by Lisa Daniels
Every time Itzel thought about turning the tables, he would bring her to a new peak, and her body was no longer in her control. A few times she felt herself calling out, but her mind was so far from her body that she had no idea what she said.
Once there was a gentle laugh against her, and Darius stopped.
Itzel’s eyes flew open. Her breath was short, but she managed to beg him, “Please, don’t stop. Please, Darius, don’t ever stop.”
His laugh was full-throated as he lifted her legs to his shoulders. Putting his arms under hers, he pulled her close and thrust into her. “I will have to stop at some point. If nothing else, we do have obligations.”
Unwanted images began to emerge in her mind. Itzel batted them away. “That can wait. Right now… uuh… uhhhh… ahh! All I want is to feel you. For as long as you are willing.”
Darius brought her to climax again before releasing her legs. Carefully, he lay down beside her, putting his chin on her shoulder. Itzel felt a little disappointed that it was over, but she also knew that they would need to return and report. Darius would not let that wait too long. To her surprise, his hand slid down her stomach and between her legs. Lifting her leg over his own, he whispered to her, “You say the sweetest things.” Before she knew what to expect, he had moved between her legs while wrapping his arms around her. She arched her back as he slid a finger into her. Screaming out, Itzel once again got lost in the moment she hoped would never end.
Time became irrelevant as Darius made love to her for as long as her body could handle the pleasure.
Chapter 10
A New Phase, a New Life
When Itzel woke, she felt a soft pillow under her. Confused, she opened her eyes and looked around. It didn’t take her long to realize that she was in an inn.
“Good morning. Breakfast will be ready soon, but we will need to rush because we are leaving in 45 minutes.”
Itzel sat up and noticed that she was wearing some of her night clothing. Darius was moving around the room, packing up a few things, but offering no further explanation.
I must have passed out after everything. The rest of my memory must be a dream. She thought back to what had happened and immediately she began to blush at the memories she had. Coughing, Itzel was embarrassed about what she had imagined. Of course that hadn’t been real. The idea of Darius doing anything so irresponsible, so emotionally, so unbelievably pleasurable was definitely a dream. A very, very good one, though. She shivered at the thought.
“Are you alright?” The voice sounded a little different than normal, but it still lacked the emotion she had imagined in her dream. There was a glass of water being offered to her, and a familiar pair of eyes looked at her. She took the water. “Thank you.” The druid could feel the blush slipping up her cheeks and quickly looked away. Those pink eyes. She had imagined a lot in those beautiful eyes. Shivering again, she smiled into the water.
A warm blanket was draped over her shoulders. “You really overdid it in there. You know that you are going to have to explain your actions.”
Itzel swallowed the water. “I nearly killed you, which would have been far more difficult to explain. They would have had my head if you had died. Do you have any idea how angry some of them were at me that I was ‘dragging you off into a foreign land’ like a selfish bitch?”
“Did anyone actually say that to you?” He stopped moving around the room and looked at her with his brow furrowed.
“What?” Suddenly Itzel felt guilty. Several people had accused her of being selfish by insisting on leaving with their protector. But she couldn’t remember exactly what they had said. “No, of course not. I’m exaggerating. But it definitely felt like they thought that.”
“Well, you were right about us needing to be there. If no one had gone, they would have gotten Freya, and there would have been no way to stop it. As it is now, they are going to need to make do with a base they have further away that was not prepared for what they want to do to the queen. Your words will eventually jolt Hector into action. Without what you did, we would have lost the mystics.”
“You mean if you hadn’t gone, we would have lost the mystics. I never had any intention of going looking for trouble. That was your idea, and a good thing, too.”
“I was only able to do the right thing because you refused to listen to me. Though, I really wish you would have listened to me in the heat of the moment.”
Itzel froze as she was about to put the empty glass on a table. He mentioned the heat of the moment, which clearly meant while they were fighting the Unwashed, but her mind immediately went to what happened after.
Surely that did not happen. Your body is sore from everything you two went through in there. You are just lucky that you don’t have a major migraine after slamming your own head against the wall because you weren’t fast enough with the barrier. Being intimate in a place like that would have been plain weird.
Despite what she kept telling herself, Itzel felt disappointed that it had just been a dream. Too ashamed to bring it up with Darius, she took her cues from him and got ready to leave.
The trip home was thankfully uneventful, and the pair spoke considerably less on the way back than they had on the way out. Of course he doesn’t have much to say, he doesn’t need to persuade me of anything.
Itzel spent a good bit of time on the deck of a nice ship, watching the waves and enjoying the sights. When the sailors got bored, she entertained them by manipulating the water around them. A storm seemed to have followed them almost as soon as they left port from Solona, but it never drew near, largely because Itzel kept it away. For the most part, she was pleased with the trip. The only disappointment was that she had passed out at the end and couldn’t remember exactly what had happened after she had saved Darius.
You probably just slept for a few days, recovering from the magic use. You haven’t had to use that much magic at one time since… her mind drifted back over the years. The last time she had been that wasteful with magic was when Phineas had been alive. As she stared out over the ocean, her mind began to think back to when Darius’s predecessor had been alive. He had been so outgoing and reckless, she couldn’t help but fall for him. Like Caspian, Phineas had been very flirty, and she knew she had not been the only druid who spent time with him in private. They went on a handful of missions together, but in all of that time, she never saw him in action. She had loved spending time with him, but knew that she couldn’t ask him for anything more serious. The shifter was so reckless, she knew it was only a matter of time before he got himself killed.
She remembered when Caspian had delivered the news to her. He had held her for hours, comforting her. The comfort had turned into a passionate night that made her feel both embarrassed and lonely. Whenever Caspian visited, Itzel lost herself in his arms to erase the loss she felt. They had carried on for over 200 years in a partial relationship. Itzel knew that he was sleeping with other women too, but she didn’t care. The way she felt toward Caspian was not like what she had felt for Phineas. It was a way to kill her sorrow.
Then one day, Itzel had messed it all up by saying that she loved Caspian. Once it was said, she couldn’t take it back. Caspian laughed, and played it off like it was a joke. After that, their trysts became less enjoyable. Itzel wanted something more than what the men she had been with offered her. She didn’t want to share her man with anyone else. The problem was that Itzel didn’t want children either, something that nearly every shifter did want. For a very brief period of time, she had considered seducing Ignacio, but it quickly became clear that he only had eyes for Rosaline.
The sun was setting on the horizon when a sailor leaned over the railing near her. “You are looking down, madam.”
She flashed a blinding, fake smile at him. “Not at all. Just thinking about how to stay out of trouble.”
“Do you really want to stay out of trouble? It seems like a boring path to take.”
Itzel laughed, “Boring is bad. Believe me, I have
had far too much of boring in recent years, but behaving doesn’t have to be boring when done right.”
“Would you like to slip off to your room together so you can show me your idea of behaving?” He gave her a meaningful smile.
Leaning her elbow on the railing, she laughed, “Boy, I am older than your oldest known ancestor. I guarantee what I consider behaving is lethal to you.”
He blushed, but didn’t seem ready to give up. “I’m willing to give it a shot.”
A voice caused them both to look up. “If you will excuse me, I need to borrow her for a little bit.”
The sailor took one look at Darius, nodded, and scampered off. The look on Darius’s face was no worse than usual, but for a human, Itzel imagined it was downright terrifying. The crew believed that they were a mystic and her guardian, so they were much friendlier than they would have been if they knew the truth. That was the problem with not having a country with humans. The Solonians had so many merchants, but the druids only had themselves and a few towns between their home and the edge of their continent.
Then again, the Unwashed have repeatedly proven it is best that we not have anyone else in our home, with a few exceptions. I wouldn’t want to have to watch my back any more at home than I already do.
Itzel turned back to the water. “Thank you, Darius. I couldn't think of a gentle way to turn him down.”
“You are too kind sometimes.” He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his body rigid.
“You know you are allowed to relax now. There will be plenty of time for both of us to be tense when we return.”
He looked over at her and gave her a half smile. “I’m accustomed to this. No point in changing it just for a few days.”
Itzel turned and leaned her back against the rails. “I already miss the assassin who traveled with me to Solona.”
“You miss being pestered and badgered? And here I just thought you expressed a desire not to have to deal with that.”
She grinned and leaned back so that she could look at the few stars starting to shine as the sun set. “Are you comparing yourself to a human? Not something I would expect to hear.”
“You are quite funny, you know.” He was looking at her without any amusement on his face.
Itzel shrugged, “Someone has to be when you are around.”
“I can leave you alone if that is what you prefer.”
“Didn’t you come to talk to me about something?”
Darius looked down at her. “No. I just came to rescue you from what I suspected was an unwelcome invitation.”
She was startled by the gesture. “Really? You didn’t have anything you wanted to talk about?”
His eyes looked over her face. “Not unless there is something you want to discuss.”
Itzel turned around again and stepped up on the rails. She pressed her legs against the rails and held out her arms. Darius took that as a sign that she was not interested in talking. “Have a good evening.”
He was walking away when she finally spoke up. “How did you end up cleaning up the rest of the mess?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“My fire couldn't have destroyed everything. Even if it had, the assholes could have started to remake the base. I know you wouldn’t have left it like that.”
Darius returned and placed his arms on the rails. “You are partly right. Your fire got rid of nearly everything inside the mountain, and the way you moved the air swept the vast majority of the evidence out of the mountain and into the surrounding area. I could have used you to help put out the fire I started at the base of the mountain, but after everything, there actually wasn’t that much left to put out. Fortunately, it rained, putting out the worst of it. That was probably better than drawing attention to us with the mystics so close. They will be feeling very uncomfortable now that the meeting has happened, so you can bet they will be more alert.”
“That isn’t saying much,” she muttered.
There was a chuckle beside her. “Your words, not mine.” Darius smiled out over the ocean, his face looking translucent as the full moon shone on his face. “Just like your words to describe them. Assholes. The Unwashed Assholes. Sounds like a very accurate description.”
Itzel burst out laughing. Pretty soon, Darius joined in. Itzel placed a hand on his arm to steady herself, but ended up losing her balance anyway. She fell into him. Darius caught her in his arms, the events causing him to stop laughing. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face before helping her regain her footing. “It is good to see you laughing. Honestly laughing. Not forcing it.”
“I think the trip was good for me in many ways. I’m really glad that you were with me for it. It has been a very long time since I felt that relaxed.”
“Running through an Asshole base makes you feel relaxed?” He smiled at her, and Itzel found herself unable to answer for a minute. “Everything okay?” His smile faded.
“Oh yeah, just… I had a really strange dream after everything.”
“Really?” He tilted his head to the side. “Actually, that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how long you slept. You really overexerted yourself.”
“Says the guy who ran into an Asshole nest alone and took out everyone on his own.” She hadn’t told him about the women she had found. Itzel did not want him to feel guilty about their fate.
“It worked. You didn’t die the second time.” He pushed away from the rails. “I should probably head back to my cabin.”
Itzel stared over the water. “Everyone asks me if I’m still pining for Caspian. They all assume that is what is wrong with me.”
Darius stopped, and turned to look at her. “Of course. He turned you down when you confessed. That is never easy to get over, not after the amount of time you were together.”
“How would you know? A lot of that was before your time.”
“I can imagine.”
“He only did what he knew I wanted. Caspian only wanted to comfort me, but he ended up standing in for someone I lost. He knew that I didn’t mean it, and I… I guess it just hurt to know that it was never going anywhere. I mean, it wasn’t supposed to. I never should have done that to him, but I was so lonely.”
Darius stood beside her again. He waited for her to continue her story.
“My heart belonged to someone else, but I never had the courage to tell him. It was dumb. But I was afraid that telling him would mean that I would lose him.”
“A man would be a fool to let you go.”
“So Caspian is a fool?” She gave him a wry look and was surprised when he did not return the smile.
“Of course he is. Everyone who has met that guy knows that he is a fool. A very kind fool, but a fool nonetheless. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to keep him from killing the last pureblood enemy?”
“I am not sure what you are talking about.”
Darius waved his hand, “Don’t worry about it. The takeaway is that he is incredibly emotional and foolish. Keeping grudges only ends in misery for everyone.”
“I can understand grudges. To this day, I cannot forgive him for dying.”
“Who?”
“The man I loved.” She shivered and looked up. “I like to pretend that if he hadn’t died, I would gain the courage to finally confess to him. Isn’t that stupid?” She laughed.
A hand was placed on hers. “No. I think that is called regret. Not having experienced it much myself, I couldn't say for certain.”
“Jerk,” she smiled at him.
“Indeed.”
“My dream reminded me of him. In fact, almost everything about it could have been him, but it wasn’t. Instead, someone else took his place. If everyone was right, it should have been Caspian, but I haven’t thought of him in those terms for quite some time.”
“Wait,” Darius placed a finger on his lips. “When you came charging into the cavern, you—you didn’t see Caspian dying on the floor?”
Itzel frowned. “What? No.
I didn’t see him and could not understand what you were saying. Why you were bringing him up.”
“So you saw the man you loved and against whom you now hold a grudge?”
“No,” Itzel’s frown deepened. “What does this have to do with what I was talking about?”
“Did you see someone on the floor?”
“Are you going to let this go?”
“Once you answer the question, maybe.”
With a heavy sigh, Itzel started to laugh, “I guess you can still force the conversation in whichever direction you want it to go. I thought they had fatally wounded you. Why would I see anyone else there? It was just you and me taking on the Assholes.”
Darius stared at her for a moment, then cleared his throat. “So, tell me about this dream.”
“Oh no, you brought up the fight. I’ve answered your questions, so it’s only fair you answer mine.”
“You haven’t asked any. Besides, I interrupted your story. My apologies.”
Something seemed off about him. If she hadn’t known better, Itzel would have said he was blushing. “No, we are on this right now.”
Darius stood still, not moving or talking.
Itzel placed her chin in her hand while looking at Darius. “Insist on getting your way.” She placed a hand on his cheek, startling him. It was true that her hands were a little cold, but his face definitely felt warmer, like his temperature was a bit higher than it should have been. She narrowed her eyes. “You know, you remind me a lot of the man I love. A lot.”
Darius looked over at her, “Yes, I would.”
Itzel pursed her lips. “Who did I used to love?”
Darius turned. He placed a hand on the rail, leaned forward, and whispered near her ear, “Me.”
Itzel blushed and took a step back. “Wrong. You are not the man I used to love.”
His eyes reflected the stars that were multiplying above them. “Phineas.”