Thicker than Blood - Book One (Watty Awards 2012)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Heya Readers,

As you can see I decided to enter in the Watty Awards of this year. In part also to show you that I truly intend to finish the story! :)

Please vote, I'll greatly appreciate it!

With love,

Robin

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Nathaniel didn't come to bed with me that night, instead he said he had to work to get some things arranged for our departure. That however didn't mean he didn't come with me to tuck me into bed and sing me his lullaby till I fell asleep.

Nor did it mean that he didn't take the time to make love to me even before that, he really did mean it when he'd said he planned on sex every day. I wasn't really complaining about that either of course.

He held me cradled in his arms while he sang until I fell asleep but the knowledge that he had to leave as soon as I'd dozed off didn't help. I just knew I wouldn't be dreaming nice things that night.

When I woke up the next morning Nathaniel still wasn't there but as I started to get up to get dressed he just came into the room. 'Already up a ghrá mo chroí?' he asked as he tugged me into the circle of his arms.

'Forgive me for leaving you alone all night... There's more to arrange than expected, did you sleep alright?'

He brushed his hands over my back and then pressed his lips against my temple while I just enjoyed the closeness for a moment. 'I was right about expecting dreams...' I told him honestly as  I remembered the night's images.

'I kept remembering good days with my mom and then every time the image of her upset and broken after that Demon visited spoiled the memory...'

Nathaniel didn't say anything as he rubbed circles with his fingers on my scalp with one hand and on my back with the other. Enclosing me with warmth and something intrinsically male that I loved very much. It chased away the dreams with an ease I didn't expect.

After a quick shower and a hurried breakfast I made my way to the SUV parked in front of the house. Kissing Nathaniel goodbye just a little worried. That feeling from yesterday, the one spelling out doom had only increased and I think everyone was feeling it.

Pretty soon things would come to a conclusion, an ending and I wasn't sure any of us was going to like the result. Was it going to be an all-out fight against Thornten's forces? Was he going to risk it? So far all we'd received from him was that warning through Deidre and the abduction of Mattis, the missing guard and the death of Chimali.

Nathaniel had let slip that this was all rather mild considering the stakes so far. The fact that Mattis' body hadn't turned up yet in some gruesome way meant he was most likely still alive and possibly being tortured just because they could.

I knew that made Nathaniel sad even though he tried to hide it, all his time as a Regis hadn't hardened his heart and shielded him from the cruelty of his world. I knew that and admired his strength as he survived and ruled his life and this country.

There was a Witch driving us to school today and I wondered where Jaden was for a moment. I didn't mind if he wasn't there but it surprised me that Nathaniel would trust a Witch who clearly wasn't a Taoiseach with my life.

The witch was called Gareth and he'd been the one to find Chimali's head, I remembered seeing him. He was kind but very lean and sinewy, his frame a little too skinny to be called attractive but it radiated power nonetheless. I had the feeling that the magic that ran through his blood and gave him his skills and talents, spells, was causing him to look so skinny. It didn't sit right with me.