The Ring Bearer (6 page)

“What’s on your mind, Danato?” Daniel asked sensing the silence that he was using to set the mood. He did it for intimidation, but to Daniel it was just irksome.

“Last night,” Danato crossed his arms, “you seemed to have a little trouble backing down.”

Daniel smiled. “Yeah, I was a little threatened by the military coup in the house.”

“I want you to know that I appreciate the veracity that you defend your friends.”

Daniel nodded and pinched his lips to reign back in his smile. This was only Danato’s diplomacy at work. He started with the compliment to balance out the reprimand. Unfortunately, one civil comment from Danato was not enough to balance out his tyrant attitude. “But?” Daniel added the conjunction to speed things along. Danato gave a hint of a smirk before continuing.

“But I need to know if you have control of yourself or not. I can’t have you flying off the handle just because a situation arises that’s going to be difficult to resolve.”

“Just so we’re clear,” Daniel raised a finger. “You’re criticizing me for my bad temper. That’s kind of like sending the wind to put out a forest fire isn’t it?”

Danato’s eyes narrowed. Daniel knew it wasn’t a wise statement, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t one of Danato’s prized apprentices. He wasn’t going to just roll over and beg for his approval. Technically he wasn’t even an employee, so he wasn’t going to suck up to him either.

“When I get angry, the only thing in danger is walls and furniture. When you get angry lives could be lost.”

“That’s bullocks and you know it. You’re like a damn Hercules with that dragon wank juice.”

“My temperament is under control. Yours…”

“…is under control. You want to know my status, ask Heaton.”

“I have and now I’m asking you.” Danato stepped forward consciously or otherwise. “Don’t think for one second that you are free from this place, Daniel; one screw up and your back in prison.”

“Like I don’t know that,” Daniel sneered. “I see it written on your face every time you look at me.” Daniel waved his hand over his face. “I don’t know what I did to piss you off so much, but whatever it was it certainly wasn’t meant to be personal, so why don’t you cut me a break.”

“You’re a murderer Daniel.” Danato bandied the word like it was an occupation for him. “You don’t deserve breaks.”

Daniel couldn’t find any words to defend himself. He couldn’t even find a valid insult. He agreed with Danato. There wasn’t any room for defense.

“So, I’ll ask you again. With the safety of your partners in mind, do I need to be concerned about your anger management?”

Daniel wasn’t sure what to say. His head was starting to droop again. He wanted to say that there was no reason for him to be concerned, but he wondered. Last night had been intense.

If he had truly gotten out of control…

If he had used his powers…

“May I interject?” Nevia descended the stairs with Heaton behind her.

“This doesn’t concern you two,” Danato bristled at the interruption.

“Apparently it does,” Nevia said moving right into Danato’s path of condemnation. Daniel mentally kicked himself for not warning her about him. She was about to find out for herself. He glanced at Heaton to give him a glare for letting her interrupt, but his eyes were fixated on the face off emerging between the petite gun-happy Nevia and the ill-tempered ogre Danato.

“You mentioned us as the consideration for his answer. If that’s the case, then we should have a chance to weigh in on the topic. After all, we are the ones who work with him. It is our lives on the line.”

Daniel was impressed Danato had let her get as far as she had. It was probably out of his resistance to shout at women. Or perhaps he just assumed that if he brandished his volume at her she might wilt and cry. Perhaps Danato had a few things to learn about her as well.

“I’ve already read Heaton’s reports.”

“And you don’t believe him?” Nevia asked.

“He has gotten close to Daniel over the years. I would hate for his judgment to be swayed by their friendship.” Danato looked to Heaton. “I heard about your little mishap. That didn’t exactly make it into your reports.”

“What mishap?” Nevia said drawing his attention again. “The incident in which Heaton’s ignorance of the gravity of Daniel’s power caused him to be foolhardy enough to get in the way of a disperser.” Danato flinched slightly at the label, but didn’t interrupt to ask about the designation. Heaton lowered his eyes at Nevia’s harsh interpretation of the accident. “The consequences were severe, but the lesson was learned.”

“He could have killed him!” Danato tried to interpose but Nevia didn’t actually stop speaking.

“Just as the consequences are severe for mistakes made inside of that prison. We have one supernatural force to be concerned with. This prison houses hundreds.”

“And they are all locked up, he isn’t.”

“No, nor should he be. He is a valuable member of this team. Without him, transmorph hosts cannot be saved.” Danato opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t actually say anything. Daniel could sense something strange that he had never seen in his demeanor. Could it be? Danato was speechless? “The incident you referred to involving Heaton has been repaired.”

Nevia motioned for Heaton to come forward. Heaton did so and pulled up his sleeves to show two perfect arms, one slightly more perfect than the other. Danato eyed the flesh with increasing befuddlement.

“You asked Daniel if his temper is under control,” Nevia continued. “You don’t believe Heaton and his progress reports. I doubt you would believe Daniel’s self-analysis. So, believe me when I say, in last few months working with Daniel, his temper hasn’t risen above great irritation or defense of his heart. It has certainly never reached the peek that you are at right now.”

Danato furrowed his brow. He may have been told about her abilities, but no one really got it until she used it against them. Even he kept forgetting how truly intuitive she was. “If you wish to question
my
ability to read Daniel and properly assess his volatility, then I’ll be happy to offer you a demonstration by telling you how you got your limp.”

Danato’s shoulders pulled back and his chest puffed up. Daniel stood from his stool slowly, preparing to pull Nevia away at the first sign of any physical rage from Danato. The irony of that would not have been lost on him. Heaton went so far as to clutch the back of her arm, but she didn’t move. Not one inch.

Danato’s eyes flickered over hers. Daniel couldn’t see her eyes, but he imagined as stubborn as she was, she would be giving him a sort of “just try me” look. He wasn’t sure what she had sensed about the leg injury, nor did he know why Danato was at such odds with her knowing it, but his jaw was about to break his teeth.

“I’m more than happy to assist you while I am here,” Nevia said breaking the long silence Danato was demanding, “but any concerns about members of my team should be taken through the proper channels.”

“I am the channels!” Danato blustered.

“You are not in any condition to be deciding the fate of a man’s life!” Nevia yelled back. If the situation had not been so dire Daniel would have laughed. “You are angry at Cori and instead of letting that anger stay with her, you are taking it out on Daniel. He is doing his best to move on from his past and you are not helping him by exacerbating his shame and self-defamation.”

Danato’s shoulders relaxed a little and he looked to Daniel for the first time since Nevia interrupted. It was almost as if he was looking for those emotions to be labels on his clothes.

“Daniel’s ability to destroy is only beginning to be countered by his ability to heal. He has the potential to do great things, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he has a chance to live up to that potential.” Danato looked back at Nevia. The change in his tense body was reflected in hers. For a moment, they stared at each other letting the battle die down naturally without words.

At long last he bowed his head for a moment before speaking at normal volume. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Daniel nearly fell over from shock. “Daniel I owe you an apology.” At that statement he actually did reach out for the chair at the end of the dining room table. “You and I met under hard circumstances and because of that, I’ve never quite warmed to your…personality. As usual, I’m dealing with more than my fair share of trouble, but that’s no excuse to let my preconceived opinions cloud my judgment. If Heaton and Jordan are willing to vouch for your efforts in rehabilitation, then that should be good enough for me.”

Daniel nodded. “Thank you…sir,” he said with more respect than he had ever before.

Danato looked over Nevia again. Daniel still couldn’t see her face, but he knew what her stoic façade looked like. “I think you’ll be able to handle the fem-wolves just fine.” With that said he left the house.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Heaton said. “I thought for sure he was going to blow a gasket when you mentioned his leg.”

Daniel moved to Nevia and hugged her lifting her off the ground. She instinctively wrapped her arms around him, but he could tell she didn’t like that he was manhandling her. Most men might have been offended by a woman fighting their battles for them, but Nevia had managed to do in a few minutes what he couldn’t do in six years. Tame the beast.

“Put me down, Daniel,” she said with even toned annoyance, but he didn’t.

“Thanks man,” he said to Heaton over Nevia’s shoulder. “I’m glad you still have my back.”

Heaton put out his hand to shake on it. “I always had your back.”

Daniel let Nevia slide down from the hug so he could shake Heaton’s hand, but he kept his free hand around her back, not quite wanting to let go of her yet. “Are you sure?” Daniel asked gripping his friends hand a little tighter than needed for a handshake.

Heaton caught his meaning and nodded. “Yeah, I did.” Heaton gave him a slap on the shoulder, before pulling away and heading to the door. “Better get going, those bitches aren’t going to wait forever, or at all,” he said on the way.

With Heaton’s back turned to them, Daniel took a chance he would not normally consider. Nevia was already pulling away, but he pulled her back by shirt. With her head braced one hand, and her chin tugged upward by his other, he gave her a quick kiss that was not nearly as wet as he would have liked.

He let her go just as fast as he grabbed her and walked away before he could see the resulting look. It likely would have been shock, but if it was anger he didn’t need to see it, and if it was attraction, he definitely didn’t need to see it.

8

When Ethan finally awoke an hour past his intended time, a quick phone call to Danato got him up to speed on Cori and the change in delegations of duty. He had intended to observe the trial and possibly even vouch for Callin, but he had more important issues at hand.

Arriving at Cori’s cage he saw her head down and knees tucked to her chest. When she looked up at him through the bars of the door, her face melted instantly to tears. He knew she was feeling guilty for not telling him about the key. The note she had left behind told him she was particularly grieved to put him a position to worry about her, again. He also knew she had been through the ringer with Danato already.

Disgusted by the bars that were separating them, he reached for his keys. The guards flanking her cell put their hands in his way. He didn’t even look at them. “She’s my wife!” His voluminous voice echoed around the cavernous room. The men exchanged looks and removed the barrier of their hands.

He slid back the door and entered the cell. He closed it behind him even though the closure offered no particular privacy. Cori buried her head again and shook it. She must have assumed he was as mad as Danato. If he had been thinking about all the details, he might have been, but all he was interested in was getting her out of this mess.

He sat down beside her on the cot and scooped her up, placing her on his lap. She uncurled enough to wrap herself around him and bawl into his shoulder. After a few moments of hiccupped tears, she whispered apologies into his ear. He rubbed her back, but didn’t say anything in response to those apologies, yet.

There was always time to hold her accountable for the details, but there wasn’t always time to hold her.

9

Daniel couldn’t have been more bored. In the back hall of the part time level not far from where Cori was being kept, aluminum bleachers had been set up for the Council of the Moon and observers to watch the trial.

Daniel and Heaton sat in a side section of bleachers. The nosebleed section was only a couple meters off the ground, but the back railing offered them the freedom to slouch back. Nevia sat a row below despite the fact that there was plenty of room between them.

The council of bitches was in the center set of bleachers watching the proceedings intently. They all offered Nevia glares as she walked by to get situated, but Heaton and he had gotten a few smiles. It was about as complimentary as man smiling at his steak, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the view as he passed, even if he would never partake.

He may have been a lascivious bastard, but he wasn’t stupid. Men who hooked up with fem-wolves had to be comfortable with positions of submission in and out of the bedroom. He didn’t mind the submission in the bedroom, but he wasn’t about to take a lover that could snap his neck if he didn’t compliment her new haircut.