by Nicole Hall
Dru perked up. “Something about Brianne?”
“Sort of.”
The gentle tugging on her scalp made her want to move closer. A lot of things made her want to move closer, but her sister had to come first. Dru swatted at his hand. “Stop that. It’s distracting.”
His eyes met hers again, and the heat there told her that he knew exactly the effect he was having on her. His hand stilled, but he didn’t release her. “My apologies. Tell me again what you know about the vessel.”
Dru sighed. They’d been over this, and she had a lot more questions for him. “The vessel bonds with the sacred tree to facilitate the magic flow between Ljos and the dryads.”
“Any other traditions?”
“Why does this matter?”
“Indulge me.”
She pressed her lips together as she searched her memory. The only other tradition involved her alleged future husband. “The vessel is always betrothed and married before taking her place.” She frowned. “And always female, though I hadn’t realized that until just now.”
Oren nodded as if he’d expected that answer. “Do you know why?”
Dru hated twenty questions. “To continue the line. Vessel-hood is vaguely heretidary. Why don’t you tell me whatever it is you’re circling around?”
He abandoned her hair to pick up her hand, rubbing his thumb across her palm. “There’s a chance Hollis didn’t tell you everything.”
Arousal mixed with trepidation as Dru struggled to connect his dots. “I’m sure she didn’t. That’s why I tried to glean as much information as I could from other sources.”
“I have a source that claims the purpose of the marriage is to bond the dryads similar to the way the mate bond works in my clan. They share magic, then the vessel is bonded to the sacred tree. Only the power from the tree slowly kills the vessel, that’s why it has to be shared between the two.”
Dru slowly shook her head. “That’s not possible. Hollis would be long dead.”
“Hollis isn’t the vessel.”
Unexplained gaps in her knowledge suddenly rearranged themselves to make a much different picture. “She’s taking their power.” Dru had to move. She stood and paced back and forth. “That’s why she’s so adamant that I get married. She needs me to be properly bonded and sealed to maintain her grip on the throne.”
Dru felt Oren’s gaze on her, but he let her walk and think out loud without interrupting. A rare trait. She stopped and faced him. “How reliable is your source?”
He lifted his shoulders. “Unclear yet, but your reaction gives the information credence.”
“Do you know the specifics of how she’s doing it?”
“No, but we have some time, right?”
Dru sighed and turned to stare out the glass. “Vessels get called on their twenty-eighth birthdays. If one dies before that, another is called immediately. My birthday is still a good six weeks away.”
She’d noticed his use of the word ‘we’, and for once, she didn’t balk at letting someone else close enough to know her plans. He’d been helping for what—twelve hours?—and he’d already found key information she hadn’t in years of study. Provided his source told the truth. How much faster would it have been if she’d trusted Oren when they first met days ago?
Dru frowned. “Who was the last vessel if not Hollis? Could she have found a way to maintain the role of the vessel between the death of the last and the calling of the next? Or does she lock the vessels away like fragile toys.” She shook her head. “Probably the last one.”
The lights of the city shone bright in the darkness beyond the window. Night had fallen completely while she’d discovered her birth mother planned to pimp her out then use her as a magic straw. Even if she—they—found some way around Hollis’ trap, Dru’s position as the vessel would guarantee a fairly quick death for her and whoever she bonded with.
She’d fought the last ten years to be able choose her own future, but how could she choose anything else when it meant condemning all the dryads along with her? How unfair that the reward for maintaining stability among her people was in reality a sacrifice.
The shadow of Oren appeared behind her in the glass, and his hands dropped onto her shoulders. “We’ll solve one problem at a time until we’ve worked our way through them all.”
His steady confidence reassured her. She took a breath and focused on one issue, working it in her mind. “It doesn’t make any sense. Why would Hollis send someone to off me when she needs me as a living sacrifice?”
“Could be there’s more than one player here, or the first one really was a coincidence.”
Dru shook her head. “No one else hates me, and I was definitely shoved into traffic.”
“Why didn’t you tell your alpha roommate that someone pushed you?”
“Because then she’d hover. I can take care of myself, most of the time.”
“Have you considered that if you shared your burden with your friends, you might find solutions faster?”
Oren massaged the tension from her shoulders, and Dru let her head drop forward. “Oh wow, you have magic fingers.”
“So I’ve been told.” She doubted his husky response referenced his massage techniques. Part of her questioned the intelligence of pursuing their attraction when she had so many other things to be focusing on, but the other—bigger—part wanted his hands all over her. If she ended up sacrificing herself for the good of her people, she’d damn well enjoy her life while she had it.
“It sounds like we need more information. Did your source say anything else that could help?”
He continued the massage, but silently, until his movements turned into a long stroke down her back. “There’s one way we can thwart her.”
Dru turned to him, all sharp edges and need. “And what’s that.”
“You can bond with me instead.”
Her mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. “Are you insane? What makes you think that would thwart her instead of playing right into her hands?”
“Seth is the magical genius, but even I can do basic math. Her spell has to be locked into one of the bonds, either with you and your betrothed or with you and Ljos. Since the dryad bond is what helps control the flow of magic, that’s where I’d put the trap.” His gaze dropped to her mouth, and he dragged a thumb along her lower lip. “I admit I’m a little distracted at the moment, but she’s pushing you to one particular dryad, yes?”
“Yes.” Dru was a little distracted herself. His hand continued its downward path, leaving a trail of fire behind. He skimmed her collarbone, her breast, then curled his arm around her waist to pull her flush against his body.
His head lowered, and he spoke his next words against her mouth. “Then pick someone else.”
Dru closed the distance, and the kiss exploded into a violent exploration of lips and tongue. His free hand plunged into her hair. The force pushed her back against the glass, and Dru spared a thought to hope Seth had tinted windows.
The ferocity of her need surprised her, but she’d never backed down from wild experiences before. She wasn’t about to start now.
“Dru.” Her name became a plea, and she answered by arching against him.
He ripped his mouth away and dropped his forehead to hers, panting. “Let me mark you with a temporary bond.”
Dru wiggled her head trying to get her brain engaged again. “You want to do this now? We don’t even know if it will work with a non-dryad.”
“Only one way to find out. The spell is minor. It’ll connect us only in the most superficial sense, but it’ll prevent any other bonds from being placed. I can be your shield.”
Dru’s brows drew together. She’d resisted tying herself to another person, but Oren knew the risks. Their bargain already bound them magically, at least this way he offered her some protection.
“Will you be able to remove it?”
He nodded. “Remove the mark, remove the bond.”
“Do it.”
&nb
sp; His hair tickled her cheek as he drew in a breath up the side of her throat from her shoulder to her jaw. He stopped just below her ear, and his hand clenched in her hair, holding her in place.
A quick sting made her hiss through her teeth, but Oren’s tongue swiped the spot and heat replaced pain. The delicate feel of magic spread out across her neck. Instead of dissipating, the tingle sank into her skin to quiver as a brand, but the magic wasn’t done. In the place her hand rested against his chest, a rush of power swirled under her palm. His muscles tightened for a second, then relaxed.
A shiver coursed down her spine as the connection pulled taut. The mark went both ways. Her sense of him crystalized, like painting in the dark. She couldn’t see the colors, but she knew exactly what her canvas looked like in her mind.
He exhaled in a growl, and she finally understood the allure of a bond. For the time being, he belonged only to her. That rough, low noise set off sparks that had her itching to wrap her legs around his waist.
Her hands burrowed under his shirt to find the hot skin beneath. The play of muscle under her fingertips thrilled her as he moved. She pushed against his abs, nudging him back until he hit the edge of the couch and sat down. Dru had zero second thoughts about him, so she let the other concerns go for a while. He gripped her hips as she straddled him, finally putting pressure against the throbbing ache he’d caused.
“Last chance to back out.”
In response, he surged up to take her mouth in a rough kiss that was almost as much of a mark as the one on her neck. His hands shifted to her ass and pulled her more firmly against him. A shot of pleasure made her groan, and Dru used his broad shoulders to brace herself for the next onslaught.
Every sensitive place on her body trembled with need.
Dru brushed the place on his chest that still carried the residual mark, and her magic leapt for him like it had never done before. She jerked back, startled.
Oren cupped her cheek, tracing the curve of her cheekbone. “What’s wrong?”
“I…nothing. A weird feeling, that’s all.” Her power had never reacted that strongly before, had never done anything without her express intention.
Some of the heat cleared from his eyes, and he frowned. “Hollis?”
“No. Nothing like that.” Dru sighed as the moment passed. Sex wasn’t a bad idea, but the reintroduction of Hollis reminded her that they had other business to discuss.
Then again, business didn’t need to be kept strictly separate from pleasure. She leaned down to wrap her arms around his chest and lay her head against his shoulder, taking care to avoid touching the mark again. Oren was big enough that she could drape herself over him comfortably without scrunching.
He relaxed again, holding her against him with one arm around her waist. The other hand rubbed up and down her back. “Talk to me.”
“You make a terrible pillow. You’re all hard.”
He chuckled. “I’d think you’d appreciate that part.”
“I do, believe me.” Dru knew what he wanted her to talk about, but she hesitated. Sex became complicated when magic got involved. It had probably been a fluke. She got over-excited and accidentally pushed some magic at him. Sure. No need to bring it up unless it happened again. Good thing she had plenty of other topics to fill the conversational gap.
“Is that what it’s like when you use your sniffing ability?”
His chest rumbled under her cheek as he laughed. “No. The ‘sniffing’ doesn’t create a two-way connection, more like an identifying image in my mind based on essence instead of actual smell.” His hand tangled in her hair for a moment, then swept back down. “And that was way more intense than any other time I’ve used it.”
Dru did a sniff test of her own, but all she smelled was warm cotton and the faint hint of dryer sheets. Not bad, actually. He got props for wearing a clean shirt.
“Was the sniffing necessary for the mark?”
“No, two separate things. I’ve been tempted since we met, but I’d managed to hold off. Your scent does something to me, even when I hadn’t let it in fully.”
“Good something or bad something?”
He lifted his hips slightly, his hard length pressing into her where she still straddled him. “What do you think?”
Dru chuckled and nipped him through his shirt. “Don’t threaten me with a good time. And I’ve heard it’s possible to be attracted to me without a magic scent beacon.”
“Oh no, kalia, the magic only makes it better.” His fingers grazed the mark on her neck, and she gasped as another tight pulse of heat made her thighs quiver.
“I’m beginning to regret some of my isolationist tendencies. Are those carnal urges going to happen every time? What about it only being a shield?”
“Magic can be unpredictable. I’ve used this spell a few times, and it’s never manifested this way before.”
Dru giggled as she imagined him getting the hots for one of his bounties. “Yeah, I can see how that would be distracting.”
“The spell will still act as a shield. It simply gave us some bonuses we weren’t expecting.”
“Bonuses, huh. You like women who are all possessive and clingy? Because that’s where the edge of this is heading.” She wasn’t exaggerating. Curling up on Oren felt fantastic. She’d always been a cuddler, but the urge to touch him bordered on ridiculous.
Oren kissed her temple. “It goes both ways. Magic doesn’t manufacture emotion, but our natural tendencies? Yeah, those appear to be working overtime.”
“Awesome. My insides weren’t all that easy to control in the first place.”
His hand came to a stop at the small of her back. “You’re safe with me, whether you control your insides or not.”
Dru fell silent. No one had ever told her that, not even her mom. Once Hollis had made herself known, Dru had been engaged in a game of cat and mouse for the future of the dryads. Her responsibility meant keeping everyone else safe.
Tears gathered, and she blinked a couple of times to clear them away. No way was she about to start blubbering while sprawled over potentially the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
Their breathing evened out, falling into rhythm with each other, and Dru soaked up the contentment. Life could suck at any time, but right then, she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Too bad she had to ruin the mood.
“I’m not complaining, but shouldn’t we be looking for my sister? Or a way to stop Hollis? Or anything, really, that’s not laying here together in the dark.”
“Tomorrow, I plan to use your scent to start the search for your sister, but I have another idea I wanted to suggest.”
Dru propped her chin on his chest and frowned at him. “Your stalling tactics aren’t making me feel very good about what’s coming next.”
Oren’s grip on her tightened as he met her eyes. “We should call Luc.”
6
OREN
“Luc? Samantha’s arch-nemesis? Why would we…”
Oren saw the moment she figured it out. He’d been careful up to that point not to mention the other magic-users in Dru’s life after the shock of learning about Keely and Seth.
Her arms came out from around him, and she sat up again. “Samantha too?”
Oren didn’t like the vulnerable look on her face, but as he’d told Samantha, he wouldn’t lie to Dru. “Yes. Samantha too.”
She pushed against his chest, but didn’t make any effort to get up. “Are you telling me I’ve been surrounded by magic for years and didn’t know it?”
He gathered both her hands in his. “It’s not uncommon. Like calls to like, including magic-users.”
“Ugh.” Her head plopped down on his chest again, muffling her voice. “Fine. If you think he can help, call Luc.”
“If it makes you feel better, Samantha already knows what you are.”
“It doesn’t really make me feel better, but it does make sense. Back when I was searching for a place, a mutual acquaintance introduced us. It was completely ra
ndom. She brought up that she’d heard I was looking and suggested Samantha’s row house. I wonder how she fits into all my drama.”
Oren laughed and nudged her side. “Not everything is connected to your drama. I get the feeling Samantha prefers magical tenants. Ones who need help.”
“That sounds like her.” Dru sighed, her breath warm against his chest, then sat up again. “Are we doing this tonight, or what?”
Oren raised a brow, perfectly content to let her keep wiggling around on his lap. “And interrupt sexy time?”
“Ours or his?”
The hand he’d kept chastely on her back ventured further south, exploring the curve of her ass around to her inner thigh, then back up again. “Is this sexy time?”
She adopted a solemn expression. “The rules say any alone time is considered sexy time.”
“Ah, the elusive rules. Is there a handbook somewhere I could study? I feel like several of these rules are personally relevant to me.”
Dru laughed, but she shifted so he’d move along her center as he followed the same path. Oren obliged, but with a whisper of a touch. She pouted when his hand moved up again. “You’re killing me here.”
He knew the feeling. After the first rush of desperate need, his hunger for her had settled into a low simmer. But every time she moved, the temperature increased. Strangely, having her close, feeling her against him, staved off the more insistent urges.
Oren’s wandering hands stilled. “We can call Luc now, but he’s probably busy.”
“How well do you know him?”
“Not that well, honestly. Seth recommended him to me when I arrived in Terra.”
She cocked her head. “Have you noticed that both our people call the human world Terra? I wonder why that is.”
“The same magic runs through everything. Why not a common birthplace?”
“You think magic originated in Terra?”
Oren shrugged. He normally didn’t share his philosophical thoughts with others. People saw a mountain of a man and assumed he didn’t have any brains to go with the brawn. That sentiment worked to his advantage if he let them believe it.
