by Anna, Vivi
Grinning, Jovan pushed the button and started the motorcycle. Puffs of steam shot out the back tailpipe. He put his feet on the footrests then revved the crank on the handlebar. The vehicle pulled forward. A little too quickly for Skylar’s liking.
“Thank you.” Skylar turned and waved to the captain.
“We will return in a fortnight,” she called back.
* * *
It took them less than an hour to reach the town proper. Because it was early morning, the streets were busy with marketers. Every head turned as they rolled down the street, steam puffing out behind them. Before they could create any more of a commotion than they already had, Jovan pulled in behind one of the many horse-drawn carriages off to the side and parked. Skylar and Rhys squirmed out of the sidecars and followed Jovan across the street to a local market.
The scent of fresh sliced oranges wafted to Skylar’s nose. Her stomach growled in response. She couldn’t remember when they last had a good meal. She certainly needed a good strong cup of tea.
“So, where do we start?” Rhys asked.
“A local inn would be the best choice. Sebastian would have had to have stayed somewhere.”
“Well, I don’t know about either of you, but I’m starting in the pastry shop. I’m starving.” Without waiting for a response Skylar walked down the street and pushed opened the shop door. Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head as she inhaled the delectable smells of fresh brie, biscuits and raspberry jam.
The young woman at the counter smiled at her, although her gaze told Skylar she was curious about Skylar’s manner of dress. She’d yet to remove her leather cap.
“May I help you, miss?”
“Oh, you certainly can.”
“Skylar,” Jovan said from beside her, “We don’t have time for this.”
“You may not, but I do. If you don’t, be on your way and I’ll catch up later.” She pointed at the pastries in the display. “I’ll have one of those, one of those and one of those. Oh, and some lemon tea, please.”
Jovan sighed, then said to the server, “Make that three of everything the lady just ordered.”
The counter girl’s smile widened. “Very good, sir.”
Fifteen minutes laten
er, Skylar was happily licking preserves from her fingers. She took a sip of tea and sighed in contentment. “There now, we can continue.” Jovan smiled at her, then reached across the table and brushed his thumb along her lips then brought it to his mouth and sucked off the raspberry jam.
He was about to say something when she noticed Rhys’s strange expression. He was gazing out the shop window.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a woman outside on the sidewalk staring at me. She hasn’t looked away in over ten minutes.”
Both Skylar and Jovan turned to look.
There was indeed a young woman standing in front of the shop window watching them, Rhys in particular. She had long auburn hair in a plait hanging over one shoulder and wore a simple frock but had a colorful scarf wrapped around her. She had the biggest, most soulful brown eyes Skylar had ever seen. She definitely stood out in the crowd.
“I wonder what she wants?”
“She’s making me nervous,” Rhys said, visibly shaken.
Skylar finished her tea, then patted her lips with a napkin. “Let’s go see, shall we?” Jovan and Rhys followed her out, although Rhys hesitated in the doorway.
The woman turned toward them. “You must come with me,” she said, then whirled on a heel—a bare heel as she wasn’t wearing shoes—and strolled down the sidewalk away from the town main square.
“We’re not actually going to follow her, are we?”
Jovan patted Rhys on the shoulder. “What are you afraid of, brother? That she’s a witch and is going to cook us and eat us?”
Rhys didn’t answer, just reluctantly followed behind.
The woman led them to a small dwelling three streets over. It had its own small front garden, overrun with various plants. Many were commonly used in healing potions and tinctures, but Skylar didn’t recognize the odd-looking blue flower covering a mound near the fence. The front of the house was painted a mishmash of colors including green and blue and yellow. And over the front door hung a sign that read Madame Corina.
She left the door open for them to follow her inside. They did, though warily.
Inside was a reflection of the outside—cluttered, chaotic and colorful. And the woman moved about in the front parlor with the same characteristics. She opened and closed doors and cupboards at a dizzying speed.
“Where is it?” she muttered.
“Pardon me,” Skylar cleared her throat. “But, who are you?”
She swirled around. “It’s who you are that matters.”
“And who are we?” Jovan frowned.
“You are Jovan Davenport. And Skylar Vanguard.” Then to Rhys, which made him shrink into himself, “And, of course, Rhys Davenport.”
“Can we have your name?” Skylar asked.
“I am Corina Stratton.”
“And you’re a psychic.”
“Yes, among many other things.”
“Do you know why we are here?” Jovan asked.
“To find your brother.” She thrust her hand forward. “Here.” Grasped between her fingers was a letterse areer.
Jovan stepped forward, took it from her and unfolded it. “It’s from Sebastian.” Rhys moved in beside Jovan just as he started to read it.
My dear brothers,
If you are reading this letter, then I have failed my task. I am truly sorry if my absence has put any strain on your lives, especially when it comes to Father. Which I will assume most definitely has been a burden. My disappearance was not intentional. I only wished to right a terrible wrong, but in doing so may have damned myself for eternity. Which I suppose is a fitting punishment for my sins.
If you have this letter, then you are seeking me. I plead with you, do not seek me further. Fold up this letter, tuck it in your pocket and return home. Return to your lives and live them. Going any further will surely damn you as it has damned me. If you harbor any love for me, then do as I ask. Go home. Go live.
You loving brother,
Sebastian Davenport
When Jovan finished, he folded up the letter and slid it into a pocket. His hand had a fine tremble in it. His brother’s absence had been a part of his life for so long that he hadn’t really thought about it in absolutes. He’d always thought that one day Sebastian would just appear, as if from nowhere, with great tales of where he’d been and who’d he met. But that was not the case. His brother had truly vanished. Not to just another country, but another realm altogether.
The thought that he’d never see his brother again sent a dread-filled shiver down his back.
To comfort him, Skylar moved in beside him and set her hand on his arm.
“Is he dead?” Rhys asked the woman.
She smirked. “Of course he’s not dead. Does it sound like he went off to his death?”
“Do you know where he went, then?” Jovan asked. “Do you know where this door is?”
“Yes. I’m the one who took your brother to it. Me and my mum.”
Skylar looked around. “Where is your mother? We would speak with her as well.”
“She’s dead. I buried her out front in the garden.”
Ah, that explained the mound and the strange flowers.
“You have to have the key to open this door.” She flapped a hand. “And Sebastian took it with him.”
Jovan pulled out the leather sack from his other pocket and shook it. “We have it here.”
Corina narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure about that?”
He glanced at Skylar then at Rhys. “No, I’m not sure.”
Skylar took the bag from him and stepped forward. “But you and I could make sure, now couldn’t we?”
She shrugged. “Possibly.”
“Do you doubt your powers? Maybe we are wasting o
ur time here, and you’re just a charlatan taking decent folks’ hard-earned money.”
As quick as a striking snake, Corina snatched the bag from Skylar’s hand. “No one calls me a charlatan, especially not a Druid princess with a stick up her flat arse.”
Skylar gasped, shocked at the wocknd. oman’s vulgar statement. “How dare you? I don’t have a flat arse.”
Jovan intervened. “Skylar has a lovely bottom.”
“Thank you, Jovan.”
Corina eyed them all for a bit longer, then she dumped the bag of keys on the little table. “I guess you lot are all right. I like those with a sense of humor.”
“That leaves you out, hey, Rhys?” Jovan joked. Rhys just grunted.
“Shall we, then?”
“Once we find the right key you’ll take us to the door, correct?” Rhys said from his position across the room. He had gotten as far away from Corina as he possibly could without actually leaving the house.
She glanced at him, her eyebrow raised. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
“We have to wait until nightfall.” She picked up one of the keys and squeezed it in her palm.
“Why nightfall?” Jovan asked.
“Because that is when the veil is the thinnest between dimensions.” She tossed the key down and picked up another. Skylar grabbed for one of the keys. The moment her fingers touched it, an image of Sebastian flooded her mind. His face was drawn and pale. His eyes, bloodshot. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in days.
“I found it.” Skylar opened her palm to reveal the key.
Corina took it from her and visibly flinched. “Oh, yes, this is definitely the one. I remember its power.”
Jovan approached, his hand out. “May I?”
Corina set it in his palm. He wrapped his finger around it. “I don’t feel anything.”
“You will when the time comes.”
He slipped it into his pocket. “We are powerless until nightfall. We should all get some rest.”
“Good idea.” Rhys grabbed for the door handle. “I saw a boardinghouse not far from here.”
“So happens I have three rooms upstairs.”
“That would be lovely, thank you,” Skylar said. She had to hide the grin as Rhys’s face paled even further.
Corina led them upstairs to the rooms. Rhys quickly disappeared into the first one without a word. Skylar entered the next one and shut the door. She leaned against it, closing her eyes. She was more tired than she realized. There was a soft knock at the door. She opened it.
Jovan stood in the door frame. “Skylar. I can’t…”
Without a word, she took his hand and pulled him in. There were no other words he needed to say. She could see the desperate longing on his face and hear the weariness in his voice.
She led him to the small bed and sat him down. He was about to speak but she quieted him with a finger to his lips.
“There’s nothing you need to say.” She quickly undid the buttons on her dress and let it puddle at her feet. Clad only in a flimsy shift, she moved to stand in front of him between his legs and cradled his head to her
breasts.
He wrapped his arms around her and breathed her in like a desperate man gasping for oxygen. “Skylar,” he murmured. “Skylar.”
“I’m here, my darling. I’ve always been here.” She stroked her hand through his hair, playhisar,ing with the tendrils around his ear. A shiver rushed over him.
He lifted his face to her. Leaning down, she covered his lips with her own. She kissed him, and it was as if the past seven years had disappeared and they’d never been apart.
Chapter Twenty
She drew him up into a stand, then wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Burying his hands into her hair, Jovan pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.
It was hot and hard and full of so many things, past and present, that it made his head whirl. When she dug her fingers into his back, he thought he’d faint from the heat swelling inside him.
His lips still on hers, he reached down and swept her up into his arms. He carried her to the bed then laid her down. When she was settled, he pulled back and removed his clothes.
He loved how she watched every movement he made, every inch of skin revealed. It made him feel powerful and wanted and loved. Naked, he knelt on the mattress, letting her drink her fill of him. He wanted to feel his hard flesh pressed to hers. No, needed to, just as much as he needed to take his next breath of air.
Lying beside her, he unbuttoned her undershirt then drew it down her beautiful body. Slowly, he traced his fingers over her. Starting at her throat, he trailed his hands down over her breasts, touching her in all the places he knew she liked. He cupped one breast and rubbed his thumb over her nipple. She gasped a little as he bent down and took it into his mouth, swirling his tongue over her again and again.
From the moment he laid eyes on her again in the den of his father’s house, he’d known this moment would come. Seven years ago, she’d been his and that hadn’t changed. Despite all that had transpired between them, and within their separate lives, they were fated to be together. Nothing could break that bond. Not even their own stubbornness to stay apart.
After relishing attention to both breasts, Jovan poised himself above her body, his arms shaking with barely controlled restraint. All he could feel was the heat of her. Spreading her legs, she hooked her heels on to his hips and brought him down to meet her.
He nestled himself against the soft folds between her thighs. Because she was already wet and open, he pressed into her with ease. Skylar raked her short nails over his skin, knowing he loved her to lose control when he filled her completely.
As he slid back and forth, she moaned into his ear. He looked down at her face and saw the enchanting golden glow of her irises. She was more mesmerizing now than he ever remembered her to be.
Jovan nibbled the side of her neck, moving his mouth over her flesh. He nipped at her chin, then found her eager mouth with his own. Bringing his hands up, he buried them in her silky-soft silver hair while they kissed.
Every nerve in his body responded to her. To her touch, to her taste. Old memories of their lovemaking flooded him. She moaned into his mouth and nipped hungrily at his lips, as if desiring to devour him. That, he would not object to. Raw animal need consumed him. Something he hadn’t felt in so long. With Skylar, it went beyond the physical longing. Deep inside his heart and soul, he yearned for her.
Skylar wrapped her arms around him and rolled him over onto his back. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this.” He stared into her incredible eyes as she straddled him, his long length s="-1" hertill deep inside her.
She started to rock on him, slow at first then gaining her rhythm. As flickers of pleasure showed on her face, she pumped faster, harder, until she was lost to him. And he to her.
Jovan molded her breasts in his hands, flicking his thumbs over her peaked nipples. He trailed a hand down her torso, caressing her skin to where they joined. His fingers found her hot and wet, cleverly nudging his knuckle against her most sensitive spot.
He gripped a hand around her waist and stilled her frantic motions. “Slowly now. I want to feel every inch of you. I’ve waited so long to have you again.”
With both hands, he encircled her hips, slowing her movement. He lifted her up slowly, held her still with just the tip of him inside, and then brought her down inch by excruciating inch until he filled her entirely again. He did this several times until he could barely contain himself.
All her muscles quickened and flinched. His slow, exquisite torture on her insides was sending them both spiraling to the edge, hovering in midair. Her sex contracted around him as she climaxed.
Crying out, she fell forward to bury her face into his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and continued to stroke himself inside her, bringing himself to orgasm soon after.
Clamping her eyes shut, she took in a ragged breath. He kissed the side of her nec
k, breathing her in, absorbing everything about her. There was so much he wanted to say, but resigned himself to kissing her on the cheek and resting his head against hers.
Tears leaked out despite her closed eyes. So she opened them and watched as he brushed them away from her cheeks. She gave him a half smile then rested her head on his chest.
He wrapped his arms around her, stroking his hands up and down her back. And they lay there locked together until they both fell asleep.
* * *
Skylar blinked open her eyes when she heard the metallic ping coming from her tracker ring. It was soft enough that it didn’t wake Jovan, but she was so attuned to it even the miniscule of noise could wake her.
She slipped out from under his arm, drew on her shift and quietly left the room. She needed to find a secluded spot in which she could contact the council. They were obviously eager for her report since she’d been so quiet as of late.
The hall was dark except for a single candle lit at the end. It was as if it had anticipated her arrival. She took it from the wall and crept as silent as she could down the stairs. Since she’d lost hers, she needed to find a large mirror in which she could create a connection to the council.
On the wall inside the parlor from earlier, she found what she was looking for. Saying the ancient words of summoning, Skylar pressed her thumb to the four corners then took a step back. Within seconds, her father’s face materialized inside the reflective glass.
“Daughter, why have you not responded before now? We have been calling.”
“I apologize but haven’t had a chance to report. I also lost my scrying mirror.”
He frowned. “How did that happen? That’s a valuable heirloom. A tracker must always have their mirror with them.”
His displeasure made her angry. “It was unavoidable and not worth discussing.”
“I see.”
But she knew he didn’t understand, and that her answer had angered him.
“What is your report?”
“We are in Salisbury and have been told that Sebastian was here five years ago. That he had opened a door to another dimension in the circle of the standing stones.”