* * * * *
Concealed within an illusion of invisibility, North moved unhindered through Fortress Joon. The Shadow Assassins had enjoyed a profitable alliance with the House of Joon for many cycles. The only secret the elders kept from the various Joon leaders was the location of the maze.
Early in his reign Lilt dar Joon had suppressed his hatred for the High Queen and participated openly in the Joint Council. Then twenty some cycles ago, Lilt’s involvement with the Rodytes came to light, and he had fallen out of favor with the other great houses. His standing as an outcast had forced him to strengthen his other alliances, which translated favorably for the Shadow Assassins.
Guards paced in front of Lilt’s chamber door. They were required to remain in motion, assuring their attentiveness. North smiled as he slipped by them unnoticed. He released his corporeal form and passed through the locked door. After a moment of suffocating closeness, he emerged in the antechamber. He was aware of his surroundings in a way that transcended sight. The large, sparsely furnished room was empty, so he floated across the marble floor, rolling like mist over water and swirling under the bedroom door.
Three naked holofigures grappled against a dark blue background to a chorus of gasps and moans. At a glance the figures looked real. A closer inspection revealed the subtle distortion as they moved from one position to the next.
Lilt sat in a massive chair, watching the life-size projection. North thought they were alone in the room, until he heard a throaty moan that didn’t coincide with the holograph. He drifted closer, intrigued by the sound. A naked female knelt between Lilt’s thighs, her eager mouth sliding up and down along Lilt’s erect length. Fully dressed, Lilt rested his hands on the arms of the chair and watched the holofigures, all but oblivious to the girl selflessly pleasuring him.
Why would anyone be content to watch a simulation when a nicely rounded female knelt at their feet? Two of the holofigures were men, the third female. The woman knelt before the men, stroking one with her hand while she worked the other with her mouth. The perspective rotated, allowing Lilt to see the three from every angle.
North focused again on the girl kneeling between Lilt’s legs. Long, golden hair framed her oval face. Her cheeks hollowed as she did her best to please her master. The apathy with which Lilt treated her annoyed North. Submission was to be rewarded with pleasure, not indifference.
“Slow down, Eddi. They haven’t even aroused her yet. I don’t want to come until they’re both moving inside her.”
Apparently, Lilt had watched this simulation before.
Eddi pulled back, holding Lilt’s shaft with one hand while she swirled her tongue around the tip. Lilt patted the top of her head as if she were an obedient canine. Irritation flared into anger, and North reached into Lilt’s mind. He compelled the cold bastard to look down at the woman, to see her.
Lilt framed her face with his hands and thrust to the back of her throat. “Suck me hard. I need to feel…” His words trailed away as North sank deeper and expanded his control. North directed Lilt’s attention with ruthless intensity, creating sensations so demanding the other man shook.
“Stand up.” Lilt squirmed and tossed his head, unable to escape North’s telepathic hold. Halting the holoprojection, Lilt scooted to the edge of his chair.
Uncertainty shone in Eddi’s eyes as she pushed to her feet. “Have I displeased you, sir?”
“No.” Lilt panted, absently cupping one of her breasts. “I need… I want…”
Power surged through North, exhilarating and addictive. Lilt grabbed his head and groaned, struggling against the compulsion. North had been commanding soldiers longer than Lilt had been alive. Did he really think he could resist?
“Maybe I should—”
Lilt sprang to his feet and wrapped his arms around Eddi. His mouth captured her startled yelp. He kissed her slowly, exploring her mouth and teasing her tongue. North imagined Lilt on his knees with the girl’s leg draped over his shoulder, licking and sucking on her folds until she screamed in pleasure. He passed the image to Lilt and demanded his compliance. Resentment blasted back at him. Lilt shook his head and shoved Eddi back.
Now!
“No!” The mental standoff only lasted a moment. With a strangled moan, Lilt sank to his knees. Eddi’s eyes widened, and her gaze darted toward the door. He raised his hand and forced his lips to part in a shaky smile. “Come here.”
“You don’t seem well, sir. Should I fetch a healer?”
“Get over here!” North detonated a burst of pain in Lilt’s brain, illustrating his disapproval with his tone. Lilt trembled, his body reflecting the battle raging within his mind. “I need you, Eddi,” he whispered in defeat. “Let me taste you.”
She crept forward, glancing at Lilt’s erection. “You want to…”
As soon as she was within reach, Lilt spun her around and bent her over his chair. His determination to avoid the exact telepathic command amused North. With a slightly stronger signal, North could have forced his complete submission, but this was close enough.
Lilt held her thighs apart while he tongued her clit, his face pressed snugly against her smooth ass. Fully dressed and on his knees, the House of Joon’s leader pleasured his sex slave with utter abandon. He brought her to one shattering orgasm after another while North looked on in satisfaction. Finally, Eddi begged him to stop, her voice tremulous, knees wobbling. Only then did North ease his hold on Lilt’s mind.
As you were. North chuckled.
Eddi returned to her position between Lilt’s thighs and sucked him into her mouth. She stroked his shaft with one hand and cradled his balls with the other as his cock slid between her tightly clenched lips.
Lilt grabbed her face and tilted her head back as he pushed deeper. “Harder. Suck me harder.”
Eddi closed her eyes and obeyed, taking his entire length with each determined stroke. Lilt gasped and groaned, tossing his head as he neared completion. Thrusting to the back of her mouth, he held her in place while he spilled his seed. Only after the last spasm passed did he release his hold on her head.
For a long, silent moment, Lilt sprawled in his chair, staring off into the distance. Eddi gathered her scattered clothing and hurried from the room. Lilt’s chest heaved, and his gaze focused. He righted his clothing and pushed to his feet, turquoise gaze flashing. “If you ever play your foul mind games with me again, I’ll—”
You’ll do whatever amuses me.
Lilt tugged on his jacket and adjusted the crotch of his pants, his expression mutinous. “I’m well aware of your abilities. That little…demonstration was in violation of our alliance.”
North didn’t argue. Lilt was right. According to the terms of their alliance, the elders would not subject any House of Joon leader to telepathic control. Still, the “demonstration” had been richly deserved.
“Why are you here?” Lilt’s expression relaxed, even if tension remained in his tone. “Were you dissatisfied with the pleasure givers I recruited for you?”
“The pleasure givers are for my men. No one has complained.” North took on his Shadow form, halting his transformation somewhere between energy and matter. The Joons might be the eyes and ears of the Shadow Assassins, but no one in the world above had ever seen his corporeal body.
“Then what can I do for you?” Lilt asked with a calculated smile.
North studied the younger man. Though cropped short, his burnished hair curled on top, lending his face a boyish air. His bright gaze revealed much, if one knew him well. Still, most were fooled by his pleasant features and charming smile. North just knew him better than most.
“Were you invited to the wedding?” North kept his tone casual, interested in Lilt’s reaction as much as his reply.
“Lor was,” he muttered, averting his gaze. “Why do you ask?”
Ah, yes, the wayward son. Lor had been a source of frustration for Lilt ever since North had known him. Even as a child, Lor had exhibited extraordinary abilities, which s
hone a glaring light on the fact that Lilt had none. To add insult to injury, Lilt’s enemy, Tal dar Aune, had agreed to mentor Lor. At the time, Lilt had been attempting to win the confidence of the other great houses, so there had been no option but to accept Tal’s generosity.
“I take it you haven’t spoken with Lor since the wedding.”
“Is there some reason why I should have? Why are you being so obtuse?”
“An interesting word choice for someone who is oblivious to the most significant development in the last twenty cycles.”
Lilt glared at him and crossed to the com panel on his nightstand. “Person to person, Lor dar Joon.”
North faded back into energy as Lor’s image rose from the panel.
“Hello, Father. What did you need?” Lor’s terse tone and strained expression gave Lilt the perfect excuse for questioning him.
“I wanted to confirm our appointment for tomorrow, but what’s going on? You look dreadful.”
The last time North had seen Lor he’d been a lanky youth. The passing cycles had added maturity and character to his handsome face. No one would ever doubt his lineage. Lor looked very much like his father.
“We’re dealing with a crisis. Tomorrow is doubtful at best. I’ll com you when I know more.”
“Wait! What crisis? Did that Bilarrian bastard strand Crystal at the altar?”
For a moment Lor hesitated, then he heaved an audible sigh. “Echo and E’Lanna have been kidnapped. There have been no ransom demands, so everyone fears the worst.”
“Wouldn’t Tal sense if they were dead?” Lilt’s wrong conclusion was obviously meant to draw out more information. North watched in fascination as Lilt manipulated the conversation.
“There are some fates worse than death. I really have to go.”
“Is there anything I can do? Who is organizing the search?”
“Searches,” Lor corrected. “The Bilarrian delegation has mounted a search, Head Master Tal has half the Conservatory searching in one way or another, and Director dar Aune returned to the City of Tears this morning to confer with the overlord. Everything that can be done is being done.”
“Do they know who took the twins?”
“No one wants to admit it, but the longer they’re gone with no word from their abductors, the more it looks like the Shadow Assassins.”
“Everyone must be frantic.”
“To say the least.”
“Please let the High Queen know my thoughts and prayers are with her.”
Lor inclined his head and ended the transmission.
“That was quite a performance.” North returned to his Shadow form.
Lilt turned to face him, his expression incredulous. “You kidnapped the royal twins? Why? Even I can see the folly in such a rash action. There is no creature more vicious than a mother protecting her young, and when that mother happens to be High Queen of Ontariese…”
“I didn’t kidnap them.”
“But you know who did.”
“Perhaps.” North hovered for a moment debating how much to tell him. “This is not a route I would have chosen, but we’ve embarked on the journey just the same. The only question now is how do we maximize the opportunity?”
Royal Obsession (Shadow Assassins 1) Page 17