Chapter Twelve

The sun began to set low behind the towering trees, casting heavy shadows across the table. Adkas snapped his fingers as a torch by the door lit up in flames. Gideon stared in surprise, but Adkas didn't heed much to it. Rayne was leaning back in her seat, one arm folded across her chest as she rested her other hand on her chin, her eyes on the map of Xerath's tower. Aside from the information she had received from the King, Adkas couldn't add anything new to it. She felt her eyes growing heavy as the silence continued, and a low grumble erupted in the pits of her stomach. Gideon and Adkas both turned to her, and she looked between them both, feeling the heat of embarrassment in her ears as she cleared her throat.

"Would you like an encore?" she asked sarcastically, and as if on queue, her stomach grumbled again, louder this time. Adkas chuckled softly, pushing back his seat, drumming his fingers on the arms gently.

"Come on, Winters. I thought you had more control than that." Gideon teased, turning his eyes away as he felt her eyes burn into him. Adkas watched the two curiously before rising to his feet, folding his arms in his robe.

"I will have someone take you to your rooms." he spoke, but Rayne shook her head.

"I appreciate the hospitality, as always, but I would like to complete this as soon as possible. We've been delayed long enough already." she countered, but he turned his golden gaze on her.

"You will stay the night. You know as well as anyone here that traveling this forest at night is not for the faint of heart. Now come along." he stepped by the door as it opened, a dark skinned elf woman stood on the other side, her gentle red eyes lowered as Adkas walked past her. She wore a loose grey servants dress that complimented her dark skin tone. When walking past her, she had grey markings on her wrists that glistened in the torchlight. She bowed her head as they pass by and followed behind Gideon down the staircase.

"Vierna will take you to your bed chambers. Would you like to join us for dinner or would you rather eat in your room?" Adkas asked as he lead them out of the tower. The streets and become vacant as shops started to close up for the day. Lanterns floated above the streets, casting dancing shadows as they bounced and swayed. Gideon let out a breath at the new view before him, making Adkas smile proudly. Vierna bowed deeply, clasping her hands in front of her as she turned on her heel and began walking toward the tallest tower. Rayne stopped when she started to follow and looked back toward Gideon as he continued to look on with awe.

She whistled to him, causing him to jerk slightly and turn to look at her. She patted her thigh, "Come here, boy." her voice pitched higher than what he was accustomed to. He glared at her, sneering at the treatment, but his feet moved on their own and he found himself at her side once more. "Wow, I'm impressed." she teased, following after Vierna and Gideon tagged along at her side.

"I'm not a mutt, Winters." he growled low, his face almost pouting at the treatment. She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Of course you're not. Would a treat make you feel better? They might be serving mutton." she said, the humor twinkling in her eyes even when her tone of voice stayed the same. Gideon felt anger rise in him, huffing and cursing beneath his breath. Adkas watched them from behind, observing them quietly, but a gentle smile displayed on his lips. He never thought he'd see the day she would show herself.

The dirt path they were familiar with changed into a stone tiled walkway up to the tower doors. Hedges bordered the path on the sides, a field of green stretching from the hedges with a variety of wild flowers and even wild life scattering about. In the center of the path, the stones wrapped around a large fountain that had a willow tree at the center of it. As they approached the doors to the tower, two guards stood at their posts, wearing bronze armor with gold trimming. They bowed their heads at them and opened the large golden doors to reveal a wide main hall with cathedral ceilings. Unlike the tower the spent part of the day in, this tower was held up by golden walls and marble flooring. Marble columns stationed in pairs in the center of the room where a grand staircase with green velvet carpet ascended to the second floor, the golden railings missing the green thumb touch.

"This place looks like it's worth more than the King's vault." Gideon mentioned and Rayne looked up at him questioningly. He put up his hands, "It's a guess, but I'm probably not wrong." he defended himself. Rayne shook her head and followed Vierna up the staircase.

"I see you lost all sense of professionalism after being away from your King for a time." Rayne said, and Gideon shrugged.

"I will always be a knight in his court. That is who I am meant to be, but I can not forget who I am deep down."

"An idiot?" Rayne offered up an answer, but Gideon glared at her.

"I apologize for disappointing you, Winters, but I do have a kind soul." he pressed his hand to his chest.

"My ass," she scoffed, "your kindness is due to your duty as a knight, not because of what your soul is."

"How the Hell would you know about having a soul?" he barked back, and Rayne fell quiet. Adkas who had remained quiet and listening to the bickering, raised a brow at the question. He studied Rayne's posture curiously as her shoulders slumped slightly. His gaze drifted over to Gideon who appeared taken aback by his own idiocy.

"Winters, I didn't mean..." his voice was soft, but her eyes hardened, signaling that she no longer wanted to speak. Vierna paused in front of a door, opening it and stepped aside quietly.

"This will be your room, Rayne. Gideon, yours will be next door to hers." Adkas spoke up for Vierna, and Rayne looked to her without another glance at either Adkas or Gideon.

"I'll pass on my dinner, thank you." she said sternly before going into her room and shut the door behind herself. The air was stiff between Gideon and Adkas as Vierna walked on to the next door down the hall and opened it for Gideon.

"You have a lot to learn." Adkas said to him, and Gideon's jaw clenched, running a hand through his hair.

"It's difficult saying the right thing to her when it seems like she is trying to get a rise out of me." he said, and Adkas clasped his shoulder.

"Set your things aside and join me for a walk. Let me teach you the ways of my people." he said, and Gideon's chest lightened a bit at the offer, nodding before going into his room to change out of his heavy armor.

Rayne sat on the ledge of her balcony, her eyes raised to the sky where a crescent moon barely hid itself behind dark clouds. Dark clouds she was familiar with feeling within her mind and her chest.

"How the Hell would you know about having a soul?"

His words echoed in her mind, and she gripped the wine bottle in her hand. She felt angry, but it wasn't with him. She was angry with herself, and thanked him for the realization. For as long as she could remember, she subsided the feelings of others, not wanting to concern herself with their wellbeing. Being a mercenary gave her that benefit. Go in, do the job, receive the bounty and move on. Never be in the same place for too long. Don't get too close to anyone. She had hoped this case would be the same way, but it changed with just a simple command. Now she has the King's hound at her side and it's tipping the scales that she had so easily balanced.

She lifted the bottle to the moon, watching the liquid splash against the glass walls before bringing it to her lips. The tart flavor hitting her tongue made herself clench up until the sweetness took over, tickling her throat. Heat rose to her cheeks as she set the bottle aside, but the cool night air brought goosebumps to her arms. It was serene, something she wished to have.

"I never knew you to be a heavy drinker." his voice disrupted her thoughts and she glanced over at the opening to her room and saw Gideon standing there with his back against the wall. He discarded his armor for a leisurely look of a button up black shirt and black trousers. The moonlight made his blue eyes sparkle. She finally took notice of the stubble growing along his jawline and around his mouth. He looked far older than he actually was.

"How did you get in here?" she asked, turning her gaze away from him. He got off the wall and walked over to the gold ledge, looking out over the city. The breeze brushed through his hair, catching Rayne's attention. With this silhouette, he was undeniably attractive.

"We have a door that adjoins our rooms, so I attempted a chance to sway you into my arms and into my bed." he spoke sweetly, looking back at her just to meet her gold gaze. He let out a sigh, "I was worried, is that a crime?" his tone changed and she looked away from him, taking another gulp of her bottle.

"You wouldn't be the first to try that this night," she said softly, causing him to stiffen up slightly, "Mel stopped by not long before you came here, also offering his bed to me." she dropped her gaze down to the bottle. Gideon looked out over the dark forest, the heavy mist lingering in the distance.

"It's obvious that he fancies you, I can't say I blame him." his words faded, but the wind carried it to her ears. She hopped off the ledge and went to his side, their arms brushing lightly. She held the bottle out to him, but he pushed it back to her.

"I'm not a wine drinker," but she pressed the bottle into his hand. He looked between her and the bottle before caving and taking it from her grasp. He swirled the bottle before putting the cool glass to his lips, letting the liquid waterfall onto his tongue. He coughed aggressively, passing the bottle back to her, "What did they put in there? Grapes with a hint of Nightshade?" he asked, and Rayne leaned against the ledge, closing her eyes and let the wind caress her flushed cheeks. Gideon's coughing resided and he examined her profile. Her long, blonde locks swayed in the gentle breeze, caressing against her lower back. Her emerald eyes sparkled in the moonlight, her cheek bones visibly flushed from the alcohol. She wore a black shirt that fit tightly around her waist, her black trousers fitting around her hips and thighs before loosening up at the bottom.

"Where did you learn to fight?" he asked suddenly, moving his alluring eyes back out to the forest. Rayne stayed silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"I was trained at a temple." she spoke softly, a shadow casting over her eyes.

"A temple? Like those that are devoted to a deity?" he asked.

"No, this one was different. It was tucked away from the world, but it used to be a place where warriors go to train in order to get stronger in various arts, and even those chose it as a pilgrimage to find the meaning of peace." she continued to speak softly, and Gideon stepped closer to her to listen better, leaning against the ledge.

"That explains your fighting style. Your parents were monks then?" he asked, but she pursed her lips, lifting the bottle to watch the liquid swirl inside.

"I don't know who my parents were, actually," she brought the bottle to her lips, but Gideon grasped it and pulled it from her, "I wasn't finished with that." she grumbled.

"You are for now. Apparently it takes some liquid courage just for you to open up," he set the bottle on the other side of him. She eyed it longingly.

"This is what you've been wanting and you took the only opportunity away from me." she clicked her tongue, her eyes sparkled mischievously. She stepped within his space, taking him by surprise as she closed the distance between their bodies. He swallowed hard when her breasts rubbed against his chest, but his eyes were captivated by hers. His hands moved of their own accord, one hand grasping her waist, and the other slipped through her hair and rested on the back of her head, angling her face up at him. One of her hands rested on his chest, feeling his heart beat against her palm as her other hand rested on the ledge beside him. She watched his eyelids grow heavy as he continued to stare at her, as if he was mesmerized by her gaze.

"Rayne..." he barely whispered her name as he drew in close. This time, her own heart began to race within it's cage. Her lips tingled with the heat of his breath on her lips when she turned her face away last second, the liquor bottle in her hand once again and downing the last of it. Gideon stood there, the gears in his head stalling as he tried to comprehend what was happening. She stepped out of his range of reach after she finished the bottle, licking her lips as she watched Gideon. He had remained frozen in place, but the realization finally sparked in his eyes and he glanced over to her. There was annoyance in the way he looked at her, but he chuckled deeply, leaning his back against the ledge. The moonlight hit his frame at just the right angle, causing his sapphire eyes to twinkle and a playful smile spread on his lips. She felt confused at his change of attitude.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked, resting the bottle on the ledge where she had been sitting originally. Gideon looked her up and down slowly before walking up to her. She held her ground.

"You're an interesting woman, Winters." he chuckled, and slid past her into her room. The dimly lit chambers showed off his shadow heading toward the adjoined doorway where he closed it behind himself. After a moment she finally let out the breath she had withheld all this time. She glanced at her palm where she felt his heartbeat, and touched her lips where she felt his hot breath. She shivered, rubbing her arms when it wasn't the chill of the breeze that caused goosebumps to rise.