Tenants and Tyrants (Book 5 of The Warden series) (7 page)

Belus took that in for a moment before leaning forward to take her hand. “Listen, Cori, I understand what you’re saying. I know more than ever right now, you need to express that to me, but I need you to stop doing it, okay?” She ripped her hand away and tucked it under her arm. She couldn’t believe how cold he was being.

He stood up and loomed over her. “Cori, look at me.” She kept her eyes down. There was no point in continuing this discussion. He was going to step on her heart whether she looked at him or not. He sighed and sunk down to one knee, resting his hand on her leg. She was so taken aback, she almost pushed him away to avoid the strangeness of the situation. “Cori, I love you too, but I can’t keep assuring you of that and you can’t keep reminding me of your love.”

“I said it like three times.” She wailed. “One of which was right before I shot you so it kind of negated it.” She could feel the shaking in her voice, as her anger took a greater hold over her throat than her pain.

Belus squeezed her leg and shushed her. “I know, but listen, you need to understand something. Danato was very unwilling to put me in charge of you. One of the reasons is because he doesn’t want to share you.” Cori shook her head. She didn’t like the way she was being referred to like property. “He cares for you a great deal. The deeper reason behind that isn’t permissible for me to discuss.” She opened her mouth to ask about that, but he just shook his head. “You know how Ethan jokes about me being the crazy uncle to your little family.” She nodded. “Well, I need to stay
Uncle
Belus.

“If Danato thinks that I’ve replaced him in your eyes in any way, he would be mortified. I can’t claim that he would do any harm to me, but my friendship with Danato has never fully recovered from a woman coming between us.” Cori wanted to ask about that too, but she didn’t bother trying since she suspected it was on Belus’s zipped lip list as well. “So, when we are around Danato, just make sure all your affection is directed at him, so he doesn’t think that I’ve usurped his pater status. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes.” She tried not to sound bitter, but she still felt a little rejected, but it wouldn’t be a day with Belus without feeling a little dejected in the end.

“Do you want to go home?” he asked.

She checked her watch. She usually didn’t wear one, but since she had been in and out of the time bubble so much, Danato had given her one. It was apparently a big deal to get it too, because he threatened that she couldn’t lose it. The device was a simple digital watch, but it kept time with the real world while she was in the time bubble, so she knew within a minute of her departure time.

“Shit!” She threw her head back. “I can’t, the next batch of crops are going to be done in an hour. I’m going to miss dinner again.”

“Oh,” He seemed disappointed that the generosity of his offer had just been wasted. “How long will you be in?” He stood up and took his file.

“A day and a half, at the most. The fields are so big now, I’ll be picking and handing food through for about two hours.”

Belus checked her watch. “You will miss supper. Danato won’t be happy about that. How have the wizards been treating you?”

“I haven’t encountered one since I started this project.”

“Really,” he asked incredulously. “Is it the spot, you think?”

She shrugged. “I thought maybe they didn’t like the water, but the fields aren’t even that close to it anymore.”

“Well, you should probably take your pistol in anyway. Two hours is a while to be without some protection in there.”

“Danato hasn’t given me permission to use it yet,” she said standing up.

“That’s my call now, kid.” He said.

“Oh, right. I’ll get used to that sooner or later,” she said. “Who do I ask about requisitioning a puppy?” she asked as they headed out.

“I’ll leave that one to Danato,” he answered.

10

Ethan couldn’t help but be giddy as he ran to the loading docks. He had only just gotten word of Daniel and Heaton’s arrival, but he was already thinking about a beer and poker night. He already had one scheduled, but with Cori stuck in the time bubble he needed another player. Three more would be even better.

“Daniel, Heaton,” Ethan yelled as he entered the cavernous room. He hugged Daniel and Heaton, and found his way to Nevia. “Jordan,” he said with the same enthusiasm. She presented her hand to shake but he took her up in his arms and gave her a squeeze before putting her down. “Good to see you. These guys haven’t scared you away yet?”

She pinched her fingers together with a paper thin space. “Any day now,” she smiled.

“Where’s Cori?” Daniel asked. “I thought saving her life, meant I had earned the right to arrival hugs and kisses.”

Ethan shook his finger at him. “Cheek kisses maybe, and only if she offers.” Ethan took Nevia’s duffel from her without asking and slung it over his shoulder. “No, she’ll join us later. She’s picking vegetables. She’s single handedly put a thousand dollars a month back into Danato’s budget,” Ethan gushed as he led them to the door. “She might even be able to produce enough to supplement the bulk feed for the animal level, which will be another few thousand saved.”

“Ethan wait up,” Heaton said stopping him at the door. “Annette is still coming.”

“Who’s Annette?” Ethan asked even as a spikey-haired blonde emerged from the back of the truck with an army duffel bag hanging from her shoulder. The spiked hair, and firm protruding biceps had already convinced him that she was gritty, but the bubblegum she was chomping, behind a shimmering pink smile, screamed playful.

She sauntered over letting her hips sway in her ripped stone-wash jeans. Ethan could see just the tiniest bit of her belly under her gray cut off t-shirt that read “naughty or nice,” except the “or” had been crossed out, to write “and” next to it. Ethan smiled, wondering if Cori would get as much of a kick out of this woman as he was.

She jumped gingerly off the platform as if she didn’t quite know how to do it gracefully. When she landed, she leaned back to inspect Ethan up and down. “Well hello, Mr. Pierce.” She shook her head. “I had no idea you were so young.” Ethan pinched his brow and smiled politely. She couldn’t have been more than thirty. “I have been so excited to meet you. The circuit says you and your Miss Reiger…or is it Mrs. Pierce.”

“Um, either —Cori is fine, though, and Ethan for me,” he suggested.

“Rumor has it, you two are shaking this place up.”

Ethan lost his smile. “I’m sorry, but who the hell are you.”

“Annette.” She put her hand out to Ethan and stepped forward. She was a bit taller than him. Her handshake was firm, almost unfriendly, or perhaps just not as feminine as he predicted.

“Annette what?” Ethan asked.

“What Annette actually? Annette is my last name. Mabel is my first name, but since I’m not eighty-two yet, I refuse to use it.”

“I understand. Annette it is. So, Annette, why are you here?”

“I’ve come to see a man about a dragon. I take it Danato has not given you the run down on me yet.”

“No, as a matter of fact he didn’t. Why don’t you give me the short version?”

“Well the short version is: I give you money, you give me dragon blood.” She smiled widely and spread her arms. “How’s that for concise?”

“Why do you want dragon’s blood?” Ethan asked. He heard a distinct snicker behind him and he caught Daniel hiding behind Heaton. Heaton himself was holding back a smile.

“I’m a witch, Ethan.” Annette put a hand on his shoulder drawing his attention back to her. “I use dragon’s blood for all sorts of things, but I am also a business woman. I have a broad range of clientele that like to use dragon’s blood, medicinally and recreationally.”

The snickering continued in duplicate with Heaton joining in, but Ethan didn’t look back. “You sell it to people as a drug. What does it do?”

“It’s different for everyone. Most people enjoy a drunk or high feeling. Others feel a clarity that allows for meditation. Some just don’t feel anything, but that doesn’t mean that they never will, it just means the dragon isn’t compatible with that person.”

“And Danato lets you take blood?”

“Danato lets me buy blood.” She rubbed her fingers together. “I pay very well. As I said I have a varying clientele.”

“Dude,” Heaton said behind him. Ethan looked back to see him containing himself enough to speak. “She’s cool we bring her around about every other year to collect. Danato knows her well.”

“I do.” Danato entered the docks with a smile Ethan hadn’t seen outside of Cori’s presence. “Hello, Annette.”

“Danato!” The blonde stalked across the room and gave Danato a big hug and a warm but innocent kiss on the lips. “How wonderful to see you again? You look well.”

He scoffed. “You look radiant as usual. This is a new look for you.”

“Oh, I think I went back to far. Eighty just hit me so hard. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I do.” He winked at her.

“Oh, shush,” she playfully slapped his chest, “I absolutely have no idea what you mean.”

“I see you’ve met Ethan?” He pointed to Ethan.

Annette turned around, and looked on him with the same appreciative scan she had before, but now Ethan thought it might not have been as ascetically motivated as he had thought. “Yes, he is just the bees knees isn’t he. I can’t believe how strapping he is. Your praise was not exaggerated.”

“Yes, he’s come a long way. His greatest attribute is his constancy, but I sure as hell didn’t teach him that.”

Annette laughed and slapped his shoulder this time. Ethan took in the appraisal scene with bafflement. He felt like he was a child, being doted on by two adults who forgot he had ears. “Excuse me,” he said interrupting the dialogue. “I don’t mean to break this up, but should I be getting a little more information about this.”

Annette smiled at him warmly, while Danato’s attention wandered to Heaton and Daniel. “Heaton, good to see you again,” Danato said ignoring Ethan’s question.

“Sir.” Heaton shook his hand.

“And Daniel,” Danato shook his hand, but held it for an extra moment. “I hope you’re staying out of trouble.”

“Not even a little sir, but nothing illegal anyway.” Danato gave a grumble before releasing his hand.

“Sir, this is,” Heaton waved Nevia forward from her hiding place along the back wall. “Nevia Jordan, Jordan as she prefers.”

Danato smiled and met her halfway for a hand shake. Her hand disappeared into his as they shook. “Jordan, Ethan has raved about your talents.”

“I had only just begun when I was here last. I was unfortunately not as much help as I would have liked to have been,” she stammered humbly in the face of the big man.

“Not according to Ethan,” he said. She glanced to Ethan and he gave her a smile. No matter how much she tried to dismantle her role in saving Cori, she was the key to it. Whether it be narrowing the playing field, or simply forcing him to relax enough to come up with the last puzzle piece.

“Ethan is a generous and brave man. It’s been my honor taking over his position,” she said.

Danato looked back at Daniel and Heaton. “Are you sure honor is the word for dealing with those two?” She laughed, but didn’t say anything more on the subject. “Annette, why don’t I show you to your quarters for the evening.” Danato raised an arm for her, and she wrapped her hands around it like she would have been just as comfortable with an evening gown on as her jeans. “Ethan, I assume you can handle your guests,” he said on the way out.

“Yeah, hey don’t forget we have poker tonight,” he yelled after him, but he could hear Annette laughing, so he wasn’t sure he had heard him.

11

Cori could feel the ache in her muscles from two days of picking cabbage, peas, green beans, corn, and tomatoes. She had left the cleaning, de-pod-ding, and husking to the cafeteria staff, but the bundles of food that she sent out of the bubble would be enough vegetables to feed the entire prison staff for a month or two. The staff would be busy for the next week just with preparation and preservation.

She knew her face was probably covered in all sorts of dirt. Despite wearing gloves, her hands were raw. Her forearms looked like she had been scratched up by a feral cat. Not to mention two days in nature without a shower left something to be desired beyond what deodorant could provide.

She hadn’t really given much thought to going home to clean up versus cleaning up in the lake in the time bubble. All she knew was she wanted to get home. When she stepped through the front door, she realized she should have cleaned up before coming home.

There was nothing worse than coming home to a party that had started long before you arrived. She looked over the faces at her husband’s weekly poker night. The house had accommodated them with a table to seat eight instead of six, and it was full.

Daniel at the far end, who she wasn’t expecting. Belus had his back to her at the other end. She was surprised to see Danato to his left had given up his usual chair. Duke and guardsman Chuck who she was expecting were on Danato’s side. While Ethan, who sat on the opposite side with his back to the kitchen, was flanked by Heaton on his right and the woman she assumed was Nevia Jordan to his left.