As You Wish Page 8

  “And you will. I will ask my people and see if anyone knows anything.” She got up on her knees and placed her small hands on his shoulders. “You were summoned when you disappeared, yes?”

  “Yes,” he answered as an image of Karis’s smooth cocoa skin and vivid green eyes flashed in his mind. Oblivious to Niri’s ministrations, he imagined Karis alone with Tevori. Never in his life had he felt so helpless, so on edge.

  “So, who discovered your vessel this time?” Niri rubbed his back in a soothing circular massage.

  “Her name is Karis and she’s in trouble because of what I just told you.” He moved from her gentle touch to face her and pondered how much to share as he stood.

  “In trouble how?” The nimble elf sat with her arms wrapped around her legs.

  “Both she and her mother, Nadine, are gifted clairvoyants. Rue kidnapped Nadine with the sole purpose of exploiting her ability for his own selfish needs. Now he has Karis and she possesses the same power, only she doesn’t know yet how to use it.” Flashes of her uninhibited response as she climaxed against his fingers raced through his mind. Clearing his throat, he looked away from Niri’s curious stare. “I assured her I would help her tap into abilities she didn’t believe she possessed but we hadn’t made much progress.”

  Niri’s baby blue eyes darkened to twin sapphires. “And how are you planning on helping her?”

  He watched her shift gracefully from the bed to stand in front of him.

  “You’re going to use sex to release her gifts, aren’t you?”

  “Sex is the best way to help her quickly tap into her power.”

  A moment of silence stretched between them.

  “You’re kidding me, right?” Niri tucked a long stand of hair behind her pointed ear.

  “No.” He could sense the fury behind her placid expression, but he could think of nothing to say to soothe her. “Niri—”

  She waved her hands. “So, you have to be the one this human female sleeps with to help her unlock her gift…is that what you’re telling me?”

  “It has to be me because I am bound to her until her three wishes are up.” He decided not to add the fact Karis chose him because there was no one else she wanted to sleep with.

  “I know you’ve been working with the High Council, but you never said anything about rogue genies or your involvement in trying to track them down. Why? Is it because you don’t trust me?” she asked, her breasts heaving in the scooped neckline.

  “Niri, no, the High Council asked many of us to quietly help them track down anyone trying to take advantage of the portals.” He held up a hand as she shook her head. “Trust has nothing to do with it besides when we are together we rarely talk.”

  She glared at him, tossing her long golden locks over her shoulders. “That’s because you prefer to not talk in bed.”

  “Niri, let’s not do this now—”

  “Never mind,” she said, cutting him off. “There was never anything more between us than sex anyway, right?”

  She was even more beautiful with her hands on her hips and the annoyed scowl marring her fine features.

  “I thought there was a mutual understanding between us.”

  “I understand sex is something you enjoy, but you aren’t capable of feeling anything more than the pleasure.”

  Vander ignored her venomous words. He could see the sadness she was trying to mask and it troubled him. “Niri, I never meant to hurt you.” He hated the sad smile gracing her lips.

  “No, it’s my fault for caring, for wanting something you aren’t able to give. I hope Karis doesn’t confuse sex with you for real emotion. Lona’s the only woman to ever touch your heart.”

  Her sharp accusation struck him hard, but he couldn’t deny the truth in them. Tears glistened in her eyes as he reached for her. “Wai—”

  She jerked away from him just as someone knocked on his front door.

  “Go open the door,” she said, moving out of his way.

  He wanted to say something more, but words failed him as he walked past her.

  “Vander, its Rafi,” his friend called from the other side of the door.

  Any regret he had over how things stood with Niri were swallowed up by his anxiousness to hear any news from Rafi concerning Karis.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting.” Rafi cast a concerned look at Niri who had followed him into the living room.

  “No, we’re finished here,” she replied quickly, not bothering to look at him as she walked past Rafi and exited the room.

  “What did you learn?” Vander asked as soon as she was gone.

  “No one has heard or seen anything which would tell us where Rue and his men are hiding.”

  “Dammit! Something’s wrong. I can feel it or rather I can’t feel anything concerning her. She could be hurt maybe drugged…” The very thought threatened to push him over the edge as he paced the floor.

  “If she’s unconscious she’ll eventually come to. The first thing she’s going to try and do is reach out to you. There’s a good chance she’ll be able to give us some clue as to where he’s holding her.”

  Vander stopped pacing to stare out of the window. “I hope you’re right.” For her sake and mine.

  “I am.” Rafi nodded his head as Vander turned to look at him. “I am,” he said again, “I’m always right.”

  “Right,” Vander repeated with a tight smile.

  “So, you told Niri everything?” Rafi asked, sliding into a high back chair.

  “I did. And it went exactly as you expected it to go.”

  “Well, what did you expect to happen?”

  Vander didn’t answer. As much as he cared about Niri all he could think about was Karis and what Rue was planning.

  He clenched his fists, and envisioned the bodily harm he would personally inflict upon the arrogant, self-serving Djinn if there were so much as a bruise on her silky smooth skin.

  Chapter Eight

  Karis struggled to open her eyes, still caught somewhere between semi-consciousness and consciousness as the drug induced sleep wore off. She was aware of someone in the room with her even though she couldn’t see, make a sound or move.

  “What have you done to her, Rue?” The female voice was laced with concern and contempt.

  “Just a little something to keep her calm.”

  The female scoffed. “This isn’t calm, Rue, she’s knocked out, probably freezing.”

  Karis wanted to speak and thank the woman for covering her with a blanket, but she could only listen as they spoke above her.

  “You’re always so concerned, Lona. Don’t worry. She’s fine and she’ll be coming around very soon.”

  “You promised me no one would be harmed.”

  “Dammit, Lona, she’s unharmed, simply sleeping! I thought you wanted me to be free to be with you.”

  “Yes, I do, but this,” she touched Karis’s arm, “and her mother…“

  Rue exhaled. “Relax. With her here, the two of them will be able to show us a portal and we can leave this place, be together and I’ll be free to do as I please.”

  “Vander probably already suspects you’re the leader of this mess. I bet he’s working now as we speak with the High Council.”

  “By the time they figure out where we are we’ll have the portal we need.”

  “Such strong bone structure.” Lona touched Karis’s cheek. “Just like her mother and yet so different.”

  “Perhaps, you should get her a glass of water. I bet she’ll be thirsty when she wakes up.”

  No, don’t go! Karis wanted to yell. She didn’t want to be left alone with Rue for a minute longer than was necessary.

  “Of course and some soup, she’s so cold.”

  “Perfect.”

  Helpless, she listened to the retreating footsteps with dread.

  “Alone at last,” Rue whispered in her ear. “We don’t have much time, my sweet.”

  His warm breath fanned her cheek and Karis screamed silently as he
pressed his lips on hers. Desperate, she reached out to her mother. She had to be nearby. Maybe she would hear her. She focused on the making the connection as Rue kissed her.

  Karis, I can hear you. Oh, baby, are you all right?

  Warm tears slipped from beneath her closed eyelids at the sound of her mom’s voice. Mom, where are you?

  I’m very close to where you are. I can feel it. Tevori will stop at nothing to get what he wants. We have to find a way to stop him.

  Cool lips kissed her collarbone. He’s here with me now. A hand skimmed up her calf and towards her thighs. Not being able to see where he would touch her next added a new level of terror to her predicament.

  “Karis, you are so beautiful,” he said softly, pulling her robe free once again.

  No matter how hard she willed her body to react to her demands, she could not move. Oh, God, Mother, he’s touching me. She couldn’t hide the terror in her voice.

  Reach out to Vander, Karis and I will join with you. Together we’ll be able to show him where you are. Do it now!

  Her panties were ripped away with one sharp tug, and Karis gritted her teeth as his splayed fingers slid down through her soft, ebony curls.

  She pooled all the energy she had within her body to connect with Vander and hoped he’d find her in time to save her from her worst nightmare.

  * * * *

  The glass in Vander’s hand fell to ground. Karis? He could feel her so strongly it knocked the air out of his lungs. He closed his eyes and fought to block her overwhelming emotions of panic and fear to pinpoint her location.

  Where are you, Karis? I need to know where you are. What’s around you, any details you can remember, just tell me what you’ve seen.

  The strength and intensity of the connection pulling him to her surprised him. Within seconds, crystal clear images of the forest hiding the secluded castle where she was being held flooded his mind.

  Fury and adrenaline spiked his pulse as visions of the long walkway leading to where she’d been taken and the room she was now in were revealed.

  A second later he was gone.

  * * * *

  She could move her hand, but the tiny movement was not enough to stop the animal opening her thighs.

  “You bastard!” Lona cried.

  “Lona, it’s not what you—”

  “Shut up!”

  Karis heard glass shattering and Rue’s violent curse as droplets of hot soup sprayed on her legs. She wiggled her fingers and toes as she tried to open her eyes.

  “Are you crazy?” Rue roared somewhere close by.

  With great effort, she slowly opened her eyes in time to see Lona hurl the glass of water intended for her at Rue.

  “Crazy enough to believe you would ever change. This whole thing,” she gestured towards Karis, “stops here, Rue.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to move her legs, but there was little reaction. There was no way she could attempt to escape with Rue only a few feet away from her.

  “Nothing stops, Lona. I still want access to those portals, with or without you.”

  Karis squinted in Lona’s direction. The pain in the other woman’s eyes was evident.

  “I won’t let you continue to do this to her and her mother,” Lona said, straightening her back.

  “You won’t be able to stop me.”

  Horrified, Karis watched as a butcher knife flew through the air and into Lona’s hand. With a bloodcurdling cry, the agile beauty charged forward as Rue lifted his hands. In a flash of light, Lona shifted from her female form to that of a cat.

  An inaudible gasp escaped Karis’s lips as the brown feline arched its back and hissed at Rue.

  “Careful, Lona, or I’ll make it so you never use your own two legs again.”

  His statement worked. She retreated with a hair-raising wail and simply stared at him. “That’s more like it.” He turned away from the petulant cat and walked straight towards Karis. “Now where were w—”

  Karis felt the shift in the air temperature seconds before hearing the sickening sound of a fist connecting with bone. Her eyes flew open as Rue howled with pain.

  Vander! Somehow, he had found her. Tears of joy filled her eyes as he slammed his fist into the other man’s face and abdomen. Rue fell to the ground and grunted as Vander landed another solid kick into his side. The injured man rolled away from him, shifting in motion from human form to the gigantic grey wolf.

  “Coward!” Vander roared, pulling free the knife at his side.

  Karis watched him advance on the snarling canine and shivered as the huge animal let loose a wild howl before bolting from the room. She managed to turn her head as Vander ran to her side.

  “You found me.” Tears flooded her eyes, sliding down her cheeks in a steady stream. She met his intense amber gaze, overcome with emotion.

  “I promised you I would find you.” He gently wiped away the wet tracks on her face. “Let’s get out of here.” He bent down and kissed her forehead.

  Her body reacted the instant his warm lips touched her skin. Shudders of relief racked her frame as the brown cat began to meow. Lona! She couldn’t leave her here. What if Rue returned? She would be at his mercy, if it had not been for her…

  The feline jumped up on the table beside her with a noisy meow.

  “Let’s go,” Vander said, bending to pick her up.

  The cat, bring the cat. She didn’t have the energy to speak.

  Vander frowned as he glanced at the animal. “Really?”

  Yes. Even answering him in her mind seemed a momentous task. Her eyelids began to droop as he placed the purring feline in her arms.

  Can you hold the cat?

  With the slightest nod of her head, she cradled the cat against her body as he lifted her into his arms.

  * * * *

  Karis heard the chime of her mother’s cuckoo clock and knew she was safe in her own home. She cradled against Vander’s ultra warm body, snuggling closer as she rested her face on his chest. The steady beat of his heart echoed in her ear as she breathed in the familiar scent of his skin. His arms tightened around her as she opened her eyes. She lifted her face to see his beautiful smile.

  “You’re finally awake.” He touched the tip of her nose.

  “Vander,” she whispered, unable to control the tears filling her eyes.

  “Don’t cry, Karis. You are safe now.”

  “My mother…“ She struggled to get up, surprised at how much effort it took to move and articulate what she wanted to say.

  “She’s fine…just sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up,” he whispered, smoothing down the wild curls around her face.

  “Thank you,” she managed to say as her heavy eyelids closed and she drifted back to sleep.

  Rue’s hands were all over her body. She struggled to move away from his increasingly bold touch, but there was no escape. A wail of terror rose up out of her throat as the stark realisation she was powerless to stop what was happening overwhelmed her.

  “Karis, it’s okay.”

  She saw Rue’s wicked smile in her mind as her eyelids fluttered open. Vander’s concerned face cleared away the nightmare and she relaxed as he moved to her side.

  “You are with me now. Nobody is going to hurt you again.” He rubbed the goose bumps on her arms.

  She welcomed his touch, unable to speak as her heart slowed down from its galloping pace and her breathing returned to normal.

  “Water,” she whispered, wanting nothing more than to wash away the horrible taste in her mouth.

  Vander moved immediately, revealing his nakedness as he pulled on loose linen pants. “Hang on.” He returned minutes later with a glass and offered it to her with a gentle smile as she started to sit up.

  “Where are my clothes?” she asked furiously, realising she was naked as she tucked the sheet around her breasts and reached for the water.

  “You were practically naked when I brought you here and so cold, I wanted you to feel my body heat while
you slept.” He watched her drink the entire glass in record time. “More?”

  Karis shook her head and wished she could just as easily sweep the cobwebs from her head as she had the metallic taste on her tongue. She sucked in a breath and looked up at Vander in horror. “My mother! Rue still has her. She helped me reach you and I left her there. How could I do that?” she asked, covering her face with her hands.

  “Karis, slow down.” He sat beside her. “You were in no condition to help her when I got to you.”

  Devastated, she shook her head. “She was there somewhere. I could feel her but I couldn’t tell exactly where she was, Vander. Rue will hurt her now that I’ve escaped. I know he will,” she whispered.

  “Don’t do this, Karis. We will find her. You still need to rest.” He cupped her face with his hands. “She needs you to be strong and so do I.”

  A small, hesitant meow coming from the doorway, led their attention to the cat sauntering into the room.

  “The cat!” Karis sat up. “I almost forgot about Lona.” She reached for her silk robe lying across the bed and put it on.

  “Lona?” Vander got up from the bed. “She was there with you?”

  Karis lifted her finger and pointed to the feline, inches from their feet. “She’s here, now.”

  Nothing could have prepared Vander for hearing Karis utter his ex lover’s name. He frowned as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. “What are you talking about?”

  Karis pointed to the stretching feline on the carpet. “That’s Lona.” They both stared at the cat now sitting on its haunches before them. “Rue changed her somehow when she tried to stop him from…“

  Her voice trailed off and Vander swore. He knew exactly what she was about to say and he hated the frightened look on her face. It was difficult to wrap his mind around the possibility the one woman who had broken his heart, now lay at his feet in the form of a fluffy, brown fur ball.

  “I didn’t want to leave her there.” He heard Karis say as he stared into the sienna hued eyes of the feline.