Page 66 of Return of the Nine

He deepened the kiss again, stroking her lips with his tongue and warming her skin. She shivered and moaned, pressing against him, the robe and slip no barrier to his own dark robe.

A throat clearing in the doorway broke their kiss, but Ekinar kept his arms around her, holding her hips to his.

Apolan Leoraki was standing there, scowling at them in all his forest-shaded authority. “That will be enough for now. There is time for everything else later, and my lady wife has informed me that Teyha is exhausted beyond reason. Anything you do now is with an impaired woman.”

Ekinar growled low, but he released Teyha from his embrace. “We will speak of this soon.”

She blinked as she tried to remember what they had been talking about, but it was lost in a haze of pleasure and the slow expanse of something within her. “Good evening, Ekinar. It was nice meeting you.”

She drifted past Apolan and returned to her room. The bed beckoned, and she was not one to ignore such a direct summons. Before she could wonder at the shadows flicking at her mind, she was out in a deep and healing sleep.

When Teyha sat up, she felt that something was different. She yawned and stumbled out of bed and into the lav.

Her face was the same, but there was something in her mind behind her eyes. The cool crystal gaze stared back at her, but something was awry. She didn’t feel quite like herself, and it confused the heck out of her.

She combed her hair, washed her face and found some clothing in the wardrobe. Loose trousers and a long tunic with asash fit well enough, so she put on the sandals that matched the clothing and went in search of the ambassador or his wife.

Daphne was sitting with her feet up in the area where Teyha vaguely remembered eating a meal the night before. A breakfast plate was waiting for her.

“Morning, Teyha. Or should I say afternoon. You have been out for sixteen hours.” Daphne smiled brightly.

“Yech. No wonder my mouth tasted like the bottom of a sand dune.” She took the open seat and looked around. “Where are the Shadow Folk?”

“Gone. They are back on the mother ship by now, and those younglings are getting swatted and hugged in equal measure. How was your trip?”

Teyha felt unaccountably disappointed that Ekinar had not come by to say farewell.

“Thinking about Representative Rossing?”

Daphne’s voice cut right through her mopey thoughts.

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Because I look that way every time Apolan has to take a trip to the mother ship for status reports. I have seen it in the mirror.” Daphne’s lips were twisted in amusement.

“I don’t event really know... I mean, I thought there might be... I mean he kissed me.” The last came out on a rush.

Daphne’s brows lifted as she smiled. “A very good sign, that. The Nine only come into contact with us under duress or attraction. I am guessing it was both in your case.”

Teyha thought about it. “No. He touched me first. I mean, I had to take the hands of the others to get them out of the oubliette but that was duress, but he wasn’t dumb enough to walk into it.”

Daphne blinked in surprise. “You have a lot to tell me, but eat first, you are so pale, I can almost see through you.”

Before stuffing her face, she had to ask, “Did I miss mylecture?”

“We postponed it. You looked a little rough when you arrived. The university understood.”

Teyha found that hard to believe. “Are you serious?”

Daphne laughed, “No, but Apolan agreed to do a speaking engagement, and they jumped at the chance to have one of the Nine speaking.”

Snickering, Teyha finished her breakfast. “So, what did I miss?”

Her friend smiled slowly. “Well, you have not seen the last of Ekinar...”

Chapter Eight

Ekinar paced restlessly. The children had told their stories to the governing body, Nosku had tried to cover up for his nephew, and Ekinar had contradicted his version. They had to wait for the verdict of the council.

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