Essence of the Throne (Shadows of the Crown #2)

23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ariella

W arm hands grip my thighs as Caspian lifts me and stumbles over to the bed. Something digs into my backside, and I break our kiss to find the footboard just behind me. The prince smirks, adjusting his hold on me before I’m flipped around, my face shoved into the bedding. I protest, attempting to push up, but he tightens his grip in my hair until I’m grinding my teeth. I freeze when fingers brush up the back of my thigh and over my hips.

I’m entirely exposed, having donned nothing but a shirt—one that only reaches to my low back in this position.

Half my body is shaking with the need to fight back and force his submission, while the other half is curious about what he’s planning.

“Something wrong, angel?” he taunts, his voice low. A knee-crumbling feeling of euphoria washes through my throat, down to my lower abdomen, and I swear I’m going to punish my traitorous body for loving this side of him .

I adjust my head to the left, sucking in lungfuls of air before speaking. “What exactly did you do to the prince? I wouldn’t have expected such officious tendencies from you.” A thumb presses into the base of my spine before dragging up, lifting my shirt along the way. It takes everything not to squirm.

Caspian leans over as his palm drags over the side of my breast, his lips next to my ear. “I suppose you won’t make that mistake again,” he whispers, and my pulse flutters in too many places. Standing once more, he releases my hair to grab both hips, and I no longer wish to move, despite my instincts. “I keep wondering when the day will come that I find you in a position in which you are not the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes upon.” I gasp as his foot kicks my legs open, baring me further. “Today is not that day.”

There’s a thump, and before I can move to check that he’s okay, his tongue runs up my center, a long, torturous moan escaping me. His voice hums against my swollen skin. The footboard digs into my hips, though not even the Angel could pry me from this spot as the prince levels every thought in my head. He devours me so thoroughly, and it’s divine.

But over too soon as he pulls away, nipping at the surrounding skin before standing. “I have a surprise for you, if you’re open to it.” I prop up on my elbows when I hear shuffling, finding Caspian digging through one of the packs we traveled with. His lip quirks as he finds what he’s looking for, pulling out the odd device that the persistent man gave me in Meridian .

I blink. “That’s the surprise?” A laugh falls from my lips, dying when the prince gives me a pointed look. “Your mouth is a far better surprise than whatever the fuck that is.”

“As delighted as I am to hear how much you love my mouth, angel, you will not be confessing such things in a moment.”

“And why is that?”

He smiles as his fingers twist over the device, the buzzing starting instantly. “The merchant may not have explained what this is, but I have a theory.” My forehead creases—what the fuck? Has the man drank an entire bottle of cider?

I’ve no chance to respond as I’m shoved back down to the mattress with a gasp as Caspian drags the device over my backside. “What do you think you’re doing?” I’m genuinely confused, but threats die in my throat a moment later when the device is pressed up against my center. An embarrassing noise leaves me as my body jolts away from the onslaught of sensation.

“You were saying?” I do not have the capacity to respond as I'm immediately thrown over the edge to a place only the Angel should know about. My vision wavers, and I struggle to be aware of the prince talking me through whatever the fuck is happening to my body. “That's it, darling. Sounds like I was right.”

An eternity later, I shove my face into the bedding, using the lack of oxygen to slow my breathing. Only when I feel stable enough to speak do I address Caspian. “Are you trying to kill me? What in the Aether was that?” He hums before grabbing my legs to flip me over. I let him. I doubt I could even dare to stand at the moment .

“I am not privy to the name of the device, but I did hear a couple of women speak of it in Meridian.” His pleased smirk falters at the incredulous expression on my face. “Did you not like it?”

I did—I'd have to be dead not to. “How could you trust random words from strangers? That thing could have burned me, or poisoned me, perhaps.” His response is a breathy laugh, and my fingers curl into the bed to keep from choking him.

"Nothing you haven't experienced before, then." The prince's eyes look behind me before his palm lifts, two fingers pointed out, effectively weaving his kinetic strand to drag me to the center of the bed. He joins me a moment later, settling himself between my legs—ones I do not seem to command any longer. "I think you can give me another."

Caspian uses a hand to drag the vibrating device around the most sensitive parts of my skin while lifting the other to push my shirt back up, exposing my stomach and breasts. The motion introduces cool air to my already hardened nipples, burning them a bit. I bite my lip as he rolls the device over my clit before returning to the crease of my legs. I feel his smile just below my navel as he flattens his tongue and trails it up to the spot between my breasts. My fingers reach into his smooth hair and massage the back of his neck in time with each kiss he places toward my mouth.

I could lose myself in him for days and still want more. There is nothing in this realm that could compare to the feel of him against me .

His teeth grab onto my bottom lip before his breath consumes mine, our tongues working together languidly. The device shifts and my jaw drops as he slides two fingers inside me while circling the vibrations around my clit. This is the most exquisite torture. I can't discern whether I never want it to stop or never want to feel it again. It's too much and not enough at the same time.

Embarrassing noises fall from my throat as my prince's hand undulates, and I know I'm moments from a second orgasm. That shouldn't be physically possible, considering I just had one. But I'm proven mistaken when his teeth rake down my neck and I shatter. I curse my very existence as my thighs attempt to crush the man between them. By the time I relax beneath him, my body feels as though I've trained for weeks nonstop. But I can't. There's a flutter in my chest, a need to wrap my arms around him and hold us together until we die.

He chuckles against my mouth when he attempts to use the device again, and I reach my hand between us, snatch the brilliant thing, and fling it across the room. The fingers he's yet to remove pull from me with a purposeful slowness. I know before he does it that he'll demand I clean him off again.

Before he can speak, I grab his wrist and hold his gaze while I suck every drop of my arousal from his skin. His eyes watch every movement of my lips and tongue, darkening when I pull his fingers from my mouth with a pop. "I believe that was mine, angel." His voice is breathy and low, a muscle rippling low in my abdomen from the sound .

I hum and shove him back, rolling us until I'm straddling his legs. "As if I care—I'll take anything I want," I drawl, reaching for the buttons at the top of his pants in point. My hands are quick to flick them open before I lean forward, sliding one under the fabric to grab his cock.

Caspian reaches back for a pillow to rest his head on, both hands clasped behind his head as he smirks at me. "You may proceed," he states when I pause. "I just needed a better angle to watch the Silver Wraith willingly get on her knees for me." I press my lips together, struggling to hold back a laugh.

I may be smiling, but I am rather nervous. I've never used my mouth on a man before—what if I'm horrible at it? That does make me laugh. As if I'm horrible at anything.

Pulling him free, I run my thumb over his tip, fascinated that this thing somehow fits inside me. How much will I be able to take before I choke? I'm eager to find out. Bending down, I run my tongue from his base up until it swirls over the salty tip. I'm halted as Caspian tugs my hair up until my eyes meet his. His forehead creases and he studies me for a moment before speaking.

"Have you done this before?" Was it that fucking obvious? His lip quirks as a knowing look falls over his face. "I cannot imagine you freely sucking on another man's dick. I'm not sure I should allow your mouth near mine, honestly—what are the chances you'll bite it off?" He raises himself on an elbow, not releasing my hair, his eyes narrowing. "Answer me. Has another man's cock been in this mouth before?"

I should lie. Not give him this power over me .

No…he can take everything he wants from me. "No," I whisper, the word but a breath. His head drops back as he curses before looking to me once more.

"Words fail to express how fucking pleased I am that my cock will be the only one to ever slip past these perfect lips. And don't be nervous, angel…I'll talk you through it."

"Your confidence is truly unmatched."

He grins before nodding his chin toward me. "Open." I do. I allow him to push my head down, not once breaking our stare. That is until he presses against the back of my throat and I almost gag. He doesn't allow me to move, though. "You're okay—breathe through your nose and swallow." He sounds like a damn king right now, and I feel arousal dripping down me once again. But I do as he says, my eyes widening when the movements open me further; something Caspian notices as he shoves me down even more. I'm quite certain that his next obstacle will be physically impossible to pass, but I force myself to hold still, digging my fingers into his hip as a distraction.

"You are remarkable," he mutters as I get dizzier by the second from the inability to breathe. Finally, he releases me and I pull back a little, sucking in a lungful of sweet air. I melt internally as he pushes hair from my face with a gentleness that doesn't match his next words. "Now show me what you've learned." And fuck do I want to do just that.

With renewed desperation building inside me, I mimic the movement he'd experience while fucking me, bobbing my head up and down as I swirl my tongue over his velvety length. One of my hands shifts to the base of his cock, covering the part I cannot fit in my mouth. I revel under every moan and flex of his abdomen, not in the least bit worried about my reputation.

Me? Bending over to pleasure the Prince of Eldoria? I would have laughed at such a thought just months ago, knowing I'd never subject myself to be below anyone. Physically or metaphorically.

But now? I realize something—the same thing Caspian was wise enough to know the moment we met: we are equals.

Everything in my head screams that such a thing couldn't be true, but those are merely conditioned thoughts. Because the truth is me and the prince are one and the same, and I will happily lower myself at his feet if that's what he wishes. And not out of some perceived obligation. No, I want to. I want to be for him what he is for me and more.

So I hollow my cheeks and suck the very essence from his body. One of his hands finds my hair again as I move, and begins muttering out praise each time I do something he enjoys. Which apparently is everything.

"Fuck, Ari, just like that," Caspian groans, his cock twitching along my tongue. The rate of his breathing tells me he's close, so I pull in a deep breath before swallowing around his length, pleased when he curses as his cum fills my mouth. I drink in every bit of the warm liquid, questioning whether I enjoy the thickness of it, but continue to swallow it, anyway.

Once he goes lax under me, I pull him from my mouth and sit up. It's painful as I attempt to close my mouth and rub my jaw to aid the movement. Not a heartbeat later does my prince's hands grab my arms and tug so that my body lies flat over his. His presence is so comforting, I instantly sink into him, resting my ear over his heart. It pounds just as hard as mine.

"If I find out you lied to me about doing that before, there will be consequences." I burst out laughing, my head shaking with the bouncing of his chest as he joins me. "I'm being serious. That was too good to be your first time. I mean, I know you're basically an expert at everything, but I'm still not convinced."

"Basically? What am I not perfect at?" I lift my head to rest it against my hands and look into his luminescent eyes.

His lips purse for a brief second. "You want the truth?" I nod. What does he think he could say that I wouldn't want to hear? "You're shit at acknowledging your feelings. Not just for me, but everything." I look away, doing exactly what he just accused me of.

The thing is, I know I do not process my emotions well. But who would I be if I did? I'd be a mess. It shouldn't be possible for one person to feel so many things, and I'm certain that I'd kill myself if I allowed more than one emotion in at a time. Maybe it's possible, though. It was only a short time ago that I refused to concede to any thoughts that weren't of the king's head on a stake—and that's changed because of the man beneath me.

He's affected me far more than I thought. And perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

Later, I carefully extract myself from his sleeping form, cursing my weakness. I shouldn’t have given in to him sleeping next to me. As I dress in the quiet dark, movement catches my eye. I spin, squealing when Caspian is leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

“Going somewhere?” His voice is deceptively casual while my heart has lost all function.

I didn’t hear him move. He’s learning too well, having come a long way since the day I caught him in the training room—perhaps I should cease helping him with that if this is how he’s going to utilize his new skills.

I sigh, continuing to dress. There’s no point in hiding what he already knows. “Wherever I please. Go back to sleep.”

“Alone? I think the fuck not.”

“I’ve been in the tunnels before, and I know the layout.” Barely. “I pulled the blueprints out weeks ago,” I mutter, though it’s a complete lie. My hands adjust the blades along my person as I refuse to look at him. “I have several areas marked that could—”

“No.”

I whirl on him, a blade appearing at the base of his throat. “This isn’t up for debate. ”

He doesn’t even flinch—cocky bastard. Why do I continue to threaten him with it… “Go ahead. We go in the tunnels together.” He leans forward, forcing my weapon to nick his skin. “ That isn’t up for debate.”

We glare at each other for several tense moments before I lower my blade while cursing his ancestors. “You’re an insufferably stubborn prince.”

“And you’re an impossibly reckless assassin. Now, shall we?” He’s lucky I do not wish to tie him to my bed—though that may not be the worst idea…

Getting to the tunnels proves simpler than expected. The royal guards are sparse, which only heightens my suspicion. We traverse staff passages until reaching the south entrance Gavriel mentioned a while ago.

I grab Caspian’s arm before he can move forward, tight enough to bruise him, but that is a fleeting thought as the intensity of what we’re about to do slams into me. “Listen to me. Stay silent, hold on to me at all times, and do exactly as I say without question. Understood?”

He nods without protest, which is somehow more unsettling than if he’d argued.

The tunnel entrance creaks softly as we descend into darkness. Though this is a different area than I was taken to for the first trial, memories of my last visit here flood back—the constant feeling of being watched, breath on my neck. I hate to admit it, but these tunnels fucking scared me and I did not want to come back here .

I weave my fingers through his—as if I’d ever risk losing him here—and quiet my breath.

We walk slow, hesitant, for a moment, and are maybe fifty feet in when I hear it—a raspy inhale that isn’t ours. I shove Caspian against the wall, covering his mouth with my hand and his body with mine. Something moves in the darkness ahead, making wet, gurgling sounds that raise the hair on my arms. What the fuck? I press against Caspian until our foreheads touch as these tunnels are far too thin for my liking, and attempt to determine the creature’s size from its movements. I’m unsure if using my essence will do more harm than good at the moment, so I rely on my conditioned senses.

Just over six feet tall based on the direction of sound, nearly reaching me at ear-level. It’s heavy but unsteady gait suggests significant mass but poor coordination, as if it’s just limping idly through the darkness. I do not believe it can detect us in any manner, as its stride and breathing hasn’t changed. If I’m to guess, this is the same kind of being that harmed Caspian in the library, so it may have a weapon, but I do not believe it's any more dangerous than any baser instincts it still possesses.

My fingers hover over my thigh as I wait until the thing is nearly upon us before striking.

My blade finds its mark as I simultaneously tug on my luminal strand, filling the space with pale light. Caspian’s sharp intake of breath reminds me he didn’t know about that particular ability.

But any questions die on his lips as we see what I’ve struck down. I recognize him immediately—Obren, one of the quieter competitors from the trials. But he’s wrong. His skin is mottled with bleached veins that spider across his flesh like lightning, all stemming from the center of his chest. Like Jaxon’s essence device , I realize. The outer edges of his limbs appear burned, blackened and crumbling.

I reach for my psionic strand, sending out a pulse to gauge the now-dead creature. I gasp, the severe feedback nearly knocking me over.

“What is it?” Caspian whispers.

“Essence. So much essence.” I steady myself against the wall. “This is definitely one of your father’s experiments.”

Caspian scoffs, regarding the light in my hand once more but not commenting.

We press on while I continue to weave my luminal strand, checking each room we come across. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing .

We turn corners that lead deeper into the tunnels, the walls closing in the further we go. There are no more creatures, no sounds, just…nothing. What am I missing?

The answer comes by accident as the lightest of drafts catches my attention—impossible this deep underground unless there’s another passage. I lead us to a section that appears to be some kind of addition to the labyrinth. We step into the hallway and hairs rise along my arms and neck. This is the place we’re looking for; I can feel the wrongness of it.

There is one door at the end, made of heavy steel and an oversized latch. I hesitate for a moment, but I’m positive I can protect Caspian if there’s something beyond this point that attempts to kill us. Yanking the door open, I pause at the lab that greets us. My eyes scan the space, and fuck if it isn’t something straight from a nightmare.

A viewing room overlooks what can only be described as a torture chamber. Notebooks filled with diminutive writing and meticulous observations are sprawled across a large desk. I pick one up, my stomach clenching at the detail.

The king describes how children possess far less essence than adults, and it is more malleable, making it easier to transfer and manipulate. After conducting experiments on the strongest of adults—the assassins from the competition—Thalion concluded that a body can only ingest a small amount of foreign essence at a time. Notes on the side mention how they cannot control how much essence leaves a person's body, so taking it from adults would end up being fatal to him.

But children…they have but trace amounts in their bodies, just enough to be safely consumed by the king in increments.

Their natural innocence makes them perfect vessels for harvest.

But where are they? The lab is empty save for one chair below. My stomach turns as I approach the window. The body strapped there is headless, but I’d recognize those clothes anywhere. They were next to me the day the competition began.

“Raine,” I whisper. The third student from my guild. His rotting flesh rests motionless in the chair, and my lip curls at the gaping hole in his chest .

“We need to go,” Caspian says, his tone urgent as he grabs my hand and reaches for the notebook. “We have enough—”

“Indeed, you do.”

We both whirl to find the king flanked by Varrick and at least a dozen guards blocking the hall behind them. How were their movements devoid of any perceptible noise?

Blades are in my hands before my next heartbeat.

“Now, now,” Thalion tuts, opening his arms as if he isn’t the least bit afraid. “Let’s be civil.”

“Civil?” I spit as my body subtly shifts in front of the prince. “Like you were with those children? Or every single fucking contestant in your sham of a competition?”

His eyes flash with a dangerous threat. “I didn’t experiment on your precious friend, now did I, wraith?” He chuckles to himself. “Well, that’s not entirely true, but I did give his body back, did I not? Everything I do is for the good of this kingdom.”

“You’re insane,” Caspian says, his voice shaking with the same rage simmering just under my skin.

“I’m pragmatic, son . Something you’ll understand when you’re king.” His head shakes as he watches Caspian with ample disappointment. “It’s a shame your loyalty to the throne—this family—is not a choice you will make on your own.” The king sighs like he’s been given an impossible task before nodding in our direction. “Take them.”

Sentries file in, far more than a dozen, and I manage to slice the throats of three before I feel several pricks around my body. Immediately, my limbs grow heavy as my essence retreats, unreachable. The last thing I see is Caspian fighting to reach me before darkness claims my mind.