by Casey Lane
Nodding, Sunny dragged her tired butt out of the chair and followed Anna. She was so groggy, she was halfway up a set of stairs before she realized she had no idea how to get back.
Would it be too much to hope the castle would have those Where am I? maps posted on the hall walls somewhere?
“This is the handler wing,” Anna said as they passed a closed door. The gentle, warm feeling emanating from the room told her it was Anna’s. Did a handler’s magic leech into their surroundings if they spent enough time there?
Anna continued speaking about how the rooms on this side were larger to accommodate for a handler’s increased power but Sunny found the woman’s voice too soothing to actually pay much attention.
“This is Sloan’s suite,” Anna said as they passed the next door. Sunny could have guessed that from the cool, aggressive power being pushed from the room.
The next suite was empty and Sunny guessed it was for the still missing earth handler. The room at the very end of the hall had to be hers.
Anna confirmed this when she pushed open the door and stepped aside so Sunny could walk inside first. Her luggage had been placed at the foot of an enormous bed. There was a chest of drawers against one wall, a large armoire on the wall across from the dresser and a third wall dominated by floor-to-ceiling windows. The room was decorated in shades of rust and red, which seemed to call to make the fire inside her burn brighter. It was beautiful. “I’ll leave you to settle in and get some rest. There are fresh towels in the bathroom, which is right through that door.”
Sunny nodded and said good-bye, still a little awed over the room she’d been assigned.
Her body still hummed from all the power and, despite the time that had passed since she’d first shaken Sloan’s hand, her arousal hadn’t dissipated. The feeling had only intensified as she passed Sloan’s room. And despite how tired she was, there was no way she would be able to fall asleep with this much lust streaking through her veins. Maybe a nice shower would help take the edge off enough for her to sleep.
The bathroom was freaking gigantic, but she’d expected it to be, given the size of the room. She contemplated giving the soaker tub a try, which was big enough for two people, but in the end, decided she was too tired to lounge around for long.
Stripping off her clothes, she turned on the water, stepped under the hot spray and grabbed a bottle of shower gel. The water worked miracles on her tight muscles but the bubbles from the shower gel slid down her skin, and collected at the very top of her mound, yanking up her arousal by about ten levels.
She slid her finger between her legs and found the small ridge of her clit. It flexed and then strained out, demanding attention.
This was going to be quick and dirty.
She rubbed it quickly, closing her eyes and letting the image of Sloan float through her mind. In her mind, Sloan knelt at her feet, nuzzling his way down her stomach and taking her clit between his lips.
She came unexpectedly, Sloan’s name slipping from her mouth on a long moan.
The orgasm may have been short, but it was strong and satisfying. She shivered, savoring the aftershocks of her climax.
As soon as she could feel her legs again, she dried off with a fluffy towel and collapsed, completely naked, on the bed. She managed to crawl under the covers before her exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep.
Chapter Eight
Sloan pushed the food around his plate. He wasn’t really hungry but lately, Raven had taken to monitoring how much he ate. It was supremely annoying, as he was seventy-five years old, but he could understand Raven’s concern. Besides, Raven was just being a good leader.
Normally, he would have eaten with the others, if only to reassure Raven and Anna he was, at the very least, still alive. But tonight … tonight he’d met the new fire handler.
He had been stunned by how attracted he’d been to her and even more flabbergasted when he’d taken her hand in his. The power that shot up his arm amazed him. It warmed him through and set him on edge all at once. He should have been prepared for the sensation. After all, every time he touched Anna, a similar phenomenon happened. He was so used to avoiding Anna’s touch, he’d forgotten to brace himself.
The power hadn’t necessarily been bad, but it had been different.
The feeling of her soft palm against his had sent him reeling far faster and further than her magic, though. He’d instantly wondered what her hand would feel like slipping down his bare chest and maybe sliding even further south. He’d gone from zero to sixty in less than ten seconds and his dick had leapt to life.
Matthew had sent him a knowing look, and he’d had to stop himself from dropping his hands to shield his crotch from view. He’d almost joined them, but he’d glanced up at the last second and looked at Dara’s portrait smiling down at him.
Grief and guilt had swamped him, and he’d taken it out on Sunny before running for the sanctuary of his room. He’d hoped to spend the evening alone working through his thoughts but a knock on the door told him it wouldn’t be the case. He sighed and pushed his plate away. “Come in.”
Anna marched in and crossed her arms, sending him a disapproving look. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Sloan Shirer. Have you forgotten your manners, because I know you have them?”
Sloan was taken aback. Out of anyone, he thought Anna would have known how he felt. She had lost her husband in the same battle he’d lost Dara, and she would know how disconcerting it must feel to find oneself attracted to someone else. Then again, he’d have to tell her the truth about how he felt before she could sympathize with him.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “You’re right. I’ll go apologize right now.”
Anna smiled at him like he was a puppy who’d learned to pee outside and patted his head. “That’s a good boy.”
“You do realize I’m almost twenty-five years older than you, right?” he grumbled, good naturedly. He never was able to stay annoyed with the woman.
“I know,” she said. “Now, go apologize and then eat your dinner. You’re too skinny.”
“Yes, Mom,” he mumbled, edging past her to walk down the hall.
He heard Anna’s door close as he knocked on Sunny’s door. He waited for a few seconds before knocking again. “Sunny?” he called.
There was no answer. He briefly considered waiting until tomorrow to apologize, but he really didn’t want her to go to sleep thinking he was that big of an ass.
He cracked the door open a little and poked his head in. “Sunny?”
The little redhead was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t had time to tune into her magic yet like he was to Anna’s so he couldn’t pinpoint her location. But where could she have gone? He stepped inside. He couldn’t remember if this room had a balcony but if it did, she might be outside.
The sound of the water starting caught his attention and his head swung around. She was in the shower. Naked and wet.
Oh, good God, he’d never gotten hard so fast before. He couldn’t help but picture what she would look like standing under the cascade of water. Her wet hair would be plastered around her shoulders and down her back, clinging to her body like wet silk. Her fair skin would glow and her small breasts would fit perfectly into his palms. Were her nipples pink or tan? Did she shave her pussy or was she natural?
Adjusting his dick in his pants so it wouldn’t snap off, Sloan backed toward the door to leave. He was pretty sure being caught in Sunny’s room would not win him any brownie points with anyone. And he was in enough hot water with Anna and Raven as it was.
He’d almost made it to the door when a soft moan caught his attention. His gaze snapped back to the bathroom door and he froze. He would bet every last bit of his magic that those were not moans of distress. His wife may have passed away twenty-five years ago, but he still remembered what a woman’s pleasure sounded like.
Every drop of blood in his body drained into his dick and he actually had to press down on it to stop the orgasm poised at the tip.
Shit, he needed to get out of there and fast. Tiptoeing awkwardly, he gripped the doorway just as another moan floated on the air. “Sloan…”
He managed to slip out of the room and close the door almost silently before he sprinted down the hall. He burst through the door to his own room and slammed it hard behind him before unzipping his pants and plunging his hand inside.
Not even two steps into his room, and still fully dressed, Sloan gripped his cock with one hand, using the other to prop himself up against the wall. He set a fast pace, stroking his thumb over the top of his dick with each pass.
Sweat dripped off his forehead and onto the floor, mixing with the pre-come already pearling at the tip of his cock. The sound of his name from Sunny’s lips was still echoing in his ears and he closed his eyes, a picture of a nude Sunny in the throes of orgasm forming on his closed lids.
“Fuck,” he grunted as every muscle in his body contracted. The pleasure started at the base of his spine and spread rapidly through his entire body until he was sure he was going to pass out. He increased the pace of his stroking until his entire being was focused on the sensations between his legs.
He came violently, spurting all over his hand and clothes. He continued rubbing his dick until he was too sensitive to stand it anymore.
His legs were barely strong enough to support him as he stumbled over to his bed before sagging onto the mattress. He stared at the mess he’d made, another wave of confusion washing over him. Logically, he knew Dara wouldn’t have wanted him to live the rest of his life alone. In fact, she’d probably be thrilled another woman had finally caught his attention. And in truth, it wasn’t really guilt that made him so reluctant to get to know Sunny.
No, it wasn’t guilt. It was fear. He had a feeling that falling for Sunny would be one of the easiest things he’d ever do. But as much as he sneered at Raven and the rest of them for believing in the prophecy about a war to end all wars, he’d seen the evidence of it himself. His magic seemed to be doubling in power every few days, almost as if in preparation for the coming war. All of it meant he could very well have finally found his soul mate. But then what had Dara been?
God, he was so confused. He’d loved Dara with all his heart. If she wasn’t his soul mate, it meant someone else was. And according to the prophecy, he and his soul mate would be fighting side by side in the coming war.
An image of Sunny popped up, unbidden, in his mind’s eye, but he pushed it away.
He’d already lost someone he’d loved dearly in the last war and it had nearly killed him. He wasn’t sure if he could survive that again.
Chapter Nine
Sloan pressed his hand against his aching head and stumbled into the hall. He had hardly slept at all, and his sleepless night was starting to take its toll on him. He needed coffee to stop the pounding in his head. To top it all off, his body hummed with extra magic, and he desperately needed to release some of the buildup.
A door opened a little way up the hall. The only occupied room that far down the corridor was the new fire handler’s.
Crap. Sunny was the last person he needed to see right now, especially when he was in such poor control of his magic.
He thought briefly about ducking back into his room but at that second, she looked right at him. “Good morning,” she said brightly.
God, she was beautiful. Her full lips were tilted upward in a grin, and he instantly wondered what they would look like wrapped around his dick.
Shaking the thought from his head, he nodded at her. “Morning,” he grunted, hoping she didn’t notice the slight bulge his half hard dick was leaving in his pants.
Her smile widened as she stopped next to him. “Not much of a morning person?” she asked.
He cleared his throat and shook his head. “No. It usually takes at least a vat of coffee before Raven deems me fit for conversation.”
“Mmm, coffee,” Sunny crooned. “I love coffee. It’s like liquid gold. But Matthew and Leith told me caffeine made it harder for me to control my magic.”
“Yes, it can. But once you’ve learned to control your power, you should be able to drink as much coffee as you want.” Of course, he didn’t tell her neither he nor Anna had had a drop of the stuff in weeks, as their magics were getting harder and harder to control. He didn’t think Sunny would be particularly reassured by the fact that two seasoned handlers were losing their grip on their magic.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
Sunny nodded and stretched her arms over her head. He was pretty sure she had no idea her shirt had ridden up with her movement and a thin band of her creamy flesh was visible over the waistband of her pants. “I did, thanks,” she said, dropping her arms. Much to Sloan’s disappointment, the shirt settled back into place, hiding her skin from his eyes once again.
She continued talking, seeming completely oblivious to his gaze. “In fact, it was sort of weird. It was kind of like there was something dampening my power … my magic, I guess. I felt like I could sleep without being afraid about setting the place on fire for the first time since my birthday.”
“It’s the wards Raven and Leith put on the castle a few years back. They’re spells which help us control our powers,” he explained when she looked confused.
“Does that mean we can’t use magic in the castle at all?” she asked.
“No. A handler’s magic is exceptionally stronger than anyone else’s in the castle, with the exception of Raven. Even he wouldn’t be able to stop you if you completely lost control. But as the leader, he does have a few advantages. He can lock down our magic if he wants.”
She looked thoughtful. “So, he could take it away for a little while to give us a break from the sensation of needing to jump out of our skin?”
“Not really. He can lock it in our bodies. It doesn’t stop the magic from building up though.”
She made a face. “Well, that’s no fun.” Then she smiled again. “But if I practice, the jittery feeling will go away, right?”
He nodded. “For a short time. It will build up again, but practicing will release it.”
She started speaking, but he’d made the mistake of looking at her mouth again. It was full, pink, and a little moist from where her tongue kept peeking out to lick at her lips.
Sunny’s smile had widened into an outright grin and Sloan blinked, finding himself completely blinded. She practically lit up the whole castle with her expression. Her name matched her personality exactly.
It was almost impossible not to move closer to her warmth, to her vitality, and something which had been dormant inside him for a quarter of a century stretched and reached for her light like a moth flying straight for a flame.
“Wow,” she said. “You weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t a morning person. Are you okay?”
He blinked again, this time completely lost. “I’m sorry?”
She laughed and he could have sworn he heard bells. Had he ever been this taken with a woman so early?
“I asked if you would mind walking with me to the dining room. I swear, I need a GPS to find my way around this place.”
“Sure. I was heading down to breakfast myself. And don’t worry, you’ll figure out your way around the castle soon enough.”
Together they walked down the hall in companionable silence. She seemed happy to be there, which he found slightly odd. He would have thought having been forced to leave her home, especially given that she had pretty much been kidnapped, would have been traumatic. He’d expected her to rage against her situation, or at least be a little resentful. “How come you’re not pissed about being here?” he blurted.
Sunny shrugged. “I can’t really explain it. I’ve never really fit in before. I’ve always kind of felt restless, you know? I’ve always had these visions of fire I couldn’t explain. I actually spent time in a psychiatric hospital when they couldn’t figure out if I was a danger.”
She fiddled with the hem of her shirt for a few seconds before looking up at him w
ith a sheepish smile. “There’s something about being here that makes me feel at peace. And something about the people here, especially Matthew, that soothes me.”
Jealousy hit Sloan so hard, he nearly stumbled. She found Matthew soothing? What was it about the little pup she found so comforting?
Just as quickly, he pushed the thought aside. What did it matter to him if she found Matthew comforting? He had Dara’s memory to keep him company. Except, it had been getting harder and harder to remember how she had felt in his arms. He had to look at her photograph now if he wanted to remember her smile.
He’d promised at their wedding to never love anyone else and it was an insult to her memory if he lusted after another woman.
Except he knew Dara wouldn’t have wanted him to live out the rest of his very long life alone.
“Which way do we go from here?” Sunny asked suddenly.
He was really out of it this morning. They’d made it to the bottom of the stairs but he’d apparently stopped walking. “This way,” he said, pointing to the left. The tone of his voice came out a little sharper than he’d intended, and she shot him a weird look.
He wasn’t exactly sure how to apologize for his abrupt change of attitude, or if he even wanted to. All he knew was there were two empty chairs at the dining table and she headed straight for the one next to Matthew.
Which only left one chair vacant. And it happened to be right next to Sunny.
He sighed and headed for the table, knowing if he attempted to skip breakfast again, Raven would probably tie him to the chair and force feed him.
Matthew looked over at him when Sloan collapsed in his chair. “Having a rough morning?” he asked.
He resisted the urge to drop his face to his hands and grabbed a platter of bacon instead. How could he explain why his mood had gone from fantastic to shit in a matter of a few seconds?
