The Queen of All Magick: Elizabeth (7 page)

“I’ll be here at nights then.”
Lizzy nodded, and Kim wondered what would happen to her when she returned to Josh. “He’ll not be happy.”

“You let me worry about Josh. I’ve got it on good authority that he won’t even miss you from where he’ll be.”
Kim started to ask what that meant but was sure she didn’t want to know. Lizzy would take care of him and that would be it. The woman was amazing.

After Lizzy left her, Kim sat down on the big chair next to the bed.
Rythen didn’t move when she sat up and finally moved the hair from his brow. He was simply too handsome with that rakish hair out of place.

“You’re much too handsome as it is
, and I think you know it.” She looked around the room to make sure she was alone. When she was sure she was, Kim continued to talk to the sleeping man.

“You kiss like it’s your job.
While I haven’t been kissed a great deal, I’ve been kissed by some pretty amazing men. They never made me feel like you did.” She flushed when her body heated up again. “You should be ashamed of yourself treating me that way. And we not even knowing each other.”

The knock at the door startled her
, and she went to open it. The man standing there had her staring at him stupidly. He only smiled and asked to enter.

“I’m just what you think me to be
, a centaur. My name is Roman. I was born here long ago when our kind was in a large number, but humans no longer believed in us so we became nearly extinct. I stayed on after my family was moved to another glen to help bring us back around.” He sat a large tray on the table near the window. “If you are not happy with our selections, then please let me know. I’ve been working on some of the finer recipes that I have gotten from Master Duncan.”

Kim sat down when he pulled out her chair and smiled at him. She had met Duncan right after being hired to work for Logan.
He didn’t strike her as a culinary type. But then she was sort of hungry. The first cover was lifted, and she looked at the food, then at the man.

“You are not happy with this?”
He started to take the tray back, and she put her hand on his. The electrical current that ran between them had her jerking back.

“It’s wonderful.
I love…this is one of my bucket list meals.” He looked at her oddly. “I never get to go out, and when I cook at the apartment, Josh gets…well, he gets sort of out of joint about it. So I came up with a list of foods that I want to try before I die. I think this was on the top.”

Lobster bisque with rice and asparagus was on the first plate. When Roman
unwrapped the basket, she could smell the crust-covered bread that smelled so yeasty that her mouth watered. Under the last cover was a slice of the thickest cherry pie she’d ever seen. And there was a bowl of the cream he’d told her to go with it.

“The cherries were picked just today for the queen’s dessert. She said that you should have a slice as well.
My Lady Queen is the most generous of people.” He poured her a glass of what looked like blood, but he assured her it was only wine. After he left, she bit into the most scrumptious meal she’d ever eaten. If she ate like this for her lunch, she wondered what they would serve for dinner.

“If this keeps up I’ll weigh a ton when I get back home.”
Finishing off the meal, she laid back on the chair, too full to move. Kim yawned twice before she got up to check on her patient. He was still sleeping soundly.

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with you.”
Several thoughts popped into her head and none of them had anything to do with his well-being, and more to do with him being naked. “I wonder where that thought came from, and if you’re somehow making me feel this way.” She felt stupid after saying it and snapped her mouth closed. No more talking to the sleeping man, she decided.

After Roman came to get her empty plates
, she started to wander around the room. She was on her second pass when she sat down again. She was so tired that she could hardly keep her eyes open. In moments, she was asleep, and the dream started almost immediately.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”
Rythen looked like a god lying across his bed. Instead of being dressed in the shirt she’d seen him in, he was naked from the waist up. It took her mind several seconds to realize that he was laughing at her.

“You shouldn’t be invading my dreams. I’m too tired to mess with you right now.” He nodded and started to sit up. “Oh
, no you don’t. If you’re as naked as I think you are, you just stay right there.”

“But I want you.”
She shook her head and started to move. How she’d gotten so close to the bed was beyond her, but he was pulling her toward him. “If you won’t let me come to you, I will bring you to me.”

His mouth was covering hers even as he rolled her to her back.
Heat filled her body as he touched her throat and breast. When he cupped her ass and brought her close to him, she moaned out his name. His cock was so hard she could feel it through the blankets he was under.

“Let me taste you. It will go a long way toward healing me for you.”
She didn’t think she’d live if he was healed any more and nearly told him so. “I could wake and do this and so much more to you if you would allow it.” He nipped at her throat, and she curled her fingers into his hair.

“You’re making me crazy with need.”
He chuckled against her throat, and she moaned again. “What do you need from me? I mean, how do you taste me?”

Her mind
went in all sorts of directions when she thought of him tasting her. The one and only time she’d finally gotten Josh to go down on her, he’d hurt her so badly that she’d cried for an hour. But she doubted very much that anything that Rythen did to her would hurt at all.

“I would never harm you.”
His mouth moved down her throat to her breast. It wasn’t until his warm breath was touching her flesh that she realized he’d removed her blouse and bra. Then his tongue moved over her nipple.

“Please, I need you to help me to come. I just need a little relief.”
He lifted his head from her breast, and she whimpered. “You’re going to leave me like this, aren’t you? Josh does that. He thinks—”

Rythen put his fingers over her mouth. “Never speak of another man again when you’re with me.
I will give you pleasure, but you’ve not answered me. May I taste of you?”

“
You can have all of me if you won’t leave me hanging.” He looked deep into her eyes, and she felt as if he were looking into her soul. “You won’t hurt me either, will you?”

“Never.”
Lowering his head to her throat again, Kim felt his tongue run along her pulse. She was almost embarrassed by how hard it must be pounding, and started to move her head so that he’d not feel it. But he nipped at her, and her body reacted like he’d touched her with a live wire. Her climax tore from her so quickly and hard that she could have sworn that she saw stars. And when he suckled at her, Kim wanted more.

“You’ll give me all as you promised, my love.”
His voice in her head didn’t even bother her. When he lifted his head, she could see her blood on his lip and wanted to taste him the same way. “Think of biting me. You’ll need fangs to do that, and I’d very much like to feel you drink from me as well.”

Her mouth burst in pain
, but it was short lived. When Rythen moved over her body, she felt his cock just at her entrance and rolled her hips to take him in. He slammed forward so hard that he took her breath away. And when he stilled deep inside of her, she looked up at him.

“This is no dream
, is it?” He rolled his hips as she’d done and she had to grab onto him before she came apart again. “I want to come, and the need to bite you is making me hungry for it.”

“Then
by all means, you should do it.” He moved again, and she was so close to coming that she was panting with need. “When you come, love, I want you to bite me deep. Sink your teeth into me and drink. I will keep you safe.”

The thought of biting him had her dizzy with the need to do so.
When he moved inside of her, his body slamming deep, so much so that she knew she’d be sore if this were real, she felt her orgasm swallow her. It took her over and when she felt his neck just there for her, she ran her tongue down to his pounding pulse and sank her teeth into him.

Blood filled her mouth
, and when she drank him down, her body hummed with sudden energy. The connection to him was amazing. Her climax hurled her into another one as she suckled at his neck. And when he pulled her wrist to his mouth and bit her, Kim knew that whatever sort of dream this was, she hoped that she would have it nightly. Nothing had ever made her feel this way, and she knew that had she really been in bed with him, no one would ever make her feel this way again. Kim was his.

Chapter 7

Elizabeth moved down the hall to speak to Rythen.
There were only a few days left, and she needed to see if he’d give her an extension to see Lizzy’s baby born. If he did that she’d not give him any more troubles but go willingly to her death. She was rounding the corner to his chamber when she felt the floor beneath her tremble.

She met Mel coming from the
council room and could see that she had no idea what had happened either. They both moved toward Rythen’s room, where shouting could be heard. They were nearly there when something came crashing out of the room. It took them several seconds to realize it was a vase. The amount of shattered pieces made her realize it was a very large piece at that.

“You will not leave this room until we have spoken about your need to ignore
what had happened between us.” Rythen was angry about something, and Elizabeth was glad for once it wasn’t aimed at her. But the next voice had her running to the room only to be brought up short by the woman coming out.

“I am not going to sleep with you. That was a fucking dream.”
Kim sounded very unsure of herself and looked up at her when she was steady on her feet. “Please tell me that I didn’t just drink blood from him during the most incredible sex of my life. Please?”

Mel went in first
, and Elizabeth led Kim back in. The room was a shambles, and Rythen looked like he might have caught a few of the pieces, that now lay around the room, with his head. Elizabeth had to fight hard not to laugh at him.

“She
is my mate. And I suppose that none of you had anything to do with this?” Mel asked him what. “With her being here, in my bed?”

“I was not in your bed
, you fucking idiot. As I have said to you several times, I never had sex with you. It was a dream.” Elizabeth nearly burst out laughing when Rythen reached for Kim, only to have her slap him away. “I told you not to touch me. I want to go home. Now.”

“Lizzy brought her here.”
Elizabeth looked at Mel as she explained. “She thought that it would be good for her to get away from her boyfriend for a few days. And because you were so out of it, we both thought it would be a good way to get her here by asking her to watch over you. What the hell are you doing awake? You should have been down for at least a week.”

“She fed me.”
Everyone looked at Kim and she paled a good deal more than she already was. “Get her something to eat before she passes out. I might have taken a little too much from her.”

Mel only quirked a
brow at him. He told her he was sorry, but she was pale. Shamus came into the room with a servant who was pushing a large cart filled with juices and fruit.

“Here you go
, my dear. And not because he has commanded you to do so, I think it would be best if you ate a bit, and drank down as much of the juice as you can.” Shamus handed her a bottle, and Elizabeth knew that the girl would have no choice but to drink it. Shamus was very good at compelling people to do what he needed without making them feel badly about it. Kim was drinking her second glass when Aaron came into the room.

“I came as soon as I got your message.”
He looked at Rythen, then at Shamus. “Did he rape her? I’ll kill him if he did.”

“No.”
Kim stood up and moved between Aaron and Rythen. “He didn’t rape me because nothing happened. I had a very erotic dream and now I’d very much like to go home. Josh will be—”

The growl coming from Rythen surprised her. Elizabeth looked at Kim. If she didn’t know better
, she would think that they really had mated. Reaching out to touch the girl’s head, she had her answer. They were truly one.

Even before she spoke, Kim was shaking her head. “I swear to you it was just a dream.
Very detailed and very wonderful, but only a dream. I didn’t grow fangs, and I didn’t drink his blood. Right?”

“I’m sorry
, love, but you’re his mate.” Kim sat down and stared at the floor, and Elizabeth’s heart went out to her. The poor thing was in shock. When Rythen moved to stand beside her, Aaron took him by the shoulder and turned him around.

“Did you tell her what you were doing before you mated with her?”
Rythen tried to brush him off, but Aaron was a good deal stronger than he looked. “I asked you a question. Did you tell her?”

“No. And so what if I didn’t
? She’s my mate, and thanks to your meddling daughter she is now a part of me. I wanted—” Rythen sailed across the room and hit the far wall with such force the plaster held him in place as Aaron made his way to him again. He only stopped when Shamus stepped in front of him.

“I’m going to kill him.”
Shamus shook his head at Aaron and moved him back. “The man raped her. He not only raped her body, but he took what was not freely given. He needs to be punished.”

“And he will. But not in front of the girl.”
Everyone turned to Kim when Shamus spoke in low tones. “Take her to your home and protect her. I’m sure there are any number of things you can do to keep her safe. Do not let her return home until you hear from me. This only may be a matter of seeing what really happened here.”

“I don’t like this.”
Neither man looked at Rythen as he slid to the floor. He still hadn’t woken up this time, and Aaron turned to Kim. “Come, child. I’ll make sure that you’re safe, and that we—”

“Take me home. I don’t know how you can do it
, but I want to go home. Now. I’m sick of this crap and the way you guys keep shuffling me all over the place. It’s time…I want to go home.” Elizabeth was suddenly afraid for her, but they had no choice. Short of putting her into a deep sleep and keeping her that way until they got to the bottom of this, they could not make her do a thing…especially now that she was mated to Rythen.

Aaron nodded and took her hand. When they both disappeared, Elizabeth watched as Shamus picked up her creator and tossed him
unceremoniously onto the bed. If the man wasn’t sore after this, it would be a miracle.

“He did mate with her.
And whether or not she knew is pointless now.” Elizabeth sat down on the chair as Shamus ordered Rythen to be chained down. It would do them little good, but at least it might slow him a bit. “What do you suppose she meant by it being only a dream?”

“He was in a deep
, restful sleep when I checked on him before Lizzy brought Kim here. I never thought of him being able to dream walk with her. Had they done anything before this?” Elizabeth told Mel that she thought Kim and Rythen had kissed. “Well, it must have been enough for him to do it then. Why he’d do this to her is beyond me. And she might not be thinking she was willing now, but she must have enjoyed it somewhat.”

Elizabeth knew for the bond to work they
both would have had to have been climaxing. There could be no faking that either. It had to be from the heart and body. She looked up at Mel when she spoke again.

“What do we do about her now?
That boyfriend of hers will kill her if he finds out about this. And Lizzy said that he’s not to be arrested until sometime tomorrow. The police should have done this when he took her money out of the bank two days ago.” Elizabeth knew that the man was violent, and he would hurt her if given only the slightest of reasons.

“I think we should simply bring her to
Aaron’s and keep her there. We know he can protect her.” Mel was shaking her head even as Elizabeth finished speaking. “He has to follow the rules like we all do.”

“I’m afraid so.”
Rythen stirred, and they both looked over at him. Shamus hadn’t moved from the side of the bed, and when Rythen demanded that he be freed, Shamus looked at her.

“Mel has turned you over to me.”
She hadn’t, but when he looked at Mel, she nodded. “From now on you’ll listen to me or else. The girl has gone to her home, and until I’m satisfied that you’re going to leave her alone, you’ll stay there.”

“She’s my mate
, not some harlot that I fucked. I want her brought here now.” Elizabeth only sat still as Rythen ranted for several more minutes. Shamus left her alone with him, taking Mel and the guard with him.

“But I’ll be close enough to come to your aid should you need me.
” Shamus looked at Rythen as he continued. “You make me come back here and so help me, you’ll wish that you could die.”

She waited for him to speak. There was no reason for him to talk to her at all
, she knew, but now that it had been established that she was in charge of him, no one could help him even if she thought anyone would.

“Where is she?”
Elizabeth had been thinking of the first time she’d seen Phillip when Rythen finally spoke. “Where is Kim now?”

“Home.
She demanded that Aaron take her there, and as your mate, he has no choice but to listen to her.” Elizabeth got up and moved to the window to look at the new forest. “It’s nearly complete. All the faeries have been planting seedlings for hours and some of them are already sprouting.”

“I
didn’t think it would work.” She nodded as a large tree started to spread its branches and reach for the sky. “There was a great deal of power given freely today. I wonder why they would help me.”

“They didn’t. I asked and they said they’d do anything for me.” She glanced at him before looking out the window. “I know you have a low opinion of the way I ran things
, but everyone here seems to like me. And would, as you’ve found out, do anything I ask of them.”

“I’m beginning to see that.” He shifted on the bed
, and she put a pillow behind his head. “Thank you.”

“Kim is living with an abusive boyfriend.
He hits her a great deal, and one day I fear he’ll kill her. She will not leave him because she feels that she deserves no more than him.” Elizabeth thought of her own mate and knew that he’d die before he caused her any hurt. “Her father abused her, as well as anyone that thought to make themselves feel better by hitting her. She’s very…I was going to say fragile, but I don’t think that word suits when she is with you.”

“No, she has no problem standing up to me.
” Elizabeth continued to watch the field. It was coming along so nicely, and the flowers that had been planted just that afternoon were sprouting true leaves. The trees, which were saplings that had been taken from Avalon, were doing well too. She turned to Rythen.

“I remember meeting Phillip the
first time as if it were yesterday. He’d been watching over a man you’d brought in to see to something.” Rythen nodded, smiling. “Do you remember him?”

“Yes. He was a
pompous fool. He actually told me that making the seer of magic a woman would be a grave mistake. I told him someone needed to be there who would have a temper to match mine and would have a will to only rule. I guess I did well in that area with you.” He looked at the painting in the wall of the Tree of Life. “I never meant for you to have children.”

She sat down.
Never have…? “Why not? And if you didn’t, then how did I have Mathew and Savannah?”

“Those damned
Fates. I had told them what I was doing, that coming up with a woman to rule forever would be the only way to make the worlds work. We knew that there would be problems. But a continuity throughout the centuries would have made dealing with them so much better.” He looked at her. “I was gone but ten minutes. And when I returned, I knew they had done something but had never…it wasn’t until I returned after Mathew was born that I realized what had happened. Then when Savannah was born some years later, I knew it was for the best. They made you happy.”

“They made me very happy.
And how do you feel about Mel? Do you think she could run the kingdom without guidance?” She waited for him to answer, but when he didn’t, she stood up. “You can admit that you’ve made a mistake. It will change nothing. You’re still going to end my life.”

“It was a mistake.”

Those four words meant more to her than she thought possible. Elizabeth knew that he’d not change his mind about the other. And when he didn’t continue, she stood to watch the progress again. In the few minutes that she’d looked away, so much had changed.

“When I created
Avalon to have a place to go, I never dreamed it would come to mean so much to so many. Tess and her mate have lived there these past decades, and their children have come to mean so much to me. Draco can be found flying over the castle, and the unicorns are there as well. They have repopulated and we have a whole new generation of them.” Elizabeth grinned at the antics of the brownies as they chased after the wolves that were running through their work. “Most of the children that are of Aaron’s kiss have been there as well. Some have even decided to stay on to help with the magic there.”

“It will still be there.”
Elizabeth nodded and felt a small nudge of something. It took her moments to realize it was Kim, the girl.

“She’s in trouble.”
Looking at Rythen, she could see that he knew as well. “If I release you to go to her, what will you do?”

“Kill him.”
Elizabeth looked out the window. “You’ll not release me to go to her? She is my mate.”