“If you like, Lexi,” Owen offered suddenly, “I’d be happy to assist you with your aura training.”
“Thank you, Owen. I believe I’ll take you up on that.”
“Fine,” Kit grumped. “But it won’t be as much fun.”
“Well at least it won’t get anyone maimed or killed,” I told him and pushed away from the bed.
Chapter 30
Owen provided the appropriate attire for everyone not already dressed and we managed to get through our run and kata training without any incidents. Amras and Cursed went off to practice with their swords and I wandered around assisting with forms until I couldn’t stand it anymore and asked Owen to provide me with a blunted sword. We ended up on the far side of the mats watching Amras and Cursed go at each other like they had the previous day.
Kit offered to drill with me and my look must have been skeptical enough that he became offended and leaned forward to hiss in my ear. “Just because I was a clerk doesn’t mean I haven’t been brushing up on my fighting skills.”
His vehemence surprised me so I motioned to an open space and we took our places. Owen watched from the sideline with a worried expression. We touched the hilts of our swords against our foreheads and circled each other looking for an opening. Kit was in front of me smiling one second and the next I was being swatted across the bottom with his bare hand. I growled and elbowed him, turning with my sword up between us.
“Not everyone you’ll go up against will fight fair,” he warned me and disappeared again. I swung around just in time to block his downward swing which would have brained me if I had been half a second slower.
My sword weighed four or five pounds and was finely made, with a slightly curved blade and a handle that seemed custom designed for my grip. Kit’s sword easily weighed twice what mine did and when our blades connected in a flurry of parry and ripostes, the force shook me to the marrow. Obviously full on contact wasn’t going to be a good plan. Surprisingly, Kit did seem to know what he was doing with a blade so I reevaluated my defense and began slipping his blade whenever possible.
Kit seemed to use every nasty trick in the book and I found myself struggling to stay on my feet, let alone mount an offense. At one point he tripped me and leapt at me while I was down on the floor. I kneed him in the thigh, aiming for his nether regions and he laughed and shifted, giving me enough time to regain my feet. It seemed no matter what I did I was always half a step behind him. If I wanted to win, I was going to have to play as dirty as he was doing. But the concept went against the grain and I struggled against my own inner sense of fairness.
Distracted by my musings I was late at the parry and took the flat of his blade against my shoulder, sending me reeling across the mat. He laughed again and it was enough to irritate me. Principals be damned, I thought, and circled with new intent. My smile made him laugh again as he leapt at me, sword swinging. I ducked and came up under his swing, aiming for his stomach with the flat of my blade. The air left him in a whoosh and I kicked him in the back of the leg as I went past, buckling his knee and sending him to the mat. Normally I would have stood back and given him the opportunity to regain his feet, but with all the tricks he’d used on me I wasn’t feeling all that charitable, so I aimed another kick at his head, forcing him to lift his arm to protect himself. This left his back unprotected while he raised up on his knees and tried to swing at me with his sword. I danced around in front of him aiming a foot at his chest as I went, but he disappeared and I nearly went down when my foot failed to connect.
Kit rematerialized several feet away and behind me and I barely raised my arm in time to block his swing. My arm vibrated all the way up to my neck and I lost feeling in it for a moment as I scrambled backwards out of reach, giving my nerves time to regain function.
“Are we having fun yet, Mistress?” Kit asked, and the damn Demon wasn’t even breathing hard, while I was gulping for air like I’d run a marathon. I think I growled at him which caused him to laugh. He disappeared again and I swung around but too late to prevent him from wrapping an arm around my throat while his blunted blade poked me in my side just at the base of my ribcage.
“I yield,” I gasped and bent over double when he released me, placing my hands on my thighs while I sucked in air. Owen handed me my water bottle, muttering under his breath. Amras and Cursed wandered over and added their support, letting me know they were impressed with my skill and that they were certain I could have beaten the Demon if he had played fair. I nodded; it seemed all I was capable of at the moment.
When I’d regained my breath I glanced around to see that most of the students were busy hacking at each other and Nick was nowhere to be found. El wandered over and chatted with me briefly, giving me an update on several of the students and asking if the Elves would be willing to do some individual training. I deferred to them and listened with half an ear as they arranged their schedules.
“Who are you looking for?” Owen leaned down to whisper in my ear. He’d edged in beside me while the others were talking. Kit had wandered over to the wrestling mats and was giving what appeared to be encouraging advice to the two men grunting and trying to tie each other into knots on the floor.
I bit my lip and glanced up at him. I hadn’t realized I was looking for anyone, but it was about that time of the day when Gareth or Jace showed up and we spent a few hours…entertaining ourselves.
He gave me a crooked smile and closed his eyes for a moment. With my shields down I felt…something brush past me before it rose and shot toward the roof. Less than a minute later Owen blinked open his eyes and smiled down at me. “Gareth is meeting with Nick in the conference room going over tonight’s security. They’ve got maps laid out everywhere. Jace is upstairs trying to deal with the crowd surrounding the dance club. They both send their regrets.”
I frowned and glanced down at my water bottle. No one to blame here but me, I reminded myself, since there wouldn’t be a crowd issue if not for my presence. I sighed, “Thanks Owen, I appreciate the update.”
“Jace said to tell you…” He hesitated a moment then continued, “He said to tell you that he got it out of his system when your Mother was here. And not to hold it against me.”
“Hold what?” I asked, watching Owen’s dark brown eyes and wondering if he knew what Jace had been talking about.
“My past.”
“Oh.”
He just smiled. “Would you care to work on your aura lessons now?” he offered. I looked at him thoughtfully and noted that his aura seemed an even orange color, not at all threatening.
“That’s because orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, success and encouragement.”
“Don’t forget stimulation and attraction!” Kit yelled over at us, then stuck out his tongue at me before turning back to watch the pair on the floor.
Owen chuckled and told me, “Who could forget attraction and stimulation with you around, eh?”
Amras and Cursed glanced over their shoulders at me and there was a twinkle in Amras’ eye, but Cursed just looked annoyed and I couldn’t help noticing his aura shifting to a darker green.
“I’m fairly certain I don’t need to tell you what that means,” Owen added softly.
“We’re going to head downstairs,” I told Amras and Cursed, feeling very uncomfortable when they both turned polite blank stares on me. I glanced toward Kit and waved him over, which seemed to both surprise and delight him. Behind me Owen just sighed but didn’t say anything.
I’m not sure why I felt like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, or what right they thought they had to make me feel guilty about it. I just know I wasn’t too happy about it.
Amras immediately flinched then dipped his head, giving me a contrite smile. Cursed muttered something under his breath and rudely turned his back on me which pissed me off even more. I didn’t give myself time to think about it, I merely reached for his wrapped hair, and using my entire body strength, yanked
him over and onto his hands and knees at my feet. All sound and motion around me ceased abruptly as I forced his head up and shoved my face into his, all but yelling. “Don’t you dare turn your back on me like that again… ever!”
Cursed bared his teeth at me and I shook him, hard. At which point his eyes dropped to half mast and he twined his arm around my calf and knee, just before he leaned toward me and purred. I stared down at him, surprised once again by his abrupt nature but even more shocked at my reactions to him. It would never have occurred to me to handle one of the others in such an abusive way, but Cursed seemed to actually enjoy it. Even worse, it made him happy, a point in fact confirmed by the sunshine bright yellow haze surrounding him.
“May I get up now, My Lady?” Cursed asked in a calm voice, his black eyes sparkling and a smile tugging at his beautiful lips.
“Apologize first,” I demanded, understanding that he would not respect me if I allowed him to get away with rude behavior in my presence. Something in him needed me to be strong and I wasn’t about to fail him by exhibiting a sweet and biddable nature.
He immediately dropped his forehead to the floor, taking my hand with him as I refused to release him just yet. “Forgive me.”
I held onto him for another few seconds, then slowly unclenched my fingers from around the leather binding his hair. I went to a knee on the floor and ran my hand over his back chiding him softly. “Cursed, why do you do this to yourself?” I asked. His fingers found my ankle and delicately wrapped around me, as if he found some sort of solace in the touch of me.
“I know no other way, My Lady,” he whispered, his face still pressed to the mat.
His admission pierced my heart and I went down on both knees and lifted him into my arms, hugging him to me while we knelt on the mats, and he buried his face in my neck. “Were you ever this much trouble to my Mother?” I asked.
His teeth grazed my neck as he lifted his lips to my ear and whispered just low enough so only I could hear. “Never.” Then he bit my earlobe and his grip tightened on me as I jerked. I knew he’d bled me again when I felt his tongue lick my lobe, just before he sucked it into his mouth. I closed my eyes and wished we were someplace much more private, like my room, crying out when the ground lurched and colors swirled. I opened my eyes and found myself kneeling in the middle of my bed, Cursed still locked in my arms.
He didn’t even ask, he simply began removing my clothing. There wasn’t much there and it wasn’t long before he was leaning over me, his long hard length sheathed within. His aura has shifted to a blood red and he purred as he stroked in and out of my body, urging me to rise up to meet each thrust. My fingers dug into his lower back and my legs wrapped round his thighs.
“We haven’t much time,” I told him, wishing we could finish without being disturbed but knowing the others might arrive at any second.
“Then we’ll need to make every second count,” he told me gruffly.
His lips found my breast and I hesitated while he sucked my nipple into his mouth. Lifting his eyes to mine he licked and sucked at me until my eyes closed and my head fell back on the bed. I expected him to bite me, was even braced for it. But he surprised me by wrapping my braid around his wrist and pulling out of me. “On your knees,” he growled, pulling gently on my hair when I didn’t move fast enough for him. He grabbed a knee and turned me, lifting my hips and holding my face to the bed with the threat of his hand on my hair.
He pressed in behind me, covering me with his body and hands, sliding his erection over my sensitive parts before burying himself once again inside. He used me that way for several minutes, then urged me up off my elbows and onto my hands and knees. I moved with him matching his rhythm, flesh slapping flesh and the rumble in his throat the only sounds in the room. And then he pulled out of me again and lay back on the bed, his hand still holding my braid so that I was forced to turn. I found myself kneeling between his legs as he urged me forward and onto his lap.
His face looked urgent and I moved to cover him, sliding my hands over his chest and pressing myself over his length before I captured him and brought him into my body. He sighed and threw back his head and the sound that came from him was almost a whimper. I stilled my movements and he opened his eyes and reached for me. “I need…please don’t stop,” he begged.
“Cursed?” I whispered.
“The memories… help me erase the memories,” he breathed, his dark eyes full of every pain and horror he’d endured.
Every move, every position… all those years, my eyes filled with compassion and my hips moved, rocking him gently as I lay my body upon his, wrapping as much of myself over him as I could. I kissed and licked my way up his chest biting gently at his jaw, our speed increasing. He moaned beneath me and I sank my teeth into the lee of his neck, tasting blood and the tangy sweetness of his skin. He jerked and grabbed my hips, bucking beneath me as his pleasure exploded, pushing me over the edge so that I buried my face in his neck and bit down on the tender skin as I came for him.
I collapsed on his chest with my cheek pressed to his and his arms wrapped so tightly around me that I could feel each shudder and breath he pulled into his lungs. Wetness touched my cheek and I pushed up turning to see tears trailing down his face. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, kissing away the moisture. “Please don’t cry, Cursed… you are safe here with me.”
“Am I?” he asked, as he raised a finger to touch the tender skin at his neck…it came away with just a hint of blood. His eyes were calmer, a small smile playing about his mouth as he raised his finger to my lips. “Blood is the most precious of all fluids,” he told me, watching as I pulled his finger between my lips, wrapping my tongue around it just before I sucked the full length into my mouth. I felt him move within me and he lifted his hips offering himself to me in every way. I pushed down and tightened around him widening his eyes and causing him to purr for me again. “Give me but a moment, My Lady, before we begin again.”
Unfortunately round two wasn’t to be as the door burst open and my other three piled in. I growled at Kit who loped to the bed and placed his front paws on it shoving his face into mine and licking my cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Mistress!” he exclaimed. “I see we got here just in time.”
“Just in time for what?”
“Well, Owen’s supposed to be next, not the Goblin, who’s already had his turn, or maybe you’d like to take me for a… more thorough test drive?”
“Wait… what do you mean you’re just in time?” I asked and Cursed pushed up on his elbows and glanced at Amras in confusion.
Kit dropped back to the floor as I sat up on Cursed and leaned over to look at him. I knew I probably shouldn’t be sitting there naked with Cursed still buried inside of me but something about the way Kit had said that alarmed me. It was as if he thought we had just arrived, when in fact we’d been in the room for a good fifteen minutes or so.
“That can’t be,” Amras breathed, his eyes glancing between Cursed and myself.
Owen looked pained, but added, “We just now left the training floor not seconds behind you.”
On the floor Kit was having a quiet conversation with himself. The only words I caught were “I can’t bend time,” which scared me so it must have sent me into shock. My body began shaking so badly Cursed reached for me as my eyes rolled back and I slumped in his arms.
Someone was arguing and there was a cool cloth over my eyes. I had a bad moment of déjà vu for a second, remembering the other night on the couch, but realized I was lying in my bedroom having just discovered I could somehow bend time.
“She’s awake, if anyone’s interested,” Areth’s calm voice informed the room. I reached up and pulled the cloth off of my eyes in time to see her disappear in a little black swirl. Kit crawled onto the bed and pushed back a strand of hair from my face.
“You aren’t supposed to be able to do that you know?” he told me bluntly. Then he kissed my temple and moved back as the others leaned in to get a good look. With
all of them staring down at me I couldn’t help feeling like one of those fish in a bowl.
“How are you, My Lady?”
“I’m fine. How long was I away?” I grumbled.
“Less than a hand of moments,” Amras replied.
“What were you arguing about?”
Owen leaned in and his dark brown eyes looked like warm gooey chocolate. “I thought we should advise the Dragons but the others… felt it unnecessary,” he replied, a smile playing about his lips.
I glanced around at the four of them. Cursed was without clothing and the others were wearing only the shorts they’d had on upstairs. Maybe it was that I was lying naked and helpless under their gaze, or perhaps it was their solid red-orange haze and their combined interest aimed at me? Whatever the catalyst, I licked my lips and reached up to run my fingers over Owen’s stomach muscles. His breath stilled when my fingers caught on the elastic top of his shorts.
“Jace says I should forgive you,” I told him breathlessly. “Would you ask my forgiveness?”
“No,” he replied. “There can be no forgiveness for my crime.”
I nodded, agreeing with him completely. “But you have been punished, have you not?”
“Yes, for many a millennium. I pray it is enough for you,” he told me.
I tugged gently at his shorts and he stepped closer to the bed. “We shall see,” I told him and pulled him into my arms and onto the bed. The others moved back and there was only Owen, whose clothing melted away beneath my fingers. His skin was the color of pale milk chocolate, all creamy and smooth. He smelled of the sea and of the wind. His hair was a warm caress of pale yellow light upon my skin, and his hands were so large he could easily have spanned my waist. His body was covered in fine pale yellow hair over his arms and legs and down the center of his chest.
He bore me to the bed and covered me in kisses and I fell into his eyes. “You are not fertile,” he whispered against my ear. “Do you wish to be?”
Dragon Lust Page 36
