Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
At first Lucy thought it was someone huge dressed in a blue bodysuit but when the figure came out of the shadows, she recognized him.
“T’zaren?” she exclaimed as she looked up at the big Monstrum. “What are you doing here?”
He bowed his head stiffly.
“Forgive me. I know it isn’t proper for a male to pursue a female—at least not in my culture—but your friend, Iyanna told me it was allowed in yours. However, if you want me to go—”
“No—no, of course not!” Lucy exclaimed. Reaching for him, she grabbed him and pulled him into the shop.
“This is…a very strange place,” T’zaren remarked, looking around at the hanging crystals, the laughing skeleton, the cotton cobwebs everywhere, and the smoking cauldron.
“It’s just decorated for Halloween,” Lucy said. “Remember, I told you? It’s a holiday where everyone dresses up?”
“Yes, your friend Iyanna told me about it too,” he said. “In fact, she said this was one of the few times I could come to Earth and not startle any of the humans. I did notice they stared at me less than the few times I had come previously.”
Lucy smiled.
“Well, she was right about that. Er…” She cleared her throat. “I was just talking to her on the Think-me and she seems to think we’ve got some kind of…misunderstanding going on.”
“There can be no misunderstanding,” T’zaren said. He sank suddenly to his knees in front of her. “I have failed you and I am here to acknowledge it,” he rumbled. “I must beg your forgiveness.”
FIFTY-FOUR
T’ZAREN
“Forgiveness? For what?” Lucille sounded honestly confused and when he looked at her lovely face, T’zaren saw that her forehead was creased in apparent bewilderment.
“For failing you, of course,” T’zaren said. “For leaving you to fight the Twainer’s third form alone. Isn’t that why you broke the Unbreakable Vow we took together?”
“Okay, first of all, I didn’t know anything about any vow because you never told me. And second, you were out cold when I killed the snake,” Lucille said frowning. “Besides, I didn’t kill it all by myself.”
“You didn’t?” It was T’zaren’s turn to be confused. “Who helped you? One of the guards?”
She shook her head, her loose, blonde curls swishing over her shoulders.
“I don’t know. It was a presence…and a voice. A female voice. She told me to use the branding irons and said she’d give me strength.” She bit her lip. “I, uh, didn’t tell anyone else about it, because I thought they might think I was crazy,” she added in a low voice.
T’zaren looked at her in amazement.
“The Goddess! You spoke to the Kindred Goddess—the Mother of All Life,” he said hoarsely. “She was the one guiding you and giving you strength!”
“Well, I’m glad she did! I never could have beaten that awful giant snake thing without her help,” Lucille said frankly. “But for you to think I was angry at you because it put you out of commission is just silly! I was scared for you. I thought…thought it had killed you at first.”
A sob accompanied her words and tears filled her eyes.
“Sorry…” She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. “Didn’t mean to get so emotional. It’s just that talking about it brought it all back. I was so scared you were…were dead!”
Her fear for him and her tears moved something in T’zaren.
“My S’rentha,” he murmured. Rising from the floor where he had been kneeling, he took her in his arms.
Lucille melted against him and as her skin touched his, T’zaren felt his Sen Stripe flaring with heat and need.
“Gods, your touch sets me on fire,” he murmured, stroking her back and pulling her even closer. He had to lean over to cuddle her in this standing position and she was on her tiptoes trying to reach him. “Is there a place where we can sit and talk more?” he asked Lucille.
“Yes, of course.” She sniffed again. “Just let me lock the door and turn out the porch light first so no more trick-or-treaters come asking for candy.”
“So…on this holiday, people dress in strange costumes and come to your domicile to demand sweets?” T’zaren was still trying to wrap his head about the strange Earth custom.
“Well, this is a shop, not a domicile but yeah, that pretty much sums it up.” Lucille nodded.
“But it’s only acceptable this one time of year?” T’zaren asked, still trying to get it right. “You couldn’t go to different domiciles demanding sweets any other time of the year?”
“No.” Lucille laughed. “No, that wouldn’t fly at all. So don’t try it, okay?”
She led him past the strange decorations—one appeared to be a set of bones that gave out a chilling laugh whenever anyone got too close to it—and into a back room which turned out to be a bedchamber.
“There aren’t any chairs in here but we can sit on the bed,” Lucille said, motioning to the mattress. It wasn’t nearly as large as the one they had shared in the Twainer’s stronghold, but it was big enough to fit two comfortably, T’zaren thought. It had a red bedspread and several plump pillows. There was a lamp on the dresser in a corner casting a warm, golden glow over everything.