StarMyst: Sorcerer

By Mary Winter

An orphan from the Sorcerer Wars, Kade Montano knows power is the only thing that counts. Power comes from pure blood lines and strong Conclaves. With power his parents could have survived. With power, he could have led StarMyst Conclave to be one of the strongest. Instead, he ended up at Sonora Rising, and in need of revenge. Edie Kruger-Sandoval, the daughter of Sonora Rising’s leader, provides the only bright spot in his life, and she treats him as if he doesn’t exist. Power. With it, he could have the woman who leaves him aching for her touch.

Edie is sick and tired of the power being the first daughter of Sonora Rising Conclave gives her. She refuses to take another lover drawn to the Sonora Rising name and what they thinks it brings. So every time Kade propositions her, she tells him only one thing, “when you see me as I truly am.” Because although her father leads Sonora Rising, her blood is far from pure, and her magick is just as mixed as Kade’s. A visit from an old family friend from a Conclave known for wanting more equal standings between the Sorcerers provides the opening she needs. She just has to convince Kade there’s more to being a Sorcerer than power, and together, they have to forge a new alliance that will reshape the Conclaves and their world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Winter
• Release date: Jun 12, 2016

Book preview

StarMyst: Sorcerer

Chapter One

Squinting his eyes against the late afternoon Arizona sun, Kade Montano stared at the blonde beauty rising from the pool like some kind of oceanic goddess. Droplets of water glistened on her tanned, toned arms. And although it wasn't the most revealing swimsuit she owned, the white one-piece fit her like a glove. Andreina Edith Kruger-Sandoval could be a tough-as-nails bitch when she wanted, but Kade knew most of that came from being the daughter of Andrew Kruger-Sandoval, the head of one of the most powerful Conclaves in the southwest. In unguarded moments, he saw the passion lurking beneath the surface.

Lussor flared, quickly banked. He wouldn’t be feeding the power that made him a Sorcerer with her. As far as Edie was concerned—not that he'd earned the right to call her Edie—he was just one of many who worked with her father.

Boots scuffed against the concrete behind him. Kade didn't bother to look. The greasy smell announced the arrival as Franco, one of Andrew's security goons. Damn, I'd like a piece of that.

Kade turned and snarled. Lussor crackled, the energy sparking around him, coiling like a viper ready to strike. Watch what you say about her. She's the boss' daughter.

She's also a damn fine woman and far too good for Franco. He bit back a growl, trying not to press the issue too hard. In a fist fight, Franco would flatten his ass, and he'd be no good to his boss in a body cast. Besides, as newer hired help, he ranked below Franco on the food chain.

The guard crossed his arms over his chest, flexing his muscled biceps. From beneath the cuff his black T-shirt, the tattoo of a cactus with a rattlesnake coiled at its base showed. Franco arched his eyebrow.

You two boys can quit staring any time now, Edie said from the pool deck. She tied the robe around her and stepped into the private glass doors leading to the family's wing.

Franco waited for the doors to snick closed. You just want what you can't have. He stepped forward, moving into Kade's personal space. The bodyguard's power flared slightly, a metaphysical shove Kade did not return.

Let him tromp around like a bull elephant scenting a female. Something tells me Edie prefers a more subtle man.

Our employer wouldn't like you sniffing around her either. Kade's cool tones barely carried far enough to reach the man standing beside him. I believe Mr. Kruger-Sandoval has far bigger plans for his only daughter than the likes of us. A smile quirked the corners of Kade's mouth.

This was where he belonged. Here among the heat and the sand, the power and the true majesty of what it meant to be a Sorcerer. The sprawling farm in Illinois might breed some top Quarter Horses, but StarMyst was small potatoes compared to Sonora Rising, and its neighbor to the east, Brazos Conclave. Brazos ’ first daughter, Laura Ingress, had jumped from the wide ocean where she could have had anything she'd wanted into a very tiny wading pool. She’d done the unthinkable and had fallen for Reid Montano, a mongrel Sorcerer from StarMyst—and Kade’s brother. The ripples from her plunge still reverberated through the higher echelons of Sorcerer Conclaves. If one high placed daughter could choose a mongrel over the lineaged Sorcerers, then others could too. Which left men like Andrew keeping an even closer watch on their wayward, and beautiful, female offspring.

The lussor needs feeing. And when it does… Franco let the words trail off. Some of us don't have to employ the discipline exercised by lesser Sorcerers. A wolfish grin revealed the guard thought he had one over on Kade.

Discipline and exercise makes the power grow stronger. He gave a slight sting with his own lussor. You were in the Conclave meeting the same as I, and you didn't feel the Sorcerers flailing around their power like kids playing with light sabers.

To his credit, Franco didn't flinch. You want what you can't have. You're a mongrel. You're not good enough for Edie. Franco spat on the concrete next to Kade's new designer shoes. You can dress an orphan in fancy clothing, but that doesn't make him a rich kid. He laughed at his own joke.

Franco has no idea what StarMyst is worth.

Pride filled Kade, surprising him with its intensity. Since being kicked out of his boyhood home for merely stating the truth, he hadn't given StarMyst much thought. Except to see the way Te was running the Conclave with an even lighter hand than Edwin had. A brief frown twisted his lips before he quickly smoothed the expression away. Staring at the glass doors through which Edie had gone made Kade long to be inside, and not just for the air conditioning. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck, quickly whisked away by the dry air.

Kade refused to give ground. You can stick a bull in a china shop, but that doesn't mean he won't smash everything around him. Be careful what you step on Franco. You might find yourself surrounded by broken glass. He remained standing, staring out over the now-empty pool. The still day kept the water unbroken, a crystal blue view all the way to the bottom where the Sonora Rising crest had been tiled in a very expensive mosaic. Everything around him screamed opulence, the kind of power Sorcerers should wield and display to the world. Nothing like the farm house and fields of StarMyst.

Damn it! Even now, with more than a year between him and that fateful day when he'd been out of his mind with jealousy and rage and  attacked Jacy, he still thought of them. And he still cared. The only chink in his armor of stone, and he'd be damned before he showed that to anyone.

Franco grunted. The cell phone in its holster on his hip rang, an annoying rap tone, and Franco answered it. He grunted some more into the phone, his words thick and inarticulate. With a final caveman noise, he flipped the phone closed and slammed it back into place. He strode away, leaving Kade standing there staring at the pool.

Kade waited until he was sure Franco had left before going back inside. He turned to pass between the two columns leading to the guest wing. Edie stood by one of the low tables in front of the large wall of glass windows watering a flowering plant. Kade watched her graceful movements and wondered why she was doing something that was a servant’s role.

My mother loved azaleas, Edie said without looking up from her task. This one looked like it needed some attention.

The plant is lucky to have you. Kade admired the long lines of her legs beneath the pair of shorts she'd changed into from her swim. She wore a sleeveless light blue blouse the same color as the faded denim of her shorts. He waited for the rebuke he expected to receive.

She turned and smiled at him. The plant is luckier to have our housekeeper. A soft chuckle escaped her before she could put her usual dour demeanor in place. Father has gone to the airport. You might want to freshen up. Sherman Presley will be arriving for some kind of meeting.

Kade stiffened. Since the Conclave meeting Andrew had sent him on small errands, nothing important, and certainly nothing involving Presley Conclave. Since they'd not been able to force out the mongrels, Andrew had been busy shoring up his power base.

 I'd think Sherman would be the last person your father would want to see. After the last large gathering of the Conclaves, Andrew had growled all the way back to Sonora Rising about the damn Presleys and others who wanted to stay neutral in the ongoing political maneuvering between Sorcerers of lineage and money and those without.

Well apparently you’d be wrong. She surveyed him, then focused her attention on the plant.

There's the Edie I know.

Deciding to press his luck, he asked the obvious question. Do you know why Sherman 's visiting? He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at her.

I do not, she answered.

Don't you think you've watered that plant enough? He lazily strode to stand a bit too close to her. His lussor flared, and he quickly tamped down the power before it could be noticed.

She tsk'd under her breath. Didn't they teach you anything at StarMyst? She sighed and put the watering can down next to the plant. Turning to face him, she let her own lussor rise. For a moment, a single, heavenly moment, her power washed over him, teasing his cock to sudden hardness and his power to life. As quickly as it came, she whisked it away. I told you. Until you give up the hidden agendas and deal with me as I am, there's nothing. I have no idea why Sherman is visiting. It is not my business to know until I'm needed. I suspect you should clean up and dress in something more appropriate. She waved her hand at his attire, as if it's designer, and expensive, couture was something of which to be ashamed. I have duties to attend to. Yanking the watering can from the table, she spun on her heel and strode toward the family wing of the compound.

Kade watched her go, swearing he could hear Franco's mocking laughter in his mind. He couldn't, and just the thought that the hired muscle might be more to Edie's liking had him taking long steps toward his room. When he emerged, he'd be sure Edie, and her father, had nothing to fault.

~* * *~

Edie waited until she was just out of sight of Kade before ducking into a corner and slumping against the wall. Her breath came quickly; her nipples beaded into hard, aching points. Her pussy ached. The lussor still humming inside her left her wanting the Sorcerer who even now headed toward his rooms. Just thinking about Kade in his designer shirt, open at the throat to reveal his tanned chest, and the pants that molded to his legs oh so well, had her wishing she could strip them off and see the man beneath. He'd arrived in boots and jeans, a western look she presumed they wore at StarMyst. But those had been quickly replaced by expensive clothes as he blended into Sonora Rising as if he'd been born there.

He hadn't, and therein lay the problem. Kade and his damnable need for vengeance against his home Conclave, and mongrels in general. She shook her head, the reality of their situation was more effective than a cold shower. Realizing she still held the watering can that had been her pretence for watching Kade without his knowledge, she opened a recessed door and set it on an unused servants' cart. She'd pick it up later.

Ever since they'd returned from the Conclave meeting, he'd seemed different somehow. As if seeing his brother and his wife Laura had muted the vengeance. Edie thought about Cord, the newly returned head, and sole member of Sartain-Ma Conclave, one of the most powerful Conclaves prior to the Sorcerer War. Things had changed. She wished her father could see that, and maybe that's what Sherman 's visit was all about. Edie allowed herself a hint of hope, then tucked it away. Andrew wouldn't rest until the purebred Sorcerers regained control. Never mind what his actions would do to those who relied on the safeguards the Sorcerer community had in place.

Not for the first time, Edie wondered if she shouldn't contact StarMyst. She sat on a love seat and stared at the desert vista revealed by her open curtains. So different from Illinois , with its green fields. Though their last visit hadn't been on the best terms, she'd wished she could have stayed longer. For all her bitchiness toward Kade, she liked StarMyst. She couldn't imagine why Kade wanted vengeance. Something had happened, something horrible, to turn him against his Conclave like that. With his being hell-bent on pure-bred Sorcerers, there was nothing she could do. She couldn't allow herself to do anything. Because at the moment, they were on two very different sides of this issue, and she'd bet her favorite pair of diamond earrings that he didn't even know it.

She went into her spacious bathroom and started the shower. Shedding her clothes, she stepped beneath the spray letting luxurious bath whip and steaming hot water wash away her worries. Clean and softly scented, she brushed her hair, pulling it back with a gold clip at the base of her neck and dressed in a coral linen pantsuit. The matching silk blouse skimmed over her breasts, the neckline modest enough to frame the gold heart pendant necklace she wore. Matching earrings completed the tastefully expensive ensemble, and she hoped her father approved.

He approved of little enough these days, not that she blamed him. Edie studied her reflection in the mirror and sighed. Oh, she blamed him all right, though she understood why he held his horribly-outdated opinions. He had to see the good that Sorcerers of all lineages could bring to the Conclaves. They were dying. If humans weren't interbreeding with Sorcerers, most likely they'd be an even smaller force than they were today. At least by Sorcerers following their hearts, rather than their Conclave's wishes, they might have a chance to return to their former glory. Of course, if they hadn't tried to kill each other during the Sorcerer Wars, things might have been different too. Her lips twisted into a wry smile. She smoothed her expression into a neutral one and applied some coral lip gloss. A brush of shadow across her eyes and some blush on her cheeks completed her look.

She glanced at the clock. Little more than an hour before her father and Sherman were due to return. She better check on Kade.

Her heart jumped at the thought of going to his rooms. She tamped down the emotion, along with her lussor. She was simply doing her job as the first daughter of Sonora Rising in making sure that everyone was presentable for Sherman 's arrival. It had nothing to do with her desire to see Kade again, or maybe hope he answered the door in nothing but a towel.

She saw no one as she strode through the family wing occupied only by herself and her father. She crossed the common area, noticing streaks of twilight gathering on the horizon. In the guest wing there was only one occupant—Kade—and he had taken one of the smaller rooms off the main hallway. Edie paused outside his door. Good construction ensured she heard no noises coming from inside, and taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

One moment, then two passed, before she heard the knob being turned. The door partially opened, and Kade peered around the edge. His eyes widened.

Edie, he said. What are you doing here?

She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the expanse of his bare chest revealed by his open shirt. He wore charcoal dress slacks, making her wonder if they were his only article of clothing. His bare feet and still-damp hair announced that he hadn't been in the shower very long ago, and her unruly imagination took her there, with the image of him naked beneath the spray.

Edie? He asked again, and she realized she'd been staring.

I wanted to make sure you were ready for Sherman 's visit. I suspect this is Conclave business, and we should act accordingly. She tamped her professional, haughty demeanor in place, but not before a glint shone in his eyes.

So you came down here with nearly a— He glanced over his shoulder. Half an hour to spare before your father is due to arrive back to tell me this. I've been dressing myself for a long time, Edie. Unless you thought you might catch me in the shower. A teasing note crept into his voice.

A hot flush crept over her cheeks, pinkening them even more beneath the slight brush of powder, before she could stop it. I…no… She pressed her lips together and willed her body, and her power to behave. Lussor ebbed around her. Sex wasn't the only way to feed their power, but it was the most efficient. And right now, both her body and her abilities were reminding her it'd been a long time since they'd been sated.

Kade stepped back. Why don't you come inside? I was just finishing, and that way you can personally approve my wardrobe. He opened the door for her.

Not wanting to appear rude, she followed him inside. Besides, if she left, she'd give him the impression that she had come here for a different purpose.

Kade shut the door, then wrapped his large hands gently around her forearms and spun her around. He pinned her against the hard wood with his body. An arm on either side of her, one at her hip, and one above her shoulder, he looked up and down her body. His blue eyes darkened. Why did you come here? He asked again.

He dipped his head, and Edie sucked in a breath. She stiffened, not wanting to get any closer to him. Her lussor flared and her body responded to the virile male so close to her. And she'd wanted him for so long.

And she reminded herself that this was Kade, hell bent on revenge because of some slight back at StarMyst. Kade, who thought pure-bred Sorcerers should be the norm, never mind the fact that he came from mixed blood. I came to make sure you wouldn't disgrace Sonora Rising, she replied, keeping her voice as icy as possible. I see the reminder is needed.

Warm, mint-scented breath caressed her cheek. I don't think it's Sonora Rising that I'd be disgracing. He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers.

A gentle brush, too soft and hesitant to have come from Kade. Except it did, and she found herself responding, tilting her head to meet his lips, curling her fingers into the expensive cotton of his shirt. Standing on tiptoes, she pressed her body into his, opening her mouth beneath his.

A moan reverberated through his chest and he slid his tongue into her mouth.

Lussor snaked through her body and she shivered at its force. Every cell in her body urged her to let Kade take her then and there, to feed the very energy which makes them Sorcerers. He pulled back long enough for both of them to gulp air and a small, needy cry escaped her throat.

The sound penetrated her senses. Dear god, she sounded…needy. Andreina Edith Kruger-Sandoval never needed anything. She took what she wanted. The realization snapped her back to herself. She uncurled her fingers from his shirt and flattened her palm against his chest. A not-so-gentle shove broke the kiss and had him step back.

I came to see if you were ready for Sherman 's visit, not get mauled. If you cannot keep yourself under control then I suggest you don't emerge from this room. Without waiting for a response, she stepped away from the door, opened it up, and left.

She stumbled down the hall, not wanting to stop in case he heard her. Only when she'd crossed the common area and stood with her back against her own closed door, knees trembling, and heart pounding, did she press her fingers to her lips.

Damn, Kade Montano knew how to kiss. She licked her lips, thinking she could still taste him. A few steps took her to her loveseat, where she sat down hard enough to bounce the cushions beneath her.

~* * *~

Kade sat down at his desk, his mind whirling from the kiss. He hadn't anticipated it happening, at least not at that moment. But when he'd opened the