“There are well over one hundred and fifty people off duty at any one time, and only five state apartments.” He turned and sat on the edge of the sill. “Luxurious or not, the place is rather crowded.”
“A perfectly legitimate and sensible answer, but I rather suspect there’s something you’re not telling me.”
A smile ghosted his lips. “It’s nothing important.”
“I also suspect you lie, Commander.”
“Trey, at least when we’re alone. And perhaps I should have said, it’s nothing that needs to be discussed immediately.”
I frowned. “Has it got anything to do with the ceremony? Kiro said it was dangerous—”
“Any ceremony involving such deep and powerful forces contains danger for its participants,” he cut in. “Especially for those not specifically trained to guide such inductions.”
“Meaning the ceremony has caused you a problem?”
He hesitated. “I wouldn’t call it a problem. More an interesting development.”
“A statement that really doesn’t clarify anything.”
“True, but this is neither the time nor place for such revelations.” He half shrugged. “I need to get back to work. Mari will be here with a meal very soon, and I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Until then, rest.”
As if I could rest knowing that in saving me, something untoward had happened to him. I frowned at his departing back, but if he was aware of my glare, he didn’t show it.
I climbed out of bed and padded barefoot over to the window. He appeared a few seconds later and strode across the inner bailey’s yard to the smaller command center. He really was something of an enigma, and one I found rather fascinating. Not that that was hard—who wouldn’t be fascinated by a strong, good-looking man who’d walked away from everything he’d known to care for a daughter he’d held for only a few seconds? A man who’d worked his way through the ranks like everyone else, who’d gained the trust and respect of everyone he worked with, but who nevertheless seemed to guard his feelings and his thoughts fiercely, only occasionally giving them free rein when it came to his daughter. I’d spent a lot of time in his company over the last few days, and yet I still knew so little about him. He was attracted to me, that much was obvious, but he was also fighting it, and not just for the sake of the mission. There was something deeper at play here, something that was perhaps even dangerous.
What that something was, I had no idea. And if the air and the earth knew, they remained mute.
Once he’d disappeared into the tower, I retreated back to bed. But that odd restlessness had returned. While it was nowhere near as strong, it was still bad enough that I couldn’t lie down for long. The sheets were simply too scratchy against my skin. I paced the confines of the room instead, feeling like a caged animal—one whose skin was jumping, burning with pleasure and rising desire. It was so strong I was sure that if I got back into bed and closed my eyes, it would have felt as if I was actually having sex. And yet, at the same time, there was a distance to the sensations—as if it were happening to someone else and simply flowing across to me.
I swore softly, spun around on one heel, and headed into the bathroom. Unfortunately, the cold water did little to ease the growing rapture. I pressed my hands against the wall, needing its support as my breathing hitched, my body shook, and pleasure swept through me. And it was a very weird thing to be experiencing a climax and then fall into its peaceful aftermath without having to lift a hand.
I took a deep breath and released it slowly. The cold water continued to beat down on my skin, and it swept away the last vestiges of passion. While I had no idea what might lie behind the strange—if pleasurable—experience, I very much doubted it had anything to do with the wind or the fact I’d not undergone the ceremony to bind myself to the collective consciousness of all those within her. Binding might involve sex, but I gathered it also needed the guiding hand of a priestess or at least someone of great power, thanks to dangers involved. Besides, it wasn’t as if I’d heard the voice of the wind during the strange ordeal. In fact, she’d been remarkably quiet since I’d woken.
The sound of a door opening had me pushing away from the wall. I switched off the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my body as I walked out.
The woman who entered was tall and slender, with dark hair, a suntanned face with a smattering of freckles across her nose and her cheeks, and green eyes that were bright and mischievous. She was carrying a tray of food, and I couldn’t help but notice one hand was as stained as my own.
This couldn’t be anyone else but Eluria, Trey’s seventeen-year-old daughter. And she wasn’t wearing the bracelet.
“Wasn’t Mari supposed to bring that tray in?” I asked with a slight smile.
“Indeed, but I saw an opportunity and decided to take it.” She placed the tray on the small side table then studied me critically, her gaze lingering on the visible portions of my stained flesh. “I haven’t met another stained person before. I was curious.”
“About what?” I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the table closer.
She shrugged. “About what your life has been like and how the staining has affected it. And about Winterborne, and what it is like to live there.”
“So you know who I am?”
“The whole outpost knows who you are, especially after you saved our butts last night.”
Meaning Trey hadn’t said anything about me to her. But then, why would he? I smiled and patted the bed beside me. “Well, answering such questions could take a while. You’d best sit.”
She grinned and did. I ate my meal, talked about my life and Winterborne, and answered her questions honestly. She then recounted her life here at Blacklake and it was obvious she adored her father and loved living here. It also became obvious she was very much his opposite in that she was open and easygoing, and yet I could see so much of him in her inner strength and determination.
We continued to talk and the hours passed too quickly. As the clock struck twelve, she gasped and thrust to her feet. “If I don’t move I’m going to be late for training.”
“Training?”
She nodded and grinned. “Weaponry and defense practices before lunch, history after it.”
“You actually like history?”
“Well, no, but Dad says that the lessons of the past should never be forgotten.”
“Your dad is a wise man.”
“He is. Most of the time, anyway.” She grinned. “Will you come back and visit me sometime? I’ve really enjoyed talking to someone who’s stained like me.”
“If I can get time off from my duties, and with your father’s permission, of course I will.”
“Good. And don’t worry about Dad—he won’t say no. He’s not as fierce and as ungiving as he makes out.”
“Only, I suspect, when it comes to you.”
“You could be right.” With a bright, cheerful laugh, she waved goodbye and all but bounced out of the room.
Leaving me to silence and some rather unsettling wisps of envy.
I pushed the tray table back to the wall and idly wondered how long it would take me to get used to the solitude of being Nightwatch again. As harrowing and as dangerous as the last few days had been, they’d also shown me another side of life. I might have felt ill at ease and out of place for the most part, but there’d still been many bright moments of enjoyment.
And it wasn’t as if the experience had ended. I still had a couple of nights to enjoy, and it really didn’t matter if I’d be spending most of that time helping to track down those connected with the plot. Two days was certainly enough time to store up some pleasant memories for the years ahead.
A sharp knock at the door interrupted my reverie, but before I could say anything, the door opened and Mace appeared.
“Ah good, you’re awake.” His gaze scanned me critically but unlike before, when Trey had done the very same thing, there was little in the way of internal reaction. “How are you feeling?”
“Absolutely perfect, thank you.”
He smiled. “You should be dead, you know that don’t you?”