way, but I can’t help wanting to protect him as I always have. I’ve always been the stronger of the pair of us. I’m older and supposedly wiser, right?”
“But he’s a Master Mage now, Micah, and plenty strong in his own right. You may always be older, but just in this past hour, I’ve wondered if he’s not wiser. The way he handled Jana is something I wouldn’t have expected.”
“Darak has a deep soul. His healing ability makes him more vulnerable to those in need, and your sister definitely qualifies. He already cares for her. We’ll just have to wait and see if it develops into anything long lasting, or if she can return the feelings. She’s been through a lot. It’s amazing, really, that she’s in as good shape as she is right now after all she’s been through.”
“The way you guided Darak? That’s the way Jana guided me as we grew up. She’s amazing, Micah. She just needs a little time to get back what the Wizards stole from her. Now that she’s with us, I think she’s got a good start on the road back. She used to be just as mischievous in her way as Darak is. It’ll be good to see the teasing light come back into her eyes.”
“Well, if anyone can do that, Darak can.”
CHAPTER THREE
The clothes were gorgeous. The most beautiful things Jana had ever seen in her life. Darak had smiled as he told her to pick something out of the huge wardrobe that waited, and her jaw had dropped in sheer amazement.
“This is too much. I’ve never even seen this much clothing in one place, much less owned it.”
“All the more reason for you to have a good selection from which to choose now.” Darak went to the wardrobe and pulled out a shimmering blue creation of the softest shiffin fiber. It flowed over his arm in draping shimmers down to the floor. It was beautiful, as well as costly, she knew. “This is the one I was thinking about for tonight. Not too revealing, not too demure. Bold, yet classy, and you’ll look amazing in it.”
She allowed him to hold the confection of rare fabric up to her shoulders and had to admit it felt like heaven. The color was almost the exact shade of blue of the crystal that now pulsed in her skin. She peered into the wardrobe and noted a lot of garments in the very same hue. He had somehow intuitively known that she wanted to minimize the appearance of the stones that she would wear now forever. Camouflaging them with blue clothing was a good first step.
She turned to him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek that apparently took him completely by surprise.
“What was that for?”
She swallowed the tears that threatened before she could answer him.
“Thank you, Lord Darak.” She cleared her throat softly before continuing. “This is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He moved in close, his thumb wiping the small tear that escaped her eye. The tenderness in his gaze was enough to break her heart.
“You deserve finery, Jana, and all the kindness we can give you. You’ve had a hard time with the Wizards and still have a long road of recovery ahead, but you need to know you’re safe here with us. Safe, and welcome and treasured.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her trembling lips then pulled back as if it were the hardest thing he’d ever done. “Now, go try that on and let me bask in my largesse.” He patted her butt lightly before settling on her bed and stretching his arms up to rest behind his head as he leaned back against the richly padded headboard.
She turned on shaky legs for the huge bathroom he had shown her earlier. And it was a real bathroom, with running water and a huge sunken tub, big enough for two. Having spent much of her time aboard ship, she wasn’t used to bathing with water or having this much room in which to do it. This was a luxury she could all too easily come to require.
With a smile, she tugged off the hated hospital jumpsuit and pulled on the shimmering creation in blue. While it
“But he’s a Master Mage now, Micah, and plenty strong in his own right. You may always be older, but just in this past hour, I’ve wondered if he’s not wiser. The way he handled Jana is something I wouldn’t have expected.”
“Darak has a deep soul. His healing ability makes him more vulnerable to those in need, and your sister definitely qualifies. He already cares for her. We’ll just have to wait and see if it develops into anything long lasting, or if she can return the feelings. She’s been through a lot. It’s amazing, really, that she’s in as good shape as she is right now after all she’s been through.”
“The way you guided Darak? That’s the way Jana guided me as we grew up. She’s amazing, Micah. She just needs a little time to get back what the Wizards stole from her. Now that she’s with us, I think she’s got a good start on the road back. She used to be just as mischievous in her way as Darak is. It’ll be good to see the teasing light come back into her eyes.”
“Well, if anyone can do that, Darak can.”
CHAPTER THREE
The clothes were gorgeous. The most beautiful things Jana had ever seen in her life. Darak had smiled as he told her to pick something out of the huge wardrobe that waited, and her jaw had dropped in sheer amazement.
“This is too much. I’ve never even seen this much clothing in one place, much less owned it.”
“All the more reason for you to have a good selection from which to choose now.” Darak went to the wardrobe and pulled out a shimmering blue creation of the softest shiffin fiber. It flowed over his arm in draping shimmers down to the floor. It was beautiful, as well as costly, she knew. “This is the one I was thinking about for tonight. Not too revealing, not too demure. Bold, yet classy, and you’ll look amazing in it.”
She allowed him to hold the confection of rare fabric up to her shoulders and had to admit it felt like heaven. The color was almost the exact shade of blue of the crystal that now pulsed in her skin. She peered into the wardrobe and noted a lot of garments in the very same hue. He had somehow intuitively known that she wanted to minimize the appearance of the stones that she would wear now forever. Camouflaging them with blue clothing was a good first step.
She turned to him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek that apparently took him completely by surprise.
“What was that for?”
She swallowed the tears that threatened before she could answer him.
“Thank you, Lord Darak.” She cleared her throat softly before continuing. “This is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He moved in close, his thumb wiping the small tear that escaped her eye. The tenderness in his gaze was enough to break her heart.
“You deserve finery, Jana, and all the kindness we can give you. You’ve had a hard time with the Wizards and still have a long road of recovery ahead, but you need to know you’re safe here with us. Safe, and welcome and treasured.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her trembling lips then pulled back as if it were the hardest thing he’d ever done. “Now, go try that on and let me bask in my largesse.” He patted her butt lightly before settling on her bed and stretching his arms up to rest behind his head as he leaned back against the richly padded headboard.
She turned on shaky legs for the huge bathroom he had shown her earlier. And it was a real bathroom, with running water and a huge sunken tub, big enough for two. Having spent much of her time aboard ship, she wasn’t used to bathing with water or having this much room in which to do it. This was a luxury she could all too easily come to require.
With a smile, she tugged off the hated hospital jumpsuit and pulled on the shimmering creation in blue. While it
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