Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Ninety

A/N -- Enjoy, you guys! This would've been posted earlier, if I hadn't decided I was gonna try and learn how to juggle. Also, music is *bomb*. Really fits the second part of this chapter.

"Before you say anything," Zayn cut Kayde off with a gesture of his one hand before the guardian could say anything. "No pity. No apologies. I need neither of those. No staring at my stump either; it's uncomfortable."

"Fair enough," Kayde took a breath. "How about gratitude? Is that allowed?"

"In moderation," Zayn said after a minute. "I didn't help you for your thanks."

"Even still," Kayde replied. "Thank you, Zayn Rothstead." There was a pause. "And you didn't just help me. Helping me would have been ordering another soldier to carry me back to the medic tent -not taking me yourself, despite the consequences. You lost actual pieces of yourself to save me. What you did was more than help. In which case, I am more grateful than I can ever convey to you. I am forever indebted to you. If you should ever have need of anything, ask it of me."

"Moderation," Zayn reminded, though a smile passed over his face for a moment. "But I'll take your offer into consideration. There's nothing pressing at present. For now, I'd just like to ask you some questions. Will you answer them?"

Kayde ducked his head in a nod. "To the best of my ability. Ask your questions."

"We fought for your life for a very long time. You were unconscious for hours," Zayn said. "And then you weren't. You whispered one word when you woke up that very first time. One clear word. Taoma, you said. Taoma. A name, I believe." Zayn tilted his head, looking mildly suspicious. "Who is Taoma?"

Kayde took a breath. He hadn't been expecting that. "Taoma," her name sounded bittersweet on his tongue. "Is a girl. One that means a great deal to me."

Now, Zayn was skeptical. "In what regard?"

"It's wonderful to see so many people protecting Iris," Kayde observed. "But it's not anything like you're assuming. I would never do anything to prove myself a disloyal man. Taoma is..." There was a sharp stab in his heart. 'Was' was the proper word, but he couldn't stomach it. He stared down at the floor. Some wounds never healed. "Taoma Vorantis is my daughter."

For the first time in a long time, Zayn spluttered. "Huh?"

"Does that satisfy your question?" Kayde asked.

"Does that mean Iris is pr..." Zayn's mind spun in all directions.

"Iris is not the mother," Kayde answered before the general could digest the idea. "Taoma is Allene Vell's daughter."

Zayn just stared at Kayde Vorantis, stunned for a long minute. Who was Allene Vell? Fucking hell, Kayde had a daughter. That stirred the pot of a multitude of other questions. "You have a daughter with another woman. That means you went and..."

"Yes, that's exactly what it means," Kayde cut him off.

Zayn was about to ask Kayde if he'd been rightfully married to the girl, until he realized that that might make him sound a little like a hypocrite. He had not been married to Iris, after, when he'd shared her bed. Instead, he smiled a little and said, "Taoma is a lovely name for a girl."

Kayde offered a soft smile of his own. "Thank you."

"You haven't said much about her," Zayn said. "In fact, I don't believe you mentioned her at all when we traveled together. I'd like to hear about her."