Chapter 11
A New Beginning
Jaylon was waiting for them at the stairs. “Go, I’ll take care of anyone who threatens to catch up to us.”
“Just be careful, Jaylon. I don’t want to lose you,” Noely said as she flew past him.
“Noely!” Her friend was looking at her and did not see the guard come charging through the door. Jaylon slammed against the wall in the center of the spiral stairs, then tumbled down the stairs. His head slammed against the floor with a sickening thud.
“Jaylon!” Noely yelled and immediately turned around. “I’ll be right back, Cyprian. Just give me a minute t-”
Cyprian was shaking his head, “Absolutely not. You are not a fighter. I will take care of this.”
“But you can’t-” Noely tried to grab him to keep him from going back up the stairs, when her feet suddenly hit the stairs. She fought to keep her balance, and by the time she was steady, she could hear the commotion above her. The young woman began to run back up the stairs, but a hand grabbed hers as she fought back tears.
“Thank you for waiting. I was worried that you were going to do something foolish.” Cyprian pulled her along behind him.
“Where’s Jaylon?” The young woman fought to control her voice.
“I’ve got the little show-off.” Her head whipped around and she saw Hisa running along behind them, Jaylon slung over his shoulder like an animal hide.
“What about your men?”
Hisa gave her a warm smile. “You really are such a sweet dear. If things don't work out with the old man, you know where to find me.”
“What? No, I don’t.” Her voice bounced as they moved down the stairs at an impossible speed.
“Ah, well, we’ll figure something out.”
“But what about your men?”
“Adequate confusion. The mess that your friend made was enough to cause quite the stir. I mean, even I would have said that was excessive force, but he must really know what he’s doing. Anyway, with everything all stirred up, no one will be able to figure out what happened. I’ll come back later and tell them that the prisoner escaped because of the guards, even though we sent down an extra one. Blah, blah, blah, and then I’ll slip off to live my life properly.”
“You are going to leave the military?”
The captain laughed, “If I have to salute to another human in the next 50 years, some heads will be rolling, and it won’t be mine. My problem is solved, so I’m out.”
She gave him a look as Cyprian slammed the wall and a door slid open. “Then why are you helping us?”
“What kind of a monster do you think I am? I was not about to see you do something stupid, or give Cyprian a way to get himself killed with honor.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
The man gave her a look of warning before rolling his eyes, “Yes, alright, I wasn’t about to let the little flirt die. Happy now?”
Noely squeezed Cyprian’s hand as they moved into a long tunnel. “Yes.”
The small group made their way through the tunnel without incident, arriving at the woods outside of the city walls.
“Oh,” Noely said, looking around. “That is convenient. My cave isn’t too far from here.”
“Your what?” Hisa asked.
“Are you really surprised that she keeps a cave?” Cyprian’s expression said everything, even through the bandage.
“No, not really.”
They followed her to her little safe area, and she began to make them something to eat.
“You know that is not necessary, don’t you?” Hisa asked, giving her an incredulous look that she would think about cooking after everything that had happened.
“Well, this is only the second time I’ve had company, so I want to make sure I do it right this time.”
“You did just fine last time, too.” Cyprian gave her a smile.
“Oh, I see, you two have been coming here, getting to know each other, while I was off trying to-”
Noely gave him a wry grin. “I brought him here yesterday evening after your men wounded him.”
“Oh, and the fact that you two did it here so recently is supposed to make me feel better? I don’t think so.”
Noely’s face flushed, but Cyprian remained calm, his hand moving slowly over the furniture as if he did not wish to deny what Hisa had said.
The former captain looked between the two. “Really, Noely, you should have told me. This is just too unfair.”
“Well, you know now, so you can find your next prey and leave my lady alone. Unless you would like to leave here in worse shape than Jaylon.” Cyprian’s voice was calm and steady without any hint of warning to match what he had said.
“I take it Jaylon will be alright?” Noely tried to sound positive because she hoped that the two men being so relaxed meant that her friend would be fine.
“Of course. He’s probably just got a bit of a concussion, maybe a bit of brain damage. Nothing that can’t be fixed by going to Senones.” Hisa waved his hand.
“You know that he is going to fight about that.”
Hisa looked over at Noely. “Then it’s a damn good thing that he’s knocked out and will be halfway there before he comes to.”
Cyprian spoke up, “A quarter of the way.”
“Oh no, I’m not taking him back. You found him, you take him back.”
“You brought him into my jail cell. You told him to use his powers. You saved him from getting run through. You have to talk to Sir Gwavas. You take the boy home.”
Hisa slammed his palm on the table. “Gods, you are just - wait.” His expression clouded over. “Why do I need to talk to Sir Gwavas?”
“Because I will go see him at the year’s end. Let him know what he needs to do to prepare his proposal and I will see it executed.”
“Wait, really?” Hisa looked shocked. “You are done pretending that the whole ‘I’m ready to die,’ ‘I’ve no compelling reason to live,’ or ‘A hero’s death isn’t such a bad way to go’ is actually a good idea?”
“I still believe that a hero’s death is a good way to die, but yes, I think that I can manage to find a reason to continue now. Ahahaha-” He held a finger up at Hisa. “Don’t even.”
The former captain’s eyes shifted to Noely, but he just shook his head. “Well, I guess that settles that. Looks like I have a long trip ahead of me. Good luck, you two crazy love bunnies.”
Noely stepped toward him, “Don’t you want something to eat?”
Hisa looked over at the food. “Well, give me just three for the road?”
“Three whole ones?”
“The boy’s going to wake up sometime, and I'm not big on stopping.”
Noely wrapped up some of the food and handed it to him as she asked, “Are you not going to resign from the military?”
“Resign? Who cares what they think, I'm done. They will promote Mercer or Carrington, and things will go along just fine without me.”
“That seems a little irresponsible,” she frowned as she looked at the man.
“Doesn't it just?” He let out a long satisfied sigh. “It’s so good to be free again. Cyprian, don’t hurt her or I will find a way to beat you, so help me gods, I will beat you like you would not believe.”
“I can believe, I’ve fought you several times before.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t have proper motivation before.”
Cyprian moved over to Noely and put a hand around her shoulder. She leaned her head against him and felt the world shift a little. His voice moved though her body like a current as he replied, “I will never give you that kind of motivation.”
Hisa looked at them with a sly smile, then turned and walked out into the darkness with Jaylon over one shoulder and the food in his other hand. Noely thought she could hear a strange melody as his silhouette disappeared in the distance.
“Do you really think they will be alright?” Noely asked as soon as she thought Hisa was out of ear shot.
“I am fairly certain of it. So long as he stays clear of our kind over there, there will be no problems.”
“Your kind?” Noely turned her head to look at Cyprian. Staring back at her was a pair of crystal clear eyes with light green and yellow flecks. Her heart skipped.
“Hello, again.” Cyprian smiled at her, but did not wait for her response. He leaned down and gently kissed her. Noely threw her arms around his neck, unable to hide a huge smile.
They kissed for a few minutes before she pulled away from him. “My gods, but they are even more beautiful now.”
“Nothing heals exactly as it was before being broken. I am glad you like them.”
Noely did not say another word. She let her foot run up Cyprian’s calf. His hand gently wrapped around her thigh. Suddenly, the young woman felt herself get lifted off of the floor as two hands pulled her hips against his. She leaned back and moaned in response. Cyprian ran a hand under her dress and stroked the small of her back as he walked toward the bed. His mouth kissed her neck and he gently pulled a little of her skin with his teeth. Noely arched into him and let out a gasp as his hand slid between her thighs.
Suddenly she was on the bed and her clothes had been completely removed. Cyprian was removing his own clothing beside the bed, his eyes taking in her body. The young woman tried to pull a blanket over herself as the color raised to her cheeks.
“I would prefer if you didn’t.” The shifter’s voice was like a soft stream caressing her body. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her, “May I?” When she nodded, he pulled the blanket off of her and his eyes looked over her body. Unsure what to do, Noely put a hand on his knee and began to move it up his inner thigh. She giggled as he closed his eyes and moaned.
“You are right,” he said, sliding a hand onto her thigh. “There will be plenty of time for that later.” He leaned over and kissed her stomach. The further up he moved on her body, the more of his body touched her. Noely ran her hands through his hair and tugged at him. “Please, Cyprian.”
He looked up at her face, then moved up to kiss her. Noely’s mind tried to take in the feel of his body as it pressed against her, the way he became harder as he positioned himself on top of her.
Cyprian’s hand moved to her lower back as he gently thrust inside of her. Noely had expected to feel pain, but her mind registered only the feel of Cyprian’s hand running along her back and the one gently cupping her breast. She moaned and arched up into him, and felt him push a little deeper. Noely let out a little scream at the unexpected pleasure. As soon as she registered the pleasure, Cyprian pushed a little further, until the young woman was shouting his name. Then he covered her mouth with his and started a steady rhythm that caused her to peak repeatedly for she didn’t know how long.
She had no idea how long it lasted, but she was thoroughly tired and happy when Cyprian finally stopped.
He lay down beside her and stroked her hair out of her face. “Are you alright?”
She looked over into his beautiful eyes and kissed him in response. Moving her body against his, Noely closed her eyes.
“I love you, Noely.” She looked up at him and smiled a tired smile. “I’m not doing this as a favor or a debt. I love you.” He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.
“I love you too, Cyprian. Promise that you will stay with me. That you will continue to find a reason to live, even after I am gone.”
A hand ran down the side of her body. “I promise that I will stay with you. And you have showed me that there is always a reason to live. If my time does not come for a long time, I will accept that.”
“I promise to not be wasteful with my words as long as you are not wasteful with your life.” Her eyes were closed and she could feel her mind starting to drift off into sleep.
“I promise to protect you so that you are not wasteful with your life either, because I know you will not be careful of yourself on your own.”
Noely smiled as she buried her head in his chest.
Several hours later she woke to find Cyprian gone. Rising up on her arm, she immediately began looking around.
Finally, she spotted the shifter over near the supplies, his eyes on her. The young woman looked down and immediately pulled the covers up to hide her bare chest.
“It looks much better down.”
Noely blushed, but released the blanket.
Cyprian let out a sigh and simply stared at her.
After a few moments, Noely stood up and walked over to him. It was only as she drew close that the young woman realized the shifter had not gotten dressed. Suddenly her eyes were trying to see every aspect of him all at once. His figure was truly perfect, no bulges or imperfections. It was so impossibly perfect that she had difficulty believing the state she had found him in not so long ago. Twice.
She crouched down near him and watched as his eyes moved with her body. “Cyprian.” His name seemed to draw his attention to her face, and for a moment she lost the ability to speak as his amazing eyes looked at her expectantly. “I don’t think that I ever told you Augustin’s name.”
“You didn’t have to tell us. He’s one of us, just a different type.”
Noely bit her lip and asked the one question she had always avoided asking a shifter, “And what is that?”
His smile was beatific as he looked at her. “We are dragon shifters.”
Her eyes went wide. “Dragon? There are dragon shifters?”
He nodded, his smile widening as he did. “I did tell you we are very good about hiding who we are. That is the one thing that is universal, no matter what type.”
“And, if it isn’t too personal, what type are you?”
He leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. “It is a very personal question, and exactly the kind I want you to always feel comfortable asking.” He moved so that she could see the left side of his body. There, in a blue sea, was a large dragon.
“A water dragon?” Her eyes went to his. “You are a water dragon?”
He gave her a nod and another kiss on the nose.
“Can I see?” Her voice was timid as she asked, all of her questions about anything else gone.
His eyes moved around the cave as if assessing it. Then he suddenly began to shift and change, his muscles elongating and stretching into elegant blue scales.
Noely covered her mouth as she took in his form, and she could see why people would think that he was a serpent. He was far longer and thinner than any of the dragons she had ever seen, and his movements were like water as he made his way around the cave. His eyes were the same as he stopped to look at her, blinking quietly as if waiting for her approval. The young woman ran forward and began to kiss the dragon on his nose. Suddenly a pair of arms were around her, and Noely’s body responded by pressing into him. She moved in a way that knocked him against the wall, and slid down over him. Noely watched as his eyes closed and the shifter’s head leaned back. Keeping him pinned to the wall, she slowly worked up and down on him, enjoying the way he hardened inside of her. Her movements grew more intense as his breath became shallow. Squeezing with muscles she didn’t know she had, Noely felt Cyprian peaking. Moving faster, she pulsed against him until she was certain he was done.
He opened his eyes and smiled at her. “If that is the reaction my natural form gets, I think I will be spending more time as a dragon. At least when you are around.” He stepped away from the wall and spun so that her back was to the wall. Carefully, he placed her back against the cave wall and grabbed her hands. Noely moaned as one of his hands stretched her arms over her head while the other reached around her thigh and slid inside of her. Noely screamed, “Gods! More. Oh gods, more!”
The sun was setting when the pair finally stopped. Noely looked at the fading light. “What happened to the sun?”
Cyprian leaned over the bed and placed his mouth on her nipple as one hand traced the outline. “We have been busy all day. It is setting.”
“All day!” She sat up quickly. “I should have been at work a long time ago.”
Cyprian sat up beside her. “After what happened last night, I doubt anyone expects you to go in today.”
Noely wanted to say something. Looking at her lover, she said, “I don’t want to go back.”
“Is there any reason for you to?”
She nodded, “There are a couple of kids that I wanted to help make well.”
Cyprian gently pushed her down and leaned over her. His hand ran along her face. “If they are sick, you should not go see them now. You can go into the city tomorrow and look after them. Once you are ready, we will leave.”
“Where are we going?”
His hand moved down her face onto her neck and traced her body. “You want to find Augustin.”
“Do you know where he is?’
His hands stopped and Cyprian looked into her eyes. “I do not. He said he had something he needed to do, but he didn’t tell anyone of us what that was. Obviously our assumption that it had something to do with his charge was wrong, and we have not heard from him since. Now that we know he has gone missing and left even you unsure, I think he needs to be found.”
Noely pursed her lips, then asked the one question she would not allow herself to consider over the years. “Do you think he is dead?”
Cyprian gave her a small smile, “No, I can feel when our kind dies, and that has not happened. Finding him will be difficult, but I believe it is necessary. Things have gone all wrong without him.”
“May I ask what kind of dragon he is?” She gave a sheepish smile.
Cyprian laughed and shook his head. “That’s something you will have to ask him. From a safe distance. With me holding on to you.”
Noely laughed, “Don’t worry.” She leaned up and kissed him. When she tried to lay back down, Cyprian moved with her, his tongue sliding into her mouth. She laughed and kissed him until he stopped. “I had a crush on him once, but that is long gone now.”
“I know,” the man’s startling eyes were looking into hers.
“How can you possibly know that?”
“I’ve been around a long, long time and have learned to read people and emotions. They ebb and flow just like the water, so it is pretty easy to do for most water dragons.”
“So there are a lot of you out there?”
He nodded. “Yes, but no water dragon shifter has been born in over 200 years because we have the longest lifespan of any shifter. And being hard to kill, we tend to not need children very often. It’s why we tend to get tangled in so many other affairs. Time is generally on our side.”
“Are you the oldest?”
Cyprian looked down at her with a smirk. “You can’t believe everything Hisa says.”
“So you aren’t?”
“No, I am, but I was just warning you that you really can’t listen to everything that comes out of that boy’s mouth.”
Noely gave him a playful slap and rose up on her elbow. “So what am I?”
“The most beautiful creature in Letera.”
“I’m serious,” Noely said, pushing Cyprian on his back and leaning over him.
“So am I, but if you mean what is your species, you are something that is actually rarer than sorcerers and sorceresses.” Her eyes widened, but she did not interrupt. “Oh, they get a bad name, and not really for a good reason anymore as they tend to keep to themselves and deal with what they are on their own. In fact, there are seven of them knocking about in Letera right now. They rarely know that there are others in the world, although some of them assume it. They find it much safer to hide who they are and try to act like ordinary witches and wizards. Kind of sad, really, given what they can do. The most powerful one is in Senones, but I hear that she has calmed down since taking a rather stiff and humorless dragon shifter as her mate.”
“What?” Noely wasn’t sure if he was being serious or playing a trick on her.
“It’s true, but there is nothing to worry about from them. She’s actually quite entertaining. I met her myself a couple of times. Sweet girl, just needed someone to help her feel comfortable. Can’t say that I care much for her choice, but then I don’t have to live with Calixto, so not really my concern. Plus, she is in a much better position to help the next one that is about to be born. Different clan, but same continent. That child is in for a world of difficulty because his parents are in trouble right now. It will only get worse if someone doesn't do something to help them.”
“You are someone, you can help them.” She looked at her lover with pleading eyes.
“As a water dragon, I’m not exactly welcome there. Not that they can tell I’m there without encountering me, but I try to minimize the damage. With Hisa on his way there, they may take it as a sneaky invasion too, so there is that to worry about.”
“What if I go?”
Cyprian looked at her, then rose to his elbows. “If you went, you would need to leave soon. The baby is due within three months, and it is a month and a half trip there.”
“I think I can manage.”
Cyprian looked at the mouth of the cave. “I will find someone to accompany you, but,” his eyes trained on her, “you must promise to be careful. Your kind don’t come around every century, and I do not know what I will do if something were to happen to you.”
“I guess you can’t come with me,” she looked at him, knowing the answer.
“Once Hisa returns, I may try to go, but he will not be back for a while. That boy will lose track of time and it might be decades before he returns. I hope not, but it would not be the first time he disappeared for so long.”
“So dragon shifters just disappear whenever they feel like it?”
“It depends on the type. Fire types tend to stay close to home, near their clans, living by strict rules and policies. They even regulate mating, which the dragon shifters everywhere else find backwards. But it seems to work for them, and they have reduced the number of ones that go wrong. You need to keep that in mind when you go because the sorcerer’s father is a fire dragon. A banished one, which is a large part of the problem. However,” he leaned forward and kissed Noely, his hand on her shoulder pushing her down, “we can talk about them later. Right now, I only care to talk about you.” He kissed the side of her face. “You are an angelous, the original name for angels. It means you have no human blood in you. Both of your parents had mixed blood, as did their parents, and probably their parents. Mixed blood is not very common since humans are the only ones who really don’t seem to take species into account when mating. Most other types are incredibly picky and refuse to associate with other species until they are married. Dragon shifters are a rare exception.”
“So what does it mean that I’m an angelous?”
He kissed her eyes. “It means that you can bring a sense of calm and peace wherever you are, but you must first feel it yourself. The world always goes through a time of tranquility when an angelous makes it to adulthood, though that is somewhat rare.”
“Why?”
He kissed her other eye and stroked her head. “Because it means that power centers stabilize, and those who want power do not want that to happen if it isn’t in their favor. Augustin kept you safe for the most critical part, and you appear to have found a way to make it through on your own sense then. But you do not have to face it alone anymore.” He kissed her lips.
Noely kissed him back. When he finally pulled away, she looked up at his eyes. “Doesn’t that mean that you should come with me? Having me around will help keep people calmer, right?”
He gave her a sad smile. “It will look like I am controlling you.”
“But you said that one of them has a sorceress? Shouldn’t you be able to complain about that? And they are about to have a sorcerer born into their kind. They have two of something pretty rare. It seems only fair. Besides, it’s not like they will know what I am.”
“You may have a point about it being fair,” his finger traced her lips, and Noely closed her eyes, “but every powerful creature can tell exactly what you are. You are radiant, and now that you know, you are going to shine brighter.”
“Then I don’t want to go without you.” She put her hand over his.
“If you really wish for me to go, I will.” He kissed her forehead, “But that means we will need to get moving tomorrow or the day after to find Augustin so that we can make the journey before the child is born.”
“You know, I thought that my mixed blood meant I shouldn’t have children-”
“And so you avoided intimacy in case?”
“Yes. How did you know that?”
“It is a question that most creatures with mixed blood share. You are afraid that you cannot be accepted, and you don’t want to pass that on to your children. It was the same problem your friend had, he was just far more honest about it.”
“Jaylon never told me he didn’t want to have children. He was one of the biggest flirts I’ve ever known.”
“How many of his relationships did he take seriously?”
“Well, none because… oh.” She bit her lip.
“It’s alright. If you don’t want to get pregnant, you won’t with me. If you do, then just let me know.” His eyes looked down on her with something that she didn’t quite understand.
Noely’s hand slipped down his stomach and brushed against him. He closed his eyes and sighed. “With you, the idea of kids doesn’t seem so scary. If you are right about our departure from Antakya, then we still have time to ourselves for about 12 more hours,” she murmured.
His hand slipped between her thighs and stroked up. “Yes, perhaps a little longer if you want to go into the town tomorrow. Does this mean that you feel ready for children?” His eyes searched hers.
Giving him a smile, Noely shrugged. “Surprise me.”
Cyprian laughed, “Now that seems like an incredibly risky attitude toward a life-changing event.”
Noely responded by pulling at him. Cyprian smiled down at her, then rolled her onto her stomach. His hand ran along her back and around to her stomach, arching her lower half up. She moaned as his hand slid down her stomach and between her thighs, and he slowly began to press inside of her. It did not take long before she was moaning his name and hoping that the night would never end.
The End
Taja’s Dragon (Preview)
By: Lisa Daniels
Chapter 1
Nothing out of the Ordinary
Taja pulled the bundled-up items to her chest and tried to speed up, despite the crowd around her. The market was always impossibly busy at this time of day, and the acting stable master knew it. Still, he had told her not to be late after giving her all of the chores. Hating that the real stable master had been needed at the noble’s country mansion for a few months to deliver two new foals and take care of them, Taja took comfort in the fact that it wouldn’t be much longer before he returned. She just had to hold out for another week or two and then everything would go back to normal.
Her blonde hair shone like sunshine, a few stray strands dangling beside her face as the young woman pressed forward. It would be her twenty-first birthday soon, but she had no expectations. The stable master was the only person in her life that actually seemed to care about what happened to her, and he would not be back in time. Not that she wanted to celebrate. The stable master had been like the father she had never known, so she just wanted him to come back so the nightmare that had been her job without him would end. One of the other stable hands had taken to harassing her in the stable master’s absence, and the acting master wasn’t about to do anything to stop the boy. Taja had plenty of experience keeping boys like that away, but it was wearing on her. That and her mother’s steady decline into the bottle. Taja didn’t feel sorry for herself. She just needed that one ray of sunshine back that had made life worth living.
Taja was not a tall woman, just barely over five feet tall. The first impression people had of her was that she resembled a large doll. Despite working outside, her skin was pale and soft. Her large brown eyes were surrounded by thick lashes that combined with her unnaturally yellow hair, hinting that she was perhaps not fully human. The perfect symmetry of her dainty features was striking, and it had gotten her into plenty of trouble when she was young. It was only after she met the stable master that Taja had calmed down and started trying to make a better life for herself. That had been three years ago. Until that point, she had been a complete mess, sleeping with any boy who would give her gifts and expensive items. Her mother had used her daughter as much as possible, turning expensive gifts into high debts with many of the taverns. The stable master had given the young woman something worth living for outside of her different types of abuse.
It was times like these as she was darting through the crowds that Taja was really thankful for being so small. She was able to more easily slip through spaces between people.
Still not fast enough. I’m going to be late. Her mind was already calculating her distance and current rate of speed. Moving her legs a little faster, she shifted to the outside of the crowd. It was risky, particularly since she would be moving so close to the carriages and horses, but it was the only way she was going to get through the crowd in time.
As soon as she reached the outside of the crowd, Taja’s speed more than doubled. With a grin on her face, the young woman hurried past the throng.
Without warning, one of the people moving in the opposite direction stepped into her. He had been trying to step out of the way of a noble lady, and did not notice the young woman trying to get by on the other side.
Taja lost her balance, and fell. Instinctively, her arms tightened around the things she had brought, trying to keep them from spilling all over the road. Scrambling to get up without dropping anything, Taja looked up. A horse was making its way quickly right toward her.
With a little gasp, the stable hand tried to crawl out of the way without getting the things dirty.
“Seriously? Is that stuff more important than your life?” The voice was unfamiliar, but warm. The accent was light, but it was obvious that the owner of that voice was not from the area. And he was clearly male. Taja felt a pair of hands on her waist and she was suddenly lifted off of the ground. Clutching the items to her chest, she couldn’t believe that someone had stopped to help her. Her mind registered the miracle as a warm and firm body pressed against hers. The sound of the horse’s hoofs rumbled past her as she tried to fully comprehend what had just happened.
As soon as the horse was past, she heard the rider calling it to stop. The warmth moved away from her body as she tried to get a hold of herself.
An angry voice was so close to her, and Taja knew it was the rider. “Do you know what you almost did to my horse?”
Taja turned to look, to apologize, but someone else spoke first. “Are you a fool or an idiot? Oh, yes, I see, you are one of the noble. A bit of both, then.”
Taja’s eyes went wide as she turned to look at the man who had pulled her from the ground. Her gaze went back to the noble, and his expression read the way she felt. Neither of them had heard a noble insulted so publically before. Her head turned and she saw the people in the crowd starting to watch them.
The noble had found his voice. “How dare you insult me!”
“Ah, you make it all too easy. A woman is knocked into the street, and you yell at her for what, exactly? Being in danger? Blaming the victim is easy, but it is also very clear who the villain is in these cases.” He tilted his head to the side. Taja couldn’t see his features very well, but his stance suggested that the man was accustomed to power. He was not tall for a man, but standing this close to him she could tell he was about 5 foot 8 or 5 foot 9. His body was not bulky, but remembering what he had felt like as he held her, she knew that the man was muscular. Sinewy, her mind supplied.
The man’s clothing was very nice, which meant that he was at least upper class, if not something higher. His hair was an inch or two long, a style that she had never seen before. Though it was a dark brown color, it shone, highlighting the fact that he was clearly more than just a commoner.
The noble moved his hand like he was about to strike when the young man held something up at him. Taja couldn’t see what it was, but from the look on the noble’s face, the man who had rescued her was far above the noble’s level.
With her concern growing about who the man was, as well as knowing that she was again at risk of being late no matter how quickly she moved, Taja slipped into the crowd and continued toward work.
The rest of the trip back to the stables went much smoother, and Taja made it back with a little time to spare. The acting stable master frowned down at her, eyeing her muddy clothing, but there was nothing he could say since she had returned with everything before the items were needed.
Knowing that smiling at him would only anger the man, Taja lowered her head and inquired, “What would you like me to do next, sir?”
Apparently she had struck the right tone and posture because the man had no insults for her. When she risked looking up at him, she saw his beady eyes looking around. Unlike the stable master, this man was clearly out of shape. His stomach hung over his pants in a way that suggested his body was trying to escape the confines of clothing. His hair was long and greasy. This was pretty normal for stable hands given what they did, but it generally took a full day’s work to look as bad as the man did early in the morning. It was clear from the man’s features that he was once handsome. Time and his ego had led to his decline, a fact that had not improved his personality. He couldn’t have been older than early forties, yet he acted like an old man with a grudge against life.
“Damaris, sir,” the simpering voice of the boy who had been harassing her grated on Taja’s ears. The look of annoyance on the acting stable master’s face nearly matched the way she felt.
Damaris turned to the stable hand, his expression one of barely contained rage at being interrupted. The stable hand saw his mistake and immediately started to bow to the man. His hair was a dirty blond color that might have been nice if he tried to keep it clean.
Taja doubted the boy cleaned more than once a month, a fact that had often helped her as she could smell him coming. The boy was 17 years old and very self-assured, although Taja had no idea why. His face was always covered in pimples and scabs. His nose was nice, but the way he grinned made him look very unattractive. The boy also had a very uncommon name – Semaj – as if his parents were trying to force a better future on him than he was ever likely to have. Semaj’s personality alone would keep him down his entire life.
The boy was bowing lower. “Damaris, sir,” he simpered, “I was wondering if you would like for the two of us to work together.”
Damaris looked down at the stable hand, then turned his gaze to Taja. “I bet you would like that, wouldn’t you?” His question was directed at Taja.
Fighting the urge to violently shake her head, Taja tried to keep her voice level. “I only want to complete my work today to your satisfaction, sir. If you wish for me to work with others, I will make sure to be more efficient.” If she had flat out denied wanting to work with Semaj, Damaris would have put them to work together just out of spite. If she had said she wanted to work with the boy, Damaris would have some very nasty words, and probably some physical punishment for showing interest in the boy. As it was, all Taja did was hint that she didn’t mind, but the choice was entirely up to Damaris.
He gave a huff, then looked between them. “Semaj, I dare say you are trying to get someone else to do your work. Panding duty for you for your hubris.”
Semaj’s face fell as he realized that he would not be able to see Taja again for at least a day, perhaps more. It was clear that he wanted to argue, but there were worse things than panding. “Yes, sir. I will make sure it is done well.” He tried to use the same flattering words that Taja used, but there was bitterness in them. Damaris missed the boy’s expression and had already lost interest in the whole affair. He wiped his grimy hand on his nose as he looked down at Taja, who still stood in readiness to do as he said.
“Go home, Taja.” She had to fight to keep her eyes trained on the ground. His words were a shock, but she knew that he could easily change the orders. “You look like a pig who escaped the slaughter house and found a river of mud.” He laughed at his own words and walked away. Taja grinned. Damaris wanted to make sure she knew that he wasn’t doing it out of any satisfaction derived from what she had done, but because of the way she looked. Considering she would usually look much worse than she did after falling in the road, Taja knew the real reason he was sending her home – he was too lazy to figure out what she should do.
It doesn’t matter, her thoughts were very clear. The acting stable master didn’t care if she was there or not, but it gave her the time she needed to finally recover from being overworked for months on end. Her heart was light as she turned toward the door to leave.
A hand grabbed her upper arm and forced Taja to turn around. “I am waiting for you, Taja.” Semaj was too close, his blue eyes looking down at her too eagerly.
With a smile, Taja told him, “You can do so much better than me, Semaj. Even your name shows that you will do well someday. Why don’t you focus on the women who deserve your attention instead of an old lady who works in the stables?” She smiled up at him.
The young woman had to fight the shudder that tried to pass over her body as his eyes took in her body again. He wanted her to know that he was thinking about what she looked like under her clothing. “I can clean you up, make you feel young again.”
Taja slipped out of his grasp with a dainty laugh, “You know that you are in a worse state than I am right now. I dare say you will want to wash up as soon as you get home after all of your work for the day.”
She knew very well that he had done virtually nothing, leaving the work to others, but the look on his face showed that he didn’t understand the real meaning behind her words. “Perhaps if you were willing to wash me, I would enjoy bathing.”
She frowned at him, “That is the duty of your wife, not a stable hand. You had best be careful or you will give me the wrong idea.”
Semaj stepped toward her. “Maybe I want you to get the wrong idea.”
She turned and moved away as his hand shot out again to grab her. “Semaj, you are such a tease. Now if you will excuse me, my mother needs me-”
“I need you.” His voice was firm.
On the other side of the barn several older servants entered. Their voices carried across the barn, forcing Semaj to adopt a different pose. Taja frowned at the boy and shook her head. The men saw it and immediately headed over to talk to the pair.
“Taja, is Semaj bothering you again?” The first man to approach was smiling, but there was concern in his voice.
“Indeed he is, sir, but it isn’t anything I can’t handle.” She bowed at the man. He worked with the lord, so his concern meant something, but she also knew that he would not be there if anything happened.
He gave her a quick bow. “Well, you let me know if he becomes too much and I will have a word with Damaris.”
She bowed low. “Thank you very much for your concern. I shall keep that in mind.” Taja knew full well that Damaris would do nothing if the matter was brought to his attention. She just had to wait for Braylon to return, then everything would be fine.
As she raised her head, she gave both of the newcomers a gracious smile and said, “Have a very pleasant day.” With that, she turned and left.
From a little distance, she heard the men talking as they walked in a different direction. “She really is a pretty young thing, isn’t she?”
“Yes. It seems a bit harsh to put a beauty like her in the stables, but can you imagine what it would be like if she were inside?” They both laughed. “It has been enough of a challenge just having her working close to the lord’s home. We’ve had to make sure that the young master doesn’t find out about her because he will certainly try to…” their voices trailed off.
Taja sighed. It was always the same, people always thought of her looks first. It was like she wasn’t even a person, just a plaything for others to use as they saw fit.
Suddenly a warm voice went through her thoughts. “Seriously? Is that stuff more important than your life?” “Blaming the victim is easy, but it is also very clear who the villain is in these cases.”
Taja shook her head, trying to clear out the images and any residual feelings. The man hadn’t gotten a look at her, or he wouldn’t have done what he did. He would have kept a hand on her, making sure she could not escape. Anyone who could intimidate a noble the way that man did was in a high position indeed. He would certainly have required payment for what he had done.
“My life is worth less than that,” the young woman muttered as she walked toward home, “but it doesn’t mean I don’t hope for better.”