Chapter 17
FINN
My magic burns away the darkness.
Golden fire is everywhere, consuming all the rot and decay. Instead of dwindling under the Void's oppressive magic, the fire strengthens. It steals power from the creature’s death magic and uses it as kindling to rage hotter.
The inferno burns through the meadow and beyond. I can feel my fire stretch through every hidden corner of the fairy realm and scourge the blight from the land.
Centuries of oppressed power just waiting to be released. There was no worthy cause other than burning it all to save Arden.
My blood still boils at the condition I found her in.
The delicate flesh of her leg scorched and blistered to the bone.
The dark bindings cutting into her delicate wrists and immobilizing her precious wings.
The acrid scent of her fear rose above the rot.
It had spurred me to act, to unleash my fire on the being that had killed my parents and stolen my birthright.
The reason I spent all those years without Arden. My mate.
Death for what the Void has done is a fitting punishment.
My beast agrees. Freed from his cage, he is no longer my adversary. Not a monster but the male I've always been.
He helps me guide my magic, spooling a protective circle around Arden to help her heal. His preternatural senses aid me in dodging the Void's attacks and deliver a series of devastating blows.
Fire eats away at the final dregs of the Void's magic. With the sun shining overhead, the creature screams as it withers. Sludge and steam rising from its writhing body. Claws shred at its face, and teeth snap together in pain.
In this new form, I can feel everything.
Colors are more vibrant, and my sense of taste and smell is heightened. I can pick up Arden's rose scent amongst the gore and death, and it steadies me. I feel her heart sliding against mine and the delicate brush of her soul.
Flames pour from deep within me and fly from my palms. A wall of fire encases the Void as it thrashes.
It does not beg for its life, and I would not grant a reprieve.
There are no words left to be said as I watch it sizzle and burn away.
The traces of darkness bleed from the land as their maker is devoured.
Centuries of death and oppression end with a flickering green flame and an echoing screech.
The Void is dead.
I watch the final kernel of its power blow out. Rot and decay give way to my flames as they purge the final tendrils. The darkness is gone.
Freed souls fly towards the sky as glittering stars. They thread through the rapidly growing trees and fresh blossoms. With the oppressive magic cleared away, Goldren reknits itself to its former glory.
Large birds fly through the sky. Rabbits and mice and foxes with glowing silver eyes peer from between the sprouting trees. A family of gold-streaked deer with eyes the color of opals scamper through the safe pasture and march up the pale steps of Sun Palace.
The castle will require work to be restored. Unlike the meadow, the damage to it is more invasive. There will be time for all of that later. My focus rests squarely on the Fairy Queen.
With the Void gone, Arden blossoms just like the rest of the realm.
My magic tangles with hers, swirling her in a glittering array of green and gold orbs. She was always beautiful, but more so now. Her skin glows like polished emeralds. Her eyes are the color of a blue-green pond.
Pink curls shine like the sky at dusk. Between the silken strands bloom blush-colored roses as verdant leaves sprout around her collar bones and upper arms. Starlight drips from her wings' edges as they flutter softly.
She is life itself—my life.
I stumble towards her as if there is a string around my middle. The wings at my back are an unfamiliar weight.
I flex them, kicking up a sun-scented breeze. My golden skin sparkles. I feel the press of my sharp teeth along my lip.
Arden's eyes are wide as I approach.
My flames pull back to reveal her. With much of my magic exhausted, there is a deeper well of it I can tap into. Raw power pulses through me like a current.
Arden's healing powers brush up against mine in a soothing caress.
Her eyes track down my chest to the top of my pants. I try and fail not to hold my even more ample muscles still under her curious gaze. My mate clearly likes what she sees as color swims in her cheeks.
A beautiful smile breaks out across her face.
"Finn!" she shouts, throwing herself into my arms.
I laugh as we stumble backward. She is stronger than before. Studier with her full power returned. More permanent. Mine.
Her seeking hands trace all over me, making my cock stir to life. I should will it calm down, but being hard around her seems to be my burden to bear for eternity.
Who am I kidding? It's not a burden at all. Nothing regarding Arden is anything less than wonderful.
Her eyes sparkle up at me as she cups my cheeks.
"You saved me," she breathes. "My realm. All of us."
Her fingers dig into my face. Strands of my hair thread between them.
"Why? You had your wish. You—"
I silence her by tugging on one of her soft curls.
"I made a promise to a very beautiful Queen that I'd destroy the Void. I had to keep my word."
The light dims in her eyes as she pulls back. My hands on her waist keep her from getting far.
There is no room for doubts or uncertainty between us. By the time we leave this clearing, Arden will understand exactly what she means to me—what she's always meant. Our bond couldn’t be separated by worlds and time.
The most impossible odds couldn't keep us apart.
My fingers dig into the soft fabric of her dress and bring her flush against my chest. Her hands curl between us as her lips part on a gasp.
"But more than anything, I couldn't abandon the female I love when she needed me most." I press my forehead against hers. "I used the wish to free my magic. To be strong enough to save you, Queenie."
Moisture fills her expressive eyes. Arden trembles between my palms. Her lips are close. Sweet breath bathes my mouth as I feel the hard press of her nipples against my chest.
I can scent the delicious state of her pussy.
I had been wrong about not wanting to be a fairy. With my enhanced senses, I can fully appreciate Arden’s loveliness. I feel her heart tangling with mine. The sweet taste of her pure soul glides thickly down my throat.
The golden threads of our bond wrap together tightly.
"Finn, I—"
"I feel you. In here," I murmur.
I place a hand over her racing heart before touching my chest. Her palm drapes atop mine.
"I feel you, too. Even when you were human and it seemed impossible. All this time. " Arden shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. If you wish to return to your home—to be human—I can transform you. By saving my realm, you are entitled to another wish. You are under no obligation to remain—"
I silence her with a kiss. Her soft lips respond immediately as my fingers trail up her spine and sink into her soft hair. Small hands trace over my chest muscles before blunt nails sink into my sides.
I taste her moan on my tongue.
When we break apart, she is breathless. Her eyes are glassy as I trace my thumb over her plump lower lip.
"You are my home. I never wish to be parted from you again," I declare. "I knew the moment I held my dagger to your throat you were meant to be mine."
Narrowing her eyes, her hands squeeze my sides.
"How charming."
I chuckle, kissing her plush mouth once more.
Her tongue glides against mine as I taste her fully. Groaning into her mouth, I deepen our kissing. My cock rages between us. Arden rubs against it, eliciting a snarl from my mouth. When I pull back, her eyes dance with amusement.
My hand gently swats her backside through her short dress.
"Naughty Queen."
Arden giggles up at me, and I wish to bottle the sound. I'll have years to listen to it. Centuries, forever. There is no end to our time together. I'll memorize every inch of her and never waste a moment.
Happiness wraps two hands around my heart and squeezes.
There is no space to mourn the past or seek vengeance over stolen time. The future is all that matters. With Arden by my side, I'll become the male I was always meant to be.
Not one who was cursed and ruled by fear. Who couldn't settle and was always seeking the next adventure.
If I'm lucky, the only thing I'll have to decide for the future is which position I want to take Arden in. We'll start with all of them. I have a lot of fucking to make up for the more than two centuries we were kept apart.
"What are we to do now?" she asks.
My grin deepens.
"Well, it seems impolite to forsake our betrothal for a second time."
The idea of calling Arden my wife makes a fresh wave of desire wash over me. I need that particular title more than the one I was born with.
As if she can read my thoughts, Arden's eyes turn knowing.
"Are you ready for that?" Her fingers shift through my hair. "Being King?"
The ruins of the Sun Palace sparkle behind her. There is a lot of work to be done for what was once my kingdom. It will take time to rebuild. I have no doubt it'll take me just as long, if not more time, to learn how to be a capable ruler.
The memories of who I am had been freed by the wish. They had provided necessary answers when it came to the lineage of my power, but more questions remained.
"One day at a time, Queenie. I've barely gotten used to being a fairy." I taste her lips in a chaste press. "Good thing, I've got a perfect Queen to learn from."
Her cheeks darken.
"I'm far from perfect, Finn."
I tip her chin up and trace over every detail of her gorgeous face. The quiet strength in her eyes couples with the soft heart hammering inside her chest. She is everything good and pure.
I may have the power of the sun, but Arden is my light. My world.
"You are to me. Perfect, beautiful, brave, demanding when my tongue is inside you—"
"Finn!"
She swats at my chest.
"You blush so beautifully, Queenie. I can't help it."
"How will I endure an eternity of your wicked mouth?" she asks.
"I have a feeling you'll change your tune when I use it to give you more orgasms."
Arden bites her lip.
"Your confidence knows no bounds."
"I know how to do many, many things well, Arden." I lean in until my lips curl against her arched ear. "Paramount among them is how to make my mate come."
A whimper falls from her mouth.
"You are mine, Arden."
I kiss her cheek.
"My heart."
I kiss her nose.
"My Queen. My mate."
My mouth finds hers, and I haul her up against me. Her thighs wrap around my waist, and my hands rest under her backside. Her wings splay behind her as she deepens our kiss. We are a battle of clashing tongues and teeth. She rocks against me, desperate for the release only I can give her.
"You're my mate, Finn. Mine forever."
Kissing along her jaw, I lick into the hollow of her throat. Arden shivers as her head falls back. My mouth trails lower, tasting the valley between her breasts.
"More, my love. Please," she begs.
"Do you need me, Queenie? Need me to pleasure your little cunt?"
"Yes, yes!" Her hand slides down my chest and tangles in the top of my pants. "I need you inside me, Finn."
It's my turn to groan as she roughly cups me. Gods—or Spirits, I should say—spare me. This is all I want. I've wanted her from the moment we met. Even still, I remove her hand.
She protests as I kiss her palm and meet her lust-filled gaze.
"I want to call you my wife before I claim your first time."
Her smile rivals the sun for brilliance.
"That can be arranged, Finn."
"In the meantime, take off your dress. I need to feast between your thighs before we make our journey back."
Arden giggles as she takes my mouth again.
"I love you," she breathes. "So much."
The words sink into my blood and burn into my bones.
I was always running before. At the time, I thought it was my need for adventure, but I understand what I spent all these years chasing.
It wasn't my freedom from my curse.
I was looking for her. My soul was spurring me towards its other half.
Our love transcends worlds, curses, and deadly creatures with oozing flesh. It is more powerful than fear and more certain than death.
"Do me a favor, Queenie."
"Anything."
My breath catches as she tosses the scrap of fabric away. Her naked flesh glows beneath my gaze. Liquid arousal glitters on her inner thighs.
"Scream my name loud enough for everyone at Glimmerveil to hear."
Her pink freckles gleam like stars.
"As you wish, my King."