by Ivy Barrett
“When they were unable to keep their double life a secret from me, they chose a different strategy with my brother. They systematically taught him to hate and mistrust mystics. I already knew about their abilities, so I was appalled by their hypocrisy.”
It was hard to picture parents intentionally teaching their children to hate, but prejudice had existed since time began. Worse, when facts were manipulated and information suppressed, reality became skewed. Without realizing it, she’d participated in a massive propaganda campaign. She’d taught the next generation a combination of lies and half-truths thinking they were documented facts.
Not wanting to distract him from his story, she kept her troubled thoughts to herself. “Did you tell Drake what they were doing?”
“Mom swore Drake was protected by his ignorance, that we would both be put in danger if others realized they were gifted. I thought it was bullshit, so I started acting out. I chose the wrong friends and indulged every unsavory urge that popped into my mind. My rebellion was all pretty harmless until I met Dawn.”
The tightness returned to her stomach, so she wrapped her hands around her warm mug and tried to relax. She had no claim to Jericho. It was ridiculous that the thought of him with another woman bothered her so badly. “Who is Dawn?”
“Dawn was a ruthless criminal wrapped in the body of a free-spirited woman. I stole for her, beat the hell out of her enemies and even seduced others to gain information. I was so enamored, I would have done anything she asked. But it quickly became apparent that she was using her looks to manipulate me—and everyone else. I would have ended the relationship much sooner if it hadn’t driven my parents crazy. My mother despised Dawn, and my father told me to end the relationship or find somewhere else to live.”
“So you left? Why would you allow a ruthless criminal to abolish your family ties?”
He started his defense with another unconvincing shrug. “Dawn was an excuse, a barrier they would never attempt to cross. I was just as disgusted by their choices as they were by mine, so I just walked away.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know any more about a woman who had been so influential in his life, but her curious nature wouldn’t let her push the subject aside. “How long did you stay with her?”
“Not long. I grew up quick once I left home. When Dawn realized she could no longer command me, our relationship just dissolved.”
“How did all this conflict affect Drake? Did he side with your parents?”
“Drake and I were never close, but we still spoke from time to time. Our chosen occupations didn’t make things easier. Then he fell in love with a mystic. Miranda is wonderful, and her presence in his life allowed us to heal some of the old wounds.”
“I’m glad.” She smiled, but averted her gaze. “Families can be a royal pain in the ass, but not having anyone to fight with is awfully lonely.” He didn’t reply, so she dismissed the past with a cleansing breath and tried to lighten the mood. “So how did you go from being Dawn’s rebellious lover to becoming the fantasy king of New Shardrake?”
“That’s another story.” He grinned. “You only paid for one.”
Heat spiraled through her body as she remembered what her payment had involved and how eager she was to experience other pleasures. She’d never met anyone like Jericho, someone so completely comfortable with his sexuality that he made her want to explore.
He stood and walked around the table, his gaze turning dark and smoky. “Are you blushing?” His knuckles traced the curve of her cheek and a half-smile bowed his lips. “I’d forgotten what it looked like.” She turned her face away, feeling foolish and exposed. With his fingers lightly touching her chin, he brought her face back around. “Why are you hiding from me?”
“I’m a novelty. You’re attracted to me because I’m different, unique.”
His thumb brushed across her lower lip as his gaze fixed on her mouth. “Why is that so horrible?”
“It’s not.” Her lip moved against his thumb, creating a backward caress. “I feel the same way about you. But the attraction will fade as the novelty wears off.”
His warm chuckle sent tingles up her spine. He tilted her head back and leaned down to kiss her. “Then we should enjoy it while it lasts.” His lips were warm and firm against hers, his breath smelling faintly of coffee. She parted her lips and touched her tongue to his. A sharp beeping jerked them apart. “Never fails,” he grumbled as he returned to his side of the table.
He activated the holo-display and navigated to the communications system. “It’s Matt.”
She hurried around to his side of the table as he accepted the com. Matt’s image appeared a few minutes later. His dark gaze shifted from Jericho to Tamara, his concern obvious. “Are you all right? Your message sounded pretty damn dire.”
“And things have only gone from bad to worse.” Jericho quickly filled Matt in on recent developments. “How well do you know Elaine VinDerley? Is there any truth to her claim?”
“Elaine is Petra’s sister, but I can’t vouch for her motivation. The VinDerleys seldom involve themselves in anything that doesn’t benefit them. I doubt she’ll turn Tamara in, but I’d be careful what I tell her.” Matt finger combed his sun-streaked hair back from his face with a heavy sigh. “Petra would be devastated if she knew you were in danger. She worked so hard to protect you from this sort of thing.”
Matt had claimed to be Petra’s friend when he brought her to Jericho the first time, but his attitude hinted at a deeper relationship. “How well did you know my mother?”
“How secure is this frequency?”
“I’ll fill her in, if you have no objections,” Jericho volunteered.
“I suspect she’s ready for a bit more context right about now.” Matt looked at her and his gaze narrowed. “I’m not sure what I can do, but I’ll shuttle home if you want me to.”
“That’s not necessary. In fact the fewer people who know where I am the better.”
“All right. If you change your mind or think of anything I can do, ask Miranda to contact Serena. Their link doesn’t require technology.”
Jericho ended the connection then looked at her. “Miranda is Drake’s fiancée, so we’ll only contact her as a last resort. I don’t want to test Drake’s loyalty any more than I already have.”
She pulled out the chair next to Jericho’s and sat, her mind reeling with speculation. “Why do I get the impression that Matt and Petra were involved?”
“Matt barely knew Petra, but Matthias was her lover off and on for years.”
“I don’t understand the connection.”
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Matthias was brilliant. He created machines so unique and amazing most people couldn’t even imagine such things could exist.”
“Like your simulators and pleasure ’bots?”
“Exactly. But his final creation was a biomechanical unit so sophisticated it was indistinguishable from a human.”
“What does this have to do with Matt?”
“Matt is the biomech.”
“Seriously?” She hadn’t spent a lot of time with Matt, but she’d had no idea he was part machine. “He is very convincing, but I still don’t see what this has to do with my situation.”
Jericho paused for a moment, his expression suddenly somber. “Right before Matthias died, he transferred his being, his soul, into the body he’d created for himself.”
She narrowed her gaze on his face. Was such a thing even possible? Jericho obviously believed the story while her logical mind struggled with the possibility. “So Matt has all of Mathias’ memories and feelings.”
“Yes.”
If Mathias engineered the simulators, his talent was undeniable. Still, Matt was so lifelike, so… “Did he only create one? Can you imagine what people would pay for an opportunity to cheat death?”
Jericho shook his head. “That’s the main reason he only made one. He had no desire to play God or to give others that sort of powe
r.”
“That’s why he allowed Petra’s estate to be settled by the probate council. He couldn’t admit that he’s still alive.”
“He’s not. For all intents and purposes Mathias is dead. He left his old life behind and has literally started over.”
She took a moment to soak it all in. All of these changes made her life on d’Arrest seem very simplistic, and very far away. “Well, he confirmed Elaine’s story. I say we com her and find out what she’s learned. We can always check out any information she gives us after the fact.”
“I agree. All we have right now is the victim’s name and that’s not much to go on.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “Let’s com her from the shuttle. I really don’t want her to know where we are.”
She followed him down the main hall, taking in each room they passed with renewed interest. Jericho had spent time here as a child. He’d chased Drake up and down this hallway and slept in one of the bedrooms. “Which bedroom was yours?”
“The one you slept in last night.” He opened the door to a stairwell and turned on the light. “If you want details, doll, you’re going to have to earn them.” He arched his brow in challenge and headed down the stairs.
Jericho’s shuttle was almost too big for the bay beneath the house. Most people in this neighborhood could only afford a two-person skimmer.
She sat in the navigator’s seat as he took his place behind the main console. “I’m going to activate audio only. It’s easier to encrypt.” He used the access code Elaine had given him and they waited for her to respond.
After a brief greeting, Elaine said, “This channel is supposed to be secure, but I don’t like to take chances. No names or specific locations.”
“Understood,” Jericho replied.
“The victim was employed by the emporium that recently came under your friend’s control.”
Jericho looked at her to make sure she understood the veiled reference. If the murder victim worked at the Dark Star, it only made her look guiltier. “I got it,” she assured him.
“Did you learn anything else?”
“He is also featured in the incriminating image you mentioned yesterday.”
Tamara gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. No wonder they thought she had killed him! If he was one of the men in the photo, it gave her motive.
“Go on,” Jericho urged.
“His younger brother is also involved in the deception, but it is the third man in the image who is making the allegation.”
“Understood.”
“The contact I mentioned earlier has yet to respond to my page.”
Jericho tensed. “Do you suspect foul play?”
“I hadn’t until you brought it up.” Elaine paused for a moment then said, “No, there’s no way the culprit could know about my contact. Com me again in a couple of hours. Hopefully, I’ll know more by then.”
“Agreed, and thank you.”
After terminating the link, he swiveled his chair toward her. “Morton Tulain worked at the Dark Star. At least that gives us a place to start.”
She lowered her hand to her lap, her mouth so dry she could barely speak. “They’ve made this look like I regretted my wild encounter enough to silence the participants. That’s called motive. I am so screwed.”
He left his seat and pulled her to her feet. “You can’t give up now. We finally have something to investigate.”
“But I can’t be seen in public. How can I investigate anything?”
His smile was filled with secrets then he pressed a kiss to her temple and said, “There are a lot of ways to investigate, and many of them don’t require leaving this house.”
She had no choice but to believe him. The other options were unthinkable.
* * * * *
Stretching like a lazy cat, Misty Blue wiggled into the softness of her bed and slowly opened her eyes. She felt relaxed and refreshed for the first time in years, yet she didn’t understand the cause. The mystic healer, Aren, had siphoned off her excess energy. He’d drained the storm and eased her torment. Yet he was a mystic. The thought left her horribly conflicted.
She rolled onto her back and ran her hands up her body. Her nipples were sore, but the clamps were gone. Raising her arms overhead, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Welcome back.”
She turned her head and smiled at Paul. He sat in a chair by the balcony door, sunlight accenting his handsome features. “What time is it?”
“Four-thirty. Aren told me to let you sleep, but I was starting to worry.”
She sat up, holding the sheet over her breasts. “Is he still here?”
“Should I be jealous?” He stood and stalked toward her, dark eyes narrowed and bright. “Letting him touch you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
She folded her knees beneath her and let the sheet slip to her waist. “That’s not why I asked. I am yours and yours alone. I just have so many questions.”
“Ask me. He explained in more detail after you’d gone to sleep.” He pulled the sheet away from her body, his gaze ravenous. “Part your thighs. I’ve been aching for hours.”
Her unexpected reaction to Aren’s treatment had left Paul without release. She moved her legs apart and rested her hands on her thighs. “Will the storm return?”
“It will.” He covered one breast with his hand and curved the other around the back of her neck. “He used pleasure to access the energy, but you can be taught how to release it without sexual contact.” The thought seemed to make him aggressive. He took her mouth in a demanding kiss, parting her lips with his tongue and delving deep into the warmth of her mouth.
She tilted her head, creating a better angle for their lips. His fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her head back, momentarily ending the kiss. “Can you be taught to do what he did?”
“No.” He growled, clearly upset by the fact. His hand swept down her body and covered her mound. “Only a mystic can access your energy.” He stroked her clit with obvious purpose as his mouth returned to hers.
Her pussy melted, responding without hesitation or reserve. Her Master needed her and she was more than happy to oblige. “How often will I need to…” He thrust his fingers into her pussy, and her question ended in a startled gasp.
“There should be no need I cannot fulfill.” His hand moved between her thighs, sliding his fingers in and out of her wet core. “I hate that you need others to survive. You should only need me.”
“They might get my energy, but you have my body and my heart.” That seemed to calm him. His hand slowed, prolonging each stroke of his fingers. His touch felt wonderful, but her mind was still troubled, brimming with questions and speculation.
Her removed his fingers and gently squeezed her clit. “You’re distracted.”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t help wondering if…never mind, it can wait.”
He moved his hand to her hip and raised her chin, looking deep into her eyes. “I want your complete attention once we start, so ask your questions now.”
“The animals who tortured me and Megan were right all along. We do have abilities.”
“That doesn’t excuse what they did. Nothing does.”
She had no intention of defending them further, but it brought up another point. “My mother’s fiancé always claimed I had a spirit inside me. Do you think he was sensing my mystic energy?”
“Again, even if he did, it doesn’t excuse what he did to you. He was a twisted fuck who deserved what he got. And that’s all I have to say about that.” He pulled her up and kissed her with enough passion to force the memories back into the past. All the pain was behind her now. Paul loved her and now that she understood what she was, she was free to love him in return.
He finally released her mouth and she wiggled away. Turning over, she folded her legs beneath her then spread her thighs. She raised her ass in an unmistakable offering and waited for his reaction.
She heard his throaty groan then felt his hands on the
front of her thighs. He dragged her toward him until her feet dangled off the edge of the bed. Sinking to his knees, he pressed his mouth against her slit and muttered. “Mine. Only mine.”
His tongue pushed between her folds, stabbing into her core with possessive demand. He licked and sucked, attacking her clit with focused determination. She wiggled and arched, thrilled by the depth of emotion driving his urgency.
He reached over and yanked the nightstand open, retrieving a bottle of lubricant. His hands left her for a moment then she felt a cool drizzle sneak into the crack between her ass cheeks. He obviously intended to finish what they’d begun that morning.
She rested her chin on her folded arms, trusting him to make it good. He parted her cheeks and positioned his cock then reached around and covered her clit with his fingers. She held perfectly still, surrendered and ready. His fingers slowly circled her clit as his cock drove inward. Her body stretched around him, accepting his thickness after a moment’s resistance. He filled her completely, pushing pleasure right to the border of pain.
“Relax, love.” He gave her a minute to adjust to the pressure as his fingers gently caressed. Tingles swirled through her abdomen, gathering in her pussy and contracting her back passage. His fingers caught her clit and carefully pulled. “Come.”
Her body immediately obeyed and pleasure burst within her. She shook with the powerful spasms as he pulled his hips back. The slow slide of his cock prolonged the sensation and she clutched the covers to keep from screaming.
He thrust in fast and drew back slowly, fucking her with tender ferocity. His hands moved to her hips and his speed increased as he drove her toward another climax. She braced her legs and pushed back against him, matching his movements thrust for thrust.
The fluttering spasms of her release had just begun when he buried himself to the hilt and came with a strangled cry. “Damn it.” He pulled her up, pressing her back against his damp chest as his hand covered her mound. With a few skillful strokes, he triggered her final orgasm and supported her while the pleasure shook her. “Our timing has been off all day.”
