discovering each new facet of you over time, but one thing you need to understand right now is that I can protect you. I’ve trained as hard as any of your Guard. And I’ve sought teaching from places your Guard would never think to go. I wasn’t kidding about meeting Sam at the snowcat enclave. I spent a lot of time in Tibet, working with the mystics there—both shifter and human. The human monks helped with my gift. The snowcats taught me…well…a lot of other useful things. Things that have prepared me for this task. For our lives together, Ria.” He was so serious, she nearly stopped moving, but he made sure to talk so quietly that it felt like they were alone in the crowd and only she could hear him.
“You’ve spent a lot of time preparing, it sounds like,” she commented.
“Preparing for this, Ria. For you. For us,” he agreed. “When push comes to shove—and it will sooner than we want—you need to know you can count on me. Don’t count me out just because I’m human. You’ve only seen a small portion of what I can do.”
She smiled as he did. That last bit could be taken many ways and she chose to lighten the mood. They had been serious too long. This was a party, after all.
“Sounds intriguing.” She gave him a mischievous smile and batted her eyes. He allowed the change in the tenor of their conversation as the music picked up and they parted.
Edvard claimed her as dance partner while Jake ended up dancing with Jacki Kinkaid. Everyone looked like they were having a good time and laughter abounded. This was one of the nicest surprises anyone had ever given her and Ria would treasure it—and these generous people—always.
A few hours later, when the dark moon was making its trek toward zenith, Jake sat near Ria on a small deck near the very top of the massive ship, watching her make her preparations for the ceremony during which she would commune with the other side. She had pulled him aside about fifteen minutes before, drawing him away from the party, which was still going on somewhere below them, though from the sound of it, things were beginning to wind down as the night deepened.
“It won’t be long now,” Ria said, straightening the cloth in front of her. “I can feel the moon shifting into position.”
Ria was sitting under the dark of the moon, on the deck, her legs folded gracefully under her in an almost meditative position. To her right was a chilled bottle of water. To her left was a snowy white cloth napkin. In front of her was an ornamental bowl with water in it that reflected the moonlight.
Since the yacht was underway, the bowl wasn’t exactly full. The water sloshed a little when they encountered a rough patch of ocean, but the sea was mostly calm, thankfully.
“I don’t really need any of this,” Ria said softly, so that only Jake could hear. “It’s all for show, really, but having some kind of ceremony seems to comfort people. It makes it more special for them, I think.” She uncapped the bottle of water and took a sip before placing it back at her side. “They’ll be arriving shortly.”
“Remember sweetheart, you are going to seek your own answers first this time,” he reminded her. He saw the fear in her eyes. Heard it in her nervous chatter.
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I left a little early. I’ll do it, but…” She reached out to him, taking his hand in hers. “Just stay with me, okay.”
“I’m with you.” He replied in a steady, low voice. “I won’t leave you.”
She reached for the chain around her neck, pulling it from under her shirt. Hanging from the chain was a small, diamond-shaped pendant that gleamed dully in the darkness.
“This is what all the fuss is about. And you are the first human in centuries to even see this amulet. I wanted you to know, so you would understand what we are guarding. If this falls into the wrong hands, it’s conceivable that it could be used to breach the veil between worlds, though I
“You’ve spent a lot of time preparing, it sounds like,” she commented.
“Preparing for this, Ria. For you. For us,” he agreed. “When push comes to shove—and it will sooner than we want—you need to know you can count on me. Don’t count me out just because I’m human. You’ve only seen a small portion of what I can do.”
She smiled as he did. That last bit could be taken many ways and she chose to lighten the mood. They had been serious too long. This was a party, after all.
“Sounds intriguing.” She gave him a mischievous smile and batted her eyes. He allowed the change in the tenor of their conversation as the music picked up and they parted.
Edvard claimed her as dance partner while Jake ended up dancing with Jacki Kinkaid. Everyone looked like they were having a good time and laughter abounded. This was one of the nicest surprises anyone had ever given her and Ria would treasure it—and these generous people—always.
A few hours later, when the dark moon was making its trek toward zenith, Jake sat near Ria on a small deck near the very top of the massive ship, watching her make her preparations for the ceremony during which she would commune with the other side. She had pulled him aside about fifteen minutes before, drawing him away from the party, which was still going on somewhere below them, though from the sound of it, things were beginning to wind down as the night deepened.
“It won’t be long now,” Ria said, straightening the cloth in front of her. “I can feel the moon shifting into position.”
Ria was sitting under the dark of the moon, on the deck, her legs folded gracefully under her in an almost meditative position. To her right was a chilled bottle of water. To her left was a snowy white cloth napkin. In front of her was an ornamental bowl with water in it that reflected the moonlight.
Since the yacht was underway, the bowl wasn’t exactly full. The water sloshed a little when they encountered a rough patch of ocean, but the sea was mostly calm, thankfully.
“I don’t really need any of this,” Ria said softly, so that only Jake could hear. “It’s all for show, really, but having some kind of ceremony seems to comfort people. It makes it more special for them, I think.” She uncapped the bottle of water and took a sip before placing it back at her side. “They’ll be arriving shortly.”
“Remember sweetheart, you are going to seek your own answers first this time,” he reminded her. He saw the fear in her eyes. Heard it in her nervous chatter.
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I left a little early. I’ll do it, but…” She reached out to him, taking his hand in hers. “Just stay with me, okay.”
“I’m with you.” He replied in a steady, low voice. “I won’t leave you.”
She reached for the chain around her neck, pulling it from under her shirt. Hanging from the chain was a small, diamond-shaped pendant that gleamed dully in the darkness.
“This is what all the fuss is about. And you are the first human in centuries to even see this amulet. I wanted you to know, so you would understand what we are guarding. If this falls into the wrong hands, it’s conceivable that it could be used to breach the veil between worlds, though I
Similar Books
