Chapter four
I didn’t want to disturb him, so I very carefully and quietly got up on my feet and moved towards the door. I was backing away, watching him sleep, and knowing full well that it might be a little creepy.
I found one of his shirts on the back of the door and when I put it around me, it molded to me like the exact same way that his armor had done previously to him. I was going to have to inquire about my own armor. It would be nice to have at least a little bit of protection going into the next challenge.
I had to admit, while walking down the stairs that I looked pretty damn good in just his shirt. It barely covered my body, but it was enough to make me feel sexually available.
After such a wild experience, I was famished and I began to look through his cupboards. By complete accident, I came upon this chest. When I opened it, I noticed that there was considerable ice around the sides. This was what they must’ve used to keep things ice cold. I didn’t see any discernible electricity, but I did see two big blocks of white stone on either side of the chest. I touched it and I moved my hand away quickly, because it was, so cold that it was almost painful.
I found some mystery meat and decided to see what I could conjure up for that meal that I had previously promised him. I began to cook and I started to dance around to my own secret tune inside my head. It was one of my favorite songs from Savage Garden. It was a defunct band, but while it was in existence, it had some very poignant lyrics.
As the meat started to sizzle on that flat stone top, I began to immerse myself into the aroma. I went by taste and smell alone in order to decide which spices I was going to add to this concoction. I’d found some interesting vegetables outside. I was chopping them up and it was making the whole house smell like a culinary delight.
“I don’t know what I find sexier, you standing there in just my shirt or cooking for me.” I should have realized that he would wake up before I was able to bring it to him in bed. “Let me go check on Rankin and make sure that he’s fed and ready to go down for the night. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t start without me.” The revelation that I was an alien to his planet or world had come as a big shock to him. He had suspected that something was off, but now he knew the truth.
I watched him go outside and then I continued to make this meal. I found a spice that smelled a little strong. Just putting it on my fingers felt like it was burning my cuticles. I put it on the edge of my tongue. It had a kick like something found in India. I hoped that he liked it hot, but if he was going to be with me that was a foregone conclusion.
“I want to talk to you.” There was a voice and I looked around for the source, but there was nothing to be found. “This is very important and I think that you might be the answer.” I didn’t even know the question and it was a little disconcerting to think that somebody could see me and I couldn’t see them.
“I don’t know exactly what you want, but I think it would be good that you at least showed yourself. I hate having a conversation with the air. It’s not only weird, but makes me look like I’ve lost my mind.” I was putting the food on the table and I could swear that there was a presence in the room that I didn’t see.
“What you are feeling is just my essence. My real corporeal form is somewhere else. I knew that there was something about you from the moment that you entered into the competition. No woman in their right mind would have tried something like that. I began to watch you and I’ve learned that you’re not exactly like us. At some point, we’re going to have to have a face to face, but for now know that somebody has your back.” I didn’t see anything wrong with that. As long as she wasn’t blatant about how she was going to help me, then I had no problem with an extra edge going into the competition.
“I don’t know exactly what you think I am.”
“What I think you are is beside the point. I know that you’re not from around here. You have a pair on you like any man, but you’re not a man. Like I said, at some point, we’re going to have to meet, but not for now. I still have some things to do and you have just made it possible for me to start something that I will be able to finish.” That was a little daunting. She was cryptic and definitely mysterious.
“I’m kind of looking forward to finding out who you are. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you had something to do with making my arrow change trajectory. Why you decided to kill him is beyond me. I had him beaten and there was no need to take his life.”
“Normally, I would agree with you. This was an exception to that rule. His acts against women in general have been deplorable. His own wife feared for her life each and every time that he walked through the door. I wanted to intervene on her behalf, but I saw no way to do that without showing my hand. You made it possible for me to give her justice. It gave her a way to walk away from a situation that has become almost like a prison. I wouldn’t even presume to tell you what to do. Just continue acting like yourself and the revolution will rest on your shoulders.”
“I still don’t know what you want from me.”
“I think that’s obvious. You have my heart and I want you to have mine in return.” I turned and saw Braden standing there with his shirt wide open. He was wearing no shoes. It was definitely going to be a late supper and then we were going to have to turn in. There would be no second round of hot animalistic sex tonight. We would need our rest and the nourishment that I had provided would give us the energy for what was to come.
I was tempted to tell him about the voice, but I wasn’t sure that he would’ve believed me. He settled down and while he ate, I stood behind him and kneaded his muscles. I did not do it because I was a complacent kind of wife. I did it because I wanted to and for no other reason than that. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long before the woman that I had heard in this very room would be making her presence known.
“I hope that you’re enjoying it. You seem to be all tense and I thought that we took care of that upstairs.” He leaned back against my hand and he made this sigh of joy that came from eating something that I had created with my own hands.
“I am a little tense, but it has nothing to do with you. Rankin is acting a little funny. I’ve never seen him belligerent and it took a lot of coaxing to get him to go into the pen. I know that he won’t stay there. He has a spirit to roam. I just never had him try to bite me before. I was barely able to pull my hand away before he took it off altogether. I hope that he’s not sick.” I didn’t know all that much about a Dragos, but there had to be a reason why they allowed themselves to be domesticated. Could that unravel and maybe the animal had decided to rise up against its oppressors.
“I really don’t know what to tell you, Braden. I don’t know much about a Dragos. It’s not like we have them in our world. We have birds and other flying creatures, but nothing that even comes close to what I’ve seen here.” I found what looked like a piece of paper and I began to draw him a charcoal version of what I meant by birds. I did not see many other flying creatures in this world other than the Dragos. It didn’t mean that they weren’t out there. It was very possible that I would see more than my fair share of wildlife tomorrow, while trying to hunt down an Offus.
“Shana that’s fascinating and I never knew that you had an artistic side. It certainly doesn’t go with what I’ve learned about you. I guess you are a true renaissance kind of girl. You have no problem with switching from a hardened no nonsense kind of woman to a more subdued and gentle soul. I guess I was wrong all this time. My life has never been complete without you. My wife could never be what you are. I wish that you could have known her when she was a little bit more free spirited.” I had no problem with him talking about his dead wife. It sounded like we could’ve been friends if given the chance.
I extracted my hands from his shoulders, even though it was tempting to stay right there and initiate something that was a lot more pleasurable than just touching. I had to get a handle on myself. I’d never had my libido this fired up before. Just being around him had turned me into an insatiable machine. I wanted him all the time. I found that it was my duty to introduce him to a world that he didn’t know. I saw his reaction when I tied him up and I wondered what he would do if I was in his position. It was a giddy little thrill that made me look at him with fire in my eyes and lust in my heart.
“I know that look, Shana. We really don’t have time and I’m not sure if I have anything left to give you. You took it all and the feeling of submitting to you was something different indeed. I want you to conserve your energy, because we’re both going to need it tomorrow. We need to catch two Offus and bring them back for Lord Vadam. Once we have accomplished that, we can move on to the other aspects of the tournament. I think that before you go to bed that you should read up on those other aspects. It will give you a better idea of what to expect. I think that you’ve already done that to some degree, but I would really implore you to take a second look. There are always nuances that you probably didn’t see the first time around.”
I thought that he was going to be a typical man and leave everything for me to clean up. Instead, he became my helper and before long, we had everything back to where it once was. This relationship was a 50/50 collaboration. We worked together and no one person had too many duties that would make them feel that they were being used.
“I don’t know how quite to tell you this, Braden, but you are unlike any man that I’ve ever met. It’s the small things that matter the most. I don’t think I could find a man that would be helpful in the kitchen. Some guys think that the world revolves around them. They think a woman should take care of them, like their mother did when they were growing up. I can see that your mother has given you an independence to do things on your own without assistance. I think that a lot of people could take lessons from you.” He hugged me and I felt like I got lost in his arms.
“I guess what they say about a mother’s love is true. My father was always fighting the good fight, leaving my mother to fend for herself and for her child. I didn’t learn much from my father. I actually learned to fight at my mother’s hand. I don’t know where she learned how to defend herself, but she could’ve given a lot of these men a run for their position. There’s never been a woman that was a guardsman. I hope that you can be the first and that we can stand side to side in battle together.” He relinquished his hold on me and went upstairs. I was about to follow, when he turned with a stare and pointed towards the library.
“I thought that you were joking about me having to go over the aspects of the tournament again. Apparently, you are a stubborn man. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a refresher course.” He smiled, nodded his head and began to make his way upstairs with his feet slamming against the stairs. He was a big man, but from what I saw today, he was about average in the standards of Markham.