Thorn Queen Chapter Eleven

A capacious with Ysabel, Dorian sent me impale with almost ship giveforcets of food on credit. I almost would arouse thought he was trying to soften the blow of me being stuck with her, except Dorian was the type who would actu exclusivelyy enjoy the thought of us having an uncomfor fudge trip. He would piss a kick step up of conditi singled how irritated I was and probably regretted he couldnt be thither to witness our interactions. Nonetheless, I rationalise the discomfort by riding at the dealer of my group, sticking Ysabel all the way in the spur behind my guards and Dorians servants.Shaya was understandably surprised when we arrived back. I left her to distri well(p)e the food and deal with Ysabel. Put her any(prenominal)where. Anywhere, I utter. It doesnt issuance to me. merely whywhy is she pull conquer here? Thats Dorians mi under personal credit line.Oh, yes, I said, honoring as a scowling Ysabel stepped aside for the tarry of the entourage spilling into my castle. I kind of excessivelyk reachense at the sneer she gave my residence, despite the fact that I knew it was in disarray compared to those of other monarchs. Believe me, I know she is.Shaya seemed mollified and deflect enough by Dorians gifts that I was up to(p) to slip placeside(a) with off too lots argument. I do the crossing back to my world, not plane bothering to change clothes before I went. When I finally got back to my testify house, I had the pleasant surprise of finding Kiyo lying on the couch. Three cats slept on the couchs back while one rested on its arm. The fifth lay sprawled across Kiyos stomach.That, he said, is a corking dress. Smells a little like horse, though.I glanced down at the purple silk dress, which was safe keeping up remarkably well considering all the dust and sweat it had been subjected to right drop dead apart. It was dismantle of a diplomatic show upreach.Dorian, huh?What was your first clue?The slit.I headed across the anim ate room, toward the hall that led to the other side of the house. Im hitting the shower. You loss to go to Texas with me subsequentlyward?Kiyo straightened up, spooking a couple of the cats. Is that like a new eatery? Or do you mean the state?State. I prepare to go talk to those cardinal shamans that Roland told me closely. I glanced at a clock. Wed probably have to stay everywhere iniquity.He considered. If we can be back by noon tomorrow, Ill do it.I assured him we could and then left to shower away the days dirt. Miraculously-and a little disappointingly-Kiyo didnt come harass me while I cleaned up. He had a t obliterateency to show up while I was showering and go to help clean me off.Conscious of our cadence, he let me be, and a half-hour later, we were ready to hit the road. Yellow River was fair everywhere the Texas border, making it closely a four-hour drive if we unploughed a little over the urge on limit. Kiyo liked to drive-I think it was somewhat manly inst inct-so I let him. We stuck to unconcerned topics, which allowed my encephalon to wander to the Otherworldly affairs on my plate.The whole stress of running and caring for a kingdom still weighed upon me, however I had the comfort of knowing Id make what I could and that Shaya would manage the rest. That was her job. We both knew it, and she would carry through her duties excellently. I needed to stop stressing roughly that. The missing girlswell, those were my problem. At least, Id made them my problem. Meeting with these shamans in Yellow River would hopefully shed light on that situation, so until I saw them, there was no point in worrying closely that either.Ysabelyes, well, that was something worth worrying about. Id comely let a viper into my household and took some comfort in realizing that my reluctance to stay the nighttime in my castle would probably save me from being smothered in my sleep. If Id had my way, I would package her up and send her straight back to t he oak tree Land. My stupid promise bound me. Maybe she did have something useful to train me, but I had no evidence that shed actually try to be helpful. Shed probably just glare the whole time, no surmise paranoid I wanted to move in on Dorian.Dorian.I sighed. He was a problem, one I kept thinking would go away but didnt. I needed him, and we both knew it. So long as I did, he was tone ending to use that as supplement to keep seeing me and taunting me. For the most part, that annoyed me. I despised being part of his games. Yet, at the same time, there was always something supine about Dorian, something that made me laugh in spite of the exasperation he so often caused.And, yeahI hated to admit it, but no result how overmuch I loved Kiyo, and no matter how much Id washed my transfer of the romance betwixt Dorian and me, there was still a part of me that would probably always be attracted to him. Our night together still haunted my aspirations. His hand on me earlier toda y had woken a lot of those feelings, and I couldnt help but imagine once to a greater extent how easy it would have been for him to slide that hand up my leg.Eugenie?Huh? Kiyos contribution startled me out of my indecent thoughts.What are you thinking about? You have the weirdest intent on your face.Oh, well, I I was totally astonished when the adjoining words burst out of my mouth. How come we never have any(prenominal) foreplay?Kiyos hold on the steering wheel momentarily faltered, and I feared wed run off onto the shoulder. He quickly regained control. What are you talking about? Of course we have foreplay. Remember that thing I did with the honey outlive week?Yeah, I guess. But thats more the exception than the norm. We always just kind of jump right into it.You never authentically seem to mind.He had a point. NoI mean, its always good. Itd just be straight-laced toI dont know. Expand our horizons.Im okay with that, he said after some(prenominal) thoughtful moments. Im u p for anything. Its just mywell, instincts, I guess, that tend to drive me right toward the main attraction.I knew what he meant. The problem with spending part of your vitality as an animal was that you picked up some of their traits. Foxes in the wild didnt really devote a lot of time to foreplay.I dont really mind. Im just assigning that Id like to shake it up.He fell silent for a while. Finally, he asked, Does this have anything to do with Dorian? wherefore do you say that? I asked blandly.I dont know. More instinct. His dark eyes narrowed as they focused on the road. Im not stupid, you know. I know you slept with him.I jerked my head in surprise, unable to attempt any sort of denial. Id never technically lied to Kiyo about what had happened with Dorian, but seeing as wed been broken up at the time, Id never really felt the need to go into detail.How do you I couldnt finish the question.Kiyo gave me a penitent grin. Dorian used to sojourn you like a starving man who wants meat. Now he looks at you like he wants seconds.I didnt say anything. No response came to mind.Its okay, go along Kiyo almost amiably. I know it happened when we were apart. Whats past is past-so long as it doesnt bodge with our present.It was rather magnanimous of him, and I felt both grateful and guilty. Its in the past, I agreed. It has nothing to do with anything anymore.The first shaman Roland had directed us to was a guy named maneuver. Like Roland and me, Art lived in his own dapple of suburbia, in a large house that hardly looked like it belonged to some proboscis who battled beliefs and gentry. The sides were painted a sunny yellow, and the yard-which bore the signs of daily tending-was regular ringed with a white picket fence. I could hear children playacting down the street.In fact, Art himself was out in the yard, weeding flower beds as the afternoon light turned orange. I pegged his age about 30 or so. A red snake tattoo coiled rough one of his arms while a s tylized raven showed on the other. No doubt there were more under his shirt. He glanced up and smiled when we stopped beside him on the houses sidewalk.You must be Eugenie, he said, standing up. He brushed dirt off his gloves and looked apologetic. Id shake hands, butI smiled back. No problem. This is Kiyo.The two men exchanged nods of greeting, and Art directed us around the side of the house. Roland said you wanted to chat, right? How about we sit down in the back? Let me clean up, and Ill go get us something to drink.Kiyo and I followed his direction and found ourselves sitting at a cute, umbrella-covered table in a backyard even more lush than the front. Though a bit more humid, Yellow Rivers climate wasnt that far off from Tucsons, so I could altogether imagine the measure of water and labor it took to note this greenery. A funny thought came to me, and I couldnt help but laugh.What? asked Kiyo. Hed been ceremonial a hummingbird dance around a red-flowered bush that flanke d the house.I was thinking I need Art to come do landscaping in the Thorn Land.I think that index blow your cover.Likely. I dont even know if he crosses over very much.If he does, its probably solely a matter of time before he finds out and tells Roland. Actually, its only a matter of time before anyone does that.I made a face. Roland knew a lot of shamans, all around the country. Yeah, I know.Art stepped out through the back terrace, gloves gone and a new shirt on. He set down a tiny cooler, carefully sliding the churl and its screen shut again. The drapes hanging on the other side of the patio were blue and purple watercolors laced with silvery threads that I envied after my own had been ripped up by a storm Id inadvertently caused. amid his excellent decor and yard, I was feeling like a bleachedly homeowner.He opened the cooler. I didnt know what you wanted, so I brought some options.The cooler revealed an assortment of pop and beer. Kiyo opted for the latter I took the fo rmer. The hot summertime afternoon had cooled down to a pleasant temperature, and the shadows cast by the trees helped too. The store of the hot journey to Dorians was still with me, though, and I drank my Coke gratefully.This is a great yard, I said. Wish I had the patience. Mines kind of a rock garden.Art grinned, crinkling up the lines around his eyes. They were an azure blue that stood out against his sun-weathered skin. But thats rakish up there, isnt it?Yeah, kind of. But theres a fine line between a fashionable arrangement of sand and rocks, and, welljust a pile of sand and rocks.He laughed again. Well, Im sure you have better things to do. Roland tells me youre keeping busy now that hes retired.Retired is a dubious term. Its hard for him to sit still, knowing Im out there doing business enterprise by myself.And I hear youve got some business questions to ask me?Right to the point. I liked that. Youve got a big crossroads here.I do, he agreed. Keeps me busy.You get a lot o f gentry crossing over?He took a long sip of his beer and considered. Well, there are always gentry crossing over.Has there been an unusual amount lately? Girls in particular?His eyebrows rose in surprise. Not that Ive noticed. Why do you ask?Following up on a job, I said vaguely.Women cross over all the time, of course, he mused. But men outnumber them. Seeing a surge would be noticeable. Most of my time lately has been exhausted on exorcisms.I nodded. Until gentry and Otherworldly creatures had indomitable they wanted to father my child, spirits had made up the bulk of my business too. That was a normal shaman workload.Sorry I cant be of more help, added Art kindly. I must have looked disappointed. You should check with Abigail, though.Shes the other one here, right?Yup. We work together sometimes. Maybe shes noticed something I havent.I thanked Art for the info, and we spent the next hour or so chatting about associate things. Art asked questions about Kiyos background. Roland could sense Kiyos Otherworldly nature, but Arts blandly polite style made me suspect it wasnt a talent he possessed. Art alike wanted to know about my jobs, no doubt curious about my interest in gentry girls. I kept my answers vague, in no way coming close to the fact that I was protecting my subjects.After making our good-byes, we headed off to the second address Roland had precondition me. Abigail lived in an apartment in downtown Yellow River, very diverse from Arts homey location. The downtown area was actually more thriving than I would have expected. Yellow River was a small town at the end of the day, but it still had an assortment of interesting shops and restaurants. Abigails apartment was above an antiques store, and we climbed two flights of rickety stairs to get to her. The mysterious, dusty nature of it all was much more in line with stereotypical shaman images.Indeed, when she answered the door, I suspect she would have met most peoples visions of a shaman. She was an older woman, gray hair styled into a long braid down her back. Her loose peasant blouse was patterned in mauve and yellow flowers, and crystallization beads hung around her neck. She broke into a beatific smile when she saw us.Eugenie So nice to finally visit you.She ushered us inside, and I introduced Kiyo. The apartment was beautifully constructed and nicer than its outside suggested-but cluttered with candles and assorted statuary. It made me feel better after Arts immaculate home. The apartment was also filled with cats. I counted at least seven, and all of them looked up at Kiyos entrance. Four of them got up and rubbed against his legs.Youve certainly got a way with animals, noted Abigail.Im a vet, he explained, giving her a winning smile that tended to make women weak in the knees.Like Art, Abigail sat us down and forced beverages on us, this time in the form of herbal tea. We started with the usual small talk. Abigail was a big fan of Roland and couldnt say enough nice things about the work he did. I couldnt help feeling a little bit of stepdaughterly pride. When we finally got to the issue of gentry girls, though, Abigail didnt have much more to nominate than Art had.Most of my work is actually along the lines of healing and spirit retrievals, she explained. Spirit retrieval was itself a form of healing, often done when some entity was plaguing a human in a possession sort of way. Id done it a few times but was no expert. I dont do much in the way of casting out. Thats Arts specialty, but that crossroads is so big that he sometimes gets more than he can handle. So, I help out every once in a while.But you havent noticed a surge of gentry girls?Abigail shook her head, making the crystal beads c lap covering together. No, but like I said, Im not out in the field enough to say for sure. And gentry usually arent so difficult to cast out. Art tends to handle those on his own and call me in for the entities that are harder for him to get rid of. She gave me a rueful grin. Neither of us is as strong as you or Roland.I played with my tea bag, wondering how to parse this new information. Was my theory about gentry girls sneaking over here a total better? Or were they being crafty enough to avoid detection? I usually ended up casting out gentry because they did something pitiful that put them on my radar. Gentry girls slipping in among humans wouldnt inevitably attract a lot of attention.We thanked Abigail when we finished our tea and left for our hotel. Id schedule one that sat just on the edge of town. As we walked toward where wed pose my car on the street, Kiyo declared that he wanted to take it over to a drift station on the corner for both gas and air for the tires. I told him I would walk down there and pull together him. I wanted to browse a few of the shops before we called it a night.Poking my head in the little stores gave me a chance to get my mind off the gentry girls and todays disappointing intel. Most of the shops were what youd expect for a small town. Antiques. Vintage clothing. Crafts. One, however, was a sex-toy shop, and I couldnt help but name my eyebrows at that. It was surprising in this town. Equally surprising was that I went in and bought something.I met Kiyo at the gas station shortly thereafter. Not much in the way of information, he said as we drove out to the hotel.Yeah. I want to check out the crossroads in the sunup before we go. That was the main reason Id chosen to actually come out to Yellow River in person, rather than simply call with my questions. If that doesnt yield anything, we might just have to give this theory up.Kiyo shook his head, a small smile curling his lovely lips. I dont know what to think of you sometimes. Youre so annoyed about this whole queen thing, yet here you are, going to a lot of trouble to help these girls. We reached the hotel and found a lay spot. He turned off the car.And let me guess. You want me to stay away from it all?Only inasmuc h as itll keep you safe. But truthfully? What youre doing is great.The look he gave me showed just how great he thought it was-and how great he thought I was. There was admiration there in his eyes, underscored with something alter and dangerous and wonderful. I might make jokes about his animal intensity, but when channeled into sex and passionwell, there was nothing to laugh about. My whole body felt the heat of his gaze, every nerve coming to life.Lets go inside, I said softly.Yeah, he agreed. No place Id rather be.His hands were on me as soon as we cleared the hotel rooms door, reminding me of the first night wed spent together. He pushed me onto the bed, tearing off my clothes as he did. I wanted to sprawl right there and let him take me-but just barely had enough presence of mind to wriggle away.Did you mean what you said earlier? I asked, my breathing hard.His dark eyes were hungry and impatient. If it gets the rest of your clothes off right now, then yes, I stand by whateve r I said earlier.About expanding our horizons?This gave him pause. What did you have in mind?I slipped away from him-no small feat-and produced my purse and the purchase Id hidden in it the bag from the sex-toy store. I pulled out a pair of handcuffs.Are you sedate? Kiyo asked, not sounding particularly opposed so much as curious.That headboards got a nice spot to lock your wrists in. I might dream of Dorian restraining me, but right now, it was the thought of me being Kiyos captor that stirred me.Me? This was a surprise to him too. He hesitated only a moment, though. There was craving and lust radiating from him, and while he might have like simply jumping in and having his way with me like usual, the bottom line was that he wanted me, period. One way or another. Okay.He pulled off the rest of his clothes and lay back against the beds covers, hands stretched up. I paused to respect his body, filled with such strength and power. After removing my own clothing, I leaned over him and fastened one wrist to the headboard. I heard his breath gain vigor as I did, my breasts only a few inches from his face. His other hand immediately went out to my hip and ran up along the side of my body. I pulled away, out of reach.Not allowed, I warned. You dont get to call the shots here.He gave me a saucy grin. Being tied down wasnt in his nature, but he felt bolder with only one hand bound. He was still able to feel in control.Ive got another hand and two feet, he pointed out.I smiled sweetly and reached back into the bag. I pulled out three more pairs of handcuffs. His smile faded to astonishment.Dont worry, I said. Ive got it covered.I made sure all his hands and feet were locked into place, putting him at my mercy and ensuring he wouldnt do anything I didnt want him to. And as I lowered my hips down near his face, spreading my thighs so that the warmth of his mouth and tongue had no choice but to lick and suck as long as I wanted, I felt smug satisfaction in knowing fo r certain that I would be the one who got off first tonight.