breath came out in short little pants and a familiar electricity sprang to life in her veins. Uh-oh.
"Oh no," she muttered.
Fiona frowned. "What is it?"
Laurell clasped her hands over her lower abdomen and
grimaced. "I think the fire exercise triggered the yearning."
Raw pleasure rippled through her, and she stifled a
moan. She grimaced, then willed the walls of protection
into place, absorbing the sexual energy deep inside herself.
A moment later, she sighed with relief. The warding had
worked. Half expecting to see Axiom appear in response to
the brief sizzle of yearning, Laurell glanced around the circle. She and Fiona remained alone.
"Have you seen Axiom today?" Laurell asked. She'd
looked for him after talking to Reese that morning, planning to demand an explanation as to why he was withholding information. She'd pounded on the door of his cabin,
but no one answered.
"He's been sleeping most of the day. I checked on him
earlier and he mentioned an energy depletion from your
run-in last night with that Umbra," Fiona said.
"Oh." Laurell's gut clenched with guilt. She bit her lip.
Fiona raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"
Laurell nodded. "Yeah. The yearning's gone. I guess I'm
getting better at warding." She grimaced. "I hate this, wanting someone I don't even know."
Fiona shrugged. "I can think of a lot worse things than
having sex with Axiom. In case you haven't noticed, that is
one hot man."
Laurell frowned and ignored the comment. He was hot,
yes, but exasperating, too. And I'm still being forced to have sex with someone I just met. "Whatever. I just can't wait until this is all over and I don't have to deal with the yearning
anymore.
"You know," Fiona began, eyes narrowed with disapproval, "you don't sound thrilled with your role in the mission, but it's-"
"An honor. Yeah, so I've been told." Laurell didn't care if
she sounded bitter. She knew the mission was necessary,
but she didn't have to like it. "I've been reduced to breeding stock."
Fiona frowned. "You know, there was a time when people saw pregnancy and birth as a magical, honorable, spiritual process. When the Goddess and her life cycles were
something to be revered."
"I know about the Goddess movement," Laurell muttered.
"From your scholarly studies?" Fiona raised her eyebrows.
Laurell nodded. "And I'm just a person. I'm no goddess."
Fiona laughed. "You're wrong. All women are reflections
of the Goddess."
Laurell shook her head. "Look, all I know is that I want
the yearning gone. I'm willing to do my part to save the
world, but I'm tired of feeling forced into it."
Fiona sighed. "I agree the yearning is a bit much. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose." Fiona
shrugged. "You won't have to deal with it too much longer.
I've been told that once you conceive, the yearning goes
away.
Laurell perked up at those words. "Really?" Why had the
thought never occurred to her? It made sense. The yearning
existed to force her to mate with Axiom and conceive the
Earth Balancer. Once that objective was completed, the
yearning would be unnecessary.
"That's my understanding," Fiona agreed.
"No yearning means Axiom's power over me goes away
too, right?" Laurell could barely contain the rush of hope
flooding through her.
Fiona's eyes flashed with comprehension. "So you want
to get pregnant quickly then, is that it?"
Laurell grinned. "Hell yes, if it means I might actually
get my life back."
Fiona sighed and shrugged. "Then I guess you'd better
think about some seducing, hadn't you?"
Laurell's stomach clenched. Damn. She hadn't really considered that part yet. Her sexual expertise was limited, and
the thought of trying to entice Axiom made her heart palpitate.
"You look scared," Fiona observed, eyes narrowed with
what Laurell couldn't help reading as barely constrained
amusement-at her expense.
Laurell's spine stiffened, and she stood, brushing dirt from
her pants. Her stomach grumbled. "I'll be fine.
"Oh no," she muttered.
Fiona frowned. "What is it?"
Laurell clasped her hands over her lower abdomen and
grimaced. "I think the fire exercise triggered the yearning."
Raw pleasure rippled through her, and she stifled a
moan. She grimaced, then willed the walls of protection
into place, absorbing the sexual energy deep inside herself.
A moment later, she sighed with relief. The warding had
worked. Half expecting to see Axiom appear in response to
the brief sizzle of yearning, Laurell glanced around the circle. She and Fiona remained alone.
"Have you seen Axiom today?" Laurell asked. She'd
looked for him after talking to Reese that morning, planning to demand an explanation as to why he was withholding information. She'd pounded on the door of his cabin,
but no one answered.
"He's been sleeping most of the day. I checked on him
earlier and he mentioned an energy depletion from your
run-in last night with that Umbra," Fiona said.
"Oh." Laurell's gut clenched with guilt. She bit her lip.
Fiona raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"
Laurell nodded. "Yeah. The yearning's gone. I guess I'm
getting better at warding." She grimaced. "I hate this, wanting someone I don't even know."
Fiona shrugged. "I can think of a lot worse things than
having sex with Axiom. In case you haven't noticed, that is
one hot man."
Laurell frowned and ignored the comment. He was hot,
yes, but exasperating, too. And I'm still being forced to have sex with someone I just met. "Whatever. I just can't wait until this is all over and I don't have to deal with the yearning
anymore.
"You know," Fiona began, eyes narrowed with disapproval, "you don't sound thrilled with your role in the mission, but it's-"
"An honor. Yeah, so I've been told." Laurell didn't care if
she sounded bitter. She knew the mission was necessary,
but she didn't have to like it. "I've been reduced to breeding stock."
Fiona frowned. "You know, there was a time when people saw pregnancy and birth as a magical, honorable, spiritual process. When the Goddess and her life cycles were
something to be revered."
"I know about the Goddess movement," Laurell muttered.
"From your scholarly studies?" Fiona raised her eyebrows.
Laurell nodded. "And I'm just a person. I'm no goddess."
Fiona laughed. "You're wrong. All women are reflections
of the Goddess."
Laurell shook her head. "Look, all I know is that I want
the yearning gone. I'm willing to do my part to save the
world, but I'm tired of feeling forced into it."
Fiona sighed. "I agree the yearning is a bit much. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose." Fiona
shrugged. "You won't have to deal with it too much longer.
I've been told that once you conceive, the yearning goes
away.
Laurell perked up at those words. "Really?" Why had the
thought never occurred to her? It made sense. The yearning
existed to force her to mate with Axiom and conceive the
Earth Balancer. Once that objective was completed, the
yearning would be unnecessary.
"That's my understanding," Fiona agreed.
"No yearning means Axiom's power over me goes away
too, right?" Laurell could barely contain the rush of hope
flooding through her.
Fiona's eyes flashed with comprehension. "So you want
to get pregnant quickly then, is that it?"
Laurell grinned. "Hell yes, if it means I might actually
get my life back."
Fiona sighed and shrugged. "Then I guess you'd better
think about some seducing, hadn't you?"
Laurell's stomach clenched. Damn. She hadn't really considered that part yet. Her sexual expertise was limited, and
the thought of trying to entice Axiom made her heart palpitate.
"You look scared," Fiona observed, eyes narrowed with
what Laurell couldn't help reading as barely constrained
amusement-at her expense.
Laurell's spine stiffened, and she stood, brushing dirt from
her pants. Her stomach grumbled. "I'll be fine.
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