Consort (Beyond Ontariese 6) (23 page)

“
That’s diabolical.” He
grinned. “I love it.”

“
DNA targeting will keep
you safe, and being there when it happens will make it seem less
likely that you were involved. You’ll hold your brother in your
arms as he breathes his last, wailing with sorrow that he never
gave you the opportunity to prove how much you’ve
changed.”

“
I can picture it now.” He
laughed, resting his head back against the wall. “It will be so
dramatic.”

Yes it
will
. She carefully shielded her excited
thoughts as she pictured the actual scene. Indric would rock the
lifeless body of his Rodyte whore and what was left of Eagin would
be scattered nearby. Indric’s reputation would be shredded once the
secret was revealed. He’d have no choice but to form a strong
alliance as soon as possible. And with his mistress no longer
clouding his judgment, he’d finally realize the wisdom of joining
forces with the Fire Queen.

* * * * *

Charlotte walked into the room
carrying a massive bouquet of Bilarrian wildflowers, a broad smile
showcasing her even white teeth. “Where shall I put
these?”

“
Anywhere you like. It’s
your house.” Cinarra sank deeper into the thickly padded chair and
stared out the window of Charlotte’s guestroom. The room overlooked
the backyard, but Cinarra wasn’t interested in the scenery. She’d
been in self-imposed isolation for the past six days. Charlotte had
tried numerous strategies to penetrate Cinarra’s gloom, but none of
it had made any difference. Anger required too much energy and
Cinarra was tired of crying, so she sank deeper into depression
with each passing hour. “Why is he doing this? He made his desires
abundantly clear. ‘You have to leave’ wasn’t exactly subtle,
especially while he shoved me out of the room.”

“
Even a monarch is allowed
to change his mind.” Charlotte placed the flowers on the table
beside Cinarra then rested her hip on the chair’s wide arm. Wild
flowers were Cinarra’s favorite, as was the spiced wine he’d sent
yesterday and the chocolate-covered pinaranuts that arrived two
days before that. He’d known her for nine years and he was using
that familiarity to wear down her defenses. “Talk to him. He’s
commed you numerous times. Why won’t you accept any of the
transmissions?”

“
I don’t see the point.”
She dragged her gaze away from the tranquil vista and looked at her
sister. “Everything he said that night is true. His enemies will
have a field day if they find out about me. His family has ruled
the San Adrin for countless millennia. I can’t compete with
that.”

“
If Tal and I had given in
to that sort of thinking, I’d be married to his brother Trey right
now.”

The light floral scent teased
Cinarra’s nose as she looked at her sister more closely. “What are
you talking about?”

“
Ontarian tradition stated
that the high queen must choose her life mate from among the heirs
of the great houses. The eldest son of House dar Aune was Trey not
Tal.”

“
I thought I knew
everything about you. Why is this the first I’ve heard of major
rule breaking?”

Charlotte smiled, yet wistfulness
shaped her expression. “It was right after I arrived on Ontariese.
I hardly feel like the same person I was all those cycles
ago.”

“
Tal is the most
traditional Ontarian I’ve ever met. How did you convince him to
buck tradition?”

“
We not only bucked
tradition, we rewrote the law. We were meant to be together and
nothing was going to stand in the way of our love, certainly not an
outdated, obsolete tradition.” She chuckled, obviously lost in
yesteryear, then her expression grew serious. “You can’t avoid
Indric forever. He’ll come claim you if you keep ignoring
him.”

Maybe that’s what I
want.
She didn’t intentionally share the
thought with her sister, but as upset as she was, chances were
pretty good that her thoughts were broadcasting to any telepath in
close proximity.

“
He obviously cares about
you,” Charlotte persisted. “Why won’t you give him a
chance?”

“
The first time around was
all me. He crooked his finger and I came running. It’s going to
take more than flowers and candy if he really wants a second
chance.”

“
He’s trying not to
pressure you, to give you enough space so you can make up your
mind.”

“
I’m not the one who
changed their mind.” Anger flared through her depression and she
snatched a bright orange blossom from the vase. “I was willing to
be his mistress when I wanted so much more. He’ll not get me so
cheaply if and when he tries again.”

“
But that’s what he’s
doing. He has caged the beast and he’s courting you like a
gentleman courts a lady.”

What if she didn’t want the “beast”
caged? Her last night with Indric had easily been the most exciting
night of her life. She’d never felt so invigorated or so connected
to another person. She didn’t want to go back to sensing his
reserve and watching him struggle to contain the full scope of his
desire.

Rather than explain the nature of her
thoughts, she asked, “When did you become Indric’s
cheerleader?”

Charlotte laughed again and stood up.
“Good question. Why am I encouraging you to join with a Bilarrian?
I’d much rather have you here on Ontariese. Torment him as long as
you like. I’m sure he deserves every sleepless night.” She bent
down and kissed Cinarra’s cheek. “But don’t forget that he’ll be
here tomorrow. His head steward confirmed Indric’s plans to attend
the gala.” With a smile still lingering on her lips, she walked
from the room.

Perfect. Cinarra sighed as she raised
the flower to her nose. She’d been looking forward to Charlotte’s
gala. They’d decided to officially launch Cinarra’s public persona
at the event. But if Indric was going to be there, it would
complicate everything. Rather than a relaxing evening with her
family, she’d be avoiding Indric at every turn.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed to her
feet and stuck the flower back in the vase. The bright colors and
pleasant fragrance peeled back another layer of her melancholy. The
flowers really were beautiful. Each of his gifts had been
thoughtful and personal. And she found it harder to remain
unaffected by his gestures.

She crossed to the window and leaned
her shoulder against the frame. The tree-lined perimeter obscured
her view of the Conservatory, but she knew it was approximately two
miles to the east. Only Mystics were allowed within the complex and
Charlotte frequently hosted visiting dignitaries, so Tal and
Charlotte had built their home at the west end of Mystic
Valley.

Much to Cinarra’s disappointment,
she’d learned that Betaul had been taken to the Conservatory.
Apparently, Krysta’s protestations hadn’t been enough to keep Tal
from taking control of the boy’s education. Cinarra hated to admit
it, but it was probably for the best. One person alone would never
be able to safeguard and train someone with Betaul’s potential.
Still, she missed him and the simple life they’d shared for the
past nine years.

Change was inevitable. Children grew
up and time marched on, with or without permission. She turned from
the window and headed for the bathroom, tucked away in the corner
of the guestroom. It was too early to go to bed, so she decided to
take a long, leisurely bath.

She turned on the water to fill the
tub as she took a quick shower. Charlotte had done her best to draw
Cinarra out of her dark mood, but what Cinarra needed most was time
and distance. The hypocritical thought made her smile. What she
needed most was Indric.

The water soothed her tense muscles
but did little to calm her troubled mind. Every time she closed her
eyes, his image appeared, drawing her, haunting her. Charlotte was
right. It wasn’t fair to ignore him. She needed to tell him what
she felt and what she wanted, let him know that sex—however
amazing—would never be enough for her. She wanted it all, or she
wanted to move on.

As if it would be that easy. She sank
lower in the tub, hoping the water’s heat would soak away her
loneliness. Betaul’s awakening power had taken him away from her
and now she was likely to lose Indric too. What did that
leave?

Sorrow welled within her, momentarily
stealing her breath. She felt squeezed, suffocated, as if all the
oxygen had been sucked from the room. She didn’t want to want him
this badly, hated the idea of being defined by her love for a man.
The useless thought made her smile and she was able to relax her
chest enough to draw a deep breath. She’d always been defined by
her love for others, first her daughters, then Betaul, and now
Indric. As long as she found contentment in the nurturing role, how
could that be wrong?

This wasn’t working. All the stillness
only focused her mind on her emotions. She triggered the drain and
rinsed the soapy residue from her body, then pulled a towel off the
heating rack and stepped out of the tub. She needed to read a book
or watch an entertainment vid, anything to keep her mind
busy.

Humidity from the tub had fogged the
mirror, so she grabbed a hand towel and wiped the surface clean.
Then she dug a comb out of the top drawer beside the sink and
looked into the mirror. Indric’s reflection greeted her
unsuspecting eyes and she gasped, spinning around as the comb
slipped from her fingers.

“
What are you doing here?”
Her pulse raced, but she couldn’t begin to unravel the myriad
emotions twisting through her consciousness. “How did you get in
here without triggering an alarm?”

“
I didn’t.” He bent and
picked up the comb, holding it out as his gaze caressed her face.
“I politely knocked on the shields and your sister let me
in.”

“
Of course she did.” She
snatched the comb from his hand and turned back around. “Charlotte
is suddenly your biggest fan.” Trying to ignore him was pointless,
but her pride demanded that she at least pretend.

“
Really?” He crossed his
arms over his chest and watched her in the mirror. Rather than his
habitual ivory and gold, he was dressed in solid black. Well, what
few clothes he wore were black. The pants hung precariously low on
his lean hips and the vest did more to accent the sculpted contours
of his torso than cover them up. Even his feet were bare. It was
obvious he didn’t plan on leaving her quarters.

“
What do you want?” She
dragged the comb through her wet hair, stubbornly focusing on her
reflection.

He moved closer, lightly resting his
hands on her bare shoulders. “Has that ever been in
doubt?”

“
Yes.” She twisted out from
under his hands and faced him again. “‘You need to leave’ doesn’t
make anyone feel wanted.”

“
I meant for a few minutes
while I gathered my thoughts. I was shocked and angry and didn’t
want to say something I’d regret for the rest of my life.” She
started to reply, but he shook his head. “Let me finish. You were
right. You tried to tell me several times and I shut you down. I
never wanted you to leave the palace, much less the
planet.”

Damn it. How was she supposed to stay
angry when he was being so reasonable? “Nothing has changed. I’m
still a weapon any of your enemies could use to destroy
you.”

“
I don’t care. We’ll
forewarn the council, as you suggested. The threat is powerless if
the secret has already been revealed. We won’t make a public
announcement or anything, just let a few more people in on the
secret in case it becomes an issue at some future date.”

“
You came here to tell me
that?” She tossed the comb into the sink, needing to look at
something other than Indric, if only for a moment. He reached for
her face but she batted his hand aside. “Don’t. I didn’t respond to
your coms because there is nothing we can say that will change the
reality of our situation.”

“
You didn’t answer my coms
for the same reason you ran away. You wanted me to chase you. You
needed to know that I want you enough to fight for you.” He eased
his fingers inside her towel and grasped the material, dragging her
forward as he said, “I’m here to fight for you.”

The brush of his fingers against her
bare skin made her breasts ache and her nipples tingle. Gods how
she wanted this man. “I’m still trapped in the body of your enemy.
How will we ever resolve that?”

“
I’m not in love with your
body. I’m in love with
you
.”

I’m in love with
you
. Her heart latched on to the phrase and
wouldn’t let go. They’d spoken of desire and sharing emotions, but
he’d never before used those exact words.

“
Why do you look shocked?”
He framed her face with his warm hands and tilted her head back
until their gazes locked. “I’ve loved you since the moment I met
you. Surely that can’t come as a surprise.”

She closed her eyes, blocking out his
handsome face and the tenderness so apparent in his gaze. “They’re
just words. Your people will never accept me.”

“
My people will have no
choice.” His thumb brushed her lips as he kissed her forehead.
“You’re the woman I want at my side and that’s all that
matters.”