Thirty Eight #2
“Mine,” Adrian whispered at the same time.
“Yours,” I told him before I sealed my lips to his.
The kiss instantly turned feral as we tore at each other’s clothes until there was nothing between us but skin.
“Mine,” Adrian growled as I positioned myself above his throbbing length.
“Yours,” I moaned as I lowered myself on him, our bodies becoming one to match our hearts.
“Finished, milady,” Inara said as she met my gaze in the vanity mirror.
She had gathered a few strands of my hair on either side of my face and secured them up with clips of floral and leaf design.
After I had thanked her and she had slipped out of the room, I remained seated in front of the vanity, studying my reflection as I had done countless times over the past two weeks.
I looked as if a sheen of shimmering stardust had been cast over me.
My hair shone like liquid gold, brighter than before.
My lips were fuller now, a rich rose color at all times, even without a lip tint.
My eyes, which had always been my most outstanding feature, were even more so now.
When I had reopened them after my transformation was complete, the hue in my right eye had changed from gold to silver, nearly matching Adrian’s.
Not only did I look different, but I felt different.
Silberium was now a part of me, constantly coursing through my veins.
It granted me unmatched power without causing me any harm.
Its levels hadn’t increased in the past two weeks, which gave me hope that I wouldn’t need to expel the excess magic as Adrian and the ones before him had been forced to do.
“You are a being of both worlds now, mortal and Fae,” Lady May had said of the new development. “My hope is that the balance between the realms will now be sustained inside your new body. Only time will tell.”
Her theory had proven true. Adrian hadn’t felt the ancient magic in his blood since the day I had been changed. Aubrielle continued to heal. Emeraldia also continued to restore, even without me releasing Silberium into the land.
When I had told my parents about everything that had transpired and the life-altering consequences of those events, they had been relieved that I had survived and overjoyed for my eternal future with Adrian.
I felt a pang of sorrow every time I thought about them because I would watch them grow older and die; Sebastian, too.
He had decided that trying the same spell that had been performed on me was not an option for him.
Even though I had survived, there were no guarantees.
He had resolved to enjoy his time with Mirielle as a mortal until such time when the Stars called him up to join them.
I often thought about the Stars and the closeness to them that I had experienced when I had almost died. I cherished the memory, but I never regretted leaving the celestial idyll to return to Adrian. The choice had been easy to make. I would make it again and again.
I smiled at my reflection, taking in my rosy cheeks and supple, glowing skin.
When my gaze dropped to my neck, I lifted my hand and skimmed my fingertips over the spot where Adrian had bitten me to seal the mating bond.
The claiming marks were long gone since I healed so quickly now, but I could still feel them thrum under the surface of my skin any time I thought about him.
Dropping my hand from my neck, I reached for the jewelry box and found a pair of gold earrings to complement my cream and gold gown.
Looking in the mirror, I put the earrings on before studying my now-arched ears.
When a knock interrupted my perusal, I glanced in the direction of the door, detecting who my visitor was from her herbal scent.
“I came to get my journal from you. I need to write down the events of the past few weeks,” Lady May said as she strolled in.
“Of course. I’m done reading it anyway.” I retrieved the journal from the vanity drawer and handed it to her.
“I’ve been wondering something after I read it.
Everything that had unfolded would have been prevented if only you had denied Oberon’s request to bind him to all the Fae land. Why didn’t you? Why do his bidding?”
Her face shut down as if an invisible barrier had slammed around her stoic features. The reaction gave me the impression that she wasn’t going to respond, but to my surprise, she did, “I could never deny him.” Impossible sadness laced every word. Not sadness—grief.
“You loved him,” I said, my heart breaking for her.
“I did. He was my mate.”
My mouth opened in shock as I stared at her.
Words failed me. What could I say? With the mating bond buzzing in my veins, I couldn’t imagine what she had gone through watching her mate marry her best friend, then fall in love with someone else.
All the while, she had been by his side for all those years.
“I’m sorry,” I finally said.
“Don’t be. It’s in the past. I did some terrible things in the name of love, but you have helped me to start on the path of redemption. Thank you for that.”
“Thank you for saving my life.”
“Adrian didn’t leave me much choice.” She gave a tight-lipped smile. “Speaking of him, he is waiting for you downstairs. He was going to collect you for the ball, but the guests started to arrive, and he was forced into conversations.”
“Will you be attending the event?”
“Yes, I will join you after I secure the journal in my chambers.”
With one last glance at my reflection, I walked her out of my quarters.
Adrian and I were throwing a ball for the Fae of Aubrielle.
Word had spread about the events in the Fallowmere Mountains, and we wanted to make an official statement.
We would announce that Celestina and Tarn had been exiled.
Zarana and Heiran as well. The former had found asylum on the Isle of Lumen, while the latter had fled to the Isle of Nox.
Though her involvement had never been proven, Daelana had left the kingdom with her parents.
It didn’t matter where they had gone, as long as it was far from here.
“They deserve to die for what they did,” Adrian had seethed when the time had come to decide their fate. “But I would be no better than my father if I took that course of action.”
I had agreed with him—he didn’t need to have their blood on his hands. Since I didn’t want Luna’s punishment on my conscience, either, I had decided that she would face no repercussions, except for my father’s wrath. I hoped that she had learned her lesson and was truly as remorseful as she seemed.