I felt powerful, and lightning strike Kira wasn’t a part of that. “So what should I expect at the briefing?” I asked.
It took him a second to come back to the conversation as I ducked under the showerhead, grabbed the soap, and got to work. I wanted to make this a whole sensual show, a completely foreign idea before this point, but the clock was ticking.
“Um…yeah, the briefing. It’s basically a court session every morning. Liam runs it. If we ever get independent, he’s the one tagged to become lord. The day’s business is discussed, decisions are made, and if you can’t be bothered to go, then you don’t get to be a part of the decision making process. Which is probably why they didn’t tell you about it.”
“Of course.” I squeezed shampoo into my hand and worked it into my hair. “And I’m guessing I’m going to be one of the topics of discussion?”
“You’re going to be talked about a lot for a while, Kira.” My eyes jerked to him as I heard a combination of desire and pain in his voice. I frowned. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I’d thought we were just playing right now, a little tit for his tat on the night of the party. “It’s OK,” he said with a twisted smile. “New blood always gets attention. Where do you fit? How powerful are you? Who are your allies? Are you going to push anyone out when you take your place? Someone like you, you’ll shake things up in Hartley.”
I rinsed off quickly, but when I opened my eyes and went to step out of the shower, I found Johnno standing there with a towel held out. I reached for it, but he shook his head.
“Let me,” he said.
I nodded, moving closer so he could slide the thick fabric over my body, taking his time, no matter the urgency of the meeting. My heart started to beat faster as he got lower down, his smile flickering when he saw an answering glow on my skin.
“What is that?” I said, looking at my now slightly phosphorescent arm.
“It’s energy. We create and can use energy for magic.” He twisted his fingers in a complicated motion, and a little shower of sparks appeared, dropping onto the floor and my skin, each one leaving a searing little kiss wherever they touched.
“And I can do that?”
“We think so. It’s your scent. It’s really intense and complex.” He watched me balk at that. It sounded like I stank or something. “It’s like the most gorgeous perfume, but there’s lots of… It’s hard to explain to someone who’s new to this. Look, come here.” I quirked an eyebrow. We were pretty damn close as it was. He tossed the towel away and then pulled up his shirt. “Focus here, on my sternum.” His hand moved slowly to rest on my shoulder, and there it was—that glow again. I felt more of those explosive little stinging nips on my skin as the sparks started again.
“Ohhh…” I gasped, the bites soon turning to something else. I looked up as I felt licks of pleasure shoot through my body, and the smell of Johnno went from clean, soapy male to so much more.
I felt almost like I’d entered an alternate realm, one full of smoky wood and musk so sweet, my mouth began to water. There were wafts of cinnamon and amber, and the taste of burnt caramel. The cloud of his scent turned tangible, like it was brushing against my skin. I found myself open mouthed and gasping when it started to fade, and he seemed inordinately pleased by my reaction.
“That’s what you get from me?”
“More, I think, if everyone’s reactions are something to go on. You can’t smell yourself, so it’s always a guess. Look, it’s a big complex thing, but we need to get to this meeting. I’ll be putting forward that time has to be made for your training. Hartley wants you as a power source, but that’ll mean nothing if we don’t give you some skills to use.”
He was probably as surprised as I was when I reached up and kissed him lightly. “I want to do more than that,” I said as I stepped back. “I feel you and Marlow on my lips after we’re separated, and I want to kiss you again to deepen that. I can feel it in my skin, a need to see what your hands would feel like on my body without a towel as a mediator. Is that part of this too? This preceptor, fae, bond, confusing thing that I don’t understand?”
“Training,” Johnno rasped out. “Definitely need to make training a priority. Now put some clothes on before I do exactly as you say.”
2
“Ready, my flower?” Aen said as we stood at the doorway of the hotel conference room The Changelings had taken over for the morning. A breakfast buffet lined one wall with people milling around it.
“Not yet,” I said, but he reached down to take my hand and gave it a squeeze. Johnno had gone before us, the vanguard of what was no doubt going to be a battle between me and the band.
“You need food. What happened last night—”
“I don’t want to talk about that.”
“Your exertions and the truly appalling fare they had on that plane mean you need to be fed. Sit down, and I will bring you something nourishing.”
I went to protest, to say I was perfectly capable of getting my own food, when he vanished, only to reappear at the buffet table. I felt his absence as soon as he left. I didn’t like that. I’d been as independent as I could be for most of my life, and these guys had been in it for mere days. How could I lose that feeling of being OK alone so quickly? I didn’t get much of a chance to think about it, as my thoughts were interrupted by my name screeched at a million decibels.
Jen threw her arms around me, mine doing the same on automatic. I settled my head down on the thistledown fluff of her hair and just held her for a minute.
“We’re going on tour. We’re going on fricking tour! You should see the bus! Daddy did the most amazing job of—”
“Shhh…” I replied.
“What? Why? Are you OK? You’re not still having attacks, are you? That would be very—”
“Shut up, Jen. Just stop for a second.” I took a breath, then leaned back so I could see her. “Everything’s happened and I haven’t seen you, and I found out you live in this whole other world and…” I didn’t need to say anymore. I never did. She nodded, and I was unable to tell if her eyes were shining with tears of excitement, or both. “This is gonna be amazing. I’m super psyched about doing it with you, but let me discover a bit.”
“Of course! I’m an idiot. Your head must be spinning and Marlow…” Her smile grew sly. “Details, girlfriend. Spill!”
“You sure you wanna go there? You want to be thinking about what your stylist does in the sack? ‘Cos I can give you details.”
Her smile widened. “Damn, I so do and I really don’t.”
“Yes, let’s discuss the herald’s sexual prowess over breakfast, shall we?” Aen said, having appeared by our sides, arms laden with plates of food.
“Oh, well…”
Aen was like the sun—you couldn’t help but turn towards him. While there was something about him that just had me staring, in a small way, I didn’t love how quiet and careful his presence made Jen. She was my best mate, and we were going through something massive here, but I’d had no chance to talk to her about it all. When we sat down at the table, one on either side of me, I didn’t like how she eyed the food but didn’t reach for it, or how her hands went neatly to her lap like a good little girl.