“Oh.” She shook her head, the action appearing more as a way to clear her mind than a motion of the negative. “I’m sorry, that sounded so rude. I didn’t mean anything by that. I wasn’t expecting you though.”
“Why is this?”
She motioned with her hand up and down his body. “You are the leader. I never expected you would be on guard duty.”
Her words were intelligent, as under any other circumstances he would not be. Still, best she not know that. “A leader who views himself above any task is setting a poor example for his people.”
The nod she gave was little more than humoring him, if the flattened twist of her mouth was honest in revealing her true thoughts. Still, she did not question him any further, and that was the outcome he desired. She asked instead, “Does this mean I’m going to see you often?”
Yes, but she did not need to know the truth at this time. “In the beginning only a handful of warriors will watch you as I search for information. I will be among them.”
“Oh,” she muttered, though he doubted she meant the word to be audible. She licked her lips, a nervous gesture. She looked around her apartment for a long moment. “I’m sorry. I’m forgetting my manners. Would you like something to drink or eat? I mean, I don’t know what gargoyles eat…”
The words trailed off and she was studying him again, her eyes stopping and lingering on the expanse of his chest, bare as his kind rarely wore shirts. The hint of a blush swept her cheeks, the color of springtime roses, which suited her pale hair and sky eyes.
“Water would be fine. As long as the glass is not delicate, I will be able to use it.”
Relief washed over her features as her gaze met his again. “Not a problem. Please sit.”
She motioned to the lone couch and walked into the adjoining kitchen area. Her apartment was small enough that the kitchen was readily visible from the living area, her graceful movements as she went about her duties always in his view.
She brought the water, handing it to him. After drinking a sip, he put the cup down. “Your hospitality is gracious, so please forgive me when I ask if there was a reason you invited me in?”
Chagrin danced across her features before a smile crossed her lips. He easily saw her as a little girl, caught in her naughtiness by her father but trying to charm him from giving any deserved punishment. “I wanted to talk. I needed to ask some more questions.”
“I am always willing to answer your questions, but I feel uneasy here. I am more effective as a guardian if I observe you from afar. I am more aware of the surrounding areas and can prevent anyone from getting near you.”
Larissa took the seat across from him, drinking from her own water glass before answering. “And here I thought bodyguards always wanted to be closer to the people they were protecting.”
He never had, not until her. “Gargoyles are not used to anyone wanting them near.”
The wind howled past the glass, creating a haunting backdrop to their conversation. He missed the play of firelight over her skin. She was a creature of light. Sunlight or firelight, it did not matter. She should be bathed in radiance.
Her eyes were direct on his, proof that his memory was correct and he hadn’t been imagining how bright and clear and true the blue was. “I still don’t think I need a babysitter, but I’d prefer that whenever possible, you are close to me. It feels too weird to know someone is out there watching me when I can’t see them.” Her eyes flicked over his frame and before they shied from him they deepened in color to reflect a twilight sky. “But only you. No offense to anyone else.”
Strange, his throat was tight. He swallowed before speaking. “If that is your wish, I will do so when possible.”
She nodded, her fingers tangling themselves together as she lost herself to her own thoughts for long moments. Then she let out a chuckle, the sound resigned humor. “Can my life get any stranger?”
No answer was needed, and she rose to pace the length of her living area.
Movement seemed to calm her. Both at the keep and now here in her own home, her movements started frantic, mellowing as her body burned the negative emotion from her.
Once she reached calm, she turned her attention back to him. “A member of the Guild came to my school today. Well, I should say two of them. The redheaded woman I saw Friday night and a little Japanese woman.”
“Yes,” he said.
“My dad,” she took a deep breath, uncertainty coating her words. “I don’t think my dad knows about them.”
“He may not. Or he might not know the extent of their influence. They would not bother him over the daily dealings of crime in this city. That is not their concern. Their concern is the battle with the necromancers.”