THE QUEEN’S MAN: By Lori Titus
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011The Marradith Ryder Series: The Art of Shadows, Part 51
“What’s this I hear about David Brennan?” Justin said.
Nora smiled. “Why don’t you come in? No use in fussing in the hallway.”
Justin walked into her suite and slammed the door behind him.
“The paperwork you submitted to me was false. You said that Brennan was a Wolf.”
“My mistake,” Nora said dryly. “Maybe someone should amend those forms. The boxes are awfully close, aren’t they?”
“I’d have never agreed to having Marradith placed with a male Lamia, and we both know why.”
Nora shrugged. “Well I know David. He’s a nice young man, and I’m sure that he’ll keep his hands to himself.”
“That’s not the point, and you know it!” Justin yelled. “There are connections between Lamia, and you did this on purpose.”
Nora crossed her arms over her chest. “Of course I know that. I’m sure it was part of Marradith’s training, to be taught about the psychic and mystical links that exist between her own kind.”
“She was taught about that,” Justin’s eyes narrowed. “But a lesson and dealing with it in real life are two different things.”
“Well you’ve never taken that into account with anything else, so why should you about this?”
“You’re meddling, Lenora,” he spat, his eyes glowing green. “I have tried to respect you. We have been getting along up until now, but don’t want to mess with me.”
“Are you that easilly rattled?” Nora fired back. “Do you think that given a choice- any other choice- Marradith wouldn’t be with you?”
“I trust my wife, implicitly,” he said. “I don’t trust this man that you sent her off with. ”
****
“So when was the last time you were in Lazarus?” David asked.
Marradith sat opposite of him. Their flight was going to be three hours, and he wanted to engage her in some conversation in the meantime.
Marradith shrugged. “I think about four years ago. I’m assuming you have done the whole family research thing?”
“Yes, but you can probably fill in the blanks for me.”
“Well, you know that we’ll be staying with my Uncle Jake.”
“Your Mom’s brother?”
“Yes. I have some cousins there as well… one of them is the town’s sheriff, Stephen Drake. His niece, Jennifer. And my Grandmother used to live in Lazarus, but she moved to Florida.”
“Nora’s mother?”
“Yes.”
“So, you’re comfortable with them all?”
“Yes, what do you mean?”
“Well, I mean, I hope that you know them all wel enough.”
“Of course,” Marradith snapped. “What are you getting at?”
“Nothing,” he replied, and looked out the window. White, frothy clouds drifted outside the plane.
“What about your friend Harley?” David asked after a time.
“She was my neighbor from a couple of doors down. I have known her since we were in kindergarten.”
“I see. She’ll be meeting us tommorow,” he said. “I want my lay of the land is all.”
“What do you mean by that?”
David smiled gently, seeing the distrust in her eyes. “My father used to say that you can read about slopes and flood areas, drought spots and land attrition. But there is nothing like going to a place and studying it. Knowing the feel of the land.”
“Let’s get something straight then. You’re my guard. It’s not your place to approve of the people I see, especially when it comes to my family. Have you got that? Because I don’t care who approved for you to be here, I don’t have a problem sending you back to the Compound. Understand?”
“Yes ma’am.”
________________________________
©2011 Lori Titus
Hailey’s Shadow is available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Haileys-Shadow-ebook/dp/B0058TTS6K/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313367516&sr=1-1
