Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
All Caelian wanted to do was push the memory of that night in the cabin far from her mind.
She was thoroughly mortified.
To make matters worse, she could have sworn she heard his voice rumble through her mind. Like a wish. But it was distorted and garbled, like she was underwater, and then there’d been nothing at all. Just the same crushing silence as before.
Not that it mattered, she’d been too distracted by the way his finger moved inside her.
When he scrubbed her hair, she wanted to melt into the tub.
But when he washed her body, every brush of his knuckles or sweep of his hand had set her on fire.
With one finger, she’d come unraveled. She’d catapulted into a state of euphoric bliss.
Until he bolted from the cabin, acting as though she was infected with some sort of disease.
Kjeld might have claimed he wanted her, but he acted as though he couldn’t stand to be near her.
When she discovered him…pleasuring himself in the forest, he’d been furious with her.
Perhaps she’d been wrong in staring at him, but sweet stars, she didn’t dare look away.
Every inch of him was impressive. Mouthwatering, if she was being honest. She’d gotten a glimpse of his solid abdomen, but it was the way he lazily worked his hand up and down his shaft that left her hypnotized.
She figured he would be fairly large, but she never imagined he would be quite so thick.
There would be absolutely no way he could ever fit in her—Caelian stopped herself.
She would no longer fancy such thoughts about him. Not anymore, anyway. After Kjeld basically yelled at her, demanding she leave him alone, she walked through the woods half naked, in nothing but his shirt, back to the safety and comfort of her own bedroom.
He hadn’t followed her.
But it was fine. No one dared question her, though there were a few looks of concern given the state of her attire.
She paid them no attention. When Creslyn knocked on her door late that same evening, she pretended to be asleep.
And when Ariesian appeared the next morning, inquiring after her health and asking if she would care to join the family for breakfast, she lied and said she wasn’t hungry.
Sarelle was the only one who didn’t believe her—she brought up a tray of warm biscuits with fig jam, a bowl of sugar-dusted berries, and freshly squeezed juice.
Caelian devoured it all, and Sarelle hadn’t said a single word.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t avoid her family or Kjeld forever.
Not since Ariesian was determined they discuss what happened in the cave. More importantly, why the earth was trying to attack Astrylys, and why it sought to harm her eggs.
Now, Caelian was seated on a settee next to Sarelle, while the rest of her family held a heated discussion about what course of action to take.
Ariesian paced before the hearth, his polished boots clicking quietly against the glittering floor. A line of consternation pierced his brow, and he tucked his hands behind his back.
“So far, we know that the corrupt magic plaguing the cave is the same kind of vile power that was displayed at Novalise and Asher’s wedding.
Not only was the earth poisoned, but it appears sentient.
Attacking Astrylys, her eggs, as well as Caelian when she tried to intervene.
” Ariesian’s stormy gray eyes flicked in Caelian’s direction and her hand absently moved to her stomach, where the marks from that attack had not yet faded.
“Both Creslyn and Drake, as well as Kjeld, confirmed the situation upon their arrival at the cave, and while I originally thought that we may have avoided any further conflict, it appears I was mistaken.”
Mistaken indeed.
For months it had been quiet in Aeramere. There had been no disturbances. No signs of unrest. The only unexpected event had been their mother’s untimely demise.
“Do we know the source of this corrupt magic?” Sarelle asked, fiddling with the silver skull ring she still wore on her finger.
“I feel like the answer is fairly obvious.” Ariesian roughed a hand over his face, then shoved his fingers through his silver hair, mussing the perfectly coiffed strands. “Until we know without a doubt, we have to assume it is either Queen Elowyn or Prince Aspen.”
Sarelle bristled and Caelian captured her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“Or both,” Asher added, protectively draping his arm around Novalise’s shoulders.
Novalise leaned into his embrace, her lavender hair tumbling around her. She smiled up at her husband, her complexion rosy and glowing, as her hand came to rest upon the slight swell of her belly.
Caelian’s heart warmed at the sight.
She simply couldn’t wait to become an aunt. But she wanted her niece or nephew to be born into a world of peace, where their safety was never at risk. And that meant dealing with whatever horrors the future held in store for them.
“I personally believe all blame lies with the queen.” Solarius stood beside the chair where Narissa was seated, his hand linked with hers. He held a vendetta against the queen, and Caelian imagined it stemmed from the closeness of Queen Elowyn’s friendship with their mother.
“Agreed. Although it could very well be both the queen and the prince.” This came from Drake, who lounged in a winged high-back chair, Creslyn sitting primly on his lap. The dark green of his piercing gaze focused in on Sarelle. “Have you learned anything new about Prince Aspen?”
Sarelle shifted on the settee, discomfort flowing off her in waves. She twisted the ring so the odd little wolf skull faced the inside of her palm, then her fingers tightened around Caelian’s.
“Not exactly.” She tucked an errant strand of midnight blue hair behind her ear, her gaze focused on the toes of her black satin slippers. “I don’t know if my opinion will make much of a difference, but from the brief time we have spent together, I do believe he is innocent in all of this.”
There was something about the way Sarelle cut herself off from speaking. As though she knew more but chose to say less. Not quite like a secret, but more like selective hesitation.
“I appreciate your confidence in Prince Aspen, dear sister.” Ariesian kept his tone smooth and even, without condemnation or reproach. “However, what one thinks or hopes is not the same as fact.”
“Of course not,” Sarelle added quickly, rubbing her lips together as she absentmindedly smoothed invisible wrinkles from the satin of her gown. “I merely meant—that is, I hoped to imply…”
Her voice trailed off.
“I’m sure you’re right in your assumption.
” Caelian gave her sister another nudge of reassurance.
The very least she could do was offer Sarelle some semblance of support, considering the rest of her siblings seemed to think that the prince was still notably untrustworthy.
It was easy to make assumptions when one did not know the entirety of the truth.
“After all, you know his character better than all of us.”
Caelian looked pointedly at Ariesian. “And that, dear brother, is solid fact.”
She was not soon going to let him forget that it was his idea to have Sarelle parade around in an attempt to woo the notorious Prince Aspen and learn his secrets.
From behind her, Nyxian laughed, quickly smothering it as a cough.
Tovian cleared his throat. “Shall I postpone my sailing trip?”
Caelian twisted to glance up at her brothers who stood behind the settee.
Tovian and Nyxian, both scarcely a year apart in age, had attended the assembly at Ariesian’s request. While Tovian was planning to set sail soon to the Fair Isles in the south, Nyxian was busy doing everything within his power to avoid having to marry one Lady Aria Galefell.
Prickling awareness crawled along Caelian’s spine, and though she was looking up at her brothers, she could feel the heat of Kjeld’s gaze searing through the silk of her gown.
She wondered if he was imagining her in the tub again, remembering all the ways he had touched her.
All the ways he humiliated her. She twisted around to face him, rolling her shoulders back in a show of pride, and clamping her hands together tightly in her lap.
She expected to find him scowling in her direction, as was usual, but the expression on his face gave her pause.
Kjeld looked positively stricken.
He shaved this morning, the hardened features of his face smooth yet rugged.
Now that she actually had the nerve to look at him, there was no mistaking the lines of worry carved into his golden skin.
Etched deeply at the corners of his eyes and across his brow, they aged him in the most endearingly attractive way.
His teeth scraped his bottom lip, snagging on the scar that sliced to nearly his chin.
Not once did he blink, his gaze steady and fully focused on her.
Concern haunted the bright blue of his eyes, but there were shadows of something else.
A more powerful and dangerous emotion.
Desire.
She recognized it easily and heat bloomed low in her belly, forcing her to cross one leg over the other.
“If you want to postpone, Tov, that would be your choice.” Ariesian’s clear, unbothered voice cut through the thickening tension between them, and Caelian suppressed a shiver, looking away.
“Though instead of sailing at the start of Midsummer, you could wait until the end and then leave right after Nyxian’s wedding.
We are not going to allow this vile plague of dark magic to prevent us from living our lives.
That being said, I have every intention of finding the source and destroying it. ”