Chapter 26 #2
With a groan, I slipped the lingerie on. It fit nicely. The fabric was soft. The lace cups were see-through—my nipples embarrassingly visible. The dress was form-fitting and left little to the imagination, but after the day I’d had, all I cared about was being clean and comfortable.
With my small blanket wrapped around my chest, I headed back to our camp.
To my surprise, Titus had set up two tents. I didn’t know if I should be grateful or offended. My head hurt. I had no idea what the fuck I wanted. Titus was finishing up with his tent.
“Do you want some help?” I asked. “I could… start a fire?” He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Seriously?”
Then he nodded to the space between the tents, and a healthy bonfire appeared along with a thick blanket spread beside it.
Right. That was dumb.
I struggled to keep myself covered as I sat near the fire. When I covered my chest, my ass hung out. When I covered my ass, my nipples threatened to slip free.
“I don’t suppose you have an extra shirt I can sleep in?” I asked.
He joined me at the fire and handed me a shirt, plus a wrapped cloth with bread, cheese, dried meats, and grapes.
“Thanks,” I muttered. “Well?” he prompted.
I frowned. “Well, what?”
“Are you going to put it on?” he asked, mischievous. I scoffed. “I will. Just not in front of you.”
“You’re no fun. I’m going to wash up,” he said.
“Drax—keep an eye on her for me,” he commanded as he headed toward the lake.
Draxxinar lowered his colossal body and curled behind the tents, forming a protective ring around our entire campsite.
I waited until Titus was far enough away, then pulled the linen long-sleeve on over the lingerie. It was soft and lush, and it carried his scent—smoke and pine.
I inhaled it and my eyelids dimmed on their own. It was perfect.
I sat, draped the blanket over my thighs, and nibbled at the food, letting the warmth soothe my aching legs.
After a while Titus had returned and— Oh, sweet Jesus.
I coughed, nearly choking on a grape.
He was shirtless, wet skin glistening in firelight.
His damp hair was darker, hanging in tighter waves below his brow.
Droplets ran down the deep lines between his chiseled muscles.
He wore only a thin gray towel around his waist, wrapped so low I could see the infamous V of muscle peeking above it.
My mouth watered at the thought of tracing my tongue in the lines of those muscles.
He sat beside me and smiled, devilish. “I liked the red better,” he said.
All the blood drained from my face. He’d seen me change— through the damn bonfire!
How could I have been so stupid?
I didn’t know he could gaze into any fire. I’d thought it was just in the castle.
“You perv,” I scoffed, nudging his shoulder.
It did nothing. He didn’t even budge—like punching a statue.
I wasn’t pleased he’d invaded my privacy, but it was hard to stay mad at a fire god. Especially when he was the sexiest male I’d ever seen, and we were alone.
The forest hummed around us. The fire crackled. The stars hung low and bright.
I wanted to soak in the beauty of the Faerie Realm at night, but Titus was nearly naked beside me and stealing all my focus.
I hated the effect he had on me—how his eerie amber eyes promised both pleasure and danger. Worse, I hated how much that excited me. He was calculated chaos and reckless intelligence, a toxic drug I couldn’t put down.
He made me feel so... fucking... alive.
He lit my world on fire with just three words: You are mine.
They kept replaying in my mind.
I shouldn’t like possessiveness this much. Why was I drawn to toxic men? Probably my shitty childhood. I knew that. And yet I had so little control over myself.
I was going to need a lot more therapy after leaving this place… if I left. Christ, what did I want for myself?
My thoughts cut off when Titus spoke.
“I took her pain away,” he said, staring into the fire. “What?” I asked, shaken from my thoughts.
“Prisca. I took her pain away when Drax killed her.” He paused. “Despite what you may think, I’m not a complete monster.”
My heart dropped. He thought I saw him as a monster? He was far from perfect, but a monster?
Sure, he’d publicly murdered his sister, but at least he’d had enough compassion to make it painless. Also—side note—he could take pain away?
“I don’t think you’re a monster, Titus,” I said, studying his profile.
His lips pressed into a line, like he refused to believe me.
I continued, “Impulsive? Maybe. Could benefit from anger management? Probably. But definitely, not a monster.”
I placed my hand on top of his.
Instant heat surged. An invisible current ebbed and flowed between our joined hands. Why was I so drawn to him? There
was a strange pull to the High Lord, one that I could not put into words.
“You don’t find me the villain in your story?” he asked, his voice heavy with regret.
“I don’t think anyone is entirely one thing,” I said. “There are some really fucked-up things you do and allow to happen… but there’s good in you too.”
He pinched his eyes shut. His fingers squeezed mine slightly, but he didn’t speak.
Just then, faint children’s laughter drifted from the forest.
Hundreds of small, twinkling orbs—every color—flickered and danced toward us.
The laughter grew louder. Giggles and belly laughs, hundreds of them.
It startled me.
Titus saw me tense. “It’s okay. They’re just Whisplings.
Harmless.”
They zipped and swirled around us, always bunched together— until one broke away. A singular, twinkling red orb landed on our joined hands.
It was beautiful.
I stared at the tiny creature with wide eyes and a soft smile. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this mattered, this tiny creature was significant somehow.
Titus shooed it away. “Annoying little things.”
“No,” I whispered, smiling. “I think they’re beautiful.”
I watched the red orb rejoin the swarm. “Bye,” I mouthed under my breath.
Then I studied Titus again.
“I wanted to thank you again for healing me… twice,” I said. “I forgot you could do that. So you’re a healer like Gleeda and Aurelius?”
He flinched—subtly—at the Dragon Master’s name.
“All High Lords can heal simple things. Think of it as first aid,” he said. “But only descendants of ancient blood—like Gleeda—are high healers. Aurelius bears the mark of ancient blood with his silver hair, but his healing ability is only that of a High Lord.”
For the first time, it felt like he was truly opening up. I believed every word.
“The Lithovore said she trusted me because I was a child made of ancient blood,” I said. “What is that?”
Titus’s face paled.
His eyes widened, pupils shrinking as he whipped toward me and jerked his hand back. He went very still, eyes shifting like he was piecing together a puzzle.
“What? Is it bad?” I asked, suddenly scared.
He blinked like he snapped out of panic, exhaled, then shook his head.
“No,” he said.
“Just… explains a lot.”
He interlaced his fingers and pressed them to his mouth, elbows on his knees.
And just like that, the window of transparency between us slammed shut.
But I wanted answers. The very thought of having relatives— family—filled me with aching longing.
“Am I related to Aurelius and Gleeda somehow?” I asked. “Titus, come on. You can’t say something like that and not tell me.”
He sighed, then finally spoke. "It's a long story." "You're immortal, you have time." I said dryly.
He gave me a defeated look and stared into the flames. “In the beginning of time, before the Fae, humans, and shifters, there was only one realm: the realm of angels. They were the first species to exist. The Creator ruled the angels, naming four to be Archangels, to enforce peace and order.”
“For many years they did, and they were given a new species as a reward: dragons.”
“The God Dragons?” I interjected.
“Precisely. Four God Dragons for four Archangels.”
He continued. “One Archangel—the most loved by the Creator— became consumed by his power. He turned away and persuaded many angels to revolt. The Creator, furious and heartbroken, ripped a hole through time and space and banished the traitor and his followers to the lowest part of existence.”
“With the evil banished, the angels lived in peace for eons. But over time they became bored and restless. Worried about another revolt, the Creator added new life to enrich their lives. Humans, Fae, shifters, and many other lesser forms like sprites and animals were created to expand the realm.”
“The remaining three Archangels were instructed to use their God Dragons to maintain peace. Over time, many angels grew jealous and wanted the beautiful creatures for themselves.”
“The Creator decided to make a less powerful dragon species for the rest of the angels—like the fire dragons back home.”
“But the imbalance of power among the Fae, humans, shifters, and angels caused so much suffering that the Archangels lost control, and the species went to war.”
“The Creator became furious at the pointless death and suffering. Realms were torn into the universe—one for each species—separating them by power level, and all channels between them were closed.”
He paused, then said, “The Creator became enraged with the remaining three Archangels because they were too busy interbreeding with other species and had failed to maintain order once again.”
“The God Dragons were taken away, but the Creator did not have the heart to destroy them. Knowing their power was too dangerous, they were split up and hidden among the realms in a deep sleep.”
“The three Archangels were banished into a sub-existence to guard and maintain the divided realms for all eternity, without living among creation.”
“Those three, imprisoned Archangels are the Guardians of the Realms.”
I swallowed.
Holy shit, this lined up perfectly with what I had read in the library.
“Okay… but what does that have to do with ancient blood?”