Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ALINA
Icould not keep from scrutinizing the interior of the spacious audience chamber we were shown into.
Everywhere I looked, color caught my eye, the grandeur worthy of any palace.
The floor was made of a combination of several types of precious wood, probably native to the forest that hugged the city on both sides.
The intricate mosaic showed colorful patterns of light on the impeccably clean and polished floor.
The walls were decorated with skillfully crafted glass panels.
The elongated windows invited more of the daylight and infused the artfully displayed glass designs in every possible way.
Along the walls stood the warriors, and knights of the white clan.
Each and every one of them had a standard blade attached to the hip, and leather armor that varied from light grey to chalk white.
The contrast between the white clan and the clan of the black dragons was astonishing.
Back in Darragh, warriors were free to modify their suits and choose any weapons to their liking.
In Alsaard, their defense looked nearly identical.
Silence filled the room as we stopped in the center. I could physically feel the tension in the air when Sage stepped closer to my side, as if preparing to shield me from an ambush. May’s gaze mirrored my own uncertainty. When our eyes met, she swallowed, looking down.
Tynan’s hair brushed against his cheek, as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword with his shoulders relaxed and a calm expression in his eyes.
He slowly scrutinized the platform with its elaborately decorated, empty chairs, as if already bored with the meeting.
I checked our bond and realized that underneath it all, he was nowhere near being calm. He was ready to fight.
Time moved slowly and yet, the old clan leader still had not come.
I could feel the atmosphere in the room getting more tense with every passing moment.
Someone right behind us shuffled his feet and Tynan’s head snapped in that direction.
The black warrior closest to me reached for his sword. It was getting bad.
Could that have been Rutherford’s plan all along? To hold us in a secluded room long enough until a fight broke out? Was it so that the white clan could claim that we were the ones who started it?
I took a deep breath and moved forward. I could feel the attention of the entire room on my back as I stepped up the stairs of the platform.
For a moment, the pristine, plush carpet in the brightest shade of crimson took my thoughts away as I stopped in front of one of the chairs.
But then I turned to face the crowd and the rows of warriors.
Tynan’s dark umber eyes locked on mine, shining with the deepest feeling that went straight through my flesh, to my heart and soul.
Slowly, he lowered himself on one knee, followed by the rest of the black clan.
I shifted my gaze from face to face of those who remained standing, until one after another, the white warriors took a knee, bowing their heads.
The whole room fell intensely quiet, and for the first time, I accepted the reverence without second thought.
Slowly I lowered myself to the throne, wrapping my fingers around the wooden armrests encrusted with gemstones.
My nails traced the stitching of the leather.
Tynan stepped toward me, his eyes never leaving mine.
I watched every move he made as blood rushed through my veins like liquid fire.
At that moment, everything around me disappeared.
If we were alone, I would have forced him down on the throne and straddled him until my overwhelming euphoria either subsided, or transformed into something else.
Out of nowhere, the memories of his hot lips tracing my spine filled my head, and a ravaging flame ignited my blood.
The way he made me feel was nothing I could ever take for granted.
Tynan stood beside the throne, facing the others, with his hand on his sword, black as a raven's wing.
“Such a great success!” Sage proclaimed as he finished his long and descriptive breakdown of what happened earlier in the throne room.
Tynan lifted his eyebrows, removing his sword.
Once I claimed Rutherford’s throne, we did not stay long in the auditorium.
If the old clan leader lacked the courage to meet us, then he will have to deal with the consequences.
As Sage explained it, everyone knew that his failure to appear had only shown his weakness, and his inability to protect his own people.
“Do you really think so?” I turned to Sage.
“Oh, milady. That move was, for lack of a better word, perfection in and of itself, as nearly all of your decisions.” Sage’s eyes lingered on my husband.
With the help of servants, who clearly had no idea who was in charge now, we were placed in a comfortable set of rooms with double doors separating the bedroom from a massive seating area.
There were multiple pieces of art on the walls set in golden frames, comfortable leather chairs and low side tables.
The gorgeous balcony doors were opened wide, showing the darkened sky lit with stardust. Soft, barely distinguishable, music made its way into the room.
“Alright. It's getting late. We need to rest.” Tynan walked Sage all the way to the door without further ceremony.
“I ordered dinner for you, and rest assured, someone is going to test all of your food. I will personally see to it. And I’m placing guards by the door. There’s nothing you need to be worried about.” Sage extended his neck, trying to catch my eye while Tynan attempted to shut the door in his face.
I remained standing where I was, watching Tynan carefully locking the door. The muscles on his shoulders and back flexed. I took a step closer as he turned. His eyes were enigmatic, dangerous, alluring.
Did he think that I undermined his authority? Was he mad? No, that wasn’t it.
I could feel him with every inch of my skin. Heat pooled deep down in my abdomen and I could not stop the blush that painted my cheeks.
Everything turned into an outpouring of emotions that finally gushed out, finding their long awaited release.
Our clothes were thrown to the floor and our bodies intertwined with desperate, overwhelming need.
His lips traveled up from my hip bones, making me crazed and craving for more.
I tugged on his hair, arching my back on the soft carpet.
Tynan’s lips slowly made their way up to my breasts but I could not wait any longer.
I pulled him on top of me, greedily taking his lips.
I was hungry for him, I was wild, unapologetic for what I wanted.
He gave me everything I so desperately needed; his burning, intense eyes, his skin on mine as he guided my hips.
I could not hold my gasps any longer. As I was about to fall, his hand found mine and our fingers intertwined.