chapter three
A Stranger in the Midst
I woke up before everyone else and went into the kitchen. I started the coffee pot and gathered the ingredients for my famous French toast. After throwing the third one on the skillet, Seki came padding in without a shirt on. He looked like he’d been up for hours. I always was jealous of him being able to get up easily in the morning.
“How long have you been up?” He asked, smiling.
“Only twenty minutes or so.” He picked up a piece of bread and dipped it into the mix, helping out.
“Is this your famous French toast?” I smiled up at him.
“Of course. I didn’t wake you did I?” I looked at his beautiful icy blue eyes and remembered how my heart jumped every time I saw them.
“Nope, just the smell of your famous French toast.” He grinned down at me and handed me the next piece. When we finished making breakfast, we woke everyone up and ate. Once everything was cleaned and put away, I went into my room to shower. Seki had followed me into my room. I gathered the things I needed for the shower then turned to him.
“Are you going to take a shower with me since you have to watch me?” I teased him only causing him to blush again.
“I was told to watch you not gawk. I’ll wait out here but don’t be long.” I grinned at him then turned to the bathroom. I loved watching him squirm in embarrassment. I turned on the shower then got undressed. I could feel from Seki his embarrassment. I could tell by our connection that he was dwelling on it. I got into the shower and halfway through it I felt another energy enter the room.
“Seki? Is that you?” When no one replied I turned off the shower and moved the curtain, looking around. There was nothing there. I grabbed a towel, wrapped it around me and stepped out of the shower. The energy was still there but it was nothing I could see. “Who are you?” The power reached out, touching my wards. The power was testing me and I let it. I wasn’t sure if it was hostile yet so I didn’t act out against it.
That was the wrong thing to do because in one sudden, violent lash it smacked against my wards. I managed to call out before I was rendered defenseless. I fell to the floor aware of what was going on around me but not able to move. I lay there on the floor with only a towel wrapped around me.
There was a banging on the door that created a pounding in my head. Seki was trying to get in but something was holding him back. I could feel Doyle’s aura enter and aid Seki’s. Whatever was in here was stronger than the both of them.
An invisible hand moved up my leg coming dangerously close to my inner thigh. It pressed painfully into my thigh. Another hand touched fingertips to my stomach lightly. I pushed out as much energy as I could to help Seki and Doyle but the power was keeping them away. I refused to let the invisible hand go any higher. I dropped all of my wards, all of my glamour and diverted all that extra energy into Seki and Doyle.
Finally the door came flying open and the hand left my thigh. The power was pulling back from the room. Doyle rushed into the room concentrating on the mirror, trying to find where the foreign power came from as Seki came to my side and picked me up.
“Doyle there’s something here!” Seki shouted to Doyle and looked around. He stood up with me in his arms. I could see our reflection in the mirror, but we were alone. It was just Seki, Doyle and I. Maybe there was something that Doyle could see that I couldn’t. Just as I had given up on locating something in the mirror I caught a reflection of an outline. I could only make out that it was male by the time Seki started moving my head to look at him.
“Ori! Ori! Wake up, please!” There was an emotion I had never seen in him before. He was terrified, but not at the foreign power. He was frightened for me. “Oh, Goddess, Ori wake up please.”
“Take her out, I will deal with this.” Seki carried me to the living room and put me on the couch. He waved a hand over my eyes then frowned. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t talk to him. I couldn’t even project my thoughts to him because I had given all of my energy to get me out of the bathroom.
“She sees but she cannot move.”
“What is going on?” Mother moved to where I could see her. In a sudden rush of drainage the foreign power ripped away from my body. I gasped and found that I was able to move again, but slowly. I had been drained not only by the power but also by myself giving the men my powers. I felt extreme coldness, as if it had sucked away all of my heat.
“Oh…wow.” I moved my arms to cover each other. “I’m cold.” I shivered violently not able to stop. Seki put a blanket over me as Doyle entered the room and looked straight at me.
“What went on in there before we arrived?” The look in Doyle’s eyes was almost animal. He was furious about something.
I tried to keep a blank face but I was sure I looked as terrified as I felt. “I was taking a shower…I…I felt an energy. It didn’t feel right…I thought it was Seki but I got out and no one was there. The energy condensed and smashed into me.” I could barely speak over the shivers. Seki squeezed my hand encouraging me to go on. “Something touched me…a hand…but not a hand.” Mother frowned at me.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean nothing was there but there was something touching me, hard.” Seki looked at the floor then back to my eyes.
“Where?” It looked like he almost dreaded to ask. It was my turn to look down.
“My thigh. It moved up my leg, but it only got to the middle of my thigh. Another hand on my stomach but only fingertips.” Seki let out a breath that he had been holding in and I knew that he was trying to be discrete about it but it was audible. I squeezed his hand this time.
I’m fine Seki. Granted that was only a half-truth, but I didn’t want to worry him. I repeated that thought not sure if he had heard it.
Just the thought…of another man touching you... I will kill whoever did this. I blinked up at him but he just looked away. There was a slight red coloring to his cheeks. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or embarrassed.
I’m fine Seki. We don’t even know if it was a man. But why would a woman have touched my inner thigh? Why would a man for that matter? What could they possibly want? The touch had been too intimate for my tastes. The next time I would not be so trusting of foreign energies.
Mother and Doyle had been talking but I hadn’t heard any of it. Apparently, though I had been involved, I was not part of the conversation. Actually I didn’t mind. I just wanted to curl up in my bed and sleep some more while Seki held me.
Seki picked me up again and headed to my bedroom but was stopped by Doyle.
“Where are you taking her?” Seki tensed. Whatever had been said between them must have been really bad judging by the way they reacted to each other.
“She’s tired. I’m taking her to bed.” Mother sat down on the couch while Doyle and Seki had their Mexican standoff with me in his arms.
“Hey if you guys are going to fight, put me down first.” I had said it to try to break the tension but it hadn’t worked.
“Let them go Doyle.” Mother’s voice was tired. She had obviously had enough of their bickering, also. Doyle’s jaw clenched and he moved to the side so that we could pass. Seki continued down the hall and to my room.
I could have walked you know. Seki grinned at me.
But then I wouldn’t have a reason to hold you.
You’ll never need a reason. He closed the bedroom door behind him with a nudge of his elbow then he sat me down on the edge of the bed and kneeled in front of me.
You never answered me before. His eyes stared into mine with such sincerity. Why did you leave me?
I didn’t leave you... I left court. Believe me, if I could have taken you with me I would have. I had my reasons, reasons I cannot share with anyone not even my best friend. He looked down, hiding an emotion he didn’t really want me to see. I moved a piece of his long black hair that had fallen out of it’s clasp and touched his face making him look at me.
“I’m sorry.” I said aloud then leaned down and kissed the corner of his mouth. I moved back and smiled at him. “Now, hold me while I go back to sleep.” I moved up the bed lying on one side and he followed suit. He curled up against me, his stomach pressed against my back, his arms wrapped around my body. I felt like I’d gone home and found him waiting for me. If we couldn’t be lovers we would be the best of friends, soul mates, forever.
“Actually, Seki can you braid my hair for me?” He scoffed playfully and we both sat up. As he braided my hair I started to think.
“Can I ask you a personal question Seki?” I asked almost hesitatingly.
“What could there possibly be that you don’t all ready know about me?” The laughter in his voice showed that he had no idea how little I knew about him.
“Why haven’t you courted any women?” He paused, thinking I guessed.
“I’m waiting.” I frowned and turned my head as far as I could toward him. He smacked my head lightly. “Don’t move.”
“What do you mean?” I wanted to know more about why he was waiting and I was hoping that he would tell me.
“I’m waiting for a sign from the perfect love.” He paused again, somehow I knew the he was grinning. “When I was a child I had a vision from the Goddess. She told me to keep my eyes open in the future for a sign from the love that will change my life. So I’m waiting.”
“Are you telling the truth?” I turned to see him nod. “Do you have any clue what this sign will be?” I caught a smile out of the corner of my eye.
“Yes.” I was intrigued. I moved so I could see him better and stared into his ice blue eyes.
“What is it?” He smiled mischievously.
“I can’t tell.” My jaw dropped in disbelief. He wasn’t going to tell me and he was using my own silence against me.
“Then how do you know you’ll see it?”
“Because.” It was all he said. I slapped him lightly, playing and he tugged my hair fighting back. Before we knew it we were standing on the bed chucking pillows at each other and laughing like children. He managed to end up the only one with a pillow in his hands so I pressed up against his chest, wrapping my arms around him, hoping that he’d only hit himself.
“Alright. I give up.” He said with a sigh then tossed the pillow over the side of the bed and we slid down to our knees on the bed. I looked up at him and smiled.
“Just like old times. Only back at the court I could kick your ass.” I grinned at him as I spoke. He laughed a loud genuine laugh.
“Not even in your dreams.” His eyes sparkled with laughter.
“How do you know what I dream? Besides it’s true and you know it.” His smile slowly faded and his expression went to concern. He traced his fingers along my jaw line and my cheek. His change of mood was strange and almost out of place.
“I was so scared.” His voice slid over the silence totally annihilating it, changing the mood. “When you left court, I felt like a piece of my heart had been ripped out. I’d lost my best friend. Then, while you were showering and while you were telling us what had happened. All I could think about was keeping you safe and I’d felt like I’d failed.” I just looked up at him unable to find words to reply to what he said. He kissed my forehead lightly then clutched me tightly in his arms. I closed my eyes as he gave a shaky sigh.
“You could never fail me. My soul mate, forever.” I whispered the words knowing he would hear me. We laid down facing each other, holding each other, knowing we were safe in each other’s arms. I would protect him with all of my life and I knew he would do the same for me. No matter what woman he married, he would always protect me.
Copyrights: This is a fan fiction. All original characters from Laurell K. Hamilton's Fae series are hers and hers alone (too many to count sorry) this includes the Anita Blake series. All characters that weren't in her original series are MINE and I will kick any one's ass that steals them.