She rubbed a hand over her face. In her defense she’d been attacked twice in the time since she’d stepped foot on Legba. Surely she could be excused from missing a few signs. Gods, it was too soon! They were barely getting to know each other and now a baby. The dull edges of panic crept into her body, tensing it up. A soft hand on her arm brought her back to Rosalia’s presence.
“There’s nothing to be done about it, Lady Tegan. Panic won’t help you.”
Lily laid her head on the kitchen table. How did she feel about it? She had no clue, and now the walls of their apartment were closing in on her. She needed to get out of Haven. That would prove Sharine wrong, right? She thanked the Kira for her help and escorted her to the front door of their apartment. Guards she didn’t remember asking for, stopped her at the door.
“Am I a prisoner now?” Her scathing tone carried down the hallway.
They shuffled uncomfortably. “We’re only looking out for you.” One guard answered.
“I’m going to find something to eat. Do you have a problem with that?”
They looked at each other in askance. One of them spoke softly into what she assumed was the communicator in their ear. Frustration burned her chest. She had hoped there would be no guards when they got back to Haven. No way would she walk around with a freaking entourage. She didn’t allow her father to give her bodyguards, she for damn sure wouldn’t allow Leo the pleasure. She changed into her human skin and pushed passed them.
They rushed after her and she took spiteful satisfaction at the frazzled look on their faces. She turned her head to taunt them and ran into someone. She looked up and groaned as Fallon steadied her.
"Where you going, Trouble?"
“None of your business. You’re just going to tell my jailor.” She crossed her arms in front of her.
Fallon smiled. “Let’s go get some fresh air.” He nodded behind her, dismissing her guards.
She sighed, and acquiesced, a reluctant bob of her head. He led her out of Haven and into the warm day. Neither spoke as they walked. Energy from the sun seeped into her skin, exposed from her sundress. It energized her and slowly tension dissipated from her body. They’d gone three blocks when they came to a small outdoor shopping mall. She was pleasantly surprised. She’d assumed the Haven was off by itself in the middle of nowhere. To know just a few blocks down the road was an entire shopping center was jarring and a little reassuring. She saw many walks to the mall in her future.
Liliana was drawn to a small café. They opted to sit outside along the sidewalk. She didn’t know his reason for agreeing to the table, but she liked to people watch. Watching humans go about their daily lives was fascinating to her. They ordered tea from the waitress and she perused the milling traffic, not bothering to break the silence between them. He barged in on her alone time, so she didn’t owe him any conversation. But she was thankful the guards weren’t following her.
Their teas were brought to the table before she gave up her silent treatment.
"Just say it, Fallon."
"I don't have anything to say, Lily. You need air, we'll get air. I'm straight with just sitting here quietly." He shook a packet of sugar into his tea cup.
"Yeah, right."
"I know better than to aggravate a pregnant woman." He dropped that bombshell and sipped his tea.
"How do you know that? I just found out myself mere minutes ago."
He shrugged. "Why haven't you told Leo?"
Liliana scrubbed at her tired eyes. No wonder she’d been so tired lately. She wondered why the other healer hadn’t said anything to her. "Did you not just hear me say that I’ve only just found out myself?"
"When are you going to tell him?"
She growled. "I don't know, Fallon. What happened to just sitting here quietly?"
He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"Damn it." She sighed. "I don't want to end up like your mother."
He choked on his tea, spilling it on his shirt. "What?"
She handed him a couple of napkins. "I don't want to be locked in a room with only children for company, slowly losing my mind. I hate being cooped up, ask my family. I don't want a mate who'll smother me."
"Liliana, I don't know what my mother told you, but I'm pretty sure it's lies. She tends to fabricate things to engender sympathy. Between her and my father, they’re fantastic story tellers. Besides, it's apples and oranges. Leo is not like our father, and you’re nothing like our mother."
"But I'll end up locked in that room, all the same."
He sighed. "Trouble, Leo doesn't know what to do with you. Rather than fight with him, work with him."
She eyed him and thought about it. It wouldn’t hurt for her to have a guard following her. She could concede with everything that had been happening to her lately, it was probably a good idea. With the bombshell Rugaba had just dropped on her, she was sure talking Leo out of guards would be impossible anyway. She shrugged. Childish, but she wanted to hold onto her mad a little longer.
Fallon smirked but said nothing.
The silence stretched between them a few minutes more.
“I’ll talk to Leo about allowing you to see the shaman. The ones X has working on the Oras are getting nowhere.”
She waved him off. “No, I’ll talk to him myself. I can’t start my mating with others fighting my battles.
“Good for you.”
She gave him a droll look.
He laughed. “Gods, but you are going to be fun to have around.”
Chapter 20
THE DOOR CLICKED QUIETLY, and he paused his work. He’d been going through their archives researching the Kokoro souls for the past forty minutes or so. What he’d read scared him shitless. The first three Kokoro died completing their spell. According to everything he’d read, the reborn souls would in essence go through the same thing. The amount of power needed to complete the dark spell would drain the persons performing it. The way the archivist wrote it, one person would be needed to open a portal into the realm where he’d been hidden away. It was a realm completely separate than Adro and the seven realms of the Demi. Only blood unlocked the portal, and only one person with the unique set of genes would be able to even access the magic needed.
The next person would know the location of Ofeeree’s corporeal body within that realm. The texts were foggy about Ofeeree’s body, some said it had been cut into pieces and scattered, some made no mention of the state of his body. It was hard to decipher between legend and fact. No facts even existed for how the realm looked, how Ofeerree was bound, or what type of vessel or temple housed the body. The only thing said regarding what type of prison held Ofeerree was that the third soul was the only one able to unlock his prison. Using both the book of Divinity and a spell, only that soul would know, were the only notations about it. What he couldn’t understand was how someone could use this sparse information in order to free the evil being. It was nearly impossible to piece together enough of the texts to make completed instructions.
The refrigerator opened and closed, the sound jarring him from his thoughts.
“I’m in here, ina.”
He listened to her light footsteps as she walked from the kitchen to his office. She looked weary, but the fresh air seemed to have put color back into her. He waved her over, patting his lap. After what he’d read, he wanted her in his arms. He thought back on their ceremony. Just yesterday he’d wondered if there would be love for them, and today he realized he was already in love with Liliana.
She’d gotten under his skin, her naïve but stubborn personality drawing him in. Fallon had called him while they were out, his words cryptic. According to his brother, he and his mate needed to talk about his safety measures for her. He was at a loss with how to balance his need to keep her safe and her obvious dislike of the guards he’s assigned to her. According to the guards, she thought of them as jailors. He had a feeling once his mate made her mind up about something, it would be difficult to sway her.
“Enjoy your outing?” He pulled her down for a kiss.
She moaned, pulling away reluctantly. “Yes, I needed some air. It was getting a little stifling in here.”
He sighed, so they were going to get right into it then. “What would you have me do, my love?”
“We have to compromise in some way, Leo.” Her eyes pleaded with him.
He was not immune to her charms. Nevertheless he groaned, imagining how long they would argue. “I don’t want to argue.”
“Compromise requires an argument?” Her dry tone made him smile.
“You heard Rugaba, Lily.”
“I’ve grown used to roaming free on Adro.”
“Right, dodging soldiers and on the run.” He interjected.
“Point to you.” She conceded. “However, I was free all the same.”
“I can’t allow you the complete freedom you had. It’s too dangerous.”
“I understand that, and I will promise not to go anywhere outside of Haven without guards, but surely they don’t need to be here in the room or walking behind me inside of Haven’s protections.”
He mulled it over. She had a point, the laws of Haven should prevent anything from happening to her inside its walls. Banishment from the Havens kept most from the breaking its rules. His brothers’ punishments served as strong deterrent for those who needed extra incentive to behave. In theory she would be safe within these walls.
“I can agree to that.”
Her smile took over her face and warmed him. She trailed a finger down the front of his shirt, her eyes taking on a mischievous glint.
“What about the shaman, can I go see him tomorrow?” She trailed kisses down his neck.
“That’s not playing fair, ina.” He adjusted her body so her legs straddled his. He lifted his hips slightly, pushing his growing erection into her center. She sighed and wiggled as her skin heated.
“Who said anything about fair?”
“I can’t do tomorrow.” Xavier wanted him to find and train his replacements as soon as possible.
She pouted, trailing her hand down the front of his pants. “I’ll take as many guards as you deem.”
He closed his eyes and fought through the haze of lust she was creating. He trusted Roy and Paul, the guards he’d assigned to her. They’d protected her on Legba, and did a great job of getting her through the rest of their stay safely. Hopefully she wouldn’t object to them. Surely they could get her in and out of meeting with a shaman with little to no drama.
She bit his earlobe and the sensation shot down through his body. Pheremones from his Cagyn form wafted from his skin, covering them both in his scent. Gods, if Liliana dealt with all their compromises this way, he was screwed.
“You will do exactly as told.” He lifted her body, tearing her underwear off of her. “No trying to lose your guards. Swear it.” He brushed a hand over her sex.
Her sharp inhalation pleased him. Her head fell back, her lips parting on her sigh of pleasure. Drowsy eyes lifted to meet his gaze as she surrendered to his Cagyn magic. She was getting caught up in her own game. He chuckled and pushed one finger into her wet heat.
“I didn’t hear you, Lily. Swear it.”
“I swear.” She hissed.
He added a second finger, amplifying his magic. Cagyns were often accused of using their magic to seduce innocents and mated women for their own needs, and perhaps some did. Their magic captivated its victim, relaxed inhibitions until nothing but assuaging their body’s ache mattered. He was quickly finding out that nothing compared to sharing his magic with the woman he currently held in his lap. Watching his mate succumb to his enchantment was a heady feeling. Her mouth parted as sighs of pleasure escaped.
“You will be careful, right? If anything happens to you I will wrap you in cotton battening and lock you in our room.”
“I’ll be careful.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
He lifted her, opened his pants and freed his shaft. He growled as he slid deep inside of her. “Is this how you plan to conduct negotiations from now on?”
Her smile was dreamy as she flexed her body. “Yes, definitely.”
He would gladly negotiate with his mate if they all ended this way. He’d talk to her guards in the morning before they left. His instructions had better be explicitly followed. He didn’t even want to think about what he would do if Liliana were hurt again.
***
Body buzzing, Liliana woke up the next day full of anticipation. Leo was going to let her see Sergio today. The shaman was one of the best she’d encountered in her years on Adro. Though, he had given her a hard time when she had him forge a ticket for her to get into Haven. It was understandable. Someone in his position couldn’t afford for the Amanda to know who he was. She winced, he would hate her showing up at his door with soldiers as her bodyguards, but that was not to be helped.
She sat up as the water in the bathroom adjoining their room started. Smiling, she slid out of bed and went to join him. A fifteen minute shower turned into nearly an hour and both of them scrambled to get dressed before her guards were scheduled to show up. Being in a rush didn’t stop her from staring at her mate as he got dressed. She sighed as he covered his sexy body in the all black uniform. He caught her looking.
“What?” His full lips turned up in a small smile.
She shook her head and covered her still nude body in a pair of ripped jeans and a cropped tee. “Just admiring.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
“Will that be a problem?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He kissed her neck. “No, you just look so young. It’s scary.”
She laughed at his scrunched face. She tilted her head to the side, and whispered a quick spell. Air touched her back as her long hair was transformed into a shoulder length curly afro.
“Better?” She’d added touches of makeup to her eyes and lips and from the heat in his eyes he approved.
He growled. “You look hot. I’m doubly thankful for the guards you’ll have.” He sobered. “You will be careful, right?”
“I swear.” She insisted.
He sighed and pulled from her. He walked over to a wardrobe in the corner of their room. She was puzzled as he brought back a small box. He handed it to her and she looked at him in askance.
“Open it.” His mischievous smile intrigued her.
She opened the box and gasped at the beautiful gold watch nestled in velvet. Delicate filigree made up the band and diamonds surrounded the watch face. She carefully removed it from the box.
“It’s beautiful.” She handed it to him to put on her.
He fastened it on her wrist, his thumb tracing the pulse point there. “It was made by a Gu craftsman, so while it may look delicate, it’s near indestructible. And, full disclosure, I have an ulterior motive.”
She smiled. Of course he did. She waited on his explanation.
“It has a panic button here on the side.” He pointed to a small gold button on the side of the watch face. “It will send a signal to me with your whereabouts.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“It doesn’t track you or anything. I only get GPS when that button is pressed. So if you’re ever in a situation where you’re on the move press it every few miles.”
“That’s not too bad.”
“I like backup plans. Not that I don’t trust your guards.” He hastily added.
She nodded. “I can live with that.” Anything to gain a little freedom.
“Great.” He kissed her once more. “Let me walk you out.”
Her guards met them at the door, their faces serious. They were different than the two from yesterday. They were the two who guarded her in Legba. Leo guided her through the catacombs up to the ground level with her guards trailing them. They entered a large garage filled with various cars. He led them over to a black SUV, the windows tinted darkly. Fallon lounged against the truck, his arms crossed over his chest.
&nb
sp; “What’s up?” Leo handed the keys over to one of her guards.
Fallon straightened and turned behind him. He lifted a small, square, black box from the hood behind him. He tapped a button on top of the box and a hologram flickered to life above it. She gasped.
“This will only work for two hours give or take. It’s only loaded with the moments after your sister arrived at Haven, up to the point where the Ora becomes corrupted. Though the spell is temporary, your shaman is not to put his hand on this, are we clear?” Fallon handed her the box. He took a few minutes to show her how it to make it work, and the spells required to pull up the Oras.
She nodded stiffly, committing the spells to memory.
“Be careful, Trouble.” Fallon nodded to his brother and left the garage.
Leo sighed. “Be careful, my love.” He ghosted a kiss across her forehead.
She bobbed her head in agreement, excitement making her nervous.
She climbed into the front seat and buckled in. Turning to the driver she smiled. “I apologize for my behavior yesterday.”
He nodded and started the car. “Having guards can be disconcerting, Lady Tegan.”
“Ugh, just call me Liliana, please. What are your names?” She turned to the guard in the back.
He reluctantly held out his hand. “Paul.”
He was the Benu she’d snapped on when they were still in Legba. The snobbish look on his face was fitting. The Benu were an elitist bunch. She wondered what his family had done to have a son sent to the Amanda, but figured it was rude to ask. The Benu kept to themselves and only helped their family and other Benu. The mandatory service to the Amanda was a sore point to the race, if she was remembering her lessons with Mistress Yoru correctly. She would definitely not open that can of worms.
“I am Roy. What is the address to where we are traveling?”
She turned her attention back to the driver. His human skin was seamless, no trace of his original form showed in his features. If she had to guess, she’d mark him as Cagyn. They were shapeshifters by nature, and thus better at it than any other race. She shook out of her musings and pulled up Sergio’s address on her phone. Roy plugged it into the GPS and off they drove through the streets of Atlanta.
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