The Warrior's Pet(59)

Ismat shook his head. The Daimio had a tough road ahead.

When Ismat came back to the temple after a final prayer over the dead he'd been surprised to see Giselle curled up on the alter uttering prayers. It touched him deeply that she sought refuge here. But as soon as he approached Giselle she fled from the temple.

When Ismat finally caught up to Giselle, he had been stunned. Ismat watched in awe as the little alien female threw the male twice her size then lashed out bringing him to his knees. Ismat did not see who the cloaked warrior was but his behavior was reprehensible. It didn't matter that she was considered a pet. No one should treat anyone or anything this way.

The longer Ismat watched Giselle fight the more he wondered if perhaps the Goddess Kali herself had sent the unusual female. Ismat came to his senses the moment the barbaric male captured Giselle up the street. The female needed assistance and he was just gawking.

"Get off me!" He heard her cry out.

"You will do as she says." Ismat demanded.

The warrior turned and looked at him, but Ismat didn't have the chance to get a good look at the warrior before the male fled.

Ismat knelt beside Giselle. Her lip was busted and bleeding, and Ismat was sure he saw blood on the road beneath her head.

"Thank you Ismat." Giselle said stoically as she sat up.

"You should stay down I will get help." Ismat insisted.

"I've gotten my clock rocked harder." Giselle replied.

Ismat wasn't quite sure, but he got the gist of what she was saying though he still thought she should await assistance. Ismat shook his head at the odd tough female as he wrapped his arm around her to help her up.

"Not that side. Watch the wrist." Giselle winced.

"Female you ARE stubborn." Ismat groused though he was more concerned.

"That's what I tried to tell you earlier." Giselle replied as she walked with him.

She was a bit unsteady with a little hitch in her step but doing well considering. She was a little fighter.

"Let's get you back to the manor I'm sure the Daimio must be concerned."

Giselle paused and Ismat realized she had left the manor for a reason. Surely the Daimio hadn't been cruel to her as well.

"Has the Daimio been unkind?" Ismat asked wondering if Kagan even deserved such a unique female if he too had hurt her.

"Do not worry about me. I will be fine." Giselle replied.

"I'm sure that you will, but no one deserves what happened to you." Ismat insisted. "The Daimio should have been protecting you."

"Seriously?" Giselle's eyes flashed at him. "Ismat you are a smart man. The problem is not that Kagan wasn't here to protect me. You know it's because of the way your people view me. As long as I'm viewed as something less, something to be owned and possessed this kind of shit is going to happen."

"I am sorry to say that you are correct. But that is all the more reason you should stay with the Daimio."

"He was preoccupied." Giselle replied grimacing as her lip bled.

"Rahela?"

"Yes Rahela."

Ismat felt the need to meditate on the matter. He didn't envy the difficult path the Daimio and little Giselle had ahead of them. But first things first he needed to see to Giselle's injuries.



Kagan quo Rordan

Kagan canvased the city. He had seen a few of his men patrolling or looking for a place to rest for the night but none had seen Giselle. A few times the wind shifted and Kagan thought he caught scent of Giselle but lost it in the winding streets.

Kagan was heading back towards main road when he stopped. There it was again, Giselle's distinctive perfume laced with that pungent scent that raised the hair on the back of his neck. Kagan growled, his nostrils flared as his eyes were drawn to a scrap of fabric on the side of the street.

Kagan bent down and picked up the swath of blue. He didn't even need to study it to know it was the remnant of Giselle's top. Kagan noticed blood on the cobblestone and dropped to his knees.

"Kali No!"

Kagan wanted to howl into the night. Something terrible had happened to his Giselle. Who had done this?

Kagan's comm beeped.

"Where in the name of the Goddess are you." Dagaa demanded, but continued before Kagan could respond. "You need to get your tail back here Ismat just brought Giselle in. She's been attacked."

Kagan didn't even wait for Dagaa to finish before he took off down the street towards the regent's manor. He barreled through the front doors and nearly knocked Ismat down.

"Daimio" Ismat nodded to him and started to leave. Kagan gripped his cloak.

"Thank you." Kagan choked out.

"Of course." Ismat said but then paused. "Remember Kali's blessings come with a price."

Kagan knew only too well the sacrifices the Goddess demanded, but what tribute would she exact for him to take Giselle as his own. As he frantically wandered the streets Kagan realized he was willing to give up anything for her. But he now feared it was Giselle paying that price.