Secrets

by Shannon Pemrick

  I giggled. “Oh dear, we didn’t mean to frighten anyone. We’re just unloading merchandise to store overnight. We were supposed to trade with another caravan, to vary the selections, but one of the wagons broke down and was unable to meet with us in this marvelous city. We requested permission to allow temporary lenience on our caravan’s stay, so we could get this issue resolved without us having to do the trade outside the safety of the city walls.”

  “May I see the papers for your approved request?” the soldier asked.

  “Certainly.” I turned around and looked right at Xaneth who was watching with curiosity. Everyone else had also stopped their work to watch. “An’tha, would you mind retrieving the papers?”

  She smiled. “Of course, Laz’shika.”

  Xaneth disappeared into the caravan, and a few moments later came out with a few sheets of rolled-up paper. I met her half way to take them from her, and then headed back over to the soldiers to hand them the paperwork. The soldier who had been speaking to me took them and read them over.

  “Everything is here,” he said before handing the paperwork back to me. “If I may ask, why are you unloading the wagons? It appears to be a waste of energy if you plan to leave tomorrow.”

  “Very observant of you,” I complimented. “But the answer is simple. Our caravans are made out of wood, making it easy for them to be broken into in a city like this one.

  “Very well. Sorry for bothering you.”

  I smiled. “Don’t worry yourself. You’re just doing your job.”

  “D–do you need any help?” This was the first time the other soldier had spoken, and he didn’t come off as the confident type. Or maybe it was something else.

  I forced a giggle. “Thank you for the offer, but”—I looked behind me to the others who had resumed their jobs and then back at the soldiers—”I believe we have enough hands to get this all taken care of. We shouldn’t be much longer.”

  The soldier frowned. “All right then.”

  I watched them leave and had no qualms about overhearing their conversation.

  “What was that about?” the first soldier asked him.

  “I was just trying to be helpful,” the other one replied.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve already become smitten with her,” the first said. “You could barely see her face, let alone the rest of her.”

  “So? She seemed nice.”

  The first soldier snorted and I rolled my eyes as I headed back to the caravan.

  Xaneth smiled crookedly when I tried to hand her the paperwork. “What?”

  She giggled. “Oh, nothing.”

  “No, that smile doesn’t mean nothing,” I accused. “Spill it.”

  Ryoko came up next to me and grabbed two boxes. “You know why she’s smiling, Laz. You were uncharacteristically nice.”

  I grunted. “Because I have to be. Unless you would have rather them going through the boxes and see what we’re actually transporting.”

  Xaneth giggled. “That’s not what I find amusing.”

  “Then what is it?” I wasn’t happy about her being so cryptic.

  Just then, Shva’sika came around the other side of the wagon. “It’s because of that young man. He was quite taken by you, and based on the conversation that continued afterward, I’m sure you could have gotten him to do whatever you wanted. And it’s all thanks to that pretty voice of yours.”

  I shook my head. “Whatever.”

  “Oh don’t be like that, Laz,” Ryoko begged. “It’s cute.”

  “It’s stupid,” I argued. “To fall for someone based solely on her voice is idiotic. You can’t be happy with someone you see as ugly.”

  “Beauty is subjective,” Xaneth said. “But that young man wouldn’t be wrong to think you’re beautiful.”

  I snorted and carried my box off to the house.

  Xaneth sighed. “She’s stubborn.”

  Ryoko chuckled. “You have no idea.”

  I rolled my eyes and focused on finishing the job. As I headed back to the wagon to grab another crate, I noticed that young dragon struggling. It looked like he was about to drop this box too, and I wasn’t having it. I rushed over and grabbed a hold and helped steady him.

  “Thanks,” he said quietly.

  I nodded. “Let me help you get your hands right so you don’t drop this one, too.”

  He nodded back and allowed me to reposition his hands.

  “Better?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Yes, thank you.” I smiled back and then headed to the wagon, but he stopped me. “Hey, wait. I did end up breaking two things when I dropped the other box. I don’t know the value of them, though…”

  A smirk spread across my lips. “Don’t worry about it. I just wanted you to understand you couldn’t be making a habit of it.”

  “I’ll be careful, promise.”

  “Good. Now get back to work.”

  He nodded and headed for the house.

  Xaneth smiled when I made it back to the wagon. “That was nice of you.”

  I shrugged and picked up a box. Just as I turned around, though, it was taken from me by the young dragon. I blinked as he only looked at me briefly before rushing off.

  “O…kay…” I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

  Xaneth giggled. “Do you always have this effect on males?”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked her.

  She looked at me seriously. “Don’t tell me you can’t see what you’ve just done.” I stayed quiet and she laughed. “Arsors is now rather infatuated with you.”

  “What?” I shrieked. “Are you kidding me? Why? I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary!”

  She giggled some more. “Maybe it’s just you, then.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right.” Xaneth looked around and started giggling, making me curious. “What?”

  “The others of my kind are picking on Raikidan,” she said.

  I sighed. “Do I even want to know why?”

  She smiled at me. “I can’t be sure why, but for some reason he reacted rather negatively to Arsors’ attention to you.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Great.”

  Xaneth blinked. “What? Does he do that often?”

  “You could say that…” I muttered. When she smiled knowingly, I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you start, too.”

  She shook her head and smirked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just thinking.”

  I grabbed a box and headed for the house. “Yeah, and that’ll get you into trouble.” My brow furrowed when Raikidan stole my crate. “Hey, what gives?”

  “I got it,” he said before headed for the house.

  I blinked a few times and then shook off my confusion and headed for the wagon again. I glared at Xaneth when I caught her trying to conceal her laughter.

  “Don’t start,” I warned her.

  “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at him,” she admitted. “He’s such a strange male, and does things that contradict what he claims.”

  “Well I can agree with you on that.”

  She laughed and then looked around. “Looks like we’re out of crates in this wagon.”

  I looked over to the other wagon and Ryoko waved to me. Looks like we’re done.

  I watched as several shamans went into the house, and the rest of the crew piled into the wagons. There were so many that I had to sit up with the driver, but I didn’t mind in the least. He was a pleasant old shaman, and he was kind to the two horses that pulled the caravan along.

  The shaman held the reins up to me. “Would you like to drive?”

  I chuckled. “Unless you want everyone in here either holding onto the frame of this wagon for dear life, or being
thrown out onto the road because this vehicle is out of control, I’m going to pass.”

  “I’d like that not to happen, thanks,” Ryoko said.

  I pointed at her and the old shaman chuckled. “Very well.”

  But Shva’sika wasn’t going to take my answer. “Don’t be like that, Laz. You ride horses just fine.”

  “Riding and driving are two different things. At least with riding, it’s easier to stop the horse if things get out of control.”

  The old shaman looked at me. “I’d beg to differ.”

  Rylan leaned closer to me. “Since when could you ride well?”

  I whacked him on the head. “Unlike you, I can ride just fine.”

  He rubbed his head. “Since when? You didn’t get the chance to practice a lot back in the day.”

  “Since she stayed with us,” Shva’sika said. “Ranchers come by the villages four times a year to see if we’re interested in buying. Laz nearly did.”

  I chuckled. “What can I say? He was a well-bred Percheron.”

  “But you somehow refrained from making the purchase,” she said.

  “Where was I supposed to stable it? I doubt Darren would have appreciated a large horse chilling out in the kitchen of the inn.”

  Laughter echoed through the caravan. Even Shva’sika couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, that’s true, but we did also offer several times to build you a house of your own. We could have given you the space to have at least one horse.”

  “I hadn’t intended on staying as long as I did,” I reminded her. “Every time I made an attempt to leave, you’d drag me back—literally.”

  “Yes, I did,” she declared proudly.

  Ryoko giggled next to her. “You really like to get what you want.”

  “It’s just a perk of being me,” Shva’sika joked.

  The two giggled away, and I just rolled my eyes. I then sighed when the old shaman tried to hand me the reins again. “Okay, I’ll drive, but if anyone dies, it’s not my fault.”

  “If I die, I’ll be sure to haunt you,” Raikidan grumbled.

  The wagon echoed with laughter as I drove the horses on with relative ease. I really hoped I did this right. I didn’t want any issues surfacing because of me.

  Chapter 24

  Isat down on the crate and leaned against the brick wall. I had been working at the club all night, and I desperately needed a break. Rylan was working overtime at the shop, and Raikidan had disappeared earlier this morning, along with Shva’sika, so I was forced to do this alone.

  My feet hurt from running around, and my ass hurt from all the slapping and grabbing it got from the drunken soldiers. Without Raikidan around, they became bolder, and it took every ounce of my will not to kill them.

  I let out a long sigh. I wanted this night to just end. I wanted to go back to the house and think of real strategies to take down Zarda. I didn’t want any of this stupid eavesdropping and slutty antics. But most of all, I wanted to go home and check on Argus. The first infection hadn’t stayed away for long, and no one could figure out why. He had done a great job keeping it clean, and Shva’sika and Seda had been taking turns checking him as a precaution. In the end, Azriel had come over to give us a hand and he had somehow found a small metal shard that was still embedded in his skin.

  Azriel had been forced to sedate Argus and cut open the skin again, but as soon as he took out the small shard, he found more. It had taken over an hour for him to finally be comfortable with saying he had found them all, and allowed Shva’sika to heal Argus up as best as she could.

  Unfortunately, the scar was no longer as neat as the first one, but Argus didn’t mind. In fact, he liked the new look. Azriel told us the infection would go away in a few days as long as he had gotten all the shards, and there was no eye damage for anyone to worry about, but I still felt a little responsible. Argus really hadn’t been wearing protective eye wear because of me.

  Low chuckling from the entrance of the alley caught my attention. I looked up to see two figures encroaching on me. I could smell the alcohol on their breath from where I was, and from the way they were dressed, I assumed they were soldiers. Where did they come from? How had I not noticed them approach?

  “Look, Sedo, a little lost kitty.”

  I didn’t like where this was going.

  “You’re right, Amon, maybe we should help her.” The two of them laughed and the one named Sedo drew a knife. “Do as we say, kitty, and we won’t have to hurt you.”

  I stood up and looked for a way out. I had to keep up this pathetic, weak act as long as I could, even if it meant running, but there was nowhere to run. The alley was short, and the only place to sit was far from the door, which these two were now blocking.

  I backed away from them until I bumped into the wall. Great. There was no way out of this if I kept up this act, and I wasn’t going let myself be manhandled by these two soldiers.

  A low growl emitted from behind them. The two stopped advancing and looked back. A tall, hooded figure stood in the entrance of the ally.

  “Rai…” I whispered. He had the most ridiculous timing, but I wasn’t complaining this time.

  “Nothing to see here buddy, so get lost,” Sedo stated.

  Raikidan growled again and before either man could move he closed the distance and threw them into the wall. The then closed the distance between us and wrapped him arm around my waist and pulled me close. Even with him wearing a baggy sweatshirt I could feel his tense muscles. So much anger…

  “Stay away from my girl,” he growled.

  His girl? What is he talking about?

  Amon chuckled as he staggered in his attempt to stand back up. “Ya hear that, Sedo? Mr. Tough Guy claims the kitty belongs to him.”

  “I’d like to see him prove it,” Sedo responded with a chuckle.

  I tensed. I knew what that meant and I didn’t like it.

  “I don’t have to prove anything to you,” Raikidan retorted.

  Sedo pulled a gun and aimed it at us. “I think you do.”

  “You don’t have to prove anything to them,” I whispered. “Just give them a good beating and no one will know.”

  Raikidan gave me an apologetic look. Had Sedo not pulled a gun, things might have been different.

  I could feel Raikidan’s hot breath on my face and I had to force myself to breathe. It was one thing to deal with his personal space problem, or for him to be working with me on my issue with close contact, but this… this was a whole other thing I wasn’t okay with.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  His right hand came up and cupped my cheek while the grip from his left arm tightened. He pulled me closer until his lips touched mine. My heart stopped and my breath caught. His lips were soft, warm, and, unfortunately, inviting. The touch wasn’t forced, like when he had been pushed into me at the house months ago.

  Forcing myself to breathe and my eyes to close, I had to go with it. No matter how much I wanted to push him away and deck him, I couldn’t.

  My lips synchronized with his as they opened and closed, being extra careful my tongue stayed as far as possible from his lips. His facial hair tickled, but I resisted the urge to laugh.

  As his lips continued to touch mine, a strong desire to pull myself closer to him and touch him in ways that were extremely inappropriate flooded over me. Oh this is not okay.

  After moments that lasted too long, he pulled away, allowing me to breathe. My rapidly beating heart pounded in my ears.

  I barely heard Raikidan growl at the men in the alley or speak to them. “You’re still here?”

  Sedo chuckled. “Of course. Now hand over the girl and you can go without a scratch.”

  Raikidan glared at them. “Over my dead body.”

  Sedo raised his pistol. “Suit you
rself.”

  Raikidan stepped in front of me to act as a shield, and I stepped back. This wasn’t going well at all. My hand reached up to touch my neck as I thought of something to change the situation. Nothing had a chance to come to mind because my fingers touched a part of my neck that was no longer soft and smooth. The spot had a slight bumpy and leathery texture. It can’t be.

  I couldn’t believe what had happened. How could the effect of that kiss have been so strong it had partially broken down the one wall I tried to make sure always stayed up? Anger, like the last two times, was prone to that, even far into the past. That wall wasn’t strong enough to defend against emotion. But… lust? I couldn’t even deny I didn’t know what that feeling was. I tried so hard to bury that—to hide my design flaws that made me a failure in the end…

  I stared at Raikidan’s back as he stood in front of me protectively. Why him?

  “What’s going on here?” I peered around Raikidan to see two soldiers standing at the opening of the alley.

  “Let’s get out of here, Amon,” Sedo whispered. “She ain’t worth our hides.”

  “Nothing, sir,” Amon lied. “Just checking to make sure these two are all right.”

  One of the soldiers snorted. “Don’t give me your lying bullshit. I can see the pistol Sedo has in his hands. Now get your asses moving and leave these two alone or you’ll have more to worry about than a few missed meals.”

  Amon glared at us and the two left. The soldiers that had saved us looked at us apologetically and then pushed Sedo and Amon to get them to move faster. Raikidan turned to face me just as I finished wiping my mouth with my arm. I needed to make sure every trace of what had happened was gone. I prayed that in this short amount of time, the visible change that had happened on my neck was gone. I could put as much energy as I wanted into getting it to look normal again, but once it broke free, it was hard to make it go away without Rylan’s help.

  Knowing full well that I was now late from returning from my break, I headed for the door. As I passed Raikidan, I spoke, “That never happened, got it?”

  He didn’t respond. He just watched me enter the building.