Protected by Emeralds (A Dance with Destiny Book 5) (25 page)

“Your magic?”

“Yes, Milady. A magic I have already performed upon you.”

He
may have been smiling, but
she
was now panicking, shaking on the inside.

Can you feel anything different, Dragon?

No, Naga. I sense no change within you.

She looked back up at the man still holding fast to her ethereal treasures.

“Duhrias, what have you done?”

He visibly blanched. She furrowed her brow.

“Please, Naga, call me what you wish. But
that
name from
those
lips… somehow it feels… cold and… heartless.”

She tilted her head slightly. “I did not intend it as such,” she said, confused. “Would you prefer Rogallis instead?”

Again, he flinched.

“Strangely enough, I believe I prefer neither.”

He frantically searched her pink eyes, yet found no malice within them.

“Are you teasing me again?” she asked. “To me, your name carries a sense of nobility and power with it. It puts me in mind of an ancient King—Duhrias Rogallis. I quite like it. Much power can come from a name, my friend.”

He took a step toward her, pain twisting his handsome features. “Please, Milady,” he pleaded.

Duhrias raised a shaky hand, reaching slowly for her long curls, a horribly sad, forlorn look in his enchanting emerald eyes.

“Dimples? What’s wrong?”

The crease on his brow softened, a tiny smile tugged at one corner of his mouth, deepening only that single dimple.

“Ahh… that’s much better, Kagi Naga.”

She studied his now softened features, gently touching that one deepened dimple.

“So… you
weren’t
only teasing me.”

“No, Naga. I was not teasing you. Never have I been ashamed of my name. I shout it from the rooftops. It is no secret. Everyone knows who Duhrias Rogallis is. And most people even like him.” He chuckled. “But when
your
lips formed the words, a sharp knife pierced my essence, made a gash upon my soul.”

“But… why? I did nothing with ill intent. I promise. I never wanted to hurt you, Dimples. I count you as friend.”

His smile widened, deepening both dimples. The sight made her smile as well.

“And I also count you as friend, Milady. The name you have gifted me, never call me another. When that name spills from your lovely little mouth, it sparks a tiny light inside my heart.”

“Very well then, Dimples it is.” She giggled. “So, was your second confession that you stole my talismans?”

His brow furrowed briefly, then he chuckled. “I didn’t steal them, Kagi Naga.” He slipped the long chain over her head. “I only added to them.”

*****

Lying on her back, looking up at the mesmerizing ethereal Urimtheim, she listened silently as Duhrias explained the magic he had woven whilst she slept.

“You see this stone in the center, here?”

She looked at the new pendant he was holding up in front of her nose, focusing on the magical looking centerpiece.

“Yes.” She ran her thumb over it. “It is lovely, Dimples. It looks like… like someone captured a rainbow and imprisoned it within a dark crystal.”

He smiled softly. “That is very nearly true, Milady. It looks magical because that’s what it is—concentrated magic of the rarest kind.”

“I am not worthy of such a priceless gift.”

He lightly tapped the tip of her nose. “Oh, but you are. I could tell that while you were yet hanging from your shackles. Your injuries alone are not all that stayed my hand in your
un
timely delivery.” He paused. “Cherie felt it too, almost immediately.”

“You are not a man. Are you, Dimples?”

“I am not a man
only
, no.”

“And Cherie… she’s not just a girl, is she?”

He chuckled softly. “That
girl
has counted more years than the mightiest tree in the surrounding forest. No, Naga. Cherie is not
only
a girl.”

“So… what are you?”

He sighed and lay down beside her, shoulder to shoulder. “We are Spirits, ones who chose to roam about in their human forms for a while.” He sighed again. “And that’s what I thought you were as well, Naga. Before I wove the magic, that is.”

She half laughed. “You thought I was a ghost?”

“Not a ghost, Naga. A Spirit, a Guardian Spirit. I am a River Spirit, and Cherie is a Forest Spirit. We donned these forms to walk among man for a time. This place, the place you now are, is normally a hidden place within this realm. As are its people. The rest of this layer knows naught of us. Well, not until recently. You see… the two realms have sort of
blended
for some strange reason. The spirit world and the corporeal realm have overlapped here, mingled. And the people… well, the people are seeing only what their mind, their
beliefs
are allowing them to see.” He glanced over at her lovely profile. “One world has opened and settled over the other, Naga. Yet many have not noticed it. Sort of like, the humans woke up one morning and were suddenly neighbors with
my
people, and it wasn’t shocking to them at all. Like… it had always been that way or something.”

“How very odd.”

“Odd, yes.” He paused. “The people from the spirit realm, we noticed. But the humans, well, they act as if nothing is different. They pass us on the street and speak, as if we had been friends since childhood. They pass our homes and wave good morning. The ones of my kind who chose not to change their forms, they are treated no differently than you or I.” His voice grew more vacant sounding. “Perhaps they don’t actually see the giant fish walking about on dry land with arms and legs and fins. Perhaps they see a man only. I’m not certain.”

“Perhaps that is the reason my unusual scars seemed as nothing to them. I have been to Earth many times before… never could I do so without hiding my scars or my eyes.” She snorted out a laugh. “To be completely honest with you, I didn’t really question it because… well, it
felt
nice. I finally felt comfortable here, accepted. Pfft, leave it to me not to notice that something was actually wrong. Nope. I just skipped right along thanking my own good fortune. Ridiculous.”

Jenevier fell silent, trying to process this almost unimaginable little revelation. It was troubling… troubling and curious.

I wonder if Uriel knows
, Nilakanta said.

Of course he knows. They all know. I am the only ignorant one in this crazy little nightmare.

“And that’s what Cherie and I thought, Naga—that you were one of us as well. That is why I wove the magic.”

“But… how did you find out I wasn’t a Spirit? What do you think I am?”

“I
thought
you were a Dragon Spirit.”

She giggled. “Why did you think that?”

“Your tattoo.” He lightly touched the spot where Nilakanta’s claws framed her navel. “Never have I seen its like.”

“Nor I,” she whispered.

“It’s not a tattoo, is it, Naga?”

Jenevier didn’t answer. Duhrias only gently squeezed her hand and didn’t question her further.

“Well, like I said… I thought you were a Dragon. I placed the rainbow crystal upon your chest and wove a restoring magic all through that first night.”

“And what made you realize I was
not
a Dragon Spirit? Because you could not restore me?”

“No, Naga.” He lifted the amulet from her chest again. “I laid only the stone upon you. The metal work weaves as the magic does.” He ran his thumb across the shining silverwork. “What does it look like to you, Naga?”

She looked closely, but it wasn’t necessary. The delicate frame surrounding the brilliant crystal was obvious to anyone who saw it.

“An Angel,” she whispered softly.

“Yes, an Angel.”

He released the rare treasure as she took it in her hands.

“Imagine my surprise,” he said after a long pause. “When I opened my eyes, when I looked upon your enchanting face after an entire night of chanting, I could no longer see a Dragon. No matter how hard I tried, all I could see was a tiny Angel… with bruised and broken wings.”

She looked back up at the domed ceiling, shining with the light of heaven, and let the tears freely run back to soak her hair.

“So… what are you going to do?” she whispered. “Now that you know what I am, what will you do with me?”

He took her hand as they lay there side by side. “First, I will apologize. Then, I will aid you in all that I can.”

She sniffed. “And why must you apologize? Because you took pity on a beaten girl? Because you traded an entire night of your life to ensure mine? Because you imparted magic so rare, I have never even heard of its like?”

“No,” he whispered softly. “I apologize for what that magic
took
from you, not what it gave you.”

Jenevier held her breath, waiting.

He squeezed her hand. “It took your humanity, Naga. Whatever you were before I placed that stone upon your chest… you are only Angel now.”

She lay perfectly still, staring up at the Urimtheim… but searching deep within her heart.

“You mean… Jenevier is… is gone?”

Duhrias didn’t answer. He knew she wasn’t talking to him.

“Nilakanta, can you sense the change?”

She heard Duhrias’s breath hitch. She wondered why.

No, Naga. Something is different, yes. But I only thought it was because of your torture… and the absence of your Daichi.

“So… you cannot tell?”

Give me a moment, Little Fire. We are not yet whole. Neither of us.

“Apologies, Brother. Waste not your energy upon this. If it is true, it could be a blessing in disguise.” She inhaled deeply, slowly letting the air slide back out. “Gabriel always said I had too much heart for my own good. Perhaps this is exactly what I needed.”

Perhaps
, Nilakanta said.
But do not fool yourself, little one. Remember. Every curse has a blessing.

“And every blessing has a curse. Yeah, I remember.” She paused. “And yet… that’s only fair, is it not? If one has need only to smile, if tears never streak one’s cheeks, they will soon forget to be thankful. If you have no problems or worries or regrets, if each new day greets you with nothing but good fortune and victory and peace… you will soon think you
deserve
such things. You will soon count yourself
entitled
to such. You will stop praying, stop thanking, stop being grateful. No. I shouldn’t think blessings minus the accompanying curse to be a good thing at all. The equivalent exchange of joys and burdens—that’s what keeps you centered, keeps you whole, keeps you grateful. Blessings and curses, balanced perfectly together…
that’s
the key to acceptance. And acceptance is the first step toward true happiness.”

Well put, Little Fire. You are growing up right before my very eyes. I love you, Angel.

“And I love you, Dragon,” she whispered softly.

“I knew it,” Duhrias said with a smile. “I knew that wasn’t just a tattoo. It’s a
real
Dragon, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “It is. He is my bonded Dragon, Nilakanta.”

“And… he normally rides about upon
your
back?”

She chuckled. “No, not normally. Normally I ride about upon
his
. Alas, we were melded together for the sake of this mission.”

“Melded? How can that be? How is such a thing as that even possible?”

“Well, it was not easy. That’s for sure.” She snorted out a sardonic laugh. “But you are well versed in rare magic, Dimples. I am sure you can imagine it if you try.”

“Tell me true. What
are
you, Naga?”

“I am Guardian of Dragons, Empress of the entire ninth layer realm of Jinn, Death Angel for the one God, and healer by His divine hand as well.”

“How can all those things be wrapped up in such a tiny little package?” He huffed out a chuckle. “How do you do it all?”

“Apparently… not very well.” She was silent for several heartbeats. “We cannot always be what we want to be. We cannot always be what we wished we could be.” She rolled her head to the side and their eyes met. “You understand me, Dimples? We cannot always be what we
should
be.”

He only smiled softly and squeezed her hand. “I understand, Naga. You can’t be everything to everyone, Milady.
But
you can be true to yourself, regardless.”

“Is that your motto, Dimples? Tell me. Are you always true to yourself?”

“Yes, Milady.” He smiled proudly. “I lead the simplest life imaginable.”

“Oh yeah? And what kind of life would that be?”