Amy's Advantage (15 page)

Amdyn took the chair in front of her. “Jordyn kept you and
your daughter safe, Amy. After you left that hotel in Florida, he kept your
whereabouts secret. We didn’t even know you had made it to Colorado before he
sent Cirryc ahead to check on everything before you arrived.”

With the haze of rage clearing, Amy remembered little things
Jordyn had done that she’d thought strange at the time at the last hotel.
“Because someone might be seeing what Chloe saw is why you hid all the little
items that had the hotel’s name on it, isn’t it?” At his nod, she said, “And
why you had me cover her with a blanket as we got out. I thought you were just
afraid she would get cold, but you didn’t want her looking around and seeing
where we were.”

“Both,” Jordyn said. “I didn’t know for sure, but I couldn’t
take a chance.”

“So now what?” she asked, turning her attention back to
Amdyn.

“There’s a portal opening tomorrow. We don’t yet know when,
but you and Chloe need to be awake and ready to go early.”

“Will Aurora be on the other side of the portal?” Amy asked.
“It would help with getting Chloe across if she sees her aunt on the other
side.”

“I will ask Shyrana to send that request to the Elders.”

“You never explained how this Nyrya person found Chloe. The
first Predator attack was months ago.”

Amdyn shifted uneasily in his chair. “I’m not sure. I can
tell if there’s another telepath in the vicinity fairly easily if they are
using their gift and reaching out, searching for connections. Perhaps Chloe was
sending out signals that someone else picked up.”

“From another
dimension
?”

“They may not have been in Ilyria at the time.”

“They’re
here?
”

“Earth has its fair share of telepaths,” Amdyn said.

“Only here we call them paranoid schizophrenics and give
them lots of drugs to make the other voices in their heads go away.”

“Another good reason to get you two to Ilyria,” Siriyn
muttered.

“Well, can you at least put up a telepathic force field or
something around her?”

The corner of Amdyn’s mouth lifted slightly. “Something like
that, yes. A telepathic static, and if Chloe’s mind is engaged, she’s less
likely to pay attention to Nyrya’s summons.”

“She’s summoningmy daughter? Can Chloe summon her
and you can track the link back?”

“That would take quite a bit of knowledge and sophistication
on Chloe’s part. Right now, your daughter is operating without any defenses
either coming or going and if we try to have her contact Nyrya, I doubt she’d
be able to keep it a secret that we’ve discovered the connection. At the
moment, we have the advantage knowing about Nyrya. Besides, Chloe is convinced
that something bad will happen to you if she tells you about Nyrya.”

“Chloe won’t talk about Nyrya because she’s trying to
protect
me
?”

“Yes. The threat wasn’t against Chloe, but against you if
she told. When I encountered those memories, I inserted some opposing thoughts
to insulate those ideas in her subconscious to help her control those fears
until we can take care of Nyrya’s influence completely.”

“But won’t that tip Nyrya off?”

“She’d have to take time to sift through layers to find
them. From what I saw, Nyrya has never been able to hold the connection for
long. No more than a minute at most. She basically jumps in when she can and
dumps pictures and ideas and grabs at recent memories. Chloe doesn’t know how
to help hold the connection from her end, though I believe Nyrya was starting
to teach her.”

Amy’s stomach lurched. “How far had she gotten?”

“Not far. When you’re dealing with a substantial distance,
you either need to have effort from both sides or access previously established
if just one telepath is holding the connection open. Either way, long-range
telepathy is a rare gift and even then, there are few telepaths who can
actually communicate between worlds.”

“So once you find this Nyrya, chances are that there won’t
be another lined up to take her place in Chloe’s mind?”

“Right. Plus, outside of blood ties, it normally takes an
extremely focused effort and a child’s attention is hard to keep focused even
for a talented telepath. The more time I spend with Chloe, the more I’ll be
able to learn. I wasn’t too intrusive because I didn’t want to leave a trail
Nyrya could sense easily.”

“You got all that without being intrusive? God. I bet when
you’re actually intrusive you are really scary.”

“Misuse of a telepath’s gift carries some of the most
stringent punishment we have on Ilyria,” Amdyn said solemnly. “Which is one of
the reasons we will take very good care of Chloe and watch her carefully. Once
you two get to Ilyria, there will be people in place to help you navigate through
this.”

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Yes.” Amdyn paused, a frown playing around his eyes.
“Soon.”

“Soon?” Amy licked her lips and rubbed her palms over her
thighs. “What does that mean? Aren’t you and Ellen coming with us?”

His frown deepened. “There’s some logistics that need to be
taken care of.” There was a finality to his statement that didn’t allow for
argument. “Any other questions?”

Amy blinked in disbelief. Did she have more questions? Was
he kidding? “First, what are the rules to portals?”

“Rules?”

“Yes, rules. I don’t want to jump in wrong and find myself
scattered down to atoms across two worlds. Do we not eat twelve hours before we
jump? Keep our eyes opened or closed? Think only happy thoughts?”

The austerity of Amdyn’s expression lifted and he glanced at
Jordyn. Amy ignored the amused glint in Jordyn’s eyes and asked, “Do our bodies
disintegrate here and get reformed there? Can Chloe take Mr. Pink with her?”

“Mr. Pink?”

“The stuffed rabbit,” Jordyn said in answer to Amdyn’s
baffled question.

“Oh. Then yes, Mr. Pink can come, and no, there’s no
disintegration involved. Once a portal opens, you just have to be ready and
willing to go through. The ones between Ilyria and Earth don’t stay open long.”

“What if we miss it?”

“Some portals open regularly in the same spots, though the
cycle might be months or years. Of course, all portals can be permanently
closed or damaged depending on the situation. At the moment, we still have
options if you miss the one tomorrow.”

He moved to stand, but Amy said, “I have other questions.”

Amdyn inclined his head in permission to continue, the
patient expression that was starting to seriously annoy her settling over his
features.

“I want this Mating Rite explained to me.”

If she had tossed a handful of vipers at him, the man
couldn’t have looked more startled and more than a little horrified. “Well,
then,” he said, rising abruptly. “That is a discussion for you and Siriyn.
Jordyn, I believe we have some issues to handle with the men in preparation for
departure.”

Chapter Nine

Within seconds, Amy found herself staring at the door that
had closed quite decidedly behind Amdyn and Jordyn’s retreating forms. She ran
through a few choice words in her head for the two as she turned to face the
only other person left in the room with her, the man who was to be her mate. It
didn’t help that the man looked as if he’d been stuck with the wimpy kid on a
kickball team at recess whom nobody else wanted. Siriyn slumped in his chair,
his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s the big deal over a couple of questions?” she asked.

“So far, Magdalyne’s daughters haven’t been exactly
receptive to the Mating Rite of their homeworld.”

“Really? I thought Brooke and Bethany were in Ilyria already
settled.”

Shifting in his chair, Siriyn gave her long look. “Sure…now.
But first Brooke tried to run Rordyc over with the Hummer and Bethany attacked
Wyc with a carving knife.”

“Oh.” Amy pushed a curl out of her face. “What about Ellen?
She and Amdyn seem to be getting along fairly well.”

Siriyn’s face carefully composed into a blank mask. “That’s
true.”

“But…” she prompted when he didn’t elaborate.

“She’s not in Ilyria yet, is she?” In spite of the lack of
humor in his voice, his amber eyes glinted with an edge of amusement.

Amy shrugged. “Point taken.” She hadn’t quite expected to be
left alone with a near stranger for this discussion, but after a minute of
awkward silence, decided to do what she always did and just jumped right in.
“So how does this mating ritual work? Apparently I’m not out of the running yet,
even though I’ve had a child.”

“There’s a Matching Ritual,
which was instituted when the choice of Mystics were running thin for royal
heirs in Ilyria. It’s done on a Mystic girl’s first birthday and they are
matched by the Elders and Prophets to the heir the stars lead them to. And then
there’s the Mating Rite.”

“So you’re not matched or mated
yet?”

“No. Connyn and I were the only
ones of the current First Heirs of our Houses not matched to you or your
sisters. You were too young to be matched when you disappeared.”

“But there’s two heirs and one
of me.”

He spread his hands in a
magnanimous gesture. “And yet it’s worked out. The labyrinthine convolutions of
your womanly plans were no match for the gods and destiny.”

“You think Aurora and Connyn
were always meant to be?”

“Who am I to argue with the
gods? But in the end, even with the Matching Ritual to keep the Heir and Mystic
safe for each other until they are old enough to complete the Mating Rite, each
must willingly accept the other as their mate. There are some other, intimate
details that the two mates work through that seals the Mating Rite, but the
salient point is that no one can force or manipulate a woman into the Mating
Rite or it won’t take. At least according to legend.”

“Sounds serious.”

“There’s nothing more serious in
our world.”

“Okay. Wow. No pressure there.”

Siriyn rapped the ends of the arm rests with his knuckles.
“Welcome to my world.”

“And you’re supposed to be my Ilyrian mate, huh?”

His eyebrows rose. “That seems to be the prevailing opinion.”

“Wait a minute.” She scooted to the edge of the couch. “You
don’t think I’m your mate?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you’re not exactly rushing to make a claim here. I was
led to believe that Ilyrian males were a little more, umm…let’s call it
barbaric
in appropriating their mate.”

A lazy, incredibly sexy smile spread slowly across his face.
“Perhaps I’m just more civilized than my cousins.”

Amy tilted her head and opened her eyes wide. “Do I look
that stupid to you?”

The warm honey of Siriyn’s laugh spilled over any and all
erogenous zones. “No. You definitely do not look stupid. So what do you think?”
He tapped the chair again. “Mates for life?”

“Hmmm.” Amy squinted her eyes at him. “Not sure. Are there
signs I should look for?”

Siriyn lifted his hands. “From my cousins’ experiences, I’d
have to say an undeniable and uncontrollable sexual attraction, crazy-ass
possessiveness and a tendency to lose your mind whenever your mate walks out of
your sight.”

“Are you feeling anything like that toward me?”

“No, but it might be too early to tell. You?”

“Not really, no. I mean you’re sexy and everything, but an
undeniable attraction? I wouldn’t say that.”

“Wow. I think I’m insulted.”

“So what should we do?”

“Kiss me.”

Amy’s head jerked back as if she were instinctively avoiding
a blow. “What? Why?”

“It’s a pretty good way to see if there’s any chemistry.”

“Ha! Whatever. Is that your best line?”

His grin was unapologetically erotic. “Not even close. Do
you have a better idea?”

Suddenly feeling more than a little awkward, Amy tucked a
curl behind her ear and searched her mind for another set of invectives that
could accurately describe Jordyn and Amdyn. She wasn’t having much success when
she realized that Siriyn was watching her, waiting for her answer. She sighed.
“No. I suppose not. This is pretty new territory for me. So if we’re not mates,
a kiss will tell us?”

“It would be a start.”

She rose and moved to stand by the side of his chair. “I
feel silly.”

He tilted his head slightly as he looked up at her and winked.
“I promise it won’t hurt.”

The low, sensual rumble in his words fluttered all sorts of
nerves awake in Amy’s body. Blowing out a shaky breath, she placed her hands on
his shoulders and leaned in to brush a kiss across his lips. Immediately she
straightened. “Nope. Didn’t feel a thing.”

With a chuckle, he shook his head. “You didn’t try very
hard.” He motioned her closer. “Come around here.” She took a hesitant step and
hardly jumped at all when his large hands settled around her waist. Slowly, he
guided her to straddle him in the chair, her knees sinking into the cushion at
his hips as she sat on his thighs.

Smiling nervously, she braced her hands against his chest
and said, “I’m usually not this forward.”

“That is a shame,” he whispered as he cupped the back of her
neck and drew her mouth down to his.

His lips were warm and firm, moving across hers with skill
and ease. With his thumb under her chin, he tilted her face to one side and
slipped his tongue into her mouth. She gave him full access and allowed herself
to be held closer. His thumb brushed across her cheek as the kiss deepened,
subtly shifting from exploratory to demanding.

When he pulled back and allowed her to lead, she dragged her
teeth over his bottom lip before pressing in again to tease her tongue around
his. Once again he took control of the kiss. His fingers speared through her
hair to hold her head in place while his other hand slid up her thigh and over
to cup her ass.

And she wondered what Chloe meant by singing trees.

Abruptly, she pushed against his chest and sat back.
Siriyn’s hands returned to the armrests of the chair.

“You really are quite good at that,” she said.

“I hear a
but
at the end of that statement.”

“But it’s just not there for me.”

He reached up and playfully tugged on one of her curls.
“Would you know it if it were?”

A sweet sadness welled up from the secret place in her
heart. “Yes, I would. I know what it feels like to have that
this is it
feeling about someone.”

Understanding lit Siriyn’s amber eyes. “Chloe’s dad?”

“Yes.” A restless apprehension looped around her lungs,
squeezing her next words out on a whispered breath. “I don’t want something
less after knowing what the other option is.”

“I wouldn’t want you to have less. And I wouldn’t want me to
either.” He studied her for a minute in silence. “Are you absolutely sure?
Maybe it would change for you over time.”

The restlessness turned to dread as the air around her
pressed down on her shoulders with heavy hands. “Is that how it generally
happens in Ilyria for life mates? It takes time for the chemistry to click and
for the feelings to build?”

He grimaced. “Not according to the myths I grew up with or
my cousins’ recent experiences. It’s less slow burn and more a sudden,
consuming explosion. Wyc knew the moment he saw Bethany serving drinks in a
bar. Rordyc knew just from seeing a picture in a newspaper. And Amdyn, hell,
he’s always known.”

“And when you look at me? Do you have this same knowing
feeling?”

His gaze shifted away from her, but his shrug was easy. “I
don’t know.”

Amy stared at Siriyn hard and then it hit her. “Oh my god.
You are such a liar.”

“Excuse me?” Siriyn’s arrogant chuckle only reaffirmed Amy’s
realization.

A huge weight rolled off Amy as she realized what was going
on with this man, whether he was ready to admit it or not. “Listen, bud. This
nonchalant act of yours doesn’t fool me. You think you’ve found her. Your
mate.” She propped her hands on her hips in satisfied victory. “
That’s
what I felt. I knew there was something else going on.”

For a second, Siriyn’s complacent attitude flipped off as a
switch. Since she was the object of his glare, she was extremely glad that his
magic power apparently wasn’t shooting laser beams out of his eyes at people he
got irritated with.

Rolling his shoulders back, Siriyn veiled the intensity in
his eyes with his customary easygoing grin. “I’m a man. Trust me. When we have
a beautiful woman straddling us, the only thing we’re thinking is how to get
inside her.”

Slowly, Amy leaned in and dropped her gaze to his mouth. Tilting
her head, she moved in even closer until she could feel the warmth of his lips
just a fraction from hers. Poking him in the chest, she whispered, “Bullshit.”

She felt the surprise jolt through him and leaned back
again. “Even though you were kissing me, you weren’t thinking about me.
Everything was technically right, but there was no emotion behind it toward
me.”

“You got all that from our kiss? Maybe Chloe isn’t the only
telepath in your family.”

Ignoring his scoffing tone, Amy scrambled gracelessly off
his lap. “No. I think any woman can tell when you’re thinking about her,
yourself or another woman while you’re kissing her. Probably more of a woman
thing than telepathic talent.”

He gave her a wry look. “Not exactly reassuring there.”

Standing in front of his chair, she crossed her arms under
her breasts and looked down at him. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Frowning, he asked, “Are you always so subtle?”

“Part of my charm,” she quipped. “I am right, aren’t I?”

With a low, grumbling sigh, he rubbed a hand over his mouth.
“Possibly.”

She nodded. “So what does this mean for Chloe and me?”

His shoulders lifted. “Nothing’s changed. Just because we’re
not mates like everyone expected doesn’t mean your home isn’t Ilyria. You have
family there and that’s where you and Chloe belong.”

“And what about you? Are you going to go on a Neanderthal
mate-claiming mission like your cousins?”

“It’s more complicated than that.” He tapped his palms
against the armrests before unfolding his large frame from the chair. Up close
and vertical, the man seemed much larger than from across the room. “I’d
appreciate if you didn’t mention that I might have found my mate until I have
more information.”

“You haven’t told anyone about her?”

“Like I said, it’s complicated. And no one has just out and
guessed like you did. You caught me off guard. Besides, I don’t know for sure
she’s my mate. I’ve never actually met her. I think.”

“Is she here or in Ilyria?”

Siriyn’s expression was so pained, it looked almost comical.
“I don’t know.”

“Wow.” Amy stuck her hands in the front pockets of her jeans
and rocked back on her heels. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No. But knowing she’s not you helps.”

Amy closed one eye and squinted up at him. “Once you said
that out loud, did it sound as strange to you as it did to me?”

Siriyn sighed and shook his head. “Do you see why I haven’t
mentioned it to anyone? I can’t figure it out myself. But I will. Soon.”

“Okay. Let me know if I can help.” She walked toward the
door, an immense sense of relief propelling her forward before he had the
chance to change his mind. But after a couple of steps, she pulled up short and
turned around. “Siriyn?”

He looked up from the spot on the floor he’d been staring
at. “Yes?”

“Good luck with finding her. And thanks for being honest about
me not being your mate. Though if it matters, I would have accepted you if it
meant getting Chloe to Ilyria where she’d be safe.”

Siriyn’s lips twisted. “I think I’m insulted again.”

She smiled. “Don’t be. I appreciate you not putting me in
that position, especially since it probably would have been easier for you with
the pressure of everyone expecting us to be matched up.”

“Not a problem,” he said, his easy, sexy grin returning to
instantly camouflage whatever else he might be thinking. “Not meeting everyone’s
expectations is the one thing I’ve always excelled at.”

When Amy got to the kitchen, Kirry was wiping syrup off the
table. Kirry straightened and smiled at her. “Shyrana took Chloe to watch some
cartoons after they finished eating,” she said. “Would you like some pancakes?
I still have some batter left.”

Amy shook her head. Though relieved at not being immediately
carted off to breed the next generation of heirs for the Fifth House, she’d
lost her appetite between finding out her daughter was being used as some kind
of homing device and learning that Jordyn apparently had a wealth of secrets he
was very good at keeping.

“Sorry about the mess,” she said, indicating the spot where
Chloe had evidently sat, considering the amount of crumbs on the floor. “If
you’ll tell me where the broom is, I’ll clean it up.”