Chapter Twenty four #2
“Change my appearance. I’m not ready to leave yet.
” Something in my heart told me I wasn’t talking about standing on his balcony, either.
His confession had diffused a little of my hatred.
Darce may have helped cause my mother’s death, but it hadn’t been entirely his fault.
Feeling his dark magic caress my body as he changed me back into dark Noxlin features, I held in a groan.
His magic wasn’t too unlike how his soft shadows felt when he was bringing me to climax.
“You can stay as long as you wish,” Darce whispered, brushing my hair behind my shoulder with his hand. His fingers lingered on the bottom of my neck, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. “Forever, if that is even possible.”
“After I allow you to take me back home, I...I...think I would like to come back. To learn about Eallarim for myself, with your guidance, of course.”
“The thought that you would even allow me to try and redeem myself...” Darce stopped, taking my hands in his. “I am still that same male from The Shielding Valley. I know you can’t see him right now, but I would give anything to have you look at me the way you used to.”
“Whatever was between us is impossible now.”
“Don’t say that.” Pulling me towards him, his hand cupped my face. “It pains me that you can give up on us so easily.”
“Darce, you’re the Noxlin prince and I’m the Dylin princess.
Our dynamics were difficult without our royal bloodlines in the equation.
Each of our races’ bloodlines end with us.
It doesn’t matter how we feel about each other.
We both have our duties. I want to rule over my kind one day. Surely you desire the same thing.”
“I’m not sure what I want these days.” As he traced my lips with his thumb, I tried to fight the pull between us. “All I want to do right now is kiss these lips.”
“Please don’t,” I whispered. Kissing him would weaken me. It would make me feel things I wasn’t ready to deal with.
“Alora, the night I met you...” Darce stopped, seeming as if he was lost for words. “I knew you were going to be there. Not you specifically, but someone.”
“What do you mean?”
“The wisp guided me to you.” The wisp had visited him before me!
“What did it tell you?”
“To go and protect my destiny. I have to admit, when I saw you and realised you were Dylin, I was a little taken aback.” Darce shook his head, chuckling a little at the memory.
“The fire twins had been so cryptic when they had shared their vision about you half a millennium ago, that I barely knew what I was looking for. I knew the wisp was going to be involved with our first meeting. Of course, the moment you jumped down from that tree and removed your hood, I knew. It hit me like a bolt of lightning. Gazing at you for the first time, I had never seen anything so beautiful.”
“B...but you hated me on that pilgrimage.”
“Ummm, no, Starshine. You hated me. I was simply giving you a taste of your own shitty attitude. You have to admit, you were a spoiled brat until I educated you.”
“Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath. A small smirk played on his face. “Who are the fire twins?” Were they seers like Uri?
“You’ll get to meet them one day. If you decide to come back.” He was still gazing down at my mouth. “Showing you my world...it would mean a lot to me.”
“What else did the wisp tell you?”
“That I needed to stay close to you, and protect you with all that I was. It told me not to fear what I felt.” The wisp had told me to trust Darce, even though it knew he had been the one of the causes of my mother’s death.
Holy Ether clearly had a plan for Darce and me, but I had no idea what that was.
“I think you should take me home now. My kind might be wondering where I am.” My head was heavy from all the information. I needed time alone to make sense of it all.
“If you think of a safe place, I might be able to tap into it and take you there.” Nodding, I pictured my own bedchamber.
Loki and Enyo would be sleeping on the soft fur rug near the balcony, allowing the soft breeze to cool them in the midday sun.
Only Noor, Nell, and Luz were allowed in my chamber these days, so it was the safest place for both of us.
Darce wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. “I’m picturing a safe place for both of us,” I muttered. Without thinking, I touched the exposed top of his chest. Darce took a sharp inhale of breath before surrounding us in shadows.
Loki and Enyo were the first things I saw as light filled the room.
“Fuck! It’s bright here.” Darce squinted, adjusting to our suns’ rays. “Hello, pups.” He chuckled as Loki and Enyo swarmed him. Taking a look around once they finally settled, his eyes widened. “Is this...?”
“My bedchamber? Yes.” I beamed, biting my lip. “This chamber is warded by my ancestors, and because I’ve allowed you in, you can portal here at any time.”
“Fuck! You shouldn’t have told me that. How am I meant to stay away from you now?” The clarity I had in that moment floored me. I didn’t want him to stay away. He was the male I loved, the male I would always love, even if we couldn’t be together.
“Maybe I don’t want you to stay away.”
“Alora, I’m using all the restraint I have right now to not kiss you.
Don’t say shit like that when we’re alone and your bed is right behind you!
” He flicked his fingers, and my silver hair was back, flowing down my shoulders.
Surprisingly, my white dress was back, too.
I half expected him to have removed that.
“Your face looks mischievous. What are you thinking?” His eyes were dark as he gazed down at my body.
“I’m shocked you kept my dress on with that shadow magic of yours.”
“Fuck this!” His willpower evaporated as he charged towards me, lifting me up in one swift swoop as his lips crashed urgently against mine.
Backing me down onto my bed, I allowed myself to fall against the cool sheets.
Groaning into his mouth, I gripped his shoulders as my body arched up towards his teasing hands.
They were making their way down the side of my body while he kissed me with so much force that he was catching my breath with his own.
“Fuck...I will never get enough of you,” he snarled against my mouth, moving his lips across my jaw and down my neck.
“Take me here, right now!” I pleaded, grinding against him. Every touch was sending tremors through my body. I wanted him here, where I had dreamt of him almost every night we were apart. “I don’t want to wait a second longer. You’re the one I want, Darce. The one I’ll always want!”
“Soon,” he purred. “I’ll claim you soon, Starshine.
I promise.” He pulled back, and I pouted as he gazed at me.
“I should go before we are discovered. At least I can picture you in your own bed better now.” I gasped when he ran his hands down my body and between my legs.
“I will make you climax in this bed, but not right now. You need time to digest what I’ve told you.
” I didn’t need time for that, I needed his fingers inside me!
Darce moved off the bed, holding his hand out to help me up.
“You should see your face right now. I’ve turned you into quite the foreplay addict, haven’t I? ”
“You’re very good at foreplay,” I countered, giving him a devilish grin. Shaking his head, he gave me a similar smile back.
“I’ll come and collect you at noon in two days. If you decide you want nothing to do with me, I will completely understand and respect your wishes.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Until then, princess.” Shadow surrounded him and he was gone.