Balfor's Salvation Read online

  Lilith laughed. “Don’t panic yet. I’ll summon Sari and have her bring you some dresses and find out what happened to your luggage.”

  “Wait, don’t go yet!”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Lilith pointed to the table, now laid out with a large breakfast with many foods that Stacia couldn’t identify, but suspected would be far tastier than anything grown or processed in Dome City. “I came to join you for breakfast. I figured you could use a little company.” She eyed Stacia, her gaze dropping to the multiple dark marks on Stacia’s neck. “And also maybe a little perspective.”

  When Stacia nodded wordlessly, feeling the oddest urge to burst into tears from a mixture of relief and confusion, Lilith patted her shoulder. Then she turned and spoke to the empty air. “Sari, please bring me a selection of dresses to fit Stacia, and find out where her luggage is, especially her shoes. If you can’t find them, bring a pair of my slippers.” Lilith grinned at Stacia. “They’ll be a little tight on you, but they’ll work for now until we can get some made to your size.”

  Stacia glanced around at the room, empty of anyone but the two of them now that the servant had set down her tray and slipped out without waiting to be dismissed. “Sari will really hear all that?” The servants had brought Stacia her breakfast just because she’d made the request to an empty room, so it shouldn’t surprise her, but the idea that Sari would receive the entire detailed message from Lilith seemed impossible.

  Lilith nodded. “It’s pretty bizarre, isn’t it? It’s like the umbrose version of an intercom system, except that there seems to be no range limit. It took me a long time to get used to it. Particularly the part where I feel like I’m talking to myself.”

  “How does it work?”

  “I wish I knew. It drives me crazy not being able to figure it out, but some things I just have to accept as part of the umbrose shadow abilities.” Lilith’s tone sounded piqued.

  Stacia didn’t suffer from the same need to work out the details of how something worked that Lilith did. Lilith was an engineer, and though her specialty had always been computers, her mind worked over any functions that she didn’t have a ready explanation for.

  Stacia’s stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until that moment, distracted as she’d been by other concerns.

  Lilith removed her veil and headed towards the table. “I hope you don’t mind, but I haven’t eaten yet, so I’m not going to stand on ceremony.” She grinned at Stacia and sketched a curtsy. “My lady.”

  “Why did you just do that?” Stacia removed her own veil so Lilith could see her frown.

  Lilith giggled as she seated herself and took a plate from the tray. “Get used to it. Your new status as the prince’s concubine now sets you higher than me in their hierarchy.”

  “I don’t like it! All that bowing and scraping reminds me of the damned Diakonos.” Stacia joined her at the table and pulled aside the other chair to sit, blushing again when she recalled what she and Balfor had done there.

  “You’ll get used to it. Trust me, I know it’s awkward at first, but it’s just a part of their culture.”

  Stacia sank into the chair with a heavy sigh. “This is all happening too fast. What the heck was I thinking?”

  Lilith gave her a sideways smile as she cut a large mushroom into smaller chunks, her gaze dropping again to the love marks on Stacia’s neck. “That’s what I was wondering. I have to say, the wait for the answer to that has been killing me. Ranove even got frustrated with me last night because I was too distracted to—well, anyway, I have a million questions. I hope you’re up to answering them.”

  “I have questions of my own.”

  Lilith heaved a sigh. “I guess you should go first. My curiosity can wait.”

  Strangely, the first comment that came to Stacia’s mind was not at all what she’d been thinking about all morning. “He didn’t kiss me. Not once.” She hadn’t even realized that it bothered her until the moment the words left her mouth.

  Lilith looked less surprised by her question than Stacia was. “Kissing isn’t something the umbrose are familiar with, especially not the kissing we’re used to.” She shrugged. “Ranove may or may not have told him about our custom.” She studied Stacia’s blushing face. “It has nothing to do with his commitment to you as a lover.”

  Perhaps because Lilith had known her during all her past relationships, her friend had managed to pinpoint exactly why Balfor’s lack of kissing had bothered Stacia. In her past liaisons, if a man was hesitant to engage in the intimacy of a kiss, it was because he was just using her for sex. In most cases, she’d been doing the same thing, so she’d let it slide, though looking back, she realized that it had always bugged her. When she was growing up, her father had always been a cold man with little time for even the slightest hug. That may have been the reason why so many of her lovers had been similarly cold, with no interest in emotionally investing in her. She should have been immune to it by now.

  Lilith continued speaking into Stacia’s silence. “The umbrose prefer biting.”

  Stacia had already figured that out for herself, though Balfor had confined himself to gentle nipping with his dangerously sharp teeth. “That would explain all the bruises I have then.”

  “They also have a bad habit of using their wings to hold their partner in place. I’ve been scratched up by Ranove’s wingtips more than once.” She smiled fondly. “They can get really rough, probably because they heal so fast that it’s no big deal if they scratch and bite hard enough to draw blood. According to Isara and Sari, umbrose females are just as rough and like it that way.”

  “I guess I’m lucky Balfor was so careful with me, then.”

  Lilith leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to tell you this, but Balfor did ask Ranove for advice about how to treat a human lover.”

  It hadn’t even occurred to Stacia that Balfor might be inclined towards painful roughness during sex, but then again, it had all started as a harmless fantasy. She’d never had time to overthink what it might mean to get sexually involved with him. At least Lilith’s news explained how he’d seemed to understand her body so well, even from the beginning. She tried to picture the dignified Duke Ranove trying to instruct the imposing prince on how to make love to a human female. The idea made her both amused and embarrassed. “I guess I have you to thank for a very nice night, then.”

  Lilith looked surprised at her words, pausing with a forkful of scrambled eggs mixed with mushroom halfway to her mouth. “Me?”

  Stacia laughed at her expression. “Yes. You’re the pioneer who taught umbrose how to treat human women. Just imagine how torn up I might be right now if you hadn’t jumped on that grenade for the rest of us.”

  Lilith rolled her eyes. “Very funny.” She set her fork down and clasped her hands in front of her. “Although you bring up a good point. You said ‘the rest of us’ as if there would be more human females. I’ve been thinking that might not be a bad idea.”

  Stacia raised an eyebrow as she started helping herself to the food on the table. “Oh, this ought to be good. Let’s hear your idea.”

  Undeterred by Stacia’s discouraging tone, Lilith laid out her plan. “Umbrose males outnumber umbrose females four-to-one. There are so many males who have to wait centuries for a chance to claim a concubine because there just aren’t enough females to go around. If the umbrose were willing to consider human concubines, then we might be able to find women who’re willing—”

  “I recommend you leave this one alone, Lilith. These things should really happen naturally. Ranove and Balfor might be the exception to the rule. Other umbrose males probably wouldn’t find human women attractive.” Stacia stabbed a chunk of meat with her fork and lifted it to her lips. “Besides, the Common Counsel might not appreciate that kind of trade agreement.”

  Lilith waved her warning away. “I’m not talking about bringing in prostitutes! I’m talking abo
ut making it possible for umbrose males to meet human females who would be interested in a relationship. As for whether the males would be interested, I think many could be convinced if it meant they could have female companionship.”

  “What does Ranove say about this?”

  Lilith’s lips turned down. “The same thing you did.”

  Stacia laughed. “It’s not usual for me to be the wise one.” She ate the bite on her fork, chewing it while Lilith poked at the food on her plate with disappointment visible in the slump of her shoulders. “Look,” Stacia said after swallowing, “it’s not a bad idea. I just think that too many things need to happen before humans and umbrose will be comfortable with that kind of arrangement.”

  Lilith sighed. “Well, at least I’m not the only human concubine anymore.” Her expression brightened, and she smiled at Stacia. “And I couldn’t be happier about Balfor’s choice.” Her eyes narrowed on Stacia. “Now you can tell me exactly how it all happened.”

  Stacia had been dreading this moment. She took a deep breath and then launched into an explanation, leaving out as much detail as she could.

  *****

  Hours later, Stacia lounged in Balfor’s room, exhausted from her shopping expedition with Lilith. She now had a full wardrobe of umbrose-style dresses in what seemed like every conceivable color and material. Most of them had to be altered to fit her, because umbrose females were typically more slender than Stacia. Some of the dresses, like the one she now wore, had already been made for Lilith and would fit Stacia with just a few alterations that the umbrose shopkeeper had done on the spot. The shopkeeper’s skillful efficiency had amazed Stacia, who’d never seen a person sew in her life.

  Unfortunately, the umbrose didn’t wear either underwear or bras, so she had nothing to replace the ones that had been, as Lilith suspected, discarded by the umbrose, accidentally—according to Sari, who’d had amusement in her tone. Going without those items would be awkward, but Lilith said she’d get used to it.

  Stacia now also had a variety of cosmetics, and a bathing kit of her own made in a scent that was developed by an umbrose perfumery using natural extracts and oils, primarily from the moonfloss blossom which the perfumier insisted complemented her natural scent. The bathing kit had to be expensive, given the difficulty of growing the moonfloss flowers, but the perfumier had refused to change the formula to anything less expensive, and Lilith had reminded Stacia that she was now the concubine of the prince and expected to spend lavishly.

  She had asked about Candace and Gideon that morning during breakfast with Lilith, learning that they’d been sent back to Dome City the previous day along with the transport—her only means out of Sanctuary. She’d panicked for a moment and then shrugged fatalistically. Now that trade would be opening up between DC and Sanctuary, there would be other transports if she really wanted to leave. At the moment, she was having more fun than she’d had in the last two years. She’d forgotten how enjoyable it was to shop, especially with Lilith. Though she regretted not getting to say goodbye to Candace and Deon, or explain her new situation—minus the details about how it came about—Lilith had assured her that she would be able to speak to Candace again, because the woman had become Lilith’s liaison with Dornan Industries.

  Lying in a deep—almost trancelike—calm after a long day of shopping and dealing with people staring, Stacia had almost dosed off when a strong hand tipped with ebony claws stroked fingers through her hair. Adrenaline spiking through her, she dived off the lounge, dropping into a combat roll that put her behind the table. Without thinking about it, she kicked the legs out so the table landed on its side to provide cover in one smooth move as she came up into a crouch behind it. Her fatigued and aching muscles protested at the sudden movement as adrenaline pumped through her blood.

  Balfor’s laughter filled the chamber.

  Stacia rose to her feet, glaring at him. Her fists clenched at her sides as he continued to laugh at her expression. “Someone needs to put a damn bell on you!” Show no weakness where he’s concerned. I can’t let him know about my issues. She sucked in a deep couple of breaths to steady herself while he laughed at what he imagined to be a comical overreaction, but was a triggering experience for her.

  Though he finally stopped laughing, his smile remained wide. “This is how I always enter and leave a room. I was not that silent. You were simply too preoccupied with your thoughts to hear me.”

  Stacia crossed her arms, the action drawing his gaze unerringly to her chest, now covered by another moonfloss dress in a deep purple with silver embroidery. It still felt as if his intent gaze could see right through the opaque fabric. Her nipples hardened instantly, and the excitement pulsing in her blood changed to a different kind that rushed towards her core. “You could have said something to let me know you were here.”

  He shrugged. “Would your reaction have been much different? It’s clear that I surprised you. A slight frown dissolved his smile. “Your response was… unexpected.” He eyed the overturned table thoughtfully.

  Her body still trembling from reaction, Stacia also looked at the table. It was a sturdy piece of furniture, built for two to dine companionably, so not that large. Still it was heavy enough that she was impressed at her own strength. “My response was automatic. I moved away from the threat and got behind cover.” Her reaction surprised her. Apparently, her body still remembered her continuous training for the Commemoro, even if she’d given up that life of danger.

  Balfor’s sober gaze returned to her. His eyes were so dark she could read nothing within them, but she feared that he now understood the weakness within her. “I’m finished with my duties for the day.” He held out a hand to her. “I would like to take you to see my city.”

  “I’ll just go freshen up for a moment.” Mainly, she wanted to check her appearance and see if it showed how exhausted she truly was. She made her way into the bathing room and stood in front of the mirror, touching up her makeup, which had either worn away altogether or run into a smoky black mess.

  The mirror reflected Balfor’s image as he came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, tugging her back against him where she could already feel his erection. Her heartbeat sped up and her stomach fluttered as it always did at the sight of him.

  “I’ve been thinking about you all day," he said as he nuzzled her neck, nipping at her skin hard enough to make her gasp and set down her eye pencil so she didn't poke herself.

  She leaned further back into his arms, delving a hand into his hair as he kissed her neck. A moan escaped her as one of his hands cupped her breast and his other hand dropped to burrow beneath the hem of her short dress. He found her sensitive nub and toyed with it until she was bucking her hips into his touch.

  "I had a plan for tonight. A place I wish to take you, but I find you so distracting that it will have to wait for a bit."

  He released her breast and pushed her until she was leaning forward with her hands braced on the sink. Then he freed himself and slipped inside her from behind, her already well-lubricated body welcoming him. He reached around to rub her clit as he thrust into her.

  She watched their reflection in the mirror, gaining a thrill from meeting his eyes while he took her from behind. One corner of his lips was tilted up in a half smile as he watched the expression on her face at each hard thrust.

  Her orgasm came on quickly; perhaps partly due to the excitement she got watching their reflection, but mostly because of him and his effect on her.

  He took a bit longer to climax, but not much. She was surprised at that. When she shot him a questioning look as she cleaned up, his expression was rueful. He shrugged. "I did say I've been thinking about you." He grinned, and she was again stunned by the incredible beauty of his face when he smiled. "They were erotic thoughts." He pulled her into his arms, rubbing his hands down her back. "We'll have to explore them later, but right now, there’s something I want to show you. Put on your veil."

  When she’d completed that act
ion without comment, he took her hand and led her out of the room. They passed through the corridors and armed sentries in silence though Stacia’s curiosity about where he was taking her made her want to ask. Yet, it seemed that he wanted it to be a surprise, so she humored him, keeping her questions to herself.

  It wasn’t until they were outside the palace that he finally stopped walking and looked at her with an intent expression. “Would you be willing to fly with me?”

  “I’m not in the shape I used to be in, so right now, it sounds a lot better than walking.”

  A pleased smile lightened his expression. “I thought humans feared flying without their transports.”

  Stacia laughed. “Is that why we’ve been walking everywhere? I just wondered if maybe I was too heavy for you to carry.”

  Balfor’s wings snapped open to reveal an impressive wingspan. He held his hand out to her. “You question my strength? Come, I will show you how insignificant your weight is to me.”

  She took his hand, and he pulled her against his chest. “Do you wish to face front, or would you rather not look?”

  Stacia turned in his arms so that her back was to him. “I want to see your city from the air.”

  He tightened his arms around her, then his massive wings flapped and they lifted off the ground.

  Stacia had done some solar-glider racing when she’d been in Seminarium. She’d even competed on the varsity team and brought home several trophies from it. But that had been nothing compared to flying with Balfor. It truly was as if her weight bore him no burden. He maneuvered through the city with grace and agility, slipping between buildings and weaving through busy walkways. His skill in flight appeared to be unmatched by those umbrose she saw around them.

  He flew them to the edge of the city and then out into the open night sky. As the fields and farmlands of Sanctuary spread below them, Stacia couldn’t help but marvel at the ingenuity of their layout, which took advantage of the terraces cut in the sides of the mountain for different crops and herd animals.