Becoming the Empress of Ictar

Chapter 2

“Are you going to tell me what the hell happened back there?” Evanc’s face hardened.

“You were… they were…” He seemed a little at a loss for words. I placed a hand on his thigh, just above the knee. Don’t really know why I did that. His features softened a bit. He took my hand from his thigh and turned it over. Tracing the lines there. I let him, as a teacher. I recognised a self-calming technique when I saw one. I let him continue tracing the lines on my hand. It wasn’t… unpleasant.

“Who grabbed me, Evanc?” His name was unfamiliar on my tongue but I felt like I should always be saying it. He sighed before looking up at me.

“What do you know of your lineage?” That was an unexpected question.

“My parents divorced when I was a baby. My mother remarried when I was four. She dumped me at my Grandfather’s place one year into her new marriage. I haven’t seen her since. My father re-entered the picture when I was twelve. He bought the farm next door to Grandpa’s.” What the heck? I just gave a complete stranger the abridged version of my family history. I rarely share personal details with anyone. Evanc didn’t have to even try. I felt his hand smoothing the frown lines on my forehead before they moved slowly down my cheek. His hand came to rest on the back of my neck. He pulled me closer to him and inhaled. He sighed contentedly, before manoeuvring me so that I was pressed against his side, with his arms around me.

“Um… Evanc? I hardly know you. Why am I plastered to your side?” I tried to extricate myself. Hot damn! He was definitely stronger than he looked. He also smelled delicious.

“I need to know that you are safe.” Okay, that’s not weird at all. It was the least weird thing that had happened today, though. So, I went with it. I snuggled deeper into his side. We were still sitting in the back of the Rover, and I was no closer to getting any answers. I felt, rather than heard, Evanc’s contented sigh. Nope! This was not weird, not weird by a long shot. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince myself or not.

“You were grabbed by Ictarian soldiers who were trying to take you to your Uncle so he could bleed you and drain your powers.” Keh? What? Uncle… I had an… uncle. Powers… What in world was this man on about? Evanc must have sensed my confusion.

“I have an uncle?” I mentally slapped myself.

“You have several actually. The one sitting on the Ictarian throne pretending to be Emperor, is the worst of the lot. The others are merely driven by greed, s*x, and food. They followed him blindly.” Okay, I had uncles, and one was an Emperor. I was still horribly confused.

“None of this makes sense to me, Evanc.” I looked up at him and he placed a soft kiss on my forehead. Um… if he kept up with his gentle, sweet, and adorable behaviour, I would swoon like a character in a Jane Austen novel.

“I know. Lucien will be here shortly. Is there anywhere safe we can go?”

“We could go to my place, I suppose?” I looked at Evanc, who shook his head. We had just come from there before we went to your school. The place was being watched by your uncle’s men. Lucien knew you weren’t captured, though. That’s why we turned up at your place of employment. We must have been followed.” Evanc squeezed me close to his side when I shivered as I remembered being grabbed.

“Well, if my place is out, we could try Grandpa’s. He is quite paranoid, and has been getting worse the older he gets. His place has security up the Ying-yang.” I shrugged or tried to, as I was still pressed so tightly against Evanc that my boobs were threatening to spring loose from their moorings.

“We’ll go there as soon as Lucien arrives with the ship.” What? Ship? Uh… did he mean some sort of Millennium Falcon type ship or sailboat? I got my answer a few moments later when it landed in the open field near the vehicle. Uh… nope! I am not going on some ‘damn-fool idealistic crusade’ with my two very handsome sidekicks. Uh-uh! I was stepping out of the realm of the realistic and into a world of fantasy.

“Is that what I am trying not to think it is?” Evanc’s smile did some very interesting things to the apex of my thighs. I watched his pupils dilate. I crossed one leg over the other and turned slightly away from him. I didn’t get far enough away though; I looked back up at the man and his grin was positively feral. I took a deep breath and released it slowly. My libido was totally out of control. I blamed my smutty books again.

My door was wrenched open, and I squealed loudly when I was grabbed for the second time today. However, this time I was crushed to a very broad and muscular chest. Hello handsome! Down, girl! I mentally yelled at my nether region.

“You kissed her?” Huh? Oh, yeah. I got a dreamy look on my face when I remembered the taste of Evanc’s lips and how it felt with his tongue caressing mine. Lucien put me gently down. His hands were all over me. What was it with these two touching me all the time? I didn’t know them from Joe Dirt. I tried to step away from Lucien but failed utterly to budge an inch.

“Yeah, I did.” Was it me or did he sound a little smug? I turned to glare at him. His smile turned sexy, and f**k me, if it didn’t make me want to jump him. I felt Lucien stiffen. Whoa there, big boy! I turned to face the big man only to have him seal his lips over mine in a searing kiss. He nibbled on my bottom lip, and I gasped, which he totally took advantage of. I felt his large, supple tongue delve into my mouth, tasting everywhere while wrestling gently with mine. Good grief! I was seeing stars. If this was what kissing was like, what the f**k had my previous partners subjected me to? I started pushing against his chest as I needed to breathe. He reluctantly released me.

“Well, that was… f**k!” My lips were swollen and thoroughly kissed. Lucien had a s**t-eating grin on his face and Evanc… looked like he wanted to devour us both. Well, hello baby! Pretty certain, I was in for a wild ride. I shook my head to clear the lust away and stepped out of reach of both men. What the hell was going on with me? I didn’t let random strangers kiss me like I had just been. I was Maya the Prude! One of the lesser insults I had received.

“We need to move. The pissant’s forces will find us soon if we don’t.”

“Maya said we should head to her Grandpa’s place.” Um… I do not remember telling Evanc my name. Lucien nodded. Some sort of unspoken communication happened between the two. Lucien walked over to Evanc and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Oh my, now I am truly wet. Damn, smutty writers!

“Let’s go then. Lucien came towards me and grabbed my hand. He tugged gently and I followed him towards the ship. I hope I don’t get airsick. Moving vehicles were not my friend. I was surprised I hadn’t upchucked yet. That was one crazy drive to get here.