Akkarin led Sonea into his bedroom, then shut and locked the door behind him. He concentrated on his blood ring.
– Takan?
– Master? Akkarin could sense a slight distraction behind Takan's response, and an image of dinner preparations floated towards him lightly from another mind.
– We'll have dinner an hour later.
– Yes, master.
Akkarin severed the mental link and turned his attention back to the here and now. Sonea had her back to him, and was running her hands over the books on his desk, reading their titles.
He walked over to her and slipped his arms around her waist. She fit perfectly against the front of his body, the top of her head grazing his chin. "Has anything caught your interest?" Akkarin asked, bending down to speak in her ear.
Sonea relaxed against his chest for a moment, then looked back down at the books. "I was thinking of how little we are taught of Sachaka. I don't like feeling like I'm in the dark about the dangers we are facing," she replied. Akkarin could hear the frown in her voice.
Akkarin couldn't help but smile, nuzzling Sonea's hair for a moment. It smelled faintly of rose. She couldn't be more different to the women from the Houses I have avoided over the years… But I do wish she would trust that I have this in hand. She was self-reliant, like him, but it did mean that – like him – staying out of the action was difficult for her to accept.
Akkarin's smile slowly faded. He had shared much of the truth with Sonea the previous night, but had withheld a few details that he felt would only cause worry and make it harder for him to convince her that his plan was sound.
He had implied the slaves Dakova sent were strong, and that fighting them did drain a lot of his power. But he hadn't told her that each one had been stronger than the last. Akkarin knew that the latest two had been defeated through the element of surprise, and that he could not have overpowered them had it come down to an open fight. But telling Sonea that will only make her more determined to come with me, to combine our powers.
"Luckily, that is easily rectified. My research led me to a few discoveries – diaries and accounts of the Sachakan War. I've copied some out in my own hand, and you're welcome to read them whenever you wish," he said, moving on to light kisses to the side of Sonea's neck.
"But for now…" he tightened the grip of his hands on her waist, pulling her hips closer towards him. He began to kiss the other side of her neck. "There is a more urgent lesson to hand." Sonea sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back against him.
"Undress, and lie on the bed," he said softly into her ear, allowing a hint of authority to enter his voice.
It had been hard enough for them to admit their desire for one another across the chasm in power and status between High Lord and novice – so Akkarin had, at first, wondered whether bringing this into the bedroom would deter Sonea. But over the past few nights, he had been pleased to see how receptive Sonea was to sustaining the thrill of this power dynamic in private. Her tendency to address him as High Lord in their intimate moments had been of her own initiative. It was clearly arousing for her, too.
And I am only too happy to oblige, Akkarin thought with a half-smile as he lazily watched Sonea remove her brown robes and underclothes, never breaking eye contact with him as she lay down on the dark blue covers of his four-poster bed.
Akkarin had to muster all the self-control he had not to finish things there and then at the sight in front of him. He let his eyes roam over her pale limbs, her small nipples, the sparse black hair between her legs and her strong, shapely calves. Tonight will require more control than usual, he reminded himself. Lovers' Death can too easily turn as dangerous as its name implies, if I'm distracted.
He let the anticipation build, watching her as he slowly removed his rings one by one, placing them onto his desk. Sonea's chest rose and fell as she waited for him. Akkarin untied the sash of his black robes and removed the top half. He removed the black vest underneath as well, leaving only the flowing, black silk trousers that he wore underneath the floor-length robes. Sonea's eyes narrowed as they took in Akkarin's naked torso in the low globelight. Akkarin felt desire stir in every inch of his body as he enjoyed being the object of her intense gaze.
He cocked an eyebrow and gave her a half-smile, as if to say, the feeling is mutual. Her cheeks got a slight pink tinge when she realised she had been staring.
Akkarin walked up to the bed in a leisurely manner, never taking his eyes off Sonea. She was resting on her elbows, lying half up, which in Akkarin's eyes seemed to accentuate her collarbone, her firm breasts, and her slightly rounded lower belly. He took in a deep breath through his nose to steady his need.
As he approached the edge of the bed, Akkarin reached down and trailed the tips of his fingers across her lips, down her neck, and across her chest. Sonea's lips parted slightly and her breathing deepened. Still standing upright and looking down at her imposingly, Akkarin worked his way back up with his hand lightly, this time dipping the tip of his index finger in between her lips.
"Magic can be willingly exchanged between magicians, as you know. You have already received it and channelled it into shields or strikes in the Arena," Akkarin said quietly, his voice deep with lust as he withdrew his finger from between Sonea's lips, now slightly wet. She nodded, her breathing still quick.
Akkarin gracefully moved onto the bed onto all fours with Sonea under him. She lowered herself off her elbows and lay her head back onto the pillow. Akkarin dipped his head down to plant kisses on her neck and shoulders. "What you are not taught is that power received can be stored instead of channelled," he murmured, moving down towards the tops of her breasts. "But it is no more forbidden than sending healing energy into a body, to be kept in the body for repair. Are you listening, Sonea?"
"Yes, High Lord," Sonea breathed, her eyes closed. "Power received c-can be stored instead of channelled."
Akkarin chuckled into her collarbone, and continued his kisses towards one nipple. "Good. As you can see, it has nothing to do with knowing black magic." He gently bit, then licked, her nipple, and Sonea's chest arched towards his face. Akkarin pulled away and moved towards her other breast. She exhaled audibly in slight frustration.
"I can receive and store the amount of power you wish to provide every day, strengthening myself for the next confrontation in the city. But while I was in Sachaka, I learned of another way power can be drawn. A way that… shall we say… rewards the generous donor," he smiled against Sonea's other nipple then lavished it with equal attention.
Sonea let out a quiet moan. "Please teach me, High Lord."
"I've always been one to show, not tell," Akkarin replied silkily, his tone suggestive. "Magic can also be drawn when our natural barrier wavers, which can happen at the height of pleasure. This is called Lovers' Death."
Sonea's eyes fluttered open at hearing the name, a tiny flicker of uncertainty flashing in them. Akkarin drew level with her face, and gave her a deep kiss, his tongue slowly but firmly demanding her to reciprocate. "Do you trust me?" He breathed into her mouth. His hand caressed one of her inner thighs, gently nudging it to one side.
–Yes, Sonea sent mentally. He could sense from their connected minds that it was true. Somehow, this small response fuelled Akkarin's desire more than the sight of her lying naked, legs parted, beneath him.
He locked his eyes with hers for a moment, then began to kiss his way down her chest and belly, holding her thighs apart as his mouth reached the place between her legs. Sonea's belly clenched at the contact and she gasped quietly.
Akkarin took his time, savouring her, alternating the pressure of his tongue. One hand still grasping her thigh, his other crept up to add two fingers inside her, his tongue growing more insistent as his fingers entered her, stroking her entrance. Sonea's hips began to tremble after some time, and her breathing grew ragged. He did not pause his movements as she gasped out and jerked against his mouth.
Akkarin sent out his senses into her body mentally, and sure enough, her magical barrier wavered and dissolved momentarily. He could feel her power coursing around his presence, and he mentally grasped a strand of it, drawing a steady trickle into himself. It took immense self-control. Not just because the feeling of her power being added to his own was intoxicating, but also because he desperately wanted to stop what he was doing and focus solely on prolonging her ecstasy.
Plently of time for more of that later, he thought, stopping the trickle of power. As he lessened the pressure of his mouth to soft flickers of the tongue, and withdrew his fingers, he observed Sonea's body restoring her magical barrier again. Her trembling began to cease, and she opened her eyes to look down at him, chest heaving. He looked up at her with a half-smile, and kissed her inner thigh.
"That – that was…" Sonea began, but her voice trailed off.
"Pleasurable, I hope," Akkarin said with a low chuckle. He pulled himself back on top of her and Sonea smiled sheepishly as if to reply, I'll say.
They shared a kiss, then Sonea reached a hand up and gently placed a loose strand of his black hair behind his ear. "I felt completely powerless for a second – like I couldn't move if I wanted to." Akkarin's gaze sharpened in concern. "In… in a good way," Sonea added quickly. "It's hard to explain," she grinned.
"That must have been when I drew a little of your power. How do you feel?" Akkarin asked.
Sonea paused a moment, and he guessed she was probing her store of magic with her senses. "Not very different. My power feels like I've used a little more than usual – like the days when I have a Warrior Skills practical."
"Good," Akkarin replied, raising a hand to caress her jaw. "There is no need for me to store any more than that at one time." When his fingers fluttered over her lips, Sonea kissed them, making Akkarin's breath catch in his throat.
Sonea's black eyes glittered mischeviously. "I'd still like to learn this… Lover's Death myself," she said.
Akkarin chuckled and sat up on the bed, retying the black ribbon in his hair, which had loosened. "I can see I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I took you on as my novice."
He leaned down and grasped Sonea's chin, tilting up her face for a quick but possessive kiss. "An insatiable thirst for knowledge," he whispered approvingly.
He pushed himself off the bed and stretched out a hand to her. "Let's eat before it gets too late. You need to replenish your strength."
They got dressed quickly, smiling at each other. As they walked into the dining room, they saw that Takan had already laid out a range of warm plates, a deliciously spicy aroma wafting from at least half of them.
Sonea breathed in appreciatively. "Thank you Takan. I'm starving."
Akkarin raised an eyebrow as he noticed the slight smile playing about his servant's lips, but made no comment as Takan bowed and backed out of the room. Well, at least the only other person who knows about us looks more than happy about it, Akkarin thought sardonically.