“My race feeds on sexual energy. Since the Mitchell family arrived on Ione we have fed more often. Our race is thriving again.”
“Um, that’s good,” she said in understatement. She thought of what she and Leo had done together on the bed, and heat surged to her cheeks. They’d watched them have sex?
“You don’t need to feel embarrassed,” the man added with a broad smile. “Sex is a natural thing.”
“Um, yes. What should I call you?”
“You can call me Caspar.”
“My name is Betrys. How did Ricci get here? Did you have something to do with it? Am I dreaming?”
“Your son has the power to create dreamscapes, but he hasn’t harnessed his talent yet. I aided his journey and escorted him here. As an incorporeal I have to power to create illusions. I’m able to pluck wishes from minds and make them come true.”
“So all of this,” she made a sweeping motion with her hand, “isn’t real.”
“It’s real enough. The items we conjure last for as long as the recipient requires them. That’s the simplest explanation. We gift those who please us with our largesse.”
Betrys thought about that for a moment and scowled. “So Ricci will disappear.”
“When he wakes.”
Ah, she knew his appearance was too easy, too convenient. “I wanted to see my son so much.”
“I know,” Caspar said, his smile fading. “You are in a difficult position. You should tell Leo. He is a good man, and despite appearances, he likes you.”
Betrys glanced over at Leo who was listening to something her son was saying. “I can’t. No matter what I do I’m stuck in Iseult’s trap.”
“Sharing a problem is a good way to find new alternatives.”
“The sandwiches are ready,” Ricci announced.
“Set them on…” Betrys glanced around for a suitable place and gasped when a table appeared out of thin air. “There.”
“I must go. I will be back to guide Ricci through the dreamscape. He will arrive back at Spiderus Mansion without any problems.”
“Thank you,” Betrys said.
Caspar smiled. “Love well.” Seconds later, he and his chair disappeared.
“Leo promised we can have a special dessert after our sandwiches. He said it’s a pav-pav—” He broke off and glanced at Leo. “What is it, Leo?”
The hero worship in her son brought a sting to the back of her eyes. She swallowed hard. Once. Twice. Do not weep. Do not.
Leo ruffled Ricci’s hair. “A pavlova. It’s my favorite dessert, and my mother always made one for my birthday every year. In my family the birthday person always got to choose what they wanted to eat for their birthday meal. Of course, some years we’d have parties.”
“I’ve never had a party before.” Ricci’s small face radiated excitement.
“It’s an Earth custom,” Leo explained. “Every planet does things in different ways.”
“I don’t remember Petros.” Ricci accepted the plate Leo handed him and bit into a sandwich. “I like sandwiches.”
“Glad to hear it.” Leo handed a plate to her.
“Thank you.” Betrys couldn’t meet Leo’s gaze. She knew he’d have questions, but she hesitated in the provision of answers.
“Tell me about Earth, please, Leo.” Animation made Ricci’s face glow and it tugged at her heartstrings. Her one regret about her marriage—Corrin had always been busy with administration and organizing sales of their forecasting skills. That left few personal moments for their son. Now, he was reveling in Leo’s attention.
Betrys listened to Leo’s husky voice as he described the antics of his brothers and sister and their cousins. Much like her son, she listened enthralled, the corners of her mouth hitching upward as he spun tales of swimming in the river during the hot part of the year. He told them about his dog—an Earth creature—that had died at eighteen years old and left him heartbroken.
Ricci let out a sudden yawn, and a pang of disappointment struck her. Selfishly, she wanted to keep her son with her and enjoy his company for longer. The parent in her overruled her initial instinct. “It’s time for you to go to sleep, my son.”
The moment was bittersweet. Her normal interactions with her son were short, and she was aware the time spent with Ricci occurred because Iseult allowed the indulgence.
“Stretch out on the long chair,” she said.
“Will you and Leo be here in the morning?”
Her son’s innocent question pumped sorrow through her, and she was sure Leo caught the strain lurking under her smile. “I’ll be home soon.”
Ricci yawned again, and she hustled him to the long chair.
Leo followed her. “I’ll tell you a story about my brothers when they were your age.”
Betrys picked up a soft blanket off the end of the sleep-bed. She was sure it hadn’t been there before and presumed Caspar had provided the blanket for her son. She hoped the incorporeal man kept his word and escorted Ricci safely back to his bed. Most Petros children received training and knew to leave a mental tie at their starting point, so they never wandered lost in the dreamscape. She hadn’t passed her training on to Ricci because Corrin had tested him and declared he lacked the talent to forecast the future by dreams.
She’d have to rethink that because it was obvious Ricci possessed a little dream-walking talent—enough to put him in danger if left to his own devices.
Betrys worried about her new problem and let Leo’s voice wash over her as he told Ricci a bedtime story. Maybe Caspar would know the extent of his power, or maybe…maybe the power came from the incorporeal man. Hope surged then dropped to the pit of her stomach. No, her son would need to have some sort of latent talent to make the journey in the first place.
Another problem to add to her load, because if Ricci mentioned his new experiences or meeting Leo to Iseult, the quagmire she stood on would turn to quicksand.
Two problems—Iseult would learn about Ricci’s dream walking and connect the dots. She’d make the mental jump and come to the conclusion that Betrys held the same power as her son. Iseult would want to exploit the power to further her own ends, which led to the second problem. Iseult would learn Leo was alive, she’d discover Betrys had conspired to hide the truth from her, and she’d learn she couldn’t trust Betrys to follow her orders.
Leo watched the child fall asleep but continued telling his story to give himself space to think. Betrys has a son.
Ricci’s existence added all sorts of layers to his questions. Why did Betrys troll the Dalcon market for Iseult? Why did she continue working for the woman when it was obvious she hated her job? And why didn’t she see much of her son? What hold did Iseult have over her that made Betrys follow the woman’s orders?
The scar on his stomach was aching again, the pain becoming more intense by the second. He needed to drink another one of those tonics. They tasted disgusting but they did make him feel better once he’d choked down the foul mixture.
Betrys never stirred when he wandered to the kitchen area. He opened the cold-box and found another vial of the tonic. He pulled out the stopper, took a quick breath and guzzled the contents. For a few seconds he thought his stomach might revolt, but he swallowed hard three times and his gag reflex retreated. The pain also ceased, leaving him free to return to his questions.
“Why do you let Iseult keep you from your son?”
Betrys’s head jerked up and she regarded him mutely.
“I’m waiting for an answer.”
“I don’t have to appease your curiosity.”
“You made it my business by approaching me in the market.” Leo stood, anger finding an outlet in clenched fists. “The way I see it is I can keep you here until you provide the answers I’m seeking.”
“You can’t do that. Iseult is expecting me back at Spiderus Mansion. I can’t stay away for much longer. Please, Leo. Iseult might hurt Ricci if I don’t return on schedule.”
At seeing her distress, he took half
a step toward her, his first instinct to comfort her, then he realized what he was doing and came to an abrupt halt. “Tell me why you’re working for Iseult. What hold does she have over you?”
A tear spilled free, highlighting her misery, and Leo found himself standing in front of her. He hated her, he told himself. Yet it was inhuman to watch someone—no matter who or what they were—suffer. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her face to his chest.
She started crying in earnest then. Fuck, had he changed so much that he’d wage his war against a woman? Betrys felt slight and fragile in his arms, yet he knew she bore an inner core of strength. She had to in order to survive.
When she stopped sobbing, he ran his hand down her back and put some space between them.
“If you don’t give me answers I can’t help you,” Leo said, scanning her face.
“Why would you want to help me after everything I’ve done?”
Her face was blotchy and her looks suffered from her crying jag. She never flirted or batted her lashes at him, and he kind of enjoyed her manner. Some people put a lot of stock in good looks. Some people treated him differently because the gene pool had worked in his favor. Some people were blind.
“Explain everything to me, and I’ll make that decision.”
Betrys tried to smile, tried to act nonchalant, tried to pretend everything was fine. She failed. Clammy sweat formed on her torso, between her breasts, and she started when Leo reached out and used a single finger to lift her chin. She blinked under his intense scrutiny, tried to glance away but he wouldn’t let her.
“Tell me the truth, Betrys. You’re trying to protect your son. I get that. I do. But tell me the rest. Fill in the gaps for me.”
Leo’s tone straddled reasonable and persuasive. She wrapped her arms around her torso and tried to speak. All that emerged was a croak. How could Leo help? No one could save her and Ricci because she’d made mistake after mistake. She’d procured men for her boss in the knowledge they’d die. She was a murderer, or at the least an accomplice.
“Iseult will kill Ricci if I don’t follow her orders.” Unable to stand still, she started pacing in jerky steps. She came to an abrupt halt by the long chair and stared at her sleeping son. Leo moved to stand beside her, not touching, but so close she was aware of his body heat and his silent command for her to share details of her life in Iseult’s household.
As she stared at her son, he started to fade. She gasped and Leo wrapped an arm around her shoulders in silent comfort. Caspar had promised he’d look after Ricci, but she couldn’t help but worry. She’d received a little basic training and knew of the dreamscape, almost from the moment of her birth. Every Petros child held the same understanding even if the skill never materialized, and the instant her talent had propelled her onto the dreamscape, her instincts had taken over and she’d known how to control her power. Ricci possessed none of that vital knowledge.
Once Ricci had faded away to leave nothing on the long chair apart from the soft blanket that had covered him, a ragged sob emerged. Without knowing how it happened, she found herself wrapped in Leo’s arms while she wept.
Control.
She’d never possessed control over her path in life. First her parents, then her husband, had governed her actions and kept her secure. Coping on her own wasn’t easy, but she’d done her best. She hadn’t wanted to rely on anyone else for her happiness, not since she was capable of doing the job. With independence her goal, she was failing badly.
Leo grasped her shoulders and shook her to grab her attention. “Stop this crying. Come.” He tugged on her hand and she stumbled after him. He unfastened the tie on her robe and had her naked in seconds. Before she could protest, he scooped her off her feet and set her on the sleep-bed.
Seconds later, Leo joined her and pulled her into his arms. “Tell me everything. How did you come to work for Iseult, and why did you come to the resort now and leave your son at Spiderus Mansion?”
Leo couldn’t help her, but maybe talking about her problems would present a solution. She started at the beginning. “Corrin, my husband, must’ve suspected something was wrong. He told me to gather some belongings and he’d join us later. He never came. I arrived on Dalcon and wasn’t sure what to do. I decided to stay in a hotel and wait for Corrin. When he didn’t arrive, I knew he’d died. I started to hear rumors about the downfall of our people and knew I had to find a job because my resources were low. There aren’t many positions available for a woman with a child. I needed to find a place for us to live, and the job with Iseult for an assistant seemed perfect.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“At the start, I took care of administration tasks, the ordering of food supplies and making sure the mansion was clean and tidy. Then, once I’d settled in, Iseult called me to her web and gave me instructions to procure a man for her.”
“Why didn’t you leave at that point?”
“I refused and said I would leave. Iseult said if I tried to leave she would order my son killed.”
“You believed her.”
“Oh yes. Iseult never offers empty threats. If she says she will do something she always follows through. Yes, she meant to kill Ricci.”
“So why are you here at the resort?”
“Iseult enjoyed you so much, she decided I should travel to your home planet and find a relative for her. She intends to pay well, but it’s a death sentence.”
“I didn’t die,” Leo said.
“I know, and I don’t understand why you survived. Iseult has changed since she…ah…”
“Since she abused me,” Leo said.
Betrys winced at his bluntness. “Yes. She can’t hold her humanoid form. Her face remains the same, but she can’t control her shape. Her legs and torso remain in spider form most of the time.”
“So if you turn up on Dalcon without a man for Iseult, she will kill Ricci?”
“Yes, she has promised this.”
“We’ll come up with a plan to save Ricci, but first I want you to contact Iseult and tell her you’re having difficulty in getting a man to agree to your proposition.”
“But she won’t settle for that. She expects a successful outcome to my journey.”
Leo fell silent and Betrys thought he realized the futility of going against Iseult. Somehow, she had to talk a man into signing Iseult’s contract.
It was the only way.
“Tell her that the men here are very well paid, and you think you might be able to get one to sign the contract if you have permission to increase your remuneration offer. Ask her for another solar week in which to negotiate with the local men.”
“That might work, but what is the point of prolonging things? The end result will be the same. Iseult still has Ricci, and while she has my son, I’m powerless to disobey her orders.”
“The delay will give us a chance to formulate a plan. We’ll tell my brothers, and together we’ll work out a strategy to retrieve Ricci from Spiderus Mansion. Once we have your son safe, Iseult will lose her hold over you. She can’t force you to follow her orders.”
“She can still kill me.”
Leo leaned over and smiled at her. “She won’t kill you. She has to get by me first.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you help me? Protect me?” The events of her past returned in a surge of horror, vibrant in their intensity. Self-loathing hit her over the head, and her brain scrambled to make sense of Leo’s behavior. Why? Why would he treat her as a friend when she’d exploited him for her own ends?
“You made sure I got home to my family. You’re doing your best to keep your son safe. And I’ve come to like you a little bit.”
“Oh.”
Leo flashed a grin, so bright it caused her to blink. “Is that all you can say? You usually have a lot more to say for yourself. I remember meeting in the market, and how persuasive you were, how fast you talked to convince me to sign Iseult’s contract.”
“That was fear. A person can do a l
ot of things they wouldn’t otherwise do if they’re driven by fear.”
“We can’t do anything else tonight,” Leo said. “But tomorrow, we’ll contact Saber and get him to collect us.”
“You think we can get Ricci?”
“I know it,” Leo said, and he dropped a kiss on her lips. “But since we’re stuck here with nothing much to do, I have a suggestion of a way to occupy ourselves and thank our hosts for bringing Ricci to visit.”
“You do?”
“You have a good kid there, Betrys. A son to be proud of.”
Pride filled her for a fleeting second, before she recalled her situation, their situation. “You’re in just as much danger as Ricci. If Iseult discovers you’re still alive and I let you leave Spiderus Mansion, she won’t rest until she has you again.”
“Iseult is not going to touch me again,” Leo said and he kissed her to halt their conversation. He took the kiss deeper and feasted on her mouth until a rough growl vibrated in his chest.
Betrys resisted at first but was no match for Leo’s determined seduction. He wedged her thighs apart while he skated his thumb along the outer curve of one breast. Hot pleasure spilled into her with each of his erotic touches, and soon she floated in blissful comfort.
“Leo,” she whispered.
“Tell me what you want.”
“I want you inside me. Please, Leo.”
“The perfect answer.” He moved farther down her body, his fingers branding every inch of her flesh with his touch. The muscles of her stomach flexed under his explorations, and the second he grazed the sensitive nub hidden in her folds, she let out a moan.
“Leo, please take me now.”
He grinned. “Nothing I’d enjoy more.”
In seconds, he rose over her, positioned his cock and slid deep. He filled her with his male strength and his hard length. When he started moving, it was magical, the bliss more than the previous occasion. It was as if her confession had lightened her spirit and given her permission to relax.
She sought his mouth and kissed him, putting everything she felt into her kiss. The passion. The pleasure. The enjoyment of losing herself in a man.
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