her is overwhelming.”
“ Do you love her?” The question startled him into standing and he looked at Michael, who had come in without knocking, shocked. “The girl, do you love her?”
“ I don’t know what you mean. Love is an emotion for humans, not for us.” Michael sat down and snorted at him. “She does that as well. I have heard her on several occasions.”
“ She is an enigma, Miss Marrow is.” Riss sat down and waited for Michael to continue. When he only stared at him, Riss felt as if he had done something that could never be forgiven. Which, in a way, he supposed he had.
“ I wish to have my life ended now rather than later.” Michael was shaking his head before Riss could finish. “I have committed a sin, and I know that, but to have myself aching like this is beyond suffering. I should like for my life to—”
“ There’s a child. I cannot allow you to die with a child of yours there on earth.” Riss looked at Tholan, who looked like he felt…like someone had hit him squarely between the eyes.
“ Riss can’t have a child. He’s not human.” Michael raised a brow at Tholan, who flushed. “What I mean is, there must be a mistake. A protector cannot have a child.”
“ But when he laid with her, he was no longer her protector, but her lover.” Michael looked at him. “Did you share with her what you were? Does she know that you were sent there to watch over her and aren’t human?”
“ She thinks I am simply a protector, but I did not tell her anything else. But we’ll have no problems if that is what you’re thinking. I have taken care of her memories of me.” Michael laughed again and shook his head. “I saw many things in her mind, but nothing of me being the father of her child.”
“ She doesn’t know it yet. And she won’t hear it from you.” Michael laughed again. “And if you think that this will solve anything, you taking her memories, you’re sadly mistaken. Kala is a good deal stronger than you think her to be.”
Riss had already figured that out. She had done what she wanted when she wanted and had never asked for anything in return. Riss got up to pace, and realized at that moment that he was in over his head for the first time in all his considerable life.
“ You’ll punish me, no doubt.” Michael nodded but smiled. Riss didn’t care for that smile. It told him that he was going to hate whatever it was. Then he supposed that was the point. “When will it begin?”
“ You’ll start today. And you’ll continue to watch over Kala as if nothing happened.” Riss stared at him. “You’ll not have any contact with her, physical or otherwise. No speaking to her until you are protecting her, and you’ll not in any way try to dissuade any suitors that come her way.”
“ Suitors? You mean men coming to ask her out?” Michael said that he did. “That isn’t right. She carries my child. You cannot mean that other men will be a part of his life?”
“ I do. And as you have asked to be let go from here, it shouldn’t matter to you at all what happens to her or the child.” Michael stood up and moved toward the door. “You’ll listen to what I say to you, Riss. Stay as her protector and nothing more. If you go further, I will have to go to the next step. Trust me, you do not want me to go there.”
After he left , Riss sat down and tried to think about Kala and other men. He looked up at Tholan when he cleared his throat. “You should get going. I believe she is alone right now.”
“ He wants me to watch over her and not be with her.” Tholan nodded. “And she will have other men, men who will be with her and my child, and I’m supposed to just let it happen?”
“ Look at it this way. By the time the child is born, you’ll no longer be around.” Riss stared at his friend as he continued. “You should really get to work.”
Riss moved through the portals and ended up in Kala ’s kitchen. He could see that she had been busy since
“ Do you love her?” The question startled him into standing and he looked at Michael, who had come in without knocking, shocked. “The girl, do you love her?”
“ I don’t know what you mean. Love is an emotion for humans, not for us.” Michael sat down and snorted at him. “She does that as well. I have heard her on several occasions.”
“ She is an enigma, Miss Marrow is.” Riss sat down and waited for Michael to continue. When he only stared at him, Riss felt as if he had done something that could never be forgiven. Which, in a way, he supposed he had.
“ I wish to have my life ended now rather than later.” Michael was shaking his head before Riss could finish. “I have committed a sin, and I know that, but to have myself aching like this is beyond suffering. I should like for my life to—”
“ There’s a child. I cannot allow you to die with a child of yours there on earth.” Riss looked at Tholan, who looked like he felt…like someone had hit him squarely between the eyes.
“ Riss can’t have a child. He’s not human.” Michael raised a brow at Tholan, who flushed. “What I mean is, there must be a mistake. A protector cannot have a child.”
“ But when he laid with her, he was no longer her protector, but her lover.” Michael looked at him. “Did you share with her what you were? Does she know that you were sent there to watch over her and aren’t human?”
“ She thinks I am simply a protector, but I did not tell her anything else. But we’ll have no problems if that is what you’re thinking. I have taken care of her memories of me.” Michael laughed again and shook his head. “I saw many things in her mind, but nothing of me being the father of her child.”
“ She doesn’t know it yet. And she won’t hear it from you.” Michael laughed again. “And if you think that this will solve anything, you taking her memories, you’re sadly mistaken. Kala is a good deal stronger than you think her to be.”
Riss had already figured that out. She had done what she wanted when she wanted and had never asked for anything in return. Riss got up to pace, and realized at that moment that he was in over his head for the first time in all his considerable life.
“ You’ll punish me, no doubt.” Michael nodded but smiled. Riss didn’t care for that smile. It told him that he was going to hate whatever it was. Then he supposed that was the point. “When will it begin?”
“ You’ll start today. And you’ll continue to watch over Kala as if nothing happened.” Riss stared at him. “You’ll not have any contact with her, physical or otherwise. No speaking to her until you are protecting her, and you’ll not in any way try to dissuade any suitors that come her way.”
“ Suitors? You mean men coming to ask her out?” Michael said that he did. “That isn’t right. She carries my child. You cannot mean that other men will be a part of his life?”
“ I do. And as you have asked to be let go from here, it shouldn’t matter to you at all what happens to her or the child.” Michael stood up and moved toward the door. “You’ll listen to what I say to you, Riss. Stay as her protector and nothing more. If you go further, I will have to go to the next step. Trust me, you do not want me to go there.”
After he left , Riss sat down and tried to think about Kala and other men. He looked up at Tholan when he cleared his throat. “You should get going. I believe she is alone right now.”
“ He wants me to watch over her and not be with her.” Tholan nodded. “And she will have other men, men who will be with her and my child, and I’m supposed to just let it happen?”
“ Look at it this way. By the time the child is born, you’ll no longer be around.” Riss stared at his friend as he continued. “You should really get to work.”
Riss moved through the portals and ended up in Kala ’s kitchen. He could see that she had been busy since
Similar Books
