The Immortal Guardians: Book III

Chapter 27

He led me to his living room. He lifted the jacket from my shoulder.

"Who took care of the wound?"

"Magenta" his fingers brushed my skin slightly. He nodded slightly. "And Jessie" I answered searching his eyes for some kind of reaction.

"They both know what they are doing but I need to have a Healer see you." He pulled the jacket around my shoulders. He wrote a note and attached it to his falcon's leg. "You aren't useful to me if you are dead." his eyes met mine. His lips twitched slightly.

"Where did you go?" I asked him. He glanced down at my bare feet. A thin frown appeared at his lips.

"You need clothing. Have you eaten?" He opened the door and yelled, calling for someone. I heard someone walk up the stairs.

"Yes" I answered slightly annoyed. I wasn't a child.

"Get some clothing for Iris." He demanded. There was irritation in his voice. "And bring her something to eat."

"I've eaten." I answered. He didn't answer. He closed the door. "So what are we going to do? Captain Langerson has the boys"

"Zane will keep me informed about that. We will just wait for him to send a note." Taron waved me off. He took a seat across from me.

"Zane, who is he?" I asked him.

"I have him looking after you, Captain Zane. I got his falcon that you were in trouble." He lifted his eyebrows at me.

"You mean the Captain who helped me works for you."

"Yup" Taron replied with a smile. "I had to keep my eye on you and the other two." There was a knock on the door. A girl popped her head in, she lifted some clothing up to me.

"Thank you" I took it from her. She didn't lift her eyes at me as she walked away. I shut the door behind her.

"Bathroom is through there. Healer will be here soon" Taron put his legs up on the couch.

When I got out of the bathroom, the Healer was waiting for me. He quickly looked at the wound.

"Do you have another Healer on your payroll, Taron? This is great work" the Healer nodded with approval.

"I'll let her know." Taron replied. He was standing by the window. His falcon was gone. He crossed his arms, waiting. The Healer raised his eyebrows but didn't say a word.

"Take care of yourself." He patted my cheek. "Taron, be careful."

Taron turned to me.

"Are you alright?" he asked me in a soft voice. His eyes were slightly guarded.

"Fine." I answered taking a seat. "Any news?" I put my hands together. I heard him shift around on his feet.

"Not yet. You should rest. You look tired, and pale." He tilted his head at me. His eyes didn't lift from mine.

"How am I going to sleep knowing that Ezra, Thomas, Vino, Henri, And Drake are out there?" I placed my hands in my head. My palms were sweaty and the burger I had eaten earlier was threatening to come up. "Jeeesh, I hope Byron knows."

"Your mentor?" he asked me. I nodded. "Have you notified him that you are here?"

"No, Ares is with him." I sighed heavily. His hand was suddenly on my head. I lifted my head slightly.

"They will be okay. Don't worry about them." the back of his hand brushed my cheek. I met his eyes. They were warm and soft. "I'm on your side."

"Thanks." I grasped his hand. In many ways, he was just like Byron. He looked after everybody else but himself. He was willing to help no matter what but there was something else about him. He was warmer, and caring. He could easily show his soft side.

Taron slowly kneeled in front of me. His thumb brushed my chin. His touch sent shivers down my spine. The only one that used to do that was Byron.

"What for?" Taron searched my eyes. His thumb touched my lips. "We have an alliance, remember?" the tip of his thumb brushed my lips. "We take care of each other."

"What about Jessie?" I blurted without thinking. Taron raised an eyebrow, amused.

"What about her?" he leaned away slightly.

"You are together." I replied, annoyed with him.

"Sleeping together doesn't mean we are anything. She knows what to expect." Taron eyebrows furrowed downward. "There isn't anything going on between us if that is what you are thinking."

"They all seem so- umm in love with you." They were right it was easy to fall for him. He took care of anybody that needed it.

Taron chuckled.

"They aren't in love with me. They love what I have done for them. Some girls have had really bad lives, Iris. I give them protection"

"And in exchange they give you information, right?" I replied rather disgusted. I had to lean away from him so he was no longer touching me. He dropped his hand from my face.

"I thought you said it was a front." I recalled from the time we had came over to visit him.

"It is a front." he got to his feet. "It is something that needs to be done."

"There are other ways of getting information. You know that" I crossed my arms across my chest. "Or are you the type that only views women as property. They can be used any way you want." I rose to my feet so I could look at him in the face.

"Not anymore." He grumbled. He met my eyes and glanced away. "Not since meeting you."

"Me?" I replied, surprised.

"I have rethought lots of things, especially women and specifically about you." Taron let out a low disbelieving laugh.

I opened my mouth to question him but there was scratching at the window. He crossed the room quickly and opened the window.

Ares and Jhené flew in. There was a note attached to Jhené's leg.

He pulled it out.

"We are meeting Zane, in about an hour." Taron handed me the note so I could see it. "What does your mentor have to say?"

Ares chirped.

"Byron is-" I stared at Ares. "He is missing too." I blinked at him. Taron quickly wrote a note and put it back into the tube on Jhené's leg.

For the next hour, I was a complete mess. I kept pacing back and forth.

"Is it time?" I kept asking Taron.

"Sit down" he told me for the third time. I kept glancing at the clock. We had half an hour left.

"Shouldn't we leave now?" I asked him frantically. He finally got to his feet. He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on.

"Let's go." Taron answered with a deep sigh. I grabbed a jacket that had been given to me. He gave me a side-glance and he shook his head. There was a sort of disapproval on his face. I wondered if it wasbecause it concerned Byron, or it was my reaction towards Byron being missingtoo.