Arcana Rising (The Arcana Chronicles Book 5) (30 page)

“I do. In past games, he loved your animal attributes. I have a memory of him telling you so.”

“Really?” That got her to smile. “I’m so ready to get back together with him. When he was at Fort Arcana, we passed letters via falcon, really getting to know each other. I’m a goner for that boy.”

“Cyclops was supposed to lead him to you.” As soon as Finn’s leg had healed enough for him to ride. “What happens now if you find him?”

Fidgeting with a claw, she said, “My falcon can reel him in.”

“Reel him in . . . where? Back
here
?”

More fidgeting.

“Oh, shit. Seriously, Lark?” Aric would have an aneurism.

She finally met my gaze. “Where’d you think we’d go? Either Finn stays or I leave. You wanna get rid of me?”

“No, not at all.” I sighed. “I don’t know what I was imagining. Maybe that he would have a pad nearby, one as tricked out as his old one. You two would date.” If he was even still alive.

“Will you help me with the boss?”

“Once you find Finn, I’ll try to talk to him. But I can’t promise anything.”

“Thanks, Eves.” She grinned widely, flashing her sharp fangs, reminding me why Aric would balk hard at this. Finn might be my ally, but he was still an Arcana. “So what’s it like to, uh, live with someone?”

“I thought it would take some getting used to, but it’s been easy.” Because Aric and I fit together seamlessly. Plus he was turning out to be a perfect husband, no training necessary.

This morning, I’d awakened to find a bloom in a vase beside the bed. He’d grown the rose himself, had planted the seed two months ago.

Roses could be difficult to grow from seed, so for him to have made the effort . . . and to bring forth a bud . . .

He’d given me the very first one.

A white rose, like the one on his flag. I’d painted it; he’d grown it.

Symbols, waypoints. The rose connection between us had spanned centuries and was ongoing. Just like Lark and Finn’s infinity connection endured.

I tilted my head at her. “You’re not really asking me about living together, are you? You’re trying to girl-talk with me. About sex.”

“Duh.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve never done it—girl-talk
or
the deed—and you have, so . . .”

“So you want to know what sex is like?” Aric and I did spend a lot of time at it.

Early on, he’d coaxed me to describe in detail every sexual dream I’d had about him—so he could recreate them. Last week in the dance studio, he’d fulfilled another one. After I’d danced for him, he’d peeled off my workout clothes, lifting me atop the barre so he could lick my damp skin, wedging his hips between my thighs. . . .

I told Lark, “It’s exciting.” Understatement. As he and I discovered what our bodies could do together, we experimented a lot. Just this morning, that white rose had led to some kissing and then more.

Much more.

I nearly fanned myself, quickly diverting my thoughts from that memory. Clearing my throat, I said, “Imagine the thrill you get from flirting—when your stomach knots and your toes curl and you can’t catch your breath—and multiply it by a thousand.”

Lark got a dreamy look on her face.

“I think Finn will make you really happy.”

Her pointed ears twitched. “Are
you
happy with Death?”

I was madly in love with him. So why was his wedding ring
still
in my pocket?

Yesterday I’d headed to the training yard early, determined to give him the ring. He’d been on horseback, looking as devastating as ever. . . .

His body went tense when he caught sight of me.
That’s my husband.
He dismounted and stalked toward me, spurs ringing, his gaze gleaming in the dark
like a shower of stars. “I missed you, wife.” His expression was possessive—and intent.

Pulse racing, I stepped back. He moved closer. There I was, stalked by Death, and I had to fight the urge to run into his arms.

He maneuvered me till my back met the stable wall. He dipped down to kiss my neck, having quickly discovered how sensitive I was there.

I sighed, just about to give him the ring . . . when snow started to fall.

He felt me stiffen and pulled back to search my face. “What is it, love?”

I gazed up at him and lied: “Not a thing.”

Now I told Lark, “I’m crazy about Aric.”

“That’s not what I asked, Eves. Are you
happy
?”

“When I’m with him and I can forget everything that’s happened, then I . . .” I
what
? “Then it’s good.”

Her expression said she didn’t really believe me, but she was going to let it go. “When I get Finn back, I wanna sleep with him. A lot.”

“Paul’s got contraceptive shots.”

“Sweet! I’ll leave the breeding to my animals.”

I made a sound of agreement.
Sing it, sister.
“Why
are
you breeding them so much?” She’d been committed to it before, but never like this.

“I’m nervous all the time, and it makes me feel safer. It’s like stress-eating. Consider it stress-breeding.”

“Why are you nervous?”

“Because we’ve got freaking
Poseida
out there, threatening to tsunami us! I’m not pointing a claw or anything, but I’m pretty sure the river ate one of my tigers.”

“Come on, no, it didn’t.” I scoffed, but did I really know? Probably not a good time to tell Lark that Circe was . . . moving among us.

“The Priestess might like you and the boss, but who am I to her? I don’t want to go the way of that tiger.”

“The fictional tiger victim that was fictionally eaten?”

She raised her chin. “If the water gets much higher, the menagerie will flood.”

Waves did lap at the compound gates. Each time Aric had planned to talk to Circe about working a spell for us, the water had frothed. I’d held him back.

“You saw her tidal wave,” Lark said. “How big was it?”

I admitted, “As tall as a skyscraper.”

“What’s to stop her from destroying us all? From destroying all my animals?”

“Nothing.” The Priestess could swat us like flies. “There’s nothing we could do to stop her. But we trust her not to hurt us. Just like I trusted you not to rip out my throat when Cyclops slept in my bed.” Sometimes he still scratched at the door at night and whimpered in vain. I spoiled him with treats to compensate.

“Trust, huh?” Lark said, adding in a strange tone, “That’s about all we have.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re not exactly packing a big punch these days. Not like when you fought off Ogen. And you don’t have the Fool or Jack watching your back. Or Selena and Tess, or Joules and Gabriel. We don’t have Ogen.” She shook her head. “And Death . . .”

“What?”

“The boss isn’t thinking about killing; he’s thinking about you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Which you always planned on, right? You strategized for us to get together.”

She shrugged. “On Day Zero, he and I had a talk about how he was going to kill me in a few years. I plotted from that moment forward to find his weakness.” Utilizing her single-minded determination.

“How did you know what he was truly like? He could’ve been some homicidal maniac.”

“He
is
a killer. But every killer has a weakness.”

If my grandmother was to be believed, we were all killers. All treacherous and disloyal.

Lark buffed her claws. “I went from the underdog to top dog—in months.”

“Do you really want to win the game?”

“Somebody’s got to repopulate the world’s animals. I could do a lot in a few centuries, especially with my animal regeneration.”

I’d explained her untapped ability to her. Once she’d located Finn and Richter, she was going to start practicing it.

Lark’s eyes suddenly flashed red. Every animal in her room froze and went silent, like statues. “Can’t talk anymore. My falcon might have picked up a lead.”

“Oh. Sure thing.” I rose and waded back through creatures. Over my shoulder, I said, “Let me know immediately if it’s Richter.” As I ducked out of her room, I considered heading down to talk to Circe, but when I looked out a window, the river churned. She seemed in no mood to chat.

Sooner or later, Aric and I would have to approach her about the spell.

I made my way to his study. He called it
our
study, but I would always consider it his alone—the sanctuary where my scholar/warrior husband curated his treasures.

He stood as I entered. Such a gentleman.

When I’d initially come to this castle, he’d always kept the desk between us. Now he wasn’t happy unless we touched in some way.

I took his offered hand, and he tugged me to sit on his lap, his fingers interlocking with mine. “I’ve missed you, little wife.” His voice was husky, sending shivers through me. “I had trouble concentrating on work, kept replaying this morning.”

I blushed.

“In theory, that position promised to be rewarding,” he said with a sinful grin. “In practice . . .
earth-shattering
.”

My body was already singing for his touch, my glyphs shivering. He noticed and cast me a look of pure masculine pride—so sexy my breath hitched. Desire banked between us, sparking.

Possessive gaze on my face, he leaned into me, taking my lips as if he hadn’t seen me in weeks, as if he’d never get enough of my kiss.

I couldn’t get enough of his. My palms traced up his chest to rest at his neck, my fingers twining in his tousled hair.

He teased me wickedly, till I would do anything to ease this ache. I wanted him to lose control, to be as lost as I was. Finally I wriggled over his lap, pleading against his lips,
“Aric . . .”

He drew back, eyes blazing. He stood, setting me on the edge of the desk. With one sweep of his arm, he sent all his papers flying, clearing the way for me to lie back. Well, clearing everything except for the poppy that still grew.

He used his speed to strip us just enough. Not at all like a gentleman.

He was fierce with me on that desk.

And then on the couch.

And then up against the bookshelves with my legs around his waist. We were
both
fierce, the force jarring books from their shelves.

When they went crashing to the floor, I cried, “Your books!” They meant everything to him.

He laughed, his face
glorious
. “Let them fall!”

“But these are your treasures.”

Voice rough with lust, he said, “I have one treasure.” He slowed, pinning my gaze with his starry one. “And she owns my soul.”

Between breaths, I said, “Does she, then?”

He nodded. “She keeps it right here”—he pressed his palm over my heart—“next to hers. . . .”

Afterward, as my pulse tried to return to normal and I basked in his tender kisses, I asked,

“You’re truly not mad?” I recognized his favorite book on the floor—
The Prince
. The one written in the original Italian.

With his forehead resting against mine, he said, “In the past, I never had anything more than the game and my books and relics. No longer. I have a wife I adore. I am more than a mere killer and a collector. I am a
husband
.” He rocked his hips, ready for more. “And if I’m not mistaken, I’m a damned good one.”

_______________

“I have something for you,” I told Aric after we’d showered and dressed. “Will you sit there and close your eyes?” I waved him toward the bed, determined to give him the ring I’d secretly pocketed again.

Brows raised, he sat. “I’m not a lover of surprises,
sievā
.”

“Especially not from me, huh?”

With a half grin, he closed his eyes.

He’d said he was a damn good husband. God, I agreed. So what was I waiting for?

As I reached for the ring, the wolves started howling at something. Lark’s zootopia was going to drive us insane before it was all done. I tried to ignore them, telling Aric, “I hope you like it.”

The wolves got louder and louder.

I’d just worked my hand into my pocket when a scream came from somewhere in the castle. Lark?

“I FOUND FINN!!” The mountain echoed her with a thousand animal calls.

Aric was on his feet in a flash. “Shall we reconvene later for my surprise?”

“Yes!” We both hurried to find Lark. She was in the entry hall, with a train of creatures following her.

“Well, where is he?” I asked, thrilled that Finn was alive. “Did he tell your falcon what happened to him?”

She nodded excitedly. “Over the last few months, he teamed up with Joules and Gabriel. Since there haven’t been any Arcana calls, the three of them have been attacking the Emperor in guerrilla raids. Once the falcon found Finn, he split from the other two. He scored a car, so he can follow—”

“The Tower and the Archangel?” Aric interrupted her. Voice dropping to a menacing pitch, he said, “Are you leading the Magician in this direction?” At her terrified nod, he snapped, “To
this castle
?”