Balance Of The Worlds (10 page)

She woke the next morning filled with determination. Nelciana didn’t know what to make of him, and she definitely didn’t understand his motivation, but she wasn’t going to let him get to her any longer.

He’d kissed her and then ran away. What was she supposed to think of that? She pushed her confusion with him aside. She had other, more important, things to worry about.

First, no locked door was keeping her from whatever tasks she had assigned herself. And neither was the King of Confusion.

She may not have been in Relaklonos anymore, but she
was
in her home world—one she had spent centuries guiding for her own people.

With the evacuation of all of her people to Levia—and the Nellanas had thrived in Gaia—Levia’s numbers had swollen to greater heights than she had ever imagined. She had
people
to guide.

And they were
all
worried about the upcoming war. They all knew it was happening—a Nellana, always tied to the creatures and plants around them, could
feel
the disharmony that was coming. And they were looking at her to lead them through this.

She could not be
locked away
in a tower by a stupid male who thought he knew what was best for her. Who kissed her and then walked away like nothing had happened between them. The very idea of it was ridiculous.

She spent the morning caring for her children, and then she went in search of that stupid male. Nelciana found him on the grounds of his manor house.

Lothonos turned toward her. “I see you escaped my strongholds. Interesting. Care to explain how you did it?”

“The magic
your
Druids used to craft such a simple spell is based on one
I
helped my mother develop long ago. Of course, I could reverse them. I am not without strengths of my own, Lotho. You need to remember that. Wasn’t that one of the reasons you selected me for your breeding program? How long do you plan to try this?”

“As long as I can.” He waved his servants away and stepped toward her, looking tall and dark and mysterious. Most Druidic males were those things—with a sometimes
un
healthy dose of antisocial tendency thrown in. “Did you sleep well?”

Of course she hadn’t. She’d lain awake most of the night thinking about how he had looked when he told her that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe. How intense he had felt what he said. How much passion and heat had been in his kiss.

Druids weren’t supposed to show how they felt. It just wasn’t how they
were.
Especially this god of the Gain Druids. “Not as well as I would have in my own home.”

“Your home isn’t protected enough. I am not quite certain that even mine is. I have been reevaluating.”

“And?” If there was anything she knew for certain, it was that this male was the best at war strategy. That reassure her somewhat.

“I do not know yet. I need to speak with Eiophon and some of the others.”

“Always so cautious. Will you ever share with me what it is you decide? Or am I to be locked in the tower with the babes while you handle everything? Tell me, Lotho—who will guide those of
my
Kind while I am so helplessly kept in your care?”

His expression darkened. “Do you think I am doing this just to harm you or take your choices away?”

She paused for a moment. “I do not understand you at all. I am not certain that I ever will.”

He stepped closer. Before she could step away, his hands were around her waist and he was lifting her off of her feet. “There are but few things you truly need to understand about me, goddess Nelciana…”

“What are they?” Her words escaped on a whisper. She didn’t fight the hard hands around her when they pulled her even closer. “Lotho?”

“I will never hurt you. And I do care for you. In many ways. You were
never
just a broodmare. I have never thought of you that way. And I have thought of you often…mostly at night, wondering…”

Before she could respond he was kissing her. In typical Lothonos fashion, slow and methodical. Deliberate.

She kissed him back. She didn’t know why—she was still so angry with him she could barely
breathe,
but at the touch of his lips on hers she couldn’t think of anything else. Her fingers curled on the cotton of his Gaian shirt. Damn him; this wasn’t fair, was it? How could she be so angry with him, yet let him do this to her?

He tangled his hand in her hair—she hadn’t thought to braid it out of her way before searching for him. He used the hold to tilt her head back so he could reach her mouth better.

And to the heavens,
she
let him. What was she doing? She tried to pull away. “Lotho…”

“You are one of the very few who call me that. I have not always liked it. Nicknames seem so illogical. But when you say it…I remember…”

“Remember what?”

“How you said it that night, when I touched you…right here…” He brushed a single finger down her front, and stopped just short of one nipple. She had no doubt he knew right where it was—the thin material of the
vestis
she wore probably showed exactly where he had excited her—but he chose to tease her.

Lotho, teasing her. “I don’t remember…”

“A pity. I remember. I remember every second of our time together. And I replay it every night in my bed. I have waited long to get you here again. I am not certain that I can wait much longer to have you in my bed again—“

“Well. Getting a bit hot in here now, isn’t it?”

At the snarky female voice Lothonos pulled away from her. Just enough for her to see the two women walking up behind him.

Her sister. And Phaenna.

How had they gotten there? Past his safeguards? She stepped aside and righted her
vestis
and smoothed her hair. “Loren, Phaenna, how did you get here?”

“Oh, a little trick we both share apparently.” Loren hugged her. Nelciana resisted the urge to hug back. “Barrier-bending at its finest.”

“I want to see the
babies!
I have a great love for babies. I gave the babe Thas to Aureliana, you know.” Phaenna was poking into the flowerpots nearest Lothonos. She fingered some leaves and bent down to sniff some of the blooms. “Interesting. I shall take some of these back with me, as well. Quite beautiful. Do they have a name?”

“They are Nelas. Named for our mother,” Nelciana said, remembering her first few days in Levia after the Dark Sorcerer’s attack. How homesick she had been. “And Nella and Dres should be resting inside.”

She felt Lothonos stiffen beside her. She wrapped her fingers around his to keep him from saying anything.

Her sister, her babes. Her decision.

She’d let his cousin Domustri meet the babes at their welcoming ceremony, hadn’t she?

***

He felt how her excitement had thrummed through her when she recognized her sister. Her happiness. How could he deny her the right to share their children with the only living family she had? She
was
the goddess of family, and the desire for one was so strong in her. If he could, he would give her the family she wished for every day. He knew how she felt, how she longed. Lothonos had watched her for over a century, after all.

He wasn’t particularly close to his family, just Eiophon and Acylias, but he would share them if that was what she wanted.

Lothonos would give the female everything she desired.

If she would just cooperate.

Once this upcoming war ended, they would have forever to be together. Perhaps by that time he would convince
her
of that. Perhaps.

She led the way to the nursery. Lothonos felt the awkwardness of the moment when Nelciana introduced the two visitors to the wolf girl who had the reborned soul of one of her sisters.

All the awkwardness faded away when Nelciana slipped their daughter into the Laquazzeana Loren’s arms.

There was a visible family connection.

“You named her for Mother, and Nela.”

Nelciana brushed a hand over their daughter’s silky black girls. “And for you, and the others that were lost.”

“Yes, Mother did like to name her daughters after herself, didn’t she?” There was a shared laugh between the two sisters.

His son stirred in his cradle, and Lothonos scooped his heir from the soft bedding. His son looked like
him.
Their daughter, though, she was her mother’s image. So beautiful. So dear to his heart.

“I will take the little Druid god. He is a fine, sturdy boy, isn’t he? Quite beautiful. Much like his yummy father.” The one called Phaenna did not give him a chance to protest before she slipped his son out of his arms. Not that Lothonos thought he would be able to stop her.

There was an intensity about her that he did not yet understand, for all that her randomness annoyed him. There were greater depths to
this
Laquazzeana than he was prepared to think about. Yet.

And he didn’t quite trust her with his children. He positioned himself next to the window that overlooked his favorite courtyard.

“Oh, yes. This little one and his sister—they have great destinies, do they not? Worlds will depend on them someday. Do not forget the power they will wield when they reach their maturity. And do not underestimate the draw they will have for those of darkness. Protect them, and protect them
well.
Always, remember the
child.”

The seriousness of her tone had Lothonos straightening and fighting the urge to yank his son out of her arms. “What do you mean, draw?”

Her eyes cleared. “Just what
you
already knew. These two and Kennera’s—they’ll one day control a power envied by many. It is
your
task to see that they live to that day. I am sure you are able to handle just that duty, my handsome creature. There is just something about your dark broodiness. No wonder our Nelciana is drawn to you so much. Although her tastes had certainly changed from the times when the big blond goodiness of Jushua pulled her love, haven’t they? Now. There was something else I was supposed to tell you. Ah, yes…Nalik the Black has requested your assistance with some logistics challenge. You and Kennera’s wolf. Something about shoring up Thrun so that it doesn’t fall again.”

“I will go as soon as I can. After arrangements for Nelciana and the children are made.”

“I am those arrangements,” the sister said. “Phaenna and I, that is. We’re going to stay here in Levia until Eiophon can return. Jushua was going to come, but he was needed in Galaosis. I volunteered. I wanted to see my sister—and his. They’re expecting you in the morning. They figured you would need today for your own planning.”

“Yes, of course.” It burned him. He was not insignificant, though he was no Laquazzeana. He had his own Kind to manage and guide. He could not just drop everything whenever one of those bastards beckoned.

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch. They’re not planning to keep you too long. And I’m playing nice, even though you dragged my sister back to this keep of yours against her will. I should shrivel your balls for a few days for that.”

“Loren…”

“I know. Not exactly what mother had in mind when she invented that spell…”

Nelciana laughed—a full, rich, beautiful sound of true joy that had Lothonos’ gut tightening with instant lust. Had he heard her laugh like that before? He did not think so.

He would do his damnedest to make her repeat that sound. Perhaps, naked.

“I think that was exactly what mother had in mind. Father had been pestering her that day, and she was carrying
you,
I believe, and feeling poorly. She shriveled him for over a week, while she rested.”

He did not even want to think of Nelciana possessing such an unnatural power. “I have much to do.”

The females laughed again—including Nelciana. “Yes, Lotho, I know
how
to do that. Just remember that.”

His cousin hurried everywhere. Lothonos found Eiophon in his own hall, holding his young son. When Lothonos delivered the message, Eiophon wasn’t any happier than Lothonos had been. And Eiophon decided then and there to get to Relaklonos and back as quickly as possible. “You don’t have to rush. Sometimes it is better to think your actions through.”

“And sometimes it is best to get things done and back to your female. I don’t have the time for this, now. Had it been anyone other than Eaudne who called…”

“Yes, I can see where you must honor that.” Kennera’s mother was so dear to her, that Eiophon was making great attempts to win her affection. Lothonos thought it was rather ridiculous of his cousin to even try—it was because of the wolf that Kennera had been imprisoned for three thousand years. Yes, in the last year that had been forgiven—by Kennera—but it did not erase the fact that it had happened.

And Eaudne was making that fact known to her son-in-law.

Lothonos thought Eaudne just enjoyed watching Eiophon suffer.

It was obvious her daughter was happy
now
and he strongly suspected that was what mattered most to Eaudne. Eiophon had shown up in Lothonos’ home earlier, and Lothonos had the suspicion his cousin had intended to drag him along whether Lothonos agreed to or not.

“So did you truly steal Nelciana out of her room in Relaklonos in the midst of the night? What purpose did you have in that? I did not think the two of you that close.”

“I had my reasons for taking her to my home. But she returned to Levia herself—she even used the portkey before I stepped through. I did not
take her from her bed
.” His thoughts darkened when he thought of how he had last seen his female. She had been practicing with a sword alongside her sister—stating she wanted to prepare. She would never get close enough to the war to need a
sword.
“My reasons are my own.”

“You cannot play everything so close to your chest, Loth.” Eiophon looked at him. “If you have feelings for Nelciana, do not waste time with stupidity. I wasted three thousand years. I will not forget that.”

“And I told you that all those years ago.”

“And now I am returning the favor. Heed my advice better than I heeded yours.”

“I do not know how to handle her.”

“I can think of a few ways. Nelciana is a female who
thinks
strongest through her emotions. That is where you must meet her if this is what you want. That may be a bit difficult for you. Make her feel
for you.
”

“Yes, it is. But if that is what I must do. Then I will.”