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2024-10-29 19:42:56Andrea dropped her eyes and stirred the remains of her lunch, no longer hungry. Everyone was looking at her.
She’d just gotten somewhat used to this place; could she handle more adventure? “When would we go?”
Relief surged through him. “I dislike waiting, and the storm season is close. Six days.”
Her soft grunt was her only answer.
“Good. I’ll help with the details,” Keilor offered. He stood and offered Jasmine his hand as Mathin did the same for Andrea.
They toured the market. At Mathin’s insis
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Andrea’s resolve crumbled at the sight of his sexy smile. Only a few more days and she could do something about the hot buttered rum he made of her insides. “Well...maybe this once.”The smile became dazzling. She felt a little faint. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”He stared at her red, full lips, very tempted to taste them. Had she used cosmetics? They were especially glossy and ripe-looking this evening.“A couple more days,” she warned him, breathless. He had to stop looking at her like that.Her scent curled around him, tried to mesmerize him as it played on his roused
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“A bicycle?” she asked, frowning as they saw a group of riders in the distance. “A horse would be fine, too.”“Livestock from Earth dies here,” he said, grinning. “But a bicycle might be possible. I’ll see about it.”“What do you bring Jasmine?”The question caused him to cock his head in curiosity. “She wants nothing. The Dark Lands are her home now, and she’s severed the ties to her past. Says she’s happier that way.”Andrea thought about that. “What if something happened to Keilor?”
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“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”“It would disturb you.”That did it. She was definitely curious now. “I’m already disturbed.” When his smile turned wicked, she threatened, “I could ask someone.”“No one will tell you.”She refused to believe that. Someone knew. Maybe she could bribe it out of one of his friends with some of the candy she’d made for the twins that afternoon. “Give me a hint.”“I’m older than you are.”
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Raziel shrugged. “She thinks Andrea will appreciate you more if you have to work for her.”The creak of the massive doors opening caused all competing warriors to draw and activate their blades. One never knew what kind of interesting surprises Ellipse might spring at her tournaments.Out of the darkness marched...“Female warriors?” Raziel gasped.Mathin was just as shocked. Men never competed with women. Even with these women in Haunt and full battle gear, the ridiculousness of it held the men frozen in place. How were they supposed to defeat these women without hurting them? Was that part of the
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Andrea nodded tersely in acknowledgment and wiggled her stiff fingers. They were going numb from her tight grip on the chair. Tension coiled in her belly, making her feel sick. This stupid tournament couldn’t get over fast enough for her.Nine men approached the grid structure and swung up on it. The entire thing swayed as they ascended the multilevel platforms.Andrea felt the blood drain from her face as they drew their swords. They were going to fight up there?She must have looked bad, for Jasmine reached over, pried one of her hands free and held it. “Mathin will be all right, Andrea.”Blue light fl
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Never one to let a challenge pass, Mathin froze him with a look. “I’m more than capable, and I’m coming. Did you have something else to say, boy?”It was clear the young man did, but was wise enough to keep his mouth shut.Mathin dismissed him and turned his attention to Keilor. “We’ll leave within the hour. I’ll have Raziel rouse Andrea and her grandmother while I see to the arrangements. Thank you for alerting me.”Andrea wasn’t happy to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. Never a morning person, she was downright witchy before the hour of three, but she rallied when she discovered it was an emergency. As servants hurriedly pa
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“You want to go for a walk now?” Andrea demanded, not yet fully awake.Mathin took her hand and led her out of the camp and into the redwoods. Ignoring the knowing looks they gathered, he shifted the thick blanket she had yet to notice over his shoulder and tightened his grip on her hand to prevent her from stumbling. “Walking is good for you.”Someone snickered.Feeling his face heat for the first time in ages, he walked faster. Soon they were out of earshot of even the most sensitive of Haunt.“Why…” Her eyes fell on the blanket as he spread it on the ground. Her mouth fell ope
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With the suddenness of a record being rudely ripped off, the pleasure stopped. Gasping at the searing pain, she struggled, but he had her firmly pinned.“Wait.” His voice was close to the edge and she instinctively stilled, knowing not to push him now.The symbiont moved, glided down her body and flooded her thighs with gentle warmth. In moments, the pain was gone.“Better?” he asked, his body trembling above hers. At her shy nod he began, very slowly, to move.Surge and withdraw. The gentle tempo of the sea. Soon it was not enough.
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“Wonder what that was all about,” Mathin muttered at her side.“I don’t know, but I’m beginning to feel like the unappreciated fairy godmother,” Andrea complained.His grin sent firecrackers popping clear to her toes. Mathin took her glass and set it down. One quick tug pulled her into his arms, slightly bent at the perfect angle for a kiss. “I think I can do something to change that.”A superb dancer, Mathin twirled her around the dance floor, his grace as beguiling as his dark good looks. The man danced like he made love, and every burning look was enough to set her blood aflame. Schemes and plans for others were lost in the dreamy whirl of pleas
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The next morning, well before the party was to begin, Leo presented Mathin and Andrea with a copy of her notes and sketches. “A gift,” she said simply.Mathin was more excited than Andrea would have dreamed possible. “Do you know how much I’ve wanted something like this?” he demanded of Leo, his eyes glued to the pages. “It’s almost impossible to get any information on the Beasts in the Dark Lands.”Leo and Andrea exchanged pleased looks.“Wait a minute.” His brows furrowed as he stared at the page. “I’ve seen this picture somewhere else, only…”
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“At least there’s that.” More silence. “I never did thank you for all you’ve done for me and my wife.”“It was nothing.”“It was something,” Mathin returned forcefully. “And I won’t forget it. If there is anything, at any time, that I can do for you, you have only to name it.”Scy searched his face. “Be careful what you offer, brother.” He smiled a little. “I might accept.”“Do that.” Mathin left, satisfied that Scy would turn his words over.
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Mathin stilled. Taking her hand, he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “He stayed home with his wife, my love.” His tone became sorrowful. “They lost the baby.”The color drained from her face. Her eyes welled. “No,” she whispered, and slumped to the bed. Jasmine had been so happy!He didn’t try to make it better with platitudes, just held her. “I know.” He rubbed his face against her hair. “I know.”She grieved, but even as she cried for her friend’s loss, in her heart Andrea had to wonder. Had the baby been lost because of some unavoidable defect, caused by the mixing of such alien blood? Might the child have been born
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“Can you help her?” Andrea tried to control her shivering. Scy kept one eye on the swordsmen while his symbiont worked on Leo’s head. Still unconscious, she didn’t move.“I’m trying.” He handed a gun to her. “Fire if you get a clean shot. If anything happens to Mathin, you won’t have time for more than one. Got it?”“I...yes.” Determined to control the contractions that squeezed her lower belly, she tried to keep her eyes on the fighters. It wasn’t easy. Not only were they moving in a virtual blur, but the cramps distracted her. They didn’t feel like the false contractions that had squeezed her whole stomach as the pregnancy advanced. No, these were lower, more intense. They felt like t
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Shivering as much from the spookiness of that as from the damp chill, Andrea glanced toward the dim light coming in from the single exit. A brackish puddle had collected in the sunken depression under the stone tiles, and it reflected a bit of the light and the occasional shifting shadow of a guard. Odd how she’d never felt so wary of her Haunt, but then they’d gone out of their way to put her at ease. There was nothing remotely friendly about these dark warriors.Every now and then Leo would stand up to stretch, but her chains didn’t allow her to lift her arms past her hips. The bolts in the floor were very solid; she’d tugged on the chains enough that she’d bled, trying to loosen them.“I’m sorry.”
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The cycle eased out of the gate, gathering speed as it headed up the road through the village. Naked fields flashed by as the woods edged closer.“Hang on!” the Ronin tossed over his shoulder, and suddenly they were flying.Eyes narrowed against the wind and flying insects, Mathin felt the rope bite into his wrists where he’d looped it. He held on as best he could with the toes of his boots against the edge of the platform as the cycle began a series of fast maneuvers around the trees that blurred past. The slight lip on the edges wouldn’t prevent him from flying off on one of the turns if he weren’t careful.As if to prove his point, the platform took a sharp dip,
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“I wasn’t going to ask her any,” Leo protested. “Scy…” When he continued to ignore her, she placed her body right in front of him. “This is very important to me.”A light like golden foxfire hazed his blue eyes. His body began to tremble. “Don’t,” his voice was hoarse and he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes from Leo’s mouth. “Don’t get so close to me, woman, unless you want to get close to me.” His nostrils flared as her eyes widened. “I’ve long run out of herbs, and you’re provoking far more than my temper.” He brushed past her.“I’m not afraid of you!” she yelled at his back.
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Mathin read his wife’s latest letter, and then sat in silence before the fire in the banquet hall.This might be difficult.He took a long drink of his wine, smiling without humor. His wife had a gift for understatement.Thought you needed to know…Had he? Had he really? He crumpled the edge of the letter in his fist and then tossed it aside. For most of his life, he hadn’t known about these strangers spawned of his father’s madness. No doubt they were content to keep it that way as well. What did his wife think, that the three of them could take up friendly relations as easily a
