Ynyr (Tornians Book 3) (36 page)

“Come Abby,” he told her quietly, “let’s get you out of here, both of you.” He said looking to Brice.

“Yes,” Abby said quietly. “But first I need to get my dagger.”

When she moved, Ynyr blocked her, she didn’t need to see what she had done. “No Abby. Paganus!”

Paganus, having heard his Lady’s words, immediately went and pulled the dagger from Wasaki’s chest, taking only a moment to admire how his Lady had managed to sink it in to the hilt, the perfect strike. How had his small, tiny Lady been able to do this? Wiping the blood off on Wasaki’s pant leg, Paganus moved to her.

“Your dagger my Lady.” His voice was soft and full of respect as he handed it to her.

“Th…thank you Paganus.” Abby said, beginning to tremble as she reached for it.

Ynyr waited until she had sheathed the dagger before he swept her up in his arms. Already knowing what her protest was going to be he spoke to Paganus. “Paganus, you bring Brice. I want Navon notified we are on our way. I want a repair unit ready for us.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Leaning down Paganus waited for Brice’s nod before he lifted him into his arms. Turning they followed their Lord and Lady.

All four guards were standing the Wing’s entrance watching their Lord approach carrying their Lady. None of them knew what had happened or how she had been taken from the Wing, they only knew they had failed.

“You have the repair unit?” Ynyr demanded as he stormed through the doors they had opened.

“Here my Lord.” Navon said, holding up in his hand, following behind.

“I’ll run it in our resting chamber.” He told him and once there, Ynyr carefully set Abby down on a couch. “Abby?” Ynyr’s concern was easily heard. His Abby had been too quiet while he had carried her, she’d clung to him and trembled but she hadn’t said a word.

“Brice?” She asked now and Ynyr looked over his shoulder to see Paganus setting the male down on the opposite couch.

“He is fine. He’s right there with Paganus.” His eyes returned to hers. “He came and got me Abby. He’s a very brave little male.”

“Of course he is.” Abby told him. “His grandmanno’s blood runs through his veins.”

“Yes, Captain Busto would be very proud of him. Now let me treat you.”

“It’s just my arms where Quant’s fingers dug in as he lifted me off my feet.” She told him quietly and as she went to lift a sleeve, she forgot about her torn covering and it fell open revealing her creamy breasts.

“Out!” Ynyr ordered harshly over his shoulder, pulling her top back up.

“Oh. Sorry.” She said and tears finally began to fill her eyes.

“It is not your fault, my Abby, it is mine.”

“It is mine, my Lord.” This time it was Navon who spoke.

Ynyr growled as his head spun around to see the two males still there. What were they still doing here? He’d ordered them out

“No, it’s not Navon, it’s mine. Ynyr stop growling.” Abby said, putting a hand on his cheek, trying to calm him. “He had no way of knowing about the passage Brice showed me.”

“You are not to speak of this! Either of you!” Ynyr ordered angrily. He wanted no one to know of the passages, not until he had the chance to explore and secure them.

“Of course not, my Lord!” Both Navon and Paganus quickly responded.

Nodding Ynyr returned his attention to Abby. “Now leave so I can treat my Lady.” He ordered again and this time they moved to obey.

“Come on Brice.” Paganus said, leaning down for the male.

“He stays Paganus.” Ynyr’s words had Abby looking at him in shock. “I will check him once I am done with Abby.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Bowing slightly Paganus left, closing the chamber’s door.

Abby silently watched as Ynyr ran the repair unit over her arms and while the bruises didn’t disappear, they began to fade and their ache ease.

“Anywhere else?” He asked quietly.

“No, besides ripping my covering they didn’t have time for anything else.” Abby dipped her head to catch his eye. “I’m going to be fine Ynyr.”

Nodding stiffly Ynyr turned his attention to Brice. “What about you? Are you hurt?”

“No.” Brice told him quietly, then looked to Abby. “But I hungry.”

Abby burst out laughing and found she had to wipe away the tears of relief that were running down her face. Brice was hungry… the world hadn’t ended… things were going to be all right.

Brice gave her a tentative smile, even though he didn’t understand why Abby was crying at least she was smiling and laughing again.

“I…”

“No Abby, I will care for Brice. You need to change and rest.” Ynyr told her.

“You’re sure?” She asked uncertainly, looking to Brice.

“Yes. Brice and I will be fine, we are just going to talk while you cleanse and he eats.”

“Is that okay with you Brice?” Abby asked, looking for Brice and after a moment, he nodded and Ynyr helped Abby to her feet.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Ynyr sat back on the couch and stared at Brice as they waited for his meal to arrive. What did a full grown Tornian male, a Lord, say to a three year old that had just saved his love’s life? A three year old whose eyes were too old?

“I have done you a great injustice Brice.” He began. “I did to you what had always been done to me and didn’t even realize it. I judged you on something you had no control over, because of what you
might
do, and that was wrong of me.”

Brice just silently sat there looking at him.

“I was also wrong in saying I would send you to Gehenna. You are not unwanted nor unfit Brice and you will always have a home within this House.”

“Vow?” His little voice asked.

“Vow.” Ynyr told him and was surprised when Brice suddenly launched himself into his arms. Ynyr caught him and pulled his small body close. “Thank you Brice. Thank you for what you did for Abby.”

“I love Abby.” Brice told him using the word, Abby always said to him. “We keep Abby safe.”

“I love Abby too and yes, we will keep her safe. Do you want to know how?”

“Yes.” Brice said, nodding his head up and down vigorously.

“By you showing me all the secret passages you know about.” Ynyr saw Brice frown at that. “What if someone else finds them Brice? What if they use one to get to Abby when one of us isn’t with her? What if Wasaki had known about them?”

It was his last question that had Brice’s eyes widening. Understanding filled them and then determination. “I show you.”

“Thank you Brice.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Abby’s hand covered her mouth to stop any sound from escaping as she listened to Ynyr talk to Brice. She’d come out to tell Ynyr what Brice’s favorite foods were but when she heard what Ynyr was saying she’d paused.

Here was the male she’d fallen in love with through that hedge. He was gentle and caring. He was honest, telling you truth, even if you or in this case he, didn’t like it. He truly was a fit and worthy male.

Turning around, she went to cleanse.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Later that night when Ynyr returned to his Abby. Brice had shown him the three entrances to the Wing that he knew of, one on each level and Ynyr had Navon, Ull and Paganus help him in blocking them. These were the males he most trusted with keeping the secret. Ull because he was his brother. Navon because he was going to become the Captain of his Lady’s Guard, and Paganus because he was the Master of the Lord’s Wing and would need to know about them to protect his Lady.

He was considering including Korin, but Korin had been doing something much more important right then. Interrogating Quant.

It hadn’t taken Korin long to break Quant. No time at all really. Quant had confessed that even though he and Wasaki had been removed from the House he had been able to get one of the kitchen helpers to let him back in, telling him he had left behind some belonging. He had then let Oscosh and Wasaki into the House and they had hidden in the unused Wing not expecting Brice and Abby to suddenly appear. He had begged for mercy swearing he thought they were just going to rob the House taking enough so they could get away and begin new lives.

Ynyr didn’t believe that. His Abby had said it was Quant’s fingers that had bruised her arms. It was Quant who had the still untreated broken nose his Abby had given him. No Quant was guilty of much more. He received no mercy from Ynyr.

Now he looked down at his Abby, resting in their bed and knew he couldn’t rest there with her yet. Not until
she
forgave him for all he had said and done.

“Ynyr?” Sleepily she called out to him, her eyes slowly opening.

“I’m here Abby. You are safe.” He quickly told her.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

Ynyr closed his eyes, fighting back the moisture that filled them. Opening them, he let her see them. “Goddess Abby! I am so sorry! For everything!

“Shhh, this wasn’t your fault.”

“It was. It was caused by my actions, by my prejudices. If it hadn’t been for Brice I would have lost you!”

“No Ynyr. I’m the one that left this Wing. I knew you hadn’t had time to fully secure the House yet. I was being stubborn.”

“It should have been! You should be able to walk into any room in this House and not be afraid.”

“And that will happen, but it will take time Ynyr. I need to give you that time. I love you Ynyr.” She told him, reaching out to touch his cheek. “Do we still have things to work out? Yes. But we will work them out… together. Nothing is going to stop Ynyr Rigel and Abby Jamison from making
this
House Rigel the one that sets the standard for all the other Houses.”

Ynyr was leaning forward to kiss her, thanking the Goddess for bringing her into his life, when her words sank in. “
This
House Rigel?”

Abby frowned at him. “Yes,
this
House Rigel, there are two of them now. Remember?”

“Yes.” Slowly Ynyr rose, feeling drawn to the portrait of Varick’s family that hadn’t been moved since that terrible day a week ago. Turning back, he looked to Abby, who sat frowning at him from their bed. A bed, bathed in moonlight, the ‘J’ carved into the footboard shining bright.

A ‘J’ for Jacoby.

“I told you about how Queen Rawnie was once a Goddess, didn’t I?” Ynyr asked.

“Yes.” Abby said, frowning at him.

“But what I didn’t tell you that she was also the sister of ‘the Goddess’.”

“She was her sister?” Abby whispered.

“Yes and her mortal name was Rawnie Jacoby because we would be unable to pronounce her ‘Goddess’ name. It is why we call the Goddess, ‘the Goddess’.

“Um, okay. Wait! Jacoby?” Abby crawled down the bed to look over the edge at the carving on the footboard. “’J’… it’s for Jacoby.”

“Yes. But there is something else you do not know.” Ynyr started to move towards her.

“What?” Abby asked, lifting her head to look at him at him curiously.

“King Varick renamed his House after they Joined.”

“He changed it to Berto?”

“No Abby, he changed it to Jacoby. This,” he gestured around them, “was all once House Jacoby. It was only generations later that some idiot male decided to change it back to Berto.”

“Oh. Wow.” Abby sat back on her heels trying to take it all in.

“It is what I want to do Abby.” Ynyr told her.

“You want to change the House name back to House Jacoby?”

“No.” Ynyr shook his head as he sat down next to her. “King Varick chose the name Jacoby to honor his Queen, so that all would know what she meant to him. That she was the most important part of his House, no matter from where or who she came from.”

“Oh.”

“I want to rename the House, House Jamison.” Ynyr carefully framed her face with his hands. “I want to make this
our
House.”

Abby paled and felt her mouth drop open. She didn’t know what to say.

“Would that be alright with you Abby? If we became Ynyr and Abby Jamison of Etruria, Lord and Lady of House Jamison?”

“I…” tears filled Abby’s eyes at what Ynyr was willing to do to express his commitment to her, to their future, to show the entire Empire that
she
was a fit and worthy female. “It would be more than alright with me Ynyr.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“He finally figured it out. I wasn’t sure he would.” Raiden said, staring down through the floor at the couple who had begun to embrace passionately, flicking his wrist he closed the opening.

“He is male. It sometimes takes them a while to see what is right in front of them.”

“Really?” Raiden turned to find his Goddess stretched out seductively across
their
bed.

“Yes.” She told him.