Daughter of the Tides, Servants of the Moon Book 2
mates

Ainsley went to the kitchen, got several raw deer steaks and leftover baked potatoes from the cooler. She hummed silently to herself as she warmed them and made a tray.

Mamó came into the kitchen with her cane just as Ainsley was carrying the tray out. “Where are ye goin’ with the meal, beag sionnach (little fox)?”

Ainsley’s wolf excitedly whispered to her old wolf, “We are goin’ to meet our shadow.”

“You’re a good mate, young one.” Mamó’s chuckle followed Ainsley as she walked back to the linen closet. She went through the two hidden doors then started down the hidden stairs to the tunnel below.

Halfway down the tunnel, Ainsley went left at a turn marked with a new moon, then made two more turns following the half-moon marker. A room sat at the dead end; there was a table in a nook with a bed freshly made. She set the tray down, lit a candle, and hummed happily as she waited for her shadow to come to her. He had just arrived in the Void of the Moon yesterday evening and was hiding at the other end. Finally, she lit a second candle and walked to the end of the rough-hewn tunnel to a place near the stairs that led out at the land side of the lake.

“Come and eat.” She whispered into the void. “I want to meet ye and show ye your room.”

A pair of glowing ruby eyes appeared out of the darkness. A young man followed her through the tunnels. She pointed at the moon etchings as they walked. Larson was amazed to find his little beloved had placed a bed, table and chairs, and a bookcase in a hidden room. He sat where she pointed, the food smelled wonderful even if it had gotten cold. When he finished, she unfolded a paper and gave it to him. He stared at the image, then at her, then at the image. Larson was startled when she crawled into his lap.

Ainsley cupped his face in her tiny hands and whispered. “I love you, my shadow.” Then she settled herself and fell asleep in his arms.

Hours later, Larson carried her back to her room. He knew it by smell and the walls were covered in her art of prophecy. As he tucked her into bed, an old she-wolf surprised him.

“So, ye be the one the goddesses chose for mo garinion (my granddaughter). Ye may call me, Mamó. Ye will be needing these iffen ye are to stay undetected.” The ancient one handed him a box of bottles. “It is a scent blockin’ tincture, just a dab and the wolves of the temple will not know one of the shadows livin’ in the Void draws breath.”

“Thank you, oracle,” Larson responded quietly. “My name is Larson Charlains, I have been blessed to be gifted with Ainsley.”

“Do not thank me, ye have been given a difficult boon. I only ask that ye protect Ainsley alone when the burning ones come to destroy the temples. Ye must not interfere. This is not your war, brother of the Augur Vampyr.” She tapped a box of books with her walking stick. “Now, take these books and back to the Moon’s Void with ye, shadow, before others come to check on her. Ye be needing to read the one on sign language first and learn it. Ainsley had her voice cut from her the night our pack was murdered by those foolish brown furs.” Mamó pushed herself up on her cane and hobbled toward the door without waiting for his response. As she moved away, he listened to her heavily accented mumbling about fools who would dare defy the Moon.

Larson looked back down at the copper curls and pale freckled face of his beloved. He dabbed himself with the liquid, took the boxes of books and bottles, then disappeared back into the shadows of the Moon’s Void.

During the next two months, Larson often went out the other end of the tunnel to hunt, but once a week, Ainsley came to see him and bring him a fine dinner. She would have him read to her while she would sketch him. The books were the ones the werewolves gave their student servants and acolyte oracles, and he learned more about the world of wolves and the human world through them than he had ever imagined. He had the distinct impression that Ainsley had already read them, but she seemed to love to hear his voice. Occasionally, he would sneak upstairs to her room and look through her sketchbooks. Sometimes the images terrified him for her and the others he knew, but he also knew he could do nothing more than protect his beloved.

He was waiting for her one evening. “Ainsley, beloved, I would like you to start keeping your sketchbooks in a trunk.” He held up the image of the Eye of the Goddess temple being attacked. “The enemy cannot see the clues your visions might give them.”

She held out her hands to her walls, pointing at one, then she opened a sketchbook she pulled out of a drawer, the image in the book was far more detailed than the one on her walls. “So, the ones you display are not the true ones.”

Smiling, she tapped her nose.

“We still need to find a way to secure them against the day the burning ones come here,” he insisted firmly.

“We have time,” she whispered, closing the book.

“Lanea said someone close to Del will betray her. I do not want you to go back to the other temple. Just in case.” His need to protect her would drive him insane if she was so far away.

She patted his cheek then pulled his forehead down to touch hers. Her whispered voice promised, “I will be here with you when the time comes, or the Tides will bring me to the pool on the far shore. Your goddess promised I would always have time to escape back to you.”

His fingertip traced the scar across her neck, as his eyes held hers. “I want to kill the one who stole your voice from me.”

“My sister already did...”

There was a knock and the door opened. Larson seemed to vanish with the swiftness he left. Ainsley flipped the page of the sketchbook to one of Nyall and Del standing in front of a wall covered in vines.

“Ainsley, are you coming? Your cake is ready,” Sharon grinned at the youngest Acolyte Oracle.

Ainsley smiled at the next older acolyte who had been lucky to survive the Sunwolf’s attack on her pack. Her grandmother sacrificed herself so a handful could escape. Ainsley nodded, holding up a finger and signing that she was just going to change.

“Okay, just hurry before the kitchen gets to crowded.” Sharon hurried out.

Larson seemed to appear out of the darkness of her closet. “She’s the one who dies while scrying.” He picked up the book with the image.

Nodding sadly, Ainsley’s chin trembled as she whispered. “Her soul might be lost on the Tides.”

Wiping her tear, Larson reassured her, “Not if we can stop it. Now, go enjoy your birthday party.”

Her hands danced in the air. I’d love you to come.

“I would love to come too, but no one can know I am here. Do not be sad, we shall have many decades of birthdays to celebrate.” Looking around her room, he frowned slightly. “I’m serious about a trunk for your sketches. We need to keep them safe like we are going to try to keep your friends safe.”

Ainsley tipped her head, then nodded. She signed, I will ask Kaiyou for one. Can I visit you after my party?

“Don’t risk it, my beloved. I am always close, even if you can’t see me.”

It had been two months since the Delphi had gone to the Moon’s Gate and sent her sister to the deep south. Both had returned to the Eye of the Moon during the day, but Louis’ duties kept him too busy to visit Delilah. Eliazar informed him that there had been another attempt on to abduct the twins and that Protector Zane had died. Louis gaped as two identical Delphi sat in Delilah’s room, he quickly schooled his expression as he addressed them, unable to tell who was who.

“Delphi, tonight’s petitioners are waiting.”

One reached out for the list he held then the other slapped her hand, “Stop it, Essie. I warned you, no more games, or I’ll make sure you spend every winter for the rest of your life at the Gate.” She took the papers from his hand, “I’m sorry, Louis. I will be there in a few moments.”

“I don’t know why you are always apologizing to him,” the doppelganger growled.

“I wouldn’t have to apologize to him if you could act like an adult for five minutes. We aren’t children anymore and us trading places isn’t a game.” The one holding the papers shook her finger at her mirror image.

The lookalike just smirked and lit a cigarette, “But it could be fun… Louis is very devoted and enthusiastic. He could clear out those cobwebs.”

“Enough!” The single word was hissed at her harshly as Louis colored with rage but before he could respond, his Delphi defended him. “I will not have you mocking him. You took his devotion to the Moon and his duty and used it to satisfy your selfish whims. Apologize now.”

“Oh, please… the only thing he’s devoted to is getting you in the sack…” Essie growled.

“I said enough! I have work to do. You will bring Ainsley and wait in my scrying room’s antechamber in case someone else request an audience with me, and I need you to stand in. Come, Louis, we have the Goddess’ work to do,” Delilah huffed as she stormed out the door.

Essie threw her cigarette butt into a censer and growled at Louis, “What are you looking at?”

“You’re a good actress, Essie, and the mirror of your sister’s grace and beauty, but the moment you open your mouth, your ugliness comes out. I never should have gotten tangled up with you.” Louis retorted coldly. “What was it, Luca told Leon the first day you met them, and Delilah didn’t even bother to tell you Luca was her mate? Oui, I remember now, Luca told our elder brother that Delilah was an angel, and you were a harpy.” Then he went out after the Delphi, standing confidently at her side and smiling benevolently with her as she listened to the wolf he had arranged for her to meet. He loved Delilah and she would never know the amount of money he had amassed to provide for her when they left this life of service to the Moon together.

As he walked her back to her scrying room, she put her hand on his arm. “Louis, I am so sorry for my sister. I’m going to be traveling a lot this spring after I go to the Gate for the winter. Sometimes I will leave suddenly, and Essie will be in my place. Don’t let her take advantage.”

He placed his hand over hers. “Delphi, I never meant to make you uncomfortable. I would love you more than my brother if we could be together. But I understand, your gift from the Goddess is too important in these trying times. Perhaps someday when the threat of war and apostasy has passed.”

Delilah sighed as if terribly sad. “Louis, you are a wonderful male. I wish you would find a lovely choice mate who was not bound to the Moon and give me some pups to be an Auntie to. Please, Louis. There is no reason both of us should spend the rest of our lives alone.”

His eyes held all his longing as he asked, “Whom would you have me love, my Delphi, if not you?”

Del gave him a mischievous half-smile. “Anyone, and I mean literally anyone, but my sister.”

Louis laughed and bowed. “As you wish, my Delphi.”

Delilah entered her scrying room and he closed the door behind her. Walking back to the waiting area, he felt happy that Del trusted him to know she would be traveling, but also upset that she had again rejected him gently and encouraged him to find a choice mate. He ached that she cared so much about him that she wished him to find the happiness that she believed she would never know. Somehow, he would convince her to come away with him after the nonsense with the sun-worshipping wolves and the monarch was over. They would live in the house Luca had built for her, and have a quiet future filled with pups and grandpups.

Delilah scowled at Essie and Ainsley. Ainsley blinked at the Del who entered then took the cigarette the one who was supposed to be Essie held hand handed it to her.

Taking a long draw, the real Essie grinned. “Thanks. We never can fool you, can we, little fox?”

“She knew I wasn’t you the moment she saw me,” the real Del answered. “If Louis could see our moon marks, he’d know us apart too.”

“But he can’t, and he never will. Honestly, Del, you need to replace him. He has serious stalker issues over you. I repeated what you said to him before about finding a choice mate so you could play auntie and he called you-me, my Delphi. The way he says it. It’s so freaking creepy.” Essie shuddered as she said creepy. “He wants to be your choice mate.”

“Perhaps, you’re right, Essie. But I have never seen him as a threat, I have only ever seen him trying to protect me,” Del revealed.

Essie scowled, “What do you think, little fox?”

Ainsley made a perplexed face then signed, I think he loves Del in a wrong way, the harm he may cause will not be his intent, but it will be nonetheless.

“See… I told ya so.” Essie slanged. “I don’t like that you will stay here, and I will go with Ainsley back to the Gate for the winter.”

“I need to travel. Jacks found a coven hidden by a pack not yet allied to Des Rues. We need to convince them to leave before the spring equinox,” Del sighed. “Martha is visiting them to judge their willingness to follow the Moon.”

“I should go instead of you,” Essie complained.

“I need you to lead the ones I am sending to the Gate to the hidden city. There are enough supplies for a thousand wolves to hide out there. And you can’t go into Des Rues Territory, we can’t take the risk your mate will find you,” Del reminded.

“You can’t save me, Del,” Essie insisted.

Del blinked at her coolly, then Ainsley signed, It is not the Delphi’s job to save you from your mate, it is your mate’s.

Essie gaped at the little redheaded oracle then she jerked her head at her sister, “Sometimes, you make less sense than she does, Ains.”

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