Chapter 54 Anastasius
Something firm but warm surrounded me. Safe. There was a familiar scent of woods and citrus. I nuzzled into it, finding comfort. Somebody’s arms. I sighed. Not just anyone’s arms. Claeg. My eyes opened to look at my Chosen. His brow was furrowed even in his sleep. I thought I would die. Maybe I had, because this couldn't be real. Claeg was holding me in a bed that smelled like him. I inhaled deeply again and groaned. He was my ambrosia. I wanted to stay like this forever, but eventually he stirred.
His eyes flickered open, revealing that beautiful hue of violet that entranced me. He shifted, looking down at me. His eyes widened upon seeing me awake. “How are you feeling?” he drowsed, yawning. I thought he would pull away, but he didn't, instead staring at me worriedly. Right. Father’s death. The wounds. The pain. It all rushed back to me. The witch—Hen.
Hen. I needed to speak to her. Needed to thank her. And make sure she was okay, although I didn’t doubt she could handle herself. After a few moon turns of us growing close, I trusted her. I had nearly gone to the land she called Eikonia and killed her brother myself for what he’d done. Some nights I still debated whether staying was the right decision. But if she had found peace here among the Circulus? That was the best outcome for my friend.
“Anastasius?” Claeg prompted.
For the first time since waking, I assessed my body, but there was no pain. Not even a hint of the anguish from before. Like it had been a dream. Maybe it was and the numbness had returned. I smiled. “I'm fine. Sleep,” I encouraged him, but he shook his head gently.
“Are you rested?” he asked, stroking my skin as if he couldn't believe I was real. I wasn't sure this was either. I nodded. “Then my Janardan awaits with breakfast,” he sighed, reluctantly pulling away from me. My heart skipped a beat at his words, reality crashing upon me. I was in the Circulus clan. I wasn't naive. There would be a cost, but I didn’t want to think about that now. I gnawed on my lip, feeling the familiar jagged edge and… a sharp flash of pain. My eyes flicked down my body. I pulled a blanket off of myself, gasping at what I saw. Where there was once a vicious wound, there was only a slight scar—hardly a blemish amongst the canvas of my scarred skin. I sucked in a sharp breath.
“She healed you of the numbness,” Claeg explained. I blinked, but the vision didn't change. I was healed. I pinched myself, and pain flared up my arm. I could feel! A grin erupted, joy I couldn't contain. Claeg’s eyes narrowed. “You're not upset?” he asked, and I couldn't help the laugh that tumbled out of me. I shook my head. How could I be upset at this gift? My hands shook with excitement, bringing them up to cup his face. I shifted in bed and pulled him in close to me so that our foreheads touched.
“You have given me the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. My freedom. I'm no longer a slave to that absence. I can feel.” Tears built behind my eyes. I knew the risks he had taken by bringing me here, the risks that still hovered over us like a heavy cloud. Did Hen have any sort of power here? Or was she just as much a prisoner as she was within the De Vita and Eikonia? From the slight glimpse I recalled—her demanding tone, the weapons sheathed at her side, I doubted that. But worry still clawed at me. I needed to speak with her, confirm that she was okay. “Thank you, Claeg.” I murmured his given name softly, trying it out on my tongue. Satisfaction hummed through me.
Claeg grinned at me and kissed my forehead. I beamed at the contact, leaning into him. My hands threaded into his hair, slowly guiding his lips down until they brushed lightly against mine. I hesitated there, scared that if I pushed him he would pull away again. When he didn't, I pressed myself into him. Softly at first, then with more fervor as our mouths danced.
He tasted like honey and oranges. Delicious. I moaned against him, wanting more. I wanted everything. I pressed my tongue against his lips, and he opened for me, allowing me to explore his mouth deeper. My heart raced. Where he touched me, I felt alive. A shudder rippled through me.
When Claeg pulled away, we were both gasping, and I felt the burn in my lungs. It was beautiful. “I need to feel you,” I begged unashamedly. After a lifetime without pain, I was hungry for it. Hungry to experience life.
The lump in Claeg’s throat bobbed, his eyes flicking to the door, but he gave a short nod. “Are you sure you feel okay?” he asked gruffly. I eagerly nodded, and then his lips were back on mine. He kissed me passionately, stealing my breath. I moaned into his mouth as his hands explored my body.
His gaze fell on my nakedness and my aching cock. Claeg’s chest was bare, but he wore trousers slung low on his hips, revealing that deep V. Beneath the thin material was the outline of his cock. I licked my lips. I wanted to feel him pounding into me, pulsing hot cum into my ass or down my throat. My body shuddered with need, and Claeg’s eyes lit up when I pulled down his trousers, releasing him. I tossed aside the clothing and knelt before him, taking in his glorious body. I straddled his hips and lowered myself to his chest, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to each of his scars.
“Anastasius,” he pleaded. I smirked against his chest and brought one of my hands down and cupped his substantial cock. In the infirmary I had seen my fair share of men, so I knew he was well-endowed. I sucked on my lip. I wanted to gorge myself on all of him.
Claeg flexed his hips into my hand, coaxing me to move. So I did, stroking up and down his length in the way I liked it. My Chosen groaned beneath me, his breaths coming in short pants. He stared at me with those beautiful round eyes. Gods, he looked good when he surrendered to me. It made me wonder what it would feel like to be inside him. I whimpered at the thought, moving lower until my head nestled in the area around his cock. His musky scent heightened my arousal, but this was about him. He had given me pleasure and now this gift. It was his turn to come undone.
When my lips wrapped around his head, he shivered with pleasure. I sucked the tip of him in my mouth, adjusting to the feeling and taste of him. I flicked my tongue along the opening of his head, licking him up and down. A sound rumbled in Claeg’s chest that shot right through to my core.
“Stas . . .” Claeg moaned. I tilted my head, looking up at him. His face was twisted in pleasure, but his eyes were on me, starved, showing my reciprocated hunger. Between where I straddled him I could feel his legs tense. I smiled and took in more and more of him, slowly working my way down his length. When I felt him at the back of my mouth, I paused, inhaling through my nose. Then I proceeded to take him into my throat, relishing in the feeling of discomfort as I gagged on his cock. When I reached his base, I paused, letting myself feel the fullness of him before pulling up again.
I took a breath and did it again and again, until Claeg was writhing beneath me. He groaned. His release was coming, so I stopped, pulling off his straining cock. “Stas,” Claeg growled, frustration flaring in his eyes. I smirked, nipping at the tender flesh of his thighs. My hand went up to his mouth. He opened for me, letting me fuck his mouth with my fingers as I went back to sucking his cock. He groaned around my fingers, but just when I felt him still, I pulled them out and brought them to his hole.
“Is this okay?” I asked, stroking his hole. He let out an incomprehensible cry but nodded his head desperately. I didn't need any more encouragement. My first finger pressed against his entrance gently, slowly working my way into his tight heat, just like he had done for me. All the while, I worked his cock, relishing in the burn of his size—the perfect mix of pleasure and pain. When my knuckle breached that ring of muscle, I crooked my finger, applying pressure. The moan I got in return let me know I’d hit the spot.
Claeg’s hands ran through my hair, tensing and releasing over and over as I worked him into a frenzy.
“Come for me, Ruptor,” I instructed him before resuming my work. Moments later, salty cum hit the back of my throat and Claeg’s thighs thrust forward, greedily driving his cock all the way into me. He tasted delicious. When he finished, I reluctantly pulled off, swiping my tongue along the tip of his cock, lapping up the last of his cum as he had done to me.
“Fuck, Anastasius,” Claeg groaned, a dark look in his eyes. “Come here,” he demanded, and I readily obliged, pulling my fingers from his ass. My lips found his again, but a knock at the door made me freeze. Claeg groaned. “What is it?” he snapped.
“Your sister is coming, Claeg. I thought I should warn you before she . . . arrives,” Ercan murmured through the door. Claeg cursed.
“Let her wait,” he growled, but I was already climbing off of him. His eyes tracked me, burning with need. I shook my head. “Fine,” he ground out, dragging himself out of bed and donning his discarded clothes. I followed Claeg’s lead, pulling on a tunic and trousers. “Come, Prince. It is time to meet my family.” Claeg held out a hand to me, beckoning me to follow. I grasped his hand and followed him out.
We passed by Ercan, who Claeg nodded to with a hint of gratitude. Perhaps the two of them had worked out some of the kinks in their relationship. By the way they interacted, it seemed something had changed for the better. Not perfect, but better. It was a start.
Claeg led me through the castle, and I couldn't help but notice the differences between here and De Vita. My home was carved from light stone while this place was built from bland brick. The light here was darker with thick, low-lying clouds. The interior of the castle was not decorated, but created simply. The ceilings were low, the walls tight, but the windows plentiful. Every room had soft light streaming into it. The draconis we passed gaped at me and murmured to one another. I caught fragments of conversation. Broken Circles and he acts like his prisoner is his lover. That last comment made me question what I knew to be true. Was I actually a prisoner? Where was Rohit? Fear for my friends clutched low in my stomach and yanked hard.
“Claeg,” I whispered, intending to inquire about them, but he abruptly stopped. It was immediately clear why. Clotho. I knew it was her the moment I laid eyes on the young woman. Her silver hair fell about her shoulders in delicate braids, but it was her eyes that gave her relationship to Claeg away. They were the same piercing violet that made my skin prickle and my heart race.
“Clotho, meet my . . .” Claeg trailed off, glancing at me uncertainly. It was clear he didn't know what to think of me. I am yours, I wanted to tell him.
“I am Anastasius of De Vita,” I introduced myself, bowing low. When I rose, Clotho was sneering, looking down her nose at me with disgust. I grimaced.
“I don't know why my Janardan let you live, De vita whore, but if you harm a single person in this castle I will make you suffer more than you ever have before,” she growled. Claeg’s hand clenched mine tightly, and his jaw pulsed.
“You will not touch him. He is mine,” Claeg snarled back, making my heart flip. The look in his eyes was deadly as he stared down his sister. Clotho just giggled humorlessly in response and spun on her heels.
“Follow me. Thana is waiting,” she shouted over her shoulder. For a moment, Claeg didn't move, his jaw working hard. I squeezed his hand, drawing his livid eyes to mine.
“It’s fine. I won't be hurting anyone, so nothing to worry about, right?” I inserted more lightness into my tone than I felt. The reality was I didn't know Clotho or anyone but him in the Circulus clan. I was at their mercy. Hopefully, Thana would be more receptive to me, but then I remembered the cruelty of the Janardan who had taken Ercan’s mate from him before banishing him with broken Circles. My hope faltered. But Claeg trusted them, and they had healed me, so obviously they saw more value in keeping me alive. For now.