Chosen Destiny Page 24

  She sent away the weapons and turned to face the men. Samiel smiled at her, but he watched as Jaeson lifted the man to his feet.

  “Now, Jaeson will take our friend to those who’ll guard him until the battle’s finished. Hopefully he won’t be the only Dark Sorcerer we send away tonight.” Samiel put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re needed near the coven.”

  “Let’s go then. Are you sure you’re all right?” She looked at him worried. She knew he was completely healed. Jaeson wouldn’t have stopped at anything less. Her only questions were did he need power and was he ready to fight?

  “I’m fine, Meagan. All I’d been doing was scouting before I was hit as I flew over.” He ruffled her hair.

  “Are you sure?” She looked up at him. There were many people who after being hurt took a defensive role in battle.

  He hooked an arm around her waist. His voice was a low irritated growl. “Stop coddling me. When I need a rest, I’ll tell you.”

  Before she could say another word to him, he lifted her off her feet. She grasped his shoulders just as he stepped forward. She felt the pull of the tunnel and held on a little tighter as they exited. Samiel took one step forward and then lowered her to her feet. He still looked a little offended by her questions. She shook her head. He was just going to have to live with her concern.

  Glancing around, she noted he’d put them at the end of the street leading to the coven. She could see the flash of magic ahead near the large building. She summoned her weapons and threw up a strong shield. She couldn’t see more than shadows at the moment, but she was ready for attack. They began advancing slowly toward the battle.

  A merdanon roar echoed down the street. Finally, they drew close enough to see what was happening. Merdanons and tandini flanked an obviously female form. Meagan could only see the back of the woman but she knew it was Doria. At least, she hoped it was Doria. The thought of two Dark Sorceresses in the area was a little sickening. That would mean two witches had turned traitor. She couldn’t understand one woman doing it. The soft pressure of a hand rubbing her lower back tugged her attention away from the thoughts.

  “Is something wrong?” Samiel’s voice was soft and low.

  “No, just a few thoughts troubling me. Nothing that’s important.” She shook her head. It was the time between battles, that time to think that always gave her problems. She couldn’t stop her mind from questioning and turning things over in her head.

  “Well, now it’s time to work. Let’s inform this Dark Sorceress that she won’t be getting into the coven.” Samiel tugged on her hair.

  She grabbed her hair, pulling it free of his grasp and swung her blades slightly gathering energy. Teasing dragon. That did reassure her that he was ready to battle. She didn’t think she’d ever get the image of him sprawled on the ground in dragon form out of her head. She swung her blade and sent a bolt of energy hurtling toward the female attacking the coven. The ball of energy hit a shield. The magic flashed in the darkness. The woman turned and Meagan could easily see that it was Doria.

  “Hello, Doria. Are things a little more difficult than you planned?” Meagan smiled as she walked down the street.

  Doria looked stunned. “Nothing that will hold me for very long.”

  “I think you’ll be leaving soon unless you choose to go down fighting.” Meagan slung another bolt of energy at Doria’s shield

  Samiel tossed a flaming ball down the street. It hit the shield and flared over it. Meagan smiled at the showy move. He seemed relaxed. She slung another volley of magic. She didn’t know how long Doria would stay to fight. A lot of it depended on how desperate she was to get into the coven. Was she willing to risk her life and freedom for it?

  Meagan’s magic battered at Doria’s shield, but the woman didn’t seem to pay any attention to it. Doria continued to slam balls of magic against the shield around the coven. She didn’t taunt. She didn’t create merdanons and tandini, although Meagan could see that there had been some used by the forms littering the ground near the steps.

  Meagan could tell when Doria’s power began to be stretched. The woman grew tense and desperately tried to bring down the shield with a final volley of orbs. Doria threw one harassed looked over her shoulder and jumped into a portal. Meagan walked forward to take stock of the damage near the coven. The coven itself seemed untouched, buildings around it hadn’t fared as well. There were chunks of wall missing and one building looked as if it was going to collapse at any moment. It could all be fixed. She kneeled and took the power of the merdanons nearest to her. She was just surprised that they were still here. From the way she’d attacked and the determination she’d shown, Meagan knew the other woman would have called them back for the extra power. The only reason she could think of for them still being there was that Doria hadn’t created them.

  Jaeson arrived. She could tell by his expression and the tension in his body that he expected to find the battle still in progress. Once he realized it was over, he relaxed. She saw him looking around and realized he must be looking for her and Samiel. Jaeson came to stand near her.

  “You still owe me an explanation.” She glanced over at him. “I expect to hear it as soon as we get back home.”

  “You will. If we don’t get distracted.” Jaeson glanced over to where Samiel was checking one of the damaged buildings with one of the wizards.

  “You won’t. I have plans. And if you cooperate, you can play too.” She grabbed his shirt and tugged him close for a quick kiss.

  “That sounds interesting.” His hand settled on her butt.

  “It will be when we eventually get back to the lair. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” she said on a sigh as she looked around the street.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Samiel gently lowered Jaeson and Meagan to the ground outside the lair. For once neither had even asked to ride on his back. That made him more than a little suspicious.

  Everyone was in a good mood after the victory. Two other Dark Sorcerers had been eliminated. One captured, the other died trying to destroy the wall closest to the mountain. That one had obviously been a lesser Sorcerer, but the others were a little harder to figure out. Why had they stuck around the village so long? Getting the generator didn’t seem like a goal worth dying for. He had no idea if one of these men had allied with Doria or if she was behind it all. Most people expected Dark Sorcerers to be male. She could be using that as a ruse to lessen the appearance of her guilt. He’d have to think about that, but later. Now Jaeson and Meagan had his attention.

  They were up to something. It was something involving him if the sultry glances Meagan sent him were any indication. Her black hair gleamed under the moonlight and she smiled. Her lips glistened wetly in the light. He wanted to peel her out of her clothes and lick and stroke every curve and plane of her light brown skin. But he knew they needed to talk about what had been discovered about the spell generators. That didn’t mean he couldn’t torment them both with a little touching while Jaeson told them the latest news.

  “Inside. We have things to talk about and that wasn’t the shortest battle we’ve ever fought.” Samiel curved an arm around Meagan’s waist.

  He guided her to the lair. He waved his hand dispelling both the shield and the illusion protecting the entrance to their home. Meagan strolled down the tunnel toward the main room. He could tell she was tired, but still too energized from the battle to sleep. That was good. He didn’t want her falling asleep when he made love to her. When she went over to the dark blue couch and flopped onto it, he just followed her. She tucked a pillow under her head and wriggled onto her side. She looked comfortable and he couldn’t resist joining her. He slid onto the couch behind her. With a satisfied sigh, he tightened his arm around her waist. She looked over her shoulder and shook her head.

  “All right, Jaeson, tell us what you’ve discovered before Samiel’s hand starts wandering.” Meagan winked at Jaeson.

  “How come he gets to be next to you and I don’t?
” Jaeson took a seat on the opposite couch.

  “Because he’s an opportunistic dragon and the couch isn’t big enough, otherwise you’d be over here too. And that’s in spite of the fact that we need to talk and whenever we’re this close, not much talking gets done.” Meagan couldn’t keep the laughter out of her voice.

  “Well, that is true.” Jaeson grinned.

  Samiel growled. “Get to it.”

  “Touchy dragon.” Jaeson stretched his legs out and looked at the ceiling for a moment. “They weren’t after the shields. Not for the capabilities of the shield as we believed.”

  “They why did they want the shield generators?” Meagan frowned.

  Samiel couldn’t see the downturn of her lips, but he could hear it. He was just as confused as she was. What had the Dark Sorcerers been after? He traced his hand from her stomach to her thigh and back again. He loved the warmth of her body, but would rather not have her dark gray shirt and the thick, durable fabric of her black pants in his way. His mind automatically turned to what he’d like to do to her. His first goal was to get her out of these clothes.

  “There are pieces, orbs, inside the generator. The only known reference calls them focus stones. The stone enhance the power of a spell. They wanted those. Like the generators, it usually takes more than one to anchor a spell but when they do work, they can be hard to stop. The stones can’t be destroyed.” Jaeson grimaced.

  “No wonder they were after them. I wonder if they have any others.” Meagan sat up and Samiel’s hand slid to her thigh.

  “I don’t know. We’ll have to find Doria’s haven. She has to be hiding somewhere. The other vampires and dragons will be looking for more ancient tools holding those. We don’t want them falling into the wrong hands, especially when we don’t know how they were created,” Jaeson said.

  “We’ll have to do some research after we finish the battle with Doria.” Meagan slipped out of Samiel’s arms. “Now it’s time to see just how fully healed our dragon really is.”

  “I’m fine. What do you need me to do to prove it? I can transform and show you that even my dragon form is whole and unmarked as it should be.” Samiel rose. His head tilted and he frowned.

  He didn’t mind reassuring her, but he didn’t know how much patience he could summon tonight. Her caution and the way she looked at him as if she thought he might collapse was a little irritating. Especially when he knew she could see that he was whole and healthy.

  “I know that you’re not exactly happy about this, but I need to see and touch you to make it real. Please try to be calm and patient. Besides that, you know you’re going to enjoy this once you get over your pique.” She put her hands on her hips.

  She looked absolutely gorgeous with the flags of red flying on her cheeks. He bit back a smile because he knew she wouldn’t appreciate it.

  “I can show you that it’s real.” He sat and slid his eyes down over her breasts to her hips.

  “I’ll get my own proof, Samiel. Now, are you going to cooperate with us?” She cocked an eyebrow and held out her hand to him.

  He took her hand because he’d use any opportunity to touch her. He looked from her to Jaeson. “Us?”

  “Do you think I can find you on the ground, seriously hurt, and simply shrug it off? I need this as much as she does. Now get over to the bed or I can carry you.” Jaeson came off the couch in a fluid rush. In a few steps, he stood beside Meagan. His fingers brushed over Samiel’s cheek.

  Samiel put his hand over Jaeson’s. He couldn’t resist giving them the time and reassurance they wanted. “No need to carry me. I’ll walk over to the bed. Do you want me to take off my clothes?”

  “No, we’ll do that. Stand over by the bed.” Meagan’s smile widened and he could tell she was relieved.

  “You like giving orders, my witch.” Samiel’s hand glided over her buttocks.

  He’d love to show her how much fun taking his commands could be. She wanted him. He could smell her hunger. His cock pressed against the front of his pants and he held back a groan. It wasn’t a good idea to think about that when he suspected there wouldn’t be any relief until they’d assured themselves that he was all right.

  “No touching for you right now.” Jaeson grabbed Samiel’s hand. “If you like, I can touch her while we’re checking you.”

  Samiel glowered at Jaeson, but he could see that Meagan was amused by it. She bit her lip and kept from laughing, but the amusement in her eyes was plain to see. He wanted to grab her and turn those eyes slumberous with desire. He wanted to pick her up and feel those long legs wrap around him. He took a deep breath. It was going to be sheer torture to keep his hands and mouth off her until they were satisfied he was healthy.

  He strode over to the bed, determined to get this done as soon as possible. Meagan glided up beside him. She rose on tiptoes and her hands fisted in his shirt. Her light brown skin seemed even darker against the black cloth of his shirt. As her lips neared his, he had to resist the urge to lace his fingers into her hair and pull her close. Almost too lightly, her lips brushed across his. His mouth opened, but she didn’t deepen the kiss. She pulled back and smiled at him. He growled and his hands settled on her hips. She laughed softly and tugged free of his loose hold. His eyes narrowed, but he did release her. He just hoped she knew how close he was to grabbing her and carrying her to bed. Once he finished, she’d be reassured. He’d make sure of it.

  She let her fingers trail down the front of his shirt. Samiel concentrated on breathing evenly. They hadn’t even started undressing him yet. He tensed as he felt a hand brush over his cock. He looked down and saw Jaeson’s hand gliding up and down over the cloth-covered ridge. His hips rocked forward. Samiel didn’t know how long he was going to be able to hold onto his control if Jaeson kept doing that. He’d go over the edge before they even finished getting him out of his clothes.

  Jaeson’s hands trailed away from Samiel’s cock. It was both a relief and frustrating. He wanted to feel those hands, but he knew that they hadn’t been satisfied yet. Meagan’s fingers slipped the first of the buttons free. His shirt gaped open as she continued to unfasten the buttons. When the last fastening slipped free, he shrugged out of the shirt and let it fall to the floor. He stood tensely. He ached to feel her hands on him or even better, her body moving against his. Her fingertips traced over his stomach and moved slowly upward. Her touch felt like fire and seared through him. She leaned close and dropped kisses over the hard planes of his chest. She turned her head and pressed her cheek to him. He felt a fine tremor roll through her. At that moment, he realized that this wasn’t just an opportunity to tease. She really needed to see and feel that he was here. His arms closed around her and he pulled her against him.

  “I’m fine.” His lips brushed over her head.

  “I told you we needed to see for ourselves,” Jaeson said. His hands cupped Samiel’s buttocks. His fingers flexed and they held Meagan between them. “Do you know how scary it was to come out of the portal and find you on the ground? You looked broken.”

  Samiel included Jaeson in the embrace. “I’m whole and healthy, but you can both assure yourselves of it.”

  He released them and held out his arms as if he was giving them free rein. As soon as Jaeson moved back, Meagan stepped to the side giving him room to finish with Samiel’s pants. She glided behind Samiel and ran her hands over his butt, cupping and squeezing.

  “Now lay on the bed.” She drew her hands up his back to his shoulders.

  “Not until you and Jaeson lose at least some of your clothes. I want to look while you’re torturing me.” He raised an eyebrow and simply stood there waiting. This wasn’t something he was going to compromise on.

  “Do you think we should give the dragon what he wants?” Meagan glanced over at Jaeson.

  “I’d like to see you naked.” Jaeson smiled and his eyes ran down to her breasts.

  “I’m not surprised.” She grinned.

  They were smiling and playing, getting more
relaxed.

  She peeled out of her shirt and dropped it to the floor. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was almost impossible to control the urge to reach out and touch her. Looking over at Jaeson, he realized that Jaeson was just as entranced by the sight. Jaeson merely stared. He hadn’t even taken off his shirt. Samiel just hoped they both realized that their time for reassuring touches was limited.

  “Your clothes off and you on the bed.” Meagan put her hand on her hip and looked first to Jaeson and then to Samiel.

  She was enjoying this time of being in control. Samiel shook his head, but sprawled on the bed. He laced his fingers behind his head, because he didn’t know if he had the control to keep them to himself once both of them got close. He tried to think of anything but what they might do, but his mind seemed locked on the possibilities. He watched as Jaeson skinned out of his clothes. Jaeson was in such a rush that buttons flew and Samiel heard a distinct rip. Eventually, both of them were naked and moved to kneel, one on either side of him. He loved the view, but he wanted to do more than look at them.

  Meagan and Jaeson moved at almost the same time. Their hands feathered across his chest. Kneading and stroking, they touched every part of him within their reach. Meagan’s fingers drew across his cock, but the caress was fleeting. He almost reached for them then, but he held back. He wanted to give them what they needed. When Meagan began trailing kisses across his chest, he didn’t know how much longer he could last.

  “Give me some of those kisses.” Jaeson’s voice held laughter as he lightly tugged Meagan’s hair.

  She rose and laced her arms around Jaeson’s neck. Their lips met softly at first. Jaeson’s hands cupped her face and held her still. Samiel liked watching it, but he wanted to feel those lips on him. He let them enjoy the kiss until he saw Jaeson’s hand cup Meagan’s breasts. The moment he heard her soft moan, he knew that he couldn’t just watch.