Only, did I have any real reasons not to trust the mage? So far, he’d delivered on everything he’d promised. He made my glasses, exactly as we’d agreed.
“Yes, just a little bit of tea with a tiny, harmless spell,” Suhai continued.
“What kind of spell?” I asked, far more warily this time.
“Nothing to worry about,” Suhai’s voice flowed easily under the door. “Sadly, I can’t recite it for you here in the open where others may overhear it. Please let this humble mage keep his trade secrets, sweet Elaine. For what would I be without them?”
That did nothing to assuage my hesitation or to remove the needle of distrust that kept poking through my desperation.
I shifted away from the door but still asked, “What’s in it for you, Suhai? What do you want for your service?”
His reply was quick. “Gold, of course. I trade my magic for gold.”
That wasn’t entirely true, though, was it?
“He doesn’t just sell magic, he trades in lies and manipulation,”Timur’s words rang through my memories like a warning bell.
“I’ll think about your offer, Suhai.” I walked away from the door.
“Oh, but there is no time to think,” the mage urged.
Maybe he’d told me the truth, as devastating as it was. Maybe Timur really had only days to live. But if I opened the doors, I risked being taken. And then I would possibly never see Timur again, dead or alive.
“If we decide to make the deal, Timur and I,” I said firmly, “we’ll come to you. Both of us.”
Together. That was how it should be done. Even if Suhai’s every word was genuine, even if he truly had the power to help where all the other magic had failed, I shouldn’t be dealing with the mage behind Timur’s back. He had to be a part of this agreement too.
I made sure the doors were closed tightly and that Timur’s bracer hang on it securely, then I went to the bathing area, ignoring Suhai’s hasty pleas behind the doors.
Suhai had seen me with Timur. He’d watched us closely. He’d guessed the connection between us correctly. His calculations weren’t wrong. He bet on my affection for Timur and my desperate wish to save him, and he’d almost won. But I couldn’t afford making mistakes, not in the city like Ashgate, and not when Timur was too far away to come to my rescue if anything went wrong.
It hadn’t been easy to part from Timur, not after we’d spent six weeks side by side, sharing pain and hardship along with joy and prosperity. His departure left a hole in my chest, and it ached with longing and disquiet.
But he shouldn’t be away for too long. Flying was faster than walking. He’d set up everything for our new life in Teneris and be back in a couple of days. Just a couple of days longer, and we can discuss Suhai’s offer then.
Meanwhile, I had everything I needed in the cave to wait for his return safely.
Talking to Suhai had made me thirsty. I filled a tumbler with water from our fountain in the bathing area and drank it all. I didn’t even need to worry about running out of water here.
The following evening, I woke up from a feeling of discomfort I couldn’t quite name.
I patted Timur’s side of the bed in search of him before remembering that he wasn’t there. It’d been two days since Timur left. I’d managed to survive on my own so far, but Imissed him terribly. His chair stood in the corner, looking empty and abandoned. The green glow of Gorgonian magic was fully extinguished without its master.
An ache tightened around my heart. Wincing, I ran my hand over my sternum as if I could alleviate it like that. With the touch, a sharp spasm of desire clenched low in my belly.
I blinked, realizingwhathad woken me up.
Lust.
I felt horny, plain and simple. I didn’t recall having any sexy dreams today. I missed Timur, but on a much deeper level than just physical. Though, he had an amazing dick…
Oh God. At the thought of his thick, ridged cock, desire spiked so high, my mind seemed to black out for a moment.
I often slept naked nowadays, and the sensation of the sheets touching my skin suddenly felt invigorating, like the touch of invisible hands. My nipples tightened into hard buds. My inner muscles clenched, sending a gush of arousal to wet the sheets under me.
Falling back onto the mattress, I quickly slipped my hand between my thighs. I had no idea what got me so incredibly excited, but at least I could do something about it. Except that the more I touched myself, the higher my desire grew.
There was no relief.
