by Gail Dayton
Because it had never mattered so much. And she had never been so stupidly stubborn.
They wouldn't be doing this if she hadn't forced them to it. Ironic it was, given that Torchay had usually been the stubborn one before. He pushed himself off the wall.
"Kallista." He used his sergeant's voice, loud without shouting. “It's time to wake. Duty calls."
He didn't know whether it was his old call from their army days or Aisse's cold, wet cloth on Kallista's forehead and neck, but their Godstruck ilias struggled to consciousness.
“Stop.” Kallista pushed Aisse away. “Why are you getting me all wet? Stop it."
Torchay glanced round at the others, but he couldn't lay this task on them. He'd been with her longest, he knew her best. The whole palace, including their ilian, acknowledged him as her second, no matter what Viyelle's official title might be or who bore the name of steward. He had to do this.
“Kallista.” He sat next to her on the bed, took both her hands in his. “You're out of time. I wish we had more to give you, but we don't. You must link with Padrey."
"Must?" She set her jaw and glared at him. “There is no must to it. I don't need him."
“Yes, you do. The demon's no’ destroyed, and it knocked you flat. Knocked you out. We could have done nothing to stop it, if it decided to—to do anything at all. You need Padrey. You need what his magic will give you."
“Why him?” She jerked her hands out of Torchay's and flung herself off the bed to pace. “Why him and not Keldrey? Kel's already one of us. Why couldn't he have been marked?"
“I don't know, Kallista.” Torchay's patience felt more like weariness. He was simply too tired to fight any longer.
“I've had a thought about that,” Joh said, and all eyes turned his way. “Perhaps there's a quality in the person that has to mesh with the magic they carry. You say Fox's magic carries order—and our Fox has a very strong sense of what's proper. Perhaps Padrey fits better with the sort of magic you need him to carry. Perhaps Keldrey is—well—"
“Goddess knows, I'm nothin’ like Stone,” Keldrey said.
“If anything, you're too much like Kallista,” Leyja said. “Both of you stubborn and hot-headed."
Kallista came close to them in her pacing, her eyes snapping sparks. “That—that thief is nothing like Stone. Nothing.” She spun away again. “No. No. We don't need him. I can do this with what we have."
Torchay took a deep breath. He'd reached the end of his patience. “I'm no’ going to argue any more."
“Good. Now what we need to do—” Kallista swept past him and he snagged her wrist, pulling her in.
The contact with Padrey had to be skin to skin. Harder for her to avoid it if all she wore was skin. Torchay slid his hands under her tunic to peel it off her.
“What—what are you doing?” Kallista struggled to free herself and Obed came to help undress her. “We don't have time for this.” She tried to pull her tunic back down, her trousers up. “Sex is a very bad idea right now. Demons, remember?"
Aisse was at her feet, hauling off her boots. Fox picked her up to make things easier, and in seconds, Kallista hadn't a thread of clothing left her.
“I remember.” Torchay hoisted her, rump up, over his shoulder. “That's why.” He headed for the door and Kallista understood what he meant to do.
“No!” she screamed, kicking out, twisting her body to throw herself free. She wasn't a small woman, almost as tall as the men in the ilian, and strong. Torchay lost his hold. Obed caught her. They carried her between them out of the bedroom and a short distance down the corridor.
Kallista fought them viciously. Fox, then Joh and Keldrey had to help, keep her from breaking free, from hurting anyone. Viyelle ran ahead and unlocked the door. It took all the women to open it against the weight of the man slumped against it.
At the sight of him, Kallista fought harder, desperate to stop this. She couldn't do it, wouldn't touch him, refused to know him. He wasn't Stone.
“No-oooo!” Her scream became a wail as they carried her to the bed, tossed her down, holding her there. “Please don't do this to me. Please. Torchay, please."
He lifted his head without loosening his grip a fraction and looked her, his eyes soft with pity, his face hard with determination. “Will you do it yourself then?"
“I can't.” She wept, ignoring the tears. “Don't, please don't make me."
“Goddess, Kallista.” He looked away, across the room. His throat moved as he swallowed something down. When he looked back, she could see no softness at all, only grim determination. “I have to."
“We have to.” Obed's voice called Kallista's attention past Torchay to his dark, sorrowful face. “You have to. There is no other choice."
“We always have choices."
“And you made yours seven years ago, on that broken wall in Ukiny,” Torchay said.
“I can't.” She knew she was whining, but she couldn't help it. It hurt too much.
"Stop this." Keldrey crawled up her body, grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “You're the Reinine, for the One's sake! Before that you were the Godstruck, and before that a soldier, a naitan in Adara's army. You're the only one who can destroy this demon. The. Only. One.” He punctuated each word with a little shake. “Without you, we all die. All our kids will be slaves, just like Sky. Is that what you want?"
“No!” How dare he suggest that she did?
“Unless you have all your magic, that's what's going to happen. So just stop this stupid messin’ about and do it.” Keldrey flung her down and rolled off the bed.
In the gap between Torchay and Obed, Kallista could see Padrey. The women had stripped him down, with Joh's help for the heavy lifting. Now, Joh held Padrey up at the edge of the bed, the dazed look in the young man's eyes fading as he focused on her. He was lean, but not as thin as she'd thought, his shoulders broad, arms and chest well muscled. Her magic stirred, scenting him on the air. It liked the way he looked. No, she liked the way he looked, especially as the flush of arousal crept over him.
She turned her head, hating herself for betraying Stone this way. “I can't,” she whispered.
“It's not betrayal.” Viyelle knelt at the side of the bed, murmuring in Kallista's ear. Had she read her mind? “Do you truly think Stone would begrudge you any pleasure? Would he want to see you like this, or would he be teasing you out of it?"
“Stone was a Warrior,” Fox said. “He knew that when one warrior falls, another must take his place."
Kallista squeezed her eyes shut. They were confusing her. The magic churned, making her dizzy, even lying down. The emotions seeping through the links confused things more, filled with worry and determination and—and love. So much love.
She felt for the empty place, the stump where Stone's link was severed and found more love. Faint and sweet, with a hint of distant laughter and a taste of “what are you waiting for?"
Your approval, she thought.
Silly woman. You know I always approve of sex. Even if I don't get to play.
Her choked laugh ended in a sob as she felt that last, faint touch of Stone leave her. She couldn't go back, couldn't have things like they were. Not ever again. Moving on wasn't a betrayal of what had been. No one could ever take Stone's place, but—the One had marked this new man. The One's judgment had never failed yet. Perhaps they could make a new place for him.
Kallista sighed and opened her eyes. “Touching his hand would have worked just fine. Don't you think all this is a bit overkill?” She gestured at her own nudity and Padrey's.
“I figured the more skin exposed, the more likely it would actually happen.” Torchay searched her face. “You'll do it?"
“Padrey.” Kallista tried to sit up, and warily, they let her. She reached out to the naked ex-thief. “Padrey, come here."
He blinked, shook his head. Not in a “no", but to clear it. “My Reinine?” His eyes went wide as he seemed suddenly to realize his state of undress and hers. “Oh shite. Saints
and all the holy sinners, I—"
With a laugh, Joh caught him round the middle and tossed him onto the bed as Obed scrambled out of the way. Padrey bounced, giving Obed time to prevent his attempted escape.
“I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't—I can't—Oh Goddess. Oh Ulili and Khralsh and—” Padrey babbled, calling on all the names of the One as he tried to scoot away.
“Shh.” Kallista eased down into the bed again.
“We should leave,” Leyja said. “Shouldn't we?"
Aisse shrugged. “We will be part of it, I think, whether here or elsewhere."
“I'll just go. I should go. Really.” Padrey crawled toward the foot of the bed. Fox blocked that escape.
“Padrey Emtal.” Kallista used her Reinine's voice, which was nothing more than her major's voice, six years older.
He went still, peeked at her over his shoulder. “My Reinine?"
“Did you, or did you not pledge yourself to my service?"
He swallowed hard. “I did. My Reinine."
She offered him a smile, fleeting because she feared he would try escaping again if she softened too much. “And did you offer yourself to the One, for whatever use you might be?"
“Not in those exact words. It was more like—"
"Did you?" she interrupted, insistent.
“Well ... yeah. I guess I did. More or less."
“And the One accepted the offer and marked you, correct?"
He shrugged, looking around at the other godmarked. “That's what they said. But I don't—"
Kallista held up a silencing finger. “Who is the Reinine here?"
Padrey subsided, flushing red. “You are."
She had to use his awe of her position while she could. If he had anything at all in common with Stone, it wouldn't last long. “Then come here."
“Where?” He gave her a wary look. Nope, not long at all.
“Here.” She patted the space beside her. “Now, Padrey."
Eying the men and women ranged around the room, Padrey scooted slowly up the bed until he occupied the farthest bit of the place she had patted, his legs drawn up to hide the fact that he was still aroused.
“Should we leave?” Torchay murmured from his place at her back.
Kallista shrugged. “Suit yourselves."
This moment had been different with each of her previous eight marked mates. Some of them had been bound in almost seamlessly, at the moment of their marking. For others of them, the binding had been a bit more ... spectacular. The greater the length of time between the marking and the binding, the more spectacular the binding seemed to be. Padrey had only been marked yesterday. Surely the magic wouldn't go so terribly wild. Still, better not to take chances.
“Whether you stay or go,” she said. “It might be a good idea to sit down. We haven't done this in a while."
“Done what?” Padrey seemed caught between worry and suspicion.
“This."
Kallista planted her hand in the middle of Padrey's chest. She had time to push him flat on his back and slide over him, breasts to chest, before the magic woke. It lifted its shaggy great head and shook it, shuddering Kallista. Then it seemed to realize more magic lay just beyond her skin, and roared with delight as it burst from her to snatch up Padrey's magic.
There was a moment's pause, a wrenching pain that had both Kallista and Padrey crying out, clawing at the bedcover as the magic he carried was twisted to fit with the rest. Then the magic leaped up in a whirling, joyous dance, thrumming through Kallista and Padrey in perfect step.
The magic loved the full-body touch between them, spinning back and forth, sensitizing their skin to the faintest whisper of pleasure and then screaming along it. Kallista moaned, Padrey shouted, grinding himself into her.
“Take him,” Obed said. “Take him inside you."
“If you want.” Torchay touched her at the same time Obed did, at the instant the magic reached for them.
It tumbled them both into the pleasure and joy, their intent lost. Kallista caught them, bound them into their places in the web of magic with the efficiency of years of practice. Padrey pushed up against her again and she shifted, sliding forward, up and then down, sheathing him inside her.
Her eyes rolled back in her head at the feel of him filling her, as if he poured magic directly into her with this more intimate touch. She tucked him close, both physically and magically, next to her heart, so she wouldn't lose him as the magic reached out again. It spilled in rapid order into Fox, Aisse, Joh, Viyelle and Leyja, and as it brought them into the dance, Kallista bound them swiftly into place, letting the magic send its joy between, around, through them.
The magic had a different flavor. This was a quieter joy, one that sprang from a darker place and flowed all the brighter because of it. Stone's joy was a fountain, spraying high into the air, splashing everyone who came near. This bubbled up like a mountain spring, forcing its way free of all the weight that tried to hold it prisoner. Kallista reached out, her godmarked reaching with her in a faint echo of hands, and pulled away the heaviest stones so that the spring could run free, clear, cold.
Padrey gasped. Kallista laughed and gave the magic a nudge to spin it faster as she began to ride him. All the strength developed by moving the magic without a ninth almost sent it out of her control now their new ninth was bound in, but she didn't try to slow it. She grabbed hold and rode the magic as she did Padrey, making sure everyone was tucked in safe before she lost herself to the sensations sweeping through in wild waves.
Rough, helpless noises came from Padrey's throat, echoing those in Kallista's mind, in her own throat. He bucked beneath her, beginning to lose the rhythm. Aisse cried out, or maybe it was Viyelle, but Kallista wasn't ready to let go. She wanted to push it farther, see how far, how high she could take this.
With a violent lunge of his body, Padrey rolled, somehow staying inside her as he took her with him, until he rose above her onto his knees. He lifted her hips, her legs over his arms as he used them to haul her closer, higher. Bracing one hand on the bed for leverage, he adjusted his position and thrust. The new angle touched that perfect place deep within.
Kallista screamed as the wave of magic crashed over her. Padrey managed another thrust before his climax brought her again. One after another, the others cried out, as if the magic wanted to give each of them his or her own distinct, separate climax, with all of them sharing in each moment.
If there were only nine moments. Kallista didn't count. There might have been more. Afterward, she only knew they had seemed to go on forever.
She stroked her hand over Padrey's fine, silky hair, and heard Torchay huff a breath of laughter through his nose.
“Aye then, it's right and done.” Torchay touched Kallista's cheek with a long forefinger. “You're petting him, like you always do the new ones."
“Do I?” Kallista felt limp and achy but ... right. Whole.
She smiled, content under Padrey's comforting weight. Her eyes drifted shut and she peeked inside herself at the echo of the web she'd built. She built it new each time she called the whole magic, but each of them always fit into the same place. When she'd woven this one, it had not seemed the same framework she'd used before. She wanted to look at it again, to be sure.
Padrey hadn't been simply plugged into Stone's old spot. He wouldn't have fit. Not because he was larger or smaller. He simply wasn't Stone.
He wasn't the same ... shape. She'd made a new place for him, tucked between Torchay and Viyelle, next to herself. Stone had always fit in next to Fox, somewhat above Obed. His place was still there, beginning to smooth over with new threads of magic and of love. Stone would always have a place, even if his magic could no longer fill it.
The bed jostled and Kallista realized the rest of the ilian had decided to join the four of them already on it. She opened one eye. “Is this the smartest thing for us to do?"
“Why wouldn't it be?” Aisse asked from her comfortable-looking spot cradled against Keldrey.<
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Kallista stroked her hand across Padrey's broad shoulder. He was the leanest of their men, but she thought it was his natural build rather than any lack of food. He hadn't put on any weight since living in the embassy. “For one thing, we don't want to terrify Padrey."
“Too late.” He tucked his face deeper into the hollow of her neck, as if hoping that since he couldn't see anyone, no one could see him.
Kallista chuckled. “It's all right, Padrey. No need for terror."
All right? No need? Padrey squeezed his eyes tighter shut. Maybe he could put off the moment of reckoning. Goddess, how had he come to be here? Here, in the Reinine's bed, in her body?
He remembered—oh, he remembered being inside her with her dark-haired, warrior-queen beauty rising above him, driving down onto him, and him caught in the grip of the wildest, fiercest pleasure he'd ever known. And that had been only the beginning. He didn't have words for the rest of it.
A hand, rough-textured and slender, settled on his back and he startled, relaxing as it stroked down his spine. Wait. The Reinine's hands—one was in his hair and the other on his shoulder. That was an extra hand. Someone else's hand. Whose? He wanted to know, and he didn't.
A masculine chuckle made Padrey flinch. “You canno’ hide forever, lad.” And that raspy tenor voice belonged to the Tayo, Torchay Reinas.
Padrey groaned. The Tayo was here? So why was Padrey still lying naked on top of the Reinine, slipping slowly out of her? Why wasn't he skewered through and hung out on the banner pole?
Another hand, a larger one, popped him on his bare backside. “Time for lazing's past. Up with you now."
Saints and all the holy sinners, was the Reinine's whole ilian in here with them? Padrey slitted open one eye, saw a strand of dark hair curling beneath the Reinine's ear.
“It's all right.” The Reinine touched her lips to his ear, making her murmur a sort of kiss. She shouldn't—but he loved it. “You don't have to move yet, if you're not ready,” she said.
