the goddess of Love. She turned over a few of other cards, and each one was exquisite.
Aside from being an item of Power, the deck was a work of art. Oh, Vetta. She sighed and rubbed her forehead while she studied the deck.
Her initial impression remained the same. Underneath the veneer of quiet Power, the cards held a subtle but remarkable depth. Finally she sat back and shook her head, her mouth tight.
“I have no idea whose magic created this,” she said. “It’s not Light or Dark Fae, Elven, Wyr, Demonkind, human—or anything else I’ve encountered. It’s more Powerful than it looks on the surface, and I’m not even sure what the Power does. Perhaps it’s just meant to be a tool for divination. I don’t know.” She met Duncan’s gaze as she said, “I don’t sense anything overtly offensive in the magic, but I don’t like magic I don’t understand, and I don’t trust it.”
Xanthe reached out to touch one of the cards, her gray eyes wide. She said, “I think they’re beautiful.”
As the tips of Xanthe’s long fingers touched the card, Seremela felt the Power in the deck pull toward the other woman. She said sharply, “Do you feel that?”
All three of the others stared at her and shook their heads. Vetta sat as far back from the deck as she could get, her hands tucked under her arms. Duncan asked, “What did you feel?”
“It’s tugging toward you, like it wants to go to you,” Seremela said to Xanthe.
“Oh please take the deck with you,” said Vetta passionately. “Please take it far, far away.”
Seremela didn’t want to take responsibility for the Tarot deck, and Vetta refused to touch it. Xanthe was willing to take the Tarot deck to Adriyel, to see if she could discover any answers about its origins and its maker from Dark Fae elders, so in the end that was what they decided to do.
The Dark Fae woman disembarked at Chicago’s O’Hare with quiet thanks. As soon as the plane was in the air again, Vetta sprawled on the couch and fell asleep as soon as she went horizontal.
Duncan and Seremela moved to the back of the plane so that they didn’t disturb the sleeping girl. He settled in the seat beside Seremela. She looked exhausted, with dark shadows under her eyes, but her gaze was clear and bright. She whispered, “I cannot thank you enough, Duncan.”
“Shh,” he said, just as softly. “There’s no need.”
“There’s every need,” she said, her words quiet but forceful. Her mouth worked, and her expression was so beautiful, so intense, Duncan had to put his arms around her and kiss her.
Her mouth. It was like everything else about her, sensitive and lavish with softness yet etched with determination and character. He loved her mouth; he loved it and he kissed and kissed her, while she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Roused by her gentle, heartfelt response, his sexual aggression was lying in wait, ready to pounce. He held it tightly in check. Now was not the time.
Reluctantly he pulled away, and laughter threatened to take him over as he realized all of her snakes had wrapped around him again. He smiled into her gorgeous eyes. “Why do you always look so surprised whenever I touch you?”
She glanced away as she lifted a shoulder. “Many people are disgusted by the thought of touching us, much like Thruvial was with Vetta.”
“Thruvial was a pig,” Duncan said. That jerked her attention back to him. He said deliberately into her wide gaze, “I think you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out.”
Wonder lightened her feminine features. “You do?”
“I do. I learned a lot about you in a day.”
“It was a long day,” she pointed out.
He laughed softly. “It was a very long day. You’re intelligent and curious, insightful and adventurous, and you’re generous and caring. Even though you’re gentle to the bone, you know how to shoot a gun, and you’re so brave, especially when you’re
Aside from being an item of Power, the deck was a work of art. Oh, Vetta. She sighed and rubbed her forehead while she studied the deck.
Her initial impression remained the same. Underneath the veneer of quiet Power, the cards held a subtle but remarkable depth. Finally she sat back and shook her head, her mouth tight.
“I have no idea whose magic created this,” she said. “It’s not Light or Dark Fae, Elven, Wyr, Demonkind, human—or anything else I’ve encountered. It’s more Powerful than it looks on the surface, and I’m not even sure what the Power does. Perhaps it’s just meant to be a tool for divination. I don’t know.” She met Duncan’s gaze as she said, “I don’t sense anything overtly offensive in the magic, but I don’t like magic I don’t understand, and I don’t trust it.”
Xanthe reached out to touch one of the cards, her gray eyes wide. She said, “I think they’re beautiful.”
As the tips of Xanthe’s long fingers touched the card, Seremela felt the Power in the deck pull toward the other woman. She said sharply, “Do you feel that?”
All three of the others stared at her and shook their heads. Vetta sat as far back from the deck as she could get, her hands tucked under her arms. Duncan asked, “What did you feel?”
“It’s tugging toward you, like it wants to go to you,” Seremela said to Xanthe.
“Oh please take the deck with you,” said Vetta passionately. “Please take it far, far away.”
Seremela didn’t want to take responsibility for the Tarot deck, and Vetta refused to touch it. Xanthe was willing to take the Tarot deck to Adriyel, to see if she could discover any answers about its origins and its maker from Dark Fae elders, so in the end that was what they decided to do.
The Dark Fae woman disembarked at Chicago’s O’Hare with quiet thanks. As soon as the plane was in the air again, Vetta sprawled on the couch and fell asleep as soon as she went horizontal.
Duncan and Seremela moved to the back of the plane so that they didn’t disturb the sleeping girl. He settled in the seat beside Seremela. She looked exhausted, with dark shadows under her eyes, but her gaze was clear and bright. She whispered, “I cannot thank you enough, Duncan.”
“Shh,” he said, just as softly. “There’s no need.”
“There’s every need,” she said, her words quiet but forceful. Her mouth worked, and her expression was so beautiful, so intense, Duncan had to put his arms around her and kiss her.
Her mouth. It was like everything else about her, sensitive and lavish with softness yet etched with determination and character. He loved her mouth; he loved it and he kissed and kissed her, while she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Roused by her gentle, heartfelt response, his sexual aggression was lying in wait, ready to pounce. He held it tightly in check. Now was not the time.
Reluctantly he pulled away, and laughter threatened to take him over as he realized all of her snakes had wrapped around him again. He smiled into her gorgeous eyes. “Why do you always look so surprised whenever I touch you?”
She glanced away as she lifted a shoulder. “Many people are disgusted by the thought of touching us, much like Thruvial was with Vetta.”
“Thruvial was a pig,” Duncan said. That jerked her attention back to him. He said deliberately into her wide gaze, “I think you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out.”
Wonder lightened her feminine features. “You do?”
“I do. I learned a lot about you in a day.”
“It was a long day,” she pointed out.
He laughed softly. “It was a very long day. You’re intelligent and curious, insightful and adventurous, and you’re generous and caring. Even though you’re gentle to the bone, you know how to shoot a gun, and you’re so brave, especially when you’re
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