Missing the Night

by Viola Grace

  “So, what is on the agenda tomorrow?” she muttered against Hector’s chest.

  “We do a run-through of Sunday, and then, you spend the day relaxing. All the legal stuff has been arranged, so you just need to relax.”

  Nessa muttered, “So what I am getting is that you think I should relax. I hate to tell you, I don’t relax. Like, ever.”

  He nudged her head up toward his. “Is that a challenge?”

  Tynan lifted his head from her shoulder. “I enjoy a challenge.”

  “Nope. Not a challenge, just an observation... ah!” She yelped as they stroked their fingers up and down her body before Hector slid into her, and Tynan wasn’t far behind. She groaned at her own pun and rocked with them until they were all sweaty and pleasure roared through them. A burst of mage fire to clean up and Tynan pulled her astride him while Hector moved in from behind.

  It took an hour, but she was sandwiched between them again and was not going to mention her inability to relax. It was an easier burden to bear than Hector dropping on top of her. He was shockingly heavy.

  She breathed slowly and let herself sleep.

  She woke at what she knew was five in the morning. She eased away from them and headed to the bathroom. Her dress was gone, as was her slip, stockings, and heels. Something or someone had tidied them up. Even the jewellery was gone from the table where she had put it. She went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and looked at herself in the mirror. Freakily enough, it seemed that the mage fire had removed her makeup.

  Nessa got a towel and took a shower, giving the wall a no-nonsense glare. There was nothing like a shower to wake up in the morning when your entire body was screaming and calling you an asshole.

  Wrapped in a towel, she brushed her hair and then went to sit by the window. It was strangely calming to watch the sunrise over the huge property. In the distance, she could see folks moving around and setting things up. The sun glinted off a pool that she couldn’t imagine the dark elves using and flagstones and a pergola as well as a guesthouse. It was a cute oasis next to the ancient mansion that she was ensconced in. That looked relaxing.

  With her out from between them, the guys had gravitated back to each other. They were cuddlers. There was no doubt about it.

  Tynan murmured softly, “If you get tired of smiling at us, you can join us anytime.”

  Hector raised a hand and pointed between them. “You belong right in here.”

  She chuckled. “My hair’s all wet. It would get you two clammy.”

  Tynan flicked his fingers toward her without raising his head. The mage fire ran up her body, and her hair fluffed out. “That is really creepy.”

  He dropped his hand back on Hector’s waist.

  She sat and looked out the window, thinking about what to do with an unscheduled day. She had the funny feeling that someone was going to schedule it for her.

  Nessa got up, walked over to the bed, and crawled into bed behind Tynan. He chuckled. “You think you are safe back there?”

  As she cuddled up to his back, Hector disappeared from in front of the mage, and she felt a hand wrap around her waist.

  Against her neck, she heard his sleepy voice. “You aren’t the only one who can disappear into bedding.”

  “It is the reappearing in the sunlight that surprised me.”

  “I am not a vampire, and where there is light, shadow can thrive. I appeared in the shadow created by...” he trailed his finger over her shoulder to her elbow, across her ribs, and the flare of her hip. He slid a hand down her thigh and laughed softly. “You threw all the shadow I needed.”

  She grumbled. “Noted.”

  He ran his tongue over her ear, and she clutched at Tynan. She got wet. She knew it and could feel the slickness between her thighs. She bit her lip as he did it again, and Tynan turned to watch.

  “Oh, Nessa. You are amazing.”

  She knew all of her glamours were down; he was seeing her as she had been since she was a teenager. Her eyes were the dark opal that she had chosen, her skin had a golden pearl finish, and her hair echoed the colour of her eyes.

  Hector licked the point of her ear again, and she gasped and shuddered. Her skin glowed softly as her breathing picked up speed.

  He wrapped one arm under her and the other between her thighs as he licked and sucked at her ear. She gripped the hand that had fingers thrusting into her and controlled the speed at which he slipped and stroked.

  Tynan watched and stroked his erection as she twisted against Hector in a slow and focused writhe. When her orgasm moved through her, she gripped Tynan’s arm and touched Hector with her free hand behind her, grasping his neck. They groaned as she did, and her body was wearing cum a moment later.

  Time for another shower, as soon as she finished a little nap first.

  Tynan was trailing his fingers over her and smiling. “In all my years, I never imagined a creature like you.”

  “And I never imagined a man I was in bed with calling me a creature.”

  He didn’t hesitate; he continued to trail his fingers over her. “You are a lovely faerie creature, as the gods made you.”

  “The gods didn’t make me. My parents did. He was beautiful, she was strong, and a few weeks later, she was angry and pregnant.” She sighed. “It’s a cute story.”

  He grinned. “What will you tell our kids about how we met?”

  “I don’t know, but I think it might start with moonlight and a party.” Nessa smiled.

  Hector came back into the room, carrying a tray, followed by Yusen, a carafe, and a set of cups.

  She sat up slowly, and Tynan pulled her back to lean against him with the sheets rucked around her waist.

  Hector smiled, and his ruby eyes glowed. “I am going to want that in a portrait.”

  She looked up at Tynan. “Does that mean posing?”

  He chuckled. “It used to. Now it is a photo followed by a portrait and a few hours to get the shades of skin correct.”

  She felt when Hector took the image.

  He had his phone out, and she looked at him lazily. He took another. Tynan lifted her chin so he could kiss her, and she understood what he was doing. Hector moved around, and she mounted Tynan, their eyes glowed as they looked toward him, and he groaned but took the picture. Nessa laughed as he set the phone down and joined them on the bed. Breakfast could wait.

  Eventually, they were sitting on the bed, leaning against each other and enjoying some rolls, fruit, and coffee.

  Nessa sighed. “So, how many people work here, including Yusen?”

  Hector counted, and then he said, “Sixteen. We will probably add a few more with you here. Maids. Eventually, nannies, bodyguards. That sort of thing.”

  “Bodyguards?”

  “Tynan and I still have to go to day jobs, and while you will have your consulting to go to, you will need a guard. We have several ancient enemies, and they came after my mother when she was carrying me. I do not think they will simply forget because you are of the shadow court.”

  She sighed. “Probably not, but I am also mage guild. My parents will probably want to be in on picking a guard for me.”

  “They can have input, but Stovos will have the final say.” Tynan smiled and ate a croissant.

  “That does sound likely.” She sighed and put her coffee cup down on the tray. “Who uses the pool by the guesthouse?”

  Hector paused. “No one. It is maintained because it belongs to the house. Why?”

  “I used to like swimming. I haven’t done it in a while, but when I checked on my expanding wardrobe this morning, there was a sort of swimsuit in there.”

  Ty chuckled. “A sort of suit?”

  “My old ones used to have a lot more fabric. That is what I would like for today. A swim and someone to rub my back and then watching a movie or something. Tomorrow is soon enough for serious things.”

  Hector nodded. “That seems very doable as long as we get to see t
he swimsuit before you head to the pool.”

  She laughed. “Deal. As relaxed as the shadow court is, our wedding rituals begin at dawn. I am going to have to be militant about relaxing, and I never did get my Chinese food last night.”

  Ty chuckled. “Sorry, we got a little carried away. I had never seen anyone cum from a foot rub before.”

  She blushed, and Hector rubbed her back with one hand. “Sex and responsiveness are in my DNA. I am still getting used to the feeling of not being hungry. It is rather like having a headache and not knowing what to do when it stops.”

  Hector chuckled. “I know the feeling. With you and Ty, I am finally sated.”

  “So, I can delete those photos?”

  He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “Like hell. I am going to keep those for when I have to travel away from you two.”

  “So, it’s a spank bank.”

  He nipped her ear gently. “Images of the ones I love.”

  Ty chuckled. “Yup. What you said, Nessa.”

  Hector chuckled. “Whatever you want to call it, those images are mine.”

  “As long as your phone doesn’t get hacked. Mind you, since my glamours were off, no one would recognize me.” She chuckled.

  Together they said, “We would.”

  She stretched and sighed. “Well, I suppose I should try relaxing.”

  Hector snorted. “You don’t try to relax; you just do it or not.”

  Tynan stroked her arm. “We could try to relax you.”

  “That isn’t relaxing; that is exhaustion.” She chuckled. “A pleasant exhaustion, but my mind could keep going.”

  Hector murmured, “But you are not hungry anymore.”

  “No. I even have enough for casual magic instead of just surviving.” She looked at both of them. “So, thanks for that.”

  She sighed and started drumming her fingers on a solid surface. When she saw that it was Hector’s thigh, she pulled her fingers away.

  “Right. Come on, fidget. Let’s get you dressed and doing something that will tire you out that doesn’t involve us.” Hector got to his feet and pulled her with him out of Tynan’s grip.

  She used mage fire to tidy up a little.

  Hector blinked. “Where did you learn that?”

  “I have read all the spellbooks. I just wasn’t able to use the energy without starving myself. Since my two battery chargers are about to tie themselves to me permanently, I have extra energy to spare. I can finally play with some of the spells I have been reading and learning.”

  Hector nodded. “We have a lab in the house if you want to practice anything.”

  “You mentioned you have a gym?”

  He blinked. “Sure.”

  “I think I am going to start there. I have to work out the effect of those high heels.”

  “What?”

  She looked up at him and gave him what she guessed were puppy dog eyes as she had never properly tried it before. “My butt hurts.”

  Tynan got up and raised a hand. “That was me.”

  They all laughed, and she checked out her newly populated portion of the closet. Exercise gear was right next to the swimwear.

  She held up the leggings and sports bra in one hand and the bikini in the other. “So, today I wear this and then this.”

  The guys blinked slowly, and she got changed and went for a workout. When Yusen saw her, he led her to the gym. “Are you looking forward to living here, Miss Nessa?”

  She blinked as she stood in the doorway. “I sort of feel like I already do, except for not knowing where anything is.”

  “That will come with time. You can always press your hand to the wall and ask it where you want to go. It will lead you.”

  “Is it the same consciousness that is in the shower in Hector’s room?”

  Yusen blinked. “Probably.”

  “Right. So, prepare for it to get gropey. Got it.”

  “What?”

  “Never mind. Thank you for leading me here. The other two were arguing about things, and I need to get into motion.”

  Yusen nodded. “Yes, Miss. If you need help finding your way back, I will be nearby.”

  “Thank you, Yusen.”

  She went in and warmed up on the treadmill. The guys joined her by the time she was on the leg press, and they were showing off when she did the bench press.

  The moment they pulled wooden swords, they did have her full attention. She watched as they circled and genuinely tried to strike each other. She took a deep breath and focused, using a small corner of the mat that they avoided to stretch and did a backbend that she had only once seen in a travelling circus. She kicked her legs out and stood upright on her hands only to lower herself to the ground and slowly let her body rock flat against the floor.

  When she flicked her eyes toward them, they were both staring. She smiled, brought her elbows in, pushed her body up, and did a hovering split with her palms the only point of contact on the floor. She relaxed into a seated position and pulled her knees up. “You two are staring.”

  Hector cleared his throat. “You mentioned that you were flexible, but I didn’t imagine that you were actually practically flexible.”

  “I know. You never tried to ease me into positions that you weren’t confident about. It was cute.” She got up, slowly did a handstand, and then slowly lowered her legs into a standing position, pulling her body upright. “I am like a living spring toy. We have extra cartilage and collagen in our bodies. As long as we don’t abuse it, we look pretty good for an extremely long time.”

  Tynan asked, “You didn’t engage in gymnastics?”

  “Only when I was young. When I got old, it wasn’t fair, and hyper-flexibility doesn’t ensure accuracy. I just do this to keep my tendons and joints in working order.” She grinned. “And to show off. There was an aspect of that to it.”

  They shrugged. “Us too.”

  “So, sword fighting works for women.”

  Ty laughed. “You tell us.”

  She walked up to them and trailed her fingers over their biceps. “I think it’s the grunting and sweating.” She leaned in and licked Hector’s arm then Ty’s. “Yeah, the sweat has something to do with it. Wait, do you two put out pheromones?”

  Ty nodded. “Hector practically dumps them into the air around him. Why?”

  She shivered. “That does explain why the closer I get, the more drawn I feel.”

  Hector moved in close. “How close do you want to get? I am game.”

  A sharp whistle from the doorway sounded, and they turned to see Orvis standing with her hands on her hips. “Nessa. Come with me. You guys have been allocated some time off that you can spend naked, sweaty, and writhing around. So, today is to get Nessa into a state of emotional clarity. She can’t think with you guys around, and she has to have a clear head. Some of her family traditions are tricky.”

  Tynan blinked. “They are putting her through mage rites?”

  “She’s half mage. It is how things work. Nessa, come with me. Your mother and at least one of your aunts are waiting.”

  Nessa kissed them both and nodded. “One day to go. How hard can it be?”

  She left with Orvis, and her friend grabbed her and hauled her out of the house in gym clothes. The dark vehicle was familiar, and when the driver stood up, Nessa knew that this had very little to do with her family. She was being kidnapped for a bachelorette.

  She got into the car. “Let the games begin.”

  Orvis laughed, and Stinger got back behind the wheel. They were off.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The rock-climbing establishment was filled with mages, mage born, and friends of the bride. All were female.

  Nessa climbed next to her mother with Stinger on the other side. Her cousin was one of her favourite people in the entire world.

  She lunged and hung from one hand while chatting, “When did you get into town?”

  “Today.
Your mom called, and I knew I couldn’t miss your wedding. So, you went dark court?”

  Nessa grunted and continued upward. “Of course. With Dad being shadow court, I didn’t have much of a choice. Light court wasn’t in the cards. Too judgy.”

  “What about the mage?”

  “They are soul bound. If there is one thing I can say about Hector, he knows his soulmates when he sees them.” She got to the top and hung there for a moment.

  “What do they think of your stamina?” Stinger hung next to her.

  Nessa chuckled. “They either haven’t noticed or really appreciated it. We haven’t had time to take stock of what our bodies can and can’t do.”

  “Do you mind that it’s two of them?”

  Nessa sighed happily. “No. It’s great. For the first time in my life, the hunger is silent. It is such a relief.”

  Her mother pulled up next to them. “Are you pregnant?”

  Nessa smiled. “Yeah. I don’t have to hunt them down, though. They are definitely keen.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “How is Stovos reacting to this?”

  “Um, he appears thrilled with the relationship.”

  Kallie snorted. “He would be. Having a link with the royals of the shadow court is a highly desirable situation.”

  Stinger chuckled. “I always forget about that. Cian is so casual.”

  Kallie snorted. “And a horndog.”

  Nessa laughed. “You know he can’t resist it when you do spellwork. It’s like catnip to him.”

  “You don’t say. Huh. I hadn’t figured that out. Oh, my dearest daughter, you have opened my eyes.” Kallie laughed.

  Nessa snorted and nodded to the person holding her rope. She descended slowly, and her family gradually came down. Orvis sat in the corner with her phone.

  Nessa walked up to Orvis, and she smiled. “Keeping Stovos updated?”

  “Correct.”

  “Can you be Tolly for a while today?”

  Orvis looked up and nodded. “Tolly is scheduled for after dinner today. Orvis is on duty until six.”

  Nessa chuckled. “Fair enough. What is happening next?”