“None taken.” She laughed. The idea was crazy. Tri-marriage, indeed.
“You could have discreet lovers. I am sure you will find a Thromian willing to share your bed. You could claim that Wrexel monopolizes Amber’s time and tires her and that you are not sufficiently satisfied. We both know your frequent visits to Freya are not to talk about strategy, and as Inndra’s sister, she would be a trusted companion.”
* * *
Whyle did not look convinced but Wrexel seemed intrigued, which surprised Amber.
“The Monarch would be outraged,” Wrexel said with a growing smile. “It would undo his blackmailing and give us more time to prepare for war.”
“No, it would give us time to keep winning support and possibly avert war,” Shihlo argued, but he looked pleased when Wrexel turned to Amber.
“It’s a good idea. Would you consider it?”
“Wait,” she said. “You’re serious about this?”
She stared at Whyle and then at Wrexel. The idea was so foreign and shocking to her, it took a while to digest it.
In name only, they said.
“What would I have to do?”
“Just have sex with me once or twice.” Whyle paused for effect and then laughed when her mouth fell open. “Relax, my sweet, I have no desire to incur Wrexel’s wrath. You would have to do nothing but be good at pretending.”
“Okay.” She was happy to be of help. “But what of the rewritten law?”
“You are exempt.” Shihlo grinned. “I ensured that no Thromian ruling on marriage in any form could affect you. I had no idea what your future in Throm would entail, but I had you specifically set aside as an exception – the only exception.”
“We should plan this thoroughly,” said Wrexel.
Shihlo agreed. “And we don’t tell Staede until it happens. No sense causing problems before the plan is hatched.”
“Why?” Amber was confused.
“He will not like the idea,” Shihlo warned.
“He would know it’s in name only,” she said, not wanting to hide anything from her friend.
“He would rebel against you having less time to spend with him, for you would have to be seen with Whyle and you would have to embrace him meaningfully, which is something Staede covets. Despite the overall good for Throm, he would veto this plan.”
When Wrexel scowled, Shihlo appeared as though he regretted his words. “While I know this will be difficult for you, Wrexel, this ruse must be believable. We need to have some public displays of real and convincing affection.”
“I hardly leave the wing,” Amber said. “What public are you referring to?”
Shihlo looked at her and snorted. “Seriously?”
She continued to stare at him, wide-eyed.
Shihlo lifted his monitor and pointed it at the screen on the wall. “You have been out of Four Wings and in Throm public exactly four times; once to Wrexel’s cadet graduation, once to attend a Green-hosted banquet, once at the New Year celebration, and once to greet him when he returned from the Sketchi fight.”
She nodded, amazed that Shihlo knew of each incident.
“Our chronicle providers who are inclined to focus on gossip released some footage.” He gave a wicked laugh.
* * *
She knew he spoke of Thromian tabloids, but she had never really had cause to watch them. She wasn’t aware that she was of keen interest to their subscribers.
Amber watched as Shihlo clicked his monitor.
“The cadet graduation.”
A short video played of Wrexel lifting Amber from the stage. As he brought her to the ground beside him, he covered her mouth with a kiss. The mutual longing on both their faces was clear.
“The Green banquet.”
“Oh no.” She sounded like she was being strangled, but it was too late.
* * *
The video footage showed them onboard Wrexel’s floating platform, oblivious to the fact that they were being recorded. Wrexel was making out with her as if they were teenagers, hiding under the bleachers, his hand snaking up from her waist to cover her breast.
“New Year,” said Shihlo.
“I think we get it, Shihlo.”
Shihlo was enjoying himself too much, however, and Amber’s cheeks burned when more footage showed another embrace, her hands delving into Wrexel’s thick hair as his mouth moved over her neck. Did she really throw back her head like that? Thank God it was silent, for she could see her mouth open and imagined her moan.
“And my personal favorite, his arrival from the Sketchi war.”
Wrexel emerged from the transporter, ran past his closest officials who had awaited his return, up the steps to where she stood, and lifted her into his arms. He kissed her as he bolted up to his quarters.
She exchanged a glance with Wrexel, but quickly looked away when his eyes flared with violet. “Has all of Throm seen this?”
“Yes. Wrexel didn’t seem to understand my request for restraint.” Shihlo glared at him and then, seeing his heated gaze, added, “Reign it in!”
“Did… did other planets see this?” she interrupted.
“They like our tabloid chronicles even more than Throm does. A publication house on Rheese sells every issue featuring you and Wrexel.”
Amber’s heart sank. So Travis had seen this. Until that moment, tabloids had been the furthest thing from her mind. Her guilty betrayal had been her own, but now she realized that Travis was more than likely a full spectator. She had fallen out of love with him and had serious questions about the former relationship but she still did not wish to hurt him.
“Do not be ashamed. I cannot even begin to tell you the kind of footage they have of Staede; he has a section dedicated to him every week in most tabloids and never fails to deliver.”
He clicked off the screen. “Staede will not be thrilled when we plan similar occurrences with Whyle. He can barely deal with the fact that you sleep with your husband.”
“Staede should not care,” Wrexel said angrily.
“But he will,” argued Shihlo.
“This kind of publicity will not be necessary.” Wrexel looked at Whyle with a pained expression.
“I think it will.” Shihlo returned to the plan as if Wrexel had not spoken. “So, we let Staede know later. His reactions can be just as unpredictable as yours. The last thing we need is for him to sabotage our plan.”
“Staede will think of what is good for Throm,” Wrexel argued.
“Yes, like you opted to marry Amber for the good of Throm,” Shihlo said sarcastically. “Neither one of you is capable of thinking clearly when it comes to my lovely sister.”
Despite being all work and no play, Amber realized that the Thromians liked gossip. While their tabloids were nothing compared to Earth’s, Shihlo assured her their women enjoyed reading about things that should not be any of their business.
She glanced shyly at Whyle. It would be weird pretending to be his lover. He winked at her and they both laughed.
Well… maybe not so strange.
After all, they were friends.
* * *
The plan was set in motion for a training exercise that would see Staede out of Throm’s immediate reach in a few weeks’ time. She was riddled with guilt when she went to her drill sessions with him. She couldn’t quite figure out why. It wasn’t as if she owed Staede an explanation of her plans or Wrexel’s.
He was oblivious, asking only if she was staying out of the catacombs. Amber was finding it easier to lie, even with the stark reminder of the curse scar upon his bare chest as they trained. She didn’t want to betray him.
Hurting Staede was one thing she did not want to do.
She realized this was because she loved him.
Not in the manner he wanted her to and not even in an entirely appropriate way, for she was not oblivious to his touch. Wrexel, however, consumed her in ways Staede never could and she would never be more to Staede than a strange sister. It didn’t change the fact tha
t she adored him, loved spending time with him, and yes… loved him.
34
Deceptions
A week later, Wrexel asked Shihlo to protect Amber while he was away and he readily agreed. His affection for her had grown steadily and there were days when he worried about her affair ending with Wrexel, for he would miss having her in his life. When she slept, he stayed up late to work on rewriting the Book of Ages in their sitting room. He was halfway through his latest task when Revan summoned him.
“Can we meet? I have feedback on your petition to keep Khul of Huggraker off Thee Isle.” Shihlo surveyed his options.
Whyle was away with Wrexel and they had taken Inndra with them, which left only Staede to guard Amber. Freya was on a break and Dionys had not started his tenure as a full-time Four Wings protector.
Wrexel would not be pleased, but Shihlo decided to call his middle sibling and ask him to watch Amber while he travelled to Illohi’s Thee Isle. Shihlo was certain he would be back before Amber woke up.
Staede approached Wrexel’s door with a confused frown at the summons. Having just returned from a short mission of his own, he looked tired and irritable.
“What?” he snapped when Shihlo opened Wrexel’s balcony rail.
“I’ve been called to Illohi, and it’s urgent.”
“Congratulations.” Staede looked as if he were in no mood to help, but he also appeared exhausted, which was a good sign. Maybe he would opt to sleep and not go to Amber.
“Will you watch over Amber until I’m back?”
Staede’s brows lifted. “Run out of safe options? I gather my brother doesn’t know you’re asking me?”
“No, he doesn’t. I’ll be back in the morning and I’m hoping you will sleep like she is until I am back.”
“I’ll watch her.” Staede brushed past Shihlo. “But I make no such promises.”
Shihlo hesitated but decided he had no choice.
With a twinge of guilt, he left his brother behind.
* * *
Staede ran his fingers through his hair. He had just stepped off his craft when Shihlo buzzed him to ask the favor. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. Shihlo was in luck, for he would pass out on the couch and not wake up Amber for some late-night fun.
First, though, he would check on her.
He used Wrexel’s shower and changed into his brother’s drawstring lounging pants. If Shihlo thought he would keep this favor a secret, he was dreaming.
Staede walked over to the bed where she slept. The window covering wasn’t lowered and he could clearly see her outline in the Thromian moonlight. He looked down at her tenderly and dropped a gentle hand to brush the hair from her face.
Amber stirred but did not wake. She moved slowly onto her back with a sigh.
Staede’s hand froze at the same time his breath did. The silk nightgown rode low on her chest and twisted around her body. It revealed the creamy expanse of one full, sloping breast and just a whisper of pink as the gown almost exposed her nipple.
The familiar pain that clawed at his throat when he denied himself the pleasure of touching her came to the fore. He knew Amber was attracted to him. However, despite the overwhelming desire to push his luck, he always held back; the idea of frightening her and losing their friendship was too grave. To a lesser degree, he also knew that it would cause irreparable damage to his and Wrexel’s relationship.
Staede sat beside her, careful not to rouse her from sleep. With an unsteady hand, he stroked the slope of her neck, purposely pushing the spaghetti strap off her shoulder. He watched it drop, allowing the front of her top to hang loosely, tempting him to give it a slight tug and reveal the curves he dreamt of seeing.
God, she was beautiful.
There wasn’t a part of her that was unattractive to him.
Spending platonic time with her was a pleasure and a pain. He had been acting like a saint around her; the brief touches and half-hearted kisses he stole were a drop in the ocean of what he could do if he set his mind to it.
Well, fuck them all tonight.
With a slow hand, he tugged the silk.
Amber shifted but still did not wake; however, the shift was enough for him to see one lovely and perfect rose-tipped globe. Staede bit his lip; he was prepared for perfection, but by God, she was more ravishing than he had imagined.
He touched his stomach; the sensation of seeing her partially naked was like a punch to the gut. It fired up desire for her and took it to a level at which he began losing all sense of control. He fought back the accusation that she slept and he had no right, but the yearning won and he lifted the soft comforter.
The gown was long, but now it twisted along her body, riding up her thighs as she slept peacefully in the moonlight. Staede ran his fingers up her thigh, brushing higher with his palm. He went rigid when his hand encountered her naked hip.
Fire.
He was playing with bushels of it.
Amber would be eye-scratching mad when she woke up, but he didn’t care. He also didn’t care that his morals had slipped to an all-time low.
He climbed over her and settled behind her, pulling her gently and slowly into his arms. She moaned but fell asleep, allowing him to continue his exploration of her sloping curves, the rise of her hips, the fall of her tiny waist as he buried his nose in her soft, fragrant hair.
Amber’s head rolled against his shoulder.
“Wrexel.” She sounded groggy and confused.
He felt a stab of remorse and jealous hatred for his brother, who came home at any time and did this and more. He wouldn’t touch her for another second if she thought it was anybody else but him.
He scooped her up and lay her across his chest, placing her thighs over his hips. He lifted her sleepy frame and waited.
Amber yawned and stretched, exposing both of her breasts as the nightgown slid down her arms.
She replaced her straps sleepily and then seeing Staede beneath her, she yelped and moved back hurriedly.
“Oh, dear God, Staede, what are you doing?” she demanded and then gasped, for he was hard against her body, nothing but his soft pants separating them from an intimate touch.
“Are you crazy?” Her eyes flew around the room urgently as if she expected Wrexel to step out of the shadows and kill them both.
“Yes.” He chuckled, grasping her wrists so she could not move, but he settled her across his waist as a compromise and she stilled.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
* * *
Staede let her hands go and gently pulled her down to his chest. He brushed her hair back from her face and stared into her eyes with longing.
That night his gaze held none of the usual teasing.
“Stop.” She rolled off him and sat up beside him. “Please don’t ruin what we have.”
His pained look hurt her so much, she found herself cupping his cheek as she gave him a wan smile. She wanted to tell him that she loved him more than he realized, just not in the way he needed but she knew nothing she could say would take the anguished gaze from his face.
He caught her hand and held it against his face, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’ve never wanted anybody as much as I want you. I can’t seem to get you out of my head,” he said softly.
Amber swallowed against the lump in her throat. Staede was always teasing and lecherous, and his open honesty that night hurt.
“Are you falling in love with my brother?” he asked softly.
Her head dropped in misery. “I hated him when he took me from Earth, but it hasn’t turned out the way I thought. If he forced me to sleep with him against my will, it would have been better than this. At least then I could have maintained the initial anger and hatred. Now he gives me everything I need, every day, but it’s a contract with an expiry date. I have to remind myself that the day he tells me it’s over is always around the corner.”
He sighed. “How ironic… the day you fear most is the one I long for.”
Their conv
ersation was too painful, and she moved from the bed to pull on the baggiest exercise shirt available.
“You can hide it; I know it’s still there,” Staede said, watching her with heavy-lidded green eyes.
“If I’m wearing this, you can stay.” She smiled. “Or you can sleep in the lounge.”
She scooted him over and packed a row of pillows down the center of the bed.
“Your side, my side.”
He eyed the pillows as if they were a mortal enemy.
Staede rolled on his side as Amber climbed back into the bed. He put his hand over the barrier and opened his palm.
“Friends across the border?” he asked.
She laughed but took his hand and looked at him seriously.
“I can’t be anything but your friend, Staede, and I want to be that so much… it would kill me to lose… us.”
He held her hand tightly. “I kick myself daily for not going to Earth. If I had met you, things would be different.”
“I would be your captive now.” She twisted her lips.
He shook his head. “No, I’d have won you from Travis; you would be with me willingly.”
“I’d also be sandwiched between you and another female.” She laughed.
“I think you would be enough. I think… I could be satisfied with just you.”
Amber saw the seriousness in his gaze. Staede’s feelings for her were sometimes overwhelming. She handled the teasing, but when he was open about the possible depth of his feelings, she became scared.
“Don’t knock threesomes ‘til you’ve tried them.” He broke the tension.
Amber laughed again and then smiled when he lifted her hands to his lips. “Good night, Amber. I’m not sorry I groped you.”
“I didn’t think you would be.” She laughed.
* * *
As she fell asleep, he watched her every breath. Took in the gentle slope of her neck, the way her dark lashes touched her cheeks. For once, his eyes remained on her face and he reached over to touch the softness of her cheek, thinking things he should not. Things like he never wanted to see her cry. How her happiness meant more to him than his own. How the thought of her not being in his life hurt more than anything else. It challenged his heart. His stomach clenched when it slowly dawned on him that Amber wasn’t another conquest. He sought her smile with the same desire that craved her beneath his hands. He needed to make love to her but he also wanted to hold her in the dark of night when carnal need was sated and others remained. Staede felt a change occur in his body as he lay staring at the woman he now realized he loved. Even though he had fought against the sorcerer’s curse since the day he had laid it upon him, from that day forward things would never be the same. The one whose life he would witness in immortality fading away as all lives did beneath his ever youthful gaze… lay at his side. He ran a hand over his chest as his heart give one last shudder. He knew it would not beat again.
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