AFamiliarFace (10 page)

Damn but she felt tired. Tired but satisfied cuddled against Core’s solid heartbeat. His scent enveloped her, and she lay next to him, comforted by his presence. The Snake lengthened and seemed to lick at Mal before rejoining Core.

All around them Talians cried out with joy, shouting and laughing and crazed with delight.

Mal flicked her tail and curled it over Core’s arm, too tired to turn back to human.

“I’ve got you,
kina
. Rest and regain your strength. We’ve much to do these next few days.”

She purred against him, overjoyed at his responsive rumble. She kneaded his scaling flesh with her claws, marking him with her scent.

Mine.

Chapter Seven

When Mal next woke, it was to feel a large, calloused palm stroking her fur oh-so-gently. She stretched under the hand, alerted when it stilled before petting her again.

“You’re awake.”

She blinked her eyes open to find Core staring at her while his hand glided over her back. Seeing him so close, the flecks of green in his large gray eyes like emeralds, brought her to immediate arousal. Without thinking about it, she transformed back into a woman, minus the clothes she’d been wearing.

Core covered her without hesitation. He plastered his mouth over hers, his lips and tongue more potent than any wine. Even better, he wore no clothing, and the feel of his heavy erection against her belly was a sweet torment.

He laughed under her mouth. “Yes,
kina
. The taste of you has only whetted my appetite. I did promise to show my appreciation, did I not?”  

She groaned and dragged her hands through his hair, then pulled him closer into the kiss. She licked at his lips and pushed her tongue into his mouth, loving the hard taste of her lover. Sex, raw and unbridled, burst on her tongue as she laved the roof of his mouth.

Feeling decidedly aggressive, she rolled with him until he lay under her and plundered his mouth until he groaned his surrender. His cock slid between her thighs, gliding easily through her creamy arousal. His hand left her hair to roam over her neck and back, settling on her hips. He pulled her harder against the head of his shaft, teasing her clit with delicious circles of heat. She felt her orgasm rising, like a rushing tide threatening to crush her under its impact.

Not ready to finish, she trembled as he captured her nipple between his lips and sucked.

“Core, baby, that is so good,” she couldn’t help gasping.

He vibrated deep within his chest, a sure sign of his pleasure, and she fought to keep from begging him to finish as he tortured her other breast just as sweetly.

She wished she had more staying power, but she needed him now. Rising over him, she settled over his tip and sank inch by inch until he could go no deeper. The heady sensation nearly undid her, as did the sudden, unexpected pressure at her ass. And then he was inside her, filling her with unbearable pleasure. One more thrust, just one, and she’d climax. But Core remained still, his eyes shut and his jaw clenched tight.

Mal thought him the most perfect thing she’d ever seen. She bit her lip and began moving over him, not sure how he could possibly be in both holes at the same time, considering the awkwardness of this position, but she didn’t question it anymore, too far gone to care.

Core opened his eyes and watched her ride him. With each pass, the desire in his gaze grew. With hungry hands, he cupped and teased her breasts. Each rocking motion brushed her clit against his pelvis, and the girth in her ass continued to stimulate the erotic sensations deep in her body, encouraging her to climax too fast.

She slammed harder, faster, and nearly came when he rolled her nipples through his fingers.

“Ah,
kina
, never have I felt so much.” Core arched up, striving to meet her push for pull. “Come for me, sweet. Give me what I need, what you want.”

Mal cried his name as she came, a waterfall of lust and love so intense it blocked every other thought and feeling from her mind. As she clenched around him, she felt him pulse and shudder inside her. Moments, lifetimes passed, and she sat over Core, connected more than physically, but emotionally as well. They were one entity, one soul joined as intimately as possible.

Staring into a face she felt she knew as well as her own, she sighed with pleasure and leaned down to kiss him. “I can’t believe just days ago I was worried about making my rent. And now I’m here.”
In love with you
.  

He smiled, his grin decidedly wicked. “And I’m here.” He thrust up and reminded her he remained hard while his seed trickled over them both. “In you,
kina
. Deep within you.” He met her kiss then rumbled something and nuzzled her neck in that sexy way that turned her to mush.

“What did you say?”

He pulled back and looked at her, and the sheer emotion in his eyes stunned her. “You,
Cuwenicu
, are my treasure, my gift. You are my true self.”

She swallowed hard. “Is this a snaky way of trying to tell me you love me?” Joy and confusion spun her already tilting world out of whack.

“How could I not love you? You healed my people, destroyed my enemy, and saved me from a lifetime of loneliness.” His smile faded when she said nothing. “And you,
kina
? What do you desire? To return to your world?” he asked quietly.

She could care less about Newtown. But to just leave without saying goodbye to Sherm or Sheila? Though she’d never been close to her parents, her friends were her family. And what about Rattler? She definitely wanted to talk to
him
one more time.

Yet already her thoughts swayed toward staying here. She had done good in this world, and by damn she’d been
thanked
. Mal felt as if she made a real difference in this place. And then of course, there was Core. Despite their short time knowing one another, she couldn’t imagine living without him. His strength, his caring, hell, his giant snake. She had a real thing for power, and the love he gave her made her feel ten feet tall.

Staring at the face she’d come to love, she smiled, surprised to feel a tear trail down her cheek. “My world is your world, Core. I love you.”

His breath rushed out, and he hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe.

“Core,” she managed in a squeak.

“I’m sorry,
kina.
” He rained kisses over her face. “But you had me worried.”

“Okay,” she said on a breath and gathered her wits. “To recap, you love me, want me to stay with you, and we’ll spend the rest of our lives trying to defeat the Phrellians.”

“Yes. And you have said you love me.”

“I do.”

“Thus you will agree to live with me here forever. And you will cater to my every need like a proper Talian mate.”

“Wait, what?” Then she saw the humor dancing in his gaze and chuckled. “Yes to the first and a definite ‘hell no’ to the last.  Cater to your every need? You can take that idea and shove it up your--”

He cut her off with a hard kiss to the lips. “I’m joking, Mallory. I love you. The trade witch who makes my knees shake and my senses stir. You make me whole,
kina
. With you by my side, we can accomplish anything. My
Cuwenicu
.”

“About that. It’s going to take a bit of getting used to, living here. I may try to make some changes, but I’ll do my best to fit in.”
Yeah, like a checker on a chess board
. “But I can’t just leave my world, my friends and family, without saying goodbye.”

He frowned. “You would return to your world then? What if you cannot come back to me?”

“Who said anything about leaving you?” She smiled, the answer to their dilemma at hand. “You’re coming with me. If Rattler is who you say he is, he’ll be able to shoot us both back here in a jiffy.”

“A what?” He looked distracted but pleased, even awed. No doubt thrilled at the idea of meeting his god.

“Never mind. Come on, let’s go before I change my mind.” She sniffed in dismay at the small cave. “You guys really need to get on the bandwagon with indoor plumbing.”

* * *

They returned to the pleasure house in just under two days. This trip felt much different from the last. Joy burgeoned through Mal with every step and beat of her heart. Her future loped by her side with an easy grace, turning her thoughts carnal without much effort. For his part, Core remained by her side and touched her at every opportunity. They’d made love on their trip and planned together the best strategies for outing the traitor and enabling the painstaking defeat of the Phrellians. Raw magic could be extremely useful against an unsuspecting foe. Even better, it didn’t require wax.

Core scouted the pleasure house before allowing her entry, an action that amused and annoyed her. Now that they’d bonded, he started acting all protective. While she relished the affection growing between them, the caveman tactics had to go.

Ignoring his order to wait outside until he returned, she entered the pleasure house. After tripping twice in the near dark, she righted herself and waited. “Screw this.” With a flick of her wrist, she used a small drop of magic to illuminate a three foot radius around her. To her delight, she sensed Core’s passage with a lingering feline sense of smell. So she followed her nose through the structure.

She faltered when she met the second level, aware her chances of returning home hinged on finding that black door again, the one that had disappeared the moment Core had pulled her through. The small illumination around her wasn’t enough, so she waved her hands and increased the area of her spell. A blank brown wall faced her. But she did note the black marble flooring was no longer covered in blood and bodies.

Someone had cleaned up around here, that much was obvious. But who?

“
Cuwenicu
, you were told to wait, were you not?” Fenin, one of Core’s trusted men, spoke quietly from her left, startling her into a breathless cry.

“Hecate’s blood, Fenin, don’t do that. You scared the life out of me.”

“Not quite.” He smiled, and the grin put her on guard. His teeth looked as sharp as razors. His snakelike eyes and shimmering scales told her he meant business.

“Fenin? You’re here to help protect your war leader, right?”
Please tell me this guy isn’t the traitor.
She knew from Core’s many comments how he, Blite, Luar and Fenin had grown up together, raised in the communal centers like brothers. They had all lost loved ones to the Phrellians, and she herself had watched Fenin take several Phrellians down the last time she’d been in this place.

“I am here to help him, yes.”

Then why the battle armor? “Okay,” she said slowly, wishing she had another defensive charm on her bracelet. She could call magic, but nothing powerful enough to overcome a Talian warrior. She had yet to recover from healing Core’s people a few days ago. Not to mention that though she’d grown stronger with Core’s presence, she’d also found she was weaker without him. Strange magic, but she’d take what she could get.

Fenin shifted. “You see, Mallory, the legend of
Cuwenicu
has been long in the making. Several versions describe
Cuwenicu
, Ratlaharan’s messenger, as our savior. A warrior sent to kill our enemy and keep us in our rightful place in Horum Veirus. Other darker, but no less accepted versions, predict our savior to be an alien harlot destined to bring down the line of kings. Our war leader has already softened. You weaken our strengths, distract our leader, and taint our heritage.”

Fenin scowled, and a murky green cloud appeared over his head. Core had yet to appear.
God, please don’t let anything have happened to him.

Fenin’s snake curled off his body like a fat-bellied leech. The reptile was smaller than Core’s but no doubt as deadly. Its yellow triangular head sat atop a yellow and brown speckled body. Ten feet in length and most likely twice her weight if not more. Not good. Not good at all.

“I’m not your
Cuwenicu
,” she denied and stepped back while she tried to conjure the best spell to protect herself without overdrawing on her reserves. “I’m a woman who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Or right place at the right time,
she mentally corrected. She
knew
Core was the reason she’d come. “I’m as much a victim in this as the Talians are to the Phrellians. I didn’t ask to be here. Show me the black door and I’ll leave.”

“Black door?” He shook his head. “I admit you’re an amazing sorceress. But I’ve seen others with your power. None have corrupted our leader the way you have, though. And for that, you must return to your maker.”

She sighed. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Find me the black door and I’ll leave.”

“To your maker--the demon that created you. You will return in pieces, whore.” His snake lunged, and she barely managed to avoid his fangs.
Shit, shit, shit.
She’d prefer ghouls and shifters to this snake any day. As much as she’d been glad to help heal Core’s people, it really wasn’t helping her now. She had no power on which to draw. And where the hell was Core?