by Brux, Boone
“It’s best we don’t let that infection spread, eh?” Luc said.
“Then you’re with me?” Siban’s question sounded hopeful.
“After what that demon did to me, I’ll take great pleasure in sending him to his comrades.”
Were they planning on vanquishing Icarus? Anger rushed through Rell. Not waiting to hear more or reveal herself, she jogged to the manor and up to their room. It wasn’t as if she didn’t understand Siban’s reasoning. He’d been tortured for two years by Vile and Sha-hera. To him, the Bane were all the same—except for her. For whatever reason, he had seen her differently, even when she had been a demon. Maybe it was the same instinct that drove her to want to believe in and help Icarus.
She shut the door behind her and walked to the center of the room. Unseeing, she stared at the cold hearth. What was she to do? Siban’s and Luc’s hatred of the Bane could jeopardize the opportunity to gain the upper hand in their war effort. Still, she couldn’t blame either of them for the way they felt.
The door to the chamber opened and Siban came in. He stopped inside the door. “I didn’t think you would be here.”
“Where else would I be?” She attempted a casual tone, but failed.
“With Icarus.” He closed the door behind him. Not looking at her, he crossed to the hearth and stoked the fire. When the flame had grown to a sustainable size, he turned and looked at her. “Are you tired?”
He didn’t sound angry with her. Some of the tension eased from her shoulders. “No. You?”
“No.” He moved to the chair and sat, reclining against the back. “Too much on my mind.”
Dark circles pooled under Siban’s eyes, giving him a look that went beyond fatigue. Perhaps mentally weary from his inability to let down his guard. Since she’d been transformed she’d only seen him take his ease once. It had been the first night they’d made love. From that point on he’d seemed determined to protect her no matter the cost to himself.
Fool.
Desire to forget about tonight’s event won out over needing to react to Siban and Luc’s threat against Icarus. She would figure out what to do later. For now she needed intimacy. Even if it was only for a few hours, she wanted to numb the despair being around Icarus had caused.
She walked to him and held out her hand. “Maybe we could find something to occupy our time.”
He stared at her and after several seconds a slow smile curved the corners of his mouth. He nodded and took her hand. “Maybe we can.”
Chapter Nine
Golden light from the fire flickered against the stone walls of their chamber. Siban wanted more than anything to feel Rell’s body against his and push all thoughts of Icarus and their mission away. His smile faded. “I don’t want to fight, Rell.” He ran his finger along her cheek. “I just want to hold you in my arms.”
“I don’t want to fight either.” Her fingers twined around his hand more tightly. “So let’s not discuss anything but us.”
“We are my favorite subject.” He bent and kissed her. “I missed you today.”
She scrunched up her face. “We’ve been together all evening.”
He waved a tan finger at her. “No talk of this evening, only of today.”
“Fine.” She gave him a mischievous smile and walked across the room to the bed. Sitting, she wrapped her arm around the tall poster. “Siban, what did you do today?”
“Mostly sharpened weapons and repaired tack.” He perched on the edge of a leather trunk and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “How about you?”
“I attempted to help cook.” She rolled her eyes. “Mother kicked me out after an hour and told me to find Brita. Mainly I brushed horses, cleaned their hooves, and tried not to dwell on the fact that we’re leaving for the Shadow World in the morning.”
“Did it work?”
She lifted her eyebrows. “No.”
For the past several days they’d had many discussions about the mission, but she had never spoken of her apprehensions about entering her former home. “It will be all right, Rell.”
Her smile melted into an intense stare. More than anything it appeared she needed to believe that entering the Shadow World didn’t mean she would lose everything she’d regained.
He stood and walked to her, kneeling at her feet. “I promise, we will come out of this alive, and be stronger than ever.”
She cupped his face between her hands and pulled him toward her. The soft brush of her lips ghosted across his. He let her take the lead, sensing that she needed to feel in control tonight. Her kiss deepened. Siban opened his mouth, and her tongue slipped inside to stroke his.
Her hands traveled down his neck and slid along his shoulders, pushing his coat off. The garment slipped to the floor, puddling at his feet. His fingers itched to unlace the green tunic she wore, but he repressed the urge. She tugged at the ties of his tunic and lifted the shirt over his head, adding to the growing pile on the floor.
For several long seconds she stared at him, her hands traveling across his chest and drifting lower to the waist of his pants. Again she undid the tie. His erection strained against the material and the tip of his growing cock peeked out the top. She pushed his pants open and gently stroked the head. A groan escaped him and he pressed into her hand, indulging in the feel of her firm grip sliding over the sensitive tip. She searched his face, as if watching his reaction. Again she slid her hand up and back over his shaft.
His breath hitched. “That feels so good, Rell.”
Her expression intensified. “Teach me how to please you.”
“You already please me.”
She shook her head. “Not like that.” She swallowed hard. “Teach me how to pleasure you. Show me what you like.”
Not wanting to be presumptuous, he asked, “You mean pleasure me other than making love?”
She nodded. “I want to learn.”
He exhaled deeply. “All right.”
Standing brought his erection to mouth level. As he removed his boots and pants, her gaze never left him, devouring his every movement. When he stood before her naked she reached and ran her fingers along his shaft.
Spikes of pleasure tingled along the tight skin. Her cautious exploration was torturous and wonderful. She looked up at him. “What now?”
“To pleasure me with your hand—” He wrapped his fingers around hers and drew them upward to the head of his cock. “You stroke me here.” He pumped into her hand twice. “Then slide your hand downward and back up.” He held out his other hand to her. Tentatively she placed hers in his. He drew it downward and cupped her hand against his tight sack. “Massage here, but gently.”
With perfect pressure, she rubbed her fingers along his balls, the tip of her index finger stroking the sensitive skin just behind. Siban’s head fell back to rest against his shoulders.
“Yes, just like that.”
For several minutes, Rell experimented with different pressures and speeds, pumping her hand down the length of him. He gripped the bedpost, not wanting to stop her, but unsure if he could hold his climax much longer.
The innocence of her exploration only heightened the pleasure she was giving him. Without warning she stopped and looked up at him. “Can I pleasure you with my mouth?”
Bless the Saints, his knees nearly buckled. He only hoped he could contain himself long enough to teach her what she needed to know. “Yes, you can.”
“And do you like it?”
“Yes.” His answer came out raspy and forced. “Very much.”
She smiled, her grin a little too mischievous. “Then teach me.”
He fumbled for a simple explanation—one that wouldn’t frighten or disgust her. “Basically everything you’ve done with your hand, you do with your mouth.”
She paused for only a second before lowering her head to his cock and taking him into her mouth. Moist heat surrounded him, making him grow larger. Her eyes rounded and she pulled free and examined his thick shaft. “It moves, as i
f it’s alive.”
He cleared his throat. “Because what you’re doing feels very good.”
“Ah.” She turned her attention back to his cock and took him into her mouth again.
Siban’s grip tightened on the bedpost, trying to resist the urge to push into her. Her lips traveled farther along his shaft with each seesaw motion she made, until she’d taken the full length of him. The erotic view of her head moving back and forth heightened the pleasure of the experience, increasing the building sensation at the base of his cock.
When her hand cupped his sac and she took him deep once again, Siban thought he would die. Unable to control himself, he threaded his fingers through her hair and fisted it at the back of her head. With little pulses he pumped into her mouth, making sure not to choke her.
Rell slid from the bed and knelt in front of him, continuing to worship him with her mouth. Though tentative at first, her actions became bolder. Releasing his cock, she wrapped her arm around his hip and grabbed his ass, gently pushing him back and forth.
He let her take the lead, the experience of being at her mercy lending an erotic spin that drove him near the edge. Sparks of pleasure prickled at the base of his cock and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to withstand the sublime torture much longer.
“Rell, I’m going to come.”
He tried to pull away, but she made a sound of protest and held him tight to her mouth. The hand cupping his balls moved to grip his cock, her mouth working up and down with a rapid rhythm. After every three or four strokes she would pause at the tip and suck, and then resume the motion.
Unable to pull her free and not wanting to, Siban rode the wave of pleasure building inside him. Her hand moved down his shaft, quickly massaged his balls and continued back up to stroke him as her mouth sucked the head.
Words became impossible and he was unable to warn her when his climax hit. He gripped her head with both hands to hold her steady, pumped twice into her mouth and came. She squeaked. Instantly he released her, but she didn’t pull away, but instead took every drop of him.
His body convulsed and the sensitivity around the head of his cock became excruciatingly wonderful. She released his ass but continued to gently, almost lovingly, lick him until the last shiver of pleasure had rippled through his body.
Unable to stand any longer, Siban lifted Rell from her kneeling position and fell onto the bed. Her arms went around him and he buried his face against her neck, trying to catch his breath. When finally he could speak, he pulled back. “Thank you.”
“By your reaction I guess I did it correctly?”
He laughed. “I’d say you have a natural talent for it.” He rolled Rell onto her back and covered her body with his. “Now it’s my turn to please you.”
With one hand she brushed his hair out of his face. “Not tonight.”
Confused, Siban furrowed his brow. “But I want to. It’s not fair that I should find my release but you don’t.”
“Let me give this to you.” She ran her hand along his shoulder. “The best thing you could do for me tonight is hold me in your arms.”
Though disappointed, an inkling of understanding trickled in. She’d assessed that by giving him release, it would allay some of his anxiety. What she needed was to feel safe. He nodded.
“Come, let’s get you undressed.” He slid from the bed and held out his hand. She eyed him suspiciously. “I promise I will only hold you in my arms.” He arched a brow. “Unless you beg me for more.” He pulled her to her feet. “Then I will be very willing to oblige you, my lady.”
With slow movements he unlaced her tunic and pulled it over her head. The garment she wore underneath was like nothing he’d ever seen before. It came just below her breasts and had long ties that wrapped around her torso, causing the material to crisscross. He unwound the ties and scooped the garment from her shoulders, exposing her breasts. His fingers itched to strum the pink tips, but he resisted the urge, determined to keep his promise to her.
He knelt and lifted her right foot, pulling the soft boot free, and then repeated the action on her left. The smooth skin of her stomach and upturn of her breasts taunted him to let his fingers stray up her soft belly. Instead he untied the lace at her waist and slid her pants free. Now before him, she stood completely bare. Rell watched him as if assessing his strength of will.
Determined to prove himself, he stood and pulled back the covers. “My lady.”
Rell smiled and climbed onto the bed. He followed her and wrapped her in his arms, pulling the duvet over the top of them. She snuggled against him, her firm curves pressing against him and causing his cock to tighten again, though she seemed not to notice.
“What are you thinking about?” He ran his fingers along her arm. “You seem preoccupied.”
Her index finger made small loops on his chest. “I’m sorry.”
His hand stopped. “Are you thinking about Icarus?”
It took a few seconds for her to reply. “Yes.” She rolled to look at him. “I know you don’t agree with me, Siban, but I cannot help how I feel.”
“You’re right, I will never agree with you when it comes to that demon.” Jealousy bit at him and it took all his strength not to point out that thinking about another man, whether human or Bane, while naked in bed with her lover was the worst kind of insult. “I don’t wish to talk about him.”
She didn’t speak for a long time and Siban could feel the tension in her pose. Though he wished he could stand united with her when it came to Icarus, his history with the Bane would not allow him to.
After several minutes Rell said, “Get some sleep. We leave early.”
He swallowed his ire, not wanting to start out their journey with anger between them, and kissed her on the forehead. “Sweet dreams.”
They lay wrapped in each other’s arms for some time before his eyelids grew heavy. Rell’s chest rose and fell with a deep and even rhythm. He tightened his hold, nestled her closer, and closed his eyes. At least for the moment she was his. Tomorrow he and Luc would save the Bringers from their own stupidity and rid them of Icarus once and for all.
…
The fire had died by the time Rell chanced moving out of Siban’s embrace. As quietly as possible, she slipped back into her clothes and crept to the door. Sending up a little prayer for silent hinges, she pulled the door open. A tiny squeak froze her in her exit. She glanced at Siban, but he didn’t move. Daring another few inches only, Rell squeezed her body through the narrow opening.
All the braziers in the hall had been doused, making it difficult to see in the darkness. She released her Tell and sent it out around her. Bits of information indicating the path to the stairs ricocheted back to her. On silent feet, she wound her way down the steps. A long bolt lay across the door, locking them in. She pushed against it, trying to lift it, but the wood was almost too heavy for her to lift alone. What she wouldn’t have given for some of her Bane strength.
Squatting, she positioned her body under the brace and lifted, doing most of the work with her legs. The rough grain dug into her hands as the barrier lifted. Once above the iron rest she tilted the bolt and rested the end against the stone frame of the door. Inch by aching inch, she lowered it until the end touched the floor.
Tremors vibrated along her arms. She pushed the wood upright and settled it against the door’s archway. After waiting a few seconds to make sure the bolt wouldn’t fall and wake up the entire manor, she inched open the front door and slipped out.
Four of the Bringers were patrolling the boundaries of the grounds. She would have to keep to the shadows and hope that Gregory hadn’t set an extra guard on the building where Icarus was being held.
Continuing to use her Tell, she wove her way across the yard, coming around the backside of the outbuilding. No alarm registered back along her awareness. Only the taint of Icarus scratched against her skin.
After scanning the area one more time, she slipped around the side and through the front, pulling the
door closed behind her. A single torch burned on the wall opposite the cell. Deep shadows cast across the floor of the small room and the air was cooler inside than out.
Icarus reclined on the pallet that had been arranged for her while she had waited for her healing. The sight of him at ease took her aback. He slowly rose and walked to the center of the cage. They stared at each other. His eyes narrowed on her and she knew he understood her intent to free him.
He answered her silent announcement. “And how do you propose to accomplish such a feat?”
For the first time since she’d decided to help him escape did she realize she had no way of getting him from the cell to outside the wards. The grounds were warded throughout, though she wasn’t sure how high up the boundaries went.
“It seems your noble deed is thwarted even before you get started.”
“No.” She held up a finger. “I don’t accept defeat so easily.”
Icarus moved forward. “And what will your lover say about you helping me.”
It was a question she didn’t want to answer. “That’s not your concern. Now, let me concentrate.”
Rell had listened to Jade speak the ancient words of the warding. If Rell could remember them correctly, perhaps she could create a path wide enough for him to pass safely through.
She knelt at the door of the cell and closed her eyes. The ancient words whispered from her. A subtle shift in the vibration of the room rippled along her skin. She pressed her hands to the dirt floor and directed her intention at the wards.
What felt like the parting of water spread out in front of her. Hopefully this was the correct way to un-ward. If not, Icarus would be burned the second he touched the ground. Her progress was slow. Each foot of floor required her complete attention. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her thighs ached from squatting and moving. She sensed Icarus’s unwavering focus on her as she worked her way backward. His anticipation was palpable, goading Rell to continue.
When she reached the door, she stood and placed her hands against the wood, continuing the chant. The sensation of clearing seeped upward. Certain she’d done the best she could to clear a path, she opened the door. Before exiting, she sent her Tell outward. Again, all seemed quiet. She squatted again and laid her hands on the area just outside the door. From here Icarus would be on his own. There was nothing she could do if the ward extended over the manor, but she was positive he would take that chance.