She reached across the table and took his hand between hers. “Seducing a virgin isn’t a very good start toward creating a ‘clean’ generation.”
He snatched his hand back. “Don’t mock me.”
She nibbled at her bottom lip and stared at her hands. “You have to let her go.”
“I can’t. Her people will kill me either way. I will have my son before that happens.” He cupped her chin and she lifted her gaze. “Will you help me or not.”
“Who has her sister?”
“She’s in a holding cell.”
“No one has touched her?”
“She was with her lover when we caught her. We must be certain she is not already pregnant before her master is chosen.”
“That might be your only hope.” Aila blew out a shaky breath, then leaned toward Varrik as she said, “Try one last time to seduce her. Remember she is a princess, literally a princess. Talk to her. Show her kindness. Trust her with a bit of yourself. Explain exactly what you’re trying to accomplish and why. She won’t be expecting that.”
“Anything I tell her will be lost when I sweep her mind,” he mused. “Do you really think that will help?”
“If she knew her sacrifice might ultimately abolish the Shadow Assassins, she is likely to be more reasonable.”
He wasn’t convinced. Still, he had nothing to lose. He couldn’t force himself on her.
“If all else fails,” Aila added, “bargain for the freedom of her sister.”
Chapter Three
Is it over?
I told you to go. Echo craned her neck so she could wipe her damp cheek against her upraised arm.
I closed the link, but I just sensed a surge of emotion that almost knocked me over.
He’s gone. For now. He’d left her naked and chained to his bed, but he was gone. His moment of cowardice had been no mercy. He had just prolonged the misery. Don’t say anything you don’t want him to hear. I’m pretty sure he can intercept our thoughts at will.
Show me where you are.
Echo closed her eyes, humiliated by the suggestion. I’m fine. Is Father coming after us?
I only sent a brief transmission. I was sure our captors would sense a strong signal.
To hell with that. Open the link full strength. What more can they do to us?
Do you know where we are?
Yes and no. She knew this was the Shadow Maze, but she had no idea of its location. If E’Lanna still thought this was just a kidnapping, Echo wasn’t going to break the news. The entire complex is underground. We could be anywhere.
She heard the privacy pane rattle and opened her eyes. I think he’s back. Keep trying to reach Father. She felt E’Lanna withdraw but shielded the link from her end as well. E’Lanna didn’t need to experience her degradation.
The door opened and “he” walked in. Should she ask his name? Would it make this easier or more humiliating? After locking the door, he crossed to the far side of the bed and loosened the chain so she could sit.
“I’ve obviously handled this badly. I would like to begin again.” He took out one of his tunics and handed it to her. “I’m a warrior. I’m not accustomed to compromise.” He turned his back as if waiting for her to dress.
“I can’t put this on with my wrists restrained.”
With a frustrated grumble, he deactivated her cuffs. “Are you hungry or thirsty? I can replicate whatever you like while you make yourself more comfortable.”
“Killing me with kindness. Is that your new strategy?” She rubbed her wrists, keeping the sheet tucked under her arms.
“Do you prefer the more direct approach?”
“No. I’m just wondering how long this reprieve will last.” She ducked her head and managed to pull the tunic on over the sheet. Keeping herself covered as much as possible, she scooted off the other side of the bed.
“When is the last time you…bled?”
She felt her face flame. Was he asking about her menstruation? Just when she thought this couldn’t get any more humiliating. “What difference does that make?”
“Your answer will determine how long I can afford to be courteous.”
“About two weeks ago.” She glanced up in time to see his pleased nod. Damn. Anything that pleased him spelled trouble for her.
“We have a few days, then.”
“A few days for what?”
“A few days to get to know one another.” She was about to ask why she would want to get to know him, when he said, “I arranged for one of the pleasure givers to take food to E’Lanna.”
“Is this pleasure giver male or female?”
“Female.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and a hint of frustration flashed in his gaze. “Your sister is safe. I have ordered that she not have interaction with any of the men until I say otherwise. Thus the need for the female attendant.”
She moved toward the foot of the bed, unable to accept what his words implied. “No one will touch E’Lanna?” He nodded. “Unless I piss you off.”
“Come.” The smile sparkling in his eyes never quite reached his lips. He held out his hand with obvious expectation.
“Where are we going?”
“You can pester me with questions, or you can find out for yourself.”
“Can I see E’Lanna?”
He shrugged and lowered his hand. “If I understand the Mystic bond between identical twins, I can’t stop you from seeing E’Lanna. Now would you like to explore a little corner of the maze, or would you prefer to remain in this chamber? I’ll put you back in the cuffs and return to my men.”
His tunic skimmed her knees, and even with the laces pulled tight, the neckline dipped low across her breasts. “Where is my gown?”
“Destroyed. You will have to make do with my tunic. Unless you piss me off.”
He did smile then and her treacherous heart fluttered. In some bizarre way, this was his idea of courtship. Perhaps a bit of cooperation wouldn’t hurt. Keeping well out of reach, she came around the bed. He scanned open the privacy panel and motioned her into the corridor.
“Have the Shadow Assassins always lived here?”
“We are a present-oriented people. The past is simply a foundation, and the future unfolds as the gods see fit. We take our lives one day at a time.”
She stopped a smile just before it bowed her lips. “A simple ‘I don’t know’ would have sufficed.”
“I have known no other home. My father spoke of long cycles of construction, but he—” Her captor bit off the sentence and lapsed into silence.
All the corridors looked the same, bare rock adorned with a single row of firestones. They approached a soldier who immediately dropped his gaze and waited for them to pass. A shiver sped down her spine at the conditioned show of respect. She’d suspected her captor held a position of authority, but how much authority, and how could it be used to her advantage?
He paused beside an archway and nodded for her to enter. After a brief hesitation, she brushed past him and stepped into the room. Her steps faltered, then she turned in a slow circle, awed by the astounding beauty. Crystals of every imaginable color had been inset in the stone walls. She looked more closely and shook her head. There was no stone in this chamber. The walls and the domed ceiling were constructed entirely of crystals, surrounding her in a rainbow of light.
“What is this place?” She held out her hand, watching the colors arc and shimmer against her skin. “Do the crystals produce light, or are we close to the surface?”
“Some of the crystals emanate light and some channel it from the surface. We’re not as close as this chamber makes it appear.”
“Is this where you come to worship?” She looked over her shoulder. He’d triggered a privacy panel across the archway and moved several steps into the room.
“We each worship in our own way. There is no specific temple.”
“Is there a specific deity?”
“Mara is worshiped by many. She is the goddess of fertility and pros
perity, so I’m sure you can see her appeal. Her brother, Marton, controls war and conquest. He is also popular.”
She gradually turned to face him. Why had he brought her here? Nothing she could say would change his ultimate goal, so why waste time “getting to know each other”? She had no objection to wasting time. The longer he delayed, the more hope she had that her parents would find her. Still, it was puzzling.
“If this isn’t a temple, why do people come here?”
“To remember, to meditate, and to mourn.”
“Who are we going to mourn?” She took a step back and reached for E’Lanna. Had he only brought her here to give his men time to… E’Lanna responded with a calming wave, assuring Echo that she was well.
“Your sister will not be harmed,” he snapped. “My orders are obeyed. We are here to mourn my brother.”
“Your brother?” The sudden surge of fear receded, leaving her weak and shaky. He took her arm and led her to the smooth bench extending from the crystal wall.
“His name was Sekall.” He sat beside her, his hand sliding down to interlace their fingers.
“What’s your name?”
He hesitated, his thumb lightly caressing her skin. “Call me whatever you like.”
“I think you’ll get tired of hearing ‘bastard’.”
“My name is Varrik, but I’m breaking the rules just to tell you. Females are claimed by one master, so that is the only name a female needs to know.” One corner of his mouth curved as he continued to stroke her hand.
There was no way she would ever call him master. Still, rekindling his temper didn’t seem wise. “How did your brother die?”
Raising his head, he met her gaze as he explained, “He was executed when I was twelve. They bound him in the sparring area, forced him to his knees, then slit his throat and allowed him to bleed to death. The stain remains to this day, a reminder to all of his treachery.”
His voice never faltered, but anguish erupted in his gaze. Her hand was halfway to his face before she realized what she was doing. “Why was this done to him? What were his crimes?” She lowered her hand to the bench beside her, refusing to respond to his pain.
“He spoke out against the elders and encouraged others to question the Customs. He claimed we had once been slaves to the House of Joon, and now we were laosters, living ghosts, hollow and obsolete. He spread discontent and promoted rebellion, so they had no option but to silence him.”
She held her breath, afraid to shatter his restrained mood and bring back the aggressive seducer. Why was he telling her this? What did he expect her to say? Dear gods, had they made him watch his brother’s execution? She didn’t need to ask. The torment in his eyes told her all she needed to know.
Releasing her breath in a slow, steady rush, she asked, “Who are ‘they’? Who silenced your brother?”
“The Council of Elders.” He turned his face away, his hand still clutching hers. “They preserve the Customs and enforce the laws. Sekall had been warned, he had been punished, but he wouldn’t alter his course. He wouldn’t…”
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she chose her words carefully. “Did you agree with Sekall’s teachings?”
“There was logic in what he said. There was hope. Still, there is no place for us in the world above, so that hope was cruel and meaningless. We are what we have always been.” He looked at her again, his gaze intense and commanding. “I am not strong enough to challenge the elders, but my son will be.”
She tugged against his hold as the pieces fell into place. “My lineage doesn’t guarantee your son this power. Mystic abilities are a fickle thing.” E’Lanna had been gifted with prophetic dreams and the ability to see events as they unfolded in distant locations, while Echo’s only significant gift was her extraordinary memory. All of her other abilities amounted to little more than amusing parlor tricks. Should she admit that she wasn’t even considered a Mystic? No, that would only endanger E’Lanna.
“I won’t argue the point. I’m explaining what I’m trying to accomplish. I was told you might respond to logic.” He pulled her toward him, scooping up her legs and draping them over his lap.
“There is nothing logical about this,” she protested as he leaned into her, forcing her back across the bench. He caught her other hand and pulled both above her head, banding them with one long-fingered fist.
He braced himself on his arm, his face mere inches from hers. “My plan is perhaps too logical. I have left no room for emotions or uncertainty. I have spent the past two cycles trying to think of another way. There is none. You are my only hope.”
The blue ring in his eyes began to glow. Their conversation was over. What had she missed? There had to be something she could use to distract him from the passion building in his gaze. She licked her lips. His brother had been executed when Varrik was twelve, yet he’d spent the past two trying to think of another way.
“What happened two cycles ago?” she whispered.
He brushed his lips against hers, his hand resting on one of her knees. “I’ve ensured your sister’s safety and entrusted you with a very painful piece of my past. I think it’s your turn to bend.” His fingers drew light circles over her knee, his thumb dipping beneath to explore the sensitive underside.
If she refused, Varrik would likely sling her over his shoulder and carry her back to his bedchamber. She ignored the slow, melting sensation curling through her body. She did not want to be “mounted”. The only way she could ensure E’Lanna’s protection was to cooperate with him, postpone the actual event until they could be rescued.
“What do you have in mind?”
“I know you’ve never had a lover, but has anyone ever touched you?”
Should she correct his misconception? Was he being kind in part because he believed she was a virgin? She knew what he was asking, and she knew where the question was leading. “I’m not as innocent as my sister believes.”
“I want to watch you come.” The frank statement sent a shiver down her spine. “Will you let me, or should I take you back to my bedchamber?”
“That’s not much of a choice.”
“It’s the only one I’ll offer.”
“All you’ll do is touch me?”
Instead of replying, he slid his hand up the inside of her thigh, taking the tunic with him. She tensed as his fingers brushed over her panties. As soon as he touched her, he’d know how easily she’d succumb to his seduction.
“Relax,” he whispered, his lips moving against her temple.
His fingers eased beneath her panties and skimmed over her smooth mound. He made a low, growling sound, then asked, “Why did you remove the hair?”
She shuddered, the tension inside her ready to spring. “Most women in Frontine have their body hair removed.”
“We seldom hunt in the capital. Too much security.” He rubbed her mound, keeping his fingers cupped. It was more of a tease than a caress. Her clit ached and her inner muscles fluttered, anxious for attention.
“How did you get into Mystic Valley?” Anxiety always made her chatty. How long would he put up with her questions?
“Shields are easier to penetrate than the Mystics realize.”
“Obviously.”
He silenced her with his mouth, his tongue sinking between her lips as his middle finger parted her folds. She arched and twisted, but he held her in place until her instinctive need to resist subsided. His kiss was slow and deep, his touch patient. He circled her clit, occasionally dipping down to tease her opening.
Heat gathered in her belly, directed by the rhythmic stroke of his hand. His fingers slid smoothly, her cream easing the way. She trembled and moaned as the pressure built, too swept up in the tingling sensations to be ashamed.
He eased back, staring into her eyes. “Now,” he whispered, and caught her clit between his thumb and forefinger. With his gaze boring into hers, he gradually increased the pressure until pleasure detonated within her. Strong, pulsing spasms rippled th
rough her. She arched against his fingers and shook until the last tremor passed.
* * * * *
Charlotte paced the training hall in the Conservatory, her footfalls absorbed by the springy floor. What was taking so long? She glanced at the high, arched doorway leading to the mediation chamber and heaved an audible sigh. The Seeker Circle had convened hours ago. Usually these rituals produced results within minutes.
“The wedding guests have either departed or joined the search,” Saebin said as she came up beside Charlotte.
Consumed by worry, Charlotte hadn’t heard her approach. “I’m sorry this tainted the wedding, but we’re grateful for all the support.”
“They are the first daughters of the Royal House of Aune. This affects all of us. The honeymoon charter just left. It took some convincing to talk Crystal into leaving, but Lyric wouldn’t let her stay.”
“I’m glad. Every disruption is another victory for these lunatics.” Charlotte slipped her hands into the pockets of her tailored pants, longing for Tal’s embrace. “I’ve negotiated interplanetary treaties without breaking a sweat, but this…”
“Involves two of your children. It’s a completely different kind of stress.” Saebin glanced toward the meditation chamber. “How long have they been at it?”
“Too long.”
“What have they learned while Lyrik and I were debating with the bride?”
“Not much. The girls are safe, as yet unharmed, or so E’Lanna claims. Tal said he sensed a slight deception, as if she was hiding something. They’re being held underground, but the room she showed him was lit by firestones.”
“Then they’re still on Ontariese.”
“It’s likely they’re still here, but firestones can be modified to work off world.”
Saebin rubbed her forehead, and Charlotte noticed the purple shadows under her eyes. Did she look as tired as her half-sister? Probably worse.
The chamber doors swung open, and six robed Mystics filed out. Tal moved immediately to her side. Charlotte’s heart sank when she saw his frustrated expression.
“Her signal is being distorted.” His long dark hair coiled tightly, revealing his agitation. “We repeated the cycle three times, and the same thing happened each time. We followed the link until it scattered, fragmented into hundreds of entwined threads.”
Royal Obsession Page 4