“Manipulating bastard!”
“You enjoyed it,” Arin reminded her.
“That’s not the point.”
“Oh?”
Galena flushed. “I—”
“Hold on a moment!” Lan roared. It was the first time he had spoken up since they came up. He sounded annoyed. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at both of them. “Can one of you explain what’s happening?”
Galena stared at him then looked at Arin. “You mean, you haven’t told him?”
Arin looked uncomfortable. He didn’t often look uncomfortable. “I didn’t have time.”
Galena snorted.
“What did you do with him all day? He was here for weeks.” She raised her hand.
“Never mind it. I just answered my own question. Don’t you think that informing him might be important?” she asked in an exasperated tone. Lan gave his lover an accusing glance, too.
Arin shifted on his heels. His face brightened when there was a knock on the door and Garen stuck his head inside. “I apologize, Your Majesty, you are needed.”
Galena opened her mouth to complain.
In one stride, Arin was at the door. “Right. See you later.” With one last glance at his lovers, he made his escape.
The door closed with a muted thud. Galena shook his head. “That’s so typical. Jerk.”
Lan smiled humorlessly. “You are telling me.”
“No kidding.” Silence reigned for a moment.
“Who are you?” Lan asked, coming to sit beside her. Galena had to grin at his hesitating tone. He was clearly embarrassed to ask something like that of a person he had just slept with, but it was not like he had any choice in the matter.
She snorted. “I’m Lady Galena. Arin’s promised queen.” She flopped down on the bed and continued to stare at him. “The marriage contract was signed years before, but Arin can’t claim me until we find our third. I have all the power of queen, but technically, I’m not yet one, not until we find a consort for both of us.”
Lan rubbed his forehead. “Explain.”
“It’s like this. You know that Arin is a mage, right?”
“Figured that out. It’s unusual but not impossible. I did notice he wasn’t flaunting it.”
“He is not. As far as anyone is concerned, Moira is his sorceress. Anyway, Axen—the sword—you have seen Arin wearing it, right?”
“Yes.” Lan hesitated. “Something kept bothering me about that sword. But whenever I asked, Arin avoided the answer.”
“The sword is magical. It’s made to act like mage’s shaft.” She grinned. “It glows when you two have sex, right?”
He gave her a level stare. “Yes. So?”
“It means that you are a conduit. You have power, but you cannot use it. Arin can channel his energy through you and combine it with yours. It’s easier for the mage because—”
“They can have access to more energy that way,” he finished.
Galena nodded. “It usually kills the conduit, so an uncaring mage will have to move to another one, though the loss will cripple him.”
Not that it stopped determined mages. And judging from the stories she had heard of the White Lion, he had met and killed his fair share of unscrupulous mages.
“True. But here is the catch. If the mage and his conduit form a bond with a third person, the power will be able to flow without damaging the conduit or mage.”
If Lan could act as a conduit, there had to be a mage somewhere in his family tree. He narrowed his eyes at her. “I haven’t heard about that. How does that bond work?”
Galena smirked. “How do you think? Sex.”
“And you know that because—”
“There was a magician who figured it all out. He had his own pair of lovers.”
Lan’s gaze sharpened. “Arin’s father. That’s why there is a dragon, a hawk, and a shaft on his coat of arms.”
Galena nodded.”The hawk is for Duchess Iris—she was a conduit. And, actually, both of the men—the former king and his magician—were his fathers. It’s the way the bond works. You do know that mages are usually sterile. This way, they are not, but—” She shrugged, continued, “Most people assume that Arin is the king’s son, while Moira is Maren’s daughter. That’s just the way they look.”
“That’s why they are able to wield magic,” Lan said thoughtfully.
“Yes. You could talk with someone to explain to you the details, but that’s the gist of the thing.”
He gave her a sharp glance. “You mean this is common knowledge?”
“Around here, yes. No one told you because, well, they probably assumed Arin told you, and he, ah, can be awfully possessive.”
It was his turn to smirk. “You would know. I’m surprised he let you out of castle.”
“He didn’t let me out. I escaped.”
He raised his brows. “I would love to hear more about that.”
“How about during lunch? I’m starving,” Galena offered. With one last pat to his knee, she jumped on her feet to go to the door and call a page. He caught her arm. She frowned, turning back to look at him. He looked uncomfortable.
“Um, Galena, about that lust spell...”
She felt her cheeks heat, too. “That.” She cleared her throat. “To give Arin credit, it doesn’t work if both parties aren’t already attracted to each other.”
“You mean we would have anyway...” He made a vague gesture.
She nodded. “We would, definitely, but not right now.” She paused. “And not right there.” She grimaced.
Lan groaned and dropped his head in his hands. He looked mortified.
“I won’t be able to set foot in that room for gods know how long.” She was close enough to hear him mutter, “Not without getting an instant hard-on.” Galena patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Blame Arin. I always do that.”
Chapter 4
The evening was well on its way when Arin, body aching and mind tired, made his way into his chambers. He closed the double doors behind him and leaned onto the carved wood with a heartfelt sigh. His eyes closed from their own volition. It was a long day.
“Bad day?”
He opened his eyes. That was Galena, and she actually sounded concerned. He heard the creaking of her chair as she stood up. He nodded but didn’t move, his body too tired even to attempt it.
“Come here then.” Galena tapped her own chair. She and Lan were sitting in the chairs next to his own bed. It was a set which made an appearance a couple of days after Galena’s return. She went past him to open the door, forcing Arin to move. He did so reluctantly and hobbled his way to the chair. It was closer than his bed, anyway. He heard Galena calling a page, but he ignored it, letting his body sink into the velvet cushions that over-flooded the chair. The warmth from the fireplace started to seep into his body.
He hadn’t registered that Lan moved until strong hands began kneading his knotted shoulders. Arin hissed.
“Gods, that feels good,” he said. He was starting to feel like a human being again.
“Here.” Galena was back. She put something into his hands and dropped into the chair opposite him. “Drink that. You should feel better.” Her gaze softened. She watched her two lovers fondly. Arin glanced at the mirror behind her back and the picture they made—blond head bent over dark, Lan’s slender figure next to his broader form. He smirked. And grimaced, peering down into the goblet. He had been expecting wine. He was wrong. “That’s awful. What is it?”
“You just drink it,” was Galena’s answer.
Arin contemplated the dark liquid for a second. “Can’t I get wine?”
Galena snorted. “Only if you want to get it yourself.”
“It isn’t worth the effort.” Cautiously, he took another sip. It wasn’t that bad, he concluded.
He glanced at Galena. She was lounging in a comfortable chair. It was the one made for Lan, so her feet weren’t touching the floor. The intricate wooden design was covered in blue silk, the blue of Lan’s eyes, and embroidered with silver. Arin felt more comfortable in the chair designed for Galena, a sturdy, wooden thing with smooth armrests, covered in moss-green velvet. Galena seemed pretty relaxed. He and she appeared to get along better when Lan was around. He should probably start planning their official coronation. He took another sip of his drink and warmth spread through his body.
“What is this, anyway?” he asked curiously.
“Something new. It’s called chocolate,” Lan spoke, hands still on Arin’s shoulders. “I have tried it before.”
“It’s pretty sweet.”
“Yes, but it also replenishes energy quickly. That’s especially useful for mages.”
Arin made a mental note to mention this to his sister. “Really? That could be useful, especially for mages who haven’t found their conduits yet.”
He stopped realizing Galena was still staring at him. He frowned. She looked like a cat that just spotted a canary in its bowl. Two canaries.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked suspiciously.
She cocked her head. “Someone mentioned it also acts like an aphrodisiac.”
“What?” he blurted out, astonished. Surely she didn’t—
She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Does it?”
Arin didn’t know whether to laugh or not. “Is this the reason you gave it to me? As a payback for lust charms?”
“No.”
Oh. He wasn’t sure whether he was disappointed or not.
“But I am curious.” Green eyes gleamed at him. “Does it?”
He heard Lan’s sharp intake of breath, and the hands on his shoulders tightened. With a deliberate movement, Arin replaced the goblet on the small table between the chairs.
“Why don’t you go to bed, and then we will see?” he offered.
He stood and went over to the door to call a page. He didn’t want to be disturbed.
“Go to my sister, and tell her she is to handle anything that crops up until morning. I’m beat.” The page gulped. Moira scared them all. “Yes, my king.” He scurried away. Shaking his head, Arin closed the double doors, then after a short pause, let a tiny flicker of magic flow through them. The magic shields, always present around his private chambers, were boosted to another level.
He turned back toward the bed, and the sight that greeted him was enough to make his blood boil.
Damn, they were beautiful together. His cock stirred in approval.
Galena was already naked, her clothes piled in a heap on the floor. She was on her knees on the bed with Lan standing in front of her, blocking Aren’s view. Still, the bed was high enough that their heads were on same level, the two of them using the angle to kiss each other passionately. Lan’s tunic was also missing, his pale skin a stark contrast to the tanned arms that wrapped around his shoulders. Galena moaned, her fingers sliding into Lan’s short blond hair and tugging him closer to her. Arin swallowed.
He grabbed the back of Galena’s chair and angled it so, once he was seated, he had an unobstructed view of the bed. He watched his two lovers kiss and fondle each other. Galena gasped, breaking the kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed, and a faint flush covered her cheekbones. Following the line of Lan’s shoulders and arms, Arin smiled. Ah. Lan was massaging her breasts. That was always enough to make her look like that. He opened his own tunic, sliding one arm over his chest to pinch his nipple, no doubt mirroring what Lan was doing to Galena. He rubbed the peaked nub with his thumb, remembering how Galena’s nipples felt under his hands. Her breasts were soft and fit perfectly into his hands.
Over Lan’s shoulder, Galena’s gaze fastened on him. She licked her lips. “Not going to join us?”
He shook his head. “Not right now.” His grin grew. “Carry on.”
Her eyes widened as she understood his intention.
“Take his pants off,” Arin instructed. She did as she was told, no doubt doing something else, too, since Lan gasped, and his head bowed.
“Ahh…” Lan hissed, his pants falling down. Arin’s gaze slid over his rounded buttocks. He angled his head to see what Galena was doing. She had her hand on Lan’s balls, rolling them in her palm, and when Lan spread his legs, Arin could just see enough to have desire pooling in his groin.
Galena tugged on Lan, pulling them both down on the bed. Her legs wrapped around Lan’s waist, making his breath hitch as her belly rubbed against his engorged dick. Arin’s cock twitched in sympathy. He let his hand slide to his belt. He unbuckled it impatiently, hissing in pleasure as his fist closed around his cock. Yes, that was nice. He stared at his lovers. His dick was hard and wanting. Giving it one last stroke, he stood and went to sit on the bed. Raising his head, Lan gave him a heated stare, his mouth swollen and wet from the kisses. He bent his head again, Galena moaning under him as their mouths met again. One hand still on his dick, Arin used the free one to caress Lan’s back and buttocks, smirking when Lan arched into his touch. Arin slid his hand under Lan to his belly and squeezed his already dripping cock before putting his hand on Galena.
She gasped.
He fondled her thighs, her skin heated under his palm. He moved his hand up, Lan’s fingers closing around his as they met on Galena’s breast. The tiny nub teased his palms. Lan gently moved his hand in circles. Heat scorched him inside. He felt dizzy, and for a moment, it felt like he was going to come. Arin squeezed his dick warningly.