by Lisa Kumar
“That’s not the first time you’ve told me that,” he whispered smugly in her ear.
His hand slid into her hair, where he traced lazy circles over her scalp with his fingers. She moaned at the tingles playing over her skin.
“In fact, you’re quite vocal about it at times,” he said.
“Cocky.” But true. During their more intimate moments, she loved to tell him about what his talented touch did to her. Really, what man didn’t like being flattered about his skills? Fortunately for him—and her—she didn’t need to embellish. At all.
Still, how did he relieve the pain? “What did you do to make the pain disappear?”
“Is it totally gone?”
She paused to take note of any lingering traces. “No, it’s still there, but very muted. What sort of elvin witchcraft is this?” she asked with a teasing note in her voice.
“Not any magic. Just knowledge of pressure points and how to best utilize them.”
For some reason, she doubted it was that simple. “I’ve had massage and acupuncture done before, but they never yielded such quick results. There has to be something more to what you’re doing.”
His eyes narrowed as if he were in thought, and his hand ghosted over the nape of her neck down to rest on the small of her back. “Maybe I am drawing strength from my surroundings. That might account for the difference.”
“You don’t know if you are?”
“Not unless I make a concerted effort to draw in a substantial amount.”
She shook her head. “I’ll never get used to you guys. You seem so normal and then something like that will pop from your mouth.”
“We’re not as different as you think. Some humans had the ability, at least at one time.”
“Hmm.” That was an interesting idea, one she would think on later. Right now, she just wanted to rest. But the reason for her attack niggled at her mind like a fish on a line. Who had been behind it and why? “Talion, do you have any theories about last night’s incident?”
His face darkened. “I fear someone may know, or at least strongly suspect, what you are to me.”
Damn, that was what she was afraid of. “How could the person have found out?”
He shrugged. “A spy within the palace that carefully observes my comings and goings.”
“But you restrict the amount of people allowed into your private wing and said you hand-picked all those who can gain entrance.”
“I said I hand-pick and trust them as much as I am able to. However, trust can always be misplaced. Plus, the secret passages in the palace may not be so secret to some.”
A sliver of alarm quivered up her spine. “What? How would anyone but you and those you told know?”
“Since we elves are so long-lived, any of the servants or courtiers residing in the palace who aren’t adverse to searching for new sights could have stumbled onto one. It’s not out of the realm of possibility.”
Yeah, an almost endless life could drive anyone to search for excitement. Even a new hallway or garden would be something new to them. What a sobering thought. Was that what she had to look forward to? Surely, Eria held many places to explore. And who knew what lay outside Eria’s borders besides the darkindred. So far, everyone had been notoriously closed-mouthed about this little tidbit. Just what was the big secret? It was a mystery she was determined to solve. Sometime.
Her mind turned back to their original topic. “What made the statue shatter?”
“We think an explosive.” He briefly outlined what he’d discussed with Cal, Relian, and the others.
Maggie bit her lip. “So the explosive was more than likely made here and not on Earth?”
“Yes, though I suppose with the thinning and rending of the veil in places it is possible that someone from this side could’ve crossed over to Earth without much, if any, notice.”
“Without any notice?”
“You remember learning about how the veil has chosen to come and go as it pleases.”
She nodded, though truthfully her whole remembrance of it was a fuzzy tangle of yarn—pretty much good for nothing.
“That’s largely true. As it has lost power, the veil’s appearances are more sporadic, as though it can no longer control the timing of its visits. When the veil does appear, some of it is no longer completely opaque. Those areas allow easy entry to Earth, and since it often winks in and out of existence in a matter of minutes, someone could sneak across easily before being seen.”
Maggie kicked the covers off one leg. “But how would someone know when to predict its arrival?”
“I said it’s largely true the veil comes and goes as it pleases. It can be influenced, and as it gets weaker, the more easily so it is.”
Well, that sucked. “So basically the veil can act as an unguarded border?”
“Essentially. As I said, it’s more than likely he didn’t cross over to Earth to obtain the explosive. The person either made it himself or purchased it from someone who could. Just because I’d like all my subjects to be law-abiding citizens doesn’t mean they are.”
She released her breath in a huff. “So catching the culprit is next to impossible unless he makes another move that gives us some clues. How frustrating. I hate waiting.”
He laughed softly. “You’ve never been the most patient person.” His voice lost its teasing air. “We will find the culprit, and he will pay.”
“You’re so sure it’s a male?”
“Since I feel that the attack was a message ultimately aimed at me, I’m sure it is.”
“A message for you? It could be one of your jilted lovers, then.” Alalise, anyone? But Maggie hadn’t pegged her as the cloak-and-dagger type. If anything, she was the type to flirt and try to sleep with a taken man.
“I don’t think any would be so bold. All my former companions have enough sense not to commit treason, anyway.” A faraway look sprang up in his eyes, and his face darkened. “At least I hope.” His voice dropped to a whisper as if he were speaking to himself. “Betrayal can come from within my ranks just as easily as from outside them.”
Within his ranks? “What do you mean by that?” Was he talking about a previous lover, or someone who’d been even closer to him? Whoever it was, she knew with a surety that shook her soul this person had betrayed Talion in a way few would ever be in a position to do.
He shook his head as if to clear it, and the clouds marring his face left. “Nothing.”
She rolled her eyes, but she hadn’t expected anything more from him. “I know there’s more to the story than that, but getting it from you is like trying to get blood from a rock.”
An impassive stare brick-walled her, and she held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. You win.” For now. “So who do you think it could be?” Alalise’s warning about her brother came back to Maggie, but she shoved it aside. He seemed harmless, and he had his own concerns about his sister.
“One of many possible suspects, many known to me and quite a few undoubtedly not. I’ve ruled long enough to know I don’t lack enemies. Most of the time, they’re content with stirring up small fires, but sometimes….”
As he trailed off, she filled in what he left unsaid—that dissenters sometimes caused such a stink they needed to be wiped out before they could wipe out Talion and his rule. She shivered, not only because of the danger he found himself in over the centuries, but also because she was downright spooked she could read him so well. It was almost like telepathy, but not—the way her mind could finish his sentences.
But what seared her the most was his gaze, where the weight of his age shone clearly. She’d never noticed just how weary he appeared. Not only physically tired, but mentally and spiritually. When Talion and some of the other elves had talked about the bone-deep tiredness they could experience in their long lives, she hadn’t really taken it to heart. Now, it stared her in the face, and it scared her like nothing else. Pure fright pumped through her veins.
All she knew was, she didn’t wan
t him giving up his life. She didn’t want him going anywhere for a very long time. Her heart beat as fast as a hummingbird’s wings until she remembered something that calmed her alarm. Talion always said she made him feel young, invigorated him even. Could she be the thing that would keep him firmly planted in life?
Every fiber in her body shouted yes. She challenged him by her very humanity. She was something different in a land where everything was essentially static, at least until circumstances forced those things to change. Like the veil and the fading magic, like her and Cal’s arrival. The elvin world was changing, the circumstances beyond the elves’ control.
The feeling she’d just discovered something momentous hit her, but she couldn’t quite pin down what she’d found. It itched at her mind, but no matter how she tried, the reason escaped her. With an internal shrug, she told herself she’d figure it out later. Right now, she had to worry about the attack and Talion’s old age—and her role in keeping him “young.”
Just what his age was she didn’t know, but it would be old, older-than-dirt old. Okay, maybe not that old. She couldn’t imagine him already having lived millions of years—and wouldn’t entertain the idea of it. Did she even want to find out his age? With a lift of her chin, she decided she wasn’t a wimp, so she’d meet the answer head on when the time came. But now wasn’t the time to ask. Cal would probably know the information and tell her, anyway. After all, that was what best friends were for.
She stared at that youthful, impossibly ageless face and tried to ignore the yawning divide their races had set in stone. Told herself they weren’t so different, though their dissimilarities stood in stark relief against the backdrop of her consciousness. She forced herself to speak, acting as if she hadn’t had her world rocked off its axis yet again. “So, it could be one of many, someone you might not suspect or even know?”
He stared at her, his gaze seeming to see right through her and her act. “It could be, but I have my eye on someone much closer.”
“In the palace?”
“Yes, but I won’t say more.”
She scowled. “Why not?”
“There’s danger enough surrounding you without you seeking it out.” She started to protest, but he held up a hand. “I’m not saying you’ll purposely search it out, but if you know who the suspects are, your behavior could change around them.”
“But—”
“And no matter what you say, you can’t do the elvin “poker face” like most of us can. You simply haven’t had the years to perfect it. A glance, a flutter of an eyelid could give you away.”
How could she argue against that logic? He had her, and he knew it. “Still, I don’t want to be kept totally in the dark about the investigation.”
“If having knowledge of new developments isn’t dangerous beyond their initial threat, I’ll inform you of them all.”
“Okay, sounds like a deal. Let’s shake on it.”
“Is this one of your Earth customs?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I’d rather kiss you to seal the deal.”
She licked her lips. “That can be arranged.”
He slipped an around her shoulders and gently hauled her to his chest. Their mouths met in a fiery melding of tongues until Maggie got a little too carried away and had a rude reminder of her cuts. “Damn, that stings like a…female dog.” He was wussifying her. She couldn’t even cuss in his presence, but maybe that was a good thing. Surely, a queen didn’t have the mouth of a gutter rat?
Talion laid tender fingers against her cheek, gently tracing around the deeper cut. “Now, I know our gracious tutor Henril didn’t teach you elvin curse words. Let me guess who taught you.” He glided his hand over her jaw and down her arm. “Kenhel?”
A small giggle burst from her. “How did you know?”
“Deductive reasoning. Avrin was my other possibility, but he seemed less likely to teach you how to curse like a warrior stuck on the borders.”
She sat up a little straighter. “My language isn’t that colorful, thank you very much.”
“Compared to most ladies of the court, it is.”
“Well, I won’t be a lady of the court. I’ll be queen.”
A smug grin crossed his face. “From your own mouth. You can’t deny it.”
She groaned. “I’m getting used to the idea of a real relationship with you, but I still can’t wrap my mind around the queen part.”
He curled his hand around hers, the press of his skin calming and reassuring. “I will be there to help you.”
His quiet words were a sweet caress to her fears. “I know.”
“Avrin, Relian, Sardon, and a few trusted others will help you when I cannot.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” A sigh forced its way from her throat.
“That was a heavy sigh. You’re still not convinced.”
“I’m sure of your abilities—and theirs. I’m just not so confident in mine. I’m not exactly elvin queen material.”
“You’re not.” She stiffened, but he continued, “I don’t mean that in a hurtful way, but it’s true. There’s never been a queen like you. There’s never even been a human queen of elves before.”
“Scary though, huh?”
He gave a wary laugh. “It was a sobering one, especially at the beginning. But you just may be the shaking up my people need. You certainly shook up my life.”
“Hopefully for the better.”
His lips formed a crooked smile. “For the most part.”
She swatted at his arm with her free hand. “Talion.”
“If I asked you the same question, would you answer any differently?”
Her reply didn’t take any thought. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.” He pushed the pillows behind her to the side and took their place. She melted into him like ice cream topped with hot fudge. If only they could spend the rest of their lives in this room, avoiding all but their closest friends. Reality slapped her in the face, and she frowned. Okay, a day or two closeted with him, and she’d want to kill him. He may be sexy as all get-out, but he was still an arrogant pig most of the time.
The feel of his chin on her head ripped her back to the present. “How long do we have before someone intrudes?”
“Avrin should be stopping by shortly to check on you and to give you something for the pain. Why?”
She shrugged. “No reason.” Like she would tell him she wanted to hole up with him. His head was big enough as it was.
“You know you’ll have to accept them.”
Confusion raced through her. “Huh?”
“The guards.”
His meaning landed on her like a ton of stone. “Do we have to talk about this right now?”
“You know you need guards, and after your attack, no one would think much of me assigning them to you.”
She really didn’t have a choice. He’d put guards on her whether she wanted them or not. “Fine,” she huffed out. “But I don’t like it. And the asking permission thing to leave the palace sucks.”
“I never expected you would be pleased, but the guards’ presence is something you’ll have to get used to when you take up your formal role as queen. And think of it as mere courtesy when you tell me you’re leaving palace grounds.”
She moaned. “Don’t want to think about all that right now.”
“But you will have to soon. The time we agreed on is running out and—”
She cut him off. “I know. But I seriously think I’ll…be more ready to handle everything by then. It’s just getting my mind to the right place.”
“Will you ever be ready?”
“I’m getting there.” I hope. “It’s just a slow process.”
Seeing the doubtful expression glued to his face, she said, “Look, I’ve just accepted we should become a couple, with all that it entails. Learning all this relationship stuff isn’t easy and is sort of scary.” Gah, even admitting it made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. “I need that time. It’
s my hang up and doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
“You won’t use the time to search for a way to end the bond?”
She jerked forward in his arms. “You knew?”
He pulled her back against him. “Of course. I could see the plan practically forming in your eyes. However, I couldn’t help but notice you’ve done blessed little to further your endeavors.” A slow smile spread over his lips. “Except for fighting with me, and that gets you nowhere but under me—or on top.” A flush heated her cheeks, and he laughed. “But no matter, there’s no way out of the bond.”
Though she would’ve loved to give some spunky reply about challenging the bond just for the heck of it, she wasn’t going to waste any more energy on getting out of something that couldn’t be dissolved. Plus, the idea of doing so wasn’t as attractive as it had once been. How shocking. He was making her into a softie, so she decided to ignore most of what he said except for one thing. “You know you love me on top and in control.”
His hands cupped her breasts, and a shot of desire heated her below the waist. Too bad she couldn’t act on it.
“I love having you in any position.”
She bit the inside of her lip. Talion wasn’t going to make this easy. Maybe Avrin had some magic elvin medicine that could wipe out her pain. If so, Talion would get the workout of his life.
Chapter 15
Maggie walked through the hallways toward the royal wing, aware of the whisper soft footfalls of the guards behind her. Bob, Joe, and Moe—that was what she’d dubbed them, though she doubted they’d appreciate the sentiment—trailed after her like obedient lapdogs. Handsome, muscular ones. For the last week, she found privacy only in her rooms or in the royal wing. It still felt somewhat freaky to walk out and see them waiting for her.
Oddly enough, Bob’s real name was Karcin, while Joe’s was Jocin and Moe’s Meclin. Her nicknames for them had to be an instance of divine inspiration.
“So, what do you boys do while you wait for me?”
“We stand, waiting for you,” Meclin said.
Good ol’ Moe. No sense of humor, but he made up for it in looks with his copper- colored hair and startling green eyes. “That sounds boring.”