Chapter Thirty-Two
Dulce
Dandelions – Ruth B
Sweet intoxication. That’s the aroma that hits my nose as soon as we arrive. Decadent sugar, nutmeg, and honey, I believe. It’s like they’re baking all my favorite foods in one place. I inhale deeply, enjoying how enticing it is. Food speaks to me on a level that no living being ever could.
The ground here is different. Still grassy, but solid, like the soil and grass has been compacted into the ground so no one trips from weaker areas.
Earlier, we were greeted by someone named Vael, a guard of sorts. Vera sent him to meet us, or rather find us. Already, we crossed the biggest part of the trees and the castle was within view.
Now, we’re climbing the steps made of carved wood with another language engraved into them like a poem walkway. It’s elegant and welcoming, and much like laying in the fields, I’ve not felt more at home than in Solera.
Not even in Amantes.
The moment we enter the castle, we’re the target of every onlooker in the vicinity. Skepticism, worry, and intrigue seems to decorate every face. Am I missing something? I turn to Raev, wondering if somehow, I missed a custom that’s needed for greeting.
While we don’t have them in Amantes, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a specific wave, handshake, or bowing procedure that I’m unaware of.
My face heats when he doesn’t meet my gaze, and I instead look around and distract the frantic thumping in my chest.
I don’t even know what I’m experiencing on top of my jitters because it seems surreal to be in a place that almost depicts a hollowed-out tree with more craftsmanship than the wood inside a normal tree could offer. It’s magical in every way. Engrossing me is varying shades of greens and yellows. Flowers, thorns, moss, and everything nature meets me.
Peering at Raevar again with the hope he’ll smile at me, I note his stiff shoulders and downcast expression. Does he regret our time together or is this deeper?
“You’re back,” a gruff voice says, pulling my attention away as they open the main doors. They’re massive, and if not for how strong they are, I’d wonder how opening it is achievable.
“Where is she?” Raevar rudely ignores the question and asks his own. His voice seems so far away, and I can’t help but worry about the reasoning.
“Dining hall. It’s the tasting before the feast.”
Raev turns to me, his face nearly as hollow as this tree. Fear lances through me and maybe it’s this weird tether between us, but somehow it feels like he’s the one projecting that emotion.
“This is Alessand,” Raevar offers, turning to me momentarily. He points at the guard and then continues. “He’s our third in command aside from me and Vael.”
I blink slowly, wondering what he means by third in command. Watching the new guard, my eyes are met with hostility. It’s subtle, and almost could be ignored, but people disapproving of me has always struck a nerve.
“Who is she?” Alessand bites out, not exactly bitterly, but with less enthusiasm than normal people would offer a stranger.
“Dulce, my m—” Raevar clears his throat. “She’s here to see the queen and get back to her mate.”
The way Raevar doesn’t look at me after that first glance sets my nerves ablaze. It’s not cold, but lost, like he has already given up on whatever moments we shared. I want to haul him against the wall and kiss him silly. Put the reddest lipstick on my lips, make sure his face and throat are covered in proof that he’s mine now too. If this behavior keeps up, that’s exactly what I’ll do.
I may have been shoved into this realm, but I got him to take home with me. Sure, it’s sudden, and Vex will probably grumble, but I’m bringing him back with us.
He’s mine.
They both are.
I offer my hand to Alessand. Partially, to be kind, the other since it’s a kind earthly custom. As a result, Raevar grabs my palm, not allowing Alessand to touch me. He lets out a little growl, snapping his teeth. That possessive display has the guard rolling his eyes, turning, and heading toward the next set of doors.
My stomach hollowly drops and so does the tense grip on my hand. “You can’t be possessive over me if you’re not going to acknowledge me,” I softly complain, wanting more than to pout. My voice is light, but even he can’t mistake the pain there. This side of Raev isn’t acceptable, and if he continues this way, there won’t be an us to continue.
We’ve been constantly touching for over a week. Almost like we couldn’t stand not being close and in each other’s orbit. He always made sure to be nearby too, so it’s definitely not one-sided. Scanning him, he only offers a sigh.
“Don’t shut me out,” I beg morosely, letting out a heavy breath. My face burns from emotion. Growing attached to people isn’t easy for me, but I’ve let him in. The distance between us aches in a way I’m unused to. His eyes connect with mine, a kind of wound resonating there that’s not placeable.
“Everything changes now,” he solemnly says, facing me. His expression is serious, like we’ve already been torn away from another, and our memories are all that’s left.
Immediately, I shake my head, gripping his jaw. “No,” I protest, my chest aching at the idea of being separated from him. “I won’t allow it. You’re mine now.”
His eyes fixate on mine, conveying a whirlwind of emotions. Almost like he can’t decide what he’s feeling and it’s overwhelming him to experience them all at once.
“You might change your mind after meeting Vera.”
Before I can say anything, Raev motions for us to follow the path Alessand took toward the doors. I’m unable to express myself further because he doesn’t give me the opportunity, and the irritation I experience weighs me down.
In an attempt to dismiss it, I square my shoulders and inhale deeply, unable to comprehend why anything has to change. My eyes instinctively shut, and upon opening, I’m amazed by the breathtaking dining hall before me.
It’s otherworldly. So vibrant and yet, still homely and festive. Candles float above. No, they’re not floating, but hanging from thin vines, like fairy lights twinkling in the darkest of rooms. The mood seems mellow, but everyone staring at us entering doesn’t help.
As my eyes roam toward the center of the room, they are greeted with a sight of a long table adorned with thorns and golden tablecloths and the greenest of green eyes I’ve ever experienced. Emeralds, like the prettiest shade of gems, are fixated on me.
Moody eyeliner and smoky eyeshadow make them somehow more enticing, and the way they’re narrowed toward me—not in annoyance but curiosity—is enough to lure me to wherever’s next.
My breath halts, and I can’t help but grip my chest. I’ve never met a queen before. Do I bow? I can’t look away from her. She’s captured me in her orbit. She’s so beautiful with her textured brown horns, tapered with a thorn crown with little flowers weaved through as it encrusts her head like it’s holding her steady.
I swallow the little noise that attempts to escape, wanting to hide from the way her attention devours. The people stay in silence as our stares stay locked, like nothing exists but us. In our own world, she ponders her next move while everyone else fades away.
“Little dove?”
Our trance breaks with those two words, posh and full of relief. I gasp a little, my eyes flickering from side to side, searching for them. Then they halt as they connect with Vex. They’re so near, they’re here, they came for me.
I let out a small unintelligible noise and rush toward them. My legs are moving at an almost painfully slow pace. The truth is, it’s a normal pace, but I’m eager to touch them sooner.
Their arms stretch wide as they patiently wait. Vex is sporting similar clothes to their normal ones, but somehow more practical, softer, and less fancy. I frantically jump as we grow nearer. Once in their warm embrace, a little cry crests from my throat. They’re really here!
Even though it hasn’t been that long, my body feels like it has missed them for much longer. Each caress of their fingers across my skin has me in shambles. I’ve missed them so much.
It feels like something inside me snaps into place, our little cord, the one that ties us together. “Oh, how I’ve missed your embrace, little dove,” they murmur, their velvety tone melting through my veins like a sickly antidote to all that ails me.
“Vex,” I desperately whisper, still not really grasping how they’re here. They twirl us around and I can’t help but let out a laugh at how at peace it feels to be in their arms once more. Our foreheads connect and the wholeness consuming me has our lips meeting.
The little moan that escapes is mostly muffled by their mouth. Their canines sinking into my bottom lip have me on the verge of becoming a hormonal puddle. My body heats at the action, warmness pooling in my belly. They don’t break skin, and every part of me wishes they would.
When we part, it’s not out of the desire to do so, but as a reminder of who surrounds us. Awareness washes over me and my skin heats at the audience we have. Shyness sets in and they lower me, my stomach gliding across their stiffness.
“Later,” they promise.
I nod, wanting to kiss them everywhere. Be their good little dove and reacquaint myself with the tempo of their heartbeat and the painful caress of their hands.
The moment my feet make contact with the ground, I smoothly navigate toward Vera. She still stands, a goblet to her dark lips. Instead of drinking, she”s almost lurking in anticipation. Whether it’s from wanting to see what Raevar or even I will do, I can tell it’s calculated.
Unwilling to wait for anyone to make the first move, I flounce toward her. My steps are far more confident than I am, but I don’t resist the pull tugging me.
As soon as my feet hit the stairs nearest to her table, the guard—Alessand—approaches her, his hand on the handle of his sword. It doesn’t deter me, even if the air seems to have left my lungs, leaving me bereft and slightly concerned.
Tapping the table earnestly, I confidently guess, “You”re Vera.” Amusement flickers in her expression, her nose twitching as if she’s holding back a smile. “I’m Dulce Amor.”
“That’s me.” She speaks with a gravelly tone, as if struggling to get the words out. It’s as if the only noise in existence is the breaths between us. If not for the way her body seems to shudder, like I affect her as much as she does me, I’d worry she’s displeased with me.
What is this sensation skating across my skin, and why does it bring me a sort of comfort—an awareness that I shouldn’t run away from?
My mind wanders back to every time my skin connected with the grass and fields of Solera, the sensations and comfort that flowed through me as it accepted me.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment, mi reina.”
Her eyes gloss over, her tongue slipping out to lick her lips. It seems almost subconscious, but I track the move, memorizing the way she seems unsettled and content at the same time.
Before she can respond, Raev’s gruff voice fills my ears, zipping through my body like an empty cave’s echo.
“Mi reina,” he stoically says. There’s not a single note of emotion in his tone and I can’t help but turn to him, needing to see his facial expressions. Vex is on my other side, I’m not sure when they came over, but the feeling of them next to me fills me with comfort.
“Raevar,” Vera grinds out. “It seems we have a lot to speak about.” The tightening of her grip on her drink catches my attention, the slight noise drawing my focus.
Without even glancing at me, he nods once. Rather than allowing him to keep pushing me away, I sneak my hand into his, intertwining our fingers.
Try to fight me now, brat.
Next to me, Vex lets out a noise of amusement. Already through our bond, acceptance rings through. They pick my happiness too. Vera’s eyes glance down at our connected hands with one eyebrow raised.
“He’s mine,” I confidently declare, not holding back. Despite her jaw ticking, she remains silent. “He’s mine,” I repeat once more, meeting her hardened stare. “And I think you are too.”