I just know that Marlus has something to do with this. But how would two demon lords want the same thing in the same realm? Marlus was the lover of the man I killed at the MacManus mansion, so I know that he is involved somehow.”
“Power? Is he looking for his own power or do the two men think to combine theirs to make a better stance? In the order of rank, what is the difference between the three levels of men?”
Nathaniel asked as he sat back in the chair. She had gotten up and wished now that she had not.
She wanted to be back in his arms. Actually, she wanted to be in bed with him and him over…
Shamus clearing his throat had her remembering that he could feel her emotions. Flushing, she looked at Nathaniel and saw his smile. This was going to take some getting used to, she thought with a frown.
“There are actually several levels, but the ones we need to work with are this— imp, what Tribuin was. He was elevated in his rank because he was the lover of the underlord, Marlus.
Marlus as an underlord controls a realm or territory and the size would depend on what he has done to earn it. The bigger the bad ass in this case, the larger his territory, much like drug lords in your world. Marlus’ territory isn’t very large, but he needs only answer to the one above him, which is a lord. The only barron lord that I was aware of is William, but he isn’t interested in expanding his realm. Then there is the lord. There are only a few dozen lords at that level; the one in this area is Lord Tankin. Not too bad of a guy really if you get past the horns, long tail, and hell-like heat.” Shamus opened the book to a drawing and turned the picture to Nathaniel.
Tess looked at Athropos.
“Lord Tankin doesn’t know about this. I’m sure of it. He is a fair man even for a demon and he owes me a favor,” Tess said as she paced. She nearly missed the exchange of looks between the two men and she decided that she may have to hurt one or both of them for it. Men could be such asses.
“You said that he tried to claim the queen, right? He gave her fair warning, which is the only way he can take it from her without bringing down the wrath of Lord Tankin. If Lord Tankin knows about this, then why isn’t he taking the kingdom from her himself? Unless…unless Marlus is planning to take the kingdom then wipe out his lord in the process. I still can’t make the connection between Albadar and…shit! The trial of Council! That’s why Councilman
Trundle is involved. He gave Marlus the laws, gave him access to Avalone, and he is going to side with the underlord. When does Marlus try to claim the kingdom from the queen?”
Athropos smiled at her and answered. It was not good, not good at all. “Tomorrow morning at nine o’clock in the throne room. And Tess, you are going to need all the help you can get.”
~Chapter 16~
Calling the men together would have been impossible, but with her newfound power she
called to each leader mentally and told them of her plan. She also let them know that her mate would be in command as well. Each leader told her of their happiness for her and told her they would fight for him as they did her.
“Everyone is needed to be in the great hall at seven tomorrow morning. Dressed for battle and armed for war. Any member who is with child or is to have a child born, male or female, will not be there. Any member with no children will not attend, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, my lady, we will pass this on to the troops.”
Satisfied, she looked at Shamus and Nathaniel. “He’ll need to be armed and dressed. Can you take him to the armament and take care of this for me, Shamus?”
“Tess, I’m going with you. If you are going to see Aaron, I’m going with you. You’ll need me and I will be going.”
“As will I, my lady. This battle can only be fought and won if we work together. We all go.”
She looked at the two men and realized that they would follow; even Shamus would disobey her and go if she left him here under the pretense of giving him other work. He would simply find someone to complete the task and then follow her. Tess nodded and held onto Nathaniel’s hand. She looked at Athropos. “Will you allow him free passage? He is my mate and I claim him as such…I need him here,” Tess told Athropos as she stared into Nathaniel’s eyes.
“He has it already, my dear. The moment he opened your vein and drank from you. You
only needed to accept him to allow him the ability to use the powers. Welcome to Avalone, Nathaniel Patrick, and welcome to our realm. Good luck with the vamp.”
Tess shimmered into the MacManus kitchen seconds later. She was dressed not for war, but for a meeting of masters. She brought him a gift, a token of her faith in him as a leader. She was not surprised to see Sara there as well as Duncan and Miss Penny.
“I have for you a gift from a Master of the Black Knights to a master of this realm. I’ve come to ask for your help as leader among men and a leader of your kind. I’ve come to ask for your answer, master.” Tess laid before him something that was very dear to her heart, her father’s sword. “I give you this sword as a gift, not of my blood, but of my heart. I would be honored if you would use it to fight beside me with our men.”
She held her breath as he stood. Tess knew that Aaron had fought during the centuries when swords were a way of life and not a decoration to hang upon the wall to admire. She knew the moment he took it out of the scabbard, the gold and bejeweled one her great-grandfather had made for his son, who had passed it on to his, would know how to use it. Aaron held it before him and looked down the sharp blade at her.
“You honor me, Lady Tessa Knight, Master of the Warrior Fae, with this gift. As a token of my faith and a gift of not my blood but my heart I give you my loyalty and this sword. I will fight not only beside of you, but in front of you and at your back. You have my men to rally with you during this time of need and to celebrate with you when we have defeated your enemy. I give you my word, my bond and my honor.”
Tess looked at Sara. She was crying, pride showing on her face. She must have told Aaron what to say. He had repeated the bond of loyalty perfectly, and him now bringing the sword tip across his palm and holding it out to her sealed their contract as only a fae would know. She took out her own sword from her back, sliced her own palm open, and they clasped hands then hugged with the other hand at the back.
She sat down with him, overwrought with emotion, and told him of the plan and what she needed for him and his men to do.
~~~
After speaking to Aaron and gaining his help he suggested they go to Colin Larimore and ask the same of them. Both men were very powerful masters and brought with them more
vampires than Tess had thought possible. She made sure that they gave their men the option of coming or not. She was responsible for her own men and did not want to lead men she didn’t know to their possible deaths. If only half of their combined warriors showed up she would have nearly six thousand more men at her back.
After taking Nathaniel to the armory and suiting him up they went back to her home. She was exhausted and she thought he looked tired as well.
“We may die tomorrow. All those men and women may be following me to their deaths.
What will I do if I’m wrong?”
“You know you’re not, love. You may not be sure what is going to happen, but you know
the players. Come to bed. I want to make love to you properly.”
In their bedroom, because it could no longer be just hers, he kissed her softly on the mouth.
He did not touch her anywhere else but her soft, warm lips. It was by far the most erotic thing she had ever felt.
She stood still as he undressed her. First taking off her shirt, slowly unbuttoning each button and leaving the shirt closed when he was finished. Going down on his knees he reached behind her and unzipped her leathers. The sound of it loud in the quiet of the room made her weak in the knees as he finished working down the mechanism. When they loosened on her hips he pulled them down over her thighs, and kissed her hips as the material moved along in a whisper along her skin.
“Nathaniel, please.”
“No, not this time, love. I won’t be hurried. I’m going to make love to you slowly and at my own pace. You’ll thank me for it later—much, much later.”
When he got the pant legs to her knees he licked the back of her knees and kissed the
muscled calf of her legs, massaged her ankles. She couldn’t help it, she moaned. Her legs felt shaky and weak.
Picking up her right foot he slid the leather over it then kissed her foot. Then taking her foot close to his mouth, she watched as he pulled one toe at a time into his mouth and suckled and nibbled lightly on it before moving to the next one. She would never have thought there was anything erotic about watching someone suck on her toes, but she nearly came when he picked up her other foot and did the same thing.
Standing before him in just her unbuttoned shirt and panties, she felt a trickle of her juices going down her leg. She was panting when he leaned forward and lapped at the wetness on her, she whimpered when he followed the trail back up to her clitoris hidden just beyond the scrap of material of her soaked panties.
“I’m going to eat you now. Drink your nectar and fuck you with my tongue until you can’t stand up anymore.”
“I can’t stand now. Please, Nathaniel, take me to bed.”
“Not yet. I’m going to drink from you here, Tess. I’m going to sip your juices from you and, when you come, I’m going to bite you and drink from you here. All right?”
She could barely manage to take a breath she was so needy, and her hissed yes was all he needed as he moved between her legs, ripping her panties away with a sharp tug. His tongue followed her slit from her gate to the tip of her clit. She shuddered when he suckled the hard nub into his mouth and flicked it over and over with his tongue. She wanted to come, wanted to feel his mouth, his teeth, take her, but she held back. She wanted it to last, to go on forever. When he moved his fingers into her, slowly in and out of her, stretching her, she moaned deep in her throat. She began to undulate, riding his tongue and mouth even as she felt him spreading her ass cheeks. When his fingers found her tiny rosebud she knew if he pushed into her she would come apart. When he whispered through her mind, never taking his mouth from her body, she knew that she was going to shatter.
“I’m going to take you here soon. Fill you here like I do when I’m deep in your pussy, your heat. I want to pound my cock deep in your ass and feel your body tighten around me when you come. Do you want to come, Tess? Do you want to fill my mouth with your cum? Come, love, come now.”
Her body responded to his command like he owned it which, she realized, he did.
She screamed loud and long. Her throat ached with it, her ears rang. When he sank his teeth into her flesh just above her clit she came again, his fingers fucking her hard and fast even as he pulled on her with his mouth.
He fed from her, drinking deep from her as he had from her pussy. His cock ached and
pulsed with need. Sealing the tiny wounds, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. Holding her upright, he took off her shirt and laid her back, settling her in the center of the bed.
Standing over her, he slowly took off his clothes and looked down at her. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her skin was glistening now with a fine sheen of sweat from her climaxes. Her eyes had darkened to a deep color and her fangs, small and pointed, were bright against her pink lips. He wanted to drop onto her and take her like an animal, and he knew that she would welcome him, but he wanted to make love to her slowly, savor her touch and smell, the texture of her skin and hair.
“Nathaniel, I have to tell you something. I love you. I’ve never loved before, I know that now. But I do love you with all my heart.”
“I love you as well, Tessa. You have my heart also.”
Time seemed to stand still for him as he moved to the bed. When he moved between her legs she opened wide and took him in. They fit, their bodies belonged together and as he slid home into her heat he felt something awaken inside.
He was overwhelmed with emotion and something more, something strong and something
hers. He looked at her and she was smiling.
“It’s my heritage. You are now fae too. Your love set it free and I could give it to you. You are now what I could be if I was whole. I love you, Nathaniel.”
As his mouth slanted over hers, he moved into her. He rocked into her slowly at first then stronger and harder. With each movement he felt more of her pour into him. When his balls tightened and his cock filled he surged forward and spilled his seed into her, touching her womb and making her his.
His body was drained, sated, and fed; he fell forward onto her, rolling at the last minute so that he would not crush her with his weight. After pulling her body over his, finding the blanket and throwing that over the two of them, he closed his eyes and slept.
~Chapter 17~
They had decided that Nathaniel would not be a part of the troop, at least not today. He did not know the signals and he did not know the men. If they lived through this he was going to need to start training with her men as soon as possible.
It was six o’clock that morning. She and Shamus were standing in the deep forest waiting for the summon that would take them to yet another realm, this one far beneath the caves of Avalone.
“I hope you know what you’re doing. And that not telling your mate is just as dangerous as what you are about to do.” Shamus had told her this eight times already and he was giving her a headache.
“I do. And don’t forget that Nathaniel went to Athropos without telling me. Besides, you know as well as I do that Lucas won’t see me with people around he doesn’t know. And I need to see him.”
“Yeah, I know all that. But you weren’t mated then and you two are now. There’s a big
difference once you’re mated. He is still going to be pissed off. And when he’s done chewing your ass, you know that Athropos will as well.”
“Who are you pissing off now, Lady Tessa? Besides me, that is. Lord Shamus, you look as delicious as ever. Are you nearly ready to take your place in the larger scheme of things? Or are you still waiting for the lady to take notice of you?”