Sanctuary

Chapter 11

Jaynah

Luke was right. But not for the reasons he thought. I hadn't been able to talk with James for a few weeks and whenever we got the chance to catch up with each other, the conversation almost always turned towards our latest missions.

Tamworth was an interesting place to visit. Part city, part large country town, it was an interesting blend of the two cultures. Walking down the streets with Luke, it reminded me of some small cities in France. Ones that had maintained their rural charm while blending it with a metropolitan atmosphere.

I had a wonderful time with Luke even if we did only have a short amount of time before we had to leave for Eastbourne. It was a little funny to see the reaction when a man approached me, only to see Luke put his arm around me and made it clear he was with me. I got my own back with two women trying to flirt with him in front of me. The poisonous looks I would get when I kissed him brought a smile to my face. Even the waitress when we stopped for lunch shot me a glare.

A grin crossed my face when I thought of what her reaction would be if Tamara was with us. It faded just as fast, when I remembered the reactions that some women would give me if I was out with Michel and Marie. He would get smiles and appreciative second glances, I'd get glares and ignored. It puzzled me for a time until I was talking about it with one of my friends, a human who helped with the cleaning in the Lyon stronghold.

Eve pointed out how I would often do the same thing whenever I was at the markets with her. Her theory was biology programmed women to look for a male that would be a protector and a good provider. A man with a child was an indicator that those traits could be present. It made sense and became a private joke between us. Eve or myself would make a ticking sound, like that of a clock, whenever we spotted a woman doing a double take. The pair of us would laugh loud enough to draw attention to Eve and attract a male that Eve had been checking out. I'd take that as my cue to make myself scarce. Without fail, before I left the markets, Eve would have caught up with me. The mother of a Mohiri orphan, she no longer found human males as attractive as she once did. Of course that had been before she became ill.

Thinking about Eve saddened me as I thought of how sick she was. Luke reached across the table and placed his hand over mine. "Jaynah? What's wrong? Your emotions are all over the place."

The concern on his face brought a smile to my face as I sought to reassure him. "I'm fine. Just worried about one of my friends."

"Tell me about her."

Luke was easy to talk to. He listened as I told him all about Eve's illness and how there was nothing that anyone could do for her. Even our healers couldn't do anything more to help her, other than make her as comfortable as possible. It felt good to talk about Eve with someone. Everyone at Lyon refused to talk about the subject. I guess they thought talking about it would make me feel worse.

Truth was, not talking about Eve was making me feel worse. Luke may not have known it, but he was giving me a precious gift. The last few days were the longest that Luke and I had ever gone without being at each other's throats. That he should be the one I talked to about Eve had to have the Fates rolling around on the floor laughing.

"Jaynah, I have to ask, were you and she ever... um...?"

I stifled a smile as I shook my head. He was asking if I had ever slept with Eve. The answer was not a simple no. There was a time when I might have considered it, but that was a long time ago. "No. I've never been intimate with her. I might have done if I had known her when I was younger and still figuring out which I preferred. But not since I was about seventeen. Eve is a good friend and her son is growing into a handsome young man, but I'm more attracted to men than women."