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WHEN SORCHA HAD REGAINED control of her emotions, Kade gave her a tour of the house. She was used to living in a nice apartment, but this was a new level of luxury. The mansion was far too large for just the two of them, but it was secluded and private.
“You have a lot of bedrooms,” she said when they finished touring the second floor.
“We have a lot of bedrooms,” he corrected her with a grin.
“This is going to take some getting used to,” Sorcha confessed. “Although I lived with Eden and Sorcha in the same building for the past decade, I’m used to being alone.”
“So am I,” the warlock said as they descended the grand staircase. “Now neither of us ever has to be alone again.”
Sorcha stopped him when he reached the bottom step and turned him to face her. She was slightly taller than him standing on the step above and she had to bend down to kiss him. His arms went around her and he drew her down to his height. Their kiss was sweet and tender and exactly what they both needed.
“Show me the rest of our house,” Sorcha requested when she finally pulled away. He gave her a wicked grin that promised there would be more kisses, then led her to the foyer. She was impressed with the gigantic mansion and was blown away by the kitchen. “I’m going to have to learn how to cook,” she said when she saw the appliances that had never been used.
“The magic of Nox will provide everything we need,” Kade reminded her. “We have enough power between us that we’ll never go hungry.”
“We might not go hungry, but plenty of others are,” she said, mood turning solemn. “We have to help the starving, malnourished citizens get their strength back.”
“We will,” Kade agreed, but avoided her eyes so she didn’t see his sorrow and guilt. He desperately wanted to make Nox a better place to live in, but he wasn’t sure it was possible. His only consolation was that everyone would be free to leave once the Immortal Triumvirate had been defeated.
The warlock showed her through the rest of the house, then came to a final room. “What’s in there?” she asked, gesturing at the closed door.
“It’s my favorite room in the house,” Kade replied and pushed the door open.
Sorcha entered first. Her eyes were wide when she took in the bookshelves in the large library. She turned to face Kade and her mouth dropped open in shock. Something else had migrated from her old home to her new one, but a few changes had been made to it.
“What?” Kade asked in alarm. “What’s wrong?”
Sorcha gestured for him to cross to her, then she spun him around so he could see the mural that had magically appeared on the wall. “I did that after I thought Malachi was dead,” she said in awe.
Kade studied the mural that had been etched into the wallpaper. Three men and three women stood side by side, facing down the Immortal Triumvirate. Eden and Sebastian were the first couple. Kade and Sorcha were the second pair. He looked down at their hands to see their fingers were linked exactly like their images.
“Only our images had faces before,” Sorcha said. “I guess the others appeared after we became bonded.”
“I’m guessing the third man is Raum,” the warlock mused. The final couple were faceless. “Do you know who his match will be?” All they could tell was that she was shorter and curvier than the other two females.
Sorcha shook her head. “I have no idea, but I kind of pity her. I wouldn’t want to get stuck with a demon for a partner.”
Kade grinned, then looked at the mural again. “Xiara Evora is on our side,” he said when he made out the woman with the ponytail and a staff slung over her shoulder. “The Immortal Triumvirate look terrified,” he added in satisfaction.
“I don’t know who all those other people behind us are, but it looks like we won’t be alone when we go to battle with them,” the former assassin said.
“We’re gathering more allies and I’m sure we’ll have an army by Halloween,” Kade figured.
“We’re going to need one,” Sorcha said grimly. She knew better than most just how ruthless and despicable the leaders of the City of Night truly were. They’d had countless rivals and enemies killed to ensure their reign would continue. It would take the combined might of the trinity Kade, Sebastian and Raum had formed, the boost of power they received from their mates and the assistance of an entire army to defeat them.
“Have you recovered from the binding spell?” Kade asked in a playful tone, changing the topic to something less serious.
Feeling his desire for her in the back of her head, Sorcha arched an eyebrow. “I’m still feeling a bit unsteady,” she said coyly. “I might need to lie down for a while to recover.”
“Hmm, I’d better help you to bed, my lady,” Kade said.
He swept her into his arms and hurried his steps when she leaned in to kiss his neck. “I’m feeling better already,” Sorcha said. “You have a magic touch, Kade Sinclair.”
“Speaking of magic, I wonder just how powerful we are now?” he mused as he took the stairs two at a time.
“Let’s find out,” Sorcha suggested. She placed a ward around the house so no one would be able to feel their magic when it rose.
Kade almost stumbled a step when he felt the force of her magic. He reached their bedroom and lay her down on the bed, then snapped his fingers. Their clothes vanished and appeared neatly folded on a nearby chair. “I’ve never needed to use a wand before,” he said in wonder. “My will alone was always enough, but I think we’re going to have a steep learning curve ahead of us.”
“Half of my magic was locked away inside me, so I’ve never seen my full potential,” Sorcha said. “Now I’ve got more magic than I know what to do with. I might not be able to handle it all. What if I lose control and hurt you?” They both remembered the ice that had coated half a block when she’d lost control in the Shifter District.
Kade could see her genuine fear and held his hand out. He waved it over himself, then repeated the action with her. “There, we’re both wearing shields that will contain our magic, so it won’t rage out of control,” he said. It would also protect them from being hurt by any spells that might escape from them.
Sorcha felt the spell surrounding her and knew it was temporary. She could dispel it herself if she wanted to. “That’ll work,” she said, then crooked her finger at him. Before he could take a step, she levitated him into the air. She looked surprised at what she’d done for a second, then grinned wickedly. “I can imagine all the things I can do to you with this spell,” she murmured.
Kade trusted his mate implicitly. He didn’t fight it when she levitated him into a horizontal position and maneuvered him so he was hovering over her. “I live to serve, my lady,” he said, then placed his hands on either side of her head.
He leaned down to kiss her and she lifted her mouth to his. She set him down gently until he was lying on top of her. Their kiss started out as playful, but quickly became scorching. Their hands and lips roamed over each other, wringing as much pleasure as they could. Kade lavished attention on the sorceress’ breasts and nudged her knees apart with his thigh. She opened for him willingly and welcomed him into her body when he entered her.
Sorcha could feel her magic building as the warlock moved in and out of her. She could feel his emotions as well and knew this was more than physical. He truly cared about her and neither of them could hide their feelings, so he knew she cared about him, too.
Their mutual desire drove them towards their climax and their magic built as well. When they reached their peak, a blast of energy went out. It would have reduced the mansion to rubble if it hadn’t been contained by their shields. Shaking in the aftermath of pleasure she’d never felt so intensely before, Sorcha was glad Kade had placed the shields around them both. “I would have frozen you solid if you hadn’t created those shields,” she told him when he slumped onto the bed beside her.
“I would have shredded you with air,” he confessed. “Until we get a handle on our power, we should wear the shields whenever we’re being intimate.”
“Good idea,” she agreed with a grin.
This was their first night as a matched pair. They would need to learn how to use their magic to compliment each other. They had six months to master their power before they would face their ultimate enemies.
“I wish Raum good luck in finding his match,” Kade said as he stroked Sorcha’s golden hair. “I hope he’ll be as lucky as Sebastian and I have been.”
A small, petty part of him felt smug that he’d beaten the demon to finding his mate. Raum was the only one left in their triumvirate who was still alone now. If he didn’t find someone suitable soon, their entire rebellion could fail. The weight of responsibility rested on the Demon Guild Master’s shoulders, but Kade had faith that Raum would succeed. The leader of the hell spawn was sly and intelligent and he could be suave when he wanted to be. He would have to be more charming than he’d ever been before if he wanted to convince a woman to become bound to him for the rest of her life.
