by Melanie Ray
It was the moron Marni, grinning like a doofus at the door. "Hello."
Yed gestured over to Ezra, not saying a word.
Ezra smiled as Marni came over toward her. "Hey."
"How are you doing? I was visiting Xiam when you called and I heard the news," Marni grinned. "Is Marni and Caress kicking?"
"What?" Yed said instinctively. "What did you call Tigeravich?"
"Marni." Marni commented casually. "You said yourself I would probably be her unconditional." He smiled at Ezra and felt her tummy. "So we've decided to name the boy after me since I'll be his father."
Yed stayed still but in his mind he envisioned himself leaping over the couch and strangling Marni, wiping that damn smug grin off his face. He blinked. Imagination could be powerful sometimes.
Marni continued smiled at Ezra as he felt her tummy. "Oh, I think I felt one too."
Yed watched her smile back at her new unconditional idiot.
"This is really wonderful," Marni said as she stared like a goofy dork at Ezra. “Ending up with you, it's like a dream come true." Marni turned his attention back to Yed. "When am I supposed to sign the agreement?"
Yed couldn't help but glare at him. "Don't know. The other Protector will decide." He stared at the door again, hoping his replacement would be coming soon. Really soon.
"I promise one day I'll become more than just a waiter for this family Ezra," Marni said in a proud manner. "One day I'll find a really nice job and we'll get out of here too."
"Get out?" Ezra seemed to have a confused expression on her face.
"Well, for one warno this little place is nice, but for two warnos and soon-to-be growing babies, it's a bit cramped." Marni pointed out to her, "I'll find us a place that's really nice, fit for the whole family."
That damn replacement needed to get there soon. Yed didn't know how much more he could take. He watched Ezra nod to the idiot.
"Yep! Just me and you and them," Marni said chuckling as he moved in for a little kiss. Ezra tried to be polite and accept his kiss, but the door had slammed aggressively
Yed stood by the door and pointed at it. "Wind,” he said bluntly.
Marni shrugged his shoulders. "Anyhow, I promise I'll take great care of them when their babies."
"And kids," Ezra reminded him.
"Kids?" Marni just chuckled. "Oh, by that time they'll be in a den somewhere."
"With. You." Yed couldn't help but interrupt. Warnos under fifty were unaffected by inhibitors and were unstable. Parents moved in with other parents with the guidance of Ancients, old and wise warnos over two thousand years old. They would remain living in a Den until the children were old enough to be able to function outside, usually around 150. Some parents though, were not caring enough to stay with their children, and it sounded like moron Marni might be one of them. “With you and Ezra,” he repeated.
Ezra also looked at Marni. "With us."
"Move in with them?" Marni seemed unsure about that. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
Ezra and Yed were both nodding their heads. Insistently.
"Well, we'll see when the time comes," Marni said.
Not the answer Yed or Ezra was looking for.
That's it.He wants to leave them in a Den somewhere, alone, so he can have Ezra to himself. It doesn't work that way. Yed couldn't help but make his hands into fists. There's no way he'll be her unconditional, I don't care how much time is left. The next Protector is gonna have to go out and find someone-? Yed was interrupted by a knock on the door. He opened it to see a messenger. "Yes?"
"Protector Yeducavich Smilliat?" A messenger handed him an envelope, "I am sorry to announce that, due to weather and other upcoming situations, a suitable Protector has not been located to take your place yet. Details are inside."
Yed ripped open the envelope. Weather my ass. He read the details inside. Unless Ezra herself knew the true situation, a Protector would not be wasted so urgently at the time? When things with the waryes settled down a suitable candidate would be chosen. One month minimum.
Marni the moron smiled at him. He was really starting to hate that guy. "Protector? Is everything alright?"
"Protector. Yeducavich. Smilliat." Yed corrected him as he dropped the note. "Frankly, no, I'm not."
"Oh. Longer wait?" Marni continued to grin like a moron.
"That’s it. If I'm stuck here, there's one thing I'm going to do right now." Yed went over to Marni and grabbed him roughly by the collar. Strange how good it felt to have this unworthy conditional in his grasp right now. He lifted him off the floor with a single hand. "I was wrong, you aren’t going to be her unconditional."
"What?" Marni whined like a kid as he kicked his legs. "Why?"
"You're too pushy, and you clearly have no intentions of taking care of kids, just babies. That is unacceptable.” Yed kept Marni up in the air as he headed to the door. As casually as one would throw out trash to the dumpster, he launched Marni out into the snow. “You are not going to throw them in a Den alone and leave them like orphans until they grow up. Your candidacy is null and void."
"But..." Marni stood in the snow staring like a perplexed idiot as Yed closed the door.
Ezra looked at him in shock. Yed looked back at her and coughed slightly. "He wasn't the right fit."
Ezra nodded her head slowly. "I'm getting further along."
"Well then, I'll find someone else,” Yed said, his voice stronger than he meant it to be. "Sorry."
Ezra turned her attention toward the couch. "...how long are you going to do this?"
“Do what?” Yed asked.
Ezra looked forlorn. "I know you can't risk your entire career," She nodded her head. "You studied so hard here, and I know it meant a lot to you. I know I don’t fit in your plans, Protector, I understand, but have I pushed for it? Do you think I ever would have told you? I would never expect that of you. Yed...Yeducavich, I know you. I'm not going to get in the way because I have feelings for you.”
Yed stared at Ezra. She wouldn't even try to budge him? "I can’t. If things were different-"
"Different schmifferent," Ezra insisted. "We're good friends and things would always stay that wa-ay!"
Yed nodded his head. "The baby again?" His eyes fell toward her tummy again. "Does it hurt?"
"No," Ezra beamed with pride as she felt her tummy. "Do you want to feel? Asking if you want to feel my tummy isn't stepping over the friend line, is it?"
Yed shook his head at that. He had wanted to feel her tummy, how could he miss the opportunity? He was heading over to her until he heard a knock on the door. Yed headed over toward the door first, surely Marni wasn’t that stupid? Oh good, it was someone better. "Xiam."
Xiam smiled with Iri, Muin and Zaria. "Hi there. Still here?"
"Yeah, my replacement won't come for at least a month." Yed shrugged it off. Now that he knew Ezra wasn't pushing for anything, maybe it would be easier now.
Iri, Muin and Xiam went over to Ezra buzzing over the news.
Ezra placed Xiam's hand on her tummy. "I can't believe how much they are moving around now."
"Wow," Xiam said laughing, "that was a good one."
"Yeah, as much as Ezra's been moving they must be Re-EAl KiCkErS?!" Yed stopped talking as he felt his throat. He needed to take a lozenge for his voice, but he hadn’t figured he’d need it since a Protector would be coming. Oh hell.
"Yed?" Ezra seemed concerned. "What's wrong?"
Iri was also looking at him a bit strangely. Oh, that isn’t good.
"Do you have a frog in your throat?" Xiam said with a chuckle.
Muin didn't look too pleased. "You need to watch what you eat then."
Xiam laughed. Yed on the other hand, didn't. He tried edging up the stairs carefully, but Iri was watching him closely now. She couldn't have caught that... Yed stopped waving his tail nervously as he caught Iri's stare. Don't say a word, just go up, up, up. He headed to his room as fast as he could and took a lozenge. He tried to move fast to a
void Iri, but she had shown up at his bedroom door.
"My name is Iridescent and I'll be your waitress for this evening. Would you like a drink to start off with?"
Yed paused as he heard her. “What?" Good, his pill kicked in fast.
"Anything plain?" Iridescent crossed her arms and glared right through him. "Right?"
"Iri?" Xiam came to his wife's side. "What's wrong?" He looked over at Yed. "Yed, what's wrong?" Xiam looked back at Iridescent. "Iri?"
Iri held her hands up. "I'm ready to go home," she said as she turned her attention away from Yed. "We need to have a talk, Xiamipoc."
Yed watched as the two headed out. It's over? Iri knew. Once she talked to Xiam, he would come over, confirm it, and he couldn't lie. It was against the Protector code.
Ezra soon came up with Muin by her side. "Yed?"
Seeing the look on Yed's face, Zaria must have understood. "Busted, huh?"
Yed turned his attention away.
"Yep, busted." Zaria grabbed Muin's hand. "Come on Muin, let's go home. Ezra and Yed are going to have to talk."
Muin wasn’t happy, but what else was new. "Talk about what? What's wrong now?"
Ezra watched Zaria and Muin head downstairs, then turned to Yed. "What's going on, Yed?" Yed just stood there. "Yed?" Ezra asked again, worry creeping into her voice. "Are you okay?"
Yed looked out his window. Once Iridescent tells Xiam, I don't have much time. He took a deep breath. "It's probably best you hear it from me instead of Xiam."
"Hear what?" Ezra asked. "What is so wrong?"
"Iridescent found the guy from Vallencio's that night," Yed confessed. "She just now realized it."
"She found him?" Ezra repeated. "Why didn't she tell me?"
Yed slowly pointed to himself. This sounded a thousand times better during rehearsal. It was a thousand times easier with no one else in the room. "I'm him."
Ezra blinked. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"I'm him," Yed said firmer. "I'm him, Caressela and Tigeravich are mine."
Ezra looked at him, disbelief shone through her eyes. "You're? But..." She looked down at the ground. "You tricked me?"
Yed slowly nodded his head. His throat tightened and his heart beat became rapid. He could feel sweat forming on himself but didn’t make a move.
"You tricked me for the king?" Ezra said shakily, yet somehow more firmly.
"It was of my own accord," Yed said in a strange tempo. "We are two pure lineages, together we could help the kingdom. I acted on my own."
"No," Ezra said as she shook her head. "You wouldn't. Not you, y-you would never risk this much!"
"Why not?" Yed demanded. "I always swore I'd bring the waryes down no matter what." He briefly took a moment before he said some of the worst words Ezra had ever heard. Words he knew would hurt, would sting right through to her soul. "What is ruining one life compared to saving our whole kingdom?"
"What? What did you say?" Xiam hadn’t even bothered knocking as he appeared by Yed’s doorway. After the talk with Iri, he must have come back to fetch the truth. Xiam growled at him. "What did you say to my sister?"
A fight with Xiam. Something Yed had never dreamed of, but it looked like there was little choice. "I know it was wrong, but I had no choice. That's why I'm protecting her now."
"You think that makes up for what you did?" Xiam yelled, "You used her, you used her. All these years you acted like a friend.”
Yed easily missed Xiam's swing. "Xiam. Don't do this," he pleaded. "I don't want to fight you."
"Well you should have thought of that beforehand," Xiam shouted as he tried to take another swing. "How could you? Then come back here acting like it was her fault? How could the king let you stay a Protector after that?
"I'm of the highest class, it was a one night thing in honor of my kingdom," Yed said back steadily. "He understood."
"He would understand. He's a monster, like you." Xiam yelled with a fiery roar, "get out of here!"
"I can't and will not." Yed couldn’t back down, "I am Ezraponia Cattral’s Protector."
"Get out!" Xiam demanded again. "Get out, get out, get out!"
"Those babies are of pure lineage," Yed reminded him. "You can't leave her vulnerable. If anyone finds out, they'll swoop in and kill her. You know that." He glanced around knowing Ezra had already left. “I need her back, Xiam.”
"I’ll never give her back to you.” Xiam pulled out his phone and dialed enforcement.
Chapter 14
LOSING IT
Stupidest move ever. Enforcers were nothing but Protectors who didn’t make even Z level. They took up general protecting duties to women who needed help. Yed was an A class. Xiam was literally pulling the gun on himself.
Yed didn’t say a word as Xiam watched enforcement come. He simply flashed his official Protector license and they retrieved Ezra from Muin’s.
Ezra entered Yed’s room in handcuffs.
"You were right Protector, she had gone to her sister's house." One of the enforcers handed Yed the key to the handcuffs. "Here you go and have a nice day Protector Smilliat."
Yed nodded and tried to look at Ezra but she stared at the ground. "I had to do it. You're my Protectee."
"You're not above everything. I'll find someone, someone who isn’t a Protector or an enforcer. I'll find someone who isn't afraid to stand up to you!" Xiam declared as he left the room angrily.
Yed didn’t respond, the time for friendship was over. His true duty remained, no matter how hard it was.
Cold. Silent. Not a word was spoken to Yed by anyone. He may have had the continued authority to guard Ezra, but he did not have anyone's support or friendship anymore. As the days went by, Yed was like a ghost, only observing. He had even been bumped a couple times, being accused of ‘not being there’. It didn’t matter what they said though, how bad he wanted to tell the truth. He couldn’t leave Ezra’s side either, as much as she wanted him too. He still had no idea what the king had planned for her, for the babies, for anyone. So day by day, time went by, being a shadow with no words spoken. No one wanted to have anything to do with him.
Well, almost everyone...
Yed watched out the front window and watched Zaria give him a friendly wave. Probably something to make him feel like he wasn’t alone in the world. Zaria stopped when Muin spotted him and grabbed his arm. She yelled so loud he could hear her from across the street.
"Quit that Zaria, hHe's no longer a friend, how many times do I have to say it? He’s changed, he’s not the same anymore.”
Yed watched as Zaria got dragged off down the street. The one warno he hated so much at first, was his only friend now. Life was strange. He walked over to the couch where Ezra had been. Everyday he tried to start a conversation, but everyday Ezra ignored him. "Weather's kind of nice today." Still, he never gave up. The usual ignorance was the silent reply. "A stroll might do you some good." Ezra continued to ignore him. He eventually looked away. She couldn't even bear to look at him anymore, but there was no other Protector yet. Even the king demanded that he had to stay until the replacement came. All he had to do was watch his mouth for a couple more days at the most. Yed stopped trying, got up and walked away as the phone rang. He sat over in a corner chair as Ezra answered it. Maybe that was the replacement already.
"Yep, momma, they are kicking up a storm." Ezra chuckled on the phone with her mother Scentella. "The doctor thinks they'll be born soon but I think Muinela is due first. Zaria's been watching her constantly."
Yed picked up a book and sat in the corner to read, ignoring the conversation. At least Ezra smiled when her family talked to her.
"Huh? The boy?" Ezra sighed and said, "Well, I don't know. The other Protector is supposed to come today. He will probably pick Marni, so it'll probably be Marni."
That comment made Yed look over at her. Like it or not, he couldn’t stay silent for that. "His name's going to be Tigeravich."
Ezra continued to ignore him. "I know he's not
the best momma, but I really only know him. Okay, bye." She hung up the phone.
"Ezra." Yed stood up. The only thing he even had control of anymore was the boy's name. "His name is going be Tigeravich, and Marni will not be the unconditional."
Ezra closed her eyes a moment, then gave him a sharp glance. For the first time in a long time, she spoke. "I admit, I liked the name Tigeravich at first." Ezra turned her attention back to a nearby magazine and opened it, "but now it feels like a predator named him that."
Predator. Sharp, a sting like a needle. Yed sat back in the chair, that conversation was over for now. There was no way she could shut him out forever. He heard the door knock and watched as Ezra went to answer it.
A warno Yed had never seen before stood there. A nice looking fellow, he was holding a few flowers out to Ezra.
Ezra’s face lit up. "Almo?"
The warno smiled at her. "Ezra. I'm sorry I didn't hear the news for so long. Congratulations."
Ezra nodded and took the flowers with grace. "I didn't know news would travel that far. Thank you."
Yed’s curiosity got the better of him. He stood up and headed toward the door.
"I missed you," Almo said, "home hasn't been the same since you left. Are you doing fine?"
Yed watched Ezra sniff the flowers and smile sweetly, making him feel sick to his stomach. Who was he?
"I'm alright." She gently took his hand. "You sprayed it with a dessert perfume?"
"Yeah, I never forgot," Almo said chuckling. "So, do you have your unconditional yet?"
"Not yet," Ezra said softly.
Yed couldn’t take it anymore. Who was this mystery guy, this blast out of the past Ezra never considered mentioning? "Ezra?"
Ezra gestured to Almo. Her voice was staccato, going straight to the point. "He is an old boyfriend from my previous town. I did not tell you because I did not want him involved."
"I want to be involved," Almo said as he squeezed her hand. "Ezra, I still love you as much as the day I first saw you. You moving doesn't mean I ever stopped."
Yed's left foot tapped against the ground and he felt a primal growl escape. This guy was being too damn nice to her. I should throw him out! He already gave her flowers, there's a sign. But he didn't want to make Ezra any madder.