Page 27 of Twisted Magic

Breathing a laugh, relieved more than he could have anticipated, he kissed her, savoring her sweet yielding, the cool magic such a silvery counterpoint to her heated, sensual mouth. “Maman has been banging on the wards a while now,” he told Seliah ruefully. “I suppose we should let her in.”

Seliah’s amber eyes went wide. “Jadren, why didn’t you say so?”

She began wiggling in earnest, stopping when he kissed her again. “This was more important. I want you to understand that—that this, you, is more important than anything else. I know I’m not the wizard you would have chosen, but you will always be first for me.”

“You’re wrong,” she said, making his heart stutter. “You are the wizard I chose. The one I’ll choose again and again and again.”

“Thank you,” he said, unbearably moved, unable to think of a better reply.

She laughed. “Now, let me up. I have to put myself to rights or she’ll know what we’ve been doing.”

Levering himself to his feet he offered her a hand up, helping her arrange the folds of her gown. “I think they’ll know anyway. Here, let me.” Turning her around, he picked at the fastenings holding her hair in the elaborate style, triggering them so they fell to the floor, her cascading locks tumbling free. Surveying her critically as she turned back around, combing her fingers through the coiling mass, he nodded in satisfaction. “You look like a feral creature in a fancy dress and smoking hot heels. Perfect.”

Rolling her eyes, she seized his face in her hands and kissed him hard, nipping his lower lip enough to sting. “Dark arts only know why I love you saying such things to me.”

“Questionable judgement, no doubt.” He watched her ruck up the hem of the dress again as she looked about. “What are you doing now?”

She gave him the side-eye. “I’m dripping under here. I need a cloth.”

He stopped her with a hand on her arm. “You could leave it.”

“Under other, sexier circumstances, I might. But if you’re going to battle your mother, I’d like my concentration on that, thank you very much.”

Freezing at that daunting suggestion, he gave Seliah a thorough perusal as she found a cloth and cleaned herself. A fetching sight, if he hadn’t been rigid with terror. “Poppet,” he said slowly, “I told you: I can’t fight my mother.”

“Jadren, darling.” She came to him and kissed him, giving him a radiant smile. “You already are.”

~10~

Selly was absurdly happy, all things considered. She wasn’t sure to what to ascribe Jadren’s sudden willingness to talk about his feelings for her—to actually tell her he loved her, as opposed to telling everyone but her—since this wasn’t the first time they’d faced the possibility of losing one another, but she wasn’t going to look this gift horse in the mouth. She already knew the relative health of this steed, to extend the analogy, and she knew his worth.

More important, she finally saw a scenario where she could be honest with him about the bond-severing. She no longer worried—as much—that he’d jump on the knowledge that their bond could be severed in order to escape her. Or to do right by her. He didn’t want to be parted from her and she could depend on Jadren’s selfishness to win out over his occasional and absurd noble impulses. Never leave me again. I can’t bear to be without you.

She hugged the words to her, tucking them inside a special pocket of her memory to keep with her always. She would have to tell him the truth of the bond-severing, eventually. As soon as they were clear of the current situation, she would. And it would all be fine. Now simply wasn’t the right time. He’d be annoyed with her, and they’d have to fight about it, no doubt, but it would work out. She wasn’t putting it off so much as choosing the right timing.

That’s what she told herself.

Holding Jadren’s hand, she smiled at him and he smiled back, an echo of that erotic intimacy in his expression still. Yes, this was good and who could blame her for wanting to enjoy the relative happiness of the moment?

“Ready for the next battle?” he asked.

“Ready, general.” She saluted smartly with her free hand, making him chuckle. “And you,” she tendered, “are you ready to face your mother again?”

His entire demeanor hardened. “I’m tired of being afraid of her. Tired of her controlling all of us. I finally have some leverage over her, so I’m levering for all I’m worth. Wish me luck.”

“What do you plan to do?” Trepidation filtered through her happiness, like cold rain turning a golden autumn day to chill gray.

“Whatever I have to do.” He turned toward the outer door, raising his free hand to cancel the warding on it with a decisive gesture. As soon as he dropped his hand, the door flung open, revealing Katica El-Adrel, glowering in temper and seeming taller than ever. A bearded goat on a gold leash trotted beside her.

“Fyrdo,” Selly breathed.

“Stop fucking around, Maman.” Jadren’s voice cracked out like a whip. “Bring him back to human form so we can have a conversation, as agreed, or I will doubt your commitment to further negotiations.”

She simpered. “Whatever do you mean? I never agreed to putting Fyrdo back into human form.”

Selly gaped, an odd sense of dislocation making her feel as if the ground shifted under her feet. Unless that was the house? No, she didn’t think so. She just hadn’t ever seen someone lie so baldly. She wanted to point it out, to declaim Lady El-Adrel for a liar, but Jadren—no doubt sensing Selly’s outrage—squeezed her hand.

“Then it appears we’re done here,” Jadren said flatly.

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