Protected by Emeralds (A Dance with Destiny Book 5)

by JK Ensley

  He snickered. “How can you even say that with a straight face? You are the most entertainment I’ve had in a long time. Okay, here we are. Watch your head again, Naga. I don’t want you to knock yourself out just as you reach the doorway to your wonderment.”

  The cavern was enormous. The whole place glowed, like it had a life of its own, like it had a beating heart. The entire ceiling and halfway down the domed walls, was covered with those same strange glowing stones she had noticed at the entrance.

  “It’s called, Urimtheim—stones of the heavens,” he whispered. “Have you ever seen the like?”

  “No. Never.” She furrowed her brow. “Oh, wait… perhaps I have…”

  “They don’t always glow,” he went on in a soft, hushed voice. “Legend says, their true light only comes to life when a Child is near.”

  “A Child?” she asked, absently.

  “Yes. A Child of Heaven.”

  It took several more heartbeats for his words to sink in. She slowly turned to meet his knowing gaze, fear ruling hers.

  “What’s wrong, Naga? Why do you withdraw?”

  “Who are you, really? Why did you bring me here, Dimples? What do you want?”

  His advancing steps matched her retreating ones. “I knew the truth of it when first we stepped behind the waterfall. Still, I did not truly believe. Well, not until we neared this room. It’s like someone flipped on the light switch. I would call the man a liar, the one who would tell a tale such as the one I now bear witness to.”

  She didn’t speak, was too terrified by all the gruesome things now playing out in her mind. What was this stranger, the only man she couldn’t sense, couldn’t even smell… what did he want with her? What would be her true Fate? That was the terrifying question.

  Be calm, Naga. I am here.

  Nilakanta? Where have you been, Brother?

  I have not been dormant, Guardian. I was saving all my strength for your needed healing.

  Duhrias smiled sweetly. “How is it you have not noticed something extremely important to you is missing, Kagi Naga?”

  She watched, horrified, as the man before her slowly pulled a sparkling chain from his pocket. Jenevier immediately reached for her chest, feeling for her rarest amulets. When her eyes widened with realization, he smiled. She lunged for the dangling treasure, but he snatched it above her head.

  “Ah, ah, ah, Little Fire,” he said, waving his finger at her and tsking. “I told you before. I have a couple confessions of my own to make. Calm down and hear me out, Naga.”

  She clenched her hands into fists at her sides, yet held her tongue.

  “First.” He held up a single finger for reference. “My name is not Dimples.” He smiled softly. “Yet, when you say it, it makes me wish it was. Alas, I was given another. My true name is Duhrias Rogallis. I am a sell-sword by trade. My blade may go to the highest bidder, yes, but my magic is reserved for the ones of my choosing.”

  “Your magic?”

  “Yes, Milady. A magic I have already performed upon you.”

  He may have been smiling, but she was now panicking, shaking on the inside.

  Can you feel anything different, Dragon?

  No, Naga. I sense no change within you.

  She looked back up at the man still holding fast to her ethereal treasures.

  “Duhrias, what have you done?”

  He visibly blanched. She furrowed her brow.

  “Please, Naga, call me what you wish. But that name from those lips… somehow it feels… cold and… heartless.”

  She tilted her head slightly. “I did not intend it as such,” she said, confused. “Would you prefer Rogallis instead?”

  Again, he flinched.

  “Strangely enough, I believe I prefer neither.”

  He frantically searched her pink eyes, yet found no malice within them.

  “Are you teasing me again?” she asked. “To me, your name carries a sense of nobility and power with it. It puts me in mind of an ancient King—Duhrias Rogallis. I quite like it. Much power can come from a name, my friend.”

  He took a step toward her, pain twisting his handsome features. “Please, Milady,” he pleaded.

  Duhrias raised a shaky hand, reaching slowly for her long curls, a horribly sad, forlorn look in his enchanting emerald eyes.

  “Dimples? What’s wrong?”

  The crease on his brow softened, a tiny smile tugged at one corner of his mouth, deepening only that single dimple.

  “Ahh… that’s much better, Kagi Naga.”

  She studied his now softened features, gently touching that one deepened dimple.

  “So… you weren’t only teasing me.”

  “No, Naga. I was not teasing you. Never have I been ashamed of my name. I shout it from the rooftops. It is no secret. Everyone knows who Duhrias Rogallis is. And most people even like him.” He chuckled. “But when your lips formed the words, a sharp knife pierced my essence, made a gash upon my soul.”

  “But… why? I did nothing with ill intent. I promise. I never wanted to hurt you, Dimples. I count you as friend.”

  His smile widened, deepening both dimples. The sight made her smile as well.

  “And I also count you as friend, Milady. The name you have gifted me, never call me another. When that name spills from your lovely little mouth, it sparks a tiny light inside my heart.”

  “Very well then, Dimples it is.” She giggled. “So, was your second confession that you stole my talismans?”

  His brow furrowed briefly, then he chuckled. “I didn’t steal them, Kagi Naga.” He slipped the long chain over her head. “I only added to them.”

  *****

  Lying on her back, looking up at the mesmerizing ethereal Urimtheim, she listened silently as Duhrias explained the magic he had woven whilst she slept.

  “You see this stone in the center, here?”

  She looked at the new pendant he was holding up in front of her nose, focusing on the magical looking centerpiece.

  “Yes.” She ran her thumb over it. “It is lovely, Dimples. It looks like… like someone captured a rainbow and imprisoned it within a dark crystal.”

  He smiled softly. “That is very nearly true, Milady. It looks magical because that’s what it is—concentrated magic of the rarest kind.”

  “I am not worthy of such a priceless gift.”

  He lightly tapped the tip of her nose. “Oh, but you are. I could tell that while you were yet hanging from your shackles. Your injuries alone are not all that stayed my hand in your untimely delivery.” He paused. “Cherie felt it too, almost immediately.”

  “You are not a man. Are you, Dimples?”

  “I am not a man only, no.”

  “And Cherie… she’s not just a girl, is she?”

  He chuckled softly. “That girl has counted more years than the mightiest tree in the surrounding forest. No, Naga. Cherie is not only a girl.”

  “So… what are you?”

  He sighed and lay down beside her, shoulder to shoulder. “We are Spirits, ones who chose to roam about in their human forms for a while.” He sighed again. “And that’s what I thought you were as well, Naga. Before I wove the magic, that is.”

  She half laughed. “You thought I was a ghost?”

  “Not a ghost, Naga. A Spirit, a Guardian Spirit. I am a River Spirit, and Cherie is a Forest Spirit. We donned these forms to walk among man for a time. This place, the place you now are, is normally a hidden place within this realm. As are its people. The rest of this layer knows naught of us. Well, not until recently. You see… the two realms have sort of blended for some strange reason. The spirit world and the corporeal realm have overlapped here, mingled. And the people… well, the people are seeing only what their mind, their beliefs are allowing them to see.” He glanced over at her lovely profile. “One world has opened and settled over the other, Naga. Yet many have not noticed it. Sort of like, the humans woke up one morning and were suddenly neighbors with my people, and it wasn’t shocking
to them at all. Like… it had always been that way or something.”

  “How very odd.”

  “Odd, yes.” He paused. “The people from the spirit realm, we noticed. But the humans, well, they act as if nothing is different. They pass us on the street and speak, as if we had been friends since childhood. They pass our homes and wave good morning. The ones of my kind who chose not to change their forms, they are treated no differently than you or I.” His voice grew more vacant sounding. “Perhaps they don’t actually see the giant fish walking about on dry land with arms and legs and fins. Perhaps they see a man only. I’m not certain.”

  “Perhaps that is the reason my unusual scars seemed as nothing to them. I have been to Earth many times before… never could I do so without hiding my scars or my eyes.” She snorted out a laugh. “To be completely honest with you, I didn’t really question it because… well, it felt nice. I finally felt comfortable here, accepted. Pfft, leave it to me not to notice that something was actually wrong. Nope. I just skipped right along thanking my own good fortune. Ridiculous.”

  Jenevier fell silent, trying to process this almost unimaginable little revelation. It was troubling… troubling and curious.

  I wonder if Uriel knows, Nilakanta said.

  Of course he knows. They all know. I am the only ignorant one in this crazy little nightmare.

  “And that’s what Cherie and I thought, Naga—that you were one of us as well. That is why I wove the magic.”

  “But… how did you find out I wasn’t a Spirit? What do you think I am?”

  “I thought you were a Dragon Spirit.”

  She giggled. “Why did you think that?”

  “Your tattoo.” He lightly touched the spot where Nilakanta’s claws framed her navel. “Never have I seen its like.”

  “Nor I,” she whispered.

  “It’s not a tattoo, is it, Naga?”

  Jenevier didn’t answer. Duhrias only gently squeezed her hand and didn’t question her further.

  “Well, like I said… I thought you were a Dragon. I placed the rainbow crystal upon your chest and wove a restoring magic all through that first night.”

  “And what made you realize I was not a Dragon Spirit? Because you could not restore me?”

  “No, Naga.” He lifted the amulet from her chest again. “I laid only the stone upon you. The metal work weaves as the magic does.” He ran his thumb across the shining silverwork. “What does it look like to you, Naga?”

  She looked closely, but it wasn’t necessary. The delicate frame surrounding the brilliant crystal was obvious to anyone who saw it.

  “An Angel,” she whispered softly.

  “Yes, an Angel.”

  He released the rare treasure as she took it in her hands.

  “Imagine my surprise,” he said after a long pause. “When I opened my eyes, when I looked upon your enchanting face after an entire night of chanting, I could no longer see a Dragon. No matter how hard I tried, all I could see was a tiny Angel… with bruised and broken wings.”

  She looked back up at the domed ceiling, shining with the light of heaven, and let the tears freely run back to soak her hair.

  “So… what are you going to do?” she whispered. “Now that you know what I am, what will you do with me?”

  He took her hand as they lay there side by side. “First, I will apologize. Then, I will aid you in all that I can.”

  She sniffed. “And why must you apologize? Because you took pity on a beaten girl? Because you traded an entire night of your life to ensure mine? Because you imparted magic so rare, I have never even heard of its like?”

  “No,” he whispered softly. “I apologize for what that magic took from you, not what it gave you.”

  Jenevier held her breath, waiting.

  He squeezed her hand. “It took your humanity, Naga. Whatever you were before I placed that stone upon your chest… you are only Angel now.”

  She lay perfectly still, staring up at the Urimtheim… but searching deep within her heart.

  “You mean… Jenevier is… is gone?”

  Duhrias didn’t answer. He knew she wasn’t talking to him.

  “Nilakanta, can you sense the change?”

  She heard Duhrias’s breath hitch. She wondered why.

  No, Naga. Something is different, yes. But I only thought it was because of your torture… and the absence of your Daichi.

  “So… you cannot tell?”

  Give me a moment, Little Fire. We are not yet whole. Neither of us.

  “Apologies, Brother. Waste not your energy upon this. If it is true, it could be a blessing in disguise.” She inhaled deeply, slowly letting the air slide back out. “Gabriel always said I had too much heart for my own good. Perhaps this is exactly what I needed.”

  Perhaps, Nilakanta said. But do not fool yourself, little one. Remember. Every curse has a blessing.

  “And every blessing has a curse. Yeah, I remember.” She paused. “And yet… that’s only fair, is it not? If one has need only to smile, if tears never streak one’s cheeks, they will soon forget to be thankful. If you have no problems or worries or regrets, if each new day greets you with nothing but good fortune and victory and peace… you will soon think you deserve such things. You will soon count yourself entitled to such. You will stop praying, stop thanking, stop being grateful. No. I shouldn’t think blessings minus the accompanying curse to be a good thing at all. The equivalent exchange of joys and burdens—that’s what keeps you centered, keeps you whole, keeps you grateful. Blessings and curses, balanced perfectly together… that’s the key to acceptance. And acceptance is the first step toward true happiness.”

  Well put, Little Fire. You are growing up right before my very eyes. I love you, Angel.

  “And I love you, Dragon,” she whispered softly.

  “I knew it,” Duhrias said with a smile. “I knew that wasn’t just a tattoo. It’s a real Dragon, isn’t it?”

  She nodded. “It is. He is my bonded Dragon, Nilakanta.”

  “And… he normally rides about upon your back?”

  She chuckled. “No, not normally. Normally I ride about upon his. Alas, we were melded together for the sake of this mission.”

  “Melded? How can that be? How is such a thing as that even possible?”

  “Well, it was not easy. That’s for sure.” She snorted out a sardonic laugh. “But you are well versed in rare magic, Dimples. I am sure you can imagine it if you try.”

  “Tell me true. What are you, Naga?”

  “I am Guardian of Dragons, Empress of the entire ninth layer realm of Jinn, Death Angel for the one God, and healer by His divine hand as well.”

  “How can all those things be wrapped up in such a tiny little package?” He huffed out a chuckle. “How do you do it all?”

  “Apparently… not very well.” She was silent for several heartbeats. “We cannot always be what we want to be. We cannot always be what we wished we could be.” She rolled her head to the side and their eyes met. “You understand me, Dimples? We cannot always be what we should be.”

  He only smiled softly and squeezed her hand. “I understand, Naga. You can’t be everything to everyone, Milady. But you can be true to yourself, regardless.”

  “Is that your motto, Dimples? Tell me. Are you always true to yourself?”

  “Yes, Milady.” He smiled proudly. “I lead the simplest life imaginable.”

  “Oh yeah? And what kind of life would that be?”

  “I only do what I want to do. Simple as that.” He smiled again. “Tell me, Naga. What do you want to do?”

  Unexpected tears burned the backs of her eyes. She looked back up to the ceiling.

  “I just wanna go home, Dimples. I just wanna go home.”

  “Why, Naga?” He ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek, wiping away the single tear. “Why do you want only to go home? What’s waiting for you back there? Happiness? Contentment? Blessed peace?”

  She didn’t answer.

 
“I was listening, Naga. I heard what you told Cherie. Prince Suou found you in the same shape I found you—broken, beaten, near death. You said you were injured in the line of duty. Tell me, Milady. If part of your destiny is to be the Angel of Death, why do you often end up on the wrong side of the sword?”

  She snorted out a laugh and wiped her tears. “Because I am not very good at my job. That’s why.”

  His smile saddened. “Or perhaps… it’s because you’re the one who needs protecting. And I’m guessing you don’t have that back home, Little Fire. Listen to me. No matter how fine a blade may be, it will rust and chip and dull, if not properly cared for. It must be protected. You may be a mighty sword, Milady. Yet who sees to you?”

  “My Daichi,” she whispered. “He is my Blessing, my healer. He keeps me from shattering into nothingness.”

  “Ahh, so he is your blacksmith, your restorer. An extremely necessary thing indeed, yes. But… who is your sheath? Who’s the one who wraps about you and keeps you from always needing a smith?”

  “I have known many who tried to do just that…”

  “But?”

  “But…”

  She searched for an answer, but couldn’t bear to give the truth a voice. Instead, she let her tears do the telling.

  Duhrias only ran his hand down her vibrant curls. “Shhh now, tiny Dragon. The past is just that—past, gone. Go forth with this knowledge, Milady. The strongest warrior is the one who knows when to be weak, when to seek help, when to bend so she does not break.” He winked at her. “The strongest warrior picks his battles, doesn’t bare his steel over every little thing. And… sometimes… the strongest warrior is the one who just walks away.”

  “This I cannot do, Dimples. Not this time. The fate of this world hangs in the balance.”

  “I see. Yet it hangs about your neck as well. You wear the weight of it as plainly as you wear these talismans.”

  She looked down, tenderly rubbing her thumb across the Invincibility in Battle rune Varick had given her.

  “Yes… I suppose it does,” she barely whispered, her teary gaze going back to the magical ceiling.

  “Your Spirit Stone pulses, Kagi Naga.”

  She lifted the new pendant he had gifted her and looked closely at the dazzling colors within.