“It’s only two steps, monkey nuts. You wouldn’t break a fingernail falling that distance.”
“That sounds like you owe me a kiss, Blue. Just what is a monkey?”
“Not this time. A monkey is a primate and I didn’t cuss. Their males have balls just like every other male so you won’t be getting any kiss from me on that one.”
Talon let her push him against the wall. Did she think he would need the extra support? “Let’s just get this done, Shadow.” He hoped his voice was steadier than he was.
“Keep your eyes closed.”
That’s not the problem, Blue. Do I have the guts to open them? That’s the real question.
He felt the slight tremor of her fingers against his face and covered her hand with his. “Whatever happens, I know you did your best.” With no more warning that that, he ripped the softened spider silk from his faces and tossed it on the ground.
“You are such an asshole!” She yelled. “Are you trying to peel the hide off your face?” Before he could mention her lapse in language, she grabbed his head and pulled him down for a brief, hard kiss before stepping away from him. “I always pay my debts. Now, slowly open your eyes.”
To hell with his eyes! He wanted another taste of her mouth! He remembered her taste. The kiss was too brief for him to savor her mouth—too quick for him to locate and identify the small, round…something he remembered. His body immediately reacted to her kiss but he fought down the lust currently straining against the buttons on his pants.
Drawing a deep breath into his lungs, Talon slowly lifted his lids.
“Oh, gods,” he whispered, sliding down the wall until he was seated on the rough, wooden porch. His chest burned and he realized he was holding his breath. He forced the air into and out of his lungs.
“What’s wrong? Crap! It didn’t work, did it? I screwed it up, didn’t I?” She stomped from one side of the small porch to the other.
“I can see the trees, Shadow,” he whispered into the early morning air. “And the grass. And what’s left of the other houses.”
“What? You can?” She squatted beside him, gently brushing the hair back from his face.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “It’s a strange shade of gray-green, but I can distinguish…everything!”
“Good.” She mumbled, wiping the tears from her face. “That means we can start training right after breakfast.”
Talon acknowledged her leaving on the peripheral edges of his awareness. He never thought to see again, had come to terms with his limitations. To be given another chance at a normal life was almost more than he could comprehend. Humanity across countless galaxies shared similar, fickle fates. Every blessing or gift came with a price tag and the bottom line was proportionate to the value of the gift. He sent a silent prayer to whichever deity was responsible for this…miracle? Second chance? He didn’t know. Only time would lead him to the choices now available to him.
A pair of small birds landed in the grass at the end of the steps. Their cheerful chirping brought tears to his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time—if ever—he stopped to listen to their songs. Just another thing he took for granted until it was too late. Emotions he thought long stripped from him surged to life, strangling him with their power.
I’ll pay whatever price is demanded by the gods. With Shadow’s help, I’ll put an end to Draagon’s evil and try to build a life. Draagon has been the driving force behind my decisions for more than twenty years. There are entire solar systems out there to explore. I wonder if Shadow would be interested in a traveling companion.
“Haul your butt up. Food is on the table and we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
Interesting. I couldn’t detect a heat image for the birds but chalked it up to their size. Shadow’s signature is so faint…barely visible. Guess this is part of the price. Trade off one ability for another.
“I can already tell that you’re going to be a harsh task mistress.” Talon pushed himself up from the floor. “Your command is my wish.”
“You are such an as…axel.”
Talon held the door open and leaned in close when she tried to pass. “Almost cost you another kiss? You know, you don’t have to cuss to get a kiss. I’m here and available whenever you….”
“Shut up and go eat before it gets cold.”
She would hear his soft chuckle in her dreams long after this job was finished.
* * * *
“For the first week or so we need to work on your core strength. You’ve got some impressive muscle tone for someone who did nothing more strenuous than lift a bottle.”
Shadow swallowed hard and forced her eyes back to his face. He removed his shirt before they started on the stretching exercises and she struggled to stay focused. His lean build was deceptive when covered by clothing. The tanned skin and light dusting of hair across his chest made her mouth water. And that ‘treasure trail’ that disappeared beneath those low-slung pants had her wanting things she couldn’t have.
“You said there was more than enough space here to run. Now that you can see the changes brought on by time, do you still agree with that statement?”
Talon scanned the road in front of him. “There’s about twenty continuous miles of road that circles around the developed areas of the island. If you want something more rugged, the numerous trails leading from the water’s edge into the foothills add another hundred or so miles.”
“We’ll stick with the roads for now.” She needed to put some distance between them…fast! Every time he reached high into the air, his pants slipped lower before hooking on his hipbones. He had an intriguing set of muscles that formed a wedge, bracketing his abs, before disappearing into the waist of his pants. Oh, how she wanted to follow where they led—with her fingers or her tongue or both. Focus, dammit! He’s not the first hot guy you’ve trained and he won’t be the last.
“Something wrong, Blue?” Talon asked with a grin.
“What? No. I’m just…thinking about…what we need to do first. About your training.” She shook her head to clear the erotic images from her mind. She knew what she wanted to do first and it didn’t include stretching or jogging.
“Okay. Start slow and run at your own pace and we’ll see how far you get.”
“You mean I get to play without mommy watching?” He asked in a singsong voice.
She ignored his warped sense of humor. “You’ll be by yourself when you do whatever it is you’re going to do to Draagon, so, yeah. Mommy won’t be around to wipe your…nose. Whenever you’re ready, you can leave. Don’t head into the foothills, don’t talk to strangers, and be home before dark.”
Chapter Eleven
Shadow watched Talon jog confidently along the dusty road. His laughter still filled the air. With his improved vision he easily missed the tufts of overgrown vegetation. When the road curved and took him out of sight, every instinct she owned urged her to follow. What if he fell? What if he lost his way? What if…?
“Give it a rest, woman!” She scolded herself. “If he falls, he’ll get up and keep going or sit on his butt until I come looking for him when he doesn’t show up for dinner.” Spinning on her heel, she headed back inside. As soon as she straightened her room and put some kava stew in the cook pot to simmer, she intended to explore the village.
Two hours after Talon left, Shadow entered the house next door to theirs. “Let’s see if I can discover just what it is about this house that triggered his shut-down.”
The elements had leached most of the color from the walls but enough remained in the upper corners to indicate the family enjoyed bright, vibrant colors. To the right of the front door was an empty closet with the door hanging precariously from a single hinge. The room to the left gave no indication of its original purpose. Dry leaves and faded scraps of cloth scuttled across the floor at the whim of the breeze through the broken windows.
Continuing down the hall, she passed two additional rooms, each as empty as the first. A massive tree occupi
ed the outside corner of what once was a kitchen. Obviously part of nature’s way to reclaim the land that once belonged to her. Hints of bright yellow suggested this room offered a warm, happy start to the family’s day.
Bits of broken crockery crunched beneath her feet when she turned to leave. The sound was over-loud in the quiet of the abandoned village. Glancing down to see what she was stepping on, Shadow spotted a small flash of something metallic. It didn’t take more than a firm tug to lift the edge of the damaged floor to reveal her first ‘treasure’. The tarnished, silver spoon was caught in the twisted roots of the tree. Something—possibly her walking across the floor?—scraped the tarnish away and allowed the brief sparkle that caught her eye.
Rubbing the spoon with the tail of her shirt brought out more detail to the small spoon. “I bet this was for a baby,” she whispered to no one but herself. Continued rubbing revealed an ornate, scrolling ‘D’ at the end of the handle.
“I wonder if Talon would know who lived here and if they had a baby.” With a huge grin she slipped the tiny spoon into her pocket. “Let’s see what other treasures we can find.”
The stairs just inside the front door looked sturdy but she wasn’t willing to risk a broken leg—or worse. Assuming the strongest part of the step would be against the wall, she carefully tested each tread before putting her full weight on it.
“Remember the definition of assume?” She whispered, taking nothing for granted as she slowly climbed. Each step creaked and groaned but accepted her weight. With both feet firmly on the upstairs landing, Shadow allowed herself a moment to relax before heading to the closer of the two doors.
This was a boy’s room based on the blue and brown paint traces. A small bed lay in pieces in one corner next to what looked like it was once a chest with drawers. What the hell? Someone took an axe to this furniture. Who would do something like this? Why?
Draagon! From everything she knew of the man and his army, it was the only answer. What he couldn’t take he destroyed so no one else could use it. “Talon’s gonna kick your sorry ass. Your days are numbered.”
Leaving her threat to be carried away on the breeze, she quickly finished with the room. There was nothing salvageable left to tell her about the child who once lived here.
Maybe the parent’s room would give her more insight.
Shadow grasped the door handle, expecting it to turn as easily as the other doors in the house. Forward momentum carried her into the door.
“Ouch!” She muttered rubbing her nose where it hit the door. “What the hell?” She examined the handle but found no locking mechanism. The frame wasn’t warped neither was the door itself. In fact, a closer examination of the door revealed it wasn’t wood at all, but some type of composite material. Her internal alarms were screaming. This wasn’t just another bedroom but without a key of some type she wasn’t getting in to check it out.
“Great.” She muttered to herself. “Something else to keep me unfocused on my assignment.”
Shaking her head she stomped back down the stairs and out the door. There were more houses still standing.
* * * *
Talon slowed his easy jog to a brisk walk. What a difference a night’s sleep made! He could see! Well, not completely, but definitely more than yesterday. He had to stop and touch the feathery fronds of a giant fern growing near the road. He remembered them from his youth. The blooms it would produce next spring would fill the air with a sweet, fruity fragrance. Back then he would never have noticed the delicate fronds. Twelve-year-old boys were more focused on themselves and the latest adventure to catch their imagination.
The sun on his face told him it was close to midday. He needed to reach the artesian well soon. The water came from deep underground and was cold enough to make your teeth ache. He figured he already covered five or six miles and the well was at the eight-mile mark going this direction on the road. He would turn around at the well and start back. All-in-all, considering his lack of physical activity the last two years, he felt remarkable. Breathing a little harder than normal and he knew for sure there would be entire muscle groups screaming at him for the abuse he was heaping on them today.
“I’ll cut my tongue out before I let Blue know how bad it is.” Thinking about Shadow triggered an avalanche of conflicting emotions. He was now totally committed to whatever she demanded of him. She gave him the gift of sight! He had to admit he missed the blue aura and the quick flashes of color when she lost her temper.
She kissed him because she called him an asshole. His brain knew it. His ‘lower brain’ wanted more—a lot more. He wanted to feel her silky skin against him. He wanted to kiss that birthmark on her ass….
“How do I know she has a birthmark?” He mumbled. “Because I felt the slight difference in her skin and she told me what it was! I’ve already kissed it! When did I kiss it? Dammit! Why can’t I remember?”
Thirst drove him to resume his jog. He may be able to see better but he still needed his mind on what he was doing or he could break an ankle on the overgrown trail. His subconscious could work on the problem of Shadow and her birthmark.
He was no closer to a solution when he reached the well and used his hand to scoop the water to his mouth. The icy chill flowed through his system. He felt every drop as it traveled down his throat into his stomach and beyond. Tomorrow he’d bring a water bag and take some back to Shadow. She deserved a special treat, too.
Since when is a cold drink of water a special treat. Whatever you’re thinking you need to rethink. Don’t let your dick convince you that gratitude is something more—something lasting.
The water bubbled up through the rocks into a deep pool before forming a small creek that disappeared into the forest and eventually into the sea. Did he ever explore the path of the creek? Follow it to the sea? He couldn’t remember. For so many years the only memories he allowed himself were of Draagon and bringing him to justice. The slaughter of everyone he held dear was tied to his nightmares. To open himself to remembering anything else was to invite unimaginable pain.
With a final drink, Talon wiped his hands on his pants and took off back the way he came. This late in the fall, the sun would set early. He grinned thinking about Shadow’s demand that he be back before dark. He’d make it—barely.
* * * *
After going through three more houses, Shadow headed back to the one she shared with Talon. Her scavenger hunt was more successful than she could have imagined. She now had several china plates and cups, two cooking vessels—once she cleaned the residue of dried on something, and two books written in a language she didn’t recognize. Maybe Talon could translate them for her. The one item she didn’t know what to do with was a dress. She’d never worn anything but rough, serviceable pants—preferably with multiple pockets for weapons and supplies, and cotton shirts that were equally as rugged as the pants. Why she brought the soft garment with her was a mystery.
If I wear it for Talon, would he even notice? Or care?
“Great stars and planets, woman! What do you care if that bum notices what you wear?”
Hurrying into her room, she shoved the dress into the bottom of the wooden chest at the end of her bed and covered it with her other treasures.
“Fix dinner and quit thinking about what you’ve never had and never will have.”
Chapter Twelve
“Haul your lazy butt up!” Shadow bellowed from the door. “The sun will be up soon and you need to eat.”
Talon rolled from his bed and choked back the groan rumbling through his chest. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to lay back down and don’t move. He knew he’d be a little sore this morning, but he didn’t expect this.
“You up?”
“I’m working on it!” Damn. The woman was relentless. What he wouldn’t give for an hour in one of Cypriana’s hot-spring-fed tubs. Forcing his stiff muscles to move, he struggled into his pants. Grabbing his shirt, he shuffled into the main room, praying to those elusive deities that
she didn’t notice.
“We need to work on close contact maneuvers this mo…,”
“Something wrong, Blue?” Talon drawled. Shadow’s gaze was locked on his chest and those faint, little flashes of color went straight to his groin. His new vision made the color harder to see but there was still enough tint to broadcast her interest. Let’s just see how interested you are.
Talon slowly ran his fingers through the hair on his chest, trailing down to his stomach where he lazily scratched his abs. She was so focused on what his hand was doing she never saw the grin spreading across his face. Those intriguing little flashes of red and pink were getting stronger every day.
“You were saying something about close contact?” He prompted. And just that fast, she was a solid blue again.
“Yeah,” she cleared her throat. “The change in your visual perception will take some getting used to before you go after Draagon.”
Talon slipped his shirt on and buttoned about half the buttons. His mother raised him to be a gentleman and she drilled into him to never sit down to eat in mixed company half-dressed. “Where did the dishes come from?”
Shadow spooned the reheated kava stew from last night onto each plate before sitting. “You gonna stand there all day or what?”
“A gentleman never sits before his lady.” He settled into his chair and picked up his spoon.
“I’ve never been called a lady so don’t waste your manners on me. About the dishes…while you were on your jog yesterday I explored some of the houses that aren’t too damaged. I found dishes and pots and some books but I don’t know the language. I’m hoping you can help me translate them.”
He couldn’t get over how animated she became just talking about the trash left behind by the Phantom Riders. She was almost child-like in her enjoyment. What kind of life did you have that a couple of chipped plates make you happy?
“We can look at them before we turn in for the night. I can’t promise I’ll know what they are. The library was extensive with volumes from dozens of galaxies.”
The Men of Anderas III: Talon, the Assassin Page 6