Brush of Shade (20 page)

Aunt Claire went
toe-to-toe with him even though he towered over her. “History disputes the
nobility of your actions. I’ve been so busy warning off the elders that I
failed to protect my niece from blind ambition. We’ve been betrayed.”

“Never!”
Shade shouted. “You speak mostly of the days before
Roland. Our need is great. The clans are splintering. We cannot risk losing our
way or even one member to the harsh outside world. A great warden may be the
only unifying factor that can help us reconnect.”

I rounded on
him, my hands clenched into tight fists at my side. “Thanks for the jumbo size
order of pressure served with a side order of guilt. I’ve got news for you. I
don’t want someone to be so intimately aware of me. How dare you! I don’t want
a bodyguard.” Shade stiffened in response to my common word for what he was
offering. “That explains why you’re always hovering. I thought we were friends,
but you’re no different than Mr. Cassidy,” I accused, my voice shaking as was
I.

 “You know
that isn’t true,” Shade argued.

Everything I’d
kept pent up came spilling out to be dumped on him. “What I know is that I’ve
got a life I didn’t ask for. Congratulations, your performance was Oscar
worthy. Now take your pity and your oath and
get out
!”

Aunt Claire
gripped my arm to block my attempt to leave the sofa. “We need to sort this
out,” she said over the sound of Sister Willow’s cane rapping hard on the
floor.

I shook off her
hand. “I want to go to my room and be left alone.”

The tip of the
cane tapped my thigh and then pointed at Shade with his fingers digging into
the corner of the sofa. “Young lady, release my grandson from your order before
he hurts himself.”

Ugh! Naturally
Shade hadn’t left. Talk about stubborn. One look from me and he staggered
backwards until he banged into the railing for the stairs. Blurred features
contorted in anguish. I winced and turned away, but it did no good. Next to me
or across the valley, his unyielding loyalty wove threads of awareness that
bound us together, forever. I was nowhere near ready to forgive this abuse of
my rights, but I couldn’t cause him pain either.

“Shade, you can
stay.” But I would have my answers before he left. “Why—”

I couldn’t ask
him, yet. Not when he was rubbing his forehead and looking miserable as he
circled around behind his grandmother’s chair. I waited—the words bursting to
be asked—while he helped himself to a handful of cookies from the holiday plate
on the coffee table. Churning seas lapped frothy waves against icebergs
clustered near the center of his eyes. He stuffed two cookies into his mouth
and turned to face his grandmother.

Sister Willow’s
empty tea cup rattled against its saucer. Shade grimaced in response to
something going on between them.

 “Out
loud,” Aunt Claire ordered. “Need I remind you both that I’m the warden?”

“Yes, of
course,” Shade replied, pulling his gaze away from his grandmother’s scrutiny.
“I only had a few minutes in Detective Lawson’s presence. The compulsion to act
was eating away at the poor man. Clearly he’d been manipulated by someone quite
skilled. To protect Olivia from her aunt and this valley the detective was
prepared to turn her over to a nameless, faceless individual. To keep her
docile, he unwittingly gave her a sedative that is toxic to our physiology. For
all we know, the selection was deliberately implanted. Had Olivia ingested more
of the sedative, she might have died out in that blizzard.”

“What happened
to Detective Lawson?” I asked.

“We didn’t get
to him in time. His will had been bent towards one and only one goal. Failure
to think and act appropriately released preset parameters. He had to drive off
the cliff.”

I gasped and
felt myself shaking. “And you wonder why my dad kept me away?”

“Now you see why
I took those oaths,” he said grimly.

“We don’t practice
such techniques,” Sister Willow answered, staring into her empty tea cup,
twirling around her right, middle finger a gold band with a heart-shaped
diamond.

“Then why have a
Protectors Bureau? Why did Shade take those oaths if I’m not safe?”

 “You will
be, I’ll make sure,” Shade said, earning an arched brow from his grandmother.
“I brought my observations to my bureau chief. Several worthy candidates
considered taking the Warden’s Oath of Protection. Sister Willow would’ve
preferred them for the same reasons that would’ve made you unhappy. With at
least fifteen years on you, they wouldn’t fit into your life.”

“So you felt
obligated because we’re close to the same age. What a relief to the others.
They managed to avoid being stuck with a silly, distraught teenager.” That
reminded me of something he’d said. I scooted forward, my hands gripping the
edge of the sofa. “That first day of work when you drove me home that was no
offer of assistance. You’ve been my sworn protector since. You used the
incident with the detective to re-open the topic to cover your ass.”

 “I knew
your brother,” he said unexpectedly. His eyes turned sad and distant, and he
began to pace in front of the coffee table, scrubbing his blurred hands up and
down his arms. “It’s more—” He shoved his sleeves up and rubbed harder. “You’re
more, everything is more. For years I’ve wondered, dreaded, trained.” He shook
out his hands and thrust them into his pockets. “I can do this.”

“Shade, you
carry too much. You need to let this go.” A low hum emanated off his
grandmother and she reached out a hand that he ignored. “You’re worrying me.
Let me take up your sorrow.”

 He paused
next to the rocking chair. “No, it’s more than sorrow. It’s a part of me. A
part that can only be shared with one person,” he answered, moving away to
resume his pacing. This time he circled around behind my aunt’s chair, touching
her briefly on the shoulder as he continued towards the sofa.

The sadness he
carried weighed down his words so when he spoke to me, every third word or so
caught in his throat before tumbling out, roughening up his drawl. “Danny and I
were practically inseparable when he came for his training sessions. It was my
senior year when he crashed his car. Like usual, one of Shadow’s pranks had
gotten the both of us in trouble and grounded. We should’ve been with Danny.”

Even though I’d
understood that I was the person who could share his burden, I wasn’t ready for
him to suddenly sit down on the edge of the coffee table with our knees almost
touching. His left hand
vibed
unsteadily as it slid
down his thigh. I closed the distance wanting to give him comfort. “You blame
yourself?” I asked, my heart breaking as though I shared in his remembered
grief.

“I do. We have
the faster reflexes, and we were a year older. When I heard that Danny wasn’t
going to make it, I snuck into the clinic to say goodbye. They had him drugged
up for the pain. I didn’t think he knew I was there. I tried to help him the
only way I knew by sharing his sorrow, but my emotional distress crumbled the
connection. I broke down like a little kid, and Danny squeezed my hand,
offering me comfort,” Shade said, his voice breaking up. “Next thing I knew,
Danny was rambling urgently about something on the road. The sheriff said he’d
swerved to avoid a deer, so I thought nothing of it. That is until recent
events. Then his words began to haunt me.”

I envisioned
Danny’s body broken like mine had been. I wished I’d been there for him. Were
my parents concerned even back then? Is that why my mom and I had stayed away
so she could keep me safe?
And now?
I drew my hands
back. “Was I that pathetic when I arrived? One oath wasn’t good enough. You
felt it necessary to bind our lives.”

“I didn’t act
upon a whim. You’re not the only one whose life got turned upside down. Danny
insisted upon a pledge to serve and protect his little sister. At the time, I
thought his fear of dying was the driving force behind his demand. He was my
friend, and it would ease his passing.”

“Daniel didn’t
intend for you to indebt your life,” Sister Willow admonished.

Shade’s left
index finger traced the oval shaped diamond on the ring he wore on his right
middle finger until the tip of his finger faded from sight. “You misunderstand
the situation. Danny knew I’d only agreed because I was upset. He became
insistent, weakening himself to hold on to our joining. A
Grisland
doesn’t turn down so important of a request from a Pepperdine. Shall I be the
first to break faith? As our forefather once did, I took in Daniel’s Soul
Spell.”

Color drained
out of Aunt Claire’s cheeks. “His request was that powerful?”

“It brought me
to my knees. I had no thoughts, save his,” Shade admitted. “For Danny, I vowed
to make sure by any means necessary that I was in a position to befriend and
safeguard his little sister from the factions agitating this valley. Admission
into the ranks of the Protectors Bureau seemed a logical use of my talents
while satisfying my pledge. I envisioned the use of my considerable skills as a
liaison to our people. The council would resolve the issues between the
factions long before his sister became warden. Current events altered my
ambitions. I had no intention of allowing someone with skills inferior to mine
to stand watch in these uncertain times. Those with issues would find me quite
the effective stopgap until our heir was ready to assume her full duties. While
Olivia was in a coma, I began the necessary requirements to become the Warden’s
Sworn Protector. I performed the final step shortly after her arrived in the
valley.”

The polished
marble knob quivered. “Grandson, you should’ve come to me before committing
yourself to this path.”

“Despite the
objections of my clan, I progressed through the ranks of the elite Protector’s
Bureau at a record’s pace, achieving accommodations along the way. My vibe
level is above that of all the other protectors in the program. Yet, I wasn’t
going to be considered for the coveted Sworn Protector’s position,” he said,
staring pointedly at his grandmother. “While the council members debated and grappled
for power, their delays jeopardized Olivia’s life and the security of this
valley, so I took action.”

 “And you
wonder why I question your judgment?” Sister Willow replied.

Shade shot to
his feet. Where his leg brushed against mine I experienced a brief
pins-and-needle sensation. I sucked in a sharp breath. Neither of them said a
word out loud, but the bands in their eyes spun like pinwheels in a strong
breeze, making me wonder if the argument was still going on. I suspected that
Shade, as the grandson of an elder, was being held to a higher standard.

Swift moving air
currents circulated the scent of balsam and berries from the trio of votive
candles Aunt Claire had just lit on the hearth. She made a point of going first
to Sister Willow’s side. Without saying a word, she placed her hands upon the
woman’s shoulders until the cane stopped twirling. Next, she circled around the
coffee table and did the same to Shade, calming the whitecaps crashing against
the spiraling bands. In a clear, firm voice she said, “Elder, would you have
done less in Shade’s position? Shade, you fulfilled your obligation to Daniel,
so why didn’t you stop there?”

“The embrace of
a Soul Spell isn’t easy to dismiss,” he replied, staring at his ring. “That one
terrible night, everything changed. Suddenly our world turned upside down. The
Warden and his wife were dead. The heir, Danny’s little sister was gravely
injured. Weeks past and rumors flew of Olivia still in a coma, possibly never
regaining consciousness. When she did, there was talk of paralysis. Beneath the
surface, the valley mourned. Some voices, though, masked their ambitions with
false faces. Undercurrents soured the collective. Some purist openly rejoiced.”

During his
narrative, Aunt Claire had taken a seat next to me on the sofa and Shade had
picked up a photograph of my parents standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
I’d taken the picture last year shortly after we had moved back to the states.
Everything was going good back then or at least it had for a while. A few
months later, Dad was constantly flying off to meetings. Given what I knew now,
I suspected that many involved his commitments to Spring Valley. Shade’s
expression darkened. My knees got hot where they touched his leg. He let out a
slow breath and placed the photo on the coffee table, facing me.

 “The leap
to the next level of commitment didn’t require crossing as big of a gap as you
might think,” he said, sounding angry. “I’ve watched as the Enforcers were
instructed to be vigilant of the rumblings from certain factions while never
actively pursuing charges. Last night, Olivia’s memories revealed insight into
the depth of her peril. I feared for the safety of our heir, so I considered
other options. I came up with only one that would ensure me access in the event
the council attempted to strip me of my unsanctioned protector’s duties or
banned me altogether. Primed by Daniel’s Soul Spell and connected to Olivia
through my position as the Warden’s Sworn Protector, I performed the Binding
Oath of the Soul. The ordeal,” his voice turned rough and his breath caught
briefly in his throat, “was frighteningly revealing.”

 “As the
Pepperdine Clan’s senior elder, I’m outraged. It wasn’t your place to risk the
life of our only male diamond level
viber
. My mind
and gifts are in service to the clan. Alone and without mental cushioning you
were fortunate that you didn’t lose your mind to the emotional upheaval. As
your grandmother, I dislike being frightened after the fact,” Sister Willow
scolded. A gentle puff of air swept the yellow blond streak of hair back from
his face.  

 “That’s
supposed to make it alright, misplaced guilt and loyalty to my brother? Or was
it just your wounded pride?” I said, my voicing rising sharply. “Foolish me,
here I thought you were my friend. Instead, I’ve got what? An amped up employee
with an all access
pass
? Just how binding are we
talking? Will my thoughts be yours to examine?” I could feel my face burning.
“Soul Oath doesn’t mean that we . . . that it’s like we’re married? Aunt
Claire!”