Chapter 11 Rhianelle
Aremnant of the curse narrowly escaped Lulu’s clutches. It’s a shame I had to banish him back to Astefar. He kept wanting to eat the human. Soggy leaves and acorns crunch beneath my feet, and I know we’re not far from an entrance.
“It’s just a little farther,” I whisper to Svenn.
He is still in a bit of a daze after our escape.
I wrap my hand around his elbow tighter, terrified they might try to take him away from me again.
My concussion must be getting better because I no longer hear him in my head.
It’s a shame. I love the sound of his voice.
Moonlight streams through a hole several feet above us.
“Our way out!” I yelp a little too excitedly. I squeeze Svenn’s hand and peek up at him.
Gods and the Un help me, this human is attractive…
My heart dips at the sight of the taut muscles lining his back and shoulders. Every inch is defined and chiseled to perfection. He reminds me of the statues of Kvatosh, the god of war. Look at me drooling over him like a fool.
Keep it together, I shake my head to focus.
The roof is high but with enough blessing from Falkar, I can gather the strength to lift Svenn, then jump out myself. I quickly kneel on the ground in front of him.
“So, here’s how we do this. Step here, and I’ll hoist you up,” I tell him, offering my hand.
Svenn stares at me and my waiting palm uncertainly. I know my small physical appearance is unconvincing.
“Trust me. I can easily boost you up there.” I give him a smile of encouragement and tap his shin.
He doesn’t move. I let out a long exhale.
“Look, I’m trying to get you out of here,” I say, glancing up at him.
He gently runs his hand over my hair instead of doing what I told him.
I want to complain, but this feels really sweet.
He tugs on the roots, and I almost lose myself in the sensation until my eyes spontaneously wander to his groin—in line directly in front of me.
Oh wait—heavens above.
I quickly lurch to my feet from the compromising position. Before I can steady myself, he suddenly pins me to the cavern wall. My pulse spikes as he cages me in. I realize now, I’m not the only one who finally has a clear view of the other in this new light.
Svenn focuses sharply on my elongated elven ears. They must seem strange to humans. Most mortals don’t even know of our existence. He raises his hand to study my ear curiously.
Warm tingles spread to every inch of my body at the touch. My breathing suddenly comes out harsh and uneven.
“It’s harmless. I’m not a threat,” I say to reassure him. I force myself to remain still, so I don’t startle him. I can’t have him running away in this labyrinth, not when there is a demon on the loose.
He draws closer, his dark eyes growing more curious.
I bite my bottom lip when he starts toying with the crest between his fingers.
A strange warm, slippery feeling flows inside of me.
I don’t know what is happening. My breasts grow tender, and a needy ache throbs at the center of me.
I try telling my body to stop responding this way, but it’s not listening to me.
“Svenn,” I breathe his name, unsure if I’m resisting or leaning into his hand.
He cups the back of my neck, steering me closer to him.
I suck in a shaky breath when he plants his lips over the side of my throat.
His lazy kisses travel all the way to my ear, leaving shivers in their wake.
There is no way in hell I can keep enduring this.
I’m not sure if I’m even breathing when his tongue swipes over my delicate lobe.
My nerves buzz with exhilaration with every slow, playful stroke.
If he keeps teasing me like this—a high-pitched sound leaps out from my throat. I nearly lose the ability to stand. This is too much for me to handle.
“Stop, please,” I say, finally having the strength to shake my head. He ceases immediately, but those curious eyes remain plastered over me. That moan was so embarrassing. I must seem like a weird, horny bunny to him.
“You and me…up there. Get it?” I say, a little breathlessly.
He slides a hand around my waist, lifting me into his arms. Our difference in size suddenly becomes more apparent. I feel tiny when he’s carrying me like this.
“What are you doing?” I panic.
The scream barely makes it out of my throat when he leaps to the surface above. I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck.
Heavens help me.
I’m so scared of crashing down. But his movement is smooth and graceful. It feels like we are flying. The gentle night wind brushes my face as he lands on the ground.
How in the world did he make that jump? He has to be a warrior among his kind. I take a slow, steadying breath the moment he sets me on my feet. My heartbeat turns erratic when I look up at Svenn. I had a glimpse of his face in the dimness of the cavern but nothing prepared me for this.
He is utterly devastating.
The moonlight highlights his chiseled jaw and every inch of his sharp features. His hair is like the different shades of night merged together. There is this untamed beauty about him that simply takes my breath away.
His light pale skin is the only reminder that he was imprisoned in the cold, dark dungeon. He must be starving.
“I’ll get you something to eat soon,” I promise. I brush a wayward strand of hair from his face. Now, I have the strangest urge to bury the rest of my fingers in his thick, dark hair.
Svenn does one of his sudden embraces again. It feels nice to be hugged so snugly like this. He is holding me like he doesn’t plan on ever letting me go. I close my eyes and bask in the warmth of his body against mine.
“I know. I know,” I whisper, stroking his back repeatedly. My eyes begin to water. “I thought we weren’t going to make it out of that horrid place.”
But we actually did it.
The rumble in his chest sounds a whole lot like a purr. His hand sweeps over my tailbone and lower. A small gasp escapes my lips. There is nothing innocent in his touch this time. There are no words to convey how much I want him in this moment, but this isn’t fair to Svenn.
Even if I’m just an elfling among my kind, I am still sixty-eight years old. He’s a na?ve young mortal, vulnerable and disorientated from his imprisonment. No matter how I see it, I am taking advantage of him. The guy is probably grateful I released him from his captivity.
“Stop—”
He releases me reluctantly, pulling back. An amused look plays on his face.
“We probably shouldn’t do that,” I say, shivering from the loss of warmth.
The muscles in his square jaw tick, fighting a smile. I think he can tell how much I want him.
“Let’s go and find the others,” I say quickly, trying hard not to look at him.
My eyes scour over the desolate green clearing around us. An abandoned structure that appears to be some kind of temple looms nearby.
“We’ll have a better view from there.” I decide for us. The inner sanctum of the building has completely perished. Nothing about the ruined shrine suggests that there is a deeper labyrinth down below. Svenn falls into step beside me as I climb the stone steps to the roof.
A stark sense of unease grips me over the five slabs of boulders that look like seats—thrones—and the black stone altar in front of them.
“This is not a place of worship,” I mutter to myself. There’s nothing holy about it at all. I run my hand over the glyphs on the time-worn stone.
“More warnings,” I say, suppressing the dread edging my voice. “Something is just not right.”
The Ashmedai is nowhere in sight, but there’s this constant sense of looming danger I can’t quite shake.
Fear reignites in my chest. I quickly look at Svenn to make sure he is safe. He has settled back into his usual watchful quiet. His gaze is fixed on a large stone slab near the thrones, covered with strange glyphs and a raven symbol. I’ve never seen such grief in a person’s eyes.
“Are you alright?” I ask softly.
His strong shoulders whirl on me.
“You’re safe with me.” I raise my hand to touch his face. He leans his head on my palm, his breath coasting my skin. His dark eyes are filled with such palpable heat that it startles me. They roam over me in a slow study, stripping me bare. Liquid fire unfurls in my belly in response to his stare.
A deep yearning rises in me to taste his lips again. That rock back in the cavern must have hit my head hard earlier. I’m suddenly craving forbidden things.
As someone bound to the crown, I’ve resigned myself to a life of service. But for the first time in a long time, I feel like myself again. I desire something just for me. It’s selfish but I want to stay with him just a little while longer.
I rise to my toes to kiss him.
Svenn goes still and rigid. A heartbeat later I feel his hand on the small of my back, pulling me closer.
His tongue slips over the seam of my lips, deepening the kiss until I am breathless.
I have been kissed before, but not in the way this man is devouring me.
It’s like I’m the air he needs to survive.
It’s all happening too fast. We just met, in a dungeon of all places. Another stroke of his tongue against mine decimates every clear thought in my head. My hand tangles in his hair, desperate for more of him.
I listen to the little shudder in his breath as we part, his hands trembling with need. They move from my waist to my thigh, cupping my backside to lift me. I wrap my legs around his middle.
This moment is perfect. It’s probably the brain injury speaking but nothing has ever felt so right.
Svenn carries me to the flat stone slab, laying me gently. He gives me a soft, slow kiss as he drapes himself over my body, his weight pressing down on me on the granite stone.
I move from his mouth to press frantic kisses on the underside of his jaw. This man has stoked a fire that I didn’t know existed in my heart. I feel the evidence of his raging desire through the thin fabric of my cloak. The anticipation for what’s coming is almost too overwhelming.
“Tell me what you like, Svenn.” I trace the muscles of his chest with my fingers, loving the way he quivers beneath my touch. A feral growl escapes his throat at my teasing. This is my revenge for what he did to my ear.
“Now we’re even.” I smile, but it quickly fades as I look at him.
There is something primal about his looks as he gazes down upon me. I should be the one with the upper hand here, but right now I feel like a rabbit caught in the claws of a hungry beast. I must be a prey with a death wish as I toss away the armor off my body.
My blood hums with desire when his hand slips underneath my blazer to cup my breast, teasing the already hardened nipple between his fingers.
A breathy moan escapes my lips, and he relishes at the sound.
I don’t really understand it, but every part of my body feels oddly sensitive.
His mouth finds its way to the hollow of my throat.
I feel the gentle scrape of his teeth on my skin, sending delicious tingles all over my body.
His hips move in between my legs, rocking back and forth as he kisses me. I’m strung tight, squirming beneath him as the pleasure intensifies. I can’t help but grind my hips shamelessly against him to ease the building ache. His responding grunt sets my toes curling.
“Rhianelle,” he utters my name like the most reverent prayer to a goddess.
I feel so wanted and beautiful right now that I almost cry.
This man is worshipping my body on a literal altar.
His movement paces faster and he suddenly grips my waist, pressing his massive erection directly against my core.
Heat rushes into my veins, spiraling into an inferno.
I let my head fall back as pleasure contorts through my body, clenching and seizing every muscle.
My eyes shutter as I lose myself to the sensation.
That was too quick.
It’s almost embarrassing how he makes me come so effortlessly. Svenn pulls back a little, a corner of his lips tugging into a smirk.
But this is not nearly enough.
“I want more,” I say, nuzzling his neck.
It’s greedy but I want all of him. I want all these layers between us gone. I want him so badly, I’m feral for it. He whispers something in my ear, his voice guttural and urgent with need. There’s something akin to desperation in his eyes.
Whatever he’s asking, my answer is yes. I drag my hands down his powerful, muscled back, gripping him like a coveted treasure. This man is going to drive me wild.
A tumultuous roar shatters through the silence of the night. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach.
The Ashmedai is here.