Chapter 22 Amick #2
I pass the parchment to him, and he slowly unrolls it about halfway. It’s a lengthy agreement crammed with fine print and more stipulations than I believe were necessary.
“I don’t know. A few days.”
“A few days? Should I ask Kyzen to come assist you to speed that up?”
He grits his teeth and clenches the parchment tighter. I’d rather not do that, but if it truly will take him that long, then I’ll consider filling Kyzen in so he can help reduce that time frame.
“No. I’ll have some answers by tomorrow.”
That’s a relief.
“Very well.”
He steps back into his room and slams his door without returning my small nod. I don’t appreciate the rude dismissal but do appreciate his readiness to get started.
I, too, can forget my pleasantries when an exciting task is presented to me.
“You haven’t told the others about this, have you?” Sevryn asks as I make my way toward their front door.
I’ve had enough of the awkward tension.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“That’s simple. We’ve been stuck under our father’s thumb our whole lives. Even after coming here. That agreement ensures he has access to us, and I don’t want to lead them into believing there’s a way out of it if there isn’t.”
He hums and hesitates before opening his door for me.
“Yeah, I don’t see them taking that well.”
“They wouldn’t. It’d be cruel to dangle a desire like that in front of them, only to rip it away.”
“Well, hopefully, that snobby prick finds something you didn’t.”
That’s one way for him to describe how he feels about his Valtrue member.
With a nod, I pass through their threshold and once again call my power forward. Not wanting to startle anyone, I starshoot a couple of feet away from the table I left Thayla sitting at. Instead of wearing a bright smile, though, a deep frown mars her face.
She attempts to hide her sour features the second she realizes I’ve materialized, but it’s too late.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m fine. That really was quick.”
“Not quick enough. What happened?”
“Really, it’s nothing. Let’s go to your office.”
“Amick, a word, please.”
“Lambrit,” Thayla warns and my concern deepens.
“I won’t say anything about that. There’s another matter I need to discuss with him, remember?”
My attention falls on the folded paper he has pinched between his fingers. Between the bickering that just took place at Yemi’s and now this, the annoyance in me is brewing hotter.
“Come, Lambrit.”
The two of us make our way to my office silently. Thayla’s footsteps echo behind us, but at a purposeful distance.
“You realize she followed us,” I say as he shuts my office door behind him.
“I’m aware. She’ll give us a minute before bursting in.”
“What happened?”
“I’ll let her tell you what’s bothering her, but my matter is different.” He passes me the folded paper, then takes a step away from my desk. “Chancellor Ellian came looking for you while you were gone. He found us and asked me to give that to you as soon as you got back.”
My body falls still as I devour the obscure but incredibly clear warning scripted across the page.
Surprise meeting.
Vote passed.
Mandatory measuring two weeks’ time. Power Worthiness Test.
Including chosen Attendants.
“Thank you for bringing this to me.”
“What does it mean?”
My head snaps in his direction. “Did you read it?”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“The way he smiled at Thayla made me uneasy. It didn’t quite reach his eyes, and it was tight. Then the urgency in his tone as he asked me to give it to you, rather than asking her. I got the sense he didn’t want her to read it and then ask him questions.”
That’s exactly why he gave it to him.
She, no doubt, would’ve flipped it over and read it right then.
“I need to think about this and then inform my Valtrue at one time. The High Chancellor just changed a policy that’s been in place for centuries. Once I discuss it with them, we’ll let you know.”
The dissatisfaction is clear on his face. There’s nothing else I can give him right now, though. This is very upsetting news, but it doesn’t directly affect him, so his need to know will have to wait. He finally nods and turns toward the door.
“Tell Thayla to give me a moment.”
He doesn’t respond as he slips out of my office silently. The click of the door shutting echoes around me, and I breathe through the turmoil attempting to boil me from the inside out.
What I wouldn’t give to be able to tear through Harriseen’s mind and figure out what dangerous game he’s playing.
With everything that’s been going on last week, when he released us from our duties and changed the monthly meeting to later this week, I didn’t blink an eye. I chalked it up to him viewing himself as too good to file the notes from the meeting.
Not once did I recall that this month’s meeting was the one where they were going to vote on the completed Valtrues’ monthly power measuring.
We weren’t supposed to be here for it.
Nor were we supposed to be here for the first measuring.
Had everything gone according to my plan for our quest in finding the Binding, we’d be hiding away somewhere right now, getting the power out of it.
Everything was rushed along thanks to the Messenger and Doren, and nothing has slowed down since then.
I need my thoughts to slow before I act rashly.
My chest expands as I take a deep breath and grip the edge of my desk.
The only reasonable explanation why he’d call a surprise meeting and leave me out of it is because he doesn’t want me to know he has this planned.
Mind you, the rescheduled meeting is still set a few days from now and I’m expected to stand outside the door for it.
What is he playing at?
“Been long enough?”
My gaze cuts to that teasing voice. Whatever look is on my face has Thayla’s falling. She kicks the door closed and is at my side in only a few strides.
“What? What happened?”
I tug her body until she’s pressed between my desk and my chest.
“I already asked you that and you wouldn’t answer me.”
“And judging by the fury on your face a second ago, it’s best I don’t answer you now.”
“That doesn’t work for me. I need to know what happened.”
Instead of giving me a soft smile or tender look like she normally would when I tuck her loose strands behind her ear, her scowl deepens.
“Mellcom approached us while you were gone. He tried to get me to talk to him. Luckily, Ellian’s interruption got him moving along.”
Fire and ice slither under my skin.
It takes everything in me to hold still and not hunt him down.
“What did he say?”
“Just kept asking for us to talk.”
My fingers gently pinch her flaming earlobe.
“There’s more than that.”
“It doesn’t matter. I told him no.”
“It matters to me that he had the audacity to corner you in the Athenaeum without any of us around and tried to force you to talk with him. You can soften the event all you want, Mysenta, but I’m far from dumb. He didn’t ask. He demanded. No one gets to demand anything from you.”
Her gaze pins me in place.
That heat that I had tempered comes roaring back to the surface. In the span of only minutes, two men who have zero say or authority over my Binder are attempting to force things out of her.
One wants her blood.
One, her words.
Both are unworthy of breathing the same air as she does.
My mouth seals to hers faster than I can force a coherent thought across my mind.
The only thing I can think about is the fact that she is mine and I refuse to allow either of them to harm even a hair on her head.
Again.
They’ve both already caused her harm.
One of my hands trails under her shirt and traces down her spine. The other snaps the button at her pants with a quick, precise flick and slides right in.
Her nails dig into my biceps as I use the palm of my hand to apply pressure against her clit and sink a finger inside of her. The resistance from her tight jeans and underwear won’t stop me from giving her exactly what she deserves.
I swallow down her gasp, unwilling to tear my lips from hers.
I’m going to savor every moan, groan, or muffled plea that falls from her.
I will taste her release even though my tongue isn’t between her thighs.
My grip around her waist tightens when her muscles lock up and she loses the ability to hold herself.
Yes, Thayla. Give me your pleasure.
As if her body understood my mental command, she falls apart on my hand. I wait until she’s coming down from her high before I snatch free and drop to my knees.
Her gasp pierces my ears as I remove her shoes and slide her pants off. I can’t bring myself to look up at her. It’s as though her standing bare before me has trapped me in a trance.
I need more.
“Shirt and bra off. Then get on the desk and place your heels on the edge.”
“Ami—”
My gaze silences her.
“Do as I said.”
Her chest heaves and her eyes flare as she slowly peels the cloth over her head. I watch it slowly slip from her fingers onto the ground beside me, and before I can cast my gaze back to hers, her bra follows.
My fingers flex against her hips as she grips my desk. With a small assist from me, she pushes herself up and positions her body exactly as she was told to.
Her legs spread wide, leaving me eye level with my undoing.
The evidence of her orgasm burst across my taste buds, and I groan as I plunge my tongue inside of her.
The sound of books thundering to the floor is drowned out by sweet, reckless moans of my name. I couldn’t care less.
I’d let my most cherished text fall to ruin just to hear her beg me again and again.
I pull myself free from the confines of my pants after her second whimpered please. By the third, I’m standing between her thighs, lining myself up with her.
“Amick.”
I thrust forward, burying myself until there’s no space between our bodies.
Her back arches and I’ve never seen a sight so glorious.
Nothing in this realm could compare to watching my Binder tremble beneath me in pleasure whilst spread out across unraveled scrolls and open books.
When she goes sliding away from me, I tug her back by her thighs and hold on. My eyes trace every inch of her as my hips pump faster, deeper.
Frantic for more of her.
The unrestrained desire reflected at me in her gaze has my entire body tingling. My soul strokes the sliver of hers that takes up the entirety of my chest, and there’s no fighting off the heat blazing up my back.
My release rips through me and I crash forward, catching myself before I fall on top of her.
Her hands wrap around my neck, pulling me down until I am covering her whole body with my own. Her warm lips leave a trail of kisses from the side of my neck to my shoulder and chill bumps spread across my skin.
Our heavy pants mingle and echo around the room, but I can’t bring myself to move from out of her comforting arms.
“That was as amazing as it was unexpected.”
A small chuckle leaves a smile on my lips, and I force myself not to tense as she traces my single dimple. The tender grin on her face eases my natural reaction, and I let it linger for a moment longer.
Just for her.
“It was. You were perfect.”
“You were possessive.”
My mouth freezes a breath away from hers.
“What do you mean?”
“Right before that happened, I felt that sensation race across my chest from you.”
I mull over her words and confusion clouds my mind.
Possessive.
I’ve only ever shown those tendencies over a handful of things.
My books, objects that’ve shown me truth, and…my torch lamps.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“Don’t apologize about that. I’m not upset or offended. Opposite, actually.”
Her face darkens a shade redder and my finger glides down her cheek.
“Why are you blushing?”
She shrugs and turns her head from me in the shy sort of way I rarely ever see from her. I tilt her face back to me and kiss the corner of her mouth.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It just made me feel good knowing you feel a touch possessive over me.”
A touch is a severe understatement.
Now that she’s identified the emotion for me, if I admit the extent to which I feel that over her, it may concern her.
“Of course I feel possessive over you. You’re my best friend, my Binder, Mysenta. Mine.”
A stunning smile crosses her face a second before she’s pulling me in for a soul-shivering kiss.
I mean it wholeheartedly, though.
She’s mine, and I will do everything in my power to protect her from what’s to come.