Page 28 of The Death Striker's Partner
But right now, sat practically on his lap, and off to the palace because he once again put me first. Yes, I find him physically attractive with his broad shoulders, muscular body, and the carer in me is drawn to his timid soul. I even like how big and powerful he looks. But his desire to put me first isreallysexy.
I clear my throat and ever so gently stroke my hand along his jaw. “Is that something you’d like us to be? A couple?” He swallowed thickly and I blushed as his hands took hold of my waist.
“Yes. I would.” I giggled and nodded, pleased with both his answer and the adoring look in his fathomless eyes. He smiled too and I gasped pleasantly as he took his right hand off my waist to stroke my cheek and comb through my long raven hair. He started to reel me closer and I licked my lips with anticipation of what I hoped would be a kiss that lived up to my wanton expectations.
The basket swung to a stop and we both scrambled apart before anyone saw us. Once outside I put my hands on my kevlar-clad hips and chuckled up at him. “Once we are off duty I would like to discuss that matter further.” He tried to sound like we were discussing work. I thought that was so cute, so I decided to play along.
“Yes absolutely. We’ll debrief and go over the details on how to proceed later.”
“Agreed.” He nods and lowers to let me climb up onto his back and into the harness. I smirk as I smooth my hands as seductively as I can onto his shoulders and lean forward to whisper by his left side.
“I look forward to it.” I quickly plant a kiss on his neck and wrap my arms around him. For support as he carries me, of course. “By the way? That isn’t dependent on whether I get to talk to Billie or not.” I didn’t want him thinking I was trying toseduce him just to get me into the palace and to see my sister. No matter what happened with Billie, I like Tumva. A lot.
“…g-er-good.” He cleared his throat and picked up the pace towards the next travel basket.
Chapter 24
Reporting for duty
Tumva
I can’t believe it. Hannah wants me to court her. We nearly kissed. My chest feels over full of joy and I can’t even act on it. We are travelling up the servants’ entrance to the Palace and on duty. Ezid is right about the Peacekeeper professional conduct rules. We are in full uniform and therefore I can’t act on the burning desire beneath my scales to tangle myself around her. How long has she felt this way about me? Is it as long as I have desired her? From the beginning? Or did I do something to win her over? Humans don’t have scent pits or sensitive tongues like we do. How will I ever know when she started to desire me?
No, enough of that now. I push down the anxious butterflies of excitement at the strange new feeling of being desired by another. We are on duty. This is Hannah’s first patrol and we’re on guard duty in the Palace. I need to keep one eye on her and my other on everyone else. I put aside how warm her arms feel around my neck as she sits comfortably in the harness on my back. Many access spirals connect the bottom level of the palace to various tiers of entry. Each entrance has a coloured ring around the rim to identify which tier it is, and a code above it that signifies the quadrant. We are looking for a blue entrance with the events venue code above it. I try to scale the spire as smoothly as possible for the benefit of my cargo.
“Wow this is high up.” She chuckles nervously and hugs me close. Her legs pinch my sides and I chuckle at her.
“We are nearly there.” I reassure her and I hear her huff behind me. I wonder absently if she notices the way the other Ucfeni see and smell me coming and flee quickly. Either from within the entrances we pass or on parallel access spires. Serving staff, the Elite guard, and other Peacekeepers alike. As we reach our destination the Elite guard dressed in bronze plated armour and spears regards me warily. “Peacekeeper officer Tumva of the 21st pit reporting for Guard duty in the main festival hall.” I greet them officially and lift Hannah from my harness. Once she is stood beside me I stand to attention with my fist to my chest.
“Peacekeeper officer Hannah Blac, also reporting to duty. I’m Tumva’s partner.” The two guards approached us warily and I watched them carefully.
“We will need to validate who you say you are.” The first Guard, a make with sharp-looking scales and a desert temperament speaks and presses his com-gem. The end of his tail rattles softly in warning, and he doesn’t take his eyes off me and Hannah as he speaks to his superior. The second Guard doesn’t seem as distrustful of us. He has yellow and white scales, one of the albino subspecies, and his eyes were pale yellow as he approaches us. His spear is raised like a staff and I don’t taste aggression coming off him, so I allow him to approach us. I still coil the end of my tail possessively around Hannah’s feet to include her within my personal space.
“I’ve seen human peacekeepers before, but not in the palace. Not unless there’s been an emergency.” His pale face leans towards Hannah and he flicks his pink tongue out at her. It’s obvious that he rather likes her fire and honey scent. I feel my body tense as he makes his interest known with a charming smile and his slit pupils dilating. “I’m Lacasha. Elite Guard. I say that not to show off but as I have no idea if you’ve been onThelia five minutes or five years.” He chuckled and I wanted to reach down his throat and tear his tongue out. “Have you been on Thelia long?”
“A few months now.” Hannah replies politely and my tailtip moves to brace over her feet. She doesn’t notice but Lacasha certainly does, as he flashes me a curious look.
“They check out.” The rattler comes over to reluctantly give us passage. “Here.” He thrusts two golden lanyards at us to show we’ve been cleared by security so we aren’t checked again. I accept them both and bow my head with respect to him. The rattler I respect.Hehasn’t tried sniffing at my partner like Lacasha.
“Thank you.” I turn to clip either side of the short lanyard to either side of Hannah’s pierce-proof jacket. The badge has the silhouette of a Royal’s hood and an ID code beneath it. I quickly place mine on my jacket and cross Hannah’s path to be between her and Lacasha. “Come. We need to report to our post.”
“Yes sir.” She chuckled and hurries to keep up with my pace. My frustration at watching that guard appreciate Hannah with his eyes follows me like a rain cloud. She may have asked if we could start courting, but I have not been claimed by her. Not yet. She is not mine, therefore, to defend against other males…yet. I feel her dark brown eyes analysing me for a while as we wind together through the yellow stone halls of the Palace. “So…what happened?”
“Hmm?” I ask her curiously as I pause, checking the code carved into the wall above the corridors branching in four directions, before leading us left.
“…oh.” She sings and chuckles. “Did that Guard back there upset you?”
“…” I glance around us to make sure no one was listening and nod to her. “He liked your scent.” I grumble and nod for her to follow me through another doorway. This place was likea maze. If it wasn’t for the guidance codes above the doorways there was no way a non-resident would be able to navigate this place. “He would have flirted further had I not placed my tail around you.” Her laughter worried me, like she thought it was funny that I thought I had any business caring who flirted with her.
“Oh, man, I was talking about the snooty one who didn’t like the idea of granting you access to the palace. Lacasha was really flirting with me? Talk about subtle.” My throat scales secretly darkened as I realised she hadn’t figured out why I was tense after all. “Totally not interested in anyone else, by the way.” My eyes widen and I check the coast is clear before I back her up against the nearest wall. “Tumva?”
“I wasn’t trying to doubtyourintentions. I just didn’t likehis. It’s also Gcorket so…males are more likely to display their prowess to get the affection of their desired mating partner. It’s our natural mating season. You’re more likely to be…propositioned at this time.” I clear my throat and back up as a servant slithers out of one of the side rooms. Hannah chuckles and skips ahead a few steps, but I catch her up quickly.
“So, it should bequitethe debrief we have later?” She teases me and I feel my mating drive push me to answer her. I swallow thickly to stop myself from ululating with desire. I don’t trust myself to answer, so instead I nod and lead the way through one last corridor. Music can be heard long before we slip through the servants’ entrance to the main festival hall. “Oh my God…” Her beautiful brown eyes are wide, as is her mouth, as she takes in the sight of the main hall. You could fit 50 of my nest house in here, and still have space. The walls and floors were yellow stone and crystals caught and scattered the light throughout the hall. Banners of every colour looped like an Ucfeni around the ceiling in the shape of various spirals. The main floor was split into four areas. The two primary displayareas for wrestling and dancing were to the left and overseen by two raised platforms at either side, and another higher one facing the floor. The highest housed soft cushions and the Royals. The middle platforms on either side were reserved for VIUs, the rich and influential upper class of Orna. The two lesser display areas were set lower down to the primary areas were for free dancing. On either side of the hall were sloped paths to traverse each tier, and in the walls were hollowed-out areas for musicians, singers, and spirit sellers.
I point out all these features to Hannah, though I know she’s fixated on the uppermost platform the second I tell her that’s where the Royals oversee proceedings. “But it’s empty?” She frowns, then takes in the mostly empty festival hall and nods with realisation. “The party hasn’t started yet. Ofcoursethey’re not here yet.”
“They won’t arrive until the party is well underway, though?” I look towards the right and the main entrance to the hall. Ucfeni are starting to enter with restless glee and vibrant attire. “The guests are arriving. We should take our positions.”
