Warriors' Providence (Cadi Warriors Book 2)

by Stephanie West

  "You're going to bust your skull." Madhava groused over his shoulder as he gripped her ankles around his waist.

  "I got her." Dagaa said with a shake of his head, his hands hovering at her back.

  The medic stared in shock and amusement as they left the clinic.

  "No I'm sorry but the Daimio is not available for comment at this time." Madhava heard the warrior say to a news commentator at the main manor entrance as they passed by.

  "So our Daimio has nothing to say to the people about the protester that was killed here today? I'm certain the citizens of Cadi would be interested in knowing why this happened. Is it his policy to respond violently to the citizens who oppose his decree regarding the Toufik?"

  Madhava almost cursed. Bad news always travels fast. This was going to turn ugly quick.

  "I didn't kill that man." Providence said slightly louder than the whisper she intended.

  "No beautiful you didn't. I did." Madhava whispered back.

  "Oh." Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, her pupils huge from the drugs she'd been given.

  Madhava groaned as the news commentator looked up at them. It was time to go.

  "So do you know what happened here today?" The commentator called past the warrior that barred him from entering the manor.

  "I do." Providence said as she scrambled off Madhava's back. Dagaa tried to hold her but somehow she slipped from his grasp as she wiggled to the floor. "That man climbed over the wall and hurt my friend, Giselle."

  "Really?!" The male at the door replied, looking very interested.

  "Come on beautiful." Dagaa took Providence's good hand to lead her away. "Providence was injured and was given a bit of pain medicine." He said to the way too nosy male.

  The commentator likely knew who Providence was, the news feeds were a buzz with it after her discovery on the reptilian ship.

  "My finger's broken." Providence pouted as she waved her hand at the male. "But it’s okay, it doesn't hurt. It was not nice to hurt my friend, she's pregnant, and that’s not good for the baby." She babbled.

  "No Marita it is not acceptable to hurt a female, especially one with young." The male was kind enough to agree with Providence.

  Providence staggered his way despite Madhava and Dagaa's effort to dissuade her.

  "I know people are mad because the Toufik, Giselle and I are different. But I can't help I'm not Cadi. I was stolen from my home and the poor Toufik, their home is dying." Providence looked so sad as she spoke, her lip quivering. Her eyes held that misty look that always ripped him to shreds.

  The drugs were forcing all the emotions Providence had been trying to wrangle, to the surface.

  "I know Marita it is a terrible situation." The news commentator looked upset at seeing how distraught Providence was. The male looked up at him and Dagaa with a creased brow. Obviously Providence's sad expression didn't just affect Madhava alone.

  Providence gave the male an exaggerated nod as she shrugged out of Madhava's grasp.

  "You know it’s kind of silly. You are different from Dagaa, and he is different from Madhava. No one is the same. It would be so boring and impractical if we were ALL the same." Providence gestured wildly. "Think of it, the same person, the same plants, the same animals. If we can learn to get along, there's a lot of good things we can learn from each other. But if we try to find problems we always will."

  As drugged as Providence was she made a good point.

  "Very true." The male said as he smiled at Madhava and Dagaa. "Thank you for your time. I hope your finger heals quickly Marita."

  "Thank you." Providence stared down at her bandaged finger suddenly preoccupied by it.

  "We need to get her home." Dagaa said with a nod as he ushered Providence away.

  It was clear the drugs were doing a number on her.

  "Who was that?" Providence asked as she leaned against Madhava.

  "A news commentator reporting on the protest."

  "Oh. Did I say anything stupid?"

  "No you were just fine." Dagaa reassured her.

  "Good. Hey, I feel kinda funny." Providence's eyes lolled.

  Madhava scooped up his little mate and took her home where they tucked her into bed despite her insistence she wasn't sleepy.

  "I'm glad things weren't any worse than what they were." Dagaa sighed.

  "Agreed!" Madhava nearly growled. It had been bad enough.

  Dagaa sat on the sofa next to Madhava passing him a cup of vinum. They both needed a stiff drink after the day they'd had.

  Dagaa

  "More shopping." Providence groaned as they finished up a late breakfast.

  "We need a new bed and stuff to go with it." Dagaa nudged Providence playfully.

  "One we can all share." Madhava winked at her.

  Dagaa grinned. He was seeing a side of his friend he didn't know existed and liked it. Dagaa thought back to a year ago when he and Madhava were on opposite sides. Never in a million years had he foreseen this. The Goddess Kali worked in mysterious and amazing ways.

  "Well I suppose a new bed would be nice, since someone is like an octopus when he sleeps." Providence looked pointedly at Dagaa.

  "I have no idea what an octopus is." Dagaa smirked.

  "It's a sea creature with eight tentacle arms that latch onto you with little suckers." Providence wiggled her finger as she waved her arms grabbing at him.

  Dagaa did move a lot in his sleep and generally awoke wrapped around Providence.

  Madhava laughed while Dagaa feigned offense.

  They walked down the main thoroughfare in the market district, and Dagaa noted how many people stared and pointed their way. The street seemed even busier than before they went into the shop and ordered their new bed.

  "What is going on?" Madhava asked noticing the same thing Dagaa had.

  "It's her." Dagaa heard one young couple say as they stopped to stare at Providence.

  Providence smiled and nodded to them before turning to look at some necklaces in a stall nearby.

  "I don't know." Dagaa frowned.

  Dagaa was used to anonymity when he went out. Most of the people seemed way too curious about Providence which made him uncomfortable.

  "Do you think it's because she's human?" Madhava asked.

  Dagaa shrugged.

  "Petra that is the human female from the news feeds." A female with her teenage daughter said as they exited the store next door.

  Dagaa wanted to groan. Apparently Providence had shown up on the news, unbeknownst to them.

  "See Petra, you are far from ugly or a freak, my sweet child. Look how pale she is, and she has two bonded warriors." Dagaa overheard the mother say as they stared at Providence.

  The female's daughter had a rare condition that made her pale, not the ruddy tone of their people, more pink like Providence. The girl's hair and eyes were a pale gray. The young pale female shyly smiled as Providence turned and noticed them.

  Providence waved and gave them with a kind smile, as she had done with several other people that seemed interested, and then turned back to intently study a colorful scarf.

  "Do you want the scarf?" Dagaa asked as he came up behind her.

  "No. Hey can we go home. It's really starting to get crowded and I'm kinda weirded out with all the people staring."

  "Agreed!" Madhava said quickly.

  The crowd was starting to make the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. They were going to get mid-meal out, but going home seemed like the wiser option. Madhava and Dagaa flanked Providence as they attempted to move through the crowded street, filled with whispering and pointing individuals. Although the people seemed more curious than aggressive, the last thing they needed were the anti-foreigners gathering.

  Once back home Dagaa went to the main house to let Kagan know they were expecting a large delivery.

  "Have you seen this?" Kagan asked when Dagaa entered his sitting room.

  "No. Ah crap." Dagaa said as he looked up to see the image of h
imself, Madhava and Providence on the vid screen. "I had no idea the male was recording yesterday."

  After the crowd at the market Dagaa had figured out Providence's picture had flashed on the news, but not the entire event.

  "Well he was. But it looks like it was a good thing. What Providence shared appears to have people swayed in our favor. Even those that sympathize with the protesters are condemning the treatment of our females."

  "Good." Dagaa sighed in relief.

  He looked at the screen showing little Providence as she solemnly said, with such sad eyes, that she couldn't help being 'different'. Who couldn't be swayed by such a sweet, poignant plea?

  "Apparently she already has a fan club."

  "Yeah, I kind of noticed when we went to the market district." Dagaa groaned. "That's all we need. Now we'll have fanatics scaling the wall for a completely different reason."

  "I didn't think of that. Ugh." Kagan shook his head.

  "Maybe we'll get away for a few days. I've been wanting to go on a little trip north." Dagaa suggested.

  The thought of another eager individual scaling the garden wall, really didn't sit well with Dagaa. All it would take was an excited mob of fans getting out of control and Providence could easily be injured again, even if the intent was benign. She was just so petite.

  "That's probably a good idea. The worst of the buzz will probably die down soon enough."

  9 Son of a Metcor

  Providence

  Providence was all smiles as the men rearranged their bedroom. They laughed as they lugged the large mattress up the stairs. Providence gripped one corner as they reached the top of the landing.

  "We've got it female. Do you mean to completely unman us?" Dagaa winked at her.

  "Mind your finger." Madhava insisted.

  Providence's little finger didn't really hurt, but the men babied her, anyway.

  Excluding the incident in the garden, since the competition, the men were as happy as when she met them, happier actually. They didn't seem to care she had beaten them out of the coveted position of Prime though they often teased her about it.

  Dagaa and Madhava positioned the mattress that would fit the three of them comfortably, in the middle of the room. Providence was more than happy to sleep between her two large men every night. She grabbed a pair of sheets they bought with the new bed and began dressing it.

  "What a tempting sight. I think we should christen this new bed." Dagaa husked as he gripped her hips from behind tossing up her skirt to find her bare ass beneath.

  Providence was instantly wet for him. She'd been that way for days as the two men teased, pleasured and generally wore her out. It was like a honeymoon of sorts. Never in her life had she been so occupied by sex, glorious, decadent, wild, dirty sex.

  Providence looked up to see Madhava's ruddy thick cock jutting out from his hips, a breadth away from her face. She smiled and opened wide for him as Dagaa pressed into her slick entrance from behind. Providence loved the scent, and ginger sweet taste of her men. The way they trembled beneath her fingertips and made such animalistic lust filled sounds, heightened her arousal. Providence moaned around Madhava with each thrust Dagaa made, shoving her into Madhava as he impaled her. One male gripped her hair the other gripped her hips till the pleasure overcame them and they dropped breathless onto the new bed.

  Providence smiled as she rolled around the plush sheets.

  "We need to turn in, so we can get up early. I've got a surprise planned." Dagaa announced.

  "What is it?" Providence bounced up.

  "Well if I told you then it's not a surprise." Dagaa teased. "But you need to pack a bag for a few nights."

  Providence clapped her hands as she danced around the bedroom in excitement.

  Providence stared out the window of the cruiser Kagan had loaned Dagaa. Unlike the rota, that had to stay close to the ground, this little ship was more like a jet that could also go into space, though too small for long voyages among the stars.

  They were travelling quickly roughly half-a-mile high above the landscape. Madhava looked over her shoulder a broad grin stretching his face as they passed over a mountainous region.

  Dagaa glanced over as he flew the cruiser and smiled at his usually sober friend.

  "I thought you'd enjoy this." Dagaa said as they descended over a peak.

  Providence gasped at the sight that greeted her, jaw hanging open.

  Massive trees jutted into the air hundreds of feet, reaching for the heavens. They were enormous even at the height their vehicle traveled. This must be the Primal Forest the men had talked about. The trees easily dwarfed the redwoods back home.

  "You weren't kidding. These trees are huge!" Providence couldn't wait to land and get out of the ship.

  The cruiser finally set down in a clearing near a river. Providence scrambled out of her seat shoving Madhava with a giggle to be the first off the craft. He scooped her up with a growl and a nip at her neck as he bounded down the ramp into the grassy field.

  "Oh my gawd!" Providence stared straight up one of the behemoths.

  Madhava set her down as she gawked at the sheer size of the trunk of the nearest tree. Dagaa laughed as he handed a couple bags to Madhava. Providence took her smaller backpack then ran towards the tree.

  "One, two, three..." She counted her steps as she circled the base of the tree, but gave up after a hundred. "Holy cow."

  "Amazing!" Madhava said as he followed her, clearly impressed.

  "Come on we have a bit of a hike ahead of us." Dagaa pointed to the path along the river's edge.

  Light filtered through the dense greenery, creating a serene scene. The scent of the forest was fresh, peppered here and there with a lovely floral aroma. The mild breeze caressed her skin, making Providence sigh in contentment.

  Providence admired the wildlife that scurried and flitted about. Furry things that looked like flying squirrels swooped through the canopy, then scurried up the branches. One creature was brave enough to leap down onto a limb beside her. Providence stopped and stared in awe of the creature. It, of course, didn't look like a squirrel at all up close. It appeared more like a loris or lemur. Two huge, sweet, brown eyes stared back at her curiously. Its little pink button nose sniffed, then seeing that she had no food, ran off again up the tree trunk.

  "They're not really afraid of us are they?" Providence commented as she watched the creature disappear into the foliage.

  "No, this is a protected area." Dagaa replied as they trod onward. "It holds many natural wonders of Cadi."

  Providence studied a clump of bright red blooms nestled in the stump of a decaying tree.

  "Watch." Dagaa reached out and touched a crimson blossom. The trefoil burst, sending a shower of seeds spraying in the air like fireworks. "This was my favorite plant to hunt down when I visited here with my father." He smiled at the memory.

  Providence knew Dagaa's father had died in the war and he'd lost his mother not long after that. It made Dagaa sharing this experience all the more important. She gripped his and Madhava's hand as they continued on their hike.

  There was a crashing roar in the distance as a waterfall came into view. The trio stood for a moment to admire the stunning sight of the water cascading down two drops. It had to be at least a hundred feet high.

  The men helped her scale the rocky slick trail that flanked the waterfall, the spray cooling them as they traveled upward. She would have managed on her own, broken finger and all, but the hand up was nice, and the men enjoyed helping her.

  They walked quietly soaking up the scenery unless she had a question or Dagaa wanted to point something out to them. It was a nice morning, not too hot, so the hike was enjoyable.

  About an hour after they started, Dagaa stopped suddenly as they came to a small clearing. Providence nearly ran smack into his back.

  "What is it?" She asked, pausing in case he sighted something dangerous ahead.

  "Here we are." Dagaa pointed.

  It took
a second before Providence saw what he was pointing to, nestled high up in one of the gargantuan trees.

  "It's a treehouse!" Providence exclaimed excitedly. A staircase wound around the base of the giant tree spiraling up, up, up, to the awesome hideout. "I can't believe it. Is that where we are staying?" She asked feeling giddy as a child.

  Dagaa nodded.

  "I'm truly impressed my friend. Thank you for bringing me here." Madhava added with a broad grin. Even he was stirred by the sight.

  Providence ran ahead and started scaling the steps. When she finally reached the summit, she threw open a heavy wooden door and was greeted by a large room, that looked like it was carved from a solid hunk of timber. On the far wall a stained glass, rosette window was inset into the burled wood. It showered the room with various hues of twinkling light.

  To one side there was a table and a set of four chairs, fashioned from an old gnarled stump, that when pushed together looked like it was a whole tree again. The craftsmanship and carving was exquisite yet simple. Then in the center of the room, a palette bed hung from ropes. The vines that stretched to the ceiling almost appeared to still be living.

  The sight was beyond breathtaking. The hideaway must have taken someone years, maybe decades to craft.

  Providence turned with a stunned smile plastered to her face as the men entered and took in the sight much as she had.

  "It is... I don't even have the words." Providence's breath caught in her throat as she wrapped her arms around Dagaa's waist.

  "This is a work of art my friend." Madhava said as he ran his hand over the walls, smoothed and worn to a slippery sheen over time.

  "Thank you. My great grandfather built this for his bonded. He donated the land to the state when she passed, but my family has been caring for it ever since. Though not as much as I'd hope. It's been a while since I've made it back."

  "It's truly stunning."

  Providence could see every bit of love several generations of Dagaa's family had put into the treehouse.

  "Let's check out the deck. My great grandfather chose this spot especially for the view." Dagaa encouraged as they dumped their bags.