---------The Legend of the Akakami-----------
Janet had to work to stifle her tired yawn as she and Karise headed a meeting of the Council. All the dukes and duchesses of Zimmeria were gathered in the large room, sitting around a circular table that accommodated all of them easily. Part of the curvature of the table was risen a foot above the rest, sloping gently to rise to that point.
It was there that Karise and Janet sat, their chairs raised on a small dais that allowed them to look down at the dukes and duchesses, a not-so-subtle reminder of their difference in status.
Janet fought against her tiredness to pay attention to the meeting. The night before she had stayed up late studying for her 6th level test that day, which she passed easily only hours before. Now all she wanted to do was curl up with Lorin on her couch and relax after her hectic week.
A small, dreamy smile worked its way onto her face as she thought about Lorin. It had been almost three months since they had started seeing each other and it was like she was living in a constant state of bliss.
She was amazed she could make time for Lorin considering her busy schedule and she knew it wasn't easy for him to have her being so busy all the time, but he was so considerate of her duties that Janet couldn't help but gush over him. He was always there for her when her day ended, ready to support her and comfort her as she relaxed and let go of all the stress that had built up over the course of the day.
A subtle elbow jabbed into her side warned her that she was letting her attention drift. Janet looked over to her side and saw Karise giving her a disapproving look. Janet managed to look appropriately chastised and turned her attention back to the Council meeting, trying to catch up on what was being discussed.
"How can we be sure your claims ring true, Duchess Hassa?" Duke Ronar spoke, "We have seen no evidence over the last two years that Quoglars exist. I think you and Duke Ryn are playing the rest of the Council as fools. Why should we be expected to pay for extra security when we don't have any direct evidence they're even here." The disbelieving and mocking tone was unmistakable in Ronar's voice and Hassa stood up in a rage, Ryn beside her with a thunderous look on his face.
"You dare to call Duke Ryn and myself liars?" Hassa hissed.
"Our villages have been destroyed, our people killed," Ryn spoke, "And you want to accuse us of lying when we're asking for your support?"
"I am merely saying that I don't want to commit so much of our resources to fighting an enemy that may not even be there. There have been no enemy casualties for there to be bodies. These Quoglars seem to disappear immediately after ravaging your countryside," Ronar said, "There is simply no substantial proof that it an outsider who has committed these acts." At this, Ryn stood up as well, his face turning purple with anger.
"Do you mean to say that Duchess Hassa and I have arranged the mutilation and murder of our own subjects?" Ryn's voice was low with barely controlled fury, his lips pursed as he glared down at Ronar. Ronar met Ryn's gaze unflinchingly, a challenging expression on his face.
"Is this to say you have?" Ronar said back, his tone quiet. The tension in the room was so palpable that Janet could feel it crawling over her skin. She looked around the room, noticing the other dukes and duchesses. All of them quiet and Janet knew they secretly agreed with Duke Ronar; none of their duchies rested on the border to Xarnac, none of them had to deal with the danger.
Janet was more than certain the Quoglars were being sent from someone in Xarnac. The fact that relations had become increasingly tense over the last few years pointed to something brewing inside of Xarnac. Janet had her suspicious, but wasn't ready to make any claims quite yet. However, she couldn't sit by and watch Zimmeria be torn apart from within.
Standing up as well, Janet drew herself to her full height, which wasn't admittedly all that much, but her sheer presence made up for what she lacked in inches.
"That is enough!" Janet said. From beside her, she could feel Karise's eyes on her and knew she was making Karise proud.
"You are all arguing like children," Janet said as the Council went wide-eyed, "Don't you see what is going on? The Mage's Circle has already provided substantial proof that Quoglars are in Zimmeria, everything besides a body. That's because whoever is controlling the Quoglars is keeping them out of sight, using them stealthily.
They're keeping the Quoglars close to the borders so as to hide them easier. To drive them deeper into Zimmeria would only risk getting caught.
"By doing this with stealth and subtlety, they're trying to tear us apart, making the danger only to a couple of duchies. It is far easier to invade a torn country than it is to conquer one united. And you are playing right into their hands." The Council immediately calmed after that and Karise sent Janet an impressed look as she sat back down, allowing Karise to resume control of the Council.
The rest of the meeting went relatively smoothly, the Council deciding it would be in their best interest to get along and provide some support to the duchies of Lansha and Quintal. Janet sighed with relief as the Council ended and the dukes and duchesses filtered out of the room, presumably to head over to the Teleport stones that would take them back to their respective duchies.
Karise and Janet both watched at the members of the Council left the room and, once they were alone, Karise turned to Janet, an indecipherable expression on her face.
"You dealt with the Council well," Karise said, "It's hard to get them to stop arguing and listen most of the time." Karise's words were open-ended, giving the impression she had something more to say.
"Thanks," Janet said, "They just didn't understand what was going on." Karise gave a small nod.
"That is true," Karise said, "However, I must say that I am disappointed with you." Janet froze, her hand going clammy at the words.
"Why?" Janet asked, her voice a whisper, afraid to hear the reasons.
"You have been so distracted lately," Karise said, her voice tinged with disapproval, "You haven't been taking your duties seriously, something even the Council has noticed. Your grades have been dropping, too. Lord Omar has expressed concern. Is there something wrong, Janet?"
"No." Janet's voice was strong, firm, adamant. Karise looked at Janet longingly, her gaze fixed in a worried expression, before she sighed.
"All right," Karise said, "If you say so. Go and get some rest, Janet." With that, Karise turned and glided out of the room, leaving Janet alone. Her heart pounded in her chest, disappointment causing a flush to rise to her cheeks. Her heart ached at the disappointment and worry in Karise's voice. It was like she had been scolded by her mother, only infinitely worse.
With a trembling hand, she wiped away the hurt tears Karise's words had brought. What hurt the most was that Karise was right and she didn't have the courage to say so. Something was wrong with her, but she didn't know what. The feeling had been building up inside of her over the past month or so and it scared Janet. Something inside of her was uneasy and she didn't know why.
Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, Janet left the empty room and made her way slowly up to the Tower, taking special care to avoid the gazes of everyone she passed, fearing they would know the turmoil inside of her if they looked into her eyes. Eventually, she made it back to her room and gratefully entered them, shutting the doors behind her, creating her own sanctuary.
"Hey," a voice from her couch spoke, "I was wondering when you'd be getting back." Janet spotted Lorin on the couch and a bright smile made its way onto her face. Suddenly, it was like her confrontation with Karise had never happened.
"Hey," she said softly as she went over to the couch and sat down. Leaning over, she gave him a sweet kiss, her heart doing flips in her chest to feel him responding to her kiss. Eventually, she pulled away and gave him a tired smile.
"Long day?" Lorin asked, raising a hand to finger her cheek gently. Janet sighed.
"You have no idea," she murmured, leaning into his touch.
"Oh, before I forget," Lorin said, "Lord Aerin stopped by to see if you were in. I told him you were at a meeting of the Council and he said he'd try to stop by later. He sounds like he misses you." Janet felt her heart sink at the mention of Aerin. Since she had started seeing Lorin, there had barely been a spare moment to spend time with Aerin.
"I'm sure I'll be seeing more of him when you leave tomorrow," Janet said, referring to Lorin's trip to visit his parents. At that, Lorin groaned.
"I don't know how I'm going to be able to be away from you for a month," Lorin said, his voice low with longing. Janet smiled, reaching over to pull him in for a kiss.
"I'm sure you'll survive," Janet said before his lips met hers. The kiss started out simple and sweet, but soon turned hungry and passionate. Suddenly, Lorin was everything and everywhere.
His hands entwined in her unbound hair, his arms around her, the feel of his lips on hers, it was all driving her crazy. She gasped as his lips left hers and created a trail of fiery kisses that led across her neck and up to her ear.
"You are so beautiful," he murmured as he pressed a kiss to the sensitive flesh behind her ear. Janet let out a low moan at the sensation and dragged his lips back to hers, kissing with even more passion than before.
Janet lost herself in the feel of his lips on hers and his arms around her. It all felt so much like a dream that it came to a complete surprise to find herself straddling his legs with his hands up her silk blouse, his fingers working at the clasp of her bra.
Suddenly, Janet felt like everything was moving too fast and her hands flew to his forearms, trying to push his hands down.
"Lorin, stop," she said breathlessly, breaking the kiss, "Please." A look of deep disappointment and confusion flashed in his eyes for a split second before it disappeared, leaving an apologetic look in its wake.
"I'm sorry," he said, taking his hands out from underneath her shirt and placing them gently on her hips, "I didn't mean for things to get so out of control." Janet felt better after hearing his words and smiled at him, cupping his face in her hands as she gave him a light kiss.
"It's ok," she said, "Everything was just moving too fast. You do understand, right?" Lorin nodded.
"Of course," he said emphatically, "I would never push you farther than you ready to go." Janet's heart melted at his words and she pushed herself off of him, snuggling up besides him. His arm went around her and, suddenly, Janet felt tired, the events of the past few days catching up with her.
"I could fall asleep right here," Janet murmured and felt Lorin shift beside her, manipulating them until they were both lying on the couch, him lying behind her as he held her close to him.
"Sleep," he commanded gently, "I'll be here for you." With those words, Janet drifted off into a restful sleep, confident that Lorin would do just as he said.
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Pitch blackness surrounded her. She could see nothing, feel nothing, do nothing. She could only hear. And what she heard sent shivers down her spine.
"Help me! Oh, gods, please, help me! Let me out! Let me out." The female voice broke down into harsh sobs.
"Where are you?" Janet cried out, her voice desperate; if only there was something she could do.
"He has me. He won't let me go! Please, get me out of here! I don't want to be here anymore. Please, help me." The voice was thick with tears and fear and Janet wanted nothing more than to save the poor soul she could hear cry out so desperately. Suddenly, the voice screamed.
"Oh, gods, he's here! Get away from me. No...please...don't!" The resulting scream frightened Janet down to the depths of her soul. Suddenly, she was pulled out of the dark world she was in from the sound of a voice calling her name.
"Janet!" Her eyes opened as she gasped, the familiar sight of her quarters greeting her. Her body shivered in the aftermath of the dream. A hand on her shoulder caused her to sit up, her arms wrapping around her torso in a self-hug.
"Janet, what happened? You were screaming in your sleep. Gods, are you alright?" Lorin asked, his tone concerned as he moved to kneel on the floor in front of her, his eyes looking up into hers. There was a look of panic on his face and Janet figured it had something to do with the fact that she had been screaming. She could feel the hoarseness in her voice, a testament to the fact that she really had been screaming.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Janet said. Lorin reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?" Lorin asked. Janet shook her head, unwilling to relive the events of the nightmare she just had.
"No, not really," Janet said, "I'm not ready to talk about it quite yet." Lorin nodded, but didn't say anything. He just stayed where he was, looking up at her imploringly.
"You know, I think I just want to go to bed," Janet said, getting a quick glimpse of the outside from the patio door. The sun had long since set and Janet could see the three moons rising. Janet smiled at the sight. All three were nearly full, signaling the beginning of the Santsuki festival in only a few weeks.
"All right," Lorin said as he rose to his feet. There was a disappointment in his eyes that Janet couldn't miss, but she really didn't care that much at the moment. All she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and sleep. However, she decided it would only be the polite thing to see Lorin out.
Standing, she walked him over to the door, leaning up to give him a deep kiss before he opened it. Lorin's arms wrapped around her, engulfing her in a gentle embrace. Janet could feel the love and support flowing into her as Lorin held her and she was grateful for his attentions.
Slowly, they parted and Janet smiled up at him.
"You'll be back for the beginning of the Santsuki festival, right?" Janet asked. Lorin chuckled lightly.
"Everyone will be in Zimmeria for the Santsuki festival," Lorin said, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." Janet breathed a soft sigh of relief as she extracted herself from his arms.
"Well, good night. And have a good visit with your parents," Janet said. Lorin smiled softly.
"I will. Farewell." With that, Lorin left Janet's chambers quietly, the doors shutting silently behind him. Once he was gone, the rest of the day came crashing down on her and, with the feeling like her life was slipping through her fingers, Janet dissolved into tears and unable to explain why.
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From the University, Aerin could sense that something was wrong with Janet. Even though distance separated them, he could still feel her emotions as well as his own, but he was hesitant to go to her. There was a certain unease between them, though he wasn't sure Janet herself had noticed it. She had been too busy with Lorin, her duties, and her studies to notice it.
A small frown worked its way on his face at the thought of Janet's performance in her studies. Lord Omar had confided in him and Karise of Janet's drop in her grades. That worried him greatly. Janet's zeal for learning astounded him time and time again in the past and it was disheartening to realize that she suddenly found her studies less interesting.
Also more distressing was her reason for her declining interest in her studies. Since her relationship with Lorin began, Janet's focus had been shifting towards him and it scared Aerin. Something was wrong with Janet and the fact that he couldn't pinpoint it bothered him all the more.
For a brief moment, he toyed with the idea that it was something to do with Lorin, but he was the only thing making her happy at the moment.
"I have the ingredients you wanted crushed, Lord Aerin." The feminine voice from his side drew him out of his thoughts and he focused his attention to the present. He turned to see Nyla approaching him with a small smile on her face and a small stone bowl cradled in her hands.
"Thank you, Nyla," Aerin said as she placed the bowl on the table in front of him. He smiled up at his apprentice, remembering how Janet had arranged the apprenticeship between her best female friend and her Lord Protector. Aerin could see the matchmaking effort behind Janet's actions and he had to inwardly roll his eyes at the thought.
However, Nyla had incredible potential as a healer, enough power to succeed Idrianna as Head Healer. It was for this reason he had accepted her as his apprentice and, with him backing her, she was sure to go far.
"Lord Aerin, is there something bothering you?" Nyla asked, her head cocked to the side in confusion. As an empath, she could sense troubling emotions coming from him, but didn't know the cause. Aerin jumped at the words and looked up into her sapphire blue eyes. Nyla's heart leapt into her throat as he looked straight at her and there was no denying the attraction she felt for him.
Aerin ignored the emotions he could feel coming from her. He was able to so easily since she was very careful to keep her emotions out of their working relationship, knowing full well he could sense them from her. Aerin gave a soft sigh at Nyla's words.
"Is it that obvious?" he asked. Nyla smiled softly.
"I've known for a couple of weeks that there's been something bothering you. I can sense that it's come to a breaking point. So, do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Aerin raised an eyebrow hopefully.
"Actually, I think you could help me," Aerin said. Nyla's curiosity was piqued. Aerin summoned a stool for her to sit on and she sat gratefully, her hands folding gently in her lap.
"What is it?" she asked. Aerin sighed again.
"It's Janet. I'm worried about her," he stated. Nyla didn't even bat an eyelash, but her face did take on a concerned look and Aerin could sense the same worry coming from her as her hands clenched in her lap.
"I am, too," Nyla said, "She's been so distracted lately and I can't figure out why. I can't shake the horrible feeling that something is wrong." Aerin nodded.
"Yes, me too," Aerin said, "I've been sensing for a couple of months now that there's been something wrong, but I haven't been able to breach the subject. There's a sort of tension between Janet and myself, but I don't think she knows its there. I don't think she's had much time to think about that." Aerin sighed sadly as he rubbed hand over his face.
"I miss her," Aerin admitted, "I know her relationship with Lorin is new and she wants to spend time with him, but she doesn't have much extra time to begin with. We barely have any time to say hello to each other, much less have a meaningful conversation." Nyla gave him a comforting smile.
"I think she misses you just as much," Nyla said. Aerin nodded.
"Yes, but it still doesn't change the fact that something is wrong with her," Aerin said.
"She barely pays attention in her classes these days," Nyla said, "And I've noticed a strange clumsiness about her, as well as a sense of tiredness." Aerin's worry grew at Nyla's words.
"That is strange," Aerin said, "She is normally very coordinated. And she has a lot of energy. Something very wrong is going on here." Nyla suddenly tensed up, her face going white with fear.
"You don't think-"
"No," Aerin said, cutting her off, knowing what she was thinking. He had thought of the same possibility as she obvious did, the worst one case scenario one could possibly think of.
"I would have noticed if it were that," Aerin said and no more was said on that subject, Nyla conceding to his point.
"So, what do we do?" Nyla asked, her voice quiet. Aerin shrugged.
"I don't really know," Aerin said, "I think the only thing we can do is keep an eye on her. Since you see her more often than I do, could you watch out for her?" Nyla smiled, happy to help.
"Of course," Nyla said, "She is one of my closest friends and I do worry about her health and happiness." Aerin smiled back.
"Thank you," he said, "Hopefully, we'll be able to help her."
------------
The next day found Janet lounging up on the windowsill above her patio door, her back against the frame and one foot folded up against her while the other lay over the edge, swinging slightly. The open window provided her with an early summer breeze and an unblocked view of the ocean beyond the cliffs the palace rested on.
Her whole body was relaxed, even though she was sitting 25 feet above ground, but her mind was restless and she refused to think about Lorin.
That he had departed early that morning through a Teleport stone, Janet knew. He was due at his parents' manor in Lambor at that time and she knew he had to go. But it didn't stop her from missing him dearly.
With a sigh, Janet shoved thoughts of Lorin out of her mind and just concentrated on enjoying the balmy weather. Janet existed with only the breeze and the sunny weather for several minutes before a knock on her door drew her out of her thoughts.
"Come in," she called out, not bothering to turn her head in the direction of the door. The door opened soundlessly and Aerin stepped into Janet's quarters, a hopeful look on his face.
"Hey," he called out. Janet turned her head sharply and looked down at him, giving him a big smile.
"Aerin!" she exclaimed as he walked over to the patio door. With a little boost of magic, Aerin jumped into the air and landed on the wide sill beside her. He sat down with his legs hanging over the edge, his legs swinging a bit as he relaxed in the sunny weather. Aerin glanced over at her, giving her a soft smile.
"How are you doing?" Janet asked, the sentence coming out a little more awkward than she would have wanted it to.
"Good," Aerin said, "A little tired. Haven't seen you too much lately." Janet blushed and looked away.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Janet whispered. Aerin reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. He could feel her guilt at not having a lot of time for him and he instantly forgave her. From her, he could feel how much she missed him and knew she wasn't purposely ignoring him.
Janet pulled him to her and Aerin wrapped her in a gentle hug. Just being with her was like a balm for his tired soul and he realized then just how much he had missed her.
"Missed you," Janet whispered.
"Yeah, I know," Aerin responded, "Me, too." They were silent for several minutes, just enjoying the others presence, and they eventually pulled apart.
"So, do you want to do something today?" Aerin asked. Janet smiled and nodded.
"That would be great!" Janet said.
"Well, how about a ride into the country. I'm sure the horses could use the exercise," Aerin said. Janet chuckled and raised her hand to brush her hair from her face. It was then that Aerin spotted it.
"What's that?" he asked, grabbing her wrist and examining it. A long, thin cut had been traced on the top of her arm, starting at about her wrist and extending for about two inches up her arm. It looked like it had been only half-healed and quite recent. Janet yanked her hand away, an embarrassed blush rising to her cheeks.
"I tripped," Janet said, "A couple of days ago."
"And how did you get it?" Aerin asked.
"My hand caught on the edge of the table," Janet said, holding her hand close. Aerin narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but he sensed the genuine embarrassment in her voice and his suspicion faded away.
"Do you want me to heal it for you?" Aerin asked. Janet shook her head.
"No, it's ok," Janet said, "It's not serious and it'll heal on its own." Aerin nodded.
"You need to take better care of yourself," Aerin said. Janet sighed.
"I know," Janet said, "I've been so clumsy lately. It's really embarrassing."
"Maybe you're just tired," Aerin supplied. Janet nodded.
"I think that's it," Janet said, "Anyway, how about that ride." Aerin smiled and knew Janet wanted to get off the topic. Janet was a very proud being and didn't often tolerate embarrassment well, so Aerin knew to not bother her about it.
"Yes, let's go," Aerin said and, together, they pushed themselves off of the windowsill, both of them landing gracefully on the floor 25 feet below. Silent, they made their way out of the Tower, out of the palace, and down to the stables by the front gates, not saying much more than small talk.
Janet went over to the stable where her mare was housed. The mare looked up at Janet's approach and immediately moved over to the entrance of the stall, reaching out for Janet.
Janet giggled and reached out to touch the mare, smoothing over the fur on her snout. The light tan mare had been a gift from Tanith for her birthday a year ago. She was a spirited mare, but calmed down in Janet's presence, only allowing Janet to take the reins.
The mare, who Janet had named Misty, pressed herself into Janet's hand.
"Hey there, girl," Janet murmured as she opened the stall door. The mare lowered her head and nuzzled Janet's torso in hopes that Janet had a treat, but Janet had brought nothing.
"Sorry, Misty," Janet said softly. A stable boy approached her and knocked on the door.
"Yes?" Janet said, turning to face the young man, who looked nervous in her presence.
"Do you require something, Milady?" the young man said haltingly.
"Would you please prepare my horse?" Janet asked, "And Lord Aerin's." The stable boy nodded and rushed off to do so. Janet gave Misty one more pat before moving out of the stables to join Aerin outside of them.
"You do know we aren't quite dressed for riding?" Aerin said with a smirk as he looked at their clothing. Janet looked at their outfits.
"Well, we only really need boots," Janet said, "Our pants and shirts are fine. Conjure up a couple of pairs of boots. I can fit mine to my size." Aerin did so and, by the time Aerin and Janet had fit the boots to their feet, the stable boy was leading both horses by the reins.
"They're ready, milord, milady," the stable boy said, trying to steady his voice as he was in the presence of two of the most important figures in all Zimmeria. Both Aerin and Janet offered the boy a smile, the stable boy flushing bright red at the gentle expression from Janet before bowing and turning to go back into the stables.
Aerin chuckled at the stable boy's quick exit and turned to Janet as they climbed onto their respective horses.
"It's amazing just how much of an affect you have on people," Aerin said, "Especially those of the male persuasion." Janet just threw a playful glare in Aerin's direction as they both urged their horses onward towards the side gates. The Inner City had a set of side gates that led out to a cliff side path. This pathway took the travelers out to the surrounding country and forest of the city of Zimmeria.
Aerin and Janet's conversation was light as they rode, both of them enjoying the good weather and good company. They rode through the surrounding forest and down the central path away from the city. They had been riding no longer than 2 hours when they came to a familiar valley.
Janet froze when she saw the Stargate sitting in the bottom of the valley. Without a word to Aerin, she rode down to the center of the valley, Aerin following silently behind her. Reaching the bottom of the valley, Janet dismounted and let her horse roam around the grassy plains while she went over to the Stargate.
She walked over to the DHD, her fingers hovering over the panel. She let her palm rest on the center button, feeling the cool material beneath her skin. An assortment of emotions flooded over her as she realized with startling clarity that it had been almost three years to the day since she first arrived in Zimmeria, but a pang of sadness was the most predominant.
A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump and she turned her head slightly to see Aerin standing beside her, a gentle smile on his face.
"You still miss them, don't you?" he asked softly.
"Never stopped, actually," Janet said as her fingers lightly traced the glyphs on the DHD.
"Do you still want to return to your planet?" Aerin asked in a gentle, questioning voice.
"Some part of me still does," Janet said, "The part of me that longs for a simpler life. A life where I was only a doctor and I wasn't responsible for an entire nation. I wish for it when the days get really hectic, you know?" Aerin nodded and slipped his arm around Janet's shoulders, pulling her into a half hug, sending comforting waves in her direction. Janet looked over at Aerin and gave him a grateful smile before pulling her hand away from the DHD with a sigh.
"Let's go home," Janet said, her smile turning slightly watery. Aerin nodded and pulled his arm away after giving her arm one last squeeze.
"Sure," he said, "Besides, I'm hungry." Janet's laughter lasted all the way until they mounted their horses and went off towards the palace.
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The next few weeks, Janet and Aerin spent most of their time together, both of them realizing just how much they had missed the other. It reminded Aerin of when Janet had first arrived in Zimmeria, when she only knew him, Karise, and Tanith, back to a time when things seemed a little simpler. However, real life had to resume again.
One day, nearly a month later, Janet was sitting in her quarters, enjoying the latest in a series of novels she had been following,
when a knock at her door made her put her book down.
"Come in!" she cried out. The door opened to reveal Lorin standing in the doorway. A face-splitting grin worked its way onto Janet's face and she rushed over to him as he shut the door behind him. She went willingly into his arms, breathing a sigh of relief as his arms wrapped around her. He nuzzled her hair, breathing in her clean scent, and sighed.
"Gods, I missed you," he breathed, pulling away to look down at her. Janet smiled up at Lorin and pulled him down for a kiss, needing no words. The second his lips touched hers, the entire world melted away, leaving only Lorin and the feel of his lips on hers. He awoke a fire in her soul and she was helpless against his onslaught.
Pulling away breathlessly a few moments later, Janet looked up at him, passion in her eyes, as she pulled him towards the stairs. Lorin's eyes widened for a moment, his gaze questioning. Janet merely gave him soft smile before nodding, signaling her permission.
Lorin, in his shock, pulled her closer and gave her a bruising kiss before allowing her to pull him up to her bedroom.