Marked by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #4)(65)

“Well, don’t let me derail your train of thought,” I gasped as his fingers moved higher. He covered my mouth with his to muffle my cries as he found my sweet spot, and I decided that, for now, this flight was better spent doing things other than talking about social issues. They would be waiting for us when we landed, and, for now, I wanted to savor the alone time Iannis and I still had left.



When Iannis and I disembarked from the dirigible, what seemed like the entire Mages Guild was waiting for us on the front lawn of the Palace. They clapped and cheered in unison when the two of us emerged together, and I wasn’t sure if they were cheering because Iannis was back, because he was successful in rescuing me, or both.

“Welcome back, Lord Iannis!” Director Chen beamed as she and Fenris stepped forward to greet us. They bowed. “We are all very relieved you have safely returned, and of course, that Miss Baine is with you.” She inclined her head to me as well, though the enthusiasm in the gesture left much to be desired.

“Yes, we are very glad to see you both,” Fenris added, putting firm emphasis on the word both. He stepped forward to embrace me then. As I hugged him back, he whispered in my ear, “And especially you, My Lady.”

“Flatterer,” I muttered with a grin. I knew from the look in Fenris’s eye that he could scent evidence of our recent lovemaking, and that he’d already deduced what that meant. But neither of us said anything more about it, and he retreated to Director Chen’s side again.

“Thank you,” Iannis said, raising his voice to acknowledge the crowd of mages as well. Turning back to Director Chen, he asked, in a lower voice, “I hope your relief does not stem from any serious problem that has occurred in my absence.”

“Oh no, Lord Iannis,” Director Chen said confidently. “Everything is under control right now. The rioting has all but ceased in the streets, and the enforcer patrols have ensured that citizens are discouraged from looting. We do have hundreds of captured insurgents awaiting your disposition, and there is the matter of all the civilian criminals as well.”

“I will address all of that shortly,” Iannis promised Director Chen. “But right now, I have an announcement to make.”

“Of course.” Director Chen stepped aside so that Iannis could address the crowd, and a little thrill shot through my veins when Iannis twined his fingers through mine.

“I would like to inform you all of my engagement to Miss Sunaya Baine, daughter of the Baine Clan, and also a mage by birth. The wedding date will be announced in due course. We hope you all share in our happiness,” Iannis added with a broad smile, which was rare for him in public.

Director Chen went utterly white, and Fenris grabbed her by the elbow to steady her. For his part, he simply grinned at us, and the rest of the crowd broke out into applause. Sincere applause, I realized with some shock. Many of the ones closest to us came forward to shake our hands and congratulate us, and though the Council Members in particular did not seem thrilled about the engagement, most of the good wishes we received were genuine. Maybe mages weren’t as rigid and closed to change as I’d thought, if they were willing to accept the idea that I would be their new lady, as Fenris had called me.

“Come,” Iannis murmured, drawing me away from the crowd. “I’ve an engagement present for you.”

“An engagement present?” I asked as he led me through the gardens and up the steps to the Palace entrance. “I thought the jewels in the box were my present.”

“Don’t be silly,” he chided. “I was only joking about that. I may have opened that chest for you, but you found it, so the contents were rightfully yours to begin with.”

“Oh.” Flustered, I said nothing more as I followed him up the curved double staircase and to his rooms in the West Wing. I really hadn’t expected any kind of engagement present from him.

“I don’t have a present for you,” I blurted out as we stepped into his sitting room.

Iannis turned, then gently cupped my chin with his long fingers and tilted my head back a little. “You can count the books you found as a present, if you like,” he said, smiling. “Or use one of those many gems to get me something, if you absolutely feel you must. But as far as I’m concerned, the only thing I want from you is what you have already given.”

“A pain in your ass?” I half-joked as he dipped his head toward me.

“No.” His mouth curved against mine as he kissed me. “Your love.”

His hands found mine, fingers curling around them as he kissed me deeply, and I gasped as power surged through me, forming a circuit between us. The sensation was familiar – he’d done the same thing the last two times he’d accessed the lock my father had placed on my power in order to give me more access. This time, though, the current that ran through me was hotter and brighter than before, and my body trembled from the force of it. By Magorah, but what was Iannis doing to me now?

A sudden tug at the center of my body ripped a cry from my lips, and something cracked wide open. Power spilled through me so suddenly that my knees buckled, and Iannis grabbed me about my waist and pulled me tight against him to keep me from falling.

“That is one of your gifts,” he murmured into my hair. “You have more power than you realize, and it will take some getting used to now that you have access to all of it.”