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saving another woman. And yet he
wished she could forget. Or at least forgive.
         Selene
turned as if sensing his thoughts. Their gazes met but briefly before she
looked away again. Simon held back a sigh. If only he could know what she was
thinking, what she was feeling. When they found her father dying in his castle
of ice she had clung so closely to him and she had followed him into this
strange place. But they might as well be strangers for all the attention she
had paid him since.
         Maybe she
was only there because of the things her mother had told them. Maybe it was
something more. He certainly hoped for something more. For some faint spark of
the fire which once burned between them. It almost felt as though she were
waiting for him to somehow close the gap between them, only he had no idea of
how to even begin such an undertaking. Especially now, with so much depending
on the successful completion of their mission.
         Anastasia
came and sat beside him on the stump. Simon could tell by her expression she
was troubled, and no wonder. “What do you think will happen when we finally
reach Oracle?” she whispered.
         “She’ll
tell us what we need to do.” How he hated to see such fear in her eyes. He
would take it away if only he could.
         “What
if...” She took a deep breath. “What if what we need to do is... I mean... what
if the only way to prevent the Cataclysm is for me to--”
         “Don’t
say it.” Simon grasped her hand. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you. Oracle
will know of another way. A better way. I’m sure of it.” Only he wasn’t.
Not really. And it was eating him up inside. But he didn’t want her to see it.
She needed him to believe.
         Anastasia
stared off into the woods. “I wish Charles was here.”
         “So do
I.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close. When Mishkael had sent him to be Anastasia’s protector he was certain the god had not meant
for him to come to love her the way he had. She and Charles meant more to him
than anything. They were his family.
         “Time to
move on,” Reaper said, his irritation with having to rest for the sake of the
humans and the elf clearly showing in his tone.
         Simon
rose, gently pulling Anastasia up with him. It bothered him to no end to have
brought her to this place under the advisement of two higher powers he could
not bring himself to trust. Both Reaper and Fate had aligned themselves with
one of the exiled gods and it was beyond him how they could have done so
knowing what the gods truly were. If the situation were not so desperate he
never would have brought Anastasia to this place. Despite having earlier stood
up for Reaper, truth was Simon felt exactly as Selene did about the elder
power.
         As the
two of them fell in behind Reaper, Lorn moved to his
usual spot to the left of and slightly behind Anastasia. If one comfort lay in
this place for Simon, it was in knowing one other in there group would gladly
lay down his life for Anastasia’s sake. Lorn had been
her personal guard long before Simon entered her life and his loyalty was
unquestioned. If this thing went bad and anyone dared to imagine they would
take Anastasia’s life, Simon knew he could count on the older man to see her
safely away.         
         Simon himself
would willingly shed his humanity and face off even with a higher power for her
sake. It was confrontation he could never hope to win, but such a diversion
would give Lorn a chance to help Anastasia escape. Mishkael had sent him to the lower plane to lose his life
if necessary to protect her. And though Simon had foresworn his oath to the
god, he had another, better reason to yet lay down his life if it was asked of
him. Love.

 
    CHAPTER
SIX

 
 
         Mark held
the squirming pup to the light so he could get a better look. He smiled.
Another male. Four in a littler of six. King Robert would be pleased.