Missing the Night Read online

  He groaned and finally whispered, “Are you going to let me go?”

  “No, I like the way this feels.” She rubbed her head against him and let out a soft, “Hmm.”

  He lifted his head. “You have to let me go eventually.”

  “Fine. Spoil my fun.”

  He eased out of her and then gathered her in his arms. “So, which did you enjoy most?”

  “This last one.” She wrapped her arms around him and stroked his skin.

  “Why?”

  She counted off against his chest. “I like when you pin my arms, when I can see your eyes, when you can kiss me, when I can wrap my legs around you pull me deeper—”

  His eyes were laughing. “I can see you gave it a full analysis. What didn’t you like about the other ones?”

  “I couldn’t touch you. Couldn’t see your face. It felt really good, especially when I was over the couch, but I wanted to touch you.” She was matter of fact about it.

  He smiled. “There are other things we can try.”

  “I would like to get used to one way first, and when I want to branch out, I will let you know.”

  He laughed and held her against him. She squirmed. “I have to go.”

  He frowned. “Why?”

  “I am all sticky, and I am leaking.”

  He laughed, and mage fire swept between them.

  “How can you use mage spells?”

  “It is a mage spell adapted for use with faerie magic. My son-in-law is good at the adaptations as he has both magics running through him. And occasionally down him.”

  She chuckled. “I definitely applaud this use of it.”

  He smiled and held her close, lifting the sheet to cover them both. Morning was going to come soon enough.

  “What the hell is this?” She rubbed her eyes, and the room was dotted with clothing racks and dresses on hangers.

  Stovos looked over from the dress he was holding. “Cale is very efficient. He got these done and is working on your faere outfit.”

  She was appalled. “How much did you order?”

  He grinned. “Enough to keep you properly clothed for work and events.”

  “Where are the suits?”

  He shook his head. “No more suits.”

  She gritted her teeth. “I like my suits. They make me feel protected.”

  “You will simply have to let more of yourself be visible to strangers. For now, since we are staying in today, put this on.” He held up a robe in pink, black, and grey.

  She glared at him. He said, “Put this on... please.”

  She got out of bed, trying to hold in the wincing.

  He held the robe, and when she got it on, he whispered, “I will give you a rubdown later.”

  She tilted her head toward him and pulled her hair out of the robe. “If you give me a rubdown where I ache, it is going to start all over.”

  He pressed his forehead to her shoulder and chuckled. “I would apologize, but I don’t regret a moment.”

  She sighed and stroked his hair. “Neither do I.” Her stomach rumbled.

  He turned her toward him and tied the inner ribbon to the robe and then the outer with a wide sash that tightened the fabric around her bust and hips. She looked down, and she was fully covered, but she was missing one important thing.

  She looked down. “I can’t see my feet.”

  “You will have to put your shoes on sitting down.”

  She grumbled. “I always do, was making a joke. I just put my shoes on before I get dressed.”

  He frowned. “How does that work?”

  “I put on my stockings and then put on my shoes. Everything else comes on later.”

  He leaned over and got some more ballet flats in a soft grey. He knelt with one leg forward and pulled her onto it. “There. I am now a bench.”

  She laughed, lifted the shoes, and determined the left from the right before slipping them on. She was going to get up when he gripped her wrist. “Thank your bench.”

  She touched his face and kissed him sweetly. “Thank you, bench.”

  Her stomach snarled again. He sighed and stood up, sliding his own black and grey robe over his shoulders. It took her a moment, but she realized they matched. They walked down to the dining room, and she was relieved that they were alone.

  She sat at the table where no sign of the previous night’s activities remained. She blushed as Yusen brought out coffee.

  “Now, Ms. Orvis, how do you really like your eggs?”

  She looked at him and winced. “Three eggs poached with hollandaise and bacon.”

  He smiled. “No toast or English muffin?”

  “It just wastes space.”

  He laughed.

  Stovos just nodded, and Yusen left.

  “That is a lot of fat and protein. I don’t recall you eating like that at the conferences.”

  “You weren’t alone with the kitchen staff eating half a dozen eggs before breakfast at those events.”

  He grinned and poured her a cup of coffee and put in her three sugars and cream.

  “So, when did you start watching how I took my coffee?”

  “Your third week as my assistant. I wanted to know where you got your energy from.” He grinned. “And if you were on any sort of drugs. I learned that if there isn’t sugar, you will have it without rather than an artificial sweetener; you don’t drink the artificial creamers without making a face either.”

  “I didn’t notice you there.”

  “The shadows were watching for me.”

  “If the shadows were in the ladies’ room, I am going to have a talk with HR.”

  He shook his head. “Even I have a sense of decorum.”

  When the triad arrived, she was still giggling.

  They came in and had a seat. Hector sighed, and they slowly began applauding the boss. Orvis was confused, but she waited. “What was that for?”

  Nessa explained. “When Stovos... uh... enjoys himself, he lets out a shout that ripples through the darkness. At night, he can probably be heard for miles, if not more. As Hector has not been in proximity to his father engaged in sex for quite some time, there was a slight social awkwardness.”

  Orvis frowned. “That isn’t right. There have been escorts over the last five years.”

  Hector looked at her in surprise. “Dark elves consume pleasure, much as Nessa does. We don’t store the power though, we use it for an immediate boost.”

  Tynan laughed. “Sounded like father-in-law got boosted a few times last night.”

  A slow crawl of heat moved through her. It wasn’t a good heat; it was embarrassment.

  Nessa elbowed the mage at her side. “Don’t tease like that. Tolly isn’t used to it. She also isn’t used to relationships. Her social structure is either on or off, and up until now, it has been off.”

  Stovos looked at Orvis, and he asked the question she had been dreading. “How does someone take a harpy to wife?”

  She swallowed and got smaller. “They ask the elders and agree to surrender any children to the council when they are twelve.”

  “Why are you cringing?”

  Nessa stated, “They take her wings.”

  She felt ill at the thought, but she said, “Our inclinations are not taken into account. We usually don’t even meet our husband before the wedding day. We are assigned to them.”

  Hector snorted. “I can’t believe that a matriarchal society would just hand you over to anyone.”

  “They won’t. They will hand me over to the man that they choose to father the next generation. I thought I was free of the threat, but Nessa said I might not be.”

  “Her sister’s husband, Suulan, was supposed to be hers. Her sister had failed the testing, and since I wasn’t too far, I answered the call when they made the proposal. So, her sister married Suulan, she lost several outer layers of eggs and was cut free by the council. If she isn’t permanently sterile, they
are going to come for her and hook her up with a male of their choosing.”

  Stovos winced. “And I am shoving you into the spotlight.”

  She looked at him hopefully. “Yeah, so if I could just go back to hiding in your shadow, that would be great.”

  Nessa snorted. “If I don’t get to hide anymore, you don’t get to hide.”

  “What kind of fucked-up logic is that?” Orvis was getting mad.

  Nessa blinked. “Yeah, I guess it is kind of messed up. Sorry.”

  “It’s fine, I guess. We are just in very different situations.” Orvis sighed but perked up when her breakfast arrived. She was about to attack it when Yusen touched her shoulder with one finger.

  “According to etiquette, Ms. Orvis, his majesty eats first.”

  She looked at Stovos, and he shrugged. She smiled, put her plate in front of him, and crawled into his lap. She held a piece of bacon to his lips, and he took a bite.

  “Does that satisfy etiquette?”

  Yusen blinked and gave a startled laugh. “It does. Strangely. Served first and eaten first.”

  She nodded and tried to get out of Stovos’s lap, but she was stuck. His arm around her waist was a formidable restraint.

  Hector covered his eyes, and Tynan laughed. “She might be new to it, but she is catching up quick.”

  She turned back to Stovos. “Um, I want to eat breakfast.”

  “So, eat.” He took the fork, and the dark gold of the yolk spilled over the plate. He cut a piece of bacon and put them together, putting the food in her mouth. She chewed, and he calmly cut another piece.

  “I am not going to be fed like an infant.”

  “This isn’t infant level. It is toddler or higher.” His red eyes were amused.

  She took the second bite and tried not to make a pleased face. It was really good hollandaise.

  * * * *

  After breakfast, Nessa and her guys headed for the gym. They were working out when Tynan said, “Did anyone else notice that Yusen nearly lost his hand for touching Orvis?”

  Nessa nodded, and she did a press. “Hector, does Stovos have any hang-ups about marrying again?”

  Hector was on the treadmill. “Not that I know of, but we don’t really discuss this stuff. I have no objection to him marrying Orvis if that is what he and she want.”

  Nessa did another press. “She hasn’t been allowed to know what she wants. It is one of the more messed-up things about harpy culture. Everything for the flock. You don’t see individual harpies out in the world. They all live in Crioss Township. There are less than fifty family lines left. That is why they have gone with a structured breeding plan.”

  Tynan asked, “So, how many harpies in total?”

  “One hundred and thirteen. Twelve of their family lines are going to die out in this generation.” Nessa kept working out. “Her family was furious when Orvis denied Suulan. They just don’t do that. But when her sister said she would take him and he agreed to take her, Orvis provided her eggs as dowry.”

  Hector kept running, but he looked at her. “So you really transferred fertility?”

  “I used magic to teleport a few layers of ripe and nearly ripe eggs to her sister. The process was agonizing for both donor and recipient, but Orvis held her sister’s hand while the graft was put in place. They were both crying in pain but held completely still. I was terrified something had gone wrong until a few days later when her sister got pregnant.”

  Tynan blinked. “So, Orvis has a daughter?”

  “Two of them. Her sister is pregnant again. The flock is very excited.”

  Tynan stared at her. “So, you keep track of her sister and the harpies?”

  “Yup.”

  “But not her.”

  Nessa shook her head. “I just let her know that the corporation was looking for a personal assistant, and she was headed this way after being kicked out of her flock, so she applied. I had no idea what the outcome was.”

  “Her sister’s wings were removed?”

  “The morning of her wedding. If she is lucky, they will grow back by the time her eldest daughter learns how to fly. Then, they relearn together.” Nessa kept pushing. “It is very sweet if the wings grow back straight. If they were removed badly, there could be deformities.”

  Tynan winced. “Shit. No wonder Orvis wasn’t interested in a traditional situation.”

  Nessa paused. “I think the issue came in that her sister was interested in the traditional situation, so in typical Orvis fashion, she made it happen. She was the one who called me and asked me if it could be done. She even did all the research and found the base spells that I used to craft the grafting spell. The moment her sister was stable and the pregnancy was locked in, she was gone.”

  Hector laughed. “And came here. I wondered what the hell HR was doing hiring a mouse like that until the end of her first week. Then, I learned that the mouse was a rhino.”

  “I always thought of her as a tortoise.” Tynan was doing an arm curl. “Very wise and tough as hell.”

  “She is when she needs to be, and when she doesn’t, she is just Tolly. Tolly was the woman that I met. She’s the one I want to be better friends with, and she’s also the one trapped in Stovos’s lap, so it doesn’t appear that she will be departing any time soon.” Nessa laughed. “He has even managed to separate her from her phone. I wonder if he is going to schedule a shopping trip for her like she did for me? I saw some jewellery that would really suit her.”

  Hector paused his run. “Don’t get into it. He will attire his assistant and his lover appropriately.”

  Nessa got up and went to stretch and do sit-ups on the mat. “I am pretty sure that she doesn’t want to be taken care of, just allowed the tools to live.”

  “Tough. Dark elves coddle and pamper their females.”

  Tynan went to get the practice swords. “Have you told her about the tracking semen yet?”

  Hector growled. “It hasn’t come up.”

  She sat up. “I beg to differ. It was splattered all over my back last night. Is this that weird magic that I feel?”

  Tynan grinned. “As long as you are his regular lover, he can track you using a magical loophole, so to speak. He is tracking his own body.”

  She glared at him. “You couldn’t have mentioned it sooner?”

  Tynan laughed. “It was why we were so surprised that we couldn’t track you the next day.”

  She grimaced. “My period started, so whoosh, and everything went.”

  Hector crouched next to her. “Does it actually make a sound?”

  She snorted and elbowed him. “I make the sounds. It is four days of no entertainment at all. Just pain and aches. But, since I managed to get myself under control, I can keep that from happening.”

  “By getting pregnant?” Hector grinned.

  “No. Just by magical manipulation. Though there is usually eventual backlash, and it might mean that we have a big family.”

  They grinned and said together, “I would like that.”

  She laughed and watched them engaging in sword practice. Maybe Orvis knew a martial art? She came from a history of warriors. That girl had to be dangerous.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Orvis was back in her sweatsuit when she got a text from Nessa to meet her in the gym.

  Once she knew where the gym was, she pattered down there on her slippered feet.

  Nessa was standing on a mat in spandex, and she asked, “Do you know how to fight?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “I keep watching the guys fighting, and it gets my blood up. Can you work out with me?”

  Orvis chuckled. “Sure. I might have to do it shirtless. Is that a problem?” She looked at the weapons available, and she smiled, taking two staves. “These are good as a starter.”

  “Not the swords?”

  “The staff gives you extended range, you get to use your hips for power, and there are a few other th
ings that I can show you.” She pulled off her sweatshirt and tied her hair in a knot that kept it contained.

  She reached with her toes and flipped the staff upward and into her hand. She spun it to gauge the weight and then slammed one end into the mat. “Ready?”

  “Holy shit. I knew that you came from warrior stock, but I didn’t know it meant the day before I showed up.” Nessa asked, “Can I see your wings?”

  Orvis shrugged and manifested her wings.

  “Can you extend them all the way?”

  Orvis looked at the ceiling and did some math. She crouched on one knee and extended her wings upward, grazing the ceiling.

  “Oh my god. I always assumed they were stubbier. Can I touch them?”

  Orvis nodded. “Sure. As long as I know the touch is coming. If not, I can turn them to steel or razors.”

  “Cool. I have known a few mythicals, but you are more than just sirens and harpies.” Nessa ran her hand along the feathers carefully. “You are so soft, Tolly.”

  “That comes and goes. I am pulling the wings in.” She pulled her wings in and dismissed them. “Now, we will begin with first positions.”

  She coached Nessa for an hour until the standard positions of attack and defense came to her with a soft command. Nessa grinned. “That is amazing.”

  “And all for today. I have to reset meetings for tomorrow. Tomorrow night is a gallery opening, so the soonest I could come to play again would be Thursday evening.” She smiled. “Stovos has a meeting with elders of other communities Thursday, and I am not required.”

  Nessa blinked. “Right. I need a day job.”

  “Why?” Orvis put the staves back in place on the wall. She pulled her sweatshirt back on and freed her hair from the knot. “You can choose what you want to do. Stovos will set you up with whatever you need, and you can start a charity or begin fundraising on an astonishing scale beyond your twenty thousand at a time.”

  Nessa cocked her head. “Can you help me?”

  “If that is what you would like and if Stovos agrees. I work for him first and foremost.”