Banished

by Anita Philmar

  “Just as I suspected, the special properties bind the jewelry to its owner.” Melvin’s gnarly fingers touched the medallion. “I can sense the magic in the metal. Only the person who connects the ends should disconnect them.” He drifted back to his place by his pot. “Tell me where you met this witch.”

  Noelani laid her hand on his arm. Her forehead wrinkled in thought, and her mouth drawn in a straight line kept him silent waiting for her to speak. Did she remember something special about the witch? He’d only chosen that tavern because of its close proximity to the portal to Ardenia.

  “After Jack and I left Governor Sloan’s estate, we stopped at a small tavern to eat and rest for the night.” Noelani twisted her fingers into knots. She glanced at him, and he could almost see the images of their lovemaking in her eyes. “A red-headed lady dressed in a bright, colorful skirt approached us. She recognized Jack and called him by name.”

  “But I’d never met her before,” Jack inserted to ensure everyone understood he had no prior relationship with the strange woman.

  “Jack tried to get her to leave us alone, but for some reason...” Noelani frowned at Melvin. “She seemed vaguely familiar. Can you see her picture in your pot?”

  The old man nodded and directed the queen’s gaze inside his kettle. She nodded then turned to Noelani. “What did she say to you?”

  “She said she knew I was traveling back to a place I didn’t remember. Later, she knocked on the door to our room and warned us about two men following us. She helped us escape and even told us about a place in the woods to rest until morning.” Noelani grabbed Jack’s hand. “Do you think she also informed Rosco and Elmer where they could find us?”

  Jack cupped a hand around hers and shook his head. “What would she gain by telling them?”

  “How else could they have found us?” Tears formed in Noelani’s eyes.

  “I don’t know.” Jack lifted her hand and ran a light kiss over her smooth skin.

  “What happened to these two men?” the queen’s question drove Noelani to her feet.

  She tugged her hand free and paced across the room several times before settling on the stool at her mother’s feet.

  Uncertain how the queen would handle the news of him killing a man, the knot in Jack’s stomach twisted into a painful ache. “One of the men died.”

  “Did you kill him?” Rodman again spoke out of turn.

  Jack read the evil glint in his glare. What did he do to spark such hatred from his uncle? “Yes, we were wrestling for control of his gun, and it went off.”

  “But he was trying to save me. Rosco aimed the gun at me.” Noelani sobbed into her mother’s lap. “Jack didn’t mean to kill him. I’m the one to blame. I never should’ve screamed at them.”

  “See he is a murderer,” Rodman announced in a loud voice.

  Noelani lifted her head, and the fire in her gaze burned through Jack as she glared at Rodman. “I just told you he saved my life. Not once, but twice. It was your man who tried to kill me the second time. Was that your plan to get rid of me before I could make it back to Ardenia?”

  “Easy, Noelani.” The queen caught Noelani’s hand and kept her from charging across the room. “Are you accusing Rodman of hiring someone to kill you?”

  “Yes, a man named Tate sent a band of men after us. If Jack hadn’t carried me out of there, I’d be dead.”

  Jack frowned. If Tate worked for his uncle, then that would explain his uncle’s involvement. But Tate had been pursuing him, hadn’t he? Or was Noelani the real target?

  “That witch knew too much. She must have picked up on some type of plot to keep Jack and I from reaching Ardenia.” Noelani swiveled around to Melvin. “Wizards can see the future, but a witch can only gain knowledge by reading the signs of the people she comes in contact with, right?”

  “Yes, but the person she’s reading might not be aware of it.” Melvin gazed at Rodman. “I would suggest a truth spell to clear up the matter, but I understand the herbs that are used make you violently ill.”

  “And what proof do you have I’m involved? Just because Tate works for me doesn’t mean I direct his every action.” Red-faced, Rodman glared at Melvin. “And I haven’t been to the human world in months. The witch could have just as easily talked to Tate and discovered his plan.”

  “Easy everyone.” The queen rose and glided to the center of the room. “Right now emotions are running high.” She offered Rodman her hand. “I appreciate your concern regarding Jack’s involvement in my husband’s death, but I have no reason to doubt his word.”

  Rodman pointed to Jack. “But he’s still a killer.”

  “And he saved my daughter from the man who was trying to kill her.” She stepped back and motioned for her guards to escort the man to the door. “Don’t worry. I intend to have the matter investigated thoroughly.”

  Rodman didn’t have a choice but to leave. Jack ignored the heat of his uncle’s glare and strolled to Noelani’s side. He slipped his arm around her waist and hugged her close. He’d never had anyone stand up for him the way she had, and his love for her expanded.

  “Jack, you’re still not off the hook,” the queen said from behind him.

  He stepped around Noelani and kept her between them. “Yes, my queen, and I’m sure you have plans for me.”

  “No, as a princess of Ardenia, Noelani shares the responsibility of ruling our land. In this matter, I feel she is better qualified to decide your future than I am. So I leave you in her hands.” She nodded to her daughter. “Do you want Oxford to escort him to your room or the dungeon?”

  She shrugged out of his arms. “Why don’t we start with my room? If he gives me any trouble, I can have him moved to the dungeon.”

  “What?” Jack couldn’t believe this. The queen hadn’t exiled him, but then Kitty—no, Noelani—hadn’t promised him a life beyond the dungeon either.

  Noelani returned to her seat next to Melvin. “Thank you, Oxford. For showing Jack the way.”

  Oxford’s hand closed around Jack’s forearm, and his heart sank as he walked from the room. What did Noelani have in store for him?

  ****

  “So what are you planning?” Noelani glanced at her mother the moment the door closed behind Jack and Oxford. Omar remained, guarding the entrance.

  Her mother settled in her seat and turned to Melvin. “It’s her, isn’t it?”

  “It’s hard to tell, but the eye color is the same as Danella,” Melvin answered, and a low gasp echoed from across the room.

  “Omar,” her mother called to the guard. “Would you like the assignment of bringing Danella home? She doesn’t look exactly like she did when she left.”

  “Yes. Her strange clothes and mystical attitude threw me at first, too, but I remember how familiar she appeared to me.” Noelani shook her head. How could she not have recognized her own sister?

  “That was before your memory had been restored,” Melvin commented.

  Omar stepped forward to look into the pot. “What happened to her blonde hair?”

  “She’s probably using a special herbal mix to alter its color.” Melvin stirred his pot and pictures of the tavern appeared.

  “Why?” Omar, standing tall and strong with his shoulders back, held himself in a tight military stance.

  Noelani stared at him as memories stirred. Images of Danella sitting in the center of her bed, walking through the hallways, writing at her desk, each vision revealed tears streaming down her face. Noelani, I can’t help but love Omar. We have to go into the human world and find him.

  They had traveled into the human world to find this man, Danella’s one true love. Pictures continued to form—giants and dwarfs before a forget cloth landed over her head. One face struck her as familiar, and she gasped.

  “Noelani, are you all right?” her mother’s concerned tone drew her back to the presence.

  “Yes, I know now why I ended up with Governor Sloan. He accompanied the raiding party who captured me and my si
sters.” Emotion tightened the muscles in her chest. Her hands gripped the fabric of her robe. She’d mistakenly thought the man cared for her, but he’d only wanted to use her.

  “Jack said that’s why it took him so long to find you. The man apparently worked hard to cover his tracks.” Her mother rang a small bell by her chair. “Would you like some tea, my dear?”

  “No.” Noelani blinked and forced her thoughts back on the soldier beside her. “Omar, you know you’re the reason why we traveled to the human world, and you’re the only one who can convince Danella to return.”

  Omar nodded. “I’ll do my best, but all my other attempts to find her have failed.”

  Noelani studied his handsome face. “Not this time. She knew the dangers I’d face and willingly helped me. And with her unique skills, she probably also knows you’re coming and has already made plans to thwart your efforts.”

  “But why? Doesn’t she want to come home?” Omar’s question sent Noelani’s head into a tailspin.

  Her own doubts resurfaced. Did she really deserve to be a princess after all the things she’d done in the human world? After all, she had served a man who’d treated her no better than a slave. The governor had forced her to sleep with any man he wished. In addition, wasn’t she responsible for the death of one man?

  “No, in some way she doesn’t.” Noelani leaned forward and took Omar’s hands. “Her life in the human world has led her down a twisted path. She may not feel worthy of returning to Ardenia or taking her rightful place in the royal family.”

  The strong connection she’d had with her sister in the past pulled her across the chasm of time. Danella would not give in easily, and she’d do whatever it took to win. The crystal blue determination in her sister’s eyes lay in the reflection of Omar’s gaze. “You will need to convince her that we love her no matter what she’s done or what she’s become.”

  Omar blinked. Conviction gleamed in his eyes. The battle between Danella and Omar would not run smoothly, but hopefully he’d persuade her to come home. Noelani squeezed his hands. “It’ll not be an easy task.”

  Omar nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring her home.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Walking into Noelani’s suite, Jack strolled to the center of the large room and glanced around. The door swung shut.

  Was Oxford guarding the door?

  He shrugged off the feeling of captivity and strolled to the picture window. Outside lay the plush land of Ardenia. The one place he had always wanted to live. Yet had been perpetually denied the opportunity.

  Would Noelani send him back to human world or would she imprison him here in Ardenia? She’d stood up for him against his uncle’s accusations. But then she turned cold when he called her the wrong name.

  Did she hold his past against him, too?

  He glanced back at the youthful room. She wasn’t the same girl she’d been when she left Ardenia. Things had changed. She’d changed. Could she accept him now that she’d learned all his flaws?

  Leaving Ardenia no longer bothered him, but losing her...

  His chest tightened. Over the last few days, she’d wormed her way into his heart. She’d shared his thoughts and emotions. Didn’t she know they should be together?

  Hell, hadn’t he proved how much he loved her?

  “Oh, great, now I’m in a worse spot than when I started this mess.” Jack ran his hands through his hair and walked to her bed.

  The comforter was thrown back, and the small indention of her outline showed where she’d rested earlier. He smoothed his hand over the sheets and sat on the plush mattress.

  How could he convince her that he loved her if she believed he only wanted her so he could stay in Ardenia?

  ****

  Noelani hesitated in front of her suite door and drew in a deep breath. The next few minutes would determine her future with Jack.

  She touched the knob, and the door opened. Silence echoed around her, and she quickly scanned the room for Jack. Not by the fireplace or window, he lay on her bed asleep.

  The time she’d spent with her mother after their meeting with Jack had stretched the day into evening. The night beast would soon dominate the sky and chase the sun over the horizon. She closed the door, and the light clicked on.

  Jack moaned.

  She strolled to the bed and studied Jack’s handsome form. A dark bruise in the center of his chest reminded her of his earlier struggle with Rosco. She could so easily have lost him.

  Her heart rebelled, and she lowered her gaze to his flat stomach then onto the gold leaf covering his crotch. Would the magic property of the leaf expand with his growing erection?

  The idea reminded her of the foliage covering her own body. She slipped her robe over her head and tossed it onto the chair by her desk. Were the leaves hard to remove?

  She yanked on the blue one covering her belly and dropped it on the floor, then tugged loose a few more.

  “Oh, but you know how to torture a man.” Jack’s heated gaze met hers.

  “How?”

  “By not removing the ones covering your tight nipples or wet pussy.” He slid over on the bed to allow her enough space to settle beside him.

  “And what kind of agony should I drag you through to learn your reason for returning me to Ardenia?” Noelani lifted the corner of the leave hiding her right breast.

  “My initial reason was to gain favor with your mother, but after meeting you...” He rolled and sat on the other side of the bed. His head bowed, he held his hands in front of his body.

  For a moment, she struggled with his reaction to her question, then he stood and walked around the end of the bed.

  A smile graced his lips, and a gold leaf lay in his hand. The cover gone from his groin, his thick cock stood out from his lean body. The gorgeous sight sent sparks of energy through her nerve endings.

  “One look at you, and I decided I wanted a lot more than to return you to your mother.” He stepped closer.

  She tilted her head to study his face. Was he admitting how much he loved her?

  “Then why did you? After we left the governor’s castle, you didn’t have to bring me here.” She removed the foliage from her nipples and dropped her hands to the leaves covering her mound.

  “Because I’d already promised to take you home, and I couldn’t go back on my word.” His hungry gaze caressed her breasts, but he didn’t venture any closer. “I felt you deserved the chance to discover who you really are, the princess of Ardenia.”

  Noelani shook her head. His words reminded her of her duty to their country. She might not like Rodman, but he still led the people’s council. If she allowed Jack to stay, she’d have to face the man’s wrath and give her people a reason for her leniency. “You also realize that your fate lies in my hands. You’ve placed me in a very difficult position.”

  She turned and strolled across the room to the fireplace. The crystal glow eased the turmoil racing through her thoughts. “I can’t let you leave Ardenia. Elmer and the men with him have probably told the authorities that you killed Rosco and escaped.”

  Noelani shook her head and stared at the glow stones. “They’ll have men looking for you, and they’ll hang you if they find you.” She twisted her hands together into knots. “Yet, if I allow you stay in Ardenia, your uncle will probably do everything possible to make your life unbearable.”

  “I can deal with my uncle. I just don’t want to lose you in the process.” Jack laid his hands on her waist.

  She peered over her shoulder. The possessive grin on his face proclaimed his desire to protect her. “I hate to admit this, but I believe your uncle told Tate to kill us.”

  “Maybe, but he’s not the one who sent Rosco and Elmer after us.” Jack stroked his hands along her sides and forced her to turn in the circle of his arms. “Rosco told me Sloan hired him.”

  “Yes, but Danella knows more than she let on.”

  “Danella?”

  “The witch. We believe she’s my o
lder sister.” She traced her fingers around one brown cinnamon disk on his chest. “She’s another reason why I can’t let you leave. We need to find out what she knows about my father’s death, and why she gave you my father’s necklace.”

  “Then it looks like you’re stuck with me.” He stroked the underside of her breasts with his thumbs. “Maybe like your younger sister, Kesia, you’ll decide to show leniency and marry me.”

  “But Mother said Havyn loved Kesia.” Noelani gazed into his dark eyes, searching for a clue to his true feelings. “She pardoned him of his war crimes and then traveled back to the human world so they could continue to look for me and Danella.”

  “Your sister had another mission, too.” He squeezed her breasts, and a yearning blossomed in her core. “She beamed with pleasure at carrying Havyn’s child.”

  “Yes.” Noelani shook her head. “But what does that...” The kneading of his hands on her breasts drew a sigh from her lips. He excited her senses with the simplest touch. “...have to do with us.”

  “Maybe, we should follow the same path. If we’re married, my uncle will have no choice but to accept me as part of the royal family.” Jack pinched her nipples and tugged them gently. “He’ll be forced to behave because he won’t want to do anything that could endanger his position on the people’s council.”

  He lowered his head and captured one of her peaking buds with his teeth. An invigorating energy flowed to the center of her body, and liquid need seeped from her pussy. “I could lock you in the dungeon until Danella returns.”

  He held onto her nipple and rocked his head back and forth with a signal of denial. The erogenous tugs ignited an appetite for sex. She clamped her hands around his head and pulled him closer, forcing her breast deeper into his mouth. The milking action of his tongue ignited a fire in her core, and she arched against him.

  “Jack, please...” The desperate quality of her voice surprised her. How could she want him so much?

  He lifted his head, and the carnivorous hunger on his face ate at her resistance to surrender. “You won’t lock me in the dungeon or anywhere else where I’m not within touching distance.” He stepped back and grabbed her hand. “Because you need me to calm the fire in your soul.”