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Sighing, he closed his eyes a beat and decided he'd tackle one thing at a time. Attending dinner should be easy enough. It wasn't as if he had to decide his entire life by then.
And besides, maybe he could study his bride covertly and later have an even more erotic dream of her, to help plan what he would do to her when Leo could finally claim her.
* * *
For the firsttime since beginning her magic lessons, Yesenia finally didn't feel as if she'd tumble over from exhaustion after finishing with Rebecca. She might not be running marathons any time soon, but she could maybe still go for a walk, which was a huge fucking deal. Stamina was super important for magic, after all.
If not wanting to instantly take a nap wasn't a big enough improvement, she'd only taken five minutes to fully contain her magical power. And if she kept at it, in a few more days her ability could be at an acceptable level to try moving inanimate objects a short amount of time forward.
Add in the texts she'd read about the basics of time travel magic—most importantly: she couldn't interfere in her own past or that of any pivotal pillar of history, although she was still learning who such pillars were—the laws surrounding it, and some general fae witch history, and Yesenia felt more confident she was coming ever closer to her goal of being able to help her siblings.
It would still probably be weeks, or even months, before she could even attempt moving a person through time. But she should at least be able to get a message to her brother and sister much sooner than that. Moving a note to the future should be far easier than a person, according to everything she'd learned. And if her siblings could hide a little longer from Derek, then Yesenia really did have a good shot at saving them.
She'd just finished her latest text on magical theory when there was a knock on the small room Leo had converted into a study for her. "Come in."
Nora entered with a wide smile. She had to blink a second as Nora rarely smiled, and when she did, it wasn't that broadly. "Yes?"
"Some of your new clothing has arrived, and just in time for our supper with Leo tonight."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "I thought we agreed you'd stop playing matchmaker. The male hasn't spoken to me in four days. That's a clear enough message, especially since I'm not a female who waits forever, listlessly, for a male to show me some attention."
Nora waved her hand. "Of course not. Your strong personality is what attracted Leo in the first place. However, you still plan to let him claim you, correct?"
Yesenia nodded. "Yes, of course, that's our bargain. Besides, I won't let him go crazy, especially not after all he's offered and done for me."
Nora nodded. "Well, then, doesn't it make sense to know him a bit better before that happens? I know what it's like to have sex with a stranger, and it's awkward, unpleasant, and sometimes even terrifying or painful. I don't want that for you. So you're going to supper and chatting at least a little with Leo."
Since Nora had brought up her past, Yesenia asked cautiously, "When did you have to have sex with a stranger?"
Her jaw clenched a beat before Nora replied, "A long time ago. But I won't discuss it tonight." A knock at the door made Nora go to open it. A maid stood there. "Yes?"
"I've hung her garments in the wardrobe, as you asked, miss."
"Thank you, Sarah." Once the vampire maid bobbed her head and left, Nora turned toward Yesenia. "Come, let's figure out what you should wear this evening."
She sighed, sensing the steel in Nora's voice meant she didn't have much choice in the matter. "Does it mean wearing a full corset?"
After the first couple of days of Yesenia complaining, Nora had offered a half-corset used for fashion decades earlier, which only went halfway down her ribcage and gave her more movement.
Not for the first time Yesenia wished she had smaller boobs so she didn't have to worry about shit like bras and corsets.
Nora bobbed her head. "Unfortunately, yes. But I won't overly tighten it, like you asked me not to before."
Yesenia had always thought bras torture devices, but corsets in 1890, when females tried for impossible waistlines that certainly had to cause health problems, were far worse. It was one thing she put her foot down on—no tightening. Her waist was just fine, thank you very much, even if by late Victorian standards she was a whale.
Standing, she tidied up her desk before going to Nora's side. "I wish you'd listened to me about not needing fancy clothes. I've never cared for expensive things, or the latest fashion. To be honest, apart from that wedding dress, I haven't worn dresses or skirts since I was a child."
They exited the room and headed upstairs toward Yesenia's bedroom. Nora smiled. "Ah, yes, the trousers you speak of. I'm still unsure about having males being able to stare at my legs and derriere whenever they wish. It would give them ideas, and not in a good way."
Yesenia lowered her voice conspiratorially. "But you see, men wear trousers too, without jackets, which means we can check out their asses on the sly as well. Someday I want to show you a nice, round butt in a pair of jeans. Trust me, you'll never be the same."
Nora rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Even though Nora had revealed she preferred men, she'd also shared how she never intended to sleep with one ever again. Only if she came across her fated one, then she'd do it once out of necessity to stop the onset of madness, but that was it.
Something had obviously killed Nora's sexual desires, or at least had stopped the female from seeing sex in a positive light. Yesenia was still determined to figure outwhythat was the case and try to help her. It'd become one of her projects to keep her from constantly worrying about Meadow and River.
Soon they were in Yesenia's room, discussing what to wear, and she was distracted again by all the new, old-timey clothes. Even if she was never much one for dresses or skirts, they were starting to grow on her a little.
Once she was dressed and her hair done into some gravity-defying style, they headed toward the dining room used only for Leo and his family, and Yesenia couldn't stop her heart from pounding.
She’d done her best to forget about him. And yet, his tenderness the last time they'd talked, combined with how the mere brushing of his fingers against her own made her entire body hot and bothered, made a very, very small part of her want to give them a go.
Stop being ridiculous, Yesenia.She needed to focus on learning to control her magic, save her siblings, and then probably figure out the best way to monetize her powers. That would secure a future for everyone she loved, after all.
However, as they neared the doorway to the dining room, her heart raced even faster. Would she encounter arrogant asshole Leo, or the kinder, gentler version from their last conversation? It really shouldn't matter, and yet it somehow did.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders, kept her head high, and followed Nora inside the room.
