She got up from Sienna’s lap. “I can’t imagine that my mother wouldn’t have allowed the scorpions to use the crystal to heal their mutation,” Kallie murmured.
“I’d never give the gold-and-black scorpions anything. They’re dangerous, bottom-feeding leeches that take everything. They’ve gone into non-predatory shifter territories and annihilated everyone for nothing more than money. They’re unscrupulous, and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on those crystals.”
Kallie stroked the book spines. “What I would do is a moot point until we find the crystals. They have to be around here somewhere unless my mother gave them to someone for safe keeping.” She pulled a book from the shelf.
“You’re considering giving them the crystals if we find them aren’t you?”
“Their race is dying, Sienna, due to something that isn’t their fault.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how or why my mother would deny them the use of the crystals.”
“Maybe they didn’t want to just use them. They wanted to keep them and sell the use of them to others,” Sienna said.
“People right here might need them. I couldn’t sell them.”
“That is probably what got your mother killed.”
“Sienna?” Kami called. “Sheriff is here.”
“We’ll be right up.” She stroked Kallie’s arm. “We’ll bring the book with us, and I want you to apologize to Kami.”
Kallie gave her an annoyed look and then said, “Part of your respect thing. I guess I should be glad she didn’t grab me by the hair and slam my head into the counter.”
“She wouldn’t have done that because I would have kicked her ass.” She kissed Kallie. “Are we good?”
Kallie met her gaze and gave her a faint smile. “Yeah.”
“Let’s get upstairs,” Sienna said.
When they reached the top of the stairs, the sound of voices speaking in low tones reached their ears and Sienna stepped out first to find the sheriff there with Charlie and a few others.
“Find something?” the sheriff asked.
Sienna kept Kallie behind her as she said, “No. You guys are going to separate? Someone down here, and the others upstairs?”
“If you don’t mind,” he answered.
“No,” Kallie said.
“Kami, will you take Kallie to the kitchen?” Sienna asked.
“Sure.” She smiled.
Chapter Eighteen
Sienna accompanied the sheriff down to the basement after he gave directions to the others. Kami took Kallie to the kitchen, being careful to shield the books Kallie was carrying with her body instead of magic since the sheriff would have picked up the flare of magic energy even though he himself wasn’t a witch.
“Kallie, I’m sorry last night upset you,” Kami said as Kallie poured herself a cup of coffee.
Kallie studied her cautiously. “I’m sorry if it messes up your swinging and swapping plans.”
“You’ll chase Sienna away if you keep acting like a whiney babe who can’t handle her lifestyle,” Kami told her quietly. “She needs BDSM just like the rest of us.”
“Does she need to turn me into a whore, too?”
Kami sighed. “I doubt Sienna would approve of the language you’re using, so watch your mouth.” Her tone was steely.
She shook her head, remembering what Sienna had done to Dina and looked down into her coffee cup thoughtfully. “Why did you want to be with me?”
“You’re beautiful, and sweet.” Kami smiled. “Every Domme at the club wanted you, but Sienna warned everybody off you years ago.”
“She did?” she asked, brows lifted in surprise.
Kami laughed. “Yeah. She’s been in love with you a long time, and she won’t force this on you,” she said quietly. “But don’t ask her to give up every aspect of the lifestyle she loves.”
* * * *
“There’s nothing here,” the sheriff said. “Maggie left town a few times after her trip to Peru, where did she go?”
She shrugged. “I drove her into the city to see Kal, but we didn’t see her.”
“Why not?”
“She wasn’t available.” She shrugged.
Did you go anywhere else besides stopping for food or gas?”
“We went to an art gallery and a flea market where Maggie bought some material for a quilt and saris.”
“That’s it?”
“Scrapbook supplies for a book she was putting together for Kallie.” That was it. Maggie had compiled everything Kallie would need to know in a scrapbook, but she hadn’t seen any sign of it. She must have known the main house would be attacked. The addition had been heavily warded by the coven after the blessing which was why the scorpions hadn’t been able to get in.
He sighed deeply. “Let’s see if the others have found anything,” he said. “And then we’ll search the addition.”
“Maggie never lived in it,” she told him. “She hadn’t moved anything into it. Everything there is new. Everything was ordered and delivered and me and my crew set up and installed it.”
“Everything?”
“Yeah. She was still sleeping in the main house. How do you think they managed to get to her? The addition is heavily warded.”
“She hadn’t moved any of her things into the house?”
“No!” It was like she was leaving, or she had known she’d be killed.
“Look.” The sheriff halted in his retreat up the stairs. “I’ve talked to the elders of your coven, and they told me about the healing crystals.” He turned to face her.
“So?” She gave him a blank look.
“So, they didn’t tell me anything helpful,” he said coolly. “I have my own suspicions though.”
“Which are?” Sienna demanded coldly.
“Maggie brought something more than healing crystals back. Lima said Maggie didn’t declare anything with customs and she used magic to conceal the crystals as well as a few other items. She made the pottery she brought back look like cheap imitations found at local South American stores.”
“What do you want, Donald?” she asked carefully. “Do you expect me to confirm that? Maggie despised me for loving her daughter. She was barely civil to me until two months ago. We were on friendly terms, but she never told me anything about what was going on with her.”
“I just feel like you’re hiding something from me.” He studied her as if trying to read her mind.
“Are you checking out who desecrated Maggie’s grave?” Sienna asked. “Trying to find the necromancer?”
“No one saw anything,” he told her, a glimmer of anger in his eyes. “Her body hasn’t been recovered either, so we’re running down all the necromancers in the area. But you know as well as I do finding the necromancer isn’t going to happen.”
She nodded. “Maybe you aren’t looking hard enough,” she said coldly. “Maybe you expect someone else to do your job for you.”
He grunted and led the way out of the basement.
After checking out the bedrooms, they headed to the attic where they found a small box in one of the two rooms. Inside the box was a key and safe deposit box number.
“I’ll take it,” the sheriff said. “If it’s the items from the museum, it’s evidence.”
“How?” Sienna demanded.
“She was killed over them,” he told her grimly. “I’ll put the word out that I found the box and hopefully that will draw attention away from Kallie for a little while at least.”
“Fine, but I want to know what you find.”
* * * *
Kallie glared at Sienna when she gave her the news and then pushed her hand away when she tried to comfort her.
“My mother is not a smuggler,” she said. “No matter what they find in that box, I’m sure there’s an explanation for it.”
“Probably,” Kami said, giving Sienna a look. “If the crystals were worth millions, I doubt Maggie put them in that box.”
“They might be powerful enough to heal mutations,�
�� Kallie said. “So something else has to be in the box.”
“I agree,” Sienna said, sliding an arm around Kallie’s waist and pulling Kallie against her side before kissing the side of her neck.
“I’ll go talk to Peta’s grandmother, see what the elders really think and know,” Kami said. “You know how they are with their secrets.”
“Then, if you can get back, I’d like you here tonight, too.”
“I’ll be here.” Kami’s tone was bland.
“Let’s walk her out, Kal,” Sienna said. “Then, we’re going upstairs so I can help MJ with the bathroom.”
* * * *
Kallie spent part of the afternoon watching Sienna’s feminine muscles flex as she finished up the last bathroom with her cousin’s help. The rest of the time she spent in her mother’s room with the books she’d found in the basement, hoping to find something to help them track the crystals. She felt they were the key rather than the mystery items her mother supposedly brought back. As she went through the book, Kallie stumbled upon a picture of the spear of life in an ornate box.
She studied the rough edges of the slender black tourmaline and the smooth edge of the smaller amazonite fitted against it, shaped like a spear. She frowned as a memory tried to take shape in her mind but stayed just out of reach.
So, she turned the page and found a picture of the wand of fire. It was a gorgeous wand of ruby red crystal. Stroking her finger over the picture, flames filled her mind along with the knowledge that the wand burned away illness.
“There is something…” She frowned as she pushed the book aside and grabbed the journal. She thumbed through it, focused on the spear, and stopped at a page near the end of the journal dated three days after her mother’s return from Peru.
There was never any question of whether I would allow the scorpions to use the spear. I allowed it to be used on a spider and scorpion colony nineteen years ago, but their attempts to steal it from me as well as their attack on my sister forced me to store it with a guardian.
This wasn’t to be permanent nor was it advisable for more than a few months because anything longer than six months and the crystal becomes a part of its guardian. Once this happens the crystal can never be removed without killing the guardian. The guardian can use the powers of the crystal to heal itself as well as others.
If the guardian is a shifter, the crystal will become like a tattoo taking the shape of the shifter’s animal form. The ancient healers believed this was the crystal’s way of becoming one with the guardian and allowing its power to become fully available to the guardian.
“Kallie.” Sienna stepped into the bedroom.
Kallie looked at her, apprehension griping her with an icy hand.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Sienna crawled onto the bed with her. She looked down at the book. “Have you found something, butterfly?”
She nodded and pointed. “How could she do that to me, Sia?”
“Who did what?” She pulled Kallie to her, holding her tight.
“The butterfly on my chest is the spear,” she cried. “They’ll have to kill me to get it.”
“We’ll find out who’s after the spear, and then I’ll kill them,” she promised. “Don’t worry. I’m not letting anyone take you away from me.”
“But why would she put that spear around my neck?” she asked, clinging to her mate. Sienna kissed the side of her head.
“I’m sure Maggie had a reason for making you the guardian of the spear.”
“No reason was good enough for making me a target,” she snapped. “She had no right. Why didn’t she wear it?”
“When she put it on you, it healed it,” Sienna murmured. “Maybe she didn’t know it would embed in you like that.”
Kallie swallowed tightly. “The allergies.” That’s the memory that had been trying to break through. Her mother had used the crystal to heal her when she was young. “I want to believe she’d never put me in harm’s way, but it doesn’t feel like it.”
Sienna sighed. “Your mother was making you a scrapbook. I’m sure she left all the information on that spear in it,” she said quietly. “We’ll find it.”
“What if she destroyed everything?”
“She would never do that, Kal.” She kissed her soft cheek. “Now, let’s go. The crew is gone, and Kami and Tas are locking up.”
“I don’t want Kami touching me.”
“Course not, baby,” Sienna said in a soothing tone. “That is a point that only you can decide on.”
“I only want you,” she murmured. “Just you.” She reached up and pushed the stained scarf from Sienna’s hair. She pushed her fingers through it. “I want to be only yours.”
“You are,” Sienna told her urgently. “Just mine.” She lowered her head, slanting her lips over Kallie’s. Her tongue slipped into the hot cavern of Kallie’s mouth to gently stroke against her own as she kept the kiss light. Honeysuckle and lavender burst over her senses and Sienna’s kiss grew hungry and demanding. Her fingers closed around Kallie’s nape, holding her close.
“Mmm.” Sienna broke the kiss. She nuzzled Kallie’s mouth. “Come shower with me. I don’t want to take you while I’m all sweaty and stinky.”
She retracted her fingers from her lover’s hair. “I want a life with you.”
“Same here. I will do everything within my power to make you happy, Kallie, my spicy little love.”
“Ditto.”
Sienna laughed and tugged Kallie’s braid “Let’s get me cleaned and woman smelling.”
Chapter Nineteen
The hot water sluiced over them as Sienna lightly scrubbed the towel over Kallie’s golden skin. She stole a slow kiss and Kallie stroked her hand up Sienna’s side to cup her breast. She squeezed the soft mound and swirled her tongue around the nipple before lightly biting it. She sucked at the dark point and then flicked it with her tongue before turning her attention to the other.
“Darlin’.” Sienna moaned, pushing her fingers into Kallie’s thick hair. “Love your mouth.”
Kallie drew hard on her nipple. At the same time, she pinched the other nipple, and then let her hand drift down between Sienna’s legs. She traced her finger up the slit to Sienna’s clit where she drew her fingers around it and stroked it.
Sienna’s hips jerked and her face contorted in pleasure. “Just like that.”
Kallie pinched her nipple. “You like that, too?”
“Harder.”
Kallie pinched her harder as she dipped one finger into Sienna’s creaming pussy. “Mmm. Fuck me, sweet girl.” She cupped one of Kallie’s firm globes.
Kallie drew her finger out and thrust two into Sienna, stroking her deep with firm strokes.
“That’s it, Kal.” She was breathless as she pumped her hips in time to Kallie’s thrusts. “Fuck me harder.”
Kallie pressed her thumb hard against her clit and drove her fingers in harder. Sienna’s body trembled as she came around Kallie’s fingers. Liquid silk coated her skin. It was sort of sticky and Kallie drew her fingers out and brought them to her lips. She wanted to know what it tasted liked.
Sienna watched with dark, hungry eyes.
The warmth burst onto her tongue, with a hint of lavender. “Spicy with a hint of lavender.”
Sienna shifted and pushed Kallie against the cool tile, and she hissed as the coolness met her heated skin. “That proves you’re mine, Kal,” she murmured, pushing Kallie’s arms up against the tile and webbing them in place. “The silk takes on the butterfly’s taste.” She lifted Kallie and held her in place with the strength of her body.
Kallie’s legs came around her, and she marveled at her woman’s strength.
“Good girl.” Sienna put her hands on Kallie’s as they kissed.
Kallie moaned into the kiss, enjoying the feel of her mate’s tongue stroking against hers. She moved her hips. Her clit slid against Sienna’s. The sensation was divine. Sienna trailed kisses over her throat as she moved against her.
Kal
lie groaned, straining against the web. Her pussy dripped, her skin grew hotter, and she craved a harder contact. This was better than last night. Her woman touching her, grinding against her.
Sienna slapped one breast and then the other. “Sia!” The hint of pain was a heady sensation that she was coming to look forward to and crave.
Sienna bit one nipple and Kallie cried out. She sucked it hard as she ground her clit harder against Kallie’s.
Kallie grimaced as the liquid silk filled her to almost painful fullness. It went deep inside her, stretching her. Then, the friction started. She bit her lip as Sienna’s movements worked her clit and increased the spiral fiction.
“Oh, Goddess.” She groaned. “Oh fuck, it’s good.” She strained against Sienna as she panted.
Kallie’s eyes closed as her head rolled against the tile. The pleasure was just too much. Her pussy was going to be sore again. She clenched her fingers as she lifted her hips for Sienna’s thrust. Sienna slapped the side of her ass hard and the pain sent her tumbling over the edge with a scream.
She was gasping for breath when Sienna bit her, making her body convulse again as Sienna’s orgasm drew a harsh shout from her.
* * * *
After their shower, Sienna dried Kallie off and blew her hair dry and then rubbed moisturizer on her.
“The silk has changed,” Kallie said. “It’s going deeper inside me, it’s thicker.”
“It’s adjusting to what you need,” Sienna informed her as Kallie rubbed moisturizer into Sienna’s back. “Your desire for something deeper, rougher is translating to the spider.”
“I don’t understand that or how you’re not killing me with your bite,” she mused and kissed Sienna’s shoulder.
“The poison becomes nothing more than an aphrodisiac when a spider bites her mate.”
“Sienna.” A knock on the door followed.
“What is it, Kami?”
“Sheriff’s downstairs, and he’s a little perturbed.”
“Five.”
“I want to know what he found,” Kallie said and quickly hurried to the closet for clothes.
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