Dark Dealings (21 page)

“They didn’t breed true enough to hold the tattoo.”

“They weren’t cattle, Reist.”

A flush of red burned across his cheeks. “You say that with chunks of him in your belly.” Reist pulled himself free of her and stepped back. “I tried to look out for them, but Vina, Davia’s mother, hated me. Hated that I...moved on from her. She took him out to the northern lands, got some insane thief to carve him up.” He shook his head and his attention returned to her. “I healed him as best I could. But a mage’s power... We no longer hold the subtle talents that a thief can work. We have no instinct for magic, only finding it through books and experimentation.”

Ava thought of little Kaia, how she and Heyerdar had healed the tiny child. Another link in the chain as the thieves, bound by Words, tried to identify the men driving them. Only old magic could cure. High magic was too selfish, too bound to muscle and bone. “You got over your regret and decided to use him.”

Magic flared in him, bright and bitter white. “You will never understand.”

Ava poked him in the chest, just above his heart. “You have a ward. Right there. One that binds you to the emperor. I’m sure, like a lot of mages, you’d like that little symbol of your servitude gone. How am I doing?”

Reist frowned and closed his hot hand around hers. “I don’t want to rule the empire. I want to be able to die. Not spend eternity locked in a wall, my soul feeding some worthless emperor’s bath.”

She wanted to believe him, that it wasn’t about ambition. Maybe if she made him think she did, she wouldn’t have to open her soul and devour him. And he wouldn’t try to kill her. “You set him on the path to twisting wards, to the belief that the empire was his?”

“He was...curious about magic. Vina raised him, but never mentioned me, so I approached him as a mage to a curator. He had access to books I wasn’t allowed to see. Understood magic in a way I’d never seen before, and we had discussions into the night. It gave me hope that his trials, his experiments with the chambers, could break the ward over my heart.

“When I realized he was using the books and chambers for his own benefit, I campaigned to have them moved.”

“Why didn’t you stop him?”

“I thought I had, but he’d hoarded the chambers. Magically created worthless copies. I didn’t know until you found the twisted wards. By then he was too strong. Could protect himself from me.”

“You could’ve told us.” Disappointment soured her belly. In a strange moment, she wanted to believe he was lying to her. Then the man she’d admired for so long wouldn’t be a spineless coward. “You knew it was him. From the beginning.”

“I’m the Highest Mage. For me to be overcome by an ephemeral...how would that look?” He lifted his chin and, for a second, the conceited fire of his station burned in him. “But—” and the fire died away and her friend was back, “—I knew I could rely on you. We’ve always been allies...”

Her friend’s voice, smooth and deep and with that hint of humor. She’d heard the truth—as he saw it—and now they’d move on. It was all a game to him. Selfish, arrogant
bastard.

Reist’s thumb teased under her palm and little darts of fire skittered up her arm. Yes, now she had to fuck him. After all he had admitted.

Magic surged over his skin and his clothes simply fell away, leaving hot, bare skin. Her gaze fixed on the golden lines traced over his sternum. Had he twisted the ward? It looked the same. But was he free of the emperor’s hold? Her heart jumped as he pushed her back against the cool wall, the sudden panic of beats almost making her dizzy. She
wasn’t
ready.

“I promised Fallon I wouldn’t kiss your mouth.” He looked down before he found her gaze again. “But I will do everything else.”

The darkness of his eyes threaded with magic, but the thief in her stayed still, silent. She was grateful the emptiness in her was sated. She didn’t want to draw anything from him, make it a pleasure for her, or for him. She tried to concentrate. He wasn’t going to kiss her. Something so simple. The fantasy she’d held down the years. A fantasy, she finally had to admit, she’d actually thought little beyond.

His dick pressed against her belly, hot and hard, a firm hand lifting her thigh. He urged her leg over his hip and pressed his forehead to hers, the warmth of his breath brushing her face. The temptation of his lips was there, and the ache in her to kiss him twisted a pain in her chest. Simply because it was forbidden.

“Heyerdar is an animal.”

Anger edged his voice, but still his other hand skimmed over her ribs to dip between them. He teased lower and she sucked in a quick breath. The sharp stabs of fire burst over her flesh and down between her thighs, anticipating his touch.

Discomfort pressed against the underside of her skin. Not this. Not like this. She bit her lip till it bled. In a moment, the hold Heyerdar had over would be gone. She’d be free. Of him and of Reist. So what the fuck was her body doing?

“Ava, I’m not like him. We’re starting afresh. No past.” He pressed his mouth to her neck, his tongue tracing a path to the curve of her shoulder. Ava closed her eyes and fought to breathe. “I’m not going to hurt you. You need this.”

Not this man!

He pushed his fingers inside her, and her thief started to scream.

Chapter Eighteen

Ava stood outside the heavy door to Heyerdar’s chambers. The magic securing it tasted different. Bitter. Thicker. Lacing through the wood in bulky strands. He’d lashed protective magic at the door and her thief rose, the familiar hunger cutting into her flesh. It surprised her. She thought Clay had sated it, as it had hardly stirred when Reist touched her.

The door swung open and Heyerdar stood there. He mirrored the pose from when she had sought him out five days before. His arms against the lintel, leaning in to it, his animal strength making her blood rush.

Molten gold eyes raked over her, cold and assessing. “Good fuck?”

Ava stopped herself from clenching her fists. She’d walked away from him. Had wanted to break the power he had over her. And he’d gone off to fuck Madam Lunete. It had been a couple of hours. He would’ve whored his way through the entire brothel.

She tilted her head. “Can’t you see it already?” She smiled at him and slipped under his arm into his room. His growl followed her.

“I haven’t invited you in. Again.”

“Sit.” She pointed to the chair set before the hearth, a fire flickering in its blackened depths. He’d obviously pushed himself out of the worn leather. The imprint of his body and the dark bottle of whiskey and half-empty glass set on the small table screamed it. “Please.”

Heyerdar slammed the door and magic skittered and reformed across its surface. “What the fuck do you want here?”

“I want you to sit.”

He frowned and dropped into his chair. “Leave.”

Ava straddled him, worming her way onto his lap before he could think to push her off. His hands wrapped around her upper arms, his tight grip pushing white pain under her skin. He’d had his fun and fucked her. They were over, obviously. He had other bodies to hold his interest.

She shoved down the quick spike of pain and focused on her objective. “He wouldn’t kiss me.”

Heyerdar stared. His body tensed under her and his voice dropped dangerously low. “Is that your game? Fuck Reist and get
kisses
from me?”

“I didn’t fuck him.”

“I can see where he touched you.” Heyerdar’s hands glided over her, not making contact, and Ava could feel the dip, the flow of energy around her, felt it change to the familiar pulse of want that seemed to overtake her with him. She wanted him. Always.

His fingers dropped and found her, pressing the golden silk hard against her bared sex. She gasped, and the pulse of need flared. His mouth drew to a thin line. “He stuck his dick in you.”

She blushed. A hardened thief and all talk of sex still embarrassed her.

“You got what you wanted then.” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “So why are you here?”

“As I said, he wouldn’t kiss me.”

Heyerdar’s face darkened. “You want to make a deal so he’ll
kiss
you?”

“No.” She touched his temple with light fingertips, feeling the tension in every muscle. She was stupid for coming here. Naïve. They were over. She forced a smile. “Reist hates you. Thinks you corrupted me.”

Heyerdar grunted.

She ran a fingertip along his jaw line, unwilling to break contact. Touching him still felt right even though the bond between them was broken. That wound was raw. She forced out the next words. “We found a wall and...started.”

A growl rippled from him. “I don’t need to know this.”

“He wanted me.” For a moment, she closed her eyes, the memory of Reist weaving around her. Maybe Heyerdar could still see into her thoughts. She didn’t know. “I tried to want him.” She opened her eyes. Her lips pressed together. But then he’d revealed the truth about himself and Clay. “Maybe we should’ve fucked two months ago, before any of this happened.”

Heyerdar didn’t say anything.

She focused on him. It was another lie. Reist would still be involved with Clay, but when Fallon’s fear overcame her, the Highest Mage would’ve been unavailable. Heyerdar would have had the woman he needed. “Before Fallon left you for him. You loved her.”

He shrugged. “She was mine. But she was afraid of me, of what I am. What I need to be. That kind of fear leaves a stink I can’t live with.”

He met her gaze, his golden eyes calm. Magic wove through his irises, a slow, glistening flow that held her. He was beautiful...and had been hers. She’d been stupid to panic. She pushed her fingers through his hair, smoothing its thickness.

His eyes gleamed and the familiar ache of hunger twisted through her. “So you want to use my power to bend time? To walk into the past and prod your younger self to find Reist and proposition him?”

“I never thought of that.”

“It would be easier.” Heyerdar pressed his thumb to her lip, teasing across the softness. He was the only man who had ever kissed her. And she wanted him again, the feel of his lips, his tongue, his teeth grazing her mouth, nipping and biting. It would never be the same now. “Use me to take you there.”

“What?”

“To the past. Tell yourself to grab Reist. Tell him about your itch. How I’d been sniffing around.” His smile was wry and the urge to take his mouth gripped her. “Should get him moving and the rest will literally be history.”

“No.”

“You can pull more than enough power from me.”

She could. And it would probably kill him. “He wouldn’t kiss me.”

“So you said.”

“It was the deal he made with Fallon.”

Heyerdar winced.

“Yeah. He was fucking me with her permission.” She shook her head and pulled in a heavy breath. “And even if he wasn’t, even if he had a sudden falling into sense. Even if he kissed me stupid, it would still be wrong.” A smile twisted her mouth. “The first thrust of his fingers and I pushed him away.”

“Little thief...”

There was something in his voice and it forced Ava to bite the inside of her cheek. She had to admit the truth, but she couldn’t hold his gaze. She looked down at her fingers. “He wasn’t you.”

A low growl rolled from him, spiked with anger. “More games?

Her gaze snapped up. “No.”

The memory of Reist trying to make love to her gripped her. Of how her body hadn’t reacted and how the thief in her burned fire against the underside of her skin to deny her pleasure. Reist had pushed his fingers into her body and everything,
everything
about it had been wrong—his body, his scent, the feel of him inside of her. She couldn’t. Not with him.

Even before she’d known his involvement with trying to twist the wards, of his reluctance to step forward and admit responsibility, the want for Reist had fallen away. Compared to the Left Hand, he was...lacking.

And Reist didn’t want her to be herself. He never had.

She’d shoved him away and he’d staggered back, arousal and guilt in his gaze. Her only thought had been to run, to melt into the shadows...and hours later she’d found herself outside Heyerdar’s door.

“He was involved.”

Heyerdar frowned. “Involved?”

He had to know everything. She couldn’t keep this secret for Reist. Wouldn’t. He didn’t deserve that level of loyalty. “He could’ve stopped it. Clay. The thieves. The deaths. But he wanted the wards twisted, broken. He said it was to allow him to die, not to become one of those chambers...”

Heyerdar stilled. “Do you believe him?”

Ava had to look away, to give herself a moment to think. “I don’t know.” Her mouth twitched upwards. “The ward on his chest looked similar to others I’ve seen. He wasn’t able to see his plan through.”

“How many have you seen?”

There was an edge to his voice that she wanted to label jealousy. It was more likely that he needed to trust her reasoning. “A few. Reist’s was changed to reflect his becoming Highest Mage.”

“You asked to see it.”

It wasn’t a question. Embarrassment burned across her cheeks. Her obsession with Reist had been very obvious. To everyone. “I got to see his chest. That was my objective.”

Heyerdar grunted. “And he kept silent to preserve his position?”

Ava nodded. “Clay was his grandson. Some sort of bastard mix of mage, thief and elemental. He trusted us, me, to find the truth.”

Anger burned in Heyerdar’s gaze, the twist of magic threading through his irises. “Noble of him.” He swore under his breath and the spill of his magic was a temptation. “He has to be watched.”

“Watched?”

“What choice do I have?” Heyerdar flexed his hands, and the little bubble of warm need low in her belly grew. She wanted to shift, to squeeze her legs against the hard muscle of his thighs. Ached to. But his expression was grim. “So many died. And if it’s widely known that a mage can break his ward...? We’d have anarchy. This is something Reist will keep to himself. His ambition demands it. And if he’s told you the truth, I’ll be more than happy for him to find a place next to Balint.” He tilted his head. “That’s the real reason you refused him. His lies.”

Heyerdar didn’t know her anymore. She closed her eyes and willed away the pain in her chest. They were broken. “No, before that.”

“You need to hide out here now? You know his secret.”

“I came here for you.”

“Because I can protect you.”

Ava frowned at him. “I’m not defenseless.”

Heyerdar’s lips pulled up into a dark smile and her heart missed a beat. His brief, sarcastic smiles twisted her insides. Her want for him stung. “No, you took down a bastard mix of mage, thief and elemental. So...” His pause, the way his mouth parted made her simply ache. “When will you forgive him?”

“Forgive who?”

“Reist. He fucked practically every woman he ever met—with you as the exception. I give you a week. Two at the most.”

Her palm itched to slap him. She was sitting on his lap, ready, willing to offer herself completely to him, knowing it could never be as it was, but wanting anything. Anything. And he thought she still hungered for Davin Reist? “Three,” she muttered. “Three weeks, then I’ll stride naked into his office and order him to finish what I ran from. Any hole he wants. No. Not any.
All.
”

Heyerdar’s face darkened and he pulled in a breath. His chest lifted.

Her smile was pure thief. “Better yet, the balcony. Give all your admirers something else to watch.” The low rumble rose up from his chest and her smile deepened. “What? You wanted to fuck me in your arena. As with the Left Hand, so for the Right.”

His hands tightened on her hips, crushing the silk of her cloak. Color flashed across his cheeks. He rolled his hips against her and the press of leather and the length of his dick against her sex almost broke a groan from her. “Say my name.”

Ava blinked, fighting to find focus. “Your name...?”

“Say it.”

She wet her lips. “Heyerdar.”

He took her mouth. Hot and hard. The kiss deepened and he grabbed her backside, pulling her against him, fingers digging into her flesh as she licked and bit, pulling sweet, endless power from him. She fisted her hands in his hair and the thief in her surged forward, taking everything he was. An elemental, bound to the earth, to the sun, with infinite and beautiful power. He could fill a thief’s empty soul.
Would
fill it.

Heyerdar pulled back, his breathing fast. “You didn’t fuck him.”

“I said that.”

He grinned and his fierce beauty caught her. Was he hers now? She hadn’t broken their bond. Was it different now that he had? Did it apply to elementals or could he fuck who he liked and still have her?

Ava closed her eyes, hating her fear, the uncertainty. Fallon had said she’d agree to anything to be with him. “Why did you want me to say your name?”

His large hand stroked over her hip, playing the warmed silk, the brush of it against her skin delicious. “What we have, little thief...” He let out a heavy breath. “Let me say
your
name.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“Ava...”

She was kissing him again, her fingers tugging at the ties of his breeches. She had to have him inside her. Strip his magic. Now. Ride him till bliss broke joy over her. Heyerdar pushed her back and she snapped at him, anger and fear rushing her.

“Now who’s playing games?” She caught her fingers in her hair and denied the wild surge of need still attacking her. “I didn’t fuck Reist, so now you think you can still make me your puppet?”

Heyerdar lifted an eyebrow and little bits of fact started to fall into place. How he had said they weren’t the same as Zarand and his thief. How he reacted when she said his name. “It’s
mutual?
” Her mouth opened and no words came out. It was mutual. He was as much her puppet as she was his? “But, you said... You’ve been with Lunete for hours.”

“No.” His mouth curved into a bitter smile. “
You
assumed. You had to choose me, little thief. Had to want me.” He stroked fingers down her cheek and she leaned into his touch, wanting him, wanting so much more. “I could’ve kept you, used your name.” His thumb played across her bottom lip and a trickle of magic warmed her skin. “I wanted to be that selfish. But Reist was there. All over you like a bad smell.”

“You needed me to refuse him.” As he’d done in the Moon Chamber, he’d pushed her away, let her go. The decision to be with him had to be hers.

“I didn’t go to Lunete. I sat here and drank and tortured myself.” He let out a bitter laugh. “How he’d touch you, sink into you, rip through what we had.”

“You never wanted Fallon back.” It wasn’t a question and her gut tightened.

“After that first kiss to seal the deal? No.”

“But...”

“You got me curious, little thief. I knew Fallon would never come back. Too much fear.”

Anger surged. He’d been playing her. “You...”

Her hand did fly for his face now, but Heyerdar caught it. “Belong to me.” His grip loosened and he teased his fingers down her wrist, the light touch firing under her skin. She fought not to squirm, to release the tension by pressing herself against his hard body. “As I belong to you.”

Her heart squeezed and tears pushed at her suddenly hot eyes. “You don’t even like me.”

Heyerdar laughed and pulled her close, her breasts pressing up against the warm, smooth linen of his shirt. The need to taste him, take him and to simply hold him wove through her. “I like you, little thief. I like that acid tongue and your sharp brain. I like the fact that you’re not scared of me. In bed or out.” His grin curved against her temple “But right now, I’d really like to make you scream.”