Shadows of the Keeper (46 page)

“It’s very unsettling to have one
head glowering at me, the other watching the door.”

Eldaryn licked his chops.

“Oh, I feel
much
better.”  She caressed her abdomen, turned on her side and moaned.

“It is always difficult in the
beginning.”

“You’re an expert on human
pregnancy?”

“Somewhat.”

Emily lifted her head a bit. 
“Do tell.”

“I guarded the nursery.”

“
You
were in charge of
babies
?”

“You sound doubtful.”

“You look the type that watched
them as your next meal.”

Almost, Emily could swear the dog
grinned as he answered.  “Human flesh was a delicacy I was tortured to
watch over for the trolls.”

“Oh, God!”  Emily lurched from
the bed and ran for dear life for the toilet.  She was on her knees,
hugging the porcelain basin when panting warmed her back.  “Tell me
Dezenial rescued you, and this is some sort of debt you will soon be free
from.”  Emily kept her face aimed into the basin.

“I am not a dog.  Why would I
need rescuing?  And, no, I will not be separating myself from your
presence anytime soon.”

“There’s a scar of missing fur
under your jaw.”

“Chains.”

“You require them?”

The beast dipped one of his hulking
heads, nosing her away from the toilet.  “Wash your face with cold
water.  It helps.  Balance yourself against me, and I will guide you
back to your pallet.”

“Okay . . . in a . . . minute.”

“No.  Iron in your body is
inadequate.  You are about to faint.  You
will
obey me.”

“How the hell . . . do you know . .
. my ears are ringing.” 
Dezenial!

Eldaryn nudged her roughly, forcing
her to lie down upon cold tiles.  One gigantic paw cushioned her, the other
lightly, but firmly, held her down.

“What are you . . .”  Everything
floated away.

Ringing.

A voice.  Far off. 
Steadily closing in.  No, not right.  Someone spoke . . . through a
snorkel?  Odd.  Sticky.  Cold.  Clammy.  Hot.

“I cannot obtain water for
you.  I cannot obtain food, unless you are interested in fresh kill? No?
Nourishment is what you need.”

The beast sat upon haunches, again
with the one head trained on her, the other on the bathroom door.

“I passed out?”

“Can you stand?”

“I think so.”  She turned her
head a bit.  “Maybe in a minute or two.”

“Use me.”  The beast nudged
her, helping her with its solid stance as crutch for her to get up and hold
onto during her stumble towards her bed.  Her brow beaded with
sweat.  Gratefully, she collapsed upon down softness.  The last bit
of strength she owned was used to pull up the coverlet.  In tight fetal
position, she promised herself she’d never move again.  Eldaryn lay
against her back, one head resting upon her thigh, staring at her face, the
other watching the door.

“What are you doing?”

“You are cold.  I produce
enough heat to warm you.”  His body shuffled, closing any gaps that may
have existed between human and animal.  “Just do not think to pet my
head.  I am not a dog.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”  Heat
radiated.

“Dezenial’s mate.  You were
correct.  I was rescued.  Trolls owned me.  Snow trolls.”

“Snow trolls?”

“The most hungry; therefore, the
most feared.”

“The chain was to keep you
leashed?”

“The chain was used to hang me.”

Emily’s eyes snapped open. 
“You were being killed?”

“No.”

“Dog or not, I do not like
riddles.”

“I was being used as sport.”

“What happened to the troll?”

“I understand you are forbidden to
enter the palisade containing the arena?”

“How do
you
know?”

“My guarding you is not reserved
for those times in which you can observe me.  Dezenial knows of your
desire to see arena battles.  If you enter the passageway leading to that
area, I am to carry you as a mother would her pup, and if need be, drag you by
a leg—though I must say, the taste of your flesh—“

“Know this, mutt, one drop of
saliva touches my skin, you will be a rug I wipe my feet upon. 
Questions?”

“I’ll make a list of them. 
Dezenial warned you lacked fear.”

“I’m going to sleep.  Leave me
alone.”

“I have been ordered to—“

“Sleep, Rover.”

“Your lacking fear will—“

“Rover?”

He eyed her malevolently.

“I am grateful you were in the
bathroom with me, and helped me back in here.  Please don’t let anything
harm me.  I’m so tired of sleeping with one eye open when Dez is away.”

“
Dez
—uh hem.  Should
even
air
disturb your rest, I will attack with a vengeance.”

Emily grinned, nuzzled deeper into
her pillow, her eyes closing.

“Dezenial’s mate?” it whispered.

One amber eye slitted.

“Save what pride I have left and
keep the name
Rover
our secret.”  Eldaryn actually smirked, the
other head swiveling to glance its agreement before returning its death watch
upon the door.

Emily fell into a deep sleep,
grinning.

Emily’s eyes snapped open.

As did the beast guarding her.

She scrambled up, clutching the
snout resting upon her thigh.  “Not a word,” she whispered.  The head
snatched away from her.

“It is not for you to decide.”

Emily snatched Eldaryn’s snout
again.  “Trust me in this.”  She scooted from the bed.  “Come
with me.”  A slight shift in atmosphere, and Emily knew, what had awakened
her, now broke through invisible defenses.  It currently lurked down
below, in Dezenial’s gathering hall.

“I have grown to like this
particular coat of fur.  Very few of us are flattered with gray instead of
the dreaded brown.”

“Dezenial won’t skin you.”

“He is Lumynari.  He will make
me rip the fur out myself.”

“Revolting.  Silence. We’re
about to have company.”  Emily dropped her voice down to barely audible
levels.  “Into the water.”

“I cannot protect you—“

“It will be
I
who protects
you
,
mutt.  Into the water—I
command
it!” She shoved hard.

Emily’s scalp tightened.  The
change was coming over her.  But now, she remained coherent.  There
was magic Dezenial taught her to hone; there was
power
she knew existed
deep within her, intuitively understanding it was forbidden to exploit. 
And right now, rules be damned. 
Nothing
would endanger her unborn
babies.

A black mass began sieving its
entrance.

Emily became one with surrounding
black marble.  Stepping back, she melded into the glossy surface. 
Eldaryn could scarce believe his eyes—all four of them!  He stilled. 
And watched Dezenial’s mate fade, yet her heartbeat still pounded against his
ears.  How could a human exhibit Shadow Master ability?  She’d become
part of the wall!  Strange, this human-Lumynari.  Special.  None
he allowed close to him, trust obsolete.  She’d called him Rover. 
Four yellow eyes blinked, barely surfacing the dark water.  Her heart
pounded against his keen hearing.  His dark snouts twitched a bit, seeking
scent of enemy.  Lacking.  His eyes swung to the wall confirming
Dezenial’s mate still ceased to be visible, then swung to the bedroom.  A
shadow loomed!  It hovered near the bed the human-Lumynari had moments ago
slumbered upon . . . slumbering as he’d watched over her.

She’d trusted him enough to close
her eyes, and sleep.

The shadow pooled the
doorway.  Hesitation.  Throbbing.  As if a plug had been pulled,
it abruptly cascaded in, slinking along the floor. 

She had pushed him into the
water—why water? 

The darkness of shadow contorted
into various shapes as it traveled atop the onyx tile, stopping at the edge of
the bathing pool.  A piece of the shadow stretched . . . touched the
water, and recoiled.

Interesting.  A Shadow Master
had no aversion to water.  So what was this entity weaving throughout the
bathing chamber?  Dezenial’s mate had known he would be safe in
water.  Her concern had been for him!  But, what of herself? 
Did this traveling shadow have an aversion for walls?  Isn’t this how it
had gained access?  A solid door had not stopped its intrusion!  A
heavily guarded door!  He had sworn oath to protect Dezenial’s most
treasured—“

Shhh, my friend.  You
cannot attack what does not bleed.  Wait it out.  It seeks only
information, nothing more
.

Eldaryn whimpered.  He
never
whimpered.  The human-Lumynari had spoken to him through his mind. 
His
mind
!  How could this be?  Even the all-powerful Dezenial
lacked ability to mentally converse with him!

Black pulsating darkness bobbed and
weaved a few more times, oozing around the basin and sink.  Abruptly, it
vanished.

“Come, Eldaryn, we are alone.”

The beast slinked from the water.

“Oh, shake and stop your
pouting.  I’ll find you a nice prisoner to pounce and sink your gargantuan
teeth into.”

Eldaryn complied, spraying water
everywhere.  Emily shrieked, her raised arms doing little to ward off the
shower.  She spun away, laughing.  “Eldaryn!  I’m soaked!”

The beast settled back down. 
“What are you?”

“Pardon?”

“Your words were in my mind. 
You blended with the wall. You hid from a priestess and knew water would hide
me.”

“That, my new fanged friend, was no
priestess.”

Emily removed her sodden nightgown.

“I appreciate you sharing the
viewing of your body.”

“Perhaps you’d also appreciate me
placing you on a leash and taking you for a walk?  We could begin in the
market square.”

Eldaryn turned around, sighing at
the taxing effort it cost him before plopping down, his tails swishing the
tile.

“It knows I’m with child.  You
can turn around now, and stop wagging your damn tails, you’re shedding!”

“It did labor around the
contraption you were sick into.”

Emily rolled her eyes.  She’d
changed into a long heavy skirt hugging her legs, and falling low upon her
hips.  She’d enjoy her flat stomach for all of the few weeks she had left
before maternity wear would be needed.  Twins! Gah.  She looked down,
incredulous that
two
babies were growing inside.  Where they’d find
room, she had no idea.  She wore a sleeveless tunic, the armband doing as
Dezenial promised: radiating just enough heat to warm her when she wasn’t
cocooned in blankets. 

“C’mon.  We’ll eat while
awaiting my husband’s return.  I assume you want your meal raw?”

“I prefer you answer my questions.”

Emily swung around, the skirt
swishing like whispers upon her legs.  She held her hand in front of her,
palm up.  Blue flames leapt and curled, folding inside themselves. 
They snuffed without any more than a thought. 

Both
Eldaryn’s’ heads
scrutinized the woman.

“Be wary your demands, Rover. 
I protect that which I feel kinship towards, and slaughter those thinking to
harm me or mine.”  Void of expression, Emily locked Eldaryn’s stare to her
own, her eyes now glowing amber.  Without warning, she snapped around, briskly
walking away.  “Coming?”

“I think Dezenial and I will be
renegotiating my status.”

“You won’t have long to wait. 
He should be . . . roaring . . . in here right . . . about—“

“
Keer’dra
!” 

Guards surged in after him,
javelins, cutlasses, and hand axes drawn, fanning out, searching.

“Trick or treating again?”

“It fails to be the time for your
humor,
ari
.”

“Mate, in case you needed
translating,” Eldaryn grumbled.

“Thank you, mutt.  I haven’t
mastered fluent Hell yet.  I’m fine.  Beast here protected me.”

Dezenial scoffed.  “A great
battle to be sure.  Tell me, does the enemy now float in my bathing
waters?”

Still dripping, Eldaryn sauntered
closer to the Lumynari.  “You forgot to mention your life-mate has a
temper
and
curious powers.”  Both heads stared balefully at the
warrior.  Without warning, Eldaryn’s body erupted into a formidable shake
of drenched fur.

Saturated Dark Prince hissed and
bared his fangs up at the beast.

Nonplussed, the hellhound loped
towards his new mistress.  Snorfing back laughter, Emily pretended
interest in sorting meats.

“Eldaryn!  Your fur is a thing
of the past!”

Emily giggled.  “Here, Rover,
catch!”  A large steak whizzed through the air.

Eldaryn ducked.

A loud whack was the only
forewarning something dreadful occurred.

All present became shock-still.

Even the raw steak adhering to
Dezenial’s face.

Hellhound rocketed into the
sleeping chambers.

“
Emily
!”  Meat burbled,
Dezenial’s voice muted from under it.

Hysterical giggles bubbled up and
spilled over.  Emily slid to the ground, uproariously laughing. 
Warriors backed away, the crazed woman surely about to die.

“Remove this from my face!” 
Meat fluttered, making Dezenial lisp.

“Can’t,” Emily gasped.  “On .
. . your own.”  Submerged deeper into laughter, she failed to notice her
stalker. 

“I should beat you.”

She opened tear-filled eyes to see
a pair of boots standing near her collapsed form.  “I swear . . . so
not
planned!”  She dared peek up at him.  Huge mistake.  He was
sogged, his hair plastered.  “Oh, God!”  Holding her sides, she fell
onto her side, laughing harder.  Smacking the floor failed to provide air.

“I will wait.”

Burying her fists into her stomach,
she laughed harder, sure her sides would literally split.  Slowly,
oh-so-slowly, sanity returned.  In small increments, she was able to first
sit, dry her eyes, then, eventually look at her husband without exploding into
guffaws.  His eyes were twinkling. 

“Tell me of the visitor.”

“You lack alarm.”

“I am Lumynari.  You would
have me show fear?”

“You could fake it.”  His
outstretched hand was grasped, pulling her up from the floor.  With a damp
towel, she mopped meat residue from his face.  “God, Dez, that has to be
the funniest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”

His lips twitched.  “Glad to
amuse you.”

“Notice the mutt took off running?”

“I’m aware the fiend bolted.”

She sniffed, mirth still leaking
from her eyes.  “Our visitor knows I’m with child—oh, and apparently, I
can change my body to blend with a background I press myself against.”

“I am aware of your newly discovered
Shadow Master skills.  Your father’s conceit will now have no
limits.  You still do not know all your capabilities?”

“Nah.”  She gave a negative
shake of her head.  “Magic just seems to come knocking with such clarity
and comfort . . . annoying, really.  Was it the same for Aurelia?”

“Doubtful.  Perhaps this has
merit.”

“It’s an odd feeling.  What of
you?  Did you accomplish what you set out to do during your official
duties?”

“You must return to the light.”

“Oookay.”

“Shadow grows desperate.  Her
rage over my betrayal . . . the hearsays Inzyr and I are receiving—“

Emily stopped foraging in the cold
box.  “I’m not leaving.”  The door slammed shut with a loud
whump
. 
“We argued about this last week!”  She jabbed above her.  “I’m not
going up there without you!”

“I’m sleeping in here!” Eldaryn
shouted from the room.

“You really wish me to
leave?”  Emily’s eyes welled up.  “Just like everyone else,
huh?  I’m irritating to you now.  Just like Broc, Peter . . . I’m
insignificant—“

Dezenial charged, but she threw up
her hands, warding him off and shoved past him.  “No!  Fine! 
I’ll leave.”  Her arm was gripped.  She was swung around and slammed
against his strong frame.

“You will look at me, now.”

“No.”

The back of her hair was yanked,
her head arching back.  Pulsating red gaze met with tearing amber. 
“I am Lumynari.  Romancing you is a ridiculous notion you waste your time
harboring.  Heed my words: you belong to me.  You are not going
anywhere that I will not be with you.  Occasionally, I will remember to tell
you of my love for you, only because humans need to hear such words.”  His
grip tightened.  “No, Emily, do not squirm, thinking to pull away from
me.  Ever.  I do not speak words, but it does not mean I don’t feel
them.”  His lips descended down closer to hers.  “Keer’dra, does not
my heart pumping fire and my eyes burning when I look upon you speak louder
than your silly words?”  His hand moved to caress her abdomen.  “Do
not the lives I placed within your womb speak of who I am to you?”

“What’s
wrong
with
me?”  She whimpered.  “I know all this.  I feel everything
you’ve said.  I don’t want you to become some sap.”  Her eyes spilled
their tears, her forehead falling against his powerful chest.  “I feel
like I’m on an emotional rollercoaster, commonsense evading me every minute.”

“You are with child.  It will
make you cry, sleep, sick, eat, but most of all, it will make me wish to take
my own life.”

“You are evil incarnate.”

“Thank you, madam, for your
compliment.  I try my hardest.”

“Your hold on my hair is giving me
a headache.”

He tightened his grip.

“Bad day at the office, honey?”

She knew, without looking, that his
fangs extended.  His hold relaxed.  “You are very possessive and in
need of serious anger management.”

“Come, I promised you an outing.”

“Aren’t you going to bite me
first?”

“No, imp.”

“You’re in a foul mood.”  She
held up her hand.  “More than normal Lumynari rage.”  Emily grabbed
her boots, and sat down on Dezenial’s very modern recliner.  He
confiscated her shoes from her.  At her questioning glance, he motioned
for her foot, having hunkered down.  Placing her foot upon his
leather-clad knee, she was almost tempted to move her foot ever-so-lower and
gently kneed—

“You most certainly will
not
.”

“You know you’d like it.”

“Precisely.”

“So, putting on my boots . . .
kinda contradicts that
Lumynaries are above romance
thing.”

“First, how many times will I have
to tell you I don’t sound like that when I talk?  Second, this is simply
dressing you during your delicate state.”

“I’m half Lumynari.  There is
nothing delicate about me.”

“A real warrior.”  He smirked.

“I can hold my own.”

He hissed, imitating
Spinners.  She repelled.  “That’s
cheating
!” Trying to pull
her foot away proved useless.  He held tightly, chuckling and hissing
until she squealed.

“Your fear of spiders . . . so
human
.”

“I’ll get even.”

He waggled a finger at her. 
“No,
now
we’re even for that meat-madness landing on my face.”