Queen of Empire: A fantasy romance (The Relic Trilogy Book 1)

by HR Moore

  Anita left Marcus' lessons frustrated and exhausted, and usually wanting to hit him. She left Alexander's lessons drained, but somehow liberated, content. They found several more places in her mind during their lessons, including the boat she had visited with Cleo. Alexander told her it contained a good mix of Mind, Body and Spirit, so it made sense that Cleo and Anita would have ended up there.

  They found a waterfall that Alexander said was full of Spirit, as well as a stable with a beautiful chestnut mare that was a mixture of Body and Spirit. There had been no sign of the cylinder, Alexander convinced it had run to a Mind dominated space. But there were only so many locations in any person's mind; it was only a matter of time before they found it.

  Anita didn't tell Marcus about her successful Spirit lessons. The Mind sessions were going so badly, and Marcus was forever probing for evidence that his lessons were better than Alexander's. 'Maybe there's a reason most people aren't taught all the skills to such a high level,' he said pompously, after a particularly disastrous Mind lesson.

  'Yes, maybe,' Anita agreed, inwardly sneering.

  As the weeks went on, three things became clear. Firstly, that Marcus and Anita were not going to get anywhere with their Mind lessons. Secondly, if Anita and Marcus wanted to continue their relationship, they should stop the Mind lessons. And thirdly, that the Mind place in Anita's head did not want to be found. Alexander decided to stop searching for a while and move on to work on other skills, specifically, how to hide energy.

  The conversation with Marcus to end their lessons did not go well. At first, he took it as an affront to his teaching skills. Then he switched tack, blaming her lack of progress on all the time she was spending with Alexander.

  Anita eventually managed to bring Marcus round, reassuring him it was nothing to do with his teaching skills. She blamed herself, saying how useless she was at Mind skills, telling him it was pointless to flog a dead horse. She sealed the deal by pointing out they would be able to spend more time together as a couple, and not as teacher and pupil.

  Maybe she was better at Mind skills than she let on, she thought, as he softened.

  Anita knew Marcus was bored of teaching her anyway, especially as she never seemed to improve, so he finally relented.

  It was a much harder sell to convince Marcus not to turn up to her future Spirit lessons. It shocked her when he acted like a spoilt child. She hadn't quite believed the warnings about Marcus' possessiveness, but when she saw it with her own eyes, she wondered what she'd got herself into. She avoided a serious argument with flattery and a good measure of flirting.

  'It's not that I don't want you there,' she said, sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. 'It's that we're working on hiding energy next, and when you're around, my energy soars. It's impossible to control,' she said, playfully biting his ear lobe.

  It didn't placate Marcus entirely, but it distracted him. He threw her back onto the bed, climbed on top of her, and pinned her arms above her head.

  'Fine,' he said sulkily, 'I won't come to your lessons.'

  'You promise?' she said, matching his tone, looking up at him through her lashes.

  'I suppose so,' he said, leaning down, running the tip of his nose down the length of hers, then kissing her lips.

  * * * * *

  Anita was happy with where she and Marcus were now. She was even more happy that she'd managed to use the Mind skills he'd taught her to get there. That thought soothed her conscience.

  She could barely contain her excitement as she headed to her Spirit lesson, away from Marcus' prying eyes. Today she would be learning to control her energy. Apparently, it could be an emotional skill to learn, so Alexander had suggested meeting in a more private location, by the river.

  'Hey,' said Anita, reaching the large flat rock that Alexander was already sitting on, cross legged, above the angry water below.

  'Hi. No chaperone today?' Alexander mocked.

  'No,' she smiled triumphantly. 'Marcus has agreed to give me some space during these lessons.'

  'I see,' said Alexander, surprised. Anita felt his energy rise, then quickly diminish as he motioned for her to sit down. Interesting.

  'Learning to suppress your energy is different to finding places inside your mind,' he said. 'You must understand how you react to situations and to others around you. You need to anticipate your reaction and divert the energy. You can't get rid of it, but you can channel it elsewhere.'

  'And how do I do that?'

  Alexander smiled. 'You push it through your feet.'

  'Right. What the hell does that mean?'

  'It means exactly that. You push all the energy towards your feet, so it's utilized elsewhere, and nobody can read your reaction.'

  'How does the energy get used up?'

  'By propelling your body upwards.'

  Anita laughed. 'What?' This was ridiculous.

  Alexander looked disappointed. 'It's the same principle as energy cars and trains,' he said. 'When you push your energy down, it propels you upwards. Most people aren't powerful enough to actually walk on air, but it can make you look weightless, almost like you're floating as you walk. But, of course, you learn to hide that too, so only those who really know what to look for can tell what you're doing.'

  Anita wasn't sure if he was joking; it sounded ridiculous. But then, it was how energy cars worked… 'Alright, so how do I do this...pushing downwards?'

  'First, we need to make your energy rise,' he said, cocking a mischievous eyebrow.

  Anita blushed. 'And how are we going to do that?' Her energy didn't react the way it used to at the mere sight of him, thank goodness.

  Alexander leaned sharply towards her. 'I can either challenge you or seduce you,' he said, the mood shifting wildly as his eyes bored into hers.

  Anita's energy reacted immediately, full of shock and delightful anticipation at the prospect of either.

  Smug at her instant reaction, Alexander reached out and took her hands.

  She thought she might burst, tingles shooting all over her body at the first contact of their skin in weeks.

  'Good,' he said gently, pulling her to her feet. 'Now, think the energy downwards and imagine yourself being propelled upwards.'

  Anita did as she was told, and surprisingly, felt some weight leave her.

  'Good,' said Alexander again, doing nothing to try and hide his energy's rapidly rising tide. 'Now, push down on my hands and imagine someone is tugging on your hair, pulling you upwards.'

  Again, Anita did as she was told, and her weight completely left the ground. She panicked and the weight returned. Her feet reconnected unsteadily with the ground, Alexander catching her as she stumbled into him, preventing her from tumbling to the floor.

  'By the Gods, Anita. I've never seen anyone levitate on their first attempt,' he said. 'How did it feel?'

  'Great,' she beamed, as much because he hadn't taken his hands off her as from the levitation.

  This is so much more fun than Mind lessons, she thought, her energy once more rising as she looked up at Alexander, her hands enjoying the muscular contours of his chest.

  'Let's try again,' she said eagerly.

  'Okay,' he breathed, his energy still singing as he stepped back and held her hands.

  Anita relished the tingles, different, more intense with Alexander than with Marcus.

  Anita did it a second time and even took a few steps in the air, with Alexander's support, before she lost concentration and came crashing back down. She was drained, her energy dropping like a stone.

  'I think that's enough for today. I don't want to wear you out completely or Marcus will be after me,' he said seriously, but Anita detected an ironic edge. 'Tomorrow we can work on sending only some of your energy downwards, so you stay connected to the ground. If you levitate in public, it pretty much defeats the point of trying to hide your energy!'

  'Okay,' said Anita, attempting to hide her disappointment. 'Are you walking back to Empire?'

/>   'I will do in a bit, but it's best that Marcus doesn't see us walking back together. He may have agreed to give you some space for the lessons themselves, but I doubt he's too far away. He won't be keen on us being seen together.'

  Anita nodded, annoyed by how Alexander spoke about her boyfriend; was he her boyfriend? His words were probably true, but it was still annoying. 'See you here at the same time tomorrow?'

  'Sure,' he said, sounding disinterested. 'Same time tomorrow.'

  Anita walked away, confused; she'd felt his energy rise when they'd touched. He'd been the most warm she'd ever seen him today, probably because Marcus wasn't watching, but now he was all aloof again. Did he see them as friends? Did he want more than that? Could he care less? Was he doing all this just to make sure the Descendants were protected from attackers?

  Most strange was that they'd spent so much time together, yet had barely had a conversation. It took so much concentration to meditate, there was no room to chat; she knew nothing about him. Before stopping to think, Anita turned and called, 'Marcus, Cleo, Bass and I are going to The Island for drinks later. You should come too.'

  'Do you really think that's a good idea?' he said, after a pause.

  'Of course it's a good idea. Why wouldn't it be?'

  He gave her a look.

  Obviously she knew why it wouldn't be, but if they all spent time together socially, she was sure Marcus would relax.

  Alexander half laughed and shrugged. 'Alright. See you there.'

  'Great,' she said triumphantly. More Mind skills must have rubbed off on her than she'd originally realized. 'See you there at eight.'

  Alexander took a deep breath and hung his head, shaking it. 'What are you doing?' he asked himself when she was gone.

  CHAPTER 10

  'You always know how to brighten my day,' Amber teased, kissing Austin before climbing off him, buttoning her shirt and pulling down her pencil skirt.

  'I aim to please,' he smirked, standing from his office chair, securing his trousers, and heading for the drinks cabinet. 'Brandy?'

  'Why not?' she said, sinking into one of the chesterfields and curling her legs up under her. She took the glass Austin offered, savoring the first mouthful. Austin sat down next to her, and knowing this was as good an opportunity as she was going to get, she launched her assault.

  'I think we should talk about Anita.'

  Austin stiffened, took a slow, deep sip, then said, 'Go on.'

  'She may be turning into more of a problem than we originally anticipated. Marcus is still interested in her; he's become possessive and he's spending time following her around.'

  Austin's face told Amber everything she needed to know; he was furious. 'What happened to infatuation and lust?' He said, hissing the words.

  'It would seem the lust hasn't been sated and infatuation is turning to something more. I think it might be time for you to have a gentle word with him. Talk some sense into him.'

  'I told you we should've put a stop to this at the start,' he snarled. 'Now who knows what damage has been done?'

  'Austin, there's still time to solve this. We just need to focus his attention elsewhere; get him more involved in your business activities. Make him feel more important; give him something to concentrate on other than her.'

  'Can't we just get rid of her?'

  'Not yet,' she laughed. 'You know we can't. If he starts to move away from her, we can take action, but we can't take her away from him; the consequences would be dire. As I said, he's protective of her and he won't appreciate being told what to do by you, me, or anyone else.'

  Austin's mood was deteriorating and Amber knew it was time for her exit. 'Just think about it,' she said, getting up and slipping on her stilettos. She leaned back over him and ran her hands through his hair. 'If anyone can make him see sense, it's you,' she said, giving him a short kiss on the lips.

  By the Gods, I hope this all works out, she thought, walking to the door and closing it behind her, resting her head back against the wood. She didn't want to consider what might happen to her otherwise.

  * * * * *

  Austin heard Marcus return from wherever he'd been and followed him to the kitchen, doing a quick sweep to make sure they were alone. They were, so he moved to the enormous range cooker and put the kettle on. 'Cup of tea?' he asked, as Marcus pulled out a tin of shortbread.

  'Sure,' said Marcus, suspicious. Had his dad ever made him tea?

  'Had a good day?' asked Austin.

  'Yep, fine thanks. You?' It was a lie. Marcus had been in a dreadful mood since Anita had left for her lesson with Alexander. It was killing him.

  'Yes, fine thanks; all very mundane today, nothing exciting going on. What have you been up to?'

  Marcus was really suspicious now. His dad being chatty was an extreme rarity, but he thought it best to play along. 'I went to Empire. I had a few things to do at the temple.'

  'Good…good. Been seeing much of that Anita girl since the ball?'

  Knew it, thought Marcus. Austin's ulterior motive came to light just as the kettle boiled.

  'Yep, been seeing her a bit.'

  There was silence as Austin made them tea. Marcus picked up a large piece of shortbread and took a bite.

  'I think you should be careful, Marcus. I wouldn't want you to get hurt.'

  'Oh?' said Marcus, innocently.

  'I don't trust her.'

  'Any particular reason why?'

  'Because she's very powerful, and she's latched onto you since the ball.'

  'She hasn't latched onto me. She's nice. We have a lot in common, so we spend time together. I don't see much harm in that.'

  'Marcus, don't you think you should find someone more appropriate? Someone from a better background…'

  '…what's wrong with Anita's background?' he said hotly.

  Marcus wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer; from it, he would be able to tell how strong Austin's feelings were about Anita. If Austin admitted that he'd looked into Anita's background, it was dire. If he made a comment about her not being from a council family, it was still bad, but better.

  'I just think you'd be better off with someone more like us. What about one of the councilors' daughters? There are lots of nice, well connected girls who are a far more suitable match.'

  Marcus released a relieved breath. 'Well, I'm afraid I disagree. I like Anita; she's interesting. Thanks for your concern, but I'm confident I'm right about her.'

  With that, he picked up his tea, along with another piece of shortbread, and headed up to his suite, baffled. It was unlike Austin to pussyfoot around the edge of a topic; the direct approach was more his style. Marcus was surprised Austin hadn't tried to ban him from seeing Anita again. It wouldn't have worked, obviously, but it would have been more in character. Something was going on…

  * * * * *

  Marcus made his way to The Island later that evening, still confused by his father's words. He knew Austin didn't like powerful people, but Anita was hardly a threat.

  He arrived, excited at the prospect of spending an evening with Anita, even more so now he knew how much his father disapproved.

  He walked in and scanned the room, smiling as he spotted Anita, Bass and Cleo, before recognizing Alexander's unwelcome form. Alexander's leg was dangerously close to Anita's as he sat with the others at Cleo's favorite table.

  In the name of the Gods, what is he doing here, Marcus silently cursed. Anita smiled at something Alexander said, and Marcus' mood blackened. He made a point of greeting everyone warmly, except Alexander.

  Marcus sat next to Anita, leaning in to kiss her briefly on the lips. The table's whole focus was on them. Marcus carried on as though what he'd just done was normal.

  Pleased with himself, he celebrated by ordering a bottle of Ginger Champagne.

  * * * * *

  A mix of embarrassment and excitement rose in Anita as Marcus kissed her, because, unlike Marcus, she could feel the reaction from everyone as he did it.

&n
bsp; Anita, now sandwiched in a booth between Marcus and Alexander, with Bass directly opposite, was intensely uncomfortable. It was delightful to be in the company of either Marcus or Alexander when they were on their own, but both together like this…what had she been thinking? Not to mention Bass, who kept shooting glances her way.

  Marcus' hand made its way to her leg, and Alexander's knee was so close…were they touching? There were no tingles, but maybe that was because of their clothes. She was tempted to move her leg to see…oh, Gods, she shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. Why had she invited Alexander?

  Cleo, doing nothing to hide her enjoyment of Anita's predicament, and wishing to stir the situation further, broke the awkward silence. 'Marcus, we were just discussing our trip to Kingdom this weekend. Can you believe Anita has never been?'

  'Really?' Marcus looked at Anita, and she shook her head in confirmation. 'I'll have to come and show you around then.'

  Cleo smirked and looked at Anita.

  'I thought you had to see your mother this weekend?' said Anita, tentatively, trying to suppress a worried look.

  'Damn, yeah, you're right. Well, go without me then and I'll give you a list of things to do. I also have a brilliant driver there, who, of course, you can use, and you must stay in the house.'

  Anita was devising a tactical way to break it to Marcus, when Cleo, true to form, jumped in. 'That's so kind, Marcus, but Anita, Bass, and I are going with Alexander, so we're planning to stay with him.'

  Marcus' face was a picture. Everyone held their breath to see what would come next, Anita noting that Alexander's energy was steady as a rock.

  'You're staying with Alexander?' said Marcus, directing the question at Anita.

  'Yes,' interjected Alexander. 'It will be more comfortable for everyone than staying in a hotel, not to mention safer.' He shot a meaningful look at Marcus. 'Besides, I'm not sure Austin would welcome a house full of guests when he's in Kingdom this weekend.'