I got up, as he was putting on a fresh shirt. My eyes ran over him as the cotton fabric slid down his dancer's frame. He had the kind of body you wanted to touch lightly, savor as you explored. I was starting to get mad at myself for not taking it any further last night or even having a quickie this AM, but I had a feeling Zayden needed to connect right now. He needed the feeling of something good, maybe not pure -I was anything but pure- but more true, more real. I wanted to give him that, so we cuddled and joked around all night like we were kids staying up way past our bedtime and it was… healing.
“Eyes up here, Em. I know my body is next level deliciousness but I'm going to need you to keep those smoldering eyes away from me or else I will need to act on them… and I don't think we have that kind of time.” He winked at me as he grinned and I rolled my eyes playfully.
We made our way downstairs and everyone was already there and waiting. Hemlock and her group were already suited up, weapons at the ready, looking like they were going to war. I didn't forget we were going to help them into the cannibal’s strong hold, I just wanted breakfast first.
That thought made me pause. When have I ever needed any food before a job? When have I ever stopped to sit around with people? Never. Never was the answer. I never even had those thoughts until I watched as Zayden went up to Rykon and Ajax, joking about something, and I realized it wasn’t until I started to hang out with them more. I started to appreciate the little scraps of time we had before some job or event or obligation. It made working so hard worth it.
“Please tell me that you dumped those numbskulls and are now joining up with me, princess greenie?” I turned to Hemlock, signed out at her antics as she folded her arms and glared at the guys.
“No.” I said in a firm tone.
She smiled brightly as she asked, “No to what? No to the dumping or the nickname?”
I didn't care for either, so I repeated myself, “No.”
Hemlock opened her mouth but the librarian came swooping into the room, causing all of the things that were not nailed down to go flying. Then he turned to Hemlock and I. “You will not be going into the cannibal’s strong hold.”
Surprised by the demand in his voice, I raised my eyebrow at him and the words he chose. Hemlock decided on the opposite strategy. “What do you mean we can't go?” She whined before she said, “You're not my mom!... wait…” she looked at him and blinked several times before she asked, “Are you?” She started to giggle as she was telling herself of course he wasn't, but she kept giving him weird assessing looks.
The librarian didn't acknowledge her question but just kept going, “No you need to take the trail and go straight home. Both of you.” Suddenly, his eyes clouded over as they flicked from side to side. His whole body started to clench up as wind that came from nowhere started to swirl around him, lifting him slightly off the ground. The whole aura around him changed, his body started to shake as his hands were clenched at his side. In a deep voice, unlike his, he said, “The Light and the Between guardians must not face the Devourer’s stronghold. If they do, it will be their deaths. The triple power needs to find the Dark guardian before the Devourer is faced. Before they start the great war.”
There was a snap and the air stopped, his feet came back to the ground and his eyes started to clear up. His regular facial features came back to him as he shook his head and mumbled, “I hate when she does that.” He looked up to find all of us staring at him like he had grown five heads.
He sighed out as he went to one of the chairs by the table, sitting down like all of his power had been drained out of him. His eyes flicked up to mine and Hemlock, “So it looks like this is going to be a change of plans for you two, eh?.”
“Who the fuck was that?” Hemlock asked, waving to the area he was in before he sat down.
He took a large gulp of breath as he lulled his head back, “That was Lena, the great Oracle that resides in the fae lands.”
When we still didn't speak, waiting for more information, he growled out in frustration. “Look, there are a lot of things going on in the background that you don't know about. Things that I will need to explain to you later, but it looks like she had a vision from your little future excursion and either you or Hemlock are going to die if you go forward with it.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, sorcerer?!” Talican stormed up to him, bow at the ready in his face.
Hemlock rolled her eyes as she whispered to me out the side of her mouth in exasperation, “I swear. If it wasn’t for the love of some big dick, I wouldn’t waste my fucking time.” Then she turned towards Talican and cooed, “Oh, you silly boy. You don't point a bow at someone's face if you want to threaten them,” the Librarian let out a sigh of appreciation, “you point it to the groin. They will bend to your will much faster. Right, my Duchess of greenness?” She turned to me for confirmation but I kept my eyes on the librarian, not liking he was keeping secrets.
I gave one curt nod in her direction because she wasn't wrong. Her smile got wide as she patted Talican on the back and firmly said, “Let the old man go. Stop overreacting.”
“He threatened you.” Talican clenched out, teeth grinding as he didn't take his eyes off the Librarian.
“No I didn't.” The Librarian drolled out.
Hemlock pointed to the Librarian, “See, he said he didn't.” Talican hesitated, glaring at the Librarian again before he slowly lowered his weapon.
The Librarian stood up, “While I did not threaten you both, it is a warning from someone who could see the future and whose advice you should take. But as always, the choice is up to you on whether you follow it or not.” He stood up and went to the pot that was still brewing in the fireplace.
Hemlock and I looked at each other, trying to decide what to do, when his voice drifted over to us again, “Just because I'm curious, why did you need to go into the cannibal’s stronghold anyways?”
I looked at Hemlock, as this was her mission, her caveat to helping me and mine. She shrugged her shoulders. “We need to get a layout of their stronghold. Once we have that we will have proof and leverage to be able to unite the tribes to take them out.”
His eyes sparkled with mirth, “Well dear Hemlock, all you had to do was ask and I could’ve helped you.” He snapped his fingers and a book popped out of thin air. He opened the pages and found a picture of a ruin. “This,” he pointed to the picture, “is what they are living out of. I think they added a few modifications to it before they went mad, but the core levels, stairwells, and composition are the same.”
Rath came over to the table, taking out a rolled up parchment and pen from his pocket as he started to draw, or really copy, the picture that was being shown with furious determination.
“Well, hot damn, that was faster than I thought we would get it.” Hemlock grinned.
“And safer.” Talican whispered, fear for Hemlock’s life was in his eyes as he flicked them at the door we almost left just now.
“And gets us out of our deal.” Zayden whispered to only the three of us. The two others nodded their approval, glad we didn't have to go to the stronghold, but I was a little disappointed. I was in the mood to go on a killing rampage. I guess I was going to have to exhaust myself with the trip back home.
