The Holly and the Ivy - 9. Close Call

The Holly and the Ivy

Chapter Nine

Landyn made me show up in the kitchen at too-early o’clock six days a week. At least he had either a freshly made smoothie or protein shake waiting for me. Sometimes they were even green – kale or something – but still tasted surprisingly good and I only pretended to choke on them. He fell for it every time and launched into long-winded explanations about which ingredients he’d used and how healthy they were. Too funny. Then we went to the gym. Of course, Diarmad had his own gym. Let’s just say I stopped wondering long ago.

I’d never been much into sports to be honest, but Landyn had the ultimate argument when he told me it would be useful to be able to run away from trouble rather than breaking down in a breathless heap after only two hundred yards. We now had a routine of light endurance training, then working with free-weights for a while. He had also introduced me to hand-to-hand combat techniques. Probably in case someone was between me and the door. I needed to know how to hit where it would do the most damage - and then run away. Keith always had a real breakfast ready afterwards. It was the only meal we all took together: Ronan, Becca, Simon, Landyn, Diarmad, and I. It was like family dinner, including the lectures.

Afterwards I would go to my room or Diarmad’s office to study. Keith brought me lunch, which I ate in front of my computer most of the time. I practiced piano every evening and Diarmad always sat on the couch listening, even when I repeated some passages again and again or was just doing scales.

One evening he asked, “Noël, why did you not want to become a professional pianist? Eleanora told me you could have got into some famous schools, if you had wanted.”

I thought about my reply. Should I be honest or just say some generic stuff like ‘I don’t think I’m that good.’ I opted for honesty. “Music is my love. It’s something I want to be free to enjoy without restraints. If I’d become a professional pianist, I would have to play what other people want. Or at least I’d have to compromise. I didn’t want that. My music is my own. I don't want to bear my soul, well souls now, to strangers.”

“So instead you want to have your Masters of Business Administration one day? Is that not a very contrasting profession?”

“Maybe, but it’s something I always wanted to do and for me it’s the perfect balance.”

He stared at me for a while and then nodded slowly. “The perfect balance… like you are for me. I can feel it. Together we will be able to maintain equilibrium. Our souls will be equal in power and there will be restraints in place that prevent me from exhaustion. You will show me my boundaries.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Reaching inside me, I knew what he meant though. Ever since I had been with him, I felt… stretched, like I had to train to get more strength so that I could accommodate the additional strain eventually. I had talked with Simon about this. He told that, after the mating, the other two souls would help me, and it would become easier.

Wednesdays I had to go to classes, once such a simple thing that now needed a great deal of preparations. Landyn planned every step I made. It was annoying. He never left my side, always scanning the immediate surroundings while several of his men were securing the rest of the area. Far too much hassle, if you’d asked me, but no one did.

The first two weeks everything went well. In the third week, I was on edge from the first minute I woke in the morning. When I told Landyn about it, he looked at me strangely, and then called in more men to accompany us for the day.

We reached class in time, if barely. With all the additional security Landyn had organized, I felt like an idiot. I sat down in my seat, thinking how many guards were circling out there, just because I had some kind of hunch or whatever-the-fuck I should call it. Yet, I couldn’t shake this sensation of being watched. By the time we left the building again, it was so bad, it made me physically ill. Then three things happened: One of Landyn’s men came sprinting towards us yelling words I didn’t catch, moments later I found myself buried under Landyn’s body, and then something exploded behind me. There was screaming, someone called for the police and an ambulance, and then it was as if my heart was thumping in my head and I couldn’t hear anything but my own breathing. Landyn’s voice was muffled, although I could see he was yelling. I couldn’t understand what he said and he had to shake me roughly a few times, before I got what he asked. “Are you okay?”

I took a moment to check. My left side hurt where I had come down hard on the ground, there was a stick or something digging into my hip. I nodded. “Yes. I’m okay.” I swallowed. “What the fuck was that?”

He didn’t answer. Still covering me with his body, he made a phone call, then he helped me to my feet. Together we crawled awkwardly through some bushes, until we reached a spot where Landyn’s security team was already waiting for us. I was ushered into a car and that was the last day I would leave the house to go to school. Diarmad made it an order and for once, I didn’t bother with protest.

***

I was still under shock the next day. Reality had come knocking at my door. Someone out there wanted to fucking kill me. The official version was it had been a gas explosion. A leak, due to rotten piping. We all knew damn well that hadn’t been a chance happening, though.

Then Landyn approached me, asking if I had encountered any unusual abilities or premonitions lately. My first reaction was to laugh. The question wasn’t funny by any means, but everything felt unreal so I fell back to my default reaction. “No, I haven’t thrown anybody against a wall again, if that’s what you meant by unusual abilities.”

“Well that’s good to know, but I think we should try to see if you can tap into any defensive powers now. The incident yesterday might have triggered some. If you can, we have to train you. It looks like you might need them one day soon.” Well, if that wasn’t motivating...

From that day on, we had another item on our daily agenda. After training, we stood in the gym’s largest room with me staring at some random object, trying to move it. Of course, I felt ridiculous, but seeing Landyn’s serious expression, I tried anyway. He told me to imagine a cage around a basketball lying on the floor and then lift it. There was something, I could almost grab it, but it stayed always just out of reach. I never managed to move the damned thing other than to kick it. Which I did. Every time.

Next Landyn told me some of the Ancients had the rare ability of precognition. As the King’s Mate it was probable, if unusual, I too would develop this power eventually. He then proceeded to warn me, if I ever experienced something like I had on the day of the attack, I should absolutely trust my feelings. It might help save my ass someday. His actual words.

Something else had changed that day. For a while now Diarmad and I had woken up wrapped around each other in the morning. We fell asleep on our respective sides of the bed, but every night somehow migrated to each other. At first, it had been awkward to wake with my head on his shoulder or he spooning me, his arm wrapped firmly around my waist. From the day the attack had happened, he didn’t bother with etiquette any longer. He pulled me into his arms as soon as we went to bed and it felt right. The same, when he took my hand during the rare times we went out. Sometimes he had an arm around my shoulder, while talking to Landyn or Ronan. Then one day I went into his study to get a book, not knowing he had visitors. I saw two men sitting in front of his desk, and was about to close the door again when he gestured for me to come over. He stood up from his chair, caressed my cheek, and then introduced me to his visitors.

It took me a while to understand. He did it to show his people that I was fine with being his mate, that we were starting to care for each other. Or so I thought, until I heard a low growling, making his chest vibrate. This was him marking his territory. A loud and clear ‘Mine.’ I had seen similar behaviors from Landyn and Simon as well as Ronan and Becca from time to time. Obviously the Seraei were a possessive lot. Something Diarmad and I needed to discuss.

***

Like every other night, the door of Diarmad's study opened, as soon as I started practicing. It was as if he had been waiting for my butt to touch the piano bench before coming out. I looked up and immediately knew something was wrong. He was fidgety and looked exhausted. For days, people had been in and out of his office. Just an hour ago, I had seen Landyn and Ronan going in there with worried expressions on their faces.

Seeing him like this I decided to forego my usual routine, and just play something nice and soothing for him. It worked perfectly. After only a few minutes, he dropped his head to rest on the back of the couch, his eyes closed. The longer I played, the more his expression relaxed. I was insanely proud of myself.

When I finished the third piece, he had fallen asleep. I got up and walked over, carefully as not to wake him, when he whispered, his eyes still closed, “Thank you Noël. That was exactly what I needed.”

“You’re welcome.” Should I ask him? Definitely. “Something is worrying you...” He didn’t answer my implied question and I didn't insist. Instead, I let my gaze wander over his face. My eyes were always drawn to his dark eyebrows first, then to his mouth and for the first time I noticed that his lower lip was noticeably larger than his upper. Following a sudden impulse, I bent down and, starting at the slight crease between his eyebrows, I ran my index finger over those perfect bows, followed by his high cheekbones, his slightly chapped lips, his jaw, the right side of his neck, until I reached his pulse point. He finally opened his eyes and looked at me, lips slightly parted. I couldn’t resist covering his mouth with mine, flicking my tongue to ask for more. He opened up and I explored his mouth tentatively, when he suddenly grabbed the back of my head with his left hand, pulling me closer. To avoid landing face down on the couch I had to move, ending up straddling his legs. I could feel his arousal immediately and moaned into his kiss, trying to press myself even closer to him, breathing in his unique scent. His hand started to wander over my back, under my shirt and then finally slipped into my pants, stopping at my tailbone.

Again, we didn’t hear Ronan entering the room until he tried to get our attention by clearing his throat. Only when he started to speak, telling us that two council members were waiting in the hall, did he finally get his wish.

“What the hell can be so important that it cannot wait until tomorrow?” Diarmad groused, reluctantly letting go of me. “This better be a crucial matter, otherwise…” I clambered from his lap awkwardly and tried to somewhat smooth my clothes. I looked him over. Fuck, anybody can see what we just did!

He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. “This is nothing we have to be embarrassed about, Noël.”

If you say so.

Diarmad insisted that I come with him and we waited for the two council members in his study. When Landyn finally opened the door, it was clear he was extremely pissed. Stepping aside to let the three men waiting behind enter the room, seemed to be the most difficult thing for him. I understood the minute I saw the third man. I couldn’t stand him. It was as if he was radiating hate. The things Landyn had told me about precognition came immediately to my mind.

It turned out he was a doctor. The two council members and he had been sent on an official mission to see whether Diarmad and I had illegally completed the mating ritual before my birthday. Keelan McGill had been successful in convincing the council that there was at least a sufficient initial suspicion that had to be investigated further.

The doctor came right on to me. “If the young man would disrobe now. I will inspect him for bite marks; especially his vena jugularis, radialis and… femoralis.” The last one he said while licking his lips and leering at me. Wrong move.

Landyn was barely able to hold Diarmad back. Hissing between clenched teeth, he fought Landyn with surprising strength. “Before you see him naked, or lay your hands on him I’ll kill you!”

The man lifted his hands, grinning like a serial murderer. “Now, now, there is no need to threaten me my King… Or are you afraid of what I might find?”

Diarmad’s usually midnight blue eyes turned into a stormy silver and I knew I had to react fast. Rubbing his arm soothingly, I tried to convey calming feelings to him and somehow I must have succeeded, because after he had taken several deep breaths his eye color turned back to blue. Then he said with an eerily calm voice, “There must be another way to verify that these accusations against us are unjustified. Can you not test our blood? If we had completed our mating then our blood must have changed also, right? He would be Seraei and I would be Kune.”

“That’s right, but that is not the only matter; I also have to examine him for penetration… he was a virgin, right?”

“Was?” I thought that would be it and Diarmad would kill the doctor on the spot when one of the council members piped up, “That would not be against the law. It would be unusual and we haven’t had a case like that for some centuries, but as long as no blood has been exchanged, the mating would not be completed. It would not be illegal.”

Everybody looked at him and I could have sworn the doc was about to choke the poor guy to death, but then the other council member confirmed the statement, so he couldn't object any longer. Instead he fished blood withdrawal equipment out of his bag only to be stopped again, this time by Landyn. “This isn’t a sealed package; it’s already open. We demand you take one out of a sealed bag.”

The doctor hissed in exasperation, but I think that this was only because Landyn had caught him red-handed in the attempt to fabricate evidence, “I don’t have another one.”

“Well that’s not a problem; we’ll send Keith to the closest pharmacy to get some. It will only take fifteen minutes at most I believe.”

Half an hour later two sheepish looking council members and a furious doctor left with Diarmad’s and my blood, as well as a very pissed off Landyn, who declared he wouldn’t let the blood out of his sight until it had been tested.

Thank you, Lisa, Val and Zombie!