by JoAnna Grace
He was interrupted by a commotion at the door. Avery had gotten past the threshold and Cutter was trying to restrain her. “Please, milady. You should wait for Master!”
But it was too late; she’d seen the carnage. Ryse felt her emotions rip loose in a tidal wave of anguish, knocking the wind out of his lungs.
“Nooo!” Avery screamed before running to her beloved pets. Her body hit a wall of warmth as Brenden intercepted her and wrapped her in his arms. “Let me go! My boys! Let me go, damn it!”
“Get her out of here!” she heard Ryse growl. “Her aura is wide open! Where is Dante?”
Brenden pushed a struggling Avery out the doors. His body was a vice around her. It took little effort for him to pick her up and take her down the hall. He barricaded them in another suite; Cutter followed, acting as a guard outside the door.
“What happened? Who did this?” Avery cried once Brenden released her. Nikki took her, wrapped her in a blanket, and sat her on the bed.
“Someone tell me what happened. Now!” she screamed, pushing power out of her aura. Brenden fell to his knees in front of her. Nikki slid off the bed, kneeling. “What are you doing?”
Nikki’s voice was strained and forced through vocal cords that did not want to work. “Your aura, Avery.”
Dante came through the door and ran to her. The moment his hand touched her cheek, a calm feeling came over the room. Avery took in a battered breath, realizing the strain her aura had put on everyone, herself included.
“Better?” he asked. Anxious eyes peered down at her. She nodded and felt her body collapse under the fatigue of her exertion. “Whoa!” Dante caught her against his chest as he sat next to her on the edge of the bed. “I have you, Princess.”
Nikki, recovered from the blast of power, remained kneeling in front of Avery. “Avery, you need to bring your barriers back up so that Dante doesn’t have to absorb your aura.” She spoke softly and slowly.
Avery nodded, closing her eyes to concentrate. She envisioned the thick walls slowly rising in her mind. The barrier, impenetrable and strong, boxed up the mental image of her aura. Her breathing regulated and she felt Dante relax beside her.
“There you go. Good girl.” Nikki touched her cheek, comforting her friend as best she could.
Avery continued to rest against Dante. Her eyes flickered to Brenden, who paced the floor. “Please, please tell me what is going on. What happened to my dogs?”
Slumping on the bed, Brenden took her free hand. His eyes looked up at her with both pain and rage. “They were poisoned. It was in their food. Philippe was able to take some of the blood and extract the poison.”
“They suffered, didn’t they?”
Brenden clenched his jaw and gave one solemn nod. He released her and began pacing again. She buried her face into Dante’s chest and cried. Hesitantly, he put his arms around her shoulders. Dante held her as she grieved over the loss. Castor and Pollux had been the last pieces of home, pieces of Frank that carried over into this world. They had been her companions for many years and it broke her heart to think of life without them.
Every tie to her former life was gone. She didn’t know if the gods allowed this to happen, if it was part of some pre-destined plan or if her pain was even a concern of theirs. But one day, she would have revenge on the person who killed her boys.
Hours later, Ryse stood in the shadows of a block-walled room. His own rage was a beast inside of him waiting to feast on blood. Servants had been questioned. Alibis had been checked. It all came down to one Thracian soldier and a butler who was sweating bullets.
Yankee and Brenden detained the men in a cell. When Ryse walked in, they were questioning them.
“Did anyone enter or exit the room while you were on guard?” Yankee asked as he leaned back on a table.
“Not that I saw.”
Brenden paced behind the suspects. Ryse watched him analyze the soldier. He looked to Yankee and signaled he didn’t believe him. The answer was not a lie, nor was it the whole truth, either.
“What do you mean, not that you saw?” Yankee asked.
“While I was standing there, no one came in or out.” The soldier was sweating, his hands shook even as he held them tightly in his lap. His pupils, though focused on Yankee, were dilated.
Brenden crossed his arms over his chest. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and shook his head. Not a lie. Not the truth. Yankee casually leaned over the table, his gaze piercing the fellow Thracian. “Soldier, were you standing by the door for the entire length of time the Lady was gone?”
“No.” Truth.
“Why not?” Ryse hissed from his shadowed corner. Confrontation with the Master made the soldier twitch.
“I’d be very careful to tell the whole truth, soldier. The Master is a bit unpredictable right now,” Yankee said.
Through more direct and some obviously embarrassing questions, they found out that the soldier left his post for half an hour while he and his girlfriend, one of the maids, had sex in a closet by the pool room.
“You abandoned your post?” Ryse screamed in the man’s face. “Have you not been taught better? Answer me.”
“The Princess wasn’t there.” The soldier broke. “They were just dogs. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. They were both sleeping when I checked on them after I got back, they were the same as when I left them. They’re just dogs!”
Ryse backhanded the man and knocked him out of his chair. Using a gift he rarely accessed, Ryse threw out his hand and seized control of the soldier’s physical form. The man levitated from the ground and Ryse slammed him against the wall. Magic pinned the man to the blocks and lifted him higher until his feet dangled in the air.
Ryse was barely in control. Ares had descended and was as much a part of his being as he was. His eyes glowing as Ares passed judgment on this Thracian son. Guilty. The one word gave Ryse the power to take the man’s life. “Guilty,” Ryse repeated as the spirit left his body.
“Wait! Wait! I have information!” the soldier squirmed. “I saw the Princess, the British one and her maid, I think.”
“You have two seconds,” Ryse snarled.
“She was looking for him,” he pointed to the butler. The butler had been so silent Ryse had nearly forgotten him.
Ryse turned his attention back to the soldier. “Your information has been noted.” His eyes glowed again as he petitioned Ares in case there was a change in his adjudication.
His unworthy heart is that of a coward. Verify his information, then rid my bloodline of his impurity.
Ryse released the soldier from his magical grip and pulled the patch off his uniform. “Ares finds you unworthy of the Thracian blood. You will be detained until your testimony is proven, then you are to be stripped.”
“Stripped?” the soldier argued. “You can’t strip me of my…my…blood!”
“Your blood is mine.” As if to prove his point Ryse held out his hand and called forth the life-giving flow. He could feel the stream moving to meet him. The soldier’s face pooled with blood as he screamed. Ryse’s anger was so deep, so volatile, that all he wanted to do was murder the man, no matter what Ares commanded. Blood seeped from the soldier’s nose.
Ryse dropped his hand and stumbled back. “Yankee, you finish,” he said before leaving the room. Falcon met him in the hall. “I’m fine!” he barked before his General could even speak.
“Master.” Falcon bowed deeper than usual. He knew better than to question Ryse at this moment. A glowing light still ringed his feral eyes.
RYSE FOUND AVERY in one of the suites, curled up on the bed under her quilt, fast asleep. Nothing but a lamp gave the room light. She had changed into cotton pajamas. Dante slept in a chair by the bed, his hand secured to Avery’s by a piece of ribbon so that even in sleep he was protecting her. No magic could disturb her sleep as long as Dante held her hand. A vicious ping of jealousy flamed inside his soul, still raw from Ares possession.
On the other side of the
bed, Nikki looked up at him. She had one hand petting Avery’s shoulder. “She’s worn out, Master. So is he. She had some trouble containing her aura and Dante bore the brunt of it,” she whispered, her ivory skin seeming more pale than usual. “She passed out right in the middle of crying.” Nikki looked down, gave Avery one last affectionate caress, and then moved off the bed.
“I want to rest with her awhile. When he is done with the interrogations, take Brenden and make him sleep. Tell Hammon and Cutter to set up watch. I want you and Brenden fresh for her tomorrow.” He dismissed Nikki and began taking off his boots. Dante stirred and was surprised to see Ryse. He looked down at the hand tied to his and then back up at Ryse again.
“Is her aura under control?” Ryse asked, unable to sense her through the shield of Dante.
“Now that she sleeps.” He gingerly untied the ribbon and peeled her fingers from his hand, smiling at the tight grip. Ryse noticed the affectionate way he smiled. Dante stood and walked to the door to leave.
“Dante,” Ryse said, bringing him to a halt.
“Master?”
“Man to man, what do you see when you look at her? Speak truthfully, free from consequence.”
Dante took a deep breath, thinking for a moment before the words came out his mouth. Ryse appreciated that about the boy. Too many of the young Thracians would spit out words that were unfiltered and rash. Dante seemed to meditate over every word that crossed his lips. It was a sign of wisdom and maturity beyond his years.
“I see a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart.” His eyes lingered on Avery’s sleeping form. Again the affection was noted. “No one has ever looked at me the way she does. I’ve never stood out among my peers, and I’ve been overlooked because my gift is not an offensive one. Yet, Avery picked me out of a crowded hall of Thracians.” Dante looked Ryse in the eye. “I never thought of my ability as a gift until she made it one. She has given me more encouragement and purpose in the last few hours than anyone else in my entire life. Even after Avery knew of my father’s convictions, her view of me never changed.” He glanced away. “As it does with so many.”
“You speak as though you have deeper feelings for her,” Ryse smiled and Dante began to stutter.
“Well, no Master. I, she only…”
Holding up a quieting hand, Ryse said, “I understand, Dante. She is easy to love. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep my eye on you.” Ryse smirked, delivering both a tease and a threat in one.
“Master,” Dante said as he opened the door. “I know the questions will arise, so I would prefer to answer them now.” Ryse nodded. “I did not harm the Lady’s animals and would give my own life’s blood to bring them back if it gave her happiness. And no, I do not agree with my father’s political views. There is more honor in this family than in all the other Deities combined.”
“I have no doubt of your devotion, son,” Ryse forced a tight smile.
As soon as the boy left, he lay with his wife. As bulky as he was, it was hard not to move the bed as he crawled in beside Avery. She mumbled his name in her sleep and he pulled her close. Having her smell, feeling her warmth, sensing the calming slumber in her aura, tasting her skin as he kissed her—all of this let him relax. She lives. They didn’t hurt her. Avery is alive in my arms.
He repeated this mantra over and over in his head, trying to make his brain believe it. The greatest fear in his soul was losing her. Life would end for him if she were killed. Thracian Master or not, Deity or not, without his partner, his wife, he would be forfeit. Taking one deep inhale of her scent, he closed his eyes and forced himself to go to sleep. The protection ward he placed on the room would keep everyone out and them safely in.
During the quiet of the night, he felt hands on his body. Fingertips grazed the naked flesh of his chest. Sweet lips caressed his neck and he prayed he wasn’t dreaming. When he blinked his eyes open, two emeralds gazed back at him. Neither of them spoke in the darkness. The small lamp in the corner of the room cast only enough light to make out the features of her face. He touched her cheek and she pressed her face to his palm. Moving her legs around his body, she inched closer to him and took in his lips. Her kiss was demanding and powerful.
She needed him. And tonight he would give her whatever she needed, no questions asked.
It wasn’t what most couples experienced on their wedding night. There were no candles, no flowers, no fancy meals or private patios with romantic ambiance. There were no overused lines or poetic words. There was only the mutual understanding of two people who needed to feel the other alive. Too much death and pain had been thrown at them in such a short period of time. Now, in this moment, it was about life and about being together no matter what bullets were shot from the guns of the world.
In the back of his mind, he kept looking for any sign of irresolution. He found none. This woman, his woman until the end of time, had no fear as she sat on top of him and removed her shirt. Elegant curls of her auburn hair fell over the tempting curves of her breast. When she bent down to kiss him again, her hair curtained his face. Avery always smelled sweet, like a warm spring day sprinkled with sugar. He took in her scent and let it feed him. The hunger he had for her was all that burned inside now. The rest of the world be damned. Tonight he was going to live for Avery.
Using colossal effort, he restrained himself, letting Avery set the pace. Not once did he try to assert the dominance that was bred into him. She needed to be in control and not to feel pressured or forced. He would not let any thoughts of her past creep into these precious moments because he felt the need to be dominant. He used all his self-control not to go insane from the feel of her touch. The way she bit her lip and the innocence of her movements as she removed her remaining clothing was a reminder that she had never seduced a man before. He was her first. That precious knowledge touched his heart like nothing else.
Every care was taken not to push her too fast but desire drove him insane and ran through him like wild fire. He cupped her breast and her breaths quickened. She gasped when he took her into his mouth and her hands tunneled into his hair. Avery rolled them over so he was on top. Gently, he used his fingers to ready her, and that alone made her arch her back off the bed. When they finally connected, only a whimper crossed her lips. Ripples of fear and love mingled in her aura, the power aroused him to a near painful state. But he did not miss how that whimper shook, how her eyes widened and moisture pooled in their corners. He kissed her tears away then coaxed her into a deep, sensual kiss while their bodies adjusted to each other. Fingers dug into his shoulders and sides as they moved together. Each rocking movement made him dizzy, made his muscles coil tighter and tighter until all the world faded away, everything but his sweet Avery. Her moans were music to his ears. The salt of her skin and the perfume of her sex triggered an animal slumbering beneath his own skin. He picked up the pace, urged on by Avery’s hands clawing at his back. It wasn’t going to take much more to send both of them over the edge. He wanted her on top when they did. The magic of their bond would consume her and he wanted her to experience it. Ryse rolled and sat her atop him, loving the way she gasped at the new position.
His father had warned him of the effects of the bond. The two of them, intimately together, hitting the pinnacle as one, sent an atomic shock wave of magic bouncing off the walls of the room. Light bulbs exploded, the furniture shook and some of the wood splintered as the wave of their mating bond solidified into a swirl of blue, white and green stars that danced around them on the bed. After a moment of shock, Avery put her hands in the air and her head fell back as she received the divine gifts. Now she was linked to the gods for all eternity. They would speak to her as a Deity and reveal themselves to her.
Tears of joy showered her cheeks and a smile of pure delight spread wide across her face. In that moment, he could feel her thoughts. She was free. The tainted views of intimacy and intercourse were gone, erased with the loving visions of her husband.
She was glorious. It made
his heart burst with pride. Seeing her like this, naked and open, arms spread to the heavens, her hair gently waving in the magical whirlwind about her, a smile that could light the world, crying in release of the fears that chained her for so long—she was a goddess. The image of her burned into his brain until he could close his eyes and still recall every detail. Then, as she wrapped herself tighter around him, he lost all thoughts. The only thing that mattered was showing her the depths of his love and devotion.
INSTEAD OF THE sunshine waking her up as it had the last two mornings, it was the feel of fingers tracing circles on her back. Avery was lying on her stomach across Ryse’s chest. The only thing she wore was his ring. That was enough.
This morning, Ryse’s steady strong heartbeat was quite different from the snare drum she had collapsed against last night after their lovemaking. Her own body was a mystery of sensations.
“Good morning, my love.” Ryse kissed the top of her head. “How do you feel?”
“Like a coon dog sprawled out in the sun.”
Ryse chuckled and it made her whole body move. “I’m guessing that is a Southern way of saying ‘well’.” Raising her head to look at him, she smiled and nodded. “You were very upset last night. No regrets?” he asked, running a hand through her hair.
Avery recoiled. “No.” Oh god! Was he having regrets? He had been the one so adamant about not rushing things. Did he just sleep with her for the hell of it? “Do you—”
“No,” he stated, touching her cheek. “By the gods, I swear to you that last night was the most…” He blew out a breath and his eyebrows rose. “Well, shit, there are no words.”
Avery smiled. “I love you.”
“My goddess, my beautiful wife, I love you, too.” He pulled her mouth to his and she felt the passion behind his words. “As much as I wish we could hide in this room all day, we have a killer to catch and my father’s brunch in the middle of all of it.” He was quiet for a moment, tracing the lines of her face. “I’m so sorry about Castor and Pollux, my love. I will do anything to make this easier for you.”
