“I won’t come into your room again,” he breathed before kissing her until desire was curling through every inch of her body. “I cannot trust myself. But this…this I can give you.”
His fingers thrust into her again and yet again, all the while he rubbed at her. She began to cry out in little chains of sound. Her foot lifted off the floor, her inner thigh climbing up his outer, opening herself to him completely. He kissed her again as colors danced behind her lids.
“Look at me!”
Her eyes flew open at the command.
“Look and know who gives you this pleasure, Ariana. Who am I?”
“Sin,” she rasped.
“Say it again,” he said fiercely as his hand sent wild pleasure wracking through her.
“Sin! Sin!” She gasped then felt pleasure burst through her like a bag of marbles dropped suddenly upon the floor, scattering everywhere. She felt the spasms rippling through her as his teeth caught at her lower lip. He kissed her again. Then again, each time achingly sweet and sensual. Then, while spasms of pleasure were still shuddering through her, he took his hand away from her and urged her to drop her leg to the floor.
He held her weight entirely in his hands. She was boneless and pliant. But before she knew it, he was setting her weight back onto her feet, making her stand away from him. He took her hand in his and led her back into the corridor. He brought her to her room where the guard, that man Mordol, was waiting outside her door. She blushed as she thought he must have heard her crying out. He unlocked the door for Sin and Sin placed her over the threshold.
He was stepping back and part of her wanted to grab hold of him, to beg him to stay. A very large part of her she realized.
Yet she didn’t. As much as her body was begging for more of him, her mind could not bring herself to give in to him. It was not in her to surrender so easily. But if she ever were going to surrender to someone, it would be Sin.
Sin placed a lingering kiss on the rise of her cheek, then pushed away from her, leaving her on one side of the threshold and himself on the other. Their eyes met and held, his were fierce with unspent desire.
“Lock it,” he said to Mordol without looking away from her once. Not until the door broke their eye contact for him.
As soon as the door was closed, Ariana sank to the floor, her body weak, her mind confused. What was he doing to her? How had he cast this spell over her?
What was she going to do now?
She didn’t know. She didn’t know what to do. She knew what her body wanted to do. It wanted to know more about the dynamic, sexual man who held himself apart from her. Damn him, why couldn’t he just take what he wanted so clearly? Why did it have to be a game of wills? What did it matter who came to whom?
It did matter. He was right about that. It did matter. It made a very big difference if he took her versus if she took him. But she didn’t want to sell her soul for a few moments of pleasure.
And yet she now knew it would be more than a few moments. That was what frightened her. If she willingly crossed the line into his arms, she might never want to cross back out of them. And she couldn’t afford that. Her people couldn’t afford that. They needed her. More than anything. More than her own desires.
Desires which, she realized, were spinning out of her control. Her mind was filled with him, her body somehow sated and achingly empty all at once. She was still on the floor when Mariah came into the room to help her into bed.
She declined a bath, unable to bear the thought of washing her own skin, that was how unbearably on edge her nerves were.
This would not do, she realized. Something was going to give under this tension of wills and desires.
And she was afraid that something was going to be her.
Chapter Fifteen
Gretha descended on the capitol the next day.
Mason Hittite and Jutsin Felone had been expecting her to show up at any time, but they had thought she might have made a semblance of a mourning period before coming forward to claim her position as Ariana’s heir and successor. Ariana was barely gone three weeks. It was far too soon for them to give up on her entirely, but that was what Gretha would have them do.
Gretha was a tall blond with passable good looks and narrow eyes. She positively reeked of thinking she had far more cunning than she actually did. She was certain she had a right to have power over those around her and was frustrated when it was proved she did not. Her sister had proved to be the major source of that frustration. As long as Ariana was alive she had power over Gretha. Now Gretha at last had power over Ariana.
“Gretha, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Jutsin asked as he watched her rise from her chair. They had forced her to wait for them in the common areas, the places where they did business. They had not allowed her into their personal quarters. They would not allow her to feel comfortable in any way.
“I think it is obvious why I am here,” she said.
Jutsin played obtuse.
“Actually no. I am at a loss.”
“It is time I took my rightful place among the triumvirate,” Gretha said boldly.
Mason laughed, his silver eyes cold and unwavering.
“Your sister is hardly dead,” he said.
“My sister has been missing for three weeks. For all we know she is dead. You have only to declare it to be so.”
“We will make no such declaration until we have exhausted all avenues of finding her.”
“I am told that you have exhausted all those avenues. That you are no closer to knowing where she is now than you were the day she disappeared.”
“Then your sources are mistaken, Gretha. We have a new avenue of exploration. In fact, we’ve already sent a messenger to see it through.”
“What avenue? I insist you tell me. I am Ariana’s closest relative, I have a right to know.”
The fact was, she did have the right, and it burned Jutsin that he would have to play fair…for now.
“It is believed that she is in the Kiltian court.”
“The Kiltians have her?”
She tried to sound aghast, but didn’t quite make it. There was too much greed in the woman for her to pull of affecting concern with any sincerity.
“Well, so it is believed,” Jutsin said grimly. He hoped like hell that she was. If they were on a wild chase after their own tails, they would get nowhere and have made no progress.
“And what evidence have you of this.”
“A witness only. But we are hoping for more soon.”
“Well, I hope you have some success. Please keep me acquainted with the situation.”
“Of course.”
“In the meantime I shall take up as the head of my sister’s army and see they are well quartered and accounted for. Someone has to maintain control of these things.”
“I’m sure her generals can manage in the interim.”
“Nonsense. They need a ruling hand. I am happy to do it. I will also oversee Ariana’s properties.”
She meant she would bilk them dry, Jutsin thought grimly.
“Ariana would not approve of that. Why should we let you shoulder all the responsibility? I will oversee her properties myself,” Mason said, his tone forbidding her to argue. Mason was an imposing and dangerous man, his shock white hair and eerie silver eyes put anyone on edge and Gretha was no exception.
“It would be no imposition,” she hedged all the same. She had power within her grasp and was not willing to let it go so easily.
“Nonsense,” Mason said, his tone brooking no further argument. “It would be my pleasure. Jutsin will take on her triumvirate duties as he has been, and I will see to her properties. The army will care for itself. But if it will make things easier, we will give the men an extended leave of absence, reducing the numbers to be managed. There now, all bases are covered. We will let you know as soon as we hear anything further of Ariana’s well-being.”
“There is no need to send the men on leave,” Gretha hedged. “Should you
reduce our army’s numbers when we might need them to go to war against the Kiltians if they’ve taken my sister?”
“War is a long way off and the men are easily recalled,” Mason said. But they both knew that recalling the men would take time. Time Mason and Jutsin would need to maneuver their armies against hers once she got full control over them in fact and not just in substitution. Right now she could give no commands until Ariana was declared legally dead…a time which was as yet far off into the future. But if Ariana was not in the Kiltian court then time will have quickly run out.
Time was against them. They couldn’t afford to wait for a messenger to come back before taking action. They had to assume she was there and go from there. That meant sending Dendri and a team of majji right away.
Jutsin said goodbye to Gretha and they waited until she was out of earshot before Jutsin turned to Mason.
“Are you thinking what I am thinking?” Jutsin asked.
“I doubt it. I am thinking how much easier this would be if she didn’t exist. However,” he added quickly with a raised hand to fend off Jutsin’s alarm, “I realize that is not an option…yet.”
“We cannot assassinate her when she has done nothing.”
“But she will do something. The minute she realizes there is no way in the hells we are going to let her onto the triumvirate, she is going to force her way into the seat,” Mason said. “We are a way off from that as yet. We have bought some time for us to act and once we disband the majority of her army it will take weeks for her to recall the soldiers to her. I have already begun drafting the order.”
“You knew this was coming then?” Jutsin said.
“We both did. I already knew that I would prefer we be without a third of our standing army then give her any kind of advantage. I will send out the order immediately before she can do anything to countermand it. We’ll use our fastest messengers and send the orders directly into the general’s hands.” He paced the room in agitated steps as he spoke. “Let’s just hope Dendri can retrieve her quickly and quietly and we will not have to go to war with only two thirds of our army.”
“Is that it then? If we find her and cannot get her back by other means, we will go to war for her?”
Mason considered this grimly for a moment.
“We can ill afford it,” he said.
“Well…we are a way off from it as yet,” Jutsin said. “The most important thing at the moment is to get news she is alive and well. Once we have that we have the means of keeping Gretha at bay. Right now she is acting as if Ariana were dead. Once she is proved alive, Gretha will not have a legal leg to stand on. However, I do not put it past her to force the issue regardless of whether Ariana is found alive or not. She has been waiting for the opportunity to move in on her sister for quite some time now. We must be prepared for that.”
“I think we need to send Adiron right away…not wait for confirmation. On horseback with good weather he can reach them in a week and a half. We’ll send a Vendii majji with him to help control the weather. In fact, we’ll round out a party with one from every house,” Mason said.
“So a Vendii for weather, a Padoni nature majji and Necromay. The Necromay will have to be advanced enough to cast death majic. And Adiron will be the Aspano majji of the mind. Do we send a Torrenic or do we count Ariana as our fire majji?”
“I think we should send another. Plus, Raja Sin is of fire. It can’t hurt to have an extra fire majji there,” Mason said.
“Are you certain Adiron is enough of a Aspano majji? Perhaps we should send two, one who can work opposite shift to Adiron. To keep their cover intact while they sleep.”
“True. But no more. The party would be too large as it is. They will have to go in under some kind of cover story,” Mason said. “But that is easily decided details. But we are agreed they must start out immediately?”
“Yes but…” Jutsin hedged.
“But?”
“Adiron’s wife…Yasra is heavy with child. She is due any day. I don’t think he will leave until the child is born.”
Mason frowned. “She could be days…even weeks overdue! We cannot afford to wait that long.”
“Well, we can ask, but I doubt we will hear what we want to hear.”
“I will ask him myself.” Mason walked to the doorway, leaving Jutsin in his wake. “I will have the missives for the generals ready in half an hour. See to it there is an express messenger ready for them. Then I will go to Adiron and ask him to do his part.”
“Good luck,” Jutsin said wryly.
“Luck will have nothing to do with it. It’s all in the presentation. I will make him see the precipitous nature of things. He is a reasonable man.”
“Hmm. We’ll see.”
At those doubtful words, Mason walked out of the door.
“I’m sorry but I can’t,” Dendri said baldly. He did not mince words or offer explanation…he barely allowed Mason to get the request out in full.
“Adiron, we need to take action now. We cannot afford to wait. You and I both know that the likelihood of—“
“As I said, I am sorry, but it simply is not possible. I have made a promise to my wife to be here until the birth of our child and I will not break that promise. It is bad enough I will leave soon after, abandoning her to her first month of motherhood without me. Possibly longer. If you are so certain you must act in such haste, then by all means choose someone to replace me.”
“You know damn well there is no replacing you. No one has your skill level. Not in either camp. Ours or theirs.”
“That one shaman was pretty close,” Dendri said slowly. “The Jadoc shaman Sin keeps close to his side.”
“All the more reason we need you. No one else could stand up to that shaman and still maintain his cover.”
“Then you will simply have to wait. I’m sorry. I know this is life and death to Ariana and many others, but I cannot break my word. I have already done so by agreeing to go at all. I will not do so again.”
“You should go.”
Both men whipped around to see Yasra standing in the doorway to the parlor. Dendri frowned and hurried over to her. He guided her to a seat and she sighed in relief to be off her feet.”
“I will not go,” he said firmly.
“I should not like to think I am in any way responsible for the life of the triumvir or the lives of many Sarens because we end up engaged in a civil war. If time is that critical an issue, then I will not keep you here.”
Dendri could not, and more importantly did not believe the words coming out of her mouth. She was trying to be selfless, trying to do the right thing. She would do the right thing even if it killed her. That was one of the reasons why he loved her so blindingly. But he also knew her well enough by now to know she would never be able to cope giving birth without him and she would always hold it against him. Besides, he wouldn’t have missed the birth of his child for all the gold in the world. He had waited a long time to become a father, waited until he had found the right woman. He would not abandon her now.
“No. I will not go. Nothing could induce me to miss the birth of our child. Thank you for your selfless permission, Yasra, but I will not go.”
“But if she is willing to part with you—“ Mason began.
“I said no. Now please, do not importune me any longer. My decision is made.”
Dendri could see the relief in his wife’s eyes. It only reassured him that he had made the right choice.
“If it will make it any better,” she said with a spark of humor in her eyes, “I shall endeavor to give birth a little more quickly.”
“I will not have it. You will not spend every day between now and then feeling the pressure of time upon you,” Dendri said, scolding.
“There is nothing you can do to change that,” she said with a grimace. “I already know the problem and nothing you say will change my perception of time and the situation. Not unless Ariana showed up alive and well this very moment and put an end to all of ou
r worries about her.”
Dendri frowned. “This does not please me.”
“I will do my best not to worry too much,” Yasra said gently, reaching out to stroke her husband’s cheek as he squatted down near her chair.
Mason stood up from his own seat across the room and paced over to the couple.
“I can see nothing will change your mid. I will not insult you by offering you more money than god. I know you are already a very wealthy man. But you will be well compensated as soon as you are able to go. I will expect you to be at my doorstep within 48 hours after the birth of your child. I hope you will not keep me waiting. Yasra, I am sorry to take him from you so soon after your labors, but this is a crucial and critical matter.”
“I am well aware of that,” she assured him. “And I do not mind.” At her husband’s dubious expression, she assured him, “I do not. We will be fine. We will be waiting for you here for when you return.”
“Very well then. I will see you soon. Yasra, have a safe birth. I wish you and your child good health.”
“Thank you, Triumvir Hittite.”
“I have told you often to call me Mason,” he scolded her.
“Thank you, Mason,” she corrected herself.
Mason nodded to her then left out of the door.
Amused, Dendri looked at his wife. “And yet he still calls me Adiron and I call him Hittite,” he said.
“Well he can’t call us both Adiron. And since I have taken your name, that is his only other option. Besides, you are not nearly as warm and endearing as I am.”
“Oh no?”
“No. Now, come with me,” she said, getting to her feet. “If I could lose you for a month at any given moment, I want to make the best of my time with you.”
“What did you have in mind?” he asked with a wolfish grin.
“First, a nice hot bath. Then…”
“Then?”
“Then we’ll see,” she said, a sparkle in her eyes.
Chapter Sixteen