Arcane (Halfblood Club Book 1) Read online

  Deep, punching thrusts rocked her to her core as he drove within her. Positioned as she was, his cock slid across her g-spot with every stroke, winding her body tight with sensation.

  Over and over he pounded into her, her nails digging into his shoulders for balance. Finally, she shrieked and climaxed, rippling and pulsing around him. Her eyes blinded by the sparks shooting behind her field of vision.

  A shuddering groan from the body still pounding into her let her know that James’ own release had claimed him. The other major clue was his legs buckling beneath them to drop him to the grass, her body on his.

  They stayed like that for hours, until the shifting wind came upon them, waking them from their pleasured stupor.

  James recovered faster than she did. “You know that we’ll need to have my parents over for dinner this weekend.”

  “Yes. You have to introduce me to the Sterling clan.” She grimaced. “I am not looking forward to it, you know.”

  “I know, but we have to have a sufficient guest list to represent a suitable membership of the clan.”

  “Fine, I’ll arrange for Mom to send me something to wear.” At his look, she added, “Something appropriate, I swear.”

  She stifled her grin. He was catching on.

  Chapter Seven

  “Does this look all right?” She turned on her toes and showed off the plunging back of her gown to James. The skin-tight dress left nothing to the imagination.

  His mouth began to water just looking at her. “Where did that dress come from?”

  “Morcalla made it for me. She is one of the premier designers for the magic set. If she weren’t a goblin, she would have taken New York by storm.”

  “You associate with a spider goblin?”

  “Yep. I have a lot of weird friends that you have yet to meet.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her neck. “I can’t wait.”

  Her hands wrapped around his arms, prolonging his embrace.

  “Do we really need to have your family over tonight?” Her eyes met his in the mirror.

  “Yes, you need to be introduced to the Warlock clan leader, as well.” He gave her a squeeze and then snaked one hand around to pat her ass. “After tonight, it will be months before we have to do this again.”

  “Is it time?” She sighed, letting the construction of the dress contain her cleavage.

  “It is. Cheeves is showing them in.” His eyes went vague for a moment then he nodded. “They’re all here.”

  “Do they transport directly into the house?”

  “No, I have a segregated area for that. No one can come in unannounced except me and, now, you.”

  “Ah, you had the Warders in?”

  “Yep, as soon as I had the house built. Anryn Warder came in and had the whole thing done in two days.”

  “Is it your life that is bonded or hers?”

  “Mine. I had to meditate for days, but it is my life force that drives the wards.”

  While they had this polite conversation, he began to escort her down the stairs. A group of warlocks was clustered around the base of the stairs, waiting to greet them. At the fourth stair from the bottom, they stopped.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present my mate for the next year, Isobel Marlin. Daughter of Isobel and Sirus Marlin, and one of the strongest mages in the modern world.” He held her hand, and she curtsied to the crowd.

  “Mother, Father, please greet my mate.”

  The split emotions of the couple before them astonished Izzy. He seemed happy with his son’s choice, but she looked ready to spit nails.

  The distinguished man who stepped forward smiled warmly at her, “Pleased to meet you, Isobel. My name is Arthur; this is my wife, Electra.”

  The elegant woman at his side had a distinctly unwelcome look to her face. “So, this is the hedge brat who has taken my son.”

  The room gasped at this; a few titters of amusement rippled through those gathered. Izzy squared her shoulders. “Yes, but don’t worry. I am only trying him on for size.”

  She smiled archly and brushed her breasts against his arm. “So far, he fits. Shall we go to dinner?”

  “Of course, my dear. And thanks for that in front of my grandmother. She was worried I was gay.” James brushed his lips across her forehead and led her into the dining room where he held out her chair for her.

  “I think my father harboured similar fears,” was whispered into her ear, and she had to keep herself from laughing.

  Before he left her, she gripped his sleeve, “Cheeves made all this, I hope? I don’t fancy being poisoned by your mother.”

  “Yes, he did. And she would never poison you, she’d use a dagger.” With a saucy wink, he took his place at the head of the table and waited for their guests to seat themselves.

  The dinner itself was conducted in stony silence. There were no other sounds aside from china being struck by metal. Course by course, the dinner continued. Izzy was amazed that she could eat with all the hostile looks aimed at her over napkins and utensils.

  With a little effort, she plowed through the food set before her by an oddly formal Cheeves. It was his repulsive face that kept her smile on and James’ calm presence that kept her from bolting. It was nearing eleven o’clock by the time the meal concluded.

  Finally, the last dessert dish was cleared, and napkins were tossed onto the table.

  “Shall we adjourn to the parlor?” James stood and came around to move Izzy’s chair for her once again.

  “Certainly, just let me get my back to the wall.” Her murmur did not go undetected, but the clan leader who heard her only smiled slightly.

  Once again, she was on his arm, walking through some of the most hostile people that she had ever met. She had been at goblin bridal showers that were a lot less hostile, and some of the attendees had been bitten at those events.

  “So, I hear that your mother works as a vocational nurse.” The hissing tone was unmistakable. James’ mother slunk by with as much noise as a wraith.

  “Yes, she does, Electra. She went back for her degree six years ago. As soon as I finished my trade school.” With her back against the wall near the fireplace, Izzy felt confident that no one could sneak up on her.

  “So, you completed your education? You are a magus, are you not? Why do you need to work?” Judging by the manicure, the jewellery, and the designer dress, she thought that work was a four-letter word.

  “Why does your son? It was at his business that I was working when the council interviewed me.” Her chin jerked up a notch. Magic was being gathered in the room. She could feel it.

  “Please, excuse me.” Izzy left the astonished Electra with her mouth open in retort and began to wander the room, scanning for the power signature.

  Suddenly, she didn’t have to look anymore. The power blasted her from behind, throwing her into the startled arms of the clan representative and burning through her system. The magic burned into her flesh, coiling and seeking to destroy. Then, it gathered itself and left her stunned but alive.

  A scream rented the air. The clan rep’s hands clenched on her arms, and she stood as quickly as she could.

  Isobel turned to see a brutal sight. One of the female guests who had not yet bothered to introduce herself was smoking and writhing on the ground. Izzy took a deep breath and yelled, “Mom! I need you!” Then she knelt at the side of the damaged woman and took her hands in her own, ignoring the smoking flesh.

  Power flowed through her and into her attacker. It helped the damaged cells and kept her conscious while Izzy waited for her mom.

  An abrupt knock on the door occurred a few minutes later. James opened it, and there stood the Marlins, power bristling around them as they came to their daughter’s defense. “Where is she?”

  “Trying to save the woman who tried to kill her.” James’ face was a mask. He had kept the other guests at bay as Izzy acted as life support for Indela Morris.

  “Oh, Junior.�
�� Isobel senior walked swiftly to her daughter’s side and knelt at the head of the charred body on the floor. She knew better than to touch Izzy, but based on the red hands around the room, some of the guests had tried to remove her.

  “She’s still alive, Mom. Help me.” Tears were tracking down her face as she kept a slow trickle of power running through her hands. The pain that the woman was in was leaking back to her through the link that she had forged. “Please. It hurts.”

  “I know it does, baby.” Isobel senior looked over to her daughter’s lover. “James, come over here and put your hands on her shoulders. She is going to be providing the energy for the healing, and I don’t want to drain her.”

  * * * *

  Isobel Senior watched as he placed his hands on Izzy’s shoulders, ignoring the shouts from his parents that he would be burned. His expression told the tale. Immediately, he felt a rush out of his body and into hers. He almost fell. It felt like the rush of energy that they experienced when they climaxed.

  In a brusque tone, she explained while she set her hands on either side of her patient’s head, careful to avoid contact. “It is the way that the power exchanges the healing for the energy of the bearer. The only way healers can hold a husband, quite frankly. If the powers did not make it pleasurable to share energy, the healer would be drained dry.”

  He could feel the shift in the energies as Isobel Marlin, the hedge witch, began to take the Warlock away from the edge of death. Her power was a flowing river of cool, soothing warmth that had Indela’s laboured breathing eased in no time. Or so it felt to him. Time stilled as the healing continued. At some point, Sirus placed his hands on his wife’s shoulders, and she visibly relaxed as his energy bolstered hers.

  Hours passed. When Isobel Senior took her hands away, Izzy fell forward, and James darted in to lift her in his arms.

  “She just needs rest. Healing is not her forte. Take her upstairs. I will deal with the rest of the remainders.” She was referring to the few guests that had not left—his parents and the clan representative. With her husband’s help, she got to her feet and faced the much smaller crowd. As soon as James had turned the corner at the top of the stairs, she rounded on them.

  “All right. Who here is willing to tell me what the hell is going on? Why did that bitch try to kill my little girl?” Her voice dripped ice. There was no avoiding her gaze either, it burned with the magical energy of the enraged witch.

  Silence reigned for long moments, and then, Electra could stand it no longer, “Indela was supposed to marry James. It was arranged. And then, he had to go and hand fast himself to that little tramp.”

  “So why did she try to kill her? It would be over in one year.” Sirus’ calm baritone rumbled through the room, his eyes burning with rage that his daughter was coming under attack here, where she was supposed to be safe.

  “It is an insult to our family to have one of her kind bonded to us.” Electra was sulking. She could not deny the power of Izzy’s mother or father, for that matter.

  “Isobel is now a Lady of the Marlin clan. You will show her the proper respect.” The Sterling clan rep finally stepped forward and made himself known.

  “Thank you, Dennis. It’s nice to see you again.” Sirus was relaxing as he recognized the powerful warlock. “So, you ended up as the Sterling rep? How fortunate for you.”

  “Do you acknowledge the attack on my daughter by a member of your clan?” Isobel was trying not to be shrill, but she knew she failed when Sirus wrapped his arms across her shoulders and squeezed.

  “Yes, Lady. We do. Indela will be restricted and punished for her actions this evening. She will also be stripped of her powers for the next five years. Does that meet with your approval?”

  “It will have to do.” She looked over at her patient. “She can be moved now. You had best get her out of here before I reclaim my power.”

  “Yes, Lady. She will be taken before the High Council this afternoon.” Isobel looked outside and noted that dawn had arrived. Healing stole time from her that would not be replaced, but she did not regret her choice.

  Dennis scooped up Ms. Morris and left the house, heading for the transfer point, leaving the Marlins facing the Sterlings.

  Arthur took over the role of host and darted into the kitchen for a moment, and Electra looked over at Izzy’s parents and flushed in embarrassment. “We weren’t expecting to see you here.”

  “Yes, I can imagine that you weren’t expecting us.” Sirus wrapped his arms around his wife and spoke while resting his chin on her shoulder. He was as exhausted as she was. The woman had almost been dead. It had taken everything that they had in them just to repair her body. Her mind, however, might never recover.

  Isobel took over the conversation. “Yes, but you know how it is. When your child calls, you come running. No matter what.”

  “Yes, of course.” Electra’s lips were tight, and she began to tap her foot in impatience. When her husband showed, she was going to give him hell. Isobel didn’t envy him.

  Chapter Eight

  Arthur was holed up in the kitchen with Cheeves, trying to get the recalcitrant goblin to prepare some food for the remaining families. It was not going well.

  “Why won’t you make us some coffee, Cheeves?”

  “Because I don’t work for you. I work for James Sterling, not Arthur and certainly not that bitch Electra.” He hummed to himself and faced the warlock as his arms continued to do the dishes behind his back.

  In a quiet hiss, he begged, “But the Marlins are here as well, we have to make a good impression.”

  “The Marlins? Izzy’s parents? Why didn’t you say so?”

  Arthur ducked as a flurry of plates, foods, and cutlery began to swarm through the kitchen. “Get out, Arthur. Breakfast will be served in the dining room in five minutes. Take your seats.”

  Blinking in startled amazement, he left the kitchen and went back into the parlour where his wife was glaring at one of the most attractive couples he had ever seen.

  “Breakfast will be served in a moment. Cheeves is preparing it. Shall we adjourn to the dining room?”

  Sirus met his eyes and nodded. “I think we could all use something after the events of the evening.”

  Isobel muttered, “And the morning,” but followed the Sterlings into the dining room and took a seat at the table opposite them.

  “Here ya go, Mr. Marlin.” Cheeves swooped in and gently laid ten plates in front of the Marlins, including napkins and utensils. “Do you need anything else?”

  Sirus blinked at the goblin and ignored his wife’s smile. “Some coffee would be wonderful. Thank you.”

  “In a minute, Sir.” And with that, he was gone, leaving the Sterlings staring in confusion.

  “Don’t worry, he’ll get to you. He is just acting on James’ behalf in the goblin manner.”

  Arthur was curious now. “What do you mean?”

  “He has to please the female’s parents, so that they won’t reclaim her. In the goblin family, the parents retain all rights to the children and can recall them at any time until a child is produced.”

  “Oh. How do you know so much about goblins?”

  Sirus and Isobel smiled condescendingly, “Just because the Mage and Warlock Council’s refused to acknowledge our union, didn’t mean that everyone did. We have continued a relationship with all non-human members of the Realm councils.”

  “Sirus’ best man was a goblin. Baktanat and Nerella are two of our best friends.”

  Electra was surprised, “The Goblin Councilman?”

  “And his wife. She’s one of the Warders and Junior’s godmother.”

  Her voice was weak now. “A Warder? How did she come to marry a goblin?”

  “He asked her, and you know as well as I do about the Warder’s marriage restrictions. Our daughter was raised with theirs, and she knows the ins and outs of the non-human societies like the back of her hand.” Sirus forked up a bite of the eggs and bacon from his plate. “It coul
d be a useful asset to your son if he decides to pursue the rank of Clan Leader.”

  The Sterlings were shocked. It was not common knowledge that they had high political hopes for their son in Realm.

  Isobel sipped calmly at her coffee and waited for her husband to fill them in on the Marlins’ exact place in non-human society.

  “I can see by your faces that you didn’t know that your plans are no longer a secret. It isn’t known in Realm, but all of the other magical races have been talking about it for years. If the warlocks and mages weren’t so stuck up about mixing bloodlines, they would have known it as well.”

  Electra looked up to the ceiling with a slight hesitation. She was obviously turning the ramifications of having a well-connected daughter-in-law, versus the half-breed mage that she had been thinking of, in her mind.

  “Any plans that you are working out for my daughter will have to go through her. Force won’t work in any way. Nor will blackmail or any other type of coercion. Trust us on this.” Isobel Senior was smiling at the thought of her daughter’s wild childhood.

  “As one mother to another, I think you know what I mean.” She kept working on her breakfast, and eventually, Cheeves brought the tray for the Sterlings. After he had served them coffee, of course.

  The rest of the meal went silently, with the Marlins finishing minutes before the Sterlings due to their head start. As Cheeves cleared their plates away, Isobel stood and thanked him.

  She placed both hands on his upper shoulders and sent a ripple of power through him. He thanked her profusely and stripped off his apron. “My wife is so going to enjoy this,” was his last statement as he left for his home on the rear of the property.

  “What did you give him?”

  “Just a bit of healer’s energy. It went straight to his groin, and he left to make full use of it. Goblins are pretty basic that way.” Isobel’s words were matter of fact, as she started to the stairs leading to the bedrooms.

  * * * *