Lions of Parnatha Ch. 02

I didn't hear the curtain to my room lift, nor the sound of footsteps as someone came across the floor, stopping a foot from my bed. "The garrison has arrived," a tired voice said. "The investigation will begin officially in the morning." It was Gaius.

I shifted around to look at him. He was wearing only a linen kilt and sandals; a wide bandage had been applied to his side. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his unruly hair was far more rebellious than usual. All in all, he looked very tired.

I rose slowly and came around the bed to stand in front of him, examining the bandage on his side. "Were you badly hurt?" I asked softly.

"It was nothing a doctor could not handle," he replied, raising one hand to touch my arm. He stopped himself, however, and let his arm fall back to his side. "I'm well on the mend."

I watched Gaius with apprehension. He had stopped himself from touching me, something that should have pleased me. In truth, however, I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to wrap me in his arms and tell me that he would protect me, that nothing would ever try to hurt me again. Instead, I asked, "Do you know who sent those men to attack you?"

Gaius shook his head. "I have enemies in the forum, and a few in the legion. Tonight's action was a bold, risky move, however. Whomever hired those men expected the job to be complete." His eyes glinting, Gaius growled, "When I find out who bought them, I'm going to have them publicly executed after exacting my own private revenge."

I shuddered reflexively and turned my head as scenes of the carnage sprang unbidden to my mind. "I just don't ever want to see them again..." I murmured, forcing back tears.

Gaius knit his brows in concern and gently placed his hands on my shoulders. "What are you talking about, Lithana?"

"Those men, they..." I suddenly erupted in emotion, tears spilling down my cheeks. "They tried to kill me! They wanted us dead! Why would anyone want to do that? And there was so much blood!"

Gaius drew me to him as I sobbed, holding me tightly against him despite the wound on his side. "I know, Lithana, I know. I don't know who is responsible...yet. But I will, and they will pay dearly." Taking my face in his hands, he forced me to look up at him. "I will not let anyone harm you. I promise you that." I nodded and he kissed my forehead, smiling. "You have my word."

I smiled slightly, and then I kissed him. It was a purely reflexive move, one I had not pondered or planned. My lips pressed fully against his, the tip of my tongue seeking his own, and I found myself running my hands up his chest and over his shoulders to link around his neck as my body leaned into his. I felt his hands on my sides and hips, his fingertips tasting the curve of my skin through my nightshift as they slid around to my back. His fingers wound into my hair, holding my head steady against his as he returned my kiss, and for a moment I felt a heat rise from my abdomen into my throat, filling me with a rapidly increasing, primal lust.

And then, just as quickly as it had escalated, it was gone. Gaius pulled away from me, his face stoic and his lips set. Only his bright blue eyes betrayed the heat of his lust for me, and his gaze devoured mine as he took a few steps backward from me.

"You should get some rest," he said in a soft, throaty voice, and I nodded slightly.

I watched him bow and then leave, perplexed and frustrated. My brows knit, I did as he had suggested, and crawled into bed to fall into a fitful sleep.