Chapter 4
Preparing and Deception
A young man with white hair stepped into the clearing, and Summer looked between the pair. The tension melted away from Carrington.
“Ye gods, Mr. Flirty, but you have some of the best timing. I will make time for you.”
The handsome man waved a hand. “No, no, those pretty words are not going to get me again. You left without a word and left me to contend with everyone else– Hold up, who’s this?” The young man took a while, but he finally realized that Carrington wasn’t alone.
Half-pixie. She had no idea where the thought came from, but Summer was sure of the man’s genetics just as she had been certain of her location at any given time.
Summer’s companion closed the space between him and the new arrival. “Come on, Jaylon, there is no need to talk about anyone else with you here.”
The man named Jaylon gave Carrington a slight push, a flush rising on his cheeks. “I’m not falling for that again, H–” Before he could finish, Carrington had pulled him into a kiss. Summer’s eyes went wide as the man with white hair initially flailed, then leaned into the kiss. Her face flushed as she watched. Embarrassed, she looked away.
Carrington’s voice was clear as he said, “That’s a message for our mutual friend.”
Jaylon spluttered for a moment before he finally found the words he was looking for. “What? What the hell does that mean? Look, I don’t like–” Suddenly he went silent. Too embarrassed to look at the pair, Summer turned and walked some distance away from them.
Carrington’s voice was carefree as he said, “Focus on the message. It’s important and I need you to convey it accurately.”
“Good lord, you know that Noely will kill me if I try that on Cyprian.”
Summer stumbled at the name. Cyprian. I know Cyprian. Casting a quick look at the pair, she noticed Carrington look away from her. Unsure if he saw her stumble, she acted as if everything was fine. Pulling up a few blades of grass, she sat down and began to weave something, though she wasn’t sure what. She did not hear the rest of the conversation as her mind was intent on retrieving a memory of a man named Cyprian. The first thing that came to her was a gorgeous smile and a soft voice. Any idea that he might be the man that she sought was soon dismissed as she compared his voice to the memory of the pleading man. Even if he wasn’t the man she was looking for, the thought of Cyprian made her smile and she closed her eyes to enjoy the few flashes of him that she could. He must have been a teacher or something because her memories focused on him demonstrating different techniques and ideas. She was somewhat shocked to find that mixed in there were a few fighting moves, and she couldn’t help but move her arms in the same manner Cyprian did.
“And just what do you think you are doing there?”
Summer opened her eyes and saw Jaylon standing over her. “I’m just practicing moves that I haven’t had the pleasure of using in a while.”
“Really? And what is a while, if I may ask?” His smile was infectious.
“I couldn’t really say.”
“She has a terrible memory,” Carrington cut in.
“Is that what you are after now? Hoping to be able to hide behind a string of women who can’t remember who you are?”
Summer looked up at the two who were standing slightly apart from each other. Jaylon was in the sun like her, but Carrington was strategically hidden under shade. A small part of her questioned how he managed to appear to be in so much shadow, but she wasn’t about to question him aloud. “He’s not hiding behind me, so don’t worry. He’s just helping me until I can remember what I’ve forgotten.”
“Oh, he doesn’t do anything without expecting something in return. That’s just not the way this man operates.” He nudged Carrington. “I should know. Do you think that he brought me back to Senones out of a sense of kindness?” Jaylon laughed.
“Oh, you are such a riot, I could kiss you all over again.”
At the words, Jaylon stepped back. “Oh no, you don’t. I’m not taking any more messages for anyone else. If you are that lonely, I feel certain there are a slew of people who will be happy to have you. I only have one heart, and I don’t need it broken by the likes of someone like you, even in the name of carrying messages.”
Carrington laughed and scratched his head. “And here I thought you liked me.”
Jaylon gave him a playful push. “You know you can always ask me for anything. I’m not going to delve. But be careful, alright?”
“When have I ever been careless?”
“The captain I knew was about as sensible and cautious as any person I’ve ever known. You are no longer that person now, so I feel that the warning is appropriate.”
“Ah, you are breaking my heart.”
Jaylon laughed and shook his head. “There isn’t a person alive who could touch your cold heart.” Summer watched the look the white-haired man gave Carrington, and a part of her ached at the look of longing on the man’s face. Clearly, it was one-sided, and Carrington was using it to his own advantage.
Carrington gave his friend a smile. “Start with Noely. You have no idea just how mistrustful Phelan has gotten, and I can’t say that I blame him. What they did was not only unfair, it was cruel. I don’t know how he feels about them, but if there is any hint that they are going to hurt his Taja or their baby, Phelan is not going to go down quietly.”
“Like you know anything about Phelan.” Jaylon gave him a wry look.
“I met him at one of his most difficult times and learned a lot from Taja. You could call it an interesting bonding experience.” There was a strange smile on Carrington’s face.
“Tell me you didn’t hit on her.”
“She reminded me too much of you to ever try that. It would be like trying to seduce a pillow instead of finding a prostitute.”
“Say what?” Jaylon laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think I care for your analogies.”
Summer watched the smile on Carrington’s face shift a little. “That’s alright. I’m no poet, so I don’t have the best grasp on how to let you know that there is no substitute for you. Anyway. My point was that you need to get Noely to handle the situation. Given her abilities, she will keep all heads level.”
“What about Bree?” Jaylon was looking at Carrington with a lopsided grin.
“I'm not about to cross Calixto.”
With another laugh, Jaylon gave Carrington a punch in the arm. “You know what I mean. She’s the sorceress, shouldn’t she be there?”
Shaking his head, Carrington sighed. “No. I have a feeling she is going to be preoccupied elsewhere, and it would probably be for the best. She isn’t quite a substitute for what will be lost by having Noely and company out of the fight, but it is better than letting the reds take all of the glory.”
“Fair enough. I will see what I can do. Given that I don’t know that much about what is going on, I have to trust your judgment.”
Carrington patted him on the back, and Summer watched the look of happiness pass over Jaylon’s face at the touch. Appearing unaware, Carrington turned. “Good. Now off with you. I swear that you can have your words the next time we meet.”
“You have yourself a deal.” Jaylon held out his hand and Carrington shook it without hesitation. The half-pixie turned as if he had forgotten something. His eyes shifted to Summer and back to Carrington. “I know it is a bit rude, but I can’t… I can’t get a read on her at all. She’s not human, but that’s the only thing I can tell for sure.”
Carrington gave him a slight push. “You’re right.”
“So does that mean…” Jaylon’s voice trailed off as his eyes fell on the woman. “I mean, she’s probably the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen, which makes me think she is part succubus or something.”
Summer’s eyes went wide and she turned to Carrington, who burst out laughing. “Is that what you think of me? That I would trust a succubus? Good gods, but you are a fool. I meant you are right, it was rude. And now it is beyond a bit rude. Get going. You have more important things to worry about than a passing stranger.”
Jaylon gave her an embarrassed smile. “I'm sorry. I wasn’t trying to insult you. It’s just that I think you are incredibly attractive and that’s not something that…” His eyes drifted back to Carrington.
Summer smiled, “I understand the compliment, but I am not compelling anyone. The only one here capable of that is standing beside you.”
“What?” Jaylon looked shocked for a minute, his eyes shifting to Carrington. “He’s a dr–”
Carrington covered his mouth with a finger. “You have already learned the price for blabbing stuff like that. Don’t make me punish you again. You have some important tasks to complete, and I don’t have time to mete out the punishment right now.”
Jaylon’s sharp intake of breath let Summer know that what Carrington said was more of a threat than his playful voice and smile would suggest. “Fine, but some day you are going to have to learn to stop toying with me. I may actually believe you one day.”
A look passed over Carrington’s face, and Summer was certain that the love-struck Jaylon didn’t even notice. The smile was back in place nearly as fast as it fell. “I promise to be as good to you as I can be.”
Jaylon’s sincere smile was painful to watch. He gave Carrington a wink. “I will hold you to that.” With that, he was gone.
“What happened to him?” Summer was stunned by the sudden disappearance. She looked up at Carrington, who had already turned and was walking away from her. “Carrington, stop right there.”
The man took several more steps before finally turning. Almost his entire body was in shadow as he looked at her.
Summer rose in a fluid motion and quickly closed the distance between them. “Do not use people like that.”
Despite the shadow, she could see that there was no smile on the man’s face. “You don’t get to tell me how to behave. Remember I am helping you despite my better judgment. I will decide how best to accomplish that.” He turned and began walking away.
“No.” Her voice was forceful and commanding. “I never asked for your help, and I will not be party to your abusing people who believe you are their friend. If you pull anything like that again, so help me–”
He stepped toward her, and it was only when there was almost no space between them that she realized just how tall the man was. The menace in his voice was harsh, especially after the levity he voiced moments earlier. “Or you’ll what? Die again? You’ll help Chesed? No, your threats are hollow, so don’t bother with them.”
He turned and only when his back was to her did Summer feel she could breathe. “I will leave you.”
The words rang out around them, and for a fleeting second Carrington stood still, almost as if he had been paralyzed by her words. When he spoke it was low, without any menace. “It may be in your best interest to do so. No good will come of you staying near me.” With that he continued to walk away from her.
Summer watched his back, torn between following him and following through with her threat.
Placing a hand to her lips, she pinched her lower lip and watched his figure. She had a name now, she could go it on her own and find Cyprian, but she found that something else was bothering her more than the nearly empty space where her memories should be. The man who had taken her on as his charge was clearly one of the most broken and damaged men she had ever encountered. He had taken her on knowing that it was a bad idea. Despite his cold words, she knew her threat bothered him more than he was willing to admit. For some reason he wasn’t going to be honest with her.
This bothered her much more than her lost memories. Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, Summer brought her hands up in front of herself and spread them out toward the sun. A smile spread over her face, and she knew that she couldn't leave him. Not yet. Finding the man from her memory could wait – this man was in far greater need. Something about the thought struck a familiar note in her mind, but Summer wasn’t quite sure what it was. For now, she didn’t care.
Stepping over the small grass wreath she had made, the woman followed Carrington.