Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Raul
I thought the nights in Cotea were starting to get cool, but they’re nothing compared to the chill of the Accasian darkness. I tug my cloak closer around me as a shield against the icy bite in the air. “I hate to think what it’s like around here when it’s actually winter.”
Next to me, Bastien tucks his hands into the pockets of his own cloak. “Aurelia’s survived twenty-one of those winters. I’d imagine we could handle one.”
“Not happily,” I mutter.
Then a figure steps into view between the trees. Her heavy cloak’s hood is pulled low over her face and the folds completely shroud her dress, but I know my woman when I see her. My heart leaps with a burst of warmth that washes away my discomfort.
Scratch that last remark. I’ll be happy anywhere if Aurelia is beside me.
As our empress reaches us, she smiles from beneath the shade of her hood. The thin moonlight that filters between the branches gives her face an unearthly pallor.
Her hair is down. A fiercer jolt of heat hits me in recognition of the implications.
Marclinus was doting on her a lot this evening. He must have taken her to bed.
Even though I know she has her schemes for avoiding his full attentions, my teeth set on edge. I’ll be happier when he can’t set his cruel hands on her at all, when she never has to endure another caress she reviles.
Lorenzo moves to meet her fastest, stealing a kiss before I’ve recovered from my flare of anger. He lets his hand linger against her cheek while his gaze slides beyond her, toward the smaller palace we’ve left several minutes’ walk away.
“How did you leave without your guards realizing? I could have hidden you.”
Aurelia slips her fingers around his. “I know, but this once I could take care of it myself. Or rather, my parents took care of it ages ago. After they heard the marriage had gone forward, they renovated the empress’s apartment for when I’d be using it. There’s a passage to allow a hasty exit if safety requires it—nowhere as elaborate as the secret halls in Vivencia’s palace, but it got me outside easily enough.”
Bastien frowns. “Are you sure Marclinus won’t notice you’ve left?”
Her smile turns wry—and maybe a little sad. “He’s knocked out on my bed right now. I dosed him with the extra sedative I’ve used before. I could be gone all night without him realizing—not that I think going without sleep would be a wise decision.”
Then her smile falls away completely. “Why did you want to see me? Is there some new problem I need to know about?”
It kills me that she has to worry about that possibility even tonight.
I step in to wrap my arm around her waist and guide her forward. “We’re not heaping any more troubles on your shoulders. Did you think we’d let your birthday pass without a celebration of our own? But we can find a better spot for our private festivities. I have somewhere specific in mind.”
Aurelia lifts an eyebrow, but she lets me usher her along without complaint. My foster brothers follow, neither of them fully aware of where I’m leading us.
Pine needles rustle under our feet and the breeze warbles on and off through the trees, but the evergreen scent that fills my lungs is undeniably refreshing. I can see how Aurelia might have found walks through this wilderness soothing rather than unnerving.
I spot the particularly large pine I was watching for, the gnarled whorls standing out on its trunk, and veer to the left. Aurelia’s eyes widen slightly with a gleam of understanding.
I still get to watch a gleam of surprised delight cross her face when we step into the clearing I was aiming for.
A grove of slim, silvery-trunked trees surrounds the small span of grass. All the leaves have fallen from the branches, but seed pods dangle from the farthest twigs. The lumpy oval shapes have a translucent casing that catches the moonlight with an almost crystalline shine. It feels as if we’ve stepped into the midst of a vast, natural chandelier.
A soft laugh tumbles from Aurelia’s mouth. She turns to grin at me. “This is one of my favorite spots in the royal woods. How did you know?”
I grin right back at her. “I struck up a friendly conversation with your sister about the many beautiful sights Accasy has to offer. She happened to mention that you particularly love the coraya tree grove.”
“And it’s best at night.” Aurelia ventures right into the middle of the clearing. The reflected light glimmers around her like a vast halo.
I don’t think there could be any sight more beautiful than the woman standing before me right now.
“That isn’t everything,” Bastien says. “We didn’t realize it was a day to celebrate until Marclinus started giving orders this morning, but we weren’t going to let you go without gifts.”
Aurelia blinks. “You don’t need to give me anything—you’ve already offered me so much.”
“But we’ve had to be apart so often over the past few months.” Lorenzo reaches to the pouch at his hip to retrieve his present. “We want you to always have something close by to remind you that we’re with you, even if there’s distance between us.”
He holds out a small bundle of silk. I shift my weight impatiently as Aurelia unwraps it, but there’s plenty of time for her to get to mine.
She reveals a small box of lacquered wood with a silver knob on the side and thin slats cut in its top. When she twists the fixture, a bright if tinny melody filters through the wood from the mechanism inside.
Lorenzo watches her eagerly. “The shopkeeper told me it’s a popular Accasian folk song. You can have it with you for all the times I can’t conjure music for us to dance to.”
A teary glint comes into Aurelia’s eyes. “Thank you. It’s lovely.”
Bastien dips his hand beneath his cloak next. “My acquisition isn’t as pretty, but I hope it’ll be as much of a comfort.”
He hands her a book with a gray canvas cover printed with a sprig of leaves. As Aurelia flips through the pages, I catch glimpses of simple drawings in pen and ink and sometimes a splash of watercolor paint.
At her avid gasp, Bastien’s stance relaxes. “It’s supposed to cover all the useful medicinal plants across the entire continent—a visual guide to make them easy to recognize. I’d imagine you’re already familiar with everything that grows in Accasy, but this way if you ever need anything elsewhere that you haven’t worked with before, I’ll have given you a way to find it no matter where I am.”
“I could get a lot of use out of this guide, but I should probably hope I won’t.” Aurelia lets out a halting laugh and tugs Bastien into a hug. “Thank you.”
I unfold my own contribution. “And I’d like to know you’ll be defended even if you’re beyond my reach. You might not want to wear this all of the time as it’ll be noticeable under some dresses… but if you feel you’re in particular need of protection, it’ll be there.”
I lift up the thin undershirt, its delicate weave glinting in the moonlight. “There’s steel mixed with the silk. It won’t stop a blade shoved hard enough, but it’ll give you a second or two of resistance that might be all you need to get out of the way.”
Aurelia brushes her fingers over the material before aiming her shining gaze at me. “Given recent events, I might very well need it. Thank you. It really will be as if you’re all right there by my side.”
I can’t stop myself from moving even closer to her now, tracing my fingers along her jaw and guiding her mouth to mine. The heat of the kiss flows through my nerves, making my heart—and my dick—clamor for more.
More important considerations come first. I indulge in one more kiss before easing back. “That soldier Linus called on to bring down the rockslide—that would have been the perfect gift for at least one of the attacks that’ve been made on you. Do we know anything about that prick?”
Aurelia’s expression immediately turns pensive. “He’s new to palace duty—came on board from the regular army forces just for this trip. Marc didn’t seem to know much about him. It’s possible he’s one of those who blames me for Tarquin’s death or thinks it coming right after my wedding was a bad omen.”
Bastien’s mouth flattens, maybe with the memory of the other soldier who attacked her, the one he cut down with an arrow. “Or someone else put him up to it.”
Aurelia hugs our gifts to her chest. “That would be even harder to prove. We could simply keep a close eye on him.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Lorenzo gets there with his illusionary voice first. “I don’t like that idea. The more attempts he makes without being caught, the bolder he might become.”
“I agree.” I stroke my fingers over Aurelia’s hair. “We shouldn’t take the chance now that we’ve identified a likely culprit.”
She exhales roughly. “What do you think we can do about him? It’ll look strange if I tell Marc to dismiss him when I just asked about the man and didn’t raise any concerns. I don’t know how he’ll react if I make what’ll sound like a wild accusation. And Linus definitely won’t care.”
“We don’t want Linus knowing what we suspect, just in case,” Bastien says flatly. “But maybe there’s a way… if we could find some other reason to point a finger at him. Once he’s arrested, he might reveal something about his other crimes.”
My spirits brighten at the idea. “And even if he doesn’t, he’ll at least be out of the way.” I cock my head, considering. “What could justify him being arrested in Accasy, Shepherdess? Something he could have on him that goes against your laws?”
Aurelia pauses in thought. “If he was carrying a certain sort of substance—something that’s a known poison—that would work.”
I snap my fingers. “Then get me a packet of whatever it is, and I’ll drop it into his pocket with a waft of shadow.”
“That only gives us evidence, though. Someone has to have a reason to discover it.”
“You could accuse him of suspicious behavior to create a reason for a search,” Lorenzo suggests.
“I still think Marc would find that odd, and Linus might decide it’s too much of a coincidence. But…” A smile returns of Aurelia’s face. “I could ask one of my friends to raise a complaint and let my parents know so they’re prepared to treat it seriously. Then the accusation won’t be connected to any of the four of us directly.”
“Are you sure they’ll agree?” Bastien asks.
“When it’s for our benefit, absolutely.”
Aurelia sets our gifts at the base of one of the trees and winds up the music box. As its tinkling song fills the air, she reaches for me. “I only got the chance to dance with one of you at my birthday ball. Now I think we need to make up for that oversight.”
I’m more than happy to whirl her around our makeshift dance floor for the several minutes the box plays its tune, keeping my arms tight around her. She winds the contraption up again to step into Lorenzo’s embrace, and then again for another turn around the clearing with Bastien now that we’re away from prying eyes. But I can’t help noticing the deepening pink in her cheeks that’s definitely not a flush of pleasure.
A similar irritation is prickling over my face from the cold. When the music box peters out, I pull her to me. “As much as I’d like to stay here with you forever, I think we’d better get you back to your bedroom before you freeze.”
“I’m fine,” Aurelia insists, but the little shiver that passes through her body contradicts her claim.
Bastien’s face darkens. “Oh, no. We don’t want to end this night with you getting sick.” He eases in to offer her a tender kiss. “We’ll have more time together in the future, Star. I’m glad we got this one moment with you today.”
Aurelia grumbles but acquiesces. We meander through the trees toward the palace, maybe at a more leisurely pace than if we truly wanted to end the interlude.
When we reach the spot where we met up, Aurelia reaches for each of us for one last kiss. Bastien and then Lorenzo head off a minute apart from each other so anyone who notices one or the other walking by won’t assume we’ve been conspiring together.
As I wait for my turn, a twist of defiance runs through my gut.
I might want her warm, but I don’t want to leave her yet. Why the fuck should I have to?
“I’m coming with you,” I say abruptly.
Aurelia’s eyebrows leap up. “What?”
“Show me your escape route. At least one of us should know how to get to you quickly. I assume there aren’t any guards posted near the entry point, or you wouldn’t be able to go undetected even by yourself.”
When she still hesitates, I press a kiss to her temple. “You don’t need to worry about me. I can hide in the dark if I have to. You got your birthday presents—give me this.”
She lets out a soft huff, but the corner of her mouth quirks upward. “All right, Prince of Persuasion.”
We ease on through the woods. I extend my awareness into the shadows draped across the trees, but I don’t sense anyone patrolling this area.
Aurelia stops at a small stone building that looks like it could be a maintenance shed for the palace gardeners, just within the first line of trees. She motions for me to follow her.
The hut’s walls are hung with various tools. When Aurelia adjusts a couple of indents in the floor, a panel slides open, revealing a narrow staircase below. I follow her down into it, along an unlit passage that must take us beneath the gardens to the palace, and up a couple more flights of stairs.
Aurelia stops partway up the second and motions to the ceiling. In the dim glow of the small lantern she left here, I can make out the outline of another trap door, one I assume opens in her bedroom floor.
“You push here,” she whispers, indicating a notch next to the square outline.
I set my hand on her waist from where I’m standing a couple of steps below. A deeper urge is coming over me, spurred on by the loose fall of her hair across her shoulders.
Why shouldn’t I indulge that impulse too? Why shouldn’t I remind both of us who we really belong to?
It isn’t a hotheaded whim. I know who we are and what we stand for.
We’re going to change the course of history, upend the entire damned empire. We have so much power, and for once we don’t have to hide it.
I lift my chin toward the trap door. “Go ahead and push, then.”
Aurelia mock-scowls at me. “This is the part where you need to go back before you get caught.”
I let a sly grin cross my face. “How am I going to get caught? Didn’t you say Marc is passed out for the whole night? Is someone else going to come in?”
She hesitates. “Well, no. But if he did wake up?—”
“Has your sedative ever worked that poorly before?”
I feel the slight relaxing of her stance and know I’m gaining ground. “No.”
“Then I say we go up there and prove how much he doesn’t own you. Prove that nothing can stand between you and your desires.” I press a kiss to her ribs just below her breast. “I want to set you on fire with all the bliss you deserve to be feeling that he’s never going to give you, while he’s lying there without a clue. We’re the ones who are going to rule this empire. Let’s start taking it.”
For a second, I think she might refuse me after all. Then a matching spark lights in Aurelia’s eyes.
Without a word, she opens the trap door and tugs me after her.
We creep into the darkened room. In the thinnest of light that seeps past the curtains from the lanterns outside, I make out Marc’s sprawled form halfway under the rumpled bedcovers. Just the glimpse of his sleep-slack face sends a spike of fury through my veins.
How dare he think he deserves this woman?
The bedframe is sleigh-style, its footboard curving over at just the right height. With a wicked grin, I back Aurelia up against it.
Her breath hitches, and then she catches my mouth with hers. I dive in, cupping her face as I meld our lips together, twining our tongues together.
Marc doesn’t stir an inch. I could probably have her moaning her pleasure to the world, and the guards posted outside would assume he’s woken up for another round.
But I don’t really want them attributing my talents to the imperial prick. And while I want to thrill her, claim her, take her to places of pleasure he’d never bother to attempt, the longer I stretch out this interlude, the more it’ll feel less like a provocative diversion and more like treading too close to danger.
She should be able to enjoy every moment of it without fear, even if that means we indulge for fewer moments.
I chart every sensitive nook of her mouth and drink in her whimpers. At the same time, my hands trail down over her body from shoulders to belly. I caress the bulge that holds the child I consider mine as much as Bastien’s and then slide my palms up to cup her perfect breasts.
Aurelia sways with my attentions, and I can’t resist her unspoken call. I swivel my palms over the peaks of her breasts. As her nipples pebble through the fabric, I flick my thumbs over them, reveling in her response and her stifled whimpers. Then I delve one hand down to yank up her skirt.
It only takes a few tugs to free her from her drawers. I stroke her between her legs and have to swallow a groan at the feel of her wet heat, already so slick and ready for me.
Aurelia muffles a gasp against my shoulder and clutches my shirt. In one smooth movement, I heft her onto the curved top of the footboard.
Then I can’t resist drawing out her pleasure a little longer, as swiftly as I meant to bring her to the release I promised. I duck down and plant my mouth right on her pussy.
A faint cry seeps through Aurelia’s clamped lips. She quivers and tangles her fingers in my hair. I drink in her tangy sweetness and graze my teeth over her clit at just the right angle to summon another whimper.
My cock is straining against my trousers. As I lap my tongue over her folds, I yank at the ties.
Just as Aurelia’s fingernails scrape against my scalp with an urgency that inflames me, I straighten up and position myself against her.
Nothing feels as good as those folds closing around my cock, welcoming me into the deeper heat at her core. No, that’s not true. What feels even better is her little shudder of bliss as she takes me in, the desperate tug of her hand and the needy collision of our mouths.
She’s mine, and I’m hers, and I’d never have it any other way.
My awareness of Marc sleeping just inches away from us adds an even more potent giddiness to my desire. I buck into her, gripping her hip to hold her with me, but I can tell I won’t last long.
Thankfully, Aurelia must have needed this claiming just as much as I did. She holds me close with her arm tight around my neck, her breath broken into the most tantalizing of pants.
With one more frantic thrust, she quakes against me. The ripple of ecstasy that shakes her entire body. As her channel squeezes around my cock, a matching thrill surges through my veins.
I can’t hold back a second longer.
As I spill myself inside her, I keep driving into her through every drop. When my pace ebbs, Aurelia brings her hand to my cheek and kisses me with all the determination I know this woman is capable of.
“I love you,” she murmurs against my lips.
My heart swells like it did the first time she told me that, like I expect it will every time for the rest of our lives.
My voice goes rough. “I love you too. Always. And that pompous asshole will never be able to change that.”
I hug her against me, memorizing every curve of her body until I feel tension starting to creep through her limbs. As I ease back, I help her slide off the footboard. I grab the tie that fell from my hair at her eager tugging, and she tucks our gifts away in one of her trunks.
No evidence remains that we were ever with her tonight. Except in the one place it matters—in that gorgeous head of hers.
I move to the trap door before she has to order me to. Aurelia offers me a sad smile and one more kiss.
“Not much longer,” I swear, and descend back into the darkness hoping I can keep that promise.