Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

T here was a pull inside Creslyn’s chest. A calling. A glimmer of recognition, like an invisible thread binding her through the stars, gently tugging, urging her to waken from her slumber. A presence hovered nearby, as familiar to her as the beating of her own heart, full of wishes and starlight.

Caelian.

Creslyn’s eyes fluttered open to find gossamer panels of pale gold and soft blush falling around her on both sides. A stained glass ceiling arched overhead, depicting a small sunburst set against the background of the night sky, surrounded by dozens of eight-pointed stars. Crystal prisms were suspended in the air by a touch of magic, reflecting iridescent rainbows throughout the space. There was warmth here. Love, here. And something darker, like a shadow that lingered just out of reach before vanishing under the threat of the sun.

She was in Aeramere.

She was home.

Rolling her head to the side, she saw Caelian perched on the edge of the bed, humming to herself as she toyed with the ribbons of her violet gown. Her gaze flicked over to Creslyn, and she startled, nearly falling off.

“Cres!”

There was a blur of movement and Creslyn blinked as her twin sister’s face came into view.

“Oh, Cres. I’ve missed you.” Caelian knelt at the bedside, cupping Creslyn’s cheeks with both hands, a sheen of tears glazed her eyes. “We’ve been so worried.”

“We?” Creslyn croaked, wincing. She sounded as though she’d swallowed a wadded-up piece of parchment and had attempted to wash it down with sand.

“Yes.” A masculine voice that caused her heart to shiver sounded from the far corner of the room. “We.”

Creslyn glanced over to see Drake rising from a pale blue chair. He was a harsh contrast in the most magnificent of ways, darkness and leather against the shimmer and silk of her bedroom. He moved with lethal grace, his steps silent as the fractured beams of sunlight pouring in through the window shifted, avoiding the looming shadows.

Only when he approached the other side of her bed did she see the blotch of discolored skin beneath his eye where a bruise had formed, and there was a rather nasty looking cut along his bottom lip.

She eased herself up and Caelian helped her, gently fluffing the pillows behind her so that she could sit. But Creslyn’s gaze remained focused on Drake.

She frowned, taking in his busted lip and beaten face. “You’re hurt.”

Caelian snickered, plopping back down on the edge of the bed and smoothing the satin layers of her ruffled skirts. “You missed quite the altercation while you were resting. Solarius was not at all pleased to find you unconscious when Queen Elowyn lifted the Veil for your arrival.”

Of course her brother and his stars-cursed temper would riot. He was incredibly protective of his younger siblings. Still, she didn’t think Solarius would actually be foolish enough to start a fight with Drake. Much less live to tell the tale.

She peered up at him. “He hit you?”

Drake smirked, running a thumb along his swollen bottom lip. “I let him.”

“I knew you were holding back.” Caelian folded her hands in her lap, her sapphire eyes twinkling with mischief. “No one could possibly take on the shadow prince and survive.”

“Cae,” Creslyn admonished her sister’s lack of decorum, but Drake merely shrugged, adjusting his sleeves.

“She’s not wrong.” He rolled the cuffs, revealing tanned forearms laced with sinewy muscle.

Creslyn clamped her mouth shut. It would be entirely too improper to drool at the sight of a man’s arms, but she couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of him looked like beneath all the leather and chains.

“I’ll go let everyone know you’re awake. But don’t worry, I will be sure no one bothers you. Just come downstairs for dinner after you do whatever it is you’re going to do.” Caelian shoved off the bed and winked, her teasing laughter echoing in her wake.

Drake lowered himself next to Creslyn, taking Caelian’s place, the sheer ribbons of fabric from the canopy framing him. He took her hand, sweeping his fingers back and forth along the underside of her wrist.

She flipped her hand, interlocking their fingers together. A sigh escaped her. “You left me.”

He lifted their joined hands, placing a kiss along each knuckle. “Never again.”

“I was chained in iron, pushed off a cliff, and left for dead.” She watched him, the dark, mysterious depths of his evergreen eyes remained intent on her. “You were right. I am not at all ready nor prepared to face the dangers of Brackroth.”

“You will not be harmed by the king’s guards again.” Drake’s tone was icy, hardened by a sharp edge of finality.

Creslyn searched the chiseled planes of his face, absorbing the hard lines, seeking out the cruel vengeance lurking within the depths of his reserved exterior. There was the faintest glimmer in his eyes, a bewitching sort of sparkle that belied the truth of his ruthless nature. But she saw past it, she saw through his controlled composure to the shadows of his soul. They called to her, summoning her curiosity, awakening that tiny sliver of darkness that shifted between the sunshine and rainbows. His shadows filled her with a twisted thrill, a desire to be tainted by him, to watch him burn the world for her.

“You killed them.” The words fell from her in a raspy whisper. “For me.”

Drake said nothing, the callus of his fingers scraping over the smooth flesh of her hand as studied her.

Creslyn leaned backward, her head coming to rest against the mound of pillows behind her. The strap of the silky nightgown she wore slid from her shoulder and she pulled it back up, but not before Drake tracked the movement.

“How many?” she asked, and his eyes flicked back to her face.

“However many were standing in the throne room at the time of my wrath.”

“Only three took me.” She tilted her head, arching one brow. “How many?”

His jaw ticked. “Twenty-three.”

Twenty-three.

He’d killed twenty-three men for her.

Drake reached out, sliding one hand around her neck. His touch was cool, a possessive caress. “And I would do it again.”

Of that, she had no doubt.

He eased back, and she shoved the velvet comforter away, climbing out of the bed. She padded across the glossy hardwood floor toward the bathing suite, to scrub her face and brush her teeth. Drake joined her, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. Always silent. Always watching. At least this time she could actually see him, and she much preferred it this way, as opposed to him waiting in the shadows. A bolt of pleasure shot through her, even though he was merely observing her perform the most mundane of tasks.

“I will keep you safe, sjellhert. You needn’t worry.” He followed her as she moved from the bathing suite to her wardrobe to choose a gown for dinner. “And from now on, even when I must leave Brackroth, you will be by my side. Though I will do whatever is necessary to spare you from the horrors of my deeds.”

“Spare me?” Creslyn whirled on him. “You are the Shadowblade Assassin, you think I don’t know what it is you do? You do not have to hide that part of yourself from me, Drake. I see you as you are.”

“And how exactly is that, kearsta? ” he asked, his Northernlands accent thickening on each word. “As a cold-blooded killer? As a monster with no heart? As a man whose soul has been blackened by greed and power?”

“Yes. All of those things.” She turned back toward her wardrobe, selecting a gown of heavy gold silk to combat the chill in the air. Autumn was settling into Aeramere, but at least here, the warmth of the sun made the cooler temperatures somewhat tolerable. Knowing he watched her, she slowly shimmied out of her nightgown, letting it pool in a puddle of silvery blue at her feet. “You are a killer. A monster. A man whose soul is darker than the pitch of night. However…”

Creslyn stepped into the gown, pulling the sheer beaded sleeves over her arms. “I know you can feel . I know you feel for me . The depth of those feelings, however, remain unknown.”

She tugged up the bodice, the dazzling gemstones reflecting the fading hues of the setting sun, and he moved closer, coming to stand before her. “But I do not need words of adoration to know that you desire me. That you care for me. The proof of your devotion is evidenced by the twenty-three men you slayed on my behalf. All I ask for, all I want, is your heart. I do not care if it is tarnished, if it has been blackened by lack of morality, if it is nothing more than stone and ash.”

Creslyn stared up at him towering above her. His intimidating stature loomed over her, and she’d almost forgotten that without a pair of proper heels, her head barely met his shoulders in height. She rose up on her toes, capturing his cheek with one hand.

“I want your heart, Drake.” She brushed her lips lightly across his, a thrum of power humming between them. Then she whispered, “And I want to wear it like a crown.”

Again, he remained quiet.

To most, his silence would be a sign of refusal, but to her, it was a promise. A sacrifice, even.

She turned slightly, pulling her long hair over one shoulder, then glanced back up at him. “Will you tie my laces, please?”

There was the sharpest of inhales as he expertly laced up the ribbons of gold adorning her back, and the cool touch of his knuckles grazing her skin as he knotted them into a bow at the base of her spine. When she faced him again, he was holding a black wooden box in his hands.

“I have a gift for you.”

His finger unhooked the bronze latch, and her breath caught.

It was entirely too large to contain a ring, but when he lifted the lid, her gaze landed on a sparkling necklace of diamonds cushioned in dark red velvet. And two pairs of earrings.

Creslyn’s heart hammered. It constricted against the tight walls of her chest as he lifted the necklace and fastened it around her throat. The collar of gems held her captive, and she touched them lightly with the tips of her fingers, the stunning stones gliding like icicles across her flesh.

Slowly, she reached for the earrings with silver bars, where diamonds tumbled like a tiny waterfall. “These don’t have a clasp.”

The corner of Drake’s mouth lifted in a slow, sensual smile. “They’re not for your ears.”

Her head snapped up at the realization of his words.

They were for her breasts.

She swallowed hard, and a shiver of delight spread across her shoulders and down her back. Unable to break his knowing gaze, she collected the other set, the ones for her ears, and put them on.

Drake closed the lid, setting the box on one of the shelves in her wardrobe. “Those are for later. When I’ve made you my wife.”

Creslyn slipped on a pair of heels, rising to nearly his chin. “And when will that be?”

His hand took its familiar place around her throat, his thumb sliding along the column, lifting her face. “Sooner than you think.”

She smiled then, grabbing a fistful of his leather vest, and tugged him toward her. Drake’s mouth slashed across hers in a demanding kiss, and all the while, he kept his eyes open. The deep green of them darkened further, shaded by lust. His shadows stirred—she wanted them crawling all over her, exploring every inch of her. He watched her as their tongues tangled, as she took everything he offered. Her blood heated, restless and frenzied. She’d never had anyone kiss her with their eyes open before. It was riveting, a shameless display of power.

Drake’s teeth sank into her bottom lip, tugging lightly, and she arched into him. His free hand slid down her satin skirts, capturing her thigh. He dragged her leg up to his hip, dipping her, deepening their kiss.

“Tell me you’re mine, solysa ,” he murmured against her mouth. “Only mine.”

“I’m yours.” She clutched at him, fearful that if she let go, she would tumble into oblivion and never recover. “Only yours.”

He broke their kiss, pulling her back upright, and she missed the cool press of him, for now she burned far too hot.

“I never thanked you.” She ran her fingers through her hair, then looped one hand through his arm. “For saving me.”

“It was not me who saved you.” Drake opened the door of her bedroom, leading her out into the hall.

She angled her head, looking up at him. “Who did?”

“Astrylys.”

“Who is Astrylys?”

“A dragon.”

She stumbled to a stop alongside him. A dragon. The silver one with the radiant sheen and piercing blue eyes. A dragon had saved her.

“Will I be able to meet her?” she asked.

“Eventually.”

“When?”

“So many questions.” The corner of Drake’s mouth curved, and he bent down, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Come, let us join your family for dinner. If we take much longer, I have reason to believe Solarius will take our tardiness as a personal offense. And I do not care to fight your brother again, because this time, I will not let him win.”

She did not want to think about the pain Drake was capable of inflicting upon her brother. Instead, as they walked the glimmering halls of House Celestine where moonstone stars were embedded into the walls and crescent moons crafted from selenite floated overhead, she redirected her focus to the heavy collar of diamonds hanging from her neck. Heat blossomed through her, so great she could feel the flush staining her chest and cheeks. She was fire, the diamonds were ice, and she longed for nothing more than to be dripping with them, exactly as he’d promised.

Her nipples pebbled, the fabric of her gown rough against the sensitive peaks, and her breasts ached.

Without warning, the frigid cadence of Drake’s voice whispered into her mind.

“If you do not cease those thoughts immediately, I will be forced to bury myself so deep inside of you that the diamonds you’re wearing will not be the only thing to shatter.”

A shiver raked down her spine, and she leaned into him, keeping her voice even when she said, “And what is stopping you from doing such a thing, Your Highness?”

There was a low rumble, and the muscles of his arm tensed beneath her touch. “Only a single, fraying thread of control.”

Creslyn had no idea what to expect when that thread of control snapped. But she wanted him. All the shadows. All the darkness. All the sharp, jagged pieces of his heart.

If ads affect your reading experience, click here to remove ads on this page.