Sentinels Of Varnuse 10: When The Walls Come Tumbling Down

# 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.

OUT NOW! Book 2 ~ The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows.

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GR: MMRomance Don't Read In The Closet 2014 ~ Love's Landscapes

This is the prompt I got...By Calila.

Who are they? Are they band mates heading home after a gig? Buddies after a long night out? Fans post-concert? Is this the night that changes everything? Or just a night like any other they share? How have they become so comfortable, with themselves, and each other? Is it new and fresh, or solid and steady?

HFN/HEA preferably. Other than that head where the muse insists you go! 


MY NOTES: With a little help from "Jambi" Jambrea Jo Jones this is what I've come up with...

Band Name: DeRanged.
Hit song: Red Flag Burning.
Name: Keagan Thames (blue hair)
Name: Alistair "Krunk" Krunkstone

Story Title: I Really Couldn't Care Less What You Think.

Review ~ Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse

Mrs Condit & Friends

Read Books

Why Is It?

Why is it when you start sorting through all your belongings you don't realise just how much crap you've collected over the years? I swear to the be-all-and-end-all that it multiplies over night while I'm not looking.

Why is it when you start renovating you don't realise how hard it is to work with family? They should by now realise that I'm always right and they never will be (LOL). Mind you they think they are always right as well... but in the end at least the job is getting done.

Why is it when you try to finish a story you have been working on forever you get slammed by writers block? Fricken sneaks up on you when you least expect it and won't leave until it's good and ready.

Why is it when you have a deadline so many new story idea's jump into your mind? Forcing you to write down notes just so your head won't explode... No wonder I suffer with migraines. 

Why is it when you're looking for something you know you own you can never find it? Only to turn up as soon as you have gone out and re-bought whatever it was. Seriously this alone drives me nuts.

Why is it that when you are writing a story you always feel the incessant need to re read and go back and change parts of it? I swear this is a game and my characters are playing: Let's see who can send N.J. insane the fastest?

Why is it that I keep buying books when I still have so many in my TBR pile? This one drives my family nuts because I keep re reading my favourites and forgetting the new stuff.

Tired Of Being Sick & Other Rants

I'm really starting to feel like I've been sick for the last two months. I really hate being sick because I can't think clearly to work on what I should...so everything gets put on hold and throws my writing schedule out the fricken window. I'm so not happy right now.

To be honest as soon as I got on the computer today I wanted to shut it right back down. I'm tired of listening to people bitch about their publishers. Even if what they are saying is true for them don't they realise they are only going to end up hurting the sales for other authors if their rants go viral. I often wonder if these people just rant to hear themselves talk and be the centre of attention. Haven't you ever heard: If you can't say something nice, then shut the hell up.

Okay onto something else: we never got any reno's done around the house, but we did pull down the old walk through to make preparations for the new path we're putting in. When I say we; you all know I mean The Hubs and Em... apparently I'm still not allowed to use the tools and drive the tractors - Okay, so you trip over your own feet and nearly shoot your brother once with a framing gun, and they never trust you again - who hasn't done that? It's not like I actually shot him.

We desperately need some rain in our area of the world. Just so my tanks can fill up and I won't have to buy water or switch to the yucky town water which smells like they drained it straight out of the public pool.

I have also decided that I won't be switching my computer on over the weekends... this is my time to catch up on all the stuff that needs to be done in an around the house.

Sentinels Of Varnuse: When The Walls Come Tumbling Down #9

#9.

Javier turned from his brother and seemed to be listening to the room at large. Ingrid wondered if Javier’s new friend was here somewhere. Without knowing who it was she would have to keep her eyes open. Ingrid’s curiosity got the better of her as she watched the guards in the room. The only person not doing their duty was Talon. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Javier. He looked terrified that somehow Javier would realise he was there.

Ingrid tapped Quinlan on the shoulder letting him know that she was leaving the room for a moment. She indicted for Talon to follow her from the throne room as she passed. For a fierce warrior, he looked at this moment as if he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

“Are you the one who’s has been sitting with Javier every day?” Ingrid asked. She already knew the answer but she wanted him to confirm it for her.

“I am,” Talon spoke quietly, “I meant no offense. He just seemed lonely.”

“Why did you not talk to him? Why sit in silence?” She asked curiously.

“Because I realised he’s a Prince, and I am not.”

“Yet you kept him company anyway?”

“Yes.” Talon looked her in the eyes. 

     Ingrid got the feeling he was trying to determine if he’d done wrong. 

    “Javier is so beautiful. His skin is so pale and flawless. While my own appearance can and often does scare people.” He indicated the scar running down the whole left side of his face. 

    It started in his hairline and bisected his eye going down over his cheek to end just below his jaw line. Ingrid knew the wound had been a farewell gift from Talon’s mother, on the day she threw him out of the family home, cursing him to hell and back for if she ever saw him again. For a while the man’s life ran rampart with the gossips. Ingrid also knew Quinlan had been the one to order the man be taken on as a sentinel.

“It makes me curious as to why you would do that? What did you hope to gain from such a friendship?”

“Because, he cannot see me. My face and station in life doesn’t worry him. To the prince I’m just a normal person. For just a moment each day I can pretend to look as normal as everyone else.”

Ingrid stared at him thoughtfully. “I think I have a new job for you.” She said with a smile. “I’m promoting to chief bodyguard of Prince Javier. His life and wellbeing now rests in your hands.”

Talon inhaled sharply. “Do you think that wise? I’m already despised among our kind. Why the hell would you wish me to be with the Prince where everyone can see us together? Don’t you think that will make him an even bigger target once people realise who he is?”

“Then it will be your job to teach him to stay safe. Teach him to defend himself.  Javier is much stronger than you would think.” Ingrid explained hoping Talon would read between the lines of what she was ordering him to do.

“Why me?” Talon asked.

Ingrid like that the man stood up for himself even when he knew he shouldn’t be questioning the word of King Quinlan’s head bodyguard. While she stood staring at the man she watched as he fought not to lower his eyes.  Show no fear: that had been the motto for the sentinels since they were first created into being.

In the end she only said. “Javier likes you. He isn’t afraid of you.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“No. I chose you because you won’t treat him like he is broken. The prince doesn’t need a carer. Javier needs a friend. You’ll teach him how being strong is a product of both the physical and the mental. And I have chosen you for this task because I trust you will die to defend him.”

Placing a hand over his heart Talon bowed in her direction. “As you wish. Prince Javier is now mine to protect.” Without looking back Talon walked back into the throne room and took up his new position beside Prince Javier.

Ingrid smiled at the look of determination on the sentinels face. In that instant she knew he would do his job well.

**~*~**

Javier turned slightly and inhaled. A smile crossed his lips when he realised his silent friend was so close. His heart could finally begin to calm down from all the new things being thrown at him all at once. Taking a small step Javier relaxed even further when his friend didn’t move away. The man’s warmth was a comfort.

“Quinlan, Brayden,” Ingrid said as she rejoined them. “Talon Redfeather has been promoted to Prince Javier’s personal bodyguard. Javier, now would be the time to say something if you’re not satisfied with this arrangement.”

Javier felt his face blush. Even though he couldn’t see them; he felt the weight of everyone’s gaze upon him. “Am I now in danger? Do I need to be protected?”

“Yes,” Brayden said.

Javier stiffened when Brayden grabbed a hold of his forearm. Part of him was still amazed he was no longer alone in this life. He now had a little piece of his past he could cling to.

His brother’s voice sounded like it was filled with sorrow as he again spoke. “You look too much like me for there not to be any danger.” Brayden brought Javier’s hands up too his face. Javier shivered knowing his brother was giving him the opportunity to find out what he looked like.

“Someone has put a price upon my head. I’ve only just found you. I don’t want to lose you because you might be mistaken for me.” Brayden answered.

“Do you also have a person guarding you?” Javier yanked his hands away. He knew he sounded waspish, but he couldn’t help but feel he was being treated this way because of his blindness. “I’m not helpless. I’ve taken care of myself for the last ten years. Why now do I need to be guarded?”

Ingrid snorted loudly. Javier knew she would be the one to put him in his place she had done so for the past decade. “Javier, you’ve always been guarded. My family has guarded you from the day we pulled you out of the burning ruins of your parents transport. Do you honestly think we saved you just to watch you get killed?”

Javier dropped his unseeing gaze to the floor and trembled just a little. He knew they all thought he was broken. This only proves what he had been thinking was right. His body relaxed slightly as he felt a large hand gently touch the small of his back. With his silent friend there Javier knew he could be strong.

“Fine. I will consent to a guard.”