Illicit Magick

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Illicit Magic Copyrightã2005 Morgan Hawke ISBN: 1-55410-552-8 Cover art and design by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya Publications, 2005 Look for us online at: www.zumayapublications.com www.Extasybooks.com

Fair Warning! ~ Pure Vanilla! This story contains No unusual or kinky sex.

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Eruditus University City of Aesculetum, emeritus prime evening cycle

- One -

His Eminence, the Scion of the Eruditus University strode down the narrow hallway with Elise in his wake. He turned and smiled, his striking sea green eyes crinkling only the tiniest amount at the corners under his arched golden brows. “Luke is a fully trained Peregrine Knight from the pilot’s guild. He will be able to help you with your…problem.” Elise winced under his devastating smile. Mother of Mercy, she hoped somebody could help her. She tugged her hand from her pocket, lifting a finger to curl it around one of the uneven locks of the unseemly bright red hair brushing at her chin. Someone had once said, what goes up, must come down. Well, not in her case. That was the problem. Small lights glowed along the upper edges of the walls, casting a gentle golden wash across the hallway’s peaked, plaster and oak-beamed ceiling. The Scion’s flowing cobalt blue and opalescent white teaching-master’s robes seemed to glow under the sparse lighting. His slippers made no sound on the smooth floor. In complete contrast, Elise’s serviceable ankle-boots thunked loudly and clumsily on the stone flags. She swept her palms across the soft gray canvas of her coveralls, then stuffed her hands in her pockets. Next to the Scion’s silk-robed elegance she felt like a complete drab, but her simple moss-green short-sleeved top and coveralls were comfortable, and very practical for her work.

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The silk robes the Scion wore didn’t appear to be all that comfortable, or have any practical use whatsoever, but they were lovely to look at. Hewas lovely to look at; broad shoulders, nice hands, gorgeous green eyes. His long pale gold mane was pulled back in a snug and precisely trimmed tail that fell down to the center of his back. She rolled her eyes. The women were probably throwing themselves at him. “Ah, here we are…” The Scion stopped at a tall, heavily carved door of dense black Emeriti oak. He pushed it open. Elise ducked through the door to avoid another of the Scion’s lethal smiles. He really needed to point that smile at someone else. All that blinding masculinity was completely wasted on her. She was engaged. Elise blinked and squinted. After the brightness of the well-lit hallway, the stone-walled chamber was dark. The heavy black velvet curtains were drawn tight across the entire row of gothic arched windows on the facing wall. Only one lamp was lit, in the very far right corner A man stood in the center of the shadowed chamber with his back to the door. His bone pale hand, resting on the back of the chair he stood beside, seemed bright in the room’s darkness. His snug black throat-to-wrist ship-suit made him near invisible, though the fabric shimmered with midnight rainbows. His knee-high boots gleamed a highly polished black. The Scion lifted his chin. “Guild Pilot Luke, this is the young woman I spoke to you about.” The man in the room’s center turned his head slightly showing pale cheek. Light caught in the sun-tinted bronze hair falling about his shoulders in a tumble of unruly waves. Elise frowned. She’d expected a dark sorcerer to be a bit more…intimidating. He wasn’t particularly tall; the Scion had to be a full head taller. His shoulders were fairly broad and his waist narrow, but he clearly wasn’t as heavily muscular as some of the foresters she worked with. She nibbled on her bottom lip. He just didn’tlook ...evil. The Scion cleared his throat. “Guild pilot?” Luke’s pale fingers dug into the chair’s arched back. “Leave her and get out.” Huh?Elise blinked. The Scion’s gaze narrowed. “You’ll have to forgive him. He can be a little…direct.” No kidding.Elise felt a smile lift her lips.That was pretty direct. Luke turned to face the chamber door, moving behind the chair. His face was fine-boned and rather nice-looking, but not screamingly masculine, like the Scion. His eyes seemed huge; the color of summer skies, framed with long dark gold lashes. His pale mouth was set in a tight line, but color pinked his cheeks. His gaze narrowed on the Scion. “I said, get out!” Elise rocked back on her heels. That wasn’t direct. Luke was seriously pissed off. Something definitely wasn’t right. She turned and offered the Scion a friendly smile. “Why don’t you go? I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

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Luke choked out a sour laugh. “Oh, you are perfectly safe with me.” His gaze razed the Scion, and then Elise, and then slid away. “The school-master has me collared and leashed. I can’t lay a finger on you.” One hand fisted on the back of the chair. “Not even if my life depended on it.” The Scion’s green gaze chilled as he watched Luke, but he continued to smile. “He’s right, you’re perfectly safe.” He turned to Elise and his expression warmed. “I’ll return for you in an hour.” In a whisper of expensive silk, the elegant Scion of the University of Emeritus walked out, closing the door quietly behind him. Luke’s breath exploded from his lungs. “Damned prick!” He walked around the wooden chair and dropped heavily into it, kicking one booted foot out and folding his arms across his chest. He scowled and let his head fall back against the chair. “Blood and Night, how the hell do I get myself into this shit?” Elise inched a step closer. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Luke barked out a laugh, then groaned and looked at her with a sour smile. “Sure, you can fuck me. That’ll fix everything.” Elise jerked back sharply. “What?” Luke snorted “Never mind.” He rolled his eyes. “I can see from here that you’re not that kind of girl.” Elise’s mouth popped open. She set her hands on her hips. “What isthat supposed to mean?” Luke smiled. “Are you kidding? Red hair and green eyes aside, you are obviously one of those ‘good-girls’, the kind that waits for marriage before she even kisses a guy.” Elise folded her arms to keep from tugging at her freshly cropped waves, and looked away. “That’s not exactly true.” Luke sat up in the chair and dropped his arms across his knees. “You can’t tell me you’re not a virgin?” Elise felt her cheeks warm.Harlot hair, harlot heat… She looked down at the smooth wood floor. “Um…no, I’m not.” Luke’s brows shot up and grinned. “Oh, you naughty girl!” He grimaced and held up his hand. “Oh, wait! Don’t tell me, he’s you’re betrothed, or some such nonsense. The guy youplan to marry!” Elise clenched her jaw. “Yeah, so?” Luke sank back into his chair, closed his eyes and groaned. He raised a hand and rubbed his forehead. “Night save me…” Elise tapped her foot. “Is there a point to all this?” Luke opened his blue eyes and snorted. “Actually there is. The school-master…” “The Scion?” Luke curled his lip. “Yeah…him. Never mind, forget it.” He sighed and sat up a little straighter, raising a

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questioning brow. “He said you were floating?” Elise winced. “Yes.” Luke scrubbed both hands through his tumbled bronze hair. “Okay, so show me.” “Um… I can’t. I can’t control it.” She threw her hands out. “And that’s the whole problem! I float when Idon’t want to, and when I want to, I can’t!” “I see.” Luke leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees, dropping his pale hands between them. “When did it start?” “I was at my engagement party…” She felt her cheeks warm and stopped. Fate, this was embarrassing. Luke smiled. It wasn’t a breath-taking smile, like the one the Scion occasionally used; it was nice, and a little encouraging. “Go on.” Elise grimaced and tried looking up at the distant plaster and beam ceiling. It didn’t make her feel any better. She took a breath. “Well, my soon to be mother-in-law had hired some…” She swallowed. “Entertainers.” She shoved her hands in her pockets and dropped her gaze to the floor, looking anywhere but at Luke. “And…I just started…floating.” She groaned. “Like a balloon.” “Ah…” Elise looked up from the floor. Luke sat back in the chair, his arms folded across his chest, still smiling. “Let me guess. Male entertainers?” He lifted a brow. Elise nodded and rolled her eyes. “The naked ones.” Luke’s brows shot up and his eyes widened. He looked away, then rubbed his hands over his mouth and choked. “I…uh, see.” He coughed, then frowned suddenly. He turned and looked at her. “When your…betrothed took your virginity, did you float then?” Elise jerked back and shoved her hands behind her. “No!” Luke’s brows lifted and his chin dropped. “Not at all? Not before, or after?” Elise scowled. “No, not at all.” Luke looked briefly to the side, then his summer-blue gaze focused on her. “You didn’t like it.” Elise’s mouth popped open and her cheeks flooded with heat. What was there to like? She clamped her mouth shut and clenched her teeth. “No.” Luke shook his head. “Then why in damnation are you marrying him?” Elise shrugged. “I have to marry somebody, and he’s not as creepy as some of the others.” She scraped her heel on the stone floor. “He takes a bath regularly and he makes a good living. My mother likes him.”

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Luke’s mouth fell open. “What kind of bullshit is that?” Elise looked up in surprise. “Huh?” Leaning on the other elbow, Luke scrubbed a hand through his hair again and rolled his eyes. “You’re supposed tolove somebody before you marry them! Or at least have a fairly good case of like and a decent helping of lust?” Elise flinched back. “Lust?” “Yeah, lust. You know; where youwant to have sex with them?” His brows rose and his mouth opened. “Please don’t tell me that sex is regulated here?” Elise jerked her gaze away. “Sex isn’t regulated, as long as you’re married.” Luke leaned back in his chair and groaned. “I think I’m beginning to see the problem.” He took a deep breath, released it, and looked over at her. “Did you pick him, or did he pick you?” Elise shrugged. Luke snorted and leaned forward, setting his elbows back on his knees. “He picked you.” Elise frowned and folded her arms. “That’s not true!” “Really?” Luke’s voice was flat. He raised his brows and the corner of his mouth kicked up in a sarcastic smile. “Why do I have a problem believing that?” Elise set her jaw. “Idid pick him. He was the best choice.” Out of several others that had petitioned her mother. Luke smiled and held out his palm. “Okay, okay, you picked him.” He chuckled softly, then pursed his lips. He tilted his head and lifted a brow. “So how cute was this entertainer, at this party of yours?” Elise shoved her hands back in her pockets and dropped her gaze to the toes of her brown boots. “Gorgeous.” “Really? Hmm…” Elise peeked up from the floor. Luke nodded absently, looking over at the curtained windows. “Muscular?” Elise sucked on her bottom lip, her cheeks warming. “Oh, yeah.”Especially his butt. He had great thighs, too. “Uh huh.” Luke nodded again, still staring at the windows. “Better looking than your betrothed?” Elise nodded and focused on her boot toes. Her betrothed was rather round in the middle. The dancer had been carved—all over. “Much better.” “Nice smile?”

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“Nice butt.” Elise gasped and clapped both hands over her mouth. She looked up at Luke in alarm. Luke grinned. “Nice butt, huh?” He shook his head and a chuckle escaped. “And that’s when the floating started.” Elise’s breath left her in a rush and her shoulders slumped. “Yes.” Luke bit back his smile. “Lots of screaming and yelling, I gather?” Elise rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah.” She smiled sourly. “And naked men running every which way.” Luke smiled. “I bet that was pretty funny.” “It was, actually.” Elise smiled even as her cheeks warmed. “But Fate, I didn’t think so at the time.” She rolled her eyes. “My mother in law wasnot amused.” “Pity.” He swept a hand across his jaw. “Well, I think I can help if you let me.” Else took a step closer. “Really?” Luke nodded and then smiled. “Are you feeling brave?” Elise tilted her head to the side. “How brave do I need to be?” Luke shrugged. “Well, how about coming over here, for a start?” Elise snorted and tromped toward his chair. “That doesn’t take bravery.” She grinned. “My mother-in-law is a lot scarier than you.” Luke’s brows shot up, but a smile played at the corner of his mouth. “Should I be insulted?” “I’m here because she brought me here and demanded that the Scion do something about it.” Elise stopped at Luke’s knees and smiled. “He took me in and promised to find a cure just to get her out of his University.” Luke’s smile broadened. “You’re right, she sounds pretty scary.” He held out his hands. Elise set her hands in his. His fingers curled around hers. His palms were soft, but there was strength in his fingers. And something…else. A small shiver raced up her spine. She swallowed and looked into his summer-tinted eyes, feeling suddenly uncertain. Luke raised his brows. “You okay?” Elise shook her head. It was nothing…nothing. “Yeah, fine.” She looked down at his hands and saw metal poking out from under his sleeves, enclosing both his wrists. She frowned. “Are those…?” “Yes.” Luke’s voice was flat and hard. “I’m in force cuffs. I’m a prisoner, Elise. I can’t walk out the door, and I cannot touch you in any way without your permission.” “A prisoner?” Elise looked up into his blue eyes. “But how? You’re supposed to be a magician…?” Her

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cheeks heated. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.” “My big fat ego got me in trouble. It does that sometimes.” Luke smiled sourly. “The school-master invited me. I walked right in and stupidly drank what he offered. I woke up cuffed to…” He cleared his throat and glanced away. His cheeks tinted with pink. “By the time my head was on straight, I was drained of most of my power.” “But why take you prisoner?” Luke took a deep breath. “I’m here to teach you. I’m leashed because I’m…dangerous.” Elise frowned and gripped his fingers tighter. Luke wasn’t dangerous, but he was a prisoner, because of her. “I’m…sorry.” Luke released his breath and stared at their joined hands. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t make that school-master a greedy bastard.” Elise’s brows shot up. “Greedy…?” Luke smiled sourly. “Elise, you’re what I am, only you’re female. That makes you rare and extremely valuable. The guild won’t even flinch at whatever price he asks for you. They’ll pay it and gladly.” “The guild?” Elise blinked. The pilot’s guild would want her? He tugged her closer, until her knees bumped his. “I’m sorry, but because of your power, the guild would have come for you anyway, sooner or later.” Elise shook her head. “I can’t. I have to go back…” Luke’s fingers tightened. “Elise, you can’t go back. We don’t mix well with…normal people. Anyway, the schoolmaster is not going to let you go back. You’re worth too much money to him. He’ll make a fortune off the guild.” He snorted. “That is if he doesn’t decide to try and use you for political leverage of one kind or another.” “Political leverage?” Elise jerked back. “But I don’t have leverage, I’m nobody!” “Elise, it doesn’t matter.” Luke tugged on her hands. “You have power. To people like him, that’s leverage enough.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you to the guild. Elise’s hand closed tight on his fingers. “But I’m not a pilot!” “Neither was I, originally.” Luke smiled sourly. “I lived in the middle of a desert. The closest I got to piloting was a land-hopper.” Elise winced. “Oh…” Luke smiled. “You fly a land-hopper too?” She nodded. “Have to, we’re foresters.” “Lots of territory; makes sense.” Luke shrugged then smiled. “You’ll like being a pilot. Space-flight

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comes easy to us.” Else sucked on her bottom lip. “It does?” Luke’s gaze focused on her mouth. “Very much so.” He took a slow deep breath and licked his lips. “We have an…instinct for it.” His gaze shifted to her eyes. “Are you ready to learn how to control your magic?” Elise smiled. “It’s not magic.” Luke smiled right back. “Oh, but it is.” Elise rolled her eyes. “Okay, so it’s magic. What do I have to do?” Luke leaned back in the chair. “Sit on my lap.” “Sit…where?” Elise’s brows flew up. Luke grinned, then shook his head. “I’m going to show you how to trigger your power and hold you down when you reverse gravity. Then, I’m going to show you how to bleed it off so you can control it.” Elise blinked. “Oh, okay.” She shifted to the side. “No, silly.” Luke tugged on her hands. “You have to sit facing me.” “You want me to…” Elise swallowed. “Straddle you?” Luke nodded slowly. “Yes. And I want you to curl your feet around the legs of the chair when you do it.” “Oh.” Elise felt a sudden damp warmth curl low and deep within. He wanted her to spread her legs and sit on his…lap. “Is this absolutely necessary?” Luke’s gaze focused on her mouth. “I could hold you down on the bed in the next room.” His gaze darted back up to her eyes, and he smiled. “But I doubt you’d find that comfortable.” Elise snorted. “You got that right.” Luke raised a brow. “Elise, just sit down.” He tugged. She tipped a little forward and sat, straddling his knees. It was that or fall. She would have never sat on the Scion’s lap, but Luke wasn’t anywhere near that…alarming. Luke’s thighs were warm under hers, and unyielding. He was a lot more muscular than he appeared. And not particularly tall. Seated, her chin was level with the top of his head. It made her smile. “Put my hands on your hips.” She leaned back to look down into his blue eyes. “You wantme to put your hands…?” Luke nodded slowly. “On your hips. I can’t hold you on my own. I have been forbidden to touch you. You have to put me there or give me permission.”

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Elise took a deep breath. She wanted to control this…power of hers, and Luke was willing to show her. “Okay.” She guided his hands around her. His hands closed on her hips and he sighed. “Yes, good. There are straps on the shoulders of my suit. Hold on to them. Don’t forget to lock your feet around the chair legs.” Elise leaned forward a little and caught hold of the straps. His shoulders were surprisingly solid. “You need to sit closer.” His arms closed around her hips and he pulled her up against his chest. She gasped softly. His chest was rock solid against her breasts and her crotch was tight up against his. His warm scent rose from his body. He smelled of soap and…him. He smelled…good. Heat filled her cheeks. He tilted his head back and smiled. “Now, try to get your feet around the chair’s legs. “All right…” She searched for the legs of the chair and encountered his ankles. “Oh, sorry!” “It’s okay.” He chuckled and the vibration rumbled pleasantly through her. “You can use my ankles if it’s easier.” He shifted his feet. Elise found it a lot easier to just use his ankles. “As long as you don’t mind…?” Luke gave a smile and his cheeks flushed very slightly. “Are you kidding? I have a gorgeous redhead pinning me with her hands and feet. You honestly think I’m going to say no?” Elise ducked her chin. “I’m not…” “Gorgeous?” He snorted. “Give me a break! I’ve seen a lot of women, I know gorgeous when I see it.” He frowned. “Though that hairstyle… It looks like it was done with dull scissors and a bowl.” Elise winced and pulled away. Shehad done it with dull scissors and a bowl. Luke locked his hands behind her, pinning her to his lap. “What?” He ducked his head to catch her gaze. “Talk to me. What?” Elise shifted but his hold was unbreakable. He was a lot stronger than he looked. She stopped fighting and looked everywhere but at his face. “I did it. I cut it.” “You cut it? Why?” Elise shrugged. “My betrothed…” “He…what? He didn’t like your hair?” Elise bit down on her lip. “He said, ’harlot hair, harlot heat’.” Luke grinned. “You say that like it’s supposed to be a bad thing.” He snorted. “I love red-heads and I don’t know a guy out there that wouldn’t kill for a woman that would act the ‘harlot’ for him.”

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She closed her eyes. “Mine doesn’t, and he’s not...like that.” “Then he’s an idiot.” He tightened his arms. “Hands back on my shoulders. It’s time to see what you can do.” Elise expelled her breath, glad to change the subject. She gripped the straps on his shoulders. “Okay.” “Look at me.” Elise focused on Luke’s summer-blue gaze. He lifted his chin and focused on her mouth. “Kiss me.” “What?” She couldn’t have heard that right. Luke’s gaze rose to her eyes and his lips lifted into a half smile. “Your lips on my lips, a kiss. Kiss me.” Her mouth fell open. “Kiss…you?” He frowned. “What? Am I hideous or something?” “No…” He wasn’t hideous at all; or way too handsome, either. He was just right. “But…kissyou?” Luke rolled his eyes. “Elise, sexual excitement is what triggers this. I need to get you sexually excited to see how strong your talent is. A kiss is the fastest way to do it.” “Sexual excitement?” Elise dodged his gaze. “You have got to be joking…” Luke’s hold tightened. “Elise, you floated the first time because you were sexually excited by the entertainer.” He looked up into her eyes and smiled briefly. “Or at least his butt.” Elise winced and groaned. There had been just a bit more to it than merely staring at his butt. “Elise.” Luke’s focus was on her mouth. “I’m not asking for sex, just a kiss.” Elise lifted a sarcastic brow. “Youdid ask for sex…” “Elise.” Luke looked up and glared. “Kiss me.” “Fine, whatever…” She leaned forward and set her lips against his. His lips were soft. His mouth opened under hers. Warmth, breath… It startled her. He opened his mouth to kiss? She felt heat brush her mouth, then withdraw. Curiosity struck and she touched the tip of her tongue to his bottom lip, encountering the damp warmth of his tongue. He moaned softly, caressing her tongue with his. She stroked his tongue out of sheer reflex. He tasted of clean, fresh water and something else, something darker, wilder, and exciting… Her nipples tingled and tightened. Tension coiled low and hot. She shifted

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restlessly on his lap. His arms tightened around her and his palms slid lower, one settling on her hip, the other on her butt. He turned his head to cover her mouth more fully and his tongue stroked hungrily. His hips shifted under her. Liquid heat coiled and spread. Her nipples began to ache. Elise moaned without meaning to. His knees spread, opening her wider. His hands pressed against her backside, pulling her tight against him. Elise sucked on his full bottom lip and became aware of a heavy ridge pressing up against the softness of her crotch. She shifted and rubbed against it. Pleasure spiked and spiraled inward. A small needy sound escaped. Her panties dampened. Something sparked in the back of her skull. She felt a shift in perception, as though the world had moved under her. Her body started to lift from his lap. Luke’s hands tightened around her. Elise pulled from his mouth and gasped. “Oh, Mercy… It’s… I’m…” “Relax, I have you.” He looked up at her. “See? Sexual excitement.” He smiled. “And you’re very strong.” Elise’s throat tightened. “And this is going to happen every time I get…” “Sexually excited, yes.” Luke nodded and continued to smile. “You’ll eventually learn to trigger your power in other ways, and learn to direct it, but at the moment, your power is manifesting in a cloud around you. That’s what’s making you float.” Elise trembled in his arms. “Okay, yeah, sure, terrific… How do I stop it?” Luke licked his lips. “You orgasm.” Elise sucked in a breath. “What?” Luke smiled. “Excitement generates power. Orgasm releases it. Masturbate.” “You don’t mean…” Elise choked. “Rightnow ?” Luke shrugged. “Well, it’ll eventually wear off…” He pursed his lips. “How long did you float last time?” Elise cringed. “I was on the ceiling all night and into the middle of the next day.” Luke’s brows shot up. “All that, from staring at a butt?” Elise scowled. “It was avery nice butt.” And so was everything attached to it. But it hadn’t been merely the view that had made her float. In the shadowed room, the entertainer had set his palms on the wall and leaned over her chair. Only inches away, his lean muscular body stretched over hers in pale sculpted relief. His dark hair had been

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long enough to brush her shoulders and his eyes had been a brown so light they were almost gold. She had stared up at him in wonder. He was the most beautiful male she’d ever seen. She’d actually had enough honey beer in her to tell him so, too. He’d smiled. “You think I’m beautiful? I think you’re very lovely yourself. Would you do me the honor of putting your hands on my butt?” She simply could not resist the request. She’d blamed it on the beer, but truthfully, she’d wanted to touch him since the moment she’d seen him. The muscle had been hard and warm under her palms; the skin smooth and slightly furry. He was everything she’d imagined. With his deliciously firm ass cupped in her hands, the heavy curve of his cock had pointed directly at her breasts, trembling. “Thank you.” He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. Just the briefest of touches. A tiny jolt went from his mouth to hers--and through her, bringing a wash of shivers and a small gasp. And then, the floating had happened. And the screaming. The entertainer had grinned, like he’d accomplished something, then fled with the others. Her cheeks heated with memory. “Elise, you floated almost all the way around the clock.” Luke grinned. “It must have been a spectacular butt.” Elise shot him a narrow glare. “It was the nicest naked…butt I ever saw.” It was the nicest naked butt she’d ever felt. Luke lifted his brows and bit down on his lip, clearly trying not to laugh. “Apparently so.” Elise clenched her jaw. “Relax, I like naked butts, too.” Luke chuckled, then shook his head. “Elise, are you ready to come down, or do you want me to let go?” “What? No! Don’t let go!” Her fingers clenched in a death-grip on the straps of his ship-suit. Her feet locked around his. Luke sighed, then smiled. “I can’t hold on to you forever, the schoolmaster is coming back, remember?” “Oh… Damn.” Luke smiled. “My opinion exactly, but that’s beside the point. Either you orgasm or I let you go to float over the bed until you run out of power and fall.” His lips brushed hers. “It’s a big bed; really soft. Good landing spot.” He sucked on her bottom lip, then licked it. Elise returned the caress. The caress swiftly became another deep and inciting kiss. She liked kissing Luke. He made her feel…pretty, and wanted. Luke smiled and licked his lips. “Personally, I’m all for letting you stay up there, and out of that

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school-master’s reach.” His blue eyes narrowed. “Of course, you might come down while I’m in bed.” He grinned. “And I sleep in the nude.” Elise smiled. Luke was teasing again. “Too bad you couldn’t take…advantage of me, huh?” Luke snorted. “Not without your permission.” His lips brushed hers and encouraged her into another kiss. He released her lips and smiled. “But I won’t say I wouldn’t try toget your permission.” Elise licked her lips. Maybe Luke wasn’t teasing after all. “Masturbation, huh?” Luke nodded. His hands closed tight around her butt cheeks. “Like this.” He slid just a bit down in the chair, pulled her tight up against his belly and lifted under her. The ridge of his erection slid directly against the seam in her trousers, and her clit. He groaned. Tingling heat burned, and clenched within. Elise gasped and arched against him, pressing tighter for more. “Oh…shit.” Moisture dampened her panties. Luke smiled. “Feel good?” Elise licked her lips. “Oh, yeah.” Luke rose under her again, holding her hard against his crotch. And then again, and again. They both groaned. Elise clutched Luke’s shoulders and pressed against him, rubbing against his strokes, riding him, using his body to drive the coiling tension in her core to a fever-hot pitch. She pressed her burning nipples against the hard wall of his chest and gasped softly. Luke panted in her ear, thrusting against her. “If you let me suck on your nipples, this will go a whole lot faster.” Elise released his right shoulder and fumbled open the shoulder buckles to her cover-alls. She tossed the shoulder straps over her back and the front flap dropped. She knew damned well she shouldn’t even consider doing this, but the cresting fire in her body was far louder than reason, and damn it, her nipples wanted attention too. She jerked up her moss-green shirt revealing her plain, serviceable and snug, white bandeau. She tugged it up and her breasts popped out from under the strong elastic. She swept her palm across her aching breasts and groaned. She hated the uncomfortable thing, but it did its job. Luke’s gaze darted from one breast to the other. “Mmm…nice, and hard nipples, my favorite.” He licked his lips. Elise blinked. “Oh, you like…them?” Luke lifted his brow and grinned. “Put one in my mouth and I’ll show you how much.” Elise’s cheeks bloomed with heat, but she found it surprisingly easy to lean forward and offer her breasts.

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He leaned close. His lips closed around her left nipple and his wet tongue swirled. His eyes closed. Fire lanced straight down to her clit. She gasped and bucked hard against him. He moaned in obvious appreciation. Then, he sucked strongly, making loud and wet sounds. He shifted under her and his hands pulled her tightly against the hard ridge of his cock. Elise grabbed Luke’s head, holding him to her breast. She rocked against the cock only a few layers of cloth away, encouraged to greater speed by Luke’s warm strong hands on her butt and his lips on her captured nipple. Fire spiraled and blazed. Small urgent sounds escaped her throat, and then her lips. Climax rose and tightened. Luke’s teeth closed on the swollen tip of her nipple. He bit down. A spark of sharp pleasure stopped her breath. Her entire body tensed and stilled. Luke released her nipple and lifted his head, his gaze locking on hers. His gaze was hooded and his cheeks flushed. His chin lifted and his lips parted. “Kiss me.” Elise pressed her mouth onto his. He bucked hard under her. Her body released in hot, wet, undulating waves of pleasure that sparked all across her lower back, up her spine and shimmered at the back of her skull. She writhed on the hard ridge of his cock, prolonging the delicious sensations that wracked her and moaned into his mouth. He sucked in hard and stole her breath. And her power went with it. She dropped heavily, collapsing onto him, gasping and trembling with small aftershocks. “Oh, Mercy…Luke.” Luke’s lips brushed her brow. “You okay?” “I don’t think…” She had to stop for a breath. “I don’t think I ever… Oh mercy.” “That good, huh?” He chuckled. “Wait ’til we actually fuck.” Elise pushed up against his chest. “I don’t think…” He covered her mouth in a quick kiss. “Don’t think. Feel.” He kissed her again, more slowly, more thoroughly. He released her mouth and leaned back. “We’re supposed to fuck, Elise. It’s what we do.” Elise frowned. “Sex is for making babies.” Luke lifted his gaze. “Not for us.” The black heart of his eyes had expanded impossibly wide. Only the thinnest ring of blue surrounded the darkness that filled his gaze. “For us, sex is power.” Elise felt a chill race down her spine.

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Luke glanced down at her bared breasts. “Much as I like the view, you may want to pull your shirt down.” He glanced at the door. “We’re running out of time fast.” Elise grabbed for her bandeau and her shirt, tugging them down. She pushed off his knees and stood on wobbly legs. Luke promptly pouted. “Aw, you didn’t need to do that!” Elise reached for the straps to her coveralls and smiled. “You are so silly.” She began setting her clothes to rights. “I can be.” Luke rose from the chair and grimaced. “Night, you made me hard.” He reached down to adjust his rigid cock. Elise shifted her gaze away. She’d made him hard. She’d gotten him excited. It made her feel wanted and feminine. He strode for her, stopping only inches away. Elise looked up in surprise. Luke was barely half a head taller. Luke caught her shoulders and dropped a sudden kiss on her lips. “Thank you.” He turned away and walked to the far right corner. He stopped at a small round wooden table with two tall wooden chairs. Jerking out the chair in the back of the table, Luke lifted up a long length of black fabric. Elise pressed her fingers to her lips. “Thank you?” She followed him to the table. The room’s only light spilled over a black glass pitcher sitting on a warmer in the table’s center with a heavy ceramic tumbler beside it. She eyed the pitcher and tumbler. She was thirsty. “For what?” She lifted the pitcher. It was heavy, and warm. Luke shrugged into a long black robe. “For being sweet, and…” He turned. “Elise, don’t! You don’t want that!” Elise stared at the red liquid tumbling from the pitcher into the glass. “Whatis this?” Luke turned to face her, his mouth set in a tight line. The long robe swept the floor around him. “It’s blood.” Elise hurriedly set the pitcher down on the table with a heavythunk . “Then it’s true?” She stared at Luke in complete shock. “You magicians drink blood?” Luke winced. “Yes, but not like that.” He pointed at the pitcher. “We don’t live off of it, not the way people think.” He approached her. Elise backed away. Blood, he drank blood. It was real, he was real. “Elise…” Luke stopped, his jaw clenched. “Please, don’t. It’s not like that.” His gaze dropped to the floor and he closed his eyes. “Elise, I swear, I won’t hurt you.” He looked up. “Please, don’t be afraid of me.” “Luke, I…” Elise stared at Luke. He was a Magician of the Night, a creature of darkness, and yet, she

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knew him. She’d kissed him. He’d been…sweet. Her betrothed hadn’t been half as nice as Luke had been. Not ever. Shame washed through her. She took a step toward him. “I’m sorry, it’s just a little…shocking.” “Elise…” Luke came to her in one long graceful lunge, and caught her by the upper arms. “You have nothing to fear from me. I swear it.” Elise shivered in his hands. “I know.” He was a creature of darkness…and she was supposed to be what he was. She swallowed. “Luke, will I have to…drink blood, too?” Luke sighed and dropped his gaze. “Eventually.” His head lifted and he stared at the door. His gaze locked on hers. “Elise, I have to go, but I’ll be back.” He dropped his mouth onto hers in a quick but thorough kiss. He released her and stepped back. “I promise I’ll come back for you.” He turned and leaped, rising gracefully into the air, his robes lifting around him. He landed at the row of curtained windows. Elise gasped. He’d levitated during the jump, only he’d controlled it the way she couldn’t. Luke jerked the curtains back, revealing small circular panes of glass in the wooden screen set into the window. He raised his hands. “Go?” Elise felt something shift in the back of her mind. “I thought you couldn’t leave?” “I couldn’t leave.” He stopped. “Shit.” He curled his lip and shook his hands. “Night, I hate these things!” The cuffs dropped from Luke’s wrists. Elise gasped. He’d used power to remove them, and she had felt it. Luke raised his hands to the window. “I couldn’t leave because I’d been too drained to get the cuffs off.” He glanced at her. “Your orgasm fixed that.” Elise felt a definite buzz at the back of her mind. “You seduced me so you could escape.” It wasn’t a question. The wooden panel exploded outward in a spray of glass and splinters. Luke grabbed the edge of the window and climbed up. He turned to her. “I’m sorry, but I had to. It was the only way.” He turned away, jumping out the window. Elise ran to the shattered window. It was two stories straight down, but there was nothing to see but the night and the endless forest of emeriti black oaks. He was gone. “You bastard!” Behind her the door opened. “Stupid child!” And then the shouting began.

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- Two -

Elise gripped her elbows as she paced across the huge scarlet carpet spread out across the center of the floor of the room the Scion had put her in. It was actually a very nice room; much nicer than her room at home. Nicer than any place she’d ever been. She was betting that the room belonged to one of the university professors. Massive shelves loaded with books lined the walls. Tall, decorative standing lamps with painted shades occupied all four of the room’s corners with green velvet comfort chairs beside them. The door on the far right led to a luxurious facility and the door on the far left led to a sleeping chamber fit for a prince. The round table to the right sat four and held the remains of a truly sumptuous dinner. A dinner she hadn’t been able to do more than taste. Luke had been right. The Scion was not about to let her go. He hadn’t actually said that she couldn’t leave, but the exquisite room had a stone floor, stone walls, a stone ceiling and no windows. And the door was locked. She was as much a prisoner as Luke had been. Someone knocked on the door. Elise didn’t bother to answer. She knew who it was. She turned her back to the door and a smile lifted her lips. This was how she had first seen Luke, with his back to the door, and for the same reason. The lock loudly disengaged and the door opened behind her. “Elise?” The voice was unmistakable; the Scion, of course. Elise rolled her eyes. “Were you expecting someone else?” Silk rustled as he moved toward the table. “You didn’t eat your dinner.” Elise gripped her elbows tighter. “I wasn’t hungry.” “I see.” Silk whispered as he moved around. The whispers stopped directly behind her. Elise stared at the carpet directly in front of her. “Can I go home now?” “I’ve already notified your family that you will be remaining here at the university.” Elise’s head came up. “What?” She turned around. “Why?”

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The Scion smiled from less than a foot away. His long golden hair was loose about his shoulders and he had changed, for bed. He was in a magnificent silk and velvet dressing gown of midnight blue that displayed a remarkable amount of lightly furred muscular chest. Green velvet and cream silk was draped over one arm. “I brought you a night shift and robe.” Elise stepped back. “Why can’t I go home?” The Scion stepped closer. He’d bathed. The scent of expensive amberwood soap rose from his skin. “Elise, because of your foolishness, your instructor has fled. I will have to acquire another, and that may take some time.” Elise stepped back. “He showed me how to stop floating. That’s all I needed to know.” The Scion dropped his chin and tisked softly. “Elise, you have a unique power. You should learn how to use all of it.” Elise folded her arms tight across her chest. “I don’t need it. It’s not practical for what I do.” The scion moved closer. “But you are meant for better things than mere forestry.” Elise backed away again, feeling resentment building around her heart. “I like being a forester.” “Alas, that is not to be your fate.” The Scion lifted his chin and his smile sharpened. “I have already sent your contract by messenger and credited the bride-price to your mother’s account. She’ll receive it in the morning.” “What?” Elise froze. He sent her bridal contract? They weren’t signed until the agreement was settled and a wedding date set. Fury seared her heart. How dare he? He hadn’t even made an offer! Not that she would have taken it, but he hadn’t even asked! “My mother won’t take it without my agreement.” “I doubt she’ll say one word.” The Scion shrugged. “I just made your mother a very wealthy woman.” Elise’s hands fisted at her sides. “Iwon’t marry you.” “You’re not marrying me.” He smiled. “But once that contract returns with her mark, according to our laws, you are legally my property.” “It’s not legal without my agreement!” “I’m afraid that you will find the laws quite adjustable, where I am concerned.” His smile chilled. “It is time to change for bed, Elise.” He caught her by the wrist and pulled her across the room toward the bedchamber. “Let go!” Elise’s heels skidded across the carpet. She dug her fingers into his wrist. He was too strong; she couldn’t remove his fingers. The Scion towed her through the doorway and released her in front of the heavily carved four-poster bed taking up the left wall. The bed was big enough to sleep four people comfortably. He dropped the clothes at her feet. “Undress.”

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She clenched her teeth. “I will not have sex with you!” The Scion choked out a laugh. “Elise, I have no intention of fucking you. I have two perfectly matched and fully trained concubines. I do not need a fumbling beginner.” A fumbling beginner…Elise reeled back as though slapped. But that didn’t make sense. If he didn’t want sex…? “Then why are you keeping me?” The Scion reached out and caught her chin in his hands forcing her to look into his sea green gaze. “Because, sweet child, a properly trained and obedient sorceress is quite an asset.” Elise grabbed his wrists, but couldn’t move his hands from her face. “But I’m not a sorceress!” “But you will be.” He smiled and released her. Elise stumbled back toward the bed. “You’re insane!” “No, but Iam losing my patience.” His brows dropped and his gaze chilled to artic ice. “Undress. I want to see where that magician marked you.” Elise reached for the buckles on her overalls, and froze. Marked her? She leveled her angry gaze on the Scion. “He didn’t.” The Scion folded his arms. “If he fucked you, then he bit you. Obviously he didn’t bite your throat or wrists, so he had to have bitten you somewhere else. I want to see the mark.” Elise smiled. “We didn’t have sex.” Asshole. The scion’s expression blanked briefly. “You must have…” Elise grinned. “Nope.” The Scion’s cheeks and neck turned a dull red. His jaw clenched and his body tensed. “Get those clothes off before I rip them off you and then beat you!” “Fine.” Elise glared at him and released the buckles on her coveralls, then tossed them over her shoulders. She knew that if she had any sense, she’d be frightened. The University Scion was one of the most powerful men in the country. Hecould beat her. Bleeding Mercy, he could have her killed and no one would say a word, but she was too angry to be sensible. And for some reason she was in the mood to prove him wrong. She took two long steps to the bed and leaned against the green velvet heavily embroidered spread to pull off her boots. Damn it, Luke was right. The soft boots hit the deep green carpet with muffled thuds. She should have listened to him when he told her that she was a prisoner. She tossed her socks after them, then stood up and jerked her coveralls down, exposing her plain white panties. Damnation, two stories down or not, she should have followed Luke out the damned window. Elise stepped out of her soft gray coveralls and jerked up her moss green shirt exposing her plain bandeau. She tossed the shirt on the floor with her coveralls. “See? No marks.” She threw out her hands and turned all the way around. “No bites.”

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The Scion smiled. “Remove your undergarments.” Elise’s temper spiked hot and something sparked in the back of her mind. “What for?” The Scion tilted his head and his smile turned very nasty. “Because I told you to.” Elise narrowed her eyes at him. “You are a total bastard.” The Scion grinned. “Yes, I know.” He lowered his chin and his brows. “Your undergarments, Elise.” Elise drew in a deep breath and released it. “Fine.” She stuck her thumbs into the lower edge of her bandeau, but just couldn’t make herself lift it off while he was staring at her. She turned her back, staring at the cream silk pillows, and lifted the snug elastic off her breasts. She tossed it on top of her other clothes, then shoved her thumbs into the sides of her panties. Fear trickled through her. She set her jaw. Why the hell was she worried? He had no interest in fumbling beginners. She drew her panties down then bent over to take them off. She took a deep breath, lifted her chin and turned around. “There, are you satisfied?” The Scion’s gaze darted over her body. He frowned. “Come closer.” Panic brought a sudden chill to Elise’s skin but she stepped away from the bed. The Scion stepped forward, then walked all the way around her. “You had to have fucked. I could smell your cunt all over that room.” Elise sucked in a sharp breath. That was a nasty thing to say. She clenched her teeth. “Well, we didn’t.” The Scion stepped around to the front and faced her. “So it seems.” He rubbed his jaw. “They feed on sex and blood. You must have done something…” Elise rolled her eyes. “I told you before, all he showed me was how to stop floating.” The Scion’s gaze focused on her face. “How?” Elise’s cheeks heated. “None of your damned business.” His hand flashed out, catching her by the hair at the back of her head before she could move away. He jerked her head back and stared hard into her eyes. He smiled. “Elise, my sweet, I asked you a question.” She winced in his tight grip. A small tight sound escaped her throat. He had to be bio-mechanically augmented. Ordinary people just didn’t move that fast. Now she was scared. “Masturbation. Orgasm releases it.” The Scion sighed. “And there is my answer to his escape. He fed on your orgasm.” He released her and waved at the clothes he’d tossed on the floor. “Get dressed.” He turned away. Elise grabbed for her clothes. The Scion scowled. “No, not those rags; wear what I brought you.”

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Elise was too unnerved to argue. She lifted the clothes he’d brought and discovered a long cream silk nightgown with entirely too much lace and a heavy velvet robe. The Scion paced back and forth before her door, his arms folded behind him. “I knew his power was sexual, so obviously he had you masturbate, but the question is; how did he feed on your release, if he didn’t bite?” Elise turned her back on him and pulled the cream silk over her head. The heavy material fell in rich folds to her ankles, but it took a bit of tugging to get the snug lace bodice over her breasts. It was not something she would have ever worn at home, the lace was far too form-fitting, but it was still better than being naked. She reached for the green robe. “Elise.” Elise’s hand clenched on the robe. She looked over her shoulder. The Scion frowned at her. “Did he masturbate you?” Elise blinked. “No, not at all.” Her cheeks warmed. “I did it.” By rubbing against him, but she was not about to mention it. The Scion scowled. “There was no physical penetration, whatsoever? Neither his fingers, nor his cock?” Elise shrugged into the velvet robe and shook her head. “I had my clothes on the whole time.” The Scion’s gaze narrowed. “Masturbation made you float?” Elise nodded, reaching for the robe’s tie-belt. “And you came down when you reached orgasm?” Elise nodded again. “Fast, too.” He raised his brow. “And you landed…?” Elise’s breath stopped. Landed? She hadn’t landed. Luke had held her the whole time, but that was probably something better off left unsaid. So, if shehad floated…? Luke had offered to let her float until she ran out of power and landed… “On the bed.” “The bed, of course.” The Scion looked up at the ceiling. “Was he able to float?” Elise knotted the belt to the robe. “No, not at all.” Not until after her orgasm. The Scion scowled at the floor. “I’m missing something. I can feel it.” He opened her door and looked over his shoulder at her. “I will see you after breakfast.” He smiled pleasantly. “Good night.” He stepped through and closed the door behind him. The lock engaged. Elise wanted nothing more than to hurl one of the books that littered the room at the door. Luke was right; hewas a prick. An antique book flew across the room. The wooden cover slapped hard into the door and fell, landing

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with an undignified fluttering thump. Elise nearly jumped out of her skin.Did I do that? She picked up the book. She had to have done it. She’d wanted to. The fabric and wood cover didn’tfeelany different against her fingertips; neither did the wood-pulp leaves. She turned and looked over at the bookshelf stretching across the wall behind her. There had to be a million books on it. Some were wooden antiques like the one she held, but clearly half were very modern data disks in heavy-duty protective cases, and more than a few were archival data crystals from off-world. She blinked. Why this one? Why not one of the modern books? Data-disks were light and fragile. Archival crystals had a nasty tendency to explode into sharp fragments in a million directions at once. Her hands swept across the heavy cover. This one would have hurt more. A smile curled her lip. If she did it once, she could do it again. Elise eyed the heavily loaded bookshelves. The Scion might be augmented to the hilt, but she wasn’t exactly without resources. She hefted the book. She just needed a little practice…

****

A full hour later, Elise stopped staring at books that simply refused to move. She tucked her feet up on the velvet chair in the corner on the far side of the bed rubbing at her pounding temples. Practice was proving harder than she’d thought. She slid a hand to the back of her neck and groaned. Her shoulders and upper back had developed aches, too. She pushed off the chair and wandered across the rich scarlet carpet toward the facility, wondering just how hot she could make the water in the bathtub. The facility was magnificent. A silver-veined white marble counter and bowl sink occupied the left wall commanded by a mirror that spread from wall to wall to ceiling. Creamy white fluffy towels and bathing cloths were folded into a neat display by the sink with half a dozen squeeze bottles of assorted scented soaps and lotions. The commode on the back wall was a little old-fashioned but quite pretty, with fluted edges. Elise rolled her eyes. Why anyone would want to beautify a commode was beyond her. The tiny shower stall in the far right corner was a simple affair with frosted glass, white marble tiling, chrome handrails and dual showerheads on hoses. Very efficient. On the other hand, the huge round white marble soaking tub that filled a full three quarters of the room, was pure decadence. The curved walls held a lovely beach and ocean scene complete with leaping sailfish. The showpiece of the facility, the tub was nearly neck deep and clearly meant for more than three bodies. Elise activated the controls on the right wall, wondering how long it would take for the massive tub to actually fill.Probably a long while.

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Water exploded from eight spigots. The tub began to fill with incredible speed. Steam curled and wafted. Her brows shot up. On second thought, perhaps she wouldn’t wait all that long. Elise turned back to the counter and collected a pair of fluffy towels. Her gaze drifted to the decorative and colorful squeeze bottles. After a few experimental sniffs, she chose a pair of frosted yellow bottles that smelled of sweet vanilla. She strode for the rapidly filling tub, and upended one of the bottles, pouring the entire contents into the swirling water. Foam bubbled and frothed. Her lip curled into a fierce smile. If she was going to be a prisoner in a cage of decadence, she might as well abuse what hospitality she could. The water stopped at exactly the right depth. Practically an entire swimming pool’s worth of water mounded with creamy vanilla-scented foam. Elise stuck her hand through the thick foam and into the water. The temperature was just this side of hot. Perfect. She dropped her robe and pulled off the silk gown, then eased down the curving steps into heated liquid bliss. The water was deep enough to actually swim to some degree, but the high mounds of bubbles made her choose to roll onto her back and simply float. She stared at the steam rising toward the domed ceiling painted with blue sky and clouds. The heat eased the aches from her body and her thoughts drifted into stillness. “Elise…” The voice was little more than a whisper. Elise opened her eyes, jerking upright with a splash. She looked all around. No one else was in the facility. Was she imagining things? The back of her skull tingled. “Elise. Can you hear me?” It sounded vaguely like Luke’s voice. Elise’s mouth fell open. “Luke?” “Yes. Are you all right?” “I’m fine! Where are you?” She looked around, but there was nothing to see. “Close by, and don’t speak, think. I’ll hear you.” Elise frowned.Telepathy? “Yes.” Elise blinked.Oh… “Where are you? I’m getting this impression of water and…vanilla?” Elise ran her hands through the foamy water.I’m in the tub.

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“Bubble bath?” However he was communicating, his amusement was crystal clear. Elise smiled.Yes. Vanilla bubbles. “Oh, okay. I like vanilla. Very sweet.” Elise frowned at the ceiling.Are you all right? “I’m fine. I’m back at my ship. Can you hold on until I collect you tomorrow at sunset?” Elise frowned at the bottle of frost-yellow soap sitting at the rim of the tub. Could she fend off the Scion till tomorrow sunset? Anger simmered at the back of her mind. The bottle rose a few inches, tipped to the side and floated. Shocked, Elise stared. She did it! The bottle dropped. Elise scowled at it, but the bottle refused to move again. “Damn.” “Elise, did you just…do something?” I just lifted a bottle of soap. But it fell.Elise sighed. I lifted a book earlier. She winced. Actually I threw it at the door. But I can’t seem to lift anything when I try to. “Ah… You need more power and tighter focus.” Elise rolled her eyes.More power, great… “Elise.” Luke’s voice held a wealth of amusement. “I showed you how to make power.” A curl of heated interest shimmered. “Go on, do it.” You mean…Her voice dropped to a whisper.Masturbate, right now? “Are you alone?” Elise looked around again. She was definitely alone.Yes. And talking to Luke in her head. “Then what’s the problem?” He had a point. Who was going to see? Elise winced.Um, okay. She moved to the back wall of the tub, leaned her head back on the rim and closed her eyes. “Open your eyes and picture me. Picture me floating right above you, watching you.” Elise opened her eyes and looked up at the rising curls of steam. She could almost imagine Luke’s form among the steam. The steam seemed to gather shape, coalescing into the vague outline of a floating man, his arms spread wide. Robes fluttered around him in a wind she couldn’t feel. He smiled. “There you are.”

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Elise shivered.Is that really you? “Yes and no. It’s an image placed there by your imagination.” He seemed to wince then roll his eyes. “It’s a little complicated, but you can look at it as how your mind is translating what you’re picking up from me telepathically. The more you concentrate the clearer the connection, and my image, will get. I see you the same way.” You can see me?Elise ducked lower into the water. “Oh, yes.” He grinned. “You look delicious under all those bubbles.” He seemed to drift lower, and closer. “Show me your belly.” It was an odd request, but she couldn’t see a reason not to. He’d already seen her breasts. He’d had her nipples in his mouth. She let herself rise, floating on the water, stretching out the line of her throat. Her breasts and belly surfaced above the bubbles. She caressed the soft roundness of her stomach, feeling a little exposed. Her nipples tingled under his phantom gaze. Her hands drifted across her breasts. Her nipples tightened under her palms, then ached. “Yes, that’s it.” He licked his lips. “Touch yourself, Elise.” Elise’s hand drifted lower, into her bright red lower curls, then between the plump lips to her inner folds. His gaze followed her delving fingers. “Yes, that’s it.” He sighed. “Open up and show me your sweetness.” He smiled. “Show me your secrets.” She spread her thighs wider and touched the tender point of her clit. Delight sparked, then curled warmly. She rubbed slowly at first, then more quickly. Heat gathered, coiled and pooled. Her lips opened on a sigh. Luke drifted lower, a creature of mist. “Good, very good.” His hand lowered and his fingers brushed against her belly with a whisper of tingling warmth. “More, but don’t cum.” Elise shivered under his phantom touch. A small spark leaped within her. She began to lift above the water. “Yes, that’s it.” Luke reached out with both hands to touch her belly leaving a whisper of warmth. “This is where your power lives. Pull it in, hold it in. Keep the power.” Elise drew in a deep breath and pulled. Her belly warmed and her core seemed to fill with…something. It felt like sexual possession, but it wasn’t solid, exactly. Her delving fingers encountered nothing. She groaned and arched her hips. The presence didn’t move, but something was definitely there.What is that? “It’s your power. She frowned. It feels like… “It feels like a cock.” He smiled. “Our power is sexual in nature so when it fills us, that’s what it feels like.”

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She looked up at Luke, and couldn’t stop the question from rising in her thoughts.Does it feel this way for you too? “Yep. If it feels exactly like I have a dick up my ass.” Luke grimaced. “If I hold it in too long, without using any of it, it feels like I’m getting fucked hard by it, too.” Elise blinked.You’ve been...? She couldn’t say it. She could barely imagine it. “Fucked?” Luke rolled his eyes. “I have fucked, and been fucked, by just about everything; male, female and otherwise.” He smiled sourly. “When you live on sex and are hungry, you’ll take the orgasm any way you can get it out of them.” Elise thought about Luke in the embrace of another man. Hard muscle moving against hard muscle… The sharp curl of excitement caught her off guard. Luke’s brows rose and he grinned. “Excited you, did it?” Elise’s cheeks heated and she looked away. It had but… She wasn’t sure if she liked the idea of needing sex to the point that she’d sleep with anyone, or anything. Luke snorted. “You won’t have to worry about getting your needs fed. You have me.” His smile sharpened. “And you’ll like my shipmate Kelso. He’ll definitely like you.” A shipmate? Elise sucked on her bottom lip.Are the two of you are lovers? “Only when we have to be.” Luke smiled sourly. “Kelso and I both prefer women, but some flights are longer than others. As I said before, when you’re hungry, you take what you can get. That’s why I came down here. I was looking for some female company before our next scheduled flight.” He drifted closer. “Having you with us is going to make the flight a lot more…comfortable.” Elise felt a sharp spurt of temper.I have no interest in sleeping with the both of you! Luke bit down on his grin. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I spoke to Kelso a little while ago. He says he’s found a cute little blood-doll willing to take us on.” Elise frowned.A blood-doll? “A blood-doll is one of us, only they like to be…” Luke glanced away, and smiled just a little. “They prefer to have the pleasure, the orgasm, rather than the power that comes from holding release back. They tend to be…submissive.” Elise froze. Submissive? As in: obedient, a servant? Luke rolled his eyes. “No, it’s not like that. Submissives allow their partner to dominate themsexually .. Most sexual submissives are bossy in all other areas. They can be really bitchy when they feel they’re not getting enough attention.” He chuckled. “She’ll be good for him, she’s just his type; hard on the outside and soft in the middle.” Elise winced. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what Luke thought of her. The Scion had called her a fumbling beginner.

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Luke groaned. “Elise, don’t listen to his shit, I told you he was a prick.” Elise flinched. She hadn’t meant for him to hear that thought. Luke narrowed his gaze at her. Elise, listen to me. I like you exactly as you are. You’re still new at this sure, but that just means you have undiscovered depths.” He drifted close enough that his phantom form brushed against hers. “Depths I’m simply dying to explore.” Oh…Warmth curled around Elise’s heart. If he had really been there she would have kissed him. He smiled. “That’s better.” She focused on the bright blue seeping through Luke’s insubstantial form. It was the domed ceiling. She was only a body length away. Startled she looked over her shoulder. The water was far below. She was floating a lot higher than she’d thought. If she released the power, it was a long fall down. “Floating too high?” Luke frowned briefly. “Pull more of your power in slowly and you’ll ease back down.” Elise pulled more strongly. The phantom presence within her core gained in solidity. Her body drifted back down. Luke followed her down. “Yes, that’s it. Take it in slowly.” Elise settled down onto the water, but did not sink. The water was a gently rolling warm blanket beneath her back. It was soft, there was some give, but she did not penetrate the surface. She had regained gravity, but not completely. “Very good, excellent control.” Luke smiled and drifted to her right side. “Now, let’s try to lift that soap bottle.” She sat up on the water. It was very strange to be so light that she didn’t sink. She speared her hand and stabbed into the water. Her brows lifted. Her fingers passed the surface, but it took direct force to do it. If she simply sat, gravity was not enough to pull her through.Huh… She looked over at the bottle by the rim of the tub. Luke hovered at her side. “Reach out as though you have an invisible hand. Hold it, but don’t squeeze! Just hold it.” Elise reached and could almost make out a misty curl of…something, uncoiling from her belly. The phantom curl closed about the bottle. She blinked. She could feel the smooth sides of the soap bottle, as though it were actually in her hand. Luke smiled. “That’s exactly what you should be feeling. Very gently, lift.” Elise sucked on her bottom lip. The bottle had weight and heft, but no more than usual. She lifted the bottle easily. “Good.” Luke nodded. “Bring it to you.”

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Elise tugged. The bottle raced toward her hand. She reached out and caught it, and was bowled over backwards by the force. She gasped. The speed and strength of the pull was a lot more than she’d thought. “Mother of Mercy!” “I told you, you’re strong!” Luke grinned. “Practice will smooth that out.” He drifted closer and dropped a barely felt kiss on her brow. “I have to go.” He smiled and began to fade apart. “See you at sunset.” Elise gasped. He was leaving? “Luke, wait!” Luke solidified. “What?” Elise wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want to be alone. Luke shook his head. “Elise, I’ll be back for you at sunset. If the school-master gives you a problem, use your power to throw something at him.” Elise blinked. “Oh!” Suddenly her appointment after breakfast took on an entirely different light. She grinned. “Okay. See you at sunset!” Luke smiled. “Don’t forget to get some sleep.” His image drifted into mist. “Good night, love.” And he was gone. Rocking atop the undulating bathwater, Elise stared at the place where he had been. He’d said, good-night…love. The bottle dropped from her hand with a soft splash.

- Three -

Face down in the massive bed, Elise pressed her face into the pillow and shifted uneasily among the silk sheets. The bed was too wide, the pillows too thick and too plentiful, and it was entirely too warm in the room. She’d already tossed half the pillows onto the floor and shoved the blankets off, but she just couldn’t get comfortable. The cream silk nightgown had a nasty habit of rising and bunching, or twisting, in all the wrong places, too.

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To make matters worse, the power filling her core had solidified into a warm hard presence that was definitely shifting within her. It felt like it was slowly sliding out, and then slowly sliding back in. And it was driving her insane. What her power was doing to her was completely unlike the time her betrothed had taken her virginity. This didn’t hurt. It actually felt pretty damned good. Too good. Her thighs were slick and wet with excitement.Now, I know what the girls meant when they talked about a slow, delicious screw. It was impossible to even think about trying to sleep with the tension growing in her belly. The power gave a sudden short thrust. Elise moaned and grabbed for the power, forcing it still with her thoughts. Sweat formed across her lower back. She knotted her fingers in the pillow to keep from reaching down to give herself some relief. Damn it, she was supposed to be holding it in. The power thrust again, harder and deeper. Elise gasped and gripped the pillow with both hands, panting for breath. She was not going to get any sleep this way. She had to do something. Elise flipped over onto her back and reached for the hem of her nightgown. Knees spread wide, she cupped her mound and parted the very wet outer lips. Her flesh was hot, swollen and very slick. She touched the small, knot of her clit. Fire blazed up her spine. She arched hard and gasped. She was right on top of an orgasm. She rubbed gently across the hard knot of flesh. Sparks danced and her entire body jolted with near painful delight. A small moan escaped her lips. She stroked her wet flesh, writhing and shuddered in agonizing delight, her toes curled with tension. It wasn’t enough. She needed more. She cupped her breast and tugged on a hard nipple. She panted, moaning, her body shaking the mattress. Her moans turned to whimpers. It still wasn’t enough. She was so close, so close…and she couldn’t go over! “Elise…” Elise opened her eyes in the darkness. Luke was a pale shadow floating above her. “Elise, stop, you’ll only make it worse.” Elise gasped softly and shuddered in need. “But you told me orgasm would release it.” Luke glanced away. “It would have if you hadn’t let it go so far. You should have masturbated when I left you.” Elise’s mouth fell open. “Are you saying I can’t…?” Luke shook his head slowly. “You’ve built up too much power. You’re going to need my help to cum.”

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Elise hit the mattress with her fist. “I can’t take this! Luke, what do I do?” Luke sighed. “You have to bleed your power off by using it. Let yourself float. You’re radiating quite a bit of power so I doubt you’ll fall, but it should ease up enough for you to sleep some.” He smiled. “You’ll probably be up against the ceiling, so grab a pillow before you go up.” Elise groaned and reached behind her for her pillow. “Great. I suppose floating is better than being…like this.” She relaxed her hold on the power within her. Her hair and gown lifted and floated. The insistent pressure within her core eased. She sighed and wafted up from the mattress. She looked over at Luke. “Fine, so I’m sleeping on the ceiling. Then what?” Luke chuckled and rose with her. “In the morning you should have used enough power to comfortably contain the rest and come back down. Then, just keep using some of your power until sunset. I’ll help you then.” Elise stroked a palm across her tummy and stretched. Floating in the air actually felt more comfortable, and cooler than the mattress. “I have to wait until sunset? Can you come any sooner?” “I have to wait until Kelso and his girl get back. He says he’s on the other side of the continent. I think he’s just buying more time in the sack.” Luke grinned. “He’s a greedy bastard when it comes to sex.” Elise shot a narrow glare at Luke’s phantom form. “This isn’t funny.” Luke raised a brow. “Funny? I assure you, my stiff dick is not happy with me right now. If I could be there with you I would.” Else frowned. “You’re…excited?” “I’ve been rock hard since I left you.” Luke’s eyes narrowed and his smile broadened. “I am dying to hear you cum as I fuck you.” Elise felt the hair on the back of her neck rise and jerked upright in mid-air, clutching the pillow to her stomach. “What? Oh, I don’t know if I want to…do that.” Luke drifted closer. “Elise, it takes orgasm to bleed off power, and you have a lot of power. How did you think I was going to do it? We’re going to have to fuck.” Elise clutched the pillow tighter. “We didn’t have to last time.” Luke’s arms spread. “You floated on a kiss, Elise. One kiss. You masturbated this time and held it for several hours. If I took you right now, it would take at least two strong orgasms before you stopped floating. By the time I get to you at sunset, it’s going to take more than just sex before your feet will even touch the ground.” Elise swallowed. “Morethan just sex?” Luke nodded. “I’m going to have to drink you.” He licked his lips and his gaze focused on her throat. “I’m going to have to take your blood and drink your power straight from your veins.” Elise’s mouth dried. “Drink…my blood?” She shivered but at the same time a wet throb struck in her core. Her chin lifted. “You’re not serious, are you?”

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Luke smiled. “Very serious.” His gaze did not leave her throat. “I’m betting your power tastes like raw fire.” His gaze lifted to hers. “My bite will make you cum very hard, Elise. Very, very hard. It’s not like a normal orgasm.” “It’s not?” Her voice came out in a squeak. She couldn’t imagine anything more intense than what they had shared earlier. “When I ride you that first time, and my teeth find your throat…” Luke drifted right up against her. She could almost feel his warmth against her skin. “Your release won’t be just your body; it’ll be your power, too.” He leaned close, his phantom lips right near her ear, and whispered. “I expect it will make us both scream.” Elise jerked back. He was gone. Elise turned face down and looked for him. He was nowhere in the darkened room. Her back gently hit the ceiling and pressed lightly. She set the pillow behind her head. “Great, I’m sleeping on the ceiling.” A yawn stretched her jaw. She turned her face into the pillow’s softness. Sleep began to drift through her. Her last thought was a vague image of Luke lying on his back, knees up, completely naked. He moaned as his fist pumped up and down the graceful curve of his shaft. He gasped and cum spilled over his fingers. She could almost smell it. A smile curved her lips, and sleep took her.

****

“Miss? Miss, are you in there?” Elise yawned and rolled over onto her back. “Yeah?” Something fell and shattered. Elise’s eyes snapped open. She stared at the floor so very far below her and gasped. She’d utterly forgotten that she was on the ceiling. Because of the way she was floating, it hadn’t felt like the ceiling at all. Below her in the bedroom doorway, a middle-aged woman stood staring up at her. Her silver-streaked brown hair was coiled tight to her skull and she wore a knee-length uniform dress of dark blue. A black pitcher lay shattered at her feet with liquid pooled around it. Elise winced.Oops… Looks like I scared the help. Well, at least the service fem wasn’t screaming. Elise sat up as though it was perfectly normal to be asleep on the ceiling and smiled as warmly as she could. “Um, good morning?” Her inner computational chronometer said it was just after dawn, so it was definitely morning.

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The service fem glanced from side to side, then looked back up. She cleared her throat and pasted on a smile. “I have set your breakfast on the table in the sitting room.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Though with you being…up there, and all?” “Oh, I’ll be right down.” Clutching the pillow, Elise closed her eyes and drew her power in. It filled her core with gentle ease, completely without the insistent pressure she’d felt last night. Oh, yes, much better…Gravity began to pull her down and she opened her eyes. The service fem watched Elise descend, eyes wide. Elise landed gently on the bed, set the pillow down, then stepped off the mattress in a slow easy jump. She turned, picked up the green velvet robe and stuffed her arms into her robe. “There, you see?” The woman nodded in quick jerks. Elise took a long floating step toward the door. The woman stepped back sharply. He foot landed on a shard from the fallen pitcher and crunched. She jumped, looked down, then groaned. “My apologies, I’ll bring you another pitcher of wine.” She knelt to collect the shards. “Wine? For breakfast?” Elise stopped and rolled her eyes. “That’s silly. I drink kaffa, like everybody else.” She moved through the doorway, trying to walk as normally as possible, but it was tough to do. She was still awfully light. Her steps kept pushing her forward in small bounds. The table in the far end of the sitting room held a tray with streaming covered dishes. The scent of eggs and bacon made Elise’s stomach grumble with interest. “Kaffa?” The woman turned and climbed to her feet frowning. “Oh, but His Eminence, the Scion, said you should have a cup of wine as soon as you woke up.” “Oh, he did, did he?” Elise turned and smiled. It actually hurt. Probably because of the way her teeth were clenched. Luke had said something about the Scion giving him something to drink that knocked him out. “His Eminence was mistaken. Ordinary kaffa will do for me.” She was not about to drink anything the Scion thought she should. “Very well.” The woman bobbed a curtsey. “I’ll be right back with a pot of kaffa.” She went to the door with her hands full of pitcher shards. Elise followed. Was the door actually unlocked? The woman knocked on the door. The lock disengaged and opened. She stepped through. Elise caught a glimpse of two rather large brawny men standing on either side outside her door. She scowled.Guards. The door closed and locked. Damn it.Elise stomped her foot, and rose a little off the floor. She rolled her eyes. Being light enough to float was getting annoying. She sighed and looked over at the table where breakfast sat. On impulse, she

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pushed off with her toes and floated toward the table. Her brows rose. The sensation was actually kind of interesting. It felt a lot like moving through very still water. Elise grabbed the edge of the table and maneuvered herself toward the chair seat. And got stuck between the chair’s back and the table’s edge. She groaned. The chair hadn’t been pulled out far enough. She turned to look at the chair. The chair jerked back about a pace. Elise’s brows lifted. She actually hadn’t meant to do that, but it was pretty much what she’d wanted. She sat and reached for the covered dishes. Maybe having power wasn’t going to be so annoying after all?

****

Someone knocked. Elise looked down from where she rested stretched out and floating comfortably only a few feet from the ceiling. It was probably the Scion, but he was late. He had said he was going to visit after breakfast but according to her inner chronometer, it was several hours past noon and closing in on dinnertime. She shot a narrow glare at the door.Fine, be late. She turned back to the pillow that floated before her and the book she was reading. It took only a suggestion of thought to turn the page. The door opened. Although Elise was supremely uninterested in anything the Scion had to say, she found her gaze drawn. He was accompanied by a man and a woman that had to be a pair of the most beautiful people she’d ever seen. And they matched. They both had long, nearly white hair and sculpted bodies; both wore skin-tight black leather pants with boots that buckled up to their thighs. Their only difference in dress was that the female wore a plain black bandeau that barely contained her generous breasts. They simply oozed sex. Elise’s brows rose. They had to be the Scion’s concubines, but why did he bring them to her room? The Scion looked about. “Elise?” Elise smiled. If she was lucky, he wouldn’t bother looking up and think she escaped. If she was really lucky he’d walk out, leaving the door unlocked. The Scion looked up. His brows lifted. Elise scowled.Damn. The service fem must have told him about her being on the ceiling. The Scion lifted a golden brow. “Elise, what are you doing up there?” Both of the beautiful people looked up. Their eyes went wide.

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Elise gave him her sweetest smile. “I’m reading. There isn’t much else to do.” The Scion folded his hands behind him. “Would you come down here and join us please, I would like you to meet my companions.” Elise’s brows shot up. He wanted her to meet his concubines? She took a breath and sighed. She couldn’t think of a good enough reason not to; other than the fact that her power had begun to make its presence known within her--even with the floating. She collected the pillow and the book, tucking them under her arm and eased upright. Crossing her ankles, she pulled in her energy and let gravity take gentle hold of her. As she descended, her skirts fluttered around her and the power became uncomfortably solid within her. Well, she’d have plenty of energy to toss books at him if he proved difficult. The Scion’s gaze sharpened. “It seems that you have gained quite a bit of control over your powers since yesterday.” A full three strides from the Scion and his, companions, Elise stopped her descent with her feet only inches from the floor. She just couldn’t make herself meet the floor. The power was too uncomfortably solid to hold any more inside her. “It seems to have increased, too.” That was far too true by far. She felt positively stuffed. The Scion nodded. “So I see.” He turned to his companions. “This is Kitty and Todd. They are among my personal staff.” The pale-couple nodded. Their brilliant blue eyes were wide but they smiled with full sensual mouths. They were absolutely stunning up close, and tall. Their heads were about even with the Scion’s. Elise couldn’t think of a word to say to them. How were you supposed to greet someone’s concubines? She smiled and nodded. The Scion took a casual step toward Elise. “The service fem told me that you were not interested in the wine?” Elise broadened her smile and drifted back from him. “Nobody drinks wine with breakfast.” The Scion smiled. “Or midday supper?” Elise shrugged very casually. “I’m not much of a wine drinker.” He lifted his chin and his smile broadened. “Then perhaps you won’t mind sharing a glass with us with dinner?” Elise felt her smile slip. “I’d rather not.” The Scion sighed dramatically. “I somehow thought you would feel that way.” He shook his head then shot her a narrow glance. “Apparently that pilot told you quite a lot in my absence.” Elise leveled a cool stare at the Scion. “He told me enough.”

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The Scion’s brows lifted. “I see. Well, then…” He glanced at his companions and nodded slightly. Both concubines lunged for her with stunning and inhuman speed. Elise gasped and grabbed for her power, lunging upward. Their hands closed tight around her wrists, jerking her forcibly and painfully to a halt. Todd laughed. “Oh, don’t go!” His voice held a velvety purr. Kitty smiled. “We only bite if you ask nicely.” Her voice was deep and throaty. Elise fought their hold but her arms didn’t have the physical strength to lift them more than a few inches from the ground. They were simply too heavy. Her arms were not augmented, but theirs clearly were. She was dragged down and stretched between them. “Let me go!” She kicked out. “Easy, sweetness.” While holding Elise’s left wrist Todd grabbed her left ankle with his free hand. “We only want to get to know you!” Kitty caught hold of Elise’s right ankle with her free hand. “We’re not going to hurt you!” With one hand each on Elise’s ankles and wrists, they spread her out, floating on her back between them. Elise jerked and twisted in their hold, but couldn’t break free. “I said, let go!” Kitty grinned at Todd. “So fierce!” Todd chuckled. “Passionate, I’d say.” The Scion shook his head. “We need to drain that power of hers immediately.” “Drain me?” Elise froze. “What?” Kitty took both of Elise’s wrists, letting Todd take Elise’s ankles. “Same way as with the other?” The Scion smiled. “Yes. Would you like to do the honors?” Todd shot Kitty a narrowed glance. “I thought it was my turn?” The Scion’s brows shot up. “If you are so inclined?” Todd laughed. “Are you kidding? I love breaking in beginners.” The Scion nodded. “Very well then, she’s yours.” Elise froze. “His?” This had better not be what it was starting to sound like. The Scion lifted his chin. The matched pair nodded and began towing Elise head first toward the bedroom doorway.

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The bedroom?The hair on Elise’s neck rose. “Oh, no, I am not doing anything with anybody in the bedroom!” The Scion followed in their wake and smiled, his sea-green eyes blazing with chilling amusement. “Elise, surely you have no objection to some…pleasurable entertainment?” Elise jerked at her arms and twisted. “No! Absolutely not! Not with any of you!” “I’m afraid you don’t have much choice in the matter.” The Scion grinned as he followed them into the bedroom. “Your mother’s acceptance reply came in first thing this morning. Apparently she didn’t even question the fact that the document made no mention of marriage, merely ownership. You are legally part of my household.” Elise felt her temper spark white-hot. “You’re lying!” Kitty set her knee on the broad bed, “No, I’m afraid he’s not.” She climbed up, tugging Elise after her. “Sorry, sweetness.” Todd kept a firm grip on Elise’s ankles, positioning her with her butt barely on the edge of the bed. “We were there when the documents arrived.” “It’s not so bad, really.” Kitty turned on the broad bed and knelt. “Once you get used to it.” She pinned Elise’s wrists on the mattress between Kitty’s spread knees. The Scion nodded. “I can be a very generous master.” Stretched taut across the mattress between Kitty and Todd, Elise bucked hard but couldn’t fight their augmented strength. “No, I’m not yours! I didn’t agree! You don’t have my mark!” “I didn’t need your mark. I had your presence on my property. That was legal agreement enough.” The Scion stepped to the foot of the bed and smiled. “As I said before, the law is flexible where I am concerned.” Elise bared her teeth at the master of Emeritus. “You bastard!” The Scion smile sharpened. “I can be, if that is what you prefer.” Todd pulled Elise’s ankles wide. Elise gasped and her head came up. “Hey! Stop that!” “Easy, sweetness.” Todd smiled, his blue eyes hot with intent. “I only want a taste.” He stepped between her spread thighs, pushing the green velvet robe and cream silk of Elise’s nightgown higher. Kitty gripped both of Elise’s wrists in one hand and leaned over her. “Todd, dear, let me help you with that.” She unknotted Elise’s robe and jerked it open. Elise gasped. “Please don’t help!” Kitty smiled. “But I like being helpful.” She tugged the creamy silk of Elise’s nightgown up, revealing her bright red feminine curls and then the soft curve of her belly.

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A small whimper escaped Elise’s lips and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Thank you, love.” Todd grinned. “Oh, look, a natural red-head, too!” He released Elise’s ankles, and grasped her around the thighs. “That pussy looks juicy and smells delicious.” He licked his lips. “In fact, I’d say she was masturbating right before we walked in.” Elise hissed and bared her teeth. She hadn’t actually, but the power had been boiling in her core all damned day. “Get off me!” “Now, now, play nice, little girl.” Kitty tugged harder, pulling the gown all the way up past Elise’s breasts. “And we’ll play nice with you.” “Speaking of nice…” Todd’s brows rose. “Those are some nice tits.” He leaned down, his gaze locked to Elise’s. Elise yelped. “Stop! Right now!” “Are you sure, sweet?” He pressed a kiss to the bottom edge of her breast. His tongue brushed against her skin in a damp caress. Elise’s entire body went rigid, her mind focused entirely on the hot wet mouth moving on her skin. She couldn’t catch her breath. The power in her belly coiled tightly and shifted hungrily. It wanted… Mother of Mercy,she wanted. Her thighs jerked apart all by themselves in blatant invitation. Kitty smiled. “I don’t hear any more ‘stops’..” Todd’s lips curved in to a smile that reeked with male satisfaction. “Neither do I.” His lips and tongue inched closer to her rigid nipple. Elise sucked in a breath and trembled with raw and near painful expectant tension. Todd’s mouth closed on Elise’s nipple. He sucked. Fire blazed straight to her core. Elise gasped and arched up into his mouth. Todd moaned and pressed his trapped cock into her, rubbing directly on the swollen bud of her clit. Elise bucked hard against him and cried out. Her legs locked around Todd’s waist, pulling his leather-restrained cock tight to her overheated and starving cunt. She arched up against him and moaned, unable to think past the shadowy boiling hunger in her belly and the burning ache in her core. Kitty grinned. “I think somebody just changed their mind.” Todd grunted and released her nipple. He sucked in a breath and grinned. “I’d say so.” He scraped his fingers down the center of her body. His touch was electrifying on her skin. Elise arched up under his hand. “She won’t protest again.” The Scion smiled. “The one thing you can count on with these magicians, is that their crotch will always overpower their heads.”

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“So I see.” Todd’s fingers brushed her intimate curls, then a long finger slid past her plump lips and eased among her damp folds. “She is so wet.” He plunged his finger into her core. Elise moaned and her hips bucked against his hand. Todd sighed. “Oh, look, eagerness.” He pumped his finger into her, flicking at something shockingly pleasurable deep within. Elise jolted with each delicious flick. She trembled with erotic tension, but climax did not rise. It wasn’t enough. She ground hard against his hand. “More!” Todd drove a second finger into her and licked his lips. “Oh, yeah, somebody definitely wants to get fucked.” The Scion lifted his chin. “No fucking; she cums, not you.” Todd’s gaze narrowed, but he nodded. Kitty chuckled. “I’ll take care of you when you finish, dearest.” Todd grinned at Kitty. “You always do.” He knelt and pushed Elise’s thighs up over his shoulders and curled his arms around them. “Let’s see how fast I can get her to cum.” Kitty licked her lips. “I’d give it under a minute.” Todd pressed his hot mouth against Elise’s hungry flesh. He moaned in obvious delight and lashed his tongue across her over-sensitive clit. “Bloody Fate, she tastes incredible.” The sounds of eager wet lapping followed. Elise writhed against him, boiling in a morass of agonizing and torturous pleasure, but climax was too far to reach. What he was doing wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough. Something vital was missing. Todd settled down to noisy lecherous feasting, his mouth and tongue sucking and nipping at her tender flesh even as his fingers pumped in and out of her body. Elise shuddered and moaned. The power in her belly shifted restlessly and expanded in complete contrast to the climax that came no closer. Todd attacked the oversensitive point of her clit. Elise’s breath stopped and her body went rigid. She shuddered hard, shaking the mattress under her, no closer to the edge than before. She gasped in a breath and howled in defeat. Todd lifted his head and wiped at his mouth. “It’s not working. She may be too overexcited to cum.” The Scion scowled. “Keep trying. I want that power bled off.” “Let me help.” Kitty reached down and cupped Elise’s breast. “Mmm, very nice indeed. Very firm, yet so soft.” Her thumb brushed across the hard nipple. Elise’s core gave an interested throb. She gasped. Kitty’s hand felt wonderfully exciting. She looked up

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at Kitty in shock. Several of her friends preferred women to men, but she’d never considered herself to be that way. Kitty smiled at Elise. “Oh, so you like that?” Her long nails trapped a nipple and plucked. Elise moaned and arched up into Kitty’s hand. Kitty grinned. “Sweet girl, yes, you do.” She looked over at Todd. “You ready for round two?” Todd shot a narrow glare at the Scion. “This would be easier if I could fuck her.” The Scion bared his teeth. “You almost lost control fucking the other one, and he was nearly drained. She’s at full power. You put your dick in her and you’ll be cumming in seconds.” Kitty winced. “He has a point. I nearly came just from sucking him off, and I wasn’t even touching myself.” She shivered slightly. “It was like he was pulling it right out of me.” The other one?Elise stilled between them. The only other person they could be talking about was Luke. They had done this to Luke? The Scion’s jaw clenched. “Make her cum. Now.” Todd pressed his mouth to Elise’s wet flesh with renewed determination. Every thought in Elise’s head evaporated under a wave of intense sensation. She moaned and shuddered. His gentle licks became deep tongue forays punctuated by hard suction. His teeth nipped sharply at her folds and her clit. Kitty leaned down, her long silky hair spilling across Elise’s shoulders. Her mouth closed on one nipple as her fingers tugged mercilessly at the other. Elise thrashed between them, moaning and bucking, drowning a torturous delight too intense to withstand. The power swelled angrily, a hot, hard weight in her belly that pushed painfully at her body’s limits. But release would not come. Todd clamped down on her clit and sucked hard. Agony blazed in a bolt of white-hot fire straight up Elise’s spine. The power burst in her belly. A volcanic eruption of black hunger spread through her bloodstream in a river of midnight fire. She arched off the bed and screamed. Kitty flinched back but didn’t release Elise’s wrists. “Damn.” The bed rattled under them then heaved; the feet lifting from the floor and slamming down. Todd fell back from between Elise’s thighs. “The damned bed is coming off the floor!” “It’s haunted!” Kitty screamed and rolled from the bed, pressing back against the far wall.

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“It’s not haunted!” The Scion jumped back shouting, but was barely audible past the thumping feet of the bucking bed. “It’s her fucking power!” The heavy wooden bed frame cracked and shattered, spilling the mattress and pillows to the floor. Elise remained where she was, floating. The darkness in her spilled from her skin in rippling shadows full of breathtaking rainbows. It wrapped around her in a warm glittering blanket, turning her body with it. Surprise and delight echoed though her. This felt right, this felt good. The power unfolded and coalesced into a long and slender scaled shape of sinuous midnight beauty that solidified, taking on mass and breadth. Free, at last. She carefully lifted her long, elegant head at the end of her serpentine neck. The ridges along the top of her head brushed the ceiling. Her clawed hands and feet floated barely above the floor of a room that was far too small for her. She looked around, puzzled. A small burst of fright shimmered through her. She couldn’t quite grasp what she was doing in this small space or how she’d gotten in it. A very small man in long robes stood with his back to the room protectively pressing another man and a woman tightly into a corner. Locked in a mutual embrace, they were a very small presence in the far corner. Were they supposed to be that small? She couldn’t quite remember. The silence was deafening. “Is it over?” The woman’s whisper seemed loud as a shout. The man in the long robes turned and gasped. “Elise! Mother of Mercy…” Elise? Something shifted in her mind. Oh, that was her name. The other man lifted his head and stared up at her. “Oh, fuck…is that a dragon?” The robed man urged the two others along the wall toward the door. “Dragons are creatures of myth.” The other man scowled. “I know that, but what else would you call that?” The woman looked over her shoulder. “She’s actually pretty, if she wasn’t so damned scary.” The robed man snorted at the other man. “And just think; you wanted to fuck it.” They hurried through the doorway. Fuckit?Memory crashed down on Elise’s head. The Scion and his concubines. Anger blazed. Her head rose and brushed the ceiling.I’ll show them some fucking… “Incredible! Can you imagine what the council will say when I bring her before them?” The Scion’s delighted voice carried from the other room. “Are you kidding?” Todd’s voice was hoarse. “They’d never believe she’s real! Blood and Fury, I don’t

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believe she’s real, and I saw it happen!” “When she transforms right in the middle of the hall, they’ll believe. But, I need to gain control over her power quickly. We’ll wait until whatever that is wears off and try again.” “I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.” Kitty’s voice was a touch tight. “I think I’ve had enough magic for one day.” Elise ducked down and thrust her narrow head through doorway. The Scion had his back to her with his hands on his hips. “That isn’t magic.” He tossed the long tail of his blond hair over his shoulder, and it fell down his back. “There is no such thing as magic.” “She changed right in front of us!” Todd rolled his eyes as he paced in front of the closed door with his arms folded. “What else would you call it?” The Scion sighed. “I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for it.” Todd shot a glare at him. “Good, because I’m dying to hear it!” Kitty turned around and stared at Elise. “Great Mother, she’s coming after us!” The Scion looked over his shoulder. “That’s just her head. Relax, the rest of her is too big to pass through the doorway.” Elise tilted her head.Too big? Well, if she could get this big, then she could get smaller, too. She drew on her power. It shimmered and rippled, part of it folding within. She stretched out her arm and extended a hand that had become a forefinger and thumb with the last three fingers elongated into the long bones of her wings. She pulled. Her thumb and finger claws tore furrows in the red carpet. Her shoulders eased through the snug doorway. Todd’s mouth tightened to a white line. “I think you need to look again!” He banged on the door to the room. “Let us out!” The Scion turned around and scowled. “Damned witch-beast.” Kitty trilled out a nervous laugh. “I thought you said it wasn’t magic?” The Scion grabbed Kitty by the arm and pushed her toward the door. “Remind me to beat you later.” Kitty bit down on her lip. “If we live that long.” The door opened and three of them rushed out. The door slammed closed behind them, and locked. Elise eased the rest of the way through the doorway. Her tail lashed and her lips lifted from her long sharp teeth. A growl rumbled. They were not getting away that easily. That puny door was not going to stop her. The heavy black oak door crashed open. Elise blinked.Damn… She had barely formed the thought. She shoved her long scaled head through the

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open door. The armored guards that she had seen posted to either side had fallen in the hallway. They took one look at her and fled. Guilt stabbed through Elise. She lowered her head. She hadn’t meant to knock them down, just open the door. Her keen sense of smell detected the Scion’s perfumed soap. She looked up the hallway.That way… She eased all the way into the hallway and set after him.

- Four -

Following the scent of the Scion’s amberwood soap, Elise floated through the university’s narrow, but not impossible hallways. She was big, but her serpentine body was considerably more length than width, and quite supple. However her wings were proving somewhat problematical. When she tried to walk on her hands and feet, the last three fingers--her wings--tilted up and scraped nastily along the low ceiling making the plaster fall. She had been forced to float with her arms tucked tight to her sides. Even more annoying, the nearly body-length finger bones were completely inflexible. She simply could not maneuver around a truly sharp corner or go up a staircase that wasn’t wide enough to let her to float straight up the middle. Not without dropping size again. Elise had no intention of dropping size. She was not in the mood to be small--and helpless. Grumbling rather loudly, Elise was forced on a fairly straight route. To make matters worse, her tail seemed to have a mind of its own, and apparently it liked knocking things over. She couldn’t seem to stop overturning tables and bookcases with it. In addition, the ridges on her long wings had a habit of catching on pictures and wall hangings. She was leaving something of a mess behind her. Elise’s route eventually took her to the broad and high-arched upper hallways, where all the classrooms were located. She progressed slowly, floating as close to the ceiling as she could. She had no interest in hurting anyone accidentally. A knot of gray-robed students stepped out of a doorway directly below her. They froze and looked up. Their eyes opened wide, then their mouths. As one, they screamed and fled back through the door

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they’d come out of. People came out of classrooms, drawn by screams. Everyone stopped, stared and then panicked, teachers, students and staff. Screams and shouts echoed through the halls. Papers went flying as they scrambled back into classrooms. Doors slammed. Elise snorted in cynical amusement.Goodness, you’d think they’d never seen a mythical creature before! A young man in teacher’s robes stepped out of a room with his head buried in his book. Completely oblivious, he walked right under her and went into a room across the hall. He closed the door quietly behind him. Elise counted to three. The door opened back up and the teacher stuck his head out, looked up, saw her and screamed. He jerked back in and slammed the door closed. She rolled her eyes and continued through a wide cross hallway. Arched narrow windows marched along the right side revealing the deep blue of early twilight. Classrooms gave way to offices and audience chambers. More people, more papers tossed in the air, more yelling, more screaming. Elise winced. It was nice that no one seemed inclined to try to stop her, but the high-pitched screaming was getting on her nerves. She was big, sure, but she hadn’t threatened anybody. A liquid growl rumbled. Not yet anyway. The scent of the Scion’s soap led her to a door on her immediate left. The door was very small. She’d have to return to her other form if she was going to go through it. She didn’t want to. She liked being this way. But, she wasn’t getting through that door in this shape. Elise dropped her head.Damn. She lifted her head and looked up the hallway. It looked fairly familiar. She was close to the university’s main entry hall and the big doors. She looked back at the small door the Scion had passed through, then gazed back toward the exit. What in Mercy was she doing? Why was she bothering with chasing the Scion down when she could simply walk out of the University and go home? For goodness sake, she couldfly home! Screw him.She shook her head and headed for the main hall.It’s not as if he can come get me. He’d have to bring the national militia. She could just hear him asking to borrow a battalion to chase down a dragon.If she could have smiled, she would have. Elise reached the four-story high main entrance hall with a complete sense of relief. The halls had begun to feel decidedly cramped. Marble columns lined the walls with the master staircase rising at the back, but the floor’s center was blessedly clear of both people and furniture. She had room to move at last. She dropped to the floor and headed for the massive double doors leading to the outside. Down on her hands and feet, her body moved oddly, rather like a snake, and her tail had a tendency to lash. Luckily there wasn’t anything to knock over.

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Elise glared at the closed doors, wanting them open. The doors remained closed. Temper sparked. She wanted out. She pulled back her head. If she couldn’t open the doors with her power, she’d open them with brute force. “Elise.” She froze. That sounded like…Luke? She lifted her head but she couldn’t see anything or anyone. “Yes, it’s me. I’m very impressed with your transformation, love, but it’s time to go back to your other form.” Where are you?Elise circled, coiling her long body close. She had to lift her wings a little to do it, they simply didn’t bend the way the rest of her did.I just want to go home. “I’m right here, and we’re going home as soon as you return to your other form.” My other form?Elise looked all around but saw nothing, only the marble walls and the master staircase arching up to the upper halls and private chambers.But I like being this way. “Elise, we all prefer this shape, but you can’t wear it around people. It frightens them too much.” Her head lifted.You have this shape too? He laughed. “Of course. You’re one of my kind.” She sat up on her haunches.Can I see it? Luke chuckled. “Absolutely! But not right now.” She dropped back down onto her hands, disappointed.Why not? “Elise, I’m a lot older in power than you are. I wouldn’t fit inside this building.” Older in power? Elise tilted her head.Then I’m going to get bigger? Luke sighed. “Much bigger. You’re only a hatchling. When you achieve full strength, you’ll fly between the stars. Remember when I said we have an instinct for piloting? Now you know why.” Elise shook her head. Fly between the stars? Did he mean flying in space? That didn’t make sense. “Neither does transforming into a dragon. Magic, remember? Return to your other form.” Elise dropped her head.I don’t want to go back to being…small. And helpless. Luke chuckled. “Elise, you’ll never be small again. You’ll only look small. Your power will still reflect this size. Transform.”

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She turned and faced the door. She didn’t want to transform, she wanted to go home. “Elise, you can’t go back to your other life. I told you that. You’re home is with your kind, with me. Return to your other form.” Elise pressed the flat of her head against the wooden doors.I am going home, my home. She pushed. She couldn’t budge it. “The door will not open for you.” Elsie dug her clawed hands and feet into the floor and pushed with all her strength. It didn’t even groan. She reached out a clawed hand and raked it down the wood. She didn’t leave a scratch. She couldn’t get out. Elise whirled around.Fine. There were other doors. She headed back toward the archway leading into tunneling halls, her claws rattling on the marble floor. Her nose hit something hard, and invisible. She couldn’t get into the hall. Something was in her way. “Elise, return your other form.” Elise whirled around. She couldn’t go through the door and she couldn’t get into the halls. She couldn’t get out. She was trapped. Frustration and fear combined to make the ridges on her back rise. A coughing roar escaped her throat. The loud sound startled her.Luke, are you doing this? “Return to your other form, Elise.” She scrabbled back to the main doors.I don’t want to! “But I need you to.” She slammed her head against the doors. A hollow bong sounded, but it clearly wasn’t a sound made by the wooden doors.What for? “I can’t kiss you in that form.” Elise froze. Shadowy hunger clawed at her from within. Her blood heated with carnal greed. She wanted that kiss. She needed that kiss. Her form shimmered, then faded into a rippling whirl of glittering smoke that folded within with startling speed. She opened her eyes, facing towering wooden doors. She gasped and rocked back on her heels. “What am I doing here…?” And she was naked. Her cheeks heated and she wrapped her arms over her breasts. “Great Mother Mercy, where are my clothes?” Memory drifted like smoke. Endless hallways, a long sinuous body, wings… “A dragon?” “Elise.” “Huh?” She looked over her shoulder. Luke descended through the air, arms out and robes fluttering, awash in a power that rippled the air around him. His sun-bronzed hair fluttered at his cheeks as he smiled. “Miss me?”

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Elise’s mouth fell open. “Luke?” “What?” Luke held out his hands. “I told you I’d come back for you.” His eyes were thin rings of sky blue around wide orbs of night black. “Do you have a kiss for me?” “A kiss…?” Voracious carnal need flashed white-hot and urgent within her. Her gaze was drawn downward to the strong line of a heavy erection tenting his suit. A spat of moisture slicked her thighs. She didn’t want a kiss. She wanted to feel that cock moving in her while bathing in the scent of his arousal. She wanted to hear the sound of his moans as he came in her body and the taste of his soul in her mouth… Shocked by the strength of the urge, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.Consider rape much? Down, girl. She opened her eyes and smiled as sweetly as she could. “I’ll trade you a kiss for your robe. I’m kind of naked here.” Luke groaned. “You’d rather have my clothes than my kiss?” He stepped closer pulling the black robe from his shoulders. “I’m definitely doing something wrong.” He held it out with a sour smile. Elise took the robe from his hand and grinned. “I think you’ll survive.” She shoved her arms into the full sleeves and pulled the edges together. She didn’t see any fastenings of any kind. “Does this thing close?” Luke grinned. “Nope.” She winced and pulled the edges across her. “Great.” Luke dropped his chin and stuck out his bottom lip. “Now can I have my kiss?” Elise rolled her eyes. “Great Mother, don’t pout! Yes, you can have your kiss.” She took the last step to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her open mouth to his. Luke’s tongue engaged hers and his arms closed tight around her. One hand slid down her back to cup her butt, pulling her tight against a very firm erection. He moaned into her mouth. Up against his warm, solid body, breathing in his familiar scent, an answering moan rose from her throat. She rubbed her belly against the enticing ridge in his suit. “I’m pleased that you were able to return her to her proper form, sorcerer, but I will thank you to refrain from fucking my property in my own hall.” They broke their kiss, turning sharply to face the grand staircase. A battalion of twenty guards in deep red, marine-issue power-armor proceeded with military haste down the stairs. They spilled onto the main floor in an orderly arc, blocking the stairs, their energy rifles raised and pointed directly at Elise and Luke. The Scion, in midnight-blue marine power armor, followed them at a more sedate pace, a pistol in his hand. “Please keep your distance from the doors, I do not wish to chance an energy pulse destroying them.” He smiled. “Wood is easily replaced, but Terran marble is a bitch to import.” He stopped two steps above the arc of marines. “I don’t even want to think how difficult it might be to replace a pilot.”

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Confusion made Elise frown. Where in fury had the Scion gotten a suit of power armor? And why would he need it when he was a university professor? Her frown deepened. The insignia splashed across the guards’ chests wasn’t right either. The Emeritus militia wore the green Eye of Mercy, not a black raptor. Luke’s arms closed tight around Elise and his lips pulled back into a predatory smile. “Showing your true colors finally?” The Scion shrugged. “One never really leaves one’s past behind.” Elise looked from Luke to the Scion. “What past? What’s going on?” Luke lifted his chin. “Once upon a time, your schoolmaster was a rather influential Imperial lord.” Shock knocked the wind out of her lungs. She gasped for breath. “An Imperial lord, here? But Emeritus is a colony world. We’re as far from Imperial space as you can get!” The Scion groaned. “Tell me about it. We are so far beyond the outer reaches that the jump-gates aren’t out this far. In fact, the telecommunications beacons don’t even reach this far.” He raised a brow. “And from what I understand, jump-capable ships can’t reach this here either, because there are no established coordinates to this location.” “Eventually there will be.” Luke took a deep breath but his smile did not waver. “The guild keeps Emeritus connected to the Imperium.” “Why, yes, you do.” The Scion leveled a glare at Luke. “The pilot’s guild has no difficulty taking ships on long jumps that even battleships cannot bridge, or transferring telecommunications. Now, how is that pilot? How do you jump ships that don’t have a jump engine, and transfer messages without a beacon?” Luke rolled his eyes. “I keep telling you, it’s magic.” The Scion scowled. “And I jammed enough truth drugs in you to discover that you actually believe itis magic.” Luke shrugged. “Sorry.” The Scion lowered his chin and folded his hands behind him. “All I want is to go home. Is that so terrible?” Luke shook his head. “I’m afraid the entire guild is well aware that you are in exile.” The Scion smiled sourly. “I gathered as much from our initial meeting.” Elise gripped Luke’s hand. “Exile?” Luke glanced at Elise and nodded toward the Scion. “Your schoolmaster caused rather a messy little revolution, quite some time ago, but he’s connected to the royal line. Rather than set him before a firing squad, they exiled him.” The Scion shrugged. “Rank occasionally has its privileges.” Luke looked around the marble hall. “You’ve done quite well for yourself, all things considered.”

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The Scion looked around the huge hall. “Yes, I suppose so. A nice little interstellar import-export empire, an influential master’s university, complete control of a city…” He delivered a dazzling and somewhat engaging smile. “It’s all quite nice, but I left something rather important behind, and I really like to go back and get it.” Luke smiled. “From what I understand, the Emperor is rather attached to his crown.” The Scion pursed his lips and sighed. “Yes, I suppose he is.” His icy green gaze focused on Luke. “But it really should be mine. I am the elder brother.” Luke shook his head and leaned close to Elise. “He’s a little obsessive” he whispered. Elise winced and whispered back. “I can see that.” “You believe in magic, I believe in destiny.” The Scion shrugged. “Not so very different.” Luke sighed. “I’m sorry, Lord-general, but the guild is under compact with the Emperor to ensure that you never reach the Imperium.” “For how long?” “To the end of your line.” “I see.” The Scion winced. “Harsh, don’t you think?” “That’s something you’ll have to take up with the guild’s Prince, but considering your less than peaceful history with Prince Vladimir, and your current activities…?” Luke shrugged, then smiled. “I really wouldn’t hold my breath.” “No hope at all?” “I’d say…” Luke raised his brows and contrived to look as though he were considering the situation. “Not a chance.” He smiled. “Then, I’m afraid this little engagement is over.” He raised the pistol. “Please step away from my property, pilot.” Elise felt her temper rise and her power surged with it. “I’m not your property, ass-hole.” “The legal paperwork I have says you are.” The Scion smiled. “Be a good girl and back away from the sorcerer.” Luke’s brows dropped and his mouth tightened. “She can’t take a ship on a jump. She doesn’t know how.” “Oh, I know that.” The Scion waved his hand in a negligent manner. “However, you have finally convinced me that your guild might have some interest in having her.” He smiled. “I would like you to go back to your prince and propose a trade. One little sorceress for a ship into Imperial space.” Luke’s eyes narrowed. “He won’t make that trade.”

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“Oh, that’s too bad. I guess he won’t have a sorceress.” The Scion smiled and his gaze chilled to green ice. Luke’s arms tightened around Elise. “You can’t handle her.” “I handled you.” “You drugged me.” “If something works...” The Scion lifted his chin and looked to the right. A guard lifted a bolt rifle and pointed it towards Elise. A bright pink tuft stuck out on one side. A guard on the right pointed an identical rifle at Luke. The Scion smiled at Luke. “Considering the wildlife this planet possesses, tranquilizer bolts are not that difficult to come by.” The hair on Elise’s neck rose.Pink-tufted? What did he think they were; dire bears? That dose would kill a person! Luke’s mouth tightened. “That’s not going to work.” Elise grabbed Luke’s arm and focused her thoughts.Luke, go invisible; like you were before. Luke flashed a quick smile at her.It’s not necessary. The Scion lifted his chin. “Shoot them.” There were two loud reports. Elise screamed, grabbing for the power simmering within her, and exploded in a mass of blinding black rainbows. Fanged, scaled and violently angry, she thrust out her wings, scattering armored guards like dolls. Energy pulses echoed and flashed. Black scars marked the pale marble walls and columns. Elise felt nothing so she ignored them. She lunged for the stairs and reached out with her left hand to slap a massive and heavy thumb and forefinger down onto the Scion’s chest, pinning him to the stairs. The last three fingers of her left wing mantled over the stairs. She arched her long neck back in a serpent’s strike, opened her fanged mouth and screamed in his face. The Scion bared his teeth and screamed right back in fury. “Get off me!” Luke drifted through the air and landed next to him on the stairs. “Elise, don’t bite his head off, he probably tastes nasty.” Elise rumbled a liquid growl.I wasn’t going to bite him! Luke bit back a smile.I know that, and you know that, but the Lord-general here could use a lesson in biting off more than he can chew.

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The Scion gasped for breath. “Get this witch-beast off me!” Luke smiled. “I thought you could handle her?” The Scion’s face reddened with fury. “I’m going to burn your fucking face off!” He snatched up his fallen energy pistol and fired at Luke. Luke calmly looked down at the small pool of light on his chest. He rolled his eyes and shook his head with a grin. “Energy weapons don’t work on us. We’re made of energy, remember? We just absorb it.” Luke raised his hand and the center of his palm glowed white hot. He held his palm out over the Scion’s head. “Would you like your energy beam back?” His gaze turned ice cold and his smile widened. Elise stared at Luke in shock.Great Mercy… “Ah, shit, I leave you alone for a few days…” The drawling masculine voice echoed powerfully through the hall. “Luke, are you causing problems with the locals again?” Luke closed his hand. The light went out in his palm. He lifted his head, gazing past Elise’s spread wing. “Oh, hi, Kelso.” His eyes narrowed. “What the fuck took you so damned long?” “I was busy!” “We were busy.” The voice was just as powerful but clearly feminine. “Can you do something with the youngster? I can’t get a clear shot with her blocking the stairs like that.” Elise’s turned to look over her shoulder. The front doors had been thrown wide, revealing a broad night sky. Before them stood a man with long dark hair, in flowing midnight robes over a shimmering black suit, and a woman with her dark brown hair pulled back in a severe braid. She cradled a long bolter rifle and wore a long ornate deep black captain’s coat with silver trim. Arranged around them, were twelve black-armored men bearing bolter rifles. Luke sighed. “I guess you can let the prick go, Elise.” Elise stepped back releasing the Scion from her grip, then eased back off the stairs. She lifted her wings and turned around to face the doors. She looked toward Luke, then back at the open doors, and freedom. It was more than time to go home. “Elise?” She lunged into the air and sailed on a cushion of power straight for the open doors. Men ducked as she rushed over their heads and out into the night “Elise, wait!” Luke’s voice echoed with power. She opened her wings to their fullest extension and the broad sails caught the warm updraft, lifting her. The night was an endless ocean of colored jewels over her head. She hadn’t realized that the stars came in colors. Below her the city swiftly became a splash of lights in the middle of a great darkness that was the forests of Emeritus.

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Pumping her wings like oars, she pulled herself into the upper reaches of the sky, and floated on the warm thick waves of updraft from the ground with the cooler thinner air currents of sky skimming along her back. Elise.The voice was deep and monstrously powerful. Elise turned to see a gigantic, broad-winged, rainbow-hued shadow sailing upward and straight for her at incredible speed. At literally four times her size, it was as though she were a toddler looking at an adult. The eyes burned with the blue of a summer sky.Elise. She rolled away from the gleaming shadow.Luke? The shadow rolled with her, staying beneath her and pacing her without even trying.You wanted to see what I looked like. The head tilted to regard her with a blazing blue eye.What do you think? Elise was impressed. He was very sleek and handsome in this form, and huge.You’re right, you wouldn’t have fit in that hall.She dove sharply, but he stayed directly beneath her. Elise it’s time to go.He rose underneath, his broad wingspan forcing her to rise higher or risk hitting him with her far more fragile wings. She rolled and twisted away, churning her wings for greater speed.I am going home. Yes, you are.He somehow followed her course, remaining under her. Abruptly he folded his wings, rolling onto his back, and rose hard and fast, slamming into her belly.You’re going home with me. Elise’s breath rushed out of her and her wings faltered. Fright washed through her. Relax, I have you.His power snaked around her body pinning her wings and wrapping her tight to his chest. Luke, no!She struggled, but it was like a child fighting the embrace of an adult. He mantled his wings and flipped them both over.Elise, you can’t stay here. He dropped them through the clouds.This isn’t your home anymore. She dug her claws into him and craned her neck to look. He was carrying them toward the broad white cone of a spaceport.Why not! We are too great a power for a single world to contain.His eye blazed and sadness shimmered across her thoughts.I had to leave my home, too. She looked up at him.Do you ever go back? Occasionally, but it’s not the same.He sighed, a deep and echoing rush of wind.The worlds change so fast compared to us. My home is not as it was. She twisted in his embrace.I don’t want my world to change!

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He circled the open mouth of the spaceport.It’s not something you can stop. We are very long-lived, and time passes differently for us. His wings flashed in rainbow hues as he slid in, and then out, of the powerful floodlights that spilled upward into space.Elise, it’s time. He arched his neck to gaze at her with a burning blue eye.Kiss me. Desire for his kiss exploded in a rush of burning ravenous heat. Her body’s demands forced the power back within. Her winged form faded. Her howl of denial became a wash of tears down her very human cheeks. Luke’s monstrous form became human arms holding her against his warm body.I know, I’m sorry, he whispered across her thoughts.His mouth sought and found hers in a devouring kiss that stilled her struggles. They dropped down into the open mouth of the spaceport, floating on the waves of his power, the robes she still wore fluttering around them both. Her bare feet touched cool metal. Luke released her lips, but his arms stayed locked around her. “It’s time to go, love.” Elise looked around. They stood on the railed and curved walkway in the midlevel of the brightly lit spaceport. To her left and directly beyond the rail, was a broad four-lane service lane, busy with monstrous and slow hovering cargo transports with cargo-lifts and passenger shuttles speeding around them. To her right and across the walkway, innumerable open bays showed the tails of countless spacecraft. Gently but firmly Luke guided her toward an open bay. Within a streamlined and broad-winged, air to space shuttle sat perched up on its landing gear. The black hull and silver insignia gleamed under the bay’s floods. The engines rumbled, vibrating the deck plates. It was getting ready to proceed into the launch core where the superconductors would shove the craft directly into space in less than a breath. Clutching the robe closed, Elise looked up at Luke. “Do I really have to leave?” The steel plate floor was cold under her bare feet. Luke nodded. “We belong among the stars. We’re pilgrims, explorers. It’s what we do, it’s what we are.” High up on the shuttle’s side, the door opened. The woman in the captain’s coat leaned out. Her long nut-brown braid fell from over her shoulder. “Good, you got her.” Luke snorted. “Of course I got her. Did the Lord-general give you any problems?” She grinned at Elise. “Your girl here scared the piss out of his men, so mop-up was pathetically easy. My men are used to dragons. Alas, the poor Lord-general’s were not.” Luke held Elise in his arms and rose from the floor. The captain stepped back from the door. “I’m Captain Vasilovych, welcome aboard.” Elise nodded at the captain. “Thank you.”

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Luke stepped into the craft’s airlock with Elise in his arms. “You got her paperwork?” Captain Vasilovych hit the control panel and hull door closed. “Oh, he bitched and moaned, but he finally got the point. He wasn’t going anywhere, and pissing off the guild by trying to hold onto a hatchling was a really bad idea.” Air hissed and pressure changed in the airlock. She smiled at Luke. “I got your transfer of ownership, all nice and legal.” Elise stared at Luke. “Transfer of ownership? To who?” Luke dodged her gaze. “The paperwork is to keep him from making trouble for you when you come back for a visit. Don’t worry, it’s not legally binding on any world but this one.” Elise gripped Luke’s arms. “Ownership to who? Who owns me?” Luke winced. “Me.” Elise sucked in a sharp breath. “You?” Captain Vasilovych turned and activated the inner door controls. She narrowed her black eyes. “I will not allow any temperamental transformations onboard my ship. Find a corner and get that fledgling drained down immediately. I want her incapacitated by the time we get to the Drake.” Luke nodded. “Yes, Captain.” Elise jerked in his arms. “Drained?” The airlock opened to the craft’s interior, revealing an amazingly well-built man leaning against the doorframe. He wore a midnight iridescent suit, identical to Luke’s, but he was a full head and shoulders taller. He turned and the golden brown eyes creased with humor in a stunningly beautiful face. His dark hair tumbled in gleaming waves down past his shoulders. His lush mouth lifted in a grin. “You got her, good!” Elise stared at the more than familiar face and her mouth fell open. “You!” He winked. “Hi sweet. Good to see you again.” Luke’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve met Kelso?” Elise froze. “This is your shipmate?” Luke stared at Elise, then shot a narrow glare at Kelso. “What did you do?” Kelso shrugged and stepped back from the door. “I was hungry, so I posed as a…” He winced. “Stripper.” Luke sucked in a breath, then groaned. “He was the entertainer at your party?” Elise nodded. She couldn’t decide if she was pissed that Kelso obviously knew why she had started floating and had left her, or mortified that he was Luke’s shipmate, and she’d kissed him.

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Luke guided Elise through the door and turned her in his arms. “His butt? It was his butt that triggered you?” Mortification won. Elise felt the heat flood her cheeks and hunched her shoulders. Kelso grinned. “You mean she didn’t mention the kiss?” Elise looked sharply away. Luke’s gaze narrowed. “No, she didn’t.” Kelso nodded. “Oh, then can I assume she didn’t mention that she was holding my butt at the same time?” Elise groaned and cringed. Luke raised a stern brow, but smile played at the corner of his mouth. “Elise, you could have told me that. It’s not a big deal.” Kelso crossed his arms and smiled broadly. “It was the kiss that sparked her, but damn if she didn’t want to let go of my butt once she started to lift.” Elise clenched her jaw and glared at Kelso. “Would you please, shut up!” Luke grinned. “It’s okay, there are times when I don’t want to let go of his butt, too.” He gaze narrowed. “Like when I’m pounding the hell out of it as he’s screaming his lungs out and cumming all over my sheets.” Kelso flinched back and scowled. “You didn’t have to say that.” “Oh, no?” Luke tightened his arm around Elise and walked her past him. He turned to face his shipmate with a tight smile and narrowed eyes. “Anything else you care to mention?” Kelso jammed a thumb over his shoulder. “There’s a roomy storage locker at the end of this hall on the right.” Luke nodded. “Thank you.” He raised a brow and smiled coldly. “And just for the record? Hands off.” Kelso gasped and turned around sharply. “What?” Luke dropped his chin and lowered his brows. “You heard me.” Kelso’s shoulders seemed to fill the hall as he glared down at Luke. “Foul play! I sparked her!” Luke shrugged, completely unconcerned. “And then you left her! Finders, keepers!” “Hey!” Elise glared from one to the other. “I’m right here, you two! Don’t treat me like I’m not!” “Gentlemen!” Captain Vasilovych’s shout came from further down the hall. “And lady. In case you haven’t noticed, we are launching! Get to a berth and stay there. I know you can handle a launch upright, but not everyone on this shuttle knows what you are. I don’t want any idiots getting ideas.”

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Luke shot a glare at Kelso and nodded toward the hall. “You have a blood-doll to play with, you don’t need mine.” “I heard that!” Captain Vasilovych stepped into the passageway and glared at Luke. “Keep a civil tongue in your trap or lose it, pilot! I may not like having power, but by Fate I’ll use it to teach you some respect if I need to!” Luke flinched. “Yes, Captain, my apologies, Captain.” Captain Vasilovych nodded. “Good.” Elise stared at the captain. “She’s one of us too?” Luke leaned close to Elise. “She prefers to keep her power at a low ebb, so she keeps one of us onboard to drain her down regularly.” “And she’s really strong, like pure Terran vodka.” Kelso licked his lips. A cool sensual smile lifted the captain’s mouth. “Now that we understand one another’s positions, Kelso, get your ass in here and get busy.. All this power being tossed around has gotten me a little worked up and I need some relief so I can think straight.” Kelso grinned. “Yes, Captain, right away, Captain.” He saluted Luke and strode toward the open door on the left. His ass flexed enticingly as he walked. He entered the captain’s cabin and the door closed behind him. Luke leaned close to Elise’s ear. “Were you watching his butt?” Elise flinched, then sighed. “It’s kind of hard to miss.” Luke grinned. “Tell me about it.” He nudged her past the captain’s closed door and opened the last door on the right. The roomy storage locker was crammed waist-high with boxes strapped to the walls. There was barely enough room to pass between them. Luke looked up and smiled. “Ah, yes, this will do nicely.” Elise stared at the piled boxes. “Do nicely for what?” Luke caught the shoulders of the robe she wore and turned her to face him. “For this…” His mouth covered hers, his tongue pressing inward to take possession in a voracious and demanding kiss. Elise’s belly clenched fiercely with sudden and consuming arousal, responding enthusiastically under the provoking sensual assault. Moisture slicked her thighs. She moaned. They rose from the deck. He cupped the back of her head, keeping her mouth trapped to his, his tongue engaged in violent hungry forays against hers, while using his other hand to jerk at the fastenings to his suit. She reached for his shoulders, discovering bare, hot skin. Her hands drifted, discovering sleek planes

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made of hard muscle that moved enticingly under her exploring fingers. Luke caught her right hand and pressed her palm over his small tight nipple, then down past his ridged belly to the firm heat of his cock. Elise sucked in a breath and cupped her palm around him. He was hot and hard, yet the skin was silky smooth. He was also fairly thick. She stroked to the end of his hot length, her thumb exploring the soft cap and flared edge. She slid down to cup the slightly furry fullness of his balls. His body stiffened, he groaned in her mouth and trembled in her hand. His boots thumped down onto the deck floor then his suit followed in a whispering rustle. Their rise stopped and gravity eased back into existence. Elise settled along the warm length of Luke’s body. She opened her eyes and discovered that gravity had done a complete reversal for them. The broad, empty, dark gray ceiling was their floor. “Look at me; only at me.” Luke’s blue eyes were nearly swallowed by the dark hearts. His mouth was lush and red from kisses. He caught the robe she wore and tugged it away. It fluttered to the floor over their heads. He swallowed and the muscles of his throat flexed enticingly. She could see his pulse beating at the base. His pale skin seemed to glow. His hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her down to him. His mouth caught her nipple and sucked it in. Urgent delight burned a vivid trail of erotic fire from her nipple straight down to throb in her clit. She gasped and bucked against him, unable to contain her overwhelming need to be filled. Luke’s other hand cupped her backside. His palm hot against her skin, he urged her to straddle him, setting her knees to either side of his hips. His heated and urgent length nestled against her moist, excited flesh in wicked promise. He nipped at her swollen nipple. Carnal delight sailed from her nipple and sparked in her clit, provoking a tormenting clenching throb in her core. Elise writhed, eagerly rubbing against the tempting length pressing against her wet and ravenous core. She moaned in abject hunger. Luke released her breast and gasped. “Take me. Take me in love, and fuck me.” Desperately greedy for more pleasure, Elise leaned forward on one hand and gripped his hard cock with the other. She set the broad head to the hungry mouth of her body. She hesitated. She’d only done this once before, and it hadn’t been pleasant. “Easy, don’t rush,” he whispered then leaned up and caught her nipple with his lips. He suckled gently then more insistently. Sharp spikes of exquisite and ruthless pleasure stabbed straight down to her throbbing clit. Lush urgency coiled tight. Elise bit her lip, pressing him into her snug opening. The head stretched her flesh with unexpected and enticing delight. Savage carnal hunger seized her. She needed him, she needed him in her. She moaned and greedily pressed down. He cupped her ass with his hands and squeezed, keeping her from pushing all the way down at once.

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Slowly she eased downward, her body stretching to envelop him in her hungry depths. She settled down on top of him, completely impaled on his hot shaft, and gasped in rapturous delight. He groaned and released her nipple. “Powers that be, you feel like a hot, wet fist around me.” He licked his lips and his hands tightened on her butt. “Fuck me, love.” She clutched his shoulders and rocked forward, his shaft sliding smoothly, partway from her wet depths. She stopped and pressed down, driving him back into her. Intense pleasure washed through her. A soft cry escaped her lips. “Ah!” He gasped and arched up beneath her. “Oh, yeah, that’s it, love, fuck me!” He pulled, rocking her forward, then pushed her back down onto him. His cock stuck something blindingly delightful within her even as her aching clit pressed down hard on his belly, delivering a double wave of intense delight. A louder cry escaped her lips. More… She had to have more. She rocked up and slammed back down. He groaned and arched up to meet her with a punishing thrust that hammered straight into that delicious spot deep within. She gasped out a cry of carnal bliss. He caught her around the neck and pulled her down, capturing her other nipple with his lips and sucking it into the heat of his mouth. His hand cupped her ass, urging her to greater speed. She rocked forward and hammered back down on him with rapturous and frenzied appetite. The sounds of damp flesh striking damp flesh and her small gasping cries filled the small room. Climax rose in a smoldering wave of delirious pleasure that boiled into a froth of tempestuous foment. She moaned in urgency. Luke released her breast and licked his lips. “There it is.” He slid his hand between them and pressed his palm on her belly. His power moved against hers. Her power spilled out from her belly in a hot dark rush, pulsing into her blood. Elise gasped in agonized delight. The scent of vanilla filled the room. “Oh, yes…” Luke moaned. “That’s my sweet girl. That’s what I want.” Elise sniffed. “Vanilla?” “It’s your personal scent.” Luke licked his lips. “When your power spills into your blood, you smell like sweet vanilla.” He ground his cock up into her and his hand pressed against her stomach. His power moved against hers. Her power responded and rushed outward, spilling into her blood. The scent of vanilla intensified. It felt so good, and she was so close… She moaned and writhed on his cock. Luke’s lips brushed her throat, right over her pulse. “Fate, you smell delicious.”

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Delicious? She froze, feeling his appetite throbbing against hers. He’d told her he planned to drink her power from her veins. And he fed on orgasm. He was driving her power into her blood, so he could drink it when she came. She grabbed his hand on her belly and pushed back in alarm. “No! I am not food!” Luke caught her and pulled her down against him. “Elise, your power has already yielded to mine. That’s where the sweet scent is coming from, that’s why you feel pleasure when you spill it into your blood. You’re signaling your willingness to feed me.” His palm pressed into her belly, and his power shoved hard against hers. Her power spilled outward and burned with smoky delight in her veins -- where it could be consumed. She gasped and moaned, drowning under a wave of intense pleasure. “Luke, I don’t want to be eaten!” He rolled her under him. “Elise, I am not eating you, just draining your power. I have to drain you down. You’re too young to contain it all comfortably. You are very strong and need time to adjust to your own strength.” He thrust and thrust, fucking her with strong and utterly exquisite strokes. She tried to hold still against the sensual onslaught, but she could not stop her body from rising to meet him. Everything in her was greedy for the climax that boiled so close to the edge. She cried out in denial, “Luke, I don’t want to be drained!” “Yes, you do.” His arms closed tightly around her as his hips pumped his cock in, and in, and in… “If you didn’t want me to take you, you wouldn’t have offered me a sweet scent designed to make me want you.” Elise felt the first trembling edge of climax and fought against it. “I don’t want to be powerless.” “You will never be powerless.” His lips brushed her brow. “As long as you live, you will always have power, because it’s what you are made of. You cannot lose it all, even if I take the last breath of power from your body, it will return.” Luke smiled, showing lengthening canines. “Cum for me and feed me, sweet girl.” The sight of his long teeth sparked something deep and primal in her belly. Her breath caught and her core throbbed. Release crashed in a ruthless wave of body shaking climax. Power ignited in her veins and exploded in a brutally horrific and white-hot firestorm that was too intense for her skin to hold. Blinded by the ferocious and incandescent wave, she arched up under him and screamed. His lips closed on her throat, swiftly followed by the hot sharp burn of his bite. The fire spilled out of her in a second release of luscious euphoric delight that eclipsed her original climax in sheer physical gratification. He ground his cock into her as his hand moved on her belly, pressing her power out of her with every swallow. She moaned and arched her throat back, writhing in a raw carnal pleasure unmatched by anything she’d ever felt. His lifted his head and groaned. Abruptly he pulled his cock free from her body, rising up in his hands and knees. He grasped his cock with one hand, pumping it hard.

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Rolling in the last waves of pleasure, she looked up at him. He stared down at her with eyes that were solid black orbs of midnight. “Mine,” he said in a voice laced with power. Hot streams of cum spilled onto her belly. She stretched under him, feeling completely at ease for the first time in two days. “Mercy I feel so much calmer.” Luke lowered his head and his lips brushed hers. “Feeling more like yourself?” Elise nodded. “A lot more like myself. She opened for his kiss. He dropped down onto his elbows and took her mouth with endearing delicacy. “Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “You’re welcome.” She licked her lips. “I’m guessing that you can’t cum in me?” “I’d give roughly half of what I took back.” He nipped at her lips. “Do you want it back?” Elise frowned. Did she? “Um, I think I’ll let it come back on its own. It was kind of nice being so fierce, but I don’t know if I want to be that way all the time. It was really hard keeping my temper like that.” Luke leaned down to brush his lips against her throat. “Just let me know when you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and I’ll drop you down a bit.” Elise ran her fingers through the bronze waves of his hair. “Will it always feel that good, when I’m, um…drained?” She swallowed. Even with the pleasure that had come from it, part of her still wasn’t pleased to be someone else’s food. Luke lifted his head and his smile held sharp teeth. “Only if I do it.” Elise stuck out her bottom lip. “Then I suppose Kelso is out?” Luke’s black gaze narrowed. “Kelso is definitely out.” A growl boiled out of his chest. She grinned. “Goodness, look who’s feeling fierce now?” Luke blinked and his cheeks flushed with pink. “You had a lot of power.” Elise blew up at a lock of hair. “Damn, and I thought it was because you liked me and didn’t want to share.” Luke dropped on top of her. “I do like you, and I don’t want to share you.” His lips brushed her brow. “In fact, I can pretty much say I have developed quite an obsession for you.” “An obsession?” Elise’s mouth fell open. “Really?” “Yeah.” Luke leaned up and grinned. “You might even call it love.” Elise wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh good, I was worried there for a bit.”

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Luke frowned. “Worried?” Elise grinned up at him. “Yeah, I was worried that I was the only one in love.” She leaned up and kissed him.

Fini

About the Author

For me, writing is more than a passion it's anobsession .”

Morgan Hawke has been writing erotic fiction since 1998. She has lived in seven states of the US and spent two years in England. She has been an auto mechanic, a security guard, a waitress, a groom in a horse-stable, in the military, a copywriter, a magazine editor, a professional tarot reader, a belly-dancer and a stripper. Her personal area of expertise is the strange and unusual.

Ms. Hawke maintains a close and personal relationship with her computer and her cat.

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