Page 22 of King Elijah (The Zemiran Chronicles 2)

Lincoln? Elijah said in his mind. “What are you doing?”

He inhaled the scent of the ocean waves, feeling himself rock as if he were on the ship himself. There was no light, only darkness, which meant they had to be close to Zemira and not in another region of the world.

Soft hands touched Elijah’s, and when he pushed his power further and further into Lincoln’s consciousness, those hands trailed up his neck, then slowly down his chest. They rubbed into his firm flesh and traced the curves of his body. His blood warmed, moving southward, and he stiffened at the touch. Elijah groaned, realizing he was interrupting something he shouldn’t have.

Lincoln, he called again, adjusting himself between the legs. I know you’re a little occupied with Nola at the moment, and I kind of don’t want her to stop, but I need you to gently push her aside so we can speak. I can feel her hands still on me.

Elijah couldn’t help himself. The trace of Nola’s fingers made him picture Janelle. How she would look, her face a mixture of pleasure and indignation as he trailed his fingertips over her skin and between her legs. Nola’s feminine touch stroked his length through Lincoln’s mind. He imagined it was Janelle’s long fingers wrapping around him with a firm grip, making him throb with need as she moved. Elijah could see her blue eyes staring at him through heavy lashes with a naked hunger; her plush lips opened as her breath came quick. All from the pleasure of touching him. Giving herself to him.

Fuck. Elijah tried to shake the image from his mind. Don’t be a fool, he scolded himself, wincing as his erection pulsed hot between his legs and willing it to go down. He pulled himself away from Lincoln’s consciousness and waited for a few seconds to regain his composure before reaching out again.

Blackness circled him as parts of the ship began to manifest itself. Lincoln had one hand behind his head, lying naked on his bed with Nola’s arm slung over his chest and one leg tucked between his thighs.

“Eyes on me, brother,” Lincoln said through the bond as Elijah found himself taking in the sight of Nola’s naked body.

Elijah broke out of his reverie and chuckled. “Sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem, Lincoln,” he said, shaking the image of her out of his thoughts.

Lincoln’s brows pulled together. “What is it?”

Elijah heard footsteps above their deck, and memories returned from the last time they saw each other. It felt like a distant dream and his chest ached a little. He willed himself back to the present.

“Do you still have the Kroneon?” he asked, desperation seeping into his tone. “Please, please tell me you still have it.”

Lincoln nodded. “Of course, we still have it. It’s locked in the chest in the weapon room,” he said, growing concerned. “Why?”

“When did you use it last?” Elijah asked.

Lincoln looked confused. “Why do you ask?”

“During your little adventure with the Kroneon, you let something into our world. A shadow.”

Lincoln quickly withdrew the arm he had wrapped possessively around Nola, almost knocking her off the mattress, and stood quickly to his feet. Nola shot an annoyed look up at Lincoln before realizing that he was talking with someone who wasn’t there. She sat on the bed and tilted her head to listen.

“Shit. We barely made it out of that land alive! We actually agreed to stop using the Kroneon after that. It terrified Kitten and Boots so much that they no longer sail with us. Hill got injured and Ardley agreed to tend to his wounds on land. We just, three days ago, dropped them fifty miles from Zemira. Kitten is pregnant, Elijah. They didn’t want to risk losing their child to the dangers of the other worlds.”

Elijah felt a tug at his chest, but he didn’t have time to focus on them. He was losing their connection.

He gave Lincoln a rundown on what was happening in Myloria, specifically in the town of Newick with the covens.

“We can discuss more when you get here,” Elijah said with haste. “Time to come home, brother.”

“We’re only a day out because of this blasted weather,” Lincoln said, “Expect us to dock by dinner time tomorrow night.”

Elijah severed the connection as his powers drained. He had been using the Voleric more times than he was used to lately.

“See you soon,” he said to the wind. “See you soon.”

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