Awakening Beauty (17 page)

What is it about bloody Aurora?
she wondered as she hurried along the passage back to the drawing-room. An entire castle full of royal family, nobles and staff, had all been completely besotted with her. Valborga’s own sisters had taken Aurora’s side against one of their own. Although it wasn’t the first time they’d done so, it was certainly the first time they’d punished Valborga so severely for her crime.

Valborga squashed down the old rage at that and returned to the present. Which was that Aurora now had Joel eating out of her hand when Valborga needed him to complete her plan.

Entering the drawing-room, she saw that, as usual, Joel was playing his part to perfection. It gave her a sneaking satisfaction to see him standing in as host for her, greeting her guests as if they were already married, already one. She hoped Aurora understood that subtlety too.

Smiling, she hurried up to him, noting with a twinge of irritation the speed with which he came to meet her, the anxiety creasing his brow as he demanded, “How is Aurora?”

“She’ll be fine,” Valborga soothed, smiling at a late arrival and offering her cheek with a few words of welcome. “She just needs to lie down for a bit.”

“What’s the matter with her?” Joel asked.

Damn him, why couldn’t he be as repelled as every other man by the mysterious and dreadful words “women’s trouble”?

“Darling, don’t make me discuss that here in public. Aurora would never forgive either of us. Now, come and meet Peter Grimm. As leader of the party, his favor will be vital to you.”

Actually, after tonight, the only vital favor in this country will be mine…

Joel found Peter Grimm to be most welcoming. They’d been acquainted socially for several years, but now, already clearly primed by Vee, Grimm was flatteringly delighted by Joel’s interest and by what his election could do for the party.

“We’ll be in power in no time,” he said with satisfaction. “This government has had its day. The next election is ours!”

Joel rather thought he was right, although after a slightly deeper discussion he found Grimm to be somewhat limited in vision. Vee was right about that—the party needed someone with more than just enthusiasm and a likeable manner. Joel knew that he could drive things forward, promote and carry out wide, sweeping changes that truly would benefit the country.

Even without Vee’s active support in the election, he could do this. And with Aurora by his side, who knew what he could accomplish?

For the first time in years, he felt excited about his career. A far more selfless ambition was rising up, inextricably tied with the unexpected new happiness of his personal life. Aurora…

The unease lurking at the back of his mind caused by her sudden “women’s trouble” rose again to the surface. Mixed with worry was a desire to tell her about his excitement at his new political future, and a basic, intense desire simply to be with her.

Vee was on the other side of the room, saying goodbye to guests who had to leave early. During a faint lull in the conversation—the music had paused too—he heard her saying, “I’m so sorry you have to go! I was about to show everyone my mysterious birthday present. But I’m sure you’ll hear all about it.”

Joel moved toward her, in the renewed buzz of questions and laughter and a burst of lively music from the discreetly hidden speakers. But someone else had caught her attention, and suddenly he just couldn’t be bothered with going through the motions of politeness and fielding curious questions from the other guests. He’d already acted as host for Vee this evening, so he’d damn well take advantage of the position.

Turning, he left the room by the inner door, the one that led to Vee’s bedroom and to the best guest room. In his time, Joel had occupied both and he was sure Aurora would be in one of them.

Striding down the passage, he came first to the guest bedroom, gave a quick perfunctory knock and threw open the door. Although it was immaculately made-up as usual, he knew at once that Aurora wasn’t there. He couldn’t smell her, couldn’t
sense
her.

Not even pausing to close the door, he covered the few strides to Vee’s own room and gave the same back-handed knock, almost at the same time as he turned the handle. Only this time the door didn’t budge.

That wasn’t very trusting of Vee, locking her door against her own birthday guests. Only why would she lock it if Aurora were in there? His gaze dropped to the lock. And why would she leave the key there? Frowning, he called urgently, “Aurora?”

There came a clunk, a thump and some rustling, through which Aurora’s breathless voice answered, “Joel? Oh good, how do I get out of here? She’s locked me in.”

“What the…?” Anger such as he’d rarely felt surged up against the woman he’d always regarded as a friend. What the hell was she thinking of? Furiously, he took hold of the key still in the lock and wrenched it around. The lock turned easily and he pushed against the door. It still didn’t give.

He frowned, trying in vain to turn the key farther. “Aurora, are you all right?”

“I’m fine…”

“I’ve unlocked the door but it won’t budge. I’m going to get Vee.”

“No!” Aurora cried out in clear alarm. “Don’t do that! She must have put some kind of spell on it. Joel, Joel, are you still there?” Her voice seemed to be coming from very close now, as if she’d thrown herself to her knees and was speaking through the keyhole.

At the obvious distress in her voice, Joel found himself crouching down to comfort her. “Of course I’m still here. I just want to get you out of there the quickest way, and Vee is in for the verbal smacking of her life.”

As he spoke, as lightly and soothingly as he could, he drew the key from the lock, peering inside it to find the source of whatever was blocking it. But all he could see through the tiny hole was a shadowy section of Aurora’s lips and her teeth biting down on her lower lip.

“It’ll be something more mundane than magic,” he promised her, eyeing the space between the door and the frame across which the lock should slide. There was nothing there, and yet when he turned the handle once more, he still couldn’t budge the door. “Bizarre,” he murmured.

“Joel, I understand it now, or some of it at least. I know why I slept so long and I know we have to stop Valborga before she regains all her old power and more—the power she wanted when she first attacked me.”

Distracted, Joel laid his forehead against the door. Somehow, in the last week, he’d become so absorbed in Aurora, in his love for her, that he’d almost forgotten the shadowy threat that hung over her. Any vague attempt to research her history had resulted in dead ends. Aurora’s birth had been recorded, but there was no record of her death or anything else about her. It was as if she’d been forgotten by history. But after a thousand years it wasn’t surprising. It wasn’t as if she’d ever reigned in Schlaushagen and, except as marriage tools and the bearers of heirs, women hadn’t been regarded as being very important in those days. She wasn’t the only woman to be lost in the mists of time. What was surprising, to say the least, was that she was still here. And in Vee’s locked bedroom.

Shaking his head to clear it, he said grimly, “I won’t let her harm you. Vee picked a bad time to play such games.”

“Joel, listen to me,” she pleaded and, aching for her obvious pain, he placed his lips at his side of the keyhole. He felt like a stupidly romantic boy prevented by a cruel guardian from contacting his love, and he didn’t care.

“I’m listening,” he whispered.

“Joel, Valborga is
here
. In this house.”

He inhaled sharply. Weirdly, he could taste Aurora, as if he’d drawn her breath in with his own. The sensation overcame the sudden prickling of alarm at her words. “Have you seen her?” he asked urgently.

“Yes…”

Something clicked. It didn’t make a sound, yet he was aware that something in the door suddenly gave. Flinging out one hand he again grasped the handle and the door swung open.

Aurora threw herself into his arms and he clutched her to him with the satisfied feeling of reattaching a missing part of himself.

“I was trying to climb out the window when I heard you,” she confided.

“Aurora, you could have killed yourself! It’s too high.”

“Well, I didn’t know what she’d done with you.”

“Yes, well,” Joel said, releasing her and squaring his shoulders. “Time to have a final chat with Vee, I think.”

Aurora seized his shoulder and gave him a frustrated little shake. “Joel, haven’t you grasped it yet? Vee
is
Valborga!”

Chapter Thirteen

It was the moment Aurora dreaded. She knew the knowledge would hurt him. Worse, she was afraid he would blame the accusation on her own jealousy, and she was aware they didn’t have time to quarrel. They needed to work together to foil Valborga.

Joel stared at her, frowning. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said at last. “I’ve known Vee forever.”

“No, you haven’t. You’ve known her a few years. I’ve known her considerably longer.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I only just recognized her! I was with you, holding your hand, perfectly happy, even feeling magnanimous toward her, and then she turned around and it was if her mask slipped. She saw at once that I knew her. That’s why she grabbed me and put some kind of sleeping spell on me. I was so afraid I was going under for another thousand years and that you’d be dead when I woke!”

She couldn’t help throwing both arms around him once more, and he hugged her convulsively. “Shit, Aurora, this is way beyond me. I can deal with business conflict. I’d fight off any number of robbers or muggers for you. I can even deal with a jealous ex who locks my girlfriend in her bedroom. But this stuff, this magic you’re talking of, I don’t understand any of it. What does she
want
?”

“Power, like you said.” Aurora had spent some time thinking about Valborga’s words while she worried away at the window lock with a hairpin from the dressing table. “It was what she always wanted. She used to be very strong, but her sisters were always enough to counteract her. From what I remember, and from the fairytale you told me, I think that when I was born, she cursed me. I never knew why, and to be honest I don’t think anyone else did either. They put it down to plain badness, but now I think she always had a plan. The curse was a spell to draw me to the spinning wheel, to make me prick my finger.”

Aurora frowned. “I don’t quite understand that bit yet. But I was meant to die of it, and my death should somehow have given Valborga the extra power she craved. At the moment I fell asleep, every memory of me died.” She swallowed. “My parents, my friends. They never even knew they were bereaved. I should be glad for them, and yet it hurts me so much not to be remembered, not even to have been known.”

Joel’s arms tightened. His lips in her hair, on her forehead and cheeks, comforted her, gave her the strength to move on with her urgent explanation.

Catching at his head with both hands, she said. “But the good fairies, Valborga’s sisters, stepped in yet again. Though they couldn’t undo the curse, they commuted it, so that I slept rather than died. True love always breaks a bad spell, so I suppose they hoped my true love would find me and kiss me. Only he never did, until you came.”

Joel regarded her with fascination. “You say the most outrageous things as if they’re plain fact. ‘True love always breaks a bad spell’. How the hell can you
know
that?”

Aurora shrugged. “It
was
plain fact in my day. Everybody knew it. How do you think we broke the spell on the bedroom door just now? Our breath mingled, the breath of lovers, and overcame it. That was how I finally recognized Vee, because we were holding hands, because we have grown so close and because…” She broke off and gave him a quick, teasing look. “Because you’ve stopped fighting it and accepted me as your love.”

Something leapt in his eyes, drowning his struggle to accept her explanation. “Oh, I accept you. That part I have no trouble in believing.” He lowered his head, bestowing a quick, sensual kiss on her lips. “And if our love gives us strength against Valborga, then by all means let us do a little more loving.”

“Joel,” she protested in a half-hearted sort of a way. He pushed her against the wall and followed to pin her there by his hips so she could feel his erection growing. Suddenly breathless, she realized he was serious, and her heart seemed to plunge straight downward past her stomach to her core, which heated with sudden, completely inappropriate desire.

Joel’s hot, clouded eyes devoured her. His hand, swiftly freeing her breast from the alluring green dress, caressed with urgent, trembling fingers that melted her to delicious weakness. “I can’t keep my hands off you. You tell me that’s a good thing, so take your medicine,” he breathed, covering her mouth with his.

Oh help, did they have time for this? Did she care? Was the satisfaction of this craving not more important right now than anything? Of course not. Valborga in charge of the world didn’t bear thinking about, and she tried to tell him so, muttering the words into his devouring mouth, even while she kissed him back.

He dragged up her skirt with his free hand, spreading his fingers over her thigh and sliding inward to her already wet panties. He gave a grunt of satisfaction and drew them to one side, his thumb sliding over her slick, sensitive clitoris and making her gasp and writhe against him.

Wicked excitement that she was doing this with him in Valborga’s own house, where they could be discovered by her or anyone else at any time, surged through Aurora, urging her on. She lifted one leg over his thigh, pushing her hands between their bodies to unfasten his buttons, feverishly seeking and finding his now fully erect cock. His breath hissed when she grasped it, and guided it to her hungry pussy. Standing on tiptoe to give him easier access, she pushed his cock inside herself and gave a moan of pleasure and need.

But he was already thrusting. Like that day in the kitchen, this was hard and fast and furious, and with the extra, naughty fillip of possible discovery, Aurora’s climax rose quickly. As they strained and writhed, coupling with a desperation that was entirely new to her, she wondered if she could stop now, even to save the world, and realized as orgasm exploded, convulsing her, that this wonder, this joy could never destroy the world. Only the lack of it could do that. And Joel joining her at the peak with a muffled groan was like an affirmation.