Our Lady's Wolf: Our Lady of Joy, #2

By Valery Keith

Book Two in the Our Lady of Joy series.

Having successfully escaped the Lord High Commissioner’s control with her father and the Harvester’s Gang, Lira, Rease and Night attempt to settle into life at the Davies family estate, Eastlake. As Jonas begins to develop feelings for Dove and comes to terms with his past, Lira petitions the Council for autonomy to continue her romantic involvement with her Guardian as he rebuilds his life and reputation as Our Lady’s Wolf, setting in motion a series of events which she will come to deeply regret.

Charmed by their youth and innocence and eager to preserve it, Hanna Davies becomes something of a protective older sister to Lira and Rease.  But the serenity of her carefully ordered life is shattered by the arrival of Blake Weymine, who seems determined to win Our Lady of Joy for his own.  Vowing to prevent such a tragedy, Hanna sets herself against Blake, inadvertently beginning a game in which victory proves more costly than either of them had anticipated.

Still struggling with her role as Our Lady of Joy in this new world, Lira fights for her personal independence even as the prophesy begins to unfold around her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Valery Keith
• Release date: Nov 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781944535018

Book preview

Chapter One

Lira was in the garden at Eastlake when Rease and her father returned from the Manor.

As she had requested, Neville and Oliver Davies, the young sons of the family who resided at Eastlake, came to find her when they saw that her family had returned. After thanking the boys profusely, she took off running for the house, tearing through the courtyard in record time. The footman pulled the house doors open for her and she raced into the foyer with her dog Night on her heels, skidding to a stop as she realized that she was nearly blind from being in the sun. She stood for a moment in the dimness, catching her breath before she heard what sounded like someone moving and turned in that direction. As her eyes adjusted, she saw Rease standing across the foyer by the stairs, smiling at her.

Rease! she screeched, bolting towards him now that she could see again. You’re back!

She barely slowed as she reached him, wrapping both arms around his neck at the same time she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist so she could push her face into that perfect spot right under his ear, climbing him like a monkey. She didn’t care if she was behaving like a little kid because she was just so happy to have him back and safe with her. She felt his arms slide around her to hold her against him, then he started to chuckle as he hugged her tightly, rocking a little from side to side.

I missed you, she whispered in his ear.

He tilted his head so his mouth was by her ear, rubbing her cheek with his along the way, like a cat.

I missed you, too, he whispered back, but your father is standing right behind me.

Oh. Whoops.

Properly chastised, Lira unwound herself from her Guardian and noticed that as Rease had said, her father and his friend Red were standing there looking at her. Red was grinning. Her father was not. She stepped around Rease to hug her father, so glad to see him as well.

Dad, she said warmly as she tightened her arms around him, I’m so glad you’re back. I missed you.

To her great relief, he smiled at her. I’m glad to be back, too, Missy.

He kissed her on the cheek and released her. She gave Red a brief but heartfelt hug, thanking him for watching over her father and Rease for her.

No trouble at all, Red assured her, patting her hand like a kind uncle. I know how much they matter to you, so I’ll always watch out for them if I can.

Lira bussed him on the cheek while he grinned in delight. He waved off any more thanks from her and headed up the stairs, leaving her with her father and Rease.

So, how did it go? Lira asked warily.

She wasn’t sure how else to ask if they had been able to arrest Bridget Weymine, the former Lord High Commissioner, for the murders of twenty-seven women. Her horrific crimes had been discovered when Annabelle’s fifteen-year search for proof of it had yielded results in the form of notes in the woman’s own hand. Lira generally tried to shy away from even thinking about it since she had really liked Bridget and the whole reason for murdering those Conduits was to gain the ability to bring Lira here into this world. So now, even asking indirectly made her feel queasy.

Honey, why don’t we get cleaned up and meet up later to tell you about everything? her father said, looking at Rease as if in inquiry. I’d like a chance to relax for a few hours, as I’m sure you would, Rease. We could all meet in Lira’s room later and go over it then.

That sounds fine to me, Rease said.

Sure, go relax, Dad, Lira said with a smile. I can wait.

Her father smiled at her one last time, nodded politely at Rease and then climbed the stairs. Lira waited until her father was out of earshot before she turned to Rease.

I don’t care whose bathroom you bathe in, but if there’s napping, then it’s my bed only, she whispered, narrowing her eyes at him in mock severity. Defy me and I’ll find out where you’re sleeping and jump on the bed until you give in to my demands for snuggling.

Oh, really? he asked, clearly delighted. Well, I know better than to make you angry, Princess. Why don’t you have the kitchen send up some food and I’ll meet you there shortly?

Unable to stop herself at the sight of his pleased grin, she stepped forward to hug him again. He slid his arms around her, lifting her so that her feet were off the ground as he hugged her back, burying his face in her hair. She pushed her face into that spot on his neck right below his ear and pulled the air into her lungs audibly so that she could smell that combination of sandalwood and leather that was uniquely him. She could smell horses, too, this time, so it was especially nice, she thought happily. As soon as that scent flooded her brain, she sighed in contentment.

She felt him laugh quietly, almost inaudibly, before he spoke in her ear.

I’ve been on a horse for days, he said, his voice teasing. I would not breathe deeply if I were you.

Oh, hush up, she mumbled. You smell really good to me.

There was silence for a moment before he lowered her to the ground and spoke.

I have all kinds of really funny responses to that, he admitted with a grin, but they all reflect badly on me as well, so I think I’ll just be quiet, as you suggested. I’ll go get cleaned up and meet you in your chamber shortly.

Lira nodded and smiled, turning around to head to the kitchens and request some food. As she moved away, she felt a swat at her rear end. She spun around in shock to look at Rease, who had leaped to the bottom step of the stair after swatting her.

Don’t just stand there and dawdle, he said, his eyes wide. I’m hungry.

After standing for a moment in surprised silence, Lira burst out laughing. The look on his face was one of those ones she knew instinctively came from when he was a child. His expression was delighted, mischievous and completely innocent. He looked like a little boy who had done something funny, rude and most likely entirely inappropriate for his audience, just for the laugh.

It’s times like this that I remember Rease never got to act like a little kid.

Please, do not let bathroom humor be next in boy development.

I’ll take butt-swatting over fart jokes any day.

Very funny, she said, still smiling. Go get cleaned up and I’ll get you plenty of food.

As Rease smiled at her one last time, still looking like a little boy who had pulled off a great prank, Lira waved him up the stairs with a grin. She watched as he raced up the stairs, hearing what sounded suspiciously like masculine giggling. As she and Night made their way to the kitchens and she asked for some food to be sent to her room, she thought more about it. As she smiled and listened to the kitchen staff detail all that they would be sending to her room, her mind wandered back again to Rease’s odd behavior. After she thanked the staff graciously and headed back to her room, she still continued to think about it.

As a ten-year-old orphan forced to live in the garrison after his widowed mother’s death, Rease would not have had other little boys with whom he could socialize, she understood. Instead, he would have been the only child in a mass of serious adults, most of whom probably did not find little boy humor amusing at all. Lira had done enough babysitting to know that boys went through a stage where they fixated on all kinds of gross, rude and inappropriate jokes, usually centered around sex and the bathroom. So he probably either hadn’t been comfortable acting like that or he hadn’t been allowed to, she assumed, not if he was giggling at this age after smacking her on the butt.

She knew this was likely, Lira reminded herself as she settled on a sofa with Night flopping down on the floor next to her. She was aware that Rease had experienced a difficult childhood and had been damaged by it, so in a way, this was probably a good sign, she thought. At least he felt comfortable enough to act like that around her.

As always when she was confused by people, Lira tried to reduce it to animal behavior so that it made sense to her on an instinctive level. In this case, Rease was not unlike a dog who had come to adulthood chained in a backyard. By being isolated and kept from social interaction, the dog’s psychological and social development is delayed, often leaving them with the behavioral characteristics of a puppy in the physical body of an adult.

Unaware that certain behaviors are now inappropriate and even dangerous due to their age and size, driven by the intense need to connect with another living thing, that dog could easily be mislabeled as stupid or dangerous when it was neither. Instead, it would be a group animal denied the benefits of the group and as such, developmentally delayed until such time as it had enough interaction and compassionate instruction to catch up to its peers. Once again, thinking about it like that brought a state of clarity to Lira.

So Rease is developmentally delayed and needs time to catch up.

As she sat on the couch, she continued to think about it. While she was aware that it was probably not the most ideal situation to have her Guardian behaving like an adolescent boy, she also didn’t think it would be the most horrible thing to befall her either. She could certainly let him act like a goofy little boy at times if that was something he needed to work through. She should actually be quite flattered that he trusted her enough to show her that side of himself without worry or fear that she would hurt or judge him for it, she realized. When she understood that, she felt a warm, toasty glow all the way down to her very toes.

Now that he had a home again, she recognized, Rease could begin to heal.

perspective change glyph

Rease snickered to himself again as he left his chamber and headed down the hall.

He had spent the time bathing and dressing thinking of how glad he was to be back at Eastlake. He had especially enjoyed Lira racing to him and leaping on him as she had. That had obliterated the vague worry he had carried with him the entire time he was gone that she might have time to rethink things without him. Even though he had told himself over and over that it was unlikely, that she was not a fickle or dishonest girl, he still had found himself fretting at odd moments the whole ride back. He had been terrified that he would arrive only to find her affection was a mistake, a grand joke of which he was the victim.

The closer they had come, the worse his fear had gotten until it had rolled around inside of him like spoiled food, sickening him in degrees as he had thought about what it might mean to lose this peace he had finally found with her. When he had entered the house, he had told himself repeatedly that it was not rational for her to be there. He had reminded himself that she likely would be elsewhere this time of day, because it would make no sense for her to be standing all day in the foyer waiting for him when she had no idea of when they would return.

He had understood that intellectually and he had thought that would be enough. But still, when his eyes had adjusted and swept the foyer, he had felt something like grief to see that she was not there. He had spoken casually with Red and Jonas while moving towards the stairs, intending to check her chamber on the way to his own.

That had been when she had come tearing through the front door and slid to a stop, breathing heavily, swinging her head from side to side in a way that had made it clear she was still blind from the brighter light outdoors. As Jonas and Red stood still, Rease had taken two steps forward, watching as her head swung towards the sound. She had squinted and then bolted towards him, yelling his name.

Rease had a moment to realize she must not have seen her father as she had launched herself at him, practically knocking him down in her eagerness to hug him and bury her face in his neck. She had whispered in his ear that she had missed him and Rease had felt the last of that sadness drift away like so much flotsam after a storm. He had slid his arms around her and much as he did not want to let her go, he had realized that she might not know her father was right behind him. As he had suspected, she had been completely unaware of that in her excitement at seeing him. Once again, Rease had felt something warm and sweet unfurling within him as he had lowered her to the ground and she had looked at him with wide eyes, starting to blush.

Now, in the landscape of his heart, the black wolf and the boy rolled in the long grass of their lush world, content now that they were reunited with their girl. Once a frozen desolate world in which there was only a beast and a small boy, their world and everything in it had changed because of the girl. The beast had grown into a beautiful black wolf and the small boy had grown, coming closer to the age of his girl, though he still had years to gain yet.

No longer lonely or cold, the boy and the wolf chased each other through verdant forests and sunny meadows because the acceptance which the girl had brought them had changed everything so that they could. In the nature of those who understand the most elemental connections even if they are never spoken aloud, the boy and the wolf loved the girl as she who had made this lush, warm haven of love and approval when all they had known prior had been a vast, frigid wasteland of pain and shame. But once the girl had come into their cold, lonely world, everything had changed.

She had offered the beast a place at her side, titled it and it became as she said, even as it still represented Rease’s rage, pain and fear born from his mother’s murder and always would. Through her understanding that it was as much a part of him as any other and not just the detriment that everyone else had always considered it, it had grown into the glorious, beautiful creature she imagined instead of the misshapen, twisted monstrosity it had been. Safe at last, the boy representing his emotional development had grown as well, through the year his mother had died and one or two more, secure in the knowledge that this girl would ward them from harm, protecting them enough that he could someday heal and grow, bringing the interior of his heart to match the ground on which the real man walked.

Here on the ground, Rease had been almost deliriously happy to know that Lira had missed him that much, so he had not been able to avoid teasing her once they had been alone in the foyer. It had been even funnier than he had hoped. The look on Lira’s face after he had tapped her on the bottom had been hysterical. It had been priceless, that surprised leap and the shocked look when she had spun around, as if she could not believe that he would do such a thing. Her eyes had been huge, her mouth open as she had gaped at him.

He did not believe that he had ever seen her look so surprised in all the time he had known her, he thought again now with a smile. It had immediately made him stifle the wild giggles that had threatened to erupt from him until she had started to laugh, obviously fine with it. Now, as he made his way to her door, he assumed that he should be embarrassed for behaving like that, but for some reason, he had found swatting her like that to be hilarious.

He couldn’t wait to do it again, he thought gleefully.

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Jonas groaned in relief as he laid in the hot bathtub, soaking.

He was getting too old for this, he thought. He was not looking forward to having to talk to his daughter and tell her that not only had the Lord High Commissioner escaped, but she had threatened to come back for Lira.

But the worst of it is that he knew she would.

Before he had even come back to this world to rescue Lira after the Lord High Commissioner had abducted her, he had been told by Magda, a Conduit with precognitive abilities, that a war was coming and his daughter would lead an army in defense of the Western Marches. So from what he knew and the threats that she had made right before she had used a link to flee, there was no question that the Lord High Commissioner was coming back and bringing war with her. The questions would be in the specifics: what technologies or weapons she might bring back with her in her quest to regain both the Western Marches and his daughter. The idea of preparing made him feel ill and could not be resolved during the time it took to bathe, so he pushed the whole topic away for now. Instead, he thought about his daughter, hoping that might be an easier topic to navigate.

Unfortunately, it was not.

Being father to Our Lady of Joy, an Emotion Conduit of exceptional rarity and value for her ability to broadcast her feelings over a wide geographic area and in doing so, influence the populace, was not easy, Jonas thought. Especially not when Our Lady was also Lira, who grew up completely unaware of her heritage in what was another dimension where there were no women capable of controlling the elements, let alone using emotions to influence the public. Raising your kid in middle America probably doesn’t prepare her too well to become a revered and venerated cultural icon capable of shaping nations in another world, Jonas realized as he thought about it some more.

Since he had been reunited with her, he had noticed that she was a lot more fragile here than she had been at home. That concerned him greatly because for him, being reunited with her so that his family was whole again had been enough to calm him and bring him back to himself. But it didn’t seem to have done the same for her, he had noted. At home, she had seemed like a cheerful, happy kid who shrugged off most things rather than let them weigh her down.

But here, she was a mess.

He wanted to blame her developing affinity for all of it, knowing that it must have exploded into growth now that it finally could and would flood Lira with strong emotions until it stabilized. But from the things she had said at times, he was worried that it might be more than just that. He knew how uncomfortable she was with her role here. She had always been an emotional, private little girl in many ways, so this situation had to be extremely difficult for her, he realized now as he thought more about it. He wondered also if perhaps being who she was explained why she was so sensitive. Maybe she just felt things more intensely, he speculated and so this was a normal, natural stage in her development as Our Lady of Joy.

But even still, it worried him.

Now she cried all the time and had developed some sort of symbiotic relationship with her Guardian, Rease, or as Jonas liked to think of him ever since he had crossed swords with the kid, the Human Wrecking Ball. The two of them were always together, always hanging on each other like little kids or conjoined twins and if he tried to separate them, Lira would go nuts. She would scream and rant like a demented toddler, as if she had never learned any self-control. When she did, the Wrecking Ball’s smirk would be matched by the one worn by her Guardian Hound, Night, whom Jonas had mentally christened Demon Dog after it also had threatened to gut him on at least one occasion.

He had hoped that a few days apart might give Lira some perspective, but their arrival home had made it clear that he was dreaming. They had barely entered the house when she had come racing into the foyer, almost falling on her face when her vision had cut out. He had watched with a grin, right up to when she’d seen the Wrecking Ball and leaped on him like that.

Jonas had not been grinning then, though he had been relieved to note that the Wrecking Ball had looked at least as shocked as he had felt and the boy had been very polite about where his hands had settled as he had hugged her back. Once Lira had peeled herself off her Guardian, she had finally hugged her father and her delight at having him there had been so sincere that Jonas had forgotten his irritation. Under the onslaught of once more feeling her love and vast gratitude for their safe return, he had only been able to smile at her.

But now, resting here in the warm water with nothing to do but think, he was not smiling at all.

He didn’t believe that Rease would ever hurt Lira intentionally, but his own experiences with the Wrecking Ball had shown him that the boy, gentleman or not with his daughter, was not well. While not exactly ill, Rease was definitely not normal either, Jonas believed. When he and the boy had crossed swords, he had seen something almost like an animal consciousness in the kid, something feral, brilliantly fast and utterly deadly which was in no way natural or normal to the human condition. A former assassin with more blood on his hands than he would ever care to acknowledge even to himself and a flawed, violent man with all the accompanying mental baggage of a difficult life, Jonas still had been honestly scared by what he had seen.

He had not really tried to discuss it with Lira, having been more worried about the details of rescinding the writs for arrest against himself and Rease, as well as securing the Lord High Commissioner’s removal. When the boy had decided to accompany them to Weymine Manor for her arrest, he had been cheered, thinking it was time away that Lira could gain a new perspective. Obviously, today’s showing had proven that to be a futile hope. He had been aware that might be the case, especially after Thomas, a former Manor servant who counted himself a friend to Lira, had warned Jonas that if he tried to separate the two, he would break his daughter’s heart. He had hated what the other man had told him and so wanted him to be wrong, even as he had recognized that Thomas was highly astute and therefore unlikely to be so grossly mistaken.

Still, it had killed him to see his baby girl launch herself at the Wrecking Ball like he was her personal, life-size hugging toy. It wasn’t that he disliked the boy, Jonas admitted to himself. Rease was his old friend Garris’ son and Jonas had known him when he was a child, so it was not that he thought poorly of the boy. It was that he knew the kid was unstable and since he had worked so hard to keep unstable people far from his little girl during her entire life up to now, it was hard for him to accept. Knowing that unstable people had a way of dragging down everyone around them even when they never meant for that to happen, he was worried. So he needed to talk to her about that as well, though obviously not when Rease was there, he thought now.

Then there was the final gift from the Lord High Commissioner before she had fled: the announcement that he had fathered a son with her before he had ever met Lira’s mother. That had gutted him, to think that this woman, whose proper name he had not been able to recall even as he had looked right at her, had a child of his and had never even told him. To think that he had forced some poor child to experience a sociopath as a mother through ignorance was no excuse, he berated himself. He had left his own son unprotected all these years and the reasons for it meant nothing to that mistreated child, he knew from his own life.

Jonas had not felt such despair and helplessness since he had discovered Lira gone.

He had not even been able to respond to Bridget Weymine’s comments about their son, so disoriented and confused had he been. So now he also had to tell Lira that she had a brother, one of the woman’s two sons that she had met when she had visited Rosehill, one of the Weymine family estates. He didn’t even know his own son’s name, Jonas realized with a snort of self-disgust. He would have to ask Lira their ages and guess which one was his. Since Rease had been standing there when the Lord High Commissioner had announced it, Jonas had expected the boy to ask him about it.

But surprisingly, Rease had not said a word or done anything to indicate that he had even heard the woman, though Jonas had known that he had, standing right next to him as he had been at the time. When they had been within a few miles of Eastlake, Jonas had quietly thanked Rease for his discretion and asked that it continue so that he could be the one to tell Lira about her brother and the Lord High Commissioner. In one of those moments that made Jonas feel horrible for his mixed feelings about Garris’ son, Rease had looked surprised as he had assured him that he would not mention either topic before Jonas did and that he certainly would not have mentioned her brother to her at all, as that was between Jonas and Lira.

Jonas sighed in the tub as he continued to think about it, remembering the look of complete sincerity on Rease’s face. He had no doubt that the kid had meant every word. The level of intensity in his gaze was almost heartbreaking, as if he had wished nothing more than to demonstrate his loyalty to Lira any way he could, even by keeping her father’s ugly secrets from her.

He actually liked the kid, Jonas admitted to himself now with an audible groan, bathwater sloshing as he shifted into a more comfortable position to both soak and think. But just not with his daughter. The Wrecking Ball was too unstable for someone as fragile as Lira appeared to be here, so he would need to talk to her about that, whether or not she wanted to hear it. If she was particularly resistant, then perhaps he would go speak with Thomas about it again, be a bit more frank about his concerns regarding Rease, he decided. The other man had given him valuable information in the past, so he might have some more insight into this dilemma as well, Jonas realized.

He had so many unpleasant topics that he needed to raise with Lira, from the Lord High Commissioner and the coming war to her relationship with her Guardian and her previously unknown brother. Jonas felt something like panic swamp him at the thought and he pushed it all from his mind. None of those things needed to be addressed in the next few minutes, so no harm would be done if he simply enjoyed this chance to relax without thinking of the many unpleasant moments ahead for him and his daughter.

He would just doze here quietly for a bit to regain his bearings, he decided, unwilling to leave the warm water just yet. When he felt a little more clearheaded, he would go speak with Lira. With that thought, he closed his eyes and rested his head on the edge of the bathtub.

A few minutes later, he was fast asleep.

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Lira’s request to the universe appeared to have worked.

She could hardly blame anyone but herself now. She was the one who had been hoping that Rease’s next stage of development involved rear-swatting over bathroom jokes, she realized with cheerful resignation as she laid on her bed, snuggled up with him. Since he had appeared in her room, he had smacked her on the rump four times, giggling like an over-sugared, manic toddler each time she had spun around in shock.

She had known that she should get annoyed, but he had looked so much like a little boy that she just had not been able to say or do anything to chastise him. She had meant to, but then each time she had spun around, her eyes wide with shock, he had been delighted and clearly suppressing laughter, as if waiting for her to laugh so that he could. So then she would giggle and he would burst into laughter, once again that little boy who had successfully pulled a prank on an adult.

After the fourth time, she had simply narrowed her eyes at him when he had asked her to pass something from the coffee table that would require her standing up to reach it. He had just snickered and gotten it himself, completely unconcerned that he had been tagged. But fortunately, her refusal to continue participating seemed to get him to stop.

After eating, Lira had been able to get him to come nap with her. So they were lying on top of her bed now, dozing while they waited for her father. She had her arm wrapped around Rease’s neck and her body half draped over him so that she could hear his heartbeat.

Deep in the landscape of her heart, a city of light undulated out from a golden cathedral like the train of a wedding dress. High above the cathedral, Our Lady of Joy floated in the air, her silver dress shimmering and a lovely smile on her face. The bells of the cathedral rang with invitation, their song carried across the city and into the dark lands beyond as they spoke of love, acceptance, peace. As if made from the throats of angels, the bells sang to all who could hear.

Come as you are.

You are beautiful.

You are deserving.

There is love for you here.

She sighed happily.

What’s that noise for? Rease asked softly, a smile in his voice.

I’m just so happy you’re back, she said, turning her head to smile shyly at him. I missed you. It was sad here while you were gone.

She mock-pouted at him. He grinned at her, then pulled her up his chest so she was lying on him with her face near his. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly so that her head dropped next to his. They stayed like that for the longest time, neither one of them speaking. Then he turned his head slightly so that his mouth was by her ear.

I missed you, too, he whispered, his voice sad. I was worried the whole time I was gone.

Worried about what? she whispered back, concerned.

He shrugged, a little shift she could feel, but did not reply. When she lifted her head to look at him, he kept his eyes closed. She put her head back down, snuggling her face next to his so that her mouth was by his ear.

You don’t have to tell me, she whispered, but if you want to, maybe I could help you decide whether you should worry about it or whether you’re being silly. But only if you want to. I like being with you. We don’t have to talk for me to be happy with you.

Rease was silent for a long time and she just breathed in the scent of him happily. She had sincerely meant everything she had said. She was just so glad he was back she didn’t care if they just stayed silent and warmly drowsing for hours. It was lovely.

After some time, he turned his head so his mouth was again at her ear and spoke.

I was worried about you. With me, he whispered, his voice still sad. I was worried that when I got back you might feel differently about me, maybe.

Here’s where you get the benefit of sharing your worries, she whispered back. I can assure you that is a very silly thing for you to worry about.

Is it? he asked, his voice small and uncertain.

She lifted her head up to look at him. His eyes were open and he looked very worried. She smiled gently at him, thinking that she didn’t care how many times he smacked her on the butt and cackled like a preschooler, he was still adorable.

It is, she said, shifting so her mouth was right over his. Very silly. So stop.

To make sure he did, she kissed him. She dropped her mouth that smallest increment so that their lips were touching and pressed her mouth gently to his, feeling him smile.

Not that I don’t want to continue this, he murmured against her lips, still smiling, but if your father shows up and you’re on top of me on your bed, kissing me, I think our happy day is going to be utterly ruined. After that, you won’t be allowed an overnight guest even if you dearly want one, because your father will camp out here to make certain of it.

Score! I’m getting another night with my favorite pillow!

Got it, she said cheerfully. Now that Night’s been banned from my bed in favor of his own, I’ve been terribly lonely without someone snoring in my ear. So I certainly don’t want to lose that option.

She giggled as she rolled off him and curled at his side, her head on his chest. She snuggled as close as she could, delighted that he was here as he wrapped one arm around her and smiled at her. She kissed him softly on the cheek and then slid off the bed. Once she was standing, she grabbed his hand and gently tugged it.

You can stay here and nap if you want, she said with a smile, or you can come snuggle with me on the couch in such a way that my father cannot complain as much as he will if the bed is involved. Your choice. No guilt for either.

She smiled again so that he knew she meant it before she released his hand and headed out to the sitting room. Once there, she plopped gracelessly down on a couch as Night meandered out of the bedroom doorway, followed shortly by Rease. Night crashed out to the side of the sofa and Rease dropped down next to her. He settled himself against the armrest, wiggled a little and then hauled her sideways into his lap.

Perfect.

She snuggled into him with another happy sigh, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder as he tightened his arms around her. She hummed in contentment and he chuckled.

Like this, do you, Princess? he asked softly, his breath shivering across her ear.

You have no idea.

Of course I do, she teased. I already told you that you’re my favorite piece of furniture. It was awful when you were gone. Like I was missing a couch or a really nice chair I had come to adore. I was without my favorite spot to collapse into at the end of a tough day. It completely threw me off. Plus, the room was totally out of balance. It was horrifying, I swear.

He pulled back his head to look at her, obviously amused.

Has anyone ever told you that you’re a little odd? he asked, the corner of his mouth quirking.

So many times I have lost count.

"If you meant odd in a good way, then yes, she said cheerfully. Otherwise, I have no idea what you might be talking about, but suggest a subject change in our conversation would be wise now."

He smiled at her, that sweet, shy smile she adored.

I meant it in the best way, he said softly.

Oh, look how sweet he is, telling me it’s fine that I’m weird.

I’m glad, she said as she snuggled her head into his shoulder, making happy little noises as she wiggled into her favorite position. Now close your eyes and pretend you’re covered in a floral pattern. It’s nap time.

"Maybe you’re more than a little odd," he said, laughter in his voice.

Oh, hush, she mumbled against his neck, even as she knew that he could feel her smiling. If you keep blabbing like a teenage girl, I’ll never get any sleep.

After that comment, Rease laughed so hard that she got no sleep for quite a while.

perspective change glyph

Jonas tapped gently on the door to Lira’s room, then pushed it open.

As he entered the room, he noticed Lira and Rease asleep on the couch across the room, with his daughter firmly nestled in the kid’s lap yet again. Night’s head was up until he recognized Jonas, then he dropped it back down and calmly watched. Jonas growled under his breath as he looked at Lira and Rease, remembering his earlier misgivings all over again.

And that was when Rease made it clear that he was not being paranoid.

As Jonas released something no louder than a slightly heavier exhalation, the boy’s eyes snapped open. His gaze flew to Jonas, his eyes glittering and not quite right, his features tight. Rease stared at him for a moment as if he did not recognize him, that look still on his face like he might rise from the couch, but only to kill someone and when he did, he would greatly enjoy it.

Jonas felt all the hair on the back of his neck rise as he froze there.

While Rease stared at him with that cold, alien gaze, he did not move or say anything, carefully keeping still, a pleasant look on his face. Then, as Jonas watched, Rease blinked, something like recognition flooding his face as his features softened. In that moment, Lira’s Guardian looked entirely like what he was, a sleepy young man.

Rease smiled at Jonas and mouthed she’s asleep. Jonas nodded, smiling back even as it felt forced and mouthed tomorrow? Rease nodded, glancing down at his daughter so tenderly that Jonas felt horrible for all the doubts he had about the boy, even as his skin still prickled from what he had just seen. He smiled weakly again and backed away from the sleeping couple right out of the room.

Once he was back in the hall, he headed for the stairs, assuming that he could catch everyone downstairs having a drink or playing cards. When he reached the sitting room they preferred, he could hear activity and was pleased to note when he entered that Red and the rest of the gang were busy with cards while Dove sat by herself on a couch, sipping wine and reading a book. Jonas waved at the card game as he passed, pausing at the sideboard to pour himself a few fingers of whiskey. Then he headed straight for Dove, who looked up at his approach and put her book aside.

Jonas, she said, her tone warm. Good to have you back. You are well?

I am, Jonas assured her as he sat next to her. And yourself?

It’s been lovely, she said with a smile. I’ve been sleeping late and enjoying the extensive library here so much that I can’t complain.

Good, he stated.

Then he sat there, staring off into the distance for a moment.

Jonas, is something bothering you? Dove asked kindly. We can sit here quietly if you would prefer or you could tell me what’s got you all worried.

It’s the same thing I’ve been worried about, he replied with a sigh.

Rease, Dove stated quietly.

Yes, him, Jonas said dejectedly. I had thought a few days away might help Lira gain some perspective about him, but I just went to talk to them. Obviously I was wrong to think that. She’s balled up in the kid’s lap, sleeping. He just got back and she’s already crawling all over him.

Sleeping in his lap is not the same as crawling all over him, Dove scolded gently. She probably missed him and is glad that everyone is home safely, so she’s celebrating with a little cuddle. I know you are not an admirer of his, but she adores him, so it wouldn’t be surprising that she would want to snuggle with him as soon as he got home. You’ve seen how affectionate they are with each other and if you’ve paid attention, then you have also noted how innocent it is and how polite he is with her.

And if he were normal, maybe I wouldn’t mind so much, Jonas grumbled.

Dove laughed.

Yes, you would, she teased. She’s your daughter and that’s the way you are, so yes, you’d mind just as much no matter who it was.

No, I wouldn’t, Jonas argued.

When she just raised a skeptical eyebrow to him, he sighed.

When I went in, I made no noise, Jonas said. I was still by the door when I made the smallest sound, not even a sigh, just the slightest noise as I breathed. Dove, his eyes popped open and he looked at me like he didn’t recognize me at all. He just looked at me like he wanted to gut me, watching me with this predatory look. Then he blinked and Rease was back again.

So he’s very vigilant when he’s with her, Dove said quietly. That is his job.

This wasn’t vigilance, Jonas replied just as quietly. This was that moment when a dangerous animal spots you, those few seconds while it weighs you up and decides if you’re going to be dinner.

Dove frowned at him in confusion.

But he didn’t get up from the couch or say anything? she asked. He just gave you a funny look?

"I wouldn’t call it a funny look, Jonas replied with a snort. That’s what you say about someone sticking his tongue out or making an absurd face. This was that look a wild animal gets right before it attacks you. Like it can’t wait to close its teeth on the back of your neck and snap your spine."

So he just stared you down? Dove asked, obviously still confused from her expression.

No, no, Jonas attempted to explain, he just gave me that look. He stared at me like he didn’t recognize me but if I came closer, he would kill me anyway. Then he blinked and it was gone.

Dove looked at him sympathetically.

But he didn’t attack you? she asked. When he was awake enough to recognize you, he stopped looking at you like that?

Well, yes, Jonas admitted. But that look was not right, Dove, not right at all.

Have you talked to your daughter about this? she asked in response.

No, I haven’t, he confessed, sighing. I have the horrible feeling that she may not care at all. I don’t know that talking to her about it is going to make any difference at all, if she even believes me.

Well, I think you should, she said gently. Either she knows and you two can talk about it or you will surprise her with your concerns and she will be prepared if she ever sees that in him as you have.

Dove, I’m really worried, Jonas said in a low voice, dropping his head. I’m worried that he’s going to lose it and hurt her, even by accident.

She was silent for a moment.

I’m not saying that you’re wrong, she said hesitantly, but each time, that behavior has been directed at someone he perceives as a threat against her. First, it was when you told him you were taking her from the Manor and now it’s when you enter the room and wake him. Each time though, when he realized that you weren’t a threat to her, he stopped being one to you. When I look at it like that, I don’t see why it’s any different than her dog. He’ll bite you if you threaten her, too.

But he’s not Night, Jonas argued pensively. Thomas said the same thing, but then went to great lengths to assure me that Rease was not a dog. So I’m left with the impression that he’s either a brilliant dog or a violent and unstable young man. I’m not sure which is worse.

What did Thomas tell you about him? Dove asked.

He was recruited into the Order at ten, Jonas recited, after his mother was beaten to death, which he heard. He was locked in a wardrobe in the same room, presumably so that he couldn’t interfere. He broke out the next morning.

Oh, Jonas, Dove said, shocked and dismayed. Ten? That poor boy.

He apparently had trouble with his temper after that and would attack men with no warning, so he finally ended up in the garrison permanently a few months later when his aunt could no longer control him, Jonas said bleakly. He was the Manor Challenge Night champion until he came after us, so he fights regularly to keep his temper under control now. Thomas said he hadn’t lost his temper in five or more years until Lira showed up.

Jonas, Dove said quietly, are you sure you aren’t being too hard on him? With that story, having lost his family so young, no wonder he’s so protective of her. I’m not surprised that thinking of something happening to her turns him into an animal. It probably brings him right back to his mother’s murder and being helpless to stop it, crazed with fear and grief. Oh, that poor boy.

I know, Jonas said miserably. I feel horrible for the concerns I have. He’s Garris’ son and I even like him. Just not with my daughter.

I don’t think you’re the one who gets to make that decision, Dove said gently. I think that’s up to Lira. If she knows all that, I don’t think she’s going to be in a rush to agree with you. She might even consider the temper an understandable side-effect of his history and be accepting of it as long as it’s never turned on her and he does his best to manage it. I would.

I know, he said with a sigh, and in a way, I don’t blame her. That story is a killer. Thomas told me that Rease believes he has no one but Lira. He believes that Rease will be threatened by anyone who tries to break that connection, but will become an ally to anyone who strengthens it.

And how long has Thomas known him? Dove asked. Does he think well of him?

He’s been at the Manor since Rease came to the garrison, Jonas replied. Twelve years. And he seems to like Rease quite a bit. He made a point of pleading their case to me the very first morning he was here. And Dove, I have to say, that man is no fool. He could be in the life for how smooth his delivery was. All the way down to the approving body language when he spoke about them caring for each other.

What’s his angle, then? Dove asked curiously.

I thought that at first, too, Jonas said with a grin. You can take the boy off the streets, but it never changes the way he thinks, apparently. But you know, even thinking the worst, when the conversation was over, I was sincerely convinced that he just wants Lira to be happy and that’s his only angle.

Then maybe Thomas does honestly approve of them, Dove suggested. He’s had more time to observe them together, after all and he already knew Rease. Perhaps he thinks they would do especially well together for that reason.

It’s worse, Jonas admitted. Rease has a medallion that keeps him from being affected by her and Thomas pointed out that he is the only one who has nothing to gain from her attention but her attention.

Oh, Dove said, her voice surprised and cautious as her head rocked back before she nodded as if something had suddenly become clear. That could explain some of it, then.

Jonas looked at her in surprise.

What do you mean? he asked.

Dove winced, her expression apologetic, as if delivering bad news.

Well, if he’s the only one she can have a normal relationship with, then it makes even more sense why she would be so attached to him, she said quietly.

Normal? Jonas said, astonished. She can’t have anything normal with him, Dove. I keep telling you, he’s not normal.

Dove gave him a reproving look.

"I mean normal as in he won’t be spending all his time dancing attendance on her moods, she said quietly, like anyone else would have to do. And that means that she can freely talk and interact with him without worrying that he is being deceptive or dishonest just to keep her mood up."

Jonas looked at Dove in horror as what she was saying penetrated.

So you think that makes him even more appealing to her? he gasped.

Of course, Dove said gently. "He’s the only one she can trust who likes her for herself, not just because she’s Our Lady of Joy. He’s the only one she can believe is being sincere in his interest for her, especially in light of the fact that it goes against everything he was taught as a Guardian. He is sincere, Jonas and she knows it. And I really do believe that she cares just as much for him as well. You’ve seen how happy they are when they’re together and how sweet they are with each other. I’m sorry to upset you more, but I think they’re in love, even if they don’t know it yet. It’s rather hard to miss."

Jonas put his head in his hands and gave a soft groan. After a moment, he felt Dove’s hand settle gently on the back of his head as she lightly stroked his hair. He tilted his head, letting her hands slide through his hair, feeling her fingertips gently brush his scalp. He did not look up until she stopped. When he did, she was smiling sympathetically at him.

I think you should be prepared for the fact that she might want to keep him, Dove said, her voice soft and sympathetic. I think it must be very hard for your daughter to trust that anyone who seems interested in her actually is because of her as an individual, not because of who she is as a Conduit. She probably does hope to keep him forever if she cares for him and knows that he cares just as much for her. I would imagine that it feels like one of the few authentic things in her life that actually belongs to her as Lira, not Our Lady of Joy.

Jonas groaned again and dropped his head back into his hands.

As he kept his head bowed, Dove again stroked his hair. As he had before, he tilted his head so that her hand could slide all over his scalp. This time she rubbed with the blunt edges of her fingernails, gently scratching his scalp like he was a cat. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had done that and he was surprised to note how much he liked it. He slumped there on the couch as if boneless, his head down, feeling the warmth of her hand and the gentle rub of her fingernails.

When she stopped, he looked up as he had before. As she had earlier, she smiled at him.

So I have to get used to this? he asked miserably before he could stop himself. I’m going to end up someday with a son-in-law who growls and shows his teeth at me when he’s angry?

You might, she said quietly. But I think it might be best for you not to borrow trouble and just consider them to be close for now. If she wants to keep him and he agrees, then she will. You may be fine with him by then. Or she may fall for someone else entirely and your concerns will have been for nothing. Don’t worry now about things that may not even come to pass. Worry when you must.

Jonas smiled at her.

Thank you, Dove, he said quietly. I appreciate you talking about this with me, because I obviously need a lot of guidance here. Honestly, I just don’t understand how teenage girls think.

Yes, boys are far less trouble, Dove teased, rolling her eyes. Or so you all keep claiming, anyway. Too bad you don’t have a son for comparison.

Jonas turned white and dropped his head back down.

Chapter Two

Rease was having a wonderful time back at Eastlake with Lira.

Not only had he swatted her rear numerous times and seen her jump surprisingly high each time, but she had not gotten mad about it. After the fourth time he had done it, she had given him a look when he had tried to get her up, raising a single eyebrow and pursing her mouth, even as he could see the humor under it all. He had assumed that meant she was tired of being swatted at that point, so he had grinned and gotten up himself to get the food he had asked for, making a mental note not to swat her again until tomorrow at the earliest.

Now, they were snuggled on the couch, her in his lap, her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. They had been sleeping when her father had stopped in some time ago and Rease had not wanted to wake her. Luckily her father had agreed they could talk tomorrow, so he didn’t have to.

Thinking of it now, he was surprised that Jonas had not given him so much as a disapproving frown once he had become aware of the other man’s presence. He had expected some level of snarling when he had awoken to see Jonas watching them, but to his relief, the other man had said nothing, just smiled pleasantly at them. As he rested his head on Lira’s, Rease was glad. He normally liked mouthing off to Jonas, but he would have awoken Lira and not in a nice way, either. So in this case, it was good that Jonas hadn’t said anything, he thought again. Since he had left, Rease had just been sitting here, enjoying the warmth of Lira on his lap and the dim silence of the room.

He felt much better now, as learning that he had been worrying unnecessarily had been a welcome relief. He had liked her repeated assurances that she still cared for him and that a few days apart was hardly going to change that before she had finally nodded off. Hearing her say such things had been exactly what he had needed to convince him that he was still welcome in this new life he had so recently discovered and now valued greatly. Thinking of that, he tightened his arms around her gently and she shifted a little in response. As he watched, her eyes cracked open.

Dad here? she muttered.

No, he came by not that long ago, he replied softly. You were sleeping and neither one of us wanted to wake you, so we agreed to talk tomorrow.

Sure, she mumbled against his neck. Sleep, then?

Yes, he agreed, smiling down at her, it’s time for bed now.

He gently pushed her up from his lap and led her into the bedroom. Night got up from the carpet and staggered to his plush mat at the foot of the four-poster bed. Never one to wake quickly, Lira simply collapsed on the bed with a groan, face down. Rease stood by the bed, grinning down at her. She was so odd in such strange ways that it never failed to make him smile, he thought.

Pillow, she mumbled, lifting her head up. You’re up. Come on. Time for work.

Rease laughed quietly as he settled next to her. She shifted to drape herself over him with her head on his shoulder. He slid an arm over her shoulders and felt her wiggle a little as she settled in against him. Then she gave a contented sigh.

Good pillow, she whispered, her voice thick with sleep. Missed you. Don’t leave before I wake up in the morning.

I won’t, he whispered back, but your father might not like it if he shows up in the morning.

She made a loud, rude noise against his neck that made him twitch in surprise.

Don’t care, she muttered, snuggling even closer. My Wolf. My pillow. Mine.

As always when she called him by the title she herself had given him in a dramatic display in the Manor garrison, he found himself charmed. She had been in rare form that day, he remembered now with glee. The troops had been chanting Our Lady’s Wolf after she had titled him, so loudly that he had been able to hear it well past the garrison walls even after they had left.

For Rease, an orphan who had long been known as the boy as if he were some anonymous urchin, it had been a moment of almost indescribable happiness to know that he had been publicly accepted and titled by Our Lady of Joy, the most valued and esteemed Conduit in the Western Marches, if not the world. Heady stuff indeed, he thought with a smile in the dark, sliding his fingers gently along the arch of her cheekbone where her head rested on his chest. He felt her smile and he chuckled quietly, his fingers still tracing her features.

I didn’t mean to wake you, he whispered.

You didn’t, she whispered back. That feels nice.

He trailed his fingers down her face, sliding them over her mouth. When his index finger slid past her lips, she parted them and grabbed it with her teeth. Rease froze. When she pulled it into her