“Let her go,” I whispered into Raza's ear. “You've punished her enough, don't you think?” Raza's jaw clenched but he held tight to the telepath. “Raza, we need her to help prove Raye's innocence. Now, let her go.”
I slid my fingers further down his hand and gently wedged them between his and Alexis'. She inhaled sharply and her eyes flew open, so wide that the whites showed all around her irises. I lifted his talons one at a time and finally pried Raza away from her. He allowed both actions; flexing his talons back and relaxing his hand into mine. I sighed in relief and wrapped my hand around his as it dropped into his lap. This had me hanging over him, my head draped across awkwardly between a wing and his neck with my arm around the wing. I could feel the buttery softness of the skin of his wings, where they pressed against my chest, and the flexing muscles along the bones of them.
I'd never thought of wings being muscular but of course they were, especially right at the juncture where they met his back. It was an odd sensation. An intimate contact of skin on skin, of that thick wing base flexing between my breasts, while we were both fully clothed. I could feel the silky weave of his suit right beside his shoulder joint, and a line of hidden buttons beneath his wing pressed into my belly. I would have smiled to have discovered the secret to a wing-friendly suit but he dropped his head and a fine tremor coursed through him, so I instinctively hugged him.
“I'm so sorry,” Alexis whispered as she stared at us. She had managed to sit back in her chair but her brother still held her hand. “I'm so sorry,” she said again.
Raza lifted his head and set his glowing eyes on Alexis. “The minds of dragons are just as dangerous as the rest of them,” he gave her a wicked grin. “Remember that in the future.”
“I will,” Alexis nodded. “I'm sorry I presumed to have something in common with you. You,” she shook her head. “What you went through... I.”
“Enough,” Raza growled. “My past is not for public consumption.”
“It goes no further. I promise you,” Alexis nodded and swallowed hard. But then she looked up at me, her eyes terrified and awestruck at the same time. “I don't know whether to feel jealousy or pity for you,” she whispered.
“What did you say?” I frowned and straightened. Raza caught my hand as I did and held it so I remained pressed to his back.
“Too many fathers and too many suitors,” Alexis' stare went distant. “So much magic and so much anger. Power and prejudice, blood and fire. Don't get lost in what you lose or you'll never appreciate what you gain.”
“As cryptic and vague as any precog,” I sighed. “But thanks for the advice anyway.”
“Thanks for the save,” she nodded to Raza's hand, still clenched around mine. “Just as dangerous as the rest of him,” she mused. “To all but one, it seems.”
“Is, are you alright?” Alex asked his sister.
“I'm fine,” she squeezed her brother's hand as I disengaged my own from Raza. “Though I will carry those memories with me to my grave.”
“I should not have done that,” Raza admitted, surprising us all. “I reacted poorly, please forgive me.”
“It's an honor to share the burden with you, Sir Dragon,” Alexis bowed her head deeply, like she was addressing a king.
“SirDragon?” I gave Raza a teasing smile as I headed back to my seat. “Is there something I should know?”
“I'm a knight of the unseelie,” Raza shrugged. “I wouldn't count it among my greatest accomplishments.”
My own fairy knights stirred, probably taking his statement as an insult, but I didn't bother to defend Raza. I had done enough of that already and Tiernan was looking understandably tense again. I leaned over and took his hand to reassure him and he gave me an irritated glance. I deserved it, I guess. I really needed to stop touching Raza.
“Nor would I,” Alexis responded to Raza. “But I liked the way it sounded.”
“Are we quite done with the dramatics?” Councilman Murdock huffed. “If so, I'd like to get back to discussing the possibility of a witch war.”
“A witch war,” Alexis lifted a black brow at Murdock. “Oh, I almost forgot. Councilman Murdock, your uncle sends his regards.”
“Er,” Murdock cleared his throat. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” she smiled and looked to her brother.
“We don't want a witch war,” Alex winked at his sister. “Do we, Is?”
“No,” she shook her head. “As much as it has a nice ring to it, I don't think it would be all that fun.”
“Why do you call her;Is?” I asked Alex.
“Oh, I thought it was obvious,” he smirked. “It's the difference in our names.”
“Oh,” I nodded and then said dryly, “Cute.”
“We have sorted through your information,” Alexis got back to the subject of witches.
