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In a flash, she was back on the cold, clammy floor of the underground room, choking and wheezing as she struggled to recover. There was no one beside her, no live body beneath her fingers, and no calming voice to fill her ears. Once she could breathe again, she blinked several times and used the railing on the steps to climb to her feet. Rushing upstairs, she cast a quick glance around the tiny cottage to ensure she was alone, and then laughed aloud to the empty room.
Rather than feeling drowsy and drained of all her resources, she was wide awake and brimming with power. Every one of her nerves stood at attention, humming with frantic electricity. All of her senses were heightened, her body ready to jump into action. She looked down at the bracelets around her wrists, the symbols of the magical forces binding her to both Marindal and the sphere, and was tempted to see if she could finally tear them off. Though she felt strong enough to accomplish anything she set out to do, she had to be careful and not do anything rash which could draw attention to her newfound state.
Something else held her back. She had never envisioned making her escape alone, and now that she had made the acquaintance of the subtly charming Stephen, she wasn’t ready to abandon her initial plan. He would prove beneficial to her, she was sure of it. Their time together would come, and he would be an ally in her pursuit of freedom.
Liora sat down and took several deep breaths. The rush of adrenaline slowed and she could think more rationally. Being so energized after her last thrilling brush with the man who was endearing himself to her couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. A pleased grin crept across her face as she realized she might play more of a role in her own rescue than she’d thought.
She was far too wound up to sleep, and she tried to find activities to occupy her racing mind and pass the time until nightfall. Checking the shield did not take long at all and only increased the urge to determine her new capabilities. Though the sun had yet to dip down below the lilting trees, murky gray storm clouds had begun to usurp the sky from the rays of light. When a dim haze settled at the windows, she decided she could wait no longer.
The sphere revealed the same wooded trail she had seen when she’d made her first connection to Stephen. She couldn’t see his face, but when she pressed her ear to the vivid orb, strains of his voice echoed faintly, making their way to her. Keeping her cheek against the surface, she flattened herself across it and reached out to him through the only channel available, anxious to see if she could infiltrate his conscious mind.
From the basement, she could hear the droplets of rain pounding against the roof and walls of her cottage. Blocking out the distraction, she stayed focused on her target and watched as he returned to his home. It was there she caught her first glimpse of his painting, his rendition of her physical appearance. Her own eyes looked back at her from the canvas, and every other feature was depicted with a delicate beauty which warmed her heart. The time and effort he had spent on her moved her deeply and she felt the first sting of a forming tear.
The evidence of his immense talent and skill, all culminating in his stunning vision of her, was almost enough to make her lose her concentration and the link to his world. His impassioned whispers called her back to him, and she resumed her mission of communicating with him outside of his dreams. One plea stood out, resonating throughout her entire body.
“Who are you? I don’t even know what to call you.”
Liora closed her eyes and willed with every ounce of strength for her voice to be heard. Thunder crashed overhead, yet she called to him, crying her own name out over and over. The sphere abruptly changed into a turbulent ball of water, suspended in mid-air, and she lost her grip as the edge gave way. A cobalt wave of icy streams splashed down on her as she stumbled. Upon hitting the floor, she scrambled backward, groping her way toward the stairs.
Another jet of water splattered against the wall. She turned around, terrified of what she might have done. With her mouth wide open in fear, she watched as the core of the sphere spun into a whirlpool of black bands and ominous currents. She clung to the railing, praying she would be able to climb the stairs in time if the underground room should flood with the effects of her risky experiment. The bubbling exterior of the sphere somehow contained the churning maelstrom within, but was it strong enough to withstand the pressure?
Doubtful as to whether the danger had subsided, she inched her way up to the top step to observe from a safer point. Several endless minutes passed, and the sphere no longer looked ready to explode from the clashing forces raging inside. The menacing darkness brightened to the usual aqua hue which normally shone through, and soon, there was not a single sign of anything unsettling that had taken place.
Liora sighed and pulled her knees to her chest, huddled in her dampened clothes. It was clear she did not control the powers of the sphere as much she would have hoped. The unexpected consequences of her actions did not deter her, however, and she ran back down the stairs to examine the source of her abilities and frustration.
It seemed to be intact, despite its previous instability, and she was eager to learn if she could recreate the dream for Stephen. The shining sphere was cool beneath her touch and she didn’t sense any abnormalities. Pressing her palms against it and leaning on her forearms, she closed her eyes and channeled all her energy into dimensions beyond her home.
Chapter Twelve
Liora breathed a sigh of relief upon finding herself beside the shaded pool. She took her seat in her usual place and looked around. Everything appeared as it had the night before, and not a single rock or leaf was out of place. She had been lucky, she realized, and she vowed to be more cautious in the future.
It wasn’t long before Stephen tumbled forth from the woods, breathless and wide-eyed. He stared at her, cocking his head to the side as he panted for air, and raised his eyebrows. “Liora?”
The sound of her name in his voice sent a chill rippling across her skin, and she resisted the urge to rush toward him and fling her arms around his waist. Instead, she waited for him to sit next to her, and she took his hand in hers once more. She didn’t dare attempt to speak aloud, but she tried to mouth some words in response to his greeting. Her efforts were futile, though, and she gave up when she saw his frustration in trying to understand her.
However, he could speak, and there were things she wanted to know. She touched his leg, her fingers running down his bare flesh and over the coarse tissue of the scar disfiguring the side of his calf. Her gaze lingered there as she contemplated its origins, and then she turned back toward him, imploring him to tell her more of his story.
As hard as he tried to escape her inquisitive stare, she was unrelenting. His eyes focused on a fixed point somewhere in front of them as he spoke. Liora sensed he was seeing events from his past being replayed on a constant loop, lifelike scenes which would never fully escape him. His tale was not the most tragic she had ever heard, yet she could tell how it had affected him. For much of his life, it seemed little attention had been paid to this man. Careless actions had almost crippled him, both physically and emotionally. While he evoked sympathy from her, she was confident he would be the one to help her escape her prison. But how could she draw strength from him?
She gave his shoulder a soft squeeze, and he snapped back to look at her again, his face so very close to hers. He didn’t give her a chance to react before he kissed her, caressing the back of her neck and pulling her close. His calm, patient demeanor transformed into something far more urgent, and he pressed his lips against hers with inspiring vitality. She was all too happy to reciprocate and she locked her arms around him, yearning to feel as much of him against her as possible.
There was so much she wanted to share, so much she wanted to offer, and she slid on top of him. Many barriers already stood in their way, and she was determined to remove what she could. She yanked at the cords holding her cloak fastened at her throat, letting the heavy garment fall to the ground. His gaze never left her as her hands made their way to the buttons of his shirt.
As soon as she pulled the two halves apart, he grabbed her, sending her slamming into his chest. His pulse throbbed beneath the paper-thin fabric of her dress, and the heat grew between them. While his lips found hers again, his hands traveled her body, exploring her stomach, hips, back, then returning to her unrestrained hair. She was more than willing to return the frenetic gestures, striving to memorize the lines of his body by touch before he would be torn away from her.
His sweet kisses roved down the long line of her neck to her exposed shoulder. Liora trembled beneath his tender manipulations, her responses to the invigorating sensations he coaxed from her involuntary. His hand reached for the dress’s strap and pushed it away, baring her breast to him. He caressed it with hesitant tenderness, and she closed her eyes as he teased the sensitive nipple that stood erect in the soft breeze.
She dug her fingertips into his back as his tongue glided across her skin. Forgotten feelings awakened deep within her. With his hands and mouth on her body, he also commanded a magnetic hold on her soul. She wanted to succumb to him, to know him intimately.
In the rush of desires racing through every part of her, she could no longer retain control of herself. A surge of power tore through her mind, and she held onto him as she whispered his name, her voice cutting through the shreds of the fantasy in which they were suspended.
***
Pleasure was replaced by pain as she slammed into the basement wall, the air forced from her lungs for the second time in a single day. Opening her eyes, she slid down the damp stones until she lay crumpled in a heap on the floor, panting from a combination of the violent impact and the lingering memory of Stephen’s lips upon her. Her heart raced, her flesh was still set aflame, and she ached to be back in his arms.
Without thinking, she slipped her hand beneath her dress and found the wet recess between her legs. The remnants of his sensuous touch were seared into her skin, and she couldn’t shake the thoughts of what might have happened had she been able to maintain the shared dream. She rubbed along her cleft through her sodden underwear, wishing it were someone else’s fingers massaging her. Before she could proceed much further, a noise from upstairs drew her attention away from her fervid groping. She pulled herself to her feet to investigate and identified the sound as a rapping at the front door.
Tirani rushed inside as soon as she was permitted to enter. “My goodness! What happened here?”
