them, using my body."
“Yes, I did. I'd have used their bodies if I could have, but I couldn't. Not here. I made love to you too. And you said you didn't care."
“Would you have touched me at all if you had not wanted them?” The look in his eyes accused her. “Did you even want me?"
“Of course I did. I always want you. Always. You know that.” She moved his arm out to make a place for herself inside it, snuggling close. Touch always made him feel better, especially skin-to-skin. Her too.
He seemed reluctant to bring his arm up around her to hold her, but he did. As if he couldn't help himself and didn't like that he couldn't. “But I don't. How can I know such a thing when you turn me aside?"
“When did I—? Oh.” She had. Just last night. Saints. Men and their fragile sense of self. “It wasn't that I didn't want you, Obed. I did. I just—It was— This place ...” She trailed off, confused, not sure she could explain it to him. A lot of things confused her lately, as if her thoughts were stolen away before she had time to think them.
A long moment later, Obed sighed and rolled to face her, his dark eyes solemn. “You are right. This place . It has me falling back into old habits. Old bad habits. I have no need for jealousy."
Because Obed had grown up in Daryath where pairs were the rule, he'd had difficulty adjusting to life in an ilian. Especially after the twins were born and their bloodlines followed to different fathers. It had led to backlash—a dangerous collapse of half-formed magic—when his jealousy had cut his magic off from Kallista's call.
The situation had been resolved with the help of a set of gold arm bands that locked together, allowing Obed to give up his rigid control. Backlash had never been a problem again. Obed had learned to share Kallista with the other members of the ilian, but he still could not manage to share himself. In six years, he had not made love to any of the others.
Obed looked ruefully at the metal cuffs he still wore, mostly because they both enjoyed the games that could be played with them. “I may yet need these."
“Or maybe it's the demons, rather than the place.” Kallista realized what she'd forgotten. “I haven't yet sent out the magic to hunt them. Gweric said there's demonshadow everywhere."
“Do you have enough magic left to you?"
She smiled. “No matter how much magic I use, there is always more. The gifts of the One have no limits. The strength of the naitan who uses them is the only boundary. And I feel wonderful.” She stretched, leaning into Obed for a kiss, then drew magic, reaching for more from each of her other links.
In the distance, she caught a faint, amused sense of Again? from Torchay that faded quickly as she wove the magic first into a spell that would scrub the embassy clean of any demon taint and protect it against further intrusion. She had to strengthen it twice with more magic before it could eliminate the last of the stains, then fed even more into the protections.
“The demon has to know that we know it's here,” Kallista said when she was done. “After all that.” She sat cross-legged in the center of the bed, Obed curled around her.
“All of—your hunting?” He traced a finger down her naked spine.
Kallista shook her head. “I cleaned it out of the embassy—all the demonshadow—and warded the place against more coming in. Maybe I shouldn't send the hunter magic out."
“If it knows that we know it is here,” he said, “why not send the magic? What harm can it do? You hunt for demons every night. If suddenly you stop, would that not cause more notice?"
“Hmm. You're right. If it expects ... But what if it does something to Sky? Or Merinda?"
“Would it not do this something anyway? Even if you do not hunt it?"
Kallista blinked at him. “Right. You're absolutely right. Were you always this smart and just never let on?"
He smiled and bowed, a difficult thing to do while reclining on one elbow.
“Yes, I did. I'd have used their bodies if I could have, but I couldn't. Not here. I made love to you too. And you said you didn't care."
“Would you have touched me at all if you had not wanted them?” The look in his eyes accused her. “Did you even want me?"
“Of course I did. I always want you. Always. You know that.” She moved his arm out to make a place for herself inside it, snuggling close. Touch always made him feel better, especially skin-to-skin. Her too.
He seemed reluctant to bring his arm up around her to hold her, but he did. As if he couldn't help himself and didn't like that he couldn't. “But I don't. How can I know such a thing when you turn me aside?"
“When did I—? Oh.” She had. Just last night. Saints. Men and their fragile sense of self. “It wasn't that I didn't want you, Obed. I did. I just—It was— This place ...” She trailed off, confused, not sure she could explain it to him. A lot of things confused her lately, as if her thoughts were stolen away before she had time to think them.
A long moment later, Obed sighed and rolled to face her, his dark eyes solemn. “You are right. This place . It has me falling back into old habits. Old bad habits. I have no need for jealousy."
Because Obed had grown up in Daryath where pairs were the rule, he'd had difficulty adjusting to life in an ilian. Especially after the twins were born and their bloodlines followed to different fathers. It had led to backlash—a dangerous collapse of half-formed magic—when his jealousy had cut his magic off from Kallista's call.
The situation had been resolved with the help of a set of gold arm bands that locked together, allowing Obed to give up his rigid control. Backlash had never been a problem again. Obed had learned to share Kallista with the other members of the ilian, but he still could not manage to share himself. In six years, he had not made love to any of the others.
Obed looked ruefully at the metal cuffs he still wore, mostly because they both enjoyed the games that could be played with them. “I may yet need these."
“Or maybe it's the demons, rather than the place.” Kallista realized what she'd forgotten. “I haven't yet sent out the magic to hunt them. Gweric said there's demonshadow everywhere."
“Do you have enough magic left to you?"
She smiled. “No matter how much magic I use, there is always more. The gifts of the One have no limits. The strength of the naitan who uses them is the only boundary. And I feel wonderful.” She stretched, leaning into Obed for a kiss, then drew magic, reaching for more from each of her other links.
In the distance, she caught a faint, amused sense of Again? from Torchay that faded quickly as she wove the magic first into a spell that would scrub the embassy clean of any demon taint and protect it against further intrusion. She had to strengthen it twice with more magic before it could eliminate the last of the stains, then fed even more into the protections.
“The demon has to know that we know it's here,” Kallista said when she was done. “After all that.” She sat cross-legged in the center of the bed, Obed curled around her.
“All of—your hunting?” He traced a finger down her naked spine.
Kallista shook her head. “I cleaned it out of the embassy—all the demonshadow—and warded the place against more coming in. Maybe I shouldn't send the hunter magic out."
“If it knows that we know it is here,” he said, “why not send the magic? What harm can it do? You hunt for demons every night. If suddenly you stop, would that not cause more notice?"
“Hmm. You're right. If it expects ... But what if it does something to Sky? Or Merinda?"
“Would it not do this something anyway? Even if you do not hunt it?"
Kallista blinked at him. “Right. You're absolutely right. Were you always this smart and just never let on?"
He smiled and bowed, a difficult thing to do while reclining on one elbow.
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