A light breeze ruffled her hair and she pushed away from the door. An owl hooted in a tree to her right. Rell extended her awareness, making sure no dangers lurked between her and the manor. Bugs whirred their songs, calling to each other, but there were no other sounds. Stars twinkled above her, giving her hope. From all she’d suffered at the hands of the Bane, maybe her suffering could be used to help those who had been captured as she had.
Her mind drifted back to Icarus. There was no guarantee that he had ever been human. Only her gut instinct and Tell hinted at the difference between him and the other Bane. She prayed that what she felt was true. The tide against the Bane would most certainly change if Icarus rallied with the Bringers.
Low voices floated from the opposite side of the manor wall. Rell stopped to listen, recognizing the two men. Siban and Luc. Their words were difficult to understand. She crept a few feet closer and pressed her body against the stone wall of the outbuilding.
“I don’t trust Icarus. It’s as if he has a hold over Rell.”
“That bloody demon should be nowhere near the women,” Luc said. “And it wouldn’t surprise me if he had used his evil to bewitch her. Their relationship goes beyond my understanding.”
“I thought once she was no longer demon, her loyalty would shift completely.” Siban was silent for a second. “But the touch of the Bane is insidious.”
“It’s best we don’t let that infection spread, eh?” Luc said.
“Then you’re with me?” Siban’s question sounded hopeful.
“After what that demon did to me, I’ll take great pleasure in sending him to his comrades.”
Were they planning on vanquishing Icarus? Anger rushed through Rell. Not waiting to hear more or reveal herself, she jogged to the manor and up to their room. It wasn’t as if she didn’t understand Siban’s reasoning. He’d been tortured for two years by Vile and Sha-hera. To him, the Bane were all the same—except for her. For whatever reason, he had seen her differently, even when she had been a demon. Maybe it was the same instinct that drove her to want to believe in and help Icarus.
She shut the door behind her and walked to the center of the room. Unseeing, she stared at the cold hearth. What was she to do? Siban’s and Luc’s hatred of the Bane could jeopardize the opportunity to gain the upper hand in their war effort. Still, she couldn’t blame either of them for the way they felt.
The door to the chamber opened and Siban came in. He stopped inside the door. “I didn’t think you would be here.”
“Where else would I be?” She attempted a casual tone, but failed.
“With Icarus.” He closed the door behind him. Not looking at her, he crossed to the hearth and stoked the fire. When the flame had grown to a sustainable size, he turned and looked at her. “Are you tired?”
He didn’t sound angry with her. Some of the tension eased from her shoulders. “No. You?”
“No.” He moved to the chair and sat, reclining against the back. “Too much on my mind.”
Dark circles pooled under Siban’s eyes, giving him a look that went beyond fatigue. Perhaps mentally weary from his inability to let down his guard. Since she’d been transformed she’d only seen him take his ease once. It had been the first night they’d made love. From that point on he’d seemed determined to protect her no matter the cost to himself.
Fool.
Desire to forget about tonight’s event won out over needing to react to Siban and Luc’s threat against Icarus. She would figure out what to do later. For now she needed intimacy. Even if it was only for a few hours, she wanted to numb the despair being around Icarus had caused.
She walked to him and held out her hand. “Maybe we could find something to occupy our time.”
He stared at her and after several seconds a slow smile curved the corners of his mouth. He nodded and took her hand. “Maybe we can.”
Chapter Nine
Golden light from the fire flickered against the stone walls of their chamber. Siban wanted more than anything to feel Rell’s body against his and push all thoughts of Icarus and their mission away. His smile faded. “I don’t want to fight, Rell.” He ran his finger along her cheek. “I just want to hold you in my arms.”
“I don’t want to fight either.” Her fingers twined around his hand more tightly. “So let’s not discuss anything but us.”
“We are my favorite subject.” He bent and kissed her. “I missed you today.”
She scrunched up her face. “We’ve been together all evening.”
He waved a tan finger at her. “No talk of this evening, only of today.”
“Fine.” She gave him a mischievous smile and walked across the room to the bed. Sitting, she wrapped her arm around the tall poster. “Siban, what did you do today?”
“Mostly sharpened weapons and repaired tack.” He perched on the edge of a leather trunk and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “How about you?”
“I attempted to help cook.” She rolled her eyes. “Mother kicked me out after an hour and told me to find Brita. Mainly I brushed horses, cleaned their hooves, and tried not to dwell on the fact that we’re leaving for the Shadow World in the morning.”
“Did it work?”
She lifted her eyebrows. “No.”
For the past several days they’d had many discussions about the mission, but she had never spoken of her apprehensions about entering her former home. “It will be all right, Rell.”
Her smile melted into an intense stare. More than anything it appeared she needed to believe that entering the Shadow World didn’t mean she would lose everything she’d regained.
He stood and walked to her, kneeling at her feet. “I promise, we will come out of this alive, and be stronger than ever.”
She cupped his face between her hands and pulled him toward her. The soft brush of her lips ghosted across his. He let her take the lead, sensing that she needed to feel in control tonight. Her kiss deepened. Siban opened his mouth, and her tongue slipped inside to stroke his.
Her hands traveled down his neck and slid along his shoulders, pushing his coat off. The garment slipped to the floor, puddling at his feet. His fingers itched to unlace the green tunic she wore, but he repressed the urge. She tugged at the ties of his tunic and lifted the shirt over his head, adding to the growing pile on the floor.
For several long seconds she stared at him, her hands traveling across his chest and drifting lower to the waist of his pants. Again she undid the tie. His erection strained against the material and the tip of his growing cock peeked out the top. She pushed his pants open and gently stroked the head. A groan escaped him and he pressed into her hand, indulging in the feel of her firm grip sliding over the sensitive tip. She searched his face, as if watching his reaction. Again she slid her hand up and back over his shaft.
His breath hitched. “That feels so good, Rell.”
Her expression intensified. “Teach me how to please you.”
“You already please me.”
She shook her head. “Not like that.” She swallowed hard. “Teach me how to pleasure you. Show me what you like.”
Not wanting to be presumptuous, he asked, “You mean pleasure me other than making love?”
She nodded. “I want to learn.”
He exhaled deeply. “All right.”
Standing brought his erection to mouth level. As he removed his boots and pants, her gaze never left him, devouring his every movement. When he stood before her naked she reached and ran her fingers along his shaft.
Spikes of pleasure tingled along the tight skin. Her cautious exploration was torturous and wonderful. She looked up at him. “What now?”