by Kallysten
She curtsied again, and this time didn’t feel quite as foolish. “Majesty, I am thankful for your offer, but I would like to respectfully decline. I grew up with no guards around me, and even two of them shadowing my every movement constrict me and make me feel like a prisoner in my own—”
The king stilled her tongue with one single look not at her but at Aedan. For a moment, she was certain they’d overdone it by giving the king a line Aedan had heard him deliver to the captain of his guard. The king was probably channeling now, even if she couldn’t see the colors swirling around him. She’d had trouble seeing Brad channel since the previous evening. Aedan had said Rhuinn might channel to check whether she could see the colors—whether she could channel herself. What if he did something more than gather the Quickening, though? What if he hurt one of them like he’d hurt Anabel? It was all Vivien could do not to allow her anger to burst out of her.
“Ungrateful.” Rhuinn spat the word as though it were a curse. Was it directed at her or at Aedan? “I tire of you and your otherworld manners, child. You may leave my court until you grow wiser.”
The king sat again, gesturing to the side. A red-clad servant rushed forward with a tray, a golden cup upon it. After a last, hasty curtsy, Vivien turned away and started for the doors. She met Brad’s eyes as she turned. When she gave him a smile, he returned it for the briefest of instants.
Adrenaline was still pumping through her as she crossed the throne room, unable to prevent herself from walking faster than she had when coming in. The doors had remained open, and she passed them without a look back.
If Vivien had dared, she would have run down the hallway, high heels be damned. She couldn’t help feeling that it had been much too easy and any moment now Rhuinn would change his mind and send his guards after them. There had been an aura about him, a coldness that she could still feel even now, like ice slowly melting down her back. She wished she had never had to see him again, but she had a feeling that those eighteen days would pass far too quickly.
EPILOGUE
Their Queen
Aedan didn’t let himself relax until they had Passed Through back to the castle and Bradan let the portal close behind them. Aedan had been sure everything would go as planned—he had wanted, needed, to believe it—but a tiny part of him he had been unable to fully silence had thrown dozens of ‘what ifs’ at him, each more dreadful than the last.
From the moment they had entered the king’s palace, Aedan’s entire body had been on alert, each of his senses seeking threats in every noble, servant, guard, and especially the king. He’d caught a few murderous looks from the guards, but they had been directed at him rather than Vivien. His Maker, in particular, wouldn’t let him go as easily as the king had—not that Aedan believed for one minute that the king was done with him.
The observers’ looks had been different. A few showed undisguised scorn when Vivien asked for the king’s protection. Some were merely curious. But here and there, in the flicker of an eye or the whiff of a scent, Aedan sensed an elusive hope. He would have bet his best knife that Vivien would have visitors soon, and it wouldn’t be much longer after that before she was given support.
“We did it,” Vivien breathed, turning to Bradan and Aedan with a beaming smile.
“No, you did it,” Bradan replied, pride bursting from his words. “You were amazing.”
He lifted her in his arms and twirled her around the room, her long skirt billowing around her legs. She threw her head back and laughed.
It was the first time Aedan had heard her laugh since her return, he realized with a flash of surprise. Her voice was different, but it was the same joy that had filled her laughter as a little girl. How he’d loved to make her laugh then… He’d have done anything to hear her laugh, anything to make her happy. He still would, even if he knew she’d never believe it now.
He’d do anything, except stand in his brother’s way.
* * * *
To Bradan, Vivien had never been as beautiful as when she faced Rhuinn, holding her head high and keeping calm even when she was on her knees, and Bradan knew she’d been scared and angry. Right there, right then, she became to him the queen he’d known she could and would be.
He knew she had a long way to go still, and after a first burst of sheer happiness, he set her back down on her feet. He kept her close, though, and she looped her arms around his neck. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and touched her cheek, stroking the very edge of her smile. He loved it so much when she smiled, when she laughed, that it was all he could do not to kiss her. Later, he would. When they were alone. When Aedan wasn’t three feet away, relief pouring out of him, mixed with something Bradan didn’t know how to name.
“It’s a good first step,” he said, smiling back at her. “A great first step. But there are many more steps ahead of you, and only two weeks to get to the end of the road. Are you ready?”
Her smile wavered but did not fall, much like Vivien herself: she had doubted, she had cried, she’d been in pain and ready to quit, but she had confronted her fears and Rhuinn, and she had won that first round with nothing but words.
“I’m ready,” she murmured.
“These two weeks will pass very fast,” Aedan added. “And there is a lot for you to learn. A lot for you to do.”
“I’m ready,” Vivien repeated, more loudly now. Her eyes never left Bradan. “As long as you’re with me.”
It wasn’t a question, but Bradan answered anyway. “I will be with you.” Quickly-suppressed annoyance flashed through the bond, and Bradan glanced at Aedan before correcting himself. “We both will.”
Her arms tightened, and she drew him closer into a hug, resting her cheek against his shoulder. Bradan curled his arms around her waist and held her tight.
This was not what he had imagined, years earlier, when he and Aedan had recited the QuickSilver Oath together. He’d only wanted to keep a little girl safe, take care of her as best as he could when he wasn’t that much older than she was. She was a woman now. And, he’d come to realize, she would truly be a queen: she’d take care of Foh’Ran, and the channelers, and the vampires. Take care of him, too. Take care of him and Aedan both.
EXCERPT
Quickening
QuickSilver Codex Part 2
Every time Vivien’s lips touched his, Bradan found himself wondering if it was a dream. At the same time, he knew it couldn’t be a dream.
Back on Earth, he’d often dreamed of the day Vivien would return to Foh’Ran, when he and Aedan would stand by her side, help her reclaim the throne and put an end to the usurper’s reign. But never would he have dared hope that Vivien, his dame, the woman he’d sworn to protect with his very life, would look at him as more than a bodyguard. Never would he have imagined that her brown eyes would sparkle when she watched him, or that she’d give him small, shy, happy smiles, or that she’d lean against him like she now did, her mouth still sweet from the roseberries she’d had at breakfast.
He ran his fingers through her hair, gently tugging on the elastic tie until her hair slipped free on her shoulders.
“You’re burning,” he murmured against her mouth, and the words were all but a sigh.
“Burning, and sweaty, too,” she replied with a grimace that wrinkled her nose.
It wasn’t what he had meant, far from it, but before he could stop her, she was drawing away, kicking her sneakers off, and getting to her feet.
“What are you…”
The question became useless as he watched her undress. Her t-shirt came off first, then her jogging pants. She was blushing when she stood in front of him in nothing but her bra and panties, both a blue paler than the sky beyond the shields or the lake at her back. She watched him observe her, and the hint of worry in her eyes disappeared, replaced by pride when he made no effort to conceal how the sight of her affected his body.
“Up for a swim?” she asked, grinning.
The pun was terrible, but the invitation too good to
pass. It had been years since Bradan had plunged into the lake, and the mere thought of dipping into the cool, clear waters sent a shiver of delighted anticipation down his spine. He stripped down like she had, and Vivien’s grin widened when his arousal became even more obvious, jutting in front of him beneath the fabric of his boxers.
“I’m up for it. Are you?”
In answer, she approached the lake, Bradan right on her heels. Grass as soft as silk grew down to the very edge of the water. Vivien put one foot in the water and jumped back with a startled laugh.
“All right, maybe not today,” she said. “It’s too cold to—”
Her chuckling turned to a high-pitched squeal when Bradan picked her up with a hand behind her knees and the other at her back. She batted her legs while clinging to his neck.
“Brad! What are you doing!”
But her laughter gave it away: she knew already what he had in mind.
“No!” She clutched his shoulders, trying to raise herself higher in his arms. “It’s too cold!”
Ignoring her protests, Bradan walked into the water. She was right, it felt cool, but only because they’d been running and were still hot from the exercise. At this hour, with the sun high and bright behind the shields, the water would be nice once they adjusted to it.
The first four to five yards descended in a gentle slope, and this was where they had waded as children, unable to go further, where the soft, silvery sand gave way to dark, round stones and greater depths. Bradan’s mother used to channel a barrier to keep them where they were safe while she sat in the shade, watching them.
He walked right up to the edge of the sand and stopped, grinning down at Vivien. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head.
“Oh no, you wouldn’t dare,” she said, breathless. “What about me being your dame and all?”
Bradan laughed. “You’re the one who keeps saying I shouldn’t call you that.”
Without hesitation, he pivoted to the side to throw her into the deep water. She shrieked as she fell with a big splash, but as soon as she resurfaced, she was laughing with him.
“You are so going to pay for that!”
Without answering, Bradan dived in. The shock of cool water sent a jolt through his body, awakening each and every one of his nerves. He broke to the surface right next to Vivien, only to have her press down onto his shoulders and push him back under. He let himself go down, folding his legs when his feet hit the bottom. He then caught her ankle and pulled, not hard but enough that he could hear her cry from under the water.
He came back up again. For all of two seconds, she glared at him, but soon her eyes twinkled with a mischievous gleam.
“Catch me,” she said, and already she was swimming away, the long strokes of her arms taking her toward the center of the lake.
Bradan gave her a few seconds’ head start before going after her. Just as he was catching up with her, his fingers within reach of her feet, she dived and disappeared under the water. They were far enough that the rocky bottom was a long way beneath their feet—far enough that, looking down, Bradan could only see shadows that might have been rocks or maybe Vivien.
He bobbed up and down in the water for a second or two, took a deep breath to go after her, but all of a sudden she emerged right in front of him, her arms encircling his shoulders. Her grin was wider and brighter than the sky above them.
“Got you!” she said. “I win. What’s my prize?”
Bradan’s hands brushed against her sides; he could feel her shivering and couldn’t tell if it was from his touch or the chilly water.
“What do you want?” he asked, though he had an idea what she would ask.
And indeed, she quickly said, “A kiss.”
Leaning forward, Bradan laid his mouth upon hers. At the same time, he stopped treading water and let himself go under. Vivien closed her eyes and clung to him as they were submerged in the water and their kiss deepened.
To feel her warmth against him, the delicate caress of her tongue, and the possessiveness of her hands on his shoulders sent wave after wave of desire through Bradan, and when he kicked once to bring them both back to the surface, his cock had reawakened despite the cool water, and it arched toward Vivien’s stomach.
They broke the kiss to gasp for air, and Vivien gave him a look that managed to be both knowing and coy. She didn’t say a word, but she curled both her legs around his, trapping his cock tightly between their bodies. The pressure was exquisite, but all too brief. After only a few seconds, she pushed away from him again.
“Rematch?” she asked, already swimming away.
This time, Bradan didn’t wait before he went after her. With a powerful kick, he swam right under her and turned up to face her. Through the clear waters of the lake, her body seemed to be surrounded by the glow of the sky. He put both hands on her waist, gave her a second to realize what he was about to do and take a breath, and pulled her underwater to him.
His face ended up against her breasts, and the thin fabric of her bra did little to disguise that her nipples had hardened to tight, puckered points. The thought came to him to take one in his mouth and suck on it, but reserve held him back. Vivien hadn’t come back to his bed since that first night, and for him to go to hers was unthinkable. The first step was and would always be hers to make; he would follow wherever she led.
When they emerged, Vivien clung to his shoulders again, sputtering as she blinked water out of her eyes.
“That was totally cheating,” she informed him.
Bradan didn’t hide his grin. “Sorry, I didn’t realize there were rules.”
She nodded gravely. “Oh yes, there are. And breaking them means you incur a penalty. So go ahead and kiss me.”
He was all too happy to oblige, and didn’t point out how convenient it was that both rewards and penalties were the same.
For the next few minutes, they chased each other, splashing and laughing like kids, but the kisses were entirely grown-up. Each one of them grew a little longer, a little fiercer, and as time passed Vivien didn’t only cling to his shoulders. Her right hand found its way to Bradan’s cock, and fleeting touches soon gave way to more insistent stroking, first through the fabric of his boxers and then inside them, flesh against flesh.
Every caress fanned the flames of his desire, and it became more and more difficult to restrain himself when all he could think of was the softness of her skin, and how, that one, beautiful night, it had yielded under his fingers and mouth.
He’d dreamed of her every night ever since—dreamed of kissing her, making love to her, and even of taking her, hard and fast, for nothing but his own pleasure, the way he’d never dare do outside of his dreams. Aedan’s knowing, slightly reproachful looks in the morning didn’t help anything.
“Why aren’t you touching me back?” she asked then, her wet lips brushing against his with a quiver of self-doubt.
It was the invitation Bradan had been waiting, hoping for—and craving.
…
About the Author:
Kallysten’s most exciting accomplishment to date was to cross a few thousand miles and an ocean to pursue (and catch!) the love of her life. She has been writing for over fifteen years, and always enjoyed sharing her stories and listening to the readers' reactions. After playing with science fiction, short stories and poetry, she is now trying her hand, heart and words at paranormal romance novels.
To see her other stories, including free short stories and sample chapters, visit http://kallysten.net. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, or subscribe to her newsletter to be informed about new releases and giveaways.
Also available from Kallysten:
Blurred Nights
In a future world shattered by the invasion of beast-like demons, humans are fighting back as well as they can, using ancient weapons along with magic to defend their cities. Next to them, vampires are fighting too – some for the thrill of it, others to hold on to age-old Pacts, which demand that they prote
ct humans.
When Kate’s squad of fighters meets vampires Marc and Blake, she is torn. Her squad could use their help, but the two men are distracting her from her duty. Night after night, they search together for the breach between realities that allows the demons’ invasion. They search, also, for the equilibrium that will allow Blake to forgive his Sire, Marc to accept Blake as he is – and Kate to admit she is attracted to both of them.
Can they find that delicate balance before the demons destroy the squad?
First part of the Blurred Trilogy
Her Last Words
Two centuries have passed since the Master Vampire Gabrielle made the biggest mistake of her life. Two centuries since her plan backfired, resulting not in the destruction of demons as she had hoped, but instead in the slaughtering of countless humans and vampires that had been fighting against them. Two centuries also, since she pushed away her favorite Childe, without ever telling him why. Two centuries of fighting alone to protect the humans she has sworn to defend from demons. Two centuries of missing Erik.
When he finally reappears in her life, she thinks she has been offered a second chance. But she soon realizes that she will need to face her mistakes to reach him, and understand that silence can be more painful than words.
Out of the Box (complete series)
The first time Virginia went to the dance club On The Edge, she only wanted to find out what a night in a vampire’s arms would be like. Anando showed her it could be much, much more than she had imagined.
Over the next few months, every time she returned he continued to stretch her imagination and the boundaries she tried to set on their relationship.
Soon, though, Anando’s limits were tested as much as Virginia’s when their sexual encounters gave way to feelings neither of them had expected.
