by Viola Grace
Maven looked at the couple that was sparking with energy. Her boss leaned toward his partner and whispered. “What else did you learn from the grimoire?”
Krys snorted. “I am not telling. I am here to enjoy a party and have just found out that an acquaintance is in a similar boat to my own. Well, minus the baby.”
Maven didn’t mention that she had fitted birth control for hormonal reasons. She had no intention of becoming a mom by surprise, and she liked the predictability of a two-day period.
Maven smiled. “Krys, I have to head to the ladies’ room.”
Krys nodded and got to her feet. “Be right back.”
Kelnen grabbed her arm. “Why are you going if she has to go?”
Krys smiled. “Human social convention.”
Maven linked arms with her, and they headed to the hallway outside the ballroom. Outside the room, they looked at each other and laughed.
The next five minutes were spent gossiping at close quarters about the use of magic during sex and the pros and cons of multiple partners. Krys kept her references away from both being her lover at the same time out of deference to the recent nature of Maven’s interactions, for which Maven was grateful. Talking anal with a co-worker wasn’t really a comfortable topic or even a comfortable thought.
She was washing her hands when three phantom fingers slid into her. She yelped and clutched the counter.
Krys frowned. “What is that? Are you all right?”
Maven gasped and muttered. “They are trying a new spell today.”
The fingers plunged again. Maven breathed through it.
“What kind of spell is it?”
Through gritted teeth, she waited until the feeling faded. “Sympathetic magic. Their fingers in liquid translate into fingers in me.”
Krys chuckled and helped her up. “That is going to be hell when they take a shower.”
Horror crossed Maven’s consciousness.
“Don’t worry. Intent usually has to be part of it. They are using their links to you to run the magic.”
Krys helped her to the door, and Argo was waiting for them with a drink in his hand and wet fingers. To Maven’s relief, he dried his hand on a napkin and put the drink down.
“Ladies.” He offered them his arms, and they walked back into the ballroom where the band was tuning up.
Krys chuckled. “That is a neat trick. If you teach it to Kelnen, I will set your balls on fire.”
“Yes, ma’am, but I believe Olmin might have already mentioned it.”
Krys nodded. “Fine. I will set his balls on fire if he tries it. Both of him.”
Maven snorted, and then, Krys gave her a look that said it was more than possible; it was a promise. No wonder Krys was one of the star auditors at the company. She took no shit.
They made their way to the table just as Olmin took a sip from his glass, and she felt his tongue. She dug her nails into Argo’s arm, and she breathed slowly as they finished the return to the table.
Krys sighed. “Don’t play with her while she’s walking. It’s dangerous.”
Olmin paused, and he blinked in surprise. “Yes, ma’am.”
Kelnen got up to hold Krys’s chair for her. “Please, join us.”
Maven looked to Krys, and the angel smiled. “Please, have a seat. I can keep your guys in line as long as you are here.”
“Can I move in?” Maven chuckled. “I can be your nanny.”
Krys smiled and batted her lashes at her partner, but Kelnen shook his head. “No. I can’t be missing you at work. Your account processing is a specific skill.”
Argo cleared his throat. “You are not hiding under her wing.”
Olmin narrowed his eyes. “Maybe I could get you a job at the publishing house?”
Maven looked at him with horror. “No. No fucking way.”
Kelnen chuckled. “Perhaps we could come to an arrangement where you give us an account, and we can go over your books. Maven is very good at finding discrepancies.”
She looked at her boss. “Are you pimping me out for an account?”
“I know the frustrations of spending time waiting for my match to appear. I have sympathy for them.”
His use of the plural wasn’t a mistake. He knew that they were a trio, and there wasn’t any lascivious judgement in his gaze. Maven looked into his eyes, and there was nothing there but calm compassion. She frowned. “I am still not sure about this.”
He nodded. “I know. If Krys hadn’t been dropped on me, I am sure that she would have run in the opposite direction had that been an option.”
Krys held up her hand before Maven could ask. “Extremely long and weird story. I will tell you another time. Maybe you can come for a visit next week.”
Maven looked at the woman who seemed to have a full grasp of what was going on. “I think that would be a good idea.”
Kelnen nodded. “We can leave from work.”
Krys looked from her to her partner. “I think I will take my car, and we can go find a quiet restaurant somewhere. You can be a little creepy at close quarters, babe.”
He snorted and lifted her up and into his lap, being careful of her wings. “Creepy?”
She kissed him and chuckled. “You have your own charm.”
Maven smiled at the cute and terrifying couple. Argo took her hand and squeezed it. “Care to dance?”
The band had started up, and there were a handful of couples on the dancefloor. She nodded, and he got to his feet, bowing as she stood up.
She glanced at Olmin, and he smiled, his eyes glowing. Oh, so she was dancing with both of them.
“I am not a good dancer. I don’t know why I said yes.” She murmured it quietly to him.
Argo smiled and took her in his arms. “Feel free to step on me.”
They swayed slowly, and once she figured out where her feet were in relation to his, he acknowledged her slight confidence by separating them and moving around the dancefloor with her. Again, he waited for her to get comfortable before he turned her and began more elaborate moves. Every time she was stiffening up, he waited until she relaxed and tried again.
Maven blushed as she realized that they were doing the same thing now that they did in bed. If it worked for the majority of their union, why bother changing a technique.
* * * *
Krys watched and smiled. “You three are quite good together. There may be a bit of a hiccup now and then, but she’s a solid personality that has some delightful flights of fantasy.”
Olmin nodded. “She does have an odd sense of whimsy.”
“Yeah, it is what stands in contrast to her analytical mind. Mind you, some of her books got me through the first few hours with Kel.”
Her mate sighed under her. “I am right here.”
“I know, pet. But running the fantasies in my head from her books got me in the mood to accept you a little more readily.” She kissed his cheek.
Olmin paused. “What? You have read her work?”
“Sure. I had to run an audit on our systems, and she had a lot of documents instead of spreadsheets. All of her writing was done before or after work and on breaks, Kelnen. Don’t stiffen up.”
Olmin blinked. “I don’t know her name for publication.”
“You wouldn’t. She writes short stories as Maeve Greyling. Scorching hot sci-fi. Lots of fun in a short read.” She smiled at him and watched the light dawn in his expression.
On the dancefloor, she watched Argo speak quietly to Maven, and she stumbled and had to be caught against him. Yeah, he had caught on.
“Yeah, you wouldn’t wonder how she managed to generate so much sexual energy if you had read her work. She writes it, we read it, and through her words, we pass it on. Sympathetic magic at its best.” Krys was grinning as he fully understood how Maven could continually generate power.
Olmin got to his feet and headed for the dancefloor.
Kelnen whispered in her e
ar, “You scared our new friends away. He did summon me here after all.”
“They will be back.” She smiled. “Aren’t you lucky to have two witches with a penchant for sex magic working for you? You thought her signature was mine at first, didn’t you?”
He sighed. “Yes, but I knew she wasn’t you before the interview. She was hired on her merits.”
“Ah, well, I am my own power supply. You will have to make do with me.” She stroked his cheek.
“I could not be happier. Would you care to dance?”
She grinned. “I thought you would never ask.”
He set her on her feet and elegantly led her to the dancefloor. He was tall, his wings were broad, and as they began to dance, he kept his gaze on her to make sure that she didn’t wobble. Her balance was being affected by her kicking occupant.
Sure, getting pregnant while being offered to an ancient protector on an alien world had seemed like fun at the time, but coming home pregnant had been a surprise. Running into Kelnen in the CEO’s office had been a shock. Years of work at the company, and she had never seen him before, until three weeks after she had returned from her teleportation journey across the universe. He had summoned her to the office, and she had seen him, them. Both the men she knew exceedingly well were standing there wearing a single body and a very nice suit.
She smiled, and he asked softly, “What was that thought?”
She grinned. “You two in the office that day. You looked like you wanted to pounce the moment you saw me.”
“I did, but it wouldn’t have been appropriate to throw you over my shoulder and carry you home. It also would not have been proper to transport you there.”
She snorted. “I know you are a stickler for the rules.”
He grinned. “And I love a good protocol.”
Krys chuckled and watched as Maven was gently passed from partner to partner. They were the only other triad on the dancefloor and the only one that was visible.
“So, why did you get the idea to hold the ball on Halloween?” She smiled and looked around the room at all of the non-humans and magical humans that were sitting, dancing, or chatting.
“It was something you said to me once. Everyone can let a little of themselves out on Halloween.” He smiled.
“I said that while we were there.”
“I have an excellent memory for the things that matter.” He smiled.
She flexed her wings slightly, and he chuckled. “My angel.”
“My incubus.”
He grinned, and they danced until the music changed to something with more of a beat. If she couldn’t be up against him, there was no point.
Chapter Eight
Maven didn’t know where the questions about her writing had come from. “What? Yes. I write. It isn’t like I am trying to traditionally publish them.”
Olmin moved into the place that Argo had been occupying. “Why not? What do you write? Why didn’t you tell me? It is my actual line of work, after all.”
She blushed. “Because they are just little stories for commuters or folks who want to start the engines before the pilot arrives.”
“Like what Alice writes.” She saw the way he was watching her when he said Alice.
She snorted. “Sure. Like what Alice writes.”
“I did wonder why you hitched yourself to that egotistical twit, and now I know. You were getting power from her sales.”
“No. Absolutely not.” She shook her head. “I get nothing but practice from that stuff.”
“So, you are co-writing.”
“I am acting as her book doctor.”
“But you are adding content. Book doctors don’t do that.”
“Probably why I didn’t pass my license.”
He snorted and twirled her slowly. “You know I am going to want to read some of your work.”
“You know I am not going to let you.” She smiled brightly.
He grinned. “I think I can find you, Maeve Greyling.”
She laughed. “That was my previous work. You won’t find any of my new stuff. That is under a new name.”
He spun her out, and then, she thudded back against his body, the beads on her costume clashing. “So, you have a new persona? Interesting.”
She kicked the endorphins that had made her cocky for a second. “Nothing of your caliber, I am sure. I just do it because I have to.”
He whispered in a creepy singsong, “I am still going to find out.”
“Fine. Do what you like.”
“I will. Why don’t you want me to look?”
Maven twisted her lips. “It’s personal.”
“And yet, you have put it out for anyone to read?”
“I don’t have to look them in the eye afterward. I don’t have to sign books; I don’t have to make public appearances. It is just me and my keyboard and the stories in my head.”
He swirled her off the dancefloor and walked out through the wide balcony with his arm around her. She shivered and wished her cloak was a little thicker.
He pulled her close and found a corner in the shadows, leaning in to kiss her with his hands tucked inside her hood to hold her head.
The slow kiss was enough to remind her of why she was there. When he released her, he kissed the tip of her nose and smiled. “That has bought me a few more hours of self-control.”
She chuckled. “Kelnen doesn’t seem to have a problem with self-control.”
“They had Krys to themselves for three days and nights, uninterrupted. Kel also is far older than most civilizations on this world. He has patience. Nen is a scholar. He can focus.”
Maven froze, and her skin heated at the thought of three uninterrupted days and nights with Olmin and Argo. “Oh.”
“Yes. And their partner is pregnant and not up for a lot of very energetic acrobatics. You can bet they are inside her every chance they get.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Right. I forgot about that. Krys just doesn’t give off the maternal vibe. She’s a force of nature.”
“As are you, but your nature is different. You are feeding on the lust of others.”
She eased back from him. “Not really.”
He cocked his head and moved toward her as she continued to back away. “Explain how I am wrong.”
She smiled, stepped toward him, and then she darted for the doorway back to the ballroom.
Argo’s arm leisurely caught her around the waist, and he carried her back to Olmin. “I believe he asked for an explanation?”
She sighed, suspended by the arm around her waist against her wolf’s body. “It isn’t that I take stuff from my readers. I give it to them, and they magnify it, then I take it back. Normal people are a lens.” She shrugged. “I can do that with anything.”
Argo paused. “You can take in negative emotion as well?”
“Sure, but I don’t like making folks unhappy, so I focus on the positive stuff. It feels better when it comes back to me.”
Olmin scowled. “So, you knew that you had magic.”
It was weirdly comfortable being held by the steel around her waist. “Yeah. My grandma taught me about what it was, but I had to figure out how to handle it. It is different for every generation. My mom went nuts, and she died. So, my gran made sure that I knew how to keep myself grounded, even if it meant exposing myself a little.”
“So, you knew what Alice was doing when she had you work on her projects?”
Maven shrugged. “I had no idea what she was doing precisely. With a focus like mine, it is hard to keep friends. They always end up getting possessive of their spouses and not returning my calls. Alice used me, but she showed up with pizza.”
Argo asked, “Did you know that she had magic of her own?”
Maven shrugged. “I could feel her leaning on me, but I have more than enough energy to replace what she tried to take.”
Olmin frowned. “She tried to prey on you? I know she is a succu
bus, but I didn’t think you were her type.”
Maven blinked, and then, she exhaled. “Oh. That makes sense now. Weird. I don’t have anything to study, and I just thought there were predator and prey. Alice was a predator, but she seemed more like a parasite that knew how and where to order pizza. Argo, can you put me down? I have run out of breath.”
Argo slowly lowered her to her feet, and he wrapped his arms around her. “So, she has tried to feed on you.”
Olmin looked angry. “That should have been made clear to me earlier.”
Maven looked at him. “Why? She tried it once; she passed out; she didn’t try again. She was satisfied with the kind of feeding on her readers that you thought I did.”
He looked at her, and she put her hands on her hips, trying to be intimidating while there was a wolf nuzzling her neck.
He growled. “Fine, but if she makes one more move toward you, I reserve the right to make her regret it.”
She inclined her head. “Fine. She’s after you anyway. You will know about her intentions before I do.”
Olmin blinked. “After me?”
“Or Argo. She wants either of you. I am not sure if the option of both has occurred to her. If she is a succubus, she isn’t very good.” She chuckled and looked over toward the doors. “I am getting cold, and we are missing the party.”
Olmin kissed her softly and whispered, “We are going to discuss this further.”
“Great. Can we do it indoors?” She nodded toward the party.
Argo murmured, “You mean have a discussion indoors, right? Because you smell amazing.”
“I am not having sex out here at this party, Argo.” Her stomach rumbled. “Is there food?”
He snickered. “Yes, but there are vegetables.”
She sighed. “Fine. I can fake enjoyment when it comes to snacks.”
Olmin chuckled and shook his canine head. “As long as that is where you end the faking, we will do fine.”
She beamed at him and was escorted inside to find the food.
She had gotten a plate and was nibbling at some of the less objectionable foods. Argo had put vegetables on her plate, and she was eating around them. Her guys were off talking to someone that they obviously knew, and she was eating in a corner so that they couldn’t critique her food choices.