The Shades of Time by Diane Nelson Page B

lips, soft and quivering
with anticipation, prepared to yield, albeit reluctantly. He'd
taken great delight in drawing her in, seizing control, then
withdrawing. Such simple satisfaction, to have her press upward,
ever so slightly—curious and oh so willing.
    If he were
honest with himself, it had taken every ounce of his considerable
will-power to not ravish her on the spot. Her scent, so delicately
kissed with lavender and a fragrance he didn't recognize, had
intoxicated him. As had the taste of her lips and the warmth of her
tongue briefly tangling with his own.
    He'd gotten her
off-balance, tweaked her interest.
    Dammit, I can't
afford to let her get under my skin. She's nothing but trouble.
    Tonio wished with all his heart his beloved, dim-witted
brother had not taken her fancy. The man-boy was ill-equipped for
the machinations of the court ladies, let alone one such as this.
That his House, his family, the very structure of his culture was
in desperate disarray because of these evil influences pulling
strings gnawed at his gut. Something, someone, was forcing them all
to dance like marionettes. He had enemies all around, but the one
he feared most passed beyond the realm of words, a realm to which
he was convinced she held the key.
    "My Lord."
Eduardo pushed through the door with Stefano and another in tow. "I
found him with this … woman. He claims she is the one you
seek."
    Tonio waved
Eduardo aside and stared at his hapless brother with distaste. The
young man was virtually naked, and clearly still in a state of
arousal, a fact the thin bit of cloth draped about his waist and
nether regions failed to hide. The woman in question bore a faint
resemblance to Veluria—height, facial features, hair color—but she
was far too voluptuous, reeking of whore instead of the refined
sensuality of the alleged Frenchwoman.
    Stefano giggled
and wrapped his arm about the woman. "See, Brother, I did not lose
her after all." He parted her pale rose-coloured silk robe,
stroking the gentle rise of her belly and nuzzling a plump
breast.
    Tonio balled
his fists, fighting for control, strung tight. He felt the air
about him disappear, sucking his lungs dry, until a red haze coated
his eyes and his anger and fear erupted in a startling display of
sheer power. With breathtaking speed he drew his stiletto and
flicked it through the thin cloth protecting his brother's manhood.
With a roar he slammed the smaller man against the stone wall,
pressing his left hand against Stefano's throat, his right holding
the stiletto perilously close to the young man's cock.
    "Why you?" he
hissed. "Why is this…" he pricked soft flesh "… so much more
valuable than mine or Nicolo's?"
    Stefano gurgled
in blind panic, writhing in pain as sensitive tissue responded to
the rapid knicks and pricks. Tonio emphasized each word in blood,
taking no small amount of joy from his brother's acute pain and
paralyzing fear.
    "I should cut
it off and save us all from the misery of watching you fuck
everything up."
    "Tonio.
Please." Stefano gurgled, his face contorted in agony. "I'm going
to be sick…"
    Antonio
released his brother in disgust. He motioned to Eduardo to bring
the woman over. After a cursory examination he determined she had
nothing to offer him, though his men could certainly use some
entertainment for the night's aborted mission.
    "See that she
fulfills her obligation to my dearest brother."
    Wild-eyed,
Stefano choked out, "But I can't, not like this. Tonio,
please."
    Tonio barked to
his man, "She is yours after."
    " Gracie ,
M'Lord." Eduardo thrust the woman onto the cobbled stone, her
silence strange and foreboding. He was sure that nothing good would
come from this but his fear of the Demon de' Medici overrode any
other concerns.
    Antonio turned
to go. A black mist coagulated about his soul, driving him into
despair and self-loathing. He needed to find her, though not for
reasons he understood. As the pain ramped to excruciating hammer
blows to his