Warlord's Ward

A Mission

Warlord began stirring through things. Tugging out a small black bag and stuffing a few vials in it and a few clothes.

"What are you doing?"

"Preparing to go on a mission."

"So soon?"

You're leaving me? I was half afraid of being alone. Worried someone else might come up here and do to me what Warlord had this morning.

He paused to look at me. "No one will get to you."

"How do you know?" My voice quaked.

"I wouldn't let them. You're mine." There was such confidence in his voice that I found it somehow reassuring.

Even though it means he's coming back.

And he sees me as no more than a possession.

He gave me another quick look but said nothing.

***

He slung the back over his shoulder. But he paused when he heard my question.

"If you can't leave, why doesn't your brother come for you?"

"He doesn't know where I am."

"How could he not?"

He gave me a look over his shoulder. "Because Warlord is not my name."

Killian is. I remembered.

His brother doesn't know he's King Detry's 'Warlord'. It seemed inconceivable to me.

It meant that Warlord wasn't telling his brother where he was for a reason. Why?

Warlord was still frowning at me over his shoulder. "Is there a single moment your head is not spilling over with questions."

"No..." I said honestly. "Not really..."

I thought I heard him chuckle as he left.

"No, Jade. I won't let you starve. Yes, Jade, I will come back."

I closed my mouth and watched him go. I hate that he can hear my thoughts.

***

If his quiet presence had been awful his quiet absence was far worse.

I thought of the red bird delivering messages.

I thought of his brother, Aviari.

I thought of why he'd hide his location from his own kin.

I wondered how someone so powerful could be trapped here.

And I thought of him inside me. How he'd felt. And what he'd done.

I knew that it was unlikely I'd be able to find a quality mate now. Since I was tattered. That made me deflate some.

But I don't even know if I'm ever going to get out of here.

What if I stay Warlord's property forever?

He's let others go. A tiny voice reminded me. Giving me a glimmer of hope.

***

I tried every door. Examined every window for an escape. I even found my way out on the balcony. I crawled out and peered over the railing, but it was way too high to jump down. And there was no vines or loose stones that would offer me a safe route down.

And there's mages down there training all day and part of the night.

I was sure that they'd route me straight back to their commander.

It was the dead of night when I heard deep thudding outside the door.

It swung open before anyone touched it and the room seemed much darker. Telling me that Warlord and his smokey presence had entered the chamber.

He closed the door and lit a candle on his small table. Revealing that his face and chest were splattered in dark blotches.

Someone's blood. I swallowed. Wondering what wolves, he'd killed tonight.

"How can you keep killing your own kind?" I demanded outraged.

Where's his pack loyalty.

He whirled to face me, and his power boomed in the room like thunder. Knocking things over and blowing the blankets on the bed up to the wall. Making my hair fly straight back.

"Do you think I would, if I didn't have to?" He roared.

"You're so powerful, how could anyone make you?" I countered just as loudly.

His eyes narrowed and I sensed his fury. Realizing that I should not have pissed him off.

I gritted my teeth. "I'm sorry."

"No." He turned back to the table and began removing things from the bag. "Not in the least. But you will be."

"No." I backed up. Lifting my hands to ward him off.

I leapt the bathing bin and hid in the corner. Keeping the bin behind me and him.

"Really?" He quirked a black brow in the firelight. Making him look terrifyingly ominous. "Do you think I couldn't send that bin flying out the window if I wished?"

"Please, don't." My voice cracked.

"Don't beg me now. Your impulsive defiance is going to cost you more skin than you have one of these times." He strode purposely across the room.

I winced. Tightening into a small ball and covering my head. Squinting my eyes closed as I braced myself.

***

To my surprise, he stopped short of me. Dropped his clothes on the floor and stepped into the bin.

"Get in here." He demanded.

"But I don't-"

His loud groan cut me off. Then he expostulated. "Are we going to do this again? Start from scratch? I swear I'll pour straight icy river over you until your begging me to obey."

I winced and shook my head adamantly. Standing numbly.

"Take your clothes off." He said absentmindedly. Turning sideways as he made a quick movement in the dark which summoned water above him. Dumping steaming water on his skin.

I hesitantly dropped the clothes I'd scrounged up in his absence.

An oversized shirt and pants that were far too big.

"Take them off!" He barked.

I obediently stripped them and stepped into the bin behind him. Lurking as far back as I could.

"Wash my skin." He rounded to face me. Catching a bit of soap off a stand near the bin he scrubbed it into his hair. Then pulled out my hand and slapped the bar into my palm. "Do it. I've no patience for your stalling tonight."

Why's he so agitated? I wondered. Sensing it was more than just me causing it tonight.

He tipped his head back and shook it. Sending the foamy bubbles cascading down his back and long strands sweeping down his flat chest.

I reached up with the bar. My hands shaking as I put it to his skin. Half expecting him to jump or get ahold of me, as agitated as he was.

Instead, he was working his fingers through his hair to get out the rest of the soap.

I quickly rubbed his body with the bar. Scrubbing at stiffer spots with my thumb until they broke apart.

When he dropped his head to look at me, I saw how many dark spots actually marred his face.

How many did he kill?