The Darkness of Shadoewynne: Book 3 of the Shadoewynne series

by Penelope Kein

  “He wasn’t my only teacher, you know. Give him a break.” I chewed my lip as I thought about what she said. I knew where my power came from, but it felt like it flowed through me, not originating from within me. Closing my eyes, I searched for the spot the power entered my body. It seemed to swirl within me, making the source hard to identify. After what felt like forever, I found it and attempted to direct it to my hands. It was like pushing water with a shovel, though. Frustrated, I sighed and opened my eyes. Eir was watching me impassively.

  “What is the problem?”

  “The power is not going where I want it to go. It flows over and around my efforts to direct it.”

  She smiled slightly again. I had a feeling I would end up hating that smile. “You are trying to use force. That will not work. You must guide it, gently redirecting it to where you need it. All of your power need not be in your hands, just some. Picture your power as a creek and the path to your hands as a bank that contains it.”

  I nodded as I closed my eyes again and did as she described. Within a few minutes, I could feel my hands warm, so I opened my eyes to look at them. A faint blue glow surrounded them. Smiling, I held them up to Eir, who smiled back.

  “Now, take the bottle and wrap your hands around it tightly.”

  With my power active, just looking at the sludge turned my stomach. I didn’t want to touch the bottle, but I reached for it anyway. When I picked it up, the nauseous feeling was even stronger.

  “That sick feeling is your power reacting to the sludge. It is trying to tell you that the sludge is inimical to nature. Let your power flow through your hands; you should know this part of the process. Your power will cleanse the water.”

  I released my hold on my power as she spoke and the blue glow spread into the bottle of green sludge. It wasn’t very long before the glow faded. I held the bottle up to the firelight, where it reflected from the crystal-clear depths. Wordlessly, I handed it back to Eir. Her hands glowed a bright green for a second before the light faded and she opened the bottle to take a sip. She swirled the liquid in her mouth a second before replacing the cap.

  “Good job.” She conjured another bottle and handed it to me. “Again.”

  This time was quicker, since I didn’t have to figure out how to corral my power. In a matter of minutes, I had cleared the sludge from this one. She pulled another one from thin air and I cleaned it. We did this four or five more times. Then she smiled big as she waved her arms. A small, stinking pond appeared under my feet. I screamed as I dropped into the slimy, cold water, which was a bad idea, since my mouth filled with the foul-tasting liquid. Shivering, I started to swim to the edge without exposing too much skin to the cold wind, but Eir stopped me.

  “No. You need to be in the water to cleanse this one. Instead of focusing your power on your hands, this time you will want to emit it from your whole body. I’m sure the pollution in that pond is making you sick, so I suggest you do it quickly.”

  I glared at her, with my wet hair sticking to my face and drops of slimy water running down my glasses. Travis had gotten up and taken a couple of steps towards me before Kait stopped him. Travis’s eyes never left my face as Kait whispered in his ear, the tension clear through both of their bodies. I looked over at them before going back to glaring at Eir. “Could you not have warned me? This water is frigid and I could have lost my glasses.”

  “You must be able to use your power under any circumstances, Evalia, and we could always retrieve your glasses. Now, hurry.”

  I sighed as I closed my eyes, attempting to route my power to my whole body. After about a minute, I gave up. All I could think about was how cold I was. She grinned at me, which just pissed me off. I got the distinct impression that she thought I would give up before learning how to do this. Fuck that! Anger heated my blood and warmed me. I focused on what she said I should do. My skin started glowing. The slime slid off me, disappearing as it went. Soon, the water was clear, reflecting the blue glow of my power back at me. Now Travis and Kait were watching me with hungry expressions. When I glanced down, I noticed my shirt was see-through, my bra silhouetted in the light I was emitting.

  Feeling more brazen than usual, I smirked at the guys. The corner of Kait’s mouth turned up in a little smile as he tucked his thumbs into the belt loops in his pants. His stance reminded me of when we had made love and my mouth went dry. I locked my eyes with his when Eir cleared her throat.

  “Evalia! Give me your attention for a little longer! You are done with the water; get out now.” I didn’t even spare her a glance before I stopped treading water and raised my arms. A water spout formed around me, lifting me out of the water and depositing me on the bank. When the water withdrew back into the pond, I was dry, but my power still shone through my skin and my shirt. Travis took a step toward me, but drew up short when Eir stood and whistled loudly. I tore my eyes from my guys as I spun on my heel toward her. Something deep within my chest pulled me toward Travis and Kait and it physically hurt to resist it. My ire must have shown on my face because she held up her hands as she said, “Your time with them has to wait. You need to learn to pull your power back into yourself to lock it away until you need it again. Besides not drawing attention by glowing, it is also dangerous to emit that much power all the time.”

  To ease some of the ache within, my head swiveled back to the guys, my eyes locked on them again. Without thinking about it, I brought my power under control, pushing it back to where it entered my body while slowing the stream, until only a trickle still entered me. I glanced back to her with a raised eyebrow and she waved her hand at me negligently. “Go on, then. Kaitsja! If you had told me the bond was still so new, I wouldn’t have pushed her so hard.”

  He didn’t even acknowledge her. Both of them were tracking my movements toward them with their eyes. The pull had grown irresistible. I wasn’t sure if we would even make it into the tent before I pulled those pants off of them. Their shirts could stay. They both had their sleeves pushed up, showing off those delicious forearms. Kait growled as I stalked toward them, then Travis mimicked the sound, which caused more heat to pool between my legs. This is weird. The thought flitted through my mind but didn’t stay to bother me. I frowned as Travis pulled off his shirt. The lines of his abs in the firelight dried my mouth and made me forget my displeasure. Kait walked backward until his heels hit the tent. He reached behind himself and held open the flap. I practically ran in, pulling off my clothes as I went, completely forgetting about Eir.

  By the time I turned around, we were all inside with the flap zippered shut. Somewhere between the fire and here we had all lost all our clothes. I couldn’t decide what to touch, to kiss, first. Kait made the first move, stepping closer and claiming my mouth. It seemed to break the impasse, causing Travis to step forward too. Travis went down on his knees, suckling first at a nipple before moving lower. Kait wrapped his arms around me, keeping me steady while Travis slung one of my legs over his shoulder. He kissed up the inside of my leg until he reached the junction, where he nipped and licked until I couldn’t breathe. Kait finally released my mouth to move down my body. Travis moved away and Kait swept me into his arms.

  With my mouth on his neck, he walked a few steps before he deposited me face first on a high cot. He wrapped an arm around my middle and pulled me up to my hands and knees before inserting two fingers between my folds. I gasped as Travis knelt in front of me again to take my mouth. I felt Kait push at my mind, so I let him in. He was sharing both his and Travis’s thoughts and feelings, which threatened to overwhelm me. He moved his fingers and I moaned against Travis. My hips moved against Kait’s fingers while Travis’s hands roamed my body. I could feel how much they both wanted me, as they throbbed almost painfully.

  Kait’s fingers withdrew but was replaced quickly as he pushed himself into me gently. One of Travis’s hands left my body to grasp himself. The feeling of Kait filling me as well as feeling Travis’s hands on himself and me was almost too much. We moaned toget
her as Kait thrust in time with Travis’s movements. I caught Travis’s eyes and licked my lips. He kissed me before he stood up and presented himself. I licked a milky drop off the tip before circling the head with my tongue.

  Travis swayed before bracing himself on the cot. As I pulled him into my mouth, I began moving in time with Kait’s thrusts. The feelings in my head were overwhelming, quickly bringing me to the edge. Kait knew I was ready to combust, so he slowed down, deliberately keeping me from coming apart. I moaned and attempted to pick up the speed again but Kait’s fingers tightened on my hips to stop me. He circled his hips a few times before going back to slow thrusts.

  Travis’s hips moved in counterpoint to my head, with one hand tangled in my hair, and the other rolling my nipple between his fingers. Kait matched his tempo with Travis, slowly building the pleasure back up. With almost no warning, I combusted, bringing Kait with me. Travis was not far behind. They both stepped back briefly, leaving me with an empty feeling. Travis pulled me up and into his arms before descending roughly on my mouth. Kait moved behind me, pressing his body against me as he nibbled on that sensitive spot on my neck. Travis’s hands roamed over my body, which sparked to life again.

  Kait’s arm snaked around me to tweak my nipple while his mouth was still on my neck. I gasped against Travis, who ground his hips against me. He was already hardening against me again. Kait’s other hand moved downward to circle between my folds. One more deep kiss, then Travis pulled me from Kait’s arms to pick me up and lay us on the cot. He nibbled up my neck as he settled himself above me. Kait moved to where I could see him. Deliberately holding my gaze, he reached down to grasp his already hard member and began a slow stroke.

  Travis entered me as his kisses reached my lips. He began a slow rhythm with his hips, then kissed back down my neck before suckling on a nipple. I watched Kait’s hand, which matched our tempo as I grabbed Travis’s butt, pulling him against me faster to increase the pace. He moaned. I could feel how close we all were through Kait’s link.

  “I’m not going to last, Babe. Slow down.” His voice was husky, and damn, it just sent an electric tingle straight to where it mattered. I was too close to stop. One last thrust, and we combusted, both guys moaning out my name. The sensations of the three of us orgasming at the same time overloaded my mind. I was physically and mentally incapable of moving. After a moment, Travis stood up, pulling me up with him.

  My legs were wobbling, so Kait swept me up in his arms again. This time, though, he gently laid me down on the sleeping bags, then climbed in beside me. Travis laid down on the other side, then zipped us all in. Kait still was projecting his and Travis’s thoughts and feelings to me, flooding me with their love. I buried my head in Kait’s shoulder as Travis snuggled up to my back. I was content; the only thing missing was David. His absence was like a hole in my heart. Arms tightened on me from both sides as they felt my pain and added their own. We fell asleep like that.

  **********

  When I woke up in the morning, Kait was already out of bed. I snuggled against Travis’s side with my head on his shoulder. I was warm and comfy and I seriously debated whether I was ready to get up. My bladder decided for me. Carefully, I extricated myself from his arms without waking him, although he grumbled a little as he rolled over. I found my clothes and dressed before heading out of the tent. It seemed like we had probably given Eir enough of a show last night; I didn’t want to give her more.

  Why aren’t I embarrassed about what happened? I actually feel more complete. Like the bond with Travis and Kait was stronger somehow. I’ve got to ask. After I relieved myself, I went looking for Kait. I found him by the dying fire, talking with Eir. They both looked up as I approached. Kait jumped up, ran to me and kissed me hard. I pulled away first, then looked into his brown eyes.

  “Good morning, Kait. What happened last night?” I whispered. Eir knew what happened but she didn’t have to hear our conversation about it.

  “Well, we had a threesome.” Kait was smirking as he answered me. I could feel my face heating and I looked at the ground.

  “I know that! Why? Why was it so irresistible?”

  He put a finger under my chin and tilted my face back up to his before he rested his forehead on mine. “That was the first time you used a lot of power. When you flooded your body with your power, it set off the bond. It wasn’t strong enough to balance the power so it drew us together to intensify our bond. It will most likely happen again when we find David, and maybe before that.”

  I shivered as I thought about it. There was no way I could have stopped anything last night. Not that I regretted it or that I hadn’t enjoyed it, because I most certainly had. I looked back into his eyes. “Why do I feel more complete?”

  “That is us, in your mind. With the bond secure, our feelings and thoughts are more solid now.” Now that he pointed it out, I could feel them. They nestled nicely in my head, each in their own little spot, and I could easily separate Kait from Travis, who was just now beginning to wake up and was frantically looking for me. I giggled lightly as I pointed at Kait’s chest.

  “Ha! Now the tables are turned! I can read your mind and respond to unspoken thoughts to unsettle you!”

  He smiled as he put his arms around me. “Good luck, Princess. I don’t think anything I don’t want you to know.” Then he remembered, deliberately I’m sure, the physical feelings from the night before. I stifled a gasp as I turned away from him. He chuckled and put his hand on my back. “Go on, Princess, breakfast is waiting. I will go get Travis.”

  I groaned. “Not another MRE? Please?”

  “Eir found us some local eggs and has cooked them over the fire. They are safe to eat.” I could still hear laughter in his words, but at least he wasn’t projecting thoughts at me anymore. He turned to go back to the tent.

  “I’m so glad you cooked, Eir!” I hurried over to the fire where Eir was waiting, holding out a plate for me.

  She smiled and nodded. “It is my pleasure. Training yesterday went well and I would like to continue it when we stop tonight. We will move on to other skills and I will not make you use your full power again.” As my face heated, I nodded. She chuckled. “Do not be embarrassed, child. If I had known the status of your bond, I would not have asked you to use that much power. It was a natural reaction and I will not push you that far again for a while.”

  Wordlessly, I nodded again. There wasn’t much I could say to that. When I glanced at her, she had a small secretive smile.

  Chapter 5

  I was just finishing up my breakfast when Kait came back over with Travis, who headed right to me. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently.

  “Morning, Babe. I love you.” He still looked sleepy, and he had total bedhead. I smiled as I ran my hands through his black hair, attempting to get it into some semblance of order. His brilliant blue eyes locked on mine.

  “Love you too.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. I glanced away and noticed Eir was holding out a plate of food. “Oh, here! Eir made breakfast from some local eggs she found.”

  He gave me a disbelieving look as he took the food. Kait gave him an almost imperceptible nod, so Travis shrugged and began eating. While he ate, Kait and I packed up the sleeping bags and the tent. I glanced around.

  “Kait, where is the cot from last night?”

  Kait actually looked a little sheepish as he shrugged. “I made it last night specifically for the purpose we used it for. When I got up this morning, I returned it to the elements I made it from.”

  I stared at him. “If that was the case, why didn’t you make one big enough for all of us to sleep in? Then we wouldn’t have had to sleep on the ground.”

  “I didn’t think of it.” I couldn’t believe it. He always said he wasn’t perfect, but it was rare that he didn’t think things through. He turned on me before leaning in close to whisper in my ear. “I was more than a little distracted last night, Princess, and wasn’t thinking past what I wante
d to do to you. You have that effect on me more than you know.” He went back to folding up the tent so it would fit in his pack. Arms wrapped me up from behind as Travis laid his head on my shoulder.

  I patted his hands, which were around my waist. “Poor baby, are you still tired?”

  He nodded against my shoulder. “I slept really well last night, but I’m still sleepy right now. I want to go back to bed.”

  Laughing, I said, “Too bad. Kait already took down the tent. We need to get moving.”

  “I wish we had coffee.”

  “Me, too.”

  “There’s instant coffee in my pack.” Kait said as he walked up to us.

  I mock-gasped at him. “I can’t believe you were holding out on me.” Travis let go and moved away.

  Kait put a hand on his hip as he smirked at me. “I don’t think you asked for coffee, Princess. It’s not holding out if you don’t request it.”

  He has point. But I not going to admit that to him. He snickered as I walked away to find the instant coffee, which wasn’t the best, but I would take anything resembling coffee at this point. Travis was already heating some water in a pot over the fire. I dug through the pack, quickly finding both the coffee and some mugs. I glanced back at Kait, who had almost finished putting away the tent. “Do you want a cup?”

  “No thanks, Princess. I don’t need coffee enough to drink instant.”

  I didn’t respond to that. It seemed like a subtle dig at me but I wasn’t awake enough to decide if it made me mad. I hurried back to the fire, where the pot Travis had put on was steaming. After I put the cups on the hard ground in front of Travis, I stepped back a bit, since I didn’t want to get burned. He carefully poured the water in, then scooped the coffee into the cups. I stirred mine as I watched Kait pack the rest of our stuff away. Then he came over to the fire and sat down next to me.