A Kiss of Magic: A Kiss of Magic Book One (11 page)

“Are you willing to bet your head on the capitol guard?” Ariana asked. “No. We need Dendri. Only he can put a stop to this.” She sat back down, the smell of her perfume moving gently through the air.

“He is serious about not wanting to risk himself. I do not call him a coward, but I can sense how protective he is of his little Gestalt.”

“Would you do any less?” Ariana asked.

“No. I don’t suppose so. But I want to meet this girl. It would put my mind to ease to get a sense of who she is.”

“Don’t you trust Dendri’s opinion of her, Mason?”

“I trust myself and my own opinions. It may be that Adiron is too close to the issue to see it clearly,” Mason said. “There is bound to be a strong confusion of emotions and desires in this pairing. It might distract him when we need him at his clearest.”

“We will not be meeting her until after the summit. He will not allow it,” Jutsin observed.

“But we can do some research on her in the meantime. We can hire a discovery runner,” Ariana said, “let him do some digging around about her. Maybe he can give us a picture of her.”

“That is a good idea. I want to know if she’s as harmless as Adiron says she is,” Mason said.

“Messenger!” Ariana called out.

A young man, one of the messengers always at the ready for the triumvirate’s use, hurried into the room.

Ariana moved to the desk in the corner of the room and picked up her quill.

Chapter Eight

In a strategic move, after returning to the house, Dendri sent Bess out with a guard and coachman to retrieve Bicky from their bedsit. It allowed him time alone with Yasra without opportunity for her to use her friend as a barrier between them. It would not be for long, but hopefully it would be long enough for them to build some trust between them and help Yasra to become more comfortable.

He took her to the music room, where a variety of musical instruments, from harp to pianoforte stood waiting to be played. The room was full of sunlight and beautiful things meant to create beautiful music and that lent it a relaxing sort of charm.

“Come sit with me,” he invited her, sitting down on a sofa and patting the cushion next to him. She obediently sat down, but made certain to put distance between them. “Give me your hand.”

She hesitated. It was only for a second, but it was enough for him to notice. He knew what she was thinking. She was afraid they might launch into another bout of sex majic. After that brief moment, she took her hand and placed it gingerly in his waiting one.

“First I will teach you some control so that random thoughts will not take you by surprise like they did yesterday.”

“I think I would like that,” she said with a rush of relief. He smiled at her.

“It’s really quite simple once you get the hang of it. All you have to do is keep yourself aware of what you are thinking at any given moment. Not that you should be constantly paranoid that someone is poking into your thoughts or that you will lose control of your own thoughts, but enough so that you take care to discipline yourself.”

“I’m not sure how you can keep yourself from being afraid others will be invading your privacy.”

“Were you afraid of it before?”

“Well…no. I didn’t really think of it.”

“And it will be that easy for you again to disregard the idea you are being monitored, only in the back of your mind you will be keeping control at all times. It will become like a reflex with time. Something you do without thinking.”

“I hope you are right.”

“I am 20
th
level Aspano, of course I am right when it comes to matters of the mind,” he said with a wink.

“I only mean I am hoping I am capable of it.”

“Have faith. I think you are your own worst enemy at times. You get so good at convincing yourself you can’t do something that you make it true. It is why you have not known you are Necromay for all these years. Your mind is far more powerful than even you realize. It was powerful enough to suppress your majic. Now we must make it powerful enough to let it loose.”

“All right,” she said, giving him a smile. “I will believe you if you say it’s true.”

“Good. Now it’s going to be simple. Once you convince yourself of that, it will work.”

“Simple. Understood.” She paused. “What am I doing exactly?”

“You are going to erect a dome over your thoughts. Imagine this dome is made of impenetrable stuff. It goes all the way around your thoughts and nothing can escape it. Not only will this dome keep your thoughts in, it will keep others out.”

“I think I can do that.”

“Give it a try. I will test the barrier with my majic and we will see just how strong you can make it.”

“If it is impenetrable then it should be easy.”

“It will be. You’ll see.”

“Will I be able to do this even when we are not touching? I am not Aspano without your touch.”

He stroked her palm within his, his gaze intent.

“My touch will not matter. Not for something this basic. All majji are able to protect themselves in one way or another. It’s just a matter of are you stronger than the one you are up against.”

“I could never keep you out. You are too powerful.”

“Perhaps not. But you can make me work hard for it.”

She closed her eyes and focused on creating her dome. He closed his and tested her barrier.

“I’m afraid I’m not doing it right.”

“On the contrary. You are doing an excellent job. Think of your favorite color and put the thought beneath your dome.”

She did as he instructed, trying to keep him out.

“Violet,” he said with a smile. “A color that would look lovely on you.”

She exhaled. “See? I can’t do it.”

“You did do it. You made
a high level Aspano work very hard to get the thought out. Trust me. You did a great job. You are merely up against the most powerful Aspano majji on this continent. It’s not fair to judge yourself against me.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Now for the real trick. Keeping your little dome in place even when you are distracted.”

“Okay.”

“Do you have it in place?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He swooped in and seized her mouth with his.

Yasra gasped at the sudden contact, taken completely by surprise. His mouth was warm and strong against her, his kiss almost benign at first. But after a moment he seemed to rethink the depth at which he was kissing her. He reached up and captured the side of her head in his large palm and held her to the kiss. His mouth worked against hers with increasing heat and fervor and something inside Yasra just melted. Before she knew it he had slid closer, closing the carefully constructed distance between their bodies. He let go of her hand in order to slide his fingers around her waist, pulling her forward until their torsos connected. He was hot against her, his body full of strength and what felt like a barely leashed power. She felt his mind, felt the hunger within it. She didn’t know if she was ably keeping him out of her thoughts, but he wasn’t ably keeping her out of his. She could read the craving with which he wanted her. She could feel the depth of it. It took her breath away.

That was when she realized he wanted her to see into this part of his mind. That he was purposefully opening himself up to her. It was a heady feeling to be inside the mind of so powerful a man. It was even headier to feel that man’s desire for her.

He broke off their kiss and met her eyes. They were both breathing hard and his hold was tight upon her.

“My god you’re beautiful,” he said vehemently. “You have so much more power than you realize. But you will realize it. Soon. Very soon.”

He caught up her mouth with his again, his tongue lashing wildly against hers. He turned her hard, dragging her across his lap, sitting her bottom against his hard thighs. Yasra was like liquid in his arms, taking in the heat of his need until she thought she would be consumed by it. Suddenly she felt his hand at her ankle, swiftly climbing her leg beneath her skirt until he was gripping her thigh. His hand flexed and relaxed twice, as if he was fighting with the urge to go further. He apparently lost the battle because his fingers were sliding beneath the edge of her drawers until her bare cheek was cupped in his palm. His touch was so hot. She had never felt such heat. His fingertips flirted with the crease of her backside before coming around and delving past her curls and into her wet folds. She gasped as his fingertips found her clit with unerring ease. He taunted her there with unending swirls of intimacy. Then he slid two fingers inside of her.

“Dendri!” she gasped.

“God, you’re so tight. I’m imagining what you would feel like as I thrust inside of you.” He thrust his fingers into her again, as if it were his cock entering her and she gasped and writhed in his hold. “Damn it, Yasra, I told myself I would behave myself. But you’re so hot. So welcoming. Is it any wonder I want you beyond reason?”

She moaned and her head fell back as his lips, tongue and teeth played down the length of her neck and throat. He continued to use his fingers inside of her, his thumb rubbing against her clit with every thrust. She was building up to a frantic release, not even knowing how she had gotten there so quickly and so wildly. All she could do was cling to him as her worked her body to his command.

“Do you want me?” he asked of her, his breath and lips hot against her ear. “Tell me!”

“Y-yes! More than anything!” she panted.

“Come,” he demanded. “Come for me.”

She cried out, her hand diving into his hair, clutching at the back of his head as her pelvis rode into the majic of his hand. Then she did as he commanded, her orgasm hitting her with blinding fire, her whole body screaming with pleasure. He rode out the orgasm with her, his fingers deep inside her clenching walls. She came down from the crest as rapidly as she had reached it, her breath coming in laboring pants. He pulled his hand free of her, sliding it from beneath her skirts. He touched his fingers to his own lips and one by one slid them into his mouth, slowly tasting her upon them. Had she been capable of getting any weaker, she would have done so watching the erotic act.

“Would you like my mouth on you?” he asked her hotly. “Would you let me take that sweet flavor on my tongue directly from the source?”

“I would let you do anything,” she breathed.

That made him chuckle. “Be careful, Yasra. You don’t know everything I want yet.”

“I can guess some of it,” she said, her hand sliding down his chest and down until she was rubbing the heel of her hand down the length of his erection. “That’s twice now you’ve made me come and zero times for you.”

“I told you we weren’t keeping score,” he said, groaning at the feel of her touch on him. She stroked him through the fabric impeding her and he thrust himself into the touch. “But much more of this and we’ll be closer to being even.” He reached for her hand and stilled her palm in its torturous act of teasing him. “I won’t spend myself in your hands. When I come I am going to be deep inside you. Not anywhere else. Not the first time, at least.”

“The first time?” she echoed, amusement in her eyes.

“Oh yes. After that there will be an abundance of choices. How will I ever decide?”

“I’ll help you come to a decision.”

“You’re damn right you will.”

He stood up then, easing her out of his lap and onto her feet. She perched up onto her toes in an effort to reduce the distance between their mouths and he kissed her greedily.

“Enough!” he said after a long minute, dragging his lips from hers. “Not here. Not now.”

Confused she met his eyes. “But why not? I thought you wanted me.”

“I do. But listen,” he said, quieting her. He closed his eyes and she felt him suddenly in her mind, holding her, guiding her. Then she heard it…a soft gentle voice she knew well. Bess. Bess had returned and was looking for them.

“Oh,” she said with a disappointed sigh.

“Never fear,” he said. “We will continue this. Very soon.”

“I’d like that,” she said earnestly.

“Are you certain? I can’t help but feel I am running roughshod all over you.”

“If you are it’s okay. I like it.”

He smiled at that, laughing softly. “As long as you’re liking it, that’s all that matters.”

“But you have to like it too.”

He burst out with another laugh. “You have doubts?”

“Not really, I guess.”

“Good.” He swept her up in a torrid kiss before putting her at a reasonably safe distance. It was just in time for Bess to come into the room, her arms full with Bicky.

Chapter Nine

Yasra spent the rest of the day walking around as if in a dream. The only disruption of her dream was when Dendri reminded her that his friends would be coming for dinner. As she dressed for the event hours later, she toyed nervously with the lace on her bodice.

“I haven’t worn dresses in this manner of constancy since I lived with my parents,” she remarked to Bess.

“It is the only thing you’ve packed, save one pair of breeches and a blouse. I wonder at your choices,” Bess teased. “You must have subconsciously packed to impress our host.”

Yasra frowned. “Now he’ll think I’m some kind of elegant lady all of the time. I should go down to dinner in my breeches.”

“You won’t do that,” Bess chided gently. “You have nothing to prove to anyone and you don’t want to make a stir just to prove a point. I’m sure his lady friends wear breeches themselves on occasion, but they wouldn’t do so to a formal dinner.”

Yas swallowed noisily. “What do you think his friends will think of me?”

“I think they will adore you as much as I do!” Bess decreed as she wrapped Yasra up in a tight hug of bolstering support. “Stop worrying so much. He’s gone through all of this trouble to protect you. He wouldn’t expose you to anyone who was going to be unkind.”

“I suppose you are right. We had best be going down,” she said with one last look in the mirror. She had gone against her norm with her hair that night as well. Instead of braiding it and putting it in a twist she had let it fall loose about her shoulders, the look softening her features and serving to make her look more fragile than she was. She couldn’t remember the last time she had worn her hair loose and free like this. She even wore it braided to bed to keep it from getting tangles. She couldn’t escape the feeling that she was presenting a different woman to Dendri. A woman she thought he would want as opposed to the woman she was.

She thought back to the way he had touched her that afternoon, to the pleasure he had so easily evoked within her willing body. Would he want to touch her in such ways if he suddenly found himself attached to an unattractive woman? She couldn’t bear thinking about it, so she turned from the mirror and followed Bess out of the bedroom. She brushed nervous hands down the front of her empire-waisted dress with its simple white cotton eyelet fabric, an under dress of violet beneath the white so the color peeked through all of the white eyelet holes. The cap sleeves of the dress were edged in a delicately stitched white lace.

Bess’s gown was even simpler. Her skirts were of a white, dove grey and violet paisley pattern, giving it a simple, fresh look. There was no lace or satin trimmings, those sorts of things costing more than was in a housemaid’s budget. Bess had preferred to save her money rather than waste it on frivolous things. She could see the moment she entered the room full of strange guests the moment Bess became intimidated. She could see it because the first thing she did was brush a hand down over her skirts, an expression of embarrassment flying fleetingly over her face. Then she lifted her chin and threaded her arm through Yasra’s. To her surprise Yasra got the impression of knowing Bess’s thoughts right then. That it was more important to Bess to be supportive of her than it was for her to give in to her own feelings of inadequacy. Yasra loved her all the more for it and felt a comforting feeling of solidarity. She squeezed Bess’s arm and faced the roomful of guests.

Dendri was by their side the very instant they entered the room. Seeing him coming toward her, his fine masculine figure clothed in the very best of fabrics from the tan of his skin tight kid breeches to the thick silk of his burgundy colored cravat. His dinner jacket made his broad shoulders seem even broader and he cut an imposing figure as he moved with grace and confident purpose.

He breached the link between the girls, standing between them so that one was on either side of him. He cupped Bess’s shoulder with one hand and Yasra’s with the other.

“My friends…our guests of honor,” he said.

The room full of people broke into applause and self-conscious color tinged Yasra’s cheeks. She was used to being in wealthy circles, it was true…more so than Bess to be certain, but she was not used to being the lauded center of attention. In fact, she was more used to remaining her parents dirty and disappointing little secret that retired to the fringes of the room as soon as was possible.

Then Dendri went about introducing each of his friends. Wil was an incredibly handsome man of great height and trim waist. His golden blond hair was swept back in a short queue, his warm chocolate brown eyes held the look of constant laughter.

“Dendri, you did not tell me she was so lovely,” Wil said, picking up her hand and giving it a lingering kiss on its knuckles, his eyes dancing with mischief. She liked him immediately.

“Hands off, Wil Broughton,” Dendri said, snatching her hand out of Wil’s. “This is Wil’s sister, Olla.”

Olla was much harder to read. She seemed infinitely more serious, her blue-black hair the complete antithesis of her brother’s fair looks, her eyes an implacable brown.

“A pleasure,” she said simply as she shook Yasra’s hand.

“This is Myra,” he said, indicating a small woman of honey blond hair and dove grey eyes. “And Jory,” he finished, introducing the final friend, a lean, athletic male of auburn hair and warm blue eyes.

“So you’re the little lady who has caused such a fuss,” Jory greeted with a wink.

“Jory hush,” Myra scolded him. “Can’t you see the girl is terrified?”

“Of what?” Wil asked. “Of us? Well, we may be frightfully ugly to look at, but we are not beasts that bite.”

“But you are beastly, both of you,” Myra said, clucking her tongue at them. “Come, let’s eat. I’m simply starving.” She linked her arm through Yasra’s and led her into the dining room. The oval table was set with splendid elegance, crystal glasses gleaming, silver utensils polished to a shine. The china was edged in gold and the chandelier cast a warm glow over all of it. Each place had a name card written in elegant calligraphy, the curls of Yasra’s name looking so pretty. She had been seated to Dendri’s immediate right and Bess had been seated to his left, no doubt by his design. Then Wil was seated to her right and Olla to his. Myra and Jory were seated to Bess’s left.

“You must tell us everything about you,” Myra said as she took her turn washing her fingers in the crystal bowl of rose water the footman was bringing to each guest in turn.

“There isn’t much to tell,” Yasra demurred.

“Nonsense,” Wil said. “There are a great many things of interest about you. I can just sense it.” He reached out and tugged on a lock of her hair, making her glad that she hadn’t put it up after all. She liked being teased by him. It put her at ease.

“Well, Bess and I live a quiet life in a bedsit above a tailor’s shop. I go to school…or rather I did. Now that I’ve tested out I suppose I will apprentice with a Necromay majji.”

“You will apprentice with majji from all of the houses, with me by your side,” Dendri said firmly. “I will have tutors come here to teach us both. Remember, I am as novice as you are in all the houses save Aspano. And anything you have to learn from Aspano you will learn from me.”

“Come Dendri, you can’t mean to lock her away with you in this house!” Wil said.

“I intend to do exactly that…at first. Once she has had a chance to develop skills to protect herself then I will feel better about letting her loose in the world.”

“I say, that’s very high-handed of you,” Jory said.

“It is, isn’t it?” Yasra spoke up with barely leashed irritation. “He has decided my life for me without much in the way of consultation.”

Dendri frowned. “I am merely looking out for your best interests. You are very vulnerable right now. There are those in the world who would be just as happy to destroy a Gestalt pairing as there would to nurture it.”

“Why would they want to do that?” Bess asked with sudden anxiety. “I would think that people would feel a Gestalt couple to be a blessing!”

“Or a threat,” Dendri said. “People who are used to a certain level of power, a level that earns them a wealthy living, would feel threatened by a Gestalt couple who could easily outstrip their rank given time. The only solution is to see that it never happens.”

“But how can you possible prevent it? What’s done is done, isn’t it?” Bess asked.

“This isn’t really a topic for dinner conversation,” Dendri said carefully.

That was when Yasra put together what he was trying to say. Or trying to avoid saying.

“You mean…you mean there are people out there who would try to kill us?”

Dendri went quiet in the face of the question.

“No one could kill Dendri. He’s too powerful.” Olla said.

The retort was blunt, so was its meaning.

“You mean they’d try to kill me,” Yasra said, a cold weight dropping onto her heart.

“I won’t let that happen,” Dendri said firmly, reaching out to take one of her cold hands in his.

“That’s why you want me here. You’re going to imprison me here to keep me away from—“

“Not imprison!” Dendri cut her off sharply. “You can come and go as much as you like. All I ask is that you let me come with you in order to protect you.”

“So I am to have no private life of my own? You will be inserted into every corner of my life whether I like it or not?” she asked, her hand beginning to shake within his.

“That isn’t what I’m saying,” Dendri said, his frustration obvious. “Of course if you don’t want me with you then we can find another suitable guard. But you must be protected at all times…just until you are strong enough to protect yourself. Considering the amount of inherent power I have seen you display so far, that won’t be long at all.”

The first course began to be served, a fragrant bouillon, but Yasra hardly noticed it. She picked up her spoon, but did not use it. She didn’t even remember to help Bess choose the right silverware. She was too upset.

“Dendri’s right, this isn’t what we should be discussing over dinner. Let us talk of lighter things,” Wil said, his hand moving beneath the tablecloth to pat her on her thigh in a gesture of comfort. She found the wherewithal to lift her lips in a tiny smile, but she did not feel like smiling or in any way comforted.

Dendri was protecting her. He had known from the start the danger she was in, had realized it from the very beginning…and she had been too slow to come to the same understanding. She felt stupid and dense. She also wondered what else Dendri had been thinking as far as she was concerned. She had been so swept up by him; it had never occurred to her that he might have ulterior motives that went beyond her understanding of him so far.

Were his actions all part of some well thought out plan he had? Was the attention he paid her simply maneuvering to get her to accept their Gestalt status with him? Was he more interested in protecting the power she represented than he was in the woman that she was?

The soup course came and went and she still had her spoon in her hand. She looked up at Bess who had concern written over all of her features.

“Tell me something about you,” Wil said.

She blinked. She looked over into his kind face. “Who are your parents?” Olla asked.

What little color was left in her face immediately drained out. Was this what was important to these people? Her pedigree?

“Illa and Orto Desro,” Yasra said quietly.

“Ah. Very powerful Vendii majji are they not?” Olla said.

“And very disagreeable people,” Dendri growled.

Yasra didn’t realize he still held her hand until he lifted it to his lips, the warm kiss of his mouth stirring her. She looked over at him and his dark green eyes were urging her to take comfort in him.

“Dendri! You are too cruel,” Olla said with a rich laugh to follow. “What will she think of you, insulting her parents in such a way?”

“He’s right. They are very disagreeable,” she spoke up. “My parents always wanted a child of power. When I did not perform up to their expectations they threatened to cut me off.”

An awkward silence followed for a moment. Then Wil chuckled. “Leave it to our parents to screw us up. Olla’s and mine are nons. They had no idea what to do with us.”

That took her by surprise.

“Oh Wil, must you tell everyone that?” Olla asked with a pained frown.

“That is so rare. For nons to have majji children,” Yasra said.

“Our great grandfather married a Vendii majji. So after a long line of nons there was now majji genetics in the mix. Still it was a wonder that one of us came out majical, never mind both. The odds were astronomical.”

“The fact that you come from non parents and not a long line of snobbish majji is one of the reasons I like you Wil. You as well Olla.”

Olla’s lashes fluttered and she pinked with pleasure at Dendri’s attention.

“Does that mean we should not like you because you come from a vaunted bloodline, full of majical snobs?” Wil asked him.

“I seriously doubt your judgment because you do not,” Dendri said.

Wil laughed and Yasra felt lightened by it. It was hard to remain mired in brooding thoughts with Wil beside her.

“What else?” Wil asked. “What is interesting about you?”