The Second Sister (The Amendyr Series)

by Magdon, Rae D.

  “Thank you,” I said with my eyes. There were other fine coaches around mine, and the elegant ladies and gentlemen stepping out of them might have heard and found it strange that I was showing gratitude toward a servant. Matthew smiled, and I knew he understood. I gave Brahms and Corynne a silent thank you as well and turned to face the palace. Trying to draw attention to myself so I would not be noticed, I ascended the wide steps in a practiced glide. To blend in, I needed to look like I was trying to stand out. I would surely be noticed if I acted shy or afraid.

  Everyone inside was preening and puffing themselves up. The women gathered in groups like colorful flocks of birds in their ruffled gowns, and their men eyed each other in silent challenges for dominance. The crowd had little effect on me, and neither did the grand entrance hall's beauty.

  My eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, skipping over the rare decorations that were worth my father's fortune many times over and the impressive spread of food, searching for a head of thick, lustrous black curls. When I did not see Belladonna, I waded my way into the tide of people, hoping to spot either of my stepsisters. I knew if I found one, I would find the other. Luciana would not dare let Belle too far out of her sight.

  I caught a glint of lustrous brown among the beautiful ball gowns. There was Luciana, her slender arms curving at her sides, brightening the faces of everyone around her with a false light. As I drew closer to the crowd that shielded her, I felt magic hum in the hollow of my chest. Luciana was bewitching in folds of blood-red silk. For a moment, I felt desire cut quick below my stomach. But then I remembered that she was casting a spell, and I swallowed my guilt. The silver-gold eye of the pendant winked at me, and I looked away.

  I had no solid plan, no obvious road to take. I only had a task, and a whole kingdom of people to complete it for. If I had to grab the necklace from her hands and tear the gold apart, I would do so gladly, subtlety be damned. A sorcerer's chain had one weakness: it was easy to break.

  For the moment, I chose to wait and watch. I knew Luciana probably would not do anything tonight. Like me, she was observing, waiting for her chance. She would not rush and waste it with a whole kingdom at stake. Belladonna stood only a few feet away, but she could not see me.

  I had just lifted my slippered foot to creep closer to Belle and Luciana when fingertips touched my wrist. I held still, turning to look over my shoulder at the person who had tapped me. It was a woman with dark hair that reminded me of Belle's and a thin, attractive face. She was much smaller than my lover, but her entire body was surrounded by magical energy. My head spun. Between her and Luciana, I had never experienced so much magic before in my life, except when I had accidentally touched Luciana's chain.

  “Lady Eleanor of Sandleford,” she said. It was a statement, not a question. She offered her hand and I took it, surprised at the firmness of her grip. “I believe your lover sent me a note.” My mouth hung open, leaving me incapable of speech. The woman paused for a beat before laughing. “Oh, I apologize. My husband's visions, you see...sometimes I forget no one else knows that I know what I know.”

  I had the impression that this woman was used to talking and being listened to. She spoke with great enthusiasm, even though she was careful to keep the volume of her voice low, adding a great many hand movements to emphasize her point. “I am Cassandra, High Wizard Cieran's wife. I think my husband is cornering Belladonna as we speak.”

  Still trying to process the fact that Cassandra knew about Belle and me, I gave myself a mental shake. “If you got her letter, than you know what we’re afraid of. What are you doing to protect the prince from Luciana?” I saw no reason to hide her identity now. She was positively reeking of magic. Even a poor, half-talent fortuneteller would have been able to sense her.

  “We are not concerned about the prince being bewitched. The real danger lies in Luciana physically harming him. She is untrained, filled with stolen raw power from the sorcerer's chain. If Prince Brendan or anyone else does something to anger her, who knows how she might choose to unleash it?”

  I looked at her curiously. “Stolen magic?”

  “Yes. My husband and I need to do some more research, but we believe your stepsister has in her possession a very old, very powerful talisman that was once owned by the sorcerer Umbra. It is ancient, and its magical fingerprint is unique.”

  I nodded in understanding. So, Cate had been right. The sorcerer's chain did have an ancient history. I was impressed that Cassandra and Cieran had been able to discover its origin. “I know that it used to belong to Luciana’s great grandmother, but I have no idea how it came into their family’s possession. A friend of mine with some magical aptitude suggested that something might be using the sorcerer's chain to direct its power.”

  “It is possible. Umbra has been dead for centuries, so it could not be him. Even a necromancer cannot return a wizard's magic to him once he has died. But perhaps someone else has found a way to break the familiarity spell, if there was one, and use it. Cieran and I will try and discover more after the ball. For now, our priority is to keep Prince Brendan from getting hurt.”

  “So you don’t think Luciana can enchant him?”

  Cassandra shook her head. To my surprise, she was smiling. I wondered if that smile ever left her face at all, no matter how dire the circumstances. “No, my dear. In all likelihood, any spell she casts with the sorcerer’s chain will fade a few hours after she leaves the immediate area. She does not have the magical stamina or skill to create lasting magic. With the protective signs we have drawn on the prince, he should be mostly unaffected if she tries to bewitch him. However, that talisman is packed full of highly dangerous magic. If she were to use it as a weapon and throw him off the palace roof, for example, I doubt Cieran or I could save him in time.”

  A thought occurred to me. “Now that you sense the magic surrounding her, couldn’t you ask the king to take her away to the dungeon? Waiting for her to strike seems dangerous.”

  Cassandra shook her head. “No. You and I can sense her powers because we are Ariada, but we have no other proof of her intentions. Accusing a noble of using dark magic is one of the most slanderous accusations one can make, and the Kingscleres are one of the most powerful families in the kingdom. The king can be fair, but he is more wary of magic than his son. Without proof, it’s just our word against hers.” She gave me a look, and I understood immediately. Despite the wary respect that Cassandra and her husband received at court, they were still Ariada to the king, and not to be trusted completely.

  I frowned. “So, what should we do instead if the king won’t believe us?”

  “All we can do is watch and try to head her off before she does anything too dangerous. But now, I think someone else wants to make your acquaintance...” As suddenly as she had appeared, Cassandra was gone. I looked around for several moments, trying to see her, but there was no one nearby except for a young man approaching me. I ignored him at first, but the sound of a clearing throat drew my attention, and I turned to look at him. Standing at my left side was one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen. His rich brown hair was tied back with a leather cord, his chin was strong, and his bright eyes and smile made the air charge.

  I appreciated his beauty, but looking at him left me cold, partly because men could not hold my attention like women, but mostly because his face was not the one seared onto my heart. His lips spread in a smile. “Good evening, Lady.” He searched my face, looking for any sign of discomfort, and I knew that he would leave me alone if I asked. “May I ask your name?

  I returned his smile, deciding that a version of the truth would do no harm. “Lady Eleanor of Sandleford.” It was the first time I had used that name in ages, and it felt uncomfortable on my lips.

  I allowed him to place a chaste kiss on the back of my hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Eleanor. I must admit, I am surprised to see you here. I had heard that you were ill.”

  “I am finally recovering, but neither of my s
isters wanted me to attend the ball.” I glanced over at the last place I had seen Luciana and Belle, but they had moved to another part of the room. “They do not exactly know I am here. I would be grateful if you did not tell them.”

  He laughed. “I have had experience dodging people at formal occasions, although I usually want to sneak out of balls instead of into them. My name is Brendan.”

  “Prince Brendan?” I dipped into a curtsy, but I could not bring myself to swoon like some of the other ladies of the court. I decided to try and stay in his company for as long as I could, knowing it would make keeping him away from Luciana easier. He looked different than the child I had glimpsed briefly the few times my family was at court. We were not courtiers, although we had more money than some of the old families did. We had never been formally presented or introduced at court.

  He gave me a broad smile, tugging lightly at the cuff of his sleeve. His nervousness was charming, and I hoped he would ask me to dance. It would be simple to keep him far from Luciana if we were on the dance floor, since we could lose ourselves in the crowd.

  “Lady Eleanor, would you honor me with a dance?”

  “I would enjoy that, Sire, as long as we stay far away from my stepsisters. If they catch me, they will send me straight home to bed like a sick child.” Once again, learning how to lie had proved useful.

  “Of course. I will make sure they don’t see you.” Prince Brendan took my hand and led me onto the dance floor. The string orchestra began to play a waltz, and the prince put his hand cautiously on my shoulder. He looked so hopeful that I almost pitied him. The spark he obviously felt did not light in me. “Thank you for dancing with me,” he said as we moved across the floor in time with the music.

  “Thank you for asking me, Sire. I think I will enjoy myself.”

  I did enjoy dancing with the prince. He was a good partner, although it was difficult for me to remember the steps to some of the newer dances while sneaking looks at his face and watching for Luciana out of the corner of my eye at the same time. I could not help studying Prince Brendan while we danced. I had never seen a royal up close before, and I certainly had never touched one. Luciana came close to us a few times, but thanks to my warning, Prince Brendan was able to add a flourish or twist to whatever dance we were doing and change our direction enough to avoid her.

  Conversation with the prince was pleasant. We mostly talked about the upcoming Prince's Cup and which horses from Baxstresse we expected to race. “Do you really think Brahmsian Synng is that promising, then?” he asked.

  “Yes. I have ridden him myself. He is surprisingly sturdy for a racehorse, not as delicate as Corynne. I will certainly be placing a bet on him next year, after he has gotten some experience and his sister is retired.”

  “Well then, I will have to keep an eye on him in this year's Cup. If he does well, I will consider betting on him myself next year.”

  I heard the deep tolling of a clock just as our dance ended and decided to excuse myself quickly, before Luciana had a chance to spot me. “Sire, I have had a lovely time dancing with you, but I...” My voice trailed off as I felt hot magic crawling over my skin and I glanced over my shoulder to see Luciana coming toward us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Belladonna move to intercept her.

  I turned my face away from them so that Luciana would have a harder time recognizing me and bolted for the door, leaving the bewildered prince staring after me. Thankfully, he did not shout my name, which would have revealed my identity to Luciana. He started to run after me, but I was already down the white steps and climbing up into my carriage before he could figure out which way I had gone.

  “Hurry, Matthew.” I slammed the carriage door shut, kicking off my slippers. “The Prince is after me.”

  “And you want to run away?” Matthew laughed, urging Brahms and Corynne forward. “Is he that bad looking?”

  “Luciana almost caught me. She is a vulture, circling him and waiting for her chance.”

  “Aye, that'd be her,” Matthew muttered. Lost in our own thoughts, we were silent for the rest of the journey home.

  CHAPTER 3

  THE NEXT MORNING, Belle made love to me as though it was our last day on earth. Every touch of her hands and mouth against my skin burned, every sound that passed from between her lips made my heart stutter. “I love you,” she whispered over and over again, in my ear, in my hair, against my neck.

  I kissed her furiously, forcing her to remember that I was warm and solid and alive in her arms and that I would never leave her. Her large, powerful hands trembled as she palmed my breasts, rubbing the beaded tips with her thumbs while she suckled a sensitive spot on my neck. I cried out as her sharp teeth sank into my shoulder, holding the skin, but not really hurting me.

  She reached between my legs, but I closed my thighs, trapping her hand instead of opening for her. “What is it?” she asked, a crease forming on her forehead.

  I swallowed, trying to work moisture into my dry, nervous mouth. A sudden desire had struck me, too powerful to ignore, and I felt brave enough to ask for it. My hands gripped Belle’s hips, urging her up along my body. “I want to taste you.” She tried to turn us over, reversing our positions so that I could settle between her legs, but I stopped her again. “No. I want you over me.”

  Belle's smile was fierce, almost predatory as she stalked up my torso, positioning herself above my mouth. I stared at her in wonder. Her soft pink lips were swollen open, glistening with her wetness, red at the edges. I had never observed her this closely before. She was beautiful. Her fine muscles twitched as I traced her outline with the tip of one finger, parting her for me.

  After an eternity, Belle lowered herself onto my waiting mouth. I clutched at her hips, pulling her tight against me. I sighed against her warmth, content, but also unbelievably excited and desperate for more. Her taste burst on my tongue, salty, sweet, and almost overpowering. It made my head spin as Belle moved above me, taking her pleasure. At first, the strokes of her hips were long and even. I lost myself in the feel, the taste, the smell of her. All Belle. This had to be the most glorious feeling in the world.

  I was eager to please her, and even though she controlled the pace, I explored her as thoroughly as I could. I covered her with flat, broad strokes of my tongue, pausing to flick over the tight bundle above her entrance. That made the sheets of muscle in her strong stomach quiver, and so I dipped lower, swirling around the tight ring of muscle at her opening. She groaned when I pushed inside, rocking even harder against my mouth, and I let out a muffled whimper as more of her wetness filled my mouth.

  Unable to decide which of her reactions I liked better, I alternated between the two. Her fingers burrowed in my hair, guiding me up to suck her before pushing me back down to thrust back inside of her. Part of me wished that I could use my hands so that I could pay attention to both places at once, but they were occupied with the sheets.

  Gradually, her movements became short and jerking. I sucked the point of her pleasure between my lips, pulling it out of its hood and kissing the tip, trying to push her over the edge. I would not hold her on the precipice for an eternity, not now.

  “Yes,” Belle hissed, trembling over me, her muscles clenched tight under my clinging hands. “You feel so good, my Ellie.”

  Her possession of me, her ownership, drove me wild. I captured her lightly with my teeth and tugged. Belle screamed, collapsing on top of me, releasing violently as I continued to explore with my tongue. I did not let her go until she had exploded a second time, and the feeling of her release against my mouth sent me over the edge as well with three quick strokes of my own hand.

  ***

  Wearing my mother's red dress on the second night gave me even more confidence than Lady Kingsclere's dress had on the first. This time, Belle was the one who helped me get ready. “You know,” she said as she drew a brush through my loose hair, “running away from the prince worked perfectly. He spent the rest of the night looking for you, and Luciana did
not have a chance to dance with him.”

  I blushed. Belle knew my sudden departure had not been planned. It was only luck that the prince had kept searching for me instead of dancing with his other guests. “It could have turned out badly. If I had stopped to think—”

  “It does not matter. Belle dropped a kiss on the top of my head, holding her face against my hair and breathing deeply. “Mmm. You smell wonderful, sweet girl. Why you did it is not important. It worked. Two nights to go.”

  “What will we do after the ball if our plan works?” It seemed to me that Luciana would have other visits to court in her life. She could easily attempt to bewitch the prince again.

  “I had not thought about it. I suppose that we need to trust Cieran and Cassandra.” Belle did not sound pleased with this idea. She was an active person who felt insecure leaving problem solving to others. “If we keep her away from Brendan long enough, maybe she will lose her temper and try something desperate. Cieran and Cassandra can throw her in the dungeon to rot.” That mental image seemed to cheer her up considerably.

  “Luciana does lose her temper quickly, but I’m not sure waiting for her to harm someone is a good idea. I wish there was more we could do.”

  “So do I. For now, let’s just focus on making sure Luciana doesn’t harm anyone for the next two nights.” I turned to look over my shoulder, but Belle pressed another kiss to my forehead and straightened my head with her hands. “Hold still. I need to finish your hair.”

  I smiled into the mirror. “It has been finished for fifteen minutes. I just like having you brush it.”

  “A beautiful girl deserves beautiful hair to go with her beautiful dress.” My belly twisted itself into knots. How did Belle's voice have that effect on me? I was not sure, but I knew that my lover's words and touch would never lose their magic. We spent another silent minute together, with Belle brushing my hair as I watched our reflection. We both had talkative personalities, but we did not always need words between us. So much could be shared by just being together.