Hunt and Seek

by Zenina Masters

  “Not without a polite conversation and dinner first.” She flicked him a look. She froze in place. He was wearing full-court regalia. He was wearing a long green tunic, black chased armour, black leggings, and boots.

  She closed her mouth with a snap.

  Moriven grinned. “I would like to invite you to a private event at the Axion.”

  She blinked. “Now?”

  “Now.”

  She looked down at the little black dress and simple sandals. “I think I am underdressed.”

  “You are lovely. So, shall we?”

  She nodded and gathered up her cards, taking them back to Teelia. “Apparently, I have a private event to attend.”

  Teelia smiled. “Have fun.”

  Moriven extended his arm, and Roxanne remembered vids she had watched of fey at formal events. She placed her hand on the back of his wrist, and he smiled. “Ready?”

  Roxanne chuckled. “Lead away, Hunter Moriven.”

  “This way, Seeker Roxanne.”

  He led her out of the dim interior of the Crossed Star and into the reddish light of the sunset in the Crossroads.

  “So, what has prompted this evening’s plans?” She murmured as they walked around the side of the castle to the expansive rear gardens.

  “Well, you have been through a lot at the hands of the fey. I thought it would be nice if you could see the benefit that association with us can bring.”

  She didn’t mention that she had promised KekoRoma that she would mate with only Moriven. He knew it. This was just a way for him to show off to her. He was starting an actual courtship for his chosen mate. He didn’t have a beast for her to meet, so this was his best way of showing off.

  She stepped with him into the rear gardens, and there was a pavilion with silken panels waving in the evening breeze. Inside, there were two waitstaff standing straight, and Moriven smiled and led her into the chamber that was open to the elements but felt like it was perfectly private.

  The young women on guard had pale skin, pointed ears, and midnight hair. They were also twins.

  “These are the servers for the evening. Drak has them on loan from their parents during the holidays for work experience before university.”

  The first girl smiled. “Timara.” And bowed.

  The other one was more somber. “Tomora.” She bowed as well. “I will control the environment.”

  Timara grinned. “I am in charge of service. We will strive to be as unobtrusive as possible.”

  “Um, thank you both.”

  The women nodded and separated, one standing next to the food, and the other took a seat outside, and a forest took shape around them.

  Moriven smiled and helped her to her seat. “The ladies here tonight are one-quarter fey, one-quarter human, and half mythical beast or ancient shifter.”

  Roxanne looked at Timara. “You don’t mind being described in that way?”

  Timara smiled. “It is true. Our mother is a halfling, and our father was night stallion. He controls his sisters, who are the nightmares. They bring haunting dreams to the fey.”

  From outside the tent, Tomora’s voice came and was decidedly amused. “No one fucks with our family, no fey, no shifter.”

  The image of a huge black horse crossed a meadow, his eyes glowing brightly. A woman in a flowing gown was waiting for him in the moonlight, and he stopped and bowed his head toward the woman. The image faded.

  Timara sighed. “I hope one day for a love like that. They found their connection here, so working here in our summers off seemed a good choice.”

  Roxanne grinned and looked back at Moriven. “What did you do on your summers off?”

  “They were the same as the winters. I hunted and wasted time in court.”

  Roxanne wrinkled her nose. “That isn’t a very fun use of your time.”

  He grinned and shrugged. “I had not met you yet, so it is all I could do to keep myself out of trouble until I was offered the chance to become a hunter for the combined guilds.”

  “Ah, yes. The grand influx of the fey.” She smiled. “My dad mentioned that before he passed.”

  “What was his opinion?”

  She smiled as Timara began to serve their appetizers. “My father was of the opinion that change was good, diversity was great, and having grandchildren who could tidy up after the animals with a whistle was a personal fantasy of his.”

  “He really said that?”

  She laughed. “Yes. He and my mother were both considered old and disposed of by their families, so when they found each other and had me, their world changed dramatically. With that change in their lives, they were open to all possibilities.”

  “So, they chose to have you even though they were older parents?”

  “They did. Mom had been hoping that I was going to be a bat, but I took after my father.”

  “Was he a seeker?”

  “He was in his younger days. He gave it up to work the family farm.” She smiled and lifted her fork to begin working on her meal. “How many siblings do you have?”

  He blinked as she threw the conversational ball into his court. “Two. One elder, one younger.”

  “So, middle child.” She nibbled at her appetizer. She couldn’t pin down what it was, but bacon was involved with the fresh greens.

  “Correct.”

  “You were all adults when your parents faded?”

  “We were. We all were there as my parents lay down together and gave themselves to the universe.”

  “Are they buried together?”

  “No, they literally gave themselves to the universe. They dispersed. We have a memorial for them at the family estate, but there was nothing left.”

  She blinked. “Oh. That is... I had never thought about it.”

  “They were both well over fifteen hundred years old. They had seen enough of life and wanted to spend their afterlife drifting through the stars.”

  Roxanne sat back, and Timara removed her plate and Moriven’s before returning to the sideboard for the next course.

  On the fluttering silk walls, the image of a beach with softly coursing surf appeared out of a coiling mist, and the gentle waves set up a soothing pattern. Tomora was doing a wonderful job with her projections.

  Moriven asked the next question. “Why did you join the guild?”

  “My mother. She was sick, and we didn’t know how bad it was, but we didn’t have healthcare through the farm, so I needed a job with insurance that would cover her, and with my inheriting my father’s beast, a space quickly opened up for me, and my mother’s care was covered.”

  “She is not cured?”

  Roxanne shook her head. “No, as soon as one tumor is targeted, it seems another set of her systems flare up.”

  She smiled and sat back as a tower of pastry, chicken, and mushrooms was set in front of her. “This looks nice.”

  He blinked. “Are you ill?”

  Roxanne looked up, startled. “No. I am fine. I have even had genetic testing to see if I have the same markers as my mother.”

  “That was wise.”

  “My mother insisted.”

  He had been about to crack through the pastry. “She insisted?”

  “Yes. She was very depressed at that point, and getting the testing done was little enough to make her happy. She perked up after that and has remained in a very gradual decline since.”

  “Does her condition bother you?”

  “I will be upset when she passes, but considering her situation, she currently looks amazing.” She cracked into her dessert. “Her new housekeeper and healthcare aid is having quite the rejuvenating effect on her.”

  Moriven blinked. “Rejuvenating?”

  “Yes. KekoRoma mentioned that Suulak is well known for his ability to spur amazing recoveries. She was astonished that he was found for this assignment.”

  “She knows about him?” Moriven was surprised.

 
“Yes, we talked about it. He has a long-ranging history for his... skills... and how he passes on the healing.”

  “How does he do it?”

  Roxanne blushed and focused on her meal. “I believe there is a sexual component.”

  “Oh, he is that kind of a brownie.”

  “Yes. He has access to the older magics.”

  Moriven smiled. “Is that what he said?”

  “No, that is what your godmother said.”

  He paused. “Ah. Right. I had forgotten about that. What did you two talk about?”

  She shrugged and found a burst of peaches in with the chicken and mushroom. “Nothing much. Mostly you. A little bit about my cousin, and she clarified the motivation of our two fugitives.”

  “She didn’t offer them sanctuary?”

  “No. They declared themselves visitors to Underhill.”

  “Foolish on their part.”

  She worked at her food. “No. I don’t think she would have granted it. She seems to be very in touch with the current situation.”

  “She does have a remarkable grasp of the world for someone who rarely leaves her home.”

  “I have the feeling that the world comes through her doors.” She finished her entrée and set her cutlery down. “How much do you think she asked me that I don’t remember?”

  “We were there for three days. Probably everything. What was she most interested in?”

  “My pedigree. She was speaking about ancient gods with animal heads.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how much store I put in that. I don’t really look like Anubis. It is just what we always called the dog head.”

  “If she says it, she knows it. She is one of the oldest fey in existence.” He smiled. “That is why my parents asked her to be my guardian in case of premature death.”

  “Your fairy godmother.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Yes.”

  She chuckled. “She said that I could call her aunty.”

  He choked on the last mouthful of his food. “She said what?”

  “That I can call her aunty.”

  “I have to call her Madame.”

  She chuckled. “I guess she likes me better.”

  He finished his dish and gave her a dark look. “I guess she does.”

  She grinned brightly before sobering. “Seriously, if she picked my brain, I am not sure that she found much. She already knew that Eilonwy is my cousin, so there wasn’t much there that I could expose.”

  “Right. She must have gotten that from the fugitives.”

  He nodded, but his eyes were narrowed. “Yes, she must have. I am going to have to check my calendar for missing time.”

  The plates were removed, and a dessert of whipped layers in at least four colours was stacked with delicately formed chocolate wafers in between.

  “So, Moriven, what do you have planned for your future?” She asked it when he was engrossed with his dessert.

  “I have not thought about it, other than having you at my side.”

  She raised her brows. “You mean getting assigned to the same team?”

  “Yes. I think a seeker with your skills and a hunter with mine could do some very impressive work.”

  Roxanne thought about it. “Once we are back to the real world, we will take on some missing persons’ cases. If we can find three out of five, I will agree to partner up with you work-wise. Agreed?”

  He slowly smiled. “Agreed.”

  She laughed. A few minutes later, dessert was over, and music began to play. He rose and came around to her side of the table and extended his hand. “It is time for the first dance lesson.”

  “The first?”

  “Oh, yes. I can foresee us needing to engage in more advanced classes as time progresses.”

  She slid her hand into his. “Well, I suppose that it is a continuation of the future plan.”

  “See? I am working at giving you what you need already.”

  She got to her feet, and he pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her back and pressing her against the armoured plate on his torso.

  She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled slowly. “Let’s hope you can keep it up. Let’s dance.”

  The challenge was accepted and what began in the private pavilion continued in the guest rooms of the Axion.

  Chapter Eight

  Peeling an elf out of his armour wasn’t something she was used to, but she worked her way through the clasps until the metal hit the floor. The ties on his tunic were easy.

  She kept herself determined as she slowly stripped him. Stopping to stare could wait for another day.

  Roxanne got to her feet, and she said, “You can get your own boots. They are made entirely of buckles, and I might get sleepy undoing them one by one.”

  He grinned and was standing naked in front of her in moments.

  Roxanne reached behind her to undo her zipper, but it moved on its own.

  She met his amused gaze as the zipper slowly lowered to her waist. “You can engage in telekinesis?”

  “It is magic. I am just asking the metal to follow its natural gravitational pull.” He stepped forward and trailed his fingers along the newly exposed skin. “Only one of the fey who truly desired you could manage it.”

  She shifted her shoulders, and her dress dropped to her hips. “Only a shifter of such consummate skill could manage—”

  She lost her smug comment when he kissed her, and who had managed to disrobe who was lost as they backed to the bed and slowly tangled together.

  Roxanne looked into his eyes, the energy of his skin against hers burned and crackled in the most pleasurable way. She felt him via her palms as the strong static charges rippled through her skin with every full contact.

  “I hadn’t thought that it would feel this intense.” Moriven ran his hand across her breasts.

  She gripped his cock and chuckled. “It is almost like getting feedback.”

  He hissed and rolled until she was on her back. “Let go. Gently.”

  She laughed and trailed her fingers up his abdomen and across his chest. “Such a shame to hide all of this under armour.”

  He blushed and kissed her. “Honey tongue.”

  “That was just dessert.”

  He pressed the head of his cock against her, sliding against her folds. The contact was electric, and he shifted and angled his hips until he was pressing into her.

  She inhaled sharply and shifted her legs so she could angle her hips upward to better the access. She lifted up, he slid in slightly, and soon, they were focused on getting him inside her by whatever micro increments were necessary.

  She narrowed her gaze and turned her senses inward and focused on the feeling of him sliding into her. When he was inside her completely, she opened her eyes and met his feral gaze.

  She was used to that look in shifters, but it was unusual to see it in the fey.

  She slid her hands up his arms, and she gripped his shoulders. Roxanne lifted her hips and locked her legs around his thighs, pulling him in. He leaned away, and she pulled him back to her, over and over.

  Energy crackled around them as they surged together, rolled, and continued thrusting and grinding. Roxanne was grinning, and she would be on the edge of release when Moriven tickled her.

  She growled and swatted at him, and then, they rolled again, and he held her hands down while he gave her the sweetest kiss.

  His thrusts became slow undulations that took him nearly all the way out before gliding back in. His eyes took on the colour of an oil-slick rainbow, and she let herself go. The electricity around them rushed into her, burst through her soul, and she dug her nails into Moriven’s back. Her beast howled in triumph.

  Moriven waited until she stopped shaking, and then, he thrust into her with a few short jerks that ended with him gritting his teeth and holding tight to her body.

  He slowly collapsed, and she relaxed her grip on his back. Th
e sweat that coated them both mixed with their scents in the air. Her beast was rolling in it.

  Moriven lifted his head and looked around. “When did we get to the floor?”

  “After you threw a tickle fight.” She smirked.

  He chuckled. “I thought it was an excellent distraction.”

  “Oh, it was that. If I hadn’t landed on you, it would have been a nightmare.”

  “I didn’t notice. You are light as a will-o-the-wisp.”

  She slapped his arm. “You are not. As fun as this is, I am fusing to the floor.”

  He propped himself up on his arms and slowly withdrew from her. She flinched when their link was uncoupled.

  She shivered, and he picked her up, setting her on the bed. Roxanne smiled as he spooned her and then wrapped them in the top sheet by rolling them across the bed.

  She squeaked as they reached the edge of the bed, and he halted.

  “If they find us like this in two hundred years and we are examined by archaeologists, I am not going to forgive you.” She mumbled it against the sheet.

  He chuckled and loosened the sheet. “I am still reeling with excitement that I am finally with you and everything is out in the open.”

  “Yeah, it has been eye-watering.” She stroked one of the arms wrapped around her.

  “And you have been to Underhill. That is astonishing in itself.” He pressed a kiss to her neck.

  She nodded and yawned. “And I learned to dance a bit.”

  He murmured something to her, but she fell asleep. It had been a very long day.

  Wearing long dresses did not come naturally, but when she faced Moriven and Tomas the mage, she felt like she was blending in. Drak had provided her with a heavily embroidered gown with the seeker’s insignia over the left breast.

  Roxanne took the hands of the men, and she felt the crackle again with contact to Moriven. He smiled, and she smiled back. The balance ceremony was about to begin.

  Roxanne went through the motions in a daze. When her magic left her, she clutched at the hands of the men, and she sighed with relief as fresh, cool magic poured in. It was so strange to feel Moriven’s magic this way. Hers was hot. Her inner beast had a pulse and energy. This magic was cool, it waited to be called on.