true.
Chapter Nine
Outside
in the hallway, Amon heard Gethen return.
“Miss?”
Gethen called through the closed bedroom door across the hall.
Greeted
by silence, Gethen repeated his question only louder. Behind him a door opened,
and he turned to face Amon standing in the doorway.
“Gethen,
what are you doing?” he snapped.
Stunned
by Amon’s tone, he quickly answered, “I was trying to give Thea her new
clothes.”
Amon
knew he shouldn’t be uncomfortable with his former servant’s actions. No matter
what Gethen was, he’d always been loyal and more a friend than an employee.
“I’m
sorry. It must be the pain I’m in,” Amon lied.
The
two men stood awkwardly looking first at one another and then the hallway
floor. After a few moments of tense silence, Amon was thankful Gethen began to
speak again.
“Where
is Markku?”
“I
sent him on an errand for me. Here, let me take those clothes.”
As
Amon took the pile of clothes out of his arms, he was sure the other man saw
the apprehension in his face. Eager to escape the situation his jealously had
created, he moved toward Thea’s door.
A
feeling of guilt came over him and he turned to Gethen. “Thank you for doing
this for me, Gethen. I can always count on you.”
The
man smiled, but Amon sensed his outburst had offended his friend and another
rush of guilt passed through him. He knew full well there had been no one as
true to him in his many lifetimes and treating him like a second class citizen
who hadn’t earned his trust time and again was insulting.
But
Amon found himself jealous, nonetheless, something he hadn’t felt in lifetimes.
As
he gently tapped on the door to Thea’s room, he anxiously waited to see her
after what he’d seen in her mind earlier. He hoped against hope that Markku
would return with the answer he wanted that would vindicate the feelings he’d
begun to have for her.
“Thea?”
Behind
him, Gethen whispered, “Maybe she’s worn out from healing you. You did say it
took a toll on her.”
Amon
didn’t respond to the comment and knocked again, this time harder.
“Thea?”
Turning
the antique doorknob, he opened the door just a crack and peered in. It only
took a quick sweep of the room to see no one was there. He thrust open the door
and let it bang off the wall. In a few strides he crossed the room, but it was
no use.
She
was gone.
Fearfully,
Gethen stood in the doorway, while Amon fought to control his emotions. Not
fully healed, he immediately felt exhausted from the anger and betrayal that
raced through him. When he finally turned to face Gethen, he knew his eyes had
changed to near black he was so angry.
“I
want her found. Now!” he barked.
“I’ll
need Markku’s help. I don’t know where he found her, Amon,” Gethen said
plaintively.
“Then
get him back here,” Amon growled.
Gethen
disappeared to contact Markku, and Amon sat down on Thea’s bed. That’s how he
thought of it. Thea’s. He looked down at the clothing in his lap. Thea’s clothes.
How
did I get so attached in such a short time?
Ten
minutes later, Gethen roused him from daydreaming about Thea to announce
Markku’s arrival. His strength returned, Amon bounded past him into the hall,
stopping dead as he collided with Markku.
“Come
with me,” he ordered and yanked the man by the arm into his room, slamming the
door behind them.
Markku
stood nervously with his back pinned to the door as Amon paced back and forth
in front of the bed.
“What
did you find out?” Amon seethed.
Markku
breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, yeah. I had my man check into your lady.
She’s gone.”
Amon
stopped next to the bedpost and steadied himself against it. “Gone?” His voice
was barely more than a whisper.
“Yeah,
something she did for a child—you know, a selfless act, and poof! She’s moved
on.”
Amon
stared at a point on the far wall and exhaled heavily. “When?”
“While
you were in....the
Chapter Nine
Outside
in the hallway, Amon heard Gethen return.
“Miss?”
Gethen called through the closed bedroom door across the hall.
Greeted
by silence, Gethen repeated his question only louder. Behind him a door opened,
and he turned to face Amon standing in the doorway.
“Gethen,
what are you doing?” he snapped.
Stunned
by Amon’s tone, he quickly answered, “I was trying to give Thea her new
clothes.”
Amon
knew he shouldn’t be uncomfortable with his former servant’s actions. No matter
what Gethen was, he’d always been loyal and more a friend than an employee.
“I’m
sorry. It must be the pain I’m in,” Amon lied.
The
two men stood awkwardly looking first at one another and then the hallway
floor. After a few moments of tense silence, Amon was thankful Gethen began to
speak again.
“Where
is Markku?”
“I
sent him on an errand for me. Here, let me take those clothes.”
As
Amon took the pile of clothes out of his arms, he was sure the other man saw
the apprehension in his face. Eager to escape the situation his jealously had
created, he moved toward Thea’s door.
A
feeling of guilt came over him and he turned to Gethen. “Thank you for doing
this for me, Gethen. I can always count on you.”
The
man smiled, but Amon sensed his outburst had offended his friend and another
rush of guilt passed through him. He knew full well there had been no one as
true to him in his many lifetimes and treating him like a second class citizen
who hadn’t earned his trust time and again was insulting.
But
Amon found himself jealous, nonetheless, something he hadn’t felt in lifetimes.
As
he gently tapped on the door to Thea’s room, he anxiously waited to see her
after what he’d seen in her mind earlier. He hoped against hope that Markku
would return with the answer he wanted that would vindicate the feelings he’d
begun to have for her.
“Thea?”
Behind
him, Gethen whispered, “Maybe she’s worn out from healing you. You did say it
took a toll on her.”
Amon
didn’t respond to the comment and knocked again, this time harder.
“Thea?”
Turning
the antique doorknob, he opened the door just a crack and peered in. It only
took a quick sweep of the room to see no one was there. He thrust open the door
and let it bang off the wall. In a few strides he crossed the room, but it was
no use.
She
was gone.
Fearfully,
Gethen stood in the doorway, while Amon fought to control his emotions. Not
fully healed, he immediately felt exhausted from the anger and betrayal that
raced through him. When he finally turned to face Gethen, he knew his eyes had
changed to near black he was so angry.
“I
want her found. Now!” he barked.
“I’ll
need Markku’s help. I don’t know where he found her, Amon,” Gethen said
plaintively.
“Then
get him back here,” Amon growled.
Gethen
disappeared to contact Markku, and Amon sat down on Thea’s bed. That’s how he
thought of it. Thea’s. He looked down at the clothing in his lap. Thea’s clothes.
How
did I get so attached in such a short time?
Ten
minutes later, Gethen roused him from daydreaming about Thea to announce
Markku’s arrival. His strength returned, Amon bounded past him into the hall,
stopping dead as he collided with Markku.
“Come
with me,” he ordered and yanked the man by the arm into his room, slamming the
door behind them.
Markku
stood nervously with his back pinned to the door as Amon paced back and forth
in front of the bed.
“What
did you find out?” Amon seethed.
Markku
breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, yeah. I had my man check into your lady.
She’s gone.”
Amon
stopped next to the bedpost and steadied himself against it. “Gone?” His voice
was barely more than a whisper.
“Yeah,
something she did for a child—you know, a selfless act, and poof! She’s moved
on.”
Amon
stared at a point on the far wall and exhaled heavily. “When?”
“While
you were in....the
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