Authors: Cyndi Friberg
“Oh yes,” he groaned.
In her mind, they didn’t hesitate. They fell together to the grass and he drove forcefully into her.
Charlotte cried out. She could feel him inside her body, but he hadn’t really entered her yet.
“Not like this.” She pushed against his chest.
He held her firmly, his hands grasping her hips. “It is who we are. It is as much a part of us as—this.” He thrust into her fully. Charlotte dug her nails into his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Look at me,” he said.
His eyes glowed with silver light, pulling her in, intensifying the sensations, both physical and psychic.
He kept himself buried deeply within her, but in her mind, he moved and she arched to meet each thrust.
“Don’t deny who you are,” he whispered. “Glory in it.”
Their images bucked and writhed. She felt the movement, the friction—the frenzy. Her image grabbed his and shoved him over onto his back. She quickly straddled his hips and sank down onto his throbbing length.
Tal laughed and pulled nearly out of her. He mirrored each of her forceful movements, taking her as she took him.
Charlotte could no longer distinguish between the physical and metaphysical sensations. He cried out against her mouth and the pulsing rhythm of his climax triggered hers. Pleasure rippled through her, stealing her breath, focusing her entire world on their joining and the utter completeness of this moment in time.
* * * * *
The twelve members of the Traditionalist Sect Council faced Charlotte across the gleaming horseshoe-shaped table. Vee stood at her side. Tal, Trey and Dro Tar occupied the front row of the observation loft, which was crowded with curious Ontarians.
Directly across the table sat Roe Aune, Tal’s father, prefect of the TSC. His shoulder-length hair combined various shades of brown and orange, but his eyes were the same smoky gray as his younger son’s.
They had exchanged a quick greeting before the session. He had been pleasant if a bit cautious, but he was all business now. His deep voice rang with confidence and authority.
“The motion to officially recognize the identity of Charlotte Layton has been passed and entered into record. To forego any confusion, let it be said, Charlotte Layton is the biological daughter of E’Lanna dar Aune and Frim dar Joon. Her birth name was Shar dar Aune, but at the request of said person, she will continue to use her Earth name.” Charlotte straightened the jacket of her navy-blue suit. She’d learned on her first visit to Frontine that the nondescript uniforms worn at the Conservatory were not the fashion standard for the entire planet. So Tal had conjured the outfit this morning, combining images from her mind with the Ontarian penchant for asymmetrical drama.
“Do you have any objections or anything to add?” It took a moment for Charlotte to realize Prefect Aune was speaking to her. “No, sir. Master Vee has shown me more than enough evidence regarding the identity of my parents.”
This was the easy part. She agreed with everything he’d said—so far.
“According to the Standards, the eldest female member of the Royal House of Aune is due certain rights and privileges,” Prefect Aune continued. “Have these been explained to you?”
“To some extent,” she responded. “Though I have read through the Standards, I haven’t had the opportunity to study them in any detail, and they’re quite extensive.”
He waved away her concern with an abrupt gesture. Charlotte’s eyes narrowed and she caught her hands just before they tightened into fists.
What an
arrogant jerk
.
“It’s not necessary that you comprehend the Standards in their entirety. You merely need to understand the portions directly pertaining to you.”
“I respectfully disagree with you, sir,” she said to a chorus of muffled gasps. Her gaze never left the prefect’s face. “The rights and privileges outlined in the Ontarian Standards only pertain to me should I choose to—”
An eruption of activity clamored outside the chamber door, drawing everyone’s attention. The chamber doors burst open and a small army barged in. Tal suddenly stood beside her. He extended his arms toward Vee’s, forming a Mystic shield all around her.
“How dare you!” Lilt dar Joon yelled over the cacophony of scrambling feet and outraged protests.
His men fell into position around the room, their movements concise and deadly.
“How dare
you
?” Prefect Aune shot back. “And how the hell did you get your thugs past the amo-detectors?”
“Not every Mystic on Ontariese is sympathetic to the Traditionalist Sect, you old windbag,” Lilt sneered.
For every Joon soldier pointing a pulse-rifle at a council member, there were two TSC guards aiming back.
“Oh, this is charming, gentlemen.” She stepped out from behind Tal and Vee. Tal grabbed her arm but Charlotte was beyond caution. “What are you going to do? Blow each other’s brains out? What will that accomplish? The sects will appoint new leaders—but the war will ramble on.”
“If you are who I’ve been told you are, this meeting is just as relevant to the House of Joon as it is to the House of Aune,” Lilt snapped.
He hadn’t put much thought into his strategy.
From his unkempt hair to his messy clothes, he revealed the rashness driving his decisions.
But he was right about one thing. He should have been informed. “I agree,” she said to another chorus of outraged gasps. Did they practice unison reactions at these council meetings? “Have your buddies stand down and take a seat.”
The military posturing continued for a moment longer then Lilt raised his hand and his soldiers lowered their weapons. Fury burned in Prefect Aune’s wildly spinning gaze. Charlotte couldn’t tell if she had incited the anger or if he simply couldn’t stand being this close to the enemy.
“I disagree. He has no place here.” His cultured voice reduced to a snarl.
“I’m as much a Joon as I am an Aune,” she said.
“How can you disagree with that?”
Ignoring the tension palpable in the room, Charlotte calmly waited for the dust to settle. Tal and Vee remained on either side of her, but one by one, the council members returned to their seats.
Someone found a chair for Lilt dar Joon and silence descended on the room.
Charlotte knew she would have to stand up to the TSC or become their puppet. She just hadn’t expected the showdown to take place so soon. She’d also hoped to solidify her role with the Traditionalist Sect before involving the Reformation Sect.
Well, you wanted to know the challenges of being a
litigator. This may be the most biased jury ever assembled
.
Though she was talking to herself, she wasn’t surprised when Vee responded.
Ye are not the litigator, Shar Lott. Ye are the judge.
They must bring their cases before thee and ye will decree
what is best for the greater good
.
Charlotte smiled.
From law student to judge in one fell
swoop. Not bad for a day’s work
.
She forced her attention back to the hostile men surrounding her. How to begin?
“We were discussing my role as the eldest female member of the Royal House of Aune. Shall we continue with those details or would you prefer to address the issue from the perspective of the House of Joon?”
Lilt’s eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. “You want this to be an auction? Whichever house offers you the sweeter deal receives what? The use of your power? The pleasure of your company?
The—”
His hands flew to his throat, blood rushed to his face and he could no longer speak.
Without shifting her gaze, Charlotte elbowed Tal in the ribs.
Lilt gasped and sputtered. “Keep your watchdog on a leash or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Tal interrupted.
“Master Aune, thou art violating the Code of Ethics by using thy powers to harm.” Vee’s complete lack of conviction made Charlotte want to laugh.
“Why did you come here?” Charlotte asked Lilt.
“We were having an amicable meeting when you stormed in with armed guards. Say what you came to say and leave.”
Lilt rubbed his throat for a moment longer, glaring at Tal. “First, I want to know if it’s true. Are you Frim dar Joon’s daughter?”
She had already admitted as much but these people seemed to be fond of
official
proclamations. “I am.”
His gaze moved slowly over her face, intensifying as it locked with hers. “Are you a catalyst? Did you release latent abilities in my son?”
Whispers rippled through the room. Apparently, not everyone knew of her gift. How to answer?
Ye benefit nothing by denial
, Vee silently advised.
“I am and I did.”
The whispers escalated to hushed conversations.
She took a moment to look at Tal, but his attention was fixed on Lilt dar Joon. Hatred shone in his eyes and Charlotte wanted to shake him. This was not Dez! This could be an opportunity for a new beginning, the possibility of a new direction. Perhaps Lilt would even cooperate with them in apprehending his brother. But Tal had to let go of the past.
“Prefect Aune, what are your intentions for Shar dar Joon?” Lilt asked.
Or perhaps Lilt was here to add fuel to the fire.
Before Roe Aune could respond to the provocation, Charlotte stood. “My name is Charlotte Layton, and I will be addressed as such until I say otherwise.”
“A detail you would have known had you been invited to this meeting,” Prefect Aune added. “Are you an official representative of the Reformation Sect or are you here on behalf of the House of Joon?” It was a diplomatic way of asking if Dez was still alive and in power. Charlotte felt her stomach tighten and a stinging pulsation erupted in her brain.
Grasping the edge of the table, she swallowed convulsively. The filth of Dez’s mind, his corrupted energy, crept through her memory, nauseating her, repulsing her all over again. Would she never be free of that creature?
You are safe, my love
, Tal’s voice assured her.
She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him, but not even the sanctuary of the Conservatory had kept Dez from her. Only the destruction of Dez dar Joon would make her feel completely safe.
“Where is your brother?” she asked Lilt directly.
“If you’re harboring him, I will have nothing to do with you.”
Lilt shoved his chair back so forcefully it toppled and slid into the wall. “I’ll make this easy for everyone,” he said, his voice ringing. “I’m not my brother. I’m not my father. And you’re not the only ones capable of contacting the Symposium. As you know, they’re required to release information without prejudice.”
Several of the councilmen began to protest but the prefect raised his hand and silenced them.
“You’ve confirmed her identity for me so I’ll confirm her options for you.” Lilt went on. “Charlotte Layton is High Queen of Ontariese and according to the
Traditionalist Sect
, her first obligation is to select her life mate and produce an heir.”
Charlotte’s mouth gaped, but she was the only one in the room to gasp this time. “Excuse me?”
“Those Clarifications are old. There hasn’t been a High Queen for a very long time,” Lilt commented.
“But Clarifications never really go out of date, now do they?”
The obvious relish in Lilt’s tone made Charlotte immediately suspicious. Somehow, the Reformation Sect benefited from what was transpiring. Even with Dez out of the picture, at least for the moment, the House of Joon was on the move.
“Get him out of here!” Prefect Aune managed the words with his teeth tightly clenched.
“Wait,” she ordered. “What is he talking about?”
“You’re hoping to recruit her before she understands the full ramifications of her choices,” Prefect Aune accused.
Lilt’s brow shot up in challenge. “There are many ways to recruit support for a cause, Prefect Aune.
Why don’t you ask your son how the Traditionalist Sect is doing?”
Tal took a menacing step toward Lilt, but Charlotte wrapped her hand around his coiled hair. “How’s your nose, Joon?” she asked calmly. “The swelling’s gone but you’ve got some nasty bruises.”
His hostile gaze turned toward her.
“Unless you want this to turn into another brawl,” she warned, “tell me what you learned from the Symposium and leave.”
“If the High Queen reaches her twentieth cycle without having chosen a life mate, she has one cycle of the moons to make her choice or it is the responsibility of the TSC to appoint her mate for her,” he recited.
She didn’t need a month to choose her husband, Charlotte thought with a secret smile. She just needed a quiet moment alone with Tal—
But Lilt went on. “And her life mate
must
be chosen from among the male heirs of the six great houses.”
Lilt’s smug tone snapped her from her reverie.
“What? I’m supposed to make this selection from six men?” Had these people lost their minds? What he described was right out of the dark ages.
“Again, let me stress, this scenario only applies under the strictures of the Traditionalist Sect. If such pointless rituals don’t appeal to you,
Your Majesty
, I invite you to learn more about the Reformation Sect!” With a sharp hand gesture, Lilt dar Joon signaled his guards to follow him from the room.
Shaking with foreboding, Charlotte sank into the nearest chair. This couldn’t be happening! “Is what he said true? Is this expected of the High Queen?” Her voice shook with disbelief.
Every member of the TSC stared at her expectantly.
Was she the only one who found this absurd?
“He has intentionally made it sound utterly barbaric,” Roe Aune objected.
“If it’s true, it
is
barbaric. Now answer the question. Were his statements accurate?”
“This is an opportunity to restore Ontariese to the glory that preceded the Great Conflict,” Roe Aune said. “If you choose your life mate carefully, we can reclaim peace for the first time in a century. This must be done for the greater good.”
The wistful determination in Roe Aune’s voice nearly convinced her until she realized what he was really saying. She would become the life mate of his heir.