A Witch's Beauty (Daughters of Arianne 2)

"Mina, what-"

"An hour," she interrupted. "The hourglass is running. You promised. If you're not back, I leave."

He gave her a warning look, but took off. He had to do what he'd come to do. The longer he took, the more she'd begin mulling on why he was here. And she was too clever to accept his thin explanation for long.

THE Full Submission angels were usually found at Araboth, the Seventh Heaven. Raphael was his first stop. Since he had duties other than that as a healer, including guarding the Tree of Life and overseeing Raquia, the Second Heaven, David knew he was fortunate to find him. He was in one of the gardens, stretched out beneath a tree heavy in bloom with blue flowers and hung with smooth white fruits that reminded David of the texture of Mina's unmarked skin. Pale with just a touch of pink, silky enough to tempt touch.

Raphael had his fingers crossed over his chest and appeared to be sleeping or meditating, his spill of golden hair spread out on the grass, glittering among the blades. At David's approach, he opened his eyes and turned his head, his dark eyes narrowing on either side of the sharp-bladed nose, the firm, unsmiling lips.

"Why, it's our young lieutenant. Since you're on your feet, I assume it's not a grievous injury." His gaze lingered on the scratches Mina had left at David's neck. David tried not to squirm as Raphael rose, passed behind him and let his fingers linger over the marks, bringing not only a touch of healing power, but laughter.

"I think you've been wrestling with a badger, Lieutenant."

Unlike the warrior class, Raphael wore a full mid-thigh tunic and rich red velvet cloak over it that brushed David's calf as he passed, bringing his unique aroma as well. Raphael's healing power was so much a part of him it emanated out, comforting the heart as well as the body. David took a deep breath of it now, not too proud to let it ease some of the tensions he'd been carrying. Raphael completed his circle around him, a clockwise motion, offering a spiraling sense of well-being.

"You never trouble me needlessly, youngling. It is something I appreciate."

"Even so, I offer an apology for disturbing you."

Raphael shrugged and returned to the tree, his back against the trunk. "It's been quiet. No battles to be fought, a rare thing these days. Only a worried Prime Legion Commander, who had me check his pregnant mermaid wife for any abnormalities. I pronounced her still pregnant." His eyes twinkled. "The only abnormality she is experiencing is a commander who, serving a Goddess, should realize that females have been managing this process quite capably since the beginning of time."

"Well, there is a history there," David pointed out.

Anna had been born under the curse of the daughters of Arianne, which took their lives before they reached their twenty-first year, soon after bearing their firstborn. Anna was twenty-one now, and it was hoped the events of the Canyon Battle would exonerate her from the curse's touch. Jonah had wanted to wait until she was twenty-two to have the child, to perhaps foil the potential of any lingering effect, but Anna hadn't, for exactly the same reason. If she died, she wanted Jonah to have someone to live for and protect.

"I know. I tease him only out of kindness. I would not chastise him for his worry and love. Or remind him that the danger to the mother is not in the pregnancy itself, but the aftermath." Raphael's eyes shadowed. "But we all hope the events of the past months have broken the curse. I suspect it is so, but the Lady sees fit that we make decisions based on love and faith. At least decisions of the heart and soul."

At David's pensive look, he raised an elegant golden brow. "So what is it you seek of me?"

"You healed Mina. After the Canyon Battle."

"Anna did most of it. I did minor things only. Neither I nor my healers can heal the wounds of a Dark One."

"She's not a Dark One."

"I meant no offense," Raphael said mildly. "We are fortunate she has enough merperson in her that I was able to restore her energy and heal her recent injuries. But old wounds... they integrate too closely with the Dark One blood she carries. You understand?"

"Yes." David cleared his throat beneath the angel's sharpened gaze. "When you try to heal someone, you told me you can feel what they feel. What their body feels." When Raphael inclined his head, he continued. "I'm trying to understand what she feels, every day, based on the injuries she has. Can you tell me that?"

"Why don't you ask her? She seems the type to talk your ear off, given the chance. Or is that chew your ear off?"

"I am charged to protect her," David persisted. "If she has physical limitations, I need to know."

"I'd heard that you'd become her sole protector. At first I assumed you'd drawn the short straw. Then I found out you volunteered. Your fixation with the witch may be unhealthy, David." Raphael's gaze gleamed, but there was a trace of seriousness there. "I may need to give you a tonic."

"That's not the question I asked," David snapped.

Silence. Gods, what was he doing? David dropped to one knee without thought, bowing his head. "My lord, my apologies. I cannot..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "It has been a difficult day. I feel an anxiety I can't seem to shake, being here. And I never feel anxious here. I never have, not from the very first."

"I know. Rise." Raphael touched his shoulder, but David remained on the one knee.

"I think I better stay this way another moment. It helps me to remember who I am."

"That may be about to change. And that may be part of it." When David lifted his head, surprised, Raphael nodded. "There you are. Tell me what causes you to speak this way to me, Lieutenant."

"I mean you no disrespect, my lord. But I gave an oath to protect her, and that's what I'll do."

"I don't think Jonah is going to hold you to it, if you-"

"I didn't make the oath to Jonah."

Raphael studied him for a long moment. "Do you truly know what you're doing?"

David gave him a tight smile. "Proceeding on love and faith, I think."

"Clever. And honest. You are ever honest, youngling."

David rose now, paced around the tree. "No one seems to think it's wise for me to protect her. And it's the first time since I've been here that-"

"You have not been in perfect accord with your angel brethren," Raphael finished. "I suspect you are quite sick of hearing this, but you are very young by our standards, David. One day, I will tell you about the first fight that Uriel had with Lucifer. What a fireworks show that was. Or how Jonah took my spear and pinned my foot to a root of the Tree of Life. A tomato plant sprouted through my foot, twined up the spear and put on several quite healthy, heavy fruits, in less than a blink. I gave him boils in return."

David started. "What?"

"Oh, no. You get no more than that." Raphael chuckled. "Some information must be earned by time and great sacrifice. Needless to say, change is a constant, Lieutenant, even in the Heavens. And positive change often comes through conflict. So, be silent and think on that, while I tell you what you need to know."

Raphael closed his eyes then. And stayed that way. David waited as the moments passed. As remarkable as the golden angel's revelations were, it was difficult to focus on that instead of the passage of time. He had one more stop after this, with the Powers. Perhaps he could hurry them along more easily than he could Raphael. One didn't prod a Seraphim, a Full Submission angel, one of the highest echelon who were in close, constant contact with the Lady's mind.

"Frequent muscle spasms, cramps and joint pain." Raphael spoke at last, and David let out a relieved breath before he could stop himself. The healer gave him an arch look, but continued. "As would be expected for such extensive injuries. It is my suspicion that the Dark One blood hampers the healing on the wounds that should have occurred years ago. Phantom pain from the missing fingers and flesh on the one side of her torso still exists. She's susceptible to painful external skin infections, as well as mouth ulcers, the result of deep cuts from a shell, I think. She's an able apothecary. She treats herself.

"She carries the physical problems

equally between merperson and human forms, though the damage relocates accordingly. Shifting is probably quite painful for her, but from what I could tell when treating her, she is excellent at mastering her reaction to pain, at astoundingly high levels. There would be little visible evidence of her disfigurement in the dragon form," he added, "for the damage would be beneath the scales, with the exception of the three talons she has on the one front leg."

He leaned back against the tree. "The joint pain is the effect not only of those injuries, but of environment. I think she chooses the colder water, using the pain and discomfort for some purpose of her own. All in all, she'd do far better in a warm, dry climate, and there's no reason she couldn't live in one."

At David's questioning look, Raphael nodded. "She's not dependent on her merperson form the way Jonah's mate is. Mina is a true shapeshifter. She can assume any of her shapes-human, Dark One, dragon or mercreature-and maintain them as long as she wishes. There's no apparent effort to it for her."

"So she has no primary form?"