Bonus Chapter The Heat of Seas
The Heat of Seas
Bonus Chapter
THYLAS
After the revelations of tonight’s events with Ereon and the men who attacked Carnaxa, we’ve found ourselves in an awkward silence.
He carried her back to her tent for Siphonie to help take care of but I can’t find a reason to want to speak to him.
A piece of me is jealous because he is the one who will be her husband.
I know he is starting to care for her and a part of me hates it.
We decided to play cards, at his suggestion, because it was obvious neither of us was going to sleep until we knew she was okay.
I don’t know why I agreed to this, he has beat me in every hand.
I look over at him as he is looking down at his cards, his face a perfect picture of nonchalant and giving nothing away as to what is in his hand as he scratches his beard.
I look down at my own cards and sigh because I have nothing worth betting on.
Of course, once again the Prince of Shaston is going to succeed instead of me.
I throw my cards across the table and stand up. “I’m done with this. It’s late.” Ereon raises his head smirking before turning and looking towards Carnaxa’s tent.
“Princess ...”
I turn, Carnaxa is walking over from her tent and I start towards her.
I feared tonight was the last time I would see her, I worried the men would kill her before we were able to save her.
I still wish we could have gotten to her before everything happened, but I’m happy we were able to get her back regardless.
She looks okay beside the bandage on her arm as she shrugs as she says, “I’m alive.”
My fingers reach out to her, running my hand down her arm before wrapping it around her waist. “That’s always good to hear, Nohae.
We have been checking on you, but we were also letting you get your rest.” I motion for her to sit down in the chair I just vacated.
She sits and begins speaking, telling us about the recent happenings in Antalis because of Siph and her big mouth.
We didn’t want Carnaxa to know anything until she was feeling better knowing she would worry for her father, obviously that didn’t work out. I kneel down beside her.
“Yes. I’m sure she told you that your father sent people to the Southern Continent. Try not to worry, your father is just being cautious, that’s all.”
I want to put her mind at ease hoping to move past the subject, but then she changes her tone and addresses Ereon.
She’s pleading for her people, and I don’t blame her.
Given my earlier exchanges with the Prince, I’m not sure if Ereon truly has any sway or power in Shaston to be of service.
Ereon is not king yet, his father still rules.
He won’t have much to say in the matter, but I watch as a glimmer of hope slips through her features at his words to try.
She starts to stand before stumbling and both Ereon and I are instantly at her side.
“Don’t worry, Princess, I got you.” We both hold on to her as if our life depends on it.
“Maybe, we should get you to the bed after all huh, Nohae?” I nod toward the tent and we all walk that way. Ereon motions for his guards to stay outside the tent as we make our way in.
I’m not sure what I was expecting after we got her to the tent, but now we all stand here oddly and my eyes remain on her.
My desire for her grows in every moment that passes.
I want her in my arms again, especially after almost losing her.
The longer I stand here with her staring at me the way she is only increases my longing.
Ereon sways from side to side and I realize my dream is once again unreachable.
“We’ll let you rest,” I speak through the silence. Turning to make my way to the entrance of her tent, hoping Ereon follows suit.
“Don’t go …” her voice hits me as I am almost to the exit and I stop without turning around. “I don’t want to be alone tonight, not after everything that happened. I don’t want that to be my last memory of this place, I want something more.”
I sigh deeply. I surely must have heard her wrong, it can’t be what I’m thinking.
She can’t ask for me to stay here with her betrothed in the room.
She can’t expect that of either of us. I can’t stay with her and comfort her as I once would have, not with the knowledge of how she tastes and feels beneath me. I wouldn’t be able to control myself.
Ereon takes a breath as he comes up beside me. He whispers in a way he hopes only I can hear, but I see Naxa standing stock still, attempting to listen in.
“Go to her.”
My head whips to look past Ereon, at the beautiful creature there. Her cerulean hair hanging in braids, she stands with not an ounce of regret on her features from what she said. I look back at Ereon, surely thinking I misheard him.
He palms my shoulder as he repeats, “Go to her. Have your night because it will be the last one you can have. But know, I can’t leave this tent with my men outside until you do, not if …
” – he grins and turns to her – “she can’t stay quiet.
I can’t let them know that she was with you, they’ll believe I shared her but would never believe that I turned a blind eye.
Do what the both of you wish, and I give my word not to interfere. ”
Carnaxa runs her hand along her wrist and my feet already start to move to her, Ereon adds behind me.
“Her first time should be special, she’s too beautiful for it to be any other way.
” He releases my shoulder and disappears into the corner of the room.
I walk towards her, still waiting for the moment I wake up from this dream.
She holds out her hand, beckoning, “Come lie with me.” I gently grab her hand and pull her into me, kissing the top of her head.
Her smell envelops me. She leads me to the bed, letting her robe fall to the floor with only her thin night dress on, before releasing my hand and burrowing under the silk sheets.
I chuckle under my breath, I thought perhaps I was reading this wrong, maybe I was completely mistaken, but I know now, I’m not. She wants this, wants me. She wants me to be the one to touch her for the first time and I will not deny either of us this opportunity any longer.
I take off my tunic, letting it drop to the floor and she smiles.
The way she smiles is enough to make my manhood stand at attention and for me to realize that I would give her anything she asked of me.
I would prefer Ereon not be here, but if this is the hand we are cast then this is how I will have her.
I crawl onto the bed beside her and put my arm behind her head and pull her into me with the other.
Her fingers dance across the scars at my back, the scars I would never take back because in that moment I protected her in the only way I knew how.
I was there for her just as I am now, just as I always will be.
I shiver and tingles splay across my skin as her fingers continue to explore.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
I lean back looking down at her and ask, “Tell me what, Nohae?”
“That I was untouched. I thought if you knew, you wouldn’t want me. I’m not experienced like the other women you’ve been with.”
A laugh escapes me. Of course she would compare herself to others, but how can she not understand there is nothing to compare.
She is the moon in my sky, and the others were simply stars that lit up my darkness for a moment before disappearing.
She is my constant. “Naxa, trust me. That was not why I didn’t let things go any further that night.
I didn’t want to be a mistake when you’re marrying …
” I hear Ereon’s boots scrape across the floor.
I didn’t want her to be compromised or hurt.
“You were worried that he would kill us. I think he knows about the marks. When he saw me that same night, I didn't have them covered.”
She doesn’t know the conversations that were had while we were searching for her, he’s already admitted to me he knew.
I let my fingers trail across her thigh, pushing her thin night dress up before letting my fingers slide back down.
“I know. He told me when we were looking for you. We have … an agreement of sorts. But don’t worry about any of that.
” I need to get her off the topic of worrying about things that don’t have a place here, not right now.
Those are tomorrow’s problems. I reach up and pull on her leather band to release her braids as I run my hand through them.
“Just tonight, baby girl. We have tonight.”
Carnaxa leans up kissing the hollow of my neck, “I want this,” she whispers as she pushes her hand into my hair and pulls me to her.
I understand what her words mean but I have to know just one more time, because I can’t start this with her again and not finish. “Are you sure?”
She looks past me at Ereon in the corner, but I don’t mind. I let my fingers trail across her skin waiting for her answer, waiting for her to give me the yes I need.
“Yes, I can’t describe it, but I know this is right. I can feel it.”
We all can. We all know the net she casts around both Ereon and me. I pull her to me and kiss her neck, along the place where the lover’s mark I left has since disappeared. I hope I can give her another.