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“With the guards Yardan promised to send standing watch outside,” Sulat added.
Their concern for her was an unexpected pleasure, a warm and welcome feeling she wanted to bask in. If they intended to walk her home, this time she might get a goodbye kiss from each of them before they went on with their day.
She hadn’t been able to get those first passionate kisses out of her mind all morning. Every time she looked at either of them, her libido lit up like an overheated jump-engine. It had to be the stress of the day making her feel this way. A few kisses shouldn’t make her feel this way, even if they had been toe-curlingly good ones. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this way… but it had been a few decades, at least.
Forcing her mind back to the task at hand, she smiled at her companions. “I think I’m done here. Rae can transfer any files I need to my home office. I’ll fetch my med-kit from the office and we can be on our way. Rae, please inform anyone who inquires to contact one of the other med-centers for assistance.”
“Of course, Dr. Clark. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“Thank you, I will. Oh, and Rae? I haven’t forgotten. I’ll speak to these two about providing some improvements to your security functions.”
“That would be appreciated. Helping the healers and their patients is my primary purpose. Now I have registered this vulnerability, the inability to safeguard those under my care is… disconcerting.”
“I imagine it would be.”
A crew was already working on the front door as they passed through it. Everyone in sight wore crests and garb that marked them as members of the palace staff, all under the watchful eye of several royal guardsmen.
It wasn’t until they left the area that she started to feel uneasy. The reality of her situation finally sank in as they moved through the now bustling streets. The crowd made her feel vulnerable. Were some of these beings part of the Liq’za? Did their friendly smiles hide dark secrets and intentions?
As if reading her mind, Sulat and Tariq each took one of her hands and moved in close to her sides. A second later they extended their wings, overlapping them to create a protective wall behind her.
She exhaled and gripped their hands tightly. “Thank you. I hate feeling this way. Suddenly I can’t tell friend from foe.”
“Most are friends who despise what the Liq’za stand for. The few who aren’t…” Sulat’s words trailed off into a threatening growl.
“If any of them try to harm you, we’ll pay them back in kind,” Tariq finished the statement.
“Healers and warriors.” Jody shook her head. “I never imagined someone could be both. Not until I met the two of you.”
Sulat shifted his grip on her hand so his thumb could stroke over the backs of her knuckles. “We fight to protect those we treasure. It is the way of our species.”
Those we treasure. The words sent a thrill down her spine. It was too soon for those words to really be true, but they sparked hope for the future—a future that included all three of them.
“I’m on that list?” she asked, her tone light and teasing. “I’m honored, even though I’m certain Tariq’s special cookies and of course, your daughter, are higher priorities.”
“The recipe for those is a family tradition, passed down through centuries. They’re definitely on the list,” Tariq declared. “I’m glad you like them.”
“I do. Very much. In fact, I think it’s safe to say I’ve liked everything I’ve discovered about the two of you today.”
“We feel the same way.” Sulat raised her hand to his mouth to kiss her fingers. “And for the record, I think you taste better than the cookies.”
With that, the three of them departed. Despite the fact they walked instead of flew, Jody felt like her feet never touched the ground.
Her emotional high came crashing down the second she saw the symbols etched into the walls and door of her home. Not satisfied with defacing the clinic, the Liq’za had come to her house, too.
Feelings of violation mixed with utter fury. “Those bastards. They trashed my home!”
Both Tariq and Sulat growled in unison, their grip on her hands tightening.
“Stay with Tariq,” Sulat told her firmly. “I’ll check inside.”
Part of her wanted to insist she come too, but what point was there? Seeing the damage wouldn’t change anything, and if someone was still in there…
“Alright.” She shifted closer to Tariq and released Sulat’s hand. “But promise me you’ll stay in contact with him while you’re in there? He can relay what you say so I know what’s going on.”
“Agreed.”
Sulat pulled a long-bladed knife from his belt as he stalked toward the front door, his footsteps almost completely silent. The smiling male she knew, the healer with a gentle bedside manner, had been replaced by a dangerous predator.
