by Misty Kayn
"We're our own worst enemy," Seven said and ran her hands down the joints of Clementine's wings where the swelling hurt the worst.
Clementine fisted hers, and nodded through the pain when Seven applied more healing oils on the raw exposed skin where flesh and bone met the wings.
She dabbed the blood with a towel. "The healer said only four more nights and you can fly again. All will be well."
Clementine snorted a painful breath and not just because she wouldn't fly free again. All would not be well when Arthur awoke any night now and found that she'd lured his wolf into mating then did not mate him but made him dormant. When Knight said that dove would mate a wolf, Clementine waited for a wolf to cross into a man before engaging him. Under deep sleep, Arthur took back the control of the land, so in a way the people would be well.
For a while Arthur carried a chip on his shoulder because of Mother's prophecy, then left the clan, got lost in his wild animal, and devastated the lands. And Knight, with many omissions of truths, not lies but lies nevertheless, merciless in his determination to fix the wrongs as the guilt over his friend and duty to his people guided his decisions, picked her up from the market and took her on the journey all the while knowing the end game. He didn't leave her with choices. Sure, she could've walked away, but at what cost?
The hell with them. Clementine felt betrayed by the very person who ruled the lands and her own Mother who sold her to him. She tried not to blame herself for not knowing what she was, but failed.
"Do you feel better?" Seven applied the thick, mint-scented numbing oils with gentle hands starting from the spine and working her fingertips along seams of the wings. Clementine groaned and held back tears as her sister massaged between her shoulder blades.
Wings, over-sensitive, feathers still to form at the ends, she looked like a big white chicken who'd fought a rooster who won by plucking her fuzz. She wanted to cry because of the physical pain and because she felt miserable she was in need of care, yet again. Before her broken leg, she’d busted her arm, but the wings had to be the last of her incidents she swore. Poor Seven carried her weight again and stayed at home with her the entire time, their stand at the market empty. They were short on coin. Again. "Thank you," she said. "I'm a thorn in your side."
"You saved my life, so sit back," she paused, "or not, and relax. You could bathe Bod instead of scurrying about the house though."
Clementine lifted her head. "I'll be ready for work soon, I'll do the house chores and all else we need around here."
Seven pursed her lips. "We have enough for the winter, don't worry."
They didn't but her sister wouldn't say.
Seven closed the tear and gag-inducing mint scented oil and placed the jar next to the pile of lilies on the table. Every night, Konj, the clan's stable boy and Seven's boyfriend, picked the lilies that covered their yard. Arthur made them a flower garden that glowed like the star. How valiant of him.
"Your dress is really pretty, Clem." She fixed Clementine's shoulder strap and admired her work. Seven cut the back of a new black, knee-high dress and sowed on strings instead. Clementine tied them under her wings.
"And these new lamps," she picked up a lily, "are bitchin'."
Clementine, a moper these past few nights, smiled. "You're enriching your Daylanders vocabulary."
"Vocab, dude."
"That’s frightening."
"It's cool."
"You're almost thirty."
"You’ve a wet wolf in the yard."
Ah yes, the wolf.
The grey wolf with a stripe of black fur over his jaw and a burned right flank sat on his hind legs in the middle of the yard filled with lit lilies. She refused to meet him the first several times he’d knocked, didn't want anything to do with the clan for as long as she lived, so after three nights, he parked in the yard. The rain nourished the lands for nights, rivers of tears as the nature healed, as Arthur rested in a coma, repairing the damage he'd caused.
She didn't feel sorry for either of them. They were lucky it was raining and they didn't need Cole to water the crops. Clementine presumed she wouldn’t cooperate since he ruined her lake, the beautiful stone waterfall, gardens, and probably her business. "Six nights must be a record for him."
The wolf was soaping wet. A sad, big, burly, soaping wet dog.
"You think he'll give up?"
"Knight Borski doesn't have failure in his vocab." She should've pressed Knight for the truth, demanded he tell everything. Instead, she cowed, didn't listen to her dove, disregarded her instincts and now she was a malformed creature with wings the size of a house. The dove didn't leave her, and Clementine recognized that although small, although prey, the dove wanted to be a glamorous magic user, a force to be reckoned with, and she wanted a mate. With the primal of all animal instincts denied to her, she became Clementine.
"Should we feed him?" Seven said.
"I'll throw him a bone."
"Imager sent hot dogs."
"Did he make them crazy?"
"No."
"Then don't give him anything."
“You should’ve seen the celebrations in town. They think he’s celestial." Seven's arm came over her shoulder and squeezed. "Listen Clem, when everyone comes to you for answers, choices are but a few, and people don’t care how you do it as long as it gets done.”
“He doesn’t care either.”
“What’s he doing here then?”
"Oh sister, don't defend him. Look at me. Why should I walk around like a mutant because clan leadership decided to throw a massive tantrum? When did the greater good or even our Mother ever help us? Never, that's when. And now we will lose our livelihood over this." She fluffed up her wings. "You can't feed us on selling pigeons."
Seven bent, her face inches from Clementine's, warm brown eyes firm. "Who did you do it for? Was it for the clan?"
"No."
"Who?"
"You of course, and for the people who don't deserve to suffer."
"Then its worth it don't you think?"
"I should've known better. My dove and I always at odds, and looking back I should've asked someone why. The imager for one, he knows everything. We were at odds because I wouldn’t let her use her magic like Father before me didn’t. I was the odd Clementine, the super charged crossbreed, but I’m not even a crossbreed. I am..this. I wasn’t meant to be alive, the nature said I shouldn’t and now I am the truly odd and …and dispensable Clementine. I should've demanded answers, I should've—"
"Clan’s secrets are protected secrets and our momma is a twat. Nobody knows about the primal wolves or about you, and that's how you will move on with your life. We only have to figure out how to blend in. Remember the good before bad motto and we'll manage, we always do."
“Thank you sister.”
“And I couldn’t be more proud. My sister refused a forced marriage to a clan member, a second in line for the Nightlands throne. Mother will go crazy.” Nose upturned, she ran a hand down Clementine's feathers. They twitched. Seven giggled and then, her brown eyes widened in horror.
Clementine brightened. "You giggle."
"It's the vocab."
"It's Konj and I'm happy for you."
Konj tended to Seven while Seven tended to Clementine and for the past few nights, she watched the pair thinking the love of a sweet country boy was exactly what she needed to drown her sorrows. She shuddered thinking about Arthur, a wolf she didn't know, a wolf she almost mated. She wriggled her hands dreading the night he'd show up at her door, if for nothing else but to see his new garden in her yard.
Her yard. She thumped her forehead on the table.
Seven patted her shoulder. "You gonna face this wolf or you gonna go back to bed and have another pity party?"
"I've partied enough."
She dragged her legs a few steps to her front door, took a deep breath, and swung it open.
SEVENTEEN
When Clementine opened the door, the rain poured harder, ligh
tning played over the sky. Wet grey wolf the size of a horse rose from sitting and sprung inside like his tail was on fire. In the hallway, he upturned his nose and sniffed then shook his body. Droplets of water stained the entry walls and floors. Clementine swiped her hand over her face then wiped her wet hand on her new dress. Satisfied, he squeezed in the small space to turn around.
He rubbed his snout on her right leg then on her left leg. He nudged her hand. She fisted it. His wet nose tickled her knuckles, and he whined.
The big wolf she wanted to pet was a man, she reminded herself. No petting the wolf.
When he crossed into a man, his head hit the ceiling. Ha!
She took a step back, away from the naked, tall, large, handsome man. Oh star, if he were ugly, if his hands never touched her, if his lips didn't kiss her, this would be so much easier. She felt scorned and passed on when she shouldn't. One night, and he didn't make promises, and she didn't want promises but logic didn't account for the heart's troubles. As she healed in her room unable to sleep at night, she thought about him and his wolf, and how she felt when he fucked her against the wall. If she never knew what it was like to be with him, this would be so much easier.
Hands on his hips Knight said, "Six nights, Clementine?"
Okay, his charm made it easier. She leaned her shoulder against the wall, gripped the edge of her dress. "What do you want?"
A smile played on his lips and he stepped closer. Hands on her hips he pinned her, though not hard, her wings barely touched the wall. His nose buried in her neck, he inhaled like he was starved for breath, enjoyed her skin and he groaned when his hands wound about her waist. She shivered and closed her eyes to his wet, cold skin on her body, moaned when his finger brushed her shoulder to fix the fallen strap. She wished to run her hands over his firm biceps and touch his strength. Head turned to the side she said, "Don't." She placed her hand on his chest and pushed, kept her wits about her.
"All right." He kissed her collarbone, stepped back, and leaned against the opposite wall in the narrow hallway. He crossed his legs at the ankles.
She blinked, disbelieved he’d backed off.
His eyes roamed her body. "You're not eating."
Charmer this one. "I am."
"A lie," came from the kitchen.
"I'm just not hungry." While she lost her appetite, she gained muscle in her shoulders and hips, now wider than before.
"You're stunning," he said. "Most beautiful..." his eyebrows drew down.
"Creature," she supplied.
His green eyes felt familiar, so she focused on his lips. They were soft and plump. No man should have plump lips like that. She ought to examine the wall paint and ask what she wanted to know, "Ever seen another spirit?"
"In flesh? No."
“And not in flesh?”
“There are reprimands for rejecting duties and your dove was a very powerful spirit. Now you are—”
"A freak."
"You're not a freak," Seven pitched from the kitchen.
"I second," Knight said.
"No?!" She threw her hands up. "How am I supposed to go to the market huh? People will point and laugh at me, like I didn’t already stand out to begin with. Nobody has wings attached to their back! Nobody! I trusted you because you were a man of your word but with you it's one secret after another. I deserved to know!"
"At the time, I—"
"You thought about everyone else. I can't go to the market Knight, I can't work, I can't even go to the seamstress to get measured for dresses. I can. Not. Leave my house."
"Calm down, I know all this and it's why I'm here. I've wronged you, I can't stop thinking about it and I'm gonna fix it."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't want to have anything to with you. You've no right to be here."
"I want rights."
Silence.
"Wha...what?"
"Rights, I want them." He, in turn, crossed his arms over his chest and uncrossed his legs.
"No." She fluffed up her wings, her top feathers stood on end. "No more of this, I'm guessing what you mean by rights. Rights to what? Lilies, roses, gardenias, you want to buy my business, cuz I'm ready to sell."
"I want to take you out to eat."
Clementine gaped. Eat out? “I can’t leave these walls, there will be an uproar. How are you going to explain me?”
Knight stepped forward but hesitated, wary of approaching a wounded animal. "People will see you with me and they'll not bother you. It’ll take care of the gossip."
"Ah I see, a favor for the poor, clueless girl. I'm not your charge anymore, so you're off the hook."
He scrubbed his face and eyed the door handle. "I'm not good at this."
"You're good at everything." This time, like no other time ever, she wished her lips sealed.
"Clementine, it's a dinner date. Just me and you, and Daylands dishes that aren't dog food."
She couldn't even comprehend what he was saying. "I think the rain washed off your reason, I think you're confused. When Arthur wakes up, he'll come here for answers and I've..."
He took a long step forward and placed his palms flat against the wall, his thumbs brushed the tips of her wings. She wanted to melt against his body but at the same time knee him in the balls.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Baby, I want a date."
She shook her head and when she did, her cheek brushed against his stubble. His wolf responded and nudged her face.
"You don't mean that. You don't, you came here for something." She wiped her eyes and when tears hovered over the edges she cupped her face wishing she’d broken down earlier, alone in the bedroom. "What...what do you need from me? I don't believe you."
He kissed her hands. "I was desperate and I made a mistake, I'll think about it all my life. I took you and I didn't see past the obligation to my people. Forgive me."
"I can't, I'll just cave in again and again until I'm so lost that I don't even know who I am anymore. I have to take care."
"I'll take care of you."
"You can't buy something, pass it on then ask for it back." She peeked through her fingers then placed her hands around her waist to hold herself together. She would not cave in on this. She would not.
His green eyes hardened and she recognized a leader who didn't give up.
She glared back.
"I won't leave your yard," he said.
"The clan will come calling."
"They'll deal."
"They depend on you."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "My new home needs lamps. A bouquet of them. Ten bouquets."
And there was the bull on red. "I'll send a bouquet of rampion and a get well card for the crazy one."
"You go girl!" Seven eavesdropped.
Knight threw open the door and rested his forehead on his bicep. "I always get what I want, I don't stop until I have it. You know I'll do anything to have you."
"You make it sound like a threat."
His lips upturned. "I’ll take that as ‘Yes, Knight.’"
- THE END -
FROM THE AUTHOR
Born and raised in a non-English speaking household, I fluently curse in all languages available to me and party with the characters in my books after I’ve picked up dolls, puzzles, and legos from the tiled floors of a home I share with Husband...and kids.
Shadowed under humor, I write darker paranormal, fantasy, and science-fiction romance chased with sugarkink. After a series of dreadful events, the Happy Ending is guaranteed.
BOOK 2 of Clementine Arer series is planned for Spring, 2016 release. To get the latest, discount announcement on pre-orders, giveaways and ARC’s hit me up on WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS or sign up for my NEWSLETTER. Thank you for helping me spread the word, helping others find Knight’s Nemesis by writing a review or a word or two as a recommendation. And thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Misty
Table of Content
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
FROM THE AUTHOR
Table of Contents
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
FROM THE AUTHOR