Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 10
This story is presented weekly in draft (unedited) form. Enjoy!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 10
When he saw Peter grab Katie’s arm, Thomas vaulted over the banister, easily landing on his feet in the foyer behind her. He didn’t think, just charged forward with the intention to put himself between Katie and the man who would do her harm.
Pulling the door open wider, he threw a punch aimed squarely at Peter’s jaw. Had it connected, the man would have been thrown back a satisfying ten feet or more.
Instead, his fist landed firmly against an invisible barrier that rippled between the two sides of the frame upon impact, and Thomas found himself flying backwards into one of the large stone columns in the main hall.
The pain was minimal - his gargoyle absorbed most of it, but he scrambled to get back to Katie, still struggling with Peter in the doorway. What the hell was going on? Why couldn’t he protect his ward?
Zariah appeared nearby as he grasped Katie’s free hand to anchor her. “The requirements for aid are not met,” Zariah explained. “Her personal service is incomplete. If she passes the threshold, there’s nothing more we can do.”
“Help me!” Katie cried, her grip on Thomas’s arm slipping. “Please. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t let him take me!”
Thomas looked to Zariah, who nodded. Moving in closer, he hooked his arm around Katie’s waist and grabbed her other arm at the elbow to stabilize it.
Then he pulled. Hard.
Katie broke free and there was a moment of weightlessness as they tumbled backwards, sprawling on the stone floor as the huge door swung closed with a boom that echoed throughout the great hall.
Thomas laid on his side on the floor for several moments, Katie still tucked tightly against his body, her back to his front, his arm wrapped around her waist. She fit perfectly there, her warmth seeping under his skin, her particular scent calming as he took it in. He listened as Zariah fitted the deadbolt in place, and only then did he loosen his grip on his ward.
“Are you okay?”
She didn’t move, and his pulse increased as he got to his knees and rolled her to her back. Looking down at her, his stomach turned as he tapped the side of her face, willing her to wake up and say something. Anything.
“Katie? Wake up - answer me. Come on now...”
She moaned, turning her head to the side, her brows furrowing over her nose.
“What happened?” She rubbed her forehead with one hand before finally opening her eyes. “Where’s Peter? Is he gone?”
Thomas glanced up at Zariah, who shook her head.
“Peter is still outside.” Noting the fear in Katie’s eyes at his reply, Thomas stroked two fingers down the side of her face, hoping to ease her fears.
Zariah’s shadow fell across them. “He can’t cross the threshold since you’ve requested asylum. If three days pass and the requirements for aid have not been met, he’ll be able to come in at that time. But you are safe for now, as long as you remain in the manor.”
Katie pushed up on her elbows and Thomas stood up, reaching down to help her rise. When the skin of her hand touched his, her cheeks blushed a pretty shade of pink.
“Thank you,” she said, not quite meeting his stare. “That was stupid, and I won’t do it again.” Pulling her hand away, she turned to their hostess and smiled, the gesture not quite reaching her eyes. “Would you mind showing me back to my room now? I’d like to...um...wash up a bit.”
Zariah inclined her head. “Of course. Follow me.”
Thomas watched as the women went back up the staircase. It was a bad idea to get involved. If he were to allow himself the luxury of falling for Katie, he’d lose both the protection of the manor and his immortality. And she would be bound to him for life - something he very much doubted she was looking for just now.
When he couldn’t see her any longer, he stalked through the hall under the stairs to the conservatory at the back of the house. One of his favorite places on the rare occasion Zariah woke him, he took a seat on his normal bench and closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh green scent of the plants that surrounded him. He could do this. He could take care of Katie’s problem and send her on her way. It was just another job, and while he had to care about her as a client, he didn’t have to give in to the obvious attraction between them.
No, this mission would be strictly business, and he’d get it over with quickly.
Then he could go back to sleep for a few hundred more years.
Enjoy
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 10
When he saw Peter grab Katie’s arm, Thomas vaulted over the banister, easily landing on his feet in the foyer behind her. He didn’t think, just charged forward with the intention to put himself between Katie and the man who would do her harm.
Pulling the door open wider, he threw a punch aimed squarely at Peter’s jaw. Had it connected, the man would have been thrown back a satisfying ten feet or more.
Instead, his fist landed firmly against an invisible barrier that rippled between the two sides of the frame upon impact, and Thomas found himself flying backwards into one of the large stone columns in the main hall.
The pain was minimal - his gargoyle absorbed most of it, but he scrambled to get back to Katie, still struggling with Peter in the doorway. What the hell was going on? Why couldn’t he protect his ward?
Zariah appeared nearby as he grasped Katie’s free hand to anchor her. “The requirements for aid are not met,” Zariah explained. “Her personal service is incomplete. If she passes the threshold, there’s nothing more we can do.”
“Help me!” Katie cried, her grip on Thomas’s arm slipping. “Please. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t let him take me!”
Thomas looked to Zariah, who nodded. Moving in closer, he hooked his arm around Katie’s waist and grabbed her other arm at the elbow to stabilize it.
Then he pulled. Hard.
Katie broke free and there was a moment of weightlessness as they tumbled backwards, sprawling on the stone floor as the huge door swung closed with a boom that echoed throughout the great hall.
Thomas laid on his side on the floor for several moments, Katie still tucked tightly against his body, her back to his front, his arm wrapped around her waist. She fit perfectly there, her warmth seeping under his skin, her particular scent calming as he took it in. He listened as Zariah fitted the deadbolt in place, and only then did he loosen his grip on his ward.
“Are you okay?”
She didn’t move, and his pulse increased as he got to his knees and rolled her to her back. Looking down at her, his stomach turned as he tapped the side of her face, willing her to wake up and say something. Anything.
“Katie? Wake up - answer me. Come on now...”
She moaned, turning her head to the side, her brows furrowing over her nose.
“What happened?” She rubbed her forehead with one hand before finally opening her eyes. “Where’s Peter? Is he gone?”
Thomas glanced up at Zariah, who shook her head.
“Peter is still outside.” Noting the fear in Katie’s eyes at his reply, Thomas stroked two fingers down the side of her face, hoping to ease her fears.
Zariah’s shadow fell across them. “He can’t cross the threshold since you’ve requested asylum. If three days pass and the requirements for aid have not been met, he’ll be able to come in at that time. But you are safe for now, as long as you remain in the manor.”
Katie pushed up on her elbows and Thomas stood up, reaching down to help her rise. When the skin of her hand touched his, her cheeks blushed a pretty shade of pink.
“Thank you,” she said, not quite meeting his stare. “That was stupid, and I won’t do it again.” Pulling her hand away, she turned to their hostess and smiled, the gesture not quite reaching her eyes. “Would you mind showing me back to my room now? I’d like to...um...wash up a bit.”
Zariah inclined her head. “Of course. Follow me.”
Thomas watched as the women went back up the staircase. It was a bad idea to get involved. If he were to allow himself the luxury of falling for Katie, he’d lose both the protection of the manor and his immortality. And she would be bound to him for life - something he very much doubted she was looking for just now.
When he couldn’t see her any longer, he stalked through the hall under the stairs to the conservatory at the back of the house. One of his favorite places on the rare occasion Zariah woke him, he took a seat on his normal bench and closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh green scent of the plants that surrounded him. He could do this. He could take care of Katie’s problem and send her on her way. It was just another job, and while he had to care about her as a client, he didn’t have to give in to the obvious attraction between them.
No, this mission would be strictly business, and he’d get it over with quickly.
Then he could go back to sleep for a few hundred more years.
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