Haven (17 page)

 He growled, growing hard again beneath her. “Do you think
they’ll miss us at the reception?”

“Are you thinking of skipping our reception and sneaking onto
Adro?”

“Perhaps not as far as Adro. We can stop at our room at the
Amanda station until we’re sated.” Leo lifted her and positioned her over his shaft.
“Which I think will take some hours.”

A knock on the door froze them. She jerked away from her and
rushed to get up. She smothered her laughter as Leo pulled her back to him.

“Oh no you don’t, Leonalph. Put that thing away.” She scrambled
from atop him, giggling trying to fix her gown. No way was she going round two
on the hard floor with someone at the door listening in. While it was hot
sneaking around having sex in the palace, having an audience was different.

Leo grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. “I’m officially your
lord and master. Get back over here woman and obey me.”

Liliana laughed outright and kicked her feet to loosen his grip.

“If you two are finished, there is a room full of people waiting
at your reception.” Xavier’s dry tone sent her into another peal of giggles.

“Go away Xavier.” Leo wrestled her until he pinned her to the
floor. “I’m trying to ravish my mate.”

“Oh gods, get off. Get off now.” Liliana pushed at his
shoulders, fighting embarrassment and mirth.

“I’ll be sure to tell her father what you said.” Xavier shook
the door knob.

“Get off, Leo, I mean it.” Her stomach hurt from laughing as she
scrambled from under him. She raced to the door grabbing the knob and shoving
it open.

Xavier raised a brow. Liliana adjusted her dress and used her
magic to fix her hair. He looked at her, his eyes puzzled.

She touched her face. “What?”

“Thank you.” Serious, with a little smile playing at his lips,
Xavier continued to stare.

“For what?”

He inclined his head towards the door of the closet. Leo came
out of the room smiling, his eyes seeking her, traveling her body. She’d had
him not even five minutes ago, and still her body reacted to him. Her nipples
tightened, her womb contracted in need.

"Xavier, I do believe I hate you.” Leo tucked the shirt of
his uniform into his pants.

Xavier saluted them. “My pleasure, brother.”

"Come here,
ina.
I'm not through with you yet."

His voice wrapped around her, and Liliana took a step towards
him. His nostrils flared, his eyes swirled with energy and she was drawn.
Xavier stepped between them. Leo growled.

"An hour max, Leo, and then you can have your mate."
Xavier rolled his eyes.

Leo reached around his brother and snatched Liliana into his
arms. He tangled his hands in her hair, pulling down the bun she'd hastily
erected. "One hour," he grumbled, sealing their lips together.

Liquid flooded her center, the nerves throbbing, aching for his
touch. She parted her lips and moaned as his tongue entered her mouth.

“Enough, you two.” Xavier growled from his position by the door.

She smiled and grabbed Leo’s hand. “Just a little longer, my
love.”

Smiling, he kissed her one final time on the forehead. Nodding
to his brother, Leo straightened his uniform and put on a blank face.

She sighed, just an hour, surely they could do that with little
drama.

THE ANSWER WAS NO, no they couldn’t go an hour without trouble.
If she remembered correctly it took only mere minutes for Sharine to start the
trouble she’d promised. Queen Kaylin refusing to come down from the dais seemed
to challenge the woman, and she made it her mission to taunt the short tempered
queen. The gossips milled around the dance floor dutifully taking note of every
gesture and word exchanged between the two women. Her mother walked around
scoffing at the simple decorations and what she deemed tacky food, and her
father did his best to keep Arian’s voice lowered as she consumed the wine. The
only thing about the ceremony of which she approved.

It was an unmitigated disaster.

She snuggled deeper into the feather down blanket and closer to
Leo’s body heat. This morning she would not be awakened to her mother’s
lecturing tone, flashing the latest headline in front of her. There would be no
rushing to get up and beat the next wave of soldiers being sent after her. If
she wanted, she could stay in this bed, her marital bed, all day. She would try
her damnedest to forget everything about her reception, and call herself lucky
for having escaped fairly unscathed.

Well, there was the matter of her throwing up all over her new
father in law’s shoes. She wasn’t likely to forget that anytime soon. She
groaned, burrowing her head into Leo’s neck. His chuckle vibrated against her
face.

“It’s not as bad as you’re imagining.” He kissed her forehead,
rubbing his hands up and down her back.

“I wonder if your dad thinks the same.”

He laughed outright.

She punched him in the stomach. For all the good it did. He
grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips.

“It’s not funny.”

“It’s hilarious. Besides, that wine was crap, despite the fancy
label on it.”

“Thank the gods we don’t have to go back there anytime soon.”
She intertwined her fingers with his.

“Here, here.” He kissed her again. “What do you want to do
today?”

She thought a moment through her options. Yes, she could lay in
bed for the day, but it wasn’t in her nature. She’d spent years on Adro
searching for her sister, somehow starting her new life without knowing what
happened to Kita didn’t sit well with her.

“I have a few things to check on in my office, but it should
only take me a couple of hours. You’ll have me all to yourself after that.” Leo
interrupted her thoughts.

She smiled. There was plenty she could do in a couple of hours.
“That sounds nice. I’ll look around, get to know my new home.”

Leo eyed her suspiciously.

“I promise, I’ll stay out of trouble.”

He scoffed and rolled from the bed. “I’ll believe that when I
see it.”

She smiled and waved away his disbelief. She rolled onto her
back and looked at the ceiling, listening to him move around their bathroom and
bedroom getting dressed. Now that she had inside access to Haven, the question
would be where to start looking first. She could try and question a few of the
soldiers. See if they remember her sister. It was a long shot with how many
years had passed, but she had nowhere else to start.

“Just promise you won’t leave the Haven without telling me.” His
voice interrupted her planning.

She propped up on her elbows. “Deal.”

He smiled and leaned over her. “See you in a few hours?”

She nodded. He dropped small kisses on her face making her
giggle. Gods Leo caught her off guard by how sweet he was. She wrapped her arms
around his neck.

“Have a great day.” She whispered.

“Thank you,
ina.
” He gave her one final kiss and left the
room.

She waited until she heard the click of the front door to get
out of bed. Showering and dressing quickly, she was out roaming the hallway in
under thirty minutes. The hallways were bustling, uniformed Amanda soldiers of
every kind moving to and from their destinations. She followed a group of
people in white coats coming up on Haven’s massive kitchen. It was as good a
place as any to start. Servants heard a lot more than their masters wanted. The
smells reminded her that she’d not had breakfast.

“You there!” A tall woman, her black hair pulled into a high
ponytail pointed a wooden spoon at her. “What are you doing in my kitchen?”

Liliana put on her most charming smile. “I’m sorry, the smells
brought me here. I just realized I hadn’t eaten breakfast.”

With narrowed eyes, the chef looked her up and down. Sniffing in
disdain she pointed to a small table in the corner of the kitchen. “Sit. I’ll
bring you something.”

Nodding her thanks, Liliana happily took a seat in the wooden
chair. She watched the staff move around the kitchen, shouting orders and a few
ribald jokes. The whole scene was fascinating.

Before too long, the chef set a plate of bacon, eggs and
croissants on a plate in front of her. A second plate, laden with fruits from
different realms followed. Liliana rubbed her hands in anticipation. The chef
sat down in the chair across from her.

“What brings the mate of Death’s Messenger into my kitchen to
eat? You could have simply called and breakfast would’ve been brought to you.”

Liliana paused with the croissant halfway to her mouth. “You
know who I am?”

“I’m Marta, head chef here at Haven. I see lots of things, and
hear even more. This is why you came into my kitchen, no?”

“I…”

Marta smiled and leaned back in her chair.

Liliana picked up a small fig and popped it in her mouth,
studying the other woman. How much did she know about her? “What have you
heard?”

Marta leaned forward. “I heard you sexed up Death’s Messenger
and got caught in trick of fate.”

She groaned. Of course that bit of gossip was floating around
Haven.

“I also heard you’re looking for your sister.”

Liliana perked up. “Go on.”

Marta shrugged. “No one here has seen or even heard of your
sister.”

Her shoulders slumped. Damn, another dead end. And she’d been so
optimistic. She picked up her fork and dove into the eggs on her plate.

“You’re different than I’d imagined.”

Cocking her head to the side, Liliana finished chewing. “How
so?”

“I hear you’re a noble, a very rich one. I don’t know, I guess I
expected you to be more…”

“Eshu?”

Marta smiled. “Yes.”

“Well, let my mother tell it, I’m as common as they come.”

Marta laughed outright. “You’re sitting in the kitchen eating
with the help, so you’re not exactly giving off ‘noble’.”

Liliana snorted and continued eating.

Marta watched her silently, tapping her fingers on the table
between them. “I tell you what.” She said after a moment. “I will ask around.
If I hear anything I’ll call you.”

She clasped the other woman’s hands gratefully. “Thank you,
Marta that would be amazing.”

“I’ll leave you to finish your breakfast. You should try the
surveillance room if you can get access.” Marta stood, leaving her with that
last bit of advice.

It was a great idea. They probably saw everything in the
surveillance room. Getting access could be a problem though. She wondered if
dropping Leo’s name would help.

Couldn’t hurt.

She’d try it. Feeling more optimistic, she smiled. She was off
to a good start. Not great, but good. She scarfed down the rest of her food,
grabbing a bunch of grapes to take with her. She waved at Marta on the way out
the door. She would make a point to befriend the chef. Having a friend who knew
things would always come in handy. Now to find the surveillance room. Using the
same tactics she used to find the kitchen, she followed the soldiers in
uniforms.

Before long she was at a door of what looked like a break room.
Taking a deep breath she went inside. She received a few confused looks, but no
one stopped her. Shrugging, she walked up to a group of soldiers standing
around a refrigerator. She’d just ask a few questions. No harm done.

***

Twenty minutes later she was no further along than when she
first started. Not only did they not have information on Kita, they wouldn’t
give her information on where the surveillance room was located.

Jerks.

There was no use staying in the break room. She turned to leave.
Leo, was blocking the entrance, his shoulder leaned against the doorjamb.

“What are you up to,
Ina
?”

Lie, or not?

Leo raised an eyebrow.

Not.

She pasted on a sunny smile. “You know, just getting my
bearings, looking around.”

“Oh yeah?” He moved from the doorjamb and leaned closer to her.
“Because I heard you were asking questions about your sister.”

She rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry. These men were a bunch
of gossiping women. “Fine, you caught me.”

He gave her a small smile and crooked his finger at her. She
moved closer to him, suspicious. He grabbed her hand and tucked it into his
elbow.

“Come.”

She followed him through the complicated hallways of Haven until
they arrived at an unmarked door. Pulling up a spell, Leo entered a passcode
and the door opened with a quiet snick.  Eyes wide, she followed him into the
air conditioned room, degrees colder than the rest of Haven. It was quiet here,
with only the drone of machines to fill the silence and the occasional command
or request chirping from a communicator. She was nervous with anticipation.
He’d brought her to the surveillance room. Liliana’s heart raced. True to his
word he was helping her search for her sister. He pulled her further into the
room, the men coming at attention as Leo passed. Except for one male. He
scrambled from his chair, fleeing for the door.

Leo clotheslined him, the soldier slamming into the floor,
wheezing. Leo put a boot on his chest to keep him from standing. “I guess I
don’t have to ask which one of you rat bastards gave Verity the code to my
room.”

The guy writhed on the floor in pain. “I can explain.”

“I don’t care.” Leo leaned down into his face, putting pressure
on his chest. “My mate was in my room.”

“I’m sorry.” He wheezed out.

“If you give out information on another person under Haven’s
protection, I will deliver you to death myself.”

He nodded. “I swear.”

Leo moved his foot and resumed walking. Liliana looked back at
the male still on the floor, but doubled her steps to keep up with her mate.
Leo looked back at her.

“Sorry you had to see that, but that jerk gave out my room
information, which is prohibited.”

She blinked, unsure of what he wanted her to say. He put a hand
on the small of her back and directed her to a small desk in the corner. It was
away from the rest of the room, a frosted glass divider keeping the desk
private from the other soldiers. He guided her into the leather office chair,
pulling it out until she sat down.

“We can look at the Oras here.”

“What are Oras?” She scooted the chair closer to the desk.

His hands worked through a complicated spell until hundreds of
images wavered in the air in front of them, like holograms. “These are the
Oras.”

The images were too small to really see anything, but shock
widened her eyes.

“There are spells to pull up images of anyplace on the planet.
We use information in the Earth’s magnetic fields and magic from the primal
source to surveil the whole and breadth of Adro. It’s better than satellites
and the spell is nearly impossible to tamper with.” He worked through the
images he’d pulled up. “Do you remember the date your sister last came to
Adro?”

Pushing aside her shock and the million questions she had, she
focused on his one question. “It was so long ago. Kita and Kedric made so many
trips to Adro together, I stopped paying attention.”

“Hmmm. Was Kedric with her this last visit?”

Liliana ran a hand through her short curls. She’d donned her
human skin to keep her appearance concealed as was her habit after so many
years on Adro. Though Marta had seen right through her disguise. Her brows
furrowed in concentration. “I honestly don’t remember. I don’t see why she
would’ve left without him.”

“Wait.” Leo straightened. “Xavier and Fallon had already
narrowed it down and found the last time Kita crossed the portal. I forgot with
everything that has happened. Hold on a moment.”

He left her in the quiet of the cubicle.

Moments later he came back, and went through another series of
spells. The light of the Oras flickered, went out, then came back, this time
with less windows, each with a different view of the main portal of Haven.

“X put these aside separately to go through. The Oras miss
nothing, so you should be able to trace your sister’s steps through Haven.”

“Do people know about these Oras?”

“No, only a few Demi have access and knowledge of the Oras. As
long as you know where to look and a general time, keeping track of Demis’
activities is a snap.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “If that’s true, then how did I
evade your soldiers for so long?”

Leo chuckled. “Don’t remind Xavier of that. You were quick, each
time we located you and sent soldiers, you were gone. Sometimes we missed you
by mere minutes.”

He was right. Her heart thumped just thinking of the near
misses.

“Adro is vast, finding one tiny Eshu noble, who changed
appearances often, I might add, is difficult. Besides, you weren’t really a
priority for X until a few months ago. The queen became uncomfortably
persistent then.”

“I can imagine.”

Leo worked through the images, narrowing the views down until
only six screens showed. “Okay. Start with these views. X saved them, so
obviously he spotted Kita on one of them.”

“There.” Liliana leaned forward, thirsty for an image of her
sister. She spotted Kita walking through the portal room alone.