# 10.
Brayden
watched as a myriad of emotions washed over his brother’s face. He hated seeing
the hurt and uncertainty there. What Talon said blew him away, Brayden could
feel his anger rising.
“Not to
worry little one I’m going to teach you how to defend yourself.” Talon spoke
softly to Javier.
Brayden
stared at the fierce looking warrior stunned. “He’s blind, how are you going to
teach him?” Brayden flinched as he the warrior’s face harden. Cold grey eyes
stared through him and it sent a shiver running down the length of Brayden's
spine. If looks could kill he would already be dead.
“Just
because he can’t see doesn’t mean that he can’t use his other sense to protect
himself.” Talon replied coldly. His hand taking possession of Javier’s arm as Talon
pulled Javier closer to him. Javier smiled and leant further back into Talon’s
hand.
“What
will you teach him first?” Ingrid enquired. Brayden thought she seemed a little
too pleased with this turn of events.
Talon
didn’t even seem to think about it before answering. “I’ll start him off with
his fists. Once he has that mastered we’ll move onto weaponry.”
“Weapons?”
Quinlan asked. His surprise evident.
Again
Talon answered with surety in his voice. “First the dagger, and then the sword.
I will move onto everything else after that. He needs to be proficient in all
of them.” When he heard a few gasps of disbelief he continued. “It’s not the
eyes that will win you the fight. Fighting is instinctual. His hearing, and
sense of smell are just as good in a battle. By the time I’m done Prince Javier
will wield a sword just as good as any in the king’s guard.”
“With
you teaching him, I dare say he will be better than most in the king’s guard.” Ingrid
countered.
Talon
bowed in her direction, “I thank you for that compliment.”
“I’m
just stating a fact.” Ingrid replied.
“Are
you all fucking nuts?” Brayden snapped. “This is my brother’s life you’re
talking about. Are you purposely trying to get him killed?”
**~*~**
At the
sound of the king’s consorts anger Talon moved Javier closer to him. Not that
he thought Brayden would harm his own brother but Talon wanted to be ready non-the-less.
Javier was his to protect now and that was something he was determined to do. “Your
brother isn’t broken. He is fully capable of taking care of himself.”
The man
in his arms turned and whispered so only Talon could hear. “I want to go back
now. I don’t want to be here and listen to this… Please.”
Talon didn’t
even have to think before he gently led his charge from the room. The other
would soon learn that where Javier was concerned people would have to go
through him if they planned on insulting the man—no matter who they were.
Family or not—Javier would be protected.
A soft
moan escaped Javier’s lips as the travelled through the castle corridors back
to Javier’s residence.
“Are
you alright, my prince?” Talon asked as he slipped his arm around his companion’s
wist in support. He could feel the tension building in Javier’s body. Before another
word could be spoken Talon swooped him up and raced toward the privacy of the
prince’s rooms.
“Something’s
wrong.” Javier ground out, and Talon felt the spasms arcing through his body.
By the
time he placed Javier on his bed Talon knew they were in deep shit. The man’s body was pulsing and talon could
feel the heat pouring off of the man. Shock filled his eyes s short bristly
hairs punched through his skin then receded just as fast as they appeared. Pain
was etched on the beautiful man. When Javier snatched out a hand and grabbed
his forearm, Talon held back a shout of alarm as claws protruded from Javier’s fingertips
and bit into Talon’s flesh. More shocking yet was the yowl which filled the
room as Javier’s eyes flashed from human to resemble those of the wild panthers
associated with the ancient ones. In that
moment Talon was sure Javier could see in his newer form.
“Don’t
tell anyone.” Javier begged him as another wave of pain washed through his
body.
Talon didn’t
speak as he lay on the bed and gathered the young man into his arms and held
him close. If Javier wanted to keep his secrets than nothing and no one would
hear anything from his lips. He would die before he betrayed his new found
reason for living. Before he had come across Javier in the garden Talon had
been seriously considering ending his life by his own hands. The fate of
meeting Javier had changed everything Talon thought he knew about himself. He only
hoped that if he was correct and Javier could see in his other form than he
didn’t get scared by what he saw. Talon never wanted to be rejected by the man whose
friendship had come to mean everything to him. How many hours had he sat and
listened while Javier talked about his life and his dreams.
Before long
the tremors changed and in an instant Talon found himself with his arms full of
a very large black panther. His fur was a dark as the midnight sky. His eyes
held a golden cast to them as he stared back at Talon. So the rumours were
true. The ancient ones were being reborn… or was it re awakened? If this part
of the legacy was true than what about the other parts. Once long ago many
different shifter breeds co-existed in their world but over the centuries they
were believed to have died out. But what he was seeing right now just proved
how very wrong he truly was. If the ancient ones were still in existence then
Talon could only assume the guild would once again be reawakening. They were
the hunter of all shifter, believing them to be an abomination upon society.
The deep
rumbling purr brought Talon back to the present as he realised the panther in
his arms had snuggled closer and had fallen asleep. Content to rest where he
was. When Talon tried to extract himself a low growl assaulted his ears and he
stilled until the rumbling purr once again filled the room. Weirdly the
sensation of it vibrating through Talon’s chest was comforting. As if the
panther knew he was there for his protection.
“You
are so beautiful. Even in this form you hold all my attention. I know now why I
survived what happened to me in my youth. My mother tried to destroy who I was.
The years have been hard yet now I know I survived because of you. I must have
known one day you would come into my life and change my world.” Talon whispered
as he nuzzled his face against the cats head.
As he
lay there his thoughts drifted to something else he’d once read about. The true
sentinels of Varnuse the five cousins who were destined to watch over the
world. Were they real or just some child story written long ago? In truth he
hoped they were real. With everything coming to pass they would need the help
of Simian, Malacyte, Haydrian, Scarpeous, and
Raevyn. The last was said to be the most feared as his destiny was as the punisher. If he were true than Talon
knew they needed the five cousins on their side in what was to come.
