Feral Cast chapter one part b

              Jaklis was watching lord Evarrim Talking with the caste lord when he noticed the Consort step through the doors. Followed by Tain with what appeared to be a human on his arm. He didn’t look at her at first, she was human and likely unimportant, a supplicant maybe, or by the way she held his arm an erenne. It was odd, he’d never though of taking a human as a permanent partner, but to each their own. It wasn’t until has father had stiffened and his hand almost unsheathed his blade that he took a real good look at her.
            He wondered how he’d missed it, the spindly lines of the mark of a consort. It wasn’t Tain’s. It was, he looked closer hoping he really wasn’t seeing what he  thought he saw. No it was his fathers mark. And then she caught his eyes. She was unafraid. And that surprised him, most humans facing four Barrani with that mark would have run, she didn’t. She didn’t eyen bat an eye as his fathers sword cleared it sheath. She also didn’t reach for the set of daggers at her hips. Her eyes held his in a permanent lock.
            Then he actually noticed her eyes. At first he’d thought they were brown, but they weren’t they were a red brown with more red in them. he had never come across that color before. Her hair was dark, almost as dark as Severn’s but not quite, her skin was certainly lighter. She had fine features, features that gave her an even more exotic look then Severn. Her hair was down flowing in soft wild curls around a smooth neck. She was small, but unbelievably well proportioned, the outfit they had stuck her in set off her skin and made her glow. It also showed every damn curve. The sash that held her daggers was red, accented by silver chains and black velvet. The daggers themselves were nearly eight inches long and would probably be  as deadly as a sword. She was lean and muscular every inch screamed beautiful and dangerous. His eyes fell back to that mark. He wondered at how she’d ended up freely in the court.
              The caste lord had noticed their reactions and held up a hand. His father and the other lords did not attack, but they did not put up their weapons. The caste lord turned.
            “Lord Kaylin” he said in greeting. The woman gave a suitably deep bow.
            “My lord.” She said. He felt the shock run through the others, felt it in himself. This was the lord Kaylin. He could see now why Evarrim had caused such a fuss coming straight to the halls of law. And why Severn was supposed to have kept her at home. He wondered if Nightshade had known if he’d let her out of the castle. Probably not. She was certainly a prize though.
              “This is lord Jeice, Lord Tarrin, Lord Feihan, and Jaklis.” The castelord said, he said them in order. Lord Kaylin bowed politely to each. “This is lord Kaylin. Both she and lord Severn passed their test right before the leoswuld.”
            Jaklis blinked, not only had one human passed but two. That was damn near impossible. It also meant they were both unbelievably powerful, and it meant she probably wouldn’t have needed her daggers in the fight. Especially with Tain at her side. He wondered at their relation ship. Kaylin was not erenne in the way he thought of the word. That Barrani magic was not found on her. He felt other magic, His fathers mostly, but also her own. She had not called on it yet, but it gave the air a dark tang.
          “Lord Kaylin is one of the Emperor’s hawks. She is also a high caste lord. And while she does bear the outcaste’s marks she is here on no one’s suffrage. You will treat her with respect or suffer the consequences” the castelord looked at all but Jaklis, who hadn’t drawn his weapon.  “Please Evarrim, if you would continue the tour of our city.”
          It was as clear a dismissal as Jaklis had ever heard of. At least among the Barrani. And he found he didn’t want to go, even as his feet followed. He wanted to find out about his father. The truth, not what his adoptive parents told him.
                              But that was going to have to wait.
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          Damn. He was having a hard time keeping his hands off her. He always did. And damn the Consort, for putting her in that outfit.
        The whole thing wasn’t his fault, she’d started it. Damn her and that closet. He’d been just fine around her till she’d proven she could catch him by surprise, although he certainly hadn’t complained, at least until she figured out to tie his hands behind his back so he couldn’t catch her by surprise back. For some reason she loved cat and mouse games. The older she got the more and more powerful and inviting she became.
          Anteela was giving Severn dark looks, but Tain ignored them. If Kaylin really wanted to do something, he doubted there was anyone who was going to stop her. He remembered how she’d felt at his side. Pressed up so seductively, and trying not to be. She knew the consequences. She always did. Not that it usually stopped her. But she wouldn’t be the one blamed for this. He would. And some how that always stopped her. He’d often wondered, but he’d never asked.
          Now he wanted to do noting more then pull her against him and breathe in her scent. They’d made love twice, and he had always considered her his. Till that damn hawk lord had sent her back into Nightshade. She’d almost not come out alive.
          Now he worried about loosing her. He’d cared dearly for Nightshade when the man had been his lord. And damn if he wasn’t torn between the two of them. It really wasn’t fair. He brushed a hand through her hair.
          “Up for a spar?” He asked. He saw the shiver go down her spine. He grinned. She was trying to keep them out of trouble and he knew it. And he was trying just as hard to get them into trouble.
          “Yes” was her answer as she deftly swatted his hand away. He swatted back and she dodged him. He sifted to get a better shot at her and she twisted, coming around to grab his wrist.
          “Get a room you two.” Teela said swatting them both. “And keep out of trouble. You will be expected at dinner Kaylin.” He watched Kaylin nodded her head. The strings on her corset bounced and it took every ounce of control he had to not tug on them. “No heavy abuse either of you.”
                    Now there was a warning that was going to go unheeded.
They slipped past Teela and Severn towards Kaylin’s room. It was big enough to handle a decent spar, with the added plus of being able to lock the doors.
            He grinned as he shut the door behind them. Neither of them had the padded sticks they usually used so they were going to have to use live blades. They’d done this once or twice, it added an edge to their fight.
        He made the first move. He made it with out warning or intention. It was a feint. He whirled at the last second. She turned with him bringing her daggers at his throat. He blocked one with the sword, and backed up to avoid the second. She lashed out her foot to trip him he avoided it easily.
        “Too obvious” she followed his step pushing close. At least now she realized the longer the reach the more dangerous the weapon. It had taken her a while to learn that lesson. He brought his sword down. She shifted to block with both daggers, hitting him with her hip. It knocked him off balance, but he used the momentum he gained and put more force into his blow. She was smart enough to get out of the way and not block him. Another lesson it had taken him a while to teach her. She was no match in strength for any Barrani.
        They separated, circling slowly, each waiting for the other to move. He was distracted for a moment by the way the skirts swirled around lean legs. She moved in. She was fast, and he barely had time to block. She came at him again slipping to the side and then sliding back again. Her footing had given her away. He blocked and turned them so her back was to him. He swatted her on the head. Hard. He knew she was better then that.
          “Not good enough baby hawk.” She snarled something in leotine to quick for him to follow. He felt the smirk lifting his lips. Eight years and that nickname still bothered her. Well at least it got her to try harder. She moved and it wasn’t a faint. It caught him of guard, which had been her intention. He blocked her first dagger and dodged the second. She twisted in a full circle as he dodged bringing the first blade back at his chest, dropping to add momentum. It worked. He felt the sting as her blade cut his skin. The sting made it all the better.
          She rolled as she fell coming to her feet out of his reach. He used an upward cut she caught it with both daggers and rolled into him. Coming full circle she slashed out at him. He shifted back and with her back to him she brought her elbow back. He twisted and bumped her with his hip. She went down. She landed as he brought the blade down. She was fast, but not that fast. Fortunately Tain had been counting on this and controlled the force and aim. He drew a long red slash down her side. Even as the blade dragged against her skin she came up slashing for his neck. He brought his sword up backing off. This time she didn’t follow.
          The sweat glistening off of her skin was absolutely enticing, the flush on her skin from the exertion made her seen absolutely vibrant. She was tired and feeling the blood lust. It was both a curse and a blessing a curse if it caught her off guard, an advantage if it didn’t. If it caught her off guard, and he could see it had in her red brown eyes, she wouldn’t stop till she lost or won. In this case if she lost it was his game, and she knew it.
                            It made her just that more dangerous.
            “Control Kaylin” it was a warning he was unsure she heeded. She moved in slashing with one blade followed by the other. He managed to block both but it pushed him off balance. Kaylin’s instincts showed her the opening. She twirled unbelievably fast. Bringing the first blade back around, and he went over backwards, later he was unsure how she pulled that little trick on him, but at the moment it didn’t matter. He’d dropped his sword and she’d lost a dagger, the other one she held to his throat. He had her wrist in his hand. She was effectively sitting in his lap. It gave him the opening he needed. He shifted his weight caught her other wrist and flipped them both. He’d caught her, and he saw the knowledge in her eyes. Knew what it might cause.
                              Tain didn’t give a damn.
            They played cat and mouse games and he enjoyed every last minute of it, win or loose. She struggled till he started to kiss her.  Then she relaxed and dropped her blade. He let go of her wrist and she slipped her fingers into his hair. It felt damn good. So did her being pressed so close.
            He moved to her neck nibbling at her collar bone. He felt her moan. He gently inspected the wound in her side, he’d come unbelievably close to doing real damage, he hadn't expected that. Her hand moved from his hair to his chest slipping the remains of his shirt on to his arms. He obligingly shed it. She then ran a finger along his wound. It stung but at the same time it sent waves of pleasure down his spine. He shifted them so he was sitting up and she was in his lap. He pulled the string on the back of her corset, loosening it enough to pull it over her head. She slipped her arms around his neck. And he brushed his hand against her breast. He felt her shudder against him, it made him hunger for her more.
            She grinned and slipped down pulling his pants off with her. Then he felt her tongue as it slowly worked it way up his cock. He groaned he felt her work her tongue around his head and then envelop him. Damn he was going to lose control if she kept that up. She did. She slipped off the skirt as she sucked, sending shudders of ecstasy through him. He reached down and grabbed her. He needed her now. He pulled her onto his lap again sliding in with ease. She groaned and bit his neck. Not hard, but it sent pleasure straight down his body. With out even thinking he started to thrust. She was so tight it felt way too good. She moved with him keeping his pace. He could hear her moans as she moved. He felt her body start to tighten and he pulled her down to kiss her.
            He turned them so she was on her back and took control. He moved faster watching her head as it fell back with pleasure, felt that tightening again. This time he kept moving. he felt everything tighten around him it damn near drove him over the edge. He started moving harder and she slipped her legs around his waist giving him the deeper access he wanted. He could feel the building, the pleasure starting to peak. He buried his face in her neck and felt her tighten unexpectedly around him. That did send him over the edge. He couldn’t breathe as his body succumbed to the pleasure of his orgasm. he felt her hands in his hair as she kissed him deeply.
                                          He'd needed that.
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              Anteela walked in to Kaylin’s room to find Kaylin stretched out on the bed Tain beginning to bind what looked like a nasty wound on her side. She sighed. The noticed the weapon’s expert’s own condition. She snorted. Kaylin wasn’t a bouncy twelve year old any more. And Tain, while in the prime of life, still fell victim to his own confidence. She also smelled sex.
            “What part of no heavy abuse did you two not understand?” She growled at them walking to the wardrobe. Inside were two other dresses. One was a deep red silk that would set off Kaylin’s eyes beautifully it was also close to skin tight with lacing in both the front and the back. She picked that over the aquamarine dress next to it. She handed it to Tain who helped Kaylin get it on. Briefly she envied the other woman. In Nightshade she’d found a protector capable of handling anything she managed to get herself into, and in Tain she’d found someone who could give her what she needed emotionally. It was two bad the girl couldn’t have both. Tain and Nightshade where both too jealous and too stubborn to share anything. If Kaylin had been a little harder and a little colder it wouldn’t have mattered. Severn, who had walked in behind her, didn’t care which one Kaylin picked. His only concern was Kaylin herself. To bad such devotion was already taken. He made a damn good lover though. So did Tain for that matter. As it was it looked like Nightshade was going to win Kaylin.
                              Well she’d be there to pick up the aftermath.
            “That Jaklis” she heard the girl began. If she hadn’t known Kaylin’s innate ability to observe she’d have hit the girl.  She picked all the wrong things to investigate.
            “No Kaylin.” She said. Of course Kaylin would find out her self. Might even ask Jaklis. Teela hoped not. Jaklis would ask questions back, and he probably wouldn’t like the answers Kaylin gave him. While Kaylin herself had never felt nightshade’s cruelty, she’d defiantly witnessed it. Anteela was unsure if Jaklis would be able to handle it, his brothers probably would. They were older, and remembered their father more.
            “Jaklis will attempt his lordship test at the end of the week. Do not be in the city, Kaylin.” She watched the twist of a smile on Kaylin’s lips. Damn the girl was persistent. It made her a good hawk.
                            And a very bad person to keep secrets around.
                 
              Jaklis watched as she entered the dinning hall accompanied by lord Severn. She was just as beautiful in the dress as she was in the corset. The sleeves were full length and the lacing ran from her belly all the way to her clavicle. And while she appeared comfortable in her clothing he doubted she’d picked them out. He could guess who had judging by the looks the Castelord was giving his Consort, and the smirk on the woman’s face.
              She still wore her daggers on a dark red sash. They were the same daggers. He wondered at their plainness. He also wondered at their use as he had yet to see them drawn. He wondered if his father had.
            She sat at the table easily. Severn sat next to her. She looked tired and wary. He didn’t blame her. She knew about Barrani politics, and obviously had no wish to participate. Lord Anteela appeared next in a dark green dress. She wore a simple looking scimitar at her side. He didn’t doubt it was unbelievably deadly. He had yet to see a weapon on lord Severn, but he didn’t doubt the man had plenty. Lord nightshades men always did.
              They ate. It was a meat Jaklis had not had before, rich and full of spices. He just enjoyed the food and conversation. He didn’t drink the wine. He was unfond of the substance. Kaylin sipped and Severn did not touch his. The woman was quiet listening in on a conversation that would have bored most. He could tell she found it fascinating, and he wondered why. Then he realized that lord Anteela and lord Evarrim where making minute jabs at each other. Lord Kaylin  did not join in the conversation. He wondered at her silence. She was a puzzling enigma. She obviously was powerful and yet she behaved as if she had none. In a Barrani it meant weakness, maybe even death. In a human it was damn scary, because it meant she was unpredictable.
                                    He didn't like unpredictable

            As dinner ended the Castelord gave her a look that said stay. Kaylin did so.
            “You are going to cause trouble if you keep up your current actions.” She wasn’t puzzled or, somehow, embarrassed. She had no doubts he knew what went on in the Halls. “I will protect neither of you.”
            “I am not going to be ruled by anyone.” She said, a simple statement. But profoundly true. “I am neither a toy nor a weapon to be used at a whim.” She sighed, felt the weariness creeping in. “I had thought I had made that as clear as I could.” She looked at the wall ornately carved and dark in color. She saw symbols there but did not try to read them.
          “You have made that clear to me and the dragons. The question is have you made that clear to Nightshade?” She snorted, Nightshade was Nightshade, he’d do just about whatever he damn well pleased, regardless of her wants where. He had been nice, unaccountably so. She was under no illusions. She made that pretty clear to. The Castelord smiled.
          “You have guessed about Jaklis.” It was a statement Kaylin gave him one of her shrugs. She had but no one seemed to want to confirm it, although the Castelord had effectively done that. she nodded.
          “be aware then that his two brothers will be here when he takes his lordship test. They are more minded after their father, jacklis was young when he left. They will take his mark seriously.” Kaylin blinked.
        “Teela said to be out of the city. I was planning on taking her advice.” The castelord blinked his eyes shading to gold.
          “She should know you better then to believe that, I certainly do.” He said. Kaylin almost laughed, almost.
            “I may be naïve but I am not stupid.” She said quietly. “I am well aware of the danger.
          “That and I usually spend some days this time of the year in Brenan.” She remembered the draw she had felt to the fief, and she wondered what had been there once. She asked. The Castelord smiled it was not a happy smile.
          “Of the fiefs Brennen contains the oldest ruins. The power is also stronger there. I am surprised you noticed it." Kaylin shook her head. There was something else there that he wasn’t telling her. But that was the Barrani. They disliked telling anyone anything.
        “Keep your companions close lord Kaylin. Nightshade is far crueler then you think. Also Jaklis has asked to speak with you. I have allowed this. Do not take him into Nightshade. The consequence would be overwhelming.”
                                  Kaylin planned on taking his advice.