Read Online Arryn: Mystic Protectors Series by Kathi S. Barton - Free Book Online Page B

this or there was someone there, in the underworld, who was doing this to him. The only way that someone could harm him this way was with his blood. And only a few people, three that he could remember, would have had any of his blood. He had no illusions about the Sharp woman being smart enough to do something like this; Lord Damon, again a person he had no faith in being intelligent enough to think of harming him; and the king himself was too busy getting fat and laying by the fire to do much more than come out once a month for inspections.
    Damon might have made the effort if he’d had any idea what Jonas had been doing these last centuries. Markum had some of his blood as well, now that he thought on it. But he knew that the minion would be in too much pain daily to make the effort to torture him. Not that there was a reason for him to think he should try, at least as far as Markum knew about. There just had to be another reason why he was burning like this. There was no way that it could have been just from going above to the other realm. Markum had been able to do it almost daily without this sort of consequences. Then there was the other king…Boss, they called him.
    Jonas had been newly turned to minion at that time. Boss had seen him. Jonas had been wandering around the other world trying his hand at recruiting. It had been so long ago that he doubted that He would remember him at all. And back then, Jonas had been nothing more than a speck in His world. But trick him He had, a trick that Jonas now used himself.
    “I should like a small sample of your fiber.” Jonas had asked Him what that was. “Oh, nothing that you would miss. A spot of your blood. A sliver of your skin. Nothing much. I’m thinking of keeping a log of all the creatures in both worlds. You would be the first that I collect, should you want.”
    “And what will this give me?” Even then Jonas had been greedy, something he was still cultivating and working on now. “Will I have my name there, as the first of your collection?”
    “Yes. I shall put your name at the top of my list.” Jonas had put out his hand then jerked it back. “You wish to say no? Oh well, it’s fine if you’re afraid for me to do this. I will find another that will—”
    “I never said I was afraid.” The man nodded and smiled, as if He knew that Jonas was actually terrified of what He wanted. “I only want to make sure that you spell my name correctly. I may change it someday, but you will have my real name. The only one that will besides Lord Damon.”
    Jonas sat down again and though of the blood he’d given the man. And his name. His real name, a name that he could be summoned with. He looked around his suite and thought of it now, and hoped that the man who had it would never remember that He knew something that even Lord Damon never got. It would be his downfall should anyone find out.
    ~~~
    Boss watched the young woman work. She was trying her best to get this figured out for Judith, and He was very proud of the way she was going about it. Having Arryn so close to her all the time had her irritated with him, but she never let her temper go while she was with the others. He looked over at Michael when he stood beside Him.
    “You could just tell her.” Boss asked him what the fun in that would be. “They could find more time for each other then. You have said that they have had relations. Why have you not hounded him into marrying her?”
    “I do not hound anyone. And I will talk to them when it is time. For now they are happy. Or he is. She is coming around to my way of thinking as well.” Michael huffed, a habit He thought he’d gotten from Dusty. “Should you like to have a go with her? Talk to her about wedding our Arryn?”
    “Nay, I would not. I think I would rather You boiled me in my own salad than me being near her when she is most upset.” Boss thought about correcting him on the soup, not salad, part of his comparison, but He loved