Dreamer's Redemption

Chapter Six

  Morning drifted into the glade where Dominae lay curled in the minion's arms. She shifted against him and winced. Minion said, "Do you feel all right?"

"Just a little sore," she said. "I suppose that's to be expected."

"I can take the pain away," he said.

Dominae shook her head. "Lessen it, maybe, but not take it away. Minion, did you mean that, about us being damned?"

"You're going to worry about that now?" he asked, as he reached for her shirt. "Really, Dominae, you need to get your priorities straight."

She grinned. "Sorry," she said. "I guess I don't care if I am damned."

"You ought to," he said softly.

"Why?" Dominae asked. "It would mean I'd be with you."

He shook his head. "It isn't that easy," he said. "Dominae-- I think maybe the minions will have a harder time tracking you now."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because--" He looked away. "You've lost your innocence."

"It matters that much?" she asked.

"Aye," he said. "It does."

"Imagine that," Dominae murmured. "I always thought that was a joke, and how could such a thing matter that much? I guess my mother was right. It matters. But if it keeps the minions off of us, it isn't all bad."

Minion kissed her lips gently. "You ought to bathe," he said. "You smell like me. The werewolf for one will know what's happened."

Dominae winced. She hadn't thought about Torrin. "I don't smell anything," she said.

"Aye, but he will. Mark my words." Minion smiled at her. "Bathe, and that will get the worst of the smell off."

Dominae nodded. "Know of any good rivers around here?" she asked.

"You'll have to wait until we get back to the tavern. I can get us in there without being noticed, but the werewolf and the angel will smell us." He frowned. "And that will be all right, so long as they don't smell you away from me before we can do something about it."

"Ah," Dominae said. "You're using your scent to cover mine."

"Something like that," he said. "Come on, we'd better get going." He stood and offered her his hand. "Dominae, thank you. And I wanted to say that even if I weren't-- yours, I would trust you."

Dominae smiled and took his hand. "Thank you," she said.

###

As Minion had said, they got back into the tavern more or less unnoticed. That didn't mean that no one knew they were missing, though. Dominae marveled at the invisibility spell that Minion put over them. She'd never experienced anything like it. Dominae heard Cacia say that she'd woke to find her roommate gone. Torrin said that Jason was in residence, but the minion was also missing. Minion put a finger to his lips, to keep her from speaking out. She saw Torrin turn blindly when they passed. He frowned, then turned back to Cacia. "I never should have trusted that demon to care for her," he said. "But it seemed as though I had little choice. She's bound to it." Dominae wanted to protest, but she kept silent. She and Minion went up the stairs together, as quietly as possible.