Chapter 7
VALEEN
B irds chirping outside the window drew Valeen from sleep.
Heavy eyelids barely peeled open as she sat up and ran her hands over her disheveled hair.
The sun was out, spilling bright light in through the open curtains.
The green vines draping around the bed almost startled her; she’d been dreaming she was still in Ryvengaard at the manor with Hel.
The wide fireplace with the white mantel led into Thane’s room.
A twinge of guilt hit her chest. It felt wrong to be in this room when he’d meant for it to be his wife’s, especially when that was supposed to be her.
The statues of them reaching toward each other were still on the shelf.
The dresses he had made for her still waited in the closet.
He hadn’t touched this space when she’d gone to Ryvengaard.
The sound of creaking leather made her turn.
Dark hair curled against ivory skin. Maroon eyes watched her the way a cat in a window pondered a bird, with primal need and curiosity.
“Good morning, love.” Hel sat in a brown leather armchair in the corner with his feet propped up on a matching footrest. If he was the first thing she saw every morning for the rest of forever, she’d be happy.
“How long did I sleep?” The sun hadn’t even set yet when she drifted off. Was it still the same day? Her head ached and her throat felt dry.
“You slept two full days.”
She blinked in disbelief. It felt like she’d shut her eyes not long ago. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
He dropped his boots to the floor with a heavy thud and leaned forward. “After everything you went through following the portal opening and even before, with the demon attack, you needed the rest, Val. No one has come. There wasn’t any reason for me to wake you.”
“Did I miss anything?”
“Not that I know of. I’ve been in here and no one came knocking in a panic. Everything is fine… for now.”
“You stayed here the entire time?” she asked, baffled.
“I did say I would watch over you, did I not? The portals are open. The attempts on your life will only intensify.” He tore his gaze from her and scowled at the window.
“War came in for a while to discuss Synick. Your sister and Presco both stopped by to check on you. Your gnome and a couple servants brought food, so I didn’t have to go anywhere. ”
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and swung her feet to the floor; the stone was cool. “Katana…” she stood, stretching her arms overhead. “I’m a terrible sister.”
“She was the most adamant that we didn’t wake you.”
“How is she? Does she have a room? If Talon said anything rude to her…” she hurried over to the vanity and plucked a comb out of the drawer and ripped it through her tangles. “Where is Presco?”
Hel appeared suddenly and wrapped her in a hug from behind, putting them both in the frame of the mirror.
He rested his chin on her shoulder. “You think War would allow your sister to sleep in the hallway? Of course, Katana has a room. Presco has been in the library most of the past two days as far as I know, looking for a way to break the link between you and Varlett. Relax.”
His reassurance lifted the weight off her shoulders some but relaxing wasn’t something she did well.
She’d been hunted for so long. Someone always wanted to use, hurt, or kill her.
She set the comb back on the vanity. “I can’t relax when I’m being hunted and the whole of Adalon will suffer simply because I am here.
I should try to create another magical barrier around Palenor and connect it to this moon, but I don’t know if I have that kind of power anymore, and we’d need an anchor.
A powerful one. In House of Night, it was my castle made of moonstone, and of course my own magic.
And we’d risk this moon being broken if I do. ”
“ Can you create a barrier with a single moon?”
She ran her hands through her black hair, pulling out of Hel’s arms, and walked over to the window to peer out over the castle grounds.
The trees along the front path bloomed soft pink and white.
On a breeze, petals fluttered through the air like snowflakes.
“I don’t think it would be as strong, but something would be better than nothing.
It would at least slow them down and keep out assassins. ”
“Can you use Castle Dredwich as the anchor?”
“No, its stone is not connected to the moon.”
“What is?”
Valeen lifted a shoulder. “Other than me…?”
“I can only assume that would drain you. Find something else.”
“So demanding,” Valeen said, crossing her arms, and leaning back against the window ledge.
“Yeah, well I’m not going to watch you suffer so you can protect the people who’ve treated you like shit.
The same people who wrote gossip columns about you, who have entire secret societies that have wanted to ensure your death since you were born here, and who believe you’re a dark mage, a plague on their people.
I don’t give a fuck what they think about me, but I do care what they say about you.
You create that barrier to protect you, your aunt, your sister, and your friends. ”
“I’m not you, Hel, I can’t ignore that there are plenty of innocent people in Palenor who don’t feel that way about me.”
“You’re innocent.”
This wasn’t an argument he would relent on, and in the end they both wanted the same thing for different reasons. “I will talk to Presco. He helped me create the first one.”
“Are you trying to make me jealous?” he purred. “You can talk with the god of magic.”
With a laugh, Valeen sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I agree, but three minds are better. Presco is brilliant.”
“I know. Too brilliant. It annoys me.”
“Stop it,” Valeen chuckled. “You like Presco.”
“He’s not the worst,” Hel said, failing to hold back his smile.
A knock on the door startled her. The servants—I didn’t really think about it but—with me and Hel sharing a room…
“Yes, their king’s former betrothed is now sleeping with his cousin. No doubt it’s all the gossip.” He went quiet for a moment. “I almost feel bad for him.”
Valeen let out a slow breath. It was going to be difficult in the coming weeks. They were supposed to be in House of Night, away from anyone who would know her as Layala. “I think he is at peace with my choice. He understands.”
Hel put his finger to his temple. “He understands here.” Then he dropped his hand to his heart, “But it’s this that will take time to understand and move on, and it will be difficult to do with you always around and people gossiping about it. Trust me, I know.”
Valeen pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t even know what Thane told everyone when we left for Ryvengaard. Was the break off of our engagement announced?”
“I think Talon and her dreadful mother were all too eager to leak it to the Palenor Scroll .”
Another knock. “I have your breakfast, Lord Hel,” a feminine voice came from the other side.
Hel waved his hand, the warmth of his magic tingled along her skin then he called out, “Go away. We’re busy.” Then closed his hand into a fist. She didn’t even ask what magic he was using, but guessed there was a silencing spell on this room.
“Lord? And do you have to be rude?”
“I’m direct. And yes, ‘Lord’. I’m the king’s cousin. Obviously it’s not just Hel. It should be most magnificent Lord, most wise and powerful god, Hel, but I let them get away with just ‘Lord’.”
She rolled her eyes. “Has Synick talked?”
He kissed her cheek and removed his arms from around her middle. “We’ve been letting him… marinate in the dark of the dungeons. He’ll talk when I go down there.”
Valeen turned and leaned into him, pressing a hard kiss on his mouth. “Thank you for staying with me.”
He smiled against her lips. “There is no place I’d rather be.
I missed you. I can’t get enough of you.
I want more and more .” His hands slid up the sides of her hips, and slowly to her waist. She tilted her head, exposing her neck to him.
His lips brushed her sensitive skin, pulling a moan from her.
His magic trickled over her like warm water and the bottom hem of her dress rose up where his hand slipped under, brushing the inside of her thigh.
“You are everything to me. Since the moment I saw you, I knew everything would change. Gods, I think even before I met you, I knew.”
Valeen pulled herself closer, inhaling his intoxicating scent.
She nuzzled her face into his neck and nibbled on his skin.
His answering groan and tightening grip around her made her smile.
Knowing that all it took was a nibble to get him going was absolutely satisfying.
He slowly ushered her toward the bed until the back of her legs bumped into the frame.
She pressed her lips to his and pulled him on top of her.
His kisses were hard against her throat, her neck, her jaw.
His touch sliding over her body promised pleasure.
Her fingers dug hard into his back, and he groaned.
He pulled away, sliding off the bed and she frowned.
“Are you… leaving?” Her nightgown was bunched up around her waist already and she didn’t have any undergarments on.
“Leaving?” His brow rose. “Why would I leave?”
“I just… you got off of me.”
He tugged his shirt overhead, revealing his delicious body. His muscles were taut and the sunlight made his skin glisten. Her eyes traveled to the “KING” tattoo below his belly button. “I can’t very well love you properly with my clothes on.”
She smiled as his belt jingled and hit the floor with a thud.
“Don’t think I’ll ever leave you unsatisfied, love. You can have me whenever and wherever you want. On the dining room table with everyone sat down for dinner if you asked.”
“You’re terrible,” she teased.
“Not one of your fantasies then?”
“No!”
He threw his head back with a laugh. “I’m not one for onlookers either. But I think I would like to take you over to War’s empty room just to make a point.”
“Stop.”
“I’m joking. Somewhat.”
“You don’t need to rub it in. You already have me.”
“That’s right, I do. Open those pretty thighs for me.” He crawled back on top of her and her hands slid up his bare chest and around his neck. His lips crashed against hers as he gave her what she wanted.
His magic whispered along her skin, like extra hands kneading and stroking. She rolled her hips with him, gripped by his garnet eyes. He was so beautiful, and even if no one saw it, she did. Somewhere in his darkness was a heart and she felt it in the way he loved her—worshiped her.
His touch, his riveting, absolutely intoxicating touch, made her eyes roll back and she gently bit down on his shoulder, stifling a moan.
“No need to be quiet,” he murmured. “There are sound barriers in this room.”
So she wasn’t. She let every pleasure roll through her, sighing and moaning as he rocked his hips.
It was the high she needed from the agony of loss she had felt the days before.
Like soaring through the sky, his hands were the wind that whipped through her hair.
She drew her tongue across his throat tasting the salt of his skin, and he shuddered. “ Fuck ,” he muttered.
He pulled down the top of her nightdress to see her exposed breasts and his face melted in pleasure . I could come just by looking.
Shadows rose along her arms. Her powers were unruly when she was with Hel.
He made her lose all control, like he took it for his own.
His lips covered her body for what felt like hours.
She lost herself in him, in this moment.
There was nothing else, no problems, no loss, no one wanting her dead. Right now, there was nothing but Hel.
She hooked her ankles behind his hips. He suddenly lifted her off the bed, and he took her to the wall. He was both gentle with his kisses and like a violent storm. With her nails pressed into his flesh, he slammed his eyes shut. You’re making me lose control.
Lose it.
His runes started to glow as he kept driving into her until she shimmered like diamonds in sunlight cascading across her skin. She buried her face into his neck.
“Uh, you’re good. You’re so good.” She almost started laughing as her limp arms draped around his shoulders. “I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this for so long.”
He panted in her ear, still holding her tightly against the wall. “It’s like nothing else. No one has ever made me feel this way.” Then he pressed his forehead against hers. “I’ll never get over you.”