Twenty-Five
Aeryn
The next morning, Nox took me to visit Raina. I”d asked to see her last night, but after our return, Lorne reported she had asked for a sleeping draught and wouldn”t be able to wake for a while.
After traveling down a quiet passage, my attention caught on the heavy black door at the end of the hall, covered in runes. “Glyphs?”
“Yes,” Nox answered without elaborating.
Beside the door, Saxon, sat in a chair reading a small book. Nox had been vague when I asked more about the male before we left our rooms, but had shared Saxon was part light fae and could be trusted implicitly with Raina”s safety.
Saxon had the same golden skin tone as Astrid, but his long mane was a silvery ash instead of the yellows or other sunset colors many light fae had inherited. Today it was pulled back into a thick braid.
The sides were shorn and markings could be seen through the cropped hairs. It made him look like the kind of warrior you don”t want to come across on the battlefield.
He rose elegantly, setting the book on the seat and bowing respectfully. “Lady Raina is awake, Your Majesty.”
“Knock off the formal shit, Sax. There”s no one else down here.”
The male lifted a shoulder. “I take joy where I can find it, my friend. Nettling you gives me joy.”
Nox ignored Saxon”s words. “Anything else to report?”
“Liam stayed down here all night.” Saxon pointed to the corner, across from his chair, where the hall made a sharp turn into another passage.
“Right there. Stayed sitting up, didn”t close his eyes. I”m not sure he even blinked. I told the fool to go to his quarters but he insisted he was where he was needed. He did nothing other than sit so I let him be.”
Nox”s tongue ran along his upper teeth. “I”ve yet to decide what to do with him. Maybe a visit to the Duersians will help him pull his head out of his ass.”
“I believe they”re more likely to sever his head and then shove it up his ass. Permanently.” Saxon wasn”t laughing when he spoke.
“Probably.”
Saxon glanced at me. “Are you both going inside?”
“Yes,” I answered before Nox.
The male nodded and went over to the door. His palms emitted a low-level of power and several of the runes disappeared. A growl came through the thick wood, from inside the room.
A creature”s growl.
“Open it!” I ordered, reaching for my baast. She huffed sarcastically and ignored me, which only compounded my alarm.
“Saxon,” Nox sighed. “Tell me I”m not going to see what I think I”m going to see when you open that door.”
“Why are you both acting so calm?” I snapped.
“It”s not what you think, kitten. Raina”s not in danger.”
Saxon pretended he hadn”t heard either of us, focusing on slowly opening the door. I rushed in then came to a quick halt.
What in the gods” names was I seeing?
“Could someone tell the son of Lugh to get control of his mutt?”
The question came from somewhere on the other side of an enormous, muscular hound, standing sideways over Raina”s supine body.
Her feet poked out from under its belly, one boot on, the other on its side, like she”d been putting them on and was knocked backwards—or knocked out of them considering the size of the many-hued behemoth.
The hound”s red eyes tracked Nox coming up behind me. It barked, almost like a friendly greeting for my mate, then narrowed its eyes back on me.
“Fermac, be nice,” Saxon told the canine. “This is Nox”s mate, not an intruder.”
It tilted its head as though it understood. Something like a sigh came out of its muzzle and I could have sworn it rolled its eyes.
“Move, mongrel.” The order came from the ground.
“Lady Raina, you know Fermac was only trying to protect you.”
“Could someone tell the son of Lugh I don”t give a shit?”
Saxon smirked, looking at me. “Apparently she”s decided not to speak directly to me or use my given name. Which wounds me greatly as we used to be the best of friends.”
If he wasn”t fae I wouldn”t have believed him. Wait …
“Did you say the son of Lugh?” I asked Raina.
“I did. And before you ask, yes, the god of the sun is Saxon”s father.”
My eyes rounded. “You”re a god?”
“The son of one,” he said nonchalantly. “My mother was half fae, half human. Fermac, get your ass over here.”
I had so many questions, but now wasn”t the time.
The dog, if he could even be called such a thing, trotted over to Nox who patted his head affectionately. Then he bumped his head against my thigh, something he had to lower his head to do.
“He won”t bite you,” Nox assured.
Warily, I looked down at Fermac. His irises had faded to a champagne gold with fractures of navy. His short fur was a mosaic of various-sized patches of white, black, and blue-grey.
He licked my hand and left his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. It made Fermac look like a two-hundred pound puppy.
“Is he making sad eyes on purpose?” I asked incredulously, more curious than afraid.
“Yes,” Saxon answered on his way over to Raina. He held out his hand. “Apologies for his behavior. He was told to protect you and he takes such orders very seriously.”
Raina took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. “I know. But he”s stayed within inches of me the entire time. I think he has codependency issues. But thank you, anyway.”
He inclined his head then retreated, saying, “We”ll leave you to it. Door open or closed, Nox?”
“Closed.”
The odd pair exited and left us to speak with Raina. I hoped she would agree to Nox”s offer.
“Are you sure we need to keep her in there?” I asked on our way back up to the main level.
“It”s only for another hour or so, until Lorne can gather her things. Plus Saxon removed the nullifying glyphs. It”s best to keep her out of sight until she departs. The wounds are too fresh from yesterday.”
Nox was right. Raina could handle herself but I didn”t want her to be forced into any situation where she would have to defend herself. Though, ensuring she wouldn”t run into Liam was for the best.
Luckily, she”d accepted the offer.
I was giving her my cottage in Greenhollow to live in. It wasn’t much, but it was far away from all the drama and she could have time to herself before figuring out what came next.
Raina wasn”t ready to return to Snowfall Manor, her family’s estate. Nox didn”t think it was safe there and Raina had agreed.
Most likely, there were other conspirators still alive. He wanted to thoroughly search the mansion and the grounds, which would take time.
He offered to clear out the property and ward it while Raina was in Greenhollow. He told her she could return to her home whenever she was ready.
Raina told him to burn it to the ground. Taken aback, he decided to simply hold the property for the time being.
I wondered if she’d have burned it herself if I’d mentioned some of what I’d picked up from Portia.
The bitch was dead and would never hurt Raina again, so Nox and I decided it would be best to not twist the knife already planted in her heart. Her parents had hurt her enough already.
“Stop worrying.” Nox pulled me out of my thoughts. “The soldiers I sent to Greenhollow will stay there. A few of them are actually enjoying the village.”
“You mean they”re enjoying some of the single females in the village.”
Nox laughed. “That, too.”
When we reached the large foyer, I turned towards the wing that led to our quarters. Nox grabbed my hand.
“This way, kitten. I have something to show you.”
“Oh. Alright.”
We walked past the grand hall and down to a room I”d studiously avoided even looking at when walking past it—the throne room.
We’d been in here before, for one of the trials. It wasn’t a place I’d hoped to visit again.
“You”re not going to make me sit on the throne, are you?”
“Not today,” he smirked.
The heavy doors opened with a creak and we stepped inside. It was the same as I remembered, yet this time I actually paid attention to its details.
If it was important to Nox, I’d better make it important to me.
Intricate carvings adorned the dark grey walls that glowed with a soft white light, courtesy of the ornate chandeliers hanging above.
Kaleidoscope flooring of indigo and silver covered the space like an ocean of stars. A wide, deep blue carpet ran from the entrance to the top of the dais at the far end of the room.
Atop the dais stood an impressive throne made entirely out of solid silver and deep blue gemstones surrounded by four obsidian pillars that seemed to hold up the very heavens.
Nox led me towards a small alcove on the left side of the room, where a glass case rested on a pedestal. Inside the case was a necklace, the likes of which I had never seen before.
The platinum-colored metal was studded with black jade and diamonds that glittered brilliantly in the light. And in the center of the necklace was a large, heart-shaped ruby that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
“What is this?” I asked in awe.
“It”s the Heart of the Fae,” Nox said reverently. “Legend has it, it was created by the first Fae King for his wife. It”s said to hold immense power and is only to be worn by a true queen, pure of heart and fiercely courageous.”
I looked at him in surprise. “And you have it?”
“No,” he said with a small smile. “I keep it safe. But I wanted you to see it. To know that you are worthy of wearing it, if you so choose.”
I didn”t know what to say. I wasn”t sure if I was ready for that kind of responsibility. But the necklace called to me in a way that was hard to ignore. It was like a magnet and I was the metal.
“Aeryn, I give you this necklace as a symbol of my devotion and of my faith in you.”
Tears filled my eyes as I looked at the necklace again. It was beautiful, but it was the meaning behind it that made it priceless.
“Nox, I don”t know what to say.”
“You don”t have to say anything, kitten. Just know that I have zero doubts.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Nox nodded, his eyes gleaming with pride. “You already possess all the qualities of a true queen. Courage, strength, and a pure heart. You just need to believe it.”
I smiled at him, my baast purring, as happy as I was to have found this male. But as much as I appreciated the sentiment, I wasn”t sure if I”d ever feel comfortable wearing it.
We left the throne room and made our way back to our quarters, where we spent the rest of the afternoon in each other”s arms, forgetting the outside world existed.
Nox and I found solace in the cocoon of our lovemaking. The events of the past days seemed distant as we reveled in the simple joy of each other”s company.
Feeling so connected to him eased the pain of Sofiya’s decision to return home. I knew I’d see her, but it would never be the same.
Then, the decision to shelter Raina in Greenhollow and the revelation of the Heart of the Fae had left me contemplating the weight of responsibility and the depth of trust Nox had placed in me. The scars of my recent challenges began to fade, replaced by the healing balm of his touch.
As the moon ascended, casting a gentle glow through the windows of our shared sanctuary, Nox whispered words of reassurance and promises for the future.
Eventually, I was awarded a brief respite. When I exited the bathroom, my insatiable mate pounced. I found myself pinned, bent over the arm of the sofa.
As he pistoned in and out of me from behind, at the height of an erotic—and patently unromantic—moment, he shocked the hell out of me.
“Gods how I fucking love you,” he gritted, swelling, nearing his climax.
Unable to process his declaration, my limbs locked in a stupor.
“Oh no you don”t,” he said threateningly, reaching around my hip and pinching my clit. “You don”t get to question my love,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear.
My body went electric and I arched back against him. Feminine muscles clenched around his cock, pulling him deeper, as jolts of ecstasy wrought a hoarse scream from my mouth.
“That”s my naughty queen,” he praised excitedly, pounding into me and finding his own completion while continuing to laud me with lewd phrases.
I couldn”t help but laugh, a mix of shock and awe. Nox withdrew and spun me around, picking me up so we were eye level.
“You laugh?” he grinned slyly. “I declare my love for you and you laugh?”
This time I cackled, unable to stop myself. His eyes narrowed and I wrapped my limbs around his big frame.
“I”m sorry,” I panted. “You caught me off guard and I thought you”d meant to say that you loved fucking me but it accidentally came out as you fucking loved me.”
“Do not question my love, little menace. I meant what I said.”
Suddenly, it didn”t seem so funny.
Nox carried me back towards the bathroom.
“Where are we going?”
“To the shower, where I”m going to show you that I not only fucking love you, but I also love fucking you.”
We were silent as he worked the shower and stepped inside with me still in his arms. I kissed his neck, the smell of his skin mingling with the scent of sex.
“I love fucking you,” I admitted sheepishly under the spray.
Nox”s shoulders shook. “Yes, I came to that same conclusion after the first dozen or so rounds of driving into your deliciously tight cunny.”
I pushed my face into his shoulder, both turned on and totally embarrassed. What was I supposed to say to that? My baast nudged me from within.
Oh, hell.
Lifting my face, I found the courage to look him in the eye. “And …” my voice shook with a mixture of emotion and arousal. “I fucking love you, too.”
He smiled triumphantly, swooping down to take my mouth. Instead of impaling me as I”d assumed he would, he merely held me tight and drew out our kiss.
The warmth of his embrace under the hot water and the familiar scent of his skin surrounded me, making me feel like the queen he saw within me. In that moment, all the doubts and uncertainties melted away, replaced by this all-consuming thing between us.
“I”ll do anything to keep you Aeryn, to make you happy,” he spoke in that magical whispery voice.
“And I you. Well, no, actually,” I shook my head.
“Pardon?”
“No high heels. Anything else, but not the heels. I have to draw the line somewhere.”
Nox sighed dramatically but his hand swatted my behind playfully. “Even if I begged?”
My head slanted, imagining it. “I”ll consider it.”
We were both still laughing when he decided to take me against the shower wall.
Later, much later, as we embraced the night, I couldn”t help but believe that this was only the beginning of something wonderful.