My Forbidden Desire (39 page)

He drew her head to his neck. Her skin was hot. Too hot for a human. Her eyes were dilated, big round black-as-night pupils nearly obliterating her irises. He was feeling the talisman’s magic even stronger than before. Her witch magic was going off, too. The way her magic pulsed now, he could incinerate the house with a blink.

Her mouth latched onto his throat, and oh, yes, she tasted. He was able to set aside her magic, leave it untouched while he stayed like this with her. “If you say yes, I’m going to bind us,” he said. “The way Nikodemus did with Carson. If that’s what you want.”

She lifted her mouth from his throat. “Do it.”

Before long he’d be wanting to change. Hell, the way he was feeling, he might just take his other form without knowing it. He was twisted higher than he’d been in longer than he could remember. And Alexandrine was just the perfect woman for him.

With his knife, he made a nick in the side of her throat. Blood scent rose between them, and he opened himself to the sensation. Alexandrine pressed herself to him and stared at him. She was kin. He felt her magic, both halves of it. The talisman’s power burned in her, and the magic she was born with flowed through him like cool water, alien but almost knowable. Damn. If he ever learned how to pull the two sides together, he’d be invincible.

“Why does that happen?” she asked. She touched the cut on the side of her neck and came away with blood on her fingertip. His insides went taut. She had no idea. No idea at all what this was doing to him. “Why does this make me feel… hungry for you?”

“That’s how it is for fiends. When one fiend offers to another, there’s a connection. Our magic touches deeper.” He turned her head to one side. “Come in, Alexandrine,” he whispered. He pressed against her, his torso against hers, staying open to her, and it felt good.

In this state, they were open to just about any fiend in the vicinity, which in this case meant Iskander, Durian, Harsh, and Nikodemus, just for starters. They felt good, too. He felt good. And unbearably tight with tension. Better than good. This was right. Alexandrine tilted her head back, and Xia pressed his mouth to her skin; they joined, and just like that, the chaotic power between them swept over them both. He slid a hand around the back of her head, pulled her hard toward him, and bound her to him permanently. Forever. Just like Carson and Nikodemus.

Done. It was done, and Nikodemus could just fuck himself if he didn’t like it.

When they came up for air, it was to an audience of Harsh and Nikodemus. Harsh looked like he was going to pop a vein. Nikodemus looked reserved. Thoughtful. The warlord walked over to the counter and leaned against it, arms over his chest.

“You know, don’t you, Xia, that she can’t be here the way things are now. Probably not you, either, I’m guessing.”

“I know.” The skin up and down his spine tingled. Nikodemus was pulling, and Xia didn’t doubt the warlord could end his life right here and now. His oath of fealty to him was in part responsible for that state of affairs. On the other hand, Nikodemus was one powerful fiend.

“So. How about you explain how you two got this way.” Nikodemus lifted a hand to cut off an objection from Harsh. “Not a word. Your sister’s a big girl. She can deal on her own. Right now, I need to hear a few things from them.”

“Thanks,” Alexandrine said.

“One of you better start talking.”

They managed it, mostly with Xia doing the telling because Alexandrine was fading out from the effects of severing so many fiends, and he’d not done her a favor by letting magic into them both. She was the color of chalk and shivering off and on like she had the d.t.’s. By the end and with him leaving a lot of stuff out and Alexandrine chiming in every now and then, they got across the highlights of what had happened since Harsh left for Paris.

“You’re Rasmus Kessler’s daughter?” Nikodemus said when they got to that part. “For real?”

“Yes.” Alexandrine hunched over, and Xia put his arm around her.

“That just sucks,” the warlord said. He looked at Xia like he’d been too near a pissed-off skunk. “You bound yourself to Kessler’s girl?”

“Carson was Magellan’s witch.”

“Yeah, but that changed, didn’t it?” Nikodemus said. He pointed at her. “She can’t change who her father is.”

“I totally did that on purpose,” Alexandrine said. “Picking Rasmus Kessler to be my dad. Look, I’m not the only witch or mage who got tossed out for failing the magical prelims or whatever it is they do when we’re three. There’s a lot of us who don’t feel the love for the people who threw us out.” She directed this at Nikodemus. “And don’t go thinking I’m the only witch who ended up abandoned on the streets, either.”

“No,” Nikodemus said. “Matter of fact, I don’t think that. Kind of intriguing, don’t you agree? Later—if it works out that there’s a later—you and I are going to have a nice long talk about some of your buddies.”

“Maybe.”

He nodded to himself. “Xia explain to you about fealty?” Nikodemus asked.

She nodded, but Xia knew Nikodemus had moved on from the genealogy thing to what mattered more—whether she was going to align herself with the warlord or not.

“You know your boy here is sworn to me.” She nodded again. Cautious still. “I could use you both.” He grinned. “I’m fine with witches swearing fealty, by the way.” His smile got bigger. “So far it’s worked out great for me. You want to fight the good fight with us?”

She reached over and grabbed Xia’s hand. He squeezed her fingers. “Yeah,” she said. “I do.”

“Let’s get to it.”

Xia stayed close during the blood exchange with Nikodemus, and he helped her with the words she needed to say. Nikodemus kept it short and sweet, and when it was over, Harsh was looking gray and Alexandrine was sagging against Xia, who was getting a hard-on. And she, the witch, got her hand between them.

“Get my newest wicked witch upstairs,” Nikodemus said. “She needs some rest, I’m guessing. Magic always knocked it out of Carson at first, too.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Xia brought her closer against him.

“I am not your wicked witch,” Alexandrine said.

“Beg to differ there,” Nikodemus said. “You sure as hell are.”

“I’m your sworn fiend,” she returned. Between Xia’s body and hers, she moved her hand over Xia’s crotch. “But I’m his wicked witch.”

“Fuck, yes,” Xia said.