Stolen Heart (11 page)

Annika and Kieran found a nearby hotel for the evening which was quite nice.  The Conclave had provided them with the necessary currency for Balvraine.  They both enjoyed a drink in the hotel pub first. 

Annika had kept running her hand up and down Kieran’s thigh under the table, getting closer and closer to his thickening erection. When their waiter approached and asked if they would like another drink, Annika palmed his cock and gave it a soft squeeze.  Kieran was able to choke out a “No thank you” to the waiter, who promptly left.  Kieran threw some money on the table and grabbed Annika’s hand, pulling her from her chair.  He led her straight up the stairs to their room, his long strides quickly eating up the distance.

Once inside their room, he slammed the door and locked it.  Turning to Annika, he saw an innocent expression on her face.  He smiled at her with wicked intent and stalked toward her.  When he got two feet from her, she held up her hand in a gesture for him to halt.  He almost didn’t stop but the look on her face told him to heed her warning.

“Don’t move any farther,” Annika purred.

Kieran cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I want to do something I’ve been dying to do since the night I met you.”

Oh man… the possibilities.

“Go sit in that chair over there.”  Kieran looked to the plush arm chair where Annika pointed and swiftly obeyed.

Annika walked right up to him and nudged his knees apart with her hands.

“Take your shirt off for me please.”  She sounded so sweet he couldn’t argue with her.

Kieran untied the belt holding his tunic together and shrugged it off of his shoulders.  He threw it to the floor.

Dropping to her knees in front of Kieran, Annika placed her palms on his thighs.  Kieran held his breath, watching her every move.  She looked up at him coyly and ran her palms up his thighs, her thumbs digging lightly into his hips.

“I’ve been dying to drink you up.”

Kieran’s breath exhaled in a loud rush.  He felt his erection harden further.  Slowly, Annika reached to the fly of his pants and gently opened it.

“Lift your hips just a bit, baby,” she whispered.

Kieran lifted his hips and she pulled his pants down, all the way off his legs.  His erection lay heavy against his stomach as he leaned back in the chair.  His eyes were burning as he watched her.

Annika ran her palms up and down his thighs, gazing at his cock.  She grabbed her lower lip between her teeth and nibbled at it as if she was trying to figure out the best way to swallow him down.  The suspense was killing him and it was taking every bit of control not to thrust his hips up at her.

“Annika,” he rasped, “please.”

Annika looked up at him, surprise on her face.  She literally had no clue how she made him feel.  He must have had the most tortured look, because the sweetest smile played across her mouth and then she put him out of his misery.  She leaned over and licked him from base to tip.  He felt the ball on her tongue piercing pressing into his tender flesh. She then circled the bottom of his erection with her hand, and put her mouth over the head.  She swirled her tongue over the top and pumped the base with her hand.  Kieran let out a feral groan and he felt, rather than saw, Annika chuckle.  The vibrations from her laugh shot through to his balls.

Then Annika leaned up over him further and took him all the way into her mouth, the head of his cock hitting the back of her throat.

“Fuck me,” Kieran hissed.

Annika removed her mouth and muttered, “Later.” 

Then she went back to working him over.  She took him in deep on her down strokes, sucking as she pulled back.  Kieran watched as her head moved up and down as pleasure coursed through him.  Annika moved both of her hands to stroke up his chest, finding their way to his nipples which she plucked at.  Kieran grabbed ahold of her head, lacing his hands into her silky cap of hair while she moved.  Before long, his hips were moving to her rhythm, which pushed him farther into her throat.  She didn’t seem to have any limits as to what she could take. 

Kieran felt the first tingling of his climax at the base of his spine and tried to hold it off as long as he could.  He wanted this moment to go on forever.  But then Annika reached down and gently grabbed his balls, massaging them while she continued to suck.  Kieran couldn’t hold it and he let out a shout of relief as his orgasm triggered, gripping Annika’s head tightly.  His hips kept pumping while he poured himself down her throat.  Annika’s ministrations turned gentle as she continued to gently suck and lick at him, working him through his entire release.  She finally pulled away and he slipped out of her mouth.

Kieran’s first plan of attack, once he regained feeling from the waist down, was to pick her up and return the favor.  But right now, he had stars winking at the edges of his vision.  He looked down at Annika and she was grinning like a cat that just finished a big bowl of cream.

“Thank you,” she said.

Kieran snickered.  “You’re thanking me for that?”

Annika shot him a mischievous grin. “No, I’m thanking you in advance for what you are getting ready to do to me.”

Kieran let out a bark of laughter and then shot to his feet.  He grabbed Annika and lifted her up over his shoulder.  Taking her to the bed, he leaned over and dropped her there.  Lying on her back, she propped herself up on her elbows to watch him.

“Oh, Annika, baby.  You are going to owe me a lot more than thanks when I get done with you.”

***

Annika woke before the sun had risen.  Not having any idea what time the man’s shift started at the palace, they had planned to be at the mark’s house early so they wouldn’t miss him.  Annika realized that she was beside Kieran, laying half on top of him.  Her head was resting on his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist, and her leg was twined with his.  He was sleeping soundly.

A moment of panic fired through her over the fact that she was snuggling next to him, but she pushed it back.  Taking deep breaths, she let her mind open up and feel all the sensations she had always denied herself.  Kieran’s body was warm, permeating her skin.  His chest was hard, but smooth, providing a nice pillow for her cheek.  He smelled wonderfully spicy…a scent that was only Kieran.

Tilting her head to look at his face, he bore the look of sweet innocence as he slept.  Glancing down, she saw his cock nesting in his blond curls and literally had to dig her nails into her palm to keep from reaching out for it.  They didn’t have time this morning. 

Yes, these were all wonderful feelings.  Strange, but wonderful.  And she was proud of herself for not going into full blown panic mode.  Still, she couldn’t have this, not forever with Kieran.  She didn’t deserve it.  A fact he would soon find out.

Pulling back from Kieran, she gently shook his shoulder.  “Time to get up, sleepy head.  We got to get to work.”

Kieran rolled toward her and grabbed her body.  He pulled her into his arms and buried his head in her neck.  “Just a few more minutes, mom.”

Annika chuckled and reached up to push her fingers through his hair. After a few minutes of gently massaging his scalp, she kissed his forehead and then slapped him hard on his ass.  “Get up, lazy bones.” 

She jumped from bed before he could retaliate. 

“You’ll pay for that.”  The mischievous look on his face told her that she would probably enjoy paying for it.

Annika and Kieran quickly dressed and grabbed some food on the way out of the hotel.  They made their way to the mark’s house and Keiran waited across the street, hidden in an alleyway.  Annika stood a block down on the route the man would take toward the palace. 

About a half an hour before sunrise, the door to the man’s house opened and he walked out.  He turned down the street and headed straight for Annika.  Kieran fell in step behind him, keeping careful distance so he wouldn’t be noticed. It was still dark enough that Kieran wasn’t too worried about being spotted.

As the man approached Annika, she stepped into his path. He looked up in surprise at her and gave her a quick smile.

“Excuse me.  Can you tell me which way to the palace?  I’ve been out for an early morning walk and I’ve seem to have gotten myself lost.”

“Of course.  It’s right this way. I’m headed there now.”

“I can’t thank you enough.  It’s so easy to get lost on all of these streets.”

Annika and the man headed down the street and she kept up a constant chatter with him so he would be distracted.  As they were approaching a side alleyway, Kieran had caught up and walked up close to the man.  Touching him on the shoulder, the man spun around but Kieran whispered a quick binding spell, causing the man’s body to stiffen like wood.  He was able to carry him to the darkness of the alley.  Annika followed them in.

Laying the man gently on the ground, Kieran put him in a spelled sleep then searched his pockets. He quickly found the man’s papers and scanned them.

“It appears he works on a cleaning crew.  It doesn’t specify any particular crew, so hopefully that will gain you access to anywhere in the palace.” 

Annika nodded. “I should only need a few hours.  I hope you both can stay hidden here until I get back.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem.  When we checked it out last night, I figured we can hide behind that low wall over there that houses the garbage.  I should be smelling quite nice by the time you get back.”

Annika grinned at him.  Then she pulled out a tiny flask from the pack that Kieran had been carrying.  She had whipped up a quick potion last night that would help her keep her glamour if she became distracted having to use other magic.  She hoped she didn’t get into a situation that called for that, but it was better to be prepared.  She downed it in one gulp and grimaced.  “Man that’s gross.”

Closing her eyes, Annika quickly morphed before Kieran’s eyes.  She was an exact doppleganger of the man.  “How do I look?”

Kieran was amazed.  Not only did she look exactly like the man, but she sounded like him too.  Well, at least he thought she sounded like him.  It was deep with the same accent he had heard from other Balvrainians.  He had not been able to hear their conversation as they were walking, but hearing the man’s voice had allowed Annika to duplicate it as part of her glamour.

Not waiting for a response, Annika leaned in close to Kieran.  “Are you going to give me a kiss for good luck?”

“Not a chance,” he laughed.  “But please be careful.  If you are not back in two hours, I’m going to storm that palace to look for you.”

The thought made Annika feel warm inside.  It was nice to have someone that cared.  Feeling playful and before he could move out the way, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. 

“Ugggh…that so was not sexy.”  Kieran wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Annika grinned.  “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”  And then she walked away from him toward the palace.

Kieran picked up the man and moved him behind the low wall and set down to wait.

***

Annika had no problem making it through the gate.  The guard gave her papers a cursory glance then nodded her through. She went straight to the palace door that she saw most of the workers entering.

Once inside, Annika veered away from the others and headed down a side hall.  She nodded at those she passed, giving small smiles here and there.  Most people smiled back.  Some said hello.  She hoped to the stars that she didn’t run into someone that knew the man whose body she wore.

Finding a flight of stairs, she walked up them and then turned right down another hall.  At the end, a door stood closed with a guard posted on the outside.  She approached the guard who looked at her warily.

“What business do you have here?”

“I’m here to clean up a spill inside.  Orders were just called in.”

The guard went on alert.  “Nothing has been spilled. Who are you?”

Before the guard could move, Annika reached out and uttered a spell that made the guard fall to the floor. She winced as he hit his head on the door and hoped it didn’t leave him with too much of a headache when he woke up. 

Quickly opening the door, she grabbed the guard under his arms and pulled him in.  He was heavy but luckily the polished wood floors made from some easy dragging of his dead weight.  She shut the door behind her and turned to look at her surroundings.  She was in a small sitting room furnished with a couch and several lounging chairs.  There was a balcony straight ahead and the doors were wide open to let the breeze in. To the left was another door that was closed.  Annika walked to it and opened it up.

Stepping inside, Annika saw a young woman sitting behind a desk.  She had long dark hair that was curly, hanging long past her shoulders.  Her amber eyes looked up to Annika in surprise.  Annika had found the young queen, Claire Moldevaine.

“What are you doing here? This is my private office.”  It wasn’t said with menace, just surprise.

“Hi Claire,” Annika responded.

Claire’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.  Then Annika let her glamour go, changing back into herself.

“Annika!  Oh, I’m so glad to see you.  I thought you’d never come.”

Claire stood up and ran around the desk.  She launched herself into Annika’s arms and gave her a hard hug.  Annika looked down at Claire and saw her eyes were swimming with tears.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Annika soothed.  “None of that.”

Claire dashed her tears away. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been so worried.  I haven’t been able to eat or sleep.  This was such a bad idea, Annika.  I wish you would have never stolen The Scepter for me.”

“Hush now.  What’s done is done but we need to work quickly.  Did you have a replica made like I told you?”

Claire nodded.  “I’ll get it.”

Annika watched as Claire walked into another room off of her office which was Claire’s bedroom.  She took a seat and mentally calculated their next moves. 

This was why Kieran was going to hate her.  It was why she didn’t deserve him.  Annika had been the one who had stolen The Scepter and given it to Claire.  And she had not regretted her actions once.  That is until Kieran told her that he was falling in love with her.   Since then she had been a mass of confusing emotions.  But she just didn’t see any good way out of her predicament.  Yes, she had stolen The Scepter for Claire.  It was Annika’s idea and Claire had reluctantly agreed.

Annika had known Claire since she was eleven years old.  It was at the time her Aunt Mary fell in love and married a wealthy businessman from Balvraine.  Annika visited Mary as often as she could, which gave her respite and peace from Mason’s rape.  It also gave her a friendship with Claire. 

Mary’s husband was good friends with Claire’s father and the two children were introduced early on.  Annika was only a year older than Claire but she felt Claire was like the baby sister she never had.  Over the years that Mary lived in Balvraine, Annika and Claire spent all of their time together when Annika visited.  Once Annika left Vyronas and relocated to New York, she continued to travel to Balvraine at least once a month to see Claire.  Claire was, without a doubt, her closest friend on the face of the earth.  She was also the only person, besides Kieran, who knew what Mason had done to her.

The reasons that led Annika down the path to steal The Scepter were numerous, but it was mainly to protect Claire.  Claire’s father had died unexpectedly four months ago, leaving Claire alone and bereft.  Unlike Annika’s relationship with her father, Claire had worshipped the ground her father walked on.  He was a kind and gentle man, and a great ruler to Balvraine.  His magic was powerful and it kept his people protected. 

Claire though, had led a sheltered life, and was completely unprepared for the pressures of ruling.  Her father was a young man when he died so no efforts had ever been made to strengthen Claire’s magic or prepare her for the monarchy.  It was a harsh lesson to learn.

Annika spent as much time as she could with Claire after her father’s death, but then she eventually had to get back to her life in New York.  Every time she came back to visit though, she found Claire more and more despondent over the pressures of her reign.  Without anyone to advise her, without any training, Claire was facing an internal rebellion by a group of sorcerers who sensed blood in the water.  Terrified for her people as well as for her life, she turned to Annika for advice and help.

Annika didn’t know anything about running a country, but she did know one thing well.  And that was thievery.  The other reason why Kieran would ultimately hate her was because of her compulsion to steal.  By preying on those that helped to aid and abet abusers, and giving their wealth away to the abused, Annika felt she was striking a blow at Mason every time.  She knew it was a metaphorical blow, but it was her therapy and it worked.  It kept her sane. It kept her going.

During her lowest points when she had thought about taking a knife to her wrists again, it was only the thought of the women she helped that kept her going.  And her ability to glamour made stealing almost easy.  She couldn’t believe the cake walk it was to take The Scepter from Kestevayne.

So here she was.  She had stolen a powerful magical object to help her best friend.  It belonged to the family of the man who now loved her.  And she was caught in the middle.  Her fate was sealed.  She was guilty of her crime and she would pay one way or another.  Kieran would be crushed when he found out what she had done.  But there was still Claire that she could help and there was no way she was going to let her down. 

There was some tiny part of Annika that told her to confess everything to Kieran.  To beg Kieran to help Claire.  But then she thrust it aside.  He may claim to love her, but when it boiled right down to it, she was too afraid to place her trust in him.

Annika was jolted out of her thoughts by Claire’s return.

“Here it is.” 

She handed a small, lead bar to Annika.  She turned it over and examined it carefully.  It looked damned good.  “Where is the real Scepter?”

“It stays locked in my bedroom.”  Claire pointed at the door she just came from.

Annika had visited Claire a few nights ago, right after she had stolen the jewelry of that ogre of a woman on Park Avenue.  It wasn’t a trip that she had planned, but Kieran’s forced manipulation of her to participate in The Scepter’s recovery necessitated a trip to visit Claire and make a plan.  They had decided to plant a fake, and then give Kieran access to steal it back.  With any luck, Kieran wouldn’t know it was a fake until he returned it to Ava.  By then, Annika would be long gone.  She knew the price she would pay was not only losing Kieran, but also her life as she knew it.  She was going to have to pick up and start all over again.  But that was another problem she would face as soon as she wiggled out of this one.

Getting Kieran to take the fake scepter was the easy part.  The hard part was going to be on Claire.  For them to get out of this mess, Claire was going to have to learn how to use the real Scepter soon.  Like immediately.  She only had a few days at most before Ava would probably show up with her entire Army once she realized what Kieran had was a fake.

“What type of progress are you making on the real scepter?”

Claire sighed.  “Annika, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.  Sometimes, I think I feel it responding to me, but then it’s gone.  Half the time I think I’m imagining it.”

“You have to keep working at it, Claire.  Hard.”

“I know, I know.”  Claire grasped her hands together in worry.   “Maybe we should just let Kieran steal back the real scepter.”

Annika was already shaking her head no.  “We can’t, and you know that.  There is going to be retribution to pay from Ava.  The only way to protect yourself is to harness The Scepter’s magic.  It’s the only way to protect your people.”  Annika knew her voice sounded desperate.

“I’m so scared, Annika.”

Annika reached out to hug Claire.  “I know, honey.  Me too.  Remember, worst case scenario, you and I disappear together.  If you cannot get The Scepter to work, I’m taking you out of here and Balvraine be damned.  You’re too important to me.”

Claire nodded her head in agreement.  “Sometimes I think that may be the best.  I don’t have any friends or family here.  I hate it sometimes.  You’re the only one I have to count on.”

Annika pulled back and smiled at Claire.  “Hey, kiddo.  Chin up.  You’re the great Claire Moldevaine, soon to be reigning goddess of The Scepter.  You can do it.  Heck.  You can conquer the world if you want.”

Claire laughed.  “No conquering for me.  I just want to protect our land and live in peace.”

Annika pointed to Claire’s desk chair indicating for her to take a seat.  Annika sat down opposite of Claire’s desk.  It was time to solidify the plan.