Prince's Fire (9 page)

“They taste better cooked,” said Celeste.

When they finished eating, Celeste captured a crow with her mind magic and tasked it with leading them to the nearest village. The creature took the job seriously. It fluttered to a nearby tree and looked back, fixing them with sharp, black eyes, scolding raucously when they were slow to catch up.

“I'm still trying to figure out those people who attacked us,” said Celeste as they walked. “You said you had enemies at home—”

“I can't see them infiltrating the ship,” said Rayn.

“These enemies at home. Are they the Land Council?”

“Yes,” said Rayn. “Councilor Worryn especially. He's head of the council.”

“I was told they hate you because you opposed some laws they tried to pass.”

Rayn eyed her. “You've got your ear to the ground, haven't you? Yes, they tried to pass some laws that my father would have opposed, had he not been ill. I rallied the Inyan people and managed to defeat the laws.”

“Tell me about your father's illness. Can the Healers do nothing?”

“It's incurable.”

“What is the nature of his illness?”

Rayn balked. He didn't want to talk about this. He didn't like to even think about it. “Physically, he's healthy. The problem is with his mind.”

She turned, startled. “He's mad?”

“It's more that he . . . forgets things.”

“That doesn't sound so bad.”

“Important things, like the names of people he's known for years. Details of how Inya's government is supposed to work. When I was a child, he was a wise and thoughtful ruler. He gave me lots of advice, things I'll never forget. But now . . . he's not the same man.”

“I'm so sorry. Do you know the cause?”

Rayn shook his head. “I don't. It happened gradually. We first noticed when he began forgetting important meetings and misremembering the councilors' names. Then he started getting lost in the palace. A year later, he set his bedsheets on fire—he's a fire mage, like me—and we had to take away his riftstone.”

“Three gods, I can't imagine. How long ago did this start?”

“When I was eleven,” said Rayn. “By the time I was fourteen, he was helpless, and the council was quietly issuing decisions through him. Bad decisions he would never have made when his mind was intact, decisions he would have advised me not to make. That's the worst of it. He had friends. I
thought
they were his friends. But when he became weak and needed help, they abandoned him or turned on him.”

“What were these bad laws the Land Council tried to pass?”

“They require some explanation. Do you have King's Lands in Kjall? Perhaps you'd call them Emperor's Lands.”

“I'm not sure what you mean,” said Celeste. “My brother owns a great deal of land, most of it surrounding the Imperial Palace. But we don't call it anything special.”

“In my country, the King's Lands aren't for the royal family. They're for everyone. Nobody owns them—well, technically my father does—but they're maintained for the benefit of all Inyans. They are lakes, beaches, forests, mountains. Nobody is permitted to settle in them or build structures on them, but many of our poorer citizens hunt and fish in the King's Lands. Otherwise they might starve. You have something like that in Kjall?”

“I don't think so,” said Celeste.

“The Land Council wanted to sell the King's Lands off to private buyers—wealthy farmers and merchants who I'm certain were lining the councilors' pockets with bribes. They tried to do this in secret, without the Inyan people knowing. But I knew. I made some speeches on the subject, and the people rose up in opposition. Land councilors are elected. They cannot afford to anger the people, so they stopped trying to sell off the land.”

Celeste was quiet for a while, considering his words. “Before all this happened, you had promised to tell me about Zoe and your daughter.”

“So I did.” He frowned. This wasn't a subject he liked to discuss; he knew it reflected badly on him. But hiding it from her didn't feel right. Against his better judgment, he was beginning to take this marriage offer from Lucien more seriously, not because he was convinced it was the right move for his country, but because he really liked the woman. “I helped Zoe when she was in trouble—rescued her from someone who was mistreating her and gave her a job at the palace. Later I slept with her. I didn't think anything of it at the time. It was a casual thing, and I thought she understood that. But then she got pregnant.”

“Weren't you warded?”

“I thought I was,” said Rayn. “She ought to have been warded too. I can't explain it, but we know that wards sometimes fail.”

“If they are mislaid,” said Celeste, sounding skeptical.

“My first assumption was that the baby wasn't mine,” said Rayn. “But Zoe submitted to a truth spell on that account, and it turns out I was her only partner at that time. So there is no doubt. Unfortunately, the fact that I'd sired a child on her led Zoe to believe there was more to our relationship than I'd intended. I had ended things with her already. But since she's the mother of my child, I have to keep Zoe at the palace.”

“Does she take care of your daughter?”

“Oddly, no.” Rayn frowned. This was something that bothered him. “I thought she would want to. But Aderyn—that's my daughter's name—didn't gain much weight during her first few weeks of life, and it came out that Zoe was neglecting to feed her. So I put Aderyn in the full-time care of a wet nurse. I come by to see Aderyn from time to time, but the nurse tells me that Zoe never visits.”

“That's . . . disconcerting.”

“Let's talk about something else,” said Rayn. “I want to hear more details about this marriage of convenience you suggested for us.” He glanced at her to see if he'd made her blush. Yes, he had.

“Oh—well,” she stammered. “I think I was pretty clear on the details.”

“Not at all,” said Rayn. “The deal was that you would have time to work on your treatise, and I would sire heirs on you. But the siring of heirs requires bedroom activities.”

“Of course it does.” Her face was pink all over.

“How often would these bedroom activities take place?”

“I don't think we have to specify. We would take care of the business as needed.”

“I beg to differ. The contract must lay out all the details.”

“Twice a week?” she offered.

“What about when you're pregnant? Obviously you have no need for my seed then.”

“That is true,” she said.

He glanced at her. Did he hear disappointment in her voice? “I'm afraid such contract terms won't be acceptable to me. I expect my wife to be in my bed every night.”

She glanced at him shyly. “Every night?”

“And sometimes during the day,” he added. “We should also discuss the sorts of relations that don't result in pregnancy. I will want those frequently.”

“Do you always tease your women like this, Prince Rayn?”

Rayn said nothing because, in truth, he did not. There was something about the Kjallan princess—her demureness, her tendency to blush like tinder sparking—that inspired him to tease. Zoe had been so eager, so forward, that she'd have his pants down around his ankles and his cock in her mouth the moment he'd closed the door to her rooms. But Rayn found that teasing a little, whetting his appetite and his partner's, made him more eager for the action when it came.

He clambered over a root that grew between two trees, and halted. The ground dropped away, and below them shimmered a crystalline pool ringed by spongy green moss. A tiny waterfall trickled, crisp and clean, from the high ground. “Look where your crow has brought us,” he said.

Celeste entered the clearing and gasped. “Three gods. This is beautiful.”

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” He was in desperate need of a bath to wash away the salt and sand, and Celeste needed one too. Perhaps they could scrub each other's back . . . and who knew where that might lead? He was already in trouble for making love to her on the beach. What difference would it make if he made love to her a second time?

“That water will be freezing,” said Celeste.

Rayn grinned. “Not for a fire mage.”

T
hough she knew he'd seen her naked before, Celeste felt a little shy as she stripped out of her clothes. Their unexpected lovemaking on the beach seemed like ages ago, yet it had taken place that very morning. Then, she'd been disoriented and emotionally wrung out after their harrowing adventure in the open ocean. Now she felt more aware and in control.

She felt Rayn's eyes on her back as she slipped the last bit of fabric over her head. She wanted to turn and drink in the sight of his amazing body, but that would mean exposing herself to his gaze. “Turn your back.”

“I've seen you already,” said Rayn. “Why be shy around me?”

“Just until I get in the water.”

She heard leaves rustling and glanced over her shoulder to see that he had, indeed, turned around. She moved to the pool. Icy water stung her toes, but she gritted her teeth and waded to the center of the pool where the water was deepest. Gasping at the cold water's bite, she folded her legs and sank in up to her neck, perching on the smooth rocks at the bottom of the pool. “I'm ready.”

Rayn turned. He'd shed his pants and tunic, and wore nothing but his riftstone, a bright ruby that rested on his collarbone. He looked as impressive as he had the night before. More so, now that his cock stood at attention. Clearly he wasn't the least bit ashamed of his body, and why should he be? If she looked that perfect, she wouldn't be shy either.

“Aren't you freezing?” he asked.

She nodded, her teeth chattering.

Rayn entered the water. As he waded toward her, a blast of his fire magic preceded him. The water became as warm as an imperial bath.

Like most Kjallans, Celeste bathed daily when she had the opportunity. The feeling of grime on her skin was unfamiliar and unpleasant. She had no soap with her, so clean water would have to do. She rubbed at her arms, loosening the salt and sand.

Rayn sank into the water next to her. “Allow me.” He grasped her about the waist and pulled her into his lap. His erection pressed against her backside. He found her arm beneath the water and ran his hands slowly up and down her skin. He removed the grit as he went, yet his touch wasn't all business. He was exploring. Separating the fingers on her hand, he paid each one personal attention, stroking its contours, measuring its length. He worked his way up to her palm and then her wrist. She was fine-boned compared to him, and his hand easily encircled her forearm.

Despite having a loving family, Celeste was seldom
touched
, and never in so delicious a way. Beneath the water, she was safe from the scrutiny of his eyes and could relax completely. Moaning with pleasure, she laid her head on Rayn's shoulder. He moved to her other arm, paying it the same attention. Then her feet, separating each toe. The soles of her feet were scraped and sore from walking barefoot through the forest. He gently rubbed the rawness out of them and moved on to her legs, then to her torso. He seemed to particularly enjoy the spot where her waist blossomed into her hips, and stroked the contour of that curve long after her skin was clean.

He ran his hand up her back. “Let me wash your hair.”

She lay limp in his arms and didn't stiffen when he tipped the back of her head into the water. She closed her eyes. He supported her with one hand behind her neck while his other hand ran gently through her hair, freeing trapped salt and sand and sorting out the tangles.

When he finished, he restored her to an upright position. She turned in his arms, looking again on his handsome face. “Your braid's falling apart,” she said. “Let me fix it for you.”

“You can undo the braid. There's a clasp at the bottom.”

She circled around him. Rayn was too big to pull into her lap, so instead she knelt at the bottom of the pool, pressing up against his back, and found the bottom of his braid. She undid the clasp and handed it to him. Then she unraveled his hair from base to scalp. She separated the strands, and his hair flowed long and free, the bottom half of it darkened by water. She wasn't used to men with long hair, since most Kjallans kept theirs short. Rayn's fell nearly to his waist, and as she ran her hands through it, she couldn't help but feel that Kjallans were missing out. “Lie back,” she said.

She slipped a hand under his neck and massaged his scalp. She ran her hands through the long, thick strands of his hair, teasing them apart. “Shall I braid it back up now?”

“Later,
karamasi
,” said Rayn.

She left his long hair swirling in the water and ran her fingers up his back and shoulders. His body fascinated her—broad in the upper torso yet narrow at the waist. So different from her own. She traced the contour of each muscle, marveling that he could be so strong and also so delicate, especially along his sides where his skin was soft and ticklish. His legs were thick and powerful, but the skin between his toes was tender. She rubbed the salt off him everywhere she touched, acquainting herself with the body that had made love to her this morning.

She avoided what was between his legs and worked her way up his chest. Running her hands through the smattering of hair, she found one of his nipples and stroked it, enjoying the way it pebbled beneath her fingers.

Rayn twisted around. “I haven't finished with you yet,” he growled, grabbing her and hauling her in front of him. He set her back on his lap.

“I'm clean everywhere,” she said.

“Not here.” He slipped his hand into the wet hair on the back of her head, tipped her head back, and kissed her. His tongue swept into her mouth. “Nor here,” he murmured, stroking her breast and thumbing her nipple until it stiffened to a peak. Slipping a hand behind her back, he lifted her chest out of the water until her nipples emerged. He took one in his mouth and thumbed the other, not gently, but gods, she didn't want gentle right now. Each stroke sent a shiver of pure pleasure through her, radiating to her core. “Here's another spot I missed.” Still tonguing her breasts, he moved his hand down her belly, and still farther until he found her sex. She gasped in surprise and pleasure.

He parted her with gentle fingers and stroked.

So powerful was the sensation that she thrashed in the water, but he hugged her close and continued to stroke, tenderly and with a circular motion. “Touch me,” he ordered. He took her hand and placed it on his cock. His boldness shocked her, but she was too curious to shy away. She explored his cock with her fingers, tracing the head and the hard shaft, even taking his cods into her hand. He groaned. “I'd love for you to keep doing that. But we're not going to finish this way.”

He slipped both hands underneath her and lifted her out of the water.

She gasped. “Don't look at me.”

“Don't be silly,” said Rayn. “Everything I see, I like.” Carrying her to the bank, he laid her on the soft, mossy ground so that her body rested on dry land while her legs were still in the shallows. She stiffened, anxious about her naked body being exposed. But there was no one to see but Rayn, and his face had disappeared. He'd dropped into the shallow water where she could barely see him. There, he parted her and touched his tongue to her softness. A thrill like no other ran through her.

“Gods, Rayn,” she moaned. He stroked her with his tongue, sending a delicious fire through her, not of the magical variety but far more enjoyable.

“Tell me you like it.”

“It feels so good.” She arched her back as he continued to tongue her.
“
So good.”

When her pleasure had grown to almost unbearable levels, Rayn rose from the water with a growl. He lifted her and placed her farther back on the moss, giving himself some room, and climbed atop her. Water dripped off his face and chest, and his cock hung hard and heavy between his legs. He leaned down and kissed her, but she couldn't bear it. She needed him, and she wasn't going to wait.

“Now,” she whispered.

He lowered his body and slid into her, warm and glorious. Water glistened on his shoulders as his powerful muscles flexed. His thrusts were ungentle, but they were what she needed. Noises she had never made in her life emerged from her throat at the completion of each stroke. She grasped at him, needing something in her hands, and kissed him so hard she almost bit his lip.

“Come for me,” he said.

She did, gasping, her entire body contracting at the unbearable flood of pleasure. He unleashed a series of vigorous thrusts and finished inside her.

Celeste panted, flushed and overheated. For once she didn't need Rayn's fire magic.

Rayn kissed her again, gently this time. He was covered in a light sheen of sweat. “You know what?” he said. “We need another bath.”

•   •   •

Rayn felt refreshed as they set off through the woods again, and not just because of the sex. His body was clean and his hair freshly braided. His stomach was making some entirely valid protests about the inadequate diet of spinefruit, and certainly he missed his coffee, but these were minor complaints, which he could ignore for a time. Celeste had captured a songbird with her magic, and they were following it, hopefully to civilization.

How far was it? Lornis had to be in a panic by now. Once the ship failed to locate them, word of his death might be dispatched to Inya. And who knew what Lucien might do when he learned Celeste was missing? They needed to contact their people as soon as possible. “Can you summon us a couple of horses to ride? Or whatever's in this forest. Elk?”

“I can't summon things.” Celeste stopped and squinted at the trees, searching for her songbird, which was drab gray in color and hard to spot.

“You've summoned birds.”

“No, I just found them and gave them magical suggestions. If you see any elk, let me know. I probably could control one if it were close.”

“How far away does your magic work?”

“My range is about to that tree.” She indicated a large fir about thirty feet away. “I could extend it if I practiced more.”

“Can you control two animals at once?”

“I've done it. It depends on the animal. Simpler minds are easier to control: fish, reptiles, some insects. Mammals and birds are the hardest. People can be challenging. Mages are impossible.”

“I have a question about your past,” said Rayn. “You don't have to answer it if you'd rather not.”

Celeste glanced back at him. “All right.”

“You were married once before. Was it . . . I mean, did he . . .” Rayn hesitated, uncertain how to ask such a question. She'd been thirteen at the time and had been forced into the marriage.

“He didn't sleep with me,” said Celeste. “And it wasn't a real marriage. Lucien had it annulled.”

That was a relief. He'd slept with her twice now, and while in some ways she was uninhibited, in others she was tense and nervous. Clearly, she didn't like it when he looked at her body, which was a shame, considering she was so beautiful. He wasn't sure shyness could entirely explain her reactions.

“I don't mean to imply that it had no effect on me,” offered Celeste. “He was cruel and frightening. He used to . . .” She trailed off.

“Used to what?” prompted Rayn.

“Beat me,” said Celeste. “When I argued with him.”

She turned to her songbird as if to dismiss the subject. Rayn was pretty sure she'd been about to say something else.

“You might as well know this too,” Celeste continued after a minute. “When I was older, I had an actual lover. One of my choosing.”

“Oh?” He shouldn't be surprised. She hadn't behaved like a virgin either at the beach or at the forest pool.

“I feel like a fool for ever getting involved with him.”

“So you chose the wrong lover,” said Rayn. “We have that in common.”

“I thought he loved me, but he didn't,” said Celeste.

“What happened?”

“He was from the Mathematical Brotherhood,” said Celeste. “I wasn't very welcome there—they don't accept women.”

“You said they made an exception for you.”

“Because Lucien offered them a donation of imperial funds. I don't feel like a real member. I bought my way in.”

“Did the other members have to prove themselves in some way to get in?”

“Most were educated at the University of Riat. Or Worich, or elsewhere. Those who didn't have a formal education could get in if they'd published papers on mathematics.”

“Did you have a formal education? Or was it all tutors?”

“I had tutors for a while, but I outgrew what they could teach me,” said Celeste. “I did end up going to the University of Riat. And I've published some papers.”

“So you were as qualified as anyone else in the organization.”

“Technically, yes.”

“I have little experience with women like you, who go to universities and such,” said Rayn. “I only had tutors myself. But any fool can see that studying math doesn't require a pair of cods. I should say you were a real member regardless of what the others thought.” He didn't care how supposedly smart those men were; they were idiots if they couldn't see how gifted Celeste was.

“Most of them felt I didn't belong,” said Celeste. “I'm glad you feel otherwise. So did Gallus. He was different from the others. He was friendly and welcoming, and he taught me all kinds of things. I've never known a smarter man—well, except for Lucien.”

Rayn wished he'd taken his math studies more seriously in his youth. She loved brilliant men: her brother, this Gallus fellow. He couldn't measure up to either of them. Not that he was stupid. He'd been competent at his studies, and he could speak three languages. He could tame an erupting volcano, but this woman had grown up in a land without volcanoes; his talent meant little to her. “You still love this man Gallus?”

“No,” said Celeste. “And he never loved me. I used to take him back to my rooms at the Imperial Palace. I felt pleased with myself at the time. I knew we could never get married because he was a commoner and I would eventually have to make a political marriage, but it was a lovely affair—so I thought. Then things started disappearing.”