Second Skin Omnibus

by M Damon Baker

  “It’s alright, Thelmé,” I assured her. “This is an unscheduled visit. Líann has been quite helpful to me, and I wanted to surprise her.”

  Thelmé was quite relieved by my words, and before I asked her to take me to Líann, I inquired about her progress working on the elven Queen’s manners.

  “She is trying very hard, Empress, I assure you,” Thelmé informed me. “She even catches herself at times before I have to point things out to her. Truly, you are making her into the Queen she was always meant to be.”

  Thelmé’s eyes filled with emotion at her last comment, and I gave her a moment to recover before asking her to take me to Líann.

  “The Queen has yet to come out of her chambers this morning,” Thelmé told me. “I’ll go make sure that she’s ready to receive you.”

  “There’s no need for that,” I replied, stopping Thelmé before she could make Líann aware that I was here. “I’d rather surprise her anyway.”

  I entered Líann’s chambers and saw that not only hadn’t she stepped outside them, she hadn’t even woken up yet. I walked up beside her, fully intending to wake her up, but found myself sitting down on the edge of the bed and just staring at Líann instead.

  I had never seen her at rest, and looking over her beautiful features in such a state of peace and calmness was almost breathtaking. Streaks of her long, blond hair ran across the flawless pale skin of her face, and as I gently brushed them aside, her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked at me for a moment before recognition lit up her eyes, and she practically bolted upright in panic.

  “I’m sorry, Empress!” She apologized to me for some strange reason. “Please tell me what I did wrong, and I will make amends.”

  She was clearly distressed, and her obviously anxious state made me wonder just what was going through her mind.

  “What makes you think you did something wrong, Líann?”

  “Why else would you be here?” She responded in confusion.

  “Líann, I came here because you’ve done well, not to chastise you,” I reassured her. “You were very helpful with Gilfri, and Thelmé has nothing but good things to say about your behavior, as do I. So, when I got your letter, I decided to come see you, rather than make you wait until later to tell me your news.”

  Líann’s shoulders visibly relaxed as the tension she’d been holding fled from her body. Then, she reached across the bed, grabbed a robe that was lying there and slipped into it as she stood up.

  “Is this alright, or would you prefer me to get dressed before our discussion?” She asked.

  I recognized the dark green robe from the last time I’d seen her in it, but with the front tightly cinched, it didn’t have quite the same effect on me as it had when it had been barely clinging to her shoulders.

  “That should be fine,” I said as we took our seats at the small table nearby.

  “So, what is it that you have to report, Líann?” I asked her.

  “Why, the reparations, of course,” she casually replied.

  “What reparations?”

  “The reparations Olóra must pay for Gilfri’s attacks against you and your Empire” she explained as if it should have been obvious.

  “Really?” I replied, utterly taken by surprise with the news.

  “Don’t you want to know how much I got out of them for you?” Líann beamed with pride.

  “Is it a lot?” I asked her.

  “Yes,” she answered me.

  “How much?”

  “After quite a bit of negotiation,” she began, “I got them to agree to my terms. I might have overstated the potential consequences of their failure to concede just slightly, but I think you’ll forgive me when you hear how much I was able to get for you.”

  “Your dragging this out purposely,” I noted, with just a hint of irritation.

  “I am,” she admitted with a smile. “But only because I want you to appreciate how much effort I put into this for you.”

  “Consider your hard work noted,” I sighed. “Now tell me how much.”

  “One thousand Talons,” she began before I cut her off.

  “One thousand?!” I exclaimed incredulously. “That’s amazing, Líann!”

  “You didn’t let me finish,” she replied with amusement.

  “Please, continue,” I urged her when it was clear that she was waiting for me to give her leave.

  “As I said,” she resumed with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “One thousand Talons will be paid in restitution for the attack on your soldiers. That action constituted an act of war, so the price of its forgiveness is consequentially quite high.”

  “In addition, they agreed to pay fifty Talons for each of the soldiers you lost in that attack. That is an unusually high amount, but once I convinced them of just how highly you value your people, they relented.”

  “Finally, there was the issue of the attempts on your life. For those crimes, Wenflé and the others will pay five hundred Talons… for each attempt that was made.”

  I sat there open-mouthed, gaping in wonder at the absolute fortune that Líann had secured for me. With the eleven soldiers we’d lost, and the three confirmed assassination attempts against me, Líann had negotiated 2,250 Talons in reparations—an almost ungodly sum of money.

  “You can thank me appropriately when the time comes,” Líann teased as I sat there motionlessly.

  “Will this bankrupt them?” Was oddly the first thought that came to mind.

  Líann laughed softly before she responded.

  “That is so typical of you,” she almost giggled as she replied. “No, Olóra will be fine. They will have to sell off most off Gilfri’s holdings, and dip into their treasury a bit, but with him dead and no true heir, no one will be hurt in the process.”

  Líann had not only solved the problem of how I was going to pay for the resurrection scrolls I needed but also secured the financial well-being of my Empire for quite some time. With this sudden windfall, and the continued production of silver from our mines, I could banish my economic concerns almost entirely. I had no words to express how grateful I was, but fortunately, words weren’t the kind of thanks Líann wanted.

  “I will reward you for this properly,” I said as I rose out of my chair. “Soon. I’m just not quite ready for that yet. But, if you’d like a taste of what’s to come between us, I’m willing to give you that much. Right now.”

  Líann’s amusement vanished immediately and she stood up shakily beside me as she silently nodded her assent. I stared into her eyes intently as she stood there and reached out to grab hold of the sash that bound her robe together.

  I felt Líann exhale a deep breath as I gently tugged and pulled her belt free before letting it fall from my fingers. Just as the first night we’d met in this very room, her robe hung open loosely in front of me, only this time, it was me who’d undone the garment.

  She wore her silky sleeping dress underneath, so she wasn’t quite as exposed this time, and she let out a startled gasp when I wrapped my arm around her narrow waist and pulled her to me. But soft and gentle wasn’t what she needed, so once we were pressed together, I backed her into the wall, pushing her against it with my body, and lit my eyes on fire for her.

  “I will come for you soon, Líann,” I breathed the words almost directly into her mouth. “And when I do, I’m going to take you, just like you want me to.”

  Líann wriggled and squirmed, not in any vain attempt at escape, but in an effort to make as much contact with me as possible while I held her there. I felt so in control at that moment that I let the arm I’d wrapped around her slip down and brush against the bare skin of her thigh. I lingered there only a moment before running my hand along her silky skin, hiking up her thin dress until the palm of my hand rested on her waist, just above the slight flare of her hips.

  “How much more can you take?” I whispered against her soft lips.

  “I don’t know,” she confessed, barely able to speak.

  Beyond ign
iting the glow in my eyes, I hadn’t used any of my abilities on her—yet. But when she uttered those three words, I was overcome with the desire to finish her. To make her finish. On my terms.

  I knew that this was how things were going to be between us, and part of me was startled by what I was about to do. Well, not what I was going to do, only that I’d decided to do it so soon, before I was really ready to truly embrace Líann and all that would come with her. But my desire to dominate her was becoming too strong, and I needed what she was offering me; the ability to vent, to assert my dark side without harming anyone. She was my foil, the one I could count on to absorb my shadows and help me keep them under control, and I simply had to have her.

  I squeezed Líann’s narrow waist and ran my other hand along the opposite side of her body until my palm cupped her small, firm breast. She quivered against me and I pressed into her even harder, glaring into her eyes with my glowing green irises as I sent the first thin tendrils of desire into her.

  Líann gasped loudly as I sent my threads of passion into her, and I let them run wild inside her while my hands ran over the flawless skin of her body. When her thin dress got in the way of my explorations, I gripped the front of it with both hands and tore it away from her body. The unexpected display of strength and abandon stirred something in her, and I felt her body begin to shudder in release as I pressed myself against her tightly.

  Instead of flowing into her gently, I pushed the power of my tendrils to her, and she cried out as the force of my passion drove her beyond her limits. I showed her no restraint and poured even more of myself into her and she quivered almost helplessly, remaining upright against the wall only because I held her pinned against it. Despite the overwhelming energy I funneled into her release, I could feel her reveling in my power as I continued to channel even more of it into her. I was giving her far too much, making her release into a game for my own enjoyment, but for Líann, that was exactly what she craved.

  When I finally let it end, Líann slid down to the floor as soon as I backed away from her, and she continued quivering as I picked her up and laid her down in her bed. During our entire encounter, I’d held Líann firmly pinned in place, and although my hands had wandered across her entire body, it was only when I laid her down on the soft mattress that I finally took in just how truly incredible she was.

  Líann lay almost still, and with her robe spread open and the tattered remains of her nightdress lying somewhere behind me on the floor, every subtle arc and curve of her lay bare before me. She was thin, but with undeniably graceful curves, and the perfect circles of her small breasts slowly rose and fell with every tantalizing breath she took. Her pale skin glistened slightly in the morning light that filtered in through the sheer curtains, and I couldn’t help but let my fingers trace along the contours of her body as I sat down beside her.

  “I didn’t plan on doing that, Líann,” I spoke to her softly, unsure if she was even awake. “But now that I have, I don’t regret it one bit.”

  “I don’t either,” she whispered back as her eyes opened just a crack.

  “Líann,” I hesitated. “Despite what happened, I meant what I said—I won’t call this a mistake. I wouldn’t lie to you like that, but I’m not ready to truly commit to you just yet either.”

  “I know,” she smiled back at me. “I could feel that much from you. You will come for me soon enough, and until then, you’ll use me as you will. It’s what we both need—I know that now. All my doubts are gone, Empress. You’ve given me far more than you intended. You’ve given me the peace of knowing that what I want will truly come to pass.”

  Líann seemed to always be able to surprise me somehow. Whether it was her insights, her willingness to change, or even her maddening ability to outmaneuver me, the woman constantly impressed me with just how capable she was. There was much more we could have said to each other, but I’d clearly exhausted her, so I reluctantly covered her in blankets, tucked her in, and kissed her gently on the cheek before she fell into a deep sleep.

  I closed the door softly behind me as I left Líann’s bedroom, and Thelmé was there almost immediately as I did so.

  “Leave her alone, Thelmé,” I stopped her as she seemed ready to tend to her Queen. “She’s a bit under the weather and asked me to tell you to let her rest for a while.”

  “Is there anything I should fetch for her?” Thelmé asked in concern.

  “No. I’ve actually seen to her needs,” I replied quite honestly. “All she requires is to be left alone now. Don’t disturb her until she comes out herself or calls for you. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, Empress,” Thelmé responded with a deep bow of her head.

  Once I left Líann’s rooms behind, I headed for Stel’s offices to make him aware of the incredible sum of money we would be receiving from Olóra. As Finance Minister, he needed to be the next to know of the windfall Líann had negotiated for us.

  As I sat across from Stel and told him the news, I thought the disclosure would catch him by surprise, but Líann had beaten me to it.

  “Yes, the Queen informed me of this development by letter last night,” Stel replied, thoroughly unfazed by what I’d told him. “She thought it wise to let me know so that I might begin making the appropriate arrangements for receiving such a large sum but did ask me to let her inform you herself of what she’d negotiated.”

  “You know,” Stel mused. “You might want to try and keep her around as long as possible. She’s quite accomplished and has proven herself to be a great asset. Considering how much more pleasant she’s become, you might even want to become friends with her.”

  “I’ll consider doing just that,” I replied in amusement.

  I couldn’t hide the smile on my face as I marched back upstairs. Not only had Stel’s ironic suggestion amused me to no end, but I was beginning to truly feel at ease with my personal situation. A thought started to occur to me but was interrupted as we reached the barracks level that was just below my residence, and I heard a cacophony of shouts erupting from inside. When I remembered that Tási was supposed to be introducing Saibra as the newest member of my guards, I feared for the worst and rushed inside to try and quell the dissention and pick up the broken pieces of my guards.

  My worst fears seemed to have been confirmed when I was greeted by the sight of Saibra, with blades in hand, surrounded by almost the entirety of my personal guard. I was about to start casting Bolt to break up the fray, when Ella spoke to me quite casually.

  “She’s pretty amazing with those,” she commented without a hint of concern.

  Her words made me reevaluate the scene around me, and I finally noticed that the blades in Saibra’s hands were the dulled weapons reserved for practice. The tone of the shouting around me resolved into competing chants, encouraging the group of guards who were sparring against Saibra, and surprisingly, not a small number that were urging the reformed assassin on as well.

  What I had taken for a brawl was actually a competition, and Saibra’s broad grin, and the obvious reluctance of the guards facing off against her, told me exactly who was winning that contest.

  “I never thought she’d be… embraced so easily,” I commented in shock.

  “Are you fu… kidding me?” Tana reined in her enthusiasm from beside me. “She killed me before I could even draw my blade. Once Tási told us you’d let her hold a dagger to your neck, and what she did with Gilfri, no one had any doubts about her. I for one am definitely happy to have her on our side now.”

  I turned my attention back to the sparring only to find that Saibra had scored hits on two of the guards in the short time my attention had been diverted. I watched in amazement as she feigned an attack at one of the remaining four and then spun around to strike two of them who had sought to take advantage of the false opening she’d created to entice them in. With only a pair left against her, it wasn’t even a fair fight anymore, and with a series of flashing whirls of her blades, she cut them both down in just a few short sec
onds.

  “Ella,” I turned to her without even attempting to conceal my awe. “You’d better make good use of her or I swear I’m going to give her your job.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you,” Ella laughed. “Saibra’s not only going to be part of your detail most days, but I also intend to put her in charge of training the rest of us, myself included. I dare say that her blade skills are beyond even those of the First Marshal. We can all learn quite a bit from her.”

  “Tási told me that you promised to make her one of your guards, and in light of her abilities, I intend to assign her the rank of lieutenant, unless you object.”

  That promotion would jump Saibra over a rather large number of my guards who had been serving me faithfully for quite some time, but Saibra’s capabilities more than warranted the rank Ella was offering, and I agreed with her intentions wholeheartedly.

  “Do it,” I replied without hesitation. “And let me know when these training sessions are scheduled. I’m certain I could learn a thing or two from your newest lieutenant as well.”

  “I’ll make sure to let you know. It might be fun to see you get your… head handed to you for a change,” Ella taunted me just a little.

  I gave her a nasty look as I departed, but Ella only laughed it off, knowing that my irritation with her was feigned. On my way up the final flight of stairs, I tried to recapture the thoughts that had been forming in my mind when the shouts from the barracks broke my concentration, but the moment of clarity that had been coming together for me had been lost. In frustration, I retired to my rooms and lay down to try and clear my mind.

  What I’d been thinking of at the time was how increasingly comfortable I was becoming with the very non-traditional arrangement of my personal life. While I preached tolerance, monogamy was still a hallmark of nearly all societies, and I had always intended to follow that example myself. But I simply couldn’t deny the fact that my needs transcended that model. Since becoming a Sintári, several of my emotional facets seemed to become more intense than the others and required the specific attentions of each of my lovers. Such relationships were simply not normal for the humans of this world, but I was finding myself less and less concerned with that fact.