CHAPTER 14
“Lillith, tell Marcus not to wait up for me.” I flattened my hands on Reynard’s tight abdomen and slid them up to his well-muscled chest, relishing the feel of hot skin under the warm silk of his shirt.
“I’ve finally got you to myself.” My smile was sultry as I looked up at him. “No guardian to protect you from my mercenary clutches.”
My heart rate went up a notch when he slid his hand down my arm, and I leaned closer to inhale his scent. He smelled so damn good. Like soap and shampoo, but with an underlying scent that was uniquely his. It was, I decided, sexier than any exotic male cologne I’d ever smelled before in the hallowed halls of the Federation Council.
“Reynard.” I kept my tone soft and low. Keeping a tight rein on my emotions, I went up on my toes and teasingly brushed his lips with mine. Then I pulled away enough to see his face. “Are you still worried about propriety?”
Scarlet flooded his cheeks, but his eyes heated with desire. “To hell with propriety.”
He curved his hand around the back of my neck under my hair, his thumb caressing the skin just below my ear as he pulled me against his body. The motion sent chills of anticipation all over my body.
The mixture of elation and desire that slammed into me left me weak and shaking. Holding me tightly against his hard length with one arm, he tilted my chin up with his free hand. As soon as our lips met, mine parted. He let his tongue skim the opening, teasing me as I had him, tasting, tempting until I was dizzy with the sweetness of his actions.
When he finally let his tongue slip farther inside, I made the same sound he had made, the one that had been driving me crazy since I’d first heard it, and I couldn’t stand it another minute. My mouth took possession of his and I plunged all the way in. He met my parry thrust for thrust, fighting for control of the kiss, and I almost came unglued.
A groan of loss tore its way from deep inside me when he eased back.
Gently, he took my hand and raised it to his lips. “Echo, I want you so badly it’s killing me, but before we do this you must understand that as long as my vow to the king stands, I’m not a free man.”
“Neither am I, if you want to get technical about it. Alien Affairs owns my indenture and I have to work for them until it’s paid off.” I slid my hands down his chest and unbuckled his belt, tossing it and the sword onto the chair. “Reynard, I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m only asking for this.”
I brushed my hand over the front of his trousers and encountered exactly what I’d expected to find.
“Echo.” His voice was strangled, and I knew any thought of denying this pleasure had fled right out of his head.
There was a look on his face I’d never seen before, a sudden gleam of determination. And more, so much more. When his mouth claimed mine this time, I knew there would be no stopping for either of us.
Again, his arms slid around me, and he realized I was standing on tiptoe, straining to reach him. He straightened, bringing my feet completely off the floor while he supported me. “Put your legs around me,” he murmured against my lips.
Worked for me. As I complied with no hesitation at all, he slid his hands under my bottom, pulling me tightly into him. We held that position for a while, kissing deeply. Then he turned toward the bed and lowered me to the blanket spread over the plush mattress that smelled fresh and clean.
Sitting back on his heels, he gazed down at me before his hand skimmed over my halter top, grazing a breast that instantly hardened. The action caused my eyes to glaze and I inhaled sharply. As he let his fingers trace the mound, outlining its erect shape, my head went back and I arched against his hand.
Suddenly touching wasn’t enough. I wanted to feast my eyes on his naked body, explore until he was moaning with pleasure. I wanted to torment him with pleasure until he was writhing in the same agony of desire that tormented me.
Moving carefully, I sat up, tugged his shirt loose, and pulled it over his head. Next, I slid off the bed and removed his boots. With that out of the way, I undid his trousers and maneuvered them off his legs. And while I was stripping him, he was busy returning the favor, dodging my hands to unfasten my halter top and loosen my skirt until it pooled at my feet.
For a long time, we simply filled our senses with each other, and his gaze was so filled with desire and yearning that a lump formed in my throat. No one had ever looked at me that way before, like I was special, like I really meant something to them.
It made me realize how much I’d missed out on, how very badly I’d miss it again when it was time to leave him behind.
“Echo,” he whispered, refocusing my attention. He pulled me back onto the bed, and while his hands found my breasts, his mouth covered mine again just in time to catch my whimper.
He moved to my neck and traveled downward as he slid his hand over the warm skin of my abdomen, and for a moment he let it rest there, driving me insane with anticipation before he moved on.
I’d been right. He was even more glorious now than the first time I’d seen him, stepping out of the tub. My oft-repeated memory of the event hadn’t done him justice. Had there ever been another man like this one?
Not that I could remember, and I was pretty sure I would remember if I’d felt this way before. Right now it was enough to know that he really cared for me, but I had a horrible feeling I was going to pay dearly for this night. Because with every sigh, every touch, I was falling a little deeper in love with Reynard du’Marr. The one man I couldn’t have.
When he leaned over to kiss me again, this time deeply, slowly, thoroughly, I turned to meet him. I wanted to feel his body pressed tightly to mine, all the way down.
It seemed like an eternity before his mouth trailed down to my breasts, but when he took a tender nipple between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue it took all my willpower to keep from screaming with pleasure. It took forever for his hand to find its way back to the throbbing ache between my legs, but when it did, when he caressed me with light circular motions, I knew ecstasy was moments away.
His murmured reassurance was lost in the pounding rush of my own heartbeat. Then he was kneeling between my thighs, his hands on my hips pulling me into him. I could tell he wanted to plunge, bury himself as deeply as possible, but he didn’t.
With his teeth clamped together in effort, he entered slowly, just a little at a time, pausing with each movement to give me time to adjust. What seemed like hours later, he was finally fully encased, and I was afraid to move, afraid to even breathe. The sensation was so exquisite that even the smallest twitch could send me hurtling into space.
Reynard lost control. Holding my hips in place with his hands, he drove into me, withdrew, and then drove again, my name a groan on his lips. My scream of joyous release yanked his gaze to my face, and what he saw there destroyed what little restraint he had left. “Oh, sweet mother,” he gasped. “Echo!”
I was in the throws of yet another wave of spasms when he exploded, endlessly, intensely, his moan of release bouncing off the walls, seeming to shatter into a million pieces. With no choice, he followed me into oblivion.
I had no idea how much time had passed when I finally began to surface back to the here and now, Reynard’s weight adding to the lethargy that pervaded my body.
Unwilling and unable to withdraw, he rolled onto his back, taking me with him. After a moment he brushed away the wild mop of hair that hid my face. “Echo?”
“I was wrong,” I whispered.
He wrapped his arms around me, his hands sliding possessively over my back as he began to move gently again. “Wrong about what?” He could barely get the question out.
A moan escaped from deep in my throat as my body matched his rhythm. “I thought I could stop myself from falling in love with you. But I was wrong. I love you, Reynard.”
Lifting a hand, I covered his lips. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s my problem, not yours.”
His body went still as I spoke, and then he sighed. “From the moment you walked through my door the first time, I knew you were the one, the same way I know what is right and what is wrong. No other woman has existed for me since that day, and never will again. I love you, Echo.”
Tears filled my eyes as we made love again. He couldn’t leave and I couldn’t stay. All we had was now, and it would have to last us a lifetime.
“Echo. Echo!”
“What?!” I opened my eyes and glanced around, taking in Reynard’s room.
“If you want to make it back to Marcus’s house before you mortally embarrass him and cause Jancen to issue a challenge, you need to go now,” Lillith told me.
“What time is it?” I asked, sitting up reluctantly and pushing the mop of hair out of my eyes.
“About ninety minutes until sunrise. Some of the shopkeepers are already out and about.”
I glanced down at Reynard. He was sprawled facedown on the bed, the blanket barely covering him enough to be modest. We’d made love several times during the night, napping or talking in between, and I hated to wake him. On the other hand, if I didn’t, he’d be upset with me. Just because we’d made love didn’t change the fact that he was a Madrean male through and through.
As though to prove it, he turned his head on the pillow and gazed up at me. “Don’t even think about sneaking off without me.”
He was so sexy with his eyes all sleepy, his hair mussed and spilling onto his forehead, and heavy stubble on his jaw. So much that I couldn’t stop my grin. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Reaching over, I patted his butt. “But as cute as that part of your anatomy is, you need to get it out of bed before Marcus has to fight a duel on my behalf.”
I jumped out of bed and began gathering clothes, sorting mine from Reynard’s as I went, and tossing his on the bed. When there was no noise from that direction, I glanced over my shoulder and frowned. He’d rolled onto his back and stacked his hands behind his head.
“Why aren’t you getting up?”
He grinned. “Because I’d rather enjoy the view.”
“Ha ha.” I threw his shirt at his head, forcing him to catch it or get slapped in the face. “Enjoy later, dress now.”
“Will there be a later?”
“Count on it, even if I have to smuggle you through the window. After all, Bim can’t stand guard forever. The man has to sleep sometime.”
Taking my word for it, he finally got up and began dressing while I finished. When I had my knife back in place, I looked around the room and cursed.
“What?” Reynard pulled his shirt over his head, momentarily muffling the question.
“I left my cloak in the great hall.”
“I’ll find it and return it to you later. We’d be noticed if we looked for it now.”
“Thanks.”
Peri still hadn’t stirred, so I poked her. “Come on, lazy bones. We have to go.”
She opened one eye, grumbled at me, and went back to sleep.
With a sigh, I picked her up and cradled her warm body in the crook of my left arm, being careful of her wings. She didn’t even twitch.
“Ready?” I asked Reynard.
“Yes.” He went by me and opened the door. “We’ll go out the same way you did the first day you were here. There are fewer sleeping quarters in that direction, but we’ll still need to be quiet.”
Together, we moved silently down one hall after another, until we reached the small door leading outside. Reynard stepped through it and looked in both directions before motioning me forward.
After that it was a short trip to Marcus’s house. With a final lingering kiss, Reynard left me at the back door just as the first pale rays of light broke over the horizon.
Carefully, I eased the door open, praying it didn’t squeak, and then jumped in surprise when it was pulled out of my hand from the inside. Instinctively, I reached for my knife before I recognized the person staring back at me.
Guiltily, she held a finger to her lips and leaned closer to me. “I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine,” she whispered.
“Of course,” I answered. “Why are we whispering?”
A satisfied smile lit her striking face. “Marcus is still asleep, and it’s better he doesn’t know we ran into each other. Men can be so silly about things like this.”
I thought about Reynard sneaking me through the halls of the castle, and nodded. “You’re absolutely right.”
She touched my arm and then slid by me. “I’d better go. I’ve already stayed later than I should have. I left a package in your room. It’s on the bed.”
“Thanks.” I watched as Cammi hurried around the side of the house, heading for the main road that would take her back to the field where the gathering was being held.
Huh. No wonder Marcus hadn’t insisted on leaving the supper with me and Reynard. I let out a soft snort. The old letch. I just hoped Leddy hadn’t seen him bringing Cammi home for the night. She might stop cooking such wonderful food for the Terpsichore if she got upset.
Making sure the back door was firmly shut, I tiptoed to my room and deposited Peri on the pillow before picking up the large cloth-wrapped bundle Cammi had left.
Gingerly, I unwrapped it and then stared in wonder at the costume on top. It was the purple one, the one that was the same color as Peri’s feathers, and shot through with silver thread.
Cammi was undoubtedly a genius with needle and thread, because it put the red outfit Treya had loaned me for my first dance to shame. The top was halter style, as were all the Bashalde women’s, and there was a short veil to go with it. But the skirt was completely different. Instead of flaring from the belt as usual, the material was crossed in the front and pulled tight so it would cup my bottom snugly. From there, it swirled to full, beginning at the top of my thighs and continuing to ankle length.
Cammi had even included a packet of silver jewelry to go with it. I glanced quickly at Peri to make sure she was still asleep and then hid the pouch in a drawer before turning back to the costume.
It was the most gorgeous outfit I’d ever owned, and I decided that when I left Madrea, it was going with me even if Lillith had to land in the middle of Bastion City so I could retrieve it.
Spreading it across the chest so it wouldn’t get mussed, I took out the other two everyday outfits and inspected them. Again, the workmanship was wonderful, and I picked the emerald green one for today. The red one I’d save for tomorrow. To think, when I’d first started this mission I thought two outfits would be more than enough. Now I’d been here an eightday with no end in sight. It just showed how naive I had been a mere week ago.
But I’d changed, I realized. I wasn’t even as worried about wild bugs as I’d been before.
Well, not much, anyway.
Gathering up my clothes and a towel, I headed for the shower. It came as no surprise to discover Peri had exited my room via the window and beat me to the privy. She fluttered eagerly outside the door, sending me images of cascading water with suds flying in all directions.
“Yeah, yeah. You couldn’t wake up enough to fly home, but you’re bright-eyed and enthusiastic the second I think about taking a shower.”
She agreed with a happy chirp.
By the time I stripped and stepped into the shower stall, she was dangling from the pull rope, doing her best to get the water going. Since she weighed maybe one and a half kilograms, or three pounds, on her fat days, it wasn’t working.
Reaching over her, I gave it a tug, fastened it to the hook on the wall, and then stood under the tepid trickle, letting it soak me while Peri splashed vigorously at my feet. I took my time so she could get her fill, but she still sulked when I finally released the rope to turn the water off.
“Even you can’t stay in the shower all day,” I told her. “You’d look like a big purple prune with feathers.”
Ignoring me, she found a perch on the sink and began the task of fluffing and drying her plumage. I returned the favor by taking care of my own morning rituals, and we finished at about the same time.
The day was bright and warm by the time I headed back to the house so I could leave my soiled clothes, although there were clouds gathering in the west. Looked like we might get some rain by nightfall.
“Don’t go too far away,” I told Peri as she headed off in the direction of the nearest flowers. An uneasy feeling was creeping over me. I glanced around casually, but no one was in sight.
Maybe I was getting paranoid. Of course, knowing Losif Strand was out to get me was a fragging good reason to start looking over my shoulder every few seconds. While we’d never been introduced, gossip had it that everyone in the Federation Council mistrusted the man. He was diabolical, evil, and brilliant.
Shaking off the chill bumps that crawled over my skin, I entered the house and went to my room. Cammi must have worn Marcus out, because there was still no sound coming from his room. I contemplated waiting for him, then my stomach and the scents wafting from next door made me decide against it.
Bim had just arrived to take up his post when I headed for the Terpsichore, and he fell into step beside me with a nod of greeting. His solid presence was welcome today since I was still jumpy.
The kitchen was bustling with activity as usual, and I sniffed appreciatively as Leddy handed me a cup of hot coffee.
“Sit down, I’ll bring your plate to the table.”
“Thanks, Leddy.”
Treya and the other women were already eating when I pulled out a chair, careful not to spill a drop of the coffee. “Good morning,” I told them.
All of them replied in kind except Treya. She stopped eating to look over at me. “How was your supper with the king last night?”
“It was fine, very interesting.”
“We heard you held your own sparring with Durtran. You didn’t hurt my clothes, did you?”
“No, I didn’t hurt your clothes. I’ll have them cleaned and returned to you.”
She nodded. “See that you do. And don’t forget you’re dancing tonight. I’ve already spread the word, so we’ll have a good crowd.”
Leddy slid a plate full of food in front of me before I could answer, and I dug in. “Don’t worry about finding a costume for me. I had one made. I’ll wear it tonight.”
“I hope it goes with your coloring. Pale colors would wash you out.”
“It does.”
Leddy hovered near me, clutching the coffeepot. When I glanced at her, she nervously refilled my cup. “I haven’t seen Marcus yet this morning. He hasn’t left on another trip, has he?”
“No, he’s just sleeping in today. I think the king kept him late last night.”
“Oh, in that case, I’ll keep his breakfast warm.”
Treya gave me a knowing smirk as the older woman hurried away, but she kept her mouth shut.
I was just finishing up my food when the musicians came in, so while the other women served the customers in the common room, I waited on the guys and helped Leddy dish up eggs, ham, biscuits, and coffee.
Things were starting to slow down when Marcus finally showed up, a sheepish expression on his face. I merely arched a brow at him and pointed. “Leddy saved you some breakfast. Since the crowd is thinning out, there are some things I need to take care of at the house.”
“Of course.” He took the plate full of food and sat down. “Just be sure Bim goes with you.”
The sun was approaching midday as I crossed the yard with Bim, and the clouds were closer, piling up like white fluffy mountains in the sky. Peri zipped by me with a chirped greeting before angling toward another bed of flowers.
When we reached the house I paused with my hand on the backdoor. “I’m going to take a nap,” I told Bim, just in case he grew some curiosity and peeked in the bedroom window.
Moving quickly, I snuck into Marcus’s room and rummaged until I found what I wanted, then went to my own room, hid the bundle, and stretched out on the bed. When I was comfortable, I pulled the image of Gaia from my memory. The pages ruffled, there was a mental click, and suddenly I was in the same small room where I’d seen the girls before. There was a table this time, holding two plates, one of them untouched, the other empty.
Both girls sat on the bed, staring at me. The smaller of the two, Banca, looked much better this time. There was color in her cheeks and the black circles were gone from under her eyes.
“Are you going to help us this time?” Gaia asked hopefully.
“I wish I could,” I told her. “But I still don’t know where you are.”
“Then how did you get here?”
Good question. So how did I answer it in a way that would make sense to a child?
“That’s a little hard to explain. You see, I have this special talent that lets my spirit go places my body can’t go. So even though you can see me and we can talk, I’m not really physically here.”
She nodded sagely and then looked worried. “You aren’t a Gloom, are you?”
I frowned. What the scritch was a Gloom? It didn’t sound pleasant, so I made a judgment call. “No, I’m not a Gloom.”
“That’s good. We don’t like Glooms.”
I glanced at the other girl, only to be met with that vacant stare. “Banca looks better. Is she still sick?”
“No.” Gaia shot an uncomfortable look at the girl she called sister. “She ate.”
“You should eat, too,” I told her, remembering only one of the plates had been empty.
“Oh, I did.”
Okay, this was getting weird, but at least the girls weren’t being starved into submission. Strand probably wanted to make sure they were healthy enough to wield the Sumantti’s power when the time came. Which brought to me one of the reasons I’d come.
“Gaia, do you know why those men brought you here?”
“No. They just keep telling me to shut up when I ask questions.”
“Well, I won’t tell you to shut up. They want you to do something bad. You see, they stole this big black crystal, and because only special girls can use it, they’re going to try and make you or Banca use it for them.”
“Why?”
I wasn’t sure if she were asking why it had been stolen, or why only special girls could use it. Both at once, I decided.
“Because the crystal is very powerful. It’s inhabited by an alien life form with great psychic ability. This stone is so strong it can destroy worlds.” I took a tentative step forward, relieved when I found I could actually move.
“But there’s something they won’t tell you, Gaia. The girls who use the crystal have to be prepared in a very unique way or they’ll die.”
She went a shade paler. “Can’t you fix it so we can do what they want?”
“No, I’m afraid not. The only way to prepare someone is to take them to a planet very far away from here. Those men aren’t going to let that happen. What you can do is stay as far from the crystal as you can get, and whatever happens, don’t touch it. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
I glanced at the smaller girl. “Banca, do you understand?”
“She does,” Gaia answered hastily.
Again, I frowned. There was definitely something odd about the other child. Even the way she looked at me, with no expression whatsoever, made me uncomfortable. Enough so that I turned away from her gaze.
I wasn’t a coward, I assured myself. There was just one more thing I wanted to try before I popped back into my body.
“What are you doing?” Gaia asked as I moved across the room.
“I’m going to try and walk through the door. If I can, maybe it will give me an idea of where you are.”
She watched with interest as I took a deep breath and stepped forward. And slammed into the door like I was in my physical body.
Backing off, I stared at the wood in perplexity. This should have worked. While I expected some limitations on my ability, I had put my hand through a solid wooden bedpost the first time, and later started to sink through Dr. Daniels’s floor. So why couldn’t I walk through the door?
There had to be something else going on here. I thought hard for a few minutes, sorting it all out in my head, and then motioned for Gaia. “I need you to come stand by the door.”
Obligingly, she slid off the bed and walked to my side.
“Okay, stand right there and don’t move. If this works, I’ll be right back.”
This time, I went through the door like it wasn’t there and knew I’d found one limitation. I could only get a few meters away from whomever I’d locked on to, which meant exploring the castle in my “spiritual” ghost form was out of the question.
But at least I could check out the immediate surroundings.
It was dark in the hall I’d entered, with just enough ambient light to let me see stone walls, damp in large patches from trickles of water that oozed between the cracks. As far as I could tell, the passageway extended equally in both directions, with blacker squares that indicated more doors along its length.
I was contemplating checking another of the rooms when a scraping sound came from my left, followed by the murmur of low voices. Panic shot through me. Someone was coming, and I didn’t dare get caught here. Quickly, I went back to the girls’ room.
“I have to go,” I told Gaia. “Someone is coming.”
“Wait!” She tried to clutch me, but her hand went right through my skirt. “When will you come back?”
“As soon as I can. Gaia, I promise I’ll get you out of here somehow. Just be patient and give me time.”
She nodded slowly. “I don’t even know your name.”
From outside the room came the sound of voices. I could see a glimmer of light through the cracks in the door, and hear the jangle of keys. My time was up.
“It’s Echo,” I told her, right before I jumped back into my body. “Echo Adams.”