Reaper's Dark Kiss (31 page)

His hands under her ass, Julian thrust into her again and again, moaning.

“God, Julian,” Sky said, hissing in pleasure. “Don’t stop.”

Julian had no intention of stopping. He couldn’t. Not when he was this close. Not when he wanted Sky this badly. He felt nothing but her hunger for him to fill her. Saw nothing but her desperate squirming body. He rode deeply into Sky. She clenched around him on every stroke.

For an endless time, it went on, both of them building a frenzied rhythm, until he felt Sky come again, crying out his name.

Her bucking, thrashing body called his beast forth. “I claim thee as my own and name thee SkyLynne of the Creed,” he growled, then flooded into her, stroking hard.

Sky lifted her hips, rocking. The mark spread from her breasts down to her belly.

Julian kissed her lips softly, feeling himself drain into her, and then he rolled away, pulling Sky into his arms.

“That was like magic,” she murmured softly. “I could feel you inside me, but in my head too.”

“It’s like that for mates,” Julian said, softly caressing Sky’s shoulders. Passing a hand down to the mark, he asked, “Does it hurt?”

Sky shook her head. “No. Feels good. Warm.”

A Shade never knew what his mark would be on his mate. It was different for every pair. After a time, Julian gently rolled Sky onto her back and traced his fingers over the mark.

She flinched. Julian withdrew his hand immediately.

“It’s okay,” she said, giggling. “Tickles.”

Julian kissed along the elegant sweep of iridescent silver vines with gray leaves that began just below Sky’s navel and spread over her belly, rising up to black roses whose petals opened around her breasts. Her pink nipples lay at the center of two blossoming roses. He followed the silvery vines up to her nipples and licked gently. Sky moaned. Julian was instantly hard for her again. But there would be plenty of time for that in Montana. Every day. Every night. Every midday. He could make love to Sky for lifetimes and still never have enough of her.

Sky looked down at herself. She traced over the mark. “Does this make me your rose?”

“You always will be,” Julian said. “Thorns and all.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Sky thought of her new home as an upside-down castle. Instead of going up, it went down for stories and stories. It was split into four quadrants, each one as big as a good-sized mansion. Three were living quarters; the fourth quadrant was open to commoners and warriors who came to petition Marek.

She’d been a revenant for a week when her editor answered her e-mail and approved Sky’s one-month leave.

When CJ came to dinner, she’d been a revenant for two weeks.

After they left New York for Montana, CJ had sent her one text.
See you soon
. That made her nervous, but Julian acted like nothing was happening. A week later, when CJ showed up in Montana, Marek, with his politician’s smile and his iron will, had kept CJ and Sky apart for three days.

Julian never told her she couldn’t see her brother, but he wouldn’t talk about it except to say that Marek was right—they had to give Christian time to adjust. If she pressed, he’d ask something like did she want to see how many rooms they could get naked in before sunrise? He tried hard to distract Sky, chasing her through caverns decorated like rooms from medieval castles. He caught her up in his arms, then made love to her. Afterward he always let her feed from him, and that made her fall into a deep sleep.

Yesterday, Julian had shown Sky the combat-training caverns. She’d hardly believed it when she saw CJ sparring with Viper. She’d run to CJ, and he’d kissed her cheek instead of grabbing her and lifting off her feet the way he used to. He’d nodded to Julian, who he’d already met. CJ congratulated Sky on what he called her “new life” and told her how he wanted to be part of it. He was…adjusted.

“Come on, Sky,” Viper had said. “He was winning. You’re making me look bad.”

As she left with Julian, Sky had seen Marek standing off to the side, looking on, a diplomat pleased with his work.

Now CJ, freshly showered after sparring with Viper, was at the far end of a long wooden table in Marek’s kitchen. Viper had given him translations of private scrolls written by Julius Caesar, left out of his commentaries on the Gallic Wars. CJ was hunched over like he was reading secret writings of a war god.

A little way from Viper, sitting on the bench that took the place of chairs at the table, Sky watched her brother. She would about lay odds that not too long ago CJ had found his head suddenly full of details about the Shadow World, revenants, remnants, Shades, and how Marek’s empire had been built by warriors willing to do things that had to be done. Which was how CJ described Special Forces. If Marek had used Influence, he’d never admit it.

The kitchen was basically a round cavern with gray, uneven walls that reminded Sky of a cave. Strings of white lights crisscrossed the high ceiling, giving a feel that it wasn’t quite finished.

At the gleaming metal stove, adjusting a gas flame under a double boiler, Marek said, “I’ve given an anonymous endowment to the Seaport Museum. It’s enough to cover the costs of the damage caused by the unfortunate break-in.”

Not looking up from reading, CJ said, “I heard about that. You weren’t there, were you, Sky?”

“I’m sure my new sister wouldn’t do such a thing as illegally entering a museum under cover of night.” Marek eyed Viper. “Would she?”

He was at the opposite end of the long table from CJ, slicing apples. “She doesn’t have the right shoes,” he said, cutting a thin slice.

Viper and Marek were careful with each other, Sky noticed, like two people who’d made peace and wanted to keep things peaceful.

“The directors were delighted that nothing of value was stolen,” Marek went on, “but much glass was broken, and the doors will have to be replaced. The endowment will cover repair costs as well as a reopening gala.”

Sky went along with Marek and Viper covering for her. She didn’t think CJ was adjusted enough to hear what really happened that night. She asked Marek, “Who taught you to cook?”

“I learned in the Punic Wars,” he said, taking a boiling pot off the stove with his bare hands and carrying it to the sink. “I served as cook for Hannibal’s men at one point.” He gave a dry smile. “I only worked at night.”

“
The
Hannibal?” Sky asked. “The one who went up against Rome?”

Marek laughed a little. “Yes. That one. He was a tremendous mortal. We offered to take him into the Shadow World, but he refused.”

“He would have made a good sentinel,” Viper said. “After a couple centuries, he could have been a reaper.” He shot a glance at CJ, who kept his head down. “I know another mortal who’d make a good reaper.”

“Not ready to give up on my tan,” CJ said, flipping through scrolls.

It disappointed Sky to hear that. If CJ were safe at home, her new life would be perfect.

Julian, leaning against a wall across the kitchen, was strangely quiet. Sky went to him. He put an arm around her. She rested her head against his chest. “What is it?” she asked.

“I have to go back to New York soon,” he said.

“When are we leaving?”

“I thought you wanted to study our language. Read our archives and write a history of the fallen in the Sun World.”

“Harli says Night Crypt has the best library in the Shadow World because scholars from everywhere donate their scrolls. When are we leaving?”

Viper coughed too loudly and said, “Should I hide the knives?”

Sky had learned that Shades were private about some things, like feeding, but what mortals would consider “domestic issues” were out in the open.

“What does he mean?” Sky asked Julian.

“The pork chops are nearly done,” Marek said in voice brittle with false cheer. “SkyLynne, would you mind taking out the plates?”

“I’m busy,” Sky said and waited for Julian to answer.

“I can’t let Vandar get away with what he’s doing,” Julian said. “Without you, he’ll be looking for mortals to drain.”

“I know. And we’re leaving when?”

“I can’t take you with me. I’ll be working.”

“You were working when we met.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

“We weren’t mates.”

“He’s going,” Sky said, pointing at Harli, who’d chosen the wrong moment to walk in.

With a grin, Julian said, “He’s not my mate.”

“You could just order her to stay,” Viper said, popping a slice of apple into his mouth. “See how that works for you.”

CJ laughed under his breath.

“How’s your knee?” Sky asked Viper.

With a tight edge to his voice, Marek said, “Zahaab, see to the plates.”

“Just trying to help out my brother,” Viper said, getting to his feet.

In the uncomfortable silence that followed, Julian carefully avoided her gaze. Viper rattled plates that came dangerously close to escaping his unfamiliar grip and crashing to the floor. Marek busied himself opening the oven. CJ went on reading. Harli became part of the walls.

“I’m really hoping,” Sky said, “no one thinks I’m going to just let this go.”

“In my efforts to keep Vandar from you until your fangs grew in,” Marek said, taking a metal tray of pork chops from the oven without oven mitts, “I did small things that lie beyond our laws.”

“He broke the rules,” Viper said, putting three plates on the table. “Surprised scrolls didn’t fall off the walls at that one.”

“What does that have to do with me going to New York with Julian?” Sky asked.

“It concerns the matter of your travel little,” Marek conceded. “But having taken the extra steps as I did, my brothers must now follow the law as closely as they can. That is why Viper is here.”

“DMI got closed for renovations for a while,” Viper said.

“We don’t take our mates with us when we know we could be walking into a fight,” Julian said.

“It’s seen badly,” Marek added.

“Not my business,” CJ said, sitting on the table, his feet on the long wooden bench, “but this place is a fortress. You should stay where Julian knows you’re safe. Hard for him to fight if he has to think about whether or not you’re okay.”

Not his business?
Marek was dangerously good at being king, Sky reminded herself.

Done laying the plates, Viper tossed an apple into the air, then drew a knife quicker than Sky could follow. Four perfect quarters hit the ground. “Don’t worry, Sky,” he said. “I’ll be with him.”

Close to panic, Sky said, “Marek?”

“Come, sister,” he said. “Dinner’s ready.”

Julian kissed just behind her ear, and Sky let him hold her tighter.

Chapter Fifty

Julian, Marek, and Viper had picked up the habit of eating in the first centuries after the fall. But they barely ate anymore. Both Harli and Sky still had appetites, and of course, CJ was a mortal who still needed to eat. They cut into pork chops with applesauce while the brothers had coffee.
Other
brothers, Sky corrected herself. Marek was careful to always remind CJ that he was their brother now, just as Sky was their sister.

All through dinner, Marek kept up a smooth patter of small talk. Sky let him decoy her onto any subject except the one she couldn’t get off her mind. The question of when Julian was leaving echoed relentlessly through her thoughts. CJ played along with Marek until Viper brought up Hannibal’s most famous battle—Cannae.

“You were there?” CJ couldn’t keep the awe out of his voice.

They started arranging silverware in formations on the table and fell into deep conversation that sounded like combat strategy.

After Marek’s third cup of coffee, he signaled to Harli, who reached under his chair. He handed Sky a slim, flat silver box the size of an envelope.

“With my compliments,” Marek said.

Sky opened it and saw two plane tickets lying on black velvet.

* * * *

Flying from Montana to Italy when all the traveling had to be done by night was easier than Sky would have thought. After Marek gave them the tickets, Julian had explained that every Shadow Worlder who took a mortal mate made the Night Journey. It was a trip to Verona to make an offering at the tomb of Anya and Tariq. They were known as the First Ones, the first mating between a Shade and a mortal woman.

The trip took them three nights. In the Valerio Catullo airport, just outside Verona, Sky got a text from Alvina.
How’s life on the other side?
She showed it to Julian.

“Marek,” he said. “He didn’t want you losing touch with your best friend. She knows about you being in the Shadow World.”

It was just a little past two in the morning when they arrived at the
Piazza delle Erbe
, Verona’s famous outdoor marketplace. The cool air smelled of freshly picked spices and plump tomatoes and sweet apples. Julian led them to what looked like the corner of a temple, except there was no temple.

Four pillars supported a roof like an upside-down cone, topped with a little globe. Three tiers of steps made of huge stone blocks led up to each side. Julian climbed the steps and pulled Sky close. Under shelter of the stone canopy, the starry sky was blocked from view. The plaza was laid out before them. Baroque buildings around them gave off warm amber light, making the cobblestones glow. The only sound was water gurgling in the fountain a little way off.

After a minute of standing absolutely still and listening, Julian hunkered down and pushed at something. A stone moved to reveal a lightless shaft. He stood and extended a hand to her. “Castle Shadow hotel, suite for two,” he said.

She slipped into his arms and let Julian fly them down. A figure raced past them, going up. Then Sky heard the stone slip back into place. Doorman, she thought.

Castle Shadow was the international honeymoon hotel of the Shadow World. The wrought-iron sconces were shaped like roses. The air smelled of a hint of perfume that made Sky feel as if flowers were all around, just out of sight.

“Let’s go there first,” Sky said.

“Through here,” Julian said when they came to an archway.

The ancient hotel connected to Anya and Tariq’s tomb. Julian took them down miles of tunnels through sweet-smelling firelight. Like pilgrims paying homage, they came to the heart of the monument Tariq had built for the love he’d refused to live without.