The Charmer

33

Urseya eyed her with undisguised curiosity. “Did you know Keilor is very wealthy?” At Jasmine’s surprise, she nodded. “His wealth rivals even Jayems’, and Jayems is not a poor man.”

“I hadn’t realized,” Jasmine looked down, uneasy. She didn’t want to know about this part of him. “I never thought about it.”

Urseya swirled the wine in her glass. “Mmm. He is also widely famed as the best warrior in the realm. His prowess and absolute fearlessness on the battlefield are legend. All of that, combined with his handsome face and prominence among the lords make him irresistible to women.”

“Hence his large head,” Jasmine returned tartly, and Urseya smirked. If Urseya was trying to make her feel bad, she was succeeding. What would a handsome, famous, wealthy warrior possibly want with someone like her, long term? Not that she was chasing him, of course. “Why are you telling me this? I thought…”

“That I was jealous? Of course I was. Until this afternoon.” She smiled with self-deprecation. “Keilor made it abundantly clear I was not his choice and never would be. Even my mother, bless her ambitious soul, got the message.” She looked at Jasmine appraisingly. “But I think you wish to know why I would bother with you now. Clan pride, of course.” When Jasmine just stared at her, she said dryly, “You’re making us look bad, my dear.”

“And how is that?” she asked, skeptical. She couldn’t remember doing anything embarrassing today, but maybe that was the trouble. It was possible her ignorance might have tripped her up.

Urseya sent a scathing look Joffre’s way. “Men,” she informed Jasmine. “Galling as it is, the mindless fools can’t seem to stay away from you. It’s plain you don’t care for their attentions, yet here I see you, time and again, biting your tongue to keep from offending them.”

“I was being polite!”

Urseya grinned. “Here is the first thing you must learn; speak your mind. You are part of the most powerful clan in the Dark Lands. Cultivate some arrogance and pride. You’ll need it.” Urseya moved away to speak with one of the daughters not currently attached to either Fallon or Keilor, leaving Jasmine to consider her wisdom.

She didn’t know about pride and arrogance, but perhaps Urseya had a point. She had been biting her tongue, and it was beginning to gall.

Considering her unique position, perhaps it would be smart of her to be a little harder on would-be suitors. After all, a walking aphrodisiac would have to use strong measures to kill the attraction, wouldn’t she?

Noticing Joffre heading her way, she quickly put her new strategy into motion and moved off in Keilor’s direction. He couldn’t miss the fact that she was avoiding him.

If nothing else, watching the spectacle over there ought to provide some entertainment. She chose a spot on the fringes of Keilor’s harem, and eavesdropped with shameless interest.

Keilor hardly spared her a glance. He was still annoyed with her over her dismissal that afternoon. He’d been particularly enjoying watching Joffre torment her, though if Urseya hadn’t intervened when she had, he might have had to step in and drive the whelp off. Whatever her motive, Urseya had allowed him to continue pretending to ignore Jasmine. Let the girl learn that she would rather be the one receiving his attentions, not watching as others took her place.

Unfortunately for his plan, Liselle’s eldest daughter, Cara, noticed the charmer right away, and she was not known to tolerate rivals. “Don’t stand in the corner, Lady Jasmine. Do come join us.”

Jasmine took one look at Cara and decided they were unlikely to ever be friends. “Actually, I’m quite comfortable here,” she answered. She took a bite of her dessert. “Besides, I wouldn’t like to interrupt your...conversation.” She glanced at Cara’s hand on Keilor’s arm, and something came over her. Power flooded her veins, power and possession. It happened so quickly, she didn’t have time to analyze it.

She lifted a careless shoulder, the power giving her matchless confidence. “If Keilor wishes for fresh conversation, he can come to me.” Jasmine didn’t know what made her use that particular tone of voice, or that precise look, but suddenly she felt like Lady Dracula, because Keilor came to her, and she knew he hadn’t planned to.

She could see it in his eyes, the realization she had compelled him, and fury that she would dare. But the foremost, most frightening thing of all was the golden flame of desire in his eyes, the promise of absolute, unrestrained passion.

It terrified her.

Keilor planted one hand on the tree behind her, barely leaving her room to breath. “What would you have, my lady?” he breathed against her lips.

“B-back off!” she squeaked, but he didn’t move an inch, and the fire in his burning gaze didn’t cool one degree. “J-Jayems!”

Jayems was beside them in an instant. He took one look at Keilor and seemed to know. He placed a calm hand on his shoulder. “Keilor, my friend, I need some advice on a certain matter. Do you think you could spare a moment to confer with me?”

Keilor moved his head slightly.

“It really is quite urgent. Would you mind?”

Jasmine held her breath as Keilor slowly peeled away, allowing Jayems to lead him off. Only when the door closed behind them did she dare to breath.

***

“That b***h!” Keilor raged. “She actually enspelled me!”

Jayems took a deep breath. “She is as shaken as you are angry.”

Keilor bared his teeth. “I doubt that’s possible.” He shook with fury, and when he looked around his room, he did not see the dark, heavy furniture or notice the lack of light. He saw her face, heard her voice calling, come to me, and rage spurred him anew. “Send her away,” he told his cousin harshly, slashing his hand through the air. “Send her back to her world.”

“That might have been possible, if I hadn’t promised Rihlia they could have their tournament.”

Keilor’s eyes narrowed. “What tournament?”

“It was Rihlia’s idea. Jasmine wished to thank her suitors for their gifts, but since she had no money to send gifts in return...” He rolled his eyes.

Both men knew that as her lord it was his duty to pay for her expenses, and he would have rather bought a hundred foolish gifts than deal with the trouble his wife’s fine idea would bring. “I immediately arranged for an allowance, but Rihlia would have none of it. She insisted that ‘Jasmine didn’t want to cost me any money’.”

He shared a sardonic look with Keilor. Rihlia had no idea what it would cost to hold a tournament worthy of the Haunt. Jayems shook his head in disgust. “By the time we left the others, Rhapsody was already planning to hold the tournament as a prelude to our wedding feast.”