slight bulge his half-hard dick was leaving in his pants.
Her smile widened as she stopped next to him. “Not much of a morning person?” she asked.
He cleared his throat and shook his head. “No. It usually takes at least a vat of coffee before Raven deems me fit for conversation.”
“Mmm, coffee,” Sunny crooned. “I love coffee. It’s like liquid gold. But Matthew and Leith told me caffeine made it harder for me to control my magic.”
“Yes, it can. But once you’ve learned to control your power, you should be able to drink as much coffee as you want.” Of course, he didn’t tell her neither he nor Anna had had a drop of the stuff in weeks, as their magics were getting harder and harder to control. He didn’t think Sunny would be particularly reassured by the fact that two seasoned handlers were losing their grip on their magic.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
Sunny nodded and stretched her arms over her head. He was pretty sure she had no idea her shirt had ridden up with her movement and a thin band of her creamy flesh was visible over the waistband of her pants. “I did, thanks,” she said, dropping her arms. Much to Sloan’s disappointment, the shirt settled back into place, hiding her skin from his eyes once again.
She continued talking, seeming completely oblivious to his gaze. “In fact, it was sort of weird. It was kind of like there was something dampening my power…my magic, I guess. I felt like I could sleep without being afraid about setting the place on fire for the first time since my birthday.”
“It’s the wards Raven and Leith put on the castle a few years back. They’re spells which help us control our powers,” he explained when she looked confused.
“Does that mean we can’t use magic in the castle at all?” she asked.
“No. A handler’s magic is exceptionally stronger than anyone else’s in the castle, with the exception of Raven. Even he wouldn’t be able to stop you if you completely lost control. But as the leader, he does have a few advantages. He can lock down our magic if he wants.”
She looked thoughtful. “So, he could take it away for a little while to give us a break from the sensation of needing to jump out of our skin?”
“Not really. He can lock it in our bodies. It doesn’t stop the magic from building up though.”
She made a face. “Well, that’s no fun.” Then she smiled again. “But if I practice, the jittery feeling will go away, right?”
He nodded. “For a short time. It will build up again, but practicing will release it.”
She started speaking, but he’d made the mistake of looking at her mouth again. It was full, pink, and a little moist from where her tongue kept peeking out to lick at her lips.
Sunny’s smile had widened into an outright grin and Sloan blinked, finding himself completely blinded. She practically lit up the whole castle with her expression. Her name matched her personality exactly.
It was almost impossible not to move closer to her warmth, to her vitality, and something which had been dormant inside him for a quarter of a century stretched and reached for her light like a moth flying straight for a flame.
“Wow,” she said. “You weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t a morning person. Are you okay?”
He blinked again, this time completely lost. “I’m sorry?”
She laughed and he could have sworn he heard bells. Had he ever been this taken with a woman so early?
“I asked if you would mind walking with me to the dining room. I swear, I need a GPS to find my way around this place.”
“Sure. I was heading down to breakfast myself. And don’t worry, you’ll figure out your way around the castle soon enough.”
Together they walked down the hall in companionable silence. She seemed happy to be there, which he found slightly odd. He would have thought having been forced to leave her home, especially given that she had pretty much been kidnapped, would have been traumatic. He’d
Her smile widened as she stopped next to him. “Not much of a morning person?” she asked.
He cleared his throat and shook his head. “No. It usually takes at least a vat of coffee before Raven deems me fit for conversation.”
“Mmm, coffee,” Sunny crooned. “I love coffee. It’s like liquid gold. But Matthew and Leith told me caffeine made it harder for me to control my magic.”
“Yes, it can. But once you’ve learned to control your power, you should be able to drink as much coffee as you want.” Of course, he didn’t tell her neither he nor Anna had had a drop of the stuff in weeks, as their magics were getting harder and harder to control. He didn’t think Sunny would be particularly reassured by the fact that two seasoned handlers were losing their grip on their magic.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
Sunny nodded and stretched her arms over her head. He was pretty sure she had no idea her shirt had ridden up with her movement and a thin band of her creamy flesh was visible over the waistband of her pants. “I did, thanks,” she said, dropping her arms. Much to Sloan’s disappointment, the shirt settled back into place, hiding her skin from his eyes once again.
She continued talking, seeming completely oblivious to his gaze. “In fact, it was sort of weird. It was kind of like there was something dampening my power…my magic, I guess. I felt like I could sleep without being afraid about setting the place on fire for the first time since my birthday.”
“It’s the wards Raven and Leith put on the castle a few years back. They’re spells which help us control our powers,” he explained when she looked confused.
“Does that mean we can’t use magic in the castle at all?” she asked.
“No. A handler’s magic is exceptionally stronger than anyone else’s in the castle, with the exception of Raven. Even he wouldn’t be able to stop you if you completely lost control. But as the leader, he does have a few advantages. He can lock down our magic if he wants.”
She looked thoughtful. “So, he could take it away for a little while to give us a break from the sensation of needing to jump out of our skin?”
“Not really. He can lock it in our bodies. It doesn’t stop the magic from building up though.”
She made a face. “Well, that’s no fun.” Then she smiled again. “But if I practice, the jittery feeling will go away, right?”
He nodded. “For a short time. It will build up again, but practicing will release it.”
She started speaking, but he’d made the mistake of looking at her mouth again. It was full, pink, and a little moist from where her tongue kept peeking out to lick at her lips.
Sunny’s smile had widened into an outright grin and Sloan blinked, finding himself completely blinded. She practically lit up the whole castle with her expression. Her name matched her personality exactly.
It was almost impossible not to move closer to her warmth, to her vitality, and something which had been dormant inside him for a quarter of a century stretched and reached for her light like a moth flying straight for a flame.
“Wow,” she said. “You weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t a morning person. Are you okay?”
He blinked again, this time completely lost. “I’m sorry?”
She laughed and he could have sworn he heard bells. Had he ever been this taken with a woman so early?
“I asked if you would mind walking with me to the dining room. I swear, I need a GPS to find my way around this place.”
“Sure. I was heading down to breakfast myself. And don’t worry, you’ll figure out your way around the castle soon enough.”
Together they walked down the hall in companionable silence. She seemed happy to be there, which he found slightly odd. He would have thought having been forced to leave her home, especially given that she had pretty much been kidnapped, would have been traumatic. He’d
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