Ghost in Her Heart (15 page)

“Are you out of your mind?” Kelsa
demanded.

Vana closed her ears to her friend as she
braided her hair and fixed her son’s beads on the ends. “I know
what I’m doing.”

Kelsa paced. “He’ll never let you go back
home now.”

“I am home.”

“Don’t say things like that! You’re creeping
me out.” With a shaking hand, Kelsa pushed her bangs away from her
face. “I thought you were going to make him court you. What
happened to that?”

A secret smile played across Vana’s lips.
“Check it off the list.” Taking pity on her freaked out friend,
Vana crossed the room and put her arm around her. “Look, bud. I
love you. I value your advice, but this time, I need to make my own
choice. Just for the record, maybe you should take a closer look at
Kynan. You’re looking for a man, and he’s better than anything
you’ve ever drug home.”

Kelsa shuddered. “He’s an alien. My alien
abductor, at that.”

“How is that worse than Sam from the tattoo
parlor, with all his significant parts pierced and a tattoo of a
naked woman eating a hotdog on his butt?”

“At least he was an Earthling,” Kelsa
grumbled. Even she didn’t look convinced of her logic, though.

“Uh, huh. Look, hon…why don’t you just let go
a little? Haven’t you noticed that the newly wed women around here
walk around with smiles on their faces? Jen looks radiant, and the
looks she exchanges with Ser are enough to light the room on fire.
Marriage can be a good thing with the right guy.” As she talked,
Vana steered Kelsa out the door to her waiting escort. “Be happy
for me. I’ll see you at the ceremony.”

Given no choice, Kelsa made her way to the
wedding chamber, glowering all the way. Young men were setting up a
table full of delicacies, one of which was the infamous adoc.
Convinced it was an aphrodisiac, she’d refused to try it, blaming
it for Vana’s madness. Grumbling under her breath, she frowned at
the drummers lining the aisle, vowing that nobody was going to get
her to march down it.

Nobody showed up and claimed the spot by her
side.

“Hello, little bird. Enjoying the party?”
Kynan looked at her with sizzling blue eyes warm with appreciation.
This time he was in a sleeveless duster with gilt-edged Chinese
collar over blue leather armor. Even at a wedding, the man was
armed.

Fighting a wash of betraying color, Kelsa
kept her face averted and her lips straight. “No.” Helpless anger
swirled through her, demanded she do something. But what could she
do? This was Vana’s choice.

Kynan studied her for a moment, then took her
hand. “Walk with me.” Ignoring her black expression, he took her
hand guided her through the crowd, deftly avoiding anyone who
looked like they wanted to chat. The moment they gained the
deserted balcony, he backed her into a corner and kissed her
senseless. He didn’t stop until she was dazed and boneless. Once
she was limp in his arms, he pulled back and studied her face,
breathing hard. “Better. You can’t view your best friend’s wedding
with a cloud on her face.” He glanced toward the door. “Come on,
they’re about to start.” He towed her back in.

Completely discomposed, Kelsa let him do it,
unable to summon the wits to protest. She hadn’t known any man
could kiss like that. The minute he’d kissed her, she’d taken
flight, and now her heart was beating like the little bird he’d
called her. How was she supposed to hold off a man who could steal
her very thoughts? Suspicious, she frowned at him. Was mind melting
an alien trick?

He caught her look and grinned, but whatever
he was about to say was drowned by the rising drumbeat, signaling
the start of the wedding.

Vana’s heart beat fast as she walked solemnly
down the aisle on Dagon’s arm. Anticipation made her tremble as she
saw Ser, Kynan and two others holding the pieces to their wedding
booth.

Dagon looked at her and his eyes glowed. He
took her hands as his friends assembled the booth, enclosing them
in complete privacy. Without words, he slowly threaded his hands
through her hair, then took her mouth in a conqueror’s kiss.

He’d never really kissed her. Shivers wracked
Vana’s body as she realized how different this moment was, how
focused he was. He was her lord now, and he was intent on having
his due.

She pulled her mouth away, gasped,
“Dagon!”

“It’s expected,” he murmured, parting her
robe, revealing her naked body beneath. The robe fell, leaving her
fully exposed. His soon followed, forming a soft covering. He laid
her down.

“D-dagon. I…I’m not….” She was, but here,
now?

The drums swelled around them, drowning out
the crowd, enveloping them in sound.

“I will pleasure my bride.” Wild desire and
implacable purpose burned in Dagon’s eyes. Her lover rose above her
and parted her naked thighs with one knee—then he entered his
wife.

Even there, in midst of ecstasy, he was
careful with her. Slick and wet with helpless passion, she was
still tight, untried. He shuddered as he held back, refusing to
give in, coaxing her gently until the fire consumed them both, shot
them both over the edge.

Vana swore that she had died, then been
reborn, like the phoenix that rises from the ashes a new and bright
creation. She couldn’t move, didn’t want to, and by the way he was
slumped, Dagon didn’t either. Still, it was he who stirred and
brought her hazily to her feet. With gentle kisses, he eased his
robe onto her body, then donned hers. Then he signaled his friends
to lower the booth.

Massive cheers and shouts of joy met their
emergence as man and wife. Vana blushed, unable to meet anyone’s
eyes. Before his friends could tease them, Dagon scooped her into
his arms and kissed her silly. Roars of approval met his display,
then he carried her out of the room.

They were halfway to his chamber when she
thought to say, “I thought we were supposed to stay?”

“You winced,” he said between kisses. “You
need a hot bath, not a loud party. I’ll duck in later. Besides…I’m
still hungry.”

He entered his room and carried her to the
bath. “Not very social of you,” she teased as he filled the giant
tub.

“They’ll be relieved to know the Tzara is
well and truly mine. Much will be forgiven for that.” Like a
starving man, he kissed her, over and over, stripping off their
clothes before sliding into the water with her. Once there, he took
her again, whispering, “I can’t stop. You are so beautiful.”

“Okay.” She couldn’t say anything else, too
busy taking advantage of his helpless passion. She might be tender,
but she wasn’t dead. Who could refuse such tempting adoration?

Again he climaxed, holding her close as her
body shuddered with release. This time he held her close, murmuring
her name over and over as he stroked her back. Minutes passed, and
his body stirred again.

He looked at her helplessly. “
Adajah
,
I’m sorry. Perhaps you should rest while I join the wedding party.
My body will not be still.” Reluctantly, he withdrew, apologizing
as she winced.

Vana laughed. Shyly, she stroked his cheek
with the back of her fingers. “It’s all right. You’re very
sweet.”

He nibbled her fingers, smiling warningly.
“Don’t get me started.” He helped her from the tub and dried her
off, taking his time about it.

Giggling, Vana reminded him, “I thought you
were leaving?”

Disgruntled at the reminder, he reluctantly
left off and carried her to the bed. “Sleep,” he told her, tucking
her in. “Heal quickly. We have a lot of time to make up for.” Still
naked, he stood up, smiling at her in triumph and sweet
affection—if that was the emotion glowing in his eyes. He collected
his robe and eased out the door.

Vana closed her eyes and snuggled under the
covers, smiling. Kelsa needed to get a clue.

***

Ever the opportunist, Kelsa snuck out through
the kitchens, while all eyes had been on the ceremony. No one had
to tell her what was happening after the curtains went up, though
exactly what was going on within, she didn’t want to know. Since
the only way to prevent getting first hand experience was to duck
out now, she ran while the running was good. Luck was with her, for
Kynan “the hawk” was busy helping with the ceremony. He’d never
notice her leaving, and he’d likely be too busy celebrating to look
for her right after. Too bad Vana was in the wedding booth he
manned.

Pangs of regret almost slowed her step, but
Kelsa fought them off. Vana had made her choice. It twisted her
heart to leave her here, but short of dragging her kicking and
screaming, there was no way out of it. Cherry, Clarissa and a few
of the others were making a break for it tonight. They were her
best chance of making it out, and she had to take it.

When no one was looking, she darted out the
kitchen door and into a deserted side yard. As expected, there was
the loose grate, right behind some prickly berry bushes. She’d
discovered it by accident one day when she’d dropped a cup in the
bushes. The others should have already made it to their grates—they
were supposed to meet up in the ductwork and make their way to the
gateway in the center of the citadel. Vana had told her all about
it…closing her eyes on a wash of emotion, Kelsa wiggled the first
screw loose.

“Going somewhere?”

Kelsa yelled and jumped up, dropping the big
screw on the ground. “Kynan! I thought you were busy.” She tried
for a disarming smile, but it came out rather sickly.

He nudged the loose screw with his boot. “So
I see.” He considered the grate. “It might interest you to know
that there are spiders in the ductwork. We try to keep the
population down, but they like to hide in the dark—it’s good
hunting for insects, you see.”

Averting her eyes, Kelsa tried to look
nonchalant, but she shivered. She hated spiders. “Hm.”

Still looking at her with that weighted gaze,
he added, “Our citadel is huge. There are miles of ducts running
through it, and all of the restricted areas have sensors. It’s odd
that I should see you out here just now, considering that a group
of women tripped the sensors not an hour ago. It seems they were
trying to escape.”

Coldness swirled in Kelsa’s belly. Clarissa
had left without her. Had she been afraid that Vana would find out
and tell Dagon? Did it matter now? They were both in deep
kimchee.

Kynan smiled coolly and gently took her hand.
“I think you should stay by my side for the rest of the night.
Glued, even.” His eyes shuttered, and his voice dropped ten
degrees. “Dagon will have something to say about this.”

***

Luxuriously warm, naked and sated, Vana
stretched against the silky sheets, giggling when Dagon’s arm shot
out and tumbled her on top of him. She considered her sleepy-eyed
lover and the hard ridge under her belly. “I don’t think I can
handle another round right now.”

His laugh shook them both, and he kissed her
good morning. “I can wait…barely. There is tonight, and today we
have things to see to.”

She slumped on his chest and thought about
going back to sleep. “What things?” Breakfast, surely, and then
maybe some more of his tasty kisses. The man made her hungry just
by looking at him.

“Breakfast, definitely, and then you have a
case pending. Justice never sleeps, they say. Welcome to life as a
queen.”

Grunting her opinion to that, she let him
dump her off his chest, then snuggled into the pillows. A slap on
her bare rump got her back up. “Hey!”

Dagon scooped her up, grinning at her annoyed
expression as he carried her to the dining cushions. Breakfast was
already laid out and still steaming.

She looked for her robe, unaccustomed to
lazing about naked. Dagon raised a finger as she started to get up.
“Stay. I like looking at you.”

“Dagon! I can’t eat like this.” A hot blush
flushed her body as his eyes ran unabashed over her.

“You’ll never make it to the closet,” he
warned her, “and I might not be able to control myself if you make
me chase you.” It was obvious by the quality of his smile just what
her punishment would be.

Naked, shy, and uncomfortably aroused, she
sat up and put a large pillow in her lap, effectively blocking his
view. Ignoring his rolling eyes, she grabbed her hair pick/fork and
dug into her breakfast.

Muttering something under his breath, Dagon
joined her.

Trying to ignore the way his six pack rippled
and grateful that table hid the most significant part of him, she
tried for a business-like air. “So, who am I supposed to be judging
today? Did a couple of ladies get into a cat fight last night, or
what?”

He looked at her through his lashes, then
touched a button on the table. Hair pick suspended, she stared at
the holographic security recording of five women crawling through
the ducts. Clarissa and Cherry she recognized, and the others were
familiar. It didn’t take long for warriors to enter the ducts and
flush them out.

It was the second recording, that of Kelsa
trying to enter the ductwork, that made her sit up, though. She
looked at Dagon’s inscrutable expression. This wasn’t going to be
good.

“The counsel and I need to make an example of
them. If you do not judge them, we will. I suggest you take up your
authority.”

A lump rose in her throat. “I’m biased.”

He studied his goblet, swirled the drink
inside. “Then you will have an interesting time pronouncing a
judgment that is stiff enough to deter others from following their
example. Be aware that we will overrule you if you fail.”

Lovely honeymoon, she thought with disgust.
She didn’t want to be a part of this—the other women would hate her
forever. Kelsa might despise her, and then where would she be? Pity
all this hadn’t occurred to her when she’d taken the assignment.
Judging her friends wasn’t something she was going to enjoy.