“And Wisp just warned you that you wouldn’t be able to talk me out of it,” he replied, leaning close to kiss her on the neck.
“Don’t you remember Death nodding to you at the council meeting and you said you would have to be extra careful in your next duel and this is your next duel.” She spoke quickly, the words pouring forth in a flood as she tried to ignore his lips working their way slowly down her shoulder.
“Mmm hmmm,” he mumbled, never slowing in his progress with the dress or the kisses.
“But Finn, I really don’t want you to fight him,” she pressed, as her dress dropped to the floor.
He traced his hands up her body slowly and lifted his face to hers. “I have too much riding on this now, Jala, I can’t forfeit on the bets I’ve made. I would lose what I have bet and that isn’t an option,” he said firmly before picking her up by the hips and setting her gently on the edge of the table behind her.
“It’s just money, Finn. I can’t lose you over money,” she whispered, leaning back on one arm and wrapping her other arm around his neck.
“It’s more than money,” he said quietly as he unlaced his pants. “Leave it alone Jala, you won’t talk me out of it,” he warned as he slid a hand up her thigh and leaned in to kiss her again. Mercilessly he continued with his lips and hands until all conversation dwindled from her mind and there was nothing in her thoughts but him.
Chapter 6
Sanctuary
Morning sunlight filtered in through the windows. Jala’s eyes flickered open slowly and she turned her head to look at the empty side of the bed. As usual, Finn had left silently for his morning exercise. Fighting back a yawn, Jala sat up, slowly arching her back to stretch. She could see Marrow sprawled on his side near the wall. His chest still rose and fell, deep with the rhythms of sleep. Standing slowly, she moved to the mirror and picked up her brush. With an incoherent grumble, she began combing out the night’s tangles and then paused, looking slowly down at a folded letter lying on the corner of the nightstand. It hadn’t been there a minute before. She was sure of it. She glanced around the room once. Her gaze paused on Marrow’s still sleeping form and then slowly picked up the letter, turning it over in her hands. Her name was scrawled on the back in elegant script.
“I didn’t think you were ever going to wake up,” a child’s voice said beside her.
Startled, Jala jumped back with a squeak and frantically searched the room. She heard Marrow growl low in his throat and glanced back to see him scanning the room.
“Are you going to read the letter?” The voice came again from a different corner.
“Who are you?” Jala asked cautiously, her gaze flicking back to Marrow once more.
I see nothing. I sense nothing. There is no scent at all, Marrow’s voice rumbled in her mind, irritation thick in his tone.
“Read the letter. It explains everything,” the child urged from yet another area of the room.
Marrow rose and stalked over to her as she unfolded the letter quickly. The Bendazzi stopped just in front of her and pushed her gently back until she was pressed against the wall. Until I know what and where it is, keep the wall to your back, he ordered and lowered his head, inhaling deeply, searching for the creatures scent.
Jala nodded absently and read over the letter in her hand, quickly scanning a few parts of it twice. “It’s from Shade. He says her name is Emily and that she needs a safe place.” she glanced up and looked around the room again, then back down to the letter. “She is one of the Blight children from Gaelyn but she isn’t corrupt. He says she has agreed to guard me,” Jala said and folded the letter. She had never heard of a Blight child before but from what the letter said they were not to be trifled with.
“Are you explaining it to the big cat thing or do you have another invisible friend in here?” Emily said, her voice closer now.
“The big cat thing is a Bendazzi. His name is Marrow. He is my familiar and yes I was explaining to him,” Jala said, her eyes searching the room once more. “Will you show yourself to me?” she asked finally, not really sure what to expect.
“I will to you, but if he comes back I’m gonna hide.” The childlike voice came again and a form appeared, sitting on the edge of her bed. The child was naked and filthy with tangled brown hair. At least Jala thought it was brown. It was difficult to tell the true color through the filth.
Jala stared at her condition in shock and tried to decide if the majority of the filth on her was mud or blood. Blood, she decided after a moment and cleared her throat gently. “So I am to take care of you and keep you safe and in return you guard me and keep me safe, correct?” she asked, keeping her voice very polite.
“That’s what Shade said,” Emily agreed with a shrug.
“Well then, the first thing would be to get you a bath and clothes,” Jala said with what she hoped was a parental tone.
“What kind of clothes?” Emily asked, suspiciously eyeing Jala’s discarded dress.
Following her gaze, Jala eyed the dress and felt a blush start to rise. Moving swiftly, she retrieved her robe from beside the bed and shrugged it on and then looked to Emily with a smile. “When exactly did you arrive here, Emily?” she asked sweetly and prayed it was this morning and the child hadn’t been in the room last night. Her gaze flicked involuntarily toward the table by the wall where she and Finn had engaged in acts no child should witness.
“This morning. I came into the room when the asshole left,” Emily replied and then narrowed her eyes at Jala. “What kind of clothes?” she repeated slower, in a quieter voice.
“Asshole? You mean Finn? Why would you call him that?” Jala asked in confusion.