Relentless Fire

by Michelle Howard

  What Varyk had disclosed prior to defeating Larz made odd sense. According to him, it was a repeat of the situation among the Black. The other Kings had reported similar irregularities and needed to come together once more.

  Whatever was occurring impacted all of the sects, which meant working together. Rylin flew in last night for a one on one meet with Varyk and after an intense conversation, agreed to call the reglio.

  “I’m ready,” she said, turning in Varyk’s arms to face him.

  He placed a palm to the back of her head, the other along her hip and held her close. Inez squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled the scent of dark musk. A smell she now associated with Varyk. It took concentrated effort not to growl and moan when she wanted to undulate her lower half against him.

  “Hold on,” he murmured.

  She’d become accustomed to Varyk’s way of travel. His use of teleportation was natural and he did it without thought. A few times she’d walked into a room and he would touch her arm and wisk her away to have sex. Being entirely at his mercy during those times only increased Inez’s craving for him.

  “Welcome, cousin.”

  When Inez opened her eyes, they were in the main hall of her home. Rylin walked toward her with a broad grin, while perched on his hip a tiny baby clad in yellow slept. Behind him at a slower pace walked the King of the Silver, Faris, holding an infant to his shoulder, then Mikal, Rylin’s best friend, cradling two and in the rear the King of the Purple, Kon who grimaced as he held the last.

  Inez stared around looking for a glimpse of Dara but the Queen’s presence was oddly missing.

  “Faris and Kon arrived not long ago. Dara is resting. The children hardly slept at all last night.” Rylin announced then much to her surprise he plopped the sleeping baby into Varyk’s arms.

  It amused Inez to see him struggle then cuddle the child close to his chest in resignation. She wondered which one he held. Inez couldn’t tell any of the young apart. They were all equally cute. This little one stretched a tiny leg and curled up in the strong arms holding him, never once opening eyes during the transfer.

  Those in the sect noticed. Thin lines crossed their brows as they tried to fathom Rylin’s reasoning. It was rare for anyone to allow another not in the direct blood line to touch a vulnerable baby in their human skin. Not only had Rylin given the babies to the other Kings to hold, his actions implied he had faith none would offer harm to his child. Including Varyk.

  Inez’s gaze narrowed. What was her cousin up to? Rylin ignored her pointed stare and directed everyone with a tilt of his head. “We will meet in another room for privacy.”

  Inez hung close to Varyk, arms brushing as they strode down the hall and entered the room. Kon came in last and shut it with his hip, a broad palm clamped to the baby propped on his shoulder.

  ***

  Varyk was no fool and understood the statement made. By handing him his child in front of his people, Rylin signaled implicit trust in Varyk. Foolish and risky to say the least. Why would Rylin jeopardize the safety of his blood to make such a declaration? Kon and Faris he could understand, their relationship with the Black wasn’t as adversarial as his.

  If their position was reversed, Varyk was hard pressed to say if he’d do the same. In fact, he knew for certain he wouldn’t. Trust wasn’t something he took lightly and never with a vulnerable child who could do nothing to defend itself. Varyk could end the babe with an abrupt snap of his wrists.

  He glanced at a smirking Inez. Unless he mated a female from the Black. Inez would want the babe to have a connection to her kin.

  She hugged Rylin in a quick show of affection before turning to leave. Her presence in this room went against reglio protocol. Not even liras could participate, save for instances when someone acted as a stand in for the King.

  He’d not let her escape that easily. They had a lot to discuss about their future. Varyk stopped her and lowered his head. “See me after.”

  A smile played about her mouth and her eyes lit with a wicked light. Varyk only had seconds to ponder what she planned. Inez leaned up on her toes and kissed him. Not an innocent press of lips, but one with open mouth and full on tongue. Varyk tightened his grip on the sleeping baby, wishing his hands were free to yank her in close and punish her for such daring.

  Instead he closed his eyes and stood still, cock growing hard as she took her time. Teasing, nipping and wet. Hard nipples stabbed his chest and he scented her growing desire. Varyk would definitely make time to pay her back.

  Someone cleared their throat loudly and only then did she ease off. He opened his eyes to her pleased visage. Arousal glittered in her golden depths. For longer then he should, Varyk contemplated leaving. Passing the baby off to any of the others and porting away. A simple touch and he could take them to his home and assuage the need she’d ignited.

  Inez slid a hand up his arm and squeezed. “Later.”

  He tipped his head close and whispered, “You owe me.”

  “Hmm.” With a last caress to his bare forearm, she winked and left.

  In a smooth transition reflecting practice, Mikal handed off the two babies he held to Rylin before departing as well. Rylin waited until after the door closed to speak.

  “As mentioned when I initially called the meeting, Varyk has brought up a fine point regarding recent behavior. Something we all may well have ignored. The mantle has always helped maintain the balance in our sect and given warnings of those not stable.” Rylin grimaced on the last. “I’m the first to admit that didn’t happen a few months ago and we lost females because of it.”

  While the Black King swayed with the babes he cradled in his arms, Varyk noted the others remained as rigid as he was, almost fearful of disturbing the sleeping children. Four Kings gathered and all holding babies who were born from the same rise of Rylin’s essence. It was the most unusual reglio he’d ever attended and this marked his second since Rylin assumed the mantle for the Black.

  “Varyk believes the same root cause which led my own to attack liras could be the reason his male devolved to the point he took my unborn.”

  The reaction of the Silver King stood out. A spark. Some kernel of awareness. Rylin said a few more things which Varyk ignored in lieu of watching Faris.

  As if sensing his stare, his fellow king turned. Secrets swirled behind the hooded gaze. And a deeper emotion. One Varyk would have denied if he hadn’t witnessed it.

  Fear.

  The Silver feared something enough it held him frozen.

  “Do you all agree?”

  Rylin’s question dragged Varyk’s gaze back to him. It was on the tip of his tongue to resort to sarcasm, then the child in his arm moved and opened eyes as gold as an antique coin. Tiny sounds emitted from the pursed lips followed by the smallest yawn. Pressure tightened Varyk’s chest and he bit back his antagonistic words.

  Silence echoed and Varyk jerked his gaze up only to meet Rylin’s smug grin. “I think Finley’s attached to you, Varyk.”

  Varyk stretched his arms out, holding the now fully awakened baby far away from him. “Perhaps you’d care to call your lira to reclaim them.”

  Still grinning for all of his lowly worth, the Black walked toward the door and kicked it with the toe of his boot twice. It opened instantly and Mikal shouldered his way in. Rylin passed over the two children he carried. “Take them to the nursery until Dara is up.”

  Another guard came to the doorway, followed by a third. Each of the Dracol young were carried out by armed guards with fierce scowls. The door closed with a snap. Varyk folded his now empty arms over his chest and cocked his hip. It was Kon who spoke up in the growing quiet. “Be clear, Rylin. What do you and Varyk suspect?”

  “Madness.” Rylin said the word in a tone guaranteed to bypass any attempt at humor and quell all doubt.

  Varyk gave the Purple King credit for not dismissing him right away. He threaded a hand through the loosened purple waves of his hair and eyed each of them in turn. “Are you all agreei
ng with this assessment?”

  An abrupt nod served as Varyk’s only response. Faris tipped his head toward the ceiling causing his silver braid to sliver across his shoulder and fall down his back. Rylin turned in his direction. “Faris?”

  The King of the Silver faced them and such anguished glittered in his amber gaze, Varyk caught his breath. Faris allowed them all a moment to witness the raw emotion then blanked his face. “I agree. Not simply because of what you’ve stated today.”

  And then he proceeded to rock their beliefs on their axis by explaining a painful truth. The madness was not only spreading, but had a firm hold on Faris himself.

  “Are you sure?” Rylin probed.

  Darkness flashed then faded in Faris’ gaze. “I’m almost certain. It also seems to stem from the mantle itself. Sudden urges I can’t control. Voices hinting at violent desires. Needs I know aren’t mine.”

  Rylin and Kon’s stunned looks probably mirrored Varyk’s. The mantle they wore as Kings came as a gift from the goddess of Fate. Its purpose helped instill a healthy balance among their sects. If the mantle created the current wave of incidents they were witnessing, then all they believed in was flawed. More than that, it meant they couldn’t count on their instincts to guide them.

  “Do you think we are all at risk for this madness?” Kon asked in a grating tone.

  A reasonable question. The Purple lived sequestered under the oceans of Vovar. They spent more time alone than any other Dracol when they weren’t living in small pods.

  “I don’t think any of us has the answer to that.” Rylin slouched against the edge of his desk and gripped his nape. “Do you feel the need to defer the mantle, Faris?”

  Turning on Rylin, Varyk snapped. “You can’t be serious!”

  The only way the mantle transferred to another was through death. To Varyk’s knowledge he and Uvem were the only ones to ever survive after a new King rose. Perhaps the poisonous properties of the Green stalled death. He wasn’t sure. Either way, it wasn’t something he’d recommend attempting.

  Although Faris controlled ice and a powerful frost fire, it didn’t mean he could halt death.

  “I have a plan in place. If I think the condition worsens, I will end myself or select another from my guard I trust implicitly.” Faris jerked at the hem of his silver sleeveless vest. “If that fails, I would hope one of you would end me honorably.”

  Kon snorted and turned to leave. “I want no part in plans of killing a King.”

  “Wait!” Rylin jumped up raised his hand in a stop gesture. “This is speculation. None of us knows what the goddess of fate has in store.”

  “Or what lesson she seeks to teach. Perhaps instead of talking about murder,” Kon emphasized, “we should look at why we have fallen from favor. In what way have we not ruled as we should.” He stared hard at Faris. “And perhaps we shouldn’t fight where our heart leads us.”

  Faris’ expression darkened and his hands knotted to fists at his side. Kon’s look almost dared him to speak. At the Silver’s silence, Kon huffed a disappointed snort. “As for coming back to land, do not expect my presence any more. Going forward, I will send an emissary.”

  After speaking those impactful words, Kon strode toward the door, where he paused to stare over his shoulder at Rylin. “Unless it pertains to someone of personal interest to me. Unlike some, it’s only a matter of time before I claim what’s mine.”

  Then he closed the door behind him with a quiet click. Varyk glanced at the remaining two Kings. “That didn’t go well.”

  Chapter 21

  “So nothing was resolved?” Inez asked later that night with Varyk pinning her down in the bed. He should have looked emasculated resting on her floral linen in her overly feminine bedroom. Instead he appeared every bit the dangerous predator.

  “Mmm.” He nipped the base of her throat and rocked his hips against her lower half. “We are unsure if there’s a way to identify the reason it affects some and not others. Or if it will continue to spread at an increased rate.”

  Inez moaned as he did something to her ear with his tongue. Giving in to temptation, she dug her nails into his back and clenched tight as she arched up. “B-but what will you do?”

  Varyk braced a hand by her head and smoothed the other up her side until he cupped her breast and squeezed. Inez tried to concentrate on the conversation, yet it wasn’t easy when she had over six feet of sexiness sprawled over her. The heat from his body warmed her front. Her thighs spread of their own volition, her folds growing wet as he settled further into the intimate space.

  “We wait. It is all we can do.”

  Another question hovered on the tip of Inez’s tongue but Varyk rocked bit by bit and the head of his cock slowly penetrated and slipped through her opening. He stretched her channel until his entire length was seated. He eased out slowly then punched his hips forward on a hard pump.

  Inez gasped and forgot about madness or talks of the mantle. The fringe on the underside of his shaft tickled her sensitive nerve endings. “Yes, Varyk. Do it harder.”

  He chuckled and lowered his head until their foreheads met. His eyes darkened to a rich shade of gold, the corner of his mouth kicked up. “I’ll go as hard as you want. And because you asked, don’t expect mercy.”

  It was the last words they exchanged as any resemblance to conversation was reduced to rough snarls, harsh groans and hitched breaths. Inez knew she’d be sore afterwards and didn’t care. The rippling sensation in her lower region each time Varyk pounded in and out was well worth whatever tenderness she suffered later.

  “More. Yes. I’m going to come.” She babbled more broken phrases, hands wrapped around the neck of the male bearing down on her.

  Slamming their hips together one last time, Varyk grimaced and Inez felt his essence rise. Blazing heat spread from his body to hers. Even as pleasure ripped through her, panic caused Inez to shove at his chest. The heat shifted into a visible golden hue suffusing his entire torso. “Varyk, no!”

  At her scream, his eyes popped open. He pushed up, arms extended and glanced down. A sound she couldn’t decipher broke from his lips as he suddenly pulled away mid-release. Her body protested the abrupt withdrawal as she landed from the interrupted pleasure with a painful drop.

  Varyk leaped from the bed and roared out a curse. Inez grabbed for the sheets and sat up, heart pounding at the narrow escape. His gaze widened in disbelief and she didn’t blame him. “What the—?”

  “How did—?”

  They spoke over top one another. Varyk stumbled back another step, his rich complexion going pale. What had happened? Could Varyk’s essence really have risen that quickly and powerfully for her?

  Part of Inez was beyond satisfied. As a female to gain an intense reaction from a King, the strongest of their kind, was a compliment. For his part Varyk stood across the room looking stunned. His chest rose and fell in sharp jerky motions. An impressive erection not quite dimmed twitched at half-mast.

  “I am sorry that happened. I don’t know why.”

  Lie. Inez drew her knees up to her chest and stared at Varyk. A male’s essence rose for one reason and one reason only during sexual interaction. To trigger the gold sheen on the skin meant fertility was possible. A child.

  “I’m not your lira,” she said instead though she wanted otherwise.

  He shook his head. “No. You are not.”

  Why did a sharp piercing pain tear into her chest at his agreement. She loved Varyk. His behavior and prior statements hinted he felt the same.

  “I need to go.” Varyk grabbed at his pants on the floor and dressed in his vest with awkward motions. Inez had never seen him move with such incoordination. He was normally the image of smoothness and finesse.

  She rose from the bed and padded on bare feet toward him, the sheet loosely wrapped about her. Inez refused to let him leave with this odd wedge between them growing by the minute. She had to say something, anything to diffuse the sudden tension vibrating through his ma
sculine frame. Stopping directly in front of him, she stared into his eyes. “Varyk, it’s okay.”

  Fully dressed, he faced her, his countenance drawn. Shadows shifted in his gaze and Inez wished she could read his mind. “For the first time, I think perhaps it is not.”

  With those mysterious words, he caressed the edge of her cheek with his thumb, then leaned forward. Inez eyelids fluttered closed in anticipation. Whisper soft lips brushed hers in a gentle kiss she had no hope of deciphering.

  Inez opened her eyes. He laced the fingers of his right hand with those of her left and met her gaze. Regret shimmered between them. She wouldn’t stand for it. “It’s not over between us.”

  He blew out a rough breath. “Yes, it is.”

  Inez gut clenched. “Varyk?”

  “I need to leave.” His stiff nod tore something in her chest. “There’s nothing more here for me to do. I’m sure Rylin can handle dealing with Dara and his children.”

  She refused to accept his bland recital. Her other hand pressed to his chest, directly over the solid thump of his heart and leaned into him. The gold of his eyes darkened. “Are we going to completely ignore what happened just now? And everything before?”

  At least he didn’t move away. If anything, Inez thought she caught the faint tremor of nerves running through his body before he stilled.

  “What I said before...I can’t, Inez. I thought I could do this.” He exhaled, jamming his free hand through his hair. She waited with breath held. “I can’t. I’m sorry, amans. I can’t.”

  Can’t. It was clear Varyk was panicked by what almost happened. Amans meant love of the heart. If he still called her that, it wasn’t over. Inez tried to calm her own racing pulse. “Let’s both relax. Take time to talk through this. I’m as surprised as you, Varyk.”

  His fingers closed gently around both of her wrists regret pinching his mouth tight. “I’m sorry.”