Unto the Shadow (Completed)

(Ch.21) Broken Bones

"She's shorter than I remember." Jade said with false concern, watching Ryder restart the sword kata from the beginning. "Are you sure it's really her? Her psychic scent seems so different, so muddled. Not clean and annoyingly intoxicating the way your mate's was." She put a particular emphasis on the word 'mate', making it practically sound offensive.

"Why are you here Jade?" Graynin asked, his calmness becoming practically disturbing.

She looked back to him, her mischievous smile deepening, "Athos, summoned me."

"Why?" He asked, his control faltering.

Her pink lips parted, to show her pearly white teeth. She was enjoying this moment all too much.

"I'm here to be your mate's tutor in the art of water of course."

Graynin's mask shattered, "What? Why would she need a water tutor? We have it all arraigned."

"Apparently Athos has a different idea for her arraignments." Jade answered musically. "I believe his exact words were that you are emotionally compromised, due to some unforeseen development." She looked to Tairin, "And I think I have discovered the source of your emotional compromise. What a handsome one at that.

Are all Shadow's that attractive?" She asked with exaggerated enthusiasm as she looked Tairin up and down.

"It seems your mate truly does have good taste." Her eyes sparkled with her enjoyment at how their conversation was going, clearly it was how she had hoped.

Graynin scrambled through his thoughts to try and make sense of what was spinning out of control, while at the same time trying to keep himself in check. He knew she was just goading him, and he did not want to give her the satisfaction of seeing him snap.

"Why would you agree to do this Jade?"

A little of the sparkle in her eyes faded. "Because Athos explained everything to me."

Graynin understood by her turn in emotion that Athos had told her about the sickness spreading, and the reappearance of the Dakawolves.

Jade understood better than most what those signs could mean, considering she had been a Colonel in the Councils army. Her ability as a water Nymph surpassed practically all other water Daemons, Nymphs, and most Souladeux. It had been no surprise when she flew through the military ranks.

Her assentation had brought her slamming into Graynin's world. Her fearlessness, and ability to command not only her element but her troops, had demanded Graynin's respect. And had won her a passionate lover for nearly five-hundred years. Their relationship had only ended when Graynin had agreed to split his soul at the urging of the Council. Jade had been devastated by his decision. He had tried to convince her that he would return to her after the initial infatuation with his soulmate had worn off, but Jade had known better.

To make their history even more complicated Graynin had made the mistake of falling back into bed with her a few years after he had lost Aurora. But he had quickly found that he had made a selfish mistake, and Jade expressed her wrath at his decision by throwing her perfectly honed knives at him. Which he believed had been a fair reaction. The pain of the knife wound unable to compare to how she must have felt at his second abandonment.

Jade called to Ryder, "Ryder, my name is Jade Nisha, Athos brought me on to be one of your tutors. Put your equipment away and we'll get started."

The color drained from Ryder's face. She had been comfortable enough with the weapons aspect of her new training, falling into it with the comfort of an athlete. But what Jade presented was ominous and foreign. Ryder slowly put her equipment away and walked back over to Tairin to say goodbye.