Disclaimer: (wow I haven't typed that in a while) I don't own the Black
Jewels Trilogy, blah blah blah, u get the picture.
A/N: I'm back! Between badminton and the stuff they've been pulling at karate, I've been busy like crazy but I am now working on my stories again (go me)! Thanx to all who reviewed!
* * * *
After dinner, which was an oppressively long affair, as it was the return of the Queen to her court, Shayna slipped away from her parents and friend to go for a run. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She needed the cold autumn air to clear her mind and body.
Her feet made almost no noise as she swept across the hilly terrain of Dea al Mon's largest forest. She came to a clearing and paused, catching her breath.
The trees nearby rustled.
Shayna frowned and probed the bushes. It was just a rabbit, a small rodent common to Dea al Mon's forest. Shayna shook her head at her own jumpiness, then turned back to continue her run, when she ran smack into a body standing in front of her.
The tall man grabbed her as she tried to back away. Shayna looked up and realized it was Daemonar. She threw off his hands and backed away, glaring at him.
"I HATE it when you do that," she snarled at him.
He just grinned at her, his white teeth flashing and dark wings unfurled making him look like something out of her worst nightmares.
Although, sometimes he was.
"Why did you follow me out here?"
"Why did you leave?"
"Just answer the question, Daemonar."
"You first."
"I asked first!"
"Point being?"
Her low growl of frustration made him laugh. "I just wanted to know where you were going. You've been avoiding me all afternoon, and through dinner too."
"As I recall it," Shayna replied with a bit of annoyance, "it was you who fell asleep on the couch in my sitting room when we got here."
"Yeah but you didn't talk to me all through dinner, and I was sitting next you the whole time," he countered, sounding a bit hurt.
She sighed. "Being back here just brings back memories, I guess."
"They don't seem to be good ones."
She laughed bitterly. "My real home is the Hall. It always has been."
"Why don't you like Karo?" he asked, already anticipating her reply.
"He's not the only reason I'm not happy about being back."
"That's not what I asked."
"You sound too much like your father lately, Daemonar."
He didn't reply.
"I thought I loved Karo, once. Then he turned on me and went for a 'better' witch. Maybe she was prettier. She certainly didn't have a darker Jewel than mine." She sounded thoroughly confused. Daemonar supposed that someone turning on her wasn't a common happening in Shayna's life. He paused. No, it certainly wasn't.
"Or maybe he was scared of you."
"Of me? How could I possibly hurt him?"
Daemonar thought it was obvious, but he didn't say that. "Shayna, look at your caste and rank. Look at your family and its position. Look at the Dark Court. I think that's plenty of reason to be frightened of you."
Shayna sniffed. "You're not scared of me."
"Right, and I'm also a son of the Dark Court."
"Good point."
Daemonar paused, then asked, "So are you ready to go back?"
"Do I have to?"
"Your mother wanted to see you. She sent me after you."
"So you actually had reason to follow me out here, huh?"
"Ummmm-"
The look in Shayna's eyes was plenty of reason to run. "Did I say that?" Daemonar laughed as Shayna chased after him.
"Daemonar!"
* * * *
Gabrielle paced her study, Chaosti watching her warily from a chair. She was waiting for her daughter to return. Daemonar had gone out looking for Shayna at her request more than an hour ago. Now, as she waited and anxiously strode back and forth across the room, she tried to figure out how exactly she was going to explain this matter to her daughter.
"What am I supposed to say?" she finally asked of Chaosti.
Chaosti, looking worried and very tired, scrubbed his hands over his face. "I honestly don't know, Gabrielle. We have to tell her. It's just a matter of, well, everything. You know our daughter. She'll take no heed of your words and probably go out searching for the danger herself."
Gabrielle looked momentarily shocked, but then nodded to herself. "It's exactly what I would do."
"My point has been made." Chaosti paused, then said, "I know someone who would watch over her for us."
"Daemonar," Gabrielle said as she looked at her husband.
Chaosti nodded.
"Well, when they come back, tell him that we have a job for him. I'll explain as best I can to Shayna."
Chaosti gave his wife a quick kiss, then muttered, "Good luck," and walked out of the room.
A/N: I'm back! Between badminton and the stuff they've been pulling at karate, I've been busy like crazy but I am now working on my stories again (go me)! Thanx to all who reviewed!
* * * *
After dinner, which was an oppressively long affair, as it was the return of the Queen to her court, Shayna slipped away from her parents and friend to go for a run. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She needed the cold autumn air to clear her mind and body.
Her feet made almost no noise as she swept across the hilly terrain of Dea al Mon's largest forest. She came to a clearing and paused, catching her breath.
The trees nearby rustled.
Shayna frowned and probed the bushes. It was just a rabbit, a small rodent common to Dea al Mon's forest. Shayna shook her head at her own jumpiness, then turned back to continue her run, when she ran smack into a body standing in front of her.
The tall man grabbed her as she tried to back away. Shayna looked up and realized it was Daemonar. She threw off his hands and backed away, glaring at him.
"I HATE it when you do that," she snarled at him.
He just grinned at her, his white teeth flashing and dark wings unfurled making him look like something out of her worst nightmares.
Although, sometimes he was.
"Why did you follow me out here?"
"Why did you leave?"
"Just answer the question, Daemonar."
"You first."
"I asked first!"
"Point being?"
Her low growl of frustration made him laugh. "I just wanted to know where you were going. You've been avoiding me all afternoon, and through dinner too."
"As I recall it," Shayna replied with a bit of annoyance, "it was you who fell asleep on the couch in my sitting room when we got here."
"Yeah but you didn't talk to me all through dinner, and I was sitting next you the whole time," he countered, sounding a bit hurt.
She sighed. "Being back here just brings back memories, I guess."
"They don't seem to be good ones."
She laughed bitterly. "My real home is the Hall. It always has been."
"Why don't you like Karo?" he asked, already anticipating her reply.
"He's not the only reason I'm not happy about being back."
"That's not what I asked."
"You sound too much like your father lately, Daemonar."
He didn't reply.
"I thought I loved Karo, once. Then he turned on me and went for a 'better' witch. Maybe she was prettier. She certainly didn't have a darker Jewel than mine." She sounded thoroughly confused. Daemonar supposed that someone turning on her wasn't a common happening in Shayna's life. He paused. No, it certainly wasn't.
"Or maybe he was scared of you."
"Of me? How could I possibly hurt him?"
Daemonar thought it was obvious, but he didn't say that. "Shayna, look at your caste and rank. Look at your family and its position. Look at the Dark Court. I think that's plenty of reason to be frightened of you."
Shayna sniffed. "You're not scared of me."
"Right, and I'm also a son of the Dark Court."
"Good point."
Daemonar paused, then asked, "So are you ready to go back?"
"Do I have to?"
"Your mother wanted to see you. She sent me after you."
"So you actually had reason to follow me out here, huh?"
"Ummmm-"
The look in Shayna's eyes was plenty of reason to run. "Did I say that?" Daemonar laughed as Shayna chased after him.
"Daemonar!"
* * * *
Gabrielle paced her study, Chaosti watching her warily from a chair. She was waiting for her daughter to return. Daemonar had gone out looking for Shayna at her request more than an hour ago. Now, as she waited and anxiously strode back and forth across the room, she tried to figure out how exactly she was going to explain this matter to her daughter.
"What am I supposed to say?" she finally asked of Chaosti.
Chaosti, looking worried and very tired, scrubbed his hands over his face. "I honestly don't know, Gabrielle. We have to tell her. It's just a matter of, well, everything. You know our daughter. She'll take no heed of your words and probably go out searching for the danger herself."
Gabrielle looked momentarily shocked, but then nodded to herself. "It's exactly what I would do."
"My point has been made." Chaosti paused, then said, "I know someone who would watch over her for us."
"Daemonar," Gabrielle said as she looked at her husband.
Chaosti nodded.
"Well, when they come back, tell him that we have a job for him. I'll explain as best I can to Shayna."
Chaosti gave his wife a quick kiss, then muttered, "Good luck," and walked out of the room.