“Difficult? I thought I couldn’t?”
Luci gives me a long look. “It is very complicated.”
I glare at him. Is he calling me stupid? Is that what he is doing?
Luci fiddles with his teacup. “Actually, if you have not been raised by Old Blood, perhaps it is not complicated at all. There is nothing to unlearn.”
Okay. Now I am confused. Who the fuck are the Old Blood?
“I was brought up in a world that treats vessels terribly,” says Luci. “They are considered property. Subjugated and controlled. Taught to submit, obey and serve.” Luci pauses and shakes his head. “But you don’t need to know that. The fey will not treat you that way.”
My hand goes to my collar, and I tap it. “Um…the fey have made me a pet?”
Luci winces, briefly closes his eyes, and then continues. “Ah…well…yes. The main thing you need to know is that you do not need penetration to give up your magic. Any sort of orgasm will do.”
My eyebrows rise. Now look who is being vulgar. I’m assuming Luci means the cock-in-ass kind of penetration. And I never thought that was needed in the first place? Because Tristan has emptied me just fine and we haven’t got to that sort of penetration, yet.
Oh stars, I’m just going to ignore that presumptuous, ‘yet’ that tucked itself onto the end of my thought.
“There are other ways to give your magic. But orgasms are the easiest way for your soul to surrender control.”
Well, that is fine by me. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, as the saying goes. If Tristan wants my magic, giving me an orgasm for it, seems like a very fair exchange. There really is no need to faff around trying to figure out other ways.
“And it depends on natural ability, and it can take many years of intense study, but it is entirely possible that you could learn to wield some of your own magic.”
Wow. I was not expecting that, and now I’m intrigued. Wielding magic sounds fun, but the many years of hard study bit does not. I’m a lazy bastard at heart, so I can’t see myself putting the effort in. But who knows, one day in the future if I ever get super bored.
Luci’s head is down, and he is slowly turning his teacup around and around. He is not enjoying this conversation. I think it might have brought up bad memories.
“You were raised to believe that you needed to be subservient?” I ask as my mind digests everything he has told me. “And that you needed penetration to release your magic?”
Jesus, am I glad no one found me until Tristan did. I don’t like the sound of these Old Blood dudes at all. They seem like abusive, perverted freaks.
Luci nods. “It’s complicated, but, yes.”
Fucking hell. Poor Luci, that really sucks. I wish I was the touchy feely sort and could offer him some comfort.
“That fucking blows!” I exclaim helplessly.
Luci coughs, splutters and then giggles. “It really does,” he agrees. He meets my gaze and gives me a tentative smile.
Well fuck me sideways, I might have made a friend.
Chapter twenty
Going through a portal is no less terrifying the second time. I’m massively regretting not insisting that we take the six-hour carriage ride home instead. But it’s not like Tristan would have listened to me, anyway. The bastard would have just dragged me through, or tricked me again.
I didn’t want Luci or his husband witnessing any of that nonsense. So here I am, hurtling through the void.
I’m clinging to the front of Tristan’s robes and burying my head between his pecs, and it is actually making the spinning darkness a little more bearable. Though I would still be screaming, if there was any air.
Tristan’s sitting room forms around us. All softly lit against the dark winter evening. And full of people.
I blink. Jamie, Mabon and his pet, and Dyfri, are all standing by the table, clearly waiting for us.
The portal winks out of existence with a faint swoosh, and I hastily let go of Tristan’s robes and step away from him.
“You may leave us, Tristan,” says Jamie sternly.
