The Shadow Warrior

by Ann Aguirre

  Aha, that’s the solution.

  Gavriel bided his time until Ceras brought the boat up to the dock, then he tipped the sailor generously. “You’ve done more good than you know, sir.”

  “Eh, if you’re talking about eradicating those raiders, then I’m aware how much better off we’ll be. Take care of yourself and find a way to appease your lady friend, or you’ll have no peace at all.” He chuckled at his own wordplay, then went to tend to the lines fastening the boat to the pier.

  Mags disembarked while they were talking, and Gavriel sprinted to catch up to her, planting himself firmly in her path. She tried to go around, but every time she moved, he stepped in front of her, and she finally snarled at him, showing teeth.

  “Get out of my way!”

  “That’s the one thing I can never do.”

  “What?”

  “Leave you alone. I won’t do it, and you can’t make me.” He reached for her, wishing like hell that she’d relent and come to him. “If I’m to die for being with you, then let me die. It’s better than living without you.”

  “I can’t go through this. Not again. Not if it’s you.” She stepped back, golden eyes luminous with a pain he wished he could bear in her stead.

  “That’s my decision to make. Not yours. And you are worth the risk. I’m betting that I’m the one who won’t be taken.”

  From the over-bright shine of her eyes, the words appeared to move her. Just not enough. “You can’t promise that, shadow warrior. I never wanted to get tangled up with anyone ever again. I hate you for this.”

  “You love me,” he said, and she clamped a hard hand across his mouth as if the gods might be listening for such subversive talk.

  He bit her. Gently. That move prompted her to yank her hand away as if his mouth was made of fire, and considering how hard she came, last time he used it on her, Gavriel could understand her wariness.

  “Are you trying to turn me on?” he teased. “I’m shocked. It’s the middle of the day, but if you don’t mind everyone at the public house hearing, then—”

  “Stop it.” Her voice was weak, and she seemed weary in a way he’d never seen.

  He could see how much this resistance was costing her. “Do something for me.”

  “What do you want, Gavriel?”

  “Give me two days. If I’m still around when my alleged time is up, we’ll talk about us. Do you promise?”

  “There’s no point, but sure.” Such a hopeless tone. Her shoulders slumped, and she set off toward the inn, eyes downcast.

  “I wonder how I’ll go out. Pack of wild dogs? Perhaps a building will fall on me.”

  Mags whirled on him then, eyes snapping fire, which was better than the broken woman confronting despair for the third time. “You’re making jokes at a time like this? If you say another word, I’ll kill you myself!”

  In exaggerated motions, he pantomimed zipping his mouth and throwing away the key. She stormed off ahead, though he followed close enough to make sure she wouldn’t make a run for it. But no, Mags had too much honor to bolt when she’d promised to stay and witness his grisly demise.

  She was playing with Leena when he caught up to her. Gavriel greeted everyone, then he gave her some space, heading to the stable to see how Gray was doing.

  The vedda beast was a bit fatter, but he looked good otherwise. He checked his mount’s hooves, to be sure. “You enjoyed the rest, hey? What a lucky brute you are. Before she came, you didn’t even have a name. I bet you had no idea that I love you, either.”

  Until he met Mags, he hadn’t been able to show such things, not even to the loyal mount who had carried him for years. Gavriel took his time with the brush and comb, then he gave Gray’s horns a good polish.

  There, that should be long enough for her to calm down. If she loses her temper, we’ll end up fucking, and that won’t solve anything.

  It would be fun, though.

  As he was about to leave, the boy peered down from the loft. “He’s in good health, sir. Once a day, I rode him around town to give him some exercise. Hope that’s all right.”

  “I’m sure he enjoyed it. Thanks for looking after him.” He stepped out of the barn, whistling, conscious of a lightness of heart he’d never known. In that moment, he chose forgiveness because Mags would never look at him the same, if he hurt Pru Bristow, and vengeance wouldn’t bring his brother back to life.

  Not bad for a condemned man.

  The weather was bright and clear, and Gavriel had nobody left in the world that he needed to kill. There was just a tiger woman to woo, and she might prove to be the immovable object to his irresistible force.

  Only one way to find out.

  30.

  If Mags let go of the anger she was using as a shield, she might drown in her own tears. Can’t believe this is happening. Again.

  In time, Gavriel strode into the public house, and his ridiculous smile said he still had no idea how serious the situation was. He went over to Haryk. “We’ll need the attic room for a few more nights. Is that all right?”

  “More than fine.” The proprietor sent what he thought was a sly look at Keriel. “It’s going well, I think. When the time comes, I’ll invite you to the wedding.”

  The Eldritch woman clearly heard that and was choosing to ignore it on her way to the kitchen. Keriel had already taken Mags’s stiff, salty clothes, clucking her tongue over the state of that outfit. She hadn’t packed for a long trip, and she’d been gone for much longer than she’d ever anticipated. Sadly, the prospect of returning to her ordinary life in Ash Valley held all the appeal of dental surgery without anesthetic.

  Glumly, she ate seven grilled fish and drank more beer than she should, though it wasn’t enough to get her drunk. Mags avoided Gavriel until nightfall by devoting her attention to Leena, but the public house was less crowded now, as other families had made space for the refugees, and now that the weather had improved, they were gathering materials to build new houses. That was a happy ending for sure, but she wasn’t hopeful about her own prospects.

  With a sigh, she finally went up to their room to find the blankets already laid out. Gavriel sat with his legs folded, two candles burning against the dark. “I was waiting for you. Are you calm enough to talk now?”

  In answer, she rolled away and turned her back to him. He’d forced her into this situation, and her heart hurt so much at the prospect of losing him that she could die of it. I won’t survive this a third time. If only she was weak enough to run away, then she wouldn’t have to see the end of this, but she’d given her word, damn him.

  I don’t have to be gracious.

  Mags kept the icy facade in place all that night and most of the next day. She could tell Gavriel was getting worried. He flicked her anxious looks, though that could be because he’d realized this was his final day on earth. According to her experience with the curse, he’d perish tomorrow morning, and she couldn’t bear it.

  Tonight, when he greeted her with smiles and candles, she caved. Mags went to him because it was his last night, and she wouldn’t spend it treating him like air. Gavriel wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face into her neck.

  “I was hoping for this. I’ve missed you.”

  She let out a choked laugh. “You win. I can’t send you away without—”

  “Having me one last time?”

  “Wish you hadn’t put it that way, but…yes. I’m greedy. If this is what we can have, I’ll take it. At least this time, I’m braced, and I’ll be able to say goodbye.”

  That wasn’t what she wanted, of course, but life had taught her that fate wasn’t fair. The flash of his eyes hinted that he wasn’t resigned to his own demise, and she wouldn’t let dread touch them tonight. This attic would be a sanctuary that hid them from all fearful things, allowing only beauty and pleasure to prevail.

  “I’m not going anywhere, woman. I’m Death’s Shadow, remember? ‘Only death’ can stand against the shade that haunts you. Your Seer was talking a
bout me in his prediction, don’t you see? Perhaps no shifter mate can avoid this curse, but I can. Because I’m not Animari. Hell, maybe I’m the penance you have to do to purify your soul.”

  Mags choked out a laugh. “You’re not a punishment, Gavriel.”

  He went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “And even if I’m wrong, even if I drop dead tomorrow, I don’t care. You’re worth paying any price.”

  Desire overwhelmed her in a heady rush, and she stopped trying to resist. Never had she wanted anyone this fiercely, this urgently, and she shoved him back, hard. Gavriel’s eyes sparked, and he twisted, trying to scramble away, but since he was quiet, she knew he wanted it too.

  The word had yet to be spoken.

  Breathing hard, he pushed against her hold, and she slammed his hands against the floor, bearing down until he let out a quiet moan. Then she kissed him, biting his lower lip with enough pressure that he had to open his mouth, then she could taste him fully, making him feel how completely he belonged to her. As they kissed, he responded immediately, his cock rising with desperate insistence.

  Mags tugged so hard on his shirt that the back split, and he made a helpless sound against her mouth. Yeah, he likes that.

  “Take off your pants before I wreck them too,” she whispered in his ear.

  His hands trembled as he rushed to do her bidding. Soon, he was naked, and she wanted to torment him as he had her when he tricked her into confessing her love. Shoving him back onto the blanket, she kept him pinned and used her mouth, her teeth, her tongue, covering him in fierce kisses and bites, until his breath came in ragged pants and whines. She pinched his nipples and he went wild, thrusting against her stomach in compulsive strokes.

  She caught the third slide with her mouth and bit down. Gavriel froze. Mags teased him by alternating the pressure of lips, strokes of her tongue with grazes of teeth. He liked a little pain even in this, but from his tormented expression, he was more afraid he would lose control and come.

  Mags had no intention of letting that happen. He was already worked up to a fever pitch, and her own intensity was rapidly hitting critical levels. She needed a quick, hard fuck. Now.

  Pulling back, she said, “Sit up.”

  Though he seemed a little confused, he did, and she settled on his lap. This way, she could hold onto him, dig her nails into his back, and he could touch her as well. Tonight, she wanted some reciprocity, though she wasn’t willing to yield dominance.

  “Ohhh.” The sound slipped out of him as Mags sank onto his cock.

  So hot. Incredibly hard. For a few seconds, she sat still, just feeling him shiver and throb. It was like she could feel his heart beating inside her.

  “Touch me if you want to.”

  Clearly, he had been waiting for that invitation, because Gavriel wrapped his arms around her as she started to move, rolling her hips against him. It took him a few tries before they got in synch, then it was even better. She sucked hard on the spot he favored, the curve of his shoulder, then she bit that soreness, trying to make it better for him.

  Gavriel was panting, pushing into her furiously, and she felt when he lost control. She didn’t try to rein him in; she just wanted him to feel, to lose himself in the pleasure that was building in her pussy.

  Faster and faster, harder and harder, until they had to be making noise, but she didn’t give a fuck even if dust was drifting down from the ceiling. She bit down on his bruise when she came, dug her nails into his back, and his whole body went rigid. Because Mags went first, she luxuriated in his orgasm, stroking his back as he came down.

  The way his body jerked at the slightest touch made her smile. They stayed like that for quite a while, before she finally groaned and rolled away, falling onto her back to savor the rush of endorphins.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Remarkably well, all things considered.”

  She propped up on an elbow to glare at him. “Are you joking again?”

  “Not at all. I do feel blessed, as if this is where I’m meant to be. I love you, Mags.”

  Part of her feared saying the words, like they might make the situation worse, so she stayed silent. She kissed him tenderly, trying to convey it with her lips, so jealous gods couldn’t overhear.

  They slept until well past noon, judging from the light streaming in the window. Gavriel wasn’t surprised to wake alive and in one piece. He’d already decided he existed outside of Animari prophecies, and he wasn’t about to lose Mags. Not now, not ever.

  For a few seconds, he studied her sleeping face. Hey, you. Welcome to the rest of our lives. Then he kissed her awake, taking a slightly wicked pleasure in the way she scrambled alert and locked onto his face, eyes wild.

  He kissed her again, just because. “Still here. Still breathing.”

  “You’re not funny.” Tears sprang to her eyes, and she swiped them away angrily, refusing to look at him. “How are you still here? How?”

  “You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “For what?”

  “For surviving.” Then she launched herself at him and hugged him so hard he couldn’t breathe. “For existing in the first place. For being so absurdly stubborn and refusing to listen when I tried to be noble. For loving me. For…being exactly who I need.”

  Smiling, Gavriel wound his arms around her and held on until her desperation diffused into a shy, incredulous joy. She peppered his face with kisses, open and affectionate, as she never had been. The warmth hit him like sunlight. Until meeting her, his life had been a series of requirements, the coldness of duty and obligation. From this point on, there would be only freedom and joy.

  He framed her face in his hands, smiling. “I’ll wake you like this every day if you wish. Before you stormed into my life. I had nothing. Now I have everything. I have you.” He hesitated. “We beat your curse, but I don’t know how long I have. I’ll limit the use of my gift now, but I used it a lot in the past, and there’s no test I can take to predict—”

  Mags kissed him to stop the flow of words. “I don’t care. Normally, you’d live a lot longer than me anyway, so let’s not worry about it. My heart can’t take it when you look at me like that.”

  “And mine can’t take losing you.” Leaning in, he tilted his head against hers.

  “You won’t,” she promised.

  He kissed her forehead, her eyebrows, her temples, then lifted her face so he could gaze into her beautiful eyes. “I truly believe that we make our own fate, Mags. Walk with me. Live with me. Grow old with me.”

  “Yes, damn you. I won’t run. I’ll stay. I’m going to…” She drew in a deep breath. “Love you.”

  “Finally,” he growled.

  Though Gavriel had said kissing didn’t turn him on, Mags soon taught him that there were exceptions, and they rolled around for half the day. Finally, hunger drove them out of the attic, and everyone shot them knowing looks when they emerged.

  “Looks like you have some happy news,” Haryk observed. “Maybe you’ll beat me to the altar?”

  “We haven’t talked about that,” Mags muttered.

  Gavriel smiled, unbothered by the other man’s speculation into his business. Funny, he didn’t mind much of anything these days. Maybe in time, he could even see Thalia without wanting to strangle someone. Probably not soon, however.

  They had a meal, provided free of charge, though Gavriel still left a few coins on the table. He made sure Mags got plenty of protein, enjoying the fresh seafood, savory broth, hot bread and salted butter. Keriel finished the service with a platter of cheese, and Mags winked at him, proving she’d been responsible for that. Silly as hell, but it filled him with warmth that she knew—and remembered—how he’d confessed to loving the stuff, during that game they played. These were moments that he’d shared with nobody else, and maybe they didn’t amount to much, but that was the beauty of a life together, creating increments of intimacy, a world built for two.

 
That was something he needed to mention, though. As much as he loved her… Gavriel sighed as they stepped out of the public house—into the cool purple of a dying day. It was the peculiar in-between time, stars just a hint of sparkle, the moon nearly full, but pale against the vivid canvas of the sky.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Like you said, we haven’t discussed it, but… I can’t live among the Animari. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I may never fully be able to get past what happened to Oriel. And yes, I blame Thalia too.”

  He feared how she would react to that, but to his relief, she laced their fingers together, setting off on a course that carried them toward the sea. They walked for a while in silence while she seemed to contemplate what he’d said.

  “That’s fair. I don’t want to settle in an Eldritch town either, really,” she admitted.

  Carrying her hand to his mouth, he tried to soften his request with a kiss, another sneaky-bastard tactic. Maybe he should be ashamed, but he’d do damn near anything to make this work. “I shouldn’t ask you to give up everything for me, but I am.”

  “By saying I don’t want to live in Eldritch lands, I’m asking the same of you,” she pointed out.

  Fairness forced him to admit, “You have friends. Family. Work that you love. I’m not giving up anything, really. There’s nothing waiting for me, only memories I’d rather leave behind.”

  “Okay, I take your point. Let’s put a pin in this for now. Does your phone have any juice left? Mine didn’t survive the swim.”

  “I shut it off to conserve battery since there’s no way to charge it here. Why, do you need to make a call?”

  “Actually, I do. Two, in fact.”

  Since she didn’t seem like she wanted to explain, he got out his cell and turned it on. “Less than ten percent. You’ll need to make it quick.”

  “Noted.”

  These were numbers she knew by heart, a fact that made him uneasy as she dialed. Then Mags said, “Ma, it’s me. I met someone. When we get time, I’ll bring him to meet you. FYI, he’s not a tiger, not even an Animari, so I don’t want to hear about it.”