by Nicole Hall
He stroked her back in light circles while he stared at the dark ceiling above them. They’d come to this realm, albeit accidentally, because someone had tried to have her killed. Nothing they’d found out or that she’d shared provided a strong enough reason for someone to order her death. And now they were on the verge of entering the area where the threat had originated.
Luc had warded his room, so they were safe for the night, but what about the following morning? Or the next? If he wanted to protect Samantha, he needed to convince her to share all of her knowledge rather than the bits and pieces she deemed worthy.
His hand slowly came to a stop on her lower back, and Samantha shifted restlessly in her sleep. She grunted, then tucked a leg between his and settled down. Luc shook his head with a smile, damned if he didn’t enjoy trying to pry information out of her.
He reached out with a shimmering wave of intertwined magic and dimmed the fire to glowing embers. With a blanket and a roof over her head, she likely wouldn’t be cold overnight.
Luc kissed her brow and whispered, “What are you hiding?”
Without waking up, she murmured into his neck. “Don’t want to lose you.”
Those few words filled him and banished the disappointment from earlier. She may not realize it yet, but he wasn’t going anywhere without her—in this, or any other realm.
SAMANTHA
That touch. A brush of his thumb on her cheek. The warmth of his breath across her lips. Luc claimed a kiss, then returned to drawing designs along her back under the covers. Naked with Luc—in a bed—was officially her favorite way to wake up. Samantha tucked her chilled fingers between them and sighed as she snuggled into his heat.
Luc’s chest rumbled underneath her cheek as he laughed. “How are you always so cold?” He brought her fingers to his mouth and blew on them, surrounding them in warmth.
Samantha refused to open her eyes. “It’s not on purpose, I assure you. Is it morning?”
“Yes.”
“Just checking, but we’re still in the clans’ realm, right?”
Another rumble. “Yes, though the location is growing on me.”
That wasn’t the only thing growing. Now that her hands weren’t ice blocks, she felt comfortable doing her own exploring. Luc hit that fine line between muscle and leanness just right. His broad shoulders tapered to a trim waist, and Samantha particularly enjoyed the way his abs twitched when she went a little farther south.
He felt hot and heavy in her hand, and Samantha had high hopes of taking advantage of the bed for once. Luc’s hand stopped its dance and pressed against her spine. She’d expected him to reciprocate, but he seemed content to let her play for a while.
When Luc groaned her name, she relented to the inevitable morning and glanced up to see him watching her with hooded eyes. The room remained dim even though sunlight shone through the cracks in the curtains, so Samantha let herself enjoy the respite of Janet’s house before they had to resume their journey.
Her movements slowed at the thought of their strange hostess. “Do you think Janet will come looking for us if we stay up here too long?”
“I set a ward, so hopefully it won’t matter. Though if she wanted to move past it, I believe she could with little effort. I also locked the door to the hallway.”
“Smart man.” Samantha left butterfly kisses up his chest to his jaw.
His eyes closed briefly and his arm tightened around her. “I’ll ask you to say that again when I’m of the proper mind to truly take advantage of it.”
She smiled and leaned over him to grab one of his apparently unending supply of condoms. Thank goodness he’d come prepared. Luc sat up and took that as his cue to drive her insane by teasing her breasts without actually touching any sensitive parts. Her nipples hardened almost painfully, and Samantha squeezed her thighs together to try to relieve the throbbing tension.
When that didn’t work, Samantha slid her leg over him and quickly rolled on the condom, letting the blankets fall away. She lowered her weight until he pressed against her aching center. Luc hissed, and his hips jerked upward, but Samantha held herself just out of reach.
She’d always let him take the lead, allowing her to make excuses about her own desires, but she was done with excuses. Last night, she’d taken a chance, and today, she planned to reinforce that decision.
His fingers dug into her hips, but he didn’t try to wrest control away. Samantha sank onto him an inch at a time, torturing them both.
He groaned, but held himself still. “Take me as you please…ice mage.”
Samantha smothered a laugh. “I refuse to refer to you as fire-caller.”
“When you say it, I prefer Luc.”
She framed his face with her hands and leaned forward to whisper against his lips. “I prefer Luc too.”
His arms came around her as she began to move. He held her close and pressed kisses to her chest, her jaw, her cheek, finally settling against her lips. Samantha set the pace, and they savored each other. A slow build to an explosive release.
Samantha melted, letting Luc support her languid muscles as their breathing returned to normal. He kissed her shoulder then let his head fall back against the headboard with a smile.
“How did we manage to go so many months without doing this at every opportunity?”
She laughed and leveraged herself up to climb off the bed. “Who knew all it would take is a near death experience and being trapped in a foreign world?”
He watched her with a lazy smile as she gathered her shirt and undies. “Even then, the odds were against us.”
Samantha snorted. “The odds are still against us. I’m going to take a shower. Meet you downstairs for breakfast?”
Luc nodded at the edges of increasingly bright light around the curtains. “Or lunch?”
She shrugged. “Does it really matter at this point?”
He linked his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes, the picture of relaxation. “I suppose not.”
Samantha shook her head as she closed herself in the bathroom. He’d probably fall asleep again and waste away the day, but she couldn’t be upset. They’d both been on edge, expending energy and magic without properly recouping it. She wouldn’t begrudge him the rest he needed.
The shower had hot water and a liquid in a glass bottle that she assumed to be soap. After hurrying through her routine, Samantha pulled on the loose tunic and leggings she’d gotten from the market, strapping the dagger on over them. Her other clothes had dried overnight, but dressing like the locals might prove useful at some point.
She brushed and braided her hair, then twisted it into a complicated hairstyle that she knew from experience would hold itself up even during vigorous movement. With nothing left to help her procrastinate, Samantha gathered her full pack and set off down the stairs.
Janet’s house practically vibrated with color. Not just the stones and trinkets Samantha had noticed the day before, magic in a thousand different hues brightened and faded like a crystal spinning in the sun. Luc had been correct. With this much varied power, she could walk right through his ward. And maybe the solid door.
Samantha had to dim her magical sight simply to navigate the room. She must have been more tired than she’d thought yesterday to not have noticed.
The woman herself sat at a small table in the corner with a steaming cup and a book in front of her. She’d covered herself in scarves again, and Samantha noticed several made of thick material that should have been too warm for the mild daytime temperatures here.
Janet looked up from her book before Samantha had made it more than a few steps across the living room. A large smile lit up her entire face, and she carefully set the book down open on the table.
“Good morning. I was just enjoying some peaceful meditation. It always pays to start your day with well-aligned vibrations.”
Samantha nodded slowly as she approached the table. “I’ve heard that. May I join you?”
“Of course, of
course. Please sit.” Janet hopped up and bustled into her kitchenette. “Would you like some tea?”
“Tea would be lovely, thank you.”
Janet hummed to herself as she prepared another cup, and Samantha surreptitiously searched for Luc. She’d taken a while upstairs, but he didn’t seem to have beaten her here. Maybe her prediction about him falling back to sleep had been more accurate than she’d thought.
She opened herself up to their bond—only a tiny bit—to judge the direction of the magic flow. Up. Definitely up. So either Luc hadn’t come down yet or he’d climbed onto the roof after leaving. She eased back from the bond and mentally shrugged. He’d certainly earned the extra sleep.
The spicy smell of cinnamon wafted to her before a wave of sandalwood drowned it out. Janet set a dainty porcelain teacup in front of Samantha, then returned to her chair. She leaned forward onto her elbows in wide-eyed excitement.
“Now tell me all about what’s been going on in Terra. It’s been a while since I’ve connected to that realm. Did those poor people on Lost ever get off the island?”
Samantha nearly spit her tea out. This woman whom they’d randomly found in the vastness of this world not only knew about Terra, but that Samantha had come from there.
Janet tittered and leaned back to take a sip of her tea. “You shouldn’t look so surprised. Many of the folk here know about Terra, it was their original realm after all. Though I never did understand why they’d be afraid enough of ancient humans to abandon all those lovely temples and come here. Modern humans, yes. They’re all about war and vengeance and avocado toast.”
Seth had told Samantha the clan’s exodus story, but as it had come out of Seth’s mouth, she’d assumed large portions of it were exaggerated or made up. “I’m actually a big fan of avocado toast.”
“Me too. It’s one of your most redeeming qualities as a species.”
Samantha opened her mouth, then shut it again. She hadn’t realized avocado toast counted as a quality, but Janet certainly seemed knowledgeable. Or crazy. She could certainly be both, and Samantha hadn’t missed that she distinguished herself from both the clans and the humans. What was she?
“How did you know we came from Terra?”
Janet picked up her tea and blew on the liquid, even though the steam had stopped a while ago. “You did. He didn’t, though he’s been there for a long, long time. Longer than I’ve been away for sure. I could tell from your magic.”
Samantha frowned. “From the ward on the trail?”
“Oh, no, dear. That only warns me when someone will be coming my way. Terran magic has a particular sheen. Your magic and your young man’s are irretrievably bonded, but I was able to suss out the details. Such a pretty combination between you two.” She leaned forward and whispered, “A healthy sex life is vitally important in any serious relationship. Good for you.”
Horror crashed over Samantha as she realized that the magic she’d seen all over the house hadn’t only been Janet’s. Heat rushed into her cheeks, but Samantha lifted her chin. She didn’t regret a single moment of the night, and like Janet had said, the colorful magic residue floating around was beautiful.
She cleared her throat. “Thank you. Since we seem to be sharing intimate details, may I ask what you are?”
Janet clapped her hands together in delight. “Oh, excellent. No one asks anymore. Your people don’t have a name for me, but I try to guide those who come to me for advice since I can see so much more than most.”
“I…don’t understand.”
“The realms are all connected. We know this or we wouldn’t be able to travel between them. I’m present in many of them at once through multiple Janets.”
Samantha blinked, having trouble wrapping her mind around Janet being some kind of interdimensional being. “Is this your main form then? Or do you have one? Are all Janets created equal?”
She laughed and sipped her tea. “You know, it’s hard to tell anymore. Thank goodness for sandalwood or I wouldn’t know up from down.”
Samantha drank some of her own tea to be polite and mostly didn’t cringe at the bitter taste. “How does sandalwood affect you?”
“The smell helps me create a divine connection and reach my most authentic self.” She gave a tiny shrug. “Some days the realms pull me in several directions at once, and it becomes hard to remember which Janet I’m embodying.”
“What happens to the Janets you’re not embodying?”
“They go about their lives as normal. Most don’t realize what we are. That’s why I need the sandalwood when I transition, and I’ve found that the older I get, the more I need.”
The confusing pronouns gave Samantha a headache, but she could relate on one level. “I think we all understand the brain fog that comes from aging.”
Janet nodded emphatically. “It was easier when there were more of us, but the rest of them seem to have left me behind while I wasn’t paying attention. Not very nice, now that I think about it.”
A shiver of electricity raced along Samantha’s skin, raising the hairs on her arms. She knew this feeling—her magic telling her that something important had just happened, something to do with one of her visions. Samantha focused on Janet again, a little disconcerted to see the woman’s hair drifting about in a non-existent breeze.
“More of you?”
“Of course, dear. You didn’t think I was the only one of my kind, did you?”
She hadn’t considered it at all, but the idea that there could be multiple pod people wandering around made her itchy. Magic-users in general liked to talk and share information, even if it wasn’t entirely accurate, but she’d never heard of a creature like Janet described outside of fiction.
Samantha tried hard in her life not to let fear be her first or most prevalent reaction to anything, and Janet’s revelation wouldn’t change that. The world—all the worlds—were full of strange and powerful creatures. Thus far, none of them had proven more of a threat than any others. That she knew about.
If her magic hadn’t reacted, she’d have simply filed the information away. But that shiver of knowledge said Janet’s people would play a role in her immediate future.
“Why do people come from all over to speak with you?”
Janet patted her hand. “I offer knowledge and advice about events in people’s lives—past, present, or future.”
Samantha frowned. “You can see the future?” Oracles weren’t limited to humans, but she’d never met another. She’d heard there was one that lived out in the north woods of Wisconsin though.
“No, dear. I can see the patterns in the chaos. The possibilities in the flow of magic.”
“How do you interpret all that data at once?”
“Sometimes you have to embrace the chaos. There’s a bit of advice that might be useful for you.” She patted Samantha’s hand again then stood up to take her cup to the sink.
Janet’s advice was cryptic and unhelpful, but Samantha wouldn’t insult the woman who’d taken them into her home. Even if the woman were delusional, part of her story had to be true. Hidden under the ridiculous scarves, Janet controlled a large reservoir of power.
Samantha finished her tea and stood, wishing Luc would come downstairs to provide his own insight. “You’re an interesting woman, Janet. I think I’d enjoy spending a longer time here. You wouldn’t happen to have any information on Keris, would you?”
She tilted her head and squinted into space. “I’ve heard a few things.”
A door closed above them, and quiet footsteps came down the stairs, but Janet didn’t seem to notice. She stared with distant eyes—and Samantha waited—until Luc entered the room carrying a disgruntled-looking iguana.
12
LUC
The iguana was heavier than he looked. Luc had come out of the bathroom after his turn in the shower to discover the animal crouched on a pile of his clothes. After a small stand-off, Luc shrugged and picked up the lizard to deposit it on the bed.
He
’d wanted a few minutes away from Samantha to settle his thoughts on her parting statement. The odds are still against us. She wasn’t wrong. He’d developed a new appreciation for her company and a startling possessiveness for her time, but the problems that had led them to this realm still plagued them.
The redcaps weren’t a warning. If Samantha hadn’t teleported them out, she’d have eventually succumbed to their overwhelming numbers. What connection existed between Keris, the elders, and the death order on Samantha? Niggling at the back of his mind was the idea that Samantha’s secret would answer those questions, if only she would tell him.
The iguana snorted from the bed, and Luc eyed it warily. It looked like the type to bite, but he didn’t want to cause Janet undue distress by locking her pet in the bedroom. Against his better judgement, he picked the beast up again to carry it downstairs. Its head swiveled around to stare at him with narrowed eyes, and Luc felt distinctly judged.
He found Samantha and Janet in the open kitchen, both staring at him. His gaze skimmed over Janet and locked on Samantha dressed in leggings and a flowing tunic tied to highlight her luscious curves. Luc momentarily forgot his concerns over her secrets and considered trying to convince her to return to bed.
The lizard in his hands hissed as Janet rushed over, gauzy scarves trailing after her. “Henry! There you are. I wanted you to meet the new-comers, though I see you’ve already met Luc.”
He met Samantha’s eyes, as concerned and confused as he felt. Janet gently lifted the iguana from his grasp. Henry huffed and swiveled his head around the other direction to keep an eye on Luc.
Janet frowned at him. “That’s no way to speak to guests.” She carried him into the kitchen and deposited him in a sunny spot on the counter. “He’s cranky. Hasn’t been sleeping well lately.”
Samantha nodded sagely and managed to maintain a solemn face. “I can sympathize. It’s nice to meet you, Henry.”
