Fire's Touch (The Enlightened Species Book Three) (24 page)

Mattie staggered toward her. “Stacey, I need to talk to you.”

Conlon sealed Jess’s wrist. Reaching up, he gripped the back of Stacy’s head and pulled her face to his. His lips took hers with so much need, she forgot where she was. Tongue’s tangled …

“Stacey, please,” Mattie cried.

Conlon’s grip lifted. “I’m fucking dying, Stacey,” he whispered. She knew exactly what he meant. Felt the same way.

“ME, TOO,” Mattie snapped and dropped to sit next to her with knees to her chest, rocking.

Conlon stood and leaned to her cheek. “Later?” She nodded enthusiastically. He rubbed the top of Mattie’s head and wandered off. Everyone else had already left … probably to give Stacey and Conlon privacy.

“Your timing sucks. What’s up?” Stacey muttered to the tortured Tellus.

****

Johnny’s laughter lilted to him from the playground. The first time Mick heard it, he recognized it from the vision Innanna had shared with him at Meshy Hell. Just the simple sound of his son’s happiness made Mick’s entire day. Johnny was more than his child … he was a chance for Mick to make amends for horrible things done in the name of Osiris. He’d raise Johnny with love, duty, honor, integrity, and a strong sense of right and wrong. When combined with Stacey’s fiery, intelligent determination and financial stability, his son had opportunities that would have been inconceivable to Mick five years ago.

Sure, Mick had a job and lived under the blanket of the Symbiosis of Species Council. The fact that Mick, personally, was impoverished hadn’t bothered him. He’d never had his own money. When he needed it in the field, Osiris had supplied it. Many of his older brothers had compounds of their own away from Osiris’s, yet all had been financially paid for by Osiris. Ten had always been content to live with the other soldiers and guards wherever he’d been sent. Now the SOSC supplied his employment, shelter, food … everything.

He spoke six languages fluently, could hold his own with several more, which didn’t mean he could read and write very well in any of them. Stacey recommended he enroll in some business management courses between his work schedule and time spent with Johnny.
If not for yourself, do it for Johnny. Someday Winkel Holdings will fall to his shoulders. His father’s support will be invaluable to him, trust me.
His classes would be starting next week, and Stacey had hired Mick a tutor. How do you thank a female who asks nothing and gives everything?

If he had not already fallen in love with Mattie, he might have considered challenging Conlon. Stacey and Conlon were a good match, plus Conlon was terrific with Johnny and Mick. He couldn’t imagine why Stacey and Conlon hadn’t bloodmated yet.

A few times when Mick had found himself flustered with his son, it was Conlon who came to help him understand what to do. Conlon had taught Mick how to properly hold Johnny so his son could practice flight, how to encourage Johnny to go down the slide. Umbrae’s children had toy weapons made in the old way by hand. Johnny wanted one too. Enlil and Eros both offered, but Mick really wanted to make the gift himself. Without him asking, Conlon knocked on Mick’s door at two in the morning.

“Come on.”

“Where are we going? Is Johnny okay?” Mick stumbled behind the big warrior, trying to dress.

When he stepped into the fully equipped metal and wood working shop, Mick felt completely overwhelmed. Conlon spent hours helping Mick not only learn to make a child-sized sword, but also adding the loving details—working the leather for the scabbard and smelt-molding the buckles. By late morning they emerged with Mick clutching his son’s gift.

“I don’t know how to thank you, Conlon.”

Conlon just shrugged. “We’ll work on daggers, slingshots, and others over time.”

Mick knew the answer would torture him, yet he asked the question anyway. “How did you learn?”

“My father and brother Gregor; in turn, we taught Shane. Miguel had no inclination for weaponry. Back then there were no power tools to aid the process. It took days, sometimes months to do what you did in a night.” Mick wished he’d grown up an Einar, instead of being Ten; the number/name meant nothing.

As if he could read Mick’s mind, Conlon stopped walking and turned to meet Mick’s saddened gaze. “You are not your father, Mick. It’s okay that you are learning as you go. The Hulven males will all have to face the same thing. None of them were raised Elven, none of them were born with the traits and instincts we have. Believe it or not, Stacey struggles with many of the same things. Becoming into Volaticus traits and psychic abilities in your twenties is not the same as being born with them. You’re Hulven brethren are looking to you for example; I for one am impressed with your fatherhood strides. If you doubt me, look deeply into Johnny’s eyes—he admires you, he loves you. That’s all any father can hope for.” That was the most he’d ever heard Conlon speak … to anyone. Except maybe Stacey.

After that conversation, it became easier for Mick to seek aid when it came to Johnny’s Elven side. When other Hulven males started to become fathers, they needed to know it was okay to ask for help. Mick took Conlon’s words to heart.

Johnny had loved the sword. Stacey told him he even slept with it every night. Mick couldn’t wait to start on a dagger. His son showed the stealth of Mick’s assassin bloodline. So did Umbrae’s smallest Elven daughter Erisa. Warriors usually fought in units or pairs. Assassins worked alone or with a spotter. Warriors were strategic, amazing in combat and large scale attacks, hunting rogues and Morsdentes. An assassin used patience, spending as long as needed studying their target to learn patterns of behavior, routines, choosing the best opportunity to strike quickly and efficiently with deadly silence.

Mick could clash swords, but he knew a warrior would always win that fight. Gathering reconnaissance information, up close and personal kills with a dagger, or tranquilizing for capture—those were the fights in which Mick and the other members of the Sicarius bloodline excelled. Mick also had a knack with explosives like a warrior. He often wondered if his mother had come from a warrior bloodline … or mining.

“You miss her already?” Umbrae’s question interrupted his thoughts.

Mattie’s mother had summoned Mattie. She’d denied the psychic pull of the queen as long as she could until her mother had increased the pressure, using the cumulative energy of the entire colony. Mattie had left a few days ago.

“Yes.” Mick cared for his cousin, appreciated the countless hours Umbrae had invested building Mick’s mental shields against his father. Social conversation did not come naturally to him. Of all his cousins, Umbrae understood that best.

She nodded and Mick smiled as her children raced into the playground where Johnny already played. A troop of nannies followed the youngsters. Umbrae pulled up the spot of grass next to him. “So…” Umbrae hedged, unlike her normal way of bluntness. “I heard Mattie is heir to her mother’s throne.”

Now he understood Umbrae’s hesitation. Since Hans and Umbrae had been partners before she’d had children, it didn’t surprise him that Umbrae knew of the nuptial contract between Hans and Mattie. Why would Umbrae ask him about it now? “She is to be queen … someday.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“I feel lucky for every minute she spends with me, but I know my place in her life is limited and possibly temporary. She is my friend first, my love—I mean lover—second.” His unintentional slip had Umbrae narrowing her eyes at him; thankfully she let it pass and changed the subject to the children.

In truth, Mick felt Mattie’s absence like a hollow pit in his stomach. What if this trip to her colony ended up being the one when her mother forced her mating and handed down the crown? What if Mick never got to hold her again? Every time Mattie returned to her colony, Mick endured the same fears, yet every time she returned to him. He tried to remain positive by tracking his son and Umbrae’s son Harmen as they raced on the grass. The nannies’ voices joined two of Umbrae’s little girls, who clapped and cheered for the boys. Erisa silently evaluated the boys’ movements, the other girls’ enthusiasm, everything.

“She’s going to be ...” Umbrae started.

“Deadly.” He finished her sentence. Umbrae nodded, her lips lifted in a proud grin. Mick could not agree more. Tiny Erisa would be a force unto herself one day.

“She sneaks up on me and Enlil all the time. I swear she almost shadowed yesterday. The moniker ‘ghost’ fits her to a tee.” Umbrae chuckled under her breath.

Johnny was older than Umbrae’s quads. If Erisa showed signs of shadowing, chances were Johnny would be very soon also. He tucked the thought away. Perhaps Eros could guide him on how to address child shadowing. At least Umbrae’s bloodmate could still see Erisa if the girl shimmered and vanished. Neither Mick nor Stacey had that ability should Johnny do it. Stacey’s maternal bond might give her an advantage. Mick felt twinges of his slowly growing paternal bond to Johnny. When Johnny was older, Mick could take a few ounces of Johnny’s blood to complete the father/son connection. Right now he had to be content with the one-way bond Johnny had to Mick from feedings.

The first time Johnny had sent happy baby images into Mick’s psyche, he’d nearly shielded against them. After spending so much time learning to block against the bonds of Osiris, it still felt odd to remain open to anyone, even his son.

“Umbrae?” Her gray eyes turned to him in question. “I’m concerned about my mental shields.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “They are exceptionally strong. You’ve worked hard on them.”

“That’s not what I meant. Johnny has bonded to me through his feedings. How do I ensure I’m blocking against Osiris’s bond without compromising Johnny’s bond to me?” Mick felt sure he’d missed many things his son telepathically sent, and the things he received filled him with both joy and fear for his safety. Could Osiris pick up on the occasional things Johnny sent him? He knew she could hear the tremble in his voice.

Umbrae’s brows furled. “Honestly, I don’t know. It will be a relief when Osiris is destroyed, for all of us.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. Umbrae had been kidnapped once and almost killed another time by Osiris.

“You ready?” Aymee asked Umbrae.

“Ready.” Umbrae stood. “Mind them.” She called to her three nannies sitting on the opposite side of the playground chatting with Johnny’s nanny Meg.

Mick looked over his shoulder where Stacey, Jess, and Aymee stood. Stacey smiled at him. “That goes for you too.” Her gaze shifted to Johnny.

Sure, Meg was present, but the fact that Stacey entrusted Johnny to Mick’s care was amazing. Mick opened his mouth to thank her, but Cassie limped up, holding her stomach, her dark skin pallid. Mick knew that look.
It’s happening.
Sad knowledge ripped him open before Cassie could even utter a word.

“Fates, what’s wrong?” Stacey had to practically catch Cassie as she stumbled.

“Smmned.” Her words were unintelligible to everyone but Mick. He only understood it because he expected it.

Mick turned back to his son before the females could see his expression. “Summoned,” he clarified.

Cassie panted hard, her next word clear to everyone. “Mating.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Stacey snapped. “Hasn’t the queen done enough to hurt you? Now she’s making you
watch
the male you love mate another?” Mick could feel his shoulders slump. “Sorry, Mick. That was … thoughtless of me.” Her hand landed on his shoulder with a gentle squeeze.

“It’s okay. I knew it would happen eventually.” He blinked the moisture from his eyes. Incredibly, Johnny dropped the ball he’d been playing with, toddled over, and climbed into Mick’s lap, wrapping his arms around Mick’s neck … giving comfort. Holding the back of his son’s head to his shoulder, Mick marveled at the offered innocent compassion of his son’s empathy.
Johnny needs his father to be strong.
Mick pushed the hurt away and focused on the joy of his child in his arms.

“Meg …” Stacey received a nod from her nanny in response. Stacey kissed Johnny’s cheek next to Mick’s head. Her scent still affected him, yet he had zero inclination to act on his body’s response. They were parents, friends, nothing more. “I’m going with Cassie. You and Meg are in charge of Johnny, okay?”

“You can’t go,” Conlon said, joining Stacey and Mattie.

They’re voices trailed off as they helped Cassie get to Conlon’s house. “Bullshit, Conlon,” Stacey snapped. “I’m not sending her into a hornets hive alone.”

“Queen Aleen won’t let you into the colony without invitation,” Conlon bit back. “Use your head, Stacey.” Mick felt his grin lift despite everything. Oh, yeah … Stacey and Conlon were a perfect match.
Mattie mating.
His grin faded as Johnny squirmed, and Mick offered his wrist to his hungry son.

Chapter Twenty

Conlon could feel his resolve crumbling as Stacey stood arguing with him in the hallway while Cassie waited in their bedroom. “Please ….” That got him. Stacey had never said please for anything.

“I’ll try. But Stacey, we really need to discuss … that thing.” He was fucking hopeless when it came to broaching the subject of bloodmating with her.

Stacey gave him a knowing look.
“You know, if you’d simply
ask
…” She opened the door to the bedroom and he followed. Was that all she’d been waiting for? Fates, Conlon was an idiot sometimes.

Conlon pulled out his cell phone and punched in the number Mattie had given him in case of emergency. A series of clicks connected the above-ground satellite dish of the colony and re-routed the call to the palace thousands of feet beneath the surface. A soft female voice answered. “Queen Della Aleen’s chamber. May I help you?”

“This is Conlon Einar of the SOSC. I’m trying to reach my partner, Princess Matalina Aleen.” Partnering was important within the Tellus culture, so Conlon put an emphasis on the word.

“Please hold.” The line went silent before Conlon could protest. “The Queen will speak with you, sir.”

The next voice was one he’d recognize anywhere. Queen Aleen had been a friend of his mother’s for centuries. “Conlon, it is so wonderful to hear from you. What is so important that you would intrude on Matalina’s pre-mating sequester?”