Valry was not happy with that answer if the further flattening of her already non-existent lips was any indication. Nope, nope, no matter what, Larissa was not going to ever be alone with this female.
Valry’s anger radiated off her in waves while the other Clan members showed only curiosity. The mood was not censorious but Terak hated that he had no answers to give. They might be uncertain on what happened to bring about this unprecedented incident, but their confusion could not match his own.
He had turned from his fight with the zombies to see his little human in the grasp of the female Guild member. He knew the Guild would not harm her, but they would take her somewhere he could not follow. A haze settled over his vision.
Once she was in his arms instinct took over. He brought her to where none would dare touch her without permission.
She took a step back to put distance between herself and Valry, a move that illustrated his little human was no fool and could read situations. She came close enough that her hair brushed across his wings. His eyes slid over her form. Small but constant tremors were shaking her frame, and his chest went concave.
She was unused to battle, and not only had she faced zombies this night but had been taken from her home against her will. Fear, tension, and fatigue were riding her hard.
And instead of sheltering her, he placed her in front of his people with no explanation, making her unsure if her fight was over.
Though he knew his Clan – Valry – was studying his every move, he could not let her suffer any further. He picked her up, hearing her small gasp from his unexpected movement. His mouth to her ear, his words meant for her alone, he said, “You are safe here, little human. I vow it. None will harm you.”
He pulled back enough to study her eyes. The cornflower blue absorbed him, drowning out the knowledge of his Clan standing feet away or the words of the Oracle which had brought them together. All these months watching her, the one question he could not answer was the color of her eyes.
Terak thought he had imagined every shade possible, but he had been wrong. This shade of blue – soft and warm, the color pure throughout – he had not conceived of, but now that he beheld them he could think of no more perfect color for her.
The rustling of wings brought his attention back to his people. Valry’s hands were clenched into tight fists. He would have to deal with her later, but for now his first responsibility lay in providing for the woman in his arms.
His gaze on his Clan, Terak said, “This woman is guest, not enemy.” Ignoring the questioning eyes of his people, he continued, “Are all patrols back?”
Malek, his second-in-command, came forward. “All but two.”
“Which patrols?”
“Over the Vampire stronghold.”
Terak nodded. “We will speak of it later,” he said. With no further words of explanation and the human held tight in his arms, he turned to descend the stairway which led into the tower.
Everything was grey – walls, stairs, ceilings. Maybe the creatures kept it that way so they could camouflage themselves if something attacked them here. If it wasn’t for his hair and the black pants he wore, the creature holding her would have disappeared into his surroundings.
The creature took her through the tower and into the body of the castle. After a lot of stairs, twists, and turns with nothing to look at but miles of utilitarian grey stone, they came to a room that held the biggest collection of books Larissa had ever seen.
The room was two, maybe three stories tall, and from floor to ceiling were nothing but shelves lined with books. Rich splashes of blue, burgundy, brown and green delighted her color starved eyes. Several couches in a muted tan fabric and a large fireplace in the middle of the back wall were the only other decorations in the room.
The creature set her on her feet again. She stepped back a few paces, gauging his reaction as she moved away.
He did not try to keep her near and let her roam as she wished. With the speed of the night’s events, Larissa hadn’t had the chance to study him. She took advantage of their quiet interlude to do so now.
His wings appeared leathery, and though they were currently draped over his shoulders, she remembered the full wingspan well enough that she was sure it equaled his nearly seven feet in height. He had a tail, the tip of which currently rested beside his booted foot. He was thick with muscle, every part of his body defined. His arms seemed the size of support beams, his legs thick as oaks, and his clawed hands looked as if he could encircle her waist in them.
Outside of the wings, tail, and claws that tipped his fingers, his features overall were almost human, just a little more. A little sharper, a little harder, a little bigger.