Seeker of Legends (Fate of Legends Book 2), page 17
“That will be all,” she replied. The man bowed, then left as quickly as he’d come. Lady Camilla turned to Hunter, gesturing at the food. “Eat,” she urged. Hunter did so eagerly, his hunger having returned despite having pigged out earlier that day. He wasn’t quite as ravenous as before, but still, he had to stop himself from shoveling the food into his mouth.
“So what’s your plan?” he asked in-between bites.
“I assume you mean for revenge against the guild,” she replied, chewing a piece of meat, then swallowing. “A straightforward attack will never work. We need to frame them.”
“Frame them?”
“Tykus has zero tolerance for illegal artifacts,” she explained. “If we can show that the guild is trading in such artifacts, they will be shut down by the aristocracy.”
“Ah.”
“If my sources are correct, the newest heir to the throne is already fully converted to Tykus’s will. This means that the king is in charge now instead of the dukes.”
“Go on,” he urged, continuing to eat. The food was delicious – far better than anything he’d had since arriving in this forsaken world. A hell of a lot better than the slop they’d fed him in the community center back in the Outskirts.
“I also happen to know that Duke Dominus has been trading in illegal artifacts with the Kingdom of the Deep,” Lady Camilla revealed. Hunter’s eyebrows rose.
“How do you know that?”
“I do business with the Kingdom of the Deep,” she explained. “Unlike Tykus, they appreciate my family’s millennia of stored knowledge. They even provide Seekers for me,” she added.
“The men in the masks,” Hunter guessed. She nodded.
“Men and women,” she corrected.
“If Dominus is dealing in illegal artifacts, can’t we frame him too?” Hunter asked. The Lady smiled.
“Of course,” she replied, taking another bite of meat. “But that seems like an awful amount of work, don’t you think?”
“Maybe,” Hunter replied.
“Far better to let them destroy each other,” she opined. Hunter frowned, leaning back in his chair.
“How do we do that?”
Lady Camilla smirked, leaning forward and giving him a conspiratorial look. This happened to give him a rather intriguing view down the deep V-cut of her dress.
“Already begun,” she revealed.
Hunter raised an eyebrow, and Lady Camilla leaned back, much to his disappointment.
“That Ironclad head you retrieved,” she stated, “…was meant for the guild. According to my spies, Duke Dominus happened to divert it.”
“Where?”
“To himself,” she answered. “At the Castle Wexford.” Hunter’s eyebrows rose.
“Oh,” he murmured. If that was true, it was good news. Retrieving the head from the Seekers would’ve been nearly impossible, requiring him to infiltrate the kingdom and the guild. Getting it from the Castle Wexford, on the other hand…
“The guild is none too pleased,” she continued. “In fact, they would do anything to get it back.” She smiled then, pushing her plate away. “Imagine what would happen,” she added, “…if a group of Seekers happened to attack Duke Dominus in his castle, and try to retrieve the head?”
“He would destroy the Guild of Seekers,” Hunter deduced. Lady Camilla nodded.
“One does not dare attack the most powerful duke in Tykus,” she agreed.
“You said you’d already begun,” Hunter recalled.
“Oh, I haven’t done anything,” she corrected. “Haven’t needed to. The guild sent Seekers to kill Dominus about a week ago.”
“How do you know?” Hunter asked. She gave a little smile.
“I have spies everywhere,” she answered. “And not all of them are…human. Dominus has no idea they exist.”
“Ah,” Hunter mumbled. He remembered the Legendary tree he’d encountered, and the strange creatures he’d seen before reaching it. The ones that had looked like walking bushes. If they hadn’t been moving, he would never have known they weren’t plants. Maybe the Lady’s spies were like that.
“Time will tell if the attack succeeded,” she continued. “But of course the Seekers were disguised…apparently as Seekers of the Deep.”
“Huh?”
“Seekers from the Kingdom of the Deep,” she clarified. “They’re framing the Kingdom of the Deep, of course.”
“Why frame them?”
“The Kingdom of the Deep is the nearest foreign kingdom to Tykus,” she explained. “And Tykus despises them, not the least because they deal in wild artifacts.”
“How do you know it wasn’t the Kingdom of the Deep?” Hunter pressed.
“Because I deal with them all the time,” Lady Camilla answered. “And believe me, if they wanted Duke Dominus dead, they wouldn’t send Seekers to do it.” She leaned back in her chair. “The Guild of Seekers has the motive and the means to kill Dominus,” she stated. “It must be them.”
“So what now?”
“If Dominus is still alive, he’ll see through the ruse,” she replied. “He’s no fool.”
“And then he’ll destroy the guild,” Hunter realized. She nodded, clearly pleased.
“Exactly.”
Hunter glanced down at his plate, realizing that he’d finished his food. He raised his gaze to Lady Camilla.
“What does this have to do with me?” he inquired.
“You,” she replied, “…are my secret weapon.”
“How so?”
“You drank the flesh of Zagamar,” she explained. He frowned.
“I don’t understand,” he admitted. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Lady Camilla sighed, then reached for a bottle of wine, pouring some into a glass beside her plate. She reached for his glass then, pouring a generous portion of wine, then setting the bottle down. She picked up her own glass, gesturing for him to do the same.
“That,” she stated, “…is for another day.”
Hunter glanced at his glass, then crossed his arms over his chest.
“Why can’t you tell me now?”
“Because everything has its time,” she answered. “And now is not it.”
“You’re hiding something,” he accused. She smiled.
“Of course I am,” she agreed. He felt irritated by her answer, and had the urge to stand up from his chair.
“It sounds like you don’t need me at all,” he decided. “I have to get back to Vi’s house anyway,” he added. As the best Seeker in Tykus – and maybe even the best Seeker period – Vi’s collection of artifacts was an easy target for potential looters. He’d already been gone longer than he’d wanted.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Lady Camilla warned, her voice remaining calm. Hunter’s brows furrowed.
“Why not?”
“Vi’s canyon has been overrun by Ironclad,” she answered. “I sent scouts to her home after you claimed that she’d been killed. They found the canyon teeming with Ironclad…and the corpses of Duke Dominus’s men.”
Hunter stared at her, a chill running down his spine.
The Ironclad!
“If you go back to Vi’s house,” she stated, “…they’ll kill you.”
Hunter lowered his gaze. She might be wrong. The Ironclad hadn’t killed him…even after he’d killed his own mother, their queen. The question was, why had they swarmed Vi’s place? And why had Dominus’s soldiers been at Vi’s?
“We’ll see about that,” he replied at last. Lady Camilla sighed.
“Very well,” she stated, her tone suddenly weary. “You may go if you like. But it will be safer to go tomorrow morning,” she added. “And you need to pack provisions for your trip.”
Hunter considered this, then nodded grudgingly. She was right, of course.
“Alright,” he agreed. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” he added hastily. “I don’t want you to think…”
“I know,” she interjected, smiling at him. “If you change your mind…”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Good,” she replied. She raised her glass of wine then, gesturing at his glass. “A toast?”
“To what?” he inquired, picking up his glass.
“To our revenge,” she stated, clinking glasses. She sipped her wine then. Hunter did the same; it was quite sweet, to his surprise, with only a hint of dryness. It burned pleasantly on the way down, making his belly feel warm.
“To our revenge,” he agreed.
“You’ll return if the Ironclad are still there?” she asked. Hunter nodded.
“I will,” he agreed. “As long as you tell me what my role in all of this is.” She arched one eyebrow, then leaned forward, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
“You’re learning,” she observed. His gaze fell to her substantial cleavage, milky white against her black corset. Again, he was struck by her sheer beauty, barely marred by age. He found himself staring, and felt a stirring in his groin. His cheeks flushed, and he looked up, finding her gazing at him.
“Hmm?” he mumbled.
“I said you’re learning,” she repeated. When Hunter didn’t respond, she sat up straight, taking another sip of her wine, then set her glass down. “A good vintage,” she opined. “I like my wine sweet.”
“Me too.” he agreed.
“I never understood the dry wines,” she mused, swirling the wine in her glass, then taking another sip. “Why suffer for your pleasure?”
Hunter shrugged, tasting the wine again. The same sweet taste greeted him, and that pleasant burning.
“Hunger is the best spice,” he replied, feeling warmth spread through him. “Maybe suffering makes pleasure feel all the better.”
“Granted,” Lady Camilla conceded, nodding approvingly. “You’re not a brute at all, are you.”
“Only sometimes.”
“I’m curious,” she confessed. “What were you, before you went through the Gate?”
“A student,” he answered.
“Of what?”
“Of everything,” he clarified. “Where I come from, you don’t pick a profession until you’re in your twenties.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, leaning over and resting her chin in one palm, gazing at him curiously. And giving him another view of her spectacular bosom. He found his eyes drawn inexorably to it.
Damn, he thought. Just…damn.
He’d only ever been with one woman in his life – Trixie – and she’d been as young as him, and skinny and angular, with small breasts. He couldn’t help but be curious about what it’d be like to be with someone like Lady Camilla. The thought was intriguing, and he found himself imagining the possibilities…and quickly felt himself growing against the front of his pants.
Bet she’s more experienced.
“That seems like a waste of time,” she stated. He glanced up at her, realizing she was still looking at him.
“Hmm?”
“Not choosing a profession until your twenties,” she clarified. “I knew of my future profession – as landowner and researcher – when I was four.” She took another sip of wine, then smiled at him. “Feeling the wine I see,” she murmured.
“Little bit,” he admitted. He felt only a slight buzz, having drank barely half of his wine. He took a larger gulp, savoring the sweetness. “I don’t drink much.”
“Clearly,” she agreed. “You needn’t worry about a hangover,” she added. “There’s very little alcohol in the wine…it’s absorbed the sensation of pleasant drunkenness, and that’s what you’re feeling.”
“Really?”
“Really,” she confirmed. “The more you drink, the more pleasantly drunk you’ll feel. And unless you drink all of these bottles and more,” she added, “…you won’t pay dearly for the experience.”
“Why suffer for your pleasure,” Hunter murmured. Lady Camilla chuckled – for the first time since he’d met her.
“Well said,” she murmured, giving him a mysterious smile. She stood then, sliding her chair over until it was next to his, then sitting back down.
“I thought you didn’t know how to move chairs,” Hunter accused. She laughed, a low, raspy sound.
“Oh you’re just precious, aren’t you?”
She slid her wine over, finishing it in one gulp. Then she lifted her arms, taking a small black band from her wrist and pulling her hair into a long ponytail. He took the opportunity to appreciate her profile, which was extraordinary. But to his chagrin, she caught him looking, and lowered her arms, tsking at him.
“Caught in the act,” she murmured, hardly seeming displeased. Hunter shrugged nonchalantly, feeling rather bold.
“Can you blame me?”
“Not really,” she replied with a smile. “You’ve done quite well hiding your furtive glances,” she added.
“I’m guessing this isn’t the first time you’ve caught me,” Hunter ventured. She smirked.
“I’m not blind.”
Hunter finished his own wine, enjoying the warmth it gave him, and realized that he was now pleasantly drunk. She glanced at his empty glass, then gestured at a fresh bottle of wine.
“Are you going to refresh us?” she inquired. Hunter did so, pouring them both another generous portion. They clinked glasses again.
“To being caught,” he toasted, grinning sheepishly. She arched an eyebrow.
“To the hunt,” she replied, taking a gulp of her wine. He hesitated, a part of him wondering if it was a good idea to drink so much…and wondering where that might lead. He imagined the possibilities…and felt himself straining against his pants.
He took a gulp of his wine, then another, his heart starting to race. The thought of losing control with this woman – of letting go and seeing what might happen – was tantalizing. He remembered the night he’d spent with Trixie so long ago, when she’d seduced him. When he’d thought she was another girl, and he’d struggled to break free of her hold on him, only to inevitably give in. How amazing it’d felt.
Fuck.
“Where did you go?” Lady Camilla inquired. He blinked, realizing she was staring at him.
“Huh?”
“I lost you for a bit there,” she explained.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. She put a hand on his knee.
“So where did you go?” she pressed. He hesitated, feeling the warmth of her hand, then took another gulp of his wine. Warmth spreading through his belly…and his loins.
“Somewhere pleasant,” he confessed, flashing her a rueful grin. Her eyebrows raised.
“Oh really?” she replied. “Do tell.”
Hunter didn’t even hesitate, his head swimming pleasantly now. His eyes fell to gaze at her…the curve of her breasts, her slender waist. He didn’t care if she saw him look anymore.
“I’d prefer to show you,” he replied at last, his heart pounding now, a flash of fear running through him. At the realization that he’d crossed a line…and that there was no going back.
“Hmm,” she murmured, her hand sliding up the inside of his leg, stopping on his inner thigh, inches from his aching groin. He wanted nothing more than to shift in his chair, to meet that hand, to feel its warmth and pressure on him. But he stayed where he was…and so did her hand. “You would, wouldn’t you.”
“Mm hmm.”
She slid her hand up a little, then down, her fingers trailing a fraction of an inch from his groin now, massaging his inner thigh gently. He felt the pressure in his member grow stronger, felt every beat of his heart in it. He shifted in his chair, trying to make her fingers slide onto his groin, but she moved with him, her fingers remaining on his inner thigh.
God damn, he thought.
“I’m far too old for you,” she murmured, cocking her head to one side, her eyes boring into his. A slight smile played on her full lips. “It wouldn’t be proper now, would it?”
“I’ve never been proper,” Hunter countered. She smirked.
“Well, I’m a Lady,” she retorted. “My mother taught me to be proper.” Then she leaned forward, her lips brushing up against his ear. Her touch sent a shiver down his spine. “You know what else she taught me?” she whispered.
“What’s that?”
“Proper,” she murmured, her fingertips trailing up his thigh to his lower belly, then sliding down until they rested just above the bulge in his pants, “…has no place in the bedroom.”
Hunter turned, glancing at the bed near their table, then turning back to Camilla.
“I like her already.”
“In the bedroom,” she continued, her lips trailing down to the side of his neck, brushing against it. Goosebumps rose on his arms. “…anything goes.”
“Anything?”
“Anything,” she murmured, pulling away from him – while keeping her hand on his belly. She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling, and took another drink of her wine, downing the remainder of it in one gulp. He did the same, the wine burning in his belly, the sensation spreading over his entire body. He stared at her, at this marvelous woman, and had the sudden, mad urge to kiss her. To pull her in and crush her against his body, to feel every inch of her under his fingertips. He wanted to take her, to make her his.
“More wine?” she offered, gesturing at the last bottle. Hunter glanced at it, then back at her. He cleared his throat.
“I shouldn’t,” he said at last.
“Why not?” she inquired.
“Because I might not be able to help myself afterward.”
“Are you afraid of losing control, Hunter?” she asked, pouring wine into his glass, then into hers. He stared at his glass, at the wine filling it to the brim, and licked his lips nervously.
“I am.”
“Good,” she replied, raising her glass. “Fear,” she added, “…can make such a wonderful spice.”
“Pardon?”
“Proper has no place in the bedroom,” she replied. “And I,” she added, lowering her hand, her fingertips sliding over his erection, “…am going to break you down, inhibition after inhibition, until you’ve done things you never imagined.”
Hunter’s breath caught in his throat, his member pulsing under her touch. He waited for her to place her palm on him, but she kept her fingers there, trailing up, then down, slowly, with the barest of pressure.
