When The Heart Sings

Chapter 29

Serena's POV:

Darien had me on his lap once more as we rode in a tiny wagon being pulled by some perky four-legged feathery reptile creature. Alex had the reins as he sat beside us on the roomy two-seater wagon. Tarulk didn't like contact, or even close proximity, and they built everything around that. Four humans could have comfortably sat on the wooden bench meant for two Tarulk.

The creature was happily pulling the open-topped wagon at a light trot. It reminded me of a friendly dog, and it loved to please people regardless if they were Tarulk or human. They had unharnessed it earlier during a short break and it had bounced around with energy before bringing me a stick. Darien had watched in amusement as the silly creature played fetch with me, although it had taken the creature almost five full minutes of trying before Darien reluctantly let it near me the first time.

Anyone we passed on the road stared at us in utter shock until Darien glared at them. Alex tried to claim it was because soulmates were rare and the fact that we were sitting like that was a certain sign of what we were. I knew the larger part of it was because I was human since I often caught the dark looks or anger as they realized what I was.

I wished Clair had never taken me through that gate. It was clear that most Tarulk knew what a human looked like, and they were upset that I was on their planet. Out of the dozens we had passed, only one old grey haired man and two young children had not reacted negatively when they saw me.

The children knew I was different, but didn't know what race I was and they had asked their mother as we passed them on the road. Considering how the bond had twisted from Darien's anger, I didn't want to know what she had told them.

Darien snarled and I turned my head to see two men turn their heads away as their jaws clenched in anger. They had been eyeing me up as they speculated how hard it would be to get past my two bodyguards to kill me. It wasn't the first time today that Darien had snarled at potential troublemakers either.

One thing was quite clear, I did not dare leave Darien's side on this planet. I wouldn't make it an hour by myself, even if I was trying to hide. This race appeared to hate humans with a passion.

I knew Alex would try to protect me, but it had already been proven that he could be overpowered by several opponents. It was a miracle that Darien was so strong and fast. They must have a powerful grudge against humans and our potential for destroying everything we touched.

There was a group on the side of the road ahead. They were wearing armor that declared them to be warriors. I leaned against Darien, hoping that they wouldn't spot me against his larger silhouette. He picked up on my nerves and gently squeezed his arm around my waist as reassurance.

There were about thirty warriors taking a break as they sat on stumps or rocks. A few glanced our way at first, but didn't notice anything out of place. Once we got closer, a man glanced at us before doing a double take and scowling. He stood up and moved to intercept the creature pulling our wagon.

Alex was not impressed as he reined in the creature, "Get out of the way."

The other warriors in the group had been surprised by their friend's actions, but swiftly spotted the reason and started to circle the wagon. I shifted uneasily and Darien tensed up in response as he growled lowly at the fighters.

"Humans are not allowed on this planet."

Alex snorted, "She is his soulmate, and if they could have left this planet, they would have. Move and let us pass." I had never heard him respond with such terse tone before.

Several warriors were now blocking the road. None were pleased to see me and most seemed aggressive. One of the warriors seemed more outspoken, "Humans are not welcome here. She could very well be a hidden traitor and leading-"

He was cut off as Darien snarled and stood up with a livid expression. I slid off his lap and he gently pushed me down to the floor by his feet. His gentle touch was at odds with his tense muscles and fuming expression. I was mostly out of sight now that the seat and front of the wagon blocked me from view. Out of sight seemed like a good thing considering that some of the warriors were carrying bows.

A couple of fighters in my sight shifted uneasily at Darien's display of temper. Alex put the reins down and drew his dagger. Alex sounded cross, "If you choose to start this fight, then I will warn you that we will finish it. Darien beat a Sidonean to a pulp yesterday when the green fool tried to harm his mate. If he can take on a Sidonean, then you don't stand a chance."

That comment made the warriors pause. Silence ensued, although Darien didn't relax his fighting stance. A man spoke, "We can't just let you pass. Someone higher up needs to authorize your passage."

Alex snorted, "This is a public road. Since when do people need permission to travel?"

"She is plainly human."

"Are you not listening? Clean out your ears. She is his soulmate."

The man sounded frustrated, "Yes, but she is still human. We will escort you to the Council and you can argue with them."

Darien growled, "We are heading to Cypress Hills. Now move out of the way."

"You will have to speak with the Council."

Darien snarled in anger. The man's dogged persistence and arrogance was pushing Darien's temper to a boil. Alex regarded Darien cautiously before looking down at me, "Can you calm him down? A detour to the Council Building isn't that far out of our way. The Council can give us something to prevent more annoyances like this from occurring."

I wrapped an arm around Darien's leg from where I leaned lightly against it. Darien gave his friend a dirty look, "I am right here you know."

"I know. Whether or not you would have listened to me is a completely different story. A detour to the Council Building won't take more than a day and I am sure one of the Council members will give us something in writing for when we encounter more fools like these."

The warriors I could see bristled at the insult. Darien transferred his glare to the warriors around us, "If anyone so much as threatens my mate, you sign your own death warrant. Am I clear?"

There were a few mutters, but those I could see backed up a bit now that they were partially getting their way. Alex put his dagger away, although I had no idea where he hid it. The wagon started moving and Darien sat down. He leaned over to pick me up off the floor and set me back on his lap.

We were moving again and the warriors circled the wagon as they jogged to keep up. Some sent me dark looks, although Darien snarled as he caught one looking at me like that. Darien warned the men, "If you can't keep a civil expression on your face, then leave. The next person to disrespect my mate will regret it." Darien was not in a good mood.

A man in the other direction sent me a hostile look. Darien must have sensed something as he whipped his head around and caught the man. The man didn't have time to react before Darien whipped a small knife at him. The knife pierced through the man's armor with the force of his throw as it hit his upper leg. The man went down with a cry, his leg unable to hold him with the pain.

Darien snarled at the rest of the warriors, "That is your last warning." His voice had a deadly undertone to it.

Alex kept his gaze firmly on the road ahead of us. Darien's unpredictable temper and the possibility of more hidden weapons had the rest of the warriors uneasy. Four dropped back to help their fallen friend. I leaned against Darien and he wrapped his arm back around me.

My nerves slowly settled with the contact and Darien also relaxed somewhat. He didn't relax all the way though, and he kept a close eye on our unwelcome escort. We had left the hostess' place early this morning and it was already mid-afternoon. I had a feeling that the rest of the day was going to feel much longer.