Guarding the Goddess Read online

  Lifting her in his arms as though she weighed no more than a doll, he stood her carefully before the fire and helped her get out of the heavy gown.

  The minute it came off, Ellina drew a deep breath into her lungs and felt as though some of the weight that was crushing down on her had lifted. But she was colder than ever. She stood naked and shivering before the fireplace, Lor squeaking anxiously on top of her head.

  “Don’t worry, little fellow, I’ll take care of her,” Ty told him. Then he swept Ellina up into his arms again and carried her into the bathing chamber. Sure enough, the soaking tub was already filled with steaming, scented water that perfumed the air with its warmth.

  Ty started to lower her into it, but Ellina clutched at the collar of his uniform shirt, the smooth, satiny fabric cool between her fingers.

  “Wait,” she said shakily. “Would you…could you come in with me? I just feel like…the tub is deep and I feel so…so weak.”

  Ty nodded at once.

  “Of course. Can’t have you slipping under.”

  He sat her carefully on the side of the tub and quickly stripped off his shirt and trousers and boots. When he, too, was naked, he picked her up again and sank down into the steaming water, still holding her close to his chest.

  Once they were settled, the big Kindred stretched out full-length with his back against one end of the tub and his feet at the other. Ellina lay between his legs, her back and head pillowed against his broad chest and his long arms wrapped securely around her.

  “There now, little one,” he rumbled in her ear. “Just relax and warm up. You’re safe now and nothing’s going to happen. I promise.”

  Gradually, between the comfort of the steaming water and the security of his big body surrounding her much smaller frame, Ellina felt like she was beginning to thaw. All right…everything was going to be all right because Ty was here and he wouldn’t let any harm come to her. He would keep her safe, no matter what.

  He won’t be here forever though, whispered a little voice in her head. He has to leave sometime and go back to the Kindred Mother Ship.

  But Ellina pushed the mean little voice away. She couldn’t bear the thought of her big Kindred leaving—especially not tonight. For tonight, she was going to pretend Ty was hers forever and that he would never leave her side.

  “Feeling better?” he murmured in her ear at last.

  Ellina nodded and found that it was the truth.

  “Better,” she echoed. “Except I still have all this gunk on my face.”

  She drew a hand over her face and pulled it back in disgust. The elaborate eye makeup must be running—she could feel it caking in her eyelashes and below her brows.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up then,” Ty said lightly.

  Taking a soft face cloth from the pile on the side of the tub, he dipped it in the warm water and began to wash her face as though she was a child who had eaten a sticky treat at the mid-year fair and needed cleaning up.

  Ellina thought about protesting and decided not to. It felt nice to be taken care of like this—like she was little again. At the moment she felt as small and as fragile as Tutti. And for now, at least, it was good to feel that way.

  After her face, Ty washed the rest of her body with sweet smelling yina foam. It wasn’t sexual at all, though he washed her everywhere, including her breasts and nipples and between her legs. But he didn’t try to do anything but wash, even though she felt the length of his shaft harden against her backside as he touched her so gently.

  “All clean,” he said at last. “Time to get out.”

  Lifting her out of the tub as easily as he had put her in, he stood Ellina up and toweled her off completely. Then he slipped a soft, clean white nightdress over her head and picked her up again and took her to bed.

  He tucked her in between the sheets and leaned down to kiss her forehead, just above her third eye. The gesture was so like what something Guffin, her old guard, would have done, that Ellina felt something give way inside her.

  “Wait…” She reached for his arm as he started to turn away. “Wait please, Ty.”

  He turned back, looking down at her, a tender expression in his pale eyes which were vivid blue tonight.

  “Yes, my Lady?”

  “Don’t go,” Ellina begged, not caring if her plea sounded undignified. “Stay with me tonight. Hold me.”

  Ty frowned slightly.

  “You know that isn’t proper, Ellina. No one but the Potentate’s consort may sleep in her bed. I may be an off-worlder but even I know that.”

  “None of what we did just now was proper,” Ellina pointed out. “Please, Ty…” She bit her lip. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. I’m afraid…afraid I might have nightmares. About the Grand Promenade.”

  His expression softened.

  “Very well, little one. If you really want me to.”

  “I do. Please.” Ellina tugged eagerly…pleadingly on his arm. “Come to bed with me,” she whispered. “Come hold me.”

  “How can I resist?” Ty’s usually piercing eyes were gentle and his voice was soft.

  And then he was sliding between the sheets with her and gathering her into his arms. Ellina pressed her body against the long, hard length of his and pillowed her face against his chest. His arms around her felt like safety…felt like home, and the deep, masculine spice of his scent filled her senses, bringing peace and security with it.

  They didn’t speak, he only held her and that was all right because it was exactly what she needed.

  Ellina heaved a deep, contented sigh. Safe…she was safe at last.

  Finally, she fell into a dreamless sleep and whether it was the big Kindred’s warm, spicy fragrance surrounding her or the feeling of his arms holding her close, no nightmares came to disturb her all night long.

  Twenty-Nine

  “Wake up, Ty! Wake up! It’s late and we’ve overslept. The ministers will be here soon and if they see you coming out of my bed chamber…”

  Ellina didn’t finish the sentence—she didn’t have to. Ty knew exactly what the stuffy, self-important ministers who took up most of Ellina’s mornings with their proclamations and policies would think if the saw her off-worlder bodyguard sneaking out of her bed chamber.

  They’ll jump to the obvious conclusion—that we slept together.

  Which was true, but only in the sense that they really had slept in each other’s arms. Or rather, Ellina had slept in his.

  He shouldn’t have done it—shouldn’t have stayed the night in her bed. But she had seemed so fragile last night—so wounded, he thought, throwing her a worried glance. He couldn’t resist holding her close and feeling her small, soft body cuddled against his much larger one. It just felt right to have her in his arms, somehow.

  Thank the Goddess, she seemed better this morning. But he wouldn’t be surprised if she had flashbacks of yesterday’s assassination attempt for years to come—it had been an awful experience for her. And it was even worse to know that someone wanted her dead and was willing to go to almost any lengths to kill her.

  I won’t let that happen, he swore to himself fiercely. I’ll keep her safe no matter what it takes! And I’m going to find the bastard who was behind planning yesterday’s attack.

  Indeed, he had plans to start the hunt for the guilty party today, while Ellina stayed safely in her apartments with her councilors and ministers. Ty had already checked them thoroughly and knew she was all right with them, plus he had both Kindred and Chorkay guards posted outside her door. So while she worked on matters of state, he intended to work on tracking down the bastard who had tried to kill her…

  They got dressed quickly and got out of the bed chamber just as a knock sounded at the front door of the apartment. Quickly, Ty took up a position to one side of the fireplace while Ellina sat on the couch with a bundle of papers—the latest proposals her ministers had asked her to look over for their morning meeting.

  They looked perfectly natural, Ty thought, when th