Key leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp for her.
Roxy turned the page. “This is what Dyfyr showed me. The spell to call his soul into you when you were in your mother’s womb.” She looked up at him. “You saw it?”
He shrugged. “Images bouncing in my head. I don’t know if you or Dyfyr were projecting to me, but I got the gist of it. My mother wore the Tear; your mother and other witches performed the spell to summon Dyfyr’s soul into her baby.”
“Dyfyr is angry, called what they did an abomination.”
Key listened as Roxy explained what she’d learned from the dragon. How the spell had gone wrong, causing the Tear to try to kill her. How her mother had done more spells to call the soul of Dyfyr’s lover from Summerland. It took all his self-control to keep his growing fury in check at what her bitch of a mother had done to her. He needed to have a clear head, listen to what she’d learned, and save Roxy. That was the important thing. So he asked, “How did she have enough magic to do those things? Witches need high magic to do spell work. This was after the curse when they couldn’t access their high magic.”
Roxy lowered her chin to her knees. “I didn’t ask Dyfyr that, but I think it was the Tear. It had enough of Dyfyr’s magic in it, and fertility witches were created by him, so it strengthened their magic enough to call his soul. And maybe enough residual power to call my soul from Summerland, but that took longer. How old are you?”
He didn’t even blink at her shift in subjects. “Twenty-eight.”
“I’m twenty-four, so it took her at least three years to become pregnant with me.”
He couldn’t stand not touching her so he wrapped his hand around her calf. After they summoned the dragon into Key, Roxy’s mother spent the next three years desperately trying to get pregnant with Dyfyr’s lover. He was with her so far. “Your mother believed waking Dyfyr would restore the fertility witches’ power?”
Roxy nodded. “But it won’t, the curse is demon magic, and Dyfyr can’t undo that. Soul mirrors are the only solution. But at the time, no one knew that. Everyone was desperate to find a fix.” She lifted her head. “I’m not excusing my mother, what she did was wrong. Even as frightened and desperate as she must have felt after the curse … how did she justify forcing a dragon’s soul into a baby?” Her face flushed with anger. “Into you?”
His self-control slipped. “You’re the one wearing the death sentence because of her! She spelled that Tear to kill you! And I swear to you if you die, I will kill her.”
Roxy’s spine snapped straight, and hot color flooded her face. “No, you can’t! She’s not a demon witch—you’ll lose your soul.” She grabbed his arm. “Swear it, Kieran! Swear you won’t kill her!”
He felt her fingers digging into his arm with her pure panic and raw worry. For him. Even facing her own death, she worried about him. He didn’t know if he could make that promise, so he said, “Don’t die. Just don’t leave me, Roxy.”
“Kieran …”
Her fingers on his arm softened as her love seeped into him. And with it he also felt how tired she was. Getting himself under control, he said, “Tell me the rest.”
She studied his face, then said, “It’s about Liam. Why he wants the Tear.”
Cold rage tried to dig in again, but Key squelched it. “For Asmodeus.”
“Yes, but there’s more to it.” She took a breath. “Dyfyr is immortal. If you die and Liam has the Tear—”
The truth rang in his head like cymbals clanging. “His soul goes to Liam.” His anger broke through. “He wants Dyfyr’s strength and violence to kill more witches. They think they can harness the dragon in Liam and make him into a weapon for the demon.” Key looked at her. “When I was young, I was exactly what they thought I was … a coward. I didn’t know how to fight. It was easier to just let Dyfyr pull me away. To escape. It’s wasn’t until Phoenix forced me to fight that Dyfyr began to waken and help me fight back. Now I’m a killer that they admire.” And one day, he’d lose control and kill another innocent like Vivian and their baby. Key knew it was in him to do it. It had to be—look what he came from. He’d killed his own father. What kind of man does that?
Roxy put her hand on his bunched forearm. “You’re not them, Kieran. You are not. Your father deserved to die and you know that or you wouldn’t have killed him.”
She’d heard his thoughts. Their bond was growing at an astonishing rate. He lifted his eyes to her gaze. “How do you know that?”
“Because I share your soul. And I know how you would lay down your own life, even today, to go back and give Vivian and your child another chance at life. That you regret that mistake every day. That you loved her as much as you were capable at seventeen years old, and that while maybe you didn’t quite love the child yet, you loved the idea of your own family and you would have loved that baby once you held him in your arms. Your only mistake that day was not realizing Vivian had gotten up. But it was an accident. You did not kill her. Liam killed her by pulling her into the path of your knife.”
Key was staggered by her. She was dead-on, so exactly right he almost couldn’t draw a breath. He felt such loving respect and acceptance for his memories of Vivian coming from Roxy that he knew he was no longer alone in his guilt and grief, or in anything. He had blamed himself for letting the filth of his past touch, Vivian but he realized that the truth was he hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her what he really was, or that he came from killers. They’d been too young to really know what real love was.
But now … he looked up at his witch and knew love was about trust and partnership. It was scary and exhilarating. It made him strive to be worthy of her. Then he looked down at the Tear. He thought he’d known fear before?
Not even close. Losing her would rip his soul apart, taking out all the good and leaving all that was rotten in him. He couldn’t lose her. “How do we save you?”
She tensed. “You have to let Dyfyr do it. He’s tried twice and both times you shut him down. Your will is so strong, you stopped him. But he’s only trying to save me, not hurt me. And remember, he’s immortal, so he’ll use the Tear on himself, becoming mortal and tied to your life force. Then Wing Slayer can make us both immortal. So the Tear will be gone, no longer a threat—”
“Roxy,” he said, interrupting her rapid-fire words. The soft lights from the Tear were pulsing faster, indicating her heart was racing. Her fingers around his hand were white-knuckled.
She blinked, swallowing, then said, “Please, Kieran. You have to.”
Dread filled him. “Have to what? Stop dancing around it and tell me. I get the part about Dyfyr being immortal and using the Tear to become mortal. But how does he get the Tear out of you?”
“Dyfyr needs you to let him emerge fully in you and connect with my chakras. Then he’ll use his magic to cut the Tear from my lifeline, and draw it into his own life force. He said our combined magic will heal the spot once he removes the Tear.”
Removes the Tear. It vibrated in his head. Jerking his hand from hers, he snarled, “You mean where he claws the Tear from your chest right over your heart?” He launched himself from the bed, his heart pounding, blood roaring in his ears. “Do you have any idea what those claws can do? How many rogues I killed with those claws? Not just killed”—he whirled around, so goddamned furious, he felt his veins popping out—“but ripped apart until their intestines were hanging out in bloody strips.” The dragon wanted to use those claws on Roxy? And what if the Tear broke inside her? She’d probably die in seconds! “Not a fucking chance!” He paced to the dresser, slapped his hands down on top, and said, “We’ll find another way.”
“No, we won’t. The Tear is Dyfyr’s magic, and my mother spelled the Tear to kill me. Either the dragon gets the Tear out or I die.” She swiveled around on the bed to face him. “And according to Dyfyr, it’s not just me that’s going to die.”
Key whipped around, his gaze latching on to her. Shit, she was pale, and he could almost feel her fatigue. But t
his was her life they were talking about! “What the hell does that mean?”
“I’m pregnant.”
He froze to the spot under the sheer weight of the words. Pregnant. With his child, their child. And she was going to die. He stared at her sitting on the bed, her arms wrapped around her bent legs. What she was asking? Use the claws to rip open her chest? He looked up to her eyes and felt his gut roll over. Dark circles made her look exhausted and gaunt. It was five A.M., she’d been depleted of magic, had marathon sex, and then used a tremendous amount of magic. She had that Tear in her sucking off her life force.
And now a child. A baby.
He crossed to the bed. “Dyfyr said you’re pregnant?” Dare he believe the dragon?
She barely moved, her gaze fixed on his chest. “Yes. And he would know, he’s the one that gave witches fertility.”
That ripped through his memories until he recalled her mother explaining how she had to wake the dragon. “Your mother said, It’s sex magic. You need your magic, then you call the dragon, he Awakens and fertilizes you.”
Roxy closed her eyes. “I should have realized … should have known. I just thought fertilize meant you spilling your seed in me.”
He stood there, helpless frustration burning through him. Roxy had dreamed of a family, desperately wanted that. Then she’d given up her dream to help him. And then, for reasons that still confounded him, she’d fallen in love with him. Trusted him. Believed him when he’d told her he wouldn’t leave her.
But now, he could feel her fatigue, loneliness, and fear. He didn’t have to read her mind to know that she feared he’d just cut his losses like her father had. He leaned over, scooped her into his arms, and walked toward the bathroom.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re exhausted, and I’m taking care of you.” He turned on the shower jets, adjusted them, then carried her into the warm spray. Her honey scent flared with a wisp of caramel as he washed her breasts, her belly, and deep between her thighs. Even tired and satiated she wanted him.
He dried them both, led her to his bed.
“Wait,” she said tiredly, looking around. “Need a shirt.”
“Why?” He walked over to the dresser and grabbed her black tank top. Then drew it over her head.
“The Tear, I don’t want to wake up and see it.”
His guts tightened. She couldn’t escape that Tear, not even in sleep. She needed him to get it out, and right now, she didn’t believe he would do it. He smoothed the tank over her, picked her up, and put her in bed. Climbing in, he pulled her into his arms and settled her against his chest. Then he tilted her head up to see those eyes he loved, and his choice was clear. “Whatever it takes to keep you with me, to have you as my eternal mate, I’ll do it. I will fight for you, and if there’s a child, I’ll fight for him, too. Always.”
He kissed her and stroked his hand down her back until she fell into an exhausted sleep.
A child. He and Roxy might have a child. If he could save her by digging into her chest with dragon claws. His heart iced and hot sweat burned his skin. Christ. Would he be able to take her pain or would they have to hold her down while she screamed?
And if Key failed, if he killed Roxy, the other hunters had better kill him. Or he was going to unleash his fury on the world.
Roxy woke to see Kieran sitting in a chair next to the bed. He had on a pair of jeans, one ankle crossed over his knee, and his sketchbook propped on his thigh. His arm and shoulders bunched and undulated as he drew with fast, sharp movements. The dragon sat on his chest, looking at her with his ruby eyes.
Her schema flared to life. She shifted and realized she was barely covered.
“Morning, green eyes.”
She looked up, and her heart caught. His eyes were alive with blue. Just the feel of his gaze burned through her. She sat up, and the sheet slid down, reminding her that she had the tank top on. She could still see the soft lights of the Tear pulsing, but the shirt muted it a little. She returned her gaze to Key. “What are you drawing?”
He grinned. “Want to see?”
Forgetting the Tear, another shiver raced down her center, and her magic woke up. “Yes.”
He sat forward and handed her the pad. Roxy looked down. He’d drawn a pencil sketch of the two of them. Key had his wings out, he was holding Roxy as they flew.
Naked.
And given the way her legs were wrapped around his waist, her head tilted back and the expression on her face … she looked up at him. “I think you can get arrested for this.”
His grin widened, but his eyes darkened to a sensual heat. “For drawing it or doing it?”
Her nipples ached, her core throbbed, and she wanted him. “You’re in a good mood.”
“Look closer. See the way you’re leaning back, showing me your breasts while I stroke my cock deep inside you?”
She clenched with need at his raw voice. Could feel his desire crashing through her. She tried to do what he said and looked at her breasts. He’d drawn them full with large areolas, tightly budded nipples.
What’s missing, love?
His words in her head made her magic sing. She stared and saw the soft colors of lights flashing on the page, that came from the Tear—The Tear! It wasn’t there in the picture. She looked up and saw the glint of determination in his gaze. “You’re willing to let Dyfyr get the Tear out?”
Key stared back. “I’m willing to do anything it takes to save you. And our child.” He grinned and added, “I’m going to make love to you for hours to fill your sex magic. I want you strong and ready to get that Tear out—we’ll do it tonight after Eli’s Induction Ceremony. And then,” he dropped his gaze to the book. “We’re going to work on the flying sex I promised you at the maze.”
Hope soared through her, and she didn’t even think, just tossed off the sheet and scooted to the edge of the bed.
Key took the book from her fingers and tossed it aside. His gaze burned into hers, and he settled his warm hands on her thighs. “I noticed last night that your schema is changing.”
“The color? That’s—”
He shook his head. “No. I know your schema.” The teasing in his face firmed to seriousness. “I feel your magic stream through me. I’ve touched it, tasted it; your goddess mark and I are connected. Maybe because Dyfyr is in me, maybe because we’re soul mirrors and I am your familiar. I just know exactly what she should look like. And last night, I realized the shape of your schema was different. I was so wrapped up in feeding your magic, into the feel of you, that I didn’t think about what it meant.”
She put her hands on Kieran’s. “I saw it yesterday in the shower. You think she’s telling us I’m pregnant? Like Dyfyr said?” Roxy believed Dyfyr, but Kieran needed more.
He lifted their hands from her thighs and threaded their fingers together. “She is you, Roxy. She’ll change with you.” He stood and gently pushed her back to the bed. Color darkened his cheekbones and his voice roughened. “I’m going to kiss you and work my way down to spreading your legs and seeing the schema. She’ll tell us if you’re pregnant, just like she tells me when you need me.”
Roxy realized he’d been sitting here planning this. She could part her thighs and look, but Kieran wanted to do this, he wanted to discover the answer his way. With her fingers laced in his, she reclined on the bed, drinking in the feel of him looming over her. He pressed her hands to the mattress, leaned down, and kissed her. Slow and soft, he eased his way inside her mouth with sensual strokes of his tongue.
She tilted her head, giving him more. Meeting the wet strokes of his tongue with hers, inhaling his taste, just letting the sensation of him wash over and fill her. Drive out all her days, weeks, and years of loneliness, of never knowing where she belonged.
She belonged to Kieran and his dragon.
Key lifted his head, his eyes nearly blue. “You’re our treasure. You will always belong to us. And together, we are going to get that Tear out of you so that nothing c
an ever separate us again.”
Her heart swelled, and a wild sense of freedom swirled in her—freedom to be herself, a witch gifted with sex magic.
He ran his gaze down her body to her legs. “I caught the scent of your desire just after you woke up. It’s making me insane with the need to touch you, taste you. You want that, don’t you?”
She couldn’t deny him. “Yes.”
“Pull the shirt up.”
She gathered the stretchy material in her fingers and tugged it up to her stomach.
“Higher.” His voice rumbled as he watched her. “I want to see all of you.”
She drew it up until she’d revealed her breasts. Her nipples tightened beneath his hot gaze. He lowered himself, the muscles of his arms bulging as he supported his weight, and closed his mouth around a nipple. She saw the lights from the Tear flashing green, blue, and red over his face, but then he swirled his tongue and her thoughts were filled with only Kieran. He pulled deeper on her nipple until she arched beneath the sensation.
He kissed the valley between her breasts, then kissed and suckled the other nipple until her magic was spinning and her nerves were so sensitive that just the scrape of his teeth had her raising her hips in silent begging.
Kieran lifted his head, his eyes fierce, powerful arms holding him over her. “You never have to beg me for your pleasure. Ever.” He pushed off the bed, onto his knees, and spread her legs wide.
She could feel the heat of his gaze.
“So damned lovely. Creamy pink folds, your clit exposed and swollen, all surrounded by your curls.” He turned his gaze to the left. “And there, your schema. The faded color showing me how hungry you are for me.” He moved his thumb to stroke the mark.
Roxy lifted her head to see him. His stare was fixed on her inner thigh. Then he turned his gaze to her. Her heart turned over at the vulnerable joy there. “And telling us that you’re growing our child. I can see the softening in the middle of the mark.”
Sinful Magic: A Wing Slayer Novel Page 29
