Read Online Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Winstead Jones
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it terribly unfair that his hair was so much prettier and more manageable than her own.
Ariana sat in a comfortable chair near the fire and continued to sew while her brother paced and asked cordial questions. Had her day been a pleasant one? Had she been able to walk outdoors to enjoy the nice weather? What had she eaten for supper?
Duran
never
asked such questions.
Ariana stilled her hands and looked up, to find Duran glaring at her. It was also not fair that he was more beautiful than she was. Right now he looked fierce, but he was still beautiful. Was it possible that somehow he knew all her secrets?
"What do you really want?" she asked.
"I have heard rumors," he said, his voice not as genial as it had been moments earlier.
Ariana's heart hitched. "What sort of rumors?" Had someone overheard them speaking of the Prophesy of the Firstborn? Only she, the emperor, and Sian knew. At Sian's insistence, it was a secret. For now.
"Today you spent a significant amount of time in the company of a stranger. A wizard, if what I heard was correct."
"Oh." Ariana returned to her sewing, relieved. The rumors that had her brother fuming were of the ordinary sort. "His name is Sian Chamblyn, so he's not a stranger."
Duran's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly were you doing in his company?"
The overprotective nature of the question was amusing and annoying at the same time. Ariana didn't look up as she answered, "He's tutoring me."
"In what subject are you being tutored?" Duran asked, his teeth clenched.
Ariana put her hands down once again and looked up. At this moment, Duran looked so very much like their father. She had seen this expression of ire and impatience—and yes, love—from Kane Varden more than once.
But Duran was
not
her father. "Sex, of course. Today's lessons were quite ordinary, but I understand tomorrow we're going to study the more deviant aspects of sexual relations. We have been told that in some segments of Level Three there remain a number of potentially pleasurable devices and instruction manuals that describe in great detail…"
Duran turned away from her and stalked toward the door. He mumbled under his breath, and she only made out one word. "Kill."
Ariana dropped her mending to the floor and leapt up, giving chase. She caught Duran by the shirt sleeve as he opened the door. Laughing, she said, "He's teaching me magic, and nothing else."
Duran turned his head and glared down at her. "Why?"
"Because he knows much of magic that I don't, that's why." She reached past her brother, and pushed the door shut. "I promise you, I'm as pure and untouched as I was when Sian Chamblyn arrived here this morning."
Duran leaned against the door and crossed his arms defiantly. His expression and the set of his tense neck spoke of withheld suspicions.
"I was only teasing you because I'm twenty-six years old and you have no business quizzing me as if I were still twelve and you were Poppy."
"I am here to protect you," he said in a low, serious voice.
"I do not need your protection," she insisted. Not yet, in any case.
"Poppy will kill me if anything happens to you."
"Unlikely. And if he were to try, Mama would stop him. Probably."
Duran didn't look as if he were inclined to engage in sibling banter at the moment.
"I'm fine, truly," she said seriously. "You know how desperately I want to hone my skills. The enchanter who tutored me today will help me to reach my goals in that area of my life."
"If he tries anything untoward—"
"I will alert you immediately so that you may administer proper punishment."
Duran's eyes were narrowed, his mouth tight and thinner than usual. "You make light of my concern."
Ariana laid her hand on Duran's arm. "Of course not," she said gently. "I just want to make sure you understand there is no need for concern."
She felt and saw him relax, gradually but unmistakably, and then he said, "If you do need me, you know where I can be found."
"Of course."
Duty to family done for
Ariana sat in a comfortable chair near the fire and continued to sew while her brother paced and asked cordial questions. Had her day been a pleasant one? Had she been able to walk outdoors to enjoy the nice weather? What had she eaten for supper?
Duran
never
asked such questions.
Ariana stilled her hands and looked up, to find Duran glaring at her. It was also not fair that he was more beautiful than she was. Right now he looked fierce, but he was still beautiful. Was it possible that somehow he knew all her secrets?
"What do you really want?" she asked.
"I have heard rumors," he said, his voice not as genial as it had been moments earlier.
Ariana's heart hitched. "What sort of rumors?" Had someone overheard them speaking of the Prophesy of the Firstborn? Only she, the emperor, and Sian knew. At Sian's insistence, it was a secret. For now.
"Today you spent a significant amount of time in the company of a stranger. A wizard, if what I heard was correct."
"Oh." Ariana returned to her sewing, relieved. The rumors that had her brother fuming were of the ordinary sort. "His name is Sian Chamblyn, so he's not a stranger."
Duran's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly were you doing in his company?"
The overprotective nature of the question was amusing and annoying at the same time. Ariana didn't look up as she answered, "He's tutoring me."
"In what subject are you being tutored?" Duran asked, his teeth clenched.
Ariana put her hands down once again and looked up. At this moment, Duran looked so very much like their father. She had seen this expression of ire and impatience—and yes, love—from Kane Varden more than once.
But Duran was
not
her father. "Sex, of course. Today's lessons were quite ordinary, but I understand tomorrow we're going to study the more deviant aspects of sexual relations. We have been told that in some segments of Level Three there remain a number of potentially pleasurable devices and instruction manuals that describe in great detail…"
Duran turned away from her and stalked toward the door. He mumbled under his breath, and she only made out one word. "Kill."
Ariana dropped her mending to the floor and leapt up, giving chase. She caught Duran by the shirt sleeve as he opened the door. Laughing, she said, "He's teaching me magic, and nothing else."
Duran turned his head and glared down at her. "Why?"
"Because he knows much of magic that I don't, that's why." She reached past her brother, and pushed the door shut. "I promise you, I'm as pure and untouched as I was when Sian Chamblyn arrived here this morning."
Duran leaned against the door and crossed his arms defiantly. His expression and the set of his tense neck spoke of withheld suspicions.
"I was only teasing you because I'm twenty-six years old and you have no business quizzing me as if I were still twelve and you were Poppy."
"I am here to protect you," he said in a low, serious voice.
"I do not need your protection," she insisted. Not yet, in any case.
"Poppy will kill me if anything happens to you."
"Unlikely. And if he were to try, Mama would stop him. Probably."
Duran didn't look as if he were inclined to engage in sibling banter at the moment.
"I'm fine, truly," she said seriously. "You know how desperately I want to hone my skills. The enchanter who tutored me today will help me to reach my goals in that area of my life."
"If he tries anything untoward—"
"I will alert you immediately so that you may administer proper punishment."
Duran's eyes were narrowed, his mouth tight and thinner than usual. "You make light of my concern."
Ariana laid her hand on Duran's arm. "Of course not," she said gently. "I just want to make sure you understand there is no need for concern."
She felt and saw him relax, gradually but unmistakably, and then he said, "If you do need me, you know where I can be found."
"Of course."
Duty to family done for
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