She felt pummeled for an endless time, then they dropped—straight into a rain cloud where sweet water drenched her, slicked her hair, stuck her magical gown tight to her body. She could hear the Songs again, and Jaquar shouting in her ear.
“Look ahead,” he cried. “Lightning. Do you want to try and ride it?”
All the joy in the storm, the reckless energy around her throbbed through her on a rising tide of music. “Yes,” she screamed. “Yes, yes, yes!”
Now we call the lightning and ride it!
19
A flash of fire rolled over them, encased them. Took them.
Whisked them up with the speed of light.
Snatched her breath so she couldn’t sing.
They dipped, fell, and Jaquar’s voice came rich and deep.
They spun in a sea of electrical sparks. In heavy, dewy clouds.
Curving his hand around hers, he lifted them, spread their fingers, palm out. Marian followed his movement.
Call the lightning now!
She did, so again they were swept away, shot from cloud into night, plummeting downward.
Jaquar held a note, Marian joined him.
And time slowed.
They were on the bolt itself, shooting from the cloud, across the sea to other clouds.
The speed was awesome, something she shouldn’t have been able to experience. Couldn’t rationally explain.
Jaquar stopped singing. And Marian lifted her voice and sang and they rode the lightning.
Finally a huge arcing stream, thicker than both of their bodies, caught them, sent them rushing down to land, darkness punctuated by city lights.
As they zoomed down the lightning, Jaquar guided them so they lit in a field and avoided the town. The rich soil had been turned, ready for planting, and it, with the scent of ozone and the feel of the lightning still fizzing in her bloodstreams, made her crave sex. With Jaquar and only Jaquar. She didn’t want to think, didn’t want to weigh the pros and cons, didn’t want to speculate what consequences might occur from their coupling. She wanted to tear his clothes off.
So she did. She shoved off his cloak, grabbed his tunic and ripped, and he stood staring at her. She yanked at his pants and then he was clothed only in a loincloth. Her breath caught in her chest at the sight of him. It was raining, slicking his muscles, droplets defining them. He was beautiful.
She’d never seen a better proportioned man—broad shoulders, lean hips, muscular thighs…The pounding of the rain around her thundered in her ears. He stood tall and sexy and, in this instant, hers. She knew it.
Her hands curved over his shoulders, then his nostrils flared, his expression went wild and he yanked her to him. His body was hot and hard…and ready. Then his mouth was on hers, wet and demanding. She opened to him.
They slipped and fell to the ground, landing softly. She didn’t know if that had been his Power or hers, or Amee’s, but she heard overwhelming orchestral chords that combined into a pulsing, rhythmic drumbeat. A sexual beat. She cried out as her own clothes disappeared and warm rain slipped down her body in a sensual caress.
His hands were on her body, sliding, stroking, probing, the sensations so intense she could only cling to him, yearn for him.
And his tongue was in her mouth and she was tasting him as he took her. Their bodies met and melded, arched and twisted. Their minds touched and linked and shattered with pleasure.
Marian lay under his weight, panting, enjoying the lovely Song, the sluicing rain, the heat of him. She’d never felt so abandoned, so free. Her mind had totally blanked, not a rational thought to be found.
She laughed.
A tremor went through him. His head was next to hers and he whispered, “Marian.” The richness of his tone, the lilt of it made her quiver.
Long moments passed as they lay together. Finally he shifted beneath her and she let the reason she’d banished in experiencing the physicality of the now, rush back to fill her head.
The rain had stopped. She used a hook of Wind to lift and hold her, dry a bit of ground and set her on her feet. With a three-note spell, her dress—warm and dry—slid over her head and draped her. It was a little harder to find her new underwear, and when she did, she drew on the panties, but used a pocket in her gown to hold the bra. The dress bodice was doing just fine as a foundation garment for her breasts.
By the time she’d dressed, the sheathing clouds had dissipated to show a large, white moon. The night sky held swaths of stars. She tilted her head back to experience the night, found a bubble of happiness shimmering through her. She felt lighter, freer than she had for a long time. Too much work and not enough play. And what spectacular play sex with Jaquar had been!
She rolled her shoulders, aware of the new range of movement now that the tension built up over the past few weeks had eased. Smiling, she looked to Jaquar.
He stood gazing down at her. Inscrutable.
“Do you think we made a mistake?” she asked.
He pushed his stupid hat onto his head. “I don’t think we need to talk about it.”
Men were the same even across worlds.
“All right,” she said coolly.
He took her hand. Music crashed through her—the intensity of emotion from him made her stumble and he slid an arm around her waist. His tender actions seemed at a variance from his cool manner, so she set his earlier words aside. She didn’t want to analyze anything—his words in relation to his actions and emotions, or her own.
“I have you,” he said, his voice softening.
“I have you,” he repeated, lilting, and she didn’t know if he meant that he wouldn’t let her fall or that he was keeping her as a lover—reluctantly. She shivered from the strange fury of emotions she’d experienced in the past couple of hours and he stopped to drape his cape around them both, pulling her close to his side. Still befuddled, she nevertheless realized that they kept pace with each other—she lengthening her stride a little, he shortening his own. Their steps matched. Something else she didn’t want to consider right now. She shook her head to clear it, looked once more at the brilliant sky glittering with at least two veils of stars—was there more than one arm of a galaxy visible? As she inhaled deeply, fresh air helped clear her mind, while the ruts of the soil centered her.
She cleared her throat before she spoke. “Where are we?”
With his free arm, he gestured to a smooth area in front of them. “The road between the Marshalls’ Castle and the town of Castleton.”
Marian stopped, looked up at him. “That’s on mainland Lladrana,” she croaked.
He raised his eyebrows. “The wind took us to the mainland. The lightning storm was wide. I thought it best to ride the lightning down here, near one of the most populated places in Lladrana.”
Again, Marian stared at the sky. No trace of clouds. She found herself shaking her head in disbelief. “One hell of a way to travel!” When she said it, another bit of knowledge jolted her—she’d picked the word for “hell”—anfer—from his mind! Her Lladranan accent was now near perfect, and her comprehension of the nuances of the language a great deal better than they had been.
His hand squeezed her hip, his eyes darkened. “I can’t ride the lightning by myself. I don’t have the skill or Power.”
She swallowed hard. “You showed me how, you controlled our descent.” If she’d been by herself more than likely she’d have plummeted to the ground and made a large dent. End of Marian.
Now his teeth gleamed in a smile. “I’d traveled that way with the last Weather Mage, Sorceress Entanra, when I was an Apprentice.” He shrugged. “And I knew the theory, of course.”
“Of course,” Marian said faintly, trembling.
He wrapped his arms around her. “Shh,” he said into her hair.
She felt his warm breath, but couldn’t seem to stop shivering.
“You have the knowledge to Ride the Lightning, to Dance with the Wind. If you don’t think about failure, it won’t happen.”
> “Are you sure?”
Chuckling, he said, “No.”
Oh yeah, that made her feel a whole lot better. Her nerves were shot. The intimacy between them was growing and that scared her, too. She liked him far too much, didn’t dare become deeply attached to the man if she planned to return to Earth. No future in it, and she didn’t know if she had the finesse to handle an affair. The emotional connection between them was already stronger than it would be for any casual fling.
She needed balance. So she stepped away from the comfort of his arms, but was still glad when he slipped his arm around her waist.
She looked at the road, glanced up the hill and saw the dark hulking shadow of the Marshalls’ Castle. Alexa. She sighed in relief. Alexa would be the perfect person to help Marian sort out her feelings. So she gazed toward the Castle and sent out a mental call. Alexa?
A fleeting surprise throbbed to Marian from her link with Alexa.
Marian? You sound close.
I am close, on the road between the Castle and Castleton.
Confusion. Why did you fly in?
I didn’t, Marian sent dryly. I rode the lightning as part of my training and we ended up here. Jaquar is with me.
Pure stupefaction throbbed from the other end of the bond with Alexa, then curiosity, excitement. Rode the lightning! That is so cool!
Jaquar’s mouth tilted up, and Marian knew he was hearing a small echo between Alexa and her. He urged her onto the road and they turned to the Castle.
We’ll be at the Castle shortly, Marian sent.
Wait! I’m at the Nom de Nom, a Castleton inn that the Chevaliers frequent. The noise around their mental bond increased.
Oh.
I think Jaquar knows of it. See you in a bit, Alexa said.
Marian glanced up at Jaquar. “Did you hear? Do you mind going to the Nom de Nom?”
“I heard. Are you sure you want to visit the inn? The Chevaliers can be…rowdy.” Again his arm tightened around her waist, and she thought she felt a tendril of jealousy. Chevaliers were the knights of Lladrana, those who fought the horrors. They probably were real testosterone guys, adrenaline junkies.
A chuckle rumbled in her throat before she could stop it. “You’re an exceptionally sexy man, Jaquar.”
He stiffened, then picked up the pace. “You think so?”
“Very, and so does Alexa.”
“She does?” He sounded pleased. “By all means, let’s go to the Nom de Nom. Is Bastien there?”
“For you to tease by flirting with Alexa?” She pinched his arm. “You’re with me, and I don’t approve of that sort of behavior.”
Jaquar laughed.
They neared the town gate. The archway through the walls was well lit by huge white balls of magical illumination. Two guards garbed in green and blue stepped into the arch.
Jaquar didn’t hesitate in his stride. “Sorcerer Circlet Jaquar Dumont and Exotique Scholar Marian.”
The men’s mouths dropped open and they separated to each side of the arch.
“The Tower’s Exotique!” one whispered in excited tones. “No one’s seen her except the Marshalls and the Tower. This will be something to tell!”
“She’s a nice size,” the other said. “Not like that strange little Marshall.”
There was the sound of a blow, a grunt from the guard. “Marshall Alyeka has always been kind to me. Keep your mouth shut, dolt,” one said to the other.
Marian could feel their gazes on her as she walked away. Irritation at the men surged. Obviously news of her visit would be spread far and wide, probably by morning.
Jaquar guided her along wide sidewalks through the equally wide streets and elegant squares of a town. The city looked more like late Renaissance or early Industrial Age than Medieval. Each building had a caged magical light.
Yes, Alexa was right. There were a lot of interesting aspects of Lladrana.
She heard the inn before she saw it—and felt it vibrate to her bones from the huge and Powerful Songs. She slowed a little, tilting her head, trying to sort through the Songs. “So many Songs, so rich,” she murmured.
Jaquar looked startled. “The Nom de Nom is three blocks away.”
Marian just shook her head, tried to piece together what she was experiencing. “Songs of one person, two…”
“Those would be paired fighters, a Shield and Sword for defensive and offensive work.”
Frowning, she said, “Some crisscrossing and almost woven nets of Songs.”
“Chevaliers working together as teams when necessary.”
“Some Songs have one primary tone and branch off, adding other little tunes.”
“Ah.” Jaquar led her around a turn. “Probably a Noble with Chevaliers sworn to him or her.” Jaquar waved to a three-story building that seemed so old it leaned a little. “The Nom de Nom.”
Just before they reached the threshold, Jaquar stepped away from her with a little sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, smoothed his clothes, then looked at her. He touched the shoulders of her gown and adjusted them a little. After one comprehensive, sweeping glance at her, he nodded, his mouth quirking in a grin. “Any dishevelment you have could be attributed to a wild lightning ride.”
For an instant, his hand curved softly around her cheek. “You are quite, quite fabulously Exotiquely beautiful.”
She stared at him, stunned.
Then the door opened before them and some Chevaliers emerged, bringing the scent of smoke and beer. Marian blinked when she saw four women and a man, all equally tall, all dressed in well-worn leather. They hesitated a moment at the sight of her and Jaquar. The men goggled at Marian. Then the women muttered greetings and went off, hauling the man with them. A spicy musk lingered from their passing.
“What’s that scent?” asked Marian.
“Volaran.”
Flying horse. She hadn’t noticed that Nightsky’s fragrance had been so strong.
“This will be your first exposure to many Lladranans,” Jaquar said. “And a group not of the Tower Community. Ready?”
Marian nodded.
He grinned again. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in here.” He tilted his hat. “Not since my early youth.” Sweeping open the door, he held it for her to enter first.
Noise and color rushed over her. To her right was a long bar with many Chevaliers—men and women in equal number—lounging against it, talking. She had the feeling women had been part of the fighting force for as long as men had. She saw people ranging from an older man who looked as tough as beef jerky to a fresh-faced teenaged girl who walked toward them. Her eyes widened as she passed them, and she dipped her head in greeting.
Others stepped back, giving Jaquar and Marian a clear path. She blinked and finally saw Alexa at the last booth on the left. The Marshall stood and waved, grinning.
Each booth held four or more people, except the one just before Alexa’s, which held an intense couple clutching hands and sharing a strained conversation and potent Song under-laid with deep sexual tones. Alexa’s booth held only her.
When they reached the booth, Jaquar indicated Marian should slide along the leather seat closest to the wall and face Alexa. He followed, placing his body between Marian and the Chevaliers.
“Salutations, Marian,” Alexa said, and Marian heard the more casual Hey, Marian in her mind.
“Salutations, Alexa,” Marian said.
“Salutations, Alyeka,” Jaquar said.
Alexa inclined her head to Jaquar. “Salutations, Jaquar.”
“I don’t see Bastien,” Jaquar said as Alexa sat. He slid his hat to the far corner of the table near Marian.
“No, he’s at the Castle volaran stables. A wild, pregnant volaran flew in and asked for his help. Apparently she thought the birth would be complicated. My personal assistant, Marwey, just updated me—you saw her on the way out.”
“You have a personal assistant?” The words escaped Marian before she could stop them.
Alexa laughed a
nd sat. “I have a personal assistant, and ten Chevaliers.” She rolled her eyes. “Some of the Chevaliers should be in Bastien’s employ, but he doesn’t like being a boss. Do you want beer, Marian?”
A serving woman had sidled to the table. She stood near Alexa as if believing even a slightly known Exotique was better than a strange Exotique and a Sorcerer.
“Do they have wine?”
“I wouldn’t recommend the wine here,” Jaquar said. “The mead might be acceptable.”
“I’m drinking tea.” Alexa lifted her mug. “They keep it for me.”
“Mead is honey wine, right?” Marian asked, searching her memory.
“Ayes,” the waitress confirmed.
Marian smiled at her. She took a step back.
Marian said, “Mead is fine.”
“I’ll have lager,” Jaquar said.
Though the barmaid looked like the type of woman who enjoyed flirtation and male attention, she smiled superficially at Jaquar and hurried away.
Jaquar lifted Marian’s hand to his lips and kissed it, then linked fingers with her. Alexa tilted her head and her eyes unfocused. Marian sensed the Marshall was studying their auras and listening to the Song surrounding them—a Song that clearly rang of recent sex.
Her eyebrows dipping, Alexa sent Marian a questioning glance. Do you realize you’ve formed a sex bond with Jaquar? She said mentally to Marian.
Hard not to realize that, Marian said. I know what I’m doing.
Alexa appeared doubtful but didn’t contradict Marian.
At that moment the server bustled up with a wineglass she deftly slid to Marian, and an ale mug for Jaquar. A silver coin appeared on the table near Jaquar’s mug and the woman squealed and scooped it up.
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