King of Fire and Flames (Courts of the Star Fae Realms #2)

Chapter 34

Arrow

“I thought you liked flying,” I said against her ear, hoping she could hear me over the wind, since the Aldara bond was too weak to speak through. “Remember at Auryinnia Mountain, how you begged me to take you on a flight instead of returning to our tent?”

“I do, but you hadn’t nearly died that night, Arrow.”

“Yes, but you almost did. Later. After you left me and escaped on Enyd the blind eponar.”

She laughed as if I’d said something funny, and I squeezed her tighter, so fucking thankful that after everything we’d been through, she was finally safe. And mine.

“Have faith,” I told her, chuckling. “If we fall to the ground, I promise I’ll shield your body with mine.”

Her fingers clawed my neck.

“I’m only teasing,” I said. “I’m fine. You’re fine, Leaf, and we’ll be home before you know it.”

There was zero chance that I’d drop her. Ever.

I would destroy anything, including myself, if it would keep her safe. Keep her with me. Every auron kanara in my city. Palaces. Kingdoms. Galaxies.

“The view is so beautiful up here,” she whispered, not staring at the glimmering stars or the lanterns of Farron Gilt Market far below, but at me. Her master, her slave, her dearest friend and forever ally.

On the day I’d bought her, when we arrived at the river, instead of showing fear, she taunted and defied me. But had I known what she would come to mean to me, I would’ve begged then and there for mercy.

But back then, I was foolish, my heart rotting in a cage of bitterness. My fucked-up mind focused only on revenge. Nothing else.

Since then, Leaf had taught me many priceless lessons. And I couldn’t wait to show her everything I’d learned.

With my gaze fixed on her precious face, navigating the skies by body memory alone, I could only agree with her statement. “Yes, the view is unmatched in all the realms.”

Moonlight painted the Aureen mountains ashen gray, then a little farther along, it turned the palms beside Auron K’s river a shiny, iridescent silver. I fucking loved the sight of Light Realm towns tranquil in the deepest of night, knowing their inhabitants slept peacefully in their beds. Happy and content.

A short distance away, before I even saw them, I felt the corroding spikes of Bonerust’s gates spearing to the left. To distract Leaf, I quickly pointed to the desert in the opposite direction. I didn’t want her to be reminded of the short, but distressing time she’d spent in that shithole of a town.

She snuggled closer, her cheek warm against my chest, and I was glad I wasn’t wearing my breastplate. I only hoped that when the fae of Taln found my plate of gold feathers, they would take good care of it. And if they didn’t, heads would roll. Just kidding—the new King of Storms and Feathers was a pussycat, not a villain.

Below, the desert’s dark hills undulated like rippling velvet cloth thrown across a gigantic table, then before long, Coridon’s golden domes and spires impaled the indigo sky, amber and bronze glinting amongst the shadows.

“Nearly home,” I said, flying higher before swooping down fast.

Wind tore our hair, and Leaf screamed at the shock of the sudden descent. I laughed, decelerating and gliding around the golden pillars of the pavilion that was once her gilded prison. Her heart pounded against me when the breeze parted the sheer curtains and we glimpsed inside my apartment, gently lit by floating balls of lighting.

Thunder growled in the distance, rumbling closer, seeking me out, and I had to focus hard to push the power away as it shuddered along my spine.

“Are you causing that?” she asked.

“Not on purpose.”

As far as I could tell, in my absence, no harm had befallen Coridon, my people, or my quarters. I could hardly wait to hold my Aldara inside my bedchamber. Wrap her in my wings. Feed her grapes. Kiss every inch of her creamy skin. Marking her. Blanketing her in everlasting love.

Each glide past my apartment showed soaring columns supporting three levels of black-and-white marble. Palm leaves glittered in the river room, and the double staircases still swept up to the sitting room connected to the pavilion, where the auron kanara stirred, sensing my arrival. And finally, my crescent-shaped bedchamber, where I planned to give Leaf a very pleasurable welcome back to Coridon.

We were home at last.

All was well. Exactly as I’d left it.

I just hoped Leaf felt that it was her home, too.

Adjusting her body in my arms, I squeezed her a little tighter. “When you lived in the pavilion,” I said. “I loved watching you sleep. It was an addiction. I couldn’t stop. Every night flying around, fooling myself my obsession grew because of the hate I bore humans and the gold chasers that killed my family. Yet looking back now, I know I loved you from the moment I saw that first flash of fire in your eyes through the bars of that fucking market cage.”

“I bet you loved seeing me chained to the pavilion, too,” she teased. “Helpless. At your mercy.”

“No. All I thought about was setting you free. But you wouldn’t stop defying me. Keeping you there was the only way I could ensure your safety until you realized what was at stake.”

“Our hearts?” she asked.

“Yes. But also your life, which is worth more to me than the moon, the stars, the mountains, every speck of Mydorian dust, and the desert sky. That’s what I was protecting. You are everything to me. Always will be.”

“You’re such a charmer,” she said, her voice soft and trembling.

I grinned. “Let’s see if you still think so after this.”

“After what?”

Without explaining, I plunged forward, hurtling downward, but instead of landing inside my chambers as she probably expected, I set her down near a narrow doorway. An entrance to the palace she likely remembered all-too well.

The scent of night jasmine and cinnamon floated on the warm breeze as we retraced the steps we had walked a few months ago—a pissed-off king and an angry, frightened slave. I hadn’t stopped thinking about her since the moment she stabbed Esen, and I chased her through Farron Gilt Market.

But now I walked beside her, my arm slung over her shoulders, hers around my waist, and my wing warming her back. Together. Our steps in sync.

The moment we entered the palace, the auron kanaras fluttered and chirped in greeting, and I felt a shiver roll over Leaf’s shoulders. I recalled how deeply she had sympathized with their plight and had longed to set every bird in the city free.

She knew what it was like to live imprisoned behind bars of gold, at the mercy of the Light Realm fae, at my mercy, and as much as I wanted to gift her with the release of the birds, I couldn’t. They needed us and would die without our lightning magic.

But soon, I hoped she would understand just how much her compassion had taught me.

“Why are we here, Arrow?” she asked as we passed the golden cages lining the corridor and stopped in front of the elevator’s barred doors. “Shouldn’t we be attacking each other in your bedchamber right now?” She grimaced. “After a hot bath, of course.”

Illuminated by flames from the wall sconces, the sweet, dusty red of desert roses flushed her cheeks.

I smiled and nodded at a passing servant whose eyes widened at the sight of me. “I thought the most romantic thing I could do, Leaf, before any bathing or attacking, would be to demonstrate the extent of your influence.”

“Oh. Sounds intriguing. Please lead the way.”

The same two soldiers who had guarded the elevator the night she first arrived in the city, bowed, then opened the scrolled-metal doors. They clanged shut behind us, and we plunged down two levels.

Underfloor.

Memories of the putrid stench of suffering battered my senses, and beside me, Leaf shuddered and swayed, taking a step backward as I exited the elevator.

“It’s all right,” I said. “Trust me.”

Taking my hand, she stepped out, not into the dark tunnel from her nightmares, but into a space now painted gold and lined with light, honey-colored wood. No slaves dwelt here anymore. The cells had been ripped out, and in their place, learning spaces, partitioned rooms with desks, comfortable furniture, and shelves stuffed with books and scrolls invited her to investigate.

Her fingers relaxed around mine as she inspected every gleaming nook and cranny, finding new wonders with each step. Running her palm over metalworking tools, she turned to me and said, “You’re teaching your people the skills needed to improve their lives.”

“Yes. Well, not me personally, but our tradespeople are. Remember the mineral pool through there?” I pointed toward the door nestled in the far wall, indicating the entrance to the torch-lit cavern where I’d been told guards had thrown Leaf and her human friend Grendal into the water before they began work as kitchen servants.

She nodded.

“That’s a place of healing now. The minerals in the spring water are very powerful, did you know that?”

Shaking her head, she laughed gently. “Your face… Arrow, you look so proud.”

“I am proud. Extremely so. After thousands of years, the slaves of Coridon are no more. Our servants, even those who were once gold chasers, live in a newly built area of town. All workers are paid a fair wage. We don’t create addicts with our serum bracelets anymore, we help them recover. But I need to know… are you proud of me, my Leaf?”

Illuminated by lightning globes, she spun on her heel, taking in Underfloor’s new warmth and beauty, then gripped my forearms and held my expectant gaze. “Are you saying that you reformed Coridon, even reformed yourself for me ?” she asked.

“No. I changed because of you. Because you showed me by word and deed that rulers must reflect upon their actions and even more so on their inaction . Your blunt criticisms made me realize I wasn’t exempt from bearing the responsibility of the systems my father and his father before him had put in place. Not correcting them was as bad as if I had created them myself.”

“Oh,” she said, a hand pressing over her heart. Seemingly lost for words, she smiled, her warm expression of unfiltered love one I’d only dreamed of seeing on her face again.

If I could only make her happy every single day of her life, then I’d have a legacy to be proud of.

“While you were alone in Mydorian, I took a hard look at myself and my kingdom and realized what my reign was built on. Terror. And I felt only deepest disdain for myself. I hope one day to deserve you, Leaf, and I want nothing to stand in your way of loving me. If you cannot see me as a partner of value, then I am done for. Kill me now. I have no wish to live if you cannot even like me.”

“Rather drastic,” she said, pulling me close and kissing me. “You’ve been extremely busy. How was this achieved in no more than a month?”

I grinned and wriggled my fingers, lightning flickering between them. “Light Realm fae are very strong and clever.”

“ And have storm magic. Well, you’ve certainly put it to good use. Impressive Underfloor transformation and commendable personal growth aside, I’d really like to hear your plans for me when we reach your apartment.”

With my finger, I caressed the diagonal line of tiny buttons along her collarbone. “First, I’ll undo these, and perhaps a few other things, too. Not long after, I plan to make you scream my name about a hundred times. Possibly more.”

“Sounds wonderful. Shall we get on with it, then?” She held out her arm, and I linked mine through it, tilting my head toward a new exit near the springs.

Walking quickly, I guided her down a corridor lined with tropical plants to a glass door that led into an outdoor courtyard. “Hold on tight.” I grabbed her and shot into the air. “Don’t scream,” I said at the same time she screeched in my ear and almost permanently destroyed my hearing.

“Too late,” she said. “Sorry.”

Her breathy laugh aroused my desire, hot flames licking over me.

We spiraled through the air, our bodies pressed together, arms wrapped tightly around each other, and our lips tender as we kissed. Time slowed to a standstill, the night sounds of hunting hawks, the rushing wind, fading into a dream. Nothing else existed but my Aldara and the erratic beat of her heart. The silk-soft caress of her lips.

Twirling slowly downward, we landed in the pavilion, and I tried to imagine how it felt for her to be here again. The warm tiles. The violent mosaic above. The caress of the auron rose-scented breeze. The shackle anchors in the floor. Coridon’s glittering lights.

Memories seemed to rush over her, her skin flushing hot, cold, then hot again as she pulled out of my arms and paced around the pavilion’s edge. No doubt a track she had walked many times over while fear, rage, humiliation, possibly even desire had shuddered through her.

Back when she was my captive. My lost girl. My fiercest adversary.

“Leaf, stop,” I said, agony twisting my features. I couldn’t bear to see her suffering. I curled my fingers and beckoned her closer. “Please. Come here.”

She unclenched her fists and did as I asked, stopping an arm’s length away. I closed the distance between us with one step and found myself looming over her.

“You know, Arrow, your tallness is rather annoying,” she said with a smile.

“That’s funny.” A smirk tugged the corner of my mouth. “I was just thinking the same thing. It can be challenging to reach you all the way down there. And it’s strange, but I don’t find anything about you annoying, my Aldara.”

“Liar.” She laughed.

As I gathered her in my arms, lightning flashed over the mountains, and the room’s loose kanara feathers rose in the air, rushing toward us and swirling around our bodies, like iridescent black snow.

The heady drug of anticipation thrummed though my veins as I stroked her cheek, my fingernail gently scraping a trail of dried blood before I lifted her chin to my kiss with a finger.

Our eyes locked as we inched closer. My palms framed her face, and I took a long breath. “I love you,” I said. “More than I ever thought I could love anything or anyone. You’ve surprised me at every turn.”

My lips brushed hers. “Fascinated me.”

A stroke of my tongue against the wet silk of hers. “Challenged me.”

A nip of my teeth. “I am a better fae, king, lover, and friend because you taught me how to break free from my past.”

I pressed my fingers into the base of her skull. “Thank you, my Aldara.” Another whisper-soft kiss. “Thank you.”

Shifting her head to the perfect angle, I kissed her as if it were our last time together. As if I would never again be allowed to look at her, touch her. I wound my fingers through her hair, tipping her head back to deepen the kiss.

I could have stayed like that forever, content, in bliss, but my hand, apparently, had other ideas and slowly traced the curve of her body, settling on her hip, desperate to delve lower.

I sighed, dropping soft kisses on her eyelids before forcing myself to step backward. “You must be so tired,” I said. “Also, you’re—”

“Soaked in the blood of our enemies?” She grinned. “So, yeah. I’d really love a bath.”

“You can have anything you desire. Simply name it.”

Raising one dark eyebrow, she bit the edge of her smile and gave my body a slow perusal, her emerald eyes lingering on the hard outline pressing against my leathers.

I laughed. “And you can have that, too. As many times as you wish tonight. Only speak the words and I’ll be your slave. Do with me what you will. Forever, if you like.”

“Mm, I do like the sound of that.”

I pressed my forehead to hers and sighed. “Quickly, then. Let’s go. I can’t wait much longer.”