Protected by Emeralds (A Dance with Destiny Book 5) (22 page)

Izaru opened his mouth, but the Prince raised a hand, halting his unspoken words.

“Ah, ah, ah… no need to explain. I have received no complaints from the maids, only heard the gossiping chatter. Besides, I care not what consensual deviant behavior you may partake in. Just keep it off the battlefield.”

Izaru bowed, relieved. “Yes, Sire. Apologies.”

“No need. No need,” Suou said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Have you taken care of her?”

“Sire?”

“The maid who came to you. Did you give her what she wanted?”

Izaru thought back to Jenevier’s busted lip and blood-stained teeth. “Not exactly what she
wanted
, Sire. No.”

“Well then, get on with it. We have much to discuss.”

Izaru tilted his head to the side, but didn’t speak.

Suou began sorting through some of the many documents, but looked up to his silent butler. “Izaru, I don’t want your mind wandering off on some needy woman. Go. Take proper care of her and then return here with all haste.”

“Yes, Sire,” he said, bowing again, smiling to himself.

“Oh… and, Izaru?”

The snow-crowned butler turned back to face his Prince. “Yes, Sire?”

“One day, I expect you to share with me in some of these sordid
exploits
of yours.”

“Exploits, Sire?”

“I mean… the
stories
I have heard…” Suou chuckled, then smiled. “…they cannot
possibly
be true. Not
all
of them. You must tell me how you come by so many willing lovers. I am curious to know your secret.”

Izaru blushed. “As you wish, Sire.”

*****

“Is it done?” Izaru asked the guards as he approached the cave entrance.

“Yes, she is restrained.”

He entered the dimly lit cavern. Holding a torch above his head, Izaru could make out the wavering silhouette her motionless body cast upon the wall.

Naga, wake up
, Nilakanta urged.
Can you hear me, Little Fire? Wake up now!

No response came from the tiny woman whose head hung limp—hands shackled together above her, unceremoniously gagged. All of Jenevier’s weight hung against the metal cuffs cutting mercilessly into her bleeding wrists.

Izaru could tell by the haggard way her chest barely rose and fell, she was slowly suffocating. But the sight of her like this… it made his mouth water.

“Never is a woman quite so beautiful… as when bound and gagged and completely helpless,” he whispered against her tear-stained sapphire cheek.

She didn’t respond.

He gave one of her curls a tug, causing her head to loll back loosely, a muffled gurgling sound rattling in her throat.

Slowly pulling on the corner of the sweaty rag stuffed back in her mouth, Izaru beamed with delight when she involuntarily coughed, gagged, then retched up blood and spit together. He brushed back her matted curls so he could watch as the remnant slowly dripped from her open mouth, falling into the sickening muck pooled at her feet.

“Now I can appreciate your rare beauty more fully, Milady,” he whispered softly. “Now I can understand the hold you claimed over my noble Prince. In this fragile state… you are truly breathtaking.”

Jenevier drew in a noisy breath, her face twisting with the pain the action caused.

Her demented captor’s smile only grew. “I’m going to take you now, Kagi Naga,” he whispered, sliding his hand up the inside of her thigh. “I am not a gentle lover, tiny cherry blossom. You won’t mind, will you?”

He reached for the soiled collar of her tunic just as a man called out from the darkened entrance.

“I am here to receive the package.”

Izaru glanced toward the approaching man. “It seems now is not our time, tiny Empress.” He lightly kissed her ear. “Wait for me in the next life, delicious lady. I will eagerly treat you to the ecstasy that was just stolen from us in this one.”

“Are you Izaru?” the newcomer asked. “Did you not send word you had a special delivery for Lord Akio?”

“I am, and I did,” Izaru said, turning to face him. “And who might you be?”

“My name is Duhrias Rogallis, sworn sword to Lord Akio. He sent me here with a rather weighty purse and bade me hasten in my return.”

Izaru smiled coolly as he took the proffered payment and stepped aside. He inclined his head mockingly, waving his hand toward the stilled, bloodied mess of a woman.

“She’s all yours.”

Duhrias furrowed his brow in disgust. “What is this?”

“The package your Lord eagerly awaits.”

“But… this is a woman.”

“Yes, glad you can still tell. Best get her down though. Doesn’t look like she’ll be too long for this world, if you do not.”

Izaru snorted out a cold laugh as he began counting the clinking gold.

Jenevier’s chest heaved as she reflexively coughed up more blood. The sight horrified the sell-sword. He ran to her, lifting her mangled form, relieving the weight upon her wrists, the strain upon her lungs.

Her eyes flew open as she sucked in a full breath, pain and fear obvious within the magical pink. She struggled briefly before relinquishing consciousness once more.

“What have you done?” Duhrias turned to face the white-haired devil still counting his money. “What is the meaning of this?”

Izaru casually shrugged his shoulders. “She refused to cooperate.”

The two guards had entered, laughing at the sight of their recent handiwork.

“Yeah, she’s full of spit and fire, that one,” the first guard said. “A bit of a handful.”

“More like,
two
hands full,” the other added, holding up both fists.

Duhrias spoke not another word as he made his way to the exit, arms laden with what he was all but certain was a dead woman.

“Make sure you hurry now,” Izaru called out to him. “Akio has been wanting to get his hands on her since the moment they first met. I am all but certain he would rather claim her while she yet breathes. That is… unless he is more like his little brother than we yet know. Perhaps such things run in the family.”

The two guards joined Izaru in his vile laughter.

Duhrias’s shoulder muscles reflexively stiffened, but his steps did not falter. Mounting his waiting steed with the girl still in his arms, he made his way back to the Northern hills.

*****

“Cherie, bring me water. And lots of it.”

The girl only gaped for a moment before running off to fulfill Duhrias’s command. He laid Jenevier across the small bed and had only just finished undressing her when the water arrived.

“Good. That’s good, Cherie. Now I need you to heat some. Oh, and bring the apothecary box when you come back.”

He tried giving Jenevier a drink, but she didn’t respond. After gently washing the blood and sweat and grime away, Duhrias tried to assess her horrific injuries.

“Wow… What happened to her?” Cherie asked upon her return.

He glanced up at the gaping young woman. “A lovely creature such as yourself should not mar her delicate eyes with a scene as bloody as this one. Run along, girl. I’ll shout if I can’t handle it.”

“But, Duhrias… look at her sides.”

His gaze went to the spot the girl was pointing to. “That’s only ink, sweet Cherie. The damage lies here.” He gently ran the tips of his calloused fingers along the outline of her ribcage and across her stomach.

The places I could not cover her
, Nilakanta thought.
Naga. Kagi Naga. I demand you open your eyes this instant.

She gave him no response, mentally or physically.

“What do you mean, ink?” Cherie asked.

“Look here, tiny goddess.”

The sell-sword pulled back some of the curls matted to her filthy skin, revealing the Dragon’s head upon her chest.

“…Wow,” Cherie whispered.

“Wow is right, little one. It seems this broken little angel is painted up prettier than one of your uncle’s masterpieces.”

“I should say so.”

The girl traced the outline of Jenevier’s new tattoo with her dainty fingertips.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Duhrias whispered.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like it before.”

“Nor have I.” He sighed. “She is definitely a rarity. That’s for sure.”

“A beautiful rarity,” Cherie whispered as she pulled Jenevier’s sapphire curl from the matted mess.

“Yes, an enchantingly beautiful rarity, as are all women.”

Cherie giggled. “You even say that to the plain ones in town.”

Duhrias glanced up at the smiling girl. “That’s because
all
women are treasures, lovely lady. Name one thing that could surpass them.” He continued to clean away the dried blood. “So fantastical a creature… women can create life inside their own bellies. They can kiss the pain right out of a scraped knee, and can easily sing away horrors in the dark of night. A woman can kill you with a look, heal you with a smile, and claim your very soul with but a glance.”

He squeezed warm water out the length of Jenevier’s arm and began gently washing her there. The girl gazed at their unconscious guest, waiting for his words to continue.

“Now, Cherie, tell me. What other creature can boast such a claim? What other living thing can love so fiercely it hurts, and weep so bitterly it finally heals?” He smiled at the girl. “None, I tell you. When the gods made woman… they stopped. Nothing could surpass her. So they simply folded their hands and bowed before her. A woman,
all
women, are heavenly perfection.”

“Saying things like that is what makes
all
the women fall in love with you, Duhrias.”

He chuckled softly. “Ahh, love—the shining star in a woman’s crown. So glorious… nothing can compare.”

He winked at the young girl and she giggled again.

“You make it all sound so amazing, Duhrias. I want to fall in love like that someday.”

Duhrias had finished cleaning Jenevier and was now tending to her many wounds.

“What do you mean, lovely girl?” He smiled teasingly. “I thought you had already fallen in love with
me
.”

“Ooh, you don’t count, Duhrias.
All
the girls love you.”

“All of them, huh? I believe you are stretching it just a bit, don’t you?”

“No. They all swoon and give you that dreamy-eyed look.”

He chuckled when she made a face and rolled her eyes around.

She sighed. “I want to find that one special one… just for me.”

Duhrias smiled at her, but there was a lonesome sadness in his beautiful green eyes.

*****

She heard what could only be described as a symphony of crickets, then the eerie song of competing toads joined in. Jenevier smiled, but it hurt.

Staring at the aged wooden-beamed ceiling, she laid perfectly still, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings by sound alone.

Ah, little one, you stir
, Nilakanta said.
Long have I missed your thoughts, even the twisted ones.

She chuckled, but it made her cough. And the coughing… now
that
was an eye-opener. Pain wracked her body, nearly every inch of it. She couldn’t even cry out. The scratchy noise barely falling from her parched lips was more akin to dried bones grinding against one another.

Holy hell… what happened to me?
Her cloudy thoughts swirled.

Forgive me, Kagi Naga. You suffered through the Dragon Fire to receive me. Yet once inside, I still failed to protect you. No matter your words… my grief over this truth will know no end.

She did not speak. She did not think. Jenevier only concentrated on breathing. Trying to gauge how deep a breath she could take to get enough oxygen, but shallow enough to keep the stabbing pain at bay.

They broke a few of your ribs, Naga
, the Dragon whispered in her mind.

A blow I look forward to returning in the near future
, she thought.

“Wow… Look at that.”

Jenevier heard the young woman’s voice, but the speaker stayed within the shadows.

“Her eyes are pink. Have you ever seen pink eyes before?”

No one responded to the girl and Jenevier couldn’t sense anyone else in the room. She slowly lifted her hand, sliding it up her bare chest to her desiccated throat.

“Oh, I bet she’s thirsty. I’ll go get some fresh water,” the woman happily chirped.

Jenevier felt tiny fingers close around her cold toes.

“Hang on just a bit. I’ll be right back,” the sweet voice assured.

She tried to smile with the side of her mouth that didn’t hurt too badly. She failed.