Read Redeemed by Rubies (A Dance with Destiny Book 6) for Free Online Page A
Authors: JK Ensley, Jennifer Ensley
your side for years and you knew it not. How can giving my lips a voice cause them to be a burden unto you now?”
She turned to face him then. “If a snake wishes to slither across my lawn and burrow beneath my lavender, I will leave him to it and concern myself not with his affairs. But when the day comes he wishes to enter my home and curl up beside me at teatime… that is the day I will salt that same lawn with his ashes and attribute his death to his own poor judgment.” She spread her wings as she turned. “Try to slither into my home uninvited, and the same will hold true for you.”
“As you wish, Kagi Naga. Alis volat propriis.”
She stopped short. “What did you just say?”
“I was only admiring your strength, Empress. It means… She flies with her own wings. Such was not always the case. You cannot imagine how your current fierceness makes my troubled heart sing.”
She eyed him for a moment, but did not speak.
“As I said before… always do I watch you.” He sighed quietly. “You are terribly good at troubling me, Naga. And you are the only creature who ever has.”
“Troubling you? I had no idea you even existed. How in the universe could I have possibly been trouble for you?”
“You trouble my heart.”
Jenevier rolled her eyes. “Oh no. Not this old tune again.”
“No, Naga. This is a song you have never heard before. I did not fall in love with you. I would never allow that, no. But… you trouble me, nonetheless. I felt my very first pangs of jealousy because of you.”
“Oh yeah,” she said, completely uninterested. “And just when was that?”
“When you kissed Finnean that first morning… by the wild rose vines.”
Her body visibly jerked as his words took her back through that most precious memory… and all the joys and pains those years with her white warrior had brought her.
“I wasn’t jealous because I watched you fall in love, no. I was jealous because I knew I would never be blessed with feelings such as those. It is not my purpose.”
Rixx looked off then. Jenevier stared at his strangely haunting profile, but did not speak.
“And panic.” He chuckled softly, mostly to himself. “I felt my first adrenaline-fueled rush of panic because of you, little Naga.”
He glanced sideways at her, a slight smile turning up one corner of his mouth. She noticed. Of course she did. Jenevier was meticulously recording everything about this man. Still, she did not speak.
“And you know well the day that happened…” He paused.
When she did not respond, he turned to face her fully.
“The day your ninja wrapped his beautiful hair around you… and you screamed. Remember?”
She only cocked her head to the side, remaining silent.
“You were together on his balcony,” Rixx continued. “The look in that fair young man’s eyes… I couldn’t tell if it was love… or hunger. And when you screamed… I lost control.” He chuckled nervously, a bright blush now apparent on his pale cheeks. “That’s the first time that had ever happened, Naga—me losing control. Before the thought had even been properly formed in my mind, I found myself sitting on that same balcony railing.”
Her eyes widened then. “Ahh!” She gasped. “That was you? The shadow creature with the burning eyes?”
“Is that how you saw me?” He half chuckled. “I didn’t even realize what form I took. As I said… I did so without thought.”
“So you’re the one who kicked down the tree. That calloused act sliced though little Cherie’s soul. Did you know that?”
“Apologies, Naga. I meant no harm. That was the first time I had felt anger. I didn’t know how to control it.”
“How is it you say you are thousands of years old, yet simple emotions have only just found you?”
“I am Nephilim. I am neutral.”
Jenevier stared at him, waiting for his words to continue. They did not.
“Well, Nephilim… I know not what your business is with Death, but I think you should
She turned to face him then. “If a snake wishes to slither across my lawn and burrow beneath my lavender, I will leave him to it and concern myself not with his affairs. But when the day comes he wishes to enter my home and curl up beside me at teatime… that is the day I will salt that same lawn with his ashes and attribute his death to his own poor judgment.” She spread her wings as she turned. “Try to slither into my home uninvited, and the same will hold true for you.”
“As you wish, Kagi Naga. Alis volat propriis.”
She stopped short. “What did you just say?”
“I was only admiring your strength, Empress. It means… She flies with her own wings. Such was not always the case. You cannot imagine how your current fierceness makes my troubled heart sing.”
She eyed him for a moment, but did not speak.
“As I said before… always do I watch you.” He sighed quietly. “You are terribly good at troubling me, Naga. And you are the only creature who ever has.”
“Troubling you? I had no idea you even existed. How in the universe could I have possibly been trouble for you?”
“You trouble my heart.”
Jenevier rolled her eyes. “Oh no. Not this old tune again.”
“No, Naga. This is a song you have never heard before. I did not fall in love with you. I would never allow that, no. But… you trouble me, nonetheless. I felt my very first pangs of jealousy because of you.”
“Oh yeah,” she said, completely uninterested. “And just when was that?”
“When you kissed Finnean that first morning… by the wild rose vines.”
Her body visibly jerked as his words took her back through that most precious memory… and all the joys and pains those years with her white warrior had brought her.
“I wasn’t jealous because I watched you fall in love, no. I was jealous because I knew I would never be blessed with feelings such as those. It is not my purpose.”
Rixx looked off then. Jenevier stared at his strangely haunting profile, but did not speak.
“And panic.” He chuckled softly, mostly to himself. “I felt my first adrenaline-fueled rush of panic because of you, little Naga.”
He glanced sideways at her, a slight smile turning up one corner of his mouth. She noticed. Of course she did. Jenevier was meticulously recording everything about this man. Still, she did not speak.
“And you know well the day that happened…” He paused.
When she did not respond, he turned to face her fully.
“The day your ninja wrapped his beautiful hair around you… and you screamed. Remember?”
She only cocked her head to the side, remaining silent.
“You were together on his balcony,” Rixx continued. “The look in that fair young man’s eyes… I couldn’t tell if it was love… or hunger. And when you screamed… I lost control.” He chuckled nervously, a bright blush now apparent on his pale cheeks. “That’s the first time that had ever happened, Naga—me losing control. Before the thought had even been properly formed in my mind, I found myself sitting on that same balcony railing.”
Her eyes widened then. “Ahh!” She gasped. “That was you? The shadow creature with the burning eyes?”
“Is that how you saw me?” He half chuckled. “I didn’t even realize what form I took. As I said… I did so without thought.”
“So you’re the one who kicked down the tree. That calloused act sliced though little Cherie’s soul. Did you know that?”
“Apologies, Naga. I meant no harm. That was the first time I had felt anger. I didn’t know how to control it.”
“How is it you say you are thousands of years old, yet simple emotions have only just found you?”
“I am Nephilim. I am neutral.”
Jenevier stared at him, waiting for his words to continue. They did not.
“Well, Nephilim… I know not what your business is with Death, but I think you should