Chapter Thirty-Two: Another Suitor

 Sunny drew her bath, sank into the lavender warmth, and closed her eyes. She wondered idly if there would be lavender bath salts in Nu'Ada and with the swiftness of a thought she opened her eyes and was sitting in a sunken stone tub with the scent of lavender and something that smelled a bit like rosemary. 

  "Have you come to enjoy the hot baths of the palace?"

 Sunny gasped and sat up only to scrunch down again in the concealing waters of the bath. She looked up at Gaddis sitting on a stone bench with a thick towel laid over his lap. He chuckled softly and rose to wrap the towel around his lean waist. "Tell me, to what do I owe this pleasure of your company?"

 Sunny felt her entire body flush with embarrassment. She realized she was staring at him, and she tried to make herself smaller, crossing her arms over her chest. "I only closed my eyes for a moment! How – how did I get here?"

 Gaddis flexed his right arm and examined the scar that crawled over the muscled bicep. "You must be worried about something, and you come to me for advice."

 Sunny glared up at him. "I am most assuredly not seeking your advice!"

 Gaddis laughed at her. "Look away or not," he told her, "I am coming in."

 Sunny turned her back and was outraged as she heard the splash of water and his deep sigh of appreciation as he sank into the hot water. 

 "Now what are you worried about?" he asked.

 Sunny chanced a look around at him. He had his arms draped on the edge of the stone tub. She opened her mouth and then closed it, feeling embarrassed and foolish. "I--Aunt Fiona's come down with a sickness. So far there's only been seven or eight cases. I think there will be more by morning." 

 Gaddis shrugged his shoulders eloquently. The ripple of muscles under the taunt golden skin was mesmerizing. Sunny found it a little difficult to sit across from him in the bath without thinking of how virile and powerful he was. He half-turned and took a sea sponge from the basket at his elbow and began dipping it into the hot water and squeezing it out over the back of his neck and shoulders. "You are concerned about the sickness coming here?"

 Sunny leaned forward, "Yes!" she declared. Then she had a horrible thought. "I've been exposed! I could be infecting you! I've got to go back!"

 Gaddis shook his head, "It has not come here to Ne'Media. It will, but it has not arrived yet."

 "How do you know?" Sunny asked. "If the infection has spread to those selected, they will quickly infect anyone they encounter; the clans have no natural resistance to illness they pick up in my world. It wouldn't take long to spread here."

 "You cannot stop invaders you cannot see," Gaddis said. "Sickness has struck before, and we have survived."

 "But I remember now," Sunny told him edging closer to him, "It was a dream! You were looking out from a balcony that changed into a mountainside and you told me there was a bad sickness killing your people."

 Gaddis nodded, "Perhaps I did, and prophetic dreams are to be remembered. I think that one day you will save the world from sickness. You will be the savior of the people of Arwyn, Nu'Ada, and Ne'Media."

 Sunny frowned in thought. She felt a sudden chill race down her spine. Gaddis smiled, his golden eyes warming as he looked at her. He closed the distance between them in the bathing pool, placing his hands on the edge of the bathing pool and then on her shoulders. 

 She felt completely exposed and tried to draw away, but he leaned in, his lips brushing hers lightly. When he began to retreat, Sunny deepened the kiss, bringing her body close to his. 

 Gaddis' hands came up and cradled her face between his hands. They trembled slightly as they brushed her hair away from her face. "I think it is time you left my dreams," He whispered. "Good night Siobhan, sleep well."

 Then Sunny was sitting in the bathtub in Laurel Cottage. The water had gone cold. She sat up, yanked the chain that the tub stopper was attached to, and climbed out. She was too confused to try to examine what had happened between them! How could she be so attracted to Gaddis and have the same kind of attraction to Nicodemus Fury? Had she completely lost her mind? She toweled off briskly and slipped into her pajamas. She padded down the hall to her room and climbed into bed. Bracken was already asleep and rolled into a tight ball at the foot of the bed. 

 She drew the covers up under her chin. She wondered why Bracken had not been alerted to her traveling. He would have sounded a shrieking alarm, waking everyone in the house! But he had not been roused at all. The horrifying thought that she might have inadvertently shared the encounter with Nicodemus made her cringe with embarrassment. But the Watcher had not been alerted, and no one seemed to have taken any notice of her traveling. She reached out and found the barrier between Fury and herself was solid as an iron gate! Sunny scrubbed her face to try and wipe away his touch, but it was unsuccessful. She drifted off to sleep still thinking about Gaddis. 

 Gaddis was troubled and after his encounter with the young Dannan woman; Siobhan, he paced his quarters. His dresser had come to assist with his nightclothes, but Gaddis had sent him away, rather irritably dismissing him. He paused in his pacing as a soft knock at his door brought him up short. 

 He strode to the door and jerked it open. Standing there in silken glory was a concubine, a Siren that could soothe his mind and sate his physical needs. "Tamir, it is late."

 "I am here for you, my emperor." Tamir was already using her gift. Her voice was soft and soothing.

 Gaddis looked past her to the first woman, the title held by his first concubine, he did not recall her name now, but very little that happened in the palace escaped her notice. He looked down at Tamir and smiled gently. "Another time, my flower. Go to bed and sleep well."

 Tamir looked at the first woman and she immediately came to see what had displeased the emperor. "My lord and emperor, tell us how we can please you?"

 "Dema, I wish to be alone." Gaddis had remembered the first woman's name. She was still beautiful, though she was now in her middle ages. "I need nothing this evening."

 Dema looked confused and then signaled Tamir to leave them. The young siren immediately hurried back down the corridor to the women's sanctuary. Dema frowned at Gaddis, "It is the Daj that has your raj'oojra!" she declared, "Let Tamir ---"

 "Are you questioning your emperor?"

 "No, my – "

 "Then leave me," Gaddis said, his voice dripping with ice. Dema was left in no doubt that she was in peril of losing more than her position as the first woman. She was about to prostrate herself on the floor tiles when he closed the door and slid the lock firmly in place. 

 Gaddis walked back to the balcony and gazed out over the gardens below. It was dark and quiet throughout the palace. His mind was on none of these things! He began to examine what Dema had said. It had struck a nerve and for the first time in his life, he felt out of his depth! He had always been in complete control of where he placed his affections. As Emperor of Ne'Media, he had taken several wives and had a full complement of concubines. His wives were content, and his concubines were entertaining – the Daj, however, was another matter. Dema was right! The Daj did have his heart and his soul! What was he going to do?