Mine to Take (26 page)

“You must surrender yourself to each moment,
taja,”
he said brokenly. “Each touch…each breath…it is the only way…”

She nodded shakily.

His thrusts continued in the incremental pattern. Now his special enhancements strummed in syncopated pulse. It occurred to Jenise that the legendary enhancer of the Familiars was so much more than a simple sexual augmentation. While they occasionally used the technique to magnify pleasure, she now knew that the ability was intricately connected to this ritual of Incarnation.

When he reached the eighth tier, she knew he was holding back for her. Beads of moisture dotted his forehead, his beautiful dual-colored eyes were passion-glazed, his hands shook. “I must stop for your sake,” he croaked. “I—”

A strong tremor rocked his body. And hers. He groaned in pain.

He
cannot stop the Incarnation,
she realized. He would not survive it.

“No!”
Weak as she was from the wild lovemaking, she clutched him to her, refusing to let him stop. She was not a Familiar woman, but she
was
a woman who could fight for what she loved! She knew the strength was in her.
She would show this Familiar
the power of a woman’s heart.

“No, Gian! I want you to continue! Do you hear me? I will not let you stop!”

A burst of energy and longing seized her with her resolve.

She rolled with him, bringing him beneath her. He grabbed her hips, bringing her flush against him as he surged up into her with a dynamic penetration. Her hands rested on his chest as she leaned over him, moving her hips, showing him that she was a match for any Familiar woman!

Gian’s eyes narrowed in approval as he watched her.

A soughing purr rolled from his chest.

There was only a moment to wonder if the cat in him had been testing her all along…

With a mighty effort, his arms encircled her and he sat up with her in his lap. Still pulsing within her. Not getting weaker but stronger and stronger.

With their arms around each other, holding each other tightly, he sharply nipped her shoulder, using the
Sting of Honey
bite. A highly provocative and skilled maneuver designed to elevate sexual fervor.

It worked.

Jenise cried out, losing herself in the expertise of his lips, hands, teeth, and strokes.

He entered into the ninth level.

Nine sharp pulses of enhancement.

Nine strokes, all deep.

Jenise moaned into his mouth. He hissed into her throat.

Photons of light began to circle him, rising from his core, pulsing and glowing with his movements as the sexual energy between them rose higher and higher into something new.

Her feminine strength seemed to be lifting within her. A glow lit his form, blinking on and off as parts of him throbbed, humming as if he were in the process of metamorphosing. Only he was not transforming… Something else was happening.

Pulses were skittering along her; she looked down at her own arms, shocked to see the glow around them as well!

He took her mouth in a blazing kiss. Uttering a fierce yell, he opened himself entirely to her, releasing everything to her. Surrendering his strength, his power, his love.

Both of them cried out at the sheer beauty of the moment.

Holding each other fast.

As the spasms and pulsations went on and on.

Until finally they sagged against each other, heads resting on each other’s shoulders.

Jenise blinked.
She had done it!
She had brought Gian through his Incarnation! And she was not a Familiar woman. She cuddled her cheek against his shoulder in a loving gesture as she tried to regain her breath.

A small tickle
itched
in the palm of her hand, trying to get her attention. Uncurling her fingers, she gasped as a tiny yellow sphere of light rose upward.

“Look, Gian,” she whispered in awe.

Spent, still breathing raggedly himself, Guardian of the Mist gazed up at the free-floating ball of light. Sudden moisture filled his green and gold eyes; an expression of unbound happiness lit his handsome features.

“What
is
it, Gian?” she uttered softly, awed by what she was seeing as well as what they had recently done together. They were still intimately joined.

The tiny light bounced over Gian, almost lovingly, before darting around her. “It is our son,
taja.”

Jenise gasped. “Our
son?”

“Yes, and he is Familiar!” His face glowed with pride.

Gian held out his palm and the little light flitted to rest on the surface of his palm. “Will you take him, Jenise?” he asked reverently.

Jenise was stunned. Familiar procreation was much different than Frensi. While she hesitated out of shock, the tiny light began to fade. “What is happening to it?” she cried, alarmed. “Why is he fading?”

When Gian spoke, his tone was sorrowful. “You have not accepted him. I understand that it is too soon—”

“I do accept him!” she called out urgently, afraid that with her ignorance of Familiar ways she had somehow harmed their child. She had not thought to have a child, but now that he was here…well, that was different!

Gian gave her such a look of love that Jenise knew she would never forget it. Cupping the tiny light, he solemnly placed his palm over her lower belly. With a strange ZIP! the light was gone.

“Where did it go?” she gasped.

Gian chuckled at her expression. “In you,
taja.
His physical body came to being within you this eve, but it is the spirit we created together that gives him his true life.”

Her hand covered her stomach, hardly believing that their child was now residing there.
Gian’s child.
Her eyes filled with tears. “Did you know of this before we started?”

He shook his head. “I knew there was a possibility, but that was all. A Familiar man can only bestow such a gift during Incarnation, but even then the energies must be exactly right for conception to occur. Although I had the ability to prevent it, Jenise, I could not bring myself to. So rare will be the opportunity for us…” He brought her hand to his mouth. “I decided it would be your choice.”

Her fingers brushed his lips.
“Decided
it was my choice, hmmm?” The never-ending subtlety of the Familiar.

His eyes sparkled at her. “I see you begin to understand us.”

She laughed. “Hardly.”

“Good. I prefer to remain a surprise to you, my Creamcat.” He grinned engagingly at her.

For the first time she noticed he appeared more vibrant and somewhat more youthful. Her strength had given this to him. A feeling of
power
rose up in her. “The Tan-Shi Mother was right then.”

“What did she say?”

Jenise gave him a coy look as she ran her little finger lightly over the small second line that had appeared on his upper inner thigh. “Never mind, Guardian of the Mist, you have gotten me into quite enough trouble for one day.”

He laughed, hugging her to him. “Ah, but I have lifetimes of trouble for you.”

She smiled against his throat. “Yes, I believe you do.”

He purred huskily.

Lorgin sat on the grassy knoll, bouncing his infant daughter on his knee. His father, Krue, scrutinized his every move as if he were about to commit an unspeakable blunder in the care of his daughter.

Lorgin sighed mournfully.

When it came to his first
nearchild
Krue was worse than…well, he was just worse! Who could have guessed that such a fierce warrior would get so
overtaken
by a mere babe?

Lorgin cocked his blond head to the side and stared at his daughter as if he were trying to see what strange command the tiny thing wielded. She gazed up at him with her enormous amethyst eyes and gave him a foolish little grin.

His heart melted as it always did. Well, yes, he could see she was exceptional! He gave her a gentle hug.

“I vow Lilac and I shall wait a long while before we have a babe.” His brother Rejar had sauntered over.

Most likely to cause trouble.

Rejar confirmed Lorgin’s opinion when he gave his brother an evil grin. “After all, I would not want to do anything to interfere with this fine
rapport
you are building with Father.”

Lorgin’s nostrils flared. It was unusual for Rejar not to be under the watchful eye of Krue. Somehow, since Rejar had returned with a wife from Ree Gen Cee Ing Land everything had turned upside down! Including the fact that his brother was entering the Charl—a thing he had sworn he would never do.

Rejar casually tickled Melody under her chin. The babe reacted as most females did around the half-Familiar; she gave him a dreamy look of complete adoration.

Lorgin’s amethyst eyes narrowed.

He lightly smoothed over his daughter’s fuzzy red hair. “I am not too concerned, brother…knowing you, it should not be too long before you garner Father’s
undivided
attention once again.”

Rejar gave his brother his famous gamin grin. The smile that said, we shall see. Lorgin snorted.

The family had gathered on this hillside for Rejar’s initiation ceremony. It was a secluded glade near the Towering Forest where most of the Lodarres line had been initiated. Lorgin, himself, was initiated in this very spot when he was but a young man. He noted that Traed and Gian and Jenise were making their way up the knoll to them.

“How many Charl does it take to don a cloak?” Adeeann, Lorgin’s wife, cheerfully asked him.

Lorgin rolled his eyes. His wife had started these “how many Charl” jokes and they had taken Aviara by storm. “Will you cease these Charl jests!”

Adeeann gave him a smug look and waited.

Lorgin sighed. “How many?” he asked, resigned.

“Five.”

“Five?” Rejar raised a black brow.

“One to don the cloak and four others to nod approvingly!” Adeeann grinned.

Rejar roared with laughter.

Lorgin gave her a reproving glance out of the corner of his eye, although his lips lifted at the corners.

Gian went over to greet Rejar. Jenise found herself alone with Yaniff. The old wizard congratulated her, his dark eyes twinkling.

“How do you know?” Jenise smiled at him, surprised.

“I am a mystic,” he replied with a gleam. “I know many things.”

Jenise shook her finger at him. “And what do you see of our child?” Her hand covered her abdomen protectively. “Only good things, I hope.”

Yaniff grinned at her. “Could Guardian of the Mist sire anything less?”

Jenise laughed. “You do know him well!”

Yaniff chuckled. “I cannot tell you much, but the babe will be of golden hair—lighter than Gian’s, darker than yours. His eyes will be aqua and gold and like his father’s.”

“Like his father’s?” Jenise questioned, for Gian’s eyes were green and gold.

“Yes…like his father’s.”

His meaning sank in. “The aqua eye…?”

“Will have three tiny flecks of gold.”

Jenise inhaled a deep breath. “He will rule M’yan then.”

Yaniff stared at her silently.

“What else, Yaniff?”

The ancient mystic rubbed his chin. “He will inherit your Frensi gift.”

She blinked at this. “The gift of the Dance?”

“Yes.”

“But…that is impossible! It is only passed on to the females of my race.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because it has always been so!”

“Ah. Mayhap that it is because it has always been
believed
so.”

She bit her lip as she pondered his words. “Perhaps…Then he will be able to—”

“Express his love through the Frensi Dance but only once in his life. To his perfect love, yes.”

Jenise thanked Yaniff as she patted her stomach, praying
that her son would not only recognize his perfect love, but also experience it throughout his lifetime. Her gaze went to her husband. Something Rejar had said had amused Gian, for he threw back his head in laughter, his perfect white teeth flashing.
He is so handsome…

So incredibly strong.

Her heart thudded in her chest. Gian was like a tidal wave. He rose up from nowhere, gathered strength and surged over her. And like the tidal wave, one could not assess what had occurred until after the wave had broken.

Gian had happened to her like this. While the track of his storm had always been clear to him, she had not realized the depth of the undertow until she had been pulled into his maelstrom.

She loved him so very much.

Loved him as Guardian of the Mist. Loved him as Gian Ren. Loved him as a Familiar. Loved him as a man.

She had found him on her way to escape; he had led her to freedom. Of body. Of spirit. Of being. Through Gian her Frensi nature had been released.

Walking over to him, she placed her hand lovingly on his lower back as he spoke to the sons of Krue.

While he spoke, he discreetly lifted into her touch, arching the curve of his back in blissful feline recognition. Jenise smiled to herself, stroking him softly.

“Are you ready to begin, Yaniff?” Krue took the old wizard aside.

“Yes, everyone is here.”

“Mmmm.” Krue’s glance fell on Traed, a slight frown marring his face. “I had hoped for a double initiation.”

“He will not come easy, Krue. There is too much within him from the past.”

“Think you I do not know that? Nonetheless, he is a
Lodarres, son-of-my-line. He needs to take his rightful place among his family.”

Yaniff watched Traed speculatively. “Perhaps. Perhaps not.”

Krue faced Yaniff, a fierce expression on his features. “There has been enough rebellion with him! He
will
join the Charl.”

Yaniff appeared bemused. “Traed has inherited your stubbornness, Krue. There is much of you in him. It will be interesting to see the two of you ‘discuss’ this.”

Krue narrowed his eyes. “Who said anything about discussion? He is my son, he will do as I bid him.”

“Ho-ho!” Yaniff doubled over in laughter. “Much as your other sons have, hmmm?”

Krue hunched his shoulders. “Can I help it if I have raised independent sons who know how to think for themselves?” One amethyst eye glittered at the old wizard.

Yaniff chuckled. “Let us hope that Rejar can curb himself somewhat—at least for the duration of the ceremony.” Both men caught Krue’s youngest son in the act of running a suggestive palm over his wife’s backside. They shook their heads.

Lilac shooed Rejar’s hand away. Krue snickered.

“His frolicsome ways are a trial to me, Krue.”

Krue knew that Yaniff jested by the look of pride the wizard gave his student. Rejar had done well.

Yaniff motioned the half-Familiar to him as the family members sat on the lawn in a semicircle before them. As Rejar turned to join his Charl master he happened to glance behind them.

From every pathway, mystics were converging on the knoll! They came from all directions, endless lines from every house on Aviara. And they were led by the Sages themselves.

They filled the fields around them and still they came.

“What is this?” Rejar murmured to his brother Lorgin.

Lorgin watched the procession coming towards them. “They come for you, Rejar.”

“But why?” He was stunned.

“To witness your initiation.”

Rejar’s smooth brow furrowed. “I do not understand.”

“Come, Rejar.” Yaniff took the Familiar by the arm, instructing him to kneel before him.

In his hand, he held up a crystal point which dangled from a small gold circlet. The old wizard’s voice rang out loud and true.

“The crystal is clear and hides no falsehood;
It is the window of vision and the veil of reflection.

Its being is pure as its nature is faceted.”

Yaniff bent over Rejar, placing the golden circlet with the dangling point next to his ear. A glow came from his fingertips.

“This is the mark of a Charl.

Let it guide your actions in light throughout your life.

Let it always remind you that wisdom is a necessary mate to true power.

Thus the supplicant becomes the warrior…
”

The earring pierced Rejar’s left ear cleanly. The crowd murmured its approval. Yaniff stood back.

“Thus the warrior becomes the mystic.
Arise Rejar ta’al Krue, knight of the Charl,
future holder of the true power!

THE TENTH POWER!”

The crowd began chanting his name. “Rejar! Rejar! Rejar!”

Rejar was staggered at Yaniff’s words.
The tenth power?
The difference between power levels was exponential; a fourth level was not twice as powerful as a second—it was that power raised to the fourth level. Yaniff, the greatest power in the land, was a seventh-level mystic. Wizards such as Yaniff had the ability to see potential power levels. Tenth power? Impossible!

“What mean you, Yaniff?” he whispered hoarsely. “I have not such abilities—”

“Yes, Rejar, you do.”

“But I…I do not…”

Yaniff placed a fatherly arm around his broad shoulders. “Think you I would cast you off without guidance? You have much to learn, Rejar. I will teach you all that I know; the rest you will teach yourself.”

The second son of Krue was slightly pale around the mouth.

In truth he did not seem happy with what Yaniff had revealed that day. Rejar had never wanted such a destiny. But then destinies were not of one’s choosing.

He cast a wary glance at his wife, Lilac. As he suspected, she was not overjoyed either. She took in the crowds with a wary eye, her concerned focus shifting back to her husband. They were both wondering what this new revelation would mean to them. To their lives.

Krue looked at his younger son, his speculative gaze shifting back to Yaniff. There were many questions in that warrior’s eyes. Questions from his past. He looked then at his Familiar wife, Suleila, who was staring at her son in shock.

Krue’s penetrating eyes returned to Yaniff. It was the glance of a seasoned warrior who had seen much in his
life, a seasoned Charl who sensed there was more to this then met the eye.

Suddenly the crowd parted and the Tan-Shi Mother stepped through, followed by a hooded contingent of her personal disciples. The rumblings of the crowd grew as they passed by; it was so unheard of for the Tan-Shi to come to a Charl initiation.

This was a momentous day on Aviara, this day of initiating Rejar ta’al Krue.

The Tan-Shi Mother approached Rejar, standing before him. She threw the hood of her cloak back. Long silvery hair blew in the light wind. “The Tan-Shi recognizes Rejar ta’al Krue!” She cupped the half-Familiar’s hands in hers. Her entourage threw back their hoods, a sacred symbol of recognition and acceptance. A first in Aviaran history.

The Aviarans shouted the name of Rejar into the sky.

Rejar knew not how to deal with this. What did they expect from him? He was as he had always been; he did not feel any different whatsoever.

“Of course not,” Yaniff murmured next to him. “For you have always been as you are. It is not in the being but in the recognizing.”

Rejar viewed him cautiously. He shielded his thoughts from all Charl.

“Good.” Yaniff nodded approvingly. “Begin to be very cautious, Rejar. It will serve you well.”

The men of the houses lowered themselves on one knee before him. Each held out a Cearix to him as they bowed their heads in homage.

“What are they doing?” Rejar did not like this at all.

“They offer you their heritage.” Yaniff motioned to Traed, who knelt, offering up Yaniff’s Cearix as well. Even his own brother, Lorgin, had knelt before him, his hand outstretched with his father’s Cearix.

“Why do they offer this to me?”

“Because you can see the ‘truths’ of their ancestors. You are the one, Rejar.”

“No!”
he hissed in an unsteady voice.

“It is so. You must choose one Cearix to be your first. Choose wisely.” With that Yaniff went down on one knee before him, holding out a Cearix.

{You offer me Theardar’s blade?}
Rejar did not know whether to be insulted or not.

“It contains many truths, my student. The most painful lessons sometimes reveal the deepest knowledge.”

Rejar stood on the hillside and let his blue/gold gaze scan the crowd kneeling before him. What should he do? Clearly, he would have to make a choice. He noticed that the elder wizard Gelfan had been very slow to bend a knee and offer his blade. He raised his black eyebrow.

Yaniff watched him closely.

Rejar reached out and took Gelfan’s Cearix.

Sharp, he is…
Yaniff smiled to himself. With Rejar’s acceptance of Gelfan’s Cearix, he had formed a powerful bond with Gelfan’s house. Rejar had just made it much more difficult for Gelfan to undermine him in the future.

In the days to come Yaniff would advise him on which houses to align himself with and in what order. Such strategy was crucial, but Rejar had always excelled at games of strategy. Soon he would put his real skills to the actual test.

Ultimately, Rejar’s passion would become his salvation or his trial. His kind heart would undergo the ordeal that always faced men of extreme power and conscience.

From all that was to come, the complete Rejar ta’al Krue would be forged.