Guardian of Defiance by Michelle Manus

Author:Michelle Manus [Manus, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Seclusion Publishing

Nyx woke significantly warmer than she’d been when she’d fallen asleep, and it took her a moment to realize it was because another cloak had been draped over her in addition to her own. It smelled ever-so-faintly of sandalwood, and she opened her eyes, looking for its owner.

Night still held the world fully in its grip, but the stars were a little brighter now, and she made out Jevryn to her left. She couldn’t see his eyes to verify, but she thought he was awake. Finding Kaden took a little longer, as he wasn’t where he’d been, to her right. It wasn’t until she stood and looked up, backing a few feet away from where she’d been resting, that she caught his outline atop the ridge.

Of course he was keeping watch. And of course he hadn’t bothered to tell anyone, to let them shoulder part of that burden.

Then again, maybe Jevryn expected him to do everything.

She tossed Kaden’s cloak over her shoulder and climbed, joining him at the top. He didn’t so much as glance in her direction as she approached. When she handed him his cloak, he took it wordlessly, fastening it on. She stood with him as time ticked by, the silence between them carrying that slightly different quality that night gave things. When she inhaled, about to break it, he shook his head, lifted his hand, and pointed.

She followed in the indicated direction. After much squinting, she finally saw it. Glowing eyes in the darkness. Big, golden, and feline.

Meerkin?

He obviously saw the question in her face, because he nodded. She frowned. If this was a Meerkin, then why was Kaden taking so many pains to be quiet? While they were technically looking for Seth, the Meerkin were on the eventual need-to-find list too.

Nyx indicated the two of them, then pointed at the Meerkin eyes. He shook his head. No, he did not think they should go out there. But why? If it was only the one Meerkin—but then she noticed a second pair of eyes glowing in the night. Then a third, and a fourth, and a fifth. Those eyes were fanned out around them, forming a careful perimeter of their location, and she would wager there were more Meerkin she couldn’t see.

They weren’t moving. Only watching. Somehow, that made it a little more eerie.

Kaden turned his head, his whispered words so soft she barely caught them, despite the fact his lips were a fraction of a centimeter away from touching her ear. “You should go back to sleep. I don’t think they’ll move until morning.”

Sure. Like she could just drift off knowing they were surrounded. If it was that easy, he could do it.

Oh, yes, now that was good. It was her turn to whisper in his ear. “I’ll take over the watch. You’re the one who hasn’t slept.”

He clearly didn’t feel that was a suggestion worth dignifying with a response. But he didn’t tell her to go back to sleep again either. They passed the remainder of the night without speaking a single word more between them.

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