Page 36 of The Guardian (Dark-Hunter 20)
Those words and the faked sincerity in her voice struck him like a blow. No one had ever said a kinder thing to him. Not in all of his life.
But he knew better. "You don't care about me. Be honest. We're enemies, you and I."
"I'm not your enemy, Seth. I don't like being your captive, and I have to say that I'm still a little peeved over that fact. But I understand why you did what you did. And it means a lot to me that you're protecting me when you have no reason to."
A bad feeling went through him over those words. Why the hell did I put them together?
"How much has Jaden told you about me?"
"Probably enough that you'll beat him for it. But I'm glad he did."
Seth let out a disgusted breath. He couldn't stand for anyone to talk about him. Ever. It never boded well for his health. Physical or mental.
Not wanting to think about it, he turned the topic. "You should probably rest."
"Not until you do."
Her comforting voice took him back in time. Back to when he'd lived with the jackals and had had a friend. When he'd been able to trust the lies other people told him.
What he wouldn't give to be that naive again.
Don't trust her. She's using you to get free. If she weakens you, she knows you'll do something stupid for her.
All people were liars. He knew that with every part of himself.
And yet ...
Seth wanted to believe in something again. He wanted to believe in someone.
Most of all, he needed to believe in Lydia.
"Tell me about your family, Lydia. What are they like?"
"They were wonderful."
"Were?"
"My mother died protecting me when I was a child."
He should have been so lucky. But he felt bad for her when it was obvious she'd loved her mother. "What happened?"
"Zeus had us attacked. Everyone was slaughtered. But my mother used her powers to send me away before they found me. She tried to send me to my father, but they killed her before she could get me all the way there."
"And your father?" Please tell me he was better than mine.
"He's wonderful ... Most times. He can be very stern and demanding. But he does it out of love for me."
Good. One less being he wanted to mutilate.
Then he started to ask her about Solin, but stopped himself. There were some things he didn't need to know and that was one of them. It was actually at the top of his list. He didn't want to hear the love in her voice when she talked about another man when that man possessed the one thing Seth would sell his soul for.
It was cruel.
But she continued talking to him in that soothing voice of hers. "The hardest part was that I couldn't really see my father growing up."
"Why?"
"He has too many enemies who would kill me if they found me. So I've had to move around a lot. Never making too many friends for fear of them betraying me, whether by accident or intentionally."
"Like me."
"In some ways. It's why I understand you, I think."
Interesting thought, that. He didn't understand himself most days, so how could she?
"Tell me more about your mother. What's your fondest memory of her?"
"She would read to me every night and then sing me a silly song to go to sleep to. After she'd leave, many times I'd get up and try to sneak out to play with my toys."
"Did she spank you for it?"
"No. My parents never hit me. She'd tickle me back to bed and threaten to take away my dessert for a week. But she never did that either."
Seth felt the beginnings of a smile, but the moment he did, he felt an evil presence coming at him.
Out of nowhere, a reaper attacked. They were taloned and winged demons who would rip apart any creature they found. Lucky him, that he'd been here for their pleasure.
Seth cursed as it sank its claws into his shoulder. That's what I get for not paying attention. He should never have been talking to her.
"Seth?" The panic in her voice meant a lot to him, but he didn't have time to chat right now.
"I'm under attack, Lydia. I have to go."
"Seth!"
He ignored her as more reapers came for him and he fought them back as best he could.
But they weren't the only ones rushing him ...
Oh yeah, this was going to really suck.
* * *
Lydia looked over to where Jaden sat on the stone floor, leaning against the wall by his fire. "He's under attack. Are you sure we can't help him?"
Jaden sent her a mocking stare. "Sure. Let's go get him pinned to Noir's wall for a week, shall we? I'm quite certain it would thrill him to no end, and make us all feel better that you care so much."
"You don't have to be so sarcastic."
"Can't help it. I sucked sarcasm straight from my mother's breast."
She ignored his even more sardonic reply. "Is there nothing we can do for him?"
"We're doing it."
Lydia hated what they were doing. It wasn't in her to sit and not fight.
Getting up, she started pacing-something she did until she was too tired to keep going. Only then did she sleep. But her dreams, probably restored by Jaden, too, tortured her with the things she'd learned about Seth.
Most of all, they tortured her with thoughts of him standing guard alone and fighting against the monsters Jaden had described.
Please be okay. Please.
She woke up well past dawn, or at least what passed for dawn in this dismal realm. "Seth?" she tried again to contact him.
He didn't answer.
She looked to where Jaden slept by the fire. I have to find him. He was in trouble, she could feel it.
The only problem was she didn't know where he was or how to get there.
Suddenly, she heard a commotion out in the hallway. She went to the door and pressed her ear against it so that she might hear what was going on.
Rumbling voices thundered, but she couldn't make out their individual words.
Not until one spoke with a clarity that made her sick.
"Huzzah! The Guardian is dead!"
