Braeden nudged Jaxon with his elbow. “Your trip was definitely worth it.”
Jaxon debated that issue. While he loved Tess to distraction, she crawled under his skin, drove him mad and then loved him with a ferocity he couldn’t match. Their nights together branded his memories and a simple thought, one word, could send him running back to their bedroom in hopes of an afternoon foray. When he should be concentrating on helping the Assembly, on preventing another invasion.
“I believe we have lost our brother in the conversation.” Rane shook his head wryly. “Falcon is going to call a meeting at ten tonight. Make sure Jaxon knows he is to be there.” He knocked once against the wood frame before exiting the room.
Braeden shifted and bumped Jaxon’s chair with his foot. “Are you still with me?”
No. He’d been with Tess where he wanted to be right now. Jaxon shook his head, cleared his thoughts and returned to the conversation. “I am considering what to do about Tess. She is not going to let this subject drop.”
“Maybe you should talk to Falcon, get the jump on her.” Braeden broke off with a grin. “So to speak.”
“I fight my own battles.”
“I see. So are you winning?”
Jaxon scrambled to his feet. “Go to hell.”
“You have spent way too much time with the humans. You have gotten soft.”
Jaxon’s eyes narrowed. His shoulders tensed. Maybe a good fight was exactly what he needed to work off some of his anger. “And maybe you are waiting for an ass-kicking.”
Braeden looked up. “You mean an actual fist fight?” He laughed softly. “Is that the way they handle things down there, because if so, I am not impressed. I would suggest we focus our energies on a more challenging game.” He stood and strolled toward the door. “Interested?”
Jaxon eyed his brother speculatively, wondering what his devious elder was up to. But what the hell? Whatever it was, he probably needed it. Maybe it would work some of the grunting out of his system.
* * * * *
Tess stood on the sidelines, watching the two brothers slide across the marble floors. Encased inside a dome-shaped glass, they sparred like two ancient warriors, testing their powers, working off frustrations unknown to Tess.
“Are they fighting?” She wondered aloud as her mother-in-law approached. She winced as a bolt of lightning bounced off the glass ceiling, ricocheted off the walls.
Charlemaine’s face was wreathed with pride despite the grunts and groans emanating from below. “It is a game.”
Tess shook her head. If she lived to be centuries old like her husband, she would never figure out this family. Two powerful wizards were fighting tooth and nail and their mother showed not only her approval but her pride as well. “Couldn’t they hurt one another?”
“They would not allow their magic to hurt one another. It is simply a game, like tennis in your world.”
“In tennis, we don’t throw lightning bolts around and there’s usually no blood.”
Charlemaine smiled. “You must stop worrying so much. Except for rare instances, wizards are not allowed to use their magic against one another. Right now they are, for want of a better phrase, beating their chests.”
Tess directed her gaze back toward the center of the room. Both wizards had taken up opposing sides, their bodies tensed. Fingers flexed at their sides but their faces wore identical grins.
With a shout that echoed outside the shrouded walls, Jaxon bounded forward with a leap that sent him toward the ceiling. His hand smacked the glass and he pushed off, whirling around the tightly enclosed interior until his body became a blur of motion. Tess squinted in an attempt to keep track of him while Braeden laughed in appreciation of his brother’s abilities.
“They’re idiots,” she decided, placing a hand on Charlemaine’s arm to soften her words. “With the witches plotting to infiltrate the Assembly and Athena making plans for our future baby, Jaxon is playing human ping-pong. God, I’ll never understand him.” She dropped her hand to her side and took a backward step.
“Sometimes our emotions run high and unless we take steps to bottle them, they will overtake us. We will make rash decisions or possibly hurt someone. It is better we work out our frustrations in such a way.”
“I can’t see you whirling around a glass room like that.”
Charlemaine’s eyes glittered with just a hint of deviousness. “Oh, I have other ways. Ways that involve my husband.” She winked, hooked her arm through Tess’ and guided her away from the battling wizards.
* * * * *
Jaxon didn’t need to be told his wife was irritated. With her increasing powers, she expressed herself quite well. Almost too well. As he opened the door to the bedroom, she turned and hurled a pillow at his head. He caught the fluffy missile easily and tossed it to the floor. “Let me guess. You’re upset.”
She folded her arms. Narrowed her eyes. “I need to get out of here.”
“We’ve already discussed this.”
One hand went up in the air to halt further conversation. “I didn’t mean I needed to go back to South Carolina. I think you took care of that quite effectively. I meant I need to get out of this house, this fortress or whatever in the hell you call it. I need some fresh air to breathe.”
Jaxon inclined his head. “You had only to ask.” He held out one hand, raising one eyebrow at Tess’ immobility. “Well? You’re the one who wants to breathe.”
She floated across the floor to him and took his hand. “What are you getting me into now, Wizard?”
He gave her a wicked smile, winked and threaded his fingers through hers. “We’re really going to have to work on your trust issues.” The wall moved with a wave of his hand. Gray mist swirled around their feet, a vast outstretch of emptiness. Space dotted with stars and inky blackness rushed up to meet them as Jaxon stepped off the edge of the floor, taking his wife with him.
He captured her squeal of surprise with a kiss and wrapped his arms around her. With a simple command, the fog gave way to a chasm lined with fluffy, white clouds. He smiled into his wife’s upturned face. “Come with me.” He turned and crossed over onto a cloud.
Tess’ breath ended on a gasp as her feet sank into the downy softness. For the first time, Jaxon saw the world he took for granted through someone else’s eyes. He watched the awe steal over her face, the wonder take hold of her eyes. She turned slowly, her arms extended. Her face glowed in the light of the stars. And he could only hold his breath while the excitement blanketed her.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Want to see more?”
Her head whipped around. “There’s more?”
“Much more.” He dropped his hands to his sides, tilted his head. “Well? Do you want to see?”
She punched his shoulder lightly. “Stop teasing me. I want to see it all.”
“All would take a lot more time than we have.” At her vexed look, he amended, “But we definitely have time for more.”
“I suppose that will have to do.” She pushed her hands against his back. “So get moving. Time’s a-wastin.”
Jaxon walked methodically, roaming from cloud to cloud. Each step bounced them to the next until finally, with the air thinning and the mist breaking away, they burst through the shadowy realms of space and into an explosion of vivid colors. Reds, violets, blues and greens swirled around them, a symphony of hues and vibrant shades.
“It’s like walking on a rainbow,” Tess whispered as if afraid to disturb the beauty.
Jaxon laughed and took her hand again. “Now comes the best part.” He held her close, wrapped in his secure embrace and toppled off the rim of the cloud. Free-falling through space, Tess pressed tightly against his chest, he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her, took in the warmth of her body. Need slammed into him, dark and powerful. His hands fisted in her hair and lifted her head. He caught the look of shock on her face before his lips fastened to hers.
The rush of the wind pounded in his
head while his blood poured rich and thick through his veins. Every nerve in his body jumping, he took what he needed, what he craved. With a blink, he discarded their clothes and with a slight nod of his head, he slowed their descent to a gentle float.
“Jaxon.” Laughter coated Tess’ voice. “I’m not so sure this is safe.”
“Trust me. Just let go.” His lips nuzzled her throat, lit a fiery path from breastbone to her belly. He felt her nails digging into his shoulders, heard the soft sound of her surrender while he lifted her legs to drape them over his shoulders.
They bounced in the air like two feathers on a breeze and the moment enveloped them. Her cunt was already wet, cream seeping from between pink lips. He tested her sensitivity with one finger and she jerked. His thumbs parted her flesh, exposing her swollen clit. For the space of a second, he waited, feeling Tess’ anticipation, the trembling of her thighs.
“Maybe this isn’t so safe, after all,” he whispered, his breath blowing warm puffs of air over her heated pussy.
“You can’t stop now.” She cradled his head, knowing there was no way she’d let him stop now.
“No?”
Her head shook vehemently. “No!” God, the sweet sensations storming her soul tortured her. She’d never imagined spending her life with a man who could shatter her defenses with simply a look. And Jaxon could do so much more with a touch, a brush of his tongue.
Her eyes locked with his, his tongue circled her clit, testing its sweetness. Tess’ gasp tugged at his cock. Craving her juices, he grasped her ass and pressed his face into her musky scent.
Sweet Jesus. Each lick was torture but it was the kind she’d die for. Raising her hands, she lightly tweaked her nipples, rolling them between her fingers in perfect rhythm with each stroke of his tongue.
Another lick made her squirm, her legs tightened around his face. The combined pressure of her thighs and sweet taste of her cunt threatened his own control. But her whimpered cries urged him on and he gave her what she demanded, plunging his tongue into her over and over. Breaking only long enough to suckle her clit, nibble the sensitive nubbin. Then returning to the heat of her channel, exploring as far as his tongue would allow.
Releasing her nipples, Tess tangled her fingers in Jaxon’s hair, forcing his face against her pussy. Wicked sensations poured over her, feeding every nerve ending until her body responded with a savage release—an orgasm so powerful every muscle in her body contracted. She cried out and bucked against his face, embracing each spasm as it afforded her another pinpoint of pleasure.
Jaxon lowered her legs quickly and glided up her body, wrapped one leg around hers and spun around, moving so fast their bodies became a blur. Tess dug her fingernails into his shoulders while the air whipped around them, thrusting them into a kaleidoscope of shimmering colors.
With a slight twist of his hips, Jaxon flipped them over, angling their heads toward the ground. The blood rushed to her head but before she could complain, he thrust his cock deep into her velvety soft pussy. Over and over, he plunged into her. Hard. Fast.
Her lips parted with another gasp. Words couldn’t describe what she was feeling. The magic surrounded her, engulfing her as Jaxon lifted their bodies once more and began a leisurely glide through the air while his cock stroked every inch of her channel.
“I love you.” She thought the whisper was lost on the wind but his hands framed her face and he responded by deepening the thrusts, taking her with him to the end of the journey, holding her. And with the horizon rushing up to meet them, he poured his seed into her, matching her cries with his own.
Her head fell languidly against his shoulder. She kissed the salt from his skin and felt the muscles quiver beneath her lips. “Don’t you think we should stop now?”
His arms tightened around her. “I thought we just did.”
“Jaxon, I can see the ground.” Ordinarily that knowledge would have scared her but at the precise moment she was too tired to care.
His lips fastened onto her earlobe. “Hmm?”
Tess pushed against his head. “The ground. I can see the ground.” Her languidness faded as nerves rushed screaming to the forefront.
He continued his lazy exploration of her ear. “So stop us.”
She twisted away from his lips and grasped hold of his shoulders to give him a slight shake. “I can’t. How? I can’t stop us! You have to help me. I don’t know how.”
“Sure you do. We’re going to hit the ground if you don’t.”
“I’m not ready.”
His hand cupped her breast. “You feel ready to me.”
“What if I can’t?”
“More than you need to trust me, you need to trust yourself. Just do it, Tess. You can stop us.”
She held out one hand. It shook. She curled her fingers into fists and cursed below her breath. “If we die, I’m going to kill you.” Squeezing her eyes shut, she held her hand level and issued a short, sharp command. “Stop.”
Their bodies jerked, bounced, swirled and came to a sudden halt upside down. Jaxon grunted and righted them. “Okay, so it wasn’t pretty but you did it.”
She held her hand up in front of her and stared at it. “I did it! I stopped us!” Animation stamped across her face, she grasped hold of Jaxon’s ears and planted a noisy kiss on his lips. “I stopped us!”
He winced and pried her fingers loose. “I noticed.”
Suddenly she smacked the center of his chest with her open palm.
He rubbed the offended area. “What was that for?”
“Do you realize you could have killed us both with your tough lesson?”
He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “Do you really think I would have let us hit ground?”
She tugged her hand away, considered his words. “You were just trying to scare me into performing?”
His lips twitched. “Something like that.”
“And it worked.” She peered down at the ground less than two feet away. “Hitting would have hurt.”
“Undoubtedly.”
Tess kissed him again. “Can we do this again?”
“Which part?”
“All of it.”
“I think I’ve got a clear spot on my schedule tomorrow.”
* * * * *
Athena’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “They know not of the child she carries. The spell has worked.” Rubbing her hands together, she shimmied toward the cauldron, sniffing the contents appreciatively. “Once this spell is cast on the unbroken womb, the child will be bound to me forever.” She cackled then sobered, brushing her eyes over the congregation of witches.
With little coercion, she had convinced the witches of Ballhastra to join with them, to defeat the Assembly of the Wizards. Aguinar had been an unfortunate sacrifice but with the fall of their leader, the other witches had willingly pledged their covenant to Athena.
“With Hestra’s blood, the wizards have a stronghold we did not anticipate but I believe my spells are strong enough to compel Jaxon’s little bride to join us anyway.” She strolled around the tower’s main chamber, her fingers pressed together. “You all have your duties. You know where you’re supposed to be and when you’re supposed to be there. Are we together?” It was a rhetorical question. Athena didn’t expect any dissent and would have been surprised had any of the witches dared to voice their disapproval.
* * * * *
Jaxon waved his hands atop the boiling pit, his face expressionless. He’d swept his mind clean of any worries or fears. Focused on his task, he closed his eyes and began the chant, a timeworn spell, rarely used in present day but as powerful as the day it had been created.
He didn’t look up as his mentor materialized at his side—the bending of the air alerting him to his presence. The elderly wizard’s hands moved simultaneously with his, combining power and strength.
The words flowed in Gaelic before rolling into Jaxon’s native Nepalese. Lengthy and intense, the chant required much of the wizards’ strengt
h. Sweat poured over their bodies, raced down their faces in rivulets. And when the ground shifted beneath their feet and a vortex began to draw the oxygen from the enclosed cell, both wizards collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
Jaxon swiped the back of his hand across his brow and staggered to his feet. He cast one look into the calm waters of the pit. “It is done.”
“They may still be able to draw Tess to them before the spell takes effect.”
“I know but they will not be able to keep her for long.” His eyes hardened. “If I could prevent her from having to see that place…”
Falcon touched his shoulder. “Your wife is rapidly becoming one of us. She will be forced to see things she does not want to see as she already has. She is learning to accept those things. Look at how she has embraced the aspects of our world that excite her. With the excitement comes the dimness of our existence. She will adapt.”
Indigo Spell Page 28