by Kali Argent
“Perhaps.” Picking up the test tube again, she held it up to the light and shook it. “The pocca sap isn’t known to have healing properties for Xenon, but I suppose it could have different benefits for non-magical races.”
Honestly, he’d reached the point where he was willing to try anything. “What about the zisa? Are they used for healing?”
“Oh, yes.” She nodded vigorously, and the smile returned to her face. “Mostly for minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, but again, they could have a different effect on humans.”
It was good enough for him. He still had plenty of the healing flowers that grew beneath the Adderstones, but they wouldn’t last forever, especially if he kept sucking out all their magic. Plus, so far, they’d consistently done more damage than good. Maybe something a little less magical might be just the solution they needed.
Speaking of absorbing magic… “Maybe you should put everything back in the office for now. You know, before I kill it all.”
“Actually, I thought we could use these to practice.”
Skeptical that he wanted to know the answer, Luke forced himself to ask the question anyway. “Practice what, exactly?”
“Using your gift, of course.” She might as well have added “dumbass” to the end of that sentence for all the impatience in her tone. “Come, neelum, how can you expect to control it if you don’t use it? You do understand that it won’t just go away because you wish it so, correct?”
Yeah, he’d kind of gotten that memo. Just because he knew she was right didn’t mean he had to like it, though. In fact, he pretty much hated the idea of purposely inflicting his curse on anyone or anything.
“What did that poor flower ever do to you, huh?” he demanded, pushing off the floor to glide his chair farther away from her.
Jael leveled him with a look that reminded him a little too much of the expressions his instructors used to give him at the Academy. Thankfully, he had some natural talents and learned pretty quickly, because he’d been a terrible student.
“Lucas Brighton,” she snapped. “You get over here and take this flower.”
Crap, she even had the voice. “Nah, I’m good.”
The glare she gave him could have frozen the sun. “I guess that means you don’t want to have sex with me.”
Completely stunned by her bold statement, Luke gaped. “I didn’t say that!”
“Well, you can’t even kiss me without causing destruction. What do you think will happen if we tried anything more?”
He’d probably annihilate half the fucking city. Nobody wanted that. The residents of Light City really had been through enough.
“Wait…are you using sex as a bribe?” He wasn’t against it. The sudden throbbing of his swollen cock was proof of that. He just wanted to make sure they were on the same page.
“Call it what you will, but personally, I would like to be laid down sometime this century.”
Stars, she was too cute, even when she was pissed at him. “Laid. You want to get laid.”
“Yes. Laid down.” She tilted her head and frowned. “That’s what I said.”
“No, it’s…you know what? Never mind.” They needed to change the subject. Immediately. “Fine. I’ll practice.”
Not because she was putting sex on the table, though. Mostly. Well, yeah, okay, it had a little bit to do with it.
It was totally because of that.
“Good.” A wicked little smirk titled one side of her mouth. “To make things more fun, what if we make a wager?”
Please let it be a blowjob. “What kind of wager?”
“Every time you’re able to control it, I’ll remove a piece of clothing. Each time you lose control, you have to do the same.”
So…not a blowjob, but he’d take it. “You’re on, beautiful. Prepare to get naked.”
Half an hour later, Jael was still fully dressed, and Luke was down to his boxers and a single sock. He hated this game.
“You’re not concentrating,” she chastised. “Focus.”
“I am,” he growled. “You try focusing when your nipples are cold.” Leaning back in his chair, he puffed his chest out and poked one of his hardened nipples. “Just look at that!”
Her eyes rolled so hard he was surprised they managed to stay in her head. “Yes, neelum, I’m looking. I acknowledge your frigid nipples.”
That really shouldn’t sound as suggestive as it did. There was something seriously wrong with him. “I don’t think this is working.”
“You didn’t expect to master it the first time, did you?” Picking up another petal, she shoved it at him with a determined nod. “Remember, it’s like a valve. Just imagine turning it off and stopping the flow of magic.”
He was practically naked, had embarrassed himself repeatedly by murdering a handful of the zisa flowers, and she wanted him to visualize. Perfect.
“You know, it’s a good thing I kind of like you.”
“And it’s a good thing you’re attractive,” she countered.
The funniest part about it was that she hadn’t even said it sarcastically. Laughing, Luke grabbed for the petal, wanting to both appease his mate and just get the whole damn thing over with, but Jael snatched it out of his reach.
“Nell’s here.”
Crap, he hadn’t even heard the lift. “Where are my pants?” He was pretty sure he’d tossed them into the corner of the cubicle, but he didn’t see them. “No, seriously, where are my pants?”
“You’re wearing them.”
Sure enough, he was completely dressed, sans his shoes. His love-hate relationship with magic was really starting to get out of hand. “Cool. Thanks for that.” Being caught in his underwear by his assistant hadn’t exactly been on his to-do list for the day. “Do you want to keep practicing?”
Every part of him hoped she said no.
“Not right now. We’ll try again later.” Her tone was warm and filled with fondness. “You really are a terrible student, neelum.”
“Yes, but I’m pretty, remember?” He puffed up like a proud peacock and gave her his most charming smile. “You said it yourself. You can’t take it back. That’s the rule.”
“There are only two rules when it comes to learning magic, and that isn’t one of them.” As she spoke, she began gathering the samples and packing them back into the box. “Number one, you can’t just be pretty.”
That sounded like a terrible rule, but she’d piqued his interest, and he had to ask, “What’s the second?”
Pausing in her task, she turned and looked at him, her expression completely serious. “Refer to rule number one.”
CHAPTER NINE
The following morning, instead of helping Luke practice controlling his gift, Jael found herself back out in the city. It felt wrong to be out of the lab when they had so much work to do, but it was such a beautiful day, any concerns were quickly forgotten.
There were no clouds or haze to disrupt the swath of brilliant blue sky. Rays of golden sunlight glinted off chrome buildings, refracting in a rainbow of colors across their many windows. A light, warm breeze blew from the south, bringing with it a titillating combination of scents of everything from the ocean to freshly baked bread.
The puny little trees that sprouted up through the stone pathways confused her, but nonetheless, she enjoyed the singing birds that nested in the branches.
Transports zoomed by them on the streets. Merchants called out from their storefronts. Younglings laughed as they chased a red ball around in the grass of a nearby park. So many people traversed the walkways, Jael had to grip Luke’s hand tight to keep from being separated from him.
Not that she minded.
It seemed as if everyone in the city had come out of their homes to enjoy the lovely weather, and each person they passed fascinated her more than the last. At some point, she imagined the novelty of Earth would fade away, and she would no longer view it with such wide-eyed wonder.
This wasn’t that day.
In fact, there was
a lot to be excited about on that particular morning. It was Camille Navarra’s twenty-sixth birthday, and her brother and mate had planned an extravagant celebration for that afternoon. While Tariq dealt with caterers and party planners, it was Jael and Luke’s job to keep the female occupied.
It hadn’t been difficult to convince her to leave the house, either. Jael had simply expressed a wish to see the city with her for her special day. By the ancestors, she didn’t think anyone had ever responded so enthusiastically to an invitation to spend time with her. It had been…gratifying.
Luke had insisted he accompany them. Of course, that had been the plan all along, but Cami hadn’t known that. The argument that had followed had been greatly amusing. Well, it had been until the same argument had been forced on her by her own brother.
At first, she’d been pleased that Xi wanted to venture out into the city with them, especially since she hadn’t seen much of him since they’d arrived on Earth. Then, he’d had to ruin it by explaining that his only reason for joining them was because he didn’t trust her not to get herself into trouble.
Ugh, he could be such an asshole.
Cami had summed it up perfectly when she’d met Jael’s gaze, shaken her head, and muttered, “Men.”
Still, Jael wasn’t going to let one setback diminish her enjoyment. Humans might be a little strange, but they were also endlessly captivating. What they lacked in magic, they more than made up for in technology and ingenuity. She’d even venture to say that Xenons could learn a few things from them.
Twice, they’d stopped at an intersection until a blinking light told them they could cross. To Luke and Cami, it had been such a mundane thing. For Jael, it had been another new, exciting experience.
She’d been surprised to learn that many of the same buildings and businesses she’d seen in the Capital were also common in Light City. Not only that, but some were so numerous she couldn’t even fathom it. How many bakeries did one city really need?
Naturally, she had an endless stream of questions, but Luke didn’t seem to mind. He never lost patience with her or made her feel like her inquiries were silly.
He’d explained that a museum housed important artifacts of cultural and historical significance, which sounded a lot like Xenthian’s archives. A “bar,” she learned, was simply a place to imbibe ale and wine like the public taverns on the Southern Isle. There were a lot of bars.
The building that grew flowers was exactly what she’d pictured it to be, which still didn’t make much sense.
The little shop with brightly painted windows which proclaimed it to be Yana’s Hair by Design, intrigued her the most. She told her mate about passing a similar place in the Capital, and they’d both laughed when Cami had launched into an animated explanation.
Apparently, humans actually paid other humans to cut and style their hair. Cami had had gone on to say that some humans even applied various colors to their locks with the help of natural and chemical dyes.
As she’d listened, Jael had made a silent promise to return at some point so this Yana person could design her hair. She didn’t quite understand the point of it, but the process sounded fascinating.
“Oh, I want to go to Cyrin’s,” Cami announced at the next intersection as she pointed excitedly at a shop across the street.
“No,” Luke, Jael, and Xi all practically shouted at her in unison.
Beyond keeping Cami away from the mansion for a few hours, Tariq’s only other request had been that they not allow her inside Half Caked. Since he’d employed the owner, Cyrin Kasvar, to create Cami’s birthday cake, he didn’t want there to be any chance of ruining the surprise.
Jael would have mentioned that preventing the female from entering the bakery would likely be even more suspicious. She might have also pointed out that trying to keep the secret from a telepath was an exercise in futility, but no one had asked for her opinion.
“But, it’s my birthday,” Cami insisted.
Her smile was a little too innocent in Jael’s opinion.
“We’re taking you to lunch. Maybe we can stop at Cyrin’s on the way back,” Luke lied smoothly. “Come on, chipmunk, I thought you wanted pork tacos.”
Her face lit up with an angelic smile. “Yes!”
“Tacos?” Jael perked up as well. Grabbing her brother’s arm, she shook it wildly. “Xi, tacos!”
His grin was indulgent, but at least he was smiling. “I heard. Vasera Blackthorn will be pleased.”
“That makes so much sense.” Leading them across the street, Luke shook his head and laughed. “I swear, Ivy could eat her weight in tacos back in the day.” Then, because he was apparently a masochist, he added, “You do know that pork is pig. Right, chipmunk?”
Jael dropped her head and groaned. Everyone was having a great time, and as humorous as she found their sibling banter, she didn’t want them to argue again. To her surprise, however, Cami just shrugged.
“Yeah, I know, but it’s not bekshin.” Her lips twisted, and she tapped at them with her index finger. “Honestly, I probably would have eaten a bekshin if Ivy hadn’t turned them into pets. You can’t eat a pet.”
It was a strange sort of logic, but Jael could see the reasoning in it. As a general rule, her people didn’t keep animals as companions, but if they did, she imagined they would be less inclined to eat them.
“Listen!” Cami bounced up on her toes. “Do you hear it?”
Since Luke had chosen that moment to lean close and nuzzle her cheek, the only thing Jael could hear was the pounding of her heart and a dull roar in her ears. Great stars, she wanted him with an intensity that scared her. At this point, she was beginning to think they’d never make it to that next step of their relationship.
Not because she was holding her vagina hostage—as Luke had so eloquently accused her of before leaving the house—or anything so dramatic. She did, however, suspect that they’d be explosive together, and until Luke learned to control his gift, she meant that literally. Despite any protests to the contrary, he knew it as well, which was probably why she hadn’t received more than light caresses and chaste kisses in the past few days.
“You’re not listening,” Luke teased. “Can you hear it, beautiful?”
Taking a couple of deep breaths to tame her body’s unruly reaction to her mate, she did as he requested. When she finally heard it, she couldn’t contain her delight.
“Music!” It was an upbeat tune that carried on the wind and vibrated through her body like a live current. “It’s amazing. Where is it coming from?” Laughing from the sheer joy of it, she grabbed Xi’s hand and looked up at him. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
He arched a dark eyebrow at her and grunted. “It sounds like someone’s being murdered.” His lips twitched at the corners, belying his gruff tone and proving he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended to be. “It’s the—”
“Excuse me.” A male child with dark hair and big, midnight eyes set into a sweet face tugged the sleeve of Xi’s tunic. “Hey, excuse me,” he repeated a little louder this time. He didn’t look frightened to be speaking with a stranger. If anything, he appeared determined. “I need to ask you a question.”
“Oh, he’s so cute,” Cami whispered. “I wonder where his parents are.”
Crouching down on the walkway, Xi smiled at the boy. “Hello, little one. Are you lost?”
Instead of answering, the child lifted his hand and pointed a finger at Jael. “Is she a real princess?”
Cami giggled. “He’s too precious.”
Even Luke wore a crooked grin. “He is pretty adorable.”
Xi laughed as well, angling sideways so he could look at Jael over his shoulder. “Yes, actually, she is really a princess.”
She most certainly was not a princess, but she couldn’t bring herself to correct him when the child’s face lit up with triumph.
“That’s so cool!”
Everyone chuckled, and Xi asked, “Where are you parents, little one?”
; “I’m not little.” Huffing indignantly, he shoved his open hand toward Xi’s face. “I’m this many. That’s not little.”
Cami made a choking sound and turned away as her entire body shook with barely-restrained amusement.
“Oh, my apologies. I didn’t realize.” Xi placed his right palm over his heart and bowed his head respectfully. “Do you have a name?”
The child narrowed his eyes, but he answered in a clear, carrying voice. “Maacon.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Maacon. My name is Xi. This is my sister, Jael.”
The boy looked between them a couple of times, then over to Cami. “Who are you?”
“Camille,” she answered readily. “This is my brother, Luke.”
“Oh.” He tilted his head and frowned at her. “Are you a princess, too?”
“No, I’m afraid I’m not.”
“That’s okay,” he assured her. “You’re still pretty.” Returning his attention to Xi, he fisted his hands on his hips and wrinkled his tiny nose. “You have funny ears.”
“I’m going to die,” Cami wheezed through her giggles. “This is the best birthday ever.”
Jael didn’t understand how expiring on the day of one’s birth was a desirable thing, but she nodded anyway.
With a gasp of mock surprise, Xi cupped his right ear and mirrored Maacon’s expression. “You have funny ears.”
The youngling’s mouth fell open briefly, and his eyes grew even bigger, comically so. Then…he started to giggle. It was an infectious sound born of pure innocence, and soon, everyone was laughing with him. Cami was right. The boy was absolutely precious. Jael did, however, worry about him being alone on such a busy street. Surely, someone would be missing him by now.
“You’re funny.” His gaze slid past Xi to land on her again. “Can I see your princess?”
Not wanting to frighten or intimidate him, she released Luke’s hand and lowered herself to the ground to kneel beside her brother. “Hello, Maacon. My name is Jael.”
“Wow, you’re pretty.”
“Thank you.” Oh, he was a charmer. “That’s very kind to say.” She glanced up and down the street again. “Where is your mother, leelan?”