by Brea Viragh
Morgan nudged her legs aside and tickled her womanhood with his thumb and forefinger, worshiping her. He moved her to incredible heights as he explored her, reading the changes in her countenance and driving her toward greater pleasures. Her breath came in gasps as he slid a single finger into her moist heat. She clenched around him and moved ever higher until she stood at the edge of a precipice.
“Let go,” Morgan whispered, flicking his tongue along the plane of her neck.
Karsia did that, unable to contain herself. With snow falling around them she came, her body releasing in a great flood of emotion.
She’d never felt that way before, had never been comfortable enough with a man to let herself be so carried away. After experiencing it tonight, she would never be satisfied with anyone else. It could only be Morpheus.
She tried to embark on her own exploration of him and she reached down to clasp him in her hand. He seemed incredibly big and full, and for a nervous moment she worried about pushing the boundaries of her physical limitations.
Picking up on her discomfort, Morgan silenced her fears with a kiss. “We were made for each other. I have never known the love of a woman like you in all of my centuries of walking in mortals’ dreams. Whatever fears you have, let them go. We fit together.”
“Then I trust you.”
Karsia opened herself to him. Morgan steeled himself as he fought for control. She wanted him to let go the way she had. To join her in the release. Wrapping her legs around his torso, she arched against him and urged him forward.
“Now. Please. I need you.”
Morgan poised over her and captured her gaze, blood rushing to his lower extremities as everything in him roared forward to claim her.
“I need you,” she whispered again.
Morgan buried his aching erection inside her and slid carefully out, hearing the sounds of her pleasure echo in his ears. Her hips rose to meet him thrust for thrust. She was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.
Fierce desire brought them together and allowed them this moment. He wanted to cherish it and go slow. Not possible. There was no way to contain himself when fire coursed through him.
“Let go,” she said, her tone deep and echoing his earlier words.
It ignited his lust until Morgan was afraid he would push her too far. His wings poised above him as if ready to dive in an attack. Unable to fight himself, Morgan lifted her rear to meet him. Over and over again she met him, joined him in his revelry. They danced together until he could no longer contain his response.
The half-god held his witch close to his chest until he’d poured himself into her, her name on his lips and stolen peace in his heart.
CHAPTER 15
Karsia woke as usual after only a few hours of sleep and passed the rest of the night in front of the fire, keeping it stoked. No need for it, she determined, but the consistency of the embers crumbling to ash soothed something inside of her. She let the flames lick her hands, no longer able to register pain like a normal person, no longer caring about her differences. She’d moved beyond it. Way beyond, to a place where no one could follow.
Awake, she had no memory of her time with Morgan. She recognized his purpose. Remembered days earlier how she’d understood his presence and wanted him there. The longer she sat, the less she cared. He could stay or leave or do whatever he wanted. Any zip or zing of recognition she’d felt upon meeting him had fallen away. Burned to nothing, like the wood in the fire.
Closer to the waking hours, she took it upon herself to start coffee. That’s what people did, correct? They made coffee for their family and pretended things were all right. They put on a happy face. Part of her remembered sitting and sharing a cup of something hot with her sisters. It would soothe their worries and help them imagine she was farther away from the brink than she actually was.
A young girl had jumped in front of a powerful bolt of magic. And an entirely different entity now walked in her body.
Astix and Aisanna were the first to rise. They got out of bed with the dawn and made their way downstairs side by side.
Astix tiptoed into the kitchen, trying to act like her pulse hadn’t jumped at the sight of her sister. “Feeling better?” she forced herself to ask.
“Who said I was feeling poorly?” Karsia snapped in response, leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms.
Astix took a hesitant sip from a mug and continued to stare at her sister. “Sure, you look fine to me.”
Karsia tipped her head down, glaring at Astix from underneath a thundered brow. “What?”
“Nothing. You’ve…changed. Like you’re not there,” Astix decided. “Different from last night.”
“Yeah? Well, sometimes shit happens.”
“Uh-huh. Right.”
Aisanna waited a beat to join them, hair mussed and eyes still swollen. “Tell me I haven’t missed anything.” She drew the belt of her terrycloth robe tighter as she moved to stand near the cabinets. “Did you make the coffee?”
“Yes, I made enough for everyone,” Karsia told her. “And before either one of you ask me, yes, it’s safe to drink.”
“Makes me feel better.” Aisanna helped herself to a cup and inhaled deeply, her mouth watering. “That’s the stuff. Fortification of the gods.”
No matter where they were, the kitchen, the heart of the home, always drew them. It was the continuity of it. The same basic elements that made up each space. The memories of childhood, tugging at the apron strings of their grandmother or nanny and begging for sweet treats.
“You haven’t missed anything yet,” Astix assured Aisanna. “Where’s Elon?”
“Still out of it. He can sleep like the dead.”
“How about we refrain from using the word dead in our present circumstances?”
“Sure. I’m sorry.”
Karsia watched the two interact and braced her elbows against the counter, the camaraderie making her sick. Or maybe it was just in her mind. She snorted. “Jesus, you guys act like you have to tread softly around me or I’m going to blow up.”
The girls shared a look. “Won’t you?”
“No, it wouldn’t be explosive. It would be something insidious when you least expected it.” Karsia enjoyed the way their faces fell and eyes bugged out. “I can see what you hold in your hearts. Make no mistake, if I wanted to exploit your weaknesses, I could, and you would have no clue.”
Aisanna took it upon herself to make breakfast for the rest of them. She moved to the fridge and removed a carton of eggs.
Karsia saw her heat the frying pan, melt the butter, and scramble the mix in a large bowl. She would normally have sat down to eagerly await the home-cooked meal. Instead, she glanced down at her stomach, unsurprised when it failed to make noise. When was the last time she’d actually eaten? Forget about enjoying it.
“I don’t know how you can cook in the middle of a crisis,” Astix said.
“I need something to keep myself busy.” Aisanna moved back to the stove and poured the mixture into the skillet. “Something to occupy my mind while we get down to brass tacks. We have to do something, right?”
“It will be over soon,” Astix replied. “We’re driving to the stone as soon as everyone is awake, and we can’t afford delays.”
Karsia forced down a laugh. “Morgan said the same thing.”
Aisanna and Astix stared at each other while both tried to find the right words. “He seems like a nice man. A dependable kind of guy.” Astix poured herself a second cup of coffee and, uncaring what the others thought, added a generous shot of whiskey. This time she took it to the table and sat down. “I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or however the expression goes.”
“How about we do not talk about him? I’m not in a sharing mood.” Karsia held onto her control by a tenuous string. It helped, though, being there with them, the familiarity of it all helping to reinforce who she really was, despite her dark passenger.
“I’ve been wondering
what made you suddenly decide to trust him. You sought him out.”
Karsia opened her mouth to answer and stopped. What had it been? She couldn’t remember. “It doesn’t matter. He’s one more body on our side for this confrontation.”
The way she said the word gave Astix pause. “I’m not going to let you throw away what little life you have left planning an attack on the Claddium. It’s not worth it. I won’t let you kill yourself.”
“Oh, haven’t you heard? I’m immortal now, one of the perks of being the figurehead of evil. I’ll be immortal until the next lunar eclipse on the vernal equinox and some poor unsuspecting witch is forced to take my place. But that’s not the point,” Karsia continued. “The point is something should be done before things get worse. I’m a bloodthirsty sociopath, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“The longer you carry that thing around with you, the stronger it gets,” Aisanna supplied. She kept her gaze down, long hair obscuring her face.
Karsia didn’t tell them the truth—that it was already too late. She merely said the words they wanted to hear like a good puppet with a recorder in its stomach. The others needed something to hang on to, to believe in, and she needed to get to the stone.
“So far, we haven’t found a sure way to eject her. Which doesn’t mean we won’t keep trying.” Astix placed her hand over her sister’s. “We won’t stop until we do. It was wrong of you to take off like you did, when you should have stayed. We’re stronger together than we are apart.”
“It was the only thing I could think to do since I didn’t want any of you getting hurt.”
“We are not weak. Don’t underestimate us,” Astix said quietly.
“Look,” Aisanna began, “we think we have a spell that, with a little tweaking, will work now that we’re together again. It will bind the evil to a single point in space and time. Once we have Cecilia under control, we should be able to use our combined powers to remove the stain from you and set it back into the stone. It won’t stop the veil from fraying, but it gives us a buffer.”
“So easy, right?” Karsia shoved her plate to the side, observing the yellow mass of scrambled eggs jiggle. It turned her stomach. “How can you think it would ever be so simple?”
“I don’t think it’s simple. But I do believe it’s our best shot,” Aisanna countered. “I don’t see anyone else coming up with a better idea. We’ll leave once everyone is here.”
“Who are we waiting for?”
“The cavalry.”
Karsia rocked back on her heels and thought about where she would rather be. Roaming the streets amongst her people instead of standing around waiting. They were always waiting, she thought of her sisters. For the right time, the right people, the damn Harbinger to come and save them. Maybe tonight would buy her the time she needed to get them out of her hair for good.
And how weird was it, she considered, that both her sisters were now pinning their hopes on alliances with men, the two women who could never be bothered to take a partner. Who had taken pride in standing on their own feet.
Karsia gritted her teeth at the way things had worked out, knowing the numbers coupled her and Morgan together. Oh well, she would be done with them soon. All of them.
Elon and Morgan both rose within minutes of each other, one fresh and tidy, the other wearing his tatty tweed from the previous two days. He’d used the shower stall adjacent to his room and made the most of the limited facilities before slipping again into his soiled clothes.
Ready for the day.
“Eggs? They look great. I’m starving.” Morgan sent the sisters, so alike in face but miles apart in demeanor, a round of smiles before helping himself.
Elon crossed the room and bestowed a chaste kiss on Aisanna’s cheek. He was fresh-faced and bright-eyed. “You didn’t have to do this. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She leaned into the contact, at last content with it. “It takes my mind off of…less savory things.”
Astix drummed her fingers on the table. “He should be here by now.”
“We’re waiting for Leo?”
“He sent me a message yesterday saying he had loose ends to tie up and then he’d be on his way.”
“Then he’ll be here,” Aisanna said with a grim smile. “He always shows up.”
The sheer number of people in the room had Karsia feeling antsy and claustrophobic. “I don’t give two shits about whether he shows up or not. Let me see the spell. I can tell you whether it will work or not.”
“Oh, you found one?” Morgan slurped up the last bits of his breakfast, downing the plate in record time and contemplating going back for more. He decided not to make a pig of himself.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to show you, K.” Astix hesitated. “In case you try anything.”
“What would I try?” Karsia burst out.
“Maybe your sister is correct,” Morgan chimed in.
“Shut the hell up.”
“I’m saying we’ve done our homework and have everything prepared. Don’t worry.” Astix strove to keep calm. Shaken, she pushed away from the table and stood.
“Of course I worry,” Karsia snapped. “I’m being kept ignorant and it’s pissing me off. You two think your magic stands a chance against mine? I could set the whole state on fire.”
Aisanna finished the rest of her coffee and scowled at the empty cup. “Maybe we should leave immediately.”
“We’re going to need Leo before this is done. I can feel it,” Astix responded.
A bevy of negative emotions coursed through Karsia. At once their back and forth was not ordinary, not familiar. Conversation buzzed in her ear like flies as anger, hate, a burning need for violence took precedence in her mind. Filling her until she thought of nothing else.
Morgan turned to her. “Hey, there’s no reason to feel anxious.” He reached out to rub the small of her back, tuned in to her emotions. They beat at him as clearly as his own and drew an equal response.
Karsia swatted him away. “Don’t tell me how to feel, Morgan.”
“I’m going to get the books and the supplies.” Aisanna set her shoulders in what to the uninitiated would appear relaxed. Determined. They all knew better.
“None of it matters anymore. I’m going out.”
It mattered, Morgan knew, and he reached out to bring her back. “Your going alone is not a good idea.”
Karsia lowered her voice to a threatening pitch. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop touching me?”
Aisanna sent a look Elon’s way. “Yeah, I’m getting the books.”
CHAPTER 16
Orestes stared down his secretary with a look designed to make her feel inferior. He’d tenaciously perfected the expression in front of a mirror and performed the beta testing on his wife for the last thirty-five years. It worked every time.
“What do you mean, they were attacked?”
“Just what I said, sir.” Kelsi tugged at her sleeves and refused to meet his eyes. “The four people you dispatched to the Cavaldi residence were assaulted. They’re down with HR in the infirmary. Seems an earth elemental did a number on them.”
“Which. One. Attacked?”
“I’m…I’m not sure, sir. None of them are fit enough to ask, at the moment.”
His instincts, which he considered to be some of the best in his line of work, had warned him that something of the sort may happen. The one time he decided against sending a squadron, and someone in the household decided to fight back. He had a feeling it was Thorvald himself. Interesting.
And infuriating.
Orestes rose from behind his desk. “And they let the girls escape?” He paced the length of his office and fought the urge to tug at his hair. “Let them waltz off into the sunset while their elderly father nearly brought down the house?”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“How is it that the boy was easiest to capture, yet the girls… Oh, the girls. They seem to be a step ahead of us every time. Every.
Single. Time! Can you explain this to me?”
“Well, he is a null, sir—”
“I don’t give a good goddamn what he is!”
Kelsi felt personally responsible, clear from the downcast set of her shoulders to the way her fingers picked at loose threads on her clothing. She could, Orestes knew, feel so much worse with just a little prompting.
Those damn Cavaldis were becoming more trouble than they were worth. Orestes had awoken nearly frozen to the ground, with no recollection of his dreams and a sour taste in his mouth. The youngest chit was gone, along with the odd man in brown tweed. An unlikely accomplice with an unusual gift.
Orestes intended to figure out who the stranger was and what he could do.
There had been no whispers on the street, no hushed words passed from ear to ear about this newcomer. Which meant a good bit of digging was in order once he dealt with the problem at hand. If the man could not be brought to heel and used for his power, his potential, then he would need to be eliminated.
End of story.
“How can I possibly go on doing my job when I’m surrounded by such incompetence?” Orestes’s voice held a warning. The tips of his ears reddened. “I thought I could trust those under me to do a simple task. Bring in three adult women with piddling magic compared to ours. And here I am with nothing to show for it but four injured idiots!”
“From what I understand, sir, the father is very powerful. He—”
“I know what he can do,” Orestes interrupted, fuming. “I know what happened. There’s no need for you to blather on. Get out of my office. Now.”
The girl shrank back and held up a hand to fend off a second verbal attack. “Sir, I’ve taken the liberty of assigning other Claddium agents. They’ll search for the girls. And the elder Cavaldi is in custody.”
What?
“We brought the old man in?” He straightened the lapel of his tailored suit jacket and sent her an appraising look.
“Yes, sir.”
He returned to his desk. Sank down with a chuckle. “Oh, that is rich. That is rich! They took him down to the Vault, yes?”
