Rachael laughed. Rio hadn't pushed the leopard off, instead, he wrapped his arm around the small cat's neck. Almost at once, Fritz hobbled out onto the deck, yowled softly and rubbed back and forth against their legs.
"Someone's a little jealous," Rachael pointed out and moved as close as she could to Rio to give the cat room to get up with them.
"Don't encourage the little demon. Don't you remember he's the one that took a chunk out of your leg?" Rio groused.
"Poor little thing, he's just lonely and he doesn't feel very good." She helped the cat up so he was lying partially across her lap. "If we had a houseful of children, they'd be all over us too."
Rio groaned and shifted until he found a comfortable position. "I don't want to think about it right now. Go to sleep."
"We're going to sleep out here?" The idea pleased her. The wind rustled the leaves of the trees so that they fluttered gracefully around them.
"For a little while." Rio kissed the top of her bent head, content to hold her, to sit on his porch with Rachael and the leopards close to him and the rain falling softly in the background lulling them to sleep.
He woke close to dawn, jerking awake, his mind and senses instantly alert. Somewhere, deep in the forest, a nightjar screamed. A deer barked. A chorus of gibbons gave a full-throated warning. He closed his eyes for just a moment, savoring waking up with her next to him, with the small cats cuddled close. He hated to disturb her, hated to try to prepare her for the next crisis. There always seemed to be one and Rachael had gone through enough already. He wanted to protect her, make her life smooth and happy.
Regret in every line of his body, he did what he had to do. "Wake up, sestrilla." He kissed her face, her eyelashes, the corners of her mouth. "The neighbors are getting noisy on us."
Rachael listened for a moment then wrapped her arms tightly around Rio's neck. "He's here." There was sheer terror in her voice.
Rio inhaled deeply. He swept back her hair, his touch lingering against her skin. "It isn't your brother." His tone was grim. He signaled the small leopard off the sofa.
"Then who?"
"Someone they know. Someone familiar to them. One of my people, yet one who doesn't travel in my realm. Not one of my unit."
Rachael reluctantly unfolded her body, stood on her own, yawning sleepily. She let her breath out slowly. "How far away?"
"A few minutes." His hand slipped over her face. She felt it tremble.
Rachael caught his hand and held it to her breast, over her heart. "We're in this together, Rio. Tell me what to do."
"We're going into the house and see to your leg. You're favoring it and I see it's swollen again from overuse. Then we'll dress and straighten up our home and wait to see what he wants." He reached past her to open the door courteously.
"Then you know who it is."
He inhaled again. "Yes, I know him. It is Peter Delgrotto. He is of the high council. And his word is law to our people."
Her dark eyes moved over his face. Saw too much. Saw into his heart. "You think he may tell me I have to go away."
Rio shrugged. "I'll hear him out before I get stirred up."
She buttoned the shirt, realizing for the first time she still wore it. "This elder is coming here? That certainly takes a lot of nerve." She snatched the jeans out of his hand and limped quickly over to the bed. "Your neighbors seem to drop in uninvited on a regular basis."
"Not much sugar in the neighborhood and I'm known for my sweetness," he quipped.
She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Your little elder friend is going to think you're the sweet one after he meets me. Why would he come here?"
"Elders do what they want and go where they will."
"Sort of like leeches. No one invited him."
There it was again--that little tug on his heart. She could make him smile in the worst of circumstances. He had no idea how he would react if the elders tried to take her from him, but he knew he wouldn't allow it. He followed her, hunkered down beside her and examined her leg. He was certain Rachael would never recognize the authority of the elders. She wasn't raised with their rules and she had already formed her allegiance with him. They might try ordering her around, but it would never work.
"You have a smug look on your face."
"Smug? I'm never smug." But he was feeling smug. The elders were going to get an earful if they tried to force Rachael to accept his banishment.
Rachael touched his dark hair, tugged at the silky strands until he looked at her. "If they think they're going to change your sentence from banishment to death, they're going to have a fight on their hands."
She looked so warriorlike he grinned as he washed her calf gently and applied more of Tama's magic healing potion. "Once a sentence is handed down, they won't change it. My skills are of value to the community, so I doubt they'd even ask me to leave this area."
His fingers were soothing on her leg but his comment set her teeth on edge. "Let them ask us to leave. They don't own the forest. Blast them anyway. I hate bullies." She yanked her jeans over her leg and began making up the bed with fast, jerky movements. She nearly kicked Fritz with her bare foot, forgetting he had taken refuge under the bed.
Rachael looked flaming mad. Even her hair crackled with electricity. He grinned to himself as he pulled on his own clothes. The house was being put back in shape in rapid order although she was limping even more.
"Sit down, sestrilla." He kept his voice gentle. "All that hopping around isn't doing your leg any good." He pulled out his guns and checked the chambers, setting each one carefully on the table.
"We have a tub in the middle of the floor," she pointed out, her dark eyes spitting sparks. "You could do something about it instead of idly babying your guns."
His eyebrow shot up. "Idly babying my guns?" he repeated.
"Exactly. What do you intend to do? Shoot the man? The precious, all-wise elder? Not that I mind, but at least warn me."
"You're in one of your little moods again, aren't you? I think if you had some sort of signal to give to me before you went off, it would help tremendously."
She straightened up and turned around very slowly to face him. "My little moods?"
His mouth twitched. He forced his features to remain expressionless. She looked like a volcano about to explode. His smile would definitely trigger dynamite. "I may have no choice but to shoot him. Think about it, Rachael. Why would he come here when he isn't allowed to acknowledge my existence? There's little point in it." The tub of water was bothering her, so just to keep her from pitching the wadded-up pillow at him, he scooped out a few bucketfuls of water and dumped it down the sink.
Rachael was silent for a long time watching him. She sank into a chair. "Aren't these elders the lawmakers? Are they holy people? What exactly are they? Besides imbeciles, I mean."
"You can't call them imbeciles to their faces, Rachael," he pointed out.
"If you can shoot them, I can call them names." She glared at him, daring him to contradict her. "Are elders called elders because they're old? Ancient? Full of hot air?"
"You haven't even met the man and you're already belligerent."
Her dark eyes swept over him with repressed fury. "I am never belligerent."
He picked up the tub and carried it out to the verandah. It was still fairly full and very heavy. Water sloshed as he tipped it over the railing. "I suppose there's some logic in you having permission to call them names if I can shoot them," he agreed to appease her. He didn't bother to take the tub to the small hut hidden in the trees some distance away. He set it to one side, out of the way should he need to take to the trees fast. Outside, he listened to the night creatures calling to one another, giving away the location of the intruder as he moved closer to the house.
Had he not been banished he would have gone, out of respect, to meet the man instead of making him come all the way up the tree to him. The elder was in his eighties and, although in great shape, would still feel the affects of the long distanc
e. He ducked back inside to comb his hair into some semblance of order.
Rachael watched him, saw the small frown, the worry lines around his eyes. Most of all she saw that Rio changed his casual appearance, and that meant something. She took her cue from him, brushing the tangles from her hair, checking to see that her skin was clean and brushing her teeth. She hadn't used the small stash of beauty supplies she'd stuffed in her pack since she'd arrived, but she pulled them out.
"What is that?"
"Makeup. I thought I'd try to look presentable for your elder." She hesitated, tried again. "Wise man. Personage."
"Elder is fine." He stalked across the room and took the lip gloss from her hand. "You're beautiful, Rachael, and you damned well don't have to look perfect for him."
For the first time in a while a ghost of a smile curved her mouth. "Talk about someone who has little moods! Actually, tree dweller, I was going to look perfect for you, not your brainless elder." She held out her hand for the lip gloss.
He put it in her palm. "I should at least get points for the beautiful compliment."
Her smile widened. "I censored because of the beautiful compliment. It would have been a lot worse than tree dweller."
"You terrify me." Rio bent and kissed her upturned mouth. How had he managed to live so long without her and think he was alive? Had he just been walking through life all those years? Loving her terrified him. It was so strong, a tidal wave welling up inside of him, consuming him, so at times he couldn't even look at her.
"Well that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned." Rachael applied the lip gloss and a bit of mascara. She was apprehensive and struggled to hide it. She glanced at Rio from under her long lashes. He was definitely on alert in spite of the banter back and forth between them. She reached across to the table, slipped a knife from the sheath and slid it beneath the cushion of her chair. Assassins came in all shapes and sizes and genders. Age never seemed to matter either.
17
PETER Delgrotto was tall and thin, a tough, sinewy man with lines etched deeply in his face. His eyes were a strange amber, glittering with some hidden fire, a focused, haunting stare that carried a great degree of menace. Rachael had expected a wizened, elderly man staggering under the weight of his years, but Delgrotto carried power and danger in his piercing eyes. He stood straight, fully clothed. The only sign of the long, arduous trip was the sheen of sweat on his skin and the breath moving in bursts in and out of his lungs that he couldn't quite hide.
"You honor us with your presence, Wise One," Rio said formally.
Rachael made a small strangling noise in her throat and then covered her displeasure by coughing when Rio tossed a quick warning glance her way.
Rio stepped back to allow the older man entrance. "If you wish to come in, please do so." He felt awkward, uncertain what to say or how to act. By all of their laws, the elder should not come near him, acknowledge him or speak to him, let alone enter his dwelling. Rio had no idea whether he was being discourteous in inviting the man inside.
Delgrotto bowed low. "I must ask you for a glass of water. I have not traveled so fast, or so far, in years. My lungs are not what they used to be. Forgive me bothering you, when I have not properly greeted you in many years." His gaze settled on Rachael.
There was a small silence. Rio stood very still. Rachael lifted her chin, her dark eyes alive with distaste.
"This is obviously your woman. You've found her. You must introduce me."
"I'm sorry, Elder, forgive my lack of manners. I'm so surprised by your visit I've forgotten basic courtesy." Rio handed the man a glass of water. "This is Rachael. Rachael, Peter Delgrotto, an elder in our village."
Rachael managed a smile but she didn't murmur pleasantries. She was pleased that Rio thought to protect her, that he hadn't given away her infamous last name. Sensing how nervous Rio was, she stood up and casually crossed the room to stand just behind him, wanting to be close in case he needed her.
Delgrotto inclined his head, returning her smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Very nice to meet you, Rachael." He turned to look at Rio and the smile faded.
Rio felt the impact of the elder's stare. It had been many years since any other than his unit members had looked at him or spoken to him. He felt behind him for the sink, something to grip out of sight of the elder. Rachael slipped her hand into his. A show of solidarity and support. "What is it, Elder? What is so important that you would break the law of our people?" There was little point in beating around the bush.
"I have no right to come to you, Rio. Not after the sentence handed down by the council." Delgrotto met his gaze steadily. "By me. I have removed myself as a council member and am prepared to pay the consequences of my actions. I told the Seat of Power what I intended and asked they withhold sentencing until it is done. They agreed."
Rachael could see the pride on the older man's face. Rio reached out and took his arm, led him to the most comfortable chair and seated him. "What is it?" Delgrotto suddenly looked every bit of his eighty years and then some.
"My grandson lies near death. No one can save him without your blood. None of us carry the rare blood you have. Without you he will die. I lost my firstborn son to poachers. He had no children. I lost my only other child and his mate to an accident. I have no other family left. I don't want to lose him. Not out of pride or stubbornness. Not for any antiquated law. I'm asking you to save him."
"Where is he?"
"He lies in the village at the small hospital there."
"I'll leave now, Elder. I can go faster alone. Will they allow my help?"
"Joshua said you would come." Delgrotto nodded his head. "They're waiting for you, keeping him alive with fluids. We used the blood you had stored for yourself." He looked down at his shaking hands, tears glittering in his eyes. "It was my decision to steal from you, no one else. Without it, he would have died. It isn't enough, only to prolong his life until you manage to arrive."
"It was not stealing, Elder, I would have given it all freely to save the life of a child." Rio caught Rachael by the shoulders. "You'll be here when I return." He made it a statement. A command.
"I'll be here." She kissed the side of his mouth, his jaw. Her lips moved gently against his ear as she whispered to him. "You're a good man, Rio."
"I'll follow as soon as I've rested," Delgrotto said.
"Sleep here, Elder. I'll return quickly," Rio said and went out to the verandah, pulling off his shirt as he did so. Rachael hobbled after him. "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, I can travel much faster alone. I want you to stay off your leg for a couple of days and give it a rest. I'll be back as soon as possible." He tucked the shirt and then his jeans into a small pack that he secured around his neck.
"Clever." She realized they all had to travel with a small pack, the elder included. "Good fortune, Rio."
"Be safe, Rachael." He caught her head and dragged her to him, kissing her with fierce possession, with tenderness. She felt the fur rushing over his skin, felt his hands curl into huge paws and marveled at his ability to be so precise in his shifting.
She blinked and the black leopard melted into the forest. "Great. Leave me to entertain the guests." She took a deep breath and went back inside. To her relief, the old man had already sunk into a fitful sleep. She covered him with a thin blanket and went out to sit on the verandah with the small leopards.
The rhythm of the forest changed at various intervals during the day. Dawn activities were quite different from the lull in the afternoon. She read a book and listened to the continual chatter in the forest, trying hard to study which bird sang which song and what sounds emerged from the various species of monkeys.
She heard the old man stirring as the sun set, and she forced herself to go back inside to be as pleasant and accommodating as she was able. "I trust you slept well."
"Please forgive an old man's rudeness. Traveling the distance really took more strength than I realized."
"I ca
n imagine. Rio was very tired when he arrived home the other night after packing Joshua all those miles by himself. Without food or drink or medical attention."
The elder looked at her, his expression as calm as ever. "Touche, my dear."
She pulled open the vegetable bin, slapping vegetables on the counter. "I'm not your dear. Let's just get that straight right now. Are you hungry? I haven't had dinner yet, and Rio wouldn't want me to let you starve."
"By all means, I would enjoy sharing a meal with you. You shouldn't be on your leg. I make a decent soup; why don't you let me fix it?"
Rachael hesitated, unsure if she should let him have the run of Rio's home. The elder seemed unshakable even in the face of her distrust.
He took the decision out of her hands by going through the pantry. She retrieved the knife from the chair cushions while his back was turned and replaced it in the sheath. As casually as possible she put the weapons out of sight.
"You don't think much of me, do you?" he asked as he began chopping vegetables.
She picked up a second knife and helped. "Not much. I can't see much wisdom in your sentence of banishment. It smacks of hypocrisy if you ask me, which technically you didn't so I guess I shouldn't offer my opinion on the subject." She hacked a tomato into tiny little pieces. The sound of the blade hitting the chopping board beat out a fast tattoo of annoyance.
Delgrotto paused in the act of cutting up wild mushrooms. "You've used a knife before," he observed.
"You'd be surprised what I can do with this baby. Working in a kitchen can be damned boring, and we women just think up things to hurl the cutlery at. In South America, we pride ourselves on target practice." She gave him a chatty smirk. "Sometimes it was the chef if he was particularly obnoxious."
"I see." Delgrotto raised his eyebrow. "What might constitute being obnoxious, just so I don't make the same mistake."
"Oh, you may as well be as obnoxious as you like. You're already in my book of evil and obnoxious people. I think I even underlined your name a couple of times." She slashed an onion until it was nothing but sauce.