Broc before returning his scowl upon
the druid.

“A powerful priestess travels as a
shadow, when spying for her goddess.”  Pendaran’s black hair billowed,
lifting, then settling the length of his back.  Sister Wind, they noted,
could not help herself.  It was the same with Aunsgar’s hair. 
Always, the Elemental made them aware of her presence, lifting their hair,
weaving her fingers through the tresses, smoothing them down.

“Emily remains blind to her power
unless provoked to protect herself or those she feels are in her care.” 
Pendaran locked gazes with Broc.  “Dezenial desires to return her to the
light.”

“Used her, now discards her.” 
Broc spit.

“Protects his twins she carries.” 
Pendaran rather enjoyed the effect of several men sitting heavily, ogling in
shock.  But mostly, he enjoyed the contortion upon the MacLarrin’s
face.  His pain was but a small payment for having failed—again.

*   *   *   *   *

“Okay, so, if I clap my hands once,
and focus on shadows, darkened alcoves or corners of rooms or unlit caverns
or—“

“Or my bed . . .”  Dezenial
growled.

“I can barely walk as it is.”

“
Keer’dra
!”  Booming
laughter filled their chamber.

Emily raised her hands and clapped
once.

And vanished.

“Oh-my-
God
!”  Emily
stepped from a dark corner and waved at her husband.  “
This
is just
too cool!”  Another clap echoed.  “Wooot!”

Dezenial rolled his eyes, his wife
squealing from their bedroom.

“Gotta do it again!” 
Giggling, envisioning where next she desired to be, Emily manifested in an
alcove boasting a locked door.  “What’s in this room?”

“Never enter. 
Never
allow your curiosity to rule.  A portal, such as is in your father’s
dwelling.”

“To?”

“To Otherworld, Emily.  You
cannot return if you pass through that door.”

“Can you?”

“I am Daemon.  The way is
most
open to me.”

“Pfff, your dad and I are going to
have to discuss my having a few keys to your territories.”

Another clap and another squeal,
this time a bit further, as it sounded like she’d appeared in their gathering
room.  Dezenial settled his tall frame into a leather chaise recliner—a
human comfort he much enjoyed.  Thoroughly amused, he watched and listened
as Emily vanished and reappeared repeatedly.  His long legs crossed, a rare
moment of complete leisure.  He’d allowed her to drink from him again,
this
time yielding to the awakening of her carnal desire.  The vixen had then,
thanks to a certain assassin unable to keep his mouth shut, wanted to know how
a true Lumynari made love.

She’d proven to be an
apt
pupil.

His inner thigh, where she’d bitten
and drank from him while working wonders with flames emitting from her hand,
had ignited in him something
never
experienced—

His hair was viciously yanked,
jerking his neck!

Howling, he rocketed from his
chair.  Emily was nowhere for him to latch onto and throttle. 
“Insolent witch!  I command you to return, sorceress!”

Silence.

Not even a giggle.  Emily
never
contained mirth when besting and pranking him.  He frowned.  Had she
yanked in fear? 

Keer’dra?

Nothing.  She’d sworn oath
never to use her newfound power to shut him from her mind.

“Dez . . .”  Emily appeared. 
And yelped, falling to her knees.  Huddled.  Shaking.  Teeth
chattering. “I don’t . . . feel . . . help me.”

She was lifted, carried and gently
settled onto his lap.  “You will tell me, Emily, did you enter the
portal?” Her skin was ice.  Her mind remained closed.

“No.  I don’t know. 
Darkness was everywhere.  No sound.  No light.  So cold.” 
She curled into fetal position.  “A chasm, Dez.”  Convulsive
swallowing commenced.  “I think I’m going to . . . gag.”  Color
drained from her.  Cold sweat beaded across her brow.

“I warned you are with child. 
We will have to be more careful what magicks you practice.”  His cool hand
rested upon her cheek, incantations muttered to slow her racing heart.  As
her body warmed, her mind thawed.

And their connection renewed. 

Drakar!

The Lumynari grew bold.  Which
meant, he was becoming desperate.  Dezenial pondered this for several long
seconds while sifting Emily’s hair through his fingers, encouraging her to
relax as she regained her balance.  Either his mother’s patience for
Drakar drew to an end, or Shadow had somehow ascertained Emily was about to
slip from her grasp.  A mental command and Daemon Elites closed ranks
throughout his palace.

“Why do I hear Drakar’s name in
your mind, Dez?”

“He borrows magicks from my mother
in an attempt to pull you from my protection.”

“Is that where I was?”

His arms tightened around
her.  “I believe so. Do not fear, little one.  That band on your arm
is not something anyone down here is aware of—not even my bitch of a mother. 
The elite wrapped around your arm is immune to Shadow’s powers; can pulverize
her.

“We should then hold out hope she
succeeds in pissing this whatever-around-my-arm off.  Why don’t you just end
her miserable existence, once and for all?”

“Certain rules we gods have to
obey; however, should she cross the line, I am free to do what you suggest. 
And that, little one, is authority given to me from Zeus.”

“You sound hopeful.”

“My mother killed a child.  It
wasn’t the first time, and it wasn’t the last, but it scarred me.  Because I
dared show sentiment, I was punished until my father arrived.”

Emily huddled against him. 
“This only convinces you more to send me atop.”

He kissed the top of her
head.  “Yes.”  His voice was very resigned.  “I cannot allow
anything to happen to you, and now, you are in a very delicate state. 
When my mother realizes you are pregnant, her determination to claim your soul
will increase in ways I’d rather not have you even remotely near.”

“There’s no way I’m already
pregnant, and there’s
especially
no way you could know.”  No sooner
said, than her hand slammed against her mouth and she was shoving away from
him, making a beeline for the bathing chambers.  Moments after emptying
the contents of her stomach, followed by rib-aching dry heaves, a cold cloth
pressed against her face.

“
Dez
.  This isn’t
exactly how I want you seeing me.”

Dezenial swept her up into his arms,
this time carrying her to their bed.  “Keer’dra, you will remain under my
watch, even though it
is
now easier.”

“It’s the main reason you finally
claimed me—just to make . . . your life easier.”

“The rewards of tasting you each
night make it well worth the agony I must suffer being in your company by day.”

“And you wonder why the black widow
kills her mate.”  Emily groaned.  “Maybe all the flitting about, I
simply suffer vertigo.”  She eyed him.  “Pregnancy . . . pfff.”

He pulled the quilt up to her
chin.  “You know I must sit on council today.  Eldaryn will protect
you.”  He would
counsel
the Daemon death squad to ferret out
Drakar’s priestess, obviously loaned to him by his mother.  A well-known
fact down here in Balkore: Drakar was useless with spells.  The only way
he’d been able to pull Emily into a dimension was through Shadow.  Perhaps
he should eradicate his mother’s entourage as well? 
It has been
four-thousand years since my last rage cost her dearly.  Apparently, she
needs reminding
. Then again, having claimed Emily as his own versus
bringing her to Shadow was a dangerous dance he’d chosen to participate in.

“Must I keep that dog in here?”

Dezenial chuckled.  “That dog,
as you persist in continuing to call it, will protect you better than any
Shadow Master, save your sire.  Besides, I trust Eldaryn more right now
than most who claim allegiance.”

“I’m not ungrateful, Dez, just
tired of feeling sick.  It’s making me bitchy—“

He snorted.

“Are you implying I’m
always
bitchy?”

“It is not an implication. 
You are Lumynari.  Ill temper and ill repute are expected . . . and
admired.”

She waved him off.  “I’m just
tired.  No Lumynari, no evil, just good ole’ fashioned exhaustion.  I
think we have to give sex a break for a while.”

He suckled her fingers.

She snatched her hand back. 
“Okay, so sex is staying, but I think I’ve just been through too much, too
fast, and my body is finally shutting down and having itself a fit of sorts,
though I’m starving for super spicy food too, and that surely doesn’t make—“

Dezenial placed a finger over her
mouth, silencing her barrage.  “Keer’dra.  You are with child.” 

She rolled over, presenting her
back to him.

“Temper tantrums do not improve my
mood.”  He rolled her right back over.  “You will rest.  When
I’ve finished my obligations, I’ll take you on a short journey.  You’ll
enjoy its end result.”

“Sex?”

“No, you lustful wench, not
sex.”  His boyish grin made her blush and laugh.

“See, get a girl pregnant, and
she’s no longer needed.”

His lips delicately touched hers,
his hand splaying her abdomen.  She felt cherished.

“Mine, Keer’dra. 
Never
forget how much I enjoy the domination and claiming of you, as I have done for
these past several days since taking you as my mate.”

She forced his hand to squeeze her
breast.  “How can you know that I’m with child?”

In answer, he deftly separated the
buttons of her shirt and slipped her offering from his hand to her mouth. 
She arched, his suckling becoming ravishment.  Just as quickly, he raised
his head.  “Observe.”

Milk seeped from her breast. 
“That’s impossible!  I would only be in my first trimester.”

“You’re Lumynari.”

“Im’pyur, to be precise.”

“Mine, to be exact.”

“I’m pregnant, Dez. 
We’re
pregnant.”

He smiled lovingly, caressing her
face, his other hand sliding down, possessing where her womb lay.  His
head jerked.  He shifted and stared at her abdomen, frowning.

“Dez?”

He looked up at her.  Lumynari
warrior, sovereign at that, Dark Prince, wore such an uncommon look of surprise
on his face . . . ‘twas more unsettling than if he’d donned a halo.

“You’re scaring me,” she
whispered.  “Oh, God!  It’s a gargoyle, isn’t it?  Do you know
how cruel kids can be, his days at school will be awful, his little horns—“

“
Emily
, for the
love
of Hades,” he shook his head, laughing.  “Gargoyle?  Only Daemon
Elites can morph into such creatures.  No, it is something I’ve
suspected.  There beats two hearts.”

Her mouth moved several
times.  She clamped it shut and looked down at her stomach.  Finally,
she found her voice.  “Twins?” It still came out as a squeak.

He scoot down, petal soft kisses
tickling where his babies rested.  “Keer’dra,” he whispered caressingly,
“you are most beautiful.”

“You’ll hurry?”

“Not in the least.”  He stood,
covering her again.  “Eldaryn!”

Eight-hundred pounds of beast
padded in.  “You bellowed?”

“Protect her.  None enter but
Inzyr.  Kill any unless it’s Daemon, or Cianna.”

“A most anticipated pleasure. 
Shall I save them for your questioning, or am I granted your permission to
feast?”

Emily shuddered.  A two-headed
dog sat back upon its haunches, watching her with one head, Dezenial with the
other.  A groan escaped her as she collapsed back on the pillows. 
The snout of the beast raised, its other joining in unison, sniffing
loudly.  “Your mate is with child.”

Emily groaned.  “Is nothing
sacred?”

Beast and Shadow Master exchanged
words in a language not even Emily’s odd powers could decipher.  Both
males studied her for long moments in silence.  She felt like a lab
experiment gone horribly wrong.  Her eyes narrowed.  Dezenial grinned
before taking his leave.

Silence weighed down on her,
Dezenial’s footfalls having long lost their echo hours past.  And still,
one pair of eyes watched her and panted, the other set watched the door.

“Why must you stare at me?”

“You were ordered to rest.”

“I cannot sleep with something
staring at me.”  She swept the hair off her neck, twisted its length, then
dropped the rope down beside her head across the pillow.  “Just come up
here.”

“I am not a household pet.” 
The bed dipped precariously.  Emily lurched and grabbed fistfuls of the
blankets, saving herself from rolling off.  She’d not taken into
consideration the beast’s weight.  It was akin to having invited a polar
bear up onto the bead.