Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga

Ch. 5.3 Horrible, Complicated Mess

The two Anolis males set up a keening wail at the death of their mistress but Razz was ready. The other males hugged them and nuzzled them and crooned to them. They moved as one, gently nudging the two towards Alex's new quarters in the Chameleon Embassy.

Alex used the sleeve of her shirt to clean her sword, but blood had smeared the cloth, and she had missed a few spots. One droplet dripped down her lower arm and rested on the back of her right hand. Lok moved toward her and raised his hand to wipe it away.

"Thanks, Lok, but you don't have to get dirty for me."

"Anything for you, my golden basket of sun and light." He smiled and first wiped her hand with a cloth then dabbed at her face. "You, my dear, need a victory bath."

"We need a victory bath: you, me, all the Anolis males."

Lok wiped her face more. "The sooner the better."

The two males were still trembling in fear when they entered her living room, Alex and Lok trailing behind. The harem leader Anolis male, Kish, was waiting for them. The two looked at him, open-mouthed and the crowd around them melted away.

"You know me. My name is Kish. I once led the palace harem. But the Guardian freed me and I am happier here than I could have ever believed." He held out his hands, palm up, to them.

When the two of them exchanged glances and then once again hugged each other, he nodded.

"Ah, you think I am spying for the Kuni. Yes, I was going to but meeting the Guardian changed all that. I am back from spying on the palace for her."

When the two buried their faces in each other's shirts, Alex's sword began to hum, vibrate, and glow. She unsheathed it and Lok enthusiastically dug in his coat pockets. He held out a handful of different sized stones, all a dull grey or red. Alex touched her sword to them and light flooded the room, making them all squeeze their eyes shut.

When the light faded, Lok poured the now-opals into her hand. Alex picked out the largest, which, instead of milky-white with cracks of orange, red, and blue, was jet black with those same fiery cracks.

Alex handed it to Kish. "This one is for you."

He took it and examined it with reverence and then he showed it to the two newest males. He said, "This shows the truth of my words and the actions of the Guardian."

To Alex's surprise, the two relaxed their death-grips on each other and peered first at the black opal, and then at the former harem leader.

Alex held out two opals to them, both white, but one with blue and orange cracks, and one with only red fiery cracks. They gazed at each other, and then her, and then held out their hands. One opal slipped out of her hand into the palm of one, while the other shot out to the other's palm.

Razz stepped next to Kish. "The stones have chosen you. Will you choose freedom or return to slavery?" He tapped the opals on his own golden collar. "This is a freedom collar and the Guardian promises death to any who harm a wearer of one. She forces no one to accept it. Do you accept?"

Each closed their hand around their opal and nodded. The other males broke into cheers and before Alex knew it, they were herded into the spacious bath, warm and smelling of healing eucalyptus and calming sandalwood. Lok ordered food and wine and was unabashed at shedding his clothing and slipping into the pool, as were the Anolis males.

"Well, Guardian, take off those bloody clothes and come in," he said with a smile.

She clucked her tongue at him. "Naughty boy. I need a modesty suit. Do you have one here?"