The Guardian

This one is short and a lot of talking but Syah pulls a good one over her father for a steep price. Enjoy!





“Call the council and ask for a hearing. I won’t have him ordering—“

Thane’s hand on her arm stopped her as he gazed at Colar.

“Let us see what he has to say before we call upon the council again. Remember, they were in sour terms when he called them before. Let’s not be hasty unless we have no other choice.”

Syah stared at him a moment before nodding.

“Tell him we will be there shortly.”

Colar nodded and closed the door as she quickly wrapped another layer of sheet around his wound and found another shirt for him that didn’t have blood on it before slipping out of yet another ruined dress. Her hands were shaking as Thane wrapped his arms around her, his nose nestled into the curve of her shoulder.

“We don’t have time for this.”

He sighed against her skin as she blushed hotly.

“For the first time in a long time I was afraid. For a split second I was sure you were dead.”

Syah closed her eyes and sighed as she lifted a hand to his cheek.

“Yes well, if I had just stayed out of it you wouldn’t have been laid open.”

He smiled against her skin as a light chill ran up her spine.

“Your pulse just jumped.”

Syah pushed him away then, and slipped on a light blue dress. Thane was still grinning when they left the room and headed for the great hall.

“You know Colar never played with me like that, it’s cruel.”

She kept a fast pace through the halls, trying to keep Thane behind her so he couldn’t see the red on her face.

“He may not have played with you but that doesn’t mean he didn’t want to.”

She threw a doubtful glance over her shoulder but he was all seriousness.

“So you’re the better man since you can’t control yourself.”

Thane took her hand firmly, forcing her to stop and face him. They didn’t have time for such games but she could sooner gnaw her arm off before he would let her go.

“I’m the better man because I don’t lie to you.”

She jerked her arm away from him as sharply as she could before turning down the stairs.

“Self control isn’t lying.”

Syah burst through the doors to the great hall before Thane could take up any more time. Her father was sitting at the table with Colar who looked as though he had been verbally beaten to a pulp.

“How dare you!”

Because of Thane she was emotionally charged, all the better to bluff her father. She tried her best to look betrayed.

“Excuse me? It is you who has crossed the line.”

She laughed sarcastically as she motioned at Colar.

“You send your guardian to attack mine, you wound him badly enough to bleed all over the house before I can patch him up and I have crossed the line?”

Her father’s angry gaze shot to Colar who was standing in open shock and gazing at her as though she had just stabbed him.

“I gave no such order to him; he stated that Thane was the one who attacked him.”

Syah pulled Thane to her side as she lifted his shirt and turned him around to expose the bloody sheets.

“Thane attacked Colar and somehow managed to receive a wound on his back?”

Her father stood stiffly as his hand swung around to strike Colar across the face. She felt awful for setting her father against him but it was all she could do to save Thane. If he knew that Thane had acted on his own accord he would have him killed.

“We will take our leave.”

She turned then and only heard the second strike of her father’s hand against Colar’s flesh. Thane was close to her side as she kept a brisk pace. A third strike followed her through the great doors, but it sounded more like a fist than a hand. She had betrayed Colar for the second time, and she wasn’t sure if he would remain loyal for her to repeat her actions a third time. Perhaps it would be better for her to distrust him completely and rely solely on Thane.

“That was clever.”

She sighed as they walked up the stairs.

“That was cruel.”

Thane took the steps two at a time to reach the top and face her as she walked.

“That cruelty would have befallen us.”

She had met the brink of her patience for the day, and was in no mood for Thane to be so heartless.

“You forget that Colar had been my guardian and was bonded to me. He might have belonged to my father but we still were connected. I still feel his pain now, and it would be well for you to keep your survival of the fittest speech to yourself.”

Thane lowered his tone.

“I’m sorry my little noble.”

Syah quickly entered her room and closed the door behind them as Thane sat on her bed once more.

“And I’m still angry at you for picking a fight. You risked everything behaving like that. What if you had killed Colar? What do you think my father would have done to you? And with you gone do you really think I would be able to complete my plan?”

She turned to let loose another verbal onslaught but Thane had moved quickly and silently to catch her face between his hands, his forehead resting lightly against hers.

“I cannot express how apologetic I am. Tell me what you want me to do Syah and I will do it.”

His eyes were closed as his fingers caressed her face and neck and hair. Her hands went up to his shirt as her fingers tangled in the fabric against his chest.

“I want you to tell me why you fought Colar.”

His nose brushed hers as he turned her head and slid his lips along the skin under her ear.

“I was jealous of him.”

She scoffed lightly at him as she felt her temperature rise and a blush rise to her face. His breath fell against her throat as he traveled ever lower to her shoulder, his hands forcing her to turn as he pleased as his thumb traveled along her jaw, tilting her head.

“You’re not one to fight over jealousy. I’ve heard better lies from two year olds.”

He smiled against her jaw, making his way back to her face.

“Perhaps I should do a better job distracting you.”

She made a sound of disapproval before shoving him away, a wide smile on his face. He had tried to distract her, to turn her to goop and make her believe anything he said. What an evil thing to do.

“Tell me why you fought Colar, and I want the truth.”

His mood darkened then, the smile fading from his lips as he turned his back to her and walked towards the window. His body blocked the sunlight as he rested his hands against the sides of the window frame.

“He can sense things about me that I’d rather keep secret. Things about my past.”

Syah took a couple steps towards him.

“What kinds of secrets do you have that you would kill Colar to keep them from me?”

He sighed and lifted his face to the light.

“There are things that I’ve done, that I’m not proud of. Some things that will follow me to my grave, things that just won’t wash away from my hands.”

She was only a couple feet from him now as she spoke.

“You tried to kill Colar for fear of him exposing you to me.”

Thane’s voice lowered as he continued.

“I wanted to put him in his place and silence him. Because if you knew what I have done, it would make it difficult for you to trust me.”

Syah reached out to him, her feet closing the space between them as she rested her cheek lightly against his warm back, her fingers tangling in the front of his shirt.

“I suppose we all have secrets. I’ll not push the matter further.”

She heard his smile return to his voice as his hand covered hers.

“Thank you.”

She pulled her hands away as they slid along his shirt to the back hem.

“Are you healed?”

She lifted his shirt and began to untie his makeshift bandages.

“Yes.”

The bloodied cloth fell away to expose a long pale scar stretching where there had once been ruined flesh and bone. She trailed her fingers along the tender skin as Thane’s muscles twitched.

“That tickles.”

She clicked her tongue at him as she dropped his shirt and moved to the water basin she had used earlier that day.

“You’re all bloody, take your shirt off.”

His voice was husky as she heard the rustle of cloth as it fell to the floor.

“As you wish.”

He was all lean muscle, glittering in the sunlight. Her fingers tightened on the damp cloth in the water as her eyes traced the multitudes of pale scars sprinkled over his chest and arms. He grinned at her as she tore her eyes away, placing her attention on her cloth as she twisted the excess water from it.

“Sit on the bed so I can clean you up and stop playing.”

He obeyed as she took the rag and ran it along his back, wiping away the old blood that had crusted to his skin.

“You should rest. Healing like that takes a lot of energy.”

Thane spoke to her over his shoulder.

“I’m fine.”

Syah walked over and left the cloth in the basin as Thane pulled his shirt back on. She knew he was tired, for any guardian to heal such a large wound so quickly meant a large scale burn of energy.

“Well you might be fine but I’m tired.”

She pulled off her dress, throwing him a look that was sure to bring him to bed. If he could play with her then she could do the same to him. Perhaps if she gave a convincing act he would lie down with her. She crawled under the blankets, realizing that she had a shredded sheet from bandaging Thane. He sighed and pulled the sheet onto the floor before following her under the covers.

“I suppose I can lie with you for a while so you can sleep.”

She smiled as he sank against the pillows. She had gotten her way.

“You really shouldn’t try to temp me to get what you want.”

She opened her mouth to argue as he pulled her to him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders as she was forced to rest her head against his chest. She felt her cheeks grow hot as she relaxed against him, unable to escape.

“What would Colar think if he walked in?”

Thane laughed, her ear against his chest taking in the low rumble. It was relaxing.

“He won’t. I locked the door.”




until next time!