* * * * *
With a ragged sigh, Echo emerged from the sensual haze. She was back in the palace, alone in her bathtub, a blanket of iridescent bubbles floating on the water. Every touch, every consuming sensation had been so real. Had she subconsciously summoned Varrik to a shared dream? To her knowledge, dream sharing wasn’t among her abilities.
How long had she been lost in the fantasy? She hadn’t activated the jets or the heating mechanism, so it couldn’t have been long. The water was still warm.
She blew out a shaky breath and stood. “Dry.” Warm air swirled around her body as she reached for a wide-toothed comb. She touched the adjacent wall and said, “Mirror.” The silver matte surface transformed, reflecting her image. Her troubled gaze stared back from a face shadowed with fatigue. She was free. She was safe. So why was she miserable?
Dragging the comb through her long hair, she ignored the conflict twisting through her. Varrik was a phantom, a dark and dangerous memory. They might occupy the same planet, but they were from completely different worlds.
A faint discoloration drew her attention to her neck. She stepped out of the tub and closer to the mirror. As he thrust into her body the last time, Varrik had marked her with his mouth. She remembered the pleasure/pain of the forceful suction. Her physical body had been affected by whatever Mystic phenomenon brought them together. She pressed her hand against her abdomen and closed her eyes. She hadn’t bothered to construct an energy barrier. Was it possible she would conceive?
With a frustrated sigh, she slipped on a dressing gown and walked into her bedroom. Who could she ask without unleashing pandemonium? Either of her parents would blame the incident on Varrik. After all, he could manipulate minds.
She glanced around her bedroom, restless and confused. Easily twice the size of Varrik’s private quarters, the room had every comfort money could buy. She dismissed it all with an indifferent shrug, longing for a rumpled bed—and stout wrist cuffs.
Someone tapped on the privacy panel. Expecting her mother, Echo squared her shoulders and reinforced her emotional shields. She was too upset right now, and her mother saw too much.
“Come in.” The panel slid open and Saebin entered the room. Relief washed over Echo and she rushed into the older woman’s arms. Saebin was her favorite aunt, the relative with whom she spent the most time.
“You look like hell, sweetheart.”
Echo laughed. From anyone else, the comment would have made her angry, but Saebin never pulled her punches. Dressed in a light blue pantsuit that complemented her blonde beauty, Saebin was just what Echo needed. When Echo had expressed an interest in becoming a covert agent, Saebin volunteered to mentor her. In the ten cycles that followed, they had formed a bond closer than friendship.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Echo said.
“I thought you might need a sounding board right about now. A sounding board that wouldn’t be devastated by whatever you had to say.” They moved to the sitting area across the room. Echo chose a soft armchair, and Saebin sat on the sofa facing her. “A Mystic healer and a conventional doctor examined E’Lanna. Guess what they discovered?”
“That the compulsion can’t be deactivated without Elder North?”
“How’d you guess?”
Brushing her damp hair away from her face, Echo shook her head. “I told Mom and Dad what it would take while we were in the cottage.”
“Did you really expect your parents to take your word for any of this? You’ve been ‘brainwashed by that villain’. They have to protect you from yourself.”
“Oh, please.” Echo crossed her arms over her chest, annoyance knitting her brow. “Do they really think I’m that weak? Even if Varrik had forced himself on me—which he didn’t—it wouldn’t have shattered my mind.”
“I know what brainwashing takes. It can’t be done in a matter of days. Besides, I’ve seen you in action. Your parents will always see you as a little girl.”
“Varrik is half Rodyte. I’m sure they’ve empowered him with all sorts of wild abilities.”
“You saw into his mind. What are his true abilities?”
“He can teleport and manipulate brainwaves. He’s had the most experience working with memories, but he can construct compulsions almost as strong as those designed by the elders.” Echo licked her lips and glanced away from Saebin’s crystal-blue gaze. “I saw the world from his perspective. It wasn’t a pleasant reality.”
“Has he been ruined by his past?”
“No. It’s made him ruthless and suspicious, but his heart is—”
“Noble?” Saebin chuckled. “Your mother has taken a passionate dislike to the word.”
“Regardless of her opinion, the word is accurate. Varrik is noble and selfless and resolute. He’s also stubborn and desperate.” Embarrassed by her own vehemence, Echo cleared her throat and said, “Mother promised Varrik she would keep his location a secret. Is the entire Joint Council downstairs?”
Saebin shook her head. “Just Tal, Trey, and Lyrik.”
“The Head Master of the Conservatory, the Director of Covert Ops, and the Overlord.” Echo pushed to her feet and tightened the belt keeping her robe closed. “This isn’t going to help Varrik. We need to move quickly and stealthily.”
“I agree—to an extent. If I understand the conflict correctly, the initial attack only needs to take out the elders. After they’ve been neutralized, we will require a larger force to assist with the evacuation, but—”
“We will require? Are you volunteering to help us?”
“That depends.” The hint of a smile curved the corners of Saebin’s mouth. “I love your parents dearly, but they’re both bureaucrats. Trey leaned across me and whispered to Lyrik, ‘The right strike team could avert this war before these two agree on whether or not they’re going to get involved.’ My hubby just laughed, but it started me thinking.”
“You and I are the right strike team?”
“We might be.” She smiled. “Put on your best kicking-ass-clothes and take me to this evil debaucher. I have a feeling I’m going to like him.”
Royal Obsession (Shadow Assassins 1) Page 27