03 Solar Flare - Spark Series (28 page)

“Anyway, Mom left for a while, more than a
year. When she came back, she was pregnant with you.” Gem’s voice
got rough. “She wasn’t showing yet, and Dad never said a word. They
settled down, she had you, and Dad claimed you as his own. You know
there was never any difference between us in his eyes.”

She studied Brandy’s still face, sympathetic.
“I know it’s a shock. I wouldn’t even have known, but that
doctor—the dead one—he told us why he chose you. It was your genes.
You’ve already got most of what you need to make the changes.” She
rubbed her eyes, surprising an inappropriate yawn. “Sorry. It’s
late here.”

Brandy couldn’t think what to say. “You’ve
known this for weeks?”

Gem bit her lip guiltily. “Um, longer,
really. I saw the paperwork they did on you after you’d been
attacked at the inn during Azor’s investigations all those years
ago. They’d done a gene workup on you…I don’t remember why. I, uh,
hid it.” She peeked at Brandy. “You really didn’t seem in any shape
to see it. You were still depressed at the time, and in a lot of
pain.”

Calm seemed to be Brandy’s only response to
that. Maybe she was in shock. Maybe she was getting used to
scandals. “Why tell me now?”

Very seriously, Gem said, “You told me you’re
not good enough for Azor. Well, I’m telling you you’re exactly the
same. Whoever he was, your father…was Kiuyian.”

Brandy was speechless. She couldn’t take it
in. Kiuyian?

“I have…had red hair,” she said weakly,
touching her pale locks. She didn’t mention the eyes.

“Mom had dominant genes.”

She put a hand to her head. “I can’t
shift.”

“You’re a half breed. You’re still our
sister, though.”

She looked sharply at Gem. “Does Xera
know?”

Gem shook her head. “You’ll tell her. She
won’t care.”

She took a shaky breath. Suddenly, she wanted
to laugh. M’acht had been so stupid. She was Kiuyian! And
Azor….

She was part Kiuyian. It was a lot to take
in, and she didn’t want to do it now. Instead she focused on the
reason Gem had told her. “So you think I should marry him?” she
asked, dazed. It was stupid; her genealogy wouldn’t be enough to
hold him, hadn’t held M’acht. Still, part of her was delighted. She
knew he’d like it. Maybe later she’d be upset, but for now, the
relief sang through her head. I’m Kiuyian, I’m Kiuyian….

Gem grinned. “If you don’t, who will? The
man’s not getting any younger.”

Brandy smiled faintly, a hint of dampness in
her eyes. Gem had a way of speaking right to the heart of it. “We’d
give you green haired nieces and nephews.”

Gem rolled her eyes. “At least I’d have some.
Why would I complain? Xera’s got children with orange eyes.”

Brandy looked at her thoughtfully. She felt
the strangest relief. “I’ve never been interested in a big zoo of a
wedding. Are you going to fuss at me if I use his Jade Ceremony?”
Our ceremony, she thought.

Gem shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t care what
tradition you use. Just get yourself wed and publicly acknowledged.
I want this legal and binding.”

Brandy exhaled a vague huff. She was still
too confounded to be offended. Out of habit, she said, “You’re
pushing it, bossy.”

“With you, I have to,” Gem retorted. “By the
way, quit throwing things at your sister. You’re going to give the
relatives a bad picture of us.”

“All right, that’s it,” Brandy said, reaching
for the button to end the transmission. Gem could tease her another
time. “Goodbye, mom.”

Gem grinned. “Love you, too.” She closed the
connection before Brandy could.

Brandy sat back, smiling for no reason. It
faded, though, and she became thoughtful. She sat for quite a
while, and finally came to some conclusions, One, she loved her
sisters. Two, she wanted to marry Azor. There was no reason to
wait. Gem was right. The man knew all her scandals—well, almost
all—and didn’t care. It was time she stopped being timid.

She smiled as she rolled toward the door.
Family really was the best.

Azor, along with Xera and her husband, were
casually loitering outside the communications room when she exited.
Brandy looked at their expectant faces, then steered her chair
toward Azor. Though she was making progress with her new legs, the
chair was still expedient, more dignified if she had to go any
distance.

She took his hand and just stared at him for
a moment. Then she gave him a certain look. She started for the
door.

Azor smiled, secretive and pleased. He
followed silently.

Xera couldn’t stand the suspense. “So?” She
hurried to catch up to them. Ryven followed at a more sedate pace.
“Are you going to marry him or what?”

Brandy made her wait for the answer. “Save
your fussing for your daughter. You may not manage my wedding.”

Xera darted a look at Azor. “But this means
there’ll be one, won’t there?”

“There will be a Jade Ceremony,” Brandy said,
ignoring Xera’s undignified stumble as she tried to look at Brandy
and walk forward at the same time. “You’re not invited.”

Xera stopped dead. First she blanched, and
then her face bloomed with color. “You can’t be serious.
That…that’s scandalous!”

Brandy exchanged a heated glance with Azor
and smiled slyly at her sister. “You were so eager for me to marry
a Kiuyian. You can just accept his customs.”

Xera looked disgruntled. “I’m going to make
sure it’s recorded, though.” Her color deepened. “Your m-marriage,
of course.”

They’d reached the door to Azor’s room. Ryven
placed a hand on the small of Xera’s back. “We’ll leave you then.”
He glanced inquiringly at Xera, perhaps not quite certain what was
about to happen. He had no way of knowing what a Jade Ceremony was,
though undoubtedly he caught the gist. “I’m not sure what the
proper sentiment is. “Good luck” doesn’t seem to apply.”

Xera blushed harder and stared at the
floor.

Enjoying her discomfort, Brandy supplied,
“Zie bahair. Loosely translated, it means ‘happy bedding’.”

Ryven’s brows raised in amusement, the first
she’d seen from him. “Well then. Zie bahair, Azor, sister.” He
gently guided Xera toward their room. As they were leaving, he
could be heard to say, “You can tell me about this ceremony in
private. I have to admit, I’m curious now.”

Now that her sister was no longer around to
tease, Brandy lowered her head shyly as she entered the room. “This
might be tricky. My legs are still tender sometimes.”

He gently ran a hand through her hair. There
was a smile in his voice. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

He stripped the blankets to the end of the
bed and moved around the room, preparing. He took a small wooden
box, intricately carved with animals and flowers, from the clothes
cupboard and set it in the center of the bed. He took several dot
lights from the box and stuck them to the wall, lighting the room
in delicate shades of pastel.

He had the look of a man content in his
work.

Once he was satisfied, he knelt down beside
her chair and touched her cheek. “There are no rules for how we
proceed. The only important one is that we enjoy ourselves. The
ceremony is meant to be pleasurable. Erotic.” His touch trailed
down, caressed her neck. His voice deepened. “You’ll enjoy
this.”

She smiled, shy but trusting him. “Then
you’ll have to show me how fun it can be. I don’t know everything
about it.”

Instead of answering, he kissed her sweetly.
The caress was like the first notes of a wild love song, heavy,
staccato. He moved away with a growl and backed off. A small smile
played at his mouth as he activated a music program. “I want to
dance for you.”

She sat up straight, surprised. An image
strobed through her head, that of him on stage, disrobing. She felt
like panting. “Um, you don’t have to.”

His smile grew wicked as he began to move.
“I’ve never worn my own face for a woman before. You’re the first
one to see me dance.” His voice lowered an octave. “I expect you to
pay close attention.”

Her throat was too constricted to answer as
his body rode the beat. He was like a different creature when he
danced; wild, uninhibited. And he wanted her to look.

His shirt came off by slow degrees as he
watched her with slumberous eyes. Each inch he bared drew her
deeper into his seduction, caused her to glow a little hotter. He
was so beautiful, so intensely sexy. Her hand twitched with the
urge to touch.

It was harder to look as opened his pants,
slowly spread the fly. Years of training said it was wrong, but
this was her man, and it was okay. She was supposed to watch.

The breath hitched in her throat as he
rotated his hips, the pants sliding down to reveal a raging
erection. She swallowed. He had a lot to be proud of.

He smiled as he stepped out of his jeans and
sauntered her way. “Look all you like, love. Touch. Taste. Tonight
I’m yours.”

She shivered as he drew her out of the chair
and into a molten kiss. It was difficult to stand as he stripped
her clothes off, touching and tasting as he went. He was a man who
followed his own advice, pleasuring her breasts, leaving suction
marks on the sides and whisker burn in valley. He raised her
nipples with his teeth, plied them with lashes of tongue as he
gripped her butt, rubbing her against his body in maddening
rhythm.

It was all she could do not to scream.

He drew back with a shaky sigh. “Ah. Yes. But
not until I’ve marked you.” He helped her onto the mattress, guided
her to lie back against the pillows.

“I…I though I was supposed to kneel,” she
said breathlessly.

He smiled. “I don’t think anyone will dare
come in to police us.” They shared a grin, and he reached into the
box for a tiny vial. He gave her a drop of the medicine laced
liquor and placed a drop on her left nipple. He rubbed it around
with his finger, absorbed in his work as the tiny drop slicked her
pebbled skin. He took a piece of jewelry from the box and laid it
against her nipple. “What do you think?”

She glanced down at the gold ring. A diamond
was set into the bottom of the circle. It winked wickedly at her.
“Pretty.”

“Mm. I had fun picking it out.” He drew a
tool from the box and placed the ring in the pinchers. “There will
be a pinch.” He leaned down and lightly nipped her other nipple.
“Like this.”

Her thighs twitched as a surge of moisture
wet them. She liked it so much that he prepared to do it again as
he positioned the tool over her left nipple. He grinned and nipped
her as he pierced her skin. She moaned at the double
simulation.

Azor drew back as he admired his work. His
eyes hazed over as he stared at the ring. He wet his lips. “Let me
get the paint,” he said thickly, fumbling a little as he traded the
tool for a tiny stone jar of skin paint. Using his thumbs, he
painted his name over her chest in swirling designs, up her neck,
down her thighs. The jade cream left slick trails as he marked her
as his in beautiful script. He even brushed it over her eyelids and
lips, traced the rim of her ears with dark green.

He saved the smooth skin of her womanhood for
last, smiling as he gave it the closest attention of all. “You
anticipated this. Your women don’t normally remove their body
hair.” He took a last scoop of cream and set the jar and box on the
table next to the bed.

Feeling drugged, she smiled with her eyes
closed. “Maybe. I don’t tell you everything I’m planning.” Her eyes
flew open on a gasp as he guided his thumb deep into her damp heat.
“Should you—”

“It’s harmless,” he assured her. He set his
mouth to her, demonstrating what he meant. She jerked against his
mouth. He growled and murmured against her, “You didn’t think I
wouldn’t mark you here?” He sighed at her scent and set his mouth
back to her, settling down for a lengthy stay.

Brandy grabbed the sheets. She grabbed his
head. Finally, in desperation, she grabbed the pillow over her head
and screamed into it. Jerking her legs might hurt, but holding
still was torment, too.

Azor reluctantly took pity on her. “Years to
play,” he muttered to himself as he climbed her body, kissing on
his way. He paid special attention to her new ring. At last he
settled over her. He smiled slightly and nudged between her thighs.
They were welcoming and slick, but he kept them pinned down with
his hands. “Once I’m inside, we’ll close your legs under me. No
putting them around my waist, no spreading them wide, okay? I don’t
want to hurt you.” His tone was solicitous, but the look in his
eyes shown satisfaction as the explicit words aroused her.

She moaned in agreement. When he merely
probed her lightly, teasing at her entrance, her eyes flashed open.
She flashed her teeth at him in a hiss. “Get on with it!”

Azor smiled. And did.

CHAPTER 17

Brandy lay on her stomach, too drained to
move. Her nipple smarted, probably because her lover couldn’t seem
to resist toying with his ring. She thought about putting more
medicine on it, then discarded the idea as too much effort.
Besides, it matched the ache between her thighs.

Azor traced lazy circles on her backside,
teased the skin on the back of her thighs. After a moment, his
fingers wandered higher and dipped into the damp haven there.

She squirmed. “You just did that.”

“I want more.” He moved over her body and
entered her in a thick slide, pinning her to the bed.

She didn’t mind a bit.

“You know, I’m finding these legs of yours
sexy,” he murmured. “I’ve always liked the look of tall black
boots.”

She grunted and tried to ignore him, a
difficult thing to do in their current position. “Move faster.”

He stayed exactly as he was. He licked her
spine, making her arch into the bed. Her nipple ring rubbed against
the sheets, exciting her.