Lorcan’s were the same, it was a Fae trait, but the rest of Lorcan looked physically human. Long, lean body, and a face that women found attractive, if the fan club he’d acquired at the dens was any indication. He was a little too feminine for her tastes. His eyes were a strange swirled blue and purple, like the galaxy through a telescope.
He was beautifully inhuman though, like a predator, and there was a part of the human flight or fight response that recognized that he was dangerous. Although in true New Yorker style no one batted an eyelid at their appearance, but they did take a wide berth around the pair. They both wore sunglasses when they were in public, so as to not alarm the humans, but it was like a Groucho Marx disguise. You still knew they were something else.
Azar didn’t want to interrupt, so she sat down on the ground opposite them cross-legged, and closed her eyes too. She felt instantly calmer surrounded by nature. She wracked her memory to try and remember if being in touch with the earth had always made her feel this good, or if it was just since Jack had sat her in that Faery circle in the Amazon and showed her how to commune with Danu.
She sat with her palms on the grass on either side of her thighs and just let herself feel the energy that ran through all things. The energy created by people walking across the dirt, or throwing a football and the dog running to catch a Frisbee multiplied and ran through her hands. Even the grass, growing ever so slowly beneath her hands, sent a buzz through her palms. Life hummed in every square inch of Central Park, and it all flowed along its surface and into her body. All the pressure of life, the tenseness in her shoulders, and the weight of the world, left her for a moment.
Her body became a conduit for the sound of birds, the laughter of children playing, the music of the wind flowing through the leaves on the magnolia tree above her. It was too beautiful in that moment, and she thought she might break apart.
She felt someone watching her and her eyes snapped open. Jack and Lorcan were staring at down at her.
“Sorry. I was just resting.”
Jack smiled. “Yes, for the last thirty-five minutes.”
Azar’s eyes shot to her watch. “Shit, shit, shit! I’m going to be late.”
Lorcan smiled. “Hold my hand. I’ll sift us there. Jack?”
Jack shook his head. “It is okay, Lorcan. Check in with your men. I will take Azar back to the War Council, even if I am pushing the boundaries of my interference limitations.”
Lorcan laughed, a full, open sound that seemed to boom around her. “You gave her Basatine. I think you are jumping up and down on that boundary, my friend.”
Jack laughed, and touched Azar’s arm. He was always touching her softly, and with anyone else, such constant touching would freak her out. But with Jack, it felt natural, like her body needed the contact like it needed to draw breath.
He pulled her gently into his arms, wrapping his hand around her waist. She stepped another fraction closer, so her body was cradled in his, and gave in to the urge to rest her head on his chest. Why did being with Jack have to feel so right? Why did her love life have to continue to be so confusing? Jack’s hands skimmed up her back until they sat on either side of her spine.
“Safe journey,” Jack whispered, his face so close to hers that she could feel the small puffs of his breath on her cheeks. “Remember to brace at the knees.”
“What?” Azar’s confusion was short lived as she was hurtled through space, across town.
They landed in the alley behind the conference rooms that was doubling as the Djinn meeting space.
Azar nearly collapsed, but Jack's arm around her waist was bracing her tightly against his body.
She looked up into his large moss hued eyes, and felt too warm. Her lips parted of their own accord, and his gaze slid down her face. He wanted to kiss her, she could feel it in her blood. He wanted to find a sun-dappled patch of grass, somewhere in the wild where silence and nature reigned, and lay her down and make love to her until she promised she’d be with him forever. But he never said those words, and she couldn’t explain how she knew that’s what he wanted. Did they have some kind of weird Vulcan mind meld thing going on? Because deep down, in a place that wasn’t governed by what was right and wrong, that didn’t give a flying fuck what society thought, that part wanted him too.
It was just the connection of the Tuatha. That was it.
Sure it is. I wonder if all these men would want you so much if they knew you were so delusional. The mean little voice inside her mind was back. The voice of reason.
Azar let out a cough, and stepped back. “Holy shit that was disorientating. I think I’m going to throw up.”
“It is always strange the first time. You will adapt to it. It is proof of your Tuatha Dé Danann heritage though. If you had been anything else, your particles would have spread and you’d have disintegrated within minutes.”
“Seriously? You didn’t think to tell me that before we went half way across town?”
Jack shrugged. “I was quite sure you were Tuatha.” He hesitated, a doubt creeping into his expression that she’d never seen before. It was odd expression on his normally confident face. “Azar, if I may, could I hold you for a little longer? I find myself more starved for touch than I originally anticipated. I did not realize how much I’d missed it, until I had the opportunity to hold you a little closer.”
Azar hesitated. She didn’t want to say no, even though she knew she should. She already had two giant problems, without giving into this…compulsion she had around Jack.
Fuck it. How much more trouble could she be in really? If Bast was going to be mad at her, cuddling with Jack was going to be way down the list. But still, she couldn’t help but glance around guiltily, even though Bast was incorporeal, and she was not really doing anything wrong. When she was sure the alley was empty, she stepped back into Jack’s arms and gave into the urge to lie her head on his chest. She listened to a heart that had beat for more years than she could comprehend, who had been filled with love and broken in two more times than was probably survivable by anyone other than Jack. A heart that was literally indestructible. He wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her tight to his chest, his fingers threaded into her hair, cupping her scalp. She let the feeling of peace wash over her in a wave. Let herself enjoy this one moment of calm.
“You know, Oliver said that Were women usually have many partners.”
Jack made a deep, rumbling sound. “Indeed. Polyamorous relationships are found in many places in nature. There is nothing strange or wrong in the concept.”
Did that mean he was okay with the idea? Would he want to be part of a polyamorous relationship? She was too chicken to ask. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and just enjoyed the moment.
Because she was starved for touch too. They stood there silently, just letting life pass them by, even though she was late for the meeting, and that she had more guy trouble than any one woman had any right to have.
Finally, she took a fortifying breath and stepped away. “We should go, we’re late.”
He looked at her then, staring deep into her soul in a way that felt heavier than it had a moment before.
“Yes.”
She felt like he was saying yes to something greater than returning to a room full of stuffy politicians. But she didn’t let herself hope.
Chapter 13
Azar watched the last van load of Were mothers and children drive away from the dens with a feeling of relief and trepidation.
The Council, on the advice of Lorcan, decided that they would move their entire army into a defensible position, and wait until the Fae attacked. Separated, the different races were easy pickings for the much larger fae army, who could sift in, kill them off, and then sift out again without breaking a sweat.
However, if everyone came together as one Allied army, the Fae would have to sift in much larger, more noticeable numbers. They would lose their element of surprise, allowing the Allied army to defend. At least, that was the gis
t of the reasoning. Azar was no military strategist.
The dens were put forward, as the army could be housed underground, preventing sifting. Aaron had been hesitant at first, but eventually agreed on the proviso that all the women and children be moved to a safer, secure location.
It had taken three whole days to arrange the evacuation. The army would move in this afternoon. Then all that was left to do was train and wait. Every day the Fae didn’t attack frayed her nerves a little more.
She looked down at Nevyn, who stood at her side. They’d decided that sending Nevyn with the Were was too dangerous, for both him and the Were. So he’d stayed. Freya insisted that if Nevyn got to stay, so did she. Donovan had cajoled, threatened, used his parent voice, but the girl had stood fast. She would only go where Nevyn went.
Being grownups, no one had given in to the demands of the child, and they’d stuffed her in the first of the vans to leave. Azar had waved goodbye and watched Freya’s face pressed against the glass of the window as it drove away down the dirt track with relief and sadness.
It was short lived. Twenty minutes later, a distressed Were woman, whose name Azar had already forgotten, called and said Freya had jumped out of the window at a T-intersection and ran like the wind back toward the dens. Azar had sent Oliver out to find her, and he’d brought her back looking fearful, but with a stubborn set to her chin. So they’d let her stay.
Donovan had looked just as relieved, although he gave the girl the scolding of her life. The scolding of a Shaitan parent was something to behold, but Freya had just looked at him with her big, black eyes, framed with those long, sooty lashes, so like her father’s, and he’d relented. So, they’d been given strict rules and placed in the safest den room in the place.
Lorcan had volunteered to teach Freya how to wield a knife, for the direst of circumstances, and Donovan had begrudgingly agreed. Even Azar had been horrified by the fact that this was a practicality of war.
Nevyn was already well versed in the dagger and the sword. They’d given him a light short sword, and he’d gone through a set of exercises with the grace and fluidity of all the Fae.
He still had the short sword in a sheath that was belted around his waist.
“Nevyn, do you know what your magical superpower is?” Azar had thought about asking Lorcan if he knew, but it seemed wrong somehow. The boy was far older than his cherubic face appeared.
“I can sense other Tuatha Dé Danann and Faery circles from great distances.” He looked up at her with eyes the color of storm clouds.
She nodded. “I meant your Fae abilities. The ones you inherited from the Fae side of your family.”
Nevyn shrugged. “It isn’t a very good one in battle. I can see into a person’s soul and know their hearts. Mother told me it was an ability that hadn’t ever been seen before.”
Azar wouldn’t have been more shocked if he said he sprouted six heads and did the hula.
“Really?” she squeaked out. She suddenly felt very exposed. He gave her a reassuring pat on the arm.
“It’s okay, Az. Your soul shines golden. Your heart though, it is hurting. I’m sorry.”
She ruffled the boy’s hair and held back tears. “Thanks, buddy. You’d tell me if there was anyone you were worried about, right?
Nevyn nodded. “No one is pure of heart and soul. Except Jack, but he doesn’t really count. But I hardly see anyone with a black heart and soul. Sometimes one or the other, like Mr. Donovan. His soul isn’t black, but it’s dull, like someone smeared mud all over it. But his heart is pure, and that is good enough for me. Freya has a beautiful heart and soul, but they aren’t pure either. Close enough, though.”
The fact that Nevyn could judge people on such an intimate basis had to be hard for the child. Because heaven knows, there were some black hearted people in the world whose soul she’d never want to see.
They walked back towards the entrance of the den. “It mightn’t be the best magic for battle, but it will make you a fine and fair King one day.”
He just nodded sagely and walked in ahead of her. “I’m going to find Freya and teach her to fight.” With that, he was gone down into the multitude of tunnels.
She walked down further into the network of caves looking for Bast. He’d returned this morning from his trip to South America, and had brought the majority of the South American Adel garrison with him. They’d put the vulnerable Djinn into hiding also, as had the Unbound. Those with little combat or battle experience, those too young or too old to fight, all went into undisclosed locations. Vincent and Mavis went with the Unbound, and the Council members had been dispersed back to their own countries. As far as the Fae were concerned, everyone had gone deep underground in a way that only species that had spent their entire lives in hiding could.
Speaking of hiding, she finally found Bast in their room. She was drawn to him like a magnet, and it pulled her down the hall towards the small room they would share. Their relationship was rocky, to say the least, and she needed to clear the air. She wanted to show him that he was the love of her life, no matter his form. No matter who else held a little piece of her heart.
She walked into her room, and shut and locked the door. She knew he was there, but kept quiet. Instead, she slowly started to strip off her clothes, walking around the room as if she were there by herself. She felt a breeze slide lightly against her ass, and a smile tilted her lips. She jumped into the shower, feeling his eyes the entire time she soaped her body, spending extra time on her breasts.
Stepping out of the shower, she ignored the towel hanging on the railing and just walked back into the bedroom.
I know you know I’m here, Jaanaman.
“Oh, Bast, when did you get here? I was just about to change into my workout gear.” She bent over her duffle bag, waving her ass provocatively, and was rewarded by a low growl. A soft whisper of a touch ran down her spine, and she bit her lip.
You are a terrible liar, Azar. But I forgive you. Actually, if you stay in that position, I will forgive you almost anything. Bast let out another low groan. Wait until you close your eyes tonight, because I will make love to you until you beg, little tease.
Azar pouted. “I don’t want to wait until tonight. I want you to make love to me now.”
There was silence, and Azar could picture his face, perfectly neutral as he pondered the idea. While he was thinking about it, she wandered over to the bed, her hips swaying provocatively. She laid down on the bed, trying to look bored, but probably failing miserably. She arched her back as if she were stretching, pushing her bare breasts into the air.
There was a whispered oath in the air, and her body felt like it was blanketed by warmth, the pressure across her body deliciously dense. She closed her eyes and imagined her lover there with her. It was easy to do, as he whispered odes to her beauty in the old tongue.
Small puffs of air littered her still damp skin, up over the curve of her breasts and then on each of her wet nipples. They peaked eagerly, and the swirls of air traced the circle of her aureolas. The flow of air moved lower, dipping into her navel before continuing lower. The pressure increased as it reached lower, and it was firm when it passed over her clit, making her writhe on the bed. The pressure drew away, and she gave a small mewling noise. It returned again, but with even more pressure, rolling in small circles until she was panting.
It drew away again, and then it was inside her, thick and full as if it was Bast himself.
“Yes,” she whispered as Bast began to move, and then there were a million small points of air all over her, sucking at her skin like tiny mouths, over both her nipples and her clit, as the fierce pressure drove in and out of her body, thick and fast. She lost herself in the sensation, the absolute otherworldliness of it all and soon she was panting his name over and over as her climax whispered at the edges of her body.
“Please, Bast, please!”
He answered her pleas by creating a hard, sucking sensation on both her nipples and then driving himsel
f home with such force that he rocked her across the bed, over and over until she screamed his name, the pleasure rushing over her body and wetness flooding down her thighs.
She just lay there in the room, panting, Bast’s presence pressed along her like a second skin.
“That was intense,” she puffed out through a throat that was croaking from her screams. “Lucky these walls are solid rock.”
You are clever beyond measure.
“I’m sure I have no idea what you are implying.” She smiled at the ceiling.
I love you so much, it pains me not to be able to touch you for real. But this, to know I can make your body sing without having one of my own, it makes me very happy.
She smiled lovingly, feeling his gaze on her face. “I love you too, Bast. You. Not your body, or your face. I love your heart and soul. They are all that matter to me in the end. What I can’t stand is when you distance yourself from me. You have to promise me you won’t do it again.”
I am always with you, he whispered.
“Wow, this conversation is beginning to sound like a Disney movie with the talking animals,” she laughed, rolling onto her stomach. She had time for a quick nap, right?
I don’t know what kind of Disney movies you’ve been watching, but what we just did has never happened between the two talking cats in any Disney film I’ve ever seen.
Her chuckle bounced off the walls as she closed her eyes and drifted into her Oasis, where she could lie in the arms of the man she loved for just a little while.
She couldn’t rest, though. She needed to ask him something. It felt important, but she’d only just got him back and she was terrified. Terrified she’d lose him, and if not him, something else beautiful and special.
The Azar Omnibus: The Complete Azar Trilogy (The Azar Trilogy Book 0) Page 58
