Bright Tail

by Zenina Masters

  “Gorgeous. You only need some pearls and the look will be finished.”

  Seerya shook her head. “No pearls. They belong to what I have become, not what I will become. This is a fresh start. I am going into this with an open mind and very little attention to what I was before.”

  “But you have lived longer than any shifter and most fey.”

  Seerya shrugged. “It is a side effect of being a monster.”

  “You are not a monster.”

  “It is in the name of my beast. It came with the magic.” She shrugged.

  Lorai got some tea ready and asked, “How long until the ceremony?”

  “Two more hours. The mage—Melwiss?—needed to carb load before she takes me on. We don’t want to make her explode, now do we?”

  “No, we don’t want her blowing like an egg in the microwave.” Lorai smiled.

  “Wow, you have been directly immersed in the human world.”

  “Indeed. I have even been to your establishments a time or two. I like the double-triple latte swirl.”

  Seerya laughed. “I wanted to see if anyone would order it. It is now one of our most popular beverages.”

  “It is addictive. I like them.” She smiled.

  They stood and discussed the origin of the chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, espresso, milk and whipped cream drink that made things sweet and exciting as well as slightly blurry when the caffeine kicked in.

  “Where do you have property, Seerya?”

  “All over the world. Thanks to my being registered as fey, it has made things easier for me to purchase land and properties.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  “When the fey came out as being real, there was an opening for me and the ancients. I look tiny, and there are historical records of me going back thousands of years. It was logical for them to accept me as some kind of water pixie. The merfolk paved the way for that, so thanks.”

  Lorai grinned and bowed low. “We live to serve.”

  A knock on the door preceded Juno’s entrance. “Melwiss is fortified and her socks match. That is all we can ask of her.”

  “I have not met Melwiss, but I admit to being intrigued.”

  Juno grinned. “For today’s event, she has backcombed her hair into the eighties.”

  Seerya ran her hands down her gown. “Right, well, I suppose that I had better join in eternal union before Lothan snaps and comes in search of me.”

  Juno snorted. “Derix is keeping him from fidgeting out of his formals.”

  Lorai smiled and led the way, Juno came next and Seerya followed them. They walked through the streets of the Isthmus toward the seaside.

  A gathering of dark elves and standard fey were there, along with Dira, Mak and the babies. A pathway of white sand had been prepared, and her ladies went to stand with their mates.

  Lothan was wearing drow formalwear. Wrapped and woven leather covered his legs; layers of wrapped vests covered his torso. All the colours of the stars were on him, and his hair was loose in a wave down his back, nearly to his waist.

  His eyes lit up when he saw her. She walked toward him with the setting sun framing him. It was a moment in time that she treasured, and she pinned it to her memory.

  The mage next to Lothan was indeed wearing hair teased back to the eighties. The seventeen eighties. The hair was huge and the curls were massive. The smile of welcome was genuine as Seerya joined Lothan at the edge of the water.

  Melwiss smiled and asked, “Do you have anything to say to each other before I get this underway?”

  Seerya nodded, as did Lothan.

  “Gentlemen first today. It will be ladies first for the rest of your lives.” Melwiss winked.

  Lothan grinned. “Seerya, I have felt the pull between us for centuries, and at last, the timing was right. Time has never been of much consequence to me, but today, I am delighted that things have aligned. I will be at your side for the rest of our days, sharing what you are willing to give and offering all that I have.”

  She reached up and wiped away the tear on his cheek. “Lothan, I sought you out as a conduit to rest. I wanted what I have seen in the eyes of others but never thought that I would have a mate that looked at me the way you do. If it had been anyone else holding that last piece of my puzzle, I would be on the bottom of the sea right now, sleeping centuries away. You have stepped up and offered me a chance to start my life over. I have the rest of our lives together to make sure that you don’t regret it.”

  He smiled and brushed the tear off her cheek.

  Melwiss sniffled loudly. “Oh. Wow. That will do as vows. So, hold each other’s hands and give me the other two. When I start to balance you, power is going to shift. It will flow from one of us to the other until, finally, you two are balanced, and then, I will sort myself out of the mess and give the energy back to you equally. Having sex is going to lock the levels in place.”

  Seerya’s hand was trembling as she reached out to Melwiss. Lothan was holding her hand already, so when he made the connection with the balance mage, things happened quickly.

  Out on the sea, waterspouts formed. Lighting flashed, rainbows coalesced and shattered in the fading light.

  Seerya kept her gaze locked with Lothan’s as their hair whipped around them and the mage struggled to balance the load of magic eons in the making.

  The roar of power suddenly ceased. Seerya was breathing heavily, as was Lothan. Seerya caught Melwiss as she fell.

  Her skin was translucent and flickering with power. The mage was overloaded.

  Juno came forward and lifted Melwiss in her arms. “I have her. She will be fine.”

  Seerya looked at the unconscious woman with concern. “Are you sure she will be all right?”

  “She has recovered before. She will again.”

  “Where are you taking her?”

  “She has a house on the lakeside. I will take her there.”

  Seerya looked to Lothan and kissed him quickly. “I will be right back.”

  She lifted her skirts and ran for the tower. She took the steps two at a time and grabbed the bag of magical essences that she had brought to gift to Dira’s children. If anyone needed strength and recovery, it was Melwiss.

  She had her skirts wadded up in one hand as she followed the pull of her own residual energy to the lakeside. Lothan followed her.

  Juno and Derix carried Melwiss to her home. Seerya bolted into the room behind them, and when the mage was in the bed, she took the vials and sorted them quickly.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I am giving her some of what she has been parting with. Mages are never quite calibrated for dealing with shifter magic. It is like juggling acid. It wears them down. Even if she is the most powerful thing you have ever seen, she will still wear out.”

  The bright gold liquid was in her hand, and she tipped two fingers with it. She brushed Melwiss’s temples and forehead with it. “This is rapid healing to protect her mind. It is distilled from kelp that grows in special fields in deep water.”

  “So, it will work on her?”

  “Of course.” She pulled out a vial of rich purple. She ran several drops across each palm and massaged them in. “This is defense against shifter magic. It will let her handle it without suffering the degradation on her nervous system.”

  Melwiss’s lids were fluttering, and the glow under her skin was fading. A relaxed smile came to her lips.

  “She is taking on pieces of the people she joins together. She can’t help it.” Seerya took one final vial out, and she smiled. “This is mental strength. It will hold her own mind fast while the energies try and tear her apart.”

  “Where did you get that?”

  “I took it from my own tears over the last few dozen centuries. Whenever I lost one of my people, I cried a tear and gathered my strength. This is that strength. Strength I gained in unending loss.” She ran the tips of her fingers over Melwiss’s eyel
ids.

  The others in the room were silent, and Juno was shocked.

  Melwiss opened her eyes and smiled. “Thank you for that. How long will the effects last?”

  “As long as you have this skin, you will have this strength.”

  Melwiss smiled. “I feel like me again. A little blurry but so much better.”

  “I am glad. I never intended to kill you with my wedding.”

  Melwiss sat up and touched her head. “What the fuck is on my hair?”

  Seerya kissed her forehead and got to her feet with her bag of vials. “I will let Juno explain your fashion choices. Give yourself a day to adjust, but your new normal should be quite a bit better.”

  “Thank you, Seerya.”

  She patted her hand quickly. “There is a bonus to growing old. You collect all kinds of handy stuff.”

  Lothan was waiting in the doorway, and he swept her into his arms. “Shall we adjourn to the tower?”

  Seerya kissed his neck. “Fourth floor, third chamber on the left.”

  Her mate took off with a deliberate stride and the honeymoon began.

  Chapter Eight

  “This time, I want to watch your expression. I want to see you focusing on me and not controlling yourself.” Lothan set her on her feet, placed her satchel to one side and eased her dress from her shoulders.

  She smiled and unbuckled the belt that held the vests in place. One at a time, she slid the fabric from his shoulders.

  Her dress was in a puddle at her feet, and the magic coming from his skin was intoxicating. Seerya leaned in and ran her tongue along his skin. Her tongue tingled at all points of contact. He was made of electricity.

  He groaned and pulled her away from him. “I want you to go first.”

  She laughed. “I will be delighted to have you inside me without holding back.”

  “I think I can manage that.” He smiled and threaded his hands through her hair, kissing her as he backed her to the edge of the bed.

  The sparks that fired between them were softer but still tingling as he stroked her from neck to breast in slow motion.

  She groaned, sighed, arched into his hands as he worked at her nipples, and she shivered when he knelt and used his mouth on her skin. He kissed her ribs, ran his tongue down her belly and parted her thighs with his hand. He tipped her back, and she laughed as she bounced on the mattress. He slipped between her thighs, and soon, his mouth was sending her into spirals of pleasure.

  Holding back was second nature, but she fought the battle inside herself until she was able to enjoy the wet stroke of his tongue on her clit and parting her folds. He slowly lapped at her, and she twisted under the heat of his mouth.

  His tongue stabbed at her repeatedly until her breath came in whining pants that culminated in a choked shriek.

  The cascade of magic beat at him as it escaped from her in a corona. She could feel his hands tense on her hips, and he held her tight until her body finished its palpitations.

  He crawled up her with slow and deliberate care. He licked at his lips and smiled. “That was an excellent start.”

  She smiled and wrapped a lock of dark hair around her fist, pulling him down to her. “Then, finish it.”

  “Yes, mate.” His smile was brilliant. “I think I will enjoy saying that.”

  She laughed and kissed him. “Less talking.”

  He was excellent at following direction. He rolled to his back, and his trousers disappeared in a flicker of magic.

  She straddled him and stroked his erection, enjoying the feel of the hard, pulsing bar of flesh that was now just for her.

  Seerya levered herself upward and placed him in her slick opening, sinking onto him in slow, delicate motions.

  He arched his neck and held her hips as she started to plunge and rock on him.

  She drove herself onto him in a frenzy. She could feel him filling her completely, and her skin was covered in a gleaming sweat. She ran her hands over him, using the sparks to make the muscles of his belly flinch.

  The delicious tension inside her began to climb again until Lothan slid his hand between them to stroke her clit in the slow circles that she preferred.

  Seerya rode him faster and faster until he was groaning constantly and she was on the edge of cumming. When the slick slide of his fingers on her clit pressed harder, she snapped and her mind flew apart.

  She heard his grunt and felt both of his hands grip her hips while he pressed into her. She felt the jerk of his cock inside her, and she opened her eyes enough to see the swirl of power around them.

  Energy coalesced around them, and it slowly settled into them. Seerya’s body was rigid as the power shifted for the final time. The seal wrapped around them with a snap, and she looked down at Lothan. “Oh, dear.”

  A wide band of iridescent blue wrapped from one shoulder, across his chest and to the other shoulder. It appeared to be complete on the front and back of him.

  She looked down and snorted. Her skin was a few shades of grey, but the marking was the same. “I guess that the magic provided the wedding rings.”

  He grinned. “The colour looks wonderful with your hair.”

  “Yours too.”

  He blinked and craned his neck. “Ah well, I suppose that having matching markings will make it easier to fend off the men and women who make passes at us individually or as a couple.”

  She slapped his abdomen. He had recovered nicely and was thickening inside her again. “I know I have a future with a mate ahead of me, but stop arranging phantom threesomes. It has never been a favourite of mine.”

  “I am pretty sure that Teelion would be up for it. He has always had a fascination for you.”

  She twisted her lips. “That is because I am older than he is. It is a perversion that he needs to work on.”

  “I have no interest in sharing you, but I do know that one partner cannot make all the choices.”

  Seerya started to move on him. “Let’s get bored with each other before we start working on alternate entertainment arrangements. Who knows? We might have some little ones, and they will keep us busy for decades.”

  He smiled slowly. “That is a future I want to plan for.”

  She laughed when he flipped her to her back and set about making the future just a little bit closer.

  The Dark Knight Club was exactly as Seerya had left it. She held onto her mate’s arm as they entered the building and passed security.

  Lothan led her to the staging area where the drow sat and had quiet cocktails before going out and mixing with the club members.

  Teelion was sitting with a cup of tea, and his cup clattered in the saucer when they walked in.

  “Seerya, I see you found him.”

  She inclined her head. “Thank you for your direction. I would never have thought to look for him there.”

  The other drow were staring at them in surprise. Lothan’s chest was puffed so wide, Seerya was surprised he didn’t split his shirt.

  The evening gown she was wearing was a shimmering confection of midnight sparkles on a rich blue gown. She was wearing a midnight sea.

  “It was my pleasure. So, you two are...”

  She inclined her head. “We are. He made me an offer and gave me my choice. I thought about it, saw him naked and said sure. I can always nap later.”

  “Not if I am in your bed.”

  She elbowed him. “Don’t be rude. They will eventually get a line on their mates, and then, you will be able to taunt them.”

  He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “As you wish, love.”

  She smiled, and Teelion invited them to take a seat.

  They talked about business plans, and Teelion smiled when he saw where her mind was headed. “You would do that for us?”

  “Of course. There is no rule to the Crossroads that says that the shifters and fey can’t mix earlier. They will just spark in a painful way if they are not compatible, as it
has always been.”

  His smile was bright. “So, members will give out invitations?”

  “They will. A limit of one per month, with allowances for women who don’t want to visit alone.”

  “Right. Of course. So, where do you want to open this?”

  She cocked her head. “I own a little property on the coastline. If you can get the personnel, I can supply the location and get the permits.”

  “When can you get this underway?”

  She shrugged. “Well, I am about to sign my other businesses over to my brother’s descendants.”

  Teelion looked hopeful. “Are they shifters?”

  “Nope. All human. I am a one off.”

  “Pity. I would have enjoyed meeting them.”

  Lothan glared at his friend. “I am sure you would have, but she is not for you, nor are her nieces.”

  Teelion smiled and inclined his head. “I suppose, I will have to find a shifter to mate with. It is the only course of action left to me.”

  “No slender fey lady pining for your attentions?”

  The others chuckled, and Teelion shook his head. “The drow have a worse birthrate than the standard fey do. We breed, but we breed male. A female is a one-in-a-hundred event.”

  One of the others piped up. “The pales don’t like to share their ladies with the night walkers, the dark crawlers.”

  Seerya looked at her silvery skin. “I don’t have a problem with it. Your skin has a great texture.”

  The men in the room laughed, and she leaned against Lothan. He wrapped his arm around her, and they set about creating a plan for a secondary Dark Knight Club. The Bright Knight Club was in its infancy, but it would be an excellent place for shifters and fey to meet before they went to the Crossroads to formalize things.

  It was an interesting concept, wouldn’t make a lot of money, but if anyone struggling to find their mate could be put on the path, she was all for putting her funds behind it.

  One legal boardroom was like another, but this one contained Nina and Irene as well as Lothan, Seerya and her legal counsel.

  Nina stared at Lothan and then commented, “You said you were removing yourself from this world and going to hibernate or something.”