Chapter 8

Whispers in the Wind

 

She was locking the door behind her when she felt the familiar sensation of him prickle then linger along her skin. She closed her eyes for a moment just to breathe in his faint scent, a cross between an earthy sandalwood and leather, so deeply masculine and wholly unique to him. He was close, close enough to smell, which meant soon he would be close enough to touch. It was tempting. Too tempting, really, because she couldn’t allow herself that luxury.

“What are you doing here?” she asked softly, not even daring to look behind her. To look at him, tonight when she felt so exhausted, could easily be her undoing, and she wasn’t quite ready for that.

He shrugged though she couldn’t see it. “I was wandering the city streets, seeing what mischief our lovely relations were wreaking tonight when I felt your presence, and your exhaustion, and decided to see how you were.”

He looked her over carefully, taking in the way she held herself, the soft sag of her shoulders. Her entire posture clearly said she was tired, yet when she spoke, her voice was even, unfaltering. He loved her for her strength of will and character. She was more than beauty, though she had that in spades. The grace in her step, the determination in her stride, all helped to make her the wonderful creature she was. And as much as she didn’t believe it, he did know her. He had kept himself to the sidelines and shadows in her life, but he had always been there. He even had to suffer through his sister, Jinx’s never-ending insufferable chatter while the two of them had grown up together.

He knew Devlyn was grateful to Jinx for being a few years younger, keeping Devlyn from being the youngest god, though he was aware that a small part of her was resentful to the fact that Jinx was a full-fledged god, needing only her twentieth birthday to claim her throne, rather than a mate and a ritual.

He had never told Jinx of his betrothal. She had found out the same night as Devlyn and had been rather peeved at him since. She had sided with Devlyn. If it hadn’t been for Jinx, he would never have understood Devlyn’s anger or her feelings. His makeup didn’t exactly account for compassion and empathy, so it was through Jinx that he had come to understand Devlyn’s emotions; it was also how and why he had never hesitated in allowing her the freedom on earth. They both owed Jinx quite a lot for her part.

“Bane, I’m not in the mood—” she started as she turned around.

“Do you know that you have all the gods calling me that now? Including my own kin? I hate to tell you this, but it has stuck with me,” he said with a smile.

She smiled at that, then caught herself and frowned. It felt easy and simple being in his presence now, and that she felt to be disconcerting. And then he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, lightly stroking her cheek as he did so, before she could even think to pull away from him.

“You are exhausting yourself with each day, aren’t you? The urge in power you receive from people and the earth is not enough to sustain you, is it?” he asked softly.

She gave him the barest of nods.

She felt his breath on the back of her neck, his fingers softly resting on her shoulders. She stiffened automatically, and he felt it. She heard him sigh, a true sigh, not overly dramatic or feigned for her ears. She was wearing him down.

“Why do you always have to make everything so damn hard?” he whispered softly.

She turned around to defend herself, but he was gone. She couldn’t even trace his scent in the air. He had vanished.

 

A similar scene occurred a few nights later as she was locking up the café to head over to the club. She was tired, not nearly spry as normal. If she had been human, she would have said she had a cold. As it was, she just wasn’t feeling herself, up to snuff. She was tired of being tired.

He was waiting when she walked out the back door. He startled her at first, a tall dark man just lurking in the alley. “What are you doing here?” she asked, then turned around to lock the door behind her. She knew already that whatever he had up his sleeve, she was giving into tonight. He fight and resistance were out of her, at least for the night. Let him have it, she supposed with a silent but weary sigh.

“I felt your weakened state, and wanted to offer you an escort home tonight,” he said as he gave her his arm.

She stepped forward hesitantly, eyeing him as she walked down the few steps. She really didn’t know what he was hiding, and she hated that. Normally she could read people, even other gods if she looked right. But he was always a blank to her, always wearing some kind of mien. “I think I could defend myself from some thus and muggers, even in this state.”

He gave a stern tilt of the head, but it didn’t last long, only until it was wiped clean by an almost boyish smile. “Yes, but you would never forgive yourself if you killed one by accident, while you were unable to contain your strength. Besides, there are creatures and being all over who do not support your presence here for one reason or another, and they’d like nothing more than to assassinate you. Or else beat you into submission, which really isn’t a bad idea, come to think of it.” He gave her a wink as he reached out and placed her arm in his.

 She followed him more out of curiosity than anything else. She strolled with him, half expecting him to turn into Cary Grand and burst into song and dance through the street, he was just so damn charming. “So why would something or someone mind me being here? This is my domain.”

He nodded. “Yes, earth itself, and its inhabitants of people, animals, and such follow your harmony, but you do not control such elements as free will for humans. And in the same way, you do not control the transport of other celestial or supernatural beings that pass through this planet. So, basically, you can’t control who’s here, and while you are here, for many of them, their power has weakened. It is why we have worked so hard to instill your protection.

“Also, Devlyn, there are consequences to your actions, both good and bad. You haven’t been made to accept that responsibility yet, damn the fool responsible for that—”

“Don’t you dare speak ill of my father!” she yelled, yanking her arm from his grasp.

He took a closing step between them and grabbed her arm back. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t talking about your bloody father,” he said with a sneer. “And I pity you the day you seek the havoc you have wrought, little girl.”

“Why is it always my fault for defending myself?”

He gave her a disgusted look. “You would have made a terrible queen, as you would have no regard for your own people. As it is, it’s worse because you are a goddess, and possess even more than a simple kingdom of subjects.”

Tears filled her eyes. He had just dealt her the cruelest of insults. He had insulted her ruling, her power…her entire godship. It stung and she wanted to lash out. She wanted to hurt the b*****d.

He held her back as he held up his hand. “Now, before you unleash your talons, let me say it was not my intention to fight with you tonight. I simply want to escort you home. That is all.”

They walked, with her arm looped in his, but it was a gesture for purely visual purposes. He was claiming her as his, at least for the night, and he was large and broody enough toward off any attacker, and could shift the night and shadows well enough to play to keep them hidden. Unlike her, he was used to being on the prowl, in more ways than one.

They were quiet. It seemed there wasn’t a subject they could broach that wouldn’t provoke the other with, and Bane felt it was best to say nothing rather than make matters worse with bad conversation.

They were at her door step when he lightly combed the hair back from her face. “It was not my intention to upset you tonight, Aria. I’m sorry. For some reason our tongues seem convinced in lashing one another.” To her small sarcastic chuckle, his face lightened a bit, and he added, “Well, perhaps because we can’t seem to keep them otherwise pleasurably occupied.”

She looked up at him, her vulnerability leaking through to show her tiredness that she mistook for weakness. He looked down to her, and wanted to wrap his arms around her. She would be his wife… the thought still amused him sometimes. This would be the woman who would have his children. Once, when the contract was first proposed, the thought was chilling. He had balked even. But now, with her before him, tired yet strong, he knew that no one else would ever sate him.

She shook her head at him. “I can’t do this tonight, Bane. I don’t know why today is any different from any other day, but it is. Can I give you a rain check?” she asked tiredly.

“Of course, my dear. Your feisty temper is half the foreplay,” he said with a smile, then lightly kissed her cheek, his breath lingering on her neck. “Goodnight, dear Aria.” She watched him, as he turned and faded into the dark night, blending into the shadows until he was no longer seen or felt.

She let out a sigh, tired and somehow a bit disappointed that he had left it as he did, a slight kiss and a goodnight. But she best not think too hard about that.