Chapter 13 Ketheron #2
“That it is. But you are important to me.” He drew in a shuddering breath. “More so than even that.”
I choked. “What?”
“You heard me correctly. You have become the most important thing in my life. Above everything else. Creating this house for us is my way of conveying that… through action rather than merely words. Through proof.”
My throat went dry. My heart thumped almost violently against my chest. “I don’t understand. What about—”
“Being needed by the supernatural world?”
“Yes. That. And I wouldn’t ever ask you to give up your work. Not only is it vital to safeguard, contain, and—”
He grasped my hands. “Shh, treasure. I had a far more practical and enjoyable solution in mind.”
I arched an eyebrow.
“Your work at Haven Initiative has shifted. The children are now grown. The facility has evolved into a community where most of them have settled, save for a few who’ve scattered.
Things for you have moved from teaching and mentoring into a more supervisory role, which I’m aware you don’t particularly care for.
You’ve remained for the children themselves, because you enjoy their company.
And of course, so you can be around Ariana Martel as often as possible.
Cassius is a different story as you live with him and the family. ”
“How is this—”
“You are uncharacteristically impatient tonight,” he teased, tickling under my chin.
I snatched his wrist and held it between us. “And you’re building very slowly to something very big and life changing.”
“Yes, I suppose I am dragging my feet a little as a result of my nerves.”
“And my eagerness to hear it all and analyze every detail is making that impossible for you to continue with.”
“Yes. When we are both stressed and ill at ease, our different responses don’t really mesh well. Although, it does make for an amusing time, yes?”
I chuckled. “It really does.”
“So, my dear love, as I was saying, several of my apprentices are now ready to enter the field without my constant supervision. That will significantly reduce my time away. And even when I am needed to examine destabilizations to the balance, to see to rogue black magic users, other such disturbances, I would like you to accompany me. You enjoy teaching and also learning constantly, exploring new spellwork, magical interactions, possibilities… I have many apprentices who could do with a balance that your teachings fused with mine will bring to them. Your knowledge base is virtually unmatched.”
“I… goodness. Really?”
“Truly.”
I stared at him, mouth agape.
“How do you feel about that? I can ensure that you are still able to visit Haven, see the Celestials there, Ariana, and definitely also keep in proper touch with Cassius, Winter, and their family as I understand how much they mean to you. But I’d also like you and me to…
have our own separate life.” His eyes shone at me.
“For us to live and love together, Ketheron.”
I couldn’t contain my smile for the life of me. “Then with this house here… we would… I wouldn’t—”
“You wouldn’t be left alone here. You need care and company at all times. I am well aware of that. I wouldn’t have created this without being able to finally offer that to you.”
“Even before this recent destabilization to the balance where you had to take off for such a long time, you were working so much more than usual… was that to pave the way for this?”
“It was. I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t certain I could bring it about.”
“But you have.”
“I have.”
I threw my arms around him. “Yes.” I hugged him tightly to me, breathing in his tonka scent fused with the leather of his cloak. “Yes to all of it. Our work partnership. Moving into this incredible house together. Everything.”
He chuckled and tightened his hold around me. “Wondrous.”
We stayed that way for a while, basking in it, before he eased back to ask me, “Would you like to see our bedroom now?”
“Of course.”
I wanted to see everywhere. Every room. Every inch of this marvelous home he’d created all for us.
For the next stage of our life together.
Our forever life together.
He took my hand and led me upstairs.
A surprised cry escaped me as we reached the landing and I caught sight of images lining the walls, each held in golden frames the precise shade of my magic. The images themselves were spell-formed portraits of significant moments in our relationship.
Twenty years ago—Sylas taking me to the dark sands beach near the cove where one of Ambrose’s black magic protective zones was. We’d had our first interaction—since the Chimera Circle nastiness of course.
Eighteen years ago—Ambrose coming to Haven Initiative to ask for my expertise on a magical problem. He could have asked Cassius or Ariana, but he’d specifically come to me. It had marked the beginning of the friendship stage of our relationship.
Ten years ago—me taking him to Meforian Forest. We’d had a picnic there at the site of a big part of my heritage on my Celestial side.
He’d told me to embrace all that I was. I’d then confessed every single part of my Polygenus Entity makeup, something nobody else actually knew about, because I’d kept some things quiet.
Ambrose had shown no fear and he’d actually even helped me to explore which aspects of which species were a part of me, which abilities and powers I had and didn’t have.
Five years ago—enjoying our first date at Wistering Waterfalls, which had included another picnic.
I really loved those. And so did he. He needed the quiet, while I liked the simple and pure nature of it.
I’d found out that the landmark had actually been named after him, just with a slight variation of his last name.
It had been a tribute to him from centuries back when he’d rooted out a nasty sect of corrupted black magic users there and saved the whole village that had existed there at the time, including the four hundred people who’d lived there.
That fact hadn’t been in my research about the venue because Ambrose didn’t like notoriety, but when I’d mentioned the similarity to his name, he’d told me the story.
“I take it you approve?” he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes at the awed expression I knew I had all over my face.
“I love it so very much. It’s incredible,” I said, kissing our joined hands.
“Come, treasure. There is more to show you.”
We veered to the left and he brought us to a stop before a pair of black-wood arched doors with golden knobs.
He slid his hand from mine, then pushed them open with a dramatic flourish, and beckoned me on inside.
I crossed the threshold, but pulled up short just a few steps in at the marvelous sight.
“Remarkable,” I breathed.
It was more like a suite than just a room, with tall ceilings and windows dressed in black velvet drapery that fell in elegant lines.
Bedside sconces shaped like stars cast a soft glow over everything.
The rich scent of tonka, amber, and smoked vanilla coming from the many candles positioned around the room filled my senses. He knew how much I loved them.
Black diamond accents were inset into dark wood, the metalwork of the sconces, even along the seam of a long dresser sitting against the far wall that was a sleek matte black.
A shallow glass tray sat upon it with little trinkets and fidget toys I liked to tinker with, many of which I had just like it in my room at Glacialis Arx.
There were so many plants, all different species, lining the entirety of one wall.
Adjacent to that was a lovely seating area with a white plush sofa and two armchairs beside a bookshelf full of research volumes, some of my favorite books about locales throughout the supernatural world.
My breath caught when I saw two grimoires of his hovering in the center behind a veil of his magic.
He always kept his spellwork closely guarded, so to do this now, to put that on display in a shared space for me, for us, it was a profound thing.
And he knew how much I loved magical knowledge and research projects.
There was a mammoth sleigh bed with a dark frame and the headboard carved with lovely flowers, the sheets a deep gray and soft ivory.
I spun to him. “My gorgeous, this is unbelievable. I can’t quite convey what this means to me—the thoughtfulness, the effort, the care… thank you.”
“It was my true pleasure.”
I closed the distance between us and tugged him to me by his hips.
“Your reaction was worth every moment of its design and creation, treasure.”
He pushed against me, fondling my nape and making that tranquil sigh escape me. “I do adore it when you make those little sounds for me.”
I linked my arms around his neck as what he was saying, and the look in his eyes shifting, had me realizing something that had escaped me earlier. “You brought me up here for more than just a tour. It was a… sexual proposition?”
“It was. If you wish for it. Otherwise, we could make dinner together. I designed the kitchen to your liking, based on how you move around a kitchen and approach preparing food in a very adorably specific way.”
I pushed Ambrose’s hood down, revealing his wavy white hair.
Then I fisted my hands in his robe and tugged him toward the bed.
“I wish to get lost in you, my gorgeous.”
“Mmm. Wish about to be granted, treasure.”
His eyes hooded.
And then he was on me, knocking me onto the bed, our mouths clashing with unbridled passion unleashed.
I awoke to the wonderful sensation of my gorgeous stroking my bare back.
I smiled to myself as I felt his leg flung over my thigh, his other hand cradling my head.
All over me essentially.
Just the way I adored and delighted in waking up to with him.
Although… as I became more cognizant, I noticed something was actually different.
His pulse was pounding.
He was… distressed?
I turned suddenly in his arms to face him, accidentally employing my supernatural speed in my worry.