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Cautiously, I said, “When we were in the woods, Rhiannon could see the door to Lainule’s chamber. Only Cambyra Fae can see those magical doors.” I looked at him, waiting.
But my father merely shushed me and I knew better than to press the matter for now. “No more questions now. Up and to bed. Sleep deep. We will all need our strength tonight, my daughter.”
As he sent me on my way, I thought about what he’d said but the swirl of his words became a fog in my head, and I yawned again, barely able to drag myself into my room. Ignoring the leering pictures and tapestries around me, I stripped, then crawled into bed, sighing as I drew the soft covers up around my chin. The mattress was heaven. The blankets were soft against my skin. And even the thought of the evening to come couldn’t intervene as sleep claimed me and carried me off to my dreams.
I was walking through the forest, with Rhiannon beside me, and we were holding hands. I turned to her. “Show me. Show me yourself.”
“I don’t know how,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “I don’t even know where to begin.” She let go of my hand and walked over to one of the cedars that towered in the woodland. As she played with one of its boughs, fingering the needles, she said, “These are not the forests of my dreams. I dream of forests filled with oaks…with rowan and hawthorn. I dream of the smell of peat and the misty mornings overlooking the ocean.”
Nodding, I glanced up at the tree. “These are my roots—this land is my anchor. Even when I was Myst’s daughter, this was our homeland. But where were you?”
Rhia smiled faintly. “I’m only beginning to remember. But long ago and far away…it’s in a fog, but I remember the forest. And I was there. I was on my belly…” Her voice dropped and she lowered herself to the ground, stretching out. “I remember, on my belly, through the grass and the trees. Through…”
Silence fell between us. Rhia looked up at me, her irises shifting, her pupils becoming slits. “On my belly…in the grass.” She began to transform, and as I watched, her legs fused together and her arms to her sides.
I stepped back. No, she shouldn’t be this…Danger, my owl self whispered to me. There is danger here. Fly away.
I shifted into owl form effortlessly, still wearing my clothing, and flew up into the branches of the tree. This was my homeland, this was my land, this was my rightful place. And below…
Below, Rhiannon’s skin scaled over, and her hair flowed into the scales, creating a beautiful diamond pattern down her back. She wove back and forth, rising, sleek and muscled and mesmerizing. I watched as she coiled, staring up at me, her tail rattling. I could feel her hunger, and my own was stirred. I had carried off snakes before, my talons keeping them from striking me.
But something stopped me from sweeping down on her to snatch her up. Some recognition that we were both necessary, that we could not harm the other. And in her gaze, I saw the same feeling reflected back at me.
We are the new way. My thoughts reached out to her.
We are two of a kind. We are amber and jet—fire and ice. We are kin. Her voice whispered in my head.
And then the snake wavered back and forth, in a dance of sorts, and turned, slithering off into the undergrowth. I watched her go. There would be other meetings, other altercations, but she and I would remain linked. Forever, whatever shape our bodies might take.
“Cicely, it’s time to get up. Time to get ready.” Peyton shook me awake. I wanted to brush her off, to say “Come back later,” but then I remembered where we were going and I struggled from under the covers. At least the room was warm, unlike the warehouse.
“Do I have time for a shower?” I loved showers. Showers woke me up and made me feel ready for whatever was coming.
She nodded. “Yes. But a quick one. I’ll see you downstairs.” As she left the room, I pulled my hair back in a ponytail to keep it dry, and stepped under the glorious water, rubbing bodywash over my body in a thick sweep, the lather sudsing up to make me inexplicably happy. I rinsed and then stepped out of the stall, wrapping the towel around me.
As I headed back into the bedroom, I heard a noise and whirled around, ready to yell at Grieve for startling me. But it wasn’t Grieve standing there.
Lannan was leaning against the wall, looking golden and brilliant and impeccably dressed. I glanced at the door and saw that he’d turned the lock so no one could get in. He laughed at my expression as he slowly crossed the room.
Frozen, I couldn’t move, my thoughts slogging in slow motion.
As he reached my side, he slid one arm around my waist and drew me to him, his lips bare inches from mine. “Welcome back, Cicely.” His voice was low and I could feel no breath as he spoke, no pulse of heartbeat racing through his fingers. His face crinkled into laughter. “Your expression is priceless. Aren’t you going to greet your Master after being gone for so long?”
Before I could speak, he pressed his lips to mine, and suddenly he was kissing me as an explosion of desire rushed through my body. I struggled against him, but he squeezed my waist a little harder, and then—before I could stop myself—I was kissing him back.
Chapter 15
“What the hell are you doing?” I fought him away as soon as I realized what I was doing.
He didn’t let go of me but broke out of that delicious, decadent kiss. “Why, simply welcoming you to your new home.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. He sat down on my bed, still holding on to my waist, and he pulled me down on his lap so that his knee thrust between my legs. I wasn’t wearing underwear and the knowledge that my pussy was against the denim of his jeans both repulsed me and titillated me.
I wanted to crawl off and hide. Lannan had the perfect knack for making me feel two inches tall. “Thanks, but I need to get dressed now.”
With a laugh, he let go, but as I stood up, he grabbed my towel and it fell away. I grimaced, scrambling to try to cover my boobs, but one look at the delighted expression on his face and I stopped. I stood straight, naked, facing him. Let him look if he liked.
After a moment, I turned to my closet but instantly realized my mistake. He was at my back in a blur of motion, pressing me against the dresser, spooning me. I could feel him rigid beneath the front of his jeans, hard and demanding. He slipped his hands around to run them over my nipples.
“You like this, don’t you?” His voice was rough as he pinched my breasts, rubbing hard. “One word and I’ll fuck you. One simple ‘please’ and my cock will be up in you so fast you won’t be able to blink.”
